Marin Therapist Takes EcoTourism To High Ground

Posted on December 11, 2011 by quest

After a few minutes talking with Kathy Kapps you can sense there’s something really unique about her. The tuned in Zen Shiatsu therapist and Marin resident is originally from the motor city of Detroit. She has been traveling back and forth to the Himalayan high mountain kingdom of Nepal since the early eighties. I happened to have met her up on Hill 88 in the Marin Headlands. She would say, “there is no happenstance.” She recently returned from Nepal, a journey she’s been making now for 7 years after a 15 year break. Several months ago I literally ran into her along a steep Marin trail above the Golden Gate Bridge, when she told me she was heading back to the magical kingdom. I wished her well – but what pleasantly surprised me weeks later was an email photo of a prayer flag she had placed for my mother. It turns out she places prayer flags at the Khumbu Glacier two days away from base camp at Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. She told me,”The memorial prayer flags for those lost loved ones are hung at the sacred memorial site at the end of the Khumbu Glacier. The sacred site is at the end of the whole huge Khumbu glacier and many people who died climbing Everest are memorialized there. My personal prayer flags for friends and family are hung at the foot of ‘Lady Everest.”

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Kat as she is affectionately called not only places prayer flags, but also takes needed medical supplies to hospitals in the remote areas of the Solo Khumbu an area high in the Himalayas outside the ancient and busy city of Kathmandu.In addition to this she has also raised funds to contribute to the education of a college bound student who will be majoring in tourism.

In her soon to be released book “The Inner Mandala” Kat writes about her own personal losses and discoveries. For close to thirty years Kat has been a practicing Zen Shiatsu therapist and instructor working in San Francisco and Marin county. Inspired by author and philosopher Dadaji whom Kat says profoundly changed her life for the better, she is initiating a new venture,“Lady Everest” for those who are interested in learning and exploring Mount Everest, the Himalayas and the Nepal region. By Richard Andrews

Green Jobs Forecast

U.S. Postmaster Makes Case For Going Green

Posted on December 11, 2011 by quest

Speaking at the COP 17 climate conference last week in Durban, South Africa, U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe heralded the U.S. Postal Service‘s sustainability successes, making the business case to go green.”Leaner, greener, faster and smarter is our sustainability call to action,” said Donahoe. “It’s environmentally responsible, as well as a very good business decision.”The Postal Service’s vision is to be a sustainability leader by creating a culture of conservation throughout the Postal Service and leading the adoption of sustainable business practices by employees, customers, suppliers, the mailing industry and U.S. federal government peers.

While the US Postal Service is facing some major budgetary challenges before Congress and is in the midst of the busy holiday season, Donahoe talked about the Postal Service’s 400 Lean Green Teams, comprised of cross-functional postal employees who collaborate to identify and implement low- and no-cost ways to conserve natural resources, purchase fewer consumable products and reduce costs.”Lean Green Teams have helped the Postal Service reduce energy, water and petroleum-fuel use, and solid waste to landfills, helping the Postal Service save more than $5 million in fiscal year 2010. Lean Green Teams also helped recycle more than 222,000 tons of material — an increase of nearly 8,000 tons over the prior year — which generated $13 million in revenue and saved more than $9 million in landfill fees,” said Donahoe. “This is a powerful story and makes the business case for sustainability.”Among other things the Postal Service works to achieve aggressive sustainability performance goals such as reducing facility and vehicle petroleum use.

With 32,000 retail locations the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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New York City Eco Friendly Yachts and Everything

Posted on December 9, 2011 by quest

To celebrate the debut of the Hornblower Hybrid, Hornblower Cruises & Events will cruise New York Harbor on New Year’s Eve 2012, departing at 10 p.m. from Pier 40 on the Westside. Set to the backdrop of Manhattan’s luminous skyline and epic midnight fireworks show, the three-and-a-half hour cruise features internationally-themed food stations, premium open bar, entertainment and a DJ. The celebration marks the cruise line’s maiden voyage in New York City, where it will launch four luxury vessels in 2012. New Year’s Eve cruise-goers will be the first passengers onboard the eco-friendly Hybrid, which is powered by multiple alternative energy sources. Guests can enjoy spectacular fireworks and scenic views from the vessel’s spacious upper deck and viewing atrium.

Terry MacRae, CEO of Hornblower Cruises & Events said, “We couldn’t think of a better time for the Hybrid’s inaugural cruise than on the evening that celebrates a renewed spirit and optimism for what’s to come in the new year. We invite locals and visitors to raise a toast and set sail aboard a yacht that represents the future of maritime luxury and sustainability.”The celebration marks the cruise line’s maiden voyage in New York City.

Hornblower Cruises & Events which operates cruises through out the United States is one of the largest charter yacht, dining cruise and eco-tour companies in the country. They operate America’s first hydrogen hybrid commercial vessel, the Hornblower Hybrid, and will launch a multi-yacht fleet in New York City in 2012.

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Electric Vehicles Picking Up Speed

Posted on December 8, 2011 by quest

Electric vehicle trendsetter Tesla Motors got dinged just a bit based on a new assessment of softer market demand from Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas. None the less the company continues forward with plans to role out their new premium-electric Model S sedan. The new car is being pre- introduced around the country and will sell for $50,000, half the price of their Roadster. According to a recent report from Pike Research, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) combined will represent 3.1% of worldwide auto sales by 2017. Thanks to higher penetration rates in the United States, HEVs and PEVs will account for 5.1% of total U.S. vehicle sales in 2017.

Within the United States, the PEV market is currently led by two key models, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. However, Pike Research anticipates that Ford’s model diversification and recharging equipment strategy will shake up the market. Ford will likely take the market lead by 2017 with 23.6% PEV market share. Toyota (with a plug-in version of its popular Prius) and General Motors will likely find themselves fighting for second with 21.1% and 20.7% market share, respectively. The early market for electric vehicles is proving that demand for the vehicles exists across the globe. The combination of consumer purchase incentives, rising fossil fuel costs, and exciting new vehicle models is fueling a strong early adopter market. Production of electrified vehicles is gearing up all over the world, and automakers are planning to launch an increasing variety of new models over the next few years.

Overall, the Asia Pacific region is expected to experience the most rapid growth in the number of plug-in electric models, followed by Europe and North America. There will be 26 models of PEVs available in Asia Pacific by the end of 2011, compared to 23 models in Europe and ten in North America. However, strong demand for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in North America will lead to the availability of 40 models by the end of 2012, versus 14 HEV models in Asia Pacific.

Solar Embedded Fashions Energizing Mobile Devices

SunPower Shines On Solar Impulse

Posted on December 7, 2011 by quest

One has to wonder how the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart would feel to see solar power aviation begin to take flight. Today San Francisco Bay Area solar manufacturer SunPower announced it is providing solar cells to the Solar Impulse project. Solar Impulse HB-SIA is the first aircraft that can fly day and night without fuel or polluting emissions. In July 2010 Solar Impulse was launched by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. The flight demonstrated the enormous potential of new technologies for saving energy and renewable forms of energy. The lessons learned from this first prototype are now being incorporated into the development of a second airplane, HB-SIB, which will attempt to fly round the world starting in 2014.The Solar Impulse team has produced a prototype (HB-SIA) solar airplane that, for the first time in aviation history, succeeded in flying for 26 consecutive hours powered only by solar energy. A second solar airplane (HB-SIB) is currently under construction with plans to circumnavigate the globe in 2014. Both planes are powered by SunPower’s high-efficiency solar cells. “We are pleased to partner with SunPower, a leader in designing and delivering high-efficiency solar technologies. SunPower’s solar cells are optimum for this project, as they offer the performance and low-weight that is needed for our revolutionary solar airplanes,” said Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse co-founder and CEO.

PLANET SOLAR

SunPower is also a sponsor of Planet Solar to power the world’s largest solar catamaran that is currently on an around-the-world tour, arriving at most destinations ahead of schedule, weather permitting. Since 2005, SunPower has supported university students with high-efficiency SunPower solar systems for their solar home entries in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. And in 2009, the company also supported students with their entries in the first Solar Decathlon Europe.

Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO said, “SunPower is pleased to be involved with such an ambitious project as the Solar Impulse airplane as it prepares for its record-setting, around-the-world flight.” As a vertically integrated company, SunPower not only powers distinctive projects such as Solar Impulse, but our high-efficiency, high-reliability solar panels are chosen by residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers worldwide. We are confident that our experience in developing our industry-leading technology with guaranteed performance will help the Solar Impulse airplane to successfully achieve its goal to circumnavigate the globe.”

It’s time to meet 21st century rail

New MegaWatts Of Solar Power Heading South

Posted on December 6, 2011 by quest

Ikea is ahead of the curve in incorporating renewable energy into its growth plans. The Swedish based company has a business philosophy based on minimizing negative impacts on the environment. It was only last month that Ikea began installing electric vehicle charging stations in Southern California and seven other Western US states. Globally, IKEA evaluates locations for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. IKEA a world leader in home furnishings retailer, today announced plans to install solar energy panels on ten additional United States locations – its entire presence in the Southern U.S. Pending governmental permits, installation can begin this winter, with completion expected in Summer 2012. Collectively, the nine stores and one distribution center will total 10.7 Megawatts of solar generating capacity, nearly 45,360 panels, and a projected annual electricity output of 15,248,334 kilowatt hours.

Mike Ward, IKEA U.S. president said, “This investment extends our solar presence to the Southern U.S., further reducing our carbon footprint and the intensity of the electrical grid. IKEA believes we can be a good business while doing good business. The company has a long-term commitment to sustainability and confidence in photovoltaic (PV) technology.” IKEA will own and operate each of its solar PV energy systems atop its buildings – as opposed to a solar lease or PPA (power purchase agreement) – now including its three Texas stores (Frisco, Houston and Round Rock), three Florida stores (Orlando, Sunrise and Tampa), three other stores (Atlanta and Charlotte, and in Woodbridge, VA), and the IKEA Distribution Center in Savannah, GA as listed below with approximate system statistics and corresponding clean energy equivalents.

IKEA already has 12 U.S. solar energy systems operational with 11 more underway. Adding solar to ten more locations increases the company’s solar presence to 75% of its U.S. locations and a total solar generating capacity of approximately 26.8 MW. For the six Florida and Texas stores, IKEA contracted with REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric providers, with more than 7,000 systems built nationwide. For the four other locations, IKEA contracted with Gehrlicher Solar America Corp., part of Gehrlicher AG, one of the world’s ten largest independent PV project developers and system integrators.

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