Welcome
January 2012
Welcome to the EHS Journal. This international online magazine was designed for and by environmental, health and safety professionals for the purpose of sharing knowledge and facilitating discussion within our profession. Since our launch in January 2010, we have published articles and images from more than 100 contributors in 30 countries.
We are actively seeking new articles! See the Submission Guidelines for more information and submit your articles and comments today!
Photograph: Glacier at Tracy Arm, Alaska by Robert Linder, Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A.
[continue reading...]Recent Posts
- Vehicle Safety Video
- U.S. EPA Releases 2010 Toxics Release Inventory Analysis
- The Australian Carbon Tax
- Winter Driving Tips
- U.S. EPA Releases GHG Data to the Public
- Tagish Lake Video
- Carbon Management Technology Conference
- New ISO Standards for Management System Audits and Emergency Response
- January 2012
- The World’s Largest Environmental Consulting Firms
Featured Articles
The Australian Carbon Tax
In its efforts to tackle the problem of climate change, the Australian government will introduce a carbon tax starting July 1, 2012. Australia’s goal is to reduce the country’s total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2020; to achieve this goal, the country is starting with a carbon tax,
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The World’s Largest Environmental Consulting Firms
Although the environmental consulting market remains highly fragmented, a dozen large firms are spearheading the globalization of the environmental consulting industry to meet the demands of their multi-national customers and capture market share. According to research published by Environment Analyst, these “Global 12” firms accounted for more than 24 percent of the industry’s US$
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Climate Change Vulnerability
A major new mapping study analyzing climate change vulnerability down to 25 square kilometers worldwide reveals that some of the world’s fastest growing populations are increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate-related natural hazards and sea level rise. The Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) released by risk analysis and mapping firm Maplecroft analyzes the
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Growing Shortage of Health & Safety Staff in the U.S.
The United States could be heading for a significant shortfall in occupational safety and health (OS&H) professionals, according to the National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce report issued by the U.S. National Insitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in October 2011. America’s colleges and universities are expected to graduate 13,000 OS&H
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Managing Product Risks and Opportunities
Getting products “right” is an increasingly important and difficult challenge for many companies—and for those companies’ EHS and sustainability leaders. The business drivers are compelling. For most companies, it’s all about growth now. Few companies can satisfy shareholders and analysts just by cutting costs. To satisfy markets, companies have to grow quickly. And for the vast majority of companies that means focusing on products [...]
Ecotourism: 7 Tips for Environmentally Friendly Travel
If you have led your family to live a greener lifestyle over the past year, it’s only fitting that you give your vacation a green makeover as well. By adjusting your schedule, making a few important choices and thinking with an environmentally friendly perspective, you can have a vacation that leaves less of an impression on Mother Earth. Here are seven quick tips for a more environmentally friendly vacation [. . .]
India: Environmental Management and Environmental Regulation
This article is the first in a series of articles about environmental management in India. In this installment, authors Sanjay Sampath and Raakhee Kulkarni provide an overview of the social and environmental challenges facing India now and in the next 20 years. Subsequent articles will focus on India’s environmental laws and regulations. [...]
Take A Break
Vehicle Safety Video Take a break and watch this 45-second video clip that demonstrates the importance of keeping your eyes on the road while driving. This video is perfect for defensive driver training courses.
Environmental Management
U.S. EPA Releases 2010 Toxics Release Inventory Analysis The EPA released its annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2010 on January 5, 2012. The TRI program publishes information on toxic chemical disposals and other releases into the air, land, and water, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across the country. Total releases including disposals for the latest reporting year, 2010, are higher than the previous two years but lower than 2007 and prior year totals . . .
Climate Change
U.S. EPA Releases GHG Data to the Public In January 2012, for the first time, the EPA released greenhouse gas (GHG) data collected under the GHG Reporting Program. The data set shows 2010 U.S. GHG emissions from large industrial facilities and from suppliers of certain fossil fuels and industrial gases. The data confirm that among large, direct GHG emitters, the sector with the largest emissions is power plants, followed by petroleum refineries. The data can be dowloaded from the USEPA’s web site using the following links . . .
Health and Safety
Winter Driving Tips The following winter driving tips were posted on the Weather Channel web site. Driving in Snow and Ice The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. Don’t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do
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Auditing
New ISO Standards for Management System Audits and Emergency Response In December 2011, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published two standards, an updated edition of ISO 19011, Guidelines for auditing management systems, and a new standard covering emergency management, ISO 22320, Societal security—Emergency management—Requirements for incident response. ISO 19011:2011 ISO believes that the revision of ISO 19011 will save money, time, and resources
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Sustainability
VP EHS: Endangered Species or Emerging Hybrid? In this “as good as it gets” economic recovery, companies are intent on growing the top line while minimizing costs. Corporate staffs are shrinking or disappearing entirely, and the traditional EHS role faces internal competition from other groups that are taking on parts of the broader sustainability agenda. In this context, EHS VPs who keep their heads down and do their jobs well may be highly skilled, highly valuable, highly overworked—and highly likely to be headed to extinction. In contrast, entrepreneurial EHS leaders are keeping and expanding their roles by moving beyond their traditional comfort zones . . . .
Popular Posts
Oil Sands: Overview of Environmental Law for Alberta, Canada Canadian law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP has issued a summary of environmental law that applies to projects in the Alberta, Canada oil sands in western Canada. Oil sands are composed primarily of sand, bitumen, mineral-rich clays and water. Bitumen, in its raw state, is a heavy, viscous, crude oil. According to the Alberta government, Alberta’s oil sands have 170.4 billion barrels of proven reversible reserves. These reserves are the second-highest source of proven crude oil reserves in the world, second only to Saudi Arabia , , ,
Analysis, News and Notes
Carbon Management Technology Conference The first-ever Carbon Management Technology Conference will be held 7–9 February 2012 in Orlando, Florida, USA. Eight engineering societies are sponsoring this conference, bringing together all disciplines to share the latest technologies, strategies and systems related to the management and containment of carbon production. The three-day technical program will feature more than 200 presentations on
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Quick Reads
COP 17 Climate Change Agreement in Durban: the Politics of Compromise In a last-minute deal reached on December 11, 2011 at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Durban, South Africa, governments decided to adopt a universal legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible, but not later than
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Canada
Overview of Canadian Environmental Law Canadian law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP has issued Blakes Guide to Environmental Law in Canada, an introductory summary of the principal laws and regulations of Canadian environmental law. The guide also provides an overview of environmental law in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia. Chapters include Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) Canadian
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Favorites
The Auditor’s Conundrum in Reporting EHS Violations This article discusses the conundrum faced by an environmental auditor who is retained by his client to perform an audit. During the audit, the consultant uncovers certain serious environmental violations that clearly pose imminent harm to the public and the environment. What are this auditor’s duties to report? Case Study Consider this likely scenario. An
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