A Guest Post By Lenore Holditch
In an effort to save the planet, more and more entrepreneurs and other business leaders alike are working to ensure that no matter the size of their company (start-up or corporate) they are doing their part to create a “green” working-environment for their employees. But there is far more to running an eco-friendly business than simply starting a recycling program and using reusable dishware at the office. If you want to truly have an eco-friendly business you need to know about green building materials, green energy systems and need to have a strong foundation of why participating in sustainable-practices is the way to go— not just because it’s the “trendy” thing to do.
Formal education is the easiest way to acquire this knowledge, but if you do not have the money and or time to return to school—you’re busy running a business after all—you can opt to take some free online classes on your own time. These classes won’t give you credit so you technically can’t say that you are any sort of expert in the field, but you can most definitely learn some valuable skills that you can apply to your company. With that said, check out some of these classes below.
Environmental Science and Eco-Living Courses. The more you truly care about the condition of the environment the more likely you will be inclined to make sure that the everyday business operations are conducted in a sustainable manner. One of the easiest ways to start caring about Mother Earth is to hear from experts who have researched the plant’s withering condition for several years. The following classes will teach you all about climate change, the depletion of earth’s resources, and predictions of Earth’s fate if the human race does not start becoming more “green.” Some courses will also touch base on the importance of establishing a green business.
- Seminar in Environmental Science[MIT]
- Sustainable Living Environment I; Sustainable Living Environment II[UCLA]
- The Thriving Green Economy [Stanford]
Sustainable Design Courses. If you are creating your business space entirely from the bottom up it’s important that you know which building designs and materials will be able to provide you the eco-friendly sanctuary that you desire. While yes most architects and designers are the experts in this area, it’s best if you have some knowledge in the area as well—after all, you don’t want them to dupe you with more pricey and less efficient option. That said, the following courses (all of which are offered by MIT) are formulated to teach you how to implement design and building materials so that you can create a nifty green office space.
Laboratory for Sustainable Business
Design for Sustainability
Sustainable Design and Technology Research Workshop
Energy Systems Courses. Lastly, entrepreneurs will need to know all about energy-efficient options such as solar paneling in order to conserve energy. The following courses are designed to do just that as well as give some tips to those who are thinking about getting involved in the solar energy business.
Why Sustainable Energy Matters [The Open University]
Sustainable Energy [MIT]
Strategy for Solar Energy Start-ups [Stanford]
Direct Solar/Thermal to Electrical Energy Conversion Technologies [MIT]
By-line:
This guest contribution was submitted by Lenore Holditch, who specializes in writing about top online colleges. Questions and comments can be sent to: holditch.lenore @ gmail.com.
