Sustainability News

ToYou from NewEnergyNews: March 4, 2010

NewEnergyNews Daily Headlines
click here for main page: http://www.NewEnergyNews.net/

* TODAY’S HEADLINE: CLEAN AIR WILL CUT HEALTH CARE COSTS

* QUICK NEWS, 3-4: TEXAS POWER POLITICS & WIND; CHI UTILITY TO TEST SMART SUN; A SOLAR STOCK BUY; GREEN GADGET FAD PASSING

YESTERDAY
* HEADLINE: SOLAR NEWS FROM THE AUTHORITY
* QUICK NEWS, 3-3: OBAMA EFFICIENCY UPGRADE PLAN; SF UTILITY SAYS SUN BEATS BLOOM; GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS CUT POWER COSTS

Sustainable Design Weekly

Bamboo-zled by Green Bamboo Claims? Look to your Sponge

The FTC has determined that textiles derived from bamboo fiber cannot be labeled as bamboo or cellulose, but must be labeled as rayon due to the manufacturing process used. The determination has implications for many more everyday products, including the household sponge

Read more…

Also This Week…

Darden Restaurants is LEED-ing the Way
The worlds largest full-service restaurant brand announced Tuesday that it has begun a corporate-wide sustainable restaurant design initiative, and is committed to utilizing LEED certification standards in all new restaurants built, including certain restaurant remodels.  Read more…

ZURBwired Launches 2010 Design Collaboration
Web design firm ZURB has officially launched the 3rd annual ZURBwired event; a 24-hour design collaboration marathon which will provide one deserving non-profit with a business needs and marketing assessment, a redesign of their website and redesigned marketing collateral. Read more…

Carbon Disclosure Project Drives Forward Carbon Management Globally
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) today announced its eighth annual request for information on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies to over 4,500 companies globally. Companies this year will report to CDP through an upgraded system, developed with Accenture, Microsoft and SAP, that will for the first time utilise the full power of online analysis tools to drive improved carbon management. Read more…

Bridgestone Unveils New Line of Sustainable Tires
At the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, Bridgestone showcased their new brand of environmentally friendly tires, the Ecopia EP422 line. The tires are designed to drastically decrease rolling resistance, improving gas mileage and increasing their useful life to over 65,000 miles.  Read more…

British Airways to Local Source Biofuels
British Airways has just inked a deal with Solena Group, a U.S. based biofuel manufacturer, to source a portion of its jet fuel made from municipal waste in the U.K. The London-based manufacturing plant will be built by Solena, and is expected to be fully operational by 2014. Read more…

Efficient Solar Cells from Silicon Wires
US researchers have designed a new silicon-based solar cell which uses 100 times less silicon than conventional photovoltaic devices. The system relies on the geometry of the silicon being reconfigured from a flat wafer to arrays of tiny silicon rods aligned vertically on the cell. Read more…

IBM Improves Thin Film Solar Efficiency 40%
A new thin film solar cell under development by IBM achieves a 9.6% efficiency rate, a 40% increase over pervious product designs. While that number alone is not impressive for traditional solar cells, what sets this cell apart from others is its composition of earth abundant elements. Read more…

United Indians Newsletter

Message from the Executive Director

On the morning of March 8, 1970, over one hundred Native Americans and their allies scaled the fences of Fort Lawton Army Base in Seattle as part of a peaceful takeover of the land scheduled to be sold or given to the city as surplus. (more…)

Earth Charter News February 2010

February 2010
Para leer en español haga clic aquí

Earth Charter 10th Anniversary!
During 2010 the Earth Charter Initiative is celebrating the 10th anniversary since the launch of the Earth Charter. It is envisioned that there will be at least one major Earth Charter+10 gathering in each region of the world.  Learn more about it here.

Click on the following for more information on
Earth Charter Festival to take place in Brisbane, Australia – September
Earth Charter+10 event in Taiwan – October
Earth Charter event in India – November

(more…)

Pelican Journal of Sustainable Development – January 2010

Happy new year and happy new decade!

Pelican Journal of Sustainable Development – January 2010
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01page1.html

This issue is a directory of selected online resources on sustainable
development and related issues. The directory is minimally annotated and
compiles links to research and data resources under the following
categories:

1. Population and Human Development
2. Cultural, Social, and Security Issues
3. Financial, Economic, and Political Issues
4. Ecological Resources and Ecosystem Services
5. Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy
6. Pollution, Climate Change, and Environmental Management
7. Land, Agriculture, Food Supply, and Water Supply
8. Current State of the Planet and Human Civilization
9. Transition from Consumerism to Sustainability

This issue also includes a supplement:
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01supplement.html

1. Suggestions for Prayer, Study, and Action
2. Recent News, Publications, and Tools
3. Climate Interactive Scoreboard (Courtesy of the Climate Institute)
4. Carbon Dioxide Calculator (Courtesy of Carbonify and Michael Bloch)
5. Education for Sustainable Development 2009 Surveys
6. Catherine of Siena Virtual College (Winter Courses)
7. Open Source Framework for Sustainability
8. International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (WCC 2011)
9. The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic (Courtesy of Spirit Quest)

Invited papers this month:

Institutional Trappings, by Alan Fox
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01page2alanfox.html

Durable Economics, by Barry Brooks
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01page3barrybrooks.html

Bridging the Gulf: Education as Implementation, by Catherine King
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01page4catherineking.html

It Is Time for the Churches to Declare Jubilee, by Britt Johnston
http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv06n01page5brittjohnston.html

ToYou from NewEnergyNews: January 16, 2010

NewEnergyNews Daily Headlines
click here for main page: http://www.NewEnergyNews.net/

THINGS-TO-THINK-ABOUT FRIDAY, 1-15:

* HOW TO THINK ABOUT CITIES

* NEW ENERGY FINDING ITS PLACE

* [ELECTRIC] CAR SHOW 2010

* WORLD WILDLIFE FUND PICKS WIND & WIRES OVER WARMING

* GET MONEY FOR HOME EFFICIENCY

YESTERDAY
* HEADLINE: WHO BUYS SUN AND WHY
* MORE NEWS, 1-14: BIG GREEN JOBS IN STIMULUS; 2010 SLAPDOWN: CHINA BYD EV VS. GM VOLT; NEV LINE WILL MOVE NEW ENERGY; WIND GIANT GE DEALING

Leonardo ENERGY Briefing Paper – Intelligent E-Transportation Management

Intelligent E-Transportation Management
by Nynke Verhaegh, Petra de Boer, Jos van der Burgt, KEMA Consulting

This paper describes the performance of the network of a typical future residential concept area, as has been studied in the Intelligent E-Transportation Management project. Several scenarios have been elaborated by load flow simulations. The study investigated what level of introduction of electric vehicles, heat pumps, photovoltaic systems and micro- combined heat and power plants is feasible in this network. Possible overload situations are examined and the opportunities of demand side management for the power grid are investigated. In general load-flow simulations show that transformer overloads will occur when electric heat pumps and electric vehicles are introduced together in this specific grid. In that case extension of the grid or of the transformer capacity is necessary. Alternatively, demand side management can be applied successfully to mitigate the overload. Click here for the E-newsletter…

Ecocities Emerging, an initiative of Ecocity Builders and the International Ecocity Conference Series

Welcome to the January 2010 edition of Ecocities Emerging, an initiative of Ecocity Builders and the International Ecocity Conference Series.

In this edition we highlight our report back from Ecocity World Summit 2009, the 8th International Ecocity Conference, which convened in December 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. We’re also pleased to announce the next in the series- Ecocity World Summit 2011, will convene August 22-26, 2011 in Montreal Canada. This will be the first Ecocity conference held in a northern climate city. Hosting the event is Le Centre d’écologie urbaine de Montréal. Read more…

GreenBudgetNews 25

Dear readers and friends of GBG,

Enclosed you will find GreenBudgetNews No. 25 with many interesting articles about the development of Green Budget Reform worldwide, in the European Union and in Germany.

Moreover you will find informations about recent GBG-studies and interesting events. More information about GBG activities are available on our website:

http://www.foes.de/home/?lang=en&PHPSESSID=7bc2b641ef36ccc5e40754efadf3403d

Green Budget News 25 (PDF)

Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Implementing Sustainable Development

Major groups are invited to participate in a “Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on
Implementing Sustainable Development” that will take place at the UN
Headquarters in New York on Monday, 1 February 2010 starting at 9:30 am in
Conference Room 2. This dialogue is open to representatives of the UN Member
States, UN system organizations and major groups.
(more…)

Global ethical revolution is driving growth in fair-trade sales

From its humble beginnings in the 1950s, fair-trade has developed into a global movement. A new report by Datamonitor reveals that fair-trade sales across Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan have experienced double digit growth since 2002. This growth is being driven by an increased consumer awareness of ethical issues and environmental concerns. Read more…

ESDNewsletter December 2009

This ESDNewsletter informs about the following topics and activities on sustainable development in Europe:

New ESDN Quarterly Report on “Sustainable development and economic growth: Overview and reflections on initiatives in Europe and beyond”
This Quarterly Report (QR) focuses on the linkages between sustainable development and economic growth from a conceptual perspective and provides reflections of these concepts in the strategies, initiatives and other exploratory events at the international, European Union and national level. The QR is subdivided into four parts.
(more…)

Sense in the City Newsletter – Engaging the Public

December Solstice Greetings,  Citi-zens of the Human Hive =
Today’s Integral City Sparkie for the City Heart:

Learning is not simply a matter of intellectual engagement, but embraces the reorganization and reapplication of energy for changing behaviors and taking action.
(more…)

Social Enterprise Associates – Newsletter – Winter 2009

Net Impact National Conference This Ithaca, NY, conference broke records with 2,500 attending. 125 attended a panel where Drew Tulchin presented on Social Impact Measurement and shared updates on Nemours the SROI project. Read more…

Earth Charter News December 2009 – Interview with Jan Pronk, Lubbers and Boff articles on Climate Change, La Salle embraces the Earth Charter and more

December 2009

Watch interesting video interview with Jan Pronk
Earth Charter International is pleased to present an interview made with Jan Pronk, former Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation. Watch it in the ECInternational You Tube Channel Pronk’s reflections on the Earth Charter, Climate Change and Rio+20.
(more…)

Earth Charter News November 2009 – Interview with Maurice Strong, New websites, Japanese Performances, New Leadership Programme and more

Released NEW interview with Maurice Strong!
Earth Charter International releases an inspiring video interview with Maurice Strong, former Secretary General of the 92 Earth Summit and member of the Earth Charter Commission. In this interview Maurice Strong shares his thoughts on: The Earth Charter, Climate Change, Rio+20 and Peace and Development. Watch it in our You Tube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/ECInternational

Click here for more information

(more…)

Post Carbon Newsletter

DID YOU EVER HAVE A PAPER ROUTE? If so, you’ll remember not only the smell of newsprint and rubber bands, but the frustrating days when late-breaking news delayed your pedal-powered deliveries. While your customers received their papers a bit later than usual (expertly placed on their doorsteps…or nearby in the bushes), the tardiness was offset by extra content and exciting headlines.

We’re hoping you’ll consider this October/November delivery of the Post Carbon Institute newsletter as a late paper packed with big headlines and bulging with valuable content. We think it’s our most significant delivery to date. Enjoy. (more…)

BusinessGreen.com newsletter

Posted November 25, 2009
Conservatives to unveil green policy push
Osborne to announce plans for 10 per cent Whitehall emission target, new low-carbon investment bank, green ISAs and recycling incentive scheme. Read more…

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS BY DANI NABUDERE – FOR AMENDMENT AND ADOPTION

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE COMMONS:
Respected and Shared by All

Preamble:
THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE COMMONS was launched by Civil Society Organizations attending a four-day “Durban Debates on politics, economics and the environment.” The four-day activities included addresses by Professors Immanuel Wallerstein from the United States, Professor Dani W. Nabudere from Uganda, a poetic presence of Dennis Brutus as well as a satellite lecture by Hazel Henderson, Eunice Sahle as well as a video address by the former Governor of the State of Alaska of the United States,. The debates, tours, walks, and protests involving different social movements centered on the burning issues affecting the poor communities in Durban, especially in the area of lack of social service delivery as well as the crisis affecting the environment and the turmoil that has been caused by the global economic crisis. These issues created vigorous debates on the need for solutions that address real problems facing humanity in general in new ways that can unite us all across the globe. It is these debates that led to the call for the need to create a Global Campaign for the Commons because it was realized during the debates that we cannot survive as a human race unless the destruction to the eco-system is stopped by our joint struggles.
(more…)

Green Chip Living: Portland to Build First Large-Scale Sustainable High Rise

By Brigid Darragh | Friday, November 13th, 2009
By now, it should come as no surprise that the capital city constantly making headlines in media and the talk of many a green blog will be constructing the first large-scale “living building” to house the Oregon Sustainability Center. Read more…