Monthly Archives: February 2011

Can we live without plastic?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at SmartPlanet. Last week I went to a program at the National Building Museum, Life After Plastic, during which panelists discussed the impact of rising oil prices on the cost of plastic building materials; the life … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Building, Green Business, Plastics | Leave a comment

San Diego Green Chamber of Commerce Goes National — US Green Chamber Launches

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the press release. The Green Chamber of San Diego County today announced its move to become a national organization, now known as the U.S. Green Chamber (http://www.usgreenchamber.com). The U.S. Green Chamber will provide education, advocacy and visibility to empower … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Business | Leave a comment

EPA Recognizes Campuses for Use of Combined Heat and Power

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing three facilities with the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power (CHP) award for simultaneously producing electricity and useful thermal energy from a single energy source, such as natural gas, biomass, coal, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards & contests, Combined heat and power, Schools | Leave a comment

Careful Sleuthing Reveals a Key Source of Sedimentation

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story from the Agricultural Research Service. Much of the Mississippi River’s sediment load doesn’t come from field runoff, according to work by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Research, Water | Leave a comment

Spurring the Feds to Pursue Green from Data Centers to Cafeterias

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at GreenBiz. The U.S. government isn’t known for efficiency, but this could change if President Obama’s sustainability initiative takes root. The Green Gov Challenge was launched by executive order in October 2009 to establish a strategy … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Business, Green Government | Leave a comment

The Blend of Judo & Kabuki That’s Driving Sustainability at GSARea

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at GreenBiz. As a crucial part of his ambitious goal to turn the federal government into a leader in green practices, President Obama has turned to an unexpected resource to help drive the effort: the government’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Business, Green Government, Green Products, Green Purchasing | Leave a comment

Sustainability Doesn’t Sell … or Does It?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at GreenBiz. Let me start off this post on a downbeat note: Improving sustainability is not a high priority for companies, according to data from the recent Forrester survey of business decision-makers. The survey, part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Business | Leave a comment

Data Centers to Run Even Hotter Under Latest ASHRAE Specs

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full post at GreenerComputing. ASHRAE, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, will soon release the third edition of its Thermal Guidelines specifications, which since 2004 has created the de facto global standard for allowable temperatures within … Continue reading →

Posted in Data Centers, Energy | Leave a comment

Climate reformists challenge old economic models

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story at Grist. A few weeks ago I wrote about the seemingly different futures foretold by climate science and climate economics. The former is filled with peril and haunted by the unthinkable, the latter blithely assured of continued … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Policy | Leave a comment

USDA Study Confirms Links Between Longer Ragweed Season and Climate Change

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Laura B.

Read the full story from the Agricultural Research Service. Studies by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist and cooperators have confirmed what many pollen-sensitive people already suspected: In some parts of North America, ragweed season now lasts longer and … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Climate Change, Research | Leave a comment