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celsius° reports that the The town of Lyndhurst, N.J. yesterday adopted a precautionary principle Ordinance to guide municipal policy.

Section 22-8.1 of Ordinance 2674 reads,

“The following Precautionary Principle shall be established as the policy of the Township of Lyndhurst: ‘When an activity raises threats of harm to human health, or the environment precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.’ (Wingspread Statement, 1998)” Section 22-8.2 of Ordinance 2674, says, in part,

“a. …The Township of Lyndhurst will utilize the Precautionary Principle to develop laws for a healthier environment. By doing so, the Township will create and maintain a healthy, viable environment for current and future generations, and will become a model of sustainability. The Precautionary Principle is intended as a tool and philosophy to promote environmentally healthy alternatives while removing the negative and often unintended consequences of new
technologies.”

“b. …The Township of Lyndhurst will strive to make decisions based on the least environmentally harmful alternatives in order to provide every resident with an equal right to a healthy and safe environment. This requires that our air, water, soil, and food be of a sufficiently high standard that we can live healthy lives. The precautionary approach to decision-making will help Lyndhurst move beyond fixing environmental ills to preventing the ills before they can do harm.”

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MORE ABOUT THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE >>>

Via EcoGeek >>>

Serious Materials has won Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New” Award in green tech innovation for their eco-friendly drywall called EcoRock.

EcoRock requires 80 percent less energy to produce and cuts CO2 output by 90 percent compared to traditional gypsum-based drywall. The material congeals without heat and no mining is necessary in its production. It uses 85 percent recycled content and is fully recyclable. The company claims it holds up even better than gypsum drywall.

EcoRock is just one of the company’s many green building products like ThermaProof insulated windows and sustainable sound-proof doors. EcoRock costs $14 – $20 per 4×8-foot sheet, about the same as high-end drywall and will be available starting in 2009.

“Many policymakers believe environmental regulations are a win-lose proposition—society benefits from a cleaner environment, but businesses are at an economic disadvantage,” says Darnall. “This research shows it can be a win-win. Companies that develop greener production practices benefit society, and can also green their bottom line.”

According to a post at ScienceDaily Corporations Can Profit From Being Environmentally Friendly

“many policymakers have argued that environmental regulations can negatively impact on an organization’s bottom line, a new study by George Mason University researcher Nicole Darnall shows that companies that develop green production processes can not only offset the costs of regulations, but can also reap further benefits.“

The study showed that businesses can profit by improving their internal production processes to reduce waste, and companies can profit from going green by developing innovative products and technologies for new markets.

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June 12, 2008

U.S., Home Builders Reach $4.3 Million Environmental Settlement

According to a post at environmental leader, four of the nation’s largest home builders have agreed to pay civil penalties totaling $4.3 million to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced.  The article goes on to say that

“In four separate settlements, Centex Homes, KB Home, Pulte Homes, and Richmond American Homes, resolve allegations of storm water run-off violations at construction sites in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

In addition to the fines and as part of the settlements, the companies have agreed to implement company-wide compliance programs that go beyond current regulatory requirements and that will keep 1.2 billion pounds of sediment from polluting that country’s waterways each year, according to the EPA.

Combined, the four builders are among the top ten builders in the US in terms of home sales and revenues.”

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