Climate Technology

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  • Large-scale distributed energy is here: Recurrent Energy signs 50MW power purchase agreement

    This morning, Recurrent Energy will announce that it has signed a power purchase agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) for 50MW of solar. This might not seem like a big deal — California utilities seem to sign solar agreements every week these days — but there’s something special about this one. Recurrent’s power will not […]

    David Roberts Technology

  • One step ahead of the carbon cops

    What was it that Joe Friday in the old radio and TV show “Dragnet” used to say? “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” Facing just the facts last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that publicly-held companies must disclose their exposure to potential losses from climate change, including carbon emissions that are […]

    Terry Tamminen Technology

  • A Seattle chef proves that traditional sushi and healthy oceans go hand-in-chopstick

    Scallop and dungeness crab salad wrapped in prosciutto topped with lumpfish caviar and avocado: A Hajime creation. Photo by Phu Son Nguyen of sushiday.comGrowing up in small-town Montana, two things just made no sense: vegetarians and sushi. Why eat tofu, or raw fish, when you could just as easily have a big juicy steak? Coming […]

    Darby Minow Smith Technology

  • Smart meters save energy, water, and dollars

    Flickr via Pink Sherbet PhotographyThe other day I came home to find a colorful flyer on my front door proclaiming, “Your meter just got smarter.” While I was out and about in Berkeley, a worker from my utility, PG&E, slipped in the side gate and gave my old gas and electric meter a digital upgrade. […]

    Todd Woody Technology

  • In 3-2 vote, SEC requires companies to disclose climate risks to investors

    Cross-posted from The Wonk Room. In a 3-to-2 vote, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission determined today that companies “must consider the effects of global warming and efforts to curb climate change when disclosing business risks to investors.” Guidelines approved today require companies to weigh the impact of climate-change laws and regulations when assessing what […]

    Brad Johnson Technology

  • Apple’s new iPad is deep green, but a planet saver? Nope.

    The iPad.Photo: Apple This post is reprinted courtesy of GreenerComputing.com. The day that gadget-lovers have been waiting for with bated breath for months if not years has finally arrived. On Wednesday, just after 10 a.m., Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad — something along the lines of a blown-up version of the iPhone. Weighing 1.5 pounds, […]

    Matthew Wheeland Technology

  • The future of farming and food at the Eco Farm Conference

    Last week I went to California for the 2010 Eco Farm Conference — a three-day organic farming extravaganza featuring big names (and big influences of the organic agriculture movement) such as Wes Jackson, Frances Moore Lappé, Deputy Security of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan, and a ton of folks who are part of an ever-growing and expanding […]

    Makenna Goodman Technology

  • How innovative financing is changing energy in America

    Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, has taken off like wildfire since the concept was first introduced in Berkeley, Calif. in October ’07. PACE allows private property owners to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through an addition to their property tax bill, overcoming the high upfront costs that prevent most property owners […]

    Cisco DeVries Technology

  • SmartPlanet is not going green

    SmartPlanet is a newish venture from CBS Interactive. It promises to cover many of the topics that Grist readers (and staffers) care about. But there’s no mention of “green” on its About page, and barely a mention of “eco.” That would not have been true just a year or two ago. Finding ways to talk […]

    Jonathan Hiskes Technology

  • Is there anything left for America to manufacture?

    Growing up in the 1950s, “Made in Japan” was synonymous with “cheap junk.” Responding to the needs of a world that hungered for more labor-saving devices, Japanese manufacturers shifted to higher-value products and quality improved. Today, “Land of the Rising Sun” companies like Honda boast the hydrogen-powered Clarity automobile and Toto makes high-tech toilets that […]

    Terry Tamminen Technology