A Farewell to Fossil Fuels: Answering the Energy Challenge

In this article published in Foreign Affairs, Amory Lovins describes a U.S. transition from fossil fuels--a blueprint detailed in Reinventing Fire-- that requires pursuing transformational change in automotive efficiency, design of buildings and factories, and the electric system.

 

Comment on "Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future" on Nature.com

This comment was posted on Nature.com in response to “Opportunties and challenges for a sustainable energy future” by Steven Chu and Arun Mujumdar. In it, Amory Lovins argues that integrating the Department of Energy's technological solutions with innovative design, strategy, and public policy could solve many energy problems.

 

Reinventing Fire Industry Sector Methodology

This document provides RMI's methodology for the analysis of the industry sector in Reinventing Fire.

 

Big Pipes, Small Pumps: Interface, Inc. Factor Ten Engineering Case Study

This story of Interface Inc.’s Shanghai plant illustrates the pitfalls of the conventional design process—and the remarkable gains that are possible by rethinking basic assumptions. This paper describes how the lead designer Jan Schilham created a radical new layout with shorter, fatter pipes and smaller pumps to save nearly 90 percent of the energy—with lower capital costs. Several Factor Ten Engineering principles are highlighted in Schilham's design process.

 

Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives: Breaking Through Barriers

Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives: Breaking Through Barriers is a practical guide for anyone working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a college or university: sustainability directors, CFOs, presidents, students, faculty, and staff. The book covers five topics: climate action planning, buildings and utilities, renewable energy, transportation, and carbon offsets. Buy the book now.

 

Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and the U.S. Efficiency Opportunity

This paper explores how effectively the United States has used electricity and compares energy efficiency implementation by state. This paper analyzes state-level electric productivity to determine which states are the most productive with their electricity.

 

Climate: Eight Convenient Truths

In this article from Roll Call, Amory Lovins provides eight arguments for congress to pass climate change legislation.

 

Industrial Electric Productivity: Myths, Barriers & Solutions

There is an enormous gap in the electric productivity of the nation. Increasing industrial electric productivity is a significant near-term opportunity that can reduce electricity costs, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of output, and increase profits. RMI believes that increasing industrial electric productivity is an untapped source of value, and is important to the longevity of industry in the United States.

 

Industrial Ecology at Walmart

This article, published in the Japanese Nikkei Ecology, gives an overview of industrial ecology, an emerging interdisciplinary field, and explains how a groundbreaking program at Walmart, which will require a Life Cycle Analysis of all products on the shelf, will increase demand for industrial ecologists.

 

Crystallized Pedagogy: Architecture as a Medium for Sustainability Education

The notion that human behavior is influenced by environmental conditions is not novel, though this dynamic is often overlooked and underappreciated in the construction of buildings and cities. Particularly in the field of sustainable or green building, focus is directed toward the impact of building-related human behavior on the environment. However, in a reciprocal manner, as humans build we create our own environment which embodies a specific set of ideas, influencing occupants over the lifespan of a building. The lessons locked in mortar and floor plans both limit and encourage certain human behaviors. This educational relationship offers a powerful opportunity for designers to create a crystallized pedagogy that encourages and informs occupants in sustainable patterns of living.

 

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