IN BUSINESS WORLD

In Business, November-December, 2006, Vol. 28, No. 6, p. 4

WHY IT PAYS TO BUY LOCALLY GROWN FOOD
A recent issue of Sierra explains that the next frontier for discriminating eaters in a rapidly warming world may well be “food miles” - the distance products must travel to get to your market. Recently, Richard Pirog and others at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University have been studying food transport, fuel usage, and the resultant greenhouse gas emissions. In one study, they worked out much energy it takes to transport various items from their points of origin to Des Moines, Iowa.

The easiest way to cut down on your food's gas bill is to eat locally grown fare. Pirog is also looking into the feasibility of food labels indicating point of origin and miles traveled. Meanwhile, it wouldn't hurt to ask how far (and fast) those strawberries had to travel to get on your table in January. Remember to take into account your own location.
Another consideration is the environmental impact of transporting food, i.e., total mileage isn't the only factor.
Notes Sierra: “Even though California is more than 5,000 miles closer to Iowa than Chile is, the energy savings of its grapes are only marginal. Why? Because Chilean grapes are sent to the Golden State by sea. From there they continue on to Iowa by truck, the same as Californian grapes. (This effect is obviously dependent on the endpoint: The closer the destination is to the port in Los Angeles, the greater the relative energy cost of the Chilean grapes.) But good news! Grape production in Iowa is increasing fast.”
For more information visit www.sierraclub.org.

BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORTATION AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING
Sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the report - Biofuels for Transportation - assesses opportunities and risks in large-scale development of biofuels. Information is included from studies on biofuel use in Brazil, China, Germany, India and Tanzania. Biofuels could provide 37 percent of U.S. transport fuel within the next 25 years, and up to 75 percent if automobile fuel economy doubles. Biofuels could replace 20 to 30 percent of the oil used in European Union countries during the same time frame. “It is essential that government incentives be used to minimize competition between food and fuel crops and to discourage expansion onto economically valuable lands,” says Worldwatch Biofuels Project Manager Suzanne Hunt.
Policies to accelerate biofuels development - including use of municipal and agricultural wastes and cellulose-rich energy crops - are recommended in the report such as: Strengthening the market; Speeding transition to next-generation technologies; Protecting the resource base of ecosystem services; and Facilitating sustainable international biofuel trade. The report was released by The Worldwatch Institute in collaboration with the German Agencies for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Renewable Resources (FNR). For more information on report, visit: www.worldwatch.org.

PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS ARE TARGETS FOR JAPANESE MUNICIPALITIES
The number of plastic shopping bags is estimated in Japan to reach 30.5 billion/year - or 600 bags/household. To address the resulting waste disposal problem, writes Warmer Bulletin, Hino City conducted a “My Bag Campaign” with local residents on the fifth of every month. People were encouraged to refuse plastic shopping bags and instead bring their “my bags.” To measure the effectiveness of the campaign, volunteers surveyed shoppers over time in front of 13 main supermarkets and explained the “my bag” goals and distributed literature. The survey results showed that the percentage of people who knew about the campaign rose to 91.5 percent, but the people who refused plastic bags was only about 25 percent. Consequently, the city decided to start charging a fee for plastic bags by the termination of the campaign. With this objective, Hiro City drafted a plan in January 2005 whereby the city promotes the bag fee as its policy, the business entities cooperate, and the city disseminates the draft plan to residents and gets their understanding.
In 2005, the Japanese government announced its policy to introduce the bag fee - explaining that avoidance of packaging waste is the key to pursue zero waste. At a national level, the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law is under review and is to be amended.

PROVIDER OF CLEANER ELECTRICITY PRODUCTS LAUNCHES WEBSITE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Green Mountain Energy Company based in Austin, Texas began in 1997 with the concept “to change the way power is made.” It worked in the renewable electricity market with the belief that if given a choice, consumers would choose a cleaner electricity product over polluting fossil fuels. The company has also helped to develop 13 new wind and solar facilities across the nation. Now it has launched the website, www.BeGreenNow.com - offering users details about causes and effects of global climate change. As described in a mid-November news release, BeGreenNow allows visitors “to take positive action to offset all or a portion of their carbon footprint, move to a more carbon neutral way of living, and bring individuals together as a community to help solve environmental problems.” Contact sites www.BeGreenNow.com; www.greenmoutain.com; www.myspace.com/begreennow.

BOOSTING “ENTREPRENEURIAL AGRICULTURE”
As reported by ATTRA - the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, studies show that as much as 80 percent of the cost of foods purchased in grocery stores goes to the processor compared to only nine percent going to farmers. But in Brown County, Wisconsin, officials are looking to find untapped opportunities that will bring more income to farmers while strengthening the local economy. The County's comprehensive plan brings local governments together to encourage and preserve both conventional and entrepreneurial agricultural opportunities. Entrepreneurial agriculture positions farms as innovative small businesses with approaches such as direct and niche marketing, value-added methods, new grazing systems, and community-supported agriculture. According to officials, entrepreneurial agriculture has the potential to nearly triple net returns for farmers.
In Montana, food services at public institutions - which spend nearly $33 million annually on food purchases - have a genuine and growing interest in buying more from the state's food producers and processors, according to two major studies. A statewide coalition, Grow Montana, announced the study results documenting the real and potential benefits of these markets at Montana's schools, state prisons and public hospitals. The reports reveal, however, that farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs can meet the full potential only with policy changes and a public-private partnership.

CALIFORNIA BILL WOULD MANDATE HIGH-EFFICIENCY TOILETS
As reported by Environmental Building News, a water conservation bill in the California Legislature would set the maximum water consumption for toilets at 1.3 gallons per flush (gpf; 4.9 1pf). The legislation, Assembly Bill 2496, was authored by John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and passed the State Assembly. If approved by the Senate and signed into law, the measure will phase in the new toilet and urinal standards starting January 1, 2008, with the last changes becoming effective January 1, 2011.
The bill includes the following provisions: As of January 1, 2008, tank-type, single-flush toilets (gravity-flush and pressure-assist) installed in new California buildings would be limited to 1.3 gpf (4.9 lpf); dual-flush toilets would be limited to 1.6 gpf (6.0 lpf) for solids and 1.1 gpf (4.2 lpf) for liquids. The same restrictions would take effect one year later for flushometer-type toilets. Currently, 86 toilet models from 16 manufacturers comply with the proposed requirements.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES GREEN SCHOOL PROJECT - FROM KINDERGARTEN TO UNIVERSITY
Launched in 2002, the “Green School” project promotes sustainable development and environmental activism in Israel. Schools are approved if they meet these three criteria: Integration of environmental subjects in the curriculum; Rational use of resources; and Contribution to the community. To date, about 130 primary and intermediate schools - spanning different geographical and population sectors in Israel - have joined the process. Plans are currently being advanced to “green” other areas - such as kindergartens, community centers and campuses.
Environmental projects have been set up in: Promoting sustainable development activities within schools, with emphasis on biodiversity, ecoplanning and industrial environment; Preventing pest nuisances to assure public health; Establishing infrastructure for construction and demolition waste; Promoting bicycle paths; Cleaning up and disposing of asbestos waste from contaminated sites; Planning, establishing and operating urban recycling centers; and Promoting educational programs on the Deposit Law and on recycling.

RECORD NUMBER OF STATE INITIATIVES INCREASE DEMAND FOR BIODIESEL
Newly created incentives, grants and tax credits will help biodiesel improve local economies while reducing pollution. With state legislation involving biodiesel at an all-time high, 53 bills have passed that affect use and production including:
o Arizona commits state to reduce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions while increasing use of renewable energy sources;
o California sets target to produce and use a minimum of 20 percent biofuels by 2010, 40 percent by 2020, and 75 percent by 2050 - including both ethanol and biodiesel;
o Florida signs state energy act providing for investment tax credits associated with renewable energy technologies;
o Illinois would replace 50 percent of imported oil with renewable homegrown biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel; Plan would also invest $25 million for five new biodiesel plants;
o Indiana increases maximum credit amounts for biodiesel and ethanol production, also extending a tax credit for retail blended biodiesel to 2010;
o Iowa provides point-of-sale retailers with 3-cent income tax credit on each gallon of B2 blend or higher; Renewable fuels standard requires that 25 percent of fuel sales be ethanol or biodiesel by 2020;
o Michigan sets aside $250,000 to help station owners convert gas pumps to alternative fuel pumps; Goal is to have 1,000 alternative pumps installed or converted by 2008 - a 20 percent increase;
o New York passes biofuel tax credit of 15 cents per gallon after first 40,000 gallons produced; Elimination of all motor fuels taxes on alternative fuels;
o Pennsylvania launches “PennSecurity Fuels Initiative” to replace 900 million gallons of transportation fuels over next decade with alternative sources like ethanol and biodiesel.

FIRST HYDROGEN FUEL CELL PLANT INSTALLED AT COUNTY JAIL
Officials announced completion of California's first megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell cogeneration plant that transforms hydrogen from natural gas into electricity and water without combustion and captures waste heat to improve efficiency. Installed at Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail by Chevron Energy Solutions, the project will provide half of the annual power needs, save taxpayers more than $260,000/year,
and improve the environment. Manufactured by FuelCell Energy, Inc., the unit - along with the previously-installed solar power array - will shrink power purchases by as much as 80 percent during peak-demand months. The lower demand will eliminate more than 3,200 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. “With installation of the unit, Santa Rita Jail is now the 'greenest' county facility in the country,” declared Keith Carson, president of the county's Board of supervisors. The $6.1 million project was supported by $2.4 million in grants and incentives: $1.4 million from Pacific Gas and Electric and $l million from the U.S. Department of Defense Climate Change Fuel Cell Program. The remaining cost of $3.7 million - $2.8 million financed through a California Energy Commission Energy Partnership Program Loan - is being funded by cost savings under a performance contract with Chevron Energy Solutions and FuelCell Energy.

SOLAR UNITS BRING SUN POWER TO BIG FIRMS
General Motors and other firms are getting solar energy from systems installed by companies such as Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems (also know as Deers). Deers and its investors own the cells (located on the roof of a GM parts warehouse in California) which can generate as much as 1.5 million kw hours of electricity a year. “We assume the risk,” says Jack DeLiddo, president of Deers, “because we know that companies like GM have budgets to buy electricity, not to spend millions generating it.” Adds The New York Times: “Similar deals are cropping up elsewhere. Some specify that users pay the solar developers a fixed rate for electricity while others specify a fixed discount to the going rate.”
In other developments, Alcoa is negotiating with developers to put solar cells on a manufacturing plant; a General Electric subsidiary has installed solar roofs to provide electricity for San Diego schools. In a deal with SunEdison, Whole Foods Markets uses solar cells in three stores and one warehouse. “Seeing whether solar would work is now on our check list for every one of our new stores,” says a Whole Foods executive.

Copyright 2007, The JG Press, Inc.