Climate Technology
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Rental-car companies struggling to meet demand for smaller cars
Consumer demand for smaller cars is putting car-rental companies in a bit of a bind. Until recently, American automakers were glad to unload overstock to Hertz, Avis, and Thrifty at a discount, then guarantee a price to buy the cars back used. But with demand for hulking American cars dropping, Detroit has cut back production […]
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Paychecks growing fatter for Big Oil execs
Everyone is acutely aware that the price of oil is surging and gas prices break a new record almost daily. Less well-reported -- yet completely unsurprising -- is that the paychecks of Big Oil CEOs are also reaching new heights, according to a report by Equilar, as reported by MSN Money.
Median S&P 500 CEO compensation: $9.9 million. Big Oil CEO pay range: $15-$21.7 million (!)
Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, raked in an astonishing $21.7 million and is sitting on nearly $78 million of unvested stock options. (Though this is chump change compared to the obscene $500 million golden parachute his predecessor, Lee Raymond, received upon retirement. That is of course also the same amount ExxonMobil will have to pay in punitive damages for the ExxonValdez disaster, thanks to a recent wrongheaded Supreme Court decision.)
David O'Reilly, CEO of Chevron, made $15.7 million and is sitting on $26.3 million in unvested options.
James Mulva of ConocoPhillips made $15 million and has a whopping $234 million in options.
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As the ground shifts under their feet, food giants experiment with new strategies
When you smile, the food world smiles with you … maybe. Photo: Original by heatkernel For more than a generation, the major corporations that process and sell the vast bulk of our food have had it pretty easy. They’ve had access to cheap energy to ship food over globe-spanning distances and run giant food-processing plants; […]
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Companies knew about high formaldehyde levels in FEMA trailers, Dems say
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said RV trailer manufacturers knew that the trailers they sold to the government had excessively high levels of formaldehyde but didn’t disclose the information for fear of bad press. The trailers, which were used to house hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast, have been a touchy […]
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Insurance co. offers green-rebuilding coverage
Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. has rolled out a home-insurance policy that covers the cost of rebuilding a home to green standards. The new coverage — which can only be added to Fireman’s top-tier insurance policy — covers the cost of reconstruction with sustainably harvested wood, efficient lighting and plumbing, nontoxic paints and carpeting, and more. […]
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How to green your day job
Simple steps are the key to a greener office. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to waste we go. Nope, those aren’t the lyrics the Disney dwarves belted out en route to the daily grind, but in today’s world they’re right on the money. Most skyscrapers, offices, and cubicles are eco disaster areas, squandering massive amounts of […]
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Mattel worth more than GM on strong outlook for Matchbox, Hot Wheels cars
At the present moment Mattel, the maker of Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy cars, is worth $6.2 billion, putting it at a premium to GM, worth a mere $5.7 billion.
Created in 1952, Matchbox cars were instantly popular because they were hard for children to swallow and required no batteries.
With the price of a fill-up now topping $100, drivers are likewise finding GM's line up of trucks and SUVs very hard to swallow.
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State workers in Utah will enjoy mandatory three-day weekends
Starting in August, thousands of Utahns will begin enjoying mandatory three-day weekends. Some 17,000 government employees will switch to a compressed workweek — four days a week, 10 hours a day — as the state undergoes a yearlong experiment aimed at reducing energy and fuel costs as well as greenhouse-gas emissions. While employees of various […]
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Toyota may put solar panels on new Prius to power air conditioning
A Japanese newspaper is reporting that Toyota plans to install solar panels on its next model of the popular Prius hybrid. If the company follows through, it would be the first major automaker to incorporate solar power into its vehicles. Even with the panels, though, the pimped-out Prius wouldn’t actually run on solar power (it’s […]
