FEATURES AND NEWS
We are about to experience a rare transformation in the global business landscape, on par with the industrial revolution of the 1800s and the modern era of globalization in the 20th century. At long last, the inextricable link between productivity and sustainability is beginning to dawn on both individuals and ... Read more »
Carbon Motors Corp., which aims to manufacture high-performance, fuel-efficient vehicles for law enforcement and other government agencies, is seeking a government hand-out to help it do so. Carbon Motors is lobbying the South Carolina cities of Greenville and Spartanburg to put together a package to lure the vehicle manufacturer, according ... Read more »
The global wind turbine market grew vastly in 2007, the year for which most recent figures are available, according to Emerging Energy Research’s Global Wind Turbine Market Share Update. Nearly 30 GW of turbines were activated during t2007, almost double the volume in 2006, according to a press release. The ... Read more »
A Midwestern states initiative to reduce carbon emissions may be getting an overhaul and a kick in the pants later this year. Wisconsin Governor Jim D0yle said he expects action this fall on an update to the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord that was originally signed in November 2007 ... Read more »
Major corporations have access to energy-saving components that link sensors and control devices. A new, less expensive product from Echelon may accomplish the same goals for small buildings, according to this PCWorld article. Echelon’s LonWorks 2.0 platform updates a range of componentry that goes into the manufacture of lighting controls, ... Read more »
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New technologies and out-of-the-box thinking are helping convenience store owners cut energy costs, reports Convenience Store Decisions magazine. This can add up to significant energy savings across the nation with nearly 146,300 convenience stores in the U.S. as of Dec. 31, 2007, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores ... Read more »
To carry forth a new strategy for both business and consumer users, eBay has added a “Green Team.” The eBay Green Team started in 2007 as 40 eBay employees. Now the number has swelled beyond 1,000 employees in 18 countries and eBay is taking the team public as of March ... Read more »
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston top the list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of Energy Star buildings in 2008, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Other areas that made the list include: Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St Paul, Atlanta and Seattle. Energy Star buildings ... Read more »
Dell is introducing PowerEdge 4220 and PowerEdge 2420 rack enclosures, next-generation infrastructure products designed to help customers simplify and manage their data centers while improving energy efficiency. The company says the new products support a portfolio of servers and storage systems and can be used in virtually any environment, including ... Read more »
Citing an increase in carbon dioxide emissions from fuel and electricity consumption, a draft report from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that overall emissions rose 1.4 percent during 2007, as compared to the previous year. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled about 7,125 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2007, ... Read more »
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Ontario`s new Green Energy Act is set to generate up to 50,000 jobs and help communities in northern Ontario generate some of their own power.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is planning to install 530 solar panels on top of its distribution center in Waterbury, Vt. The company says it will be the largest solar array in Vermont. The project is expected to generate only 1 percent of the power the plant uses, but it is ... Read more »
Professionals interested in sustainability and all things “green” have another place to congregate online. Greenlinkz joins other social networking sites for environmentally-oriented business professionals, including Justmeans and Virid.us. Greenlinkz members can create communities that are either public or private. Members can post blogs, notes, create forums and topics and upload ... Read more »
The newly proposed Clean Energy Corps would merge job creation, service and training to combat global warming. More than 80 civic, labor, environmental and policy organizations endorsed the proposal for a Clean Energy Corps, which would apply energy-efficient measures to over 15 million existing buildings – from adding insulation to ... Read more »
In 2008, Fiat has the lowest average fleet CO2 emissions of any automaker that sold cars in Europe, according to a study by consulting firm JATO, MotorTrend Magazine reports. Fiat’s fleet averaged 0.475 pounds of CO2 emission per mile, compared with Peugeot and Citroen, which averaged 0.489 pounds of CO2 ... Read more »
The economic recession is postponing some sustainability-related corporate spending, according to a new Booz & Co. survey, reports Manufacturing Business Technology Magazine. The good news: there are signs of a continuing focus on sustainability in the manufacturing sector. A new survey, Why Some Companies Are Making the Wrong Moves, conducted ... Read more »
Dallas-based Earth Biofuels Inc., known for its biodiesel and ethanol operations, is changing its name to Evolution Energy Inc. The name change is part of the firm’s strategy to develop, produce and distribute other forms of clean and renewable energy, according to a press release. Moving away from a strictly ... Read more »
U.S. action – or inaction – on the climate has far-reaching economic impacts, members of Congress discussed March 3. “U.S. Climate Action: A Global Economic Perspective” was convened by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), John McCain (R-AZ), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Click here to see a Web site ... Read more »
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a movement to improve product design by altering the financing paradigm for recycling and waste disposal, is picking up steam as California, Oregon and Canada have recently introduced framework EPR legislation. Also known as product stewardship, EPR essentially attempts to incorporate product lifestyle impacts into pricing, ... Read more »
As the economy takes a nosedive, shopping mall managers are seeking ways to cut costs. Some of these involve reducing energy use. Some have slashed shopping hours, while others have replaced light bulbs, the types of plants and turned down the thermostat, Chicago Tribune reports. An ominous response by shopping ... Read more »
Global Green USA is planning to substitute all non-recyclable transfer packaging distributed from Hunt’s Point Distribution Center with recyclable packaging. If successful, the program is expected to divert 30,000 tons of corrugated packaging from the landfill per year and reduce GHG emissions by 103,000 metric tons annually. On March 3, ... Read more »
Companies put a lot of thought into corporate social responsibility, mostly from an inside-out way of thinking. That is, what will the public think about this? Another way to build a culture of sustainability in an office setting is to use sustainable practices in choosing cubicles and other modular office ... Read more »
Silicon Valley is feeling the economic downturn like other areas, but one bright spot has been the noticeable rise in clean tech investing, according to Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. Investment in Silicon Valley’s clean tech sector jumped 94 percent from 2007 – reaching almost $1.9 billion in 2008, according ... Read more »
Too few businesses and investors are taking into consideration the potential for economic upheaval if water resources become as scarce as predicted, according to a recent report from CERES. Industry has traditionally taken for granted the availability of clean, reliable and inexpensive water, however decreasing availability, declining water quality and ... Read more »
Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s administration has named a committee of businessmen to advise on Australia’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) in a move to divert increased concerns that industry compensation is inadequate, reports online newspaper The Australian. Legislation for the carbon reduction scheme will be released on March 10. The ... Read more »