Sustainability & Green Business Webinars - September 2009

Now that the kids are back in school, this is the perfect time for you to sign up for a webinar and brush up on your sustainability knowledge or learn something new. Here is a list of upcoming webinars for the month of September. Remember, save the emissions...do it online!

Scoring Suppliers on Sustainability (Sept. 1)
Office Greening 101 (Sept. 2)
How to Write a Sustainability Report (Sept. 3)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: A Webinar for Small Businesses and Nonprofits (Sept. 9)
Creating an Effective Plan for Your Company's Sustainability Efforts (Sept. 9)
Guide to Green Purchasing (Sept. 9)
Profiting from Power Savings (Sept. 10)
LEED Success Strategies: Indoor Air Quality, CO2 Monitoring, & LEED (Sept. 10)
How to Engage Your Community (Sept. 10)
Greening the Clinic: An Introduction to Green Health Care in Primary Care Settings (Sept. 16)
Carbon Offsetting 101 (Sept. 16)
Practice Greenhealth Greening Operations: Healthy Environments - Eliminating DEHP and PVC from the NICU (Sept. 18)

SunEco Energy and J.B. Hunt Algae Power Hits the Road

Press Release

SunEco Energy and J.B. Hunt Algae Power Hits the Road

Biodiesel, powered with SunEco algae oil reduced emissions 82% with no loss of power

CHINO, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: JBHT) and SunEco Energy today announced the signing of a cooperative agreement, which could lead to J.B. Hunt becoming a significant purchaser of biodiesel made from natural algae oil using SunEco Energy's proprietary technology.

The two companies conducted a series of successful tests using biodiesel made by SunEco Energy from 100 percent natural algae oil produced at the company's pilot plant in Chino, California. These tests, using a 20 percent and 50 percent blend of algae oil with petroleum diesel, measured an 82 percent reduction in particulate emissions with no loss of power.

"Transportation fuel is virtually 100% oil-based," said Gary Whicker, senior vice president of engineering for J.B. Hunt. "Finding alternative energy sources to put in our fuel tanks is good business for our company and our nation. SunEco's innovative process to produce renewable fuel supplies from algae grown in American ponds is an intriguing new option. Our initial experience with their algae-based biodiesel is promising, and we are excited about the opportunity to work with SunEco Energy to move towards a lower cost, less carbon intensive, and more secure energy supply for our business."

"We are very pleased that J.B. Hunt, a leading transportation company, took the steps to test our fuel in their trucks and are taking further steps to become a leader in the use of renewable fuels," said Dan Gautschi, Chairman and CEO of SunEco Energy. "The SunEco technology has been in development for over five years, with an operating pilot facility over the past two years which has allowed us to continually produce barrels of oil rather than beakers, enabling us to provide oil for tests in a variety of applications."

SunEco's proprietary technology utilizes naturally occurring algae strains in a monitored environment to produce an oil product suitable for making renewable transportation fuels and other oil-based products, and, as a byproduct of the process, a high-quality animal feed supplement. SunEco is currently raising additional funding to enable the large scale deployment of the technology in U.S. and international markets, including a large development in the Imperial Valley region of California.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. focuses on providing safe and reliable transportation services to a diverse group of customers throughout the continental United States, Canada and Mexico. Utilizing an integrated, multimodal approach, J.B. Hunt provides capacity-oriented solutions centered on delivering customer value and industry-leading service.SunEco Energy is committed to leading the deployment of commercially viable bio-products made from natural algae strains. The Company's primary objective is to deliver reliable clean and sustainable energy products for transportation fuels and livestock feed, thus breaking the trade-off between food or fuel. Looking forward, the company intends to expand its product range to include a full scope of uses currently obtained from petroleum, such as, plastics, inks and dyes, as well as nutri-ceuticals.

Ramen Noodle Coin Purses: The Latest Fashion Accessory

If you thought that backpacks made from recycled juice drink pouches were cool, wait til you see the change purses made from recycled Ramen noodle packages. These ultra cool coin purses are available from Boutique Mix (Washington DC). And, of course, if you like the Ramen noodle coin purse, you'll love the Kool Aid messenger bags made from...you guessed it...Kool Aid juice pouches.

With all the nifty items out there made from recycled packaging, there's no better time to show off your favorite products and enjoy them a second time around!

Obama White House Seeking LEED Certification

According to National Geographic's Green Guide, the Obama White House seeks to be the greenest White House in history.

To do this, the White House is currently pursuing LEED certification. Changes planned or currently underway are in the areas of procurement (considering toxicity and life cycle in purchases, using biodegradable cleaners, low VOC paints and sealers, and recycled content products and equipment), energy efficiency (lighting, power, heating, cooling, computerized energy management systems, occupancy sensors), water conservation (low-flow fixtures), and a reduced waste stream (increased recycling).

Solar Cell Phones Take Off in Developing Nations

CNN reports that Safaricom Ltd. has launched Kenya's first solar-charged phone this month. "The handset comes with a regular electrical charger and a solar panel that charges the phone using the sun's rays" and retails for approximately $35.

Samsung introduced a solar-powered phone, the Solar Guru, in India in mid-June.

Both phones are aimed at emerging markets where electricity supply can be scarce and residents often pay vendors to recharge cell phones.

2009 Guide to Graduate Business Programs Now Available

Net Impact has just released Business as UNusual: 2009 Student Guide to Graduate Business Programs. The 2009 edition is the latest annual report offering current students' perspectives on their business school's curriculum, programming, and support in the areas of social and environmental sustainability. The Guide features student perspectives from 87 schools in the Net Impact network. The Guide can be dowloaded free of charge from the Net Impact website.

New Book on Sustainable Business is Released

Press Release

Business Expert Press (BEP) is pleased to announce the release of “Sustainable Business: An Executive's Primer” authored by Nancy E. Landrum and Sandra Edwards.

This book offers an overview of how sustainability is applied throughout the organization. Chapters are organized by familiar departments or functions of the business and cover the applications and terminology of sustainability throughout each area.

Whether you are an executive, an entrepreneur, an employee, or a business student, this book will help you understand the big picture of what it means to be a sustainable business and will give you the information you need to begin your journey toward sustainability. You can read more about this new BEP release at http://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/sustainable-business-executives-primer.

Students: Be a Correspondent for Mother Nature Network

Mother Nature Network (MNN) is looking for college student correspondents to blog about events in their states. This is an ideal internship for anyone interested in a career in writing, editing or environmental issues and can be great for journalism, environmental studies and active students who want a résumé-building experience that might lead to a great job in new or old media.

Check out their website for more information how to become a student correspondent for MNN.

Giant Carrot Spotted in Chicago

We are all very busy pulling together the last minute details for our Carrotmob event this weekend in Chicago (Sunday, August 9, 12-6pm at Fox & Obel's).

Carrotmob is a bunch of consumers who buy stuff to support businesses that make socially responsible decisions. It rewards good businesses instead of punishing bad ones. It offers green for green. When you join Carrotmob Chicago on Sunday, August 9, in giving Fox & Obel the business, a portion of the ka-chings will go toward making the store more energy efficient. And energy efficiency means less use of precious natural resources and a healthier environment for everyone. It’s about offering a carrot, instead of wielding a stick -- for the good of the planet.

I can't thank Christine Esposito, Laura Flanigan, Heather Roth, Hehershe Busuego, Erin Espeland, and Emily Breuker for their hard work and dedication in making this happen and for organizing an incredible cadre of volunteers and supporters in Chicago.

Don't forget to "JOIN THE MOB" this Sunday at Fox & Obel's. In the meantime, check out the great video our team put together. And don't forget to check out the photos of the Colossal Carrot (even Mayor Daley likes the Carrotmob idea!).

For more information, check out the Carrotmob website, the Carrotmob Chicago website, and the Fox & Obel website.

See you this Sunday! Carrotmob...where orange is the new green!