Zero! What it means for Sustainability and Green?

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I wonder what people are thinking of doing as they watch the Warmest ever temperatures cause the worst flooding in Midwestern USA, Pakistan and China? Hope we realize that from climate point of view the world communities are connected and warmer water temperatures are able to deliver our worst nightmares to any location.

It is hard to control Mother Nature, but it is certainly possible to control how we live, and what emissions we put in to the environment. The issue is not why the current climate change has happened? The challenge is - what should we do NOW to help deal with it? It is likely to get worse in next 20- 50 years, so what we do NOW does matter. ZERO is now mentioned in the Green related conversations. For example - "Net Zero" homes is an idea goal for home builders. "Net- Zero" communities are the ideal goals for Municipalities and Communities. Energy Dependence on oil has resulted in spills such as BP leak in Gulf, Chinese spill.Thousands of acres of natural beauty has been altered by the Natural Gas Drilling in shale fracturing operations. Our appetite for such fuels can be shifted to smarter sources of energy if we want to take a prevention approach and learn to Live with Nature.

Zero would be a great Goal for ending the dependence on Petroleum based fuels.True Energy Independence requires change in our old habits and some sacrifices as our investment. It is lot cheaper to invest in new alternative technologies as compared to funding the costs after the extreme weather events in the future.

Managing the storm water flows and allowing more infiltration into ground is essential for all built up cities and more rain gardens are needed to reduce the runoffs from the communities to the streams and rivers. Zero discharge for rainwater could be a goal for homes as they use rain barrels and recycle the rain water. Businesses could have a Zero discharge by storing the rainwater on site for recycle and reuse.

When it comes to environmental protection and saving money - ZERO is a great Goal to strive for. In summary - ZERO is a Green Dream that can deliver GOLD!
What are we waiting for?
Ram