IAASP: Information & Articles About Saving our Planet

The perception of visitors of an
unspoiled environment underpins the tourism industry making environment
protection one of the greatest challenges.

The tourism industry has an
important role to play for management of environment.

 

What is Environmental Management?

 

The term ‘environmental
management’ not only means managing the environment but managing the
interaction of human societies with the environment and its impact.

 

Thus, environmental management is
not only for the sake of environment but it is for the sake of mankind.

 

 

What does Environmental Management involve?

Managing all components of the
environment: biotic and aboitic is what Environmental Management involves.

Management of all the components of
environment becomes necessary because of relationships between the species and
their habitats.

Why Environmental Management?

Hotels and resorts all over the country consume
large amounts of water, energy and other items. Lot of waste whether wastewater or solid waste is
generated from hotels.

The reason why Environmental Management
has become important is that it is a systematic approach to find practical ways
or methods that can be used to save water, energy etc and reduce their negative
impacts on environment.

A proper environmental management program can
be a win-win situation as it helps to save money and preserve environment.

Environmental Management: Win-Win situation

Proper
Environmental Management is a win-win situation for both you and your property.
It helps to reduce operating costs and improves profitability.

 

Substantial
cost savings can be done with a modest investment.

 

Apart from
cost savings, environmental management guarantees that you will stand out from
competition and will be recognized. Environmental Management helps you to get recognized
through certification programs, awards and other promotions.

 

Other
benefit is the image of your property gets enhanced with guests that are
conscious about environment.

 

Environmental Walk-Through is from where you should start

The process of managing the environment
and its components starts from An Environmental Walk-Through involving assessment
of opportunities for improvement.

A walkthrough may be conducted by a single
assessor or a team that inspects facilities and operations and identifies the
key areas for environmental improvement.

Steps towards Environmental Management

The following steps when followed properly
or kept in mind can make you save enormously:

• Adoption of an environmental policy
• Appointment of an environmental officer,
• Establishment of a team known as The Green
  Team,
• Establishment of a maintenance program,
• Adoption of practices that conserve the
  environment and minimize the production of waste
• Development of a monitoring program for
  utilities.

Environmental Management System

To make your hotel environment friendly
what is required is improvement of the facilities provided by the property and
its equipments.

The effort required is to improve the standard
of operating procedures and training and motivating the staff members for
efficient use of resources.

The system that helps you achieve above
goals is Environmental Management System.

Environmental Management System (EMS) can
be said as a framework that helps the management to assign responsibilities,
motivate the staff members, implement the best practices and monitor the
performance as a whole.

Other activities included in the Environmental
Management System include conducting meetings, training the staff members and
monitoring and reporting progress.

www.ecogreenhotel.com

With the earth’s natural resources being depleted at an alarming rate it becomes the duty of every individual to incorporate some environmental friendly changes in their lifestyle in order to make a small but very significant contribution towards energy saving. If each and every one of us carries out their daily lives in a more eco – conscious way there can be very dynamic long term changes towards a better and healthier planet.

Every solution to a crisis begins with changes at the most basic level and this applies to our current state of environment as well. By making minor alterations in our day to day lives we will be surprised at the extent of energy saving that can be achieved in a house. Listed below are some smart and simple energy saving ways by which home owners can reduce their electricity and utility bills as well as lead a more responsible and eco – conscious lifestyle:

1.    Unplug and shut off electrical appliances: Making a conscious effort to unplug cell phones after charging, switching off computer monitors or putting them on energy saving mode can save you money on a long term as well as increase the life of your electrical appliances.

2.    Use easy and eco friendly cooking techniques: Incorporating ingenuous cooking methods such as using solar cookers and small stove burners can help in energy saving as well as increase the nutrition content of your food.

3.    Install a solar water heater: Installing a solar water heater for your home is one of the wisest ways of energy saving as well as cutting down on electricity bills. There are a large variety of solar water heaters available in the market to suit the water requirement for diverse families and investing in one is a very viable purchase.

4.    Insulate your home: There are various small ways by which you can insulate your home and decrease your heating and cooling costs considerably. Some energy saving tips for insulating your home include getting energy efficient door and window replacements, planting trees around the house, using wooden flooring, insulating water heaters etc.

5.    Prepare a rain water harvesting tank: A rain water harvesting tank can be prepared easily and is a very useful way to conserve water during rainy months and use it to irrigate the lawns and garden area of your house during the summers.

Melanie Hogeveen is an expert writer in varied fields and has been doing research on several topics for the past several years. She is renowned for her advices and tips to help people and environment. For more details please visit Energy Saving.

The environmental cost of commerce has become an important part of business in America and the world as we all become increasingly aware and concerned about the impact of our actions on climate change and our environment.  Many businesses are creating sustainability plans, training environmental impact officers and implementing company wide recycling and reduction programs.

For many small and medium sized businesses, the option of hiring a college degreed sustainability officer and staff is really not in the budget. There are however new online training programs which cater to small and medium sized businesses such as CarbonProfessionalSchool.com But short of taking a course and becoming an expert, what can your business do to be environmentally responsible and reduce your carbon footprint…all while saving money.

Here are 5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save some money.

(1) Recycle Toner and Ink Jet Cartridges. These things, which always run out at the most inopportune time, cost way too much and, contrary to what the big companies than manufacture them proclaim with their “send it in recycling programs” – end up in the landfill, usually in the poorest areas of the world.  The technology and quality of recycled toner and ink jet cartridges in many cases surpasses the original equipment manufacturers…and you get to support a local business like yours when you patronize them.   And don’t forget to set your printers to “draft” mode when you’re not printing for official communications…it’ll save you money and toner/ink.

(2) Use Less and Buy Recycled Paper. Back in the early 90’s when email was gaining popularity we all proclaimed that it was the beginning of the paperless office.  But the paper companies weren’t scared. Paper sales went through the roof because now we had more information to print out, copy and share with each other. Now there are a variety of document sharing services, including free ones like Google Docs, while allow immediate sharing of and collaboration of documents without having to print out 5 copies for the group to mark up.  It saves money, time and is much more efficient.

Furthermore, as the quality of recycled content paper has gone up to photo quality level and the cost has gone down to below the cost of “new” paper, it clearly makes no sense not to include the procurement of recycled printer and copier paper in your corporate sustainability plan.

(3) Go Paperless with your invoices. PayPal and Google Checkout both have electronic invoicing capabilities for those of you who process payments via credit card, and for many companies, their PayPal and Google Checkout accounts are tied directly to their corporate checking accounts for seemless, and transaction fee free payment processing.  They both offer a variety of export formats and integrate with popular accounting packages like QuickBooks and Microsoft Accounting. 

No more 3 copy carbon based invoices, no gas guzzling postmen delivering the mail and no more licking envelopes!

(4) Recycle Everything. Soda cans, newspapers, used equipment, furniture and materials (if you’re manufacturing things) all carry a price.  Aluminum cans trade for around $.80 a pound (32 12 ounce cans = 1 pound) – so figure you can sell them to a local recycler for a bit better than half of that.  Doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you have an office full of Red Bull crazed employees or “Diet Coke Fiends” it can actually add up relatively quickly.  

List your used equipment on Craigslist or Google for a local company that will pick up and “recycle” your used equipment – or better yet, donate it to a local charity and take the tax deduction.  Goodwill and the Salvation Army will send out a truck to pick up larger items and most likely make weekly or monthly trips through your area.

(5) Offset Your Carbon Footprint with Carbon Credits

While Reducing, Reusing and Recycling is key in preventing climate change, offsetting your carbon emissions is the next great step in the preservation of our environment for generations to come. The Carbon Calculator Math is below, or you could use a Carbon Footprint Calculator at ecoaidnow.com/Calculators.aspx

To offset your carbon emissions simply means to neutralize your part in the polluting of our environment. In technical terms, a carbon offset is a certificate representing the reduction of one metric ton (2,205 lbs) of carbon dioxide emissions.

Certified Projects are developed such as a reforestation project that reduces carbon dioxide emissions, every ton of emissions reduced will result in the creation of one certified carbon offset (ecoaidnow.com)

Since carbon dioxide emissions are the principal cause of climate change, purchasing carbon offsets is key to promoting a greener environment.

When you offset your personal carbon emissions, you are doing your much-needed part in helping to put an end to global warming and climate change. In addition to making the world a better place, you just might also score a few popularity points with your friends and family.

Going Green at work doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to build a new building out of used tires, or procure all new energy saving computer and office equipment.  It is possible to work towards carbon neutrality without breaking the bank, and then supplement your efforts with cost-effective carbon credits.

If you are thinking of some effective ways to make your home more environmental friendly you can opt for solar panels which is a great way to go green and adopt a clean way to use electricity as well as utilize the sun’s energy. With more and more people switching to green technology it has becomes increasingly convenient and easy for home owners to install solar panels in their home due to their easy availability as well as affordable rates.

Listed below are some of the unique benefits of installing solar panels in your home

1.    Cost savings: Though installing solar panels involves a small investment it is a very cost effective venture in the long term as it reduces your electricity bills to a considerable extent by providing you a clean and economical power source.

2.    Energy efficiency: One of the greatest features of utilizing solar energy is that as you will be using a green source of energy which is renewable and therefore reduces fossil fuel consumption thereby decreasing carbon emissions.

3.    Decreased dependency: Switching to a cleaner power source through the installation of solar panels decreases the dependency of a household on the conventional source of fossil fuel based electricity to a significant extent.

The following set of instructions will help you in installing solar panels in your home conveniently and successfully:

1.    Research the web: The best way to locate genuine dealers of domestic solar panels is to research the web and get a good idea about the current availability of models as well as the market rate.

2.    Select local suppliers : Once you have a good knowledge of the green technology market, look up local suppliers in your area and browse through their websites intensively to select a couple of genuine and reasonable dealers.

3.    Compare quotes: Try to get different quotes from the companies that you have chosen and then compare their rates with the size and capacities on offer.

4.    Identify a suitable location: Once you have decided upon a suitable dealer, select a part of the house to install the solar panels which receives sunlight for the maximum duration through the day.

5.    Install the solar panels: The final step is to get the panels installed in your home preferably with the help of a professional so that you can get maximum exposure to sunlight.

Now that you are aware of all the various benefits and the procedure for installing Solar Panels in your home, go ahead and make your house more green energy efficient.

A solar panel is an interconnected congregation of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, intended to produce electricity. A single module of photovoltaic cells can only create a definite amount of wattage, which is not enough to supply power to the whole house. Hence, several modules or photovoltaic arrays are required to generate larger electrical power, and also to supply low- potential heat. A homemade solar panel installation is an assortment of small solar panels, panel batteries, interconnection wiring, and an inverter.

Materials Necessary To Build Homemade Solar Panels:

Solar cells are the essentials required to build solar panels. These are really small cells consisting of silicon molecules that react to sunbeams and generate power. To make these panels, use plywood as a foundation, copper wire to attach all the solar cells together, and an appropriate substance to construct a frame for the whole structure. Also, you must ensure that the structure is completely weather-proof.

The Basic Process

Building homemade solar panels is no rocket science. A general understanding of the procedure and a well written manual is all that is required. 

Procedure

*  To start with, place the solar cells on the base with best possible gaping. Mark the photovoltaic cells and make holes in the foundation   board for the copper wires that will help connect the cells together.
*  Fix the cells to the foundation board, and cautiously line them together taking help from the manual you are using. Do not forget to put another board over the copper wiring to guard it from breakage.
*  Build the frame of the homemade solar panel, put the board with the cells into the frame, and attach a glass for the front cover safely.

Once you are done with the whole procedure, you should have a professional-looking solar panel ready for use. You are now left with the only task of linking the panel with an appropriate battery arrangement that will help supply electricity to your home.

Some Useful Advice For Building Solar Panels

Take One Step At A Time

When trying to build a solar panel, do not rush into things. The best way to begin is to first construct a smaller solar panel. Like this, you will get better acquainted with the whole procedure including the shortcomings that you may face. Once you are done making a smaller panel, you will be able to do more justice to your bigger project. You can now begin constructing more panels till you attain the number sufficient to supply for all of your electricity requirements.

One of the biggest advantages of solar panels is that they do not require high maintenance. This quality makes them an extremely favorable home improvement project for numerous homeowners. If you are ready to put in the necessary hard work initially required in the making of homemade solar panels, you can actually save a large amount of cash on your electricity bills.



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