Submit Environmental Sites

The Biz United web directory getting together a collection of environmental and green living websites online. Submission is free for sites that are related to protecting the environment in some way. It could be sites selling green products or environmental blogs or whatever, but they have to relate to the environment.
See more information on how to submit green living websites..

Prince Charles on Climate Change

It's great to see someone that comes from a background steeped in tradition and doing things how they've always been done has got such a down to earth outlook on things like climate change. Prince Charles is a keen organic farmer and stresses the importance of buying locally produced foods where possible. But he also has strong views about the environment and climate change.
The future king of England said that "We should be treating the whole issue of climate change and global warming with a far greater degree of priority than is happening now". Prince Charles also stated that "if you think about your and my grandchildren, I mean this is what really worries me. I don't want them, if I'm still alive by then, to say 'why didn't you do something about it, when you could have done'.. and this is the point."
I couldn't of said it better myself Charlie, now lets hope that you mention this to George Bush next week when you are having a private dinner with him.
>> Climate Change News >> Environmental News

Hillary Clinton at the Cleantech Venture Network

Senator Hillary Clinton has outlined her views on the current energy mess that the Bush administration has America in, while suggesting that a strategic energy fund, created with some of the profits from oil, and a massive public information blanket that educates consumers to be more efficient with their energy use.
In her speech given at the Cleantech Venture Network Forum VIII, Clinton said "Our dependence on foreign oil threatens our economy and hamstrings our national security." and "our dependence on oil is hastening the threat posed by global climate change. Energy production and use in transportation and electricity generation account for more than three quarters of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions".
The main point of the talk was that America's current energy policy, with a focus on producing MORE oil and continuing to waste resources is backward and a very short term outlook. But the USA should be thinking long term, relying less on foreign oil, using current resources properly, and developing new technologies that are environmentally friendly and efficient.
"The results will not just fuel our cars, they will fuel our economy and stimulate potentially millions of new jobs. The energy revolution can be as big and important as the industrial revolution and the explosion of the information age. And I believe that with the right investments and incentives, America can lead that revolution." Hillary Clinton Speech
>> Political News >> Environmental News

Hybrid Car Demand

The Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is struggling to keep up with the demand for its hybrid powered cars. The environmental blessing of a gas crisis has encouraged consumers to look for more gas friendly vehicles like the popular Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid.
All the major car manufacturers are either selling or developing environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles.
Toyota Scrambling To Produce Hybrids To Meet Growing Demand
"Hybrids deliver great mileage by using the electric motor at slower speeds and then switching to the gas engine when the speed picks up enough for the engine to reduce pollution and deliver a more efficient drive. The vehicles charge their motor batteries while on the go.
Demand has grown to the point where Toyota plans to raise annual production of hybrids to 400,000 vehicles next year from 300,000 this year." ENN
>> hybrid car news

Move Towards the Environment

Even though Biz News Blog was started back in December 2004, there have been very few posts. Partly because of time, but mostly because there wasn't much interest in talking about business and investing. It can be quite a dry topic actually, even with all the scandals, corruption and gossip around.
Recently the topic of business and the environment has been much more interesting (to me anyway). So from now on the Business News Blog will be more like the Business Ethics and Environmental Blog. Juicy topics like climate change, corporate responsibility, and ethical investments will be discussed.
Change will really only come through the actions of Big business and the government (prompted by concerned individuals). It frightens me how much we have abused the place we call home, but it gives me hope when I see people and businesses taking action to right the wrongs of the past (and current actions).
I'm not deluded into thinking that a little unpopular weblog discussing the environment and business will change the world, but I'm learning by discussing the topic and hopefully others can learn by reading..
I feel like planting a tree now! :-)

Organic Standards Attack

U.S. congress is looking to undermine the hard work of the organic foods business community, seeking to change the current strict organic standards. This will allow synthetic ingredients and processing aids to be labeled organic, benefiting large corporations like Kraft, Wal-Mart, and Dean Foods in the United States.
Stop the Sneak Attack in Congress on Organic Standards
During the next week, acting in haste and near-total secrecy, the U.S. Congress is being lobbied by industry to vote on a rider in the House/Senate Conference Committee to the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that could take away control over organic standards from the National Standards Board and put this control in the hands of federal bureaucrats in the USDA (remember the USDA proposal in 1997-98 that said that genetic engineering, toxic sludge, and food irradiation would be OK on organic farms, or USDA suggestions in 2004 that heretofore banned pesticides, hormones, tainted feeds, and animal drugs would be OK?). Read more at the Organic Consumers Association

Starbucks Coffee Challenge

Green LA Girl has challenged Starbucks by setting up an experiment/competition to see if the giant coffee shop chain does what it promises. Starbucks has stated in its own policy that it can serve fair trade coffee to customers that ask for it in any of the hundreds of cafes in 23 countries around the world.
The challenge is to rock up to a Starbucks in your part of the world and ask for a fair trade coffee, and then send your results to Green LA Girl. They will get their results together and put them to Starbucks and see their response.

and you could win a prize..
On Halloween, we'll select two people who contributed to win either:
A 2 lb bag of Monkey & Son Velvet Hammer fair trade organic coffee.
Fair trade yummies from Clipper-Teas.com: 400g organic instant chocolate, 50g organic Fairtrade tea, and 227 g organic roast & ground coffee, Italian style.
To win, simply contribute an amusing and informative post/email. Our favorite ones win -- regardless of whether you have a good or bad experience.
Go check it out.

America, Europe and Climate Change

"Old" Europe seems to be taking the necessary steps towards changing the way we do business on our home we call earth, while "new" America steps backward.
EU Says It Will Not Weaken Drive for Action on Climate Change
"Britain insisted Monday that the European Union must work with a wide range of countries to combat climate change, but said a flexible approach to win partners would not weaken the bloc's determination to tackle the problem."
and
"Kyoto calls on the world's top 35 industrialized countries to cut carbon dioxide and other gas emissions by 5.2 percent below their 1990 levels by 2012. German Environment Minister Juergen Trittin said the EU is determined to lead the fight against climate change beyond that. "We need binding and ambitious climate protection targets after 2012," he said." ENN

While the world's superpower continues along its merry path of destruction, abusing everything from the Alaskan rain forests to the Gulf of Mexico..
A Polluter's Feast
"Public outrage has forced the administration to give up a few of its wildest schemes: "blending" raw sewage into drinking water, for example, or exempting 20 million acres of wetlands from the Clean Water Act. But most of Bush's efforts to gut the nation's environmental protections are so incremental, they go unnoticed by the public -- even when they have far-reaching consequences."
and..
"Since President Bush was sworn in for a second term, he has not only continued his unprecedented assault on the environment -- he's intensified it. In recent months, the administration has opened up millions of acres of pristine land to developers, allowing them to log and mine without leaving behind "viable populations" of wildlife." Rolling Stone

Gasoline for America's Security Act

The environment losing out to big money again, with the Gasoline for America's Security (GAS) Act designed to ignore laws protecting the environment, while increasing the oil refining capacity in the United States.
Right-Wing House Twists Arms, Thwarts Democracy To Pass Oil Industy Windfall
Emotions erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives this afternoon as the right-wing-led Congress held open yet another vote to twist arms and pass a bill that would line the pockets of energy company executives. Read more at ThinkProgress