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A May 15th New York Times article says that multinationals plan to continue reducing emissions regardless of Bush policy. In fact, many companies advocate action. For example, Peter Pestillo, chairman of the Visteon Corporation, one of the world’s largest auto parts makers, says that efforts to address environmental issues are not very expensive if identified early in the design process. Companies also continue to face strong pressure in Europe and Japan. Another NY Times article reports on government studies that conclude that depending on how aggressively the government supports efficiency gains in appliances and buildings, the growth of U.S. energy demand could drop by 20-47 percent. This would eliminate between 265 – 610 of the 1300 new large power plants the Bush Administration insists the country needs. The range also depends on the price of energy – the higher the price, the more efficient technologies become economically attractive. H Power Corp., a fuel cell development company, is bringing Residential Fuel Cells to California. They will be arriving over the next few months and will be marketed with their partner, Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc. (ECO). Altair Energy LLC, will be the non-exclusive distributor for the Southern California market, to sell, install and […]
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European Commission President Romano Prodi of Italy received a generally warm reception on May 16 when he EuropeanCommission President Romano Prodi of Italypresented a long awaited sustainable development road map for the EU. It will be discussed by heads of state at next month’s Gothenburg summit. The strategy consists of broad objectives that address the six greatest threats to EU sustainability. The six areas are: climate change, public health, resource management, transport congestion and pollution, poverty and an aging population. Since recent EU summits have already adopted measures to deal with poverty and an aging population, Prodi’s announcement focused on the other four objectives: * EU greenhouse gas emissions cut by 20 percent by 2020; * An EU energy tax that includes “full internalization of external costs” adopted by 2004;* Incentives to increase the use of biofuel in transportation to 20 percent by 2020; * A system of “resource productivity measurement” developed by 2003; * Reduce transport congestion by introducing charges that “reflect transportation costs to society” by 2005. EU leaders will review progress annually using “headline indicators.” John Hontelez, a spokesperson for the European Environmental Bureau said the strategy is “a real attempt to describe a long term vision […]
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On May 15th, the European Union assembly voted to tighten recycling targets on its sweeping electronics take-back law that covers everything from hair dryers to computers. Next, national governments will debate the draft law. The parliament voted to:* increase the per capita amount of waste to be collected from four – six kilograms per person per year. * Increase the total amount of consumer items to be recycled from 50-70 percent. * put the financial burden for collecting, recycling, and disposing of waste completely on manufacturers.* move up the date for when waste collection systems must be in place – from five years to 30 months after the law is passed. Although the European Association of Consumer Electronics Manufacturers expressed alarm at having to take on the whole financial burden, the parliament also made changes helpful to industry. As a concession to manufacturers who argue they should not have to pay for recycling products made before the law, companies will be allowed to charge consumers a separate recycling fee for the next 10 years. Also, manufacturers will pay only to recycle their own products, rather a fee based on their market share, as in the original proposal.Last year, the EU […]
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On the heels of SONY and IBM’s electronic products take-back, Best Buy announced that people will, for a small fee, be able to return their unwanted electronic products to selected pilot stores. Starting this summer, the program will be available at 10 stores nationwide. Best Buy is an electronics retailer with 400 retail stores throughout the U.S. Its headquarters are in Minnesota, where SONY’s take-back program is also being piloted. Individuals will be able to drop off televisions, computer monitors and printers, central processing units, and peripherals, VCRs, telephones, cellular phones, and camcorders. Best Buy is testing the price for handling fees, but they will likely be $10-$25, depending on the item returned. That was the amount Best Buy set during last fall’s pilot program conducted at one store in Minnesota. 22 metric tons of old equipment were returned during the two-day event. Best Buy plans to hold collection days at least once a year. The company views the program as a way to help build its brand and drive traffic to its stores, in addition to providing a responsible way to deal with the problem of electronic waste.Meanwhile, state and local government agencies are opening up a “national electronics […]
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Ford Motor Company is the first company to offer employees a SRI option in their 401k plan, the Domini Social Equity Fund. Ford’s 401k plan is the ninth largest defined contribution plan in the U.S.It’s rare for a national poll to find that Americans rank the environment as a higher priority than economic development, but that is what a recent Los Angeles Times poll concluded – 50 percent versus 36 percent. Respondents to the nationwide survey indicated that withdrawing from the Kyoto treaty was a mistake for President Bush and that pollution is getting worse. By a margin of 2-1, respondents believe that government oversight on businesses is necessary when it comes to environmental protection. If the law passes, the UK will be the first country to introduce a voluntary trading system of municipal waste landfill permits. The government expects it to reduce the cost of complying with the EU 1999 landfill directive. [sorry this link is no longer available]The newest division in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is the NJ Green Homes office. Its mission is “to fundamentally improve the environmental performance, energy efficiency, quality, and affordability of housing in NJ.” It will use advocacy, education and […]
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Japan’s new Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently asked cabinet members to make sure they were moving toward his target of having a fully low-emission fleet of government cars in place in the next few years. “Japanese carmakers have excellent environmental and energy-saving technology. By getting it more broadly accepted in society, we can be a leader on environmental issues and make it a source of economic growth,” said Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma. Yoriko Kawaguchi, environment minister, pledged to seek a global consensus on the Kyoto Protocol. He and Hiranuma asked senior officials of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and Toyota Motor Corp to keep the supply of low emission cars consistent with demand. The Trade ministry is setting a goal 3.22 million electric, natural gas, methanol or hybrid vehicles on the road by 2010. Tokyo’s municipal government plans to base automobile taxes on the environmental performance of their cars. The most environmentally efficient vehicle will be used as a benchmark against which all other vehicles will be assigned eco-rankings. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara called the plan “a very effective tool in asking automakers to share responsibility for air pollution.” The Tokyo City Tax Commission hopes to draft a city ordinance […]
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Rocky Mountain Institute's Hypercar concept is behind many of the hybrid-electric designs entering the marketplace today. Their for-profit spinoff, Hypercar Inc.'s first concept car is a midsized SUV replacement, rated at the equivalent of 99 mpg.
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In March, the Maine Hospital Association signed an historic agreement for the 39 hospitals in the state. Not only will they discontinue the use of mercury-containing products, but they are the first in the nation to call for a reduction in the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic medical supplies. The agreement also encourages reduction of PVC use in building materials: “Consider longer term replacement of PVC in durable medical products, construction materials, and furniture when opportunities present themselves.” The Maine agreement builds on the national “Hospitals for a Healthy Environment” (H2E) agreement signed in 1998 by the American Hospital Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the agreement, hospitals pledge to go “mercury free.” The H2E agreement also asks hospitals to address persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals — those that are long-lived and build up in the food chain. Maine’s agreement focuses on one major PBT chemical — dioxin, a toxic byproduct of incinerating hospital waste that contains PVC plastic. The Maine agreement commits hospitals to “continuously reduce the use and disposal of PVC plastic in hospitals” through a series of specific action steps with annual reporting on progress achieved. It calls for phasing out all products […]
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New studies prove that sustainable development has a positive impact on business success
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A revived solar power initiative of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
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