On September 10, SP member Adam Westerdale, CEO, Aevitas Specialty Services, participated in the 2012 Michigan Works! Annual Conference which was opened by Hilda L. Solis, United States Secretary of Labor. In her opening remarks,Secretary Solis referenced Aevitas' success story and its collaborations with programs like Michigan Works! and E3 in working to open its new facility in downtown Detroit. Read Secretary Solis' remarks here.

This summer, Chrysler Group LLC partnered with United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM) to join in the fight against childhood hunger and raise awareness for underused summer meal programs throughout Detroit metro area communities. A variety of employee-supported initiatives, including volunteering at local food pantries, company and community food drives, and community summer food program events, served up more than 100,000 summer meals for hungry children. More Information.

DENSO Corporation has developed a Cold Storage (CS) Evaporator, which limits the increase in vehicle cabin temperature during an idle stop when stop/start technology is employed. The newly developed CS Evaporator is equipped with a cold insulator, located in the heat exchanging area, which stores cold energy to be used to cool in-vehicle cabin air while the engine and air-conditioning cycle is off in the idle-stop state. More Information.   

 

Federal-Mogul Corporation has developed a new coated diesel piston that reduces frictional losses in both light and heavy duty engine applications. This innovation improves fuel economy, CO2 emissions, noise and refinement; all factors that are especially important to commercial vehicle engine designers and fleet operators. More Information.

 

Ford's third-generation hybrid system, which replaces nickel-metal-hydride batteries with new lighter, more efficient lithium-ion batteries, could reduce the company's use of expensive, less-abundant rare earth metals by up to 500,000 pounds a year.  More Information.  

  

An army of 10,000 Ford employees, retirees and dealers set their sights on more than 200 community projects on six continents for the seventh annual Ford Global Week of Caring. The volunteers repair schools in Australia and South Africa, organize an anti-litter rally in India, construct community water projects in China and Thailand, install water desalinization equipment in Indonesia and build barn owl boxes on coastal marshes in the U.K.  More Information.    

 

General Motors was named a Green Corporate Citizen for its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. The recognition by Waste & Recycling News and Republic Services in the large company category came at the annual Corporate Recycling & Waste Conference. Pictured Right: GM Waste-Reduction Manager John Bradburn accepts the Green Corporate Citizen award on Sept. 12, 2012, at the Corporate Waste & Recycling Conference in Orlando. More Information.

 

Leftover sound absorbing material from production of Chevrolet Malibu and Buick Verano sedans is being used by the homeless to create their own self-heated, waterproof coats that transform into sleeping bags. Automotive supplier GDC makes the coat insulation material exclusively from the leftover scrap, reprocessing it for reuse. GM donated 2,000 yards of material, enough to make 400 coats. More Information.

  

Over the past year, researchers at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have been working on a new Air Maintenance Technology application that can aid in fuel savings and CO2 reductions while potentially improving performance and eliminating need for external inflation pressure intervention. More Information. 

 

The first film in Honda's Environmental Short Film series, Paint by Numbers, tells the story of how Honda engineer Shubho Bhattacharya was inspired to develop technology to reduce the energy needed to operate the auto body-painting system at Honda's manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio. With the help of his fellow associates, Bhattacharya conceived Honda's Intelligent Paint Technology, which has cut Honda's North American manufacturing CO2 emissions by about 10,000 metric tons per year. More Information.  

 

In an ongoing effort to be "a company that society wants to exist," American Honda Motor Co, Inc. announced its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Statement for North America and the launch of a complementary Corporate Social Responsibility website. The Corporate Social Responsibility website will showcase Honda's efforts and dedication through four main pillars - environment, diversity, community, and education-- as well as a section detailing "what we believe." More Information.  

 

Hyundai Motor Group signed a memorandum of understanding with University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Davis to establish the 'Hyundai Center of Excellence.' The MOU ceremony launches the first collaboration project in Hyundai's larger R&D joint research and professional development program, called 'Hyundai R&D Global Frontier.' This long-range program is designed to strengthen Hyundai Motor Group's fundamental R&D competency by working with the world's leading universities and companies.  More Information.  

 

Johnson Controls announced its inclusion on both the World and North America Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) for 2012. This is the eighth consecutive year Johnson Controls has been named to both DJSI indexes. More Information.    

     

Johnson Controls has been recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for its approach to the disclosure of climate change information. For the fourth year, Johnson Controls is featured in CDP's "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index." More Information.   

  

DEKRA Certification, Inc. (DCI) conducted a dual-phase certification audit of the Energy Management System (EnMS) of Nissan North America Smyrna, TN plant.  Based on the audit results, DCI has issued a Superior Energy Performance (SEP) certificate, which includes ISO 50001 for energy management systems.  Nissan North America achieved the silver level of SEP certification by improving energy performance by more than 5 percent during the three-year period after establishing an energy baseline. More Information.  

 

TestAmerica has entered into a strategic alliance with Microseeps, a nationally recognized leader in the development of specialized analytical methods to support monitored natural attenuation and other in-situ remediation techniques. Through this alliance, TestAmerica will be able to provide full-service NELAP certified analysis for volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, metal and a wide assortment of inorganic compounds via wet chemistry methods in addition to the full suite of specialty testing analysis. More Information.  

 

SP Member Companies Recognized at Alabama E3 Sustainability Conference 

 

At the first Alabama E3 - Economy, Energy, and Environment - Sustainability Conference this August two SP member companies received awards for their achievements in the Alabama E3 program.

 

 

The E3 Environment Award was awarded to SP member Electricfil. The automotive supplier of electronic sensors was recognized for their advancement toward zero landfill. Electricfil has managed to reduce their waste disposal by 97% through material changes, generating less waste and by recycling materials both internally and through partners.

 

SP member Johnson Controls' Cottondale manufacturing plant received the E3 Energy Award. The company reduced their energy usage based on the results of their Alabama E3 assessment and had the highest implementation rate of the original 32 companies assessed. The company also performed additional energy events to cross train employees in energy reduction opportunities to find extra savings.

 Read more about the Alabama E3 Sustainability Conference and Awards.

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