Tuesday, November 08, 2005

[Green business] Towards a Greener Catalog. Via sustainablog: From Greenbiz, an article, complete with case studies on Norm Thompson and Dell, about the costs and benefits of companies greening their consumer catalogs. Writer Deborah Fleischer aptly demonstrates how companies like these have enhanced their brand, differentiated themselves as "environmental leaders in the field," and even saved money by insisting on recycled-content paper in their catalogs, and have even joined forces with environmental groups like Environmental Defense and the Forest Stewardship Council to promote greener catalogs. I found this piece particularly interesting because it got me thinking about "next steps" businesses can take in displaying their products to consumers while achieving even greater environmental stewardship. First, I have to wonder if paper catalogs aren't outdated to some degree, since the same thing can be done on the Web. Secondly, if the printed catalog is still a necessary marketing tool (and I'd love to hear some more informed discussion on this), are there ways to go beyond paper? I'm thinking particularly of the argument William McDonough and Michael Braungart make in Cradle to Cradle (affiliate link) about thinking more broadly in terms of materials and design. They demonstrate these concepts with the book itself: In addition to describing the hopeful, nature-inspired design principles that are making industry both prosperous and sustainable, the book itself is a physical symbol of the changes to come. It is printed on a synthetic 'paper,' made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers, designed to look and feel like top quality paper while also being waterproof and rugged. And the book can be easily recycled in localities with systems to collect polypropylene, like that in yogurt containers. This 'treeless' book points the way toward the day when synthetic books, like many other products, can be used, recycled, and used again without losing any material quality in cradle-to-cradle cycles. (link) Is this kind of rethinking, going "beyond paper," a possibility for catalogs and other forms of direct marketing? I know cost has to be a major issue... 2:19:55 PM Google It!    [Green economy] Is the Age of Green Economy Finally Here? Via sustainablog: That's the question writer Hunter Jackson asks in this Alternet essay. While news of ecological degradation is most likely to make the front page, Jackson points out that many Americans are changing the ways they spend their money and live their lives in order to address environmental concerns. The essay focuses on several trends that seem to have gone mainstream, including purchasing Fair Trade goods, investing in renewable energy and patronizing local businesses. Without broader national standards and coordination between various movements for more sustainable economic practices, though, Jackson argues that much green economic activity fails to register in the national consciousness. Clearly, many good things are happening in this arena, but, as we've discussed here, words and phrases like "sustainability" and "green business" tend to elicit either misinformation or blank stares. I'm not hopeful of getting much attention in the political arena presently, so how can we take the energy and enthusiasm present at events like the Green Business Conference and spread the word to the masses? Or, is it happening and I'm just impatient? 2:18:24 PM Google It!    [Grants] Biomass Research and Development Initiative The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly solicit applications for financial assistance addressing research, development, and demonstration of biomass based products, bioenergy, biofuels and related processes. This funding opportunity, herein referred to as the "solicitation," is intended to promote greater innovation and development related to biomass, and to support the Biomass Research Development Act of 2000, the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 and Federal policy calling for greater use of biomass-based products, feedstock production, and processing and conversion. 2:09:03 PM Google It!    [Grants] Environmental Cyberinfrastructure Applications due: January 25, 2006 Spatially extensive observing systems for environmental research, together with the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of research on the dynamics of complex environmental systems, create the need for a sophisticated information infrastructure to support these observing systems and to facilitate the integrated use of data from them. There are a number of questions about how to best construct such a cyberinfrastructure. To help answer these questions and to promote planning for Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental Observatories (CEO), this solicitation requests proposals for the development of practical environmental cyberinfrastructure prototypes along with a demonstration of their capability to answer significant environmental research questions. Proposals should be for projects that pursue an end-to-end approach to an information infrastructure prototype. Proposals should identify the types of data involved and the ways in which users might wish to use such data. The proposed projects should include the careful exploration of use cases followed by deployment of a prototype that implements these use cases. 2:06:39 PM Google It!    [Grants] Greater Research Opportunities: Environmentally Benign Manufacturing and Processing Application due date: January 31, 2006 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) program, is seeking applications proposing approaches directed at avoiding or minimizing the generation of pollutants at the source. A new generation of cleaner industrial manufacturing and processing technologies is needed that supports pollution avoidance/prevention (at the source), efficient resource and energy use, and industrial ecology. Such a strategy can help industries become more competitive by reducing resource, energy, and waste/emissions-control costs, and fostering sustainable development while maintaining a strong economy. This competition is not intended to address issues related to waste monitoring, treatment, remediation, environmental sensors, recycling or containment. 2:02:56 PM Google It!    [Product life cycle] Product Stewardship Part 1 : Adding governance to your stewardship strategy Richard MacLean, writing in the November/December issue of Environmental Protection, examines the subject of product stewardship, including its tools and limitations. This issue is taking on a whole new significance in light of emerging global regulations based on the precautionary principle and management's push to develop new products in expanded markets. 2:00:21 PM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 12/2/2005; 9:58:42 AM.