The 2012 SCTE Cable-Tec Expo has already come and gone, but the follow-up activities arising from the week-long event are only just getting started.  Besides serving as a venue for continuing professional education, SCTE’s Expo also makes for a great setting to develop new business opportunities. Hundreds of vendors, MSOs and other cable professionals pack the conference hall to check out the latest in cable technology, products and services. Content is tailored for technical workshops, exhibits and specialized pavilions to attract like-minded individuals to connect and find opportunities for collaboration. This year, I had the opportunity to participate on the Expo Program Committee and moderate a panel under the SEMI track titled “Exploring Best Practices and Strategies to Achieve Efficiency in Fleet Energy Management.”  The panel featured industry veteran and President of opXL,LLC,  Mr. Tom Gorman, the Senior Manager of Tech Ops at Time Warner Cable, Mr. Jack Sheehan, and the Fleet Testing and Analysis Team Leader at…

Here in the Pacific Northwest it is easy to take the local passion for conservation for granted because most local residents and business take sustainability very seriously. This last year my husband and I moved into a new apartment complex. To our surprise recycling service was not offered in conjunction with the bi-weekly trash pickup. Instead we were treated to an ominous brown trash compactor filled with everything from cardboard, cans and bottles to kitchen scraps and plastic grocery bags. The owner was proud of the trash compactor because he saved so much money by going to biweekly trash pickup, but he neglected to spend the extra money saved on recycling service. We loved everything else about the apartment complex, but were horrified by the prospect of throwing away that many recyclable materials. I let the recycling pile up for weeks while looking for a solution. A relative heard about…

Despite overall gains in sustainability, perceptions of sustainability performance are not keeping track, a new report finds.  The report published by brandlogic and CRD Analytics assessed overall sustainability of 100 of the leading corporations and surveyed perceived sustainability from 2500 respondents.  Corporations assessed account for 16% of gross world product. Respondents were drawn from purchasing/supply professionals, investment professionals, and graduating college/university students across six countries.    The report suggests a failure to effectively communicate sustainability gains to target stakeholder groups who are increasingly skeptical and points to an increased need for effective communication of sustainability gains. Full Report: www.sustainabilityleadershipreport.com Image Credit: The Brandlogic Sustainability IQ Matrix(TM) categorizes global brands as Challengers, Leaders, Laggards or Promoters. (Graphic: Brandlogic)  

Researchers from Arizona State and Purdue Universities recently unveiled a new computer model for calculating the carbon footprint of individual cities.  Focusing their initial efforts on the city of Indianapolis, the U.S.’s 12th largest metropolitan area, researchers say they can analyze carbon emissions down to the individual building or street segment.  Aggregating the detailed data provides an overview of regional emissions and identifies areas for targeted reductions. Monitoring carbon emissions will help cities baseline carbon contributions, set carbon goals, target energy inefficiencies, and reduce energy costs.  The specialized software, called Hestia, seeks to be more user friendly than current methods for calculating carbon footprints of urban areas, and will provide “interactive, photorealistic, three-dimensional visualization.” For more on the Hestia Project. Photo Credit: The Hestia Project, Arizona State University  

  Earlier this month the Carbon Disclosure Project released their 2012 S&P 500 Climate Change report titled “Accelerating progress toward a lower-carbon future.”   Highlights from the report include: ·         655 financial institutions with assets of US$78 trillion were signatories to the CDP in        2012. ·         52% of respondents reported emissions reductions versus 35% in 2011. ·         92% of the 2012 S&P 500 respondents reported board or executive-level oversight of CDP       issues. ·         Microsoft and UPS ranked highest with a Carbon Disclosure Score of 99/100. ·         The telecommunications sector represents just 1% of all S&P 500 CDP respondents. Many of the facts disclosed by the report are not surprising, such as the growing corporate emphasis on emissions reductions and a strong showing by technology companies. However, one area of surprise is the under-representation of the telecommunications industry. The telecom industry had only 5 respondents, representing just 1% of all…

  Recognizing recycling is not just for pop cans and cardboard, The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) recently announced the formation of a Recycling Working Group. The group is tasked with recommending practices for the recycling of e-waste related to the cable industry. Announced on September 20th, highlights from the recent release include taking steps to recommend recycling-based financial models, optimal end-of-life processes, and lifespans for equipment used in the cable systems. The group has recognized that cable infrastructure components have market value, even at the end of their useful life. The Recycling Working Group will contribute to work already begun by the existing SCTE Sustainability Management Subcommittee. The Sustainability Management Subcommittee unveiled draft copies of energy management standards in September of 2011. Photo credit: Courtesy of epsos.DE via Flickr CC