Green Jobs Forecast

Posted on December 4, 2011 by quest

By Kellé Lynch McMahon – Green Jobs, Green Jobs, Where are all the jobs?…In looking at the news one would believe that the world is coming to an end with all the talk of unemployment and the export of jobs to overseas competition. But if we scratch below the surface we will see that there is a huge trend surfacing that is creating an enormous amount of opportunity for retooling and growth in technological innovation and the re-birth of a manufacturing in the United States.

According to the US Department of Labor there are 1.2 million jobs that are unfilled right now in the marketplace. These jobs are unfilled because there are too few skilled applicants that apply for them. There are foreign companies, American companies, small companies, large companies, startups and mid-size companies all of which contribute to the growth and development of a new established emergent industry coined “the green economy”. The green economy encompasses many different aspects of the energy market sector. The United States has seen the largest growth in the solar market sector over the past two years. The industry has seen growth over 120% since 2006 (Engineering Magazine July 2010) and is experiencing a explosion of growth in the commercial residential sectors.

Next we have watched the growth of the slow food movement, which has the cropping up of small local family farms and urban farms that are supporting sustainable organic farming methods that yield a variety of foods that are in high demand in local markets. The growth, process, and distribution of these foods has created a cottage industry that has become boutique in nature.Third, we have the automotive industry that has seen a growth spurt in the development, manufacturing and innovation of a new breed of cars that will revolutionize the way we commute, transport merchandise and travel in the world. Electric cars will become the norm within the next five (5) years, and all major automobile manufacturers have at least one auto that is either electric or hydrogen fuel cell powered on the market today. Read the full article by Kellé Lynch McMahon

Solar Energy To Power UN Climate Conference

Eco Fashion…Where Does It Come From?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by quest

How we dress says lot about who we are. “How’s the weather where I work? “ “Am I feeling blue or bright?” “Am I retro or edgy, sassy or sexy, professional or bohemian…”Fashion is the business of selling dreams and fashion brand campaigns with all their glamour and imagery compete to capture our imagination. If the dream this season is “those boots”, then every girl must have the “it” pair of boots till of course the next “it” pair comes along.

But amidst all the glitz and glamour, we as consumers are rarely exposed to what goes on behind the scenes and the price we as customers pay for buying into the dream. As more and more horror stories about the negative human and environmental impact of the fashion industry emerge, the new trend that’s hopefully here to stay is one of ethical fashion. But what do “ethics” in fashion mean anyways and as a consumer why should I care? Even industry professionals often disagree on this stuff, making it a lot harder for the end consumer to navigate all the options out there. Here are a few terms you’ll hear often and an attempt at explaining what they mean, so that you as a consumer can decide if it’s something you want to get behind.

Fair trade

Fair trade put simply means that people who made your clothes were paid a fair living wage for making the clothes, instead of being made in a sweat shop that uses child labor. Most of us at one point or another in our lives have done minimum wage jobs, been through a lay off or been treated unfairly at work. The problem is a lot more severe in developing countries, where it often constitutes human rights violations, why would we want to contribute to that? Read the full article

Sonica Sarna is head of design and product development at “Raasta”, an ethically made hi-fashion clothing line made in partnership with rural artisan communities in India. The clothing and accessories use handloom fabrics and natural dyes while maintaining a boho-chic sensibility ( www.raastaonline.com) . Join Raasta at their exclusive launch party on Nov 2nd at 6.30 pm at BellaPelle, 9 Maiden Lane, San Francisco.

Upsolar Sponsors “Dancing Flowers”

Dereliction Of Foodies

Posted on October 15, 2011 by quest

As urban farming becomes a valid source of obtaining fresh foods with local sources addressing energy and conservation concerns, will the direction we work towards be thwarted by local government or lack of necessary resources to continue our efforts?

The short answer to a long question is there are no guarantees. I have watched one community garden after another closed for a variety of reasons. All who partake should be aware of legalities http://www.theselc.org/food-and-livelihoods-project/ and poised to take action as the South Central Farmers in Los Angeles have. Although they didn’t prevail in the legal sense a commitment to continue sent them in many directions. Some facilitated by the mayor whose campaign led the farmers to believe he would be able to help them. During times like this when good food is unaffordable to many and we realize that subsidized means substandard products it is important to continue efforts and sometimes battles for the right to clean water and fresh foods. http://gefoodlabels.org/ By Susan Rigali

Susan Rigali is Owner/Executive Chef of Savor Solar. She has invested a significant amount of her career to education and research in the areas of food safety and the slow food movement. She has been a part of many organic urban gardening projects in L.A., which aim to transform socio-economic barriers that keep families from accessing healthy food and practicing eco-friendly lifestyles. For the majority of her career, Susan has worked in connection with the unique world of film and television production. Her accomplishments range from large scale events to intimate dining affairs.

Oregon proposes approval of wave energy project

A GREEN RENAISSANCE Community News & Views

Posted on October 30, 2010 by quest

QuestPoint Solar Solutions continues to expand it services to those who have an interest in the green movement.Today QuestPoint is providing a new platform for readers to share their news and views on the multi faceted green economy. Just what is the green economy? Environmental Strategist and author Andrew Winston suggest, “A new green economy

is just that – a whole new economy, with job openings at all skill levels, from truck drivers to inventors of new battery chemistry. The solar or wind installer is just the tip of a very large iceberg that’s coming our way.” The days of citizen journalism are upon us. The “Cultural Creatives” as LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) describes them are a growing segment of our population whose impact is not just philosophical and environmental, but their influence is now being felt through all aspects of society.”

The interactive nature of the internet and the tools that it offers changes the dynamic of news and information as we used to know it. Thus the ease at which one can respond to information broadens the opportunity for more voices to be heard. Through its’ expanding information sections QuestPoint Solar Solutions continues to move forward on its intended purpose: to provide a constant and diverse flow of news, information, commentary, and knowledge in the solar, renewable energy and green economy. With all the tech talk about solar, climate change, smart grids and going green QuestPoint makes it easier to understand what the green movement is all about.

We invite interesting and meaningful insight as we move toward a greener sustainable world. Ata Green Renaissance – News & Viewsyou can contribute stories, commentary about events happening throughout the green movement. We are a local and global community, a place to share your news & stories about people & green events near you. You can also listen to A Green Renaisaance podcast updates at:

QUESTPOINT N THE MIX

ITALY – Number One Producer of Organic Grapes

Posted on October 28, 2010 by quest

ORGANIC WINE

Italy, Europe’s top grower of organic grapes

by Elvira Ackermann: According to the latest IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Associations) report, Italy is the major grower of organic grapes in Europe.
As a matter of fact, the country of “la dolce vita” boasts 34.000 hectares (84.015 acres) of land dedicated to organic wine growing. Italy is followed by France with 19.000 hectares (46.950 acres) and Spain with 16.000 hectares (39.537 acres). They represent the three major growers of organic grapes in Europe. Germany, being the fourth producer of the old continent, includes only 4.000 hectares (9.885 acres) of land planted with organic grapes.

Italy maintains also an excellent position in the general ranking of organic wine producing countries worldwide earning the fifth position with 1.147 hectares (2.834 acres) of organic vineyard land. The first four positions are being maintained by countries that are way larger than Italy, i.e. Australia, Argentina, China and the U.S. The above statistics show an outstanding organic grape growth in the Italian wine world thanks to an increasing market penetration of organic and biodynamic wine in Italy and Europe.

Note 1: la dolce vita = literally “the sweet life,” indicates the pleasant Italian life style including sunshine, beaches, fine wine and food, fancy cars, fashion, friendly people……

Note 2: biodynamic wine = At its most basic, the biodynamic approach to grape-growing sees the vineyard as an ecological whole: not just rows of grapevines, but the soil beneath them—an organism in its own right—and the other flora and fauna in the area, growing together interdependently.
Where biodynamics differs from other forms of organic or sustainable agriculture is in its idea that farming can be attuned to the spiritual forces of the cosmos. This might mean linking sowing and harvesting to the phases of the moon or the positions of the planets; it also might mean burying cow manure in a cow’s horn over the winter, unearthing it in the spring, diluting a minute amount of the substance in 34 liters of water, “dynamizing” it by stirring it by hand in alternating directions for an hour or so and then spraying the mixture over one’s vineyard.