By turning coffee waste into auto parts, this collaboration builds on the two companies' commitments to environmental stewardship.

Allbirds sustainable wool shoes are disrupting the footwear market with their low-carbon style.

The brewery in New York state uses local energy, grows its own ingredients, composts – and even more.

BSR focuses on a company’s national business operations and global supply chain from both environmental and social perspectives.

Company will focus on four pillars to advance the sustainability of its biggest product category, food

The Beauty and Personal Care Products Sustainability Summit gathered industry leaders to collaborate for the benefit of all

Embracing Sustainable Energy

From old-school safety razors to homemade shaving cream, cut waste from your shaving routine with these environmentally friendly (and budget-friendly) options.

Three communities recognized as setting the "gold standard" for local-level sustainability planning named winners of the 2011 Siemens Sustainable Community Awar

We'd like to know your thoughts on sustainability initiatives and what's needed in your community. Participate in this quick sustainable cities poll.

Programs and partnerships help underserved communities excel in the forestry business.

Sustainability starts with you, from the smallest change you can make in your own home or office can have a huge effect further up the chain.

Prairie Grass Fish Fry lunch and dinner on Thursdays and Fridays will be a throwback to the weekly Fish Fry tradition, but with a sustainable and artisanal chef's touch.

In this time of apparent divisiveness, imagine a nationwide enterprise that identifies our common values--a hands-on research project that engages thousands of people across all political, ethnic, geographic, age, gender, and economic lines.

US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is hosting its 8th Annual Conference, "Investing for a Sustainable World," from May 30 - June 1, 2018 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Jinpo Solar a global leader in designing and manufacturing solar panels, has started OEM manufacturing for Solar PV Panels, solar power system,Solar Thermal Collectors.

The first one in the world for robo-delivery

The original OPV Solar Trees of the German Pavilion at the EXPO 2015 world exhibition in Milan have been reinstalled in Darmstadt.

Brine Disinfection System to Support Canadian Swiss Cheese Producer

In 1920, as its population began to explode, Los Angeles was a largely pastoral city of bungalows and palm trees. Thirty years later, choked with smog and traffic, the city had become synonymous with urban sprawl and unplanned growth.

Yet Los Angeles was anything but unplanned, as Jeremiah B.C. Axelrod reveals in this compelling, visually oriented history of the metropolis during its formative years. In a deft mix of cultural and intellectual history that brilliantly illuminates the profound relationship between imagination and place, Inventing Autopia: Dreams And Visions Of The Modern Metropolis In Jazz Age Los Angeles (Berkeley: University Of California Press, 2009) shows how the clash of irreconcilable utopian visions and dreams resulted in the invention of an unforeseen new form of urbanism--sprawling, illegible, fractured--that would reshape not only Southern California but much of the nation in the years to come.

At 401 pages, it could seem like a daunting read, but those interested in Los Angeles history, urbanization, or the rise of the automobile will find this enjoyable. It's a great compliment to the Metro Library's historic transit and transportation studies collection. Many of these documents, which date back to 1911, have been digitized and are available on our website in full-text PDF.

Axelrod focuses on the 1920s when Los Angeles was growing at a fast clip. As we noted back in July, the number of automobile registrations in Los Angeles County quadrupled between 1914 and 1922 - making it very clear that the city's embrace of the auto would set the stage for decades of congestion and other issues.

Going back further in history is another equally seminal story about transportation in the West. Acclaimed historian Walter R. Borneman has written a dazzling account of the battle to build the first transportation system across America.

Rival Rails: The Race To Build America's Greatest Transcontinental Railroad (New York: Random House, 2010) is an action-packed epic of how an empire was born—and the remarkable men who made it happen.

After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the rest of the country was up for grabs, and the race was on. The prize: a better, shorter, less snowy route through the corridors of the American Southwest, linking Los Angeles to Chicago.

Borneman lays out in compelling detail the sectional rivalries, contested routes, political posturing, and ambitious business dealings that unfolded as an increasing number of lines pushed their way across the country.

The author brings to life the legendary business geniuses and so-called robber barons who made millions and fought the elements—and one another—to move America, including:

William Jackson Palmer, whose leadership of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad relied on innovative narrow gauge trains that could climb steeper grades and take tighter curves;

Collis P. Huntington of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific lines, a magnate insatiably obsessed with trains—and who was not above bribing congressmen to satisfy his passion;

Edward Payson Ripley, visionary president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, whose fiscal conservatism and smarts brought the industry back from the brink; and

Jay Gould, ultrasecretive, strong-armer and one-man powerhouse.

In addition, Borneman captures the herculean efforts required to construct these roads—the laborers who did the back-breaking work, boring tunnels through mountains and throwing bridges across unruly rivers, the brakemen who ran atop moving cars, the tracklayers crushed and killed by runaway trains.

From backroom deals in Washington, D.C., to armed robberies of trains in the wild deserts, from glorified cattle cars to streamliners and Super Chiefs, all the great incidents and innovations of a mighty American era are re-created with unprecedented power in this new work destined to be a classic.

Turning now to urban planning, author Patrick Condon discusses transportation, housing equity, job distribution, economic development, and ecological systems issues and synthesizes his knowledge and research into a simple-to-understand set of urban design rules that can, if followed, help save the planet.

Seven Rules For Sustainable Communities: Design Strategies For The Post Carbon World (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2010) clearly connects the form of our cities to their ecological, economic, and social consequences. This book takes on a wide range of complex and contentious issues and distills them down to convincing and practical solutions.

Of particular importance is how city form affects the production of planet-warming greenhouse gases. The author explains this relationship in an accessible way, and goes on to show how conforming to seven simple rules for community design could literally do a world of good. Each chapter in the book explains one rule in depth, adding a wealth of research to support each claim. If widely used, Condon argues, these rules would lead to a much more livable world for future generations—a world that is not unlike the better parts of our own.

In Last Exit: Privatization And Deregulation Of The U.S. Transportation System (Washington, D.C.: Brookings, 2010), Clifford Winston reminds us that transportation services and infrastructure in the United States were originally introduced by private firms.

The case for subsequent public ownership and management of the system was weak, in his view, and here he assesses the case for privatization and deregulation to greatly improve Americans satisfaction with their transportation systems. How can this be done?

Writing in the New York Times, Harvard University economics professor Edward L. Glaeser points out that:

Because the public sector controls almost all roads, airports and urban transit, we see the downsides of public control on a daily basis, but we don’t experience the social costs that could accompany privatization. A private airport operator might try to exploit its monopoly power over a particular market or cut costs in a way that increases the probability of very costly, but rare, disaster.

The complexity and risks of switching to private provision means that Mr. Winston is wise to call for experimentation rather than wholesale privatization. An incremental process of trying things out will provide information and build public support.

Yet many of Mr. Winston’s recommendations are incremental and can be done without privatization or much risk.

The book covers privatization and deregulation of roads, airports, air traffic control, mass transit, intercity buses and railway networks.

The Middle East Institute explores "Pathways to a Sustainable US-Pakistan Relationship" in discussion with Ali Jehangir Siddiqui

Cheryl Perkins, founder and president of Innovationedge.

After several weeks of pipeline breaks and water restrictions, water in storage on the South Rim of Grand Canyon has reached sustainable levels. Park operations will return to and stay at Level 1 water conservation measures. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/level-1-water.htm

Thes plush scarves and face masks were designed to block out 95% of common contaminants that pose health risks—and 99% of germs that cause colds or flu.

The post N95 Scarf Filters the Air Around You – With Fashionable Sustainable Solution for Personal Protection appeared first on Good News Network.

The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's major timber-producing regions, and its capacity to produce wood on a sustained-yield basis is widely recognized. Nonetheless, there has been increasing public interest in assuring that forests are being sustainably managed, as well as a desire by landowners to demonstrate their commitment to responsible stewardship.

The importance to society of environmental services, provided by forest ecosystems, has significantly increased during the last few decades. A growing global concern with the deterioration of forests, beginning perhaps most noticeably in the 1980s, has led to an increasing public awareness of the environmental, cultural, economic, and social values that forests provide. Around the world, ideas of sustainable, close-to-nature, and multi-functional forestry have progressively replaced the older perception of forests as only a source for timber. The international impetus to protect and sustainably manage forests has come from global initiatives at management, conservation, and sustainable development related to all types of forests and forestry. A few of the more notable initiatives include: the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED); regional follow-ups to the Earth Summit such as the Montreal Process and Helsinki Accords; the forest elements of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC).

By Jeff Mulhollem Penn State News The first harvest of 34 acres of fast-growing shrub willow from a Penn State demonstration field this winter is a milestone in developing a sustainable biomass supply for renewable energy and bio-based economic development, … Continue reading →

Disclosed is a polyester resin containing the polycondensation product of (a) at least one diacid, acid ester, or diester, and (b) at least two diols. The at least two diols include a disproportionated rosin diol and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. Also disclosed is a toner composition having particles which include the disclosed polyester resin. Further disclosed is a method of preparing the disclosed polyester resin, and a method of forming toner particles that includes the disclosed polyester resin.

Founded in 2017 by Taran Chhabra and Amar Preet Singh, Neeman’s is a sustainable shoe brand that uses completely natural, renewable, recyclable and chemical-free materials to reduce the carbon footprint.

IN 2017, ABOUT three-quarters of the stuff Seattleites dumped in their blue recycling bins — from grocery store ads and crumpled cracker boxes to shampoo bottles and yogurt tubs — was shipped to China. These days, virtually none of it is. The majority of the material is being recycled much closer to home — at […]

Re: “The business of burps: Scientists smell profit in cow emissions” [May 2, Business]: The lengths to which humans will go to subdue and tweak nature and animals for their own whims and profit boggles my mind. When I read that scientist are lending their names and investors money to studies about how to make […]

Re: “The business of burps: Scientists smell profit in cow emissions” [May 2, Business]: The lengths to which humans will go to subdue and tweak nature and animals for their own whims and profit boggles my mind. When I read that scientist are lending their names and investors money to studies about how to make […]

As the construction industry struggles to deal with its impact on the climate, a new crop of people with big ideas are looking for alternative materials to build with. Phil Ayres, an architect and associate professor of architecture in Copenhagen, says the future of building materials isn't high tech polymers or special light metals but mushrooms.  

Tourism operators throughout Australia are being told to focus on relationships rather than destinations, or risk repeating the mass-tourism mistakes of Barcelona and Venice.

My topic today is innovation for a sustainable future. This raises two questions:

San Francisco-based firm Malcolm Davis Architecture has managed to combine the cool vibe of Cali design with the energy-saving principles of sustainable living. Their latest design is a modern ranch home that was built using reclaimed materials and boasts several active and passive strategies that reduce the home's environmental impact.[...]

Koto Design has teamed up with Plant Prefab to create two new incredible net-zero energy homes. Koto LivingHome 1 and Koto LivingHome 2 are modular homes that incorporate sustainable living systems of the future. Under the ethos of creating great architecture that is more sustainable, the dwellings are powerhouses of energy-efficiency, with passive elements to reduce energy demand and active systems that allow homeowners to reduce electricity consumption through an app.[...]

Community gardeners and other activists in Berlin are helping the Transition movement to take root in the German capital as part of its worldwide campaign for a sustainable society.

Kaitlyn Dever, Léa Seydoux and Oscar-winning director Elena Andreicheva are this year's ambassadors for Suzy Amis Cameron's Red Carpet Green Dress initiative.

Twenty years ago at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, countries adopted Agenda 21 — a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection. Marking that anniversary, this year sees Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, with aims to get bold agreements to address things like poverty, sustainable development, decent jobs, etc.

This page provides coverage of recent events via Inter Press Service’s news feed.

Read full article: Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development

Corporate Members Event Webinar

Event participants

Professor Tim Benton, Research Director, Emerging Risks and Director, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House

Creon Butler, Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models; Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House

Elsa Palanza, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainability and ESG, Barclays

Chair: Laura Wellesley, Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House

11 December 2019

Agricultural subsidies shape production and consumption patterns, with potentially significant effects on poverty, nutrition and other sustainability concerns. This paper maps the different types of support provided by governments to the agricultural sector, and highlights some of the complex political economy dynamics that underpin the relevant policies. 

Corporate Members Event Webinar

Event participants

Professor Tim Benton, Research Director, Emerging Risks and Director, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House

Creon Butler, Research Director, Trade, Investment & New Governance Models; Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House

Elsa Palanza, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainability and ESG, Barclays

Chair: Laura Wellesley, Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House

Expert

Robin Niblett

Sovereign nations typically measure economic success in terms of GDP (income) but this approach is risky as it fails to track and measure the impact of this on nature. Inclusive wealth, on the other hand captures financial and produced capital, but also the skills in our workforce (human capital), the cohesion in our society (social capital) and the value of our environment (natural capital).