Small99: Small Business to Net Zero

What's wrong with 15-minute cities?

Are 15-minute cities ruining our lives? Are they a secret government plan to trap us all where we live? Or are they simply a way to make our cities cleaner and more convenient? In this episode, Adam + Simon debunk some of the hype around 15-minute cities and explore the ways they have made cities better places to live. The benefits range from cleaner air to faster transport times to increased property prices. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f7c60e90e076ecaa8a75b/nts-2021-factsheet.pdf https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/health-damage-from-cars-and-vans-costs-6-billion-annually-to-nhs-and-society/

Is NetZero too expensive?

The cost of reducing your Greenhouse Gas Emissions to NetZero can often feel expensive, especially when compared to doing nothing. However, the cost of adaptation is much higher. The cost of insurance is rising, and many places are already facing huge bills for adapting to the Climate Crisis. In this episode, Adam + Simon discuss how the Climate Crisis is already way ahead of schedule and how businesses can start to make their businesses more resilient. The articles shown and referenced in this episode are: https://www.ft.com/content/ed3a1bb9-e329-4e18-89de-9db90eaadc0b https://www.ft.com/content/272fac7a-9d8f-4afe-a489-0ea6b5837ee5 https://www.ft.com/content/b4bf187a-1040-4a28-9f9e-fa8c4603ed1b https://www.ft.com/content/eafeddeb-6dca-42d9-9f22-d821d158ec6d https://www.ft.com/content/2d6fc319-2165-42fb-8de1-0edf1d765be3 https://www.ft.com/content/ba2cdf7d-898d-4b22-b40b-8d2d80b631f8

How bad are Lithium batteries?

Lithium is getting a lot of bad press. Many people are concerned about the ethics of Lithium mining and batteries 'embedded carbon'. But who is behind this rise in concerns? Why do these same people not ask the same questions about the fuel they put in their cars? Fossil fuel PR is working overtime to stoke fear of electric vehicles, and it seems to be working. In this episode, Adam + Simon bust some myths, and PR spin, around the environmental impacts of Lithium batteries. Our stats in this episode are from this article: https://earth.org/lithium-and-cobalt-mining [https://earth.org/lithium-and-cobalt-mining/]

Reusing cardboard boxes, a simple idea that became a business with Jack Good of Reusabox

3 billion trees are cut down every year just to make cardboard boxes, which are often single-use. Why don't we reuse the good ones? Jack Good turned this simple idea into a business, Reuseabox. Not only are these boxes up to 50% cheaper, but they also help with reforestation, as Reusabox is planting 1 million trees. This week, Adam + Simon discuss how doing the right thing when making sustainability choices not only saves money but also creates a resilient business with a lasting legacy. Find out more about Reusabox at https://www.reuseabox.co.uk Connect with Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-good-19428479

How much energy does AI use?

AI uses a lot of energy. Recently, there have been many headlines about companies' energy usage soaring as they increase their power usage to run AI. Google and Microsoft both recently announced they are now off target for their Net Zero plans and will have to work hard to get back on track. Adam and Simon discuss why AI uses so much power and what is being done to try to reduce it. There are lots of stats and links in this episode: https://www.ft.com/content/383719aa-df38-4ae3-ab0e-6279a897915e https://submer.com https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/the-water-footprint-of-ai-data-centres [https://blog.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk/the-water-footprint-of-ai-data-centres] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/02/google-ai-emissions [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/02/google-ai-emissions] https://www.ft.com/content/61bd45d9-2c0f-479a-8b24-605d5e72f1ab [https://www.ft.com/content/61bd45d9-2c0f-479a-8b24-605d5e72f1ab] https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RW1lmju [https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RW1lmju] https://theshiftproject.org/en/article/unsustainable-use-online-video [https://theshiftproject.org/en/article/unsustainable-use-online-video/]