Stories from Bill Roth
Community Development
Taking on the Behavioral Economics of Fear
We’re confronting a wave of behavioral economics of fear unseen in modern times - here's how we can take on that fear and build for the future now.
March 13, 2020
Sustainable Living
Yes, E-Bikes Are Cool with a Purpose
E-bikes are driving a cycling cultural revolution; it won't be long before they become part of sustainable development plans in communities across the U.S.<br />
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February 17, 2020
Corporate Responsibility
Why the ESG 'Relevancy Gap' is Bad Business
There is often a glaring gap between companies' disclosed environmental, social and governance (ESG) achievements and the most basic reporting of their financial results, writes this former economist and CEO.
January 13, 2020
Community Development
The Link Between Boomers’ Health and Sustainable Living
As is the case with health journeys like weight loss, going a painful, tedious and self-denying route isn't necessary when embracing sustainable living, writes behavioral economist and proud boomer Bill Roth.
January 13, 2020
Technology
How Disruptive Technologies Will Reunite America
The U.S. is just entering the mass adoption phase where disruptive technologies will deliver cost-less, mean-more solutions across today’s divided American communities, predicts economic correspondent Bill Roth.
December 24, 2019
Energy
Hopes For Our Children: In 2019 and Beyond
A new grandfather reflects on his hopes for the future of children worldwide—a future that is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation.
December 9, 2019
Technology
Future Shock In The Autonomous Electric Vehicle Economy
The autonomous electric vehicle economy is poised to deliver lower costs that will reshape our lives. The first article in […]
May 17, 2017
Technology
How The Electric Vehicle Economy Will Win On Price
Too many U.S. states, and their electric utilities, think electric vehicles are linked to urgent action on climate change. They […]
May 15, 2017
AHCA Is A Disaster For Your Health and Wallet
The American Health Care Act (AHCA) narrowly passed the Republican House of Representatives on Thursday. The bipartisan Congressional Budget Office […]
May 8, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
We Test the Chevy Bolt's Mountain Driving
“I would have never tried that in my electric car!” That was the surprised reaction I received from an all-electric […]
April 18, 2017
Technology
Test-Driving America's First Affordable, All-Electric Sports Car
GM loaned me an all-electric Chevrolet Bolt for a long weekend test-drive. My first reaction? It’s a good looking four-door […]
April 13, 2017
Creative Ways to Make Solar Pay Back for Commercial Buildings
Editor’s Note: This post is the second in a two-part series about commercial onsite solar. In case you missed it, […]
April 12, 2017
Technology
Two Keys to Successful Commercial Solar
Installing solar on your commercial building can make a lot of money. But it can also be a nightmare. What […]
April 11, 2017
5 American Behaviors That Define Our Healthcare Costs and Solutions
Editor’s Note: This is the third post in a three-part article series. In case you missed it, you can read […]
April 5, 2017
3 Steps To Lower Drug and Health Insurance Prices
Editor’s Note: This is the first post in a three-part article series. In case you missed it, you can read […]
April 4, 2017
Voices for Change
U.S. Health Care Still Stands At A Dangerous Crossroad
America desperately needs affordable, universal health care. Americans pay more for health care than any other developed nation. One of […]
April 3, 2017
Unmasking The Revised Republican Health Care Plan
Whether you like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) or not, she got the numbers right on the American Health Care Plan […]
March 22, 2017
Energy
Millennials, Technology Drive American Food Trends
Millennials and an explosion of healthier new products enabled through next-generation technology are driving America past sodas and fast foods. […]
March 21, 2017
The American Health Care Act Is Fake Health Care
On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office released its analysis of the Republican-backed American Health Care Act (AHCA). The nonpartisan agency […]
March 16, 2017
Technology
Startup Delivers On Future Tech’s Promise For the Disadvantaged
Veyo is an example of future’s tech exciting path toward inclusivity. The San Diego startup is using future-tech tools like […]
March 13, 2017
Voices for Change
How Trump's Proposed Climate Science Budget Cuts Will Impact You
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates satellites that collect weather data. It also funds research on sustainable fisheries […]
March 7, 2017
Voices for Change
The Coming Boomer Generation Bailout Crisis
Think the Wall Street bailout was painful? Soon that may seem like the good old days as America pays for […]
February 28, 2017
Voices for Change
Simple Lifestyle Changes That Extend Life Expectancy
American life expectancy is now the lowest among high-income countries, according to new research. The typical American can now expect […]
February 27, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Unpacking the Real Cost of Donald Trump's Border Tax
U.S. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R, Wis.) are proposing a 20 percent border tax. Their goal is […]
February 20, 2017
Finance
Will Our Political Divide Cause A Recession?
Americans’ confidence in the economy is down slightly this month, according to a poll measuring consumer sentiment. Nothing serious. But […]
February 13, 2017
Technology
Surviving and Thriving In A Future Tech Economy
Creative destruction defines future tech. Think Amazon versus Sears. The business model of retail employees serving customers in shopping malls […]
February 6, 2017
Voices for Change
California To Vote On Leaving The U.S.
“You know what would make America better? If California would just fall into the sea.” I received this insight when […]
January 30, 2017
Energy
U.K. Announces Plan To Cut Childhood Obesity
We are in a national weight crisis. Obesity death rates now approximate those tied to smoking. Maybe the most chilling […]
January 23, 2017
Technology
Ford Shows How Virtual Reality Will Change Our Lives
Virtual reality (VR) is poised to disruptively change our jobs and lives — one of many things I learned after […]
January 18, 2017
Technology
How Consumer Electronics Are Radically Redesigning Our Cars
Stop thinking of cars as a motor and wheels. Instead, think of them in terms of computer chips, graphic cards […]
January 16, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Goals for Sustainability and CSR Professionals in Earth 2017
With power shifts in Washington and misinformation spreading around climate change, it is gut-check time for corporate social responsibility and […]
January 9, 2017
Corporate Responsibility
Making Money (And A Difference) in Earth 2017
As we enter 2017, the business case for sustainability has never been stronger. Smart/clean tech is on the cusp of disruptively […]
January 5, 2017
Finance
6 Disruptive Changes That Rocked 2016 and Will Shape Your Future
Has there been a year during the 21st century where disruptive changes are so poised to define our future? Donald […]
December 23, 2016
7 Sustainable Holiday Gift Ideas
Tis the season, and we all are buying gifts. The question is how to do so without saddling friends and […]
December 14, 2016
Voices for Change
The Dangers Of A Fake News Economy
Your health and job may be at risk if fake news influences the American economy like it has our recent […]
December 6, 2016
Finance
How The Green Economic Revolution Will Restore Rural America Jobs
This election has put a spotlight on rural voters. Exit polls have pointed to job loss and job erosion as […]
November 17, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
It's Still A Green Economic Revolution
We have a new President. Regulations will be changed, diminished or eliminated. What has not changed is the growing consumer […]
November 16, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
What Happens If Millennials Vote?
This upcoming election is in the hands of millennial voters. Millennials are the second largest generation in America. But they […]
November 4, 2016
Energy
Clif Bar Proves That Corporate Social Responsibility Can Win Customers
Year after year, Clif Bar proves that corporate social responsibility wins customers. The company is growing at a 17 percent […]
November 2, 2016
Energy
Millennials Push Fast Food Revenue Off a Cliff
McDonald’s just reported a 3 percent revenue decline. This is a stunning reversal in the company’s history. From 2005 to […]
October 31, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How 'Green Giants' Use Sustainability To Grow Sales
The business case for sustainability is already made. Author Freya Williams’ book, “The Green Giants,” documents the growing trend of […]
October 26, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
'Green Giants' Prove That Sustainability Sells
Our 21st-century economy is being reshaped by consumers searching for “in me, on me and around me” products — solutions […]
October 24, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How Ford Focus RS Smart Technology Impacts Sustainability
Nothing better explains how smart tech will reshape our lives than the Ford Focus RS. This is a four-cylinder car, […]
September 19, 2016
Technology
The Clean Tech Electricity Future
Pacific Gas and Electric is one of our nation’s largest electric utilities. It recently proposed retiring its nuclear power plant that […]
September 12, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Unhealthy Big Food: The New Big Tobacco?
Tying the scale of Big Food’s health impacts to those of cigarettes is based on an analysis from the Centers for […]
August 17, 2016
Energy
Utilities Fighting Lower Electric Bill Zombie Apocalypse
Has this summer’s heat waves got you worrying about a high electricity bill? Your electric utility is worried, too. But […]
August 15, 2016
Energy
New CDC Report Documents America's Weight Crisis
We are past talking about plus sizes. We are past talking about “weight gain.” The most recent study from the […]
August 4, 2016
Energy
3 Surprising Reasons For Low Oil Prices
The smiles on our faces while pumping gasoline comes from a historic 50 percent fall in oil prices. Most news […]
August 1, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Test-Drive Comparison: Tesla Model S vs Toyota Mirai
Tesla Motors and Toyota are driving a titanic technology battle over the future of cars. Tesla is launching disruptive technologies […]
July 26, 2016
Technology
Is the Hydrogen-Fueled Toyota Mirai a Disruptive Technology?
Toyota branded the Mirai hydrogen-fueled car as a technology turning point. And for good reason. The Mirai is a technology […]
July 20, 2016
Energy
Big Food Lobby Protects Profit Health, Not Public Health
The health research is conclusive. Too much salt in our diet increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. How […]
July 12, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Ford on Mobility: 'One Foot in Today and One Foot in Tomorrow'
Last week, Ford published its 2015 sustainability report entitled “Accelerating Today for a Better Tomorrow.” This report is an expansive […]
June 22, 2016
Autonomous LED Lighting Is Driving a Smart Building Revolution
Our homes and offices are now the dumbest thing in our lives. We can talk to our smartphones. A growing […]
June 20, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Can A Company Be Green If It Is Damaging Human Health?
Newsweek ranked Coca-Cola as the ninth greenest company in the world. Coke earned this recognition by doing things like pioneering […]
June 6, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
GenZe 2.0 Electric Scooter Generates Zero-Emissions Fun
How many times do you smile on the way to work? Every day would be the answer if you rode […]
June 1, 2016
Finance
How Behavioral Economics Impacts You and Our Planet
Here we go again. Pump prices are down from the painful historic highs of just a few years ago. In response, […]
May 19, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
4 Ways to Grow Clean-Tech Jobs in Your City
The best kept secret in America is that clean tech is a mega job-creator. America has approximately 563,000 electric utility work […]
May 9, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Will California TOU Pricing Create a Consumer Revolt or Technology Revolution?
California is embarking on a disruptive strategy to grow consumer adoption of smart and clean electricity technologies. Starting in 2019 […]
May 3, 2016
Energy
Weight-Loss Secrets From 'I Love Lucy'
What in the world could Lucy, Ethel, Fred and Ricky tells us about how to achieve sustained weight loss (or […]
April 29, 2016
Energy
Don't Believe Big Food's Lies About Smaller Portions
We are in a national weight crisis. Big Food’s answer is to sell you smaller portions. But research points to […]
April 28, 2016
Technology
5 Technologies Driving California’s Clean IoT Electricity Strategy
California is again driving the world toward technologies that will disrupt how we live and work. This time California’s focus […]
April 25, 2016
Energy
How California Blackouts Will Make Solar and Batteries A National Story
California again faces potential blackouts. This time it is tied to a natural gas storage facility called Aliso Canyon owned […]
April 18, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How CSR Is Driving Purposeful Food Sales To Record Levels
The traditional food and beverage industry is in crisis. Pop, fizz, drink … WEIGHT GAIN is now a growing consumer […]
April 4, 2016
Energy
Healthy Foods Achieve Mass-Market Sales Levels
The biggest news from the Natural Product Expo West 2016 is that the sale of healthy foods is now mainstream. A […]
March 24, 2016
Energy
Are You A Food Voter?
Life is getting complicated for ‘numbers guys’ like me who try to place people in category buckets for analysis. For […]
March 22, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Will Millennials and Boomers Fight or Unite Over Sustainability?
The rise of millennials and the aging of the boomer generation is reshaping America. In 2017, 50 percent of the U.S. […]
March 16, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How America’s Recycling Crisis Threatens You
America is going to trash. We may feel guilty about it. But out of sight, out of mind. That is […]
March 14, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How Do America’s Heartland Cities Achieve Economic Growth in the 21st Century
Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a great town with friendly, talented people. It has a downtown that urban millennials love with an attractive […]
February 29, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Chevy Volt Blazes Trail For Upcoming All-Electric Bolt
When the Chevrolet Volt is running on electricity, it is a world-class car. When the batteries are exhausted and the […]
February 24, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
How Electric Cars Promote Weight Loss
No, the answer to how electric cars promote weight loss is not because they run out of electricity and you […]
February 23, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Imagine Gas-Free Days Driving a Volt
It is day three of my Chevy Volt test drive. I have yet to use a single gallon of gasoline. […]
February 22, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
The Volt Is Electric Luxury At Chevy Prices
The second generation of the electric Chevrolet Volt is a game changer. It drives like a luxury car. It is […]
February 18, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Alexa, Order Me a Ford Uber: Mobility and the Internet of Things
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with the Internet of Things (IoT) is now achieving product commercialization. Amazon’s Echo is […]
February 17, 2016
Energy
How Technology Innovation Will Save Customer-Owned Solar
Nevada became just the latest state where a public utility commission crushed the economics out of customer-owned solar. Their rational […]
February 3, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Zero-Emissions Smart Mobility and Your City
Google, Ford, Apple, Amazon, Tesla and General Motors are just some of the companies on the verge of introducing zero-emissions […]
January 25, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
3 Disruptive Technologies Driving Zero-Emission Smart Cars
The zero-emissions smart car is on the cusp of revolutionizing what we drive, how we drive and how we pay […]
January 21, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Your 21st-Century Car Will Be Zero-Emissions and Smart
Silicon Valley and Detroit are now in a race to reinvent the automobile — delivering zero tailpipe emissions, autonomous driving, […]
January 20, 2016
Energy
Baby-Boomer Weight Crisis is Crushing Millennials With Taxes and Debt
“Telling it like it is,” was sports journalist Howard Cosell’s mantra, which he preached to the baby boomer generation that […]
January 6, 2016
Corporate Responsibility
Millennials and Other Trends Reshaping America
History will look back at 2015 as a crossroads in America’s adoption of sustainability. It was a year that saw […]
December 31, 2015
Corporate Responsibility
2015 in Review: The Sustainability Mega-Trends Driving Business Success
There was much to be pessimistic about in 2015 in terms of people, planet and business success. 2015 generated further documentation […]
December 30, 2015
Finance
A Pricing Alternative To COP21
As an economist, I have a jaundice view of the COP21 agreement in which the world’s nations agreed to reduce climate changing […]
December 15, 2015
Finance
A Low-Carbon Economy Crossroads
Our country, and the world, stands at a crossroads. The technologies to deliver both sustained economic growth and reduced emissions […]
December 10, 2015
Energy
Antibiotic Apocalypse Economics
As an economist, I will leave it to food scientists to opinion on whether eating genetically-modified fish is healthy. I […]
November 24, 2015
Corporate Responsibility
HR Directors Must Sell CSR To Win Millennial Job Candidates
New research by Global Tolerance found that 62 percent of surveyed millennials “only want to work for an organization that […]
November 17, 2015
Solutions To Our National Weight-Gain Crisis
We face a national health crisis because of our weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that a third […]
November 13, 2015
Corporate Responsibility
Cities Adopting 'Default To Green'
Cities are the 21st-century battleground for mankind’s adoption of sustainability. It is in cities and their surrounding urban areas where […]
November 10, 2015
Energy
Study: Buildings With Cleaner Air Make You Smarter
A study just published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has linked a building’s indoor air quality […]
November 6, 2015
Finance
How Generation Z Will Make CSR A Business Norm
Generation Z, the first generation born in the 21st century, is being shaped by a world at risk. They were […]
November 3, 2015
Energy
Win Customers With Consumer-Hero Branding
Siren is the name of the new marketing and PR company launched by Annie Longsworth. I bring this to your […]
October 27, 2015
Technology
New Unicef-Target-Disney Product to Catalyze Gen Z
Unicef and Target, in collaboration with Disney, are launching a Fitbit-like wearable device for kids that has the potential to […]
October 20, 2015