What is low footprint

advertisement advertisement advertisement On one side of a package from the indie beauty brand Cocokind, there’s a long list of sustainability facts laid out like a nutrition label. The product inside has a carbon footprint of 24.50 grams per use, it explains. It’s a carbon label, and the brand is one of several companies to begin using them. advertisement advertisement “We were calling ourselves ‘clean’ and ‘sustainable,'” says founder Priscilla Tsai. “Those things are valid, but what they mean are obviously not regulated as they get thrown around more and more in the industry. We realized we can’t just use these words anymore, and we needed to be able to figure out, how do we measure this internally? And how do we communicate that, and make sure that the burden of education is on the brand and not the consumer?” Carbon labeling is a growing trend, says Euan Murray, chief executive of the Sustainability Consortium, a … [Read more...] about Brands are starting to add carbon labels to their packaging

Colorado officials committed to cleaner air and reducing reliance on fossil fuels have reached a turning point on whether to tolerate the hulking oil refinery north of Denver that ranks among the state’s major polluters and regularly malfunctions . They must approve or deny Suncor Energy’s applications to renew its operating permits, which serve as contracts governing the emission levels of toxic pollutants that can cause cancer and serious heart, lung and other health problems. This is oversight power Colorado air pollution regulators have declined to use over nearly a decade of letting Suncor run the refinery under the equivalent of an expired driver’s license — a perk granted to companies if they submit timely renewal applications. Suncor’s outdated permits, which records show were issued in 2006 and 2012, allow emissions of 866,100 tons a year of heat-trapping gases and toxics including sulfur dioxide, benzene and hydrogen cyanide . During malfunctions, pollution … [Read more...] about Suncor refinery north of Denver faces state review of outdated permits, plans $300 million push to be “better not bigger”

Parts of Scott Base are creaking at the seams and the whole thing needs to be rebuilt. But there are too many bases on Antarctica, especially those belonging to Northern Hemisphere nations, writes Colin Monteath. OPINION: Rebuilding New Zealand’s Scott Base on Ross island to meet the demands of a modern science programme is a complex, long-term and expensive project as highlighted in Lee Kenny's excellent article “ Leaky buildings, old electrics: Scott Base in a sorry state ” (Feb 27). By stating that three of the present buildings date back to 1957 and emphasising “leaky buildings, old electrics” gave the impression that the base is essentially an antique, possibly unsafe. One of those old buildings referred to is now a museum displaying 1950s artefacts and is located on the foreshore in front of the main base, while another is simply an old aircraft hangar used for storage. The current Scott Base was built over a 10-year period 1975-1985, so, yes, 35 years on, possibly … [Read more...] about Scott Base: She’s creaky but done us proud

ICICI Bank reduced its home loan interest rate to 6.70 per cent, the company said on Friday. Accordingly, the revised interest rate -- the lowest in 10 years by the bank -- is effected from March 5. The bank in a statement said that this interest rate can be availed for home loans up to Rs 75 lakh. Besides, for loans above Rs 75 lakh, interest rates are pegged at 6.75 per cent onwards. As per the statement, these revised rates will be available till March 31. "We see resurgence in demand from consumers, who want to buy homes for their own consumption, in the past few months," said Ravi Narayanan, Head - Secured Assets, ICICI Bank. "We believe that this is an opportune time for an individual to buy his or her dream home, considering the prevailing low interest rates. We believe that with our completely digitised home loan process, including instant sanction for customers of any bank, everybody will find it immensely convenient to avail a home loan with us." In … [Read more...] about ICICI Bank reduces home loan interest rate to 6.70%

RISHI Sunak would ­hobble Boris Johnson’s eco-drive if he axes the Green Homes Grant, say environmental groups. There are fears the Chancellor may chop the £5,000 payments at next month’s Budget amid concerns of low take-up. Just days ago, MPs blasted the “snail’s pace” of the roll-out after it emerged that only 20,000 out of 600,000 grants for energy-saving improvements, such as better insulation and boilers, had so far been made. Environment groups have written to the PM and Chancellor warning that the UK would “lose international credibility” if it cuts funding for the scheme. Greenpeace, the National Trust, Friends of the Earth and a string of other groups and campaigners are urging them not to “allow the green stimulus to fail”. In a letter seen by The Sun, they say the “eyes of the world” will be on the UK ahead of the COP26 climate summit in ­Glasgow in November. The coalition claims that the scheme, if done right, could support 190,000 jobs until 2030 … [Read more...] about Rishi Sunak ‘will hobble Boris Johnson’s eco-drive if he axes £5,000 Green Homes Grant’