Looking for simple ways to reduce costs and your carbon footprint? Consider biodiesel!

Unlike fossil fuels, biodiesel is a renewable fuel source made from vegetable oilseed crops grown in America. The fuel can even be derived from restaurant waste oils. Biodiesel can be used alone or mixed in any amount with petroleum diesel fuel. A 20% blend of biodiesel with diesel fuel is called “B20,” a 5% blend is called “B5” and so on.

Biodiesel is rapidly biodegradable and non-toxic (making handling and transportation less dangerous), and it greatly reduces the environmental impact from emissions (with 78% less CO2 emissions compared to petroleum diesel). This lessened environmental impact also translates into lower risks of health impacts: According to the American Lung Association biodiesel emissions are 90% less toxic than petro-diesel and will reduce incidents of health hazards such as asthma, emphysema and lung cancer.

Still not sure if you’re ready to make the switch? Consider how easy the transition can be:

• Biodiesel runs in any conventional diesel engine. No engine modifications are necessary to use biodiesel.
• Biodiesel can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. All diesel fueling infrastructure including pumps, tanks and transport existing trucks can be used with biodiesel.
• Biodiesel has superior lubrication quality than that of diesel fuel. It increases engine life and can be used to replace sulfur, the acid-rain-causing lubricating agent in petroleum diesel.
• Engines running on biodiesel run normally and have similar fuel mileage to engines running on diesel fuel. Auto ignition, fuel consumption, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel.
• Biodiesel saves money. Engines running on biodiesel have been shown to need less maintenance. Also, biodiesel use allows federal fleet managers to keep existing equipment on the road longer and still adhere to new, stricter emissions standards.

If your business currently uses diesel fuel, Green Irene recommends making the switch: use biodiesel in your diesel trucks, or even in any furnaces that use heating oil. As part of a Green Business Makeover, your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant can help to guide you in making this transition. Contact your local Eco-Consultant today, and get started on reducing your costs and your carbon footprint with biodiesel!

Excerpts from Tri-State Biodiesel

Bicycles are the most efficient mode of transportation, even over walking. It actually takes less energy (in the form of calories) for a person to bike one mile than to walk one mile. When compared to the energy used by cars, the difference is even more astounding–a car can only travel about 1/20th of a mile for the same amount of energy it takes a cyclist to travel the full mile.

Bicycles also have the advantage of producing almost zero CO2 emissions (only slight CO2 emissions from food production are counted). This can have a great effect on reducing your personal carbon footprint as well as air pollution. This combined with the top energy efficiency easily make bicycles the greenest commuter option if you live a reasonable distance away from your work.

Cycling is also great for your personal health and well-being. Studies show that cyclists are exposed to the lower amounts of air pollution compared to other commuters. Cycling also offers a chance to get some great exercise during your commute–it’s the perfect way for someone with a busy schedule to stay in shape. In addition, psychologists agree that riding your bicycle is mentally rewarding because it leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment. You also get to whiz past rush-hour traffic if you live or work in a densely populated area. This is a great way to reduce stress.

Finally, cyclists never have to worry about the rising prices of oil and gasoline, because the only fuel they require is breakfast! For the average American, being able to rely solely on a bike to commute and never having to pay to purchase or maintain a car can save around $250,000.00 over that person’s lifetime. That’s an astonishing figure that may very likely increase as we run out of fossil fuels and driving becomes even more expensive.

Many businesses have their own vehicle fleets to ship items or carry out business activities. Such businesses have a significant carbon footprint from transportation that can be reduced by taking simple and big steps towards reducing fuel consumption. In the long-run, most of these steps can accrue significant savings to businesses with vehicle fleets. Here we provide five tips your business can take to green its fleet.

1) Purchase hybrid or plug-in vehicles. Hybrid vehicles run on a combination of gasoline and electricity, while plug-in vehicles run entirely on electricity, increasing energy efficiency substantially. These options can help reduce fuel consumption drastically, saving money in the long term.

2) Run trucks on biodiesel. Diesel engines are becoming increasingly more efficient for trucks than gasoline engines. The newest models are polluting far less. In addition, these engines can run on biodiesel, an increasingly popular fuel that can substantially reduce emissions. Whenever possible, try running your trucks on biodiesel.

3) Conduct regular maintenance. To ensure that your car is burning fuel efficiently, make sure you give it a tune-up regularly (including keeping tires filled up well). This will help keep the engine running smoothly. In addition, every time you change an essential liquid, like motor oil, make sure you discard of it appropriately.

4) Opt for car-sharing program. If your business’ use is sparse and you’re in a metropolitan area, consider opting for a car-sharing program instead. This will allow you to drop the cost of keeping an unused vehicle and also save substantially on carbon emissions. Examples are ZipCar and WeCar.

5) Avoid unnecessary rides. If your destination is reachable using public transportation, encourage the use of public transportation instead. Only keep vehicle use for destinations out of bounds by public transport.

The business travel that happens for conferences and events can have a significant environmental impact, and it can be a considerable cost for event planners or attendees. Coordinating rideshares for an event would be a great way to go green and save money, but only if the event planner has the time and resources to manage a rideshare system.

Enter companies like Zoompool (http://www.zoompool.com/event): nationwide services that create online rideshare matching for company events. Zoompool provides a “SmartBadge” that can be included on an event website or within an e-mail. This badge links to a personalized search page where attendees can enter their information to find the rideshare nearest to them. Check out a video about their services at http://www.zoompool.com/eventattendees.

Services like Zoompool’s can make an event more accessible for those not wanting to drive, and less costly for those who might otherwise travel alone. Zoompool even provides carpool-related customer support for attendees, making event coordination that much easier for you.

Zoompool is one of several new businesses that provide tools for greening business travel and commuting. Other companies like Ridespring and Zimride also offer commuting coordination for companies, for events, and for individuals. With these great new rideshare coordination services, green event planning has become that much easier. Taking advantage of these services will provide you with the time to concentrate on other aspects of your event, while also benefiting from a reduced carbon footprint and reduced travel costs.

Has your company taken steps to green your business travel? Share them with us in the comments below!

Business travel today is a significant portion of all travel. Businesses send employees to conferences, for field work and consultancy, and to perform investigations. It is important to Go GREEN in the office (which you can do with a Green Office Makeover), but it is also important to go green outside. Here are ten ways you can green your business travel without sacrificing their goals.

1. Use Teleconferencing Services. Go green by selecting a meeting “method” that doesn’t involve travel, such as phone or online conferencing. Sometimes nothing beats an in-person handshake, but very often videoconferencing is just as productive, as well as cheaper, easier, and more eco-friendly. Teleconferencing can be done via a conference call, data conferencing (via Adobe Acrobat Connect, Twiddla, IBM Lotus Sametime Entry, Convenos, and WebHuddle), Internet teleconferencing (via a instant messaging user interface such as Yahoo! Messenger, Live Messenger, Skype, or Google Talk) or video conferencing.

2. Travel by Train or Bus. Avoid the long security lines at the airport and book a ticket on a train or intercity bus. Your trip will leave a lower carbon footprint and you might even enjoy the slower pace. Train or bus transportation is the perfect replacement for commuter flights and drives and is much more environmentally-friendly. Although it might technically take longer to reach your destination than a plane, when you factor in the typical delays associated with air travel, (including rush-hour congestion getting to the airport, security delays, weather delays, and car rental delays) the time difference may become insignificant. Also, bus and train passengers can often disembark in a central downtown location, minimizing or eliminating the need for ground transportation.

3. Fly with Green-Leaning Airlines. From recycling to carbon offsets, some airlines are promoting policies that mitigate air travel’s environmental impacts. Airplanes contribute to global warming by producing 600 million tons of carbon dioxide a year and US airports generate approximately 425,000 tons of garbage. Click here for a list of the top 10 green airlines.

4. Choose a Green Hotel. Leverage your green business muscle when choosing corporate hotel partners. Gauge their eco-commitment and make it known that “green” matters to you and your employees. Try to stay within walking distance of your meeting, or somewhere easily accessible via public transit. Use caution, however, as many hotels are only “green-leaning.” Some only offer a towel/sheet reuse program and recycling containers in guest rooms, whereas others pamper guests with an array of high-end eco-amenities (think solar-powered hot water, luxurious organic cotton sheets, and fine bamboo-fiber stationery). Click here to find a green hotel near you.

5. Offset Your Travel Emissions. It is difficult for even the most energy-efficient business to run carbon-free. For those inevitable travel-related carbon emissions, there are carbon offsets to help you and your company get down to zero. GreenIrene sells BeGreen carbon offsets for electricity, vehicle, and airplane travel that use your money to buy renewable energy credits (RECs) from solar, wind, and biomass facilities and fund reforestation projects around the country.

With green becoming mainstream in the operations of thousands of businesses, you may be wondering what else you can do to further green up. Most offices tend to organize regular events for various reasons. Ever thought your event had a significant environmental impact? Have you ever considered not only greening your event, but cutting event costs at the same time as you green up? You don’t have to think too much any longer; we’re here to help.

Green Irene offers a Green Office Event Checklist. The Checklist allows you to identify aspects of your office’s event that have a significant environmental impact based on categories, such as choosing a venue accessible by public transportation, sending e-mail invitations, and using reusable silverware, and then prepare for them in advance by following the specific recommendations for those items you identify.

Whether your event is in your office or in a large venue, you can identify specific targets for which you can prepare in advance to help you achieve real measurable results. The Checklist provides recommendations to help you reduce energy use and carbon emissions, cut on waste and save resources, and educate your guests, all while reducing your overall costs.

Green Irene believes that greening your event is not just responsible, but also saves you money by eliminating unnecessary costs and sets you apart as a green leader. To find more about the Green Office Event Checklist, ask your Local Green Irene Eco-Consultant.