User:ReasonsBliss/sandbox

Smile again

SkyLink USA
SkyLink USA is a privately held company that is a leader in providing logistics for unsecure and hostile environments. It’s specialities are in transportation, airport management, and aviation support services. Skylink USA has undertaken humanitarian relief operations to critical war zone activity in 70 different countries in the past 14 years. [1]

SkyLink USA’s Areas of Specialization

Large scale logistics Commercial projects International airport operations and management Aircraft refueling operations Air Delivery / Airdrop of tons of oversized, palletized cargo Large scale passenger movements Humanitarian evacuation flights Humanitarian relief     [1]

SkyLink USA’s Mission

SkyLink USA is committed to accomplishing challenging and life saving initiatives in atypical environments and under unusual circumstances. As providers of unique logistic services around the world, we strive to maintain our ability and reputation as managers of large projects under extreme conditions. [1]

SkyLink USA’s Executives
Surjit Babra

Chairman & President Babra is an immigrant born in India and lived in the UK prior to moving to Canada. Babra started the business as “two room air travel wholesale business.” In 1980, Babra became partners with Walter Arbib and soon after, they obtained their first contract with the UN. [4]

Walter Arbib

CEO Arbib has specialized in creating business opportunities by providing transportation services to political hotspots, areas in need of humanitarian aid, and war zones. [4]

Members of the Board of Directors

Ken Taylor

Ralph E. Lean

Harjit Kalsi

G. Robert Fraser    [4]

SkyLink USA’s Involvement in Iraq War

Skylink USA has entered into contracts with the U.S. government to provide technical experitise to assess and manage airports in Iraq. [2]

As of the year 2007 SkyLink USA has received $27,344,600 from the U.S. Government for it’s work in Iraq. [3]

Social Responsibility Record

For five years the company was suspended from the U.N. as a contractor. It has been charged by the U.N. for malpractices ranging from rigging contracts to committing safety violations. SkyLink has had to pay at least $ 6.9 million in settlements to the U.N. [4]

Political Contributions In the years 1999 to 2002, SkyLink USA has contributed $3,900.00 to political parties, 74% of that amount going to the Republican Party.[4]

References

1. http://www.skylink-usa.net/

2. http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2003/pr030505.html

3. http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&fil=IQ

4. http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/downloads/CorpInvasionofIraq.complete.pdf

Environmental Record of Monsanto

The U.S. based company Monsanto is responsible for major pollution in the U.K. In 1965 through 1972 Monsanto dumped carcinogenic and chemical waste in Brofiscin, Britain. Since then the water in the surrounding area has been getting more and more polluted, a report prepared by the engineering company WS Atkins in 2005 revealed that the site contains at least 67 toxic chemicals, including 7 PCB’s and vinyl chlorides and naphthalene. [1] “The unlined quarry is still leaking, the report says. "Pollution of water has been occurring since the 1970s, the waste and groundwater has been shown to contain significant quantities of poisonous, noxious and polluting material, pollution of ... waters will continue to occur ... the council is of the opinion that the metal drums will continue to deteriorate over time releasing poisonous, noxious and polluting materials," it says.” [1] “Internal company papers show that Monsanto knew about the PCB dangers earlier. Toxicity tests on the effects of two PCBs in 1953 showed that more than 50% of the rats subjected to them died, and all of them showed damage.” [1] Clearly Monsanto knew what they had done but kept it quiet, and now the town of Brofiscin is becoming more and more toxic as the chemicals spread out from the dump site.

1- http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/feb/12/uknews.pollution1

Environmental Record of Hewlett Packard

HP makes an effort to recover and recycle used electronics and be an efficient, green company. “In 2006 alone, HP recovered 187 million pounds of electronics globally, 73 percent more than IBM, its closest competitor” [1] HP has been leading in environmental responsibility for decades, it has a strategy of designing for the environment, which includes its products, management, and supply chain.

“Environmental responsibility is good business,” said Mark Hurd, HP chairman and chief executive officer. “We’ve reached the tipping point where the price and performance of IT are no longer compromised by being green, but are now enhanced by it.”[1]

1- http://www.mysolutioninfo.com/news-display.aspx?Code=1951&t=HP%20Meets%20Billion%20Pound%20Recycling%20Goal%20Six%20Months%20Early,%20Sets%20Target%20for%202%20Billion%20Pounds%20by%202010

Environmental Record of Apple Inc.

As far as recyling and building green hardware with small amounts of toxic materials, Apple is well into the game. Apple recycled 13 million pounds of e-waste in 2006, and expects that figure to grow to 19 million pounds per year by 2010. Apple is doing its best to eliminate harmful substances in its hardware, it plans to completely eliminate the use of arsenic in all of its displays by the end of 2008, and reduce and eventually eliminate the use of mercury by transitioning to LED backlighting for its displays. All the e-waste Apple collects in North America is processed in the U.S., and nothing is shipped overseas for disposal. [1] According to the EPA, Apple has the most eco-friendly notebooks, and the rest of its hardware holds up fairly well. [2]

1- http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/

2- http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/1/6/6507

Environmental Record of Elliot Morley

Elliot Morley, Environmental positions served

June 13, 2003 - Morley stopped being Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [1]

June 13, 2003 – Morley became a Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [1]

May 28, 2004 - Morley became a member of the Environmental Audit Committee. [1]

April 11, 2005 – Morley stopped being a member of the Environmental Audit Committee. [1]

July 20, 2005 - Morley became a member of the Environmental Audit Committee. [1]

May 8, 2005   - Morley stopped being Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [1]

June 27, 2006  - Morley stopped being a member of the Environmental Audit Committee. [1]

Policy Agreement (percentages are based on voting record)

Elliot Morley is 0% in agreement for the limiting of civil aviation pollution. [1]

Elliot Morley is 0% in agreement for not banning fox hunting. [1]

Voting Record

On July 4, 2006 Elliot Morley voted against the Financing of No. 2 Bill- Ways and Means – New Clause 9- Energy Efficiency and water conservation: fiscal and economic report. [2]

1. - http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Elliot_Morley&mpc=Scunthorpe

2.- http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Elliot_Morley&mpc=Scunthorpe&display=allvotes#divisions

Mark Rey

Mark Rey, former timber industry lobbyist, is now Bush’s current Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment. He is responsible for the management of 155 national forests, 19 national grasslands, and 15 land utilization projects on 192,000,000 acres of publicly owned lands in 44 states. [1] Rey is a native of Canton, Ohio. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management, a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry, and a Master of Sciences degree in natural resources policy and administration, all from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. [2]

Environmental Record

October 2, 2001-      Rey was sworn in as the under secretary for natural resources and environment by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. [2]

1995- 2001        Rey served as a staff member with the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. [2]

1992- 1994       Rey served as vice president, forest resources for the American Forest and Paper Association. [2]

1989- 1992    Rey served as executive director for the American Forest Resource Alliance. [2]

1984- 1989    Rey served as vice president, public forestry programs for the National Forest Products Association [2]

1976- 1984    Rey served in several positions for the American Paper Institute/National Forest Products Association (a consortium of national trade associations) [2]

USDA Rey’s Tussle with the Defenders of Wildlife and Endangered Species Coalition

Rey and his department have been dragging their feet in response to requests for public release of documents regarding the Bush Administration’s proposed overhaul of forest- management practices. The Tussle started in October 2002 when Defenders of Wildlife and Endangered Species Coalition hit the USDA with a Freedom of Information Act Lawsuit. They wanted documentation of Bush’s Administration’s move to suspend Clinton-era rule updates on the National Forest Management Act, (governs 200 million acres of national forest, 8% of our country). NFMA was written under the Reagan Administration to better manage national forests and protect wildlife.[3]

"Bush's NFMA overhaul is the biggest-ever rewrite of our nation's forest management policies," said Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen. "These regulations govern every decision that is made about every acre of national forest, and the Bush reforms cater precisely and blatantly to requests that have been made for years by the logging industry." Schlickeisen says the rewritten policies diminish public and scientific input in the planning process, gut many key wildlife protections, and allow increased logging on public land. [3]

"They reverse even the protections that were put in place by the Reagan administration, including basic [National Environmental Policy Act] reviews and biodiversity standards," he added. "These are hardly far-left, eco-liberal kinds of protections if they seemed logical to Reaganites!" [3]

According to Rey, the NFMA rules released by Clinton in 2000 were not technically suspended, but simply put into legal limbo. As he explained to Muckraker, "We don't think these 2000 rules are implementable. We know that everybody hates them, so we told [forest managers] that for now [they] can either have the option of using the 2000 revisions or using the 1982 rules" until the Bush administration comes up with something it considers better. [3]

References

[1] http://www.nativeforest.org/campaigns/public_lands/rey_5_30_02.htm

[2] http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=bios_rey.xml

[3] http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2004/04/06/griscom-forests/

Wal-Mart's Environmental Record

In 2004 Wal-Mart launched a company-wide environmental initiative. Every facet of the company, from packaging, real-estate, energy, raw materials and electronics waste, etc. partnered with environmental consultants, non-profit organizations, and other groups who helped Wal-Mart examine and improve their business practices. [1]

Wal-Mart’s Goals and Targets To Be Supplied 100% By Renewable Energy Existing stores 25% more efficient in 7 years New stores 30% more efficient in 4 years. To Create Zero Waste Have a 25% reduction in solid waste in 3 years All private brand packaging improved in 2 years To Sell Products That Sustain Our Resources & Environment To have 20% supply base aligned in 3 years Design and support Green Company Program in China            [1]

In Seattle on Nov.1, 2007 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Clinton Climate Initiative announced a partnership to help bring environmentally-friendly technologies to cities across the United States and around the world. The two groups will explore ways to use their capital to lower prices on sustainable technologies such as energy efficient building materials and systems, lighting and clean energy products. [2] “The former president said that if the company -- long criticized by Democrats for its labor and health insurance practices -- generates wealth and jobs while reducing its carbon footprint, "then other businesses will follow suit."”[4]

There are problems in many states with Wal-Mart violating state water quality standards, environmental officials have complained of many similar problems regarding Wal-Mart construction sites. The Wal-Marts in question didn’t use proper methods for clearing the site for construction. Heavy rains came and water carried tons of silt to nearby rivers and streams, threatening life in the waterways and the drinking water of thousands of people. [3] Wal-Mart has also been sued over polluting streams with pesticides and fertilizers. Environmental inspectors in Dallas complained that the government was going to give Wal-Mart stores special treatment in a water-quality settlement. The U.S. EPA proposed different inspection procedures for Wal-Mart Stores only, meaning the deal would eliminate some water quality standards in order to give Wal-Mart its own official inspection procedure. [3]

2003- 2005, state and federal environmental agencies fined Wal-Mart $5 million. [5]

2005 Wal-Mart reached a $1.15 million settlement with the State of Connecticut for allowing improperly stored pesticides and other pollutants to pollute streams. This was the largest such settlement in state history. [Hartford Courant, 8/16/05]  [5]

2004, May, Wal-Mart agreed to pay the largest settlement for stormwater violations in EPA history. The United States sued Wal-mart for violating the Clean Water Act in 9 states, calling for penalties of over $3.1 million and changes to Wal-Mart's building practices. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 12, 2004, U.S. v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., 2004 WL 2370700]  [5]

2004, Wal-Mart was fined $765,000 for violating Florida's petroleum storage tank laws at its automobile service centers. Wal-Mart failed to register its fuel tanks, failed to install devices that prevent overflow, did not perform monthly monitoring, lacked current technologies, and blocked state inspectors. [Associated Press, 11/18/04]  [5]

2004, In Georgia, Wal-Mart was fined about $150,000 for water contamination. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/10/05]  [5]

 References

[1]  http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=345

[2]   http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/5458.aspx

[3] http://publici.ucimc.org/aug2001/082001_5.htm

[4]  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/09/27/clinton-praises-walmart_n_66104.html

[5]  http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/