Environment

Humanity really started messing with the global climate system during the Industrial Revolution when we began burning coal to meet rising energy demand from industrial manufacturing. Most industrial energy efficiency programs target large manufacturers, which represent about 10% of all manufacturers and account for half of the total industrial energy demand. But there still aren’t many programs out there to help small and medium-size manufacturers save energy through efficiency improvements, even though the group constitutes 90% of the manufacturing sector and accounts for the other half of industrial energy demand. Together, small, midsize and large manufacturers drive about a third of the harmful climate-warming emissions today.

Residents and activists in California continue to fight business interests over exposure to the carcinogen chromium-6, made famous by the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich." One issue involving the substance concerns its use at metal-treating companies. They oppose tightening air regulations. The metal-finishing industry provides about 9,000 jobs in the state, with more than half of them in Southern California.

In the 1987 movie "Wall Street," the archetypal corporate villain Gordon Gekko memorably argues that “greed is good”—and that the bottom line is the only good a dutiful company need pursue. Thirty years on, Ethisphere Institute has announced 124 companies spanning five continents, 19 countries and 52 industry sectors as the 2017 World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees. Of these, four are in the category of Industrial Manufacturing: 3M Co., Deere & Co., Milliken & Co. and Timken Co. Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., is the only honored company in the category of Machine Tools and Accessories.

Cerasis, a transportation-management company that works with the manufacturing industry, recently shared a list of manufacturing-technology trends that it says are growing in importance. Among them are green manufacturing, IIoT and computer analytics.

For the 2020 Olympics and Paralympic games in Tokyo, recycled electronics will be used to make the needed 5,000 medals.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to prevent chronic beryllium disease and lung cancer in U.S. workers by limiting their exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds. The rule contains standards for general industry, construction and shipyards.

Heller Machine Tools, Troy, Mich., is the first manufacturer to finance energy upgrades through a 2010 program authorized by the state of Michigan that allows municipalities to fund energy-efficiency improvements through a special assessment on a property.