Green Update: Minnesota Taxes Carbon Emissions…from North Dakota

It can cost more to be an environmentally-responsible manufacturer (at least initially), so how does government level the economic playing field for a manufacturer who uses renewable energy? By levying carbon tariffs against a competitor who pollutes, reports Boing Boing.

Minnesota recently passed a measure to stop CO2 at its border with North Dakota. To encourage the switch to clean, renewable energy, Minnesota plans to add a fee (ranging from $4 to $34 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions) to the cost of coal-fired electricity produced in North Dakota, beginning in 2012. Besides being the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions, coal has been implicated in asthma, diabetes, heart disease and neurological damage.

State officials in North Dakota—who are arguing that the carbon tariff would unfairly discourage coal-powered electricity sales in favor of renewable energy—are suing the state of Minnesota, the Bismarck Tribune reports. Anticipating this, Minnesota has set aside a half million dollars to fund its fight.

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minnesota, environment,communications, public relations, Makovsky

A Green Lining in a Big Grey Cloud?

I just read a story designed to gladden the hearts of everyone with an interest in environmentalism, sustainability or living green. In 2008 — at least in part as a result of the economic meltdown and volatile fuel prices — U.S. public transit ridership reached its highest levels ever in 52 years: nearly 11 billion trips. What’s more, for 2008 as a whole, the total number of miles driven dropped nearly 4% — almost 108 billion fewer miles than in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Despite falling gas prices, many people are sticking with public transportation to save money, according to Rosemary Sheridan, vice president at the American Public Transportation Association. However, the "doomsday budget” recently passed by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) probably didn’t figure in Ms. Sheridan’s prediction. MTA will be raising fares significantly, while scaling way back on services … a move that’s making millions of New York commuters unhappy and threatening our dainty carbon footprint.

Bummer! To paraphrase the lyrics of one of the greatest songs by one of the greatest rock bands ever: It looks like “every silver lining’s got a touch of grey.” We’ve got to get ourselves back to the green.

Environmental Claims Meet with Consumer Doubts

It seems that everybody these days is leaping on the “green” (or clean technology) bandwagon. I’ve seen press releases and ads taking the moral — i.e., green — high ground from companies in virtually every industry, from financial services and professional services to pharmaceutical and technology.

It’s no surprise to find that the blogosphere is exploding with talk about environmental issues. According to Nielsen Online, sustainability buzz more than doubled between September 2006, when blogger messages on the topic totaled 83,000, and December 2007, when they had skyrocketed to 172,000.

Unfortunately, one of the most popular blog topics is corporate hypocrisy — also known as “greenwashing” — where companies misrepresent their commitment to sustainability with aggressive PR campaigns. Greenwashing was the topic in 25% of all sustainability discussions on the web in 2007, according to Nielsen.

Confirming consumer skepticism, a recent web survey by Burst Media, an online media and technology company, found that while 70% of respondents recalled seeing green ads at least occasionally, more than 20% said they never believe the claims. Two-thirds say they only believe the claims sometimes.

Before you risk overstating your company’s use of clean technology, check out the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims. Issued by the FTC in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they can help ensure that your company’s green claims don't run afoul of the law.