Maldives President taking a lead with solar energy

Posted on September 30, 2010 by quest

You ever have one of those moments when you say to yourself? Oh now I get it. That was my reaction when I did some research on the Maldives. I have been fortunate to have traveled the globe and I just sort of thought of Maldives as a tropical paradise. For me what also comes up is Madagascar and the Cape Verde Islands although they aren’t anywhere near each other. It’s just idea of the Maldives just being so remote and exotic. And even though I didn’t hear the President of the Maldives, Mohammad Nasheed‘s voice when he made an impassioned plea at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen…I hear him now.

In a largely symbolic gesture to persuade world leaders to go green and demonstrate their commitment to renewable energy, President Mohammad Nasheed will install solar panels and green up the presidential residence. It’s hard to figure out why the White House rejected 350.org plea to reinstall solar panel at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, but if you see and hear President Nasheed speak you can understand the situation in the Maldives and recognize the real time effect of climate change.

The Maldives is a very small country of 1200 islands most of them uninhabited, which lie off the Indian sub-continent. The country is just 5 fleet above sea level. It has the distinction of being the lowest country on the planet. So you can easily see that rising sea levels from climate change will spell certain doom.

President Nasheed at the UN

So severe is the situation that in 2008 President Nasheed announced plans to look into purchasing new land in India, Sri Lanka, and Australia because of his concerns about global warming and the possibility of much of the islands being inundated with water from rising sea levels. The purchase of land will be made from a fund generated by tourism. Nasheed said, “We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.”The solar panels are to be installed as part of 350.org’’s ”Global Work Party” on October 10.

Clinton Global Initiative talks energy and climate change

Posted on September 23, 2010 by quest

After three bumpy flights and one nauseating cab ride (solved with a doughnut) AND one inadvertently canceled hotel room (solved with begging), I set up camp in New York City to report out from the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting.
CGI was started by former President Clinton in 2005 to help “turn ideas into action” – too often, he saw commitments by governments and business to a particular cause or issue, but rarely did he see follow-through or hear reports on progress. So, CGI was founded to foster public and private sector collaboration on education, environment/energy, health and economic empowerment – with an emphasis on measurable progress.

BILL CLINTON ON DAVID LETTERMAN

With a bias for the energy and the environment topic, I was excited to hear what was being done and what new commitments would be made this year at CGI. I also had some skepticism that I was going to hear the same buzzphrases like: “public-private collaboration,” “building partnerships,” or “the time for action is now.” Read on

Borrow a cup of sugar and learn about solar too

Posted on September 21, 2010 by quest

Want to learn about solar power? Knock on your neighbor’s door. With 648 community solar tours registered to date the ASES NationalSolar Tour is the world’s largest grassroots solar event. This event offers you the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how you can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.

Maybe it’s tricky to connect the dots between climate change and human survival on the earth, but it is real and we all have an opportunity to something about it. For an interesting perspective listen to a green renaissance IV or read author Archil Daug’s writing.

NATIONAL SOLAR TOUR – HOUSTON 2009

This year ASES (American Solar Energy Society) expects more than 160,000 participants will visit some 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the U.S.

Now in its 15th year, this event is coordinated nationally by the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society in collaboration with dozens of outstanding partner organizations. It takes place annually during the first Saturday in October in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month. Among the menu of solar solutions showcased in this year’s National Solar Tour are investments that have helped a couple beat Wall Street with their green ROI, an Iraqi war veteran now fighting in the renewable revolution, solar-powered homes, schools, public agencies, condo complexes — and businesses that run the gamut from solar-powered poultry farms to funeral homes.

Richard Burns ASES National Solar Tour Manager says“Interest in the solar industry is cooking, and consumers across the nation are eager to sample its wares, which bring enticing tax credits, cash rebates, improved property values and cleaner communities to home and business owners across America.” To learn more about the Solar Tour, find a tour in your area, or register your own solar tour.