If you're wondering what President Barack Obama is up to today - well, he's going to be signing off on a little thing called the $787-billion economic stimulus package, and if you haven't been following the particulars, ten per cent of said package will be allocated to environmental initiatives.

Congress passed the stimulus bill last Friday, and a review by Environment America has assessed the breakdown as follows:

☆ Clean energy projects will receive a $32.80 billion boost

☆ $26.86 billion will go toward energy efficient projects

☆ Eco-friendly transportation initiatives will receive $18.95 billion

The grand total: $78.61 billion going toward environmental initiatives. Obama has said the package will result in a number of "green collar jobs" being created or saved over the next few years

» BusinessGreen.com

Many of us are eco-conscious in lots of little ways in our daily lives.  We try to drive less, we buy organic, we recycle and compost.  But what about work?  For many of us our green mindset gets turned-off the moment we walk through the office door and we turn into wasteful pigs!  Here are some great tips to add to your list of New Year's resolutions.

1. Make sweaters part of the dress code.  Every one degree reduction in building temperature can result in an 8% energy bill savings.  Less energy consumption and lower energy bills sounds like two great reasons to throw on a cardigan!

2. Change your habits.  Take a moment to evaluate the little things you do day-in, day-out.  Maybe you don't recycle documents, or maybe you print more often than you should.  Pick one or two little things you can do differently and try to stick with those changes throughout the year.

3. Flick the switch!  Turn off your office lights when you leave.  Power down your computer (or at least turn off your monitor!).  Just becuase you're not paying the electricity bill is no reason to waste power.

4. Walk, you lazy bum!  Or at least take public transit.  Do you really need to drive to the other side of town just to get a stupid bagel for lunch?

5. Bitch about recycling.  Pester the people in charge of purchasing about buying recycled paper.  The average office worker goes through 10,000 pages a year.  Eight workers go through an entire tree.

...read the rest...

The GenSet Locomotive is just one way transportation company CSX is demonstrating their commitment to operating a sustainable business. Not only has the company achieved an impressive 80 per cent improvement in efficiency with their freight rail, making it three times more efficient than other transport methods, they also actively participate in Climate Leaders, an EPA industry-government partnership that works to develop climate change strategies and assist partner companies in reducing their environmental impact. Participating in the Climate Leaders program is entirely voluntary.

Beyond their environmentally-conscious locomotives, CSX also recycles upwards of three million railroad cross ties each year, collecting and shredding the hard wood. They are currently exploring the possibility of burning the wood for electricity onsite, which would be put right back on the grid. Approximately two million gallons of oil used by company locomotives is recycled each year, and later used to heat buildings. With over 34,000 employees and a freight system that extends across 23 states, CSX has also implemented energy-efficient lighting and heating in their buildings and even recycles the water consumed by their facilities. In the future as technology continues to evolve, the company is also exploring the possibility of using solar energy to power their facilities.

However the company's biggest eco-friendly initiative is their constant drive for improved fuel efficiency through projects such as the GenSets. By reducing fuel consumption, the company is able to save money while being environmentally conscious. Or as one company representative put it, "The safer and more efficient we are, the more financially successful we are."

The initiatives aren't just driven by the company, but by their customers. In response to shippers inquiring about their environmental impact, CSX developed a carbon calculator meant to help compare estimated carbon emissions of transport and visibly show the difference choosing rail can make.

To learn more about what CSX is doing to practice environmental stewardship, visit their official site.

» CSX

The U.S. economy may be in a downturn in the here-and-now, but a recent UN report is looking ahead to the future - far, far ahead. In fact, if you currently have young children - or are planning to within the next few years - you may be able to start looking toward their career options even now.

According to the report titled Green Jobs: Towards Decent work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World, millions of jobs will be created in the green industry by the time 2030 rolls around. In a similar way that technological advances in computers caused a significant boom in the IT employment industry just a few years ago, the global move toward curbing climate change is expected to spawn new jobs and investment opportunities (albeit to a much smaller extent than the IT field). The phenomenon will not be limited to North American and Europe; significant advances and opportunities in developing countries is also expected.

The continued development of biofuels is expected to create 11 million jobs alone and as a shift toward solar, wind and geothermal power occurs, more jobs in the field will be inevitable.

Additional highlights of the report include:

- Climate change will still negatively affect individuals and their families, and therefore significant action must be taken to reduce the impact.

- The downside of the job boom is the "dirty, dangerous and difficult" reputation it is already building. Agriculture and recycling sectors will need to be boosted to offer fair pay, secure employment contracts and the elimination of exposure to hazardous materials.

- Industries such as agriculture and services will need to promote the preservation and restoration of the earth.

- To be successful, government leaders, workers and employers will have to work together to ease tension and make the transition as smooth as possible.

» UN Environment Programme

Now that going green is the "It" catchphrase, businesses are attempting to cash in by putting their own eco-spin on products and services. As it turns out though, Canadian consumers aren't buying it, according to a survey commissioned by a Toronto advertising agency. When companies make claims they are being environmentally conscious, the poll shows approximately three-quarters of Canadians believe it's just a marketing ploy and think the government should introduce standards to minimize the practice of green-washing.

Labeling regulations should be enforced to clearly define green claims said approximately 85 per cent of respondents and guidelines for key terms such as "green," "organic" and "low emissions" should be provided by the government.

Consumers are also more likely to praise companies who make tangible efforts such as reducing packaging or using renewable fuels as opposed to those who purchase carbon credits to offset their environmental impact. And not surprisingly, almost all respondents said they would be willing to do their part for the earth so long as it didn't cost them more money to do so. Smaller gestures such as recycling, lowering the air conditioning and reducing the use of plastic bags were common actions consumers would be willing to take, while purchasing energy-efficient appliances and fuel-efficient vehicles were much lower on the list.

Read more about the survey results after the jump.

» The Globe and Mail

Despite Clorox being named one of the "dangerous dozen" chemical companies within recent years, environmental group the Sierra Club has agreed to a partnership with the the company. In return for promoting the new "Green Works" range of environmentally-friendly Clorox products, the Sierra Club will receive a share of the profits raked in from the line. The decision is not going over well with some of the club's chapters, as well as some of the officers in Michigan who have tendered their resignation over the agreement.

"They sold their soul to the highest bidder," said Monica Evans, who helped reactivate the club's nine-county Traverse Group in 2000. "The Sierra Club has been fighting against Clorox for decades, trying to get them to be responsible," Evans said. "Now we're partners with them? It doesn't make any sense."

The new Clorox line (the first in 20 years!) features five products made from ingredients including coconut and lemon oil and is biodegradable, contains no bleach and won't be tested on animals. Even the bottles are recyclable and will show off their eco-friendliness by sporting the Sierra Club logo.

The are a few major reasons for the contention. One is the fact that despite the new line, Clorox will continue to make products containing known toxins such as bleach. Another is the decision to partner with a big corporation that is relatively new to the eco-friendly product market. Critics claim Clorox should have partnered with a smaller business that at least has a proven track record of proving green cleaning products. The Sierra Club is defending the decision, pointing out that Clorox is "among the best" when compared to other similar companies and that other companies sell their products for a higher cost. By working with Clorox, the partnership will make safer cleaning products more accessible to millions of households by selling it retailers like Wal-Mart.

Here you have to valid arguments. On one hand, the Sierra Club is known for protesting the very products that will still be sold by their new partner. On the other hand, the products and the partnership could revolutionize this particular market and put eco-friendly cleaning products in the hands of millions of people. So now the question is posed: which argument successfully outweighs the other?

» International Herald Tribune