Archive for June, 2011

Benefits of greening up chemical manufacturing are two-fold – in addition to making the manufacturing processes to produce the chemicals less energy intensive and more environment friendly, the resulting products provide greener choices to the supply chain. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge recognizes chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not easy to cut through the sustainability noise these days. For every company working hard to implement sustainable best practices across their enterprise, there are just as many eager to jump on the “green washing” bandwagon in an attempt to grab a few headlines. Popular beverage makers Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group are proving that you can actually do both. Read the rest of this entry »

Attention green building product manufacturers, it may be time to get the ball rolling on third party certifications. In order to promote the use of products and materials that have been optimized to improve overall environmental, economic, and social performance, a new credit in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system gives points to projects in which at least 10 percent of non-structural products have third-party verified environmental claims, are certified to third-party verified performance standards, or have a verified lifecycle assessment report or Environmental Product Declaration. Read the rest of this entry »

Formaldehyde, the smell of high school biology

There aren’t many of us who can smell the distinctive scent of formaldehyde without being transported back to high school biology. The substance has a long, contentious history. Though it has generally been known to be a carcinogen for a long time, only this month did the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) add it to a new report on carcinogens. With the addition of formaldehyde and several other substances, the 12th Report on Carcinogens now includes 240 listings of Stuff That Will Probably Give You Cancer, particularly if you happen to be a lab rat. Read the rest of this entry »

Supported by funding from the Recovery Act, Project Amp will support the installation of solar panels on industrial buildings across the country, with the electricity generated from those panels going directly to the grid rather than powering the buildings where they are installed. The solar generation project includes the installation of approximately 733 megawatts of photovoltaic solar panels, which is nearly equal to the total amount of PV installed in the U.S. in 2010 and enough to power over 88,000 homes. The project will avoid over 580,000 tons of carbon pollution annually. Read the rest of this entry »

A pilot project in Germany is showing how networking technology can create a 100-percent-uptime “virtual” power plant composed of widely-dispersed renewable energy sources. Read the rest of this entry »

Biofuels are a sustainable source of energy but the feedstock used to make biofuel is often the source of controversy. Corn or sugar crops are a ready, easy source for ethanol but pose the problem of food vs fuel by causing a shortage in the food supply and sending prices skyward. Finding another sustainable source for bioenergy feedstock is the goal of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI). Read the rest of this entry »

To our knowledge, there has been only one major, respected, quoted and generally acknowledged study of the nationwide economic effects of green jobs on the rest of the economy.

In 2009, Madrid’s Universidad Rey Juan Carlos published a paper titled “Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources,” prepared under research director Dr. Gabriel Calzada Álvarez. Read the rest of this entry »

On June 18, 2011, green history was made when Honeywell’s Green Jet Fuel successfully powered a Gulfstream G450 business jet from North America to Europe.  Flying from Morristown, NJ, the plane flew a route similar to that of Lindberg’s transatlantic flight, landing at Paris-Le Bourget Airport in conjunction with the 2011 Paris Air Show. Read the rest of this entry »

In recognition of both public and private sector achievements, the U.S. EPA is honoring 12 programs from organizations across the United States for their efforts in achieving cleaner air. The winning organizations have demonstrated a commitment to creating a greener infrastructure and in so doing, have also created jobs. Award-winning entries have directly or indirectly reduced pollutant emissions, demonstrated innovation, and have provided a model for others to follow. Read the rest of this entry »