Archive for the ‘Legislation’
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sprint Challenges Wireless Industry to Embrace a Greener Tech Future
Posted By: Brad Roderick
I want to congratulate Sprint for taking the lead on sustainability initiatives and testifying before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. Below is a press release from MarketWatch, providing information on the issue.
Sprint Challenges Wireless Industry to Embrace a Greener Future
Hesse testifies before Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
WASHINGTON, Feb 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint Nextel [NYSE: S] CEO Dan Hesse testified today before Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and members of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet about sustainability initiatives undertaken by Sprint and the wireless technology industry to benefit the environment. Hesse focused his remarks on how Sprint’s environmental efforts and goals are challenging the technology industry to creat”greener” future.
Hesse announced two new initiatives as Sprint continues its leadership in developing aggressive, measurable sustainability goals. Sprint has implemented green product guidelines for all its manufacturers, and is introducing an innovative wireless recycling Buyback program. Below are excerpts from Hesse’s testimony:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How Green is the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: Recycled medals made from electronic waste
Posted By: Brad Roderick
With the Winter Olympics in full effect in Vancouver, I want to highlight some of the initiatives being taken to make the games more green. Here is a video from GreenopolisTV, explaining how this years Olympic medals in Vancouver are made from electronic waste.
Olympic Medals made with your recycled TV?
From: GreenopolisTV | February 17, 2010 | 1,572 views
For the first time in Olympic history, the medals at the Olympic Games contain gold, silver and copper that has been recovered from electronic waste (e-waste). Each medal was made with a tiny bit of the more than 140,000 tons of e-waste that otherwise would have been sent to Canadian landfills. More than 1,000 medals to be awarded at the Vancouver games this year.
The recovery of medals from e-waste is important, because it reduces demand for scarce metals such as gold and copper. Check in your community for e-waste recycling centers and drop off points and go for GOLD.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
TIME Magazine covers Options on Cutting Carbon
Posted By: Leslie Fischer
It looks like the world is going green and getting greener! Here is an interesting article I found discussing a plausible solution to cut carbon. Some industry leaders in developing sustainable energy solutions think the solution to this problem is right under our noses (and feet, for that matter), with an innovative process called carbon capture and storage, or CCS.
Cutting Carbon: Should We Capture and Store It?
By SIMON ROBINSON / ABU DHABI Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
In the push to cut the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere, solutions usually focus on how to reduce our power use (drive less, insulate our houses better) or how to replace our carbon fuels (coal, oil) with renewable sources (solar, wind, biofuels).
But even in the most optimistic scenario, we will be using fossil fuels such as coal for years to come. China and India aren’t going to suddenly shut down all their new coal power plants, nor will Western industrial giants close their factories overnight. Solar and wind may be today’s sexy new energy sources, but coal is the fastest-growing fuel in the world, boasting twice the known gas reserves and three times the known oil reserves. “Coal is here to stay,” Milton Catelin, head of the World Coal Institute, told the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Jan 19.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
CNET: China introduces law to boost renewable energy
Posted By: Jared Cook
Here is an article I wanted to share from CNET about China’s renewable energy news.
China introduces law to boost renewable energy
A new Chinese law requires power grid operators to buy all the electricity produced by renewable energy generators, in a move that will increase the proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources in coal-dependent China.
Monday, December 28, 2009
UN urges all countries to sign climate accord in Copenhagen
Posted By: Jared Cook
Here is an interesting article from COP15.dk, the official Web site of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009. The article discusses the necessitiy of countries signing this bill to collectively combat climate change.
UN urges all countries to sign climate accord
The UN secretary-general on Monday urged all countries to formally sign on to the Copenhagen Accord to start tackling climate change and step up work toward a legally binding treaty in 2010.
Ban Ki-moon also urged richer nations to contribute to a multi-billion dollar fund to help poorer countries cope with global warming which will become operational in January.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
E-Stewards video uncovers the infamous face of e-waste
from guest blogger michael timberlake
Check out this video from the Basel Action Network (BAN) that I found on the front of the Surplus Exchange’s website, a KC non-profit electronic donation and recycling organization and an BAN E-Steward Founder. It is far and away the best and most comprehensive video I have seen about e-waste. Covering issues such as corrupt ‘e-waste recyclers’ who make profits from donated electronics, pollution and contamination in developing nations due to primitive metal extraction practices, confidential data security risks in improperly recycled electronics, and poor legislation and enforcement by the U.S. and Canada in curbing this problem.
About BAN and the Surplus Exchange, a local Kansas City non-profit organization:
The Basel Action Network (BAN) is the only organization focused on confronting the global environmental injustice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its devastating impacts. Their E-Waste Stewardship Project is to designate and certify a group of recyclers and refurbishers that have proven a commitment to reaching the highest standards for responsible reuse and recycle of electronics, and to ensure every pound of e-waste is properly recycled and refurbished. Too often, corrupt e-waste recycling centers deceive responsible like you by claiming to operate environmentally-friendly while making profits through illegally shipping your e-waste to other countries or recycle their electronics below standards. The certification is to designate which non-profits and businesses adhere to this standard.
The Surplus Exchange is a non-profit organization that has been operating in Kansas City since 1984, and is an E-Steward Founder. Operating out of the West Bottoms, they take in donated surplus business goods and redistribute them charitably to the non-profit community, students in need, new businesses and are also sold to the general public to help divert the cost of their recycling programs and other efforts. Between 2005-2006 they diverted nearly 1500 tons of just electronics from landfills. However, much of the electronics dropped off or donated cannot be reused and are sent to a reclaiming facility with Surplus Exchange incurring the cost. You can help their efforts by donating or purchasing reusable electronics and business supplies, donating to their cause and efforts, or becoming an E-Champion by helping Surplus Exchange spread through forwarding information via your email. All donations are tax-deductible, go to SurplusExchange.com to learn more.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Minn. Senator wants more research on reducing and diverting the e-waste carbon footprint
National e-waste laws could take a big leap forward soon if Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) gets her way. Sponsoring a bill with bipartisan support, Chris Newmarker of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports that the legislation would improve the recycling of electronic devices by funding.research on better product designs, recycling technology and hazardous materials disposal practices. Read the whole story from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal here.
Best Buy is a strong supporter of Klobuchar, which has made great efforts to help people recycle their e-waste correctly through their stores nationwide.
From the story: “Technology continues to advance, but our ways of disposing of electronic equipment haven’t kept up,” Klobuchar aid. “Many states, including Minnesota, are leading the way, but we need a national solution to ensure that all unwanted electronics are discarded in a safe and responsible manner.”