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.

Washington, D.C. Gets Top Environmental City Ranking

Posted on April 24, 2012 by quest

MaxPoint Interactive, a company that helps retailers and brands drive local in-stores sales with its innovative Digital Zip technology, today issued the results of an indexing study that analyzed billions of data points to determine the U.S. neighborhoods that are the most eco-friendly. Washington, D.C ranked the highest based on their passion for environmental news and issues. It was followed by Austin, TX, and Honolulu, HI. San Francisco which ranked number one in an Economist study last year followed in at number four.

“The results of this Interest Index were particularly surprising because we found that we have clusters of consumers who are ‘talking the talk’ and some that are ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to acting in an environmentally friendly way, yet both groups are important to advertisers” said, Gretchen Joyce, chief operating officer of MaxPoint Interactive. In this particular indexing study, MaxPoint discovered that there are two very distinct neighborhood types when it comes to going “green”— those who demonstrate interest by reading and discussing environmental issues and those who make purchasing decisions to support environmentally friendly products.

Using the data gleaned from this index, MaxPoint implemented highly targeted neighborhood-level digital ad campaigns for a major luxury car dealer was looking to increase overall brand awareness of its new hybrid vehicle high-end eco-friendly vehicle and drive sales. It also provided insight to a major solar solutions company was interested in targeting the neighborhoods across the U.S. most likely to purchase a solar panel to power their homes. As a result of a focused digital advertising campaign, the company was able to target consumers passionate about the environment, who own homes, and have an average household income of $60K or higher.

Green News Wall

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.”

United Takes Off With Earth Day Eco-Skies Program

Posted on April 22, 2012 by quest

United Continental announced its enhanced carbon offset program in celebration of Earth Day, providing customers the opportunity to calculate and offset the carbon footprint associated with their air travel and cargo shipments. While United and Continental each had a similar initiative, this new program focuses on offset projects that go beyond climate change and provide social and economic benefits in communities United serves.

“We provide an incredibly efficient service to hundreds of thousands of customers every day and continue to focus on investments in the latest fuel-efficient aircraft, advancement of biofuels and operational improvements,” said Jimmy Samartzis, managing director of global environmental affairs and sustainability for United Airlines. “Our Eco-Skies commitment to the environment drives action today, and our redeveloped carbon offset program now enables customers to contribute to emission-reducing projects in communities we serve.”

After booking a trip with United, customers have the opportunity to visit United’s carbon offset program website to make a contribution to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with the travel. While calculations are based on a comprehensive carbon footprint of the flight operations, the calculator only assigns the emissions associated with individual passenger travel. Through its partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a non-profit organization, United offers customers a choice of three carbon reduction projects in communities it serves: forest conservation near San Francisco, wind power in Texas, biodiversity preservation in Belize. United’s Eco-Skies program, is designed to make a positive impact on the environment – in the air, on the ground, at its facilities, with business partners and across communities.