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Last year, a nitrogen oxide (NOx) trading program was conducted in the Northeast, marking the first time a market-based approach was used to reduce an emission other than sulfur dioxide (SO2). The SO2 trading program has been used to successfully reduce power plant emissions since 1995. The U.S. EPA reports that as a result of NOx trading, emissions were reduced 20 percent below levels allowed by law and over 50 percent below 1990 levels. The agency believes this demonstrates the utility of market-based approaches to substantially mitigate air pollution. But in a unanimous vote this week, the New York State Senate passed a bill that fines state utility companies if they sell their pollution credits to companies in the 14 states that are believed to contribute to acid rain in New York. By selling credits gained from reducing SO2 emissions in New York to coal-burning utilities in the Midwest and Southeast, the pollution comes right back as acid rain in New York. Revenues from fines will be used to develop renewable energy sources in NY. New York State’s utility companies have stockpiled a large percentage of U.S. emissions credits because the state requires lower emissions than the federal Clean Air […]
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The merger of Hain Food Group (Uniondale, Long Island) and Celestial Seasonings (Boulder, CO.)creates the largest natural foods company in the U.S., with projected revenues of $1 billion by 2002. Although a shareholder vote is required, the board of directors from both companies approved a deal for Hain to acquire Celestial Seasonings for about $390 million in stock. Mo Siegel, Celestial’s chairman and founder will become vice chairman of the new company, The Hain Celestial Group Inc., (Nasdaq:HAIN) and Irwin Simon, Hain CEO, will become chairman, president, and CEO. The company will hold the lead position for the industry’s top three food categories: non-dairy products, snack foods and teas. Celestial tea is on the shelves in 80 percent of U.S. supermarkets; the merger will help Hain to expand into mainstream markets past its current 30 percent. Consolidation is becoming commonplace in this industry sector, but usually conventional food companies buy natural products companies, rather than two natural products companies merging together. Most recently, Kraft acquired Balance Bar (energy bars) and Boca Burger (frozen vegetarian burgers).
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After almost three years of dialogue, Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford announced at the CERES national conference that “As a result of lengthy conversation and mutual decision, we are including the CERES Principles as a key part of our new way of doing business. By endorsing these principles, we are pledging to go beyond the requirements of the law to preserve and protect the environment.” The roll-call of CERES endorsers now totals over 50 companies including American Airlines, Coca-Cola USA, General Motors, Polaroid, and Sunoco. The CERES Principles represent a voluntary commitment to continual environmental improvement that goes beyond the performance required by government regulations. CERES is the convenor of the Global Reporting Initiative, an international effort to standardize sustainability reporting that is being pilot-tested by 20+ multinationals including Ford, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, British Airways, General Motors, Procter and Gamble, and Shell. CERES: http://www.ceres.org Global Reporting Initiative: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Postal Service, and the Cities of Seattle and Santa Barbara, lined up to support the Earth Day campaign for clean energy. Secretary Richardson of the DOE announced the department will purchase three percent of its electricity needs from non-hydro renewable energy sources by 2005, climbing to 7.5 percent by 2010. The Postal Service signed a three-year contract to buy renewable energy for 1,000 sites in California. The Seattle City Council unanimously adopted a proposal to meet Seattle’s future electricity needs with no net emissions of greenhouse gases. The city will rely on existing hydropower and will develop wind, geothermal, solar and landfill gas facilities, and efficiency measures. If the city resorts to using fossil fuels, it will offset carbon emissions by methods such as forest protection. The City of Santa Barbara announced it will supply all municipal buildings with 100 percent renewable energy.
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Texaco quit the Global Climate Coalition and is the second major oil company to pursue hydrogen energy (Shell set up Shell Hydrogen last year). Texaco is spending $67 million to buy 20 percent of Energy Conversion Devices Inc., a leading fuel cell company. ECD manufactures the Ovonic regenerative fuel cell using proprietary hydrogen storage technology and develops PV and semiconductor technologies. Says William Wicker, a Texaco senior vice president, “We intend to be a company that is responsive to the changing face of the marketplace and the energy sector.” BP Amoco is buying 18.5 percent of GreenMountain.com, one of the leading renewable energy marketers in the U.S. The investment will significantly extend the market for competitively priced renewable energy to businesses and households across America, as deregulation progresses. GreenMountain currently serves over 100,000 households in the deregulated states, California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. BP Amoco will market GreenMountain’s solar energy offerings using BP Solarex’s solar technology, products and services. The relationship will significantly extend GreenMountain’s reach by bringing their products to industrial and commercial customers for the first time.
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2500 people from 151 countries attended the 11 day CITES conference (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in Nairobi in late April to determine how to protect endangered animals from international trade. Hawksbill turtles, whales, elephants, and tigers gained protection, but sharks did not. The CITES conference is held every two and a half years. Whales: Global bans on international trade in whales will be maintained. Four proposals by Japan and Norway to downlist certain species of whales were rejected. Norway takes whales – the season began April 24 – as an “objection” to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ban and Japan takes 440 minke whales under a “scientific” program allowed by the IWC (The IWC governs whaling in addition to CITES). During the discussion before the vote, IWC chairman Michael Canny emphasized that before commercial whaling can resume a management program must be in place. When trade is opened illegal poaching inevitably rises, threatening the population as a whole. Elephants: In a move that was praised by participants, African nations agreed that no ivory will be sold in order to give them time to assess elephant populations and poaching levels. In Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, controlled trade […]
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The new Steelcase wood furniture manufacturing plant breaking ground now in Gaines Township, Michigan, will be the first manufacturing building of its size certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. William McDonough + Partners designed the building which is expected to reduce emissions by 70 percent over its existing facility, partly due to changing to a water-based finishing system. Steelcase is retiring the old facility’s unused emissions credits, which are valued at about $5 million. As many of you know, McDonough is in the process of revitalizing Ford Motor Company’s aging 1,212-acre Rouge Plant complex, which Bill Ford says, will soon become “a very visible testament to Ford’s commitment to environmental leadership and social responsibility.” His job is to transform this complex from a symbol of the Industrial Age – a sprawling, dirty facility – to a symbol of sustainable design. For more examples of McDonough + Partner’s recent work: [sorry this link is no longer available] Read a Detroit News article about McDonough’s re-design of the Rouge Plant complex. To learn more about LEED, read our current Feature article or visit the LEED website.
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A government appointed committee on climate change has been charged with developing a strategic plan to cut Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. The group will also propose how the country should meet it Kyoto Protocol obligation to reduce emissions by two percent under 1990 levels between 2008-2012. The plan is expected to rely on energy efficiency incentives, emissions-based vehicle taxes, and wind subsidies. It may include the phase out of three greenhouse gas emissions – hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – along with emissions trading of the other three gases. A three-year public information campaign will be used to prepare citizens for the impact of the measures. A plan to increase green taxes by five to seven percent over the next 10 years is included in the draft 2001 Swedish budget. Euros 3.6 billion (~US$3.46 billion) in taxes would be applied to the energy, transportation and agriculture sectors. It includes adjustments to green taxes currently in place as well as new measures to promote sustainable development, biological diversity, environmental monitoring and adult education. The final budget will be presented in the Fall. Source: Tax News Update
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As of January 1, 2000, individuals and businesses in North Carolina can take advantage of the most progressive renewable energy tax incentives in the country. A bill that gathers all renewable energy sources – biomass, hydroelectric, solar, daylighting and wind – into a single tax credit passed unanimously by both the House and Senate. All of these technologies qualify for a 35 percent credit, limited to the cost of installing each technology. Residential biomass, hydro, PV and wind are limited to $10,500 per system. The limit for residential solar hot water is $1400; active space heating and passive technologies, $3500. Commercial/industrial systems for all technologies is capped at $250,000. The NC Solar Energy Association Policy committee spearheaded the bill’s creation by gaining sponsorship commitments from Representatives Paul Juebke (D-Durham), Joe Hackney, (D-Chapel Hill), and Danny McComas (R-Wilmington). They worked together to craft the new tax credit bill which expanded an earlier bill that would otherwise have been subject to sunset provisions.
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In late April, President Clinton upped the ante when he issued two significant Executive Orders: Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet & Transportation Efficiency and Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management. The first order directs federal agencies to reduce petroleum consumption by improving fleet fuel efficiency and using alternative fuel vehicles and fuels. Agencies that operate 20 or more vehicles must reduce petroleum consumption by at least 20 percent by the end of fiscal year 2005, compared to 1999 levels. Agencies must use alternative fuels to meet the majority of fuel requirements established by section 303 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The second order requires federal government agencies to incorporate environmental management systems into day-to-day decision making and long-term planning processes, including environmental accounting and lifecycle analysis. In doing so, pollution prevention, effective facility management, and sound procurement practices will enable agencies to reach the following goals: reduce toxic chemical releases by 10 percent annually, or by 50 percent by the end of 2006; phase out purchases of Class I ozone depleting substances for all non-exempted uses by the end of 2010; sustainably manage federal facility lands through environmentally sound landscaping practices. To read Clinton’s Executive […]
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