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The Sustainability Initiative
- Special Report: The Business of Sustainability
- Interview: Green, Despite the Downturn — Michael S. Hopkins
- Research: For Real, Not Just For Show — Joe Manget, Catherine Roche, and Felix Münnich
Special Report: Design Thinking
Hard skills from a soft scienceBeyond Green
Beyond Green
GM Volt: asset or liability?
The WSJ blog environmental capital argues that the GM Volt - that new electric car with a $40,000 price tag - may not make any sense once GM is in bankruptcy.
Recycling up in corporations
Aluminum cans, fluorescent lamps, wood waste, scrap metal — all are hot items for corporate recycling and some companies are even making money from it.
Despite recession, wind power moved ahead in ‘08
Worldwatch Institute reports that global wind power installations climbed nearly 29% last year, with the U.S. leading the way. It now ranks first in cumulative capacity and electricity generation from wind, having surpassed Germany.
Will carbon caps work? A couple of greens say no
It’s a virtual belief from mainstream environmental groups to green VCs in Silicon Valley that the price of carbon must rise to change business and consumer behavior. Well, not all greens are buying it.
“Land grabbing” on road to food and fuel
While bankrupt ethanol producers are making headlines in the U.S., a less visible trend trend is underway of rich nations snapping up land in Africa and Eastern Europe for future food and biofuel operations.
Sustainable seafood, the next wave?
We’ve all heard about organic and green products, but at the “Cooking for Solutions” conference at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Thursday, executive director Julia Packard announced that 37% of all retailers were had removed seafood items from their shelves that were not sustainable.
China pushes ahead in coal technology
China is pushing ahead in coal technology, rolling out plants that are far more efficient in deriving electricity from coal. Whether this constitutes “clean coal” is another matter.
Obama walks line to save ethanol industry
The Obama administration is walking a tightrope to support the ethanol industry, rolling out more government loans for the battered industry but also delicately acknowledging environmental costs of the fuel.
It’s consumption, not population growth, that matters
Journalist Fred Pearce argues that population growth is a red herring in climate change - the bigger issue is per capita consumption, especially in the richest countries.
Can companies stop “modern slavery” in Florida fields?
You might think that “slavery” refers to labor conditions in some backwater of the developing world, but actually it’s the term federal prosecutors use to describe tomato pickers in Florida. Can companies pressure suppliers to prevent it?
Salt solves a solar storage problem
Everyone knows the sun creates energy — the bigger problem is how to keep this energy humming once the sun has gone down. Salt seems to be the answer.
Should everyone move to California to save the planet?
Edward Glaeser argues that localism is bad environmentalism, which is why California should scrap its growth restrictions and let people move to the state.
Fortune’s Brainstorm Green surprising moments
Marc Gunther, the former Fortune magazine writer who is still working their Brainstorm Green conference, has some surprising quotes from the event.
Cause marketing and big green lies on TV
Television has become the newest medium for cause marketing, with the Gates Foundation “helping to shape story lines and insert messages” into “ER,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Private Practice.”
What flattened electricity use in California?
Green Inc. has an interesting post looking into the reasons behind the flat per capita growth of electricity use in California, suggesting it wasn’t simply “efficiency.” Major factors include higher costs and the state’s fair weather.
Costa Rica’s bold moves on the environment
“Costa Rica discovered its own oil five years ago but decided to ban drilling — so as not to pollute its politics or environment! What country bans oil drilling?” So writes Tom Friedman the NY Times.
“Required” reading for sustainability officers
Grist reviews the new book Getting Green Done: Hard Truths from the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution, by sustainability guru Auden Schendler, pronouncing it “required” reading.
Wind energy picks up interest
A couple of intriguing reports appeared this week about the promise of wind energy - one from the macro point of view and the other from the micro, home-based view.
Talk about stimulus: China pushes into electric cars
China has a blueprint to become one of the leading manufacturers of hybrid and electric cars — in 3 years!
More on David de Rothschild and His Voyage Through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
In our recent special report on capturing the green advantage, we included an interview with IWC Schaffhausen CEO Georges Kern, who mentioned his company’s sponsorship of David de Rothschild’s Plastiki Adventure:
He will set sail in May in a one-of-a-kind 60-foot catamaran built of post-consumer plastic bottles and recycled material. The crew will navigate more than [...]
Tesco says please leave packaging at the store
Tesco, the UK supermarket giant, has embarked on a novel program that allows shoppers to leave product packaging at the store to be recycled, but what will that mean for packaging as a selling agent?
Clean-tech VC financing down sharply
The recession has hit clean technology hard, with venture capital financing down 48% in the first quarter to the lowest level since 2006, the Green Inc blog reports.
Dyson, the climate skeptic, gets a stage
The New York Times has a profile of climate skeptic Freeman Dyson, who believes ‘global warming’ is more ideology than fact. But the reasoning behind his skeptical view appears lacking.
Behind the Queen of Trash
We’ve blogged previously about the “Queen of Trash,” that self-made Horatio Alger-like figure who became the richest woman in China by importing trash from the United States to make cardboard boxes.
Food ‘revolution’ gaining ground
For three decades, organic food, local food, small farmers markets and the like were the stuff of fringe activists and foodies. Now it’s gaining currency in the White House.
The first carbon neutral nation?
That would be the Maldives. The nation, with an $800 million economy based on fishing and tourism, plans to reach carbon neutrality in a decade.
The green package conundrum
A new study of packaging that finds environmental claims at best equal concerns about quality, appearance and “functional needs” in consumer purchasing decisions.
SC Johnson’s ingredient disclosure project
Consumer products company SC Johnson has begun listing the ingredients in its products, such as Windex, Glade and Shout, on a web site.
The enticing but elusive carbon-neutral building
Considering that buildings account for 39 percent of all energy use, greening them would seem to be a no-brainer. But Richard Conniff has a thoughtful read on why developers avoid or compromise in this task.
The green Apple - or not
If you’ve watched TV lately, no doubt you’ve seen ads for “the greenest Macbook Pro ever.” Which is why I was interested to see this post on the lack of Apple leadership on climate change issues.
How much water is in a latte?
Marc Gunther, discussing the issue of water use by industry and agriculture, relays these figures from the WWF’s Jason Clay on the amount of water in a latte. The total? Over 200 liters for one cup.
California proposes cradle-to-cradle product bill
In a move to adopt “cradle-to-cradle” principles, California’s state assembly is considering a product stewardship bill that would require manufacturers to research ways to reduce waste at the end of the product’s lifespan.
Obama sprints on energy, carbon, cars
If there were any doubts President Obama would move quickly on climate action they were erased with the release of his first federal budget this week.
Where is the green consumer? Alive and well
Despite the recession, a special report from The Boston Consulting Group finds the green consumer is alive and well, even thriving.
Carbon suddenly looks like a business cost
The EPA is set to regulate carbon emissions in a way that could “have a profound impact on transportation, manufacturing costs and how utilities generate power,” the Times reported.