Stop & Shop announced yesterday that it has completed the installation of solar panels on eight of its stores in Mass., Conn. and N.J. The solar panels will reduce the amount of energy consumed by these stores by more than seven percent. The completion of this project marks an extension of the company’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2015 using 2008 as a baseline.
The photovoltaic (PV) solar power generating systems were developed by Alteris Renewables, Inc., the largest design-build renewable energy company in the Northeast. The amount of electricity that will be generated by all eight stores annually is estimated to be 1,759,572 kWh, offsetting 1,264 metric tons of CO2. This is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the total electricity use of 153 homes over the course of a year.
The solar project is among a series of green solutions Stop & Shop is rolling out across its 375 stores in the Northeast. (more…)
Starting today, you can take part in history by placing your order for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. This moment is the culmination of several years of around-the-clock, steadfast work and I know I speak for the entire Volt team when I say we couldn’t be more excited!
For those of you looking to be among the first to own a Volt, simply locate and contact a participating Chevrolet dealer in Volt launch markets at GetMyVolt.com. Once your order is placed, a Volt customer advisor will contact you to answer questions and keep you updated on the progress of your order.
We’ve also pulled together a team of Volt advisors who, beginning today, will be available at 1-888-VOLT4YOU (1-888-865-8496) to answer general questions. The Volt will initially be available to customers in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Texas, Michigan Connecticut and New Jersey, but will be available nationwide in about 12-18 months from start of production this winter.
As far as the price, the Volt’s official MSRP is $41,000 – or $33,500 (including DFC) after the $7,500 U.S. Federal income tax credit. We are so confident in the resale value of the Volt, we will also offer a lease program with monthly payments as low as $350 (based on a 36-month term lease and $2,500 down), which also includes a lease-to-buy option.
Why are we so confident?
The Volt is an electric vehicle that gives you the freedom to drive wherever you want, whenever you want. With the Volt’s extended-range capability, you can drive electrically up to 340 miles on a full battery and tank of gas, with up to the first 40 miles powered by electricity from the grid. Plus, the Volt is an electric vehicle for all climates and seasons, comfortable in the freezing temperatures of the Northeast to the scorching temperatures of the deserts out West – we know, we’ve tested the Volt extensively in these conditions.
Plus, the Volt comes standard with an unprecedented battery warranty – eight years or 100,000 miles on all 161 battery components, the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components. It will also be the first Chevrolet vehicle to offer, at no additional cost, five years of OnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation.
And speaking of OnStar, the Volt gives you an unprecedented level of connectivity with the Chevrolet Connect mobile app by OnStar. This Volt mobile and web-based app will allow you to set the charge time, start your Volt, track mileage, unlock the doors and much more from your smart phone and even your home computer.
In fact, the personalized and connected ownership experience is just getting into full swing when you take delivery of your Volt because we’re creating a website designed specifically for Volt owners to collect diagnostic information as well as track and share your vehicle’s performance.
I could go on and on all day about all the benefits and premium features the Volt has to offer, such as screen-based navigation, an energy-efficient Bose premium sound system, Bluetooth for phone with phone book access and more, but then I would be keeping you from locating your dealer and placing your order. You can find more info at GetMyVolt.com.
It’s been a remarkable journey, and we’re confident you’ll be delighted with the outcome when you receive your Volt. The future is electric – we hope you’ll join us for the ride.
And make sure to join me here on Voltage later today for a video webchat from the show floor of Plug-In 2010 where Volt vehicle line director Tony Posawatz and I will answer your questions live at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.
This post was written by Rob Reed. He is the founder of MomentFeed, a location-based marketing, strategy, and technology firm.
Location technologies are transforming how we experience, navigate, and ultimately better our world. From the global to the local, here are #10Ways geolocation is a positive force for good.
Social media has changed the world. It has revolutionized communications on a global scale, and the transformation continues with every status update, blog post, and video stream. The global citizenry has become a global network.
Since becoming widely adopted just a couple years ago, social media has supercharged social action, cause marketing, and social entrepreneurship. Indeed, the true value hasn’t been the technology itself but how we’ve used it. Today, a second wave of innovation is defining a new era and setting the stage for change over the coming decade.
Mobile technologies will extend the global online network to anyone with a mobile device while enabling countless local networks to form in the real world. We’ve decentralized media production and distribution. We’re doing the same for energy. And we’ll continue this trend for social networking, social action, and commerce.
The combined forces of smartphones, mobile broadband, and location-aware applications will connect us in more meaningful ways to the people, organizations, events, information, and companies that matter most to us—namely, those within a physical proximity of where we live and where we are. Can location-based services (LBS) change the world? Here are #10Ways:
1. Checking in for Good: If Gowalla and Foursquare have taught us anything, it’s that people respond to simple incentives. By offering badges, mayorships, and other intangible rewards, millions of people are checking in to the places they go. Apps like Whrrl take this a step further and enable like-minded “societies” to form on a local basis. The next step is for these apps to add greater purpose by encouraging more meaningful checkins and offering corresponding badges and stamps, thus mapping the cause universe. Or for a dedicated app to be developed that rewards conscious consumption, social responsibility, and civic engagement. Yes, the CauseWorld app features a cause element, but it’s not about cause-worthy places. (more…)
Obviously, you’re not going to dump your brand-new living room set; luckily, if you’ve had said furniture for a while or have a penchant for vintage, much of the VOC impact is lessened. But if you do plan to invest in brand-spanking-new furniture this year, there’s no better place to get inspired than Environment Furniture. Crafted from truly eco-friendly materials—many of them recycled, like the old army tents that upholster the brand’s signature couch—Environment Furniture makes a sustainable statement in every room.
Take this butcher table, crafted from sustainable reclaimed hard wood.
A controversial viral video featuring an F-word-filled tirade against the Gulf oil spill from the mouths of 4-year-olds to grandmothers is raising both eyebrows and funds this week as it gains momentum in a bold campaign to raise money for Gulf wildlife rescue and environmental charities.
The no-holds-barred video features a cross section of people wearing a black T-shirt that reads “UNF–K THE GULF” and unleashing on BP, the federal government and the whole mess in a way that millions of people wish our leaders would.
Sick of yelling at the TV in frustration over the Gulf spill, environmental activists Luke Montgomery and Nate Guidas produced the video as a way to channel their “f–king righteous anger with all that is going on and not going on in the Gulf into something positive.” They put out a casting call on Craigslist for people upset over the oil spill, cast the best in the video, and created the website www.UnF–kTheGulf.com.
“It’s both therapeutic and funny to see people go off in an F-bomb-laced tirade about the spill,” Montgomery said. “There’s a lot of anger out there and people need to vent about the destruction but we also need to have a laugh at the expense of those responsible.”
The “UnF–kTheGulf” video has received more than 20,000 views in one week and raised more than $5,000 in funds through T-shirt sales, exceeding organizers’ expectations and rapidly circulating on social media. This unconventional charity fundraising campaign allows the public vote on how the funds are spent. For each $13 shirt, $5 is donated directly to four Gulf wildlife rescue and environmental charities.
Montgomery and Guidas report receiving hundreds of positive email responses, several complaints, and dozens of requests for uncensored versions of the T-shirt.
In response to the controversy of using such raw language, Montgomery said it is a calculated tactic to get noticed and thereby raise more funds to assist in the Gulf recovery. The organization did recently tame their Twitter name to a censored version, however, to encourage more people to share.
“This is a heinous crime against the environment, people’s livelihood and the ecosystem’s ability to support life,” Montgomery said. “People realize that the really offensive thing is the oil spill, not the word.”
UnF–kTheGulf will soon launch a week-long Facebook and Twitter “F-Bomb-a-Thon” campaign of status updates geared toward building buzz and raising at least $25,000 for the cause. The F-Bomb-a-Thon will run from July 26-August 1.
,%20June%202009%20174%20thumb.jpg)
1. Checking in for Good: If 
A controversial viral video featuring an F-word-filled tirade against the Gulf oil spill from the mouths of 4-year-olds to grandmothers is raising both eyebrows and funds this week as it gains momentum in a bold campaign to raise money for Gulf wildlife rescue and environmental charities.
