Category Archives: transportation
Is Clean Water Vs. Dirty Air a Good Trade-Off?
Do you need to put 5,000 more cars to the road to get clean drinking water? I find the trade-offs that arise in energy development, environmental protection and human health fascinating. Over the years I’ve written on this topic a few times: … Continue reading
Filed under climate change, emissions, grid, transportation, utilities, water
Is Your Company Ready to Go Zero Waste to Landfill?
By Anna Munie, CHMM Companies that divert solid waste from landfills are not only protecting the environment. Many are saving substantial amounts of money. Subaru now reaps yearly savings in the millions from its waste diversion programs, for instance. Some … Continue reading
Filed under transportation, waste management
Technology Makes Bridge Simile Obsolete
A week’s holiday in the U.K. drew my attention to a recent news story over there: how a much-loved simile featuring a much-loved engineering marvel, is about to become obsolete. Scotland’s Forth Railway Bridge, a 2.5 kilometer steel bridge, was … Continue reading
Filed under transportation
New-Vehicle Stickers and Nits
The U.S. federal government yesterday revealed the new window stickers that will be required on vehicles starting in the 2013 model year. The new labels provide more information about fuel economy, CO2 emissions and smog impacts and are intended help consumers consider … Continue reading
Filed under emissions, Life Cycle Assessment, transportation
How Finance Departments Do Sustainability
When your company makes sustainability a part of its strategy, it looks for ways to embed sustainability thinking through the organization. In some departments, it’s pretty clear what that entails. Product development may seek sustainably sourced materials or designs that are … Continue reading
Filed under efficiency, illumination, Supply chain, sustainability, transportation, water
Electric Vehicles: Lessons from Consumer Technology
A common critique of green products is that they require changes in consumer behavior to deliver environmental benefits or that they cost too much, or both. That critique fails to acknowledge that higher costs and changes in behavior are often the hallmark of … Continue reading
Filed under transportation
Two Approaches to Cleaning up Dirty Ports
Can targeted economic incentives clean up an industry? Or does real change require a fundamental, government-backed restructuring? That’s the question raised by two different clean-up approaches being pursued by U.S. ports. Ports are a vital link in international trade. But they … Continue reading
Filed under emissions, incentives, transportation
Solar Powered Cars?
I’ve been monkeying with energy statistics long enough to know that, as with any statistics, with enough ingenuity you can find some number somewhere to prove your point. My goal on this blog has not been to prove points but … Continue reading
Filed under biofuels, efficiency, solar, transportation
Buffett Buys Burlington Northern: The Green Dimension
Warren Buffet’s decision this week to acquire railroad freight company Burlington Northern Santa Fe highlights questions about the the business cycle in the U.S. and the prospects for rail transport. It also shines a light on the influence of sustainability … Continue reading
Filed under efficiency, sustainability, transportation
Is a Near-Empty Train Worse than Driving?
Riding between New York and Boston last week on a comfortable and uncrowded Amtrak Acela train it dawned on me that my comfort came at a price. An uncrowded train meant Amtrak was not earning as much revenue as it … Continue reading
Filed under transportation
My Clean, Green, Sustainable Reading List
Over the last few months I’ve been reading through the literature on clean tech, energy and sustainability. In case you are looking for suggestions, I can recommend any or all of these. If you have any reactions or suggestions for … Continue reading
Filed under biofuels, carbon, coal, efficiency, emissions, energy prices, energy storage, grid, illumination, natural gas, oil, solar, sustainability, transportation, water
Will the Surge in Natural Gas Reserves Change Our Energy Future?
Image by Getty Images via Daylife Coal reserves have plunged. And natural gas reserves have soared. It might seem like divine intervention by carbon-hating gods. But it raises some questions. Reforming natural gas into hydrogen is one of the cheapest … Continue reading
Filed under coal, natural gas, transportation
Unintended Consequences, Part II: Air vs. Water
I recently posted on the unintended consequences that often come along with energy technologies. An article by Forest Reinhardt in the Harvard Business Review 10 years ago presented a framework for making environmental strategy and investment decisions. It also provided … Continue reading
Filed under emissions, transportation, water
Hydrogen-Powered Cars Less Likely
The odds are tilting away from fuel cells and toward battery-powered vehicles, as the U.S. cuts off funding for automotive fuel cells. Continue reading
Filed under carbon, transportation
Getting Ready for Electric Vehicles
In an effort to promote the development of a market for electric cars, the Rocky Mountain Institute is working to identify and eliminate the barriers that stand in the way. They’ve just released a “menu” (pdf) of actions that cities … Continue reading
Filed under grid, transportation
