Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - August 2018

This is the quarterly newsletter for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a private family foundation that seeks to promote a sustainable society by supporting and funding educational and project-based initiatives that advance knowledge and innovation in sustainability.

After Date Nights in the Garden, a Farm Emerges

For some married couples, a date night might include dinner and a movie. For Rene and Monika Owczarski, most of their evenings together involve going out — to garden by moonlight.

“We get the kids to bed, go outside, and put on our head lamps to weed,” Monika Owczarski said. “Luckily, our baby monitor reaches that far.”

Subaru Offers Americans Tips on How to Keep National Parks Clean Leading Into Labor Day Weekend

Last year, more than 330 million people visited the national parks and with Labor Day weekend around the corner, parks across the country are likely to see a surge of visitor traffic. While everyone is encouraged to visit a national park in their area, with more visitors comes more waste that the National Park Service (NPS) must manage. Each year, NPS manages nearly 100 million pounds of visitor waste nationally, much of which is brought in from outside the parks.

Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci Mine Receives Award for Bat Preservation Program

Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci copper mining operations were recently honored by the Arizona Mining Association with the 2018 Sustainability, Preservation and Diversity in Environment award in recognition of environmental excellence.

Reef Futures Looking Up! Large Scale Coral Reef Restoration is Possible

Needing to change our visual and professional perspective was the common theme behind several promising low-cost technical solutions reviewed at a recent Coral Reef Restoration Workshop. The workshop sponsored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Mars, Inc. and Paul G. Allen Philanthropies, convened a unique multi-disciplinary coalition of scientists, NGOs, coral restoration practitioners, Government and business, in Bali, Indonesia. Its aim was to identify promising evidence-based standards to scale coral restoration efforts globally.

Sysco Improves Sustainability in Seafood Supply Chain

Sysco is committed to working with suppliers to improve sustainability in our seafood supply chain through fishery improvement programs (FIPS). In partnership with World Wildlife Fund, we are working with fishermen to improve record-keeping and traceability, reduce bycatch and better manage fish stocks, helping increase the supply of sustainable seafood for current and future generations.

Nation’s 1st Pollinator-Friendly Right-of-Way Solar Project Moves Forward in Georgia

The Georgia Public Service Commission (Georgia PSC) has authorized funding for Georgia Power to construct, own and operate a one-megawatt solar array on Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) property at Exit 14 off Interstate 85, which is known as “The Ray.” Georgia will be the third state in the nation to utilize the grassy shoulder of an interstate highway, called the “right-of-way” (ROW), to generate solar energy. This unique project will pilot the use of native flowering plants as ground cover in test plots within the solar array, making Georgia the first in the nation to pilot pollinator-friendly, right-of-way solar.

A Fresh Resource for ESG-Oriented Financial Advisors

One of the gurus of ESG investing has recently launched a new service for financial advisors (FAs) who want to integrate Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into their investment process. He has created a site called “Sustainable Investing” and filled it with content about ESG investing. Those who subscribe (there is a three month free trial option) get a quarterly newsletter and access to some otherwise hidden research reports.

Five Things You Need to Know About Updated GRI Water Standard

The Global Reporting Initiative has released its first updated standard - Water and Effluents 2018 - which provides a holistic approach to reporting on water stewardship. Here's what you need to know about the standard.

Craig Downs: Coral Reef Rescue

Visitors to the Hawaiian island of Oahu marvel at the splendor of Hanauma Bay, a volcanic crater teeming with coral reefs, tropical fish, and the occasional sea turtle. But there’s something else that the snorkelers may notice as they enjoy the bright colors of a local rainbow-hued parrot fish.

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