Daily Business Report: January 31, 2024
The 20th annual Report on Sustainable
Practices highlights
UC San Diego’s achievements
By Leslie Sepuka | UC San Diego
From progress in sustainable operations to sustainability successes in education, research and public service, the 20th annual Report on Sustainable Practices highlights the achievements of the University of California’s comprehensive sustainability program in 2023. As part of the report, UC San Diego excelled in best-of-class green building practices, made noteworthy progress in conserving energy and water and was recognized for the quality and quantity of our research related to sustainability.
UC San Diego invests in innovative and leading sustainable practices for campus operations, which have reduced our emissions and annual energy costs by millions. In the 2023 report, our campus was recognized for meeting ambitious energy and water use goals—an especially strong achievement, given that UC San Diego has also made tremendous progress in meeting the needs of students with new housing, a new college and many new labs and facilities.
Photo: Keeling Flasks are named after Charles David Keeling, climate science pioneer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Keeling was the first to confirm the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide by very precise measurements that produced a data set now known widely as the as the “Keeling Curve.”
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Will more outdoor drinking give California economy a buzz?
By Lynn La | CalMatters
It may not be long until Californians can order a beer at a bar to go, walk it straight out the door and drink it outside.
Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener wants to allow California cities and counties to designate “entertainment zones” where bars and restaurants could serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on public streets and sidewalks. If Sensyr Nill 969 is passed, Californians age 21 and over can raise a toast in the glorious outdoors by Jan. 1, 2025.
When Wiener announced the measure Friday, he said it would help revitalize downtowns where foot traffic has plummeted since the pandemic, including his home of San Francisco. Cities will be able to tailor these zones to their needs, allowing bars and restaurants to sell to-go drinks similar to what vendors do at festivals.
“Getting people back out in the streets is key to the economic recovery of cities across California. By creating Entertainment Zones, we’re giving people a reason to go back to areas where recovery has been slow while creating a vital new revenue stream for bars and restaurants.”
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San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and SDSU
join forces to develop new way to study snakes
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and San Diego State University (SDSU) are joining forces to usher in a new way of studying snakes. In a collaboration between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Rulon Clark, professor of biology at SDSU, biologists are tagging wild rattlesnakes with external transmitters and accelerometers.
Previously, telemetry devices on snakes had to be surgically implanted—severely limiting this area of study. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and SDSU are among the first to use acceleration technology to study snakes.
The research program focuses on red-diamond rattlesnakes in the biodiversity reserve at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Rattlesnake movement and behavior have historically been difficult to study, and up until now, it hasn’t been possible to know what wild snakes are doing at all times. Rattlesnakes spend a majority of their time sitting still to evade predators or to ambush prey, and direct human observation interferes with their natural behaviors.
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New paper pinpoints key role of NASA
satellites in monitoring Earth’s vital signs
By Brittany Hook | Scripps Oceanography
In a new paper, scientists from five different institutions present an anthology of key findings unearthed by satellite technology over the last two decades. The all-women group of authors includes Helen Amanda Fricker, a glaciologist and professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
For the past two decades, NASA has operated a series of three satellites carrying lasers — the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), its successor ICESat-2and the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) on the International Space Station — resulting in 20 years of data that have radically improved our understanding of Earth and how it is changing over time.
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Biotech Accelerator Unicorn Program is launched
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and UC San Diego Rady School of Management announce the launch of the Biotech Accelerator Unicorn Program, a pioneering joint program designed to empower CEOs, founders and investors in the life sciences and biotechnology industry. This program, to be held at UC San Diego on Sept. 13, offers participants the essential knowledge, leadership skills, and valuable connections necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving biotech landscape.
National University program will help classified employees get degrees
National University and the California Community Colleges Classified Senate announced a new partnership to provide pathways to possibility for community college professionals to pursue bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at National University. NU’s partner represents over 38,000 California community colleges classified professionals.
Murrieta Hot Springs Resort partners with OSEA
The historical and reimagined Murrieta Hot Springs Resort announced its partnership with OSEA, the mother-daughter-founded seaweed-infused skincare brand that pioneered clean beauty. Founder Jenefer Palmer began her career as the spa director in 1982. Inspired by the natural healing properties of the resort’s renowned geothermal waters, Palmer began formulating what would be the early versions of OSEA products born out of her inability to find the right products that met her high clean beauty standards.
SOCi Inc. and Smarsh enter strategic partnership
SOCi Inc., the leading co-marketing cloud platform for multi-location enterprises, announced a strategic partnership with Smarsh, a global leader in digital communications compliance, which will provide multi-location enterprises with a streamlined end-to-end workflow for social media management. SOCi will integrate with Smarsh to provide a comprehensive social media publishing, compliance, and archiving solution for brands in regulated industries.
Nuvve announces potential launch of first V2G hub project in Taiwan
Nuvve Holding Corp., a global technology leader accelerating the electrification of transportation through its proprietary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) platform, in collaboration with e-Formula, a prominent Taiwanese energy solutions provider, announced the potential to launch the first V2G hub project in Taiwan. e-Formula, known for its expertise in microgrid management and battery technologies, would serve as the project lead for this 95 EV V2G Hub project, and Nuvve is expected to be the technical project manager.
Intersolar and Energy Storage conference and expo connects industry leaders
Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America, the industry’s flagship solar + storage event, concluded the 2024 edition of its combined conference and expo in San Diego on Jan. 19. The event connected 507 exhibiting companies with more than 9,500 visitors. A new regional event will take place Nov. 19-20 at the Austin Marriott Downtown in Austin, Texas.
Cellibre joins Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem
Cellibre, a leading manufacturing technology company, announced that it has become a member of Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE), a Department of Defense-initiated Manufacturing Innovation Institute dedicated to advancing bioindustrial manufacturing across the nation. Cellibre is a manufacturing technology company that employs an organism-agnostic approach to turn cells into specialized, sustainable factories for the manufacture of globally significant products at scale.
SeaWorld Entertainment changes corporate name
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., a leading theme park and entertainment company, announced it will change its name to United Parks & Resorts Inc., effective Feb. 12. The new name unites the company’s world-class portfolio of seven brands across 13 parks in the United States and Abu Dhabi. The name change affects only the name of the parent company. The company’s portfolio of parks – SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island, and Aquatica – retain their respective park names.
QDOBA brings back Citrus Lime Shrimp
QDOBA, a leading fast-casual Mexican restaurant, announced its fan-favorite Citrus Lime Shrimp is back by popular demand and is available for a limited time. Freshly sautéed in-house in a flavorful, tangy citrus lime sauce, the sustainably sourced Citrus Lime Shrimp is the perfect alternative for those looking for a seafood option or who may be curbing their red meat intake.
Procede Software releases latest version of Excede v10.4
Procede Software, a leading heavy-duty commercial vehicle dealer management system and solutions provider, announced the general release of the latest version of Excede v10.4. The new release was developed in close collaboration with daily Excede users and subject matter experts who participate in the Procede Insider Program, the cornerstone of its user-centered design strategy. Excede v10.4 incorporates enhancements and new features designed to make every department in a dealership more intuitive, intelligent, and productive.
ClickUp introduces ClickUp Brain
ClickUp, the productivity platform that brings work together in one place, announced ClickUp Brain, the next generation of ClickUp AI. ClickUp Brain is the first AI offering that pulls knowledge from across an entire organization’s workspace to eliminate work about work. ClickUp Brain is comprised of three distinct yet complimentary products: AI Knowledge Manager, AI Project Manager and AI Writer for Work. Together, they dramatically accelerate routine tasks, freeing you to focus your limited time on innovation and leadership.
Danielle Voss promoted to VP of human resources at Dudek
Dudek, a leading U.S. planning, environmental, and engineering consulting firm located in Encinitas, announced the promotion of Danielle Voss to vice president of human resources. Voss has been with the firm for more than eight years and brings nearly two decades of expertise in human resources to her new leadership role. Voss is well-positioned to leverage her extensive experience and the resources she has cultivated. This strategic advantage will enable her to further develop and execute a visionary approach to HR at Dudek.
