For many Silicon Valley organizations, embracing climate change challenges from an economic point of view has yielded significant cost savings in their operations. However, that is not enough when we talk about sustainable future. Businesses cannot afford to make products or provide services that do not outperform their competitors. Disruption is sought out, driving organizations to foster a creative culture, where ideas are heard and innovation is encouraged.

It is common…

A consortium of companies, government agencies, research and academia, as well as other not-for-profit organizations, gathered at the 2012 WEST Summit. WEST sent out a clear message: a sustainable future is the only way for us and the next generations. To be a viable business in the future, enterprises need to take action today and not live in the past. 

Through collaboration, innovation, sharing of knowledge and lessons, along with bringing solutions from Silicon Valleys' entrepreneurs…

Examples of Tables Sustainability Metrics Resources

CII Water Task Force Case Study Template

Example Tables of How to Organize Metric Reviews and Case…

Energy monitoring is a popular and somewhat controversial topic at the moment. There are multiple pilot programs in different parts of the country that are testing the effectiveness of monitoring and real time information access on change in behavior and energy consumption. Some results have been disappointing and have shown that energy monitoring does not really reduce energy consumption because people are not as responsive to data as they were thought to be, while other studies have proven…

Activists in Sunnyvale and the region lost a big fight on May 22nd when Sunnyvale City Council voted 4-3 against a motion to support Bus Rapid Transit development along El Camino Real.  The rejection happened against the recommendation of city staff, the endorsement of the Sustainability and Bicycle Pedestrian…

No thin no possible, Going green is the in-thing, and has been so for quite some time already. These days, plenty of new devices and designs which come out tend to be pleasant aesthetically as well as being eco-friendly. Robles Arquitectos is an architect who came up with the Iseami …

1. The value and limits of water.  Water supports all life and provides great value. While water is abundant, people need to understand and appreciate that it is limited in many regions, that there are environmental and economic costs of depleting or damaging water resources, and that unsustainable water and land use practices pose serious risks to people and ecosystems. The…

Do you want to make the case of how Green Infrastructure can save your city or community money? Check out the new report: "Banking on Green: How Green Infrastructure Saves Municipalities Money and Provides Economic Benefits Community-wide".  This report examines hundreds of green infrastructure practices and details potential benefits such as lower energy expenses, reduced flood damage, and improved public health. See the…

A new Climate Adaptation and Transportation Report from Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) was just released.   As with almost every area relating to climate change, more critical information and technical assistance is needed to plan for…

Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards?

A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in the organization’s annual energy efficiency ranking.

The bottom states are: Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi,…

                       Nothing is a problem by itself, except when it is in a wrong place; even a sharp knife is beneficial, if in the hands of an expert surgeon. In his Principles of Ecological Design, Sim Van der Ryn asserts, “…

In January 2012, California became one of a handful of states to make it legal to incorporate as a "Benefit Corporation," allowing the company and shareholders to consider other factors besides profit in their pursuits.  

Of course many an entrepreneur has started up a company with great ideals (Craigslist, Ben and Jerry's) and then sometimes found it hard to sustain their original vision when…

Well, I had never thought of it that way.  Does "net metering" subsidize the people who have installed solar PV systems (who are generally better-off financially than others?)  The Mercury News had an article on May 11, 2012 ("Shift proposed in PG&E rate for solar credit") that addresses this issue.

Net Metering In a Nutshell:  If you…

The American Lung Association has a web site called State of the Air where you can look up, by zip code, the state of your air--at least in regards to ozone and particulate pollution.  Today Santa Clara County shows an "F" in ozone levels, an "F" in 24-hour particle pollution, and a "Pass" in annual particle pollution.

Sound grim?  Cities in the Bay Area aren't even in the top 50 of most polluted cities, but other places in…

http://www.leeduser.com/topic/leed-2012-4th-public-comment-and-ballot-forum?goback=%2Egde_59930_member_114753359

The LEED 2012 fourth public comment period will be open from May 11 to May 28

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2012/05/08/making-carbon-neutrality-everyone-s-responsibility-at-microsoft.aspx

Microsoft is instituting an internal carbon fee in an effort to achieve carbon neutrality in fiscal year 2013 (which begins July 1).

COO Kevin Turner explained the initiative aims to…

It’s easy to get the impression that technology game-changers happen in a near flash. And the stories of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Apple leave us thinking that genius pops right out of the dorm room.

But in the energy industry it’s not that easy. The innovation we see today often stems from years of late nights, deep discussion and hard negotiation.

Take, for example, the Massachusetts story. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy named it…

The Flotation 2012 International Conference is an opportunity to bring together engineers and scientists who specialize in physical and chemical treatment processes from academia,consulting engineering, industry, equipment companies, government regulatory…

The New York Times reports promising news for innovation toward a more sustainable economy, focused on biotech R&D:

White House Promotes a Bioeconomy

Andrew Pollack, The New York Times

"The Obama administration is expected to announce a broad…