Eco Friendly Car Washing

Did you know that each time you wash your car, an average of 80-140 gallons of water are used?  Many of our clients in our sustainability consulting practice are surprised to learn that fact. 

Interestingly enough, few people realize that washing cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally un-friendly eco actions we can take.    As we explain in our personal consulting, unlike household waste water that enters sewers or septic systems and undergoes treatment before it is discharged into the environment, when you wash your car in the driveway or street, contaminants such as grease, brake dust, and the detergent itself flows into storm sewers, which discharges directly into our waterways. 
 
Contrary to popular belief, commercial car washes, are required to drain their water into sanitary sewers (which direct sewage to treatment facilities) or to filter and reuse it on-site.
 
Fortunately, we educate our clients on water issues  and encourage them to implement the sustainability concept of water reduction.  However, for the newcomers to eco friendly car washing, here are a few tips.
 
Click here to read the tips. 
 
Home to one third of the earth’s trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company’s vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the “oxygen for your business”.
 
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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

CA World Preview: Panel on Best Practices in Green IT and Corporate Sustainability Management

A CA Community blog by Christine Needles

Next up in our CA World 2010 preview blog series is a panel session on “Best Practices in Green IT and Corporate Sustainability Management.”  I’m really excited to attend this session featuring Lee Ditmar of Deloitte, David Brown of Datotel, and Jim Lampert of Global Green Consulting Group.  Terrence Clark, SVP and GM of CA ecoSoftware, will moderate the panel session scheduled for Monday, May 17 at 1:15 p.m. PT.

In this interactive panel session you’ll learn first-hand how leading organizations are developing best practices to deal with significant environmental and operational pressures, including increasing energy costs, reporting on policies and regulations, and improving supply chain transparency. Whether you deal with energy management, data center operations, or carbon reporting, this panel of experts will provide you with insight on how IT can help improve your sustainability management efforts.

Visit the Agenda builder and sign up for our new CA World social networking site here to add this session to your personal schedule.

For additional information on the Energy & Sustainability focus area at CA World 2010, visit our topic page here.

To register for CA World 2010, visit http://bit.ly/CAWorld

For the latest event updates, follow @CAWorld2010 or search for our event hashtag #CAWorld

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

20 Weekend Eco Actions

As a personal consultant in the area of creating sustainable lifestyles, I like to offer fun challenges to our clients to see how many green things they can do in a day, a week, or month.   Using creative ways to introduce sustainability concepts keeps a personal sustainability plan fun and fresh.  Also, by focusing on a specific day, weekend, or event, it elevates the priority of eco awareness that sometimes gets lost or buried in daily habits.

If you are looking for some eco action this weekend, try some of these suggestions: 

1. Determine your carbon footprint and take action to reduce it.

2. Check out your local Farmer’s Market for local fruits and veggies.

3. Sample organic beer.  Which ones are your new favorites?

4. Go paperless  for the entire day.

5. Have shower contests!  See who can take the shortest shower.

6. Use technology to go green.

7. Create a green discussion group at your place of worship or in your neighborhood. 

8. Practice energy efficiency: unplug seldom used appliances and use as much natural light as possible.

9. Try an organic personal care product.

10. Take public transportation.

Click here to read more tips. 

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Is Your Bike Shop Green?

What’s not to love about cycling?  It is a zero emissions emitting form of alternative transportation, great stress release, enjoyable exercise, and is a component of a sustainable lifestyle.  If you were looking for another reason to love it, check out your local bike shop to see what sustainability concepts they are adopting in the shop.  Chances are they are doing more for the environment than you know. 

Within our eco friendly consulting we comment that the principals of business sustainability are universal but how a business integrates those principals into their business is unique to them – as are their results.  Compelling stories sharing: What eco actions you took, how you did it, and the benefits of your actions inspire eco awareness in others and creates loyal customers.  Such is the case with our local bike shop – Bikeport.  
 
Bikesport, located in Houston, Texas has been serving our community for 30 years.   An interest in reducing costs and doing their part for the environment was an incentive for the shop crew to take small eco actions which have grown to group participation.  Currently, some of the eco friendly measures they are taking include the reuse of boxed and packaging materials and recycling of materials, chains, and paper resulting in a smaller dumpster size saving them money and diverting waste otherwise headed for the landfill. 
 
A common misconception of business sustainability is that it has to be an all or nothing approach.  Or, that you have to be an environmental business to have an impact.  Sustainable business strategies can help to reduce cost and benefit the environment regardless of the scope.   Check out what others are doing in the industry:
 
Click here to continue reading. 
 
Home to one third of the earth’s trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company’s vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the “oxygen for your business”.
 

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily