The Companies that are saving the Planet - Part 1
Author: Vijay Sudarshan
Editor: Diya Rakesh
We are living in an era where the discussion on climate change is becoming a hot topic (pun intended) and almost an obsession. Sure, it helps us understand the reality of the situation, but more often than not all these negative consequences tend to paint a hopeless picture about the future. However, some companies are reversing this phenomenon. One way to go against climate change is to produce something positive for the environment. The world has started to take note of these companies and billions of dollars are being invested into these companies. Let us take a look at these companies as well.
1. Tesla
This one needs no introduction. Owned by the famous Elon Musk, this company has saved about 5.5 million metric tons of CO2 in the past year alone. One major advantage of owning Electronic Vehicles (EVs) is that they lack tailpipe emissions and they emit less carbon in comparison to conventional cars and there is minimal pollution in the form of carbon monoxide. These emissions contribute to up to eight million deaths annually. EVs help prevent these deaths and are likely to be the cars of the future.
As a result, the electricity used is becoming "greener" with time. Most countries are switching to renewable energy sources rather than burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. This switch is speeding up with the technological improvements, and it is already cheaper than fossil fuel burners without subsidies! Further, solar panel technology is evolving for the better day by day and it is only a matter of time before all-electric cars use solar energy resulting in no carbon emissions. They will, on average, endure far longer than an ice vehicle, thereby reducing the number of cars manufactured in the long run.
2. Back Market
This company specialized in selling refurbished electronics and is headquartered in France. As you all know, electronic waste isn’t exactly biodegradable and we are producing a lot of them. So, what is the perfect solution? Yes, refurbish them and sell them at a cheaper rate. But ensure that the quality of the product is maintained. This is very important. One major advantage of electronics is that they can be easily re-used with just a few tweaks. Using this to their advantage, Back Market refurbishes the products and offers discounts for resale. Not only is this saving the environment but buyers will also get access to quality products. They have a business development team that carries out the research and development and they meet the digital players for finding good prospects with potential. They have a Back Market Quality Charter requirement that the electronics have to pass if they have to be resold. This ensures that the buyers get the best products. But currently, they don’t have India operations though. However, they are available in 14 European countries and the United States. Back Market has a 4.38-star rating based on 662 reviews, showing that most consumers are happy with their purchases.
3. Planet Labs
Source: Planet Labs
It is an American public Earth-imaging company based out of San Francisco. The company aims to monitor the changes that happen within the atmosphere and also to pinpoint trends. It manufactures satellites called Doves which are subsequently delivered into orbit. The unique thing about this is that they are sent as secondary payloads and not as primary ones.
Some of Dove’s photographs are open data and give the latest information for a variety of things like urban planning, disaster response, and of course, the monitoring of the climate. It acquired Black Bridge in July 2015 and since then it has sent 87 Dove and 5 Rapid Eye satellites in orbit. Not a mean feat! Terra Bella was Google’s subsidiary which was purchased by Planet Labs and then it launched an additional 88 satellites in the year 2018. So, out of over 300 satellites that have been launched, half of them are still operational. Owing to the many satellites, monitoring Earth in real-time has never been as easy as it now is. This company has singlehandedly changed the Earth observation sector.
The way companies and governments use satellite imagery data is changing because of Planet's data, which provides insights at the daily pace of progress on Earth. A variety of businesses, including farming, ecology, cartography, and administration, use this differentiated data set to make decisions. Every day, our fleet of more than 200 earth imaging satellites, the world's largest, scans the entire landmass of the World.
4. Bio Urns
The goal of this company is to transform you into a tree after you pass away. You can choose the seeds or saplings. There are two distinct capsules for this. This will then be planted and the unique shape of the urn ensures that the plant grows well. Bio Urns not only turn human ashes into trees but also turn pet ashes into trees. Cool isn’t it?
So, there you have it, some of the world’s most green companies. These companies are going to be the driving force of the future and we should all be grateful for the outstanding work that these companies are doing. Climate change cannot be reversed, yet the impact can be reduced if we act wisely.