Technology News: Green Tech

New Calif. Standard Nixes Energy-Guzzling Flat-Screen TVs
November 19, 2009

California regulators have adopted the nation's first energy-efficiency standards for televisions, a move that will eventually ban power-hungry sets from the state's store shelves. Wednesday's action by the California Energy Commission could lead the way in a general reform of standards for an industry increasingly focused on wide-view, flat-screen, high-definition sets.

Trashing IT Hardware the Responsible Way
November 19, 2009

Disposing of obsolete and broken electronic devices, or e-waste, is not as simple as taking out the trash. Heavy metals and other poisonous contaminants can leak into the environment if electronic equipment is not properly processed. Without foresight, discarded data is also at risk of unintended exposure.

Gore Optimistic China, US Will Unite to Tackle Climate Crisis
October 21, 2009

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday that cooperation between China and the U.S., the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, is crucial to tackling the climate change crisis. "The strategic partnership between the United States and China, as it is beginning to emerge, is a fateful one, an important one, a crucial one," Gore said.

The New Darling of the Green-Tech Movement
October 20, 2009

Until recently, Apple was a little too ripe for the green scale. Environmentalists raised a stink over the company's use of toxic chemicals, its refusal to publicly release its carbon emissions, and its overall sorry showing in industry green rankings. "Well, it's important we give Apple credit for the data they just released," said Greenpeace's Casey Harrell, "because it has definitely raised the bar."

California May Lead US in Setting Green-TV Standards
October 14, 2009

California utilities and environmental groups Tuesday urged state energy regulators to ban the most power-hungry televisions from stores as a way to lower electricity demand. A rule before the California Energy Commission would impose the nation's first energy-efficiency requirements for flat-screen TVs, a mandatory standard that is expected to be copied by other states.

The US' Perilous Path to Energy Enslavement
September 28, 2009

Hidden in the messaging at the Intel Developer Forum last week was a goal to dramatically lower U.S. electricity bills and save the country from becoming an energy slave to China by 2020. At the core of this is the view that the current Obama administration may be focused on the right things but in the wrong order.

Working Your Way to a Greener SMB
September 28, 2009

Big businesses often use big bucks to go green. Small businesses, on the other hand, haven't a dollar to spare even for a good cause like saving the environment. Shouldn't they just pass on the whole green scheme -- at least until the economy improves? Not necessarily.

Obama Signals US Ready to Take On Climate Change
September 22, 2009

President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared that the United States is a serious partner in combating global warming, telling world peers "we are determined to act." "The journey is hard, and we don't have much time left to make it," Obama said in brief remarks at a high-level climate summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

DoE Spins Up Flywheel Energy Ideas
September 22, 2009

Spinning flywheels have been used for centuries for jobs from making pottery to running steam engines. Now the ancient tool has been given a new job by a Massachusetts company: smooth out the electricity flow, and do it fast and clean. Beacon Power's flywheels will make the electric grid more efficient and green, the company says.

GM Fuel Cell Test Racks Up 1M Miles
September 11, 2009

General Motors is now 1 million miles into its fuel cell experiment and company officials say having everyday people drive a test fleet of pollution-free cars has convinced them they are on the right track. The automaker on Friday said it passed the 1 million-miles-driven mark in its fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, with about 5,000 people rotating in and out of more than 100 cars over the past 25 months.

There's Gold in China's Green Tech Potential
September 10, 2009

China potentially could be a $500-billion-to-$1-trillion-a-year market for environmentally sustainable "green technologies," a group of businesses and experts said in a report Thursday that urges governments to ease the way for such initiatives. The report by the China Greentech Initiative pinpointed opportunities from 300 potential green technology options for China.

Does Green Matter to You?
September 07, 2009

I'm at IFA as I write this, and in Europe, green clearly does matter. Here, they even have a viable Green Party, but in the U.S., I sometimes wonder whether we care. This was showcased in a presentation in which Sony ranked geographical areas in terms of the importance of green, and the U.S. came in last.

Does Your Cloud Have a Green Lining?
August 27, 2009

Although the ultimate definition of "the cloud" remains elusive to vendors and end users alike, the cloud represents the next major paradigm shift in the IT industry and business computing. Coinciding with the emergence of cloud computing, green IT and sustainability are becoming integral components of corporate strategies in top-performing organizations.

Smart Meters and Security: Locking Up the Grid
August 06, 2009

Despite reports earlier this year about spies penetrating the computers that help control America's electrical grid, utility companies appear to be slow in clamping down on security, and that perception has led to a tongue-lashing from a House of Representatives committee.

Keys to an Even Greener Data Center
August 05, 2009

In today's world of hybrid cars and wind farms, consuming energy wisely is on every individual's agenda. Companies and their IT departments should be no different. Statistics aside, there is no doubt that collectively data centers have a huge "carbon footprint" and are the biggest or one of the biggest consumers of energy in every company.

The Microhoo Union: Tiny Prenup, Rough Honeymoon, Separate Bedrooms
July 31, 2009

The hour has come round at last for the birth of the beast known as Microhoo, a monster with the head of Steve Ballmer and the body of Carol Bartz. The two have been making kissy faces at each other for years -- the two companies, figuratively; not the two people, literally ... to the best of my knowledge, anyway. Now it seems Yahoo and Microsoft have finally done the deed.