Cleantech
The latest products, services and cleantech applications and how they are tackling some of our most pressing social and environmental issues.
Utility Customers Affected by Irma, Harvey Unknowingly Supporting Dirty Energy
In the northwestern city where I live, when you walk out the door, the first thing you see is smoke. It blankets trees and houses, it hangs thick in the air, it covers the foothills, it seeps out from between buildings; it hangs, illuminated by streetlights at night. The shroud of smoke over the sun means less people are enjoying the great outdoors, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: People are still driving to work. Regardless of how much air pollution we have to contend with, the economy must go on. Yet this same economy is contributing to climate change.
Schneider Electric Expands New Energy Opportunities Network
With rising corporate commitments and shifting regulatory requirements, companies across Europe are looking for ways to quickly advance renewable energy and sustainability initiatives. To help accelerate the pace, Schneider Electric has announced an expansion of its New Energy Opportunities (NEO) Network™, a growing community of forward-thinking corporations committed to buying and developing renewable energy and cleantech around the world.
Clif Bar, Estée Lauder Among Latest Global Companies Committed to 100% Renewables
In the lead-up to Climate Week NYC 2017 next week, organizer The Climate Group has announced that The Estée Lauder Companies, Kellogg Company, DBS Bank Ltd and Clif Bar & Company are the latest to join its
William McDonough + Partners Bring C2C Design to Colombia's Universidad EAN
William McDonough + Partners are bringing the Cradle to Cradle revolution to Latin America with the launch of ‘Project Legacy’ at Colombia’s Universidad EAN in the El Nogal district of Bogotá. The project will see the construction of a 20,000 square meter building that will illustrate the possibilities of design for the circular economy and the integration of a Cradle to Cradle-focused curriculum into the university’s business and engineering programs.
Building Energy Efficiency Has Stalled — Here’s How to Spark Progress
U.S. commercial buildings could cut energy use by 29 percent on average by taking full advantage of controls technology and implementing a few other base energy-efficiency measures, according to a new study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Commercial buildings account for 20 percent of U.S. energy use and produce 50 percent or more of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions (75 percent in New York). If we want “smart cities” to be more than just an catchy phrase, this is an opportunity we must seize.
U.S. Wind Power Gets a Boost from Startups, T-Mobile and … Big Oil
2017 marks the dividing line. This is the year U.S. companies must decide whether they will make and keep sustainability initiatives outside of any federal mandate to do so. With the current administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and weakening of the EPA, a governmental push towards environmental sustainability is virtually nonexistent.
New Natural Nutritional Supplement Could Be Key to ‘Climate-Friendly’ Beef
The realities of climate change and shifting consumer preferences for responsible, sustainable products have sparked a paradigm shift in the food industry, one that is leading food companies and farmers alike to rethink the way food is produced and manufactured. The relationship between global warming and beef production in particular has long been a hot button issue for the industry.
Meet the Company Refusing to Accept When a Lithium Ion Battery Is ‘Dead’
Have a look at the gadgets you have within reach right now. Your cell, your laptop, your tablet, a backup power source – they all have one thing in common. They are powered using a lithium-ion battery, and for good reason. These batteries offer high energy density and high voltage, meaning they can power increasingly sophisticated electronics. They last a long time. And they are relatively environmentally friendly, containing no polluting metals, such as cadmium, lead or mercury.
Revolutionary P&G Technology Restores Used Plastic to Virgin-Like Quality
Taking plastics recycling to a whole new level, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has pioneered a new technology that restores used polypropylene plastic (PP) to ‘virgin-like’ quality. Developed in P&G labs, the patented technology is being licensed to PureCycle to deploy in a new recycling plant in Lawrence County, Ohio and will allow consumers to purchase more products made from recycled plastic.
New Initiative Launched to Tackle Growing Challenge of Delivering Cooling Solutions for All
As global temperatures reach record highs and heat waves become the norm across the globe, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), a global initiative led by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to achieve universal energy access, improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy, has launched a new campaign to identify the challenges and opportunities of providing access to affordable, sustainable cooling solutions for all.
Parley, Intel Harness the Power of AI to Protect the World's Oceans
Environmental NGO Parley for the Oceans is on a roll. Just weeks after announcing new partnerships with designer Stella McCartney and Corona, the organization has joined Intel and SnotBot on a mission to Alaska, where they will be using AI and drone technology to collect data from whales.
Trending: DONG Energy, Stanford Scientists Carving Out Carbon-Neutral Future
While energy companies continue to forge ahead with plans to reduce CO2 emissions, researchers are uncovering new ways to use the gas a feedstock to create renewable fuels.
Q&A: Science-Based Targets, Better Fuels Are Where the Rubber Meets the Road for UPS
As a global transportation and logistics company, UPS is all too familiar with the myriad of challenges greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pose to both the environment and the global economy. To reduce impacts and remain competitive in an ever-changing economic landscape, the company, since 2009, has been making moves to drive innovation and spur change within the shipping industry — including investing in alternative fuels, advanced technology vehicles and renewable energies.
Something Big Is Brewing: New Tech Helps Brewers Capture Carbon, Create Beer Out of Thin Air
Brewers across the country are embracing new technology to tackle some of the industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges: emissions and water. References to carbon capture are often reserved for discussions of power plants and coal, but the process could hold promise for the recovery of CO2 at craft breweries. Engineers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California have developed a technique to filter CO2 from power plants that could help breweries cut costs and reduce their CO2 emissions.
New Penn State Research Finds 40% of our Energy Needs in Coastal River Outlets
In a world full of people who depend on water, the most urgent subject is scarcity. More than a billion people live in areas where water is scarce, and that number is likely to reach 3.5 billion by 2025. About 97 percent of the Earth’s water is saltwater, but only around 1 percent of it is potable. Water conservation is a big issue in first-world nations; we enjoy the luxury of plumbing, but a single leak can waste 3,000 gallons a year. Meanwhile, the sea level is rising at a rate of 3.4 millimeters per year.
European Energy Giants Join Forces to Overcome Barriers to Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Energy System
Renewable energy continues to gain steam, shedding its niche status and moving towards the mainstream, but further progress is being impeded by barriers related to regulation and storage.
Trending: Battery Storage Solutions Finally Catch Up to Renewables Boom
While renewables are becoming the new normal, battery storage has largely lagged behind. But a new report from global consulting firm McKinsey and the roll-out of new storage pilot projects across the US, Germany and UK are evidence that storage could finally be catching up.
Peak Oil? No Problem: Dubai Reinvents Itself as a Climate Tech Leader
The sand dune turned booming metropolis known as Dubai has never been a city synonymous with sustainability — extravagance and wealth, yes, but environmental ingenuity? Not so much. But as oil and fossil fuels, in general, take a hit, the city is wasting no time shedding its frivolous rep and reinventing itself as a hub of innovation, according to a recent article in Popular Science.
Q&A: How United Continues to Fuel Sustainability in the Air
When people think of industries making the world a more sustainable place, air travel is likely at the bottom of the list — but United Airlines is one industry leader working hard to change that. We recently spoke with United’s Director of Environmental Strategy and Sustainability, Natalie Mindrum, to learn more about how the airline continues to fuel its progress on sustainability.
Trending: Projects Across Europe, Puerto Rico Prove Renewables Are Becoming the New Normal
Big things are brewing in the realm of clean energy, with new initiatives in France, Denmark and Puerto Rico ushering renewables towards the mainstream. France is poised to double its current wind and solar power capacity with a new plan approved by the European Commission that will see Europe’s second largest economy add 17 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy to its portfolio.