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environment

Antarctic ozone hole visualized through climate data
Video

Climate science mission led by University of Washington wins backing from NASA

by Alan Boyle on May 7, 2024May 7, 2024 at 5:01 pm

NASA has selected four proposals for climate science missions, including an effort led by a University of Washington researcher, to go forward for further study with millions of dollars in… Read More

Techstars Seattle startup Planette raises $2.4M for AI-boosted climate prediction tech

by Kurt Schlosser on February 14, 2024February 14, 2024 at 2:10 pm

Planette, a climate tech startup that just graduated from Techstars Seattle’s latest accelerator, has raised $2.4 million. Planette’s AI-boosted technology is designed to help businesses plan for weather and climate… Read More

Satlas view of Earth land masses.

AI2 and Microsoft use satellite images plus artificial intelligence to monitor the planet

by Alan Boyle on September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 at 9:35 am

Geospatial data analysis promises to revolutionize the way agriculture, urban planning and disaster relief is done — and thanks to a variety of projects that make use of artificial intelligence,… Read More

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

by Kurt Schlosser on July 13, 2023July 13, 2023 at 4:25 pm

Story updated with comment from Amazon. Amazon and CEO Andy Jassy were the targets of a large graffiti message painted on Sixth Avenue outside the company’s Seattle headquarters on Thursday.… Read More

Carbon removal startup Nori lays off 10 employees, citing market concerns

by Kurt Schlosser on April 10, 2023April 10, 2023 at 12:58 pm

Nori, a Seattle startup that sells carbon credits to individuals and businesses to offset carbon emissions, laid off 10 employees last week, co-founder and CEO Paul Gambill confirmed.  The cuts… Read More

How do you recycle plastic? Startups and scientists are trying to make it easier

by Lisa Stiffler on December 23, 2022December 23, 2022 at 10:09 am

Each week, Ridwell workers fan neighborhoods in six cities around the country picking up canvas sacks stuffed with plastic bags and packing waste. The plastic film is sorted and sent… Read More

Amazon ‘Pledge Passport’ trademark filing hints at plans for new online climate community

by Todd Bishop on August 31, 2022August 31, 2022 at 3:39 pm

Amazon has applied for a trademark on the phrase “Pledge Passport,” with a description that hints at plans for a new online community, news portal, and marketing website with a… Read More

Microsoft Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa departing to take role at private equity firm

by Taylor Soper on July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 at 4:43 pm

Lucas Joppa, who became Microsoft’s first chief environmental officer in 2018 and led the company’s sustainability efforts, is stepping down. Joppa is joining an unnamed private equity firm as senior… Read More

Microsoft launches Climate Research Initiative to collaborate on climate change challenges

by Kurt Schlosser on June 29, 2022June 29, 2022 at 11:24 am

Microsoft is launching a new research initiative aimed at fighting climate change, the company announced Wednesday. The Microsoft Climate Research Initiative (MCRI) aims to harness the tech giant’s research and… Read More

In unusually close votes, Amazon shareholders send messages on exec pay, labor, and environment

by Todd Bishop on May 27, 2022May 28, 2022 at 12:56 pm

New numbers reveal an undercurrent of Amazon shareholder opposition to the company’s board and management on issues including executive pay, the environment, and working conditions. In a regulatory filing Friday… Read More

Kelp need help: Paul Allen’s foundation, enviros and entrepreneurs step up to save an essential seaweed

by Lisa Stiffler on May 5, 2022May 9, 2022 at 9:50 am

Kelp is cool. Some varieties of the ribbony seaweed can grow up to two feet a day. They form “marine skyscrapers” that stretch up to 45 feet from the seafloor… Read More

Video

New aerial video shows Microsoft’s progress on massive HQ revamp

by Todd Bishop on April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 at 1:55 pm

Microsoft released a new video Wednesday that shows the latest progress on a multi-year redevelopment project reshaping a large swath of its headquarters in Redmond, Wash. In an update on… Read More

News Brief

Toyota invests in Nori, a carbon removal startup trying to help reverse climate change

by Taylor Soper on February 24, 2022February 24, 2022 at 8:56 am

Nori, a Seattle startup that sells carbon credits to individuals and businesses to offset carbon emissions, raised $7 million in a Series A round led by M13. Toyota Ventures, the… Read More

Video

Flush with cash: Bezos and big-name celebs get behind tree-free toilet paper startup with $5M

by Kurt Schlosser on February 3, 2022February 3, 2022 at 4:00 pm

The news: Cloud Paper, the Seattle startup that makes toilet paper and paper towels from bamboo in an effort to slow deforestation, has raised $5 million in new funding. Big-name… Read More

Maritime Blue wins $500,000 for cleaner transportation as finalist in tech challenge

by Alan Boyle on December 17, 2021December 19, 2021 at 12:47 am

Maritime Blue, a Washington state public-private coalition focusing on environmentally friendly technologies for the maritime industry, has been awarded $500,000 in the first stage of a clean-tech challenge funded by… Read More

Podcast

What we’re most thankful for in tech, science, business, and innovation

by Todd Bishop on November 27, 2021November 27, 2021 at 7:24 am

This was a week when many of us in the U.S. paused to reflect and give thanks. We’re keeping the tradition alive on the GeekWire Podcast. On this special holiday… Read More

Amazon’s new packaging for cold and frozen food is made from layers of recyclable paper

by Todd Bishop on November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 at 11:03 pm

Amazon is taking plastic liners, bubble bags, and some of the consumer guilt out of grocery deliveries. The company says it has created new packaging for cold and frozen foods… Read More

Video

Jeff Bezos says he’s spending more on his Earth Fund than on Blue Origin space shots

by Alan Boyle on November 15, 2021November 15, 2021 at 12:15 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has been getting a lot of press lately, but the Amazon founder and chairman says he’s spending more money nowadays on Earth’s environmental welfare… Read More

Video

Armed with a paddle and a GoPro, entrepreneur aims to create ‘Street View’ of Puget Sound

by Lisa Stiffler on November 1, 2021May 16, 2022 at 8:44 pm

We’ve all indulged in a little voyeuristic spying and exploration using Google Maps’ Street View, peering at homes and other landmarks. Brian Footen is creating a similar experience for shorelines… Read More

Timothy Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in "Dune"
Video

How the ‘Dune’ science-fiction saga parallels the real science of Oregon’s dunes

by Alan Boyle on October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 at 10:45 am

The deserts of Abu Dhabi and Jordan play starring roles in the blockbuster sci-fi movie “Dune,” which premieres this week in theaters and on HBO Max — but the origins… Read More

Justice40 Accelerator program

Bezos Earth Fund highlights climate justice in $200M round of grants and pledges

by Alan Boyle on September 8, 2021September 8, 2021 at 7:31 pm

The Bezos Earth Fund today announced $203.7 million in grants and pledges aimed at advancing climate justice, supporting climate-oriented economic recovery projects and spurring innovation in pathways to decarbonization. The… Read More

Climate solution or corporate greenwashing? Tech taps farmers to help offset carbon footprint

by Monica Nickelsburg on May 22, 2021May 22, 2021 at 9:14 am

Five years ago, David Gruenbaum abandoned dairy farming and a conventional method of growing vegetables that relied on tilling large quantities of cow manure into his fields, which released carbon… Read More

Video

Bill Gates shares 3 steps to a clean energy economy in message to Leaders Summit on Climate

by Kurt Schlosser on April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 at 9:57 am

Bill Gates joined day two of President Joe Biden’s virtual “Leaders Summit on Climate” on Friday with a message to world leaders about the necessary steps they must take to… Read More

"Second Nature" cover art

‘Second Nature’: How technology is remaking our world, for better or worse

by Alan Boyle on March 31, 2021March 31, 2021 at 5:09 pm

This is a bad time for Mother Nature — but it’s no use trying to turn the clock back. Instead, why not turn the clock forward? That’s what Nathaniel Rich prescribes for… Read More

Skylight operations center
Video

Allen Institute for AI takes over Vulcan’s portfolio of environmental big-data projects

by Alan Boyle on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021 at 12:12 pm

Two and a half years after the death of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, his legacy in science and philanthropy is still being reshaped — and this time, the reshaping involves… Read More

Turntide Smart Motor System
Video

Bill Gates and Amazon join $80M funding round for Turntide electric motor venture

by Alan Boyle on March 3, 2021March 4, 2021 at 3:19 pm

Turntide Technologies, a Silicon Valley venture that’s retooling electric motors for the 21st century, says it has completed an $80 million funding round that was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures,… Read More

Rising temperatures on Earth
Video

Outspoken climate researcher dishes out some advice for Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

by Alan Boyle on January 11, 2021March 31, 2021 at 5:25 pm

If billionaires like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos really want to maximize their efforts to solve the global climate crisis, they should focus less on gadgetry and more on getting… Read More

Microsoft, Brooks, Unilever and others join Amazon’s Climate Pledge, topping 30 signatories

by Todd Bishop on December 9, 2020December 9, 2020 at 9:15 am

Amazon’s Climate Pledge is taking on a higher profile, with its name on a Seattle sports arena, and more than a dozen new companies on its list. Microsoft, Unilever, Neste,… Read More

Amazon’s first-ever fall Prime Day brings new challenges in the midst of a tumultuous year

by Monica Nickelsburg on October 12, 2020October 12, 2020 at 5:53 am

Amazon and its army of logistics workers are bracing for the first-ever fall Prime Day starting Tuesday, as the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 bring new challenges for a shopping event… Read More

Mark Cuban, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashton Kutcher, others invest in tree-free toilet paper startup

by Kurt Schlosser on September 22, 2020September 22, 2020 at 9:54 am

Cloud Paper, the Seattle-based makers of tree-free toilet paper, has attracted a host of high-profile investors and raised $3 million in a seed funding round announced Tuesday. Months after the… Read More

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