Sustainability Experts: Business Heroes of the Future

(Adapted from Career-Opportunities.net)

In the 21^st century, issues surrounding resource consumption, global warming and overpopulation are surfacing more frequently. Concern with rising gas prices and electricity conservation has generated a growing interest in solar energy, hydrogen, wind power and other alternative fuels. Some progressive corporations, businesses and individuals are looking into being more independent of depletable resources, and improving their ability to self-sustain. These organizations consult sustainability experts -- professionals who analyze a business, including the energy it consumes and the waste it produces, finding ways of making the business "smarter" and more sustainable.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability expert Dr. Richard T. Wright defines a sustainable system as one that maintains its capacity to operate without depleting the resources its operation relies on. The best examples, he says, are found in nature. For example, a forest gets its energy from:

• The soil, which is replenished by fallen trees and leaves
  
• The sun, a non-depletable resource
  
• The rain, a self-sustaining system

These characteristics are what makes a forest able to carry on for eons without depleting its energy resources.

Though it’s not likely in the foreseeable future for modern society to continue as a whole without needing outside resources, it is possible for cities, businesses and individuals to adopt characteristics of sustainable systems, thereby reducing the number of depletable resources needed to sustain them. For example, if the area of land needed to sustain the agricultural and resource needs of a city (known as the city’s ecological “footprint”) were self-sustainable, the city itself would be self-sustainable. Though no city has yet reached that point, cities and businesses are taking steps to move in that direction by relying more on non-depletable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and by conserving depletable resources such as fossil fuels and electricity (more on that later). They make these transitions with the guidance of sustainability experts.

What do sustainability experts do?

Sustainability experts and sustainability firms are hired by firms and other organizations as consultants. Their clients may be governments, cities, corporations, small businesses, organizations or individuals seeking to reduce their ecological footprint. One sustainability consulting firm, SustainabilityExperts.com, helps organizations prevent problems relating to energy, transportation and agriculture. Sustainability consulting firms may consider a business’s energy draw and draft a plan for the use of renewable energy, or assist in a city’s planning to allow more effective use of mass transportation. They may also assist in structure and building design to allow for more efficient use of energy.

Sustainability experts can also address environmental and ecological issues as they affect a company’s reputation. WSP Environmental, for example, considers such factors as a client’s land and water use, waste and emissions control, and outside noise and vibration in order to mitigate any environmental, social and reputational risks the client could potentially face.

Sustainability consulting firms employ agents from a diverse array of backgrounds in order to assist organizations in their quest to become more “green.” As the growing attention on environmental issues continues to create public awareness around the idea of resource depletion, these consultants will see a productive future in creating sustainable, green businesses.

How can I become a sustainability expert?

Sustainability is a new and vibrant avenue of business, so sustainability experts come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Firms especially like to hire people with a background or interest in civil, structural, electrical or mechanical engineering, as well as biology, ecology and other water or earth sciences.

Because sustainability is a new industry without well-established career paths, specific titles, degrees and majors are not as important as the specific focus you take in your field of study. Self-motivation and a clear direction toward environmental conservation and preservation are some of the most important qualities a future sustainability expert can have. Specific details concerning education requirements and salary tend to vary with the hiring firm.

How can my business be more sustainable?

Every business can benefit from the advice of sustainability experts in some way, starting with small but cost-saving energy conservation techniques. Many forward-thinking businesses already use these and other energy-saving strategies:

• Use compact fluorescent lighting, as it uses 1/4 the energy and lasts 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs
• Turn off or minimize lighting when the office is closed
• Use lighter paint schemes in the office, as lighter colors brighten a room with less required lighting
• Use natural lighting when you can -- it's also proven to brighten workers' moods
  
• Use computers and office equipment marked with an Energy Star label -- their efficiency standards are expected to save businesses over $2 billion in the next 5 years
• Set monitors to sleep mode when they're not in use, and turn computers off if no one is using them for longer periods of time
  
• Recycle toner cartridges, paper, and office food waste such as aluminum cans and plastic bottles
• Use motion-activated faucets in bathrooms, as they turn themselves completely off

Source: What is a Sustainability Expert? at Career-Opportunities.net

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Geek Squad Hospital – Open For Business & Needing Repairs

The Geek Squad subsidiary of the Best Buy Company didn't pick Silicon Valley or any other high-tech hub to build its pc hospital. Instead, it choose Kentucky countryside.
The 165,000-square-foot Geek Squad City warehouse is located south of Louisville with the primary goal of cutting the time it takes to repair and return PCs and specifcialy laptops.

"This is all about giving the customer a better experience," said Michael Rodgers, Geek Squad City's "ambassador," or spokesman.

Not too far away is a UPS air field, Louisville & Brooks has a work force ready to work and the state offered tax benefits worth up to $9.3 million was the bow on the present the company was looking for in making it’s final location decisions.

Inside the facility Geek Squad's "agents" fix several laptops a day and estimates that boost that 700,000 PCs will be repaired this year. Quick computer repairs are crucial with customers who don't or can’t wait the standard one week turn around time for non store available services. .


Geek Squad was originally founded in 1994 by Robert Stephens and offered various computer-related services. In addition to the in-store service, the company offers on-site and 24-hour telephone support. In 2002, Stephens sold it to Best Buy who has than expanded the services.

Conversely, there are some original Gek Squad employees ad former employees who say that GS has lost the “cool” factor it once had. The Consumerist website reports that Robert Stephens built a top notch award-winning company that earned a reputation for being the best; but when it was sold, the service it had so richly earned didn’t stay.

There has been a variety of complaints from former employees and interviewees regarding Salesman not techies. Several reports of former and interviewees reported that Geek Squad hires only Salesman and turns them into Tech Fixers rather than hiring people who know what they’re doing and training them in Sales.

Customers also notice a downgrade in service. Many times, Geek Squad “Agents” either show up a hour or more late or they simply do not show up. At the Tech Support Guy forums, one Tech Support professionals says s/he has fixed enough of Geek Squad’s wireless network setups ‘hack jobs’ that s/he has given them a vote of incompetence –followed by others who supported the vote with they’re own experience.

In addition, Geek Squad has had two separate (known) lawsuits filed against them within a year. In April, 2006, the Geek Squad was accused of allegedly allowing they’re employees to use unlicensed versions of software before obtaining the offical rights. This year, a Geek Squad employee was arrested for covertly recording a 22 year old woman in her shower and later placing the camera phone in her 13 year old sister's bedroom while on a service call -- The suspect was arrested.

Many people who have laptops store incredibly sensitive files, financial data and even more personal photos. Laptop owns must feel absolutely confident that the service they use can be trusted and will respect customer confidentially 100 percent. However, too many Geek Squad “Agents” seem to abusing the basic principals of business ethics and not enough corporate assurances have protected customers. In my opinion, it seems as if Best Buy’s Geek Squad is succeeding in unwarranted business and souring the public's opinion of the help desk / information technology repair service industry in general.

While it is completely understandable that Best Buy wants Sales People, they should keep in mind that word of mouth advertising in today’s online world travels and never really disappears… eventually one byte leads to anther in (loss of business revenue) virus corruption.


Sources Include:
Consumerist
CNN
Tech Support Guy
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

One billion is offered for biotech program

In the most sweeping policy announcement of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick administration, Governor Patrick proposed a $1 billion life science initiative on Tuesday May 8^th 2007 at the biotechnology International Convention. The initiative will potentially cement the state's reputation as a global powerhouse of medicine and biotechnology scientific research.

In addition to research, the 10-year initiative would fund start-up companies, as well as create a stem cell bank at the University of Massachusetts for newly created lines of embryonic stem cells, a controversial arena of research currently barred from federal funding.

"We want Massachusetts to provide the global platform for bringing your innovations from the drawing board to the market, from inspiration to commercialization, from ideas to cures," said Patrick.

Patrick was joined on the platform by Senate President Therese Murray, who wore a yellow bracelet in memory of family members who have died of cancer, and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. Both pledged support for the proposal.

If approved the plan would dramatically increase the biotechnology research industry and create hundreds of new jobs.