tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37691783135387626832011-09-03T17:57:43.948-07:00An environmental management professional placed in the ironic position of working for the fast food industry and technically saving the environmentmmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-70774101760159350872010-01-19T23:42:00.000-08:002010-01-19T23:42:56.386-08:002010-01-19T23:42:56.386-08:00

It's now 2010.  Honestly, I am no longer connected with the fastfood sector. I chose to come back to do academic research and extension which I have no problem with in terms of principles. Looking back, what could be the purpose of my being involved in the fastfood industry? As part of my academic responsibilities, I attended a workshop for our National Council for Sustainable Development which

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-39407916137108795082009-09-17T07:33:00.000-07:002009-09-17T07:57:38.346-07:002009-09-17T07:57:38.346-07:00

Posted on Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009Watts are free at new McDonald'sBy SUE STOCK When it opens Tuesday, the McDonald's at 1299 Kildaire Farm Road will be the country's first McDonald's with an electric vehicle charging station. The station will allow drivers of electric cars to plug them in and charge them while they eat. McDonald's is one of several chains exploring green store design. Wal-Mart

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-17750704583205242432009-09-16T03:40:00.001-07:002009-09-17T07:30:09.418-07:002009-09-17T07:30:09.418-07:00

By GreenerBuildings StaffCreated 2009-03-11 14:11Northampton, Mass. — Restaurant giant Yum Brands Inc. has opened an eco-friendly KFC-Taco Bell in Northampton, Mass., marking the 11-year-old company's first attempt to seek green building certification for one of its eateries. The restaurant is designed according to environmental goals that include cutting energy and water consumption by

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-25495134730099448742009-09-13T00:49:00.001-07:002009-09-13T03:38:58.839-07:002009-09-13T03:38:58.839-07:00

ANSI Approves Green Seal for Restaurants Posted On September 9, 2009 (8:48 am) Restaurants seeking to be "green" have another measure of confidence... Article taken from Environmental Leader - http://www.environmentalleader.com URL to article: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/09/ansi-approves-green-seal-for-restaurants/ For the industry, this seems to be good news! However, are fast

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-64632215507772725282009-09-13T00:35:00.000-07:002009-09-13T00:42:28.264-07:002009-09-13T00:42:28.264-07:00

I have been attending industry conferences for quite a while and I do agree that such events can influence corporations to change their ways, but change will be a very slow process. I am not sure what goes into the minds of managers who attend these events but deep inside they are still the same people who are just going for the usual bottomline. Stand alone projects such as energy conservation,

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-46447843805141390592009-09-08T05:31:00.000-07:002009-09-08T05:31:56.120-07:002009-09-08T05:31:56.120-07:00

I have been to both sides of the fence, in my early days, I once supported Greenpeace-like civil society groups in their campaigns to eliminate the ills of the environment by eliminating the cause. However, just my luck when my first job was with a business school to do research on how companies can implement environmental management systems. After more than a decade, the business school

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-32308166327370458492009-09-04T21:30:00.000-07:002009-09-05T04:10:49.415-07:002009-09-05T04:10:49.415-07:00

When I was young we only get beef on Saturdays, that's how it is in developing countries if you source it out from the local market, you can only get beef once a week and most of the time its Saturday and its in limited supply, if you get to the market late well, better settle for pork then or chicken.  In developing countries, it is much easier to become a locavore since what is available to you

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-31422713428572815852009-09-03T22:47:00.001-07:002009-09-06T05:14:10.508-07:002009-09-06T05:14:10.508-07:00

Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature The video from ONN was forwarded by Squidgirl! Its a Taco Bell spoof....some people thought it was real. Its really funny but I found it disturbing because those kinds of  PR guys go around the fast food offices "spin-doctoring" proven scientific research on the impacts of fast food operations. Those PR people made my work life

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-34038898431641719482009-09-03T11:00:00.001-07:002009-09-03T11:29:07.421-07:002009-09-03T11:29:07.421-07:00

The Five Stages of Adopting Corporate Sustainability Posted On September 2, 2009 (8:14 am) Adopting sustainability as a goal now will help corporations develop... Article taken from Environmental Leader - http://www.environmentalleader.com URL to article: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/02/the-five-stages-of-adopting-corporate-sustainability/ The usual Greenwashing firm couldn't

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-10039748968311111462009-09-02T08:18:00.000-07:002009-09-02T08:56:06.529-07:002009-09-02T08:56:06.529-07:00

Starbucks Serves up its First Fairtrade Lattes and Cappuccinos Across the UK and Ireland Limited only to UK and Ireland?

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-10900068975427994932009-09-02T03:18:00.000-07:002009-09-02T09:15:28.096-07:002009-09-02T09:15:28.096-07:00

In my readings, I came across an old article about a cause I once supported during my college days. I guess I had previously written about it in an earlier post. I once supported a popular civil society group in convincing some big fast food company to switch from polystyrene to reusable wares. It was a victory on our part because gradually, the fast food company's ware did change part of their

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-20647099874945507942009-09-01T07:45:00.001-07:002009-09-11T02:14:39.724-07:002009-09-11T02:14:39.724-07:00

Will Greenwashers Push the Green Movement Back to the Fringe? Posted On May 1, 2007 (10:37 am) If you want to attract a loyal green consumer, use... Article taken from Environmental Leader - http://www.environmentalleader.com URL to article: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/05/01/will-greenwashers-push-the-green-movement-back-to-the-fringe/

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-81369369016283403692009-08-30T08:46:00.000-07:002009-09-04T21:16:39.068-07:002009-09-04T21:16:39.068-07:00

In most corporate offices, the environmental department is an enigma, not really, more like sidelined given its relative novelty. Unlike accounting, legal, facilities engineering or purchasing, it is only recently that such units are being put into place when things like environmental compliance issues and safety concerns are being addressed given its legal and economic consequences. While

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-61612276184865980962009-08-29T19:05:00.001-07:002009-08-29T19:08:54.089-07:002009-08-29T19:08:54.089-07:00

Only 12% of Major Firms have Executive Team for Sustainability Posted On August 27, 2009 (6:48 am) Many large corporations are merely paying lip service to their... Article taken from Environmental Leader - http://www.environmentalleader.com URL to article: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/08/27/only-12-of-major-firms-have-executive-team-for-sustainability/

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-53612698017308311442009-08-29T01:29:00.001-07:002009-08-29T01:45:06.939-07:002009-08-29T01:45:06.939-07:00

SocialFunds.com Article Sat Aug 29 04:29:49 2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- admin (mailto:admin@fastfoodgreenwash.org) sent you this article: Green Fast Food: Really Here or a Green Dream? The fast food industry is seeing a growing demand for environmental sustainability. How can investors, consumers, and other stakeholders know which restaurants are

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-37874439990501978082009-08-28T01:47:00.000-07:002009-08-28T02:12:43.643-07:002009-08-28T02:12:43.643-07:00

After much thought I got myself my own custom domain. I started this blog because I wanted change and change is necessary to achieve sustainable development. The fastfood industry at the moment given its rate of expansion, multinational supply chains and unrestricted pollution in terms of local emissions and effluents is truly in an unsustainable path. Though efforts of going green in the

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-31182338983990964912009-08-27T10:19:00.000-07:002009-08-27T10:19:08.463-07:002009-08-27T10:19:08.463-07:00

The colors green and red reminds me of Christmas but I just found out that having green can make you red (http://www.developmentcrossing.com/forum/topics/greenwash-leaves-corporates). Sometimes I would think about how much of a multi-national company's budget goes into PR and how much into efforts towards sustainable development or lets just say environmental improvements that will lead to

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-57967011378040522242009-08-27T09:09:00.000-07:002009-09-04T21:17:38.414-07:002009-09-04T21:17:38.414-07:00

When I started working, I once had a problem with working with quality professionals, I don't understand what the hell are they doing, on the other hand quality professionals sometimes don't get me, I guess they don't know what the hell I'm doing. Now that we are at the age of recession and cost-cutting, we have to tighten our belts and reduce excessive energy use (my laptop is on energy-save

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-4607648626504905372009-08-25T02:40:00.000-07:002009-08-25T02:49:14.063-07:002009-08-25T02:49:14.063-07:00

The first time I saw this picture of McDonald's MegaTamago scared me, not for environmental reasons but for health reasons. The burger is unbelievable unhealthy...3 patties, bacon and an egg.This burger is only available for a limited time in Japan who among the world has a population with the longest life span. Beef and Japan is a truly ironic combination even the fact that some Japanese still

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-56929207738015139382009-08-24T12:35:00.001-07:002009-08-28T19:43:49.772-07:002009-08-28T19:43:49.772-07:00

Is it colonial mentality that enables us to judge that imported is always better? Nowadays, the rule is imported is cheaper, especially if it came from India, China or Vietnam. But if we are told that a product came from Australia, New Zealand or Brazil, we might think otherwise, it might be better??? Where it came from is a relative term, how it came about is what matters. When I think of Beef

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-77305036071163135932009-08-21T00:08:00.000-07:002009-08-21T04:29:25.466-07:002009-08-21T04:29:25.466-07:00

In 2005, I attended a conference on the possibility of utilizing Fossil Fuels as a "Clean" energy source organized by the Asia Pacific Economic Conference. The conference was an irony but I won't be talking about the conference topics which talked about the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and coal liquefaction but the time when I personally met a former Energy Minister while lining up

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-30831340478190789962009-08-20T23:32:00.000-07:002009-08-20T23:46:10.065-07:002009-08-20T23:46:10.065-07:00

Regulatory agencies expect companies to be committed. More often than not, the usual third world company is just complying to environmental standards because commitment to environmental standards or eventual improvement in environmental performance is not the usual goal to achieve a company's bottom line. In my experience working with ISO14001 firms, getting certified is a requirement by their

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-82615617933190748952009-08-16T07:38:00.000-07:002009-08-18T05:21:11.206-07:002009-08-18T05:21:11.206-07:00

In relation to what I wrote earlier, establishing an EMS based on ISO 14001 does not require a highly technical set of environmental programs but more emphasis is done in the commitment of top management to improvements and adhering to a clear environmental policy.However, branding a company as environmentally compliant without reference to any standard is blatantly a practice of Greenwashing.

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-14376759512507092942009-08-15T00:32:00.000-07:002009-08-15T01:40:38.440-07:002009-08-15T01:40:38.440-07:00

The great deal of my professional work experience has been all about the implementation of ISO14001. In 2000, fresh out of college, I was tasked to maintain the documentation requirements of a school's certification based on the specifications of ISO14001:1996, at that time I had the impression that it was a very technical concept but almost a decade in implementing the standard and doing

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3769178313538762683.post-55388819419808246842009-08-12T20:56:00.000-07:002009-08-24T12:45:21.446-07:002009-08-24T12:45:21.446-07:00

I don't feel comfortable writing fast food as part of professional background in my resume especially on top of it. Early on I know that fast food in general is not environmentally sustainable given its core operational nature and by now I realize my contribution is just going to be another futile expedition given the time I spent with the industry. I guess back then when I accepted this

mmarayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05709788807653396203noreply@blogger.com0