Climate Technology
All Stories
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What should Google do next?
I was excited to read this L.A. Times piece, which seemed to hold out the prospect of evidence that Google is moving into smart-grid technology. Instead of evidence, though, there was wild and utterly unmotivated speculation. I do enjoy speculating about what Google will do next though. It’s so nice to have a company with […]
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Electric Mini Cooper coming to the U.S.
What’s cute and teeny and charged up? An electric Mini Cooper, which BMW will unveil at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Even more exciting — especially if you are among “select private and corporate customers” — a 500-vehicle test fleet will be available for lease in California, New Jersey, and New York early […]
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Alternative energy takes a hit as economy slumps, oil prices fall
The alternative-energy industry, which enjoyed a boost when oil prices skyrocketed, is seeing its fortunes change. Per-barrel oil prices have halved since July, lessening consumer demand for alternatives. And the credit crunch sure isn’t helping, as long-term funding is harder to come by for wind, solar, electric vehicles, cellulosic biofuel, and their ilk. Renewable-energy stocks […]
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Hybrid production costs may drop two-thirds within 10 years
Bloomberg reports: Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other carmakers may cut production costs for hybrid systems by 67 percent over the next decade as shipments rise and companies gain experience, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Gasoline-electric systems on average will cost $1,919 each in 2018, compared with an estimated $5,869 this year […]
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Hog farms can benefit rural agriculture and community
I spent last Thanksgiving on a 320-acre farm in Pocahontas County, Iowa where Jerry Depew grows corn and soybeans, and for more than 10 years, has also raised hogs. Jerry never has more than several hundred hogs at a time, and while this used to be commonplace on Iowa farms, most small and mid-sized hog […]
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Political press takes on green jobs with less than stellar results
I’m of two minds about this Politico piece on green jobs. On one hand, it’s nice to see the notion getting into the political bloodstream. On the other hand, it does a woefully bad job of distinguishing the candidates and contains one horrific and fundamental error of fact. First, the error. Witness: The American Physical […]
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Tesla ousts second CEO in two years and plans to cut staff
CNET reported on Wed. that Tesla chairman Elon Musk bumped CEO Ze’ev Drori from the top slot and will take over his position while continuing to focus on product development. Drori didn’t last long in the limelight, as he came to the company in late 2007 after Musk ousted the other former CEO and Tesla […]
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The hyper-consolidated poultry industry might consolidate even more
Just four companies — Pilgrim’s Pride, Tyson, Perdue, and Sanderson Farms — slaughter and pack nearly 60 percent of the meat-chickens raised in the United States, reported [PDF] the researcher team Mary Hendrickson and William Heffernan. That dominance gives these corporate giants what economists call monopsony power — the leverage to dictate to their suppliers […]
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Wind, solar thermal, and geothermal development outpaces expectations
As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging in the United States. The old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced by one powered by wind, solar, and geothermal […]
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Starbucks addresses water wastage following tabloid indictment
As John Edwards always said, never underestimate the power of a tabloid. Following the revelation in British rag-mag The Sun that constantly running dipper wells waste a humongous amount of water, a Starbucks spokesperson confirms, “Stores will be instructed to switch off the dipper well tap and will wash spoons after use.” And the plot […]
