Last week's announcement that the EPA is bringing its Climate Leaders program to an end shocked many in the greenhouse gas reporting community. The Environmental Director of a Global Technology Company told me that he was "very disappointed that the EPA would withdraw this program" and Paul Baier with Groom Energy says that the announcement "clearly caught our customers off guard, after they have invested years in the program. This abupt and puzzling decision adds to climate skepticim that sustainability's leaders are increasingly fighting. The EPA just frustrated 150 of the more advanced Fortune 500 companies on sustainability. To what end?" Bruce S. Klafter, the head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Office at Applied Materials told me "I am less than thrilled that there was no prior notice or an opportunity to convey input to the agency. I respect their right to manage their budgets and so on, but CL is a collaboration and the Partners deserved an opportunity to weigh in on the decision."... Read the full story on TreeHugger

In an unexpected announcement today the EPA has effectively announced the end to its highly successful corporate greenhouse gas reporting program. Industry insiders are shocked and confused by this sudden announcement. In the announcement, Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy expresses appreciation for the efforts of EPA Climate Leaders' members, which include companies like American Airlines, Applied Materials, Coca Cola Enterprises, and Symantec. She went on to encouraged them to transition to state and non-governmental programs. No specific programs were mentioned but companies will now need to choose to participate in programs such as The Climate Registry or the Carbon Disclosure Project.... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image Source: Boxed Water Is Better Dear Pablo: I recently saw drinking water sold in a milk carton. It doesn't seem any better to me than bottled water. Is boxed water really better as the company claims? In past articles I have shown that boxed beverages have their advantages and are indeed better from an environmental perspective in the case of wine. But boxed wine is better environmentally because it is being compared to the current packaging of choice, heavy glass bottle. With drinking water, most companies supply their product in plastic bottles which is relatively light and recyclable (although sometimes it is still transported from halfway around the world). One company is betting on milk carton-like packaging to provide an ecologically-friendly alternative to traditional bottled water. The appeal of boxed water is to provide an alternative to traditional bottled water, which has become stigmatized as the poster-child of un-ecological consumption. They call their product "Boxed Water Is Better," but is it really?... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Image Source: Juverna Dear Pablo: I have been hearing a lot of controversy around smart meters. Are the additional radio waves emitted by them a danger to my family? A "smart meter" is an electric or gas meter that electronically transmits meter readings to the utility. Smart meters are only a small component often touted, but rarely understood "Smart Grid." Recently smart meters have been getting a lot more attention, primarily due to a small, yet vocal group of concerned Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customers protesting against their installation. The main concerns are around RF (radio frequency) emissions, privacy, and meter accuracy. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger