Top Stories
I.B.M. Suppliers Must Track Environmental
Data.—reliability high.
"I.B.M. said on Wednesday that it will require its 28,000 suppliers in
more than 90 countries to install management systems to gather data on
their energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste and recycling.
Those companies in turn must ask their subcontractors to do the same if
their products or services end up as a significant part of I.B.M.’s $40
billion global supply chain. The suppliers must also set environmental
goals and make public their progress in meeting those objectives. 'We
will be amongst the first, if not the first, with these broad-based
markers on our supply base and we’re going to have to spend an
appropriate amount of time and money to help our suppliers do what
we’re asking them to do,' " See New
York Times Green Inc. blog.
Companies get sold on green, consumers wary.—reliability
high.
"U.S. corporations looking to slash costs during the recession found
some savings in environmentally conscious business practices, but a
higher price tag on green products is a barrier to many consumers. Many
companies discovered in the past few years that doing things like
lowering energy bills and reducing waste not only saved money, but was
good for the planet and for their image, executives at a conference on
green efforts said. ... While many consumers say they care about the
environment, few put their money where their mouth is -- largely
because the benefits to them are not as clear as they are for business.
... Part of the problem is that many green products cost more but don't
work as well as the conventional version. A weak U.S. economic recovery
and high unemployment also are keeping consumer spending in check. ...
Just 1 to 2 percent of shoppers belong to what he calls the "green
cult." That group will buy items regardless of whether they work less
well, cost more money or are hard to find." See Reuters
story.
A Program to Certify Electronic Waste
Recycling Rivals an Industry-U.S. Plan.—reliability high.
"The Basel Action Network, an American watchdog group that has sought
to curb the export of toxic electronic waste from the United States,
plans to begin a new certification and auditing program on Thursday for
both recyclers and companies that generate electronic refuse. In
addition to outlining safe domestic handling and disposal practices for
old televisions, computers and other electronic devices, the system
would effectively bar participating recyclers from exporting toxic,
nonfunctional electronic waste to developing nations. The program will
compete directly with a less stringent standard recently developed by
industry and the federal government that companies and recyclers say
makes more economic sense." More about e-waste recycling issues. See The
New York Times for more details. [Banning exports
of e-waste--is that a protectionist policy to keep e-waste processing
jobs in the U.S.? Aren't there e-waste recyclers in developing
countries who need the work and could do it cheaper? Maybe they should
be able to get certified under such schemes. See related item below.]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
All 30 Major League Baseball Teams Join on
Sustainability.—reliability medium.
"America’s national pastime is leading the way on climate action by
adopting a comprehensive conservation and greenhouse gas-reducing
program, including a public outreach component at National League and
American League ballparks this summer. The new sustainability
drive involves all 30 Major League Baseball teams from coast to coast,
in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council. One main
feature of the program is a multi-year environmental data collection
drive for Major League Baseball operations that will include energy
use, waste generation and disposal (including recycling), water use,
and paper goods". See CleanTechnica.
AB, Coke, Pepsi, Bacardi Advance Beverage
Industry GHG Reporting Protocol.—reliability high.
"Members of the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) have
completed a set of protocols that incorporate both enterprise inventory
and product carbon footprinting approaches for the whole industry.
Development of the Beverage Industry Sector Guidance for Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reporting (Sector Guidance), Version 2.0, involved input from
members such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, Bacardi, Nestle
Waters, Ocean Spray, Diageo and others. 'The BIER Sector Guidance
document places our industry in the forefront of corporations that are
seeking to act in a socially responsible manner,' says David Walker,
Director of Environmental Sustainability, PepsiCo, in a press release.
'By using this document to communicate consistently and transparently
to our consumers, governments, investors, and other stakeholders, we
are setting the standard for uniform enterprise and product-level
carbon emission reporting.'" See Environmental
Leader.
Greens launch NAFTA action on Canada oil
sands.—reliability high.
The complainants charge "that toxic tailings ponds are being allowed
to leak and contaminate ground water. The ponds store residual oil,
heavy metals and other byproducts of oil sands processing in the
western province of Alberta. They are subject to environmental
provisions under the federal Fisheries Act, the groups said. 'We're out
of options when it comes to trying to get the government to enforce its
law,' Matt Price, policy director at Environmental Defense Canada, told
reporters. 'This is one avenue where we can, at the very least,
embarrass the Canadian government into trying to enforce its law by
having Mexican and U.S. officials essentially poring over our dirty
laundry, which is not something Canada wants,' he said." Story at Reuters.
Plans Begin for 10 E-Scrap (E-Waste) Plants
to Be Built Worth $135,000,000 by Newly Formed Consortium.—reliability
high.
"Garb Oil & Power Corp. has formed a consortium with Soil
Remediation Inc. (SRI), Steel Valley Design Inc., LMW Holding Company
Inc., Odyssey Environmental LLC, Robert D. Carcelli, Inc., Liberian
Holding Corporation, Inc., and Three C's Distributing, Inc., to build
10 E-Scrap (E-Waste) plants worth $135,000,000. The Consortium Company
will take the name of eWaste USA Inc." See Market
Watch from Business Wire.
Government and
Regulation
Study: Minority Communities Suffer Most If
California Suspends AB 32.—reliability medium.
"If California's greenhouse gas emissions reduction law, AB 32, is
suspended or poorly implemented, communities of color and poor
neighborhoods will suffer the most, according to a new report from the
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This is in large part due to
co-pollutants like PM10 (particulate matter of 10 micrometers or less),
which can cause respiratory problems and come from the refineries and
power plants that AB 32 will regulate." From Solveclimate
blog. PDF of report here.
U.S. Tightens Requirements for Energy Star
Certification.—reliability high.
"Under new rules issued by both agencies and effective immediately,
the approval process for appliances will no longer be automated, and a
staff member will review each application. Manufacturers must submit
complete lab test results of their products before applying for Energy
Star certification. And companies will be unable to put the Energy Star
logo on products that have not been specifically approved. ... By the
end of the year, the government said, all tests submitted by
manufacturers will have to be from independent certified labs. Until
now, that had been the case for only some categories of products,
including windows, doors and compact fluorescent lighting." Story in The
New York Times.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
