Event - 24 Reasons for Hope

This event calls each one of us to do our part to combat the climate crisis. We have to get beyond the dire scientific predictions warning us about rising seas and devastating drought. It is time for hope, time for us to realize that we have a choice to do something about the climate crisis. It is time for us to act. This movement encourages people to "dedicate a day for action." This can include anything from voting to marching to speaking out in your community.

As explained by Al Gore, the Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project, Twenty-Four Hours to Change the World is about making a difference at this pivotal time in human history."

"It’s time to stand up and stop climate change. It’s time to turn the solutions we have into the clean energy future we want."

One of the most important things we can do is transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable sources of energy. This point is being driven home by the declining costs of renewables and the growing awareness of the dangers associated with fossil fuels. We are at a turning point in human history where clean energy goes mainstream. All that we need to bring this ambition to fruition is popular support and political will.

Make sure you listen in on the signature 24 Hours of Reality global broadcast which is taking place on September 16—17, 24 Hours of Reality: 24 Reasons for Hope.

This broadcast will celebrate the innovation and progress in climate solutions happening all across the planet. Hosted by former Vice President Al Gore, each hour will highlight a new milestone and reason to be hopeful about solving the climate crisis; from the smart growth strategies now guiding cities everywhere to the ways renewables are helping to increase energy access and combat poverty for millions.

To tell these success stories, the will feature presentations from Vice President Gore, conversations with cultural icons and activists like Mark Ruffalo and Wanjira Mathai, reports from the field, and town hall-style discussions with audience members like you. In between, musical performances from artists like Jack Johnson, Colbie Calliat, and Jason Mraz give hope a lively beat.

The program will kickstart a year of concerted action as each hour invites viewers to dedicate a day in the following 12 months to making a difference and working for climate solutions. The idea is to get millions of people around the world to act on climate change. These efforts will occur against the backdrop of negotiations by world leaders who are working on a new framework for global action.

For more information click here.

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Event - Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America 2014

This event will take place on December 7 - 11 2014, Orlando Florida, Orange County Convention Center. Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo 2014 is breaking out of the vertical energy mindset and dividing up the renewable energy marketplace by size, application and region.

Cutting-edge conference sessions will cover the most pressing trends in renewable energy, giving you all the information you need to solve real problems and explore real opportunities in renewable energy.

This is the only conference and expo where ALL of the power generation stakeholders -- from coal and natural gas to nuclear energy to renewables -- come together under one roof to solve the world's energy problems as one united power-generation industry.

Four Tracts

1. The large-scale renewables track will cover baseload and multi-megawatt-scale renewable energy projects, policies and applications.

2. The distributed generation track will look at smaller commercial and behind-the-meter renewable energy applications, technologies and policies and our utility integration track will cover permitting and interconnection and other grid impacts of renewable energy.

3. The renewables and the global market track will examine how renewables are making an impact on emerging markets, for example how they are solving energy issues for the billions of people worldwide without access to power.

4. The innovative energy partnerships track will look at how renewable energy and other traditional fuels can work together such as pairing geothermal energy with oil and gas exploration; algae projects with power plants; pumped hydro or natural gas with wind farms and solar with coal plants.

For more information click here.

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Event - Sustainable Ag Expo: Sustainable Farming Conference and Trade Show

The 10th Annual Sustainable Ag Expo will take place November 17-18 at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, California.

The theme of the 2014 Sustainable Ag Expo is “Balancing Water, Soil, and Nutrient Resources for Long Term Sustainability.” The Expo will explore ways of creating conditions that grow healthy plants in balanced systems, which require fewer inputs.

The Sustainable Ag Expo was launched in 2004 by the Vineyard Team. The goal of the Sustainable Ag Expo is to share information across crop types on important topics such as energy and water conservation, holistic management, integrated pest management and soil management.

The event will include a wide assortment of practical information for growers of all crops. Attendees can learn about the latest in farming research, resource issues, and business trends related to sustainable agriculture.

Who Should Attend

Presented by The Vineyard Team, the Sustainable Ag Expo offers sustainable farming education for growers and farmers across crop types. This unique opportunity is for farmers, ag professionals, and pest control advisers representing a variety of operations.

“The Expo attracts a diverse agricultural audience representing a variety of crops,” said Kris Beal, Executive Director for The Vineyard Team. “From large to small acreage and with a variety of farming philosophies – everyone is welcome. We work hard to ensure that everyone can take home something useful to implement immediately.” To her point, annual attendees historically represent over 225,000 acres of row crops, vineyards and orchards from across the state.

Program Overview

The program will include sessions on irrigating in the drought, soil and plant nutrition management and measurement, sprayer technologies for vineyards and orchards, root/soil dynamics, and updates in pesticide laws and regulations. The event provides continuing education for pesticide advisers and applicators and certified crop advisers.

Speakers and Sessions

Speakers will highlight water-use efficiency measures, including the topic of water efficient rootstock and variety selection by Dr. Andrew Walker of UC Davis. The physiology of grapevine nutrition will be covered in detail by Dr. Markus Keller of Washington State University, author of the book The Science of Grapevines. Dr. Joan Davenport, also from Washington State University, will present her most recent work on monitoring grapevine nutrition using new leaf tissue sampling protocols developed in the Pacific Northwest. And a session will be dedicated to advancements in effective spraying, featuring techniques and technologies by Dr. Andrew Landers of Cornell University, author of the book Effective Vineyard Spraying.

Exposition and Networking

In addition to a host of educational opportunities, the Expo features a trade show highlighting sustainability-focused products and services allowing ample time for vendors to network with upper-level ag decision makers.

About the Vineyard Team

The Vineyard Team is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable vineyard practices such as water conservation, integrated pest management, habitat diversity, and protection of water quality and human resources. Established in the mid-1990s when the term “sustainable” was far less mainstream than it is today, the Vineyard Team has enjoyed an impressive track record, earning awards and recognition from a broad variety of entities including the Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

For more information and to register click here.

Event - SXSW Eco

This event will take place on October 6 - 8, 2014 in Austin, Texas. SXSW Eco will take place over three days and feature more than one hundred inspiring sessions and more than three hundred top-level speakers. SXSW Eco attracts a global community to explore, engage and co-create solutions for a sustainable world.

The event offers a uniquely inclusive platform for professionals to examine the critical challenges of our times through a kaleidoscopic lens of design innovation, policy tipping points, technological breakthroughs, conservation practice, entrepreneurial spirit and a culture of creativity to transform inspiration into action.

Challenge your perspective at SXSW Eco and gain inspiration for your next business venture, hear from movers and shakers, and make meaningful connections to last long after the three-day event.

For more information and to register click here.

Event - Sustainable Performance Forum

This event will take place on September 25 - 26, 2014 at the Aqua Tower in Chicago. With five hundred EH&S, Sustainability, Risk and IT professionals from the world’s largest corporations, over fifty sessions and countless opportunities to network with your peers, the Sustainable Performance Forum (SPF) Americas 2014 is the can’t-miss event of the year for future and existing Enablon Users across the Americas and Australia.

Why Attend SPF Americas

SPF Americas 2014 is a conference for forward-thinking EH&S, Sustainability, Risk and IT professionals, whether or not you are an Enablon customer. You will walk away with contacts to drive your initiatives and a wealth of knowledge from the agenda with a focus on people, processes and technology.

Featured Topics

SPF Americas hosts a value-packed program split into five tracks covering the hottest topics in EH&S, Sustainability and Risk Management. The program is designed to help you address industry challenges and to make the most of your Enablon investment.
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Performance Management, Project Management, Proficiency Management, Management of Change

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Air, Water, Waste, Chemicals Management, Regulatory Compliance Management, Audit Management

HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Health & Safety Management, Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, Job Safety Analysis

OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT

Incident Management, Risk Management, Crisis Management, Security Management

Click here to see the conference agenda.

Video - Student and Staff Perspectives on Masters Degree Program at Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)


Watch this student and staff perspective on the Masters Degree program at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). In this video students and staff share their views on what it is like to study renewable energy, architecture, sustainability and adaptation at CAT. They explain some of the unique features of a CAT MSc. Masters Degrees at CAT are structured around a series of residential modules, meaning the courses tend to ferment a unique collaborative environment.

For more information on the Graduate School of the Environment CAT program, click here.

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources. 

Video - The Health Costs of the Electronics Industry




This short documentary reveals the tragic health costs of the electronics industry in China. Workers toil 15 hours a day, seven days a week. In the process, they and their offspring are poisoned by chemicals.

Thousands of young people in China enter export factories to make the West's favorite electronic gadgets. In the process some get sick with serious occupational diseases like leukemia.

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Solutions in Environment and Health from Epidemiologist Christopher Golden

Epidemiologist Christopher Golden has conducted research which has quantified the relationship between environmental trends and human health. Golden's research has specifically revealed a connection between disease and degraded biodiversity. His research not only demonstrates how environmental trends affect our health, he shows how the right interventions can solve problems for both sick people and sick ecosystems.

"The health of our planet can have powerful effects on the health of people. Understanding that complex relationship has never been more critical," Golden says.

His research demonstrates how changes in the environment can have a tangible impact on human health. He has elucidated the interrelationship of unsustainable hunting and adverse health impacts in Madagascar. He was also able to demonstrate that sustainable practices contributed to health. This approach is currently being used to explore how climate change is impacting the oceans which in turn impacts.

"Were helping quantify how global fishery collapse relates to rising worldwide malnutrition and other specific health outcomes. Our predictive models will link ocean acidification, pollution, warming, and coral bleaching to food insecurity. Conversely, we'll measure how protecting marine areas can increase productivity of fish and boost food supplies," he said.

Using his understanding of the interrelationship between the environment and human health, Golden has created an organization called HEAL (Health and Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages). This program is a consortium of 25 institutions led by the Wildlife Conservation Society that aims to restore a more harmonious balance between humans and the biodiversity in which they live.

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MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School

Presidio Graduate School’s MBA program prepares students to deal with the complex and interdependent issues that define sustainability. This includes climate change, cleantech, stakeholder engagement and social responsibility.

This MBA degree connects rigorous management theory and practice with ecological and social awareness, systems thinking and sustainable leadership. Their MBA curriculum weaves these elements together to empower students to become effective leaders, change agents and entrepreneurs in the service of a more just, prosperous and sustainable world.

Presidio's MBA program is a 60-credit curriculum with 15 required courses and one elective. The program combines face-to-face classroom experience with the flexibility of interactive distance-learning. The online component develops essential management skills and facilitates virtual collaboration among students.

The full-time program spans two years and the part-time program four years. Each semester, classroom instruction takes place over a four-day residency period (part-time students attend classes for two days). These residencies occur Thursday through Sunday once a month for five months.

The curriculum is based on principles of systems thinking and sustainability ground the entire curriculum and are woven into every course. A whole-systems orientation rests on coursework in systems thinking, sustainability literacy, ethics and social justice. Students learn to apply these concepts to shape business strategy and practice.

To view the curriculum click here.

Bastardizing Sustainability: The Cynical Business of Global Warming

There is more to the business of global warming than meets the eye. Some companies are bastardizing sustainability simply to reap a profit. 

Business opportunities associated with climate change are increasing as are profit opportunities for businesses focused on sustainability. However, a new book shines light on the cynical underbelly of climate adaptation. The book is titled, "Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming". Journalist McKenzie Funk spent six years traveling the world gathering information to write the book.

Funk's book exposes companies that position themselves to profit from a warmer world. Such opportunists welcome climate change as a gateway to tremendous profits.

He cites, Deutsche Bank's investments in climate mitigation technologies while pointing out that their "Climate Change Fund," includes companies that are banking on a warmer world. As explained by Funk, "the warmer the world...the bigger the windfall."


Funk also reviews companies that are poised to exploit resources being exposed by melting Arctic ice.  Vast sums of money are being invested in adaptation. The sinister inference in the book is that some companies have a vested interest in a warmer world.

Adaptation efforts in the absence of mitigation should be met with skepticism. We must not allow ourselves to make the false choice between adaptation and mitigation. It is not an either or proposition. We must both curtail our emissions and prepare for the consequences of climate change.  

The book points to the glaring injustice of the world's poor many of whom will be disproportionately impacted by climate change. This is the win-loss scenario, in which some benefit while others lose.

Sustainability efforts cannot be divorced from social impacts. Exploiting profits at the expense of the environment and people misses the point completely. Business which is premised upon the suffering of others is patently unsustainable not to mention unconscionable.

These amoral profit oriented ambitions are an anathema to the spirit of sustainability. The calculus behind sustainability implies that a successful venture must benefit people, the planet and profits. In isolation, the profit motive serves the same soulless enterprise that created the climate crisis in the first place. Value in the context of sustainability prioritizes people and the planet alongside profits.

Sustainability is premised on the notion that we succeed together, if we fail to meet this challenge we invite catastrophe. It should be no consolation that profits may insulate us for a time, as these short term profits will ultimately give way in a world ravaged by climate change.

Investors should be wary of those firms who are banking on the win-loss scenerio. The smart money should go to those who see the long term value of win-win scenerios. 

The business world is rife with examples of Greenwashing. Such companies seek to profit from climate change under the guise of sustainability. Unless we hold corporations and governments accountable, we can expect this trend to continue.  To do this we must delineate those who feign sustainability but are only interested in profits, from those who strive to profit by earnestly practicing sustainability. 

It is facile to reduce this discussion to the simplistic polarity of good versus evil. Funk's book calls us to deeply explore the value equation upon which a business is premised.

The Pearl in the Oyster - Leveraging the Climate Crisis for Human and Planetary Health

We may be able to leverage the threats posed by environmental degradation in a way the could contribute to human health and galvanize action on climate change. The deteriorating state of our environment has prompted research that shows how the preservation of the natural world augments our physical and mental well being. Adverse health impacts from climate change combined with the benefits of a healthier natural environment may be the best inducement we have to catalyze action.
While climate change causes both physical and psychological sickness, exposure to healthy natural environments can foster health. Emerging research confirms what we intuitively know to be true, environmental health benefits us both physically and mentally. As this understanding grows, it may spur a global movement focused on environmental protection.

Physical Health

Contrary to the obviously detrimental physical health effects of pollutants and toxins, contact with the natural world appears to have a beneficial effect. In a
CBC article , Alan Logan, co-author of Your Brain on Nature, indicated that exposure to nature increases the natural killer cells that defend us against a wide range of physical ailments ranging from the common cold to cancer. Logan cites a Japanese study in which a group who spent three days in a forest setting produced significantly more natural killer cells in their bodies than a group that spent three days sightseeing in the city. The positive results were found to persist for at least a month.

One of the possible pathways by which this effect is achieved is through something called phytoncides. These are chemicals secreted into the air from trees, especially evergreens. They have been shown in the lab to stimulate the production of killer cells. They hover in greatest concentrations in natural settings, such as forests, about four feet off the ground.

The interdependence of psychological and physical states has been widely documented. So it should come as no surprise that states of psychological wellness contribute to states of physical health and vice versa.

Psychological Well-being

Nature not only has a positive effect on physical health, it is also a major factor in psychological wellness. It is intuitively obvious that being in nature is emotionally uplifting and this view is supported by research, which shows that green spaces not only improve psychological well being, they can also provide a number of far ranging societal benefits that include reducing crime.

A study by a research team from Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, shows the benefits of nature through real-time measurements of brain activity. They monitored the brain wave patterns of people in three different environments—an urban shopping district, a park with a lush green environment, and a busy commercial zone.

When people were in green spaces, their brain-wave activity was more relaxed. In such environments, the test subjects showed lower levels of frustration and higher meditative states. These effects ended when they exited from these green spaces. These beneficial psychological states were not present when people were in a busy commercial street or a shopping district.

The researchers also found that kids do better on cognitive tests after spending time in nature. Biochemical changes have also been observed in a person’s saliva after they spend time outdoors.

In The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective , researchers Rachel Kaplan and Steven Kaplan found that exposure to nature lifts people out of a state of mental fatigue and induces what they call “restorative experiences.”

There are a number of studies which show the psychological value of urban parks. Experiencing nature can uplift people's emotional state and restore mental balance. Research suggests that green spaces induce a reflective mood and reduce stress. Not only can living near a park make people happier, living near green spaces has been shown to significantly increase life expectancy.

According to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology by Ian Alcock of the University of Exeter Medical School, people moving to towns with more parks and gardens report greater well being than those without access to those amenities.

According to Julia Africa of the Centre for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health, there are specific design features of parks that promote health. They include trees, flowers, a rolling topography, and winding paths. Diversity also appears to be critical.

These findings prompled Logan to conclude that, "access to green space is clearly a public health issue." These are particularly interesting findings in light of the increasing rates of urbanization.
 

Taken together, these findings suggest that protecting and expanding green spaces can be a low cost, drug free way of promoting public health.

 
Healing

The interdependence of natural environments and human health have spawned some interesting research on healing. Epidemiologist Christopher Golden has conducted research which explores the relationship between environment and human health. He has also shown how the right interventions can heal both sick people and sick ecosystems.

Using his understanding of the interrelationship between the environment and human health, Golden has created an organization called HEAL (Health and Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages). This program is a consortium of 25 institutions led by the Wildlife Conservation Society that aims to restore a more harmonious balance between humans and the biodiversity in which they live.

As reported in a Grist article, Glenn Albrecht, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Newcastle has developed some nomencalture that help us to better understand the relationship between nature and human health. He coined the term “endemophilia”the love that people have for what’s distinctive about the place they live or come from. He also created the term Soliphilia a state that results in positive energy to collaborate, heal, and work together. Basically, it refers to people who see the cumulative damage of climate change and work together to make repairs.

Environmental Action

Efforts to achieve states of physical and psychological health may even prove to be a catalyst for wider environmental action. In China, environmental toxicity, (specifically issues related to air quality) are causing people to speak out and forcing the government to take action.

Psychiatric epidemiologist, Helen Berry of the University of Canberra has documented the enthusiasm for re-connecting with the land as a means of lessening the anxiety associated with climate impacts. As she explains, this attitude energizes people to engage in environmental action.

Climate change and associated weather-related disasters could be such a serious threat that they could actually propel people to come and work together,” Berry said.

These realizations could entice the growth of social capital, which contributes to health.”Climate change might make people willing to take some kind of concerted action, to do something useful for their community,“ she said. This tendency towards action is what she describes as “the pearl in the oyster.”

Source: Global Warming is Real

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Obama's End Run Around the Senate to Secure a Climate Deal

In an effort to bypass obstructionist Republicans the Obama administration is working on an international climate deal that does not require the approval of the Senate. A legally binding treaty would require the approval of two-thirds of the Senate. To circumvent partisan gridlock, in particular the anti science stance of Republican lawmakers, Obama is looking to craft a political agreement rather than a binding treaty. Republicans in the senate (alongside a handful of fossil fuel Democrats) will never ratify such a treaty. The sad reality is that these lawmakers, who represent less than 10 percent of the American population, have the power to kill a binding treaty.

This political agreement is being sought ahead of the December 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (IPCCC) meeting in Paris.

By doing an end run around the Senate, the Obama administration will be able to avoid the fate of the Kyoto protocol which was approved by then president Clinton in 1997 only to be shot down by legislators.

The end run may have been in the works for quite some time. At the 2011 United Nations climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, it was agreed that the goal for the 2015 Paris meeting was an, "outcome with legal force under the convention applicable to all parties." However the US succeeded in changing the language at the 2013 conference. At the conclusion of the IPCCC meeting last year, the negotiating document removed language calling for a legally binding treaty under international law.

The political agreement being developed by the Obama administration is actually an updated version of a preexisting climate agreement which the Senate ratified in 1992.

Even if Obama succeeds in cobbling together such an agreement there will still be stiff opposition. Particularly vociferous resistance can be expected from the Conservative fossil fuel obsessed governments in Australia and Canada. Even the UK has back peddled on a climate agreement under Conservative rule, which calls one to question the intelligence of the white English speaking world.

If we are to have any hope of signing an international climate deal the US must be on-board. Without support for some kind of climate deal from the US it is very unlikely that other nations will follow suit. In the absence of a legally binding treaty, the Obama administration intends to use a name and shame approach to securing participation from other nations which is premised on global peer pressure.

The absence of a legally binding treaty will not please the EU and developing nations, however, there are few alternatives to the political deal being proposed given the legislative obstacles in the US.

President Obama is working within the framework of the powers allotted to him by the constitution. At the end of the day, a politically binding treaty is far better than allowing the process to be killed by the small minded ignorance of a few dozen legislators.

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Singapore Sustainability Training and Education Program

The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) has launched a sustainability training and education program for businesses and students. It will also provide companies with tools to start sustainability programs.

This initiative will meet the huge demand for such courses from the corporate sector, in addition to generating income for the non-governmental organisation.

The program was launched at the 17th Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards.

The program will reach out to businesses and students to advance their knowledge of sustainable issues such as recycling, waste and water management, and energy efficiency.

SEC will work with industry and academic experts to conduct courses and workshops for clients, and also develop a set of educational materials that companies can use to build capabilities amongst their staff.

To help make the program affordable to all, up to 90 per cent of the cost can be subsidized.

Established in 1995, the SEC is an independently managed, non-profit, non-government organisation, and institution of public character that nurtures, facilitates and co-ordinates environmental causes in Singapore. The Council is also an approved charity that can offer tax exemption to donors.

SEC reaches out to the public through its educational, community and industrial arms. Each arm provides a range of holistic programs that raises awareness of the natural environment and promotes a greater sense of environmental responsibility.

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

Educational Resource - Getting The Picture: Our Changing Climate

Earth Vision Trust has launched an education resource titled, "Getting The Picture: Our Changing Climate." This innovative visually rich online multimedia tool is designed to help provide accessible climate education.

Students and educators of all ages can use this free interactive educational tool to gain a fresh perspective on our biggest global challenge: our changing climate. Getting The Picture offers a modern, interdisciplinary approach to teaching climate science.

Especially useful for middle and high school levels, this educational content extends far beyond Earth science and biology and incorporates history, economics, geography, art science and social studies.

Critically acclaimed photographer James Balog and his team bring you the latest in climate science education, featuring unique archives of media, film, photography and first-hand accounts of our changing climate.

Esteemed educators, researchers and photographers from around the world join together to create Getting The Picture with easy to use, chapter-by-chapter lessons combining art, science and adventure.

Compelling animations, time-lapse and science videos, photographs, field expedition stories and special clips from the Academy Award® and Emmy® nominated documentary film Chasing Ice are just a few of the highlights!

To access the resource click here

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards 2014 (SEAA)

In August, 8 winners were recognized for outstanding sustainable business practices at the 17th Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards, the region's leading environmental achievement awards. These 8 companies were acknowledged by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

The winners were selected from among 19 applications from organizations in Singapore and the region. A panel of experts selected the winners in six categories (manufacturing, services, technological innovation, and public sector administration).

The Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards (SEAA) was launched by the former Minister for the Environment, Mr Yeo Cheow Tong, in 1997. The SEAA is a premier award that addresses overall environmental initiatives and awareness within an organisation.

The criteria for the SEAA focuses on assessing the leadership displayed by the company, the real environmental improvements made as well as the ability of an organisation to establish procedures, train staff and innovate in order to achieve breakthroughs in environmental performance.

The SEAA 2014 Winners

SEC-CDL Outstanding Singapore Environmental Achievement Award

o Winner: Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd

SEC-Setsco Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (Manufacturing)

o Winner: Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing Pte Ltd

SEC-Kimberly-Clark Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (Services)

o Winner: Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
o Merit Winner: Ricoh Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

SEC-Lee Foundation Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (Public Sector)

o Merit Winner: Holy Innocents’ Primary School
o Merit Winner: Fuchun Secondary School

SEC Singapore Environmental Achievement Award (Regional)

o Merit Winner: Keppel Land JV company, Tanah Sutera Development Sdn Bhd

SEC-Senoko Energy Green Innovation Award

o Winner: Grand Hyatt Singapore
o Merit Winner: Carrier Singapore


Glaxo Wellcome

The top award of the evening, the SEC-CDL Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award, went to Glaxo Wellcome Manufacturing (Glaxo), a subsidiary of global pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. The medical goods company, who also won in the manufacturing category, was commended for their commitment to safeguarding the health of the environment. With a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050 and a vision to develop the ‘Sustainable Factory of the Future’, they have implemented more than 50 sustainability initiatives to meet these goals since 2011, and saved S$1.3 million in the process. They have managed to shrink their carbon footprint, reduce water usage and minimize waste.

Their integrated waste heat and solvent recovery system is designed to recover the solvent chemicals used to manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients; these are then reused in the manufacturing process. The solvents that are not recovered proceed to the incineration plant, where the system also captures the heat generated from the burning process. This recaptured energy is used to generate the steam that provides heat for chemical reactions, and to power the facility’s chillers as well.

GSK estimates that this system, together with other energy efficiency efforts such as installing solar panels on the factory roof and appointing energy efficiency committees within the company will reduce the facility’s energy use by up to 7 per cent every year, even as production increases.

Grand Hyatt Hotel

The Grand Hyatt Hotel won SEC-Senoko Energy Green Innovation Award for their investments in new energy saving technology. They developed and installed a $4.8 million trigeneration plant in their hotel, which takes in coal gas and simultaneously generates steam, power, and helps dehumidify outdoor air before it enters the hotel’s cooling system. The steam is used in the hotel’s laundry operations, while the energy generated by the trigeneration plant powers various fixtures around the hotel.

Grand Hyatt developed the system together with students from the National University of Singapore, and also holds a joint patent with the University for a “Desiccant Dehumidifier” technology used in the hotel’s cooling system. This passes air over silica gel before it enters the hotel’s cooling and ventilation system.

This dehumidified air requires less energy to cool down, and Grand Hyatt estimates that the trigeneration system will eliminate 60,000 litres of diesel and help the hotel reduce 720 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. It will also help the hotel produce 30 per cent of its own electricity.

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, who won in the services category. In addition to technological innovations, Novotel recognizes the importance of the human factor in the green pursuit. The hotel’s simple ‘towel reuse initiative’ has the mechanics to accumulate savings of close to S$17,000, while allowing for more than 2,000 trees to be planted. Novotel has changed its chiller and heating systems to energy saving models. They have recycled 150kg of soap.

Infographic: Investors and Sustainability

Online Certificates - Sustainability Management (University of Colorado Boulder)

The University of Colorado-Boulder is now offering online Non-Credit Certificates in Sustainability Management. This certificate is ideal for those wishing to increase their knowledge of sustainability and make tangible change in an organization. The content specializes in business or community sustainability management—or both.

This distance learning certificate provides interactive and practical programs lead by industry experts can help you learn how to develop sustainability initiatives, encourage stakeholder buy-in, and inspire employees and co-workers to act.

Program Features:

Open to all without prerequisites
Accelerated learning enables can be completed in less than 1 year
Affordable Tuition (far less expensive than a full degree)
Entirely online and accessible from anywhere there is Internet access

The courses explore topics like:

Sustainability frameworks and principles
Leadership for innovation
Policy development
Adaptive vs. transformative change
Integrative metrics
Sustainability strategic plans
Carbon and GHG accounting
Making the business case
Policy and regulation

Click here for more information.

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

Lucrative Investment Opportunities are Driving the Growth of Sustainability

Climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts are helping to fuel the growth of stock markets. Investors are increasingly seeing the wisdom of factoring sustainability into their investment equations. The S&P 500 recently surpassed the 2000 level and surveys indicate that companies on this index are mindful of climate change.

According to a 2012 report from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, almost 90 percent of S&P Global 100 Index companies identified climate change and extreme weather as current or future business risks. The growth of S&P mirrors the growth of the American stock market as a whole. One of the factors driving this growth is the increasing interest in sustainable investing.

While some suggest that we need to move away from market driven solutions to climate change, this well intentioned effort to expedite action fails to appreciate the power of investors to effectuate change. Governments clearly have a leadership role to play, but market driven approaches are critical to the widespread adoption of sustainability in a timely and efficient fashion.

Climate change was already part of the calculus of investors back in 2011. This was the conclusion of research conducted by conducted by Mercer and commissioned by the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR) and Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC). The survey of 44 asset owners and 46 asset managers with collective assets totaling more than $12 trillion, found that 87 percent of asset managers and 98 percent of asset owners were already incorporating climate change risk assessments into their investment processes.

Driven by risk mitigation, investors realize that investing in sustainability is a proven money maker. This is advancing sustainability at an unprecedented pace. In 2012, the median return on green funds was 28 percent. According to a 2013 analysis, companies considered "Meaningful Brands" outperformed the stock market by 120 percent.

The growth of more responsible investing is also a function of growing consumer demand for healthy green solutions. This trend is being supported by emerging sustainability accounting standards that are also helping to drive responsible investing. Put simply linking sustainability to value creation is the new imperative for business leaders. Value-adding sustainability investments protect, strengthen and/or advance business endeavors while simultaneously improving the environment and society’s well-being.

The trend has been born out in numerous studies which show that sustainability issues are increasingly relevant to investors. As indicated by PricewaterhouseCoopers research, sustainability has gone mainstream as investors seek to integrate environmental and corporate responsibility factors in both current and future investment practices.

Investor interest in sustainability can be measured in a number of ways including resolutions by shareholders. A record number of environmental resolutions have been filed this year. As reported by the Proxy Review 2014 report from As You Sow, in the first quarter of this year shareholders filed 417 social and environmental shareholder resolutions. This is at least 50 more than the same time in 2013 and 20 percent more than in February 2012. Resolutions concerning environmental issues like climate, energy and sustainable governance make up 39 percent of the total. A total of 22 proposals demanded greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Investors are not only pouring money into responsible investments they are also driving pervasive change by calling for legislation. In 2013 Environmental Leader reported that 22 US investment firms with about $240 billion in assets signed the Climate Declaration, which calls on federal policymakers to address climate change as an economic opportunity. These financial firms join more than 150 other US businesses, including General Motors, Intel and Nike and more than 100 ski areas, in backing the Ceres-led initiative that asks lawmakers to draft legislation and regulatory initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and incentivize renewable energy development.

Currently impact investing, which measures both the financial and social merits of investments is estimated to be worth $36 billion. However it is projected to be worth as much as $1 trillion by 2020.

Businesses and governments are transitioning towards a more sustainable economy that incorporates both social and environmental factors. As this megatrend grows, investors are coming to the realization that the time is ripe to take advantage of these tremendous investment opportunities.

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The Growth of Business Opportunties from Climate Change

Climate change is a serious threat but it also affords some significant business opportunities. According to a 220 page report by Environmental Business International (EBI), companies positioned to help clients prepare for climate change can reap major dividends. Climate change and extreme weather in particular will drive rapid expansion of adaptation work in both the private and public sectors.

For the next two years companies will see modest growth, primarily from adaptation assessments, but once the work moves into the design, engineering and construction phases the growth will begin in earnest.

The US climate adaptation market was valued at $700 million in 2013. By 2016 EBI forecasts the market will grow to $ 1 billion while the global market is expected to reach $ 2 billion in the next couple of years.

The bulk of this work is expected to come from analysis, assessments, mapping and planning projects conducted by consulting, engineering and professional service firms.

Beyond 2016, EBI predicts growth will be driven by major projects like desalination plants, levees, sea walls, port reinforcements and similar projects.

Long term, climate change adaptation projects will represent tens of billions of dollars annually, including design and construction.

According to EBI's Jim Hight, "now is the time for companies to understand the advantages of being early movers in responding to the challenges and opportunities of climate change."

To purchase the report click here.

Course - Environmental Due Diligence (Online)

The Environmental Due Diligence, online course is being offered by Commonground University starting on October 13, 2014. This six week course covers approximately 30 hours. It provides the must-know information you need prior to conducting any type of environmental due diligence and includes Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), Database Reviews, and Desktop Reviews.

Click here to download the Course Syllabus.

Instructions to Enroll 

1) Get a username and password for this eLearning site by clicking here (if you don't yet have one)
2) Follow registration instructions (ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED VIA PAYPAL - PayPal account not required).

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources. 

Infographic - MBA Student Attitudes on Environmental and Social Factors


Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

PVC Free Back to School Shopping

Plastic products are the single biggest problem when it comes to back to school supplies. Consumers are increasingly concerned about products that are toxic to human health and environmentally unsustainable. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) is a commonly used plastic that stands out as a particular hazard. PVC has been linked to cancer, asthma, developmental disorders and learning disabilities. PVC contains dangerous chemicals including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins.

PVC is also a major source of dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to science. Dioxin has been targeted for international phase-out by a treaty signed by over 170 nations across the world. Both Congress and the President's Cancer Panel have called for greater regulation of such toxic chemicals in consumer product.

Phthalates have been banned in toys, however they continue to be used in a wide range of school supplies. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the phthalates, lead and dioxin in PVC.

Many lunchboxes are made of PVC, or coated with PVC on the inside. Avoid items like lunchboxes or backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead. Inexpensive non PVC alternatives exist including products made of cloth or metal.

Most binders are made of PVC. Use cardboard or fabric-covered, or polypropylene binders instead. Choose spiral bound notebooks with a metal rather than plastic-coated spiral. Use metal paperclips rather than plastic paperclips.

Leading corporations like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Target, Sears Holdings and others are increasingly avoiding PVC.

If the purchase of plastic products is unavoidable, check the label for a recycling sign surrounding either a number 3 or the initials PVC. This indicates that the product contains vinyl, and should be avoided.

For a guide to PVC-free back to school products click here.

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.

Researchers Discover Hundreds of Methane Plumes Off the East Coast

In a surprise discovery, hundreds of gas plumes have been found emanating from the seafloor. The plumes are thought to be methane and they were discovered during a survey of the US Atlantic Coast. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The find was published on August 24th in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Using what is known as mulitbeam sonar, the 570 methane plumes were located Between North Carolina's Cape Hatteras and Massachusetts' Georges Bank. One of the largest seeps in the Atlantic and possibly the world was discovered in Norfolk canyon off the coast of Virginia, by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2013.

Most of these shallow methane seeps in the Atlantic are thought to be due to microbes burping out methane. A remotely operated vehicle also glimpsed patches of methane hydrate (an icy mix of methane and water) on the ocean floor. The melting of methane hydrates, particularly in the Arctic are one of the tipping points that can, according to some scientists, radically accelerate global warming.

Scientists are eager to explore this new Atlantic methane vents because of the growing interest in the relationship between methane hydrates and climate change. On its own the East coast discovery may not radically change the global warming equation, but scientists have postulated that in addition to the Arctic methane, there are nearly 30,000 vents in the world's oceans.

Course - Solar Photovoltaic

This two-day course on solar photovoltaics (Basic + Advanced) will take place on the 26th - 27th September 2014, at Edinburgh Napier University. It is also available online. The course is designed for technicians and individuals intending to learn how to install, maintain and repair Solar Photovoltaic equipment.

Participants of this course learn how Solar Panels work and gain a thorough understanding of solar PV systems, this allows them to apply for registration with an Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Become a Solar Energy Expert Consultant - Participants on this course can also take Electrics for Renewables and Renewable Energy Management and Finance courses to achieve the new Solar Energy Consultant Expert Certificate.

Course Content

Composition of the light.
Photovoltaic effect.
Photovoltaic cells.
Materials.
Daily/ annual energy.
Positioning of the modules.
Photovoltaic Energy.
Photovoltaic Illumination.
Planning and designing a photovoltaic installation.
The electric load.
Costs and evaluation of the economical solutions.
Maintenance and reliability.
Practical solutions.
Typologies and modality of installation.
Integration of the photovoltaic modules in the building structure.
Payback time.
Economical perspectives.

For more information click here.

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The Top 20 Sustainability Programs According to the Business as Unusual Guide 2013

The Top 20 Sustainability Programs According to the Business as Unusual Guide 2013
Top sustainability programs, as judged by students, according to the 2013 Business as Unusual Guide.
Credit: Net Impact

Make sure to see the article titled, "Comprehensive Green School Information and Resources."
It contains links to over 200 articles covering everything you need to know about sustainable academics, student's eco-initiatives, green school buildings, and college rankings as well as a wide range of related information and resources.




Human Health and Climate Change

Climate change makes us sick both physically and mentally. We often hear about the economic costs associated with climate change, however, the physical and mental toll is often overlooked. Research reveals that the adverse impacts of climate change can have serious implications for people's physical and emotional well being.

In 2012, it was reported that climate change was already killing 400,000 people each year. The IPCC WGII AR5 report published in 2013 has a chapter (PDF) that specifically deals with the health issues associated with climate change. Although the impacts of climate change on mental health are just beginning to be explored, the initial research suggests that it causes a wide range of psychological disturbances.

Physical health

While the situation is expected to get far worse, climate change is already a threat to public health. As explained in a recent report from Medact, a group of health professionals dedicated to global issues around conflict:

"[G]lobal warming is already having a significant negative impact on human health; it threatens to be an overwhelming danger in the coming decades."

Extreme weather events associated with climate change are known to kill and injure people. More than ten years ago a 2003 heat wave claimed 20,000 lives across Europe. In the US, we have seen how Hurricanes and tornados can be life threatening. Hurricane Katrina alone claimed 1,833 lives and injured thousands of others. As these extreme weather events increase, so too will the human toll.

As revealed by PhD epidemiology candidate, Geordan Shannon, other manifestations of climate change are far more insidious. This includes microbial proliferation linked to warmer temperatures which lead to more enteric infections. Salmonella food poisoning and cholera outbreaks are expected to increased due to the combination of flooding and warmer coastal waters. Climate change also plays a role in insect-borne infectious diseases like malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and West Nile virus, lymphatic filariasis, plague, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, rickettsioses, and schistosomiasis.

Climate induced hunger due to inadequate food stocks is another climate corollary that is expected to take a devastating toll. Oxfam International predicts that the number of people in poorer countries suffering from famine will to increase by 20 percent in 2050.

The precursors to climate change also have a devastating impact. Fossil fuel extraction poisons the air, ground and water. This is particularly true of tar sands oil. After decades of health complaints, a 2014 report by Alberta's Energy Regulator (AER) formally linked emissions from tar sands oil production with serious health impacts in the Peace River region.

The UNFCCC estimated the health costs of climate change to be $5 billion annually. However, a follow up report in 2009 suggested that the actual costs are probably much higher, as the UNFCCC estimate excluded developed nations and assessed only malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition. The real cost of the global disease burden associated with climate change is likely to be twice the amount indicated by the UNFCC. The World Bank report stated that pro-climate policies would prevent 94,000 deaths a year due to air pollution alone.

Mental health

Researchers are beginning to publish reports that detail the ways in which climate change is also injurious to people's mental health. The physical impacts of climate change closely interact with emotional factors. The American Psychological Association and ecoAmerica released a report that specifically focuses on the psychological impacts of climate change.

An impressive body of research illustrates that global warming increases social tensions and contributes to forced migrations (according to some estimates there could be as many as 200 million environmental refugees by 2050). These types of issues augur immense stress and the link between stress, anxiety and depression has been widely documented. Such stress is also triggered by corollaries of climate change like extreme weather.

Climate change has even been linked to suicide. According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, drought has been linked to increasing rates of suicide. Researchers found that there was a 15 percent increase in suicides in men ages 30 to 49 in areas of rural Australia struck by drought. Research in India has borne out a similar relationship between drought and suicide.

As reported in a Grist article, Psychiatric epidemiologist, Helen Berry of the University of Canberra has documented increased levels of distress and despair in people suffering from the effects of climate change.

“When you think about what climate change does, it basically increases the risk of weather-related disasters of one sort or another,” she said. “What happens from a psychological point of view is people get knocked down. Whenever people are knocked down, they have to get up again and start over. And the more that happens, the more difficult it is to keep getting up.”

Berry has shown how extreme weather events can cause depression in farmers. “They become very withdrawn,” she said. “Here they are with something they can’t control around them, and things are going backwards, and it becomes a health issue.”

In response to his investigations on impact of open pit mining, Glenn Albrecht, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Newcastle coined the term solastalgia. The term means, “the homesickness when you’re still at home and your home environment is changing around you in ways that you find negative, and that you have very little power over.”

While mental and physical health are determined by a wide range of factors, research shows that there is a relationship between climate change and human health. Deleterious environmental impacts are expected to worsen as the planet warms. This means that climate change will increasingly undermine both physical and mental health.

Source: Global Warming is Real

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