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(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) South Bronx, New York, December 3, 2009 – Sustainable South Bronx, a nonprofit organization delivering economic and environmental solutions to urban communities, is calling for strong leadership at the upcoming U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. 

Miquela Craytor, executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, provided perspective in an article that was originally published on GreenBiz.com. The article can also be viewed at the following link: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/12/01/how-local-ingenuity-can-model-success-sustainable-solutions-global-scale
 

About Sustainable South Bronx

Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx) has been championing hope and opportunity for the people of the South Bronx and other urban communities since 2001. Our unique comprehensive approach to problem solving combines public advocacy, job training and education to improve economic and environmental conditions, resulting in more prosperous and revitalized communities. For more information, please visit www.ssbx.org.

OK, so the title of the article I am going to link to doesn’t actually have a lot to do with “taking the private jet to Copenhagen” but it sure is catchy…and somewhat true. Instead, the article does a great job of pointing out the greenwashing and greenpocrisy of well-known “green” celebrities. A few fantastic tidbits from this Greenwash of the Week article include:

- John Travolta notoriously encouraged the British public to do its bit to fight global warming — after flying into London on one of his five, yes, five private jets (one of which is a Boeing 707).

- Oprah Winfrey, who preaches eco-virtue from her TV pulpit, travelled in a 13-seat Gulfstream IV private jet for years.

- Perhaps more egregious, because she is a much more in-your-face global-warming campaigner, is Dame Trudie Styler, film financier and wife of Sting. Not only do she and her husband run seven homes and travel between them in private jets and a fleet of cars, but in 2007 an employment tribunal revealed Styler was furious when her pregnant chef refused to travel 100 miles to prepare some soup and salad.

- Tom Cruise — who has campaigned for the LA-based environmental group Earth Communications Office — also has an air fleet and a licence to pilot his five planes.

- U2’s latest world tour … produces the carbon equivalent of the annual emissions of 6,500 British homes — or a rocket trip to Mars and back.

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The Good Human aims to be a destination that encourages people to be better humans through working to clean up the environment, being active in political issues and being more aware of one’s life and surroundings.

GE and China’s Ministry of Railways today announced that they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly advance high-speed rail (HSR) opportunities in the United States.  This collaboration will allow GE Transportation to be the first U.S. locomotive manufacturer to more effectively compete for high-speed rail projects against global competitors.  In addition, the partnership would accelerate GE’s passenger rail technologies and create in the near future up to 150 high technology jobs in the U.S.  The announcement was made as part of "GE's Clean Technology Week in China" activities.
 
Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation said, “China is a vital partner to GE Transportation’s future growth, and we find that China’s Ministry of Railways and GE share a common goal – driving high-speed rail technology development more quickly and broadly.  We look forward to pursuing this collaboration.”
 
Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China, said, “High-Speed Rail in the U.S. and in markets worldwide is a significant opportunity for infrastructure and business growth.  With the signing of today's framework agreement, GE and China’s Ministry of Railways have provided the basis for a cooperation-focused framework that will enhance economic development, create new jobs and promote research and development for high-speed railway technology.

“While GE currently is the world leader in locomotive diesel-electric and electronic control systems technology, China currently is a leader in high-speed rail technology for speeds of 220 miles per hour.  Working together, both parties could develop the best solutions faster to serve America’s high-speed rail needs for many years to come.”
 
More than $13 billion will be spent over the next five years to support higher- and high-speed rail infrastructure development in the United States.  Over the next three years, China will invest about $300 billion into its railways infrastructure, expanding its network by more than 20,000 kilometers, including 13,000 kilometers of track designed for high-speed trains capable of traveling up to 220 miles per hour.

GE currently is working with China’s largest diesel locomotive manufacturing company, CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd., to provide China’s Ministry of Railways with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and low-emissions diesel-electric, heavy-haul locomotive available to date.  More than 100 of these locomotives already have been placed in revenue service by the MOR.
 
This current project as well as past projects in cooperation with China’s Ministry of Railways have sustained and created high technology manufacturing jobs in the U.S. for American workers to manufacture and assemble key components essential to these types of projects.  
 
The signing of the framework agreement on high-speed railway cooperation reflects a partnership expansion between GE and China’s Ministry of Railways and has the potential for 3,500 U.S. jobs to support HSR development.  By terms of the framework agreement at least 80% of the content of any potential high-speed locomotives or signaling equipment would be sourced from U.S. suppliers, and all final assembly would be performed in the U.S.
 
To learn more about GE’s announcements in China this week, visit http://www.ge.com/chinanews.

 

GE Transportation announced today the formation of a joint venture company with CSR Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd., a unit of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corporation Limited (CSR), to develop, build and service GE’s Evolution® Series locomotive diesel engines in China.  The announcement as made as part of "GE's Clean Technology Week in China" activities.

  The joint venture is scheduled to launch operations at the end of 2011, including the assembly, testing and overhaul of engine components such as power assemblies and turbochargers in China.  During the second phase, starting in 2013 engines as well as components will be assembled, tested and overhauled.

  “This new joint venture directly aligns with GE’s strategic direction to design, manufacture and service product within the region or country in which they are used,” said Tim Schweikert, President of GE Transportation China.  “GE will continue to supply key engine components for the final engine assembly such as turbocharger and fuel injection kits.  Providing these key components also helps sustain approximately 120 U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

  In October 2005, GE Transportation marked the formal beginning of its partnership with CSR Qishuyan by signing a strategic contract with China’s Ministry of Railways to supply 300, 6,250-horsepower Evolution Series HXN5 China Mainline Locomotives.  Today more than 100 of these Evolution Series China Mainline Locomotives already have been produced by CSR Qishuyan and placed in revenue service by the Ministry of Railways.

  There is significant opportunity for locomotive modernization in China.  CSR produced more than half of the more than 12,000 diesel locomotives currently in service.  Most diesel locomotives in China would benefit from advanced fuel-savings and emissions- reducing technologies.  The Evolution Series locomotive diesel engines are GE’s most fuel-efficient and low emission diesel engines to-date and, thereby, support China’s green initiatives.  The Evolution Series Locomotive is one of GE’s most prominent ecomaginationSM products.  Ecomagination is a GE-wide initiative to help meet customer demand for more energy efficient products.  

  To learn more about GE’s announcements in China this week, visit http://www.ge.com/chinanews.

Elizabeth Warren on the Economy

Stocks are up, but so is unemployment. What's wrong with this economic picture and what's being done about it?

 

 

Our Green Talks series of interviews with green thought-leaders has been a smash success so far – garnering hundreds of registrants and viewers from all over the globe, and we’re super excited about the next one, which is happening TOMORROW at 3:30pm est! with Boston’s Bike “Czar” Nicole Freedman. We’re beyond thrilled to announce this interview with Nicole, as she is the driving force behind the first citywide bike-sharing system in the United States! Nicole is a former Olympic cyclist and has played a pivotal role in making Boston a more bike-friendly place as the director of the city’s bicycling programs.

Boston’s new bike sharing system is set to debut this spring and will provide 1,000 to 3,000 bicycles for public use throughout the city, and we’ll be chatting with Nicole about her hopes for this exciting new project and the challenges she’s faced. We’re also going to try to convince her to move to New York City and launch a similar program here! Bostonians, New Yorkers and anyone who cares about greening your city and improving the cycling landscape, this is going to be a CAN’T MISS DISCUSSION with a fascinating visionary, so join us for our latest webcast in our Green Talks series this Thursday at 3:30 pm EST!

SIGN UP HERE TO JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION >

*We’re going to be preparing some questions for Nicole ahead of time, so if you have any questions you would like her to answer, please submit them in the comments below!

 

Corporate Social Responsible News: Philanthropy New York's Diversity Report; ANA's Carbon Policy

Strategic communication for business will be critical as President Obama ushers in a new green vision for America and the world
 

“Let’s be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We can harness homegrown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production of more fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as a model for the world.”
                                               — From Barack Obama’s speech announcing his Presidential Bid in Springfield, Illinois, February 10, 2007
 

From his campaign kick-off more than two-and-a-half years ago right up through his inauguration this past January, the environment and environmental sustainability were central themes and important priorities for candidate Barack Obama.  He’s been in office for only nine months, but President Obama is moving quickly to reframe the environmental debate and reset expectations on the part of many stakeholders.  All this change will have both an immediate and a long-term impact for business. 

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At the end of the day, you are going to have to have a product which is totally neutral to the environment and the only solution is electric cars or fuel cells.

The time for zero emissions is now...