http://www.cchange.net Covering the transformations to social, environment and economic sustainability Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:08:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sea Change Radio covers the transformations to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Change is accelerating in positive and negative directions: the clock is ticking in the race to see which will tip first—the problems or the solutions. Join Sea Change's Host, Alex Wise, as he provides in-depth analysis to help our audience understand possible remedies and potential pitfalls. Sea Change interviews sustainability experts including Paul Hawken, Stewart Brand, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Lester Brown, and many others. Sea Change airs on over 30 radio stations around the country. Alex Wise clean Alex Wise awise@cchange.net awise@cchange.net (Alex Wise) 2007-2011 Making Connections for Sustainability Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Environment, Corporate Responsibility, Socially Responsible Investing, Accountability, Stakeholders, Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Green Jobs, Wealth Divide http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/cwr-images-archive/SeaChangeRadioTAG_square144_sm.jpg http://www.cchange.net Weekly http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/27/justice-in-the-environment/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/27/justice-in-the-environment/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 22:01:04 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=890 http://www.cchange.net/2009/05/27/justice-in-the-environment/feed/ 0 corporate governance,human rights,interfaith center on corporate responsibility,jim boyce,leslie lowe,political economy research institute,Shareholder Engagement,Sustainable Public Policy,toxics release inventory Jim Boyce of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst talks about the new report, Justice in the Air.  It looks at EPA data showing that the toxins spewing from company smokestacks hit minorities and... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jimboyce-136x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/leslielowe-143x150.jpg) Jim Boyce (http://www.peri.umass.edu/PERI-Staff.211.0.html#c121) of the Political Economy Research Institute (http://www.peri.umass.edu/) (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst talks about the new report, Justice in the Air (http://www.peri.umass.edu/justice/).  It looks at EPA data showing that the toxins spewing from company smokestacks hit minorities and the poor hardest.  And Leslie Lowe (http://www.iccr.org/about/staff/staff11_ll.php) of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (http://www.iccr.org/) talks about Chevron's refusal to disclose the $27 billion liability it faces in a court case happening in the Amazonian rainforests of Ecuador.  The company is accused of dumping toxic oil byproducts from years of drilling, damaging the environment and the health of residents. Sea Change Radio Co-Host Bill Baue recently spoke with Justice in the Air lead author Jim Boyce in the WMUA (http://www.wmua.org/) studios at the University of Massachusetts.  Boyce explains how the  report builds on PERI's work in the Corporate Toxics Information Project (http://www.peri.umass.edu/ctip_research/) for the past several years compiling the Toxic 100 (http://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic100/) -- the top 100 corporate air polluters in the US.  This year, with the help of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (http://college.usc.edu/geography/ESPE/pere.html) at the University of Southern California, the project added an environmental justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_justice) component, looking at the impact of pollution on the poor, and people of color.   Boyce distinguishes between environmental justice and traditional environmentalism, which does not take social justice or racism into account.  He also explains how the report slices and dices the data by race and income, as well as by state and municipalities.  He also discusses the "TRI Effect (http://books.google.com/books?id=ovijnnKLw_0C&dq=James+T.+Hamilton,+'Regulation+through+Revelation&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=Z60dSqGNMoi0NZD6pcQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#PPP1,M1)" (referring to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (http://www.epa.gov/TRI/)), where the very act of disclosure leads to companies reducing their toxic emissions without further regulation -- though he acknowledges the limits of this effect, and therefore the need for stronger regulation. Leslie Lowe runs the energy and environment program at ICCR, a coalition of 300 faith-based institutional investors with over $100 billion in assets that conducts shareowner action.  In other words, they talk with companies on improving environmental, social, and governance performance.  And when talks stall, they file shareowner resolutions, airing the issue at annual shareholder meetings.  Almost a half-decade ago, Bill Baue interviewed Leslie for a series of articles (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/1681.html) on Chevron failing to disclose to investors the risks it faces from a lawsuit over environmental and human health damages in the Ecuadorian rainforest (Chevron issued a statement (http://www.texaco.com/sitelets/ecuador/en/releases/2005-04-25.aspx) responding to this article on its website (http://www.texaco.com/sitelets/ecuador/en/) on the Ecuador case.)   Bill Baue caught up with Lowe on the day Chevron hosted its annual general meeting, where it faced a resolution (http://trilliuminvest.com/resolutions/stockholder-proposal-report-on-global-environmental-standards/) asking it to disclose more information on the risks it faces from this lawsuit. She provides background (http://chevrontoxico.com/) on the case before discussing more recent developments (http://truecostofchevron.com/report.html), such as New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo sending a letter to Chevron Bill Baue clean 29:30 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/19/blog-top-corporate-social-responsibility-news-of-2008/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/19/blog-top-corporate-social-responsibility-news-of-2008/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:53:49 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=419 http://www.cchange.net/2009/01/19/blog-top-corporate-social-responsibility-news-of-2008/feed/ 1 http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/the-road-to-economic-recovery-potholed-or-paved-in-green/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/the-road-to-economic-recovery-potholed-or-paved-in-green/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:20:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/the-road-to-economic-recovery-potholed-or-paved-in-green/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/the-road-to-economic-recovery-potholed-or-paved-in-green/feed/ 1 Barney Frank,bob pollin,center for american progress,global warming,hazel henderson,house financial services committee,political economy research institute,troubled asset relief program The market meltdown is spurring an urgent response from Congress, with both houses debating and revising versions of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bill on an hourly basis. The bill revises the President's proposed bailout of financial inst... The market meltdown is spurring an urgent response from Congress, with both houses debating and revising versions of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bill on an hourly basis. The bill revises the President's proposed bailout of financial institutions, which some call "Cash for Trash." CWR co-hosts Francesca Rheannon and Bill Baue interview US Representative (D-MA) Barney Frank, chair of the House Financial Services Committee that is now ushering the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill, or TARP, through Congress. While many question whether this bailout is the best path out of the market meltdown, others are proposing a road to recovery paved in green. Bob Pollin of the Political Economy Research Institute co-authored a report on the Green Recovery that was released last week with the Center for American Progress. Francesca and Bill interviewed him here at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst the day after he testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming at a hearing entitled "The Green Road to Economic Recovery." (http://www.house.gov/frank/barney.jpg)Representative Barney Frank Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bill as of 1:09 p.m. on September 22, 2008 (http://www.thecorporatecounsel.net/nonmember/09_22_08_BailOut.pdf) (http://www.peri.umass.edu/typo3temp/pics/b6394c88ee.jpg)Bob Pollin Green Recovery House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing: "The Green Road to Economic Recovery" (http://www.globalwarming.house.gov/pubs) Listen to the full 25-minute interview with Bob Pollin (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/BobPollin.mp3) CWR ViewPoint:  read (http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/10556) Commentary from futurist Hazel Henderson of Ethical Markets on the market meltdown called Chicago Boys' Curse Comes Home to Wall Street. (http://www.hazelhenderson.com/images/hazelGood2.gif)Hazel Henderson of Ethical Markets (http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/). Bill Baue clean 29:50 http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/barney-frank-on-the-tarp-troubled-asset-relief-program-special-preview/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/barney-frank-on-the-tarp-troubled-asset-relief-program-special-preview/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:28:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/barney-frank-on-the-tarp-troubled-asset-relief-program-special-preview/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/09/23/barney-frank-on-the-tarp-troubled-asset-relief-program-special-preview/feed/ 1 Barney Frank,bob pollin,hazel henderson,house financial services committee,political economy research institute,troubled asset relief program In this special preview edition of this week's show, CWR co-hosts Francesca Rheannon and Bill Baue interview US Representative (D-MA) Barney Frank, chair of the House Financial Services Committee that is now ushering the Troubled Asset Relief Program b... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/barney-frank-150x150.jpg)In this special preview edition of this week's show, CWR co-hosts Francesca Rheannon and Bill Baue interview US Representative (D-MA) Barney Frank (http://www.house.gov/frank/), chair of the House Financial Services Committee that is now ushering the Troubled Asset Relief Program bill, or TARP, through Congress. The bill revises the President's proposed bailout of financial institutions to the tune of $1 trillion, which has been labeled "Cash for Trash." The bill is changing practically by the hour, and we caught Rep Frank today as the bill makes its way toward debate in Congress. Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bill as of 1:09 p.m. on September 22, 2008 (http://www.thecorporatecounsel.net/nonmember/09_22_08_BailOut.pdf) Check back and tune in Wednesday for the full show, which will include this interview, as well as a conversation with Bob Pollin of the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in his new Green Recovery report, and the CWR ViewPoint from futurist Hazel Henderson (http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/10556) of Ethical Markets on the market meltdown. Bill Baue clean 14:34 http://www.cchange.net/2008/08/27/political-will-required-to-build-a-green-economy/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/08/27/political-will-required-to-build-a-green-economy/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:17:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2008/08/27/political-will-required-to-build-a-green-economy/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/08/27/political-will-required-to-build-a-green-economy/feed/ 0 Clean energy,global warming,green economy,Green Jobs,greenbiz,Obama,political economy research institute The Democratic party has shied away from linking clean energy, the economy, and the environment since Jimmy Carter's 1977 Energy Policy. But the political winds are changing. At Tuesday evening's Democratic National Convention, (http://solartoday.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/hendricks.jpg?w=150&h=233) The Democratic party has shied away from linking clean energy, the economy, and the environment since Jimmy Carter's 1977 Energy Policy. But the political winds are changing. At Tuesday evening's Democratic National Convention, almost all of the speakers hit on the theme of green collar jobs. Nancy Floyd of Nth Power noted that there are 2.4 million green collar jobs worldwide -- but less than 10 percent are in US. Presumptive Democrat candidate Barack Obama's platform calls for more than doubling that number to 5 million green collar jobs in the US alone. And he's framing it as a win-win-win to get us off foreign oil, stop global warming, and create tons of green jobs in the US. This week, we feature the second part of our conversation with Bracken Hendricks, co-author with Congressman Jay Inslee of Apollo's Fire, and co-founder of the Apollo Alliance. The discussion focuses on the political will required to build a green economy. Bracken Hendricks (http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/HendricksBracken.html) (http://www.apollosfire.net/sites/all/themes/apollosfirev2/images/apollos-fire-cover.png) Apollo Alliance (http://www.apolloalliance.org/) Barack Obama's New Energy Platform (http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy) DNC speech by Nancy Floyd of Nth Power (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/2008-democratic-national-convention-remarks,518266.shtml) Jimmy Carter's 1977 Energy Policy (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_energy.html) Green Jobs: Towards Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World report by the Worldwatch Institute as part of the UNEP- ILO- ITUC Green Jobs Initiative (http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/features/greenjobs.asp) Job Opportunities for the Green Economy report from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst (http://www.peri.umass.edu/). CWR Headlines: --Joe Biden's Got Environmental Creds (http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/8/23/0831/12658) --Google.org Pumps Money into Geothermal Energy (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=google-invests-in-geothermal) --Buffett and Gates Visit Tar Sands (http://climateprogress.org/2008/08/24/gates-and-buffet-to-invest-in-tar-sands-and-spawn-more-two-headed-fish/) (http://www.greenbiz.com/files/imagecache/original/conrad-mackerron.jpg) CWR ViewPoint:  read (http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/10170) Conrad MacKerron (http://www.greenbiz.com/users/Conrad-MacKerron) of the As You Sow Foundation (http://www.asyousow.org/) comments on the labor and human rights implications of greening the supply chain. Prius Envy and the Greening of Wal-Mart: A Blind Spot for the Human Cost (http://www.greenbiz.com/column/2008/06/30/prius-envy-and-greening-wal-mart) Bill Baue clean 29:34 http://www.cchange.net/2008/05/21/michael-conroy-on-activist-campaigns-and-the-certification-revolution/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/05/21/michael-conroy-on-activist-campaigns-and-the-certification-revolution/#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 20:06:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2008/05/21/michael-conroy-on-activist-campaigns-and-the-certification-revolution/ http://www.cchange.net/2008/05/21/michael-conroy-on-activist-campaigns-and-the-certification-revolution/feed/ 0 china,Climate Change,forest stewardship council,michael ash,michael conroy,political economy research institute,rockefeller brothers fund,university of massachusetts amherst CWR co-host Bill Baue speaks Michael Conroy, author of Branded! How the "Certification Revolution" is Transforming Global Corporations. Conroy discusses how activist campaigning for improved corporate social and environmental practices has gotten comp... CWR co-host Bill Baue speaks Michael Conroy, author of Branded! How the "Certification Revolution" is Transforming Global Corporations. Conroy discusses how activist campaigning for improved corporate social and environmental practices has gotten companies to respond. The two sides moved from antagonism to tense collaboration in the creation of certification schemes that solved activist concerns while preserving--and often boosting--companies' profitability. Conroy brings a hands-on view to the story as a program officer at the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, where he helped fund the activists NGOs as well as the resulting certification processes. He also serves as chair of TransFair, the Fair Trade certifying body in the US, as well as serving on the board of Forest Stewardship Council, which certifies lumber and paper practices. Branded! How the "Certification Revolution" is Transforming Global Corporations Interview transcript on SocialFunds (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/2514.html) --China quake may cut carbon offset supply (http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1593590020080515?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews&sp=true) --Energy executives fear a bubble brewing in renewable technology (http://www.environmental-finance.com/onlinews/0515hal.html) --New report says obesity contributes to climate change (http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKL1572011320080515) Michael Ash of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, provides this week's commentary on the Toxic 100 list of the top corporate polluters that PERI produces. Toxic 100 (http://toxic100.org) Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2006/06/01/saving-the-toxics-release-inventory/ http://www.cchange.net/2006/06/01/saving-the-toxics-release-inventory/#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2006 01:54:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/2006/06/01/saving-the-toxics-release-inventory/ http://www.cchange.net/2006/06/01/saving-the-toxics-release-inventory/feed/ 0 calvert,EPA,jim boyce,Julie Gorte,political economy research institute,toxics release inventory The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed major changes to dilute the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), which makes information on the harmful pollution companies release into the air publicly available. Joining us in the studio is Jim Boyce, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jimboyce-136x150.jpg)The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed major changes to dilute the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), which makes information on the harmful pollution companies release into the air publicly available. Joining us in the studio is Jim Boyce, director of environmental programs at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) of the University of Massachusetts, which has just published its annual "Toxic 100" list ranking the corporations emitting the most toxic pollution. Joining us on the phone is Julie Gorte, vice president and chief social investment strategist at Calvert, who is active in a campaign opposing the EPA's proposed gutting of TRI. OMB Watch TRI Resource Center (http://www.ombwatch.org/tricenter/) Toxic 100 (http://www.umass.edu/peri/programs/development/toxic100table.htm) Business & Human Rights Resource Center (http://www.business-humanrights.org/Updates/Archive/Toxic100) EPA Tries to Pull a Disappearing Act on the Toxics Release Inventory (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1889.html) Toxic 100 Uses Enhanced Toxics Release Inventory Data to List Top Corporate Polluters (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article1792.html) Listmania! Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Lists Drive Improved Performance (http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/article2015.html) Bill Baue clean 29:10