The GREEN MARKET ORACLE: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Scary Halloween Consumer Statistics

One of the scariest parts of Halloween is the tons of non-biodegradable waste generated by wrappers, decorations and Halloween costumes. Halloween is the second biggest decorating holiday of the year, surpassed only by Christmas. Halloween is also a major retail event that has grown substantially in recent years. In 2005 US, consumers spent approximately $3.29 billion on Halloween. In 2010, even after a deep recession, Americans spent $5.8 billion for the holiday.

On 31 October 2011, the world’s population reached 7 billion. The ever increasing population is expected to overwhelm the earth's carrying capacity. A movement titled, '7 Billion Actions,' is rallying people and organizations around the world to address the challenges of overpopulation.

World Wind Energy Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition (WWEC 2011)

The 10th World Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (WWEC2011) will be held from 31 October - 2 November 2011 in Cairo, Egypt. The conference is aimed at presenting, exchanging and discussing the latest knowledge on the state of wind energy utilization, turbine technologies, and renewable energies in general, local and regional energy planning, and other related topics. The special focus will be on how to harvest the abundance of renewable energy in the deserts of this world and thus convert deserts into powerhouses.

Between October 31 and November 2, 2011, the GreenGov Symposium will be taking place in Washington DC. At the Symposium there will be dynamic, forward-thinking session speakers from the public and private sectors as well as networking opportunities.

On October 29th and 30th, 2011, the course "Understanding Policies and Finances - Fast Track to a Renewable Energy Consultancy Job," was held at Imperial College, London. This two day course is designed for individuals considering a consultancy job and/or those who have to evaluate the benefits of adopting renewable energy technology. The course is also attended by managers and directors who intend to invest in the renewable energy sector.

Net Impact's 19th annual conference took place in Portland, Oregon between October 27th and 29th. The Net Impact Conference is the world’s largest and most inspirational event for students and professionals using their business skills to create social and environmental good. The Conference discussed changing the world through business with 2,600 members and community friends.

On October 26th many college campuses across North America celebrated the 9th annual Campus Sustainability Day (CSD). Campus Sustainability Day highlights the green accomplishments and initiatives of staff, faculty and students.

Video: Highlights from Campus Sustainability Day

Campus Sustainability Day was celebrated by most colleges on October 26th. Here is a compilation of video clips that were submitted to Planet Forward to commemorate the day. These schools are working toward more sustainable college campuses. This video covers sustainable food, green meal plans, and algae that can be used as fuel. You can also see what sustainability chief Meghan Chapple-Brown has to say about what campuses can do to become sustainable.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Campus Sustainability Day Summary of Events
Washington University in St. Louis Campus Sustainability
University of Alberta - Sustainability Awareness Week
The Campus Green Builder Online Portal
Green Campus Student Resources
Sustainable University IdeaLab
Chill Out: Climate Action on Campus

Video: Future Supply Chain 2016

Friday, October 28, 2011

University of Alberta - Sustainability Awareness Week

The University of Alberta's Sustainability Awareness Week took place between October 17-23 and comprised 50 events. The fifth annual Sustainability Awareness Week (SAW) included more than 50 free workshops, tours and events across Augustana Campus, Campus Saint-Jean and North Campus, all hosted by the Office of Sustainability and more than 30 student groups and campus organizations.

Campus Sustainability Day is celebrated at different times by different schools in the month of October. It is most commonly celebrated between October 17 and 28. The ninth annual Campus Sustainability Day (CSD) asks colleges and universities to commit to maintaining the momentum of higher education sustainability by connecting new campus groups and allies, highlighting student stories and reaching out to partners who can help move towards success.

After the recession of 2008 companies got leaner and part of this new way of doing business involves looking at inefficiencies throughout the value chain as a way to leverage cost and enhance savings. Lean efforts have been demonstrated to yield substantial environmental benefits (pollution prevention, waste reduction and reuse opportunities) as well as leverage compliance issues.

Environmental Regulations Shaping Today's Sustainable Supply Chains

On Wednesday, August 31, 2011, Environmental Leader aired a webinar that included an update on RoHS2, REACH, Conflict Minerals, and other key issues driving sustainable sourcing and supply chain initiatives.

In the international and domestic marketplaces, laws and regulations have been implemented to regulate how manufacturers, collectors, recyclers, refurbishers and material processors should behave in an environmentally responsible manner.

These exclusive ISO 50001 podcasts feature expert panelists Ed Pinero, the Chairman of the ISO 50001 Technical Committee and Carolyn Campbell, LRQA Energy Management Expert.

The Importance of ISO 50001 On Demand Webinar

In this webinar, international energy management experts discuss how ISO 50001 provides organizations with a harmonized and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements to:

Increase energy efficiency
Reduce cost
Improve energy performance

The webinar features expert panelists Ed Pinero, the Chairman of the ISO 50001 Technical Committee and Carolyn Campbell, LRQA Energy Management Expert.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly buildings are the leading edge in building design today. To achieve a high level of building sustainability in an efficient and effective manner requires the integration of the best management system standards available. Integrated management systems will ensure that we have the capacity to produce more sustainable buildings and ISO 26000 provides a useful set of guidelines.

California, a leader in efforts to combat climate change, has become the first US state to implement cap-and-trade to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The system will place a price tag on carbon emissions and allow the state's industries to trade carbon credits. The system will provide financial incentives to companies in order to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. The cap-and-trade program is scheduled to start in 2013 and it aims to slash emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

Benefits of The ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard

The ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard defines how executives can establish an energy management plan for their organization. A recent article in CSEMag.com outlines the three factors that make the ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard so appealing to organizations. They are as follows:

ISO 14001 is the Environment Management Standard (EMS) and sets requirements for implementing, maintaining and improving an environmental management system, and ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations. In today’s global marketplace it is essential to maintain a consistent standard of quality in manufacturing, management, environmental safety, and employee safety in order for a business to be and stay successful.

Michigan State University Protesting Coal on Campus

Although schools across the US are increasingly adopting greener energy alternatives, this is not the case for Michigan State University. The school has the largest on-campus coal plant in the nation burning over 200,000 tons of coal each year. In addition to contributing to climate change, the plant's pollution contaminates the air in the community of East Lansing, and far beyond.

Zerofootprint is putting its monitoring system to work in schools so that they can identify issues are and address them. Toronto-based Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company which is leveraging competitive benchmarking between peers to help determine the “green” factor for any given building. Zerofootprint aims to focus on benchmarking buildings against other buildings within a community to achieve maximum community efficiency.

As the nation’s leading green educator, Everblue Training Institute has the primary goal of helping people to succeed in the green economy. Whether to earn professional certification or for personal edification, at Everblue people can learn everything they need to know about sustainable, green building principles and practices.

Sustainable University IdeaLab Workshop for College Students

The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) are hosting the Sustainable University IdeaLab workshop Jan. 4-8. The large-scale operations of university campuses make for large ecological footprints. But their students are also a great resource of potential problem solvers.

Here is an Inhabitat interview with David Gavin the project design lead for the University of Maryland team that won the 2011 Solar Decathlon. Their winning entry was a solar powered, water conservation-focused home called the WaterShed.
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Eventbrite's Corporate Sustainability Officer courses offer key business leaders and owners the ability to plan for the future. Eventbrite courses are designed to give the corporate sector a head start with their sustainability initiatives. They provide a foundation of knowledge to build upon. The courses do not involve a lot of heavy jargon nor does it provide an overflow of information. The courses employ simple principles to help participants better understand the process of change and how to implement sustainability in the easiest and most effective way possible.

Video: Sustainable Supply Chain Course: IOM 599

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities facing supply chains today. The course examines some of the factors that are contributing to the adoption of sustainability strategies, such as legislations that are penalizing negative environmental and social impacts, and society's expectations of business in terms of health, human rights, and the environment.

Video: Future Supply Chain 2016

Video: Ten Steps To A Greener Supply Chain

Video: Green Supply Chain

Friday, October 21, 2011

Sustainable Supply Chain Integration

An integrated sustainable supply chain, involves life-cycle management. That means considering all the steps of a manufacturing process, and all the links in the supply chain and value chain to the end of a product’s life and beyond (ie how it is disposed of).

On October 25 and 26, there will be a practical conference on how to drive supplier social & environmental performance and deliver profitable efficiency through supplier buy-in and engagement. This conference will address ways of engaging suppliers on your Social, Environmental, and other Sustainability priorities. These events have a proven track record, with 900+ executives attending previous supply chain conferences.

Explore the future of sustainable business metrics and measurement. This SB Issues in Focus one day event, in partnership with The Wharton School, looks at the retooling of key business metrics to optimize business for sustainable success in the 21st Century. Join other financial and non-financial managers seeking knowledge in the progression of work that measures and values both positive and negative environmental and social impacts of business activity. Industry leaders will collaborate on issues such as valuing eco-system services, moving environmental impact onto the balance sheet, and putting goals in context. October 24, 2011 in Philadelphia, PA.

Solar Power International 2011

Solar Power International 2011 (SPI '11), took place at the Dallas Convention Center between October 17th and 20th. SPI '11 is the premier business-to-business global solar conference and expo, it involved 1,200 international and US exhibitors sprawled across 1.1 million gross square feet. More than 21,000 professionals representing 125+ countries came to the annual showcase, described as "the epicenter" for all that is new in solar. SPI '11 included general sessions and interviews with leading solar executives.

On October 20, the Sustainable Industries Economic Forum was held between 8 and 11 AM. The Sustainable Industries Economic Forums are annual, high-profile business breakfasts that feature inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops and high-powered networking. Now in its 8th year, the event series has featured luminary speakers Cameron Sinclair, Paul Hawken, Ray Anderson, Arianna Huffington, Van Jones, governors, mayors, leading economists, and dozens of Sustainable Industries most innovative CEOs.

Sustainable Procurement Guidelines and Procedures

Organizations interested in sustainable development should develop Sustainable Procurement Guidelines and Procedures. Sustainable procurement guidelines and procedures involve a holistic approach to developing more responsible procurement and supply chain strategies.

One of the key requirements of successful sustainable supply chains is collaboration. Supply chain collaboration includes practices like sharing distribution to reduce waste. Research demonstrates that a collaborative sustainable supplier “network” outperforms a buyer-centric “mission control” supply chain, resulting in a steady supply over the long term, financial benefits to suppliers and quality assurance. Collaborative approaches to managing supply chain issues can increase efficiency and thereby save costs and increase profits.

The Three Tiers of Sustainability and Supply Chains

In 2008, The Future Laboratory produced a ranking system for the different levels of sustainability being achieved by organisations. This was called the Three Tiers of Sustainability:

Research published in Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, shows that sustainable supply chains can be profitable. By focusing on personal relationships built on trust, a collaborative supplier network can outperform a buyer-centric “mission control” supply chain. According to this research, such a network results in a steady supply as well as financial benefits to suppliers and quality assurance.

Sustainable supply chains frequently translate to profitable supply chains. There is growing interest in sustainable supply chains that serve environmental and economic objectives. Growing consumer pressure for eco-friendly products are driving sustainable supply chains with smaller footprints. Sustainable supply chains also reduce costs through improvements in efficiency.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the systemic, strategic coordination of functions that seeks to improve long-term performance. A supply chain consists of all parties involved, directly or indirectly in fulfilling a customer request. The supply chain not only includes the manufacturer and the supplier but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customers themselves. Within each organization the supply chain includes all the functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request.

The Green Market's Green School Series 2011

Each year The Green Market puts together a summary of information and resources on green schools. This series reflects the importance of the green schools movement to contribute to the growth of the global economy and the health of the planet.

Last year over 60 posts came together to create The Green Market's Green Schools Series 2010. This year there are a total of more than 70 posts in the series. In addition to the posts on sustainable education and green building, a new section on grants, programs and awards has been included for 2011.

US Soybean Farmers Can Help to Feed the World

Stewardship efforts undertaken by US soybean farmers offer the kind of efficiency and sustainability we need to see to meet the world's food needs. Soybean farmers are contributing to a sustainable food supply that improves the environment. To help feed growing world population US soybean farmers are trying to increase food production by 50% by 2030, without expanding the land mass used. Biotech breeding advances are allowing farmers to produce more and healthier soybeans with existing acreage.

To feed the world requires sufficient water for agriculture and according to recent research there is enough water in the world's rivers to meet the demands of the expanding global population. According to a series released at the 14th World Water Congress in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil. if we are to feed the world, our rivers will have to be better managed than they are today.

There are currently almost 7 billion people in the world and by 2050 the world's population is expected to be around billion. With one billion people currently going hungry, it raises the question of how we can feed everyone. With slowing annual increases in agricultural yields food security is recognized as a major issue by the U.N. and the G20. Current methods of cultivating crops continue to degrade land, water, biodiversity, and climate.

More frequent extreme weather events caused by climate change are expected to increase food price volatility. If we want to feed the world we need to pursue a course that includes environmental sustainability. Both mitigation and adaptation are required to address the impacts of climate change.Climate change is already having a major impact on agricultural yields. According to a paper published in journal Science and quoted in ENN, global wheat and corn output was reduced by more than 3 percent over the past three decades and these impacts translated into up to 20 percent higher average commodity prices. Higher prices lead to more starvation.

Food crises are jeopardizing efforts to achieve the United Nations' millennium development goal of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. According to an annual report on world hunger, food price volatility is likely to continue and perhaps even increase, making poor farmers, consumers and countries more vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity.

The famines in East Africa and elsewhere make food a critical issue in 2011. Small, import-dependent countries, particularly in Africa, are especially at risk, with many of them still facing severe problems following the world food and economic crises of 2006-2008. Much of East Africa is in crisis and the current famine is not its first. In some places this is the worst drought in 60 years. The result is that 13 million people at now risk and 1.8 million people have been displaced in Somalis alone.

This year, Blog Action Day is on October 16, which coincides with World Food Day, so the 2011 theme is, quite naturally food. Since its inception in 2007, Blog Action Day themes have included water in 2010 and climate change in 2009. This year, in the short span of just two weeks approximately 1,500 bloggers from 80 countries registered to take part in Blog Action Day, 2011. Because of World Food Day, for Blog Action Day 2011, some bloggers are focusing on devastating famines, while others are addressing the abundance of food that is causing new health problems in the western world.

The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity

Bono, George Clooney, Jessica Alba, Idris Elba and more unite behind ONE's new campaign to help focus the world's attention again on the famine and food crisis in the Horn of Africa. Click here to find out more.

Related Posts
Population Growth and Global Food Production
Food Production and Climate Change
Breaking the Cycle of Famine
Food Production and UN Millennium Development Goals
Blog Action Day 2011: Food
There is Enough Water to Feed the World
US Soybean Farmers Can Help to Feed the World

Video: Demand a Green Planet for Yourself and for Your Children

This video reviews the beauty of the natural world and humanities destructive impact. The calamitous cost of global warming is evidenced by extreme weather events like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and melting sea ice which threatens coastal areas all around the world. If we want basic things like clean air, there is a pressing need to act and make our world more sustainable. We need renewable energy, recycling, clean water, and responsible agricultural practices. We need to act in our own lives and demand that governments and corporations contribute to a greener planet for ourselves and for our children.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: If Only We Could See GHGs

This video from the UK reviews how global warming is caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs), the problem is that people cannot see these gases. Despite the fact that GHGs are invisible, they have a very real impact on the world. We need to act today, government, industries and individuals must work together to address this very serious challenge.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Video: Steve Jobs on Computer Efficiency

Steve Jobs was a dynamic and visionary leader who understood the value of efficiency. He helped to make personal computers the "bicycle for the mind". Jobs said that the computer is an efficient vehicle for the mind just as the advanced bicycle is an efficient vehicle for human locomotion. According to the chart employed by Jobs in this video, a conventional bicycle is capable of about 40 MPH, and an HPV is theoretically capable of more than double that at about 80 MPH, (Current record is 83.3 MPH). The crux is that the efficiency of computers has assisted many millions of people. This notion of efficiency applies across the board. We need to become more efficient (and thus more productive) in every facet of human life.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Steve Jobs: Apple's Product Recycling Efforts
Under Steve Jobs Leadership Apple Removed Toxic Chemicals from its Products
Video: Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech

Friday, October 14, 2011

The University of Washington’s Certificate in Green IT

The University of Washington’s Professional and Continuing Education department is now offering a Certificate in Green IT. The certificate teaches students about the role information technology plays in sustainability and the development of future triple bottom line business models.

The Billion Dollar Green Challenge invites colleges, universities and other nonprofits to invest a total of one billion dollars in self-managed green revolving funds that finance energy efficiency upgrades. The goal is to save energy, and grow money.

The 2011 AASHE Campus Sustainability Awards

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) give out awards for sustainability education. On October 11th, AASHE revealed the winners of its 2011 Sustainability Awards which honor the leadership of faculty, campuses and students for innovations in green building, sustainability research and leadership.

Steve Jobs: Apple's Product Recycling Efforts

Apple started recycling in 1994 and today they operate recycling programs in countries where most of their products are sold. Apple fares very well when assessed using Dell's method of measuring recycling, (given a seven year product lifetime, the percentage of the total weight recycled each year compared to the total weight of what was sold seven years earlier).

Under Steve Jobs Leadership Apple Removed Toxic Chemicals from its Products

Steve Jobs was an innovative technological genius, but he should also be remembered for his environmental efforts. He was the mind behind Pixar and other technology companies, but he is best known for his work at Apple. Jobs' environmentalism went well beyond being a vegetarian, he improved Apple's environmental image by withdrawing from the US Chamber of Commerce because of the organization's climate change denial. Apple is also a leader in removing toxic chemicals from its products. Here is a summary of what Apple has done to remove toxic chemicals.

Video: Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech in 2005

In this video the late Steve Jobs delivers his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he tells three stories: The first is about getting fired from Apple in 1985; the second is about life; and the third is about death. Moving words from a truly great man.

Related Posts
Steve Jobs: Apple's Product Recycling Efforts
Under Steve Jobs Leadership Apple Removed Toxic Chemicals from its Products
Video: Steve Jobs on Computer Efficiency

Friday, October 7, 2011

WWF-Canada's Green CommUnity School Grants Program

WWF-Canada is in its fourth cycle of the Green CommUnity School Grants Program. Through the support of Loblaw Companies Limited, WWF-Canada will grant $600,000 over three years, up to $200,000 a year, to Canadian elementary and secondary schools.

Tim Hudak and the Progressive Conservative party bet that people in Ontario would want out of the Liberal's Green Energy Act. His confidence appears to have been misguided. The Liberal victory fell just shy of the 54 seats they needed for a majority. Final seat counts put the Liberals at 53 and the Tories at 37, with the New Democrats at 17. The Liberals won about 37 per cent of the popular vote, just ahead of the Tories at 35. The NDP was at 23 per cent. However, just 47.6 per cent of eligible voters turned out, down from 52.1 per cent who voted in 2007.

Monday, October 31, 2011

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