Fuel-efficiency is still the craze. Consider the new design by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, Boeing, and Rolls Royce for a new mid-range aircraft that travels at 0.8 mach, runs considerably quieter than current generation jets, and uses 25% less fuel, as described in this Economist article. GE has a new efficient incandescent bulb that will eventually deliver the same environmental benefits as compact fluorescent lamps.

Carbon discussions are heating up, including discussions on an American carbon-trading system. (Good thing we now have CarbonTracker to help us measure how much carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere and where it is being released.) Furthermore, we might still be able to use carbon-based fuels, like coal, if we turn the waste product into a liquid or solid and store it underground. Alternatively, if sandstone and saltwater are available, we might be able to inject the gas directly into the ground, according researchers at MIT. IBM is creating carbon dashboards to help corporations understand and lower their supply chain’s carbon emissions and even a supermarket chain (Tesco) is introducing carbon labelling for its products in an attempt to send shockwaves through the supply chain.

Alternative fuels are popping up all over the place. BiOil5-megawatt power plant wants to turn animal fat and waste vegetable oil into domestically produced, cleaner-burning biodiesel. (After all, BioFuels power just opened a in Oak Ridge North, Texas.) Dyanmotive wants to use plant material to produce bio-oil. Ryan Katofsky and Microgy want to use biomass to produce additional megawatts. (In other words, besides producing milk, Bessie will now be powering your appliances.)

It’s not just about ethanol anymore, even though DuPont is attacking ethanol energy efficiency.

This is good since the amount of money spent on clean energy is expected to quadruple in the next decade, according to Clean Edge. And Europe will be leading the way. (Although an honorable mention must go to Nevada where the Solar One is almost complete.)

Even conventional fuels are becoming cleaner. Ultra-Low Sulphur diesel is now available across America.

And green companies are the new IT when it comes to funding. Think Nordic, which is about to produce a line of all-electric sedans, just received 25M in funding. (GM is also planning an all electric car, but it will not hit the market until 2010, whereas Think Nordic expects to be in full production by 2008.) Imperium Renewables just roped in a 214M Series B found of funding for its biodiesel efforts. CoalTek just nabbed 33M for its clean coal endeavors. LS9 just scored 5M for its search to derive alternates to fossil fuels through plants and microbes.

This is all good news, since precipitation changes are already occurring, and will continue to occur, thanks to Global Warming. This could make faucets run dry. Furthermore, climate change is likely to result in higher food prices thanks to diversion of basic food stuffs to meet growing energy demands.

It’s a good thing that at least the EU is taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the agreement reached on March 9th, 2007, governments are supposed to lower emissions to 20% below those of 1990, boost the percentage of energy consumption that comes from renewable sources to 20%, and ensure that biofuels make up at least 10% of fuels used for transport by 2020.

Now, if only all mansions could be green.

It’s been a while since my last green post, but that’s simply because Tim Minahan of Supply Excellence [WayBackMachine] 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 [according to a Wired blog entry]); 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 s showing off new prototype electric vehicles, (CNet) 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 (January 25, 2007) 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, on Dec 14, 2006, 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 a 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 (Jan 24, 2007) 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 [WayBackMachine].

• Sustainable Supply: There’s No Denying It
• Sustainable Supply the Martha Stewart Way
• 2007: The Year of Sustainable Supply Strategies
• The Cost (and Payback) of Going Green
• Pump Up Green Supply – Or Else
• Clinton Initiative: Time to Get Inspired Again

It’s been a couple of months since my last green post, and the call of Kermit has been taken up by some rather large corporations in the interim. As highlighted in Supply Excellence [WayBackMachine], and Fortune, Adobe Systems has become the first company to receive a platinum award from the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council, Wal-Mart has launched a green packaging rating system, as covered in Buyer Analytics and Purchasing, Yahoo has a new Yahoo Autos Green Center and has converted its employee commuter shuttles that go between San Francisco and its Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters to run on biodiesel, and Richard Branson will be investing profits from Virgin airlines into alternative energy.

Some states are turning up the heat on global warming, and attempting to show the world that maybe, someday, the US can be green too. The most notable is California, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed into law a sweeping global warming initiative that imposes the nation’s first cap on greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by Wired and CNet. (As a side note, California also sponsors the Clean Tech Open.) Moreover, California, like New Jersey, now allows net metering, and with federal government incentives, going solar can pay for itself in a few years and ultimately result in free electricity for you.

Cities are getting in on the action too. Boston CleanAir Cabs is replacing old taxis with new hybrid-electric or alternative energy vehicles, as covered in News.blog. Now that the eco-friendly Fiat can use gasoline, methane or the E85 mixture of gas and bioethanol, they have another option. (John Gartner of Autopia makes a great case for plug-in hybrids on Wired.) In addition, Boulder, Colorado has approved a carbon tax.

And some VCs are starting to take notice big time. The Investment Network on Climate Risk (INCR) has achieved its goal of $1 billion in clean technology over the past 18 months. Clinton announced a $1B Fund for Renewable Energy Investments.

Technology is improving every day. With the advent of electrically conductive plastics, dye-sensitized solar cells, and carbon nanotubes (which are also being used in light bulbs), solar cells are now cheap and efficient, as per this article on Economist.com.

Moreover, a Brazilian company called ABC Esso will soon sell an adapter in the U.S. that lets any gasoline vehicle burn up to 100 percent ethanol! So far, the company has developed adapters for Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Volvo and Toyota vehicles. This means that there is no reason why all of tomorrow’s vehicles cannot be hybrids. And when you consider we could be producing enough alternative fuels to replace all of our gasoline and oil needs in as little as twenty years with the right investments, let’s hope the product takes off!

MIT has designed a system to place wind turbines far offshore and out of sight. And we now have a solar powered car, but they still have a ways to go before they can be used as more than glorified golf carts, but it’s a good start! (At least they are a step ahead of the extreme green cars of the future that are still in the design stages, although the idea of a fully recyclable car is an intriguing one.)

But it doesn’t take an MIT education to go green or realize the importance of doing so. Even farmers in Iowa know how important going green is. This is good … since cow farms are a great source of natural gas thanks to alternative energy start-up Microgy.