Google Invests In Enhanced Geothermal

Google.org announced that they are expanding their renewable effort of RE<Coal (renewable energy is less than coal).  They are investing $10.25 million in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS).  This is huge.  There is a lot of potential for geothermal energy and it’s not unique to any particular climate.  These advances in clean energy could provide to be very useful.  Instead of looking for hot pockets beneath the earth, EGS fractures rock and circulates water through them, producing steam.  The steam is then harnessed in a traditional turbine to create energy.  See the video below.

[from Google Press Release]
A recent MIT report on EGS estimates that just 2% of the heat below the continental United States between 3 and 10 kilometers, depths within the range of current drilling technology, is more than 2,500 times the country’s total annual energy use.

To advance EGS, Google.org announced funding for two companies and a university:

• AltaRock Energy, Inc.: $6.25 million investment to develop innovative technologies to achieve significant cost reductions and improved performance in EGS projects. For more information, please visit http://www.altarockenergy.com/.
• Potter Drilling, Inc.: $4 million investment in two tranches, to develop new approaches to lower the cost and expand the range of deep hard rock drilling, a critical element to large-scale deployment of EGS. For more information, please visit http://www.potterdrilling.com/.
• Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab: $489,521 grant to improve understanding of the size and distribution of geothermal energy resources and to update geothermal mapping of North America. For more information, please visit http://www.smu.edu/geothermal/.

Source: Google Press Release

The GreenDimes Killer?

*NOTE:   I wanted to let my readers know that I was in a surly mood when I wrote this - obviously.  I explained a little more in the comments section.  I encourage you to read the comments from myself, readers, and from ProQuo directly.

There’s a new player in the junk mail war.  It’s called ProQuo.  You’ll recognize it by it’s generic Web 2.0 look and feel.  The buttons are big with a shine to them.  The icons are big and cartoon-like.  The fonts are all web 2.0ish.  It has fancy text quotes with giant quotation marks.  Just add “Beta” below your logo and you’re all set.  So what is it?  It’s a free junk mail removal service.  Yes - I said free.  “How could that be?  GreenDimes is like $20 for life, right?,” you say.  Well - there is a catch. 

So you setup an account and login.  You’re all excited because your snail mail box is going to be free of junk mail.  Then you start clicking around thinking “how the heck can they provide this service for free?  This is amazing.”  Let me look at the tabs…Junk Mail - okay - I can get rid of junk mail.  Catalogs - sweet - I can get off of catalog lists.  Credit cards - wait - why is there a credit cards tab? 

Let’s click on catalogs.  “Choose whether you want the catalog or not, and we’ll submit your request.”  Oh - I’m starting to catch on.  They make money by getting you to sign up for catalogs.  ”That catalog cover looks so interesting - I should sign up - this is so easy.”  Wait a minute…aren’t catalogs considered junk mail and contributing to these forests that are being cut down? SHHHH - don’t tell anyone - they think they’re being “green.”

What is this credit cards tab all about?  Do they want my credit card information?  I thought this was free. Big bold letters appear across my screen - “Find the Credit Card that is Right for You!”  Huh?  Credit card companies send a lot of junk mail - why do I want that again?  Oh - okay - this is why: “We Analyze the Fine Print - The right card for you may be based on factors you don’t even know about.”  They analyze the fine print!  I don’t have to read!  Wow - thanks ProQuo.  You’re my hero.  Can I sign up for a credit card now?  Maybe I’m being too facetious.    ProQuo does offer opt-outs on credit card mail - oops - my bad -they send you to yet another third-party site to do that. 

ProQuo may stop mail for you - for free.  Just be aware of their ulterior motives.  If you cut down on some of your junk mail - it’s still a step in the right direction.  I’m just not convinced.  I’m biased.  I’ve been a GreenDimes member for awhile now.  Personally, I think it is worth every penny I spent for it.  I originally signed up when it was an annual subscription, but now it’s lifetime.

New 3G iPhone Goes Green…Maybe Not

Well - it actually only comes in black or white and no, I don’t have one…yet.  The packaging of the product is greener.  Apple has called upon a Dutch company called Paperfoam to make a new mold injection for the packaging tray.  The new tray isn’t plastic like the former iPhone.  It’s made from starch.  The starches are either tapioca or potato.  The potato tray reduces the carbon footprint of the packaging by over 90%. 

So while the packaging is greener, the product itself may not necessarily be that green.  Greenpeace is once again criticizing Apple for not taking advantage of this huge opportunity to make their products more sustainable. 

“Based on information available on Apple’s Web site, it appears the electronics company known for innovation has missed an opportunity to reinvent their new 3G iPhone, to be released July 11, in green,” Harrell said. “While new product models such as the MacBook Air and the new iMac made progress compared to previous editions in reducing toxic chemicals such as PVC [polyvinyl chloride]  and brominated flame retardants (BFR), Apple has not announced any new improvements in designing out the toxics (PVC, BFRs, antimony) that Greenpeace found present in the first-generation iPhone.”

Everything can’t be greener - I just wish Apple would have made a bit more of an effort.  They are selling like crazy - so there are tons of “packages” that are greener…and there are also tons of folks shoving toxic plastic into their orifaces filled with pthalates and PVC.  Then again, people aren’t buying an iPhone to be more sustainable.  If they wanted a phone that was going to last, they’d get a 4 year old Nokia brick.

Source: iPhoneFreak, EDN

Office Depot Opens Their First LEED Retail Outlet

Office Depot is having its grand opening of their first LEED certified store, located in Austin, Texas.  What is significant isn’t that this is a LEED certified retail store, but it is the first company to have it’s prototype pre-certified under a new program from USGBC.  This is the LEED for New Construction Volume Certification Program (pilot program).  This new LEED certification will allow companies to certify a prototype so the retailer can roll out a large number of stores easily. 

“We are looking forward to taking care of business for our Austin customers at our first pre-certified ‘Green’ store,” said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail for Office Depot. “Not only can customers choose from thousands of greener office products within Office Depot’s industry-leading assortment but they will also have a better understanding of why a particular product is green and how they can make sustainable products a part of their home office or business environment.”

“We took a series of innovative green design elements used in Office Depot store locations across the country and brought them together in our new store prototype,” added Ed Costa, Vice President of Construction for Office Depot. “Through the construction phase of this prototype design we used a wide range of greener building products and practices.”

From the press release, here are the store highlights:

• T5 energy-efficient lighting, which is over 30 percent more efficient than traditional, incandescent lighting.  (this is great - most companies I’ve heard of only step down to T-8 lighting)
• Over 50 active skylights that adjust with the path of the sun and provide natural light to over 90 percent of the store.
• Solar panels on the roof, which generate about 10 percent of the store’s energy needs and power the exterior Office Depot signage. (why not more solar panels to generate more energy??)
• Reflective roof which features a membrane that helps to prevent absorption of the heat from the sun and keeps the interior of the store much cooler.  (everyone is doing this - more solar panels and green roof maybe?  Is this a soy product or petroleum?)
• Steel decking and joists made of over 85 percent recycled steel and recycled concrete partitions composed of more than 95 percent recycled materials.
• Water conservation interior fixtures, including dual flush toilets, low flow urinals, and automatic shutoff sensors in restrooms that will use over 40 percent less water than the typical facility.  (good work - waterless urinals are even better)
• Exterior Landscaping system featuring xeriscaping, a water-efficient technique.
• Native plants that require no additional irrigation for sustenance.
• Energy Management System that allows tracking of energy usage and trends from one central location.
• Office supplies, technology and furniture options featuring a wide range of green attributes such as recycled content, remanufactured, EnergyStar certified and non-toxic.
• In-store Recycling Center with environmental solutions including Office Depot Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling, Tech Recycling Service and Cell Phone and Rechargeable Battery Recycling.

Source: Office Depot

Co-op America Green Business Conference Day 1

That is the lovely Ms Sara Snow above - she is actually speaking tomorrow - but you can’t get too much of Sara, right?  Delicioso.  She is not only the host of her own show on Discovery Health, but she’s the Natural Health cover girl.  Anyway - I digress - on to the show…

It almost felt like I was going to work.  I took my normal train into the city and then picked up the local 121 bus to Navy Pier.  I should have been prepared for the long, long walk from the bus to the meetings - which were pretty much at the very end of Navy Pier (the #1 tourist site in Illinois).  My timing was perfect.  I arrived, registered, grabbed some granola with yogurt, and sat down at a front table for the first presenter.

I guess I could have been late - I just saw Sadhu Johnston (Chief Environmental Officer for the City of Chicago) speak less than a month ago at Green Drinks.  Along with Sadhu, Arnold Randall and Suzanne Malec-McKenna spoke.  Suzanne is the Commissioner for the Environment for the City of Chicago.  Coincidentally, I worked with her step-son and daughter-in-law for years at my past job. 

I should tell you that EVERY speaker was fantastic.  Each and every one of them were very intriguing.  I think I could write a long post on each and every speaker.  They’re all so interesting.   

Next up to the docket was Raphael Bemporad from BBMG and David Lubensky of Bagatto, Inc.  These guys were great.  Raphael was once a speech writer for Ann Richards.  He was well spoken and convincing.  I have always been interested in user experience and it kinda goes hand-in-hand with the industry I work in.  If you want to see some great stats on the green conscious consumer, read their whitepaper.  They didn’t do some hokey focus group - their research consisted of actually spending time in people’s lives - on average 8-16hrs each.

The ever-sexy Bianca Alexander, Executive Producer/Host on Conscious Living TV moderated a panel (her husband, Michael, was also there with her) that consisted of Jeff Harvey, CEO of Burgerville and Erin Ford, of Organic Valley.  Each business rocked. 

The main problem I see with Burgerville is that I’m just pissed and jealous that they aren’t around here.  For those of you who aren’t aware, Burgerville is a fast-food joint - 39 of them - in Oregon and Washington state.  They know exactly where each food item came from.  The tagline is “Fresh.  Local.  Sustainable.”  The mission is “Serve with Love.”  It seems that the employees love working there.  They have amazing benefits for part-time and full-time employees.  The company is dedicated to investing in their people.  They teach life lessons - not just how to flip a burger.  All of the facilities are run on wind power.  By investing in wind power, they are helping the local economy.  Some of the turbines have even been installed on farms they use for beef and veggies.  They’re also working on a waste vegetable oil (WVO) project.  WVO is a byproduct of fast-food.  They can take 4,400 gallons of WVO and turn it into 3,300 gallons of biodiesel.   Damn - that’s dope, yo (I’m so not urban).

Organic Valley Farms.  Wow.  Just wow.  They started this co-op in 1988 with something like $1,000 and seven farms.  Today, they are worth something like $440million and have 1,200 farms in their co-op. They recently built a brand-new headquarters in rural Wisconsin.  The new HQ is LEED Silver and twice as many square feet as the previous building - yet it uses 1/4th the energy.  Awesome.  Organic Valley now has a few different businesses.  I found it interesting that they have their own logistics company called Organic Valley Logistics.  They were sending their products out on trucks before and found out they were half-full.  Now that they are in control of their pipeline, they make sure each truck going out is full - if not their own products, they’ll call other organic producers to help them ship product.  They are also working on a domestic fair trade program.  Erin sits on the board of the Domestic Fair Trade Association.  I will happily give Organic Valley my money over others  - they’re good people and help local farmers stay alive.  The average farm only has 40 head of cattle - it’s not some huge environmental impact of an inhumane feedlot .

The last speaker of the day that I was able to see was Melissa Bradley-Burns - a venture capitalist.  The original speaker was Chris Van Dyke of Nau clothing.  If you haven’t heard, Nau is going out of business.  Melissa graciously stepped in.  Her speech consisted of why Nau failed.  I won’t go into all of the details, but it was fascinating.  She emphasized that you can’t change the world if you’re not in business.  It’s a business first.  Just like anyone who volunteers knows - you have to take care of yourself first.  I respect Nau a lot - but I can see why they failed.  I’m not sure if it was delusions of grandeur or not, but they may have bit off more than they could chew at this point in time. 

Unfortunately, I had to miss the end of the day because I coach my daughter’s first-grade soccer team.  It’s unfortunate that I missed the last two speakers, but I was really happy to be out on the field with the kids - that’s what it’s all about. 

I want to give mad props to my lady friends at Organic Marketing Works - Megan and Katie.  Thanks so much for this opportunity!

Brazilians Buy Local: Amazon Condoms

The Amazon rainforest is a victim of deforestation.  Yes - that’s OFN (see urban dictionary if you don’t know that acronym).  In an attempt to provide some economic incentive to keep the forest intact, the Brazilian government is opening a condom factory.  The government is trying to get people to “buy local” and displace about 100 million condoms that the country currently imports.  They currently give away condoms for free as part of a national program to combat HIV/AIDS. 

According to Reuters, the latex comes from the Chico Mendes reserve, named after a conservationist who was killed in 1988 by ranchers.  More than 550 families will earn a total of $1.3million annually from producing condoms.  That’s a good income in that part of the world.  The Brazilian government, the single largest buyer of condoms, also says that these will be the first condoms produced from latex harvested in a tropical forest.  Maybe that will add some extra passion to your action…or give a new meaning to “jungle love.”  I have to imagine that just because they are from the Amazon, they aren’t all “amazon” sized. 

The Time - Jungle Love

Source: Grist, Reuters

Dell Headquarters Powered With Clean Energy

Dell’s 2.1million square foot headquarters is now powered entirely by “clean” energy.  60% of the energy is coming from TXU’s wind farms.  The remaining 40% comes from Waste Management’s landfill gas-to-energy plant.  These initiatives let Dell meet its 2008 carbon neutral committment. 

If you’re not familiar with landfill gas-to-energy plants, it’s pretty interesting.  A major problem with landfills is that they are filled with methane gas.  Methane is way worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas affecting climate change.  Many landfills burn off the methane as it escapes from stand pipes.  Waste Management has several plants around the country where they are taking that methane gas and turning it into electrical power.  Geneva, IL - just down the street from me - gets 10% of its power from gas-to-energy conversion.

As an IT manager in my day job, I’m happy to see Dell making these moves.  I am hogtied to using Dell products and I am happy to know that they are trying to do their part for the environment.  In addition to these recent moves, Dell also will recycle anything that they make.   On top of that, my laptop, the Inspiron D630, was rated by PC Magazine as one of the top green notebook pcs.

“We’re very pleased that our Austin Community Landfill’s gas to energy project will play a key role in Dell’s commitment to using renewable energy. This project is part of our company’s environmental initiative to increase the production of waste based energy. Today, we create enough energy for the equivalent of 1 million homes each year and by 2020 we expect to double that output, producing enough energy for the equivalent of more than 2 million homes,” said David Steiner, chief executive officer of Waste Management, Inc.

“This is yet another example of TXU Energy’s commitment to offering renewable power choices that are good for business and the environment,” said Jim Burke, chief executive officer for TXU Energy “TXU Energy is dedicated to improving our use of renewable power and encouraging greater energy efficiency, both of which help preserve our environment.”

“For Dell to partner with Waste Management and TXU to source renewable energy on this scale is great news,” said Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group. “Greening the company’s Texas operations not only underpins Dell’s bold carbon neutral commitment but helps drive clean energy investment and tackles climate change.”

Source: Dell Blog, Dell Press Release

Beep Beep! Roadrunner Shower Head Review

Evolve has a shower head called the “Roadrunner.”  It’s a lower-flow shower head at 1.59gpm.  I had been using a shower head that was under $10 - that was basically an aerator - kinda like this one, but without the shut-off.  The old shower head worked well.  It had an output of 1.5gpm - I even timed it and measured out the water once.  The only issue was that since it was so stubby, the water seemed to spray all over the place.  I wasn’t necessarily looking to replace my aerator one, but I read about the Roadrunner from Evolve and it sounded interesting.  I emailed them to ask questions about it when I first read about one in February.  They graciously sent me one to try out. 

One unique feature of this shower head is the Showerstart™ technology.  I was never one to run the water and do other things while it was heating up, but I guess some people do.  So here’s how it works.  You turn on the shower.  When the water reaches 95°F the water shuts off to a trickle.  Now I turn on the shower, and I get out my toothbrush and stick it under the cold water.  I fill up a glass with some water coming out and I brush my teeth while the shower is heating up.  As soon as it gets to that magical number, the water shuts off waiting for your nakedness.  When I’m ready to get in the shower, I pull the rip cord - a little cord that hangs from the shower that starts the water back up again.  You want to make sure the water is the right temperature so you don’t burn yourself. 

Yeah - Showerstart™ technology sounds like a gimic.  It’s actually kinda nice.  This shower head is pretty cool.  The water pressure is great for me.  The water flows nice and evenly now - it’s not spraying wildly.  I’ve waited a bit to write this review because I wanted my wife and I to get ample use out of it to make a sound decision.  This shower head is staying put in our house. 

I had a bunch of questions for the company when I first emailed them.  One nice feature would be the ability to pull the cord again to turn the water off.  You could turn the water  while lathering up, shaving, or whatever.  There is a work around for this.  Just turn the water off and right back on.  The water will already be above the 95°F and be at a trickle.  I shave in the shower, so this is great.  I can turn the water off, shave, and resume easily by pulling the cord.  I also asked for a clarification on “low flow” vs “lower flow.”  Technically, anything below 2.5gpm is “low flow.”  Evolve uses the term “lower flow” because they are significantly below the 2.5gpm.

Evolve is based out of Scottsdale, Arizona.  It’s always nice to see companies in an arid region like the southwest developing products that promote conservation.  So much water is wasted in this country.  Technology has come a long way since that famous Seinfeld episode called “The Shower Head.”  Don’t be afraid - the water pressure will be fine.  You can adjust.  You don’t need your old 3.5gpm shower head.  The water usage at our house has dropped significantly.  Not only from the shower head, but from things like our rain barrels and just general conservation.  Every site I check has a different number, but the average American uses about 110 gallons of water every day.  My household is at about 35gal/day/person.  That may change as our children get older, but I hope that they will be smart enough to conserve.  I’d think that if we switched to a front load washing machine, we could reduce our water usage even further.  Starting with a shower head and new aerators in your faucets is a very easy DIY project that can make a difference.  The Roadrunner is only $40 at most places online.  You should recoup that money in the first year of use.  A 1.5gpm shower head will give you a 40% savings over the standard.  Give it a try! 

Still on the fence?  The folks at Evolve also sent me a white paper that goes over many considerations people should consider when choosing a lower flow shower head.  I’ve attached it here for everyone to check out - Choosing Lower Flow Shower Head

Who Owns Your Favorite Organic Company? Take 2

Back in November, I wrote about who owns who in the organic industry.  Mi amigo and tipster, Señor Doyle, pointed me to GOOD Magazine’s version of the infograph from Dr Phil Howard.  I think the layout is a bit dumbed down and easier to read than Phil’s version on his site at MSU (which was updated in January 2008).

• Organic Industry Structure
• GOOD Magazine Buying Organic Chart

MLB + NRDC = Green

Major League Baseball has teamed up with the Natural Resources Defense Council to create a Team Greening Program.  There is a new website setup where you can get information for each team on the steps they are taking to improve their environmental practices.  Sure, a lot of the information is just replicated from team-to-team, but its a great step towards progress.

The NRDC Team Greening Advisor for Major League Baseball will work with each individual club on a host of topics, including:
• Adopting an official environmental policy
• Incorporating environmental language into contracts, purchasing policies and requests for proposals that specify preferences for environmentally sound products and services
• Encouraging the use of renewable energy
• Providing information about how to credibly offset the carbon emissions related to team and fan transportation
• Using post-consumer recycled content paper for all paper products
• Implementing paper reduction strategies in offices
• Offsetting the environmental impact of up to half of team and employee travel
• Establishing club eco-committees

The information in the guide setup by MLB and the NRDC is very thorough.   I do have to tell you that this is a guide and not a mandate.  Who knows what kind of pressure they are under to follow through with the recommendation. My first thoughts of baseball and the environment is the amount of water use and pesticides/fertilizers used on the fields.  This is covered.   They provide the teams with sample language for contracts with their vendors.  They suggest that they use a vendor who is certified under the Green Shield Certified Program.  They go on to provide all kinds of pertinent information including external links to the EPA and various informational sites.

The sections of the guide include: air, water, waste, paper, energy, transportation, vendors, renovations, and travel.  To be honest with you, it seems to be a very valuable resource to any business trying to improve their environmental footprint.  Take a gander and enjoy!

My final take-away is that I am happy to have baseball taking this initiative.  I can only hope that they promote the hell out of it.  If you put a bunch of men in a room who don’t know each other, what do they talk about?  Sports.  Sports is very influential…the major sports almost have as much power as Oprah.  So we’ve talked about the NFL and MLB.   Look for more from the NBA, NHL, and NASCAR in the near future.

Source: MLB, NRDC