Policy | The Green Economy Post: Green Careers, Green Business, Sustainability

The U.S. Government’s Green Purchasing Programs Have Some Serious Problems That Need to be Addressed

By Dave Meyer on July 6, 2011 Comments Off on The U.S. Government’s Green Purchasing Programs Have Some Serious Problems That Need to be Addressed acquisition, bio-based, biodegradable, business, clean energy, Clean tech, Clean Technology Trade Alliance, collaboration, compostable, CTTA, economy, environment, environmentally preferable, EO 13514, EPA, FAR Council, Federal Acquisition Regulations Council, federal contractors, general services administration, government, green economy, green supply chain, green supply chain management, greengov, GSCM), innovation, interim rule on green procurement, management, manufacturing, Policy, procurement, supply chain, Supply Chain Management, sustainable sourcing, transparency

The Federal government recently issues a new rule that requires that 95 percent of new contract actions be green.This sounds great. But there are some underlying systemic issues related to the timing of the FARC interim ruling. Industry groups and procurement agencies are scratching their heads. Several industry associations requested that the government stop issuing rules that change federal procurement policy without first considering public comment.

Interview: Will Kirksey On Sustainable Water Recycling

By Jessalyn Dingwell on February 2, 2010 4 Comments Atlanta, blackwater, Civil Engineering Research Foundation, Clean Water Act, Climate Change, constructed wetland, corporate social responsibility, decentralized, ecosystem, energy, energy efficiency, environment, environmental, EPA, Florida, global warming, graywater, green building, green collar jobs, green economy, green jobs, greenhouse gas emissions, Greensboro North Carolina, infrastructure, LEED, LEED Gold, living machine, new green economy conference, Policy, Portland Oregon, renewable energy, sewage sludge, sewer, smart grid, sustainability, sustainable building, sustainable silicon valley, sustainable water reuse, tidal wetland, wastewater treatment, Water, Water conservation, water grid, Water Policy, water reclaimation, water recycling, water reuse, water runoff, wetland, will kirksey, worrell water, Worrell Water Technologies

Will Kirksey, SVP of Worrell Water Technologies, is passionate about finding practical, ecological solutions to the increasingly urgent water issues in the US. I spoke with him at The New Green Economy Conference in Washington, D.C., just before he facilitated a session targeted at forming policy recommendations on sustainable water reuse. Worrell Water’s water reuse system, the Living Machine, was picked as one of the ‘coolest green products’ at Greenbuild, 2009. Will recently authored the white paper, Sustainable Water Infrastructure for the 21st Century.

EPA Issues New Rule Targeting Construction Site Water Pollution

By Jessalyn Dingwell on January 13, 2010 2 Comments best management practices, builders, building industry, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, Climate Change, construction, construction industry, construction site run off, contaminants, environment, environmental, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, global warming, green building, green economy, greenhouse gas emissions, National Resources Defense Council, NRDC, Obama, Policy, pollution, pollution sources, rainfall, regulation, renewable energy, sediment, storm water management, sustainability, sustainable building, The Clean Water Act, The Clean Water Act of 1972, Turbidity, Washington, Water, water management, water pollution, water quality, waterways

Beginning February 1, 2010, an estimated 82,000 construction sites must comply with the EPA’s new regulation governing construction site discharge. The new regulation outlines stricter measures to reduce water pollution and the EPA expects compliance with the rule to reduce the amount of sediment and other pollutants discharged from construction sites by 4 billion pounds per year.

Green Job Seekers Share Job Hunting Tips at Greenbuild’s Job Fair

By Jessalyn Dingwell on November 12, 2009 1 Comment American Society of Civil Engineers, Amrit Kaur, Annie Fulton, architecture, Arizona State University, building, building waste management, business development, Carnegie Mellon graduate, Christina Lerner, Clea Senneville, construction, engineering, Executives Network, green building, green building industry, Green Job, green jobs, Greenbuild Conference, hiring, information technology, internship, Jessalyn Dingwell, job fair, job fairs, job seekers, John Regan, John-Bugg, LEED accreditation tests, LEED consulting, LEED-AP, LEED-NC certification, mentor, networking contacts, outside sales, Phoenix, Phoenix Convention Center, Policy, Program in Sustainability, sales management, social enterprises, Southwest Jobs Network, Steve Watters, sustainabilitymconstruction, sustainable development, U.S. Green Building Council, University of Arkansas, unpaid internships, volunteer organizations

This is a round-up of on-the-spot interviews with job seekers who attended the job fair at the Greenbuild Conference that is taking place this week. Attendees were asked what strategies were they using to land a green building job.

Entertainment Industry Does Poorly with Sustainability and Social Reporting

By Tracey de Morsella on August 9, 2009 Comments Off on Entertainment Industry Does Poorly with Sustainability and Social Reporting 2009 Entertainment Sector Analysis., Accountability, Bertelsmann, Bukola Jimoh, CBS, Claremont McKenna College, Climate Change, ecological, energy, entertainment, entertainment industry, entertainment sector, environmental management, environmental performance, environmental policy, environmental reporting, Human Rights, J. Emil Morhardt, Live Nation, MTV Switch, News Corp, Pacific Sustainability Index, Policy, publicizing, Roberts Environmental Center, social issues, social responsibility reporting, sustainability reporting, Time Warner, transparent, Univision, Viacom, Walt Disney, Warner Music

Claremont McKenna College’s Roberts Environmental Center recently released a detailed analysis of the social responsibility reporting efforts of the world’s top entertainment corporations that revealed that the entertainment sector lags behind most others in corporate environmental and sustainability reporting. The report scores companies based on the reporting, intent, and performance of their environmental and social sustainability efforts. The research, based entirely on material released on the firms’ Web sites, found that Bertelsmann, a German firm, and CBS, Viacom, and Walt Disney, outperformed the industry giants News Corp. and Time Warner. However, these firms scores were mediocre when compared to the scores of other industries.