Earth Day 2020 – Sustainability Update
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020 nearly two billion people, roughly a quarter of the world’s population, are in lockdown. The environmental impact of that sudden absence of human activity can be seen from space.
This dramatic decrease, while unintended, may bring the subject of sustainable energy and air pollution back into the global conversation.
According to a blog in WTTW, these changes in human behavior prompted by the pandemic create a rare opportunity for scientists to study how humans interact and influence the environment on a global scale.
Scott Collis is an atmospheric scientist at Argonne National Laboratory.“This is what we call a natural experiment, a sudden perturbation or change from the normal, that allows us study a stop and a system’s response to that,” said Collis. “This time the system is planet Earth.” Scientists expect their ability to forecast the weather, for example, will be impacted by the sudden lack of air travel.
Before all this happened, the industry was launching initiatives to address sustainability.
TechRepublic describes how 8 tech companies are honoring the day, including Apple, Microsoft, NASA, and others.
Jabil invites its customers and suppliers to ‘Rise to the Challenge’ by spotlighting the responsibilities they have assumed to work on behalf of their customers.
“Companies have to act on climate change, governments have to act on climate change and individuals have to act on climate change,” said Eric Austermann, VP of Social & Environmental Responsibility at Jabil.
As an extension of our customers, we have an obligation to manage our environmental impacts and help our customers do the same by innovating new sustainable solutions and using our voices to advocate for positive change.
Forbes writer Blake Morgan collected 9 Everyday Products that have an impact, including ways to reduce plastic consumption.”Today’s companies can’t focus solely on profits,” she writes. “They must be driven by a purpose to make the world a better place. Surveys have found that 96% of people believe their own actions can make a difference in the world, and 88% of consumers want brands to help them live sustainably. Successful companies not only provide great products, but also contribute something good to the earth.”
What else can the electronics industry do to reduce the strain on the Earth’s systems, after the Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted?
Maybe we can actually do business without so much travel. This Zoom thing works pretty well, doesn’t it?
Enjoy some time outdoors with your family today, and appreciate the cleaner air while it lasts.
