You Wouldn’t Throw Raw Sewage into Rivers, Would You?

Our society, including the business community from corporate America to Main Street, are abuzz about climate change – the excessive dumping of carbon waste into the atmosphere that threatens the air we breathe – Sustainable Development Goal #13.

The media are replete with information and pleas for all of us to stop and listen.

How can we reduce the amount of carbon waste that we’re discarding into the atmosphere? Realistically, there are two methods, which brings me to a story that I heard recently on BBC World News.

Today’s situation is not historically unique since humanity has faced similar deleterious behaviors in the course of its history, one of which pertains to another form of waste – ours, human.

The Mesopotamians introduced the world to clay sewer pipes around 4000 BCE, while the flush toilet was invented in 1596 but didn’t become widespread until 1851. So what was a rural and urban family to do? By and large it disposed of its raw human waste into local rivers, which gave rise to a host of diseases, among them cholera even bubonic plague. But when a reasonably smart, farsighted individual who remains unknown to history may have suggested that you shouldn’t do that because it threatens our health, he or she may have been greeted with the derisive reply of “So, what are we supposed to do with it? Where should we dispose of our waste?”

As you know, technology and behavioral awareness came to the rescue.

Before sewers, toilets and in time water treatment facilities became widespread and we first had to realize that we couldn’t go on polluting our supply of drinking water. Consequently, we – our ancestors – had to change our behavior.

The same can be applied to our treatment – or rather mistreatment – of the atmosphere. Indeed, technology will come to the rescue but until a practical, inexpensive process of cleaning our supply of breathable air is developed, we – society, businesses and individuals – will have to first thoroughly recognize that we can’t go on ad nauseam polluting our air.

And now we have arrived at the critical point in our evolution when hundreds of top scientists released a shocking report on the danger that human-caused climate change poses to the world.  Categorizing it as a “code red for humanity,” the landmark report was released in Geneva by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The evidence is clear that carbon dioxide is the main driver of climate change, even as other greenhouse gases and air pollutants play a role, the report says.

The 3,500-page report “provides an unprecedented degree of clarity about the future of our planet, and the need to reduce – and ultimately eliminate – our emissions of greenhouse gases,” said Zeke Hausfather of the Breakthrough Institute, a global environmental research center.

However, they warn that worst is yet to come if we don’t change our behavior.

The report, which calls climate change clearly human-caused and “unequivocal,” makes more precise and warmer forecasts for the 21st century than it did last time it was issued, in 2013.

The report projects that in the coming decades, climate changes will increase in all regions. For a mere 1.5 degrees C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons; at 2 degrees C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, the report shows. Avoiding 1.5 degrees of warming is all but impossible, but scientists believe we can still keep warming around that critical threshold and avoid the worsening impacts that come from approaching and passing 2 degrees of warming.

Just as the report clearly blames carbon pollution for the rising temperatures, it is also clear that the only way to slow down and eventually reverse the warming is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero.

Here are some specific impacts and what the report has to say about them.

• Heat waves – Extreme heat waves, such as the deadly one that occurred in the Pacific Northwest and Canada earlier this summer, are already about five times more likely to occur with our current warming of just over 1 degree C. At 2 degrees warming, this frequency increases to 14 times as likely to occur. Heat waves are getting hotter, and with 2 degrees of warming, the hottest temperatures would reach nearly 3 degrees C (5 degrees F) higher than previous heat waves.

• Droughts – Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of droughts – such as the current drought plaguing the western United States. Severe droughts that used to occur an average of once per decade are now occurring about 70% more frequently. If warming continues to 2 degrees, these droughts will occur between two and three times as often.

• Flooding – Climate change is intensifying the water cycle on both sides. While more intense evaporation will lead to more droughts, warmer air can hold more water vapor to produce extreme rainfall (as we have seen play out dramatically in Western Europe and China this summer). On average, the frequency of heavy downpours has already increased by about 30% and they contain about 7% more water.

• Hurricanes – Hurricanes are growing stronger and producing more rain as global temperatures increase. It has already been observed that, globally, a higher percentage of storms are reaching the highest categories (categories 3, 4 and 5) in recent decades. This is expected to continue as temperatures climb.

• Sea level rise – Sea level is rising around the world, and the rate is increasing. This is worsening high-tide flooding and storm surge. By 2100, once-in-a-century coastal flood events will occur at least once per year at more than half of coastlines across the world, the report said.

• Weather whiplash – Climate change is not just increasing the severity of extreme weather, it is interrupting the natural patterns, leading to “weather whiplash,” which are wild swings between dry and wet extremes. This has been experienced recently in California, with “atmospheric rivers” causing destructive floods one year and extreme drought causing water shortages the next.

That’s the 50,000-foot point of view. Now for the ground-level one. Small business owners have a voice in this process and can contribute to alleviating the threat – or at least slowing it down. Sustainable practices such as energy, fuel, and water efficiency, along with material reuse and conservation, help reduce emissions and costs while conserving our natural resources. Every business can take simple steps at little to no cost to become more sustainable.

As with everything that pertains to sustainability, reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change is good for business not only because green practices will save you money but you will add to your bottom lines because your customers by and large favor sustainability and green businesses. It improves your image. Consequently, they will search for your products and services.

What to do?

Small businesses should focus on the ubiquitous phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” – It has been shown to help. Small business owners new to the green movement will find their starting line here. The Three Rs should apply to every facet of your business – from packaging, to office supplies, to operations, and supply chains. Always choose reducing and reusing first, as these practices skim the excess. When there’s no reusable alternative or reusing simply doesn’t work for your business, start a recycling program in your office.

Food waste occurs at every stage of the food system and accounts for 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, food recovery is not only an environmental crisis but also a business one. Your business doesn’t have to be a restaurant or grocery store to reduce food waste. An office that caters from local fares can still reduce their overall waste. By purchasing from other businesses that support local farmers and the community, you are indirectly reducing food waste by minimizing transportation in the food system. Additionally, creating an office compost program will recycle food waste into fertilizer.

Carbon offsets are a form of trade in which your supply chain may be interested. When you purchase an offset, you are funding projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Keep in mind that carbon offsets don’t reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere – they act as a balancing agent to negate the carbon emitted. Depending on what company you purchase your offsets from, they can be tax-deductible. We recommend including your offset costs in your annual budget.

While carbon offsets come with their own controversy they can be a convenient last resort when you’ve exhausted other options. Additionally, if the company you purchase from is transparent with their projects, carbon offsets can be a useful tool towards neutrality.

Consider renewable energy. Solar and wind rank as the two fastest-growing jobs in America; electric vehicle production is growing, and utility companies are incorporating renewables in their portfolios. In 2019, purchasing renewable energy for your office space is a long-term investment. For conventional workplaces existing on an established power grid, this may pose a significant challenge. In these cases, you can reduce your consumption by using high-efficiency lighting and powering off all electronics when not in use. And to be proactive with clean energy, purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) demonstrates your office’s commitment to clean energy. You may also find it easier to convert your home office to on-site renewables. Depending on where you live, your local government may also offer subsidies and rebates.

In this vein, transportation is one of the largest sectors of greenhouse gas emissions. By encouraging your employees to take public transit, to carpool with other colleagues living close by or by giving them discounts on public transportation, companies can significantly reduce their indirect CO2 emissions and therefore their impact on climate change.

Use green refrigerants and appliances. Both refrigerators and air conditioning units release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases that damage the atmosphere. The original culprits, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), were responsible for tearing a hole in the ozone layer in the 1980s. While these chemicals are not in use anymore, their replacement hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are still 1,000 to 9,000 times more potent than CO2 in terms of climate impact. Luckily, green tech has cleaner, friendlier alternatives: GreenFreeze fridges by Greenpeace and smart refrigerators. When your company refrigerator has reached the end of its life, choose to dispose or recycle it responsibly with a RAD facility.

As odd as it may sound, use sustainable web-hosting services. Hosting services are regarded as the invisible fossil fuel consumers. Unless you host your site yourself, your website likely lives on a data server in a warehouse powered by fossil fuels. Data servers consume huge amounts of energy because they need to be powered on and kept cool at all times. Sustainable hosting services purchase Renewable Energy Certificates to claim their renewable energy usage.

The Green Business Network is home to several certified sustainable hosting members like CanvasHost and Sustainable Hosting. By negating the environmental and social costs of fossil fuel-powered hosting, our members are leaders in green computer services.

Utilize Fairtrade. The least carbon-intensive option is the one that has traveled the fewest miles; however, the reality is that international trade will not stop for climate change. Sustainable solutions in globalization are imperative to reducing your business’s carbon footprint. This is where Fairtrade can help. Smallholder farmers in developing countries are and will be disproportionately affected by climate change. Fairtrade organizations aim to equip farmers with the tools to adapt to and combat climate change, such as developing nutrient-rich soils and investing in reforestation projects. These projects not only sequester carbon but foster environmentally sustainable agricultural production as well.

Educate yourself, your staff, your trading partners and your customers. Change begins with knowledge. More than half of Americans rarely – if ever – casually talk about climate change over cocktails because they don’t know enough, are overwhelmed, or think it’s scary. Nonetheless, they are interested in sustainability especially the millennials. All of these can be remedied with education and civil conversation around the topic. Your business can promote dialogue among your employees through company practices and policies around sustainability. Making your customers aware of your policies to reduce carbon emissions makes them aware of tactics they can use to reduce emissions as well.

You are not alone trying to make a buck. You have trading partners along your supply chain. Each company also has a responsibility regarding the partners it chooses. Choosing a supplier is also an environmentally-friendly choice (or not, depending on the supplier). Therefore, companies should make the effort to choose suppliers who demonstrate they have good environmental practices.

Raise your business voice: Support policy initiatives. Network and partner – that’s Sustainable Development Goal #17. Did you know your business has a voice? Customers want to purchase from a business that aligns with your values are good for the bottom line, too. 87% of customers will purchase a product from a company that advocated for an issue they care about, and 82% of Fortune 500 employees want to work for the CEO of a company that is vocal about social issues. Depending on your supply chain and workers, this could include anything among the spectrums of human rights, climate change, cultural values, and public health, to name a few.

Turning your business into a green, sustainable enterprise is limited only by your dedication and creativity. It really is a no-brainer. In New Jersey, small business can turn for advice to the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) or the New Jersey Sustainable Business Council.