Articles on Green Businesses - Page 42 of 45

Renewable Energy and the Utility: The Next 20 Years

The focus on the transition to renewable energy, energy efficiency programs and legislation surrounding these areas is spurring tremendous change in the utility industry. A lot of money and effort are being funneled to the research, development and deployment of clean energy technologies. The federal debate over fuels, technologies and the legislation supporting them has reached a fever pitch. The utility industry is undergoing fundamental change. The extreme change sometimes envisioned-that utilities will disappear-is not likely. The future utility will almost certainly be a hybrid of centralized power plants and massive distributed generation, combined with a much more efficient system of both generation and consumption. But the business model of the utility and the relationship between utility and customer will be radically different. For more on this story, please visit Renewable Energy World here.

One Fish, Two Fish, Blue Fish, Green Fish?

Omega-3's are good for you -- but not when they come with a side order of mercury and habitat destruction. Green America's Safe Seafood Tip Sheet is the only source we know of that looks at both the health and environmental issues surrounding your fish choices. We compiled the best data on environmental sustainability from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, along with the Environmental Working Group's data on toxins, plus information from the FDA, EPA, and others, to create the most comprehensive safe seafood tipsheet around. Safe to Eat Anchovies, Calamari, Clams, Crawfish, Dungeness crab, Fish sticks, Flounder (summer), Haddock, Hake, Herring, King crab, Lobster (spiny/rock), Mid-Atlantic blue crab, Northern shirmp (US-farmed), Oysters, Alaskan salmon (wild), Perch, White shrimp (US-farmed), Sardines, Bay scallops (farmed), Sole, Spot prawn, Stone crab, Tilapia, Whitefish Caution (Limit to One Serving Per Month) Blue mussel (T), Bluefish (T)*, Bonito (T)*, Channel …

EPA Releases BP’s Response to Directive on Dispersant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released BP’s response to EPA’s directive on dispersants. EPA’s directive to BP required them to evaluate available, pre-approved dispersants for toxicity and effectiveness and report back to EPA within 24 hours. After receiving their response late Thursday night, EPA immediately called a meeting with BP to discuss the issue on Friday, May 21. EPA will continue to work over the next 48 hours to ensure BP is complying with the directive. BP’s response to EPA’s directive, as well as the directive itself, can be found here.

5 Step Guide to Planning a Green Building Project

NRDC built a site that offers building professionals a five-step guide to planning a green building project, from inception and design through marketing. The market for high-performance homes and workplaces is soaring. Explore this website to find out how building green can boost your bottom line. Get tips for streamlining design and construction. Learn which strategies deliver the biggest paybacks. And discover ways to get your project noticed. Build your business case Set your budget and goals Adopt a whole building approach Apply sustainable building strategies Capitalize on your achievement For the detailed guide, please visit NRDC : Building Green.

NRDC: President Obama Announces Next Phase of Landmark Clean Car Agreement

Photo courtesy NRDC President Obama announced two major new steps today to reduce America’s carbon pollution and oil dependence. He instructed the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation, working closely with California and other stakeholders, to issue a second round of greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards covering cars and light trucks for model years 2017-25. These will build on the landmark clean car standards for the 2012-16 model years announced in April. The president also directed those agencies to work together with California and stakeholders on the nation's first-ever greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for heavier trucks, from urban delivery trucks to 18-wheelers, that will be built in model years 2014-18. For more on this story, please visit NRDC's website.

Smart Paper: An NRDC Guide for Businesses

Rethinking the way your company buys and uses paper helps your business as well as the environment. Using less paper helps trim your bottom line through cost-cutting and efficiency, while a conservation, recycling and eco-friendly paper procurement program can generate positive publicity for your company, giving your customers and clients one more reason to spend their dollars with you. The materials in this guide will help your company launch a smart paper program. You'll find here: Why smart paper policies are good for business. Simple strategies for conserving, recycling and buying the right paper for your office. Real world examples of businesses that are changing the way they think about paper. A practical toolkit for launching a smart paper program. For a more comprehensive green business toolkit, visit the NRDC Greening Advisor.