ReGeneration Roundup - 2008-06-20
The Climate Group released a 90 page report on the high-tech industry’s potential to either contribute to global warming, or play a key role in fighting it. With demand for electronic equipment rising as the world becomes connected, this challenge is only going to become more apparent. This morning’s San Francisco Chronicle covered the release of the report and singled out Dell for committing to carbon neutrality and powering its global headquarters campus in Round Rock, Texas with 100 percent “green” energy. Through increasingly more energy-efficient facilities, data centers and products, the IT industry can save a bundle in energy costs and do its bit to save the planet. This story is yet another fine example of one of the core principles of the ReGeneration movement: That being “green” and making smart business decisions are not mutually exclusive concepts.
If you’ve ever traveled through America’s Deep South, you may have noticed a vine that seems to take over everything in it’s path. The vine in question is the kudzu plant, an invasive species that was introduced to the U.S. from Japan in the late 19th century. The plant found the South much to its liking, and growing at a rate of almost a foot a day, it quickly became entrenched in the landscape of the area. Often viewed as a nuisance, people are beginning to see the plant in a new light, especially considering the recent heated debates over biofuels and land use. Since the plant grows rapidly and technically doesn’t belong in the South, it’s has moved to the top of the list of possible crops to develop as a biofuel. It is estimated that the plant will be able to produce 270 gallons of ethanol per acre, the same amount yielded from an acre of corn. If employed, this will free up more land for food crops, and will take something we have too much of (kudzu) and using it to make something we need more of (energy). Sounds like a win-win proposition!
With the upcoming Olympic Games in China, there’s been a lot of news about what the industrial giant is doing to clean up its corner of the world. The latest, complements of our friends at EcoGeek, is about China’s rapidly expanding wind power initiatives. Already ranked number 5 in wind power capacity, and currently producing over 6 GW, experts predict that China’s wind power will continue to grow, eventually reaching 100 GW by 2020. The bulk of this development will likely take place on the windy steppes of Inner Mongolia, which has the potential to provide 40 percent of the country’s total wind power.
