Doing Their Part: 3 Excellent Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility/Red Shift

We constantly source and report on company's good work and good will in action.  Here's more from Red Shift:

The concept of corporate social responsibility, that businesses should both self-regulate and benefit their communities, goes back to before the 1800s. In America, at the time, states had the right to invalidate a business’s license to operate should the business act irresponsibly.

Shortly thereafter, in 1819, the Supreme Court ruling that corporations were legal persons (citizens) protected by the Constitution negated that right. This elevated the concept of corporations being “good citizens” to a voluntary level.

So if being a good corporate citizen is voluntary, and presumably costly, why would any corporation choose to do so? The answer is a fairly simple one: It’s good business.

From Google to Ben & Jerry’s, some of the world’s largest and most profitable corporations have integrated measures to promote good corporate citizenship into their mission statements and business models. And it is paying off.

The Who’s Who of Corporate Social Responsibility

It is no secret that some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations are incorporating good corporate citizenship into their culture. But how are they doing it? How are they benefiting? And how can you follow their leads? Just look at these three great examples of corporate social responsibility.

1. Google

For many people, their first exposure to a corporation working for “good” was related to Google. The search giant has made aggressive moves on multiple fronts toward good citizenship, but it is clear that, as one of the world’s largest corporations, every single effort is paying off. For example, Google Green is a corporate effort to use resources efficiently and support renewable power. But recycling and turning off the lights does more for Google than lower costs. Investments in these efforts have real-world effects on the bottom line. Google has seen an overall drop in power requirements for their data centers by an average of 50 percent. These savings can then be redirected to other areas of the business or to investors.

2. Xerox

The printing giant offers many programs supporting corporate social responsibility. Their Community Involvement Program encourages it by directly involving employees. Since 1974, more than half a million Xerox employees have participated in the program. In 2013 alone, Xerox earmarked more than $1.3 million to facilitate 13,000 employees to participate in community-focused causes. The return for Xerox comes not only in community recognition, but also in the commitment employees feel when causes they care for are supported by their employers.

Maybe your firm doesn’t have 13,000 employees, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from this method. By incorporating a limited number of billable hours per year for volunteer efforts, you will enjoy the dual effects of helping your community as well as increasing your employee morale and therefore productivity. Perhaps organizing large group activities for charities such as Habitat for Humanity can bring your group together, and you can spread your name with inexpensive event T-shirts.

3. Target

Very often the idea of “good corporate citizens” can seem like a concept that is completely removed from our day-to-day realities. Sure, mega-corporations can have volunteer programs or philanthropic arms that focus on big-picture issues, but that seems so highbrow. If that is how you think, then take a look at Target. While many shoppers may think of it as just another big-box retailer, Target is more than just a place to buy tires and milk, they are a prime example of corporate social responsibility.

Since 1946, Target has been committing more and more effort and assets toward local and environmental support for the communities in which they have stores. Over the past several years, the company’s efforts—from growing sustainable practices to educational grants—have amounted to 5 percent of its profit going to local communities. That’s $4 million each week! In the area of education alone, Target has donated more than $875 million since 2010.

'Infinitely' recyclable polymer shows practical properties of plastics/Science Daily

We love tracking new science.  Science Daily is always a great source of R & D stories and insight into new technology coming to the table.  Here's a very promising story on changing the way plastic is produced:

Chemists make a major step toward waste-free, sustainable materials that could one day compete with conventional plastics

Colorado State University

The world fell in love with plastics because they're cheap, convenient, lightweight and long- lasting. For these same reasons, plastics are now trashing the Earth. Chemists have just announced another major step toward waste-free, sustainable materials that could one day compete with conventional plastics

The world fell in love with plastics because they're cheap, convenient, lightweight and long- lasting. For these same reasons, plastics are now trashing the Earth.

Colorado State University chemists have announced in the journal Science another major step toward waste-free, sustainable materials that could one day compete with conventional plastics. Led by Eugene Chen, professor in the Department of Chemistry, they have discovered a polymer with many of the same characteristics we enjoy in plastics, such as light weight, heat resistance, strength and durability. But the new polymer, unlike typical petroleum plastics, can be converted back to its original small-molecule state for complete chemical recyclability. This can be accomplished without the use of toxic chemicals or intensive lab procedures.

Polymers are a broad class of materials characterized by long chains of chemically bonded, repeating molecular units called monomers. Synthetic polymers today include plastics, as well as fibers, ceramics, rubbers, coatings, and many other commercial products.

The work builds on a previous generation of a chemically recyclable polymer Chen's lab first demonstrated in 2015. Making the old version required extremely cold conditions that would have limited its industrial potential. The previous polymer also had low heat resistance and molecular weight, and, while plastic-like, was relatively soft.

But the fundamental knowledge gained from that study was invaluable, Chen said. It led to a design principle for developing future-generation polymers that not only are chemically recyclable, but also exhibit robust practical properties.

The new, much-improved polymer structure resolves the issues of the first-generation material. The monomer can be conveniently polymerized under environmentally friendly, industrially realistic conditions: solvent-free, at room temperature, with just a few minutes of reaction time and only a trace amount of catalyst. The resulting material has a high molecular weight, thermal stability and crystallinity, and mechanical properties that perform very much like a plastic. Most importantly, the polymer can be recycled back to its original, monomeric state under mild lab conditions, using a catalyst. Without need for further purification, the monomer can be re-polymerized, thus establishing what Chen calls a circular materials life cycle.

This piece of innovative chemistry has Chen and his colleagues excited for a future in which new, green plastics, rather than surviving in landfills and oceans for millions of years, can be simply placed in a reactor and, in chemical parlance, de-polymerized to recover their value -- not possible for today's petroleum plastics. Back at its chemical starting point, the material could be used over and over again -- completely redefining what it means to "recycle."

"The polymers can be chemically recycled and reused, in principle, infinitely," Chen said.

Chen stresses that the new polymer technology has only been demonstrated at the academic lab scale. There is still much work to be done to perfect the patent-pending monomer and polymer production processes he and colleagues have invented.

With the help of a seed grant from CSU Ventures, the chemists are optimizing their monomer synthesis process and developing, new, even more cost-effective routes to such polymers. They're also working on scalability issues on their monomer-polymer-monomer recycling setup, while further researching new chemical structures for even better recyclable materials.

"It would be our dream to see this chemically recyclable polymer technology materialize in the marketplace," Chen said.

Just In Time For Summer “Humbrella” A Thin-Film Solar Powered Umbrella/RNN

Always happy to bring you new product information.  What a great design.

Hanergy, a pioneering multinational clean energy company, announced the launch of its new product “Humbrella,” a thin-film solar powered umbrella providing clean, free and consistent electricity to people in energy-scarce areas of the world.

At the launch of its “Lighting Africa” CSR project, Hanergy announced it would donate the first batch of a million RMB (US$160,000) solar-powered umbrellas, or “Humbrellas”, to regions of Africa where electricity shortages routinely prevent children from having enough time for study. With Humbrella, children in these regions will be able to enjoy more high-quality reading time.

“Hanergy has been striving to leverage our world–leading thin-film technology to provide accessible and clean energy to the world,” said Hanergy CEO Li Hejun. “Humbrella is the latest addition to our growing roster of mobile energy solutions. With our unique technological strength and R&D commitment, we are confident that our products can transform many industries to make them much more green and efficient.”

The Humbrella integrates functions including off-grid power supply, electricity storage, night lighting, and terminal charging. It can collect sunshine and convert it into electricity and save up to 40000mAh of power, enough for 10 hours of quality night reading time. In addition to lighting, the Humbrella can charge several mobile phones or small appliances like electric mosquito repellent via 4 USB ports built into the handle of the umbrella. The Humbrella has a diameter of 2.7 meters and weighs only 8.8 kilograms due to Hanergy’s amazingly light and flexible thin film solar panels.

Hanergy’s thin film technology currently holds several world records. In February 2018, Hanergy’s US-based subsidiary Alta Devices’ newest solar production module was rated by German solar energy testing laboratory Fraunhofer ISE CalLab PV Modules as the highest efficiency single-junction solar module ever produced in the world with 25.1% conversion efficiency. In the same month, another German testing laboratory, TÜV Rheinland, rated Hanergy’s Germany-based subsidiary Solibro’s double glass copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) solar module as the most efficient glass substrate CIGS module in the world, with a record 18.72% aperture area efficiency.

With its world–leading technology, Hanergy is helping to transform the construction and transportation industries. The company recently unveiled its next-generation Hantile, an upgrade to the company’s revolutionary roofing solution combining thin-film solar panels with traditional roof tiles. Hanergy has pioneered the use of ultra-white tempered glass, which features a transmittance level of 91.5%, and possesses extreme durability and ability to withstand heavy impacts. The single glass Hantile is also highly wind resistant and able to generate power at temperatures ranging from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius, and humidity higher than 85%. The Hantile has a life cycle of up to 30 years, longer than traditional roof tiles.

In terms of applications in the transportation industry, other than developing its own solar vehicles, Hanergy’s US subsidiary Alta Devices recently cooperated with German car maker Audi to integrate solar cells into panoramic glass automobile roofs. Hanergy has also cooperated with major bike sharing companies, including Mobike, 99 Bicycle and MTBike to integrate thin-film solar panels into the bodies of more than 15 million bicycles over the next three years.

RI Gov. Proposes Electric Buses For RIPTA With Volkswagen Settlement/RINPR

This is one state's use (investment) of the Volkswagen settlement money, and we think this is a very smart plan with a great, long-term ROI.



Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo wants to spend $10 million to add emission-free buses to the state's public transit authority. 

The proposal, called the Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, would be funded by the federal Volkswagen settlement, payments that were made to settle complaints that the company's engineers installed illegal software in 2015  inside diesel-engine cars to make it appear as if the cars were emitting less nitrogen oxide than they actually were. 

Settlement funds were distributed to every state depending on the number of affected vehicles that were sold. In Rhode Island, there were about 3,000, according to the state's Department of Environmental Management. 

Rhode Island is proposing to use its money to replace about 20 retiring diesel buses with new, all-electric vehicles starting in 2021.

The state already has 73 hybrid buses on the road, so the all-electric additions would mean low and zero-emission buses would make up 36 percent of the state's public transit fleet.

The state is also proposing to use an additional $1.5 million from the settlement to install 15-30 charging stations for electric cars in 2020.

An information session on the plan will be held next Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Rhode Island College. 

Public comment can also be submitted via email to Allison.Callahan@dem.ri.gov until June 11. 

Copies of the Beneficiary Mitigation Plan are available at DEM's Office of Air Resources in Providence.  

Balancing Nuclear and Renewable Energy/RNN

Very interesting piece.  And very on target in terms of how a smart grid should, and will, mix energy sources.

Renewables and nuclear power, on the surface, make strange bedfellows.  But certainly not in terms of gaining the greatest efficient in meeting the changing world of power demand and consumption:

Nuclear power plants typically run either at full capacity or not at all. Yet the plants have the technical ability to adjust to the changing demand for power and thus better accommodate sources of renewable energy such as wind or solar power.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently explored the benefits of doing just that. If nuclear plants generated power in a more flexible manner, the researchers say, the plants could lower electricity costs for consumers, enable the use of more renewable energy, improve the economics of nuclear energy and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The new study “gives us tools to further explore potential benefits of flexible nuclear operations to work in tandem with greater shares of variable sources of renewable power generation …” — Jesse Jenkins, graduate researcher at the MIT Energy Initiative

The team explored technical constraints on flexible operations at nuclear power plants and introduced a new way to model how those challenges affect how power systems operate. “Flexible nuclear power operations are a ‘win-win-win,’ lowering power system operating costs, increasing revenues for nuclear plant owners and significantly reducing curtailment of renewable energy,” wrote the team in an Applied Energy article published online on April 24.

Audun Botterud, a principal energy systems engineer in Argonne’s Energy Systems division, is encouraged by how, for the first time, “this research evaluates and demonstrates the potential value of flexible nuclear operations in a realistic power system in the United States challenged by high variability in renewable-energy generation.”

The study helps to dispel long-held views that nuclear power plants must operate in “baseload” mode, producing power at maximum rated capacity whenever they are online. Nuclear plants can even respond dynamically to hourly electricity market prices and second-to-second frequency regulation needs, the team found. Power systems that include renewable energy must be more flexible to balance supply and demand at all times. Nuclear operators in France, Germany and other countries are familiar with this approach, but less so in the United States.

The researchers developed a mathematical representation of the physics-induced operational constraints arising from nuclear reactor dynamics and the fuel irradiation cycle in the Applied Energy article and a companion paper, published in Nuclear Technology. The interdisciplinary team then combined the new approach with power system simulation models to evaluate the overall cost of electricity generation, market prices and resulting revenues for power plants, assuming different levels of nuclear flexibility.

“Nuclear power plants are governed by a different set of principles compared to other generators, and our approach enables the representation of these relationships in the analysis of power systems and electricity markets,” said Francesco Ganda, the principal investigator of the project and a principal nuclear engineer in Argonne’s Nuclear Science and Engineering division.

By being flexible, plant operators can lower overall operating costs in the power system. For example, operators could generate less nuclear power whenever renewable energy is widely available. Nuclear plants could then exploit their spare capacity to sell valuable “operating reserves,” or the ability to quickly change power output to help grid operators rebalance supply and demand when unexpected events occur, such as power plant failures or errors in demand forecasts.

This flexibility could increase the profitability of nuclear plants by increasing revenues from electricity markets and reducing variable operating and maintenance costs. Overall, nuclear plant flexibility can also help integrate more wind and solar resources and reduce production of fossil fuel-fired energy and related carbon dioxide emissions.

Jesse Jenkins, graduate researcher at the MIT Energy Initiative, notes how the researchers’ modeling approach and study “gives us tools to further explore potential benefits of flexible nuclear operations to work in tandem with greater shares of variable sources of renewable power generation on the pathway towards low-carbon electricity supply.”

Other Argonne study authors include Richard Vilim, Zhi Zhou and Roberto Ponciroli. The research was funded, in part, by Argonne’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program.

From Yesterday's Show/ENSO Plastic

If you missed our live broadcast yesterday, look for this show to hit our main network site--Renewable Now Network.com--in the next few weeks.

Plastics Make it Possible…ENSO Makes it Responsible.

ENSO Plastics is the global leader of environmental plastic solutions. With the expertise and experience to understand your needs, we provide a full spectrum of solutions from compostable, landfill biodegradable, marine degradable, renewable (bio-based) and customized solutions that lower your carbon footprint and meet the high performance demands of today’s products while ensuring the most environmental approach. At ENSO Plastics, we are committed to providing you with specialized technologies to create plastics designed for the environment for commercial and consumer use, and bringing about consumer awareness to advance environmentally sound principles that secure a better future for the generations to come.

Our product lines include:

ENSO RESTORE - Additive technology to enhance the biodegradation of traditional materials, including PET, PE, PS, PVC, Nitrile, Rubber, Latex, Phenol, PP, adhesives and more. These materials enhanced with ENSO RESTORE biodegrade 90% faster than without ENSO RESTORE. This includes biodegradation within landfills, as validated by independent certified laboratories using ASTM International test methods.

• Cost Effective
• Easy to implement drop-in additive - added at 1%
• Landfill biodegradable - from microbial process
• Does NOT breakdown from oxygen or UV (not oxo-degradable)
• FDA compliant and safe for food contact
• No loss in physical properties or shelf-life
• Maintains recyclability
• Provides an end-of-life solutions for both recycling and/or landfill options
• ASTM D5526, ASTM D5511, ASTM D5988 and BMP (Bio-Methane Potential) biodegradation validation
• Biodegrades in both anaerobic and aerobic environments

ENSO RENEW - Renewable biopolymer used as a standalone polymer or as a polymer replacement for PE and PP. This ASTM D6400 certified bio-resin is made from agricultural waste material, is fully edible, home and industrial compostable, marine degradable and is semi-water soluble.

• Renewable resin
• Made from agriculture industry waste processes
• 70% lower carbon footprint over PE
• FDA compliant and safe for food contact
• Use as a stand-alone resin or blend with PE up to 40%
• Compostable in industrial or home compost environments
• ASTM D6400
• Marine degradable as a stand-alone resin
• Safe if consumed by wildlife

Custom Solutions – ENSO is a trusted partner for companies worldwide; creating unique environmental solutions, customized applications and materials for specialized projects and materials.

These solutions are critical as sustainability is more than simply “going green” and it is no longer sufficient to run status quo. Today’s market is dynamic, educated and the expectations of your customers are high. Providing sustainable solutions demands experts that understand the performance, design and disposal of your product to encompass the “3 R’s” - REDUCE, REDUCE, REDUCE.

Reduce Cost: Our goal is to reduce your costs, because we understand bottom line is that your bottom line must be sustainable, and all environmental decisions must be balanced with expense. Our solutions are designed with efficiency and cost as a determining factor which allows ENSO to remain the leader in competitive pricing and leading edge solutions for plastics sustainability.

Reduce Materials: ENSO solutions allow you to reduce the amount of petroleum based material used in your applications, compared to alternative green solutions. Our biodegradable and renewable solutions are used in very thin films and light-weighted packaging without loss in performance and properties, many manufacturers find increased performance and the ability to further lightweight materials when using ENSO solutions.

Reduce Waste: There are two primary forms of waste; scrap during manufacturing and product waste after use. ENSO has eliminated the historical high scrap rate due to processing difficulties and material incompatibility with alternative plastics. With ENSO you received fine-tuned solutions that easily integrate in your machines and processes. And, whether your product is disposed of in a landfill, marine or compost environment, ENSO has the solutions for your application and prevent long term waste problems.

ENSO Plastics is the expert in plastic sustainability, providing the knowledge and experience to evaluate your materials and create tailored solutions ideal for your product performance needs and sustainability goals.

To learn more about how your company can improve the negative impact of traditional plastics check out our Products page or speak with one of our Sales Representatives. We look forward to working with you.

*Independent 3rd party testing has shown up to 24.7% biodegradation within 160 days in optimized conditions. Actual rate of biodegradation will vary dependent upon environmental conditions and the biological activity of microorganisms surrounding the plastic.

Booming U.S. Offshore Wind Market to Power American Jobs/RNN

Great news on renewables contributing to significant job growth in the US:

At an energy panel in Houston this month, industry and policy leaders highlighted the road map and milestones marking lift-off of America’s burgeoning offshore wind (OSW) industry, which now has 8 gigawatts (GW) of firm commitments in six Northeast states, a project pipeline of almost 25 GW, and potential to generate tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, market-competitive clean power for U.S. coastal consumers, and high value for U.S. companies in the supply chain.

The experts said U.S. OSW has achieved the needed scale to light up boardwalks and boardrooms up and down the East coast with gigawatts of clean wind power from the sea. A new U.S. heavy industry is taking shape to install, connect and service offshore wind turbines – ‘steel in the water’ – supported by a supply chain that partners OSW developer initiative with expertise from U.S. oil & gas firms, onshore wind manufacturers and European OSW leaders, to maximize U.S. jobs, synergies and value.

A vast market for U.S. offshore wind power is coming into clear focus in the Atlantic states,” said Stephanie McClellan, Director, University of Delaware’s Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW). “In the past two years, the U.S. industry has made dramatic advances in policy commitments and investor confidence. We no longer wonder if this industry will make it to America’s shores. U.S. OSW has arrived and is accelerating with utility-scale commitments that already exceed 8 GW of market visibility and a project pipeline that totals nearly 25 GW. There’s good reason to be excited – and U.S. offshore energy and OSW industry leaders are working to ensure that U.S. companies bring their full expertise to this effort.”

Roy Francis, Vice President, Business Development, Gulf Island Fabrication (GIF), a Texas-based offshore energy construction firm, told the panel about GIF’s strategic relationship with OSW developer Bay State Wind and German steel pipe maker EEW to create a renewable energy supply chain and more jobs in Massachusetts. “The European offshore wind market is 27 years old,” said Francis. “We are taking the best from the mature European industry and pairing it with American know-how.”

“The industry is moving at a phenomenal pace,” said Walter Cruikshank, Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). “There is great industry-wide confidence in the market,” he told the panel, held during the Offshore Technology Conference. “There are strong policy commitments from the states, particularly in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, and a strong commitment from this Administration,” he said. “We are actively working with leaseholders to move their projects forward.”

“Offshore wind is an important diversification opportunity,” said Joseph Orgeron, Special Projects Manager, Falcon Global, a subsidiary of Louisiana-based SEACOR Marine and liftboat operator that helped install the Block Island, RIoffshore wind farm. “We’re using our assets and putting employees to work alongside local workers on the East coast. It’s all positive commerce.”

“There’s lots of room for partnership,” said Randall Luthi, President, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), on potential synergies between OSW and the U.S. oil & gas sector. “Offshore energy service companies can build anything out in the ocean. It doesn’t matter if it’s an oil rig or a wind farm,” he said. “We can, should and will continue to work together.”

“The U.S. supply chain is fantastic,” said Chris van Beek, President, Deepwater Wind. “OSW is a tremendous opportunity. We estimate that 70 percent of the capital expenditures of an offshore wind farm can be delivered by the U.S. supply chain.”

The panel noted U.S. OSW’s major milestones and data points.

• More than 8 GW of OSW is approved or committed to by six states – Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island. A recent study finds this will create:
  • Almost 40,000 full-time U.S. jobs by 2028 and 500,000 full-time U.S. job years through 2056.
  • Supply chain synergies with oil & gas and onshore wind sectors, from East Coast to Gulf of Mexico and central U.S.
  • Synergies include project management, array cables, substations, foundations, steelwork and maintenance.
• Department of Energy (DOE) reports the project pipeline for U.S. OSW includes 28 projects off the East and West coasts, Great Lakes and Hawaii, totaling almost 25 GW of potential installed capacity.
  • Along with wind turbines and towers, estimates indicate this will require 7,000 km of offshore export and array cables, 3 million tons of steel on foundations, 100 crew transfer vessels and 2 new generation jack-up vessels.
• By 2050, DOE projects 86 GW of U.S. OSW installed capacity will support 160,000 full-time U.S. jobs.