May 12, 2008

News, Tools & Resources from GreenBiz.com

 

Taking Care of Business

Green trucking is on a roll.

Over the past several months, we've seen a growing focus on the environmental impacts of transport -- planes, ships, trains, and trucks, each of which has its own energy and environmental impacts. Now, with diesel fuel averaging well over $4 per gallon and increased concern about climate change, air quality, and inner-city asthma, it's truckers' turn to be in the spotlight.

Last week, the American Trucking Associations rolled out a sustainability program aimed at putting the brakes on fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, the group advised truckers to set speed governors on new trucks to 68 miles per hour or less, using 27 percent less fuel than when traveling at 75 miles per gallon, and avoiding some 31.5 million tons of carbon emissions. Meanwhile, several large trucking companies operating in West Coast ports announced they would switch older diesel trucks over to ones that run on cleaner liquefied natural gas to reduce air pollution.

Some companies already have steered in the direction of cleaner freight. In March, for example, Con-way said it would slow down its 8,400 trucks to 62 mph to curb fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Wal-Mart, Pitney Bowes, and DTE Energy are among firms seeking to green up their fleets. UPS , DHL, and Fedex are vying to be the greenest package-delivery company, using a variety of cleaner-trucking technologies. And dozens of truckers and shippers have joined the U.S. EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership.

(You can find more stories on the greening of trucks here.)

It's a trend that's shifting into high gear, and none too soon: The act of moving materials and finished products around the globe can represent significant sources of emissions for companies. With encouragement from customers -- especially everyday business customers -- we'll no doubt see large-scale movement to big rigs with smaller impacts.

-- Joel Makower, Executive Editor

New on GreenBiz Radio:

Co-Op America: Greening Businesses Large and Small
By Matthew Wheeland

The second annual Green Business Conference takes place in Chicago this month; in advance of the gathering GreenBiz Radio sat down with Denise Hamler, director of Co-Op America's green business programs, to learn how the world of green business has grown.

You can listen to GreenBiz Radio online, download programs to your desktop, or subscribe to the GreenBiz Radio RSS feed.

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Headlines

The Latest News on Business and the Environment

Nike Leads Pack of Companies Improving Climate Performance
Companies such as Nike, Google, Anheuser-Busch and Levi Strauss have taken strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and communicating those efforts in ways that are transparent to consumers, according to the second Climate Counts Company Scorecard.

Truckers Roll Out Sustainability Plan
The "Trucks Deliver a Cleaner Tomorrow" program offers six recommendations that will help the industry shrink its carbon footprint and preserve its livelihood during a time of skyrocketing fuel prices.

Wal-Mart Set to Measure Energy Use of 20 U.S. Capitols
Through a partnership with the National Governors Association, the "Greening State Capitols" program will provide energy audits in 20 U.S. state capitols to identify ways in which they can reduce energy consumption.

Dell Asks Customers for Packaging Advice
Under criticism from bloggers during Earth Week over the use of oversized boxes to ship tiny products, Dell sought the advice of its customers this week to help the company improve its packaging.

Calif. Ports Plan to Switch 8,000 Trucks to Liquefied Natural Gas
As part of a multi-pronged approach to clean up the air at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, about half of the 16,000 diesel trucks that serve the waterfront will be replaced with ones that run on liquefied natural gas.

CVS Adopts Cosmetics Safety Policy, Reduces Waste and Energy Use
Pharmacy retailer CVS Caremark plans to phase out toxic chemicals from its house-branded products in favor of safer alternatives. The company detailed the new policy in its first Corporate Social Responsibility report that was released earlier this week. The policy was formally adopted earlier this year.

Millipore Aims to Cut Carbon Footprint by 20 Percent
Millipore Corp. unveiled a goal on Wednesday to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent during the next five years. The initiative will take aim at its consumption of non-renewable resources and production of waste, as well as introduce programs that will foster behavioral changes conducive to environmental sustainability.

REI Releases Second Stewardship Report, Shows Progress, Obstacles
The outdoor retailer's 2007 Stewardship Report finds a range of improvements in overall environmental performance and reporting, although it also highlights areas for improvement in reducing emissions and supply chain auditing.

DTE Energy Taps into Biodiesel
DTE Energy will convert its 800-strong service vehicles and trucks to biodiesel in a move it expects will save the company $600,000 a year.

Unverferth Manufacturing Co. Develops Low-Impact Farming Tools with Autodesk Software
Farm equipment maker Unverferth has been recognized for using Autodesk's design software to speed its creation of low-till tools.

Survey Finds Widespread Adoption of Sustainable Seafood
A report by the Seafood Choices Alliance finds that all sectors of the U.S. seafood industry have included sustainable seafood in their offerings and expect an increase in sales of all seafood as well as sustainable seafood.

New PepsiCo Bottle Uses 20 Percent Less Plastic
The new half-liter bottles also will sport a smaller label and need 5 percent less shrink wrap for multi-packs.

> MORE NEWS HEADLINES

Featured Resource

A Wealth of Hands-On Help

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Columns and Features

Insight and Inspiration from the Experts

Can Your Green Company Get Big and Stay Real?
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Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, says his deal with Coke is not just part of being true to his mission, but the only way for socially responsible companies to have a real impact on society.

On The Need for Green MBAs
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Experts of all stripes are predicting that green innovations are the last best hope for us to solve our environmental crises. In order to make the innovations a reality, we will have to train our business leaders to think sustainably and act strategically, and business schools are rising to this challenge.

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GreenBiz Blogs

Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward:
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Marc Gunther on Corporate America:
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David Wigder's Green Marketing Strategies:
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Andy Savitz's Triple Bottom Line Blog:
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> More from Andy Savitz

Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines

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FEATURED EVENT

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Hosts: Greener World Media & Global Executive

Date: June 12-13, 2008

Location: Arlington, Va.

This two-day conference by the staff of GreenBiz.com aims to teach companies the how-to of building sustainability into the product development process with a focus on greening mainstream products, both consumer and B-to-B.

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Minding Your Business: Profits that Restore The Planet
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This treatise and business manual explains why businesses must add sustainability to their practices and what they can do to be more eco-friendly.

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