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Here is a brief list of some of the interesting sustainability news articles from this week:
And you’ll find more headlines at CEILeadership.org!
Everyone likes efficiency, it seems. An efficient economy, efficient government, and energy efficiency are just a few examples of popular “efficiencies” these days. But what about a more efficient way to operate under a Clean Energy Standard? Is there a way to increase (or at least not limit) clean energy growth under current standards?
Resources for the Future has one way to answer that question with a “yes.” Read the 7-page issue brief below to find out more about how to get it done. (PDF)
If you are involved with the hospitality industry even occasionally, and you haven’t heard of the National Sustainable Lodging Network, you might want to visit their website soon. That’s because the network is a great place to find green information on items and topics you might not otherwise find.
Many professionals are involved regularly in some way with hosting an event. Often times these take place in a conference or ball room away from the office. Just as often the events include catering of some variety and size. Both of these purchasing decisions – location and catering – can be made greener utilizing the information you’ll find on the National Sustainable Lodging Network’s site. Whether because of their training materials, blogs or videos, we have a feeling you’ll think twice when you book your next conference room or approve a catering order.
Just last week, the EPA launched a new way for purchasers to search for, and find, green products for their business needs. The Greener Products portal is designed for consumers, manufacturers and institutional purchasers looking for a single place to find information on green products.
They’ve developed a simple three step process to help you find your product. Start by identifying what type of user you are, then choose a general product category (such as Building Products) and finally choose a more specific product type. Once you click search, EPA’s portal finds the appropriate Energy Star program for you, from which you can find product lists and buying guidance.
Ten Years After Redefining BRT, What’s Next for TransMilenio? from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
We’re always on the lookout for new, innovative urban transit systems. TransMilenio, captured by Streetfilms, more than fits the bill.
Google recently produced this video that shows how they choose and evaluate potential sites for purchase of carbon offsets. They begin with a more typical scenario – a landfill gas operation – and then take you to an innovative on-farm waste-to-energy system which they developed in collaboration with Duke University, Duke Energy and Loyd Ray Farms of North Carolina.
The video certainly makes the carbon offset process more tangible and adds faces and stories to a subject that often lacks a human side.
How much is a natural resource worth? Can monetary value be placed on an ecosystem and its abiotic and biotic factors and communities?
This new approach to conservation, Ecosystems Services Valuation, is based in economics; if, for example, a forest provides natural filtering processes for a nearby body of water, purifying the water through nitrogen cycling, then its worth, according to Ecosystems Services Evaluation, is equal to the cost of constructing and maintaining a water treatment plant on that same space.
In continuing efforts to accomplish major sustainability and greenhouse gas emission goals, the federal government has begun efforts to use Ecosystems Services Valuation as a way to conserve and protect natural resources, while ensuring that these aims remain financially viable and profitable. On December 1, at the GOVgreen Conference in Washington, DC, an educational session will be held on the role of the federal government in applying Ecosystems Services Valuation. This session, “Ecosystem Services Valuation: Measuring and Preserving the Value of Natural Resources Benefits,” will provide insights into how DoD is thinking about ecosystem services. Exploring why ecosystem services why matter to the DoD mission, this session will highlight alternative resource valuation schemes, as well as identify the unique role of ecosystem services in major DoD partnering initiatives, such as Encroachment Partnering and Conservation Buffers.
Speakers at this cutting-edge session include leaders from both the non-profit and military sectors, including Rebecca Rubin, the CEO and President of Marstel-Day, and Ryan Orndorff, Natural Resources Specialist at the US Marine Corps HQ. With such a diverse group of speakers, this session is sure to enlighten economists and conservationists alike. To view the entire list of speakers and learn how to register for GOVgreen, please click here.
Here is a brief list of some of the interesting sustainability news articles from this week:
And you’ll find more headlines at CEILeadership.org!
Federal News Radio recently published a helpful article in which Houston Taylor, Assistant Commissioner for Acquisition Management at the GSA, identifies and dispels some common green purchasing myths.
Taylor said that many people,
“think the green purchasing requirements applies to all contracts for products and services — simply incorrect…The new FAR rule requires all suppliers to inventory and reduce greenhouse gases (GHS) now — incorrect….[and] Finally, because of sustainable mandates in the FAR rule, GSA is kicking non-green, non-compliant products off our schedules — not correct.”
But green purchasing is a big part of the Federal Government’s purchasing policies now, and they will continue to be prominent in the future. That’s because, as Taylor notes, it’s energy-smart, budget conscious and is in line with Executive Order 13514.
There is a lot of good information in the Federal News Radio article, which also includes the audio interview with Mr. Taylor, so be sure to check it out today.
We’ve never heard anyone we know complain about the efficiency of photosynthesis. But then again we don’t work at the Department of Energy, for ARPA-E. If we did, we would know that photosynthesis has room for improvement when it comes to the process of converting sunlight into a liquid biofuel.
Thankfully, as the video below shows us, the good people at ARPA-E have recognized that the process for producing biofuels can be improved upon, and they are making good strides toward developing the new-and-improved process right now.
