Green Growth in Action

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 45

Green Growth in Action

It takes little stretch of the imagination to appreciate that in our society economic growth is directly coupled with increased environmental impact. After all, there is increased consumption of resources, increased waste and pollution, deforestation, loss of habitat and biodiversity, and global warming. In fact, it is plainly evident that with the pace of economic growth over the past century, there is an overall decline in the availability of natural resources.

Obviously constant economic growth is not sustainable. But, what most people think is that if we are not growing, neither is our bank accounts. But that is not really true. Listen to this episode to learn about how we can uncouple our economic growth from our environmental footprint and learn about Green Growth in Action.  

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E45 called Green Growth in Action.

Did you know that with the natural resources available in the United States, along with current technology, we have the ability to generate 5 times more electricity than what is needed to run the entire country. Furthermore, it would only take 22,000 square miles of solar panels, so about 57K square kilometers,  to run the entire United States. To put that into perspective, that is less than one half of one percent of the total land available. 

By comparison, it would only take 6750 square kilometers of solar panels to run Australia. That is equal to about 2,606 square miles, which is about 67% of the total area of metropolitan Melbourne. But the total land required would be about 1/10th of 1 % of all the land in Australia.  

Likewise, if the United Kingdom were to devote 1% of its land to solar panels, this would be sufficient to meet the needs of the entire country.  

But what if that kind of renewable energy resource was actually assembled, functional, and able to support our daily needs? This simply means all of these materials would have to be manufactured, shipped, and assembled. There would be tremendous site preparation. After the array was functional, there would need to be over site, management, engineering, maintenance and repairs, parts replacement, and even security. 

And what does all of this mean? It means jobs, money, economic growth, financial security for thousands of people. In fact, new technologies may have to be developed. But instead of one central location, the solar arrays could be spread out over the country. What this means is a positive economic impact for numerous areas of the country. 

And what if the same thing was to happen in Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, as well as numerous other countries? There would be jobs, economic growth and security AND in the long run we all would be reducing our environmental footprint by embracing green technologies. 

For example, Mexico is presently building Latin America’s largest solar installation in the state of Chihuahua. This is a 2,900 acre facility. The country’s goal is to produce 35% of its energy from renewable sources by 2024. And while the current American government squanders both time and opportunity in the pursuit of short-term profits by imposting tariffs and cutting back on goals that are focused on sustainability, Mexico is powering ahead.

I was reading an article last week about the economy in Ecuador. It caught my interest because I have spent some time there. The current president had proposed improving the Ecuadorian economy by increasing oil production. At first glance this makes sense because of the vast untapped resources that are in the Amazon basin. 

When I was living and working for the university in Saint Kitts, I as totally amazed at the complete lack of renewable energy on the island. The amount of sunshine and wind that the island gets on a daily basis makes the location ideal for solar and wind power. And sense I know a fair amount about solar energy, I approached someone about the possibility of importing solar equipment and setting up a business. 

The person I spoke with was someone I knew relatively well because he worked with Annette in the anesthesia department. And it just so happens that he is personal friends with the Saint Kitts prime minister. He also owns a couple of businesses on the island and imports materials on a regular basis.  When I proposed my business idea to him, he kind of grinned and said, “Did you know that the former prime minister owns the power company that imports all the oil to the island? He essentially controls all the electricity on the island.” So in other words, I would be met with tremendous resistance from a former head of state because I would be in direct competition with his business. 

So, my point being is that both of these situations are quite similar and quite typical for what we see today. In both of these situations the heads of state have short sited goals in the interest of short term profits. In both situations, a vision for the future would include Green Growth in Action. Likewise the present U.S. government would rather spend time and money by attempting to punish Mexico instead of embracing our closest neighbor to the South, improving relations, and working together for a more sustainable future. 

At the same time, the U.S. likes to tout itself as being one of the most progressive countries in the world, yet we lag far behind so many others in the global community related to efforts toward a sustainable future. In fact, we rate 37th in the world All the while we sit on top of natural resources sufficient enough to produce 5 times more energy that what’s needed to run the entire country. 

And of course I like to ask why. 

And while there is obviously a lot of work yet to be done, in this episode I want to show case some of the positive things that are being accomplished in several different countries.

I think in general, it is very difficult for the average person to get a grip on and truly appreciate what is happening in the world. And this is because it is easy to ignore what you don’t see every day. But, I can assure you that it all becomes very real and obvious when you are standing on a beach somewhere with a lush green jungle on the left and a trash and plastic filled beach on your right.

And while it is very true that whatever changes you wish to see in your community has to begin with you, I think it is also vital that big business and big government have to get involved to help build a sustainable future on a global scale. That is why I wanted to devote an episode to talking about Green Growth in Action and to discuss some positive things that the big boys are actually doing. Believe it or not, there are actually government officials, businesses, and international organizations out there that have a vision for a sustainable future.   

United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015 the United Nations put together 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, that were designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

The first of those seven goals are as follows: No poverty, Zero Hunger, Good health and well-being, Quality education, Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, and Affordable clean energy.  Imagine on a global scale if we simply managed to accomplish only those seven things. And if you want some further information I will have a link to an article regarding these 17 goals. 

The ideal was to accomplish these 17 goals by the year 2030. So at least, the United Nations has put together some sort of outline of global sustainable standards and goals that helps to guide the global community. 

As most of you can likely imagine, I am a strongly independent person especially having lived on the grid full time for 25 years now. And as you can also likely imagine, I am the type of person that does not want anyone interfering with how I like to live. And I am sure many of my listeners are much the same way. That said, I do think some times that the only way to make substantial changes is to force it to happen. And sometimes that means doing things and making changes that you do not really want to make. 

For example, some friends of ours spend half of their year in Mexico. Just recently, they told us that the Mexican government made an announcement that in one month single use plastic shopping bags were no longer going to be used. And in one month, there were no longer any plastic bags. People had no choice.

Germany 

Another example, Germany did not become the European green leader by accident. It was the result of 40 years of sustainable policy making. And that of course was not without resistance, heated debate and political dead lock for years. Granted there were many things that went into that accomplishment but the four key things were energy taxation, renewable energy promotion, green infrastructure, and sustainable transportation. And from examining the transformation that has taken place in Germany, it is obvious that such a transformation would not have been conceivable without the policy decisions that preceded it. 

Germany in fact has a dominant market share in various green technologies. Additionally, a substantial portion of the country’s workforce is employed in the environmental sector. Meanwhile, green house gas emissions have substantially been reduced. In a very real sense, Germany has managed to decouple their economic growth from their environmental foot print. 

In 2011 President Obama in his State of the Union address called on the United States to generate 80% of its electricity from clean and renewable energy sources within 25 years. But in order for that to happen, there would have to be unprecedented levels of investment in new infrastructure, research and development into relevant new technologies, as well as skilled labor for constructions, maintenance and repairs. But all of this brings about the prospects of new jobs, economic growth, increased efficiency and energy independence. 

But we would rather squander our time and money building a wall between us and Mexico. 

While this scale of transformation may seem daunting, it is quite possible because several countries have accomplished just that. But it will require embracing sustainability in virtually all facets of our lives, all areas of economic activity, including land use and transportation. But this will require targeted policy design and implementation, and policies for environmental protection and resource conservation mainstreamed into all areas of economic development. Germany is the most obvious example of this. 

That said, modern technology and the desire to development a more sustainable future, has led numerous companies to incorporate recycled plastic into their products. And a new facility in my home state of Tennessee is making that possible. 

Eastman Chemical

Eastman Chemical is building a $250 million advanced recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee. This plant will turn used polyester made from plastic fibers into new high quality plastic. The aim is to have the facility online by the end of 2022. The facility will be able to use more than 100,000 metric tons, which is the equivalent of 220 million pounds, of plastic waste every year that cannot currently be recycled. 

In just the past three years, 66 separate projects, worth 5 1/2 billion dollars in modern recycling technologies have been put in the works in the United States. These projects have to potential to recycle more than 4 million metrics tons, more than 9 billion pounds, of plastic waste which or course expands the amount of waste than can be recovered and reused for manufacturing. This is yet another step towards a circular economy.

And by the way, Kingsport, Tennessee, where that $250 million facility is being built, has a population of about 55,000, with an average yearly income of less than $25,000. Once this new facility is online, I cannot even imagine the economic prosperity that will be produced for this small Tennessee community. One more step toward a circular economy. This is Green Growth in Action. 

I am sure that most of my listeners have heard of the Anheuser-Busch company, which is the largest brewer in the United States and employs 2.2 million people. This company has planned to invest $1 billion USDs over a 2 year period in workplace improvements in order to drive economic prosperity. This includes $100 million towards sustainability projects such as solar panel installments, water treatment and other similar initiatives. 

I did find this interesting website called esgenterprise.com

that has a list of the top 50 environmentally sustainable companies in Australia. This is kind of an interesting website in that they do point out that that many companies are starting to recognize that environmental concerns can only be addressed by developing environmentally friendly and sustainable policies and customer are now opting to buy more from sustainable firms. 

Newmont Mining Company

Also, Newmont, which is the world’s largest gold mining company, owns mining operations in numerous countries. For almost 10 years now this company has sponsored the planting of more than 800,000 tree saplings in New South Wales and Western Australia. This is part of the Australian government’s Carbon Farming Initiative, launched in 2011. They are predicted to capture 300,000 tons of carbon in the next 30- 50 years.  

That is Green Growth in action, literally. 

Australia

The Australian capital city of Canberra, as of January 2020 became the first city outside of Europe to switch from fossils fuels to 100% renewable energy. This is in addition to seven other districts around the world that have accomplished the same thing, three in Germany, three in Austria, and one in Spain. 

That is green growth in action. 

The United Kingdom now has a plan that will direct national development within an environmental frame work over the coming 25 years. Their plan is to reform agriculture, fisheries management and environmental protections. Since 1990 the United Kingdom has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 42% and household recycling has almost quadrupled since 2000. 

Patagonia

The outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, has been on the cutting edge of of environmentally friendly business practices for the last 47 years. They even state “they are in business to save our home planet.” For the last 35 years, they has pledged 1% of their annual sales to the conservation of the environment. And their aim is to be completed carbon neutral by 2025. 

That is Green Growth in Action. 

New Belgium Brewing Company

Now this company is the fourth largest craft brewing company in the United States. They have been committed to being eco conscious since the founding of the company in 1991. They use only sustainable vendors. They are also a Platinum certified  zero waste business and 99.9% of their waste does not go to the land fill.  

Now that is pretty impressive accomplishment for a business. What is every household in the United States could accomplish that. 

That is Green Growth in Action. 

The Modern Consumer

Now what is even more encouraging is that according to a recent report from Nielsen, 81% of consumers stated that it is either very important or extremely important that companies “implement programs to improve the environment.” Additionally this report found that 30% of consumers said that are willing to pay a premium for products that deliver on social responsibility claims.” 

Wow, talk about a cultural shift. 

That is Green Growth in Action. 

Now as you very well know, there is no doubt that our choices as consumers is a powerful force that drives the market place. I talked about this at length in E18 Choices Make Changes. That said, with the current trend we are seeing with numerous things in our environment, it is impossible to innore the current realites of our situation. Consequently,  it is imperative that we continue to develop our own personal standards for being eco-friendly and reward the companies that continue to work on the cutting edge of environmental innovation, And we can reward them by patronizing their business purchasing their products.

And these types of companies not only create sustainable products but their supplies are ethically sourced and they engage in fair trade practices. Their manufacturing processes are environmental friendly as well. Essentially being environmentally conscious should be an obvious aspect of every part of their business. Not only that, any astute business owner these days would be wise to heed current consumer trends toward environmentally conscious companies. 

And for the most part, there are three things you can do to easily identify whether or not a company is environmentally friendly. 

1. Look at their website: If a company is truly concerned about their environmental efforts, you can expect to easily find information about their impact on their website. They should have very clear, easy to find information regarding their sustainable practices. Furthermore, they should have information on every aspect of their environmental efforts. In other words, they are transparent about everything they are doing. 

2. Look at the companies certifications. For example, B Corporation certification is considered the gold standard. This is an assessment of a company divided into 5 areas of impact: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. This is an impressive achievement for a company. another certification is 1% for the Planet. These are companies that pledge 1% of their total revenues to highly vetted environment non-profits organizations. Another newer certification is Climate Neutral. 

3. Is the company fair trade. This means their products are ethically sourced and they treat their workers respectfully.  

In summary, if you have been listening to my episodes, you know very well that I like to be critical of how we all live our lives, I like to point out our faults, and I especially like to be critical of my own culture. But the point of this episode, Green Growth in Action, is to point out some of the many positive things that are going on in the world. 

I think we all realize by now that constant economic growth is not sustainable. Obviously with continued growth, there is continue environmental impact. However, it is possible to uncouple our growth from our environmental impact. Germany is a prime example of this fact. 

The United Nations has defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals that serve as a guide for the global community. 

The Eastman Chemical Company with their facility in Tennessee is a prime example of an innovative company that is not only having a positive environmental impact but a positive impact on the local community. 

The Mexican government has banned single use plastic bags. They are also building a 2,900 square mile solar facility.

The Newmont Mining Company in Australia has planted over 800,000 trees. The Australian Capital City of Canberra is now run completely off of renewable energy, as well as 7 other communities globally. 

The Patagonia company has a 47 year history of being environmentally friendly. The New Belgium Brewing Company is committed to being environmentally friendly since their founding in 1991. 

The modern consumer is also much more environmentally conscious. 

All of these things are so encouraging that both big business, big government, and the average person is becoming much more conscious of the environment. 

And this is Green Growth in Action. 

Despite all that is going on in the world right now, just remember that underneath it all, whatever changes you desire to see in your community, must begin with you. That is grass roots Green Growth in Action and that is how we build a sustainable future. 

This is your host Patrick signing off until next week. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.  

Resources

What the US Should Learn from the UK on Sustainability

Investing in the Circular Economy

How Germany Became Europe’s Green Leader

How Many Solar Panels to Power the US

Environmentally Friendly Companies

5 Ways to Determine if a Company is Actually Sustainable

United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals