Climate Technology

Whole Foods

Readers who found our interview with John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods, interesting, may also be interested in this Forbes story on Whole Foods, which focuses on the "food-as-porn" marketing and business strategy of the growing (mostly) organic giant.

(Via Green Life)

The Loan Arranger

U.S. plans to subsidize four new Chinese nuke plants A nearly $5 billion proposed loan package from the U.S. government to British-owned Westinghouse Electric Corp. to build four massive nuclear reactors in China is encountering a flurry of objections. The objections are not about the nuclear waste that would result, or reactors’ vulnerability to terrorist […]

Four emerging environmental leaders discuss the future of their field

To continue the conversation about the ostensible “death of environmentalism,” we invited four next-generation leaders to discuss the issue with one another via email. Herewith, in almost real time, we are publishing their thoughts in our pages. All the participants are fellows with the Environmental Leadership Program, which works with emerging activists and professionals to […]

I’m lovin’ it!

Okay, sorry I put that song in your head.

This NYT story is interesting: Apparently McDonald's entrance into the fresh fruit and veggie market -- driven by pressure to offer healthier options, salads and such -- has made it, almost overnight, one of the biggest players in the $80 billion American produce industry.

Two bits from the story, one funny, one significant:

Extreme Makeover: Factory Edition

Russian factories hatch plans to make money from Kyoto Businesses in the Russian town of Archangel have big plans for capitalizing on the Kyoto Protocol. Under the treaty, more-developed countries can help meet their commitments by financing cleaner technologies in dirty facilities elsewhere, like the ones in Archangel. Vadim Eremeev of Archangel’s Energy Efficiency Fund […]

Are You Listening, Oldsmobile?

Pension fund pressures companies to be more responsible on climate The California Public Employees’ Retirement System — the largest public pension fund in the U.S., an economic powerhouse with some $182.9 billion in assets — voted Monday to use its significant clout to help fight global warming. Specifically, CalPERS is asking companies in the Financial […]

Six Percent Under

Canadian businesses find boon in Kyoto Canadian renewable-energy companies are anxiously awaiting Feb. 16. That’s the day the Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, and with Canada’s target of a 6 percent cut in emissions from 1990 levels by 2010, companies selling green, low-or-no-emissions technology are expecting to see quite a bit of their own green. […]

Burial’s Vetting

BP spending $100 million to bury CO2 under Sahara, hopes it stays there With the countdown to Kyoto nearing its end, oil and gas company BP is experimenting with burying some of its carbon-dioxide emissions deep underground in the Sahara desert. The burial project’s price tag of $100 million is expected to cover the injection […]

Shocked, Shocked to Find Politicization in This Establishment

EPA inspector general finds proposed mercury rule biased for industry Brace yourself — your entire worldview is about to be shaken. Turns out, in coming up with its new rules on power-plant mercury emissions, the U.S. EPA violated agency protocol and ignored scientific evidence in order to stay in line with a predetermined goal that […]

Hybrid ceiling?

Interesting.  J.D. Power and Associates has released a report saying that the market for hybrids will top out at a 3% share in 2010, primarily due to the three or four thousand dollar premium consumers have to pay above a comparably non-hybrid.  Green Car Congress has some reflections.