Green Technology Not Just For Hippies: Accountants Can Dig It, Too
from the earth-is-our-mother dept
It's always interesting to see stories touting the financial benefits that "green" products can offer companies, since there's a common perception that environmentally friendlier products cost more than comparable standard ones, and that perception -- or misconception -- hampers their adoption. Out now is a story emphasizing that not only do energy-efficent computers let companies feel all warm and fuzzy because they're helping the environment, they can offer significant cost savings as the price of energy increases. It's always seemed that a better way to convince businesses to operate more sustainably and environmentally friendly is to show them how doing so can benefit their business, rather than just trying to convince them that they should be acting with the planet's welfare in mind. Products and solutions that enhance the bottom line and are better for the environment to boot are more likely to be adopted than those that don't, and rising energy costs, the costs of complying with environmental regulations and other factors are all serving to make green technology an attractive area.
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True Dat
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It's relevant particularly to building designers, because it is generally our issue to include this suggestion during design development.
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cost vs efficiency
Has the chasm created by our technological leaps and bounds made it too difficult to go back to the simple solutions? Maybe we haven't leapt far enough to make it affordable/viable? (Solar & wind power.)
I too am having a hard time finding the energy or motivation to research products that will help the environment and be cost-friendly too. The "pay more now but save more later" mentality suits me only when I don't have to "pay more" over and over for the same thing because they haven't worked the bugs out yet (or it's going to be obsolete in 6 months - same as everything else).
There is little advertising on it except (in my case):
a) the electrical company who wants me to deck my rooms with curly flourescent 200W bulbs (at $15-$28/bulb minus the $3 coupon), or
b) the Christmas light company with their LED lights, that are going to save me $80/yr, cost me $12 for 25 lights, but I have to throw out $100's in old lighting which results in the next problem: where do I throw out that kind of garbage now? Electrical goes one place; glass and plastic go somewhere else. Do I have to dismantle these things before I can give them the old heave-ho?
It doesn't just cost money, it costs time and energy. As a consumer, you gotta really wanna go "green."
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