Tag Archives: environment

A Call for Reducing the Environmental Footprint on Air Pollution

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Why Businesses Can’t View this as a Choice Anymore

Did you know that according to The United Nations Statistics Division, the levels of carbon dioxide and methane have increased by 40% and 150% respectively in the last 100 years?  

When you really think about it, it should come as no surprise given the steady increase in the demand for fossil fuels, unenforced regulations or governance and lastly, the increasing rates of competition and globalization.  

This brings us to why reducing the environmental footprint has returned to the spotlight – and rightfully so. With the environmental footprint being a very broad topic and with the celebration of Earth Day yesterday, it might be time to revisit the issue of air pollution.

Some Interesting Facts about Air Pollution 

Let’s start by taking a look at some interesting facts: 

  • From an industry perspective, the top offenders are energy (80%), agriculture (14%), industrial processes (4%), and waste (~3%). 
  • From a geographic
… Read more...

The Top 5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day’s Half-Century from Home

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Celebrate Earth Day at home by doing these five activities.

During this difficult time, we’ve all had to adapt to our new normal in our own way. If there were any silver lining to come from this, it would be that with people staying at home and fewer cars on the road, things have never been better for climate change. But we still have a long way to go.

Although there won’t be any group activities this year for Earth Day like cleaning your local park, there are still some activities you can do from home to keep you busy during this time of isolation and give back to the environment.

Check out our Top 5 list for #Earthdayfromhome below:

Bring the great outdoors indoors with air purifying plants. Studies have shown that plants not only will improve air quality, but they can boost your mood, reduce stress, and fight … Read more...

Earth Day Turns 50 and Goes Digital

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It turns out you can teach a 50-year-old Earth Day new tricks.

Amid the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, Earth Day Network, the global organizer of Earth Day, is marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with the first Digital Earth Day, a global digital mobilization on April 22 to address the most urgent threats to people and the planet. 

“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. Amid the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly — in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network.

 “Whether it be coronavirus or our global climate crisis, we cannot shut down,” said Rogers. “Instead, we must shift our energies and efforts to new ways to mobilize … Read more...

Protect the Future with ISO 14001:2015

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In December 2019, world leaders gathered for the Madrid Climate Change Conference (COP25) to discuss ways to implement the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and is intended to find ways to prevent the world’s temperature from rising more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels. It also promotes ways to help countries create the financial and technological frameworks to meet these responsibilities while continuing to encourage innovation and economic growth. Despite the overwhelming public support for determined action to combat climate change, COP25, like many other climate change conferences, descended into a rancorous series of confrontations and accusations between rich nations, developing nations, and climate change activists. 

The international marketplace has spoken loudly that economic growth and prosperity cannot be achieved at the expense of pollution, inefficient use of resources, and degradation of ecosystems. We cannot continue to pursue unsustainable growth … Read more...

Earth Day 2019: Protecting the Planet One Best Practice at a Time

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An indicator species is one whose condition tells us about the state of the environment and the ecosystems in which it lives. Lichens, bees, frogs and butterflies are just a few examples. These indicator species can tell us whether not only their existence is in danger because of environmental damage, but perhaps ours as well.

The theme of Earth Day 2019 is protecting our planet’s species. As we take time to reflect today (and hopefully more so in the future) it’s important to understand the small yet incredibly vital elements of a healthy ecosystem. When one part of that ecosystem stops functioning correctly, when an external actor is introduced into this delicate balance of organisms, the effects can be far-reaching.

At Intelex one of our core tenets has been to do business in a way that minimizes potentially damaging impacts on the environment. While we may not have a direct … Read more...

On Environment: 2018’s Most Impactful Environmental Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions

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The close of every year elicits reflection on the months past and anticipation of new adventures ahead. As we conclude 2018, we reflect on the environmental regulatory and deregulatory actions that have taken place in the United States and we anticipate new challenges, new adventures, and new opportunities to evolve in the future.

I started thinking about the most impactful environmental regulatory and deregulatory actions from this past year. It was a tough year for environmentalists and regulated industry alike. Environmental groups were busy fighting regulatory rollbacks and regulated industry had to contend with unstable regulatory targets. With this in mind, here are my top three most impactful actions and why I chose them.

NUMBER 1

The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Proposed Rule (August 21, 2018)

The ACE Rule is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) replacement. After repealing the CPP, reasoning that EPA (under Obama) … Read more...

Who Should Lead the Charge to a Sustainable Future?

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Sustainable development is that in which the resources we use to meet today’s business goals do not come at the expense of the ability of future generations to meet their own environmental, social and cultural needs. In other words, the slash-and-burn approach to fuelling business progress and profit will give way to replacing what we use and looking out for the environmental realities that will support our future development as a species.

The evidence for the requirement for sustainable practices is, by now, beyond reproach. Yet many questions remain about how to create sustainable practices that ensure our future environmental stability without damaging our immediate economic growth. Such questions include: should governments legislate these requirements? Should business govern its own sustainable efforts according to its own perspective? Or should the market dictate its allegiance to the idea of sustainability by supporting or opposing businesses that embrace sustainable principles?

While today’s … Read more...

Finding the Best EHS Solution for Your Business: 10 Questions for Buying EHS Compliance Software

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Many organizations are discovering that EHS regulations are becoming increasingly complex. Businesses that operate in a global environment must contend with regulations that are unique to every jurisdiction. The regulations for each jurisdiction can be extremely complex, and when those requirements are added to the requirements for all the other jurisdictions in which the business operates, EHS compliance can become overwhelming and almost impossible to manage.

Environmental compliance solutions can be the solution to navigating this overwhelming complexity. They can help organizations keep track of the regulations in different jurisdictions, organize their data, and make fact-based decisions that fulfill their compliance obligations without burning through both human and financial resources.

But once an organization has decided to implement an environmental compliance solution, where should they start? What are some of the questions they should ask? In a new webinar, Intelex Global Compliance Content Lead Jessica Sarnowski identifies 10 questions every … Read more...

Oil and Gas Explorer Encana Gains Compliance and Efficiency with EMS

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Environmental management effectiveness means achieving the obvious result of regulatory compliance, but for Encana Corp., it is essential to gain a good measure of organizational efficiency, too.

Efficiency is particularly important for a company like Encana, a Calgary-based oil and gas exploration and production company, that has a multitude of regulatory objectives to meet, many interdependent departments that exist across the company, and an operation that spans two countries.

Casey Rubin, manager of the environmental information team, says that, in his job of EMS management, he works with a variety of internal groups, including air compliance, field environmental groups, operations, plus regulatory and production coordinators.

In most large corporations it’s often typical to find many redundant efforts such as the collection of the same types of data and performing the same types tasks or processes, yet not having the necessary coordination to streamline across different operating areas or even in … Read more...

NAEM Report Highlights Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainability Practices of Supply Chain

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Environmental sustainability, or the efforts made by everyone everywhere to safeguard the planet as well as responsibly use and replenish the finite resource we have in this world, has achieved the rightful status of being a strong business value and a boon to any company’s brand.

Many organizations now realize how a company operates as an environmentally and socially responsible provider of goods and services is – simply put – a good-for-business practice. Specific regulations in Canada, the United States and around the world guide corporations in terms of what they “must” do to achieve compliance. Business ethics, employees, customers and partners compel companies to go above and beyond these prescriptive rules.

Consumer demand for environmentally responsible products is continuing to push the sustainability agenda in terms of importance, transforming how companies relate to their supply chain partners. It’s not enough for a business to do everything it can to … Read more...