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Daily Archives: January 13, 2008

First-Ever Ranking of 40 Leading Banks on Climate Change Strategies

Ceres press release: “While encouraging progress is being made, the banking sector still has a long way to go in confronting the business challenges posed by global climate change, according to a first-ever report issued today by the Ceres investor coalition that analyzes climate change governance practices of 40 of the world’s largest banks…The report found that a growing number of European, U.S. banks and Japanese banks are responding to the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, primarily by setting internal greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, boosting climate-related equity research and elevating lending and financing for clean energy projects. But many others are still not addressing climate change and only a handful of the 40 banks have begun integrating climate risks into their core business of lending by pricing carbon into their finance decisions or setting targets to reduce GHG emissions in their lending portfolios..”
Bank Profiles:

  • U.S. Banks
  • Canadian Banks
  • European Banks
  • Asia/Pacific Island/Other Banks
  • Related postings on climate change
  • Center for Public Integrity The Buying of the President 2008

    “This website is a companion to The Buying of the President 2008. Like the book, this site explores the roles that money and special interests play in presidential politics. But unlike the book, which will provide a behind-the-scenes examination of how big money influences the presidential election process, this site is a work in progress… Continue Reading

    Science 2.0: Great New Tool, or Great Risk?

    Scientific American: Wikis, blogs and other collaborative web technologies could usher in a new era of science. Or not. By M. Mitchell Waldrop: “The explosively growing World Wide Web has rapidly transformed retailing, publishing, personal communication and much more. Innovations such as e-commerce, blogging, downloading and open-source software have forced old-line institutions to adopt whole… Continue Reading

    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, November 2007

    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, November 2007: “The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced [January 11, 2008] that total November exports of $142.3 billion and imports of $205.4 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $63.1 billion, up from $57.8 billion… Continue Reading

    Publishers Say Enactment of NIH Mandate on Journal Articles Undermines Intellectual Property Rights Essential to Science Publishing

    Follow up to December 27, 2007 posting Mandate for Public Access to NIH-Funded Research Now Law, see this press release: “The Association of American Publishers [January 3, 2008] criticized a controversial new NIH research publication policy that was enacted as part of the omnibus appropriations package for 2008, and reaffirmed that journal publishers who have… Continue Reading

    New GAO Reports: Defense Acquisitions, Nuclear Nonproliferation

    Defense Acquisitions: Departmentwide Direction Is Needed for Implementation of the Anti-tamper Policy, GAO-08-91, January 11, 2008: “The Department of Defense (DOD) invests billions of dollars on sophisticated weapon systems and technologies. These may be at risk of exploitation when exported, stolen, or lost during combat or routine missions. In an effort to minimize this risk,… Continue Reading

    Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008

    Pew Research Center Report: Internet’s Broader Role in Campaign 2008 – Social Networking and Online Videos Take Off, Released: January 11, 2008 “The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential campaign. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from… Continue Reading

    The Expanding Global Impact of Cellphone E-Waste

    New York Times – The Afterlife of Cellphones: “Americans threw out just shy of three million tons of household electronics in 2006. This so-called e-waste is the fastest-growing part of the municipal waste stream and, depending on your outlook, either an enormous problem or a bonanza. E-waste generally contains substances that, though safely sequestered during… Continue Reading