Nicaraguan Travelers Enjoy Ecotourism Dazzling Views

Posted on May 11, 2012 by quest

Nicaragua, Central America’s hottest (and safest) tourist destination, has unveiled a website feature to make traveling to “the land of lakes and volcanoes” easier. Ready for volcano boarding?The new booking engine on VisitNicaragua.US enables tourists to make reservations for hotels, flights and tours in a simple, direct and easy-to-navigate way. Nicaragua offers visitors an authentic experience that puts them in touch with the country’s vast natural beauty and warmth of its people. Travelers can enjoy ecotourism, adventure tourism and simply relaxation against a backdrop of dazzling colonial architecture; spectacular volcanoes, lakes and rainforest; and pristine beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Central America’s largest country and the safest, Nicaragua beckons with a wide variety of travel options at affordable prices

Among the featured hotels that visitors to VisitNicaragua.US can book are Hotel Casa San Francisco in Granada, Nicaragua’s most popular tourist destination; Marina Puesta del Sol, a luxurious fishing resort on the northwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua; and Pelican Eyes Resort and Spa, in the lively beach town of San Juan del Sur. Visitors to VisitNicaragua.us also can choose from dozens of tours of Nicaragua, including the 4-day “Nicaragua’s Colonial Highlights” and the 10-day “Magic of Nicaragua”

The new booking engine on VisitNicaragua.us comes on the heels of the new Nicaragua Tourism Facebook page, which recently launched with a vacation giveaway contest. Until June 11, 2012, visitors to www.facebook.com/visitnicaragua can enter the Nicaragua Ultimate Adventure Sweepstakes to win an amazing trip to experience all the unspoiled nature, beauty, culture, adventure and fun that Nicaragua offers tourists.”We are delighted to offer the new booking engine on VisitNicaragua.US as well as the vacation sweepstakes on our new Facebook page,” said Mario Salinas, Nicaragua’s Minister of Tourism. “Both are examples of our commitment to expanding our tourism offerings and to welcoming more visitors from North America to our beautiful country.”

Electric Vehicles Harvesting Energy Report

SkyFire Solar Powers Net Zero Tesla

Posted on November 14, 2011 by quest

It looks as if the solar and the electric vehicle industry and are on the something. Just last week Sunpower and Chevy Volt paired to provide in home solar solution powering up a Volt. On the storage side of things, NRG Energy, Inc. is partnering with the University of Delaware to take electric vehicles (EVs) to the next level with eV2gsm, a company commercializing new technology that will enable EV owners to sell electric storage services from the batteries of parked EVs to help stabilize the electricity grid. All of this is well, electrifying.

Now one of Canada’s largest solar contractors with photovoltaic systems operating throughout Western Canada, SkyFire Energy Inc. has announced today the installation of a solar system on a private residence south of Calgary to power a Tesla Roadster, the world’s first electric supercar. The array of 12 installed solar panels will deliver enough energy to offset 100 per cent of the car’s annual charging requirements.

David Kelly, partner, SkyFire Energy said, “With SkyFire’s extensive experience and qualifications of delivering solar solutions for commercial and residential properties, it was a welcome extension of our team’s expertise towards this innovative project that powers Alberta’s first net-zero energy car.” Prior to installation, SkyFire monitored the necessary energy usage during the first few months and sized a 2160-Watt photovoltaic system to generate the requisite amount of energy from the sun.

5 Myths About Sustainability Executives

Urban Farmers Grow New Green Acres

IKEA Charging Up EV’s In Southern California

Posted on November 11, 2011 by quest

IKEA-USA a leading home furnishings retailer, today officially plugged-in four Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at its Carson, California store as part of its partnership with ECOtality, Inc., a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. This initiative represents the second such project for IKEA in the United States. Installation also is planned at seven other IKEA stores in the Western U.S. To charge an EV at IKEA Carson, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, swipe their Blink InCard (RFID card), plug the charger into the EV, and then shop and eat at their leisure in the IKEA store while the vehicle is charging.

Maike Buhmann, IKEA Carson store manager said, “We are thrilled at how these electric-vehicle charging stations further the sustainability of IKEA Carson, and now are available to the public.” “We appreciate the support of ECOtality and Southern California Edison – our partners in helping facilitate and promote the use of EVs in Southern California.”ECOtality is the project manager of The EV Project, a public-private partnership funded in part by a federal stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to provide the necessary infrastructure to support the deployment of EVs. Globally, IKEA evaluates all locations regularly for energy conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works with Global Forest Watch to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. The company is the process of installing solar panels atop more than half of its U.S. locations. In addition their sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material (paper, wood, plastic, etc.); incorporating environmental measures into the construction of buildings in terms of energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, skylights in warehouse areas, and water conserving restrooms; and operationally, phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs and facilitating recycling of customers’ compact fluorescent bulbs.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 330 IKEA stores in 40 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment.

The Challenging World Solar Challenge Race

Chevy Volt Tested After Fire

World Solar Challenge 2011 Gets Veolia Sponsorship

Posted on September 26, 2011 by quest

Veolia Environmental Services announced today that it has joined as the naming rights sponsor of the 2011 World Solar Challenge. The Veolia World Solar Challenge, held in October 2011, requires entrants to build a vehicle that runs on solar power, and can be driven from Darwin to Adelaide. Doug Dean, Managing Director of Veolia Environmental Services Australia described the partnership as a natural fit with Veolia’s proactive approach to developing viable and sustainable environmental solutions. “As a global leader in the provision of environmental services, Veolia is committed to supporting innovation which improves our environment, whilst also promoting renewable and alternative energy sources. We are therefore very proud to partner with the World Solar Challenge in 2011.”

Commenting on the partnership, CEO of the South Australian Motor Sports Board, Mark Warren said reaching the landmark agreement, with such a significant corporation was a turning point in the history of the event, which has struggled for recognition and support from the Australian corporate world. “With the backing of one of Australia’s leaders in environmental services, we have a much greater chance of taking solar cars and their sustainable technology out of the future fantasy realm and into the garages of everyday Australians,” Mr. Warren said.

The announcement further solidifies Veolia’s position as supporting innovation within Australia through the development of technologies which utilize alternative energy sources. The Darwin-to-Adelaide, 3,021-kilometer 2011 World Solar Challenge is also being by supported by Panasonic. They are is providing the latest Lithium Ion battery technologies for use with solar-powered vehicles engineered by undergraduate teams from the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University in the seven day drive through the Australian Outback.

Solar Powered Farming Takes Root With Cali Growers

Green Icon Lays Out Facts Of The Green Economy

Posted on August 23, 2011 by quest

Written by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins: Chief Executive Officer of Green For All. Since 2008, these two things haven’t changed: the world is getting warmer and millions of Americans are out of work. They’re not going away any time soon.
Green For All was founded on the idea that those two problems could be relieved with a common solution, green jobs. We’ve seen that this can work; renewable energy businesses are among the fastest growing in the American economy.
We’ve also learned that the green economy holds much more promise than just renewables. The scope of jobs that improve our environment runs from factory workers building high-efficiency vehicles to entrepreneurs selling organic skincare products to businesses that turn a profit recycling waste from shredded automobiles.

In July, the Brookings Institution released a report detailing the extent of the green economy. Some 2.7 million Americans work at green jobs – more than work in the fossil fuel industry. The US Conference of Mayors estimates that number will almost triple by 2040. And green jobs are quality jobs. Median wages are 13 percent higher than the median – and they’re available to more Americans who have a high school degree. Investment in clean energy projects yields more than three times as many jobs as investing in fossil fuels.

Even so, there is a lot of room for growth. Back in 2008, we argued that the green economy held great promise – and could grow to scale if Congress acted boldly. Had Congress passed comprehensive climate legislation, for example, or if they’d enacted the

In Ohio SolarVision Taking Solar Mainstream

Rolls Royce Unveils Electric Vehicle Project

Posted on February 23, 2011 by quest

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today confirmed the development of 102EX, a one-off, fully electric powered Phantom, to debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2011. The car will tour during 2011, serving as a test bed to gather a bank of research data which will be crucial in informing future decisions on alternative drive-trains for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said, “We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment. With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drive-trains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.”

102EX will serve as a working test bed for a global tour that takes in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Through test drives, owners will be given the opportunity to experience an alternative drive-train technology and to feedback their experiences, thoughts and concerns directly to Rolls-Royce. While there are no plans to develop a production version, as one of the company’s EX models it will serve to begin a dialogue with existing owners and stakeholders, posing as well as answering questions of its audience. These include the car’s ability to deliver an acceptable range between re-charges and to operate in extreme weather conditions. But also to benchmark reliability and quality against customer expectations of the world’s pinnacle automotive brand.

“I must be convinced that any alternative drive-train we choose for the future delivers an authentic Rolls-Royce experience,” added Müller-Ötvös. “It must be a technology that is right for our customers, our brand and which sets us on a sound footing for a sustainable future.”