·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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Read the full post at HBRGreen.

As we’ve examined every aspect of our worldwide supply chain, we’ve learned one key lesson: A business, and the products it sells, can only be environmentally sustainable through a holistic approach to design, raw materials, production methods, packaging, shipping, recycling, and even marketing–across the entire value chain. It’s far too large and complex a undertaking for any organization to go it alone and be truly effective. You know the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, it takes an entire supply chain to green a company.

Read the full post at HBRGreen.

The question to ask is whether your company has an economic opportunity to be green vis-à-vis your competitors; then you must ask how and when you can take advantage of that opportunity. In fact, such a line of reasoning, and the corporate response it creates, is the best possible way to find a solution to the climate change issue.

Read the full post at HBRGreen.

On January 9, 2008, the London stock market reacted strongly to a 12-week Marks & Spencer trading statement: Same-store sales, excluding new space, were down by 2.2% compared with the previous year. Our share price fell 18%, taking £1.6 billion off the value of our business.

In light of increased business uncertainty and fragile consumer confidence, it might have been tempting to quietly shelve Plan A, our 100-point, five-year eco-plan. We could have heeded critics who said, “Times are tough, best ditch the fluffy stuff.” But we didn’t.

We started Plan A last year, to make M&S carbon neutral and send no waste to landfill from our operations by 2012. The plan extends to sustainable raw materials sourcing, sets new standards in ethical trading, and helps customers and colleagues lead healthier lives.

Despite the tough consumer climate and the reaction to our sales results, we are sticking to Plan A. There are compelling commercial–as well as moral–reasons to do so. Take the early results it’s generating. Our “Wash at 30″ campaign, which encourages consumers to wash their clothing at a lower temperature than used to be considered the norm, has saved an estimated 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide. We have reduced C02 emissions by an additional 55,000 tons by switching 23% of electricity to renewable resources. Toward our goal of zero waste to landfill, 75% of the construction waste from our store refurbishment program is now recycled.

Organizations from around the world show off alternatives to fossil fuels at Washington International Renewable Energy Conference. Read the full story and see the photos at News.com.

Read the full story in the Christian Science Monitor.

Whatever global-warming models may suggest about the futures of Earth’s climate, one thing is certain: Global warming never promised to eliminate winter, especially for those living outside the tropics.

Read the full story in the Washington Post.

The Senate yesterday approved the most far-reaching changes to the nation’s product safety system in a generation, responding to recalls of millions of lead-laced toys that rattled consumers last year.

Read the press release.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft annual report that analyzes sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

Read the press release.

EPA has unveiled a new plan of action for working with public port authorities and other interested groups to reduce the environmental impacts of moving goods through ports. The “Vision, Mission, and Strategy for Sustainable Ports” recognizes the steady growth in global maritime commerce and the critical role American ports and related transportation and supply chain partners play in managing the environmental impacts of moving goods across the country.

Read the full story in Water & Wastewater News.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority joined some the nation’s largest water agencies recently by forming the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA).

The alliance will work to improve research into the impacts of climate change on water utilities, develop strategies for adapting to climate change, and implement tactics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to
http://www.climatebiz.com/enewsletter.

Merck Plans to Slash GHG Emissions, Water Demand
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55628
Merck & Co. Inc. said it will slash absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its worldwide operations 12 percent below 2004 levels by late 2012, as well as reduce water demand by 15 percent.

PG&E Turns Cow Manure Into Energy
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55681
Pacific Gas & Electric has diversified its renewable energy interests with a project using methane from cow manure to provide power.

Nestle Reduces GHG Emissions, Packaging and Energy Use: Report
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55680
During the last 10 years, Nestle slashed its direct greenhouse gas emissions 16 percent and cut energy use 3 percent while at the same time, its production volume increase 76 percent. The company’s bottled water products now use nearly a quarter less packaging, according to a new company report.

Water Utilities Partner to Study Climate Change Effects
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55676
Eight utilities across the country formed the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) to research the ways in which global warming will impact their operations.

Agriculture Can Speed or Slow Climate Change, Groups Say
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55641
Organic fertilizers can significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions if used properly, according to a new scientific report; but unless the organic farming community works to create goals for climate protection any gains could be overwhelmed by international shipments of food products.

U.N. Creates Climate Neutral Network, Bringing Together Countries, Cities and Companies
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55632
The web-based Climate Neutral Network offers cities, countries, business and organizations throughout the world a forum for sharing their experiences cutting greenhouse gas emissions and learning from one another.

ASLA Creates Climate Policy Recommendations
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55622
The American Society of Landscape called on Congress to incorporate principles of sustainable design into future climate change public policy.

Climate Change Causing ‘Shift’ in Corporate Mindsets: U.N.
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55619
The U.N. Environment Program’s Year Book 2008 illustrates how more business leaders are beginning to view climate change as an opportunity, rather than as a liability, leading to the emergence of a green economy.

U.S. May Agree to Binding Greenhouse Gas Reductions
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55640
The United States could sign onto binding climate commitments that apply to both developed and developing countries.

Westar to Explore Renewables, Efficiency Programs
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55635
Westar Energy plans to put off building additional coal-fired power plants in favor of energy efficiency programs, investing in renewable energy and improving the environmental performance of existing coal plants.

Two Blows for Calif. Emissions Rules
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55665
The state of California’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from ships and cars were dealt two blows recently.

Who Regulates Retail Offsets?
By Alice Kenny, Ecosystem Marketplace
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55691
The company you work for has just gone carbon neutral, but it can be hard for businesses or individuals to know which retail offsets really reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and which are just more hot air. Fortunately, a handful of private initiatives and the FTC are working on answers.

Are Plug-In Hybrids a Path to Salvation? Be Careful What You Wish For
By Brad Allenby
http://climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=55669
As the current backlash on corn-based ethanol shows, when we fall in love with promising new technology too quickly, we run the risk of creating worse problems than we’re originally trying to solve.

Higher Education in a Warming World – The Business Case for Climate Leadership
on Campus
http://climatebiz.com/sections/toolsresources_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=97399
This richly detailed guide from the World Wildlife Federation to climate action at colleges and universities focuses on the numbers — with examples from dozens of schools showing how they cut emissions, saved money and made a difference.

The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:

• Renewables 2007 Global Status Report: Perceptions and Realities
• PV You Can Drive On: Promising Technology in Solar Roads
• Inside Renewable Energy podcast: Renewables Front and Center on the International Political Stage
• Solar House is Wave of the Future
• Easy as ABC? Bonaire set to become Caribbean’s first island with 100% renewable energy

Read the full story in Technology Review.

Scientists at Case Western University have made a biopolymer that switches rapidly between rigid and flexible states, using material inspired by sea cucumbers. The new material softens in the presence of a water-based solvent, and it stiffens back up as the solvent evaporates. Christoph Weder, lead researcher and professor of macromolecular science and engineering, says that such a material may be useful in the design of implantable electrodes able to record brain activity over long stretches of time, with minimal scarring compared with conventional electrodes.

Read the full post at Environmental Capital.

Now that the U.S. Senate is moving closer to taking action on climate change, divisions within industries subject to regulation are widening.

Power companies have long been split between those that use mostly coal and those that produce cleaner power. Old-school utilities long resisted even the idea of mandatory federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions, while cleaner utilities were early advocates of federal action.

Now, reports the Miami Herald, that industry infighting is heating up. Eight companies, including heavyweights like Florida’s FPL, California’s PG&E, and New Jersey’s Public Service Enterprise Group have taken their own lobby to task for trying to kneecap the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill, currently the Senate’s favorite, by painting it as an economic disaster.

Via Docuticker.

E20 blend passes compatibility, performance tests: Study finds 20 percent ethanol blend works in wide range of vehicles
Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Increasing the amount of renewable ethanol blended into gasoline from10 percent to 20 percent does not present problems for current vehicles or fuel dispensing equipment and provides similar power and performance, according to a new study released Wednesday by the State of Minnesota.

Using 40 pairs of vehicles commonly found on American roads, a year-long research effort found that increasing ethanol blends from 10 percent (E10) to 20 percent (E20) in a gallon of gasoline provided an effective fuel across a range of tests focusing on drivability and materials compatibility.

Executive Summary (PDF: 48 KB / 6 pages)

Drivability Study (PDF: 520 KB / 43 pages)

Effects of E20 on Automotive Fuel Pumps and Sending Units (PDF: 505 KB / 13 pages)

Effects of E20 on Plastics used in Automotive Fuel System Components (PDF: 240 KB / 22 pages)

Effects of E20 on Metals used in Automotive Fuel System Components (PDF: 167 KB / 16 pages)

Effects of E20 on Elastomers used in Automotive Fuel System Components (PDF: 625 KB / 35 pages)

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) invites submissions of abstracts for its 2nd biennial conference – AASHE 2008:  Working  Together for Sustainability – On Campus and Beyond (Nov 9-11, 2008, Raleigh, NC).

AASHE 2008 offers an exciting and unique opportunity for every sector of higher education in the U.S. and Canada to demonstrate how colleges and universities and their partners can lead the way to a sustainable future.

AASHE’s biennial conference is the largest gathering of its kind in the U.S. and Canada.  Well over 1,000 participants are expected to attend from higher education, business, non-profit and government. Given AASHE’s diverse mix of members, the event will have an impressive array of institutions and sustainability interests represented.

Reflecting this year’s theme, “Working Together for Sustainability – On Campus and Beyond,” AASHE has partnered with Sustainable North Carolina to offer a special 2-day tradeshow -  “Sustainable Solutions Expo: Green Solutions for Campuses, Businesses, Institutions.” Admission is included with conference registration. Other special events include AASHE’s awards banquet (included with registration), field trips to local campuses, a Career Fair, specialized pre-conference workshops, a pre-conference Student Summit, and engaging keynotes by Lester Brown, Peter Senge, Van Jones, and Vandana Shiva.

All proposal abstracts except posters are due by May 1 and may be submitted in three categories:  Education & Research, Operations, and Administration & Finance.  Poster submissions are due by September 1.

For more details please visit the conference website at www.aashe.org/conference, or email conference@aashe.org.

Read the full story in the Capital Times.

If scientists are successful, America could someday derive as much as one-half of its transportation fuels from biomass such as crop wastes, leaves and wood.

Read the press release.

Thirteen communities in 10 states will share more than $2.5 million in job training grants geared toward cleaning up contaminated properties and turning them into productive community assets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under its Brownfields Initiative, is awarding grants of up to $200,000 each to non-profit organizations, local governments, a university, and a tribe. The grants will teach environmental assessment and cleanup job skills to individuals living in low-income areas near brownfields sites in Alabama, California, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Washington.

For Earth Day 2008, US EPA challenges residents and communities around the Great Lakes to collect and recycle electronic waste and to properly dispose of unwanted medicines. The agency’s goal is to collect 1 million pounds of e-waste and 1 million unwanted pills.

For more information about the challenge, e-waste and unwanted medicines, or to register a collection event, visit the Earth Day 2008 Challenge web site at http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/earthday2008/.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

Automobile recyclers in Washington have collected from the hoods and trunks of scrap vehicles more than 45,000 light switches containing toxic mercury, preventing the equivalent of 100 pounds of this toxic chemical from entering the environment.

Read the full story in Environmental Protection.

John S. Shegerian, chairman and chief executive officer of Electronic Recyclers International stressed the importance of addressing the “Hazardous Afterlife” of electronic waste at the Chartwell Waste Industry Summit recently in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Read the full story and view the photos at News.com.

What does cardboard furniture have to do with technology?

As prices rise for oil and raw materials (even sawdust), fans of furniture made from cardboard call it more earth-friendly and affordable than its wooden counterparts, which usually requires felling trees, or furniture made of pressboard, which contains toxic glues. It’s also lightweight and can be packed flat for easy shipping.

Star architect Frank Gehry is known as the design pioneer in this realm. Between 1969 and 1973, his “Easy Edges” series of designs layered corrugated cardboard to create chairs and tables capped by a wooden layer for extra strength. Design schools regularly teach Gehry’s forms.

Cardboard as a building block is slowly gaining in appeal around the world. The 2000 Olympics in Sydney featured cardboard furniture. In Hong Kong, cardboard is used for coffins.

Read the full story from Environmental Leader.

The New York Industrial Retention Network has installed a 15.12 kilowatt PV system at Worksman Cycles, the oldest bicycle manufacturer in the U.S., Worksman Cycles employs 50 people at their factory in New York City where it manufactures heavy-duty bicycles used by businesses, according to Reliable Plant.

Read the full story from Environmental Leader.

The first organic standard for the U.S. beauty and personal care market has launched with the support of 30 founding members including Aveda, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, and Origins, according to the Organic And Sustainable Industry Standards, or OASIS.

Read the full story from Environmental Leader.

In his first strategy presentation as BP’s CEO, Tony Hayward said the company has received little, if any, uplift from its investments in wind and solar power and fuels made from crops, Reuters reports.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

The largest source of mercury pollution in Oregon could be cut by more than half by 2011 under a deal with state regulators.

Ash Grove Cement near Baker City has reached a voluntary deal with regulators to cut its mercury emissions by 75 percent within 3 years.

Read the full story in Environmental Leader.

DuPont Titanium Technologies says it has cut its energy consumption per pound of product by nearly 30 percent – saving more than $100 million in the process as oil prices hover at the $100 per barrel threshold. The business estimates that it has saved the equivalent of three million barrels of oil since 2001.

Read the full story in Advertising Age.

Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever have battled over many things over the decades, from soap shares to spy scandals. But the latest battleground may be the most surprising and intriguing — a race to show who’s best at saving the world.

Read the full story in Environmental Leader.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced that the second in its series of public workshops being held as part of the agency’s regulatory review of the Green Guides will cover green packaging claims

Read the full story in Environmental Leader.

Pacific Gas and Electric and BioEnergy Solutions say that their biogas-to-pipeline injection project in Fresno County has begun producing renewable natural gas derived from animal waste. It is the first project in California that will deliver pipeline-quality, renewable natural gas to a utility.

Read the full story from The Ecologist at Energy Bulletin.

On January 12, The Guardian quoted departing chief scientific adviser Sir David King as saying, “any approach that does not focus on technological solutions to climate change — including nuclear power — is one of ‘utter hopelessness’.”

It is useful to have this view so succinctly stated, because it is nearly the reverse of the position I will be exploring in this column, which is that there is an overwhelming need for non-technological responses to our global environmental crisis.

With energy prices rising, more than 75 communities in New England have recognized the importance of improving energy use by taking steps to improve energy efficiency and develop renewable energy choices. These cities and towns have joined together in the New England Community Energy Challenge, which aims to reduce energy costs, improve air quality, and limit greenhouse gas emissions by engaging communities in energy assessments and improvements.

Participants, covering all six states in New England, will measure building energy use in schools, municipal buildings, or wastewater facilities using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. EPA’s Region 1 Office is collaborating with regional utilities, non-profits, businesses, and others to provide a network of resources that can help improve energy efficiency and take advantage of renewable energy resources in the community.

Among the participants is the first wastewater treatment system in New England to join the Challenge, the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District in Maine. The District has implemented a variety of energy efficiency improvements to its facilities, and has used the tools provided by EPA to track and analyze the benefits of these new technologies.

The New England Community Energy Challenge is a regional program of the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a nationwide campaign to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings across the United States by 10 percent or more. Cities and towns that join the New England Community Energy Challenge sign on to be an ENERGY STAR partner, and pledge to support energy efficiency measures.

For more information:

• EPA’s New England Community Energy Challenge
• The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool