3p Contributor: joey
Recent Articles
Wind Energy Finds Congressional Resistance
As reported by Clean Edge, the wind industry recently had a “shot fired across the industry’s bow” on the eve of the American Wind Energy Association’s largest ever convention. The culprits: Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and John Warner of Virginia. They are the two driving forces behind the Environmetnally Responsible Wind Power Act of 2005, which calls for the increased legislation of windmills.
Senator Warner has already gone on record as being opposed to the first ever U.S. offshore wind farm off Cape Cod. While this could easily take the wind out of the sails for those advocating renewables, it may mean that wind power’s increased viability is causing those most vested in traditional energy sources to shake in their boots. As cited earlier on Triple Pundit , Shell WindEnergy has plans in the works to create the world’s largest windfarm, which could supply London with up to 25% of its power. As wind’s lack of large scale viability continues to blow away, we will likely see an increased resistance to windfarms overall. Odd as it may seem, this actually may be a good sign.
BeeWare – A Cautionary Look at Globalization
About 60% of all food consumed in the U.S. has a relationship with the bee through pollination. The services these oft feared insects provide is beyond measure. In fiscal terms, America would lose an estimated $20 billion in crops without the pollination bees provide. Lately however, their numbers are declining fast due to the varroa mite, an invasive species first found in the U.S. in 1987. Phenomenons such as this underscore one of the potentially negative economic consequences of globalization. While much of the world has enjoyed the economic pleasures of the expanding global market, the increased proliferation of world trade allows for a greater exchange of invasive species such as the varroa mite. More details on this issue can be found in The Economist (subscription required).
Can Ranchers Save the Rainforest?
Clear cutting of the rain forest for the purpose of cattle grazing is seen by many as the number one enemy of the Amazon. Ironically, it may be that those doing the cutting are the future saviours of this vast expanse of land often dubbed the “lungs of the earth”. Through an incentive program similar to that employed in the logging industry, producers of Amazonian soya and beef could slap a sustainability seal on their products if they adhere to environmental laws that restrict the amount of clear cutting being done in the cultivation of these foods.
Last month, The Nature Conservancy….announced an agreement by which Cargill, a huge American agriculture company, will buy soya near its export terminal at the confluence of the Amazon and Tapajos rivers only from farmers who obey the law or are clearly moving towards doing so.
China’s Wind Energy Conversion – Too Little Too Late?
Estimates are that over 3/4 of all energy produced in China last year came from coal. Not only is China the world’s most populated country (1.25 billion people) but it is also the world’s fastest growing economy (9.5% increase in GDP for 2004). Put these two together, and that is a lot of coal being burned, with energy demands increasing in unison with the expanding economy.
Is there a cleaner solution? China has unveiled a strategy to make offshore wind farms a key part of its energy program within two or three decades. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, can the planet’s most populous nation afford the envrionmental taxation of two or three decades more of blistering growth fueled by coal?
Effects of Gulf Stream Slowdown on Business? Use Your Imagination
Britain, which resides on the same latitude as Siberia, would be much colder, were it not for the Gulf Stream. This current transports an estimated 27,000 times more heat to England’s shores than all the power supplies in Britain could provide, warming the country by 5-8C. Researchers have detected the first signs of a slowdown in the Gulf Stream, evidently tied to global warming.
It is difficult to predict what the effects of this will be. Currents and weather systems take years to respond, so the jury will still be out on this one for awhile. Some models suggest Europe and specifically England will freeze, another is that the continent will cool while the rest of the world heats up due to global warming.
How does this relate to business? Better put, how doesn’t this relate to business? Imagine the consequences of a cooling Europe. Everything from agricultural to energy needs would be flipped on its head, with unimaginable fiscal consequences. Such consequences, unpredictable as they may be, must still be considered, as their effects are so overarching. Given such prospects, it seems no coincidence that carbon trading commenced this year in Europe, largely spurred by efforts to reduce global climate change.
CSR Splash
It seems like just yeterday that Gap and Nike were the pariahs of the ethical trading community. They’ve since been welcomed back into it, with Gap now being a member of the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative). Nike, since revealing all of its global suppliers last month, is considering membership.
While it would be nice to believe these two transnational entities are pusuing CSR (Corporate Social Responsinbility) soley for the sake of human welfare, CSR has become a part of bottom line reality. Shaw Lebakae, of the Lesotho Clothing and Allied Workers Union, said:
Gap had to change because its brand and image was being damaged. The people who it was selling to, American college students, were protesting against them because they didn’t want to support that image. Companies like Wal-Mart, which have no brand or image other than being the cheapest retailer, have no impetus to engage with trade unions in our country.
IdleAir Saves Truckers Money and Cuts Pollution
A new truck stop innovation is reducing both noise and air pollution, while saving truckers money. It’s also saving them sleep, as the sound of chugging diesel motors surrounding the trucker’s cab during sleep time is greatly reduced.
The invention is called IdleAir. It replaces the need to to leave big rigs running while stationed at truck stops in order to run air conditioning units and other appliances such as stoves, microwaves and TVs.
Helping El Salvador’s Forests with Coffee
With an estimated 400 billion cups consumed annually, coffee beans are one of the most coveted agricultural commodities. Unfortunately, deforestation and loss of habitat are often associated with this market staple.
The BBC reports that some growers in El Salvador are using a method of cultivation which uses tall trees to provide shade. Up to 120 different tree species shade the coffee on a single plantation, Coffee shrubs are fertilized with organic compost made from husks that would otherwise be thrown into rivers. These techniques connect two prominent national parks via a green beltway, revitalize habitat, and decrease erosion. The article reports business owners were initially sceptical of the idea, but have since been won over with great enthusism. Co-op President Julio Antonio Martinez says:
I was one of the people that were against Rainforest Alliance because I didn’t like somebody coming into my house and telling me what to do, what to plant or what not to plant. But I realise now that they were giving me good advice. They were telling me plant trees so you will get water – without trees you don’t have rainfall, without rainfall you don’t have coffee.
Also reported on Worldchanging.
Ford: Admitting Past Mypoia for the Better?
As reported by “Clean Edge“, Ford may be taking a more formidable approach to hybrid technology than ever before. Mary Ann Wright, Ford’s first director of sustainable mobility technologies, admits: “I’m not going to hide behind the line that [the large SUV] ‘is what our customers want.’ We have to balance that with our environmental responsibility as a company. Climate change is here, we aren’t denying it, and we’ve got to take action.” It’s not just a shift in climate that is motivating Ford. Strong sales with Ford’s Escape hybrid have shown the bottom line viability of alternative automotive technology. Read more…
PV Panels Potency Increasing
A $300 million agreement has been reached between a semi-conductor corporation and SOLON AG, Germany’s largest photvoltaic module manufacturer. The product being supplied by SOLON AG is for their new “SOLON-Mover,” a system designed for deployment in multi-megawatt power plants. The system’s panels rotate and tilt automatically during the day, so that they directly face the sun at all times. This unique design, which allowins for increased power generation of up to 50%, makes these units viable for large power stations. Typically, solar technology is used to power individual units as opposed to centralized power stations.
Recent Comments