Daily Archives: February 11, 2007

Is Green about to hit the Big Time?

It’s been a while since my last green post, but that’s simply because Tim Minahan of Supply Excellence has been doing such a great job on the topic as well, especially considering his recent set of posts on Sustainable Supply.

However, since I’ve accumulated approximately 40 links on green and green technology since my last post, it’s time for an update. After all, considering that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are at the highest they’ve been in 800,000 years, we need to consider what is required to to repair and reboot the ecosystem.

On the political front, Autopia reports a bipartisan group of senators have introduced a bill in the US to cap greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 to 2004 levels, with further reductions thereafter; the Economist reports that green states are taking the federal government to court in an attempt to force it to curb emissions of carbon dioxide; CNet summarizes Bush’s platform on better energy conservation in his State of the Union address (maybe because he has been ripped on global warming, unfortunately Bush’s plan is likely to fall short); on a more positive note, Bush recently signed an

Executive Order requiring all federal agencies to buy EPEAT registered

green” computers; the Economist hypothesized that America may step up in the fight against climate change since it is Waking up and Catching Up. On a global note, the Associated Press reports that China lacks the resources to cut critical emissions, which is disturbing when you consider that China is the world’s biggest and producer of coal, and is expected to surpass the United States as the world’s No. 1 greenhouse gas emitter in the next decade.

On the automotive front, Autopia reports that ZAP is showing off new prototype electric vehicles, Crave reports that BMW just built the Hydrogen7 which can run off gasoline or hydrogen (which could turn out to be a great move if we can cleanly convert coal into hydrogen).

On the energy front, the Economist reported that investors are ramping up clean energy investments, noting that the clean-energy business is turning into the next big investment boom; Wired News Autopia reports that scientists at MIT have created a genertically altered yeast that improves ethanol production by 50%, which is critical since CNet reports that the average individual who wants to use biofuel has difficulty locating it; MIT also finds that geothermal energy potential is largely untapped, as summarized by CNet; CNet also reports that BP is building wind power projects at five sites around the US; CNNMoney.com reports that Exxon is trying to green up its act; Magenn Power is building a helium-filled balloon that generates electricity using wind power, as reported in CNet; Fortune reports on a buoy that can convert wave motion into electricity;

ZDNet reports the result of an IDC study that found that energy efficient PCs can actually save a company money (sentiments echoed in this CIO insight article);

finally, CNet put together a nice guide to alternative fuels.

On the retail front, the Economist reports a big move in green retailing. Not surprising, since even Walmart is making a big push on the green front, including recycling. (And as soon as they enter the tackle & bait business big time, they’ll be on the road to green success) Moreover, when we have Plug+Play Construction that makes high tech green buildings a snap, retail should not only be green, but be green end-to-end.

On the academic front, Fortune reports that Universities don’t ace the green test and that a Cambridge-based not-for-profit called the Sustainable Endowments Institute is aiming to shed some light on the matter.

For a look at the coming future, CNNMoney.com overviews 8 technologies to save the world, including a home hydrogen fueling station, a nuclear waste nuetralizer, and a sonic water purifier. In addition, CNNMoney.com published a Go Green, Get Rich guide summarizing companies tackling big problems, including global warming, and the technology they have developed. Finally, the CNet Green Tech section has matured from a few stray links to a solid resource section.

Note that on March 20, 2007 @ 1:00 pm EST, Supply & Demand Chain Executive is hosting a webinar on Nontoxic Chemical Inventories: New Insights for Greening the Supply Chain, sponsored by Dolphin Safe Source. After all, you don’t want to be yet another lost soul Ignoring an inconvenient truth when we’re very likely the cause of global warming. (Think of the victims of climate change, which include those of us living in coastal areas. Maybe it’s not easy being green, but it’s worth it. And if you can come up with a way to scrub greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, more specifically, a way to remove one billion tons of carbon gases a year from the atmosphere for 10 years, you could be eligible for a 25 Million Dollar prize, courtesy of Richard Branson.)


P.S. Here is a list of recent green posts from Supply Excellence.