The Science of Sustainability
Common sense tells us that air, water, food, and shelter are fundamental to the survival of humans and businesses. However, the pathway to healthily integrating the two remains a challenge. Read this chapter to explore the important interrelationships between the environment, society, and economics and their importance to sustainable business. What are the merits of both views of economics with limits versus no limits to growth? How do businesses and individuals threaten ecosystems and the environment? What roles can businesses play in addressing environmental challenges as well as the limitations?
Minicase: EnerTrac Saves Businesses Money While Reducing Carbon Emissions
EnerTrac, Inc., is a company based out of Hudson, New Hampshire, that was formed in 2006. The company manufactures a transmitter that can measure the fuel levels of heating oil or propane tanks and, using wireless technology, can send a signal to fuel dealers to let them know the amount of fuel in each customer's tank. Traditionally, fuel dealers have had to estimate when to deliver fuel to customers, and this has resulted in unnecessary trips. Now fuel dealers can use their delivery computer systems to know exactly when to deliver fuel to customers. EnerTrac estimates that it can save fuel dealers $52 per year per customer by avoiding unnecessary deliveries. They can also reduce their truck fleet size because they are able to use a fewer number of trucks more efficiently.
EnerTrac is not only saving their customers (fuel dealers) money, but they are also helping them to reduce their GHG emissions. This is because for every unnecessary delivery trip avoided, there is less fuel the company has to use to service their customers. Fuel dealers can be more efficient in their fuel deliveries, reducing the fuel they use to provide service, which results in less carbon dioxide emissions from their delivery trucks. EnerTrac estimates that a fuel delivery company can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from their trucks up to 40 percent by using their sensor technology.