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recycling

Single-Action Bias

August 9, 2011 by Gernot Wagner
with 234 views
0

We all want to do something, anything. We don’t just want to sit idle and watch events unfold around us. Call it “action bias.” Then there’s “single-action bias.” We all want to do something, anything, but once we’ve done that one thing, we move on. For something as intractable and complex as global warming, that’s a real problem. Yes,... [read more]

Sheffield Forgemasters loan may be off

June 7, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 364 views
0

UK Liberals pursue anti-nuclear agenda Chris Huhne, the UK Energy & Climate Minister, and his political allies are not to be trusted. Last month Huhne said his only concern about the development of new nuclear reactors in the UK was that there be no public subsidy. This week the new Business Minister from the Liberal Party... [read more]

Could solar represent one quarter of world electricity production by 2050?

May 12, 2010 by Tyler Hamilton
with 213 views
0

The International Energy Agency, according to two recently released technology roadmaps, thinks solar electricity coming from photovoltaic or concentrating solar systems could by 2050 come to represent between 20 and 25 per cent of global electricity production. Now, to be clear, we’re talking about production — not capacity — so this... [read more]

Waste plastic bags in lithium batteries

April 15, 2010 by Doris de Guzman
with 204 views
0

This is a very cool development from Argonne National Laboratory and could make plastic bags even more valuable. Argonne chemist Vilas Pol found a way to recycle waste plastic bags into either carbon nanotubes (using a cobalt-based catalyst) or carbon spheres, which can be used in various applications such as electronics, paints,... [read more]

Solar power’s dirty secrets

March 30, 2010 by Marc Gunther
with 644 views
12

Maybe we should banish the term “clean energy.” Growing corn for ethanol requires fertilizers and pesticides. Producing and shipping small-scale wind turbines for urban areas generates more CO2 than they save. Production of polysilicon for solar panels leaves a trail of toxic waste in China, as The Washington Post reported back in 2008... [read more]

‘Green’ production making inroads in China

March 10, 2010 by Richard Brubaker
with 352 views
0

A new shade of green is gradually sweeping across China’s export manufacturing industry, one that took a while to take root. Companies are riding the environment-friendly wave. Pressure from the national government and tightening regulations in overseas markets are compelling a growing number of suppliers to modify their business... [read more]

If the world of power produces lemons, can we make lemonade?

March 10, 2010 by Robert Oliva
with 114 views
2

According to the US Department of Energy, “…coal is the nation’s major fuel for electric power”. While we all know efforts are being made to change that statistic, the fact remains that coal will play a large role in how the country fulfills it near-term power needs. So, if this is a fact that we cannot deny, then we must ask... [read more]

Quiznos: Green enough?

February 23, 2010 by Marc Gunther
with 902 views
0

People sometimes say we need to save the planet for our kids. I sometimes think our kids are going to save us. If you doubt it, ask Rick Schaden. Schaden is CEO of Quiznos, the fast-food chain best known for its toasted subs, and the father of five children, aged three to 19. Today, Quiznos is rolling out new packaging (”Eat Toasty, Be... [read more]

In search of the perfect (Coke) bottle

November 30, 2009 by Marc Gunther
with 164 views
0

Since joining The Coca-Cola Co. in 1997, Scott Vitters has gone to work most days with one question on his mind: “How do we get to our vision of a 100% renewable, 100% recyclable bottle?” It’s a simple question, with anything but a  simple answer—getting to a renewable, zero-waste bottle requires technology breakthroughs, favorable... [read more]

Being energy efficient, after you’re dead

November 17, 2009 by Tyler Hamilton
with 184 views
0

Cremation is popular these days for those who have kicked the bucket. In Canada, only 3 per cent of the population got cremated 50 years ago, while today that number has ballooned to more than 55 per cent. But here’s a shocker for the conservation-minded: The amount of natural gas and electricity used to cremate one body is the... [read more]

The Impact of No Impact Man

October 18, 2009 by Marc Gunther
with 210 views
1

His stunt is over, his book published, his movie released, but Colin Beavan is still living without a TV set, air conditioner or dishwasher, buying seasonal produce and not much else, and making his way around Manhattan by bike. During a year-long experiment in radically “green” living, Beavan, TK, his wife Michelle Conlin (a writer for... [read more]

Ray Anderson, radical industrialist

October 1, 2009 by Marc Gunther
with 113 views
0

“Nature is the goose that lays all the golden eggs. We don’t want to squeeze her to death…If we don’t take care of nature, we won’t have a civilization someday.” Does that sound like a tree-hugging environmentalist? Well, it is, but it’s also the founder and chairman of a $1-billion a year carpet company. His name is Ray Anderson, he... [read more]

Technology and Critical Thinking

September 21, 2009 by Geoffrey Styles
with 111 views
0

The other day I read a story in my local paper concerning a new technology for converting waste plastic into synthetic oil. The prototype "Envion Oil Generator" had been temporarily deployed at a solid-waste facility in Montgomery County, MD, and its owners were touting its benefits to the Washington Post. As I read the article, I found... [read more]

Marcal CEO: We’re greener and better

August 30, 2009 by Marc Gunther
with 157 views
0

Stopping by the supermarket today, I discovered something unusual: an environmentally-preferable product that costs less and performs as well as its competitors. Marcal Small Steps paper towels are not only made entirely from recycled paper. They sell for less – in some instances quite a bit less – than paper towels made mostly from... [read more]

BASF enters green city

August 19, 2009 by Doris de Guzman
with 160 views
0

I've posted information last year about the $15bn Masdar city - which aims to be the world's first zero-carbon and waste free city - and I wondered if investment and construction would slow down for this project because of the global financial crisis. I guess that's not happening as indicated by this news announced today from BASF. The... [read more]