In 1999, fewer than 500 companies issued sustainability reports. That number is now over 3,500. Once only a concern for a few niche companies with sustainability as a core value and brand differentiator, corporate sustainability has moved categorically into the mainstream. (more…)

Duke University researchers have predicted that climate change in California will result in a declining percentage of rangeland. Such a change will have widespread impact on the state’s large cattle industry of California’s Central Valley. No matter if climate change will cause wetter or drier weather, available pasture will decline. Forage areas, known as one of (more…)

The promise of smarter homes continued to make noise at this year’s CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show. But nothing really wowed me. You might call this an incremental show – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Keep in mind that CES is huge, with 1.86 million net (more…)

3M is an American multinational conglomerate located in Minnesota. 3M is responsible for over 55,000 different products, including abrasives, adhesives, laminates, dental products, passive fire protection, medical products, electronic materials, car care products, optical films and electronic circuits. With operations in over 60 countries, 3M products are (more…)

There was a time when you could spot a greenie in the crowd. They were the Birkenstock-wearing, self-described environmentalists . These days, to rephrase an oft-used saying, “we’ve seen the future and it is us.”

No longer tethered to trees, people who care about the environment are no on-the-go, smartphone (more…)

Just as new patent filings can indicate the direction technology is moving, trademark application data can reveal trends in branding.

This is the idea behind the Dechert law firm’s Annual Report on Trends in Trademarks (created and produced by Glenn Gunderson) in which the firm (more…)

The launch of new “plug-n-play” solar panels has generated buzz in recent weeks. The manufacturer, Colorado-based Onyx Service & Solutions Inc., introduced the product earlier this month.

The new 330-W system will offer homeowners the option of purchasing a complete, pre-packaged solar (more…)

In a recent study released by the Everest Group, 2012 Market Predictions, the professional consulting firm predicts the growing use of supply chain service providers in the coming years. As companies seek to elevate the roles of their procurement professionals to more strategic business sustainability activities, outsourcing of transactional (more…)

In April 2010, the Department of Defense (“DOD”) issued a memorandum (“memo”) that altered the structure of the defense budgeting cycle, beginning with fiscal year (“FY”) 2012 budget. These changes were ostensibly made to offer more stability to the budgeting process, which prior to the memo involved a more complicated two-year budgeting (more…)

Transportation has always presented significant design challenges. And no mode of transportation is more fraught with potential hurdles than the automobile.

How can we improve fuel efficiency without affecting performance? Are there ways to reduce weight (more…)