February 2011 Archives

Many of you already know that online banking, mobile banking, and bill pay are convenient services that can provide far-reaching environmental benefits in terms of saving paper. But there's an added benefit of going paperless: It can reduce the risk of identity fraud.

According to the Javelin Strategy & Research 2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report*, fraudsters continue to use traditional methods to gather information, including stealing paper mail—as well as paperwork in your trash—which may contain account numbers or other confidential information.  Reducing the number of paper statements and bills accessible in the mailbox, around the home, and in the trash, reduces the risk of others stealing your personal information.

Although the Javelin survey notes incidents of reported identity fraud declined last year, the need for people to protect their personal and financial information has not! The good news is that Wells Fargo's multiple-layered approach to online and mobile banking security makes going paperless a great alternative.

By banking with online and mobile services, you can have added peace of mind that these security measures help safeguard your identity and accounts, while saving paper at the same time. In addition, Wells Fargo recently announced fraud prevention tips with a focus on three major categories:

1. Stay current.
2. Be informed.
3. Use caution.

We also recommend you visit our Fraud Information Center, which provides informative tools and resources that can help you reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft.

Remember, knowledge is power! Please use this information, as well as technology, to protect yourself.

*As part of Wells Fargo's ongoing commitment to fraud prevention education, we've co-sponsored the Javelin Strategy & Research Identity Fraud Survey Report since its first launch in 2003.

What compels you to take action to address climate change? Economic opportunity? Water issues? What about risks to your health?

Through our National Environmental Grants (PDF), we are proud to support the growing body of research that supports climate change action, including the great work being done at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard Medical School.

Climate change is a big, long-term issue that is difficult to conceptualize, especially on an individual level. On top of that, it's often difficult motivating people to take action to address something that may not seem as real or as relevant as other urgent and pressing matters, like getting a job and putting food on the table and a roof over your head.

However, we believe information is powerful. Armed with it, many people have changed their diets, stopped smoking, and started exercising. The Center's research makes climate change more real and more relevant by helping us understand how climate change is already affecting us and how it may increasingly impact us and our local communities over time from a health perspective.

Unfortunately, that alone may not be enough to compel people into action. Many of us know the health consequences of high salt and fatty diets, but haven't changed our eating habits.

Even so, we really encourage you to peruse the Center's rich collection of information and share what you learn with your friends and family! Whether you believe in climate change or not, actions that address it—including, but not limited to, reduced health risks and costs—can lead to positive results for all of us. Addressing climate change can also help create jobs, for much work needs to be done to create a global efficient and clean energy infrastructure.

What motivates you to take climate change action? Please share you motivation with us, because what inspires you may motivate others!

And as the Center's research suggests, now is the time to address climate change.

A number of the organizations we have supported over the years are up for an Excellence in Renewable Energy Award. Yeah! The Awards celebrate major achievements and innovations in the North American renewable energy landscape by companies, people and projects via an open nomination platform.

You can cast your vote for the project or organization you deem most worthy. Just take a look at the list of finalists and click on the vote links to cast your ballot! The deadline for voting is Feb. 14, and the winner will be announced at the 2011 Renewable Energy World North America Conference & Expo on March 8 in Tampa, Fla.

While all the nominees are incredible, please take a close look at one of the following projects we've supported:

• Costal Energy Project
• Bring Solar Home Campaign
• GRID Alternatives' Single-family Affordable Solar Homes Program (SASH)

As always, your comments and feedback are welcome—let us know what's on your mind. And thank you!

We're still lending! In fact, Wells Fargo's 2010 Environmental Finance Report (PDF), released today, shows that we increased financing for environmental businesses and projects by over $1.3 billion in 2010 alone.

In 2005, we announced our 10-point environmental commitment. The commitment included an environmental lending goal reflecting our intent to pursue environmental business opportunities. We recognized that, by doing so, we could help our customers, our communities, and our business.

We also strengthened our lending practices to help make sure we serve customers that do business in an environmentally responsible way.

Prior to 2005, we essentially did not provide financing for renewable energy projects. That changed with the establishment of Wells Fargo's Environmental Finance group. Environmental Finance has partnered with businesses inside and outside of our company to fund more than 30 wind farms and over 200 solar projects nationwide. And, with 2011 in swing the Environmental Finance team is just getting warmed up (no pun intended).

Go team!

Wells Fargo later established other groups—such as our National Cleantech Group and our Sustainable Public Infrastructure Group—to further support customers pursuing opportunities like electric car manufacturing, energy efficiency upgrades, and community solar programs.

In all, since 2005 Wells Fargo has provided more than $8 billion in support for companies and projects with a direct positive impact on our environment, including renewable energy projects in 25 states, more than $3.7 billion in financing for green buildings, and loans to numerous clean technology manufacturers, green community projects, and more.

Although the issue of climate change has been a tough sell at the national level, many local governments are stepping up to the challenge by encouraging sustainable operations and green business development in cities throughout the U.S.

One such program is the St. Louis Green Business Challenge (RCGA), developed by the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association and the St. Louis Climate Prosperity Project, in partnership with the Missouri Botanical Gardens and over 50 local businesses, including Wells Fargo Advisors.

The St. Louis Green Business Challenge was founded in 2010 to encourage companies "to adopt sustainable business practices such as forming Green Teams, conserving energy and water, reducing waste, improving indoor air quality, and providing clean transportation options."

Participants were asked to complete a scorecard at the beginning of the year that outlined their current sustainability efforts. The same scorecard was completed at year's end as well to track progress for 2010. To help companies meet their goals, t he St. Louis Green Challenge staff hosted free local seminars covering all types of topics, from managing internal communications and building a Green Team to improving indoor air quality and sustainable transportation options.

Although the idea of a challenge may have initially attracted these corporate teams, it soon became evident that collaboration was the key to success. By sharing best practices through the education seminars and documenting success through detailed case studies, the St. Louis region was able to build a virtual library of green business strategies for both local businesses and multi-national companies.

We're back! Thanks to everyone who participated in our December Poll of the Month!

The question, as you may recall, was: What is your favorite homemade item to give and share as a gift? The overwhelming winner—with 70% of the votes—was "Homemade baked goods (cookies, breads, pies, etc.)." (That is a lot of homemade baked goods.) A distant second place was "Blankets," and third place belonged to all you regifters, who chose to rewrap and give "that really ugly thing you got last year."

We took January off, but this month we've got a quiz of sorts to test your knowledge about switching over from paper to electronic billing: About how many pounds of paper per year would the average American household save by switching from paper to electronic billing, statements and payments?

Take a guess and take the poll!