Knowledge Center
Sustainability News
November 2009
Nestle USA: Manufacturing that sustains, by Bob Sperber, Food Processing, November 30, 2009
Solon, Ohio—Food Processing magazine has named Nestle USA its 2009 Processor of the Year and features the Solon plant's "convergence of competition and sustainability."
Ohio awards $13 million for for wind and solar projects, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 30, 2009
Cleveland—Ohio is plowing more than $13 million in federal stimulus money into 25 wind and solar power projects across the state, including 10 in Northeast Ohio.
Solar panel costs 'set to fall', by Roger Harrabin, BBC News, November 30, 2009
London, U.K.—According to the independent EU Energy Institute, tests show that 90% of existing solar panels last for 30 years instead of the predicted 20 years. The Institute predicts this means the cost of installing and owning solar panels will fall even faster than expected.
Power-guzzling TVs to be banned in California, BBC News, November 19, 2009
Sacramento, Calif.—Energy-hungry television sets will soon be banned across California in a landmark move by state legislators to reduce energy consumption.
Networking for social responsibility, by Alina Dizik, Wall Street Journal, November 19, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—A growing number of companies are turning to business schools these days for help in redefining what it means to be socially responsible. School administrators say firms in industries across the board are looking to incorporate initiatives in this area into their business plans and everyday leadership decisions.
Ohio senators divided on climate change legislation, WCPN, November 16, 2009
Washington—Republican George Voinovich sees little merit in claims the Senate Climate Change bill will create jobs. Democrat Sherrod Brown believes it could, provided changes are made.
Group: Invest in electric vehicles, AP via Youngstown Vindicator, November 17, 2009
Washington—The new Electrification Coalition urged the federal government to make a major investment in electric transportation. The coalition includes more than a dozen companies, including Nissan and Johnson Controls-Saft.
A. Schulman product receives recognition, Akron Beacon Journal, November 17, 2009
Fairlawn, Ohio—A. Schulman Inc. said that its AgriPlas product, used in Ford's Flex crossover vehicle, was a finalist for an Environmental Innovation Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers' Automotive Division.
National business leaders back Cleveland's sustainability efforts, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 17, 2009
Cleveland—A senior adviser for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Business Civic Leadership Center attended a "showcase" meeting of the leaders who emerged from the City of Cleveland's Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit last August. The center earlier this month announced that it would take nominations for its third annual competition identifying some of the nation's most sustainable cities.
Dana releases eco-friendly cylinder-head cover, by David Greenfield, Control Engineering, November 12, 2009
Toledo—Dana Holding Corporation is now supplying cylinder-head covers made of recycled material on Ford Motor Company's 3.0-liter Duratec engine, which is used in the 2010 Fusion and Escape vehicles.
Smart, safe, sustainable manufacturing solutions: Rockwell Automation, Manufacturing Business Technology, November 11, 2009
Anaheim, Calif.—Rockwell Automation opened its Automation Fair event today in Anaheim, CA, to nearly 9,000 customers under the theme: "Smart, Safe and Sustainable Manufacturing."
What's next for the climate bill? by Keith Johnson, Environmental Capital Blog, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—After all the excitement last week in the Senate environment committee, is the real fun just starting for the climate bill? At the risk of stating the obvious, the climate bill isn't going to live or die on its environmental creds—but rather on its cost.
Advocates say new climate-change policies will create thousands of jobs; opponents: not, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 4, 2009
Cleveland—A report by the Blue Green Alliance says a comprehensive set of federal policies could create 850,000 jobs, including 50,000 in Ohio. That would put Ohio in the top five states benefiting from a massive switch away from coal to renewable energy technologies, according to Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown.
Putting green technology into bricks, by Cari Tuna, Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—Some start-ups hope to use "green" technology to reinvent mundane products like bricks and cement. CalStar Products Inc. plans to open a factory next month to make bricks from fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning. Cement maker Calera aims to capture carbon-dioxide emissions before they are released into the atmosphere.
Opinion: Coaxing auto makers to go electric, by Joseph B. White, Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2009 (Subscription)
New York— The U.S. government has committed billions in taxpayers' money to the proposition that American consumers will embrace electric vehicles in substantial numbers if car makers can just overcome the high start-up costs to build them. The long-term question is whether a market dependent on government subsidies—financial and regulatory—can sustain itself without them.
Napoleon inventor to tell how his V8 gets 109 mpg, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, November 3, 2009
Napoleon, Ohio—Inventor Doug Pelmear plans at an automotive products convention in Las Vegas Tuesday to reveal how the custom engine he built and installed in a Ford Mustang has averaged 109.7 miles per gallon for 22,000 miles.
Spending bill includes Great Lakes cleanup, Willoughby News Herald, November 2, 2009
Willoughby, Ohio—U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette announced that the Fiscal Year 2010 Interior and Environment spending bill contains $475 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and eases fuel emission rules for Great Lakes shipping.
Chinese-made turbines to fill U.S. wind farm, by Rebecca Smith, Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—While the U.S. has poured money into renewable energy through tax credits and other subsidies, China has positioned itself to reap many of the benefits by ramping up its export machine.
Next word in cars: plastic, by Don Sherman,
New York Times via
Akron Beacon Journal, November 1, 2009
New York—A New Jersey engineer has been working for 30 years to replace metal engine blocks with plastic ones. Matti Holtzberg recently partnered with auto industry supplier Huntsman Corp. of Houston hoping to move plastic engines out of the laboratory and onto the proving grounds, where auto engineers are searching for ways to meet the next round of fuel economy targets.
McDonald company to launch pollution-control technology, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, November 1, 2009
McDonald, Ohio—Steel & Alloy Utility Products Inc., already known for making pollution control equipment for coal-fired power plants, plans to build a system that will virtually eliminate the gas that creates acid rain.
October 2009 Sustainability News Briefs