In my mind, year-ahead predictions by journalists like me are somewhat akin to corporate sustainability commitments — the best are aspirational, yet grounded in some practical reality. Some are hopeful, others resigned. With that, here are some thoughts crowding my brain on the precipice of this new year. 1. Anticipate…
Category: Sustainability
Sustainability
Amazon, Microsoft Are Making Artificial Intelligence Real
Species identification schemes. Early warning systems informed by sensors and big data. Predictive population modeling. Looks like a job for artificial intelligence! It felt appropriate to weigh in with a year-end riff about a topic that’s guaranteed to spark debate at holiday parties — when and how to use AI for…
Sustainability
Amazon Digs Renewables, But Progress Is Elusive
Is the world’s largest provider of cloud computing services falling down on its 2014 pledge to one day power all of its data centers entirely with renewable energy? That’s the question posed recently by an investigative report in The Information (subscription required, but you can snag a free trial), citing…
Sustainability
Why You Should Pay More Attention to Bloom Energy
When rocket scientist K.R. Sridhar founded the technology startup that would become Bloom Energy in 2001 — and famously introduced its electricity-generating “box” to the world in 2010 during a “60 Minutes” segment — his inspiration was a photograph snapped from outer space illustrating the vast swaths of planet Earth…
Sustainability
Kickstarter To Designers: Consider The Environment
Genusee, an eyeglasses maker that fashions its frames from water bottles sourced in Flint, Michigan. Huskee Cup, which brews up reusable mugs made out of coffee husk waste. EcoTruck, a toy made from a wood-hybrid material that is far tougher than competitive options. All three of these designers turned to…
Nature
Amazon, Apple Go for the Photo Opp
Generally, you know a company is “serious” about a strategy when they march the chief executive officer out to be the mouthpiece or the face of it. Or at least that’s what the marketing gurus and guru-esses hope. So, I was intrigued by two recent announcements by two of the…
Is This Your Job?
This post has absolutely nothing to do with the core “mission” of this blog, at least overtly. Covertly, however, I love the idea that The New York Times is willing to send a writer to all of its “52 Places to Go” list! Their mission: “parachute into a place and…
Well, That’s Embarrassing!
Apparently, I have far more readers at my modest and very neglected personal blog, Technophile, than I heretofore realized. I just discovered dozens of messages trapped in Ninja forms purgatory. So, first, my apologies to those who never heard from me when you reached out many months ago. Second, I’m…
Faith, Love, Hope — and Resistance
On this Easter morning, it seems relevant to reflect on the theme of faith — a belief or conviction based on “spiritual apprehension” rather than proof. Faith is the foundation of every religion, of course, the reverse of the “seeing is believing” adage. It’s an emotion I find myself drawing on often…
Can You Name the Top 10 Solar Buyers?
It probably won’t surprise you to discover that many of the companies investing in on-site solar technology—rather than waiting around for their local utility to start selling clean power—are either retailers or real estate investment firms. The Solar Energy Industries Association keeps tabs on this with an annual ranking….