Most people by now will be familiar with the term ‘carbon footprint’ and may even have calculated it themselves, but how many are familiar with their ‘water footprint’? It’s about time we all learned what it is, says Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Professor in Multidisciplinary Water Management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, as soon it will be influencing how we live our lives.
Hoekstra created the water footprint concept in 2002 when he was undertaking research on what is known as virtual water trade flows for the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education.
Information & Updates
Carbon Offsetting Trends Survey 2008
From GreenBiz.com: ” This survey is among the first to look at the ways that large, multinational corporations are addressing their carbon footprints from within, and what strategies they’re using to offset the emissions they can’t avoid. The study sampled 65 companies across industries about their attitudes towards offsets and what steps they’re taking to improve their environmental performance.
Explore the Supply Chain as a Carbon Target
From Australian Business: “While the Australian Government continues its consultations on the proposed emissions trading scheme, companies in Britain have begun looking for creative ways to reduce their carbon footprint by reducing energy use in their supply chains. Booz & Co Sydney-based consultant Greg Lavery said several British companies had been examining more energy-efficient supply chains as a “hidden source of emissions reductions”.
Grocers Going Green with GreenChill Program
(Washington, D.C. – Sept. 9, 2008) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named Giant Eagle Inc. and Harris Teeter Inc. as the first winners of its GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership Environmental Achievement Award. The award recognizes the two food retailers for emitting the lowest rates of ozone-depleting refrigerant in GreenChill’s first year.
Japan Announces 2008 Green Logistics Projects
From meti.go.jp: “The Green Logistics Partnership Conference (held by the Japan Institute of Logistics Systems, Japan Federation of Freight Industries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, cooperation from Nippon Keidanren) selected projects that it will promote in FY 2008 from among those in which cargo owners and logistics businesses will make joint efforts to reduce CO2 emissions (institutional support projects and dissemination projects) in addition to projects selected from those submitted to the first call for invitation (11 institutional support projects and 35 dissemination projects). Projects selected this time are two institutional support projects and nine dissemination projects.” Japan Announces 2008 Green Logistics Projects
World Sky Race to Promote Airship Alternative
From worldskyrace.com: ” The World Sky Race is an historic tour and competition of lighter-than-air skyships racing 30,000+ miles. In sixteen back to back races that completely span the globe, the overall winner will be crowned World Sky Champion. The competing skyships will travel from the Greenwich Prime Meridian southward to Africa and the Middle East, across the Indian Ocean to Equatorial Asia and through the Orient, island hop across the Pacific to the western shores of North America, down to Central America, up to the North Atlantic and crossing back to Prime Meridian for an exciting finish in an historic race, completing a full global circumnavigation.
Six Steps for Greening Your Retail Supply Chain
From Businesswire.com: “RockBlocks Group, Inc., a leader in global sourcing and supply chain solutions for consumer packaged goods, grocery, electronics, department & specialty stores, branded apparel and footwear retailers, today announced a list of Six Steps for Greening Your Global Supply Chain to help retailers achieve a competitive advantage while adopting environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. Green supply chains not only reduce overall environmental impact, but improve the strength, efficiency and productivity of supply chain operations.” Six Steps for Greening Your Retail Supply Chain
Boeing Teams With Canadian Firm to Build Heavy-Lift Rotorcraft
ST. LOUIS, July 8, 2008 – The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and SkyHook International Inc. today announced a teaming agreement to develop the JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter), a new commercial heavy-lift rotorcraft designed to address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials in remote regions. Boeing has received the first increment of a multiyear contract from SkyHook to develop the new aircraft. “SkyHook secured the patent for this neutrally buoyant aircraft and approached Boeing with the opportunity to develop and build the system,” said Pat Donnelly, director of Advanced Rotorcraft Systems for Boeing. “We conducted a feasibility study and decided this opportunity is a perfect fit for Advanced Systems’ technical capabilities.”
Kraft Goes Green with Underground Facility
“Kraft Foods today marked the opening of a 400,000-square-foot warehouse in Springfield Underground that will serve as a central distribution hub for the food manufacturer.
The facility, 3610 E. Kearney St., was built-to-suit by owner Springfield Underground, according to a news release. Westerville, Ohio-based Exel staffs the center with 91 employees who provide inbound and outbound services including storage of finished goods, order picking and fulfillment.
The Dirt on Greenwashing from Wikipedia
From wikipedia.com: “Greenwash (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) is a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The term Green sheen has similarly been used to describe organisations which attempt to appear that they are adopting practices benefical to the environment.” The Dirt on Greenwashing from Wikipedia