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Viridian Note 00382: Wavefront Newsletter
(((I cannot go to Fredericksburg for the Renewable Energy Fest this Sept 26-28, for my travel schedule is crushing me. The "Renewable Energy Roundup" is always the Viridian event of the season. You should go if at all possible. It's important. If you are corporate and have a lot of money, give it to them.))) Link:
(((Texans, note that renewable energy is now pretty much
the only method we Texans have to avoid being choked and
poisoned by emissions sanctioned by the blatantly
malignant EPA. You might also have noticed during the
recent shattering Northeast blackout that Texas is
entirely on its own grid. We need that wind, folks.)))
"TREIA Members: "The Renewable Energy Roundup (The Roundup
"Also, don't forget, we need more sponsorships in order to help us make sure TREIA and TXSES end up with revenue for future projects and activities. Copy and layout work has begun on 'The Lariat' (the onsite program guide w/a 7,000+ print run). To be sure you are recognized in it, please notify me of your sponsorship by Tuesday the 9th. Sponsorships after that date will still be recognized on the main sponsor sign at The Roundup gate. "Sponsorship has not yet been secured for the very popular Friday evening Trail Dust Reception for exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, volunteers and invited dignitaries. Any company, or a group of companies, can step up and claim the rights by providing a total of $3,500. There will be sign recognition at the event, and recognition from the standard sponsor benefits list as well, in the appropriate categories for each company's contribution. "Please call me if you would like to discuss exhibiting or sponsorship options." Russel E. Smith
Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association
P. O. Box 16469
Austin, TX 78761-6469
Ph.: 512-345-5446
Fax: 512-345-6831
E-mail:
(((Alan AtKisson of the Viridian Curia is running a newsletter now. Man, this "Wavefront" thing is the cat's pyjamas.))) WAVEFRONTThe Newsletter of the Sustainability Change Agent Network (S.C.A.N.) Issue 3 = Published 5 September 2003
S.C.A.N. is a service of AtKisson, Inc. LEAD STORYCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING CONTINUES TO MOVEAHEAD, WITH CHALLENGES An increasing number of corporations are taking on the voluntary task of producing corporate sustainability reports. According to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), more than 2,000 companies have voluntarily published environmental, social, or sustainability reports to date, with over 300 companies utilizing the reporting guidelines prepared by the GRI. The GRI is an independent international organization founded with the purpose of standardizing corporate sustainability reporting (much the same way that financial reporting has a set of standardized accounting practices). The GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines outline specific information requirements for reporting on an organization's environmental, social and economic performance. While some companies have complained that the GRI guidelines are too demanding, an increasing number of companies continue to adopt them in their reporting. Notably, Ford and Weyerhauser--two companies closely scrutinized over environmental issues--recently released their GRI-based corporate citizenship reports. BC Hydro, the Canadian utility company, recently became among the first to completely integrate the GRI's "triple bottom line" reporting into its regular annual report. Even a whole stock market has gotten in on the game: as of September 1, 2003 all companies listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE) are required to use GRI guidelines for disclosing their social and environmental performance. Meanwhile, some GRI critics complain that the reporting guidelines are not stringent enough, because in some cases they allow companies to make broad statements of policy, instead of providing exact measurements of their successes and failures. A lack of third-party verification of many GRI-based reports threatens their credibility. To overcome such problems, the UK group AccountAbility has proposed new "materiality" standards regarding social and environmental reporting (as reported here earlier). The AccountAbility standards would further increase the pressure for verified accuracy in corporate sustainability reporting. Though applauded by many, ever-higher reporting standards may also have a rather ironic result: a deep chill in corporations' enthusiasm to report their sustainability practices. The stakes for corporations are high. In Nike v. Kasky, a legal case that recently appeared before the US Supreme Court, the Nike corporation was sued for allegedly making inaccurate statements about its use of illegal labor in Asia. In returning the case to the lower courts, the US Supreme Court has left open the question of whether US corporations can get sued for false or inaccurate claims made in corporate communications such as GRI-compliant reports. Cases like this put pressure on companies to ensure that their reports are true and accurate ... but is also likely to dampen U.S. corporations' interest in publishing such reports in the near term. "Standards around sustainability reporting are going through turbulent times, but the field is still very young. Financial accounting standards also went through a lengthy birth process ... and of course, the waters still get turbulent there, too."
(((Someday, we may live on a world where off-the-wall NGO stuff like that actually works. Wouldn't that be something?))) AHEAD OF THE CURVECutting edge developments that are setting the pace of change (((I'm pulling right up to the mobile, resilient edge of my Niels Diffrient Freedom Chair here))) EUROPEAN LAWS INSPIRE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIESCalifornia, long considered a progressive leader in U.S. environmental policy, is now looking to the European Union for inspiration. The city of San Francisco recently adopted the "Precautionary Principle" core tenant of EU environmental policy == which calls for caution in approving potentially damaging technologies. The California state legislature voted last year to reduce greenhouse gases and recently outlawed two chemical flame retardants already scheduled for prohibition under EU law. Thanks to the state's enormous economy, California state laws have a way of transforming industry practice nationwide, a term policy wonks call the "California effect." (((This explains everything, doesn't it? California is ACTUALLY ITALY! No wonder they once had a "Mediterranean climate." And I'm sure waiting for the mania of the California recall election to hit the Bush Administration on a federal level. Oh man... ))) "Surf's up in supposedly 'Old' Europe, which has emerged as the leading source of new strategies for sustainability advocates."
RIDING THE WAVERepresentative stories on the state of the movement NEW TERM TO DESCRIBE GREEN CONSUMERSIf you are pursuing a lifestyle of health and sustainability, there's a name for you: "Loha." (((Huh?))) The term was created by marketers to describe consumers who incorporate environmental and social issues into their purchase decisions. The Natural Marketing Institute, the US research and consulting firm that coined the term, estimates that a third of the adult population could be considered Lohas. If that's true, not all of them are putting their money where their hearts may be. While 40 percent of Americans recently surveyed said they had bought organic food and beverages, such products account for only 2 percent of the annual $600 billion in food and beverage sales in the United States. ((("Aw dude, never mind that chick, she's just another Loha in Birkenstocks."))) They even have a whole journal dedicated to marketing tips for this group, the Loha Journal. Reminds us a bit of Real Simple, the slick U.S. magazine designed to market products to people who want to live with, uh, less stuff.
(((This is Real Simple magazine. We Viridians have no
truck with this kind of pre-packaged lifestyle-ese
nonsense. We like our life real complicated.)))
(((If you are hopelessly enthralled by stark minimalism in
your homelife, go read "dwell," which invests some
intellectual effort into the topic.))
(((Viridians don't read mere lifestyle mags. We prefer
industrial design mags, made for the people whose
lifestyle is to invent lifestyles for muddleheaded
Lohas.)))
MEGA-CONSUMERS KEY TO SUSTAINABILITYA new Worldwatch Institute report says that "mega- consumers" such as corporations, governments, universities and international organizations have a crucial role in bringing about a sustainable world. These large-scale consumers spend billions of dollars every year, affecting the health of many of the world's most fragile ecosystems. The report: Purchasing Power: Harnessing Institutional Procurement for People and the Planet == details how the centralized purchasing strategy of mega-consumers allows single decisions by executives and procurement personnel to have an enormous practical impact. (((Interestingly, mass procurement issues are also the
scheme in federal computer security. Never mind tackling
the problem, see; just see if you can buy your way out of
it. That way, Microsoft won't get mad, kick your ass in
court, and finance some other President!))
OUT OF THE LOOPUnfortunately, some people just don't get it OZONE SET TO IMPROVE, BUT US EFFORTS UNDERMINING MONTREALPROTOCOL Recent evidence collected by NASA shows that the rate of ozone destruction has markedly declined and that ozone in the very uppermost portions of the atmosphere may start to recover within several years. If ozone-depleting chemicals remain banned according to the terms of the Montreal Protocol, the entire upper atmosphere is expected to recover fully before the end of the 21st century. However, the terms of the Montreal Protocol are being threatened by recent US efforts to increase the use of methyl bromide, a pesticide that, among industrialized countries, poses the largest remaining threat to the ozone layer. The chemical is scheduled for a complete ban under the treaty in 2005 but the Bush administration is demanding exemptions from the treaty, which could lead to a 3-fold increase in its use. "No comment." (((Hey, hey, let me comment. It's not that some people "don't get it" == neocons get it just fine, but they are so ideologically eager that they will poison people on purpose in order to damage the Left politically. They don't need that bromine; they just never saw a Protocol they liked.))) (((This heavily blogged new article pretty much says it
all about neocon Lysenkoism.)))
COMPANY EXPELLED FROM GREEN GROUP FOR SELLING ILLEGALRAINFOREST WOOD Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, has been expelled from a green trade group for selling timber illegally harvested from Indonesian rainforests. Tesco was thrown out of the "95+ Group", an ethical trading initiative run by the World Wildlife Fund UK, for selling millions of pounds' worth of hardwood garden furniture made from logs that Indonesia banned from export. Rachel Hemberry, manager of the 95+ Group says that Tesco has also refused to answer the key questions about its timber supply posed to it by the 95+ Group. "Tesco fails to understand the issues and is not committed to the aims of the group," she said. (((Don't shop at Tesco. Shop around here.)))
ROUGH SURF ALERTPotential threats and obstacles to progress NUCLEAR POWER IN TURBULENT WATERS ... AND UNDER THE FIREHOSE Who's for nuclear power as a solution to global warming? Nuclear power manufacturers, certainly. But the French, who enjoy low CO2 emissions thanks to their heavily reliance on nuclear, may have gotten the first of many second thoughts this summer as the summer heat pushed reactor cooling systems up to levels that were dangereux. One reactor (Fassenheim) on the river Rhine was sprayed with hoses from the outside because of dangerously high temperatures (the spectacle was shown on French TV). Even the conservative financial weekly "The Economist" has decided that nuclear power is not a good investment and poor security risk. The U.S. Congress, meanwhile, is likely to extend the Price-Anderson act, which provides unlimited government insurance for nuclear operators in case of "catastrophic accidents" == .just when insurance companies are beginning to absolve themselves of risk associated with terrorism. (((The world is uninsurable.)))
IRONY: WARMING CLIMATE IMPEDES ALASKA OIL EXPLORATIONA warming climate is shortening the number of days per year that companies can explore for oil on Alaskaís North Slope. Hauling heavy equipment over tundra requires adequate snow and ice cover, but whereas in 1970, there were 200 days per year with such ground cover, there are only half so many days now. (((Paging Dr. Wexelblat!)))
US TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM: EXPENSIVE, SUBSIDIZED ANDUNHEALTHY An automobile-centered transportation system is costing US citizens an (overweight) arm and a leg. A new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project finds that the average U.S. family now spends 19% of their income on transportation, while the poorest families devote more than 40% of their household budget to getting around. Not only are these costs high, but a Minnesota study reveals that the annual subsidies enjoyed by automobile users are nearly 20 times as high as the subsidies to public transportation. These findings may come as a surprise to those who believe that automobiles drivers pay their own way. Frequent drivers could be bearing a hefty cost when it comes to their health, however: a recent US study showed that those living in suburban neighborhoods weigh, on average, 6 pounds more than their urban counterparts. "It appears more government investment in public transit and a greater variety of transportation choices could help reduce transportation expenses as well as American waistlines."
(((This stuff's pretty good, isn't it? You should subscribe!))) WAVES SOME PEOPLE MISSEDOld news for some people, still new for most HEARD ABOUT THOSE GREAT NEW "CORN-BASED PLASTICS"?A recent news story caught our attention here at AtKisson, Inc. and led to a very interesting internal debate: are corn-based plastics really more climate friendly than their traditional fossil-fuel based counterparts? It appears that, generally, the process of making plastic from biomass actually emits more greenhouse gases than plastics made from fossil fuels. This apparent irony is explained in the August 2000 Scientific American article, "How Green are Green Plastics?" The reason green plastics tend not to be so green after all is the greater amount of energy required to transform the raw biomass materials into usable plastic. This energy generally comes from == you guessed it == fossil fuels. This critique left us skeptical about the bio-plastic claims. However, we also ran across a detailed product life-cycle analysis (LCA) completed by Cargill Dow, the manufacturer of PLA. PLA is the "corntainer" plastic that recently appeared in the news and was identified in the Scientific American article as the one biomass plastic that seems to have a chance of competing with fossil-fuel plastics on greenhouse gas emissions. The LCA concluded, that if produced using renewable energy sources (wind power and corn are both abundant in the Midwest), the PLA would beat all other plastics on greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, PLA would actually temporarily take carbon out of the atmosphere, storing it in usable products and the not-yet- decomposed PLA deposited in landfills. The manufacturer expects PLA production to evolve into this true-green alternative in the near future. "The take-away lessons: 1) it's important to remain skeptical about industry claims, and 2) good-faith, truthful self-reporting by corporations can do much to clear the air on complex sustainability issues." (((It's great to witness somebody actually thinking about this stuff!)))
WAVEMAKERSPeople and organizations setting the pace for change MALE CONTRACEPTIVE ON THE HORIZONA new, easy, and inexpensive injection for men could be a great stride forward for contraception worldwide. A Grist profile details the possibilities and the challenges. (((A big deal for those booming population stats, especially when men throw away those condoms and swiftly die of AIDS!)))
TWO OUT OF A HUNDRED IS, WELL, BETTER THAN NONETwo companies, both of them organic food wholesalers, made Fortune Small Business magazine's list of the 100 fastest growing firms in the United States: Green Mountain Coffee (Vermont), and Horizon Organic (Colorado). Otherwise the list was dominated by medical supply companies and banks, with a few gambling operations thrown in for spice.
FOR YOUR READING LISTTHE BRONX BIOGRAPHY OF A WOULD-BE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSOne of the great challenges of sustainability is the effort to transform how businesses operate so that social and environmental aims are pursued while making a profit. Two recent books describe Allen Hershkowitzís efforts at promoting a green capitalism in the Bronx. The books detail the trials and tribulations of Herskowitz's Bronx Community Paper Company, an endeavour to transform New York City's wastepaper into new newsprint for local newspapers. The two books, ''Bronx Ecology,'' by Hershkowitz himself, and ''Tilting at Mills,'' by Lis Harris provide the benefit of hindsight to readers thinking about new sustainable business ventures. (((The world is littered with the bones of these noble ventures.)))
HEINZ CENTER'S "THE STATE OF THE NATION'S ECOSYSTEMS"Published in the autumn of 2002, this report sets the standard for environmental indicator reporting in the U.S. The report presents data on 103 environmental indicators at the national level in a factual and non-judgmental way. The scientifically sound and non-partisan indicators were selected by 150 individuals from businesses, environmental organizations, universities, and federal, state, and local government agencies. (((I just can't bear to look! Somebody else check this thing out and tell me how bad it is!)))
"INDUSTRY GENIUS: INVENTIONS AND PEOPLE PROTECTING THECLIMATE AND FRAGILE OZONE LAYER" BY STEPHEN O. ANDERSEN AND DURWOOD ZAELKE Published in July 2003, this book highlights the companies and people behind ten key technological breakthroughs that are helping to protect the climate and/or the ozone layer. The book details the challenges and triumphs in the process of innovating new technologies that protect the environment while turning a profit. (((Worth it just to read the work of anyone named "Durwood Zaelke.")))
EU STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTEarlier in this issue of WaveFront, we mentioned how California was taking inspiration from EU environmental policy. Now you can do the same through some online reading about the EU strategy for sustainable development. The strategy, adopted by the European Council in Gothenburg in June 2001, focuses on four key-priorities: climate change and clean energy; public health; managing natural resources; and transportation and land use. The site has a fantastic collection of links for further reading. (((God bless 'em, they've got the greatest press freedom
in the world, too! Next month, I'm going to Norway!
And the Netherlands, too!)))
"BIOMIMICRY IN COMMUNITIES: SHARED RESOURCES WORK" BY ONNOKOELMAN Biomimicry imitates the best designs and processes of nature in order to solve human problems. This article discusses how nature can be used as a model for designing whole communities. (((Will Onno Koelman collaborate with Durwood Zaelke?)))
"PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA INTHE EARLY 21ST CENTURY"
This report details the Chinese government's plan to
implement their sustainable development strategy.
(((In case you were wondering, the Chinese can probably
kill off the planet's atmosphere all by themselves. They
already use 20 percent more coal that the number-two coal
offender, the USA!)))
"THE 2000 NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIALCONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE" This US report is the product of nearly a decade of work by government and private-sector scientists. The authors explored possible scenarios of global warming using computer models and historical climate data. The conservative think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute, claiming that global warming poses no real economic, environmental, or health risks, sued the Bush administration over the "alarmist" report. (((A gutsy Lysenkoist move from those long-term denial
freaks at CEI. Perhaps they can grow wheat by preaching
at it.)))
WAVEFRONT READERS RESPONDIdeas, comments, and corrections MORE INFORMATION: WINDPOWER IN INDIAAromar Revi, an AtKisson network associate based in India, commented on our wind power story (WaveFront Issue #2), pointing out that India has the 5th largest installed wind power base in the world, after Germany, USA, Spain and Denmark. The country generates 1,860 Megawatts. India also recently passed a new electricity that eases the way for further wind power generation. (((Jaya He!)))
CORRECTION: SOYBEANS IN THE AMAZONIn our story on how soybeans were contributing to the deforestation of the Amazon basin (WF Issue #2), we made a quip that now even tofu shares the blame, along with cattle. WaveFront reader Sat Jiwan Khalsa helped set us straight about the issue, pointing us to research that shows that 87% of the soybeans will actually go to feed European livestock. (((Does this explain BSE? I thought 87% of European livestock ate the flesh of other European livestock.)))
CARTOONSSUSTAINABILITY CARTOONS BY PROFESSOR HIROSHI TAKATSUKICheck out this fun and well-drawn collection of cartoons by Professor Hiroshi Takatsuki, hosted on the Japan for Sustainability web site.
CREDITS(C) 2003 AtKisson, Inc. All rights reserved. Newsletter may be forwarded or copied. (((Thanks a lot!))) We welcome submissions and feedback! Please send email to
WaveFront is the newsletter of S.C.A.N.: the Sustainability Change Agent Network, an information and support service for professionals, professionals-in- training, and dedicated sustainability amateurs. S.C.A.N. is sponsored by AtKisson, Inc., a global sustainability services network. EDITORIAL TEAMAlan AtKisson Aaron Best Lee Hatcher Francesca Long Michael Lunn Visit us on the web at To unsubscribe, please e-mail us at
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