In recent years, the fight against climate change has been gaining awareness. As people are witnessing the negative consequences connected to climate change, such the melting of polar ice caps or the increase in the severity of natural disasters, there has been an uprising in the support of the green movement. From the transportation industry to the food sector, companies are trying to work towards creating sustainable, eco-friendly products. By creating these environmentally-friendly products, companies are reducing the amount of pollution that is being released into our biosphere.
One company that highlights this shift towards producing products that leads to a more sustainable future is Tesla. Written in their mission statement, Tesla does not rely on fossil fuels to power their cars. This company builds all-electric vehicles that are powered by a rechargeable battery. According to the US EPA, transportation accounted for about 28.2% of the greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 due to the burning of fossil fuels. By creating electric-cars, it reduces the amount of fossil fuels that is being burned due to transportation. Tesla is revolutionizing the transportation industry, surpassing many of the big automobile companies such as GM and Ford. This company is creating competition in the automobile industry as other companies are following Tesla to produce their own electric cars. In the future, as more more electric-cars are being produced by some of the big automobile companies, it will reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, and thus decrease the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere.
Other popular franchise businesses, such as Starbucks, are also contributing in small ways to help protect our Earth. A couple of years ago, Starbucks and American Airlines decided to eliminate using plastic straw after seeing a video surface of a turtle with a straw stuck in his nose. While plastic is convenient to humans, it is causing harm to many marine organisms whose home is being polluted. Since this video, Starbucks banned straws and replaced them with strawless lids. Starbucks is just one company that shows the change in the company’s policies to help protect our environment.
There are a multitude of different ways companies are trying to help protect our Earth. Many grocery stores are selling reusable bags for consumers to buy to reduce the dependence on plastic bags. For Tesla, the company helps protect the Earth by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted. For Starbucks, it is focusing on decreasing the plastic pollution in oceans. As the consequences of climate change and pollution continue to be brought to light, the efforts towards protecting our Earth is constantly increasing. After all, we only have one planet Earth, so we should take care of it as best as we can.
I think it us a great thing that some businesses are taking the initiative to make sustainable and environmentally friendly products. WE need to make sure that all businesses follow in their footsteps. Regarding Tesla, it is great that they are revolutionizing the EV industry, it is a huge step in the right direction for eliminating carbon emissions. However, there is still work to done, because most electric energy used to charge these cars still comes from coal-powered electric plants. On the bright side, it is still much more energy/environmentally efficient than burning straight gasoline. Also, as time progresses, alternative electric energy sources should start to become mainstream. Great job on the blog Jenna!
I hope that more car companies take after Tesla and make their companies more sustainable long-term. I know that Seattle has banned the use of single use plastic utensils and California doesn’t use plastic grocery bags anymore. These are both great steps towards bettering the environment, and I’m excited to see what will come in the future.
I think the way you approached this topic was very interesting. I enjoyed hearing about what large companies like Tesla and Starbucks are doing to combat climate change. Every step counts, so even small actions like switching to strawless lids makes a difference in reducing plastic waste. I know that electric cars are increasing in popularity in Europe, and I would love to see that transition start in the United States as well on our journey to reducing our carbon emissions and energy use.
I think it’s great that you are highlighting ways large corporations are starting to take action against climate change! I knew California had banned plastic bags but I certainly didn’t know that Starbucks had begun banning plastic straws too so it was great to learn about that. I’m looking forward to seeing more positive changes like these!