Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging A Reality

Posted on April 30, 2012 by quest

Evatran, the developer of Plugless Power wireless recharging technology for electric vehicles, will welcome EVS26 attendees at the Los Angeles Convention Center May 6th through May 9th. Plugless Power technology will be featured in booth #1115 and also at the Ride, Drive, and Charge event open throughout the four-day conference. Evatran will be showcasing its Plugless Power hands-free charging system on both a Nissan LEAF and a Chevrolet Volt at the event. Booth attendees can interact with automotive-quality components, witness the alignment process, and see object detection technology. Members of the Evatran team will also be available to answer visitor questions regarding the Plugless Power system and discuss integration considerations for automotive manufacturer production systems.

Evatran’s attendance at the EVS26 conference and exhibition follows the launch of its Apollo Trial Program, an initiative that encourages electric vehicle adoption through the trial of wireless charging technology. Prototypes used in the Apollo Program on LEAF and Volt vehicles will be on display at the Evatran booth. Evatran will also be promoting the next phase of its Apollo Trial Program, where select commercial partners can join Hertz, Google, and Duke Energy to trial wireless charging on their own electric vehicles.

Rebecca Hough, chief operating officer of Evatran, commented, “Interest in wireless charging is at an all time high in the electric vehicle market and we’re excited to unveil the current generation of our product at EVS26. Wireless charging is no longer simply about transferring power over a gap; the market is demanding seamless integration into vehicles, safety features, and the incorporation of a simple user interface. With design considerations for each of these requirements, Plugless Power will be showcased as the most production-ready technology available in the market.”

SunRun Invests $150 Million In Home Solar Systems

Jamba’s Got Juice With Youth

Posted on April 27, 2012 by quest

Jamba Juice Company a leading healthy, active lifestyle company, together with the National Gardening Association (NGA), announced the 2012 recipients of the Jamba “It’s All About the Fruit and Veggies” Grant Award Program. The announcement was made at a press conference and tour today at the Girard Children’s Community Garden in Washington DC.

“We’re proud to once again join the NGA to recognize educators, volunteers and local government leaders dedicated to teaching America’s youth about gardening and caring for the environment,” said James D. White, Chairman, President, and CEO, Jamba Juice Company. “Educating children early in their lives about the origins of fruits and vegetables and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is a good first step in the fight against childhood obesity.” “There is a growing disconnect among our youth between health, nutrition, and the food they eat,” added Mike Metallo, President and CEO, National Gardening Association. “Youth gardening programs, like Jamba’s “It’s All About The Fruits and Veggies” school garden grants, help to bridge that gap by turning book knowledge into hands-on experiential learning. We are delighted to be partnering with Jamba Juice in this important program and appreciate their commitment to encouraging everyone to form a healthy relationship with the foods they eat.”

Administered by the National Gardening Association (NGA), the grant program is designed to provide funding to local school and youth-focused community garden programs as a fun, innovative way to promote nutrition education, sustainability, and healthy lifestyle choices through garden experiences. The program also offers youth valuable, first-hand knowledge of how to seed, maintain and harvest fruit and vegetables. Out of 800 applicants, twenty grants were awarded by Jamba Juice and the NGA this year including three Washington DC youth gardening programs. The winning gardening programs demonstrated excellence in the areas of planning, community engagement, sustainability, and a strong dedication to promoting health and nutrition among youth. Winning applicants will receive packages valued at over $500 which includes gardening tools, a composter, raised bed, seeds, a curriculum and funds to purchase plants and soil amendments.

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

EPA Awards For Innovative Environmental Solutions

Posted on April 26, 2012 by quest

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded more than $1 million in grants to 15 university and college teams from across the country who participated in the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for their innovative environmental solutions. EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) award competition was held at the expo, and featured more than 300 college innovators showcasing their sustainable projects designed to protect the environment, encourage economic growth and use natural resources more efficiently. Some P3 team projects include a new process that uses spinach to capture and convert the sun’s energy to electricity and a partnership with a local landfill to design a process that uses waste heat and drainage to grow algae for biodiesel production.

“The competition and expo are not only about EPA’s prestigious P3 award, but also about supporting the next generation of this country’s innovators and entrepreneurs who are entering the environmental and public health field with passion to make a difference and many brilliant ideas,” said Lek Kadeli, acting assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The P3 program gives these students the opportunity to bring those ideas to realization and many have the potential to make significant impacts on our nation’s sustainable future and development of environmental technologies.”

Two of the award winners were – Santa Clara University for developing a high efficiency solar absorber/exchanger that can bring low cost energy to urbanites who have limited space for solar collectors and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for designing a foldable solar power water purification system that can fit into a backpack for easy transport for use after a disaster affecting drinking water supply. Read the article see and list of winners.

Go Drive Electric Vehicle Day In LA

See More On A Train

Posted on April 24, 2012 by quest

Award-winning actress, environmentalist, writer and philanthropist Rosario Dawson will serve as spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day and share her love of train travel and how it allows her to be involved in the community in a more personal way with rail fans. Train passengers experience travel unlike any others; they get to see the vastness of the American landscape more intimately when traveling by rail, from cities big and small, to country vistas and everything in between. In honor of the fifth anniversary of National Train Day, Amtrak is inviting train fans to share what they see and experience on their train journeys and enter the See More On A Train online contest.

A celebration of train travel and the ways that trains touch the lives of people across America, National Train Day will take place at train stations in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as numerous other communities throughout the nation, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. From now through May 29, 2012, train fans can upload their original photos, videos and stories chronicling how they have been inspired by their train travel to National Train Day for the chance to win great prizes. A Grand Prize winner in each of the three categories will have their choice of one of four provided Amtrak Vacations Tour Packages for two travelers.

See More On A Train

In addition, train fans can visit facebook.com/NationalTrainDay to participate in the National Train Day sweepstakes for the chance to win an Amtrak Vacations Package to Glacier National Park and a full Samsonite luggage set.

Washington, D.C. Gets Top Environmental City Ranking

Posted on April 24, 2012 by quest

MaxPoint Interactive, a company that helps retailers and brands drive local in-stores sales with its innovative Digital Zip technology, today issued the results of an indexing study that analyzed billions of data points to determine the U.S. neighborhoods that are the most eco-friendly. Washington, D.C ranked the highest based on their passion for environmental news and issues. It was followed by Austin, TX, and Honolulu, HI. San Francisco which ranked number one in an Economist study last year followed in at number four.

“The results of this Interest Index were particularly surprising because we found that we have clusters of consumers who are ‘talking the talk’ and some that are ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to acting in an environmentally friendly way, yet both groups are important to advertisers” said, Gretchen Joyce, chief operating officer of MaxPoint Interactive. In this particular indexing study, MaxPoint discovered that there are two very distinct neighborhood types when it comes to going “green”— those who demonstrate interest by reading and discussing environmental issues and those who make purchasing decisions to support environmentally friendly products.

Using the data gleaned from this index, MaxPoint implemented highly targeted neighborhood-level digital ad campaigns for a major luxury car dealer was looking to increase overall brand awareness of its new hybrid vehicle high-end eco-friendly vehicle and drive sales. It also provided insight to a major solar solutions company was interested in targeting the neighborhoods across the U.S. most likely to purchase a solar panel to power their homes. As a result of a focused digital advertising campaign, the company was able to target consumers passionate about the environment, who own homes, and have an average household income of $60K or higher.

Green News Wall

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

Posted on April 23, 2012 by quest

In honor of the 41st Earth Day the Recirculating Farms Coalition released a new interactive map that shows consumers where to buy fresh produce and seafood, and decorative plants and fish from innovative farms. The organization is a collaborative group of farmers, fishermen, educators, scientists and others who promote unique growing methods – recirculating farming.”Recirculating farms are amazing – they use inventive ways to be space, energy, and water efficient,” says Executive Director Marianne Cufone. “Because they can be so eco-friendly, Earth Day is the perfect time to get the word out that these farms are operating all over the U.S. Our new map helps people find and learn about them.”

Recirculating farms are what they sound like; they use naturally cleaned, recycled water, without soil, to raise plants and fish. There are many styles of recirculating farms, but generally they all fall into three categories: hydroponic (plants), aquaculture (fish), or aquaponic (plants and fish).Though recirculating technology is not new – it is similar to that used for ages in hanging gardens, fish ponds, and modernly in aquariums – it is ever improving. Today, these farms can grow more, in less space, using rainwater and renewable energy sources like solar power. Still, they are not well known in the U.S.

One focus for the Coalition is to raise awareness about these farms. Creating a map that shows commercial recirculating farms is a way to reach out to people who want to visit and purchase from the farms and are interested in supporting local, sustainable businesses.The new map uses color-coding to identify the type of farm and provides location and contact information. It is a work-in-progress, the Coalition expects to add more farms and additional details to each entry, including what is grown and where products can be purchased if they are sold off-site.”We are always learning about new recirculating farms, and farmers are contacting and joining the Coalition. This map will expand and be an important resource for consumers who want sustainably grown, fresh local food. We are excited to debut this in time for Earth Day, to help.