UN Climate Conference Opening In Durban South Africa

Posted on November 27, 2011 by quest

The streets of Duran are buzzing as delegates from nearly 200 countries gather to cop17 icc banner 533 20111 300x112 UN Climate Conference Opening In Durban South Africa meet in Durban, South Africa from 28 November 2011 to 9 December 2011 at COP 17, for major talks on climate change and other related issues. Advocate Leslie Sedibe, CEO of Proudly South African said.”Many countries, rich and poor, are also taking steps to curb gas emissions as part of a global fight against climate change. These range from carbon trading schemes, policies that support renewable energy investment, to tougher energy efficiency and car fuel standards and carbon intensity targets. COP 17 holds the future of our nations on their shoulders and would lay the foundation for Proudly South African businesses to tackle the issue of Environmental Responsibility within South Africa going forward.”

Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres-Press Briefing

“Environmental Responsibility is one of Proudly South African’s guiding member principles for promoting “adherence to environmental standards through energy efficiency, management of carbon emissions, waste management, effluent management, water safety, recycling, reduce and re-use in South Africa, along with the principles of job creation, fair labour practises and a support for local procurement,”says Sedibe. “We all need to change the way we live and how we conduct business on a daily basis. We need to ensure that jobs that are created are sustainable and not detrimental to the environment around the globe and in South Africa. If not displayed the seriousness of the climate change and global warming problem in its entirety, we know that scientists have warned that it is impossible to find the solution that requires a 360degree turnaround. COP 17 is fundamental to every person, business and country.”

But all who attend the COP 17 event do not support it. Senator James Inhofe recently met with Representatives of CFACT and invited CFACT to co-sponsor a press conference at COP17, tentatively scheduled for Monday, December 5th. Senator Inhofe has for years questioned the direction of U.S. and world global warming policy in the Senate. CFACT’s delegation to Durban will also feature Lord Christopher Monckton, Dr. Kelvin Kemm, Dr. Leon Louwe, CFACT Executive Director Craig Rucker and staff.

Solar Energy Turned To Ice

Electric Vehicles Hitting The Road In South Africa

Posted on November 25, 2011 by quest

South Africa has been responding to the need for clean energy. Recently a mobile solar school was introduced. Now for the first time ever, a fleet of mass-produced, zero-emission vehicles will take to the streets of Africa. A dozen electric cars from the Renault-Nissan Alliance will highlight the benefits of green transportation and will provide zero-emission* shuttle services for delegates at the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, Nov. 28-Dec. 9. The 17th annual Conference of Parties (better known as COP17) aims to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.”

Nissan has already sold more than 20,000 LEAFs on three continents, making it the most popular EV in the world. Renault just began selling Kangoo Z.E., a light commercial vehicle. The Fluence Z.E. family sedan will go on sale shortly followed by Twizy, an urban 2-seater, and ZOE, a compact hatchback, next year. Electric vehicles, which can be charged from purely renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, will play a critical role in achieving COP17‘s goals and reducing the impact of climate change.

Solar technology is particularly useful throughout the African continent both in urban and rural areas. In September The SunPower Foundation, announced the donation of high efficiency SunPower photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to Greenpeace Africa. The panels were installed by 30 local youth during a two week solar training course in Durban, South Africa, led by Greenpeace. Students learned more about solar PV and other renewable energy technologies as well as completed course modules covering social entrepreneurship and Greenpeace’s Energy (R)evolution report. The Greenpeace Africa solar powered headquarters will be showcased at the upcoming UN climate talks in Durban.

New York Times: The Solyndra Mess

Thankful For A Renewable Vision

Posted on November 24, 2011 by quest

It’s that time of year again. When as a nation Americans give thanks. The thanks are for family, friends and people who make a difference in the lives of others. In that regard I personally have a great deal to be thankful for. But as a national and global society do we ever stop and think about the people who are out there everyday doing things that are on a scale that can transform the world? One such person is Secretary of Energy Steven Chu‘s here are his comments from a recent speech in Colorado. “I’m here at a critical time for America’s energy future. It’s a time of challenge, but it’s also a time of opportunity. Last year, more than $240 billion was invested globally in clean energy. The worldwide market for solar photovoltaic systems alone is worth more than $80 billion.

The solar market is going to explode in the coming decades. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, trillions of dollars will be invested globally in solar and other renewable energy sectors over the next 20 years. Countries around the world, especially China, recognize the economic potential in the solar market, and are racing at full speed to capture the lead. China leads the world in total clean energy investments and has provided strong government support to its solar industry. Today, China’s market share in solar cell and solar module production is roughly 50 percent, up significantly from just a few years ago.Meanwhile, the U.S. market share has dropped. In 1995, the United States produced more than 40 percent of the world’s solar panels, but last year, we only produced about seven percent. Although the United States invented solar PV technologies, we are no longer the leading manufacturer. Instead of watching a technology be discovered in America and then shipped overseas, we need to fight to keep it here. Other countries want these opportunities and are moving aggressively; so must we.”

He went on to say, “America has a choice to make today: Are we going to be importers or exporters of solar technologies? We can accept defeat and watch the solar jobs go to China, Germany and other countries, or we can get in the game and play to win, creating jobs in Colorado and across the country. To compete in the clean energy race, we have to do more than invent technologies, we have to make them and sell them too. Steven Chu recently appeared before Congress and personally took the heat for the Solyndra failure. He heads an agency that’s doing everything it can to spark innovation through programs such as the Sunshot Initiative, Solar Decathlon and DOE Recovery Act. Dr Chu is a Noble Peace Prize Winner and we can be grateful to him for bringing a scientific, environmental, business and social consciousness to the cause of renewable energy in America.

Intersolar Heading For Beijing

Anti-nuclear rally in Japan

Hollywood Spotlights Green Sustainability

Posted on November 23, 2011 by quest

Kermit the Frog is slowly having to take his words back,”It ain’t easy to be green” More and more Hollywood production companies are taking front in measures to reduce costs and toxic wastes on big productions. The film and television industry traditionally consumes vast amounts of energy and unsustainable resources with productions around the world. With seed funding and support provided by Disney, Fox, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros., the Green Production Guide was created by the Producers Guild of America Foundation and PGAGreen.org with the aim of breaking that tradition by helping film and television professionals find the resources and partners necessary to make use of sustainable practices their productions.

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Peabody Award Winner and Co Founder of Green for All, Majora Carterreported on Mike Fantasia a Hollywood production and location manager in her series The Promised Land. Mike has been on the forefront of “greening up” big movie productions. In fact Hollywood now has the equivalent of a sustainability manager to cut wastes on the set. Solvie Karlstrom who writes for NRDC’s Smarter Living recently published,”The Planet Was Not Harmed During the Making of This Film“, covered the activities of Yazmin Watkins. Yazmin is the environmental steward at the shoot, she’s the person responsible for reducing the amount of waste produced on set and cutting down on the energy, water, and other natural resources that go into production — not an easy task on a project with a reported $40 million budget that involves months of shooting and thousands of cast and crew members.

On the renewable energy front; This year’s 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards used a 50-kilowatt solar panel system from Solarworld to power the official live pre-show “Countdown To the Emmys,” We know some big stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Natalie Portman, Robert Redford, Don Cheatle and Daryl Hannah have been advocates for green living for some time, but now Hollywood movie producers are making movies that are even greener…and being green is getting easier than it used to be.

Green Investing

Integrated Solar Energy Powering Homes And Cars

Posted on November 21, 2011 by quest

Its exciting to see home builders, solar panel makers and electric vehicle companies coming together to find cost effective and clean energy solutions that people can use right now. With the just completed “Plug Into History” press event featuring the Nissan LEAF with a City Ventures home pre-wired for electric cars, the dream is now realized. Integrated with each residence, City Ventures homes feature solar power and energy-efficient design, bringing energy bills to near net zero. The coupling of high-tech solar home with advanced electric car completes the circuit, allowing low-cost, low-carbon, gasoline-free living. The City Ventures earth-friendly neighborhoods, comprising over 190 homes, represent the largest collection of new, solar, no-gas homes in the United States. They are currently under construction in the California cities of Signal Hill, Santa Barbara and Brea. Prices for these homes start in the high $200,000s.

Savvy home buyers are now seeking homes with solar panels and electric vehicle charging capability. So it comes as no surprise that KB Home, one of the nation’s premier home builders, has also just announced that it is significantly expanding its popular solar initiative by making solar power systems a standard feature of homes in nearly all of its communities across Southern California. Including the high-efficiency SunPower solar power systems – now available at 28 communities – with a new KB home can help KB homeowners reduce their monthly energy bills by as much as 80% and lower their cost of homeownership for years to come. Consumers who buy a Built to Order KB home get the value of a custom home-like experience plus the tremendous energy efficiency of our latest advanced building techniques.

Jeffrey Mezger, president and chief executive officer of KB Homes said, “The response to our solar initiative has been overwhelmingly positive and we are excited to expand our program so that many more homebuyers in Southern California can take advantage of this unique opportunity.”To illustrate the potential benefit of solar power systems and the many other energy-efficient features of its homes, KB Home provides consumers with its Energy Performance Guide, which shows an estimate of monthly energy costs for each home as designed. A new KB home is could to save a homeowner about $2,000 annually on energy costs. Even if you don’t buy a house that has been built “green” from the ground up and process of greening up an existing home can be very rewarding.

US Could Save $80 Billion With Renewable Energy

China on U.S. Solar Panels Complaint

Mission College Takes Solar Megawatt Step

Posted on November 20, 2011 by quest

It’s happening all over nation state California. Now Mission College, Gilbane Co., a full-service construction company, and SunPower Corp., recently announced the dedication of a 1.1-megawatt (MW) solar power system at Mission College, located in Santa Clara, Calif. Over the 25-year-life of the system, Mission College is expected to save approximately $8.5 million in electricity costs. “At a time when schools are hard-pressed to reduce operating expenses, SunPower is working with K-12 schools, community colleges and universities to finance solar power solutions that supply significant, ongoing savings,” said SunPower Managing Director Bill Kelly. “To realize a great return on its investment in clean energy, Mission College wisely utilized low-interest financing mechanisms accessible to educational institutions and selected a system with guaranteed long-term energy performance and the highest efficiency, highest reliability on the market today.” Mission College President Dr. Laurel Jones said, “We are excited to be a model of sustainability for our student body and local community by introducing sustainable practices throughout our campus, including the new solar power system, development of clean tech curriculum and construction of LEED-designed, energy-efficient buildings.”

It turns out SunPower is actively installing solar power systems at more than 90 educational facilities in California. They have also built systems for community colleges including Bakersfield College, Mendocino College, Napa Valley College, Ohlone College, the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, and the Los Angeles Community College District. SunPower has more than 750 large solar power systems in operation or under contract globally.

Statewide California just recently passed a milestone of one gigawatts of installed solar power. This puts California steps closer to reaching its goal of generating 33% of its energy statewide through renewable energy by 2020. In order for these goals to be achieved a combination of utility, commercial and residential programs are in effect to stimulate acceptance and purchasing. In fact as recently reported here,“California’s Ninety Nine Percent Buying Solar Energy”; The top cities on the list are not California’s wealthiest and are home to more mainstream families. For example, Bakersfield and Fresno are among the state’s top five solar cities with annual household incomes averaging between $40,000 and $50,000. By comparison, Malibu, which was not even in the top 25, has a median annual household income of $160,000. The percent of total installations in California’s highest income zip codes is only 2-3 percent.