Browsing environmental news sources so you don't have to. Contact Laura Barnes (lbarnes@istc.illinois.edu) with questions, comments, and suggestions.
Follow ENB on TwitterRead the full story at News. com.
Plug-in hybrids get far better mileage than standard cars or regular hybrids — and emit far less pollution.
But they are also tough to justify economically at the moment with existing technology, according to the first several months of data from RechargeIT.org, which is studying how well plug-in hybrids work in real-world circumstances.
For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to
http://www.greenercomputing.com/enewsletter.
In Search of Green IT Governance
By Corne de Graaf
http://www.greenercomputing.com/reviews_third.cfm?NewsID=55779
In a world where climate change is becoming a key concern, private and public companies are increasingly aware that they have to become greener. Here’s why green IT governance is important, and how companies can get started.
Oxford University to Develop Free Green Computing Software
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55791
Created as a test project to improve the energy efficiency of the university’s own computers, the software will make it easy and free for institutions to reduce their electricity use by as much as 50 percent.
Samsung, Toshiba Take Top Spot in Greenpeace Survey; Nintendo Lags Behind
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55783
In the seventh study of the environmental performance of electronics manufacturers, Toshiba makes a big climb to tie with Samsung for first place, while Nokia made major gains from an earlier drop to end up in third place.
SPEC Developing Benchmark for Workstation Power Use, Performance
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55773
The Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation is targeting the performance of 3D graphics, financial modeling and other potentially energy-intensive processes with the new benchmark.
Consumers Hungry for Green Technology: Survey
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55799
A survey looking at consumer interest in green technology and eco-friendly vehicles find many would like or are interested in greener products.
GREENGUARD to Certify Computers for Chemical Emissions
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55758
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute will extend its toxic chemical emission certification beyond the construction industry to computers and other electronics equipment.
Energy Star Developing Data Center Rating
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55750
Dozens of companies and organizations are helping create an Energy Star rating to provide standards and benchmarks for data centers.
HP Unveils New Data Center Services
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55745
Hewlett-Packard has expanded its data center services to include more support for consolidation, virtualization and energy efficiency.
Green IT Growing in Priority, Cost a Major Concern
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55740
A UK survey finds green computing is among the major priorities for companies, but cost and lack of performance benchmarks is holding it back.
Lenovo Increases Amount of EPEAT Monitors
http://www.greenercomputing.com/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55733
The electronics maker is the only company with EPEAT gold certified monitors, meeting high environmental criteria.
GreenPeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics: March 2008
http://www.greenercomputing.com/tools.cfm?LINKADVID=97551
The latest Guide to Greener Electronics reflects progress of manufacturers in eliminating hazardous substances and recycling their products.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
Samples of buffalo mozzarella tainted with elevated levels of dioxin may force officials to address the large-scale illegal trash-dumping in Naples.
The New York Times has a special section on green business. Highlights include:
The latest issue of Renewable Energy Weekly is now available. Highlights include:
Read the full story in Technology Review.
Atmospheric scientists have long known that air pollution travels vast distances and is a global phenomenon. Now researchers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have conducted the first-ever satellite-based measurements of pollution aerosols transported from East Asia to North America.
The researchers looked at four years of satellite data and found the amount of pollution arriving in North America to be equivalent to 15 percent of local emissions of the United States and Canada. It is “a significant number,” says Hongbin Yu, an associate research scientist at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, who is working at NASA Goddard and led the study.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
No mercury spill cleanup can be undertaken without the right tools. A spill kit should be on hand at any workstation where the risk of mercury spillage and exposure exists. The kit should contain goggles, nitrile gloves, disposal bags, waste labels, storage container, mercury-type respirator, mercury-sensing badges or instruments, absorbent scratch pads, water spray bottle, shoe covers, warning tape and, preferably, zinc-ferrous based magnetic mercury amalgamation powder. Additional tools such as plastic, non-sparking shovels and sweeping devices and a telescoping magnetic tool to collect hardened amalgam are recommended.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
Report Buyer, an online business intelligence provider for major industry sectors, has added a new report showing that the current global market for cleantech products and services is about $284 billion and is expect to grow to more than $1.3 trillion in 2017. Of this amount more, than one-third ($467 billion) is attributable to renewable energy sources, such as biofuels, solar, tidal, and wind power.
Read the full story in Environmental Protection.
In coordination with two regional environmental tracking systems, the Center for Resource Solutions launched the Environmental Tracking Network of North America (ETNNA) , the continent’s first network organization for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions tracking systems and registries.
Read the full story at News. com.
Xerox has built an application to help people use fewer copiers and printers.
Called the Xerox Sustainability Calculator, the application allows businesses to figure out what sort of cost savings and environmental improvements can be had by reducing the amount of equipment installed.
Read the full story in the New York Times.
People are not good at making immediate sacrifices for an abstract benefit in the future, especially when they have a hard time understanding the problem.
The Aspen Institute proudly announces the winners of the first annual Energy and Environment Awards, which will be presented at a ceremony on March 29, 2008, during the inaugural Aspen Environment Forum. Created by the Aspen Global Leadership Network and Henry Crown Fellows, the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Awards recognize and reward excellence for those making significant contributions to innovation, implementation, and communication of energy and environmental solutions (visit http://www.aspenenvironment.org/program/energy-and-environment-awards).
Read the full story in the Tifton Gazette.
A Tifton agricultural researcher says he has found the solution to the world’s energy crisis through genetic modification and cloning of bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons on a grand scale. The local researcher believes his groundbreaking discovery could result in the production of 500 to 1,000 barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day from the initial production facility. The hydrocarbon fuel — commonly known as oil or fossil fuel when drilled — will require no modification to automobiles, oil pipelines or refineries as they exist today and could forever end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, he said.
Read the full story in The Scientist.
Out of a dozen transgenic plants in Philip Larkin’s greenhouse at Black Mountain Laboratory in Canberra, only two show any signs of life. These bulbous, green flower buds are all that remain of a productive line of research. The other plants are withered and yellow like corn stalks, crackling to the touch. “They look pretty cruddy, don’t they?” Larkin says, during an overcast November day. “I’m obviously disappointed.” Larkin, a plant geneticist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, hasn’t called it quits yet. If these poppies don’t end up in your drug store, they may well end up in your gas tank.
Watch the video at TED.
“Can we create new life out of our digital universe?” asks Craig Venter. And his answer is, yes, and pretty soon. He walks the TED2008 audience through his latest research into “fourth-generation fuels” — biologically created fuels with CO2 as their feedstock. His talk covers the details of creating brand-new chromosomes using digital technology, the reasons why we would want to do this, and the bioethics of synthetic life. A fascinating Q&A with TED’s Chris Anderson follows (two words: suicide genes).
Read the full story at News.com.
Krupp’s strategy has enlisted the support of many corporate titans. The common theme: fighting pollution isn’t only a good thing–it can be good for business.
Read the full story at News.com.
Fierce, unforgiving seas surround Ireland’s shores. And that could prove to be a moneymaker for the country.
The government, university research departments, and a growing number of entrepreneurs, are collaborating in various ways to tap the power and resources of the ocean. Wavebob and Ocean Energy, for instance, have installed wave power prototypes in Galway Bay and will experiment with larger prototypes in an energy park being created just to the north, off the coast of county Mayo.
Read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.
Nature is finding its way into Crate & Barrel’s corporate headquarters, and that’s just fine with Barbara Turf, the woman slated to take over the home goods and furniture retailer as chief executive in May.
On a cloudy winter day, a snowy white light pervades the company’s Northbrook office building, a white brick-and-glass structure with expansive windows, pine walls and a staircase suspended in an open atrium. Walk through the reception area and you will discover Crate’s interpretation of what is happening in American culture today: a bamboo nightstand, cotton organic towels, eco-friendly upholstered chairs.
Many scientists believe global warming and climate change are producing a wide variety of physical impacts on Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans. These changes include increases in global mean temperature, storm severity, droughts, sea levels, and glacial retreat. And there is solid evidence humans are continuing to alter the composition of the atmosphere at a rapid rate.
“This, surely, is a time for circumspection and caution,” concludes General Editor S. George Philander in the introduction to SAGE Reference’s new three-volume Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, a new reference that explains the intricate processes that make ours the only planet known to be habitable.
For a full-color, graphic version of this newsletter, go to
http://www.greenbiz.com/enewsletter.
Tapping the Potential Within an Inspired Workforce
http://www.greenbiz.com/radio/radio_third.cfm?NewsID=55771
Judah Schiller of Saatchi and Saatchi recently joined GreenBiz Radio to talk about the tools his company is using to inspire Wal-Mart’s employees to embrace sustainability, and offer advice to companies looking for ways to engage workers.
Dynegy Agrees to Report on Climate Change Challenges
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55757
Under pressure from its shareholders, Texas utility Dynegy agreed to disclose
the feasibility of adopting greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Wal-Mart’s Latest Green Store Slashes Energy Use
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55752
Wal-Mart unveiled a new store prototype Tuesday that will use nearly half as much energy as a conventional Supercenter. Its HE.5 prototype is the first to be designed around a specific climate.
Automotive X PRIZE Collects 60 Potential Contestants — And a Sponsor
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55777
Progressive Insurance stepped up Thursday to fund the $10 million prize purse of the Automotive X Prize competition designed to inspire the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Tandberg Aims to Cut Air Travel and Energy Use by 10 Percent
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55755
Videoconferencing technology company Tandberg has pledged to cuts its air travel and energy use worldwide. Rival Cisco boasts it has cut its air travel costs by 10 percent through increased videoconferencing.
Ecolab Expands Green Options for Carwashes
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55776
Ecolab will reportedly introduce a new environmental initiative to certify carwash operators and help them market their services to green-minded consumers.
HSBC Bank Pledges £100 Million for Renewable Energy Projects
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55756
The company is investing in Partnerships for Renewables to help fund public sector renewable energy projects.
Henkel Takes Steps to Reduce Energy and Water Consumption
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55741
During the last five years, Henkel, the maker of Dial soap, has seen its sales rise while its energy use dropped 21 percent.
Steelcase Makes Five-Year Commitment to a Texas Wind Farm
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55753
Office furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc. bought all of the renewable energy produced by a Texas wind farm for the next five years — and a golden branding opportunity.
JCPenney’s Green Line to Focus on Recycled, Organic Materials
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55751
The department store launched a new Simply Green label to highlight the company’s house-brand clothing and home accessories products that consist of organic, recycled or renewably made materials. In related news, Swedish automaker Saab this week also launched an eco-clothing line.
Clover Technologies Joins USPS for E-waste Program
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55749
Clover Technologies Group will partner with the United States Postal Service to offer consumers free postage for recycling certain products, such as inkjet cartridges, iPods and digital cameras.
Fulton Provision Co. Earns Certification for Sustainable Business Practices
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55746
For its efforts in reducing waste, energy and fuel, the non-profit Food Alliance certified Fulton for sustainable agricultural and production practices based on third-party audits.
Experts Warn Bear Stearns Crisis Could Curb Clean Tech Growth
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55744
As share prices around the world continued to fall sharply in the wake of the weekend collapse of U.S. investment bank Bear Stearns, experts on Monday warned that clean tech projects could soon find it significantly harder to raise project financing as a result of the expanding credit crisis.
Survey Sets Benchmarks for Tracking Book Industry Sustainability
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=55737
A large chunk of the book industry is embracing green publishing, and sustainability is steadily spreading through the book publishing world, says a new report.
Greener Pathways
http://www.greenbiz.com/toolbox/reports_third.cfm?LINKADVID=97440
This report describes the kind and quality of jobs in the clean energy economy, the skills needed to fill those jobs, and how existing plants and their workers — especially those in the beleaguered industrial heartland — can move to the center of the clean energy economy.
B Corporations: Verified Sustainability
by Anne Moore Odell, SocialFunds.com
http://greenbiz.com/news/reviews_third.cfm?NewsID=55780
B Labs takes the guesswork out of which companies are actually working for the future by certifying companies that aim for more than just supplying a sustainable product or service, but put the creation of a ‘public benefit’ at the core of their business plans.
Companies Take Eco-Concerns Seriously at ECO:nomics Conference
By Revi Schlesinger
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/columns_third.cfm?NewsID=55772
At the Wall Street Journal’s first sustainability-themed conference last week, the heads of dozens of industry-leading companies that climate change was going to have a major impact on business, even if a discussion of how to implement much-needed changes was missing from the meeting.
Joel Makower’s Two Steps Forward
Where Are All the Clean, Green Jobs?
http://greenbiz.com/Blogs/makower.cfm
Marc Gunther on Corporate America:
Starbucks: Monetizing Nature
http://greenbiz.com/Blogs/marcgunther.cfm
Via BeSpacific.
“The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have initiated a joint national data center energy efficiency information program. The program coordinates a wide variety of activities from the DOE Industrial Technologies Program Save Energy Now initiative, the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the EPA ENERGY STAR program. The following Fact Sheets summarize ongoing efforts at DOE and EPA to provide information, tools, and resources to owners and operators of data centers to assist in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their buildings. They also provide links to a wide variety of organizations outside of the Federal government that can be of help in your efforts to improve energy efficiency.”
- Fact Sheet for the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information Program (10 pages, PDF)
- Short fact sheet (2 pages, PDF)
- Related postings on energy efficiency
Read the full story at The Environment Report.
Short supply and high demand for wheat means prices are at record levels, and rising. But the high cost of wheat is bad news for people who buy it. And in North America, where most people’s diets are based on wheat, that means just about everyone.
Read the full story from The Environment Report.
Ford Motor Company is rolling out a small fleet of hydrogen powered shuttle buses in the US and Canada. The company says its one small step toward a future without oil.
Read the full story from The Environment Report.
A government watchdog group says the Environmental Protection Agency might be limiting the public’s access to information. Rebecca Williams reports that could hurt future research on health and safety.
Read the full story in Technology Review.
Thermoelectric materials promise everything from clean power for cars to clean power from the sun, but making these materials widely useful has been a challenge. Now researchers at MIT and Boston College have developed an inexpensive, simple technique for achieving a 40 percent increase in the efficiency of a common thermoelectric material. Thermoelectric materials, which can convert heat into electricity and electricity into heat, hold promise for turning waste heat into power. But thermoelectric materials have not been efficient enough to move beyond niche applications. The new jump in efficiency, achieved with a relatively inexpensive material, may finally make possible such applications as solar panels that turn the sun’s heat into electricity, and car exhaust pipes that use waste heat to power the radio and air conditioner.
