ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS FOR YOU

Nov 2009

The Early Bird Gets the Carbon Credits – But You Have to Act NOW

As has been written in other Environmental News for You, a business benefit of a climate change program is that verified greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions can be converted into sellable carbon credits on the voluntary market. In the US, between the Chicago Climate Exchange and other registries, sales in 2008 were reported to reach $500 million, nearly double that of 2007 (despite a recession), proving there is demand for carbon credits. A number of US companies have successfully turned reductions into income. Savvy buyers are more particular about credits purchased, with those generated in the US more favored and therefore valuable. (contact us for full texts)

Oct 2009

Consider Offsets In Your GHG Emission Reduction Strategy

As we near federal GHG emission reduction legislation, the concept of offsets and carbon credits w, new to many, will take center stage. This “Environmental News for You” takes a look at offsets and provides some ideas on how you can manage and benefit from the current and future markets.(contact us for full texts)

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Sept 2009

The USEPA Finalizes Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule

On September 22, the USEPA released its final federal mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation and reporting rule. It will be published shortly in the Federal Register and officially go into effect sixty (60) days from that date. It will be 40 CFR Part 98. Most affected industries will be required to begin to collect appropriate data beginning in calendar year 2010 and report emissions for that year in 2011 and annual emissions thereafter. Therefore, with precious little time remaining this year to set up your systems and procedures before appropriate data must be collected and handled, it is imperative that you understand the rule’s requirements and prepare for it NOW. (contact us for full texts)

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Aug 2009

It’s Not Just YOUR GHG Emissions Anymore!

As has been discussed in previous Environmental News for You, climate change, sustainability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are topics that differ in many ways from traditional environmental or air programs that we deal with. One major way is that environmental impacts center only on emissions/discharges from your plant, while GHGs also count indirect sources (i.e., transportation, electricity usage).

This article will focus on the last point: taking a more holistic view of GHG emissions. Impacts from GHG emissions (and other parameters) from your products as a whole are known as a life cycle assessment (LCA) or impact (LCI). This has already been debated prominently in public (i.e., cloth vs. disposable diaper debate). Several major retailers, such as WalMart and Tesco, are collecting LCA data of products for consumer education. An LCA can reveal clear, focused strategies to cost effectively reduce GHG emissions and can quantitatively compare your product environmentally to a competitor’s... (contact us for full texts)

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July 2009

Now Is The Time For Energy Savings!

You’ve been reading on-line, in journals, perhaps even in Environmental News for You and seen the arguments of why a climate change program is beneficial for your company:

• proven reduction in operational costs;
• opportunity to generate carbon credits for potential additional revenue;
• create new, attractive products and re-package old ones;
• use as a chip to fast-track important projects;
• impress customers;
• satisfy shareholders and improve your corporate image;
• raise employee morale.

Energy savings is the cornerstone of this and is very related to your environmental work.  And you can contribute to this effort raising the value of your work to your firm. You may be convinced of the importance of energy savings to your company, but perhaps the people who control your budget still need to be convinced. Here’s some convincin’..(contact us for full texts)

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June 2009

Turning Green Buildings to Your Benefit

There is growing worldwide concern by the public and government about climate change. With the new Obama Administration and upcoming global summit later this year in Copenhagen, this concern may grow into a tidal wave. As in other environmental programs, business and "industry" will bear the brunt of future regulations. The good news is that such future regulations will likely contain some flexibility on how a subject company meets its goals. In some cases, funding may also be available through private or government sources to cover some of the initial project costs. There is a growing number of such funding sources; you would be wise to research their availability and conditions. (contact us for full texts)

The House Passes the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill

Last week the House of Representatives passed a bill officially entitled “The American Clean Energy and Security Act” by a 219-212 vote. Most of those who follow this bill simply call it “Waxman-Markey” after its sponsors, Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA). This is the first legislation ever passed by one house of the US Congress to address climate change. By regulating CO2 emissions, a byproduct of combusting fossil fuels, the major energy source and driver of our economy, Waxman-Markey is controversial. The bill has been strongly criticized by some for doing too little and by others for doing too much. With its passage, however, it is clear that the federal government is serious about capping and regulating CO2 emissions as soon as possible. (contact us for full texts)