Pure Growth!

The results of a recent study completed by Scientists & Engineers for America seem to point towards a promising future for green business innovation and opportunity.

Over 1,000 eligible adult voters took part in the SEA phone survey in June. Participants were asked whether science policy issues such as education, health care, energy, and climate change would influence their vote in the 2008 Presidential election.

The results were clear! Voters in both parties favor a candidate who supports technological advancement and scientific solutions to the major policy issues that affect our nation and our planet.

When asked to rate (on a scale of 1-10) the importance of public policy decisions based on science and technology, 72% of respondents rated the issue between 8-10.

Additionally, 78% of voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate committed to using public investments in science and technology to meet energy demands. 70% of respondents also said they would support a candidate dedicated to tackling global climate change through scientific research and new technologies.

Can your business help meet the demands for this new research and technology?

This study provides strong evidence of the direction the market is headed in. More people than ever before are aware of the need for sustainable innovation in every industry.

Change will not take place in localized or exclusive sectors! It will infiltrate every niche until sustainability becomes the new standard. Businesses that aren’t green simply won’t be able to compete with more efficient and profitable competitors.

Now is the perfect opportunity to ask how your company can contribute to this green business revolution. If you can make sustainable improvements or contribute to the research and technology that voters consider highly important, business growth will follow naturally!

Food miles.

Hopefully, this important concept means more to you than “just another eco-buzzword.”

Food miles refers to the distance that produce must travel from the farm where it is grown to the plate you eat it off of. Due to unfortunate lapses in planning and organization, most of the produce stocked on local supermarket shelves has traveled over 1,500 miles (on average) to reach you! The staggering inefficiencies of these supply chains may be discouraging to some, but I see it as a creative void — an empty space begging for innovation and improvement. And when there is obvious room for improvement, companies generally take advantage of it.

Walmart just so happens to be one of those companies. Yesterday, the retail giant announced that they would continue their commitment to establishing relationships with local farmers in order to source more fresh fruits and vegetables to stores across the country. By attempting to buy as much produce as possible from within the state where it will eventually be sold, Walmart reduces the amount of ‘food miles’ they rack up by millions every year.

Clearly, Walmart has a lot to gain from its investment in local food — especially with rising fuel costs. In the past, my guess is that this particular supply chain inefficiency may not have been an attention-getting nuisance thanks to relatively low oil prices…but with the price per barrel surging to $144 today, the inefficiency is quickly turning into an unacceptable obstacle.

If Walmart can reduce its fuel consumption, it can obviously extend its profit margin. However. there is good news for customers as well: Beyond the beneficial implications of reduced carbon emissions, local produce reaches store shelves fresher. In addition, money remains in the community (or state) to help it thrive. And of course, less pollution leads to better overall health as well.

This story is an excellent example of how adopting more sustainable business practices can create win-win situations. Walmart cuts wasteful spending out of its operation, and as a result, oil consumption decreases, carbon emissions decrease, and customers receive fresher and healthier food. These are exactly the types of situations you should aim to create with your own business if you’re looking for ways to make a real difference.

Going green doesn’t mean you must sacrifice your bottom line. Try asking yourself the question: “How can I achieve both? How can I make a positive impact on the environment, while also making a living?” Asking how you can achieve “both” removes unnecessary limitations on the creative problem-solving process. By considering “both,” you find win-win possibilities you would’ve never considered had you focused on just one side of the equation.

Broaden your evaluations and you’ll be presently surprised by the solutions you find. Remember, you don’t have to settle for compromise. Just ask yourself how you can achieve BOTH.

Every once and awhile, I come across a special principle — one of those golden, shimmering standards that seems to be true no matter what corner of reality you apply it to. There aren’t many, but one of the most important ones, especially when it comes to green marketing, is authenticity.

Authenticity may mean many things to many different people depending upon what angle you view it from. Here’s my angle:

au·then·tic: true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.

As consumer response to marketing and advertisements matures and evolves, the demand for sincerity of intention has become one of the minimum prerequisites for doing business — and rightfully so. This isn’t simply an educated guess or a logical assumption. It’s the truth, and the growing significance of user-driven watchdog organizations such as The Greenwashing Index and CorpWatch provide some hard evidence. These groups are dedicated to holding businesses accountable for the green claims they make. They are validators of authenticity.

What happens when you betray the trust of the people you rely on to keep you in business? Let’s ask Goodyear. When the well-known tire company released their Eagle LS2000 tire alongside lofty eco-friendly claims, it’s clear that someone in the marketing department wasn’t thinking very far in advance. Claims that the tire had a “minimum environmental impact,” and that it was manufactured using a special process that reduced carbon dioxide emissions turned out to be completely baseless. But the marketers at Goodyear didn’t stop there. On top of their hefty pile of lies, they decided they might as well throw in the arbitrary claim that special technology also increased the lifespan of the tire and improved fuel economy! All lies.

Now Goodyear finds itself in a difficult position. First of all, they must compensate the victims of their twisted claims with partial refunds (which should be complete refunds, if you ask me). But a much larger problem looms for the tire giant.

It’s becoming clear that sustainability is the future of industry. Adapt or risk being phased out entirely. Intelligent companies have the vision and the foresight to realize that without compliance, they will either have no reason to market anything (because of the permanent implications of climate change or other environmental crises), or they won’t be able to keep up with more profitable, sustainable competition.

Now what will happen the next time Goodyear tries to make a claim about the environmentally-friendly aspects of its new products? Aside from being investigated at the end of every sentence, I’d venture a guess and say those who truly value authenticity will simply take their business elsewhere. The tire industry certainly isn’t immune to the potential for innovation. Goodyear must now defend its position against companies that are willing to remain true to their claims. And Goodyear has nobody to blame but themselves.

If you think an image overhaul is all you need to connect with a green audience, you’re going to end up doing more harm than good to your company. Be authentic about your intentions, or don’t speak about them at all. In an economic world of increased accountability and transparency, authenticity will always remain king.