Interested in 'greening' your electronic purchasing? Already doing so?  Please take a short (10 question) survey on  the EPEAT green electronics rating system to help us support environmental purchasing of electronics.  In observation of this season of giving, we'll enter all completed survey respondents' names into a drawing for a $25 donation to a charity of your choice.  Click this link to start the survey, which shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes of your time:  http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229ZW5MY8RX

Version 4 of OFEE's green products compilation spreadsheets is now available on the FedCenter web site,www.fedcenter.gov.  It's in the Acquisition section, in the
Databases/Software Tools section. This version includes the nine additional biobased products recently designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and new ENERGY STAR standards for audio/visual equipment and geothermal heat pumps.  On each page where steel products are listed, there is a new note about the current percentages of recovered materials in steel products.  The Steel Recycling Institute announced in December that all new steel manufactured in North America contains at least 28% recycled content.  For more information, contact Dana Arnold, Senior Program Manager, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, arnold.dana@ofee.gov, 703-780-4481

Posted at GreenBiz, this new report explores and outlines the 10 best practices for bringing all your employees on board with your company's sustainability projects. From the executive summary of the report:
"Green teams are self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate, inspire and empower employees around sustainability. They identify and implement specific solutions to help their organization operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. Most green teams initially focus on greening operations at the office, addressing such issues as recycling in the office, composting food waste, reducing the use of disposable take-out containers and eliminating plastic water bottles.
This focus on operations is evolving and some green teams are beginning to focus their efforts on integrating sustainability into employees' personal lives, while others are aligning their efforts to support broader corporate sustainability objectives. The business value of integrating sustainability into these three levels includes: cost savings by integrating energy efficiency into the workplace and products and services; attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent who want to work for companies with an authentic green commitment; and increased market share and revenues resulting from a stronger brand and new, innovative green products and services."

Event Location: Whole Foods Education Room
10020 Regency Circle, Omaha

It's a great agenda. We're lucky to have Marcella Thompson, former chair of the Green Business Council in to speak to us in her capacity as the Director of Sustainability at ConAgra Foods. At that job she is responsible for managing the corporate greenhouse gas inventory, and will share her experience with us to provide an overview of Carbon Footprinting. The presentation will include key terms and concepts, what emissions sources are included, and free tools to assist you in calculating your emissions.
After that, the staff from P2RIC will offer the beta Green Business scorecard for use by members of the Green Business Council. This is a process that was developed in conjunction with the member of the GBC. As with any beta, we'll be looking for early adopters in the group to try the scorecard on for size and become the first businesses in town who can say they've met the criteria set by the Green Business Council to call themselves Green Businesses.
As I've mentioned before, the GBC is proud to announce it's new chair is Craig Moody, principal of Verdis Group, http://verdisgroup.com/ We're lucky to have his time - I very much look forward to his leadership.
There will be a Green Drinks at Whole Foods afterwards; please feel welcome to stay and talk with other members of the Green Omaha community.
The next meeting will be Weds, March 24. The City of Omaha's Sustainability Coordinator, Kristi Wamsted-Evans will be presenting.

        Energy efficiency technologies that exist today or that are likely to be developed in the near future could save considerable money as well as energy, says a new report from the National Research Council.  Fully adopting these technologies could lower projected U.S. energy use 17 percent to 20 percent by 2020, and 25 percent to 31 percent by 2030.
        Achieving full deployment of these efficiency technologies will depend in part on pressures driving adoption, such as high energy prices or public policies designed to increase energy efficiency.  Nearly 70 percent of electricity consumption in the United States occurs in buildings.  The energy savings from attaining full deployment of cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies in buildings alone could eliminate the need to add new electricity generation capacity through 2030, the report says.  New power generation facilities would be needed only to address imbalances in regional energy supplies, replace obsolete facilities, or to introduce more environmentally friendly sources of electricity.
        Many cost-effective efficiency investments in buildings are possible, the report says.  For example, replacing appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, and hot water heaters with more efficient models could reduce energy use by 30 percent.  Opportunities for achieving substantial energy savings exist in the industrial and transportation sectors as well.  For example, deployment of industrial energy efficiency technologies could reduce energy use in manufacturing 14 percent to 22 percent by 2020, relative to expected trends.  Most of these savings would occur in the most energy-intensive industries, such as chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and cement.
         Although there is great potential, many barriers exist to widespread adoption of energy efficiency technologies, the report points out.  The upfront costs can be high, which can deter investment despite the possibility of long-term cost savings.  Volatile energy prices can cause buyers to delay purchasing more efficient technology due to a lack of confidence that they will see an adequate return on their investment.  In addition, there is a shortage of readily available, trustworthy information for consumers hoping to learn about the relative performance and costs of energy-efficient technology alternatives.  Investments in energy-efficient infrastructure are particularly important, as these can lock in patterns of energy use for decades.  Therefore, taking advantage of windows of opportunity for infrastructure is crucial.
         Overcoming these barriers will require significant public and private support, and sustained effort.  Many energy efficiency initiatives have been successful, such as the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star labeling program. Efforts undertaken by California and New York have yielded large energy savings for those states.  These experiences provide valuable lessons for national, state, and local policymakers on enacting effective energy efficiency policies.    
         This is the final report in a series from the National Academies' America's Energy Future project, which was undertaken to stimulate and inform a constructive national dialogue about the nation's energy future. 
         Copies of Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States are available from the National Academies Press.  http://j.mp/8uPxZS

        What?  Efficiency is the best strategy?  That's hardly news; it's been U.S. national policy since the P2 Act of 1990.
        From the World Business Council for Sustainable Development: "Governments around the world could make rapid, substantial and relatively cheap cuts to carbon emissions by pursuing energy efficiency in place of more ambitious, but expensive, technological solutions, says a new study." http://j.mp/5n7BT9
        From the NY Times "A new report on energy efficiency from the consulting firm McKinsey found that the United States could save $1.2 trillion through 2020, by investing $520 billion in improvements like sealing leaky building ducts and replacing inefficient household appliances with new, energy-saving models." http://j.mp/bwVgv
        The report from McKinsey & Co is available here: http://j.mp/6vhvJ

        The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week published a new issue summary examining the likely economic burden to be imposed by the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. "The Costs of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions" specifically discusses the economic costs of reducing
greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S., describing the main determinants of costs, how analysts estimate those costs, and the magnitude of estimated
costs. The brief also illustrates the uncertainty surrounding such estimates using studies of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and
Security Act of 2009 which was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year.
       The study found that the costs of reducing emissions would depend on several factors:
* The growth of emissions in the absence of policy changes;
* The types of policies used to restrict emissions;
* The magnitude of the reductions achieved by those policies;
* The extent to which producers and consumers could moderate emission-intensive activities without reducing their material well-being; and,
* The policies pursued by other countries.
       After examining the incremental cost, aggregate cost and distribution of costs of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, CBO concluded that
policymakers face a basic choice: "whether to adopt conventional regulatory approaches, such as setting standards for machinery, equipment,
and appliances, or to employ market-based approaches, such as imposing taxes on emissions or establishing cap-and-trade programs. Experts
generally conclude that market-based approaches would reduce emissions to a specified level at significantly lower cost than conventional regulations. Whereas conventional regulations impose specific requirements that may not be the least costly means of reducing emissions, market-based approaches would provide much more latitude for firms and households to determine the cost cost-effective means of accomplishing that goal."
       The entire 12-page CBO report is available at http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10458/11-23-GHG_Emissions_Brief.pdf
        Thanks to Robert Rains at ASME for the information.

Event Location: Whole Foods Education Room
10020 Regency Circle, Omaha

It's a great agenda. We're lucky to have Marcella Thompson, former chair of the Green Business Council (did I mention we have a new chair?) in to speak to us in her capacity as the Director of Sustainability at ConAgra Foods. At that job she is responsible for managing the corporate greenhouse gas inventory, and will share her experience with us to provide an overview of Carbon Footprinting. The presentation will include key terms and concepts, what emissions sources are included, and free tools to assist you in calculating your emissions.
After that, the staff from P2RIC will offer the beta Green Business scorecard for use by members of the Green Business Council. This is a process that was developed in conjunction with the member of the GBC. As with any beta, we'll be looking for early adopters in the group to try the scorecard on for size and become the first businesses in town who can say they've met the criteria set by the Green Business Council to call themselves Green Businesses.
Alas, because of the reschedule, there will not be a planned Green Drinks at Whole Foods afterwards. I'm sure they wouldn't mind an impromptu gathering of customers after the meeting - we'll check the space for availability.
As I mentioned above, the GBC is proud to announce it's new chair is Craig Moody, principal of Verdis Group, http://verdisgroup.com/ We're lucky to have his time - I very much look forward to his leadership.
The next meeting will be Weds, January 27. The City of Omaha's Sustainability Coordinator, Kristi Wamsted-Evans will be presenting.

The Green Business Council is part of the Green Omaha Coalition. http://www.greenomahacoalition.org/articles/greenbusiness/ The GBC mission is to create a network of businesses interested in sharing sustainable practices and recognize leading green businesses in Omaha. The GBC invites interested businesses from all industries to improve the sustainability of their operations. The GBC addresses a wide variety of environmental programs, including but not limited to: procurement, resource efficiency (energy and water), waste reduction (solid and hazardous), climate change, and green building. The GBC seeks to involve two business groups: (1) those already implementing sustainability programs and (2) those interested but lacking the resources to pursue and implement sustainable strategies.

LISTEN, TALK AND ENJOY ORGANIC WINE TASTING AT THE SUSTAINABLE NETWORKING EVENT AT THE PIZZA SHOPPE COLLECTIVE WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16TH, 2009, 6-8pm, free to all

    Small Businesses and Sustainable Organizations Collaborate! The Greener Omaha Coalition, Verdis Group, The Benson-Ames Alliance, Element Distributing, and The Pizza Shoppe Collective have teamed up to provide faster, more efficient networking for those interested in supporting environmentally-friendly activity
within the Omaha community.
    How we started: After surveying 65 'green' organizations (community advocates, entrepreneurs, non-profits), we have discovered that the challenges of these various sustainable groups were similar, i.e., they all need particular support and connections in order to achieve their goals.  From this we have developed a free, casual networking event, which allows guests to have some assistance with their needs.
    Those attending will have the opportunity to discuss sustainable business practices with our special guest speaker, Kristi Wamstad-Evans, The Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Omaha.  The latter half of the event will be specific 'breakout sessions' to assist those involved with the following areas of focus: 1. Marketing 2. Business planning c. Financing/funding d. Sustainable Solutions
    There will be facilitators representing each component who will be able to direct guests to the proper channels in order to ease and expedite the process of growth for sustainable interests.
    Craig Moody of Verdis Group, states, "This event was created to provide the sustainable community with more of what they need to be successful.  By focusing on these four areas, we are targeting the most common obstacles and hoping to help attendees break free from the restraints that are holding them back."
    There will also be an organic wine tasting with Republic National Distributing Company.

Amy Ryan/Pizza Shoppe Collective
Phone:         402.884.8680
Email:         amy@pscollective.com
Web site:         http://www.pscollective.com

When:  Wednesday, December 9th from 11:30am-1pm
Where: Omaha recycling facility (8616 G Street)

        LifeSpan Recycling is hosting WasteCap Nebraska's Omaha Green Team Roundtable.   The Roundtable provides businesses an opportunity to network, sharing their stewardship ideas, successes and environmental challenges and solutions. The gathering will begin with open networking, a short environmental educational segment from UNL Engineering College's P3 program on "What it Means to be Green: Operating a Sustainable Business using the Easy and Profitable Techniques of Pollution Prevention," followed by a presentation and facility tour by LifeSpan Recycling. LifeSpan is a certified computer and electronics recycler.
        WasteCap is a member based, non-profit, environmental organization, dedicated to assisting business develop and adopt green practices- that improves their profitability. WasteCap helps business with simple issues like setting up recycling plans and green teams to high tech issues dealing with energy, water, and air issues. WasteCap is where conservation meets common sense.
         LifeSpan is providing lunch. As a result attendees must RSVP by calling with WasteCap at (402)436-2383 or email  rbeckman@wastecapne.org.