As the world continues to watch in horror at the BP undersea volcano gushing toxic oil and gas fumes into the Gulf of Mexico; we ponder what can we do? How did we get to this place? What made BP and all the major oil players believe they could play with mother nature? How many times have we been confounded by the awesome power of the ocean…”master the tempest is raging. The billows are tossing high. Carest thou not that we parish? Oh how can they lie asleep? The winds and the waves shall obey thy will.” It’s a story as old as time… we see it again and again – arrogance, greed – corruption. It’s easy to trash BP, after all the signs point to a history of violations and subterfuge. But we all share some responsibility. For many of us get a daily fix of gas. Scientist tell us we know far, far less about the oceans of the world then we do about the surface of the moon. And yet offshore drillers persist in their eyes closed shark attack mentality to drill, drill baby drill (See Brave New Foundation video Power without Petroleum). And yet some of BP’s offshore drilling plans, one in Alaska specifically are moving ahead despite the reality of what’s happening around us.
We know that alternative renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and wave energy offer solutions to our economic and environmental problems. In Irwin Allen’s hit TV show Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea the high tech submarine SeaView traveled the world’s oceans saving us from the demons of the deep.
But TV is one thing and Admiral Nelson of the SeaView isn’t likely to come jetting in on that flying yellow sub to patch up that undersea hell hole BP’s stabbed into the earth. We probably really do need a new voyage to the bottom of the sea – but one that’s based on scientific, economic and environmental renewal. If we have any intension to harness the power the ocean we’ll need to do it in a way that doesn’t destroy it and us in the process. The risk of offshore deep sea drilling has been proven to be an economic ecological killer. The tempest is raging.
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MIKE PAPANTONIO
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MEGAN EPLER WOOD
Megan Epler Wood Launching
Environmental Management of International Tourism Development at Harvard Extension
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Philippe Cousteau
CEO Earth Echo International
Water Planet Challenge -
EarthEcho International’s Water Planet Challenge is an unprecedented national call-to-action that engages middle and high school youth to bring about global change by taking action in their communities through service-learning projects. The Challenge provides revolutionary science-based environmental education materials, tools, and resources to empower youth to take action to restore and protect our water planet.
Water is the single most important substance on the planet—it is the one element that connects each and every being on earth to one another, from human consumption to energy production. It is also expected to be the cause of the greatest crises of our century.
Today’s youth are more engaged and excited about environmental issues than any ever before, however there are few unified and accessible resources and tools to help them take action and measure their impact in a significant manner. In other words, we have an unparalleled team primed and ready to go without a proper game plan to take action. Indeed, environment is one of the three most requested service-learning opportunities by teens, yet a quick scan of any aggregator sites of this type of content shows very little that exists on a national level at high quality.
The Water Planet Challenge’s core partners make this a powerful initiative that can take place now, not at some point in the distant future:
CBK Associates has produced seminal education materials utilized by the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse and books that set the standard for being easy to use, practical, and providing teachers and youth what they need to successfully improve their communities.
Discovery Education provides engaging digital resources to schools and homes with the goal of making educators more effective, increasing student achievement, and connecting classrooms and families to a world of learning. Discovery Education’s digital services are used by over 1 million teachers and reach 35 million students.
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Intersolar North America
Taking place from July 13-15 in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West Hall, promotes the development of business opportunities throughout the U.S. solar industry. More than 550 U.S.-based and international exhibitors and 20,000 trade visitors are expected.
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SUNPOWER ANNOUNCES NEW WORLD RECORD SOLAR CELL EFFICIENCY
Full-Scale Prototype Produced at 24.2 Percent
SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, announced today that it has produced a full-scale solar cell with a sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of 24.2 percent at its manufacturing plant in the Philippines. This is a new world record, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), for large area silicon wafers.
“This new world record demonstrates SunPower’s ability to extend our lead in manufacturing the world’s highest efficiency solar cells,” said Bill Mulligan, vice president of technology and development for SunPower. “Our patented and proprietary, high-efficiency solar cell technology drives down the cost of solar energy by increasing the energy production from each solar panel.”
Improved cell efficiency reduces the levelized cost of energy by increasing the energy production from each wafer manufactured into a SunPower solar cell. For the same reason, increased efficiency reduces the cost per watt and cost per kilowatt-hour for feedstock and materials, depreciation and other manufacturing expenses, installation time, land and system operations, and related maintenance.
“As we celebrate SunPower’s 25th anniversary this year, I am thrilled to see the company achieve technology milestones that were inconceivable only a few years ago,” said Dr. Richard Swanson, SunPower founder and chief technology officer. “SunPower’s research and development and engineering teams have increased cell efficiency by a full four percentage points over the last five years while radically driving down manufacturing costs. We are extremely proud of their continued success.”
GREEN FOR ALL
Dirty Energy Independence Week July 1 – July 7th, 2010
This July, Green For All IS ASKING YOU TO TAKE ACTION: SIGN UP AT:
Dirty Energy Independence Week of Action:
Dirty Energy Independence Week of Action:
President Obama gave an address about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico — and what it teaches us about America’s economic and ecological future.
President Obama has heard and joined our call for bold, decisive action to clean up
the spill and build a safe, clean-energy future for the Gulf region and for America.
Now, we must help him and Congress turn his words into the change we need.
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PG & E and SunRun
Create $100 Million Home Solar Financing Fund
Pacific Energy Capital II, LLC, a non-utility subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), and SunRun Inc., the nation’s leading provider of home solar financing, today announced a $100 million tax equity project financing agreement to fund SunRun’s installation of more than 3,500 new home solar installations across the nation. The investment, principally funded by PG&E Corporation shareholders through Pacific Energy Capital, creates the largest residential solar financing vehicle established to date. Under the agreement, Pacific Energy Capital will provide financing for the rooftop energy systems and both parties will receive payments from SunRun customers. SunRun will manage the projects. Read more
TERI FLYNN HUB SOMA ARCHITECT
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