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Problem #9: Waste Disposal
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: The United States alone annually produces 1.4 billion tons of waste, and most winds up in landfills. Not everything can be recycled and incinerators emit dioxins and toxic ash.
The solution: Montreal-based PyroGenesis has refined a process, called plasma arc gasification, in which solid waste is fed into a furnace. There, extreme electrical charges break it down into three marketable byproducts: a gas that can be converted into steam or electricity; metal ingots that can be resold; and a glassy solid that can be processed into material for floor tiles or gravel.
The payoff: Carnival Cruises uses a PyroGenesis system to shrink tons of cabin waste into a few pounds of harmless sand. The U.S. Navy has hired PyroGenesis to develop plasma waste systems for new industrial aircraft carriers.
The opportunity: An estimated $40 billion is spent annually to transport, incinerate, recycle, and store waste in the United States alone. Most industry experts say the technology is still several years away from widespread commercial use. Dozens of early-stage startups, meanwhile, are developing related products in niche markets for medical and other hazardous wastes.
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Problem #8: Drug-Resistant Infections
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Bacterial infections once easily treated with antibiotics have gained frightening resistance during the past few decades. In 1974 just 2 percent of the most common form of staph infections found in hospitals were resistant to the common antibiotic methicillin; today more than 60 percent are impervious. This year nearly 2 million Americans will get bacterial infections while in a hospital; 90,000 of them will die.
The solution: New classes of antibiotics. Massachusetts-based biotech Cubist Pharmaceuticals released Cubicin in 2003 as a treatment for serious skin infections. In 2006 it was approved for bloodstream infections.
The payoff: Cubist, which went public in 1996, has brought in more than $320 million in Cubicin sales so far, making it the most successful new intravenous antibiotic ever. Third-quarter sales hit $50 million, a 65 percent jump from 2005, and annual revenue is expected to reach $200 million by 2008. Cubist has two new anti-infective drugs in the pipeline, awaiting FDA approval.
The opportunity: A handful of biotechs, including Basilea, Oscient, and Paratek, are already chasing new classes of antibiotics but have yet to get federal approval for their top prospects.
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Problem #7: Epidemics
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Avian flu, SARS, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases could wipe out entire populations. But early detection and quick response are tough in many developing countries.
The solution: A techie, a social entrepreneur, and a former government official teamed up to launch Voxiva, a real-time epidemic-tracking system for isolated places with little or no technology. Health-care workers access the network through the Web, cell phones, landlines, and even radio. Health authorities analyze their reports and respond. India purchased Voxiva to track the spread of disease after the tsunami, Rwanda is using it for HIV, and Indonesia has started a pilot program to help speed up reporting of avian flu.
The payoff: After five years the Washington-based firm has nearly 100 employees and offices in the United States, Peru, and India. Though privately held Voxiva won’t disclose revenue, company officials say it’s growing by double-digit percentages each year.
The opportunity: Tracking epidemics is just one emerging business. There is rising demand for long-distance learning systems (via phone or PC) that sharpen field workers’ skills, and for systems that link big-city specialists with remote areas.
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Problem #6: Overfishing
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Overfishing is depleting wild ocean fish stocks and threatening the $158 billion commercial fishing industry.
The solution: Hawaii startup Kona Blue is pioneering deepwater aquaculture to farm ocean fish. Although many companies grow freshwater tilapia and catfish, few have succeeded in farming flavorful deep-sea fish like yellowtail tuna and swordfish. Privately held Kona Blue raises a yellowtail-like fish off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii - half a mile out to sea and 30 feet down.
Marine biologists Dale Sarver and Neil Anthony Sims raise Hawaiian amberjack, a native species that is called kampachi in Japan. Unlike most fish farms, Kona fish are raised in a controlled environment from hatch until harvest. The fish, called Kona Kampachi, retails for about $20 a pound.
The payoff: Former Horizon Organic chairman Tom McCloskey, now Kona Blue’s chairman, says sales will reach $8 million to $10 million in 2007, up from just $2 million last year. Kona Blue is sold at select Whole Foods stores and served at the tables of top restaurants like the French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley.
The opportunity: Kona Blue does not yet have any direct competitors employing its fish-farming techniques, though a couple of companies are gearing up their operations.
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Problem #5: Dirty Water
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: More than a billion people lack access to drinkable water. Nearly 5,000 children die each day from waterborne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid.
The solution: WaterHealth International, based in Lake Forest, Calif., sells miniature water-treatment plants to the developing world. WaterHealth locates a source - a nearby river or well - and builds a delivery system to get the water to its garage-size WaterHealth Centre. There, water is piped through filters and a 15-pound ultraviolet disinfection device that removes all but .01 percent of bacteria and viruses.
The system has no moving parts, and the UV lamp needs just 60 watts of power, which can be supplied by a car battery. Installation costs a 6,000-person village about $10 per person.
The payoff: WaterHealth operates more than 500 systems in Asia, Africa, and Central America, delivering water to an estimated 500,000 people. The privately held company won’t disclose its revenue, but its typical installation brings in as much as $50,000. WaterHealth expects to turn a profit next year.
The opportunity: WaterHealth estimates that there are about 2 billion people without access to clean water or whose water supplies could be improved with filtering.
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Problem #4: Dirty Air
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Three billion households worldwide depend on wood and charcoal to prepare food, but a person cooking over an open fire that’s burning wood or kerosene inhales the equivalent of the smoke from two packs of cigarettes a day. Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 and kill 1.6 million people overall each year.
The solution: Sun Ovens International, based in Elburn, Ill., sells a family-size solar oven for $259 that’s used in 130 countries. A much larger solar cooker, including a trailer and a set of pots and pans, sells for $10,500 and is designed for schools, hospitals, and orphanages. The solar oven uses mirrors to redirect the sun’s rays into an insulated box.
The ovens have been popular in Haiti; the United States and Canadian militaries will use them for humanitarian projects in Afghanistan, and they’ll soon be available in Uganda and Nepal.
The payoff: Sun Ovens has sold about 32,000 of its family-size ovens and 260 institutional units. Last year it generated $720,000 in revenue.
The opportunity: Sun’s CEO estimates there’s a worldwide market for more than 300 million family-size solar ovens, which would generate at least $75 million in revenue annually.
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Problem #3: Hunger and Malnutrition
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: More than 850 million people live in a state of hunger.
The solution: Nutriset, a private French company, has a hit on its hands. Plumpy’nut, its patented nutritional supplement, was distributed to an estimated 500,000 children last year - double the number in 2005 and up from just 120,000 in 2004. One 3-ounce packet delivers 500 calories. Plumpy’nut is a thick brown paste made from ground peanuts, sugar, and powdered milk, fortified with vitamins and minerals. Plumpy’nut isn’t perishable and travels easily.
The payoff: Orders from big buyers like Unicef helped Nutriset’s sales topped $25 million in 2006, up from $6.5 million in 2001. Nutriset reinvests 80 percent of its profit - or about $2.5 million during the past year - into developing new products, and the firm is partnering with entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Niger to produce Plumpy’nut locally.
The opportunity: With no direct competitors and so many hungry people on the planet, Nutriset’s future growth looks certain. Sometimes the best solution to a big problem is a small one.
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Problem #2: Oil Dependency
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Transportation is second only to electricity generation as a contributor to global warming. While manufacturers have dramatically cut exhaust emissions from standard cars, they’re only starting to do so for 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles powered by diesel engines.
The solution: Westport Innovations has developed a conversion technology, called high-pressure direct injection (HPDI), that allows diesel engines to run on cleaner-burning liquid natural gas. Last year the EPA certified HPDI for commercial use.
The payoff: Starting this year, operators of 5,000 diesel trucks must convert to natural gas, and Westport, based in British Columbia, has the first-mover advantage.
The opportunity: Global diesel engine sales will hit $160 billion this year. Washington-based Energy Conversions is selling natural-gas retrofits for locomotive engines and power generators used in offshore drilling. And major diesel manufacturers are inventing new filters to meet tough new standards. Other companies, like California-based Clean Energy, are ramping up the infrastructure for LNG filling stations.
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Problem #1: Global Warming
While doing my blog research, I ran across these jewels from CNN about the problems we will face in the future as a people. Being kind to your planet is an answer to much of these problems as you will see.
The background: Carbon dioxide makes up nearly 80 percent of all greenhouse gases. More than a quarter of that CO2 comes from electrical power plants.
The solution: Wind power, thanks to recent breakthroughs in turbine and transmission technology; it’s also 70 percent cheaper than solar power. In May, Dublin-based Airtricity, the world’s fastest-growing wind developer, announced plans for a European supergrid - a network of 2,000 offshore wind turbines in the North Atlantic. The grid would initially supply 10,000 megawatts to 8 million homes.
The payoff: Founded just seven years ago, Airtricity is on track to bring in $657 million in revenue by 2010. The company operates 16 wind farms in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
The opportunity: Airtricity is already lobbying for government approvals. But there’s opportunity for other wind producers to start banding together, since scale is what’s needed most to lift wind out of the “alternative” market.
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A few Sites
I constantly refer to different “Go Green” sites. Recycling and the environment are pieces of information that should be shared. Here are a few of my favorites.
http://www.journaltimes.com/go_green/
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/
http://www.idealbite.com/
http://www.worldwatch.org/
http://www.treehugger.com
http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/gogreen/
http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/
http://www.howtogogreen.com/
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Green@ Work #10
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Your Work Environment
Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.
Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won’t off-gas toxic chemicals.
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Green@ Work #9
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
The Commute
Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.
Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that’s also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.
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Green@Work #8
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Business Travel
Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.
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Green@ Work #7
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Your Own Eating Habits
Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.
Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.
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Green@ Work #6
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Quick and Easy
Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.
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Green@work #5
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Recycle More
Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.
Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.
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Green @ Work #4
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Sans Paper Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.
Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They’re easier to update that way too.
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Green @ Work #3
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Printing The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.
Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.
Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge “keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills…and conserves about a half gallon of oil.”
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Green @ Work #2
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Your PC Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it’s plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you’re still burning energy even if you’re not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn’t need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don’t save energy.
Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)
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Green @ work #1
Well I have given some tips about green building, green cars, even a green Christmas. Well somewhere that we all go pretty much daily, is work. Our friends at the Sierra Club offer the following tips:
Your Lights at Work Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.
Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you’re leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.
Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they’re not needed.
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Green Auto #8
No, we’re not talking about buying a car/truck that has a green hue, we’re talking about trying to make sure your second largest purchase can save you money and help the environment.
Your route.
I think that sometime way back in 2007 I mentioned this, but it still rings true. If you are going out for a day of chores, plan your trips out on paper. Don’t go from your house in Shadowwood to visit your friend in Oakwood Estates, then come back to Walmart to get some groceries, then go over to Joe Bucks to get some coffee, back to Lowes for a hammer.
Make the map, do them in a logical order so you can make one big circle.
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Bryan, I’m just checking on my hometown (MHS ‘66). Very pleased to see your very practical commentary.
... read the full comment by Will Howard | Comment on Oh the weather outside is frightful #2 Read Oh the weather outside is frightful #2