Rona Fried, Author at Sustainable Business - Page 2763 of 2804Sustainable Business

Home
Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 2763)

U.S. Issues Tough Emissions & Clean Fuel Rules

The U.S. government will mandate uniform tailpipe emissions for passenger cars, sport utility vehicles and other light-duty trucks. President Bill Clinton said, “For the first time, we require all passenger vehicles, including the popular sport utility vehicles, to meet the same tough pollution standards. And for the first time our plan addresses not only the cars we drive, but also the fuel they use. Because sulfur clogs and impairs anti-pollution devices, we’re proposing to cut the sulfur content of gasoline by about 90 percent over the next five years.” The new standard mandates that cars are 77 percent cleaner, and SUVs and other light-duty trucks 95 percent cleaner, than today’s models. It will be effective beginning in 2004 and will be phased in over the following five years. The measures, when fully implemented, will reduce vehicle emissions at a level equivalent to removing 166 million cars from the road. The projected costs to meet the standard equal about $100 for cars, $200 for light-duty trucks, and between one and two cents per gallon of gas. At the same time, average gasoline sulfur levels will be reduced from 300 to 30 parts per million. The impact of this reduction equals removing […]

Directory of Sustainable Energy Companies Published

The SUN DAY Campaign has published three directories. The fifth edition of its “National Directory of Sustainable Energy Companies” provides a zip-coded and indexed listing of 1,500 U.S. firms working on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The “National Directory of Sustainable Energy Organizations: 5th edition” lists 1,000 citizen groups and trade associations that promote sustainable energy technologies, and “National Directory of Sustainable Energy Periodicals: 5th edition” list 800 newsletters, magazines, and other periodicals that report on sustainable energy issues. To get copies, contact Ken Bossong: kbossong@cais.com

Recycling is Good Business at GM & Ford

In a $1 billion deal, General Motors will sell its aluminum scrap to Imco Recycling, and buy 2 billion pounds of recycled aluminum back over 13 years. Its vehicle aluminum content is projected to rise by 7 percent annually. Ford Motor Co. is getting into the recycling business with its purchase of a Tampa, Florida automotive recycling company. The company intends to become the world’s largest car-parts recycler and plans to buy dozens of similar businesses across the U.S. in the coming months. The company projects annual revenues of $1 billion within five years. The Ford subsidiary will dismantle all types of vehicles and sell the parts over the Internet to body shops, insurance companies and consumers. Eventually, Ford plans to expand the business to Europe, Asia and Latin America. It also intends to increase the recyclable content of its cars from today’s 75-80 percent level to 90 percent or more.

Other cities will be added soon, but if you live in Orange County, CA., you can sign up for a free four-week trial of the the hybrid-electric ‘Prius.’ Five people will be selected in each test city. The Prius, which has been sold in Japan for a couple of years, will be sold in the U.S. next year. It uses a small internal-combustion engine in conjunction with an electric motor to achieve very high fuel economy and very low emissions. In Japan, the car gets 66 miles/gallon and goes 800 miles between fill-ups of gasoline. [sorry this link is no longer available]

Ecuador Blocks Exploitive Industries from Two Parks

Taking a courageous stand, Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad has issued a decree that blocks future oil exploration, mining, logging, and colonization in the Cuyabeno-Imuya and Yasuni National Parks, covering 2.7 million acres of old growth rainforest. The parks are home to thousands of indigenous peoples; two subgroups of the Huaorani people are among the world’s last nomadic, largely uncontacted indigenous peoples. To become permanent, this decree must be passed into permanent legislation. In 1991 an Ecuadorian Supreme Court decision to ban oil projects in protected natural areas was overturned after oil companies threatened to divest from Ecuador.

Two Guides Help Purchase & Finance Solar Systems

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has added two guides to its collection of publications: “The Borrower’s Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems,” with information about financing programs for PV and solar thermal systems, and the state-specific “Colorado Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Solar Electric System.” While you’re at their website you might find their collection of publications useful. It covers all aspects of renewable energy from biopower to geothermal, from hybrid vehicles to buildings. “The Borrower’s Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems” Full publication listing. Contact Sally Evans for pubs not on the website.

Canada's Environmental Industry Totals

Statistics Canada reports that 1997 figures for environmental goods and services in Canada equals C$22.2 Billion. 5,650 environmental companies operate in Canada. Exports of Canadian environmental goods and services increased by 10 percent from C$754 million in 1996 to $827 million in 1997. Statistics Canada: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Calculate Pollution Saved When You Use Renewable Energy

How much and what kind of emissions do you avoid when you use PVs or solar water heaters? Plug in the state you live in and this U.S. EPA website will tell you how much CO2, NO2 and SO2 you’re saving. For example, a 2kW PV system in New York annually saves the equivalent of 5027 vehicle miles and the carbon dioxide absorbed by 1 acre of trees. [sorry this link is no longer available]

U.S. EPA Report Card Gets High Marks

With strong support from the Clinton administration, the U.S. EPA is charging ahead. According to its 1998 fiscal report, enforcement is at near record highs. It initiated 266 new criminal cases and 411 civil cases in 1998. It assessed $190 million in fines and penalties, and $230 million in Superfund settlements. These actions resulted in substantial pollution reduction. Almost half the civil settlements require violators to implement or improve environmental management systems, or enhance the public’s right to know. Polluters spent over $2 billion dollars to correct violations and clean up Superfund sites, $200 million more than in 1997. EPA’s website gets 40 million hits a month! Its annual emission auction run by the Chicago Board of Trade brought in a record $53 million in sulfur dioxide allowances. 150,010 allowances traded hands, sold at an average price of $207. [sorry this link is no longer available]

Australian Environmental Industry Database

The Environment Industry Expertise Database, part of EnviroNET Australia, lists Australian companies and government organizations that provide technologies, instrumentation, monitoring equipment, and consulting services related to environmental issues and problems. Other sections on the website cover Cleaner Production (with Australian business case studies), Environmental Education, Research & Development, and Environmental Technologies. Register your company at: [sorry this link is no longer available]

MenuMenu