{"id":129,"date":"2006-04-25T11:00:53","date_gmt":"2006-04-25T15:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.environmentalriskmanagers.com\/erm\/flush-with-success\/"},"modified":"2006-04-25T11:00:53","modified_gmt":"2006-04-25T15:00:53","slug":"flush-with-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estrategist.com\/members\/flush-with-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Flush With Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

environmental Strategist, between the lines:<\/strong> As we all know the press likes to sensationalize and to do this they generally like to report on big companies. I like this competitive intelligence because it points out how small businesses with a proactive strategy can benefit. <\/font><\/p>\n

I know that 75% of the earths surface is covered in water so what is the big deal? Let me touch upon some key facts and then you decide. In developing environmental strategies it is critical we pull in competitive intelligence from a variety of sources so we maximize, in this case our water resources strategy.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> Of the worlds total water supply only 2.5% is fresh water. Of the 2.5% of fresh water only .5% Is usable. The rest is tied up in polar ice caps or contaminated.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> The state of Florida desalinates water at a cost of between $2 to $3 per gallon.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact: <\/strong> Agriculture uses 80% of the worlds fresh water supply and the demand is going up.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact: <\/strong> Agricultural runoff accounts for 72% of the pollution in our rivers and 56% of all pollution in our lakes. <\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> The Great Lakes make up 20% of the worlds fresh water supply. A recent study by the EPA of the Great Lakes shoreline revealed 96% of the shorelines miles failed to meet water quality standards for human health. <\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> In the United States, 40% of our waterways remain un-swimable or fishable due to environmental issues.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> coal burning utilities account for 30% of the mercury that gets into our waterways.<\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> Around the world 2 billion people are displaced each year because they are not able to get access to clean water. <\/font><\/p>\n

Fact:<\/strong> Each year 5 million children die around the world from drinking unsafe water. This means more people die each month from drinking unsafe water, than all who died in the recent sunami disaster.<\/font><\/p>\n

I want to point out that desalination is a growing industry with plants being constructed around the globe. This will relieve some of the pressure but it will also represent a cost in doing business and will impact the bottom line. Those who proactively move forward today will clearly gain a competitive edge.<\/font><\/p>\n

I could go on and on but you get the point. Pressure will continue to build on those who use or impact water in their operations. By assisting your client’s with their environmental Management Strategy (eMS) you become indispensable.<\/font><\/p>\n

Flush With Success<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

How companies are tapping the benefits of saving water<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

By Joel Makower <\/font><\/p>\n

25 Apr 2006<\/font><\/p>\n

Name this critical and declining natural resource: It is pumped through pipelines and delivered by trucks. It is essential to our daily lives and to every business process and function. Its uneven distribution around the globe leads to vast chasms in countries’ development and economies. Wars have been fought over it.<\/font><\/p>\n

Water saved is a dollar earned.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

If you’ve read the headline, you already know that the resource in question is not oil, but water. For companies, it’s a liquid asset that’s long been undervalued and overconsumed. The world’s freshwater supply is at risk, and the question is when and where, not whether, there will be major droughts or shortages that could dry up business and the bottom line.<\/p>\n

As a result, some companies are tapping into water conservation, reuse, and recycling. A few are finding that doing more with less water represents a classic alignment of environmental and business goals. Water reduction, reuse, and recycling investments often have quick paybacks, especially when one considers the multiple business benefits water efficiency can provide.<\/p>\n

Consider a few brief success stories:<\/font><\/p>\n