carbon neutral
Latest
Sonos plans to improve its mixed environmental track record
Sonos has committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 with eco-friendly products, but can it overcome its mixed environmental track record?
Apple announces new climate initiatives ahead of the COP26 climate conference
Apple has "more than doubled" the number of suppliers using clean energy and unveiled new measures toward its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030
FedEx plans for an all-electric delivery fleet by 2040
FedEx will replace its current delivery trucks with electric models until its entire fleet is made up of zero—emission vehicles by 2040.
Scottish homes will use 100-percent green hydrogen in world first
Scotland is set to start the world’s first trials of green hydrogen to replace natural gas for cooking and heating in 300 homes, the UK’s energy regulator Ofgem announced.
Google says it offset all of the emissions it has ever generated
Google eliminates its 'entire carbon legacy' and plans to use only clean energy by 2030.
Apple says its products will be carbon-neutral by 2030
Apple promises to make its supply chain and all of its products carbon neutral by 2030.
Adidas and Allbirds team up to make environmentally friendly shoes
Adidas and Allbirds hope to create a high performance sneaker with the lowest carbon footprint to date.
Delta hopes to be the first carbon neutral airline
BP isn't the only company hoping to go carbon neutral despite its dependence on fossil fuels. Delta has unveiled a goal to become the first carbon neutral airline in the world, with the company promising $1 billion over 10 years to help "mitigate" all its CO2 emissions. This will include more efficient aircraft (including sustainable fuel) and less overall jet fuel use. It'll also involve carbon removal efforts, such as forest and wetland development, nature conservation and carbon capture tech. The initative kicks off March 1st.
Oil giant BP plans to be carbon neutral by 2050
BP is probably the last company you'd expect to go carbon neutral given the nature of its main business, but it's trying regardless. The oil and gas producer has unveiled plans for the company to reach "net zero" CO2 levels (both in emissions and in the products themselves) across its operations no later than 2050. It hoped to reach that target in part by reducing the carbon levels in its fossil fuel business, such as by cutting carbon and methane "intensity" levels in half and advocating for net zero policies like carbon pricing and encouraging the world to "decarbonize." However, it also acknowledged that it would have to increase its investment into "non-oil and gas businesses" -- effectively, to back away from its primary source of income.
Formula 1 targets carbon neutral racing by 2030
Formula 1 is known for noise, horsepower and burning fuel, but the racing league wants to add a new, unexpected description: eco-friendly. Formula 1 plans to have a "net-zero carbon footprint by 2030," including the cars, on-track activities and operations, the FIA ownership body announced.
Microsoft announces plan to make the Xbox carbon neutral
Microsoft has joined other major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Sony in laying out some new commitments to mitigate climate change. One of the more eye-catching measures it detailed was a pilot project to make 825,000 Xbox consoles carbon neutral. It says those'll be the first carbon-neutral consoles.
Google pledges to 'maximize' recycled material in own products
Google has been making consumer hardware under its "Made by Google" brand -- like its Pixel phones and Google Home Minis -- for three years, and dabbled in other hardware for a few years before that. Now, it's ready to make its products more sustainable. Starting in 2022, 100 percent of its Made by Google products will include recycled materials and will maximize recycled content whenever possible. By 2020, 100 percent of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral.
Etsy will offset its sellers' carbon emissions free of charge
Most of us have accepted one-click shopping as the new norm. But what we tend to forget is how much CO2 is generated by that one click. In the US, 55,000 metric tons of CO2 are produced daily as a result of online shopping package delivery, and online retailers like Etsy are working to address that. Today, Etsy announced it will offset 100 percent of its shipping-generated carbon emissions, making it the first major online shopping platform to do so.
Amazon wants half of its shipments to be carbon-neutral by 2030
Amazon doesn't have a sterling environmental record, but it is making some headway. The internet giant has launched a Shipment Zero initiative that aims for net zero carbon emissions for deliveries. While it doesn't have a timetable for achieving perfectly carbon-neutral shipping, it expects half of shipments to be net zero by 2030. It believes the rise of aircraft biofuels, electric vehicles, renewable energy and reusable packaging will make that possible.
BBC will soon show you how green its TV programmes are
In an effort to reward programme makers for doing their bit for the planet, the BBC will soon start displaying a seal of approval on shows that are greener than most. In partnership with BAFTA, the Beeb will award TV programmes that "meet higher environmental standards" with a new "Albert+" certification badge on the credits. To be eligible for the badge, content producers need to have a strong focus on sustainability, share those goals with cast and crew, measure their carbon footprint and take the necessary steps to reduce carbon emissions when filming. Quite the list, but two programmes (From There To Here and Springwatch) have already earned their green (or should it be gold?) stripes and are set to air in the next week. Despite its small beginnings, the BBC and BAFTA hope that other UK producers and broadcasters will follow suit, making Albert+ "the expected standard for all publications."
Microsoft puts a price on carbon, says its footprint will be neutral by July
We've seen quite a few tech companies boast about their environmental efforts in recent years, and it looks like you can now also add Microsoft to the list of those attempting to be carbon neutral. As you might expect, while that includes some alternative energy efforts and energy-saving measures, it also makes use of a carbon offset program to make up the difference, which will see Microsoft put money into an internal fund for emissions it's not able to offset through other means. That means Microsoft will be able to declare itself carbon neutral fairly soon -- by the start of the 2013 fiscal year, to be specific, which actually begins this July. You can find additional details on the initiative in the company's blog post on the subject, and yet more in the white paper linked below.
Microbial fuel cell produces hydrogen from wastewater without wasting energy
Back in 2005, Bruce Logan and his team of Penn State researchers developed a microbial fuel cell capable of converting poop into power. Now, Logan has refined his system to the point where it can produce hydrogen from wastewater or biodegradable organic materials without using a drop of grid electricity, and without emitting even a hint of carbon dioxide. His approach, outlined in the September 19th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves something known as reverse-electrodialysis (RED) -- a process that harvests energy from the ionic discrepancy between fresh and salt water. Logan's bacterial hydrolysis cell (pictured left) features a so-called RED stack that's comprised of alternating positive and negative ion exchange membranes, which it uses to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Normally, this process would involve about 25 pairs of membranes, but by using RED technology in conjunction with electricity-producing exoelectrogenic bacteria, Penn State's team was able to extract hydrogen with just five membrane pairs. All told, Logan's cells proved to be about 58 to 64 percent energy efficient, while producing between 0.8 to 1.6 cubic meters of hydrogen for every cubic meter of liquid that passed through the system. The researchers' results show that only one percent of that energy was used to pump water through the cells, which are completely carbon neutral, as well. According to Logan, this breakthrough demonstrates that "pure hydrogen gas can efficiently be produced from virtually limitless supplies of seawater and river water and biodegradable organic matter." Somewhere, the US Navy is taking scrupulous notes. Full PR after the break. [Image courtesy of Penn State / Bruce Logan]
Inhabitat's Week in Green: the world's largest laser fired, icy roof tiles admired, faucet lamps inspired
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week scientists took a step towards unlocking the holy grail of alternative energy as they unleashed a one megajoule test blast from the world's largest laser. We were also excited to see the DOI give the green light for the first solar-thermal power tower in the United States, and we saw big things brewing beneath West Virginia as a project funded by Google discovered massive geothermal vents that could double the state's energy generation capacity. Not to be outdone, Oregon announced plans for a 845 megawatt wind farm that stands to be the largest in the world. We also watched the world of architecture heat up - literally - as Soltech unveiled a set of glimmering glass roof tiles that can capture solar energy to heat your home. We also checked in on the development of Masdar, the world's first carbon neutral zero-waste city, and we were shocked and appalled by the recently completed largest and most expensive house in the world. In other news, this week we showcased a dazzling array of energy-efficient lights - from an amazing animated LED pillar to a set of liquid lights made from recycled faucets to a chandelier decked out with luminous dandelions. We also kicked up our heels for a vending machine that dispenses biodegradable shoes and we saw a set of ghetto-fabulous boom boxes made from old suitcases hit the streets. Finally, we rounded up a gaggle of our favorite smartphone games that are perfect for keeping kids entertained!
Motorola Citrus budget candybar outed by Verizon, sports Android 2.1 and Blur
Boy, Motorola must've been real busy lately. Sharing the Verizon limelight with the Droid Pro today is this new entry-level Citrus candybar, which is actually the WX445 we saw exclusively back in July. Sadly, said handset will still be shipped with a slightly disappointing Android 2.1 OS and Blur skin, but hey, we did say it's entry level, right? The good folks over at xda-developers will probably Froyo-lize the phone in no time, anyway. Not much else is known right now, but bear with us while we look out for more deets. Update: Okay, the press release is out -- check it after the break. The Citrus is hitting this quarter for an unannounced price (a low one, we'd presume), and one of its claims to fame is the fact that it's fashioned of 25 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and is both PVC and BFR free. Better yet, the phone's also given the CarbonFree certification by Carbonfund.org for its carbon-neutral status. Good on ya, Motorola.
Carbon-neutral Ziggurat pyramid could house 1.1 million in Dubai
As we learned from Wall-E, people with half a mind for themselves probably won't be kosher with living with 1.1 million or so other inhabitants within a pyramid. That being said, there's always the brainwash approach to getting 'em in there, and if hordes of people were ever filed into the conceptual Ziggurat, Mother Earth would surely appreciate it. The 2.3-square kilometer building would be able to house over 1 million people and be "almost totally self-sufficient energy-wise." By tapping into the planet's renewable resources, designers assert that it could practically be carbon-neutral, and given that transport within the machine would be connected by an "integrated 360-degree network," fuel-burning cars would be pointless. As with most things in Dubai, this one seems larger than life, but if the Burj Al Arab is any indication, there's at least a minuscule chance this thing comes to fruition.[Via Inhabitat]
