Home Depot Settles Waste Dumping Suit
Associated Press, August 18, 7:33 am ET
Home Depot agreed Friday to pay nearly $10 million in penalties and investigation costs to settle a lawsuit alleging it mishandled hazardous waste from its California stores, officials said.
The world's largest home improvement store chain came under investigation after a hazardous waste container exploded at Home Depot's store in Marina Del Rey in May 2004, the lawsuit said. The fire forced the evacuation of store employees and customers. Investigators later found that chemicals were mixed together in the 55-gallon drum.
Home Depot ranks 44 on the Fortune 500 list of the world's largest companies. In 2006, its revenues were nearly $91 billion and it earned over $5.7 billion in profits.
Read the complete story at http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070818/home_depot_settlement.html?.v=2
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Eco-Friendly Treads
The Benefits of Stylish Sneakers
Choose recycled and organic over PVC and chromium-tanned leather.
Some options:
Simple Shoes - turns recycled tires and soda bottles into sassy sneaks.
Terra Plana - incorporates recycled clothes and car seats into creatively designed sneakers.
Nike Soaker - men's high-tops designed to let you run through water, made from eco-materials like recycled mesh and eco-rubber.
Toms Shoes - women's red canvas slip-ons with recycled rubber soles; one pair is donated to kids in need for every pair you buy.
Brought to you by Ideal Bite.
Choose recycled and organic over PVC and chromium-tanned leather.
Some options:
Simple Shoes - turns recycled tires and soda bottles into sassy sneaks.
Terra Plana - incorporates recycled clothes and car seats into creatively designed sneakers.
Nike Soaker - men's high-tops designed to let you run through water, made from eco-materials like recycled mesh and eco-rubber.
Toms Shoes - women's red canvas slip-ons with recycled rubber soles; one pair is donated to kids in need for every pair you buy.
Brought to you by Ideal Bite.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Green Building Rating System Expands to Community Scale, Integrating Smart Growth, New Urbanism and Eco-Efficient Design
LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Launches
238 New Developments Nationwide Join Pioneering LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot
LEED for Neighborhood Development – the pilot rating system launched jointly by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) – is off to a promising start. A total of 238 developments have signed up to participate in the pilot program, which will be the first national certification system for sustainable neighborhood design and development. LEED for Neighborhood Development will integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the design and development of communities, moving beyond the single green building approach. The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot is on track to be one of the largest launches yet for a new LEED program.
About USGBC: The U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) was founded in 1993 and is the nation's leading non-profit composed of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated.
About NRDC: Founded in 1970, the Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment.
About CNU: The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl.
For more information about the LEED for Neighborhood Development program, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/nd.
238 New Developments Nationwide Join Pioneering LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot
LEED for Neighborhood Development – the pilot rating system launched jointly by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) – is off to a promising start. A total of 238 developments have signed up to participate in the pilot program, which will be the first national certification system for sustainable neighborhood design and development. LEED for Neighborhood Development will integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the design and development of communities, moving beyond the single green building approach. The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot is on track to be one of the largest launches yet for a new LEED program.
About USGBC: The U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) was founded in 1993 and is the nation's leading non-profit composed of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations working together to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated.
About NRDC: Founded in 1970, the Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment.
About CNU: The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl.
For more information about the LEED for Neighborhood Development program, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/nd.
Tap vs. Bottled
Water, Water Everywhere, but Guilt by the Bottleful
Alex Williams, NY Times, August 12, 2007
In the last few months, bottled water — generally considered a benign, even beneficial, product — has been increasingly portrayed as an environmental villain by city leaders, activist groups and the media. The argument centers not on water, but oil. It takes 1.5 million barrels a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use, according to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it. The issue took a major stride into mainstream dialogue earlier this summer, after the mayors of San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and New York began urging people to opt for tap water instead of bottled.
Read the complete story at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/fashion/12water.html?ex=1187582400&en=e0c3c5ee73d56250&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Alex Williams, NY Times, August 12, 2007
In the last few months, bottled water — generally considered a benign, even beneficial, product — has been increasingly portrayed as an environmental villain by city leaders, activist groups and the media. The argument centers not on water, but oil. It takes 1.5 million barrels a year just to make the plastic water bottles Americans use, according to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, plus countless barrels to transport it from as far as Fiji and refrigerate it. The issue took a major stride into mainstream dialogue earlier this summer, after the mayors of San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and New York began urging people to opt for tap water instead of bottled.
Read the complete story at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/fashion/12water.html?ex=1187582400&en=e0c3c5ee73d56250&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Run for Safe Drinking Water
One-in-six people do not have easy access to safe drinking water, and water-related illnesses are the leading cause of human sickness and death.
The Blue Planet Run Foundation's mission is to create global awareness of the world’s safe drinking water crisis. Its primary goal is to provide safe drinking water to 20 million people worldwide by 2015 and 200 million people by 2027.
The Blue Planet Run Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that delivers 100% of the donations it receives from individual contributors to safe drinking water projects around the world. Since 2004, it has funded 11 NGOs that have in turn implemented 135 sustainable water projects in 13 countries. The Foundation’s signature awareness and fundraising event is the Blue Planet Run. Starting in New York City on June 1, 2007, a team of 20 athletes will run 15,200 miles, across 16 countries and 4 continents, 24 hours a day for 95 days to mobilize citizens of the world to solve the problem of inaccessible safe drinking water. The Run will end back in New York City on September 4, 2007.
To learn more, visit the Blue Planet Run website:
The Blue Planet Run Foundation's mission is to create global awareness of the world’s safe drinking water crisis. Its primary goal is to provide safe drinking water to 20 million people worldwide by 2015 and 200 million people by 2027.
The Blue Planet Run Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that delivers 100% of the donations it receives from individual contributors to safe drinking water projects around the world. Since 2004, it has funded 11 NGOs that have in turn implemented 135 sustainable water projects in 13 countries. The Foundation’s signature awareness and fundraising event is the Blue Planet Run. Starting in New York City on June 1, 2007, a team of 20 athletes will run 15,200 miles, across 16 countries and 4 continents, 24 hours a day for 95 days to mobilize citizens of the world to solve the problem of inaccessible safe drinking water. The Run will end back in New York City on September 4, 2007.
To learn more, visit the Blue Planet Run website:
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Recycling Options Abound in SF Bay Area
The San Francisco bay area offers a wealth of options for disposing of waste.
Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, July 20, 2007
From San Francisco to Oakland to San Jose, recycling options in the region are some of the most eco-friendly available, experts say. Most cities and counties offer single-stream recycling -- you can throw all your recyclables in one bin -- and many are beginning to provide each home with a composting bin. Also, nearly all of the jurisdictions in the region have exceeded the state's mandate of a 50 percent diversion rate...
Read this complete story at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/20/BAGREENBESTWORST.DTL
...and many others in the Chronicle's Green section: http://www.sfgate.com/green/
Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, July 20, 2007
From San Francisco to Oakland to San Jose, recycling options in the region are some of the most eco-friendly available, experts say. Most cities and counties offer single-stream recycling -- you can throw all your recyclables in one bin -- and many are beginning to provide each home with a composting bin. Also, nearly all of the jurisdictions in the region have exceeded the state's mandate of a 50 percent diversion rate...
Read this complete story at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/20/BAGREENBESTWORST.DTL
...and many others in the Chronicle's Green section: http://www.sfgate.com/green/
Monday, July 16, 2007
What is our VISION?
What will Northgate be in the future?
We want to embody the principles of sustainability, but what is our vision for getting there?
At a recent Green Team meeting we asked ourselves what it will feel like when our vision becomes reality, from the perspective of our staff (people), our organizational structure/culture, our practices, our clients, our community, and the environment. From these perspectives we will shape the purpose of our sustainability strategy, define our vision, and learn how to get from our current to our future reality.
people - have the flexibility and energy to be creative and innovative, feel connected as a group/team/family, feel pride in "doing good"
organizational structure/culture - has 3 prongs: internal, external now (current clients/markets), external future (new clients/markets), is flexible and adaptive, understands what impacts our actions have, reaches out to the community, works toward a common goal, solves problems using a combined administrative, technological, and strategic approach
practices - external: forward-thinking and holistic, analyze resource use and environmental costs, consider long-term restoration and potential uses in all development/redevelopment projects, incorporate sustainable design whenever possible; internal: inclusive, opportunity-increasing, lead by example, "green" office practices (reduce, reuse, recycle, reclaim, refuse), move toward paperless project documentation, LEED APs
clients - fulfill regulatory and legal requirements, realize internal desire to "do what is right", increase profitability, increase marketability, improve their reputation, reduce long-term costs, reduce long-term liabilities
community - trusts us, feels inspired, knows that we value their interests, is healthy and knows that we act to protect their health, knows that we care
environment - is protected for the future, sees a real net benefit, is less competitive, sees more infilling and less sprawl, is restored
purpose - eliminate prioritizing and trade offs from the environmental impact of our actions on our receptors so that each receptor sees a benefit or a "win", have a healthy and happy work environment, be leaders, increase capital (natural, financial, intellectual, human, social, cultural) internally and externally, return blight to beauty
what would YOU add to this list?
We want to embody the principles of sustainability, but what is our vision for getting there?
At a recent Green Team meeting we asked ourselves what it will feel like when our vision becomes reality, from the perspective of our staff (people), our organizational structure/culture, our practices, our clients, our community, and the environment. From these perspectives we will shape the purpose of our sustainability strategy, define our vision, and learn how to get from our current to our future reality.
people - have the flexibility and energy to be creative and innovative, feel connected as a group/team/family, feel pride in "doing good"
organizational structure/culture - has 3 prongs: internal, external now (current clients/markets), external future (new clients/markets), is flexible and adaptive, understands what impacts our actions have, reaches out to the community, works toward a common goal, solves problems using a combined administrative, technological, and strategic approach
practices - external: forward-thinking and holistic, analyze resource use and environmental costs, consider long-term restoration and potential uses in all development/redevelopment projects, incorporate sustainable design whenever possible; internal: inclusive, opportunity-increasing, lead by example, "green" office practices (reduce, reuse, recycle, reclaim, refuse), move toward paperless project documentation, LEED APs
clients - fulfill regulatory and legal requirements, realize internal desire to "do what is right", increase profitability, increase marketability, improve their reputation, reduce long-term costs, reduce long-term liabilities
community - trusts us, feels inspired, knows that we value their interests, is healthy and knows that we act to protect their health, knows that we care
environment - is protected for the future, sees a real net benefit, is less competitive, sees more infilling and less sprawl, is restored
purpose - eliminate prioritizing and trade offs from the environmental impact of our actions on our receptors so that each receptor sees a benefit or a "win", have a healthy and happy work environment, be leaders, increase capital (natural, financial, intellectual, human, social, cultural) internally and externally, return blight to beauty
what would YOU add to this list?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
What does sustainability mean to you?
Sustain what??? For what or for whom? And, for how long?
There are many definitions of sustainability:
- meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
- ensuring an equitable and healthy future for all people and the planet
- using natural capital at a rate that does not exceed the rate of resource regeneration
...but what does sustainability mean to you?
There are many definitions of sustainability:
- meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
- ensuring an equitable and healthy future for all people and the planet
- using natural capital at a rate that does not exceed the rate of resource regeneration
...but what does sustainability mean to you?
Monday, July 9, 2007
ENR.com Magazine
Cover Story, July 9 2007
Walking the Walk, Firms Lighten Up Their Environmental Loads
Construction industry companies of all sizes are turning shades of green, implementing internal sustainability practices that range from recycling paper to building LEED-platinum headquarters buildings. They are driven by an assortment of ethical, economic and marketing factors, but whatever their reasons, the shift is resulting in a change in construction's workplace environment and attitudes. Read the full story at http://enr.ecnext.com/free-scripts/comsite2.pl?page=enr_document&article=febiar070705-1
Walking the Walk, Firms Lighten Up Their Environmental Loads
Construction industry companies of all sizes are turning shades of green, implementing internal sustainability practices that range from recycling paper to building LEED-platinum headquarters buildings. They are driven by an assortment of ethical, economic and marketing factors, but whatever their reasons, the shift is resulting in a change in construction's workplace environment and attitudes. Read the full story at http://enr.ecnext.com/free-scripts/comsite2.pl?page=enr_document&article=febiar070705-1
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