A rolling, self-imposed brown-out, called Earth Hour – between 8:30 and 9:30 your time on March 26 – is meant to remind us all that we are the future of the environment … and the future is now. Don’t just turn off your lights and sit in the dark for an hour. Think! Then post your ongoing commitment to the Earth at Beyond the Hour.

If you don’t think there’s much more you can do beyond recycling, reusing, and composting, think harder. As individuals and as business people, we can all do more. Here’s some inspiration:

• Green renovation can reduce your carbon footprint while saving money. And, no, I’m not just talking about putting in fluorescent light bulbs.
• Are you a Conscious Capitalist? If not, why not? It’s a way to reduce your environmental impact, increase your social impact, and grow your business. Big corporations know that and have been coming up with ways to reduce the impact of technology and share ideas about how they did it.
• It isn’t all about energy savings. It’s about every department in your business, from the cafeteria to the loading dock, from who supplies your paper to how you deliver your product. In fact, I was amazed to learn just how much waste businesses produce even when they think they’re green. A GreenBiz article about Walmart showed just how much further we can all go. Walmart? Yes, Walmart is aiming for zero waste, going so far as to give food waste to animal sanctuaries rather than sending any to landfills.
• As an individual or as a business, you can keep up with Walmart in that department by using new technology and new services.
• You can also help reach that zero-waste goal by looking around you with your visionary cap on. Some people look at coffee grounds and say, “Oh, well. You can’t use everything.” Others start a businesses.
• In that hour without light on March 26, think about the things you use and whether there’s a better way to use, make, or dispose of them … or all three.
• And think about those with whom you do business: Is there a better supplier, one who uses less packaging and fewer chemicals whether for the soap in the employee bathroom or the manufacture of your product in China?

It all counts.

What additional commitment can you make to the environment this year? Any suggestions for the rest of us?