This topic dbtopic-889

November 2007 • Vol. XVIII, No. 11
Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
EBSCO Publishing: A Small Company With
Big Ideas for the Environment
Corporate Reporting . . . . . . . . . 7
Open Season for CSR: GRI Readers Choice
Awards
Complimentary Compliance Calendar
Corporate Initiatives . . . . . . . . . 8
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Goes
Renewable
PG&E Joins the Green Grid
Nissan Develops Smaller, Lighter
Batteries for Hybrids and Electric Cars
Climate and Computers
US Leads the World in Wind Power Growth
Is Sustainable Attainable?
20th World Energy Congress
Product Stewardship and
Takeback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Holiday Cards That Save Trees
Federal Electronics Challenge
ISO 14000 Update. . . . . . . . . . . 13
The EMAS Standards Could Become
Mandatory Once Revised
Climate Change Update . . . . . . 13
Gore Co-Recipient of Nobel Prize for Climate
Change Work
UN Chief Says We May Be Too Late on
Global Warming
Curtains for Incandescent Light Bulbs?
Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill Hits the Senate
Oceans Are Soaking Up Much Less Carbon
Bellcomb Becomes Carbon-Neutral
News Corporation to Be Carbon Neutral by 2010
INSIDE Focus Report
Climate Risk Disclosure: Who
Stands to Benefit?
O
n 18 September 2007, a group of investors, consisting
of Ceres, the California Public Employees’ Retirement
System (CALPERS), F&C Asset Management, and the
New York City Comptroller, forwarded a petition to the US
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking for addi-
tional disclosure of “climate risk” in listed companies’ earn-
ings and operational statements (www.riskmetrics.com). Their
intent is to require public companies to report this informa-
tion in their regular reports to shareholders. According to the
group, accounting for climate risk would require including new
regulatory costs and procedures to manage them, the reporting
of any physical damage to operational facilities due to changes
in weather, and noting any changes in the demand for products
or services related to climate change.
An excerpt from the petition reads, “The days are long past
when climate risk can be treated as a peripheral or hypothetical
concern. Companies’ financial results increasingly depend upon
their ability to avoid climate risk and to capitalize on new busi-
ness opportunities by responding to the changing physical and
regulatory environment.”
The coalition, which manages over US $1.5 trillion in assets,
is petitioning the SEC to have companies provide detailed disclo-
sure of physical risks material to financial condition, the risks and
opportunities related to greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation, and
any legal proceedings related to climate change. Of course, the
level of disclosure would vary with each organization, based on
their specific industry and individual operational circumstances.
While SEC disclosure rules require that listed companies
provide “material” information to investors, such as various
SEC filings (10-Ks, Annual Reports, etc.), the coalition’s posi-
tion has been that corporate disclosures on climate change have
been “scant and inconsistent.” The petition urges the SEC’s
Corporation Finance Division to “begin closely scrutinizing the
adequacy” of such disclosures.
To be fair, determining risk from climate change is not neces-
sarily straightforward or easy. For example, while ExxonMobil’s
2006 annual report noted that its worldwide operations could be
affected from time to time by factors such as severe weather, it

2
Group Publisher: Paul Gibson Editor: Martha Hyder
Designer: Don Torres Managing Editor: Vicki Dean
Contributing Editors: Gabriele Crognale, Jane Heinze-Fry, Gene Fry, Denise Seldon, Connie Steinhaus, and Heather Wilson
Editorial offices: Editor Martha Hyder can be contacted at martha.hyder@windriverenvironmental.com.
© 2007 Aspen Publishers. All Rights Reserved.
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was not specifically tied to climate change. Therein lies
the rub ⎯ where does the line get drawn when linking
catastrophic events like hurricanes, tornadoes, or wild-
fires to climate change, when trying to drill down to the
causal factors? And how many data points need to be
evaluated during such analyses?
From an ISO 14001 perspective, one analogy would
be in trying to set realistic boundaries to determine envi-
ronmental performance indicators of industrial processes
within the framework of an environmental performance
evaluation, as described in ISO 14032:1999. Another
example would be trying to set objectives and targets that
go out to the regional and global level in an expanded
aspects/impacts analysis associated with industrial
processes or products’ supply chains’ environmental
impacts. Capturing such boundaries can be a daunt-
ing task with almost unlimited data points. Where does
one set the limits then to arrive at practical values? The
answer to this seemingly elusive question is among the
stumbling blocks for companies to address how to best
qualify and quantify climate risk disclosure.
The American Insurance Association’s
Position
To gain additional insight, BATE contacted key members
of the American Insurance Association (AIA; www.aiadc.
org), an advocacy association for property and casualty
insurers. BATE was fortunate to have had David Snyder,
vice president and assistant general counsel for the AIA,
take the time to discuss AIA’s thoughts on the issue of cli-
mate risk and what it means for the AIA.
As David sees it, “Determining climate risk has a lot
of layers of complications … the link between climate
change and natural catastrophes depends upon a number
of factors. The science is still developing. There are
many scientists who believe that it’s all linked; other
scientists aren’t so sure.” He also added a few thought
provokers: “Is a hurricane caused or aggravated by cli-
mate change? What about wild fires? The issues are
still being hotly debated.”
The AIA believes that insurers are a few steps removed
from those organizations that should be required to dis-
close relevant information, such as energy companies and
large industrial polluters, and even though many insurance
companies report as well, they are not the big players. A
good example of voluntary disclosures made by some
insurers is the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP; www.
cdproject.net), and according to David, “It’s a beginning
to see where voluntary disclosure is being made … it’s
an example of the voluntary efforts that should be evalu-
ated for the future.” The CDP is a UK-based nonprofit
that regularly publishes data on the carbon footprints of
many of the world’s largest corporations. The CDP’s lat-
est emissions report (Carbon Disclosure Project Report
2007) of the Global FT500 companies can be downloaded
from www.cdproject.net/cdp5reports.asp.
For the present, David feels that all disclosures should
remain voluntary and qualitative until we have a bet-
ter handle on whether any disclosures by insurers are
relevant and useful. Beyond disclosures, insurers are
increasingly engaged in other proactive activities, such
as advocacy for loss mitigation, including better land use
planning and new insurance products to support other
industries’ green initiatives.
The CDP and Supply Chain Leadership
Collaboration
At the forefront of the proponents of climate risk disclo-
sure is the CDP. The CDP continues to make headway
in its efforts to expand emissions data disclosure as a
means to better understand climate risk. BATE is grate-
ful to CDP spokesperson, Joanna Lee, for her assistance

NOVEMBER 2007
3
in providing timely responses to BATE’s questions rela-
tive to the report.
The CDP’s role is that of secretariat for over 300 insti-
tutional investors managing assets of over $41 trillion.
Investors include Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, AIG,
Barclays, HSBC, CALPERS, and many others. Each
year, the CDP sends an information request to the largest
listed companies to request information on GHG emis-
sions, assessment of risk and opportunities, and strategy
on climate change. The CDP believes you have to mea-
sure your emissions before you can manage them and the
CDP plays a vital role in that process.
In addition to the launching and releasing of this latest
CDP disclosure report, a number of large multination-
als, such as Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, Unilever, and
Nestlé SA, have encouraged their suppliers to report their
GHG emissions in an effort to showcase how they plan to
battle climate change. This new group, called the Supply
Chain Leadership Collaboration, was formed in partner-
ship with the CDP. According to a recent article in the
Wall Street Journal (WSJ; 9 October 2007), the effort is
being precipitated by a growing belief that more stringent
climate change laws could drive up some business-related
costs. As global leaders jockey for position to address the
next commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, an air of
uncertainty hangs over many US multinational companies
as to how far proposed federal regulations may impact their
businesses. Coupled with rising energy costs, these regula-
tions could affect both the upstream and downstream sup-
ply chain. For this reason, some downstream companies
are taking preventive action to mitigate upstream costs.
As Bill Greggs, Associate Director, P&G Global
Sustainability Group, notes, “Everybody who uses
energy will be impacted if energy prices go up, from the
oil wells through the farms and factories, all the way
through the retailers to our consumers.”
The CDP’s Efforts
As noted in the Carbon Disclosure Project Report
2007, Global FT500 (also referred to as CDP5 FT500),
a greater number of carbon-intensive FT (Financial
Times) 500 companies are going to be exposed to GHG
emission regulations. Given that, a number of key play-
ers have starated to incorporate estimated carbon costs
into capital planning models. In addition, many indus-
try analysts have also revised their valuation models to
assess companies’ exposure to carbon risks and oppor-
tunities. The report provides investors with a unique
analysis of how the largest multinational companies are
addressing climate change.
The key findings of the CDP report include:
The gap between climate awareness and action con-
tinues to narrow.
CDP5 generated the highest ever response rate: 77%
(383 companies) of the FT500 answered the CDP
questionnaire, compared to 72% in CDP4 (2006).
Europe leads with the highest regional response rate.
Carbon-intensive firms are uniting in favor of car-
bon regulations, for example the US Climate Action
Partnership (USCAP).
There have been improvements in carbon account-
ing and response quality.
A substantial number of companies remain behind
the curve.
Climate change is yet to achieve top-tier manage-
ment status.
Wide variations in risks and opportunities underline
the importance of the CDP.
Compliance costs associated with GHG regulations
remain uncertain.
Improved GHG accounting leads to increases in
reported emissions.
The renewable energy market continues rapid growth.
Increased investor collaboration eclipses previous marks.
Climate change is emerging as a key issue in global
politics.
Climate science is gaining widespread acceptance.
Extreme weather events persist.
Additional key findings with weighted values
from CDP5 FT500 worth noting describe what some
respondents foresee as critical items requiring some
form of action:
79% of respondents consider climate change to pres-
ent a commercial risk. These risks can be categorized
as physical, regulatory, competitive, and reputational.
95% of companies that consider climate change to
present a commercial risk have implemented a GHG
reduction program with a specific target and time-
line. This trend suggests that a majority of firms
recognize the financial and reputational benefits of
improved carbon performance.
82% of responding FT500 companies recognize
commercial opportunities for existing or new prod-
ucts and services as a result of climate change.
The CDP report concludes that FT500 companies
have made considerable strides in both understanding
and disclosing their positions relative to climate change.
CDP bases its conclusion on an analysis of the strate-
gies and management tools that companies have recently
developed to mitigate potential negative financial

4
issues while improving competitive positions regard-
ing climate change. One finding of particular interest
to the CDP shows that the gap between awareness and
action appears to be narrowing among the respondents.
However, the gap with investors has changed little. The
CDP believes that, unless and until governments agree
on how to address GHG issues, investors will lack the
incentive to act and the full potential of the project may
not be realized.
For additional insight, Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP,
provided BATE with responses to the following questions.
BATE: Where does the CDP see carbon disclosure going
as attested to by the scores listed in CDP’s latest project?
CDP: Every year the number of companies who
respond to CDP increases and the detail in the responses
increases. More and more companies are measuring
their emissions and implementing reduction targets.
CDP sees this trend continuing in the coming years as
more and more companies understand the need to plan
for a carbon constrained world.
BATE: What does the CDP think about the values
companies provided, and what additional items could be
added to your questionnaire to help better nail some caus-
al factors attributable to climate risk, if it can be done?
CDP: Some companies provide extremely detailed
responses, others less detail. There is still work to be
done on enhancing the quality of the responses and this
is part of the key CDP plans. Every year the question-
naire is fine tuned to reflect the requirements of our sig-
natory investors in collecting climate information from
the companies they invest in.
BATE: How does the CDP feel about requiring pub-
licly held companies to report on their financial risk from
global climate change?
CDP: CDP naturally supports reporting on climate
change risk and opportunity. In many countries there
are different proposals for regulations in this area. CDP
does not represent investors on this matter, but the CDP
Secretariat generally supports well-constructed proposals
for this kind of requirement.
BATE: Would a voluntary approach work better
in your estimate? How do companies in the United
Kingdom report?
CDP: Currently the CDP system is voluntary and
works very well as such. In the UK, 92% of FTSE100
companies respond to CDP. The response rate for the
Global FT500 sample is 77%.
BATE: If so, what parameters do you feel would be
important for companies to report on to make their dis-
closures relevant, valuable?
CDP: The CDP questionnaire is designed to illicit all
the information our investors see as relevant from listed
companies. Let me refer you to the CDP questionnaire
on our Web site www.cdproject.net. It is key that com-
panies disclose their emissions data, as once they have
measured their emissions, they are in a much stronger
position to manage them.
BATE: Do you think that a company certified to
ISO 14001 would be more suited to address the reporting
issue? How so? Or is that irrelevant?
CDP: We have no opinions about ISO 14001 but
we are working with the GHG Protocol Team (www.
ghgprotocol.org) and the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) to harmonize reference to their
complementary reporting standards. CDP in 2008 is
likely to reference both.
BATE: Any closing thoughts on the whole issue of
climate risk/carbon disclosure you can share? Where do
you see this headed in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?
CDP: CDP aims to be present in all major economies
in the next four years, and also aims to illicit information
from private as well as publicly listed companies and
encourage them to measure and manage their emissions.
By engaging more and more companies globally with
carbon disclosure, CDP aims to help them manage and
reduce their emissions.
Epilogue
It stands to reason that, to better assess the effects of
climate change, we need to have a better handle on the
interrelationship between our business (and, to a lesser
extent, our personal) activities and their effects on the
global environment. A program of disclosure, such as
espoused by the CDP, is a good start, as noted by the
AIA. As the process evolves, more players will be added
and the questions will be fine-tuned, no doubt leading to
additional areas to investigate. At some point, perhaps,
there will be some answers that could point to causal
factors in the area of climate risk. In essence, mankind
stands to benefit. ■
CONTACTS: Dennis Kelly, AIA, E-mail: dkelly@aiadc.
org. Joanna Lee, CDP, E-mail: Joanna@cdproject.net. For
BATE, Gabriele Crognale, E-mail: mriso14k@yahoo.com.

NOVEMBER 2007
5
Perspectives
EBSCO Publishing: A Small Company with Big Ideas for the
Environment
A
small revolution of sorts has started in Ipswich,
Massachusetts (USA), a small but quaint Cape
Ann area town, just north of the fishing port
of Gloucester, the setting for the movie “The Perfect
Storm.” If EBSCO Publishing (EP) gets its way, its
revolutionary environmental stewardship efforts will
have a ripple effect that will far transcend this seaside
Old Yankee enclave, making for its own “perfect storm”
in the world of business and information technology.
BATE is extremely grateful to Tim Collins, President
of EBSCO Publishing, Beth Howell, VP of Human
Resources, and Kathleen McEvoy, Media Relations
Manager, for sharing their company’s “Green Ideas,”
including a whole battery of environmental initiatives,
from recycling, to hybrid company cars, to alternative
energy sources, and more. What started out as an inter-
view about solar panels on the roof grew into something
more, the tip of the iceberg into a small company that
is making waves as an innovator among larger environ-
mental stewards.
The Catalyst
EP first came to BATE’s attention when a local television
station (WCVB-TV) aired a news piece about a small local
company that had decided to install solar panels on the roof
of one of its main buildings in an effort to reduce its depen-
dence on fossil-fuel generated electricity. When asked
what prompted EP to make the switch to solar power, Tim
said matter-of-factly that he owes it all to the Al Gore film,
“An Inconvenient Truth.” After seeing the film, Tim decid-
ed to form a “Green Team” sometime in early 2006, which
Beth now spearheads. The “Green Team,” as Tim envi-
sions it, will be the basis for moving EP’s environmental
stewardship forward, and, as he explained, “We have the
potential to make a positive impact on the environment by
our actions and, if other companies could become aware of
what they are doing, the cumulative effect on the environ-
ment could be a significant positive factor.” He added, “If
we can act as a catalyst, it’s more likely we’ll see a signifi-
cant (positive) change.”
Regarding the solar panels, EP has been fielding calls
about what they’re doing after the story ran in the news.
The company, which provides research databases to
industry, government agencies, schools and universities,
and libraries around the world, has received a call from
a librarian interested in replicating their achievements.
Even the Town of Ipswich has become infected by EP’s
efforts; Town officials have looked at zoning changes that
will make it easier for businesses and residents to imple-
ment alternative energy systems, should they so desire.
The Green Team
According to Beth, the Green Team, which is currently at
30 employees, is both voluntary and departmental. The
goal for each meeting is to identify and prioritize those
projects that will benefit the environment. The team
process is to first evaluate the ideas that come up for dis-
cussion, go off into the work area and report back on the
ideas that have been raised, and then follow through on
implementation.
One such example was the installation of the solar
panels. As Tim elaborated, “If a decision is company-
wide, it will get implemented.” The other initiative that
became companywide was the purchase of green (or
hybrid) cars. Tim added, “We have a fleet of 45 com-
pany cars. Once a new car is needed, we replace it with
a hybrid. As of September 2007, we are at about 30%
hybrid cars.”
In addition to the Green Team, the company also rolls
out an informative newsletter, AboutEP, with the latest
issue devoted to Green Ideas at Work. That issue was
chock full of the company’s environmental accomplish-
ments, including a description of the “Green Zone,” a
concept generated by the team of people at EP who are
volunteering their time to generate, research, and imple-
ment new ideas for environmentally sound practices.
Simply put, the Green Zone is a culture, an attitude, a
mindset, a way of life. It’s EP’s way of doing business.
The Green Zone evolved from preliminary discussions
regarding how company employees could nurture envi-
ronmental stewardship within the workplace.
Among the green initiatives currently in place that
encompass the Green Zone are:
Individual recycling bins. The company purchased
individual paper recycling bins for every employee.
The bins make it more convenient for employees to
recycle their paper waste.
Cardboard recycling. Broken down cardboard and
similar paper products can be deposited in desig-
nated recycling bins.

6
Bottle/can recycling. Bottle and can recycling bins
have been placed throughout the campus to facili-
tate collection.
Recycled printer/copier paper. The company has
found one brand of recycled paper that works well
in their printers and copiers. EP plans to gradually
switch to this brand as their current stock is used up.
Vending machines. The Company has installed
“Vending Misers” on their vending machines and
coolers around campus. These devices are designed to
control the flow of electricity to the vending machines
and help reduce energy consumption by 50%.
Public transportation. The Company is a
MassRIDES partner, which offers employees oppor-
tunities to find passengers for their car or vanpool,
an Emergency Ride Home program for carpool-
ers, Vanpool Assistance, and travel information via
www.commute.com. To become a partner, EP had to
commit to a certain level of support for its commut-
ers. The support includes commuter rail reimburse-
ment, bicycle racks, showers, and informal flextime.
The company had been offering these for years
prior to the partnership.
Energy management system. Implemented in the
construction of one building that is expected to save
over 20% in energy costs per year. Additional sys-
tems are planned in two other buildings on campus.
Timers and motion sensors. These shut off lights
when rooms are not in use.
Lunchtime talks/seminars for employees. The talks
feature guest speakers from Mass Audubon, a local
conservation land trust, and other relevant sources.
The Solar Panel Project
The photovoltaic system consists of 192 solar panels
installed on the roof of the Quartz Building, formerly
part of an old Sylvania plant. BATE was provided with
an up-close view of the fixed panel array. When asked
how they arrived at fixed panels, EP said that the instal-
lation contractors had advised the company that fixed
panels would work best for them versus movable panels.
The company has plans to add a second, similar array
by the end of the year. EP will spend approximately US
$600,000 on the nearly 400 panels it installs. Each 192
panel system is designed to produce 36 kilowatts (kW),
which equates to about 41,300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of
electric power. That should eliminate over 18 tons of
carbon dioxide each year. A smaller solar system will
also be added to provide hot water for the company’s
kitchen, which provides breakfast and lunch for the 600+
employees at the company’s Ipswich headquarters.
Added Tim, “Our efforts have had a very positive
impact on all the employees. Once they realize the
nature of the company, and that we are not solely driven
by profit, employees see the company for what it is, and
that doing the right thing for the environment is impor-
tant to us. Our work, especially the solar panel project,
helps to highlight the company’s social responsibility
efforts.” He added, “What is the argument for not being
environmentally responsible? Nothing. Therefore, we
should do it. Why would you disrespect the planet?”
Green Team Benefits and Future Plans
We wrapped up the interview with a few closing
thoughts from the participants. Beth summed up her
involvement, “The Green Team benefits are difficult to
measure ⎯ what we have is anecdotal. We did generate
an employee satisfaction survey and found that employ-
ees are cognizant of the Company’s social responsibili-
ties, and we were also pleased to get feedback from job
candidates about our recycling bins, the Green Zone
logo, and other Green Team projects throughout the
facility. Employees also see that the Company is serious
about the environment, and we encourage employees to
use our intranet to submit green ideas.”
Any savings realized to help offset the solar panel
array costs? Beth said that the company had saved
approximately 6.4% of their energy consumption, which
translated to $15,000 in savings over a 6-month period.
EP realized the savings by switching to server utiliza-
tions and Smart Building Technology in their Data
Centers.
Tim’s take on future plans, is, well, more solar panels.
He also said that they will try to continue the process
and gather new ideas and accelerate their environmen-
tal efforts as possible. They will also enter into more
outreach opportunities, such as the news story that ran
locally, and print vehicles, like this BATE interview.
Tim added, “It would be good to encourage folks to
reflect on the role of the environment in their lives and
prioritize it against the other things they focus on to
ensure they don’t have any regrets by not focusing on it
now.” In summary, Tim said, “The train has left the sta-
tion ⎯ (the environment) is part of what the company
does … it’s part of our identity.”
Beth had an interesting comment that was a theme of
sorts for how this interview came to be, “One of the mes-
sages in ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that stuck in my mind,

NOVEMBER 2007
7
was that small things can make an impact, and in compa-
nies, starting small is OK … as long as you start.”
As the company’s flyers in the front lobby state
“—Into the future, EBSCO Publishing’s goal is to
continue to grow as a company while simultane-
ously making a positive impact on the environment.
In today’s business climate, many feel that suc-
cessful growth and environmental stewardship are
often mutually exclusive concepts. However, here
at EBSCO Publishing we believe the opposite to be
true. In order to truly achieve long term success, a
company must proactively take care of the land and
resources that have helped to sustain the organization
through its many years of development.”
Tim’s closing comment during our interview was a
message that could be a billboard caption for a global
warming poster, “Our offices are about a mile away from
the Atlantic Ocean, we’d like to keep it that way!” How
do you follow that punch line? ■
CONTACTS: Kathleen McEvoy, EP. Tel: +1 978 356
6500, ext. 2594; Email: kmcevoy@ebscohost.com; Web site:
www.ebscohost.com. For BATE, contact Gabriele Crognale
at mriso14k@yahoo.com.
Corporate Reporting
Open Season for CSR: GRI Readers’ Choice Awards
S
ustainability reporting has become part of many
businesses’ annual publications. But barring
related shareholder resolutions, it is often unclear
just who composes the reading audience, and whether
the information is meeting their expectations. Is it truly
worth the time and effort to produce a detailed analy-
sis of sustainability practices ⎯ or are the “basics”
adequate? To better assess these questions, the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) has opened its Readers’
Choice Awards and survey. Through 31 December 2007,
GRI is offering a chance for sustainability report readers
to critique sustainability reports based on five scoring
criteria. Each criterion may be weighted prior to begin-
ning the survey, and the reports and surveys are available
in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Japanese.
There are several ways in which you or your com-
pany may be involved in the survey and awards process.
Obviously, a larger number of readers will ensure more
meaningful survey results. GRI estimates that, for a report
to have a statistically significant sample, it will need to be
reviewed approximately 51 times. As an incentive, indi-
viduals who score at least two reports by the 31 December
2007 deadline will be eligible to win one of eight all
expenses paid trips to the Amsterdam Global Conference
on Sustainability and Transparency, to be held 7–9 May
2008. The conference will feature both the GRI Readers’
Choice Awards ceremony and the launch of the GRI
Readers’Choice Survey Report. The winning readers will
present the awards to the winning reporters.
If your organization is in a position to promote par-
ticipation within your sector or geographical region,
consider becoming a Network Partner. Network Partners
will also be recognized for their participation at the
Amsterdam conference. Contact GRI for more infor-
mation via e-mail at awards@globalreporting.org.
GRI also welcomes the addition of reports not already
featured in their survey. To check that your company’s
report is already targeted, or to add it to the survey
offerings, see GRI’s Readers’ Choice Web site at http://
awards.globalreporting.org/report.do.
In addition to an award for the overall highest scor-
ing report, awards will be given to the highest scor-
ing reports from non-profit organizations, “not-so-big
businesses,” and companies headquartered in countries
that are not members of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development. Further, awards will
be given to the sustainability reports that score highest
from each of five different reader groups ⎯ financial
markets, civil society, employees, corporate gover-
nance, and the media. ■
CONTACT: Global Reporting Initiative, P.O. Box 10039,
1001 EA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 020 531
0000; Fax: +31 020 531 0031; E-mail: info@globalreporting.
org; Web site: www.globalreporting.org. To register your sus-
tainability report with GRI, contact: www.globalreporting.org/
GRIReports/RegisterYourReport/.
Complimentary Compliance
Calendar
Keeping track of all of your US federal regulatory
deadlines can be a headache. Environmental
Resource Center (ERC, an environmental, health, safe-
ty, and transportation consulting firm focused on com-
pliance and training) has a remedy to help make com-

8
pliance less painful, the Compliance Calendar. The
free calendar lists regulatory recordkeeping, reporting,
and notification deadlines for the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), US Department of
Transportation (DOT), and US Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA). ERC has recently
released its 2008 calendar, and its 2007 calendar is still
available as well. While clearly a marketing tool for
ERC’s compliance training programs, the calendar also
contains a wealth of agency contact information, brief
descriptions of key regulations, and handy regulatory
tips ⎯ and hey ⎯ you can’t beat the price.
The calendar is available for free download from the
ERC Web site, or a free print version may be ordered via
telephone or e-mail. ■
CONTACT: Environmental Resource Center, 101 Center
Pointe Drive, Cary, NC 27513-5706 USA. Tel: +1 919 469
1585; Fax: +1 919 342 0807; E-mail: service@ercweb.com;
Web site: www.ercweb.com.
Corporate Initiatives
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Goes Renewable
M
assachusetts Maritime Academy is saving
money and providing students with vital train-
ing in alternative energy. Engineering cadets
can now minor in energy management, with courses that
include renewable energy and energy strategies.
The Academy spent US $1.4 million to erect a 660-
kilowatt (kW) wind turbine one year ago. Last year, it
earned renewable energy credits (worth $57 per mega-
watt-hour) and saved the college $194,000. Next year, it
is expected to save over $300,000. The study found that
all but one osprey avoided the spinning blades.
The Academy has a machine that converts french fry
oil to fuel, using a process called transesterification, in
which vegetable oil is combined with an alcohol and a
catalyst (lye) to create biodiesel and glycerol. Biodiesel
is simple to use, non-toxic, and biodegradable. Its use
cuts emissions of sulfur, carbon dioxide, and soot. The
school uses 100% biofuel in all the demonstration diesel
engines in engineering labs. Its ships and tugboats run
on 20% biofuel. A 100% biofueled fuel cell is slated for
a tugboat.
The Academy plans 81 kW of solar panels on a
dormitory roof. They will provide enough energy for
400 students, and for all students on very bright days.
With rising fuel costs, Academy officials are constantly
examining new alternative energy programs, according
to Admiral Richard Gurnon, Academy president.
Warren Leon, director of the Renewable Energy Trust
at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, called
the Academy true leaders in implementing alterna-
tive energy programs. “By doing things like the wind
turbine, they can use those facilities to train students.
There’s a lot of interest across the whole college and uni-
versity system, but [Massachusetts Maritime Academy]
has been leading the way.”
For more information, see www.capecodonline.com/
apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS/
705240331. ■
PG&E Joins the Green Grid
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has joined The
Green Grid, a non-profit consortium of informa-
tion technology companies and professionals seeking
to improve energy efficiency in data centers around the
globe. PG&E will include The Green Grid’s efficiency
standards in financial incentive programs for customers
who purchase high-end efficiency servers, data storage
devices, routers, and other computing equipment.
According to Brad Whitcomb, vice president of cus-
tomer products and services for PG&E, “PG&E has
developed an industry-leading portfolio of high-tech
energy efficiency programs and services for our custom-
ers, and learning what constitutes premium efficiency
for computing equipment will help us expand our offer-
ings.” He added, “We want to provide our customers
with information and incentives for the most energy effi-
cient high tech equipment on the market.” Adds Mark
Bramfitt, principal program manager for the high-tech
sector at PG&E, “Our customers and the (computer)
industry are asking us to expand our programs, and to
promote them to other utilities. Having industry-accepted
measurement protocols will form the basis of new pro-
grams, and we hope to complement The Green Grid’s
efforts with our knowledge and experience.”
Don Tilton, a Director of The Green Grid, notes,
“PG&E brings a highly-valued perspective … the util-
ity’s leadership and experience in developing innovative
high-tech energy efficiency programs will enhance our
efforts to improve overall data center efficiency. As

NOVEMBER 2007
9
more utilities join, we expect to collaborate on standard-
izing demand response and energy efficiency incentive
and rebate programs across the industry to accelerate the
adoption of technologies that support this goal.”
The Green Grid is a consortium of over 40 high-tech
equipment and related companies that take a broad
approach to data center efficiency by focusing on data
center “power pillars,” including technology, infra-
structure, and processes in current data center environ-
ments. The member companies include AMD, Cisco,
Dell, EMC, Emerson, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Novel,
Rackable Systems, SprayCool, Sun Microsystems,
Symantec, Texas Instruments, VMware, and others.
Members collaborate to develop meaningful, platform-
neutral standards, measurement methods, processes, and
new technologies in an effort to improve data center effi-
ciency and performance. Additional information about
The Green Grid can be found at www.thegreengrid.org.
PG&E offers a number of programs, services, and
financial incentives to the high-tech sector, including:
Virtualization projects: Incentives for customers
who initiate IT virtualization projects in data centers
that remove computing equipment.
MAID Systems: Incentives for customers who use
Massive Array of Idle Disks, or MAID systems, that
store rarely used data to hard disks that are normal-
ly “off,” thus helping customers realize at least 75%
in energy savings vs. typical systems.
Energy efficient servers: Financial incentives for
customers who replace old, inefficient servers with
new energy efficient ones.
HVAC upgrades: Incentives for those IT projects
that effectively reduce the amount of energy used to
cool data centers.
80 PLUS power supplies: A US $5 incentive per
unit to manufacturers who integrate power supplies
rated at an efficiency of 80% or greater into desktop
computers and servers.
LCD monitors: A $10 incentive per unit to manu-
facturers of energy efficient monitors.
“Sleep-mode” software: A $15 incentive per com-
puter for enterprise customers who purchase soft-
ware with a “sleep mode” when not in use.
PG&E customers interested in earning financial incen-
tives for their data center efficiency measures can find
more information about PG&E’s programs at www.pge.
com/hightech.
In February 2007, PG&E announced that it is spear-
heading a coalition of utilities nationwide focused on
discussing and coordinating their efforts to capture the
energy efficiency programs for the high tech sector, with
added focus on the burgeoning data centers. Since data
centers can consume up to 100 times the energy per
square foot of a typical office space, the energy efficien-
cy opportunities are enormous.
In related news, the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) released a report to the US Congress on
2 August 2007 assessing the opportunities for energy
efficiency improvements for government and commercial
computer servers and data centers in the United States.
More information about the EPA report can be found
at www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=prod_develop-
ment.server_efficiency. (See also BATE Focus Report,
August 2007, for more information on data center effi-
ciency.) ■
CONTACT: PG&E News Department. Tel: +1 415 973
5930; Web site: www.pge.com.
Nissan Develops Smaller,
Lighter Batteries for
Hybrids and Electric Cars
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said his company is
working hard to develop the next generation of
smaller, lighter auto batteries for electric and hybrid
cars. At the same time, Nissan is pursuing all the
options: hybrid, fuel cell, electric, diesel, biofuel.
Automakers are racing to develop viable lithium ion
batteries, which are common in gadgets like laptops and
cell phones, but are not yet fully adapted to the rigorous
demands of a car engine. “We continue [work] on the
lithium ion battery. We think for us it’s a competitive
advantage,” said Ghosn. Nissan recently opened a new
tech center in Japan to develop environmentally friendly
technologies. Nissan last year introduced a hybrid
vehicle with nickel-metal hydride batteries, licensed from
Toyota. Ghosn believes Nissan’s investment may put it
ahead of competitors down the road.
Nissan is serious about introducing pure-electric
vehicles. Electric cars have been expensive, difficult to
recharge, and limited in range. Still, several automakers
are trying to develop them for the mass market. Nissan
is negotiating to put hundreds of electric cars in Japan, in
cooperation with local governments. They would pro-
vide necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations.
Meanwhile, Nissan and Renault are studying a
US $3,000 car for India’s market. Indian automaker Tata
Motors Ltd. has announced plans to make a $2,500 car in
India. Such cheap cars could have a potential even big-

10
ger than India. If Nissan and Renault decide to produce
the $3,000 car, they will make one version for Nissan
and another for Renault. ■
For more information, see http://abcnews.go.com/
Business/wireStory?id=3321013.
Climate and Computers
Intel Corporation and Google, Inc. have joined with
over 25 other organizations to launch the Climate
Savers Computing Initiative. Modeled on the WWF’s
Climate Savers program, the new initiative’s goal is
to promote development, deployment, and adoption of
smart technologies that can both improve the efficiency
of a computer’s power delivery and reduce the energy
consumed when the computer is in an inactive state.
Computer and component manufacturers commit to
producing products that initially meet or surpass the
EPA’s Energy Star guidelines. Requirements increase
over the years to a minimum of 90% minimum efficien-
cy by 2010. Corporate participants commit to purchas-
ing power-efficient computing products.
More about the power management of computers can
be learned through the initiative’s Web site. Through use
of such strategies, such as sleep and hibernate modes, the
electrical footprint of computers can be reduced by up to
60% without any loss of productivity. For a list of initial
supporters and other details, see www.climatesavers
computing.org/program/index.html.
HP, one of the members of the Climate Savers
Computing Initiative, has joined with WWF to establish
three projects addressing the causes and consequences of
climate change on a global basis. HP will allocate both
US $2 million cash and HP equipment to support:
The Epicenter for Climate Conservation, targeting
adaptation and resiliency strategies;
Climate Witness, an online forum to raise awareness
of the consequences of climate change; and
Information and Communication Technology
Innovation as a Driver of Climate Change Solutions.
For more information, see www.hp.com/hpinfo/
newsroom/press/2007/070523c.html. ■
US Leads the World in Wind
Power Growth
US wind power capacity rose by 27% in 2006. The
United States led the world in added capacity
for 2005 and 2006, according to the US Department
of Energy’s (DOE’s) first Annual Report on US Wind
Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends.
More than 60% of the total US wind capacity, over
7,300 megawatts (MW), has been installed since 2000.
“Wind power is one of the most important, emissions-
free sources of energy being deployed to address climate
change and improve our energy security,” said DOE
Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Alexander Karsner.
The DOE report says wind power has consistently
been priced at or below the average price of electricity
from coal, nuclear power, or natural gas. However, the
cost of turbines has risen since 2002, driving the cost
of wind power up. Wind project performance has risen
sharply over the last several years, DOE said, driven by
improved project siting and technological advancements.
In 2006, the United States installed 2,454 MW of
wind power capacity, enough to power all of the homes
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The United States was
roughly 16% of the worldwide wind market, followed by
Germany, India, Spain, and China.
For details, see www.energy.gov/pricestrends/5091.htm. ■
Is Sustainable Attainable?
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that China,
home to some of the most polluted cities in the
world, has embarked on a remarkable experiment to
build an eco-city. Dongtan (China) is being built on an
island in the Yangtze River just a short distance from
Shanghai (China), a city of over 18 million people.
The ambitious goals for Dongtan are to be envi-
ronmentally responsible and carbon neutral through
the use of renewable energy sources, wastewater
recycling, sustainable local farming, energy efficient
buildings, a ban on gasoline- and diesel-powered
cars, and abundant vegetation. Adjacent wetlands
will remain intact. With an area of 86 square kilome-
ters (33 square miles), Dongtan is expected to have
500,000 residents when it is completed in 2050. The
anticipated development cost is US $1.3 billion. The
first phase of development in Dongtan, including
20,000 residents, is expected to be completed by 2010,
in time for the World Expo in Shanghai.
Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC),
Dongtan’s state-run developer, has contracted with
Arup (www.arup.com), a global design firm with offic-
es in 37 countries, to develop the city’s master plan.
Arup, based in London (UK), strongly emphasizes its
commitment and expertise in sustainable development.
Peter Head, Director, said, “Arup is delighted to be

NOVEMBER 2007
11
working with SIIC on such an ambitious development
that could well prove to be the template for sustainabil-
ity in city planning ⎯ not only in China, but elsewhere
in the world.”
Interestingly, neither SIIC nor Arup see Dongtan pio-
neering new technology. Instead, the uniqueness of the
city is found in the combination of so many technologies
for sustainability applied together. This should provide
opportunities for many companies to contribute to the
development, while minimizing the risks associated with
unproven products.
Energy generation will come from wind, sun, biofuels,
or recycled organic waste. In addition to some of the
familiar technologies for energy conservation, Arup plans
building heights of three to eight stories. This optimizes
delivery of services, such as water and heat. It also
allows automatic louvers to be used on windows to block
sunlight in the summer and allow sunlight in the winter.
Very tall buildings experience high winds that can dam-
age louvers. Vegetation on the rooftops could provide
insulation, while removing carbon dioxide.
Skeptics question if Dongtan is a serious effort to
improve the environment or simply a well-publicized
showcase. In fact, BBC News reported in July 2007
that, while planning had progressed well, authorization
of development funds had been stalled. Regardless of
the timing or even the ultimate level of sustainability,
the deployment and integration of diverse environmental
technologies in Dongtan will likely advance environmen-
tal performance in urban development.
For more information, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
business/6756289.stm; www.arup.com/arup/
newsitem.cfm?pageid=7009; and www.spectrum.ieee.
org/jun07/5128. ■
20th World Energy Congress
Save the date: 11–15 November 2007 at the Nuova
Fiera di Roma (Italy), the World Energy Council
will host the 20th World Energy Congress with the
theme, “The Energy Future in an Interdependent
World.” The World Energy Congress (WEC), held
once every three years, is the foremost international
energy meeting, and brings together a diversified group
of experts within the international energy field, as
well as key policy and business decision makers and
research scientists.
In a joint statement, the Financial Times (FT)
announced that it has established a partnership with the
World Energy Council and Micromegas to promote
the WEC. Gerald Doucet, Secretary General of World
Energy Council, stated, “I am very delighted to work
with a leading business media partner like the FT on the
promotion of our congress. I am convinced that all part-
ners will hugely benefit from this cooperation.”
Ben Hughes, Global Commercial Director of the
Financial Times, stated, “The Financial Times, one of
the primary news sources for the global energy industry, is
delighted to be sponsoring the 2007 [WEC]. The energy
sector is of huge importance to the global business com-
munity, reflected by the volume of award-winning editorial
coverage on this subject that the FT produces daily, both in
print and on-line.” Erminio Fragassa, Chairman and CEO
of Micromegas Comunicazione, added, “As a Europe-wide
leading company in the organization of important events
we feel greatly honored to have been chosen as the sole
organizer of the congress and to be privileged to cooper-
ate with such prestigious and distinguished partners as the
World Energy Council and the Financial Times.”
The WEC will feature discussions dealing with
the Politics and Economics of Sustainable Energy,
Climate Change Challenges, Renewables for Achieving
Sustainable Development, Sustainable Energy Policies,
Global Environmental Concerns From the DC
Perspective, Energy Efficiency ⎯ The Way Forward,
Developing a Common Environmental Vision, and [The]
Business Case for Going Green.
For additional information, see www.rome2007.it. ■
CONTACTS: Stephan Albrechtskirchinger, Director
Communications, World Energy Council. Tel: +44 (0) 20
7734 5996; E-mail: albrechtskirchinger@worldenergy.org.
Erminia Fragassa, Micromegas Comunicazione S.p.A. Tel:
+39 06 33399331; E-mail: erminio.fragassa@micromegas.it.
Jo Crosby, Communications Manager, Financial Times. Tel:
+44 (0) 20 7873 3811; E-mail: jo.crosby@ft.com.

12
Product Stewardship and Takeback
Holiday Cards That Save Trees
H
oliday cards have become not only a personal
tradition, but a traditional way to express
appreciation for business contacts, such as
clients, customers, contractors, and prospects. But
how can one both honor tradition and yet stay ever
“green”? Two products currently available may help
to achieve both goals.
For those who really want to walk the talk ⎯ as
well as reduce the time spent in holiday card prepara-
tion and money spent for postage ⎯ WriteExpress
offers a CD of holiday e-mail templates. No stamps
to lick, no envelopes to seal ⎯ and you can eas-
ily send hundreds at a time, even delivering to each
individual within a company. The software includes
a variety of templates appropriate for business (and
personal) use, plus the ability to add company pictures
or logos. In addition, the package offers 250 kilobytes
of free Web space, so that inboxes aren’t clogged by
the attached images. “High Impact e-mail, Holiday
Edition,” is available from WriteExpress for around
US $25. Unfortunately, it does not currently support
the Windows Vista platform.
A more traditional, yet still environmentally respon-
sible, choice is a line of Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) certified cards manufactured by National
Envelope. The FSC line offers a selection of nine
holiday designs and two standard greetings. Further
personalization is available by adding your business
name, logo, and/or a selection of seasonal verses.
Two finishes are available: a soft “felt” texture, or a
crisp, glossy surface. The cards are reproduced on
FSC certified paper, and entirely manufactured within
the FSC chain-of-custody system. All of the cards
prominently display the FSC logo on the back; the
glossy cards are further endorsed by the Rainforest
Alliance. National Envelope’s FSC certified cards are
available through Hammond Greetings. ■
CONTACT: WriteExpress Corporation, 1248 West 1400
North, Provo, Utah 84604, USA. Tel: +1 801 374 1188;
Fax: +1 801 374 6888; Web site: www.writeexpress.com/or/
hih/holiday-email.htm.
Rick Huntoon, Vice President of Marketing, National
Envelope, 3211 Internet Blvd., Suite 200, Frisco, TX
75034, USA. Tel: +1 972 731 1100; Fax: +1 972 731
1127; E-mail: rhuntoon@natenv.com; Web site: www.
nationalenvelope.com.
Hammond Greetings, 147 West Election Road, Suite 200,
Draper, UT 84020, USA. Tel: +1 888 553 2590; Fax: +1
801 619 8633; E-mail: sales@hammond.com; Web site:
www.hammond.com/FSC-Cards/FSC-Cards.aspx.
Federal Electronics Challenge
According to 2007 statistics from the US Office
of Management and Budget, the US govern-
ment purchases more than US $63 billion worth of
electronic equipment and services annually. The
Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) is a voluntary
partnership of federal facilities and agencies aimed
at providing leadership in the environmentally
sound and cost effective management of these elec-
tronic assets.
FEC has developed two checklists for evaluating
and selecting an electronics recycling service. While
developed for government agencies, the checklists are
useful for finding the recycler best suited for the indi-
vidual needs of any size business, in any sector. The
“Checklist for the Selection of Electronic Recycling
Services” provides a list of questions suitable for inter-
viewing potential recyclers, either in person or by tele-
phone. It may be used to evaluate prospective haulers,
repair shops, electronic demanufacturers, and asset
recovery operations. For a more in-depth, on-site eval-
uation, FEC has developed “Guidelines for On-Site
Reviews of Electronics Recyclers.” This document has
tips and guidelines to aid in an on-site review, a sample
worksheet/questionnaire, and a sample confidential-
ity notice. In addition to these practical resources for
finding help with electronics’ end-of-life management,
the FEC also provides guidance on acquisition and
procurement, operations and maintenance, plus an
environmental benefits calculator to evaluate steward-
ship programs over the life of electronics products.
CONTACT: Federal Electronics Challenge. E-mail:
info@electronicschallenge.net;
Web site: www.federalelectronicschallenge.net.

NOVEMBER 2007
13
ISO 14000 Update
The EMAS Standards Could Become Mandatory Once Revised
A
majority of stakeholders queried by the
European Commission as part of the
Commission’s plans to revise the European
Union’s (EU’s) Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
(EMAS) want to see a beefed-up EMAS; that is, they
are clamoring for EMAS to become mandatory for
some public sector bodies, big corporate polluters, and
those organizations receiving EU funds for their exis-
tence. The Commission, upon review of the responses
received, stated that it is in favor of mandatory regis-
tration, in some circumstances, but is not in favor of a
blanket requirement for specific sectors, as the stake-
holders have recommended.
Among the proposals that were at the top of the stake-
holders’ list were strengthening existing requirements, the
establishment of mandatory key performance indicators
for EMAS-registered organizations, and stronger legal
compliance requirements. According to the stakeholders,
such changes would help bolster EMAS’ profile.
Stakeholders also backed proposals dealing with stron-
ger links between EMAS and related EU and Member
States’ legislation and regulations, such as less stringent
integrated pollution control rules for those companies
that are EMAS-registered. To help move the propos-
als forward, most of the stakeholders also stated that
Member States should provide additional financial and
fiscal incentives.
The Commission’s intent in revising the standard is
to make EMAS easier to understand, and to cut down
on the bureaucratic red tape to register a company to
EMAS, as a marketing move to better compete with its
main competitor, ISO 14001.
On 26–27 June 2007, in Warsaw, Poland, the
Commission convened a meeting to discuss revising the
standard. Following that meeting, ENDS Report DAILY
issued a statement that the European Commission is
planning to publish revised rules for EMAS in mid-
autumn 2007. Member States queried are in favor of the
Commission’s outline of the revision plans. The Warsaw
meeting also discussed best practice measures for help-
ing promote EMAS.
Additional information about the proposed revi-
sions to EMAS can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/
index_en.htm; http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/
index_en.htm; and http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
emas/news/index_en.htm#170. ■
Climate Change Update
Gore Co-Recipient of Nobel Prize for Climate Change Work
F
ormer US Vice President Al Gore, rising from
the ashes of a heavily contested 2000 presi-
dential election in which he won the popular
vote, but ultimately lost the election to George Bush,
can now lay claim to one of the greatest honors to
be bestowed on a human being. He was awarded
the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, along with the United
Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) (www.ipcc.ch), a network of scientists working
on the issue of climate change. The Norwegian Nobel
Committee praised both parties “… for their efforts
to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about
man-made climate change.”
Following his defeat in 2000, Gore has devoted
his energies to being an environmental crusader. His
film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which depicted graphic
examples of what climate change can do, won an
Academy Award earlier this year. In spite of that
award, many US conservatives denounced the film as
alarmist and exaggerated.
The Nobel was also a vindication for the IPCC, which
has been looked at skeptically by those who dispute the
scientific case for humans being a causal factor in cli-
mate change. Rajendra K. Pachuri, the Indian climatolo-
gist who heads the IPCC, added that science had now
won out over skepticism.
Gore, accompanied by his wife and four members of
the IPCC, said, “I will accept this award on behalf of all
the people that have been working so long and so hard to
try to get the message out about this planetary emergen-
cy.” He then added, “I’m going back to work right now.”
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the Nobel peace prize
committee, was asked whether Gore’s award could be
viewed as a criticism of the Bush Administration, due

14
to the United State’s failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol.
His response was that the Nobel was not intended to
be a “kick in the leg to anyone.” Rather, Mjoes said,
“We would encourage all countries, including the big
countries, and challenge them to think again and to say
what they can do to conquer global warming.” Another
member of the peace prize committee, Berge Furre,
said, “I hope this will have an effect on the attitudes of
Americans as well as people in other countries.”
In its formal citation, the Nobel committee lauded Gore
as “probably the single individual who has done [the] most
to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures
that need to be adopted.” The committee also praised the
IPCC, comprising about 2000 scientists, for nurturing “an
ever-broader informed consensus about the connection
between human activities and global warming.”
While the world’s major environmental groups all
praised Gore for playing a significant role in raising
pubic awareness about the issue, they praised the IPCC
for “meticulous scientific work.” The Norwegian Nobel
Committee added in its citation that the IPCC and Gore
had focused “on the processes and decisions that appear
to be necessary to protect the world’s future climate, and
thereby reduce the future threat to the security of man-
kind. Action is necessary now, before climate change
moves beyond man’s control.”
For more information, see http://query.nytimes.com/
gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07EFDC1430F930A25753C1
A9619C8B63. ■
UN Chief Says We May Be
Too Late on Global Warming
On 24 September 2007, a reporter told United
Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon,
“Some scientists are writing books and saying in
public that they believe this crisis is so serious that if
humanity goes on with business as usual, it could seri-
ously lead to the collapse of civilization, even in the
lifetime of today’s children.” Ban replied, “I think this
is a correct assessment. People say that action should
have been taken yesterday. If we take action today,
it may not be too late. The science has made it quite
clear. The impact has been felt seriously around the
world. Now only lacking largely is a political will,”
said Ban. “As a human being, a whole international
community is standing at the very critically important
juncture. Whether or not we address this issue proper-
ly and collectively, the whole future of our generation
and planet Earth will depend on.” Global warming
will be a priority of his tenure at the United Nations.
He deems it a matter of the greatest gravity.
Ban worked hard to convene a UN meeting with the
largest group of heads of state and government ever held
to debate the problem of global warming. Notably absent
at the all-day meeting was US President George Bush.
Bush did, however, meet in a closed-door dinner with
Ban after the meeting, along with other stakeholders.
Ban sought a candid and frank exchange of views. He
hoped it would lead to taking responsibility for future
generations and planet Earth.
The United States was long been the biggest emitter
of greenhouse gases, but China surpassed US emis-
sions in 2006, fueled by a boom in coal-fired power
plants. The Chinese will not impose strict carbon
emission caps on themselves until the United States
takes the lead. The UN chief agrees; the United States
must set the example if humanity is to have any chance
of controlling the problem: “I need American leader-
ship … [the] United States and other industrialized
countries should demonstrate their political leadership,
a historical leadership. … They are the greatest emit-
ters, which have been making these problems. They
should feel more responsibility on this.”
For more information, see http://abcnews.go.com/
Technology/GlobalWarming/story?id=3645491&page=1. ■
Curtains for Incandescent
Light Bulbs?
Over the last two years, BATE has reported plans
or actual programs to phase out incandescent light
bulbs in Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, and the European Union. Greenpeace
has asked India to follow Australia’s lead. Similar
proposals have been filed in several US states. Wal-
Mart surpassed its goal of selling 100 million compact
fluorescent bulbs in the United States in 2007 with
one quarter of the year left. Home Depot plans to
phase out incandescent bulbs by 2011.
Now China, which makes 70% of the world’s light
bulbs, has agreed to phase out incandescent bulbs over
10 years. The switch could eliminate 500 million tons
of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year, 2% of the
world’s total. China is the first developing country to
agree to join this program, said Monique Barbut, chief
executive officer of the Global Environment Facility,
which will invest about US $25 million in the program.
Countries such as Mexico, Indonesia, and Costa Rica
may join soon.

NOVEMBER 2007
15
Meanwhile, US Democratic Presidential candidate
Barack Obama proposed phasing out incandescent
light bulbs in the United States by 2014. He says this
would save $6 billion of electricity per year, about
88 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). By 2030, he says
this would cut emissions by nearly 28 million tons of
CO2 per year, the equivalent of 80 coal-fired power
plants. Obama’s figures are very conservative; the
savings may be more on the order of 250 billion kWh,
worth $25 billion per year, representing more than
600 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, another
2% of the world’s total.
Other Democratic Presidential candidates also view
the idea of phasing out incandescent lights favorably.
While only 41% of Republicans support a legislative
mandate, 65% of Democrats do. A recent ABC News
poll found that 7 out of 10 Americans say they use at
least one compact fluorescent light bulb in their homes.
For more information, see www.indianpad.
com/story/116378; www.environmentalleader.
com/2007/10/03/chin; and blogs.abcnews.com/
politicalradar/2007/10/obama-on-light-.html. ■
Lieberman-Warner Climate
Bill Hits the Senate
The US Senate prepared in mid-October 2007
for renewed debate on climate change. Virginia
Republican John Warner and Connecticut Independent
Democrat Joe Lieberman introduced a bill to cap US
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2012, then cut
them 10% by 2020 (to 1990 levels) and 70% by 2050.
Warner, who for many years was chairman of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, supports emission
caps because he sees climate change as a threat to US
national security.
The bill creates a market for emission allowances.
Firms that can cut emissions below the cap could
sell a right to emit additional carbon dioxide (CO2)
to firms that can’t or don’t want to make cuts. The
US Clean Air Act has successfully used a similar
cap-and-trade system to reduce US sulfur emissions
by two-thirds. Clean-up costs were much lower than
industry predicted.
“This is a huge shift in Congress’ center of gravity
on global warming,” said Philip Clapp, president of
the National Environmental Trust. The bill “takes the
debate where it needs to go: away from the president’s
voluntary approach,” he said. In late September 2007,
the Bush Administration finally began negotiations with
15 nations to set voluntary goals to cut GHG emissions.
Even Bush and US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice have finally acknowledged that climate change is
a problem.
The America’s Climate Security Act invests set-aside
emissions credits and money raised by the auction of
such allowances in advancing several public policies,
including:
Deploying advanced technologies and practices for
reducing emissions;
Protecting low- and middle-income families from
higher energy costs; and
Mitigating the negative impacts of any unavoidable
global warming on low- and middle-income fami-
lies and on wildlife.
Lieberman and Warner presented their new bill
as the core of a new federal program that Congress
should pass to avert potentially catastrophic global
climate change while enhancing US energy security.
“This is the year for Congress to move this critical
legislation,” said Lieberman. “If we fail to start sub-
stantially reducing GHG emissions in the next couple
of years, we risk bequeathing a diminished world to
our grandchildren.”
Eileen Claussen, President, Pew Center on Global
Climate Change, said she believed the bill has a “very
real” chance of passage. “This is the breakthrough we
have been waiting for,” said Claussen in a statement.
She praised Lieberman and Warner for demonstrating
what she termed “a clear commitment for meeting criti-
cal objectives of the business and environmental com-
munities while bringing together their colleagues on both
sides of the aisle.”
The White House intends to review the Lieberman-
Warner bill and other proposals to reduce GHG emis-
sions. “The President has a clear policy on dealing with
climate change. He’s focused on what we can do domes-
tically, both for climate change and for energy security,”
noted White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary
Tony Fratto on 22 October.
Bush has proposed the “20-in-10” plan aimed at
reducing the projected consumption of gasoline by 20%
in 10 years. He remains opposed to mandatory limits
on GHG emissions and does not support higher taxes to
fund new technologies.
One of the frequently mentioned mechanisms for rais-
ing revenue is a carbon tax. The Administration’s assess-
ment of any measure to lower carbon emissions must
take into account its economic consequences, noted a
White House spokeswoman.

NOVEMBER 2007
Portions of the above article provided by CCH
Washington Bureau, October 2007. For more infor-
mation, see content.hamptonroads.com/story.
cfm?story=135014&ran=95106 and www.ucsusa.org/
news/press_release/warner-lieberman-climate-bill-
0053.html. ■
Oceans Are Soaking Up Much
Less Carbon
Research announced in late October 2007 shows
that the world’s oceans are soaking up less carbon
dioxide (CO2). The 10-year study by researchers from
the University of East Anglia (Britain) shows that the
uptake of CO2 by the North Atlantic ocean fell by half
from the mid-1990s to 2002–2005.
“Such large changes are a tremendous surprise,” said
Dr. Ute Schuster, who is publishing the findings with
professor Andrew Watson in the Journal of Geophysical
Research in November 2007. “We expected that the
uptake would change only slowly because of the ocean’s
great mass.”
There is also evidence of a slowdown in the uptake
of CO2 by the southern (Antarctic) ocean, although it
is not as great or as sudden as in the North Atlantic.
This confirms and extends previous studies about CO2
uptake there.
The scientists based their findings on data collected
by merchant ships fitted with equipment to automatically
measure the levels of CO2 in the water. One ship that
sailed between Britain and the West Indies made more
than 90,000 measurements in recent years.
The oceans are one of two major carbon sinks for CO2
emissions. The other is the biosphere on land, princi-
pally soils and forests. Together, oceans and land absorb
half of all CO2 emitted. If the oceans sequester less CO2,
it means atmospheric CO2 levels will rise faster, poten-
tially accelerating climate change. In time, the ocean
might become saturated with CO2.
“The speed and size of the change show that we can-
not take for granted the ocean sink for the CO2,” said
Watson. “Perhaps this is partly a natural oscillation
or perhaps it is a response to the recent rapid climate
warming. In either case we now know that the sink can
change quickly and we need to continue to monitor the
ocean uptake.”
For more details, see news.scotsman.com/latest.
cfm?id=1677562007 and news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_
news/7053903.stm. ■
Bellcomb Becomes Carbon-
Neutral
As of 1 June 2007, Bellcomb Technologies, Inc.
of Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA) has officially
become carbon neutral. The mid-sized manufacturer
devised a strategy in partnership with Carbonfund.org
to reduce and offset its carbon footprint, which annu-
ally runs about 974 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Established in 1989, Bellcomb is an international
leader in the production of composite panels used for
commercial and industrial applications. President
David Hartwell led the way in the company’s com-
mitment to becoming more “green.” “Our company
is taking responsibility for the effects of our carbon
dioxide emissions while working hard to reduce them.
This year we will offset the carbon emissions we are
not able to eliminate by purchasing offset credits. We
believe that all businesses, industries and communities
should bear responsibility to minimize environmental
effects and pollution.”
Carbonfund.org is a non-profit organization whose
slogan is to “Reduce what you can, Offset what you
can’t.” The Web site offers individuals and companies a
carbon calculator to estimate their annual carbon emis-
sions. The site offers ideas for reducing emissions, and
then provides an opportunity to purchase offsets. The
offset projects available through Carbonfund.org are
renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation
efforts. The goal of Carbonfund.org is to make climate
protection a way of life, easy for everyone.
For more information, see www.world-wire.com/
news/0709130001.html and www.carbonfund.org/site/
pages/our_projects/. ■
News Corporation to Be
Carbon Neutral by 2010
Media conglomerate News Corporation plans to
be carbon neutral across all of its businesses by
2010, Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch has announced.
“Climate change poses clear catastrophic threats,”
Murdoch said. “We might not agree on extent, but
we certainly can’t afford the risk of inaction.” Early
steps include switching to energy-efficient light bulbs
at its newspaper offices and using solar-powered golf
carts on the 20th Century Fox movie studio lots. For
more details, see http://abcnews.go.com/Business/
GlobalWarming/story?id=3157185&page=1. ■

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