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A company created by Stanford University is developing a self-sustaining community in the Netherlands. The 25-home neighborhood will produce its own energy from biogas, solar and geothermal sources and will grow its own food. ReGen Villages describes its focus as "[d]esirable, off-grid-capable neighborhoods comprised of power positive homes, renewable energy, water management, and waste-to-resource systems that are based upon on-going resiliency research -- for thriving families and reduced burdens on local and national governments."

Deep learning AI has been put to work in intelligent drones, sequencing genomes, learning the tactics of the ancient Chinese board game Go, and even keeping cats off the lawn. Now, Google has set its DeepMind system loose on its massive data centers, and drastically cut the cost of cooling these facilities in the process.

IKEA has installed a 1.14 MW rooftop solar PV system - comprised of more than 3,600 panels - at its new store in Las Vegas. The installation is the largest of its kind in Nevada.

China has proposed building a $50 trillion global transmission system that would connect the world's wind farms and renewable energy projects. "Global energy interconnection" would solve global energy instability, climate change and environmental pollution, said State Grid Corp. of China Chairman Liu Zhenya. In such a model, clean energy sources would provide about 80% of the world's total electricity.

Elsewhere, a number of high-profile companies, including Apple, Disney, Microsoft and PepsiCo, are experimenting with small renewable energy projects fueled by biogas generated through organic waste. General Electric is another vocal advocate - mainly because it provides a line of industrial generators and combined heat and power systems that can operate using this fuel source.   

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has updated the LEED green building rating system in an attempt to stop illegal logging.

Outdoor retailer REI is saving 1.8 million KW-h per year after installing energy-efficient cooling systems at its Seattle datacenter. The project reduced energy consumption tied to cooling by 93% and had a payback period of less than 1 year.

Carnival, docked in the spotlight when it received the New Economy's Clean Tech Award for Best Marine Solutions Company. The award recognized Carnival's decision to install a new exhaust filtration system on its North American ships, at an estimated cost of $180m

The Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Needham Heights, Mass., has removed about 98 percent of influent biological oxygen demand (BOD) after installing a BioprocessH2O membrane biological reactor (MBR) system, according to a Bioprocess H2O case study.

New CO2 Fuels has completed stage 1 testing for its proof-of-concept system for technology that converts CO2 into fuel using solar energy.

Ben & Jerry's, Stonyfield Farm, and over 200 other companies and organizations signed a letter urging President Obama to institute a national labeling system for genetically engineered foods.

The Harvester system doesn't just help grocers collect scraps and compostables, it helps them understand where waste occurs.

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which represents more than a third of the global clothing and footwear market, is considering a Quick Response (QR) code system that will allow consumers to scan clothing labels at the point of purchase using smartphones.

Bear Republic is taking things a step farther: In January, it was the first brewery to buy Cambrian's EcoVolt system, which uses electrically active organisms to clean wastewater for reuse while creating a high-quality biogas that helps offset the heat and electricity needed for Bear's production process

Ecodesk launched a monitoring tool for businesses to track conflict minerals in supply chain. They want it to be an eary warning system for non-financial factors in supply chain, providing an understanding of potential problems

Finelite, a manufacturer of high-efficiency lighting systems, cut its waste production by 84 percent between 2005 and 2012 through using reusable packaging, Sustainable Plant reports. Through such innovations as replacing bubble wrap used to protect products with crinkled paper and so-called lean packaging, the company saved about $27,000 a year in garbage disposal costs, the article says.

Due to Con Edison's Green Team, Columbia University saved more than $700,000 a year in energgy costs through upgrades to the water-chilling system

Siemens Water Technologies magnetite ballasted CoMag System, which is already helping municipalities to increase water and wastewater treatment plant clarification performance in confined footprints, is now available for industrial water and wastewater treatment applications.

Sustainable packaging and design is helping beverage brands promote themselves as eco-friendly without appearing less luxurious, write Fiona Bennie and Barbra Wright. Recyclable packaging can help, but it's only a first step. "[I]f we consider packaging in isolation from the rest of the system we will only ever manage to create minimal impact both financially and sustainably," they write.

Tower Companies saved $220,000 in 1 year and reduced electricity consumption by an average of 13% across 3 office buildings in Washington, DC, by implementing systems for managing energy in real time.