GreenBiz.com Green Business News

Recovery Act Adds 6,500 Greener Vehicles to USPS Fleet

GreenBiz Staff — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:50:00 -0700

The U.S. Postal Service will swap 6,500 old vehicles with a mix of hybrids, flex-fuel and four-cylinder replacements with the help of stimulus funds and the U.S. General Services Administration.

GreenXchange: Sustainable Innovation Meets the Creative Commons

Joel Makower — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:55:00 -0700

Although we live in an era in which green innovation reigns, genuine progress remains elusive; but a new group spearheaded by Nike hopes to change that situation.

Where Are All The Energy Star Slot Machines?

Steve Voien — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:48:00 -0700

Why has the U.S. gaming industry -- a $32 billion dollar sector -- been ignored by sustainability ranking and assessment organizations?

Path to $3B in Stimulus Funds Revealed to Renewable Energy Developers

Tilde Herrera — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:01:00 -0700

The Energy and Treasury departments released eagerly awaited guidance Thursday to help renewable energy project developers apply for roughly $3 billion in stimulus funds, which experts say will open the market to many technologies that weren't economically feasible before.

German Scientist Cooks Up Idea for 'Waste-Free' Breweries

Leslie Guevarra — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:16:00 -0700

A scientist pondering the growing problem of brewery waste in Europe has devised a way to tap into the power of beer: He and his partners designed a system to recycle spent grains and wastewater to produce energy that can fuel the beermaking process.

Logistics Efficiencies Show JohnsonDiversey that Less is More

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:04:00 -0700

JohnsonDiversey sells products in more than 175 countries but has put in place a series of projects that will cut logistics-related greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter while allowing the company to trim lead times on product deliveries and boost service levels.

Planes, Trains, Hybrid Automobiles Keep UPS Trucking Toward Efficiency

ClimateBiz Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:08:00 -0700

In its 2008 corporate sustainability report, UPS sets a hard target for emissions reductions in what it says is the world's ninth-largest airline, and lays out how a steady focus on efficiency is trimming the company's footprint.

Growing the Future of Bamboo Products

Jonathan Bardelline — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:10:00 -0700

Bamboo has spread into the world of consumer products as fast as it grows in the wild, but the higher demand opens the door for overharvesting, price fluctuations and quality issues. BooShoot Gardens is on a mission to ensure the world's supply of bamboo stays sustainable by cloning bamboo plants and even trying to get bamboo growing again in the U.S.

Naked Juice, Earthbound Farms Switch to Recycled Packaging

GreenerDesign Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:44:00 -0700

Naked Juice and Earthbound Farm have each debuted packaging made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled content, some of the first instances of 100 percent recycled packaging for food and drink products.

Why Biofuels Burned Up (Your) Dollars

Marc Gunther — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:19:00 -0700

Farm state politicians, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have sold biofuels to rest of us as a way to revive rural America, attack the problem of global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In response, investors and taxpayers have poured many millions of dollars into corn ethanol. But returns have been skimpy, says a new report.

New S.F. Food Policy Boosts Local Farms

Tilde Herrera — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:09:00 -0700

San Francisco has adopted what may be the country’s first county food policy that aims to improve access to healthy food while supporting local agriculture and reducing shipping-related greenhouse gas emissions.

CSR Reports: Absolutely Radical or Relatively Transparent?

Melissa Schweisguth — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Joel Makower's commentary on "radical transparency" and Marc Gunther's post on Wal-Mart's growing greenhouse gas emissions lead to a common question: How should corporations frame sustainability goals and achievements in reporting and communications?

Alaska Airlines Begins 'Greener Skies' Testing

ClimateBiz Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:25:00 -0700

With the help of guidance technology, Alaska and Horizon Airlines are using pinpoint landing technology to save fuel, cut emissions, and reduce noise for communities around airports.

DOD Enlists GE for $2M Project to Make Military Base a Smart Microgrid Model

Leslie Guevarra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:14:00 -0700

General Electric, the world's largest industrial company, will work with the Department of Defense in a $2 million project to transform the Twentynine Palms facility, the world's largest Marine Corps base, into a model smart microgrid system.

Second BSR Report Lays Out Impacts, Goals for a 'Reset' World

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:20:00 -0700

Facing an unprecedented global economic downturn, environmental issues of similar scale and a loss of trust, Business for Social Responsibility lays out its progress and goals for the future in its second annual report.