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Most of you know the environmental choice for office paper is the highest postconsumer waste percentage (PCW) possible, chlorine-free. Paper with as little as 20 percent PCW can be labeled “recycled.” Of course, tree-free paper is a great choice too. There are distinctions within the chlorine-free category that you may not be aware of. “Process Chlorine Free” (PCF) means that although no chlorine is added during processing, it may be recycled from scraps that have chlorine. “Totally Chlorine Free” (TCF) is bleached with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen, or is unbleached but contains virgin fiber. Papers labeled as ECF, Elemental Chlorine Free are bleached with chlorine dioxide, which produces toxins. As a comparison, Hammermill CopyPlus Recycled runs about $5 per ream. It contains 20 percent recycled material, 20 percent of which is PCW. These are the most widely available, commodity priced papers: — Eureka!100: 100 percent PCW multipurpose office paper. About $5-7 per ream. — Sandpiper 100%: same as above. About $7-9 per ream. — New Life Dual Purpose 100: minimum of 60 percent PCW. 80 percent is PCF; 20 percent TCF. About $4 per ream. — Trailblazer 100 percent kenaf (TCF) — Re-Vision 50/50: half recycled kenaf, half PCW — […]
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Denmark is building 2000 offshore windmills by 2008 to help meets its goal of deriving 50 percent of its electricity through renewable sources by 2030. The turbines, in the North Sea and the Baltic, will be four times larger than current machines. The country generates six percent of its electricity with 4,700 windmills now. The expanded the network will support exports to Germany, Norway and Sweden, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent. 100,000 citizens in Denmark own shares in windmill cooperatives, and individuals receive tax reductions when they invest in wind power. Denmark is also introducing quotas for CO2 emissions by electricity generators, initiating a green certificate system, and replacing subsidies with mandates for consumers and suppliers to source at least 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2003. Green energy facilities built until 2002 will receive subsidies for 10 years. [sorry this link is no longer available] Source: Trends in Renewable Energy: http://www.renewables.ca
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Saks Inc. recently joined the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Buildings program to upgrade energy efficiency in 128 stores, 18 million square feet of space. EPA will help the company upgrade lighting, heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation systems. EPA projects Saks will cut annual electric use by 65 million kwh, saving $4 million a year. Contact Deborah Rachlis, Saks Energy Manager for more information. Energy Star Buildings program: [sorry this link is no longer available] Read the SB Insider Feature article,“New Rules for New Buildings.”
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Friends of the Earth is bringing the environmental NGOs and shareholder activists together. They just held a training conference on the subject, and have convened over 100 investor, environmental, labor, and community organizations to request the Securities and Exchange Commission to mandate increased disclosure in corporate financial statements. A coalition of environmental groups have endorsed 74 environmental shareholder resolutions related to: CERES, global warming, reporting standards, toxics, nuclear issues. Trillium Asset Management (formerly Franklin Research & Development) is working with several NGOs to stop financing of the Three Gorges Dam in China. According to an article in Trillium’s newsletter, the company has joined Green Century, U.S. Public Interest Research Group and others to file resolutions with Chevron and ARCO to stop their plans for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This has been a contentious issue for at least 15 years – NGOs have come close but haven’t been able to designate this pristine area as wilderness. It has been shown over and over again that the tiny amount of oil available there is not worth the huge damage that would be inflicted on this intact ecosystem. BP and Exxon also plan to drill there. Contact: Michelle Chan […]
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The European Commission is calling for $30 billion in private investment for renewable energy projects by 2003. The ‘Campaign for Take-Off’ would increase renewable market share to 12 percent by 2010. EU governments would increase funding over the next five years to reach a quarter of the funding necessary; current spending is $1.5 billion annually. Based on strong interest from the private sector, some officials predict renewables could capture 50 percent of the market in the near future. Funding would be divided evenly between solar, wind and biomass. The European Wind Energy Association, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Business Council for Sustainable Energy Future want the EU to set binding targets; 8 percent of energy in each nation by 2005, 16 percent by 2010, and a 2 percent increment each year after that. The groups claim that fossil fuel and nuclear energy receives 15 billion ECU in direct subsidies each year, ten times the support given to the renewable energy sector. Details in Greenpeace press release
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TransAlta, a utility located in Alberta, Canada has reduced its net greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels, cutting them by about 4.8 million tons in 1997 alone. That’s the equivalent of taking 3,000,000 cars off the road. Its greenhouse gas action plan involved developing co-generation facilities, purchasing renewable energy including wind and small-scale hydro power from independent producers, promoting greater energy efficiency on the part of its customers, and buying “offset” projects in other countries or provinces.
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A coalition of leaders from religious, labor, consumer, civil and human rights, indigenous, and investor groups sent an open letter to David Glass, CEO of Wal-Mart, calling on the company to take specific steps to improve its social and environmental performance. “As the largest retail corporation in the world with over 3400 stores, Wal-Mart is a key player in the global economy,” states Rev. David Shilling, director of ICCR’s Global Corporate Accountability Programs. “If Wal-Mart pays low wages and perpetuates abusive conditions through inaction, other companies will do the same. But if Wal-Mart acts to raise labor and human rights standards in the world, the company will set a positive example for other retailers to follow.” The letter calls on Wal-Mart to: — Exert leadership in community relations wherever it has stores — Participate in diversity programs and public disclosure regarding these programs — Establish policies on Indigenous issues with leaders of that community — Endorse environmental performance and disclosure in accordance with the CERES principles — Pay wages that enable employees and vendors’ employees to meet basic needs and provide discretionary income — Implement an independent monitoring process for supplier plants to eliminate sweatshop labor By the way, Wal-Mart […]
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Two subsidiaries of California-based PG&E Corporation, U.S. Generating Company and PG&E Energy Trading, will transfer greenhouse gas reduction credits to the Barnard/Columbia Earth Coalition through Natsource Inc., an environmental emissions brokerage. This is the first sale between private industry and an environmental nonprofit and is one of a handful of greenhouse gas transactions that have been performed worldwide. The New York City-based student coalition will retire the credits, ensuring they can’t be used to allow future emissions. The group raised funds to pay for the transaction and the companies agreed to invest the proceeds in greenhouse gas emission reduction measures. The companies will transfer 10,000 greenhouse gas reduction credits to the non-profit. Each tradable unit is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide or CO2 equivalent reduced. USGEn earned the credits by taking voluntary actions under the federal government’s Climate Challenge program. These actions include improvements to the efficiency of the company’s power plants, operational changes such as fuel switching, and other efforts such as methane recovery and a carbon sequestration forestry projects in Malaysia.
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Kyocera Corporation’s (NYSE: KYO) subsidiary, Kyocera International, has acquired Golden Genesis Company (NASDAQ: GGGO), creating the largest PV company in the world. Its projected annual sales total more than $1 billion. Kyocera, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is the world’s leading producer of photovoltaic cells; Golden Genesis (formerly Photocomm) integrates and distributes solar systems globally through 1000 dealers. Kyocera has been involved in manufacturing PV systems since 1975. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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This is the name of a program just launched by the largest municipal utility in the U.S. – the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Customers can sign onto renewable energy sources for their power for about a 6 percent rate increase, or about $3 a month for the average home. But with energy efficiency rebates, customers can quickly make up the difference and lower their energy bills. Rebates are available for efficient lightbulbs, air conditioners, and refrigerators, and the department will perform free energy audits. In the month since the announcement, the Dodgers, Playa Vista developers, and Robinsons-May department stores – all large energy users – have signed up. And community organizations will be paid to recruit customers. The current energy mix is the dirtiest in the state; 60 percent of its electricity comes from coal. The department will use the income to develop new sources of solar, wind, biomass and hydro. Until then, small hydropower will be used. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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