Photo: fra.dot.gov

In his Jan. 27 State of the Union Address, President Obama included high-speed rail, stating, “From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our nation has always been built to compete. There’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains or the new factories that manufacture clean-energy products.”

He followed that up with a visit to Tampa the next day, where he stated that $8 billion in grants would be going to a Tampa-Orlando-Miami route in Florida, followed by similar rail projects in California and Illinois.

This is music to the ears of longtime train advocate Anthony Perl, a fellow with the Post Carbon Institute (PCI). The San Francisco-area institute is an apolitical think tank that envisions a world of communities and economies that thrive within ecological bounds. The president’s address spurred PCI to send Obama an open letter applauding the speech but imploring him to lead the transition to a post-carbon economy by, in part, preparing for the future with cost-effective energy, such as trains. In addition to his position with PCI, Perl is the director of the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“The Obama administration’s launch of a high-speed rail program is the most important transportation initiative that the U.S. has seen in my 47-year lifetime,” says Perl. “The program opens the door to a post-carbon mobility future in ways that tinkering with fuel efficiency, auto emissions and ‘intelligent’ vehicle and high designs can never accomplish.”

In an e-mail chat this week, Perl talked about why the President’s rail plan is so crucial.

“Rail offers the only proven surface transportation technology that can be run on renewable energy right now,” Perl says. “All other systems – hybrids, battery cars, hydrogen fuel cells etc. – are in the prototype (or earlier stages) and will not be ready in time for our society to survive oil depletion.”

Has the United States missed the window of opportunity for getting started with a major rail plan?

Anthony Perl (Photo: Post Carbon Institute)

“It is not too late for rail to take up an increasing share of travel up to 1,000 miles as we reduce our use of planes and internal combustion-engine vehicles. Electric high–speed trains and electric freight trains are proven technology.”

Will Americans change their mindset about train travel?

“Of course they will. People love trains – when they are run well.”

How would a high-speed train system be financed?

“Just like air and road transport, government will pay for the infrastructure up front (airports and highways are built and owned by government) and operations will be paid for by the users – just as we pay air and bus fares, and for the cost of operating our cars. Whether those fares will be paid to a government-owned railroad, a privately owned railroad, or some joint venture, remains to be seen. Each model could work.”

How do you think oil and car companies will react to the competition?

“They will have bigger problems to worry about. [Problems] like inventing new business models that can cope with the energy and climate challenges ahead.”

What about the price of riding the rail? A recent trip on Amtrak’s Northeast corridor was pleasant and on time, but a bit pricey.

“Travel costs are a direct result of government policy. If the new trains pay low rent for the new tracks, they will charge lower ticket prices. If they pay higher prices to rent the track from public, private or mixed partnership owners, then ticket prices will be higher. U.S. train tickets are a bargain compared to those in the United Kingdom, where train-operating companies make good profits.”

Texas was supposed to get a high-speed rail system, but the plan seems to have “de-railed,” so to speak. Any updates?

“Texas tried to go for a fully private passenger train franchise (Texas TGV) in the 1990s. It collapsed and this has left a policy vacuum that other states like California and North Carolina were more advanced in filling.”

Perl suggests that the U.S. should partner with Europe and Asia on high-speed rail projects.

“Now is the time to recognize that the United States has a lot to learn from others when it comes to building modern passenger trains,” he says. “We face a steep learning curve in building modern electric railroad infrastructure and equipment after decades of neglect and disinvestment.

“We should partner with Asia and Europe to share their know-how, rather than reinventing the wheel at greater expense and with more mistakes… if we opt to ‘go it alone.’ If we can overcome the hubris of having only a ‘made-in-the-USA’ high-speed train, we will get where we need to be a lot faster, and generate more jobs and economic development as a result.”

Perl also believes that rail travel should be linked to the developing electric smart grid.

“All of these fast trains will be powered by electricity, an open-ended energy carrier that can blend renewable energy sources with a decreasing carbon content.

“Most of the major corridors in the U.S. will need to be electrified in the next 25 years. Meaning now would be the ideal time to connect the high-speed rail plan with the emerging ‘smart grid.’ New transmission lines could be run atop the tracks, with a periodic step-down of their current to power freight and passenger trains without using a drop of oil.”

Copyright © 2010 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Photo: DeLoach Vineyards

DeLoach Vineyards has earned certification as a Biodynamic farm, as Demeter USA (the only certification agent for Biodynamic farms in the United States) has found the 17-acre estate vineyard and garden fully compliant with the organization’s standards. DeLoach becomes one of only 64 wineries or vineyards in the world to earn the distinction.

Biodynamic farming treats the entire farm as a living organism. The process of converting a farm from conventional to Biodynamic starts with a three-year transition process during which the operation becomes organically certified. Next comes an additional year of Biodynamic-specific practices. All work is governed by the Biodynamic calendar, which is based on celestial and terrestrial movements.

Biodynamic farming’s approach relies on creating natural biodiversity within the farm through cover crops and annual preparations. As a result, Biodynamic farming leaves one of the smallest carbon footprints of any agricultural method. (The process was established by Rudolf Steiner through his series of lectures titled “Agriculture” in 1924.)

At DeLoach, the ecosystem includes eight clones of Pinot Noir, two clones of Chardonnay, plus sheep, bees, and cover crops planted between rows of vines. Fruits and vegetables from the garden are served to winery guests or donated to local food banks.

While the vineyard and gardens at DeLoach have been farmed in line with Biodynamic principles for the past several years, certification was delayed to coincide with the inaugural winegrape crop in 2010.

“We view certification not as the destination of our voyage, but as an affirmation along this voyage that we are moving in the right direction,” said Eric Pooler, DeLoach Winegrower.

This commitment to environmentally-friendly practices extends to the winery. A membrane bio-reactor purifies all water from the winemaking process for reuse in the vineyards, and 100% of energy used is purchased from renewable sources. That eliminates an estimated 314 metric tons of CO2 – the equivalent of 57 passenger vehicles for 1 year.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

(Photo: Audi)

By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now

Audi’s 2010 Green Police commercial during Super Bowl was ingenious and hilarious.

You didn’t have to be an environmentalist to enjoy the plug for Audi’s A3 TDI clean diesel car. In fact, the commercial pokes fun at the extreme measures an environmentally conscious police force might take:

Arresting a customer for choosing plastic over paper at the grocery store; storming a home after finding a battery in the trash collection; arresting a man for possession of an incandescent bulb; swarming a homeowner for a compost infraction; chasing a speedo-clad hot tub user for setting the water temperature too high; stopping a driver for using a styrofoam cup – extreme tactics, no doubt, but too funny.

Of course, the guy with the clean diesel Audi is stopped and allowed to proceed, hassle-free. The commercial’s “Green Police” anthem is a re-recording of Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police.”

If you missed it, check it out here.

Copyright © 2010 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

GM announced today that its new lineup of heavy-duty diesel pickups will run on B20 biodiesel, which is a blend of 20-percent biodiesel and 80-percent conventional diesel that produces lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The announcement was made at the National Biodiesel Conference in Grapevine, Texas.

GM said its new Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel engine has been substantially revised to include B20 capability, as well as meet strict new emissions standards effective this year. The Duramax will power the redesigned 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, as well as the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans. Chevrolet plans to unveil the 2011 Silverado heavy-duty trucks at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 10.

“B20 capability in our new heavy-duty trucks is the latest addition to a growing number of alternate fuel options offered by General Motors,” Mike Robinson, GM’s vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy, said in a statement. “We are seeking different paths to fuel solutions in order to maximize efficiency, reduce emissions and minimize the dependence on petroleum.”

GM says it has with more than 4 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road today capable of running on E85 ethanol. Like ethanol, biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel made primarily of plant matter – mostly soybean oil.

Estimates by National Biodiesel Board indicate about 700 million gallons of the fuel were produced in 2008 – up from about 500,000 gallons in 1999. Market fluctuations caused production to decrease in 2009, but it is expected to rise with more mandates and the availability of approved vehicles, such as the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty trucks.

To make the Duramax 6.6L and its fuel system compatible with B20, GM said it upgraded some seals and gasket materials to withstand the ester content of biodiesel and included an upgraded fuel filter that includes a coalescing element. It improves the separation of water that may be present in the fuel, because biodiesel can attract and absorb water. Also, additional heating of the fuel circuit was added to reduce the chance of fuel gelling or waxing that could plug filters.

The Duramax 6.6L’s diesel particulate regeneration system features a downstream injector that supplies fuel for the regeneration process. This greatly reduces potential oil dilution, important with using biodiesel. Downstream injection saves fuel and works better with B20 than in-cylinder post injection.

Recycling doesn’t mean settling for something less. It can mean adding value for less. But the end product might even be better than ever. (Hence, the term upcycling.)

VictorVictoria chair (Photo: Blugirlart Inc.)

But whether a first iteration or an item’s reincarnation is superior hardly matters when the end result makes the owner happy and the object serves its purpose well, maybe even rises above, to a higher calling.

Those who reclaim items for a second or third life are often driven by this reward, the thrill of taking something bound for the trash and rescuing it, restoring it and assigning it to a better life. We’re thinking of artists who meld old garden tools into garden sculpture or carpenters who assemble barn planks into gleaming table tops.

Suzanne Meyer – Pistorius of Springfield, Mass., has chosen chairs to fulfill her creative desires. A designer by training with a history in the fast-paced New York City fashion industry, Meyer-Pistorius began to dream about a new vocation while on long commutes into the city.

She wanted to combine her hand painted fabric business with a recycling enterprise.

She settled on chairs — so to speak – creating a unique, custom business called Blugirlart Inc. 

“In the summer of 2008 I started looking for chairs  - some were found on the side of the road, in cellars, auctions and flea markets. Some I literally did save from certain death by termites or just plain rot,’’ she says. “After hours of stripping and sanding they were then taken to the refinisher for professional repair and refinishing.”

After the wood frames are ready, Meyer-Pistorius doodles on fabric, expertly, to develop designs for each chair. Sometimes she paints samples to try out. Other times the chair’s new look just comes to her.

To keep the business green, she has found several upholstery fabrics woven in hemp, a sustainable fiber because hemp grows easily and without pesticides.

Once the painted fabric is ready, a chair is sent out for reupholstering, with instructions to save as much of the existing springs as possible. Finally, it is sprayed with VECTRA, a green alternative to Scotchguard, Meyer-Pistorius says.

The custom designed chairs, and some sofas, can be seen at Blugirlart website, where they retail for $600 and up (quite a bit up for the antique Betsy Sofa.) Selected pieces also are being shown at the Jia Moderne showroom at the Boston Design Center.

Rockstar chair (Photo: Blugirlart Inc.)

The chairs can be delivered in the Springfield area. Special arrangements are needed for shipping outside New England.

Meyer-Pistorius is no longer commuting to New York City, frustrated that she has no time for her home-grown enterprise, and her chair business is growing in unexpected ways. The Boston Design Center recently asked her to present her custom work to a group of designers, who were “very excited to be able to offer something so original to their clients,’’ she said.

She’s found that “with the magic of email” she can custom design pieces for projects even at a distance when a client emails photos and specifications for chairs they want recovered.

The Blugirlart website also features the recycled collage art of Max Rudolf, who constructs his pieces from discarded paper products and with scrap wood bases.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

Much as a forest fire clears the land and leaves behind essential nutrients to enrich a new generation of growth, the devastation of the travel and meetings industry caused by a global economic collapse has left a few seedlings. One of them is the nascent green meeting industry, which has more than gotten a foothold. In many respects, green meetings are fast becoming the only kind of meetings.

The Addison Conference Centre in Texas features large windows to let in light, yet overhangs help block out mid-day heat. (Photo: The Town of Addison)

This new reality is driven in part by the needs of cash-strapped corporations and associations to trim costs and eliminate waste – an approach that’s central to the green meeting industry. And as large corporations increasingly measure the carbon footprints of all their activities – travel to meetings and conferences is getting more  scrutiny.

But the green meeting industry suffers the same identity issues facing any adolescent. For one, the terms “green meeting” and “sustainable meeting” can have different meanings to different people. That’s why the industry is moving to release a new standard in the coming weeks – a set of requirements that will finally get everyone in the event-planning industry on the same page. At least, that is the hope.

That standard, and its underlying components, will be the key topic of discussion when the Green Meeting Industry Council holds its 2010 Sustainable Meetings Conference in Denver from Feb. 9-11. The council, formed in 2003, has seen a recent surge in membership, jumping from 135 members in 2008 to more than 500 members in 17 countries today. 

“The number of planners and companies planning green meetings has been increasing every year for the last few years,” said Tamara Kennedy-Hill, executive director of the GMIC. “According to meeting industry surveys, about 51 percent of meeting planners – corporate and association – say that they’re planning or expect to plan a green meeting.

“So we’re seeing that the awareness is increasing but the actual practice of ‘what does that mean’ – the definition has been changing each year and creating confusion in the marketplace. People will say they are planning a green meeting and they’ll think that means just recycling or cutting back on bottled water usage – and those are elements – but the sophistication of what that really means as the integration into their events has really shifted, and that’s why there’s been such a push for standards.”

With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the new standard is being drafted by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) and will be voted on by the venerable standards-setting agency ASTM International.

The standard will focus on nine sectors within the planning process:

• Accommodations
• Audio/Visual and Production
• Communications and Marketing
• Destinations
• Exhibits
• Food and Beverage
• Meeting Venue
• On-Site Offices
• Transportation

“It will be a way for planners to go through and get a strong checklist for facilities and comparing them to each other,” Kennedy-Hill said. “It’s really going to help define what it means to have a green meeting because there will be a benchmark comparison.”

Green meetings make use of sustainable products, such as biodegradable cups.

And once the standard is finalized, it will fall to the non-profit Green Meeting Industry Council to help put them into practice. “What we’re focusing on is making sure that once these standards get launched, they’re getting used in the marketplace,” Kennedy-Hill said.

To that end, GMIC’s upcoming conference will not only cover the concepts outlined in the green meeting standard, it will implement them within the event. For example, to reduce paper for the event, the bios of the speakers are not listed in the program but rather uploaded to social media sites in advance.  Denver was selected to host the event because its Colorado Convention Center has a lengthy list of green features and is located in a pedestrian-friendly area.

All of this activity comes amid a growing shift in the corporate environment, where meeting planners are now asking frequent questions about green practices.

Rob Bourestom, who manages the Addison Conference Centre and Addison Theatre Centre in Addison, Texas, said he’s seen requests for sustainable meeting practices increase significantly in the last year and a half. The center, which hosts about 650 events per year, has responded by seeking out more green vendors and caterers (especially those that offer local and organic choices); adding wi-fi so attendees can distribute documents electronically and adding energy-saving lighting and low-water plumbing fixtures.

“That’s really required to host someone like the U.S. Green Building Council,” he said, recalling a USGBC event at the North Texas facility just north of Dallas.

Addison’s conference center, like many newer styled meeting facilities, features large exterior windows to let in natural light, but with overhangs that block the heat from the mid-day sun.  The adjoining theater has been adding LED stage lighting, which is vastly more energy efficient than the previous lights.

It’s not just city centers that have moved to attract the greener-thinking convocations. Major hotel chains are beginning to offer more options for meetings, such as washable linens in place of paper tablecloths, pitchers of water to replace the bottled variety and “back of the house” changes such as food waste recycling that lower the carbon footprint of events.

Marriott, among others, is facilitating greener gatherings by presenting planners with a menu of alternative actions so they craft an event within their own eco-comfort zone. “A lot of big companies have meeting planners that bid out conferences,” said spokeswoman Stephanie Hampton. “We’ve seen more and more of those meeting planners asking about our environmental initiatives.”

Kennedy-Hill says many corporations now have sustainability reporting requirements or they are part of carbon disclosure projects, so they have to track all their areas of impact.  “And first they are looking internally, if they produce widgets or whatever they are looking to reduce their emissions, but then they also are looking at their business travel. They’re starting to look and measure and asking more questions about green hotels and business travel expectations because they’re going to have to put that into their own sustainability report.”

None of this would be happening if the economics didn’t work. But event planners are usually able to identify cost savings that make holding a green meeting a lower-cost or, at worst, a break-even proposition.

“For the most part it’s cost saving, especially for the planner side,” said Kennedy-Hill. “Different things you’re doing are costs savings. You’re looking at technology and innovation to enhance your event. There are trade-offs in some areas. You might spend a bit more on organic food choices, but you saved on your printing costs because you’re not having a big program and you saved on your mailing costs.”

Facilities see an upside as well, from not only the ability to attract groups looking to hold a green event, but also from energy savings. In Orlando, the Orange County Convention Center, the nation’s second largest, has rolled out a wide range of green initiatives. In one project , new low-wattage LED lights from Albeo Technologies replaced aging 400-watt metal halide fixtures that cut 325 watts of power per fixture. The combined energy and maintenance savings achieved a  payback in less than one year, and the installation is estimated to eliminate more than 1,400,000 lbs of carbon over its life.

“This needs to be part of your business model,” said Kennedy-Hill. “Green meetings – sustainable meetings – should be an integration of looking at  where can you minimize your impacts, how can you reduce overall and how does that save you money. It has to be connected.  It doesn’t make sense to do something that’s going to put you out of business.”

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

This weekend, while fans get ready for the New Orleans Saints face off against the Indianapolis Colts at Sun Life Stadium for Super Bowl XLIV, the National Football League will be running some of its own green plays.

The NFL will donate all leftover food from Super Bowl events to local agencies under the leadership of Daily Bread Food Bank. Over 65,000 pounds of leftover prepared food was donated after last year’s Super Bowl.

Also on the donation list will be decorative materials from all venues, building materials, office supplies or equipment from NFL Headquarters, and non-perishable food and beverages. The materials will stay in the South Florida community to be reused by local non-profit organizations such as the United Way.

The NFL, in partnership with the Miami Dolphins, the Miami-Dade NFL Youth Education Town (YET) Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs and several local school districts, encouraged children to re-use by giving back. The Super Kids-Super Sharing Sports Equipment and Book Donation project worked to collect used sports equipment and books from local kids for donation throughout the month of January. All items will be donated to under-served schools throughout the South Florida area.

The NFL also is partnering with NextEra Energy Resources to provide clean energy to this year’s Super Bowl. NextEra Energy Resources, the largest wind and solar producer in North America, will supply Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) through its EarthEra initiative. This is the fourth year that the NFL will use renewable energy, via RECs, to power the Super Bowl and its related events.

“Leading companies and organizations, such as the NFL, are actively addressing the environmental impacts of their activities and taking steps to make a difference for future generations,” said Nate Hanson, vice president of NextEra Energy Resources. “Through our EarthEra initiative, we partner with leading organizations to mitigate their impacts on climate change, promote sustainability initiatives and provide them the ability to join us in building a clean energy future.”

Football fans can also show their green spirit by going online to learn how to minimize their carbon footprint.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Photo: SunEdison.com

Residents in Davidson County, N.C. will be getting more of their power from the sun after SunEdison activated the first phase of a 16-megawatt solar farm there.

The initial phase is comprised of 14,000 solar panels designed to produce four megawatts of generation capacity. Over six million kilowatt hours of electricity are expected in the first year of operation.

Duke Energy is buying the farm’s entire output with a 20-year contract. Over the length of the agreement, the farm is expected to generate 115 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power 10,000 average homes for a year. That production should offset more than 225 million pounds of carbon dioxide that otherwise would have been introduced into the environment by a traditional coal-burning plant.

“This first phase represents a major milestone in our overall plan to develop 16 megawatts of solar energy at this site,” said SunEdison President Carlos Domenech. “Having financed and completed this initial installation, we have mobilized resources for the next phase of the solar farm.”

The farm is one of several North American utility-scale power plants that SunEdison has financed and developed, and now operates. In all, the company lists 322 operational sites in the U.S., mostly in California and on the East Coast.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

eBay, the giant online garage sale facilitator, and RecycleBank, the company that figured out how to get Americans recycling by offering them consumer rewards, have announced a partnership in which each company will offer incentives to the other companies clients.

Kind of like a swap-meet in the middle of a flea market.

A little history: eBay, the online marketplace that began in 1995, began thinking green in 2007 when a group of employees formed eBay’s Green Team community. The Green Team tries to inspire eBay’s 90 million users to “buy, sell & think green every day” by offering pertinent eco-friendly tips and sustainable advice.

Enter RecycleBank, a fast-growing company that rewards its consumers for recycling by giving them points based on the weight of the products recycled.

The companies are partnering to reward eBay users for reusing, which is integral to what they’re doing anyway when they sell or buy previously owned products. (According to eBay,”the greenest products are ones that already exist.”)

RecycleBank will give 50 points to each of its members who joins eBay’s Green Team community and also plans to soon allow its members to use their RecycleBank points for discounts on eBay purchases.

“RecycleBank has always been rewarding more responsible environmental behavior like recycling for households across America. Working with eBay on an initiative to promote reuse and rewarding consumers for that behavior becomes a natural progression of our business,” said Morley Ivers, RecycleBank Chief Rewards Officer.

In just five years, RecycleBank consumers have more than doubled the quantity of items recycled. To date, RecycleBank has saved 4.3 million trees and 288 million gallons of oil through recycling, the company estimates.

For eBay, the reward is more eyeballs on its listings, meaning more potential buyers and sellers.

“Thousands of eBay sellers have built successful businesses by recycling, re-using and re-selling products that already exist and may otherwise have ended up in landfills. Our relationship with RecycleBank offers an innovative way to encourage and reward green-conscious consumers who are looking for more sustainable ways to shop,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, Director of the eBay Green Team.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Coming in April, FAO Schwarz will begin carrying a new environmentally conscious brand, GREENZYS. This eco-friendly line carries books and toys that promote green living and teach sustainable practices to children.

GREENZYS founders, Lisa Keyser and Mark Lieber, have found a way to connect a child’s love for animals with a deep concern for the environment. For example, “Peat the Penguin” encourages kids to recycle, reuse, and reduce waste, while “Violet the Giraffe” teaches children to protect the environment by reducing their carbon “paw” print.

“The GREENZYS are a fun and engaging way of involving young children in the daily activities of green living,” said GREENZYS co-founder Mark Lieber in a statement.  “We use the animal characters and their stories to reinforce the importance of green living practices such as conservation of natural resources, recycling, reusing and replanting. And if we’re successful in entertaining and educating them simultaneously, then we cultivate these eco-friendly practices as habits that will sustain our children and our planet.”

“I am very excited to see the GREENZYS come to life and bring Green Awareness to kids around the world,” added GREENZYS Creator, Lisa Keyser.

Along with the brand’s commitment to environmental education, a portion of the profits will be donated to the Environmental Media Association, a non-profit group that uses television, film and music, to influence environmental awareness.

Another environmental bonus, for every GREENZYS purchase made between April 5 and December 31, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant one tree in our nation’s forests. Children can even go online to receive a printable certificate of their contribution.

The books will retail for $17.99 and the plush characters will be $30. GREENZYS is  putting its words into action by using sustainable materials in its products. The plush toys are made in socially responsible factories from soy fibers and non-toxic dyes with packaging made from recycled paperboard.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

As governments wrestle with the rules of the game for a greener future, businesses are putting their own playbooks on the table.

Alcoa, a longtime champion of environmental action, helped lead a team of 29 global companies, representing 14 industries, in developing a coordinated plan for how the world’s burgeoning population could live peaceably, comfortably and sustainably on the planet.

The plan, released today and called Vision 2050 lays out what human inhabitants – 9 billion human inhabitants – will need to do to live within their means on Mother Earth.

“The world already has the knowledge, science, technologies, skills and financial resources needed to achieve Vision 2050. However, concerted global action in the next decade will be required to bring these capabilities and resources together, putting the world on the path to sustainability,” said Alcoa Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Mohammad A. Zaidi co-chaired the 18-month project.

All the companies participating were part of The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global association of about 200 companies. The CEO-led group studies the intersection of business and sustainable development. Through the council, the companies share knowledge and best practices.

Vision 2050 spells out the actions and changes that must happen over the coming decade “to make a sustainable planetary society possible,” according to a news release. These include:

• Meeting the development needs of billions of people and enabling their education and economic empowerment, particularly of women.
• Developing radically more eco-efficient solutions, lifestyles and behavior.
• Incorporating the costs of “externalities” — starting with carbon, ecosystem services and water — into the structure of the marketplace. (In other words, putting a price on natural resources, thereby equalizing the playing field for businesses that practice careful use of those resources.)
• Doubling agricultural output without increasing the amount of land or water used
• Halting deforestation and increasing yields from planted forests
• Halving carbon emissions worldwide (based on 2005 levels) by 2050, with greenhouse gas emissions peaking around 2020 through a shift to low-carbon energy systems (i.e., renewable energy like wind and solar power) and highly improved demand-side energy efficiency (energy efficient buildings).
• Providing universal access to low-carbon mobility
• Delivering a four- to ten-fold improvement in the use of resources and materials. (Think recycle, reuse and reduce.)

Vision 2050, an 80-page document, calls out businesses’ role as integral to transforming world markets, but cautions that companies must not harm natural resources or reduce biodiversity. It is a self-described “best-case scenario for sustainability” intended not as a “definitive blueprint” but a launching point for developing strategies and dialogue with governments, the news release explains.

Alcoa has shown its own commitment to sustainability by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by a 43% over its 1990 base year; setting up community programs worldwide and winning recognition for its ethical practices, ranking 11 out of 581 companies on the Covalence Ethics Index.

About 73 percent of the aluminum produced in the world is still in use, Alcoa reports, making the company’s core recyclable product more sustainable than many raw materials.

The company employs nearly 60,000 people around the world.

In an effort to get kids outdoors, the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act, aims to connect children with nature by making it a part of their education.

NCLI became the first environmental education bill debated on the house floor in a long time last year when it passed in the House, but failed to progress through the Senate.

With the installation of the new Congress, NCLI now needs reconsideration in both houses to pass.

Advocates believe it could get a second chance because environmental education has been given a clear opening in the US Department of Education’s budget plan released this week.

The proposed budget includes new funding of $1 billion for programs that improve instruction to support college- and career-readiness standards. Among those eligible for funding are classes deemed important to a “Well-Rounded Education,” which includes environmental literacy.

The Well-Rounded Education category calls for $265 million — an increase of $38.9 million or 17 percent — to consolidate seven current authorities and expand support for the subjects important to a complete curriculum, including history, the arts, foreign languages, environmental literacy, and economic and financial literacy, according to the budget.

“Advancing the environmental literacy of our students is key to addressing today’s increasingly complex environmental and related economic, social, natural resource, and energy issues,” said Don Baugh, Director of the No Child Left Inside Coalition, in a statement.

“It will not only better prepare students for college and the 21^st Century workforce, but help to combat childhood obesity and related health problems by getting kids outside to learn about the natural world.

“On behalf of our entire 1,500 member Coalition, I commend the President and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for recognizing the critical role that environmental education plays in preparing our students for the green economy.”

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media