The Green Enterprise

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Online video from TechRepublic features quick peeks at new technologies and hot products, tips and hacks for improving IT and digital living, and technology news and analysis from ZDNet.

PARC VP: Lowering costs with clean tech

December 2, 2008, 1:29pm PST

Scott Elrod, VP of the hardware systems lab at PARC, says that lowering costs is key in clean tech. By looking at their ink jet technology and applying it to solar cells, the company was able to come up with a lower price per watt—making solar an even more cost-effective option.
The Green Enterprise: California Academy of Sciences

November 21, 2008, 12:35pm PST

Since 1853, the California Academy of Sciences has been considered one of the world's most respected institutions. Now more than 150 years later, it's continuing to lead by example, showcasing how a museum can be environmentally sustainable from the ground up. Correspondent Sumi Das looks at the green innovations inside, including a living roof that helps reduce energy use, a solar energy installation that cuts down on carbon emissions in the atmosphere, and a building management system that manages temperature and humidity throughout the building.
SF Bay Area plugs in

November 21, 2008, 8:31am PST

The mayors of the San Francisco Bay Area's three largest cities gathered Thursday to announce their ambitious new initiatives to make the region the electric vehicle capital of the country. CNET's Kara Tsuboi has this report.
San Jose mayor announces 'green' award recipients

November 11, 2008, 11:34am PST

At a press conference in San Jose, Calif., Mayor Chuck Reed announces the winners of the inaugural Green Vision Innovation awards. The awards are designed to motivate companies to set up clean-tech businesses in the city of San Jose, bringing new green jobs with them.
'60 Minutes': Crew comes under attack (Part 4)

November 10, 2008, 10:46am PST

Scott Pelley and his crew are attacked and threatened with violence by area gangsters who don't want the e-waste story told.

'60 Minutes': Toxins inside your computer (Part 3)

November 10, 2008, 10:46am PST

Scientists discuss e-waste, the fastest-growing component of the municipal waste stream worldwide, and the impact it has on those whose lives depend on it.
'60 Minutes': Walking through a toxic village (Part 2)

November 10, 2008, 10:46am PST

Piles of electronics blanket the Chinese countryside waiting to be recycled.
'60 Minutes': Cleaning up recycling (Part 1)

November 10, 2008, 10:46am PST

Scott Pelley takes a tour of GRX, a Denver electronic waste recycling company, that is a member of 'E-Stewards.' That's a stringent program run by a watchdog group, The Basel Action Network, to certify ethical recyclers who do not ship their toxic materials overseas.
Clean Tech Open entrepreneurs win big

November 7, 2008, 8:23am PST

In a relatively inhospitable economy for tech start-ups, the Clean Tech Open and its six $100,000 cash prizes are like oases in the desert. CNET's Kara Tsuboi reports from the 2008 awards show in San Francisco which celebrated the best clean and green technology companies struggling to stay afloat.
John Doerr: How Obama can kick start 'green' innovation

November 6, 2008, 5:11pm PST

Kleiner Perkins VC John Doerr discusses his views on clean tech at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. "The most important thing" that President-elect Barack Obama needs to do, he says, is "kick-start a huge amount of innovation and research in energy." He adds, "It's the challenge for the generation, it's the scourge of the economy."
Green leases allow tenants to be sustainable

October 29, 2008, 2:24pm PDT

At the Green Legal Strategy panel in San Francisco, Louise Adamson, a partner at K&L Gates, explains the commercial interiors certification within the LEED program--tenants are able to certify their workspace separate from the building and landlord. She says, however, that creating a truly green lease requires a holistic approach with your entire team, not just a few add-on provisions at the end.
Getting green with Cisco's 'footprint' tool

October 28, 2008, 5:35pm PDT

At the Green Legal Strategy panel in San Francisco, John Hailey, Cisco's senior manager of sustainable development, shows off the company's "Environmental Data" tool available for free on the company's Web site. He says Cisco is committed to reducing its own footprint by 25 percent by 2012, taking into account growth, which may mean up to a 50 percent reduction of its greenhouse gases.
Making the case for green IT

September 19, 2008, 1:47pm PDT

At the AlwaysOn GoingGreen conference in Sausalito, Calif., technology executives discuss the motives behind going green. Jim Swartz, chief information officer of Sybase, says smaller and more energy-efficient technology is cost-effective. Rob Ober, an LSI fellow, says the issue is more complicated: IT managers can buy a more efficient machine every two years, but no one has yet figured out what to do with the old ones.
Steve Jurvetson: Green nano solutions

September 18, 2008, 4:00pm PDT

At the AlwaysOn GoingGreen conference in Sausalito, Calif., Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson describes the acceleration of computer and genetic technology through Moore's law, and then outlines nature-inspired methods for building nanotech. He also explains why decoding DNA from the ocean is important to green tech's future.
Traditional bike with electric zip

August 6, 2008, 10:48am PDT

It's environmentally friendly like a traditional bicycle, but it has the zip of a scooter. Getting 20 miles per charge with a max cruising speed of 20 mph, Ultra Motor's new electric bike doesn't come cheap, at $2,600.