Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels hit record levels in 2011, according to the International Energy Agency, which warned Thursday that the window to prevent temperature increases above 2 degrees Celsius is closing fast.The Paris-based IEA released a preliminary estimate Thursday showing that global emissions from burning fossil fuels reached 31.6 gigatons (Gt) last year, a 3.2 percent increase over 2010.The data show that emissions from China and India jumped, while they fell slightly in the United States and the European Union.The IEA warns that global emissions need to peak soon to stand a decent chance of limiting the eventual average global temperature rise to 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, the threshold that many scientists and advocates say is needed to avert ... Continue reading →
Steve Jobs' successor is making his mark and trying to keep the Apple magic going. FORTUNE -- In February of this year, a group of investors visited Apple as part of a "bus tour" led by a research analyst for Citibank. The session started with a 45-minute presentation by Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's chief financial officer, and the 15 or so investors who attended the session were treated to Apple's unique brand of hospitality: They met in a threadbare conference room in Apple's Town Hall public conference center at the 4 Infinite Loop building in Cupertino, Calif., where the refreshments consisted of "three stale cookies and two Diet Cokes," in the words of one participant. All that, save the meager refreshments, is routine for big public ... Continue reading →
I spent the end of last week at the latest iteration of the Sustainable Foods Institute, an intense two days of discussion that the Monterey Bay Aquarium (home of Seafood Watch, the guide to sustainable seafood choices) puts on every year to bring together journalists, advocates and chefs. The Institute takes place within Cooking for Solutions, an overlapping food and wine conference dedicated to the proposition that sustainability and care for the planet are inseparable from deliciousness. This is not as universal an idea as you might think. As the conference was opening, the New York Times ran a joint interview with the globally influential chefs Thomas Keller and Andoni Luis Aduriz in which they explicitly rejected ecological concerns over where or from whom they ... Continue reading →
From Liz Maw, CEO of Net Impact Employee engagement is a hot topic these days. Studies have tied employee engagement to both satisfaction and productivity, and companies realize that keeping employees satisfied is a key to high performance. Employers proudly tout making one of the coveted “100 best places to work” lists, and today, more than 25% of Fortune 200 companies have dedicated budget to maintain their rank on such lists. At Net Impact, we believe we’ve identified a significant opportunity gap – one that could potentially double the number of employees who are satisfied with their job. Net Impact’s Talent Report: What Workers Want in 2012 reveals that employees who say they have the opportunity to make a direct social and environmental impact through ... Continue reading →
21 May 2012: Opinion The Clean Water Act at 40: There’s Still Much Left to Do The Clean Water Act of 1972, one of the boldest environmental laws ever enacted, turns 40 this year, with an impressive record of cleaning up America's waterways. But from New York Harbor to Alaska’s Bristol Bay, key challenges remain. by paul greenbergWhen you turn 40, three questions inevitably arise: 1) Who am I? 2) What have I done? 3) What else can I do? Forty years ago, the U.S. Congress, in an uncharacteristically uncowardly move, overwhelmingly overrode President Nixon’s veto and passed the most powerful law for the protection of water in American (and perhaps world) history. Yes, this year the Clean Water Act officially enters its midlife crisis ... Continue reading →
