With Congress poised to review President Trump’s proposal to cut the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31%, it’s important to look at what the EPA does. One of the coolest EPA programs is the Small Business Innovation Grant (SBIR) program that provides much-needed seed funds to very early stage start-ups. Listen to… Continue reading Funding Eco-Start-ups – April Richards, EPA SBIR Program
We all seek to venture out to nature But, imagine all you’ve know is streets. Imagine that as a result, you’re afraid of nature….as an unknown. Imagine a mentor takes you to the river for the first time, and hikes along the river, and your eyes open…. That’s what Alisha Camacho is doing with her students in Anacostia and she’s producing a documentary about it, called “Anacostia Unplugged,” in this great interview from our archives.
With the Trump administration having pulled out of the historic Paris Climate Accord, we thought it a good time to re-air our fascinating episode with the woman on the front lines of implementing that accord: Rachel Kyte, CEO of the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy for All Programme.
Kyte articulates the impetus for the Paris Climate Accord in the first place – and how it can be implemented. It’s a fine dance of diplomacy, technology, science, negotiation, creative business and financial modeling, and entrenched positions – with human survival in the balance.
If you think CEOs didn’t have to endure frustrating career obstacles like yours, the anecdotes from top women CEOs shared here will surprise you, and maybe comfort you. They also illustrate how to navigate them and various daily workplace dynamics and hazards that are the stepping stones on a corporate career path, especially as a… Continue reading Career, Workplace Tips from Top CEOs – Joann Lublin, Wall Street Journal, Author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World
Maybe you have a great idea or new app you developed that you’re itching to bring to life. Maybe you have a friend who does… Or, maybe you’re an entrepreneur who is running out of funds and fears not being able to continue. If this rings a bell, listen up. This podcast provides vital information about a federal grant program you can apply for. There’s no guarantee you’ll be approved, but you certainly won’t get it if you do not apply. It’s called the Small Business Innovation Research – or SBIR – grants (or STTRs). About half a dozen federal agencies offer them, all with different criteria. The SBIR program we’re talking about today is from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has an open agenda, focused on the potential of the technology to make a big positive societal impact if it succeeds.
Why do we miss potentially dangerous trends, “a series of warnings and visible evidence”? It might be climate change, water scarcity, an infrastructure that is falling apart beneath our feet, terrorist threats, or an approaching business competitor or trend we had ignored, for example. How do we train ourselves to seepotential dangers we’re missing early enough to address them? Listen to author and global business strategy leader Michele Wucker with Green Connections Radio.
The U.S. infrastructure is literally crumbling beneath our feet and wheels. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave it a D+ in 2017. Cars are falling into sink holes from roads that literally sink, or falling into the water when a bridge collapses. Water pipes are breaking and leaking toxins into our drinking water. Subways… Continue reading 21st Century Infrastructure – Kelly Carnes, TechVision21
With so much innovation in the energy sector, the rapid expansion of renewable energy, development of a “smart grid” and the Internet of Things technologies, the utilities have to evolve too. And, without dropping any service to anyone, ever.
So, what’s a utility to do to survive – and to thrive? Enter Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power in Vermont, who was chosen as one of Fast Company’s most innovative people. She’s turning the business model of a utility on its head, and retains the support of her board because she’s succeeding in every way – customer service ratings in the 90%s and generating sold financial results. How? Listen up.
When we see the menu in an oyster bar, we see a list of sources of oysters from across the globe. Usually we order a couple each from different sources. But Florida oyster farms are not likely on the menu – yet. Where restaurants and markets obtain their oysters from matters – in taste, price,… Continue reading Oyster Farming – Kay Olin, Panacea Oyster Cooperative
ARPA-E, the innovation arm of the Department of Energy plays a pivotal role in nurturing promising new energy-related technologies that will improve our lives and reduce our costs and carbon footprints, including through increased use of renewable energy sources. A fundamental challenge to increasing the use of renewable energy is the intermittency issue – the… Continue reading Appliance Power! – Paul Hines, Packetized Energy & Univ. of Vermont, ARPA-E
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