There is a staggering statistic that over the course of a year, 16 of the largest container ships, or super-vessels, can emit as much sulfur into the atmosphere as all of the cars in the world running during that same year timeframe.  If you stop for a minute to think about that fact, it becomes difficult to even wrap your mind around it.   The same amount of sulfur as ALL of the cars in the world over the course of an entire year!  And the sulfur pollution is only the beginning of this story.   

Almost everything we purchase as American consumers is produced in Asia.  This requires a constant flow of cargo ships back and forth between continents.  There are an estimated 100,000 container ships on the seas and this number continues to grow.  Some of the larger vessels can carry 14,000 full sized containers!  The larger cargo ships have engines that are the size of a house!  So just imagine the pollution created by an engine that large.   

Couple this with the fact that, because of zero international regulations, these ships are allowed to burn the cheapest, filthiest, high-sulfur fuel only compounds the problem. This
“bunker fuel” as it is called is the lowest grade of liquid fuel in use and contains 2,000 times the amount of sulfur as automobile diesel fuel. Its basically what’s left over after all of the cleaner fuels have been extracted from crude oil.

Environmental organizations across the globe have tried to ban this type of fuel but for now it is still in use.  The United States itself has tried to impart regulations on these ships once they are within a certain distance to our shores, but the ships are no longer liable once they are in international waters. 

A recent study by the NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the particulates expelled from container ships contribute to over 60,000 premature human deaths each year.  These health risks are most prevalent in areas in the Mediterranean, India and China because they are heavily trafficked by containers.  However, winds can push cargo ship exhaust anywhere, including our own Florida coast, where the ecosystem and air are being polluted because of these ships.  

Bottom line, the impact that overseas shipping has on our environment is a serious issue.  Many seating manufacturers contribute to this air pollution everyday because of their their non-US based sourcing and manufacturing. 

Made in the USA makes a difference.  Please consider where products are being manufactured before you make your next buying decision. 

Article submitted by MTS Seating

AEG Facilities, a division of AEG, and Arenabolaget in Solna AB, a co-owned company by the listed real estate company Fabege and the Swedish Soccer Association, jointly announced that the two companies have entered into a long-term agreement whereby the Los Angeles-based sports, entertainment and venue organization will manage Friends Arena.

The region’s largest multi-purpose arena with a capacity of 75,000, Friends Arena is located in Solna, outside of Stockholm, and is home to the Swedish National Soccer Team, the AIK Soccer Club, concerts, family shows and other sporting and special events.

As part of the multi-year agreement, AEG Facilities will provide full management services to the arena, including event programming, vendor venue services, advertising and marketing, as well as oversee event-day operations for the arena, which is anchored by the Mall of Scandinavia, the biggest mall in the region, and adjacent the newly developed city district named Arenastaden.

“We are honored to support Friends Arena, an elite venue that complements our other facilities in the marketplace,” said Bob Newman, President, AEG Facilities. “Its location in a growing and vibrant office, residential and retail environment has created a unique world-class destination.”

“We are proud to have been selected to manage the operations of Friends Arena, Sweden’s largest venue and the home of the Swedish National Soccer Team,” added Marie Lindqvist, CEO of AEG operations in Sweden. “Through our experience managing Tele2 Arena, Ericsson Globe, Hovet and Annexet and hosting some of the world’s largest sports matches, concerts and entertainment events, we understand the standard of service that is required to ensure an arena’s success in Stockholm. We look forward to working closely with Arenabolaget on this exciting endeavor.”

“In AEG, with its extensive international network and experience, we’ve found a partner with an excellent reputation with whom we can continue to develop the events experience at Friends Arena while positioning the Stockholm region internationally,” said Klaus Hansen Vikström, Board member at Arenabolaget i Solna.

The House passed a bill May 2 that allows private-sector employees to exchange overtime pay for “compensatory time” off.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL), passed 229-197, mostly along party lines.

Roby said the bill is designed to give workers greater time flexibility to balance work and home obligations. Comp time is an option that has been available to government workers since the mid-1980s, allowing them to choose between an hour and a half of paid comp time or time-and-a-half pay when they work additional hours.

“The workforce has changed tremendously over the years, but the laws and policies that govern the workplace have not,” Roby said. “I’ve always said Congress cannot legislate another hour into the day, but we can update our laws to allow more choice and fairness in how working Americans use their time.”

Congressional Democrats said the bill doesn’t include enough protections for workers who may feel coerced or pressured to opt for comp time instead of overtime pay.

“The choice between overtime pay and comp time is a false choice for workers,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). “We know what happens in the reality of the workplace. The vague promise of time off in the future is often never realized.”

Julia Judish, an employment attorney for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP who worked closely with ASAE on the regulatory changes to the overtime rule proposed by the Obama administration last year, said the bill requires employers to pay employees for unused comp time no later than 13 months after the comp time is earned or, if earlier, on termination.

“It has the effect of delaying payment to employees for overtime hours worked – whether such payment is delivered through granting of paid leave requests or cashing out the banked compensatory time – and it puts control over the timing of such payments primarily in the hands of the employer,” Judish said.

Supporters said there are penalties in the bill for coercion that will serve as a material disincentive for employers to abuse the law. The Trump administration issued a statement of support for the bill and indicated that Trump would sign it into law in its current form.

“After multiple veto threats from the Obama administration, I appreciate the White House working with us to advance this bill,” Roby said.

Carol Wallace went from powerful to powerless.

Wallace, president and chief executive officer of San Diego-based Carol Wallace & Associates, held IAVM’s strongest position when she served as chair (then called president) of the Association in 1999-2000. It was during Wallace’s oversight that IAVM moved to its new headquarters in Coppell, Texas. For years, she led the San Diego Convention Center before retiring to start her own business to provide the industry with consulting services in a variety of areas including marketing and communications, venue management, staff development and operations, public affairs and community outreach and venue development and expansions.

And it was there that one of the industry’s most influential women lost her right to vote on IAVM matters, despite the fact her knowledge and insight dictated she should have the opportunity to cast votes on Association business.

Wallace will not be voting on May 19 on the One Member, One Vote initiative, which comes up for a vote by members and follows extensive study, review and open discussion over the last two years, at which point the IAVM Board of Directors voted unanimously to bring forward proposed changes to the bylaws that would make the Association more inclusive and diverse in its decision making. As a means to incorporate the perspective of all IAVM members, these changes would allow every member of IAVM equal opportunity to engage in the Association through the right to vote. These proposed changes must be approved by two-thirds of the current voting members of IAVM.

The passage of the vote, however, could return Wallace to a voting status.

“Building a stronger IAVM is at the core of the One Member, One Vote initiative,” Wallace said. “Allowing greater participation will help enhance IAVM’s overall position as a leader in the industry while valuing the diversity of voices in the industry to help shape our collective future.”

Wallace is closer to IAVM than most after having served in the capacity of interim executive director of the Association last year prior to the hiring of Brad Mayne, CFE. But because she is now an Allied member, Wallace would not be allowed to vote if the change is not adopted.

“My years of experience in the industry, and working on behalf of IAVM, give me much to offer the organization as it continues to build on its years of success,” she added. “I hope that my perspective, offered as a vote, will be adopted so I can continue to be engaged with the organization and the overall industry.”

FBI Director James Comey formally recognized 58 individuals and organizations from around the country for their efforts to build stronger, safer, and more cohesive communities at the 2016 Director’s Community Leadership Awards in an April 28 ceremony at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Among the honorees was Paul Turner, CFE, CSSP, senior director, event operations at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, who also serves as chair for IAVM’s Academy for Venue Safety & Security.

“This is one of the very best days in the life of this organization,” Director Comey said. “We get to recognize and thank people who made the FBI better and the country better.”

The annual Director’s Community Leadership Awards were launched in 1990 as a way to spotlight individuals and organizations for their work in combating crime, drugs, terrorism, and violence. Recipients were also recognized for their work in bridging the relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, developing strategies to battle the nation’s opioid crisis, and assisting victims of human trafficking, among other efforts.

“The FBI Dallas office nominated me for this award for the work that I have done in the sports, entertainment, venue and event industry,” Turner said. “My involvement in IAVM with the Venue Management School and the Academy for Venue Safety & Security were significant elements of my experience and service that contributed to this recognition.

“I am honored to receive the award, but I do so with gratitude that comes from being part of a professional community of caring, talented and committed people. I thank IAVM for all that you do to help our industry and our country by marshalling and guiding the efforts of IAVM members and supporting the Association’s programs and activities. Your work matters and is very much appreciated.”

Honorees are nominated by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices, as well as the Bureau’s Office of Public Affairs and the Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

In his remarks, Director Comey said this year’s recipients embodied the words attributed to the 16th century minister John Wesley, who said, “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”

The Director related a story about speaking to young audiences and warning them against losing sight of what really matters in life. He would ask them to close their eyes, imagine they were old, and then ask themselves: Who do I want to have been? “I know some of you want to have been people who made a difference for those who needed you,” he would tell the kids, “to have been people who chose lives of moral content, who stood there for the bullied and the picked on and the frightened.”

“Why am I telling you this?” Comey asked. “This auditorium is filled with people who have already answered the question in the most remarkable way. You will have been those people. We’re here today to thank you for being that. Because of you, the FBI is better. Because of you, the United States of America is better.”

For more on Turner receiving this deserved recognition, click here.