SGR Environmental and Sustainability attorney Jessica Lee Reece will be speaking at the upcoming Solar Praxis “PV Power Plants 2010” conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The presentation, entitled “Governmental Incentives and Financial Assistance to establish Solar power Related Production Facilities in the USA,” will be delivered jointly by Ms. Reece and Lee Peterson, Esq. of the Reznick Group. The conference will be held Dec. 1-2, 2010.
Environmental and Sustainability Law
This Week on Speaking of Green: Cheryl Kortmeier of Trees Atlanta
This week “Speaking of Green” will feature Cheryl Kortmeier of Trees Atlanta. Trees Atlanta celebrates their 25th anniversary this year and this week we’ll discuss the growth of the organization, little known tree facts, and how trees help the environment, quality of life and energy efficiency. Cheryl is the Director of Development/Communications for Trees Atlanta and has been active in conservation for 13 years. She understands environmental issues and is able to translate technical speak into everyday language for specific audiences. Cheryl is passionate about clear communication and aspires to continued development as a conservation professional. The blogcast airs Wednesday at… Read more
This Week on Speaking of Green: K.C. Boyce of ICLEI
This week “Speaking of Green” will feature K.C. Boyce of ICLEI. As Deputy Executive Director, Membership & Regional Impact, Kenneth “K.C.” Boyce oversees ICLEI’s seven regional offices responsible for facilitating ICLEI’s local government membership network. Prior to joining ICLEI, K.C. was a Senior Project Manager for Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., the largest sustainable urban redevelopment project in the country. K.C. has a consulting background, having started and grown a consulting firm that facilitated public-private partnerships. His consulting work also included strategic marketing, training strategy, business plan development, and non-profit Social Return on Investment frameworks. The blogcast airs Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST…. Read more
Courts Continue to Narrow Superfund Liability
In 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the consolidated cases of Shell Oil v. U.S. and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. v. U.S. (“Shell Oil“) that narrowed the scope of “arranger” liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). That decision reversed a lower court decision that had found Shell Oil Company liable for “arranging for disposal” of a hazardous substance because it shipped hazardous substances under conditions that it knew would result in a portion of the substances being spilled by the purchaser or the common carrier. Last month, the 5th… Read more
Life in the Green Lane: The Sins of Greenwashing.
For those of us who have been diligently trying to “go green” while shopping last week’s news was more than a little disheartening. According to the “Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition,” released by North American environmental marketing company TerraChoice, more than 95% of consumer products examined committed at least one “greenwashing” violation. Ninety-five percent! Obviously, not a good thing. In conducting its study, TerraChoice examined more than 5,000 products in 34 stores in the U.S. and Canada and found more than 12,000 “green” claims among them. Interestingly, the study also found that big box retailers are more likely to stock legitimate “green” products with… Read more
Welcome Back BCAP!
On October 21, 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the release of the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (“BCAP”). Created by the 2008 Farm Bill, BCAP provides two incentive programs to increase biomass fuel supply nationwide. One component of BCAP provides matching payments of $1 per ton of eligible fuel (up to $45/ton) to qualified biomass fuel harvesting, collecting, handling, and or storage entities. The new BCAP amends previous requirements relating to relationships between the buyer and seller and simply requires that all eligible material be purchased at fair market prices, regardless of the parties’… Read more
This Week on Speaking of Green: Mandy Mahoney, City of Atlanta Director of Sustainability
This week “Speaking of Green” will feature Dennis Creech of Southface. As the City of Atlanta celebrates its first “Sustainability Week,” join us for a special conversation with Mandy Mahoney, the City’s Director of Sustainability. Topics of discussion will include Atlanta’s progress in sustainability initiatives, Mayor Reed’s goals for Atlanta regarding sustainability and the events supporting the week. To tune in this week, or catch up on past episodes, please visit http://blogtalkradio.com/southeastgreen. “Speaking of Green” is a weekly blogcast on issues ranging from corporate sustainability to creating green jobs to the future of renewable energy in the south. Please contact sustainability@sgrlaw.com for… Read more
This Week on Speaking of Green: Green Jobs at the New Sweet Center with Dennis Creech, Southface
This week “Speaking of Green” will feature Dennis Creech of Southface. On October 26, 2010 (9:30 to 11:00 a.m.), Southface and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) will host the official unveiling of the Southeast Weatherization and Energy Efficiency Training (SWEET) Center. The SWEET Center is a positive example of ARRA funds in action! To date, Southface’s SWEET program has trained more than 700 weatherization professionals in home retrofitting and energy-efficiency skills, benefiting over 3,500 low-income households. Join us as we discuss with Dennis Creech, Executive Director of Southface will share the wonderful success story of this new asset to Atlanta. To… Read more
This Week’s Speaking of Green Blogcast: Marlin Gottschalk
Beginning this Wednesday, SGR and Southeast Green partner up to bring you “Speaking of Green,” a weekly blogcast on issues ranging from corporate sustainability to creating green jobs to the future of renewable energy in the south. The blogcast airs each Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST. To tune in this week, or catch up on past episodes, please visit http://blogtalkradio.com/southeastgreen. This week’s topic is “Supporting Natural Leaders,” featuring Dr. Marlin Gottschalk, director of the Department of Sustainability for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. More about Dr. Marlin Gottschalk: As Director of the Sustainability Division of the Georgia Department of… Read more
FTC Releases Revised Green Guides
For the first time in 12 years, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has released an update on its “Green Guides” guidance for environmental marketing and claims. Originally released in 1992, and last updated in 1998, the Green Guides provide guidance for advertisers and marketers in the green space and warn against making broad claims, such as that a product is “eco-friendly,” if the company cannot provide supporting documentation. “In recent years, businesses have increasingly used ‘green’ marketing to capture consumers’ attention and move Americans toward a more environmentally friendly future. But what companies think green claims mean and what consumers… Read more