Gerd Leonhard, Green Futurist and Keynote Speaker,

(via “Crowdsourcing Ads” cartoon | Tom Fishburne:...

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:44:01 +0200

(via “Crowdsourcing Ads” cartoon | Tom Fishburne: Marketoonist)

Some nuggets: Charting technology’s new directions: A conversation with MIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:13:05 +0200

Some nuggets: Charting technology’s new directions: A conversation with MIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson:

You’d like to see that happening again now. But the data show that it just isn’t happening as fast. We’re having the automation and the job destruction; we’re not having the creation at the same pace. There’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to find these new jobs. It may be that machines are better than that.

That said, I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, because ultimately the purpose of economic progress and technological progress is to be able to create more wealth with less work. I mean, isn’t that what we want? More wealth with less work? So, if we are in a Star-Trek economy, where replicators create all the essentials that we need, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing if we can have an economic system that matches to it and find a way that people can share in that benefit. And people can still continue to find meaning and value in life.

Prince Charles: 'Climate change sceptics are turning Earth into dying patient' (nice to hear that;)

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:13:05 +0200

Prince Charles: 'Climate change sceptics are turning Earth into dying patient' (nice to hear that;):

Hosting a two-day conference for forest scientists at St James’s Palace in London, the Prince of Wales satirised those who stand in the way of climate action, characterising them as “the confirmed sceptics” and “the international association of corporate lobbyists”. Faced with these forces of opposition, “science finds itself up the proverbial double blind gum tree”, he added.

Filling In The Gaps With Tim O’Reilly: some great insights (hat tip to Dug Campbell)

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:13:03 +0200

Filling In The Gaps With Tim O’Reilly: some great insights (hat tip to Dug Campbell):

O’Reilly argues that the concept of a business that exists solely for the purpose of making money for its shareholders is fundamentally flawed. Every business has an obligation to create value.

Gerd adds: great summary of where the future of capitalism is going !

Gearing Kids Up For A Robotic Future With An Adorable, Programmable Bot On Wheels ... with?

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:05:35 +0200

Gearing Kids Up For A Robotic Future With An Adorable, Programmable Bot On Wheels ... with?:

Can someone remind me why this is ‘progress’ ?

Bill McKibben - Downsides to Economic Growth (by ForaTv) Good...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:01:04 +0200

Bill McKibben - Downsides to Economic Growth (by ForaTv)

Good one!!

"But there are some communications issues that linger between companies and consumers. While 71% of..."

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:00:57 +0200

“But there are some communications issues that linger between companies and consumers. While 71% of consumers read and follow instructions on how to use products with environmental claims, just 66% go so far as to deal with disposal instructions. And only 41% do additional research on proper disposal—presumably because 85% of those surveyed think that it’s the company’s responsibility to make sure consumers know how to use and dispose of so-called “green” products.”

- The Gap Between What Consumers Say And Do About Green Brands | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation

Getting to the Heart of Money (via Huffpo)

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:42:33 +0200

Getting to the Heart of Money (via Huffpo):

For Savitz, the work “comes from the heart and then through the head.” In addition, it is rooted in the practice of Tikkun Olam — the Jewish teaching that each individual must do her or his part to repair the world.

The Gap Between What Consumers Say And Do About Green Brands | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation

Sat, 04 May 2013 14:12:08 +0200

The Gap Between What Consumers Say And Do About Green Brands | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation:

In fact, 71% (that seems to be the magic number here) of people surveyed said that they wished companies would do a better job in communicating environmental terms. But that’s not say companies should go too far in their messaging; 78% of consumers say they’ll boycott a product if they find out that its environmental claims are misleading.

mothernaturenetwork: EKG for the planet: New ecology network to...

Sat, 04 May 2013 12:00:56 +0200

mothernaturenetwork:

EKG for the planet: New ecology network to monitor Earth’s health

The system will be fully operational by 2017 and is expected to continue its research for 30 years.

Made me think: Striking Visions Of Our Flooded Future

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:56:04 +0200

Made me think: Striking Visions Of Our Flooded Future :

treehugger: New York City is getting electric taxis. Only a...

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:58 +0200

treehugger:

New York City is getting electric taxis. Only a handful, but you have to start somewhere.

http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/cars/new-york-city-launch-electric-leaf-taxis-pilot-program/

Delivery trucks are typically heavy, diesel-burning beasts that...

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:37:40 +0200

Delivery trucks are typically heavy, diesel-burning beasts that churn out clouds of exhaust – not the greatest thing for the environment. But if grocery-store owners and consumers were to use them smartly, these boxy vehicles might in fact reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, according to new research. The climate-changing qualities of services like FreshDirect, Peapod and Google’s trial project in San Francisco are the subject of a recent study by Anne Goodchild and Erica Wygonik, engineers at the University of Washington. They found that the traditional method of grocery shopping in America – driving to and from a store – is much less friendly to the overheated atmosphere than simply ordering the supplies online. The difference they detected is stark: Going the delivery truck-route reduced CO2 emissions by at least half in their model, compared to car trips. (via The Best Excuse Ever for Getting Your Groceries Delivered: It’s Greener - John Metcalfe - The Atlantic Cities)

"The biggest single environmental cost? Greenhouse gases from coal burning in China. The fifth..."

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:55 +0200

“The biggest single environmental cost? Greenhouse gases from coal burning in China. The fifth biggest? Greenhouse gases from coal burning in North America. (This also shows what an unholy nightmare deforestation in South America is.)”

- None of the world’s top industries would be profitable if they paid for the natural capital they use | Grist

Made me think!!

We need to move from a system of waste to a system of...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:41:00 +0200

We need to move from a system of waste to a system of reuse—an economy that’s a circle and not a line. Some businesses are getting closer to this ideal than others. Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity’s use of natural resources has been basically the same: take, make, throw away. The World Bank’s predictions for global waste generation are chastening: on current trends it will double between now and 2025 to 6.5 million tons of solid waste every day. For sure, we are better at using virgin resources more efficiently while second-hand markets and recycling rates have both improved. But this hasn’t altered the fundamentals. Many companies’ business models are not set up to do much else than earn money from volume. The fact that few businesses are vertically integrated makes it more difficult for businesses to reform the model for “closed” product loops even if their CEOs want to. When you add to this the OECD’s estimate of an extra two billion middle class consumers before 2030, commodity price volatility and new environmental regulations, you start to see the scale of the challenge. The good news, though, is that circular economy thinking—building an economy that doesn’t create waste—can make business-sense.

(via 5 Business Models That Are Driving The Circular Economy | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation)

The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See (by...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:07:40 +0200

The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See (by wonderingmind42)

Great and convincing overview of climate change issues.

—- from Youtube —-

On Amazon: http://snurl.com/kjpvp

Greg Craven (that’s me!), the creator of “The Most Terrifying Video” never intended to write a book. It just sort of happened. All as a result of the two-year back-and forth I’ve had with the YouTube community about this video and its follow up marathon “How It All Ends.”

So now “What’s the Worst That Could Happen? A Rational Response to the Climate Change Debate” is available from Amazon and other sellers through the links at www.gregcraven.org, as well as your local bookstore (I hope!).

Check it out if you’re intrigued by the argument in this video. On Amazon: http://snurl.com/kjpvp

The idea that wood is low in carbon sounds bizarre. But the...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:00:44 +0200

The idea that wood is low in carbon sounds bizarre. But the original argument for including it in the EU’s list of renewable-energy supplies was respectable. If wood used in a power station comes from properly managed forests, then the carbon that billows out of the chimney can be offset by the carbon that is captured and stored in newly planted trees. Wood can be carbon-neutral. Whether it actually turns out to be is a different matter. But once the decision had been taken to call it a renewable, its usage soared. (via Wood: The fuel of the future | The Economist)

Gerd comments: that sounds quite doubtful to me - why pollute with something first only to make up for it later, somehow? Solar, Wind, Water??

The Internet of Things (IoT): What's Hot, and How (via STL Partners)

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:42:38 +0200

The Internet of Things (IoT): What's Hot, and How (via STL Partners):

In US healthcare, which spends 17% of GDP on health and accounts for 47% of the world’s total healthcare spending) there is the urgent need to make healthcare more efficient before it literally bankrupts the economy;
In the automotive industry, car makers desperately need new sources of differentiation and revenues (from in-life servicing) to survive, and this is driving widespread innovation;
In heavy Industries, it is estimated that a 1% improvement in productivity equals a 20-30% improvement in profitability, so there are clear incentives in what GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt calls the “Industrial Internet” too.

New European Union report says “economically lagging regions are...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:18:04 +0200

New European Union report says “economically lagging regions are also the most vulnerable to climate change.” Translation: Even in a rich continent, the poor will suffer most. (via The unequal pain of climate change in Europe)

Great examples of inequality One receipt says customer has...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:48:00 +0200

Great examples of inequality

One receipt says customer has ‘insufficient funds’ to withdraw $100; Other is a $300 withdrawal on account with a balance of more than $1million They were both found outside branch of Chase bank (via The have and have-not: Two discarded receipts from same New York bank show the inequality of life in city | Mail Online)