The green movement seems to be sputtering to a slow, halting stop lately. The release of emails from several academic centers (known as "ClimateGate") put a seemingly irreparable large dent in the climate change movement. The movement to make businesses and homes eco-friendly is still ongoing, although the damage on the global warming side has bled through to the broader green trend. Making businesses eco-friendly is still a priority for many companies. Public perception of the green movement is mixed, but consumers may still view eco-friendly businesses positively. This provides an incentive to "go green" and start investigating how to do so.

Tracking Wasted Energy

An ordinary business, even one involved in seemingly innocuous sectors like computer repair or accounting, can waste a lot of energy. Appliances, building construction and electronics can waste electricity or make costs go up by accidentally releasing heated or cooled air outside. These issues are well-known in HVAC and other trades, but businesses can track how much energy they waste. Some companies also offer consulting services that businesses can use. Energy usage statistics can be an eye-opener as well as suggest improvements to be made. Simply becoming aware of how much energy is wasted can itself be very instructive.

Cutting Down On Electricity

Wasted electricity is the biggest drain on a business as well as the most environmentally inefficient aspect. The biggest consumers of electricity are electronics like computer systems and machines. Even a simple move such as turning off the computer at the end of the day can save a lot of electricity and money. Cutting back on printing and storing documents electronically saves plenty of paper, which means less trees have to be cut down. Data centers in particular would do well to cut back on their electricity usage. Some centers consume the equivalent of five power plants' worth of electricity.

Using Green Products

The green movement has spawned several companies dedicated to replacing hydrocarbon-based products with Eco-friendly materials. Polystyrene foam, made from hydrocarbons, is not considered very environmentally friendly. A company known as Ecovative Design has created EcoCradle, a green replacement for polystyrene foam made from mushroom roots and seed husks. EcoCradle is 100 percent biodegradable and compostable. Products like these help businesses go green without making any expensive investment in new equipment or technology. They can help the environment simply by switching products. Eco-friendliness does not have to be complicated or confusing.

This guest article was contributed by Jennifer Bell from http://www.healthtrainingguide.com/
Health Training Guide. Check out her site to learn more about http://www.healthtrainingguide.com/optician/
Optician training and other exciting health careers.




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