As we enter 2018 in the grips of a bomb-cyclone dumping frigid temperatures, snow, ice and floods up and down the eastern seaboard, it can be difficult to consider global warming particularly since global warming has nothing to do with weather and everything to do with climate change. Here is a good explanation of the […]

Well as we start yet another record-breaking hurricane season here in the U.S., many in our southern states and the Gulf of Mexico are bracing for impact. Already hurricanes Harvey and Irma have caused billions in damage to home, businesses, infrastructure and lives. Power companies and cleanup crews are busy wrestling with the monumental task […]

Do your ICT products have good chemistry? Do you even have any idea what chemicals may be in your products and how it may affect the environment you install them into? Do you know if the manufacturer you purchased or specified are being environmentally responsible when it comes to chemicals in the manufacturing process? Chemical […]

The current administration’s reversal of key environmental directives and what appears to be a blatant dismantling of the EPA and other regulatory departments has the potential to set the U.S. back decades in environmental policy and contribution to climate change and global warming. As I noted in last month’s article it will be up to […]

Even with the front-and-center headlines of world politics throwing shade to other news worthy events a quiet revolution is taking hold. Just under a year and a half ago the Paris Climate agreement was birthed with rosy cheeked and wide-eyed predictions of its mark on global climate change. We are now starting to see the […]

Another InfoComm Show will soon be upon us with just under a thousand vendors and exhibitors vying for attention from tens of thousands of attendees in the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas. If you are attending this year’s conference, I have a challenge for you. Ask every exhibit you stop by what their corporate […]

The COP21 Convention held in Paris is now in the history books. For those of you who may not know what this annual event even is or have vague ideas about it having something to do with the climate, here is a bit of a primer: In 1992, there was a large political response to […]

Most often when design professional think about creating solutions that help improve the intended environment’s energy efficiency or work to reduce the overall carbon footprint of a space it is often just the immediate cause and reaction that is considered — if I use this product or solution than I reduce emissions by “X” amount. […]

Is Asia the hot spot for green office buildings in the world? Right now they are certainly poised to be. Take Singapore and its Green Mark certified green building path, for example. The government has set the benchmark of having 80 percent of all buildings be certified green by 2030. This push by the Building […]

Since 2006, InfoComm has been actively involved in sustainability and technology under the leadership of my predecessor for this column, Scott Walker of Waveguide Consulting. Scott headed up the Sustainability Task force for InfoComm and then mustered up a motley crew of twelve consultants, manufacturers, integrators, and end users to create the Sustainable Technology Environments […]

By now most companies see the real need to incorporate sustainability into their company’s core mission and ingrain it in corporate values. Unfortunately they don’t quite understand the why and the how, but that landscape is rapidly changing and the partnerships being developed to move this forward are solidifying fast. If you are in the […]

Well, the election is over and the Republicans have taken control of the Senate and grew their majority in the House. Depending on your political leanings, this is either really great or really bad. It will be an interesting two years until the next Presidential election cycle. President Obama certain maintains a veto pen and […]

The STEP Foundation (STEP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing technology industry benchmarks for sustainability practices in the built environment, and the Green Building Initiative (GBI),a nonprofit organization committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable building practices, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. STEP and GBI, the organization behind the Green Globes building certification program, […]

Many of my previous articles, especially the last one on manufacturing and green labels, revolve around the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. What I have noticed is the number of comments revolving around just what the ICT industry is comprised of and how that specifically relates to the common use of the word sustainability. […]

In the ever increasing landscape of a technology driven world, a key marketplace differentiator for manufacturers on a wide range of products is environmental sustainability. By 2015, over 100 Billion units of electronic goods will be shipped worldwide and corporate environmental sustainability initiatives from manufacturers are expected to have a major impact on their delivery. […]

With it being a driver of a huge chunk of the U.S. economy, California is on target to lead the way in green construction with its revision to the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards (known as Title 24 Energy Code). Being revised for the first time since 2008, the new standard (among other items) mandates […]

Northwestern Europe has often been seen as the utopia for living sustainable. Not only have they lead the world in locally produced and distributed environmentally sound energy forms, sustainable agriculture, and top notch green building practices, but they have also partnered with their neighbors to share ideas and technologies. The United States recently jumped on […]

Many of my previous articles have touched on the notion of how truly competitive built environments are rife with connectivity, from the small scale to the vast campuses and further into global portfolios. Sensors and meters, along with extensive control capability embedded into the equipment, provide a connected and monitored world using sophisticated cross-platform management […]

It is often talked about within certain circles that the triple bottom line is rapidly gaining momentum. People, Planet and Profit have become part of the business lexicon for a number of years now and can readily be seen in corporate sustainability reporting and in product literature and advertising. There is another movement afoot that […]

As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals, we often are missing an opportunity with a key ally in our efforts to work with clients to design and implement a wide range of technology solutions within the built environment. Most likely it is because we don’t have the language skills necessary to better communicate with this […]

There are many in the audiovisual technology industry who chide those of us who beat the drum for designing and implementing technology solutions in the built environment with a heavy focus on energy efficiency and sustainability.  Their argument is one of profit versus performance, survivability versus conscience. Coming out of a major recession where many […]

As I understand it, when people talk about the analog sunset, they’re referring to two specific issues. First is the Image Constraint Token that prevents Blu-ray players from outputting HD video via the analog outputs. The second is the cessation of analog video by broadcasters. The two issues are distinct, yet inter-related. It was about […]