Green Business News - Week Ending September 17th
A Belated Debate on Modified Beets
More than 75% of America's corn, soy and sugar beet crops are genetically modified, but we rarely hear about it in the news. Many European countries have banned such crops due to insufficient research and concerns about health, safety and environmental impact.
Environmentalists and farmers are suing the federal Agriculture Department in a California court, in an effort to overturn permits that would allow farmers to plant genetically altered sugar beets. On August 13, a San Francisco judge issued an injunction against planting genetically modified sugar beets. His ruling was based on the Department of Agriculture's failure to adequately study the environmental impact before approving the widespread use of genetically modified crops.
The beets in question are engineered by Monsanto to be resistant to their Roundup herbicide, which allows farmers to apply large amounts of herbicide to fields without killing the beets. Extensive use of Roundup has already resulted in the emergence of "superweeds" that are also resistant to Roundup, and require far harsher chemicals to eradicate. Sugar beets are known to cross-pollinate with regular beets and Swiss chard, and nearby organic farmers are concerned about contamination of their heirloom crops. Earthjustice and the Center for Food Safety contend that this would "deprive farmers and consumers of the choice to grow and consume nongenetically engineered food."
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Turning everyday garbage into gasoline
A new product called the MicroFusion Reactor can process organic food waste --anything that goes into your compost bin -- into ethanol fuel. At a cost of less than a dollar a gallon, Reactor-produced ethanol is far cheaper than buying ethanol the traditional way.
The system costs $16,000 -- $10,000 for the waste storage tank and pump/reactor system, and $6000 for the generator. CEO Thomas Quinn sees the product as benefiting businesses like hotels and restaurants, which generate large quantities of organic waste. He also sees applications in residential areas. If you don't produce enough organic waste on your own, you can have it delivered.
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eBay: Our merchants are good for the Earth
Auction giant eBay has sponsored a report that explains how its business model promotes sustainability and energy efficiency. The report found that by eliminating the need for a physical storefront, the retailer avoids the environmental costs associated with maintaining a retail space. eBay started their research in 2008, with a goal of completing "the world's first comprehensive analysis of the global warming benefits of online trading, payments, and communications."
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Ferrari's hybrid future
Ferrari has announced its 2012 supercar will be based on new hybrid technology that will cut emissions by 35%. Their 599 hybrid concept system uses a kinetic energy recovery system to improve energy efficiency. The new supercar will be smaller and lighter than current models, and will not sacrifice speed for lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Are Marketers Bowing to Positive Peer Pressure?
Consumers are seeing huge increases in "green" and "sustainable" marketing, as companies respond to growing market demand for environmentally responsible products. Next time you're at the grocery, check out the shift from product packaging that used to focus entirely on selling the product, to packaging that prominently features its environmental benefits. One example is compostable packaging. The Keebler chocolate chip cookies packaging can be upcycled (turned into new products instead of going to the landfill), and uses almost a quarter of it's prime marketing real estate -- the front of the cookie package -- to tell you about it.
As article author Heidi Tolliver-Nigro notes, "Do you know what a big deal this is? The front of a product package is one of the most precious pieces of real estate a consumer product company has. For them to devote 10% or even 20% of that real estate to some kind of sustainability initiative really says something. For them to give more space to sustainability marketing than the product itself, that’s astonishing."Astonishing, and a striking testament of how our buying decisions bring about change in the marketplace.
REI Releases 2009 Stewardship Report
Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) released its fourth annual stewardship report report this week, highlighting the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability and employee welfare. Notable findings include:
* 31% of greenhouse gas emissions came from the company's adventure travel program, REI Adventures. This is notable because retailers normally see the highest emissions from in-store energy use.
* REI's five environmental target areas are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and increasing recycling, green building, sustainable paper usage and product stewardship.
* They also focus on employee welfare, and went so far as to join the Fair Factories Clearinghouse and conduct an independent audit of their fair labor compliance program. 60% of REI's factory violations were a result of health and safety, and fair wage issues.
