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Mission
Statement
The
mission of Global Warming Initiatives is to assist businesses in turning
energy efficiency and environmental performance into a corporate asset while reducing
global warming. GWI also aims to educate members of the community with
the hope that they will carry these initiatives throughout their lives.
Objectives
- Encourage the immediate
reduction of GHG emissions in the industrial sector through a comprehensive
set of cost-effective
actions.
- Facilitate
communication between business leaders and environmentalists by
promoting cost saving environmentally friendly technologies.
- Change the way
organization's view and manage environmental performance by demonstrating the economic
and productivity gains associated with “lean and
clean” manufacturing.
- Foster
innovation
by allowing participants to identify the actions that make the most sense for their organizations.
- Annually report the result of
business's actions to EPA and DOE to be shared with others.
- Raise
awareness of energy efficiency as a pressing issue by educating the public
through seminars, campaigns, newsletters, and school system
outreach for grades K-12.
- Track
energy/environment related legislation on both the state and
national level and become a source of information for both
legislators and members of the community.
History
In
1994, the U.S. EPA, in conjunction with the U.S. DOE, launched a pilot
program, known as Climate Wise,
a voluntary initiative aimed at encouraging efficient energy
consumption and emission reduction among industry as a method of
increasing corporate assets. Under the administration of James Haven,
North Carolina became nationally recognized as the leader in the reporting
of GHG emissions for the U.S. Due to federal budget cuts, the pilot
program ended in 2000, with no further support to the states. This
funding was then contracted for North Carolina State University (NCSU)
to continue with the current 25 reporting companies (a total of 43
facilities were reporting). Subsequently, to balance the State budget,
the State elected to discontinue supporting the efforts established
through the Climate Wise program. NCSU cancelled the program on June
30, 2002 with the 43 facility reports only half completed. This left
the company year-end reports in turmoil.
With
the need for this program already established and major enhancements
coming, the decision was made by James Haven to continue the 43
reports. This reporting cycle was concluded in November 2002. At this
time a new program was put together at a DOE / VRGG workshop in
Washington D.C., with the assistance of GWI's CED, James Haven. The
program was transformed into a non-profit organization with the
intentions of improving environmental performance of industries
throughout the State of North Carolina along with their corporate
facilities in other States. Global
Warming Initiatives (GWI) was formed on January 6, 2003.
In
2002, each of the corporations reporting wanted to continue reporting
and keep the “Continuous Reporting” aspect current. They
would continue to support GWI financially to maintain this aspect of
reporting to DOE-EIA database. This was fine until the economy declined
and sites were closing, layoffs, overseas competition, etc. led to the
downsizing of intangible, non-mandated reporting. As a result
GWI’s financials and reporting corporations dropped to one
company, Meridian Specialty Yarn Group (Valdese Manufacturing) was the
only one completing DOE-EIA VRGG reporting with certified emissions
reductions in 1Q2010.
At
the end of 2009, EPA suspended the Climate Leaders program and at the
end of the 1Q2010 DOE suspended the Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases Program (VRGG). This program closed just after completing the
Meridian submission.
While
GWI is waiting for a new mandated program related to energy/pollution
efficiencies, efforts are being made to keep GWI,s Clients aware of the
efficiency programs offered to them by GWI.
In
2007, James Haven was contacted by the Thermonomics program to become a
distributor to this product. They attended GWI’s presentation at
the World Energy Engineering Congress and then contacted GWI to work
with them. GWI assisted them in organizing their outreach to present a
way for any application of the HVAC/R refrigerant cycle to obtain
15-25% reduction in the cost of operating the system. This with a one
year average or less payback and the extension of end of life by
approx. two years.
In
2011, GWI was investigating the best way to become a distributor and
whether it would come under
GWI as a non-profit organization or would we have to create another
company as a for profit venture.
At
present, YE2011, we are in the process of finalizing this decision and
entertaining the name of “ThermoYield”
as the name of the new venture.
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