3p Contributor: Cory Vanderpool
Recent Articles
Got Wind? Not Sure? Wind Products Can Help
Many homeowners around the world are interested in exploring opportunities for small scale wind, but a gap exists between education and action. There are many issues that have to be addressed before an individual decides to implement wind on their property, including questions about wind potential, federal and state incentives and environmental issues associated with wind.
The bottom line is that wind energy has to provide a tolerable return on investment in order for it to be utilized on a large scale, effectively replacing non-renewable sources. Wind Products, a company based in New York City is focused on improving the economics for small wind consumers. Their work will help to sustain and increase the growth of the distributed generation wind market, where wind energy currently accounts for the fastest growing segment.
Founded in 2007, Wind Products was formed to enable wind energy harvesting in cities and the company was awarded a $1 million New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant in 2008 to develop a turbine to meet that objective. The company has also developed Wind Analytics, a web based tool to help energy consumers understand wind resources on their property, making them better equipped to make good decisions about using wind turbines for on-site generation.
Rediscover Nature’s Gifts with Benchic Organic Chocolates
The amount of information available about eating organic can be overwhelming. What fruits and vegetables should be consumed organic only? Which foods are okay non-organic? The fact is that eating organic, particularly organic and locally sourced combined, is not only healthier, but tastes so much better. The same goes for chocolate. The use of cacao dates back to the Aztecs, who believed it to be a source of wisdom and energy.
For many reasons, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. Chocolate boosts the brain chemicals seratonin and endorphin, which both produce a euphoric feeling. The lipid anandamide, termed the “bliss receptor”, is also found in chocolate and activates the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter which leads to feelings of well being. The phenols in chocolate are also known to help the immune system, reduce the risk of cancer and promote heart health. Raw chocolate has been shown to have 20 times the antioxidant power of red wine and it’s high in iron, copper and zinc. Considering all of these potential health benefits, isn’t it time that you considered trying organic chocolate? Do yourself a favor and try the handmade, organic deliciousness that is Benchic Chocolates.
Sustainability Means Employees Work Harder for Their Money (and like it)
There is no doubt that the culture of the working environment in America has changed considerably over the last few decades and especially in the last few years. Today, with a lingering recession, it is not unusual to find organizations where morale is low and job security is fleeting.
A disengaged workforce creates serious problems for any company. Strategies to avert this and make people feel included and aligned with the corporate mission is a top-of-the-mind topic in management today. Many young professionals are eager to join companies whose mission goes beyond profitability, where they feel they can make a real difference. Research has shown that employees working in companies that support or serve an environmental or social purpose are in fact more productive. Who doesn’t want a happier and more productive workforce?
ThinkEco’s Modlet Makes Saving Energy Easy
Photo courtesy of cnet
ThinkEco has announced the start of their Eco Empowered Initiative featuring their new product, the modlet. They plan to enroll up to 100 organizations to participate in an innovative study to uncover hidden sources of electricity waste in offices. Through this initiative, organizations will be able to use the modlet device (short for “modern outlet”) and learn why and how to reduce power wasted in their offices.
Many don’t realize how much energy is consumed by appliances: in the residential sector it’s about 40% and is 26% of commercial energy use. With more, and smarter, appliances being utilized every day, this is the fastest growing energy load in both sectors and is expected to triple by 2030. Many of the appliances we use don’t necessarily need to be turned on at all times, yet even when not in use, they continue to draw power.
Street Food Gets Green Makeover from GustOrganics
At the Northwest corner of Park Avenue and 53rd street in New York City, you will find a totally different yet refreshing kind of food cart. This unique “Organic Cart NYC” not only serves certified-organic food, but it is powered using free energy from the sun. This new twist on street food is a pilot project being undertaken by Alberto Gonzalez, owner of GustOrganics, the only certified organic restaurant and bar in NYC. The cart offers wholesome organic items like hummus, salads, spinach omelette, empanadas, goulash and serves super-purified spring water in bio-compostable cups.
These carts are truly green, with locally sourced food, environmentally friendly packaging and meals that are cooked using renewable resources. The best part is, that it is affordable. A 100% organic meal can be had for under $10, including tax. The cart is also equipped with an orange juice machine, so freshly squeezed juice is made to order. But don’t expect to find anything on this cart that comes in a plastic bottle. Alberto is adamant about his stance against plastic bottles, because they all-too-often end up in landfills.
Financial and Moral Profit at the Base of the Pyramid
Global climate change is on the minds of many, but some of Earth’s inhabitants are noticing the change more quickly than others. This is because many people, particularly those living in developing countries, have traditionally close ties to the land, relying on natural resources every day for survival. As our environment continues to deteriorate, impoverished nations suffer exponentially, which increases the sense of urgency many sustainably minded folks have about finding solutions. Although initially difficult to comprehend the needs of those living half way around the world, there is real opportunity to market practical solutions to the base of the pyramid.
A recent blog post by marketing guru and author Seth Godin provides a reminder about the opportunities that exist to help the third of the world’s population which earn only $2.50 a day or less. Although most of the money earned by the world’s poor is spent on traditional items, like kerosene and rice, there is immense room for innovation. A lack of information and limited options equates to significant inefficiencies, for example the health effects of using kerosene or not having clean water to drink. According to Godin, “if a business can offer a better product…that is safer, cleaner, faster or otherwise improved, it has the ability to change the world.”
Nowhere But Up: Delancey Street Foundation Fosters Human Sustainability
Here at Triple Pundit, we talk a lot about the importance of sustainability. Through our articles we strive to highlight the importance of the triple bottom line. One of the three pillars of sustainability is people, typically covered in terms of how the actions of corporate America impact the human element. This story about the Delancey Street Foundation is different. At this residential, self-help organization for former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others who have hit bottom, the mission is to help human beings find their potential for long-term maintenance and well being. Effectively, fostering human sustainability.
Started in 1971 with 4 people in a San Francisco apartment, Delancey Street has served many thousands of residents in five locations throughout the U.S. The minimum stay at the Foundation is 2 years, during which residents must stay drug, alcohol and crime free. During their time residents can receive their GED and are trained in 3 marketable skills. Residents learn about themselves and develop their strengths, not through therapy groups, but through the practice of life skills like living, working and interacting with the community in a positive manner.
CIO’s Get Plugged in to Energy
It is likely that Chief Information Officers (CIO) will be increasingly tasked with finding ways to reduce energy consumption in their corporations, if they haven’t become engaged already. According to a report released earlier this year by the Society for Information Management (SIM), CIOs are being urged to become familiar with energy informatics, a new subfield wherein information systems are applied in order to optimize energy supply and demand. Energy informatics uses sensor networks to gather information about the use of energy consumption and distribution systems and can then optimize operations. The push to get CIOs more involved in a company’s energy portfolio, whether through informatics or otherwise, is a necessary one.
According to an article on Forbes.com, the majority of CIOs have never even seen a power bill. In most organizations, the power bill is handled by the facilities department, although the technology used inside commercial and governmental buildings across the country can consume as much as 40 percent of total power used.
Connecting IT with the facilities team can spur discussions on where and how to reduce consumption. The old adage that you can’t manage what you don’t measure certainly holds true here. Once the CIO knows how much power their servers, computers and associated cooling systems are consuming, they are likely to find ways of becoming more efficient.
Unity of Effort: Crowdsourcing is the New American Way
On my way into work this morning, I was listening to an NPR interview with Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen. He was speaking with NPR’s Steve Inskeep about the lessons he’s taken from overseeing the government’s response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Allen was also involved in Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita, as well as in the U.S. response to the earthquake in Haiti. At the end of the interview, Thad Allen highlighted the need to ‘better integrate the passion, resources and commitment’ of the millions of people living in this country that want to do something in the wake of disasters like the Oil Spill. Given the growing use of the web, social media and the involvement of NGO’s and faith-based organizations, major public participation is now a mainstay. As we continue to respond to man-made and natural disasters, especially those events that impact our environment, harnessing this incredible energy is essential.
Whether the government wants to involve us or not, the public is a readily informed and ever-present participant that isn’t going to stop paying attention. According to Thad Allen, if the government does not readily engage this active and vocal entity, a breakdown of unity will result, creating a disaffected population.
So, why not harness the power of this unity?
The Growing Backlash Against Smart Meters
If you think that the task of modernizing our nation’s century-old power grid seems overwhelming, you are not alone. This arduous, complex and multi-faceted transition is underway and even the initial steps are being met with resistance. Wireless devices are essential to a smarter grid and smart meters are a vital component to the overhaul. Smart meters are an advanced version of a home’s traditional electrical meter. They record energy and gas consumption in short intervals and are able to wirelessly transmit information back to a utility for monitoring and billing purposes.
California is on the forefront of the smart metering trend with millions of completed and planned roll outs. Many California residents, however, are joining the fight against the planned installations of smart meters in their homes. The Northern California territory of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) rolled out meter retrofits to 9 million gas and electric household customers back in 2006 and efforts are ramping up for PG&E customers across southern California as well.
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