For the past few months now I’ve been working toward starting an agricultural business that will be powered by alternative energy, restored to meet green certification standards, and managed with the goal of achieving profitability through sustainable business practices. In order to understand what’s really involved in building a green business, I’ve spent all of my time learning about other organic businesses, researching alternative energy technologies, tracking down grants, loans and funding options, and pitching my project to anyone who would listen.

By centering my business around the concept of long-term environmental sustainability, I am standing up to the status quo, and making a statement that I will not compromise when it comes to doing what’s right by the environment. I know that building a green business from scratch isn’t cheap – I’ve done the research, and I know that it will cost me more to build sustainability into my business than it would were I to throw those philosophies aside.

Money isn’t everything, and I believe that by doing what’s good and what’s right, I can succeed and build the business of my dreams. And while I do understand the practical realities involved in starting a business, buying a farm, and installing all kinds of energy projects, I’m also learning that there are organizations out there who are dedicated to helping people like me grow these kinds of businesses.

A few weeks ago I received a message from a young man named Owen. In his message, Owen introduced himself, explained that he worked for a company called NativeEnergy, and stated that he had been given my business card at the Craft Brewer’s Convention a few weeks earlier. I had been at the Craft Brewer’s Convention (part of the business I am developing is a commercial hop farm), but didn’t recall meeting Owen, and had never heard of NativeEnergy.

Our "test crop" of hops.

NativeEnergy, I’ve since learned, is a carbon-solutions consulting company that helps business reduce their carbon footprint by selling carbon offsets and renewable energy credits, and also by investing in companies that want to install renewable energy projects. Having heard of my plan from my Development Officer (aka “mom”), Owen contacted me to learn more about my project and offer ideas on how NativeEnergy and I could work together.

Founded in 2001, NativeEnergy is based out of Burlington, Vermont, and has helped well-know companies, including Stonyfield Farm, Timberland, and The Dave Matthews Band, to install renewable energy projects and offset carbon emissions. The company helps businesses understand their options when it comes to creating carbon neutral projects, and points organizations in the directions they need when it comes to the early development of their plans. At the same time, NativeEnergy works with carbon emitting businesses to help them offset their carbon pollution.

Since receiving that initial message from Owen, I’ve had 2 productive conversations about my business, NativeEnergy’s initiatives, and what I can do moving forward to try and develop my renewable energy projects to line up with NativeEnergy’s model. And even though I’m still in the early stages of building my business (I don’t even own land yet), the people I’ve talked to have been helpful, enthusiastic and eager to see me succeed. It amazes me that there is a business out there who contacted me, who wants to help me, and who may eventually play a role in actually financing my dream!

When I realized that I had to build this farm, and do it in the greenest manner possible, I empowered myself to challenge the way business has always been done, and make change happen from the bottom up.? So even though I don’t have a farm yet, I’ve already invested time and energy in figuring out what I need to make my farm sustainable. Building a business like this – with a mind to what REALLY matters – is a win-win situation. By planning for the long-term health of the earth and environment, I think that I am planning for the long-term success of my business and my vision.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Reducing our carbon footprint
• Can People Really Have Carbon-Neutral Lives?
• What’s Your Carbon Footprint?

If you’re looking for a way to reduce your carbon footprint, consider unplugging, recycling or simply not buying any number of electronic and battery-operated gadgets. Since so many gadgets are already fully integrated into our lives, (think Blackberries, iPod docking stations and speakers, and wireless mice), manufacturers are starting to develop eco-friendly gadgets that can help us all stay connected while lowering our global and individual carbon footprints.

Some eco-friendly gadgets are solar powered, wind powered, or powered using kinetic energy. Gadgets are also being developed with more efficient processors, longer battery lives (which reduces the time needed to plug in and power up), and increased durability (for longer lives). When making your purchasing decisions however, keep in mind that the greenest route is also the one that doesn’t involve your actually buying anything! While green gadgets are an excellent step towards lower carbon emissions, you make the most impact when you choose not to make that purchase at all.

There will always be a need for certain gadgets, so make sure you choose wisely when you’re ready to make your purchase. Try to stay clear of totally useless or unnecessary consumer goods. Do you really need a Canine Treadmill? Will your life be that much more complete with a Cooper Cooler to chill your beverages on the spot, or are there other appliances in your life that can take care of that job? And honestly, how many crimping irons, curling irons, hair dryers and other power-hungry hair gadgets does one really need? The same holds true for the number of televisions, cable boxes, video game consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, cell phones, MP3 players, blenders, and bread ovens in a given house – do you really need all that you have?

Next time you’re thinking about buying a new gadget, first consider whether you really need it or if you simply want it before making your purchase. If it turns out to be one of those gadgets you just can’t live without, make sure you buy green when you can, unplug it when it’s not in use, and use recycle the packaging materials if possible. To learn more about the impact your gadgets have on the environment, check out these recent articles:

Today’s New Gadget Gift Could be Tomorrow’s eWaste by Jordana Huber in Canada.com.

Home Electronics Significantly Impact Electricity Costs and Carbon Footprint by Dave Lewis of National Semiconductor on Green Supply Lin.

Green Gadgets on Green Inc., the New York Times environmental blog.

Finally, check out green-focused media outlets, blogs and consumer goods companies before buying any new green gadgets. Companies like Popular Mechanics are good sources of information when you’re looking to buy any kind of electronics equipment. Their recent article, Top 4 Eco-Friendly Gadgets Coming This Year by Seth Porges profiles the best green gadget’s from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.? TerraPass sells eco-friendly gadgets and chargers in their online store, and sites like EnviroGadget always have the latest news on eco-gadgets for people interested in cutting-edge consumer goods.

Related articles by Zemanta

• A Greener CES Kicks Off This Week!
• Manufacturers need to be greener with their products
• CES 2009: Analyst notes greener and smaller event

I’ve been meaning to calculate my carbon footprint for several months, but have held off until now because I knew I would be ashamed once I entered my information into the calculators. My shame comes from the 1996 Jeep Cherokee that I was given, and the 70 miles I drive each day back and forth to work. I knew that the combination of an older, gas-guzzling SUV and daily treks up and down the highway would make my carbon emissions high. For the purposes of this blog however, I put my shame and guilt aside and took a few carbon quizzes that let me see where my personal carbon emissions rank compared to the rest of the nation.

The Nature Conservancy Carbon Footprint Calculator was the most in-depth of all the quizzes I tried. They asked questions about my home (energy usage & conservation efforts), my travels (driving & flying), my food choices (meat vs. vegetarian, organic food use), and my recycling efforts. The Nature Conservancy calculator also lets you take the quiz based on the habits of all the people in your house or on just your answers. Once I’d answered all of the questions, my total was calculated with a comparison against the national average. Let’s just say I exceeded that number.

On the Conservation International site, their Carbon Calculator let me decide if I wanted to do a simple calculation or a more detailed analysis of my carbon usage. In addition to asking me basic questions about my lifestyle, this calculator has a feature that tells you how much it will cost if you want to offset your carbon emissions. You can also calculate the carbon footprint of events you plan on throwing (such as weddings) and your vacation plans.

The Environmental Protection Agency has their own Greenhouse Gas Emissions Quiz that asks you questions about your lifestyle, but also provides solutions for how to lower your emissions. First you find out how many pounds of carbon dioxide you produce in a year. Once you’ve completed that section of the quiz, you can fill in boxes that indicate how many fewer pounds of carbon will be produced if you do things like replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs or cut-down on how much you drive. Once you’ve finished the second portion of the quiz, it recalculates your score and lets you know what your overall score would be if you changed your habits.

Filling out these calculators is a good way to gauge your personal carbon use and think of ways to reduce your overall carbon footprint through conservation. And while it’s going to take large-scale change from the government and corporations, any little bit you can do will help bring about greater overall change.