Chrysler Pulling Plug on EV Development? Maybe Not
Posted by Bill DiBenedetto November 20th, 2009 
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It wasn’t all that long ago that Chrysler Corp. pocketed more than $12.5 billion in government bailout funds to avoid a bankruptcy filing, promising on the way to the bank to build more fuel efficient cars and produce electric vehicles by 2011.
About three years later the U.S. carmaker has launched no hybrids – although plans for them remain in the works – and its ENVI electric vehicle program is fading fast in the rearview mirror largely because of a strategic decision by Fiat. Fiat received a 20 percent stake from the U.S. in exchange for the Italian carmaker’s more fuel-efficient chassis and engine technology, and is apparently calling the shots now at Chrysler.
Oh the irony.
It’s a Wrap: Amazon Launches Frustration-Free Packaging Certification Program
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway November 20th, 2009 0 Comments
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to remove a newly purchased item from its super-strong packaging. You pull and you tug, you rip and you cut, but no matter how hard you try, the packaging just won’t budge! Whether it’s a brand new DVD, a new electronic gadget, a child’s toy or a box of your favorite crackers, trying to get that new product out of the package can be hard work!
Amazon has developed a much-appreciated initiative designed to alleviate consumer “wrap rage” and packaging frustration. While the Amazon products remain the same, the packaging is dramatically different.
Ecofactor Smart Thermostat System Wins Cleantech Open
Posted by BC Upham November 20th, 2009 0 Comments
A maker of thermostat data systems that claims to be able to reduce heating and cooling costs for buildings by 20-30 percent won Grand Prize at this year’s Cleantech Open, one of the leading environmental technology competitions in the country.
Ecofactor makes integrated systems that calibrate a residential or commercial thermostat for maximum energy efficiency without having any noticeable effect on comfort. The system uses information from 24,000 data points, such as local weather, typical customer behavior and the design characteristics of a home or business to control the thermostat, which is connected to the Internet via a broadband connection.
As National Prize winner, Ecofactor took home $250,000, including $100,000 in seed capital. This is in addition to $100,000 the company won as California regional finalist in October. Started in 2006, Ecofactor has raised angel funding, and currently in negotiations for its Series A round, according to Earth2Tech.
Cleantech Open runners up were: Alphabet Energy (waste-heat recapture); and MicroMidas (transforms raw sewage into biodegradable plastic). Earlier in the day, audience members at the Awards Gala voted Alphabet Energy as the People’s Choice business competition winner.
Oliberté Footwear: The Shoes with Soul
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway November 20th, 2009 0 Comments
When it comes to footwear, comfort, style, durability and affordability are important aspects when picking out a pair of shoes. But there is a lot more that goes into shoes than just our feet.
Canadian-based footwear company Oliberté, is stepping up and reaching out to impoverished African communities and making a difference in a big way. In fact it is touted as the “first to market premium urban-casual footwear made in Africa.”
Seventh Generation Launches the Million Baby Crawl for Toxic Chemical Reform
Posted by Kathryn Siranosian November 19th, 2009 0 Comments
Take a look at the baby in this video. He’s innocent, adorable, and completely irresistible . . .
At least that’s how Seventh Generation hopes the U.S. Congress sees it.
Seventh Generation, the nation’s leading brand of non-toxic and environmentally-safe household and personal care products, has joined forces with eco-advocate Erin Brockovich and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to launch the Million Baby Crawl, a grassroots effort designed to urge Congress to pass stronger regulations regarding the chemicals used in household products.
Currently, synthetic chemicals are regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA), an outdated law that experts say has utterly failed to keep us safe from substances that cause cancer and a host of other serious illnesses. Under the TSCA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have the authority to demand the information it needs to evaluate a chemical’s risk, and neither manufacturers nor the agency are required to prove a chemical’s safety before it can be used.
As a result, in the 33 years since the TSCA was enacted, the EPA has required testing on only 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds now in use. Only 200 of 80,000? That’s an astonishingly small 0.25%!
Fortunately, a new proposal to reform the TSCA is in the Congressional pipeline. This new bill will:
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sarah Palin Wearin’ Your Product?
Posted by Mary Catherine O'Connor November 19th, 2009 6 Comments
Marketers’ jobs aren’t easy. They need to politely, but aggressively, get the word out about their products, and then get those products into as many pairs of hands as possible. And sometimes that works out a little too well, or in unexpected ways. A good case in point graces the cover of Newsweek this week. Sarah Palin might think that shot of her, taken for a Runner’s World profile, is turned into a sexist statement when in the context of a news magazine. The folks over at Icebreaker, manufacturer of that Icebreaker GT base-layer she’s sporting, no doubt find it perplexing.
“Not only can former Governor Palin see Russia, but apparently she can see New Zealand too,” wrote Lee Weinstein, who handles communications for Icebreaker, in a letter to its list of media contacts this morning. A Kiwi outdoor clothing manufacturer, Icebreaker strives to maintain a sustainable supply chain and responsibly and ethically source the merino wool that makes its garments so fabulous (I say that based on the Icebreaker garments I own, and covet).
Power to Your Pedals: Bike Powered Cell Phone Chargers in Kenya
Posted by Carly Smolak November 19th, 2009 0 Comments
Two electrical engineering students at Nairobi University, 24 year old Jeremiah Murimi and 22 year old Pascal Katana, have developed an innovation to literally bring power to more people in Kenya. Using salvaged parts from old televisions and radios, the duo retrofitted the dynamo attached to all bikes sold in Kenya so that cyclists can charge their cell phones as they ride.
Charger
Of Kenya’s 38.5 million people, it is estimated that roughly 17.5 million own a cell phone. However, many Kenyans lack access to the necessary electrical infrastructure to charge their phones, forcing them to travel great distances and pay steep prices to juice up their phones at charging stations (around $2 a charge). This new device, which is small enough to fit in a pocket along with a mobile device, will sell for about $4.50, meaning that consumers will recover the purchase price by the third charge.
As a species, humans are living in an increasingly industrialized habitat—one crammed full of complex machines designed to perform often mundane tasks that we once accomplished with the twist of a wrist (electric can openers?) or ancient technology (plug in air fresheners?). In such an environment, it is easy to forget that our bodies can do more than consume.
Plastic Made With Wheat Straw Cuts Ford’s Petroleum Use
Posted by Richard Levangie November 18th, 2009 2 Comments
For years, Ford has been experimenting with materials to cut its petroleum use, and the 2010 Ford Flex will showcase the latest fruits of its labor. The Flex’s third-row storage bin will have a 20 percent wheat straw-based plastic content.
While the change may seem small, it will cut manufacturing petroleum by 10 tons and CO2 emissions by 15 tons, and cut the storage bin’s weight by 10 percent — thereby saving the end consumer a small amount of fuel, as well. Similarly, in late September, Ford announced that it is now using soy-based foam in seat cushions and backs and interior roof covers, a change that saved 750 tons of petroleum in the manufacturing process. The soy foam is also 25 percent lighter than petroleum foam.
Coca-Cola Rolls Out Plant-Based Recyclable Bottles
Posted by BC Upham November 16th, 2009 12 Comments
Seemingly every day a different company announces a new greening initiative, so when Coca-Cola said this morning that it has begun distributing plastic bottles of Coke and other beverages made with up to 30% plant-based material, it might have seemed like just another press release.
In fact, consider it a milestone. The Coca-Cola cursive logo is the most recognized consumer brand in the world, and now, in some places, it will have a little green stamp on it, symbolizing not only that company’s sustainability efforts, but the degree to which green thinking has penetrated the corporate mindset.
Introducing PlantBottle
The Coca-Cola Company dubs the new packaging PlantBottle, and boasts that it is the first-to-market plant based PET plastic bottle in the industry. PlantBottle is already on the shelves in eco-conscious Denmark (in time for Copenhagen) and will be introduced in Canada in December, and San Francisco, LA and Seattle in January.
SproutBaby: Eco-Friendly Products for Babies & Families
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway November 13th, 2009 1 Comment
As people around the world become more aware of the many environmental issues and challenges we face, finding products that are safe and healthy for our children and also environmentally friendly can be a daunting task.
Whether you are a new parent or seasoned grandparent, SproutBaby is much more than an online store. SproutBaby is a one-stop-shop for healthy, eco-friendly products. Founded by Jody Sherman and Balaji Gopinath, the social shopping site is committed to help parents make healthy and eco-conscious product choices. The family-friendly products, which include baby food, books, media, gentle mom and baby care items, are all researched, tested, reviewed and approved.
Speed Dating Meets Green Business at Green America’s Conference
Posted by Deborah Fleischer November 12th, 2009 2 Comments
By Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact
Green America’s Green Business Conference was the yenta of the green business world yesterday when it hosted its Product Expo: Marketplace and Community Connections. Participants were invited to set up a business display at this product expo that was modeled after the ever so popular speed dating concept.
The idea last night was to get all the conference attendees networking and doing business with each other. One of my complaints about conferences is that they don’t do enough to promote networking and Green America has done a great job at this conference on integrating creative ways to encourage us to meet each other.
At a traditional speed dating event, you spend only three minutes speaking to a potential love interest and then move on. If there is mutual interest, you follow-up on your own after the event. While the networking last night was a bit less structured, we were encouraged to circulate and meet as many businesses as possible.
Since Scott Cooney has been doing a great job of highlighting some of the sessions, I thought I would focus on a few of the businesses that made it onto my final dance card last night.
Odd Couple, or Where Coffee Grounds and Mushroom Meet
Posted by Bill DiBenedetto November 12th, 2009 0 Comments
BTTR (as in Better) Ventures has a thing about mushrooms, while Peet’s Coffee & Tea of course has a very big thing about coffee (and tea). This unlikely duo has joined forces in a clever and delicious waste-to-food recycling venture that produces gourmet mushrooms out of coffee grounds.
Some 16 billion pounds of coffee beans are used each year, most of which eventually wind up in landfills. Cal Berkley Haas School of Business grads Alejandro Velez and Nikhil Aorara founded the company to turn one of the largest waste streams in America into sustainable local food. They do this by using coffee grounds as the substrate to grow different varieties mushrooms.
Top Five Reasons to Like Rickshaw Bagworks
Posted by Carly Smolak November 9th, 2009 0 Comments
Mark Dwight, former CEO of Timbuk2, has taken his vision of sustainability and experience in messenger bag industry and spun it into San Francisco’s newest bag company- Rickshaw Bagworks. Rickshaw is a relatively new company, and operates out of a two year old factory situated in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. Rickshaw comes after a long line of San Francisco messenger bag companies- most notably Timbuk2 and Chrome. Although not the first bag company in the city by the bay, Rickshaw is the first to embed sustainability into the culture of the company.
If you haven’t familiarized yourself with its offerings, here are five ways Rickshaw distinguishes themselves from the proverbial messenger bag pack:
How to Bring Green Weddings to the Masses
Posted by Paul S November 6th, 2009 10 Comments
One’s wedding is usually one of the pivotal, most memorable events in one’s life. And yet for an increasing number of people, there’s a nagging sense that things could be done differently. The wedding favors, where did they come from? Who made them? What are they made of? My choice of location, while idyllic, does it necessitate thousands of cumulative extra miles by my guests to get there? What can I do to make my event enjoyable and memorable, while not leaving a huge impact?
But there’s a confusing array of choices out there. One option is to hire a green wedding event specialist. But in this tight economy, many may want to just take care of the details themselves.
So it’s a wise move that Dream Green Weddings launched an online store that serves as a hub for just about everything but the food, photographer, and where to have it.
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