Climate change, a business opportunity?

[Aelfarh]

Published in my blog.... wanted to share it here.....


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I got an email from a dear friend, asking my opinion about this article: Is a Stringent Climate Change Agreement a Pot of Gold?

I did find it interesting, although I think it misses a very important point.

First I would like to state that I’m in favour of entrepreneurs, either persons or companies that search for innovation, and that manage change in order to succeed. I do believe that that is a fundamental part of development, and also that we should all be able to manage change successfully, since all our life, environment, society, working conditions, and so and so forth, are in constant change. This become of utterly importance to developing countries, where taking the risk and opportunities to find successful business areas is very needed. There’s nothing wrong in supporting and encouraging entrepreneurs’ projects and ideas.

However the author of the article loose his compass when he sees the climate change agreement only as an opportunity to make money. It is precisely that ideas, what have driven us to the need of that restrictions and emergency measures that we need to put into action now to ensure that we, as species, have a future....

THE ENTIRE POST

[Merlyn]

reading both posts and some others here,
America has leaned away from industrialism toward management of outsourced industry.
I think America needs to lean back toward industrial ecology.
Now that's a new term eh? "industrial ecology"

Our EPA regulations and deregulation of business and banks has led to fostering bad policy elsewhere. Sure we clean our air but encourage wrong policy elsewhere like China.

This has led to other faults in culture here, like the serious lack of middle class skilled labor.

Merlyn

[DJ Droood]

Not to worry...skyrocketing fuel prices over the coming years will destroy China's slave labour advantage, and it will become more attractive...cheaper.... to set up localized industry, even with higher labour standards and tougher environmental regulations, than to ship things across an ocean. Now is a good time to learn a trade, if you are a youngster.

[Aelfarh]

Hiya Merlyn

I like the term industrial ecology. Or sustainable industry...

Also I think that is important to see things globally, is it not worth it to stop polluting the first world if companies are going to take advantage of the developing and sub-developed countries.

[DJ Droood]

Also I think that is important to see things globally, is it not worth it to stop polluting the first world if companies are going to take advantage of the developing and sub-developed countries.

They always will, of course, as long as it is profitable.....international companies are parasites. Stratospheric fuel prices will both cut emmisions and localize trade and industry.

[Aelfarh]

They always will, of course, as long as it is profitable.....international companies are parasites. Stratospheric fuel prices will both cut emmisions and localize trade and industry.

But are we going to wait 20+ years for that to happen, or is it now the chance to modify the business mindset?

[DJ Droood]

They always will, of course, as long as it is profitable.....international companies are parasites. Stratospheric fuel prices will both cut emmisions and localize trade and industry.

But are we going to wait 20+ years for that to happen, or is it now the chance to modify the business mindset?

I don't think they have a "mindset"..I think they have a profit expectation. And it won't take 20 years for oil prices to take off again. Look for $100+ a barrel by the end of the year, $200 by 011, perhaps triggering another recession and mini-reprieve, then back at it as soon as there is a "recovery". I think, and hope, you will see corporate behavioural changes based on the bottom line happening sooner rather than later.

[Merlyn]

is it not worth it to stop polluting the first world if companies are going to take advantage of the developing and sub-developed countries.

I completely agree.

It is also not worth disregarding safety, human rights or standard of living. Safe manufacturing practice often includes safe working conditions, as first priority.
How can we allow poor foreign policy to ignore this? How can we allow conditions to be less for workers just because we can evade our own laws in other countries which allow it?

Then, just hand in hand, allow polluting another country, because we cannot do so here.

Climate change has been a profitable business in the past, simply by allowing large companies the privilege to pay to pollute.
Allowing America as example to pay for their pollution, and pass this to other countries, gets very delusional if we see it from this view.

Such is cap and trade, business opportunity of climate change.
But it could have a bright side. If only we could enforce the deals as real, make the money get to the places it should.

Merlyn

[lkhedley]

Excellant idea - and useful dialogue. I had forgotten the better points of the OBOD board.
Aelfarh - I just started reading your blog post and am impressed as usual by your approach

[Kernos]

Entrepreneurship, as we study it, is defined by my colleague Howard Stevenson as "the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control."

I have problems with business ethics too. But, for us to beat global warming, before it beats us is going to take a lot of bright ideas and new ways of thinking. For these to come to fruition will require entrepreneurship. Do the motives matter if the results are positive.

EG, in California there are is a new business model for getting people to convert their houses to solar energy. The business firm installs all of the solar equipment without charge (a cost the majority of Americans could not afford) and the consumer then buys the electricity from the firm and sells any excess back to them. It takes entrepreneurship to do this. IE, buys a renewable source of electricity rather than those depending on fossil or nuclear fuels. I would suggest that those firms are entitled to any profit they create.

[Merlyn]

Toronto Canada did something positive and removed the need for cars by not allowing them into the city.
If you want to visit, you have to park outside the city. There is no parking for the most part.

This was a visit I had ten years ago, is it still this way?
Harpers Ferry WV is this way to a great extent with small exception.
This creates a business opportunity for alternative energy natural gas run commuting vehicles and trains.
Could simple systems like this begin to take hold?
Over half of the pollution in Virginia is from trucks and cars which commute.
Should commuting be eliminated?

I stopped commuting to work in 1994.

Merlyn

[DJ Droood]

Toronto Canada did something positive and removed the need for cars by not allowing them into the city.
If you want to visit, you have to park outside the city. There is no parking for the most part.

Merlyn, where did you get this from?

Harpers Ferry WV is this way to a great extent with small exception.

I would call Harpers Ferry more of an open air museum/homemade fudge outlet than a "city". But homemade fudge might be a perfect climate change business opportunity. Locally sourced and produced...everyone likes fudge....

[Aelfarh]

I have problems with business ethics too. But, for us to beat global warming, before it beats us is going to take a lot of bright ideas and new ways of thinking. For these to come to fruition will require entrepreneurship. Do the motives matter if the results are positive.

EG, in California there are is a new business model for getting people to convert their houses to solar energy. The business firm installs all of the solar equipment without charge (a cost the majority of Americans could not afford) and the consumer then buys the electricity from the firm and sells any excess back to them. It takes entrepreneurship to do this. IE, buys a renewable source of electricity rather than those depending on fossil or nuclear fuels. I would suggest that those firms are entitled to any profit they create.

Sure, I'm in favour of new ideas and entrepreneurship, we need it; and if it can be a successful one with high profits, then excellent!, as long as they don't put profits before sustainability.

[Kernos]

Sure, I'm in favour of new ideas and entrepreneurship, we need it; and if it can be a successful one with high profits, then excellent!, as long as they don't put profits before sustainability.

With time and changing cultural attitudes and needs, sustainability will be required for profit. Unfortunately, I worry that there is not enough time for a free market to result in these attitudinal changes. But we must start somewhere. But, we should have started in the '60s.

[Hennie]

But, we should have started in the '60s.

And many of us tried (well, I was only 13 years old in 1969), but we were beaten back by the system into the system, or else had no future. The few I know who fully took the consequences of wanting to making a change, are tramps these days, which was fine when they were young, but now in their 60s is a bit of a problem.
But the large majority of people knew things were going wrong very badly, environmentally speaking, but let them self be hushed up by governments and captains of industry, who told all would be taken care of in time.
I will give just one figure : in 2009 90% of all the (non breaded) eatable fish were caught and used. A portion for our selves to eat, but mainly to feed our cattle etc, and as fertiliser...

[Aelfarh]

I will give just one figure : in 2009 90% of all the (non breaded) eatable fish were caught and used. A portion for our selves to eat, but mainly to feed our cattle etc, and as fertiliser...

Can you share your source for that info, please.

[Hennie]

http://www.greenpeace.org/international ... verfishing

This is just one source; a quick surge on the Internet will provide more detailed information.

Edit :

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0729-05.htm

Interesting too...

[Aelfarh]

Thank you Hennie