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DEJA SHOE (A)
Deja, Inc. was founded by Julie Lewis to create markets for recycled materials through footwear. Supported by former Nike and Avia executives and venture capital, the company developed shoes from recycled components, though it faced technical challenges with its initial polypropylene fabric. Targeting environmentally conscious consumers, particularly women aged 30-45 and Generation X, Deja entered the fragmented casual footwear market with a premium pricing strategy. Despite high production costs and a complex global supply chain involving material sourcing in North America, Europe, and Japan and assembly in Asia, the company gained significant traction with major retailers and green stores due to its innovative sustainable concept.
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Document type: Case study
REINVENTING THE WHEELS
The report proposes the 'Hypercar', an ultralight hybrid-electric vehicle that combines synthetic composite materials with hybrid propulsion to increase fuel efficiency by up to ten times compared to standard cars. It argues that the current 'Iron Age' approach of incremental steel-car refinements is obsolete and that the U.S. must transition to agile, low-capital manufacturing using moldable composites to maintain global competitiveness. The authors suggest that government mandates, such as California's ZEV requirements, and market-based 'feebates' can accelerate this transition, which would reduce oil dependency and environmental impact while fostering industrial renewal.
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Document type: Report
AT&T ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY
The document outlines a pedagogical approach to teaching Total Quality Environmental Management (TQEM) using AT&T as a primary example. It details the use of process flow diagrams to identify risks associated with hazardous substances like 1,1,1 trichloroethane (TCA) and perchloroethylene (PERC), and discusses various measurement frameworks for environmental performance, including scientific data, management data, and systems assessment tools like the GEMI Self-Assessment Program.
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Document type: Guide
BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A)
The document details the challenges facing the German vehicle recycling industry, specifically the rise of Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) due to increased plastic use in cars. It outlines a draft policy from the German Environment Ministry (BMU) that would mandate a 'take-back' system for used vehicles. BMW, while having established programs for remanufacturing high-value components and production waste recovery, must decide whether to fight the regulation, build its own national infrastructure, or collaborate with existing dismantlers, while also considering the integration of recycled polymers into its luxury vehicle line.
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Document type: Case study
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT(PATENT PENDING)
The document analyzes the tension between the push for stronger international intellectual property (IP) protections—led primarily by the United States through GATT, NAFTA, and 'Special 301' actions—and the needs of developing countries for technology transfer and fair compensation for biological resources. It explores how IP rights can act as both a potential barrier to the dissemination of environmentally sound technologies and a possible incentive for sustainable innovation. Specifically, it discusses the conflict surrounding the Convention on Biological Diversity, where the US refused to sign due to concerns that 'fair and equitable' sharing of biotechnology benefits would undermine IP rights. The author concludes that while IP monopolies can increase costs for poorer nations, they are not inherently inimical to environmental protection and may actually encourage the development of green technologies.
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Document type: Research paper
Least-Cost Climatic Stabilization
The paper asserts that most global warming can be abated at negative net cost by replacing inefficient resource use with advanced technologies in energy, farming, and forestry. It details specific potentials for saving electricity and oil, argues for a 'best buys first' investment strategy to avoid opportunity costs, and proposes market-based implementation techniques such as 'feebates' and 'negawatts'. The authors emphasize that these measures support global equity and development, particularly in the USSR and developing nations, while providing significant co-benefits in environmental protection and security.
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Document type: Research paper
Why America beat Iraq but Loses to Japan
The document draws a parallel between the U.S. military's success in the Gulf War and Japan's success in high-technology trade, attributing both to 'time-based competitive strategy'. It explains Colonel John Boyd's OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) as the theoretical framework for this approach, which emphasizes speed, flexibility, and the reduction of 'friction'. The author contends that while the U.S. military successfully transitioned from attrition-based to maneuver-based warfare, U.S. industry remains mired in rigid, top-heavy bureaucracies and mass production. This disparity has led to a critical dependence on Japanese components for U.S. weapons systems and a decline in American economic security. The report recommends federal investment in advanced manufacturing R&D, worker retraining, and infrastructure to revitalize the U.S. industrial base.
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Document type: Report
AMERICA'S ENERGY CHOICES
The report analyzes four energy scenarios for the US up to 2030: a Reference case, a Market case, an Environmental case, and a Climate Stabilization case. It finds that shifting toward efficiency and renewables can lead to net economic savings of up to $2.3 trillion and dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions. The authors propose a comprehensive policy framework based on harnessing market forces, establishing efficiency standards, and increasing R&D investment to move the US away from its current reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
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Document type: Report
ENERGY POLICY STATEMENT: A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) calls for a decisive U.S. energy policy to address global warming, urban air pollution, and economic competitiveness. The primary recommendation is to prioritize energy efficiency through tax strategies, such as a carbon dioxide tax and phased-in gasoline taxes, and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies. The report also advocates for stimulating renewable energy sources, halting deforestation, and leading international efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, including a total phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
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Document type: Report
CLIMATE-HEALTH MESSAGES BUILD SUPPORT FOR CLIMATE ACTION
The study demonstrates that health-related climate messages are twice as likely to shift public attitudes compared to non-health messages across four countries. While a high baseline of concern for climate change exists globally, specific health themes—such as extreme heat, food and water insecurity, and children's health—consistently increase demand for urgent government action and policy support. The report emphasizes that the most impactful health messages vary by country, suggesting that communications should be tailored to local public health priorities to maximize effectiveness.
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Document type: Report
Online Appendix: Full results of the report Climate-health messages engender support for climate action
The appendix details the effects of various health-related messages on public perception of climate change, concern levels, and support for specific climate policies in four countries. It uses a scoring system to identify which messages most effectively increase the salience of climate change and support for mitigation efforts.
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Document type: Report
Europe on Fire: Wave 9 of the Global Tracker of Public Opinion
The report finds that while global attitudes toward climate change remain largely stable, there is a distinct increase in concern and perceived impact within Europe, where salience rose in France, Italy, and Spain, and more people reported noticing heatwaves and droughts.
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Document type: Report
How Big Carbon uses disinformation to sabotage climate action, and how we stop them
The report argues that 'Big Carbon' (fossil fuel and agribusiness) and 'Big Tech' collaborate to create a 'false social reality' that makes the vast majority of people who support climate action feel like a minority. It details a history of obstruction, from the 1959 warnings to oil executives to the 2009 'Climategate' hack-and-leak attack, and analyzes modern digital tactics used to sabotage UN COPs. The document highlights specific disinformation trends in Brazil leading up to COP30, including the use of generative AI to create fake flood imagery. It concludes by proposing structural solutions such as the EU's Digital Services Act, greenwashing laws in France, and the Global Initiative on Information Integrity on Climate Change (GIIICC).
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Document type: Report
Como as grandes empresas de carbono usam a desinformação para sabotar as ações climáticas — e como podemos impedi-las
The report details the strategies used by carbon-intensive industries and big tech to obstruct climate policies through disinformation, polarising narratives, and digital 'distortion mirrors'. It highlights specific cases in Brazil, the historical impact of the 'Climagate' scandal, and the systemic role of social media platforms in creating a 'false social reality' that makes the majority of people who support climate action feel like a minority. The document advocates for structural solutions, such as the Global Initiative for Climate Change Information Integrity (GIIICC) and legislative measures like the EU's Digital Services Act, to protect the information environment ahead of COP30.
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Document type: Report
Global Health Professionals Call for Transition Away from Coal
Health professionals from 30 countries call on G7 nations to phase out coal power to reduce air pollution and climate-related health risks. The document highlights that coal plants release sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury, contributing to millions of premature deaths and significant healthcare costs. It advocates for renewable energy and energy efficiency as viable alternatives, noting successful phase-outs in regions like Ontario and the UK.
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Document type: Statement
A Plan to Enhance Energy Efficiency by Harmonizing Federal Energy Efficiency Programs
The report argues that the current fragmented system of mandatory standards, voluntary labeling, and energy guides creates marketplace confusion. It recommends replacing the binary ENERGY STAR system and the FTC Energy Guide with a unified, multi-tiered 'bin' or 'star' rating system (one to four stars) to better differentiate 'best in class' products. Additionally, it suggests modifying the 'rebuttable presumption' for economic justification of standards to be based on a percentage of an appliance's service life rather than a flat three-year period, granting DOE authority for 'smart grid' requirements, and mandating that federal procurement focus on top-tier (three or four star) products to drive market scale and lower costs.
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Document type: Report
2020_sipa_zero-carbon-shipping-ff0601c636cfdb0f.pdf
The report examines the transition of global shipping to zero-carbon fuels, specifically hydrogen and ammonia. It identifies a 'chicken-and-egg' dilemma where infrastructure investment depends on demand, and demand depends on supply. The analysis evaluates several major ports—including Rotterdam, Jebel Ali, Los Angeles, Houston, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong—based on their trade connectivity, technological capacity for fuel production, and policy support. It concludes that while blue hydrogen is currently the most realistic large-scale production pathway, green hydrogen is promising in regions with cheap renewables like the UAE and Australia. The report recommends establishing trans-oceanic coalitions, partnering fuel suppliers with shipping companies along major trade routes, and leveraging public finance to de-risk infrastructure investments.
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Document type: Report
EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy: An opportunity to champion innovative clean energy generation pathways
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) advocates for the European Commission to prioritize next-generation geothermal technologies—such as Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS), closed-loop systems (Advanced Geothermal Systems), and superhot rock systems—within the EU Action Plan on Geothermal Energy. These technologies, which access heat from deeper and hotter crustal layers (above 374°C), offer higher energy density and can be deployed more widely than traditional geothermal energy. CATF recommends a bold R&D agenda, the establishment of financial risk-sharing mechanisms via the European Investment Bank, the creation of a standardized permitting template based on Germany's Geothermal Acceleration Law, and the development of an EU-wide geothermal data repository to attract private capital and accelerate deployment by the early 2030s.
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Document type: Statement
Clean Air Task Force Recommendations for the EU SMR Strategy
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that while SMRs are critical for the EU's 2050 climate neutrality goal, current frameworks are inadequate. The proposed roadmap includes: (I) a dedicated EU SMR Strategy to ensure technology neutrality; (II) streamlining State Aid approvals to a six-month limit and adopting diverse financing models like Regulated Asset Base (RAB) and Mankala; and (III) coordinating international finance via the European Investment Bank (EIB). CATF emphasizes the need for 'fast mover' technology selection to achieve economies of scale, noting that factory-based construction could reduce costs by 20–25% and delivery times by 50%. The brief also highlights a significant workforce gap, estimating a need for 180,000–250,000 new professionals by 2050.
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Document type: Policy brief
Microsoft Word - Appendix 1.doc
The document details the methodology for calculating SO2 control costs, estimates the health and monetary benefits of a tighter emission cap alternative (CATF 16) compared to the EPA's IAQR, and argues that sufficient boilermaker labor exists to implement these controls by 2010.
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Document type: Report