Month of June , 2007

Important Reminder: The July/August Issue of The CRO will include our annual list of service providers. Make sure your company's listing is up to date! To update, visit the Provider Directory and enter your username and login. If you have forgotten your password, e-mail us at dlee@thecro.com.

Surrounded by media hype and spawning numerous criticisms of the practice as an indulgence of the elite, carbon offsets are nonetheless becoming an item on the agenda for a number of companies interested in reducing their environmental impact. From media companies to the manufacturing industry to IT, corporations are trying their hand in the murky market of carbon offsets.

In an effort to clear the haze surrounding the issue, CRO examines some of the criticisms and challenges facing this newly evolving market, the experiences of corporations that are just starting out as well as the veterans, and the questions companies address when considering an offset venture.

The outdoors equipment and clothes retailer takes a long-term look at sustainability, including the challenges of paper usage, packaging and product stewardship. Find out how this eco-focused cooperative hopes to become more environmentally friendly, with initiatives that include reducing carbon emissions and landfill waste to zero by 2020.

REI is a retailer people expect to care about the environment. After all, REI’s business is about outfitting people with the right equipment and clothes to enjoy the outdoors. The company has a long history of working with communities to take care of parks and trails and to introduce children to the fun of camping, hiking and rock climbing. Taking care of the environment might not seem all that surprising for an outdoor retailer, but REI is discovering that being truly sustainable, to think about the effects on the environment within every aspect of REI’s business, is hard work.

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New changes to the ADA’s protection of disabled Americans are underway.

Congress is already on the Democratic Agenda Highway, after a pit stop at the minimum wage legislation, and now, advocates are pushing for an extended stay at the ADA Restoration Act. On Sept. 29, 2006, bipartisan legislation was introduced that would restore protection for disabled Americans under the ADA titled the “Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act of 2006.” By changing language in the bill, the ADA Restoration Act hopes to harmonize the ADA with the Civil Rights Act and other civil rights laws.