Archive for the ‘Because...’
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sprint Challenges Wireless Industry to Embrace a Greener Tech Future
Posted By: Brad Roderick
I want to congratulate Sprint for taking the lead on sustainability initiatives and testifying before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. Below is a press release from MarketWatch, providing information on the issue.
Sprint Challenges Wireless Industry to Embrace a Greener Future
Hesse testifies before Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
WASHINGTON, Feb 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint Nextel [NYSE: S] CEO Dan Hesse testified today before Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and members of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet about sustainability initiatives undertaken by Sprint and the wireless technology industry to benefit the environment. Hesse focused his remarks on how Sprint’s environmental efforts and goals are challenging the technology industry to creat”greener” future.
Hesse announced two new initiatives as Sprint continues its leadership in developing aggressive, measurable sustainability goals. Sprint has implemented green product guidelines for all its manufacturers, and is introducing an innovative wireless recycling Buyback program. Below are excerpts from Hesse’s testimony:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How Green is the 2010 Winter Olympic Games: Recycled medals made from electronic waste
Posted By: Brad Roderick
With the Winter Olympics in full effect in Vancouver, I want to highlight some of the initiatives being taken to make the games more green. Here is a video from GreenopolisTV, explaining how this years Olympic medals in Vancouver are made from electronic waste.
Olympic Medals made with your recycled TV?
From: GreenopolisTV | February 17, 2010 | 1,572 views
For the first time in Olympic history, the medals at the Olympic Games contain gold, silver and copper that has been recovered from electronic waste (e-waste). Each medal was made with a tiny bit of the more than 140,000 tons of e-waste that otherwise would have been sent to Canadian landfills. More than 1,000 medals to be awarded at the Vancouver games this year.
The recovery of medals from e-waste is important, because it reduces demand for scarce metals such as gold and copper. Check in your community for e-waste recycling centers and drop off points and go for GOLD.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Installing Solar Panels On Earth
Posted By Brad Roderick
I would like to share with you a stunning article from landartgenerator.org about how to power our planet by using solar energy solely. The small amount of solar panels required to install on the surface of earth will provide clean energy.
Total Surface Area Required to Fuel the World With Solar
According to the US Department of Energy (Energy Information Administration), the world consumption of energy in all of its forms (barrels of petroleum, cubic meters of natural gas, watts of hydro power, etc.) is projected to reach 678 quadrillion Btu (or 7.15 exajoules) by 2030 – a 44% increase over 2008 levels (levels for 1980 were 283 quadrillion Btu and we stand at around 500 quadrillion Btu today).
I wonder what surface area would be required and what type of infrastructural investment would be required to supply that amount of power by using only solar panels. To create fuel that can be used in vehicles and equipment I am assuming that some of the electricity generated would be used to create hydrogen. We should all start wondering about these things since we will have really no other choice* by the turn of the next century.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
TIME Magazine covers Options on Cutting Carbon
Posted By: Leslie Fischer
It looks like the world is going green and getting greener! Here is an interesting article I found discussing a plausible solution to cut carbon. Some industry leaders in developing sustainable energy solutions think the solution to this problem is right under our noses (and feet, for that matter), with an innovative process called carbon capture and storage, or CCS.
Cutting Carbon: Should We Capture and Store It?
By SIMON ROBINSON / ABU DHABI Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
In the push to cut the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere, solutions usually focus on how to reduce our power use (drive less, insulate our houses better) or how to replace our carbon fuels (coal, oil) with renewable sources (solar, wind, biofuels).
But even in the most optimistic scenario, we will be using fossil fuels such as coal for years to come. China and India aren’t going to suddenly shut down all their new coal power plants, nor will Western industrial giants close their factories overnight. Solar and wind may be today’s sexy new energy sources, but coal is the fastest-growing fuel in the world, boasting twice the known gas reserves and three times the known oil reserves. “Coal is here to stay,” Milton Catelin, head of the World Coal Institute, told the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi on Jan 19.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
InkCycle/ Grenk featured in the Kansas City Business Journal
Posted By: Brad Roderick
Recession leads to Rebirth of Recycled Ink Cartridges. Check out this article explaining how Grenk thrives in economic downturn from the Kansas City Business Journal:
InkCycle gets second crack at growth
Like its recycled products, InkCycle is undergoing a rebirth.
The printer cartridge remanufacturing business, started in Rick Krska’s garage in 1992, peaked at 790 employees in 2006. But the loss later that year of a national account to remanufacture Hewlett Packard cartridges for retailer Staples caused the Lenexa-based company’s employment to drop to about 210.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
CNET: China introduces law to boost renewable energy
Posted By: Jared Cook
Here is an article I wanted to share from CNET about China’s renewable energy news.
China introduces law to boost renewable energy
A new Chinese law requires power grid operators to buy all the electricity produced by renewable energy generators, in a move that will increase the proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources in coal-dependent China.
Monday, December 28, 2009
UN urges all countries to sign climate accord in Copenhagen
Posted By: Jared Cook
Here is an interesting article from COP15.dk, the official Web site of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009. The article discusses the necessitiy of countries signing this bill to collectively combat climate change.
UN urges all countries to sign climate accord
The UN secretary-general on Monday urged all countries to formally sign on to the Copenhagen Accord to start tackling climate change and step up work toward a legally binding treaty in 2010.
Ban Ki-moon also urged richer nations to contribute to a multi-billion dollar fund to help poorer countries cope with global warming which will become operational in January.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Green Life: 12 gift ideas and a few more for stocking stuffers
With the holidays around the corner, many people are turning to green alternatives for gift options. I wanted to share this article from the Montreal Gazette that has provided some interesting eco friendly gift ideas.
MONTREAL – “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, an eco-friendly gift that really sucked.”
You don’t want your love to be singing that little ditty this Christmas, do you? Let’s face it, some so-called “green gifts” are really more for the giver than the recipient. Sure, you want your friends and family to know that you care about the planet. And I am all for reusing gift bags, avoiding battery-operated toys, making your own gifts and fashioning original holiday cards from last year’s haul. But who really wants phosphate-free dish soap for Christmas? And please, no compact fluorescent bulbs in my stocking this year.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tickle Me Thursday: Funny cat at printer
5…4…3…2…1… It’s Tickle Me Thursday! Enjoy!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Tickle Me Thursday: Be careful what you print for
It’s Thursday, so that means (all together now) Tickle Me Thursday.