September 5, 2008

California's trend-setting energy and environmental laws are a noble but risky effort. While they are serving to create a new economy, the rules may also be hamstringing some utilities and businesses.

Green energy experiments are not new to California, but this undertaking is more aggressive. The state, which now gets 11 percent of its power from renewable energy, has always taken a progressive posture toward expanding its sustainable base. The problems, though, are that wind and solar resources are limited while the cost of compliance may be too high for some.

August 6, 2008

Global communications company Nokia wants to spread the word. It had dozens of offices and campuses around the world that used a ton of energy and in the process, released lots of greenhouse gases. In 2003, though, it set out to do something about it. It consolidated campuses and improved ventilation and lighting processes. Altogether, it says that its energy consumption has dropped 7 percent in five years.

Pressure is mounting on all businesses to cut their heat trapping emissions. It's particularly true of commercial buildings that are responsible for 38 percent of those releases. Awareness is growing. But confusion persists as to how to deal with the problem. The fact is that many enterprises can save money by implementing some sensible conservation features and by applying new operating procedures. Businesses can't control energy prices. But they can manage how much power they use.

Wal-Mart rolls out the green carpet to build a sustainable future

Name the organization that recently announced these environmental goals: "To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain our resources and the environment." If you think it must be a dreamy-eyed environmental group, think again. This ultra-green pledge actually came from the country's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, which operates more than 4,100 stores in the United States and another 2,900 internationally.

July 9, 2008

Summer is here and the mercury is rising. It's not just the heat. It's also the level of harmful pollutants and specifically mercury.

Mercury is an insidious villain, creating dangers for local ecosystems and any small children and pregnant women who might eat contaminated fish. Technologies will improve and utilities will respond. But the attention given to mercury emissions now has prompted many such companies to implement best available technologies at their power plants - tools that have the potential to cut such pollutants by 50-90 percent.