Mike Hower
Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Denmark Sets 100% Renewable Energy Goal for 2050
Denmark has announced an ambitious goal to wean itself off of fossil fuels and power the entire country with renewables by 2050.What sets the Scandinavian country apart from other countries is that it is applying this goal to electrical production as... View More
Report: Sustainability Leaders Gaining Ground in Global Boardrooms
Sustainability leaders have increasing influence over decision-making, strategy and budgets in boardrooms worldwide, according to a new report by analyst firm Verdantix. ... View More
Booming Solar Industry Failing to Report on Internal Sustainability
Only seven companies representing just a quarter of the total photovoltaic (PV) module market share responded to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition’s (SVTC) Fifth Annual 2014 Solar Scorecard, which ranks manufacturers of solar (PV) modules accordi... View More
Japanese Firm Joins BCtA to Promote Public Health in Uganda
Saraya Co., Japanese manufacturer of hygiene and sanitation products, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with an initiative to decrease healthcare associated infections in Uganda.Saraya brings alcohol-based hand rub products to East Africa... View More
Novelis to Convert All Beverage Can Sheets to High-Recycled Content evercan™ Aluminum by 2017
Novelis, producer of aluminum rolling products, has announced a new commitment to convert all of its beverage can body sheet production to its evercan sheet by the end of 2017. ... View More
Survey: Majority of Americans More Likely to Support Sustainability After Engaging on Social Media
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they are more inclined to support social and environmental issues in a variety of ways, including volunteering, donating and sharing information, after first “liking” or “following” an organization onl... View More
Startup Developing Technology to Purify Water with Ultrasound
U.K.-based startup Aquavus is developing a new technology that uses ultrasound to purify and desalinate seawater and clean contaminated water. The system uses powerful ultrasound to blast impure water into particles of less than 10 microns, which the... View More
AOL, SAP Join Tech Company ALEC Exodus
AOL and SAP have joined a slew of tech companies to cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative lobbying group that has become renowned for its opposition to environmental regulations.Last week, a company representa... View More
New Refill System for Household Cleaning Products Reduces GHG by 80%
Replenish Bottling, creator of the Replenish Refill System™, has launched a new product line that could change the way many water-based consumer products are designed, manufactured and sold.Using Replenish’s patented Refill System, the CleanPath ... View More
MIT Announces 2014 Climate CoLab Winners
Danielle Dahan has been named the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Climate CoLab, a project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that uses online contests to find creative new ways to address global climate change.Dahan took home the... View More
CA Plastic Bag Ban Spurs Hiring Boom For Reusable Bag Manufacturer
California’s recent ban on single-use plastic bags has, as one might expect, led to a boom for reusable bag manufacturers in the Golden State. One manufacturer, Earthwise Bag Company, says it increased the number of U.S. workers employed in the pro... View More
Report: Global Market for Conservation Investing Grows to $23 Billion
Conservation impact investing totaled approximately $23 billion in the five-year period from 2009 to 2013, according to a new report by EKO Asset Management Partners and The Nature Conservancy’s NatureVest division.During the same period, private i... View More
Microsoft to Build First Zero-Carbon Data Center
Microsoft, Siemens and FuelCell Energy have come together to build what they claim is the first zero-carbon, waste-to-energy data center in the U.S.Microsoft's data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming uses biogas produced at the nearby Dry Creek facility, wh... View More
Study: Current and Future Business Leaders Agree on Most Sustainability Challenges
Current and future leaders believe the most significant leadership challenge facing business today is the integration of sustainability into core business operations, according to a new study by BSR, GlobeScan and Net Impact. ... View More
EcoLab, Trucost Launch Free Water Risk Assessment Tool
EcoLab and Trucost on Wednesday launched a free new tool to help companies assess water-related risks in financial terms and enable more informed decision-making.The Water Risk Monetizer is the first financial modeling tool that enables businesses to... View More
GRSB Approves Global Principles, Criteria for Sustainable Beef
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) has announced that its membership has overwhelmingly approved global Principles and Criteria for defining sustainable beef and sustainable beef production practices.More than 96 percent of the GRSB Ge... View More
Timberland, Omni United Launch First Tire-to-Shoe Lifecycle Brand
Timberland has announced a collaboration with tire manufacturer and distributor Omni United to create the first tires ever purposely designed to be recycled into footwear outsoles after their journey on the road is complete. Timberland Tires represen... View More
Study: Millennials, GenXers and Baby Boomers Have Similar Workplace Preferences
Age is less of a factor than widely thought when it comes to workplace preferences in the U.S., according to a new workplace strategy report by CBRE Group.The study found that, while current assumptions about millennials are driving the design of man... View More
Southwest Airlines Upcycles 80,000 Old Seat Coverings in U.S. and Kenya
Southwest Airlines has announced the distribution of products made in Kenya and the U.S. as part of its global upcycling initiative LUV Seat: Repurpose with Purpose. The distribution in Kenya completes the second phase of the multi-year environmental... View More
Report: Cost of Fighting Climate Change Manageable, Must Cut Emissions to Zero by 2100
Governments can keep climate change in check at manageable costs but will have to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2100 to limit risks of irreversible damage, according to a new UN report, as reported by Reuters.The 40-page synthesis is a summ... View More
