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Global Warming Impacts State-by-State

Created by EPA’s Office of Policy, Climate Change Impact Sheets detail the potential effects of climate change by state. Impacts on state climate, human health, water resources, agriculture, forests, and coastal areas are among the topics included. To receive any or all of the 50 impact sheets, visit [sorry this link is no longer available] or call 800-490-9198 with #s: EPA 230-F-97-008 and EPA-236-F-98-007. EPA has a global warming website: [sorry this link is no longer available] For information on EPA’s State and Local Climate Change Program: [sorry this link is no longer available] For details about each state’s activities, check out EPA’s State Climate Database

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Ford Motor Co. Receives Recycling Award

Keep America Beautiful Inc. presented Ford with the 1998 Vision for America award which honors achievements in recycling and use of recycled-content materials and for innovative reuse of cast-off and scrap materials. Recycling initiatives established by Ford include a “Carpet to Car Parts” project, where recovered carpeting is screened, pelletized, and combined with virgin resin to make engine air cleaner housings for nearly 3 million vehicles annually. The company also uses 50 million recycled soda bottles each year to make grille reinforcements, door padding, and roof liners. Ford cars and trucks made in the U.S. and Europe are, on average, 75 percent recyclable. And Ford recycles its own tires, using them to manufacture ergonomic floor mats.

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Top UK Timber Trader Demands FSC Label

Meyer International, the UK’s largest timber trader, announced that it will only purchase FSC-certified timber. The UK is the second largest net importer of timber in the world, and Meyer is “central” to this industry, WWF UK forestry campaigner Steve Howard said. He predicted the announcement would have knock-off effects worldwide – Meyer sources timber from 40 countries. Meyer, which owns the Jewsons and Harcross chains, pledged that 80 percent of its timber will be FSC-certified within five years. According to Amanda Burton of Meyer, the firm has “always kept a close eye on the development of certification and now, as FSC is entering the mainstream we can see it presents an exciting commercial opportunity.”

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New Fund Raises Money for Recyclers

The new Sustainable Jobs Fund(SBJ) will invest in start-up and expanding businesses in recycling, remanufacturing, reuse, and composting industries. One of its objectives is to find jobs for former welfare recipients and people outside the mainstream economy, says David Kirkpatrick, cofounder. “We’ll start by funding small amounts for about 20 seed investments, and the investments will get bigger as the firms grow,” explains Kirkpatrick. SBJ is being organized as a 10-year limited partnership. It will be capitalized by $10 million in investments and $5 million in low-interest loans from financial institutions, foundations, and insurance companies. Most venture capital-funded businesses provide high-tech, white collar, suburban jobs. SJF will focus funding on businesses that provide inner city, blue collar jobs. Kirkpatrick said, “The fund will create 1500-plus jobs and help make recycling markets stronger.” [sorry this link is no longer available]

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Keep Up With Climate Change Conference

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), will provide comprehensive coverage of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Fourth Conference of the Parties, November 2-13. IISD will publish daily 2000-word issues of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin in French and English on the state of negotiations. IISD’s bi-lingual multimedia climate change website will carry photos, RealAudio broadcasts of interviews and conference side events, and links to official documents and analyses. [sorry this link is no longer available] To subscribe to free e-mail reports from Buenos Aires, go to: [sorry this link is no longer available]

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Greening MBAs

How environmentally conscious are the nation’s top 50 business schools? Almost nine in 10 have one elective course in environmental management – but only 16 percent have integrated the topic into core requirements. Only 21 percent offer a degree in environmental management (as a dual degree with natural resources or forestry). Those are the findings of a study by the Management Institute for Environment and Business (MEB), a program of the World Resources Institute. The study ranked eight schools as offering the best environmental focus: * George Washington University * New York University (Stern) * Northwestern University (Kellogg) * University of Michigan * University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler) * University of Tennessee/Knoxville * University of Virginia (Darden) * University of Washington To order the report, Grey Pinstripes With Green Ties: [sorry this link is no longer available] To see the survey results: http://www.wri.org/wri/meb/mba-surv.htm

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Investing in Communities

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Tis the season: move 1% of your savings into community investing and put $10 billion to work rebuilding low-income areas around the world.

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