Search Climate Insights Directory

This report documents the recommendations and proceedings of the 'Design for Health: Summit for Massachusetts Health Care Decision Makers,' held on September 28–29, 2004. Organized by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), the summit aimed to promote the adoption of sustainable, high-performance design in healthcare facilities to improve patient outcomes, staff performance, environmental health, and financial security.

This briefing from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides guidance on improving home lighting energy efficiency. It advocates for a 'whole-system' approach—combining efficient bulbs like Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and LEDs with dedicated fixtures, lighting controls, and daylighting strategies—to reduce electricity costs and improve lighting quality.

This policy brief summary argues that integrating 'smart growth' land use policies with energy-efficient building practices is essential for reducing U.S. energy consumption and addressing climate change. It proposes a framework focusing on both the location ('where to build') and the design ('how to build') of developments to achieve environmental and economic goals.

This 2004 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides homeowners with strategies to reduce space cooling costs and energy use. It advocates for a hierarchical approach: first minimizing heat gain through passive measures, then utilizing low-energy ventilation, and finally selecting the most efficient mechanical cooling systems based on climate and budget.

This 2004 guide by RMI provides homeowners with strategies to reduce water heating costs and energy consumption through the use of efficient fixtures, maintenance of existing heaters, and the adoption of advanced heating technologies such as solar thermal, heat pumps, and drain-water heat recovery.

This 2004 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides strategies for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact associated with home electronics. It emphasizes that changing user habits—such as unplugging devices and enabling power management—is often more effective for saving energy than simply purchasing more efficient hardware.

This 2004 briefing from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides guidance on reducing the energy and environmental impacts of kitchen appliances and food consumption. It details the efficiency gains in refrigerators and freezers, compares various cooking technologies and habits, and addresses the reduction of food-related waste in landfills.

This guide introduces 'whole system design' for residential buildings, emphasizing the integration of passive solar strategies, thermal mass, and reflective roofing to reduce energy consumption. It argues that careful planning can make green homes cost the same or less than conventional ones and highlights financing options like Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs).

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, prepared for WWF-Japan, evaluates the potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions in Japan's power sector between 2000 and 2020. It compares a 'Business As Usual' (BAU) scenario, based on current trends and government projections, with a 'Power Switch' (PS) scenario characterized by aggressive transitions to non-fossil and low-carbon fuels and broad implementation of energy efficiency measures. The analysis demonstrates that the PS scenario can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with a relatively minor net cost to society, primarily by substituting natural gas for coal, phasing out nuclear power, and expanding renewable energy.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes U.S. energy insecurity, focusing on the risks associated with oil dependence and the potential for energy efficiency to mitigate these threats. Using data primarily from the 2001 EIA Annual Energy Review, the document details the sources and uses of U.S. oil, the economic and security costs of dependence on OPEC and the Persian Gulf, and the technical potential for reducing oil consumption through vehicle efficiency and alternative fuels.

This guide provides an introduction to selecting environmentally sensitive building materials, emphasizing the reduction of embodied energy, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and the impact of industrial manufacturing on global ecosystems.

This research paper by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) examines the economic and social impacts of complying with international environmental standards on Pakistan's leather and textile export sectors. It analyzes the trade-off between the costs of mitigation and the benefits of market access, identifying 'win-win' scenarios where cleaner production leads to efficiency gains and pollution reduction.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the debate over U.S. air conditioner efficiency standards, specifically comparing the SEER 13 standard established by the Clinton Administration with a proposed rollback to SEER 12 by the Bush Administration. It details the projected energy savings, emission reductions, and economic impacts associated with both standards.

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada arguing that environmental sustainability is essential to the long-term economic sustainability of the Canadian health care system.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) presents a scenario analysis to guide the City of San Francisco's energy resource investment strategy through 2012. It evaluates three distinct paths—Central Generation, More Imports, and Distributed Resources—to replace the aging Hunter's Point Power Station while meeting growing electricity demand and reliability requirements.

This guide introduces the concept of 'green building' as a holistic, integrated approach to design and construction aimed at reducing resource consumption and enhancing quality of life. It emphasizes that resource efficiency is achieved through early interdisciplinary collaboration and the optimization of interlinked systems rather than the piecemeal addition of environmental components.

The New Business Climate is a 2002 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) designed to help corporations and institutions reduce carbon emissions while improving business performance. It argues that climate change presents both risks to asset values and opportunities for innovation, advocating for a transition from incremental thinking to radical resource efficiency and the use of emerging carbon markets to manage costs.

This case study describes a scenario where the Western Oil & Gas Company evaluated a $2 million capital improvement project to upgrade motor systems at its Richmond, California refinery to improve energy efficiency and reliability.

This case study examines a proposed $2 million motor system upgrade at the Western Oil & Gas Company refinery in Richmond, California. Despite potential energy efficiency and reliability gains, the project faced internal hurdles including high operational risks, low strategic priority, and capital constraints due to other regulatory expenditures. The document explores how the involvement of an energy services company (ESCo) and a specialized financing firm provided the technical expertise and alternative funding structures—such as performance-based financing—necessary to make the project viable.

This document consists of a letter and a subsequent note written by Amory B. Lovins, CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute, addressed to The American Spectator. Lovins refutes claims made by writer William Tucker regarding the causes of the California electricity crisis, specifically challenging Tucker's assertions that Internet growth drove a surge in electricity demand and that the state suffered from a lack of generating capacity.