L2ideas Green Blog

For Halloween, I bring you the concept of Green Funerals. Yes, you read that correctly, green funerals... the greener way to die. Everything organic is compostable, even you!

To some extent, this represents a successful marketing campaign. They have re-branding a combination of pre-existing product as green. Natural funerals are typically utilized by Jews and Muslims, who bathe the body but do not embalm. They also typically utilize modest wooden boxes and bury their dead in the ground. Cremation is in vogue again within the American funeral market. Combine and re-brand as green and voila! Labels: green

Not only am I a traditional environmentalist, it turns out that I am also a Mainstream Environmentalist, according to a quiz associated with Newt Gingrich's new book A Contract With the Earth.

A Contract with the Earth by Newt Gingrich

Here's the quiz:

"Rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10 for each statement below, with 10 meaning that you strongly agree with the statement and 1 meaning you strongly disagree.... If you scored higher than 70, you qualify to be labeled a ‘‘mainstream environmentalist.’’

• "A healthy environment should be able to coexist with a healthy, growing economy.


• Investments in science and technology will generate solutions to most of our environmental problems.


• Incentives should be orered to encourage corporations to clean up the environment.


• Most disagreements about the environment can be resolved through the art of compromise.


• Governments can play an important role in fostering and incentivizing a healthy environment but lose support when they are too controlling.
  
• Democracies have been far better environmental stewards than totalitarian states.


• Corporate and private philanthropy is essential to the success of a global environmental movement.


• Most of us have been taught to respect and protect the natural world.
  
• Political leadership will be defined in the twentyfirst century by having a strong commitment to environmental stewardship.

America must be a global leader on environmental issues."

Labels: books

We all know that there are areas of the world that currently experience water scarcity. Take India for instance. A recent article, focused on one middle class Indian who had to plan her life around foraging for water:

“'Your whole day goes just planning how you’ll get water,'” a weary Mrs. Prasher, 45, recounted one morning this summer, cellphone in hand and ready to press redial for the water tanker. 'You become so edgy all the time.'”

I think that people in America just don't realize how close we are to running dry. There is very little in reserve. Water management and water efficiency is becoming essential.

• Atlanta has less than 100 days worth of water.


• Ramona, California ran out of water during the recent Wildfire emergency.


• Boston has water worries and drought conditions.

Although water covers the earth, only 2.53 percent of it is fresh water. And of the freshwater, two thirds of that 2.53 percent is glacial water. Climate change is affecting water patterns, and there is just too much pressure on the water supply given our current, unsustainable water usage patterns in the modern, Western world. We all need to adopt more sustainable water usage, and companies that offer products that care for the concern of water will open opportunities for sales now that water scarcity is a tangible concern for the average, middle class American.

Do you want to understand how your company can take care of the concern for water? L2ideas can help.

Labels: water

Al Gore won a Nobel Prize for his leadership on the Global Warming / Climate Change crisis. So now he's got a tri-fecta of awards that would make any mother blush: an Oscar, a Nobel Prize, and not-to-be underestimated: VP of the free world.




Now here's the question: is this award representative of something bigger than Gore's personal prowess and charisma? What I mean is, is the Nobel Prize a tipping point for awareness on this critical issue? I certainly hope so.

If it isn't the tipping point on both awareness and a willingness to change, it may be that we have already crested the tipping point of failure. But I don't think so, I'm pretty optimistic on this point. Not naive, just optimistic.

Labels: climate_change

Industry Week just published an excellent article on Green Manufacturing. 70% of manufacturing plants have adopted Continuous Improvement strategy for Greening the company.

Continuous Improvement methodologies, such as Lean are particularly appropriate for manufacturers. Recycling is a no-brainer. ISO is a good foundational step since it helps companies to formalize their approach to driving the Green message throughout the organization's policies and procedures.

If your manufacturing company is ready to make the move, contact L2ideas.

Labels: lean, manufacturing

I love the idea of pre-fabricated products being designed with green ideas in mind. For one, it proves that designing green gives a company a competitive advantage. Secondly, it enables us to re-use already established industrial areas, which can help to lessen the strain on the environment where the house will be established.

Plus, the pre-fab home pictured here is absolutely beautiful. I'd definitely enjoy living in one of these homes.

Labels: architecture, LEED