When To Change

I just finished an interesting study concerning hydrogen fuel cells. A large client of ours was considering a switch to hydrogen fuel cells for their forklift fleet and asked us to make recommendations. It's not a large fleet and they don't use them 24/7 but thought it worth a study. Several nearby companies have made the switch and have found that they can reduce operating costs to a degree and reap some pretty big PR benefits as well. One, BMW, has even gone to using landfill gas to lessen the impact of hydrogen even further. They can take their momentum with their hydrogen cars and tout the strides they're making on other fronts as well.

But what do you do when it doesn't make economic sense and the environmental and social impacts are negligible? Do you go ahead with an expensive retrofit, add an expensive refueling station and scrap all your old lead acid batteries? Or do you sit tight, continue to operate as efficiently as you can and plan for a point in the future that a change makes financial and environmental sense?

We told them to sit tight and find less expensive ways to save money and lessen their impact because sometimes knowing when to hold them is the smartest thing to do.

It's The Little Things

Sometimes we think that we have to make big changes in order to be more sustainable, like waiting for a move or major renovation before we start. Nope, all you have to do is look at the small things that go on around your house in order to make real changes. This might be a good time to review the three "R's" of sustainability. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Notice that the one that seems to get the most attention is actually mentioned last and for good reason. If we can reduce what we buy and bring in to the house and then reuse anything that still has value or purpose there will be much less to recycle or throw out.

I got to thinking of this earlier today as I opened a bag of chips and fumbled through the junk drawer for a chip clip to close the bag. You know, the big, ugly clips made from plastic that keep breaking. Why did I even buy them in the first place when I have perfectly good clothes pins in the house already? They never break, didn't come from oil and work much better. Look around the house next time you need something and see if you already have a good substitute just ready for double duty.

Okay, getting back to changes you can do right away. Like I mentioned above, start with what's coming in and try to make better decisions. Next, think about where things go and how their taken care of. Can you find things or is every drawer a "junk" drawer? Do you throw out a lot of food that's expired or toss unread magazines or newspapers because you're too busy or they ended up at the bottom of some pile? Did you buy something cheap or poorly made only to get rid of it long before its time? Things like that add up, not only in cost but also satisfaction. A few quality things bring so much more pleasure over time than just having lots of "things."

We're called to be good stewards of this planet and it should start in our homes and our personal lives. Setting  a good example for our children and our neighbors leaves a lasting legacy to be proud of. The one with the most stuff doesn't win when he dies, he just leaves a bigger mess for his kids to throw out after he's gone.