http://www.environmentalleader.com Environmental Leader Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:49:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/09/delivering-sustainable-supply-chains/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/09/delivering-sustainable-supply-chains/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:11:03 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=69684 Regulation, along with a drive to improve efficiency and enhance corporate reputation, has encouraged the majority of large organizations to look at how they can measure and reduce carbon in their own business.  As this becomes standard business practice, leading businesses are now focusing on how to make continual, ongoing improvements to their carbon footprint [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/09/delivering-sustainable-supply-chains/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/08/tools-of-the-manufacturing-trade-part-v/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/08/tools-of-the-manufacturing-trade-part-v/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:15:46 +0000 David Dornfeld http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=69612 Software to the rescue… In part 4 of this series, I introduced the idea of the “design to production pipeline.”  This was to illustrate the design to manufacturing continuum and show a strategy whereby the designer, looking into the pipeline from the design perspective, could see the follow-on steps and requirements for successful production. Although [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/08/tools-of-the-manufacturing-trade-part-v/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/02/environmental-logos-and-certifications-for-paper-part-ii/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/02/environmental-logos-and-certifications-for-paper-part-ii/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:19:51 +0000 Laura Thompson http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=69317 In yesterday’s post I wrote about the rationale behind eco-logos and illustrated the difference between self-generated claims and certifications. Now let’s take a closer look at claims for paper. Here’s an example of a self-declaration regarding the environmental attributes of paper:  Paper is made from renewable resources with high levels of renewable energy and is [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/02/02/environmental-logos-and-certifications-for-paper-part-ii/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/27/compressed-air-improvements-could-save-business-173m/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/27/compressed-air-improvements-could-save-business-173m/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:43:03 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=69033 Air compressors present a variety of opportunities for saving energy, from leak reduction and air intake improvements, to maintenance, monitoring, specification and design, according to guidance from the Carbon Trust. Of the total energy supplied to a compressor, as little as 8 to 10 percent is converted to usable energy at point of use, making [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/27/compressed-air-improvements-could-save-business-173m/feed/ 3 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/26/which-%e2%80%98big-three%e2%80%99-car-maker-wins-on-low-carbon-growth/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/26/which-%e2%80%98big-three%e2%80%99-car-maker-wins-on-low-carbon-growth/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:10:40 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68960 Sales of light vehicles to US consumers were up 10% in 2011 compared to the previous year. Revenues are growing, but which US carmaker is winning the carbon race? Last year marked the second year of steady expansion for the top three U.S. car firms – General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler – after a [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/26/which-%e2%80%98big-three%e2%80%99-car-maker-wins-on-low-carbon-growth/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/24/co2-to-stay-below-2005-levels-u-s-to-wean-itself-from-foreign-oil-eia-predicts/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/24/co2-to-stay-below-2005-levels-u-s-to-wean-itself-from-foreign-oil-eia-predicts/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:33:04 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68831 Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions will remain below 2005 levels through 2035 as increased oil, natural gas and renewable energy production reduces U.S. reliance on imported energy sources, according to projections by the Energy Information Administration. The Annual Energy Outlook 2012 reference case shows energy-related CO2 emissions growing by 3 percent from 2010 to 2035, reaching [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/24/co2-to-stay-below-2005-levels-u-s-to-wean-itself-from-foreign-oil-eia-predicts/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/iea-lauds-energy-efficiency-ppps/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/iea-lauds-energy-efficiency-ppps/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:55:22 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68653 Public private partnerships on energy efficiency projects are a good way to increase the pace of reduction of the energy intensity of an economy, reduce costs of energy efficiency to the public sector and add commercial value to public sector assets, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. PPPs can help with these [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/iea-lauds-energy-efficiency-ppps/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/google-us-data-centers-now-iso-140001-certified/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/google-us-data-centers-now-iso-140001-certified/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:40:41 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68646 Google has received ISO 14001 certification for all of its U.S. data centers, reducing oil consumption in its back up generators by 67 percent in the process. The company says that this makes it the first major internet services company to be awarded external certification of both ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 for all its data [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/20/google-us-data-centers-now-iso-140001-certified/feed/ 0 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/19/alcoa-releases-low-weight-truck-wheels/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/19/alcoa-releases-low-weight-truck-wheels/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:28:51 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68571 Aluminum fabricator Alcoa has launched a new series of wide base that wheels are the lightest 14″ aluminum wheels on the market. The new 58 lbs wheels are engineered for high performance through Alcoa’s proprietary LvL ONE wheel manufacturing process of light weighting. By switching from single steel 22.5″ x 8.25″ wheels to Alcoa 14″ [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/19/alcoa-releases-low-weight-truck-wheels/feed/ 1 http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/17/maintenance-is-key-to-lowering-energy-costs/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/17/maintenance-is-key-to-lowering-energy-costs/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:39:54 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=68433 As green thinking and sustainability come to the forefront of business practices, well-run maintenance department with a focus on energy efficiency are becoming increasingly important, according to web site Sustainable Plant. Good maintenance practice is the best way to reduce energy, optimize production and minimize waste according to an article on the web site titled [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/17/maintenance-is-key-to-lowering-energy-costs/feed/ 0