Climate Technology

Price Guys Finish First

Toyota plans to cut price of its hybrids Aching for a Toyota Prius hybrid, but wilting at the thought of shelling out $3,500 or more over the price of a conventional car? Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe is thinking of you: He’s directed the company’s engineering chief to halve the price difference between a hybrid and […]

Nicole Rycroft, recycled-paper pusher, answers questions

Nicole Rycroft. With what environmental organization are you affiliated? I’m the campaigns director for Markets Initiative. What does your organization do? We work to completely transform heavy paper-consuming industries in Canada (e.g., book, magazine, and newspaper sectors) — to shift them away from papers originating from ancient or endangered forests and to reduce their overall […]

Photovoltaic Finish

California’s Million Solar Roofs bill dies in legislature Partisan squabbling effectively killed California’s closely watched Million Solar Roofs legislation last week, as the state Assembly session ended on Thursday with no vote on the bill. The measure, which would have dramatically boosted the state’s use of solar power by providing incentives for businesses and homeowners […]

Net Loss

Katrina has wiped out Louisiana’s fishing industry This should be the height of Louisiana’s shrimp and oyster season, but the state’s $2.7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry may be another casualty of Hurricane Katrina. The region’s fishers, shrimpers, and oyster harvesters typically supply the U.S. with about 30 percent of its seafood, and the industry employs […]

How to green your company’s cafeteria

Let’s do lunch … right. © Corbis. “Got anything green to eat?” That’s probably not a question you hear much around your company’s cafeteria, but you might soon. A growing number of companies are thinking about the environmental impacts of the food they serve. And along the way, the oft-maligned institutional food is giving way […]

Petal Pusher

Entrepreneur sees vast potential for organic flower industry Gerald Prolman is a man with an organic-flower plan. The California entrepreneur is not only after a significant chunk of the $20 billion-a-year cut-flower industry in the U.S. — he’s hopeful that cultivating demand for organic bouquets will transform grower practices in Latin America and Africa, where […]

Seventh Generation partners with Target

In the summer of its ground-breaking ad buy of an entire issue of the New Yorker, Target has also begun a pilot project to sell Seventh Generation's eco-friendly household products.

This is not your father's mega-retailer.

Your Love Is Liftin’ Me Hybrider

California dealers jacking up prices for scarce hybrids Californians may find themselves paying up to $4,000 over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for a gas-electric Toyota Prius — if they can get their hands on one at all. Folks hankering for a Honda Civic or Insight hybrid also face dealer premiums and lean supply. Thanks […]

Seriously, now — why aren’t organics getting affordable?

So you like whole-grain bread, pesticide-free plums, and low-fat meat? Better ask for a raise. A recent study by researchers at the University of California-Davis reported that U.S. shoppers who consistently choose healthy foods spend nearly 20 percent more on groceries. The study also said the higher price of these healthier choices can consume 35 […]

Will hard-won environmental and social gains survive China’s economic rise?

The way China has catapulted itself onto the Monopoly board of global capitalism has caught most Western leaders on the hop. Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid looking back at their pursuers, top U.S. and European Union businesspeople are wondering, “Who are those guys?” Yuan-a make a deal? After all, how much do we […]