In accordance to a current report from WUSF http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/12/16/sinkhole_under_landfill_is_growing), the radio station of the University of South Florida, it appears that a sinkhole is opening beneath a landfill that serves Hillsborough County roughly 20 miles away from Tampa, Florida. While the powers that be continue to try to figure out what to do about this problem, it seems to be a terrifying one, to say the least. Official measurements say the sinkhole is as deep as a 4 story building is tall. Literally heaps of waste from Tampa Bay area households has already fallen into the hole.

What is a significant reason for concern is the indisputable fact that leachate could very well begin to leak downward into the area water supplies. Leachate is a substance that is a fluid containing adverse chemical elements, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leachate). Any such poisonous fluid seeping into the area’s wells is certainly bad news for the drinking water in this part of the Tampa area, but it is also a potential signal of a larger scale problem.

Tampa, Florida is certainly not the only soft soil area located in the world where all the tons of human compiled waste could plunge through the earth and then directly into the water supply. While solid waste is generally considered easier to manage than different types of human created pollution, once it begins to break down into leachate, the situation changes. Items like detergent containers as well as typical plastic shopping bags contain petroleum based chemicals we don’t want in our drinking water.

Even as it is certainly arduous to singlehandedly take on the impact of a whole landfill, these waste disposal areas are all comprised of trash from countless individuals. That means each of us plays a role in how swiftly they are filled. Such alternatives as utilizing eco friendly recycled shopping bags instead of typical plastic bags could seem insignificant, but when you consider how things add up, it carries a large impact. Once we choose to recycle through the use of green bags rather than choosing conventional bags, we are putting a foot forward for a cleaner world.

So while a sinkhole will possibly not open in the Planet beneath a landfill near you any time soon, rest assured that if we take no action like events are prone to continue happening worldwide. Because of this, it is not just Florida facing this dilemma – we all play a role in making daily decisions that impact the planet.

One of the easiest things any company can do to help reduce waste that is such a big problem today is to recycle. While we all know this, some companies continue to throw away a great deal of paper and cardboard that could quite easily be reused through a local recycling program. In addition, many continue to use paper documents where electronic versions would work just as well, especially given the ability to create redundant failsafe copies in today’s digital environment. Saving documents to the cloud can reduce waste right away and prevent their destruction by fire or other disasters, too.

In addition to waste reduction, conserving energy is another popular way that companies can begin to cut down on their carbon footprint. A recent report on the Bloomberg news wire (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-16/u-s-selects-solar-power-zones-to-streamline-project-approval-process.html) shows that even the United States government is getting heavily involved in the production of energy via solar panels. This is something any company could do, and paired with solutions like more efficient use of water and other resources, a big impact can be made by even a small company over time.

Of course, sometimes paper is a necessary thing because items like thank you cards and business cards really can not be as authentic if only in digital form. That’s why seed paper is such a strong idea. This is a type of paper that Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed_paper) notes is capable of degrading into the soil in such a way that flowers can grow from it once it is discarded. Such seed cards can be used for stationary, business cards and a variety of other uses.

In addition, not all companies want to use styrofoam for their drinking cups at work. Some get custom mugs which can be reused, but others are choosing stainless steel water bottles to get the job done. Employees appreciate durable drinking containers and feel good about not creating so much waste.

The ideas you can use to improve your company’s carbon profile do not stop here. Creativity is proving to be the key to transforming our waste production, pollution and energy inefficiency. This is a brand new era of innovation and all of us can do a little something of our own to take part. Companies, too, can step up and lead the way to a cleaner, more efficient world.

APP has recently been linked to being a major contributor to deforestation. Deforestation, the human-caused disappearance of naturally occurring forests by logging or burning, is a huge problem in today’s world.   It is estimated that around 50% or more of the world’s plants and animal species live in the 7% of the world where rainforests currently exist.  For example, the most famous of rainforests, the Amazon, a majestic 1.4 billion acre (5.5 million square kilometers) rainforest located in South America covering sections of 9 different countries, has only 82.3% of the moist broadleaf forest cover it had in 1970.   It is also estimated that between 1991 and 2000, the total loss of Amazon rainforest increased from 415,000 square kilometers to almost 600,000.  The data above is according to Wikipedia.com.

Another lesser known but equally struggling rain forest, the Indonesian rainforest, has made recent headlines after a report from Greenpeace.  In the report, Greenpeace accuses Asia Paper and Pulp of “relentlessly trashing rainforests, driving species extinction and, if left unchecked, will threaten Indonesia’s efforts to address climate change.”  APP is a division of the mega conglomerate, Sinar Mas, and calls itself one of the world’s leading pulp and paper companies.  According to CNN.com, Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest culprits of emitting greenhouse emissions largely because of the clear-cutting and burning of rainforests for logging and other purposes.   Indonesia has long been a recipient of criticism for its environmental practices mainly because of disregard for international and even their own laws. APP is currently going through a public relations nightmare due to the Greenpeace report, and of course is claiming Greenpeace’s claims are exaggerated.  Yet things recently took a turn for the worse for Sinar Mas when in July, 2010 Wal-Mart, already becoming a major advocate for transitioning its customer base to the use of sustainable green bags)announced it has “taken steps to stop” buying their paper, as a result of this and other controversies surrounding APP.  Sounds like APP’s denial of the problem is making things worse and now costing them major business.  The loss of Wal-Mart’s business over the next year will significantly impact their bottom line.

This brings us to a great question: In today’s difficult world-wide economy, how can business’s ensure they are adopting environmentally-friendly and energy efficient business practices and not on the wrong side of a PR controversy?   Business.Gov, the official business link to the US Government, has an 11-step guide to help companies ensure they are energy efficient, compliant with environmental regulations, and recognized as a “green business”.

Here are the steps (Click here to visit their site):

1 – Comply with Environmental Regulations

2 – Develop an Environmental Management Plan

3 – Build Green

4 – Buy Green Products

5 – Adopt Energy Efficient Practices

6 – Reduce, Reuse

7 – Recycle Wastes

8 – Conserve Water

9 – Prevent Pollution

10 – Create a Green Marketing Strategy

11 – Join Industry Partnership and Stewardship Programs.

Step 4 “Buy Green Products”, is a great suggestion that many companies fail to consider.   A unique way to raise awareness about deforestation while promoting your brand is through eco friendly promotional products like seed paper, which is made of actual seeds and can still germinate and sprout into a flower when planted.  Something as simple as seed cards such as a seed business card or a seeded thank you card can create a truly memorable interaction with a client or industry colleague.  You could also include a statement about deforestation on the stationary, making it absolutely clear about where your company stands on environmental issues.  Another one that stands out on this list is step 6, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Wastes”. Remembering to reduce and reuse is the best way to eliminate the need to recycle in the first place.

Now is the time to take action to stop deforestation as well as ensuring your company is recognized as a “green business”, thus solidifying your green reputation.  The 11 steps above are a great guide for any business owner or CEO to implement green practices in your business.   Embrace the challenge of perpetually improving your organization’s environmental footprint.  Your company’s leadership and example will help stop the devastating effects of deforestation and the investment will be well worth it.