Top Stories
Rising Seas Could Dampen Aussie Coastal
Building.—reliability high.
"The state government of New South Wales (NSW) just released new
planning guidelines that discourage development in some coastal zones
due to sea level rise caused by climate change. The NSW Coastal
Planning Guidelines aim to help local councils prepare for sea level
rise adaptation in a country that is already feeling the effects from
climate change." See Greener World Media. [It is hopeless to
try to defend coastal development against the effects of rising sea
levels, no matter how much is spent. So development on exposed coastal
land has to be discouraged today. Once it is built the public purse
will be drained for decades to come "defending" it.]
Study: U.S. to take lead in EV race, China
not far behind.—reliability medium.
"By factoring in all nine variables, McKinsey concludes that the U.S.
will initially lead the EV race, but China and Germany are just
slightly behind. The initial U.S. lead could be short-lived, since
McKinsey & Co. thinks China could emerge as the leading electric
car market within 20 years." From Autoblog
Green.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Resource wars: the global crisis behind BHP
Billiton's bid for Potash Corp.—reliability high.
"behind the rhetoric is a bidding war that lays bare the global
struggle for resources on a planet struggling with water and food
shortages, overpopulation and pollution. And it highlights a question
that overshadows the 21st century: how to provide enough food for a
global population that is set to rise from 6.8 billion to more than 9
billion by 2050, according to the United Nations. ... it's a major bet
that rising food demand will cause a significant growth in the use of
the fertiliser." See article at The
Guardian.
New Guide Spotlights Expanding Roster of
Green MBA Programs.—reliability high.
More and more schools and students are interested in "green" degrees.
"This is evident in a new guide from Net Impact, the network of
students and professionals promoting corporate social responsibility.
The group's latest digest profiling Masters of Business Administration
(MBA) programs covers more than twice as many universities as its first
iteration in 2006, boding well for students navigating this growing
field of sustainability curricula." See GreenBiz.
Download the guide here.
Smith Electric Vehicles Revs for
Acquisition, IPO.—reliability high.
"This week, Tanfield — which makes aerial work platforms and electric
vehicles for the commercial sector — reported a return to growth in its
electric vehicle division, driven mainly by 'new markets outside of the
UK.' ... If and when a new plan goes through for Smith U.S. to buy
Tanfield’s British electric vehicle unit, Smith Electric Vehicles UK
(SEV UK), and launch an initial public offering, Tanfield expects to
generate cash from the deal and get a kick-start to improve its
finances." From The
GigaOM Network. [A business rescued
by its EV division?]
GM readies for gas price hike with plans for
efficient models in every brand.—reliability medium.
"General Motors has grand plans to launch several new models that are
aimed at supplying the company with at least one efficient model for
each of its core brands within the next three years. ... According to a
report in Automotive News ..., which cites sources within GM,
execs within The General firmly believe that gas prices will eventually
rise above that $4 mark reached back in 2008 and they want to be
prepared for the looming increase that will send buyers scurrying to
swoop up more fuel-efficient models." See Autoblog
Green.
AstraZeneca Tops Climate Counts Scorecard
among Four Sectors.—reliability high.
"The latest Climate Counts scorecard, an updated evaluation of 47 of
the top companies in the pharmaceutical, home and office furnishing,
toys and children’s equipment and large appliance sectors, shows that
companies continue to improve their climate commitment, but their pace
is far slower than what is required to meet the climate challenge, says
the nonprofit group. ... The companies are scored based on 22 criteria
that measure companies’ efforts to assess their own climate footprint,
reduce their emissions, support (or block) progress on major climate
legislation, and communicate their efforts to consumers". See Environmental
Leader. Access Climate Counts scorecard here.
Government and
Regulation
New Jersey Calls for 1100 MW of Offshore
Wind.—reliability high.
"New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed the Offshore Wind Economic
Development Act ... The bill directs the New Jersey Board of Public
Utilities (BPU) to develop an offshore renewable energy certificate
program (OREC) that calls for a percentage of electricity sold in the
state to be from offshore wind energy. This percentage support the
development of at least 1,100 megawatts of generation from offshore
wind projects, according to the announcement from the office of the
governor." See Renewable
Energy World.
NYC Mayor Wants Massive Bike-Sharing Program.—reliability
medium.
About "a proposal by Mayor Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner
Janette Sadik-Khan. 'The New York City bike share proposal would begin
with 10,500 bikes, and quickly expand to 49,000 two-wheelers. [...] For
all the complaints about rogue bike riders, the city says the dramatic
reshaping of roads to accommodate riders is calming traffic. "We are
doing everything we can to design safer, better-performing streets,"
NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said.'
" From TreeHugger.
