Difference between revisions of "Potential Green Business Ideas"
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Tom Brennan (Talk | contribs) (→Seed Formation) |
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** Produces more energy than it takes to do it...it makes the planet, people and profits better | ** Produces more energy than it takes to do it...it makes the planet, people and profits better | ||
*** Direct Margins | *** Direct Margins | ||
− | *** Commons..."one in"... "two out" | + | *** Commons..."one in"... "two out" like the rain forest. |
* Ecosystems, Relationships and Energy Flow (sharing of energy) | * Ecosystems, Relationships and Energy Flow (sharing of energy) | ||
** Existing - Relationships - Inertia | ** Existing - Relationships - Inertia |
Revision as of 15:17, 31 December 2010
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Contents
Incubator
- Ecobator...growing businesses naturally
- Source of the idea...cited here in "Making a Living while making a Difference" and here in Sea Change Resource Center in Phili
The Concept
- Growing businesses naturally..not making them.
- Uses natural process that have been proven over a billion years
- A form of biomimicry...working in the way natural systems work In fact, it try's to match the way we're made...so there are not any built-in conflict points (energy losses)
- No waste...like natural systems
- As best we try, it will be imperfect at the start, but like natural systems it will evolve.
- Not done because it's cool or right thing to do (which it is) it's done because it's better....for the planet, people, and profits.
Ecobator Foundational Elements
Permaculture
- Key design principles
- Start with what is closest to you to meet your needs
Natural Step Framework
...holds that in a sustainable society, nature will not be subject to:
- What We Take from the Earth
- Avoid "systematically increasing the concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth's crust."
- Be careful ... you're disrupting a billion year process.
- What We Make
- Nature must not be subjected to systematically increasing concentrations of substances produced by society.
- Substances we create must be biodegradable...don't spread toxins.
- What We Do to the Earth
- Protect and restore ecosystems and diversity
- Protect and improve our soils, water and air...all creation (including us) need to eat, drink and breath.
- Meeting Basic Human Needs (One Earth Patterns)
- Use the least amount of stuff (means) to meet human needs
- Ensure everyone has access to the means
- Further Reading
- The Natural Step for Business free book on how to apply Natural Step Framework to Businesses.
- Factor Four 4X productivity/effectiveness gains.
- Natural Capitalism (Google Books version) ... takes the Natural Step one step further.
- Nature of Economies by Jane Jacobs...the natural sciences behind economies...the biology of economies
- All development is based on a new differentiated product/service being developed from a general product/services (think..a branch of a tree)
- Humans start will all the cells the same but then start to create specialized cells (e.g. brain and bones).
- The value of this differentiated product/service needs to be tested quickly and cheaply.
- The new differentiated product/service then becomes a general product and the process repeats itself (new branches from the branch)
- The brain cells then start to specialize in memory and language.
- Co-development is the main process for creating new differentiated products/ services
- Think of development not as a line, but a web of open ended lives...so build a co-development web to generate innovation. The web has a diverse group of people sharing and trading. These can lead to symbiosis relationships (add further material.)
- Takes two minds/ideas/talents to create the new.
- Co-working / co-locating is a great way to create the opportunity for this to happen
- Expansion of Development
- "Diverse ensembles (collection of organisms) expand in a rich environment, which is created by the diverse (and intense) use and reuse of received energy."
- All developments depend on an infusion of energy from the outside (ultimately from the sun.) They also have a discharge of energy / matter...it can't be created or destroyed. So development can be thought of as a conduit through which energy is transformed.
- In some ecosystem not much happens with the energy...such as a desert..the sunlight if gained during the day and released at light. But in other ecosystems, such as the rain forest ... the sun is captured and used and reused in a web of organisms. The sunlight is repeatedly "reconverted, combined and recombined, cycled and recycled as energy/matter is passed from one organism to another. The more different means a system possesses to recapture and transform
- Self Refueling
- Machines rely on outside agents. Machines lack the capacity to refuel themselves. Weather systems constantly draw on the sun's energy to drive their formations and movements.
- Each organism has it's own specific "Self refueling equipment" often including critical symbiotic relationships. A cow eats grass and has specific bacteria in it's stomach. One organisms waste is another organism's dinner. The key is knowing what this is.
- The exports of the organism must create energy/matter (energy/matter margin x volume) that exceeds the imported energy. This energy margin is used to create new import or export options/diversity. Then this grows.
- All development is based on a new differentiated product/service being developed from a general product/services (think..a branch of a tree)
- Leadership in the New Science by M. Wheatley
- In quantum physics it is the "relationships" that are primary...and in fact they are all that exists.
- We change at the molecular level based on our relationships. They change who we are.
- All that exists is a large flow.
- Information is energy.
- A Timeless Way to Build by Christopher Alexander
- Nature grows by repeating patterns (i.e. a leaf)...this is the way all life is formed
- Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough.
- Like the natural systems, all of what we create needs to return to the natural systems in a way that makes them healthier ... or as a minimum does no harm.
- Ezio Manzini
- "For a sustainable future all design is systems (services) design."
- Chaortic Organizational Design by Dee Hock
- self organizing systems can efficiently handle the real complexity
- Innovation happens at the edge of a system
- Distribute (not = to decentralize) power and resources...create a reason to support the center (commons)
- Manage self...empower others
- Ecoyardingby Celeste Watts
- Right plant in the right place.
- More life under the ground than above it.
- Remove invasives.
- Leaves are gold...use them to create great soil.
The Process
Seed Formation
- Kernal
- Produces more energy than it takes to do it...it makes the planet, people and profits better
- Direct Margins
- Commons..."one in"... "two out" like the rain forest.
- Produces more energy than it takes to do it...it makes the planet, people and profits better
- Ecosystems, Relationships and Energy Flow (sharing of energy)
- Existing - Relationships - Inertia
- New - Relationships
- Change takes energy and time to stabilize...increases variability
- Business Ecosystem concept Research study of this idea.
- Questions
- Right plant in the right place...is this seed planted in the right ecosystem (desert vs. swamp)?
- Cycles and Waste Analysis
- Water, Carbon, Energy Cycle
- Water Cleaner
- Carbon Neutral
- Water, Carbon, Energy Cycle
- Self Refueling
- Does it create energy/matter that exceeds the energy/matter that is put into it?
- What is it's mechanism for doing this? How fragile is this?
- Deep Root Design
- How do we develop a capacity to withstand the natural variability?
- Think of how plants or babies do it?
- Growing Pattern
- How will this Seed grow?
- What patterns (fractals) will it repeat?
- Volumes
- Risks and Deep Roots Analysis
- Systemic risk
- Where is there variability in the systems?
- Where is there growth in the systems (trends)?
- Where is there competitors (need new term)?
- What forces outside the system could affect the system most?
- 20, 50, 100 year perfect storm/drought
- Systemic risk
Capable Entity
- Leadership - Emotional Intelligence
- Competency
- Soil
- Relationships
- Learning Culture
- Information Platform
- Proven Natural Business Patterns
- Accounting
- Form of Legal Entity
Resourced Plan
- Pull model for money...new VC model
Ecobator Ideas
- Biology for Business 101 class
Green Garage Business Ideas
Just started putting them in 1/27/08...
If you have an idea for a project that might be researched by the future Green Garage, feel free to put it here. Combination of coming to us and self generated.
Workshop / Studio
- Pedal Taxi
- Wooden Pen maker...from scrap wood
- Rain Barrels... team with Coke, CCS students paint the barrels, develop art rain barrel stands
- Bim Willow Design Studio for willow furniture
- Insect larvae for chicken feed (Jon)
- H2V design studio
- Crafts group (Hilda)
Office
- Green Soft...software that helps people reduce their ecological footprint.
- net-Zero designs
- Yoga + Food (Greg)
- Carbon Credit (woman that visited)
- Become a Reseller with Insulation Depot and help solve these issues RIGHT NOW while making a tidy profit for you and your family.
- e-U connecting homes and businesses to a green future
Sustainable Business Greenhouse
- Mentoring Council
- Avalon
- Dan MCBW
- Slo's
Viridia Energy
Company
Background
- Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority (NBCUA)
- Pilot program proposal.
- Location
- Waldwick, NJ
- 25 miles from Time Square (35 - 90 min drive).
- Other Information
- They have solar panels on site producing some of their energy.
- BWI Equipment Inc. Home Page
- Klines is one of the installed sites of the BMI Equipment
- Lancaster Grease-to-Biofuel Example uses BWI Equipment Inc. SV-2 processor.
Research
- The Problem - Fat's, Oil, and Grease and our Sewer Systems (FOG)
- FOG and Our Nations Sewer Systems
- FOG Science - website with background articles on FOG.
- The Business Case
- Napa wants your fats Similar business case...$640,000 to build plant. (Uses microbes - Woody's friend)
- ASCE - Waste Grease to Biofuel presentation. Includes some of the technology/science.
- Cleveland Crains - Cleveland funding bio-mass projects
- Riverside CA - Grease-to-Gas project Why not to methane?
- Restaurant Grease Trap
- #6 Fuel oil
- Competitors
- Service Providers
- Darling International Need more research
- Equipment Providers
- Call Riverside on methane equipment
- Service Providers
Analysis
Ecobator Analysis
- Kernel Flows
- See spreadsheet (google docs)
- See Ecosystem analysis
- Competencies / Learning (CI) System
- Key Competencies
- Process Equipment Operations (run it)/Maintenance (repair it)
- Water treatment
- Biofuel production
- Process engineering
- Water treatment
- Biofuel production
- Logistics
- Receiving docks
- Pumping stations
- Dynamic Scheduling
- Management
- Process quality management
- Deming Quality
- Process quality management
- Process Equipment Repair / Servicing
- Specifically SV-2
- Preventative Maintenance Planning
- Process Information management
- Process Equipment Operations (run it)/Maintenance (repair it)
- Key Competencies
Analysis Bin
- Questions
- What is the solid waste that is produced from the process and where does/can it go?
- How are the trucks scheduled? What keeps there from being many or none there at one time?
- What is the information flow?
- Is this a Pilot program as indicated in the Water Authority document?
- How much energy is used in the processing? Where does it go?
- How much clean water is used in the processing?
- Who pays for the workers?
- Risks
- Declining use of #6 Fuel Oil...see wikipedia article...Fuel Oil Uses
- Temperatures (Bergen = 20F - 100F)
- Where does the solids go? One plants had to take them to GA from NJ.
- Liability for environmental impact...who's liable? Securing liability insurance. Cost?
- Odor for the neighborhood?
- BMI is very, very small...warranty, repairs, ability to support multiple sites with trouble.
- Large construction projects on the Tollway..check it out here. Don't see anything yet...however, there is a $7 billion capital campaign for next 10 years.
- How is the equipment utilization optimized by the ecosystem? How is the system incented to get this right?
- What is the maintenance requirement for the equipment? What wears out first? What moves?
- Ideas
- Leverage Insurance companies with restaurants...grease leads to fires.
- Toll Discounts for trucks drivers if all on one account ...see it here.
- Hire Kline to evaluate this...make them an investment partner.
- Why not produce methane like Riverside vs. #6 Fuel Oil (Residual)
- Improve truck scheduling
- Information is energy (Wheatley)...what could be the information flow?
- Can microbes be used? Woody's friend?
The Green Fund
- Investment Purpose
- To invest in sustainability-based companies to help the form and grow
- To help fund the on-going operations of The Green Garage
- Investment Strategy
- Tripe bottom line
- Collaborative investing
- Pull funding
- Diversification
- Portfolio
- Energy
- Water
- Waste
- Materials
- Transportation
Construction Waste Recycling
Scott Dunbar would like to know how to recycle roof shingles for an upcoming job. We recently had a meeting with Scott Dunbar, a local contractor, and he asked about recycling roof shingles. Peggy researched the topic, and found that Michigan does not recycle roof shingles. Many states do, however. This has potential for a project for us.
- EPA From Roofs to Roads
- Asphalt Roofing Shingles in Asphalt Pavement from California's Integrated Waste Management Board
- shinglerecycling.org
- Michigan and shingle recycling