Ford Targets 30 Percent Water Reduction Per Vehicle

New aggressive water strategy calls for global reduction target of 30 percent per vehicle by 2015 Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62 percent, or 10.5 billion gallons; 71 percent in North America On a per-vehicle basis, global water use decreased by 49 percent between 2000 and 2010; 45 percent in North America   Ford enters 2012 with plans to further reduce the amount of water used to make vehicles and continue showing efficiency is not only inherent in its vehicle lineup, but also in its manufacturing practices. A new goal calls for Ford to cut the amount of water used to make each vehicle 30 percent globally by 2015, compared with the amount of water used per vehicle in 2009. Ford is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review water usage more holistically. "Water remains one of our top environmental priorities and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource," said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. Ford's latest water reduction initiatives are designed to build on the success the company has had with its Global Water Management Initiative that launched in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62 percent, or 10.5 billion gallons. That's the equivalent of how much water 105,000 average American residences use annually, based on figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If Ford meets its goal of reducing the amount of water used by 30 percent between 2009 and 2015, the amount of water used to make a vehicle will have dropped from 9.5 cubic meters in 2000 to approximately 3.5 cubic meters in 2015. One cubic meter is equal to 264.2 gallons of water.   Leading by example When it comes to water, drought and extensive population growth are just two of many challenges in places such as Mexico's Sonoran Desert, home to Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant. The plant produces the Ford Fusion, Fusion Hybrid and Lincoln MKZ. Production at Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant doubled between 2000 and 2010. However, water usage at the plant dropped during the same period by 40 percent. "We applied innovative technology to our Hermosillo plant to reduce water consumption, minimize impact on the community and build vehicles in a more sustainable manner," said Larry Merritt, manager, Environmental Quality Office. To reduce water use, a membrane biological reactor – a biological water treatment system – was installed. The complex system is able to make up to 65 percent of the plant's wastewater suitable for high-quality reuse elsewhere in the facility or for irrigation. The water treatment system also is being used at Ford plants in Chennai, India and Chongqing, China. More technology, less water Another approach is to cut the amount of water necessary to complete a task – a strategy afforded by the use of advanced technologies and processes. "As we invest in new and existing facilities globally, our water strategy prioritizes sustainable manufacturing technologies," said John Fleming, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs. "This disciplined approach allows us to make significant progress in water reduction and other environmental efforts over time." For example, several of Ford's engine plants around the world are using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) machining, also known as dry-machining. This technology lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture. The process saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and oil per year. By eliminating the coolant/water mixture, dry-machining eliminates the need to treat and dispose of an oily waste stream. Dry-machining also is delivering significant benefits in energy use, waste production, quality, working conditions and costs. For a typical 450,000-unit line, more than 280,000 gallons of water can be saved annually. In the U.S., the dry-machining system has been implemented at Ford's Livonia Transmission Plant, Van Dyke Transmission Plant and Romeo Engine Plant. Ford also has implemented the system at a number of transmission and engine plants in Europe and applications in other plants around the world currently are being considered.   Tracking success Before Ford launched the Global Water Management Initiative in 2000, many facilities had little ability to even track water usage. The picture is very different today. When the initiative started, Ford engineers developed software to predict water usage. Another kind of software was developed to track water use at each facility and generate a monthly report so successes and potential opportunities for improvement could be identified. Also, water reduction actions are built into Ford's Environmental Operating System (EOS), which provides a standardized, streamlined approach to meeting all environmental requirements, including sustainability objectives and targets within each of Ford's plants around the world. EOS allows Ford to track its plants' performance of fundamental water reduction actions such as leak identification and repair, and cooling tower optimization at every manufacturing site worldwide. Further, Ford's progress against its water reduction target will be communicated in the company's annual sustainability report and through participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure, which Ford joined in 2010 – the first automaker to do so. CDP Water Disclosure serves as a central clearinghouse for Ford and other participating companies to report on water usage, water risks and water management plans of company operations and their supply chains. "We recognize that these environmental issues are increasingly important to our stakeholders, including our customers, investors and business partners," said Merritt. "Water conservation is integral to Ford's global sustainability strategy. By reporting our progress, we support positive social change and reduce the environmental impact of our facilities."

Melvin Wylie

Cameron Announces Agreement with BP

Cameron (NYSE: CAM) today announced an agreement with BP whereby BP will indemnify Cameron for current and future compensatory claims against Cameron associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Under the terms of agreement, Cameron agrees to pay $250 million to BP, and both parties have agreed to mutually release claims against each other. In addition, BP will fully indemnify Cameron for damage claims arising under the Oil Pollution Act, claims for natural resource damages and associated damage-assessment costs, and other claims arising from third parties. "This agreement with BP is the right action, as it removes uncertainty facing Cameron in the litigation associated with the Deepwater Horizon event," Cameron Chairman and CEO Jack Moore said. "This eliminates all significant exposure to historical and future claims related to this incident. Though this agreement does not provide indemnification against fines and penalties, punitive damages or certain other potential non-compensatory claims, we do not consider these items to represent a significant risk to Cameron." The Company's insurers are expected to fund not less than $170 million of this agreement. The Company expects to take a charge in the fourth quarter for any amounts not covered by insurance. Cameron is a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to worldwide oil, gas and process industries. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terms such as "will," "will be," and "are scheduled" and the like are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on our current expectations and are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect new information. We cannot assure you the projected outcomes will be achieved. Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, they are subject to change at any time. Such risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include, but are not limited to the amount of the agreement the Company's insurers are expected to fund, the performance of contractual obligations by our counterparty and the outcome of the litigation associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident and, in particular, the likelihood of fines, penalties, punitive damages or certain other potential non-compensatory claims being asserted against Cameron, for which indemnification is not being provided. Because the information herein is based solely on data currently available, it is subject to change as a result of changes in conditions over which the Company has no control or influence, and should not therefore be viewed as assurance regarding the Company's future performance. Additionally, the Company is not obligated to make public indication of such changes unless required under applicable disclosure rules and regulations.

Melvin Wylie

New Hampshire Millennials Frustrated by Lack of Jobs and Poor Economy

Generation Opportunity Engages Young Adults Across New Hampshire – Visits in Portsmouth, Durham, Merrimack, Nashua, Manchester, and Concord Areas Generation Opportunity's grassroots field team, which has been working aggressively across the nation, recently engaged in grassroots organizing across New Hampshire among young adults. The group's New Hampshire field efforts included the Portsmouth, Durham, Merrimack, Nashua, Manchester, and Concord areas. Generation Opportunity is one of the largest social media and grassroots organizations in the nation targeting young adults 18-29 and has more than 1.9 million fans on Facebook. The lack of jobs and unemployment, limited opportunity, the poor economy, and the implications for U.S. competitiveness were the chief concerns identified by young people the Generation Opportunity team met with and listened to. "Young adults in New Hampshire were very open in sharing their perspectives on how the lack of jobs and limited economic opportunity have negatively impacted their ability meet to their current needs and achieve their dreams and plans for the future," said Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity and a former Chief of Staff of the United States Department of Labor. "They are simply fed up with what they see as disconnected leadership in Washington – elected leaders who claim they know how to create jobs, but who have no practical understanding of what it feels like to go for months or years without satisfying work and opportunities that present promise for the future. In New Hampshire, young adults believe in the wisdom of individuals over the interference of government, and they definitely plan to make their voices heard." The Generation Opportunity field team met with young people at the University of New Hampshire, Thomas More College, Rivier College, Saint Anselm College, Manchester Community College, and the New Hampshire Technical Institute. In addition to recent organizing efforts among young adults in New Hampshire, Generation Opportunity also trained community college leaders from Franklin Piece University at the American Student Government Association (ASGA) Conference earlier this year. Young Americans ages 18-29 – including those in the Granite State – continue to face historic challenges as a result of a continually poor economy with unemployment among the top issues. The New York Times reported a youth unemployment rate of 18.1% in a recent story, noting that such a rate is a historic high in the post-WWII era. And the Associated Press is reporting that the near future shows no signs of relief. In a December story, the AP found that "two-thirds of chief executives of the largest US companies say they don't plan to increase hiring or will cut staff in the next six months" due to the lack of economic growth. Millennials Reject Washington Leadership and Failed Economic Policies: Generation Opportunity commissioned a poll with the polling company, inc./WomanTrend (April 16 – 22, 2011, +/- 4% margin of error) and a highlighted result for all young Americans ages 18-29 appears below:

• 69% say the current leadership in Washington fails to reflect the interests of the younger generation.
• Just 31% of 18 – 29 year-olds approve of President Obama's handling of youth unemployment.
• 54% believe America is on the wrong track, only 24% believe the U.S. is headed in the right direction.
• 59% of overall Millennials agree the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.
• 69% prefer reducing federal spending over raising taxes on individuals in order to balance the federal budget.

Melvin Wylie

Chevron Faces $30 Billion Liability for Environmental Problems in Latin America

Brazil, Ecuador Lawsuits Point to New Competitive Pressures QUITO, Ecuador - Now that it is embroiled in a new $11 billion pollution lawsuit in Brazil, Chevron's total legal tab in Latin America for environmental problems is fast approaching $30 billion and could rise further if forced to defend enforcement actions throughout the region related to its long-term Ecuador pollution problem, say analysts. "Chevron shareholders cannot be happy to wake up to the news that the company faces yet another major environmental liability in Latin America," said Simon Billenness, an analyst who covers the industry for environmental groups and the author of a report on Chevron's $18 billion liability in Ecuador for despoiling the Amazon. "Chevron is beginning to look like a very unattractive dance partner for oil producing Latin American governments," he added. "Any government that works with Chevron is going to risk a profound backlash from its own constituents given these growing problems." Brazil's government sued Chevron for $11 billion to cover damages for the devastating offshore spill in November that is eerily reminiscent of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Chevron outraged Brazilian regulators by being totally unprepared to contain the spill and by downplaying the amount of oil gushing into the ocean. Chevron further shocked Brazilian officials this week with news that the leak still has not been completely contained. In Ecuador, Chevron has been in open conflict with the government after a court in February awarded $18 billion to thousands of villagers based on evidence the oil giant dumped toxic oil sludge into the rainforest and abandoned more than 900 unlined waste pits that continue to contaminate groundwater and surface waters. The trial was held in Ecuador at Chevron's request. The case is currently under appeal in Ecuador, with the plaintiffs seeking an increase in the amount of damages. When it operated in Ecuador from 1964 to 1992, Chevron created an environmental and public health catastrophe that decimated indigenous groups and caused dramatic increases in cancer rates, according to the evidence. The Ecuador environmental damage dwarfs the impact of the BP spill in the Gulf, according to experts. Because Chevron has refused to pay the Ecuador award, the plaintiffs are being forced to consider a series of asset seizure actions in any of the dozens of countries where the oil giant operates. Such actions likely will create additional conflicts between Chevron and oil-producing governments around the world and further deepen the company's legal woes, said Billenness. "Chevron has never come clean to its own shareholders about worst-case scenarios in this regard," he said. Ecuadorian lawyer Pablo Fajardo, who led the contamination lawsuit against Chevron in his country, said Brazil should understand that Chevron is a company that will not hesitate to lie when faced with evidence of its own malfeasance. "Chevron has a history of mistreating Latin American countries in its thirst to increase its profits," he said. "My advice to Brazil is to hit the company hard and do not let up until the problem is fixed." Notably, the Brazilian government is being much tougher on Chevron than the Ecuador court. Chevron's fines in Brazil amount to approximately $18,000 per barrel of oil spilled -- far higher than similar fines imposed by the court in Ecuador, according to Karen Hinton, the U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians. Brazil's environmental watchdog agency accused Chevron of having digitally edited pictures to make the damage look less severe. Other regulators threatened company officials with prison terms. When the Brazil spill became public, a Chevron official at first suggested it was the product of "natural" leakage from an underwater stone -- reminiscent of the now-infamous statement by a Chevron attorney on the U.S. news show 60 Minutes that the company's massive damage in Ecuador was no more dangerous to human life than the "make-up on my face."

Melvin Wylie

Federal Agencies Join NFWF & Southern Company to Save Vanishing Southeastern Forests

Building on nearly a decade of investment to restore vanishing longleaf pine forests in the southeastern United States, NFWF (the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) has established the Longleaf Stewardship Fund, a landmark public-private partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Southern Company. With the combined financial and technical resources of this group, the Fund will support accelerated restoration of the longleaf pine ecosystem and implementation of the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine. The longleaf pine ecosystem once encompassed more than 90 million acres of North America. Today, only three percent of the original acreage remains, and threatened and endangered species that depend on the habitat – for example, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the gopher tortoise and the indigo snake – are struggling to survive. Since 2004, a partnership between NFWF and Southern Company, the Longleaf Legacy Program, has invested over $8.7 million into projects that will restore more than 82,000 acres of longleaf pine forest and the native species that rely on it. The Longleaf Stewardship Fund will build on the success of the Southern Company partnership and expand the restoration effort across the nine states within longleaf pine's historic range. A significant amount of the old-growth longleaf pine forest that still exists in the Southeast is on land owned by the U.S. military, and many opportunities for large-scale restoration and protection are concentrated around public lands. The Fund will invest in targeted areas that are anchored by Department of Defense military bases, National Forests, Fish & Wildlife Service Refuges and state protected lands to expand existing longleaf habitat and establish large-scale healthy ecosystems. In addition, the Fund will support range-wide restoration projects, technical assistance to private landowners, and locally based partnerships dedicated to restoring longleaf pine. Investments will be made to achieve specific conservation outcomes, and success will be tracked to evaluate gains in healthy longleaf forest and the recovery of native wildlife. "The involvement of our federal partners in the longleaf pine restoration effort is a tremendous addition that will make our program even stronger, broader and more effective," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "With the continued leadership and support of Southern Company, we're poised to embark on a new chapter in the recovery of this once-majestic forest." "This expansion of our longleaf partnership is a natural progression and an exciting development that gives us the opportunity to build on the successes we've had so far in restoring this vital ecosystem," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company chief environmental officer. "We are ready to go to work with our newest partners, combining the best that public and private entities have to offer into a model of effective environmental stewardship." "The Department of Defense is a natural partner in longleaf restoration," said John Conger, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment. "Enhancing the forested lands on and around our military bases protects our mission while also playing an important part in the overall restoration of longleaf pine. We look forward to participating in this important effort." "I am continually amazed by the diversity of organizations that come together to restore the unique and rich longleaf pine forests," said Liz Agpaoa, Regional Forester for the Forest Service's Southern Region, comprised of 13 Southeastern states and Puerto Rico. "By pooling public and private sector resources, the Longleaf Stewardship Fund will advance this important restoration work even during challenging times." "NRCS is committed to helping private forest landowners protect and restore longleaf pine ecosystems," said Chief Dave White. "Healthy longleaf pine forests will yield improved water quality, enhanced wildlife habitat, and good economic return for landowners because longleaf pine is extremely resistant to insects, diseases and wind." "This is an important collaborative effort that restores millions of acres of longleaf pine bringing back a culturally iconic and historically valuable habitat for this region," said Cindy Dohner, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Southeast Regional Director. "This work focuses on restoration that will benefit many listed and candidate species such as the Red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise among others. This ambitious work would not be possible but for the diverse partners engaged in it." In its first year, the Fund will award approximately $3 million through a competitive grants process. Grants applications will be accepted through February 15, 2012, with awards announced in Summer 2012. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org/longleaf.

Melvin Wylie

Rio Hondo Park uses recycled water for landscape irrigation

City may save up to 9 million gallons of drinking water annually COMMERCE, Calif. - Central Basin Municipal Water District has partnered with the City of Pico Rivera to connect the Rio Hondo Park to recycled water for landscape irrigation. This connection is the first park in Pico Rivera to receive recycled water. Several other parks will hopefully be connected in 2012. "Central Basin worked very closely with the city on this project," said Central Basin General Manager Art Aguilar. "Rio Hondo Park is the first of the city's parks to use recycled water and we are proud to have helped Pico Rivera achieve this important goal." Since February 2010, Central Basin has worked with the City to coordinate the logistics for the connection, which included constructing a lateral from the Southeast Water Reliability Project (SWRP) line down Pine Street, conducting shut down tests and ensuring that all health department requirements were met. While the city covered certain on-site retrofit costs, all other construction costs were covered through federal stimulus funds awarded to the District for construction of Phase 1 of SWRP. "Had it not been for the federal funding we received for the Southeast Water Reliability Project, we would not have been able to build the pipeline that made this possible," added Aguilar. "Recycled water use for non-potable purposes, like landscape irrigation, is necessary to ensure we have plenty of drinking water available for future use. The City is a great model for others to follow." Central Basin worked closely with the City to implement the park's potable service back-up and provide informational signage. As a result of the connection, the City will save an average of 27 acre-feet of drinking water per year at this site. That works out to saving nearly 9 million gallons of drinking water annually. (One acre-foot equals approximately 326,000 gallons, or enough water for two averaged-sized families for one year).

Melvin Wylie

29th Episode of GreenNews4U

Green Stand for your Smart Phone, Tablet & E-Book Let's talk tech… better yet Green Tech. Many people (like myself) are always looking for ways to display our gadgets. I hate just sitting my android phone and my tablet on a flat surface, I want it to be displayed on a stand so that when I get a text, e-mail, call or want watch a movie it's sitting right in front of me. I also don't like to spend money on something big and bulky or something that is proprietary to the phone especially when I'm only using it to sit my device on. Those things are expensive and not so eco-friendly and usually come in 2 colors… white or black. So what's the alternative? Sure you can make on (if you're a handy man) and I've seen some real fail homemade stands. So what's a tech guy or gal to do? On this episode I'll be taking a look at an environmentally friendly solution. To do this I have Garret Moore with Pliant Designs and a new product called E-Sill. Find their web page here

Melvin Wylie

NASA Satellite Confirms Sharp Decline in Pollution From U.S. Coal Power Plants

A team of scientists have used the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's Aura satellite to confirm major reductions in the levels of a key air pollutant generated by coal power plants in the eastern United States. The pollutant, sulfur dioxide, contributes to the formation of acid rain and can cause serious health problems. The scientists, led by an Environment Canada researcher, have shown that sulfur dioxide levels in the vicinity of major coal power plants have fallen by nearly half since 2005. The new findings, the first satellite observations of this type, confirm ground-based measurements of declining sulfur dioxide levels and demonstrate that scientists can potentially measure levels of harmful emissions throughout the world, even in places where ground monitoring is not extensive or does not exist. About two-thirds of sulfur dioxide pollution in American air comes from coal power plants. Geophysical Research Letters published details of the new research this month. The scientists attribute the decline in sulfur dioxide to the Clean Air Interstate Rule, a rule passed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 that called for deep cuts in sulfur dioxide emissions. In response to that rule, many power plants in the United States have installed desulfurization devices and taken other steps that limit the release of sulfur dioxide. The rule put a cap on emissions, but left it up to power companies to determine how to reduce emissions and allowed companies to trade pollution credits. While scientists have used the Ozone Monitoring Instrument to observe sulfur dioxide levels within large plumes of volcanic ash and over heavily polluted parts of China in the past, this is the first time they have observed such subtle details over the United States, a region of the world that in comparison to fast-growing parts of Asia now has relatively modest sulfur dioxide emissions. Just a few decades ago, sulfur dioxide pollution was quite severe in the United States. Levels of the pollutant have dropped by about 75 percent since the 1980s due largely to the passage of the Clean Air Act. Vitali Fioletov, a scientist based in Toronto at Environment Canada, and his colleagues developed a new mathematical approach that made the improved measurements a reality. The approach centers on averaging measurements within a 30 miles radius (50 km) of a sulfur dioxide source over several years. "Vitali has developed an extremely powerful technique that makes it possible to detect emissions even when levels of sulfur dioxide are about four times lower than what we could detect previously," said Nickolay Krotkov, a researcher based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and a coauthor of the new paper. The technique allowed Fioletov and his colleagues to pinpoint the sulfur dioxide signals from the 40 largest sulfur dioxide sources in the United States – generally coal power plants that emit more than 70 kilotons of sulfur dioxide per year. The scientists observed major declines in sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia by comparing levels of the pollutant for an average of the period 2005 to 2007 with another average from 2008 to 2010. "What we're seeing in these satellite observations represents a major environmental accomplishment," said Bryan Bloomer, an Environmental Protection Agency scientist familiar with the new satellite observations. "This is a huge success story for the EPA and the Clean Air Interstate Rule," he said. The researchers focused their analysis on the United States to take advantage of the presence of a robust network of ground-based instruments that monitor sulfur dioxide emissions inside power plant smokestacks. The ground-based instruments have logged a 46 percent decline in sulfur dioxide levels since 2005 – a finding consistent with the 40 percent reduction observed by OMI. "Now that we've confirmed that the technique works, the next step is to use it for other parts of the world that don't have ground-based sensors," said Krotkov. "The real beauty of using satellites is that we can apply the same technique to the entire globe in a consistent way." In addition, the team plans to use a similar technique to monitor other important pollutants that coal power plants release, such as nitrogen dioxide, a precursor to ozone. OMI, a Dutch and Finnish built instrument, was launched in 2004, as one of four instruments on the NASA Aura satellite, and can measure sulfur dioxide more accurately than any satellite instrument flown to date. Though OMI remains in very good condition and scientists expect it to continue producing high-quality data for many years, the researchers also hope to use data from an upcoming Dutch-built OMI follow-on instrument called TROPOMI that is expected to launch on a European Space Agency satellite in 2014. On July 6, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), requiring 27 states to significantly reduce power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and fine particle pollution in other states. This rule replaces EPA's 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). A December 2008 court decision kept the requirements of CAIR in place temporarily but directed EPA to issue a new rule to implement Clean Air Act requirements concerning the transport of air pollution across state boundaries. This action responds to the court's concerns.

Melvin Wylie

Chicago's Uncommon Ground Named "Greenest" Restaurant in America

Chicago's north side Uncommon Ground has been named the "Greenest Restaurant in the Country" and will open their doors for a media tour and invite only reception next week. On December 13th Mayor Emmanuel's office, the Green Restaurant Association, and the Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition will be celebrating with Uncommon Ground for implementing 116 environmental steps making them a 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant in 2011. This honor is something that doesn't come lightly. With society shifting towards both eco and socially responsible initiatives, Uncommon Ground is setting the stage for restaurants across the nation to consider green and locally sourced options for cost savings and health benefits. With two locations in Chicago, Uncommon Ground is celebrating their 20th anniversary at the Lakeview establishment. The Devon location just celebrated its fourth anniversary and was named the number one green restaurant in America, with the Lakeview location topping the list at number two. "I'm proud to have in our City of Chicago the Greenest Restaurant in the Country," says Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. "Uncommon Ground is a great example of what our city can do and what our country can do, use water and energy more efficiently, grow more sustainable food, while boasting the world's most sustainable businesses." The independently-owned and operated restaurant produces no waste, powers its vehicle with used fryer oil, harnesses the sun to heat their water, and feeds customers with locally sourced, sustainably produced products, as well as from their own Rooftop Farm. From Uncommon Ground's beautifully appointed reclaimed wood amenities, to featuring the first Certified Organic Rooftop Farm in the nation, the owners Michael and Helen Cameron couldn't be more excited about the award. "We are proud to raise the bar and now be the Greenest Restaurants in the country," says Helen Cameron from Uncommon Ground. "We truly care about operating a Certified Green Restaurant and we challenge restaurants around the U.S. to exceed our record of environmental accomplishments. As an industry we have the potential to make a huge difference in taking better care of our planet - and ourselves." Each Certified Green Restaurant goes through a thorough process of certification to meet the Green Restaurant Association's (GRA) rigorous environmental standards. The GRA vets each step and point that each restaurant implements and the GRA audits each restaurant annually so that the restaurants' claims can be accurate. "We are proud of Uncommon Ground's incredible accomplishment of becoming the Greenest Restaurants in the Country," says Michael Oshman, Green Restaurant Association Founder and CEO. "Uncommon Ground is leading the way for American restaurants and the American economy, demonstrating that green practices are both good for the planet and the bottom line. They have truly raised the bar today of what all restaurants can accomplish." In addition to being named the Top Green Restaurant in America, Uncommon Ground has racked up a venerable who's who of awards in the industry including: - "Best New Restaurants" - Chicago Magazine 2008 - "First Certified Organic Roof Top Farm in the Country" - M.O.S.A. 2008 - "Recipient of the 'Governor Sustainability Award'" - 2010 & 2011 - "Winner of the 'Mayor's Landscape Award', City of Chicago" - 2009, 2010, & 2011 - "Winner of the prestigious 'USGBC Environ-motion Award'" - March, 2009 Uncommon Ground offers environmentally friendly, contemporary comfort cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal, regional and organic ingredients. The bar features famous house-infused organic cocktails, a selection of local craft beers and an eclectic American wine list. National music acts perform nightly in an intimate acoustic listening room while art openings feature local Chicago artists.

Melvin Wylie

Japan Urged to Recall Whaling Fleet & Abandon Dying Whale Meat Industry

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW; www.ifaw.org) is urging Japan to recall its whaling fleet which today left port for Antarctica to train its harpoons on around 1,000 whales. According to Japanese media reports, the country's whaling fleet is en route to the pristine Southern Ocean Sanctuary to kill up to 935 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales, in defiance of global opposition and several international laws. Japan is believed to have provided around US$30 million in additional government security budget to protect the fleet this season. Japan hunts whales in the seas surrounding Antarctica under the loophole of "scientific whaling" despite the worldwide ban on commercial whaling. Patrick Ramage, Director of IFAW's Global Whale Programme, said: "We are disappointed although not surprised that Japan's whaling fleet has once more set sail for Antarctica to slaughter more whales. The reality, though, is that the whaling industry is dying and this is its last gasp. The economics show that whaling is unprofitable and a bad policy for the Japanese people as well as for whales." IFAW opposes whaling because it is cruel and unnecessary; there is simply no humane way to kill a whale. Footage of Japanese whaling analysed by IFAW scientists has shown whales can take more than half an hour to die. While whaling is uneconomic, whale watching offers a humane and profitable alternative to the cruelty of whaling, generating around US$2.1 billion annually for coastal communities. According to recent media reports the Australian Customs ship Ocean Protector, docked in Hobart, may be preparing to sail to the Southern Ocean to monitor the whaling season. Australian government ship Oceanic Viking has been used in the past to monitor Japanese whalers and the Australian government has presented a case against Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean to the International Court of Justice. IFAW encourages all governments to take the strongest diplomatic action possible against Japan and call for an end to its whaling programme. During the last season of Southern Ocean whaling, the Japanese fleet headed back to port early with less than half of its self-allocated catch quota following pressure from many fronts.

Melvin Wylie

ACC $100K Clean Energy Challenge Open for Business (Ideas)

Entries Accepted from All Universities in the Southeastern United States COLLEGE PARK, Md - The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a new business plan competition encouraging students from all universities throughout the southeastern United States to develop business plans for new clean energy companies, is now accepting entries, competition officials announce today. The ACC Clean Energy Challenge, supported by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), invites business plans with commercialization potential in the clean energy space, including projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency improvements and advanced fuels/vehicles. The winner of the competition will receive a $100,000 prize and compete in the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Finals in Washington, D.C., in summer 2012. The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge involves three rounds of submissions: an executive summary, business plan, and video pitch. Initial entries are due February 20, 2012. Finals will be held at the University of Maryland on April 25, 2012. The competition is open to graduate and undergraduate students actively enrolled in accredited colleges or universities in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. As part of the Obama Administration's effort to support and empower the next generation of American clean energy entrepreneurs, the Department of Energy awarded $360,000 for the ACC Clean Energy Challenge and a total of $2 million to the ACC and five additional regions in the U.S. as part of its inaugural nationwide network of student-focused clean energy business plan competitions over the next three years. Additional regional winners included the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Northeast Region; the California Institute of Technology in the Western Region; Rice University in the Western Southwest Region; Chicago-based Clean Energy Trust in the Eastern Midwest Region; and the University of Colorado in the Western Midwest Region. The University of Maryland's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) was selected as the principal lead for the Southeast competition. Interested students can find more information and enter at: www.accnrg.org. About the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) The mission of Mtech is to educate the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, create successful technology ventures, and connect Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed. Founded in 1983, Mtech has had a $25.7 billion impact on the Maryland economy and helped create or retain more than 5,300 jobs. Top-selling products such as MedImmune's Synagis®, which protects infants from a deadly respiratory disease, and Hughes Communications' HughesNet®, which brings satellite-based, high-speed Internet access to the world, were developed through or enhanced by our programs. Billion dollar companies such as Martek Biosciences and Digene Corporation graduated from our incubator. Mtech offers three experiential learning programs and 30 entrepreneurship and innovation courses, served to 1,244 enrollees in 2010, at the pre-college, undergraduate, graduate and executive education levels. For more information about Mtech, please visit www.mtech.umd.edu.

Melvin Wylie

Exemplary Sustainable Forestation Project Launched in Colombia

The forestry project was one of the first to be registered by the UN "Clean Development Mechanism" programme (CDM) for environmentally compatible developments. From 2012, Faber-Castell is expected to become the world's first private corporation authorized to deal in CO2 certificates from managed forests. In the north of Colombia, in the El Magdalena region where the land has been spoiled by excessive animal husbandry, 67 farmers are currently planting and looking after 1561 hectares of woodland as a source of timber for Faber-Castell. They provided part of their land that had previously been used mainly for grazing cattle; they now get an assured monthly income in return for taking care of the trees. The species planted is Gmelina arborea, commonly known as "Melina," a quick-growing deciduous tree that originally came from Asia and is particularly suitable for making pencils. The trunks attain a girth of 20 to 25 cm after seven years; after felling the farmers receive 30% of the proceeds from the timber. It is planned to extend the area of woodland to 3000 hectares (30 sq.km) by 2014. The Faber-Castell forestry project is part of a large-scale restructuring programme in the municipalities along the Rio Magdalena that have been seriously affected by overgrazing and soil erosion. A unique reforestation project, as confirmed by Jean-Guenole Cornet, a forest and climate expert at the Office Nationale des Forets (ONF), a French state-owned concern whose international subsidiary ONFI has been attempting since 2001 to halt the progressive deforestation in Colombia. "The municipalities along the Rio Magdalena were looking for a way out of the traditionally predominant cattle raising and its associated soil erosion, that regularly leads to flooding and crop failures," he said. "In all probability, Faber-Castell will be the first private company in the world that will shortly receive a certificate from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) for its CDM project." The certification will entitle it to deal in emission certificates, as foreseen by the Kyoto protocol to reduce world-wide emissions of carbon dioxide. Those are currently estimated by experts to be 33.5 thousand million tons of CO2 annually, which if continued in the long term will lead to global warming of at least 6 degrees Celsius – with disastrous consequences for the Earth. The climate conference in Durban that ended (9 December) is debating the necessary measures by industrialized and developing countries to protect the climate, but also the role of industry in reducing emissions. Faber-Castell has long exhibited a positive balance sheet in that respect. In the early 1980s, the world's largest manufacturer of wood-cased pencils took steps to assure a supply of environmentally compatible timber and initiated the reforestation of 10,000 hectares of pine forest in the state of Minas Gerais in the south-east of Brazil. The company-owned woodland and associated sawmill created some 500 jobs in a region that had previously also been largely given over to cattle grazing. The forests have been granted the FM (forest management) seal of quality by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); they absorb many times the amount of carbon dioxide that the company generates in all its 14 production sites world-wide. At the same time, the woods are home to numerous plant and animal species, some of them threatened with extinction. For Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, the eighth generation of his family to head the company, the new forestation project in Colombia is exemplary not just from an ecological point of view. "I am very pleased that we can offer the farmers long-term prospects and create jobs in a region marked by severe unemployment," he says. Besides producing high-quality products, Faber-Castell has a long tradition of social and ecological responsibility. A successful strategy, as it turns out: in the last fiscal year (2010/11), it achieved a group turnover of 540 million euros, 19% more than the previous year.

Melvin Wylie

Mumbai Slums Need Clean Water & the Government Does Not Care

In the slums of Mumbai, the taps have been installed by the municipality but in spite of promises from prominent politicians they continue to run dry. Tired of waiting for the authorities to respond to their numerous petitions and requests, 500 slum dwellers took to the street to protest for their right to water. The government plans to upgrade the slums have remained on paper, and basic amenities like water, health and sanitation are almost non-existent in slum neighborhoods. The people have grown weary of living in these deteriorating conditions and have decided to agitate to claim what is rightfully theirs. The agitation of slum dwellers has been video-documented by Amol Lalzare, a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent who himself is a resident of one of the largest slums in the city. Mr. Lalzare is among a new generation slum dwellers who are documenting with video the struggles of their neighbors as they attempt to organize themselves and rise against the discrimination. Another of Mr. Lalzare's videos, "Mumbai Slums Go to Waste," captures the anger and desperation of his friends and neighbors as they watch their surroundings flood with sewage, damaging the health of the residents. It has been 10 years since the drain was damaged but the municipality has not yet acted on the petitions and complaints. "It seems that the government thinks we are animals and are not fit to be treated as human beings," says Mr. Lalzare. Mr. Lalzare works for Video Volunteers, an international community media organization that has trained over 200 disadvantaged people in India to find a livelihood as video reporters. His videos are distributed by the organization's Feature Service called IndiaUnheard. His videos were screened before 500 people at an international gathering of water and sanitation experts put on by Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSCC), bringing the much-needed voice of affected communities into the discussion. Says Jessica Mayberry, founder of Video Volunteers, "Amol is an amazing young man who used to work as a rickshaw driver but now has found a livelihood as the voice of his community. People like Amol are the future of media." To watch Mr. Lalzare's other videos, visit his profile at Video Volunteers' IndiaUnheard website at http://indiaunheard.videovolunteers.org/author/amol/. About Video Volunteers Video Volunteers identifies, trains and empowers grassroots media producers who create change in and for voiceless communities in the developing world. The organization's work has been recognized by the Knight News Challenge, Echoing Green, TED, Waldzell, the King of Belgium, UNESCO, YouTube, and others who have helped Video Volunteers elevate the voices of these rural communities. For further information on Video Volunteers please visit www.videovolunteers.org or follow us @twitter/video volunteers or fan us on Facebook/Video Volunteers.

Melvin Wylie

28th Episode of GreenNews4U

Landfill Biodegradation In this segment I'll be talking about Landfill Biodegradation. Biodegradation is the chemical breakdown of materials by bacteria or other biological means. This is done aerobically with oxygen, or anaerobically without oxygen. Now there is a lot more that goes into this process. It's obvious that something needs to be done to address these issues and the old landfills are just not cutting it. For example… do you realize that the waste collected from NY specifically Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island is collected by DOS and delivered to private waste transfer stations in the City where it is transferred to 20-ton long haul transport trucks and then transported to landfills in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. Oftentimes you will find these smelly trucks on the highways. Believe me, you will know them if you have ever been behind one! New York City and its surrounding boroughs also generates 12,000 tons of garbage each day. So we can talk and learn more about the benefits of Landfill Biodegradation my special guest is Morton Barlaz, he a Professor and Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University. He has spent years as a research scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory for Groundwater Research. He is currently one of 11 faculty members in the Water Resources and Environmental Engineering area of the Civil Engineering Department. Professor Barlaz research includes three major areas: Biological, Chemical, and Physical Processes in Landfills, Integrated Solid Waste Management and Geoenvironmental Engineering. To find out more information on Professor Barlaz please go here

Melvin Wylie

Cutting Edge Drilling Rig Arrives in the Gulf of Mexico

Shell and Noble Corporation announce the Gulf of Mexico arrival of the Noble Bully I, a state-of-the-art offshore drilling rig that is designed to raise the bar in terms of safety and performance. The Noble Bully I is the first of two Bully rigs, jointly designed by Shell and Noble, and can be equipped to drill in up to 10,000-feet of water. The Bully rigs also feature a compact box-type drilling tower, known as a Multi-purpose Tower, instead of a conventional derrick. As the name indicates, a Multi-purpose Tower is designed to maximize productivity and safety, yet it allows for a significantly smaller vessel when compared to other deep water drill ships of similar capacity. The ships also feature an attention to energy efficiency, use less fuel and are shorter and lighter than comparable drill ships. The Noble Bully I and Noble Bully II, are dynamically positioned drill ships and can, therefore, be positioned at a favorable angle toward wind, waves, and currents, and feature ice-class hulls. Shell and Noble have increased the automated technology on the Bully rigs, increasing personnel safety on board. The Noble Bully I has now arrived in the Gulf of Mexico from Singapore and will complete commissioning and acceptance testing this month before beginning operations. The Noble Bully I will first drill in Shell's Mars B, "Olympus," development while the Noble Bully II drill ship is expected to begin operations early next year in Brazil.

Melvin Wylie

Environmental Standards for Farm-Raised Seafood Often Fall Short

A new report released today by the University of Victoria ranks eco-labels intended to distinguish seafood produced with less damage to the environment. It is the first study to evaluate how eco-labels for farmed marine fish compare to unlabeled options in the marketplace. "How Green is Your Eco-label?" is designed to help seafood buyers sort through competing sustainability claims and better identify those labels that result in farming methods with less damage to the ocean. Key findings include:

• "Organic" labels lead the pack, although a few fall noticeably short;
• Many eco-labels are not much better than conventional farmed seafood options when it comes to protecting the ocean environment;
• Scale is a big challenge for eco-labels: For the most part, eco-labels are awarded based on an individual farm's environmental footprint. However, the cumulative environmental effects of many farms can quickly overwhelm the benefits of reductions in impacts by a single farm or small group of certified farms.

"Our research shows that most eco-labels for farmed marine fish offer no more than a 10 percent improvement over the status quo," said John Volpe, Ph.D., a marine ecologist at the University of Victoria and lead author of the report. "With the exception of a few outstanding examples, one-third of the eco-labels evaluated for these fish utilize standards at the same level or below what we consider to be conventional or average practice in the industry." Supported by the Pew Environment Group, the study, which was reviewed by several independent experts, uses a well-established quantitative methodology derived from the 2010 Global Aquaculture Performance Index (www.gapi.ca) to determine numerical scores of environmental performance for 20 different eco-labels for farmed marine finfish, such as salmon, cod, turbot, and grouper. These scores were used to rank performance among the various eco-labels. The assessment did not look at eco-labels for freshwater farmed fish, such as tilapia or catfish. The authors used 10 environmental factors to assess the eco-labels, including antibiotic use, the ecological effect of farmed fish that escape from pens, sustainability of the fish that serve as feed, parasiticide use, and industrial energy needed in aquaculture production. "Eco-labels can help fish farmers produce and consumers select environmentally preferable seafood, but only if the labels are based on meaningful standards that are enforced," said Chris Mann, director of Pew's Aquaculture Standards Project. "Seafood buyers at the retail or wholesale level should demand that evidence of sustainability be demonstrated, not merely asserted." The report concludes that government policies and regulations, as well as effective eco-labels, are necessary to limit the environmental impacts of production.

Melvin Wylie

The Evolution of Microfinance

 Zadisha Inc. is the new leader in Micro (P2P) Finance. Find out more information about this company here  

Melvin Wylie