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Major food brands, including Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, have recently announced that they're going "natural" by ditching chemical additives, unsustainable palm oil and other potential nasties. The lack of a standardized definition for "natural" product claims will water down the impact of such efforts and make it easier for less conscientious rivals to jump on the bandwagon, writes Nick Stockton. 

Just as it was being called out for using the dirtiest mix of energy among Internet giants, Amazon Web Services  announced this week a deal to build an 80-megawatt solar farm to power its east coast data centers. It will invest $150 million towards construction of a solar farm in Virginia where the majority of its data centers exist - and where the incumbent utility Dominion Virginia relies on fossil fuels for all but 2 percent of its generation. 

As engineers work to find new ways to pull some of the trillions of pieces of plastic trash out of the ocean, companies are coming up with new uses for it. Like soap bottles, surfboards, and now shoes: Adidas just released a new prototype for a sneaker woven entirely out of ocean trash.

Recycling clothes is hard, thanks to mixed materials used to make them and the poor quality of recycled cotton. That's why fast fashion retailer H&M is now offering an annual $1 million prize for winners who can come up with better ways to recycle what we wear.

GE and Siemens have become two of the top wind energy developers in the US, writes analyst Scott Levine. GE turbines accounted for about 60% of the installed wind capacity added in the US last year, and in the first half of 2015, GE secured orders for more than 1,264 turbines. Last year, Siemens added 1,241 MW of installed capacity, or more than a quarter of the US market. Siemens and GE will likely continue to be key players in the US as the cost of wind continues to decline, Levine writes

On September 27, 2015, Paris will go car-free for the first time in the city's history to raise consciousness of its pollution problem and encourage sustainable transportation. City officials worked with the environmental nonprofit Paris Sans Voiture to announce "A Day Without Car," which will turn the French capital into a "pedestrian and bicycle paradise."

Drug manufacturers will be required to fund and manage medication disposal programs, following the US Supreme Court's decision to not hear the pharmaceutical industry's case against a drug take-back law in California.

Conservative estimates of the savings associated with retention project more than $5,000 per year in savings for the foundation.

The Global Initiative for Sustainability Ratings (GISR) has released the 12 core principles it will use for accrediting sustainability ratings worldwide.

Clear Lam's holiday container for Jon B. Sanfilippo and Son's Flavor Tree brand of Limited Edition Premium Dark Chocolate Pretzels marks the debut for its PrimaPak technology that offers flexibility, sustainability and recloseability. The packaging is meant to replace cans, bottles, jars and trays, and offers a weight savings of 70% when compared to plastic jars. It is suited to cookies, chips, cereal, coffee, nuts, sliced fruit and vegetables as well as other products, according to the company

China plans to remove over 5 million vehicles from roads this year for failing to meet new fuel standards designed to reduce smog. The plan calls for removing 330,000 cars from Beijing and 660,000 from the surrounding Hebei province.

Researchers from Northeastern University studied how concrete buildings would fare under "aggressive global warming projections." They found that by 2025, cities could face steep repair bills as the concrete begins to fail. The American Concrete Institute is reviewing its standards for the thickness of concrete as related to climate change.

The world's climate negotiators are in Lima this week for talks that it's hoped could yield a new global accord on tackling climate change. The deal between Beijing and Washington has paved the way for meaningful discussions at the global level, participants say. "The prospects are so much better than they've ever been," said former Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Dell used more than 10 million pounds of post-consumer recycled plastics in its products in FY 2014. For this and other environmental sustainability achievements, Keep America Beautiful has awarded the company with the 2014 Vision For America Award

Amazon Web Services says it will source 100 percent renewable energy for its global infrastructure. The company doesn't give a timeframe for achieving this goal. Read more: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/11/21/amazon-commits-to-100-renewable-energy/#ixzz3LXdAxhVd

At Disney, caring for our planet is at the core of who we are. From the characters and settings of our films, to our parks and wildlife, the beauty of nature has always inspired the many worlds of Disney. We believe that it is our responsibility to preserve this beauty for kids and families by using our resources wisely, and encouraging others to do the same.

Bonaire (pop. 14,500), a small island off the coast of Venezuela, is famous for its beautiful marine reefs, which are visited by 70,000 tourists every year. What many of the tourists don't realize is that the majority of the electricity powering their needs comes from renewable energy. Yet for the residents of Bonaire, the switch from fossil-fueled to renewable energy systems has made a world of difference.

The report, Power Forward 2.0: How American Companies are Setting Clean Energy Targets and Capturing Greater Business Value, shows that clean energy is becoming mainstream For U.S. corporations - with 60 percent of the Fortune 100 having goals For renewable energy or greenhouse gas reductions. Through these initiatives, the 53 Fortune 100 companies reporting on climate and energy targets have collectively saved $1.1 billion annually and decreased their annual CO2 emissions by approximately 58.3 million metric tons - the equivalent of retiring 15 coal-fired power plants.

Transport for London has today (Wednesday 27 August) announced that it is to trial innovative technology that will enable specially designed buses to wirelessly charge their batteries while they wait at bus stands.

Governor Andrew Cuomo celebrated World Elephant Day today by signing into law a bill (A10143/S7890) that will help stop the slaughter of African elephants for their tusks by drying up the nation's largest market for ivory: New York City.