Blue Is The New Green

First, some numbers. The United Nations estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will face periodic and often severe water shortages. And the problem is not limited to the developing world. Here in the U.S., water managers in 36 states are predicting significant shortfalls within the next decade. Even in regions that do have sufficient supplies, aging infrastructure, inadequate treatment facilities, and contamination pose more problems. No surprise, then, that battles over water rights are becoming commonplace, pitting states and sometimes nations against one another in increasingly bitter conflict. read more

10 Innovative Approaches to Rebuilding New Orleans

Three years after Katrina, the nation’s most expensive hurricane, which cost insurers an estimated $44 billion, came Gustav. As if New Orleans needed its rebuilding project to get any harder. And yet, there’s hope.

To underscore how far the city has come since 2005, alldaybuffet, a group of creative professionals focused on social innovation, created the New Orleans 100, a list of projects that are bringing new creative energy, attracting tourism, rebuilding homes, overhauling the educational system, and stimulating economic activity. Here are 10 of the most innovative ventures. read more

Diane Keaton on Reusing Historic Buildings Like Plastic Bags

Last week, I drove past the 22-acre vacant lot once known as the Ambassador Hotel. As I looked at the rubble of our lost cause, I pulled over, sat back and gave in to a feeling I can only describe as guilt. I thought about my connection to the once-iconic hotel, about why places like it are so difficult to save, and about what it takes to be a better, more effective advocate for historic buildings. read more

Obama vs McCain on Technology and Sustainability

WIRED Magazine put together a great comparative of Obama and McCain’s policies that are important to their readers - here’s the wrap-up.

Topic Covered:

1. Broadband
2. H1B issues
3. Investment in green tech
4. Net neutrality
5. Spectrum

read more

Xerox Invents Self Erasing Paper and Temporary Documents

The Paper that Self-Erases Within 24-Hours
Recycling’s better than sending good paper to the landfill. Even better is not printing in the first place. But there’s still a lot of stuff that comes out of printers and some studies show that more than 40% gets discarded on the day it was produced (and a lot of the rest gets discarded not much later, or gets stuffed in a box and is never looked at again).

The researchers at XEROX looked at that problem and came up with a paper that self-erases within 24 hours and can then be re-used. read more

Green Your Electricity

The cost of electricity is going up (both in dollars and in environmental and health impacts) and it doesn’t show any signs of doing otherwise. About half of the energy in the American grid is coal generated. We won’t bore you with what you already know: coal is a really stinky, dangerous, nasty, unsustainable, and silly way to make power. By using less energy, and greening the electricity that we do use, we can lighten our footprint immensely. The subject of electricity and its environmental impacts is a massive one and we can’t cover every corner of it here. We hope that this brief guide can offer some solid suggestions for greening your electricity and use thereof. read more

Ford Introduces 63.6 MPG ECOnetic Diesel Fiesta

Billed as the most frugal Ford ever, the 2009 Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is a special version of Ford’s small Euro hatch. Powered by a 90 HP 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine calibrated for efficiency, the ECOnetic is able to return about 64 MPG (3.7L/100km). Perhaps even more impressive is the segment-leading 98g/km of carbon dioxide emissions, which is minuscule enough for the ECOnetic to avoid UK road taxes. All this tidiness is due in part to subtle aerodynamic tweaks, a slightly lower ride height, and low rolling-resistance tires. Though Ford is finally bringing the Fiesta to the US, there’s no word on whether this particular version will be sold stateside. Full press release below the jump. read more

Sustainable Sounds - Music Goes Green

Continuing the never-ending saga of big businesses going green, Fast Company takes a look at the music industry, and how musicians, promoters, venues, and labels are all taking a step into the green. read more

Atrium Magazine spotlights Ivan Mladenovic

August 5th, 20008 - Ivan Mladenovic & The M Companies featured in Gulliver Schools THE ATRIUM magazine.

Check out the full article here

Business Week Fresh Entrepreneurs

BW features several Fresh Entrepreneurs in this new, ongoing project. The first of it’s kind features several great concepts, including a high-end sneaker store that turned profit in 6 months and a gift shop for the deceased. read more

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