Category Archives: Environment

Dealing With Pessimism About the State of the World? 7 Ways to Calm Climate Crisis Anxiety in 2022

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This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

Anxiety and stress are common side effects of the state of our world in 2022. Climate change was a big thing on many people’s radars until 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Since then, the world has been flung into a state of chaos, and the climate crisis has been put in the back of many people’s minds.

For those who are passionate about sustainability and climate, we know the importance of a zero net carbon future. It can start to feel extremely overwhelming to see that no one is talking about these topics anymore, and it might feel like the world has given up.

Even when it feels pointless, activism is important. It changes the way the world works, and it makes our voices heard. If you’re feeling pessimistic, upset, anxious, or stressed about the state of the climate, here are a few ways to find calm in the midst of the (literal and figurative) storm.

ways to calm climate crisis anxiety

1. Spend Time in Nature

Our planet is beautiful, and there’s more time than ever to spend outside appreciating the beauty of what it offers, especially during the pandemic, when it’s safer to be outside than in.

Nature also has profound positive effects on your mental health, according to several studies. If you find yourself feeling panicked, scared, upset, or angry, spend some time under some trees or near a river, where there aren’t any people or reminders of the stresses you face.

If you live in a big city, consider taking a weekend trip to a smaller town that allows you to be closer to nature. Or try to find a park with lots of trees and open spaces, where there aren’t as many people present. Just be sure to be safe.

2. Spend Time With Pets and Family

Being close to those you love is another excellent way to feel safe and get some relief from stress and anxiety. If you’re feeling pessimistic, reminding yourself of the positive people and pets in your life is essential to make sure you don’t get stuck in a pattern of feeling like there’s nothing good in the world.

After all, animals are some of the purest beings on the planet, and they never give you a reason to feel hurt or angry. They’ll always love you unconditionally. If you have a dog, even going for a brisk walk with them is a great way to get exercise and bond with your pet.

If you have a cat, their purring can even help soothe you, as vibrations are comforting for humans as well as animals.

Try to avoid spending time with family members who cause you stress or may incite conversations that will cause fear or anger.

3. Join a Protest

Sometimes the best way to take action against pessimism is to be optimistic and continue to fight hard for what you believe in. For some people, this is the best and most productive way to fight anxiety. For others, it may make it worse.

If being part of a cause and making a change would help you, look for protests or peaceful demonstrations in your area related to climate change. If there are none and you know enough people, consider planning your own!

Planning an event is another great way to get your mind focused on something other than the thoughts inside of it.

4. Volunteer for an Environmental Organization

If you prefer to do something more long-term with your anxiety about the state of the climate, joining an organization or volunteering for an environmental non-profit is an excellent idea.

These organizations often make long-term efforts to help the community be greener and more sustainable, and they donate to larger organizations and offer political support. You can even sign up to help educate the public on voter information and environmental rights.

Some organizations simply need volunteers to help with cleaning, organizational tasks, money, etc. No matter where your skills lie, there’s like a spot for you.

If you have the time and money, there are some sites online that allow you to volunteer in other countries for environmental-impact projects in exchange for food and housing. You just have to pay for your plane ticket and dedicate a certain amount of hours.

ways to use persuasion to bring awareness to the reality of climate change

5. Change Your Sustainability Practices in Your Own Life

Opting for sustainable practices in your own life can make you feel like you’re making a change. Even if it feels useless or like one person can’t possibly do enough to change the world, every effort helps.

Not giving up on your goals and knowing that you’re doing something to help the environment is a great way to feel more optimistic.

6. See a Therapist

For some people, the anxiety, pessimism, and anger that comes with the state of the world during this time can be too much to handle on their own. That’s okay! These feelings are completely natural, and thousands, if not millions, of people feel the same way as you do.

Therapists are available online, as well as in person. However, if you’re looking to reduce emissions by not driving or using public transport, it’s always a possibility to see an online therapist from the comfort of your home! You can even utilize video chat, phone calls, or regular chat to speak to your therapist!

7. Stop Compulsively Checking the News

Finally, compulsively checking the news for new information on climate crises can often cause more anxiety and pessimism. If you are susceptible to these things and very sensitive, try to give yourself a break. Although it’s important to be informed, you’ll likely get more accurate information from scholarly sources, such as the ones on Google Scholar.

Conclusion

If you want to learn more about pessimism in general and how to combat it, check out BetterHelp’s advice column and blog today. You can also learn more about how to get help for common mental health conditions and symptoms so that you feel safe and ready to get back to your advocacy for the environment!

Using Persuasion to Bring Awareness to Climate Change

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This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

We’ve all heard about the changes in our climate in the past years. Many people have started to look for ways to go greener in an effort to reverse the effects of climate change and live a more sustainable life. However, some people simply do not understand or know the dangers of the changing climate or simply refuse to understand.

For those who feel passionately about the environment, it can be frustrating to try to convince someone else to make changes in their own life or to look into some of the studies that exist on this topic. It is possible to get people to learn more, but you do have to be patient.

Here are some ways to use persuasion to bring awareness to the reality of climate change in our rapidly growing world.

ways to use persuasion to bring awareness to the reality of climate change

Be Patient With Them

It can be difficult not to go on a huge rant about something you feel passionate about right off the bat when trying to convince someone of something. However, it’s essential. The majority of people who don’t understand the severity of the climate crisis likely don’t understand that it’s urgent.

They may not understand what you’re saying if you start going into a tirade about carbon zero and net emissions, which are words frequently used by people who already know what they mean.

Use simple language and be patient. Express why it’s important to you and also why they should listen. If they try to argue, tell them you understand their concerns but bring up counterarguments that are backed by hard facts.

Understand Generational Divides

Many people in older generations do not believe in climate change or simply have not seen any “proof” that it exists in their lifetime. They may use their life experience as an argument as to why climate change isn’t a threat.

It’s important for you to understand this response but not to let it deter you. Use examples that they might understand of how the climate is changing today and let them put the pieces together. Express that even though they might not be alive when the climate gets worse, their children and grandchildren will be. Show them why it’s important for them to think of the younger generations.

Start Small and Back Up Your Facts With Real Studies

Start with the basics when you’re explaining how climate change impacts the world. Before discussing this with someone, you should, ideally, have put together as much information as possible from high-ranking sources. Find sources from:

  • Online scholarly journals
  • Universities
  • Books
  • Encyclopedias
  • Scientific studies

You don’t want to utilize articles or blog posts as sources, as they’re not as credible as the sources compiled by experts. There are tons of sources that can back up your claims when you go to persuade someone.

NASA even has its own government webpage dedicated to the facts and research on climate change as it stands today. Share this with the person who wants to learn more. In the end, remember that you can’t force someone to read studies.

However, if they try to bring up counterarguments, remind them which sources are credible and show them the actual data being collected, as well as the evidence of leaders worldwide meeting at climate conferences to make a change.

Explain How It Affects Them, Even if They Don’t See It

In the end, climate change affects us all. Even if someone is older and won’t be alive during the worst of it, their children likely will be. For younger generations, there is a lot of fear about the future. Many people in generation Z have even opted not to have children out of fear of bringing a life into a world where they won’t survive or will have problems.

climate anxiety

Explain that climate change will affect the person by:

  • Causing temperatures to rise and more discomfort
  • Causing air quality problems, which can cause lung discomfort, breathing difficulty, and more
  • Causing fires in many towns, burning down homes
  • Causing population increases as people move away from dangerous climate zones

These are all immediate impacts of climate change that we already see, along with more natural disasters.

Use Gentle Urgency

You do want to be gentle when using persuasion to convince someone of something. However, it’s good to use a sense of urgency and explain why you feel so strongly about it. If someone truly doesn’t believe in something, explain why that hurts you and the people in society and why it’s important to you that they try to listen and hear you out.

Be a Good Example

Finally, be a good example of someone who cares about the environment. Although most of the world’s carbon emissions come from large corporations, making changes in your personal life can make changes to the planet. Show the people in your life that you care by:

  • Planting a garden
  • Using sustainable practices at home
  • Riding a bike or walking to work
  • Protesting for causes you care about
  • Voting for officials that care for the environment
  • Trying to limit waste
  • Not shopping from corporations that don’t make efforts toward sustainability
  • Spreading the word on important climate news

In the end, leading by example and showing people that climate care doesn’t have to be hard can help persuade someone to listen.

Conclusion

Not everyone will hear you out about climate change, and that’s okay. The most important thing you can do is continue to value the conversation in your own life and continue to try to help people make healthy changes for themselves. However, you can only control your own actions, so living a more sustainable life for yourself is a good way to be proactive for the environment.

If you want to learn more about persuasion and similar difficult topics, check out BetterHelp today. They’ve got an excellent site dedicated to advice and techniques, so you feel confident and comfortable in any conversation and learn more about the psychological aspects of how people interact on these topics.

Creating an Eco-Friendly Project Site

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Creating a worksite for construction is already a tough task, you have to get all the workers, tools, set up transportation of resources and materials, source the whereabouts of where this will take place, and more. It can be daunting at times, as you have a lot to plan and think about, plus the costs can be outrageous.

What’s even harder is planning it to be an eco-friendly site, as more people are in a rage about making things environmentally friendly; from power to materials, to transportation, they’d want it all to be as safe and protective of the ecosystem as possible. Luckily for you, you don’t have to look every to figure out how to do so, because you can look here.

Creating an Eco-Friendly Project Site

Finding Sustainable Materials to Work With

When you think of construction and building, you’ll often think of a workplace, workers, cement mixer, pallets of materials, and much more. While this is true, to create a more eco-friendly site, you’d want to start by thinking about what kinds of materials you are using and should you be using, and how to ensure responsible sourcing.

There are many different materials that you can use in place of concrete or commonly found materials that are not good for the environment thanks to the gases or pollution that they cause. These materials can include bamboo, straw, recycled plastic, and much more.

Manage Powered Equipment More Effectively

Powered equipment can take a great toll on the environment since it uses mass quantities or electricity to remain powered. What’s worse, is most worksites will keep their lights, tools, and everything else on while they are no longer working, or while on break. While this may not seem so bad, this can affect the use of electricity horribly and do damage to the environment.

If you want to become more eco-friendly, ensure your workers are managing their electricity correctly, shutting their tools and lights off when not in use, and opting for more eco-friendly ways to work. This can be difficult to do, but will greatly decrease the effect and use of electricity and harm on the environment.

Try to Conserve as Much Water as Possible

Water is one of the most overused and overlooked resources when at a job site. Water can be used for basic toiletries, cleaning materials, and many other ways. One of the best ways to conserve and repurpose water would be through the use of collected rainwater.

While it may seem a bit off, you can build rainwater collection systems that allow you to repurpose, irrigate, and use water that would have just been discarded or thrown away. This gives you a source of water that is usable but most likely shouldn’t be consumed.

Recycling from Construction Materials and Demolition

Let’s face it, you are going to have a lot of construction trash, broken materials, or unused materials left over from the job site, and you are most likely going to hire some person to quickly pick it up and haul it away. While this is a cheap and easy thing to do, the better choice would be to recycle or repurpose these materials.

Recycling of Construction Materials

You could hire a recycling company that will take these materials away, harvest what’s usable, and then repurpose them for future use. Or if that’s not your fancy, you could donate them to another work site yourself, and they can take these busted materials off your hands and purpose them themselves. Lastly, you could just repurpose a need or use of the material and not let anything go to waste.

Maximize Use of Natural Light and Energy

A way to conserve and maybe even build energy rather than just use it would be to think of your natural sources of energy and light. During the day you won’t need much light as the sun will give you natural light at all times it is out. And a way to use this energy to your advantage and even build a reserve would be to invest in solar.

Solar energy allows you to use the power of the sun, and as technology advances more companies are looking into creating tools and other ways to use solar or more eco-friendly energy conserves. A reserve of energy would not just help the environment but also save you money.

Solar Energy Guide for Students

Reduce Carbon Footprint on Transportation

Moving materials from one place to another can cause a huge increase in carbon production which would hurt the environment. To make the most out of becoming more eco-friendly, try to see if you can manage the use of transportations correctly, or switch to an eco-friendly fuel.

As time advances and many more eco-safe or eco-friendly companies start to come to fruition, more and more are looking into the use and design of more environmentally sound fuels for vehicles or tools. This could be solar power or bio-based fuels that can reduce this carbon footprint.

Planning for a Sustainable Work Site

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when planning or setting up your work site. More is added when you have to start considering all the different ways to make the job site more eco-friendly to appease a bigger crowd that is steadily growing in their desire for environmentally safe construction sites.

While it may be a lot to consider, or even think about while trying to make your project site more eco-friendly, there are many ways you can start doing this. These include finding sustainable building materials that would be more environmentally friendly, conserving the use of electricity, saving water, and even maximizing the use of natural energy sources, recycling what you can from leftover materials or demolitions, and even reducing your carbon footprint by investing in eco-friendly fuel and ways of transportation.

While it is a lot to think of, don’t be afraid to plan this journey out slowly, and take small steps to become more eco-friendly at the job site. Even the smallest steps make a great impact and will slowly add up.

What Constitutes Hazardous Waste?

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Hazardous waste is any waste that poses significant health and environmental risks. This waste comes from various sources, including commercial processes and household activities. Examples of waste generated commercially include painting wastes and cleaning solvents. In homes, common types include batteries, fluorescent lamps, and computer monitors.

what is hazardous waste

Characterization of Hazardous Waste

The EPA lists four characteristics that waste must meet to be deemed hazardous.

1. Ignitability

Waste that falls in this category includes liquids whose flashpoints are less than sixty degrees, flammable solids, combustible oxidizers, and compressed gasses. This group of wastes falls under the waste code D001, including petroleum parts washer solvents and waste kerosene.

2. Corrosivity

Corrosive wastes are the aqueous types with a pH up to 2, and for liquids that can corrode steel, only those with a pH of atleast 12.5 fall under this category. Examples include rust removers and caustic tank waste.

3. Reactivity

Wastes that fall under this category are volatile, react with water, and may release fumes. These wastes can also explode when heated and even when left undisturbed. Examples include metallic sodium and cyanide plating

4. Toxicity

Toxic wastes pose a threat because of their harmful nature when consumed. They can also seep through the soil and contaminate groundwater. To be deemed toxic, this waste must undergo testing under the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). Examples of poisonous waste include oily and painting waste.

Importance of Managing Hazardous Waste in the Oil and Gas Sector

Environmental threats are one of the top risks posed by oil and gas companies due to their operations. Other than greenhouse gas emissions, this industry is responsible for producing hazardous waste.

disposal of contaminated soil

For this reason, these companies must find ways of appropriately managing such waste. Remember, hazardous waste poses health, economic, environmental, and social threats. And while contamination can make waste management a challenge, there are several management schemes that oil and gas companies can undertake.

These include:

  • Companies can source raw materials that generate less waste. At the beginning of the lifecycle, addressing waste generation reduces pollution, saves costs, and promotes resource efficiency.
  • This industry can extend the life cycle of items by reusing them by utilizing waste oil to build roads.
  • Companies can convert waste products such as chemical containers into usable items.
  • This process may involve detoxifying and neutralizing hazardous waste through thermal analysis and physical filtration.

Household Hazardous Waste Management

Household hazardous waste poses a similar threat to the environment and humans. Improper disposal, such as draining into storm sewers or combining with everyday trash, can result in pollution and health problems.

household hazardous wastes

We recommend practicing proper household waste management. You can do this by:

  • Checking and following instructions on products that release hazardous waste. Take note of the usage, storage and disposal guidelines to reduce the risk of fire and other accidents
  • Keeping chemicals in their original packaging and never taking out their labels
  • Not mixing chemicals as some are ignitable. Also, doing so contaminates the containers rendering them unsuitable for recycling
  • Checking with the state or local waste agency on existing management guidelines for hazardous waste. If your neighborhood lacks a designated waste collection site or day, consider talking to your local professional trash collectors for safe disposal

Conclusion

If your business or home generates hazardous waste, it is imperative to understand the level of threat they pose, whether they are toxic or corrosive. More importantly, it would be best to find correct waste management schemes to reduce how much waste you generate, conserve energy and other resources plus ensure safe waste disposal.

With the world facing a climate crisis, secure management of hazardous waste can go a long way in protecting non-renewable resources and ensuring that the environment is habitable for future generations.

IT Asset Management and How It Can Help The Environment

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Did you know that the IT industry is one of the world’s largest consumers of energy? In fact, it’s responsible for up to 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why it’s important for organizations to adopt effective IT asset management practices. By doing so, they can not only save money and reduce their carbon footprint but also improve their overall efficiency and security. Here are just a few ways that IT asset management can help protect the environment:

How IT asset management can help the environment

1. Automated tracking of IT assets

One of the most important functions of IT asset management is tracking and managing inventory. This helps organizations avoid over-purchasing or under-utilizing assets, both of which can lead to wasted resources. Automated tracking also makes it easier to identify when an asset needs to be replaced or upgraded so that these changes can be made in a timely and efficient manner.

2. Improved data centre efficiency

Data centres are some of the most energy-intensive facilities in the world. As such, they present a major opportunity for organizations to reduce their carbon footprint through improved efficiency. IT asset management can help by providing greater visibility into how data centre resources are being used. This information can then be used to make adjustments that lead to reduced energy consumption.

3. Optimized server utilization

Under-utilized servers are a major source of wasted energy in many organizations. According to IT asset management provider Greenbox Australia, ITAM can help by providing insights into which servers are being used most heavily and which ones could be taken offline or downsized. This information can then be used to make changes that result in significant energy savings.

4. Reduced e-waste

E-waste is a major environmental problem, as it contains harmful toxins that can leach into the ground and contaminate soil and water supplies. IT asset management can help reduce e-waste by ensuring that assets are properly decommissioned when they reach the end of their useful life. This ensures that they are properly recycled or disposed of, rather than simply being thrown away.

5. Increased recycling

Recycling is one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of IT assets. IT asset management can help by identifying which assets can be reused or repurposed, rather than being sent to landfills. This information can then be used to make changes that result in increased recycling rates.

6. Improved sustainability

Sustainability is an important consideration for any organization, and IT asset management can play a role in this. By providing visibility into the environmental impact of IT assets, it can help organizations to identify areas where they can make changes that lead to improved sustainability.

e-waste crisis in united kingdom

7. Enhanced security

Security is another important consideration for any organization, and IT asset management can help to improve it. By ensuring that all assets are properly tracked and accounted for, it can help to reduce the risk of theft or loss. This information can then be used to make changes that result in enhanced security.

8. Reduced costs

IT asset management can also lead to reduced costs for organizations. This is because it can help to avoid over-purchasing of assets, as well as reduce the need for replacement or repairs. In addition, it can also help to improve efficiency and reduce waste, both of which can lead to cost savings.

Conclusion

IT asset management is a critical tool for organizations that want to save money and protect the environment. By adopting best practices, they can achieve significant reductions in their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Food Waste Management

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The waste management hierarchy suggests that reduce, reuse and recycling should always be given preference in a typical waste management system. However, these options cannot be applied uniformly for all kinds of wastes. For examples, food waste is quite difficult to deal with using the conventional 3R strategy.

food_waste

Of the different types of organic wastes available, food waste holds the highest potential in terms of economic exploitation as it contains high amount of carbon and can be efficiently converted into biogas and organic fertilizer.

There are numerous places which are the sources of large amounts of food waste and hence a proper food waste management strategy needs to be devised for them to make sure that either they are disposed off in a safe manner or utilized efficiently. These places include hotels, restaurants, malls, residential societies, college/school/office canteens, religious mass cooking places, communal kitchens, airline caterers, food and meat processing industries and vegetable markets which generate food residuals of considerable quantum on a daily basis.

anaerobic_digestion_plant

The anaerobic digestion technology is highly apt in dealing with the chronic problem of food waste management in urban societies. Although the technology is commercially viable in the longer run, the high initial capital cost is a major hurdle towards its proliferation.

The onus is on the governments to create awareness and promote such technologies in a sustainable manner. At the same time, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations and environmental agencies should also take inspiration from successful food waste-to-energy projects in Western countries and try to set up such facilities in cities and towns.

9 Eco-Friendly Home Features to Check for When Buying a House

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Homeowners are becoming more eco-conscious by the day. From installing water-efficient appliances to solar panels, home buyers are looking to incorporate greener options into their home designs. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll need to shop for the following.

How to Find a Realtor Who Can Help You Pick the Perfect Home

Finding the right home won’t be easy without a great realtor by your side, but you need to make sure your agent specializes in the eco-friendly home market. On sites like homeandmoney.com, you can search agents based on their certifications, experience, and niche specialties.

You can also try searching for a Green MLS, which features energy-efficient homes being sold worldwide. Remember that any agent with the acronym LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) next to their name is accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Your LEED-certified agent can help you find an environmentally friendly home, but what features will they consider eco-friendly?

Here are 9 things your property needs to be considered “green.”

1. Eco-Friendly Building Materials

Green building materials have a low environmental impact, so look for properties made out of salvaged or reclaimed wood and recycled items. Precast concrete, straw bales, bamboo, and recycled steel are also considered eco-friendly and can reduce your dependency on oil and gas.

bamboo as a construction material

2. Energy-Efficient Walls and Roofs

Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspapers, is more energy-efficient and safe for the environment. Ideally, you’ll insulate your entire home, including the roof, basement, and ceilings, to keep heat from escaping. If you’re buying an old house, you’ll have to replace the insulation.

3. Solar Panels Instead of Gas

It’s in your best interest to find a home with solar panels already installed on the property, as it’s cheaper and less disruptive than buying them yourself. Make sure to ask your agent when the panels were installed, how they operate, and the amount of energy they generate annually.

4. Low-Energy and Dual Pane Windows

Low energy and dual pane windows can reduce energy waste. Both provide extra insulation, which keeps your home warmer for less. If possible, consider installing dual-pane windows with a low-energy protective shield, as it’ll protect you and your home from harmful UV rays.

5. Eco-Friendly Landscaping

If you are looking for home curb appeal, search Round Rock Texas homes. Maintaining the grass on your lawn wastes a lot of water, so try to find a backyard with synthetic grass or wood chips. Another good option is a lawn filled with native plants that don’t need to be watered by the owner.

solar-based landscape lighting

6. Water Efficient Plumbing and Appliances

Water consumption is a major problem in the United States. However, you can reduce your water usage in the home by installing water heaters that lead to less waste. Low-flow faucets, toilets, and showerheads are another great option, and so are WaterSense labeled appliances.

7. Energy-Efficient Lighting

It’s easier and cheaper nowadays to install energy-efficient lighting in the home. Homeowners can use LED lights, but that isn’t the only factor that will reduce your energy usage. Motion sensors, smart lighting, and large windows can help you waste less energy every single day.

Reasons to Convert to LED Lighting

8. Underfloor Heating

Radiators are inefficient compared to underfloor heating. Wet underfloor heating systems are the most efficient, especially when paired with a modern condensing boiler. Underfloor systems can also be coupled with solar thermal and air source heat pumps.

9. Energy Star Appliances

The blue logo with a start next to the word “energy” indicates that the appliance is energy efficient. There are plenty of products that could be Energy Star certified, like dishwashers, ceiling fans, washers and dryers, refrigerators, windows, skylights, doors, and more.

How to Start Eco-Business Internationally?

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Doing business today is, perhaps, one of the hottest trends that have held its high position for a number of years now. If you want to make more than enough money, you should totally start your own business or, at least, purchase a franchise and go ahead from there. Yet, if you’re already in the game and want to grow then going international should be your next step. And going global with your eco-business is not the easiest feat, although it becomes quite popular as more and more entrepreneurs realize that it’s a pretty viable idea that pays off exceptionally well. So, what are the challenges of going international in eco-business, and how these challenges can be mitigated?

international-eco-business

Internationalization Done Wisely

Being smart in business is something that goes without question. You have to not only have some theoretical understanding of how business is done and what’s an international business but also have some kind of sixth sense to make the right decisions and take viable directions. Internationalizing your eco-business can be quite painful and not just while you’re in the process of leading your company into the Great Unknown (which international business essentially is about) but while preparing for it.

Indeed, in order to enter your desired international market smoothly, you have to calculate your steps pretty carefully. Nothing is perfect, of course, but you can, at least, aim for the right spot and potentially be at a significantly lower risk of not making it. One of the trendiest aims in international business today is going eco-friendly. This is the kind of trend that is not only viable to follow but is also reasonable to follow.

solar-rebates-faqs

Preserving our mother Earth from any kind of environmental danger is, perhaps, the best repayment we can do, so there you have 2 reasons. As for the methodology of doing eco-business internationally, it’s pretty basic, with something borrowed from the general internationalization practices and something from the eco-business trends. So, here are a couple of such tips.

  • Assess your potential markets. Obviously, it’s better to aim where it might fit in better or correspond with the local tastes and preferences. Some of the top eco-friendly brands come from the United States and European countries, predominantly from the Scandinavian part. So, one of the best picks for your start would be somewhere there. In addition, you should consider the buying power of your potential customers, the environmental situation in the country, as well as the overall green culture of the country.
  • Establish an online presence. The internet is perhaps one of the best places to start your internationalization. As lots of people use social media and simply cannot live without Google search, having your digital content targeted for a specific audience, or translating your original content is a solid and viable idea. One way of starting your business and hitting a bull’s eye is to familiarize people with you before going with a full blast.
  • Comply with your ideas. You’re running an eco-friendly business, right? That means that you must minimize any potential harm you might do to an environment or even completely eliminate it. You have to agree that marketing an eco laundry detergent produced on a rather smokey plant or delivered by huge fuel trucks is kind of weird, to say the least.
  • Keep an eye on formalities. As you go international, every formal aspect, including the needed documents and licenses must be kept in order. That also applies to their translation. Address the leading language translation services to make sure that the quality is at the top. Additionally, consider a certified translation company in order to ensure that the professional specialists working on all translations and have the full legal right to do so. This will certainly keep you from the trouble you might be least expecting.
  • Go ethical. As it’s a must for an eco-friendly business to maintain eco-friendly production, it’s also a great bonus if you treat the people around you well too. Ensure great working conditions for your employees, implement the rules and policies that stimulate a friendly environment and productivity. This way you’ll be able to show that you’re really pursuing the great goals as well as motivate your employees to work well.

Not as Hard as It May Seem

Although running your business internationally and in the eco-friendly arena might be somewhat overwhelming from time to time due to such business’ development and limited popularity, there still is a great payoff to that. One of the most important traits of such business is that it’s considered as innovative as it can only get today and being one of the driving forces of progress is pretty cool and attracts people. So, get your courage together, make sure you do more good than harm and go ahead exploring the new horizons.

5 Sustainable Blockchain Players To Pay Attention to in 2022

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There are many blockchain players to keep an eye on this year, including Algorand. However, there are five, in particular, to really pay attention to. If you do, you’ll notice that sustainability is a common theme across some industry players.

1. Cardano

In regards to market cap, this is among the top five overall crypto projects. At the time of writing, it has one of the largest blockchains to actually utilize a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism with success. In fact, the energy usage Cardano goes through is likely just 0.01% compared to Bitcoin.

environmentally friendly blockchain players

The market has a lot of appreciation for Cardano deploying social projects and environmentally-conscious operations. One example is the Cardano Forest run by the non-profit Cardano Foundation, as it has planted over a million trees. Cardano hopes to be an overall carbon-negative network.

2. Concordium

This Swiss blockchain is both proof-of-stake and eco-friendly. It employs distinct ID layers at a protocol level. This combination of privacy features and compliance makes the ID layer a crucial connection between the virtual blockchain world and the compliance with regulations that traditional businesses have to cater to.

A non-profit foundation supports it. It also has a science team internally researching sharding principles, consensus, and ZK proofs. This blockchain network is a simple one, but it also has cross-chain interoperability.

3. Energy Web Chain SolarCoin

This is a rather novel approach in regard to cryptocurrency. A SolarCoin is created for each Megawatt hour that is generated using solar technology.

The idea behind this blockchain is to reward those who produce solar energy. Solar plant owners have to submit third-party-verified certificates of their energy generation in order to claim their rewards.

4. Solana

Of all the digital currency in the current market, Solana might be growing faster than anyone. In fact, its support for smart contracts might make it a primary competitor to even Ethereum. This network is proof-of-stake. That means that Solana security is not reliant upon using energy. Estimates suggest that a Solana transaction uses less energy than a pair of Google searches. It might even be 20 times less energy than you use charging your phone.

The Solana Foundation is aiming for carbon neutrality in the very near future by partnering with Watershed for refrigerant destruction. This project aims to fund the permanent destruction of HFC and CFC refrigerants. Both greenhouse gases are more than 10,000 times as powerful as CO2. They’re doing this to offset the carbon footprint of the blockchain in the future.
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5. Stellar

This decentralized protocol using open-source code has an inbuilt exchange to transfer digital currencies to actual fiat money. This can happen domestically or even over international borders. Their cryptocurrency is named the lumen. This blockchain forked off of Ripple and started in 2014 hoping to bridge the gap separating digital currencies and traditional financial institutions. Since this blockchain doesn’t rely on mining, its carbon footprint is lower than others.

Bottom Line

Many detractors or opponents of cryptocurrencies usually feature the same arguments, including lack of consumer protections, financial instability, and susceptibility to volatility. The amount of power used and the negative impact on the environment that mining and transactions take are other arguments, but these five players are doing what they can to change that.

10 Green Business Ideas for Young Entrepreneurs

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Out of some of the hottest trends that have been on the top lists for quite a while are choosing an entrepreneur as the primary occupation and doing an eco-friendly business. While the former is primarily motivated by making money to afford quite a comfy living, the latter is usually motivated by something else. And that something else does not mean it has to be charitable.

The eco-friendly business has lots of benefits, the scales of which largely outweigh the monetary advantages of doing any kind of other business. Just think about it, by going green with your business you’re promoting the Earth’s safety from potential environmental catastrophe, you support innovation, and simply look cool and trendy. So, what are the specifics of doing business in a green way? Using essay writing service uk also will help you find more information about green business.

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Green Business: The Essentials

Although it might seem like something totally out of this world, green business is still business. You still have to be aware of all the formalities, such as legal regulations, competition, and economic rules and environments. You must make sure that people know about you, so marketing through all channels is reasonable.

Yet, there are some specific characteristics of the eco-friendly business in particular. In fact, such specifics are large in numbers, yet, their main ideas lie in creating and maintaining an image of the sustainable business that cares about its surrounding in all possible meanings. That applies not only to Mother Earth but also to your employees (who should be treated well anyway), your customers, and your business partners.

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As for how you can do that, here are the 10 hottest green business ideas for green entrepreneurs today.

  1. Start with yourself. If you want to run an eco-friendly business, such as a solar panel business, that pursuits a corresponding role, you want to make such business green to the bone. Try to reduce or eliminate the use of harmful materials in as many processes as possible. Recycle the office supplies that got used up. Avoid transportation using fossil fuel vehicles. This way you’ll show that what you do is not only for money or prestige, it’s for the sake of itself, which is quite attractive for consumers.
  2. Save energy and water. While neither electricity nor water harms the environment, by saving them, you also save the environment. The thing is that electricity production might harm the environment while saving water basically saves water, the resource that becomes quite scarce even in the developed countries of the world.
  3. Address green consulting. Yes, there is such a thing as green consulting and it might be very useful especially in the beginning. Essentially, by addressing a sustainability consultant, you retrieve invaluable information for your green business that you will be able to use and reuse at your disposal. So, don’t neglect a great piece of advice, even if you have to pay for it.
  4. Topical publications. It’s also nice to show that you know what you’re doing. By creating a blog outlining the current environmental trends, you can achieve exactly that. While some of the elements of your business will surely demonstrate your eco-friendliness anyway, sharing your experience and knowledge with people also looks pretty cool.
  5. Support relevant local events and businesses. It’s always nice to have a community that follows similar ideas to yours. Sponsor the bicycle races or supply the local concerts with what you have to offer, and people will see you even if you make minimum to none marketing efforts.
  6. Partner with similar businesses. By directly cooperating with other businesses supporting sustainability will reduce the harm you might potentially do to the environment to the minimum. While you might use sustainable technology yourself, your suppliers, for instance, might not. Partnering exclusively with eco-friendly businesses will surely fix that.
  7. Even more topical publication. You might not get popular with all this eco thing in your country. But you can still expand abroad, at least, on the internet. You can significantly enhance your online presence and SEO by translating your blog content. Just check out Pickwriters and find a suitable professional for your business. There’s a lot of services like that online and many of them don’t charge a fortune.
  8. Promote reuse and recycling. Whether you produce certain green products, sell them, or provide eco-friendly services, there’s always a place for reuse. Recycle the container material, encourage your customers to bring those paper bags back for a reward, or reuse all your tools whenever possible.
  9. Get involved in green financing. This is suitable for the later stages of your business development. While there were some ways, in which you can support the local sustainability movements, you can also help with money directly whenever you can. Give donations that develop and support sustainability, sponsor the cleaning of public spaces, etc. there are many ways to help our environment and money is not an exception.
  10. Don’t stop in one kind of business. You can do good in many ways. If you sell organic food, deliver it, and help other businesses to do the same. If you repair bicycles, gather the old ones and refurbish them. If you produce organic beauty products, then sell them or provide beauty services for people.

Doing the Right Thing

Doing an eco-friendly business is certainly the right thing. There are lots of ways you can make our world a little bit cleaner and safer to live in and many of those ways can co-exist in one business. It’s important to remember that whenever you do a good thing, there’s no point in doing just one good thing. Diversifying your sustainable business will only multiply the great things you do in the first place.