Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer and nine other Democrats passed the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) out of committee yesterday. It was an important step for the bill to eventually reach the floor, but was it a risky move? (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 07, 2009
Selected by energy
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Energy Priorities
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Kerry-Boxer Climate Bill Passes Senate Committee
6 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm -
Rocky Mountain Clean Tech Open Announces Finalists
3 Nov 2009 | 11:40 amThe three 2009 Rocky Mountain finalists will receive $50,000 of cash and in kind services. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 03, 2009 -
Public Transit: The Cost of Financial Carelessness
2 Nov 2009 | 7:50 amWll bailed-out banks bankrupt transit systems at a time when those systems are critical to our energy independence? (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 02, 2009 -
Metro to Greenbuild 2009 - Building Priorities Briefing
31 Oct 2009 | 6:35 pmDon't rent a car in Phoenix for the Greenbuild 2009 Conference and Expo. The Phoenix Convention Center and several of the Greenbuild hotels are along the city's light rail line. Here's how to get from the airport to Greenbuild and most of the associated hotels and activities. (video podcast) (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) November 01, 2009 -
Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open Winners: Green Lite Motors, Hydrovolts, LivinGreen Materials
30 Oct 2009 | 1:08 pmWashington state Governor Christine Gregoire was the keynote speaker at the final awards gala for her state's first cleantech business plan competition. About 200 people came to the ACT Theatre last night to see which three startups were selected as finalists. Congratulations to Green Lite Motors, Hydrovolts Inc., and LivinGreen Materials. Winning teams will compete in the National Clean Tech Open in San Francisco next month. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) October 30, 2009
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Forbes: Energy News
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Transcript: Tackling Climate Change
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amU.N. Foundation President and former Sen. Tim Wirth on the challenges of implementing greener policies in government. -
The Carbon Question
3 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pmExpect this December's Copenhagen conference to disappoint backers. Maybe they're looking for answers in the wrong places? -
Interactive: The World's Dirtiest Power Plants
3 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pmSixty percent of the world's electricity comes from plants burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon. Many of the highest-emission plants are concentrated in the United States and East Asia. Here, a look at the world's 200 biggest carbon offenders among power plants. Roll over any plant for more information. -
Bury Our Carbon At Sea
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amHere's an innovative business model that may be one way to afford the clean coal chimera. -
Eat My Carbon
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amWhat to do with the world's fossil fuel pollution? Why not feed it to plants?
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Green Building Law Update
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What Do You Want to Discuss?
6 Nov 2009 | 11:33 amYou may have noticed that I have moved to a new law firm, one of the top law firms in the world. I am working in the government contracts group, widely regarded as the preeminent government contracts practice, hands down. I get to speak to and work with incredible lawyers on a daily basis, and now have tremendous resources at my disposal. So the question is, how can I use these resources to benefit you? Some topics that I think might be of interest are: Government contracting under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Financing mechanisms for green building Legal issues… -
Green Building Law Update Goes South
29 Oct 2009 | 11:31 am[Ed. Note: Steve McBrady is your Editor this week] One of the primary focuses here at Green Building Law Update has been the emergence of Green building and sustainable development as an “unstoppable force” in the world of real estate development and construction – as well as the emerging federal, state, and local regulations that accompany this Greenward* move. Lately, with the federal government’s heavy investment in Green building through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), much of our focus has been on how this money is being… -
Surf's Up on a Wave of New Green Building Projects
26 Oct 2009 | 11:48 am[Ed. Note: Chris could not help sending along one last post before he enjoys some well-deserved R&R on his honeymoon. Congratulations to Chris and Melissa! Stay tuned for my guest posts the remainder of the week. - Steve] There is a wave of funding for green building and energy efficiency projects on the way. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has set aside nearly $25 billion for projects that will impact the green building industry. The General Services Administration received $5.5 billion to create high-performing, sustainable federal… -
Don't Mess With Nashville Green Builders
23 Oct 2009 | 10:11 am[Ed. Note: I am getting married tomorrow! As a result, guest editor Steve McBrady will be taking over Green Building Law Update. I will be back November 2.] The green building professionals in Nashville, Tennessee are a no-nonsense, dedicated group. That's my conclusion after I recently gave a green building legal presentation to the USGBC Middle Tennessee Chapter. After my presentation was over, I was questioned for 15 minutes on the nuances of the law and green building. I met some dedicated professionals involved in some incredible green… -
The Beginnings of a Federal Green Building Rating System
19 Oct 2009 | 3:15 pmIt is very rare to read a green building regulation and not see a mention of a green rating certification. When I started reviewing Executive Order 13154, I was certain that the LEED rating system would be included. On Friday, we saw that new green federal contracting requirements did not rely on independent green rating certifications. Surely another section of the Executive Order mentions a green building rating system. Lets look at Section 2(g)(ii) and (iii): [T]he head of the agency shall ... (g) implement high performance sustainable Federal building design, construction,…
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Dot Earth
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New York State Official Moves to E.P.A.
5 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pmJudith Enck, Gov. A. Paterson's deputy secretary for environment has been appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency as the administrator of Region 2. -
Religion's Role in the Climate Challenge
3 Nov 2009 | 2:38 pmLeaders of the world's major religions seek climate commitments at Windsor Castle. -
Al Gore's Climate Choice
3 Nov 2009 | 4:59 amAl Gore's new book finds the core of the climate challenge, and solutions, in the human brain. -
E.P.A. Lawyers Challenge 'Cap and Trade' for Climate
2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amTwo government environmental lawyers say global warming needs a big response, just not the one pushed by President Obama and Democrats in Congress. -
Fresh Warnings on Climate Overstatement
30 Oct 2009 | 8:29 amScientists point to the risks of glossing over climate complexity in warnings on warming.
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Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com
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Solon To Construct 11-MW PV System
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmSolon SE has been selected to build an 11-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Spain. The contract was awarded by Renewable Energies and Photovoltaics Spain S.L. (REPS), a majority owned subsidiary of the Norwegian energy company Statkraft AS. -
How Some Solar PV Companies Define Themselves in an Age of Solar Commoditization
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAs the price of solar modules drops and new solar companies increase competition and inventory, solar PV seems destined to become a price-per-watt commodity. As these price pressures continue, how will solar PV companies define their brands beyond this commodity status? -
Ocean Energy Advocates Testify to Senate Subcommittee
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmCarolyn Elefant, legal counsel for the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, urged lawmakers to establish a federal agency to develop and oversee policy for renewable energy technologies offshore. -
OwnEnergy & National Farmers Union To Partner on 20-MW Wind Project
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmOwnEnergy has entered into a strategic partnership with The National Farmers Union Service Association (NFUSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Farmers Union. The partners announced plans to develop a 20-megawatt (MW) wind energy project in Minnesota called the Rothsay Wind Energy project. -
Alstom To Supply Equipment for Namibia's Biggest Hydroelectric Plant
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAlstom Hydro, in consortium with Andritz Hydro, received a contract from Nam Power to supply equipment and penstocks for a 92-MW turbine-generator at Namibia's Ruacana power plant.
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Green Building : Jetson Green
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Haptik Sustainable Suite Design by WATG
5 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmThe USGBC, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and The Network of the Hospitality Industry (NEWH) together announced the winner of the first ever Sustainable Suite Design Competition. The purpose of the competition was to showcase the best hospitality design strategies that boast environmental responsibility while enhancing the guest experience. Out of 65 professional design entries, WATG and IDEO took the top prize for their suite, Haptik. WATG led the creative design and specification process, while IDEO contributed experience on human-centered sustainability for the… -
Clay Roof Integrated Solé Power Tile
4 Nov 2009 | 8:44 pmWe've seen building integrated solar by separate companies for use with both asphalt shingles and standing seam roofing. Now SRS Energy and US Tile are preparing to unveil a new Solé Power Tile at Greenbuild. The barrel-style technology was designed for a clay tile curved roofing system. Using thin film solar, the Solé Power Tile integrates seamlessly with blue glaze or earthen tone tiles. SRS Energy and US Tile will launch the system first on the West Coast and roll it out nationally through 2010. [+] SRS Energy + US Tile. Photo credits: US Tile. -
Koda Recycled Content Exterior Material
4 Nov 2009 | 9:15 amWe first saw this 3form material, Koda XT, with the wavy transit shelters in San Francisco. Designed by Lundberg Design, the colorful transit shelters use a custom configuration of Koda XT, a material made of 40% pre-consumer recycled content. 3form says Koda XT is the only architectural polycarbonate material available to use towards LEED MR 4.1 for recycled content. Koda XT is available in three off-the-shelf colors/specifications and can be customized with up to three layers of various color to create any one of 10,000 options. The material can be molded to match a variety of… -
An Affordable Free Span Solar System
3 Nov 2009 | 9:48 pmP4P Energy, LLC -- short for Power for the Planet -- recently completed the installation of its first, cable-suspended free span solar system in the parking lot of the headquarters building for REM Eyewear in Sun Valley, California. Designed and patented by P4P Energy and TenSol Power, the array spans 107 feet on low-cost cables and provides shade for cars parked below. It's expected to generate roughly 40,877 kWh of electricity per year. The floating photovoltaic system differs from a traditional solar installation in that it doesn't require excessive columns and foundation work. … -
Tempe Transit Center Covered in Green
3 Nov 2009 | 10:05 amWe've seen solar-powered transit shelters, but this eco-friendly transit center with transit stops outfitted with green walls may be a first. With the help of greenscreen green walls, the City of Tempe Transit Center is seeking LEED Platinum certification. The mixed use facility, designed to be 52% more efficient than a traditional building of its kind, went with green walls to provide a buffer from the harsh Arizona sun and heat. As you can see below, the green walls help to cool and shade the surrounding areas through evapotranspiration. Plants used in the application include…
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GreenBiz.com Green Business News
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Steven Chu: The Nerd in the Cabinet
6 Nov 2009 | 8:40 amThe current Secretary of Energy is also a Nobel Laureate and former physics professor at UC Berkeley, and a self-described 'energy conservation nut.' -
SRI Field Continues to Shift with RiskMetrics' Acquisition of KLD
6 Nov 2009 | 12:46 amThe rapidly changing landscape of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research providers received another major update this week as RiskMetrics Group announced the acquisition of KLD Research & Analytics. The acquisition, which has been widely anticipated for a month, follows RiskMetrics' purchase of Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, like KLD a provider of ESG research, in February. -
Nike Debuts Latest Collection of 'Considered Design' Products
5 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pmNike will debut a new collection of athletic footwear Saturday made with environmentally preferred materials. A portion of revenue from the N7 line will support Native American youth sports through the N7 Fund. -
Johnson Controls: The Quiet Company Raises Its Voice and Its Profile
5 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pmThough a giant in the buildings and automotive industries, Johnson Controls Inc. was long considered a quiet company — seldom a major presence outside its lines of business. That's changing as the firm increasingly raises its voice and its profile to spread its mantra of "Efficiency Now." -
Diversey Ups Emissions Reductions Investments, Earns Bigger ROI
5 Nov 2009 | 10:40 amOne year after setting a goal to cut corporate emissions by 8 percent before 2013, Diversey CEO today announced the company had already surpassed that target, and upped the goal to a 25 percent reduction in the same time frame.
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GreenerBuildings
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Greenbuild 2009 Blazes a Trail to the Southwest
6 Nov 2009 | 7:25 amMore than 20,000 building and sustainability professionals are heading to Arizona where the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual Greenbuild convention, the world’s largest green building conference and expo, opens next week at the Phoenix Convention Center. -
The Phoenix Convention Center's Green Pedigree
6 Nov 2009 | 7:15 amThe city of Phoenix's revamped LEED-Silver certified convention center will serve as an appropriate backdrop next week for Greenbuild 2009, the vast showcase for green building innovations and ideas. -
New AIA Contracts Offer Tools for Integrated Design to All Developers
6 Nov 2009 | 4:41 amThe release this week of a new contract developed by the American Institute of Architects aims to help bring a collaborative effort to building construction and enable integrated design in buildings of all sizes. -
YKK Boosts Green Product Line with Window Additions to enerGfacade Line
6 Nov 2009 | 2:59 amJust in advance of the Greenbuild conference, YKK AP America this week unveiled a new aluminum window designed to boost energy efficiency by as much as 30 percent over standard windows. -
Greenbuild 2009 Job Fair: USGBC Offers Job Seekers a Lifeline
5 Nov 2009 | 5:05 pmJob hunters seeking to break into the green building field or looking for new opportunities will have a chance network with destination companies and organizations at the upcoming Greenbuild 2009 conference in Phoenix, where the U.S. Green Building Council will conduct the first job fair at its annual gathering.
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RSS Feed for Sustainable Industries
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Living Building Challenge spreads its petals
Version 2.0 of the Living Building Challenge is launching. -
Silver Bullitt
Denis Hayes harnesses the power of philanthropy to boost sustainable development. -
Urban Flight
Green building experts bring EcoDistricts to the West Coast. -
Leftbank cultivates community
Near downtown Portland, Leftbank Project is looking to build a viable community. -
NASA embarks on Sustainability Base
NASA hoping to create a test bed of cleantech and green building innovation.
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ALT Energy Stocks: Cleantech News
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Desklamp Powered by a Phone Jack
(Source: EcoGeek.org) From my perspective, they very fact that this is possible is the news here. It's a "reading" lamp that can be powered by a phone jack. That's right, your phone jack has a tiny amount of power that comes through along with the phone signal to power -
Climate change and public opinion: (Not yet) marching as to war
(Source: The Economist: The environment) Even as politicians and protesters gear up for a fateful climate-change meeting in Denmark, some of their fellow citizens have little stomach for a fight IF THE forthcoming United Nations meeting in Copenhagen truly is a precious chance to save the -
Boxer Rebellion: Senate Panel Approves Climate Bill Without GOP
(Source: WSJ.com: Environmental Capital - References: Earth2Tech,Green Light,Watts Up With That?) Okay, so Sen. Barbara Boxer has moved the energy and climate bill out of the Environment and Public Works Committee and onto the Senate floor. That doesn?t get the bill any closer to garnering 60 votes, but as Sen. Boxer said, it can?t get 60 votes -
EPRI’s Erfan Ibrahim: 5 Myths About the Smart Grid Buildout
(Source: Earth2Tech) Panel discussions at technology conferences are often pretty dry affairs, but smart grid expert Erfan Ibrahim of the influential group Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) proved today at a conference in San Francisco that even topics like home -
One year after his election, Obama on verge of audaciously fulfilling his promise as the green FDR
(Source: Climate Progress - References: Celsias) Arianna Huffington posted “Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing. HuffPost asked for replies. Mine is here and below. I welcome your thoughts. My bottom line: On climate and clean energy policy, he has
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Clean Break
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The wonders of ionic liquids, and how they can dramatically raise the bar on energy storage
5 Nov 2009 | 7:14 amI have to be honest, up until last week I’d heard a lot about the potential of metal-air batteries — i.e. zinc-air, lithium-air, etc… — but really didn’t know much about the batteries, how they were made, why they are be potentially better, and what challenges need to be overcome for them to unseat the current king of batteries, lithium-ion technology. Then I was put onto an Arizona-based company called Fluidic Energy, which recently received $5.13 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the recently announced first-phase of ARPA-E… -
New hexagonal wind tunnel could raise the bar on wind farm, turbine design
5 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amThe University of Western Ontario, led by engineering professor and wind-analysis expert Horia Hangan, has been given the go-ahead to build a $24 million hexagonal wind tunnel, a first-of-its-kind in the world that will allow for the substantially more accurate study of the wind and how it affects wind turbines, buildings, bridges and anything else that’s constantly ravaged by this unpredictable and often devastating force of nature. Called the WindEEE Dome, it will be a six-sided structure about 40 metres across and its walls and ceiling will house 240 high-power fans. The facility… -
Time-of-use pricing: Will it undermine solar domestic hot water programs?
31 Oct 2009 | 8:20 amSmart meters and time-of-use pricing are always well-read stories because there’s true division within the general public on whether smart meters are consumer-friendly gadgets that encourage conservation or utility-friendly devices that make it easier to gouge consumers. See my story in the Toronto Star from Friday. My take is that electricity prices are going up whether we get smart meters or not, and that smart meters — and the applications they enable — offer households a way to shift and even lower their electricity use to buffer the impact of rising prices. The mistake… -
Is not being green a “social faux pas”? If so, will green imposters follow?
27 Oct 2009 | 10:17 amI don’t typically give much weight to surveys, particularly ones that have been paid for by private interests, but a new national (Canadian) survey — a joint effort by Bosch Home Appliances and Leger Marketing — caught my attention. It addresses the question of whether people who waste energy and senselessly pollute are at risk of becoming social outcasts in our increasingly green-conscious society. Or, as the survey press release calls them, “environmental delinquents.” According to the survey of 1,510 adult Canadians, “a full 7 in 10 Canadians say… -
German solar industry, EU not happy with Ontario local content rules
26 Oct 2009 | 7:12 amOntario’s decision to require local labour and gear for 40 to 5o per cent of a solar project’s content has ruffled some feathers in Europe. The province’s government created the Made-in-Ontario rules in parallel with the design of its feed-in tariff program for renewables, which for solar PV pays up to 80.2 cents per kilowatt-hour. That’s a hefty premium, so to justify it to Ontario ratepayers (who will ultimately be picking up the tab) the government created the local content rules as a way to tout the economic benefits that would come from increased investment…
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California Energy Blog
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Go Fly A Kite!
6 Nov 2009 | 9:15 amAnd from the news of the weird file, I commend to your attention, David Baker's piece in the San Francisco Chronicle today. (I suspect Baker had some fun with this one.)Adding a new twist to wind energy, several companies have come out with prototype generators that seek to capitalize on high altitude wind, which is more reliable than wind patterns closer to the ground. These efforts are, depending on your point of view, entrepreneurial, innovative, or just plane strange, but they include a giant kite, a massive inflatable ball, a skeltal, unmanned "helicopter," and a serpent. Each would be… -
Watching TV Is Still Ok
5 Nov 2009 | 9:18 amThere is a great scene in the neo-fraternity classic movie Old School, where the sycophantic assistant to the college Dean informs his boss that efforts to kick a rowdy fraternity off campus have been derailed because, "The thing is sir, they are very good at paperwork."The same could be said of the Consumer Electronics Association which managed to postpone the CEC's vote on new regulations governing the kind of TV's Californians can watch in their homes.The CEA availed itself of its right to use darn near every second of the 45 day public comment period for the regulations and submitted a 91… -
Toyota To Roll Out Innovative New EV Charging Stations
4 Nov 2009 | 8:42 amIn advance of the launch of the plug-in version of the Prius, Toyota is getting into the electric vehicle charging station business.The company has announced plans to roll out individual charging 100-200 volt charging stations that will be anchored to telephone polls.Two interesting features about these stations: 1) The stations will be the first to be solar powered, and 2) the stations communicate with a central computer that will authorize user access, thus giving Toyota a way to monetize the service by making it subscription based or perhaps even "pay as you go."Nissan has also announced… -
The Other Side Weighs In On The TV Saga
3 Nov 2009 | 12:31 pmLast week we noted the absurdity of CARB's proposed regulation that would require metallic window glazing on cars (glazing that would impair GPS, cell phone, and other devices). Today we revisit the CEC's absurd proposed regualtion to ban some flat panel TV's in California.Gary Shapiro is the CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, which means he is a paid flack for the people who make and sell the TV's CEC wants to ban. We mention that for transparency. It's no secret where Shapiro's allegiance lies. That said, his oped in the San Francisco Chronicle makes a lot of very good points… -
Solar Schools
2 Nov 2009 | 8:58 amThe key to building grassroots support for any issue is public education. PG&E is taking that seriously when it comes to solar energy and is going back to school-- literally.Through the "Solar Schools" program, the company has spent more than $8 million on a 125 schools in California, outfitting them with 1.3 KW solar arrays sufficient to power school operations, handing out "Bright Idea" grants, and working with the National Energy Education Development Project on school currculum about solar energy.The Bright Ideas grants are $10,000 prizes awared to teachers and amisnistrators in fiver…
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Greener Computing
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ICT's Carbon Impacts Must Figure into Copenhagen Talks, Analysts Say
4 Nov 2009 | 4:45 amAt the U.N. Climate Change talks in Barcelona this week, industry experts are calling on policymakers to find ways to spur investments in information technologies that can help cut companies' and countries' greenhouse gas emissions. -
U.S. Continues to Lag on E-Waste Policies
3 Nov 2009 | 2:07 pmA study out in the latest issue of Science maps out the patchwork of policies that pass for regulations on the disposal of electronic waste, showing how progress on responsible recycling is coming either from states and regions or private enterprises. -
Cisco to Put TelePresence to Work in Reducing Copenhagen's Emissions
2 Nov 2009 | 4:17 pmThe company announced a partnership with the United Nations to tie 100 virtual-meeting rooms to the climate change summit, allowing more people to participate in the event while cutting emissions from avoided travel to the conference. -
Greenpeace Takes IT Giants to Task on Climate Action
2 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pmGoogle, Microsoft and IBM are singled out for not doing enough to put IT's power to work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in the latest release of Greenpeace's Cool IT Challenge. -
Answers to Green Marketers' Questions on Ecolabels
2 Nov 2009 | 9:35 amGreenBiz.com’s October 15, 2009 webinar on "The Green Marketing Landscape: Ratings, Labels, and Certifications" yielded far more questions than we had time to answer during the allotted 60 minutes. We've selected questions from among the hundreds asked and submitted them to our three speakers, who graciously provided answers.
