Going Green Business

Thinking of going in business but do not know what business to get into?  For starters in business,  it would be better to go into something that is growing like green business.  For a growing industry, there are lesser competitors and for a newbie that is welcome news.  Not only will the earnings be bigger but there is more room for expansion and leeway for the mistakes that you will be committing.  Remember you are a newbie.

Why am I recommending green business?  First and foremost is that there are fewer competitors as it is a growing business.  Secondly, there is utter satisfaction from doing something good for mankind.  Lastly, there are a lot of raw materials that remain to be untapped.  It would be good to make good use of these untapped resources while they are still free or cheap and abundant.

How does one go into green business?

1.  Find alternatives for costly and hazardous raw materials.  Examples would be the biodiesel and ethanol.  Biodiesel and ethanol main raw materials come from plant which are renewable, sustainable and doesn't pollute the environment compared to heavy pollutant and dwindling petroleum-based fuel.  A start up entrepreneur can go into farming of corn, coconut, soy, palm and other sources of alternative fuel.

2.  Want to start real small?  Grow organic herbs and vegetables and fish in your own backyard.  Herbs and salad vegetables do not need a big space for them to grow.  You have the option of growing them using hydrophonics or maximising space vertically.  Herbs and salad vegetables are growing businesses anywhere as a lot of people are into eating healthy.

Hydroponics

Vertical Gardening

http://greenupgrader.com/files/2011/08/vertical-farm.jpg

Fish like tilapia, bangus and catfish can raised in fish condominiums.  Raising fish through this method was introduced as a source of income for the urban poor.  I saw this set-up at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources compound in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.  It sure has a good potential of being an income earner.

Fish Condo

http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/6-FISH-CONDOS-FOR-U

3.  Organic farming of fruits and animals are becoming a trend nowadays.  People are going back to basic, i.e., eating naturally grown animals like chicken and pigs and fruits like mangoes, papayas, and the like.  They may cost more now but I am sure technology will be available in the very near future to make them affordable.

The rule of thumb is to start small as majority of consumers still patronize cheaper goods and eating and living healthy is just an aside.  For my family, I serve home-cooked meals most of the time and as much as possible use healthier alternatives to chicken and vegetables.  I look up to the day when we will be eating organically-grown foods and practicing green living.

Scented Candle: Ideal Gift

It is barely ninety days till Christmas time and folks from all walks of life are wracking their brains thinking what  gifts to get for people on their Christmas list.  When you visit the stores, candles of different colors, sizes and kind occupy majority of the space of the display racks.  Why not candles?  You ask yourself, "Will it be scented or plain?"  

Most store-based candles are made of paraffin wax.  Paraffin wax is a by-product when refining crude oil  into gasoline and is one of the major sources of wax today.  Advocates of candles made from soy wax claim that it is safer to enjoy a quiet evening with soy wax candles as they are naturally grown and do not contain paraffin wax, a petroleum-based wax.  Imagine walking into a room with candles lit.  The smell of petroleum is unmistakable specially with unscented candles.

Aside from not having the side effects of paraffin wax, soy wax candles are biodegradable.  Soy wax come from soybeans which takes only 80-120 days to grow.  That makes soy wax renewable and sustainable as well.  There is also a big reduction in the soot emission when using soy wax candles.  Soot can usually be found at the rim of the candle containers and can be toxic.  The particles of soot can travel deep into the lungs and people afflicted with asthma and other lung diseases could be vulnerable.

Soybeans
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4359844903_2fcd606ff6.jpg

Another advantage of using soy wax candles is that they burn at a lower temperature.  At a lower temperature, candles burn slowly thus it will take a longer time to fully consume it compared to one of the same weight made from paraffin wax. 

When my husband and I entered the business of trading of vegetable-based lubricants, we were likewise introduced to candles made of healthier alternatives like palm wax and soy wax.  I was surprised that candles can actually come from plants.  Candles from vegetable bases like fuel from similar sources share the same advantages, i.e., renewable, sustainable and biodegradable.

Fortunately, I was able to meet the owners of Alice Blue candles during a business meeting.  Alice Blue   manufactures for export and for the local market candles made of soy wax.  Their candles come in different scents that are so soothing...a perfect way to cap the day.  You too can have this romantic evening by  going to My Gift Shop.  My Gift Shop delivers your candle of choice right at your doorstep.  No need to be stuck in traffic in going to the malls.

Available in Artichoke Ginger, Baby Shower, Lemongrass, etc.

Dark Hours During Typhoon Pedring's Fury

After barely three hours of sleep, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to prepare breakfast for my eldest son, Marco, who has an early morning class.  I  felt that the wind was gusty to a major degree and there's the rain to contend with.  I switched on the television to check if classes will be suspended as well (before my youngest daughter, Kara, went to sleep, she announced to all that she doesn't have classes the next day as the Department of Education has already cancelled classes for pre-school, elementary and high school on account of typhoon Pedring) for the collegiate level.  My other  children, Marco and Nina, are in college.  Upon hearing that the school administrators of the different colleges have already issued a cancellation, I hastily went back to bed to recover hours of lost sleep.  I slept soundly and woke up late in the morning though there was an electrical outage as several trees have been uprooted and branches have fallen that wrecked havoc on electrical cables.  It was a nice feeling being able to experience a good night's sleep once again without the aid of an aircon.

The nice feeling of sleeping the night away without electricity has been short-lived though.  Preparing for brunch posed a problem.  I badly needed to reheat last night's leftover food using the microwave.  Reheating food using the gas stove means that I have to wash big pots and pans in the dark afterwards.  Dusk has arrived and still electricity has not been restored yet in our area.  My children called several stores for food delivery as it is so difficult to prepare and cook food in the dark.  Nobody answered their calls.  My hubby and daughter instead prepared dinner of leftover food (again) and hotdogs (have to be consumed before they become stale) and fried rice.  We have to consume almost two tubs of ice cream in one seating before it becomes soupy.

Fallen trees

Pedring's fury

The powerless day dragged on for hours, to be exact, twelve hours.  We found ourselves looking for things to do as all our laptops were reduced to useless appendages without electricity.  Mobile phones have erratic signals and cannot be used to send emails as well.  Life in our house practically halted to a standstill.  I thought if solar panels are affordable, then our over-dependence on electricity will be a thing of the past.  I cannot emphasize enough that the Philippines is staring at the big potential of solar energy as an alternative source of energy.  Should the private sector take the lead in this endeavor or does the burden rest on the government's shoulders?

Solar panels on the roof of a house.
http://www.hotpundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/solar-energy-nj-tax-credits.jpg

Incinerators Vs. Waste Segregation

Exactly five months ago today, I wrote Is It About Time We Consider Using the Incinerator? also for this blog.  I  wrote that article because I was so aghast seeing the mounds of garbage that lined up Retiro Avenue in Quezon City on my way to the clinic of my dermatologist.  Nearby residents had piled plastics of garbage along the avenue for easy collection by the city garbage collector.  We are a very hygienic people in terms of our own bodies but quite the opposite with our trash.

Yesterday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer featured MMDA Favors Burning of Trash, an article about the plans of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) of using incinerators in solving once and for all the pestering problem on garbage.   The problem on garbage disposal has been in the news lately because of last month's trash slide in Baguio City triggered by heavy rains of typhoon Mina that killed several people and buried houses at the same time.  People and houses getting killed and buried by the avalanche of garbage will not stop if there are sanitary landfills.

The trash slide at Baguio City at the height of typhoon Mina.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/pb-110828-garbage-cannon.jpg

The environmental group, Ecowaste Coalition reacted negatively on MMDA's plans on making incineration the preferred solution to the age old problem of garbage disposal.   Paeng Lopez of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a non government organization under Ecowaste Coalition, in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that "large scale" solutions like incineration will not work.  Incinerators emit dioxins and furans that are harmful to health even at small doses.  Mr. Lopez' group is espousing waste segregation as the best solution to our garbage woes which at the same time fertilizes the soil through composting.

Though the concept of waste segregation sounds ideal, it is not the best solution to the problem of waste disposal for an urban community like Metro Manila.  For one, waste segregation requires land space for composting of the biodegradable waste.  We all know that land prices in Metro Manila and other urban centers are prohibitive.  Look outside and residential buildings, whether for condominiums, apartments and townhouses, are sprouting everywhere.  This new style of housing does not come with land space that could be used for composting.  Composting may work in the provinces where land is sprawling and available but not in the urban centers.

Waste segregation bins

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjqopg3F8KNEfGWwlIgVvgr4fxinvb4sfsqLv92h8bBwQpnrJ4tF8a0jU-MjOSoumZkjfJTdFAizI5RAFyKQoXbO2GaDi2ywAXciHJgZQAzfTDH1Qpw5K6oeF2-aiBpJNemECCpji1eE/s400/Waste-segregation.jpg

The sheer volume of garbage in Metro Manila is no joke.  According to Sec. Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), garbage from Metro Manila accounts for 25% of the total garbage.  If the trash will not be burned, the sanitary landfills will fill up sooner than we think.

The third reason why incineration is the best solution for Metro Manila and other urban centers is that space for sanitary landfills are getting scarcer by the day.  Communities living near proposed landfills express their opposition to such plans.  Living near sanitary landfills are also not safe for the health of the people and the pollution of the air, water and soil that comes with it.  It is difficult to contain dangerous chemicals from seeping into the land and water system.  Landfills produce methane that is bad for the environment as it increases global warming.

Waste segregation requires the cooperation of a big majority of people for it to work.  If the households in Metro Manila which account for a big chunk of the garbage can't practice composting because of the lack of space to do it, waste segregation will not fly.  For the rest of the Philippines, waste segregation  is it.

Coping with the High Cost of Electricity

In this day and age, is there anybody who can survive twenty fours hours without electricity?  I won't.  There are a myriad of reasons why I can't.  But with my electricity expense eating a big chunk of my household budget, I am faced with several options.  One option is to cut down on my consumption of appliances that cost more like the airconditioner and water heater.  Another one is to find alternative sources of power.

1.  Cut down on consumption of aircon and water heater.  Me, cut down on my aircon hours and take a shower of icy water?  That is out of the question!  No matter how much the kilowatt/hour rate is, that is unthinkable.  Another thing that I could not live without is my internet connection.  My laptop wakes up when I wake up and goes to sleep when I go to sleep.  My internet connection is my sort of lifeline to my virtual world.  Do you know that I own a farm in Farmville and has amassed 15M in FV money?  Lol.

2.  Look for alternatives.  Since it is obvious that I can't compromise the number of consumption hours, I have to be creative in thinking of ways to pay less while consuming more.  My husband said that we have to replace our present appliances with those of newer and more efficient technology, like the inverter technology.  Airconditioners, refrigerators are the first appliances to be available in inverter technology.  With this technology, usage is maximized while saving a lot of energy and of course, money.

There is an alternative source of power that most of us are not aware are using it already for the longest time.  It comes free and is very abundant in tropical countries.  I am talking about solar energy.  What is solar energy?  Solar energy is simply energy from the sun.  For centuries, people have been using solar energy in such simple tasks as drying of clothes, food and what have you.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/technical/solar-power.jpg

What can a private individual do to maximize solar energy?  For residences and business establishments,  it entails the installation of solar panels on the roof to catch the sun's rays.  The solar panels convert the sun's rays into electricity that could be used to empower airconditioners, refrigerators, heaters and other appliances.  The number of solar panels to be installed would depend on the electrical consumption.    A higher consumption would require more solar panels.  

Solar panels on the roof of the house.http://www.hotpundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/solar-energy-nj-tax-credits.jpg

Although solar energy has a lot of advantages like it saves money as it is free; it is environment friendly as it is clean, sustainable and renewable; and is easy to maintain, the main drawback for its use is the big initial cost in installing the solar energy system.  The recovery period for the initial investment will depend on the amount of  electricity used.  The bigger consumption, the shorter time to recover the initial investment.  Once this has been recovered, solar energy is practically free.  

Solar energy is one area that the Philippine government should invest in as the country enjoys many months of sunny weather.  It should encourage the use of solar energy by making financing for this undertaking available to everyone.  If banks can lend money for a house and lot in the form of real estate financing, what is stopping them from providing financing for the installation of solar panels?  What a waste if we don't do anything to store this energy that is God-given, abundant and free at that.