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Researchers from Harvard University published a study that analyzes the economic and public health benefits of implementing a U.S. power plant carbon standard similar to the Clean Power Plan. The study estimates that a U.S. power plant carbon standard could bring net benefits close to $38 billion annually.

This infographic summarizes the findings of a recent statewide survey, commissioned by Xylem, Inc., which revealed that California residents are supportive of the use of recycled water, that they do not view the use of recycled water as a short-term fix to the state's 5-year drought, and that education is a key component in bolstering public support for recycled water use. 

San Francisco just took a major step to save the environment. The city's Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance to ban the sale of polystyrene - more commonly known by its brand-name "styrofoam" - on Tuesday. It's the broadest ban on the product in the country, according to Mother Jones. "The science is clear," London Breed, Board of Supervisors president, said in a statement in April. "This stuff is an environmental and public health pollutant, and we have to reduce its use." Starting January 1, 2017, vendors will no longer be able to sell polystyrene products, from food packaging and coffee cups to packing peanuts and pool toys, according to Science Alert. And starting July 1, styrofoam fish and meat trays in supermarkets will also be banned.

In its proposal to host the 2024 Olympic games, the Paris bid committee proposed a plan that would cut the event's carbon emissions by more than 50% compared with the last two Olympic games. It involves providing public or shared transportation for all game spectators and housing most athletes less than 30 minutes from their events.

Of all available air pollution control technologies, wet scrubbing remains the most cost effective and versatile, reports Pollution Engineering. Techniques for wet scrubbing typically remove more than 99 percent of air particulate matter and remove aerosols less than 3 µm, the industry publication reports.

Post Foods, which will roll out a non-GMO verified Grape Nuts in January 2014, has become the second food company this month to cave to pressure from an environmental group and the public and stop using genetically modified ingredients in a cereal.

The iPhone maker's master plan features extensive green space, aggressive water conservation and one of the largest corporate solar arrays in the world.

The poor air quality on Dec. 6 also caused the Shanghai government to issue the highest level of public health warning as the Chinese city's pollution index ranged between 23 times and 31 times the recommended levels.

A businessman whose company kidnapped and violently assaulted environmentalists investigating illegal logging in a national park is set to earn millions of dollars from Thursday's initial public offering of Sawit Sumbermas Sarana, a palm oil company with holdings in Indonesian Borneo. Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1211-ssms-ipo.html#UUOhVkZxx6UTk8Rp.99

GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) announced this week that McDonald's USA is the newest participant in its How2Recycle Label Program. A member of the SPC since 2005, McDonald's is the first national restaurant chain to join How2Recycle, a program dedicated to clearly and consistently communicating recyclability to the public.

Green is upping its fashion game. In the latest move linking the young and chic to sustainability, the world's two largest fashion brands -- H&M and Zara -- have agreed to partner with nonprofit Canopy, backing its "Fashion Loved By Forest" campaign, an effort to rid rayon and viscose clothing of all traces of ancient and endangered forests.

Tropical dry forests make up nearly half the world's tropical forests and support people and iconic wildlife, just as their humid counterparts do. But they have yet to capture the attention of the public or policymakers as the world's rainforests have, putting them at risk of mismanagement and overexploitation.

Chicago is using a data-driven energy benchmarking system to monitor its buildings' energy use and emissions, helping officials make targeted improvements and boost energy efficiency. Boulder, Colo., meanwhile, has implemented America's first carbon tax, raising $1.8 million a year for energy efficiency and public transit projects.

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") today announced publication of the first-ever 'Sustainable Palm Oil Sourcing Guidelines' (the "Guidelines"). This publicly available document is an important step in helping the consumer goods and retail industries to achieve zero net deforestation by 2020, as outlined in the CGF's Deforestation Resolution. 

Delta Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines have all banned big-game trophies from their cargo holds after the public outcry regarding the illegal killing of Cecil, a beloved lion, at the hands of a Minnesota man. Hunting advocates say their pastime is needed to fund conservation in Africa and warn that the backlash could lead to a sharp reduction in lion populations. "Through the sales of hunting licenses, equipment, tags, and so on, sportsmen contribute $2.9 billion every year for conservation," according to Olivia Nalos Opre, co-host of a hunting-themed TV show. BBC (8/4), FoxNews.com (8/4) 

Public relations firm Edelman, in an internal note, says it will no longer do business with producers of coal or organizations that seek to discredit climate change. "When you are trying in some way to obfuscate the truth or use misinformation and half-truths, that is what we would consider getting into the work of greenwashing, and that is something we would never propose or work we would support our client doing," said Michael Stewart, president and CEO for Europe. 

The 17 Global Goals (also known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) launched late last month by the United Nations (UN) aim to achieve three main objectives in the next 15 years: end extreme poverty; fight inequality and injustice; and tackle climate change. Since the launch, various companies and leaders have pledged to do their part to achieve the goals; now, the latest push is to build worldwide public awareness of the goals through various efforts to "tell everyone" (#TellEveryone), including support from scores of celebrities:

Pulverizing ill-gotten ivory at public "ivory crushes" constitutes an important step toward saving endangered elephants. 

I:CO launched its first ever I:CO City initiative with the city of San Francisco earlier this year. The launch creates a public, private and nonprofit infrastructure to make it convenient and rewarding for residents and businesses to recycle textile related items. In alignment with San Francisco's goal of zero waste by 2020, I:CO will serve as the lead textile collection and processing partner to divert waste from landfill and give it new life.

The Port of Long Beach was named the world's Best Green Seaport this week at the 28th annual Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards in Shanghai by Chinese trade publication Cargonews Asia.