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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Remake a Living: The jobs, my friend, are blowin' in the wind
Wind power industry hiring in huge numbers |
Kevin Doyle |
30 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Dear Kevin,I've heard lots of hype about wind power jobs, but I don't know what kind of jobs we're talking about. Can you describe a few? Thanks for your help. (I love Grist.)Amy K.St. LouisDear Amy,Grist loves you back. Your letter goes straight to the top.The hype is very real. Reliable correspondents from the American Wind Energy Association's massive June conference in Texas report that everyone was talking about a shortage of trained and experienced people. I believ ... |
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| Topics: advice, business, green jobs, wind power (all these topics) |
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Diode Another Day
Advocates pushing LEDs into the spotlight |
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28 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:45 AM on 28 Jul 2008 Compact fluorescents have had their time in the sun; it's time to herald the era of LEDs, say advocates. Light-emitting diodes are bright, extremely long-lasting, über-efficient, and can color-shift by remote control (fun!). The bulbs shine in many traffic lights, colored the Times Square ball on New Year's Eve, may soon light up the Empire State Building, and are becoming the bulb of choice for commerc ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, news (all these topics) |
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Civic Lesson
Surprise first-quarter profit for Honda, unsurprising giant loss for Ford |
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25 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:59 AM on 25 Jul 2008 Despite an economy that has hit automakers hard, Honda Motor Co. on Friday reported an unexpected record profit for its fiscal first quarter, crediting demand for fuel-efficient Civics and Fits for the surprise boost. Honda was the only automaker to report better U.S. sales in June 2008 than in June 2007, though small-car specialists Kia and Fiat SpA also reported first-quarte ... |
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| Topics: Big Auto, business, cars, economy, fuel efficiency, news (all these topics) |
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Retire your carbon, offset your guilt
Carbon Retirement sees opportunity in European allowances |
Joseph Romm |
24 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Carbon Retirement -- you read it here first (or maybe second). I don't normally endorse individual companies. But I have long thought European allowances were the best alternative to offsets and am delighted someone has made a business out of it. The business opportunity is clear -- offsets suck. At a policy level, they can destroy the environmental value of climate legislation. At a personal level, lots of vendors are selling very dubious offsets, includ ... |
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| Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, greenish companies (all these topics) |
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West Foot Forward
Western states unveil draft cap-and-trade scheme |
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24 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:53 PM on 24 Jul 2008 The Western Climate Initiative has unveiled a draft proposal for a regional cap-and-trade program that would kick off in 2012. The 11 states and provinces involved -- Arizona, British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Montana, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Quebec, Utah, and Washington -- would impose an as-yet-determined greenhouse-gas emissions limit on industries and utilities, then allow laggards ... |
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| Topics: Arizona, business, California, Canada, carbon trading, climate, climate change mitigation, Montana, New Mexico, news, Oregon, Utah ... (all these topics) |
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No icebergs required
Smart economic development policy for the 21st century |
David Roberts |
23 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is an elaborated version of the brief talk I gave at my Netroots Nation panel. The U.S. economy is in serious trouble, mired in a period of slow growth and high prices -- i.e., stagflation. Worse, high prices can largely be traced to escalating fossil fuel costs that are almost certain to continue rising for the foreseeable future. Our trade debt is enormous, as we, in Gore's words, borrow money from China to buy oil from Saudi Arabia. We're shedding ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, green building, green jobs (all these topics) |
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It's Us Against Chem
Feds rush to weaken workplace safety rules on toxics before term ends |
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23 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 9:10 AM on 23 Jul 2008 The Bush administration is trying to push through a new workplace safety rule to weaken workers' protections against toxic chemicals before Bush's term ends, according to The Washington Post. The rule, which has not been made public, would mandate a reevaluation of the methods used to measure risks to workers from toxic exposure in the workplace. The rule would also requir ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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Shale We Dance?
Bush admin proposes low royalty rates in push for U.S. oil-shale development |
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23 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:43 AM on 23 Jul 2008 The Bush administration proposed rules [PDF] for U.S. oil shale development Tuesday that include charging lower royalty rates for oil-shale production on public lands than it does for other oil and gas drilling. The lower royalties are meant to encourage oil-shale production since, as it turns out, the energy- and pollution-intensive process of cooking rocks before pumpi ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, news, oil, public lands, United States (all these topics) |
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But What's $41 Billion?
World Bank overstates commitment to environment, says internal watchdog |
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22 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:26 PM on 22 Jul 2008 The World Bank overstates its commitment to financing sustainability-minded projects in developing countries and should greatly improve its efforts, according to an internal review. Official estimates hold that the bank put $59 billion into environment-focused projects between 1990 and 2007; while the bank's coding system makes it difficult to figure out specifics, th ... |
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| Topics: business, news, World Bank (all these topics) |
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Water on the Brain
Author Elizabeth Royte chats about the bottled-water boom and backlash |
Michelle Nijhuis |
18 Jul 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| Elizabeth Royte. Photo: Rod Morrison Journalist Elizabeth Royte drinks tap water, but she spends a lot of time thinking about the bottled kind. In her new book, Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, Royte investigates the causes and consequences of the bottled-water industry's astounding growth. With her refillable water bottle in hand, Royte travels t ... |
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| Topics: advertising, books, business, consumerism (all these topics) |
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Greenwashing Goes Green!
Consumers tiring of ads with sketchy eco-claims |
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18 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:26 PM on 18 Jul 2008 As every business and its mom tries to get in on the eco-friendly craze -- actual recent press release to hit our inbox: "Portable hot tubs go green!" -- consumers seem to be tiring of omnipresent greenwashing, say analysts. "After 18 months, levels of concern on any issue tend to drop off," says Jonathan Banks of market research company Nielsen. "I fear that someth ... |
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| Topics: advertising, business, greenwashing, news (all these topics) |
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Mark His Words
New Nature Conservancy prez chats about jumping from Goldman Sachs to the green scene |
Amanda Griscom Little |
17 Jul 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| The stereotypes of biz-begrudging enviros and planet-pillaging business leaders were upended years ago. These days, green groups and corporations team up on everything from preserving land to pushing for climate regulations. Now, in the latest example of cross-pollination, they're even swapping executives. Mark Tercek Photo: Mark Godfrey/The Nature Conservan ... |
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| Topics: biodiversity, business, climate, economy, environmental movement, Nature Conservancy, wilderness, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Take a Short Walk, and a Long Peer
Major U.S. cities ranked by relative walkability |
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17 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:31 PM on 17 Jul 2008 Software company Front Seat has released a ranking of the most walkable U.S. cities, rating the relative distance to and density of businesses like grocery stores, bars, book stores, and coffee shops to calculate an overall walkability score. San Francisco took top honors, followed by New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia; the lowest scoring cities were Jacksonville, F ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, news, placemaking, Smartish Cities, urban planning (all these topics) |
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The economics of power plant construction
A brief primer on variable vs. fixed costs |
Sean Casten |
17 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| For those of us in the power industry, media discussions of the economics of power generation reveal an almost complete misunderstanding of how power is priced. Depending on our vested interests, we may find this either frustrating or beneficial -- but in all cases, it's false. Herewith I attempt to explain from whence the confusion arises -- and why it is so critical for the clean energy community to understand this math and its consequences ... and to more accurate ... |
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| Topics: business, economy, energy, energy efficiency, tech (all these topics) |
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Nice gigawatt if you can get it
Low-carbon energy solutions in India may depend on Tata |
Nathan Wyeth |
16 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Amid analysis of the G8's latest climate pronouncement, the announcement of India's first national climate action plan received less attention than it otherwise might have. Even in the Indian media, the plan was also overshadowed by the release of a McKinsey & Co. report that projects massive power demand growth in the country -- 100 gigawatts more demand in the next 10 years than previously estimated. Yet the very same day, the government's Investment Commission c ... |
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| Topics: business, coal, economy, energy, India (all these topics) |
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On a Wing and a Prayer
Aviation industry is into greening, to an extent |
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16 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:25 AM on 16 Jul 2008 The aviation industry talked up greenness Wednesday at the world's biggest air show in Farnborough, England. At a sustainability summit, Giovanni Bisignani of the International Air Transport Association called climate change an "emergency situation" and said airlines are the best suited to address it: "No other industry is as responsible, united, and ambitious." Indeed, t ... |
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| Topics: air travel, business, climate, climate change mitigation, fuel efficiency, news (all these topics) |
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A Hole-istic Approach
Wal-Mart, mining companies team up to trace path of jewelry supply chain |
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16 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:31 AM on 16 Jul 2008 Retail giant Wal-Mart is joining with Conservation International as well as mining companies Rio Tinto and Newmont Mining to launch a pilot project that lets customers trace the path of their jewelry from mine to mega-store. Marketed as Wal-Mart's "Love, Earth" brand jewelry, the items stand out from others in that once they're purchased, customers can go to ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, mining, news, shopping, Wal-Mart (all these topics) |
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Show Us That You CAAE
New business coalition wants cheaper energy, stat |
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15 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:40 PM on 15 Jul 2008 A group of businesses has kicked off a new campaign with the goal of making energy cheaper by whatever means possible. The new Coalition for Affordable American Energy -- not to be confused with, ahem, the existing Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy or Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Energy -- is backed by various business associations, including the Business Roundtable, National As ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, news, oil and gas drilling, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Saved By the Bellwether
Some school fundraisers start hawking greener products |
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15 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:39 AM on 15 Jul 2008 Some school and nonprofit fundraisers recently have turned to greener options to generate needed cash. Instead of sending youngsters out into the community to hawk items of questionable greenness like candy, magazines, and virgin-forest wrapping paper, some schools have instead turned to greener wares such as fair-trade coffee, metal water bottles, hand-made soaps, and recycled-conten ... |
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| Topics: business, education, green living, news (all these topics) |
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Glow Your Own
Nuke-power company Exelon announces big emissions cuts by 2020 |
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15 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:35 AM on 15 Jul 2008 Nuclear-power company Exelon today launched a program it says will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by over 16 million tons a year by 2020 -- more than the company's current total annual emissions. The company's plan calls for buying renewable-energy credits to offset some of its emissions, generating a small amount of electricity from alternative sources such as landfill gas, wood, or c ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Size Does Matter
Rental-car companies struggling to meet demand for smaller cars |
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14 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:39 PM on 14 Jul 2008 Consumer demand for smaller cars is putting car-rental companies in a bit of a bind. Until recently, American automakers were glad to unload overstock to Hertz, Avis, and Thrifty at a discount, then guarantee a price to buy the cars back used. But with demand for hulking American cars dropping, Detroit has cut back production and is finding the arrangement with Big Rental less to it ... |
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| Topics: business, cars, fuel efficiency, news (all these topics) |
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Big Oil CEOs are drinking our milkshake
Paychecks growing fatter for Big Oil execs |
Josh Dorner |
11 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Everyone is acutely aware that the price of oil is surging and gas prices break a new record almost daily. Less well-reported -- yet completely unsurprising -- is that the paychecks of Big Oil CEOs are also reaching new heights, according to a report by Equilar, as reported by MSN Money. Median S&P 500 CEO compensation: $9.9 million. Big Oil CEO pay range: $15-$21.7 million (!) Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, raked in an astonishing $21.7 million an ... |
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| Topics: Big Oil, business, economy, gas prices (all these topics) |
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Wal-Mart Comes to the Farmers Market
As the ground shifts under their feet, food giants experiment with new strategies |
Tom Philpott |
11 Jul 2008 |
Victual Reality |
| When you smile, the food world smiles with you ... maybe. Photo: Original by heatkernel For more than a generation, the major corporations that process and sell the vast bulk of our food have had it pretty easy. They've had access to cheap energy to ship food over globe-spanning distances and run giant food-processing plants; reveled in cheap inpu ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, business, food, green living, industrial ag, shopping, Victual Reality, Walmart (all these topics) |
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Something to 'Hyde
Companies knew about high formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers, Dems say |
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10 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:03 AM on 10 Jul 2008 Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said RV trailer manufacturers knew that the trailers they sold to the government had excessively high levels of formaldehyde but didn't disclose the information for fear of bad press. The trailers, which were used to house hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast, have been a touchy subject at FEMA ever since occ ... |
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| Topics: business, news, politics, toxics, United States (all these topics) |
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If You Build It, They Will Green
Insurance co. offers green-rebuilding coverage |
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09 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:58 AM on 09 Jul 2008 Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. has rolled out a home-insurance policy that covers the cost of rebuilding a home to green standards. The new coverage -- which can only be added to Fireman's top-tier insurance policy -- covers the cost of reconstruction with sustainably harvested wood, efficient lighting and plumbing, nontoxic paints and carpeting, and more. The coverage runs an addition ... |
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| Topics: business, green building, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
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