Winter Is Coming

Last February, during one of the snowiest winters in Boston history, I watched the first episode of Game of Thrones: “Winter is Coming.”The title of that episode is a consistent refrain throughout the show, forecasting a long, cold winter and suggesting that those who are wise should prepare.

Most scientists contend extreme weather like what we saw in New England last winter is exacerbated by climate change. The atmosphere is able to hold more moisture when sea surfaces are warmer. In this way, global warming leads to a greater likelihood of harsher and more frequent storms.

This past summer, I was invited by Business Forward to join senior Obama Administration officials and business leaders from across the nation at the White House to discuss efforts businesses are taking to become more sustainable and reduce carbon pollution. The discussion was encouraging, as it emphasized that climate change is not a far off problem that will affect our grandchildren. It is hurting our economy now.

Snowfall cost Massachusetts $265 million each day last winter. Hourly wage workers and locally-owned small businesses were hit hardest.

For example, the historic winter forced Grendel’s Den in Harvard Square to pay thousands in snow removal costs and increased overhead since the restaurant’s owners refused to cut back employee hours. With already slim margins, the restaurant had to operate at a loss, according to emails sent to the author from the owner of Grendel's Den.

Irving House, a bed and breakfast here in Cambridge, saw losses as travelers cancelled trips and MBTA outages left employees stranded at the inn, according to emails sent to the author from the owner of Irving House.

Along with reduced revenue from extreme weather, businesses and universities lose big by operating inefficient buildings. Using more energy efficient building materials, upgrading insulation and installing controls on energy use saves companies millions. In Cambridge, buildings are estimated to generate over 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the city. Investments in energy efficient facilities now will not only save money, but could also lessen the blow of future storms.

Business owners and consumers are increasingly realizing there are other sustainable practices they can engage in to combat the rise in global temperatures and its negative impact on economic output.

Businesses like Grendel's Den and Irving House are examples of great companies not just hoping to weather the storm, but also doing their part to help combat climate change. Grendel’s now has a zero trash policy—they recycle and compost everything. Irving House is a recognized business leader by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts. All of Harvard’s undergraduate dining halls are certified by the Green Restaurant Association. Imagine if more businesses and institutions operated this way. The impact would be enormous.

That’s where consumers come in.

More and more, people are choosing to support sustainable businesses. As we do, we provide a financial incentive for other businesses to follow suit. Consumers are in total control of the demand side of the supply and demand proposition—the more we show a demand for products and services made in an eco-friendly manner, the more businesses will supply them.

If we make common-sense choices as business leaders and support businesses and organizations doing good for the planet as consumers, we are less likely to endure harsh winters in the future.

Winter is coming. And the economic impact of climate change is already here. Now is the time to act.

Scott Jacobsen is a recent graduate and now fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is the co-founder of DoneGood, an app available on the App Store and incubated at the Harvard Innovation Lab.