Wednesday, January 28, 2009

California Green Consultants

By R. Michael Richmond

Los Angeles seems the perfect place to host the second-ever Green Consultant Training. California's forward thinking businesses and government faces one of the country's most challenging combination of environmental needs comparatively. The strain of resources such as energy, the growth of communities, and the desire to keep nature unspoiled make California the leader of environmental cause by sheer necessity.

Businesses play a very important role in the grand solution. Long blamed for their ignorance and willful abuses, there seems a new willingness to become a part of the cure instead of a part of the problem. But what comes after a business has attended a Green seminar, changed the light in the office, and turned down the thermostat each night? Most businesses have only a few Green ideas before they run out, and participate in token efforts to promote Green.

However, there are hundreds of effective and low-cost Green practices that can be plugged into any business of any size. Unlike the LEED program, there is not need to throw $100,000 or more at building renovations that have a 15-20 year payback. Even the most modest budgets can use the strategies introduced in monthly segments to earn a company's Green Business certification with the Green Business League.

Think again about businesses that do not own their own building. The vast majority of businesses rent or lease their facilities. Those that do own, may anticipate a move in the future and calculate that putting money into the building will only go to someone else's benefit. The Green Business certification from the Green Business League is very affordable and is not tied to building ownership.

To meet the growing need for professional guidance in Green business compliance, the Green Business League is placing 250 Green Consultants throughout the United States. This is not nearly enough to address the enormity of the task, but it is the first step in a vanguard of professional Green consultants. A list of these consultants can be found on the Green Consultant Directory.

Addressing the environmental issues is not just a local or state. We have Green Consultant students coming from Dubai, Bermuda, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. In the belief that we must multiplex the Green efforts of a few, the plan is to create thousands of Green Consultants worldwide. The training is four days of live classes, and one year of continuous learning. Each certified Green Consultant will discover a huge demand for their services in a nearly empty field of competition.

With the assistance of the Green Business League and the Green Consultants that they field, a business need only earn 100 points through a carefully crafted system of easy-to-apply ideas that come in the form of a monthly program. Most of the ideas are very low cost, but the secondary message is that Going Green is a great way to cut the operating budget of any company. Just calculate the savings of cutting your energy bill by 20% to 40% each month without hurting your business operation. This is an idea whose time has come! - 16732

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