October 2007

You are browsing the archive for October 2007.

IBM Goes Greener

October 31, 2007

IBM has done a wonderful thing in finding a way to turn waste into the raw materials needed in the solar cell industry. One’s person’s junk apparently really is another person’s solar gold. TMCnet’s Tim Gray has the details in an article titled IBM's New Process to Turn Waste into Solar Energy.

Posted in Green Investing, corporate initiatives, data center, green technology, solar

Tagged: green technology, Ibm, silicon, solar, tim gray, tmc, wafer : Related Tags: solar

Business Link in UK Intros New Green Business Web Site

October 17, 2007

UK-based businesses have a new tool to help them be more “green.” BusinessLink.gov.uk, a resource Web site for businesses, part of the UK government’s Business.Gov agency, this week added a new section devoted to green business practices. The “Environmental & efficiency” section of the Business Link Web site is broken up into three main areas: “Environment and your business,” “Sustainability and your business,” and “Waste and pollution.” Tools on the site include a self-assessment of environmental compliance, free e-mail alerts about regulatory updates, information about training and grants, and a variety of publications to help companies get their hands around “being green.” Also featured on the site are phones numbers for several “green” related hotlines. The new site looks like it will be a valuable resource for UK companies seeking to be more green. If you run a company in the UK, let us know if the site proved useful for you, or if there are better sources of information available.

Tagged: agency, business, government, green, hotline, resource, UK, United Kingdom : Related Tags: green business, business, green, boxes

Report: Australian Companies Not Ready for Carbon Emissions Reporting, Trading

October 17, 2007

Often on this blog you read about green technology programs and initiatives in the U.S. and Europe. But those aren’t the only parts of the world where people are concerned about the environmental impact of doing business. A recent report on the Web site of The Age, a newspaper covering happenings in Australia and New Zealand, highlighted an Ernst & Young report about efforts to reduce carbon footprints by companies “down under.” According to The Age reporter Peter Hannam, the Ernst & Young report indicated that most Australian companies, while they’re making an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are nowhere near being ready to report on carbon emissions or participate in emissions trading programs.

Tagged: Australia, business, carbon trading, Ernst & Young, government, New Zealand, The Age : Related Tags: carbon emissions, polish workers, please contact, ernst young, environmental impact, medetive

Companies Can be 'Green' With the Technology They Already Have

October 5, 2007

Lots gets written about these days regarding new types of technology that can help companies be more ‘green.’ These include everything from vehicle engines designed to run on corn-based fuel, computer chips that require less power to run, and revamped cooling systems for data centers. But, in terms of reducing impact on the environment, there is a lot companies can do with existing technology. That, according to ComputerWeekly.com reporter Rebecca Thomson, was the message from Carbon Trust chief policy officer Michael Rea at a recent meeting. Carbon Trust is a London-based, government-funded company tasked with helping UK businesses and public sector organizations reduce their carbon emissions.

Tagged: business, carbon footprint, Carbon Trust, company, goverment, green, new, old, power, technology, telecommute : Related Tags: public sector, carbon emissions, sector organizations, reduce carbon, carbon trust, carbon

Nokia, Backed by Mayor Bloombergâs Office, Launches Mobile Device Recycling Campaign in New York City

October 4, 2007

In its ongoing effort to get consumers to recycle their old cell phones -- as opposed to just tossing them in the trash -- Nokia has called in the big guns. Today the company announced that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is backing its campaign to get New Yorkers to bring their used cell phones to recycling locations or mail them in for recycling.

In a statement issued today, a representative of Mayor Bloomberg’s office commended Nokia’s recycling program and urged all New Yorkers to get involved.

"We applaud Nokia's effort to encourage the proper recycling of unwanted electronics," said Rohit Aggarwala, director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability. "We hope that every New Yorker will join in and be a part of this effort."

The publicity campaign is to promote the recycling of consumer electronics in advance of America Recycles Day, to be held Nov. 15. New Yorkers, and in fact all consumers, are urged to turn in their old cell phones and cell phone batteries at any Nokia Flagship Store.

Rackspace Survey: Businesses Willing to Pay More for Services from 'Green' Vendors

October 2, 2007

Consumers and businesses these days are paying more and more attention to the impact their actions have on the environment. The “green technology” segment of the “green” movement—and the topic of this blog—includes everything from fuel-efficient cars to software the helps people telecommute. On today’s menu: the efforts data center companies are now making to create “greener” operations by reducing power consumption. Last month, Rackspace Managed Hosting got curious to see how much businesses really care about the “greenness” of the service providers they choose.

Tagged: business, data center, electricity, green tech, power, Rackspace Managed Hosting, survey : Related Tags: percent respondents, green vendors, service providers, fifty percent, green, percent

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