The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $104.7 million in funding for seven new research and testing facilities located in DOE national laboratories. The announced projects will support the development and improvement of clean energy and efficiency technologies that are in the US strategic national interest. The new funding is supporting research in techniques to reduce the cost to manufacture carbon fiber on a large scale; finding ways to improve efficiency and lower costs for car batteries; and for developing net-zero energy building technologies.
The 2009 Copenhagen Diagnosis: Climate Science Report provides a critical update to the global public on the latest climate science. The purpose of this report is to synthesize the most policy-relevant climate science published since the close-off of material for the last IPCC report that supplements the IPCC AR4 in time for Copenhagen in December, 2009.
A new study by the Marine Biological Lab (MBL) of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has reported that biofuels that displace food crops may have a much bigger carbon footprint than previously thought. MBL senior scientist Jerry Melillo and his colleagues at the MBL have reported that carbon emissions from land-use change caused by the displacement of food crops and pastures by a global biofuels program may be twice as much as the emissions from lands directly devoted to biofuels production.
Senior members of the US Chamber of Commerce are strdently opposing the Chamber’s position of opposition to climate policy. These organizations are eager “to boost their green credentials,” for fear of alienating their customers and senators. This is an indications that Social movements shape political power and concerned citizens, can move even the most entrenched corporate and political interests. NRDC research finds that “only 23 members of the U.S. Chamber’s board have a publicly stated position on climate change and more than 80 percent [19 members] are not on board” with the Chamber’s official position.
Institutional investors may have a fiduciary duty to consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, according to a new study from the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). In reporting on “Fiduciary Responsibility,” Social Funds’ Robert Kropp expressed the uncertainty that still surrounds the question of ESG-related fiduciary responsibilities.
As the discussion continues on the true impact of emissions on climate change, many companies are reevaluating the internal impacts pending legislation may have on costs. For the first time, businesses are evaluating emissions as a waste stream that will be part of total lifecycle cost.
Yalmaz Siddiqui, Office Depot’s Director of Environmental Strategy, shares his glass-half-full view of environmental policy, calls for a new definition of “green” and talks about the legacy he’d like to leave. Siddiqui joined Office Depot in 2006. He’s since developed programs that improve the environmental standards of Office Depot’s supply chain, its internal operations and the consumer market.
Throughout the years, I have encountered many people who wanted to go green, but couldn’t sell the eco approach to the executive team. I believe most managers are simply not aware of what green marketing is, and why it’s better than traditional, non-green marketing.
The Princeton Review, today released its second annual Green Ratings of colleges. In this measure of how environmentally friendly the institutions are on a scale of 60 to 99, the company tallied its Green Ratings for 697 institutions based on data it collected from the colleges in 2008-09 concerning their environmentally related policies, practices, and academic offerings. The Princeton Review also named 15 colleges to its “2010 Green Rating Honor Roll” – a list that salutes the institutions that received the highest possible score – 99 – in this year’s rating tallies.
