Green Skeptic Friday LinkFest - 04/08/11

One of the benefits of the work I do is going to or hosting investment forums and conferences where some amazing companies get to present.  It's also one of the drawbacks, as it impacts my blogging and writing about the events in a timely manner. 

I'm working on updates from the Mid-Atlantic Cleantech Investment Forum we held a week ago, New Ventures Global Investment Forum from this past Wednesday, and highlights from PV America.  Watch for that and a "state of cleantech investing" post next week.

Meanwhile, here are links for this week:

In the rush to EVs and Hybrids, don't count ICEs out: New Car Engine Sends Shock Waves Through Auto Industry: 3.5x more fuel efficient!

In other innovation news, a toxic byproduct from coal plants has been used by researchers to make metal foams that are just as strong as aluminum, but lighter, according to an article on GreenBiz.com. A team at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University used fly ash as an additive in metal foams designed to replace solid aluminum and magnesium in certain vehicle parts: Toxic Coal Byproduct Made Into Lighter, Stronger Metal Foams 

Geothermal energy production could triple over the next few years, expanding its reach from nine to 15 states, according to a report released this week by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). Renewable Energy World explains: US Geothermal Industry Expands with New Capital, Government Support

That could mean good news for companies like Ormat Technolobies ($ORA), which is also expanding operations overseas: Ormat Expands Geothermal Generating Capacity In Kenya

Nicholas Donofrio, a fellow emeritus with IBM and senior fellow with the Kauffman Foundation, talks about "Turning Energy Challenges Into Opportunities" [video]

Waste Management is trying to turn garbage into gold, according to an article in CNET by Martin Lamonica, by investing "in technology start-ups in an effort to get electricity, chemicals, or liquid fuels from municipal solid waste. Already, the company generates two to three times more energy than the entire solar industry." Waste Management CEO Places Energy Bets

 

Om Malik's surprise at his increasing energy bill and he turned to OPower to figure out why and what to do about it.  For OPower, Cloud, Big Data & Digital Energy Equal Magic 

Have a great weekend everyone.



(Disclosure: I hold a long position in ORA. This post is for informational purposes only and is neither intended to be investment advice nor an offer, or the solicitation of any offer, to buy or sell any securities.)

Saving Green While Saving Lives

Christiana Care Health Systems Wilmington Facility

Hospitals are in the business of healing. So it should be no surprise that one leading medical institution has been leading the way on healing the planet.

Christiana Care Health Systems serves all of Delaware and seven counties bordering the state in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Christiana has more than 1,100 licensed hospital beds in two hospitals and over 10,000 employees.

As one of the region's largest employers, they are committed to making their facilities clean and safe for staff and patients. A few years ago, a small group of staff formed a team to help green their operations.

Most probably thought of it as the right thing to do, but they soon realized it was not just about going green. There was green to be made through savings.

The team started with small goals: reduce waste and organize what they were already doing that was sustainable. They hired an industry savvy consultant who helped them target various waste streams and look for cost savings throughout their operations.

Hospitals throw out a lot of stuff. From bed pans to Styrofoam cups; from paper and cans to xylene and alcohol. There is also an enormous amount of "regulated medical waste," most of which must be disposed of in special red "Biohazard" bags.

The team conducted an audit of the waste stream, even tracking it from the facilities to the dump. They found savings and waste reduction opportunities at every turn.

Reductions in "red bag" waste were cut by 50 percent at a savings of over $210,000 a year; implementing an extensive recycling program -- even for chemicals -- led to additional savings after a modest one-time cost.

Next the facilities entered into power purchase agreements for 15 percent of the total output of the Locust Ridge II wind power facility in central Pennsylvania.

They even hosted two "medicine cabinet clean-out" events for the community in cooperation with the Delaware Nurses Association. This last effort safely retrieved old and expired medications that otherwise may have entered the groundwater system if disposed of improperly.

The biggest challenge?

"Commitment," said Robert Mulrooney, Christiana Care's Vice President of Facilities and Services, speaking at the Academy of Natural Sciences last week as part of its Profitable Pathways to Sustainability Program. "Commitment of time and people. We don't yet have one person solely devoted to this 100 percent. That would really drive it."

Rather, Christiana's effort relies on 50 environmental champions from throughout the staff.

They must be doing something right. Last year, Christiana Care received the EPA's Trailblazer Award for its environmental leadership.

Christiana's green team is not resting on its laurels. They have come up with even more ambitious goals moving forward, such as achieving a recycling rate greater than 25 percent, purchasing safer and more sustainable products, reducing water use by more than 20 million gallons per year.

"It is part of Christiana Care's mission to care for our planet as we do for our community," President and CEO Dr. Bob Laskowski has said.

Perhaps it is time to recognize that a healthier planet can lead to healthier patients.

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• Green And Greener Survey Shows Hospitals Embrace Environmentally Sustainable Practices, Though Room for Improvement Remains (prweb.com)
• Going (Accidently) Green (itexpertvoice.com)
• In World of Throwaways, Making a Dent in Medical Waste (nytimes.com)
• Inspiring Green Technology, Innovations With the Power to Heal (inhabitat.com)
• Washington Hospital Receives National Environmental Award (eon.businesswire.com)