Working with Coretec Inc., a manufacturer that specializes in energy-saving machinery and systems, Fuji Electric announced last December that they had come up with a weed-control mat that is now getting attention as a possible new application for photovoltaic power. Municipalities in Japan occasionally use weed-control mats over soil to keep unused or sloped areas [...]
Archive for the ‘Business’ Category
An Unusual Two For One: Controlling Weeds While Generating Energy
April 16th, 2012 
Justin Manger Bamboo Keyboard from iZen
April 12th, 2012 Justin Manger You spilled soda on your wireless keyboard and that darn M key keeps sticking. You broke down and bought a new iPad, then realized you didn’t want to compose long messages by tapping on the glass (perhaps the MacBook Wheel is what you are looking for) and are thinking about a keyboard accessory. Maybe you [...]
Five Friday Facts: Technology and US Fuel
April 6th, 2012 Justin Manger The incredible drop in imported liquid fuels such as oil over the last 6 years is due in large part to technological breakthroughs in drilling and recovery techniques that has let the U.S. capture more of its natural (though non-renewable) resources. The debates over the pros and cons to this trend of using advanced technology [...]
Posted in Business, Economics, Five Friday Facts, Justin Manger 
Tags: Energy, Fracking, Natural Gas, Oil Consumption, Water 
No Comments »Apple To Use Bloom Energy Fuel Cells At New Data Center
April 4th, 2012 Justin Manger In a following up to our post in February about the green data center Apple is planning to build in North Carolina, a few more interesting details about the facility have come to light. Aside from being LEED Platinum certified and having the largest end-user solar power array in the U.S., there will also be [...]
Number Of Green Jobs In U.S. Measured For First Time
April 2nd, 2012 Justin Manger The numbers have been crunched by the Labor Department and the results are in: green jobs accounted for an eye-poppingly low 2.4% of the United States’ total employment in 2010. However, this was the first ever survey of green goods and services jobs, so we don’t yet have something with which to compare the results. [...]
Posted in Business, Economics, Green Economy, Justin Manger, News, Policy, President Obama Tags: Alternative Energy, Clean Energy, Green Product, Solar Energy No Comments »Energy Star Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary
March 30th, 2012 Chris DeArmond Since being created by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992, the Energy Star program and its partners have helped save Americans nearly $230 billion through increased energy efficiency of appliances and electronics. More than five billion products from more than 60 different categories have been sold under the voluntary program. According to EPA’s March [...]
Japan’s 2010 CO2 Emissions Down By 12.3% Compared to 1990
March 23rd, 2012 Justin Manger That’s the good news. 20 years of efficiency gains, technological improvements, and policy tweaks have reduced the amount of CO2 produced by Japanese industries. What’s interesting is that emissions are actually up since 2009. Now, with the nuclear industry nearly shut down nation-wide (2 of 54 plants are in operation) and imports of oil, coal, [...]
Posted in Behavior, Business, Japan, Justin Manger, News, Policy, Sustainability Tags: Carbon Dioxide, Energy Conservation, Environment No Comments »Review and Test Drive of the Fisker Karma
March 22nd, 2012 Chris DeArmond The Fisker Karma is unlike any other car on the road. Known as an EVer—Electric Vehicle extended range—Fisker correctly claims the Karma to be “the world’s first high performance electric luxury vehicle with the freedom to plug in or fill up.” This four-door sedan is well-built, practical, and beautifully designed inside and out—all by a [...]
Posted in Business, Featured Posts, Green Products, Transportation Tags: Battery, Cars, Chris DeArmond, EPA, Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrid, Product Review, Test Drive, Washington DC No Comments »US Imposes Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels
March 21st, 2012 Eric Wilson ABC News and The New York Times are reporting that yesterday, the United States’ Commerce Department has levied a small (2.9 to 4.73 percent) tariff on imported Chinese solar panels. Last year American producers of solar technology pushed the Commerce Department to pursue a case against the Chinese. Their argument was that Chinese manufacturers “may [...]
Posted in Business, China, Clean Technology, Eric Wilson, News, Policy, Renewable Energy Tags: Photovoltaic, Solar Energy No Comments »Geothermal Air-Conditioning Systems for Japanese “Combini”
March 19th, 2012 Justin Manger Seven-Eleven is the largest of the combini (convenience store) chains that can be found on nearly every block in large cities around Japan. Selling everything from juice and rice balls to beer and fish, underwear and band-aids, niku-man (meat stuffed steamed dumplings) and adult magazines, the combini is a uniquely Japanese experience. They are also [...]
