ZeroFootPrint makes your wall sockets talk
ZeroFootPrint, maker of the so-called TalkingPlug that sits on top of regular electrical outlets and helps companies keep better track of their energy use and carbon emissions, says it will launch the product next week.
Containing an radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, a microprocessor and chip for wireless networking, the plugs will be able to drill down into how much energy individual appliances (plugged into the outlets in question) are using. Users will also be able… Continue Reading
Will “social capital” be the next big industry to emerge?
It’s new enough that there’s not even a commonly accepted term for it. Some call it “social capital” or “social entrepreneurism”, others “blended value”, and some choose the Starbucksian name “double-triple bottom line.” You might just call it making money from doing good.
Microcredit is the major innovation that popularized the idea of alternatives to traditional philanthropy. An economics professor named Mohammed Yunus famously pioneered giving very small loans to people in developing countries to build… Continue Reading
Zerofootprint gets calculated about climate change
It’s hard to tell, at first glance, whether Zerofootprint is a serious business or a feel-good environmental action group. The answer, easily discovered before long, is that it is likely both.
The centerpiece of Zerofootprint’s business is a personal carbon calculator. Enter details on your personal life — how much you drive, fly, eat, heat your house — and it will tell you how many tons of carbon dioxide you’re responsible for releasing into the atmosphere.
Once… Continue Reading