Green Business News - Week Ending September 2nd
Written by Shelly RocheWaste Management going for 'black gold'
Houston-based trash and recycling company Waste Management is expanding their organic recycling services to include sales of mulch, compost and playground turf made from recycled organic materials.
To facilitate the expansion, Waste Management acquired Garick, which is a manufacturer of organic gardening products. Garick has the capacity to compost in excess of one million tons of material every year, and Waste Management plans to expand its food and organic waste removal services to accomodate their newfound capacity.
The acquisition brings Waste Management one step closer to a goal of increasing the amount of recyclables processed, increasing production of renewable energy, and investing in new waste-management technologies.
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The price of cheap Walmart eggs? Mummified hens and tainted eggs
Tom Philpott of Grist explores the root of food safety issues like the recent egg recall -- primarily, consumer demand for impossibly cheap eggs:
“The current egg recall, which grew out of filthy conditions on factory-scale Iowa egg facilities (detailed in my last post), can only be fully understood within this context. Profit margins on eggs that retail for 8 cents apiece are nano-thin; in order to make money, producers have no choice but to think in terms of massive volume. And they have to be ruthless about controlling costs.
In a market predicated on cost cutting, the winners aren't the players that produce the highest-quality eggs or maintain the best production standards. Instead, the spoils go to the ones that produce the most eggs at the cheapest price. And that means severe pressure to cut corners on food safety, building maintenance, working conditions, etc. As the career of Wright County Egg Owner Jack DeCoster shows, fines from violations of worker-safety, sanitation, and water-quality laws become a mere cost of doing business.”
As more consumers make buying decisions based on quality, animal welfare and sustainability, the market will shift to reward producers who adopt friendlier practices. Let’s hope this happens sooner, rather than later.
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Philly subway to capture energy from braking trains
Viridity Energey has been awarded a $900,000 grant to build a system to capture energy from braking trains as they slow down to enter stations throughout Philadelphia. The energy will be stored in a giant battery, and be used to power trains when they leave the station. Excess power will be sold back to the grid. The project is slated for operation by spring of 2011.
Viridity’s system includes hosted software that analyzes energy needs and optimizes usage accordingly. The project is estimated to save $500,000 a year using the new system. Viridity makes its money by getting a percentage of the revenue earned by its customers.
BP Tripled Ad Spending After Spill
Oil giant BP spent $93.4 million on advertising in the three months after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, three times what it spent in the same three months last year. According to a report made to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, BP bought fewer ads, but the ads it bought were longer and ran nationwide. The heaviest concentration was in the states directly affected by the spill. In addition to the ad spending, BP gave $89.5 million in grants to promote tourism along the Gulf Coast.
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Fresh Air for Sale, in Hong Kong
The notoriously poor air quality in Hong Kong has resulted in a “revolutionary new product” claiming to let you experience breathing “like the rest of the world does.” At a cost of 2 Hong Kong dollars (25 cents, US), you get a cannister, a mask, and your choice of flavors. The product’s fall launch corresponds with some of the highest pollution levels of the year. Roadside stations in central Hong Kong have classified air pollution levels at “very high” this week.
The campaign’s tongue-in-cheek youtube video has gotten over 140,000 views, and is aimed at increasing awareness of Hong Kong’s deplorable air quality, particularly with youngsters.
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Prescription Drug Use Rose to Include Half of Americans in 2008
A new study has found nearly half of Americans used prescription drugs every month in 2008. This number marks an increase of 10% over the prior decade.
Other findings include:
- 20% of children under the age of 11 took prescription meds each month
- 37% of people aged 60 or higher used five or more prescription meds per month
- Spending for prescription drugs hit $234.1 billion
- The two biggest sellers last year were Lipitor (Pfizer Inc.) and Plavix (Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.)
- For children, the most common medications were treatments for attention-deficit disorder
- For adults aged 20 to 59, antidepressants were the most common
- For adults 60 and over, cholesterol-lowering medications were most common.
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Green Business News - Week Ending August 26th
Written by Shelly RocheHow Marketplace Economics Can Help Build a Greener World
Want to know the true ecological impact of what you buy? New technologies are being developed to track supply chains and offer “radical transparency” that goes well beyond marketing buzzwords.These technologies apply two fundamental economic principles to ecological metrics: marketplace transparency and lowering the cost of information. In economics, transparency makes markets work more efficiently. When it comes to the eco-impact of the products we buy, we as buyers know far less than those selling the products, but this is changing.
WalMart is developing a “sustainability index” that rates the ecological impact of its products, boiled down into a single metric. While this is a good first step, it is incredibly difficult to distill the complexities of a product’s origins and supply chain into a single number. They are also piloting life-cycle analyses of certain products - so consumers can see more than just the score.
Other companies like Unilever and Google are implementing their own eco-transparency plans.
A global consortium of companies are forming a “Group of Ten” to develop an open source supply chain transparency system called E2 Turbo that will track data for the 20% of a product’s life cycle that accounts for 80% of its ecological impact. Once data is collected, the software suggests the best ways to improve impacts. Because the software is open source, the likelihood of gaining traction sufficient to support a market shift is high. If consumers reward brands that offer transparency about ecological footprints, the business case for transparency becomes compelling.
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Voltaic Systems Launches Slick Stand-Alone Solar Chargers
Voltaic Systems has launched a new line of stand-alone solar chargers that are capable of charging a smartphone in four or five hours of direct sunlight. These new chargers have about four times the charging power of most solar chargers on the market. The chargers use high-temperature Lithium Polymer, which stands up better to the heat in direct sunlight, and hold enough power to charge a smartphone twice. The models range from a purse-sized to a small day bag. At $99 to $129 each, these chargers seem like a viable option for anyone who might need a charge on the go.
Canadian “Green Steam” Contraptions Soon to be Killing Weeds All Over Town, Per Rec and Park
The city of San Francisco has swapped pesticides for a brand new Green Steam Machine device that kills weeds without the use of harmful chemicals. Instead, the machine delivers lethal doses of steam.
Says General Manager of Rec and Park Phil Ginsburg, “Last week, we unveiled our brand new Green Steam Machine, an eco-friendly alternative for weed control that eliminates the use of pesticides in and around children’s play areas. Purchased with help from the San Francisco Parks Trust, the Green Steam Machine is thefirst of its kind here in the United States and I can’t be more thrilled with the potential of this new machine. We are going to put one in every Park Services Area (PSA) around the city so that our gardeners and supervisors have regular access to this new machine.”
GM salmon may go on sale in US after public consultation
Food and Drug administration has begun a 60-day process to approve the first genetically modified animal for human consumption. The AquAdvantage salmon has been created by AquaBounty Technologies to grow twice as quickly as its non-modified counterpart. The fish has been under development for 14 years, at a cost of $50 million. The genetic modification introduces a growth hormone gene to make the fish grow faster, and also renders them sterile to prevent them from reproducing.
The FDA’s approval process could take less than a year, which would allow the fish onto the market in 18 months. This decision will set a critical precedent; if approved, it will open the door to a large number of animals that are being engineered for consumption.
We all know what happened the last time the FDA approved a product using growth hormones.
Lumenergi Raises $12.7 Million for Energy Efficient Lighting
Lumenergi Inc., a provider of energy efficient networked lighting systems, recently announced the close of a $12.7 million series B round of financing to facilitate expanding into large-scale commercial and industrial buildings.
Since lighting is responsible for up to 40% of energy consumed in commercial buildings, it is a key target for energy efficiency products. The company’s system enables building owners to centrally control their lighting to provide the right amount of light when and where it is needed, reducing lighting-related energy consumption by up to 70%.
Green Business News - Week Ending August 20th
Written by Shelly RocheScottish scientists develop new whiskey biofuel
Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University have developed a process to convert by-products of whiskey production to what they’re calling a “super” biofuel. Their method is similar to a process that ferments sugar to produce butanol and acetone.
The new fuel can be used in vehicles and even airplanes, and is 30% more efficient than ethanol. Scotland produces 1.6 billion liters of by-product, called “pot ale”, and almost 200,000 tons of grain waste, called “draff”, which scientists say could become a significant source of environmentally-sustainable fuel.
A chicken poo-powered fuel cell
FuelCell Energy has produced a 1.4-megawatt fuel cell that runs on… chicken droppings! The new device has been sold to an Olivera Egg Ranch in California. Chicken droppings are typically stored in a "waste lagoon", where they release methane gas into the atmosphere. The poo-powered fuel cell will allow the ranch to capture methane using an anaerobic digester, then use the methane to power the fuel cell and generate enough electricity to power the ranch's entire operation.
As an added bonus, the heat that is a byproduct of the fuel cell will be used by the anaerobic digester, eliminating the need for a combustion-based boiler.
"My waste disposal costs will decrease as will my power bill as the poultry operation will continually generate the fuel needed to create electricity," says ranch owner Ed Olivera. Olivera Egg Ranch produces 14 million cartons of eggs per year.
Tesla co-founder: Electric cars with 500+ mile range by 2020
Martin Eberhard, a co-founder of Tesla Motors, has predicted that electric cars will have a range of 500+ miles within 10 years. Currently, most electric cars have a range around 100 miles, with the Tesla Roadster leading the pack at 244 miles. Eberhard, who currently works for Volkswagon/Audi, says the company is awaiting new 3.4 amp-hour lithium-ion battery cells that should be able to get a range of nearly 300 miles. Cost remains a factor, but Eberhard hopes economies of scale will help drive down prices as technologies continue to evolve.
New low-cost solar array for do-it-yourself residential installation
Seattle-based Clarion Power has developed a new do-it-yourself solar technology product for residential use that doesn’t require a costly professional installation. The Sunfish system starts at $799, and allows homeowners to connect the solar panels to their power supply by simply plugging it in to a regular electrical outlet.
The system has built-in circuit protection and doesn’t require a dedicated control panel, which eliminates the need for an electrician. Homeowners simply mount the solar panels anywhere on the house and plug it in. Wi-fi is used to monitor the system once it’s installed. The largest model will generate up to 150 kilowatt hours per month, with five or six needed to produce the amount of electricity used by an average American home.
Sustainable packaging promises to deliver $140bn market
A new study predicts exponential growth in demand for environmentally-friendly packaging, with the global market expected to exceed $140 billion by 2015. Last year, the sustainable products sector was worth a mere $88 million. The report attributes this explosive growth to Asian markets joining the US and Europe in demanding packaging that is either biodegradable or recyclable.
Cosmetics and food are leading adopters of sustainable packaging, with shipping and healthcare quickly catching up. Also notable is a shift in the market, with biodegradable packaging growing much more quickly than packaging made with recycled materials.
Fred Flintstone wants this car and so should you
A new human-electric hybrid vehicle called the HumanCar is powered by a combination of hand cranks and electricity. Apparently, if the driver and three friends crank full-blast, they can get the car up to an impressive 60 mph on flat roads, and 30 mph up hills. If you don't have enough crank-power, there is an electric plug-in feature that can give you a boost. The car is priced around $15,000, and -- added bonus -- you can almost certainly cancel your gym membership.
Sunny Delight goes zero waste
Ohio-based juice maker Sunny Delight's six manufacturing plants produced zero waste this year, meeting the company's goal three years ahead of schedule. In 2007, they produced 1,140 tons of landfill waste, compared to zero tons in 2010. To achieve this goal, Sunny D went paperless for accounting functions, and started allowing vendors to file invoices and payments electronically. In addition to meeting waste goals, the company is also reducing water consumption, decreasing energy use, reducing packaging weight and reducing emissions.
Mini solar Bonsai tree powers your gadgets
French designer Vivien Muller is using mother nature to inspire a new artistic solor power generator, called the Electree. The Electree is modelled after a bonsai tree, with 54 miniature solar panels for its "leaves". A battery in the device's "trunk" stores electricity which can be used to charge small devices such as cell phones. The initial run of 20 limited edition "specimens" cost $6000 each, but its manufacturer is hoping to produce a larger run at a lower price point in the future.
Green Business News - Week Ending August 13th
Written by Shelly RocheBicycle-Based Compost Collection Turns Town Toward Smarter Sanitation
Minneapolis-based Eureka Recycling is conducting an experiment to see if residents are interested in composting. Eureka employee Sonya Ewert is using a 27-gear bicycle and a custom-made compost trailer to go door to door and collect compostable items. Says Ewert, "It's been a bit smellier than I anticipated, but in general if I get paid to bike around, I can't complain about that."
If enough people are interested, Eureka will start offering the service. Tim Brownell, CEO of Eureka, would like to move toward a zero-waste city by 2020. He hopes that if he can establish a clear demonstration of interest, the permitting process will be easier to navigate.
For Parched Farmers, a Crop of Electrons
Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are looking to large-scale solar power plants as a solution to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland that are unable to produce crops. Decades of water shortages and drainage problems have led to a buildup of salt in the soil that forced 250,000 acres of land to be retired from farming.
Farmers are hoping to once again profit from the contaminated land by building a 5000-megawatt photovoltaic power complex. Farmer Mark Shannon is one of the farmers leasing land for the solar installation, although he’d rather be growing crops. In 2009, Shannon was unable to farm 85% of his land after receiving only 10% of their water supply. His family has farmed there for three generations.
Ford microgrid to combine solar with EV charging
Ford Motor announced plans to convert a Wayne, Michigan SUV factory to a solar-powered plant that will produce fuel-efficient cars. A microgrid will combine on-site solar generation with a battery that can be used to charge electric vehicles. The charging station will be used to charge electric trucks that transport parts between facilities.
The plan is intended to serve as a smart-grid test, and will cost $5.8 million to install. Ford expects to save $160,000 a year in energy costs.
Geneco's VW (Dung) Beetle gets pep from poop
Sustainable energy company Geneco has unveiled a modified Volkswagon Beetle that runs on methane gas extracted from human waste. Biogas is generated when sewage from a waste plant is put into a special container where oxygen-starved bacteria break it down and produce methane. The methane can then be used to power the Beetle’s modified engine.
Co-op capitalizes renewable energy businesses
A renewable energy cooperative, called Co-op Power, has added a new biodiesel business to its portfolio. Northeast Biodiesel is a multi-million dollar project in Massachusetts that will make about 3.5 million gallons of fuel per year, using recycled oil. The fuel will be used in buses, tractors, cars and in home heating systems. The new company is owned by the co-op and its 375 members, which will keep benefits and profits within the local community.
Some estimates claim this type of biodiesel is 80% better for the planet than conventional diesel made from soy or petroleum.
Nouvelle food trucks make fast food with slow values
A new wave of street food vendors across the country are bringing the Slow Food movement’s principles of local, sustainably grown and simple ingredients to the street corner. These upscale food trucks represent a new breed of mobile eco-conscious entrepreneurs, who are producing low-cost, high-quality food that is not only fast, but also fresh and tasty. Facebook and twitter are widely used to build customer loyalty, and to broadcast truck locations and specials.
LED Bulb Edges Below $20
Home Depot began selling new 30-year LED light bulbs for less than $20, after experts predicted such bulbs would cost at least $30 each through 2012. LED bulbs differ from compact florescent bulbs by emitting a light that is warmer and brighter, more closely emulating regular incandescents.
A spokeswoman for Home Depot said that the new EcoSmart LED bulbs are already so popular they are having trouble keeping them on the shelves.
Portland Gets North America's First Public Quick-Charge Station for EVs
Oregon’s largest utility has teamed up with NEC Corp, a communications and information technology company, to open North America’s first public-use, quick-charge station for electric vehicles. The charging station requires only 20-30 minutes to recharge an electric vehicle’s lithium-ion battery to 80% of its full charge.
Portland State University is working with PGE and the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium to document the project, and plans to release its findings in September.
Builder pitches net-zero energy homes
A new company is seeking to build the nation’s largest net-zero energy subdivision, comprised of homes that produce as much energy as they consume.
The homes will start in the high $400,000s, and will face challenges as they compete with traditional homes priced under $300,000. Jim Regan, Energy Smart's president, embraces the challenges that come with his groundbreaking project. "This is the way the world should build," he said. "We can build a home that renews itself.''
Homes will use a combination of alternative energy sources, from solar to wind to geothermal, and homeowners will be credited for the energy they produce.
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California Businesses Get 0% Financing for Efficiency Improvements
PG&E, one of the country’s largest natural gas and electric utilities, has allocated $20 million for California business owners seeking to finance energy efficiency improvements. The money will be loaned interest-free -- that’s an unheard-of 0% financing -- and loan payments will be included in utility bills. The energy savings will be used to offset the loan, which adds up to an extremely low-cost way to greenify commercial properties.
And don’t worry if you’re not a California business person -- Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have this program already in place, with New York, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin and Oregon under serious consideration.
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Oregon on track to get utility-scale wave farm
New Jersey-based Ocean Power Technologies is one step closer to building a wave energy plant off the coast of Oregon that could generate enough electricity to power 1000 homes each year.
On Wednesday, the company signed a settlement agreement that included 11 government agencies and several private companies. Ocean Power is still waiting to be granted a license from the Federal Energy Regulation Commission that would allow it to connect to the grid.
To prepare for the project, the company worked with local government agencies to evaluate the effect on marine life or the Oregon seafood industries. They have also committed to continue evaluation once the project is completed.
EV charging station recharges without wires
Evatran has introduced a new wireless vehicle charging station that uses electromagnetic induction to transmit power to an electric vehicle’s battery.
The charging station is mounted to the floor near where the car is parked, and a vehicle adapter is mounted to the car. Going wireless is about 10% less efficient than using cords, but the time it takes to charge the battery is the same.
Evatran plans to begin producing the device in early 2011.
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Green tech investment surges even as economy lags
A new report from Ernst & Young shows venture capital investment in energy-related green technology surged 64% to $1.5 billion in the second quarter of 2010. This jump puts current investment in green technology at the same record-breaking levels reached in the third quarter of 2008, just before the economy collapsed.
The money is largely going to electric cars and supporting infrastructure, and solar projects. 59% of the investment went to later-stage startups that are more likely to produce high returns, rather than early-stage experimental enterprises.
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New BP boss says there will be ‘pullback’ in cleanup, but no abandonment
New BP CEO Bob Dudley made his first trip to the Gulf region this week to outline next steps for the energy giant’s oil spill recovery. He reiterated BP’s pledge to help oil workers who lost their jobs by setting up a $100 million fund that will start issuing grants on September 1st.
Meanwhile, after completing a new round of seafood testing, commercial fishing is reopening in portions of Louisiana state waters east of the Mississippi river. 7539 square miles of federal fishing waters remain off-limits.
Results of Xcel Energy's Wind-to-Battery Project
Xcel Energy has published results of a two-year direct wind energy storage experiment. The company installed a 1-megawatt (MW) capacity battery (20 50-kW NGK Insulator batteries) near an 11-MW wind farm. The battery’s purpose was to store wind energy and release it to the grid when needed. Early test results show the battery was effective in shifting wind energy from off-peak to on-peak availability, and that the new technology could be applicable to Solar as well.
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General Motors Invests in Lightweight Hybrid Maker
GM has taken an equity stake in Bright Automotive, a developer of lightweight plug-in hybrid vehicles. The new relationship will accelerate the release of Bright’s first car, which had been slated for production in 2013. Bright is considering factors like weight, wind resistance and construction materials to design its car platform, which will weigh 1500 pounds less than its competitors.
