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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Evolution of Environmental Performance
Four years ago, when BSR first convened leaders from the private sector, NGOs, and academia to discuss a new approach to scenario planning that considered ecosystem services, the questions on the table were twofold:
Could we place appropriate values on ecosystem services, based on what they provide to society and their relative scarcity, so they are viewed not as liabilities but as assets that should be protected and restored?
Would knowledge of the importance of ecosystem services result in better stewardship of natural resources?
Now, as BSR’s Research Manager Linda Hwang reports from the most recent meeting of our Ecosystem Services working group, there is greater acceptance of the concept, and these same leaders are asking how, and on what timeframe, ecosystem services will be widely adopted.
We also hear from a speaker at last week’s SXSW Eco conference on how to meet the food needs of our growing population without compromising the environment. And we highlight our recent report on how wireless technologies can help other sectors reduce their environmental impacts.
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In Depth
The Evolution of Environmental Performance Expectations
By Linda Hwang, Research Manager, BSR, and Sissel Waage and Kit Armstrong, Co-leads for BSR’s Ecosystem Services Working Group
After four years, the leaders in ecosystems services are asking how, and on what timeframe, ecosystem services will be widely adopted. Here is the latest thinking from BSR’s working group on the changing approach to considering these services, how common terminology and other factors will help us make progress, and why we need to consider the human element.
Read more →
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On the Record
How to Feed a Growing Population Without Destroying the Planet
By
Can we feed a planet of 9 million people by 2050? According to University of Minnesota's Jonathan Foley, who outlined a five-point solution at the recent SXSW Eco conference in Austin, Texas, it's going to take big changes.
Foley said his plan would stop deforestation, increase yield by focusing on the lowest-performing farming regions, improve resource efficiency (particularly around water use), close the “dietary gap” so more food goes to human consumption rather than animal feed and biofuels, and address food waste.
According to Foley, this plan would require an attitude shift:
“We need to reinvent agriculture from the ground up. We can't afford to have two schisms: organic and conventional, local and global. We need to find the best between the two.”
—Jonathan Foley, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota (October 4, 2011)
Toolbox
Using Wireless Technology to Protect the Environment
By Peter Nestor, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR
A new report by BSR and CTIA —the Wireless Association examines opportunities for companies in the transportation, utilities, agriculture, and government sectors to use wireless technology to help protect the environment. Highlights include:
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Moving people and goods: Wireless fleet-routing systems and vehicle-monitoring devices can help the transportation industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Powering our future: Wireless utility grids can transmit information between consumers and utilities to enable smarter energy savings.
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Nourishing people: Wireless technology in agriculture—from field sensors to edible methane-monitoring devices—could increase the efficiency of land- and water-conservation efforts by 11 to 50 percent.
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Providing public services: Governments can use wireless applications to reduce traffic congestion, monitor fragile ecosystems, and improve citizen engagement.
The report also explores the industry’s challenges, including product-lifecycle impacts, the shift of environmental costs from one area to another, and an increase in demand for raw materials.
To learn more about the impact of wireless on social issues and business, attend our BSR Conference 2011 session.
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