03Nov
Filed in Economy | Education | Politics
Voters in Colorado overwhelmingly stayed away from the polls, I mean mail boxes, this election season and those who mailed a ballot certainly were not up for tax increases. The day after Colorado’s governor included additional cuts of $160 per K-12 student in his budget request to the state legislature’s joint budget committee, voters defeated almost all district increases, along with Proposition 103, the only state-wide tax issue on any ballot in the US.
Proposition 103 was neither perfect nor a long-term solution. It was criticized by groups on both sides of the tax issue. Some said it was anti-business, while others thought it over-taxed those least able to afford it. For some it was too big, and others did not like that it lasted only five years.
Perhaps the perfect got in the way of what Senator Rollie Heath proposed as a “band-aid” to help schools through the next few years, while Colorado legislators address the structural gap in Colorado’s tax code. I ask one simple, but difficult question, “Where does that leave Colorado schools now?”
Source: Education News Colorado
After peaking in 2009-2010, a year where Colorado ranked 40th in state funding for K-12, Colorado has cut funding by 2.6% in 2010-2011 and by an additional 4.6% in 2011-2012. Additional cuts are a certainty for the 2012-2013 school year.
Fees must continue to go up. More schools will be looking at going to shorter weeks. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that far and away the largest portion of a school district’s budget goes to compensation and benefits to teachers. With dollars per student going down, at some point compensation to teachers on a per student basis must also decline.
Unless…
Unless you and I do something about it. If you believe funding for schools in Colorado is too low and you can help, then I challenge you to do so. If you supported Proposition 103, then calculate the additional taxes you would be paying and give that to the school or schools of your choice. A friend told me they were voting against 103 because they wanted to directly fund our local schools. I hope they will and suggest you do the same. Another person told me they did not like the regressive nature of Prop 103. Well, they can make it as progressive as they like. Let’s join together, support our schools, and get Colorado moving forward.
19May
Filed in Economy | Philanthropy | Responsibility
When steel baron Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, then the fifth richest man in the world and the richest Indian, was asked at a media interaction in Mumbai about his views on philanthropy, he had a simple answer. “I am too young for charity,” he said. That was in 2006 and Mittal was 55. One year later, it was the turn of his son Aditya, a Wharton alumnus and chief financial officer in his father’s empire, to be asked the same question by The Sunday Times of London. Aditya Mittal, then 33, had a slightly different take on the issue. “At some point I may want to do something completely different, like dedicate my life to philanthropy,” he said. His plan is to establish a string of health centers in India to reduce infant mortality. Father and son may be based in London now, but when Mittal Jr. gets into giving, it won’t be long distance. Continue Reading
Article source: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4597
CSR, responsibility
16Apr
Filed in Economy | Education | Kids | Sustainability
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – About 200 middle school students from across New Mexico competed in an annual green car building competition, using only hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors.
The Albuquerque Public School district hosted the 5th annual Schools Teaching About Resource Sustainability, or STARS, program at Wilson Middle School to teach the importance of finding sustainable sources of energy and reducing society’s dependence on oil.
More than 30 student teams built model cars using materials, such as styrofoam, wood, CDs and legos.
The technology is fairly simple, according to APS energy conservation coordinator Ron Rioux. A chemical reaction separates hydrogen from oxygen in water. The hydrogen then produces electricity to fuel the car.
“If we use the hydrogen, instead of pollution coming from our mufflers, it’s going to be water vapor which is just going to continue the water cycle,” said Mario Martinez, sixth grader at James H. Rodriguez Elementary School in Espanola.
With the increasing cost of gas, experts think hydrogen-fueled cars are the way to go.
“It’s reality right now,” said Rioux.
Major car companies are currently developing their hydrogen powered models, but these green-energy cars don’t come cheap. Toyota expects to release its model by 2015, priced around $50,000.
“You’re running on distilled water and solar panels that are producing the electricity, so how much is it over the life of the car is what you have to look at,” said Rioux. “It’s a matter of cost and making that cost come down.”
The entire program lasted a few weeks and cost about $1,500. PNM, Sandia Labs and Los Alamos Labs foot the bill for the projects.
Article source: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/education/kids-build-green-energy-cars
sustainability
30Mar
Filed in Economy | Responsibility | Social | Sustainability
A new in-depth study about the economic and social impact of Coca-Cola and SABMiller’s value chains on communities in El Salvador and Zambia highlights links between International Business and Poverty Reduction.
According to Global Compact, the report is based on a poverty footprint methodology developed by Oxfam that provides a framework for measuring private sector impacts on communities. The methodology looks across value chains to provide a comprehensive understanding of how companies are impacting sustainable livelihoods, health and well-being, diversity and gender, empowerment, and security and stability, all key dimensions of poverty. The report details positive impacts The Coca-cola Company and SABMiller are having in both countries, including job creation, the development of entrepreneurial skills and technical training. The report also includes recommendations for workplace improvements, along with improvements in areas such as gender, water and opportunities for small businesses. Continue Reading
Article source: http://finchannel.com/news_flash/Corporate_Social_Responsibility/84203_New_Report_Sheds_Light_on_Poverty_Footprint_of_Corporate_Value_Chains_/
CSR, responsibility
09Mar
Filed in Colorado | Economy | Finance | Social | Sustainability
The University of Denver’s Center for Colorado’s Economic Future has been asked to perform the first review of Colorado’s tax and spending structure since the 1950s. In the first phase of their study, they looked at the General Fund expenses and anticipated revenue amounts based on a strong near term recovery followed by historical average growth through FY 2024-25. The findings are eye opening.
13Jan
Filed in Economy | Education | Politics | Responsibility
Yes, comprehensive immigration reform would be a better way to go. Reform, which would provide a way for illegal immigrants living in the US today to move toward a consistent and legal status is very important. And, ideally, this would be written in a way that would put those who have acted legally at the front of the line, ahead of those who have acted illegally. Yet, this is not going to happen anytime soon.
Therefore, it is up to the Congress of the United States to take action where common ground across both parties can be found. Providing a way for the youth of America, who ended up here illegally, through no action of their own, to work toward and gain legal US permanent residency must be close to the top of this list. The DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill written nine years ago, does this by offering those who go to a four-year college college for two years or serve for two years in our military the opportunity to gain conditional US permanent residency. This applies to about 65,000 kids each year. We have invested in educating these youth and they have invested in our country and our culture. The act has the support of the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the US Chamber of Commerce. It is good for business, good for our military, good for our country, and a good incentive for those willing to work and earn their way toward him permanent legal status in the United States. Continue Reading
27Oct
Filed in Economy | Environment | Management | Responsibility | Social
The Economist’s Schumpeter columnist calls out some of the unintended consequences of NGOs and government regulations in his piece on “The Case for Business in Developing Economies”, a new book by Ann Bernstein.
Ann Bernstein, the head of a South African think-tank called the Centre for Development and Enterprise, thinks that advocates of corporate social responsibility (CSR) tend to miss this point. In her new book, “The Case for Business in Developing Economies”, she stresses the ways companies benefit society simply by going about their normal business. In a free and competitive market, firms profit by selling goods or services to willing customers. To stay in business, they must offer lower prices or higher quality than their competitors. Those that fail disappear. Those that succeed spread prosperity. Shareholders receive dividends. Employees earn wages.
I have not read it, but for those doing business in the developing world, it seems to bring to light some important problems and issues.
Many of these unintended outcomes are created when the short term needs of a community are overlooked while pursuing the ultimate vision. Just as government officials and NGO leaders can get too focused on that long term vision, corporate leaders must not become too focused on short term gain and lose sight of long term value. Sustainability for the corporate operations often drive decisions which are in lock step with sustainability for customers, suppliers, employees, natural resources and shareholders.
Ms. Bernstein would like to see more and better coverage of the benefits jobs bring to developing countries’ communities. Today companies spend their time and effort where it does the most good, lobbying the rules makers. Changes will come as customers begin choosing products based on more than style and price.
30Aug
Filed in Economy | Energy | Environment
With the failure of Cap and Trade Legislation to even begin a healthy debate, the US seems more poised for a Carbon Tax than ever. Seen my many as a far simpler method to cut emissions, a tax avoids both the advantages and complexities of a market designed to cut emissions at the lowest cost. More importantly, it converts the regulators emission limits or caps from an outright declaration to one where the tax rate will need be set (along with the necessary legislative pork) to a price that gets the job done quickly, fairly and with minimal economic impact.
23Aug
Filed in Economy | Education
Even if competition could coax better performance, would it be enough? Consider a bar graph presented at a recent talk on teaching, displaying the number of Americans in different professions. The shortest bar, all the way on the right, represented architects: 180,000. Farther over, slightly higher, came psychologists 185,000 and then lawyers 952,000, followed by engineers 1.3 million and waiters 1.8 million. On the left side of the graph, the top three: janitors, maids and household cleaners 3.3 million; secretaries 3.6 million; and, finally, teachers 3.7 million.
Yes, the numbers are staggering and money alone can’t do it. Can we afford not to do what we can to drive better performance?
via Building a Better Teacher – NYTimes.com.
17May
Filed in Economy | Efficiency | Energy | Environment | GHG | GRI | Social | Sustainability
I just received my GRI G3 reporting certification from the course I took last week. The course was delivered in Colorado for the first time due to the efforts of CORE with support from Deloitte. Lead, out of Canada, provided the training based on materials from the Global Reporting Initiative.
The instructor was well informed, as were the 26 attendees. Lively discussion, along with some good and some not so good exercises provided us all with a great understanding of the G3 framework and the processes companies should put in place to engage stakeholders, prioritize initiatives, disclose results, share goals and increase sustainability through management processes and transparency.
Global Reporting Initiative
The Sustainability Reporting Framework – of which the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are the cornerstone – provides guidance for organizations to disclose their sustainability performance. It is applicable to organizations of any size or type, and from any sector or geographic region, and has been used by thousands of organizations worldwide as the basis for their sustainability reporting.
Efficiency, Energy, Environment, GHG, governance, GRI
04Feb
Filed in Economy | Energy | Environment | Finance | GHG | GRI | Politics | Responsibility | Sustainability | Transparency
Surprising no one, the SEC released interpretive guidance on the presentation of global climate change risks last week.
Specifically, the SEC’s interpretative guidance highlights the following areas as examples of where climate change may trigger disclosure requirements:
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Impact of Legislation and Regulation: When assessing potential disclosure obligations, a company should consider whether the impact of certain existing laws and regulations regarding climate change is material. In certain circumstances, a company should also evaluate the potential impact of pending legislation and regulation related to this topic.
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Impact of International Accords: A company should consider, and disclose when material, the risks or effects on its business of international accords and treaties relating to climate change.
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Indirect Consequences of Regulation or Business Trends: Legal, technological, political and scientific developments regarding climate change may create new opportunities or risks for companies. For instance, a company may face decreased demand for goods that produce significant greenhouse gas emissions or increased demand for goods that result in lower emissions than competing products. As such, a company should consider, for disclosure purposes, the actual or potential indirect consequences it may face due to climate change related regulatory or business trends.
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change: Companies should also evaluate for disclosure purposes the actual and potential material impacts of environmental matters on their business.
Reporting agencies and other groups, such as the Carbon Disclosure Project and Global Reporting Initiative, applauded the move.
04Dec
Filed in Economy | Energy | Environment
The 45th Annual Event Sponsored by the Business Research Division in the Leeds School of Business and BBVA Compass
The annual forecast of the state’s economy includes snapshots from specific counties and regions around the state, as well as updates on international trade, population, labor force and personal income growth, and a general outlook on the national economy.
December 7
Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1750 Welton Street, Denver
1:00 p.m. Welcome by Leeds School and BBVA Compass
1:15 p.m. Colorado economic outlook for 2010
Richard Wobbekind, Economist, Leeds School of Business
John Lymberopoulos, Professor Emeritus, Leeds School of Business
2:00 p.m. Question and answer panel session
2:30 p.m. Keynote address: Nathaniel Karp, Chief U.S. Economist, BBVA Compass
3:15 p.m. Concurrent discussion sessions:
The Future of Uranium, Renewables, and Coal–Impacts on Colorado’s Economy
Moderator and Speaker: Vince Matthews–Colorado Geological Survey
Panel: Jim Burnell–Colorado Geological Survey
Bob Burnham–Wood Mackenzie
Jeff Lyng–Governor’s Energy Office
4:45 p.m. Networking reception
There is no charge for this event. No RSVP is necessary. Download printable postcard invitation.
More info:
Education, Energy, Environment
26Nov
Filed in Colorado | Economy | Energy | Environment
The DOE is investing up to $1.18 million for a project in Boulder, Colo. to upgrade the 100-year-old Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric Project by replacing two older turbines with a single unit. The new turbine is expected to operate at a wider range of flows and higher efficiency ranges, resulting in an increase in annual generation of 11,000 MWh (30% increase).
Along with 6 other projects the DOE is investing $30.6 million to create an additional 187,000 MWh/year, while replacing turbines that are as much as 90 and 100 years old. Clean (cutting 110,00o tons of CO2 emissions/year), cheap (adding generation at less than 4 cents per kWh) and lowering operating and maintenance costs.
Colorado, Efficiency, electricity, Energy
29Jul
Filed in Economy | Energy | Environment | Science
McKinsey and Company’s central conclusion from their U.S. Energy Efficiency report says much about the energy efficiency opportunity in the US:
Energy efficiency offers a vast, low-cost energy resource for the U.S. economy – but only if the nation can craft a comprehensive and innovative approach to unlock it. Significant and persistent barriers will need to be addresses at multiple levels to stimulate demand for energy efficiency and manage its delivery across more than 100 million buildings and literally billions of devices. If executed at scale, a holistic approach would yield gross energy savings worth more than $1.2 trillion, well above the $520 billion needed through 2020 for upfront investment in efficiency measures (not including program costs). Such a program is estimated to reduce end-use energy consumption in 2020 by 9.1 quadrillion BTUs, roughly 23 percent of projected demand, potentially abating up to 1.1 gigatons of green house gases annually.
Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy – McKinsey and Company
effciency, Energy, Environment
14Jun
Filed in Economy | Energy | Environment
2008 proved to be a year of extremes for both the economy and energy around the world. Not surprising since fuel prices are so closely tied to world economic growth and in 2008 one of the longest periods of sustained economic growth can crashing to a halt. This sent record oil prices of $140 per barrel plummeting by more than 70%. See the details in BP Statistical Review of World Energy – June 2009.
Economy, Energy
