| Green buildings, hybrid cars, solar panels, organic food, | | | | payback and the projected useful life of a product. |
| fair trade goods and more - living an eco-friendly | | | | Products with the MOST environmental benefits will |
| lifestyle is now easier than ever! Environmental | | | | have a pay back period of less than 4 years, and |
| awareness and social responsibility associated with | | | | ideally they should pay back in 1-2 years and the |
| product purchases is now becoming an important | | | | useful life of the item should be at least 3-10x |
| part of the decision-making process for many of us. | | | | greater than the payback period. The shorter the |
| In choosing a sustainable lifestyle, remember that the | | | | payback period and the longer the useful life, the |
| cost of goods is primarily driven by the cost of | | | | greater the benefit of the item. |
| energy. Most goods are primarily based upon the | | | | This means that when we use energy to make a |
| cost of materials, other than software, books, etc | | | | product, we can have the greatest impact on climate |
| wherein labor is a significant factor. Increasingly | | | | change, pollution and the associated ill health, by |
| consumers, employees, shareholders, government, | | | | choosing products with a quick payback and a long |
| non-government organizations and service groups, like | | | | useful life so that the energy and pollution savings |
| insurance companies and banks, are considering social | | | | become ever greater. |
| and environmental responsibility as an important part | | | | Also, if you have an environmentally good product |
| of their operating practices. | | | | you no longer want, give it away to someone who |
| However, many purchases made to "benefit the | | | | will use it to ensure that the full environmental |
| environment" are misguided in that they involve | | | | benefits of an energy saving product are realized. If |
| paying for an item with a long payback period | | | | a product is discarded before its useful life is finished, |
| compared to the operational life of the product. | | | | a portion of the benefits of making the energy |
| Therefore, products with a long payback are | | | | efficient and/or environmentally friendly item are lost. |
| fundamentally not "sustainable" and do not represent | | | | Once a product has reached its useful end of life, |
| a good use of resources to make. When you look at | | | | reuse the parts or recycle it to ensure that we have |
| a purchase, consider the energy savings and potential | | | | a truly sustainable future. |
| pollution reduction or avoidance, and consider the | | | | |