Environmental Basics Education in Micro Financing Organizations.
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Visiting Scholar, York University
Associate Professor, Noble International University, USA
Abstract
The paper discusses different ways of environmental pollutions create environmental problems.
Second the paper provides example of Grameen Bank (GB) loan services that promotes
environmentalism in Bangladesh. Lastly the author urges for environmental education through
MFIs in Canada. The paper contains literature review, secondary data and author’s personal
working experience in green enterprise promotion agencies Canada and in Bangladesh
Consumers do not have enough knowledge on carbon emissions, petrochemical toxic products,
junk food, and pesticides and their negative effects on our Mother Earth and human health. On
other hand, corporations ignore negative effects of their chemicals products on human body and
environment. Companies are producing 94% waste materials that degrade the environment.
Corporate wastages, their toxic products and factory emissions spread in air and water and these
have negative environmental effects like deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and
air and water pollution. Human foot prints are continuously taking resources from Mother Nature
and this taking has involved ever less reverence or respect. So it is problematic and threat to
human life, wild life, environment and to next generations. Berry calls it is an environmental
crisis. Corporations should responsible for our environment pollution. Environmental education
on toxic chemicals, petroleum products, and wastes recycling management is urgent in Canada.
Micro finance institutions (MFIs) can involve in disseminating environmental education and
services in their business basics to their clients but environmental education is excluded from
MFIs’ services. Therefore, the author is emphasizing on environmental education must become
one of the business basics that micro finance institutions can help small medium enterprises
(SMEs) owners get access to and involve in waste close loop enterprises for promoting
environmentalism.
After reading articles on detoxification, dematerialization and regional industrial ecological
economics, consumption written by different environmentalists, makes author’s mind that
environmental basics education is essential in society to create awareness among general people
against negative effects of toxic chemical products on human health and environment, benefits of
recycling wastages, use of renewable energy, dematerialization- efficient use of material
consumption for safe environment and for safe human health. MFIs and different environmental
non-government organizations (ENGOs) can play a great role in ecological and environmental
basics education.
Key words: Environmental Education; Mother Earth; Pollution; Wastage.
Introduction
Consumers do not have enough knowledge on carbon emissions, petrochemical toxic products,
junk food, and pesticides and their negative effects on our Mother Earth and human health. On
other hand, corporations ignore negative effects of their chemicals products on human body and
environment. Professor Brian Milani says, “Companies are producing 94% waste materials that
degrade the environment” (Milani, 2000, p, 144). Corporate wastages, their toxic products and
factory emissions spread in air and water and these have negative environmental effects like
deforestation, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and air and water pollution. Wendell Berry
says, “We are continuously taking resources from Mother Nature and this taking has involved
ever less reverence or respect”. So it is problematic and threat to our life and to our next
generation. Berry calls it is an environmental crisis. Corporations should responsible for our
environment pollution. Environmental education on toxic chemicals, petroleum products, and
wastes recycling management is urgent in Canada. Micro finance institutions (MFIs) can involve
in disseminating environmental education and services in their business basics to their clients but
environmental education is excluded from MFIs’ services. Therefore, I am emphasizing on
environmental education must become one of the business basics that micro finance institutions
can help SMEs get access to and involve in waste close loop enterprises for promoting
environmentalism.
After reading articles on detoxification, dematerialization and regional industrial ecological
economics, consumption written by Harmen E. Daly, Jouni Korhonen, Professor Brian Milani,
Brawngart, Dare O’Rourke,Wendell Berry, Anne Platt McGinn, David Morris, Ahamed
Irshad,Lewis & Gertaski, Meadow & Rander, and Susan Henry make my mind that
environmental basics education is essential in society to create awareness among general people
against negative effects of toxic chemical products on human health and environment, benefits of
recycling wastages, use of renewable energy, dematerialization- efficient use of material
consumption for safe environment and for safe human health. MFIs and different environmental
non-government organizations (ENGOs) can play a great role in ecological and environmental
basics education.
Below I will discuss different ways of environmental pollutions create environmental problems.
Second give example of Grameen Bank (GB) loan services that promotes environmentalism in
Bangladesh. Lastly I will urge for environmental education through MFIs in Canada.
Wastages could be ecological resources if we ca recycle them. According to Herman E. Daly
ecological economics consists of resource efficiency, fairness of resources and scale of the
economy relative to ecosystem (sustainability). Daly’s Throughput system or Korhman‘s
Roundput ends with the return of polluting wastages. They consider wastes have values in
society. However, today there is no harmony with nature and modern corporate financial
economy rather they are destroying our Mother Nature through producing environmental hazards
products. According to Professor Brian Milani ecological economics put social and
environmental values priority (Class lecture January 8, 2007); however, politicians and leaders
constantly focus on economic growth and often it avoid the issue of quality of resources,
wastages recycling and the issue of redistribution.
US economy converts only 2% of energy uses into services and wasting the 98%. Howken
Lovins pointed that one-half the entire (US) GDP is attributable to some forms of waste. So these
degradable waste economy can converted to potential ecological economics through five stages
close loop production cycle alternative economics design: re-use of goods, repairs of goods,
reconditioning and rebuilding of goods, recycling materials and produce life extension strategies.
Here SME can involve in close loop ecological economics that not only can strengthen local
living economics (LLE), but also can protect environment. The combination of environmental
basics education and credit facilities for close loop manufacturing businesses can contribute to
ecological economics more sustainable. Professor Milini (2000) emphasizes that SME can create
a vibrant community local living economics where local skills, local resources, local wastes
recycling, and local renewable resources can gear community currency.
Different environmentalists have alerted us about the harmful consequences of hazardous
products in nature. They suggests for alternatives that can support environmentalism in nature.
For example, Meadow & Rander (2004) suggests the sustainable ecological footprint that can be
promoted by minimizing the use of non-renewable resources and preventing the erosion of
renewable resources. Voel, Oers & Nikolic (2005) provokes for dematerialization, which can
reduce material demand from consumers. MFIs can provide detoxification, dematerialization,
recycling wastages, and zero foot print ideas of environmental basics education to use materials
more efficiently and to avoid negative toxic effects in environment and human body.
Petroleum Products have replaced starch, vegetables oil, and cellulose. Plastic have replaced
glass, metals and paper in varieties of products. The processing of these chemical into final
products is accomplished with large amount of acids like sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide.
According to David Morris and Irshad Ahamed (1993) the 20th century was the age of
hydrocarbon and the 1st century should be a rebirth of carbohydrate economy. These chemicals
create serious disposal problem. Peter Montague mentions that nuclear industries create
radioactive wastes and their residues are contaminating our planet, but bio-chemical can to
replace petrochemical based materials. For example, bio-detergent, bio-paints, vegetable oil
based inks for printing would be alternative hazard free products, but vinyl products and
pesticdes create indoor and outdoor pollution in society.
PVC (Ploy Vinyl Chloride) based products like vinyl flooring; electrical cables, wall paper,
office furniture, and vinyl shower curtain raise indoor air toxicity. There are 150 million tons in
landfills that leads problem to disposal. By product of the manufacturing of PVC are dangerous
because they contain carcinogens that cause birth defects, damage sex organs, heart, lungs, liver,
kidneys and skin. Persistent Organic pollutants (POPs) are dangerous for human health because
they move through food chain. Anne Platt McGinn reports that 90% of the toxins that
contaminate people come not from direct exposure but from the composition of animal products
like red meat and fish. Carcinogen affects fetal development. Thousands of paper mills use
bleach, which contains chlorine they drainage wastage chemicals to river and lacks. Therefore,
consumers’ responsibility is as important as manufactures responsibility to make pollution free
world. Consumers must stop consuming that is causing harm to our environment. For example
people can avoid use of pesticides in agriculture.
Pesticides: Modern agriculture has a serious chemical dependency and addiction to pesticides.
Ane Platt McGinn (2000) mentions that world wide about $431 billion in pesticides is applied by
farmers to their crops by homeowners to their lawns, but these high pesticides develop heart
diseases, serous immune deficiencies, and cancers of the immune system. In her article “ A
Precautionary Approach to Synthetic Chemicals” reports that in 2000, farmers applied about 2.5
million tons of pesticides. However, integrated pest management (IPM) in agricultural system
reduces pesticides use by giving preference to non-chemical pest management strategies. DDT is
another environmental hazards chemical used for mosquito control where malaria is a major
problem but DDT remains one of the most commonly detected pesticides in human breast milk.
Most consumers hate the thought of throwing away an item such as a phone, microwave,
computer, refrigerator, television, and camera, but getting repairs and/or upgrades is more
difficult, and in many cases more expensive, than buying new. If companies can make it easier
and affordable to repair or upgrade products, that would be the choice of many consumers. MFIs
can encourage small enterprises to start business on repairing, and upgrades these broken
electronics products and sale them. More over micro financing NGOs can educate people on
environmental basics and can advocate for policy change regarding corporate responsibility for
waste management.
Companies make products that end up as garbage, and tax payers are responsible for the waste
removal and management. Therefore, zero waste/closed loops and shifting the responsibility for
waste management to the manufacturing companies is vital to environmental protection. Today
municipalities manage the disposal of garbage using taxpayers’ money. Corporations should pay
taxes for wastages. Government agencies can reinforce EPR regulations to corporations
Micro finance can contribute as one of the tools not only to finance small businesses and provide
employment, but also to contribute to environmental development, including educational
programs. Micro financing can help in zero wastage recycling service economy. Banks and
government agencies could develop green loans products for individuals and small companies
looking for financing to start businesses that are focused on repairing and recycling existing
products and renewable energies. Brawngart (1994) suggests building waste ‘supermarkets’ and
recycling centers could ‘outsource’ their disassembly and recycling responsibilities to small
companies can return broken or outdated products. This would help in the creation of good jobs,
reduce waste, and preserve our resources that Grameen Bank has demonstrated in Bangladesh.
Grameen Bank credit program promotes environmentalism in rural Bangladesh. For example,
Grameen Bank provides loans to farmers for buy agricultural machines, raise livestock, and
practice integrated pest management. It gives loans to people for buying boats, bicycle and
rickshaws for rural transportation, solar panel, biogas plants for renewable energy and recycling
wastages businesses as well as many other ecological small businesses. However, GB does not
provide loans for polythene bag manufacturing, chemical incineration businesses or fire wood
businesses, brick kiln, ternaries because these businesses create hazards in environment. It does
allow loans for tobacco, puppy, and hem cultivation, and alcohol or narcotics businesses.
GB provides 20% of it loans for raising livestock and fisheries, 10% for agriculture and forestry,
11% for services, and 11% for solar energy, bio-disaster plants, wind pump, agriculture
processing and different crafts works business totaling 52% loans are related to environmentally
friendly businesses. (GB Annual Report 2005). Clients loan activities are milky cow, cow
fattening, paddy cultivation, , paddy husking, paddy trading, vegetable cultivation, vegetables
trading, land lease, betel leaf cultivation, poultry rising, bamboo works, pisciculture, fish trading,
power tiller, cane works, solar panels, and village phone.
Grameen Energy and Grameen Agriculture increase environmentally friendly technology
transfer at the grassroots level, and get involve in environmentally friendly new businesses that
create employment opportunities in Bangladesh. It protects people from pesticides toxics hazards
and safe lands from toxic affects. It creates new income opportunities including manufacture of
accessories for the solar home system, agricultural processing machines and local repair shops in
the rural Bangladesh.
Grameen Krishi (Agricultural) Foundation (GKF), a sister organization of Grameen Bank is
working for the promotion of organic agriculture in Bangladesh. Its activities include integrated
pest management (IPM), bio-technologies, and increase soil fertility. GKF has introduced new
crops like maize, wheat, sugarcane, and soybean in Bangladesh. These crops give plenty of
livestock fodders come from paddy, wheat, and maize straws. People use straws for huts and
fuels. Ashes use for organic fertilizers. GKF disseminates agricultural and environmental basics
information like homestead gardening, backyard poultry, soil improvement, desalinate,
community tree plantation and forest conservation to farmers. It motivates people for using safe
drinking water. 30 million people in Bangladesh has effected by contaminated arsenic ground
water. (Bangladesh Planning Commission 2005: p. 179). Rural people are victims of arsenic
pollution and underground environmental degradation. They are suffering from loss body
weight, pigment in the skins, hands and feet, kidney, and liver infections. GKF makes arsenic
awareness campaign and supply water filter kits to villagers. Moreover, Grameen renewable
emery program (GERP) offers renewable energy services to villagers.
Woodworking, environmentally-friendly micro drip irrigation, solar panel businesses, and biodigester plants all conserve environmental resources. GREP/GKF/GB provides environmental
education to their clients in the weekly meetings and discusses environmental basics and their
benefits in nature. For example, GREP, a sister organization of Grameen Bank works for
promoting solar panel energy, solar stoves, fuel saving stoves, wind pump and bio-digesters.
This program increasingly creates new opportunities for micro finance to support the
environment. It is promoting, developing and extending renewable energy technology like solar
panel power, biogas plants, organic fertilizer, improved stoves and wind energy in remote rural
Bangladesh. GB has extended credit support to install 80,000 solar panel installed in Bangladesh
(GSEP: December 2006). During installing solar panels, bio-digesters, wind pump in the village,
GREP conduct informal meeting with villagers and discuss their benefits in individual life. All
these above Grameen activities together create huge elf-employment, agricultural wage
employment and increase agricultural production and promote renewable energy in Bangladesh.
Canadian micro financing institutions (MFIs) can adopt environmental principles like repair
reduce, re-use and recycle wastes in their loan portfolios like, but the question is how can the
policy be implemented and internalized within the institution? To start the process, they can
create lists of business types that negatively impact the environment and ensure that loans are not
provided to those kinds of businesses. For example, no loans for environmentally hazard toxic
products related businesses, radio active products, unsafe pesticides and sale hem. These lists can
give micro-entrepreneurs a clear idea of the types of businesses that will not receive loans. This
is important because we have to remember that poor people are more ‘exposed’ to the
environment, and they are more dependent on natural resources. Artisans, farmers, food vendors,
textile producers, charcoal sellers and many others use natural resources for their livelihood. The
Business Alliance for Local Living Economics (BALLE) can advocate for such a policies, and
facilitate partnerships between renewable solar panel and organic food suppliers, environmental
NGOs educators and MFIs people can initiate environmental basics education/ environmental
training and mini farming like homestead gardening, community gardening; tree planting, seed
supply, nursery, and water and sanitation education in their loan services.
In Canada, Alterna Savings provides loans for environmental businesses like Naturfriend
Services Inc. is involves in organic fertilizing, weed control, grab grass control, cutting,
trimming lawn grasses and seasonal cleanup services. Access Riverdale start cool light
education. Many other microfinance institutions like Alterna can provide loans for environmental
businesses and disseminate environmental information given out to their entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs need this information in order to make sure they have a positive impact on the
environment. So the government and NGO’s must figure out a way to get this environmental
information organized and into the hands of the people who need it. In North America,
microfinance practitioners can work to improve the environment by providing loans for green
micro enterprises and businesses that are not harmful to environment. Green microfinance
activities can include organizing training workshops among MFIs officials, and clients and
provide loans for nursery, homestead gardening, renewable energy, biogas plant and biodiversity
should be easy to get. Making crafts businesses can make Canadian immigrant poor people selfreliant and confident.
Therefore it needs to develop local living ecological balanced economy (LLC) because LLC
does not import products from outsides rather it cares local resources and has less pollution in
environment. Environmental education on waste recycling, use renewable energy and refuse
pesticides are vital for human existence. In this harmful situation, micro finance institutions
(MFIs) can contribute environmentalism. However, today MFIs support small and medium
enterprises (SME) by helping them get access to business basics such as accounting, marketing,
human resources and budgeting (Henry, 2006). However, they are doing very little to get SMEs
support or running their businesses in an environmentally sound and efficient way.
However, poor people are the most affected by environmental degradation because many are so
dependent on resources, agricultural or otherwise. That is why this group would surely be
motivated to adopt good environmental practices like use organic fertilizers, safe pesticides,
integrated pest management (IPM), for agriculture, home lawn grass cutting business ,
homestead gardening, backyard poultry, and livestock rising. This green ecological economics
good practice could be used in business development services, but the question is how we can
enhance environmental entrepreneurial skills in micro financing institutions (MFIs). Susan
Henry, CED specialists, Alterna Savings, Toronto (2006) in her paper Good Practice in Business
Development Services mentions how microfinance clients cannot succeed unless they know the
business basics of marketing, accounting, safety regulations and human resource management,
but do not include environmental basics education (EBE) for their clients’ loan approval.
In Canada, MFIs’ clients take marketing and accounting courses from different business
development institutions before they get loans from MFIs. Therefore, my urge for how critical it
is that ‘environmental planning’ be added to the list above (i.e., marketing, safety regulations,
accounting and environmental planning). Small entrepreneurs must have access to environmental
impact information in order to ensure that their business has a positive motion rather than
negative impact on environment. EBE could be on organic fertilizers, use safe pesticides, and
government regulations on EPR. EBE topics could also include information on how to use
renewable energy and their sources and recycling wastage businesses.
The environmental basics topics would likely to be organic agriculture, renewable energy,
detoxification, dematerialize, recycling wastes, and EPR. Details are follows below.
Agricultural: use organic fertilizers, safe pesticides, keeping the soil rich, homestead gardening,
lawn gardening, tub, roof gardening and social forestry. Avoid eat health hazard junk food
products like potato chips and caned juice are not healthy food.
Renewable energy conservation helps to develop and diversify local economics and creates local
jobs. Provides education on how to keep energy costs down, and use renewable sources. For
example, optimum use of water, use laundry machines that consume less water. People can take
advantages from solar energy and solar stoves. Urban community gardening massively can start
in Canada where people can produce their food in summer time. This farming can make multiple
impacts in environment. For example, trees can absorb pollutants. Biomass can be produce for
composting and for fuel.
Chemicals and carbon emissions: which chemicals are safe and why need to avoid
petrochemicals products. Don’t drainage toxic chemicals in rivers, canals, lack and ponds.
Information could be on different sources of air and water pollutions. For example, car
emissions, chemical products like batteries, tires, and radio active materials incineration make
toxic pollution in air. Alternatives could be intensive use of TTC, cycling and walking. Walking
and biking improve fitness help lose weight and save money.
Recycling wastes: Mimic nature transforms its waste into either energy or food or raw materials
to another, but industrial ecology produces wastages and they ignore to recycling them. Many
broken electronic products like cell phones, Ipots, microwaves, TV, Radios, Fridges, computers
printers, metals, and agricultural products are adding in nature as waste products. Avoid dispose
wastes other than garbage containers. Close loop production technology: repair, reuse, and
recycling wastes are god for environment and save resources. Lewis & Gertaski cites the
Jyvaskyla industrial ecosystem in Finland is an alternative waste energy plants in Finland where
waste wood, saw mills and forestry waste and peat are send to power electrical power plant. Such
kind of power plant can be also run in Canada where its raw materials could be peat, wood
waste, saw mill waste. Lewis & Gertaski suggests for design friendly environmentally (DFE)
plants can preventive environmental hazards in nature. One of the DFE project could be tomato
plants absorb carbon emission.
Dematerialization: use materials more efficiently. Produce greener products and choice close
loop production cycle for zero wastages- reuse of goods, repair of goods, reconditioning and
rebuilding of goods, recycle materials are zero waste ecological economics products.
Climate change is related with deforestation and air quality. Improving local air quality improves
public health reduce heath care costs and address climate change. (Hill, S. 2005: p.31). Climate
change knowledge can aware people about adverse effects of climate change, air and water
pollution. A community based environmental education containing above issues/subjects can
help environmental awareness among people.
NGOs can get involved in setting standards and monitoring compliance with EPR regulations
that suggested by Dare O’Rourke in his article Market Movements -NGO Strategies to Influence
Global Production and Consumption. Although Northern people’s awareness and concern about
the environment is now significant, but most people do not have clear information about how
they can help (other than recycle) their community. Second, it needs more government
regulation, including proper labeling so that consumers can make more educated choices about
the best products to buy. Moreover, MFIs in Canada can loans to community gardening, organic
fertilizing, crafts works, grass cutting and timing, and cleaning business.
Extended Producers Responsibilities (EPR): New environmental regulation and responsibility
will create new opportunities for entrepreneurs. EPR is a policy tool that extends manufacturers
responsibilities beyond their current accountabilities for workers and consumers safety and
health. (EPR Workshop 2003). It is a prescription for clean products, pollution prevention and
zero wastes and ensures corporate responsibilities to reduce environmental hazards. It makes
corporate physical and financial responsibilities to are back the waste products for recycling.
Public participation and awareness is important to corporate EPR responsibility and to draw
attention to toxic manufacturing corporations.
All these information and services are the component of ecological economics. Like Grameen,
Canadian MFIs can play a big role in educating its clients on ecological education can create
environmental dynamism in the local economy. Micro finance institutions can integrate
environment basics education and services into their programs for supporting socially
responsible small businesses. Municipalities need to play a major role in providing
environmental education pus expert support through 1-800 environmental hotline resources.
Grass roots government agencies and NGOs can provide training on recycling wastes and
renewable energy with targets to ‘zero waste’. Different educational institutions (schools), mass
media and printed media can create environmental awareness to public. This is the essence of the
ecological economy.
Recommendations for environmentalism
The course readings discuss how companies have started thinking that wastage products are
profitable. They realized that household wastages and business woodchips have value. People
can take pride in knowing that their wastages can be used as raw materials for businesses. It is
really a key to creating awareness on environmentalism. This increase in awareness can help
motivate people to set up their companies with the idea that one company’s wastage could be
valuable raw materials to another company. Therefore, companies need to work together for
mutual benefit. Four things are important in the ecological economy: (1) environmental
education for the creation of awareness, (2) massive use of renewable energy, (3) wastage
recycling, and the (4) use of safe pesticides.
(1) Environmental education for awareness: Environmental education creates a sense that
wastages should be used as a fuel or raw materials for another company. Therefore, it opposes
the piling of wastage and encourages starting new alternative operations. All the articles I’ve
read hints at such environmentalism. Today micro credit institutions help clients to start
businesses by introducing them to the basics of marketing, accounting, business plans, and
finance. However, my question is how to include and extend environmental basics into micro
finance institutions (MFIs). Energy conservation/use of renewable energy, wastage recycling,
detoxification, banning of pesticides or the use of safe pesticides could be options for small
businesses. Mass education could be done on how the utilities households can be used more
efficiently. Flayers on optimum use of water can help people to know modest use of water.
Although some environmental information is available in school curriculums, they are not
intensive. The environmental curriculum in school needs to be more intensive to create
awareness among the younger generation about dematerialization, detoxification, extended
producers’ responsibility (EPR) and the economics of local ecology. Education on the
advantages of using solar panels, wind pumps, and the composting of wastage for organic
fertilizers could help our next generation to develop minds for environmentalism. In school
curriculums two types of environmental information could be included: (1) sources of
environmental degradation, harmful products, car emissions in air pollution, factory emissions to
water pollutions, and (2) the serious negative effects which occur in private and public places
that harmfully affect the human body and the environment. Climate changes such as increasing
global warming are a result of negative emissions in our surrounding spaces. Humans create
these environmental problems. Private vehicles such as cars are major contributors to
environmental pollution. So walking, cycling, and the use of public transportations are
alternatives for environmentally friendly transportation.
(2) Massive use of renewable energy: In the energy sector renewable energy can contribute to
local living economics. For example solar panels, wind pumps, and gas from biodigester plants
can be used for electricity in rural areas. Wind pump energy
can be used for dry cleaning businesses, running sewing machines, running mini motors,
watching TV, listening to the radio, running computers, recharging torch batteries and operating
small restaurants. Solar panel businesses could be popular in remote rural areas, but people have
little awareness about solar energy in Canada. State gives huge subsidies in electricity. So the
government can take leadership in promoting these environmentally friendly energy sources.
(3) Wastage recycling: Programs can be run on how households can recycle their own waste
more efficiently. These could address concerns about where to take wastage for recycling, and
how to handle chemical wastages. Usually people would pour chemical wastages down in the
drain. There could be a program for reusing motor oil. Recycling of motor oil could contribute to
the auto industry. Such information/skills development programs can inspire entrepreneurs to do
such recycling businesses. MFI staffs should know sources of environmentally friendly local
resources and supply this information to their clients about wastage recycling plants, and or link
them with different wastage recycling plants. However, I do think that the government should
lead facilitating such programs.
(4) Refuse pesticides/use safe pesticides: What are the alternatives of chemical pesticides or safe
pesticides? There can be an environmental telephone hot line/web page where people can make
contact and get information on environmental basics and place their opinions or complain about
environmental issues. Municipalities can organize workshops and seminars for creating
awareness about the negative affects of pesticides on the environment, and the benefits of
organic food. They can educate people about ecology and can arrange contests for skills in
gardening with award incentives for the winners.
People oriented small scale environmental programs can start from growing food in one’s own
backyards, lawns, tubs, pots, and on roofs in Canada. Now people grow flowers in their
backyards, tubs and on the roofs of their home or office for beauty. People can start homestead
vegetable gardening with flower cultivation in their backyards. Municipal extension workers can
motivate people to take up homestead and community gardening, and to grow food organically.
These extension workers can demonstrate how to grow organic vegetables and fruits in the
backyard. Homestead gardening would be a family effort to grow food together. People can grow
their own organic food for their own consumptions. Many businesses could be for homestead
nursery for timber, flower and vegetable seedling. Municipality extension workers can conduct
practical gardening demonstrations on how to grow strawberries in different neighborhoods. In
addition, environmental telephone hot lines can link people with experts.
After reading articles on detoxification, dematerialization and regional industrial ecological
economics written by Harmen E. Daly, Jouni Korhonen, Professor Brian Milani, Brawngart,
Dare O’Rourke,Wendell Berry, Anne Platt McGinn, David Morris, Ahamed Irshad,Lewis &
Gertaski, Meadow & Rander make my mind that environmental basics education is essential in
society to create awareness among general people on against negative effects of toxic chemical
products on human health and environment, benefits of recycling wastages, use of renewable
energy, dematerialization- efficient use of material consumption for safe environment and for
safe human health. MFIs and different environmental organizations (ENGOs) can play a great
role in environmental basics education.
Poor people are the most affected by environmental degradation because many are so dependent
on resources, agricultural or otherwise. That is why this group would surely be motivated to
adopt good environmental practices like use organic fertilizers, safe pesticides, integrated pest
management (IPM), for agriculture, home lawn grass cutting business , homestead gardening,
backyard poultry, and livestock rising. This green ecological economics good practice could be
used in business development services, but the question is how we can enhance environmental
entrepreneurial skills in micro financing institutions (MFIs). Susan Henry, CED specialists,
Alterna Savings, Toronto (2006) mentions in her paper Good Practice in Business Development
Services: How do We Enhance Entrepreneurial Skills in MFI Clients? (2006) identify best
practices in business development services offered in close partnership or integrated within
microfinance institutions- both in developing and developed world settings”. Her article talks
about how microfinance clients cannot succeed unless they know the business basics of
marketing, accounting, safety regulations and human resource management.
The article discusses how microfinance institutions have come to rely on Business Development
Associations (e.g., in Toronto, the Toronto Business Development Centre or Women’s Centre of
York Region). In some cases, they make clients take courses from organizations before they are
approved for a loan. Therefore, in Canada MFIs put emphasis on only business basics education
for clients loan approval. They do not include environmental basics education (EBE) for their
clients’ loan approval. Therefore, my presentation is on how critical it is that ‘environmental
planning’ be added to the list above (i.e., marketing, safety regulations, accounting and
environmental planning). Small entrepreneurs must have access to environmental impact
information in order to ensure that their business has a positive rather than negative impact on
environment. EBE information could be on organic fertilizers or safe pesticides use, government
regulations, or information on how to use renewable energy and their sources, recycling wastage
business and their linkages with different other sources. Their businesses do not hamper
environment.
The government needs to make funding available to organizations (either new organizations,
schools/colleges, or existing Business Development organizations) so they
can get the staffing and ‘know-how’ to offer EBE and environmental services to new
entrepreneurs. Credit unions and microfinance organizations can refer their clients to these
resources in order to ensure that their business is a ‘green business’.
Grameen Bank has made environmental information and services available to its clients. These
are become part of the GB loan services. Grameen Bank has even underwritten major
environmental projects. GB provides funding to environmental friendly small businesses.
Categories of such business loans are 20% for raising livestock and fisheries, 10% for agriculture
and forestry, 11% for services, and 11% for solar energy, bio-disaster plants, wind pump,
agriculture processing and different crafts works business totaling 52% loans are related to
environmentally friendly businesses. (GB annual report 2005). Loan activities are milch cow,
cow fattening, paddy cultivation, , paddy husking, paddy trading, vegetable cultivation,
vegetables trading, land lease, betel leaf cultivation, poultry rising, bamboo works, pisciculture,
fish trading, power tiller, cane works, solar panels, and village phone.
In general, Northern people’s awareness and concern about the environment is now significant,
but most people do not have clear information about how they can help (other than recycle) their
community. Clear information and organizations that are available to dispense that information
are key to moving forward. We need more government regulation, including proper labeling so
that we can make more educated choices about the best products to buy. MFIs in Canada can
loans to community gardening, organic fertilizing, crafts works, grass cutting and timing, and
cleaning business.
Municipalities and NGOs could focus on making good environmental information available to
entrepreneurs for their business planning process, and this information could come from the
same place as they go to get help and information on accounting, or it could come from a
separate environmental resource organization. However, in GB and its sister organizations like
Grameen Solar Energy Program (GSEP) and Grameen Agricultural Foundation (GKF) are
directly involved in environmental basics education and services to their clients.
In Canada, Alterna Savings provides loans for environmental businesses like Naturfriend
Services Inc. is involves in organic fertilizing, weed control, grab grass control, cutting,
trimming lawn grasses and seasonal cleanup services. Access Riverdale start cool light education
and distribution program. In Toronto, like Atlerna Savings different microfinance institutions can
provide loans for environmental businesses and disseminate environmental information given out
to their entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs need this information in order to make sure they have a
positive impact on the environment. So the government and NGO’s must figure out a way to get
this environmental information organized and into the hands of the people who need it.
The environmental basics education topics would likely be:
Agriculture: use organic fertilizers, safe pesticides, keeping the soil rich, homestead gardening,
lawn gardening, tub, roof gardening and social forestry.
Energy: Renewable energy conservation helps to develop and diversify local economics and
creates local jobs. Provides education on how to keep energy costs down, and use renewable
sources. For example, optimum use of water, use laundry machines that consume less water.
Chemicals: which chemicals are safe and why need to avoid petrochemicals products. Don’t
drainage toxic chemicals in rivers, canals, lack and ponds. Information could be on different
sources of air and water pollutions. For example, car emissions, chemical products like batteries,
tires, and radio active materials incineration make toxic pollution in air. Alternatives could be
intensive use of TTC, cycling and walking. Walking and biking improve fitness help lose weight
and save money.
Recycling wastes: Many broken electronic products like cell phones, Ipots, microwaves, TV,
Radios, Fridges, computers printers, metals, and agricultural products are adding in nature as
waste products. Avoid dispose wastes other than garbage containers. Close loop production
technology: repair, reuse, and recycling wastes are god for environment and save resources.
Health hazard junk food products like potato chips and caned juice are not healthy food.
Dematerialization: use materials more efficiently. Produce greener products and choice close
loop production cycle for zero wastages- reuse of goods, repair of goods, reconditioning and
rebuilding of goods, recycle materials are zero waste ecological economics products.
Extended Producers Responsibilities (EPR): EPR is a policy tool that extends manufacturers
responsibilities beyond their current accountabilities for workers and consumers safety and
health. (EPR Workshop 2003). It is a prescription for clean products, pollution prevention and
zero wastes. This is a tool to ensure corporate responsibilities to reduce environmental hazards. It
makes corporate physical and financial responsibilities to ae back the waste products for
recycling. Public participation and awareness is important to corporate EPR responsibility. Mass
mobilization and awareness creation on corporate EPR against corporate toxic pollutant waste
can help draw attention to toxic manufacturing corporations. All these information and services
are the component of ecological economics. MFIs can play a big role in educating its clients on
ecological education.
Climate change is related with deforestation and air quality. Improving local air quality improves
public health reduce heath care costs and address climate change. (Hill, S. 2005: p.31). Climate
change knowledge can aware people about adverse effects of climate change, air and water
pollution. A community based environmental education containing above issues/subjects can
help environmental awareness among people.
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