Climate Capitalism

A quick post to two fairly long video clips.

Bill Clinton talks about the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit designed to establish base-line data on emissions for countries, cities and companies around the world.  He has some interesting anticdotes on everything from green roofs in New York to sugar cane ethanol in Ethiopia.

Walmart webcast of their Sustainability Milestone Meeting in July of 2009.  Includes a speeches from CEO Mike Duke and other Walmart & Sam’s Club executives.  Walmart recently annouced they will be requiring their suppliers to answer a 15-question survey which includes questions like: “Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions?”  You can skip the Walmart cheer, but it is interesting to hear how the world’s largest corporation is shifting its thinking and why.

In yet another example of the complexities of combatting climate change, a study conducted by environmental engineers at the University of California at Davis raises questions about the true carbon reduction benefits of using public transportation as compared, for example, to driving an SUV, according to this article from AFP.  The study focused on the overall carbon production of public transport including the impacts of building and maintaining the infrastructure for the transportation system.  The study doesn’t appear to discourage investment in mass transit, but rather appears to be aimed at raising awareness among consumers and policymakers about all of the factors that impact carbon emissions.