The fact is that 10 to 12 per cent of the primary energy supply today comes from renewable sources (not counting hydroelectric energy). But new renewables – technologies of the future – still make up only one or two per cent of this supply. The rest comes from biomass systems of the poor, like the stove that burns wood or cow dung. These are the clients who can now either take the next step on the energy ladder to kerosene or liquefied petroleum gas or jump to the top of the ladder by moving to modern biomass energy sources. These are the same clients who are in the dark, but today they have the option of selecting decentralised mini-grids for their energy needs. But if these are the people who are the targets of the new ventures, then business is completely out of touch with its customers.

Support your local economy

Relying on imported goods doesn't sustain your local economy and may drive out small businesses. Imagine if your home town or village only had one or two large chains of shops rather than a number of independently run small businesses. For me personally, that would not be a place that I would enjoy living in long term. It becomes less personal, homogenised and the shopping experience becomes lifeless. Spending your money with local retailers helps keep the local economy alive. Some cases have shown that the income generated from local sales of food is around double than when compared with large chains.

Support your local community

The money you spend with independent small businesses, local producers & retailers keeps money within the community, which helps sustain local trade & invests in the future of your community. If local trade thrives, the people of your town will be happy to live there for years to come. The community then continually feeds itself in a trade cycle.

Support your local independent small business

Cutting down on materials and products that are bought from large retailer chains helps reduce your ecological footprint. Buying locally means that employment levels will stay constant, and may even create more opportunities for local residents to work in the community. The rapport that is built up between small businesses and the customer is often long standing and the service received is generally better when you know the company/staff well. Small businesses also have the advantage of tailoring their sales strategies to the local community rather than having to stick with nationwide marketing plans.

Support your local identity
    Buying locally produced materials and products helps designers create homes and buildings with a local building language. By this I mean vernacular house & home style. These homes will fit into the landscape naturally by using materials that are in abundance in your area like types of stone and timber. This building & design method helps your community feel a sense of belonging and identity.

This article breaks down the new certification standard that has been created for cosmetic and personal  care products.

Hopefully this is a shift in the right direction!

Waltham, Mass. – Harvest Power, a developer of technology for recycling waste materials into soils, fertilizers, energy, and engineered fuels, has raised $1.3 million in venture capital, according to a new filing by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Founded in 2008, Harvest Power has developed technology that re-uses organic waste from landfills. The company currently diverts over 425,000 tons of organic material from landfills, in conjunction with its retail and municipal partners in the U.S. and Canada.

Mainstream business is catching up to what the sustainability community has intuitively known for a long time: a sustainable approach is more profitable. From KKR (the private equity firm) to manufacturers such as Interface FLOR (famous amongst the sustainability community but not often known outside it) to household names like Xerox, corporations are beginning to embrace the profit benefits of taking a more considered approach.

Why? Because reducing emissions saves energy costs, reducing waste saves raw materials, recycling avoids manufacturing costs, meeting changing customer needs wins market share, giving staff a cause improves productivity and morale, raising the bar for competitors creates competitive advantage, and addressing long term risks is good business practice.

The price of oil isn’t the only hydrocarbon going through the roof. Check out thermal coal prices to see how dependent economic growth has become on burning increasing amounts of fossil fuels. Prices of Newcastle coal, the Asian coal price benchmark, are poised to rise by as much as 30 per cent this year, approaching the peak levels seen in 2008.

Wisconsin, USA -- Europe burns heaps of garbage, getting lots of electricity and some heat. The United States does not. Proponents say incineration shrinks the waste and produces heat and electricity while reducing the need for landfills and the diesel-drinking trucks tasked with taking trash to often-distant burial grounds.

These folks acknowledge that incinerators were rather dirty 25 years ago, but note that current air emissions are below Environmental Protection Agency standards. In a modern garbage incinerator, a complex set of filters removes heavy metals and other pollutants; high-temperature operation reduces the output of ultra-toxic dioxins.