| About Us | Advertising | Contact Us | |
Sustainable, Eco-friendly & Green...all add up to Smarter Real Estate |
The Kaufman Astoria Studios (KAS) in Queens, NY, home of Sesame Street and a multitude of other television shows, movies, commercials, and recorded music, has produced much of our cinematic history, hosting such stars as Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, Woody Allen, and Denzel Washington.
"You can either light a candle or curse the darkness." That old saying is finding new relevance in our responses to climate change. There is still debate as to whether climate change is a natural occurrence or a man-made phenomenon. The real answer is, "Who cares?" It's happening and we have to deal with it if we want to live on a healthier planet.
It appears that addressing the airline industry's approach to green causes a lot of blowback. For example, I was asked to stop "getting high by sucking the tailpipe of your Prius" for having the temerity to be underwhelmed by Southwest Airlines' new green initiatives. I did say that any start is good, but SA needs to go further to really make an impact. In a nod to impartiality, here is an green airline story that is truly making an impact.
As more companies enter the green era, it's a good idea to pay attention to their messages. Southwest Airlines just announced that it will present a "green plane" at its annual media day. What does "green plane" mean to the air carrier? The company is incorporating environmentally friendly products and materials into a Boeing 737-700, which will result in reduced weight and waste. The new products will subtract roughly five pounds from each of its 149 seats, amounting to 745 pounds per flight. Making the plane lighter will save on fuel use and thus cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Huh? Based on the plane's maximum takeoff weight of 154,500 pounds, this amounts to a .05 percent emissions reduction.
I love Dunkin' Donuts. I love the way they taste and the way I feel after indulging in them. I don't eat them often. Donuts, in general, are not the healthiest choice in eating you can make, but then, not everything you do has to be good for you. But when the Dunkin' Donuts corporate office decided to couple its "Six for Three" bagel promotion with an environmental program, I had a hard time buying into it. As a native New Yorker, I have to dispense with my ideas about what a bagel is. If Dunkin' Donuts can sell these "bagels" more power to them (but let's just say if it's round and has a hole in it, that doesn't necessarily mean Dunkin' Donuts will be good at making it).
Princeton-based Research and Collections Preservation Consortium (ReCAP), owned and operated by the New York Public Library, Columbia University, and Princeton University is now using solar energy to help power its environmentally-controlled library.
A group of original denizens of this land have taken a big step in the move toward sustainability. The Navajo Nation, currently saddled with a 44% unemployment rate, has become the first Native American tribe to pass green jobs legislation. Obviously this move is intended to bring this astronomical rate, which is far above the national rate, down.
The world's largest fast food franchise corporation is continuing its move into the green era by offering an electric charging outlet for cars at its Cary, NC, location. While McDonald's already has a "green" restaurant in Chicago with a "living roof," this new facility will be the first to have electric car charging stations, and there are plans to implement many more across the country.
With all the news in last week focused on the slew of celebrities passing away from assorted causes, it was easy to miss an interesting sound bite from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) about the American Clean Energy and Security Act, also known as the Waxman-Markey Bill. Passed by the House of Representatives by a narrow margin of 219-212, this bill has gotten farther than any other environmental measure of such magnitude. The bill, set to be debated in the Senate in the fall, is far from perfect, and there are many differing points of view as to why. Some predict wide job losses due to the constraints it puts on corporations; others believe a loss of jobs will come because its standards aren't high enough.
Two reports conducted by four cooperating groups show that investing in sustainability (energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy retrofits) can create 1.7 million new jobs, which far outpaces the same investment in fossil-fuel industries. Released last week by Green for All, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), the two studies, entitled "Green Prosperity" and "The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy," highlight the positive effects of investing $150 billion per year in energy-efficient and clean-energy technologies. A portion of these dollars has already been earmarked by the federal stimulus package; also included is funding to come from the Waxman-Markey bill currently working its way through Congress.
There were two big stories in the automotive industry last week. The first, highly anticipated for months if not years, was the bankruptcy filing of General Motors. The second story, which is not getting nearly as much media attention, is that Toyota Industries announced the launch of the Geneo-Hybrid, the world's first internal combustion, hybrid lift truck.
The economy's woes are well documented at this point, and many are looking for solutions and a way out of this morass. There has been an overwhelming amount of news and media coverage of new "green jobs" being created for the new "green economy." President Obama has pledged many times that this is one way to grow out of the recession. Well, as the economy continues to teeter and the unemployment rate continues to rise, where will these employment opportunities come from? Some of the stimulus money is being directed toward green jobs creation, but not nearly enough to make a serious dent.
Now that Earth Day 2009 is over and we're almost finished with "Earth Month," it might be a good idea to take a breather from all the news and information that was thrown at us in the past few weeks. Beyond industry, the message is certainly saturating all aspects of our lives. From the message at the bottom of emails pleading us not to "print this out" to Oprah making sure we never use a plastic bag or bottle again to the roster of proposed bills related to the environment, there is no escaping the barrage of earth-friendly initiatives. How can we possibly digest such an overwhelming amount of information delivered in a day or even a month? Actually, it's not possible. It will take much time for all the announcements, initiatives, company formations, government programs, etc. to filter down to the field level where we all reside.
How does environmental protection rank in importance for Americans these days? If the results of two recent studies are to believed, our priorities have definitely shifted. First, a 2009 Pew Research Center for People & the Press study shows that only 41 percent of Americans cited protecting the environment as a top priority, down from 56 percent last year. Secondly, only 1 in 10 Americans would be willing today to pay more for an environmentally friendly vehicle, according to a study by the automotive research division of Strategic Vision, Inc. That study also revealed that out of 124 attributes desired by consumers for their next vehicle, overall environmental friendliness ranked 53rd, emissions controls ranked 87th, fuel economy/good mileage ranked 120th, and fuel efficiency ranked last at 124th.
The mission of the Blue Green Alliance (BGA), formed by the United Steel Workers and the Sierra Club in 2006, is to create good jobs, a clean environment, and a green economy. Since its inception, three other unions have joined the alliance: the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), as well as the environmental group, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). All told, the BGA has over six million members.
For the second year in a row, the descendants of John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil (the company that became Exxon Mobil Corp.) have backed a resolution demanding the company loosen fossil fuel’s hold as its main source of revenue, as well as move more ambitiously into renewable energy technologies.
President Obama conducted his "Stimulus Package" tour last week, traveling across the country touting the need to act quickly and pass the bill through Congress. One of the stops along the way was Elkhart Indiana, a place where the recession has been felt as hard as anywhere in the nation.
CREBs, or Clean Renewable Energy Bonds were created by the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 as a financing instrument for electric cooperatives, public power systems, and state and local municipalities to use for building renewable electricity projects. In essence, they’re the equivalent of interest-free loans in which bondholders receive a tax credit on their federal income taxes instead of getting interest payments.
Most would think that those who promote the eating of fast foods probably do not have a mindset compatible with the green movement. Yet, Yum! Brands, owner of 36,000 restaurants worldwide, including Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, A & W, and Long John Silver's, is currently engaging in a wide variety of green initiatives. These efforts concern greening its real estate holdings as well its operations.
"We believe that creating green jobs is essential to keeping the United States competitive in the global marketplace." Do you think these words were uttered by a politician or environmental activist? If so, you're wrong. They were spoken by Leslie Dach, executive vice president of corporate affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been quietly moving ahead many of its competitors in the green economy and has recently launched its Green Jobs Council, which is a partnership with many of its sustainability suppliers, as well as representatives from its own divisions, including store operations, real estate, and logistics.
:: Next Page >>
____________________________________________________
Advertisements
