Browsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Follow ENB on TwitterUPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced it has ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) – the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company – in addition to another 300 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet.
Read the full story in the Washington Post.
The Energy Department said yesterday that the United States has the ability to meet 20 percent of its electricity-generation needs with wind by 2030, enough to displace 50 percent of natural gas consumption and 18 percent of coal consumption.
Read the full story in Occupational Health & Safety.
EPA Region 7 has developed fact sheets to inform plumbing, heating and cooling contractors who repair or replace mercury-containing gas regulators, pressure gauges, heat generators and thermostats about the health risks and liability issues associated with a mercury release.
The fact sheets (http://www.epa.gov/region07/mercury/#contractors) were created to help prevent mercury releases, which present a serious environmental and health problem. The information describes to contractors how to properly dismantle, contain and dispose of mercury-containing units. The fact sheets also provide information on how to clean up mercury releases, health effects of a mercury release, who to contact if there are questions, and how to report a release.
Read the full editorial in the New York Times.
Congress should realign its tax and subsidy programs to encourage the biofuels that will not compete for the world’s food supply.
Read the full commentary in the New York Times.
Farming has the potential to go through the greatest upheaval since the Green Revolution, bringing harvests that are more healthful, sustainable and flavorful.
For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to http://www.greenbiz.com/enewsletter.
Co-Op America: Greening Businesses Large and Small
By Matthew Wheeland
The second annual Green Business Conference takes place in Chicago this month; in advance of the gathering GreenBiz Radio sat down with Denise Hamler, director of Co-Op America’s green business programs, to learn how the world of green business has grown.
Nike Leads Pack of Companies Improving Climate Performance
Companies such as Nike, Google, Anheuser-Busch and Levi Strauss have taken strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and communicating those efforts in ways that are transparent to consumers, according to the second Climate Counts Company Scorecard.
Truckers Roll Out Sustainability Plan
The “Trucks Deliver a Cleaner Tomorrow” program offers six recommendations that will help the industry shrink its carbon footprint and preserve its livelihood during a time of skyrocketing fuel prices.
Wal-Mart Set to Measure Energy Use of 20 U.S. Capitols
Through a partnership with the National Governors Association, the “Greening State Capitols” program will provide energy audits in 20 U.S. state capitols to identify ways in which they can reduce energy consumption.
Dell Asks Customers for Packaging Advice
Under criticism from bloggers during Earth Week over the use of oversized boxes to ship tiny products, Dell sought the advice of its customers this week to help the company improve its packaging.
Calif. Ports Plan to Switch 8,000 Trucks to Liquefied Natural Gas
As part of a multi-pronged approach to clean up the air at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, about half of the 16,000 diesel trucks that serve the waterfront will be replaced with ones that run on liquefied natural gas.
CVS Adopts Cosmetics Safety Policy, Reduces Waste and Energy Use
Pharmacy retailer CVS Caremark plans to phase out toxic chemicals from its house-branded products in favor of safer alternatives. The company detailed the new policy in its first Corporate Social Responsibility report that was released earlier this week. The policy was formally adopted earlier this year.
Millipore Aims to Cut Carbon Footprint by 20 Percent
Millipore Corp. unveiled a goal on Wednesday to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent during the next five years. The initiative will take aim at its consumption of non-renewable resources and production of waste, as well as introduce programs that will foster behavioral changes conducive to environmental sustainability.
REI Releases Second Stewardship Report, Shows Progress, Obstacles
The outdoor retailer’s 2007 Stewardship Report finds a range of improvements in overall environmental performance and reporting, although it also highlights areas for improvement in reducing emissions and supply chain auditing.
DTE Energy Taps into Biodiesel
DTE Energy will convert its 800-strong service vehicles and trucks to biodiesel in a move it expects will save the company $600,000 a year.
Unverferth Manufacturing Co. Develops Low-Impact Farming Tools with Autodesk Software
Farm equipment maker Unverferth has been recognized for using Autodesk’s design software to speed its creation of low-till tools.
Survey Finds Widespread Adoption of Sustainable Seafood
A report by the Seafood Choices Alliance finds that all sectors of the U.S. seafood industry have included sustainable seafood in their offerings and expect an increase in sales of all seafood as well as sustainable seafood.
New PepsiCo Bottle Uses 20 Percent Less Plastic
The new half-liter bottles also will sport a smaller label and need 5 percent less shrink wrap for multi-packs.
State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets 2008
Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance look at where the voluntary carbon market is at, how it got there and what is in store for the future.
Can Your Green Company Get Big and Stay Real?
By Andrew Park, Inc. magazine
Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, says his deal with Coke is not just part of being true to his mission, but the only way for socially responsible companies to have a real impact on society.
On The Need for Green MBAs
By Vanessa Crossgrove Fry
Experts of all stripes are predicting that green innovations are the last best hope for us to solve our environmental crises. In order to make the innovations a reality, we will have to train our business leaders to think sustainably and act strategically, and business schools are rising to this challenge.
Beyond Recycling: Responsible Paper Purchasing
By Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance
Companies can make an enormous difference in the global environment and forest communities by adopting strict purchasing policies.
Joel Makower’s Two Steps Forward
Exxon, the Rockefellers, and the Future of Big Oil
Marc Gunther on Corporate America
Fiji Water, tacos and going “green”
David Wigder’s Green Marketing Strategies
Reframing Global Warming Across the Political Spectrum
Andy Savitz’s Triple Bottom Line
Timberland And Stonyfield Farms–Two Little Guys Showing The Big Guys How It’s Done
Read the full story from Reuters.
Thinking of throwing out your old cell phone? Think again. Maybe you should mine it first for gold, silver, copper and a host of other metals embedded in the electronics — many of which are enjoying near-record prices.
It’s called “urban mining”, scavenging through the scrap metal in old electronic products in search of such gems as iridium and gold, and it is a growth industry around the world as metal prices skyrocket.
The materials recovered are reused in new electronics parts and the gold and other precious metals are melted down and sold as ingots to jewellers and investors as well as back to manufacturers who use gold in the circuit boards of mobile phones because gold conducts electricity even better than copper.
