FEATURES AND NEWS
The key to consumers’ minimizing their carbon footprint is through building awareness and stimulating action, according to research from the Natural Marketing Institute. More than half of the general population (57 percent) is aware of the term “carbon footprint,” up from 38 percent in 2007. However, U.S. consumers fall behind ... Read more »
The U.S. House of Representatives has dropped its plan to make its offices “carbon neutral” even as it considers extensive legislation on climate change, reports the Washington Post. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero was at the heart of the House’s Green the Capitol program. A spokesman for the House’s ... Read more »
By reducing its trash and recycling more, a Marriott Hotels location is generating savings. After starting a recycling and composting program in February 2008, the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center by Marriott has achieved significant savings, according to this press release. Here is a comparison of ... Read more »
The Environmental Protection Energy (EPA) has released a report on building trends in the 50 largest metropolitan areas from 1990 to 2007. The report indicates that many communities are trending toward smart-growth development that reuses developed property and infrastructures to help protect the environment. The report, “Residential Construction Trends in ... Read more »
Businesses and manufacturers located near schools may soon fall under increased scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency. On March 2, Lisa Jackson, administrator of the EPA, said the agency and its state partners will measure levels of toxic air pollution near many schools, especially for schools located near large industries ... Read more »
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Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg argues that environmentally sustainable business practices can lead to financial benefits in the long run.
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading national nonprofit organization, has released an online map that identifies more than 1,200 companies in key manufacturing states that are poised to create new green jobs when Congress passes a cap on global warming pollution. Part of the revenue from the cap-and-trade limits, ... Read more »
A former White House adviser suggests the U.S. and China should hold a summit featuring an agreement on climate change, Reuters reports. A summit between the top two emitters of greenhouse gases would help overcome domestic misgivings in each country and create international support for a new global pack by ... Read more »
Soy ink has been available for some time, but now Print Recovery Concepts Technologies is selling laser printer cartridges using toner powder derived from soybeans. Debe Overhaugh, president of PRC Technologies, says SoyPrint cartridges can help offices become more environmentally friendly and help reduce America’s dependence on oil. It takes ... Read more »
In Portland, new buildings that are not LEED Silver-certified or better may face a punitive tax, if a recent proposal goes through. New commercial buildings 20,000 square feet or larger would fall under a so-called “feebate” program, in which developers that merely comply with Oregon’s state building code would be ... Read more »
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I don’t know much about YouTube but I have enjoyed a short called “Hip or Dangerous?” In that clip, a couple of New Yorkers stand on the sidewalk and analyze passersby, guessing which of the scruffy Brooklynites are truly shady characters and which are merely playing the part. It reminds ... Read more »
Once the domain of coffee and pineapples, the notion of fair trade certification is making its way to the voluntary carbon trading industry. Dave Rochlin, former chief operating officer of fair trade certifier Transfair USA, has cofounded a company, ClimatePath, that will certify and bring more transparency to carbon projects. ... Read more »
By 2012, President Obama’s budget presumes a price for U.S. carbon allowances at about $13.70, according to analysts at Point Carbon. European Union Allowances (EUAs) are priced at about $13.35. Point Carbon, a provider of independent analysis and consulting services for global power, gas and carbon markets, notes that the ... Read more »
In a largely ceremonial suggestion, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called today for switching a Washington, D.C., power plant to natural gas. The move comes just days before a scheduled protest against the 100-year-old coal plant that powers the nation’s Capitol, according to ... Read more »
First Direct, a division of HSBC Bank plc, says it is the first bank to receive the Carbon Trust Standard certification, after reducing its carbon emissions by more than 14%. This equals an annual reduction of 1,500 tons of CO2 emissions from 2007 levels, according to the UK-based company. The ... Read more »
Among new building projects surveyed in the past two years, occupancy sensors were recommended to be installed in 55 percent of applications, according to a recent survey. While occupancy sensors were the most recommended measure, bi-level switching was the most widely adopted measure. The Lighting Controls Association authorized ZING Communications ... Read more »
Universities are starting to respond to the need for engineers trained in alternative, or renewable energy, as the United States transitions into an economy geared to meet environmental and new energy challenges. The University of Toledo (UT) is one of those schools that hopes to combine some of its faculty ... Read more »
A film about sustainable innovation, presented by the Centre for Sustainable Design, University for the Creative Arts, Malmo, Sweden. Part 1 of 5
A series of protocols for reducing energy use by computers that often needlessly run 24/7 is now available for businesses to adopt. The University of Liverpool developed the Powerdown program, which essentially logs users out after extended periods of non-use, then shuts down the machine without any loss of data. ... Read more »
Down Under, carbon trading may about to go under – at least for now. Citing the financial turndown, business groups are pressuring the Australian government to delay a carbon trading program until 2012. Australia’s program, which is to take effect July 2010, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at least ... Read more »
U.S. corporations will have another source for solar energy cells with the announcement of a new plant in Tennessee. Wacker Chemie AG, a German manufacturer of the basic material used in solar-energy cells, plans to build a $1 billion plant in Bradley County, Tenn. The plant is expected to begin ... Read more »
In an Economic Intelligence Unit column, two associates of business school IMD lay out the argument that a “sustainability bubble” may have already burst after the collapse in economies and oil prices. But the column argues that there is still “low-hanging fruit” to be had in emerging economies, where companies ... Read more »
President Obama’s economic team Feb. 26 released details of his nearly trillion-dollar budget – to be funded in part by cap-and-trade limits on carbon emissions – revealing how the energy and environment sectors are likely to be impacted. The 2010 budget commits $150 billion over 10 years toward seeking more ... Read more »
FedEx chief executive officer Fred Smith, co-chairman of the Energy Security Leadership Council, envisions a future transportation system that does not rely on oil. Smith said increased dependence on foreign oil represents the biggest threat to the U.S. economy and national security after terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of ... Read more »
The World Economic Forum and Accenture has released a report that quantifies and ranks opportunities to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions generated by the logistics and transport sector. Logistics and transportation activities contribute approximately 5 percent of the 50,000 megatons of carbon-dioxide emissions generated by all human activity annually, according to the report. ... Read more »