My hope is that this blog becomes a way for environmentally minded people to come together and share their ideas about the sustainable way that South Bend IN is headed. South Bend IN has many emerging businesses that are environmentally minded. The idea that businesses can’t be “green” and profitable at the same time is starting to change. Many businesses are realizing that they have a social responsibility to the people it serves and to the environment it exists in.
This is coupled with new tax laws that are giving tax breaks to businesses that make sustainable choices when regarding their businesses and employees. There is a huge range of sustainable choices that businesses can make. Some of these changes can be small, like having the default printer settings to print on both side of the paper. Other choice can be huge, like having a live roof that can cut energy cost by half. This blog is also intended to promote those businesses that are making sustainable choices and also give suggestions to consumers who are looking for more sustainable products.
Going green will either be voluntary today, or mandatory in the future. We are already witnessing the impact of dwindling fossil fuels as the competition for them is increasing on the global market. It will reach a crisis level if we do nothing.
ReplyDeleteMy employer recently hired an energy director whose responsibility is to drastically reduce energy consumption at all facilities. Buildings are being audited for energy use, HVAC systems are being reviewed, green roofing options are being explored. A lot of the results will prove to be challenging to implement and expensive to deploy. Yet other options, such as turning off lights, cost nothing other than the flick of a finger.