Green Electronics and Consumer Perceptions
Great article about a consumer survey called GreenFactor, in which 10,000 adults in 12 global markets indicated many people are interested in learning about the ‘greenness’ of a product. Perceptions among brands’ rankings differ than those ranked by GreenPeace in their annual review.
Harnessing Water Currents for Energy
From oceans and slow-moving streams may be viable according to some technologies in development.
Wal-Mart Launches Green Jobs Council
This includes representatives from employees, partners, and 30 suppliers who in the inaugural meeting “identified their top catalysts for creating green jobs, including government policies, executive leadership for sustainability programs, and market drivers such as increased customer demand.” Additionally, “participants are also working to more clearly define standards for green jobs and to work collaboratively towards facilitating green job development.” Sounds more like tallying numbers for positive PR “here’s what we’re doing”rather than meaningful action. Call me a cynic, but I think the “green jobs” label is quite subjective and prone to be picked up as news, even if the efforts are weak.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Another promising science exploring to make electricity out of the temperature difference between water depths. Lockheed Martin, among others, are in on the action. New Scientist magazine brings you the scoop.
Tracing Chicken Back to the Farm
A brand called Just BARE has a code on its packaging that when entered into their website, gives you info on where the chicken was raised. How cute! From this itty bitty farm, and into my skillet! 
Perhaps this is interesting to the extreme chicken lover, but the golden marketing story that needs to be told lies in this excerpt from the Packaging Digest article: “Just BARE chicken follows Animal Welfare Guidelines established by the National Chicken Council (NCC) in conjunction with industry experts and top poultry scientists from leading universities. Just BARE flocks are free to roam in modern, climate-controlled barns. The chickens are able to eat and drink whenever they want and interact as they would in the outdoors. They are provided the right amount of light and darkness to reflect natural conditions, and protected from external environmental hazards.”
Glass Container Industry Seeks 50%+ Recycled Content by 2013
Says it all doesn’t it? EPA data for 2007 shows a rate of 28%. Go post-consumer cullet! (ahem, trade term for recycled glass)
Washed ‘Clean’ Coal
Julian from the Green Leap Forward briefly discusses washing coal before combustion to remove impurities and increase tonnage value shipped. Interesting!
GreenPeace’s 2008 Guide to Greener Electronics
Press release includes highlights. Since 2006, the guide“ranks the leaders of the mobile phone, computer, TV and games console markets according to their policies and practices on toxic chemicals, recycling and energy. Since June 2008, the Guide has ranked companies on five climate and energy criteria.”
EPA Told to Overhaul Public Health Risk Assessments
Of toxic chemicals and pollutants, by panel of experts organized by the National Academy of Sciences. Marla Cone writes, “the reforms proposed by the committee would be the first major overhaul of the federal agency’s framework for analyzing environmental risks in 25 years.” Check out the full article for the breadth that my few words can’t convey.
Bank of America to Cease Financing Mountaintop Mining Operations
Mind you, the great folks at the Natural Resources Defense Council convinced them to do so after taking execs to a few sites to show how environmentally damaging the mentality “don’t dig, just remove the whole mountain” is.
Green Packaging: Purchasing Cost v. Cost in Use
Brad Schorr gives us the lowdown in this very brief article (sorry, but I won’t give you the synopsis on this one!).
Neocolonialism Ahoy!
“Countries including China, Kuwait and Sweden are snapping up vast tracts of agricultural land in poorer nations, especially in Africa, to grow biofuels and food for themselves.” We give you satellite tv & community swimming pools, You give us land (I just had to be sarcastic here).
EU Bans Import of Soy-Based Food for Infants and Youngsters
Following high levels of melamine found (via Green Chemicals blog).
EPA Mandates Emissions Control Signals For Heavy Diesel Trucks and Buses by 2010
As part of dashboards, they would indicate malfunctioning equipment and help meet tightened pollution limits established in 2007.
Finance Sector Gets Framework to Respond to Climate Change
A set of principles that is; established by The Climate Group and endorsed by a variety of BIG banks.
Toxic Substances in 30% of Toys
Whoah, and they come from a variety of countries too, not just our favorite assumed culprit: China. The biggest sub-category? Jewelry.
American Sociological Assoc. Survey Finds Consumers Unaware of Toxicity in Their Homes
I like the idea of the study, but to only survey 25 people (all women) is quite a bit low for a sample size IMO.
U.S. Big Three Automakers Spent Almost $120m Lobbying Congress Against Greener Measures Since 2007
The Huffington Post explains the irony of future promises in lieu of their asking Congress for loans.
Government Accountability Office Claims Increased Oversight of GMO Crops Needed
This follows six known unauthorized releases of GMO crops into food production since 2000 involving corn and rice.
Arboform - The “Liquid Wood” That Wants to Replace Plastic
Okay, so it’s a viable bioplastic that traditionally smelled awful, but recent R&D and testing by a company has removed that attribute. I wonder how its cost compares to other alternatives.
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Au Revoir!
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