U.S. City's Lights-Out Policy Saves Migrating Birds
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Hydrogen Now One Step Closer to the Fueling Pump
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Chiquita to Sell Colombia Operations
Chiquita Brands International Inc. (NYSE:CQB), announced today it has entered into definitive agreements to sell its banana-producing and port operations in Colombia to Invesmar Ltd., the holding company of C.I. Banacol S.A. Banacol is a Colombia-based producer and exporter of bananas and other fruit products. CQB will sell the unit about $51.5 million. Chiquita is being probed by the U.S. government for making payments to what the U.S. government calls terrorist organizations, to protect employees there. Chiquita Communications Director Michael Mitchell says the sale will not affect the investigation, but that it contributed to the company's decision to discontinue operations in Colombia, which account for about 9% of the company's banana volume. Under terms of the deal, Chiquita will receive $28.5 million in cash, $15 million in notes and deferred payments, and will assume $8 million in pension liabilities. Also on Friday, thousands of banana workers in Colombia, the world's largest third-largest exporter of the fruit, returned to their jobs after a 15-day strike ended with a new wage agreement, a union official said. The strike, the Colombian sector's longest since 1989, caused about $15 million in losses. Chiquita said the groups made threats against its workers and that it […]
Certified Sustainable Products Alliance Markets Food, Wood
The Rainforest Alliance has entered into a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote and sell sustainably produced certified timber, banana and coffee from Central America and Mexico. Known as the Certified Sustainable Products Alliance, the three year program, announced late last month, is funded with an $8.6 million grant from USAID. The Certified Sustainable Products Alliance project is focusing on areas of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, especially on the outskirts of parks, in priority watersheds and as part of biological corridors. During the three year activity period, over 300,000 acres of forest and farmland are expected to be certified as sustainably managed. International manufacturers and retailers such as IKEA, Gibson Musical Instruments, Kraft Foods, Millstone and Chiquita Brands International have signed up as partners. They will increase the amount of certified sustainable products in the supply stream, and in certain cases, to providing technical assistance to farms. Based on partner purchases, over four million board feet of certified timber, 90 million boxes of certified bananas and 30,000 metric tons of sustainable coffee are expected to be sold through sourcing contracts. In the words of Glenn Anders, USAID's mission […]
Whole Foods Begins Composting, Recycling Initiative
Whole Foods Market (WFMI:Nasdaq) recently launched its Green Mission(TM) program that focuses on composting and recycling in all stores. The compost program turns produce, food and waxed cardboard from Whole Foods Markets into useful product. Whole Foods Market sells the compost for $1.99 per bag. "Our composting efforts keep cardboard and plastic out of the waste stream," said Michael Besancon, President Southern Pacific Region, Whole Foods Market. "Food comes from the soil, its wastes get composted and then the compost goes back to the soil, we are closing the environmental loop." More than 7,280,000 pounds of food waste are composted per year. In addition to composting, Whole Foods Market recycles more than 2,190,000 pounds of glass, plastic and aluminum and 3,770,000 pounds of cardboard per year. New Whole Foods Markets are built using recycled and sustainable building materials. Unusable computer equipment, cell phones and batteries are recycled and reusable items are donated to non-profit organizations. Whole Foods Market partners with local power companies to implement green energy in store locations. The Las Vegas store serves as a green model for future stores, featuring an innovative daylight harvesting system. The 33 skylights in the store disperse the natural sunlight while a […]
Uni-Solar Awarded $4.45 Million Air Force Contract
The contract will continue funding the development of lightweight and high- efficiency solar cells and solar modules for airship and space applications. United Solar Ovonic Corp. (Uni-Solar Ovonic), a leading developer of thin-film amorphous silicon solar technology and a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD Ovonics) (Nasdaq: ENER), announced today that the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, has awarded the company a $4.45 million, 18-month contract to develop new solar cell technology to be used in space and airship vehicles addressing defense and homeland security applications. Today's announcement builds on the success of earlier contracts with the Air Force. In May 2003, AFRL awarded an $11.5 million contract to Uni-Solar Ovonic to develop its ultra-lightweight solar arrays to be used in space and airship vehicles under which AFRL had an option to extend the contract with Uni-Solar Ovonic to provide additional funding. The Advanced Space Power Generation Group in the Space Vehicles Directorate of AFRL will administer the contract. UNI-SOLAR space photovoltaic (PV) products offer an ultra-light, low- cost alternative to conventional space PV modules made of crystalline silicon or gallium arsenide. The Uni-Solar Ovonic triple-junction modules, originally developed for terrestrial applications, […]
Itron Launches Water Fixed Network 2.5
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Martek Misses Earnings Estimate
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Stuart Energy Reports Doubled Revenue, Significantly Reduced Loss for Q4
Stuart Energy Systems Corp. (TSX:HHO), a developer of hydrogen fuel stations, reports its Q4 loss declined to $7.8 million from a year-earlier $11.4 million as revenue doubled. Revenue doubled to $5.8 million, the sixth-straight quarter of record sales. The per-share loss for the quarter ended March 31 fell to 24 cents from 49 cents. The full-year loss was $37.4 million or $1.27 a share – including a one-time charge of $9.8 million related to the integration of Vandenborre Technologies in Europe – compared with a loss of $34.1 million or $1.59 per share in fiscal 2003. Annual commercial sales increased to $17.9 million from $6.5 million. "In fiscal 2004, we effectively executed our growth strategy, delivered 174% revenue growth, transitioned to positive margins, reduced cash utilization by 49 per cent and added $21.7 million to our balance sheet through a successful equity offering," CEO Jon Slangerup said in a release. "In addition to strong revenue growth, we currently have a record sales order backlog in excess of $20 million, backed by a robust sales pipeline." Stuart Energy Systems Corp. develops and supplies hydrogen fuel stations based on water electrolysis. Energy station product sales in fiscal 2004 were $11.7 million for […]
ACEEE Calls for Upgraded Energy Standard for Refrigerators, Freezers
Upgraded Refrigerator Standard Could Save $10.1 Billion At a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) public hearing today, a broad-based coalition announced they had filed a petition last week asking that the DOE strengthen energy efficiency standards for home refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. "A new refrigerator standard ranks among the most significant actions DOE could do to save energy," said Steven Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). According to the petition, consumers would save as much as $10.1 billion over 25 years if DOE strengthened the current standard by 30%. According to DOE data, the electricity saved over 25 years by such a stronger standard would be enough to meet the total electricity needs of every U.S. home for 18 months. "Refrigerators are much more efficient than they were 30 years ago," said David B. Goldstein, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council. "But they still account for about 14% percent of electricity use in our homes. Fortunately, manufacturers' innovations make further improvements in the efficiency standards possible." Preceded by several states establishing their own refrigerator efficiency requirements, Congress set initial national standards for refrigerators in 1987, which were updated by DOE in 1989 and 1997. Under the […]
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