FEATURES AND NEWS
(Or creating “new” value) In one of my previous articles, the subject of externalized costs was dealt with in some detail — the idea that we are not really paying for the true expenses associated with the products we consume. The discussion went on to muse about how we might ... Read more »
The US could reduce petroleum use and cars’ greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels by using more efficient vehicles, alternative fuels and implementing strong government policies, according to a study by the National Research Council. To reach the 2050 goals, vehicles must become dramatically more efficient ... Read more »
Verizon has rolled out a fleet of 25 buses in New York City that will reduce CO2 by more than 645 metric tons, compared to the older trucks, and save the company more than 70,000 gallons of gasoline yearly. The fleet — known as MAGIC, which stands for mobile area ... Read more »
The National Association of Manufacturers has filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals challenging EPA rules, issued in December, that would lower the annual soot exposure standard from 15 to 12 micrograms per cubic meter, the Hill reports. NAM called the regulations economically burdensome, and the association was ... Read more »
Reusable shop towels, food service napkins and healthcare isolation gowns have a lower impact on the environment and performed better than disposal products in lifecycle assessments, according to research presented at TRSA’s Leadership & Legislative Conference. The “cradle to grave” performance of the reusable items was superior to disposals in ... Read more »
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency should not extend its mandatory flood insurance program to areas without levees and needs a more modern approach to analyzing and managing flood risk behind levees, says a report from the National Research Council. The report says purchasing flood insurance is an effective way for ... Read more »
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will dedicate its new Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) building April 5. The 100,000-sq-ft., five-story building is on track to receive LEED Gold certification and is designed to incorporate the energy efficiency that will be studied there, including: The building is projected to use 48.8 percent less ... Read more »
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released a report that highlights 16 policies that would remove market barriers across the economy to investments in energy efficiency, which, if enacted, could save the country approximately $1 trillion in energy bills and 19 quads in energy consumption. Overcoming Market Barriers ... Read more »
US Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) has reintroduced a bill to incentivize states and communities to work with local energy businesses to utilize clean energy technologies. Bennet originally introduced the bill in 2010, but it was sent to committee, and there was no action beyond that. Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm ... Read more »
ThyssenKrupp Elevator Americas has selected energy and sustainability management company Ecova to assist it in monitoring, understanding and reducing energy use at 135 US locations. ThyssenKrupp Elevator has implemented Ecova’s utility expense management software at its US facilities to help it better understand energy consumption and spending, using aggregated billing ... Read more »
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GE, Center for Science and National Geographic have launched a free online city building game designed to educate the nation’s youth about the future of energy. Plan It Green, which was created by developer Wyse Games, challenges users to design and build the greenest, most energy-efficient city in the world. ... Read more »
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Note: Initial commercial scale facilities are expected to produce between 10 and 30 million gallons of biofuel. As yields improve and producers take advantage of economies of scale, this could grow to 50 or 100 million gallons. Several companies combined to produce about 20,000 gallons ... Read more »
The goal of an Idaho highway lighting project was to light a new interstate interchange with LED fixtures and utilize high-mast poles to minimize the number of poles needed in the design. State officials were already familiar with the benefits of LED lighting, having used LEDs on previous interchange projects ... Read more »
Weekly Address – Time to Create the Energy Security Trust.
To be included on the Most Ethical Companies list, organizations can submit a nomination or Ethisphere contacts companies that have been nominated, along with past years’ winners. A 2011 evaluation of 21 sustainability ratings found that most fall short on transparency and lack sufficient quality controls. The research by think ... Read more »
America’s infrastructure will need an estimated $3.6 trillion in total investment by 2020, leaving a funding shortfall of $1.6 trillion, according to an assessment by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which is updated every four years, gave the performance and condition of ... Read more »
Building science, like any other variety of science, is largely about comparing one set of performance numbers to another. We want to know how much air, how much moisture or how much heat passes through one material versus another. We like having two or more products side by side, so ... Read more »
Fuel economy values increased 16 percent between 2007 and 2012 while CO2 emissions dropped 13 percent, according to the EPA’s annual report that tracks the fuel efficiency of vehicles sold in the US. According to the study, between 2011 and 2012 US cars and light trucks saw an increase in ... Read more »
Accenture, CGI, Deloitte and IBM have emerged as leaders in the global market for the design and implementation of IT systems that support energy and environmental management, according to a Verdantix study. Green Quadrant: Sustainable Technology Services (Global) 2013 says several factors distinguish these suppliers from the 12 other suppliers analyzed in the ... Read more »
ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, has published ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2012, BACnet – A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks, which the organization describes as the only open, consensus-developed standard in the building controls industry. ASHRAE says the new standard has been published ... Read more »
Dr Pepper Snapple Group has donated $300,000 to Keep America Beautiful to put recycling bins in public parks. The Public Park Recycling Grant program is part of a one-year collaboration between the two organizations intended to increase recycling in city, regional and state parks across the US. Grant applications are ... Read more »
Nylon polymer manufacturer Aquafil, sock company Star Sock, and the European Centre for Nature Conservation Land & Sea Group have launched an initiative to remove marine litter — in particular used fishing nets — and recycle it into yarn to make carpeting, socks, underwear, swimwear and other textiles. The Healthy ... Read more »
Spain-headquartered Abengoa and solar thermal company BrightSource Energy will jointly develop, build and operate two solar power towers in Riverside County, Calif. Abengoa will build the 500 MW Palen Solar Electric Generating System as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, and will lead the operation and maintenance of the plants ... Read more »
Accenture, CGI, Deloitte and IBM lead the global market for technology services that support energy and environmental management, according to a report from analyst firm Verdantix. Green Quadrant: Sustainable Technology Services (Global) 2013, which compares 16 of the largest global technology service providers, bases its analysis on interviews with 15 ... Read more »
Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. has begun a behind-the-scenes push to get rid of state energy efficiency standards that are denting its profits, reports The Plain Dealer. The Akron power company is sending a form letter to some of its larger customers asking them to fill in their name and send it ... Read more »