Sustainable development is traditionally referred to as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Commission, 1987)." Caterpillar has for a number of
years been on the forefront of this movement, which has complicated economic, environmental and social dimensions.
Sustainable development encompasses broad global challenges like climate change, resource depletion, poverty and the impacts
of globalization. It also represents an area of almost unparalleled business opportunity for Caterpillar.
The company said, "For more than 80 years, the world has turned to Caterpillar to help build homes, roads, businesses and
communities around the world. As global population continues to grow and limits of resources become increasingly apparent,
the need for our products and services as enablers of sustainable development is even more important. We remain committed
to encouraging development that occurs in a balanced, planned and thoughtful manner."
The company focuses its efforts in four distinct areas: energy, materials, mobility and development.
- Energy: Caterpillar touts its leadership in converting alternative fuels into clean electricity and its role in meeting demand for
reducing fossil fuels.
- Materials: With population growth comes an ever-increasing need for renewable and nonrenewable resources. As a major supplier to the
industries that meet the needs for both renewable and nonrenewable resources, Caterpillar provides the products, support and
technology to help customers harvest materials efficiently and safely – from extraction through end-of-life recovery.
- Mobility: Caterpillar supports the mobility that drives economies and connects people, and the company is providing technologies and
expertise to reduce the congestion, pollution and frustration caused by a growing transportation system.
- Development: Decisions that impact sustainable development the most are usually made by governments, municipalities and developers. They
determine where roads are constructed, whether dams are built or how forests are harvested. No single entity is capable of
identifying genuinely sustainable solutions alone. But Caterpillar's goal is to be an "influential partner" by actively engaging
and building relationships with developers of major infrastructure projects, including governments and funding institutions,
to explore new ways to improve quality of life while protecting the environment.
Oils well that ends well
Oil contamination is a fact of life at some quarries with settling ponds. The Model 6V oil-recovery system from Oil Skimmers
Inc. efficiently removes oily wastes that float on the surface of water, according to the company.
A specially formulated collector tube skims oil from the water surface. The oil adheres to the outside of the closed-loop
tube, which is slowly drawn across the surface of the water and into the oil skimmer. The tube is drawn into the oil skimmer
and through scrapers that remove the oil. The clean tube then returns to the water to skim more oil.
With the ability to skim up to 100 gal. per hour, the Model 6V transports the recovered oil to a collection container. The
tube automatically adjusts to varying water levels and is flexible enough to be able to wind over and around floating debris.
The Model 6V removes animal, vegetable and petroleum-based oils, fats and greases. The Model 6V is designed to recover oil
24 hours a day, seven days a week, unattended by an operator. Oil Skimmers Inc., http://www.oilskim.com/
Vulcan's Irwindale, Calif., plant honored
Vulcan Materials Co.'s Irwindale, Calif., plant has been recognized for voluntarily implementing an environmental-management
system that conforms to the international standard, ISO 14001.
Vulcan received certification for the facility following a series of audits conducted by NSF-International Strategic Registration,
an independent non-profit organization dedicated to public health and the environment. Vulcan's Irwindale facility, which
produces both aggregate and hot-mix asphalt products using state-of-the-art technologies, is the first of its kind in California
to achieve ISO 14001 certification.
"Having the first combined asphalt and aggregates facility in California to be certified as ISO 14001 compliant provides
independent confirmation of Vulcan's commitment to the environment and demonstrates to our customers and our neighbors how
we integrate sustainability into our operations," said Alan Wessel, president of Vulcan's Western Division. "Environmental
protection and conservation is a core business value at Vulcan. We are proud of the management-systems framework we established
to ensure continuous improvement in our environmental practices."
ISO is driven by an environmental policy with specific requirements that include pollution prevention, compliance and continuous
environmental improvements.
