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Ecology June 2006 Issue
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Nikkei Ecology |
June 2006 Issue
Cover Story
How to make best use of the ISO certificates in your business: from
the results of a nationwide survey with 3,000 companies
Only 40% get results on their core businesses
Linking the companywide goals directly to the core business
Reduction of environmental burden starts at the sales floors
Visualization is most effective at non-production sections
Aiming at integration of ISO14001 and ISO9001
Making direct connection between environmental activities and the core business
practices without acquiring the certificate
Ricoh ranked as No. 1 company for their achievements in ISO14001-related activities
Polarization in improvement advances among ISO-certified offices
Report
Measures against Global Warming
Revision of CO2 emission coefficients sends big ripples, including the movement
to choose electricity suppliers for their environmental performances
Learn about Technologies
First Step in Technology
[Heat pumps] The classic yet new technology is the center of the energy-saving
products-from washing machines to district cooling and heating systems
Products
[Cellular phone handsets made of plant-derived plastics]
Molding time is reduced to less than 1 minute with help of an original crystallization
agent
New Energy
[Biomass hydrogen manufacturing] Generation of non-fossil, high purity hydrogen
for fuel-cells from agroforestry waste is realized
Energy Conservation
[Window pane sheet to prevent temperature rise] Metal layers reduce the penetration
of infrared light by 70%, lowering the floor temperature by 10 degrees
“Honor Students” in Recycling
[Beer bottles] With advanced test mechanisms, beer bottles can be used for 20
times to cut the CO2 emission level by half or more
Learn about Environmental Laws
Easy-to-Understand Environmental Law
[Law Concerning the Promotion of the Measures to Cope with Global Warming (Revised
in 2006)] Emission right procurement scheme for government is prepared
How to Read the Waste Disposal Law Part 5
Tracking waste is an efficient way to properly manage the waste but may not be
so effective to prevent illegal dumping
Environmental Laws Q & A
What does the “legitimacy” mean in the additional criteria for green
procurement of wood and wooden products?
This
Month’s Environmental Law
Revised Energy-saving Law and other 3 laws are implemented, while governmental
and ministerial ordinances are being prepared
Trend and News
Asbestos
Corporate-led relief aid programs leave
large gaps between the victims, driving those in “non-Kubota” neighborhoods
to make protests
Energy Conservation
Gas companies hasten commercialization of the “next-generation fuel
cells” as the last trump card
New Energy
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) raises the obligatory
levels in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Law
Heat Island Phenomena
The Meteorological Agency performs computer analysis to learn the relationship
between the sultry nights and urbanization
Recycling
Operation starts to recycle used plastics, including even mixed materials, into
polyvinyl chloride with a virgin grade
Nuclear Power Generation
Start of operation at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant gives realistic prospect
for the nuclear fuel cycle program
Food Safety
“Positive lists” for residual agricultural chemicals are
to be introduced to fully change the regulation scheme for chemical substances
CSR Frontline
Educational activities as part of CSR should be planned from
the consumers’ point
of view
Investment in environment-conscious technologies increases while venture
capitals place their focuses on the business opportunities born by environmental
crises
Kyoto Mechanism
Q and A to understand the Kyoto Mechanism
Q: How to procure the emission rights?
A: Procurement through contracts with CDM
businesses should be a practical way for corporations
Learn about Environmental Issues
Truth and False of Environmental Science
[Dioxins] Are the waste incinerators the principal source of emission?
Threats Waiting around the Corner
“Aliens” reproduce themselves in the sludge in the urban seas and
travel on the bottom of the ships to expand their territories throughout the
nation
Junko Edahiro’s Eye-Opening Facts on Environmental Terms in English
[Ecological footprint]
Column
Kankan Gakugaku (Active Argument over Environmental
Issues)
Kiyomi Mikuni, chef
Secret tips for environmental management
Advantage of retail sales to gain customer cooperation is in their close relationship
Cuisines of Japan
Beer is not the only way to use wheat and barley
Honest Opinions by the “Eco-Moms”
Environmental communication
Artisanship
in repairing
Men’s clothes by Ginza Tailor
The reality of NPOs
[Wild Bird Society of Japan] The society that have developed affection for wild
birds into a culture now faces difficulties in collaborating with corporations
due to the rather bureaucratic nature
Report
Inside-Out
[Medical waste management] The case in Hakodate, Hokkaido, discloses sloppy management
of infectious waste
From BusinessWeek
Movement to adopt state laws to obligate recycling of electrical and electronic
equipment is spreading across the U.S.
WorldWatch Institute
Environmental leaders keep showing new business models in their never-ending
efforts for sustainability
ECO Seminar
How to Make the Best Use of ISO
[Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Part 2] Information management system on laws
is set up to deal with the “2007 issue” in factories
New Environmental Study
[System thinking Part 3] Rising bio fuel demands is to cause new conflicts over
food supply
Quick Guide
to Environmental Key Words
“DfE: Design for Environment”
World Trend
From EU
Implementation of WEEE and RoHS directives lags behind schedule among
EU members, including Germany, which gets off a rocky start
From UK
State of California is to enter into the emission right market, while trying
to find out what are necessary in the trade system
From USA
Sea levels keep rising due to global warming, forcing humans to decide whether
to escape or to fight
From Germany
Were the environmental measures taken by the Torino Olympic Games successful
to prove sustainability of sports events?
From China
Recycling-based industrial parks are being developed to become promising candidates
for foreign companies who are interested in business expansion to China
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