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.

Kerry: Three Big Oil Companies Likely to Back Climate Bill (via Mother Jones’ Blue Marble)

Senator John Kerry unveiled details of the pending climate legislation, which he says has support from the electric industry, major oil companies and environment organizations.

UK offshore wind breezes through 1GW barrier (via BusinessGreen)

The United Kingdom announced it has reached one gigawatt of installed offshore wind capacity.

Microsoft joins Goodwill recycling program (via CNET’s Green Tech)

Microsoft announced it will join Dell and Goodwill in an e-recycling program.

Is China Putting the Brakes on its Solar Program? (via Greentech Media)

China is backing away from previously announced plans to subsidize solar power projects over concerns about rising costs of solar investment.

‘Sunstroke’ impacts wheat yields as crop ripens early (via Hindu Business Line)

Premature crop ripening induced by early onset of summer has reduced wheat yields in India, and is being blamed on global warming.

Top U.S. companies won’t meet Obama’s emissions reduction goal (via Houston Chronicle’s News Watch: Energy)

Most Standard and Poor’s 100 companies will fail to meet President Obama’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020, says a new analysis.

The world’s rubbish dump: a tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan (via The Independent’s Green Living)

The Pacific Ocean trash gyre of floating plastic and waste is growing at an increasing rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental U.S.

Man-made carbon dioxide making oceans more acidic, study finds (via Los Angeles Times’ Greenspace)

Oceans are turning more acidic as they absorb more atmospheric carbon, imperiling many forms of marine life, according to a new research study.

Shouldering Waste on the Trek Down Mount Everest (via New York Times’ Green)

New rules and regulations are helping reduce the amount of garbage cluttering Mount Everest’s base camp area and path leading to its’ summit.

City dwellers cite climate as top concern: poll (via Reuters)

Residents of major world cities cite climate change as the most important global issue, except residents of large U.S. cities who list the economy as a larger problem, says a new survey.

Gallup: More than a billion people critical of air quality (via USA Today’s Green House)

One-quarter of adults surveyed worldwide are dissatisfied with the air quality in their area, says a new poll. Dissatisfaction is highest in the Middle East and North Africa, and lowest in Asia.

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.

Ford CEO Mulally says eco factors will “set the agenda for all of us” (via autobloggreen)

The auto industry’s has an opportunity to set new standards in energy independence, fuel efficiency, and environmental sustainability by finding technological solutions to these challenges.

1 in 4 TV Weathercasters Think Global Warming Is a Hoax (via Ecopolitology)

Two-thirds of weathercasters are interested in reporting on climate change, but one in four don’t believe global warming is happening, reports a new survey.

Ford and Microsoft Team Up on Electric Vehicle Smart Charging (via Earth2Tech)

Ford will use Microsoft’s Hohm energy management tool on its electric vehicles to enable smart charging and better manage grid demand, starting with next year’s models.

Energy policy is more than drilling, administration officials say (via The Hill’s E2-Wire)

President Obama’s decision to expand offshore drilling is part of a broad strategy to increase national energy independence, which includes increased fuel efficiency standards, say administration officials.

Can Humans Manage the Atmosphere (via New York Times’ Dot Earth)

Even though many critics oppose geo-engineering as a solution to climate change, some environmental organizations are expressing conditional support for expanded research into the field.

Pollution limits essential for clean energy investments (via Climate Progress)

Legislation to establish a price on carbon pollution is necessary in order to transition to a clean energy society, say analysts.

Quebec budget tackles climate change (via Montreal Gazette)

Quebec’s 2010 provincial government budget includes several measures to mitigate climate change including funds for electric vehicles, carbon-certified marketing, biofuels, and water/energy efficiency.

California solar projects rush to beat deadline for subsidies (via USA Today)

Multiple proposed solar projects are struggling to gain government approval in order to break ground by year-end 2010 so they can receive federal stimulus funds.

China spends big to counter severe weather caused by climate change (via The Guardian)

China will begin investing in warning systems and response infrastructure to address climate change effects like extreme temperatures, typhoons, fog, and storms.

Feed in tariff promises solar surge (via BusinessGreen)

The United Kingdom has launched a solar power feed-in tariff incentive program modeled on Germany’s highly successful program to financially encourage distributed solar generation.

Low-temperature asphalt to cut industry’s carbon tireprint (via BusnessGreen)

Three British asphalt companies have partnered with the Carbon Trust to reduce their emissions by 39 percent by 2020.

For the Smart Grid, a ‘Synchrophasor’ (via New York Times’ Green Inc.)

A new technology promises to increase the amount of energy that can be reliably transmitted on the electricity grid, a necessary feat in order to integrate wind and solar power.

75 countries set carbon emission targets for 2020, says U.N. (via Grist)

Seventy-five countries, which account for more than 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, have filed official pledges with the U.N. to cut or limit carbon emissions by 2020.

NASA plans big boost to climate research budget (via Washington Post)

NASA will boost spending on climate research over the next five years to make up for cutbacks enacted during the Bush Administration.

Mexico City drastically reduced air pollutants since 1990’s (via Washington Post)

Once considered the most polluted city on Earth, a series of sustainability initiatives have reduced Mexico City’s air pollution levels by at least half since the 1990’s, according to government sources.

Credit: Bombardier

China Grows High-Speed Rail

Continuing its bid to become the worldwide leader in high-speed rail, China announced this week that it has inked a deal to buy 80 “very high speed” trains (we’re talking top speeds of 236 m.p.h.!) from Bombardier Sifang.

“China has a clear vision of the critical role high speed rail must play in a sustainable transportation system, and is making the strategic investments necessary to ensure that vision is realized,” said Jianwei Zhang, President and Chief Country Representative Bombardier China in a press release. “This country is selecting the most advanced technologies to build the most advanced rail network in the world.”

According to TreeHugger, the order includes 20 eight-car trainsets and 60 sixteen-car trainsets, totaling 1,120 cars. We are officially jealous of our all our friends and FH colleagues in China. If you recall, FH Innovation recently took a look at the United States’ efforts in high-speed rail.

Windows Goes Green

Microsoft is working hard on its rollout of Windows 7, the newest version of its operating system. While operating systems and computer software have always been touted as faster and more useful and secure, this time Microsoft is also touting its green cred. New options allow energy saving from screen brightness to powering down unused hardware ports. While one analyst said the changes are likely to be modest for individual computers, “every little bit helps,” especially when multiplied across the millions of computers in use around the world.

Alternative Energies: What’s Taking So Long?

As President Obama and other U.S. government, business and sustainability leaders focus on the importance of transitioning to alternative energy, the Washington, D.C. chapter of PRSA is asking: What’s taking so long? Next week the public relations association will host a discussion with alternative energy expert Truman Semans, Jr., the former Director for Markets and Business Strategy at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. The talk starts at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the American Institute of Architects Headquarters on New York Avenue. Drop us a comment if you’re attending, too – we’d love to say hello. And we’ll have a full report here for our readers elsewhere in the world.

Contrary to iconic images of smokestacks and sooty factories, the world’s complex computer infrastructure is fast becoming one of the greatest carbon emitters. By 2020, global IT will reach about 3 percent of carbon emissions, accounting for “1.54 metric gigatons, or twice what the United Kingdom produces today,” according McKinsey & Co.

Where is this intense energy consumption and carbon emission coming from? Look to everything from your home computer and cell phone to the vast telecommunications networks and data centers that make the Internet work.

In the coming years, technology will work its way into more parts of our lives, making the possibility of turning back our insatiable demand unlikely. Fortunately, with this demand are great economic opportunities—by optimizing our use of technology, we can find efficiencies, cutting as much as 7.8 metric gigatons a year, McKinsey reported.

Companies like AT&T, a Fleishman-Hillard client, are looking forward and creating partnerships with energy providers to begin roll out of smart grids, where energy usage can be efficiently monitored and delivered.

Other tech innovators like Microsoft and Google are bringing energy savings to the world of cloud computing—creating remote systems that can grow and shrink computing power depending on need, conserving energy.

While innovative small and large companies will help lead us into a more efficient and sustainable future, regular users of technology can do their part. Check out this great podcast from Northwestern University for tips on how you can green your tech experience.