Showing posts with label win. Show all posts
Showing posts with label win. Show all posts
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
In an Iowa Senate Debate, Ernst made it clear that she denies the science of climate change. "I don’t know the science behind climate change," she said.
Ernst attended a conference hosted by the Koch brother this past June where she reportedly thanked here hosts and their "wonderful network" for putting her on the map. “I was not known at that time,” Ernst said. “A little-known state senator from a very rural part of Iowa, known through my National Guard service and some circles in Iowa. But the exposure to this group and to this network and the opportunity to meet so many of you, that really started my trajectory.”
Along with other Republicans opposes Agenda 21. She makes the absurd claim that Agenda 21 will undermine civil liberties. This non-binding U.N. resolution merely encourages nations to use fewer resources and conserve open land by steering development to already dense areas.
Ernst is also on record as having said, “Let’s shut down the EPA. The state knows best how to protect resources.” Her desire to do away with the EPA would be disastrous. The EPA has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and countless billions of dollars in public health and environmental costs.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Both Scott and Southerland are unfriendly towards environmental issues and climate concerns. The very fact that such politicians were vying for office in Florida is rather ironic given that this state will be one of the worst hit by flooding and extreme weather associated with climate change.
Scott was reelected despite his deplorable environmental and climate record. The mayor of Miami was amongst those who did not want to see Scott reelected as his city is directly threatened by sea-level rise. Environmental organizations fought hard to defeat Scott and Southerland.
Scott has championed the rights of polluters and supported resource degradation, he weakened environmental enforcement, cut support for clean water and axed conservation programs. He has also shown an utter lack of leadership his lack of leadership on renewable energy and climate change.
To defeat Scott, NextGen has spent $8.6m on 20 offices and hundreds of staffers and volunteers. The group has also fashioned props to make fun of his climate denial, this includes a wooden ark.
Earlier on, Scott received a lot of negative attention for dismissing climate change by saying "I'm no scientist." Then he claimed he want to work on solving global warming. His tune changed as he read the polls and he rebranded himself in a cynical self serving bid win a second term. It would appear that voters in Florida did not to see through his flagrant pandering.
Southerland did not reach out to the climate vote and he lost his bid to keep his seat in the US House representing the state of Florida. Southerland's dismal record have earned him a spot on represents on the "Dirty Dozen" of anti-environmental lawmakers awarded by the League of Conservation Voters.
Southerland was the lead sponsorship of the so-called Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014, which the LCV calls "a radical attack on clean water safeguards."
In addition to Southerland's efforts opposing clean water, he has voted to protect oil subsidies including up to $53 billion in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies operating offshore. He also opposes efforts to curtail carbon pollution from power plants.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Concerns about the Great Lakes were on top of voter priorities. This concern is driven by a number of environmental calamities including oil spills, most notably the rupture of Enbridge Line No. 6 into the Kalamazoo River (the largest inland oil spill in US history) and the 2014 refinery spill on Lake Michigan. It was also about the Koch brothers three-story high pile of petroleum coke that poisoned the air and the Detroit River.
Koch funded Americans for Prosperity aired adds attacking Peters. Land's spokesman called Steyer a "radical liberal" and Land disagrees with Peters on the extent of the effect of human behavior on our climate.
A number of environmental groups have played an important role in making climate change a top tier issue In Michigan. Most notably, Tom Sayer and NextGen spent $3m on TV, radio, and digital ads attacking Land, for being too close to the Kochs.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Pro-fossil fuel initiatives we can expect from Republicans:
- approval of the Keystone XL pipeline
- reject an end to tax breaks for oil and gas companies
- expand federal leases for fracking
- end to the crude oil export ban
- expand coal development
- restrict the administration's ability to regulate greenhouse gases
- kill any hope for a binding global climate treaty
- oppose a non-binding global climate agreement
- end the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy
- curtail other renewable energy incentives
Democrats can still resist Republican's pro-fossil fuel and anti-climate legislation. Republican Senators do not have a super majority of 60 seats, so Democrats can exert some control through a filibuster. Unlimited discussion and debate is permitted in the Senate and no vote can be held on a bill until all debate is closed or 60 Senators vote for cloture.
The President can always veto any bill coming from the Republican controlled Congress. In addition to his veto powers, the only recourse left to the President are his executive actions.
Optimistically, the President may be able to gain some bipartisan support for legislation related to trade agreements, infrastructure or perhaps even tax reform, but he will not be able to pass a bill on climate, the environment or clean energy.
Republican control over the nation's purse strings gives their obstructionism more teeth. However to shrug off the well earned perception that they are the party of "no" and to try to set up a run for the Presidency in 2016, the GOP may put legislation in front of the President that he will have to veto.
© 2014, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
Video - Midterms 2014 and Republican Climate Denial
The ignorance displayed in this video would be amusing if it were not representative of the views of a large number of Republicans seeking office in the forthcoming midterms. The scientific evidence behind climate change may be clear but Republicans continue to play politics. Their self serving political opportunism may play well with some constituents but their utter absence or responsible leadership imperils the future for us all.
Related
Environmental Alliances in the 2014 Midterms
Midterm 2014: Fossil Fuels Win and Climate Loses
Environment and Climate Win Senate Race in Michigan Midterms
Mixed Green Results in Florida Midterms
Climate Denying Koch Friend Wins Senate Seat in Iowa
Polling Data: Climate Change and the US Midterm Elections
Midterms 2014: Five Good News Stories for the Climate and the Environment
Louisiana Midterms have Serious (Solar) Energy Implications
Midterms 2014: Energy an Issue in Swing States
Midterm 2014: Short Term Economic Concerns Trump Environmental Issues
Midterm 2014: Republican's Climate Ignorance Poised to Win the Day
Infographic - Midterms 2014: Issues and Social Media Use
Video - Green Star Awards 2013 Message from Valerie Amos
Through the Green Star Awards, Valerie Amos addresses the importance of those who work to deal with environmental and climate issues. The Green Star Awards recognize a select group of outstanding individuals and organisations from around the world, who have confronted environmental emergencies. Valerie Ann Amos, Baroness Amos, PC is the eighth and current UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Before her appointment to the UN, she had been British High Commissioner to Australia. She was made a Labour life peer in 1997 and served as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council.
Click here to see the 2013 recipients.
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Dr. Walsh is an outspoken advocate for municipal governance of remedial action programs by US cities which is a role traditionally played by state government. His efforts have contributed to local economic development, public health protection and community development goals.
He established the New York City Voluntary Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), the nation's first municipally-run brownfield cleanup program. The NYC BCP was launched in 2011 and has become one of the most prolific cleanup programs in the country. In its first 32 months of operation, OER has approved cleanup plans for more than 160 brownfield projects, enabling over $4.5 billion in new development of more than 13 million square feet of building space-40% of which is job-producing retail, commercial and office space—and producing over 4,500 permanent new jobs and 13,400 construction jobs, and generating more than $1.5 billion in new, long-term tax revenue for city and state government.
Working closely with local stakeholders, Walsh has established a series of progressive brownfield programs. The NYC Clean Soil Bank, believed to be the nation's first municipal clean soil exchange program, allows excess clean soil excavated for development purposes from beneath remediated brownfield sites to be delivered-with no transfer fees—to city construction sites and brownfield projects that need clean backfill. This program has enabled transfer of over 60,000 tons of soil in its first 6 months of operation and has saved brownfield developers and city government over $4 million in soil purchase and disposal costs. The New York City Green Property Certification was established to formally recognize the safety of land remediated in the NYC BCP.
To improve quality of cleanup plans and shorten approval times, Walsh also established TurboTraining, an intensive training program that has certified 177 environmental professionals since its launch in 2012.
Brownfields usually cluster in low-income neighborhoods and Walsh believes strongly that cities should work at the grass-roots level with community-based organizations to develop and implement brownfield plans.
To help citizens learn more about brownfield investigation and cleanup, OER produced four videos in the Cleaning Up NYC series. A series of new programs are now being developed including a program to provide city residents enrolled in workforce development programs with technical training opportunities on local brownfield cleanup projects.
Walsh has long sought to unlock the potential of the environmental industry to perform community service in NYC. In 2008, he founded the NYC Brownfield Partnership, an association of more than 60 environmental businesses and community based organizations dedicated to delivering community services. The Partnership is thriving and now operates a variety of programs including pro bono community environmental counseling, college scholarships and internships, and an annual brownfield award program.
Walsh and his team of scientists and engineers were also very much involved in cleanup efforts after Hurricane Sandy which was part of a broader hurricane debris recycling effort that earned the United Nation’s 2013 Green Star Award.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Solar
Premier Solar Systems brought electricity to 57 remote villages in Andhra Pradesh in southern India, with solar energy. Premier Solar plans to electrify another 20 villages in Adilabad and 19 in Khamman.
Solar-Agro-Electric Model was acknowledged as the runner-up and readers' choice. They put together a solar project in Gujarat, India, that provided both electricity and agricultural benefits. The panels produce electricity for the villagers, but also provide necessary shade and security for the growing crops below. The panels are washed often for increased efficiency, and the crops are watered simultaneously. Post-harvest residues are replaced under the panels for improved fertilization. The project has provided agricultural work for 100 villagers, and the crops are sold at local markets and also distributed among the workers.
Hydro
Xiangjiaba Hydroelectric Power Plant in China is located on the Jinsha River between the Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces. By 2015 the plant is expected to provide 6,400 MW annually to 40 million people in the ever-growing eastern provinces. The system utilizes the highest-output air-cooled hydro generator units. Custom ventilation and cooling components were adapted to prevent energy losses, and Alstom developed and patented double-layer thrust bearing pads to ensure reliability and maintain normal pressure distribution.
North Fork Skokomish Powerhouse and Fish Passage Facility in Washington was the runner-up. This project provides clean energy alongside innovative protection of the fragile fish habitat of the Skokomish River. In addition to providing 3.6-MW of electricity the fish collection and passage system protects endangered steelhead and salmon.
Geothermal
McGinness Hills Geothermal Power Plant by ORMAT is located in Nevada. Not only was the project located amidst protected wildlife, it was also notable for the difficulties associated with its lack of surface hot springs and fumaroles. The 30-MW project located in Nevada uses a mix of conventional and innovative exploration techniques and tests, which included soil mercury geochemistry, geologic mapping, gravity survey, 3-D GIS modeling, slim hole drilling, and well testing. This data was compiled into reservoir modeling technology, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Developers took special care not to disrupt the fragile sage grouse habitat – a bird local to that area of Nevada. Efforts included minimizing noise impact, continued monitoring or impact analysis, construction noise limitations to not disrupt mating season, and underground piping to reduce land impact. ORMAT has also donated more than $200,000 to local educational institutions to contribute to the development of the geothermal workforce, while also establishing hundreds of jobs at its power plants across the state.
Wind
Bison Wind Project is a North Dakota based project that is part of Minnesota Power's goal of transitioning away from coal. The 292 MW of power are transmitted using re-purposed transmission line built in the late 1970’s to transport electricity generated by coal. The project has an energy storage arrangement with Manitoba Hydro. When wind resources are high or demand is low, Bison wind energy can be stored in hydroelectric reserves in Canada and then utilized when necessary. The project's 42-44 percent average capacity betters the national average of 34 percent due in part to its use of “dino tail” blade technology patented by Siemens. The spiked blades are more efficient and quieter than typical turbines. The project has boosted the local economy, bringing 280 jobs during its 3-year construction and 23 full-time permanent positions.
Marble River Wind Farm was the runner-up. The 216-MW Marble River Wind Farm is the first project in North America to utilize the environmentally responsive V-112 3-MW wind turbine. The Marble River Wind Farm was able to minimize impact on local wetlands while generating revenue for 150 separate leaseholders including the towns of Ellenburg and Clinton, New York.
Bioenergy
Sacramento "zero-waste" BioDigester developed by the city of Sacramento, California is the largest biodigester in the U.S. The biodigester facility processes 10,000 tons of food and agricultural waste per year that would have otherwise been thrown in a landfill. It also generated 2 MW of energy in the forms of heat, electricity and gas. Remnants from waste are used as fertilizer. The BioDigestor is now scaling up to process 40,000 tones of waste per year. The project is the brainchild of Dr. Ruihong Zhang of the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), the California Energy Commission, CleanWorld and several California businesses and establishments. The facility supports 16 green jobs and more than $10 million in economic activity. The CleanWorld biodigester manufacturing facility also hosts 12 permanent positions in the Marysville community.
Gainesville Renewable Energy Center in Gainesville, Florida, was the runner-up. The 100-MW Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC) biomass facility uses boiler and turbine technology that reduces emissions and meets stringent Maximum Available Control (MACT) standards. Its 930,000-pound per hour bubbling fluidized bed boiler (BFB) supplied by Metso and a 116.1-MW Siemens turbine provide low-combustion and low-excess air, which results in minimal emissions. GREC uses waste wood from sustainable sources such as forestry and sawmill operations, urban wood waste and storm debris. Addressing sustainability concerns, GREC abides by strict forest sustainability rules that are designed for long-term forest health and productivity.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Preparedness
Kenya Red Cross Society; Prof Nikola Nikolov of Macedonia
Sundar Prasad Sharma of Nepal, and Prof Sergiy Zibtsev of Ukraine (joint Award)
Response:
Mayor of Japan’s Katsurao Village, Masahide Matsumoto
New York City Hurricane Sandy Debris Removal Task Force
Mainstreaming:
World Wildlife Fund and American Red Cross
Sir David Attenborough
The Awards recognize individuals and entities that have made remarkable efforts to prepare for, respond to, and mainstream actions to prevent environmental emergencies. These awards acknowledge people who are on the front lines of preventing, preparing for and responding to environmental emergencies, tackling life threatening pollution and other hazards, and helping people reconstruct their lives after a devastating forest fire or tsunami. We owe a particular debt of gratitude to people who work behind the scenes to prevent emergencies, and to help people prepare for their impact.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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2013 Brower Youth Awards
Alex Freid, 22, of New Hampshire, for reinventing waste diversion on college campuses through his non-profit organization The Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN).
Amira Odeh, 22, of Puerto Rico, for initiating the first student sustainability movement focused on water consumption and plastics pollution on her university’s campus.
Arielle Klagsbrun, 22, of Missouri, for mobilizing the St. Louis community to fight for a healthy and equitable future free of big coal corporations.
Cassandra Lin, 15, of Rhode Island, for addressing community needs with unconventional biofuel generation from used cooking oil.
Chloe Maxmin, 21, of Maine, for developing a common network for young environmentalists to propel their projects forward.
Jonathan Ferrer, 18, of New York, for encouraging youth involvement in climate resiliency and community projects in New York City.
Winners were selected by a panel of seven judges including David Suzuki. In the past 14 years a total of 85 Brower Youth Award recipients have raised more than $2 million for environmental causes, trained more than 3,000 youth in advocacy, involved more than 50,000 people in green projects, implemented 20 university-wide environmental policies, passed eight pieces of legislation, organized more than 4,000 events and actions, produced nearly three dozen documentary films and held more than 500 lobbying meetings with elected officials.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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2013 SEAD Global Efficiency Medal for Computer Monitors
The LG 16EN33SA received the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal in the small-size category with 53 percent greater efficiency than conventional models (15 inches to less than 20 inches). This monitor can be purchased in India.
The Samsung S22C200B received the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal in the medium-size category with 28 percent greater efficiency than conventional models (20 inches to less than 23 inches). This monitor can be purchased in Europe and North America.
The Samsung S27C450B received the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal in the large-size category with 43 percent greater efficiency than conventional models (23 inches and larger). This monitor can be purchased in Australia, Europe, and North America.
A Samsung 23.6-inch LED backlit prototype computer monitor (product number S24XXXX) won the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal in the emerging technology category. This monitor is 53 percent more efficient than comparable displays available on the market today. It will be commercially available worldwide within the next two years. Computer monitors can account for up to 35 percent of a desktop computer’s energy consumption. These award-winning models are 12-53 percent more efficient than other commercially available computer monitors
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Cleanie Award
The Cleantech Open has awarded PowWow Energy the Grand Prize Cleanie award. As the top cleantech entrepreneur of the year, PowWow Energy earns a monetary award of $200,000. PowWow was selected for developing a technology that enables farmers and ranchers to quickly detect water leaks that can destroy an entire crop or cause thousands of dollars of damage.
The two runners-up were HJ3 Composite Technologies, which manufactures, engineers and installs advanced composite systems that have been used on more than 10,000 applications worldwide, and Bio-Adhesive Alliance, which produces low-cost and durable adhesive from swine manure that can be utilized as a substitute to petroleum-based asphalt.
National Sustainability Award
Based on how well they describe and quantify the net environmental, economic and social benefits/impacts of their cleantech application, the 2013 National Sustainability Award went to Garden Fresh Farms. The award winning entry is building a nationwide network of investor-owned, inner-city indoor hydroponic farms. The runner-up in this category was Grannus, which has developed the Eureaka Process, a disruptive innovation in the production of nitrogen fertilizer (urea).
Through the Cleantech Open's Accelerator Program teams are given the tools they need to embed sustainability into every aspect of their company. Each team receives specific mentoring to ensure triple-bottom-line business practices.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Under Polman, Unilever has built a new business model that enables responsible and equitable growth, embedded in the ambitious vision to double its size while reducing its overall environmental footprint and increasing its positive social impact.
“Through his bold vision and leadership, Paul Polman has provided a compelling example of how businesses can grow without harming the planet,” said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International. “Paul has shown what building sustainable supply chains – from raw materials to consumer goods – can mean in practice, and demonstrated that corporate leaders can be part of the solution to major environmental and social challenges.”
Polman's advocacy goes beyond the company he heads, he is also very much involved in forging policy, private sector leadership through the G20 and serving on the high-level panel convened by the U.N. Secretary General to help shape development of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
“The sheer size and complexity of the issues we face today can only be resolved through large scale international partnerships and other forms of collaboration,” said Paul Polman. “It is a particular honour for me therefore to accept this award from an organization which has set the standard in driving these partnerships and in helping to make the world a better place for all. Unilever and WWF themselves have a long history of working together on transformational projects and I have been proud to build on that relationship during my time as CEO. This award gives us renewed energy and added confidence that Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is the right model at the right time”.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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The Winner of the Solar Decathlon 2013
In addition to home design, almost half of the competition teams showcased an electric vehicle next to their house.
Introduced in 2011, the competition requires that all houses be constructed for $250,000 or less to earn maximum points.
In 2013, the winner was an entry from Vienna University of Technology (Team Austria). University of Nevada Las Vegas took second place, followed by Czech Republic, comprised of students from Czech Technical University, in third place.
The winning design is a net-positive home, known as “LISI – Living inspired by sustainable innovation.” This is a simple, smart house that is capable of adapting to a variety of lifestyles and climate zones. This was the first time an Austrian university has participated in the U.S. Solar Decathlon.
The LISI entry was designed as a pre-fabricated modular wooden frame construction that allows for quick and simple assembly and disassembly. The plus-energy home generates all required energy from a roof-mounted PV array. The supply of cold and hot water for space heating, cooling and for domestic hot water relies on two air-water heat pumps.
An ERV unit provided comfortable air conditioning, which acts as a heat and humidity exchanger between used exhausted air and fresh intake air. A functional floor system regulated the entire buildings climate using water, air, and active cubic capacity. It efficiently provided heating, cooling, and fresh air to create a consistently comfortable indoor climate. In addition, an innovative shower tray recovers thermal energy from drain water through a heat exchanger, significantly reducing the net energy consumption needed for daily hygiene.
The winning home's synergy of modular timber lightweight construction, the use of eco-friendly materials and renewable energies, plus sophisticated home automation creates a sustainable and affordable high-quality housing project adaptable for different needs of users and sites.
Click here for more information about LISI and other entries.
Click here to view video tours inside the houses
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Winners of the 2013 Green Supply Chain Awards
The awards also recognize providers of supply chain solutions and services assisting their customers in achieving measurable sustainability goals.
The magazine’s editorial staff selected winners based on the following three criteria:
- Clarity and Content of the goals and strategy
- The extent of the steps being taken
- The impact of the results to date
- Form and presentation of the information submitted
The Sustainable Supply Chain awards for this year go to:
Basware, Cass Information Systems, CaseStack, DiCentral, DSC Logistics, EZCom Software, Inmar, ModusLink, NeoGrid, Nipendo, Penske Truck Leasing, Saddle Creek Logistics Services, SciQuest, SYSPRO, Transplace, Transportation Insight, Tyco Retail Solutions, UniCarriers Americas, Wolper Information Services, Accellos, AFN, ArrowStream, Cadec Global, CHEP Pallecon Solutions (formerly CAPS), Coyote Logistics, DHL Express, Elemica, enVista, Genco, Half Price Books, IHS, Ingram Micro Mobility, Insight, International Asset Systems (IAS), Log-Net, Maersk Line, Murphy Warehouse, National Grid, Omnify Software, OnTrac, Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group, Paragon Software Systems, Patagonia, Pitt Ohio, Prorizon, Ryder, Source One Management Services, Spinnaker, Squadron Medical, W&H Systems and YRC Freight.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Volvo Environment Prize Goes to Chinese Climate Scientist for his Work on Extreme Weather
Previously the head of the China Meteorological Administration, Dr Qin Dahe is a glaciologist at the Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering Institute in Lanzhou, China, and Co-chair of Working Group 1, IPCC. Qin Dahe is one of the key contributors to the IPCCs fifth assessment report released in September, 2013. He wrote the opening section on the “Physical Science Basis”. His research demonstrates the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events. Dr. Qin has published more than 170 scientific articles in English and 230 in Mandarin.
In addition to his work on extreme weather, Dr Qin is also a leading expert on the Asian cryosphere, one of the main components of the Earth’s climate system, (comprising snow, river and lake ice sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, and frozen ground). The cryosphere has important implications for the Earth's climate system including water resources and ecosystems for more than two billion people in Asia.
Dr Qin hopes that science will encourage action from member countries at global climate negotiations. "There is an encouragingly fast development in climate models. We are now seeing much smaller discrepancies between prognoses and what we observe in the form of temperatures and carbon dioxide concentration. My hope is that the scientific evidence will prompt people all over the world to work together to reduce emissions," says Dr Qin.
The Volvo Environment Prize was founded in 1988 and has become one of the world’s most prestigious environmental prizes. It is awarded annually to people who have made outstanding scientific discoveries within the area of the environment and sustainable development. The prize consists of a diploma, a glass sculpture and a cash sum of SEK 1.5 million and is presented at a ceremony in Stockholm on 26 November 2013.
Over the last two decades, the prize has become one of the scientific world’s most respected environmental awards. Past winners include three people who also won the Nobel Prize, in addition to John Holdren, US Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
The 2012 recipient was Gretchen Daily, professor of environmental science at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Ca. She is one of the world’s leading scientists and researchers on ecosystem services, biogeography and the future dynamics of biodiversity change. She co-founded the National Capital Project, which is focused on aligning economic factors and processes with conservation.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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The first three selections on their list are understandable. Accenture won top honors in the Business Services sector, Mattel earned the number one spot in Consumer Items and Campbell Soup was recognized as the leader in Consumer Staples.
The wheels come off the proverbial cart when we get to their number one picks for energy, Financials/Insurance/Real Estate, and Healthcare sectors.
Somehow CR Magazine deemed Exxon Mobil, a newcomer on the list, as deserving of being the best company in the Energy sector. Exxon Mobil is a highly questionable choice, even if we ignore the fact that they are in the fossil fuel business which is the primary cause of climate change.
ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy is being prosecuted for alleged environmental crimes after it spilled fracking wastewater into a Pennsylvania river in 2010. The company has already agreed to pay a $100,000 federal fine for spilling 57,000 gallons of contaminated fluids into a tributary of the Susquehanna River.
XTO's bizarre response only magnifies their subterfuge. “Charging XTO under these circumstances could discourage good environmental practices, such as recycling,” XTO said in a statement responding to the charges. “Criminalizing a small recycling spill sends the wrong environmental and legal message,” the company said. “The action tells oil and gas operators that setting up infrastructure to recycle produced water exposes them to the risk of significant legal and financial penalties should a small release occur.”
ExxonMobil was also fined $120,000 by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) for violating the state’s mandatory greenhouse gas reporting rule. (In California companies are obliged to report their GHG emissions annually).
Things go from bad to worse when it comes to the Financials/Insurance/Real Estate sectors. JP Morgan Chase Bank was awarded top honors despite the fact that CR gave the company a "yellow card" for its discontinued practice of posting transactions that generated overdraft fees. A practice for which the company paid $110 million settlement in a class actions suit. However, this is the least of their crimes.
JP Morgan played a role in the collapse of the US real estate market and subsequent global economic meltdown of 2008. Recently, the company was forced to pay a record $13 billion and plead guilty to a criminal charge to settle a Justice Department investigation into the bank’s sales of mortgage bonds.
CR Magazine's decision to name Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) as the top firm in Healthcare is another questionable choice. In October of this year Robert Ramnarine, a former high level executive (1997 to 2012), was sentenced to prison for securities fraud.
Here is CR Magazine's full top 10 list of best corporate citizens, by industry:
Business Services: Accenture
Consumer Items: Mattel
Consumer Staples: Campbell Soup
Energy: Exxon Mobil
Financials/Insurance/Real Estate: JPMorgan Chase
Healthcare: Bristol-Myers Squibb
Information Technology: International Business Machines (IBM)
Materials: E.I. DuPont De Nemours
Media and Entertainment: Walt Disney
Utilities: Spectra Energy
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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Enter Environmental Leader's Product & Project of the Year Awards
Do you have an innovative product that improves energy management, waste management, water efficiency, supply chain efficiency, packaging, air quality, or any other area of energy and environmental management? Has your company (or client) implemented a successful project that reduced energy costs, improved supply chain sustainability, reduced waste sent to landfill, or made strides toward any other environmental or energy management goals?
If you answered yes to either of the questions then you may want to consider entering EL's Product & Project of the Year Awards.
Companies earning the Top Product or Project of the Year will be able to use the winning badge on product packaging, websites, trade show displays and posters, and in other marketing materials. Winners will also get national recognition and validation from industry experts on a product or project’s strengths, feedback from the judges, promotion by EL (Product & Project of the Year Report, newletter, “Hall of Fame” on the EL website, and mention in other EL press materials).
The evaluation criteria used in the EL Product & Project of the Year Awards include:
- Is the product or project related to the sustainability, energy, and environmental fields?
- Contribution to energy, environmental and sustainability management efforts
- How does the product help companies reach these goals?
- How did the project help your company reach its own goals?
- Is the application of technology unique and useful (if applicable)?
- Is the product or project’s approach innovative and useful?
- Contribution to the bottom line: Does the product reduce overall costs, improve productivity, minimize waste, improve energy management, or provide other financial benefits?
- Did the project improve these same metrics?
- Ease of use: Is the product easy to understand and implement?
- Efficiency and reliability: Does the product work when it is supposed to work, and continue working efficiently for a reasonable lifespan?
LNS Research
Anheuser-Busch InBev
Autodesk
Citigroup
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Environmental & Occupational Risk Management, Inc.
GlaxoSmithKline
Honeywell Aerospace
ISS Facility Services
Microsoft
Owens Corning
Puma
Sam’s Club
Trupoint Advisors
University of California, Berkeley
Williams Creek Consulting
Deadline for submissions is December 13, 2013. Early Bird Deadline (with reduced entry fee) is November 22, 2013.
Click here to go to Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards webpage, and if you have any questions, email awards@environmentalleader.com.
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Video - Winner Crosses Finish Line at the 2013 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge
Watch the final moments of the grueling Bridgestone World Solar Challenge as the winning team for 2013 crosses the finish line in northern Adelaide, Australia. This 3000 kms event highlights some of the best solar powered car technology in the world.
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