Marketing Sustainably

It's no secret that the beef industry emits vast amounts of gas emissions into the atmosphere, and is known to be one of the leading causes of global warming. Not to mention the impact these plants have on wildlife habitat and fresh water supply in the surrounding areas. While the severity is apparent, the rise of beef demand still continues to increase exponentially, linear to population growth. But how can we reduce the negative effects beef production has on the environment? Let's start with the core circulation of the industry: supply chain. Studies showed that there are specific phases in the supply chain that we can directly examine to find possible 'green' alternatives in the process. For example, sustainable efforts have included the focus on feedlot phases and feed production among the cattle. Some key findings and recommendations found: While the feed production and feedlot phases are important to make 'green,' due to excess runoff, attentio

This week we discussed the topic of true pricing and costs of products. When consumers are truly aware of these, they are better able to measure and monetize their impact on the environment. Creating transparency between businesses and consumers allows for trust and builds a strong relationship among them. I read an interesting article about the hidden costs behind the paper industry. Many people are aware that there is a need to recycle paper or "save the trees," but often times the one publicizing these arguments are among the paper industry themselves: publishers. It's somewhat contradicting to see companies like Times and In Style to write about the greenhouse emissions' impact on the environment, when they are a big part of increase in CO2. Paper mills not only increase deforestation, but also emit chemicals into the atmosphere via their massive plants and structures.   Hearst Corporation recently did a study on their own implications for their magaz

As technological advancements are increasing, so is the need for environmentally-friendly innovations. Here are some exciting innovations in 2018 that will benefit society and the environment: High-tech sieve that filters ocean water:  Although there are already inventions that make ocean water drinkable, most of the existing desalination plants are extremely costly and are known to damage the environment. The new Sieve invention is composed of a graphene that filters the ocean water and requires less  energy to operate.  Drone that Pollinates: With the decrease in bees being a primal issue, there is a new invention that pollinates for us. There are active researches in Japan that are testing out small drones that transition from carrying pollen from one plant to another. The machines aren't quite finished yet, but the idea will greatly benefit the food production industry and decrease the extinction of pollinating insects.  Biodegradable Bullets: This ammunition will repla

I was a little disappointed to find that my EF results didn't change... However, I realized that I was a bit overly confident with my reduction goals. I plan to reassess them and make them a bit more realistic and attainable. I've been a pescatarian for nearly 7 years and one of my goals was to completely go vegetarian, meaning I would cut out white meat/fish from my diet. While cutting back on meat consumption is a great way to support the reduction of Methane gas emissions from the livestock industry, it was not as easy as I thought. Although I did not completely take out meat from my diet, I surely reduced my consumption and now I'm more aware of the consequences when I'm choosing what to eat. Furthermore, one of my goals was to only shop organic and try my best to go to natural food markets, rather than the usual Fred Meyer or Walmart. I stuck with this for about two weeks, however my wallet was not too fond of the change... Being a frugal college student, it