Future Engineers Using Solar And Renewable Energy

Posted on January 18, 2012 by quest

Hundreds of future engineering students from all across New Jersey flocked to Rutgers’ University this past Saturday to gain insight and encouragement from New Jersey American Water engineers as they competed in the 5th Annual New Jersey Engineers Future Cities Competition. The competition, held at the Rutgers University Livingston Campus, featured students’ models of future cities designed to meet energy needs and maintain a healthy planet.“The innovation of their cities and the detailed though that went into their design showed that these students are wise beyond their years. New Jersey American Water is proud to have supported this year’s Future Cities Competition and we look forward to coming back for another year.”

Throughout the university’s student center, student vied for more than two dozen awards with models of cities made from recycled materials that showcased different forms of alternative energy such as wind mills, solar power, and magnets. New Jersey American Water sponsored two of the awards: 5th place overall, which was awarded to Iselin Middle School for their city named “Verison City,” and the specialty category of Healthiest City, given to St. Paul Interparochial School for their city named “Findiger City.”Iselin Middle School received a $500 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Grant for materials used in their school’s classrooms as well as the opportunity to be the special guests of the company at the American Water Works Association’s New Jersey (AWW-NJ) chapter’s annual conference held in Atlantic City . St. Paul Interparochial School in Ramsey, NJ will also take a behind the scenes tour of a New Jersey American Water treatment plant.

In between presenting their designs, students stopped by the New Jersey American Water booth to seek academic and career advice, as well as to marvel at the company’s “magic floating faucet” and collect giveaways.“It is so important to encourage students at this early age to explore engineering and technology as a career interest,” said Suzanne Chiavari, New Jersey American Water Vice President of Engineering, and Future Cities Competition judge. “The innovation of their cities and the detailed though that went into their design showed that these students are wise beyond their years. New Jersey American Water is proud to have supported this year’s Future Cities Competition and we look forward to coming back for another year.”

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Aquamantra On Greenwashing Environmental Lawsuit

Posted on October 29, 2011 by quest

In response to California’s greenwashing lawsuit against its Balance and Aquamantra brands, Danny Clark, President of ENSO, states, “Our industry is young, and we are still improving standards and dispelling false beliefs. Our products perform as we claim, and we have the data to prove it. The situation in California is a lack of education and misunderstanding new technologies; this is not an issue of false claims. We will take this opportunity to bring legislators up to speed with ENSO technologies and the value they bring to the environment.”
“The citizens of California and the environment deserve better,” stated Del Andrus, VP of ENSO. “History is full of examples where science has provided the facts to overcome false beliefs, a principle that ENSO will continue through the pioneering of new information, technology and education.”

At ENSO, we stand behind our claims and our mission to solve the world’s plastic pollution. Every one of us has contributed to this global problem, and it will take each of us, working together, to solve it. Companies like Aquamantra and Balance should be recognized for rising above status quo and implementing environmentally sound solutions.We do not claim that biodegradability is a silver bullet, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Consumers should be educated on the true impact of the products they are buying and have the opportunity to take that step. The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris was a first-of-its-kind “greenwashing” lawsuit against three companies that allegedly made false and misleading claims by marketing plastic water bottles as “100 percent biodegradable and recyclable.” Under California law, it is illegal to label a plastic food or beverage container as biodegradable. Plastic takes thousands of years to biodegrade and may never do so in a landfill.

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Solar Powering 10,000 Climate And Water Saving Homes

Posted on October 27, 2011 by quest

Build It Green, a California leading expert on residential green building, announced a major milestone today: 10,000 single- and multi-family homes will receive the GreenPoint Rated label, representing the gold standard in green home construction and remodels, by the end of 2011.These GreenPoint Rated homes are saving California over 112 million gallons of water — enough to fill Crystal Springs Reservoir five times over — and avoiding nearly 9,000 tons of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of taking over 1,500 cars off the road for a year. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 17 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are from residential homes each year. GreenPoint Rated is designed to help homeowners and builders ensure their home or development is built or remodeled to meet high environmental standards. Like a report card for green homes, the rating system assigns points based on five categories: Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation and Community Benefits. Point values are determined based on the use of verified green construction practices and sustainable materials that exceed California’s residential building and energy code requirements.

To ensure a home is built or remodeled to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental impacts, GreenPoint Rated assesses points based on green building techniques including: Increasing energy efficiency by implementing energy saving construction techniques and equipment such as solar power, solar water heating and ENERGY STAR appliances. The GreenPoint process also includes; Conserving water, creating livable communities, enhancing quality of life and minimizing pollution through community benefits like proximity to public transportation, stores and other services. “In designing my green home, it was important to me to create a home that is not only good for the environment today, but establishes a legacy of sustainable living practices for my children and future generations,” said Ian Macleod, owner of a GreenPoint Rated home in Albany, CA that won the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter, Energy + Sustainability Citation Award in May 2010. “As an architect and Certified Green Building Professional myself, I knew the GreenPoint Rated label represented the high environmental standards I wanted for my family’s home.”

In addition to environmental benefits, homes that have been built or remodeled using green building techniques have been shown to lower the cost of monthly utility bills, home maintenance and repairs. Early research also indicates that green homes may retain their value better, even in a tough real estate market, and are attractive to a growing number of homeowners and buyers.“With so many homeowners and developers now building green, we could see the number of GreenPoint Rated homes in California double over the next five years,” said Tenaya Asan, Build It Green’s senior program manager for GreenPoint Rated.

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CA Attorney General Sues Balance For GreenWashing

Posted on October 26, 2011 by quest

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today filed a first-of-its-kind “greenwashing” lawsuit against three companies that allegedly made false and misleading claims by marketing plastic water bottles as “100 percent biodegradable and recyclable.” Under California law, it is illegal to label a plastic food or beverage container as biodegradable. Plastic takes thousands of years to biodegrade and may never do so in a landfill. Today’s lawsuit is the first government action to enforce the state’s landmark environmental marketing law. “These companies’ actions violate state law and mislead consumers,” Attorney General Harris said. “Californians are committed to recycling and protecting the environment, but these efforts are undermined by the false and misleading claims these companies make when they wrongly advertise their products as ‘biodegradable.’”

Balance and AquaMantra sell their products in plastic water bottles marketed by ENSO Plastics LLC; according to the label, ENSO claims that a microbial additive created the “first truly biodegradable and recyclable” plastic bottle. The bottles’ labeling states that the bottles will break down in less than five years in a typical landfill or compost environment, but that claim is false because the additive does not speed up the centuries-long process required to break down plastic. The claim of recycling is also deceptive. The microbial additive put into the bottle is considered by the Association of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers to be a “destructive contaminant” that can compromise the strength of the products they make. Consumers may buy these defendants’ bottles and either dispose of them incorrectly, on the assumption that they will biodegrade quickly, when in fact they will simply take up space in landfills, or they will try to recycle them, creating problems and costs for recyclers.

A recent Gallup poll found that 76 percent of Americans buy products specifically because of their perception the product is better for the environment. In 2008, the California Legislature banned the use of words like “biodegradable,” “degradable,” or “decomposable” in the labeling of plastic food or beverage containers. Senate Bill 567, signed into law by the Governor this year, will expand that law to all plastic products beginning in 2013. Deputy Attorney General Raissa S. Lerner and Deputy Attorney General Laura J. Zuckerman are handling the case for Attorney General Harris’ Environment section. A copy of the complaint filed today in the Orange County Superior Court is attached to the online version of this release at www.oag.ca.gov.

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Solar Powered Robotics Survey The Worlds’ Seas

Posted on September 9, 2011 by quest

The Savannah Ocean Exchange proudly announces that Liquid Robotics of Sunnyvale, CA is the recipient of the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award. The Gulfstream Navigator Award 2011 recognizes the best solution to positively Shape the Future of Our Coasts. Liquid Robotics’ “Wave Glider-Autonomous Ocean Vehicle” was selected by participating delegates during the inaugural Solutions Exchange, held in Savannah GA September 7-8, 2011, and was presented with the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award by Mr. Joe Lombardo, EVP Aerospace Group, General Dynamics, the parent company of Gulfstream. The Wave Glider solution harvests energy from the environment and is able to travel long distances, hold station, and monitor vast areas of the ocean without the need for fuel or carbon emissions. A unique two-part architecture and wing system directly converts wave motion into thrust, and solar panels provide electricity for sensor payloads and satellite communications.

Wave Glider

The Navigator Award was given to the top solution submitted as part of the annual Call for Solutions issued by the Savannah Ocean Exchange Board of Governors in February 2011. An exclusive panel of experts from multiple disciplines, chaired by Dr. Nancy Knowlton of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History, vetted solutions submitted from countries spanning the globe. The top ten solutions were developed as point solutions for the construction, defense, homeland security, marine research, robotics, coastal reclamation, energy, and shipping industries. Each finalist presented their solution to over 100 delegates who selected the award recipient.

Savannah Ocean Exchange brings together thought leaders around the world from cross disciplines that represent industry, education, research, technology, government and conservation. Led by a multi-disciplinary, 29-member Board of Governors, the organization sources and accelerates the adoption of solutions that positively impact economies and the environment. “The breadth and scope of proven, economically sustainable solutions that were submitted to compete for the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award were outstanding,” says Cort Atkinson, Co-Founder and CEO of the Savannah Ocean Exchange.

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Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit Heading To Hawaii

Posted on August 15, 2011 by quest

Leaders and experts at the forefront of the global clean energy movement will be convening at the Hawai’i Convention Center for the 3rd Annual Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo, to be hosted by the State of Hawai’i on September 13-15 in Honolulu. An estimated 1,200 industry and government participants from more than 20 countries will attend the conference, which aims to enable exchanges of ideas and partnership opportunities with global corporations, start-ups, investors, policy makers, and utilities involved in clean energy transformation.
To showcase global best practices and new business opportunities, the Summit program will open with venture capitalist and energy and security expert R. James Woolsey. Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is now chair of a Washington D.C. based private equity fund specializing in energy and security issues. He serves on the National Commission on Energy Policy.

Panel discussions will focus on accelerating the use of various renewable energy resources such as biomass, wind, solar, hydroelectric, ocean thermal, geothermal, and waste-to-energy; financing and incentivizing energy efficiency; and developing public policies, resources, and workforce training programs to build a clean energy industry.

Keiko Matsui

This year’s program is offering a full conference track on the U.S. Department of Defense’s clean energy programs. Representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will be presenting key military initiatives, technology priorities, and practical guidance on developing partnerships and contracts. CTSI is also coordinating a new technology identification program focused on bringing innovative military-targeted clean energy solutions. The Summit’s Expo will offer exhibits, services and the latest energy technologies. Summit co-sponsors include the University of Hawai’i, Hawaiian Electric Company, Lockheed Martin, AECOM, Phycal, Sempra Generation, Aerovironment, General Atomics, SAIC, ALSTOM, FirstWind, GM, The Gas Company, Pacific Biodiesel, etc.