Sat.Feb 01, 2020 - Fri.Feb 07, 2020

article thumbnail

Washington State Intends To Be The Clean Energy State And Nuclear Is Key

Jim Conca

A new study of energy needs in the Pacific Northwest concluded that more diverse, low-carbon electricity sources are needed to maintain energy reliability and achieve a carbon-free system by 2045. And some of that has to be nuclear.

Energy 387
article thumbnail

Why 'climate tech' is the new cleantech

GreenBiz

This article is adapted from GreenBiz's weekly newsletter, Transport Weekly, running Tuesdays. Subscribe here. I have the sad claim to fame of being one of the journalists most associated with the bubble and bust of Silicon Valley's tortured love affair with cleantech. It perhaps wasn't the most advantageous career move, but it was an interesting ride to follow, and I'm betting the ride ain't over yet.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

How Hydropower Can Be More Environmentally Friendly

U.S. Green Technology

One of the most difficult challenges in the environmental field is determining which source of energy will be the most beneficial. Unfortunately, even some of the safer options, like hydropower, still have adverse effects. Of all the available energy sources, experts want to find ones they can classify as renewable, clean and sustainable. While each.

article thumbnail

Costa Rica Is At Nearly 100% Renewable Energy For Electricity

CleanTechnica

Costa Rica got more than 99% of its electricity from renewables last year. It wants to do better.

article thumbnail

How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.

article thumbnail

Plastic to-go containers are bad, but the alternatives might not be much better

GreenBiz

Single-use plastic bans are showing up across the nation. But compostable plates and forks may not solve the plastic crisis.

Plastics 471
article thumbnail

Clean technology is about more than just wind and solar

CleanTech Alliance

Source: Heraldnet, Janice Podsada Feb 4 2020 What is clean technology? Until 10 or 15 years ago, clean tech referred almost exclusively to ventures focused on the design and manufacture of renewable energy sources — such as wind and solar and the batteries used to store that energy. Now,it can be used to describe products […].

More Trending

article thumbnail

Adidas is latest fashion company hoping to weave recycled plastic into garments

GreenBiz

The growing demand for recycled polyester, coupled with a limited supply, signals scarcity and competition ahead.

Recycling 338
article thumbnail

$64 Million Makes It Official: Renewable Hydrogen In, Natural Gas Out (Eventually)

CleanTechnica

New $64 million push for renweable hydrogen gives natural gas stakeholders yet another reason to reach for the Alka-Seltzer.

article thumbnail

Not pulp fiction: Absolut, Coca-Cola and the paper bottle project

GreenBiz

The two brands are part of a ‘pioneer community’ that also includes Carlsberg and L’Oreal.

Packaging 345
article thumbnail

Japan’s Expert Panel Agrees That Dumping Radioactive Water Into The Ocean Is Best

Jim Conca

An expert panel is recommending that the Japanese government allow Tokyo Electric Power Company to release radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plants into the ocean. And that’s a good thing to do since a gallon of this water is as radioactive as a family-sized bag of potato chips.

article thumbnail

The Key to Sustainable Energy Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach for Manufacturing

Speaker: Kevin Kai Wong, President of Emergent Energy Solutions

In today's industrial landscape, the pursuit of sustainable energy optimization and decarbonization has become paramount. ♻️ Manufacturing corporations across the U.S. are facing the urgent need to align with decarbonization goals while enhancing efficiency and productivity. Unfortunately, the lack of comprehensive energy data poses a significant challenge for manufacturing managers striving to meet their targets. 📊 Join us for a practical webinar hosted by Kevin Kai Wong of Emergent Ene

article thumbnail

This modular, shipping container home was completed in 2 months

Inhabitat - Innovation

Shipping containers helped this family build a dream vacation home on a tight budget.

343
343
article thumbnail

Oxford-Cambridge rail scheme’s “net gain” commitment shows HS2 failing nature, says RSPB

Envirotec Magazine

A site in Birmingham cleared for work on HS2, in December 2019. Transport Secretary’s announcement of preferred route for East West Rail timely reminder of HS2’s failure to protect environment, says conservation group. Responding to the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapp’s announcement on 30 January of the preferred route for the proposed East West Rail connection between Oxford and Cambridge, the RSPB has said the scheme highlights the environmental shortcomings of its more (in)famous

article thumbnail

Maersk is testing a biofuel that could alter the course of shipping

GreenBiz

The LEO Project, which includes BMW, Levi Strauss, H&M and Marks & Spencer, proposes using a commonly found paper production byproduct as the source of maritime fuel.

article thumbnail

California Moves to Tackle Another Big Emissions Source: Fossil Fuel Use in Buildings

GreenTechMedia

California regulators have allocated $45 million to incentives for heat pump water heaters through 2025, in another step on the path toward the state's 2045 carbon neutrality goal. In a unanimous vote last month, the California Public Utilities Commission carved out 5 percent of the $830 million in new funding approved for the state's Self-Generation Incentive Program, or $44.7 million in total.

article thumbnail

Electrofuels Are the Future: The Driving Force to Decarbonizing Heavy Transport

Speaker: Ayesha Choudhury - Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets at Infinium

With the first wave of the energy transition, renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) have begun replacing coal power generation. However, some sectors are lagging behind and struggling to decarbonize more than others, including large-scale transportation like commercial aviation, shipping, and rail transit. Electrofuels (aka eFuels) are the next generation of solutions to help the hardest-to-abate sectors pivot from their reliance on fossil fuels.

article thumbnail

Brazilian home uses solar energy for 100% self-sufficiency

Inhabitat - Innovation

Brazilian firm 24 7 Arquitetura has set a stunning modern home into a challenging mountainous landscape in Brazil’s Nova Lima region. In addition to the home’s contemporary aesthetic, which is comprised of several exposed concrete blocks, the residence is completely self-sustaining thanks to its massive rooftop solar array that generates all the power the home needs.

Energy 337
article thumbnail

New report reveals hedgehogs, yellowhammers and dragonflies at risk post-EU Exit

Envirotec Magazine

The report expresses a fear of legislative shortfalls, such as a lack of provisions to ensure hedgerows are not cut during the bird nesting season, a measure important to the protection of birds like yellowhammers and small mammals such as hedgehogs. No clear plans on how regulation gaps will be plugged to protect nature. A report published on 30 January – commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and WWF – highlights big gaps in environmental protections post-EU Exit and argues that a new syste

article thumbnail

5 truths companies should consider when using US forests as a natural climate solution

GreenBiz

It will take concerted action on the part of both public and private actors.

Carbon 478
article thumbnail

24/7 Renewables: The Emerging Art of Matching Renewables With Demand

GreenTechMedia

A lot of companies and governments are committing to 100% renewable energy. But a target of that scope without considering the timing of energy use isn’t technically or economically optimal. So how do we get 24/7 renewables for offices, data centers, municipal buildings, cities and eventually countries? Calculating renewables consumption on an annual basis isn’t sufficient.

Demand 170
article thumbnail

AR/VR Simulations for Sustainable, Regenerative, Circular Cities

Speaker: Nik Gowing, Brenda Laurel, Sheridan Tatsuno, Archie Kasnet, and Bruce Armstrong Taylor

With 191 country signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement now hard at work in the race to zero carbon by 2050, much of the heavy lifting in ecosystem sustainability falls on the shoulders of the world's densely populated urban centers. This conversation considers how today's AI-enabled simulation media, such as AR/VR, can be effectively applied to accelerate learning, understanding, training, and solutions-modeling to sustainability planning and design.

article thumbnail

Seaweed pavilion encourages environmental conservation at WEF

Inhabitat - Innovation

Made from kelp and rattan, the organic pavilion immerses visitors in the scents and colors of the ocean as a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation.

Organic 324
article thumbnail

New film showcases solutions for Baltic Sea eutrophication

Envirotec Magazine

Vantaanjoki, Finland, one of three river basins used in case-study form in the 18-minute film. Launch of documentary on innovations for recycling nutrients from agriculture and wastewater. A short film Sea of Opportunity , launched on 30 January, presents three innovative technologies that can recapture phosphorus and nitrogen for reuse in agriculture: BioPhree, from Aquacare in the Netherlands; Ultra from TerraNova in Germany; and Ravita from HSY in Finland.

Recycling 274
article thumbnail

Biodiversity and business: 4 things you need to know for 2020

GreenBiz

Companies need biodiversity. Most are just recognizing that.

article thumbnail

Five Young Black Climate Justice Leaders You Should Know

Defend Our Future

During Black History Month we celebrate and honor black leaders not only from throughout history, but also those who are doing life-changing work today. That’s why we wanted to help elevate some of the most influential young, black leaders doing exceptional work right now in the fight against climate change and who are lifting up the voices of those disproportionately impacted, including people of color and Indigenous peoples.

Africa 145
article thumbnail

How Digital Transformation will Bend the Curve of the Linear Economy Toward the Circular

Speaker: Bruce Armstrong Taylor, Co-Founder & Managing Director of SmartNations Foundation, Jimmy Jia, Venture Partner at Pi Labs, Fabienne Durand, Senior Advisor to the SmartNations Foundation, & Roger Strukhoff, Executive Director of the Tau Institute

The Climate 4.0 Economy. Climate change is here. We see it in many ways already. Weather catastrophes: Texas freezing over, the wildfires of California, the increasingly unpredictable violence and frequency of hurricanes, the rapid melting and disappearance of polar ice caps. Much more evidence all around us. What can we do in our corporate organizations, in our homes and communities, to change the current course?

article thumbnail

Futuristic, seashell-inspired home is clad in reclaimed wood

Inhabitat - Innovation

With its tubular volume and light-inviting cutouts, the design for the Scandinavian Seashell Home was not only inspired by nature, but also counts on several sustainable features, such as reclaimed wood cladding, to reduce its environmental impact.

article thumbnail

Researcher creates drone system to give early warning on natural disasters and act as wifi hotspot

Envirotec Magazine

Dr Duong says he has developed a low cost system using drones that can fly over large areas, taking real-time measurements and providing information about weather conditions. A researcher at Queen’s University Belfast has invented a low cost telecommunication system using drones which provides early warning on natural disasters and acts as a wifi ‘hotspot’ when phone signal is disrupted during extreme weather such as earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes.

article thumbnail

Dollar General, Sephora, Lowe's among 7 most improved retailers addressing toxic chemicals

GreenBiz

Sales of products marketed as sustainable are growing 5.6 times faster than conventionally marketed products.

Retail 420
article thumbnail

Antarctica’s glaciers are melting so fast, you can swim in them. In a Speedo.

Grist

Even as someone who spends most of her time thinking about climate change, it’s easy for me to forget about the looming danger of changes happening at the bottom of the earth. But Lewis Pugh, a British endurance swimmer and ocean advocate, doesn’t want anyone to forget about the melting glaciers of Antarctica, and to get our attention, he decided to go for a swim.

article thumbnail

The best sources for plant-based protein

Inhabitat - Innovation

If you are looking for ways to bring more plant-based foods onto your plate, here are 10 excellent sources of plant-based protein.

311
311
article thumbnail

We need to go “beyond net-zero”, says circularity group

Envirotec Magazine

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland. We need to go “beyond net-zero” to combat the climate crisis by tackling our huge consumption habit, said Zero Waste Scotland’s chief executive Iain Gulland speaking at a conference on sustainability in the public sector at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Edinburgh headquarters on 4 February. The group set out what it believes to be the next key steps needed to meet the Scottish Government’s landmark pledge to end Scotland’s contribution t

Waste 225
article thumbnail

Provocations, diatribes and lessons in courage at GreenBiz 20

GreenBiz

A rich set of conversations, from animal welfare expert Temple Grandin to corporate philanthropy visionary Daniel Lee.

article thumbnail

Solar Games make installation a spectator sport at Intersolar 2020

Solar Power World

Team SPW volunteered on a residential solar installation in 2017, but our two-day 2.5-kW system was amateur hour compared to what I watched at Intersolar North America’s inaugural Solar Games contest. Installation teams from Colorado, Nevada and California competed to install a 3.15-kW system in under 90 minutes — and got extra points for getting… The post Solar Games make installation a spectator sport at Intersolar 2020 appeared first on Solar Power World.

article thumbnail

Portugal-based nonprofit refurbishes old buildings with natural insulation

Inhabitat - Innovation

Critical Concrete promotes green architecture and social action through summer school programs that refurbish a home for a family in need every year.

306
306
article thumbnail

1 trillion trees are great, except when they’re not: Paper aims to clarify benefits of nature-based solutions approach

Envirotec Magazine

Tree-planting gained President Trump’s support in late January as a tool to fight climate change. But done wrong, it could hurt people and the environment, say the authors of a new paper from the University of Oxford, which provides much-needed clarity on the potential and challenges of this and other ‘nature-based solutions’. The concept of nature-based solutions broadly refers to working with and enhancing nature to address major challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss and poverty