Looking at Greener Transportation

Looking at Greener Transportation


April 21, 2008 – In March 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of global scientists, announced that there is undeniable evidence the earth is warming. And one of the contributing causes is the rise in greenhouse gases.

Emissions are the leading source of increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And we’ve set a goal to reduce our energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25 to 35 percent by 2011*.

In addition to finding ways to reduce emissions from our manufacturing facilities, we’re looking at our transportation and distribution network for opportunities. That’s why transportation and distribution is our final focus area on the sustainability wheel.

We’re increasing the efficiency of our transportation network by significantly reducing total distances traveled, creating more efficient delivery routes, making the most of our truck loads and sending shipments by rail. Doing so will help reduce our overall fuel consumption, energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions.

As we continue in our efforts, projects such as these will help us reach our goal:

In the US, we’re partnering with the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. We’re incorporating truck-stop electrification into our truck fleet, reducing idling time by nearly 10 percent. And we’re exploring ways to boost fuel economy by inflating tires with nitrogen, using new fuel additives and lower resistance tires.
Since 1993, our coffee plant in Berlin, Germany, has been receiving coffee beans by rail for roasting, grinding and packing. Transporting by rail saves 7,000 truck shipments per year.

What you can do:
· Carpool. There are a number of carpooling networks that can link you up with travelers in your area – or start your own.
· Rethink your energy needs. Burning fossil fuels results in more than 24 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.
· Hit the road – by bike or your own two feet. Not only will you be doing your part for the environment, you’ll be getting in shape as well.

Kraft Employees Go Green

Kraft Employees Go Green


April 23, 2008 – Yesterday was Earth Day, a celebration for the world we live in and a reminder that we all must play a part in preserving the environment for future generations. Throughout the year, Kraft locations worldwide are holding employee events to raise awareness about the simple steps we all can take to leave the world a little greener. The events are coordinated by the local Green Teams, employees who voluntarily give their time to find ways to bring sustainability to the workplace. Here are a few events the Green Teams have put together:

Australia: In February, the Research, Development & Quality Green Team hosted a green week eco-office challenge. Employees were asked to reduce paper use, turn off lights when leaving a room or office and to carpool.

Brazil: The ABCD Award-winning program, “Atitude Consciente” (Conscious Attitude), works to reduce the solid waste, increase recycling, and reduce energy and water consumption, among other activities.

Canada: Earth Week kicked off on April 21 at the Don Mills location highlighting initiatives that support the focus areas of our sustainability wheel. Activities include: recycling events, eco-kit and tree sapling giveaways, Nabob coffee sampling (now Rainforest Alliance certified) and cafeteria offerings made from locally available foods.

East Hanover, New Jersey, US: Earth Day was declared “no printing day”. Other site activities included establishing a green storage room to encourage the reuse of office supplies, eco-kit distribution and the removal of all Styrofoam coffee cups -- more than 125,000 – from the facility.

Glenview, Illinois, US: At an Earth Day ice cream social (only ice cream cones were served), employees offered sustainability suggestions for the site and collected eco-kits. They could also sign-up to join the local Green Team. And the Glenview-based brand teams showcased their work around sustainability.

Glenview Technology Center, Illinois: On Earth Day, the Green Team distributed eco-kits, a guest speaker discussed the principles of recycling and old cell phones were collected for Keep Chicago Beautiful, an organization focusing on environmental education.

Madison, Wisconsin, US: The campus collected used athletic shoes to be recycled into gym flooring, cell phones that will be donated for good will and other equipment that will be recycled. The site also sold environmentally friendly gas cans that reduce fumes that are released into the air.

Mexico: For the last eight years, Kraft employees and their families have been celebrating World Environmental Day on June 5. They tree planted trees and learn more about recycling, water use and other practices that can benefit the environment.

Northfield, Illinois: The facility participated in Earth Hour on March 29, a global event to shut off electricity for one hour to raise awareness of global warming. On Earth Day, the campus supported a household hazardous waste event, where employees brought in items that cannot be disposed of through regular waste pick-up. In addition, eco-kits were distributed a sustainability technology workshop promoted more environmentally friendly behavior and a network printing initiative was launched.

Rogers Sales Office, Arkansas, US: For more than a year, the Keen on Green initiative was focused on making the site more environmentally friendly. Activities include reusing office supplies, collecting unused toner cartridges, removing all Styrofoam cups and holding recycling drives.

Tarrytown, New York, US: Over the past few months, the Green Team has done a tremendous amount of work to “green” the campus. On Earth Day, employees received wildflower packets, participated in a battery and cell phone collection and learned more about the Kraft River Walk. In addition, the site received an award from Westchester County in recognition of commuter alternative programs for employees that help reduce congestion and improve air quality in the area.

United Kingdom: Green Soul was launched in June 2007 to encourage environmental initiatives around the business. Activities included recycling drives, bike to work week and a Green Soul week where employees were given free energy saving light bulbs, water saving devices and participated in many other green related activities.

Mini-Project #6: Biological Terrorism

This is what our local law enforcement is doing to prepare for biological terrorism.


Florida's Best Practices: City and Member County Responses

City of Hallandale Beach
Mayor Dorothy Ross
Hallandale Beach Emergency Management Response

Prior to September 11, 2001, the City of Hallandale Beach had a number of established programs including: Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Crime Watch, nationally recognized Youth Crime Watch Program, citizens’ volunteer programs, and an active Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) program.When the president called upon Americans to volunteer service through the Citizen Corps, Hallandale Beach’s Homeland Security Program was formalized through the creation of our Citizen Corps Council in July of 2002.The city, under the direction of the council’s chair, Mayor Dorothy Ross, consolidated the established programs listed above and recruited community-minded leaders from local businesses and faith-based organizations to form the Hallandale Beach Citizen Corps Council.A prominent local doctor volunteered to coordinate the Medical Reserve Corps working closely with the Fire Department and CERT teams. The city has been fortunate to recruit the services of another local doctor, who specializes in infectious disease and teaches bio-terrorism classes for federal, state and local agencies.The Fire Department has worked closely with the Police Department to develop a unified homeland security perspective, utilizing the many willing volunteers coming forward to respond to the president’s call to service. The citizen volunteers are provided cross-training in CERT, Citizens on Patrol (COP), and Crime Watch programs. The city intends to provide CERT training to non-essential city personnel thereby benefiting the City of Hallandale Beach and the communities in which employees live.Hallandale Beach also participates in the Broward County Crime Stoppers program that will be utilized to carry out Operation TIPS, providing an avenue to report suspected terrorists or acts of terrorism.An information brochure has been developed to send out to the community providing information about each of the president’s five programs, with information about who to contact to join.Hallandale Beach Citizen Corps Council is researching funding to provide equipment, additional training and possibly inoculating volunteers against the various hepatitis strains.

Contact Person:Daniel Sullivan, Chief
Hallandale Beach Fire Rescue
121 S.W. 3rd Street
Hallandale Beach, FL 33009-6433
Phone: (954) 457-1476
E-mail: dsullivan@hallandalebeach.org

Or

Thomas A. Magill, Assistant Police Chief
Hallandale Beach Police Department
400 S. Federal Highway
Hallandale Beach, FL 33009-6433
Phone: (954) 457-1411
E-mail: tmagill@hallandalebeach.org

City of Hollywood
Mayor Mara S. Giulianti
Hollywood Emergency Management Response

Prior to September 11, 2001, the city’s Police and Fire Rescue departments were already preparing for a terrorist event by giving personnel 16 hours of terrorist/ weapons of mass destruction (WMD) training through Department of Justice funding. Subsequently the Hollywood Police Department implemented several initiatives in an effort to prepare for, and respond to, future threats of domestic terrorism. Immediately following initial responses to 9/11, the Police and Fire departments coordinated their efforts to assess the community’s vulnerability to future acts of terrorism. The vulnerability identified 60 entities, both public and private, with a high probability to be targeted by acts of domestic terrorism. This vulnerability assessment included meeting with representatives of the respective entities and assessing the facility, utilizing the Federal Government Scoring System, to determine their level of vulnerability. The assessment included scoring their present vulnerability for biological, nuclear, incendiary, chemical and explosive threats. It identified existing security measures, specific site vulnerabilities and recommended security measures to mitigate the vulnerability of the facility.In conjunction with site assessments the Hollywood Police Department began implementing security measures in and around the police department facility to mitigate threats to the facility. Plans included adding perimeter fencing and gates to restrict access to the police compound and are currently in the final phase of completion. A key-card access system was instituted, along with continuous video surveillance of all access points. An off-site mailbox was strategically placed away from the police facility where mail is sorted and screened prior to distribution at the Police Department.The Police Department has created a Terrorism Response Team, which acts as a central depository for all intelligence information, as well as lead investigative component for any threats received. The response team acts in conjunction with the FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement. A comprehensive guide outlining the Homeland Security Advisory System and the Hollywood Police Department’s response to specific threat levels has been developed.Police Department members are participants in the Region Seven Domestic Terrorism Task Force, monthly Broward County Emergency Operations meetings, and the FBI-sponsored Joint Terrorism Task Force. The department also provides continual training to its members concerning WMD and bio-terrorism, as well as other relative training, and has been able to obtain a variety of protective equipment such as biohazard suits, gas masks and respirators.

Contact Person:
Donald P. Perdue, Division Chief/Fire Marshal
Hollywood Fire Rescue
2741 Stirling Road
Hollywood, FL 33312-6505
Phone: (954) 967-4404
E-mail: dperdue@hollywoodfl.org

Or

Chadwick Wagner, Assistant Chief
Hollywood Police Department
3520 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, FL 33021
Phone: (954) 967-4303
E-mail: cwagner@hollywoodfl.org

Mini-Project #5: Pollution In Your Neighborhood

Superfund location in Florida

Jax Ash Cleanup, Jacksonville, FloridaEPA Region 4 successfully negotiated a complex Consent Decree with the City of Jacksonville for the cleanup of the Jacksonville Ash/Brown’s Dump Superfund Sites in 2007. This settlement entails approximately $100 million in Remedial Design/Remedial Action, one of the largest settlements in the history of Region 4, and will address more than 1.6 million cubic yards of contaminated soil located in four neighborhoods in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The remedy will provide for the removal or isolation of contaminated soil and address concerns about both public health and property values for thousands of residents in low-income environmental justice neighborhoods.

Point of Contact: Joe Alfano
Cast Attorney: Caroline Philson
Enforcement Project Manager: Janice Thomas
Civil Investigator: Annette Fields

Mini-Project #4: Grocery List

This is a list of processed foods that tested positive for genetically engineered ingredients. These tests were not "safety" tests; they were only to establish the presence of unlabeled genetically engineered ingredients.

Frito-Lay Fritos Corn Chips
Bravos Tortilla Chips
Kellogg's Corn Flakes
General Mills Total Corn Flakes Cereal
Post Blueberry Morning Cereal
Heinz 2 Baby Cereal
Enfamil ProSobee Soy Formula
Similac Isomil Soy Formula
Nestle Carnation Alsoy Infant Formula
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Nabisco Snackwell's Granola Bars
Ball Park Franks
Duncan Hines Cake Mix
Quick Loaf Bread Mix
Ultra Slim Fast
Quaker Yellow Corn Meal
Light Life Gimme Lean
Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
Alpo Dry Pet Food
Gardenburger
Boca Burger Chef Max's Favorite
Morning Star Farms Better'n Burgers
Green Giant Harvest Burgers (now called Morningstar Farms)
McDonald's McVeggie Burgers
Ovaltine Malt Powdered Beverage Mix
Betty Crocker Bac-Os Bacon Flavor Bits
Old El Paso Taco Shells
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Mini-Project #3: Endangered Species

This fact sheet contains information about eight of Florida's most famous animals. Each has an endangered species classification. From these descriptions you will learn the kinds of wetland habitat these animals need so they can survive. You will also learn what the animals need from humans to keep from becoming extinct.

Florida Sandhill Crane
Grus canadensis pratensis

Status: Threatened species (state listing)
Features: Grey-to-cinnamon colored plumage. One of Florida's largest birds.
Population: Roughly 4,000 cranes live in Florida.
Home: Cranes migrate throughout central Florida.
Habitat: The habitat of the Sandhill crane includes freshwater marshes dominated by pickerelweed and maidencane. They also require upland forests and grasslands. They often eat seeds, leaves and roots of various plants.
Outlook: Protection of suitable plant communities within wetlands is important to the crane's survival. Cranes are picky eaters!

American Alligator
Alligator mississipiensis

Status:Species of special concern (state listing); threatened species (federal listing, due to its similarity in appearance to the endangered Florida crocodile).
Features: Elongated reptile with muscular flat tail and long, round shovel-shaped snout. Armored skin on back.
Population: Roughly one million alligators live in Florida.
Home: Alligators live in marshes and swamps in every county of west central Florida.
Habitat: They depend on large, shallow lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, canals, freshwater marshes, hardwood swamps and cypress swamps.
Outlook: Species on the rebound. After nearing extinction in some areas 30 years ago, the species has recovered. Protection of wetlands and strict penalties for poaching have helped. The alligator retains its protected status due to its close resemblance to the crocodile. Only 500 crocodiles remain in Florida.

Roseate Spoonbill
Ajaia ajaja

Status: Species of special concern (state listing)
Features: A long-legged wading bird with a spatula-like bill and rose-pink feathers.
Population: Approximately 880 nesting pairs live in Florida.
Home: The Gulf Coast north to Tampa Bay appears to be the population center.
Habitat: Roseate spoonbills forage for small fish in shallow marine, brackish or freshwater sites. Wetland habitats include coastal marshes and mangrove swamps. The birds nest in red and black mangroves.
Outlook: Species on the rebound. The future of the spoonbills in Florida depends upon protection of estuaries, coastal marshes and mangroves.

Florida Black Bear
Ursus americanus floridanus

Status: Threatened species (state listing)
Features: Black fur and brown muzzle. The largest land mammal in Florida.
Population: Most likely between 1,000 and 1,500 bears live in Florida.
Home: A small population of the Florida black bear roams in the Chassahowitzka Swamp and the adjacent coastal wildlife refuge areas in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Larger populations occur in the Ocala National Forest, the Big Cypress Swamp and other protected wilderness regions across the state.
Habitat: Bears live in forests and wetlands including hardwood swamps and cypress swamps. They eat mostly plants. Bears roam in long, connected forest areas.
Outlook: Protecting the black bear depends on the preservation of large connected wetlands and woodlands. Bear crossing signs along highways can help reduce the number of bears killed by cars.

West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus latirostris

Also called Sea Cow

Status: Endangered species (federal and state listing)
Features: Robust, greyish-brown, nearly hairless aquatic animals. The head blends into the rest of the body. Its forelimbs are paddle-like and have nails.
Population: At least 1,435 manatees make Florida their winter home.
Home: In winter, manatees gather at warm freshwater sources including Crystal River, Homosassa River, Tampa Bay and Fort Myers. Manatees spend summers in Florida's coastal offshore habitats.
Habitat: Manatees are frequently encountered at the lower reaches of rivers and in estuaries bordering mangrove swamps and coastal marshes. Manatees forage on a wide variety of aquatic plants including seagrasses and mangroves.
Outlook: Additional sanctuaries free from motorboats and development can help protect the West Indian manatee.

Florida Panther
Felis concolor coryi
Also called puma, cougar and mountain lion

Status: Endangered species (federal and state listing)
Features:A large slender cat, tawny on top with a whitish underside.
Population: The number of Florida panthers remaining in the wild is probably between 30 and 50.
Home: Panthers live in long, connected wilderness areas in the southern part of the region.
Habitat: Panther habitat includes swamps and marshes. Panthers eat mostly white- tailed deer, feral pigs, armadillos, and raccoons.
Outlook: Hunters used to pose the greatest threat to panthers. Today habitat loss most threatens the panther. The panther does not adapt well to human intrusions and habitat changes. However, the population should remain stable as long as habitat protection continues.

Wood Stork
Mycteria americana

Status: Endangered species (federal and state listing)
Features: A large, long-legged wading bird with white plumage.
Population: Roughly 3,588 nesting pairs live in Florida.
Home: Primarily in freshwater marshes and swamps throughout the region.
Habitat: Storks fish in water less than 15 inches deep. They will feed in any shallow water where they can find fish. They nest in swamps.
Outlook: Species on the rebound. A large number of storks will feed in human-made wetlands or agricultural wetlands. Many nesting colony sites throughout Florida are now protected.

Southern Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocphalus leucocephalus

Status: Threatened species (federal and state listing)
Features: White head and tail, chocolate-brown wings and body, yellow eyes, bill and feet. The largest raptor breeding in Florida.
Population: Approximately 2,000 individual and nearly 700 nesting pairs live in Florida.
Home: Bald eagles nest in and fly over natural areas throughout the region.
Habitat: Proximity to water is important. Bald eagles feed mostly on fish. Nesting habitat consists of tall trees with a clear view of the surrounding area. Wetland habitats include freshwater marshes and swamps.
Outlook: Species on the rebound. Curbing human activities a mile away from prominent nesting sites can benefit the eagle population.

Mini-Project #2: Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle is a complex series of processes through which all of the carbon atoms in existence rotate. The same carbon atoms in your body today have been used in countless other molecules since time began. The wood burned just a few decades ago could have produced carbon dioxide which through photosynthesis became part of a plant. When you eat that plant, the same carbon from the wood which was burnt can become part of you. The carbon cycle is the great natural recycler of carbon atoms. Unfortunately, the extent of its importance is rarely stressed enough. Without the proper functioning of the carbon cycle, every aspect of life could be changed dramatically.