GREENBUZZ :: May 19, 2008

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May 19, 2008 News, Tools & Resources from GreenBiz.com Hot Topics   |   News   |   Resources   |   Job Link   |   Our Sites   |   About GreenBiz.com   Taking Care of Business This week we offer the first in a series of features highlighting some of the speakers at our fast-approaching Greener by Design conference, beginning with Tom Szaky, the creative, iconoclastic entrepreneur who transformed "worm poop" into an innovative and successful green product and brand. In an interview with managing editor Matthew Wheeland, he unearths his path to success. Szaky is one of the "young innovators" we'll be featuring, alongside some of the world's biggest and best brands: Clorox, Dupont, GM, Nike, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, Xerox, and others. This may not seem your typical list of eco-minded companies, but each of these companies is navigating its way through the green marketplace, variously transforming its culture, chemistry, and communication styles to embrace the growing challenges and opportunities. At Greener by Design, they'll share their strategies, successes, and challenges. In the coming weeks, we'll be featuring more of our speakers on GreenBiz.com and in GreenBuzz. Watch this space. ALSO: As part of the steady drumbeat of changes and enhancements appearing on our websites, you may have noticed that all of our news and feature stories are once again accepting your comments. I encourage you to join in on the budding conversations taking place on GreenBiz.com. The conference and the website enhancements: just two of our growing efforts to support greener thinking, greener products, and greener companies. -- Joel Makower, Executive Editor New on GreenBiz Radio: TerraCycle: Worm Poop and So Much More By Matthew Wheeland Tom Szaky, CEO of a company that made its name selling fertilizer made from worm castings, talks to GreenBiz Radio about making the greenest possible products from other people's trash, turning the production cycle on its ear, and other ways that companies can design products that turn waste into gold. You can listen to GreenBiz Radio online, download programs to your desktop, or subscribe to the GreenBiz Radio RSS feed. THIS ISSUE'S SPONSOR Want to be a GreenBuzz sponsor? Click here. Subscribe to GreenBiz.com RSS Headlines The Latest News on Business and the Environment Energy Efficiency: Overlooked and Misunderstood A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy finds that energy efficiency during the last 30-plus years has been paid little homage and future gains are threatened by inaction. U.S. energy consumption at the end of 2008 is expected to total half of the energy consumed in 1970, the report found. REI, Google Expand Solar Investments REI has announced its next steps in making solar-powered stores, and Google's philanthropic arm has funneled funding to another solar company. Mars Snack Foods Taps Landfill Gas for Energy A month after Frito-Lay announced plans to use solar energy to make SunChips, the Mars snack food plant flipped the switch on a project that will use energy generated from landfill gas to power its operations. Starbucks Sets New Goals for Renewables, Green Building Starbucks wants to slash energy consumption in its stores by 25 percent and buy enough renewable energy certificates to satisfy half of its stores' energy needs, all by 2010, the company said Wednesday. All new construction will incorporate green building principles. Toyota Prius Sales Top 1 Million While Company Bets on Green Building Toyota is celebrating two green milestones this month with sales of its Prius surpassing the 1 million mark, while at the same time, the carmaker has earned the country's first LEED-Gold certification of a dealership. Cisco Launches TelePresence for Mid-Sized Businesses The TelePresence 500 is billed as a lower-cost entry for medium-sized businesses at a time when companies are looking at ways to trim corporate travel. The company also debuted a teleconferencing system for large parties of up to 18 participants. SMART Papers Breaks Ground on $30M Biomass Plant The co-generation facility put the papermaker on the path of using 100 percent renewable energy to power the operations of its Southern Ohio location. The company also will sell excess power to the state's grid, as well as generate carbon credits. UPS to Boost Alt-Fuel Fleet by 30 Percent with New Trucks With the purchase of 500 new vehicles, the company will continue to grow its alt-fuel fleet, already the largest private fleet in the industry. eBay Bids on Solar eBay's North Campus is now the home of 3,248 solar panels in a 650-kilowatt system that will supply 18 percent of the campus's power, saving the company about $100,000 in electricity costs in its first year of operation. The company used the solar energy system's unveiling to tout its first LEED-Gold building, which also is the city's first. Wal-Mart Canada to Eliminate PVC from Light Bulb Packages As part of the retailer's plan to improve packaging, it will switch from PVC plastic to cardboard for energy efficient light bulb packaging. Raymour & Flanigan Goes for the Green The Northeast furniture retailer's recycling program has diverted roughly 16 millions pounds of waste from landfills, while its storeroom upgrades have helped the company offset energy costs, which have risen about 30 percent. > MORE NEWS HEADLINES Columns and Features Insight and Inspiration from the Experts Adding the Environment to the Scales of Justice By Tilde Herrera In a move playing out largely behind the scenes but gaining quick momentum, law firms are using simple and inexpensive tools to evolve from notorious resource hogs (think a half-ton of paper per lawyer, per year) to models of eco-stewardship. Green and Mean: Responsible Property Investing in a Tough Economy By Jeff Feinstein and Michael Butler Our national building infrastructure poses some major challenges to the climate fight, especially when the economy makes investors hesitant to take on new projects; but here we explain why green buildings are among the best investments now -- and any time. Beyond Recycling: Responsible Paper Purchasing By Tensie Whelan Companies can make an enormous difference in the global environment and forest communities by adopting strict purchasing policies. Featured Resource A Wealth of Hands-On Help The Aspen Institute's Closer Look at Supply Chain Management This report in the Aspen Institute's series "A Closer Look at Business Education" offers expert insight into the importance of proper oversight of your supply chains as well as resources to further your knowledge of the topic. > MORE RESOURCES GreenBiz Blogs Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward: Exxon, the Rockefellers, and the Future of Big Oil > More from Joel Makower Marc Gunther on Corporate America: A $3 trillion climate-change battle > More from Marc Gunther David Wigder's Green Marketing Strategies: Reframing Global Warming Across the Political Spectrum > More from David Wigder Andy Savitz's Triple Bottom Line Blog: Timberland And Stonyfield Farms--Two Little Guys Showing The Big Guys How It's Done > More from Andy Savitz Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines > MORE COLUMNS     > MORE FEATURES FEATURED EVENT Carbon Finance North America 2008 Hosts: Environmental Finance Date: June 4-6, 2008 Location: New York, NY Attend to hear a leading panel of carbon market experts provide an update on the hottest issues in the emissions trading and carbon investment markets in North America. > SUBMIT YOUR EVENT FEATURED BOOK Greening Your Office By Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert This short and sweet look at a number of ways to make any office greener covers how to save energy and resource with tips ranging from simple steps to more involved projects. > BUY IT! > READ MORE THE LATEST GREEN JOBS > Associate Attorney Earthjustice Oakland, Calif. > Fair Food Farmstand Retail Associate White Dog Community Enterprises Philadelphia, Pa. > Environmental Project Scientist Woodard & Curran Dedham, Mass. > Associate, Carbon Management The GreenLife Organization, LLC New York, N.Y. > Marketing Intern TheGreenOffice.com San Francisco, Calif. 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