Top Stories
Note to Investors: Energy Efficiency Measures
Can Enhance Value of Real Estate Portfolios.—reliability
high.
"a new report, 'Energy Efficiency in Real Estate Portfolios:
Opportunities for Investors,' says that proven, existing efficiency
technologies in everything from lighting to climate control and more
can unlock the untapped reserves of efficiency gains buried in many
real estate holdings." "'This report documents what common sense tells
us – that an energy efficient building is a more marketable building,'
said Ceres President Mindy Lubber, who also directs the Investor
Network on Climate Risk." More highlights of report. From Ceres. PDF of
report here.
What Are the Amounts of Greenhouse Gases
Released in Your Area and What Are the Sources?.—reliability
high.
"The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a
high resolution digital view of artificial greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions for any 10 x 10 kms area in the world. Using JRC's work on
emissions and Google Earth, this new tool allows the visualisation of
the levels of emissions locally from 1970 to 2005 and the
identification of the main sources." See
Science Daily. Access the overlays here.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
India's Tata Steel to reduce carbon
emissions.—reliability high.
" 'Our target is to bring it down to 1.8 tonnes [of CO2 per tonne of
steel produced] by 2012 and to 1.5 tonnes by 2020,' Managing Director
H.M. Nerurkar told reporters on the sidelines of a CII conference in
Kolkata. He said Tata Steel's carbon dioxide emissions were already
below global industry averages of about 2.2 tonnes per tonne of steel.
He said that while it was relatively easy to bring down carbon
emissions to 1.7 tonnes per tonne of steel, it would be difficult to
lower them below that." From
Reuters.
Smart Ed's
cell phone connection; RWE offering 22 kW home chargers.—reliability
medium.
"When the first second-generation Smart Eds were handed over to
customers in Berlin last week, Daimler and German utility RWE also
announced a few details about how the all-electric ForTwos can interact
with with the Internet. Smart Ed drivers are assigned a personal
contract code that can be used online and with cell phones to share
information (e.g., billing and charge status) and can also pre-heat or
pre-cool the car if it's plugged in. In the future, the Internet
connection should also be able to be used to assign charging times to
mesh with the utility's lowest rates." From
Autoblog Green.
For Brewery, Solar Water Heater Means Twice
as Much Beer for Same Energy Cost.—reliability high.
"Central Waters Brewery in Amherst, Wisc., has been able to double its
beer production without spending any more on natural gas after
installing a solar water heater" More on renewable energy projects at
brewers and distillers. See
Environmental Leader.
Government and
Regulation
U.S. cracks down on lung-harming ship
emissions.—reliability high.
"U.S. environmental regulators on Tuesday finalized engine and fuel
standards for U.S. flagged ships to cut emissions that cause lung
diseases and save more than $100 billion in health costs. By 2030 the
strategy should cut annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) from
large oil tankers, cargo ships and cruise vessels by about 1.2 million
tons and particulate matter emissions, or soot, by about 143,000 tons,
the Environmental Protection Agency said." "The EPA is also working
with international organizations to control emissions from non-U.S.
flagged ships" in the covered coastal zone. From
Reuters. [Note
how EPA emphasizes health and health cost benefits. Makes pollution
control much easier to sell.]
California Ports Not Prepared for Sea Level
Rise from Climate Change.—reliability medium.
"A new staff report to the California State Lands Commission reveals
that most of the state’s 40 ports and shipping hubs surveyed are not
prepared for the rise in sea level expected because of climate change."
The report urges planners to demand that projects show how they will
deal with sea level rises of 16 to 55 inches (0.4-1.4 meters). From
2Sustain. PDF of report here.
Bank of China goes green.—reliability
high.
"The People's Bank of China said today it plans to control bank
lending, guiding credit to new energy projects and restricting loans to
heavy polluters: 'We will strictly control lending to highly polluting,
energy-intensive industries, to sectors with overcapacity and to new
projects.'" See
The Globe and Mail.
Washington, D.C., Requires Building Energy
Use Metrics.—reliability high.
"Building owners in Washington, D.C., will start measuring the energy
use of commercial properties on Jan. 1, 2010, under a new law aimed at
reducing energy use and costs for building owners and tenants" Public
buildings over 10,000 sq. ft. started the program in October. "The new
law also directs all commercial buildings to measure their energy use
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star
Portfolio Manager tool." See
Environmental Leader.
U.S. Airlines, Industry Group Sue U.K. Over
Emissions Plan.—reliability high.
"Three U.S. airlines and the Air Transport Association sued the U.K.
government to challenge the first stage of the country's implementation
of European Union emission-trading regulations." "The EU is adding
airlines to the European emissions-trading system, the world's biggest
greenhouse-gas market, in 2012 to fight climate change" Comments
suggest little chance of overturning the regulations. From
BusinessWeek.
Not So Green
French company CMA-CGM facilitating
destruction of Madagascar's rainforests.—reliability medium.
"Delmas, a subsidiary of French shipping giant CMA-CGM, is
facilitating the destruction of Madagascar's endangered rainforests by
providing transport services for timber illegally logged from the
country's national parks, report multiple sources that have been
investigating the illegal rosewood trade on the Indian Ocean island
nation." See
wildmadagascar.org.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2009 HaraBara, Inc.]
