How Green Were the Vancouver Olympics? An Entrepreneur Reports

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Jack Hidary, one of the more innovative green entrepreneurs, was at the recent Vancouver Olympics evidently enjoying himself at events (especially speed skating) but, more importantly, engaging with world leaders to foster engagement toward more sustainable practices.

In the video below, Hidary discusses Vancouver’s Green Olympics (VANOC sustainability page ) even as he highlights some gaps, such as a shortfall in the use of highly cost-effective solar outdoor lighting. (more…)


Younger Americans Disengaged About Climate Change, Survey Says

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Although they have grown up during an era when global warming has emerged as a major issue, Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are relatively apathetic about the threat, according to a new survey.

And even when they do think about it, young Americans are just as divided as older Americans about whether global warming is real, according to results of the survey conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication.

Adults under 35 are significantly less likely than older Americans to say they have thought about global warming, with 22 percent saying they have never thought about the issue. (more…)


Farm Holds Key to Food Production Despite ‘Global Weirding’

Friday, February 12th, 2010

We’re in for some climate chaos. The Copenhagen Accord means at least two to four degrees of warming over the next fifty years — and who knows how much “global weirding.” As greenhouse gases trap more heat, or energy, close to the earth, and that energy is used by large weather systems, which move faster and are more intense than ever.

This means more Category 5 hurricanes. More likelihood of Florida snow. My biggest concern about all this change? Eating. If crop yields drop 80 percent as they’re expected to, if we don’t adapt to a changing climate, I might get hungry.

So how do we produce food in a changing climate? How do we produce food with shortages of oil and fuel around the corner? Well we might start, like Joel Salatin’s family-owned Polyface Farm in Virginia, by decreasing inputs to the farm.

(more…)


Solar Is a Perfect Match: A Video Valentine

Friday, February 12th, 2010

With this post, CleanTechies is diverging from our usual content with this light-hearted Valentine’s Day tribute to clean energy from the Vote Solar Initiative, which is working to make solar power mainstream.

People love solar. There are plenty of reasons why that’s the case. Solar creates local jobs. It produces reliable electricity when we need it most. It improves energy independence by tapping a homegrown resource. It offers real hope in the fight against global climate change. And ultimately the idea that we could be harnessing electricity from that big, yellow sun of ours just makes people feel good.

Always up for a good sun pun, Vote Solar thought we’d hammer that point home with a tongue-in-cheek Valentine Video campaign. (more…)


U.S. Creates Office to Handle Climate Change Data

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

The Obama administration is creating an office to coordinate and report the latest climate change data, a unit analogous to the National Weather Service that officials hope will help planners, businesses, and the public better understand and prepare for the effects of global warming.

The office, which will be part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will assemble about 550 scientists already working on climate issues under one roof. All data will be accessible on a website, www.climate.gov. (more…)


New Ideas to Sustain Renewable Energies in Central America

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Twenty-six projects have won funding of up to $200,000 each to develop their concepts in the 2009 IDEAS Energy Challenge. Jointly sponsored by Global Village Energy Partnership International, GTZ, IDB and the Government of Korea, the competition supports project ideas which demonstrate an innovative response to tackling the energy challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean today.

GVEP International highlights three cases where the scheme is expected to facilitate considerable growth in the renewable energy framework of impoverished regions of Central America.

Amid the valleys, mountains and volcanoes of the highlands of southern Guatemala lies one of the country’s largest lakes, Lake Amatitlan. Located just 16 kilometers south of Guatemala City, the unique landscape surrounding the lake means it is used by many people as a recreation area.

(more…)


Who Are the Top 10 Most ‘Sustainable’ CEOs?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

TriplePundit recently held a poll inviting readers to vote for the Top 10 Most “Sustainable” CEOs. The blog’s founder and publisher Nick Aster explains the results:

Before we get too excited about the ranking, I want to emphasize that there was nothing scientific about this process and its real purpose was as much to provoke conversation as it was to give recognition to some of our most enlightened business leaders.

It was also about challenging readers and leaders alike to ask themselves what the definition of “sustainable leadership” really is. In some cases these leaders have helped create products and services with positive environmental or social impact, in others they have helped build a corporate culture that rewards and nourishes employees and stakeholders in new ways. Some are well known, others more humble. As you think about the “winners” keep in mind the very loose and changing definition of the word “sustainable” and leave some comments as to what it means to you.

Without further ado, the folks with the most votes were as follows: (more…)


VIDEO: Blower Fans in the Cow Shed Test Vertical Wind Turbines of Coriolis

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Who would ever have thought that wind blower fans in a cow barn would spark an idea to create innovated vertical wind turbines?

It turns out that a small, clean technology startup company located in a kibbutz near Ramat Hasharon, Israel may be developing a new stackable wind turbine that could compete with the giant propeller ones currently in use around the world.

Coriolis Wind is the brain child of its 3 co-founders Dr. Rafi Gidron, an entrepreneur  from Precede Technologies, an entrepreneurship and investment firm focused on high growth markets such as alternative energy; Orni Petruschka, also with Preclude; and Dr. Shuki Sheinman, formerly connected with NASA, Scitex and El Op.

(more…)


VIDEO: Innovative Water Technologies From Israel

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Interviewing Oded Distel from NewTech, and many others Harvey Stein from ISRAEL21c goes to the Watec conference a few weeks ago.

Here is his video on water savings technologies. Companies featured include Takadu (smart grid technology), see the poop pellets of Applied Cleantech; there is also Solaris Synergy, solar panels that float on water. Enjoy the video, meet some new companies.

(more…)


Green Hotel Video: Geothermal Heating & Cooling — A No-Brainer

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Have a look at this TEDx Toronto clip.

(more…)


 


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