The GREEN MARKET ORACLE

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Electric Quadrofoil Recreational Water Craft (Video)

In the US personal watercraft (PWC) are a leading cause of air and water pollution as well as climate change causing emissions, however the electric Quadrofoil could change this picture dramatically. The Quadrofoil provides a completely environmentally friendly mode of recreational marine transportation. The vessel generates little sound or wake and most importantly there are no emissions. The watercraft is so environmentally neutral that it can be driven through most environmentally protected sanctuaries where motor boats and PWC are prohibited. The Quadrofoil is suitable for lakes, rivers, seas.

Opposition to Science Invites a Climate Catastrophe

Our efforts must be informed by science if we are to seriously address the threat of climate change. However, there are a significant number of people, corporations and governments that are resistant to scientific discourse.

Science is at the heart of environmentalism. On a wide range of issues, it is the work of scientists that has brought important issues to light. Scientific research not only defines the problems, it has also put forth viable solutions. Scientific inquiry has exposed a wide range of ecological and climate threats, from the ozone hole in the Antarctic, to melting permafrost in the Arctic.

The Science of Engaging Sustainability in Business

Science can be the most important tool an organization has to create value, increase efficiency, reduce risk, drive innovation that strengthen a brand. Whether to establish goals or assess the progress towards these goal science must be allowed to dictate strategy.

We are running short on time to address climate change and an all hands on deck approach is required if we are to have a chance of staving off the worst impacts. Our climate is changing and we must act quickly and act together. The business community is an integral part of the solution. Without private enterprise we simply will not succeed.

There are some very novel electric vehicles being developed some of which are incorporating some creative innovations. Two examples of such innovative technologies are Toyota's i-Road and the Future Motion's Onewheel both of which use gyros to be self-balancing.

The Toyota i-Road is a cross between a car and a motorcycle. What makes this two seater vehicle truly innovative is the way it leans into corners.

The Politics of Conservative Anti-Science Climate Denial

It is unconscionable that Conservative government leaderships deride climate science for the sake of political gain. Sadly this is the case in many of the world's leading democracies. Both houses of the US the congress are chalk full of anti-science climate denying Republicans. In Canada under the leadership of Stephen Harper's Conservatives science driven climate policy has been pushed off the agenda. In Australia, Tony Abbott's conservative Liberal party have taken climate denial to a new level.

The midterm election of 2014 opened the flood gates for all forms of climate denial in US legislatures. Now both house of Congress are controlled by the climate deniers. The anti-science warbling of Republicans has been unrelenting in recent years.

Apple Makes Sustainability Investments in China

Apple is making China greener and expanding their market presence. From solar farms, to forests and greener supply chains Apple is making some serious sustainability focused investments in China.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is presently in China. He announced his arrival on his new Weibo account (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter). He said that he is in China to launch, "innovative environmental programs." As of Tuesday morning Cook already had 400,000 followers.

This summary is designed to provide guidance for businesses seeking to navigate the complicated landscape of sustainability reporting. There are a number of different ways to approach sustainability reporting and this has led to considerable confusion.

While it is generally accepting that sustainability reporting has a number of benefits, businesses can have a difficult time understanding the differences between approaches and deciding which system is best for their organization. One of the most important trends involves integrated reporting and specifically the 4D approach.

2015 Energy Efficient LED Fixture Awards: Next Generation Luminaires (DOE)

As announced on May 5, 2015 here are the winners of The Energy Department's seventh annual Next Generation Luminaires design competition for energy efficient indoor and outdoor lighting. The Next Generation Luminaires™ (NGL) Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Design Competition seeks to encourage technical innovation and promote excellence in the design of LED lighting fixtures (luminaires) for commercial, industrial and institutional applications. The competition is sponsored by DOE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the International Association of Lighting Designers.

2015 NGL Design Competition Winners. Twelve entries were designated as Outstanding in one or more evaluation categories:

Fossil fuel powered vehicles are a leading source of global warming causing emissions. If we are curtail climate change we must find alternatives to gas power cars. Gas consumption has remained flat due to improved vehicle fuel economy. The prospects for electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles look good, however, these are not the only alternatives to the combustion engine. There are some lesser known emissions free alternative vehicles that run on everything from air to radioactive thorium.

Integrated reporting helps to cut through the complicated morass of sustainability metrics. This effort helps tor provide greater consensus regarding the understanding of issues like materiality, transparency and comparability. In 2014 and into 2015 we have seen the proliferation of sustainability reporting that incorporates both environmental, financial and other elements.

While the benefits of sustainability reporting have been widely document there is a need for more comprehensive and integrated sustainability reporting. This is revealed in a number of surveys which show that there is a lack of shared understanding. As reported in Responsible Investor Magazine, a 2013 survey indicated that CEO's see many barriers to implementing ESG issues.

A workshop titled Sustainable Business Essentials will take place on Thursday, 30 July 2015 from 9 - 5pm in Hong Kong. This one day training course is a fast-paced overview of what it means to be a sustainable and responsible business. Participants will explore the fundamentals of sustainable business practices, using the ISO26000 international guidance for social responsibility as an overarching framework. The course will focus specifically on the Asia-Pacific context, and will be highly practical, designed to equip each participant to drive sustainable business practices in their own organization. You will get practical suggestions for starting to develop your sustainable business approach and case studies of best practice.

Event - Socially Responsible Investing (San Francisco)

Net Impact's Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) event will take place on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT) in San Francisco, California. If you have ever wondered how to invest in the future of sustainability and see a return on your investment than this SRI discussion is for you.

This event is about investing in companies that encourage environmental stewardship, human rights, diversity, and consumer protection. Speakers with extensive experience in this field will explain their strategies and perspectives as well as discuss their visions for SRI and its impact on the global economy and society.

International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) will take place September 9 - 12, 2015 at the Kuala Lampur Convention Center in Malaysia. IGEM 2015 will look to provide a platform for the key drivers within the Malaysian Government’s Green Technology mandate.

Conceived in the year 2010, the IGEM series was positioned to take the lead and gather industry players and professionals from the public and private sectors (local & international) to explore and grasp the lucrative opportunities in the green market.

The EPA on the Costs of Failing to Act on Climate Change (Video)

We know that climate change comes with considerable costs. In this video from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the costs of inaction are explored. Climate change is already having impacts on people's lives across the country. It's affecting many things that people care about including health, drinking water, food supplies, energy and a safe place to live.

Risky Business Report Quantifies the Cost of Climate Change (Video)

Last year a powerful report was released that was intended to demonstrate the costs of climate change. While it is particularly useful to investors and the business community it is a warning for everyone. Regardless of your political stripes the Risky Business Report is hard to refute. It is written by some credible people including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, billionaire financier Tom Steyer and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. These business and political leaders have come together to quantify the cost of climate change. In this video Judy Woodruff talks to Paulson about the project.

Sustainability Reporting: New GRI G4 Guidelines, SASB, AECOM's Engagement Efforts (Video replay of 3BL Media Webinar)

Here is a recap of a 3BL Media webinar on sustainability reporting. This video features the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and AECOM. It includes a discussion of the new G4 guidelines, an exam for sustainability accounting certification and tricks of the trade for corporate communicators.

Click here to read about some of the benefits of sustainability reporting.

Highly Efficient Three wheeled Tadpole Designed Vehicles

When we think about cars we automatically think about four wheels, but that is not necessarily the best configuration. To start with four wheels have more drag and are therefore less efficient than three wheels. When it comes to three wheeled vehicles there are two basic designs Delta and Tadpole. Delta has one wheel in front, two in back and Tadpole has two wheels in front and one in back.

The Tadpole design offers better dynamic stability, meaning it reacts more safely and predictably under various driving conditions than the Delta design. The Tadpole also offers better breaking. Because the front wheels do the most the breaking and considering the Tadpole's two wheels in the front are better than the Delta's one. Although it may appear counter-intuitive the Tadpole's teardrop shape is also a more aerodynamic design than the Delta. Despite the relative simplicity of the Delta's steering and suspension the the Tadpole is the better overall design. A Tadpole's rear mounted engine and batteries provide for more stability than if all the weight was in the front as with a Delta design.

The only bright spot for the environment and climate change in the 2015 UK election is the SNP's sweep of Scotland. David Cameron and his center right Conservative party have won a majority government and this does not bode well for climate action in the UK. Of all the major parties the Conservatives are the least likely to advance environmental and climate issues, this includes movement towards zero emissions and renewable energy.

The Conservatives ran on a platform that focused on economic stewardship and fear mongering about the dangers of electing their competitors. They specifically derided the economic competence of the Labour Party under ED Miliband. It should be noted that as part of the the Labour Party's strategy to position themselves as economically capable they did not take ambitious stands on climate and environmental issues.

A Cost Oriented Approach to Climate Change for Conservatives

One climate economists has suggested that the best way to reach conservatives on climate change is through being "radically practical." Most people want to see more action on climate change but some are reluctant due to the costs to the economy. This is the case for US Republicans and Canadian Conservatives. Rather than examine the human devastation caused by climate change a purely economic appraisal may be more likely to reach conservatives. There are a number of reports that convincingly make the point that climate change is both a business risk and the source of trillions of dollars worth of costs.

With the election of the NDP it appears that the fossil fuel sector's free ride may be coming to an end in Alberta. The landslide election victory of the NDP has changed the political landscape and shifted the energy picture in Canada's fossil fuel rich province.

As leader of the NDP, Rachel Notley's win brings an end to the Progressive Conservatives' more than 40-year reign. The provincial Conservatives have proven themselves to be as hostile to the environment as their federal counterparts.

No matter how daunting the challenge of climate change may seem greenhouse gas emission reduction is both essential and achievable. Growing energy demand, rising greenhouse gas levels, pollution, ocean acidification, drought and rising sea levels make the prospects of finding solutions seem bleak. People are understandably overwhelmed as solutions can seem out of reach. However, it is important to understand that despite the massive scale of the climate crisis the problems are not insurmountable. We possess the technological ability to address climate change and we are already seeing some positive signs that we are moving in the right direction.

To defeat climate change we must radically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite the fact that the world added 32 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere in 2014, it is possible to significantly reduce emissions and grow the green economy.

Sustainability Reporting to Minimize Negative Impacts and Increase Positive Benefits

Sustainability reporting is an all encompassing tool to help create value. Reporting is an integral part of being accountable for the broad range of social, environmental and economic impacts that permeate business activities.

Sustainability reporting not only reviews progress it also identifies opportunities for improvement. Being truly accountable cannot be achieved in the absence of honest reporting. Whether this is about reducing carbon emissions or water usage, reporting is a critical part of assessing progress. Such reporting is also a crucial part of laying out and refining strategies.

The Blue Dot movement has succeeded in encouraging a growing number of Canadians to demand the right to fresh air, clean water and healthy food. In less than one year more than 72,0000 Canadians and 44 municipalities have signed declarations supporting the initiative.The Blue Dot movement is working from the ground up starting at the municipal level. Then they will seek provincial and federal support. The ultimate aim is to enshrine environmental rights in a constitutional amendment.

The rights of Canadians were entrenched in law in 1960 when the Canadian Bill of Rights was passed. This was the first federal law that specifically set out fundamental human rights for Canadians. The Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) was first enacted in 1977, it also protects human rights, particularly in the areas of employment, housing and commercial premises. However, unlike the Canadian Bill of Rights, the CHRA applies not only to the federal government but also to the private sector in matters that are regulated directly by the federal government.

In addition to minimizing the impact on the Earth's natural resources and ecosystems a sustainability designed, constructed and operated facility offers a number of benefits. A green facility embeds sustainability into the core of an organization's DNA and creates a pathway from which it is harder to deviate. It is a central pillar that enhances authenticity in the execution of a sustainability strategy.

Here are eight benefits of a sustainability designed constructed and operated facility:

Canada Reneges on its Promise to Follow US Climate Policy

Once again Canada is at odds with the United States on climate issues. After promising to adopt a climate policy that closely follows the US, the ruling federal Conservative government has been forced to concede that this is impossible. Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the federal government has repeatedly stated that it will harmonize its climate policies with those of the United States. Now that the US has started to engage climate issues Canada is abandoning this approach.

In April Environmental Leader announced the winners of their 2015 Product & Project Awards. These Awards recognize and honor companies making the biggest difference in the field of energy, environmental and sustainability management. These original and successful projects and products achieve EL's high standards in terms of contribution to energy and environmental efforts, innovation, efficiency and reliability, and contribution to the bottom line. These companies are among those that are making the biggest difference in the field.

The report at the bottom of this page showcases award winners with the aim of helping other companies to make informed decisions about what products to purchase or what sorts of initiatives to implement.

Over the last few years a spate of exploding oil trains in North America has prompted politicians in the US and Canada to introduce new rules designed to make rail transportation safer. We have seen many more derailments and explosions recently due to the 4,000 percent increase in oil shipments by rail between 2008 to 2014. It is a statistical certainty that derailments increase in proportion to the amount of oil shipped by rail.

The actual number of derailments and explosions have exceeded government predictions by 20 percent. A federal government report predicted an average of 10 oil train derailments each year and at a cost of four and a half billion dollars over the next 20 years. However, in the last year alone there have been 12 oil train derailments and in the past two years there have been almost two dozen such derailments.

GreenTouch™ Celebration: The Road to 100x Improvement in Energy Efficiency

The GreenTouch™ Celebration event will take place on Thursday, June 18th, 2015, from 10:00am – 2:30pm EDT at the Metropolitan West Pavilion in New York City. This event is being hosted by GreenTouch Consortium to announce the successful culmination of its five-year long mission to develop technologies for increasing the energy efficiencies of communications networks by a factor of 1000. The final event for the GreenTouch Consortium will feature new technology demonstrations, an announcement on updated Green Meter results and a keynote presentation followed by a special celebration for members. The event will be preceded by Working Group Sessions on 16 June.

This is CR’s list of America's Best Corporate Citizens. These companies are ranked in terms of corporate accountability. Company performance is rated in each of the following seven categories: climate change, employee relations, environmental, financial, governance, human rights, and philanthropy. There are subcategories within each category including things like disclosure, policy and performance. Each of the categories is not equally weighted. In this assessment employee relations and environmental performance are given the most weight while governance is given the least.

To create this list CR started with the Russell 1000 of the U.S. companies with the largest market capitalization. Data is collected on each company by a variety of means including an extensive questionnaire. Out of the 300 companies that responded to the questionnaire CR narrowed the list down to the top 100 financially successful companies:

Elon Musk has led the electric car revolution to new technological heights now he is putting his wizardry into an affordable new battery that can take homes and businesses off the grid. With this lithium-ion battery Musk wants to revolutionize the way people and business access energy. It represents an important step forward in renewable energy storage and fossil free zero emission power. There are currently three versions of this super-efficient battery: Two home versions called the "Powerwall" and a larger scalable business and commercial version called the "Powerpack."

Event - Impact Capital Summit Europe

The Impact Capital Summit (ICS) Europe will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 9:00 AM - Wednesday, May 20, 2015 5:00 PM (Central European Time) at Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands. This event is hosted by Phenix Capital and Big Path Capital. ICS is for European institutional investors deploying capital across asset classes for return and impact. The one and a half day forum will inform and provide one-on-one meetings between institutional investors and successful impact fund managers in various asset classes including public equity, public debt, private equity, private debt, and direct investments.

4th International Conference on Earth Science & Climate Change will take place on June 16-18, 2015 in Melia Alicante, Alicante, Spain. The theme for this event is An Insight into the Recent Advancements in Geosciences and Climate Change Control.

This exciting and informative conference program includes plenary lectures, symposia, workshops on a variety of topics, poster presentations and various programs for participants from all over the world.

Impact Capitalism Summit (ICS) New England Style will take place on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - Thursday, July 16, 2015 at the Nantucket Hotel & Resort, 77 Easton Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Learn how to deploy capital to make a positive impact while still maximizing returns

Conference Overview

Big Path Capital is pleased to host the Impact Capitalism Summit - Nantucket on July 15-16, 2015. The Impact Capitalism Summit is for family offices, high net worth individuals, and family foundations deploying capital across asset classes for return and impact. The one and a half day forum will inform and provide panel sessions in various asset classes including public equity, public debt, private equity, private debt, and direct investments and one-on-one meetings between attendees and successful impact fund managers.

Putting the Heat on for Harvard Heat Week (Video)

In the Middle of April Harvard Heat Week turned up the heat on fossil fuel divestment. The week was kicked off by a divestment event that included Students, faculty, alumni, and members of the Harvard community all of whom came together in Cambridge to speak out for climate justice. The movement called Harvard and other universities to stand on the right side of history.divest from fossil fuels. Harvard's $36 billion endowment may have a 100-million-ton carbon footprint. For a university that prides itself on being a leading educational institution, it is unconscionable to continue investing in the companies that are wrecking the climate and destroying communities on the front lines of the crisis.

US Assumes Leadership of the Arctic Council (Video)

The US has assumed control of the eight-nation member Arctic Council. The organization focuses on important issues facing the Arctic including climate change the needs of indigenous people. Against the will of other nations on the Council, Canada has used the body to express its displeasure over Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. The US has promised to shift directions of the Council and focus on climate change and environmental issues after two years of feckless Canadian leadership.

Sustainability: People Product and Profit (Video)

Profit is one of three legs that are and indispensable part of sustainability. To be sustainable an organization must have all three legs (people, product and profit), take away one of the legs and the stool will not stand. In this video interview, Michigan State University's Dr. Erik Runkle interviews Dr. Charlie Hall, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, Ellison Chair in International Floriculture. Economist, Dr. Hall talks about sustainability As explained in this post from the Green Market Oracle, Sustainability legitimizes profitability.

Friday, May 1, 2015

UK's Highest Court Demands the Government Act on Air Pollution

After years of failing to meet European air pollution standards, on April 29th, the UK supreme court has ordered the government to act. Air pollution causes tens of thousands of deaths each year and now thanks to a legal challenge by NGO ClientEarth, the UK's highest court is forcing the government to reduce air pollution levels in London and other British cities.

The court unanimously ruled that the UK has failed to fulfill its nitrogen dioxide (NO2) obligations under EU air quality directive which came into force in 2010. The ruling forces the next environment secretary to draw up a plan to meet the EU rules by the end of 2015. Elections in the UK are scheduled for May 7, 2015.

The fact that the world is warming is made obvious by a series of long term temperature readings. This data is corroborated the different researchers and over 26,000 climate indicators. The leading cause of global warming is atmospheric carbon which now stands at around 400 parts per million. This is a level not seen in human history.

The planet has been warmer than average for 358 straight months, or almost 30 years. Last year (2014) was the Earth's hottest year on record and global average sea surface temperatures were also at an all-time high in 2014. What make 2014 remarkable is that is come without the El Niño effect which are known to boost global temperatures. The ten warmest years ever recorded have all occurred since 1998. Nine of the ten warmest years have occurred since the year 2000, with 13 of the 15 hottest years on record globally all occurring during the past 15 years.

On Thursday April 30th 2015, the Church of England, mother church of the world's 80 million Anglicans, adopted a new climate change and ethical investment policy. The policy stresses engagement with companies and policy makers and divestment when engagement is deemed unproductive.

The Church Commissioners and The Church of England Pensions Board indicated that it will divest £12 million ($18.42 million) from thermal coal and tar sands. Effective immediately the three national investing bodies (NIBs) which includes the £1.9 billion ($2.9 billion) CBF Church of England funds, will not make any direct investments in companies where more than 10 percent of its revenues are derived from the extraction of thermal coal or the production of oil from tar sands.

Advances in attribution science have allowed researchers to demonstrate that extreme weather is on the rise. A new study links human produced greenhouse gases to increasingly frequent extreme weather events including heat, precipitation and drought. The study shows that anthropogenic extreme weather are already happening and they will get worse as the world warms. The study indicates that global warming is currently responsible for about three quarters of the extreme heat days and around one fifth of extreme precipitation (rain or snow).

Pages

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Friday, May 15, 2015

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Friday, May 8, 2015

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Monday, May 4, 2015

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015