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A Pacific Institute study of government data demonstrates that environmental indicators in the areas of air and water pollution, toxic releases, and resources and wildlife have improved significantly. Ambient air pollution levels decreased significantly between 1976 and 1997: Sulfur oxides by 66.7 percent; nitrogen oxides by 37.9 percent; ozone by 30.9 percent; carbon monoxide by 66.4 percent; particulates by 25.5 percent; and lead by 97.3 percent. Toxic chemical releases declined by at least one-third since 1988. Discharges into our nation’s water supply have been near zero since 1993. Forests today cover nearly 30 percent of the United States’ total land area. Since 1950, net growth of trees has exceeded net harvest of trees every year. And wetlands conversion is decreasing dramatically. For every 60 acres of wetlands converted to cropland annually from 1954 to 1974, only 3 acres were converted annually from 1982 to 1992. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Want to know where the wind energy projects are going up around the U.S.? Plug in your state on the American Wind Energy Association’s web site and you’ll find out current total MW, planned MW, wind energy potential, and the state’s U.S. ranking. It’s easy and very informative. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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On April 17, North Dakota’s Governor Schafer signed HB 1428 legalizing industrial hemp by decreeing, “any person in this state may plant, grow, harvest, possess, process, sell, and buy industrial hemp.” The bill passed North Dakota’s Senate by a landslide vote of 44-3 and in the House by 86-7. Full text of the new law: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Wind energy novices and experts can benefit from the Danish Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association website tour. You can learn how a turbine works, how to calculate turbine energy output, how they are designed, the status of research and development in wind energy, environmental benefits and concerns, among other categories. It even shows potential investors how to determine whether wind makes sense for them. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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McDonald’s has 75 percent of the fast-food hamburger market share in Sweden; 1998 revenues were about $350 million. As a result of studying the fundamental nature of their business through the lens of the TNS framework, McDonald’s Sweden serves organic milk and beef, recycles 97 percent of all restaurant waste, has significantly reduced distribution distances, cut fuel costs by over 30 percent, and eliminated 1,200 tonnes of packaging material. About half of the 160 Swedish McDonald’s outlets, the bakery, and national headquarters run on hydropower. All new restaurants use recycled plastic water pipes instead of copper, wood framing instead of steel, and wood foundations instead of concrete, reducing construction material use by 5-10 percent. Seven restaurants are participating in research to develop a biological filter (using bacteria) to eat oil waste and reuse the remaining clean air to heat the restaurants. In 1993, just as Mats Lederhausen was settling into his new position as Managing Director of McDonald’s Sweden, TNS founder Dr. Karl-Henrik Robrt addressed the company’s top management in a two-day course on The Natural Step and sustainability. That year, the company established an Environmental Board composed of top executives and educated them in TNS principles. Every store manager […]
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The most common argument against organic agriculture is that its yields can’t match those of conventional agriculture, making organic methods untenable for large scale farming. An important study from the Rodale Institute disputes this reasoning. It shows that the difference in yields is minimal over time. Over the 15 year study period, organic agriculture was more productive than the chemical-based alternative during years of drought. Other findings from the study were released earlier this year. Organic practices were correlated with significantly reduced greenhouse gases by fixing carbon and nitrogen in the soil. And organic farming methods reduce groundwater contamination.
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The author of environmental business book classic, Lean and Clean Management, has released a new book, Cool Companies: How the Best Businesses Boost Profits & Productivity by Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Using 100 illustrative case studies, he documents that financial performance from energy efficiency and clean technology investments can surpass even Wall Street returns. Most business leaders assume emissions cuts will be expensive or are operating under the illusion that they maximized energy efficiency in the 1970s and 1980s. But tremendous recent advances in information technology and ubiquitous electro-mechanical devices offer the promise of billions of dollars to the bottom line. The book shows business leaders, step-by-step, how to exploit revolutionary advances in the design of motors, lighting, heating and cooling, and building space to save money while helping fight global warming. Look for a Feature abstract from this book soon in “Sustainable Business Insider”. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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With $45 million, BP Amoco is buying the remaining 50 percent of Solarex from Enron, creating the world’s largest solar company. BP Solarex projects annual revenues of more than $150 million, a 20 percent share of the global market. It will have manufacture 30 megawatts per year in the U.S., Spain, Australia and India. Solarex recently commissioned the largest solar electric system in the U.S. to Green Mountain Energy. 1,400 thin film modules will produce 43 kW in Pennsylvania for 20 years. In another widely publicized announcement, BP Amoco unveiled its $50 million investment to run 200 service stations world-wide partially on solar power. All new stations in the UK, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal and Spain will incorporate solar. Pilot sites are also underway in France and the U.S. http://www.solarex.com
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In its current May-June issue, HBR covers business and the environment for the third time this decade, introducing the forthcoming book (September) by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawkin, Natural Capitalism.” Hawken and the Lovinses suggest four major, interconnected shifts in business practices: 1. Dramatically increase natural resource productivity. “Wring out the waste of energy, water, materials, and other resources” in company production systems. By using whole-system design, businesses can create technologies that require a small fraction of the energy and resources used to provide goods and services today. 2. Redesign production according to biological models. Closed-loop manufacturing is an example of how companies can completely eliminate waste by emulating nature’s highly efficiently processes. 3. Change the business model. By delivering services instead of products, companies can create dramatic increases in resource productivity, competitive advantage, and profits. 4. Reinvest in natural capital. Companies “must reinvest in restoring, sustaining, and expanding” their biological resource base.
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The Nike Environmental Action Team (N.E.A.T.), formed in 1993, is in charge of Nike’s worldwide environmental efforts, and introduced the company to The Natural Step (TNS). Six months ago, senior management approved N.E.A.T.’s corporate sustainability policy, rooted in the principles of The Natural Step. Nike has committed to making the principles of The Natural Step a common language and mental model for all 22,000 employees. The company mission statement focuses on creating closed-loop systems by eliminating waste, developing “cradle to cradle” product life cycles, and recognizing the value of employee learning and capacity-building. Nike switched from petroleum to water-based adhesives in most shoe styles, and saved $4.5 million dollars and 1.3 million gallons of solvent in the process. It saves half a million trees each year simply by using two shoe box designs made from 100 percent post-consumer cardboard (reduced from 18). The “Reuse-A-Shoe” program reclaims worn and defective footwear and grinds them into granulated rubber for sports surfaces and carpet padding, keeping 7.5 million shoes out of landfills. Nike’s environmental initiatives: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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