Costa Rica Hosts Sustainable Agricultural Forum

Posted on May 19, 2012 by quest

Last week, Dole Food Company, participated in the second annual Forum on Sustainability and Happiness in Costa Rica. This year, former U.S. President Bill Clinton provided the closing keynote, delivering a message on environmental sustainability. Dole’s Sylvain Cuperlier, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability introduced the Forum’s roundtable on sustainable agriculture. In this introduction, Cuperlier discussed the potential issues related to pesticide use, the need for a more pro-active response to climate change and the requirement to focus further on water use and soil conservation. He also highlighted some challenges specific to agriculture, like how the increasing market pressure on prices can be a constraint when it comes to extending sustainable production practices.

Cuperlier pinpointed some opportunities for collaboration, as well. Participation in multi-stakeholder initiatives aimed at exchanging best sustainable practices, through the Costa Rican platform and the World Banana Forum, was a central focus.”Our participation for the second time in the Forum was a great opportunity for Dole to reaffirm our leadership role in sustainability, while highlighting, with full transparency, the challenges and opportunities our industry can encounter along the way,” said Cuperlier. “These events are so valuable because they bring together some many stakeholders, new and established, to discuss issues that span such a wide variety of companies, industries and regions.”

Vega will further discuss Dole’s sustainability initiatives in the working group on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture at Business for the Environment (B4E) Global Summit 2012, which will take place May 21-22 in Berlin, Germany. B4E is the leading international platform for dialogue and partnership solutions for the environment. The recommendations from the working groups organized in Berlin will be presented as official business input for decision-makers at Rio+20, the United Nations conference on Sustainable Development, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the end of June.

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Solar Decathlon Gets $1 Million For Great Park XPO

Posted on May 18, 2012 by quest

At their meeting on May 17, 2012, The Orange County Great Park Corporation Board approved an agreement with the United States Department of Energy that provides a $1 million grant to host the Solar Decathlon 2013 at the Great Park. The agreement establishes a two-phase planning and implementation process that also includes the staging of the first ever multi-day exposition set for October 3-13, 2013, dubbed the XPO: Clean+Renewable+Efficient Energy Exposition.

“We are excited to host the Solar Decathlon and XPO at the Great Park,” said Beth Krom, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation Board. “Today’s action allows us to move forward on developing plans for this international event that will bring worldwide attention and economic development to the Great Park and the region and raise public awareness about the benefits of clean energy and energy conservation.”Under the first phase of the agreement, the Great Park accepted $375,000 from the United States Department of Energy for the planning and development process. This planning phase includes event programming and sponsorship planning as well as a finalized site plan that shows the location of the Solar Decathlon Village, where 20 collegiate teams will showcase their solar-powered houses.

The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The winning house best embodies affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence while also providing optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The XPO, featuring the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, will showcase technology, products, arts, education and business opportunities that arise from clean and renewable energy generation and efficient energy use. Both events will occur simultaneously October 3-13, 2013.

2012 LOHAS Forum And Eco Integrity

Posted on May 17, 2012 by quest

The LOHAS Forum, the nation’s premier gathering of thought leaders, investors and industry executives focused on the $290 billion LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market, announced today the speaker lineup and full program for this year’s LOHAS Forum 2012. Now in its sixteenth year, the event will take place June 12 – 14 in Boulder, Colorado with interactive discussions focused on a broad portfolio of current issues including alternative energy, health and wellness, social justice, branding, green customer loyalty and effective ways to raise capital.

“The LOHAS community is looked at to pave the way for today’s consumers when it comes to the latest and greatest trends in healthy and sustainability – and it is events like the Forum that bring together the thought leaders in the space to facilitate open and creative dialogue,” said Ted Ning, director of the LOHAS Forum. “We could not be more excited for this year’s LOHAS Forum, as we will be turning Boulder into the ultimate eco-conscious hotspot and playing host to some of the most influential thinkers in sustainability.”

Speakers at LOHAS Forum 2012 include Chip Conley with Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Toni J. Bellafiore with American Honda Motor Company, Inc., Gopi Kallayil with Google, Jodi Berg with VitaMix, Sue Harvey Brown with Patagonia Footwear, Madeleine Buckingham with Mother Jones, Mary Jo Cook with Fair Trade USA, Tom Laforge with The Coca-Cola Company, among many others. LOHAS Forum 2012 will also feature a full schedule of interactive programming where attendees will be given access to thought leaders and industry experts with deep diving workshops, networking opportunities during daily receptions, meals and exercise activities; and intimate break-out sessions each afternoon. For the first time ever, this year’s LOHAS conference will integrate all the richness the city of Boulder has to offer. Attendees will not only be treated to an inspiring and powerful event, but will also get to dive head first into the cultural roots of Boulder.

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Chabot College Center Achieves LEED Certification

Posted on May 17, 2012 by quest

Chabot Community College in Hayward, Calif., recently achieved LEED Platinum certification for their sustainably-designed student center building with the help of SageGlass dynamic glazing. The Community and Student Services Center (CSSC) is the centerpiece of the college’s “green intelligent building initiative,” serving more than 15,000 students, staff and faculty. Architects at tBP/Architecture wanted to incorporate as much glass as possible into the CSSC to flood the interior with daylight and keep a connection to the outdoors for the well-being of the students. The architects needed to find a way to maintain outside views and keep people comfortable inside, while simultaneously minimizing energy consumption to achieve the project’s LEED goals. Although conventional low-e glazing, automated interior blinds and automated exterior louvers would have managed the sun and solar heat gain, this approach would also have obstructed outside views and compromised building aesthetics.

The CSSC uses SageGlass as a strategic element of an integrated daylighting control system to manage sunlight and heat gain. The dynamic glazing tints or clears within minutes, significantly reducing energy consumed for air conditioning, heating and lighting. SageGlass glazing keeps glare and temperature under control throughout the day, making effective use of the natural ventilation system. In addition to SageGlass, the facility features a variety of other advanced sustainability technologies designed to achieve LEED Platinum accreditation through aggressive energy-efficiency levels and maximum occupant comfort.

SageGlass was instrumental in helping Chabot meet its ambitious sustainability initiative, which includes attaining LEED Silver rating as a minimum for all new construction,” said Doug Horner, Project Manager with Chabot Community College. “This one-of-a-kind facility exceeds this standard by using advanced design elements, which provide natural daylight in all occupied spaces and access to outdoor views. The CSSC also controls the amount of light to reduce heat gain as a means of increasing the comfort level of occupants.”

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Sustainable Food Festival Cooking Up In Monterey

Posted on May 15, 2012 by quest

Food lovers, culinary experts and chefs from across the country will convene in Monterey, California from May 18-20 for Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking for Solutions, a premier event celebrating the use of sustainable food. On the night of May 17, eleven top chefs from ARAMARK Parks and Destinations will showcase their culinary talent at the Aquarium using regional ingredients and sustainable practices in a special Meet the Chefs Reception. ARAMARK, which manages the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s dining experiences in partnership with award-winning Napa Valley chef and restaurateur Cindy Pawlcyn, is bringing together chefs from its portfolio of parks, resorts and cultural attractions to take part in this weekend’s festivities and participate in this prestigious event. Invited guests attending the Meet the Chefs Reception will dine on a menu featuring fresh, local and seasonal ingredients while learning more about the protection and conservation of the environment.

“It is an honor for our chefs to be invited to participate in the Meet the Chefs Reception,” said Brian Stapleton, vice president of food and beverage, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations. “We look forward to providing guests with an extraordinary menu and memorable evening that reflects the chefs’ passion for cooking with sustainable ingredients.”

“Monterey Bay Aquarium has dedicated itself to educating the public about the importance of protecting our environment and natural resources,” said Bruce W. Fears, president, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations. “We also have deep respect for the environment and are delighted to have our chefs participate in Cooking for Solutions, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s finest sustainable food festivals.”Programs and events, such as Cooking for Solutions and Meet the Chefs, allow ARAMARK to demonstrate its commitment to protecting and improving the environment. ARAMARK believes sustainability is a process and has implemented environmental management practices and systems within the areas of food purchasing, supply chain, building operations, energy and water conservation, transportation and waste management.

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Solar and Renewable Energy Innovations Awarded 200k

Posted on May 15, 2012 by quest

Young entrepreneurs developing energy from waste water treatment, robots for cleaning solar panels and solar cell films with 20% more efficiency took the top prizes at the First Look West (FLoW) regional finals competition, which closed last week. At an awards celebration held at the California Institute of Technology on May 1, Stanford Nitrogen Group, Greenbotics and Xite Solar shared $200,000 in prize money.Professor Harry Atwater, Director of Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Institute, says “Successful competitions such as this show how universities, working with investors and the business community, are leaders in accelerating innovation flow to the real world, and in launching our future entrepreneurial leaders.”

At the Regional Awards Celebration, keynoter and Judge Andrew Chung, Partner at Khosla Ventures, captured the tone of the competition during an address that touched on the importance of thinking beyond the obvious. “Entrepreneurship shouldn’t be about extrapolating the past, but rather inventing the future,” Chung said. “Startups shouldn’t let the word of the ‘experts’ or conventional ‘wisdom’ constrain them from imagining new possibilities.”

FLoW represents the Western Region of the DOE’s National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (NCEBPC). The winning teams from six regions across the country will now participate in the National Competition in Washington D.C., June 12 and 13, 2012. The awards event was the culmination of a six month competitive process searching for the untapped clean energy innovation that lies in American university labs. In its first year FLoW attracted 83 applicants from 34 universities across twelve states, and saw inventions ranging from new battery materials for portable electronic devices to net energy+ home kits, hydroponic farms and telephone apps for tracking energy use in the home.