You’ve heard the piece about the guy that inspired people to do good things – that’s old news. But what’s really may capture your interest is the utilization of semantics in determining what constitutes that person as a leader. More specifically, it’s important to understand how character, trust and respect play a significant role in their ability to achieve and succeed.

One example I’d like to use today is Douglas Band – Mr. Band is a member of the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) and serves as a personal aide to former President Clinton. Band has exceeded his expectations as just a legal advisor by actually having set forth a vision for an organization designed to tackle all the most pressing world issues like poverty, climate change, foreign educational development and much more. The CGI is made up of non-profit organizations, political members and business professional that collaborate together on any size scale to bring change to whatever challenging issue they’re tackling. In one piece by the Herald Tribune, President Clinton accredits Band as having the idea for such a groundbreaking organization that continues to provide aide to all parts of the world.

Of course, it’s clear that Band and Clinton are connected to many influential political, economic and corporate individuals with a plethora of resources capable of making an organization like the CGI flourish. It’s with my strong belief that being “well-connected’ goes much deeper than knowing somebody that can get you somewhere. It’s impossible to think that Clinton and Band got to where they are without practicing a certain set of ethical and moral conduct, all the while entertaining a long educational and professional career. The way anybody should view somebody like Band is that he’s a man with a vision, that despite what others felt, he was able to pursue his own beliefs through perceiving foreign aide as something that was needed, and imagining a world without it.

Perceptions, beliefs and imagination are critical components of any successful and happy individual, and if character and integrity is founded by properly aligned thoughts, anybody can pursue a vision as great as Bands. I can use a much more basic example – Let’s say you’re an individual working in a corporate environment and you learn of company theft. Depending on the situation, your basic thoughts and actions following the acquirement of this knowledge are entirely dependent on who you are as an individual. And this is again is subject to your own beliefs and perceptions. Your imagination can certainly be a tool for empowering both, or perhaps going in the complete opposite direction (which we all hope doesn’t happen!) Nonetheless, if acted on according to morality, you’ve just succeeded as a leader, and hopefully set an example for somebody else.

Awareness is much like a contagious disease, but for the better of society. Many companies often organize events or campaigns to raise money to help fund research to find new medications and cures for diseases. The commercial clothing company Gap started a campaign known as (PRODUCT) RED that sells clothing and other product through Gap with the (RED) label to support The Global Fund and their efforts for an AIDS free world. Through the sales of their (RED) products, Gap donates 50% of the profits directly to The Global Fund who uses 100% of the money to continue to finance HIV health programs in Africa that focus on women and children. This is a great example of an organization using their commercial influence and profits to help rid the world of such a deadly disease.

This is not the only example of a company doing great things for the health community. Many companies organize walks and other money raising events for cancer research. If you have known anyone who’s been affected by any of these diseases or have been affected yourself, then you know that these initiatives, whether on a grassroots or global level, are very beneficial in bettering ourselves and our world. Yet, it always starts with a vision or goal by a group, organization or individual like Band. These visions, thoughts, or expressions can only be achieved through enforcing ethical principles, and leaders will always find success through this.

By: Jack Lundee of Everything Left and Shades of Green.

A staggering seventeen percent of the UK’s total carbon emissions are generated by the UK’s two million commercial buildings.  In times of austerity, it seems a no-brainer to ensure our commercial buildings are made more energy efficient. All public buildings are required to have an A-G rating of their carbon footprint displayed in the foyer. This does not extend to commercial buildings yet however, who wouldn’t want to reduce the cost of owning and maintaining their commercial building?

Without the ability to benchmark a property, it’s very difficult to know where to start identifying potential energy saving improvements. This was most shockingly demonstrated when it was found that the Houses of Parliament (aka the tax payer) had overpaid for its power by nearly £400,000 over a five year period. Accompanying every A-G rating is a report which provides advice on how to improve a building’s energy performance; this considers factors such as insulation, heating, ventilation and lighting. Building type and construction method play a major role in determining where most savings are to be made however, thermo graphic surveys or infra red (IR) surveys are key to making significant savings in the vast majority of cases.  A way of attaining the information needed is to use companies you offer test equipment hire.

Over recent years, IR cameras have morphed from being bulky, specialised research instruments into compact, user friendly tools designed for a range of commercial and industrial applications. Camera prices have dropped from in excess of £25,000 to just a few thousand which means that even a high quality camera can be hired for an annual inspection for around £200 or so.  This means that for a relatively small fee the hirer can identify significant savings against the building without need to maintain or recalibrate an expensive instrument from year to year.

The camera will detect very subtle changes in the surface temperature of whatever feature is being inspected. It shows temperature differences by ‘colouring’ which indicate a loss of energy (and cash).  Within commercial buildings, this creates a vast array of opportunities to identify and eradicate expensive energy losses. For example, a simple external survey may identify missing or settled insulation panels on the inside of the building. Similarly, air leakage through damaged windows, doors and wall penetrations can be sealed through replacing seals and repairing cracks. Roof damage can be easily identified without the need for coring –through detecting saturated areas and making localised repairs.

Inside the building, complete electrical distribution systems can be checked including fuses, buzz bars and other connections for overheating. Motors, generators, steam systems and boilers can be inspected to quickly identify losses in efficiency through misalignment, leakage, overheating and breakdown. Most IR cameras are supplied with intelligent software which allows the user to benchmark building’s the current condition and annually re-inspect for signs of deterioration.  As IR surveys are conducted very quickly, they save significant time over conventional methods –and often more accurately.

If we really need want some quick wins when it comes to energy conservation, the no brainer has to be an IR Survey.

Image via Creative Commons

Lately, green is a very popular color. Al Gore takes lots of ribbing and abuse for his global warming warnings. However, many people have begun to take notice of all the damage we are doing to our planet. Since this is the only place we know of in our solar system that will sustain us, it is way past time that everyone alive today joins the cause and does their small part in conserving our limited natural resources.  Education is one area that certainly needs some focus.

Course Offerings in Enviro Sciences

Aside from helping our environment, a green push can help to create some badly needed jobs in the sustainable energy, green building, and other related industries. Rather than remaining dependent on oil, a resource that we know is finite, why not spend time develop new ways to capture renewable sources of energy like the sun, wind, and hydropower? Though we have had some forms of these for years, advancements are slow to come, likely because they are not profitable for the big oil companies (which spend billions each year for lobbyists in Washington.)

Colleges are expanding their environmental offerings at a rapid rate, which is encouraging. They will be capable of turning out students with the knowledge required to make the technological changes that we need desperately.  Schools are also ramping up programs of sustainability on campus—recycling, adding solar panels, consulting with LEED professionals, installing more efficient HVAC systems and automated control systems to reduce energy consumption. Another initiative at post-secondary schools is building partnerships within the sustainable energy industry.

Some universities now offer degrees in environmental science, and offer them a choice of environmental science or environmental policy, depending upon the career path they choose. Other universities offer environmental engineering programs that help to equip students to design efficient systems to save fuel and other natural resources.

Virtual Learning

With the advent of personal computers and video conferencing technology, it is possible to take an interactive course of studies almost completely off-campus. By all accounts, eLearning departments all over the country are booming. The convenience for students who are often working their way through school cannot be understated.  Moreover, an effect of less travel is less pollution and conservation of fuel.

In the State of Florida, about 3% of students in the public school system rely on Florida virtual schools to complete their education. Not all of them are full-time enrollees. Some are taking one makeup course or attending during an illness so that they stay up to date. Others add an extra course or an advanced class to an otherwise crowded school day by learning virtually. Some, however, are happily learning from home.

Over time, Florida and other states that have adopted similar virtual public schools, intend to save a lot of money and resources on construction, overhead, and transportation costs, while also limiting the size of each class for individual attention.  The curriculum is the same for in-school students as it is for virtual students, and it is free. Students in the same household typically share the same virtual teacher and the system sends everything necessary for the lessons: books to goggles, scales, paint, seeds, and workbooks included.

While virtual schooling in the early years is gaining popularity because of the high costs as mentioned earlier with public schools, and because of safety issues, an unintentional side effect is a reduction in energy consumption and consumption of other natural resources like building materials.

Denise Gabbard has been writing and blogging for over five years, and she writes about a wide range of topics. Education, travel, pets, personal finance, and even horse lorry insurance are common topics.