Businesses Going Green
A greater awareness of environmental issues and global warming has caused many businesses to go green. Rising energy costs have provided another strong incentive for many businesses to move to green power sources.
Industrial use accounts for one-third of all energy consumed in the U.S., so the potential savings are great. By cutting back on just 20 percent of this usage, the potential savings to American businesses tops $19 billion per year using 2004 energy prices.
Some companies, like Cargill, are cutting energy expenses by turning waste to energy. Cargill, a food processing company, uses meat scraps to produce methane and replace expensive natural gas. Others are moving to natural energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar energy. Still others, such as construction companies, are capitalizing on the rising public awareness and willingness to pay for green business practices and materials.
Looking at the current state of our environment, these trends are coming not a moment too soon!