Carbon Offsetting - Global Warming Action
Futurist Topics - Environment
Carbon offsetting is a vitally important, but controversial way to tackle climate change. Every business should consider carbon offsetting as an integral part of strategy and responsibility. It allows one business to fund energy savings in another, and to use those savings as a credit or allowance against its own energy use. It works because it is often cheaper to save a ton of carbon in another company rather than your own. There are many challenges eg proving rapid, genuine benefit, preventing fraud - or making corporations lazy about own energy savings. Carbon offsetting should only be carried out after taking vigorous action to reduce your own personal or corporate carbon emissions / energy consumption. £7bn was spent from 2002-2007 investing in carbon-reducing schemes. In 2005 HSBC became a carbon-neutral bank. In 2007 KLM airline announced they would offset all growth in carbon use. Carbon offsetting is a vitally important, but controversial way to tackle climate change. Offsetting could be our most powerful weapon to control carbon emissions by creating a large source of new funds for energy saving / carbon emissions reduction.
Cost of global warming - practical answers
Futurist Topics - Environment
Just 10 major innovations could reduce global carbon emissions by at least 25% by 2030, assuming very little political or economic change or major shifts in consumer behaviour. These are rough estimates with allowances for variable take-up in different parts of the world. Evidence linking human activity to climate change is now very compelling to most politicians, activists and opinion-formers world-wide. Regardless of whether the science turns out to be correct or not, it is emotion that will determine government action and business strategy. Munich-Re has estimated that action against global warming could cost 1% of global economic activity (GWP). It sounds huge but is only same as the world economy stalling for three months and then carrying on for the next three decades at the normal rate of growth.
Turn Green into Gold - Sustainable Business
Futurist Topics - Environment
More than $40 trillion will be spent over the next 30 years as nations adapt to climate change and other environmental concerns. The future will be driven not by technology or innovation but by emotion – by the choices of ordinary men and women and the passion they feel about these things. They are already influencing companies and governments, who are changing at astonishing speed. Just 3 years ago it was hard to find a national leader who was talking about climate change. No it is hard to find one that does not. That’s today. Expect more tomorrow. So how can CIOs, software and hardware integrators, system analysts and others help turn Green into Gold?
The $40 trillion climate change business
Futurist Topics - Environment
Our world is being radically transformed by soaring energy prices, climate change fears and a global credit crunch - a toxic treble shock which willl knock economic growth, destroy corporations, create social tension, add to international conflict and topple governments. The big question is what next? How will consumers, corporations and governments respond? How will society adjust? What will be the long term impact? What companies will win or lose? How should business leaders respond?
How Green is Your IT? Save cost, better image
Futurist Topics - Environment
People talk about Green IT for different reasons. Some worry about pollution in manufacturing or disposal. Others just want to save energy costs. IT directors are under huge pressure to save money, increase efficiency and meet environmental standards – and the good news is that they can do all this at almost zero cost, if capital outlay on Green IT is offset against savings in future years. Many corporations are rapidly changing their hardware, using better software, improving the operating environment, increasing recycling and encouraging users to work more efficiently. “Greening of IT” is not only paying for itself in many cases, but can also improve corporate image, customer loyalty, staff retention and productivity. Greatest impact is more likely when different teams work together: IT, real estate management, marketing, corporate affairs and human resources. For example, if the electricity bill for an entire office block is paid centrally, there may be no financial incentive for the IT department to buy new equipment, paid for out of reduced electricity bills.
Impact of Global Warming on Human Life
Futurist Topics - Environment
Truth about global warming research - Video. How consumers, business and governments will respond. Opportunities / threats from climate change. Response to global warming will be shaped by emotion rather than science. Companies will go faster and further than governments in a rush to save the planet, and consumer pressure will change every product and service sold. Energy companies are already changing policies and will reinvent themselves as saviours of humankind.
Global Warming Videos - What you can do
Futurist Topics - Environment
Global Warming Videos by Dr Patrick Dixon - truth about carbon trading, offsets, what companies and consumers will do. Carbon neutral lifestyles. Recorded 2007. The evidence for human-linked global warming is overwhelming. We now have convincing scientific data for the last million years showing how carbon dioxide levels and temperature have changed together. This a video that was recorded on this site about the global warming threat around 10 years ago. There is NOTHING new about global warming as an issue, although the scientific data is stronger now than before.
The Future of the Environment
Futurist Topics - Environment
Wild cards - low probability, high impact events. Truth about global warming and practical answers. Global warming and sustainability. Global warming - why planting trees has limited impact. Water wars - and water shortages. Commodity shortages and prices - global trends. Trust and business leadership, marketing and brand image. Future impact of global warming on human life. Truth about global warming research. How consumers, business and governments will respond. Opportunities / threats from climate change.
