October 31, 2007

Despite the mortgage lending mess, many commercial and investment banks are exploring good clean, conservative investments in the renewable energy realm. By doing so, they are not just wrapping themselves in the green mantle but they are also serving shareholders and making profitable loans.

Overall, the national trend is one of supporting the policies necessary to clean the environment and to take steps to battle climate change. As a result, federal and state policies are integral to the effort with the former offering production tax credits and the latter - in the case of about 26 jurisdictions -- mandating renewable portfolio standards. The net effect of pro-environmental policies is that a properly structured deal can provide attractive long-term returns.

Environment Killer Hiding in Our Buildings

Every morning you are the first to arrive to work.  You unlock the doors, shut off the alarm, turn on the lights and start the coffee maker.  As you make your way to your desk you haven't a clue that you have just enabled one of the biggest polluters of the planet.  I am talking about your lights. 

True, your lights don't have a tailpipe and they don't emit exhaust but they consume electrical energy in order to produce light.  It is the electrical consumption of the buildings lighting system that is causing environmental pollution.  The lights use electricity at a rate far greater than you could guess.  Current figures from the EPA show that a buildings lighting system accounts for approximately 30% of a buildings total energy consumption.

October 24, 2007

Investors are eyeing Canadian oil sands. It may well turn out to be black gold. But it may also spell environmental troubles.

Nations around the world are demanding ever increasing amounts of oil. But supplies are shrinking and causing crude oil prices to rise to record levels. The phenomenon has forced major energy giants to set their sights on unconventional oil supplies and specifically reserves flush with oil sands. Estimates are that in a decade at least 3 million barrels a day could be derived from Canadian fields, sharply cutting into foreign exports.

Just what's in that biofuel you just put into your tank?  A Kettering University researcher is working to standardize the bio-fuel industry, which will help level the playing field in fuel economy for consumers.

Dr. Stacy Seeley, associate professor of chemistry, says more checks and balances are needed for bio-fuels.

"Industry needs to know what is being put in the tank, how it will impact a car and whether or not it will meet EPA standards," Seeley said.

So she and husband Dr. John Seeley, an associate professor of chemistry at Oakland University, have been developing new analytical methods for characterizing the composition of alternative (bio) fuels to facilitate standardization.

Plan is a roadmap for San José to become the world’s Center of Innovation for clean technologies

SAN JOSE – Mayor Chuck Reed today released his Green Vision for San José, an ambitious and comprehensive 15-year plan to solve environmental problems and grow the local economy. Focused around three elements – Clean Tech Innovation, Sustainability, and Green Mobility – San Jose’s Green Vision is a roadmap for the City to become the world’s center of Clean Tech innovation.