Nov
21
Secondhand gets the upper hand
Filed Under Economic Development, Going "Green", Trends, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
In tough economy, “gently loved” gains greater appeal
By SARA FITZPATRICK
Associate Editor
Storefronts plastered with “out of business” signs compose an increasingly familiar ghost town landscape of Southwest Florida’s retail districts.
Among the tumbleweeds, though, is an oasis. It’s not a mirage; one retail sector really is booming: Consignment shops, secondhand stores and other resellers are seeing an increase in traffic and actual sales.
Aug
15
FPL’s solar gets eclipsed
Filed Under Going "Green", Technology, Trends | Leave a Comment
State gives Sunshine Energy program a shiner
By BOB MASSEY
Editor
When the state pulled the shades permanently down on Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) solar energy program, it ignited a firestorm of controversy – and fueled outrage from customers.
The debacle also invites a cautionary tale about businesses whose concepts require an enormous outlay of marketing to sell their long-range success.
It also broaches two questions: Was the Sunshine Energy program truly a failure? And, with it gone, what does the future hold for renewable energy in the state of Florida?
It depends on who you talk to.
Jul
4
Biofuel from Magic Beans
Filed Under Going "Green" | Leave a Comment
Jatropha May Be the Energy Source of the Future
by BILL SCHILLER
Business Writer
Paul Dalton traded a career as a certified financial planner and senior partner in a law firm for a handful of magic beans.
Well, not really magic - but seemingly endowed with magical properties. Properties such as diminishing America’s dependence on foreign oil, negating the impact of dangerous carbon dioxide emissions threatening the planet, and providing fuel for engines in a way that doesn’t conflict with essential food supplies (as is the case of ethanol derived from corn and sugar, or soy-based diesel).
This is the happy-ever-after Dalton is working toward, but if it sounds too much like a fairy tale, one need only become more familiar with Jatropha curcas. Read more
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