USA TODAY: Twitter users can expect to see more prominent ads

My take: Non-Profits take note

Twitter users can expect to see more prominent ads
http://usat.ly/qQHL8L

USA TODAY: BMW unveils stunning i8 plug-in supercar

BMW unveils stunning i8 plug-in supercar
http://usat.ly/psNUE3

The future Role of Brand Manager in 2015

Chris gives a detailed insight into the Role of Brand manager and all that it entails... good read! 

Work in the sustainability field and you’ll already see the trend, among B2C and FMCG companies especially, of moving sustainability from corporate down into brands. Why?  Because doing so is a way for companies to leverage sustainability to tackle new business opportunities, making sustainability more market-facing, more commercially relevant rather than just a risk reduction or effeciency tactic. In essence, today's brand leaders are taking sustainability to their customers and consumers though their brands.

As sustainability becomes mainstream in this way, the role of the traditional brand guardian will evolve too.

So what will the job of the brand manager look like in the future and what factors, issues and competences will it contain? Here are 10 things you may find in every marketers' job description in the future:

1. Must be able to have a relevant and meaningful conversation with their sustainability or CSR manager - which both understand
2. Must be familiar with concepts like lifecycle analysis, carbon or water footprinting, or eco-impact assessment
3. Will seek insights from stakeholders – NGO’s, opinion formers, thought leaders – as well as consumers or customers
4. Will have read – and can reference – their companies Sustainability or CSR report. Will know and can quote - their corporate sustainability targets
5. Will follow trends from sources like Sustainable Life Media, treehugger, Business for Social Responsibility, Ethical Corporation, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Green Futures, and Guardian Sustainable Business Network
6. Will know how to track consumer views on sustainability through appropriate market research and consumer insight
7. Can measure the environmental and societal value, as well as the brand equity value, of their recent campaign, innovation or activation
8. Will take the lead on ensuring that sustainability is a core consideration in any new product or innovation programme within the business
9. Will know how to engage peers and especially brand and marketing teams in the importance and relevance of sustainability in everyday brand management 
10. Will be prepared and able to build the business case on sustainability for any cynical or unenlightened senior manager or marketing director. Remember it's about opportunity and reward. Not risk mitigation.

Lest you think this is a view toward 'sometime in the future', be aware that Unilever already has a sustainability manager embedded inside all its categories while pioneers like Ben & Jerry’s have a specialist Social Mission manager. While these are still separate, specific sustainability roles we believe they will and should become integrated and become simply part of normal marketing practice. Encouragingly, in our work we are seeing a new generation of young brand managers coming through for whom sustainability is simply part of their values, interests and behaviours. What companies must do now is harness, nurture and channel this interest, rather than beat it out of their yound leaders, or risk loosing top talent to more enlightened competitors.

For brand managers themselves, the need is to carve out regular time for getting clued-up on sustainability. I expect a wave of young marketers to start attending the many great sustainable business courses there are out there, to compliment their traditional branding skills. The brand manager of the future will focus on building great, profitable and sustainable brands.

This article is an extended version of one first appearing in DragonFly: sustainability edition, Dragon Rouge’s in-house magazine.

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Chris Sherwin is sustainability consultant at global brand marketing consultancy Dragon Rouge. He has worked with clients like Mars, Akzo Nobel ICI Paints, SABmiller, ebay, sony, etc, to help integrate and innovate sustainability through their brand. Chris is also an Associate at Forum for the Future, where he was previously Head of Innovation, plus held sustainability positions inside Philips and Electrolux throughout his 15 years of sustainability experience

BBC E-mail: Boars found dead on French coast

I saw this story on the BBC News iPad App and thought you should see Officials find more bodies of wild boars on an algae-affected beach in western France, bringing the total number of dead this month to 31.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14324094 >

Seagrass Survey Training

This is a good opportunity to learn about our local Watershed and Coastal Habitat as well as make new friends

Why the Future of Transportation Is All About Real-Time Data

http://mashable.com/2011/07/27/transportation-future-data/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

Mobile Apps Improve Business Productivity

Mobile applications may be small business owners' new best friend, according to new research. 

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council has released a survey that estimates that the use of mobile apps by small businesses, for everything from credit card processing to GPS directions, resulted in 725.3 million hours saved for the year. This roughly translates into $17.6 billion saved annually due to the use of technology that did not exist just a few years ago. The study, which drew on the responses of 304 owners of companies with 20 employees or fewer, found that 51% of respondents believe the use of apps on their smartphones and iPads made their companies more competitive.

Small business owners, though, say that there is even more room for growth in how their companies use mobile apps in their businesses. In fact, only 31% of respondents to the SBE Council survey report implementing mobile apps into their daily business routines. "It will no doubt grow when you look at the expanding use of smartphones and iPads and related tablets," says Ray Keating, chief economist with the SBE Council.

The most popular type of application used was GPS navigation, with 68%, followed by apps for contact management at 46% and remote document access at 41%. Other popular kinds of apps included travel planning (32%), banking and finance management (30%), social media marketing (27%) and location-based services (23%). Keating says he expects to see more usage from small business owners with apps that process credit card payments, such as Chase's recently launched Jot app, which allows Ink From Chase cardholders to tag purchases and view all transactions on the account, including those by employees.

Via ASI

Online Video Ad Viewers Lead to Greater Engagement

Online video viewers have come to expect in-video advertisements as the common currency for free viewing. Findings suggest video advertisers willing to give viewers a choice when it comes to video ad viewing are likely to be rewarded with better ad engagement. Full Article

Court Upholds Plastic Bag Ban

Reversing two prior decisions, the California Supreme Court has ruled that Manhattan Beach was not required to conduct an environmental review when it passed an ordinance banning plastic bags in 2008. The unanimous decision could stand to be a significant loss for the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition, which has fought against bans, while strengthening the cause of environmentalists. "We all want less plastic trash in San Francisco Bay and our oceans and now the court has given Bay Area cities a green light to act swiftly to end the era of the plastic bag in our region," said David Lewis, executive director of environmental group Save the Bay.
Leaders in several areas of California were watching the court's decision closely, including those in Marin County and San Carlos. The Save the Plastic Coalition has a lawsuit pending against Marin County, which passed a plastic bag ban in January. San Carlos has been considering a similar ban, but efforts have been slowed after it was learned an environmental study would cost the city $600,000. The study, which would measure the effect paper bags have on the environment, now may not have to be conducted with the court's ruling. "We don't have to worry about the cost factor anymore," said San Carlos' Mayor Andy Klein. "We can debate on the merits of the ordinance itself. It's a much more viable option."
In California, plastic bag bans have been approved in San Francisco, Malibu, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Marin County, San Jose and Calabasas, in addition to Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles County. While the court's ruling may not be the sweeping mandate environmentalists have sought, there is now one fewer obstacle in banning plastic bag bans. "This is going to give local agencies a lot more latitude to approve these sorts of bans," said Christian Marsh, the lawyer for Manhattan Beach.
Via ASI

Smart Grid

Article By Jonathan Mariano Via Triple Pundit 

The smart grid is getting more and more attention these days.  With all this talk, a few questions lingers in the mind.  What exactly is the smart grid?  When will we actually get the smart grid in place?  How smart can the grid really be?

Recently, Southern California Edison (SCE) held a smart grid roundtable event at the company’s Energy Education Center in Irwindale, CA.  The center itself is like the Universal Studios of energy efficiency, displaying and demonstrating many of the energy innovations in place now or yet to come.

The company demoed the efficiency of various types of lighting, including CFL and LED.  They showcased tube lighting and “light shelves,” which use the power of the sunlight to light rooms instead of electricity. We even got a sneak peak at a smart meter connected to a smart home.  (By the way, for the energy efficiency nerd in you, the Energy Education Center is open to the public for your enjoyment and education.)

What is the Smart Grid?
According to SCE, the smart grid is “an increasingly intelligent and highly automated electric power system that utilizes technology advancements in telecommunications, information, computing, sensing, controls, materials, in addition to other grid technologies.”  The following video touches on what the smart grid is all about:

In essence, the smart grid is “aware.”  Let’s say there is a power spike during peak usage.  Instead of taking out an entire neighborhood, the smart grid can isolate and reroute energy.  Or in the case of an outage, instead of SCE crews going pole to pole to find the culprit, the smart grid will be able to narrow down the trouble location.

The grid is not the only thing that makes the smart grid smart.  Smart meters connect to our homes.  No longer will we have to wait for our monthly bill to know how much power we are using.  Our usage will be available almost instantaneously.  You will be able to use an SCE website to track your day to day, if not moment to moment, energy usage.

When will we get the Smart Grid?
I have some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that the smart grid is coming.  The bad news is that the smartifcation of the grid is going to take some time.  As Doug Kim, Director of Smart Grid Technology at SCE suggests, “We have a twenty year journey.”  There are countless legacy systems needing upgrades and millions of customers using needing retrofits.

Figure 1 below shows an example of the, California Smart Grid Policy Timeline.

Figure 1: California Smart Grid Policy Timeline

Also, like any new technology, the smart grid also needs to be tested to ensure that it actually works as desired.  One such pilot project is SCE $80 million, Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration. “We are currently gathering baseline data for the Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration (ISGD) project, as well as acquiring and designing the systems to be installed in the future. We anticipate that our project-wide go live date will be in 2013,” says Kim.  Some of the goals and objectives of this project include:

•    Verification of the viability of various Smart Grid technology deployed in an integrated manner
•    Quantification of Smart Grid costs and benefits
•    Test and validate the scalability of several Smart Grid elements
•    Demonstrate Zero Net Energy home functionality.

The Smart Customer
At the end of the day, even with the smart grid and the smart meter, it all comes down to the smart customer.  SCE can connect the customer to electricity.  It can even track and record your energy usage.  But it is up to us to use that data in making smarter decisions in using electricity.  The smarter the customer, the smarter the grid.

DOE and ASHRAE Sign Agreement to Improve Building Energy Standards

The U.S. Department of Energy and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) today announced a new agreement to develop achievable and cost effective standards, jointly promote educational programs, and support one another's products and services. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) underscores the commitment between DOE and ASHRAE to improve building energy standards that reduce energy costs and carbon pollution nationwide. These concerted efforts help home and business owners save money on their annual utility bills, enhance our nation's energy security by reducing fossil fuel use, and strengthen America's position as a leader in energy-efficient building construction.
Full story

Red Tide report 7.22.11

East Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week in the Indian River (Brevard and Indian River counties).

 

Discolored water that has been reported in the Indian and Banana Rivers (Brevard County) for more than two months (first reported 05/13/2011) is from an ongoing bloom of a non-toxic alga. In other areas of the Indian River (Indian River Aquatic Preserve, Indian River County), there have been reports of discolored water due to a bloom of the dinoflagellate Takayama tasmanica (first reported on 07/15/2011).  Fish kills have recently co-occurred with algal blooms throughout the Indian River Lagoon.

 

Northwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Okaloosa County or offshore of Okaloosa and Taylor counties.

 

Southwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore between Pinellas and Collier counties or offshore of Lee and Collier counties and the Florida Keys (Monroe County)

 

Discolored water reported alongshore of Collier County is from a mixed algal bloom that includes the dinoflagellate Takayama tuberculata and several species of diatoms.  Mortalities and morbidities of sharks, rays, various fish species, lobsters, crabs and other invertebrates were reported alongshore of Vanderbilt Beach south to Doctor’s Pass and inside of Clam Pass (Collier County) on 7/18 and 7/19.

 

Discolored water reported in Old Tampa Bay is from a bloom of the dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense, which has bloomed in this same area from late spring to late summer in past years.  No effects have been reported from this bloom.

15 Beautiful and Creative QR Codes [PICS]

http://mashable.com/2011/07/23/creative-qr-codes/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

USA TODAY: Corporations add their know-how to charitable efforts

Corporations add their know-how to charitable efforts
http://usat.ly/mSOk5F

Department of Energy to Award Over $6 Million for Clean Energy Projects on Tribal Lands

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced 31 tribal energy projects to receive $6.3 million over two years as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's ongoing efforts to support tribal energy development and continue strengthening the partnership with Tribal Nations. These competitively selected projects will allow Native American Tribes to advance clean energy within their communities by developing strategic energy plans, expanding the skills and knowledge of tribal members, and improving the energy efficiency of their buildings. These investments will help tribal communities to save money and reduce energy waste, expand the use of clean energy technologies, and promote economic development.
"Tribal Nations are well-positioned to take advantage of the benefits of clean energy and energy efficient technologies," said Secretary Chu. "Projects such as these will save energy and money, create long-term clean energy jobs, and spur economic development in tribal communities nationwide."
Full story

Department of Energy Announces Funding for Nationwide Student-Focused Clean Energy Business Competitions

As part of the Obama Administration's effort to support and empower the next generation of American clean energy entrepreneurs, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced $2 million in available funding for the National University Clean Energy Business Challenge. This nationwide initiative will create a network of regional student-focused clean energy business creation competitions whose winners will compete for a National Grand Prize at a completion held at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. in early summer 2012. The funding will support up to six regional competitions that will inspire, mentor, and train students from across the country to develop successful business plans to create a new generation of American clean energy companies. These regional competitions will take place before May 1, 2012. This national initiative will enable student participants to gain the skills required to build new businesses and transform promising innovative energy technologies from U.S. universities and national laboratories into innovative new energy products that will to solve our nation's energy challenges, spur business creation, create American jobs, and boost American competitiveness.
Full story

Report fish kills, even though they’re common this time of year

via the FWC.... High temperatures and cloudy, rainy days can spell trouble for fish in Florida’s marine and freshwater habitats. These conditions can cause fish kills, which are natural occurrences that typically do not cause permanent damage to the ecosystem or to fish populations.

Nevertheless the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) needs your help in keeping track of these die-offs. FWC scientists record and monitor the location and extent of fish kills in natural lakes and estuaries to see if there are problems developing in an ecosystem that might require investigation or restorative measures.

Many factors may contribute to a fish kill. Some fish kills are complex and involve a variety of factors that may not be easily discernable. However, most common causes of kills in brackish estuaries, freshwater lakes and man-made retention ponds are well understood by scientists. 

Fish kills are commonly caused by weather-related factors. Sudden temperature fluctuations or extreme temperatures can result in fish kills any time of the year. Hot weather during the summer months can cause fish kills because warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. In addition, a lack of rain during hot-weather months lowers the water levels in the system, allowing the water to heat even more, which further depletes oxygen levels.

Fish kills also can occur during extended periods with little sunshine. The process leading to these types of die-offs begins with overcast skies and rainy weather. During extended periods of overcast, rainy or cloudy weather, the biological system uses the dissolved oxygen in the water faster than it can produce it.  Rain water can compound the situation by causing vegetation, such as leaves and grass clippings, to wash into the system and decompose. The decomposition process also can remove oxygen from water.

The good news is that most natural water bodies are resilient to these types of fish kill events.

Residents can report fish kills in natural water bodies to the FWC at MyFWC.com/FishKill or by calling the FWC Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511. It is not necessary to report fish kills in man-made retention or private ponds to the FWC.

Couldn't resist... Neat Vid from our Sister Company blog for Sharpie Pens

Get passionate with Sharpie Pens, like write a Blog maybe...

Thats a "Like"

BBC E-mail: Wireless charging for electric cars

Electric cars may soon become a lot more attractive to buyers thanks to wireless charging technology.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14183409 >

USA TODAY: Solar power boom shines for consumers

Solar power boom shines for consumers
http://usat.ly/ocYY1K

Latest Red Tide update

Ok here we go the latest Red Tide update via the FWC and on another note despite the recent rain the water clarity locally is still very good. Anyhoooow .... No samples have been collected so far this week on the east coast of Florida or the northwest coast of Florida.

On the southwest coast of Florida, Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected alongshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota or Collier counties or offshore of Lee County and the Florida Keys (Monroe County).

Sampling will continue this week, and complete results will be available in the next scheduled status report on Friday, July 22.

BP's fines to Restore Gulf of Mexico

Ocean Conservancy: BREAKING NEWS: A bill has just been introduced in the senate that will direct BP's Clean Water Act fines from last year's oil disaster to restoring the Gulf of Mexico. These days, we tend to hear a lot about the heated division in Congress, so we're encouraged to see this bipartisan group of Senators work together to heal the Gulf and its communities.

Sent from HootSuite
http://hootsuite.com

Executives Fail to Focus on Social Media Marketing Strategy - eMarketer

An understatement, grappling of how to deploy is another Executives Fail to Focus on Social Media Marketing Strategy - eMarketer

Mote-Grown Plants Included in Recent Restoration... Purchase Locally Grown Seafood!

Purchase Mote-Grown Caviar and Sturgeon Today and Help Support Locally Grown Seafood Production



Dr. Kevan Main of Mote helps plant salt-tolerant plants during the North Lido Restoration Photo by Sara Kane, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program

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Plants grown at the state-of-the-art Mote Aquaculture Park were recently included in a restoration project at North Lido Beach in Sarasota.  The Mote-grown plants were produced through a pilot project funded by the Sea Grant program. Mote and partners, including Aquatic Plants of Florida, are growing plants for restoration projects using solid fish waste from the production of saltwater fish and the water waste from its production of freshwater Siberian sturgeon. By using this waste to feed plants — and doing it on a large enough scale to translate to commercial operations — this innovative system could serve as a model for sustainable marine aquaculture efforts across the nation and beyond.   “For years, Mote has developed recirculating aquaculture technology to reduce the environmental impact of producing seafood — but there’s still is an impact if you can’t use the solid waste,” said Dr. Kevan Main, Director of Mote’s Center for Aquaculture Research and Development.

“When I show people around Mote’s facility and point out that the saltwater is completely recirculated, some observant person will ask, ‘Where do the solids go?’ Now we’re using them up to grow plants for coastal environments.”  So far, the plant growth at MAP has “exceeded expectations,” reports Gil Sharell, founder and president of Aquatic Plants of Florida. “The growth is exceptional and maintenance is less than traditional propagation at our farm. We’re evaluating whether to expand the program later this year with Dr. Main and her team by constructing another plant production greenhouse at MAP.” Almost 200 salt-tolerant plants from MAP were used in the North Lido Restoration. The project was undertaken by members of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Bay Guardian volunteers, along with Around the Bend Nature Tours, and took place on July 9. In all, 2,065 native plants were used. Having plants grown at Mote used locally as part of an important restoration undertaking is rewarding, Main said. “The idea is to be as sustainable as possible in the production of fish for food,” she said. “Being able to grow plants for restoration and have them planted here locally in Sarasota is just an extra reward for us.

B2B mobile marketing

Mobile marketing integrated with social media is a perfect fit for business-to-consumer marketing strategies, but what about business-to-business? Is there relevancy here?
Business-to-business mobile marketing spending will quadruple over the next four years, rising from $26 million in 2009 to $106 million in 2014, according to Forrester Research, so the answer is a definite yes.
Deeper Customer RelationshipsLike social media, mobile marketing can be as much about creating deeper relationships with existing customers as it is about attracting new ones. Marketers such as FedEx have done this by building mobile applications that allow businesses to track shipments on the go.
“These are going to be mobile applications that you can put in the hands of salespeople or applications you can give to your customers to help them execute on your products and services,” says Michael Green, analyst for Forrester Research. “A great example is FedEx letting customers track their packages from their handsets.”

Sales SupportIn addition to customer engagement and education, mobile can be a useful channel for a company’s sales force.
“A mobile application is an easy way to put a product demo into the hands of a salesperson,” Greene says. “Instead of carrying a big physical presentation around, it can be in their hands at all times and deliver collateral that engages the client.”
In terms of reaching customers, generating sales leads is a fantastic goal, and mobile can help that along, but the channel’s greatest strength is as an engagement tool.
Creating Value“It is less about the high end of the funnel—lead generation—and more about ‘Once we’ve identified this customer, how do we bring them along the purchase path?’” Greene says.
While B2B marketing has not always been associated with the cutting edge, Greene believes that is beginning to change.
 “They are going to use these digital channels to engage customers and we might even see more benefit from mobile for B2B than for B2C,” he adds.
“For B2B marketers, it’s not about launching the coolest app, it’s about creating value and utility for the sales force and the customer.”

 

Source: Dan Butcher is the former associate editor of Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily

Specialized Bikes Ride Social, Email to Better Customer Service

A social media presence heavily focused on customer service has helped Specialized Bicycles reduce support costs and connect with cyclists around the world.

Part of the appeal of social media for the brand is that cyclists can access it on the go. "I don't know what it is about the core demographic, but they generally have a higher income and are more educated and tech savvy," says Ryan French, director of inside sales and global customer service operations. "They're very active in social media and highly influential."

Read Full Story

By Beth Negus Viveiros

PepsiCo to use more recycled PET in Canada

PepsiCo Beverages Canada said it has constructed North America’s first soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET.

Creating a bottle made from 100 percent recycled plastic for soft drinks is more challenging than creating a bottle for noncarbonated beverages, PepsiCo said, because of the stress on materials from carbonation pressure.

The company now uses an average of 10 percent recycled PET in its primary soft drink bottles in Canada and the United States. The company said in a July 13 news release that it plans to increase the use of bottles made from 100 percent recycled PET.

Using more recycled PET will reduce the amount of virgin plastic the company uses by about 6 million pounds over the course of a year, PepsiCo said.

The bottle will be made in multiple PepsiCo manufacturing facilities across Canada. The company said it invested $1 million in production enhancements in its facilities, including resin handling and inspection systems

By Shawn Wright | WASTE & RECYCLING NEWS

Consumers Embrace Social Media for Brand Feedback

Consumers are increasingly turning to social media channels to discuss products, services and brands with their peers. While the feedback ranges in levels of satisfaction, certain industries are faring better than others. Full Article

Todays Red Tide report via FWC

Mmmmm I guess its been raining, getting a bit more active...

via the FWC

East Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week in the Indian River (Brevard and Indian River counties).

 

Discolored water that has been reported in the Indian and Banana Rivers (Brevard County) for almost two months (first reported 05/13/2011) is from an ongoing bloom of a non-toxic alga. In other areas of the Indian River (Indian River Aquatic Preserve, Indian River County), there have been reports of discolored water due to a bloom of the dinoflagellate Takayama tasmanica.  Fish kills have recently co-occurred with algal blooms throughout the Indian River Lagoon.

 

Northwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Okaloosa, Bay and Levy counties or offshore of Okaloosa and Levy counties.  One sample collected alongshore of Dixie County contained background concentrations of K. brevis.

 

Southwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Lee and Collier counties or offshore of Sarasota County and the Florida Keys (Monroe County). One sample collected alongshore of Charlotte County contained background concentrations of K. brevis and three samples (of 75 total samples) collected inshore and alongshore of Sarasota County contained concentrations of K. brevis ranging from background to very low.

 

You can access this week’s interactive Google Map in the attached file.

 

In order to view this map, you must have Google Earth installed on your computer. The Google Earth software can be downloaded from the Google Earth Web site through the following link: (http://earth.google.com).

 

This information is also available on our Web site: (http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/statewide/).

The Web site also provides links to additional information related to the topic of Florida red tide including satellite imagery, experimental red tide forecasts, shellfish harvesting areas, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline, the Aquatic Toxins Hotline (for information or to report human health effects), and other wildlife related hotlines: (http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/contact/)

Honda to press suppliers to stop using landfills

DETROIT (July 14, 1 p.m. ET) -- Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. has almost entirely stopped sending factory waste to landfills. Now it will invite its suppliers to follow suit.

Honda is launching a program this year to help North American suppliers kick the dump habit, says Karen Heyob, associate chief engineer and manager of the automaker’s zero-landfill program.

“Landfilling is almost always the cheaper alternative,” Heyob said. “We could save money if we just sent everything to a landfill. But we don’t want to be that kind of company. Landfills are not the solution for waste management.”

Honda, which launched its zero-landfill efforts in 2001 at its just-opened auto plant in Lincoln, Ala., said this morning that 10 of its 14 U.S., Canadian and Mexican factories have now achieved zero-landfill status.

“When we say zero landfill, we mean absolute zero” for those factories that reach that level, said Honda spokesman Ed Miller. “Not 2 percent or 1 percent, but zero waste is going to landfills now.”

The company has spent the past decade looking for alternative uses for waste materials, ranging from oily rags and packaging materials to cafeteria garbage and paint sludge. As a result, Honda this year will generate about 2 pounds of landfill waste per vehicle produced in North America, down from 63 pounds in 2001, Heyob says.

According to Honda, the company’s Timmonsville, S.C., powersports plant, which produces all-terrain vehicles, recycles hard plastic foam, sheet plastic foam and other recyclable plastics from incoming parts shipments, diverting more than 130 tons of plastic from landfills each year.

The company’s Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, plants also recently began washing and reusing thousands of plastic caps each day that are used to protect parts during shipping.

Heyob said Honda’s new supplier sustainability program will encourage parts and material companies to adopt similar zero-landfill goals.

“We believe there’s a lot of opportunity in doing this to help suppliers manage their costs better,” she said.

Despite the lower expense of hauling waste to a landfill, she said that Honda’s initiatives have resulted in better plant efficiencies and less waste.

In one case, employees at Honda’s assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio, found a way to extract more sealer out of its storage barrels. The plant had been disposing of 7 to 8 percent of every barrel of sealer because it couldn’t be pumped out. Plant associates now cut into the barrel to get to the rest of it.

Miller said that Honda has no plans to brag about the green initiative in its vehicle advertising.

By Lindsay Chappell | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

Race is on to use carbon fiber in a high-volume vehicle

BMW AG plans to begin high-volume production of carbon fiber parts in two years, making it a strong contender to be the first automaker to move beyond limited-edition use of the exotic material.

But Daimler AG, which has taken steps aimed at making carbon fiber parts in 2012, is among the automakers racing toward the same goal.

In 2013, BMW will start building the i3 electric car, a vehicle that features a passenger cell -- the protective shell around the passenger compartment that ensures the integrity of the vehicle in a crash -- made of plastic reinforced with carbon fiber. BMW will produce about 30,000 i3s a year, according to Automotive News Europe.

BMW declined to confirm likely production volume for the i3. But Joerg Pohlman, managing director of the joint venture that produces BMW's carbon fiber, said BMW can make tens of thousands of vehicles.

"We have developed a very flexible production plan," Pohlman said in a telephone interview. "We are prepared to manufacture many more cars if demand is higher than our conservative estimate."

If so, the i3 will be a major breakthrough: a carbon fiber-intensive vehicle produced in volume at a moderate price.

Cutting costs

In 2010, BMW formed a joint venture with SGL Group of Germany to produce carbon fiber reinforced plastics for electric cars.

In the third quarter of this year, a factory in Moses Lake, Wash., will start producing carbon fiber thread, which will be shipped to Germany for conversion into the fabric used to make parts.

To cut costs and allow mass production, the partners are working to perfect a process called resin transfer molding.

The carbon fiber fabric is placed in a mold, and resin is injected under high pressure and temperature. The process, which once took 20 minutes per part, now requires less than 10 minutes. Robots cut and handle the material and components, which previously were made by hand.

The robots will help BMW achieved big savings. A pound of carbon fiber now costs only a third as much as a pound used in the M3 CSL coupe's roof when the limited-edition car was introduced in the 2004 model year.

More automation

"For the M3, we could afford to have a few workers put the parts in the form," Pohlman said. "We were only making a few thousand a year. But now we'll be making tens of thousands of parts. So there is a whole lot more automation."

BMW is not the only automaker that plans to use carbon fiber. Last year Daimler AG announced plans to form a joint venture with Toray Industries Inc., the world's largest producer of carbon fiber.

In January, Daimler said the partners will use carbon fiber and other lightweight materials to reduce the weight of a vehicle's body-in-white by 10 percent. Daimler also indicated the partners will produce components for cars to be launched in 2012. Daimler did not indicate which models would feature carbon fiber, but hinted it would use carbon fiber in the vehicle's passenger cell.

By David Sedgwick | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

Some stunning 3D Crystal Laser Etch awards for Non-Profit and Corporate programs

Just finished a conversation with a manufacturer of really knock out Crystal Awards and their clientele include the likes of General Electric, Microsoft. I've been looking for something really unique and detailed for a variety of projects including Coastal & Wetland Restoration and this just might fit the bill.

New Energy Star Initiative Recognizes Cutting-Edge Products with Highest Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today are announcing for the first time products recognized as the most energy-efficient in their categories among those that have earned the Energy Star label. This pilot program is part of Energy Star's overall commitment to protect people's health and the environment by encouraging energy efficiency. The "Most Efficient" initiative also continues Energy Star's work to provide consumers with the best efficiency information so they can make investments that will lower their energy bills and environmental impact. The new designation of Most Efficient aims to provide all manufacturers with an incentive for greater product energy efficiency while providing consumers new information about the products that comprise the top tier in the categories.

"This new designation will help Americans save money and cut pollution by quickly pointing them to the best Energy Star products have to offer. Highlighting Energy Star's Most Efficient products is a great way to encourage the strides in innovation that bring even more energy and money saving choices to our stores," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We know American consumers are eager to make purchases that save them money on their utility bills and reduce the pollution in the air we breathe, and these labels will help them identify the best ways to find those purchases."
Full story

Is Purchasing Power the Best Way To Help Good Causes? [OPEN THREAD]

http://mashable.com/2011/07/14/purchasing-power-open-thread/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

Green jobs pay better as clean-tech sector booms - USATODAY.com

No surprise here on the Clean & Green Sector....
Green jobs pay better as clean-tech sector booms - USATODAY.com

Click Rates Complicate Online Video Ad Metrics

Using clickthrough rate to approximate online video advertising success has been a source of debate for the interactive marketing community, particularly when the majority of marketers are turning to digital video for brand-based initiatives. Further complicating the reliance on CTR is its varied performance across ad type, industry, demographic and day of week. Full Article

Annual Market Reports for Wind Energy, Advanced Vehicles, and Fuel Cell Technology

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released three 2010 market reports which detail the market conditions and trends for wind energy, advanced vehicles, and fuel cell technologies. Taken together, these three market reports illustrate growth in deployment and manufacturing across all three technologies—improving the nation’s global competitiveness in the clean energy economy and creating clean tech jobs for U.S. workers.
The 2010 Wind Technologies Market Report , produced by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, analyzes trends in wind power capacity, manufacturing, performance, and costs. The results indicate that wind energy installations comprised 25% of new U.S. electricity capacity additions in 2010, representing $11 billion in new investments and enough new capacity to power roughly 1.3 million homes. The report also notes that U.S. manufacturing of wind turbine components continues to increase, with domestically produced goods used in U.S. wind power projects reaching approximately 68% in 2009-2010, up from 52% in 2005-2006. Another key finding from the report is a 33% decline in wind turbine prices since 2008. The report predicts that current turbine prices and improved turbine performance will drive the cost of wind energy down further in the coming years.
Full story

Red Tide report 7.13.11

No samples have been collected so far this week on the east coast of Florida.

On the northwest coast of Florida, Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected offshore of Okaloosa County.

On the southwest coast of Florida, Karenia brevis was not detected in water samples collected inshore of Charlotte County or offshore of Sarasota County.  Two samples (out of 20 total samples) collected alongshore of Sarasota County contained background levels of K. brevis.

My note: Interesting with a bit of rain we're seeing some background levels of K. brevis in Sarasota county even though its minimal

How 4 Cities Are Deploying High-Tech Bike Sharing Programs

http://mashable.com/2011/07/13/bike-sharing-cities/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

12 Top YouTube Videos for Social Good

http://mashable.com/2011/07/13/youtube-videos-causes/?utm_source=iphoneapp&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=textlink&utm_campaign=iphoneapp

Sponsorship and Video increasing role in Ad Spending

A new eMarketer report explores the display ad buying landscape and what media buyers must do to craft an efficient and effective campaign. Full Article

QR and AR

Quick tip...ensure the QR code imprint has been verified for readability at the supplier and that it will launch to the intended URL, size is important too. We've seen numerous cases when they weren't readable and it depends on the reader, we like Quickmark. Whats next (its already here)... AR Augmented Reality, its worth a Google and check out iButterfly while your at it, it will put a smile on your face.

Unless you live under a rock, it’s likely by now you’ve seen a QR code. They’re in magazines, newspapers, business cards, on t-shirts, store windows, billboards, and even ice cream containers.  As the latest trend in integrated marketing communications, QR codes bridge the gap between the online and offline world.

The implementation process is pretty simple:  marketers put a QR code on an object, i.e., magazine advertisement, and a user scans it with a smart phone.  In order to read the QR code, a phone must have a QR code reader, which can be downloaded free from an app store (Android devices are starting to come with QR code readers). The phone’s camera decodes the QR code and takes the appropriate action, e.g., directs to a mobile website.

QR codes are popping up everywhere and consumers are catching on to the concept.  Fifty-seven percent of Facebook users have scanned a QR code, according to a recent study. Most QR codes simply link to the company’s mobile website, but others are starting to think outside of the box. This is definitely a trend to watch, as it couples very well with mobile commerce

So what are some unique ways companies are using QR codes? Here are some I’ve seen lately:

• Skinny Cow started putting them on the tops of ice cream containers to direct consumers to enter a sweepstakes.
• AMC (movie theaters) has a great implementation for customers to scan QR codes on signs in the theater to order gift cards. 
•  L’Occitane incorporated a QR code into its recent direct mail campaign instructing recipients to scan the code to receive a coupon.

What’s next for QR codes? Perhaps companies will consider stronger calls to action, direct links to “Like” a Facebook page, buy product, or link to join a public messaging group. If you’re interested in making your own, try this QR code generator:http://qrcode.kaywa.com/.


Source:  Julia Cantor authors the blog All Things Social, which explores social media applications and trends, Boston social & tech events, and serves as training for new social media users.   Cantor is a Boston-based marketing communications specialist with a deep interest in all things social. You can “Friend,” “Follow” and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, Citysearch, Plancast, Upcoming, Foursquare, Brazen Careerist, Foodspotting, WEGO Health, FoodBuzz, Dailybooth, and by the time you read this, likely a few more.

Hot Pad = iPad

Being an early adopter paid off! Check out the app OmniFocus too its one of my most used apps, we use most of the business-friendly ones and Keynote too.

Source: Promotional Consultant Today... With the launch of the iPad, and now iPad2 plus a myriad of other tablet PC’s, many businesses are purchasing these lightweight devices. In fact, if you dine at the famous five-star French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville, California, the wine menu will be delivered via an iPad.

According to Deloitte Canada, more tablets and smart phones will be sold this year than desktop computers. Furthermore, the business segment will account for more than one quarter of the 50 million tablets set to ship this year worldwide.
Cloud computing (and the use of mobile applications) is making tablets far better computer substitutes than could have been predicted a few years ago, While they still lack the storage and power capacity of their PC cousins, tablets are making their mark on everyday business



Here are four advantages of these “hot pads”:

1. Better meetings and presentations. Between video conferencing, meeting-related apps and an HDTV adapter, the new iPad makes it a whole lot easier to share information. Too busy to travel? Hold a virtual meeting with a remote client using Skype. Giving a presentation? Spice it up with Keynote and show it on the big screen. Apps like Meeting Mngr Pro allow presenters to instantly share extra materials with everyone in the room. Then, participants can use the app to ask questions and give feedback without interrupting the speaker.
2. More business-friendly apps. These tablet PC’s have hundreds of impressive apps to help businesses stay organized. For example, Bento helps you manage projects, organize contacts and plan events from one simple database. And you can create all kinds of charts with OmniGraffle. GoodReader is an app that lets you add notes, drawings and arrows to all the major types of docs.
 
3. Working on the go is even easier. Part of the reason tablets are so great is that you can take them anywhere. For example, the iPad 2 is the thinnest tablet available. With a duel-core processor, it operates faster and has large memory. Despite its size, you can still use it all day without running out of battery.
4. It’s also a cash register. If your business deals with credit card transactions, Square is an essential app to have. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey developed this app, which lets you swipe credit cards and sign for purchases. It even generates digital receipts. Plus, it’s cheaper than most of the custom point-of-sale systems you see in stores today.


Source: Alana Horowitz is an intern and writer for Business Insiderand a senior at New York University. Previous internships have included the Daily Beast, the Village Voice, and Patch. Her articles also appear on www.openforum.com

The F Factor

Source: PPAI....Why is the F-FACTOR important to consumers? It offers the promise of a buying power that is more efficient, more relevant, and more interesting than before, where consumers either had to spend endless time and effort on trying to discover the best of the best, or had to rely on sources that were distant, unknown or distrusted, and therefore potentially unreliable or irrelevant.
Just a few recent stats demonstrating the reach and power of the F-FACTOR:

• The F-FACTOR is currently dominated by Facebook, as more than 500 million active users spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the site. (Source: Facebook, April 2011)
• And its impact isn’t just on Facebook itself. Every month, more than 250 million people engage with Facebook across more than 2.5 million external websites. (Source: Facebook, April 2011)
• The average user clicks the ‘Like’ button nine times each month. (Facebook, 2010)

Here are just three of the ways that the F-FACTOR influences consumer behavior

1. F-DISCOVERY: How consumers discover new products and services by relying on their social networks. People are curious and interested in what their friends and contacts think, do, eat, read, listen to, drive, travel to and buy, because often this will be similar to how they want to think, act and buy. No surprise then that consumers are embracing communities, tools and apps that allow them to dive into and discover selections from friends, fans and followers.
   
2. F-RATED: How consumers will increasingly (and automatically) receive targeted ratings, recommendations and reviews from their social networks. While consumers sometimes enjoy finding the best of the best throughdiscovery, they are increasingly able to access personalized recommendations and reviews on something they know they want to purchase. In fact, expect more and more sites to automatically serve up friends’ recommendations, ratings and reviews next to goods and services that people are researching.
3. F-FEEDBACK: How consumers can ask their friends and followers to improve and validate their buying decisions. Over the last decade, online reviews have greatly empowered consumers. But anonymous reviews aren’t always what consumers need or want; they can lack relevance and context. This is where F-FEEDBACK comes in: consumers actively disclosing their purchasing intentions and reaching out to their friends and contacts for personalized feedback.

Some indicators:
• 90 percent of people trust the recommendations of their Facebook friends (Source: ExactTarget, August 2010)
• 31 percent of daily Twitter users ask their followers for opinions about products and services. (Source: Edison Research & Arbitron Internet, April 2010)

One more key driver here: with more and more consumers increasingly viewing their online reputation as something to enhance as well as just protect, the quality of answers is rapidly improving.

Source:  Trendwatching.com, independent and opinionated, is one of the world’s leading consumer trends firm, relying on a global network of hundreds of spotters.Their trends, examples and insights are delivered to 160,000 business professionals in more than 180 countries

Green Drinks - Tampa

Join the TBB for Networking - Wed, July 13th -- 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
The Pub - International Plaza 2223 N Westshore Boulevard Tampa, FL 33607

Red Tide report 7.8.11

The latest report via FWC

East Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week in the Indian River (Brevard County).

 

Discolored water that has been reported in the Indian and Banana Rivers (Brevard County) for almost two months (first reported 05/13/2011) is from a continuing bloom of the prasinophyte Nephroselmis. No effects of this bloom have been reported.

 

Northwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week inshore, alongshore or offshore of Okaloosa County or offshore of Wakulla County.

 

Southwest Coast

Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, was not detected in water samples collected this week alongshore of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Charlotte and Collier counties or offshore of Lee County.  One sample collected alongshore of Lee County contained background concentrations of K. brevis

Businesses Ramp Up Borrowing Levels

According to a new survey, small business borrowing increased at a record rate in May, driving a key economic index to its highest level since pre-recession 2008 and indicating the economy could begin growing at a quicker pace in the months ahead. The Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index rose 26% in May from a year earlier, PayNet Inc. said on Thursday. The index measures the volume of financing to U.S. small businesses.

The spring upsurge means the index is now at its highest level since July 2008, two months prior to theLehman Brothers’ collapse and the descent into worldwide recession. "If small businesses are taking these kind of chances, taking risks, making long term investments, they are seeing some long-term opportunities on the horizon," said PayNet founder Bill Phelan. "That's got to be a big positive sign for the economy."

Separate data also released on Thursday showed small business loan defaults at their lowest level in five years, tying records set in April and May 2006.

Shoppers Willing to Connect With Retailers on Facebook

"F-commerce" is not yet widely adopted by shoppers nor offered by retailers—buying through Facebook is still far from mainstream—but once companies understand how and why consumers are using their Facebook pages, they can foster valuable relationships. Full Article

Green building wave gains momentum globally

Rising energy prices, government incentives and enhanced brand image are three of the main motivators that are driving energy-efficiency investments in buildings to new levels, according to a new global study. The fifth annual Energy Efficiency Indicator survey of nearly 4,000 building owners and operators around the world was carried out by Johnson Controls' Institute for Building Efficiency, the International Facility Management Association and the Urban Land Institute. As a result, owners have set an average energy reduction target of 12pc. Respondents also reported a growing interest in green building certification, with four in 10 respondents in 2011 stating that they had a certified green building. The report says that, for the first time, green building certification efforts were more prevalent in existing than in new buildings.http://businessandleadership.com/sustainability/item/30798-green-building-wave-gains/ 

Potential disruption for Oil Spill containment?

UPDATE 1-Tropical depression could form near Yucatan (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY, July 7 (Reuters) - A tropical depression could form over the southern Gulf of Mexico before slamming into the Gulf Coast near the Texas-Mexico border on Thursday, a region still recovering from Hurricane Alex, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a report on Wednesday.

Another serious storm in the Gulf of Mexico could further disrupt efforts to contain BP's (BP.L) massive oil spill off the Louisiana coast.

The NHC gave the low pressure system an 80 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone that could dump heavy rains and bring strong winds to parts of eastern and southern Texas and northeastern Mexico over the next few days.

"This system has become much better organized this afternoon and evening," the hurricane center said, adding that reconnaissance airplanes researching the weather have information suggesting it could turn into a tropical depression.