Climate Technology

But why?

Peter Madden, chief executive of Forum for the Future, writes a monthly column for Gristmill on sustainability in the U.K. and Europe.

British supermarkets are now competing to go green. Two big retailers have just launched initiatives to tackle climate change.

Marks & Spencer, which sells food and clothing to Britain's middle classes, promised this month to cut waste, sell fair-trade products, and make the company carbon neutral within five years. Environmentalists praised its 100-point "eco-plan." Greenpeace U.K. said, "If every retailer in Britain followed Marks & Spencer's lead, it would be a major step forward in meeting the challenge of creating a sustainable society."

Later the same week, Tesco, one of the top five retailers in the world, set out its own stall on climate change. As the giant of British supermarkets -- one in every eight dollars spent in British shops goes into its tills -- Tesco is in a similar position to Wal-Mart in the U.S., and faces many of the same criticisms.

Davos and Goliath

This year, World Economic Forum can’t avoid climate change Every year, some 2,000 business and political leaders descend on snowy Davos, Switzerland, for an unrivaled meeting of minds and money. As the five-day World Economic Forum kicks off today, attendees will tackle an issue of great concern: how to get Bono’s autograph. Also, some of […]

Senate bills and corporate coalition push Washington toward climate action

Will January 2007 prove to be a tipping point for U.S. climate-change policy? Already this month we’ve seen a barrage of high-profile activity — and President Bush hasn’t even given his State of the Union address yet. Are we at a tipping point? First there was a rapid-fire succession of four major climate-change bills proposed […]

They Grow Up So Fast

Corporations join green groups to push for U.S. climate action Quivering under the bed was an option, but 10 major corporations have bravely formed a coalition with four U.S. green groups instead, calling for a national limit on carbon emissions. Their aim is a 10 to 30 percent cut over the next 15 years, using […]

China got troubles

DR: Bush’s token response to global warming is to argue for clean coal and nuclear power. To the extent he’s involved in any international discussion, it’s the Pacific pact, a trade deal with these emerging markets for old coal and nuclear technology. TT: Bush jumps in a long list of presidents of both parties who […]

Ted Again

Cable magnate Ted Turner forms solar-energy business partnership Remember Ted Turner? Tall fellow, gray hair, owned a lotta cable TV and a lotta land and was married to Jane Fonda? Yeah, that one. Well, he’s back, and he’s sinking some of his legendary wealth into solar technology. Partnering with four-year-old, New Jersey-based Dome-Tech Solar, the […]

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is Fined

Insurer slapped with $2.5 million penalty in post-Katrina jury decision If a house falls in the Gulf Coast region and no insurer is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Heck yes — in this case, a $2.7 million boom that’s ricocheting around the country. Yesterday, a federal jury ordered insurance company State […]

Dude, You’re Gettin’ a Conscience

PC honcho Michael Dell announces new green initiatives Amidst the energy-sucking glitz of Las Vegas, PC magnate Michael Dell announced that his eponymous company is greening up, and encouraged others to follow suit. Dell addressed two green-itiatives at an International Consumer Electronics Show speech yesterday. The first, a new partnership with carbon-offset provider Carbonfund, will […]

Chinese company to make plug-in hybrid

I've long (at least 6 months anyway) said that the best thing that could happen to jumpstart the production of plug-in hybrids by American car companies would be for a Chinese car company to announce its intentions to build the same.

Talkin’ ‘Bout Our Generations

How to deal with the generation gap in the eco-workplace Close to 50 percent of environmental professionals and managers will soon be eligible for retirement, a prospect that has their employers worried. But more importantly, asks Kevin Doyle of the Environmental Careers Organization, what if they don’t actually retire anytime soon? It means we’re all […]