starbucks hearts the environment

Your friendly neighbourhood Starbucks - known for double-roasted coffee, not for reducing waste - says its new roasting plant in South Carolina has been awarded a “silver” LEED certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Company officials vowed to “significantly” reduce the company’s environmental footprint by 2015. At the new plant, 20 percent of building materials were from recycled content and more than 75 percent of construction waste was recycled, they said, adding that a portion of the plant’s power will be supplied by wind energy.

Clearly, they are serious about making money! “In this business climate, it’s more important than ever that we make the right investments in our business, while making sure we do it in ways that support our business, the communities we work in, the environment and our people,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO, in a statement.

Now, let's see that team spirit by way of biodegradable cups and an end to the mermaid plastic 'spill-stoppers'...

"If you run a city properly, it is an environmentally friendly proposition"

Toronto Mayor David Miller discussed the city's plans to combat climate change at the Shirley Shipman public lecture series at Ryerson University on Sunday. Sharing the podium with Stephen Hazell, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, Miller talked about "Change is in the Air," a report released in March about the city's plan to reduce carbon emissions by 2010. "If you run a city properly, it is an environmentally friendly proposition," Miller said. "While the typical Canadian produces a carbon footprint of 14 tonnes a year, for the average Torontonian, it's nine tonnes per year, thanks in large part to city initiatives." During his tenure as mayor, the number of trucks ferrying the city's waste to Michigan has fallen to 90 a day from 150, he added.

Goals of the plan include:

-Increasing the number of trees 20 per cent.
-Ensuring 10 per cent of food at city agencies and cafeterias is grown locally.
-Building 120 kilometres of new light rapid transit so that every Torontonian lives within a 10-minute walk from public transit.
-Increasing green roofs 20 per cent, which would lower city temperatures by two degrees on the hottest days of the year.
-Replacing aging buses with hybrid models.

Download the report as a PDF here.