Sustainability makes business sense and carpet maker Ray Anderson proves it!

There has been a belief, no, more than that, a set-in-stone assumption among many business people that a company can either maximize profits OR go green. It was a clear either-or statement. Or so it was thought.

Carpet company owner Ray Anderson has turned that equation on its head. His company's change from one of the worst offenders in environmental pollution and net carbon impact, to one of the stars of the new green business model. The numbers tell his story:

• Net greenhouse gases, down 82%
  
• Water usage, down 70% on average across all product types
  
• Fossil fuel usage, down 60% per unit of product
  
  
• Products now use 25% recycled materials
  
• Production uses 27% renewable energy

And in the midst of all these changes, what has happened to sales and profits?

• Sales have increased by 66%
  
• Profits are up 200%
  
• Avoidable costs saved of $400 million have paid for all the changes in production and materials

Not satisfied with these numbers, nor with the success of the new eco-friendly line, FLOR, Anderson has set a goal of zero carbon footprint for his company by the year 2020.

Sustainability has come of age in the business world!

Billionaire Pickens has a plan to save the earth...and our economy

T. Boone Pickens, the Dallas Billionaire has a plan for ending America's dependence on foreign oil...and in fact. most oil altogether.

And no, it's not a pie-in-the-sky someday-maybe dream. It's a do-able here and now plan. And to prove it, Pickens has already invested over $60 million dollars of his own money in his plan.

The plan involves an immediate and widespread switch to natural gas as our primary fuel source. It starts with a bill -- H.R. 1835 [the "New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009," introduced by Rep. Dan Boren], which allows fleet owners to get new natural gas powered trucks paid for. AT&T has already agreed to replace 8,000 vehicles to run on natural gas -- that's one fifth of its fleet.

Picken's plan continues with the world's largest wind farm -- his wind farm in Texas. And then involves individual landowners who could generate wind energy on their own property and sell it into the grid.

Fed up with the endless debates and hand-wringing, Pickens is promoting a "Let's just do it" attitude. The alternative, inaction, he claims will destroy us within a decade. Read about his plan in detail at GreenBiz.com and decide for yourself.

Comments anyone?

When it's time for gadgets to go

So how did you do on the electronics recycling test? Hopefully better than my 50%!

Electronic waste is growing at a rate of three times that of regular trash. And much of it is potentially toxic to our ground water and soil.

There are alternatives to tossing electronics, and some people are catching on. According to a post on Earth 911,

The U.S. EPA recently announced a 30 percent increase in electronics recycling through its Plug-In to eCycling program, with more than 66.5 million pounds of used electronics recycled in 2008.

That's great news for the earth, but we can do even better. Here are some electronics-specific ideas for recycling or reusing instead of trashing...

Televisions - TV's are one of the biggest items we throw away, and with the switch to digital TV, more and more of them are ending up curbside and in landfills. Is there a better option? Yes!

Most Office Depots will accept old televisions for recycling. Also, check with your local waste authority, as many cities and counties now offer large electronics recycling programs; a few even reward recyclers with coupons towards new TVs.

Cell phones - The average cell phone users buys a new phone every 14 months. That's a lot of phones going into the trash, many with toxic batteries still attached. But there is a better choice!

Women's shelters and senior centers in many cities will accept donations of used phones and program them to dial 911. These emergency phones have been credited with saving the lives of elderly people living alone, and women and children living in risky situations. Check with a local shelter, or contact Donate My Phone for a local drop off location.

Computers and computer monitors - Staples office supply stores offer two programs to help you recycle your computers and peripherals. If your items are newer and can still be useful, they will offer you a coupon for credit towards a new item in their store. Older computers. monitors and the like will be accepted for recycling.

Advanced Technology Recycling offers computer and other technology users an opportunity to sell and buy computers and other used electronics online, which means less ends up in the trash.

What's your electronics recycling I.Q.

You think you know all about recycling. You've mastered separating the plastic bottles according to those triangles and numbers, you haven't thrown away a metal can or glass bottle since Bush senior was in office. You are a recycling Maven, right? Okay -- what do you do with an old T.V.? How about a car stereo? Dead iPod? What do you do with the things that have no bin? And how much of that stuff are we, as Americans, tossing away each year?

Green Plant just published an eye-opening quiz about recycling electronics. I took it...and was shocked when I only got 50% right!

Take the test and see how you do. Let me know your score. And tomorrow I'll post some information about dealing with old electronics.

10 quick ways to be green at home or in the car

I know, I know, I promised this post a few days ago...but then there was the breaking story about Ford converting their SUV plant into a green car plant, and then I had a cool guest blogger show up and...

But here it is! Finally! 10 quick (15 minutes or under!) and cheap ways to go green at home or in your car. Ready? Set....


1) Get a clothes line and hang up the big stuff. No, you do not need to hang every sock or your undies on the line for all the neighbors to see. And no one wants crispy towels! But hanging out those big or hard to dry things like sheets, blankets, hoodies and jeans will make a big difference in your energy use, especially if you use an electric dryer. Time to hang one load a day; 10 minutes

2) Plan your day's drive. Buy or print a map of your city and laminate it. Buy a dry erase marker. Before you head out to do your weekend or daily errands, mark your destinations on the map and connect the dots to find the route with the least overlap and waste. Do your errands in that order. If you have an appointment as one of your stops, mark that first and then plan the rest of the stops around that. Grocery shopping in hot weather? Take a cooler and ice packs to keep perishable cool or plan that for your last stop. Time to plan the day's drive: 5 minutes

3) Skip the drive-through and take a drink. If you typically stop at a fast food window for a beverage, take a cold drink with you instead. You will save the gas you'd spend sitting in line, as well as reduce the waste from paper or plastic disposable cups, straws and wrappers. Time to put a drink in a reusable bottle: 5 minutes

4) Clean up the green way. Instead of using paper towels to wipe up spills or dust the furniture, cut up worn out towels or cotton clothing to make rags. By the time it gets too worn out or stained to use, one small rag can save you from buying more than 7 rolls of paper towels! Just toss them in with a same-color wash load, and you won't be using more energy to clean them either! Time to cut up old stuff into rags: 5 minutes

5) Try water. When it comes to cleaning stoves, sinks and counter tops, skip the expensive and toxic cleaners and try water! Manufacturers have convinced us that clean only comes in a spray bottle, but the fact is some water and a non-abrasive cleaning pad will usually do the trick. It just might take a minute or two more. If you need a little more omph, sprinkle some baking powder on the surface. Scrub and wipe dry with a rag (see number 4, above.) You'll save money, reduce chemicals in the environment and have less plastic bottles to throw away. Time to scrub a bit: 1-2 minutes per surface

6) Start slow, stop slow. There's a concept called hypermiling that can increase your gas mileage no matter where you drive. Some people have taken the idea to extremes and advocate dangerous driving habits to save gas. But just two simple changes -- starting out slowly from the traffic light, and slowing down as you approach a red light (or an old green -- one that is about to change) by taking your foot off the gas, can increase your gas mileage by 1-2%. Maybe more, depending on where you drive and your old driving habits. You won't sit at stop lights as long, so the time will balance out. Time to drive and save: 0 minutes.

7) Get a bathroom timer. Everyone knows what a kitchen timer is, but a bathroom timer? If showers run long in your house, get a cheap wind up style timer and set it for 10 minutes. Make it a house rule that showers (from the time the water is turned on to the time it is turned off) cannot exceed the buzzer time. You'll save water, energy for water heaters and reduce waste water, too. Time to set a timer: 1 minute

8) Cut back on newspapers. If you receive a daily paper, switch to a weekend only paper delivery schedule and get your news online the rest of the week. You'll save paper, reduce landfill and cut costs all at once. Time to change your newspaper subscription: 5 minutes

9) Use the leftover containers for leftovers and other fun things. If you get food to go or take home leftovers from your favorite restaurant, reuse those containers at least once after the food is gone. Plastic or foam boxes work well as paint trays for kids or when you're doing touch-ups, as a lightweight portable doggie water dish on an outing, or as a place to put the screws and other small bits when you're putting together or taking apart furniture, electronics or car parts. Time to rinse and put containers away for later: 2 minutes

10) Go solar outside. Instead of powering exterior lights along your driveway or path, let the sun do it for you. Solar landscaping lights are very reasonably priced, and only require that you stick them into the ground wherever you want light. What could be easier? Time to install 10 solar lights: 10 minutes

Green Revolution or Ecological Evolution

Today we have our first guest blogger, Lance Shugerman.

Some say we are experiencing a Green Revolution. Is it, or is it a part of an Ecological Evolution which has been going on for over a century?

It could be argued that it started with Teddy Roosevelt and the creation of the National Park system. The evolutionary leap during the 60’s crowned by the creation of Earth Day in 1970.

Then there was clean air and water acts of the Nixon administration, (although of course he did use Agent Orange.)

Don’t forget the removal of lead from gasoline in the late 70’s and the roll out of local recycling programs over the years. The movement continued over the years through many pendulum swings are possible (the most drastic being the last eight years.)

Even during these dark times people like Al Gore his inconvenient truth advanced the evolutionary process.

So I think the “Green Revolution” is nothing more than a bright chapter in the Ecological Evolution which will continue and hopefully make the world a more sustainable and livable home for all living creature, air, land and water.

Lance Shugerman first became aware of the environmental movement while at the University of Florida in the early 80’s. He has been member of the Sierra Club for decades and is an active member of Mosaic Outdoor Club (as is this blog's owner!) where he regurgitates knowledge to its members. An avid fan of scientific/ ecological learning especially when spoon fed by the Discovery Channel, Lance is the owner of Green Energy Prod where he helps home owners and businesses save money on energy and help the planet.

Visit Lance's website or blog for more information about green energy generation for homes and businesses.

If you are interested in submitting a guest blog and bio of your green life, drop me a line at Green Business FLA

Ford transforms SUV plant into green electric car plant

In a move that may signal the beginning of a new era in domestic auto production, Ford Motor Company has announced that they are transforming an SUV plant into a green production facility for building electric cars.

According to a post in Greenopolis,

The Ford Motor Company is investing $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex that will build Ford’s next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.

The plant, formerly the production site for Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigators SUVs, is one of three North American light truck plants Ford is retooling to build fuel-efficient global small cars in the coming years. The new Focus will begin rolling off the line next year and the battery-electric version of the Focus – Ford’s first all-electric passenger car – debuts in 2011.

As part of the retooling, Ford will consolidate its operations from Wayne Assembly Plant. When production launches in 2010, approximately 3,200 employees will be building the new Focus at Michigan Assembly Plant. At the plant, Ford and United Auto Workers are developing modern new operating practices to ensure high quality and even greater efficiency.

Read the rest of the story at LiteGreen's Greenopolis blog.