By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Before the recession put a stranglehold on most every investment, clean technology was hot. Nearly 80 percent of all the venture capital spent in 2008 went to clean, green investments. The industries slumped for much of 2009, but now investors are returning to clean industries.

Regular Americans are curious about these clean tech companies, too, and they’re asking their financial advisers about them, according to one survey.

What is clean tech? It refers to technologies made without generating significant pollution, which produce products that can replace non-renewable energy sources, like oil, and make us more energy-efficient. Think solar cells and wind-generated power, hybrid or electric cars, green buildings, desalinated water and a “smart grid” that will help businesses and home owners to connect with new sources of power, like wind farms and giant desert photovoltaic installation

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Opponents of climate change action say we can’t afford to spend the billions it will take to retool our economy around new energy sources.

But a group of economists says we can’t afford not to.

The network of economists, called Economics for Equity and the Environment Network (E3), says that lowering carbon emissions to 350 parts per million (from the current 400 parts per million) is not just desirable — it is affordable.

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From Green Right Now Reports

Leading organizations from the world’s dairy industry say they will sign a Global Dairy Agenda for Action during the World Dairy Summit Sept. 24 in Berlin, Germany. The Global Dairy Agenda for Action is an industry pledge to reduce carbon emissions as part of its contribution to help address global warming. It will be signed by seven organizations on behalf of the world’s dairy associations and companies.

The declaration also will seek the support of policy makers to provide a supportive regulatory environment that recognizes the important economic, social and environmental contributions of the dairy industry.

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By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

Palm Oil, an ingredient found in most processed food, has been the subject of much environmental debate in recent years over its role in deforestation. It is commonly found in cooking oil and as an ingredient in cosmetics, soaps, detergents, and some plastics. Palm oil also has been considered for use in the production of biodiesel.

There have been many attempts to make palm oil sustainable. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was even established in 2003 to do just that. Unfortunately, six years later, there is still no system that can effectively trace palm oil beyond the processor to the plantation level. Companies that manufacture products using palm oil have little way of knowing where the controversial substance originated — which leaves the question of whether and to what degree palm oil is sustainably farmed up in the air.

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From Green Right Now Reports

Greenpeace’s report “Slaughtering the Amazon” notes that Brazil’s thriving and expanding cattle trade, which has made it the world’s largest exporter of beef and the top producer (along with China) of leather, has out-sized environmental consequences.

“The cattle sector in the Brazilian Amazon is responsible for 14% of the world’s annual deforestation. This makes it the world’s largest driver of deforestation, responsible for more forest loss than the total deforestation in any country outside Brazil except Indonesia,” according to the report, the result of a three-year investigation by Greenpeace International.

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From Green Right Now Reports

Kraft Foods, the world’s second largest food company, announced today that it has exceeded its goals for reducing water consumption.

Since 2005, the company has achieved a 21 percent reduction in water use in its manufacturing, saving more than 3 billion gallons, according to a press release from the Illinois-based company.

“We’re changing behavior and getting results,” said Steve Yucknut, Vice President of Sustainability, in the statement, which noted that water conservation is vital to survival in a world where millions struggle with water scarcity.
“Around the world, thousands of our employees are working on projects that help us reduce our environmental impact. We focus on manufacturing, since that’s where we use the most water for internal operations. And we pay particular attention to water-scarce areas, where the need is greatest,” Yucknut said.

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strong> By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Kimberly-Clark, the world’s largest personal paper products company, announced new policies today in which the paper maker will greatly increase the use of recycled and sustainably grown wood fibers in its products, which include the Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle brands.

The move will help save forests around the globe and make the Dallas-based company a leader in producing sustainable paper products, said Greenpeace media officer Daniel Kessler. “We worked with Kimberly-Clark on this policy and it’s a landmark for forest protection; 100 percent of Kimberly-Clark’s fiber will come from sustainable sources.”

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By Laura Elizabeth May
Green Right Now

One

One degree Fahrenheit. On average, that’s how much the Earth’s temperature has increased over the past century, according to a report by the EPA. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted that during the 21st century the global temperature will increase by 2-6° C.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
It’s almost April 22, Earth Day, and the green living tips are flying at us like meteors.
A few from our mail:

From Car MD – Keep your car maintained, tires inflated, don’t make unnecessary trips, and if you’re going to idle for more than 10 seconds, turn the gas-hound off. Wow. [...]

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Green Right Now Reports:

In the category of almost-not-news, a new poll reports that 18-to 34-year-olds are a few shades greener than their parents and grandparents.

The survey, by EnviroMedia Social Marketing, found that while 51 percent of all Americans believe climate change is caused by human activities, 64 percent of those ages 18 to 34 believe it is a human-induced scourge.

In addition the study found that:

• 29 percent of all Americans believe that climate change is occurring naturally, making a grand total of 80 percent of the population that’s on board that climate change is happening – either because of human pollution or due to weird confluences of natural events.

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By David Louie
KGO – San Francisco

SUNNYVALE, CA — Creating green-tech jobs is one of the key goals of the federal stimulus bill. It’s a big part of the economic future of the country.

But it’s also a focus in other parts of the world — like china.

>Watch Now

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From Green Right Now reports

Increasing global requirements for green packaging is pushing the Chinese ink industry to become more environmentally friendly, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan. Printing ink, one of the most pollutive materials used in packaging, will likely become cleaner as technology advances, the firm predicts.

The current major three types of green Ink are water-based ink, UV ink, and alcohol-soluble ink.

“Water-based ink is currently widely used in flexographic printing for food, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco packaging in China,” Frost & Sullivan’s China Industry Research Manager for Environmental Practice Vivian Chen said in a statement. She said it will increasingly be used as a substitute for solvent-based ink as application techniques are further improved.

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