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U.S. Consumers Urged to Boycott Asia Pulp and Paper

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called on U.S. retail customers of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) to demand that the company stop unsustainable logging operations. APP, which is one of the largest paper companies in the world, and its affiliates in Indonesia are clearcutting one of the world's most biodiverse and threatened forests, WWF warns. The timber giant produces copier paper, student notebooks and other paper products sold in some of the world's largest retail stores. Some of that paper comes from APP's clearcutting of Sumatran rainforest, among the most species rich forest in the world and vital habitat for Sumatran elephants and tigers. The Indonesian government recognized the importance of the forest this month by pledging to make part of it, known as Tesso Nilo, a national park. But a six month negotiation between WWF and Asia Pulp and Paper ended last week without an agreement on a sustainability action plan to provide added forest protection. Some of Asia Pulp and Paper's U.S. retail customers, including Office Depot and Staples, have supported WWF's negotiations with the paper supplier. "The ongoing harvesting of Sumatra's rare and vulnerable natural forests and the resulting negative effects on endangered species are inconsistent […]

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World Animal Welfare Standards Under Negotiation

PARIS, France, February 24, 2004 (ENS) – The first ever global conference on animal welfare opened here on Monday, bringing together the 166 member countries of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and affiliated international organizations. The focus of the conference is the development of international standards and guidelines on the welfare of animals. Discussions centered on establishing standards and guidelines in four main areas – transport by land, sea transport, humane slaughter for consumption, and the killing of animals for disease control. They are expected to be completed by 2005. "Any moves to develop international standards have our wholehearted support," said European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne. "The significance of this conference should not be underestimated. It marks the very first opportunity for stakeholders, scientists and governments to debate animal welfare issues in a worldwide perspective." Animal welfare standards are not defined at an international level except in Conventions by the Council of Europe and in some multilateral agreements. But current World Trade Organization provisions take little account of animal welfare so the European Union cannot require its own animal welfare standards to be respected in third countries. Byrne said that the European Commission Monday […]

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California Builders Increase Construction of Energy Efficient New Homes by 1,200%

At the upcoming national Energy Star awards ceremony the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will announce California builders completed 19,000 new homes last year that met the rigorous Energy Star energy-efficiency guidelines — a 1,200 percent increase compared to the 1,500 units built in 2001. At the March 2nd ceremony in Washington, D.C., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will attribute California's emergence as a national leader in energy-efficient new home construction to a unique, joint utility campaign called the "California Energy Star New Homes" program first offered in 2002. The program, run by San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Co., Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Edison, provides builders with information on the benefits of energy-efficient homes plus financial incentives for offering customers Energy Star homes. Approximately $11.5 million in such incentives were provided in 2003 alone to help offset the added construction costs of energy-efficient building practices. Because California has some of the most rigorous energy efficiency requirements in the nation, homes achieving Energy Star certification must be 45 percent more energy-efficient than the National Model Energy Code, instead of the 30 percent criteria required in other states. […]

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Konarka Licenses Key Intellectual Property from DuPont to Develop Solar Cells

Source: Konarka Provider: SustainableBusiness.com News Konarkas Sole Sub-License to Hybrid Technology Provides Strong Advantage in Commercializing Next Generation Photovoltaics Konarka Technologies, Inc., an innovator in developing and manufacturing breakthrough products that convert light to energy, has licensed certain intellectual property from DuPont Electronic & Communication Technologies to compliment Konarkas ongoing organic photovoltaic program. The acquisition of this asset furthers Konarkas leadership position in developing third generation photovoltaic technology and bringing to market products based on this technology. In addition to gaining access to certain technology developed by DuPont, the license also gives Konarka access to certain intellectual property originally developed by the University of California. This latter intellectual property portfolio includes work developed by Nobel Laureate Dr. Alan Heeger, Chief Scientist, co-founder and Director of Konarka, as well as work from Dr. Serdar Sariciftci, Senior Scientific Advisor to Konarka. This significant licensing agreement broadens Konarkas technology platform and uniquely positions the Company to take advantage of nanotechnology developments in both dye-sensitized cells and polymer cells, said Howard Berke, Chairman, Konarka Technologies. Hybrid cells offer the best of both worlds. Gaining access to intellectual property about hybrid cells further enables Konarka to deliver on its vision of bringing flexible, lightweight, low […]

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Stirrings on Fuel

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