Indian Women and Energy

Why the two are inextricably connected Hinsi Hazda, rushes to finish her daily chores as the sun sets in Tentala, Odisha, India. Like many rural hamlets in India, Hinsi’s village of Tentala is off the power grid, and the only way to see well enough to complete her daily chores is by the light of… Continue reading Indian Women and Energy

Transformational Technologies on the Frontier of the Green Economy

What technologies today offer credible solutions to “green” the economy and provide a hard dollar return on investment? There are plenty of “nice ideas,” but the key is for them to be economically sustainable and pragmatic. Pragmatic. That means they work and can improve profitability or reduce costs substantially and attract investment to deploy them.… Continue reading Transformational Technologies on the Frontier of the Green Economy

Economics of Green Energy

Secretary Chu and Elon Musk, participating in a fireside chat at the ARPA-E convention. Steve Clemmons moderated the event.Photo Credit: Sarah Gerrity, Energy Department Date Taken: 02/26/2013 -14:18 In the current global economic climate, does the investment in green energy make sense? With the U.S. mired in political gridlock, “sequester” spending cuts taking effect, and… Continue reading Economics of Green Energy

Recyclable Packaging and Products: From Valentine’s Bouquets to Disappearing Packaging

As I opened my new set of headphones, I kept thinking, “They must not really want me to use this product.” Why else would they make it so hard to open? And, as an eco-conscious person, how would all this plastic damage the planet? My brain went from my garbage can to the landfill to… Continue reading Recyclable Packaging and Products: From Valentine’s Bouquets to Disappearing Packaging

Jon Freedman: On the Importance of Water Reuse

Global Government Relations Leader for GE Water & Process Technologies, Freedman argues that water reuse is essential for the world’s future water security and to protect the environment. We live in a world where some one billion people in 43 countries inhabit areas that are chronically short of water.  Here in the United States, 36… Continue reading Jon Freedman: On the Importance of Water Reuse

Be a Macabee with Hadassah: This Hanukkah, Take Action for the Environment!

from Hadassah.org – courtesy of Thelma Michelson In the story of Hanukkah, a small amount of oil, which should have lasted for only one day, miraculously sustained a flame for eight days. When it comes to the consumption of the world’s natural resources we are, unfortunately, unable to make them stretch as far as the… Continue reading Be a Macabee with Hadassah: This Hanukkah, Take Action for the Environment!

Driving Innovation at Fashion Week 2012: Sustainability and Independence

Fashion Week 2012 in New York this past week showed that the latest muse is sustainability, and that this values-driven focus is giving birth to a stronger independent streak as well. Some of us thought it was settled that “sustainable” meant triple bottom line — people, planet, profit. But because the “profit” part gets tricky… Continue reading Driving Innovation at Fashion Week 2012: Sustainability and Independence

Assault On Women’s Reproductive Rights And Gender Equality At Rio+20

by Rebecca Lefton Rio +20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, is renewing international conversations about how to simultaneously address poverty, protect the environment, and maintain balanced economic growth.  If progress is to be made, the agenda must reflect that achieving gender equality is intimately tied to achieving these other goals, as well as being… Continue reading Assault On Women’s Reproductive Rights And Gender Equality At Rio+20

These Students Remind Us What We Can Do — and Rio+20 Reminds Us What We Must Do

While the environmentalists and the Olympic planners in London argue over which shade of green is more valuable — environmental green or greenbacks, that is, whether to accept or reject Dow and BP’s sponsorships — the finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Business Plan Competition showed us where we really need to focus:… Continue reading These Students Remind Us What We Can Do — and Rio+20 Reminds Us What We Must Do

Green Economy + Women = Economic Growth

“Would you call a police officer who uses a computer system in his car…part of the high-tech economy?  Probably not, but he’s using a computer every day to do his job and it’s fundamentally changing his job. “The green economy is sort of similar to that in that it’s a set of industries and occupations… Continue reading Green Economy + Women = Economic Growth