Green Business

I asked myself a simple question the other day, “Why did I start a blog about green business, and have the my original reasons changed over the course of the past few months since writing about the topic?” On the surface it may seem like a simple question, but it really digs deep into my heart. After thinking about it for a few minutes I started to write down a few answers - here they are:

1) I want global warming to stop…NOW!

2) Business and the environment do not have to be at odds with one another.

3) People are good, and by providing resources, news and other information about sustainability they may change the way they live their life.

4) The consciousness and attitude about the environment is changing, and I want to help speed up the process.

5) I want to learn more about green business.

6) I want to bring people together who share the same interests.

The only thing that has changed over the course of the past few months is that I discovered the sheer number of people who write about the environment. I am inspired by everyone and all of their incredible articles.

Let’s change the world.

Canadian companies that create wind farms are having a rough time building them as opposition groups are delaying the building, some of these delays are over one year because of appeals. Much of the opposition feel that wind farms have, at the very least, two major strikes against them - they are noisy and they are an eye-sore.

Enbridge, a leading company in the Canadian wind farm industry, have actually had to decrease the size of their planned wind farm because of such heavy protest from local groups.

The key factor that supporters of these farms attribute to the opposition is ignorance. Although Canada is an ideal country for wind-farms because of its two coasts, as well as the prairie provinces, they are playing catch-up to most European countries in relation to the percentage of power harnessed from the wind versus the more traditional forms of energy creation.

Educating the public is necessary if these companies plan on eventually thriving, but the oppostion do make a valid argument with regards to the negative impact that wind-farms have.

I wrote the author of the above video telling him that I was happy to see some objective information about wind farms from such a knowledgable person. The following was his response as it was presented it to me.

“I’m only trying to present the facts as the developer presented them. Turbines are only as good as their location. The AWEA recommends only wind class 3 and above locations. Unfortunately due to the huge subsidies granted to the wind industry,the best locations are not always chosen.As you can see from my other videos about wind farm locations/wind speeds in Illinois, the Oak Prairie Wind Farm in Illinois is to be built in an area of class 2-3 wind. There is class 4 wind in the same county, but those locations are not being considered for development. This will cost us all tax money and clean energy. The difference in output from class 3 to class 4 is quite a bit as my video shows. So that being said, keep in mind support for wind power should really be support for the best locations.”

“By the way as far as the whole NIMBY thing, I ran a wind turbine in my own backyard for 4 years before I sold it due to lack of output and lightning strike issues. I now use solar only. The wind farm developer for Oak Prairie Wind Farm lives many miles away and uses no renewables at his home. He is only in the project for the land lease money. Energy is not his main incentive. The county wants to tax the towers so they don’t care about output/location. Check out protectillinoisenvironment.com for some good wind-power information.
Thanks for your interest,

Steve

PS-Did you know that Com Ed and the AWEA made a report about Illinois wind resources and found that the entire state of Illinois has a total wind energy potential of only about 6780 Mega Watts.About 1% of Illinois total consumption!”

Some of the best advice that I ever received seems appropriate to use right now. There are two sides to every story - and then there’s the truth.

Wind turbines having been taking a beating in the media recently. People having been saying that not only are they ugly to look at, but they are noisy. I decided to get an impartial opinion on the subject, so I asked Jimmy Pickett, an oilman from Calgary, his thoughts. He’s been working in the oil industry, in one capacity or another, for thirty years. Our conversation was short and to the point.

“What we need is oil, more oil,” Calgary oilman Jimmy Pickett proclaimed. He continued “These wind mills are loud and they’re an eye-sore.” I asked him about the pollutants that oil refineries emit. He responded by calling me a liar and saying, “It’s not the refineries that make the pollution, it’s the people who keep driving all of them cars.” He then asked me if I knew what my carbon footprint was. I asked him if he knew what his was. He responded, “You keep turning this around and blaming the victim. By the way, building wind turbines in areas far enough away from homes so people aren’t disturbed by the noise is a cop-out. Just stop building them, and stop experimenting. You’re a jerk.”

How can one argue with that?

Every so often, here at Green Business, we will write about companies that are doing their part to help keep our world clean. Two companies are thriving in Vancouver, BC, Canada, by creating businesses that promote sustainability- Happy Planet and SPUD are the future of business.

Using only organic fruits, Happy Planet makes some of the best juice around. Founded by Randal Ius and Gregor Robertson, Happy Planet has cemented itself in the city of Vancouver. Their juices can be found in mainstream grocery stores, local tuck shops, and yes, even Starbucks. Their juices do cost a little more than the competition, but Happy Planet is not your average juice company. Made with 100% organic juice, it is such a high quality product that people are more than willing to pay a little extra for one of their products. Personally, I’m addicted to Extreme Green. Made with apple juice, banana puree, spirulina, stinging nettle-you get the idea, it’s more than just a juice, it’s a meal. If you’re lucky enough to see some on a shelf, give it a try- it’s definitely worth it.

SPUD is an online grocer also headquartered in Vancouver, BC. In business since 1998, SPUD is known for its organic produce and for delivering all of its products to your front door. I always see their vans making deliveries in the city. It’s founder and CEO, David Van Seters, conceived of this brilliant idea in 1997 while he was conducting a study on “the economics of sustainable community food systems”. David gives five reasons why he started SPUD:

1) Protect the environment by buying local, organic, minimally packaged, and eco-friendly products.

2) Build community by creating more direct connections between food producers and consumers.

3) Reduce traffic congestion and pollution by delivering groceries on a set route and avoiding private car trips to the grocery store.

4) Educate customers about important food issues through a weekly newsletter.

5) Donate leftover food to food outreach groups and disadvantaged families.

Sustainable businesses, like the two mentioned above, put a smile on my face. There are no more excuses for businesses that harm our environment. Every business is now accountable-there’s no more hiding.

I recently moved into a new neighborhood. Not knowing it that well I went on an expedition, checking out all of the stores along the main strip. Between all of the used furniture stores, I mean antique shops, and all of the used clothing stores, I mean vintage, I found a small corner store that specialized in organic products.

Selling only organic produce and other foods made by independent producers, this was a corner store with a conscience. The thing that surprised me most was the size of it. The space was tiny, but it was filled to the roof with great products. I witnessed a steady stream of people browsing and buying. After making a purchase of organic milk I asked the woman behind the counter if she owned the store, she did. Luckily she was more than willing to answer my questions about owning such a store. She said that she believed that most people in the neighborhood wanted to eat organic food but couldn’t afford to do so with their limited budget.

“People in this neighborhood can’t afford to go to a grocery store that sells organic food and do a weekly shopping there. It’s too expensive for most of them, but here they drop by a few times a week and buy something small each time. The people who shop here don’t buy a lot, but they buy often.”

I asked her, as gently as possible, if the business is generating enough revenue for her to keep it afloat. Basically I wanted to know if she was losing money. She said that she makes a decent living. Meaning that she pays all of bills at the end of the month with enough left over to get by, just like most of us.

I have to say, although she seemed liked she really was into the organic food movement she wasn’t a fanatic about it. She didn’t seem to live and die with all of it. She’s content on making a living doing something that she enjoys. She asked me not to give out her name or the name of her shop. Personally I thought any sort of exposure, large or small, would be beneficial. She said that she was happy with how things were going and didn’t want to disturb anything. I think that I’ll become one of her regular customers. One who buys a bunch or organic carrots one day and organic apple cider the next. We all have to do our part.