Environmental Management & Energy News

EPA Proposes Renewable Fuel Standard Modifications

Environmental Leader Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:47:59 +0000

The EPA has proposed changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard program that include new renewable fuel pathways aimed at enhancing the ability of the biofuels industry to supply advanced biofuels, including cellulosic biofuels, to the market. The EPA has proposed that renewable diesel, renewable naphtha, and renewable electricity — used in electric vehicles — produced from [...]

CSR a ‘Business Requirement, Not Option’

Environmental Leader Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:45:24 +0000

Global consumers have clear and specific expectations for the role companies should play in addressing social and environmental issues with 93 percent wanting to see more of the products and services they use support corporate social responsibility efforts, according to a survey released this week. Companies that disregard these demands from consumers risk more than [...]

Ports Power Docked Ships with Electricity

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:40:48 +0000

All 13 international cargo terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach will power docked ships with electricity by the end of this year, cutting air pollution from the ships at berth by 95 percent, according to the Port of Long Beach. The infrastructure to supply shore power — also known [...]

ISTA Launches ‘Responsible Packaging’ Standard

Environmental Leader Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:37:21 +0000

The International Safe Transit Association has published a sustainable packaging guide that ISTA chairman Larry Dull says is the first of its kind. The Responsible Packaging by Design Guide will help companies compare different packaging options, measuring them for product protection ability, reducing product waste arising from spoilage or damage, optimal use of resources when manufactured and, [...]

VW Heads Microcontroller Energy Efficiency Standards Group

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:33:10 +0000

Volkswagen will chair an expanded working group to establish an energy-efficiency benchmark for microcontrollers aimed at making automotive end products more energy aware. Semiconductor vendors including Freescale, Fujitsu, Infineon, Microchip, NXP, Renesas, STMicroelectronics and TI have also joined the Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC). Microcontroller efficiency (optimizing both performance and energy) is increasingly important as [...]

Standards & Compliance Briefing: Nestle Cocoa, Concrete EPD, LG, Declare

Tamar Wilner — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:32:11 +0000

Here’s the latest standards and compliance news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today’s briefing includes seven items. Nestlé USA announced that it will source 100 percent UTZ Certified cocoa beans for its line of everyday Crunch bars. The UTZ label is designed to ensure sustainable farming and better opportunities for farmers. Central Concrete, a [...]

Running Shoes’ Carbon Footprint ‘More than 60% Manufacturing’

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:30:49 +0000

More than two-thirds of a running shoe’s carbon footprint can come from manufacturing processes, with a smaller percentage arising from acquiring or extracting raw materials, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers. The MIT team says a typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. The fact that sneakers emit so [...]

Netafim’s Water-Saving Technology Wins Award

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:20:54 +0000

Drip- and micro-irrigation company Netafim’s technology that halves water use compared to other irrigation solutions while increasing crop yields has won the firm the 2013 Stockholm Industry Water Award. The Israel-based company provides equipment and services in more than 110 countries and says more than 10 million hectares of farmland are irrigated with drip irrigation, [...]

Steps Towards Enhancing the Sustainability of Packaging

Environmental Leader Staff — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:20:37 +0000

Sustainable packaging encompasses multiple initiatives, including producing effective solutions with minimum resources, protecting the product, transport efficiency and effective end of life management. What’s encouraging is that each of the aforementioned can be accomplished one step at a time. Implementing incremental changes towards sustainable packaging can often achieve a more robust outcome towards comprehensive sustainability [...]

Hospitals Can Reduce Energy 62%

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:21:03 +0000

A study conducted by a research team at the University of Washington, titled Targeting 100!, identifies a process for newly constructed hospitals that integrates architectural, mechanical and central plant systems to reduce energy consumption by an average of 62 percent. The biggest breakthrough comes from addressing the reheating of centrally-cooled air, which is the largest [...]

GRI Releases Latest Guidelines

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:57:07 +0000

The Global Reporting Initiative today released the latest version of its sustainability reporting guidelines, G4, and says they will place more emphasis on materiality. But GRI hasn’t yet posted the guidelines on its website — they will be “published soon,” the organization says. At its 2013 Global Conference today in Amsterdam, GRI said encouraging companies [...]

Toyota, Mercedes Join DOE Hydrogen Partnership

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:56:27 +0000

Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan are members of the Energy Department’s newly launched public-private partnership focused on advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support transportation energy options including fuel cell electric vehicles. The new partnership, H2USA, brings together automakers, government agencies, gas suppliers, and the hydrogen and fuel cell industries to coordinate research and identify cost-effective ways to [...]

Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Solar Tariffs, Formaldehyde, ‘Sue and Settle’ Tactics

Tamar Wilner — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:55:55 +0000

Here’s the latest standards and compliance news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today’s briefing includes 10 items. The White House is negotiating to drop its steep tariffs on Chinese solar panels, and the EU is talking with China to avoid tariffs scheduled to take effect next month, the New York Times reports. The plan [...]

California Carbon Price Hits Record High

Environmental Leader Staff — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:54:21 +0000

California raised more than $280 million selling greenhouse gas emissions permits in its third auction, with businesses paying a record $14 per metric ton for the right to release carbon this year. All 14.5 million available allowances for use this year sold, the California Air Resources Board says. The $280 million includes the state’s sale [...]

Cabot Powers Fracking Equipment With Shale Gas

Jessica Lyons Hardcastle — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:53:47 +0000

Cabot Oil & Gas has partnered with FTS International and Caterpillar Global Petroleum to use shale gas to fracture wells via dual fuel technology. Using natural gas can displace up to 70 percent of the diesel fuel traditionally used to operate fracking equipment, Cabot Oil & Gas says. The company says this marks the first [...]