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

Hydroponics Leaders Merge To Serve Urban Farming

Posted on April 20, 2012 by quest

Terra Tech Corp. a leader in controlled agricultural products, announced that it has merged with GrowOp Technology Ltd., a cultivation equipment manufacturer focused on the rapidly emerging medical Cannabis market and maker of “The Big Bud.” Derek Peterson, CEO of GrowOp Technology and newly appointed CEO of parent company Terra Tech Corp., says that traditional urban agriculture shares many of the same technologies and processes that are utilized in the cultivation of medicinal cannabis. Much of the technology that exists today has been funded by commercial cannabis cultivation.“Urban agriculture is a remarkable solution for effectively and efficiently feeding our global population, while delivering a product that is significantly more healthy for both the consumer and the planet,” said Peterson. “If not for cannabis being one of the largest cash crops of this country, the industry would be years behind in technological advancements.”

“Farming is going both urban as well as vertical, and tools like ours are going to be the staples of this new city-centric approach to agriculture,” said Peterson. “We are excited about the opportunity in this market, especially in terms of consolidation, and we plan to implement an aggressive acquisition campaign now that we are a public company.” “As more cultivation moves indoors, urban farmers need a new set of tools to regulate and manage these operations. The global population is growing exponentially, forcing us to seek out and adopt alternative methods for food production. Indoor, vertical and greenhouse cultivation are potential answers to many of our existing agricultural limitations,” suggests Russell Winnett, COO and lead design engineer of GrowOp Tech.

With a global population of approximately 7 billion, scarcity of food and the resources to produce it are rapidly becoming a concern. This increased need to sustain our population puts a strain on other global resources as the production and transportation of food significantly increases greenhouse gas emissions. Terra Tech believes this coupled with greater access to information and understanding that locally grown produce is not only better for the environment but also has a higher degree of nutrition has led to this current surge in hydroponically grown crops. Terra Tech intends to position itself to capitalize on this “growing” market. Locally grown produce is not only better for the environment but also has a higher degree of nutrition has led to this current surge in hydroponically grown crops.

Solar Power Has Ripple Effect On Job Creation

Watts Seed Lady And Beatrice Foods Go Organic

Posted on January 28, 2012 by quest

Beatrice Foods recently announced a Joint Marketing and Manufacturing Agreement with Anna Marie Carter, famously known as “The Seed Lady of Watts.” Best known for her use of Organic Coconut Oil and use of Chia Seeds in her cooking; Ms Carter and Beatrice Foods will co – create a line of organic foods. The food line will be marketed initially in the west and then sold nationally. The new line of products will be marketed under the Premier Foods Division of Beatrice.

Anna Carter has a history of breaking new ground, in a 2003 Yes Magazine article she said, “I had an organic vegetables, seeds, and plants store many years ago on Crenshaw Boulevard. The first day I went to open the front door and I looked behind me and there stood three little boys, lined up in a row, like they were in the army. I opened the door and they came in, after saying “Good morning,” and proceeded to take all my plants outside and set up the organic vegetable and flowers stands for the day. They were sent to me by a higher source. I taught them many things. We planted tomatoes out back that grew over seven feet tall. The boys sold the tomatoes and used the money for school clothes and supplies. One even paid his mother’s utility bills. They are grown now, but when I see them they kiss and hug and thank me. “After receiving dozen of awards; Anna received the Justie Award in 2011 from Eco Farm California. Top honors for her field in Environmental and Social Justice.

Dewitt Hoopes, CEO of Beatrice said,”Ms. Carter initially reached out to us about her product concept and how the general public needed something that was truly different. Anna has a compelling concept and a deep passion for producing organic foods that are nutritionally healthy and affordable – and that fits into our vision here at Beatrice.”

Solar Energy Use Up

New SunWater Solar Power In San Francisco Tenderloin

Posted on December 30, 2011 by quest

SunWater Solar and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) recently announced new solar thermal systems at two affordable housing buildings in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. The two systems, consisting of 40 solar collectors and 24 collectors, respectively, garnered a total of $85,867 in California Solar Initiative-Thermal (CSI-Thermal) rebates. One hundred percent of this rebate money was used to fund system components and installation. “Solar thermal systems can greatly reduce water-heating bills for large, low-income housing buildings,” said Justin Weil, President of SunWater Solar. “With CSI-Thermal rebates currently funding roughly 30% of system cost, it’s a sound business decision to invest now in the technology.” The solar power systems benefit low-income San Francisco residents, provide green jobs and help to reduce carbon emissions.

“It’s exciting to see non-profit organizations such as TNDC benefiting from the CSI-Thermal incentive program,” said Nick Stimmel, Senior Program Manager at Pacific Gas & Electric. “PG&E encourages other owners of affordable housing buildings to consider solar thermal for their own properties.” The solar water-heating systems are one element of TNDC’s Green Retrofit Initiative, an effort aimed at making TNDC buildings more energy efficient. Co-sponsored by the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) and Enterprise Community Partners, the initiative also included boiler replacements, and the installation of energy-efficient lighting and low-flow showerheads and toilets. Fine Line Construction of San Francisco was the general contractor for the project.

“The San Francisco MOH and Enterprise Community Partners structured the financing in such a way that these solar water-heating installations are a highly cost-effective means of reaching Green Retrofit Initiative goals,” said Don Falk, TNDC Executive Director. “The technology makes sense from both a financial and an environmental perspective.” SunWater Solar is a solar thermal integrator that manages the design and installation of commercial solar thermal systems.

Spray On Solar Windows Generating Energy

Vinod Khosla

The Potential of Green Technology

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

UN Climate Conference Opening In Durban South Africa

Posted on November 27, 2011 by quest

The streets of Duran are buzzing as delegates from nearly 200 countries gather to cop17 icc banner 533 20111 300x112 UN Climate Conference Opening In Durban South Africa meet in Durban, South Africa from 28 November 2011 to 9 December 2011 at COP 17, for major talks on climate change and other related issues. Advocate Leslie Sedibe, CEO of Proudly South African said.”Many countries, rich and poor, are also taking steps to curb gas emissions as part of a global fight against climate change. These range from carbon trading schemes, policies that support renewable energy investment, to tougher energy efficiency and car fuel standards and carbon intensity targets. COP 17 holds the future of our nations on their shoulders and would lay the foundation for Proudly South African businesses to tackle the issue of Environmental Responsibility within South Africa going forward.”

Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres-Press Briefing

“Environmental Responsibility is one of Proudly South African’s guiding member principles for promoting “adherence to environmental standards through energy efficiency, management of carbon emissions, waste management, effluent management, water safety, recycling, reduce and re-use in South Africa, along with the principles of job creation, fair labour practises and a support for local procurement,”says Sedibe. “We all need to change the way we live and how we conduct business on a daily basis. We need to ensure that jobs that are created are sustainable and not detrimental to the environment around the globe and in South Africa. If not displayed the seriousness of the climate change and global warming problem in its entirety, we know that scientists have warned that it is impossible to find the solution that requires a 360degree turnaround. COP 17 is fundamental to every person, business and country.”

But all who attend the COP 17 event do not support it. Senator James Inhofe recently met with Representatives of CFACT and invited CFACT to co-sponsor a press conference at COP17, tentatively scheduled for Monday, December 5th. Senator Inhofe has for years questioned the direction of U.S. and world global warming policy in the Senate. CFACT’s delegation to Durban will also feature Lord Christopher Monckton, Dr. Kelvin Kemm, Dr. Leon Louwe, CFACT Executive Director Craig Rucker and staff.