Grist | Topics | 155 Results

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Headline	Author	Published	Section
Valley forging Must-read NYT Magazine: 'Capitalism to the Rescue'	Joseph Romm	06 Oct 2008	Gristmill
The New York Times Magazine has a long article on how uber-VC Kleiner Perkins is helping to jumpstart the clean-tech revolution. It is a must-read because what Kleiner and other VCs are doing -- pushing a broad spectrum of carbon-mitigating technologies out of the lab and into the market -- is some of the most important climate progress going on anywhere in the world. Venture capital is now as important if not more important than U.S. government spending on clean-tec ...
Topics: economy, energy efficiency, investing, renewable energy, tech (all these topics)

U.S. hits solar snooze button Sharp to boost thin-film solar capacity six-fold to 6,000 MW by 2014	Joseph Romm	05 Oct 2008	Gristmill
The world's second-largest maker of solar batteries plans a massive increase in capacity to meet soaring demand. Bloomberg reports: The company will raise the capacity to 6 gigawatts as early as 2014, from 1 gigawatt estimated for 2010 ... Sharp, which lost its market-leading position to Thalheim, Germany-based Q-Cells AG last year, is focusing on expanding its solar-cell output through thin-film technology. This uses 1 percent the amount of silicon needed for co ...
Topics: business, economy, energy, renewable energy, solar thermal power, solar voltaic power, tech (all these topics)

Bear markets and bull clean-tech investments Cleantech venture investment hits record $2.6 billion in third quarter	Joseph Romm	04 Oct 2008	Gristmill
And what are the three hottest technologies? Smart grid, algae (advanced biofuels), and, surprise surprise, thin-film solar. Venture capital investment in clean tech has been soaring in recent years because of high energy prices along with the growing concern and growing action on global warming. You might think that VC investment would be hurt by the financial downturn, as credit freezes up and capital markets lose money. But in fact VC investment is aimed at payo ...
Topics: business, economy, investing, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, tech (all these topics)

Financial meltdown: Still bad for the environment Credit crunch slows clean energy development	Adam Stein	02 Oct 2008	Gristmill
A few weeks ago, I made some guesses about how the big picture trends in the economy would affect the development of clean energy. And though it's still early days for the financial crisis, so far my guesses look pretty good. The Times talks to a few industry insiders, who confirm that the credit crunch is slowing down clean energy projects. Abyd Karmali, the global head of carbon emissions at Merrill Lynch, is optimistic in the long-term (as, I suppose, I am too), but ...
Topics: Barack Obama, climate, economy, investing, renewable energy, tech, Wall Street (all these topics)

The Four Trillion Dollar Plan Google unveils plan to move U.S. off fossil fuels by 2030		02 Oct 2008	News
Posted at 10:30 AM on 02 Oct 2008 Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the search giant, has unveiled a plan to move the U.S. to a clean-energy future. The vision: In 2030, electricity will be generated not from coal or oil but from wind, solar, and geothermal power. Energy demand will be two-thirds what it is now, thanks to stringent energy-efficiency measures. Ninety percent of new vehicle sales will be plu ...
Topics: electricity, electricity grid, energy, energy efficiency, geothermal power, greenish companies, news, renewable energy, solar thermal power, tech, wind power (all these topics)

Shadowboxing DFHs, part gazillion Wired passes along conventional wisdom on climate policy	David Roberts	30 Sep 2008	Gristmill
Andrew Sullivan approvingly cites this piece from Steve Rayner, a letter to the next president about what to do on climate change. It seems Wired has made it company policy to publish only stuff that drives me up the wall. First, it says "cap and trade won't work" on the basis of the fact that cap-and-trade won't work alone -- that it won't drive carbon prices high enough, fast enough, to induce the development of clean technology on the scale we need (the a ...
Topics: politics, tech, investing, regulation, carbon trading, tax incentives, climate, climate change mitigation (all these topics)

So Fresh and So Clean More than $6 billion pledged to boost clean-tech in developing countries		26 Sep 2008	News
Posted at 4:01 PM on 26 Sep 2008 Industrialized countries have promised to put more than $6.1 billion in the World Bank's Climate Investment Funds, which aim to boost clean technologies and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in developing countries. On Friday, the United States pledged $2 billion over three years; Britain will chip in $1.47 billion and Japan $1.2 billion, with contributions from Australi ...
Topics: ... climate change mitigation, France, Germany, investing, Japan, Netherlands, news, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, tech, United Kingdom, United States, World Bank (all these topics)

Honda, unplugged Chrysler, Mazda, Hyundai, and Nissan announce plug-in hybrids -- but not Honda	Joseph Romm	23 Sep 2008	Gristmill
The number of companies planning plug-in hybrids is growing steadily. Some recent announcements can be found here. Calcars maintains an excellent update on 'How carmakers are responding to the plug-in hybrid opportunity.' As for Honda, last year, The Wall Street Journal reported: Honda Motor Co. Chief Executive Takeo Fukui said so-called plug-in hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles [PHEVs] offered too few environmental benefits for his company to pursue, and noted th ...
Topics: tech, business, cars, electric vehicles (all these topics)

Volt reality check Chevy Volt not so revolutionary	biodiversivist	22 Sep 2008	Gristmill
For those of you who missed it, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz hit the talk show circuit last week to talk up the latest incarnation of the Chevy Volt (more on his boneheaded climate change comments here and here). The marketing goal is to create the public perception that the Volt is an electric car (get it, volt?), to differentiate it from competitors like the Prius, which are mere hybrids. It may work, and I'm OK with that as long as it sells low-emission cars. Look at ...
Topics: business, tech, messaging, electric vehicles, cars, Big Auto (all these topics)

15 Cities, 15 Days, Destination: Green Grist and Dell hit the road in search of a sustainable future	Sarah van Schagen	22 Sep 2008	Gristmill
It feels like just a year ago that I was traveling down the Mississippi in search of sustainable cities. Well, I'm on the road again -- this time with a much more ambitious itinerary: 15 cities, 15 days, destination: green. I'm in San Francisco right now, but I'm headed all the way across the country, baby. And dude, I'm getting a Dell! Actually, I'm getting a Todd Dwyer, head blogger for Dell's eco-minded site ReGeneration.org. The two of us are hitting ...
Topics: shameless self-promotion, ReGeneration Roadtrip, cars, San Francisco, green living, tech (all these topics)

What is this, a TE party? The one clean-tech breakthrough that could lead to a core climate solution: Thermoelectricity	Joseph Romm	19 Sep 2008	Gristmill
The buzzwords of the day: TE with high TZ. The world doesn't need a major technology breakthrough to cost-effectively cut carbon emissions in half by mid-century. Indeed, most such breakthroughs would be difficult to deploy fast enough and on a large enough scale to make a large difference in that time frame. Other key medium-term technologies, like low-cost solar photovoltaics, don't require breakthroughs so much as they need steady technological advances, econ ...
Topics: energy, renewable energy, scientific research, tech, climate science, climate (all these topics)

Wikigreenia An interview with Wikia's Jimmy Wales about his new green venture	Sara Barz	19 Sep 2008	Grist Feature
Jimmy Wales. Jimmy Wales, best known as a cofounder of Wikipedia, is now channeling some of his energy and ambition into the environmental realm, aiming to build "the world's handbook for going green." Wikia, Inc., Wales' for-profit company (not to be confused with Wikipedia, a project of the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation), announced this month that it's launching Wikia Green, w ...
Topics: green living, interview, tech, websites (all these topics)

Jobs Well Done Newest iPod nano is 'toxic free'		09 Sep 2008	News
Posted at 4:27 PM on 09 Sep 2008 The newly unveiled update of the iPod nano is slender and sexy, equipped with "shake-to-shuffle" capability, and eco-friendly to boot. (Well, you don't actually have to boot it ... oh, whatever.) Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who is alive and kicking despite reports to the contrary, says the music player is Apple's "cleanest" and most "toxic free" offering. The device contains no arsenic, brom ...
Topics: business, green living, green products, greening biz operations, music, news, tech, toxics (all these topics)

X-Prize	Adam Browning	08 Sep 2008	Gristmill
In San Francisco this Friday, the Long Now Foundation will host a talk by Peter Diamandis, founder and Chairman of the X Prize Foundation, on X-Prizes. Here's a YouTube taster. It got me thinking. Large prizes are great for stimulating the public's imagination, but do they make for good public policy? Take John McCain's proposal for a taxpayer funded $300 million dollar prize for a breakthrough auto battery. The market opportunity for a true battery breakthrough is ...
Topics: business, tech, electric vehicles, San Francisco, events (all these topics)

'Hot, Flat, and Crowded' Tom Friedman talks up the need for an 'energy revolution' on 'Meet the Press'	Kate Sheppard	08 Sep 2008	Gristmill
New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman was on 'Meet the Press' yesterday, discussing the need for an 'energy revolution.' The appearance coincided with publication of his new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution -- and How It Can Renew America. Said Friedman, 'What we need today is an earth race with China, with Europe, with Japan, to see who can create the technologies to make the earth livable for man.' Watch it:
Topics: innovation, tech, video, books, energy, Muckraker (all these topics)

Don't Shoot the Messenger New HP laptop packaged in messenger bag instead of box		03 Sep 2008	News
Posted at 12:03 PM on 03 Sep 2008 Don't take Grandma to Wal-Mart: the big-box store's new Hewlett-Packard laptop "will be displayed on shelves wearing only the HP Protect Messenger Bag." Scandalous! But actually, there's no need to avert your eyes: the HP Pavilion dv6929 is served up in a recycled, reusable messenger bag instead of a box, cutting cardboard and plastic packaging by 97 percent. Thinking outs ...
Topics: business, green living, green products, greening biz operations, greenish companies, innovation, news, shopping, tech, Wal-Mart, waste (all these topics)

More EEStor lore for the hardcore EEStor founder says things are on track for commercial production in 2009	David Roberts	12 Aug 2008	Gristmill
Those of you have have been following the EEStor saga will want to check out this new article in Technology Review and this blog post, both by Tyler Hamilton. Seems EEStor founder and CEO Dick Weir is finally starting to open up to the press, and he reports that things are on schedule for commercial production in 2009. If you don't recall, EEStor is working on a solid-state supercapacitor -- an electrical energy storage unit , or EESU -- that will store three times mo ...
Topics: electric vehicles, electricity grid, green living, tech (all these topics)

You Ghana Deal With That? Toxin-laden e-waste dumped in West Africa		06 Aug 2008	News
Posted at 5:22 PM on 06 Aug 2008 European Union laws prohibiting the export of hazardous materials aren't keeping shipments of electronic waste out of West Africa, according to a new Greenpeace report. Traders obtain e-waste in the E.U. and ship it off "under the false label of 'second-hand goods,'" says the report, adding, "Sending old electronic equipment to developing countries is often hailed as 'bridging the ...
Topics: business, e-waste, Ghana, Greenpeace, news, tech, toxics, waste (all these topics)

Dell and Good Dell Inc. claims carbon neutrality		06 Aug 2008	News
Posted at 2:50 PM on 06 Aug 2008 Dell Computer's worldwide business operations are now carbon neutral, the company announced Wednesday. True carbon neutrality is, of course, a chimera for a giant IT company; notes business analyst Clive Longbottom, "You have to question whether they have taken all their workers' commuting into consideration and the materials in making a computer, going all the way back to zinc mining." Perhaps not, but ...
Topics: business, carbon neutral, climate, greening biz operations, greenish companies, news, tech (all these topics)

I Wonder How to Wander Google Maps adds walking directions		22 Jul 2008	News
Posted at 4:40 PM on 22 Jul 2008 Taking another step toward complete indispensability, Google Maps on Tuesday became the first service of its kind to add walking directions. In addition to searches for car and transit travel, pedestrians -- and, hell, Segway-ers too -- can now find the most direct and flat route from Point A to Point B. The function works for trips up to 6.2 miles long, and recognizes that one-way streets only apply to ...
Topics: green living, news, placemaking, tech, travel, websites (all these topics)

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 ...
Topics: business, economy, energy, energy efficiency, tech (all these topics)

Netroots Nation Come hang out with us in Austin	Kate Sheppard	15 Jul 2008	Gristmill
Any readers planning to travel to Netroots Nation should be sure to check out Grist's Austin offerings. We're partnering with ReGeneration.org to produce video from the event, and we'll have a booth in the exhibitors' hall where you can come register to win a Dell Inspiron laptop. Our videos will be posted both here and at ReGeneration.org, and they'll be showing in our booth. Most importantly, we'll be offering free booze at a Grist/ReGeneration shindig on Saturd ...
Topics: tech, Texas, shameless self-promotion (all these topics)

Help wanted: A Bill Gates for distributed generation Framing the energy revolution like the computer generation	Joseph Romm	02 Jul 2008	Gristmill
This post is by ClimateProgress guest blogger Kari Manlove, fellows assistant at the Center for American Progress. This week's issue of the Economist features a commemorative piece on Bill Gates, who stepped down from his position as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft last week. Gates had an arguably turbulent career, due to his aggressive or monopolistic business tactics as the lead in the industry, but one that has been inconceivably successful and world-changi ...
Topics: business, energy, renewable energy, tech (all these topics)

Tree-free MP3 players and digital Science	biodiversivist	23 Jun 2008	Gristmill
I'm climbing up the audiobook learning curve and would like to share what I've learned. My first post on this topic can be found here. I was experimenting with the cheapest MP3 player I could find that would play free audiobooks from a library. Apple's iPods will not allow you to listen to free audiobooks. First lesson learned: Do not use the cheap players. I have purchased four of the low end products made by Coby, starting with the cheapest and moving up the line ...
Topics: tech, ecological footprint, books, magazines (all these topics)

Should the World Bank get the coal shoulder? House ponders investment in multilateral clean tech fund; greens argue it isn't all that green	Kate Sheppard	11 Jun 2008	Gristmill
Last week, the House Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology (the HFCSDIMPTT for short) held a hearing about whether the United States should invest in a multilateral fund to support the deployment of clean energy technology in the developing world. There's been talk of World Bank investment in clean tech for years; now they're asking G8 nations to pony up. The hearing stemmed from a Bush administration p ...
Topics: climate, Muckraker, news, politics, tech, World Bank (all these topics)

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