Europeans overwhelmingly consider the environmental impact of products they buy

Four out of five Europeans say that they consider the environmental impact of the products they buy reveals a Eurobarometer survey published today. Environmental consideration was highest in Greece where more than 9 in 10 of those surveyed said the impact of a product on the environment plays an important aspect in their purchasing decisions. In the same survey Europeans were evenly divided about claims by producers on the environmental performance of their products while nearly half thought that a combination of increased taxes on environmentally-damaging products and decreased taxes on environmentally-friendly products would best promote eco-friendly products. There was also strong support for retailers to play a role in promoting environmentally-friendly products and for mandatory carbon labelling.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "The battle against climate change must be fought on all fronts and everyone must contribute. It is not only the remit of companies and governments; consumers also have their part to play. By purchasing environmentally and climate-friendly products individual customers send the right signal to producers who respond in turn by producing more eco-friendly products."

Impact of products on the environment important

In the Eurobarometer survey published today on Europeans' attitude towards sustainable consumption and production, an overwhelming majority of Europeans (83%) said the impact of a product on the environment plays an important aspect in their purchasing decisions. With 92% in favour Greeks were more likely to consider the environmental impact of the products they buy while the Czechs were the least likely (62%).

Mixed views on claims by companies on the environmental performance of their products

Europeans surveyed were evenly divided about claims by producers about the environmental performance of their products with 49% trusting the claims and 48% not trusting such claims. The Dutch were more likely to trust these claims (78%) while Bulgarians were the least likely (26%).

Higher taxes on environmentally-damaging products and lower taxes on environmentally-friendly products

Some 46% of EU citizens also thought that the best way to promote environmentally-friendly products would be to increase taxes on environmentally-damaging products and decrease taxes on environmentally-friendly products. Britons were most in favour of such a double taxation system while the Maltese much less so (28%) preferring instead reducing taxes on environmentally-friendly products only.

The important role of retailers in promoting environmentally-friendly products

Those surveyed were strongly in favour of retailers promoting environmentally-friendly products. Approximately half of EU citizens (49%) thought that they should increase the visibility of such products on their shelves or have a dedicated green corner in their store. A third (31%) of Europeans said that the best way for retailers to promote green products is for them to provide better information to consumers.
Strong support for carbon footprint labels

Despite just under half of Europeans saying that ecolabels play an important role in their purchasing decisions and only 1 in 10 saying the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by a product should feature on environmental labels, some 72% of EU citizens thought that a label indicating a product's carbon footprint should be mandatory in the future. Attitudes on the subject varied widely between Member States with the Czechs the least in favour of such labelling (47%) and Greeks wholeheartedly behind the idea with 90% in favour.

A carbon footprint label would show the total amount of greenhouse gases – including carbon dioxide – emitted during its lifetime, from production to disposal. At present no such scheme exists Europe-wide, but at the December 2008 Environment Council ministers invited the Commission to study the introduction of carbon footprint labelling.


More information Sustainable consumption and production web pages: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/escp_en.htm

Renault Nissan and State of Oregon Form EV Partnership

The Renault-Nissan Alliance and the State of Oregon are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle charging network.

US-based electrical utility Portland General Electric (PGE) is also a participant in the partnership and is working toward the development of an easily accessible and reliable network of charging stations.

Nissan will introduce zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the US in 2010 and will mass market ZEVs globally two years later. As part of the agreement, Nissan has committed to make available a supply of ZEVs to the State of Oregon and work with the state to develop plans to promote the electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

The state, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation, has committed to promote the deployment, operation and maintenance of the EV charging network by developing specifications for charging stations and seeking agreements with suppliers that may be used by entities such as local governments and utility companies.

Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor and Renault, said: "This partnership represents a major step toward reliable zero-emission mobility in the State of Oregon. Together, we are creating conditions that will encourage consumers to consider an electric vehicle as an attractive choice that is also good for the environment."

Richest 10% create bigger ecological footprint

The richest 10 percent of Canadians create a bigger ecological footprint – a whopping 66 percent higher – than the average Canadian household, says a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

The study, Size Matters: Canada’s Ecological Footprint, By Income, is the first Canadian study to link national income and consumption patterns with global warming.

“When we look at where the environmental impact of human activity comes from, we see that size really does matter,” says Hugh Mackenzie, CCPA research associate. “Higher-income Canadians create a much bigger footprint than poorer Canadians.”

Among the study’s findings:

The richest 10% of Canadian households create an ecological footprint of 12.4 hectares per capita – nearly two-and-a-half times that of the poorest 10%.
While the size of an individual’s ecological footprint increases as household income increases, the real jump is at that top 10% level. When it comes to environmental impact, it really is a case of the rich and the rest of us.

The bottom 60% of Canadian households’ ecological footprint is below the national average but even the lowest-income Canadians create an ecological footprint that is several times the average for those in poorer nations.

“All Canadians share responsibility for global warming,” says co-author Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence. “But wealthier Canadians are leaving behind a disproportionately larger footprint – and should be expected to make a disproportionate contribution to its reduction.”

Mackenzie says the study contains lessons for policy makers: “Clearly ecological impact is stongly related to income. Greenhouse gas emissions policies should reflect that reality or risk being less effective and unfair to low- and middle-class Canadians.”

Hybrid SolarWall PV/T System in Olympic Village

The Beijing Olympic Village is now home to cutting-edge solar technology, one of the world's first SolarWall photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid systems.

Mounted on the roof of one of the central buildings, which will be a service centre for athletes during the Olympics, the SolarWall® PV/T technology is unique in that it is one of the first commercially viable hybrid solar systems. The technology produces both electricity and heat energy from the same surface area, generating 200-300 per cent more energy than a conventional PV system. It combines SolarWall® air heating technology with photovoltaics to create a total energy solution in which the payback period is reduced and the CO2 displacement is maximized.

As an added benefit the SolarWall® panels act as a racking system to the PV; removing the heat from the back of the modules and channeling it into the facility’s traditional heating system.

The building is also home to a conventional SolarWall® air heating system, which was integrated into the architecturally unique front façade.

The project was done through the Canadian SolarWall office, with Conserval Engineering working in partnership with Natural Resources Canada and the Olympic Village developer to incorporate these innovative solar technologies into the site.

EnviroCAB Launches the first carbon-negative taxicab company in the world

EnviroCAB (www.envirotaxicab.com), the nation’s first all-hybrid taxicab fleet, officially opened for business in greater Washington, D.C. in february. The fleet of hybrid Toyota Priuses, Camrys and Highlanders and Ford Escapes guarantees passengers environmentally-friendly taxicab service at no additional cost (standard taxicab fares apply).

“We are thrilled to provide the environmentally-conscious with a taxicab service that guarantees a green ride,” said Hans Hess, enviroCAB partner. “By choosing an enviroCAB, passengers are also supporting the offsetting of emissions being spewed by the non-hybrid cabs in our area. We will effectively emit zero carbon dioxide, and we’ll also remove the emissions of two additional existing cabs for every enviroCAB we put on the street through our carbon-negative offset plan.”

EnviroCAB is the first carbon-negative taxicab company in the world and is:
• the first taxicab company within the Washington, D.C. region to put a fleet on the road comprised entirely of fuel-efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles.
• the first taxicab company in the U.S. to completely offset its own emissions by purchasing “clean-source” offset credits.
• the world’s first carbon-negative taxicab service by offsetting the emissions of 100 of the approximately 685 non-hybrid taxis operating in Arlington,Va.

The company will emit 2.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide less than similarly sized standard taxi vehicles, and will offset an additional 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emission for its fleet to be carbon neutral. By purchasing “clean-source” offset credits, enviroCAB will become carbon-negative by offsetting another 7.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of 100 older, fuel inefficient taxis. The taxicab company is already providing service to all major airports for many corporate clients who are “going green.”

Germany Cancels Plans to Introduce E10 in 2009

More than 3 million cars in Germany cannot run on a new biofuel the government wants to introduce, well over a limit the administration has set as a pre-condition for its use, industry sources said.

Around 330,000 cars made by German manufacturers, plus more than 3 million imported cars, are unable to run on the new fuel, industry sources familiar with the data said. The environment ministry declined to comment on the figures.

In a newspaper, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said he would annul a government decree that the fuel, called E-10, be introduced if too many cars were unable to run on it. "We won't implement it if the number exceeds a million vehicles," he told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten daily.

E-10 mixes regular gasoline with biofuel. The biofuel component accounts for up to 10 per cent of the total fuel content. The ADAC motorists' association called for the introduction of E-10 to be delayed until 2012.

Mr Gabriel is waiting for figures from the auto industry on the number of cars unable to use the fuel before taking a final decision on whether or not to introduce it. The government's push to introduce E-10 is part of a broader drive to curb emissions.

European Union states agreed in principle last year to cut emissions by at least one fifth by 2020 from 1990 levels, to use 20 per cent of renewable energy sources in power production and 10 per cent of biofuels from crops in transport by the same date.

Patagonia is First to Track Environmental and Social Impact of Its Products

'The Footprint Chronicles' Website Launches with Unprecedented Corporate Transparency

Patagonia is the first major apparel manufacturer to track and expose the social and environmental impact of specific garments through The Footprint Chronicles, an interactive website that reveals to consumers the good and the bad involved in manufacturing outdoor clothing such as Synchilla fleece vests and rain shells. In a bold move that might make most companies nervous, Patagonia is determined to be candid and forthright about its impact on the environment and created the site to encourage dialog with its customers who are concerned about the environment.

"We believe that to avoid complacency, we must constantly examine our internal processes to improve upon the positive and mitigate the negative," said Casey Sheahan, president and CEO of Patagonia. "The Footprint Chronicles allows us to do this publicly -- sort of learning out loud." He points out that the idea behind the website is to encourage thought and discussion. Each season the site will examine new products, so that the more that is exposed, the more harmful practices the company can change. Five new products will be added on Earth Day, 2008.

"Our customers are scientists, activists, professors, doctors and more -- they have the collective experience and knowledge we're looking for," said Sheahan. "We're highlighting exactly what happens in the manufacturing process and asking customers for their suggestions and help in efforts to find solutions to our less sustainable practices. It's a unique dialogue to engage in -- but one that will ultimately allow us to cause less harm to the planet."

According to Jill Dumain, Patagonia's director of environmental programs, the research involved in developing the Chronicles has proved to actually drive major business decisions at Patagonia.

"The Chronicles revealed that transportation makes up only about 1 percent of our overall energy use," said Dumain. "Had we listened to the current media buzz touting transportation as the largest factor in energy consumption, we might have greatly misplaced our efforts by making strides to geographically shorten our supply chain -- which would have massively impacted our business financially, logistically and perhaps even effected product quality -- and we would only have reduced our energy savings by 1 percent. Instead, we are focusing our energy on areas where we can truly make a difference -- right in the heart of the manufacturing process."

The launch of The Footprint Chronicles puts into practice a prototype that they hope will inspire other companies to increase their transparency, and at the very least, raise awareness.

"We've been in business long enough to know that if we can reduce or eliminate a harm, other businesses will be eager to follow suit," said Sheahan. "Many companies will be pleasantly surprised that when they delve into their manufacturing processes, they will be able to present a balanced expose of their practices. Customers will appreciate their honesty and reward them for it."

The Footprint Chronicles includes more than 35 filmed interviews and slideshows of factory workers, farmers, owners, designers and third-party auditors to provide an unprecedented level of transparency both internally and externally -- from the factories and manufacturing partners that create its products, to the end of the product's lifespan.

About Patagonia

Patagonia, with sales last year of over $280M, is noted internationally for its commitment to product quality and environmental activism. Incorporating environmental responsibility in to product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line. With its most recent launch of synthetic fiber-to-fiber recycling -- Patagonia is taking back worn-out polyester and nylon clothing and reincarnating it as new products, forever capturing the raw materials used in making virgin fiber.

CSRwire

SEAT to install solar panels at Martorell plant

SEAT is this year planning to become one of the world's largest solar energy generators, with the firm's factory at Martorell to see the large-scale installation of solar panels generating enough renewable power to avoid the emission of more than 11,700 tonnes of CO2 a year.

By putting up a 8.5 megawatt (MW) array of solar photovoltaic panels, the system will generate 11.2 Gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity a year by the end of 2008. The first phase of solar panels will be placed on the roof of SEAT's corporate building in Martorell, as well as on the support structure of one of the finished vehicle parking lots.

The next step will be to cover two more distribution areas with a total surface area of more than 66,000 m2 (16.3 acres). Adding panels to the roofs of several other assembly buildings will further increase generating capacity by 139,000 m2 (34.3 acres).

Another recent advance at Martorell is expected to remove up to 25,000 trucks from Spain’s roads. On 18th January the first FGC (Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat de Catalunya) train carrying vehicles from the SEAT factory in Martorell reached the Port of Barcelona.

The trip marked the culmination of a €6.8 million (£5 million) project to connect SEAT-Martorell and the port by rail. To create the connection between the Martorell factory and the port a new branch line had to be built, part of the main railway line adapted and a new access point to the unloading area of the port created. When fully operational the new goods transport service will see two trains per day transport an expected 80,000 vehicles per year.

Norway to build world's first osmotic power plant

Norway plans to build the world's first osmotic power plant, a renewable energy source that uses the pressure built up between sea water and fresh water, Norwegian energy group Statkraft said Wednesday.

Osmotic power is based on the natural process of osmosis.

In an osmotic power plant, sea water and fresh water are separated by a membrane. The sea water draws the fresh water through the membrane, thereby increasing the pressure on the sea water side. The increased pressure is used to produce power with a turbine, Statkraft said.

"Osmotic power is a very-promising technology," the head of Statkraft, Baard Mikkelsen, said in a statement.

"It is clean and [greenhous gas] emission-free, and could become competitive within a few years," he said.

According to Statkraft, the technology could produce some-1,600 terawatt hours (TWh) worldwide. That is equivalent to "13 times the annual hydroelectric production of Norway," which covers almost all of its energy needs with hydro power.

In Europe, the potential is estimated at around 200 TWh, Statkraft said.

The prototype of the osmotic power plant is being built in Hurum in southeastern Norway, and could produce between 2 kilowatt and 4 kilowatt hours.

Construction is scheduled to be completed next year.

World's First Hydrogen Powered Race Car

Engineers at the University of Hertfordshire have developed the first hydrogen-powered racing car which they will race this weekend.

A £5,000 grant from the Royal Society of Chemistry has made it possible for John Goddard and James Waters, two PhD students in the University's new Sustainable Energy Technologies Centre to convert a Formula Student racing car into a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

This is the first time that a hydrogen-powered racing car has been developed anywhere in the world.
























It will produce zero CO2 emissions, will be fuelled by "green" hydrogen produced from farm waste, and will be equally as fast as a petrol-fuelled one.

The engineers are very optimistic about the car's chances in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Formula Student Race when it races on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July at Silverstone.

This particular car won the Best UK Car category in the competition in 2005.

The University set up the Sustainable Energies Technology Centre in December 2006 to develop research into sustainable technologies and other uses of hydrogen.

Biofuels Costing the Earth?

Increasing amounts of biofuels (substitutes for petrol or diesel made from crops such as sugar cane, beet, maize, wheat, oilseed rape and oil palm) are being produced to reduce the carbon dioxide impact of transport. But the World Land Trust argues this requires vast areas of land and is not the best way of using land to mitigate climate change. The WLT would like us all to consider the knock on effects of the increase in demand for Biofules which they feel are not currently being acknowledged. As we produce more and more rape seed here in the UK to cope with demand we leave the third world to produce our fruit and cereals which in turn forces them to clear more endangered habitat at the same time as significantly clocking up the UK's food miles. And let's not forget how the elephants of India or orangutans of Borneo who suffer in our race to find a so called 'green fuel'.

Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust and Dominick Spracklen of the University of Leeds show that much more carbon dioxide emissions can be avoided by protecting the remaining forest we have and restoring forest on arable land that is not needed for food production (Science, 17th August 2007). They argue that policy-makers would be better advised to focus on increasing the efficiency of fossil fuel use and developing carbon-free transport fuels to replace fossil hydrocarbons. Existing forests and savannahs should be conserved and natural forest and grassland habitats restored. In addition to reducing net carbon dioxide flux to the atmosphere, conversion of large areas of land back to secondary forest provides other environmental services (such as prevention of desertification, provision of forest products, maintenance of biological diversity and regional climate regulation), whereas conversion of large areas of land to make biofuels will place additional strains on the environment.

source

New Jersey governor signed the toughest U.S. global warming law

Governor Jon Corzine made New Jersey the first state to call for strict greenhouse gas reductions by 2050 in an effort to fight global warming and climate change. Corzine signed the Global Warming Response Act that mandates greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey to be cut by 16 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.

The new law also sends a message to the Bush administration, who opposes mandatory emission cuts, preferring voluntary goals instead. But that, Corzine says, is not enough. "We want to send a message to Washington. Wake up, get with the program and start doing something about greenhouse gasses," the Democratic governor told reporters.

Other states have introduced their own measures since the federal government has yet to require mandatory emission regulations. California also passed a greenhouse gas law recently that mandates emission cuts. And while it has a long term goal of cutting emissions by 80 percent in 2050, it is merely a target, and not enforceable like that of the New Jersey law.

Hitachi to launch Super Eco-factory

On June 25, 2007, Hitachi Group announced its new "Super Eco-factory" standards for environment-conscious plants and the first nine Super Eco-factories. The group aims to reduce CO2 emission by 7% by FY2010 compared with FY1990.

The Hitachi Group has proposed "emission neutral" status, in which the "direct loads" including energy used in production activities such as the acquisition of basic materials and processing and refining of components, greenhouse gases emitted from factories and energy used for transportation, and the reduction of "social loads" referring to the electricity consumed by products and energy used for recycling end-of-life products are balanced out.

Hitachi is striving to implement this status by FY2015. In accordance with this goal, the above-mentioned Super Eco-factory certificate has been formulated since FY2006.

The Hitachi Group defines Super Eco-factories as "environmentally friendly facilities that further promote energy conservation, reduce chemical substance emissions and implement advanced resource recycling measures."

Super Eco-factories are required to be six times more energy efficient than the lowest standard applied by Japan's energy saving laws. The Hitachi Group looks to certify 30 Super Eco-factories out of about 300 factories generating heavy environmental loads by 2010.

The group has already started "Super Eco-product" standards for products that have achieved more than 10 times higher "environmental efficiency," an index that represents "how much product or service value is generated, while lowering environmental loads and resource consumption," compared with relevant products manufactured in around 2000, and authorized 40 Super Eco-products by the end of March 2006.

The group has also authorized 1,012 Eco-products as of the end of fiscal 2006 and aims to increase sales of Super Eco-products to 30% of total Eco-product sales.

In FY2007, the Hitachi Group is moving forward to authorize more Super Eco-factories and about three times more Super Eco-products than 2006 toward the goal of emission neutral status in 2015. Through these measures, the group plans to reduce CO2 emissions by 850,000 t combining direct loads and social loads from the FY2006 level.

via Tech-On

India: a car that runs on compressed air

The world's first commercial compressed air-powered vehicle is rolling towards the production line. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre, will be built by India's largest automaker, Tata Motors.

After ten years of research and development, MDI is prepared to introduce its clean vehicles onto the market (zero pollution). Unlike electric or hydrogen powered vehicles, MDI vehicles are not expensive and do not have a limited driving range. MDI cars are affordable and have a performance rate that stands up to current standards.

The Air Car uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons. It is anticipated that approximately 6000 Air Cars will be cruising the streets of India by 2008. If the manufacturers have no surprises up their exhaust pipes the car will be practical and reasonably priced. The CityCat model will clock out at 68 mph with a driving range of 125 miles. The cost of a fill up is approximately $2.00.

The perfect vehicle for point-to-point travel in dense urban settings ?

Cleaner skies with Easyjet "Ecojet"

British low cost carrier Easyjet has unveiled it’s “Easyjet EcoJet” which they claim can reduce CO2 Emissions by 50% by 2015.

EasyJet said it was in discussions with Boeing and Airbus – the world's largest plane manufacturers – and engine maker Rolls-Royce about producing a next generation of green aircraft.

The easyJet 'ecoJet', crafted by two qualified aeronautical engineers employed by the airline, features "open rotor" engines that will produce 25% less carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre flown than the airline's current Airbus planes.

It will cut fuel burn by a further 15% with wings and fuselage constructed from lighter aluminium composite material. A further 10% will be saved by slower inflight speed and, in a development not linked to the aircraft, changes to air traffic control across Europe.

Boeing and Airbus, whose order books and production lines are full due to a glut of orders, would be able to produce a new plane from scratch within eight years according to Easyjet chief executive.

Climate change is a serious problem that affects us all. There is strong evidence that human emissions of greenhouse gases are changing the world's climate. The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2), produced when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas for energy.

Over 40 per cent of CO2 emissions in the UK come directly from what we do as individuals; for example, heating and using electricity in our homes - and driving vehicles. Flights are the next biggest source of individuals’ CO2 emissions.

Everyone contributes to climate change

Everyone has a carbon footprint - it's your own personal measure of how much carbon dioxide you create and how much you contribute to climate change.

Calculate your carbon footprint!

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Use the Act on CO2 calculator to find out what your carbon footprint is. You'll also get a personalised action plan with recommendations about how you can help tackle climate change - including links to further information on Directgov and the Energy Saving Trust website.