|
| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Money, meet mouth
How one group is convincing U.S. colleges to invest responsibly |
Katharine Wroth |
15 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| It doesn't take long to gauge the depths of Morgan Simon's passion: you can hear it in her voice. Or what's left of her voice, anyway. The first time I spoke with the activist, she apologized for being hoarse -- a recent presentation at Grinnell College had taken its toll, she explained. But the next two times I caught up with her, the hoarseness was still there. It turns out Simon spends much of her time traveling the U.S., explaining to college students, administra ... |
|
| Topics: campus activism, education, grassroots activism, innovation (all these topics) |
|
|
Who will reincarnate the electric car?
Automakers want to delay the transition to electric vehicles |
Joseph Romm |
13 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest essay by Marc Geller, who blogs at Plugs and Cars, serves on the board of directors of the Electric Auto Association, cofounded Plug In America and DontCrush.com, and appeared in Who Killed The Electric Car. ----- The IEEE Spectrum Magazine for November 2007 touts on its cover: 'Battery or Fuel-Cell Cars? A California Cabal Will Decide.' Interesting choice of headlines. Surely a strong argument can be made that something approaching a caba ... |
|
| Topics: business, cars, consumerism, electric vehicles, energy, hybrids, innovation, tech (all these topics) |
|
|
Zero to sixty in less than one second ... and vice-versa
Electric motorcycle delivers man to side of van |
biodiversivist |
11 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| 'I'm the owner, not the driver, so this is going to be interesting to say the least.' Indeed: Note the woman straddling the Killacycle. Note, shortly thereafter, the Killacycle embedded in the side of the van. Middle-aged men should not be driving Killacycles. May you have a full and speedy recovery, Bill. As for my A123 batteries, they just crossed the 1500 mile mark with no detectable performance loss. I'm also getting pretty good at popping wheelies. |
|
| Topics: innovation, tech (all these topics) |
|
|
Portland of the Fee
Portland, Ore., will pay builders to build green |
|
09 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:07 PM on 09 Nov 2007 Portland, Ore., has unveiled an innovative plan to slash greenhouse-gas emissions. The city will require an energy-efficiency inspection of new homes, then levy a tax on builders who have merely complied with Oregon's efficiency requirements. Builders who construct homes 30 percent more efficient than the state building code requires will escape the fee; those who go above and beyond, with cons ... |
|
| Topics: carbon tax, energy, energy efficiency, green building, innovation, news, placemaking, Portland (all these topics) |
|
|
Pick me! Pick me!
100 households to test out plug-in hybrid Pruises in California |
Adam Browning |
06 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| UC Davis's Institute of Transportation Studies and AAA are looking for 100 households willing to drive their plug-in hybrids. I nominate myself for the sacrifice. The more batteries we have plugged into the grid, the more renewable energy we'll get on the grid. I would say I can't wait to buy one of these commercially, but if you read the sad details from Felix at CalCars, you'll see that's exactly what I am going to have to do. It appears Honda is out, Toyota is re ... |
|
| Topics: California, cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, innovation, Prius (all these topics) |
|
|
Sun Rise
Berkeley, Calif., suggests innovative solar scheme |
|
26 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:30 PM on 26 Oct 2007 The Berkeley, Calif., city council will soon vote on an innovative scheme to front the cost of solar panels to homeowners, who would pay the city back over 20 years as a property tax add-on. The amount to be paid back would be roughly what homeowners would save on electric bills by being sun-powered. "This plan could be our most important contribution to fighting global warming," says Berkeley ... |
|
| Topics: California, energy, innovation, news, placemaking, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
|
|
Mmm ... salt ...
Kosher salt from recycled batteries |
Kristina & Jason Makansi |
25 Oct 2007 |
Gristmill |
| This just in from the St. Louis Business Journal: 'Salt extracted from batteries earns kosher approval.' Details below:St. Louis-based The Doe Run Co. received kosher approval for its sodium sulfate, a salt commonly used in the manufacturing of starch, which it extracts from the recycling of lead-acid batteries, the company said Tuesday. 'Though none of the sodium sulfate we produce is contained in food, it is used in making an industrial, corn-based s ... |
|
| Topics: innovation, recycling (all these topics) |
|
|
Happy Decouple
States adopt decoupling plans to encourage energy efficiency |
|
02 Oct 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:31 PM on 02 Oct 2007 It's a scheme that turns the traditional business model on its head: power companies can make more money by selling less power. Under "decoupling" plans, state regulators give incentive payments to electric utilities that encourage energy efficiency by their customers. "Before there was almost a disincentive to go hard at efficiency because we weren't recovering our fixed ... |
|
| Topics: business, energy, energy efficiency, innovation, news (all these topics) |
|
|
Solar Power 2007
Increasingly popular solar power conference mirrors growth in the industry |
Adam Browning |
27 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The heart and soul of the world's solar industry is gathered this week in Long Beach for the annual SEPA/SEIA solar conference. Five years ago, this conference drew 200 people to a dingy hotel ballroom in Reno. This year, it's sold out the Long Beach Convention Center, and you can't get a hotel room for love or money within a 20-mile radius. It's like the Super Bowl is in town. Solar has come a long way -- and there's a lot of things to thank for what's brought t ... |
|
| Topics: energy, innovation, progress, renewable energy, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
|
|
Folds-mobile
Business travel, Bike Friday, and the Spokane airport |
Alan Durning |
26 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Confession: I have long coveted a Bike Friday. What cyclist wouldn't? A folding bike that fits in a suitcase -- and the suitcase becomes a bike trailer! Pedal to the airport or train station, take your luggage out of your trailer, fold your bike into the trailer, check your luggage (including your bike), and at trip's end, reverse the process. Ingenious! So I danced a jig when a founder of the Eugene, Ore.-based company offered to let me try the new Tikit model this ... |
|
| Topics: bikes, innovation, placemaking, travel (all these topics) |
|
|
Carfree to Be You and Me
Sept. 22 is World Carfree Day |
|
21 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:55 AM on 21 Sep 2007 Tomorrow is World Carfree Day. You know what to do. From the Archives Bat Out of Heaven. Red Sox partner with NRDC to green Fenway Park. The Anarchist Cookbook, Vegan Edition. Mistrial declared for eco-activist accused of inciting vegans to bomb. Shiny Happy People. Utility will pay for solar on Habitat for Humanity houses in California. News Archives |
|
| Topics: cars, grassroots activism, innovation, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Switching Team
San Francisco plans hour of darkness for October |
|
19 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:13 PM on 19 Sep 2007 If you'll be in San Francisco between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, be sure to have a candle handy. Green group Lights Out San Francisco is encouraging residents to turn off all unnecessary lights during that hour to raise awareness of energy use. Nate Tyler, a former Google spokesperson who is spearheading the campaign, was inspired by a trip to Sydney during its annual light-extinguishin ... |
|
| Topics: California, energy, energy at home, innovation, news, San Francisco (all these topics) |
|
|
Discover Brilliant: Utilities
Innovation from the nation's most progressive electricity providers |
David Roberts |
18 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| First up today, a session on utilities: "Big Energy, Big Vision -- Utilities Making the Climate Commitment." We're starting off with a presentation from Janice Berman of PG&E, a northern California utility that's way, way ahead of the pack on energy policy. Here's an abridged list of what they're doing: Funding renewables generation via solar, wind, tides, and biomass. Hooking customers up with solar systems (more than 1700 so far). Pushing ha ... |
|
| Topics: business, energy, innovation, renewable energy (all these topics) |
|
|
15 Green Business Founders
|
|
18 Sep 2007 |
Main Dish |
| Some of these eco-entrepreneurs you've likely heard of, some of them you surely haven't, but all of them deserve kudos for starting up companies that strive for sustainability. Read about their accomplishments, then tell us about green business owners who've inspired you in the comments section at the bottom of this page. Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia Patagonia has been a leader in sustainability since Chouinard spun it off from his original climbing-gear comp ... |
|
| Topics: business, greening biz operations, greenish companies, innovation, lists (all these topics) |
|
|
Tackling climate: Beltway tone-deafness edition
On subsidizing 'green' energy R&D |
Brian Beutler |
17 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| In its 'green' issue this week, The New Republic features an excerpt from Ted Nordhaus and Michael Schellenberger's new book, Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility. Their basic point is that the emphasis of the political debate is all wrong. I'm not sure they really understand how things are shaping up, but they're saying that politicians should spend less 'time' talking about regulatory approaches, and more time reiterati ... |
|
| Topics: carbon tax, carbon trading, climate, coal, energy, innovation, politics (all these topics) |
|
|
Gene Cool
DNA testing helps to settle claims of chemical exposure |
|
17 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:46 PM on 17 Sep 2007 Think you've been exposed to toxic chemicals on the job? Hand over your hair. A new DNA testing technique can help verify or refute claims of workplace poisoning by exposing a healthy person's DNA to the chemical in question to see how the genes are affected, then comparing to the employee's DNA. It seems like nary a day goes by without someone suing their employer over chemical exposure, and unti ... |
|
| Topics: innovation, litigation, news, toxics (all these topics) |
|
|
Discover Brilliant: Intro
|
David Roberts |
17 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I'm here at the introductory talk at the Discover Brilliant conference. The focus of the three-day event is on those areas where entrepreneurial energy and profit overlap with lower environmental impact. Everyone is here to figure out who's making money, who's investing where, and what the next big tech will be. The vibe is refreshingly different from the usual green conference -- much more lively, lots more optimism, much less guilt. I'll be posting updates periodic ... |
|
| Topics: business, innovation (all these topics) |
|
|
Send Google.org your cool plug-in idea
Cutting edge investment philanthropy from the search engine's .org arm |
David Roberts |
13 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Joel Makower brings news of an interesting and innovative initiative (an III, if you will) from Google.org, the search company's non-nonprofit philanthropy arm. They're sending out an open call asking inventors and entrepreneurs to pitch them on products and services that would speed the commercialization of plug-in hybrids. There's $10 million in investment capital waiting to be divided among the winners. Says Google: We welcome and expect to receive submissions f ... |
|
| Topics: cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, innovation (all these topics) |
|
|
Plane to See
Solar-powered plane breaks world record for longest unmanned flight |
|
10 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:39 PM on 10 Sep 2007 Ooh, fancy: A lightweight solar-powered plane has smashed the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight. The plane flew for 54 hours, through two sunless nights, and was controlled remotely from the ground and by autopilot. And manned (excuse us, personed) flights are on the horizon: A Swiss man has plans to circumnavigate the globe aboard a solar-powered plane ... |
|
| Topics: energy, innovation, news, solar voltaic power (all these topics) |
|
|
Oil addiction is ugly
Enter a climate video contest, win a Toyota hybrid |
Grist |
09 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Watch this short eco-video, then make one of your own and enter it in the Ecospot Contest. (Having trouble viewing the video? Download the latest version of Flash.) Current TV and the Alliance for Climate Protection have teamed up to promote :60 Seconds to Save the Earth, a contest soliciting video public service announcements about climate change. They're looking for 15-, 30-, or 60-second video spots that will showcase green action and spur public change. ... |
|
| Topics: celebrity, climate, innovation (all these topics) |
|
|
Greentech and EEStor
Ultracapacitor company claims it will revolutionize electric cars |
David Roberts |
09 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The AlwaysOn Network has selected its GoingGreen 100 -- the 100 top companies in greentech, based on "innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value creation, and media attention or 'buzz.'" Here's the category I'm watching: Energy Storage A123 Systems Bloom Energy Cobasys Deeya Energy EEStor GridPoint Jadoo Power Lilliputian Systems ZPower (Gridpoint was the top company in AlwaysOn's overall ranking ... |
|
| Topics: energy, business, tech, innovation, cars, electric vehicles (all these topics) |
|
|
EEStor Money
Startup says new technology will make gasoline obsolete |
|
06 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 11:30 AM on 06 Sep 2007 A battery-replacing invention that allows you to plug in your car for five minutes, then drive 500 miles without using gasoline? It sounds too good to be true, but Austin-based startup EEStor says they've done it. While the doubters are many, we'd have to agree with Georgia Tech researcher Joseph Perry: "I am skeptical, but I'd be very happy to be proved wrong." source: Associated Pr ... |
|
| Topics: cars, innovation, news, placemaking (all these topics) |
|
|
Nerd on nerd communiqué
The real deal on hybrid bike technology |
biodiversivist |
05 Sep 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Got an email yesterday from fellow hybrid bike enthusiast, Larry Blakely. He built a front-wheel drive version of my bike -- and just for kicks, a solar charger to go with it: Things have come together. A Crystalyte 408 front hub motor, a 36-72 volt 40 amp controller, and 6 intact DeWalt batteries (2S3P) get me to town to do errands and return home on about 60% of the battery capacity. A big tip of my helmet to biodiversivist for showing how well this combo works! ... |
|
| Topics: bikes, electric vehicles, hybrids, innovation, placemaking, tech (all these topics) |
|
|
No Looking Back
Los Angeles Times series looks at NOLA's rebuilding effort two years later |
|
30 Aug 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| No Looking Back Los Angeles Times series looks at NOLA's rebuilding effort two years later The two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is a largely grim occasion, but a Los Angeles Times series has found cause for inspiration. In a 10-story installment, the paper appraises the rebuilding effort in New Orleans and the innovation it has sparked -- particularly in ... |
|
| Topics: green building, innovation, Louisiana, news, placemaking, severe weather, urban planning (all these topics) |
|
|
Feel the Glass Between Your Toes
|
|
28 Aug 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:41 PM on 28 Aug 2007 Life's a beach, and then the erosion gets so bad that the sand has to be replaced by crushed glass. From the Archives Let the Doodling Begin. U.N.-initiated climate-change meeting kicks off. Says WHO? We're all gonna die. News Archives |
|
| Topics: Florida, innovation, news (all these topics) |
|
|
|
©2008. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.