Tip: Communicate Effectively by Emotional Intelligence (The ability to deal w/ other’s emotions & reactions to understand & manage your own reactions)

There’s a new online tool to help employers improve mental health in the workplace. “Managing Emotions” was developed by mental health researchers and commissioned by the Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace; it provides an assessment of emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to deal with other people’s emotions and reactions, to understand and manage your own reactions, and to communicate effectively—skills that are crucial for maintaining a psychologically healthy workplace.

The launch is timely for Canadian employers, following the federal government’s announcement in June to fund the creation of the voluntary National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, expected to be released in summer 2012. Once completed, the voluntary standard will provide organizations with tools to achieve measurable improvement in psychological health and safety for Canadian employees."

Note: According to Statistics Canada (2003), approximately 20% of Canadian workers experience a stress-related illness every year, and it has been estimated that 10% of the Canadian working population have a diagnosable mental illness, resulting in billions of dollars every year in workplace losses.
Web tool assesses emotional intelligence in the workplace | Benefits Canada: "
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Ways to Mitigate Climate Change: Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies will speed investment and growth of renewable energy industries

"Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance, said G20 countries have made little real progress in eliminating those types of subsidies since 2009. “As we strive to develop alternatives to oil we must recognize that alternative fuels are not competing on a level playing field,” he said in a statement. “These massive multi-billion dollar crude oil subsidies completely outweigh current biofuel incentives and are a serious obstacle to the development of cleaner, greener alternatives. Oil has a huge competitive advantage financed by global taxpayers. It is time for the G20 to show leadership and reverse this practice of never-ending subsidies to Big Oil. They must put their money where their mouth is and invest in renewable alternatives.”"

Note: The International Energy Agency and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development again came out in favor of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies worldwide on Oct. 4 with the release of the first Inventory of Estimated Budgetary Support and Tax Expenditures for Fossil Fuels. Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies will speed investment and growth of renewable energy industries, but policymakers often do not have clear information on the policies currently enacted, according to the groups. With this in mind, the inventory was created to assist governments’ understanding of fossil fuel policies. The inventory currently covers 24 countries and 250 mechanisms and will be expanded in the future to include more.

Ethanol Producer Magazine | EthanolProducer.com:
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Climate Change Update: China world's biggest CO2 emitter will meet near-term goals to fight Climate Change

"China is set to not only meet its Cancun Agreement emissions intensity pledge, but is likely to go beyond it," the independent research group said, referring to the December 2010 global climate change accord."However, at the same time, largely due to faster than expected economic growth, emissions in 2020 are likely to be higher than previous estimates."

The study underscores the uncertain value of global pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions meant to meet the international goal of no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature rise over pre-industrial levels which most scientists agree is required to avoid potentially catastrophic climate events.

"We're heading toward a warming of well over three degrees at present unless there are major improvements in the pledges," said Bill Hare, the director of Climate Analytics, a research group based in Germany that took part in the study.

China's concrete steps to curb carbon emissions go further than the pledges made by other big polluter nations such as the United States, the world's second-largest CO2 emitter, said Hare."
China climate goals run against growth: report | Reuters:
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