As the Denver Zoo prepares to open its latest addition, a 10 acre exhibit dedicated to the Asian Tropics, they have incorporated a number of eco-conscious features. As part of the new construction, the entire complex is striving for LEED certification, the first large animal exhibit facility in the nation to be certified as such. In [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Energy Conservation’
Denver Zoo Lays Claim to Greenest in Country
May 24th, 2012 
Eric Wilson Natural Capitalism: Chapter 2 – Reinventing the Wheels
May 22nd, 2012 Eric Wilson A few years back I started reading Natural Capitalism. I wrote a post about the first chapter and vowed to come back to the book “soon.” Geologically speaking, it’s been the blink of an eye. In human terms, a wee bit longer. The book isn’t inordinately long, but after coming back to it after many months, I [...]
Itron: A Global Leader in Smart Meters
May 21st, 2012 John Basalla For today’s company spotlight, I wanted to look at smart meters. Smart meters have been in use since 2006 in the United States and have gained wide penetration in some areas and caused backlashes in others. In the near future many utilities will be switching their customers over to this technology. So what exactly are [...]
Five Friday Facts: The New World Trade Center
May 18th, 2012 Justin Manger The following facts come from a pamphlet sent to me by a relative who visited the construction site and memorial pool at the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1 World Trade Center (WTC) building is expected to reach it full height soon, whereupon its 408-foot (124 m) radio antenna will be installed [...]
CFL Bulb Recycling Around 2 Percent
April 11th, 2012 Chris DeArmond With all the attention compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) get for saving energy, it seems like the importance of recycling them has taken a back seat. A study by the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers (ALMR) cited in a 2011 Consumer Reports article found that only 2 percent of consumers said they actually recycle their [...]
Posted in Behavior, Clean Technology, Energy Efficiency, Green Products, Recylcing 
Tags: CFL, Chris DeArmond, Energy Conservation, Green Product 
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 »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 [...]
Army Not Messing Around with $7 Billion in Energy Projects
March 5th, 2012 Justin Manger Over the next 30 years, the U.S. army is aiming to buy solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and other alternative fuels to the tune of $7 billion dollars. Here is the draft proposal in which they are looking for 99 large-scale renewable projects. This is all part of a plan to have renewable energy at or [...]
Chevrolet Introduces “Ecologic” Window Stickers
March 1st, 2012 Chris DeArmond A little over a month ago, Chevrolet announced it would begin displaying window stickers highlighting the environmental features of its vehicles sold in the U.S. “Ecologic is simply a recognition of our systematic attention to environmental responsibility and our commitment to monitoring our progress as we continuously work to reduce our environmental impact.” These environmental [...]
Posted in Business, Clean Technology, Green Products, News, Transportation Tags: Cars, Chris DeArmond, Energy Conservation, Green Technology No Comments »
