See More On A Train

Posted on April 24, 2012 by quest

Award-winning actress, environmentalist, writer and philanthropist Rosario Dawson will serve as spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day and share her love of train travel and how it allows her to be involved in the community in a more personal way with rail fans. Train passengers experience travel unlike any others; they get to see the vastness of the American landscape more intimately when traveling by rail, from cities big and small, to country vistas and everything in between. In honor of the fifth anniversary of National Train Day, Amtrak is inviting train fans to share what they see and experience on their train journeys and enter the See More On A Train online contest.

A celebration of train travel and the ways that trains touch the lives of people across America, National Train Day will take place at train stations in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as numerous other communities throughout the nation, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. From now through May 29, 2012, train fans can upload their original photos, videos and stories chronicling how they have been inspired by their train travel to National Train Day for the chance to win great prizes. A Grand Prize winner in each of the three categories will have their choice of one of four provided Amtrak Vacations Tour Packages for two travelers.

See More On A Train

In addition, train fans can visit facebook.com/NationalTrainDay to participate in the National Train Day sweepstakes for the chance to win an Amtrak Vacations Package to Glacier National Park and a full Samsonite luggage set.

Water Farms Help Consumers Find Fresh Local Food

Posted on April 23, 2012 by quest

In honor of the 41st Earth Day the Recirculating Farms Coalition released a new interactive map that shows consumers where to buy fresh produce and seafood, and decorative plants and fish from innovative farms. The organization is a collaborative group of farmers, fishermen, educators, scientists and others who promote unique growing methods – recirculating farming.”Recirculating farms are amazing – they use inventive ways to be space, energy, and water efficient,” says Executive Director Marianne Cufone. “Because they can be so eco-friendly, Earth Day is the perfect time to get the word out that these farms are operating all over the U.S. Our new map helps people find and learn about them.”

Recirculating farms are what they sound like; they use naturally cleaned, recycled water, without soil, to raise plants and fish. There are many styles of recirculating farms, but generally they all fall into three categories: hydroponic (plants), aquaculture (fish), or aquaponic (plants and fish).Though recirculating technology is not new – it is similar to that used for ages in hanging gardens, fish ponds, and modernly in aquariums – it is ever improving. Today, these farms can grow more, in less space, using rainwater and renewable energy sources like solar power. Still, they are not well known in the U.S.

One focus for the Coalition is to raise awareness about these farms. Creating a map that shows commercial recirculating farms is a way to reach out to people who want to visit and purchase from the farms and are interested in supporting local, sustainable businesses.The new map uses color-coding to identify the type of farm and provides location and contact information. It is a work-in-progress, the Coalition expects to add more farms and additional details to each entry, including what is grown and where products can be purchased if they are sold off-site.”We are always learning about new recirculating farms, and farmers are contacting and joining the Coalition. This map will expand and be an important resource for consumers who want sustainably grown, fresh local food. We are excited to debut this in time for Earth Day, to help.

Eco Friendly Travelers Growing Greener

Go Drive Electric Vehicle Day In LA

Posted on April 23, 2012 by quest

The public is invited to participate in the most extensive Ride, Drive & Charge event ever assembled, featuring a wide variety of electric vehicles, and learn about electric drive technologies during the 26th International Electric Vehicle Symposium at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 6 – 8, 2012. On Sunday, May 6, the public will also have an opportunity to tour more than 160 exhibits on the show floor at the Symposium.

“We welcome local residents to test drive electric vehicles during EVS26,” said Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), the U.S. association dedicated to advancing electric drive technologies and hosting organization for the symposium. “These events will provide consumers and local businesses with opportunities to learn more about how these vehicles and charging stations operate, as well as the environmental and cost-savings benefits of driving electric instead of a conventional gas-powered vehicle.”

A “Ride, Drive, & Charge” event will be open to the public on Sunday, May 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday, May 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday, May 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Participants can gain hands-on experience with electric vehicles, including riding, driving and learning how to use different types of electric vehicle chargers. More than 160 global companies will display electric vehicle technologies on the show floor, including: Coda Automotive, Coulomb Technologies, GM, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Siemens, Southern California Edison, and Toyota. Several educational sessions and presentations will be held for consumers to learn about electric vehicles and charging.

Hydroponics Leaders Merge To Serve Urban Farming

Reflections on Earth Day 2012 – by Al Gore

Think Like A Man Thinking Green

Posted on April 22, 2012 by quest

As an industry leader in environmental innovation, Sony Pictures has long experimented with energy-efficient light sources and technologies for use in its productions. But for the Screen Gems feature Think Like a Man, Sony Pictures took its efforts a step further and reached an industry first by using 100 percent energy-efficient (LED) lighting sources on the production.

“Sony Pictures is committed to making great content with a smaller and smaller energy footprint, and Think Like A Man is a great example of Screen Gems’ continuing tradition of actively reducing the impact and waste of a major feature film production,” says Gary Martin, President, Production Administration, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Conventional lighting for a motion picture requires a significant amount of energy to run and generates a lot of heat on set. This, in turn, must be cooled using air conditioning, requiring additional control equipment. Compared to a conventional incandescent bulb, however, LED lighting can generate over four times the amount of light with the same amount of energy and is also able to maneuver into tighter spaces and be transported more efficiently.

Think Like A Man

“Although not perfect, energy-efficient lighting is making great strides. We were excited to incorporate this industry-first in lighting into our production, and look forward to continuing to work with manufacturers to test and improve the technology,” says Mason McConnell, Executive Director, Set Lighting, Sony Pictures Entertainment. In addition to many other efforts, Think Like a Man further greened the filming by shooting the production in locations near the Sony Pictures studio lot, cutting both transportation requirements as well as the need to construct sets. It also used many environmentally-friendly products and processes in the daily administration of the production. The movie is based on Steve Harvey’s book “Like A Lady Think Like Man.”

Eating Planet Squeezing The Environment

Posted on April 21, 2012 by quest

A new book published in collaboration with the Worldwatch Institute, the book will be available for free on Earth Day, Sunday April 22nd. at the Barilla think tank. Worldwide, 30 percent of food is wasted, 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night while another 1 billion suffer from health problems related to obesity. Meanwhile, young people are increasingly disconnected from how their food is grown, making solutions to the global agricultural system – which contributes one third of global greenhouse gas emissions – seem even further out of reach.

In response to these problems, the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) is releasing a book, Eating Planet, highlighting the challenges facing today’s food and agricultural system, as well as the myriad of benefits that reform could bring. As Earth Day approaches, it is important to appreciate the links between technology, culture, and agriculture, and how they can help alleviate hunger and poverty. Eating Planet will be downloadable for free on Earth Day, April 22, 2012 from the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition’s website.

“Access to food is one of the first and most fundamental of all human rights,” says Guido Barilla, Chairman of the Barilla Group. “Where food is lacking, it becomes impossible to live with dignity, and the rights to a healthy life and peaceful coexistence are undermined.”The Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project, an evaluation of environmentally sustainable solutions to alleviate hunger and poverty, collaborated with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition to produce the report. “The study’s conclusions represent a major step toward ensuring that agriculture contributes to health, environmental sustainability, income generation, and food security,” said Nourishing the Planet project director Danielle Nierenberg. “The ingredients will vary by country and region, but there are some key components that will lead to healthier food systems everywhere.” Read the article.

Solar Roof Juice From Sungevity Goes Down Under

Eco Friendly Travelers Growing Greener

Posted on April 20, 2012 by quest

Trip Advisor one of the world’s largest travel sites today announced the results of its eco-friendly travel survey of more than 700 U.S. travelers. The green travel trend is gaining momentum among TripAdvisor members, as 71 percent said they plan to make more eco-friendly choices in the next 12 months compared to 65 percent that did so in the past 12 months.

“Green initiatives are an increasing priority for hospitality businesses that are trying to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel for TripAdvisor. “Our survey shows that TripAdvisor travelers are interested in eco-friendly practices, but hungry for more information about which green plans and policies are actually in place.”

The travel survey found among other things that twenty percent of respondents said they would consider an “eco-tourism” trip but 17 percent said they are unfamiliar with such trips. Nearly a third of travelers (30 percent) would choose a destination for a trip because it is considered eco-friendly. And this was no surprise, Costa Rica is the most popular destination in the world for travelers interested in an eco-friendly trip. TIES a trade organization founded in 1990 has been dedicated to promoting ecotourism. It defines “ecotourism” is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

Eco-Conscious Companies Are Growing on Job Seekers

Winning The Solar And Renewable Energy Race