A Well Liked Energy Retrofit Lending Program Comes Up Against Fannie and Freddie
Making energy-efficient changes to a property is, let's face it, expensive, at least in the up-front costs. Though the goal is ultimately to save money in the long run through the efficiencies provided by the changes, those changes still require a pile of up-front cash. In recent years, we've seen a number of programs specifically designed to help offset these costs, and one of the most effective...
Read More »U.S. Unveils Plan to Combat Counterfeit Goods
The federal government has unveiled a wide-ranging new strategy to combat intellectual property theft, piracy and counterfeit goods selling. How will the new enforcement measures work to protect genuine products at home and abroad? The production and distribution of counterfeit goods has long been a threat to the financial security of businesses in a wide range of industries. In the digital age,...
Read More »A Capital Idea from the EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a technical assistance program specifically to help state capital cities design more sustainable communities. Greening America's Capitals will assist state capitals develop a vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure. Design assistance will be...
Read More »Weekly Industry Crib Sheet: Business Leaders More Optimistic
Plus: GDP Growth Scaled Down Again, Durable Goods Orders Fall and New Jobless Claims Drop. U.S. GDP Growth Revised Down Again The United States economy grew at a rate of 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, down from the original estimate of 3.2 percent in April and a previously revised 3 percent projected earlier this month, according to the latest revised figures from the U.S. Department...
Read More »IKEA Says Adj
For those of you in the dark (yes, pun intended), the incandescent light bulb will be phased out completely by 2014 in favor of more energy efficient options such as CFLs or LEDs. According to 18seconds.org, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than two million cars and families would save more than...
Read More »New Carpet from DESSO Keeps Indoor Air Cleaner
Carpet manufacturer DESSO has introduced a new type of carpet that was specifically developed to improve the air quality inside buildings. AirMaster® works by reducing the amount of potentially harmful allergy-producing particles by safely trapping and immobilizing them. The carpet's structure incorporates a high pile made of ultra fine yarn filaments that capture and retain particulate matter...
Read More »Light Friday: Making Music with Theoretical Particles
Plus: Mind-Reading Technology, Oil Spill Images, Ozzy Osbourne's DNA and the LEGO World Cup. Mind-Reading Tech Predicts Human Behavior Brain scans may be better able to predict people's behavior than the people themselves, a recent study found. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles tested 20 subjects by having them record their intentions for using sunscreen over a week, then...
Read More »Can Bill Gates Do for Clean Energy What He Did for Personal Computing? A Windmill in Every Backyard?
The big guys have come to play. They have brought the balls and the rules of the game but they have to find willing players. Can they do it? We'll see but they are making the noise to get people's attention. Bill Gates was making the talk show circuit with an appearance on ABC's This Week on June 13. The big guys (and one gal, sorry Ms. Burns!) are the leaders of some of the largest...
Read More »What's Driving Global Manufacturing Competitiveness?
Access to talent that supports innovation is the key factor driving global manufacturing competitiveness, well ahead of traditional factors such as materials costs and energy policies, according to a new report. Industries and policymakers around the world are struggling with ways to recover from, or at least navigate, a still-volatile economic landscape. It is more important now than ever for...
Read More »Sustainability Spotlight: Driving Toward a Cleaner Future with GreenRoad
Proving that use of alternative energy vehicles is not the only way to reduce fuel consumption, the service offered by GreenRoad provides fleets with a cost-effective and practical way to go green. Their innovative use of technology to improve the sustainability of fleets and reduce vehicle emissions has earned them the 2010 Technology Innovation and Green Excellence of the Year Award from Frost...
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