Environment

While there can be no question that the agreement reached in Paris last week was historic, and by most measures successful, there were those that felt that without having implemented a global carbon tax, it fell short of the mark. These folks, whose numbers include Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein and Greenpeace’s Kumi Naidoo, did not waste any time to seize the moment to come out with a fresh call for a “carbon levy.”

The Morenci Mine in Arizona received a Bat Conservation Action Award from the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), presented in partnership with Bat Conservation International for outstanding bat preservation and education efforts.

Nearly 300 volunteers recently gathered at the Rock Ponds, Tampa Bay’s largest wetland restoration site, to take part in the largest volunteer marsh planting in the history of Tampa Bay. Volunteers planted 40,000 plugs of salt marsh cordgrass to help to restore fish and coastal wildlife habitats and improve water quality in the area. This record-setting event was supported by CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Tampa Bay Watch, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and Hillsborough County.

Prompted by the massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Plant located north of Waco, Texas, in 2013, President Obama has issued Executive Order 13650, Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security (EO 13650).

Wells Fargo & Company selected six additional clean technology startups to join the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), a five-year, $10 million program which is helping accelerate innovative environmental technologies.

Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, earned the New Product of Year Award from School Planning and Management Magazine for the Trane® Sintesis™ family of air-cooled chillers.