E. coli is normally found in the guts of most warm-blooded animals (yes, even yours) and if you’ve had an encounter with it that you remember, chances are you spent the weekend on the toilet wishing you were dead. Yet, while it’s true that some strains of e. coli can cause food poisoning in humans, most are actually quite harmless.

Read more of this story »

What if you could walk into your local hardware store and buy a cheap solar panel to hang on your wall? That may not be such a far-fetched idea according to scientists at the UCLA Henri Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. A team of researchers has designed a new polymer (plastic) with greater sunlight absorption and conversion capabilities than any polymer seen before.

Read more of this story »

To be held November 18 – 19, people are encouraged to join in via webcast. The event will consist of high-level negotiations to lay the groundwork for the next global agreement on climate change. The United Nations will begin negotiating this agreement in earnest in December at a meeting in Poland.

“This international summit will bring together world leaders to develop creative, collaborative actions to advance the global climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that will be negotiated in Poland in December and in Copenhagen next year,” the governor said.

Read more of this story »

US Scientists have figured out a way to mass produce the nanomaterial graphene, opening the door to significant advances in the storage of hydrogen, as well as the electricity produced by solar and wind energy.

Graphene, produced by reducing graphite down to a sheet only one atom thick, is one of the strongest materials known to man. It has been shown to have huge potential for hydrogen and renewable energy storage, but up until now has been held back by a lack of supply. Now the team, based at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA, have discovered a method of producing graphene sheets in large quantities.

Read more of this story »

First up on March 12th, the Sustainable Resource Center, in partnership with several UCLA clubs, is hosting a panel discussion dedicated specifically to sustainability consulting. Since this topic encompasses a variety of services, such as high-level strategy, facilities management, and environmental compliance, the panel will represent each of these different perspectives. Specifically, panelists wil discuss the evolution of sustainability consulting, emerging trends, and the possible business opportunities and career paths available.

Read more of this story »

After looking forward to it for several months, the Opportunity Green Conference is now just around the corner. To be held November 17 at UCLA, the conference’s organizers are asking a question that seems to be on everyone’s lips: “Is green the new gold?”

The conference will bring together those involved in all aspects of green business, from visionaries and entrepreneurs to executives and investors, all of whom are dedicated to building socially conscious, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.

Organizers have put together an impressive list of speakers, all well-known in the socially-conscious world of business, including

• Kevin Wall, Founder of Live Earth
• Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-founder of Ethos Water
• Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer of “The Lazy Environmentalist”
• Max Schorr, Publisher and Founding Editor of GOOD Magazine
• Graham Hill, Founder of TreeHugger.com
• Gunther Lie, Director of Interactive Media for Method Products
• Ellen Strickland, Founder/Owner of Livingreen

The agenda features a panel discussion entitled, “Real World Green Business: Challenges, Mistakes and Opportunities” moderated by sustainability consultant and visionary John Picard. In addition, the schedule provides many options for break-out sessions, including Green 2.0: Connecting to Our Community, The End of Cars: The Future of Mobility as We Know It, and Venture Capital in the Green Marketplace.

There are also significant opportunities for networking, most notably before the event even starts. Through EventVue, registrants receive a login that allows you to upload a short bio, picture, etc. Once in, you can see who else will be at the event, including their areas of expertise and what they are “seeking”. A bit like a personal ad, but perfect for networking – you can even contact other registrants through the system before the event.

With more than 500 expected to attend, this conference is certain to help business people learn how to make gold from their green.

I’ve heard of many things being "the new black" but now the question seems to be, "Is green the new gold?"

At least that’’ the question posed by the organizers of the upcoming Opportunity Green Conference. Developed through a partnership with UCLA’s Sustainable Resource Center, the conference is also sponsored by many well-known names, including Clif Bar and Treehugger.

The conference will bring together those involved in all aspects of green business, from visionaries and entrepreneurs to executives and investors, all of whom are dedicated to building socially conscious, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.

To be held on Saturday, November 17 at UCLA, the conference features several speakers well-known in the socially-conscious world of business, including:

• Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-founder of Ethos Water
• Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer of The Lazy Environmentalist
• Max Schorr, Publisher and Founding Editor of GOOD Magazine
• Graham Hill, Founder of TreeHugger.com
• Gunther Lie, Director of Interactive Media for Method products
• Ellen Strickland, Founder/Owner of Livingreen

The "emerging agenda" (I love it!) features a plenary session on Marketing and Trends plus many options for break-out sessions, including Green 2.0: Connecting to Our Community, The Clean Tech Revolution, Opportunities for Green Investment Capital, and Business Blogging 101 (you can bet I’ll be at that last one). There are also significant opportunities for networking, including the Wrap-up Party, billed as a "spectacularly green event."

Organizers have developed an aggressive list of objectives and learning points for the conference. Of course, connecting those working within the sustainable community is key — there is much to learn from each other. Thus, the conference will provide a forum for collaboration on how to grow a profitable company that is focused on the Triple Bottom Line.

This is of particular interest to me. The profitability piece of the Triple Bottom Line is easily measured, having always been a staple of business metrics. And as the saying goes, "What gets measured gets done," but the measurement of the people and planet aspects tends to be more difficult. I’m curious to see how others approach this challenge.

Also, participants will discuss what has and hasn’t worked in growing socially conscious businesses, including viral marketing and growth tactics, plus tools you can use to build and scale your business, like online networks.

With more than 500 expected to attend, this conference is certain to help business people learn how to make gold from their green.