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Fired Up About Green Business

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A talk with students

Earlier this week I spoke at Eckerd College on the topic of “Starting a Green Business.” I was thrilled to be invited. As I head into my 5th year as a content writer for green businesses (and a certified green business myself!), I have far more to share with the students than before. And the truth is, I came away feeling wonderfully optimistic about the future of green business. Here’s why:

Eckerd College teaches students how to launch green businesses.

Eckerd College teaches students how to launch green businesses.

  • Green business is part of the curriculum. I give a big shout out to Eckerd College and Professor Laura Singleton for teaching the course. It’s an intensive class to help students learn about, articulate and actually pitch a green business plan within one month. I like the fact that the class has such a practical, actionable focus. Green business is not some airy-fairy, far-away dream. It’s here now and we need more people like these students jumping in to the pool.
  • There were no slackers in this crowd. Far from tapping away on their smartphones while I spoke, these students were engaged. I was bombarded with questions ranging from “How do you handle greenwashing?” to “Why do you think the government in Florida bans people from talking about climate change?” to “You say your hybrid car is a good thing, but what are we going to do about those toxic batteries?” These are thoughtful, informed questions that say good things about the students asking them.
  • These students GET climate change. They know that climate change is real, and they know that they will likely bear the brunt of it. Not one student asked, “But isn’t climate change a hoax?”  Not one student asked, “But won’t addressing climate change destroy our economy?” It’s a given. These students give me hope.
  • Green business means big bucks. I shared with the class a recent article from The Guardian listing the 9 companies that currently make $1 billion a year or more with sustainable products. That’s “billion” with a “b.” Target is the tenth company that will join this ranking. While my green business is small, there will be a need for green businesses of every size and shape. That’s exciting for people looking for a place in a new, green economy.
  • My New Year’s gift to you. Interested in exploring your own green business ideas? After class, I emailed Professor Singleton a list of 10 sources of information on green business to share with her students.  This list barely scratches the surface, but it’s a good place to start:
  • Greenbiz.com
  • Climate Progress – this is more about climate change than business, but many business-related articles appear.
  • American Sustainable Business Council – this group is located in D.C. and has a public policy bent, but the name says it all.
  • WeMeanBusinessCoalition.org – this came out of the Paris Climate Talks. Mike Bloomberg (of Bloomberg Business Week) is one of the business people who has gotten involved in the green economy in a big way.
  • Ceres.org – while this is a nonprofit, they work mostly with for profit-businesses to help them understand and adopt more sustainable business practices.
  • Newsweek 2015 Green Business Rankings – normally I avoid lists like this, but it does give a sense of the sheer scope of green business today.
  • Sustainable Brands.com – the link is to an article about the Circular Economy, but SB is one of the heavy hitters in the green business space.
  • Sustainable Business.com – Rona Fried is the woman behind this site, and she curates a daily stream of interesting news articles about sustainable business.
  • The Guardian Sustainable Business section– source of the “9 Billion Dollar Companies” article above.
  • Triple Pundit.com – all the latest on balancing people, planet and profit – the Triple Bottom Line.

As I told the class, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Whether you are looking for ideas for a green business to start, a green job to train for, or a green company to work for there is plenty of opportunity. Be bold – don’t wait – you can do this!

Climate Change and Small Business – New Research

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Last week  the American Sustainable Business Council  released new research on the attitudes of small business owners about climate change.

The results very much track my own concerns as a small, green business owner.

The American Sustainable Business Council polled small business.

The American Sustainable Business Council polled small business.

The Key Findings

The survey of 555 small businesses from June 2014 showed that:

  • They are concerned about climate change.  87% of small businesses named one or more consequences of climate change as potentially harmful to their business, including higher energy costs, power outages, and rising health care costs.
  • They think government regulation is needed. 64 % of the businesses believe government regulation is needed to reduce emissions from power plants. (Hence I applaud the new carbon rules from the EPA last month.)
  • They know extreme weather is a threat. 53% of companies think extreme weather has, or will have, a negative impact on their businesses. One in five has already been hurt.

Small businesses know that climate change is a danger

As a small business in Florida, the concerns highlighted by the research are very real and very now. If the effects of climate change seem abstract to you, let me make it “realer” for you.

The climate risks to my business include:

  • Losing electric power. If I lose power, I lose my laptop, my internet connection and my phone connection. That means my work for clients is interrupted.

Since I promise clients that I’m dependable – i.e. I’ll meet or beat their deadline – this is bad news. I am dependable, but if my power source isn’t, then suddenly I’m not either. I’ve never had a power interruption that affected a client. But I have started considering backup systems like a generator. That’s a big expense ($5,000 or more) for a small business.

  • Flooding.  I am far from the beach in miles. But Tampa Bay is very flat. A “perfect storm” that hits just right could push a LOT of water inland at the same time that torrential rains fall. An unlikely scenario? Perhaps. But that’s probably what the folks in the New York subway system thought just before the water from Hurricane Sandy started pouring into the tunnels under the city.

A prudent business has to prepare for possible risks, and that includes climate risks.

  •  Hurricane damage. High winds can do structural damage. My home office is in a relatively new house, and roofs are  more wind-resistant than they used to be. But the frequency and intensity of storms has been increasing. I can’t assume the roof is strong enough for every storm.

Climate change threatens businesses of every size

So I’m happy to pass along ASBC’s  research to a wider audience. From my perspective, it reflects the reality of climate change as a risk to my small business and millions more like it.

What do you think?

New Carbon Rules Coming Soon

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Yesterday, I tuned in to a brief conference call with Gina McCarthy, the EPA Administrator. She spoke about the soon-to-be-released rules governing carbon emissions from power plants. “Rules” sound stodgy, but as a green business owner, I welcome them.

Addressing the biggest part of the problem

The call was hosted by the American Sustainable Business Council, of which I am a member. (As a green business, I feel more “at home” with the ASBC than I do with, say, the the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.)

The American Sustainable Business Council hosted Gina McCarthy.

The American Sustainable Business Council hosted Gina McCarthy.

Ms. McCarthy spoke briefly about the intensive process used to craft the rules, and the flexibility with which they can be implemented.

I can’t wait. Really. About 40% of total U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions in 2012 came from power plants. A huge chunk of that comes from coal. It makes sense to go after the biggest part of the emissions problem first.

Still waiting for renewables here…

As a green business person, I would like to run my home and business on renewable energy like wind or solar. Sadly, my latest electric bill shows that Tampa Electric derives 58% of its fuel from coal, and 37% from natural gas and oil. Ugh. No matter how I try to conserve energy, whatever I do use creates more greenhouse gas emissions. And I can’t choose a different power company.

TECO ran its annual lottery for solar panels on April 25, 2014. It sold out within minutes. With 700,000 customers, allotting  just $1.5 million per year to solar systems doesn’t make sense.  It’s like pouring a teaspoon of water on a forest fire.

So I hope the new carbon rules will – ahem –  “motivate” utilities like TECO to change – and quickly.

Pledge to Buy a Clean Energy Victory Bond this Earth Day

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Happy Earth Day!

My gift to you this Earth Day is a “heads-up” about a something called “Clean Energy Victory Bonds (CEVB).”

Last week I tuned in to a webinar from Green America’s Green Business Network that explained them.

The Green Business Network held a webinar on Clean Energy Victory Bonds.

The Green Business Network held a webinar on Clean Energy Victory Bonds.

2 Representatives from California introduced a bill on April 8 in the House of Representatives to create “Clean Energy Victory Bonds.” The idea is based on the “Victory Bonds” that helped finance World War II.

I think it’s a great idea. Here’s why:

What is a CEVB?

  • If passed, the bonds would be U.S. Treasury bonds of the EE type. They will specifically finance the production of clean energy technologies.
  • The interest will be competitive with other EE bonds.
  • The sectors supported include solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, electric vehicles and energy efficiency technologies.
  • The face amounts would be as little as $25, so small investors can participate. And redemption periods are very flexible, ranging from 12 months to 30 years.
  • The plan is to sell $50 billion in bonds, with the expectation that that would attract additional public and private investment on the order of $150 billion more.

Why are they needed?

  • The bonds bypass Congress. The US is losing the renewables race to countries like Germany and China. Bonds take the issue of financing clean energy away from our dithering Congress and put it into the hands of both citizens and investors.
  • The bonds would provide a steady and consistent source of financing. For businesses that never know if a particular government tax credit will be there or not, this form of financing guarantees consistency over the longer term.
  • These bonds enable investors of all sizes to participate. There is plenty of interest and support for this bill. Over 15,000 people coast to coast have already pledged to buy the bonds. And the bill was just proposed.

What will CEVBs  do for our economy?

  • Create jobs. It is expected that the funding from CEVBs would create over a million jobs. Not just jobs in the future, but jobs right now in areas like construction and manufacturing. This is more jobs than the fossil-fuel sector creates. And the jobs, on average, pay more.
  • Avoid new taxes. This is not a tax. CEVBs would be an investment option, and people who want to own part of the clean energy future can buy in.
  • Improve energy security. As renewable energy options are deployed, the U.S.’s reliance on unstable countries for oil will diminish. And unpleasant oil price shocks will be a thing of the past.

What will they do for the environment?

CEVBs will support both research into and deployment of technologies to:

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Reduce the air and water pollution that result from fossil fuel drilling, mining and burning
  • Reduce the likelihood of catastrophic natural disasters (floods, fires, storms) that have become more frequent and more severe as the planet warms.

How can you get involved?

  •  Pledge to buy a bond! Great Green Content has already pledged to support this bill and to buy bonds.
  • Tell  your Representative in Washington that you support this bill. The more sponsors, the better its chances for passage.

Required caveat: I am not an investment adviser. So use your common sense when it comes to this, or any other, financial decision.

Great Green Editing is now Great Green Content

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What Happened?

On the second anniversary of Great Green Editing in 2013, I paused to assess. And I realized a few things:

• I do more writing for clients than editing.
• Clients and prospects were confused by the name, thinking I only do editing.
• Folks who’ve been in the business longer than I have were unanimous in advising that the name “Great Green Content” better reflects my services.

Enough said! I changed the name of my site. I see it as a natural evolution.

What Does this Mean?

• I still edit. If you are, or want to be, an editing client, I’m happy to serve. I have an attention to detail that scares some people, but when you are about to hit “send” or “publish” then you want someone like that.
• I also write for businesses and organizations. I have for profit and nonprofit clients. See my Services page for all the details.
• I especially target businesses and organizations that are transitioning to “greener” or more sustainable practices. As a certified green business myself, I bring my own subject matter expertise to my clients, where I can.
• You’ll find a renamed Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/greatgreencontent . Please “Like” the page if you haven’t already.

What’s Staying the Same?

• If you are on Great Green Editing’s newsletter mailing list, you are automatically subscribed to the Great Green Content newsletter. Its name is changing too. No action required on your part.
• It’s still me – at your service.

What’s New for 2014?

The new name is just the start. You get:

• A broader set of services to choose from – in addition to writing and editing, I can consult on your content marketing plans.
• An online writer affiliated with Copyblogger. Creating content in today’s ever-changing landscape is a challenge. The experts at Copyblogger keep me tuned in to those changes.

So welcome to Great Green Content! What can I do for you? Contact me at 813-968-1292 or at my business email address: Alison@greatgreencontent.com.

And leave your comments below. What do you think of the changes?