Archive for May 2011

Social Media and Toyota's Greener Cars

May 31, 2011 1 Comment Edit

Car manufacturer Toyota has developed a private social media platform know as the “Toyota Friend” service. This social media platform will enable drivers of Toyota's electric and plug-in hybrid cars to use their smartphones, tablets and computers to access their car's data.The Toyota Friend service...

May 31, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Sustainabilitylive! 2011 was held between May 24th and 26th in Birmingham, Alabama. Sustainabilitylive! is the home of five leading environment exhibitions, including BEX, ET, IWEX, NEMEX and SB - The Event.These exhibitions included hundreds of exhibitors, as well as seminars, conferences and interactive...

Webinar on the Environmental Challenges Faced by Lenders

May 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

On Tuesday, May 31, 2011 between 1:00 and 2:00 EST a free webinar will feature Dianne Crocker, a principal analyst with EDR's market research group. She is responsible for providing EDR’s clients with strategic data and analysis on environmental due diligence trends.Crocker gives presentations about...

Consumer Groups Push for a US Vehicle Standard of 60 mpg by 2025

May 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Consumer groups want to see US vehicle fleet standard of 60 mpg by 2025. This point was made at a recent teleconference event held by the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit association of nearly 300 consumer groups, and by Consumer Action, which is a network of more than 8,000 community-based...

Factors Determining Adoption Rate of EVs

May 29, 2011 1 Comment Edit

There are three key factors that will influence demand for EVs. Price, the cost of gas and range will determine the rate at which EVs are adopted. EVs with price points that are comparable to combustion engine vehicles will sell better than at current price points for EVs (in some cases they are more...

May 28, 2011 Add Comment Edit

This video contains an update on the Solar Roadways project which is working to pave roads with solar panels that you can drive on. The company won the GE Ecomagination Challenge, a prestigious award that comes with a $50,000 prize. In December, The Green Market named Solar Roadways as the top automotive...

Obama's National Goal of One Million EVs by 2015

May 27, 2011 Add Comment Edit

In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama put forward his goal of putting one million EVs on American roads by 2015. This will help in the transition away from fossil fuel powered vehicles which are the second largest source of global warming causing pollutants. Although a far cry from...

The US Government is Investing in Greener Vehicles

May 25, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The federal government is greening its automotive fleet. Under the Obama administration the US government plans to purchase 116 plug-in electric vehicles including more than one hundred Chevrolet Volts. The federal government also plans to buy the Nissan Leaf and Think Cities. In accordance with an...

May 25, 2011 Add Comment Edit

ISO is working to support cleaner cars because they understand that the future is about fuel-efficient, low or no emission vehicles. ISO standards for the automotive industry cover environmental considerations but they also cover things like safety, ergonomics, performance, test methods, and the roll-out...

ISO 14001 Certification in the Solar Sector

May 25, 2011 2 Comments Edit

A number of green companies have sought ISO 14001 environmental management certification including those associated with solar power.Satelite solar panel maker AXT Inc. is committed to environmental protection and positive corporate citizenship. In 2006, they were certified as ISO 14001:2004.A German...

The Implications of ISO 50001 for Your Business

May 24, 2011 Add Comment Edit

To help businesses understand the implications of the new energy oriented ISO series, GreenBiz.com gathered a panel of energy and sustainability executives for a webinar titled, "ISO 50001: Preparing for the New Energy Management Standard."The business community is increasingly adopting sustainable...

May 23, 2011 Add Comment Edit

BIXI is a public bicycle sharing system launched in May 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The name BIXI is a combination of the words bicycle and taxi. In addition to Montreal, the BIXI system is present in the Canadian cities of Ottawa/Gatineau and Toronto as well as Minneapolis, Washington, D.C.,...

May 21, 2011 1 Comment Edit

Sometimes, the greatest way to make an environmental impact is through individual action. Bike to Work Day is an annual, national day of local action where individual bikers make the decision to ride their bike to work. As they meet up with other bikers, their numbers grow to visually demonstrate a...

May 20, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The League of American Bicyclists is the national sponsor of an annual Bike Month event and this year Bike to Work Week is May 16th through the 20th. Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 20th. Bike to Work Day was originated by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956 and is celebrated across the US and...

May 19, 2011 1 Comment Edit

The International Standards Organization (ISO) is developing a guideline for energy management known as 50001 which will be published in the third quarter 2011. ISO 50001 is designed to help organizations improve their energy performance, increase energy efficiency and reduce climate change impacts.ISO...

Legal Challenge Seeks to Force US Government Action on Climate Change

May 18, 2011 Add Comment Edit

In light of the failure of the US Congress to address climate change, legal actions have been filed in all 50 states to force government action on climate change.The lawsuits are being led by an Oregon-based nonprofit called Our Children’s Trust, they argue that key agencies have failed to protect...

British Government to Lead the Green Economy

May 17, 2011 Add Comment Edit

A new legally binding green deal has been agreed upon by British cabinet ministers. The deal will commit the UK to two decades of drastic cuts in carbon emissions. The deal has major implications for citizens, transportation and business.The deal was reached despite strong disagreements between those...

IPCC Report Indicates that Most of the World's Energy Needs Could be Met by Renewables

May 16, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a report which indicates that nearly 80 percent of global energy demand could be met by renewable sources of energy by 2050. On May 9, the IPCC released the Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change...

The Renewable Energy Standard Versus The Clean Energy Standard

May 15, 2011 1 Comment Edit

The renewable energy standard (RES) is one of the reasons why Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV)energy bill never saw the light of day.RES is a requirement that the country will increase the percentage of its power generated from renewable energy sources within a certain time frame. RES would...