Selected by fibergeneration

• 
  Rural Innovation Network

• Documentaries on social communication for sustainable innovations and development

  SUSANTA BISWAS

  Documentaries on social communication plays a significant role to propagate the message of sustainable innovations which leads to sustainable development. Potka Developmental Block consisting of 20 villages in East Singbhum district of Jharkhand is situated at a distance of about 60 km to the south of Tatanagar, the industrial city of Jamshedpur. The tribal villagers of this forest fringe area are either small or marginal farmers which cause their dependence on forest for fuel wood, fodder and part of livelihood. There the Regional Centre, National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board,…

• Hi! Trying to help those in rural areas save money!

  Momma

  Hi, I'm excited to find this network. We live in a rural area, 100 miles from a "city" of 20,000 or more. We try to help others save money and recently started a series of articles titled, "25 ways to save money and bargain shop in small towns and rural areas" We are trying to share this series with as many folks that live in small towns and rural areas as we can. But we have no advertising budget, so this makes it very difficult. Please help us spread the word. You can read the series here: http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/search/label/savemoneyseries Looking forward to meeting other…

• SRDI says goodbye after 16 years

  Calvin

  February 10, 2009 Dear Friend: It is with deep sadness that we are writing to let you to know that the Southern Rural Development Initiative (SRDI) will be shutting its doors on February 20, 2009. Though prompted by the current economic crisis and the uncertain funding climate, we know that this is the time to end our formal work as an organization. For the past fifteen years, we have stood fast with rural leaders advocating for racial and economic justice. We have supported their cause, strived to increase resources for their work, provided vital information and research, and learned with…

• RIN.com is now on FACEBOOK

  Calvin

  Become a fan of Rural Innovation Network.com on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=43620108556#/pages/Rural-Innovation-Networkcom/43620108556 or clicking HERE

• PRESS RELEASE: New Carsey brief identifies keys to today's rural economic development

  Calvin

  New Carsey brief identifies keys to today's rural economic development Durham, NH and Raleigh, NC - Rural communities working to find strategies for success in today's economy need to rethink the tools they are using, notes Anita Brown-Graham and William Lambe in a new brief from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, Measures and Methods: Four Tenets for Rural Economic Development in the New Economy. Brown-Graham is the executive director of the Institute for Emerging Issues and a policy fellow at the Carsey Institute. William Lambe is the associate director at the…

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  SmartGridNews.com

• Radio Waves Announces 1.8 GHz SP Dish Antennas for Smart Grid

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:50 pm

  Radio Waves, Inc., The Leader in Microwave Antenna InnovationTM, announced a new line of SP microwave antennas called the SPX-1.8NS series which covers from 1.7 – 1.9 GHz. These antennas cover a number of services including the Canadian smart grid network band of 1800 – 1830 MHz and the U.S. federal government band of 1755 – 1850 MHz. The frequency range of 1.7 – 1.9 GHz also covers some international bands utilized for public safety and other government applications in certain countries. The new SPX-1.8NS series of microwave dishes is available in all sizes from 1 foot to 8 feet in…

• GE Smart Grid Technologies Build Sustainable 21st Century Cities

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:45 pm

  Technology available today can be employed to create viable, sustainable, smart cities. That will be the message that Bob Gilligan, vice president—transmission and distribution for GE Energy Services, will deliver to delegates at the Chatham House conference, “The Future of Cities.”

• Exele Increases Functionality of Alarm Management, Notification and Remote Monitoring Software

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:36 pm

  Exele Information Systems, an industry leader in alarm management, notification and remote monitoring software has announced major enhancements to their TopView® software suite with the release of v6.7. New features include SMS notification via GSM modem, SQL Server alarm logging and alarm history integration with the alarm displays.

• Landis+Gyr fast increasing its position in Poland

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  Landis+Gyr, the leading global supplier of smart meters and energy management solutions, continues to expand its leadership position in the Polish market having recently signed a contract with ENION, the second largest electricity distributor in Poland, for its residential and ICG metering applications, further strengthening relations between the two leading companies.

• Boulder SmartGridCity Cost Overruns: How Bad is it Really?

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:17 pm

  Whopping discrepancies between projected and actual costs for Xcel Energy's Boulder, Colorado, Smart Grid project have caught the state PUC's attention. Now the regulators want to do what they do: Regulate it.

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  IBM: Energy & Utilities News

• ABB and IBM Extend Services Agreement to Globalize and Leverage New Technologies

  29 Jan 2010 | 4:59 am

  ABB, the leading power and automation technology group (NYSE: ABB) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have signed a new agreement that will transform ABB's Information Systems (IS) infrastructure across 17 countries in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. IBM will provide server and network management, as well as end user and help desk services for the majority of ABB's IS infrastructure operations. E-mail this page Save to del.icio.us Digg this

• Severn Trent Water Launches Transformation Program With IBM to Achieve Major Cost Savings

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:00 pm

  IBM today announced that Severn Trent Water (STW), which provides services to 8.5 million people across the midlands and mid Wales in the UK, has gone live with phase one of a business transformation program aimed at delivering major cost savings by increasing the efficiency of operational processes. The program has been designed to help STW continue its drive for ever-higher standards by improving the speed of decision making, regulatory reporting and service to its customers. E-mail this page Save to del.icio.us Digg this

• IBM To Acquire National Interest Security Company, LLC

  19 Jan 2010 | 5:31 pm

  IBM today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire National Interest Security Company, LLC (NISC) to further strengthen IBM’s ability to deliver advanced analytics and IT solutions to the public sector. NISC, a privately-held company headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, offers a full range of services and solutions in the areas of defense, healthcare, energy, logistics and security. Financial details were not disclosed. E-mail this page Save to del.icio.us Digg this

• IBM and Western Power Connect To Design Smart Grid Future

  14 Dec 2009 | 8:12 pm

  IBM today announced it has been selected by Australian energy provider Western Power as the systems integration and project management partner for its SmartGrid-Advanced Meter Infrastructure pilot program. E-mail this page Save to del.icio.us Digg this

• IBM Launches IBM Business Park to Better Support Clients in Outsourcing

  9 Dec 2009 | 8:24 pm

  IBM today announced the launch of the 'IBM Business Park,' a green data center integrated within Korea's existing Kyobo Data Center in Songdo International City, Incheon. The addition of IBM Business Park is part of the Korean government's goal to build Incheon into an international economic hub. E-mail this page Save to del.icio.us Digg this

• 
  Clean Tech Brief

• D.E. Shaw To Buy Distressed Assets From Other Hedge Funds

  Jon Shazar

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am

  D.E. Shaw & Co. has set up a distressed asset team focused on buying the troubled assets that are an albatross around many a hedge fund’s neck. The $28 billion firm is seeking out fellow funds that wish to divest themselves of the side-pocketed assets that caused so much trouble during the financial crisis. read more

• Intel Venture Capitalist Is Ninth Guilty Plea In Galleon Case

  Jon Shazar

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am

  One of Raj Rajaratnam’s alleged tipsters admitted yesterday that he passed confidential information to the Galleon Group founder, a friend of 25 years. read more

• Chiesi Says ‘Not Even A Chance’ She, Rajaratnam See Jailtime

  Jon Shazar

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am

  A defiant Danielle Chiesi is speaking out, proclaiming that she and Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam are innocent of the insider-trading charges against them. read more

• Nadel May Cop A Plea

  Jon Shazar

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  Accused hedge fund fraudster Arthur Nadel and the prosecutors who have charged him with running a Ponzi scheme are talking deal. read more

• Hedge Fund Wins ‘Terminator’ Auction

  Jon Shazar

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:43 am

  After a five-hour-long auction last night, the rights to the “Terminator” action movie franchise were sold to the hedge fund that financed its last sale more than two years ago. read more

• 
  Going Social Now

• Consumers Trust Friends Less? I don't agree

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:07 am

  With all due respect to Ad Age and Edelman, I feel the analysis of the Edelman Trust Barometer 2010 maybe a little misleading. The headline "In Age of Friending, Consumers Trust Their Friends Less" obviously implies that people are trusting their friends less when making decisions. While that makes great copy, when you click on the chart what you really see is that trust in all forms of media (the alternatives were TV News, Radio News, Newspapers and Friends/Peers) has dropped dramatically by approximately the same percentages. Trust in Friends/Peers hasn't dropped considerably more…

• Facebook growing up. Advertisers to fall in love

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:47 am

  For a long time I believed that Facebook was moving too slowly in addressing the needs of marketers. The pages for brands was but a rudimentary step in the right direction and the analytics behind the pages were simplistic at best. I'm excited to see that it is changing now and I believe that marketers are going to flock to Facebook (and with their dollars) and not just because of the huge user base but increasingly because of the specific advertising products and analytics that the platform is offering. In a sense Facebook is truly entering the marketing world now.One small example, of this…

• Engaging Readers in the Digital Age. Keynote

  28 Jan 2010 | 2:15 pm

  I was invited to keynote the Digital Book World Conference this week. Held in New York this conference was for book publishers large and small who are navigating the digital space. I focused on social media and how social influence marketing is forcing these publishers is to rethink their value chain and their position as B2B companies. My hypothesis - they need to become B2C players as well.Engaging Readers in the Digital Age Let me know what you think. The book publishing space is undergoing a sea changing (similar to the newspaper industry) and I feel my recommendations may help.

• SIM Trends for 2010. Keynote Presentation

  22 Jan 2010 | 9:06 am

  Here's my keynote presentation from the SeesmicLook product launch. I was invited to give the keynote at this launch event which had Microsoft and Advertising Age as its launch partners.  Social Influence Marketing TrendsView more presentations from shivsingh. The presentation got some coverage on Twitter and also on a few blogs including CenterNetworks (The Best Social Media Definition To-Date) and TechStartups (Shiv Singh Knocked It Out of the Park). Thank you for all the feedback both positive and negative (Apparently, I ended the presentation rather abruptly. Good to keep in…

• Get a free copy of Social Media Marketing for Dummies by donating to Red Cross

  16 Jan 2010 | 4:53 pm

  I've got a few extra copies of my book Social Media Marketing for Dummies. Rather than give them to clients or friends, I've decided to give them away to you - but there's one condition. You have to donate the exact amount that the book costs ($16.49) to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Send me your receipt and I'll send you a copy of the book. I can do this for the first five people to send me their receipts electronically. My email address is shivsingh at gmail.com. And if you've already donated, retweet this message and I'll enter you into a drawing for a free copy of…

• 
  Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition blogs

• VMT, mode share and the 280 morning commute

  Carlos

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:54 am

  Last night I attended the San Jose General Plan Task Force 2040 meeting. The topic for discussion was transportation but specifically mode share and VMT. Mode share describes how we get around; wheter by bike, walking, car, carpool, or any form of transit (public or private). VMT, or vehicle miles traveled is a semi-wonky term that refers to how many miles each person drives each year. On average Californians drive 15,000 miles a year. During the meeting, the staff of San Jose's Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed different scenarios for reducing VMT; from road diets, to parking…

• UCLA Professor Donald Shoup to Speak in San Jose - Wednesday, February 24th at San Jose City Hall

  Carlos

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:26 pm

  For those of us fortunate to live in the Silicon Valley we have ample access to hills, trails, and beaches. One thing that we also seem to have in abundance is free parking. Join UCLA Professor Donald Shoup, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and Greenbelt Alliance in San Jose for his talk about his book, "The High Cost of Free Parking", on Wednesday, February 24th at San Jose City Hall. (Download flyer for more details - pdf) Come join us for an evening of honest discussion about the trade offs that communities make when they supply an abundance of free parking. As public transit fares…

• From Copenhagen to Amsterdam

  Carlos

  17 Jan 2010 | 4:25 pm

  Bike garages that hold 10,000 bikes and bikes that last 100 years. Wow! Only in Amsterdam. <!--break--> This is a short (2 minute) clip from Amsterdam. Two things to notice; the cycle paths in central business districts next to shops and restaurants, and the amount of people out on their bikes enjoying the city. No drive through burger joints, no ferrying children in SUVs.

• Winter Cycling - Don't let the rain slow you down

  Carlos

  17 Jan 2010 | 3:32 pm

  After seeing Mikael Coleville-Andersen speak in San Francisco in October it is refreshing to always see his videos from Copenhagen. Here is one showing January cycling in the city. This is from his site Copenhagenize. <!--break--> Copenhagen January Cycling - Your Country from Copenhagenize on Vimeo. Here is what Mikael noted in his post: "Another little winter film from the streets and bike lanes of Copenhagen. Snow and sub-zero temperatures and the bicycles roll on. There's even TWO bike lane snowploughs in the film for the Bicycle Infrastructure Fetishists :-). In both instances you can…

• Get SMART - Designing trains for cyclists

  Carlos

  14 Jan 2010 | 9:31 am

  Imagine being able to design you own airplane interior on your San Jose to Austin flight. Wider seats, more legroom, larger restrooms would be a start. Well, sorry but that's not going to happen. However members of the community are being involved in the design of the new SMART train interiors. SMART which stands for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit,will run 70-mile route between Cloverdale and Larkspur. Service is expected to start in 2014. Right now Caltrain is going through the same process. With the planned electrification of the rail line, new rail car design will require input from the…

• 
  SFGate: Bay Area News Stories

• Richmond man IDd as S.F. shooting suspect

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:13 pm

  The gunman who allegedly shot and killed a man outside a nightclub at San Francisco's Fisherman Wharf and was himself wounded by a club guard was identified by police today as 19-year-old Keandre Davis of Richmond. A second gunman is still being sought in...

• Man arrested at SFO after brother-in-law slain

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:35 am

  A Fremont man was arrested today at San Francisco International Airport shortly after he shot and killed his brother-in-law during a family dispute, police said. Lei Huang, 47, was arrested by San Francisco police about two hours after officers found his...

• Man convicted of trying to kill Oakland cop

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am

  A San Lorenzo man could face life in prison after being convicted of trying to murder an Oakland police motorcycle officer, a prosecutor said today. Jesse Mendez, 28, was found guilty Monday by an Alameda County jury of attempted murder of a police officer,...

• Mayor would cut S.F. workers' week to save cash

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  More than 10,000 San Francisco city workers - from librarians and gardeners to secretaries and street cleaners - would be laid off and most rehired for jobs with shorter hours under a controversial plan being examined by Mayor Gavin Newsom. The idea, which...

• Officials question Anthem insurance rate hikes

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  The Obama administration and state insurance officials pressured Anthem Blue Cross on Monday to justify its decision to raise rates by as much as 39 percent for thousands of outraged and frustrated California customers. U.S. Health and Human Services...

• 
  California

• Evacuations underway for Los Angeles-area foothills

  <p class="bylinejb">By Jacob Adelman<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Associated Press

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:38 am

  LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE — Homeowners in mud-ravaged foothill towns north of Los Angeles packed their cars and fled today as evacuation orders took hold and a new winter storm approached.

• Los Angeles police: Arrest made in killings of anti-gang worker

  <p class="bylinejb">By Christina Hoag<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Associated Press

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:05 am

  LOS ANGELES — A suspect was arrested today in the killing of a well-known anti-gang counselor who was shot to death when he confronted a tagger writing graffiti in Los Angeles, police said.

• Mexico arrests two reputed leaders of Tijuana gang

  <br> <p class="Byline Affiliation">Associated Press

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:05 pm

  TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Mexican authorities Monday arrested two suspected leaders of a brutal drug trafficking gang that terrorized the border city of Tijuana for several years, a U.

• Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charge

  <p class="bylinejb">By Jack Leonard, Harriet Ryan and Victoria Kim <br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Los Angeles Times <br /></p>

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:19 pm

  Michael Jackson's doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the pop singer's death.

• Study: Women over 40 nearly twice as likely to have autistic children

  <p class="bylinejb">By Thomas H. Maugh II <br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Los Angeles Times <br /></p>

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:19 pm

  LOS ANGELES — Women who give birth after age 40 are nearly twice as likely to have a child with autism as those under 25, but it is unlikely that delayed parenthood plays a big role in the current autism epidemic, California researchers reported Monday.

• 
  TreeHugger

• Fisker Says 'Bye-Bye Michigan', Brings Whole Team to California

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:42 pm

  Photo: Fisker At the end of 2008, Fisker announced that it was opening and engineering center in Michigan, near Detroit. Was it just to help sweeten its position for its government loan approval? Who knows... But now the company is focusing on its next vehicle (codename: Project NINA), and has announced that "Beginning March 1 Fisker Automotive's global headquarters in Irvine, California will house all design, engineering, sales, marketing, and administrative operations." Bye-bye Michigan....Read the full story on TreeHugger

• Man Fined $1 Million for Shipping Trash Overseas

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pm

  Talk About Junk Mail! Last June, the Brazilian authorities discovered 91 shipping containers full of trash in the nation's ports, all exported from Britain. After some investigation, the tons of household waste were linked back to businessman Julio Cesar da Costa, who owned a trash-collection company outside of London. Attempting to

• Neon Green's Soular Backpacks Hope To Be Everything to Anyone

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:15 pm

  Image via GoneOnGreen Neon Green has decided to bring solar to the fashion forward among us, from tween girls to guys working in the financial district. The makers of solar bags have come up with a variety of designs that incorporate thin-film solar cells into trendy bags with "soular" for off-grid charging and backup power for hand-held gadgets. Neon Green claims the bags are so awesome, they'll "transform [you] from a mere mortal to a super hero with soular powers." Now that's quite a statement. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

• Ford Unveils Electric Version of Transit Connect Utility Van

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:36 am

  Photo: Ford Not Sexy, But the Business World Needs Electric Vehicles Too Ford has just unveiled the electric version of its award-winning Transit Connect utility van in Chicago, and it's not just a "maybe far in the future" announcement. Transit Connect Electric vans should be in the hands of customers "later this year", says Ford, though full volume production is only scheduled for 2011....Read the full story on TreeHugger

• Sen. DeMint: DC Snow Is Revenge on Gore

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:18 am

  Sen. Jim "Health Care will be Obama's Waterloo'' DeMint of South Carolina is once again making his state proud by posting on his Twitter account the following: "It's going to keep snowing in DC until Al Gore cries 'uncle'". Classy, Senator, real classy. It's to be expected that climate change skeptics and deniers would use any strange weather to back up their case that climate change is a hoax, but this is beyond the pale. It does snow in February in DC, Senator. You've been in DC long enough to have realized this. ...Read the full story on TreeHugger

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  WorldChanging

• The Ghost of a Green Los Angeles

  Alex Steffen

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:05 pm

  Alex Steffen: Today, I took a long walk through the old neighborhoods of Long Beach: craftsman bungalows, Mission-style courtyard apartment buildings, quaint and walkable streets, old...

• Light and the Bright Green City

  Alex Steffen

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  Alex Steffen: It's become a common slide at conferences: a map of the Earth at night, with the wealthier and denser areas shining brightly. Africa seen at...

• De-Industrializing the City

  Alex Steffen

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

  Alex Steffen: One of my favorite quotes by Bjarke Ingels: "Engineering without engines. We should use contemporary technology and computation capacity to make our buildings independent...

• Vote Today and Help Us Win $5K!

  WorldChanging Team

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

  WorldChanging Team: Just by clicking a button, you can help us win a $5,000 grant from Brighter Planet. Worldchanging's project proposal, Advocate for Climate Neutral Cities,...

• Visions Desirable, Present and Future

  Mark Tovey

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:03 am

  Mark Tovey: Here at WorldChanging, we often have conversations about how best to envision desirable futures. Not just on how to collaborate on designing them, or accelerate...

• 
  The Alternative Consumer

• the Emcycle electric hybrid commuter bike

  rd

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:15 am

  A new urban commuter concept vehicle – part EV, part bike, part car.  This single person, three-wheeled, electrically assisted, pedal cycle is designed to transport a driver and up to 75 lbs of stuff to their workplace and back. Designer Michael Scholey’s Emcycle is the size of a big bike – 24” wide x 73” tall [...]

• upcycled olde growth pine for home decor

  Maureen

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:37 am

  If you’d like to spiff-up your desk, check out this Gerboa Desk Caddy made from antique wood, (olde growth pine that was upcycled from floor joists from Philadelphia in the 1800s).  The image of the Gerboa is from an 1885 Victorian animal book; it’s decoupaged onto the wood’s surface.  The caddy measures 6 x 3 [...]

• recycled sterling silver rings

  Maureen

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  Compelled to buy something for your honey for Valentine’s Day?  How about making your expression of affection both a little greener, and a little more elegant by gifting this Fancy Bow Ring made from recycled sterling silver; ($80). This Brooklyn based designer combines painting, drawing and design to create a variety of jewelry and printed wares [...]

• sustainability spectrum part 2

  Rose

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:13 am

  In the second installment of Sustainability Spectrum, we hear from Paul David Terry, a musician and teacher living in San Diego. Paul David Terry is a musician based out of San Diego.  He performs with the San Diego opera, and is the director of the UC San Diego Pepband.  At his home in Hillcrest he [...]

• eco furniture find: snug it! shelf

  rd

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:40 am

  You can use the snug it! as a shelving or storage unit, room divider or plant stand, or a home for all your funky collectibles.  This geometric shelving unit assembles with 100% aluminum connectors that are readily recyclable. It can be purchased and built from a variety of eco-friendly woods including:  Douglas Fir from reclaimed bleachers, [...]

• 
  the green skeptic

• Dr. Seuss to LoraxAg: "You Don't Speak for the Trees"

  greenskeptic

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am

  What's in a name?  Plenty, according to Dr. Seuss Enterprises; especially if the beloved children's author, known for his creative use of the English language, coined the name. So what was coal-gasification start-up LoraxAg thinking when they borrowed the name of one of the good doctor's much-loved characters? Let alone one that stands (literally) for the environment and "speaks for the trees." Two weeks ago, bloggers at Wonk Room informed the owners of Dr. Seuss’s intellectual property of the company's "draping its coal-to-chemicals technology in…

• China Tops US in New Wind Installation

  greenskeptic

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:38 am

  In the latest indicator that China will be eating our lunch on cleantech and renewable energy, the country has now taken the lead in new wind energy installed in 2009, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. China's 13,000 megawatts added last year led the pack. The US was second with 9,922 MW, followed by Spain at 2,459 MW, Germany at 1,917 MW and India at 1,271 MW. (See chart here) The US held on to the top spot in cumulative wind energy capacity with 35,159 MW, or 22 percent of the world’s wind energy capacity. (See chart here.) Germany is No. 2 in total installed capacity at 25,177…

• The Green Skeptic Speaking at Temple/Fox School of Business

  greenskeptic

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am

  From the shameless self-promotion department: I'll be speaking today at Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management today. I was invited by Fox Net Impact and the Office of Leadership Development and will be speaking on social enterprise and the new economy. My talk, which I hope to post a link to once it is available, is about how entrepreneurs are changing the face of business and how the recent crises can, if we learn from them, drive us to build a better economic mousetrap. As World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab said in his closing remarks at Davos last week, we now…

• IPCC's Pachauri Must Resign

  greenskeptic

  30 Jan 2010 | 8:08 am

  Image by Getty Images via DaylifeThe Times of London reports this morning that the head of the UN's International Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, was told that the IPCC assertion that Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035 was wrong, but he waited two months to take actions to correct it. Dr. Pachauri, who played a lead role at the recent Copenhagen climate summit where he called for drastic cuts in carbon emissions, corrected the error last week after coming under media scrutiny. Apparently, Dr. Pachauri told The Times as recently as January 22 that he had only known about…

• Pass or Fail? Obama's State of the Union and Clean Energy Future

  greenskeptic

  28 Jan 2010 | 7:54 am

  Did President Obama pass or fail on energy in last night's State of the Union address?  I wasn't watching, but I've read the transcript.  Here are some of the choice bits: "We can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our nation has always been built to compete. There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products." Totally agree. We are already losing the clean energy race and need to do a lot to catch up. "We should put…

• 
  The Green Girls

• Alive Expo Green Pavilion At 2010 Oscars Week

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am

  Eco-Friendly Products and Pampering VIP Gifting & Educational Lounge    Join Us… At the Alive! Expo Green Pavilion & MixMedia Luxury Lounge, Eco-Friendly Products and Pampering VIP Gifting & Educational Lounge, surrounding the 2010 Oscars, March 5 & 6 in Beverly Hills, California. Have the opportunity to get your product and literature into the hands of attending 2010 Oscar Presenters and Nominees, as well as recognizable actors and actresses, producers, directors, product placement managers and attending media and press. Participation Benefits……

• Grow Your Own Groceries Using a Virtual Garden Tool

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:59 pm

  Would you like to grow your own organic groceries but just don’t know where to begin?  You may think vegetable gardening requires a large yard, is extremely time consuming, confusing, and grueling hard work...lies I tell you!  Vegetable gardening can be very simple and fun, my advice is to start out small and stay organized.  The perfect way to stay organized is to take advantage of an online garden planner!  You can quickly plan, design and lay out your “virtual garden".  Additional features include guidelines on when and how to plant your veggies,…

• Video: Livin' Live Walnut Red Pepper Pate!

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pm

  Raw food is NUTRITIOUS & DELICIOUS! This is one of my favorite pates. The great thing about raw food is that is simple to make and tasty to eat. Don't forget to use all organic ingredients! The real deal behind eating raw food is that it is the highest vibrational food available on the planet - it is organic, fresh (live) and thus the most nutrient-dense. For optimum health, clarity of mind and energy - eat REAL FOOD!     Watch More Videos! Ingredients: 4 c. soaked organic walnuts (soak & rinse with filtered water) 2 red peppers cut in…

• Ask Diva: Bath Oil For Babies?

  7 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Dear Diva, Do you have any suggestions for Bath oil for babies for dry winter skin? One we were using contains parabens :( Any suggestions? Help, Diva! photo via boopsie.daisy Dear DuckDuckGreen, Great question and one that a few friends have been asking about. One friend who lives in Cold, Dry Eastern Canada has had good success with Petroleum Jelly, but really didn't like the "petroleum" part of that solution. I was thrilled to tell her that Alba makes a product called Un-Petroleum Jelly, scores a 1 in the Cosmetics Database…

• American Cities Powered by Sustainability

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pm

  We are watching a renaissance of the American city powered by sustainability. New city buildings are cleaner, more efficient and healthier. Cities are scaling up building retrofit programs, yielding significant energy and water reductions.     Improvements in transportation are better supporting walkability and green neighborhoods. Local food markets are sprouting up all across the country. And by responding to these myriad sustainability challenges, our cities are not only creating better places to live, but driving a clean energy economy, helping to save residents money and…

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  GreenBiz.com Green Business News

• Chicago's Green Economy Grows, But Struggles Remain: The State of Green Business Forum-Chicago

  Jonathan Bardelline

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am

  The Chicago area has seen growth in its green economy and exciting action around services for new and small businesses, but hurdles still remain as companies, non-profits and other groups look for resources and funds.  

• Green Policies Can Add Billions to the U.K.'s Budget

  James Murray

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:09 am

  A new report argues that axing tax breaks for carbon-intensive industries, curbing spending on road expansion and improving public sector energy efficiency could cut the country's national debt by £12 billion a year.

• Energy Efficiency Gains Horsepower: The State of Green Business 2010

  Joel Makower

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:50 am

  As managing greenhouse gas emissions approaches the importance of simply managing energy bills, a new generation of technology is making it easier for firms to pull the plug on wasted power.

• The Age of Sustainability: Why 'Less' Should Be More of Your Business Strategy

  Mahesh Pethe

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:30 am

  Business has officially entered The Age of Sustainability, and businesses that don't figure in sustainability aren’t likely to survive. Here’s a look at the reasons why as well as pointers on how your company can adapt to the change.

• Toxic Toys Scrutinized Under Washington State Law

  GreenBiz Staff

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm

  The state government has launched its pilot test of a new law that will require manufacturers to disclose potentially hazardous chemicals in toys and children's products.

• 
  Green Car Congress

• Navistar Partners With Clean Air Power on Natural Gas Dual-Fuel Option for MaxxForce 13 Engines

  Mike Millikin

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:22 am

  Navistar, Inc. has signed a concept development agreement with UK-based Clean Air Power Ltd. to develop Navistar’s MaxxForce 13 big bore engine to run on natural gas and diesel fuel for the North American market. The program will utilize Clean Air Power’s Dual-Fuel combustion technology (earlier post) to deliver a MaxxForce 13 Advanced EGR engine that is fully compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2010 on-highway diesel emissions, without the use of liquid-urea SCR (selective catalytic reduction). Upon successful concept development, the two companies will move…

• Toyota USA Announces Voluntary Recall on 2010 Model-Year Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h Vehicles to Update ABS Software

  Mike Millikin

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:58 am

  As part of what has become a global recall of the third-generation Prius, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA Inc, will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 133,000 2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). No other Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall. Earlier today in Japan, Toyota Motor Corporation announced a recall related to the ABS software program in current-model Prius, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Sai and HS250h sold in Japan. (Earlier post.) That…

• FEV, Inc. Develops 40kW Range Extender Unit

  Mike Millikin

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:10 am

  FEV, Inc., a developer of advanced powertrain and vehicle technologies, has coupled an FEV-developed Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) with a 3-cylinder engine for use as a range extender in Hybrid Electric Vehicles. The APU is designed as a flexible, compact unit using proven technology, combined to bring 40kW of power to EV architecture. APUs implemented into the propulsion system provide the capability to extend the range from 20-40 miles (AER) to a total of 200-350 miles when needed. FEV has developed a range of APUs for a variety of vehicle applications depending on the customer’s power…

• Harz E-Mobility Project to Deploy Charging Infrastructure Throughout Region

  Mike Millikin

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:07 am

  Seventeen partners from research, academia and industry are participating in the project Harz.ErneuerbareEnergien-mobility (Harz.EE-mobility), which will deploy a network of charging stations for plug-ins covering the entire Harz region in Germany. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF in Magdeburg are determining the optimal locations for charging stations. The success of electric cars will stand or fall with the power supply, the partners note. The ability to charge vehicles with green power anytime and anywhere will boost acceptance of this…

• US Commerce Department Proposes Establishment of NOAA Climate Service; New NOAA Climate Portal

  Mike Millikin

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am

  US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the intent to create a NOAA Climate Service line office dedicated to bringing together the agency’s climate science and service delivery capabilities. Working closely with federal, regional, academic and other state and local government and private sector partners, the new NOAA Climate Service will build on our success transforming science into useable climate services. NOAA is committed to scientific integrity and transparency; we seek to advance science and strengthen product development and delivery through user engagement.—Dr. Jane Lubchenco,…

• 
  Carbon Positive News

• EU ETS intervention call howled down

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:39 am

  A call by British MPs to intervene in the EU carbon market to lift “flat-lining” prices draws criticism from all sides...

• Better Place eyes electric car launch in 2011

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:35 am

  The Israeli electric car company says it will have zero-emission vehicles on the road next year...

• Senate impasse not the end for climate laws

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:21 am

  Democrat cap-and-trade hopes for 2010 may be fading but the new political dynamics may just deliver a truly bipartisan US climate bill...

• Copenhagen Accord: Pledges shortfall

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:19 pm

  Emissions targets lodged by developed nations amount to overall reductions of 12-19 per cent below 1990 levels, studies show...

• Carbon Positive News #38

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:44 am

  Web version of Carbon Positive newsletter, February 2010...

• 
  Green Daily

• Eco-Beat, 2/9

  Josh Loposer

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Filed under: NewsWhen did Bruce Willis become a wolf killing expert? Want some eco-friendly tips on how to impress your Valentine? Want to make your workout part of the renewable energy revolution? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips. How to Kill a Wolf, by Bruce Willis For the record, Bruce doesn't advocating aerial wolf eradication or anything, but he does think everyone should know how to kill a wolf with their bare hands just in case they're ever in a life or death situation with a big bad wolf. Check out Bruce's instructions. Your Valentine's Day Guide to…

• Milk in a Bag: My Brain Says Yes, but My Heart Says No Way

  Josh Loposer

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Filed under: Food, Health, Natural Body Care Would you drink milk from a bag? If you live Eastern Canada (and you're not lactose intolerant), you've probably been drinking bagged milk for decades. You may even think it's normal ... but it's not. However, that doesn't mean that bagged milk shouldn't be more widespread. The bag o' milk phenomenon isn't limited to Canada by any means. South Africans, Hungarians, Argentinians and the Chinese all embrace the bag; and the UK is currently following suit. Are these nations blazing the eco-packaging trail, or simply clinging to a backwards…

• 5 Endangered Species and How You Can Help

  Susan Braun

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Filed under: Activism, Plants and Wildlife Tough as they are, tigers need our help. Photo: Tambako the Jaguar, Flickr We all have our favorite animals, but some species need our help more than others. Are you ready to lend a paw? Tiger It's hard to imagine a more iconic and recognizable species than the tiger. They are top predators, keeping the food chain balanced. Tigers are famous for their strength and power, reportedly covering up to 10 meters in a single horizontal leap. Yet only 3,200 tigers may be left in the wild, and their original roaming areas have decreased by 40 percent in the…

• Eco-Beat, 2/8

  Josh Loposer

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Filed under: NewsWanna send the city of New Orleans an eco-friendly Super Bowl present? What's the environmental impact of playing bumper boats on the high seas? What did you think of those Green Police Super Bowl ads? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips. Make it Right Launches Super Bowl Texting Drive In honor of the Saints' first ever Super Bowl victory, Brad Pitt's Make it Right has begun a text messaging campaign to boost the foundation's sustainable rebuilding efforts. Well-wishers can donate $10 (added to your phone bill) by simply texting "saints" to…

• Should I Be Afraid to Drive My Prius?

  Josh Loposer

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Is there a demon in your Prius? Credit: Getty Images Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last week, you probably know that Toyota is having a really freakin' bad 2010, and it's not even Valentine's Day yet. Last week, Toyota announced a recall involving sticky accelerator pedal that will affect somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 million vehicles (some of them Priuii Priuses). Now, according to AutoblogGreen, the NHTSA is investigating whether Toyota should recall another 311,000 units of their highly popular 2010 Prius. So, for all of the Prius-drivers out there, I'm going to…

• 
  AutoblogGreen

• Zipcar halts Prius rentals; car-sharing memberships up dramatically since 2007

  Sebastian Blanco

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm

  Filed under: Hybrid, Transportation Alternatives, Toyota Car sharing company Zipcar has responded to the Toyota Prius recall by shutting down rentals of that particular model until the "brake concerns have been addressed appropriately by Toyota." How many Priuses are there in Zipcar's fleet? All told, Zipcar has around 6,500 cars, and less than one percent of them are Priuses. Earlier, Zipcar stopped rentals of 2009 and 2010 Toyota Matrix models because of a safety recall. In other car sharing news, Frost & Sullivan has calculated that, in America between 2007 and 2009, membership in car…

• Seriously off oil: Better Place's first electric vehicle demonstration center in Israel

  Sebastian Blanco

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:59 am

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Middle East, Better Place Better Place has been signing deals to install its battery swapping and electric vehicle recharging station network around the world, for example, in Denmark, Tokyo and Canada. Not everyone is a fan of Better Place's methods, but now people in the company's home turf of Israel can get a closer look at what the deal is with the opening of the company's first electric vehicle (EV) demonstration center in Israel. To make the point totally clear that plug-in vehicles are a way to get off oil, the center is built inside a refurbished oil tank…

• BMW 1 and 3 series now available for car sharing in UK from £7/hour

  Sam Abuelsamid

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:05 am

  Filed under: Transportation Alternatives, BMW BMW 123d - Click above for high-res image gallery Members of the StreetCar car sharing service in the UK now have the option to rent a BMW from as little as £6.95 per hour. Like ZipCar and other similar services, StreetCar is a membership program that allows participants to rent cars by the hour, day or week and not have to pay for fuel, insurance or parking. Members get a smart card to remotely unlock cars they have reserved. The cars can be reserved online or over the phone using an iPhone application that also shows you where the car is.

• Smart Fortwo Greystyle could be Batman's city commuter

  Sebastian Blanco

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:46 am

  Filed under: SMART, Germany Smart Fortwo Greystyle - Click above for high-res image gallery Nothing says style like the blah color of grey, right? Usually, grey is a step up from beige, but the new Smart Fortwo Edition Greystyle, the latest special edition Fortwo from Daimler, actually makes grey look pretty good. Kind of Batman-esque. The new Batman. Not old school Batman like the Batsmart from the 2008 SEMA show. What turns a Smart into the Greystyle? On the outside, an exclusive matt dark grey paint with odd lime green mirror caps are key, as are the 15-inch six-spoke alloy wheels. Open…

• Next Toyota concept previewed in patent filing?

  Jeremy Korzeniewski

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:23 am

  Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Lexus, Toyota It would seem that Toyota has an interesting and hitherto unknown concept vehicle up its sleeves, judging by a European patent that L'Automobile in France was somehow able to dig up. Despite our best efforts, we weren't able to locate the actual patent filing ourselves, so you'll have to head on back after clicking here to see the rest of the associated images. So, what do you think? Judging by the absolutely minuscule engine compartment and Toyota's well-earned position at the top of the hybrid vehicle food chain, it would be a reasonable…

• 
  The Greener Grass

• Solar devices bring power to the powerless

  Chris Heckman

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:59 am

  Here in the US, solar gadgets like the Solio Classic or the Generator from Voltaic Systems are play toys of the eco-chic. While they are fun to use in the city, or perhaps even useful on a camping trip, Americans can plug into the grid anytime to power up and play on. With electricity so abundant, it is hard for us to imagine living a life that stops simply because the sun goes down. Just turn on a light, right?For the nearly 3 billion people living in developing countries like India, Ghana and Kenya, the only lights available after sunset are from kerosene lamps, candles or battery powered…

• Skiff Reader highlights content

  Chris Heckman

  4 Jan 2010 | 11:19 am

  The world of media is taking strides towards removing the trees away from the daily content people demand. Many companies have put their bets on e-readers as being today's must-have item, yet so far several seem like glorified Gameboys. They often have thick bodies and screens crowed by peripheral features. While many await Apple's entrance in this growing market, check out this Wiki matrix of the offerings out now - nearly 40 devices in all! Of the e-readers we've seen so far, we've been most impressed by one of the latest to market, the Skiff Reader (Skiff LLC and Sprint partnership). At…

• Induction lamps lighting the way in 2010

  Chris Heckman

  4 Jan 2010 | 6:33 am

  The U.S. has not banned incandescent light bulbs, but there is a growing list of countries that are making the switch as greener options make their way to the market. Fluorescent bulbs and LED's are becoming more mainstream here, matching lower power use with longer lifespans. That combination is pushed even further with the next generation of lighting on the horizon, the induction lamp (or electrodeless lamp). By relying on a chemical reaction to the elements inside, induction lamps do not use electrodes or filaments, which expands their life to nearly 100,000 hours, or roughly 35 years at…

• TGG celebrates Oktoberfest

  Michael

  30 Oct 2009 | 6:29 am

  Have you ever wondered why Oktoberfest starts in September? We're not complaining, but we wanted to stretch it out. To celebrate Kaleidoscope's 20th anniversary, we recently threw an Oktoberfest open haus. The party wouldn't be complete without some concepts, so here are just a few of our favorites. Let us know what you think! Boom Boom combines a simple, elegant form and a delightful detail: a small mushroom cloud blown into the base of the glass. Beer Drop Crying and drinking go hand in hand, in spite of society’s reluctance to accept it. This glass celebrates those who have the courage…

• Plug into the Smart Grid

  Brian

  9 Mar 2009 | 12:56 pm

  Last month, Google hosted a panel discussion at their DC Office regarding the future of smart grid technology. Panelists from Google, their partner GE, utilities, and the government discussed how best to utilize the $11 billion (part of the $83 billion of the stimulus allocated to clean technologies) set aside for modernizing our electric grid. The panel also answered questions from the public submitted online. You can watch the entire discussion here.“What does a world with smart power look like? As Washington develops the road map for a bigger, smarter electricity grid, how can we ensure…

• 
  Green Mom Finds™

• The Safe Baby Products Act

  Janet

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:46 am

  Did you know that even if it’s marked “pure and gentle,” baby shampoo might contain contaminants linked to cancer. That’s what the Breast Cancer Fund’s Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found nearly a year ago, when product tests revealed formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in children’s shampoos, bubble baths and other cosmetics. Yet because U.S. cosmetics are almost completely unregulated and the FDA has no authority to issue recalls on dangerous products, our government has taken no action. Please support the Safe Baby Products Act, which would require the FDA to…

• Love This Lovey

  Katherine

  7 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pm

  What: Dandelion Organic Teething Blanket Features: The bear on this blanket has knotted appendages and wiggly ears for infants to touch, feel and teethe on; the soft material makes it the perfect bedtime companion (or anytime lovey!) Green Factor: Made with the good stuff (100% certified organic cotton and natural dyes), not the bad stuff (pesticides and chemicals). Packaged in recycled materials. Bonus: Baby Green Sprout only chooses products from companies that employ fair-trade and sweatshop-free standards. Find It Here: Baby Green Sprout The Green Mom Review™..

• Alphabet Soup: Produce Codes

  The Green Mom Review

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:54 pm

  When you’re shopping for produce, what do those numbers on the stickers mean? The PLU “Price Look Up” code stickers on fruits and vegetables can help you identify organic, conventional and even genetically modified produce. •  Organic produce stickers start with a 9 and have 5 numbers • Conventional produce has 4 numbers • GM (Genetically Modified) produce have 5 numbers like organic produce but start with the number 8 so be particularly cautious of those fruits and vegetables Choose 9 for peace of mind! Author Annie Malka is a mother of four living in the Florida…

• Up, Up and Away!

  Katherine

  2 Feb 2010 | 10:42 pm

  What: Bamboo E-Plane Features: Up, up and away! This wooden toy airplane from Hape is stylish, modern and built to last. Green Factor: The environmentally-friendly E-Plane is made out of sustainable bamboo and is decorated with non-toxic, water-based dyes Bonus: All of Hape’s products meet international safety and quality standards Find It Here: Amazon.com The Green Mom Review™..

• Goody for Goodie Boxes!

  Katherine

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

  What: Goodie Boxes Features: The crowning touch at children’s birthday parties? The goody bags, of course. But more often than not, those bags are filled with cheap, plastic junk from the dollar store that no doubt winds up in a landfill somewhere. Check out this greener alternative: Goodie Boxes! Green Factor: Each re-usable box is made from recycled cardboard and is printed with soy ink Bonus: There are several different patterns to choose from and Green Party Goods also carries a great selection of non-toxic, fair trade and earth friendlier goodies to put in your Goodie Boxes Find It…

• 
  CNET news: green tech blog

• Ford to debut all-electric Transit Connect van

  Lance Whitney

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:21 am

  Automaker to unveil 2011 Transit Connect Electric van at Chicago Auto Show. New model expected to go into production late 2010. Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

• Hints of a bubble in green-tech IPOs

  Martin LaMonica

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:05 am

  Electric car maker Tesla, solar company Solyndra, and others have plans for public offerings. Is it too much too soon or will there be more start-up acquisitions?

• Toyota adds 2010 Prius to global recall list

  Reuters

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:27 am

  Recall to affect more than 400,000 hybrid models, including the latest Prius, as Toyota seeks to fix a problem with the regenerative brakes, which help charge the cars' electric batteries.

• Survey: More people looking for help on recycling

  Lance Whitney

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:26 am

  Report from Earth911.com shows more people with questions on how and where to recycle in 2009, with PCs, batteries, and TVs topping the list of search queries.

• Areva buys solar-thermal start-up Ausra

  Martin LaMonica

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am

  Strong in nuclear power, Areva purchases concentrating solar-power company Ausra to expand its renewable energy portfolio.

• 
  Green Tech Media: Cleantech Investing

• “Revenue-neutral”: The last hope for climate change legislation?

  info@greentechmedia.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am

  I've picked up on a couple of mentions lately of Senators on both sides of the aisle starting to work on revenue-neutral alternatives to the Waxman-Markey type of cap and trade climate legislation that has been the focus of attention ever since Obama came into office. There's been talk of the GOP staff on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, reporting to Sen. Murkowski of Alaska, possibly working on a revenue-neutral carbon tax proposal. And Cantwell and Collins are proposing a "cap and dividend" plan, also to be revenue-neutral. Gee, sounds familiar. Frustratingly, I could probably…

• Trouble brewing?

  info@greentechmedia.com

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:21 pm

  Haven't had much time to go through the various recent cleantech IPO filings, and so haven't talked about them much.  Also just generally hoping they do well, for the sake of the overall industry. But in a meeting today someone put up some stats that were pretty sobering. Taking a basket of 4 high profile recent IPOs and filings, the total across the four companies was: - Trailing twelve month revenues = $319M - Trailing twelve month EBITDA = -($343M) - Total venture dollars put into all four companies to date = approximately $1.5B Like I said, I hope all of these companies do well and…

• Massachusetts’ big energy efficiency news, and some thoughts on FITs

  info@greentechmedia.com

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:50 pm

  Big news today in the state of Massachusetts, where state officials announced a plan to pour $2.2B into energy efficiency measures, including a target of tripling the number of home energy audits, etc.  On a per capita basis, at least, it would put Massachusetts ahead of any other state in the U.S.  A terrific example, a great initiative...  Great to see!  It will make Massachusetts an even more attractive region for energy efficiency startups, tech or otherwise. On other policy topics... I haven't spoken much about feed-in tariffs here in this column.  For one thing,…

• Yep, that’s right…

  info@greentechmedia.com

  25 Jan 2010 | 6:18 am

  ... a $350M Series B for Project Better Place.  At a pre-money of $900M.  And bear in mind, this doesn't include additional financings that have gone into the company's regional subsidiaries, such as in Israel and Australia. This should really mess up the Q1 cleantech VC tallies when they come out!  Because as longtime readers already know, the headlines are driven by dollar totals, not deals. And we've already got some head scratching results now to think about as Q4 totals continue to come out.  Last week saw the release of the MoneyTree survey (US tally from…

• Best wishes to Ray Anderson

  info@greentechmedia.com

  21 Jan 2010 | 10:29 pm

  Am en route back to Boston from the Clean Tech Investor Summit, which took place in an incredibly soggy Palm Springs, necessitating a lot of diverted and canceled flights. Despite the problems participants had getting to and from the event thanks to freakish weather, it remained the very well-attended, hyper-networking, content-laden event I remembered from the last one I went to, four or five years ago.  A great event for catching up with fellow cleantech investors on the left coast (and not a few east coasters made the trip out as well).  I will attend again for sure. A particular…

• 
  Cleantech Blog

• Big Oil Fights Big Ag

  John Addison

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:45 am

  By John Addison (2/9/10)Americans are Spending 20 percent of their income on transportation. In the average two-car household it is often higher. Big Oil and Big Ag are fighting for their share of that moneyPetroleum use has started to drop in the United States as we have fewer cars and more fuel efficient cars. The U.S. Department of Energy continues to report drops in refinery utilization due to weak demand for gasoline and diesel.Ethanol and biodiesel further cut into oil profits. Big Oil is maneuvering to slow Big Ag from selling more biofuels. Big Oil giants include Exxon (XOM), Chevron…

• Why isn't there a Building Efficiency Trade Association

  Jigar Shah

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm

  Is it time for a real trade association for the Building Efficiency industry?I was thinking about this today. I have seen one that really does the job. For those of you that have been a part of the efficiency industry for a long time, you know that it is like a greyhound race.Companies running as fast as they can to realize the dream only to come up short on actually catching the rabbit.Energy Efficiency in the US alone is estimated to have $440B of potential by LBNL and over $3 Trillion when calculating the ultimate economic potential by 2030.As the costs of new electricity, water, and…

• Gray Power

  Richard T. Stuebi

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am

  by Richard T. StuebiThe distinction between "green power" -- electricity without any carbon emissions, usually from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind -- has been clearly drawn vs. "brown power" -- electricity generated from fossil fuels.In a recent article in The Nation, author Lisa Margonelli writes about "The Case for 'Gray Power'". "Gray power" is the term that Ms. Margonelli uses for a concept called "energy recycling", wherein electricity is generated from capturing waste heat from burning fossil fuels. So, gray power is not as "green" as renewables, but given that the fuel…

• U.S. Wind Energy Breaks Record with 10 GW added in 2009

  John Addison

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:58 am

  By John Addison The U.S. wind industry broke all previous records by installing 9,922 MW installed last year. This expanded the nation’s wind fleet by 39% and bring total wind power generating capacity in the U.S to over 35,000 MW. The five-year average annual growth rate for the industry is also 39%. U.S. wind projects today generate enough to power the equivalent of 9.7 million homes, protecting consumers from fuel price volatility and strengthening our energy security.Wind power and natural gas are the leading sources of new electricity generation for the United States, generating 80% of…

• Getting the LEDs Out

  Richard T. Stuebi

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:54 am

  by Richard T. StuebiKeith Scott, VP of Business Development at Bridgelux, recently posted on GreenTech Media an interesting take on the state of LED lighting markets. Mr. Scott claims that "we are in the middle of the LED lighting revolution", and sees big expansion ahead in for the sector.In some ways, the picture he paints parallels the recent trends in the photovoltaics sector. The prices for LED lighting system are high in large part because of booming demand for LEDs from other applications (e.g., high-def TVs). This is triggering expansion of LED manufacturing capacity, which should…

• 
  Clean Energy Stocks

• Investorideas.com Announces New Advisory Board Members; Creating a Think Tank for Energy, Cleantech, Defense,

  www.Investorideas.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:32 am

  Investorideas.com Announces New Advisory Board Members; Creating a Think Tank for Energy, Cleantech, Defense, Financial Media and Leading Investment Sectors POINT ROBERTS, Wash., Delta, B.C. – February 9, 2010 - www.InvestorIdeas.com, a global investor research portal announces the formation of a new advisory board consisting of some of the leading experts in energy, water, solar, defense and financial media. Investor Ideas founder and President, Dawn Van Zant explained,” The advisory board is designed to be our in- house think tank for trends and key developments in some of the most…

• Investing in Water in 2010 - The Next Big Play in Cleantech

  www.Investorideas.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:32 pm

  Investing in Water in 2010 - The Next Big Play in Cleantech Marketplace update and Stock Directory update for Investors Seeking Water Companies and Water Stocks to Buy DELTA, BC –February 8 2010 www.Water-Stocks.com, an investor and industry portal for the water sector within Investorideas.com, updates the water stocks directory of publicly traded water stocks and the Investor Ideas Marketplace for accredited investors seeking opportunities for investing in emerging water companies. Water-Stocks.com has also recently launched two new water columns for investors following the sector;…

• Energy Commentary - Why Natural Gas: Let's Just Keep Saying It Until Washington Gets the Message

  www.Investorideas.com

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:16 pm

  Energy Commentary - Why Natural Gas: Let's Just Keep Saying It Until Washington Gets the MessageBy Senior Energy Industry Executive Karl W. Millerabout stocks: CHK, DVN, EOG, APA, APC, WMB, EP, KMI, XOM, MRO, CVX, OXY, BPAs per previous release and distribution Energy Commentary by Karl Miller http://www.naturalgasstocks.com/Karl_Miller/For public interest, senior energy executive and institutional investor Karl W. Miller, today issued the following statement through his advisors regarding consolidation in the U.S. Natural Gas Industry and the "JOBS" the natural gas sector has created and…

• Western Wind Energy (TSX.V:WND) named as part of 2010 TSX Venture 50

  www.Investorideas.com

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:56 pm

  News and Stories Published at Clean Energy Stocks Blog.Western Wind Energy (TSX.V:WND) named as part of 2010 TSX Venture 50VANCOUVER, Feb. 5 ( Investorideas.com) -- The TSX Venture Exchange today announced that WESTERN WIND ENERGY CORP. (TSX.V:WND) has been named as one of the TSX Venture 50, a ranking of strong performers listed on TSX Venture Exchange. TSX Venture 50 is comprised of 10 emerging companies in five industry sectors that have been identified as leaders in Canada's public venture market. It is an honour to be named as part of this year's TSX Venture 50," said Jeffrey Ciachurski.

• Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (TSX.V: NGP, OTCBB: NGLPF) named as part of 2010 TSX Venture 50

  www.Investorideas.com

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:43 pm

  News and  Stories Published at Clean Energy Stocks Blog.Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (TSX.V: NGP, OTCBB: NGLPF) named as part of 2010 TSX Venture 50 VANCOUVER, Feb 05, 2010  TSX Venture Exchange today announced that Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (TSX.V: NGP, OTCBB: NGLPF) has been named as one of the TSX Venture 50, a ranking of strong performers listed on TSX Venture Exchange. TSX Venture 50 is comprised of 10 emerging companies in five industry sectors that have been identified as leaders in Canada's public venture market. "It is an honour to be named as part of this year's…

• 
  1GreenProduct

• Where have all the Green products gone?

  Well, I thought it would never happen. After more than 200 posts in all sorts of consumer categories, I’m having trouble finding any truly innovative, amazing, special Green products out there that are affordable and widely available to U.S. consumers. I’m a bit amazed, to be honest, because I originally thought I’d have no problem finding ~250 [...]

• Help a Friend @ GreenYourDecor

  Almost two years ago, around the time I was starting 1GreenProduct.com, I came across another new eco-blog called GreenYourDecor run by a talented designer named Jennae Petersen. Jennae has achieved great success with her blog and has created a real community of readers who eagerly follow her pronouncements on eco-friendly decor. Recently, Jennae shared some devastating news [...]

• 2010 Honda Insight

  They say, “Variety is the spice of life.“ (Personally, I’d choose Garlic as the spice of life, but hey, Variety tastes good too.) Which is why after more than 200 written reviews of green products, I’ve decided to branch out a bit and try my first audio review of the 2010 Honda Insight. To create this audio podcast, [...]

• HP Photosmart A646 Compact Printer

  In the old days of film cameras, you’d go on vacation, come home, dither for a while, then take your film to a developer (or mail it off) and end up with a handsome set of blurry 4×6 prints of family members with the tops of their heads cut off. The good news is that [...]

• 2010 Toyota Prius V

  No need for waffling here. The verdict is simple. The Toyota Prius gets top honors for the most eco-friendly car I’ve driven thus far. Over 10 days of driving and nearly 2000 miles, the 3rd generation version of this iconic hybrid champ delivered fuel efficiency (mostly on highways with 70 mph speed limits) in the 45 [...]

• 
  Mom Goes Green

• Paint your Valentine’s Day red, pink and GREEN!

  Doreen

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am

  Ahh… the holiday of romance! Valentine’s Day is the day to share your feelings and express your love to the special ones in your life, but if you want to share some love with the environment and add a little bit of “green” to the occasion too, consider these wisest of choices: Cards – did you know that the purchase of Valentine’s Day cards ranks #2 just behind Christmas?!?  One BILLION cards per year, in fact!  So consider buying only cards printed on recycled paper or paper alternatives (hint: the backs of cards reveal their content). Chocolates – always a favorite,…

• Simple energy saving tip… “monitor” your monitor!

  Doreen

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:28 am

  If you’re reading this you probably have a computer and chances are, you use it often… Chances are also high that you often leave your computer running even when it’s not being actively used.  Most of us know about unplugging unused appliances, putting power strips to work and the energy waste of “phantom power” use, however, you might not know this little tidbit: FACT:Computer monitors consume substantially more energy than your hard drive. Now ask yourself how often you walk away from your computer and let it sit idle while you temporarily move onto a different task… …

• A water conserving mom fighting a water bill nightmare…

  Doreen

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:07 am

  Usually I’m here offering suggestions and solutions.  Today, I’m just looking for answers. First, the backstory:  We are, without doubt, a water conserving family.  We have water efficient appliances, have taught our kids to conserve and have put all of the best water saving tips in place.  Our usual water bill runs between $45-$65 per quarter.  The accompanying sewer usage fee costs us a fairly equal rate per quarter, so for this time of year, I was expecting a bill of just under a hundred dollars. The bill arrived. (Hold onto your hats:) $260!!!  Did I choke?  Yes… I did. …

• Leafware Giveaway: Win tableware from Mother Nature!

  Doreen

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  Usually the mere mention of “fallen leaves” makes me groan and roll my eyes, because it means I’ll have a rake in my hands for hours on end cleaning up my yard.  This time I was grinning from ear to ear, because the leaves arrived neatly packaged in a box… and there was absolutely no raking involved! Enter: Leafware! The coolest use (ever!) for fallen leaves… think plates and bowls, all courtesy of Mother Nature.  They have created this fabulous line of tableware that is made entirely of naturally shed leaves.  They are collected, pressure-washed, scrubbed, sun dried,…

• Simple green tip…just “concentrate”!

  Doreen

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:15 am

  Today I’m going to keep it nice and simple… If you want to “buy” greener, just “concentrate”… buy concentrated formulas of anything and everything, that is.  It helps to eliminate a lot of packaging waste, even if it happens to be recyclable.  As much as I hate math… it’s simple math.  Less volume = less packaging. Another tip is to buy in bulk.  Sure, you’re buying a bigger package, but it’s still less packaging than what is needed for multiple smaller sized packages versus the one larger size! Final tip… avoid excess packaging.  Over-wrapping and over-packaging…

• 
  Sustainablog

• Americans Want to Know: “How Do I Recycle My Computer?”

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:53 am

  Aluminum cans? Plastic bottles? Newspapers? Though recycling statistics show that we’ve still got some work to do on diverting wastes away from landfills, you’ve probably got a good idea of how to recycle these common household items. But what about computers and televisions? Paint? Used motor oil? Earth 911’s search statistics for 2009, released today, [...]

• First Earth: Watch this Earthen Building Documentary Online

  ziggy

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:18 pm

  There’s a growing ecological awareness in all aspects of daily life, but some of our newfangled environmental actions have already been in practice for hundreds (or thousands) or years. “Green building” is an architectural movement that attempts to take the environment more closely into account in designing buildings, but the movement is generally very commercial. Natural [...]

• Solar Irrigation Increases Food Supply, Economic Opportunity in Benin

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:38 am

  If you live in the developed world, you likely take turning on the lights or the water for granted. So, it may be difficult to imagine the lifestyle (if you can call it that) of people in sub-Saharan Africa without these kinds of luxuries. Lack of infrastructure to deliver these services doesn’t just create inconvenience; [...]

• Plan B 4.0 Book Byte: Rescuing Failing States

  Earth Policy Institute

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:15 pm

  By Lester R. Brown One of the leading challenges facing the international community is how to rescue failing states, those countries most at risk of collapse due to a combination of weak governance, internal violence, and social upheaval. Continuing with business as usual in international assistance programs is not working, as evidenced by the continuing deterioration [...]

• Sandhill Farm: Eating Homegrown

  ziggy

  1 Feb 2010 | 3:51 pm

  Sandhill Farm is a small agricultural intentional community located in northeastern Missouri, neighbors of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. The community has been farming organically for 35 years and provides most of their own organic food* through a combination of gardens, field crops, raising poultry and bees, growing mushrooms, sugaring, and more. Sandhill’s six members grow food [...]

• 
  wattwatt.com latest pulses

• Why Cliamte Change is Divisive and Why It Should Not Be

  Elizabeth

  Posted on February 8, 2010 by Elizabeth Crenshaw Climate change is frequently referred to as a hot-button issue. It’s a “platform” issue, with political parties taking definite stands on either side.  Both parties are guilty of misrepresenting information and not always backing up the research that feeds policies. As much as I admire Al Gore, I have wondered if his championing of the cause has hurt its progress, especially on a grassroots level. An issue that affects the whole globe should have the potential to bring people together. Political figures are…

• In a lighter vein

  Shrikant

  Posted on February 1, 2010 by Shrikant Dhekne The name wattwatt strikes a ring of familiarity and is seen extremely apt. In Marathi language of western India, a phonetically similar word वटवट (pronounced: wutwut; possible to spell: wattwatt, watwat, or vatvat) means talking to one's heart's content. The Marathi word, though, has a slightly negative shade of of meaning which leans towards unstoppability or insufferability of the utterance). there is/are 2 comment(s) for this post

• Measuring energy consumption

  Jerry

  Posted on January 29, 2010 by Jerry Rodgers The first step in reducing energy consumption is measuring how much you are using. Energy consumption consists of two primary components, power and demand. Power, measured in watts, indicates the rate at which energy is expended. Demand, measured in volt-amperes (VA), indicates the requirement that a customer places on the utility to deliver voltage and current without regard to the efficiency of that delivery of whether or  not it does actual work. Power is usually less than demand and the ratio between the two, kW/kVA is called the power…

• Solar Power in Public Transportation

  Dean

  Posted on January 26, 2010 by Dean Dowd Solar-powered mass transit is key to U.S. energy sustainability. Did you know that one full city bus can keep 50 or more cars off the road? Or that a single solar array can remove one entire home from the electric grid? Both technologies, solar and mass transit, are getting extra special attention given the rising costs of fuel and home energy.Public transportation and solar power have traditionally been independent of each other. However, the race to increase and improve mass transit infrastructure while reducing energy and fuel consumption is…

• Solar scooters in Rio de Janeiro

  Yvonne

  Posted on January 22, 2010 by Yvonne Flavin We're hearing a lot of talk about electric cars but not so much about two-wheeled vehicles. Those of us who live and work in cities know that two-wheelers are convenient for getting from A to B and avoiding rush hour traffic queues. We also know that these things tend to guzzle petrol and make a absolute racket!Last week's Digital Planet, from the BBC World Service, discussed an interesting concept: solar-powered electric scooters. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a solar-powered charging station has been set up by Petrobras Distribuidora, the Brazilian…

• 
  EcoEarth.iNFO

• Australia: Is an emissions trading scheme going the way of the republic?

  10 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Sydney Morning Herald: IS THE emissions trading scheme the republic issue revisited: a policy the public supports in theory but not in practice? The federal government's ETS, like the republic in the late 1990s, almost became a reality but fell short because of a split among the believers. Two months ago, Liberal senators Judith Troeth and Sue Boyce voted with the ALP in support of the government's scheme. If the five Greens senators, who say they support an ETS but want something more extensive, had ...

• David Adam on internecine war in IPCC over glacier error

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Guardian

• U.S. proposes new climate service

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Washington Post: The Obama administration proposed a new climate service on Monday that would provide Americans with predictions on how global warming will affect everything from drought to sea levels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Service, modeled loosely on the 140-year-old National Weather Service, would provide forecasts to farmers, regional water managers and businesses affected by changing climate conditions. The move is essentially a reorganization of NOAA, ...

• Stars urge Indians to save the tiger

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Agence France-Presse: Conservation group WWF-India has enlisted the support of sports stars and celebrities to raise awareness of the threat, citing government estimates that there are just over 1,400 tigers left in the wild. The campaign, fronted by India's cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and top footballer Bhaichung Bhutia, began at the end of January and has so far more than 75,000 people have pledged their support on http://www.saveourtigers.com. "Stripey", a cute tiger cub who features in ...

• African Farmers Urged to Innovate to Offset Climate Change

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:00 am

  Bloomberg: Africa's failure to embrace modern farming methods is a greater impediment to food production than global warming, according to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. Adopting this approach would help the continent offset possible temperature increases of as much as 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit), it said, citing conclusions made by computer modeling. Africa emits less greenhouse gas than any other continent, though it will likely be ...

• 
  Solar Feeds

• The New Economy is a Green Economy

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:27 am

  What a difference a year makes. Just twelve months ago, the newly-elected President Obama and his government seemed destined to transform America. The stunning upset last month by Massachusetts Republican underdog Scott Brown in the safest Democrat senate seat in the country put an end to the Obama aura of invincibility, and reminded politicians of all stripes that voters expect them to deliver jobs, or else…That makes a recent report on... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

• America's Green Future: Slip Sliding Away?

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am

  That refrain from Paul Simon’s song by the same title inserted itself into my brain recently as I read that Samsung had signed a $6.6 billion solar and wind power deal with Ontario, Canada. Dalton McGuinty, Ontario’s premier, has brought together manufacturing, a large power generator, and local developers to establish a local, clean energy ecosystem….a concept we at Applied have been calling fab2farm. Purportedly one of the biggest renewable... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

• Senate Hearing Reveals Policy Priorities For Solar

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:55 am

  With the U.S. commonly predicted to be the next big, booming market for solar, and the U.S. government pinning hopes for economic recovery on the job-creation potential for solar, the solar-friendliness of policies and provisions implemented by the federal government this year will undoubtedly help determine whether both sets of lofty expectations can be met. At a recent hearing held by the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee and... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

• David Gelbaum of Quercus Trust: He Likes Solar

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:41 am

  It's scale up time for the Quercus Trust. The somewhat secretive venture firm is not currently placing new investments, said founder David Gelbaum in an exclusive and somewhat rare interview. Instead, the firm will concentrate on putting more money in the existing companies already in the portfolio to build them up. Considering the scope of the trust, that's still a mammoth job. The firm has around 40 to 45 companies in the portfolio, he... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

• Thin Film Investment Souring

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am

  VC investment in solar power is still going strong, despite a dismal 2009 and an only slightly more heartening first quarter of 2010. But the sub-sector of thin-film solar is a different story.  In 2007 and 2008, almost every energy and greentech investor invested in a thin-film firm.  In fact, they did so in a big way -- with $100 million plus funding rounds going to Nanosolar, HelioVolt, AVA Solar, MiaSole, Sulfurcell, SoloPower,... go to solarfeeds for the rest of this story>>>>>

• 
  The Green Parent

• Super Bowl Snacks That Score

  Jenn Savedge

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:12 am

  Super Bowl is just around the corner, and as excitement builds for the Saints to take on the Colts, many people find themselves focusing on the other most important part of the day: the food. For some, greasy comfort foods, great friends and the biggest sporting event of the year is what makes the day great. For others, Super Bowl Sunday is the quickest route to breaking New Year’s resolutions. To keep yourself on track, try some of these healthy alternatives to the classic football fare. Here are some healthy alternatives on Super Bowl Sunday: Instead of Pepperoni Pizza from Pizza Hut,…

• What You Need To Know About Visiting The Galapagos

  Jenn Savedge

  17 Jan 2010 | 8:52 am

  Q & A with Santiago Dunn, President of Ecoventura The Galapagos, known for its wealth of highly visible living creatures, is also one of the most fragile and endangered ecosystems in the world.  Following are questions many potential visitors ask before traveling to these islands. The answers are provided by a leader in creating sustainable tourism programs for the region, Santiago Dunn, owner of Ecoventura, a private company that maintains a fleet of small, superior-class, expedition touring yachts. Question 1: Should I stay in a lodge or hotel and take day tours or select a…

• Green Parenting in Texas

  Jenn Savedge

  4 Jan 2010 | 8:42 am

  When Christine Stewart was pregnant with her first child, she began to look at the products she was using on herself and in her home and the food she was eating. What an eye-opening experience to discover that just because something is sold in the store doesn’t mean that it is safe for use or consumption—many of them can do serious harm to our bodies and our planet. She began to try to find safer alternatives to her favorite products. While there are lots of companies out there offering green options (certainly many more now than there were then), there were just some products that she…

• 5 Fit and Fantastic Family Resolutions for 2010

  Jenn Savedge

  2 Jan 2010 | 1:37 pm

  Research indicates that physical activity and good nutrition are linked to better academic performance, in addition to better physical and mental health.  They can also help prevent and fight overweight and obesity, which currently affects one in three children in the U.S. Parents and caregivers can make simple changes that go a long way in helping children of all ages learn to eat right, be active every day, be ready to learn, and develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Here from the folks at Action for Healthy Kids are 5 Fit and Fantastic New Years Resolutions: # 1 – Be active…

• 5 Ways to To Bring More Meaning To Your Family’s Holiday

  Jenn Savedge

  17 Dec 2009 | 3:31 am

  The holiday gift-giving season is an appropriate time to involve children in charitable giving and teach them why the old adage, “It is better to give than to receive,” is true.  Here are five great ways for parents to lead by example and teach their children the true spirit of the holidays. 1. As a family, select a charitable organization you’d like to support.  Use online tools like Charity Navigator to find an organization that you trust.  Give your children a budget and encourage them to decide how your family will donate to that organization this holiday. 2.Cherish the…

• 
  the New American Village

• The Old Folks at Home

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pm

  This week's newspaper column: With all our assorted human differences, there’s one thing we all have in common:Nobody is getting any younger. Barring some unfortunate fatal illness (or a much-too-casual relationship with heavy machinery), we will all at some point negotiate the world as senior citizens. A few generations ago, the elderly among us depended almost solely upon the good graces of extended family for support and care, often living in the home of a child or some not-too-distant relative.Absent those accommodations, senior citizens might have found themselves – if they were…

• The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

  18 Jan 2010 | 9:55 am

  Photo: I Have a Dream Speech - Hulton Archive/Getty Images Today's newspaper column. Read it in the Hattiesburg American. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream.Not a complaint - a living dream. The powerful and compelling vision he articulated was that someday, in America, people would not be “judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” We’ve come a long way since that late August in 1963 when Martin Luther King, Jr. uttered those very words from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.To the country and the world, the ideals those words embodied were a beacon of…

• I Have A Dream...

  15 Jan 2010 | 7:00 am

  Inspirational words of wisdom by Martin Luther King, Jr. - born 81 years ago today:I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.An individual has not started living…

• The Uh-Oh Decade

  4 Jan 2010 | 8:07 am

  This week's newspaper column - read it in the Hattiesburg AmericanOut with the old; in with the new!After stumbling through a decade that started with a millennial bang and ended with a whimper, the calendrical odometer benevolently flips over to give us – at least metaphorically – a new start. It may be telling that we never really knew what to call this unsettling era.Naming every decade in living memory has been obvious with references to the 50’s, the 60’s, and even the more recent 90’s rolling off the tongue with poetic ease.Give us a little more time, and the past ten years…

• Green Holiday Card - 2009

  26 Dec 2009 | 11:22 am

  For several years now, I've been crafting three-dimensional "Peace Love Joy" cards for the holiday season. Assembled and hand-delivered, these little yearly pearls always seem to promote a warm feeling of, well - peace, love, and joy.As a personal note, I love designing, fabricating, and assembling each year's card because it's a genuine outlet of pure creative expression without the parameters of a client's wish list, limitations of the contractor, budget, or the chance of a phone call with someone screaming on the other end about a roof leak. (The latter of which has, knock on cedar shake…

• 
  Climate of Change

• Vote for Dan! Pushing Clean Energy Development on Native American Lands

  Jewish Climate Initiative

  27 Jan 2010 | 11:16 am

  Join us in voting for our buddy and colleague, Dan Rosen, as he attempts making it to the Unreasonable Institute, a breeding grounds for social entrepreneurs from around the world. Dan’s Mosaic Ventures aims at developing clean energy on Native American lands, and facilitating tribal investments into cleantech. To read more about the Unreasonable Institue, Mosaic Ventures, and most importantly, to vote and make a pledge for Dan and Mosaic, head to http://www.unreasonablefinalists.org///index.php?action=about_pro&proId=166.

• “The Dance of the Tree,” in honor of Tu B’Shevat

  Jewish Climate Initiative

  23 Jan 2010 | 11:02 pm

  By Dr. Michael Kagan A number of years ago Levi Ben Shmuel (formerly Larry Bleiberg) and myself filmed the movements of the Dance of the Tree – a Tai Chi-like form that is inspired by the Shaking of the Lulav according to Ariz”l.   I finally managed to get it up onto YouTube for all to see.  If this speaks to anyone and you want the instructions in written form then let me know and I’ll send them to you.  This practice is a wonderful way to start daily pray.  It has many layers to it as we all know: the physical directions, the body, the sephirot, the archetype women and men, the…

• Avatar and Rebbe Nachman

  Jewish Climate Initiative

  18 Jan 2010 | 10:13 am

  By Dr. Michael Kagan I was astounded by the film Avatar.  I didn’t want to leave the theater.  I didn’t want to be unplugged.  Incredible. What story telling. What is equally or maybe even more incredible are the parallels with certain aspects of Avatar and passages in Kabbalistic texts.  In preparing for Tu B’shvat I am rereading the anthology “Trees, Earth and Torah” and I came across this passage from an article by Aryeh Wineman quoting the Zohar 91:172a): The House is situated at the very center of all that is…From its midst there emerges a single large and mighty…

• Jealousy and the Climate Crisis: What do Haves owe Have Nots?

  Jewish Climate Initiative

  28 Dec 2009 | 8:50 am

  By Dr. Michael Kagan Last week my community in Jerusalem – Nava Tehila screened the musical Joseph and his amazing technicolor dreamcoat – one of my family’s favourites.  In the film a great emphasis is placed on jealousy – not only the obvious jealousy of the brothers towards Joseph but also of Potiphar’s jealousy towards Joseph, Potiphar’s servants jealousy towards Joseph, other prisoner’s jealousy towards Joseph, and even Pharaoh’s jealousy towards Joseph when he becomes the people’s saviour. When this theme of jealousy is taken back it can be seen that is seems to…

• Breaking Down Climate Change into its Undeniable Parts

  Jewish Climate Initiative

  25 Dec 2009 | 1:05 am

  By Dr. Michael Kagan One of the points that I have been making a lot recently in order to totally diffuse the debate over “who caused the climate to change?” is forget the change in climate, forget greenhouse gas emissions, forget global warming, now look at the terrible state of the oceans, the terrible state of the top soil, the terrible state of food production, health, economics, air purity, water purity, rain forests, wetlands, death of species etc. etc. there is no doubt that these are all human made devastations upon the well-being of the planet.  Let’s clear up this…

• 
  Green Living Ideas

• Reverb Greens the Music Industry and Saves 67,000 Tons of CO2

  Scott James

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:50 am

  I love going to concerts, but on my way out there’s always that twinge of reality when I see a field covered with old plastic cups and see the fleets of buses out back idling before they leave for the next show. Wouldn’t it be great if somebody was figuring out how to do an [...][Reverb Greens the Music Industry and Saves 67,000 Tons of CO2 from Green Living Ideas]

• Natural Beauty: Homemade Honey Mask for Problem Skin

  Jennifer Lance

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  If you suffer from skin problems, you have probably spent a lot of money trying different products, both natural and chemical, that promise relief.  Whether you complexion problems are mild and occasional or more severe acne, there’s a simple solution in your kitchen pantry.  Honey! Honey has amazing properties that make it perfect for the sensitive [...][Natural Beauty: Homemade Honey Mask for Problem Skin from Green Living Ideas]

• Home Wind Power for Half the Price, Over the Counter

  Derek Markham

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:40 am

  For commercial renewable energy enthusiasts, there’s no shortage of eye candy among industrial sized wind installations, but for the homeowner, the closest they get to feeling like they’re really generating clean energy might be the ‘Powered by the Wind’ sticker they get from their local utility when purchasing the wind power option for electricity. But [...][Home Wind Power for Half the Price, Over the Counter from Green Living Ideas]

• EPA Win: Kansas Coal Power Plant Must Install $500 Million Pollution Scrubber

  Susan Kraemer

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:16 am

  In a case begun immediately after the Obama administration took office – under New Source Review rules that have not been enforced for over a decade, a Kansas coal power company has just settled with the newly activist EPA led by Lisa Jackson. Under the settlement, Westar Energy has agreed to pay a [...][EPA Win: Kansas Coal Power Plant Must Install $500 Million Pollution Scrubber from Green Living Ideas]

• Ethanol Industry Sues California

  Scott James

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:21 am

  The Federal government is asking the fuel industry to incrementally raise the levels of ethanol in the country’s gas. California has state legislation called the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 calling for car fuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The California Air Resources Board counts indirect GHG’s created in the production of [...][Ethanol Industry Sues California from Green Living Ideas]

• 
  Earth911.com » news

• $400M Healthy Food Financing Initiative Proposed in Presidential Budget

  Lori Brown

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 pm

  A $400 million investment in fresh food programs for low-income communities has been suggested in the recently released 2011 Presidential budget proposal. The public-private grant and loan program would invest in new and expanded supermarkets,...

• Scientists Use Fungi to Break Down BPA

  Trey Granger

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm

  Indian scientists Mukesh Doble and Trishul Artham have determined that plastics containing Bisphenol A (BPA) are able to decompose faster that untreated plastics, which may provide a solution for how to dispose of these products, according to...

• We’ve Found the Most Recycled Material of 2009

  Jennifer Berry

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:03 pm

  Earth911.com released the results of its 2009 Annual Recycling Report, with electronics such as computers, batteries and televisions topping the list of most recycled materials. “Electronics have always been popular searches on Earth911.com, but...

• Waste Management Head Goes Undercover; You Won’t Believe What He Saw

  Amanda Wills

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:02 pm

  For those of you who turned off the TV after the Saints’ big win, we’ll tell you about our second favorite highlight of the night. CBS premiered its new series “Undercover Boss,” a reality show in which heads of major...

• What “Bio” Really Means

  Jennifer Berry

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pm

  In the ever-changing world of consumer products, “bio” is gearing up to be the new buzzword (or prefix – take your pick) of the decade. More and more products are hitting the shelves that are made of bio-based materials and/or are...

• 
  Rebuilding Together

• Giving Pre-Game a New Name…and an Impactful Purpose Rebuilding Together Hosts 15th Annual NFL ...

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am

• Honeywell Commits $1 Million To Rebuilding Together Led Haiti Relief Efforts

  26 Jan 2010 | 11:15 am

• Rebuilding Together, Lowe's Announce Rehabilitation of Six Home in Acadiana, LA

  17 Jan 2010 | 9:45 pm

• Rebuilding Together To Support Relief Efforts In Haiti

  15 Jan 2010 | 2:30 pm

• A statement from Gary A. Officer, President & CEO Rebuilding Together with regards to Haiti

  14 Jan 2010 | 10:45 am

• 
  RSS Feed for Sustainable Industries

• Energy management overload

  Energy management has been called the hidden sector of the energy business. Before the sector can take off, though, some issues must be addressed, including how to finance capital-intensive projects and train a new workforce.

• 2010 Top Green Building Product nominations open

  Sustainable Industries opens nominations for Top 10 Green Building Products Awards.

• Utilities test Office of the Future

  A new approach to utility incentives is being tested.

• GSA taps Lumenergi for retrofits

  Lighting control firm Lumenergi looks to lighten the government's energy load.

• NASA embarks on Sustainability Base

  NASA hoping to create a test bed of cleantech and green building innovation.

• 
  Greenspace

• Feinstein calls for moratorium on toxic landfill expansion

  Geoff Mohan

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:55 am

  Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday called for a moratorium on expanding a toxic-waste landfill in the impoverished Central Valley enclave of Kettleman City, where residents have reported a handful of rare birth deformities over a recent 14-month period.The California Democrat also directed her staff to examine the feasibility of securing federal funds to address the town's drinking water, which contains high levels of arsenic.“I am very concerned about the surge in birth defects occurring in Kettleman City,” Feinstein said in a statement. “It is my view that there should be no…

• Colorado rancher hopes for wolves

  Nicholas Riccardi

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:55 pm

  Here's what we in the news business would call a man-bites-dog story. A western Colorado rancher is testing scat found on his land to determine whether wolves finally have returned to the state, and he's eager to get them back."It seemed logical to me, based on what happened in Yellowstone National Park, that keystone species like wolves might have a positive effect on biodiversity and restoring the health of aspens on this property," said Paul Vahldiek in a statement released by the Wildlands Network.Vahldiek has already spotted wolf tracks on his 300-square-mile High…

• Regional panel says no thanks to ethanol fueling stations

  Catherine Saillant

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:42 pm

  Do the environmental costs of ethanol-based fuels outweigh their potential benefits? Council members of the Southern California Assn. of Governments answered that question this week with an emphatic yes. The panel on Thursday rejected nearly $11 million in federal stimulus dollars targeted to build 55 ethanol fueling stations across the six-county Southern California region. Eileen Tutt, executive director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition, on Friday called the panel's action "unfortunate." "Ethanol is a key fuel in our move away…

• U.S. has highest cumulative wind power capacity, China has most new capacity

  Tiffany Hsu

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:12 pm

  Though the U.S. still has highest total capacity for wind power globally, China took the top spot for new installations in 2009 with 13 gigawatts, according to data released this week.Worldwide, wind power capacity grew 31%, up 37.5 gigawatts to 157.9 gigawatts in 2009, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. A third of the increase came from China, which doubled its capacity from 12.1 gigawatts to 25.1 gigawatts.“China is hard on our heels,” said Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Assn. in a statement. But the U.S. is still leading in total capacity, installing…

• Orange County asks for pledges to cut waste by 10%

  Tony Barboza

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:30 pm

  Could you throw away 10% less trash if you tried? Orange County is asking residents to do just that by pledging to "Save 10% in 2010" to keep waste out of its landfills. OC Waste & Recycling and the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Thursday announced a campaign called "Waste Free OC. Save Room for Tomorrow." In addition to an online pledge to reduce your contribution to the county's landfill by 10%, the new website also offers tips on how to cut back, a quiz on your recycling, composting and consumption habits and a guide to having a zero-waste Super Bowl…

• 
  Earth2Tech

• Xcel’s SmartGridCity Can Thank Fiber For Ballooning Costs

  jeffstjohn

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pm

  Xcel Energy’s showcase smart grid project in Boulder, Colo. has cost a lot more than originally expected, and the Colorado Public Utility Commission is now asking the utility to prove why it needs its Colorado customers to foot part of the bill. The main culprit for the cost overruns? — fiber. According to a Friday story in the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper, SmartGridCity — one of the most widely publicized experiments in bringing smart grid systems to an entire city, with a who’s who of industry partners including GridPoint, Accenture, Current Group, SmartSynch, Ventyx and…

• Big Year Ahead for Solar Industry, If It Can Woo Congress

  Josie Garthwaite

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:52 am

  As 2009 drew to a close, solar companies faced uncertainty as to whether the new year would bring recovery or a continuation of challenges stemming from oversupply and difficult financing. But Rhone Resch, head of the trade group Solar Energy Industries Association, or SEIA, expressed optimism this morning in a press call held along with leaders of the wind, hydropower, biomass and geothermal industries. “I’m hopeful that 2010 will be the year that we actually break a gigawatt for just the photovoltaic industry alone,” he said. “We all thought 2009 was going to be a…

• What The Ausra Purchase Says About Greentech

  Katie Fehrenbacher

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:36 am

  While nuclear giant Areva declined to disclose how much it plans to pay for solar thermal startup Ausra this week, the deal speaks volumes about greentech exits (or a lack there of) as well as the solar thermal industry. For several of the venture capitalists who collectively invested close to $130 million into Ausra, including Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures, this week’s deal marks one of their first exits in the greentech industry. If you check out Kleiner and Khosla’s portfolio companies on their websites, no other startups have been disclosed to have been bought or gone…

• Toyota Troubles: Lessons in How (Not) to Handle a Green Halo

  Josie Garthwaite

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am

  Toyota’s ongoing recall and the safety concerns embroiling an automaker that climbed to the top of the global car market through a reputation for reliability, may offer an opportunity for competitors to seize market share, at least in the near term. But Toyota’s troubles, which most recently have spread to the automaker’s 2010 Prius hybrid model, could also offer something more lasting to companies ranging from General Motors to startups Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors as they race to crank out plug-in vehicles: lessons in what works — and what doesn’t…

• 10 Questions for Greentech Investor David Gelbaum

  Katie Fehrenbacher

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pm

  The famously private investor David Gelbaum, founder of The Quercus Trust, and who by his own estimates has between 40 and 50 cleantech investments, as a rule hasn’t done interviews for years. According to the last comprehensive story on him, published in the LA Times in 2004, the former math whiz, hedge fund manager and philanthropist, is so anonymous he’s sometimes mistaken for his gardener. But this afternoon, on the heels of Gelbaum accepting the role of CEO of one of his portfolio companies Entech Solar (the first time he’s taken over as CEO), Gelbaum got on the phone…

• 
  The Solar Drop

• Skip CFLs and go right to LED

  Deep Patel

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pm

  My friend Ed Haemmerle of NJ Renewable Energy made this cool video that compares LEDs to Incandescent light bulbs in different places in his home. What I like about the video is that it's a really good visual example of what you can do with LED light bulbs in your home. In addition the video breaks down the return on investment from switching to LED light bulbs, a common question most customers have before purchasing LED light bulbs. What do you think about Ed's comparison? Do you think people should skip CFLs and go right to LED light bulbs?

• permit for solar panels in west covina

  Deep Patel

  1 Jan 2010 | 9:06 am

  I find it quite ironic that the City of West Covina has the Sun in their city seal because there is one thing I can guarantee you, West Covina does not support solar energy. I learned this the hard way through the miserable process of working with City Hall to obtain a permit to install solar panels in my backyard. I was born and raised in West Covina and had a great experience the 26 years I have lived in this city, although that changed in a heartbeat when I began working with the city on our project, the battle of the solar panel brands.All I wanted to do was install a few solar panels,…

• Battle of the Solar Panel Brands

  Deep Patel

  9 Dec 2009 | 9:10 am

  Have you ever hear of Battle of the Bands? It's contest in which many bands, usually rock bands but often from a range of different styles, compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by judges, the response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights.These days there many solar panels flooding the marketplace that it's becoming more difficult for consumers to make informed decisions, most customers just can't tell the difference. Why not take different brands of solar panels and make them compete head to head…

• install unisolar pvl laminate on a metal roof

  Deep Patel

  2 Dec 2009 | 9:12 am

  I've had a couple people ask me how to install Uni-Solar's flexible thin film laminate PVL product line on a metal roof. The unique part of Uni-Solar PVL product is it can be bonded directly to a metal roof between the ridges. Traditional solar panels would need racking and mounting components that are not required with a uni-solar PVL installation, therefore installing the laminate reduces balance of system costs. Also these thin film laminates are extremely durable since they are not made of glass like traditional solar panels.I think the uni-solar product line works well when you have a…

• energy needed to cook our turkeys

  Deep Patel

  26 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pm

  As Americans across the nation flip on their ovens to cook their Thanksgiving turkeys, I'm sitting here thinking the nation's electric grid is going to take a big hit today to supply the energy required to power this historic day.So how much power is it really going to take to cook our Thanksgiving meals? Has attempted to estimate how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) will it require to cook our country's beloved turkeys? I think not! I feel like doing some math today, so let's get to the bottom of this ever so important question.According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million…

• 
  Energy Conscious Consultant

• Solar Heated Swimming Pool Will Save You Money

  Robert Farbe

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:11 pm

  What’s involved with a solar heating swimming pool? The amount or size of solar collectors directly reflects from the size of your pool.  Collectors are heat solar panels, solar heaters.  Collectors collect heat from the sun to heat water.  The heat of the sun is necessary for heat exchanging.  We exchange cold water for warm. We are exchanging the heat.  The water is collected and run through these heater panels that the sun heats up and run down back into the pool. It is similar to a regular pool pump.  It takes the water from the pool and pumps it back through the filter and into…

• House Circuits: What Can They Handle?

  Robert Farbe

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:24 am

  To become an electrician, it takes years.  You must first start at the bottom as an apprentice.  Then you can become a journeyman.  Then after approval from the electrical contractor you worked under, you can become an electrician. An experienced electrician has dealt with a lot of problems within the same realm of the electrical field.  He can find and identify a problem - like overloading house circuits.  One time a painter was refinishing the floors for a homeowner and his equipment wouldn’t work.  He told the homeowner that the problem was in a receptacle in the floor.  The…

• Insurance Coverage For Contractors

  Robert Farbe

  22 Jan 2010 | 8:01 am

  As a homeowner, you should hire a licensed professional to perform work on your home.  He should be licensed in the state where you live. I have a license that my state sent me when I applied and registered.  I renew yearly for my state license.  I can copy it and show it to homeowners but a piece of paper may not mean much to some homeowners.  It would be better to go directly to a source to obtain that information.  Many states have websites that you can go to for information to find out if a contractor is licensed.  That professional should also have insurance in the state where you…

• Electrical Contractor: Professional vs. Handyman

  Robert Farbe

  13 Jan 2010 | 11:04 am

  When you have a problem, do you call a professional or a handyman?  A handyman may not always be cheaper.  I had a lady call me (an electrician) to hook up a new TV.  She needed a receptacle for a TV that she wanted placed high on a wall in a bedroom and also install cable to it.  She told me last time she had a cable guy just come and drill a hole through the wall.  I told her I am a licensed professional and can’t just drill a hole through the wall and stick wires in. I am a professional.  I am licensed, insured and I am responsible for my work. It doesn’t have anything to do with…

• Solar Powered System Installers Must Be State Licensed

  Robert Farbe

  30 Dec 2009 | 2:16 pm

  Thinking of going green?  Ready to install an alternative energy system? There are many roads toward achieving energy efficiency.  The main course would be to change your energy source.  Instead of purchasing your electricity from your local power company, you need to have your own power source.  You can have solar power, wind power, or thermal power.  Evaluate your needs to see which would be best for you and your family. When you are ready, you need to hire a professional installer.  Some states require that the electrical contractor maintain a local license.  But I recommend you…

• 
  The Chic Ecologist

• Green Police

  Jean-Paul

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

  If you watched the superbowl this past weekend, then you are probably familiar with the ‘Green Police’ ad by Audi touting their diesel A3 TDI. While the spot was quite amusing, it can also be a bit sad as that is what many people think of the green movement. I don’t want to over dramatize it, [...] No related posts.

• Valentines Day Organic Equal Exchange Coffee and Chocolate Love Pairing

  Jean-Paul

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:22 am

  Valentines day is nearing and what better way to wake up with your love than with a coffee and chocolate pairing. It’ll get your heart racing and your euphoric feelings jump started (we all know the love euphoria properties of chocolate). You won’t feel guilty enjoying this because it is eco-friendly and socially responsible Organic [...] Related posts:A Green Valentines Day – Celebrate Your Love with the Environment Too! Artisana Organic Raw Cacao Bliss Coconut Butter – CocoNutella Fine and Raw Chocolates

• Recycle Your Greywater Into Your Landscaping

  Jean-Paul

  25 Jan 2010 | 9:26 am

  Harvesting rainwater is a great way to reuse the free water from the sky, however, unless you have a lot of rain barrels and a lot of rain, the dry season will cut your supply short- or will it? Grey water is another great source to recycle from since it is just being wasted by [...] Related posts:Don’t Recycle Soda and Sparkling Water Bottles Can I Recycle This, and Where? Eco Friendly Green Driveways – A Living Permeable Driveway, Porous and Alive

• Want To Turn A Green Leaf? Start With These 5 Things

  Jean-Paul

  20 Jan 2010 | 7:30 am

  Here are 5 steps every eco-friendly person should have under their belt, are significant starting points for those getting into it, and can have the biggest impact on reducing your individual impact on the environment. 1. Reusable Water bottle All of the plastic, paper and disposable cups you will save with 1 reusable bottle you take everywhere. [...] Related posts:New Soap, Old Bottle – Reducing Trash with Reuse Green Up Your Launderd Clothing – Dry Cleaning Re-thought Eco Friendly Laundry Detergent – Vaska

• Organic, Shaken and Stirred – Green Cocktail Book Review

  Jean-Paul

  17 Jan 2010 | 4:45 pm

  I recently received a great new organic cocktail mixer book sent to me by Paul Abercrombie, a true connoisseur who also is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast and Gourmet magazine. His new book Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis, and Other Totally Green Cocktails is a fresh look at [...] Related posts:Local Organic Vodka and Gin – Organic Nation Organic Vodka and Scotch Whiskey Green Cocktails, Eco-Friendly Spirits and Organic Liquors

• 
  The Green Thing Blog

• Green Thing Code Swarm

  reddavis

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:42 am

  The other day Twitter wrote a blog post containing a "code swam" video of their code commits. It looked pretty cool, so I decided to create one for Green Thing. To create one yourself you can get the code here, just follow the instructions. To make a video out of the images created there are instructions for that too. The config file I used can be found here.

• Climate scepticism 'on the rise'

  andyh

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:40 am

  Oh terrific - now less people in Britain think global warming is really happening and don't believe it's caused by human activity. Between November 2009 and February 2010, 10% more people (in a sample of 1,001 British adults) didn't think climate change was happening. And the number who thought it was real and "largely man-made" was down from 41% to 26%. 75% of people thought that climate change was happening, but of those 1/3 thought the consequences had been exaggerated (it was 1/5 in November). Part of the explanation for the sharp swing may be high profile media coverage of…

• Green Thing is looking for a social site editor

  kimr

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:56 am

  Green Thing quite possibly the most creative, inspiring environmental group on the planet (at least we like to think so ;-), is looking for a smart, passionate, connected, enthusiastic and energetic site editor/community manager, based in London. This is a full-time position. About Green Thing We're a non-profit (and registered charity, number 1125013)that believes in using world-class creativity vs. climate change - inspiring people to lead a greener life with brilliant videos and stories from creative people and community members around the world. Green Thing's mission is to reframe greener…

• More than one way to skin a building

  andyh

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:29 pm

  The modestly named Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA), has come up with something rather visionary - a transparent cocoon skin to wrap buildings which becomes a self-contained ‘micro climate’. It uses photo-voltaic cells to turn sunlight into solar energy, harvests rain water, creates better day lighting and uses all available convective energy for ventilation. [Spotted on Architecture and Design via SmartBrief]

• A Wake-Up Story

  andyh

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:20 am

  I think this is fairly self-explanatory. If you have or remotely like children then this will probably strike a chord... [Spotted via DoGood]

• 
  Energy Priorities

• VANOC's Consultant Gives It a Bronze for Greenness

  Energy Priorities Magazine

  4 Feb 2010 | 9:12 am

  Suzuki Foundation finds little evidence of strong engagement by the parent organization, and recommends the IOC play a stronger role to ensure that future host cities like London and Sochi follow through on their environmental commitments. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) February 04, 2010

• New Guidance Issued by Securities and Exchange Commission for Climate Change Disclosures by Public Companies

  Energy Priorities Magazine

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:26 am

  On February 2, 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") published an interpretive release to provide guidance to public companies on the SEC's existing disclosure requirements relating to climate change. Those requirements apply to registration statements and periodic reports filed under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) February 04, 2010

• How Green Are the 2010 Winter Olympics? - Building Priorities Briefing

  Energy Priorities Magazine

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pm

  The 2010 Games are being dubbed the "Sustainable Olympics," but is Vancouver BC setting any world records? In this month's Briefing we examine some lessons from the global spectacle. First we look at the venues that Canada constructed for the upcoming Winter Games, to see if they win any green medals. Seven years after winning the bid, we find Canadians are not entirely happy about the upcoming games. Green business guru Martin Westerman shares his thoughts about how to really make the games green. (podcast) (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) January 25, 2010

• How To Really Make the Olympics Green

  Energy Priorities Magazine

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:52 am

  If we had no choice but to make the Olympics environmentally neutral, how would we do it? Martin Westerman has some ideas. He is the author of "The Business Environmental Handbook," a lecturer on sustainable business for the University of Washington Business School and the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. (podcast) (transcript) (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) January 25, 2010

• Energy Monitoring - Energy:Minute

  Energy Priorities Magazine

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am

  You can't manage what you can't measure. Monitoring is an essential component of managing energy use. (podcast) (transcript) (continued at http://energypriorities.com/) January 25, 2010

• 
  Ecofrenzy

• Transfering Blogs! Follow amievaccaro.com

  ecofrenzy

  6 Feb 2010 | 11:20 pm

  Hi all – I’m moving from this blog to my new blog at amievaccaro.com.  All the content that is here can be found there, plus more.  Please follow me there!  amievaccaro.com Many thanks, Amie

• It’s been a while…

  ecofrenzy

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:44 am

  So you may have noticed I haven’t been updating this blog too often.  I’ve been writing semi-regularly at TriplePundit.com (which has much bettter traffic, and many amazing writers) and while I used to repost content here, I’ve since learned that’s terrible for search engine optimization (or something).  Google likes original content.  So, while I’m not going to abandon this blog, the conent will be a bit irregular.  I will post links to other content I write here.  And I will also post an occasional insight piece that doesn’t belong on TriplePundit. …

• Viv – quick ask and help us win $100k

  ecofrenzy

  11 Sep 2009 | 3:52 pm

  I’ve just nominated Viv to win an amazing $100,000 grant from American Express and I would love YOUR help to get enough “spotlights” to move onto the judging round. All you’ve got to do is: 1) Go here: http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=8611 2) Click “Endorse this story now,” then “register” (which only takes 1 minute, I promise) and then “Endorse this story now” Here is Viv’s story that we submitted in hopes for this grant: Imagine a way to drive environmental change, save money and reap rewards, and engage…

• ImagineH2O Water Efficiency Prize Competition Opens for Entries!

  ecofrenzy

  6 Sep 2009 | 9:54 am

  WANTED: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO WORLD’S WATER CRISIS REWARD: $70,000 Business plan challenge opens September 1, 2009 The inauguralImagine H2OPrize competition is now open for submissions.  The competition offers prizes of $70,000 in cash and in-kind services, which will be awarded to the business plans which promise the greatest breakthroughs in the efficient use and supply of water. The Imagine H2O Prize is designed to encourage the competitive and ambitious spirits of entrepreneurs, investors, experts, inventors and academics around the world to focus on water issues.  This inaugural…

• XS Project is creating products from waste and creating jobs in Indonesia

  ecofrenzy

  17 Aug 2009 | 6:59 pm

  Ann Wizer, XSProject More than 500,000 people in Indonesia attempt to make a living collecting and reselling garbage.  Artist Ann Wizer lived above a colony of these trashpickers and inquired about what waste they could not sell: plastic drink pouches and other non-biodegradable plastics.   Wizer began purchasing these scraps from the trashpickers and using them to create bags, book covers, and other products. Not only does she produce a useful, well-designed and beautiful product (everyone who sees the bags loves them), she supports trashpickers, creates jobs for the Indonesia’s poor,…

• 
  Green Living

• What would encourage you to buy a fully electric vehicle?

  GreenLiving

  26 Jan 2010 | 10:42 am

  * Rebates and financial incentives from the government. * Greatest reductions on polluting emissions. * Superior safety rating compared to other vehicles.

• Do you bike in the winter?

  GreenLiving

  5 Jan 2010 | 12:43 pm

  * I cycle all year round, snow won't stop me. * I try to bike as long as possible but take transit when it gets below freezing. * No way!

• Will being more green be part of your New Year's resolutions?

  GreenLiving

  23 Dec 2009 | 1:27 pm

  * Yes, I'll be making more changes to my lifestyle, I know it's worth the effort. * Not really, I'm going to continue doing what I do now - keeping up with that is hard enough!

• Sensational Eco Accessories

  GreenLiving

  16 Dec 2009 | 7:52 am

  See the stunning new line of jewelry made with recycled gold and conflict-free gemstones read more

• How will you travel to your holiday event?

  GreenLiving

  15 Dec 2009 | 1:36 pm

  * Fly * Car * Bus * Train * The party's at our house!

• 
  AllCarsElectric.com

• Toyota Contacts Dealers With Fix For Prius Braking Problems, Software Flaw Identified

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:18 am

  Toyota has been criticized in media reports for their slow response to claims of accelerator pedal troubles that forced the company to recall millions of vehicles, but their response to the potential braking issues with the Toyota Prius can be considered immediate.  Toyota has already contacted dealers with a fix for the potential braking problems...

• Chevy Volt Production Date is Official, Job 1 Set for November 1st

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:12 am

  GM has officially set the launch date for the Chevy Volt.  GM listed November 1, 2010 as the Volt's Job 1 date, making the launch of the Volt imminent and the date of release finally official. There has been considerable speculation as to when the Volt will actually become available to the public.  Many believe that GM would miss their target...

• G-Wiz! the Electric Car That Started a Revolution

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:58 am

  In early 2004, a tiny new car appeared on the streets of London. It confused, surprised and confounded everyone who saw it. It was more compact than a Smart ForTwo, it had cheeky, quirky styling that demanded attention, it could turn around in the width of a narrow street, it squeezed into the tiniest parking space, and it traveled in silence. The...

• WSJ Report Says Toyota May Issue Yet Another Recall, Prius Braking System in Question

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:15 am

  Toyota has taken its share of the beating from the press lately in regards to the accelerator pedal recall that has affected millions of vehicles, but the company's troubles may still be far from over.  According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the company may be on the brink of issuing yet another recall, this time for the brakes of the...

• CalCars Felix Kramer Says National Academy of Sciences Report on EVs and Plug-Ins is Flawed

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am

  The annual Electric Drive Transportation Association meeting held in conjunction with the Washington Auto Show is one of the largest events on American soil for electric vehicles.  The EDTA conference is a place where automakers, battery developers, suppliers, industry experts, and journalists converge to discuss electric vehicles.  The event...

• 
  Ecoplum - The Orchard

• Actions for The Chesapeake Bay

  The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches across 64,000 square miles and encompasses parts of six states and the District of Columbia. The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed make up one of the most biologically productive systems in the world, with more than 3,600 migratory and resident animal species that live, feed, find shelter and reproduce in the estuary and its watershed. Habitats in the watershed provide a vital ecological link for Atlantic Coast fish populations and birds using the Atlantic Flyway.

• Farewell Copenhagen, Next Stop Mexico City

  A month has almost passed since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) widely known as COP-15 was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Many had hoped that this summit would lead to an accord that would progress from Kyoto's success. The Kyoto Protocol (which came out of the COP-3 Climate Talks in Kyoto, Japan in 1997) was aimed at combating global warming through an international environmental treaty.

• EPA's New Mandatory Reporting Requirements For Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  Starting on January 1, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require large emitters of heat-trapping emissions to collect greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data under a new reporting system. These large emitters include fossil fuel suppliers and industrial gas suppliers, direct greenhouse gas emitters and manufacturers of heavy duty and off road vehicles and engines. It is expected that this mandatory reporting requirement will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation's GHG emissions and apply to approximately 10,000 facilities.

• GreenChill - A Cooperative Alliance of the Supermarket Sector

  The GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership is an EPA cooperative alliance with the supermarket industry and other stakeholders. The partnership was established to promote advanced technologies, strategies, and practices that reduce refrigerant charges and emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases.

• What is Smartway?

  In 2004, EPA launched SmartWaySM — an innovative brand that represents environmentally cleaner, more fuel efficient transportation options. Having personally worked in the U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality and on the development of this program, I realized the importance of the brand. The brand represented "the smart way to save fuel, money and the environment." Basically, the program promotes the concept of green travel through a partnership alliance with government and industry.

• 
  Eco-Chick

• What’s on Your Plate? The Film About Food Politics from a Kid’s Perspective

  Alicia Lubowski-Jahn

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:21 am

  Planet Green is serving up some food for thought as it premiered the exciting documentary What’s On Your Plate? on February 6 at 10pm (airs again on February 11 at 11pm). Part of the Reel Impact environmental documentary series, director and producer Catherine Gund has captured the discovery journey of two eleven-year-old New York City kids, Sadie and Safiyah, to uncover sustainable food systems and a path to self nourishment. The essential question of “What’s on Your Plate?” is answered through the girls’ exploration of the sources of their food through to its…

• Endangered Species Print Project: Adorably Hip Eco Art

  Stephanie Rogers

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:03 pm

  They’re cute. They’re modern. They’re affordable. And, they save animals. What can’t these awesome art prints do? The Endangered Species Print Project is a range of limited edition art prints featuring animals like the Panamanian Golden Frog, the Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat and the Madagascar Fish Eagle, and 100% of the sales are donated to conservation organizations. Artists Jenny Kendler and Molly Schafer (below), who bonded over a mutual love for animals at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, have been collaborating on projects that combine art and the environment since…

• Eco Chick Giveaway: Win an Organic Cotton Excentree T-Shirt

  Starre Vartan

  1 Feb 2010 | 11:59 pm

  One of the four women’s tees available. Excentree t-shirts are all organic, limited-edition (only 100 of each design), and include a tree planting in a country of your choice. You have a chance to win both a t-shirt and a tree planting (which offsets one ton of carbon) by entering the giveaway below. Not only do they make fab t-shirts, I really like this company’s message: “Excentree is not about pushing a message. It is not about telling you how to live your life; it is not about telling anyone what to do or not to do, it is not about telling anyone what to buy or what not…

• Gorgeous and Graphic Green T-Shirt Bonanza!

  Starre Vartan

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:39 pm

  There are so many great things about t-shirts. You can wear them under a jacket (to leave any cheeky messaging to the imagination), over a long-sleeve for an always-beloved 90’s moment, you can wear them to bed, you can wear them on the red carpet. T-shirts are as American as blue jeans and just happen to look great with a pair of denims. And like quite a bit of American clothing, tees are made from cotton, a crop that uses (literally) tons of pesticides and herbicides. The tees below don’t, because they’re either made with organic cotton or because they’re made of…

• Adhesif Spring/Summer 2010: Vintage, Post-Victorian Eco Fashion from Vancouver

  Starre Vartan

  31 Jan 2010 | 11:57 pm

  This is my favorite look (Pause blouse and Spin skirt) of the S/S ‘10 Collection; a perfect feminine shape plus madcap mixed pattern. What could be more appropriately 2010? The Adhesif Spring/Summer 2010 collection is a riot of color, pattern, and vintage loveliness, for which it’s been getting lots of attention recently (I think you can see why from the pix above and below). I caught up with the label’s designer, Melissa Ferreira, to find out how she does what she does so well. adhesif, present and future, is inspired by the past, which is apropos as Melissa designs with…

• 
  Google Blog Search: Smart Grid

• IBM announces new system for smart grid installations

  Angus Doyle

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am

  IBM introduced its new POWER7 system on February 8 that it says will support the most demanding smart grid applications. POWER7 is built around technologies unique to the smart grid industry and is designed to handle an immense number ...

• Panel sees smart grid engineering challenges | CleanTechies News

  CTNews

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:49 pm

  Engineers face plenty of challenges enabling smart grids in the home and in utility distribution networks, according to a panel at the GridCom Forum event.

• The Smart Grid Security Blog: Comments Expose Open Smart Grid Issues

  Jack Danahy

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:26 pm

  In a piece today at Smart Planet, John Dodge wrote about the new version of Smart Grid cybersecurity guidance from NIST, and pointed back to an earlier piece I had written here, on a view of the first draft of NISTIR 7628, ...

• Between the Poles: NIST Releases Framework and Roadmap for Smart ...

  Geoff

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pm

  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards 1.0. The NIST sees an urgent need to establish standards for the smart grid because without ...

• Was building Boulder's smart grid a smart idea? | BigGreenBoulder ...

  Laura Snider

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  In March 2008, it all sounded great. Xcel Energy announced that Boulder would be home to the very first smart grid in the country, and people loved it.

• 
  GE Global Research Blog

• Don’t let your research flop, find out what’s on top!

  Vincent Smentkowski

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:54 am

  Welcome to my first Chemical Technologies and Materials Characterization 2010 blog! The outer most layer, or the surface, of ...

• Power Conversion Systems at Global Research

  Arvind Tiwari

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

  Hi, I’m Arvind Tiwari, manager of the Electrical Power Technologies laboratory based in Bangalore, India. I joined Global Research in ...

• Water scarcity around the world

  Ajilli Hardy

  5 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am

  Water scarcity is a major concern and spreading. The fact that there is so much water on the planet unfortunately ...

• Chemical Technologies and Materials Characterization

  Vincent Smentkowski

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am

  My name is Vincent (Vin, Vince) Smentkowski and I am a surface chemist/analyst working in the Micro and Nano Analysis ...

• Stay Connected with Edison’s Desk on Twitter and YouTube

  Kristen Brosnan

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:15 am

  Hey, I just wanted to let you know of a new tool that will help you to stay connected with ...

• 
  Huffington Post: Latest Green News

• The Week Of Eating In: Everything You Need To Know

  Katherine Goldstein

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pm

  We'd like to invite you to participate in a special project brought to you by HuffPost Green and HuffPost Eyes&Ears. What: A week-long experiment in cooking your own food inspired by Cathy Erway, author of The Art of Eating In. We'll be providing awesome commentary and how-to's on everything from how to not waste food to great winter recipes. And we'll invite you to share your experiences with the HuffPost Community. When: February 22-28th, 2010. Who: Anyone from eco-warriors to average Joes, from to accomplished gourmands to first-time novices are invited to participate. Why: Not only do we…

• Chinese Pollution Census: Farms Pollute More Than Factories

  Gazelle Emami

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:40 am

  Farmers' fields are a far bigger source of water contamination in China than factory effluent, the Chinese government revealed today in its first census on pollution.

• The Week of Eating In Challenge: SPREADSHEET

  Rebecca Harrington

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:20 am

  Making your own food is a great way to save money. It is generally less expensive to eat a homemade salad than a prepackaged salad you buy. To that end, the Huffington Post is trying to make it easy for you to keep track of your expenditures during the Week Of Eating In Challenge. Just Use THIS SPREADSHEET to help you budget. First, use the spread sheet to record how much you spend on each meal during a week where you eat normally. Then, use the spread sheet to record how much you spend in a week when you participate in the challenge. More info on The Week of Eating In Challenge:…

• Spider Fossil Preserved Surprisingly Well After 165 Million Years

  Craig Kanalley

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:40 am

  Scientists have unearthed an almost perfectly preserved spider fossil in China dating back to the middle Jurassic era, 165 million years ago. The fossilized spiders, Eoplectreurys gertschi, are older than the only two other specimens known by around 120 million years.

• Old Coal Breweries (VIDEO): Reminder Of How Far We've Come In Energy-Saving

  Gazelle Emami

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

  If I had the time, I'd make a remix of this wonderful video with some footage of solar arrays and other neat energy innovations in brewing on the front end -- and leave the rest intact until the very final "thanks to coal" bit. We've definitely come a long way from loads purely coal fueled breweries to trends toward wind and solar powered sustainable, green breweries.

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  GreenerBuildings

• A Call to Action on Cap and Trade: The State of Green Business-Chicago

  Jonathan Bardelline

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

  By not having a national carbon cap-and-trade policy, the United States is losing out on its chance to become a green and clean technology leader, says Chicago Climate Exchange founder Richard Sandor.  

• Chicago's Green Economy Grows, But Struggles Remain: The State of Green Business Forum-Chicago

  Jonathan Bardelline

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am

  The Chicago area has seen growth in its green economy and exciting action around services for new and small businesses, but hurdles still remain as companies, non-profits and other groups look for resources and funds.  

• Spotlight: Being Honest With Ourselves: Putting Numbers Behind Green Business

  admin

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:25 pm

  This slideshow, a companion to Saul Griffith's lightning-paced presentation at the State of Green Busines Forum 2010, offers a look at the personal and global levels of responsibility for reducing our environmental impacts.

• Geoengineering -- Our Responsibility to the World: State of Green Business Forum 2010

  Jonathan Bardelline

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:45 pm

  Humans have been altering the planet for more than hundreds of years, so it's only our responsibility to actively use geoengineering to avoid catastrophe, said Jamais Cascio in his State of Green Business Forum presentation, “Hacking the Earth (Without Voiding the Warranty).”  

• When GreenBiz Meets Cleantech: State of Green Business Forum 2010

  Leslie Guevarra

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:55 pm

  What happens when green business meets cleantech? When those companies are like Best Buy, Autodesk and Serious Materials, you get firms that align their products and services with efforts to foster sustainability -- and in some cases guide the marketplace toward broader and deeper adoption of environmentally responsible practices.

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  Greener Computing

• Google Enlisting University Help in Cutting Data Center Energy Bills

  GreenerComputing Staff

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:15 pm

  The computing giant announced this month more than $5 million in grants for computing research, including work on cutting data center energy use by up to 50 percent.

• Energy Efficiency Gains Horsepower: The State of Green Business 2010

  Joel Makower

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:50 am

  As managing greenhouse gas emissions approaches the importance of simply managing energy bills, a new generation of technology is making it easier for firms to pull the plug on wasted power.

• Energy Star: Coming in June to a Data Center Near You?

  GreenerComputing Staff

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pm

  The latest expansion of the EPA's energy efficiency certification is nearly ready for companies to adopt, speeding up the trend in greening data centers.

• State of Green Business Forum 2010: Can IT Solve the World's Problems?

  Matthew Wheeland

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:14 am

  At the end of yesterday's Forum, a panel representing the world's largest IT companies talked about how to successfully apply technology to environmental challenges.

• Geoengineering -- Our Responsibility to the World: State of Green Business Forum 2010

  Jonathan Bardelline

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:45 pm

  Humans have been altering the planet for more than hundreds of years, so it's only our responsibility to actively use geoengineering to avoid catastrophe, said Jamais Cascio in his State of Green Business Forum presentation, “Hacking the Earth (Without Voiding the Warranty).”  

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  GreenSmith Consulting

• The 3 Best Ways to Drastically Reduce your iPhone (Or Any Phone) Bill

  Paul Smith

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Late last year I got my first iPhone (I know I know! Three words : 2 year contract.) With the increase in monthly bill, I was inspired to seek ways to reduce it. And I found them. Many. I thought you'd like to know too. These days, it seems there's nearly as many ways to save money using your phone as there are types of phones. But they all seem to have a weak spot: Requiring you to do numerical gymnastics, or making your caller i.d. on the other end look like something to avoid. While those may have monetary benefits, they can reduce your productivity, and make you look less professional. So…

• Verterra: A Green Company Effectively Reaching Beyond “The Choir”

  Paul Smith

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

  I have the pleasure of working for all clients that I admire and respect, and while it’s typically my role to help get them written and talked about by other people, I have to make an exception here. That exception is Verterra.Verterra is a rare find: A green company that goes far beyond the expectations for their product category,  even in ways that aren’t apparent to the end user, while keeping it very affordable, eschewing the “green tax” so many companies presume they can get away with charging the mythical idealized green consumer. It goes like this: They make plates, bowls and…

• 6 Tools You Can Use to make 2010 a More Productive, Enjoyable Year

  Paul Smith

  6 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am

  2010 seems to have come out of nowhere, here and waiting for you to make the most of it. You're ready, right? If you're not quite there, or would like some resources to make it even better, I have several to recommend today. I wasn't specifically looking for tools to start out the year, but a cluster of them showed up on my radar, and I wanted you to know about them.For a long while I’ve been of the mind to seek out all in one solutions to organizing my life, work, plans. I’ve come to realize that’s an unfair burden to try and place on one piece of software. Nothing out there does all…

• GreenSmart Shows How to Have a Truly Sustainable Lunch (video review)

  Paul Smith

  22 Dec 2009 | 2:22 pm

  If you're looking for something unique, sustainable, and affordable for a Christmas present, or want to make your lunch truly green, I may have found just the thing: Work or school can be tricky to do sustainably, as my video below will share. But California based GreenSmart sent me some samples of a line of lunchboxes that eschew what you'll learn are often toxic chemicals contained in many neoprene containing reusable lunch boxes. And they've made them both practical and whimsically styled, the material insulating cold and warm food to maintain temperature, and the style adding some fun to…

• Time to Stop Talking About Going Local, and Doing It. Here's Who Is. (pt 2 of 3)

  Paul Smith

  15 Dec 2009 | 5:03 am

  We’re living in interesting times, and it’s anybody’s guess what the economy, the environment, our society will look, even in the next year. The COP15 UN climate change gathering currently happening in Copenhagen isn’t panning out as many would have wanted, and solutions to unifying the world’s goals look further off. Wayne Maceyka has a single, clear, suggestion: Go local, in all aspects, (re)building robust, agile, stable societies and economies in the process. In part 2 of his 3 part series, he focuses on the organizations currently happening to help support that. I mentioned…

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  Ecogeek

• Energy Star for Data Centers Launching in June

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:08 pm

  Starting in June of this year, data center operators can apply for Energy Star status.  The new rating system will score data centers based on PUE, or power unit efficiency, on a scale of 1 - 100. The operators will use an online tool that allows them to enter information on energy use and operations to calculate their PUE.  The PUE determines efficiency based on the total power used by the data center, divided by the amount that reaches the IT equipment, not the cooling systems or inefficient power supplies. That information is then compared to peer performance and based on that a data…

• New Bill Would Create 10 Million Solar Roofs in 10 Years

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:11 pm

  A really exciting new bill was introduced to Congress last week by Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  The bill lays out a plan to install 10 million solar roofs and 200,000 solar water heaters over the next 10 years through tax rebates and incentives.  The installations would equal 30 GW of clean energy or the equivalent of 30 nuclear power plants. The "10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act" would build on the success of state incentive programs like those in California and New Jersey and also the rising popularity of distributed solar projects.  The bill would…

• Chicago Area Gets Wind-Powered EV Charging Station

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:17 pm

  The Windy City area is capitalizing on its most famous attribute with a new wind-powered electric vehicle charging station.  Located in Highland Park, 30 miles outside of the city, the charging station uses electricity generated by Illinois wind farms for law firm Emalfarb Swan & Bain. The charging station is the second in the country and the first in the continental U.S. to be powered by wind.  The other station is located in Maui, Hawaii. The charge port was installed by Carbon Day Automotive, a distributor of the EV-charging leader Coulomb Technologies.  Carbon Day has also created…

• Federal Climate Change Agency Being Formed

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:04 pm

  A new federal agency charged with reporting on climate change is being formed.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will set up the Climate Service using members of the National Weather Service and other NOAA offices. Climate operations have been spred out among NOAA offices, but with more and more requests pouring in for information concerning climate change, officials decided to combine those efforts into one main office.  The Climate Service will be headquartered in Washington, D.C. with six regional directors elsewhere in the country. The agency will still have to…

• Vote for Your Favorite Greener Gadget

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:59 pm

  It's that time of year again!  The Greener Gadgets Design Competition has started and 18 cool, eco-friendly gadget ideas are waiting for your votes. This year is the third year for the competition and the Greener Gadgets Conference, which is being held on February 25 in New York City, and I must say, this is the best crop of designs yet.  Some of the highlights include a kinetic-energy-harvesting rocking horse that fuels flashlights or nightlights called Rocco, a USB-outfitted, wall-mounted charger that is powered by indoor light called the Illumi Charger and a system of turbine-run highway…