7 Ways Business Owners Can Help Battle Climate Change

Is the world about to end? You'll get varying answers to that question depending on who you ask. Politicians all over the world have been using climate change as a way to scare their populations into voting for them. Although this reckless behavior has turned many people away from concerning themselves with climate change all together the threat is still very real. Scientific data shows a significant increase in the rate of change in global temperature, if we as a society do not do something about this soon the effects will be irreversible.

So what can we do? Well, fortunately you do not have to be a scientist to join in the effort of fighting climate change. In this short blog I will be outlining 7 ways that business owners can help fight climate change.

7. Hire a Cyclist

If you run a restaurant in a densely populated area you might want to consider hiring a cyclist. As a New York City local I've learned first hand that most places do not deliver outside of a radius of 2 miles. Short distances like this are idea for bicycle riders. New York City adds around 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere per year. Any way that we can reduce this number is of value.

6. Research Fertilizers

Living on and operating a farm may seem relatively harmless but you might want to do some research on the fertilizer you're using and it's impact on the environment. Not only do certain types of fertilizers make the soil they're used on less rich in nutrients over time but they can also have devastating effects on wildlife. It is estimated that pesticides do billions of dollars of damage to the environment annually.

5. Invest In Clean Energy

Whether it be solar energy hydroelectricity or wind energy there are many ways to power our devices without using greenhouse gases and our tactics for harnessing these energy sources continue to improve. The Company Solar First is currently working with China to build a 2 gigawatt solar power plant which is expected provide power to 3 million homes.

4. Organize Events

You can help the environment by taking on a leadership role even outside of work. Organizing events. Invite your employees to help you plant trees and clean up the earth. Some of them will appreciate the invitation and view it as an opportunity to network.

3. Have Skype Meetings

There are certain types of negotiations that must be conducted face to face but in modern times if you can avoid driving or taking a plane to meet with a business associate you should. Scheduling meetings on Skype when possible is a very simple way to show mother earth that you care.

2. Don't Fly Private

Do not fly private. This suggestion is not intended for the majority of readers. Most of us will never be able to afford a private jet. If you can afford a private jet however, your fortune would probably be better spent investing in eco-friendly vehicles.

1. Do Not Waste Food

This is possibly the most important suggestion on this list. Not only is it estimated that 1/9 people across the globe do not receive enough food to live healthy lives but food waste is also very harmful to the environment. Food waste emits methane. Giving your excess food to the needy will not only make their day but it will also help slow the process of climate change.

Conclusion

Some of these suggestions may seem trivial but if millions of companies around the world started applying them it would distribute the work of reducing climate change across all of said companies and serve as a human load balancer. This might be exactly what we need in order to provide scientist with enough time to discover a permanent solution. Is the world about to end? No, not if we work together and face our issues head on.