NEAL GERBER EISENBERG
EARTH DAY NEWSLETTER 2021 EDITION
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APRIL 22, 2021
NGE EARNS GOLD RATING ALISS ACHIEVEMENT
“RESTORE OUR EARTH” The theme of Earth Day 2021 is “Restore Our Earth.” The loss of the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity is a global phenomenon. It is predicted that by 2050, 95% of Earth’s natural land will be degraded, and in 2019 alone, it was estimated that more than 29 million acres of trees were lost to fires, logging and deforestation. That is equivalent to a soccer field of trees every six seconds! The preservation and restoration of healthy ecosystems is critical to our water, air, soil and climate. In light of these statistics, Earth Day 2021 is focused on encouraging individuals and organizations to make small (and big) changes today to “Restore Our Earth” for future generations.
We are very proud to announce our Gold rating achievement for the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard (ALISS) assessment. ALISS was created by the Law Firm Sustainability Network (LFSN), the leading U.S.-based organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability among law firms. Among many implemented sustainable steps, NGE:
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE RESTORE OUR EARTH TODAY? Habitat: Trees provide housing to countless plant and animal species, and more than a million of these species are at risk of extinction. Studies have shown that African national parks and reserves have lost nearly 60% of their lions, giraffes, buffalos and other large animals since 1970. Did you know that a quarter of human medicine comes from rain forest plants? Heat: 2020 ranked the second hottest year on record for the planet. Trees capture carbon in the atmosphere, a critical component of saving our ecosystems, and also block sunlight and provide shade, which reduces energy used for cooling. Humans: Climate-driven disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and floods impact everyone, but vulnerable communities are the most at risk, including children, the elderly, the sick and the poor. Climate-drive disasters have destroyed certain coastal communities and island nations. The fight for our planet is also a key component in the fight against inequality. Hunger: Banana fact of the day – it is widely believed that there are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world, yet 99% of bananas you see in our supermarkets are the same variety! The loss of biodiversity, which can be exacerbated by monocropping (farming one crop on the same land year after year), weakens our soils, leaves crops susceptible to disease and directly contributes to the rise in food insecurity. Health: Ecosystem health is critical to human health. The COVID-19 pandemic is an important reminder of how ecosystem loss leads to wildlife and humans living in closer contact, decreases in critical predator species and an emergence in the spread of new pathogens and infectious diseases. Studies show that the percentage of new and emerging animal-borne viruses have skyrocketed since the 1980s, correlating to the increase in the loss of our wilderness.
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Reduced energy consumption by 40% in our servers by moving to a more virtualized server infrastructure.
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Invested in energy-efficient appliances and computers and reduced energy use by 30%.
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Moved to a secure electronic filing system, reducing paper consumption and saving 10.5 tons of paper each year.
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Replaced single-use coffee pods with bean-tocup coffee machines, reducing 2,000 pounds of waste from ending up in landfills.
NGE encourages you take a moment on April 22nd to consider what “Restore Our Earth” means to you. Here are just a few easy ideas that you can do TODAY to take steps towards Restoring Our Earth. For more information about the below or for other ideas, visit EarthDay.org.
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Start “plogging” Picking up litter while you jog!
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Protect pollinators Gardening season is here. Consider what plants best support the bee population in your home state.
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Encourage climate curriculum both in your home and at your local schools.
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Shrink your “foodprint” by eating a few plant-based meals each week and considering grocery purchases that reduce singleuse packaging.
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Green for Green Consider a donation to the environmental charity of your choice. EarthDay.org recommends the Canopy Project, where $1 equals 1 tree.
CALLING ALL CROWDED CLOSETS! In honor of Earth Day 2021, the NGE Sustainability Committee encouraged our community to participate in the first ever Cleaner and Greener Closet Campaign! Donating gently used clothing and creating a more sustainable wardrobe is a great way to step up for the planet. Donations were made to various charitable organizations including The Epilepsy Foundation of Chicago, Illinois AmVets and via Amazon Give Back Box. Thanks to everyone for their participation!
SHARE YOUR EARTH DAY ART! | KID’S EDITION This Earth Day share your creations that represent what “Restore Our Earth” means to you. NGE encourages all young artists to share their creations! We will select a winner to be featured on our social media pages and to receive a special Earth Day prize! To participate, take a picture of your art work and submit it either by email to social@nge.com or share it on Twitter/LinkedIn, tag us and use #NGEearthdayart2021. We look forward to seeing your unique creations!
OUR INSPIRATION NGE values the different backgrounds and perspectives of our attorneys, clients and friends, and realizes that individuals have unique reasons for caring about our planet. A few of our NGE attorneys share their inspiration to do better for the environment. On a recent trip with friends to a remote vacation home, real estate partner Leah Schleicher was inspired by the realization that, contrary to her preconceived notions, composting CAN be extremely easy. She was dubious at first – it would smell, there would be flies and she would spend all her time emptying containers and figuring out the science. To her surprise, composting could be simple and significantly reduce your regular trash, so she implemented the practice at home. Plus, in certain areas there are services that pick up your compost and turn it into fertilizer for small farms. Intellectual property associate and NGE Sustainability Committee member Andrew Fraker brings a unique perspective to environmental issues. Coming from a farm family, Andrew has not had one “Aha!” inspiration moment, but rather was consistently reminded of the connectedness between the health of the environment and the day-to-day lives of many people. As a child Andrew may have been less aware of the politics or science of it all, but seeing the livelihood of his grandparents directly tied to the climate, weather and soil made the necessity of protecting our earth a self-evident reality. Estate planning associate Gina Shkoukani reminds us that having resources and time to make the environment a priority in our lives is also a privilege. Gina’s dad and in-laws were first generation Americans and, like many people, did not have the time or resources to make sustainable living a top priority. Gina and her husband have been inspired by the fact that they have access to resources many may not - like a specific recycling section in her building – that make doing the right thing for the environment a little easier.
CLIENT CORNER | A SUSTAINABILITY DISCUSSION WITH M. HOLLAND COMPANY Sonia Menon interviewed Debbie Prenatt and Dwight Morgan of M. Holland Company to better understand their role and relationship with sustainability within their industry. M. Holland Company is a leading international distributor of thermoplastic resin, helping clients and suppliers with everything from sourcing and logistics solutions to strategic marketing channels. They connect leading producers with plastic processors.
The theme of Earth Day 2021 is “Restore Our Earth” which focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystem. What does “Restore Our Earth” mean to M. Holland? We believe the future of plastics is symbiotic with sustainability. We cannot make progress toward a more sustainable world without plastics, and our industry cannot progress without a concerted focus on environmental responsibility. Plastics went from a new innovation to becoming ubiquitous in a 100 years, and have prevailed over other traditional materials because of their affordability, durability and adaptability. But that very durability is a threat to the environment. Sustainability is an existential issue for the industry. For us, sustainability is a natural evolution of our business. We recognize our role as a conduit in connecting sustainability needs and solutions, and have launched several new sustainability initiatives, including new product offerings and sustainability consulting services. We expect to see growth in the industry from recycled products as prime plastic resin manufacturing peaks.
We understand that there has been a shift in focus in the plastics industry to advanced recycling technologies. Can you explain what M. Holland is doing in that space? We take an active role in the development of emerging sustainability innovations and continuously look for areas within our business to drive further environmental advancements. We educate our clients on product design elements, from developing products that use less plastics, to using compatible materials to make products more recyclable. For example, our 3D printing venture is a sustainability initiative that allows a client to manufacture to more perfect designs with significantly less material, while avoiding traditional manufacturing limitations like fasteners etc. Other innovations include biodegradable materials that are starch based and biodegrade in soil, fresh water and marine environments, and specialty products that can down-gauge material usage without sacrificing performance, like toilet paper wraps. Other innovations supplement recycling efforts, like chemical recycling to depolymerize plastics back to their basic elements, which can then be reprocessed into prime plastics.
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What are some of M. Holland’s sustainability initiatives for 2021? At M. Holland we take sustainability as personally as we take plastics. Our core values are an integral part of our daily business practices and are complementary to sustainability. They are integrity, honesty, passion, respect, loyalty, trust, work ethic and character. Making our earth a better place is a natural application of our core values to the plastics industry. We have committed to many internal initiatives within M. Holland from converting our lighting to low voltage LED lighting, to changing our fleet selection to include a large collection of hybrid and e-vehicles, to building out a sustainability line card with products such polymers that are recycled either postindustrial or post-consumer recycling, additives to reduce product weight, and down-gauge materials. ESG is embedded into every aspect of our business and we hope to carry that impact to our clients. With over 4,000 customers in 52 countries, if we can help every customer have one new sustainable initiative that will have a huge impact on restoring our earth.