Climate Technology
All Stories
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Goodbye to the clamshell?
I rarely buy be-clamshelled merchandise any more, but I remember it with horror, so this seems like excellent news:
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Obama says trade agreements must protect environment
Any trade agreements signed by soon-to-be-President Barack Obama must “[preserve] the planet we all share,” the president-elect declared Friday. Chief trade negotiator nominee Ron Kirk concurred: “[A] values-driven agenda that stays true to our commitment to … environmental sustainability is not only consistent with a pro-trade agenda, but it’s also necessary for its success.” Obama […]
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Umbra on eco-friendly detergents
Dear Umbra, Like a good guilt-ridden liberal, I’ve switched to supposed earth-friendly dish detergent. And, on the basis of previous Ask Umbra columns, I don’t rinse my dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Here’s the thing: About 10 percent of items are still dirty when the dishwasher pronounces things clean. So then I […]
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Rewarding utilities for conservation success through ‘decoupling’
Utilities are among the few remaining large companies that are relatively solvent and profitable. Harnessing their might to offer retrofits for all would be a powerful step toward economic stimulus. But most utilities in Cascadia are conflicted about helping their customers save energy. On the one hand, they’re legally obligated to do it. On the […]
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Mysteries of on-bill financing revealed!
In my last post, I described a nonprofit bank’s program for financing building energy retrofits, as a way to speed the green-collar recovery. Here, I describe two new, innovative approaches to financing efficiency upgrades in buildings — meter loans and local improvement districts — and one old-school, utility-run approach that may be the best bet […]
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If the automakers won’t, the city leaders will
Introducing the Detroit Office of Energy and Sustainability. Who woulda thunk it?
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Cellulosic ethanol’s bumpy ride
The so-called Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 lays out ambitious targets for production of cellulosic ethanol: a gradual increase to 16 billion gallons per year by 2022. Rounding off to the nearest 10 million, producers are churning out approximately zero gallons of the stuff today. That had better change quickly. By 2010, the […]
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Hertz to offer car sharing service like Zipcar
Hertz is going to experiment with hourly rentals a la Zipcar. Here’s hoping they make a go of it, and the other national chains follow. Every person who realizes you can live well — and inexpensively — without owning a car is a plus for the environment.
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CNNMoney reports that electrification is key to Chrysler’s bailout pitch
CNNMoney has the surprising story of “Chrysler’s plan to beat the Chevy Volt“: Chrysler is pinning a huge part of its future on a plan to produce a full line of electric vehicles, at a reasonable cost to both the carmaker and the consumer … Chrysler’s strategy hinges on keeping it cheap. The carmaker will […]
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New energy chief’s enthusiasm for cellulosic ethanol makes me uncomfortable
"World demand for transportation fuels is growing fast, and biofuels have a major role to play in meeting that demand. That’s why BP is investing in a range of biofuels-related activities around the world, all aimed at bringing biofuels into the mainstream by making them more widely available to motorists." — From a BP press […]
