Boy gets water from water truck

Yemen is fast running out of water. Some Yemenis have to buy water from water trucks that drive through the city. The people that can’t afford that must go to the public taps at the mosque’s. According to the 2004 Family and Health Survey, only 67% of the Yemeni population have access to improved water supply.

A Qat tree

Adding to the water crisis is the Qat tree, a slightly narcotic plant that around 70% of Yemeni men chew. A lot of water is used to grow Qat instead of being used for other crops. Qat farming, while having quite a few negative qualities, does produce jobs for a large amount of people. This is an important factor, considering Yemen’s extremely high unemployment rate.

The old city of San'a, capital of Yemen. Picture by the Virtual Tourist

The capital city of Yemen is San’a. The problems there are just as serious as anywhere else in Yemen. Some of the wells are being drilled to a depth of 800 to 1,000 meters, and require oil drilling equipment. Almost all the water comes from underground aquifers that are rapidly being depleted. The water levels are dropping around 65 feet a year. According to many Yemenis and outside specialists, Sana’s wells will dry out in 10 to 15 years.

The Yemen government is considering a desalination plant for seawater, but this is an expensive solution and may come too late. The only other option is to cut down on the agriculture industry and having to import even more food.

The country of Yemen

NASA image of oil spill near New Orleans

British Petroleum is trying to stop the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by dropping a giant dome on top of the broken pipe embedded on the ocean floor. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is reported to be spewing up to 20,000 gallons a day into the waters which will impact wildlife and the livelihoods of many in the area who rely on fishing.

The explosion that started it all

The giant dome is set to be dropped in an area where the oil rig was destroyed two weeks ago by an explosion. Submarines have been sent down to try to pinpoint the location and diagnose remedies to stop the broken riser pipe from releasing oil.

In the mean time, BP is digging a relief well to try to stop the original pipe from spewing oil but the depth will need to reach is over three miles deep which will take time.

Captured oil being burnt

Thousands of workers and boats are expected to try to contain the oil before it invades the local environment. Efforts were made to try and burn off the oil by setting it on fire but the amount of oil released by the spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been reported to be up to five times more than originally thoughts.

Local residents are in a furor after the latest events which only open old wounds as the area affected by the spill is the same crushed by Hurricane Katrina.

Rust colered crude oil in Chandeleur Sound, La

San Francisco Climate Change Center

The agreement in principal was signed at Cisco’s Globalisation Centre East, an environmentally sustainable campus in Bangalore that serves as a showcase for urban development solutions. The Cisco Smart+Connected Communities initiative is designed to provide cities and communities with smart and connected solutions for utilities, safety and security, connected real estate, transportation, health care, learning, sports venues, and government services.

The City and County of San Francisco is undertaking the development of a number of major sustainable urban development projects, at locations including the Hunters Point Shipyard and Treasure Island (HPS Connected Communities) and in connection with the new Transbay Transit Center. The city envisions revitalizing these underutilized properties into some of the most innovative sustainable urban development projects in North America.

Together, the projects at Hunters Point, Candlestick Point and Treasure Island are expected to create new residential units for 60,000 occupants, generate as many as 30,000 construction jobs and 10,000 permanent employment opportunities. The new UNGC Center on the Hunters Point Shipyard will include offices for the UNGC, a major conference center and incubator space for emerging technology companies with a particular focus on “green tech” businesses.

Facts/Highlights

• Gavin Newsom, mayor, City and County of San Francisco, met with Cisco executives in Bangalore to tour Cisco’s Smart+Connected campus and view innovative solutions designed to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, lower carbon emissions, reduce operating costs and provide a more productive working environment.
• Mayor Newsom and Cisco’s Chief Globalisation Officer and EVP, Cisco Services, Wim Elfrink concluded the tour by signing an agreement in principle designed to further discussions on potential green and cost-efficient solutions for a Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco, as part of the UNGC Center.
• The agreement in principle between Cisco and the city of San Francisco outlines the possibility for collaboration on the United Nations Global Compact Center in the areas of exploring 21st century technology’s impact on quality of life; studying green and technology innovation toward urban development; and understanding the evolutionary steps needed to embark on these transitions.
• The Cisco Smart+Connected Communities initiative helps transform physical communities into connected communities that can help realize sustainable economic growth and GDP, enable environmental sustainability through resource management and operational efficiencies, and enhance constituent quality of life.
• Cisco’s key focus areas for the San Francisco initiatives will be the environment, health care, education, utilities, public safety and security, and urban services, all designed to enhance the “work and play” quality of life for residents, workforce and visitors.
• The Urban EcoMap initiative is an extension of the Connected Urban Development engagement between Cisco and the City and County of San Francisco, resulting in projects such as the Urban EcoMap and the Connected Bus.
• The Urban EcoMap collaboration, a central feature of Cisco’s Connected Urban Development program, provides local communities with information on their progress toward meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and with access to the most useful, locally available tools and resources for reducing their carbon footprint.
• San Francisco was the first city to launch the global Urban EcoMap on Earth Day 2009. The Urban EcoMap represents a first step toward the vision for a Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco. Urban EcoMap amasses information on a neighborhood level, organized by ZIP codes, in order to help citizens discover their neighborhoods and take climate actions.
• The Connected Urban Development program was born from Cisco’s commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to reduce carbon emissions and has been jointly promoted by Cisco and the city since 2006. Further cities are expanding the footprint of the global Urban EcoMap, including the City of Amsterdam which today announced the rollout of the program.

Additional Information about the Hunters Point Shipyard Development Plans:

• Exceptional urban planning and design, and substantially improved transportation infrastructures.
• High-quality park and recreation facilities that provide local and regional open space attractions, integrated with new development and the surrounding community.
• Model sustainability concepts and best practices of sustainable community development incorporated throughout the design and development process.
• Applied sustainability principles and best practices for the infrastructure plan, including wastewater, storm water, utility and transportation systems, and public open spaces and recreation facilities.
• Green building construction practices, particularly energy-efficient design for new development.
• Opportunities to take advantage of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, to encourage residents and workers to be conscious of resource use within the community.

Supporting Quotes

• Gavin Newsom, mayor, City and County of San Francisco
  “The Hunters Point Shipyard is a prime area for revitalization within San Francisco. We have been waiting for the ideal project to embark on our vision of a ‘Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco’ that showed promise in generating strong economic and employment opportunities for citizens and the surrounding areas while also respecting the use of the land and its resources. In developing this vision with Cisco for the Hunters Point Shipyard, I see this as being easily the most innovative sustainable urban development project in North America. The city of San Francisco is thrilled to be the home to such a progressive initiative and having Cisco as a partner in the UNGC Center will help advance that important project.”
• Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and executive vice president, Cisco Services
  “Cisco envisages a future where successful communities and cities will run on networked information to help drive broad economic, environmental and social sustainability. We are honored to collaborate with Mayor Newsom and the city of San Francisco to achieve a ‘Sustainable 21st Century San Francisco’. This is a city at the heart of the Silicon Valley IT revolution, one that has been long committed to sustainability, and with leaders committed to transformation; all the right ingredients for building a sustainable city of the future.”

Supporting Resources:

• Cisco Smart+Connected Communities
  http://www.cisco.com/go/smartconnectedcommunities
• For more information on Urban EcoMap
  http://www.urbanecomap.org
• Cisco Globalisation News
  http://newsroom.cisco.com/globalisation
• Cisco and City of Amsterdam Expand Urban EcoMap Program Globally
  http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2009/prod_120109c.html
• Connected Urban Development
  http://connectedurbandevelopment.org

About Cisco Systems
Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

A Toyota facility keeps a landscape beautiful as a zero landfill contributor - Flickr shchukin

EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin joined Secretary Randy Huffman of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection in recognizing Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, Inc. at its Buffalo, W. Va., facility, and Dow West Virginia at its South Charleston facilities.

The Sustainability Partnership is an innovative program developed by EPA’s mid-Atlantic region to create a one-stop shopping approach for organizations that use large quantities of energy, water, and natural resources and want to “go green.” Instead of dealing with each of EPA’s voluntary programs individually, EPA staff will work out a comprehensive ‘green’ plan for organizations that often saves money and makes good business sense. The overall goal of the SPP is to minimize the use of energy, resources and waste generation in the mid-Atlantic states.

“Today, both companies take a tremendous step forward in providing a more sustainable future for the people of West Virginia,” said Garvin. “EPA is making a concerted effort to partner with states and businesses to improve environmental performance and make larger strides in sustaining our communities. And voluntary efforts that are initiated and tracked through programs like our Sustainability Partnership are a proven way to go.”

”It’s a great day for Toyota and Dow as they have come a long way in the area of corporate sustainability,” said Secretary Huffman. “Toyota and Dow have learned to recognize the complementary relationships among the environment, economy and communities in West Virginia, and further realize that this Sustainability Partnership goes far beyond stakeholder involvement – it requires working within their facilities and with communities to tackle specific environmental issues.”

In 2000 Toyota’s Buffalo, W.Va. facility began implementing an environmental management system (EMS). Three years later, it had become, and remains, a zero landfill contributor — reusing or recycling materials that otherwise would have been sent to landfills. By implementing the EMS and setting long-term goals, Toyota is already addressing ways to reduce waste, water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous materials usage and wastewater discharge.

At Dow West Virginia Operation’s South Charleston facility, the company has been working to reduce energy, water use, waste generation, and has increased the facility’s land and habitat conservation.

During a three-year demolition project, Dow saved 49,939 tons of concrete/masonry from going to the landfill by reusing the material. During 2007-2008, Dow recovered 3,726 tons of ferrous and non-ferrous metals for reuse; developed a 10-acre wildlife habitat certified by Wildlife Habitat Council; worked with South Charleston Middle School students to install birdhouses, plant native wildflowers and prairie grasses. Dow continues to work on the implementation of a wildlife management plan and is exploring collaborative opportunities with EPA and WVDEP to help schools remove hazardous materials and waste.

Additionally, Dow West Virginia’s South Charleston facility is implementing the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Program, which requires CEO-level commitments to measure and publicly report environmental performance and to obtain independent certification that the company’s environmental management plan functions according to professional standards.

Discover a new sense of speed with the BOMBARDIER ZEFIRO

Today Bombardier Inc. released its second company-wide corporate social responsibility report entitled Moving Forward Responsibly. The report captures the company’s commitment to act responsibly as a public company, employer, neighbor and partner. It also details how corporate social responsibility is one of the top priorities of Our Way Forward, Bombardier’s corporate strategy.

“A sharper focus on corporate social responsibility augurs well for all of our stakeholders. It underscores our commitment to leverage our industry-leading innovation, talents, products and resources to increase our positive contribution to the communities where we are present around the world,” said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc.

The report highlights recent achievements and details how Bombardier is laying the foundation to continuously improve its corporate social responsibility performance in the years to come. The report is organized into six sections, reflecting both stakeholder feedback and the areas where Bombardier has the greatest responsibilities: governance, employees, products, operations, suppliers and responsible citizenship.

To improve access and minimize its environmental footprint, Bombardier’s complete 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report is available exclusively online at www.bombardier.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility.

Highlights include:

• Listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Dow Jones Sustainability North America Indexes for the third consecutive year
• Ongoing and active promotion of the UN Global Compact’s principles of social responsibility and embedding of these principles in Bombardier’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
• Enhanced approach to health and safety to reach the objective of zero accidents and occupational illnesses
• Expansion of the ECO4 portfolio of breakthrough energy-saving rail solutions, which can reduce overall energy consumption by up to 50%
• Continued development of the environmentally focused CSeries aircraft program, which will contribute to the commercial aviation industry’s commitment to achieve carbon-neutral growth by 2020
• Recognition as one of the 10 Canadian Climate Disclosure Leaders in the Carbon Disclosure Project 2009 – Canada 200 Report
• Obtained commitment to respect Bombardier’s Supplier Code of Conduct from 83 suppliers in Aerospace and over 120 in Transportation to date

About Bombardier

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2009, were $19.7 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

Sustainable Life Media announces the first Sustainable Brands Boot Camp, a 13 part online course in sustainable innovation. The course is designed to teach companies to build business value and brand equity by innovating for sustainability, and give students additional resume qualifications and the tools to enact change from within their company.

Developed by the producers of the Sustainable Brands Conference, Boot Camp participants learn from some of the world’s top sustainable business thought leaders, each a leading sustainable business expert in his/her specialty. These long-time sustainability practitioners have consulted with top global brands, including Coke, Pepsi, Walmart, UPS, HP and Kraft, among many others.

Designed for executives and managers seeking to understand how to identify and respond to today’s market demands around improving the environmental and social impact of business, the course follows Sustainable Life Media’s 4-step prescription for building the better brands of the future: “Observe, Re-Design, Measure and Communicate.”

Sessions are designed to fit a lunch hour and are also available on demand. New sessions are added weekly which students may join live or as it fits their schedule. With a commitment of 13-20 hours, students will gain a solid grounding in the core disciplines needed for moving successfully in to the new age of sustainable business. Topics include: market drivers, new business opportunities, business model and product innovation strategies, supply chain and metrics best practices, and designing communications that work.

The first three sessions are available on-demand. The 4th Boot Camp session will be recorded live during the course’s regular weekly time slot on Friday, December 11th( )at 1 PM EST. This week, Carol Holding and Dr. Lucille Pilling will detail their 6 Organizational Models for Integrating CSR with Brands.

An excerpt of Will Sarni’s expansive Introduction to Opportunities in Sustainable Innovation (Week 2) and his more detailed look at some specific responses to the growing problems of water, energy and climate change is available for complimentary review at: http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/events/online/sbbootcamp/schedule/willsarni

“RONA is well aware of the role we can play in preserving nature and protecting the longevity of our natural resources, and we believe we can help Canadian consumers adopt responsible consumption habits as well,” said RONA executive vice president of merchandising Normand Dumont. “Selecting wood products is one way RONA can exercise such leadership and demonstrate its commitment to protecting the environment.”

The Boreal Awards

The Boreal Awards are handed out by the Boreal Leadership Council to recognize leadership, innovation, cooperation, diligence and excellence among organizations working to protect the boreal region and advance the balanced vision of the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a plan endorsed by all members of the Boreal Leadership Council.

RONA is pleased that its efforts have been recognized by this award and extends its congratulations to the other winners and finalists.

Wood product procurement policy

The Wood Products Procurement Policy meets RONA’s objective to provide certified forest products to its customers. In implementing this new policy, RONA has made a commitment to doing business with suppliers that share its vision in terms of sustainability and have adopted responsible forest management practices.

To develop a unified, global approach, RONA conducted many consultations with stakeholders, including the forest industry, environmental organizations and scientific experts. Following these consultations and RONA’s own evaluation, the company adopted an inclusive approach which recognizes all three certifications – the Forest Products marking Program (CSA), the (SFI) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). RONA has also decided to give preference to the FSC certification as this standard better meets RONA’s requirements in terms of relationships with indigenous communities and the conservation of biodiversity.

RONA’s policy also states that it will conduct business with suppliers who do not contribute to deforestation and proactively address issues related to their activities. RONA also values suppliers who integrate the Life Cycle Assessment approach to develop and make products.

The consultations conducted by RONA have allowed the company to set measurable objectives, including the following:

- To source 100% of commodity lumber (spruce, pine, fir) for sale at RONA’s corporate and franchise stores from certified forests by the end of 2010

- To source 100% of commodity plywood panel products for sale at RONA’s corporate and franchise stores from certified forests by the end of 2009

- To ensure that 25% of commodity lumber for sale at RONA’s corporate and franchise stores is FSC certified by the end of 2012

RONA will implement a rigorous assessment program and report on an annual basis on the progress it has made in reaching the specific targets set in the Wood Products Procurement Policy.

ABOUT RONA

RONA Inc. is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of nearly 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 15 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, please visit www.rona.ca.

Canada-based Naya Spring Water announced today it is the first bottled spring water company in the world to use 100 percent recycled plastic in its bottles. Recycled plastic, or rPET, is made from plastic that was previously used as packaging, then recycled and processed to create new bottles.

Less Waste

After seven years of R&D, Naya’s 100 percent rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are engineered to utilize plastic waste, which otherwise could end up in landfills. The rPET plastic used in Naya’s new bottle is FDA approved and meets the same rigorous safety standards as virgin plastic bottles. Naya’s pure spring water will be available in the new bottles in the New York City area beginning this month and the rest of North America in early 2010.

“We’re proud to be the first major spring water brand to introduce 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, which is a win for the environment as well as for consumers who enjoy bottled water and want to reduce their impact,” said Daniel Cotte, president of Naya Waters, Inc. “This innovation is another demonstration of our commitment to put the environment at the heart of Naya’s company strategy.”

Less Carbon

Having led the movement to 25 percent and 50 percent rPET last year and this, Naya is also the first Canadian company to have had the carbon footprint (full product lifecycle) of some of its products certified by the Carbon Trust, an independent leader in measuring companies’ carbon footprints. While turning a used plastic bottle into a clean, reusable bottle requires energy and emits carbon, using 100 percent rPET versus virgin plastic significantly reduces both. Specifically, Naya reduces the full lifecycle carbon footprint of its 1.5 liter bottle by 30 percent when using 100 percent rPET versus the same bottle made with virgin plastic, as certified by the Carbon Trust.

“In our work with Naya, we have been impressed by their commitment to fighting climate change. The 100 percent rPET bottle represents a significant reduction in carbon over virgin plastic and we applaud this important step,” said Euan Murray, General Manager, Carbon Footprinting at the Carbon Trust.

Naya’s commitment to innovation allows the company to set a new standard for the industry. The company estimates that if just 10 percent of the US beverage industry adopted 100 percent rPET for its plastic bottles, the reduced use of virgin plastic would save 715,000 barrels of oil per year.

Naya’s Sustainability Commitment

The launch of Naya’s 100 percent rPET bottle further demonstrates the company’s leadership to move the bottled water industry to be more sustainable as a whole. In addition to reducing the impact of bottle packaging, the company has focused its efforts in three other key areas: water quality and conservation of natural resources, minimizing operational impact and recycling.

Through its relationship with 1% for the Planet, Naya gives 1 percent of total revenues to environmental programs and created the NAYA Waterways fund with the ‘Fondation de la Faune du Quebec,’ a nonprofit organization committed to wildlife conservation. The NAYA Fund is currently helping to revitalize six rivers and streams in Quebec.

Operationally, Naya currently recycles 96 percent of waste from its plant, including paper, cardboard and plastic. To encourage broad recycling adoption, Naya supports education programs, including a project in partnership with waste management experts Consortium Echo-logique that introduces pilot programs to collect recyclable waste in pedestrian streets. Naya is also a founding member of ‘Table pour la recuperation hors foyer’ (TRHF), a Canadian non-profit whose mission is to develop and implement large-scale recycling programs in out of home channels.

About Naya Natural Spring Water

Naya is a Canadian Natural Spring Water whose philosophy is to offer natural spring water of exceptional quality while minimizing its environmental footprint. For more information please visit www.naya.com.

The report focuses on the complex and interrelated global issues of water, energy, climate change, and land use/development, and details how CH2M HILL is addressing these challenges internally and in support of its clients.

“Our goal is to both manage the impacts of our operations and apply our creativity and technical skills to help our clients become more sustainable,” says Lee McIntire, CEO. “With the interconnectivity of water, energy and climate change becoming more apparent, CH2M HILL feels it has the responsibility to improve the health of the planet. It is an exciting time to be creating new sustainable solutions in this world of threat and opportunity.”

Over the past two years CH2M HILL’s 25,000 global employees have helped deliver the following environmental, social and economic accomplishments for the firm and its clients:

• Purchasing renewable energy credits to offset 15 percent of CH2M HILL’s North American offices’ total electrical consumption
• Continuing a focus on safety leading to a recordable incident rate 42 percent and a lost-time accident rate 60 percent lower than the U.S. industry average
• Launching CH2M HILL University to expand employee learning programs, with the online site experiencing more than 24,000 hits within the first six months
• Mentoring small, minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses globally, including training 500 Sri Lankan construction workers in safety and quality
• Donating more than $10M to non-profit organizations
• Implementing a new reclamation process for a wastewater treatment facility producing the highest-quality reclaimed water
• Saving $200M at one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest and most complex cleanup sites and reducing CO2 emissions by 4,500 tons annually by implementing innovative remediation technologies
• Decreasing per-employee paper usage 21 percent, reducing CO2 emissions equivalent to removing 82 cars from the road annually
• Working with the U.S. Department of Energy to help 25 cities accelerate the adoption of solar energy
• Designing a system that will divert 650 million to 1.3 billion gallons daily of fresh water from the Mississippi River to restore Bayou Lafourche
• Quantifying ecosystem services for Damascus, Oregon, providing a tool to evaluate expansion options without sacrificing the City’s natural resources
• Identifying sustainable ways for an Australian water utility to add 7-13 million gallons per day of potable water to its drought-stricken supply while reducing operating energy and chemical usage
• Designing a LEED Silver certified hangar for the U.S. Air Force resulting in 42 percent less energy usage and savings of $60,000 annually

For more information visit www.ch2m.com/SD.

About CH2M HILL
Headquartered near Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in engineering, procurement, construction, management and operations for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. With $6.4B in revenue and more than 25,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2008). The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of energy, water, transportation, environmental, nuclear and industrial facilities. The firm has long been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer, including being named by FORTUNE as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For (2009). For more information visit www.ch2mhill.com.