Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Survey: Most Americans want better public transportation options (via AutoBlogGreen)

A majority of Americans want government to expand transportation policy to include better public transportation and easier biking/walking options.

What Copenhagen might achieve, three months on (via Financial Times’ Energy Source)

If all 110 countries adhere to their emissions reduction commitments, climate change would be limited to a roughly 3-degree increase, instead of the 4.8-degree increase estimate by no reductions.

Oh, Canada! Land of Water Innovation! (via GreenTech Media)

Canada is pursuing legislation and policies designed to promote Ontario as an international leader in clean water technology entrepreneurship and investment.

Transportation groups stake early claims to carbon fees as climate bill develops (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

More than two dozen transportation policy groups have requested all revenue raised from a potential federal carbon tax is re-invested into road and transit projects.

Has the Climate Clock Run Out? (via Mother Jones)

Political and logistical hurdles in the way of Senate climate legislation passage may mean that a comprehensive clean energy and emissions reduction bill can’t pass in 2010.

How to Make an Offshore Wind Grid (via Mother Jones)

A simulated U.S. East Coast offshore power grid could connect 2,500 km of potential wind projects and even out generation, mitigating intermittent output along the grid.

Slashed Subsidies Send Shivers Through European Solar Industry (via New York Times)

The four biggest European markets for solar power are reducing feed-in tariffs for solar energy, prompting industry complaints that local companies will struggle against Chinese competitors.

Massachusetts and Rhode Island Compete Over Wind Farm (via New York Times)

While the proposed offshore wind Cape Wind project continues to meet delays, Rhode Island is moving forward with its own offshore project and hopes to avoid the hurdles Cape Wind has faced.

Plastic Electronics Could Slash the Cost of Solar Panels (via Science Daily)

A new technique for producing electricity-conducting plastics developed by Princeton University engineers could dramatically lower the cost of solar panels.

Chinese Wind Power Heads Offshore (via Technology Review)

China’s first offshore wind farm, a 102-megawatt project, will come online to full power this month is the Yangtze River Delta near Shanghai. China is also pursuing several more large-scale offshore projects.

Cellphone recycling gets easier, profitable (via USA Today’s Green House)

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is partnering with private companies to expand recycling options for the nearly 100 million cell phones no longer in use by consumers.

U.S. Government Plans to Study Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife (via WWF Climate Blog)

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) is initiating several new research projects to study the impacts of climate change in wildlife.

Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Emissions limits, greater fuel efficiency for cars, light trucks made official (via Washington Post)

The Obama Administration has finalized new rules to increase vehicle fuel efficiency and for the first time set greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks.

EPA Toughens Mining Permits (via Wall Street Journal)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new permit requirements for coal mountaintop mining operations designed to reduce water pollution levels.

George W. Bush, Wind Guru? (via Mother Jones)

Former President Bush will address the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) 2010 national conference. He is expected to discuss his success in promoting wind power in Texas while Governor.

Plastic Bags Used in DC Drops from 22 Million to 3 Million a Month (via Treehugger)

Washington, D.C.’s five-cent tax on plastic bags, which went into effect January 2010, has drastically reduced the volume of plastic bags handed out and raised $150,000 for environmental clean-up efforts.

What’s the Driving Force Behind China’s Great Green Leap Forward? (via Earth2Tech)

China’s governmental structure and existing pollution concerns are driving its breakneck pace on clean tech infrastructure development, according to one analyst.

Has the White House painted itself into a corner over climate change? (via Financial Times’ Energy Source)

Efforts by the Obama Administration to develop Congressional consensus on climate change and energy independence issues may ultimately limit the number of votes federal legislation may attract.

Obama tightens efficiency rules for home water heaters (via USA Today’s Green House)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has increased efficiency standards for water heaters, scheduled to take effect beginning in 2013.

In Montana, Governor Stirs Ire Over Coal (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

Montana’s Governor has created controversy by requesting local officials voice support for “coal money” from a proposed new mine in exchange for infrastructure funding.

Copenhagen climate summit wasn’t a flop, reports say (via Los Angeles Times)

The Copenhagen climate summit has sparked significant steps toward reducing global warming, according to new analyses from environmental organizations and financial analysts.

Yale’s bet on clean tech (via MarcGunther.com)

Yale University has begun investing funds from its’ multi-billion endowment into clean tech startup companies and sustainably certified timberland.

S. Africa Won’t Accept Conditions on World Bank Loan (via Bloomberg)

South Africa announced it will not agree to any conditions imposed upon it in return for a $3.75 billion loan to fund construction of coal-fired power plants.

Desert spreading like ‘cancer,’ Egypt conference told (via Yahoo News and Agence France Presse)

The rate of desertification is increasing across the Middle East, threatening farming and millions of square miles, said experts at a Egyptian water conference.

Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Is Bureaucracy Killing Solar? (via Greentech Media)

Bureaucratic permitting processes with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are driving many solar power developers to locate their projects on undeveloped residential property developments.

Global Warming Making People More Aggressive? (via National Geographic)

Global warming could increase the number of violent crimes through increased human aggression, says a new study comparing crime trends over the last 60 years.

Ford to save millions of dollars, drastically reduce carbon emissions just by turning off its computers at night (via Autobloggreen)

Ford will employ new energy efficiency computer programs to save energy on the computers in its Detroit headquarters, saving over a million dollars and 16,000-25,000 metric tons of carbon per year.

News Flash: World Still Getting Hotter (via Mother Jones)

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed NASA’s findings that the decade from 2000-2009 was the warmest decade since modern temperature recording began in the 1850’s.

US paper recycling hits record high (via BusinessGreen)

American paper recycling rates hit a record high of 63.4 percent in 2009 according to industry reports.

Researchers conclude 100 percent renewable electricity supply is feasible (via BusinessGreen)

Europe could meet all its electricity needs by the middle of this century from a pan-continental super grid, finds a new analysis.

Conservative Evangelicals embrace God and green (via Christian Science Monitor)

Faith in God and going green go together for an increasing number of right-leaning evangelical Christians.

Brazil expands wind energy portfolio (via UPI)

Brazil has broken ground on a new onshore wind farm with an installed capacity of 70 megawatts (MW) as part of the country’s effort to diversity its energy portfolio.

Climate bill could face threats from left (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

Compromise climate legislation being formulated in the U.S. Senate may face opposition from left-leaning environmental groups.

IMF staff float ‘Green Fund’ to help poor countries tackle climate change (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed a global “Green Fund” to meet climate aid pledges from the Copenhagen climate summit.

Billionaire oilman T Boone Pickens makes his move on water (via Financial Times’s Energy Source)

T. Boone Pickens has quietly become the U.S.’ biggest private holder of permitted groundwater rights through his company, Mesa Water.

Should coral, polar bears, sharks, bluefin tuna be protected? (via USA Today’s Green House)

The 12-day Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) rejected most measures to protect threatened species.

Getting paid to save energy, recycle? Incentives expand (via USA Today’s Green House)

Public and private incentive programs to stimulate recycling and other eco-friendly behavior are increasing in number across the U.S.

Audit Finds Vulnerability of EnergyStar Program (via New York Times)

Dozens of bogus products submitted for EnergyStar certification by a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study were confirmed by the program despite having no energy-efficiency credentials.

Taxing CO2 Emissions at Europe’s Borders (via New York Times Green Inc.)

A border adjustment tax being promoted by France would tax imports from countries with looser environmental rules coming into European countries with strict emissions limits.

Of Water, Electricity and the Time of Day (via New York Times Green Inc.)

A pilot program in California shows that homeowners who were paid to reduce their water use at “peak” electricity demand times used less than half the amount of non-pilot consumers. 

Silicon Valley investors place bets on sustainable ag (via Grist)

Sustainable agriculture projects are becoming an increasingly attractive investment for venture capitalist investors looking to grow startup projects across the country.

A Few Kinks In China’s Rush To Go Green (via The New Republic’s The Vine)

Even though renewable energy projects are rapidly sprouting up across China, poor transmission and siting plans may create reliability issues within decades.

Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Senators Share Emission Bill’s Details With Industry Groups (via New York Times and Greenwire)

The three U.S. Senators drafting energy and climate legislation revealed an outline of the legislation with major industry groups yesterday in an attempt to solidify support before finalizing the bill.

A Setback for Geoengineering? (via Mother Jones)

A study by the National Academy of Sciences has found that fertilizing sea water with iron in an attempt to capture carbon through algae blooms may actually stimulate the growth of toxic species and deplete deep-water oxygen levels.

Green Investment Bank gathers momentum ahead of budget (via BusinessGreen)

A proposal to create a British Green Investment Bank that funds infrastructure, venture capital and job creation has received support from financial experts and all major political parties in the country.

Global cooling bites the dust: Hottest January followed by second hottest February (via Climate Progress)

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has released satellite records that show January 2010 was the warmest January on record and February 2010 was the second-warmest February on record.

Clean-Energy Investments Are Moving Ahead ‘Without Copenhagen’ (via BusinessWeek)

Even without an international agreement to limit carbon dioxide emissions, clean energy investments are moving ahead, claims one financial analyst.

White House Officials Link Economic Recovery to CO2 Bill (via Wall Street Journal’s Real Time Economics)

The Obama administration stated the nation’s economic recovery may stall if Congress does not pass a climate bill in 2010 because investors are hesitant to invest in clean technology without guidance on the future costs of emitting greenhouse gases.

Poll: Obama’s energy, environment efforts fall short of expectations (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

President Obama’s approval ratings on improving the nation’s energy and environment situation have fallen sharply since he took office, according to a new Gallup poll.

A Warm Jupiter: A Newfound Exoplanet Bears a Resemblance to the Solar System’s Own Worlds (via Scientific American)

A French spacecraft has found a Jupiter-sized world that closely resembles planets in our solar system and may have a temperate atmosphere.

California’s Smart Meter Battle: Google vs. Utilities (via Earth2Tech)

Google and major California utilities may be headed toward a battle over providing real-time energy prices to customers with smart meters.

AT&T Launches Smart Charger to Fight Vampire Power, Finally (via Earth2Tech)

Phone company AT&T will begin selling a smart phone charger in May that does not draw power when plugged in but not attached to it’s phone.

Take your Cancun potshots here (via Financial Times’ Energy Source)

International government officials and pundits are increasingly skeptical that an international climate change agreement will be reached at the post-COP15 meeting in Cancun later this year.

Cold Tuna, Hot Baseball Face New CO2 Rules in Tokyo (via Bloomberg)

Tokyo will start a city-wide cap-and-trade system next month, in advance of the central government’s nationwide plan.

Major California Solar Project Moves Ahead (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

California regulators recommended approval of the state’s first new large-scale solar plant in nearly 20 years. The 392-megawatt project must still receive approval from the federal Bureau of Land Management.

Buyer Beware (via Conservation Magazine)

A soon-to-be released research paper finds that consumers who purchase green products can be more selfish and more likely to steal in the future.

If you modernize the grid, will consumers care? (via CNET’s Green Tech)

A conference panel of executives stated that many benefits to smart grid investment exist, but the technology still lacks the requisite regulation or consumer demand to truly succeed.

The secret mall gardens of Cleveland (via Grist)

A project called “Gardens Under Glass” is turning Cleveland-area malls into working farms and greenhouses.

Scotland Approves Ten Marine Energy Projects (via Yale’s Environment 360)

Scotland has approved ten marine energy projects that would provide one-third of the nation’s residential energy and make it the world leader in wave energy by 2020.

Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Japan’s Cabinet Endorses Cap-and-Trade Climate Bill (via Bloomberg)

The Japanese cabinet has endorsed climate-protection legislation that would establish a national cap-and-trade system and possible carbon tax, in an attempt to reduce emissions 25 percent by 2020. Specific aspects of the system will be worked out within one year of passage.

Five Countries Fall Behind on European Renewable Energy Goals (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

Five European countries have failed to meet goals for renewable energy, but could make up their quotas by buying clean energy from North Africa and the Balkans, said the European Commission.

Utilities Not Ready for Coming Customer Engagement from Smart Grid (via Earth2Tech)

Utilities may not be fully prepared for the increased amount of customer communication and real-time interaction an expanded smart grid will create, even though they are moving forward with smart meter pilot programs.

Gibbs predicts ‘clamoring’ for energy bill as gas prices rise (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

The annual summer rise in gasoline prices will create demand for energy legislation, but federal action on energy is not a top priority for President Obama, said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Dead Zones Fuel Global Warming (via Mother Jones’ Blue Marble)

Oxygen-deprived dead zones in the world’s oceans can elevate nitrous oxide in the atmosphere, which fuels global warming and increases atmospheric ozone holes, according to a new study.

A New Unit for (Saved) Energy (via New York Times’ Dot Earth)

Several scientists have proposed creating a new unit of measurement for avoided electricity use, to be named after the first proponent of energy efficiency.

Conservatives’ Doubts About Global Warming Grow (via Gallup)

Americans are less likely to believe the effects of global warming are occurring than they were two years ago, according to an annual Gallup poll. The shift is most pronounced among political conservatives.

eBay sells “green” used goods with rainforest reward (via BusinessGreen)

Online marketer eBay has launched a new “green” Web site that encourages consumer to purchase used products over new ones. The first 250,000 people who pledge to reuse goods will have an acre of rainforest preserved in their name.

Ontario’s Clean Water Tech Cluster (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

Ontario’s provincial government will introduce a “Water Opportunities Act” this year that creates incentives to attract water technology companies.

Where do things stand on international efforts to address global warming? (via Grist)

Four international trends show that progress and developments on the Copenhagen Accord is moving forward.

Study sees efficiency as key to meeting energy needs (via Houston Chronicle)

Energy efficiency is the best available option to improve energy supply-demand balances while also keeping costs low and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study.

SMU researcher say injection well is ‘plausible cause’ of small earthquakes by DFW Airport (via Star-Telegram)

An injection well used to get rid of wastewater from natural gas drilling may be the cause of a series of small earthquakes near the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, say researchers.

IEA Chief Predicts End of Internal Combustion Engine by 2050 (via Forbes’ Energy Source)

Higher oil prices and carbon regulations will shift driver and manufacturer preferences completely away from oil-fueled vehicles by 2050, says the International Energy Agency Executive Director.

Solar power could provide 10% of US energy: report (via YahooNews and AFP)

The United States could source 10 percent of its electricity from solar power by 2030, says a new research report.

Fleishman-Hillard’s Sustainability blog publishes a daily roundup of compelling stories from traditional media and blogs that straddle the nexus of sustainability, energy policy, and corporate social responsibility. Inclusion of stories does not translate into endorsement of any particular opinion or technology over another.

Drought Has Venezuela Looking at Alternatives to Hydropower (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

A severe and prolonged drought in Venezuela has the country considering ways to diversify its energy portfolio through wind and nuclear power. Hydropower currently produces up to two-thirds of the total national energy total.

Kerry Says ‘Great Deal’ of Consensus Reached on Climate Policy (via Bloomberg)

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) says a bipartisan group of lawmakers reached consensus at a White House meeting on energy policy, and expects to introduce climate legislation into the U.S. Senate soon.

Xtreme Power: A Super-Battery For Hawaiian Wind Farms (via Earth2Tech)

A clean tech startup has announced a new battery energy storage project to back up a 30-megawatt wind farm on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

IMF Proposes Global Fund to Ease Climate Adaption (via The Atlantic)

The International Monetary Fund is proposing a global climate change adaption fund as insurance for countries facing the worst consequences of global warming’s effects.

EPA Piecing Together Regulatory Framework for Greenhouse Gas Rules (via New York Times)

The U.S. EPA has submitted the first portion of its rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to the White House, signaling that the Obama administration is on schedule to regulate emissions through regulation in the absence of federal legislation.

China, India give nod to Copenhagen climate change accord (via Washington Post and Associated Press)

China and India have given qualified approval to the Copenhagen climate accord calling for voluntary limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Electrified roads could power vehicles, say researchers (via BusinessGreen)

South Korean researchers have developed a way to charge electric vehicles while they are traveling by embedding magnetic compounds in the road.

Businesses offer best path to money in smart grid (via CNET’s Green Tech)

Commercial and industrial business power customers who can save large amounts of money may be the best prospects for smart grid and smart metering funding, instead of consumers who may be unwilling to change their energy consumption.

On rooftops worldwide, a solar water heating revolution (via Grist)

Rooftop solar thermal water heaters are spreading fast across the globe as a way to convert sunlight into heat to warm water and homes.

EPA: U.S. saw record decline in greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 (via Los Angeles Times’ Greenspace)

High gasoline prices, a slow economy, and a cool summer caused U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to decrease nearly 3 percent in 2008 from 2007 levels, according to the U.S. EPA.

Green stimulus spending shifts forward. Probably. (via Financial Times’ Energy Source)

Financial analysts HSBC has revised downward its estimate of the money spent in 2009 by governments on green stimulus packages from $94 billion to $82 billion, citing difficulty in actually spending the money.

Australia’s Renewable Energy Future Report Released (via The Energy Collective)

The Australian Academy of Science has released an outlook report on the country’s renewable energy future, which urges adaption of low-carbon generation technology.

Lesson’s From Spain’s Solar Bubble (via The New Republic’s The Vine)

The boom, bust, and recovery of Spain’s solar industry may hold lessons for America’s nascent solar industry.

Scientists Develop New Plastics That Can Be Recycled Continuously (via Yale Environment’s e360 digest)

Researchers at IBM and Stanford University have discovered a cheap organic catalyst that can build up and break down plastics over and over again. By comparison, the metal catalysts currently used contaminate and degrade polymers over time, eventually making them unrecyclable.

U.S. Sitting on Mother Lode of Rare Tech-Crucial Minerals (via TechNews Daily)

The U.S. holds largely untapped reserves of rare earth minerals found in green technologies, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Until now, China has supplied most of these materials, and concern about material availability threatened to limit new technological innovations.

COP15 has come and gone… leaving behind a bad taste for some and a grain of hope for the others.  But no matter which of those two groups you belong to, outside of your window the movement toward more sustainable world continues.

The Information Technology is only one area of industry that is in full focus right now in the US. Just recently, the government and private sectors announced a $115 million dollars investment into 14 IT projects that would work on improvement of energy efficiency in the following areas:

• IT equipment
• Software
• Power supply chain and cooling

IT equipment and software projects will focus on servers and networking devices and how they can be optimized in order to be more energy efficient. Power supply chain projects will look at how to “minimize power loss and heat generation that occurs in server-based IT systems.” The cooling projects will focus on improvement of cooling equipment in order to use less energy.

From $115 million claimed, $47 million is coming from the U.S. Department of Energy. The following is a breakdown of how the funds will be distributed among IT companies based on their areas of specialty:

Funding for IT equipment and software projects will go to:

• SeaMicro Inc. – $9.3 million
• IBM T.J. Watson Research Center - $1.6 million
• Alcatel-Lucent, Bell Labs – $300,000
• California Institute of Technology – $300,000

Funding for power supply chain projects will go to:

• Hewlett-Packard Company – $7.4 million
• Power Assure, Inc – $5 million
• Columbia University – $2.8 million
• Lineage Power Corporation – $2.4 million
• BAE Systems – $222,000

Funding for cooling projects will go to:

• Yahoo! Inc. – $9.9 million
• Edison Materials Technology Center – $2.8 million
• IBM T.J. Watson Research Center – $2.3 million
• Alcatel-Lucent – $1.8 million
• Federspiel Controls, Inc. – $584,000

So if you, like so many, feel that the Copenhagen summit took away our last hope for change – think again. The only reason we didn’t reach the new treaty is because the countries couldn’t agree on the financial and legislative commitment toward each other at this time. But, that doesn’t mean that the commitments don’t exist on the national level, as we can see with the US – they just need to be re-thought and re-engineered in order to fit into the international level, as well. Once countries are clear on what they can do inside their own borders, they will become clearer on what they can offer between international borders, as well.

So, let’s just keep going.

It appears that world leaders have reached an agreement—well into the night in Copenhagen.  Insiders are saying it provides a means to monitor and verify emissions cuts by developing countries but has less ambitious climate targets than the United States and European governments had initially sought.

The deal was brokered by a handful of countries—U.S., China, India, and South Africa.  We’ll take the weekend and analyze information coming out of Copenhagen and provide a summary of the agreement on Monday.  Watch President Obama’s press conference here.

BRUSSELS, Belgium—Who will lead on climate aid for developing countries? Ahead of a meeting with EU environment ministers in Brussels on the 23^rd of November, the UN’s top negotiator Yvo De Boer repeated the essentials for a successful deal on climate change: new legally binding targets to limit greenhouse gas emissions and finding an agreement on how to finance the global effort to reduce emissions.

The latter issue, financing, is clearly one of the most divisive on the agenda of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). Earlier this month, representatives of countries in the developing world threatened to walk out of the Copenhagen climate change summit if developed countries do not make greater progress in reducing emissions and helping the developing world in its transition to a low-carbon economy.

Experts from the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative estimate that investments of around $500 billion a year will be necessary to help the developing world tackle the causes of climate change while stimulating low carbon growth.

So far the enthusiasm for ‘paying the bill’ to help out the developing world in mitigating climate change has been limited.

While the US recently committed to figures for its emissions reductions, the EU has been urged to be clearer on targets and climate aid to developing countries.

After the meeting with EU environment ministers on the 23^rd of November, UN negotiator De Boer commented that the EU should show “what it has in its hand and put that final hand on the table”, for “[l]eadership is about having the courage to storm the final bridge” and to make things happen.

For more information, read: Briefing on Financing Climate Change.

ST.LOUIS—Only several weeks from the beginning of COP15 meeting (December 7-18), it is becoming evident that the new treaty will most likely not happen.  President Obama along with the leaders of world’s top economic countries issued a statement on Sunday that no major breakthroughs should be expected in December.  The statement followed Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s acknowledgement at the APEC summit in Singapore (November 8-15) that the conference “is no longer likely to yield a major accord to battle global warming.”