Andrew Sibley - Desso

The Greeks called it Helios, the Romans Sol and, despite forming over 98% of the solar system, it is technically a Yellow G2 Dwarf, one of over 100 billion other stars in the universe.

Every second it converts about 700 million tons of hydrogen into about 695 million tons of helium and five million tons of energy, generating 386 billion billion mega Watts.

It takes light from the Sun about eight minutes to reach Earth or 1.3 seconds for reflected light to bounce from the Moon, and without it we would be in a cold and dark place and, without photosynthesis, unable to grow food. We couldn’t exist.

The Sun’s generosity is a good place to start in looking at today’s environmental imperatives of climate change and resource depletion, because the Sun’s energy is the only resource that is replenished every day. Everything but the Sun’s energy is finite.

In every other respect, we live in an eco-system that is closed; what we take, make and waste, we waste forever – and that’s the fundamental challenge facing manufacturing industry. When its resources are gone, they’re gone for good, and so too our capacity to make new things.

It was that realisation that created the modern environmental movement, which in many ways can be dated from the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. This was an unprecedented UN conference both in size and the scale of its concerns. The Conference Secretary-General, called it a “historic moment for humanity.”

The Summit’s message was that only a complete transformation in our attitudes and behaviour would bring about the changes necessary to safeguard the environment. It also coined the phrase “eco-efficiency.”

This, so it was believed, would transform industry from a system that takes, makes, and wastes into one that integrates economic, environmental and ethical concerns. Essentially, eco-efficiency means doing more with less.

Eco-efficiency has been the guiding principle ever since. For many companies, it has meant assessing manufacturing and distribution processes and then finding ways to minimise their impacts on the environment – for example, by reducing waste or energy consumption. Eco-efficiency has achieved enormous environmental benefits.

More than anything, it has brought the environment into sharp focus, bringing with it a shared sense of our impact on the world around us. In a few short years we have collectively recognised the challenges of resource depletion and climate change and, as individuals, families, companies and governments are doing something about it.

But eco-efficiency doesn’t have all the answers because, effectively, it’s about being “less bad” and believing it to be inherently ethical. The Earth’s resources, except solar energy, will still run out, although at a slower rate. Eco-efficiency buys us time, nothing more.

But a new environmental theory is gaining traction; a theory that suggests that, rather than make the wrong things less bad, we instead make products that are right. The name of this theory is Cradle to Cradle^®.

It was heralded in a book, ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things’ by the German chemist Michael Braungart and American architect William McDonough. Published in 2002, its central premise is that products should be conceived from the very start with intelligent design and the intention that they would eventually be endlessly recycled in their entirety as nutrients.

The refinity process, which separates the yarn from the backing so that both can be reused.

Cradle to Cradle^® looks at the Earth’s resources as either biological nutrients that are useful for the biosphere, or technical nutrients that are fundamental to the technosphere, the systems that comprise industrial processes. It’s a theory that draws heavily from nature’s example; in nature, nothing is wasted: everything is reused in closed loops, over and over.

It’s a perspective that sees old products as nourishment: foodstuffs that can be disassembled and used to make new products, eliminating waste from the manufacturing cycle, because every old TV, carpet or washing machine – and everything else – will have been designed for disassembly and reuse.

Braungart and McDonough state that when designers employ the intelligence of natural systems – for example, the effectiveness of nutrient recycling, or the abundance of the Sun’s energy – they can create products, industrial systems, buildings, even regional plans that allow nature and commerce to fruitfully co-exist.

It is no less than a manifesto for the transformation of human industry through ecologically intelligent design; a positive agenda that says that, if we learn from nature, the manufacturing sector can be truly good. Time Magazine has called it “a unified philosophy that – in demonstrable and practical ways – is changing the design of the world.”

The scale of the environmental challenge is particularly significant in the flooring industry. Statistics from the USA suggest that carpeting is replaced on average every seven years, despite usually having a guaranteed life of between ten and 25 years. That means that a lot of perfectly good carpeting is thrown away every year, because it’s faded or just feels dated.

According to a UK study carried out for the Contract Flooring Association, about 500,000 tonnes of carpet is thrown out in the UK every year. One estimate suggests that in the developed world some 2% of landfill waste is made up from old carpeting. Multiply those statistics across the world and you can sense the scale of those wasted resources, when much of that material could be used again.

In 2007, Desso entered into partnership with the Hamburg-based Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA – http://www.epea.com), the brainchild of Cradle to Cradle^® co-founder Michael Braungart. EPEA encourages companies to assess their activities on sustainability, recycling, waste management and energy use – and make improvements throughout.

We have worked with EPEA to first identify the “material health” of each component in our products; assess how each component can be recovered and recycled in a process of “material reutilisation”; assess energy and water usage and, lastly, examine our policies on social responsibility and fair labour practices. We intend that all our products will be designed and produced according to Cradle to Cradle^® design principles by 2020.

For example, we have introduced EcoBase^® – a carpet backing that can be entirely recycled back into carpet backing, and we are introducing Take Back™ programmes to ensure that products can be recycled according to Cradle to Cradle^® principles.

That in itself introduces a new concept alien to most manufacturing industries – the concept of a product of service. Instead of the current paradigm in which goods are bought, owned and disposed of, products containing valuable technical nutrients will be reconceived as new products that new consumers will wish to purchase.

In that manufacturing scenario, consumers would effectively buy the service of that product for a certain period and then, at the end of its useful life, the manufacturer would take it back, take it apart and reuse its nutrients to make new products. Yes, we would still be in the business of selling products but, unlike now, we would retain responsibility for those products – to the end of their useful lives and beyond.

From a manufacturing perspective, that doesn’t mean making products more durable or designed to last longer. It doesn’t mean asking consumers to make do with their mobile phones or TV sets for longer, because consumption is bad. Cradle to Cradle^® makes planned obsolescence good; it makes consumption good. It merely asks us, the consumer, to buy new products from companies committed to the most sustainable closed loop manufacturing methodologies.

There are obvious benefits for all of us. First, it makes good business sense because, without waste, companies save money from having to source valuable new resources and, second, with nutrients being constantly recycled, it diminishes the need to extract any more new materials. That really does change the design of the world.

The challenge for manufacturing industry is to find that elusive balance between people, profit and the planet – the Triple Bottom Line that is at the heart of the environmental agenda. But too often, using the eco-efficient model, we have ended up concentrating on profit, with social or ecological considerations coming second.

Cradle to Cradle^® allows us to use the Triple Bottom Line as a strategic design tool and perhaps, as Braungart and McDonough suggest, turn that matrix on its head and consider corporate strategy as being about a Triple Top Line – a new starting point from which to design products and processes.

The Sun provides us with that starting point, an energy source capable of providing all our energy requirements many times over. It simply requires us to look at our manufacturing processes in a different way: to make best use of the Sun’s abundance to make products circulating in endless closed loops.

It’s nothing less than industrial re-evolution but, as Albert Einstein said, if we are to solve the problems that plague us, our thinking must evolve beyond the level we were using when we created those problems in the first place.

The SUBWAY® restaurant chain, an industry leader in providing healthier options for consumers, announced the opening of five new “Green” SUBWAY Eco-Restaurants – with more on the way – each designed with environmentally friendly aspects to reduce energy, water, and waste consumption in cost effective ways.

This North Haven, Conn., Subway is pending LEED certification.

“All of these new eco-restaurants reflect the brand’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability,” said Marketing Director Elizabeth Stewart, who heads the SUBWAY brand’s corporate social responsibility efforts. “We have made a commitment to make our restaurants and operations more environmentally responsible. As the largest franchise chain in the U.S., we know we can make a real difference and are working towards that goal.”

Going green is something franchisee Dr. Burhan Ghanayem takes very seriously. Burhan retired as an environmental health scientist, although his passion for conservation continues.

Burhan recently opened two Eco-Restaurants in Cary and Durham, North Carolina, with his brother Marwan. Both restaurants are recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

“I have been a customer of Subway all my life,” said Burhan, who owns a total of 10 SUBWAY restaurants with his brother. “I love the food and the freshness. Compare our food to burgers and other fast food restaurants and ours is a lot healthier.”

Along with the great Customer Service experience his restaurants provide for customers, Burhan says his Eco-Restaurants are educational as well, even down to the automatic shut off faucets in the bathrooms.

Burhan plans to continue building Eco SUBWAY restaurants, with two new locations already on the horizon.

“I actually learned so much from building my first two eco-restaurants that I want to make my next even greener,” Burham said. “I really care about the environment. If we can all chip in, we can really make a big difference.”

LEED is a third-party certification program for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. As part of their Eat Fresh, Live Green initiative, the SUBWAY brand encourages franchisees to create Eco-Restaurants when possible. Many, who cannot rebuild their restaurants, are incorporating Green elements into their stores such as low flow faucets and toilets, energy saving appliances, motion sensor lights, recyclable trash cans, and more.

George Estep, franchisee of the newly opened Eco-Restaurant in Kokomo, Indiana, constructed a free standing drive-thru restaurant entirely from recycled material. Estep’s restaurant also includes a large monitor that displays real time energy usage of the restaurant, which has turned into a customer favorite.

Subway in Kokomo, Ind., was constructed entirely of recycled stone. It is pending LEED Silver certification.

Additionally, two newly renovated rest areas off the Merritt Parkway in North Haven, Connecticut, each includes a SUBWAY Eco-Restaurant. Among their eco-elements, both operate off of a light harvesting system through solar panels, high efficiency air conditioning, and they even have environmentally friendly plants that do not require any water maintenance.

Among the many soon-to-open Eco-Restaurants is the SUBWAY restaurant on the University of California Los Angeles campus, which is located in the newly renovated “Green” student center. The center will even feature a walkable rooftop terrace and garden.

Many more locations have incorporated sustainable elements, such as franchisee Stephen Maycock’s restaurant in Ephraim, Utah, which now includes solar panels to generate electricity.

SUBWAY brand sustainability efforts do not end with Eco-Restaurants, Elizabeth Stewart said. They also include packaging solutions that are functional, operationally efficient, and cost effective. By reducing the amount of packaging, supply chain transportation is cut back, saving fuel costs and reducing mileage and emissions. These reductions are a result of changes such as recyclable cutlery and paper napkins made out of 100% recycled material. Other efforts include the shift from plastic menu panels to recyclable paper menus, and the new SUBWAYcards which use 30% recycled plastic.

A list of Subway Eco Restaurants with their certification and opening date:

Kissimmee, Fla., LEED Silver, November 2007
St. Helens, Ore., December 2007
Keiser Station, Ore., December 2007
La Place, La., Eco Restaurant Silver, September 2008
Chapel Hill, N.C., LEED Certified, August 2008
Love’s Park, Ill., September 2009
Loveland, Ore., 2010
Cary Park, N.C., LEED Certified, 2010
Durham, N.C., LEED Certified, 2010
Chicago, 2010
Kokomo, Ind., pending LEED Silver, 2011
North Haven, Conn., two pending LEED Certification, 2011
France, 2011

A Boeing 747 cargo plane was demolished for recycling this month by the Aircraft Recycling Corporation at the former George AFB in Victorville. About 80-85 percent of an airplane is recyclable. Photo courtesy of ARC – Doug Scroggins

It may be counterintuitive to think of EPA Superfund sites as hotbeds of green technology. But as the Air Force Real Property Agency — responsible for buying, selling and managing Air Force property worldwide — continues cleaning, restoring and transferring property to the community, the former bases are attracting more clean, green businesses by the day.

McClellan and Mather in Sacramento, George in Victorville, Castle in Atwater, March in Riverside, and Norton in San Bernardino – all on the EPA’s National Priorities List due to pollution from former days – house a growing number of businesses promoting environmentally-friendly practices and products.

McClellan Park in Sacramento may be the green giant of the group, with numerous tenants on the leading edge of green technology. One is the 91,000-square-foot factory of ZETA Communities, manufacturers of “net-zero energy” homes, which produce as much energy as they use over the course of a year. Constructed in modules, the buildings use photovoltaic power (also known as solar power), Energy Star appliances, ultra-efficient insulation and high-performance windows, among other features. ZETA Communities, headquartered in San Francisco, won Green Builder magazine’s 2009 Home of the Year Award for a 1,540-square-foot modular home now permanently located near a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station in Oakland. The McClellan Park factory can produce five modules (or two townhouses) per day. ZETA also manufactures energy-efficient mixed-use facilities at McClellan and is planning to produce green housing and other buildings for various military bases around the U.S., according to Shilpa Sankaran, VP of Business Operations and co-founder.

This energy efficient modular home, by ZETA Communities, won Green Builder magazine’s home of the year award. ZETA’s factory at the former McClellan AFB can produce two townhouses per day. (Photo by Nandita Geerdink)

Fiberwood LLC, also at McClellan, operates a successful business recycling 50-100 tons of newspaper per day into a product called hydroseed mulch. Mixed with whatever seeds a contractor wants to add, as well as water and fertilizer, it’s sprayed wet on highway embankments, large building sites, and sites damaged by fire to control erosion and dust. The mulch keeps the seeds wet to promote rapid germination. Fiberwood recently expanded to produce spray-on building insulation, called Kozi, also made of recycled materials, in this case denim and cardboard. “We’re using totally recycled material,” Stuart Douglass, president of Fiberwood said. “It’s absolutely natural and healthy.” The company is currently testing recycled paper animal bedding.

Hydromulch, manufactured by Fiberwood LLC at the former McClellan AFB, is sprayed after a fire in Santa Barbara, CA for reseeding and erosion control. The mulch, made of recycled newspaper, can be applied as soon as a fire is out. (Courtesy photo)

McClellan is also the headquarters of Renewable Energy Institute International, which recently received a $20 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a biorefinery in Port of Toledo, Ohio. There, crop waste such as rice hulls will be converted into diesel fuel.

Ternion Bio-Industries, based in San Jose, established a research and development facility at McClellan, where the company recently built what’s believed to be the first commercial-scale bioreactor designed to use algae to reduce carbon emissions. The three-story tall reactor can grow the amount of algae produced in almost three acres of open ponds in less than 300 square feet. Future customers such as power plants and refineries will feed their CO2 emissions to the algae, which – like all plants – needs CO2 to live.

SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy provider, has its Renewable Operations Center in a former airplane hangar at McClellan. SunEdison has about 80 megawatts of generation capacity under management across some 300 solar power plants. At the center, SunEdison’s photovoltaic power systems are monitored, remote diagnostics are analyzed, and service fleets dispatched as necessary.

Beutler Heating and Air Conditioning, based at McClellan, is selling and installing Yes! Solar products made by Solar Power Inc. for residential and commercial use. Beutler advertises turnkey solutions for clients interested in switching to solar power. And, at press time, McClellan Business Park had signed a lease with N Solar Inc. of South Korea, which plans to manufacture solar modules beginning in September, eventually employing 150 people at the site. N Solar’s headquarters will also be housed at the 128,000-square-foot McClellan site. The company, based in Seoul, is a subsidiary of Millinet, an information technology company.

Across town at Mather Commerce Center, American River College is holding classes in a former Air Force diesel equipment repair shop to teach students about clean-diesel technology. In the wake of tougher state and federal emission control standards, the certificate program trains students to repair and retrofit trucks and buses. Craig Weckman, chair of the clean-diesel technology department at ARC, said the class is so popular it has students wait-listed for admission.

Todd Stretars (rear) and Martin Peck make adjustments to a diesel engine. Both students are enrolled in American River College's clean diesel technology program at the former Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, Calif. (Photo by Wojciech Betlej)

Also at Mather, California Electronic Asset Recovery, Inc. (CEAR) recycles electronics such as televisions, computers, VCRs, DVDs, phones, copiers, printers, microwaves, and small appliances. Some electronic devices are refurbished and sold. Those categorized as “end of life” are disassembled at CEAR, where hazardous materials such batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and mercury switches are removed and sent to other recyclers. The business prevents lead, mercury and other toxics used in electronics from entering landfills.

Employees at California Electronic Asset Recovery dismantle monitors at the former Mather AFB. CEAR recycled over 15 million pounds of e-waste last year.

Piles of used computer parts are waiting to be recycled at California Electronic Asset Recovery at the former Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento

In Victorville, at the former George Air Force Base now known as Southern California Logistics Airport, another kind of recycling is taking place on a massive scale. The Aircraft Recycling Corporation is involved in the demolition, dismantling, salvage, and scrapping of outdated or accident-damaged aircraft. “About 80-85% of an aircraft is recyclable material,” said Doug Scroggins, managing director of ARC. Aircraft aluminum cannot be used to make aluminum cans or another aircraft, he said. But it can be used for auto parts, furniture, and other items. Airplane seat cushions are shredded and used as packing material. Carpeting and passenger windows are also recycled. From time to time, a cockpit is donated to a museum.

“It doesn’t matter where the aircraft is,” Scroggins explained, noting that the company will travel wherever there’s an unwanted plane to dismantle it, pick up the material and transport it to a processor. He and his associates have gone as far as Guam to recycle aircraft. He said planes arriving in Victorville for recycling have already been stripped of hazardous materials. A two-minute video produced by Honeywell shows ARC at work demolishing an aircraft:

At the former Norton Air Force Base, now the San Bernardino International Airport, tenant Kelly Space & Technology has invented a WiseLight technology that remotely controls outdoor lighting, saving both energy and money. The City of Los Alamitos is using WiseLight on its tennis courts, softball and soccer fields, according to Jason Lee, Kelly’s Director of Operations.

In some cases, it’s the buildings and corporate business practices that are attracting the attention of green advocates. Also at San Bernardino International Airport, Kohl’s Department Stores, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, built an enormous solar array on the rooftop of its San Bernardino Distribution Center. There, 6,208 solar panels generate 1 megawatt of power, enough to power 400 homes for a year. Kohl’s also uses solar energy for partial power at nearly half of its California retail outlets. Since October, 2008, all trucks transporting Kohl’s goods from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are fuelled by Liquefied Natural Gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel.

Tesco, an enormous British corporation which operates about 200 Fresh and Easy neighborhood grocery stores in the Western U.S., built its main distribution center at the former March Air Force Base in Riverside. In 2007, Tesco installed a $13 million solar roof on its five-building, 820,400-square-foot facility. The chain also uses hybrid refrigeration trucks which can be plugged in while they’re at the center, minimizing CO2 emissions and noise. Each Fresh and Easy store returns all display and shipping materials to the distribution center, where they are recycled or re-used.

And Mark Hendrickson, director of the Merced County Department of Commerce, Aviation and Economic Development, is trying to establish a Merced County Green/Solar Technology Innovation Hub (iHub) at the former Castle Air Force Base, now Castle Commerce Center. The idea is to create jobs capitalizing on new green technologies being researched and developed through UC Merced. UC Merced’s non-imaging optics laboratory at Castle engages in design, development and testing of solar concentrators for photovoltaic and solar thermal system applications. A two-acre solar test center is proposed for adjacent land at Castle.

The iHUB proposal involves a partnership between the cities of Atwater, Los Banos, and Livingston, Merced Community College, UC Merced, Merced County, the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, the UC Merced Small Business Development Center, and others “to create a culture for inventions and patents that produce marketable and sustainable applications targeting the field of energy and solar research, and to prepare a workforce for the renewable energy industry,” according to a recent proposal. The area has chronic high unemployment and a poverty rate of 19.3 percent, compared to the statewide average of 12.4 percent in 2008, according to Census Bureau estimates.

In conclusion, as closed Air Force bases around California continue transforming into vibrant corporate complexes, their ability to attract tenants exploring green technologies is unlocking tremendous potential for jobs and growth. At least one of them, McClellan Business Park – coincidentally the green giant of the group – has more people working there now than it did when McClellan Air Force Base closed in 2001.

The Electric 2010 Ford Transit Connect

Azure Dynamics Corporation announced AT&T has agreed to purchase two of the first Ford Transit Connect Electric vans, the latest addition to AT&T’s growing fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles.

The Ford Transit Connect Electric — the all-electric version of the 2010 Ford Transit Connect, the North American Truck of the Year — will be powered by Azure Dynamics’ patented Force Drive(TM) electric drivetrain with an advanced lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls-Saft. The vehicle, which goes on sale later this year, has a range of up to 80 miles on a single charge and will be rechargeable using either 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlets. It has a top speed of 75 miles per hour.

“Cleaner, alternative-fuel vehicles are the future of our corporate fleet, and the Transit Connect Electric represents a real breakthrough and will be a strong addition to our range of alternative-fuel vehicles,” said Jerome Webber, vice president of fleet operations at AT&T. “It’s exactly the kind of vehicle we envisioned when we mapped our long-term vision to invest up to $565 million to deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles through 2018.” AT&T currently operates more than 77,000 vehicles in its corporate fleet, including 15 gasoline-powered Ford Transit Connect vehicles AT&T began piloting in 2009.

Scott T. Harrison, CEO of Azure Dynamics, said Transit Connect Electric project is in line with his company’s mission.

“Our business is built on great technology, committed partners and customers who want to improve efficiency while reducing their environmental footprint,” Harrison said. “The Transit Connect Electric brings all of those elements together in a single package and is exactly on target with our goal at Azure of ‘driving a world of difference.’”

According to Harrison, commercial vehicles are ideal candidates for electrification due to typical duty cycle characteristics like predictable drive routes and a return to a central location each night for recharging. The zero tailpipe emission Ford Transit Connect Electric also will help protect air quality in the urban environments where it operates.

By combining car-like driving dynamics with truck-like cargo capacity, Ford Transit Connect Electric is well-suited to the demands placed on urban delivery vehicles for small businesses and larger, corporate fleets.

The Transit Connect Electric is expected to offer lower cost of operation because recharging with electricity is generally less expensive than refueling with gasoline. Additionally, customers will benefit from lower maintenance costs as the electric drive train has far fewer moving parts to maintain.

“Ford Transit Connect was first introduced in the U.S. last year as a new fuel efficient alternative to larger commercial vehicles. Adding the electric option addresses a growing demand from our customers for sustainable vehicles for their fleets,” said Gerry Koss, Ford fleet marketing manager. “This Transit Connect Electric represents the first in a family of electrified vehicles, including new hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all battery electric vehicles, which Ford will deliver over the next three years.”

AT&T plans to take delivery of the Transit Connect Electric in late 2010.

Wal-Mart Stores committed today to reduce phosphates in laundry and dish detergents in the Americas region by 70 percent by 2011. Wal-Mart also announced plans to accelerate its drive toward more sustainable packaging in the Americas region by reducing packaging by 5 percent by the end of 2013.

Phosphate compounds are a common water pollutant and can damage aquatic ecosystems by stimulating the growth of algae that depletes oxygen in the water for fish and plants. Phosphates from detergents are a significant contributor to phosphate-based water pollution.

“Our reach around the world puts us in a unique position to drive sustainable change across national boundaries and into the global supply chain,” said Craig Herkert, Wal-Mart president and CEO of the Americas. “By further coordinating efforts throughout the region and sharing best practices, we believe we can help our customers save money on the products they need, while improving communities and the environment.”

According to Matt Kistler, Wal-Mart senior vice president, sustainability, “It is exciting to see our international markets join efforts to drive sustainability progress. Together with governments, our suppliers and customers, we are making great strides in lessening our impact on the environment.”

Continuing its push toward more sustainable packaging, the company will bring its U.S. initiated packaging scorecard to the Americas by the end of 2009. The scorecard is a tool that helps Wal-Mart buyers make more informed purchasing decisions and helps move the company toward its goal of creating zero waste and dramatically increasing the number of environmentally friendly products. As a part of this initiative, Wal-Mart will launch a Sustainable Value Network (SVN) to focus on reduced packaging in each market. The SVN will bring together leaders from Wal-Mart, supplier companies, academia, government and non-governmental organizations to explore challenges and develop solutions that benefit our business and our communities.

The announcements were made during the company’s quarterly sustainability milestone meeting, held to track company progress on a number of environmental fronts. Wal-Mart suppliers and associates from around the world attended the event at the Wal-Mart Home Office in Bentonville and watched via webcast. Attendees also heard from world renowned architect and designer Bill McDonough on the importance of product and supply chain innovation.

After Wal-Mart’s U.S. business, Wal-Mart Americas is the company’s second largest business unit. It includes Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America, Brazil and Argentina, has more than 2,300 stores in 10 markets and employs more than 364,000 associates.

NOTE: The complete sustainability milestone meeting can be viewed at walmartstores.com/milestone

“BIO and its member companies produce the key enabling technology that will make low-carbon biofuels from cellulose a reality in the very near future. The Farm Bill passed today can help both biofuel producers and farmers coordinate their efforts to deploy this technology for turning crop residues and dedicated energy crops such as perennial grasses, trees and other non-food feedstocks into advanced biofuels.

“We wish to thank House Agriculture Chairman Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn.) and Ranking Member Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) as well as Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) for their leadership on the energy title of the Farm Bill. We would also like to thank Senate Finance Chairman Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Ranking Member Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) as well as House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-La.).”

The Farm Bill includes an important new incentive for the development of cellulosic biofuels, which hold tremendous promise as a home-grown alternative to fossil-based fuels. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that became law last year calls for production and use of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022. But because the technology for producing cellulosic biofuels is emerging, government assistance is necessary to help companies reach the commercial scale called for in the RFS. The Farm Bill contains a new, temporary production tax credit for up to $1.01 per gallon, available through December 31, 2012, with an estimated cost of $403 million over the ten-year budget window.

The bill also includes loan guarantees to assist the construction of commercial biorefineries for production of advanced biofuels. It also creates a Biomass Crop Assistance Program that will help farmers transition to growing cellulosic energy crops for these biorefineries. Lastly, it continues funding research and development into making advanced, low-carbon biofuels cost-competitive for consumers.

“The farm bill energy title will accelerate the commercialization of cellulosic biofuels technologies and will help ensure abundant fuel and food resources are produced by the nation’s farmers and fuel producers,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section.

BIO supports the production of ethanol from all feedstocks. Biotechnology is helping to increase corn and soybean yields, convert corn starch and crop residues into ethanol more efficiently, and develop new “green” non-food feedstocks for low-carbon advanced biofuels. With ongoing advances in biotechnology, biofuels can help America meet nearly half its transportation-fuel needs by the middle of this century.

The Advanced Biofuels & Climate Change Information Center presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental and other impacts of biofuel production. Drop in and add your comments, at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/.

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

Upcoming BIO Events

– 2008 BIO International Convention
June 17-20, 2008
San Diego, Calif.

– Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
Sept. 10-12, 2008
Vancouver, BC

Source: Biotechnology Industry Organization

In fact, the study found that the majority (58 percent) of financial institutions are planning new building projects, and of that group more than three-quarters (75 percent) are considering the use of green building materials and practices.

Executives planning new building projects say energy efficiency considerations are very important (76 percent) to their institutions, followed closely by indoor air quality (72 percent) and indoor work place (61 percent). To download the free full report, visit http://www.ibtenterprises.com/ideastudio.asp.

“Building new financial services facilities is a constant in the industry, and this study bears that out; however, we are now seeing a real interest in eco-friendly building within the sector,” said Mylle Mangum, CEO of IBT Enterprises, the survey’s sponsor. “Executives are generally interested in incorporating green elements into projects large and small. We’ve reached a point where building green does not always come with a cost-prohibitive price tag, and being green can still give a financial institution the features they desire.”

When asked which features financial institutions most want to incorporate in new and existing branches, executives tended to focus on ways they can further deliver services to their clientele. The majority of the group said adding ATMs (69 percent), educational or community-oriented marketing (59 percent), investment services (56 percent) and technology/Internet kiosks (56 percent) were of most interest to them.

Being Green on a Daily Basis

Seven in ten executives polled said “being green” is important to their financial institution because “we are all stewards of the earth – we are doing what is right” and nearly as many (68 percent) say they are green because they “realize benefits from the lower operation costs.”

That said, today’s financial institutions are not just interested in the color of money; many of their work environments are in fact very green, according to executives surveyed. Almost all (93 percent) financial services executives say they work in buildings that use fluorescent lighting and/or skylights, 47 percent use high-efficiency plumbing, 43 percent eco-friendly heating and air conditioning and 43 percent energy-efficient windows.

Some of the green initiatives financial services executives report their facilities participate in include:

Using energy-efficient lighting, including compact fluorescent lights (81 percent),

Having an active recycling initiative (74 percent),

Encouraging ride-sharing or public transportation for employees (62 percent), and

Using environmentally friendly cleaning products (46 percent).

“Like many organizations banks and credit unions truly understand the benefits associated with going green,” said Tom Tedrow, vice president of design and construction services for IBT. “We have found that green efforts tend to start small but grow into important initiatives.”

“For example, while only 44 percent of financial services executives knew of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, 55 percent of those that did said they will be seeking LEED certification for future building or remodeling projects,” continued Tedrow, who is accredited for LEED New Construction and Major Renovations.

Today nearly three-in-ten (29 percent) of those surveyed work in a location that was expressly built with energy efficiency in mind.

Offering Green Services

The majority (86 percent) of financial services executives surveyed say being green is important to their clientele. The figures do show that while some environmentally-friendly services are in place, there is room for improvement both in breadth of offerings and overall use of such services.

For example, nearly all (90 percent) respondents report having paper avoidance programs like electronic billing, statements and online applications in place for their customers. However, 58 percent of executives reported less than a quarter of their customers utilize such programs, and only 16 percent said the majority of their customers take part in the programs.

Some institutions are offering environmental-friendly services in addition to paper avoidance programs. Nineteen percent have eco-friendly car loans, 17 percent offer eco-friendly home financing, and eight percent have “green” credit cards where financial institutions make contributions to green initiatives based on spending. Across the board, consumer usage is very modest where these services are offered.

“While the uptake of eco-friendly financial services has not been through the roof, we do see evidence that although a financial institution might build green and be green, it may not appear to be green if it does not effectively offer green services to its clientele,” said Mangum. “The recent increase in environmentally-friendly services is just starting to emerge and financial services organizations are realizing there is a market for them. How large of a market it is will be seen in the coming years.”

This and other research studies completed by IBT Enterprises, including the 2006 IBT Market Pulse Survey, can be downloaded for free by visiting http://www.ibtenterprises.com/ideastudio.asp.

About IBT Enterprises’ 2008 IBT Market Pulse Survey

Conducted in April 2008, the 2008 IBT Market Pulse Survey is based on an online survey among a nationwide sample of executives with financial institutions. Of the 124 participants, 21 percent are president/CEO/chairman, 38 percent vice president and 34 percent senior management. Ninety one percent are employed in a bank or credit union. Eighty-six percent work in institutions with assets of $101 million or greater; 37 percent of respondents work for institutions with assets greater than $1 billion. Sixty-four percent of respondents were male and 36 percent were female. The research was conducted by Atlanta-based Arketi Group.

For more information about IBT Enterprises and its portfolio of design, build and consulting capabilities, visit www.ibtenterprises.com.

About IBT Enterprises

IBT Enterprises, an IBT Holdings company, is a leading source of forward-thinking designs and ideas in the arena of financial services and specialty retail. Over its 23-year history, the company has consulted to more than 190 retail and 550 financial services clients on the development of thousands of workspaces. IBT offers a comprehensive range of integrated services, including retail distribution strategy, market research, space planning, design and construction, performance training and coaching. IBT is a certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise and a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.

About IBT Holdings, LLC

IBT Holdings is the premier provider of design, build and consulting services for financial services and specialty retail. Comprised of IBT Enterprises, Design Build Concepts and International Banking Technologies, IBT Holdings is equipped to create facilities and environments that engage consumers and drive positive and memorable retail and customer experiences. With a combined portfolio of more than 3,700 design and construction projects, and LEED-accredited architects and designers, the IBT Holdings companies can develop a space that supports your practical and functional needs while offering a distinctive brand experience. For more information about IBT Holdings, LLC, visit www.ibtenterprises.com.

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE:KSS) announced today that it plans to convert more than 50 of its existing New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland locations to solar power, representing nearly 80 percent of its locations in these three states. Currently Kohl’s operates 34 stores in New Jersey, 17 in Connecticut and 16 in Maryland.

With the East Coast solar installation, Kohl’s is the largest retail host of solar power, and its distributed solar program is now the largest in the world among retailers. In a distributed solar program, silent, renewable energy is produced and used at the same location requiring no transmission infrastructure. Kohl’s has converted more than 25 of its 88 California locations to solar power with plans to activate approximately 50 additional sites in the state. Solar installations are also under way at three Wisconsin locations, and Kohl’s hopes to add other states to its growing solar offering before year-end.

Initial construction for the East Coast solar conversions began in January. On average, solar panels provide 30 percent of a store’s annual energy, or enough to power 54 homes annually. The total East Coast program is expected to offset 370 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the 20-year program and is equivalent to removing more than 36,200 cars from the road for one year.

“Our solar program is one of many ways Kohl’s is working to become a leading environmentally responsible retailer,” said Ken Bonning, executive vice president of logistics for Kohl’s. “We launched our California solar initiative one year ago and are excited to add East Coast locations to the program, making Kohl’s distributed solar power program the largest in the world among retailers.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), solar power is one of many green sources of power, which also include wind, geothermal and biogas. These power sources are partially or entirely generated from clean resources and are considered cleaner than conventional sources of electricity in part because of lower carbon dioxide emissions.

Kohl’s strives to be a leading green retailer by maximizing energy efficiency, minimizing waste, improving new building design, reducing climate damaging emissions, and encouraging environmental values. Recently Kohl’s opened a new state-of-the-art photo studio in Milwaukee that was constructed using the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria. In its May issue, Working Mother Magazine recognized Kohl’s as one of the Best Green Companies for America’s Children. In April 2007, Kohl’s made the largest commitment to solar energy in U.S. history. Following that, the EPA recognized Kohl’s with a Green Power Leadership Award for being the No. 2 retail purchaser of renewable energy.

Kohl’s Department Stores

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE:KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. Kohl’s operates 957 stores in 47 states and will celebrate the opening of its 1,000th store in the fall. A company committed to the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $102 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares for Kids® philanthropic program. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

DALLAS – Town of Addison Mayor Joe Chow, the Addison City Council, City Manager Ron Whitehead, VIPs and other dignitaries were joined by UDR (NYSE:UDR) Chairman of the Board of Directors Bob Larson, Chief Executive Officer Tom Toomey and other key representatives from the company to break ground today on Vitruvian Park, a billion-dollar multifamily, retail and commercial development in Addison, Texas, a thriving community adjoining the north side of Dallas. The development is approximately one mile north of I-635/LBJ Freeway between Midway Road and Marsh Lane in Addison’s southwest quadrant. In addition to being the largest development ever undertaken by major real estate developer UDR, Inc., the 99-acre, billion-dollar development is also Addison’s first major sustainable green initiative.

“Vitruvian Park is the type of high-quality development envisioned by Addison leadership and demanded by our growing residential and business population, as well as our numerous visitors,” said Addison Mayor Joe Chow. “We deeply appreciate UDR working with our town to give us the opportunity to have our visions come to fruition of a greener Addison with a sustainable, world-class community. UDR is helping us to create a community that will not only be the envy of this region, but of every city in America.”

UDR Chief Executive Officer Toomey noted, “Vitruvian Park offers UDR the opportunity to demonstrate our company’s increased focus on high-quality development in exceptional locations. This wonderful site, surrounded by such a thriving town, is bringing UDR a ‘once in a corporate lifetime’ development opportunity and we are delighted to partner in its success with the Town of Addison. Vitruvian Park is a great step forward for our company and shareholders, as well as for this community.”

“Addison is very excited to have the opportunity to participate with UDR to help bring this exemplary project to reality,” stated Addison City Manager Ron Whitehead. “By our cooperative work, we are creating a dynamic neighborhood that demonstrates Addison’s, and UDR’s, commitment to ensuring a great quality of life for the residents and the surrounding area for years to come.”

Named after Vitruvius, the renowned Roman architect, Vitruvian Park is designed to embrace his concept of designing to human scale. Vitruvian Park’s human-centric layout will encourage pedestrians to move around freely and efficiently. The development designers have gone to great lengths to minimize walking distances and provide an abundance of outdoor spaces and features to keep people interconnected with their homes, businesses and natural surroundings.

Vitruvian Park also introduces a new green-initiative program created by the Town of Addison that is the city’s own hybrid of Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impact. These standards will be included in all of the 5,500 dwelling units and 300,000 square feet of office and retail space throughout Vitruvian Park. UDR, Inc. will also recycle much of the waste from the demolition, as well as utilize recycled materials in Vitruvian Park’s construction. The company expects to pursue LEED certification for the project.

Vitruvian Park’s residential and commercial district will feature both public and private amenities including lush landscaping, a spring-fed creek, other expansive water features with bridges, an amphitheater and a broad array of shopping and services within easy walking distance. The development will also encourage pedestrian traffic within the retail and residential areas through its traffic-calming design, widened sidewalks and proximity to the interior main street. Outdoor seating and convenient parking locations are also incorporated into the overall design to encourage pedestrian mobility.

The first phase is currently designed to feature 667 multifamily housing units and a 12-acre public park. Leasing is projected to begin by the end of 2009 with occupancy expected to be available at the beginning of 2010. The housing completed in the first phase is expected to provide about 875 new residents to Addison. All phases of Vitruvian Park are expected to be completed in 2017.

For more information visit www.vitruvianpark.com.

About UDR, Inc.

UDR, Inc. (NYSE:UDR), an S&P 400 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT) with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate properties in targeted U.S. markets. For over 30 years, UDR has delivered long-term value to shareholders, the best standard of service to residents, and the highest quality experience for associates. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.udr.com.

About Addison, TX

As the business and entertainment center for the north Dallas corridor, Addison is a great place to live, work and play for more than 100,000 people on a daily basis. Addison packs fine dining at more than 170 restaurants, 4,000 rooms at 22 hotels, nighttime fun, spectacular special events, upscale shopping, friendly neighborhoods, award-winning parks, and over 11 million square feet of office space within its 4.3-square-mile borders. Visit addisontx.gov for more information.

TCR is a non-profit organization established to measure and publicly report GHG emissions using a single reporting standard across industry sectors. TCR represents a linking of several state-sponsored GHG emissions reporting efforts, including the California Climate Action Registry and the Eastern Climate Registry. TCR’s reporting protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG emissions measurement standards of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainability ( WRI/WBCSD ) – an approach Ford has voluntarily supported since 2001.

Nearly all U.S. states, many Canadian provinces and some Mexican states have adopted TCR’s program, thereby eliminating a patchwork of reporting standards that could lead to unnecessary and time consuming complexity in the system.

“We endorse the TCR’s reporting process because it has adopted the WRI/WBCSD reporting structure, which will ultimately lead to a common, single reporting standard worldwide,” said Larry Merritt, manager, Global Environmental Policy, Ford Motor Company. “A single reporting standard is easier for its members and administrators to manage and more cost effective than developing new tools on a state-by-state basis.”

Following TCR’s reporting process will allow Ford to focus its resources on finding and implementing GHG emissions reduction projects rather than comprehending and implementing complex, disparate reporting requirements around the world. In the U.S. alone, without TCR, each state could have developed its own unique GHG reporting requirements

To become a TCR member, Ford must demonstrate environmental stewardship in several areas by voluntarily committing to measure, independently verify and publicly report GHG emissions on an annual basis utilizing TCR’s General Reporting Protocol. Ford will leverage its emissions monitoring and reporting experience with the Chicago Climate Exchange ( CCX ) to support its commitment to TCR.

“Ford has demonstrated exemplary environmental leadership by courageously stepping forward to support TCR in its preliminary stages,” said Gina McCarthy, Chair of the Climate Registry. “We are deeply grateful for their integral support in helping to address the challenges of climate change.”

Ford is an industry leader in global facility GHG initiatives including voluntary reporting, emissions trading and carbon offset programs. The company has achieved many GHG reporting firsts, most recently as the first automaker to submit a voluntary GHG report to the Chinese government for its Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. facility in Chongqing, China. Ford’s Chinese report follows the same principles as TCR and other country-specific GHG initiatives Ford has supported.

Ford also was the only automaker to join CCX and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme ( predecessor to the current EU Emissions Trading Scheme ) by voluntarily accepting emissions reduction targets and undergoing third-party verification of GHG emissions data. Ford was the first automaker to voluntarily report facility emissions to the Mexican GHG Program and the Philippine GHG Accounting and Reporting Program.

Ford was also the first to publish an auto industry report dedicated to addressing the business implications of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions and energy security concerns.

“Through these early, voluntary actions, Ford’s manufacturing operations have gained first-hand experience with emerging policy tools,” said Merritt. “Our global, centralized approach has supported our participation in CO2 initiatives in a more cost-effective and operationally-efficient manner. Ford’s early action has also developed internal expertise which enables us to share our lessons learned with others.”