Do not recycle; Precycle!
Oct 31, 2008 Natural Resource Conservation
Precycle!
Precycling is the practice of reducing waste by attempting to avoid accumulating it in the first place. Precyclers try to cut out as much packaging as possible and, to this end, they think ahead, shop locally, buy things loose and bring their own containers. The benefits are various; from saving money and creating less landfill to reducing food miles and conserving natural resources.
You may look eccentric at the local coffee store, bringing your own coffee mug, but shops such as Unpackaged in north London sell dried goods in open bins, beside loose toilet rolls and a small line in refillable juices and cosmetics - and give you a discount when you bring your own container! Read the rest of this entry »
CSR title: Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand
Oct 31, 2008 Information of the Day
In her new book Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand, author Kellie McElhaney, the founder of the Center for Responsible Business at the Haas School of Business, shows business leaders how to develop the right CSR initiatives - ones that accentuate a company’s overall brand—while also offering practical business tools to ensure that those activities are effectively communicated and branded internally and externally.
McElhaney draws on over ten years of consulting experience inside companies grappling with developing strategically aligned CSR initiatives. The book’s case studies, examples, best practices, and strategic recommendations span a host of industries and sectors and draw upon her work with leading corporations, such as McDonald’s, Nokia, Levi Strauss, Digicel, Birkenstock, Gap Inc, HP, and Pepperidge Farm.
Just Good Business offers a detailed blueprint that any company can use to ensure its CSR strategy delivers significant, quantifiable, bottom-line benefits. Watch a video of the author discussing the finer points after the Read link. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Book, CSR, Haas School of Business
More of GE Ecomagination — electric car for 2009
Oct 31, 2008 Auto Tech
Th!nk`
GE has aggressive plans for the electric vehicle. It has upped its stake in A123 Batteries with a $30 million investment and now plans to partner T!ink Global, which is debuting a small plug-in car in 2009
TH!NK GLOBAL is the new owner of the electric car producer TH!NK. Formerly part of the Ford Motor Company, TH!NK was taken over by a group of Norwegian investors in March 2006.
The car has a top speed of 65 MPH (~100 KM) and a range of about 110 miles (170 kms). With a target price of $30000, it may become a surprise hit, with its cute looks! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: electric cars, GE, Green Cars, Th!nk
Smart refrigerators from GE
Oct 31, 2008 Green Technologies
Chill!
GE Consumer & Industrial is cranking up their “Ecomagination” drive. They have a “smart” refrigerator waiting in their wings that will communicate with the power grid and decide when to defrost. this will help people living in countries where electricity consumption is charged depending on the timing, i.e. more during peak hours and less otherwise. it will also help the power utility companies with the surge in demand during certain periods, which may lead o blackouts and more.
This will be even more useful as we shift to periodic renewable energy sources like wind and solar, so there will be less need for electricity storage.Now what remains is a proper controlling and communicating protocols so that the refrigerator can actually communicate with the electricity provider. There are already technologies existing that can provide internet over powerlines.
This comes on the heels of news that GE may partner Chrysler to launch electric vehicles in 2009. Bravo GE!
Tags: energy conservation, GE, refrigerator, smart devices
Microsoft vs. Google — spot the greener company
Oct 30, 2008 Information of the Day
Future data centers?
It looks like the rivalry between Google and Microsoft is becoming even more intense as the two tech giants take their battle to a new front beyond the internet, mobile phone and office suite: data center efficiency! Both recently came up with impressive claims for their efficiency in managing their data center’s power requirements.
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) — a measure determined by dividing the amount of input power by the power required to run the computer infrastructure within a data center is the commonly used metric for efficiency. A PUE of 1 is ideal, but considered non-attainable. This standard was originally put in place by The Green Grid, an IT consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. Both Microsoft and Google have made significant strides on that score. According to Datacenter Knowledge, Google has recently released its previously undisclosed report on extreme efficiency, while Microsoft touted similar gains with its own ultra efficient container-clad servers.
Microsoft says it is installing new servers contained within 40-foot shipping containers at its Chicago data center. It says its new containers are ultra-efficient, sporting a PUE of 1.22, according to Microsoft’s Mike Manos. This comes close to Google’s average PUE of 1.21 at its six company-built data centers, which it was recently bragging about, while industry average is about 2.5.
Why is this important? According to a survey by AMD in 2007, the IT related electrical bills for U.S. companies totaled $2.7 billion. The cost of electricity for the entire world topped $7 billion. Within the United States, the total cost of powering data center servers represented about 0.6 percent of total electrical use within the country. When the additional costs of cooling and other usage is factored in, that number jumps to 1.2 percent. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: data centers, Google, Green Computing, Microsoft
Wind turbine breaks but wind farms soldier on!
Oct 30, 2008 Green Technologies
Suzlon: Searching for answers
A Suzlon wind turbine in Wyanet, US, had one of its 140-foot long blades break off this week . Suzlon is still investigating this turbine failure but it appears to be related to the blade recall announced in March which requires the retrofitting 1,251 (417 sets) blades, mostly in the US, because of a design flaw that leads to blade cracking.
The recall problem has already cost the company millions in canceled orders. The company stock also suffered in the Indian stock market this week.
Tags: California, Suzlon, turbines, wind energy
Algae Biofuels Challenge — the all new ABC
Oct 26, 2008 Green Technologies, Ratings and awards
Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust, UK has announced a Algae Biofuels Challenge (ABC). It promises multi-million pound investment to support the development and commercialization of microalgae biofuel technologies that have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The ABC is a two phase programme with the first phase addressing fundamental R&D challenges and the second phase moving to large scale production of algal oil. The total programme cost is expected to be in the region of £20m-30m, with up to £10m-16m of Carbon Trust funding. The call for proposals for Phase 1 of the ABC opened on the 23rd October 2008 and closes on 15th December 2008.
Tags: Algae, Green Technology, Microalgae, UK
Recharge your electric cars in the Australian outback — from 2012!
Oct 26, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Charge!
California based startup, Better Place announced announced its plans to setup its electric car infrastructure in Australia. Working with Australian utility AGL Energy and with funds of about $650 million from Macquarie Capital Group,the company plans to build an electric car charging grid powered by renewable energy.
Following up its efforts in Israel and Denmark, the company plans to have the grid operational by 2012, just in time hopefully for the release of plug-in hybrids and electric cars. Now people buying the Model s or the electric Mini will know where to recharge their cars! The company plans to put about 250000 charging stations in the Melbourne-Sydney area.
Now there will be no excuse for not going green!
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: australia, charging network, electric cars
Tesla gives a sneak preview of its 4 door model S
Oct 26, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Sneak peek - Model S
With a turbulent fortnight behind them, Tesla decided to give a sneak peak of its Model S sedan, now planned to be available from 2011. Good way to keep the buzz going.
If your curiosity is piqued, here are more details(though a bit old): range of about 240 miles and 0-100 kmph dash in about 6 seconds witha price tag of $60000. Ogle at another snap after the read link. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: electric cars, Green Technology, Tesla
An electric bike — affordable yet drool cool!
Oct 24, 2008 Auto Tech, Green Technologies
Electric Bike - ubercool!
An Oakland (US) based company called Electric Motorsports has unveiled an electric bikes called GPR-S. Boasting a 60-70 mph (100-120 kmph)top speed and 35-60 mile (55-100 km) range at an affordable $8,000, it could just be the eco-bikers’ weapon of choice.
The bike can charge in about four hours, or 1.5 hours with an optional charger. Even better, the bike is modular in nature. In simpler words, a user could buy the bike with an efficient battery and engine build today, and when the next cycle of improved batteries is released, he’ll be able to swap in the new one without investing in a new one.
I can think of adding an faux-enginenote generator which can play the engine notes of a Harley or a Bullet or a Ducati Desmo, depending on your mood, as you bring out the riding gear, ready to literally electrify the streets! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: electric bike, electric car, Green Cars, Green Technology