Posts Tagged ‘Million’

Defra: £28 million to enable communities to spring-clean England’s rivers

Posted by admin on February 4th, 2012

A £28 million Fund to clean up England’s rivers and encourage local wildlife to flourish has been announced today by Environment Minister Richard Benyon.

Part of a £92 million Defra commitment to clearing up England’s rivers and lakes, the Fund announced today will allow communities and charities to tackle local eyesores and encourage iconic wildlife to thrive by tackling pollution and removing redundant dams, weirs and other man-made structures to create habitats which work for wildlife.

Mr Benyon said:

“Rivers and lakes are a vital, and much-loved, part of the English countryside and I want to ensure they remain that way.

“We’ve all seen examples of rivers choked up with rubbish and weeds and the devastating effects on wildlife and the scenic beauty of these precious places. But we’ve also seen some fantastic successes in reversing these declines, such as the return of otters to all counties in England.

“With only a quarter of our lakes and rivers currently providing a home to a wide range of birds, fish and mammals, there is still much more we can all do. Today’s £28 million Fund will help communities and charities interested in doing just that and I hope it will lead to us soon celebrating the same sort of success for other treasured wildlife, such as water voles, kingfishers and salmon.”

Community groups and charities can apply for a share of the Catchment Restoration Fund to clean up their local rivers by tackling pollution, restoring wildlife habitats and enabling fish to migrate.

The Environment Agency will be responsible for running the fund over the next three years and will ensure that money is given to local groups who can make a real difference.

Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency said:

“This is a great opportunity to create a better water environment.  Cleaner water, flowing in a more natural landscape will be good for business, people and wildlife, and help society adapt to the effects of climate change.

“We encourage businesses, local authorities and community groups to join together with charitable organisations to apply for funding and come up with big ideas for their local waterway.”

  1. The fund will run initially from 2012/13 to 2014/15 with up to £10 million each year.
  2. The lead applicant for funding must be a charity or an organisation with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.
  3. Closing date for bids is 29th February.  Funding will be awarded by April 30th following assessment by a national panel led by the Environment Agency and representatives from Defra and Natural England, see: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/136182.aspx
  4. The Fund will also help to deliver the commitments in the Natural Environment White Paper to restore nature in our rivers and water bodies. The White Paper, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, was published in June 2011. For an update on progress on implementation, see: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/

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£28 million to enable communities to spring-clean England’s rivers

Posted by admin on February 4th, 2012

A £28 million Fund to clean up England’s rivers and encourage local wildlife to flourish has been announced today by Environment Minister Richard Benyon.

Part of a £92 million Defra commitment to clearing up England’s rivers and lakes, the Fund announced today will allow communities and charities to tackle local eyesores and encourage iconic wildlife to thrive by tackling pollution and removing redundant dams, weirs and other man-made structures to create habitats which work for wildlife.

Mr Benyon said:

“Rivers and lakes are a vital, and much-loved, part of the English countryside and I want to ensure they remain that way.

“We’ve all seen examples of rivers choked up with rubbish and weeds and the devastating effects on wildlife and the scenic beauty of these precious places. But we’ve also seen some fantastic successes in reversing these declines, such as the return of otters to all counties in England.

“With only a quarter of our lakes and rivers currently providing a home to a wide range of birds, fish and mammals, there is still much more we can all do. Today’s £28 million Fund will help communities and charities interested in doing just that and I hope it will lead to us soon celebrating the same sort of success for other treasured wildlife, such as water voles, kingfishers and salmon.”

Community groups and charities can apply for a share of the Catchment Restoration Fund to clean up their local rivers by tackling pollution, restoring wildlife habitats and enabling fish to migrate.

The Environment Agency will be responsible for running the fund over the next three years and will ensure that money is given to local groups who can make a real difference.

Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency said:

“This is a great opportunity to create a better water environment.  Cleaner water, flowing in a more natural landscape will be good for business, people and wildlife, and help society adapt to the effects of climate change.

“We encourage businesses, local authorities and community groups to join together with charitable organisations to apply for funding and come up with big ideas for their local waterway.”

  1. The fund will run initially from 2012/13 to 2014/15 with up to £10 million each year.
  2. The lead applicant for funding must be a charity or an organisation with charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes.
  3. Closing date for bids is 29th February.  Funding will be awarded by April 30th following assessment by a national panel led by the Environment Agency and representatives from Defra and Natural England, see: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/planning/136182.aspx
  4. The Fund will also help to deliver the commitments in the Natural Environment White Paper to restore nature in our rivers and water bodies. The White Paper, The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature, was published in June 2011. For an update on progress on implementation, see: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/

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California Agency Approves $11 Million Contract to CALSTART to Incentivize Sales of Electric and Hybrid Trucks

Posted by admin on February 1st, 2012

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Air Resources Board Program Making California Leading Deployment State for Electric and Hybrid Trucks and Buses — Improving Air Quality and Protecting Climate

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World’s Only Comprehensive Electronics Take-Back Program Collects Over 45 Million Pounds of End-of-Life Electronics

Posted by admin on January 31st, 2012

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Electronics Recycler E-World Online Helps Manufacturers Fulfill State-Mandated Responsibilities

Marketwire – Environment

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KiOR Closes $75 Million Loan

Posted by admin on January 27th, 2012

PASADENA, Texas–()–KiOR, Inc. (NASDAQ: KiOR), a next-generation renewable fuels company,
today announced that it has closed a $ 75 million four-year term loan
with a lender group comprised of an affiliate of Vinod Khosla and two
Canadian corporations owned by certain pension fund clients of Alberta
Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo).

“in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as filed with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2011,
which”

“This follow-on investment in KiOR reaffirms the continued long-term
commitment of two of North America’s most knowledgeable renewable energy
investors in light of KiOR’s on-time and on-budget execution of its
first commercial facility in Columbus, Mississippi; KiOR’s continued
progress toward yield improvements in its R&D program; and prospects for
KiOR’s larger, second facility in Mississippi planned to break ground
after our Columbus facility is fully operational,” commented Fred
Cannon, Chief Executive Officer. Concluding, Mr. Cannon added: “The
additional capital de-risks KiOR’s near-term business plan, decreases
KiOR’s dependency on volatile capital markets and allows additional
front-end engineering work on our second facility.”

About KiOR

KiOR is a development stage, next-generation renewable fuels company
that has developed a unique two-step proprietary technology platform to
convert abundant and sustainable non-food biomass into gasoline, diesel
and fuel oil blendstocks. KiOR’s blendstocks may be transported using
existing distribution networks and are suitable for use in vehicles on
the road today. KiOR strives to help ease dependence on foreign oil,
reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and create high-quality jobs
and economic benefit across rural communities. For more information,
please visit www.KiOR.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains “forward looking” statements regarding future
results and events, including, without limitation, statements about: the
construction of and commercialization at our biomass-to-fuel facility in
Columbus, Mississippi, potential future sales of our fuels products, and
our anticipated future operations. For this purpose, any statements
contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be
deemed forward looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the
words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” intends,”
“appears,” “estimates,” “projects,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,”
“targets,” and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward
looking statements. The forward looking statements in this press release
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual future
results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the
forward looking statements contained in this press release. Such factors
and others are discussed more fully in the section entitled “Risk
Factors” in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as filed with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2011,
which “Risk Factors” discussion is incorporated by reference in this
press release. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if
our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results, levels
of activity, performance or achievement may vary significantly from what
we projected. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to
update these forward looking statements in the future. These
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the
Company’s estimates or views as of any date subsequent to the date of
this press release. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to
update these forward looking statements in the future.

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Greenscape Announces $2.6 Million Non-Brokered Private Placement

Posted by admin on January 16th, 2012

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – Jan. 16, 2012) - Greenscape Capital Group Inc. (“Greenscape”) (TSX VENTURE:GRN) is pleased to announce that it is arranging a $ 2.6 million financing via a non-brokered private placement of 20.8 million shares at $ 0.125 per share.

Use of proceeds will include completing the second tranche of Greenscape’s investment in CapTherm Systems Inc. (“CapTherm”) which will enable CapTherm to accelerate their development path to commercialization, ramp up in-house engineering expertise, fund pre-commercialization sales, marketing and partnership strategic initiatives, and maximize the effectiveness of recently acquired rapid-prototyping equipment.

Further use of proceeds will also include corporate general working capital with respect to Greenscape’s investment in Green Park Denver, LLC. As announced by Greenscape earlier in January, 2012, the green parking facility is performing above budget both from occupancy as well as a revenue perspective and continues on an excellent growth trend. After an initial year of operations where the proof-of-concept has been successfully established, and with an expected minimum of 24 years of cash flow ahead of it, Greenscape believes that its initial equity-financed investment in Green Park Denver, LLC has increased significantly in value. As a result, Greenscape will now explore a variety of options whereby it can maximize and accelerate the return on that investment for its shareholders. In the current environment where long-term cash flow, low-risk investments are highly valued, Greenscape is of the view that the timing for such an exploration of options is ideal.

About Greenscape

Greenscape Capital Group increases environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and profitability of companies and their operations. Greenscape is focused on dramatically increasing the profitability of commercial facilities through enhanced energy efficiency and environmental best practices. When opportunities arise, Greenscape also invests in other companies that operate in the environmental space, providing strategic capital and business advisory services to assist companies in achieving their environmental and corporate goals. www.greenscapecapital.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Mark Devereux, CEO and Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

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Fast action climate mitigation measures can prevent 0.5°C of global warming and help avoid the 2°C danger limitMeasures target two air pollutants and can also save nearly five million lives a year

Posted by admin on January 12th, 2012


Washington, DC, 12 January – A new study in Science to be published 13 January identifies 14 fast action measures to reduce air pollutants that can deliver major benefits for climate, public health, and agriculture.  The measures reduce emissions of black carbon and ground-level ozone, preventing 0.5°C of warming by 2050, half of the warming otherwise expected.   The reductions in ozone are achieved by cutting its precursor methane. The 14 measures also save up to 4.7 million lives per year, while increasing crop yields up to 135 billion metric tons.


The study was conducted by an international research team led by climate expert Drew Shindell from NASA.  It analyzed more than 400 emissions control measures based on proven technologies and determined that seven methane and seven black carbon measures would provide the greatest climate, health, and crop benefits.  According to the study, the 14 measures can be implemented at costs that are many times less than the value they create, particularly when health benefits are taken into account.


“This great news could not come at a better time for climate protection,” said Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development. “Because black carbon and ozone stay in the atmosphere only for a few hours to a few years, reducing these pollutants can immediately slow down climate change and some of its most harmful impacts while we continue to develop methods to reduce carbon dioxide.”


In addition to their overall climate impact the targeted measures are critical for protecting vulnerable regions of the world such as the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world over the past 50 years, and the Himalayas, which are warming three times as fast.  According to the Shindell team, the 14 measures could reduce warming in the Arctic by two-thirds over the next 30 years.


Although emissions of carbon dioxide are expected to control the planet’s long-term temperature, the Shindell team acknowledges that carbon dioxide emissions reductions will “hardly affect temperature before 2040.”  “This makes these 14 near-term measures an essential complement to reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” said Zaelke. “We can minimize warming and its impacts in the near term with these fast action measures, as we develop ways to also reduce warming over the long term.”


Zaelke, along with Nobel Laureate Mario Molina, black carbon expert Dr. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, and others, published a paper in 2009 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences outlining strategies to achieve near-term climate benefits by reducing short-term climate warming agents, including black carbon and ground-level ozone.  The Molina paper also included measures to phase down another powerful short-lived climate forcer, hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, using the Montreal Protocol treaty.  “Cutting HFCs could add up to another decade to the delay in passing critical temperature limits,” said Zaelke.


Reducing emissions of these three so-called short-lived climate forcers—black carbon, methane, and HFCs— “is critical for protecting the world’s vulnerable peoples and vulnerable ecosystems,” said Zaelke. “When we talk about sustainable development,” Zaelke added, “this is precisely what we mean. These measures reduce climate change, save lives, provide access to clean energy, and improve food security all at once.” According to Zaelke, these kinds of measures are what the leaders heading to Rio for the 20th anniversary of the World Sustainable Development Summit in June should be seeking to implement immediately.


The findings of the new study build upon and are supported by earlier work by Professor Ramanathan at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego and the United Nations Environment Programme, including a decade-long effort on Atmospheric Brown Clouds. 



Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Security. Science VOL 335. 13 January 2012.


Contact Info: Candice Wu: +1.202.338.1300, [email protected]

Website : Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

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Greystone Logistics Announces Million Dollar Plastic Pallet Order

Posted by admin on January 11th, 2012

SOURCE: Greystone Logistics, Inc.

TULSA, OK–(Marketwire – Jan 11, 2012) – Greystone Logistics Inc. (OTCBB: GLGI), announces that the company has received a million dollar purchase order for their IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) pallet made of 100% recycled plastic.

Warren Kruger, company CEO, commented, “This order continues the company’s string of good news from our sales force and adds to our backlog for this product line. We just started marketing this pallet in the last few months and sales for the IBC pallet are already almost 15% of last year’s total pallet sales. We have ordered an additional mold that will expand our production capacity for this pallet line in anticipation of continued opportunities.”

About Greystone Logistics

Greystone Logistics is a green manufacturing company that sells and leases high quality 100% recycled plastic pallets. The company provides logistical solutions needed by a wide range of industries such as food and beverage, automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical and consumer products. Greystone’s technology, including that used in its injection molding equipment, proprietary blend of recycled petrochemical resins and patented pallet designs allow production of high quality pallets at lower costs than many processes. The recycled plastic for its pallets helps control material costs while reducing environmental waste and provides cost advantages over users of virgin resin. Excess polyethylene not used in production of pallets is reprocessed for resale.

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OPIC Records Net Income of $269 Million in FY2011, Helping Reduce U.S. Budget Deficit for 34th Consecutive Year

Posted by admin on January 3rd, 2012

WASHINGTON–()–The Overseas
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s
development finance institution, generated net income of $ 269 million in
Fiscal Year 2011, helping to reduce the federal budget deficit for the 34th
consecutive year.

“We did this while out performing on our core
mission of mobilizing U.S. private capital to catalyze markets and
support development in developing countries. OPIC’s work tangibly and
profitably advances both U.S. interests and economic development abroad.”

In addition to generating revenue for the U.S. taxpayer, OPIC recorded a
three-fold increase in the amount of capital the agency’s financing
mobilized, rising to $ 4.4 billion.

In fiscal year 2011, OPIC committed $ 3.2 billion to companies expanding
into emerging markets and supported 92 new investment projects in the
power sector, hotels and housing, telecommunications and other
infrastructure, as well as many other sectors like agriculture,
education and microfinance. Consistent with its focus on supporting U.S.
small and medium-sized enterprises, in FY2011, 78 percent of OPIC’s
projects, representing nearly $ 1 billion in commitments, involved
American small and medium-sized businesses.

OPIC responded quickly to the events of the Arab Spring, targeting up to
$ 3 billion in financial support for investment and job creation in the
Middle East and North Africa. Since setting that goal, the agency has
already approved $ 657 million in transactions for the region, mainly to
support investments in small business.

This year, OPIC also lent powerful support to U.S. companies seeking
investment opportunities in the high growth renewable resources sector
in emerging markets. Its commitment of $ 1.1 billion in financing and
insurance to the sector in FY2011 represented a roughly three-fold
increase over last year’s figure. Financing was provided to companies
investing in a wide range of projects and regions: solar projects in
Peru, India and Thailand, hydropower in Georgia, geothermal in Kenya and
biomass in Liberia, among many others. Projects supported by OPIC in
FY2011 will generate nearly 728 megawatts of electricity from renewable
energy sources, more than a ten-fold increase from FY2010, and help
avoid nearly one million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.

“OPIC generated net income and contributed to the reduction of the
budget deficit for the 34th consecutive year,” said OPIC President and
CEO Elizabeth Littlefield. “We did this while out performing on our core
mission of mobilizing U.S. private capital to catalyze markets and
support development in developing countries. OPIC’s work tangibly and
profitably advances both U.S. interests and economic development abroad.”

“OPIC projects delivered important economic, environmental and
developmental benefits to local populations that will make both the
partner countries and the United States more secure and prosperous,” Ms.
Littlefield said.

OPIC’s earnings were generated through financing and insurance provided
to support U.S. private investment overseas, as well as interest earned
on reserves. Those investments helped foster economic development in new
and emerging markets, advance U.S. national security, and support growth
in U.S. jobs and exports.

OPIC’s financial statements were audited by an independent accounting
firm in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
as well as government audit standards specified by the Comptroller
General of the United States and the Office
of Management and Budget.

OPIC is the U.S. Government’s development finance institution. It
mobilizes private capital to help solve critical development challenges
and in doing so, advances U.S. foreign policy. Because OPIC works
with the U.S. private sector, it helps U.S. businesses gain footholds in
emerging markets catalyzing revenues, jobs and growth opportunities both
at home and abroad. OPIC achieves its mission by providing
investors with financing, guarantees, political risk insurance, and
support for private equity investment funds.

Established as an agency of the U.S. Government in 1971, OPIC
operates on a self-sustaining basis at no net cost to American
taxpayers. OPIC services are available for new and expanding business
enterprises in more than 150 countries worldwide. To date, OPIC has
supported nearly $ 200 billion of investment in over 4,000 projects,
generated $ 74 billion in U.S. exports and supported more than 275,000
American jobs.

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Defra: £1.3 million government pledge to protect our most endangered species

Posted by admin on January 1st, 2012

£1.3 million is being invested in a range of projects dedicated to protecting some of the world’s most endangered and best-loved species, Environment Minister Richard Benyon announced today.

From supporting efforts to stamp out the barbaric trade in rhino horn to preserving habitats for fast-disappearing wild tigers, this new fund cements the UK’s commitment to leading the way in international conservation.

Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:

“Global action must be taken before these species are wiped out for good. Tigers, rhinos, elephants and apes are much loved animals that some of us take for granted. Yet many are suffering horrific deaths at the hands of poachers and traffickers or because their habitats are being destroyed. 

“It would be a travesty if these animals were allowed to disappear forever, which is why the UK Government is committed to leading the way in supporting such vital international conservation.

“We need to stop these animals disappearing forever and the projects receiving funding today are working to do just that, which is why I am so pleased to be able to support them.”

Defra has consistently supported efforts to protect tigers and rhinos in the wild, earlier this year pledging over a quarter of a million pounds to a range of conservation projects. This latest funding will go towards efforts to clamp down on the international trade in endangered species and to the Global Tiger Recovery Plan, which is working to double the number of the animals in the wild by 2022. 

The £1.3 million fund will contribute to vital projects across the world to help animals that are on the brink of extinction have a chance of survival. 

A breakdown of the projects receiving funding are: 

  • £312k – Global Tiger Recovery Programme – a global programme, running until 2022, being coordinated by the World Bank;
  • £312k – Contribution to the Nagoya Protocol Implementation
  • £200k – UK – Brazil workshop to develop biodiversity actions plans for countries across the world;
  • £120k – Zoological Society of London – Progressing REDD+ as a sustainable funding mechanism for tiger conservation in the Berbak National Park;
  • £100k – ABS Collaborative initiative with Colombia – to pursue an initiative on biodiversity with the Colombians;
  • £100k – The Great Apes Survival Project – shaping a new strategy for protecting this vulnerable species;
  • £50k – IUCN African elephant (AfESG) specialist group – AfESG work with African states on elephant conservation including the fight against poaching and illegal trade;
  • £50k – IUCN African rhino (AfRSG) specialist group.  AfRSG work with African states on rhino conservation;
  • £40K – To strengthen Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) implementation via the International Consortium for Combating Wildlife Crime;
  • £25k – Flagship Species Fund – an additional contribution to the £100k already given to Fauna and Flora International to support small-scale biodiversity projects around the world;
  • £14k – Rhino conservation – to a number of vital rhino conservation missions;
  • £14k – Ivory action plan verification missions – to combat the illegal trade in ivory; and
  • £10k – Zoological Society of London – fire fighting in Berbak National Park, to help safeguard a key tiger habitat.

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