Archive for the Business & Economics Category
Tackling Water Usage in Data Centers
The seven-year-long California dry spell that finished in mid-2019 paired with the wildfires that followed are only two late occasions that have projected a focus on the extensive outcomes of deteriorating water deficiencies. Those worries have been compounded by a lack of certainty of the impact of climate change on water supplies. Under particular scrutiny is the data center market sector as, just in the U.S., data centers are expected to have consumed an estimated 174 billion gallons of water in 2020[1]. For reference, a 15-megawatt data center can use up to 360,000 gallons of water in just one day. […]
Water Futures Join Wall Street
Water has now joined oil, gold, and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world. The contracts, a first of their kind in the U.S., were announced in September of this year as heat and wildfires ravaged the U.S. West Coast and as California was emerging from an eight-year drought. They are meant to serve both as a hedge for big water consumers, such as almond farmers and electric utilities, against water prices fluctuations as well a scarcity gauge for investors worldwide. Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities […]
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Gains New Signatories
Amazon’s Climate Pledge is taking on a higher profile as it welcomes the commitments from companies such as Microsoft, Unilever, Neste, Brooks, and others who were recently named as new signatories. bringing the total to 31 signatories. With the total now at 31 signatories since Amazon announced the Climate Pledge last year, the commitments aim to build a sustainable business for customers and the planet. The Pledge promises to meet the net-zero emissions goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change by 2040, 10 years ahead of schedule. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement that the companies are […]
Dekalb County Receives EPA Water Infrastructure Loan
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and EPA Southeast Regional Administrator Mary Walker recently announced a $265 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to DeKalb County, Georgia, for upgrades to its aging wastewater collection and treatment system. DeKalb County will use the EPA’s WIFIA loan to assess and rehabilitate the highest priority areas of its sewer system infrastructure. Upgrades will include sewer replacement, trunk sewer upsizing, full or partial length sewer lining, and related activities at various locations within the county. The project will help eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and improving water quality in […]
Corporate Sustainability Through A Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause devastating social and economic impacts across the globe, companies are continuing, if not elevating, their efforts to become more sustainable. Some of these companies are now being recognized for their efforts. A survey put out this year, titled the 2020 Sustainability Leaders[1], revealed which companies are perceived to be leaders on sustainability during this unique and challenging time by sustainability professionals representing business, government, non-governmental organizations, and academia. Over 700 experts were surveyed online across 71 countries in May. The results showed that Unilever continues to be a recognized leader among the sustainability community, […]