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Go carefully when going green
July 21, 2008 By Peter Wolchak
Categories: Green Tech
I, and Backbone magazine are big proponents of using technology to reduce pollution and save energy. But not all green tech delivers, as both the TTC and I learned recently.
Take the new hybrid electric-diesel buses purchased by the Toronto Transit Commission. In its initial announcement, the commission said it expected to achieve fuel savings of 20 to 30 per cent. In use, the real savings have been in the 10 per cent range and, just to add insult, many of the big batteries that sit on top of these buses are only lasting half as long as the manufacturer Orion VII promised.
More details would be available here except that the Globe and Mail charges for access to its archived stories.
According to that Globe article, TTC chief general manager Gary Webster said the fuel efficiency shortfall is likely caused by the use of the buses on higher-speed suburban roads, as opposed to in stop-and-go traffic. It is the latter in which hybrid technology delivers the most benefit.
But - and here's my point - this was a known issue. Back in December of 2004 the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported the exact same issue. From that article: King Country Metro concluded that "...the expected fuel efficiency has not been there. One apparent culprit is stricter federal emissions standards. Another could be that the hybrids are used on routes -- suburban express routes with more highway mileage -- where their advantages don't shine."
In other words, in faster traffic the hybrids don't do as well as when they are driven in stop-and-go downtown congestion. Sounds familiar?
Now, I am sure the TTC investigated all this and made what it believed was the best decision, but it does illustrate that going green is rarely as easy as it seems.
And here's another great example: in my editorial in our March/April issue I wrote that -- for now, anyway -- the only truly successful consumer-level green initiatives will be those that deliver a benefit while not imposing significant lifestyle changes on us. I suggested compact fluorescents would be a huge success, because you just screw in a different bulb and hey presto! Less pollution.
And then I got a great letter from Nick MacKinnon, president of OneLight in Vancouver. He pointed out that any time you are heating your house (which is often in Canada) a regular light bulb pumps out heat in addition to light, and extra heat may mean your furnace doesn't have to work quite as hard.
I am not ready to give up on CF bulbs, but both this and the TTC's experience are good reminders that we should look both ways before embarking on environmental initiatives.
Peter Wolchak
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Would you notice an extra $1.97 the next time you buy a laptop?
June 4, 2008 By Peter Wolchak
Categories: Green Tech
Environment Canada reports we dumped 140,000 tonnes of e-waste into landfills between 2004 and 2005, and it expects that flow of discarded tech to triple by 2011. That's a scary stat, but I'm not about to advocate that we stop buying new technology or even slow our upgrade cycles. Heck, according to the Conference Board of Canada we're already under investing in new technology. In 2005, the average per-worker investment in ICT-related equipment in the U.S. was $3,200. In Canada it was $1,800. I don't want to erode that number any further.
But we do need to manage that waste in an environmentally responsible manner, and here's the good news: that is an entirely attainable goal. Vendors are doing it: Xerox announced in November of last year that, worldwide, its recycling efforts had diverted two billion pounds of print cartridges and toner away from landfills, and HP is now building inkjet cartridges out of recycled plastic; it claims to have used five million pounds of post-consumer plastic in 2007, with twice as much slated for 2008.
And there are private e-waste centres popping up all over Canada. Backbone's recent story introduces one particularly inventive guy in Barrie, Ont., who turns mixed plastic waste into diesel fuel. He plans to produce 500 litres of diesel per hour soon at one plant alone.
But as successful as these spot initiatives are, an industry-wide recycling program would be that much more effective. That's why I hope a levy (or green tax, call it what it is) proposed by Waste Diversion Ontario takes off. The plan is to pay for e-waste recycling by adding a few bucks to the price of new electronics.
The proposal would add $12.36 to the cost of desktops, $1.97 to laptops, $10.99 for monitors, $0.35 for peripherals, $4.64 for printers, etc. If the proposal passes in the fall, Ontario will join B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and PEI.
The levy is a great idea. I suspect even large companies which buy 500 laptops in one shot will not grouch too much about the extra $1,000 fee, especially if all manufacturers are charging it, and I can't see any consumers getting upset about the additional $2 for one notebook. And even if people do bellyache, tough. It's a good idea and the proposal should be passed by the Ontario legislature.
Peter Wolchak
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My Eight Year Old Is Green and So Is My ERP Software
May 27, 2008 By Rebecca Gill
Categories: Green Tech Software Companies
Back in college I was once referred to as a “tree hugger”. I remember thinking this comment was a bit strange, because although I’ve always been conscious about how my actions altered the physical world around me, I’ve never been a fanatic about saving our environment. I thought back to this comment a few weeks ago when my eight year old daughter came home from school and tried to educate me with her new found knowledge on our environment. For five minutes I listened to a much less eloquent version of Al Gore speaking in my kitchen. When she finally came up for air, she was pleasantly surprise to hear our family recycles, we use energy saving light bulbs, and we have timers on our lights, our furnaces, and our air conditioners. I, of course, failed to mention the fact that we also own a hot tub, a ski boat, and a few gas guzzling SUV’s. All of which are horrible for energy conservation. As any good parent knows, you pick and chose the information you share with your child.
This week I read an article discussing data centers and their energy usage. It made me think back again to my daughter and made me ponder our usage of ERP software, our reliance on computers, and if this really helps or hurts our environment. While there has been some discussion surrounding the energy it takes to support our love of technology, I cannot believe this energy consumption overrides the benefits we derive from ERP systems.
My thoughts returned to a position I held shortly after college. It was for a company that had recently purchased an ERP software package. And it was the beginning of my love affair with technology and the tremendous value it provides to our lives. As my new employer progressed through the first 30 days of their software implementation, they validated their existing paper-based processes to the ERP software’s online records. This validation process was not due to a concern over the ERP software, but due to a concern over the employees who were very unfamiliar with computers. It was designed to ease everyone’s concerns that the ERP software really worked and it would replace the oodles of paper they used each day. I found the amount of paperwork staggering and even back then I thought to myself, “Enough paper. Can we please save a tree?!”
This scene took place more years ago than I’d like to admit. That being said, it left a lasting impression on me. It showed the value of technology and put me on a career path that is focused on technology. If you are going to spend forty plus hours per week working, it should be with something you enjoy and believe in. I believe in technology and in particular, ERP software.
Although I certainly cannot vouch for every ERP software package on the market today, I can vouch for my own ERP package, Enterprise 21. I know it helps reduce the unnecessary usage of trees and gasoline, as well as reduce emissions. Below is a comparison between a typical distributor’s paper process and a streamlined process within Enterprise 21.
Paper-based Process
Manila folder of sales notes, call activity, and quotations
Glossy paper folder of product literature and brochures mailed to customer
Hardcopy quotation mailed or personally delivered to customer
Hardcopy sales order received via mail or fax
Hardcopy purchase requisition printed and signed
Hardcopy purchase order printed and faxed
Hardcopy purchase order acknowledgement received via mail or fax
Paper picking ticket
Hardcopy invoice printed and mailed
Hardcopy aging report for accounts receivables personnel
“Missing” invoice reprinted and mailed
Hardcopy invoice received from vendor via mail
Hardcopy aging report for accounts payables personnel
Hardcopy check printed and mailed
Enterprise 21 ERP Software
Online CRM module for tracking opportunities, pending calls, notes, and associated documents
Online document storage and email transmission of literature to customer
Online sales quote sent to customer via email
Sales order received via internet, EDI, or email
Online purchase requisition and electronic approval
Online purchase order sent via EDI, web, or email
Purchase order acknowledgement received via EDI
Directed picking through RF device
Online invoice sent via EDI, email, or web
Online collection call listing, call log, and notes
“Missing” invoice sent online via email
Online vendor invoice received via EDI
Online aging report and online matching to PO
Online check and funds sent via EFT
The list above is long, but in actuality, I just touched the surface of the reductions in paper and transportation usage. There are many more areas of efficiency improvements beyond the simple list I provided above.
How can anyone claim technology such as ERP software is detrimental to our environment? Frankly I would not have believed it years ago and I do not believe it today.
Just as our family aspires to be green, so does my ERP software. The difference is that my ERP software is green every day of the year.
Rebecca Gill
ERP ETC.
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Can technology save us? Yes, maybe
May 26, 2008 By Peter Wolchak
Categories: Green Tech
At the heart of Backbone's May/June focus issue on green tech is the hope that innovation can save us. Yes, we've made a hell of a mess of this planet, but if we care about that and work to fix it, we can pull ourselves out of this nosedive, and new and innovative technology will be one of the tools we use to do that.
Take the recent catastrophe in Burma. Part of the reason the storm was so destructive, said the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, is that the mangrove forests that would have taken some of the force of the water have been systematically cut down to make more room for crops. Of course, no one can blame the area residents for doing this -- we would all do the same -- but these agricultural demands did make the storm's effects worse than it might have been otherwise. And now the area's crop have been all-but wiped out and planting new rice will be very difficult.
And as climate change continues, scientists are warning that storms like Cyclone Nargis will become both more frequent and severe.
In the face of this reality, perhaps projects like the one recently launched by IBM and researchers at the University of Washington will help. The two are employing unused and donated compute power from almost one million PCs to tackle the study of rice at the atomic level. The initiative, called "Nutritious Rice for the World," hopes to combine its results with traditional cross -breeding techniques to create crops that are hardier and more nutritious.
To participate, volunteers load a small application on their PCs and, when the machines are not in use, a small amount of data is downloaded and crunched, and the results sent back to the central server. Information is at www.worldcommunitygrid.org.
The resulting World Community Grid will have 167 teraflops of processing power.
If the project is successful, it is only because three types of technology are all hitting at the same time, according to Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. “The world is experiencing three simultaneous revolutions: in molecular biology and genetics; in computational power and storage capacity; and in communications. The computational revolution allows scientists around the world to tackle almost unimaginably complex problems as a community, and in real-time.
“While there are no silver bullets, rice production can be revitalized with the help of new technologies. The world community must invest now and for a long time to come.”
According to IBM, World Community Grid will run a three-dimensional modeling program created by computational biologists at the University of Washington to study the structures of the proteins that make up the building blocks of rice. Understanding the structure is necessary to identify the function of those proteins and to enable researchers to identify which ones could help produce more rice grains, ward off pests, resist disease or hold more nutrients. In the end, this project will create the largest and most comprehensive map of rice proteins and their related functions, helping agriculturalists and farmers pinpoint which plants should be selected for cross-breeding to cultivate better crops.
Processing power, modelling and databases seem a distant topic when faced with the unimaginable suffering of the Burmese people, but it is projects like this that may make the next storm less devastating.
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Dirty little secret
April 17, 2008 By Ian Harvey
Categories: Green Tech ICT Hardware and Infrastructure
Psst…want to know the dirt on ink jet printers?
Click here…
I thought it was pretty amazing. Who knew?
Ian Harvey
pitbullmedia.ca
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Virtual Presence and Green IT
March 5, 2008 By Charlie Bess
Categories: Green Tech
For centuries the workers of the world have had to locate within commuting distance of their work. It was necessary because their work could hardly travel to where they lived. Not anymore. The paradigm of moving work to people rather than moving people to work is being adopted more and more by progressive companies who understand that there are benefits that devolve both to the enterprise as well as to employees.
For the employee working at a remote location, telework provides for a choice in lifestyle, living where they want to live, as well as reduction in time (and energy) spent commuting. According to the US census, the average worker spends more than 100 hours a year commuting. During this time they consume approximately 150 gallons of gasoline, which in these days of $3 per gallon of gas is about $500 of after tax income.
For the enterprise, telework allows for greater diversity in the organization, drawing upon individuals from many cultures and perspectives regardless of location. Diversity of perspective usually allows for more ideas in a shorter period of time - a more innovative and productive environment. It also provides the opportunity to reduce costs on office space and other fixed costs. Virtual presence enables easier movement of work between locations based upon time zones. As new work locations start their day, they can be brought into the enterprise processes unnoticed by the end user. Jet Blue has been known for using this technique for its customer support.
One of the areas the IT industry is focusing on is Unified Communications. This involves the use of Voice-over IP technologies (VoIP) to provide transparent access to individuals over voice, messaging and video. In the past the data and voice networks were managed and accessed separately. We are moving into an age where information delivery is taking place over the same mechanism regardless of format, based on standards like Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).SIP can be used to create two-party, multiparty, or multicast sessions that include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution, and multimedia conferences and is the basis for most VoIP products and services.
Unified communications is becoming the de facto source for information about the context of the individual: where they are located, what role they're playing, what they've worked on in the past, as well as their availability. The focus will with employee identity at the core. Once an organization makes the transition to the approach it will enable:
- Better access to experts - Pools of expertise can be defined within the enterprise and that pool can be addressed directly. Anyone within that pool can respond as they are available. This will reduce the constraints upon the individual. This pooling approach will also allow for the distribution of work in automated workflows.
- Reduced response time to events - When an event takes place where a decision needs to be made or assistance given, the enterprise can draw upon the context information to send it to the people who are actually available to respond. Escalation techniques can be defined so that response time can be defined and controlled more effectively than ad-hoc relationship based approaches.
- Reduced travel costs - As organizations begin to develop a common understanding of how to access an individual, it will not matter if the person is in the same building, on the same continent or working at home. They are represented in the enterprise in a simple and consistent way that can be accessed reliably.
- Accelerated project delivery - Knowing how to find individuals or groups with equivalent capabilities removes latency from projects. Being able to find the status of the people on the project and pull together a conference call on the fly and reach a consensus quickly will improve the agility of organizations and reduce time to market.
- Greater control over IP - In order to facilitate the information flow for the environment described, more sophisticated controls will be required and everyone will benefit.
When combined with workflow techniques that capture the context of the enterprise and role based security, the work environment can be made responsive while still environmentally conscious. All of this will enable an enterprise to reduce the latency in the decision making process and accelerate value generation.
One additional element of "Virtually There" merits mention - if alternative work arrangements become prevalent in a location, the infrastructure necessary to support the community can be undersized to that which would normally need to be in place. Fewer roads = more vegetation to process CO2, less solar absorption, less energy needed to make the concrete that makes the roads, etc. etc. etc. Moving work to people rather than moving people to work has benefits on many levels.
Charlie Bess
EDS' Next Big Thing Blog
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How green is your vendor?
January 2, 2008 By Peter Wolchak
Categories: Green Tech
2008 is brand new and shiny and you've probably made a few personal New Year's resolutions already. Maybe broken a few too. But January is also a good time to make a couple changes at the office, and a good one to start off the year with is to audit the environmental friendliness of your tech vendors.
To start, ask your suppliers if they take back and recycle recyclable items, such as toner and printer cartridges. For those vendors that manufacture equipment such as computers and monitors, ask about their factories, recycling and disposal facilities. While just about everything we do has some negative environmental impact, these can be lessened by companies who actually care about the planet, or which are at least pushed to care by customers who ask pointed questions.
Now, while that's great advice, no company wants to lose in the good environmental PR race and appearing green has become de riguer for anyone in a competitive industry. That means some inquiries will be met with: "We are committed to ensuring our products and policies meet or exceed the community's highest standards of sustainability, environmental consciousness and long-term eco-responsibility."
Ignore that baffle gab. First, ask for numbers. For example, Xerox announced in November that, since 1991, it has diverted more than two billion pounds of waste from landfill sites by reusing and recycling printer cartridges and toner. (Xerox also gets kudos for starting an environmental action program back in 1991.) Interestingly, the company also claims its environmental program saved it more than US$2 billion in waste-disposal costs.
Second, ask your vendor about practical, day-to-day initiatives. Big numbers are impressive, but point to that new LCD monitor your supplier just sold you and ask what he/she will do in two years when it's time to get rid of it. Will the supplier pick it up and ensure it is reused or disposed of properly, or at least help you do so? If not, look for one who will.
If everyone puts a little pressure on individual vendors, the entire industry can be made more responsible.
Peter Wolchak
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