We are constantly educating ourselves about the most current environmental issues. In fact, Our educational efforts include presentations, tours and classes both internally and outside of the company. HARBEC's president, Bob Bechtold, volunteers much of his time sharing about HARBEC's initiatives and results in sustainable manufacturing. These are a few key terms.
Carbon footprint is a measure of the exclusive global amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases emitted by a human activity or accumulated over the full life cycle of a product or service (see Wiedmann and Minx, 2008). Calculate your own carbon footprint at stopglobalwarming.org or climatecrisis.net.
Co-generation or Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Involves the combined production and use of heat and electrical power. Heat that would otherwise be wasted is recovered and used for space heating and air conditioning in commercial and industrial applications. Co-generation is typically two to three times more efficient than conventional methods used by centralized utility power stations. See how we use cogeneration at HARBEC.
Distributed Generation Is power generation located closer to where it is consumed, for example, supplying electricity on-site or over-the-fence (also referred to as decentralized, embedded or localized). DG can be as small as a 1kW solar photovoltaic system, or larger than a 450 MW industrial on-site co-generation system.
Eco generation includes co-generation, renewable generation, waste-to-energy and distributed generation technologies. Eco generation is a natural grouping of environmentally sustainable energy production and delivery technologies. They offer similar benefits and face similar challenges as potential solutions to the future needs and requirements of the growing energy market
The Kyoto Protocol Is a legally binding agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions from six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.
Renewable generation produces no net greenhouse emissions. Includes power generated from natural resources such as wind, solar, hydro, and bio-mass. It also includes power generated using certain wastes and devices called digesters.
Sustainability in a general sense, is the capacity to maintain a certain process or state indefinitely. In recent years the concept has been applied more specifically to living organisms and systems. As applied to the human community, sustainability has been expressed as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. A business is sustainable if it has adapted its practices for the use of renewable resources and holds itself accountable for the environmental and human rights impacts of its activities. This includes businesses that operate in a socially responsible manner and protect the environment.
In short, there will be no more resources if we do not conserve and preserve. Individuals, businesses, and governments alike, must provide for our current needs in ways that do not negatively impact the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
The Triple Bottom Line is for companies aiming for sustainability, who have to perform to not just a single financial bottom line, but the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity - Profit, Planet & People.
Waste-to-energy is electricity production using waste fuels, some of which may otherwise cause local environmental challenges. A number of waste fuels are deemed to be renewable, including cane residue (bagasse) in the sugar industry, sludge gas from sewage treatment plants, and methane from landfill sites. Fossil fuel-based waste streams include coal waste methane, refinery waste gases and coal tailings.