Ban Fishing In One-Third Of Oceans – UK Scientists
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Business Groups Beat Out Environmentalists in Spending Bill
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Kyoto Revitalizes U.S. Climate Bill – Lieberman
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Clinton Urges Effort To Address Energy
Former president Bill Clinton chided supporters to stop "bellyaching and whining" about the political obstacles and begin a new effort to address the intertwined problems of energy dependence and global warming. Speaking at a day-long symposium he sponsored at New York University, the former president said he was distressed that the energy issue's link with both national security and environmental degradation received "almost no serious discussion" among the candidates or the media in the just-ended presidential campaign, even though this "may have a bigger impact on America and the world than virtually all the things that were debated." Clinton has vowed to use his platform as an ex-president to promote the issue of reducing consumption of old energy sources such as petroleum and coal that produce the most "greenhouse gases." At the same time, he has stressed the importance of reducing U.S. reliance on unstable Middle Eastern governments — a dependence he says complicates the fight against terrorism. At yesterday's event, he brought together a roster of former top officials in his administration, as well as prominent outsiders such as Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez, who has spoken often on energy issues, and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), who is […]
Carmakers Prepare Suit To Challenge CA's Exhaust Law
by Miguel Bustillo and John O'Dell Automobile manufacturers are preparing to sue California, perhaps as early as this week, in an attempt to derail a pioneering state law that seeks to force the companies to reduce tailpipe emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to global warming. Representatives of two major automakers confirmed Monday that a coalition of companies has decided to file a lawsuit that would challenge the state's legal authority to force the reductions from carmakers. One company official from a domestic automaker who had been briefed on the lawsuit described it as "imminent." However, a representative of a Japanese automaker cautioned that the suit may not be filed until January. Car companies and an automobile industry trade group repeatedly have argued that the California law — which requires a nearly 30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from all passenger vehicles sold in the state by 2016 — sets a new fuel efficiency standard, which only the federal government has the power to do. The easiest known way to reduce exhaust of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases is to build cars and trucks that burn less fuel. State officials concede that the new rule probably will lead to more […]
Europe Safeguards Thousands of Natural Sites
BRUSSELS, Belgium, December 8, 2004 (ENS) – The European Commission today established the largest ever list of protected natural areas in the European Union. The commissioners adopted a list of more than 7,000 nature sites in the Atlantic and Continental regions of the EU to become part of NATURA 2000, the network of protected nature sites in the EU. The lists of sites to be protected in the Macaronesian and Alpine regions have already been adopted by the Commission. With the adoption of the lists in the Atlantic and Continental regions, the Natura 2000 network becomes the largest coherent network of protected areas in the world and the EU's most efficient operational tool to protect its plants and animals, said Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "By establishing Natura 2000," Dimas said, "the EU strives towards reaching its objective of halting the decline of biodiversity by 2010. After a slow start to Natura 2000 in the late 1990s, we have been able to pick up speed in the last five years. It is a great pleasure for me to have these lists adopted." The Natura 2000 network is set up under the EU's Habitats Directive, a law written to safeguard Europe's most […]
The Pyramid and the Pie:Corporate Involvement in Sustainable Development
Is selling shampoo to the poor in developing countries the solution?
Slow Money
Few of the sustainable businesses that need investment meet the criteria of "fast" venture capital.. maybe it's time for Slow Money.
Novozymes:A Company for the Future That Is Here Now
This company is a sterling example of sustainable business and profits going together!
Greening Hospitals
When Boulder Community Hospital (Colorado) received its certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for a LEED silver rating, the hospital not only joined a select group of LEED buildings, but it also became the first and only hospital so far to get a LEED certification. There will likely be more hospitals but not without a struggle. There are 27 health care facilities registered with LEED waiting for word on whether they will receive certification. While that’s a good start, health care facilities comprise 30% of the new construction market. Given that, experts say nearly one-third of the 1800 projects registered with LEED should be hospitals. Because it’s so difficult to make those facilities green, however, less than two percent are. Hospitals operate on a 24 hour basis and have volumes of special regulations to adhere to. Just moving air around takes more energy in a hospital than in most other facilities. Lighting levels are higher and elevators operate all day and night. This makes designing a green hospital more difficult. “I’m not aware of any state that enforces energy code compliance on hospitals,” says Kim Shinn, an engineer with TLC Engineering. “I believe the underlying reason for the […]
