Green Business Practices

 

19th World Petroleum Congress

The Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, and Antonio Brufau, Chairman & CEO of Repsol YPF, the Host Sponsor of the 19th World Petroleum Congress, yesterday unveiled the 19th World Petroleum Congress to take place in Madrid between 29 June and 3 July, 2008.

The World Petroleum Congress is the largest international gathering in the oil and gas industry. Governments, national and international oil companies and representatives of international institutions and suppliers of goods and services worldwide will come together in Madrid to discuss the future of the industry.

The Congress to be held in Spain will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World Petroleum Council, the not for profit organisation that promotes the congress and was created in 1933. The World Petroleum Council, made up of 60 countries that account for over 95% of global economic activity, acts as a forum for discussing issues facing the oil industry and is strictly apolitical. The WPC is dedicated to the application of scientific advances in the oil and gas industries, to technology transfer and to the use of the world’s petroleum resources for the benefit of mankind.

The official slogan for the 19th World Petroleum Congress, A Word in Transition: Delivering Energy for Sustainable Growth, reflects industry efforts to ensure ongoing, affordable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly supply.

The Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, summed up the significance of this event as follows: “If there is one issue that attracts worldwide attention at present, that issue is energy, both because it is vital to progress and because of the role its production and consumption plays in a model predicated on sustainable development”. An event which, with oil prices hitting an all-time high last Monday, will “focus the attention of analysts worldwide on Madrid, a city destined to become a global metropolis”.

Ruiz-Gallardón added data to explain Madrid’s “committed interest” in this Congress. In Spain over 50% of energy consumption comes from oil while a further 15% comes from natural gas, both imported products, a phenomenon which makes “Spain’s economic variables highly sensitive to price variations”.

However, Madrid is not only a consumer, it also generates oil derived wealth in industries such as the pharmaceuticals industry, which contributes 8% of manufacturing value-added generated by the city. “Even still, the energy sector alone – the source of 20% of the capital’s industrial output – is the highest contributor to Madrid GDP, not because of generation but rather the strategic and management activities undertaken by large players. Repsol YPF and Cepsa, like 52% of Spain’s oil companies with over 500 employees, are headquartered in Madrid”.

Antonio Brufau, Chairman & CEO of Repsol YPF, the Host Sponsor of the 19th World Petroleum Congress, thanked the Mayor of Madrid for the institutional support provided, facilitating the hosting of the Congress in Madrid 14 years after it was last hosted in Europe: “Madrid’s candidacy was promoted by a group of Spanish companies under the auspices of the Spanish Energy Club, who were provided the indispensable official and institutional support required to host an event of this magnitude”. His Royal Majesty Juan Carlos I personally expressed his support for the Congress, committing to officially inaugurate the event.

In the words of Brufau, “the 19th World Petroleum Congress is an opportunity for the Spanish oil and gas industry to showcase its current paradigm and future plans” against a backdrop in which “the oil industry will pronounce its full commitment to the principles of sustainable development”. Brufau highlighted that the sector’s performance in Spain in recent years positioned the country as a candidate to host the event. He also referred to other pressing issues such as deregulation of the oil and gas market, corporate internationalisation, the spin-off of generation and distribution activities and the significant levels of investment required to diversify oil and gas sources and thereby ensure uninterrupted supply, “Spain stands out for its technological developments in reducing environmental damage and for research into and the use of renewable sources of energy such as bio fuels, photovoltaic solar energy and wind energy”.

The 19th World Petroleum Congress will be held between 29 June and 3 July, 2008 at Madrid’s IFEMA Congress Centre and is expected to draw some 4,500 attendees, of which 3,500 will be delegates. The Congress will be structured into multiple sessions dealing with issues ranging from general matters of utmost importance to the latest technological developments in the sector. Over the course of the event there will be round table debates, forums and key note presentations made by the world’s leading experts.

In addition to plenary, technical and ministerial sessions, the Congress will touch on sensitive issues for society such as Water, Corporate Social Responsibility, Women and Youth in the oil sector. For the first time in the history of the Congress, women and youth will have a special section.

As it always does, the World Petroleum Congress has called upon all professionals, experts, researchers and students from the energy industry interested in sharing their knowledge and experience with the event’s participants to send in their proposals. The deadline for Call for Papers was last 15 October. Over 1,500 abstracts were received from 180 companies and 215 training and research institutions across 57 countries. Three hundred will be selected to participate in the presentations making up the Technical Program and a further two hundred for the Poster Plaza.

In parallel to the Congress, the World Petroleum Exhibition (WPE) and the Global Business Opportunities Centre (GBOC) Exhibition will be held in an exhibition space covering 20,000 m2 located in three IFEMA pavilions.

The World Petroleum Exhibition will feature the largest sector players as well as a large number of media from all five continents in the Media Village.

All the member nations of the World Petroleum Council and certain state companies will have the opportunity to showcase their petroleum industries to delegates, exhibitors and visitors at the Global Business Opportunities Centre. The GBOC will also house the Poster Plaza, the Social Responsibility Area and the Youth Stand.

Exhibitors have displayed unprecedented interest in the Congress, as witnessed by the fact that 70% of the exhibition space has already been booked.

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 Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation, Inc., is an American company that sells cleaning, paper, and personal care products. The company was founded in 1988. It is based in Burlington, Vermont. The company focuses its marketing and product development on sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. Like some other companies, Seventh Generation uses recycled and post-consumer materials in its packaging and biodegradable and phosphate- and chlorine-free ingredients in its products.
In 1988, Jeffrey Hollender contacted Renew America, a mail-order catalog that sold energy conservation products to raise funds for an environmental organization, asking to purchase an equity stake. he name "Seventh Generation" comes from the Great Law of the Iroquois "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."
In 2010, the company claimed to have $150 Million in annual revenue. By 1993, there were 27 branded products, sold at natural food stores across the United States. In 2009, the state of Washington banned the sale of phosphate products, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. An associated press dispatch reported that residents using hard water felt forced to purchase banned products out of state because of the impression that the non-phosphate products, including Seventh Generation, did not work well on dishes. Defenders replied that the true culprit was hard water, which is mineral-rich and resistant to soap. In 2010, a national voluntary ban on phosphates in dishwasher detergents was implemented by many members of the American Cleaning Institute (formerly the Soap and Detergent Association), a manufacturer's trade group representing most detergent companies.

Seven generation sustainability is an ecological concept that urges the current generation of humans to live sustainably and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. It originated with the Iroquois - Great Law of the Iroquois - which holds appropriate to think seven generations ahead (a couple hundred years into the future) and decide whether the decisions they make today would benefit their children seven generations into the future.

A sustainable business means a business that can thrive in the long term. Sustainability is bigger than a PR stunt or a green product line, bigger even than a heartfelt but occasional nod to ongoing efforts to save the planet. Imagined and implemented fully, sustainability drives a bottom-line strategy to save costs, a top-line strategy to reach a new consumer base, and a talent strategy to get, keep, and develop creative employees. True sustainability has four equal components:

• social, to address conditions that affect us all, including poverty, violence, injustice, education, public health, and labor and human rights
• economic, to help people and businesses meet their economic needs—for people: securing food, water, shelter, and creature comforts; for businesses: turning a profit
• environmental, to protect and restore the Earth—for example, by controlling climate change, preserving natural resources, and preventing waste
• cultural, to protect and value the diversity through which communities manifest their identity and cultivate traditions across generations.

·         As part of the long-term strategic partnership, Walmart will carry a variety of cleaning products from Seventh Generation's portfolio, including the brand's best-sellers, such as laundry detergent, dish soap, disinfecting wipes and all purpose sprays. An expanded assortment of products, including baby diapers and wipes, will roll out on Walmart.com in September.

"Seventh Generation and Walmart are committed to helping people learn about natural alternatives and ways to protect themselves and their families," said Chuck Maniscalco, Seventh Generation CEO. "Through increased access to safe, healthy, affordable, and sustainable products, Seventh Generation and Walmart have together embarked on a long-term, strategic partnership to grow this movement by demonstrating a shared commitment to education and making meaningful change."

"As part of Walmart's broad sustainability goal to sell products that sustain people and the environment, we are always looking to expand our number of sustainable offerings," said Al Dominguez, Walmart's vice president of chemical and paper goods. "Seventh Generation is a leader in offering natural and healthy products to families and we are excited about using our scale to make these offerings available to even more customers through our stores and on Walmart.com."

In addition to access to Seventh Generation product lines in more than 1,500 Walmart stores nationwide and on Walmart.com, Seventh Generation and Walmart will collectively encourage families to live better through concrete expressions of education to nearly three and a half million consumers through initiatives such as Walmart's mom bloggers, Facebook and the 7GenBlog. This is designed to give customers the tools and information they need to lead a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Seventh Generation, a recognized leader in sustainability, will extend its influence in the industry by partnering with Walmart on several key initiatives, including participation in Walmart's Chemical Intensive Products Sustainable Network, which has developed an ingredient screening program for household and personal care products sold at Walmart. The partnership also allows Seventh Generation to extend its leadership in transparency and consumer education on the environmental footprints of its products, where Seventh Generation will engage with Walmart and other retailers and companies working to develop the science to support a sustainability index through The Sustainability Consortium.

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Values-Driven Business (By Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick)

  

There are an overwhelming number of books published on the challenges of running large companies. And while approximately 50% of the U.S. workforce work for large companies (500 workers or more), the other 50% work for or own smaller scale businesses. Ben Cohen (of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream fame) and Mal Warwick redress this imbalance in their new book

Cohen and Warwick use case studies from companies such as Clif Bar, Eileen Fisher Inc, ShoreBank, Working Assets, and many more to show how the “triple bottom line” of profits, people, and planet have helped companies throughout North America grow and thrive. The book also contains practical resources for business owners or managers who want to narrow the gap between their personal values and their business practices, including a self-assessment tool that enables the owner or manager to determine how her or his company can begin implementing

values-driven business practices. Cohen and Warwick also illustrate the many dimensions of values-driven businesses, addressing the varied roles of their customers, employees, shareholders or owners, and the communities in which they operate.

Values-Driven Business: How to Change the World, Make Money, and Have Fun, which lays out the roadmap for starting and running a business while staying true to one's own ethics and values. Cohen and Warwick address changes both in the culture of modern-day business as well as in the larger culture of America itself. These changes are reflected in the marketplace by the evergrowing demand of consumers for products that are NOT produced in an environmentally damaging manner, as well as for companies that treat their employees with dignity, respect, and decent pay. And, the authors lay out a roadmap for entrepreneurs who want to bring these values of environmentally sound products and respect for their employees to the businesses that they own.

Values-Driven Business

"In Values-Driven Business, Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick use simple language and abundant examples to show how any company, no matter how small, can do well by doing good."

—Russ Feingold, U.S. Senatoris the first book in The Social Venture Network Series—a group of lowpriced, down-to-earth paperback guides that will walk readers through the practical steps of starting and growing a socially responsible business.

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Why Canada needs a National Water Policy

Water is vital to people’s health and livelihoods. In Canada, there is no national strategy to address urgent water issues and no federal leadership to conserve and protect our water. The Federal Water Policy is more than 30 years old and badly outdated.

Canada’s economy is built on the myth of an abundance of fresh water. In fact, only one per cent of Canada’s fresh water is renewable. Water use and consumption in Canada will remain unsustainable unless protective measures are taken. It is time for the Government of Canada to implement a comprehensive National Water Policy that:

 

Establishes national enforceable drinking water standards.

Canada does not have legally enforceable drinking water standards. In April 2008, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported there were 1,766 boil-water advisories currently in place in Canadian municipalities, not including First Nations communities. Several communities have endured drinking water advisories for years, and 90 Canadians die from water-borne disease every year.

 

There are many examples of water tragedies in Canada. In 2000, seven people died in the community of Walkerton, Ontario when their drinking water was contaminated with E. coli virus. In 2001, more than 7,000 people were made sick during a three-month period by parasite- infected water in Battleford, Saskatchewan. In 2005, people in Kasechewan, a Cree community in Ontario, were forced to evacuate their homes because of water contamination.

 

Indigenous communities in Canada have been affected disproportionately by the water crisis. Despite repeated government pledges to ensure First Nations have access to clean drinking water their water is still often contaminated.

 

Recognizes water as a human right.

Water must be recognized as a human right at every level of government. This will ensure that all people living in Canada, without discrimination, are legally entitled to safe, clean drinking water and water for sanitation in sufficient quantities, and that inequalities in access are addressed immediately. The recognition of water as a human right will give communities lacking access to clean drinking water a legal tool to exercise this right. It will also provide legal recourse if a water source is damaged by industrial activities.

The recognition of water as a human right in international law would allow the United Nations to monitor the progress of states in realizing the right to water and to hold governments accountable. The Canadian government has consistently opposed the recognition of water as a human right at key UN meetings.

Declares surface and ground water a public trust.

The declaration of surface and ground water as a public trust will require the government to protect water for the public’s reasonable use. Under a public trust doctrine private water use would be subservient to the public interest. Permission to extract groundwater under the public trust doctrine, for example, might be granted based on the ability to show public benefit for any proposed extraction. It may also lead to the creation of a hierarchy of use requiring that water use be allocated for ecosystems and basic human needs first, and not corporate needs such as large-scale industrial projects or by bottled water companies.

 

Creates a national public water infrastructure fund.

Decades of cuts in infrastructure funding, coupled with the downloading of several programs and services to municipal governments, have resulted in a “municipal infrastructure deficit,” conservatively estimated at $123 billion by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Communities across the country are in desperate need of money to pay for water pipes and filtration systems, which is now the responsibility of municipal governments. Some governments have started looking to private investors to rebuild infrastructure through public-private partnerships (P3s). Water is a public health and safety concern and is best managed, regulated and financed by public systems that are accountable to the community. When for-profit interests control drinking water, quality decreases and costs increase. Money is needed to ensure municipal infrastructure is rebuilt to provide publicly-owned and operated water infrastructure, not the failed P3 model currently being promoted and funded by the Harper government.

Provides a strategy to address water pollution.

Although regulating water pollution falls largely under provincial jurisdiction, the federal government is responsible for protecting fish-bearing waters through the Fisheries Act and controlling toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

A strategy is needed to address the following water pollution concerns:

• Standards for industry and agribusiness.
  Every level of government must commit to creating and enforcing strict laws against industrial dumping, the use of non-essential pesticides on public and private lands, and the discharge of toxins into waterways.

 

• A slowdown of tar sands production.
  The tar sands projects release four billion litres of contaminated water into Alberta’s groundwater and natural ecosystems every year. Toxins connected to tar sands production have been found as far downstream as the Athabasca delta, one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world.

 

• Removal of Schedule 2 from the Fisheries Act.
  Lakes that would normally be protected as fish habitat by the Fisheries Act are now being redefined as “tailing impoundment areas” in a 2002 schedule added to the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations of the Act. Under this schedule, healthy freshwater lakes lose all protection and become dump-sites for mining waste. Canada is the only industrialized country to allow this practice.

• National enforceable standards for sewage treatment. Canada has no national standards for municipal sewage treatment and wastewater effluent quality. As a result, 200 billion litres of raw sewage are flushed into our waterways every year.

Bans bulk water exports.

Canada and the United States share interconnected water systems. The need for such a ban on bulk water exports is pressing, given the pressure to send water to serve drought-prone areas in the United States. In the last two years we have seen detailed proposals from right-wing think tanks in both the United States and Canada to export water from Manitoba and Quebec. These projects are tremendously costly, require vast amounts of energy, and pose great threats to watersheds. Bulk water exports and diversions would leave Canada’s water vulnerable to environmental depletion and to international trade challenges that could permanently open the floodgates to parched U.S. states.

Excludes water from NAFTA and all future trade agreements.

Under NAFTA, water is defined as an investment and a service. This protects the right of foreign investors to consume vast and unsustainable amounts of water to extract oil from the tar sands, to bottle ancient glacier water and groundwater, and to dump their waste into lakes. If a corporation is granted permission to export water anywhere in Canada, it becomes a tradeable good under NAFTA, and other provinces will have to grant similar access to corporations seeking water export rights. Only a clear exclusion of water from NAFTA and other trade agreements will avert this threat.

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The Three R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Tips on reducing waste and conserving resources.
The three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle - all help to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away. They conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy.
Plus, the three R's save land and money communities must use to dispose of waste in landfills. Siting a new landfill has become difficult and more expensive due to environmental regulations and public opposition.

Missouri has a goal of reducing the amount of waste going into landfills by 40 percent. Everyone can help meet this goal and save natural resources, energy, and money by following the three R's.

REDUCE

The best way to manage waste is to not produce it. This can be done by shopping carefully and being aware of a few guidelines:

• Buy products in bulk. Larger, economy-size products or ones in concentrated form use less packaging and usually cost less per ounce.
• Avoid over-packaged goods, especially ones packed with several materials such as foil, paper, and plastic. They are difficult to recycle, plus you pay more for the package.
• Avoid disposable goods, such as paper plates, cups, napkins, razors, and lighters. Throwaways contribute to the problem, and cost more because they must be replaced again and again.
• Buy durable goods - ones that are well-built or that carry good warranties. They will last longer, save money in the long run and save landfill space.
• At work, make two-sided copies when ever possible.
• Maintain central files rather than using several files for individuals.
• Use electronic mail or main bulletin board.
• Remove your name from the mailing lists of materials you no longer want to receive: write to Mail Preference Service, c/o Direct Marketing Assoc., P.O. Box 90008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
• Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
• Use a dish cloth instead of paper towels.

REUSE
It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products. Sometimes it takes creativity:

• Reuse products for the same purpose. Save paper and plastic bags, and repair broken appliances, furniture and toys.
• Reuse products in different ways. Use a coffee can to pack a lunch; use plastic microwave dinner trays as picnic dishes.
• Sell old clothes, appliances, toys, and furniture in garage sales or ads, or donate them to charities.
• Use resealable containers rather than plastic wrap.
• Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of paper cups.
• Reuse grocery bags or bring your own cloth bags to the store. Do not take a bag from the store unless you need one.

RECYCLE
Recycling is a series of steps that takes a used material and processes, remanufactures, and sells it as a new product. Begin recycling at home and at work:

• Buy products made from recycled material. Look for the recycling symbol or ask store managers or salesmen. The recycling symbol means one of two things - either the product is made of recycled material, or the item can be recycled. For instance, many plastic containers have a recycling symbol with a numbered code the identifies what type of plastic resin it is made from. However, just because the container has this code does not mean it can be easily recycled locally.
• Check collection centers and curbside pickup services to see what they accept, and begin collecting those materials. These can include metal cans, newspapers, paper products, glass, plastics and oil.
• Consider purchasing recycled materials at work when purchasing material for office supply, office equipment or manufacturing.
• Speak to store managers and ask for products and packaging that help cut down on waste, such as recycled products and products that are not over packaged.
• Buy products made from material that is collected for recycling in your community.
• Use recycled paper for letterhead, copier paper and newsletters.

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Environment Support Green Practices

Companies are finding ways to do business in an environment-friendly manner by adopting green practices. Green practices include everything from constructing buildings using recycled materials and renewable energy to marketing green-friendly products, to viable waste management operations, and dozens more.

Major corporations adopt environmental practices for a variety of reasons. Many companies have seen the impact that a destroyed environment can have on their business, which prompts companies to engage in environment-friendly business practices and help market initiatives to increase awareness about the environment. "Going Green" is also good for a corporation’s public image and the marketability of their business.

 Finally, many environmental practices, especially those that are energy saving or reuse recyclable materials, save companies money in the long run. For example, DuPont has initiated programs that help preserve natural parks and has introduced safer and environment-friendly materials in their products. Bacardi, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, has initiated environment practices to restore coastal water quality around the world. Other major global companies, such as Dell, Lenovo, Cemex, Bayer, Apple, Travelport, BP, HP, and the Hilton Group, just to name a few, have also decided to become "green companies" by engaging in initiatives to increase environment awareness and implement new technologies to reduce their products’ energy consumption and waste products, among other things.

Engaging in practices that help protect the environment is part of corporate responsibility. For many years, people believed that it was unrealistic to expect corporations to make major changes to the way they do business. However, corporations are proving that doing so is not only possible, but also profitable.

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India’s First Green Business School

Set in a verdant valley at Karjat, with a scenic backdrop of mountains, Universal Business School will set a new benchmark, in experiential learning and academic rigour. UBS has been developed by International Business Leaders to create the next generation of superior Business professionals. The founders have acquired in-depth knowledge and experience whilst working in 6 continents, and running global billion dollar businesses, in over 100 countries. Given the strong pedigree and backing of leading Indian Academic luminaries, along with Indian and Multinational CEOs on its Board of Governors, UBS has developed very strong industry linkages from its inception. This clearly differentiates Universal Business School from other contemporary b-schools.

Management education in India is predominantly taught through classroom lectures with a smattering of projects, which constitute at best 20 percent, of the learning process. UBS will radically alter this ratio by making the learning substantially experiential and make students productive from Day 1. UBS will be implementing an innovative curriculum and teaching pedagogy which will enable their students to become an effective Banker, Trader, Marketing Manager, Operations Manager or Strategic Thinker. UBS students will actually live these roles throughout their tenure, giving them an absolute edge over their peers and make them most attractive to industry.

The Industry linkages through the Consultancy practice, the Senate of Business Leaders and the Entrepreneurs Club, will enable UBS faculty and students, to apply themselves to the real time challenges faced by businesses. UBS practices ‘Principle Centred Leadership’ and will inculcate amongst the students the ethos: “When given command, take charge and do what is right.”
Gurdip Anand, Principal Founder, Universal Business School asserts that they have put together a curriculum incorporating the best practices from management professors across the globe. This will be monitored by the Academic Council which boasts of Ivy League professors and leading Indian Management Gurus.

Green Thinking – A way of Life at UBS
Green thinking emanates from everything UBS does. From integrating Green thinking into the curriculum, to undertaking rain water harvesting, waste management by effective recycling, generating solar / wind power and by constructing climate friendly buildings, UBS have established a truly ‘Eco-Smart School’. UBS is planting a thousand trees around the campus, towards making the learning experience truly magical. UBS promises to develop responsible business leaders who recognise their duty towards the environment, and play a significant role towards introducing eco-friendly practices.

Faculty – Simply the Best India has to offer
Students and faculty in USA often prefer to go to Stern and Columbia Business School, rather then higher ranked Ivy League schools, only because they are based in New York (business hub of America). Being close to Mumbai, India’s business and financial capital, UBS has a significant advantage, over the other b-schools at Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. UBS has attracted leading faculty from Anderson School and Stanford University, along with Professors from leading Mumbai b-schools. Attracting faculty has been one of the biggest challenges for other business schools across the country. However, UBS is all set to make waves in the months to come, with the backing of their eminent faculty.

Infrastructure – Try and match that India
Universal has been designed by leading American Architects; Perkins Eastman International, who have designed Columbia Business School, Cornell University and NYU Stern Business School. UBS has a definitive edge given their access to the best practices in business school infrastructure and technology adoption, globally. UBS’s swanky academic building with ultra modern ampi-theatre classrooms is rapidly taking shape. The student housing is perhaps, the best residential accommodation available to post graduate students in India. 16 acres from the 40 acres campus have been set aside for recreation facilities. Mr. Anand states “At Universal, our students will seek to achieve ‘Work Life Integration’ with passion and harmony, rather than just seeking Work Life Balance, which is a compromise”.

Finally, a Business School with a Soul!
Mr. Anand asserts that the UBS promise ensures that they will never stoop towards adopting any un-ethical practices. UBS will ensure that their students imbibe these values on the basis of the total transparency which prevails in every facet of their operations. UBS believes that high performing organisations, can achieve superlative growth and profitability goals, without resorting to questionable business practices.

Even in their admission processes, candidates will be evaluated in terms of their attitudes, behaviours and contributions towards societal causes. UBS does believe that this is critical towards ensuring that their students are passionate about their societal responsibilities.

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Waste management can battle climate change:

Cutting emissions from the world’s waste management companies could have a big impact in the fight against climate change, according to a United Nations report released on Friday.

“Waste and climate change: Global Trends and Strategy Framework” – prepared by the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International environment Technology Centre – says the waste sector is particularly well placed to cut its contribution to global man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) and even become an emissions saver.

The report recommends reducing the amount of primary materials used in manufacturing, storing carbon in landfills and compost, and harvesting methane from rubbish tips for fuel and electricity generation.

“The waste sector is already acting to minimize the impact of potentially potent greenhouse gases like methane, but this is often done on a country-by-country basis. The time is ripe to scale up and deliver a far more coordinated and global response, especially in respect to developing economies,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

The report was released as delegates from around the world meet in the Mexican city of Cancún for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Estimates put the emissions contribution of the waste sector at roughly 3-5 per cent of GHG, about equal to the GHG produced by international aviation and shipping. However, the study notes that reliability of calculation methods and data between countries vary, with uncertainty ranging from 10-30 per cent in developed countries to as high as 60 per cent in developing countries that do not produce annual data.

Landfills emitting methane are considered the biggest contributors from the waste sector in terms of emissions, in part because methane is thought to be 25 times more harmful over a 100-year period than carbon dioxide. Landfills with gas recovery systems have been able to capture 50-80 per cent of the methane emitted.

Although developing countries generate on average only 10-20 per cent of the waste of developed countries, the figure is growing along with their economies. Attempts to decouple waste production from economic growth through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects have the potential to focus more on landfill gas. In China, only 2.5 per cent of CDM projects are landfill ones while in India the figure is just under 2 per cent.

The Executive Secretary of the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, Katharina Kummer Peiry, welcomed the Waste and Climate Change Report, which, she said, bucked a trend of underestimation of the ways in which waste management can help combat climate change.

“The Secretariat looks forward to joining forces with others in strengthening this link through the environmentally sound management of waste,” she said.

More focus on winning quick victories in the battle against climate change, like the one offered by taking new approaches to waste management, can help in bridging the gap between the emissions levels scientists say are essential to keep 21st century temperature rise lower than 2 degrees Celsius.

“Every avenue, every opportunity and every option for cutting greenhouse gases needs to be brought into play if the world is to combat dangerous climate change and set the stage for a transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient Green Economy urgently needed in the 21st century,".

 

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Leading Change Toward Sustainability:

The Industrial Revolution has led to a host of modern advances; affordable energy, rapid transportation, fast, low-cost automated production and advanced information systems. However, with these we have also inherited a legacy of environmental and social problems. Most business leaders would not disagree that achieving a complete sustainable business is a colossal task. However, leaders with the vision to see the issues as opportunities rather than problems stand to gain the most in the pursuit of sustainability.

Providing the first in-depth explanation of how to involve people in sustainability, Bob Doppelt has brought order to a difficult and often messy area of business strategy.  He reflects on the relationship between vision, leadership and change and demonstrates the secrets of successful corporations.

Using case studies from Nike to the Netherlands he highlights the reasons why many sustainability strategies are doomed to fail simply by their lack of vision. Vision statements which just aim to minimise environmental waste or act in compliance with the law are backward and negative, Doppelt claims. Real sustainability can only be achieved when processes themselves are socially and ecologically beneficial in the first place. Furthermore, Doppelt dares to peek beyond sustainability at a new, enhanced business landscape where we manage totally safe and positive places in which to work. The book firstly demystifies many issues by providing a theoretical discussion of which new technologies and policy instruments to apply. It then gives a practical methodology to transform business with topics on:

 Changing the dominant mind-set

   Rearranging the system by organising transition teams

   Creating an ideal vision and guiding principles of sustainability

   Restructuring the rules of engagement and adopting source-based strategies    

  Communicating the need, vision and strategy for achieving sustainability   

 Correcting feedback loops: encouraging and rewarding innovation

  Aligning systems and structures with sustainability

This book is appropriate for all who are considering sustainability initiatives or currently struggling with their policies. For guidance or just for a reminder, the book can be used both to diagnose a situation and to identify workable solutions.

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Ottawa Mission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a00Tk_DW8bc

 

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Chemical cleaning products toxic to health

 

Most people appreciate a clean living space -- freshly laundered sheets, scrubbed floors, spotless windows, sparkling faucets.

Prior to the Second World War, most household cleaning was done using relatively simple and safe products such as castile soap, baking soda and vinegar. After the war, however, the proliferation of petroleum-based chemicals allowed corporations to manufacture ready-made cleansers. Over the past 60 years, many of these companies have also taken advantage of (if not helped create) people's belief that to protect themselves from infectious disease they must kill all bacteria, not just wash them down the drain.

Companies have been remarkably successful with this campaign, particularly in the last decade with the introduction of antibacterial agents. These chemicals, most popularly triclosan, can be found not only in cleaners, but also lotions, toys, toothbrushes and even socks and underwear.

Marketers use a variety of terms -- antibacterial, antimicrobial, disinfectant, and antiseptic -- interchangeably to suggest that their products will prevent disease. However, only approximately 60 per cent of the 5,000 antimicrobial products registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency actually kill infectious bacteria.

The value and effectiveness of these products were recently called into question when federal health advisers reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that studies found no significant difference in infections in households using antibacterial products and those with regular soap and water. The advisers also expressed concern about how these products could ultimately contribute to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

While strong disinfecting cleaners such as bleach have proven to help keep bacteria, viruses, and fungi in check, for the average home such products are chemical overkill that only provides temporary protection (it doesn't take long for germs to return). Many experts agree that except for hospitals, or those people with compromised immune systems, it is unnecessary -- if not detrimental -- to use chemical cleaners.

There is also growing evidence that exposure to bacteria might be important to the development and maintenance of our immune systems. According to the "hygiene hypothesis," bacterial assaults actually help children's immune systems to develop.

If you're still determined to grab the bleach and disinfect, it is important to understand the potential health risks, especially to children, of chemical products. Many common household cleaners contain ingredients known to be carcinogens (cancer-causing), endocrine-disrupters, or reproductive toxins not to mention lung and skin irritants.

Research has found that women who work in the home are at a 54 per cent higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home. This research adds to the growing body of work about the dangers of long-term, low-level exposure to chemicals. In children, research shows that the risk for leukemia and brain tumours increases dramatically in households using home and garden pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. The statistic becomes more disturbing when you consider that the more than 275 different active ingredients in antimicrobial products are classified by the EPA as pesticides.

Chemical-based products also create high levels of indoor air pollution. So much, in fact, that the indoor air of an average Canadian home on a cleaning day can be hundreds, even thousands of times more contaminated than the outdoor air in the most polluted of cities.

There are natural, safe solutions, however. Most cleaning can be easily handled using everyday ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar, salt, lemon juice, vegetable oil, soap, borax, hydrogen peroxide and washing soda. For those looking for safer, ready-made options, there are also a growing number of products to choose from, many of which can be picked up at your regular grocery store.

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Local Food and Global Trade

Supporting Local Food does not mean blockading imports. Currently only a tiny percentage of the food eaten in any given region of Canada is actually produced locally. Doubling the amount of local food eaten would mean a dramatic difference for local producers and processors, but only a small difference in the amount of food imported. Immense progress can be made by simply eating the kinds of food that can easily be produced locally. Local Food is not about “protectionism” or creating economic barriers to trade. In fact,

Local Food is aimed at promoting economic activity and boosting trade within our home region. Enhancing opportunities for local food involves removing barriers that prevent local growers from accessing local markets. In addition, local food does not mean isolating a region from international trade. The question is sometimes raised – “Why should we support farmers if they can’t compete in the free market?” The answer is that a health local food system has value beyond that which can be expressed in financial terms. We cannot rely solely on a system designed to maximize profit if we also want to maximize equality, sustainability, or other non-monetary benefits of a local food system. Secondly, we require time to build up local

production and food infrastructure. In the event of sudden interruptions in the food system resulting from energy or climate disruptions, a food system solely based on the free market would not be able to respond rapidly enough to compensate. We need to build a strong, sustainable food system well in advance of any such traumatic events. Besides, it is questionable whether the current food system operates on the free market. Corporate industrial agriculture is heavily subsidized, both directly by governments and

indirectly by access to finite supplies of cheap energy. In addition, Canadian farm families are subsidizing the production of food in the current system by being forced to rely heavily on off-farm income to pay their bills.

It is sometimes suggested that small-scale and organic agriculture will not be able to produce the yields needed to meet food demands in the coming years. However, recent research suggests that organic agriculture can have sufficient yields to feed the global population. A 22-year long study by Cornell University showed that organic agriculture produces the same yields of soybeans as conventional agriculture, but does so using less energy and water. A different study, run in partnership with Iowa State University, actually showed higher yields for organic corn and soybeans. Some studies have shown significantly higher yields of various crops, especially in years with extreme weather. In addition, the current system is designed to maximize yields. Even in a future of totally localized food systems, it would still be useful to have longdistance food transport systems to move food into areas experiencing unexpected hard times. with realized net incomes for farms in Canada actually being negative. Farmers deserve justice, and so do eaters. It is not an either/or situation. By building an equitable and sustainable local food system, we can help address the problems of both groups. Not surprisingly, families with more disposable income are more able to make monetary support to a local food system, whether that is through buying local food or through other means. However, everyone can participate in growing a local food system regardless of their income, and everyone will reap the rewards of a healthy local food system. Furthermore, food in Canada is already among the cheapest in the world. Low-income families encounter problems paying for food because their already small income is used up on their high rent and utilities costs. According to the Daily Bread Food Bank, the average food bank user has slightly more than $4 remaining after paying their rent and utilities each month.

 

 

 

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 Organic Food

Meaning and origin of the term: In 1939, Lord Northbourne coined the term organic farming in his book Look to the Land (1940), out of his conception of "the farm as organism," to describe a holistic, ecologically-balanced approach to farming—in contrast to what he called chemical farming, which relied on "imported fertility" and "cannot be self-sufficient nor an organic whole." This is different from the scientific use of the term "organic," to refer to a class of molecules that contain carbon, especially those involved in the chemistry of life.

Organic foods are made in a way that complies with organic standards set by national governments and international organizations. In the United States, organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 and regulations in Title 7, Part 205 of the Code of Federal Regulations to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. For the vast majority of human history, agriculture can be described as organic; only during the 20th century was a large supply of new synthetic chemicals introduced to the food supply. This more recent style of production is referred to as "conventional." Under organic production, the use of conventional non-organic pesticide (including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides) is precluded. However, contrary to popular belief, certain sprays and other materials that meet organic standards are allowed in the production of organic food. If livestock are involved, the livestock must be reared with regular access to pasture and without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce may not be genetically modified. It has been suggested that the application of nanotechnology to food and agriculture is a further technology that needs to be excluded from certified organic food. The Soil Association (UK) has been the first organic certifier to implement a nano-exclusion.

Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as "organic" within their borders. Most certifications allow some chemicals and pesticides to be used, so consumers should be aware of the standards for qualifying as "organic" in their respective locales.

Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run operations, which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food production has had growth rates of around 20% a year, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 1–2% of food sales worldwide.