Leading UK brands — including Superdrug, Nouvelle recycled toilet paper and 3′ mobile — are owned by companies that profit from environmentally devastating exploitation of the Canadian tar sands for oil, according to the alternative consumer organisation Ethical Consumer.
HSBC, RBS and Barclays also all play a significant role in financing tar sands mining, according to the organisation, which is calling for a boycott of brands from companies linked to tar sands mining.
Extracting fuel from tar sands produces carbon emissions between 2.5 to 8 times higher than conventional oil extraction, according to Ethical Consumer. It warns that oil derived from tar sands “threatens to unleash far more CO2 into the atmosphere than the planet can possibly cope with.
“If all of the permits for extraction granted by the Canadian Government are fulfilled, there would be a hike in CO2 from this alone that would be enough to push the world past the 2 degrees C threshold that scientists warn is likely to precipitate catastrophic climate change,” the organisation states. “In addition, production involves massive use of water resources and the deforestation and ecological destruction of the pristine forest and wetland environment of Alberta. It’s not just nature that’s suffering. Indigenous communities who live and fish downstream from the
tar sands are raising concerns around the possible health risks posed by toxicity levels in local water and fish.”
The top ten brands linked to tar sands mining are:
While British consumers overwhelmingly prefer green products, only 12 per cent think companies are doing enough to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change, according to new research from the Carbon Trust.
The survey of more than 1,000 consumers across the UK found that almost two-thirds (63 per cent) are more likely to buy a product if they know action is being taken to reduce its carbon footprint. At the same time, 70 per cent of consumers want businesses to do more to help them make more informed environmental choices about the products they buy.
Other survey findings:
Green credentials carry consumer weight — Committing to reduce a product’s carbon footprint has a positive impact on the brand’s reputation, as 58 per cent of consumers say they value companies that are taking action to reduce their carbon emissions;
Environmentally responsible brands must shout louder — Only 12 per cent of consumers think companies are doing enough to cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change, and more want help with making better choices. Just under half (47 per cent) say they would like more information on how to reduce the footprint of a product when using it;
Consumer understanding of sustainability grows — 60 per cent of consumers understood that a product such as a chocolate bar or loaf of bread has a carbon footprint. As more than two-thirds of the UK’s carbon footprint comes from products and services, acknowledging the need to reduce these, as well as a company’s or individual’s carbon footprint, is vital, according to the Carbon Trust.
“Companies can’t ignore the fact that consumers do care about climate change and what a brand is doing to fight it,” said Euan Murray, general manager of carbon footprinting for the Carbon Trust. “Carbon Trust research shows that a business’ commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its products has a significant impact with the consumer and that 70 per cent of consumers want help in making the right choices.”
Murray added, “Retailers and producers who are committed to reducing their products’ carbon footprints can get ahead by responding to this increasing consumer demand. Our experience with product carbon footprinting in the last two years shows that businesses that take real action to reduce their carbon emissions are realising dual benefits of immediate cost savings and a strong ‘green’ reputation amongst consumers.”
The Carbon Reduction Label has been developed to help brands demonstrate their commitment to carbon reduction and help consumers understand more about taking action on climate change. The Carbon Trust’s primary objective with the label is to help businesses to measure, verify, reduce and communicate the carbon footprint of their products and services.
“We understand that consumer attitudes are going to be the key driver for business decision makers: our research findings vindicate this approach,” Murray said.
Consumers are surprised that any company would not consider putting a recycle logo or message on their direct mail pieces, according to a new study by postal management and advice organisation ONEPOST.
The research summarises the primary issues facing the direct mail industry and notes that education is the key factor for both consumers and businesses to better understand and implement best practice.
“We believe these findings will give businesses the opportunity to promote their brand whilst at the same time helping to further reduce their impact on the environment,” said Graham Cooper, managing director of ONEPOST.
“I hope many businesses will read the white paper and act on the findings,” said Alex Walsh, head of postal affairs at the Direct Marketing Association. “There is a raft of Government environmental targets to meet and the direct marketing industry must take greater responsibility to ensure we deliver our share of the waste strategy objectives without the need for additional Government intervention.”
A copy of the white paper is available by emailing ONEPOST.
Renewable electricity supplier has increased the payment it makes to its HomeGen customers for every unit of energy they generate. The utility now provides 15p — up from 10p — per unit.
HomeGen customers are paid for their total generation, not just the units of electricity they export to the grid.
“Paying Home Gen customers 15p for every unit of electricity they generate is groundbreaking,” said Juliet Davenport, CEO and founder of Good Energy. “It sets the benchmark for a UK feed‐in tariff and signals the importance of rewarding total generation, not just exported electricity.”
Good Energy buys only 100 per cent renewable electricity from over 500 independent generators across the UK. It supports independent and micro generation through buy‐back schemes, and recently published an analysis of all feed‐in‐tariff (FIT) models under consideration by the Government to help policy-makers find the best FIT.
“With some further encouragement and incentives from the Government the reasons for not home generating will be fewer and fewer,” said Good Energy customer AJ Snell, who installed solar panels on his home. “This could be the tipping point that encourages many more UK home owners to become home generators.”
Following its finding that energy consumption by electronic devices will double by 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is calling on governments to urgently implement policies to make electronic devices such as televisions, laptops and mobile phones more energy-efficient.
“(D)espite anticipated improvements in the efficiency of electronic devices, these savings are likely to be overshadowed by the rising demand for technology in OECD and non-OECD countries,” said IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka. Tanaka made his comments in Paris upon presenting the IEA’s new report, “Gadgets and Gigawatts.”
The IEA study finds that, over the next seven months, the number of people using a personal computer will pass the one billion mark. Electronic devices currently account for 15 per cent of household electricity consumption but their share is rapidly rising. Already, there are nearly 2 billion television sets in use, with an average of over 1.3 sets in each home having access to electricity. Over half the global population subscribes to a mobile telephone service, and the number of external power supplies associated with many electronic devices now exceeds 5.5 billion.
Without new policies, the energy consumed by information and communications technologies, as well as consumer electronics, will double by 2022 and increase threefold by 2030 to 1,700 terawatt hours (TWh), the IEA report predicts. This will jeopardise efforts to increase energy security and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
“This increase up to 1,700 TWh is equivalent to the current combined total residential electricity consumption of the United States and Japan,” Tanaka said. “It would also cost households around the world $200 billion (US) in electricity bills and require the addition of approximately 280 gigawatts of new generating capacity between now and 2030.”
Despite those projections, “Gadgets and Gigawatts” finds that opportunities for energy savings are considerable. Electricity consumption from residential information and communications technologies and consumer electronics devices could be cut by more than half through the use of the best available technology and processes that are currently available. This would slow growth in consumption to less than 1 per cent a year through 2030.
That level of energy saving would represent a reduction to consumer energy bills of over $130 billion (US) in 2030 and the avoidance of 260 gigawatts in additional power generation capacity — more than the current electrical generating capacity of Japan.
“Many mobile devices are already far more efficient in their use of power than other devices which run off a main electricity supply,” Tanaka said. “Because extending the battery life of a mobile device is a selling point, manufacturers place an emphasis on designing products which require very little power. This example shows us what can be achieved. Where no such commercial drivers exist, governments must step in to ensure that we make the most of every energy efficiency opportunity.”
The global recession is achieving what years of environmental debate hasn’t, making more consumers go green, according to new research from utility services comparison provider uSwitch.com.
The survey found that 78 per cent of households say they are more energy efficient today than a year ago, with the main reason being the high cost of energy (36 per cent) rather than environmental concerns (9 per cent).
While 60 per cent of those surveyed agreed it’s import to buy Energy Saving Recommended white goods, 35 per cent said the product’s price will always determine their purchasing decisions. And a full 43 per cent of those queried said they believe energy saving costs money.
Among the energy-saving strategies consumers have adopted are switching off lights when not needed (91 per cent), filling the kettle with only as much water as needed (79 per cent), running washing machines and dishwashers only when full (78 per cent) and no longer leaving electrical appliances on standby (69 per cent).
Based on the survey’s findings, uSwitch.com concludes that “consumer cost consciousness could derail the drive for Britain to go green, with households shying away from anything that will eat into their tightened budgets.”
“This is a double-edged sword,” said Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com. “Consumers are reacting to the recession and the high cost of energy by cutting back on energy usage. They are taking simple steps, but they are not buying into the major energy efficiency measures because they are worried about the costs involved, are confused about what is available and don’t understand the savings they could make. As a result they could miss out on the longer-term savings to be made from investing in making their homes more energy efficient. This caution is natural, but it smacks of a missed opportunity.”
Robinson added, “The Government will also be concerned as the cost of going green could stop consumers getting behind its drive to make Britain’s households more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions. The Government should work with the energy industry and particularly with individual suppliers to ensure that consumers are getting the information and reassurance they clearly need to make them feel confident about making the investment.”
The Project PUMA (for “Personal Urban Mobility & Accessibility”) vehicle made its debut in advance of the New York Auto Show.
GM says the electric-powered, two-seat, two-wheeled vehicle could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly, cleanly and cost-efficiently.
“Project PUMA represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect those vehicles in an Internet-like Web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park and connect to their social and business networks.”
“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” added Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway. “The Project PUMA prototype embodies this completely through the combination of dynamic stabilization, seamless drive-by-wire controls, and sophisticated battery systems to complete the connection between the rider, environment and others.”
Built to carry two or more passengers, the Project PUMA vehicle can travel at speeds up to 56 kilometres per hour, with a range up to 56 kilometres between recharges. No word yet on when the vehicle would be potentially ready for market.
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates:
A new report from the Geothermal Energy Association finds that the number of geothermal projects in the US (PDF) has increased by 25 percent since August of last year;
The UK Green Building Council this week called for a new sustainable building code for all new and existing non-domestic buildings;
Honda today announced it will add a Class 8 hybrid electric truck to its truck fleet in Georgia. The auto company uses Class 8 trucks to transport parts to parts centres and dealerships;
Declining global demand for oil is resulting in fully loaded supertankers sitting idle offshore and vast storage facilities filled to capacity, MSNBC reports;
UPI reports that NASA and Cisco are working to develop a “Planetary Skin” platform that will gather and analyse climate data from space- , air- , land- and sea-based sensors around the globe;
The market for photovoltaics will shrink by 15 percent to $12 billion in 2009 because of weak global demand, according to a new report from Greentech Media and the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development;
Aperion Communities CEO David Maniatis will address the ECO:nomics Conference this week to discuss the use of an innovative tax districting system to support home weatherisation and energy conservation;
Who even thinks about the carbon footprint of a carton of orange juice? PepsiCo does, apparently, and the footprint is a surprisingly large one.
The New York Times reports this week that PepsiCo, in the course of trying to assess its products’ impact on global warming, found that a half-gallon carton of orange juice (the company owns the Tropicana brand) comes with a carbon dioxide impact of 3.75 pounds (1.7 kilograms).
If that seems astoundingly hefty, blame it on the agricultural practices used to grow oranges. Orange trees love nitrogen, and that means lots of artificial fertiliser, which is not only a source of greenhouse gas emissions on the farm but requires vast amounts of natural gas to produce.
PepsiCo says it plans to post the OJ carbon footprint on its Tropicana Website. It’s not yet certain, though, whether the company will also include the figure on the actual product.
PepsiCo says it was the “first major food brand in the world to display a carbon footprint/reduction logo” on one of its products (Walkers Crisps). The corporation has also begun to include sustainability considerations in capital expenditure decisions, set a company-wide goal to cut water consumption by 20 percent by 2015 and purchases carbon offsets for all the electricity consumed by its US facilities.
As if the food-versus-fuel debate weren’t enough already, along comes some new fodder for a potential food-versus-plastics debate: Victor Creative Media’s new rice-based CD/DVD cases.
In all fairness, Tech-On! reports that the new plastic cases are made with nonfood rice … though I’m not sure what that is. Anyway, the cases do offer some environmental advantages, according to Victor, which is part of Victor Company of Japan/Kenwood Corporation, or JVC/Kenwood.
With 10 percent of their material coming from rice rather than plastic resin, the CD/DVD cases require less petroleum to produce. And while it seems it would be more eco-friendly to recycle such cases rather than incinerate them, Tech-On! notes that the Victor cases, if sent to the furnaces, would result in 10 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions because the rice component would simply return to the atmosphere carbon that had previously been absorbed by the rice plants.
While the rice-based cases are a bit more expensive than their non-rice counterparts, they can provide businesses that offer them a little boost of green cred. Victor notes that orders for the new CD/DVD cases have already started coming in, with the first products likely to appear in stores within a month or so.
Leading UK brands — including Superdrug, Nouvelle recycled toilet paper and 3′ mobile — are owned by companies that profit from environmentally devastating exploitation of the Canadian tar sands for oil, according to the alternative consumer organisation Ethical Consumer.
While British consumers 
Consumers are surprised that any company would not consider putting a recycle logo or message on their direct mail pieces, according to a new study by postal management and advice organisation ONEPOST.
Renewable electricity supplier has increased the payment it makes to its HomeGen customers 
Following its finding that 
The global recession is achieving what years of environmental debate hasn’t, making 
General Motors Corporation and Segway today unveiled a prototype of a 
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates:
Who even thinks about the carbon footprint of a carton of orange juice? PepsiCo does, apparently, and the footprint is a surprisingly large one.
As if the food-versus-fuel debate weren’t enough already, along comes some new fodder for a potential food-versus-plastics debate: Victor Creative Media’s new rice-based CD/DVD cases.