Articles about sustainability

M&Ms, solar panels and plain language: Inside the climate strategy of Slalom’s Meagan Breidert

Four years ago, Meagan Breidert shifted her career into climate work to tackle “big, challenging, complex problems” — landing a role as Slalom’s senior director of sustainability and impact. In this profile, Breidert shares her wish to get coffee and talk chocolate with the Mars CSO, her dream environmental innovation, and other insights. Read More

Innovation vs. climate change: Introducing ‘Positive Charge,’ a new podcast from GeekWire

Most climate news feels hopeless. Positive Charge, a new podcast from GeekWire, profiles the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs betting that technology can still tip the balance — starting with episodes on “forever chemicals” and the race for fusion power. Read More

With $54M and a SpaceX playbook, Seattle’s Endurance races to tap deep-sea volcanic power

With $54M and a SpaceX playbook, Seattle’s Endurance races to tap deep-sea volcanic power Read More

With $12M second fund, fintech startup aims to pump more cash into climate entrepreneurs

Enduring Planet, a fintech company with Pacific Northwest roots, on Wednesday announced it has closed its second fund at more… Read More

Microsoft tames intense chip heat with liquid cooling veins, designed by AI and inspired by biology

Microsoft says it has developed a breakthrough microfluidics cooling system for chips, resembling the veins in a leaf and using AI to match the processor’s heat signature, promising greater overall efficiency in data centers. Read More

Coffee, cloud and clean energy: LevelTen unites Starbucks and Workday for Texas solar deal

Starbucks and software company Workday are joining up to support the construction of a 350 megawatt solar power installation in… Read More

As data center demand soars, Amazon expands use of recycled waste water to cool its cloud

Amazon Web Services is more than halfway to its 2030 goal of being “water positive” — meaning it replenishes more… Read More

Rebooting Redmond: Microsoft’s new campus reflects ongoing transformation, uncertain future

For this final installment in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series, we visited the company’s redeveloped headquarters. The new campus offers insights into Microsoft’s evolution over the past five decades, and a glimpse of the place where its future will take shape. Read More

Microsoft’s carbon footprint rises 23.4% at halfway point to ambitious 2030 net-zero climate goal

Microsoft’s carbon footprint has grown 23.4% since the software and cloud giant set a goal in 2020 to shrink its… Read More

Ravel’s technology teases the spandex out of tossed apparel to enable enviro friendly recycling

As the sayings go, you can’t unscramble an egg or un-ring a bell. But Seattle startup Ravel has accomplished a… Read More

Former Gates Foundation leader lands $1.8M for engineered bamboo building materials startup

Launching one’s first startup — maybe a domestic software company, for example — could certainly be daunting. But creating a… Read More

Microsoft tries to whittle down its carbon footprint by building data centers with engineered timber

Tech heavyweights are in hot pursuit of clean energy sources to power their data center operations while reining in climate… Read More

Environmental groups target Amazon’s climate efforts with Prime Day protest at Seattle HQ

Environmental protesters in Seattle seized on Amazon’s annual Prime Day sales event on Tuesday to once again call out the… Read More

Microsoft’s carbon footprint keeps growing as AI drives data center expansions

In 2020, Microsoft made an ambitious commitment to make its operations carbon negative within a decade, removing more carbon from… Read More

Atomo opens new roastery in Seattle to produce its beanless coffee for cafes around the U.S.

Atomo, the Seattle-based beanless coffee maker, is marking Earth Day with the grand opening of a new roastery in its… Read More

Carbon, weeds and toxics are in the crosshairs for GeekWire Awards sustainability finalists

Increasing numbers of Pacific Northwest entrepreneurs are turning their significant talents to addressing serious environmental and climate problems impacting planet… Read More

Irrigation tech startup led by farming experts blossoms with revenue growth and new cash

New name, new funding: CODA Farm Technologies, an agtech company founded by two brothers with farming roots, has changed its… Read More

PNW climate tech execs launch real estate investment firm focusing on mass timber projects

Three former executives of the climate friendly housing technology company Green Canopy NODE have left to create Cambia Capital, a… Read More

Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena in the world to land Zero Carbon certification

Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena is the first in the world to receive Zero Carbon certification from an international nonprofit promoting… Read More

Artist’s giant troll sculptures bring whimsy to Seattle-area woods — and a message about waste

The giant trolls are here. A unique art project is leaving its big footprint on the Seattle area and the… Read More

In it for the long haul: These clean energy trucks are driving toward zero emissions

From a Tacoma, Wash., parking lot on Tuesday, the constant roar of big trucks could be heard passing on the… Read More

Boeing and NASA partner with Alaska and other airlines on eco-friendly X-66A aircraft

Boeing and NASA say they’ll collaborate with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and four other major airlines on the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator… Read More

Amazon lowers annual carbon footprint for first time with 0.4% reduction in emissions

For the first time in the five years that Amazon has shared its carbon emissions, the cloud computing, online retail… Read More

Large graffiti painted on street outside Amazon’s Seattle HQ targets company as ‘Prime polluter’

Story updated with comment from Amazon. Amazon and CEO Andy Jassy were the targets of a large graffiti message painted… Read More

Ridwell starts collecting more difficult types of plastic as recycling startup grows to seven states

Ridwell, the Seattle startup that aims to keep more trash out of landfills, is adding more types of plastic to… Read More

Seattle seeking artist to create design elements for electric vehicle charging stations across city

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) and Seattle City Light are looking for an artist to help add… Read More

‘Circular economy’ event in Seattle draws attendees from around world working to cut waste

With a world population of more than 8 billion people, it’s increasingly important to make finite resources on the planet… Read More

Gov. Inslee makes his climate pitch in bid to attract business from Nordic countries

Gov. Jay Inslee made his sales pitch Thursday for Washington as the state for Nordic enterprises to do business in… Read More

Pie in the sky: Seattle pizza chain eyes drone delivery to bake sustainability into its future

In the near future, when a pizza gets tossed in the air at Pagliacci, it may not come down until… Read More

Microsoft makes tiny dent in annual carbon footprint but says ‘it’s not happening fast enough’

After its carbon footprint grew a shoe size or two in 2021, Microsoft notched a small decline in its carbon… Read More