E-Commerce Blog

Shrugging off gloom over the economic outlook, Intel Capital on Tuesday announced its first “clean-tech” initiative in China, a $20 million equity investment in Trony Solar Holdings, one of China’s biggest makers of solar energy and wind power equipment. “The world economy is in a very difficult position, but innovation is the way to help the companies out of financial crisis. Intel Capital is still committed to investing in innovative companies,” Cadol Cheung, managing director of Intel Capital for the Asia Pacific, told reporters. Intel Capital’s parent is computer chip maker Intel Corp.

Excerpted from:
Intel Capital Gives Shot of Green to Chinese Solar Venture

For those who are hungry for some good economic news, venture capitalists apparently are seeing green in clean technology. Indeed, so-called green technology — everything from eco-friendly auto parts to alternative fuels to smart buildings to streamlined manufacturing processes — appears to be blooming, even if the world economy is in wilt mode. The National Venture Capital Association is making just that contention, and it’s offering some numbers to back up its case.

Go here to see the original:
VC Funding: One Green Light in a Sea of Red

Google said the United States has a very real opportunity to transform its economy from one running on fossil fuels to one largely based on clean energy — and to make it happen, Google is pitching a $4.4 trillion proposal that outlines how it can be done by 2030. By spending $4.4 trillion on building clean energy production and infrastructure, Google also forecasts a net savings of $1 trillion over the 22-year life of the plan. Admittedly, the numbers sound good on paper, but they might not hold up over the course of two decades.

Go here to see the original:
Google Pushes $4.4T Dream to Green Up US Energy

A new report from the Government Accountability Office — relating the findings of investigators who went under cover to see how well the CRT disposal rule was followed and enforced — concludes that the U.S. EPA is abdicating its responsibility for regulating e-waste. “Companies easily circumvent the CRT rule,” the report concludes. “EPA’s enforcement is lacking.” The EPA disagreed with the GAO’s recommendations for tightening enforcement and broadening regulations, saying it preferred the voluntary approach now in place.

View original here:
GAO Slams EPA for Turning Blind Eye to Toxic E-Waste Exports

Representatives from Google and General Electric said Tuesday that widespread use of renewable energy in the United States would be possible — if it were cheaper. Renewable energy options will remain “boutique” industries unless their costs are cut to make them competitive with coal and other widely used power sources, said Dan Reicher, director for climate change and energy initiatives at Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm. Reicher spoke to a group of politicians and energy experts at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas.

More:
Google to Dig Up $10M for Geothermal Energy