General
Empire State Building’s Green Transformation Earns LEED-Gold
The iconic Empire State Building, whose green retrofit and refurbishing have become almost as celebrated as the landmark, earned LEED-Gold certification today. The recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council and its green building verification arm, the Green Building Certification Institute, is the latest laurel for the 102-story skyscraper that was completed 80 years ago. "Originally featured on GreenBiz"
What’s Lighting Up the Web
President Obama’s July 29th announcement of a new 54.5 mpg fuel efficiency standard resulted in considerable buzz throughout the web. Political and environmental blogs, in particular, hosted vibrant debates about the standards, their effect on the automobile industry, and their ability to make a real impact on U.S. dependence on oil.
Meeting California’s Targets by Taking Distributed Solar to Scale
California’s 33 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard. And, while they are aggressive compared to the current size of the solar market (California installed just 0.25 GW in 2010), the goals are modest compared with the German market (Germany installed 7.4 GW in 2010 alone, 85 percent of it on rooftops).
Solutions Journal: Summer 2011—Do EVs Create Jobs and Improve the Economy?
While we may be in the midst of an economic recovery, many people are struggling due to high unemployment and the lack of job creation. This pain is not lost on the government, which has pushed for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for “pick and shovel ready” projects. One chunk of money went to the nascent electric vehicle (EV) industry—including companies such as American startup Tesla and foreign companies like Nissan— that are building manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)’s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines"
Former Naval and CIA officer and oil-industry executive Robert James claims that military interest in advanced biofuels is a green fad and compromises combat effectiveness. Amory Lovins, who's helped to lead military energy reform for three decades, corrects Dr. James's misconceptions and misrepresentations in this comment posted on 3 August 2011 to his op-ed.
