|
News and Notes from Apsan Consulting
|
| South Africa Avoids Day Zero for 2018
In a whirlwind tour of university lectures and busniess meetings, Apsan Consulting visited Johannesburg, Pretoria, Stellenbosch and CapeTown. The lessons learned from municipal leaders, academics and business executives on matters related to sustainability were invaluable. Of particular note were the collaborative efforts of the entire Cape Town community to stave off Day Zero, the day the city's water taps were going to be shut off because of an extreme water shortage, and implement a conservation program to ensure a sustainable water supply for the region.
|
Sustainability and LEED Certification
As the United States Greeen Buildings Council (USGBC) moves into the next generation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Apsan Consulting can advise clients on how to apply LEED standards to their sustainability efforts. Howard Apsan was designated a LEED AP (Accredited Professional) by the USGBC in 2008, a key professional credential for those working in the field of environmentally sustainable development, and has been advising clients about the LEED process ever since.
| |
 |
| A ranch in the Galilee brings the many Israeli environmental issues into focus. |
|
|
Israel Increases Focus on Environmental Management
Israel is regularly noted for its extraordinary history, ancient and modern, and more recently for its environmental leadership. With its beautiful landscapes, majestic mountains, breathtaking deserts, and numerous nature preserves--all within an area roughly the size of New Jersey--Israel has made great strides in addressing key environmental concerns, such as the management of hazardous waste and the rehabilitation of its preciously scarce water resources.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to lecture at Ariel University on environmental compliance and management and to provide online training on water management at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya. It gave me a chance to share some of the initiatives that we have undertaken, and to learn much more about the environmental efforts underway in Israel.
|
Webinar Series at Rutgers School of Public Health
Howard Apsan was invited to deliver a series of four webinars in 2017 for the Rutgers School of Public Health. The webinars covered a range of topics: compliance auditing; developing health and safety metrics; legionella prevention; and lead in drinking water.
| |
 |
| At Shanxi University in China with Dr. Guo Zhang, President of Taiyuan Medical College and Wu Wen Wen, a student. |
|
| China Continues to Confront Environmental Challenges
Visitng China allows you to glimpse into the planet's environmental future. There is no question that China's industrial growth continues to be nothing less than phenomenal. There is also no question that this growth has impacted the environment in many critical ways. How China learns to sustain its growth without further detriment to its environment will be a monumental challenge. How China manages its transition from bicycles to cars, its massive urbanization, its seemingly insatiable thirst for petroleum, its extensive reliance on coal from coal to renewable energy, will surely set the tone for global sustainability in this century.
I have traveled to China several times, visiting Beijing and Shanghai as well as several urban industrial centers in Shanxi and Anhui Provinces. I met with government officials and business leaders, lectured on environmental issues, visited factories and development sites, and shared lessons learned with my Chinese colleagues.
Additionally, Apsan Consulting works with delegation from cities throughout China that come to the United States to learn about specific aspects of environmental health and safety.
We certainly have much to learn from each other, and Apsan Consulting hopes to continue to build these bridges.
|
|
