First U.S. Eco-industrial Park is Ready for Business

Dedication ceremonies took place October 27 in Cape Charles, Virginia, unveiling the nations first eco-industrial park. The first phase of the Cape Charles Sustainable Technology Park is fully leased to solar-energy, food-processing and environmental consulting and technology firms. The park will accommodate its tenants early in 1999. For more information contact Ed Cohen-Rosenthal, Cornell U. Work & Environment Inst. or Greg Manter, Eastern Shore, Virginia Economic Development Commission. [sorry this link is no longer available] [sorry this link is no longer available] To learn more about eco-industrial parks: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

Environmental Performance & Competitive Advantage

The Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy produced the Business Guide to Environmental Performance and Competitive Advantage. It offers advice on why and how business should measure and report environmental performance. It demonstrates how addressing environmental issues in a systematic way can provide new opportunities to focus on core business objectives such as improved productivity, increased market share, enhance corporate image, higher share value and reduced cost of environmental compliance. For a copy, contact Abdi HusseinOntario Ministry of the Environment: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

Clean Energy Must Increase 10-Fold by 2050

A team of New York University researchers conclude the Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) content can be stabilized only with a tenfold increase in non-carbon emitting power sources over the next 50 years. The current 1.5 terawatts of clean power generation must increase to 15 terawatts by 2050, from its current 15 percent of the global total to at least 50 percent. “Stabilizing CO2 at twice pre-industrial levels without untenable economic disruptions implies a massive shift to carbon-free power, particularly in developing nations,” said physicist Matin I. Hoffert, leader of the research team. “There are no energy systems technologically ready at present to produce the required amount of carbon-free power. Fission and fusion concepts now at early research and development stages could, in principle, provide the needed carbon-free power. Without policy incentives to overcome socioeconomic inertia, these could take more than 50 years to penetrate to their market potential. He called for an international effort pursued with the same urgency as the Manhattan Project or the Apollo space program.

Read More

Online Newsletter on Green Power

Leonardo Academy Inc. is a nonprofit organization working on energy and environmental issues. Its Cleaner and Greener Program is focused on putting the competitive market to work for the environment. You can download their newsletter on green power which provides information on the costs, benefits, and issues affecting choices among different types of green energy. [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

Sustainable Sante Fe

Two active members of the group, New Mexico Friends of the Natural Step, were instrumental in getting the Santa Fe City Council to set up a Sustainable Santa Fe Task Force that will ultimately include five city departments and representatives from the environmental and business communities. The New Mexico Friends of The Natural Step has also published a three-year strategic plan for the state, available upon request, and is working hard on community sustainability issues. They are also collaborating with the city of Santa Fe on a construction waste re-use center. For more information contact Bruce David. There are regional working groups around the country. To get involved contact: tns@naturalstep.org [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

U.S. Fuel Cell Council Forms

14 firms which produce or purchase fuel cells or components formed the U.S. Fuel Cell Council. On the organization’s board are representatives from 3M, the American Methanol Institute, Ballard Generation Systems, Daimler-Benz, DuPont Fluoroproducts, Energy Partners, Energy Research Corp., EPYX Corp., Ford Motor Co., International Fuel Cells/ONSI Corp. (United Technologies Corp. subsidiary), M-C Power Corp., Plug Power, W.L. Gore & Associates and Siemens/Westinghouse. Helmut Petri, a member of Daimler-Benz’s Board of Directors overseeing passenger-car development, predicted to attendees of “Convergence 1998,” the International Congress on Transportation Electronics, that the pace of automobile development over the next 15 years will exceed that of the previous 50 years, in part because of changes spurred by integrated electronics and fuel cells. U.S. Fuel Cell Council: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

Seeking Funding in Europe?

Visit the European Foundation Centre’s online Funders Directory. They produce a number of directories which list funders and their program interests, a European Grants Index, a guide to Environmental Funding in Europe. http://www.fundersonline.org [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More

Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center Breaks Ground

A variety of environmental businesses are leasing space at the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center in Minneapolis, MN., which is in the process of being built. The 64,000 square foot office and manufacturing center is located on a former brownfield, and is a project of The Green Institute. The center will be a model green building with 100 percent daylighting, ground source heat pumps, a wind and solar energy system, and a 4800 square foot rooftop garden. At least 10 percent of the materials come from salvaged sources. The Green Institute mission is to create self-sufficient models of economic development with a focus on the emerging green business sector. Green Institute: 612-874-1148

Read More

Campaign for a New TIAA-CREF

College faculty have launched a nationwide campaign to persuade TIAA-CREF, the nation’s largest private pension system, to begin “positive investing” with their retirement funds. They are calling on the group to invest $150-300 million in assets from the Social Choice Account, a socially responsible fund, in companies and other financial institutions that are models of social and environmental responsibility. The Campaign was launched after an unsuccessful attempt to persuade TIAA-CREF, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund, to try positive investing. In 1989, faculty successfully lobbied the group to create the Social Choice Account, now the largest socially responsible fund in the U.S. The account, which screens for tobacco, alcohol, nuclear, military, environmental, and Northern Ireland concerns, has posted returns comparable to those of TIAA-CREF’s standard stock fund. The Campaign now asks that 5-10% of Social Choice Account assets be invested in progressive companies. These might include companies that have exemplary records on employee relations, care for the environment, honesty with consumers, and contributions to local communities. Funds can also be allocated to community development banks. The investment would help such companies thrive, argue Campaign organizers, and enable them to serve as models of corporate responsibility for others […]

Read More

GM Joins WRI But Still Waffles on Climate Change

General Motors is collaborating in the World Resources Institute’s “Safe Climate, Sound Business” initiative – a partnership with British Petroleum and Monsanto based on the premise that “Leadership and commitment to action are necessary now to address the climate challenge.” The partners commit to measure emissions from their operations, develop new technologies to control them, educate employees, customers, and suppliers about climate-change issues, include “global climate considerations” in new investment decisions and encourage the government to eliminate fossil-fuel subsidies. When a Detroit News headline proclaimed “Global warming is real, GM says,” the automaker responded by toning down the wording of its message and calling the article “inaccurate.” GM’s response states, “there is enough cause for concern to take moderate cost actions to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions and the risk from potential change.” Source: Calstart News

Read More