topic: Green Business

topic: Green Business

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Caribbean startups are turning excess seaweed into an agroecology solution
- Sargassum, a type of brown macroalgae, has been inundating beaches across the Caribbean since 2011. It comes from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean.
- The seaweed has harmed Caribbean economies and human health, making it a national emergency in some island-nations.
- Over the past decade, entrepreneurs and scientists have found ways to turn sargassum into nutrient-rich biofertilizers, biostimulants and other organic products to boost agricultural yields while cutting back on chemicals.
- But there are hurdles to scaling the industry, including sargassum’s inconsistent arrival, heavy metal content and fast decomposition rates.

Toilet paper: Environmentally impactful, but alternatives are rolling out
- While toilet paper use is ubiquitous in China, North America, parts of the EU and Australia, its environmental impact is rarely discussed. Environmentalists recently began urging people to be more aware of the real price paid for each roll — especially for luxury soft, extra-absorbent TP made from virgin tree pulp.
- Though not the global primary source of tissue pulp, large tracts of old-growth forest in Canada and Indonesia are being felled today for paper and tissue products, impacting biodiversity and Indigenous communities. Eucalyptus plantations to provide pulp for TP are mostly ecological deserts, and put a strain on water supplies.
- The environmental impacts of toilet paper occur all along its supply chain. Making TP is an energy- and water-intensive process, and also requires toxic PFAS and other chemicals. Upon disposal, toilet paper can become an insoluble pollutant that resists wastewater treatment and adds bulk and chemicals to sewage sludge.
- Many large tissue makers are investing in improved technologies to lighten this impact. But emerging markets in the developing world, beyond the reach of environmental watchdogs, are raising alarms. Bidets, recycled paper, bamboo, sugarcane and other alternative pulp sources offer more environmentally friendly options.

The Dutch farmers’ protests of 2022: A Mongabay Series
- In this three-part series, Mongabay breaks down the Dutch “nitrogen crisis” and the great farmers’ protests of 2022.

Indonesian voters want a clean energy plan, but candidates haven’t delivered
- Candidates running in Indonesia’s presidential election next year must make clear their plans for transition the country away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy, policy experts say.
- A survey shows young Indonesians, who make up the majority of potential voters, view environmental issues in general, and a just energy transition in particular, as crucial issues for a new president to tackle.
- However, none of the three hopefuls who have declared their candidacies to date have addressed these issues, with the survey reflecting a sense of pessimism among respondents.
- Indonesia, a top greenhouse gas emitter, has said it aims to hit net-zero emissions by 2060 and retire its existing fleet of coal-fired power plants, but continues to build more coal plants to serve its growing metal-processing sector.

Sargassum surges in Mexico: From nuisance to new green industry?
- Since 2011, sargassum has worsened as a nuisance — possibly due to an influx of synthetic fertilizers into the Atlantic Ocean — with the brown algae washing up on Caribbean beaches where it rots, stinks like rotten eggs and devastates tourism, including in Mexico where 30 million go for beach holidays annually.
- Sea currents have made the beaches of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo a leading arrival point for the annual surge. So early on, scientists, members of civil society, politicians and businesspeople worked together to find solutions and turn the huge waste problem into an opportunity for new green businesses.
- Once cleaned of heavy metals, microplastics, sand and other detritus, sargassum is finding many uses, particularly as biogas, but also biofertilizer, cellulose packaging and even artificial vegan leather. But a national law regulating sargassum remains elusive, with the issue tangled up in Mexican bureaucracy.
- Debate is ongoing as to who should pay for disposal, for expensive recollection and transport of the algae. As entrepreneurs experiment, Mexico has become a regional leader in creating a sargassum industry, with other Caribbean nations seeking to learn from Mexico’s business mistakes and copying its successes.

Scramble for clean energy metals confronted by activist calls to respect Indigenous rights
- At the world’s largest gathering of Indigenous peoples in New York, mining for critical minerals is at the top of the agenda as the push for the clean energy transition gains steam worldwide.
- Indigenous leaders are calling on countries and companies to create binding policies and guidelines requiring the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of communities over clean energy mining projects that seek to explore and extract these minerals on their lands or in ways that affect their livelihoods.
- Such binding policies will be very difficult for government, companies and investors to abide by, says an executive, as it gives communities the capability to decline on highly-profitable projects and strategies part of national energy transition goals.
- Indigenous leaders also highlight FPIC as a framework for partnership with such projects, including options for equitable benefit-sharing agreements or memorandum of understanding, collaboration or conservation.

How a rare Colombian flower cultivated with Indigenous know-how is changing lives
- The Inírida flower, known as flor de Inírida, grows in a small area along the Colombian-Venezuelan border.
- An Indigenous leader and botanist successfully worked together to domesticate this rare and little-known flower.
- Its conservation helps ensure the long-term protection of other species while offering potential bioremediation against contaminated soil.
- Inírida’s commercialization plays a vital role in the region’s green economy, bringing in revenues for Indigenous families.

Podcast: Community empowerment and forest conservation grow from the galip nut in Papua New Guinea
- Galip nuts are a well-known, traditional agricultural product in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
- Papua New Guineans are currently reaping the economic and environmental benefits of this nut via agroforestry led by local communities and women entrepreneurs.
- In this episode, we speak with Dorothy Devine Luana, PNG-based owner of DMS Organics, a galip nut grower and processor, and Nora Devoe, research program manager for a project of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), focused on the potential of the galip nut industry to sustainably empower PNG communities.

International funding nowhere near enough for Indonesia to cut emissions: Study
- Indonesia will have to come up with its own funding schemes to have any chance of achieving its carbon emissions reduction target by 2030, a new study says.
- The government has calculated that it needs $323 billion in funding from the international community to slash emissions by 41%, but received just $6.4 million between 2007 and 2019, the study found.
- It found that Indonesia faced difficulties accessing international climate grants, with donors often prioritizing their own interests or preferring countries with lower incomes than Indonesia.
- A potential source of funding could be the sale of government debt that’s a combination of environmental (green) bonds and Islamic-compliant bonds, known as sukuk, the study says.

Sustainable fashion: Biomaterial revolution replacing fur and skins
- Innovators around the globe are achieving inspiring results using natural sources, traditional knowledge, and advanced biotechnology techniques to develop sustainable materials for the fashion industry, replacing fur, leather and skins, and slashing the impacts of one of the world’s most polluting industries.
- Although companies of this type still represent a tiny part of the global textile chain, such firms grew fivefold between 2017 and 2019. Executives of apparel companies recently surveyed say they “aspire to source at least half of their products with such materials by 2025.”
- This shift in production and corporate mentality is due to several factors, including pressure from animal rights activists and environmental organizations, along with consumer demand, comes as the climate and environmental crises deepen.
- “Sustainable materials are pivotal if we are to transform the fashion industry from one of the most polluting industries to one that is transformative, regenerative and more humane, caring both for the environment and the people it touches in its complex supply chain,” says fashion designer Carmen Hijosa.

Tukupu: The women of the Kariña community, guardians of Venezuela’s forests
- Tukupu is Venezuela’s first Indigenous forest business, sustainably managing and reforesting 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of the Imataca Forest Reserve in the south-east of the country.
- The business is led mainly by women who have used their ancestral knowledge to restore over 312 hectares (770 acres) of forest, reforest another 113 (280 acres) and dedicate 189 (468 acres) to agroforestry.
- According to the FAO, the equivalent of more than 23 million tonnes of carbon emissions have been avoided, either directly or indirectly, through the project.
- One of the key points of the project has been to figure out how the resources from the forest can be commercialised in a sustainable way that also benefits members of the community.

Visions of a post-supply chain society (commentary)
- For the past several months, Americans have been hearing about, and experiencing firsthand, supply chain disruptions.
- Nikolas Kozloff, a writer who authored No Rain in the Amazon: How South America’s Climate Change Affects the Entire Planet, asks whether we need to be thinking about a post-supply chain society.
- “Now that the pandemic has exposed underlying weaknesses in the system, there will undoubtedly be a reckoning by some,” Kozloff writes. “But perhaps the real question is whether we have wrestled with more severe challenges like climate change, which will disrupt lives to an even greater degree. Indeed, if consumers thought COVID-19 posed a headache for holiday shopping, imagine how rising sea levels, massive increases in temperature, severe wildfires and flooding will place additional stress on orderly supply chains.”
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

Brazil’s Suzano boasts its pulpwood plantations are green; critics disagree
- Suzano, the world’s largest pulp exporter, is strongly promoting a new green agenda. Its plantations, now being grown in association with native forests, could help curb the global climate crisis, the company says.
- Some conservation groups agree, and are working with the firm to ensure it gets greener.
- But other environmentalists say that the expansion of eucalyptus monoculture is causing widespread environmental damage in Brazil. Plantation carbon sequestration is minimal, they argue, while pulpwood factories are highly polluting and eucalyptus forests lack the biodiversity of rainforests.
- Moreover, they say, eucalyptus plantation expansion is resulting in the usurpation of natural lands and the expulsion of traditional and Indigenous communities who have much more to offer in the fight against climate change and efforts to protect intact forests.

How to find the right NGO partner without shooting yourself in the foot (commentary)
- Aida Greenbury, the former Managing Director of Sustainability at APP Group and currently a board member and advisor to several organizations including Mongabay, explores the complexities of corporate – NGO engagement.
- Greenbury says there is a wide spectrum of NGOs and companies, each with differing levels of commitment, ethics, and willingness to meaningfully engage. Finding the right partners is critical for collaborations to be effective at driving change.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

Climate change threatens traditional extractive communities in the Amazon
- Traditional peoples in the Amazon are already experiencing the scientific community’s warnings that rising temperatures will impact those who depend on the forest for their livelihood.
- Brazil nuts, açaí berries, andiroba oil, copaíba oil, rubber, cacao and cupuaçu fruits are some of the products at risk of disappearance or reduced production in the next 30 years.
- In addition to climate change’s environmental impact on these resources, the social impact will likely bring worsening poverty and an exodus of traditional peoples to urban areas.

Convergence, community and justice: Key emerging conservation trends of the pandemic era (commentary)
- As a product of the profound impacts of climate-induced disasters, the pandemic, and rising awareness of social injustice, the conservation sector is in the midst of a period of rapid change.
- Fred Nelson, the CEO of Maliasili, which works to scale the impact of local conservation and natural resource organizations in Africa, identifies four key trends that are “significantly reshaping the conservation field” and what these mean for the sector.
- “Conservation organizations should anticipate greater support for locally-led or community-based organizations and initiatives, continued and increasing interest in the intersection of the environment and social justice, and more funding and policy support for the central role of healthy ecosystems in addressing climate change,” Nelson writes. “Ultimately these trends are all creating important opportunities for strengthening the conservation field in crucial ways—with more resources, deeper partnerships, greater diversity, and stronger local and grassroots leadership—during this critical period.”
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

Brazil punching below its weight in getting forest products to the world
- Brazil may have given its name to the Brazil nut, but it exports less than 6% of the global export market of the nut, while Bolivia supplies 52%.
- That’s one of several key findings from new research that shows that Brazil, home to a third of all tropical forests, is punching well below its own weight when it comes to the value of its exports of forest-derived commodities.
- Experts highlight several key obstacles preventing production and export of these commodities from being scaled up, including logistics, lack of technical expertise and equipment, and costly certification requirements for breaking into markets like the EU.
- Proponents say ramping up production and exports of forest commodities could be the key to achieving economic and social development in the Brazilian Amazon, as well as a way of reviving vast swaths of degraded and abandoned areas.

Everything is traceable – unless you don’t want it to be (commentary)
- Aida Greenbury, the former Managing Director of Sustainability at APP Group and currently a board member and advisor to several organizations including Mongabay, argues that companies need to stop making excuses for the lack of traceability of commodities and materials in their supply chains.
- “Consumers have the right to know where the products they buy come from, and to trace them back to the source of the raw materials to ensure that they are not linked to anything dodgy, such as deforestation and human rights violations,” she writes. “Consequently, brands, retailers, and manufacturers have the responsibility to provide this traceability information to consumers.”
- Greenbury argues that traceability must extend throughout a company’s supply chain, including third party suppliers and smallholders.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

Old and new solutions pave way to net-zero emissions farming, studies show
- Agriculture and food account for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, making these sectors critical in efforts to address our current overshoot of the climate planetary boundary. They are also having profound impacts on freshwater, biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles.
- New and emerging technologies could pave the way to net-zero emissions agriculture in the next two decades, using robotics, electric vehicles, improved crop varieties and distributed monitoring, according to a new study. Precision agriculture could cut emissions by 71% and help build soil carbon stores.
- A second study reports that microbial protein cultivation powered by solar panels could achieve up to 10 times higher protein yield per unit of land than staple crops like soybeans, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land conversion and synthetic fertilizers.
- A third report shows that Europe could feed a projected population of 600 million by 2050 with organic farming alone, by reducing consumption of animal products to around 30% of our diet, implementing crop rotations, and reconnecting livestock and cropping systems via use of manure.

New report provides road map for expanding chestnut agroforestry in the U.S.
- Chestnuts were considered to be America’s “perfect tree” because of the high quality of their nuts and wood, but an imported blight nearly eradicated the species by the early 1900s.
- Resistance has been bred back into the crop, though, and it’s now being planted by farms in agroforestry systems in places like the U.S. Midwest, which sell nuts to the huge international market and, increasingly, to Americans as well.
- Agroforestry systems combine woody trees and shrubs with annual crops and livestock to create a sustainable agriculture method that increases farms’ economic resilience, boosts biodiversity, stems soil erosion, and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere to slow the effects of climate change.
- A new report, “Overcoming bottlenecks in the Eastern U.S. chestnut industry,” by agroforestry experts with the Savanna Institute offers a roadmap for farmers and marketers who wish to join this growing global market.

Farmers in the Amazon could earn 9 times more and prevent ecosystem collapse
- In this opinion piece, Jonah Wittkamper, Alexander Borges Rose, and Denis Minev argue that agroforestry in the Amazon “can replace cattle, generate new wealth, create jobs and develop new economic zones that insulate pristine forest from deforestation risk.”
- “The opportunity is huge and the needs are urgent,” they write. “If landowners switched from producing soy to a polyculture of fruit and horticultural products, their income would more than triple.”
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.

Nature is no longer “a nice to have,” it’s “a must-have”: Q&A with André Hoffmann
- André Hoffmann, from the family behind Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, has been pushing for environmental sustainability in business for a quarter of a century now.
- Throughout a career that has also seen him serve as vice president of WWF, Hoffmann says he’s been bothered by the business-as-usual principle of making money first and thinking about nature afterward.
- “If you destroy nature to make a profit then you are creating the problem that you then try to solve with philanthropy,” he says. “So, you need to be much better at sensibly making money rather than making money at all costs.”
- In an interview with Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler, Hoffmann talks about the growing realization of nature’s importance, the responsibility of companies to society beyond shareholders, and the need to transform the current, fragile economic system.

‘Everything on this planet is connected’: Q&A with WWF’s Marco Lambertini
- As the world works to emerge from the devastation and hardship brought by the pandemic, there has been much talk about the recovery being an opportunity to drive transformative change toward a more sustainable, equitable society that recognizes that human well-being is underpinned by a healthy planet.
- Much of the focus on this concept has been on cutting carbon emissions from transportation and energy production. There’s been less emphasis on protecting and restoring nature, but the “Nature Positive” campaign is working to change that. WWF, which is arguably the best known conservation group in the world, is among the NGOs leading the charge on Nature Positive.
- Marco Lambertini, the director-general of WWF International, says we’re well past the time for taking action on the loss of nature: ““Science has been telling us for decades that our activities are destroying nature at a rate far faster than it can replenish itself… Tackling nature loss requires us to fundamentally transform our productive sectors, but to do that we need a clear time-bound goal that drives ambition and that governments, businesses and consumers can all contribute to achieving and be held accountable to.”
- Lambertini discussed the Nature Positive movement, the need for change, and several other topics during a February 2021 conversation with Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler.

How to turn climate ambitions into reality: Q&A with Nigel Topping
- 2020 was supposed to be a landmark year for taking stock on climate and biodiversity commitments and determining how societies move forward to address the world’s most pressing problems. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic intervened, leading to the postponement or cancellation of many events, including the 26th United Nations climate conference (COP26).
- But while COP26’s delay may have stalled government to government negotiations at national levels, it didn’t prevent the parties from advancing efforts to address climate change, including the push to connect government targets with initiatives by sub-national governments, cities, companies, and civil society groups.
- To lead on this latter front, Gonzalo Munoz and Nigel Topping were appointed as High Level Climate Action Champions for the upcoming conference: “Our role is quite literally to champion the ambition and actions taken by non-state actors in addressing climate change. This means that Gonzalo and I work with partners across the world – cities, states and regions, businesses, investors, and civil society groups – to raise the awareness of, ambition for, and levels of action being taken to address climate change.”
- Topping spoke about these issues and more during a January 2021 conversation with Mongabay Founder Rhett A. Butler.

Investing in African wildlife: An interview with David Bonderman
- David Bonderman is one of the best known figures in private equity, having made his name by taking over undervalued companies and turning them around. His lifetime of investing has made him a billionaire.
- But Bonderman’s interests aren’t limited to the world of business — he’s also a philanthropist who has put tens of millions of dollars via his Wildcat Foundation into anti-poaching and wildlife conservation efforts in Africa. This support has gone to groups working to combat ivory and rhino horn trafficking, develop and deploy technologies to empower wildlife rangers, and create sustainable livelihoods for local people who are directly impacted by wildlife.
- Bonderman has also applied his interest in sustainability to his business strategy, seeking out investments that have “measurable positive impact” and working with portfolio companies reduce waste and improve water and energy efficiency.
- Bonderman spoke about these issues and more in a December 2020 conversation with Mongabay Founder Rhett A. Butler.

How to transform systems: Q&A with WRI’s Andrew Steer
- Between the pandemic, rising food insecurity and poverty, and catastrophic disasters like wildfires, storms and droughts, 2020 was a year of challenges that prompted widespread calls for systemic change in how we interact with one another, with other species, and with the environment. Bringing about such changes will require transforming how we produce food and energy, how we move from one place to another, and how we define economic growth.
- But it’s a lot easier to talk about transforming systems than to actually do it. Because real change is hard, we’re more likely to slip back into old habits and return to business as usual than embrace paradigm shifts.
- Recognizing this limitation, World Resources Institute (WRI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that operates in 60 countries, works across sectors by creating tools that increase transparency, create a common understanding, and provide data and analysis that enable action.
- WRI’s development of these platforms and tools has grown by leaps and bounds since the early 2010s when Andrew Steer joined the organization as president and CEO from the World Bank. Steer spoke with Mongabay during a December 2020 interview.

Bold sustainability commitments: An interview with Microsoft’s Lucas Joppa
- One of the boldest climate commitments in 2020 came from the tech giant Microsoft, which in January pledged to be carbon negative by 2030 and to address its legacy emissions–all the carbon the company has emitted since its founding in 1975–by 2050.
- Microsoft has also committed to replenish more water than it consumes and produce zero net waste by 2030, while protecting more land than it uses by 2025. Further, the company said it would lend its computing power toward efforts to combat biodiversity loss and use its voice to advocate for public policies that “measure and manage ecosystems.”
- Heading up these ambitious sustainability initiatives is Microsoft’s chief environmental officer Lucas Joppa, a Ph.D. ecologist who also conceived of Microsoft’s AI for Earth platform.
- Joppa spoke with Mongabay Founder Rhett A. Butler in a December 2020 interview.

For sustainable business, ‘planetary boundaries’ define the new rules
- The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), an initiative of the Global Commons Alliance (GCA), recently launched a corporate engagement program to help companies, consultancies and industry coalitions set science-based targets that could help protect all aspects of nature, including biodiversity, land, ocean, water, as well as climate.
- The SBTN uses the concept of planetary boundaries, which refers to nine Earth system processes that contain thresholds for safe operating limits, to inform its work.
- The SBTN is still in a formational stage and will not finalize its methodologies until 2022, but will actively engage with companies over the next two years.

Indonesia’s omnibus law a ‘major problem’ for environmental protection
- Global investors have joined local activists in raising concerns about the potential impact of environmental deregulation measures contained in a new law passed by Indonesia’s parliament.
- Among the many criticisms of the so-called omnibus law on job creation is that it restricts the public’s ability to consult on or challenge projects that may cause environmental and social harm.
- Provisions in the law also open the door for increased deforestation, which is the main driver of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Activists say the law, ostensibly aimed at attracting foreign investment into Indonesia, is likely to draw investors who have little regard for environmental protection.

Esri co-founder Jack Dangermond: ‘People and planet are inextricably linked’
- The digital mapping platforms developed by Esri, including ArcGIS, have revolutionized conservation and environmental planning, management and policymaking.
- Esri co-founder Jack Dangermond calls geographic information systems (GIS) “a sort of intelligent nervous system for our planet at a time when humanity desperately needs one to address the environmental and humanitarian crises at hand.”
- He credits Esri’s success to a sustainable trajectory of heavy investment in R&D, not being beholden to outside investors, and providing discounted and free use of its software to environmental nonprofits.
- In this interview with Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler, Dangermond says that technology, amid the current fractured political climate, should be employed to encourage understanding rather than dwell on divisions.

Data drives Bloomberg’s support for climate solutions, says Antha N. Williams
- Bloomberg Philanthropies, the foundation launched by businessman and former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, is one of the world’s largest charitable organizations.
- One of Bloomberg’s priority focal areas is the environment: specifically combating climate change by accelerating the transition to clean energy, greening the world’s cities, and protecting the health and productivity of oceans.
- Heading up the foundation’s environment program is Antha N. Williams, who got her start as a campaigner and organizer before taking up leadership roles in the world of philanthropy. Williams says Bloomberg’s strategy is to develop programs that offer the highest leverage in terms of impact.
- Williams spoke about her background, Bloomberg’s programs, and opportunities to drive progress in addressing critical environmental challenges during an October 2020 conversation with Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler.

Putting sustainability at the center of business strategy: An interview with Paul Polman
- Over the past decade perhaps no major diversified consumer products company has done more to burnish its sustainability credentials than Unilever, the 91-year-old conglomerate that owns brands ranging from Dove soap to Lipton tea to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. A driving force behind this shift was Paul Polman, who took the helm of the British-Dutch company in 2009 and led it to declare a goal of decoupling its environmental impact from its growth.
- Early in his tenure at Unilever, he make bold and unconventional moves that seemed heretical to some investors accustomed to a focus on short-term profits. Polman stopped issuing quarterly guidance, warned that climate change was costing Unilever hundreds of millions of dollars annually, began requiring suppliers develop plans to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains, and acquired companies known for their eco-friendly branding.
- Polman is now working to drive this mindset among a wider range of companies via IMAGINE, a social venture whose mission is “unleashing business to achieve our Global Goals” including addressing the climate crisis and widening inequality.
- During an October 2020 conversation with Mongabay founder Rhett A. Butler, Polman talked about his career at Unilever, IMAGINE, and the need for transformative change to tackle critical challenges facing the planet.

Investors drop demands after Tyson Foods commits to no deforestation
- Impact investment group Green Century Capital Management has withdrawn a shareholder proposal compelling Tyson Foods Inc. to address sustainability in its supply chain.
- The withdrawal comes after Tyson, the world’s No. 2 meat processor, announced last October that it would commit to a policy of “No Deforestation, No Peatland, No Exploitation,” or NDPE.
- Investors are increasingly pressing companies to adopt sustainable practices; though while many companies have done so, few are on track to meet their self-imposed deadlines.

From trash to cash: How a Thai entrepreneur turned used flip-flops into a sustainable business model
- A university team in Thailand named “Tlejourn” has created a profitable product from discarded flip-flops. Of the 5.25 trillion pieces of trash floating in the ocean, old flip-flops are one of the most commonly found items.
- Although flip-flops are not recyclable, Tlejourn upcycles them into new, solid mats, which are then use to make new footware. Tlejourn’s footwear is handmade by low-income families in southern Thailand, providing them with a significant financial boost.
- With Tlejourn’s help, Thai shoe manufacturer Nanyang created a new product line of sandals made from discarded flip-flops. Inspired by Tlejourn’s success, other trash collecting initiatives, like Trash Hero, now experiment to find other ways to turn trash into cash.

Reforesting a village in Indonesia, one batch of gourmet beans at a time
- Deforestation in the village of Cibulao on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, left it prone to droughts in the dry season and landslides in the rainy season.
- That changed in the early 2000s when a local tea plantation worker named Kiryono began replanting the slopes with seeds foraged from the nearby forest.
- Among those seeds were coffee seeds taken from wild coffee trees, and with training and the help of his family, Kiryono today produces some of the most prized coffee in Indonesia.
- The village is also greener now, thanks to Kiryono’s replanting efforts, and the local farmers’ cooperative hopes to expand on that work by applying for the right to manage a larger area of land.

For one Indonesian village, mangrove restoration has been all upside
- Demand for firewood in recent years led to the depletion of the mangrove forest in the Indonesian village of Paremas.
- But the local government and NGOs worked with the community to emphasize the importance of restoring the mangrove, with surprising results.
- Today, the tidal pools on the coast provide food that can both sustain the locals and provide an income, allowing families to be less dependent on the remittances sent home by mothers and fathers working arduous jobs overseas.
- In addition to protecting biodiversity, the mangroves also absorb energy from large ocean swells and stop garbage from piling up in foul-smelling sumps on the beach.

Changing energy use in rural Africa with power from solar, clean stoves…and women
- Widespread use of fuelwood and charcoal for cooking and heating is a notable barrier to achieving development and conservation goals in sub-Saharan Africa, yet previous attempts at introducing better fuel technologies have largely failed.
- To address energy use at the source, recent efforts are underway that seek to improve adoption of new technologies, such as solar-powered equipment or efficient cookstoves, in rural communities.
- Rather than impose a new method or technology onto a community, encouraging behavior change by wrapping the technology in a collaborative or entrepreneurial envelope could encourage longer-lasting change.

Smallholder farmers defy cocoa’s production model in Brazil
- Filha do Combu, a family-run chocolate factory in the Amazon makes tree-to-table organic chocolate and is an exception to this model.
- Using an agroforestry system, smallholder farms like Filha do Combu can now produce their own chocolate, which allows them to have more autonomy and control over their quality of life.
- When cocoa is grown within an agroforestry system, it helps preserve the forest by reducing erosion and the use of pesticides, as well as preserving biodiversity.
- However, there is still a lack of support from the public sector for these smallholder farmers.

Traditional groups sowing sustainable crops could save Venezuelan park
- Starting in 2009, Afro-Venezuelan and Indigenous peoples and Phynatura, an NGO, signed a series of conservation agreements which are helping safeguard 570 squares miles of largely pristine forest in the Venezuelan Amazon south of the Orinoco River from illegal mining, timber harvesting and wildlife poaching. In 2017, that area was absorbed into Caura National Park.
- The new park conserves the region’s biodiversity and forests, but its founding didn’t automatically protect the ancestral homelands of the indigenous people living there. However, these 52 indigenous communities in El Caura are claiming a legal right to continue to live and pursue sustainable livelihoods within the park. The government has yet to grant their claim.
- Some of these traditional communities are involved in the sustainable agroforestry livelihood projects, with a variety of innovative crops being grown. Agroforestry is seen by local people as offering an alternative income over mining and deforestation.
- Among non-timber crops grown are tonka (a bean used as a flavoring and in cosmetics), quina (also known as cinchona bark, formerly used to treat malaria and now a common ingredient in cocktails), and copaiba oil (a folk medicinal credited with anti-inflammatory qualities). Cocoa, to be made into fine chocolates, and orchids are included among potential exports.

How a national reserve stopped the extinction of the Peruvian vicuña
- In the 1960s, the total number of vicuñas in Peru was approximately 5,000.
- The community of Lucanas was able to overcome violence from internal armed conflicts, and now those in the community use vicuña fur from Pampa Galeras National Reserve.
- Every year, the Lucanas community exports 1,000 kilograms (about 2,200 pounds) of vicuña fur.
- The National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP) will give a “green seal” to the fur sheared off the vicuñas by the community for their outstanding conservation practices.

Indonesia turns to green finance for development projects
- Indonesia, one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, is turning to green finance markets to fund new development projects it promises will be both environmentally and socially friendly.
- In issuing these ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ bonds, Indonesia joins a growing number of developing countries seeking to appeal to ecologically and socially conscious international investors.
- But critics question just how green and sustainable these bonds really are, highlighting concerns about greenwashing.

A wish list for an environmentally friendly NAFTA
- The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been progressing along a very rocky path, with the U.S., Canada and Mexico all threatening at one point or another to exit the pact. But slow progress is being made toward a new agreement.
- However, experts warn that the resulting trade treaty is unlikely to benefit the environment and the general public, unless major changes are made. These proposed NAFTA alterations, as outlined in this story, could also provide a template for future enviro-friendly international trade agreements.
- Among the changes needed: remove NAFTA Chapter 11 or reform the ISDS, remove any reference to water as a common commodity, remove the energy proportionality rule, include the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, and protect supply management and sustainable agriculture.
- Also, axe regulatory cooperation and harmonization, fully fund the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and give it some teeth, Acknowledge indigenous and native rights (not free trade incentives), and most importantly: make a place at the bargaining table for the people and the planet.

Red Cloud’s Revolution: Oglalla Sioux freeing themselves from fossil fuel
- Henry Red Cloud, like so many Oglalla Sioux young men, left the reservation to work in construction. When he returned home in 2002, he needed a job, and also wanted to make a difference. He attended a solar energy workshop and saw the future.
- Today, Red Cloud runs Lakota Solar and the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center, which have become catalysts for an innovative new economic network – one that employs locals and connects tribes, while building greater energy independence among First Nations.
- The company is building and installing alternative energy systems, and training others to do the same, throughout remote areas of U.S. reservations, thus allowing the Sioux and others to leap past outdated fossil fuel technology altogether.
- Henry Red Cloud’s company has another more radical purpose: it helps provide energy to remote Water Protector camps, like the one at Standing Rock protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Solar power and other alternative energy sources are vital at such remote sites, as they power up cellphones, connecting resistors to the media and outside world.

Poor grade for Malaysia, Singapore brands in palm oil sustainability: WWF
- Two out of three companies in Malaysia and Singapore are not transparent about their palm oil use, the World Wildlife Fund contends.
- Most of these companies do not source palm oil that has been certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
- Malaysia and Singapore’s brands have lower sustainability grades compared to global brands.

How important is corporate social responsibility to building a green economy?
- A new study published in Sustainable Development found that governments and civil society have a large role to play, to be sure, but building a green economy relies in many ways on the core business philosophies of the relevant private sector players.
- Researchers surveyed more than three hundred firms in five different Caribbean countries that are pursuing green economy initiatives: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
- They found a clear trend emerging, regardless of country or economic sector — namely, that firms that embrace sustainability as a core business philosophy are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most dependable partners in building a truly sustainable economy.

How can banks spur the palm oil industry toward sustainability?
- Banks are starting to come up with ways to encourage sustainability in the palm oil sector, whose unbridled expansion is fueling deforestation and rights abuses across the world.
- Still, the nascent green finance industry faces a number of obstacles as it seeks to expand its influence.
- These include a lack of transparency with regard to company ownership, misguided valuations of palm oil enterprises, and more.

Do poor environmental practices affect palm oil firms’ bottom lines on a scale meaningful for investors and financiers?
- Big companies generally don’t see environmental noncompliance as a major economic risk.
- That’s because they tend to think about their business in the short term, rather than in the long term, where most environmental issues come into play.
- The material impacts of environmentally unsustainable practices can also be hard to quanify.

What’s preventing palm oil investors from going green?
- Green investment could make the palm oil industry more sustainable, but a variety of obstacles are preventing it from becoming more prevalent.
- A lack of expertise, the structural issue of short-termism, and a lack of proven materiality all keep funds from flowing toward sustainable operations.
- Additional issues specific to palm oil exist as well.

Do palm oil financiers care about sustainability?
- Sustainable finance has been touted as a solution to the palm oil industry’s links with forest destruction and rights abuses.
- The movement’s progress, however, has been hampered by the difficulty of measuring the environmental impact of things like green loans and bonds.
- Mongabay spoke to experts in the field to investigate how much investors and financiers in the palm oil sector care about their clients’ sustainability.

Help on the way for ‘green investment’ in Indonesia

A wind farm on the Indonesian island of Sumba. Photo: Antara The Indonesian government plans to expand the list of incentives for “green investment,” cabinet members said at a summit in Jakarta on Monday. On the table are tax breaks for imports of equipment that reduces pollution; and longer permits and favorable interest rates for […]
Accounting for natural capital on financial exchanges

Maliau Falls in Borneo. The global economy depends on natural capital such as freshwater. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Last month, Norway’s stock exchange, the Oslo Børs, introduced a way for investors to use their money to promote sustainability. A new list by the stock exchange highlights green bonds, financial products issued by companies to […]
L’Oreal pledges to wipe out forest destruction from its products by 2020

French cosmetics giant, L’Oreal, has pledged to stop using palm oil linked to deforestation for its products by 2020. Palm oil, which is found in both cosmetics and many food items, has been linked to widespread deforestation in places like Indonesia and Malaysia, decimating biodiversity and contributing to global warming. The crop, which is both […]
What if companies actually had to compensate society for environmental destruction?

The environment is a public good. We all share and depend on clean water, a stable atmosphere, and abundant biodiversity for survival, not to mention health and societal well-being. But under our current global economy, industries can often destroy and pollute the environment—degrading public health and communities—without paying adequate compensation to the public good. Economists […]
Paradigm shift needed to avert global environmental collapse, according to author of new book The Blueprint: Averting Global Collapse

Scientists and experts are increasingly concerned that we are entering an age of ecological collapse with untold impacts for future generations. In Daniel Rirdan’s new book, The Blueprint, he outlines how to avoid this fate. Author, global strategist, and speaker Daniel Rirdan set out to create a plan addressing the future of our planet. His […]
Soccer lights up kids’ lives: new technology produces cheap, portable power

SOCCKET: the soccer ball that produces electricity. Photo courtesy of Uncharted Play. Recently, Jessica O. Matthews and Julia Silverman, both Harvard graduates, were awarded Harvard Foundation’s Scientists of the Year award for their invention of a soccer ball that converts kinetic energy to electricity. The two women, who were both social science majors, came up […]
Oil exploration approved in Africa’s oldest park, Virunga National Park

A portion of Virunga National Park swaddled in clouds as seen by Google Earth. Permits for controversial oil exploration in Virunga National Park have been released after request by NGO Global Witness. Oil company, SOCO International, has confirmed it has received two permits to undertake preliminary exploration, including seismic tests, in the UNESCO World Heritage […]
Taking corporate sustainability seriously means changing business culture

Clare Raybould at the Auckland Zoo where she volunteers. Photo courtesy of Clare Raybould. As more and more people demand companies to become sustainable and environmentally conscious, many corporations are at a loss of how to begin making the changes necessary. If they attempt to make changes—but fall short or focus poorly—they risk their actions […]
Shipping firm pledges to disconnect itself from rainforest destruction

Maersk shipping containers, each with a wood floor, stacked up along the Panama Canal. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. The Danish shipping giant Maersk pledged this week to stop purchasing containers with floors made from uncertified tropical hardwood, reports Deutsche Welle press. In an effort to reduce illegal logging and combat climate change, the company […]
Nobel laureates: ‘we are transgressing planetary boundaries that have kept civilization safe for the past 10,000 years’

Last week the 3rd Nobel Laureates Symposium on Global Sustainability concluded with participants—including 17 past Nobel Prize winners and 40 other experts—crafting and signing the Stockholm Memorandum. The document calls for emergency actions to tackle human pressures on the Earth’s environment while ensuring a more equitable and just world. “Science makes clear that we are […]
Sustainability takes only cents
Real economic global results from decoupling economic growth from unsustainable natural resource management and inefficient industrial processes are the central themes of Cents and Sustainability. Implementing wealth creation strategies at the local, national, and international level is the primary economic theme, or modus operandi, of the 21st Century, as opposed to 20th Century wealth appropriation […]
Clean energy investments rise 630% in 7 years
According to a report by the US Pew Environment Group global clean energy investments, which do not include nuclear power, jumped 630% since 2004. The report detailing 2010 clean energy investments found that China remains the global leader in clean energy, while the US fell from 2nd to 3rd. This is the second year in […]
Environmental sustainability—the new economic bottom line
That’s the message in Accounting for Sustainability: Practical Insights. The book represents the compilation of a five-year project—nicknamed “A4S”—sponsored by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, that examined the feasibility of factoring industries’ impact on the environment into their economic spread sheets. Using case studies and interviews with leaders at major accounting firms, Accounting For Sustainability […]
New organization seeks to make biofuels sustainable, but is it possible?
Not too long ago policy-makers, scientists, and environmentalists saw biofuels as a significant tool to provide sustainable energy to the world. However, as it became clear that biofuels were not only connected to deforestation, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions (sometimes exceeding fossil fuels), but also competed with the global food supply and water sources, biofuels […]
Is Obama’s clean energy revolution possible?

Recent studies point to the feasibility of a global clean energy revolution. Last night US President Barack Obama called for a massive green energy make-over of the world’s largest economy. Describing the challenge as ‘this generation’s Sputnik moment’ the US president set a goal of producing 80 percent of America’s energy by clean sources by […]
US elects barrage of climate change deniers, threatening support for green energy

The US midterm election, which won Republicans the House but safeguarded the Senate for Democrats, has brought in a number of self-proclaimed climate change deniers, ending any likelihood that an energy bill will be passed over the next two years and essentially stumbling the White House’s strategy on climate change. Newly elected Republican Senators Rand […]
Can ’boutique capitalism’ help protect the Amazon?

An interview with Katherine Ponte, founder of Ecostasy. Most companies talk green, but few—almost none in fact—actually walk the walk. Sustainable design company, Ecostasy, not only walks the walk, but actually seeks out among the most challenging places to work: the imperiled Brazilian Amazon. Specializing in hand-crafted products by indigenous groups—such as jewelry, pots, and […]
Membayar untuk Alam: Terapkan Harga atas ‘Pelayanan Ekosistem’

Sejak manusia masuk ke dunia, alam telah memberikan pada kita berbagai ragam yang luas pelayanan esensial dan ‘gratis’: beberapa di antaranya adalah produksi pangan, penyerbukan, kesehatan tanah, penyaringan air, dan penahanan karbon. Para ahli menamakan ini ‘pelayanan ekosistem’. Pelayanan seperti ini, meski vital untuk penghuni bumi, telah banyak sekali tidak dihargai di jaman industri, paling […]
Paying for nature: putting a price on ‘ecosystem services’

Ever since humans entered the stage, nature has been providing us with a wide-variety of essential and ‘free’ services: food production, pollination, soil health, water filtration, and carbon sequestration to name a few. Experts have come to call these ‘ecosystem services’. Such services, although vital for an inhabitable planet, have largely gone undervalued in the […]
Nestle menyerah pada tekanan aktivis tentang minyak kelapa

Nestle berusaha menghilangkan produk dengan “footprint penggundulan hutan”. Setelah kampanye dua bulan yang dipelopori oleh Greenpeace melawan Nestle karena mereka menggunakan minyak kelapa yang terkait dengan perusakan hutan, raksasa pangan itu mengalah pada permintaan aktivis. Perusahaan berbasis di Swiss itu mengumumkan bahwa hari ini di Malaysia bahwa mereka akan menjalin rekanan dengan Forest Trust, sebuah […]
Big compromise reached on Canada’s Boreal by environmental groups and forestry industry

In what is being heralded as the ‘world’s largest conservation agreement’ 20 Canadian forestry companies and nine environmental organizations have announced an agreement covering 72 million hectares of the Canadian boreal forest (an area bigger than France). Reaching a major compromise, the agreement essentially ends a long battle between several environmental groups and the companies […]
Nestle caves to activist pressure on palm oil

Nestle to work to rid products of “deforestation footprint”. After a two month campaign against Nestle for its use of palm oil linked to rainforest destruction spearheaded by Greenpeace, the food giant has given in to activists’ demands. The Swiss-based company announced today in Malaysia that it will partner with the Forest Trust, an international […]
How that cork in your wine bottle helps forests and biodiversity, an interview with Patrick Spencer

Next time you’re in the supermarket looking to buy a nice bottle of wine: think cork. Although it’s not widely known, the cork industry is helping to sustain one of the world’s most biodiverse forests, including a number of endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Barbary deer. Spreading across 6.6 million acres […]
Profit of biggest companies would be cut by a third if forced to pay for environmental damage from operations

Profits of the world’s 3,000 largest companies would be cut by $2.2 trillion per year if they were forced to pay for environmental damage caused by their operations, according to an upcoming U.N. report detailed by The Guardian. The study, conducted by Trucost, a consultancy, and scheduled to be released this summer, estimates that pollution […]
Consumers fail at identifying green companies

An article today in New Scientist shows that American consumers have a difficult time correctly identifying green companies, often confusing ‘greenwashing’ for true green credentials or not bestowing enough credit where credit is truly due. By combining data from Earthsense, which polled 30,000 Americans about on their views of ‘green’ companies, and Trucost which assesses […]
Could special bonds fund the green revolution and stabilize the climate?

There is no question that governments around the world are moving slowly and sluggishly to combat climate change, especially when placed against the measures recommended by climate scientists. Only a handful of nations have actually cut overall greenhouse gas emissions, and the past couple decades have seen emissions rise rapidly worldwide as nations like India […]
China leaves US (and Europe) in the dust on renewable energy

This year China has become the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and wind turbines, doubling its wind capacity since 2005. The economically booming nation—and the world’s most populous—has also invested heavily in nuclear power and the world’s most efficient coal plants, according to the New York Times. Still, even with massive investments in green […]
New rating systems seeks to promote sustainable landscapes from shopping malls to city parks

The Sustainable Sites Initiative has developed the United States’ first rating system for the design, construction, and on-going maintenance of a wide-variety of landscapes, both with and without buildings, including shopping malls, subdivisions, university campuses, corporate buildings, transportation centers, parks and other recreation areas, and single-family homes. “While carbon-neutral performance remains the holy grail for […]
Disney commits $4 million to rainforest conservation in the Amazon, Congo
The Walt Disney Company will invest $7 million in forest conservation projects in the U.S., the Congo Basin, and the Amazon in an effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Disney’s investment is being made in partnership with three conservation groups: Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund. Working with Conservation International, Disney […]
Business and conservation groups team up to conserve and better manage US’s southern forests
A new project entitled Carbon Canopy brings together multiple stakeholders—from big business to conservation organizations to private landowners—in order to protect and better manage the United State’s southern forests. The program intends to employ the emerging US forest carbon market to pay private forest owners for conservation and restoration efforts while making certain that all […]
Brazilian beef giants agree to moratorium on Amazon deforestation

Four of the world’s largest cattle producers and traders have agreed to a moratorium on buying cattle from newly deforested areas in the Amazon rainforest, reports Greenpeace. JBS-Friboi, Bertin, Minerva and Marfrig will implement certification and monitoring systems to ensure that beef and leather in their supply chains is not being produced as a result […]
Could agroforestry solve the biodiversity crisis and address poverty?, an interview with Shonil Bhagwat

Sixth in a series of interviews with participants at the 2009 Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) conference. With the world facing a variety of crises: climate change, food shortages, extreme poverty, and biodiversity loss, researchers are looking at ways to address more than one issue at once by revolutionizing sectors of society. One […]
Fashion labels drop APP after party highlights the plight of Indonesian forests

The fashion world has been rocked: not by the newest designer or the most shocking outfit, but by the continuing destruction of forests in Indonesia. On September 15th, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) helped open New York City’s styling Fashion Week with a party to encourage fashion designers to take a closer look at the […]
Concerns over deforestation may drive new approach to cattle ranching in the Amazon

As the world’s biggest cattle producer, Brazil braces for change While you’re browsing the mall for running shoes, the Amazon rainforest is probably the farthest thing from your mind. Perhaps it shouldn’t be. The globalization of commodity supply chains has created links between consumer products and distant ecosystems like the Amazon. Shoes sold in downtown […]
Retailers Costco and Amazon.com flunk sustainable paper use, WalMart and Target fare little better

Little hydroelectric dams become all the rage, but do they harm the environment?

Nike implements policy to avoid leather produced via Amazon deforestation

Nike is working with Greenpeace to ensure its products don’t contribute to destruction of the Amazon rainforest, according to statements from the shoe giant and the environmental activist group. The partnership comes after Greenpeace report accused Nike of using leather derived from cattle raised on illegal deforested Amazon land. The report, “Slaughtering the Amazon”, also […]
Clean energy investment moving too slowly to avoid irreversible climate change

New model uses carbon credits, sustainable palm oil to save Indonesia’s rainforests

Obama pick supports ‘Green Jobs’ initiative to rebuild economy

Salvage logging offers hope for forests, communities devastated by industrial logging

Salvage logging offers hope for forests, communities devastated by industrial logging An interview with Tropical Salvage’s Tim O’Brien Salvage logging offers hope for forests, communities devastated by industrial logging Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 4, 2008
HSBC to cut lending to questionable oil palm and logging companies

HSBC to cut lending to questionable oil palm and logging companies HSBC to cut lending to questionable oil palm and logging companies Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 2, 2008
Coca-Cola announces water conservation goal
Coca-Cola announces water conservation goal Coca-Cola announces water conservation goal mongabay.com October 30, 2008
Shell, HSBC put $665,000 toward Borneo rainforest conservation project

Shell, HSBC put $665,000 toward Borneo rainforest conservation project Shell, HSBC put $665,000 toward Borneo rainforest conservation project mongabay.com October 26, 2008 Brunei Shell Petroleum (Shell Oil) and HSBC have donated 500,000 Brunei dollars ($333,000) each to conserve forests on the island of Borneo, reports the Borneo Bulletin. The BND 1,0000,000 ($665,000) will go to […]
Green New Deal will spark global economy, create jobs

Green New Deal will spark global economy on long-term basis Green New Deal will spark global economy, create jobs mongabay.com October 22, 2008
Financial crisis could pave way for greener economy inspired by nature

Financial crisis could pave way for greener economy inspired by nature Financial crisis could pave way for greener economy inspired by nature mongabay.com October 20, 2008 can be used as a 3.8-billion-year-old R&D lab for technology development is gaining momentum. Benyus, author of
Company that turns CO2 into eco-friendly plastic gets new CEO
Company that turns CO2 into eco-friendly plastic gets new CEO Company that turns CO2 into eco-friendly plastic gets new CEO mongabay.com October 20, 2008
Challenges of starting a green business

Challenges of starting a green business Challenges facing green business start-ups mongabay.com October 20, 2008
Group takes ‘venture capital’ approach to conservation

An innovative group is using a venture capital model to save some of the world’s most endangered species, while at the same time working to ensure that local communities benefit from conservation efforts. The Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), an organization based in Los Altos, California, works to protect threatened species by focusing on what it […]
Prince Charles says hedge funds could save rainforests

Prince Charles renewed his call to protect rainforests for the services they provide humanity. Speaking Wednesday at a black-tie dinner in London, Charles compared the need to protect forests to fighting a war. "I often use the analogy of war because I fear we are engaged in a battle of survival. We must mobilize ourselves, […]
Big computer makers pitch energy efficiency to sell more services, equipment
Big computer makers pitch energy efficiency to sell more services, equipment Big computer makers pitch energy efficiency to sell more services, equipment mongabay.com September 9, 2008 Tech giants are using high power costs to market new energy efficiency computers to large corporate data centers, reports the Wall Street Journal. “Ironically, the companies that designed and […]
Ghana becomes first country to sign sustainable timber pact with the E.U.

Sea level rise likely limited to 2-6 feet by 2100 Forecast sea level rise may be overestimated by some models mongabay.com September 4, 2008 The European Union has signed a sustainable forestry deal with Ghana that would stop imports of illegally-harvested timber from the West African nation, according to a statement released by the European […]
PG&E will build the world’s largest solar power plant

PG&E will build the world’s largest solar power plant PG&E will build the world’s largest solar power plant mongabay.com August 15, 2008 California electricity producer PG&E Thursday announced a plan to build two giant solar photovoltaic power plants that will cover 12.5 square miles and have a peak generating capacity of 800 megawatts. The plants […]
“Turtle carbon” could help protect rainforests and save endangered sea turtles

“Turtle carbon” could help protect rainforests and save endangered sea turtles “Turtle carbon” could help protect rainforests and save endangered sea turtles Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com August 12, 2008 Using carbon credits to promote rainforest conservation could help protect endangered sea turtles in some parts of the world, argues a carbon finance expert. Gabriel Thoumi, […]
Shift from poverty-driven to industry-driven deforestation may help conservation

Shift from poverty-driven to industry-driven deforestation may help conservation Shift from poverty-driven to industry-driven deforestation may help conservation mongabay.com August 6, 2008 A shift from poverty-driven deforestation to industry-driven deforestation in the tropics may offer new opportunities for forest conservation, argues a new paper published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Citing research […]
Corporations become prime driver of deforestation, providing clear target for environmentalists

The major drivers of tropical deforestation have changed in recent decades. According to a forthcoming article, deforestation has shifted from poverty-driven subsistence farming to major corporations razing forests for large-scale projects in mining, logging, oil and gas development, and agriculture. While this change makes many scientists and conservationists uneasy, it may allow for more effective […]
Gore launches second campaign… for Earth

Gore launches second campaign… for Earth Gore launches second campaign mongabay.com July 17, 2008 In a speech Thursday, Al Gore challenged the U.S. to generate 100 percent of its electricity from zero carbon emission sources within 10 years. Speaking at Washington’s Constitution Hall, Gore said America’s security, environmental and economic crises are all related, and […]
Wal-Mart to ban sales of wood products from threatened rainforests

Wal-Mart agrees to sell wood only from well-managed forests Wal-Mart to ban sales of wood products from threatened rainforests mongabay.com July 14, 2008 Wal-Mart, America’s biggest retailer, has joined an initiative to conserve the world’s most valuable and threatened forests. In an announcement Monday, Wal-Mart said if would participate in the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) […]
Amazon soy moratorium extended; may be expanded to other products

Amazon soy moratorium extended; may be expanded to other products Amazon soy moratorium extended; may be expanded to other products mongabay.com June 23, 2008 Soy crushers operating in the Brazilian Amazon have extended a two-year-old moratorium on the purchase of soybeans produced on rainforest lands deforested after 2006, reports Reuters. The agreement — signed by […]
The green movement has to become a rainbow-colored movement in order to be successful

AN INTERVIEW WITH VAN JONES AN INTERVIEW WITH VAN JONES “The green movement has to become a rainbow-colored movement in order to be successful” Maria José Viñas, special to Mongabay.com June 23, 2008 Van Jones, a social and environmental activist, believes a greener economy not only could save the planet, but also must provide pathways […]
Big Farms Can Make the Leap to Organic Farming, Study Suggests

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Future cities will be more like ecosystems that enrich society and the environment

Future cities will be more like ecosystems that enrich society and the environment Future cities will be more like ecosystems that enrich society and the environment Tina Butler, mongabay.com May 30, 2008 As The World Science Festival continues in New York this week, specialists in vastly diverse fields across scientific disciplines are coming together to […]
Indonesian palm oil firms pledge to stop clearing rainforests

Palm oil firms pledge to stop clearing rainforests in Indonesia Palm oil firms pledge to stop clearing rainforests in Indonesia mongabay.com May 13, 2008 Palm oil companies operating in Indonesia pledged to stop clearing forests for new plantations, reports The Jakarta Post. The move is a response to growing criticism that oil palm expansion is […]
Unilever calls for ban on rainforest destruction for palm oil

Unilever calls for ban on rainforest destruction for palm oil Unilever calls for ban on rainforest destruction for palm oil mongabay.com May 1, 2008 Unilever, the world’s largest consumer good company, will start using palm oil from certified sustainable sources this year and aims to have all its palm oil certified by 2015, according to […]
The FSC responds to its critics

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Wal-Mart pushes for greener manufacturing in China
Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, will hold a meeting of around 1,000 of its Chinese suppliers in an effort to reduce its environmental impact, said Lee Scott, Wal-Mart’s CEO, in an interview with the Financial Times. The meeting, to be held in October, will in effect globalize Wal-Mart’s efforts to curb its environmental footprint. In […]
Investing to save rainforests

Investing to save rainforests Investing to save rainforests: An interview with Hylton Murray-Philipson of Canopy Capital Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 2, 2008 Profit-seeking capitalists to save rainforests? Last week London-based Canopy Capital, a private equity firm, announced a historic deal to preserve the rainforest of Iwokrama, a 371,000-hectare reserve in the South American country […]
Private equity firm buys rights to ecosystem services of Guyana rainforest

Private equity firm buys rights to ecosystem services of Amazon rainforest Private equity firm buys rights to ecosystem services of Guyana rainforest Rhett A Butler, mongabay.com March 27, 2008 A private equity firm has purchased the rights to environmental services generated by a 371,000-hectare rainforest reserve in Guyana. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, […]
Merrill Lynch invests $9M in rainforest conservation, expects profit

Merrill Lynch invests $9M in rainforest conservation, expects profit Merrill Lynch invests $9M in rainforest conservation, expects profit Rhett A. bugler, mongabay.com March 12, 2008 Merrill Lynch’s investment in a rainforest conservation project in the Indonesian province of Aceh is worth $9 million over four years, reports Thomas Wright of The Wall Street Journal. The […]
New review system helps companies adapt to ecosystem degradation

New review system helps companies adapt to ecosystem degradation New review system helps companies adapt to ecosystem degradation Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com March 11, 2008 A new accountability initiative will help companies factor ecosystem degradation into their business decisions. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Meridian Institute, and the World Business Council for Sustainable […]
Private sector pumping hundreds of billions into cleantech

Private sector pumping hundreds of billions into cleantech Private sector pumping hundreds of billions into cleantech mongabay.com February 21, 2008 The private sector is “pumping hundreds of billions of dollars” into cleaner and renewable energies, says a new publication released yesterday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report, The UNEP Year Book 2008, […]
Nike to launch “green” eco-shoe
Nike to launch “green” eco-shoe Nike to launch “green” eco-shoe mongabay.com February 15, 2008 When Nike unveils the $185 Air Jordan XX3 this weekend at the NBA All-Star Game festivities this weekend, it will be the culmination of a company-wide effort to reduce the environmental impact of its footwear manufacturing, according to The Wall Street […]
REDD will fail if needs of forest communities aren’t addressed

REDD will fail if needs of forest communities aren’t addressed REDD will fail if needs of forest communities aren’t addressed mongabay.com December 7, 2007 New report argues that unless REDD mechanisms are properly designed, carbon credits-for-forest conservation schemes will not address key drivers of deforestation Initiatives to reduce emissions by reducing tropical deforestation (REDD) will […]
Merrill Lynch announces carbon credits-for-forest conservation partnership

Merrill Lynch announces carbon credits-for-forest conservation partnership Merrill Lynch announces carbon credits-for-forest conservation partnership mongabay.com December 6, 2007 Wall Street Giant Announces New Market-Based Approach To Environmental Challenges Merrill Lynch is working with Carbon Conservation, an ecosystem services firms, to explore opportunities in avoided deforestation and integrated sustainable land management. The partnership was announced Thursday […]
Google aims to make renewable energy sources cheaper than coal

Google aims to make renewable energy sources cheaper than coal Google aims to make renewable energy cheaper than coal mongabay.com November 28, 2007 Tuesday Google announced an initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The initiative, dubbed RE<C, will initially focus on solar, wind, and […]
Video game-makers score low on sustainability

Video game-makers score low on sustainability Video game-makers score low on sustainability mongabay.com November 27, 2007 Video game console manufacturers are doing a poor job eliminating toxic chemicals from their products, according to environmental group Greenpeace. In the sixth edition of its ‘Guide to Greener Electronics‘, Greenpeace says that “Microsoft, Nintendo, Philips and Sharp enter […]
Subway sandwiches launches first fast-food recycling program
? Subway sandwiches launches first fast-food recycling program Subway sandwiches launches first fast-food recycling program mongabay.com November 21, 2007 Sandwich chain Subway is implementing a recycling program, switching from conventional napkins, cutlery and plastic cups, and reducing gasoline use in an effort to minimize its impact on the environment, according to a report published in […]
Governors announce energy efficiency push for computing

Governors announce energy efficiency push for computing Governors announce energy efficiency push for computing mongabay.com November 7, 2007 The National Governors Association (NGA) today announced a clean energy partnership between the NGA Chair’s Initiative Securing a Clean Energy Future (SCEF) and the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI), founded by Google and Intel, to foster deployment […]
IBM finds recycling can cut solar cell manufacturing costs

IBM finds recycling can cut solar cell manufacturing costs IBM finds recycling can cut solar cell manufacturing costs mongabay.com October 30, 2007 IBM today announced a silicon wafer recycling system that could help ease the refined silicon shortage that has driven up production costs of solar energy panels. The process allows efficient removal intellectual property […]
World’s first sustainable tuna fishery certified

World’s first sustainable tuna fishery certified World’s first sustainable tuna fishery certified WWF news release September 9, 2007 The world’s first certified sustainable tuna fishery was announced today, a move that could help save one of the world’s most valuable fish — and the fishing industry that relies on it — from extinction. The American […]
Big companies push energy efficiency

New Nebraska ethanol plants threaten Kansas water supplies New Nebraska ethanol plants threaten Kansas water supplies mongabay.com September 5, 2007 Ethanol production is threatening water supplies in the American Midwest reports the Wall Street Journal. The paper presents the water conflict between corn growers in Nebraska and Kansas owners of underground water wells on the […]
Business has to lead the Clean Up of the Enviroment

Business has to lead the Clean Up of the Enviroment Business has to lead the Clean Up of the Enviroment Joshua S Hill, special to mongabay.com August 30, 2007 Though the next two and-a-bit years will remain in a sort of ecological standstill, the remaining century is going to be the boiling point for earth. […]
Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment

Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won’t hurt the environment mongabay.com August 30, 2007 Environmentalists have long seen biofuels as a means to improve the sustainability of transportation and energy use since they are a renewable source of energy that can be replenished on an ongoing basis. […]
UPS finds environment a top concern among customers, pushes paperless billing
UPS finds environment a top concern among customers, pushes paperless billing UPS finds environment a top concern among customers, pushes paperless billing mongabay.com August 28, 2007 UPS recently surveyed its customers to find out what would make them change billing methods to paperless PDF invoices. Surprisingly, the shipping giant found the primary motivating factor — […]
Wall Street looks at energy efficiency to boost profits

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Sony launches consumer electronics recycling program

Sony launches consumer electronics recycling program Sony launches consumer electronics recycling program mongabay.com August 17, 2007 Sony has launched a recycling program for consumer electronics. The Sony Take Back Recycling Program will accept any Sony products for free. Electronics made by other manufacturers can be dropped off for a charge. The company has teamed with […]
Apple comes up a bit short on eco-credentials of new iMac

Apple comes up a bit short on eco-credentials of new iMac Apple comes up a bit short on eco-credentials of new iMac mongabay.com August 10, 2007 While Apple has touted the environmental attributes of its newest iMac, critics say the new computer failed to live up to the company’s goals for the use of mercury, […]
Wal-Mart demand drives “greener” shrimp farms

Wal-Mart demand drives “greener” shrimp farms Wal-Mart demand drives “greener” shrimp farms mongabay.com July 24, 2007 Wal-Mart’s demand for sustainably-produced products is driving “greener” production of shrimp in Thailand, reports the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Environmentalists have long complained about damages wrought by the shrimp-farming industry. Pollution from shrimp farm effuse and clearing of biologically-important […]
Cosmetics retailer announces sustainable palm oil initiative

Cosmetics retailer announces sustainable palm oil initiative Cosmetics retailer announces sustainable palm oil initiative mongabay.com July 12, 2007 The Body Shop International today introduced a sustainable palm oil initiative, the first for the beauty industry. The company said the move was spurred by growing concerns over the impact of oil palm plantations on biodiversity. Orangutan […]
Ford Motor to introduce plug-in hybrids, but lags behind rivals

Ford Motor to introduce plug-in hybrids, but lags behind rivals Ford Motor to introduce plug-in hybrids, but lags behind rivals mongabay.com July 10, 2007 Monday Ford Motor Co. announced a partnership with utility Southern California Edison to test a fleet of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles in an effort to make the technology more accessible to […]
McDonald’s bolsters eco credentials with recycled biodiesel

McDonald’s bolsters “green” credentials with recycled biodiesel oil McDonald’s bolsters green credentials with recycled biodiesel mongabay.com July 9, 2007 McDonald’s Corp. (Public, NYSE:MCD), the fast-food chain, has bolstered its “green” credentials by announcing that its UK distribution fleet will be powered by biodiesel made of recycled cooking oil from its restaurants. While the move is […]
Inflatable concentrators may cut cost of solar below conventional power plants

Inflatable concentrators may cut cost of solar below conventional power plants Inflatable concentrators may cut cost of solarbelow conventional power plants Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com July 8, 2007 Cool Earth Solar, a Livermore, California-based company developing an innovative way for capturing solar energy, has merged with Radiant Energy, a developer and owner of renewable and […]
Home improvement giant bans illegal wood products

Home improvement giant bans illegal wood products Home improvement giant bans illegal wood products mongabay.com July 8, 2007 B&Q, the third largest retailer of home improvement materials, announced that within three years, all Brazilian wood products sold in China would come from certified sources. B&Q has 60 stores in China. Environmentalists say the announcement, made […]
How to save the world’s oceans from overfishing

How to save the world’s oceans from overfishing How to save the world’s oceans from overfishing An interview with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Mike Sutton Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com July 9, 2007 Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world […]
Amazon.com, eBay rank worst for global warming efforts

Survey: Amazon.com, eBay rank worst of internet firms for global warming mitigation efforts Amazon.com, eBay rank below Microsoft, Yahoo for global warming efforts mongabay.com June 20, 2007 Amazon.com and eBay rank at the bottom of the list of internet companies when it comes to reducing their impact on climate, reports a new analysis from Climate […]
Google to be carbon neutral by year end

Google to be carbon neutral by year end Google to be carbon neutral by year end mongabay.com June 20, 2007 Google Inc. aims to be carbon neutral by the end of 2007, according to a statement posted on the Official Google Blog. The search giant plans to fight global warming by investing in and using […]
Google will put $10M towards plug-in hybrid cars

Google will put $10M towards plug-in hybrid cars Google will put $10M towards plug-in hybrid cars Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 19, 2007 Google.org, Google Inc.’s philanthropic arm, unveiled an initiative to convert hybrid cars to plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), a move that will cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce oil use, and help stabilize the […]
Google, Intel seek greener computers

Google, Intel seek greener computers Google, Intel seek greener computers Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 13, 2007 Google, Intel, and other tech giants announced an energy efficiency drive develop “greener” computers that use 50 percent less power by 2010. The plan, dubbed the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, seeks to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that […]
Google, Microsoft launch energy efficiency initiative

Google, Microsoft launch energy efficiency initiative Google, Microsoft launch energy efficiency initiative Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 12, 2007 Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants announced an energy efficiency drive to reduce computer power consumption by 50 percent by 2010. The scheme, dubbed the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, seeks to reduce the emission of greenhouse […]
World’s largest movement has no leader but 100M employees

A Wiser Earth? World’s largest movement has no leader but 100M employees A Wiser Earth? World’s largest movement has no leader but 100M employees Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 11, 2007 Visionary Paul Hawken discusses WiserEarth and new book The world’s largest movement has no name, no leader, and no ideology, but may directly involve […]
Can cattle ranchers and soy farmers save the Amazon?
- An Interview with John Cain Carter.
- The key to making conservation successful is making it profitable. John Carter may hold that key.

Globalization could save the Amazon rainforest

Globalization could save the Amazon rainforest An interview with Dr. Daniel Nepstad: Amazon rainforest at a tipping point But globalization could help save it Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 4, 2007 The Amazon basin is home to the world’s largest rainforest, an ecosystem that supports perhaps 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial species, stores vast […]
HSBC puts $100 towards global warming research

HSBC puts $100 towards global warming research HSBC puts $100 towards global warming research mongabay.com May 28, 2007 HSBC announced Wednesday it would spend $100 million on climate change research. The investment, which will go to the Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and WWF over a five year period, is the […]
HSBC invests $100M in global warming research

HSBC invests $100M in global warming research HSBC invests $100M in global warming research mongabay.com May 30, 2007 HSBC announced Wednesday it would spend $100 million on climate change research. The investment, which will go to the Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and WWF over a five year period, is the […]
Intel pushes its environmental initiatives

Intel pushes its environmental initiatives Intel pushes its environmental initiatives mongabay.com May 23, 2007 Intel Corp. said it is removing lead from its next generation of computer chips. Instead the company will use an alloy made up of tin, silver, and copper. Intel said the decision stems from concerns over the public health and environmental […]
IBM launches “green” chip

IBM launches “green” chip IBM launches “green” chip mongabay.com May 22, 2007 IBM is touting the “green” credentials of its newest and most powerful microprocessor, the “Power6.” The tech firm says that the chip has a record speed of 4.7, offering double the speed of previous generation ‘Power5’ processors, but uses roughly the same power […]
16 cities to get energy-saving retrofits

16 cities to get energy-saving retrofits 16 cities to get energy-saving retrofits mongabay.com May 17, 2007 Sixteen cities will get financing to make buildings “greener” through environmental renovations, former President Clinton announced Wednesday at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York, where mayors and local government officials are meeting to discuss strategies to […]
Citigroup commits $50 billion to fight global warming

Citigroup commits $50 billion to fight global warming Citigroup commits $50 billion to fight global warming mongabay.com May 13, 2007 Citigroup said last week that it plans to spend $50 billion towards mitigating climate change, mostly through investments in clean energy and “alternative technology” over the next 10 years. The amount includes nearly $10 billion […]
Apple defends green credentials, promises to do better

Apple defends green credentials, promises to do better Apple defends green credentials, promises to do better mongabay.com May 4, 2007 In a open letter posted Wednesday, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs countered claims by green groups that the iPod and computer maker lagged in recycling and removing toxic chemicals from its products. He said the […]
Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms

Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms Cleantech investment booms, but energy tech bubble looms mongabay.com April 30, 2007 Investors are pouring money into clean technology, with spending on R&D rising to $48 billion in 2006, up 9 percent from 2005, reports a new study by Lux Research, an emerging technology research and advisory […]
Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment

Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment Dutch plan restricts biofuels that damage environment mongabay.com April 29, 2007 The Netherlands has proposed a system to reduce the environmental impact of biofuels production. The country becomes the first in the world to establish such guidelines. Environmentalists have expressed increasing concern for the establishment of energy crops […]
Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil

Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil Dutch will demand rainforest-friendly palm oil mongabay.com April 27, 2007 In a report scheduled to be released today, the Dutch government will outline criteria for growing biofuels in a more sustainable manner. The guidelines will be closely watched by the rest of Europe, which is currently struggling with the […]
Measures to drive adoption of super efficient cars in the U.S.
Measures to drive adoption of super efficient cars in the U.S. Measures to drive adoption of super efficient cars in the U.S. Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 11, 2007 To reduce its growing dependence on foreign oil the United States could implement relatively low-cost measures to put millions of super efficient vehicles on American highways, […]
Palm oil doesn’t have to be bad for the environment

Palm oil doesn’t have to be bad for the environment Palm oil doesn’t have to be bad for the environment Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 4, 2007 [part 1 | part 2] As traditionally practiced in Southeast Asia, oil-palm cultivation is responsible for widespread deforestation that reduces biodiversity, degrades important ecological services, worsens climate change, […]
Eco-friendly palm oil could help alleviate poverty in Indonesia

Eco-friendly palm oil could help poverty alleviation in Indonesia Eco-friendly palm oil could help alleviate poverty in Indonesia Palm oil is not a failure as a biofuel Rhett A. Butler mongabay.com editorial [part 1 | part 2] April 4, 2007 The Associated Press (AP) recently quoted Marcel Silvius, a renowned climate expert at Wetlands International […]
Littering with new plastic might not harm dolphins, sea turtles

Littering with new plastic might not harm dolphins, sea turtles Littering with new plastic might not harm dolphins, sea turtles mongabay.com March 28, 2007 A new environmentally friendly plastic that degrades in seawater may make it possible to toss plastic waste overboard without killing turtles, dolphins and other marine life, according to research presented at […]
Cell phone batteries could be powered by OJ

Cell phone batteries could be powered by OJ Cell phone batteries could be powered by OJ mongabay.com March 26, 2007 Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell battery that can run on virtually any sugar source — from orange juice to tree sap — and may last three to four […]
Plug-in cars could help fuel Austin power grid

Plug-in cars could help fuel Austin power grid Plug-in cars could help fuel Austin power grid mongabay.com March 26, 2007 The city of Austin, Texas hopes to launch an ambitious plan using plug-in electric cars to reduce pollution and improve power grid management, reports an article in today’s Wall Street Journal. Under the initiative put […]
Carbon offset schemes damage environment says report

Carbon offset schemes damage environment says report Carbon offset schemes damage environment says report mongabay.com February 21, 2007 Existing carbon offset schemes are confusing and may be damaging the environment rather than helping fight climate change says a new report by the Transnational Institute, a Dutch pressure group that runs carbontradewatch.org. The report, titled “The […]
Green construction booms as housing market tanks

Green construction booms as housing market tanks Green construction booms as housing market tanks mongabay.com February 21, 2007 While the residential housing market goes bust, the green construction sector is weathering the storm nicely, according to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal Sellers of materials used in green construction “are continuing to see gangbuster […]
Balloon technology could cut cost of solar energy 90% by 2010

Balloon technology could cut cost of solar energy 90% by 2010 Balloon technology could cut cost of solar energy 90% by 2010 Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com February 21, 2007 With high energy prices and mounting concerns over human-induced climate change, there is intense interest in renewable energy, especially solar, which produces no pollution and is […]
Largest firms to cut global warming emissions

Corporations agree to cut global warming emissions Largest corporations agree to cut global warming emissions Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com February 20, 2007 More than 100 top executives from the private sector and leaders of international governmental and non-governmental organizations unveileved a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They said governments need to take immediate steps […]
HSBC gives Smithsonian $8 million to study global warming impact on forests

HSBC gives Smithsonian $8 million to study global warming impact on forests HSBC gives Smithsonian $8 million to study global warming impact on forests Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com February 12, 2007 HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, today announced an $8 million grant to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to fund the world’s […]
$25 million prize to fight global warming

$25 million prize to fight global warming $25 million prize to fight global warming mongabay.com February 12, 2007 Friday Sir Richard Branson and Al Gore announced the establishment of a $25 million prize for the development of a technology that fights global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The prize follows in the […]
Starbucks, Earthwatch team up to improve eco-friendly coffee
Starbucks, Earthwatch team up to improve eco-friendly coffee Starbucks, Earthwatch team up to improve eco-friendly coffee mongabay.com February 1, 2007 Earthwatch Institute, a leading environmental volunteering organization, and Starbucks Coffee Company announced they will team up to support environmentally-friendly coffee plantations in Costa Rica. Starbucks will give eight partners and 20 customers an opportunity to […]
Wal-Mart looks to eliminate non-renewable energy product offerings

Wal-Mart looks to eliminate non-renewable energy product offerings Wal-Mart looks to eliminate non-renewable energy product offerings mongabay.com February 1, 2007 Wal-Mart Stores announced a new “Sustainability 360” environmental initiative on Thursday, encouraging employees, suppliers, communities and customers to reduce the “company’s direct environmental footprint.” “Sustainability 360 takes in our entire company — our customer base, […]
California bill would outlaw incandescent lightbulbs to help fight global warming

California bill would outlaw incandescent light bulbs to help fight global warming California bill would outlaw incandescent light bulbs to help fight global warming Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 31, 2007 This week California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) will introduce legislation that would ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by the […]
Savvy environmentalists challenge corporations to go green

An Interview with Michael Brune, executive director of the Rainforest Action Network Savvy environmentalists challenge corporations to go green An Interview with Michael Brune, executive director of RAN Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 29, 2007 Increasing rates of tropical deforestation in the 1970s and 1980s helped trigger the rise of several forest activist groups specifically […]
Are Brazil nuts really sustainable?

Are Brazil nuts really sustainable? Only if hunting is controlled A lot of rainforest conservation initiatives embrace sustainably harvested non-timber forest products (NTFPs) like seeds and nuts as a means to provide income to locals without harming the forest. Operating on the premise that such products are eco-friendly, hundreds of outfits ranging from Whole Foods […]
New Zealand implements ‘green timber’ policy
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China launches green buying policy
China launches green buying policy China launches green buying policy mongabay.com December 19, 2006 China’s Ministry of Finance and the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) announced that starting in 2007, the country’s central and provincial governments will prioritize their purchasing of environmentally friendly products and services. The two agencies released a “green purchasing list” specifying […]
Does green investing pay as well as conventional investing?

Does green investing pay as well as conventional investing? Does green investing pay as well as conventional investing? My Money Is Greener Than Your Money by Carol Vinzant OnEarth Magazine December 17, 2006 Socially responsible investing is now a major Wall Street trend. But the real question is this: Can you make as much dough […]
How to cut paper waste when printing web sites
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Green computing – Dell releases energy-saving server

Green computing – Dell releases energy-saving server Green computing – Dell releases energy-saving server mongabay.com December 4, 2006 Dell released a premium line of energy-efficient servers that consume considerably less power than regular models, joining a list of firms that offer consumers “greener” products. “The Dell PowerEdge Energy Smart 1950 and 2950 can deliver up […]
Eco vacationers engage in cutting-edge environmental research

“Eco vacationers” engage in cutting-edge environmental research Growing numbers of “Eco vacationers” engage in cutting-edge environmental research My Fabulous, Virtuous Vacation Jeff Greenwald, OnEarth Magazine October 24, 2006 Why fritter away the hours just lying on a beach somewhere when you can have your fun in the sun — and help save the planet. There […]
World Bank says carbon trading will save rainforests

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Google worried about global warming?

Google worried about global warming? Google worried about global warming? Google to build largest solar-powered office in the U.S. mongabay.com October 17, 2006 Google said it plans to build a solar-powered electricity system at its Silicon Valley headquarters that will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the United States. “Soon we […]
Brazil proposes compensation plan for rainforest conservation

Last month Brazil proposed the establishment of a fund to compensate developing countries that reduce deforestation, a move that follows a similar initiative by a coalition of developing countries led by Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica. The scheme could help cut greenhouse gas emissions that result from forest clearing and conversion. Deforestation currently is […]
Hospitals go green
Hospitals go green Hospitals go green mongabay.com October 4, 2006 Some hospitals are going “green” in an effort to cut pollution and toxic emissions that hurt the health of patients and surrounding communities according to an article in today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal. Columnist Laura Landro writes that hospitals are incorporating “green design” […]
Wells Fargo Makes Largest Corporate Renewable Energy Purchase

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) said today it will buy renewable energy certificates (RECs) to support generating 550 million kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable wind energy a year for three years. With this action, Wells Fargo becomes the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the United States according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. […]
California Oil Tax Pits Venture Capitalists Versus Big Oil
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Negative messaging not effective for green movement, finds study
Negative messaging not effective for green movement, finds study Negative messaging not effective for green movement, finds study mongabay.com September 26, 2006 New research suggests that negative messaging is not effective in convincing people to adopt green initiatives. The study, published by the Economic and Social Research Council, shows that “positive, informative strategies” are far […]
Shift from hard drives to flash may have environmental benefits

Shift from hard drives to flash may have environmental benefits Shift from hard drives to flash may have environmental benefits Green flash: solid state drives pay dividends beyond performance Tina Butler, mongabay.com August 28, 2006 The transition from standard hard drives to flash drives in laptops may have unexpected environmetal benefits. A leading technology research […]
World’s largest cities sign climate pact

World’s largest cities sign climate pact World’s largest cities sign climate pact mongabay.com August 2, 2006 While the Bush administration refuses to take legistlative steps to fight climate change, 22 of the world’s largest cities joined forces Tuesday in a global warming pact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Launched by former President Bill Clinton’s […]
Northern Ireland madantes green energy for new buildings

Northern Ireland mandates green energy for new buildings Northern Ireland mandates green energy for new buildings Northern Ireland Office July 25, 2006 Green buildings may be the future for Northern Ireland The Government is proposing changes to the Building Regulations which will make the use of renewable energy compulsory in all new builds from 2008, […]
Arguing climate change to an energy executive

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Saving the world in six “easy” steps

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Consumers want environmentally friendly computers

Consumers want environmentally friendly computers Consumers want environmentally friendly computers mongabay.com June 26, 2006 A study conducted earlier this year by Ipsos-MORI on behalf of Greenpeace found that consumers say they would be willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly computer. The amounts ranged from $59 in Germany, $118 in UK, $199 in China […]
Buffet to give nearly $31 billion to Gates foundation

Buffet to give nearly $31 billion to Gates foundation Buffet to give nearly $31 billion to Gates foundation mongabay.com June 25, 2006 In an interview with Fortune magazine, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett announced he will give nearly $31 billion — most of his wealth — to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The decision […]
Private sector trying to improve environmental, social performance says UN report

Private sector trying to improve environmental, social performance says UN report Private sector trying to improve environmental, social performance says UN report United Nations May 11, 2006 A growing number of business and industry groups are making efforts to improve their environmental and social performance, especially in such fields as global warming, but more still […]
Wal-Mart protects California forest

Wal-Mart protects California forest Wal-Mart protects California forest mongabay.com May 3, 2006 Last week Wal-Mart announced a $1 million grant to the Pacific Forest Trust to protect 9,200 acres for forest in Northern California near the towns of McCloud and Pondosa. The grant — supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — will be […]
Report makes case for regulating carbon dioxide emissions

Report makes case for regulating carbon dioxide emissions Report makes case for regulating carbon dioxide emissions Regulation has significantly reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides but CO2 remain uncontrolled Natural Resources Defense Council April 5, 2006 A new report evaluating air pollution trends at the nation’s 100 largest electric power producers shows that emissions of […]
California plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions

California plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions California plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com April 4, 2006 California plans to introduce legislation that will impose binding limiting on future greenhouse gas emissions. The state aims to cut current levels of emissions 10 percent by 2020, to bring pollution in line with […]
Taking Care of Business: Diapers Go Green

Taking Care of Business: Diapers Go Green Taking Care of Business: Diapers Go Green Tina Butler, mongabay.com April 2, 2006 Cloth or Disposable Diapers: Answering the Age Old Question A baby has been described as an alimentary canal with a loud voice on one end and no responsibility on the other. A couple from Australia, […]
Organic farming is eco-friendly finds study

Organic farming is eco-friendly finds study Organic farming is eco-friendly finds study By Mark Shwartz Stanford University March 6, 2006 A new study confirms the notion that organic farming is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agriculture Organic farming has long been touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agriculture. A new study in […]
Investors with $31 trillion pressure firms on climate change

Investors with $31 trillion pressure firms on climate change Investors with $31 trillion pressure firms on climate change Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com February 1, 2006 A group of 211 institutional investors with assets of $31 trillion under management is writing to 1,933 of the world’s largest public companies asking for the disclosure of investment-relevant information […]
Without recycling, world metals face depletion finds Yale study
Without recycling, world metals face depletion finds Yale study Without recycling, world metals face depletion finds Yale study Yale University January 26, 2006 Researchers studying supplies of copper, zinc and other metals have determined that these finite resources, even if recycled, may not meet the needs of the global population forever, according to a study […]
Citigroup to cut carbon emissions by 10%

Citigroup to cut carbon emissions by 10% Citigroup to cut carbon emissions by 10% Citigroup news release January 25, 2006 Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to environmental and social issues globally, Citigroup Inc. today announced a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions on a global basis by 10% by 2011. To accelerate this reduction, Citigroup […]
Private industry will embrace green energy says Australian govt

Private industry will embrace green energy says Australian govt Private industry will embrace green energy says Australian govt Australian industry focuses on green energy while government fights emissions cuts Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 11, 2006 US Energy Secretary, Samuel Bodman, told the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate—a rival to the Kyoto Protocol […]
Ford assesses business implications of climate change in new report
Ford assesses business implications of climate change in new report Ford assesses business implications of climate change in new report Ford Motor Company press release December 30, 2005 DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 20, 2005 In an industry first, Ford Motor Company has issued a report addressing the business implications of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions […]
Activists ditch tear gas neutralizers for suits at trade talks in Hong Kong

Activists ditch tear gas neutralizers for suits at trade talks in Hong Kong Activists ditch tear gas neutralizers for suits at trade talks in Hong Kong Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com December 13, 2005 Some activists have taken a different tack at this year’s World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong according to an article from […]
Energy efficiency helped California grow an extra $31 billion finds study

Energy efficiency helped California grow an extra $31 billion finds study Energy efficiency helped California grow an extra $31 billion finds study mongabay.com December 4, 2005 SUMMARY: Countering Bush administration claims to the contrary, environmental officials for the state of California and the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo have found significant evidence that greenhouse gas […]
Goldman Sachs first investment bank to adopt comprehensive environmental policy
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Nestle introduces fairtrade coffee, eco-friendly product goes mainstream
Nestle introduces fairtrade coffee, eco-friendly product goes mainstream Nestle introduces fairtrade coffee, eco-friendly product goes mainstream By Eleanor Wason, Reuters October 7, 2005 LONDON – For coffee drinkers overwhelmed by choice in the coffee aisles, add this: Fairtrade coffee from the world’s number one food group, Nestle. “Fairtrade” coffee, which up to now has mostly […]
Green elementary school opens in Chicago
Green elementary school opens in Chicago Green elementary school opens in Chicago AP October 1, 2005 CHICAGO – Youngsters at Tarkington elementary started their first day of classes Tuesday at a school where flowering plants grow on the roof. It’s one of the nation’s small but growing number of environmentally friendly schools, a stand-out because […]
Shredded tires help make landfills more environmentally sound
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90% of largest companies concerned about climate change
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Guidelines to promote a sustainable tourism
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Urban planning and environmental design pioneer, Francis J. Violich, dead at 94

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Wal-Mart builds environmentally-friendly store
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How to Raise $1 Billion for the Environment
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Biomimetics, technology that mimics nature
- Engineers, scientists, and business people alike are increasingly turning toward nature for design inspiration.
- The field of biomimetics, the application of methods and systems found in nature to engineering and technology, has spawned a number of innovations far superior to anything the human mind alone could have devised.
- The reason is simple. Nature, through billions of years of trial and error, has produced effective solutions to innumerable complicated real-world problems.
- The rigorous competition of natural selection means waste and efficiency is not tolerated in natural systems, unlike many of the technologies devised by humans.

Design of new Mercedes-Benz bionic car inspired by fish body shape

Design of new Mercedes-Benz bionic car inspired by fish body shape Design of new Mercedes-Benz bionic car inspired by fish body shape DaimlerChrysler Release July 10, 2005 (This release was originally dated 7 – June – 2005) DaimlerChrysler is using a new concept vehicle to examine the great potential of bionics for automobile development, and […]
Mayors agree on ‘green cities’ environmental pact
Mayors agree on ‘green cities’ environmental pact Mayors agree on ‘green cities’ environmental pact AP June 6, 2005 Mayors from around the world signed an international treaty to make their cities more environmentally conscious. The pact calls for boosting use of public transportation, drastic cuts to the volume of trash sent to landfills and ensured […]
Saving the Amazonian Rainforest Through Agricultural Certification

Saving the Amazon Rainforest Through Agricultural Certification Saving the Amazon Rainforest Through Agricultural Certification New Certification Scheme for Cattle, Soy Tina Butler, mongabay.com June 3, 2005 John Cain Carter is a Texan rancher who owns 20,000 acres (8100 hectares) in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and who has an unlikely relationship with the forest […]
Developing sustainable business models that address the needs of the world’s poor

Developing sustainable business models that address the needs of the world’s poor Developing sustainable business models that address the needs of the world’s poor mongabay.com May 25, 2005 People involved with international development and poverty alleviation programs are increasingly looking toward the private sector for inspiration and assistance. Many believe that involving business in such […]
Why sustainably-managed eco-friendly wood is more expensive for consumers

Why sustainably-managed eco-friendly wood is more expensive for consumers Why sustainably-managed eco-friendly wood is more expensive for consumers mongabay.com May 19, 2005 Eco-friendly wood is all the rage these days. Companies from Ikea to Home Depot require their suppliers of tropical wood to be certified by various organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which […]
For What It’s Worth: Ecological Services and conservation

How much are ecosystems worth? How much are ecosystems worth? For What It’s Worth: Ecological Services and Conservation Tina Butler, mongabay.com May 4, 2005 For a long time, preserving natural spaces was considered to be a favor to the environment without a true, measurable benefit to businesses, industrial production and productivity. In recent years however, […]
Circumventing Washington: Corporate America and activists bypass the White House
Circumventing Washington: Corporate America and activists bypass the White House Corporate America, Activists & Circumventing Washington: A New Approach to Environmental Lobbying Green groups partner with corporate interests to bring changes in business practices Tina Butler, mongabay.com April 27, 2005 On April 25, the New York-based banking giant J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. joined the […]

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