http://www.environmentalleader.com The Executive's Daily Green Briefing Thu, 15 May 2008 02:49:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 en http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/smart-papers-installing-honeywell-biomass-co-gen-plant/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/smart-papers-installing-honeywell-biomass-co-gen-plant/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 02:49:29 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/smart-papers-installing-honeywell-biomass-co-gen-plant/ When the construction of Hamilton, Ohio-based SMART Papers’ $30 million high-efficiency co-generation power plant is complete in the spring of 2009, the company will produce all of its own power and begin a transition to 100% cellulosic biomass fuel — primarily yard waste, industrial wood and fiber waste, the company announced. By late 2009, all SMART [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/smart-papers-installing-honeywell-biomass-co-gen-plant/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/starbucks-plans-renewable-energy-buy-green-building-standards/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/starbucks-plans-renewable-energy-buy-green-building-standards/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 02:34:10 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/starbucks-plans-renewable-energy-buy-green-building-standards/ Starbucks says that by 2010 it wants 50 percent of the energy used at its stores to come from renewable sources, wants to incorporate green building standards in all of its new building construction, and wants to “re-establish” ceramic coffee mugs as its “global standard” for people drinking coffee in stores. That’s some of the [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/starbucks-plans-renewable-energy-buy-green-building-standards/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/eastman-chemical-cuts-ghg-emissions-energy-use/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/eastman-chemical-cuts-ghg-emissions-energy-use/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 01:53:48 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/eastman-chemical-cuts-ghg-emissions-energy-use/ Eastman Chemical Company’s Longview, Texas, site received an “exceptional merit honor” from the Responsible Care program of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) for an energy savings program that reduced the location’s carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 69,000 tons and resulted in an energy savings of 1,200,000 Million British Thermal Units. Eastman also received [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/eastman-chemical-cuts-ghg-emissions-energy-use/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ashrae-best-design-practices-could-cut-warehouse-energy-use-30/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ashrae-best-design-practices-could-cut-warehouse-energy-use-30/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 01:34:18 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ashrae-best-design-practices-could-cut-warehouse-energy-use-30/ The latest publication in the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers’ Advanced Energy Design Guide series is designed to help with the construction of warehouses using off-the-shelf technology that can cut energy use 30 percent or more annually. The guidelines apply to warehouses to 50,000 square feet, and self-storage buildings that use unitary [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ashrae-best-design-practices-could-cut-warehouse-energy-use-30/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/polar-bears-on-thin-ice-listed-as-threatened/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/polar-bears-on-thin-ice-listed-as-threatened/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 01:09:19 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/polar-bears-on-thin-ice-listed-as-threatened/ Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is listing the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, saying that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future.In [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/polar-bears-on-thin-ice-listed-as-threatened/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/environmental-initiatives-top-of-mind-for-financial-services-execs/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/environmental-initiatives-top-of-mind-for-financial-services-execs/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 00:45:16 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/environmental-initiatives-top-of-mind-for-financial-services-execs/ Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of financial institution executives say they plan to build new or undergo a major remodel of an existing branch in the next 12-24 months and the vast majority (88 percent) say green initiatives are important to their financial institutions, according to 2008 IBT Market Pulse Survey: A Different Shade of Green [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/environmental-initiatives-top-of-mind-for-financial-services-execs/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ghgs-at-highest-level-in-800000-years/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ghgs-at-highest-level-in-800000-years/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 23:30:11 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ghgs-at-highest-level-in-800000-years/ According to a new study by EPICA, atmospheric greenhouse gases are at higher level than at any time in at least 800,000 years, Reuters reports. “We can firmly say that today’s concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane are 28 and 124 percent higher respectively than at any time during the last 800,000 years,” said Thomas Stocker, [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/ghgs-at-highest-level-in-800000-years/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/voluntary-carbon-market-tripled-in-2007-hit-331m/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/voluntary-carbon-market-tripled-in-2007-hit-331m/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 23:10:21 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/voluntary-carbon-market-tripled-in-2007-hit-331m/ Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance have released a report, “State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets: Forging the Frontier,” to highlight the more than twenty new independent standards for verifying and validating voluntary offsets. Compiled from 150 suppliers of carbon offsets, registries and brokers, the report identifies key trends in the voluntary carbon markets. Among them: The [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/voluntary-carbon-market-tripled-in-2007-hit-331m/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/performance-track-members-reduce-ghg-emissions-nearly-310000-tons/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/performance-track-members-reduce-ghg-emissions-nearly-310000-tons/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 22:53:06 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/performance-track-members-reduce-ghg-emissions-nearly-310000-tons/ EPA released its Sixth Annual Progress Report for the National Environmental Performance Track program, which encourages facilities with strong environmental records to improve the quality of the United States’ air, water, and land beyond what they are required to do by law. To date, Performance Track member facilities have:  Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 309,780 metric tons; Increased [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/14/performance-track-members-reduce-ghg-emissions-nearly-310000-tons/feed/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/13/ups-orders-500-hybrid-cng-delivery-trucks/ http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/13/ups-orders-500-hybrid-cng-delivery-trucks/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 05:21:35 +0000 Environmental Leader http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/13/ups-orders-500-hybrid-cng-delivery-trucks/ UPS is expanding its U.S. Green Fleet from 50 hybrid electric trucks to 250 (the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company), and increasing its fleet of vehicles running on compressed natural gas from 800 to 1,100. The purchase means the largest private alternative fuel fleet in the U.S. will grow 30 percent more [...]]]> http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/05/13/ups-orders-500-hybrid-cng-delivery-trucks/feed/