Consult, Manage, Change

Novotel sustainability update

Good news
Back in room and the towels did not get changed and same with bed linen,
Well done Novotel Wellington.
Staff trained. Good systems and processes in place.

Hotel Sustainability Test

Ok Novotel Wellington time to test your sustainability practices!
Staying for the weekend and the notice in the shower is to hang up the towels and they won't be changed.
They tell me at Novotel your towels plant trees! 5 reused towels = 1 tree planted
Will they measure up? Have their staff been trained? Or will it be a case of lip service sustainability?
I will keep you posted on developments.

Climate Skeptics Unite

 
If you have completed any research on Green issues and climate change then you will know that there are two camps! The believers and the skeptics.

For balance reasons to follow is a link to some interesting stuff on A Layman’s Guide to Man-Made Global Warming

We suggest that if you want to have your own opinions then you need to read and research on both sides of the climate change debate.

This information states: "The purpose of this paper is to provide a layman’s critique of the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) theory, and in particular to challenge the fairly widespread notion that the science and projected consequences of AGW currently justify massive spending and government intervention into the world’s economies.  This paper will show that despite good evidence that global temperatures are rising and that CO2 can act as a greenhouse gas and help to warm the Earth, we are a long way from attributing all or much of current warming to man-made CO2.  We are even further away from being able to accurately project man’s impact on future climate, and it is a very debatable question whether interventions today to reduce CO2 emissions will substantially improve the world 50 or 100 years from now".

 Lets us know what you think of the information and videos.

Some humour - Climate GATE - Hide the decline

Check out this video humour / parody!

 

 

Green Pen update #8 It still looks like a pen!

The last green pen trial update was on 3 June 2009. Since then we have had a hard winter in Wellington.

Today has turned sunny after a rainstorm and gale winds over night!

To follow are the latest pictures of the pen sitting in my garden. As you will notice that more than a year after I put it there it still looks like a pen and the printing is still very clear!

 

 

 

Carbon Certification - good or bad for consumers? You be the judge!

If you have read this BLOG before you will know that we have posted information about carbon certification, carbon credits, green washing and the need for consumers to understand more fully any carbon neutral claims.

Recently the local cab company here in Wellington - Wellington Combined Cabs have gone certified carbon neutral by using the carboNZero certification system.

As a user of taxis I have witnessed first had that changes this cab company has made to its fleet make up. First they allowed hybrids in the fleet and then diesel vehicles and now there is a total focus on emissions efficient vehicles and vehicles that can use alternative fuels. Yesterday I saw a Hyundai i30 diesel on the cab rank on Lambton Quay.

The Wellington Combined summary of certification document makes interesting reading for any user of taxis. I suggest you consider the exclusions from the GHG emissions inventory and how this might apply to you or your business?

It will be interesting to see how another Wellington Cab Company "Green Cabs" responds to Wellington Combined marketing strategy?

As we have always said the use of taxis needs to meet the "fit for purpose test" and you need to consider a number of factors when selecting your preferred taxi suppler.

To follow is the latest marketing material from Wellington Combined on its carboNZero certification.

Green Pen Update#7 One Year on!

The first BLOG post on the "green pen" was 28 June 2008 and so it is now nearly one year since I wrote about my informal trial of the green pen.

My last update was in February and I just took a photo of the pen after the coldest May in 10 years.

As you can see it still looks like a pen, the vege ink has not degraded at all and the only noticeable degrading is at the clip end of the pen!

As this pen was advertised as biodegradable within 90 days do you think that statement was BS? Could we class the claim as Greenwashing? Let me know your thoughts?

40% cut by 2020? Do you agree and will it work?

Has anyone visited the "Sign On the word needs us" web site yet? If you have I am keen to find out what you think and to see if you signed up and why?

Greenpeace NZ is behind this mainstream attempt to get our Government to engage on a tougher target on New Zealand Greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

From my understanding of this initiative the goal is to get the powers that be to acknowledge that a 40% reduction on 1990 levels by 2020 is better than 50% by 2050. They make some good points and have a range of high profile people endorsing the position.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I think that no matter what your opinions of greenpeace are they are making some noise and generating interest in this issue that under National seems to have been brushed under the carpet.

If you have read this BLOG you will no that the position we have is that the delayed ETS and the economic slow down is not a excuse to do nothing!

Our stance has not changed - GREEN IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS and being sustainable in business is common sense and on so many fronts.

If you run a business then there is NO WAY that you do not want to save money on the bottom line! By taking sustainable business practices and calling them process review and improvements you can save money and become more sustainable. Remember economic sustainability is the name of the game.

So I congratulate greenpeace for raising the awareness of this issue and look forward to you comments on your visits to the sign-on site.

Ecological Intelligence - Goleman has his say

Has anyone purchased or read Daniel Goleman's new book Ecological Intelligence?? I am keen to get a book review going and thought this was a good book to start with?

Please post a comment so that we can all decide if this is worth getting or just getting it from the library to flick thru??

The book was given a profile in the AFRBOSS.COM.AU on April 2009 which I read but it did not inspire me to rush out and get the book.

Homegrown green washing! Where is that T-shirt made?

I just read an article in the Feb 2009 Consumer magazine about the NZ clothing company Barkers. They are advertising their organic cotton tees as "homegrown"

The only problem is that they are made in China.

Is this greenwashing? It depends!

Barkers say the adds are not intended to mislead customers of the country of manufacture!

I will let you be the judge!