zmotion

2010 was heralded by the Environmental Protection Agency to be the year for clean air and water standards to reach a near-perfect status. ‘2010 – A Space Odyssey’ ['Odyssey Two' MGM-1984], portrayed a joint US-Russian space mission that miraculously ended the US-Soviet cold war in 2010. In reality, only 7 years after the movie’s release, 1991 marked the actual collapse of the Soviet Union, ending the cold war era. According to George Orwell, 1984 was an extremely troubled time depicted by the novelist [in 1949] as a world submerged in a totalitarian police state.

What do we learn from these historical perspectives? We can conclude that it is difficult at best to predict how history will play out. We can also conclude that people can alter historical outcomes when sufficiently educated and motivated. Earth’s environment has a long way to go to reach a perfect status. People are more environmentally conscious today. Industry has made environmental progress. The world, for the most part, is far from becoming a police state.

What it does reveal is that history, though unpredictable, can be affected by informed, determined individuals. These individuals, fueled by an unquenchable passion, will enjoy sustainable life in the arenas of energy, business, agriculture, health, the environment and personal development.

Technology advances at a rate that is parallel to its demand. Organic gardening and farming practices will flourish in tandem with a demand for fresher, more nutritious organic produce. Fish farming will grow, coupled with growing concerns about toxicity levels in seafood from oceans. Organic livestock production will increase as more health concerns emerge because of animals raised with growth hormones. Renewable energy sources will blossom in every community as individuals realize the benefits of clean, affordable and sustainable power.

2010 will be the year that passionate people like you and me decide to become involved and make a difference in the status of our local communities and the world we live in. Don’t be jaded into thinking that things are just going to happen with or without you and that you can’t make a difference. It doesn’t really matter whether you affect only 2 other people or 2 billion. You will make a difference if you decide to do it.

An investment should be more than just an instrument to gain personal wealth. Of course, if you didn’t believe it would be profitable, it wouldn’t be a wise move. Right? What if you were to think of your investment as an action/belief statement about your core values? What you do, and especially what you do with your money, actually says more about what you believe than what you say.

If you know that the capital you invest is going to result in harm to innocent people, but you do it anyway because it is reported to be a good investment – well, you know what that is. It’s just wrong! Why not make a quality decision to invest in ventures that accomplish what you believe in?

I believe that I can only commit resources – time, energy, money – into products or businesses that are sustainable, life-giving, life-saving and I wholeheartedly recommend that you do the same. I have put a great deal of thought, research and soul searching into ideas that will benefit the world we live in and future generations. I believe that we must turn the corner – effect paradigm shifts and make the hard decisions that our grandchildren will enjoy and, hopefully, we will be able to enjoy.

Green building practices, green agriculture, green energy, green industry, fresh water projects are all sustainable endeavors for the economy of future generations. Markets will reflect the decisions that investors make. We haven’t even begun to see what can happen in 10, 20, 50 years if we make up our minds to do it and to devote whatever resources we can into it.

Green is here to stay. It’s not just a hot fad. It is key to the future of all life on earth. The real question that should be asked and is being asked more and more is “How do we plan and how do we invest so that we grow an economy that is truly sustainable?”

As recent as 60 years ago, enormous tracts of land were deteriorating from fertile timber growth to barren land because there was no plan for reforestation or soil conservation practices. Soil erosion further complicated the reversal of this natural dilemma and made it difficult to reforest on degraded soil. Fortunately, the timber industry began to plan and develop strategies that were not only green, but financially sustainable. The result – green investments methodically transformed timber into one of the most stable markets on earth.

Because demand is outstripping production, the petroleum industry will dry up and give way to the growth of green energy. This is inevitable, regardless of my opinion or yours. I believe renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and geothermal are clearly the most promising alternatives, but bio-fuels and biomass technologies may also play important roles in future markets.

Nature has phenomenal recuperative abilities, but the unrelenting extraction of natural resources has demonstrated that some resources can never be replaced.  Once consumed and turned into carbon gases and particulate matter, there is no recycling of petroleum-based fuels. There are some situations where there is no possible means of a reversal, but there are paradigm shifts that can avert disaster and create growth.

Every plan has its subtle differences, but the common thread is the intentional strategic investment of time, energy and capital that captures the vision of perpetual growth and viable sustainability. There will always be consumable products, but the industries that produce consumables must exercise wisdom and understanding. They must employ green business practices to assure the continuity of the natural resources that feed their industry.

It is my belief that these types of business strategies make green money a good investment. These good investment practices create a sustainable financial market.

Why you do something to bring about positive change is more important than what you do. The ‘Why’ motivates you to see a project through to completion. The ‘Why’ causes you to do a better job. The ‘Why’ turns a technical project into a bright future for children who have no way of enjoying a healthy lifestyle unless you do what has to be done to ensure its success. My ‘Why’ is children deserve better.

I believe that every child deserves a healthy environment. They deserve a daily supply of fresh water and nutritious food. They deserve a mother and father who provide a safe and stable home environment and give them educational opportunities to become healthy, happy, responsible and productive citizens. They deserve a government – local, regional and national, that is dedicated to preserving these ideals. Unfortunately, children don’t always get what they deserve, but it doesn’t change the truth that children deserve better.

Every initiative is worthwhile that will raise the percentage of children who are getting what they deserve. Every child deserves better. It is up to you and me to promote these ideals and collaborate with those who are working to encourage a sustainable life for all children of all nations.

That is the ‘Why’ of zmotion and Sustainable Life for All Nations.

The World Bank Group’s financing for renewable and efficient energy projects increased 24% in the last fiscal year. Reaching $3.3 billion, the bank’s clean technology investments have reached their highest level ever.

At the Bonn International Renewable Energies Conference in 2004, the World Bank committed to increase its contribution to cleantech investments by $1.9 billion through 2009. Not only did last fiscal year’s result more than double the five-year commitment, the World Bank’s support surged by $7 billion.

What if you could cut your electric bill in half and be greener at minimal or no net cost to you? Given the innovations, developments and publicity that promote a greener world, it seems inescapable that you have to spend more money to go green. But let’s explore a little deeper.

Let’s ask the tough questions. Why should it cost more for recycled products than for original? Why does a hybrid vehicle cost several thousand dollars more than a conventional when they only improve fuel economy by 10-12%? Why would someone pay $200,000 for a geothermal system to heat and cool their home? Why should it take 10 to 20 years to break even on solar or wind power or solar water heating? Are we really saving our forests by using more expensive non-wood materials? Why do biofuels cost more to produce than petroleum fuels?

The obvious reason that more people are not jumping on the green wagon has to do with financial considerations. In some instances higher costs might be justified by the benefits, but frankly, it is generally cost prohibitive to go green. Sure, Hollywood is full of greenies. It’s free publicity to promote love for the planet and it’s a nice tax break, too!

Forget Main Street, let’s go all the way to my street, where I have to balance my checkbook or go to my online bank site every few hours to track my spending. So what’s my point? There are lots of ways you can go green and save money, and if that’s true, then we should spend some time exploring ways of going green without going broke.

In this blog I want to explode some myths about some much-publicized green ideas. I want to motivate you toward a more sustainable life. I want to give you some food for thought about some obvious and some not so obvious ways you can be green and save some green.

Here are some specific ways to benefit from the green wave without the dramatic switch to renewable energy. First, let’s talk about some things you can do immediately that will “reduce your carbon footprint” and, if you apply them all, you could cut your electric bill by 50% or more. What could you do with that much more disposable monthly income?  Read More . . .

Small Loan Programs for Budding Entrepreneurs

Repaying loans gives people dignity and confidence. It stimulates goal setting and creativity.  It boosts the integrity of the recipient with a greater chance for responsibility and respectability. Accepting donations makes people feel dependent and powerless. These simple truths have attracted many to get involved in microcredit programs. It is key to the sustainability of thriving communities.

You can see it in the eyes of the borrowers as they complete an application, qualify for and receive a loan, run a small business, repay the lien and apply for another loan. It is a cycle that gives borrowers a strength they could never get from a handout. Microcredit organizations like Grameen Bank, Kiva and Accion are already changing the lives of thousands with these small loans. The initiative of microcredit is capable of establishing the financial health of communities and nations.

We are not far from the day when both small and major investors can have the satisfaction of knowing their money is financing the expansion of sustainable entrepreneurial endeavors as well as paying a return. The International Financial Advisory Group to the Microcredit Industry, which has members with backgrounds in accounting, finance, business and microcredit, is committed to making that possible.

After financing a number of entrepreneurial endeavors the next step is tapping the larger funding sources. Most microcredit organizations depend on donations when they start, but once an organization is a few years old and has documented its ability to recover loans, it can raise money in the financial markets. To do that microcredit organizations must keep meticulous records in accordance with standard accounting practices. A common accounting framework is the CAMEL system, which documents the Capital, Assets, Management, Earnings and Liquidity of an organization.

With accountability in place a relatively small organization with reliable contacts in foreign locations could be financing a multitude of entrepreneurs and revolutionize the economy of targeted regions.

Until very recently, the overwhelming opinion of the financial world has been that green energy is a great idea but the real money is still to be made in fossil fuels.  That viewpoint is beginning to see the first indicators of change.   Some leaders in financial markets are making bold statements like this:

“For a number of years there has been talk about the importance of sustainable energy, but targets have not been achieved when it comes to creating it. The tide is, however, changing. Government initiatives have an important role to play. We expect renewable energy markets to grow significantly in 2010 and thereafter following the introduction of favorable incentive schemes.”  (6-22-09, Roberto Cominatto, current manager of the Julius Baer Energy Transition Fund.)

The earth abounds with food, water, energy, social and economic resources.  The only shortage is in genuine concern for the well-being of the less fortunate and for future generations.

Why all the buzz about sustainability? Currently, many natural resources are being consumed at unsustainable rates.  Once consumed, some of these resources, such as hydrocarbon fuels and certain other elements, will be forever unavailable unless we import them from other planets. And, by the way, interplanetary transportation costs make that highly improbable for the foreseeable future, not to mention the exploration costs.

There must be a worldwide paradigm shift in the way we raise and distribute food, manufacture and deliver products, generate and supply energy, fuel and conduct travel and transport. It has become not just advisable, but necessary to change the way we do business and sustain life.

There are viable sustainable technologies available today that are capable of producing renewable fuels and energy products. There are many more just waiting to be invented. In agriculture we should be returning to healthier organic practices. We must learn how to provide an adequate water supply for all nations.

We can learn to conserve natural resources, make it economically feasible and beneficial to do so and determine to build a legacy of improved quality of life for generations yet to come until a truly sustainable plan is fully developed.

The alternative to sustainable life is the inevitable depletion of certain natural resources, the destruction of our environment and a dark legacy of sick, starving and shrinking populations around the globe.

This is my first post.  My zmotion vision is to provide a forum where communities can develop micro economies that will help them compete in local markets, overcome natural challenges and thrive in their region.  I look forward to seeing health, technology, energy, agriculture and business transformations that will achieve sustainable life for more and more people.  I am a follower of Jesus and His Spirit is my constant Guide and Protector on my journey.  Will you go with me?