This week we began to contact sustainable and non-sustainable businesses to collaborate with on our Action Project. We also had some folks researching web-sites and other sources so that we can be a beneficial resource for whichever businesses we end up working with. For this journal entry I’d like you to explain something that you’ve learned about sustainable business so far. I’d like if if whatever you choose to write about is something bigger than, say, having learned that Styrofoam lasts for 10,000 years. Be sure to include the following in your journal entry:
1. What have you learned?
2. What were your ideas about this particular thing BEFORE we started researching this topic?
3. How has your new knowledge changed your view on sustainable business?
As always, your response should be thoughtful, lengthy (2-3 paragraphs) and edited.
heather monteson
I have learned a lot of different things about sustainable businesses, like different ways businesses can become sustainable, different businesses that have become sustainable, and how easy it really is to gradually become a sustainable business. I also learned how negative things can be when businesses are not sustainable, like how much trash is thrown away and how many things are wasted every day. Before we began the topic I thought it would be rather boring but it is quite interesting. I am enjoying learning about sustainable businesses, a lot more than I thought I would.
rob
I have learned that sustainable businesses are the way of the future. With renewable energy businesses can profit so much, it just takes a lot of persuasion and motivation to get started.
The only way we can start social change is by changing the way YOU live. My family and I compost everything so that we can recycle waste and re-use it as delicious soil for our garden. We also buy organic or local foods when we have to. We reuse plastic bottles, and bags and we always recycle. Before the world catches on, individuals have to do what they believe in to make a difference.
Frances Brown
In the first week of working on our action project one thing that I have learned is that businesses are surprisingly willing to work with us and take our audit. To make a business cooperate it is necessary to make it clear that you are not selling anything, also the business is much more likely to do what you want if you make it seem like they are doing something worth their time. In a similar way I have noticed that there are a lot more ways then one might think to ‘be green’.
Before this project I had never spent much time thinking about how a business might respond to a project like this one. I had given surveys and audits to the general public but never to a business. Individual people are a lot harder to give surveys to because they expect that you want to sell them something no matter what you say. Before we started this project I thought that we would have a much more difficult time getting businesses involved.
After having worked on this project for the one short week that we have my thoughts are now that businesses are easier to work with then the public. I think that when a business hears something about sustainability they automatically think of a big project when in fact so many of the things that can be done are small and easy.
Torie
From our action project so far I have learned that there are many sustainable businesses already. Also, all the businesses I have talked to are very willing to collaborate with our class. I’ve also learned that there are not that many huge changes that we can advise people to do but there are alot of little ones that add up and make a difference.
I have been taught by our action project that alot of business owners/managers may just not be educated to make the changes in their businesses everyday practices. But most of the changes are relatively inexspensive and as I said before make a difference when all put together.
I think that most of the learning will take place when we are actually doing the audits and evaluating each businesses specific needs.
Hayley
I agree with Heather when she said that she thought that doing our action project on Sustainable Businesses wouldn’t be very interesting, but as the weeks progress i am enjoying it alot.
It surprised me how many businesses were already sustainable, and as Frances said, it surprised me how willing and open-minded all of the businesses who we contacted were.
My experience so far with contacting people has been enjoyable. Everyone i have spoken to has been sincerely interested and wanting to co-operate.
Overall, I think we chose a great topic that we can really make some changes in.
Jon Endicott
Like other people have already said, I am surprised by how willing these businesses are to work with us. Places don’t seem to show any aversion to having high school kids come in and rate them on their “greenness.” Also, I was surprised to see how many business I never expected to be sustainable that are expected. I had places like Cosmos and Illegal Petes pegged as drunk college kids who didn’t care. But I guess even in the hungover stupors, these people DO care.
lily
Sustainable businesses seem like they have great business because people like the way it sounds to have something that’s good for the planet. It also seems as if having a sustainable business is a lot more work for the business owners.
I’ve learned which businesses in town are sustainable. Beforehand (and maybe a little bit still) i didn’t know what the heck a sustainable business really was. Even now I’m still a little fuzzy on the technical side of it.
My “new” views on sustainable business is that i am more inclined to buy from them than taco bell or something.