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Saving the World, Having Fun, and Making Money RMI's Blog...and More by Cory Lowe, Media & Outreach Specialist. Fueling the Case for Biofuels 20 October 2006 Topic: Energy I've caught a few things in the news lately about well-known venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and they have me intrigued. For starters, he was the keynote speaker at the annual Solar Power 2006 trade show in San Jose. We, here at RMI, have long been proponents of solar energy and we employ the technology on our super-efficient headquarters building. If you're interested, you can take an virtual tour of RMI's headquarter building, see: www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid591.php. But more importantly, Mr. Khosla penned what I think is a great article in the October 2006 edition of Wired Magazine titled "My Big Biofuels Bet." He discusses in detail a farm in Mead, Nebraska that he is about to invest a large sum of money in. The farm is gearing up to produce corn-based ethanol. The interesting thing about this operation is that the electricity needed to power the digester will come from recovering methane emitted from the cattle waste. The waste itself will be used as fertilizer for the cornfields. It's an almost closed-loop cycle which will improve the energy-balance of corn-based ethanol, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the farm, and pave the way for further development of cellulosic ethanol which many feel holds more promise than corn-based ethanol…all topics that Mr. Khosla addresses in the article. You can read it at: www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.10/ethanol.html. A major part of the strategy that is laid out in RMI's Winning the Oil Endgame (www.oilendgame.com) is the substitution of oil with advanced biofuels such as ethanol. If this facility in Nebraska and others like it prove to be viable, this could be a great step in the right direction towards kicking America's addiction to oil. —Cory…off to Vermont to watch the cows "create energy"… "Googling" Around  03 October 2006Topic: Energy We here at RMI have been big fans of Google and their search engine for quite some time—their Google Earth program is great way to loose track of time (See: www.earth.google.com). Ever since we helped them figure out a way to offset some of the company's greenhouse gas emissions (See: "RMI Explores Greenhouse Gas Offsets for Google", RMI Solutions, Summer 2006), we've been interested in their business practices. There have been two stories surrounding Google that caught my attention recently. First, Google announced the launching of www.google.org, a philanthropic arm of the company. The New York Times picked up on it right away. With lots of capital at its disposal, google.org is armed to donate money to a wide variety of good causes. But, what makes their foundation different is that they’re not going to register as a non-profit. They fully intend to keep making money in order to have even more money to share. Interesting concept. Company executives plan to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists, and even lobby Congress. Their first philanthropic is a collaboration with various automakers to see if they can build a 100-mpg car. Second, the October 2, 2006 edition of Fortune magazine did an extensive feature on the management structure at Google (see: www.fortune.com). They pretty much compare the environment to one of a college campus, with lots of young, smart engineers creating chaos. Google strongly believes that chaos is one of the strengths of the company because it’s means they’re constantly innovating and moving fast. In fact, the article tells a story of a female employee who makes a mistake that costs Google a million dollars. After fessing up to the company brass, she was not punished. In fact, the executive whom she apologized to was happy that the company was still moving so fast. Now, that’s a company I’d like to work for! —Cory…off to "Google Earth" my house… The Greenest Office in America 29 September 2006 Topic: Built Environment Adobe Systems engineers and manufactures a variety of software packages, including their Creative Suite, which RMI's Art Director, Robin S., loves working with. Now, the company can lay claim to having the greenest office in America. The story began with a company employee asking executives if individual coffee creamer containers were producing more waste than one large container. That prompted the company to green a variety of features at the San Jose, California headquarters. You can read the full story in the September 2006 edition of Business 2.0 magazine, See: www.money.cnn.com/magazines/business2. The upgrades at the office include automatic faucets, waterless urinals, timed electrical outages of certain systems, compact fluorescent light bulbs, motion sensors, and alternative transportation systems among other things. These features earned the building LEED Platinum status, a remarkable achievement in the field. RMI's new office in Boulder, Colorado also earned LEED Platinum status recently and while our team didn't work on the Adobe building, you can check out everything that our Built Environment team does at: www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid168.php. —Cory…off to give tour of RMI's energy efficient building… Sir Richard Branson, Fueling Ideas 25 September 2006 Topic: Energy When the September 21 announcement by British entrepreneur Richard Branson said that he would donate all of the profits from his five airlines and train company into energy sources that don’t contribute to global warming was made, it produced no small amount of criticism. Some criticized his own worldwide jet-setting. Another critic suggested he’s simply going to invest in his own companies. Some have called into question the tax implications, and have suggested the commitment will ultimately benefit Branson. Well, they might’ve spoken too soon, because according to the man himself—it’s not just talk. He is acting, too. In the days following Branson’s announcement he’s made a few more comments about what he’s up to. Apparently one of those things is developing a new fuel. Virgin Fuel, as it will be called, will not be ethanol-based, but Sir Richard assured Business 2.0 reporter Carleen Hawn that it would be a clean fuel, and that he thinks it’ll be useable in a wide range of vehicles. On September 28, Branson revealed another effort: a scheme to reduce as much as 25 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions from the world’s aircraft. It involves planes being towed out onto runways so they need not use their main engines for taxiing. Sir Richard is already acting on this idea too, and he has begun writing to airports and governments around the world. Clearly, he has ideas, and the motivation to get after them. I think we should wait before we shoot his efforts out of the sky. —Cam, …off to gaze at the big blue yonder… Eco-Friendly Dream Boat  04 September 2006Topic: Energy Ever since my East Coast vacation, my mind has been focused on the ocean and sailing. In fact, my desktop is now emblazoned with a picture of a schooner in Newport Harbor that was taken while on a bike ride with my parents. So, I suppose it’s not a coincidence that a recent Fortune magazine article (04 September 2006, "The Green Sailor") about Bill Joy and his sailboat grabbed my attention. Bill Joy, the founder of Sun Microsystems, has decided that he wants to move offshore and onto a mega-yacht for a few years. But, rather than simply buy a boat that’s already out there, he decided to build his own from the ground up. He wants every modern luxury available including a hot tub, sauna, and an office, but also wants the boat to be the most efficient and sustainable vessel on the water. In order to figure out how to do that, he hired Rocky Mountain Institute a few years ago to help. For more information, see RMI Solutions spring 2005 article "The Good Ship Ethereal: Making Waves in Boat Design." —Cory….dreaming about sailing away… Rapping for Water and Life  31 August 2006Topic: Water With hip-hop artist Kanye West coming to Snowmass on Saturday night to perform as part of the Jazz Aspen Snowmass concert series (www.jazzaspen.org), I've been listening to a lot of hip-hop. It's no secret in the music world that Kanye West and Shawn Carter (a.k.a. Jay-Z) are good friends. I recently read that with his upcoming world tour Jay-Z is promoting clean water. His tour hits several developing countries where clean water is a major concern, and Jay-Z aims to use his popularity to shed some light on the issue. He even met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and held a press conference to announce a partnership. You can read all about it at MTV’s web site: www.mtv.com/news. While RMI hasn't done a great deal of work in the water realm of late, it remains a resource that we feel is crucial to protect. You can read about our take on water at: www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid15.php. —Cory…off to get "jiggy wid'it"… The Buzz Around Tesla Motors  11 August 2006Topic: Energy All the rage in the automotive world lately has been surrounding Tesla Motors (www.teslamotors.com) announcement that they're bringing their all-electric sports car to market. The buzz has been so big that Wired magazine dedicated several pages of a recent issue to the company. I even wrote about the sports car in my in my bi-monthly Advanced Automotive News column at: www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid388.php. While the prospect of an all-electric vehicle with a reasonable range (250 miles or so per charge) is exciting, the limiting technology factor in its design is the batteries. Tesla Motors opted to utilize numerous small lithium-ion batteries, the same ones that are in your laptop, to power the car. But, as the recent recalls of batteries by Dell and Macintosh indicate, there is some instability inherent in the technology. But, RMI's Integrative Design Team Leader John Waters will tell you that there are better solutions out there, and he’s hard at work bringing them to market. For more details about his work, check out Editor Cam Burns's piece called "Dances with Batteries" in our latest newsletter, the Fall '06 edition of RMI Solutions. —Cory…charged up about this car… Harboring the Oceans Energy 
27 July 2006Topic: Energy Maine is a wonderful place. I’ve spent many hot summer days along its lengthy coast, dipping my toes into its icy waters, fishing for mackerel off its docks, or lending a hand aboard friends’ sailboats. Both my maternal and paternal families have roots there and I’m no different than they in that I love the state’s natural beauty, slower pace of life, and friendly folks with charming accents. So, I was pretty happy to learn that the state’s recently enacted energy bill calls for 10 percent of its energy to come from renewable sources by the year 2017. With so much coastline, and the ominous threat of the sea level rising due to global warming, Maine certainly is motivated to do its part to utilize renewable energy. According to the state’s energy experts, achieving this goal will be no small task but they plan to harvest one of the largest sources of energy at their disposal: the ocean. Tidal and wave energy can be converted into steady, usable electric energy, and since the waves and tides are so constant in Maine, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. This scenario in Maine ties nicely into some of RMI’s recent work in Hawaii. We had the opportunity to help the Governor reformulate her energy plan and—no surprise here—it included provisions for increasing the amount of renewable energy generated and used in the state. For more about this work, please see RMI Solutions’ interview with the governor at "Hawaii Takes the Lead in Energy Independence." In addition, RMI's Built Environment team has a handful of projects going on the big island, several of which are using the ocean to regulate temperature inside buildings. Simple cooling technologies that run a pipe into the ocean can be used to eliminate air conditioning in these projects. You can learn more about the Built Environment team’s work at www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid168.php. While Maine and Hawaii sit at opposite geographical corners of our nation, they have more in common than you might think. As scenic states with an abundance of coastline, they’re both doing their part to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and bolster their renewable energy portfolios. When I’m at the Maine Lobster Festival and accompanying boat race later this month, I’ll have an extra reason to smile. — Cory …Off to crew in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta RMIQ: "Strange Bedfellows" A Major Success 17 July 2006 Topic: Consulting On 13 July, the most powerful presentation in the Institute’s RMIQ (Quest for Solutions) lecture series to date took place. RMI CEO Amory Lovins, Paul Westbrook of Texas Instruments, Chris DiPetto from the Pentagon, Andy Ruben from Wal-Mart, and RMI’s Managing Director Joel Swisher, PE, teamed up for a panel discussion. Each panelist gave a short presentation about their energy efficiency initiatives and how RMI played a role before sitting down to field questions from the audience. The event, which took place at Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen, Colorado, brought in roughly 200 audience members, all who were treated to a fascinating evening. Paul presented the new chip “fab” (fabrication plant) that he and RMI were instrumental in developing. The facility saved more than $280 million in capital costs and will save millions in operating costs, all while keeping numerous jobs in Richardson, Texas. Chris described his efforts to improve the military’s war-fighting platforms, and Andy described Wal-Mart’s efforts to improve the efficiency of their trucking fleet and their stores. Last but not least, Joel presented two case studies of work that RMI has done with energy utilities to help them save costs while producing energy more efficiently. The RMIQ took place just one day after former vice president Al Gore addressed a large gathering of Wal-Mart employees at their headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas and the impact of the event was enormous. Those who attended the event praised it heavily, so we’re now scheming up other ways to get our—and our clients’—important messages out to the world. Stay tuned. For more information about when our staff members are giving public speeches, please check RMI's Calendar of Events page. — Cory …off to schedule some upcoming events Show Time, a Double Feature 29 June 2006 Topic: Climate Change Well, I did it. I finally got into the theatre to see Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth. The weather here in Snowmass has been beautiful lately so I’ve had a hard time dragging myself indoors to sit in a sticky seat surrounded by an abundance of people chomping loudly on popcorn and malt balls. But, to my delight the theatre was not filled to capacity and I found some seats where I could stretch my legs out (I’m 6’6"...legroom is important—ya know!) But, I digress. Back to the movie. I was very impressed with the movie’s ability to convince the audience that global warming is a very serious threat and that we need to pay attention to it. My friend Alexia, who saw the movie with me, is very open-minded but due to different educational focuses, was less convinced of the global warming science prior to the movie than I was. By the time we walked out of the theatre, she admitted that she is now very concerned about the effects that global warming may have. I’m pretty sure that the images of New York City, where she grew up, and the San Francisco Bay area, where her parents now live, being completely inundated with water, were enough to make her heart jump! There was only one small part of the movie that left me a bit disappointed: the end. With all of the documentation of the scientific evidence of global warming and all the build-up towards a grand finish, I was truly hoping that Gore and his team would offer suggestions that would leave the audience feeling empowered to make a difference after leaving the theatre. Even before the end of the movie, a Chinese girl that was in the audience of one of the numerous lecture halls that Gore traveled to, asked a question to the effect of, “what can we do to help this situation?” Instead of a detailed answer from Gore, the film quickly pans to another montage of Gore traveling. I couldn’t help but feeling disappointed that the filmmakers had missed their opportunity to convey a glimmer of hope to the audience by offering some suggestions. I, for one, was ready to jump out of my seat and do whatever Gore might have suggested. Despite my initial frustration, not all hope for a positive message was lost. While the credits for the film were rolling, some simple actions were suggested for things that can be done to help abate the climate crisis. The most notable suggestion turned out to be exploring the film’s website at www.climatecrisis.net. While doing so this morning, I was immediately re-convinced of the movie’s message. The “Take Action” section of the site offers a myriad of things that one can do to make a difference. My viewing of the movie took place at an opportune time because the very next night, the Discovery Channel aired a documentary, titled Addicted to Oil, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman. The 1-hour piece offered several case studies that prove solutions that will reduce both our consumption of oil and our contributions to global warming are already in the works. It’s probably not a coincidence that RMI and CEO Amory Lovins were featured in the film, but Friedman explores numerous reasons for people to be optimistic. I was particularly pleased that Friedman offered suggestions that not only the average citizen can get involved in but also what big business and the government are already doing (or not doing in some cases!). Although the piece isn’t likely to air again soon, you can still learn a lot about it and view certain clips by visiting the web site at: www.msnbc.msn.com So, if you haven’t done so yet, go out and see An Inconvenient Truth. It’s well worth the price of admission and accurately depicts the most pressing problem that humankind has ever faced. After you see the film, go to the website and take action. – Cory ...off to reduce my impact... Touring RMI's Headquarter Building  23 June 2006Topic: Energy With the summer season finally setting in here in Colorado, it only means one thing: tour time! I, and some of the other RMI staff, have been giving quite a few tours of our headquarters building. We generally give tours every Friday at 2 p.m. but during the summer, with so many requests, we end up conducting many tours outside of that time slot. Some of the groups that I’ve welcomed to the building lately have included the Rocky Mountain College of Design, Stanford grad students, and officers from the Hong Kong office of energy efficiency, to name a few. In the 20+ years that the building has been standing, it is estimated that over 400,000 people have come to visit. Why, you ask? For starters, it is one of the longest standing examples of efficient green design. So, many people visit the building to learn about all of the alternative technologies that are in use and figure out how they might apply them to their own homes. Secondly, it’s beautiful and offers all the comforts of modern life, including a hot tub! Amory always says, “hot showers, and cold beer!” meaning we shouldn’t have to make sacrifices in order to live a sustainable and resource efficient life. Even if you’re not planning to travel to beautiful Colorado anytime soon, you too can check out our Headquarters Building by taking an on-line virtual tour. You can also learn more about home energy efficiency by checking out "Home Resource Efficiency." – Cory ...off to give a tour... "Eco-economies" of Scale  11 June 2006Topic: Energy One of RMI’s more controversial projects in recent years has been the Institute’s work with Wal-Mart, the largest company in the world and one that’s constantly criticized for its economic, social, and environmental impacts. Yet, the very scale of Wal-Mart’s market makes it an incredibly powerful agent for positive change. In recent months, RMI has worked with Wal-Mart to address its trucking fleet’s fossil-fuel consumption and energy efficiency in its stores. In 2005, the president and CEO of Wal-Mart, Lee Scott, announced that Wal-Mart would increase fleet efficiency by 25 percent over the next 3 years and double it within 10 years. He also said the company aimed to reduce energy consumption in stores by 30 percent. As of 31 March 2006, Wal-Mart had 8,864 stores in the United States, 2,682 stores in 15 other countries, and the largest private trucking fleet in the nation. At such a magnitude, Wal-Mart’s efforts will mean massive energy savings and a significant improvement in the economies of scale of production for wind turbines, solar panels, efficient trucks, and other systems. For more information, see: "Greening a Giant" (RMI Solutions 2006 Summer). – Cory ...off to invest in solar panel stock... Hot Off the (Green) Press 
09 June 2006Topic: Paper and Printing With our Summer 2006 newsletter hot off the press and now in the mail, I've been thinking about everything that goes into producing it. From the writing to the editing to the layout, it seems that printing roughly 9,000 copies of the newsletter simply to keep our supporters informed of what we're up to could be an expensive and wasteful undertaking. For years we have we have tried to produce our newsletter in the most environmentally sensitive way possible. This includes using chlorine-free paper that is made from 100 percent post-consumer waste. It also means using vegetable-based, not petroleum-based, inks. When we first decided to switch to these products several years back, our regular printer, Gran Farnum, was receptive to the idea. They now stock New Leaf EcoOffset 100 paper (see: www.newleafpaper.com), which we use exclusively, and vegetable-based inks. They have also begun using eco-friendly products to clean their presses. Glenda at Gran Farnum—one of the sweetest ladies you could ever chat with—reports that her pressmen think eco-friendly cleaning products do a better job, even though they take a little longer to use. Gran Farnum (see: www.printing4you.com), also believes that they receive more business because of their eco-friendly ways. Many local organizations are becoming hip to the idea of “green” printing and Gran Farnum makes it easy. First, they are one of the only green printers that carries recycled paper. Secondly, they don’t charge a premium for green services. So, the next time you pick up our newsletter, rest assured that we're producing it in the most responsible way we can. To sign up for an electronic version (PDF) of RMI Solutions fill out the RMI Solutions E-nnouncement form. – Cory ...off to read my newsletter... The New Neighbors 
01 June 2006Topic: Wildlife The chit-chat lately amongst staff members here at our Snowmass office has been about a family of badgers (a mom and two babies) that have made a home not too far from our accountant's office. The animals, which are known to be quite ferocious if approached, have been carefully watched by all of us safely from an office window. But watching this family of badgers and their daily activities got me thinking. I said to myself, "Self, how many people get a chance to check out wildlife outside their office during a routine day at work?" Probably not many. We, at RMI, are incredibly fortunate that our Snowmass office sits on a 957-acre land preserve once owned by the late singer John Denver. In fact, our property is home to endless nature paths, a meditation platform with expansive views, open pastures, and, now that it's summertime, cows! Every year, cows are brought to our property and rotationally grazed around the various pastures. An intern or two from Warren Wilson's (North Carolina) agriculture school comes to Colorado each year to tend to the herd in the most ecologically sensitive way. Emily Paulson, our capable farm girl, just arrived a few weeks ago and we welcomed the cows last week. Our land is called the Windstar Land Conservancy and the Windstar Foundation is an active non-profit that holds events here and engages in conservation education. You can learn more about them by checking out their web site at www.wstar.org or even better, by coming and visiting our property! – Cory ...off to take in a "nature" moment... Al's "Gorey" Movie 
26 May 2006Topic: Climate Change As I flip through RMI CEO Amory Lovins’s schedule to see if I can fit yet another media request into it, I’m quickly reminded that he is meeting with former Vice President Al Gore in California. They’re due to discuss Winning the Oil Endgame and global climate change, among other things. Al Gore has a new movie coming out in select theatres. Titled An Inconvenient Truth (see: www.climatecrisis.net), it has been getting lots of attention lately. It reportedly received three separate standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival and it has garnered plenty of talk at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where it is currently showing. The film features Al Gore on his crusade to convince the American public that global warming is real, that human beings are causing it, and that it’s a threat we must acknowledge and address. He has taken his slideshow of vivid images and scientific evidence across the country in the hope of changing the public’s understanding of the issue. The movie—of Gore on his crusade—is another attempt to convey the message. In addition, Gore has created and backed a group known as the Alliance for Climate Protection, which is getting set to launch a huge media campaign targeting all sectors of American society, from NASCAR fans to corporate leaders. The campaign will be another well-fueled attempt to get the message out. Gore feels that if the public perception of the issue changes, more pressure will be put on U.S. politicians to take effective steps towards finding a solution. Many of us have believed the science behind global warming for a long time, and here at RMI, we’ve worked on numerous projects with our clients to address it. In fact, we’ve spent most of our time working towards solutions instead of trying to convince people the problem is real. For more about RMI’s climate work, check out Climate Change. – Cory ...off to my local theater... Exhausting Diesel Regulations 
10 May 2006Topic: Energy The buzz lately seems to be about ethanol. Everybody is talking about it, from politicians to reporters to cab drivers to the local gas station attendants. For the most part, there are more questions than answers. What's ethanol made from? Does it really burn cleaner than petroleum? Will it reduce my vehicle's fuel consumption? There is some good information out there to answer these questions, but at best, it appears spotty. While the verdict on the future of ethanol is still out, the future of diesel isn't. The Natural Resources Defense Council, better known as NRDC to most of us, recently announced some new regulations surrounding diesel fuel that they worked on. Ultimately, 95 percent of tailpipe emissions from new vehicles that burn diesel will be eliminated! That's a huge improvement! The regulations require that by 1 July refineries and importers will have to cut the amount of sulfur in diesel fuel by 97 percent which will then allow engine makers to use new pollution control technology to cut particulate emissions by 90 percent, starting with the 2007 vehicle model year. These regulations are expected to go a long way to reducing air pollution and cleaning the air in cities that suffer from chronic smog problems. This will have numerous positive human health affects as well. So, while the questions, answers, and debates about ethanol will likely continue, you can rest assured that diesel is going to be a lot cleaner very soon. For more information, check out NRDC's press release at www.nrdc.org. For more information on ethanol, check out "Setting the Record Straight on Ethanol" (RMI Solutions, 2005 Fall/Winter). – Cory ...off to breathe clean Colorado air... Tapping in to Water-Efficiency 
05 May 2006Topic: Water By 2025, two-thirds of the world will live in water-stressed countries. As evidence of increased water depletion, the Colorado is a salt flat by the time it reaches the Sea of Cortez, the Nile trickles into the delta, and the Yellow River is dry at the mouth for half a year every year. As residences account for 47 percent of all water use in the United States, you can mitigate the water crisis by stopping leaks in your home, installing faucet aerators, replacing showerheads, and getting water-efficient appliances (toilets, washing machines, etc) the next time you upgrade. Converting lawns and gardens into beautiful, water-efficient landscaping with native plants can cut home water use by 50–70 percent. If you're building a new facility, also consider using waterless urinals and stormwater and graywater systems for non-potable uses of water in the building. These practices not only cut water bills, but also energy bills as water-heating demand decrease. For more information on Household Water Efficiency, see www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid123.php. Also, for a listing of RMI's publications on water and water usage, see the Water section of the Library at www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid172.php. – Linda ...off to the local swimming hole... Hard Drives and Hard Times 
01 May 2006Topic: Home Energy Briefs, Electronics Computers. Great when they work. Frustrating...no, maddening...when they don't. People talk about "it." You hope and pray "it" never happens to you. "What is 'it'?"...you might ask. A failed hard-drive. Yes, it happened to me, just yesterday. My laptop, purchased sometime in 2000 had proven itself very dependable; and at six years old, nearly obsolete. But now, a failed hard-drive. Five-plus years of reports, documents, presentations, e-mails, photos, and MP3s...all this priceless information and intellectual capital WAS recovered thank you to RMI's IT/IS Department and its back-up system. Now that my computer has been replaced by a newer model, what to do with the old one? Sony, IBM, and Hewlett Packard will take back their own products for recycling; Dell will take back machines from any manufacturer, see "Recycling Programs at Dell" (www.dell.com). With over a thousand computer recycling businesses in the country, as well as programs that turn over functioning electronics to the needy, consider disposing of your computer the right way. There are numerous services that will recycle your computer for a minimal fee; some examples are Back Thru The Future Computer Recycling, Inc. (www.backthruthefuture.com) and PC Disposal (www.pcdisposal.com). Look for a local recycler in your neighborhood. Looking to update your office equipment? For more information on energy efficient electronics see RMI's Home Energy Briefs, Home Energy Brief #7. When is the last time you backed up your computer? —Cory ...off to make up for lost time... Organic Business Decisions 
28 April 2006Topic: Natural Capitalism Quality products. Environmental stewardship. That's what comes to mind when one thinks Patagonia. Added to that list should be two more words: organic and cotton. In 1996, Patagonia converted its entire cotton sportswear line to 100 percent organically grown cotton, thus eliminating the use of environmentally harmful products in the cotton-growing process. The switch to organics was not immediately profitable for Patagonia, but their organics policy has taken hold in the apparel industry, and other companies like Nike are also making the shift. This is a textbook example of "putting your money where your mouth is." In addition to being environmental stewards, Patagonia treats its people well too. The company supports the existence of foreign cultures and ideas, and its leadership goes above and beyond to provide an exemplary work environment for Patagonia employees. For example, employees at their Ventura, Ca. headquarters are allowed to take extended lunch-breaks when the "surf's up." The thinking behind this is that worker productivity will be increased when the employees return to the office. Sign me up! These basic ideas of paying attention to the bottom line, honoring human capital, and respecting the natural world are something that RMI laid out in its 1999 book, Natural Capitalism. For the basics on natural capitalism see: "What is Natural Capitalism?" To download the book for free, check out: www.naturalcapitalism.org. For more on Patagonia's commitment to organic cotton, see Organic Cotton/Enviro Action. – Cory ...in search of sun, sea, and sand... From the Deep Fryer to Mountains High  24 April 2006Topic: Energy As noted in RMI's latest book Winning the Oil Endgame, the world can end its dependency on oil while boosting local economies and human health. Case in point: The Aspen Ski Company (ASC). ASC uses about 260,000 gallons of diesel each year to power the snowcats that groom its ski slopes. That creates about 722 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, as well as carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, benzene and formaldehyde. To reduce its reliance on oil and contributions to global warming, ASC changed all of its diesel fuel to a 20% biodiesel/80% diesel blend, bought from local Blue Sun Biodiesel. For $0.20 more per gallon, the biodiesel emits 10% less particulate matter, 21% less hydrocarbons, 11% less carbon dioxide, and fewer toxic emissions, as well as 2% more nitrogen oxides (Source: EPA, A Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions, 2002). As an added bonus...while the snowcats groom the ski slopes in the wee hours...the smell of doughnuts and french fries wafts through the air. For more information see: Aspen/Snowmass – Linda ...out to lunch... Fueling New Ideas 
14 April 2006Topic: Energy Much of our recent Research and Consulting work has focused around our latest book Winning the Oil Endgame (www.oilendgame.com)—that is, responding to inquires about the book and showing clients how they can implement the ideas we've presented. But, all the work that we're doing here hasn't prevented us from keeping an eye out for great work that other folks are doing as well. For example, I just recently learned about a special issue of American Prospect magazine (www.prospect.org) that was released titled "After Oil." It contains a nice variety of articles all related to this country's dependance on oil. They focus on biofuels, economic markets for alternative fuels, efficient buildings, and the role of the federal government, among other things. All of these areas are addressed in our book Winning the Oil Endgame but this time the messages are coming from different authors at a different time. If you get a chance to check it out, I assure you that the magazine is worth your time. So, while we remain busy implementing our ideas, we are also extremely excited to see similar message being presented and supported by other people. For more information on RMI's latest book, Winning the Oil Endgame, see: www.oilendgame.com. – Cory ...off to answer more outreach inquiries... Toyota Camry Hybrid is a Slam Dunk 
04 April 2006Topic: Hybrid Technology During the NCAA Championship game between the UCLA Bruins and the University of Florida Gators, the excitement wasn't only on the hardwood. It was also in the commercials. Toyota took this opportunity to introduce its 2007 Camry Hybrid to the American public. While sophomore Joakim Noah was one of the top players in the game named "Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four," the Toyota Camry has consistently been the top-selling passenger car in its market. Since its introduction, the Toyota Prius, with its unique styling and focused target market, has been the flagship of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. This year, however, Toyota's "bread-and-butter" Camry, in its modest sheet metal, is available with a Hybrid option. The eco-friendly Camry distinguishes itself from the rest of the lineup by its unique grille, blue-tinted headlight reflectors, LED taillights and special Hybrid badging. Also, performance of the Hybrid is plenty adequate, getting from zero to 60 mph in less than 9 seconds. "What's it cost?" you might ask...the Camry Hybrid has a $25,900 MSRP with an estimated mpg of 43 city/37 highway, while the Camry XLE (non-Hybrid) at $24,425 gets an estimated mpg of 24 city/33 highway (Source: www.toyota.com/camry/index.html, eBrochure for Camry). With the combination of the Camry's popularity and the success of the Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, this car is sure to be a slam dunk. For more information on alternative transportation technology, see: Advanced Automotive News. – Cory ...off to shoot some hoops... It's Getting "Hot In Herre" 
31 March 2006Topic: Home Energy Savings Daylight savings time kicks in this weekend, two of our local ski areas closed for the season, and we experienced our first 50 degree day of the spring. It seems that summer is right around the corner and with blistering temperatures not too far away, many of us are going to be switching our homes from heat to air conditioning pretty soon. As much as I try avoid using air conditioning, I realize that it's a "necessary evil" for many people in the country. But, just as there are ways of saving on energy bills in the winter time, energy bills can be reduced in the summer using some easy but cost-effective techniques—such as installing blinds on south-facing windows. One of RMI's Home Energy Briefs, Home Energy Brief #3, focuses on space cooling and describes even more ways to save energy and money. Also, check out the other eight documents in the series. In conjunction with Stonyfield Farms we've recently updated the briefs and made them even more user-friendly. —Cory ...off to play in the (quickly melting) snow... Mean and Green Prius Driving Hybrid Technology 
22 March 2006Topic: Hybrid Technology One of the things I get to do as RMI's Outreach Specialist is write RMI's bi-weekly website column, Advanced Automotive News. It's a great way to keep our readers informed about the latest automotive innovations such as applications of lightweight carbon fiber; I also get to learn all kinds of interesting stuff about the automotive world. For example, the biggest thing in automobile efficiency in the last few years has been Toyota's Prius. However, even with its popularity, many people don't know that to obtain maximum efficiency, Hybrid cars need to be driven a particular way. For example, Hybrid cars should be accelerated rapidly, not slowly. Our CEO, Amory, wrote about these Hybrid driving techniques in a recent newsletter, see: RMI Solutions, Summer 2005. If you haven't been able to upgrade to a Hybrid vehicle, there are ways to improve the fuel efficiency of your existing vehicle. For example, slowing down, driving consistently, getting a tune-up, replacing dirty air filters, proper tire pressure, and using the right oil grade consistently will all help significantly (Source: USAA magazine, Spring 2006). Another cool thing about researching for and writing Advanced Automotive News is that I am always learning about new cars or innovations. I recently read about a Toyota Prius that set a land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The modified second-generation Prius maneuvered around the three-mile short course with a top speed of 130.794 miles per hour. That's what I call "mean and green." – Cory ...off to set my own land-speed record in RMI's Prius... Float Like a Butterfly...Sting Like an LED  13 March 2006Topic: Biomimicry I was just flipping through the February issue of Wired magazine, (www.wired.com) and came across a cool example of Biomimicry (February 2006, page 32), a concept that RMI has been utilizing for years. It turns out that researchers at MIT finally developed high-efficiency LED lights after a lengthy research period. Soon after they got it right, a physicist in the UK documented light-reflecting structures in the wing scales of an African butterfly (species: Papilio nireus) that almost perfectly mimic the system in the LEDs. This is biomimicry at it's best: an example of something happening in nature that can help humans do things even better. RMI has recognized this concept and incorporated into our work for years. Check out some of RMI's biomimicry work at: An Introduction to Biophilia and the Built Environment (RMI Solutions, 2004 Spring) Biomimetic Buildings: Understanding & Applying the Lessons of Nature (RMI Solutions, 2003 Spring) Building the Future of Buildings (RMI Solutions, 2002 Fall/Winter) – Cory ...off to think about a bright idea... |
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