Comments for No Green Sheep http://www.nogreensheep.com Going Green and understanding why Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:44:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 Comment on Are Buses Really so Great? by Blog / More on the idiocy of environmentalists - Photography by Kieran Simkin http://www.nogreensheep.com/2009/08/29/are-buses-really-so-great/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Blog / More on the idiocy of environmentalists - Photography by Kieran Simkin Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:44:23 +0000 http://www.nogreensheep.com/?p=37#comment-10 [...] friend Kat posted a link to this blog entry comparing the fuel efficiency of buses against cars. Kat’s a fully paid-up member of the eco-mentalist brigade but I forgive her that because she [...] [...] friend Kat posted a link to this blog entry comparing the fuel efficiency of buses against cars. Kat’s a fully paid-up member of the eco-mentalist brigade but I forgive her that because she [...]

]]> Comment on Should I Work for a Non-Green Company? by Colin http://www.nogreensheep.com/2009/08/20/should-i-work-for-a-non-green-company/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Colin Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:50:54 +0000 http://www.nogreensheep.com/?p=5#comment-3 'Green company' includes companies that are either directly trying to better the situation (such as researching green technologies) and also companies that are actively trying to reduce their destructive effect on the world (and succeeding!). At my previous company there were several people who all got together and started harassing senior management to get the company to be more socially responsible. They succeeded and are now responsible for a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program that includes: <ol> <li>Recycling paper, cans and plastics</li> <li>Reducing the amount of printed material used in training</li> <li>Getting involved with local charity projects to do charitable work (not strictly green but definitely worthwhile)</li> </ol> So, thanks to these people sticking their neck out they have made a positive change :-) On your point about engineers working for green companies - you've got to be a little pragmatic here. You need to think about whether your skills would be best suited towards helping the green companies or helping to change existing ones. If, for example, you specialised in energy efficiency then you might have a better effect on the world if you go work for a company that produces energy from non-renewable resources. Even when it becomes more viable for renewable resources to be used as our primary power source we will still have these old sources for a while until they are totally phased out. So, in the mean time you could do your bit by ensuring that these sources are as efficient and clean as possible whilst they are still around. It is also worth bearing in mind that a fair number of these companies (e.g. <a href="http://www.shell.us/home/content/usa/aboutshell/media_center/news_and_press_releases/2009/jfk_hydrogen_071409.html" rel="nofollow">Shell</a>) are working on their own schemes to try and come up with alternatives (otherwise they go bust when oil/gas/coal run out). Go work for one of these companies and you could help them on this front. ‘Green company’ includes companies that are either directly trying to better the situation (such as researching green technologies) and also companies that are actively trying to reduce their destructive effect on the world (and succeeding!).

At my previous company there were several people who all got together and started harassing senior management to get the company to be more socially responsible. They succeeded and are now responsible for a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) program that includes:

  1. Recycling paper, cans and plastics
  2. Reducing the amount of printed material used in training
  3. Getting involved with local charity projects to do charitable work (not strictly green but definitely worthwhile)

So, thanks to these people sticking their neck out they have made a positive change :-)

On your point about engineers working for green companies – you’ve got to be a little pragmatic here. You need to think about whether your skills would be best suited towards helping the green companies or helping to change existing ones.

If, for example, you specialised in energy efficiency then you might have a better effect on the world if you go work for a company that produces energy from non-renewable resources. Even when it becomes more viable for renewable resources to be used as our primary power source we will still have these old sources for a while until they are totally phased out. So, in the mean time you could do your bit by ensuring that these sources are as efficient and clean as possible whilst they are still around.

It is also worth bearing in mind that a fair number of these companies (e.g. Shell) are working on their own schemes to try and come up with alternatives (otherwise they go bust when oil/gas/coal run out). Go work for one of these companies and you could help them on this front.

]]> Comment on Should I Work for a Non-Green Company? by Sofi http://www.nogreensheep.com/2009/08/20/should-i-work-for-a-non-green-company/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Sofi Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:51:59 +0000 http://www.nogreensheep.com/?p=5#comment-2 What are you defining as a 'green company'? A company that researches 'green' technologies or a company that recycles a lot or anywhere in between? I was told at a career fair that 'changing from within' is a pretty naive belief but I've not done that much research into that tbh. I just think that an engineer or something would do better for the environment if they put their expertise to use in a job that is actively trying to advance 'green' technologies than working for, say, a company that makes it's money by selling people energy supplies that are non-renewable and destroying the environment, no matter how much green-washing they choose to do. What are you defining as a ‘green company’? A company that researches ‘green’ technologies or a company that recycles a lot or anywhere in between? I was told at a career fair that ‘changing from within’ is a pretty naive belief but I’ve not done that much research into that tbh.

I just think that an engineer or something would do better for the environment if they put their expertise to use in a job that is actively trying to advance ‘green’ technologies than working for, say, a company that makes it’s money by selling people energy supplies that are non-renewable and destroying the environment, no matter how much green-washing they choose to do.

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