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CIO Magazine advice columnist Meridith Levinson tells IT workers they should get a raise for working from home. Denis Du Bois reminds employers it's not just about the money.
Continue reading "Why You Shouldn't Demand Pay Cuts for Telecommuters" »
The latest reactor technology, on which the nuclear industry's hopes of a revival are pinned, faces more trouble.
Continue reading "UK Nuke Reactor Results: Not Quite Glowing" »
Sustainable cities -- every mayor wants one. They attract green businesses, and the career-minded people who want to work there. Just proclaiming a community "green," though, isn't nearly enough. Forward-thinking cities are walking the talk. We went looking for examples in Copenhagen, Denmark. The secret to their success is integrating energy production right into the city. Learn how Copenhagen stopped worrying about the garbage and started becoming a carbon-neutral city.
Continue reading "Sustaindinavia: Copenhagen's Integrated Approach to Energy" »
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that 54 high-speed rail projects in 23 states will share in $2.4 billion to continue developing America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.
The Telework Improvements Act would allow U.S. government employees to telecommute one day a week.
MSNBC contributor Rebecca Agiewich has created an excellent overview of the meaning of "green" at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Continue reading "Vancouver goes for the green and more (MSNBC.com)" »
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.
Continue reading "VANOC's Consultant Gives It a Bronze for Greenness" »
If the IOC had no choice but to make the Olympics environmentally neutral, how would they 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.
This report begins with the sound of an electric bus traveling through downtown Seattle. It's a reminder that electric transportation isn't new -- a timely reminder, because Denis Du Bois is on his way to test drive a prototype of the Nissan all-electric car, the Leaf. (podcast)
Continue reading "Nissan Plans Leaf with Complete Charging Infrastructure" »
Will bailed-out banks bankrupt transit systems at a time when those systems are critical to our energy independence?
Continue reading "Public Transit: The Cost of Financial Carelessness" »
Don't rent a car in Phoenix for the Greenbuild 2009 Conference and Expo. The Phoenix Convention Center and several of the Greenbuild hotels are along the city's light rail line. Here's how to get from the airport to Greenbuild and most of the associated hotels and activities. (video podcast)
Continue reading "Metro to Greenbuild 2009 - Building Priorities Briefing" »
Pangreen is one of 12 semi-finalists in the 2009 Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. Pangreen believes personalized information is the key to behavior change and, ultimately, greener lifestyles for everyone. Their technology provides and gathers that information. Denis Du Bois interviews Jimmy Wong, founder/CEO. (podcast)
Continue reading "Pangreen: Information Services for Greener Lifestyle Decisions" »
The journey of the Olympic Flame began today in an historic ceremony steeped in Greek tradition. The Torch Relay will conclude with the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. That will be only the beginning of the journey for sustainability ideas developed for the Games -- ideas that could establish new traditions of sustainability.
Continue reading "Torch-Lighting Marks 2010 Green Olympics Launch" »
The 2010 Olympics' transportation planning team released an update to its integrated transportation plan this morning. The plan addresses how athletes and officials will get where they need to be, while local residents travel less, when spectators descend on Vancouver in February.
Continue reading "Vancouver Plans on More Transit, Less Traffic during 2010 Winter Olympics" »
Rio de Janeiro was selected today to host the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in 2016. Brazil promises an "all-green Olympics" and has already started with serious steps toward that goal.
Continue reading "Rio de Janeiro to Host All-Green Olympic Summer Games in 2016" »
Extreme Capacitors is one of 12 semi-finalists in the 2009 Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company has developed a new generation of super capacitors that will have 10X the energy storage per pound of existing materials. Denis Du Bois interviews Karl Young, founder/CEO. (podcast)
Continue reading "Extreme Capacitors: Lightweight Power Packs for Electric Vehicles" »
Fall is conference season in the cleantech biz. With a deluge of events all clustered together in September and October, it’s a good time to gauge how the tumultuous economic ride of the last year has affected investment trends and the entrepreneurial outlook.
InnovaTek is one of 12 semifinalists in the Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open. The company's business concept involves generating power on site using hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen is extracted from biofuels, making the system completely independent of fossil fuels and the grid. Denis Du Bois interviews Dr. Patricia Irving, the Founder and CEO of InnovaTek. (podcast)
Continue reading "InnovaTek: Distributed Energy Generation Using Hydrogen and Biofuels" »
KPCB led a rebound in clean technology venture investment in the second quarter of 2009, after two consecutive quarterly declines, according to a joint Deloitte and Cleantech Group report.
Continue reading "Cleantech Venture Capital Investment Rebounded in Second Quarter 2009" »
Even if your company is environmentally responsible, planning your annual meeting or sales conference pressures you to make compromises. Experts at GMIC, USGBC and the 2010 Olympic Committee share the philosophies that guide them through those decisions. If you've heard enough ideas like compostable utensils and web conferencing, this month's briefing will give you some fresh new perspectives to consider. (podcast)
The United States lags far behind other countries in developing high-speed rail. Examples: Paris to Lyon, 2 hours at 133 MPH; Madrid to Barcelona, 2.5 hours at 150 MPH; Tokyo to Osaka, 1.7 hours at 180 MPH; and Seattle to Portland, 3.5 hours, 41 MPH. President Obama announced plans to bring the U.S. up to speed with new funding for fast train travel. Will America jump on board?
Continue reading "Getting the U.S. up to Speed in Rail Travel" »
Meetings and conferences look easy to make green, when you consider the challenges of outdoor events like sports competitions, concerts and festivals. The venues are created for the events, and often dismantled afterward. For planners of "ordinary" business gatherings, here are some lessons from the organizers of golf tournaments, tennis championships, and the Olympic Games.
Continue reading "Green Meetings Are a Team Effort: Sign Up the Supply Chain" »
Many excellent ideas for sustainable business came out of the 8th World Conference on Sport and the Environment last week. Topics ranged from managing energy and waste to building venues and communities. Only a few hundred people could fit into the two-day conference, most from Olympic Committees and sponsor companies around the globe. How can business leaders everywhere gain from the lessons shared in Vancouver?
Continue reading ""Living Lightly" Visionary Shares Insights on Olympic Sustainability Conference" »
With rising expectations for meetings and conferences to be green, meeting planners now have a new resource from one of the world’s oldest and largest event organizers. Anyone can download and use it for productions of any size or sort, from half-day sales meetings to week-long conventions.
Continue reading "Innovative Event Planners Compile Best Ideas into a Sustainable Event Toolkit" »
Olympic hosts, hopefuls and head honchos from around the globe are gathered in Vancouver BC for a two-day crash course in sustainability -- the eighth World Conference on Sport and the Environment.
Continue reading "World Conference on Sport and the Environment 2009 Convenes in Canada" »
With only one year to go before Canada hosts the 2010 Olympics, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is inviting communities across the host country to help celebrate the countdown to 2010 in their own unique way. Will the Games be green?
Continue reading "One Year to Go: Countdown to 2010 Olympics" »
Dr. Brian Nattrass is the author of "Dancing with the Tiger" and other books on sustainable business practices. He's best known for his consulting work on sustainability with high-profile clients like Nike, Starbucks and the US Army. Nattrass spoke to a business audience in Seattle recently, at a green business summit organized by the Puget Sound Business Journal. (podcast)
Continue reading "Brian Nattrass: How To Dance with the Tiger of Sustainability" »
Micro nuke power plants the size of a hot tub would fit in a back yard and power a small town.
The shaky economy is casting dark shadows on the viability of initiatives toward environmental and social responsibility. Shining a light into the green business future is the goal of the Sustainable Industries Economic Forums. They're a series of meetings in west-coast cities, most recently here in Seattle on November 5, 2008. (podcast)
Continue reading "Sustainable Industries Economic Forum in Seattle" »
California now tops the ranking for per capita energy efficiency. How did it get there? Energy efficiency isn't sexy, but it's effective. "The utility will emulate efficient market outcomes and do the cheapest thing first," said Amory Lovins, chairman and chief scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute, in this article in the International Heral-Tribune.
Continue reading "California Points the Way to an Energy-Efficient Future (IHT)" »
Denis Du Bois is in Victoria and Vancouver BC this week to explore sustainable building and urban strategies. Follow him at energypriorities.com, or on Twitter (cleantech).
Continue reading "Urban Sustainability in British Columbia Canada" »
The CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund's announcement earlier this month -- that Matthew Lecar will henceforth manage the fund -- is good news for the cleantech industry. Lecar combines Sand Hill investment savvy with energy industry expertise. That means entrepreneurs will meet an investor who understands the value of transformational clean energy innovations, and sees through those that aren't really.
The ITER project in Cadarache France passed a milestone last week. Scientists from several participating countries have tested a prototype superconductor for the Poloidal Field coils inside the fusion reactor.
Intellectual Ventures is talking up a new type of breeder reactor of its own invention. The "traveling wave" reactor would run on a raw mineral (uranium, or possibly thorium) rather than on processed fuel.
Continue reading "Intellectual Ventures Nuclear Invention Touted as Safer and Cheaper" »
Carbon emissions increased faster than electricity demand in 2007. As much as two-thirds of the greenhouse gas increase was due to increased demand for electricity, much of which was met by coal-fired power plants. Can we hope to make progress against greenhouse gases and continue to exempt ageing coal plants from the Clean Air Act of 1970?
Continue reading "Power Plant Carbon Emissions Outpace Energy Production (AP)" »
My conclusion from reading "America's 50 Green Cities" in the March 2008 Popular Science: There aren't 50 green cities in America. Yet.
The September-October 2007 issue of Technology Review features the "TR35" -- 35 innovators under 35 -- and their inventions. Here are the innovations related to energy:
Continue reading "Energy Innovators Under 35 (Technology Review)" »
Even though the technique isn't quite out of the lab yet, Hydrogen Power in Seattle is already thinking about how to commercialize a process for producing hydrogen from aluminum powder.
Continue reading "Hydrogen via Aluminum: From Soda Cans to Submarines" »
Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility, asked for renewable energy credits for its nuclear power. The state said No.
Continue reading "Nuclear Power Not Clean Enough for Florida RPS (Miami Herald)" »
"The Clean Tech Revolution" by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder will be released tomorrow -- June 12, 2007. Here is my review in a two-sentence nutshell, plus why I like it, and what it does and does not cover.
Continue reading "Book Review: "The Clean Tech Revolution"" »
"Food or fuel" has been the battle cry of biofuels opponents, but a growing industry hopes to quash that argument once and for all. Instead of corn or soybeans, renewable fuel producers will start distilling rutabagas into biofuels.
Continue reading "Ethanol and Biodiesel Producers Turn to Rutabagas as Feedstock" »
Compete.com looks at the growth in traffic to environmental sites as a whole. They indexed 125 sites, including this one. The aggregate traffic is growing, they say, but not at the rate expected. Growth is also uneven. I wonder, if we were to overlay on their chart the cost of a gallon of gasoline... http://blog.compete.com/2007/03/05/environment-sites-an-inconvenient-truth/
Business 2.0 looked at today's top 9 environmental problems from the perspective of (what else?) where the most money's to be made. Here are their energy-related entrepreneurial hot spots, and links to related items of interest...
The publishers of the Oxford American Dictionary have selected the word of the year for 2006: "carbon neutral."
Continue reading "Carbon Neutral Is Oxford Dictionary 2006 Word of the Year" »
Energy Minute: Stirling engines have been around since the 19th century, but today some small and large applications are bringing them into the limelight. (Podcast)
Continue reading "Stirling Engines Generate Power from Practically Any Heat Source" »
More companies are focusing on greenhouse gases and their economic implications, according to a new report based on a survey of 92 companies from various industries. About 75 percent of companies are actively measuring their carbon footprint, and a few are measuring the footprints of their competitors.
Continue reading "Competitors Measuring your Carbon Footprint?" »
Now that liquids -- and potentially notebook computers and cell phones -- are banned from carry-ons, how will airport security measures affect the future of hydrogen fuel cells for electronics?
Continue reading "Does Airport Security Throw Evian on Notebook Fuel Cells?" »
Timberland, Google and Hyperion aren't waiting for government tax incentives to promote cleaner commuting. Here's where to start with your company's fuel-saving initiative.
Continue reading "Helping Employees Into Hybrids (Business 2.0)" »
A fusion reactor could, within 30-40 years, harness the hydrogen power of the stars. An international agreement to build the first such facility has scintillated the scientific community and roused the rage of environmentalists. Successful fusion experiments could lead to a clean, safe, unlimited power source. Not everyone is convinced that it's possible, or a good idea.
Mario Andretti didn't set any land speed records on his way to the opening of the new hydrogen fueling station in Chino, California today. He was driving a Hundai Tucson hydrogen fuel cell electric test vehicle.
Continue reading "Hydrogen fueling station opened in California" »
What are the top five actions that your business can take in 2005 to become a more responsible energy user and take us closer to a clean and sustainable energy future? EP gathered ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs and investors to compile this year's business energy priorities. Here they are, in priority order.
The authors describe how simple, focused climate policies can improve regional economic competitiveness while encouraging private investment in clean energy and climate solutions.
Continue reading "Developing Regional Climate Solutions (Seattle Times)" »
Seattle's order for hybrid buses isn't big environmental news (Seattle has had 200+ diesel-electrics in service for a decade, saving fuel and reducing pollution), but the purchase is the subject of a big ad campaign by the drivetrain manufacturer, GM.
Every business contributes to unhealthy carbon emissions. A few have gone as far as to plant trees to offset their share. For those with a green thumb (but a guilty conscience), a carbon calculator is available online. The UK site will even plant the trees for you.
