A Marriage Made in Eco-Heaven
This Ecovillage project found its funding partner by posting in our Business Connections section. You can too!
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Williams-Sonoma, Victoria's Secret Commit to Certified Paper
Two major catalog companies released policies last month which could raise environmental standards for the wasteful catalog industry. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and Limited Brands, parent company of Victoria’s Secret, announced they would begin to source paper from sustainably managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Williams-Sonoma, Inc. announced it will begin sourcing virtually all (in excess of 95%) of the paper used in the company’s seven catalogs – Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Bed and Bath, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma Home – from sources certified by FSC. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will begin to display the FSC Mixed Sources label on its catalogs in early 2007.“Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is committed to responsible catalog paper procurement practices that promote the sustainability of forests. We believe that FSC is the gold standard when it comes to forest products certification systems. FSC certification is a key component in our ongoing efforts to deliver on our commitment to our employees, customers and shareholders to operate in an environmentally sound manner,” said Pat Connolly, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “We could not have achieved this certification without the support and determined efforts of our supply chain partner, NewPage […]
All CleanTech Sectors Rake in Top Dollars in 2006
By Candace Stuart and Linda HitchcockAlmost half of the 11 segments tracked by the Cleantech Venture Network had a deal that exceeded $50 million in 2006, according to a preliminary analysis of the year’s activities. Three of the four energy-related categories captured more than $100 million each in a single deal, and even segments that historically attract smaller deal sizes received venture financing above the average venture capital investment* in 2006.Below is a list of top deals by segment, ranked by amount. The selection is based on information that was compiled and verified through Dec. 21.Energy Generation Cilion Inc., a California-based ethanol company, received more than $200 million to operate modular ethanol plants that it claims will be less expensive and greener than standard corn-to-ethanol plants. Cilion was formed in June through a partnership of Western Milling, a grain milling business, and Khosla Ventures, a venture capital firm. Cilion’s goal is to have eight plants in production by 2008. Three of those likely will be in California. In a deal unveiled on Sept. 12, Cilion announced that it raised $200 million in a round that included Khosla Ventures, Western Milling, Virgin Fuels, Advanced Equities Inc. and Yucaipa Companies.Energy Infrastructure Everyone […]
Transport for the Future
Changing our energy infrastructure may seem daunting, but remember, it's only 100 years old - and that in life, the only real constant is change.
Can Organic Farming Feed Us All?
Whether a mass conversion to organic farming could feed the world is a complex question, but in developing countries it certainly would.
What's New on the Horizon for Green Buildings
Among the new goals for the U.S. Green Building Council are 100,000 certified commercial buildings and 1 million certified homes by 2010, and ten times that number by 2020.
Around the World Races, Cruises Powered by Clean Energy
The first boat to attempt a transatlantic voyage solely on solar power launched from the Spanish port of Chipiona on December 3. Sun21 is a solar-powered catamaran developed and sponsored by the Swiss Transatlantic21 Association. The boat, with a crew of five, ship is following the route to the New World sailed by Columbus in 1492, stopping at the Canary and Cape Verde Islands before embarking on a three-week non-stop effort to cross the Atlantic. The boat will port in the Caribbean island of St. Martin before continuing to the Bahamas, then Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and finally ending the voyage in New York City in May 2007. The boat uses 10 kilowatts of solar modules to power a battery bank and two 8-kilowatt electric motors, allowing a constant speed of 5 to 6 knots. According to the Sun21 website, solar energy could be used to power a large proportion of the increasing number of ocean-going commercial vessels, as well as many leisure boats. The objective of transatlantic21 is to increase publicity and acceptance among the public for solar technology on boats. “May transatlantic21 use renewable energy not only to defy wind and waves, storms and tides but also […]
Green Tips for the New Year
I’m probably preaching to the converted – most of you reading this are among the world’s most conscientious people when it comes to appreciating and caring for our planet’s resources and wildlife. It’s far from comprehensive, but here are some New Year’s tips for lightening our footprint on our precious planet:* eat low on the food chain. Eating feedlot animals contributes to a cruel system, is unhealthy and extremely damaging environmentally. Improve your health by focusing on organic, locally-grown plant-based foods. This is the greatest impact you can make on the environment. A vegetarian requires 1/4 acre of land/ year, while a carnivore requires over an acre. * ditch your SUV and get an efficient vehicle. This is your 2nd greatest impact on the planet. Take public transportation, and bike and walk more.* make your home/ business energy efficient – get an energy audit and add insulation, new windows and other measures that will lower your energy usage and bills. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents; wash clothes in cold water, buy efficient appliances, put a blanket around your water. [sorry this link is no longer available]* once your home or business is efficient, consider adding renewable energy. Put up […]
Santa Claus is Chinese
Where do 70% of our XMAS gifts come from? Why China is rising and the U.S is declining.
Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:December 6, 2006
News and Events New Solar Cell Breaks 40 Percent Efficiency Barrier Solar-Powered Ship Begins Transatlantic Voyage Four Western States to Cooperate on Greenhouse Gas Emissions DOE-Industry Partnership Produces Efficient Window Prototype Automakers Emphasize Fuel Economy at the L.A. Auto Show DuPont Joint Venture Begins Producing Major Chemical from Corn Energy ConnectionsEIA: U.S. to Shift Away from Petroleum, Toward Coal by 2030 News and EventsNew Solar Cell Breaks 40 Percent Efficiency BarrierDOE announced on Tuesday that Spectrolab, Inc. has developed a new concentrator solar cell with a sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 40.7 percent, a new world record in solar cell efficiency. The new cell uses a “multi-junction” structure, in which several layers each capture part of the sunlight passing through the cell. These layers allow the cell to capture more of the solar spectrum and convert it into electricity. The Spectrolab cell relies on an optical concentrator to focus sunlight onto the cell.Researchers have been working toward the “40 percent barrier” for the past two decades. In the 1980s, multi-junction solar cells achieved about 16 percent efficiency, and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory broke the 30 percent barrier in 1994. Today, most satellites use these multi-junction solar cells, and Spectrolab, a […]
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