GreenBiz.com Green Business News

Green IT Can Make a Splash in the World of Water

Matthew Wheeland — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Peter Williams, the Chief Technology Officer for IBM's Big Green Innovations project, explains how the company's idea for a new, nonprofit water organization can make managing our most precious resource even more efficient.

Six Steps to the Greenest Meetings Possible

Deborah Fleischer — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Although more and more meetings are happening virtually, there are times when only a physical meeting will do. Here are some easy steps to make sure your next event is as low-impact as possible.

New GreenBiz Report Proposes Bringing IT to Water Management

GreenBiz Staff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In the first of our new series of reports, Peter Williams of IBM's Big Green Innovations explains the potential for high-tech water management strategies, and offers a call for a new public-private organization to manage U.S. water use efficiently.

Google, U.S. Chamber Offer Energy Plans

GreenBiz Staff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Google unveiled an aggressive $4 trillion energy plan to significantly wean the U.S. off fossil fuel use by 2030. Meanwhile, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate released its own plan that take an all-of-the-above strategy.

Mayors' Study Projects 4.2M Green Jobs in U.S. by 2038

GreenBiz Staff — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A study prepared for the U.S. Conference of Mayors says the number of green jobs in the country could grow fivefold to 4.2 million by 2038 if aggressive steps are taken to rely more on renewable energy resources, use alternative fuels and conserve energy.

Green in Spite of Ourselves

Joel Makower — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Companies in nearly every sector are continually improving their efficiency, engineering waste, inefficiency, and toxicity out of their manufacturing and distribution processes, in part because of the reduced environmental impact but largely because they make good business sense.

Sustainable Agriculture Standard Talks Begin

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

More than 50 companies and interested parties are represented on the panel working to set a nationwide standard of sustainable agriculture.

PepsiCo Reports Making Big Strides Toward Green Goals

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PepsiCo, the corporate parent of Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Quaker foods, Tropicana and the soda that is its namesake, said it's making strong progress toward its environmental goals. In September, PepsiCo was named anew to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North American indexes.

USPS Aims to Cut Energy Use by a Third

GreenBiz Staff — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

USPS is applying a variety of strategies, such as energy efficiency requirements for equipment, green building practices, lighting retrofits in processing plants, renewable energy systems and alternative fuel vehicles.

The Five Horsemen of Environmental Change

Brad Allenby — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Just as railroads fundamentally changed the country and the world in the 19th century, five even more power technologies are already among us, making it all the more imperative that we examine them from their potential environmental impacts.

Ben & Jerry's Trials Cleaner Freezers

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The ice cream company has received EPA permission to install freezers cooled with propane, technology used widely in Europe but banned in the U.S.

New Digital Book Profiles Green Programs at Apple, Gap, Other Firms

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A new book available only in digital form from Vault.com Inc. profiles the eco-friendly practices and programs of nearly 70 North American companies.

Xcel to Spearhead Midwest's Largest Biomass Plant

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Xcel Energy will invest as much as $70 million on a biomass power plant project in Wisconsin that will be the Midwest's largest.

Coca Cola Pioneers Lighter Can

David Gibbs — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Coca-Cola trimmed the weight of its drink cans 5 percent, saving mountains of aluminum waste in the European Union.

SF Mayor Issues Solar Challenge to 1,500 Biggest Firms

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The 1,500 largest firms in San Francisco can each get a free solar assessment and an energy audit, if they enlist in Mayor Gavin Newsom's drive to install enough solar power arrays to generate 5 megawatts of electricity — double the city's current capacity for sun power.