united states

NRDC's Online Renewable Energy Map Examines Cleantech Potential in the U.S.

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:17:11 -0400

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) launched a Google Earth mash-up map earlier this month to show alternative energy installers where they might run into trouble with legal restrictions or endangered wildlife advocates. Now the NRDC has unveiled a more optimistic map that looks at which areas in the U.S.

Wind Power Superhighway Speeds Ahead

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:57:46 -0400

Wind power may be one of the most important alternative energies in the United States, but it's useless if we don't have transmission lines to transport the energy from wind-rich rural areas in the Midwest to cities with large power demands. That's where the Green Power Express--a 3,000 mile wind power superhighway designed to transmit 12,000 megawatts of power from the Upper Midwest to Midwestern and Eastern states--comes in.

A Bank We Can Believe In?

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:16:22 -0400

Banks have gotten a bad rap recently, and for good reason. The FDIC's Failed Bank List is rife with private banks that have been flattened in the past two years, and we all know about the myriad bankrupt investment banks. But now U.S. Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has proposed a bank we can believe in.

United States The World's Number One Innovator?

Saabira Chaudhuri — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:04:50 -0500

The Global Innovation Index, a ranking of 130 countries released yesterday, calls the US the world's number one innovator. The index was created by Soumitra Dutta, a professor at French business school INSEAD, along with New Delhi based non-profit organization The Confederation of Indian Industry.

The global index ranks Germany second, Sweden third, the UK fourth and Singapore fifth. Contrary to what some might expect, China comes in relatively low at number 37, while India stands at number 41.

The Unimportance of the Next President

Tim Kane — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:25:55 -0500

Today America chooses a new president in what is one of the most pivotal elections in history. The world changed sharply during the Bush administration with two recessions, 9/11 attacks, wars in the Middle East, and rising new powers in China and India. The two candidates for President - Senators McCain and Obama - offer distinctly different paths America will take in addressing this new world.

The Demise of Capitalism? A Perfect Time to Panic

Tim Kane — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:28:31 -0400

Hyperventilating observors keep talking about the current economic crisis in terms of a crisis of capitalism. This is a bizarre overreaction. And yet, aren't you asking the same question yourself?

Paul Krugman, Nobelist

Tim Kane — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:22:51 -0400

"Economics is as close to psychohistory as you can get."
-- Paul Krugman "Incidents from My Career"

Growth Deconstructed

Tim Kane — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:17:33 -0400

The latest GDP figures from the federal government show a 2.8 percent annualized growth (found here). Unfortunately, this may be the last positive figure we see for a while, so it might be worth examining the details. Below is a chart I put together routinely for the Kauffman Foundation's blog, growthology.org, and which I will switch over to Fast Company for this initial post: