If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may see it online.
Chicago's boutique paint shop launches new paint line this evening
Nothing can transform a room faster than a new coat of paint. But did you know that in addition to that fantastic new color is the immediate addition of pollutant levels up to 1,000 times outdoor levels! EPA studies have shown that VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) emitted from traditional household paint result in your living room having 2 to 5 times more pollutants than the air outside.These elevated pollution levels can have significant health ramifications including: eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, allergic skin reaction, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system and possibly cancer.
According to the Paint Quality Institute, VOCs are not just bad for your health, they are bad for the environment too. The industry group claims traditional paints make up 10% of the ozone depleting substances in the US.So how do you avoid these high levels of VOC's during your next decorating project? Click here to learn more.
Links for the Week
Local Events:
Oct 22 Mythic Paint Launch Party, 6pm to 9pm, Colori, 2243 W. North Ave.
Oct 25 Vert Couture: An Evening of Fall Fashion and Environmental Responsibility, 7pm Runway Show, Chicago Cultural Center, Yates Gallery 78 East Washington St.
Oct 29 Climate Control: A Shedd Eco-Social, 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Shedd Aquarium
Oct 30 Late Night Halloween Yoga Party, 9pm to midnight, 2201 W. Belmont
info@afreshsqueeze.com1030 W. Chicago Ave, Ste 300 Chicago IL 60607
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Climate Change Action Protests by 350*
I can hardly believe my eyes.
16 hours ago, citizens in New Zealand gathered before dawn next to a wind turbine on a mountaintop. As local elders said prayers to bless the global event, banners and signs were held high to to greet the planet's first rays of sunlight on this most incredible of days. As the sun continues across the planet we've been receiving photos and video of rallies in Ethiopia, bike rides in Wellington, SCUBA divers in Australia, organizers planting 350 trees in Thailand, hundreds of students marching in India and Nepal and Mongolia. And we're getting reports from 350.org offices around the world that the phones are ringing off the hook with calls from the media who want to cover the story.
The day is just beginning and already it's larger, more powerful, and so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I've been a writer my entire life and yet words truly cannot describe what you have accomplished already. To truly grasp today, please stay tuned to our website as more and more photos come in from across the planet, and especially our evolving photo slideshow.
And the best news of all? The day has just begun!
Bill
P.S. Have a photo to contribute? Just send a decent-quality picture to photos@350.org and make the subject "City, Country" and make sure that the body of the e-mail contains a description of the photo, any necessary photographer credits, and any other information you think we'll need. So many thanks.
16 hours ago, citizens in New Zealand gathered before dawn next to a wind turbine on a mountaintop. As local elders said prayers to bless the global event, banners and signs were held high to to greet the planet's first rays of sunlight on this most incredible of days. As the sun continues across the planet we've been receiving photos and video of rallies in Ethiopia, bike rides in Wellington, SCUBA divers in Australia, organizers planting 350 trees in Thailand, hundreds of students marching in India and Nepal and Mongolia. And we're getting reports from 350.org offices around the world that the phones are ringing off the hook with calls from the media who want to cover the story.
The day is just beginning and already it's larger, more powerful, and so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I've been a writer my entire life and yet words truly cannot describe what you have accomplished already. To truly grasp today, please stay tuned to our website as more and more photos come in from across the planet, and especially our evolving photo slideshow.
And the best news of all? The day has just begun!
Bill
P.S. Have a photo to contribute? Just send a decent-quality picture to photos@350.org and make the subject "City, Country" and make sure that the body of the e-mail contains a description of the photo, any necessary photographer credits, and any other information you think we'll need. So many thanks.
Largest Solar Panle Plant in US rises in Florida
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer Christine Armario, Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 23, 4:55 pm ET
ARCADIA, Fla. – Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future of Florida's renewable energy plans begin: Acres of open land filled with solar panels that will soon power thousands of homes and business.
For nearly a year, construction workers and engineers in this sleepy Florida town of citrus trees and cattle farms have been building the nation's largest solar panel energy plant. Testing will soon be complete, and the facility will begin directly converting sunlight into energy, giving Florida a momentary spot in the solar energy limelight.
The Desoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will power a small fraction of Florida Power & Light's 4-million plus customer base; nevertheless, at 25 megawatts, it will generate nearly twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the U.S.
The White House said President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the facility Tuesday, when it officially goes online and begins producing power for the electric grid.
As demand grows and more states create mandates requiring a certain percentage of their energy come from renewable sources, the size of the plants is increasing. The southwest Florida facility will soon be eclipsed by larger projects announced in Nevada and California.
"We took a chance at it and it worked out," said Bove, construction manager at the project, set on about 180 acres of land 80 miles southeast of Tampa. "There's a lot of backyard projects, there's a lot of rooftop projects, post offices and stores. Really this is one of the first times where we've taken a technology and upsized it."
Despite its nickname, the Sunshine State hasn't been at the forefront of solar power. Less than 4 percent of Florida's energy has come from renewable sources in recent years. And unlike California and many other states, Florida lawmakers haven't agreed to setting clean energy quotas for electric companies to reach in the years ahead.
California, New Jersey and Colorado have led the country in installing photovoltaic systems; now Florida is set to jump closer to the top with the nation's largest plant yet.
The Desoto facility and two other solar projects Florida Power & Light is spearheading will generate 110 megawatts of power, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3.5 million tons. Combined, that's the equivalent of taking 25,000 cars off the road each year, according to figures cited by the company.
The investment isn't cheap: The Desoto project cost $150 million to build and the power it supplies to some 3,000 homes and businesses will represent just a sliver of the 4 million-plus accounts served by the state's largest electric utility.
But there are some economic benefits: It created 400 jobs for draftsmen, carpenters and others whose work dried up as the southwest Florida housing boom came to a closure and the recession set in. Once running, it will require few full-time employees.
Mike Taylor, director of research and education at the nonprofit Solar Electric Power Association in Washington, said the project puts Florida "on the map."
"It's currently the largest," Taylor said of the Desoto photovoltaic plant. "But it certainly won't be the last."
There are two means of producing electricity from the sun: photovoltaic cells that directly convert sunlight; and thermal power, which uses mirrors to heat fluid and produce steam to run a turbine power generator.
Taylor said a one- or two-megawatt project was considered large not long ago. The size has slowly increased each year.
Overall, the United States still trails other nations in building photovoltaic plants.
Spain and Germany have made larger per capita commitments to solar power because of aggressive government policies, said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. And China has announced plans to pay up to 50 percent of the price of solar power systems of more than 500 megawatts.
"If we don't get our market right and send the right market signals and really support growing this technology, we will be buying solar panels from other countries," Smith said.
In April, Arizona-based manufacturer First Solar Inc. announced plans to build a 48-megawatt plant in Nevada, producing power for about 30,000 homes. Even that pales compared to recently announced plans for a 2 gigawatt facility in China. First Solar has initial approval to build it.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091023/ap_on_bi_ge/us_solar_power_plant
posted by Mohan Jain
ARCADIA, Fla. – Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future of Florida's renewable energy plans begin: Acres of open land filled with solar panels that will soon power thousands of homes and business.
For nearly a year, construction workers and engineers in this sleepy Florida town of citrus trees and cattle farms have been building the nation's largest solar panel energy plant. Testing will soon be complete, and the facility will begin directly converting sunlight into energy, giving Florida a momentary spot in the solar energy limelight.
The Desoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will power a small fraction of Florida Power & Light's 4-million plus customer base; nevertheless, at 25 megawatts, it will generate nearly twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the U.S.
The White House said President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the facility Tuesday, when it officially goes online and begins producing power for the electric grid.
As demand grows and more states create mandates requiring a certain percentage of their energy come from renewable sources, the size of the plants is increasing. The southwest Florida facility will soon be eclipsed by larger projects announced in Nevada and California.
"We took a chance at it and it worked out," said Bove, construction manager at the project, set on about 180 acres of land 80 miles southeast of Tampa. "There's a lot of backyard projects, there's a lot of rooftop projects, post offices and stores. Really this is one of the first times where we've taken a technology and upsized it."
Despite its nickname, the Sunshine State hasn't been at the forefront of solar power. Less than 4 percent of Florida's energy has come from renewable sources in recent years. And unlike California and many other states, Florida lawmakers haven't agreed to setting clean energy quotas for electric companies to reach in the years ahead.
California, New Jersey and Colorado have led the country in installing photovoltaic systems; now Florida is set to jump closer to the top with the nation's largest plant yet.
The Desoto facility and two other solar projects Florida Power & Light is spearheading will generate 110 megawatts of power, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3.5 million tons. Combined, that's the equivalent of taking 25,000 cars off the road each year, according to figures cited by the company.
The investment isn't cheap: The Desoto project cost $150 million to build and the power it supplies to some 3,000 homes and businesses will represent just a sliver of the 4 million-plus accounts served by the state's largest electric utility.
But there are some economic benefits: It created 400 jobs for draftsmen, carpenters and others whose work dried up as the southwest Florida housing boom came to a closure and the recession set in. Once running, it will require few full-time employees.
Mike Taylor, director of research and education at the nonprofit Solar Electric Power Association in Washington, said the project puts Florida "on the map."
"It's currently the largest," Taylor said of the Desoto photovoltaic plant. "But it certainly won't be the last."
There are two means of producing electricity from the sun: photovoltaic cells that directly convert sunlight; and thermal power, which uses mirrors to heat fluid and produce steam to run a turbine power generator.
Taylor said a one- or two-megawatt project was considered large not long ago. The size has slowly increased each year.
Overall, the United States still trails other nations in building photovoltaic plants.
Spain and Germany have made larger per capita commitments to solar power because of aggressive government policies, said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. And China has announced plans to pay up to 50 percent of the price of solar power systems of more than 500 megawatts.
"If we don't get our market right and send the right market signals and really support growing this technology, we will be buying solar panels from other countries," Smith said.
In April, Arizona-based manufacturer First Solar Inc. announced plans to build a 48-megawatt plant in Nevada, producing power for about 30,000 homes. Even that pales compared to recently announced plans for a 2 gigawatt facility in China. First Solar has initial approval to build it.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091023/ap_on_bi_ge/us_solar_power_plant
posted by Mohan Jain
Thousands Gather Worldwide on day of Climate Protests
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091024/ts_afp/environmentclimatewarmingaction
Sat Oct 24, 2009
PARIS (AFP) – Kicking off with thousands gathering on the steps of Sydney's iconic Opera House, global warming protests took place around the world Saturday to mark 50 days before the UN climate summit.
From Asia to Europe via the Middle East, activists staged lively events addressing world leaders and to mobilise public opinion around climate issues.
Many waved placards bearing the logo 350, referring to 350 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere which scientists say must not be exceeded to avoid runaway global warming.
France's politicians received a "wake up" call from several hundred Parisians who chose clocks as their symbol.
Protesters who met in a central square had set their alarm clocks and mobile phones to ring at 12:18 pm (1018 GMT) in reference to the closing date of the summit, which lasts from December 7-18.
The summit is considered crucial as world leaders will try to thrash out a new treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions in place of the Kyoto Protocol which will expire in 2012.
However, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Saturday that preliminary discussions are not moving fast enough for an international decision to be concluded in Copenhagen.
"It is time to give full speed to the negotiations," Rasmussen said, adding that he wanted a legally binding international agreement to be in place by January.
There is growing concern that a treaty deal in Copenhagen could be hampered by issues including US domestic politics and the problems of securing agreement between developed and developing countries.
Rasmussen underlined that progress had been made on climate issues but that these "key political questions" still had to be resolved ahead of the December meeting.
In Berlin, some 350 protesters wearing masks with the face of German Chancellor Angela Merkel came together in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the city centre.
In London, more than 600 people gathered beneath the London Eye Ferris wheel by the River Thames to arrange themselves into the shape of the number five, according to organisers Campaign against Climate Change.
An aerial photograph of the event will be added to pictures of a giant "three" and "zero" from around the world.
"Hundreds of thousands of people are taking part (globally) and for us that's so important, to have people out on the streets," campaign activist Abi Edgar told AFP. "We want serious action on climate change and we want it now."
Across the Thames, some 100 musicians playing trumpets, trombones, saxophones and clarinets gathered outside parliament to play the same note -- an F, made by the frequency of 350 Hz -- for 350 seconds, organisers said.
In the Lebanese capital Beirut hundreds of activists, many wearing snorkels, held demonstrations in key archaeological sites.
They gathered around the Roman ruins in central Beirut, in the ancient eastern city of Baalbek and along the coast, carrying placards bearing the logo 350.
"It's not the first time Beirut will have gone under water," Wael Hmaidan of the IndyACT group organising Beirut's protests said to AFP, explaining the goggle-wearing, "but this time it's going down because of climate change, and not earthquakes."
In Jakarta, around 100 students from the London School of Public Relations also gathered to form the symbolic number 350, coordinator Candy Tolosa said on Detik.com news website Saturday.
In central Madrid, the Spanish capital, members of the Platform Against Climate Change, grouping social organisations, ecologists and unions, acted out parodies of the "catastrophic consequences of climate change on the planet", the Platform's press release said.
Environmental activists in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul staged their protest in a boat, unfurling a banner reading "Sun, wind, right now!" under the main bridge linking Asia and Europe over the Bosphorus Strait, Anatolia news agency reported.
They then sailed to the ancient Maiden's Tower, which sits on a tiny islet in the Bosphorus, and unfurled another banner reading "Jobs, climate, justice," the report said.
Sent by Jaya Kamlani, Writer, Atlanta
Sat Oct 24, 2009
PARIS (AFP) – Kicking off with thousands gathering on the steps of Sydney's iconic Opera House, global warming protests took place around the world Saturday to mark 50 days before the UN climate summit.
From Asia to Europe via the Middle East, activists staged lively events addressing world leaders and to mobilise public opinion around climate issues.
Many waved placards bearing the logo 350, referring to 350 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere which scientists say must not be exceeded to avoid runaway global warming.
France's politicians received a "wake up" call from several hundred Parisians who chose clocks as their symbol.
Protesters who met in a central square had set their alarm clocks and mobile phones to ring at 12:18 pm (1018 GMT) in reference to the closing date of the summit, which lasts from December 7-18.
The summit is considered crucial as world leaders will try to thrash out a new treaty to curb greenhouse gas emissions in place of the Kyoto Protocol which will expire in 2012.
However, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Saturday that preliminary discussions are not moving fast enough for an international decision to be concluded in Copenhagen.
"It is time to give full speed to the negotiations," Rasmussen said, adding that he wanted a legally binding international agreement to be in place by January.
There is growing concern that a treaty deal in Copenhagen could be hampered by issues including US domestic politics and the problems of securing agreement between developed and developing countries.
Rasmussen underlined that progress had been made on climate issues but that these "key political questions" still had to be resolved ahead of the December meeting.
In Berlin, some 350 protesters wearing masks with the face of German Chancellor Angela Merkel came together in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the city centre.
In London, more than 600 people gathered beneath the London Eye Ferris wheel by the River Thames to arrange themselves into the shape of the number five, according to organisers Campaign against Climate Change.
An aerial photograph of the event will be added to pictures of a giant "three" and "zero" from around the world.
"Hundreds of thousands of people are taking part (globally) and for us that's so important, to have people out on the streets," campaign activist Abi Edgar told AFP. "We want serious action on climate change and we want it now."
Across the Thames, some 100 musicians playing trumpets, trombones, saxophones and clarinets gathered outside parliament to play the same note -- an F, made by the frequency of 350 Hz -- for 350 seconds, organisers said.
In the Lebanese capital Beirut hundreds of activists, many wearing snorkels, held demonstrations in key archaeological sites.
They gathered around the Roman ruins in central Beirut, in the ancient eastern city of Baalbek and along the coast, carrying placards bearing the logo 350.
"It's not the first time Beirut will have gone under water," Wael Hmaidan of the IndyACT group organising Beirut's protests said to AFP, explaining the goggle-wearing, "but this time it's going down because of climate change, and not earthquakes."
In Jakarta, around 100 students from the London School of Public Relations also gathered to form the symbolic number 350, coordinator Candy Tolosa said on Detik.com news website Saturday.
In central Madrid, the Spanish capital, members of the Platform Against Climate Change, grouping social organisations, ecologists and unions, acted out parodies of the "catastrophic consequences of climate change on the planet", the Platform's press release said.
Environmental activists in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul staged their protest in a boat, unfurling a banner reading "Sun, wind, right now!" under the main bridge linking Asia and Europe over the Bosphorus Strait, Anatolia news agency reported.
They then sailed to the ancient Maiden's Tower, which sits on a tiny islet in the Bosphorus, and unfurled another banner reading "Jobs, climate, justice," the report said.
Sent by Jaya Kamlani, Writer, Atlanta
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Love, The Climate and Win a Schwinn-Global Wakeup call-Live Earth
U.S. Senators are returning to work and the climate is back in the limelight. Join in our "Love, The Climate" Giveaway before the Climate Bill goes to the Senate floor.
What would the climate have to say if it were happy and healthy and had a voice? Thank our senators for creating a world full of green jobs and renewable energy. Post to the Facebook Page, upload a video or photo, or leave a voicemail... You AND the environment can WIN!
Click here for more info and to enter: http://liveearth.org/LoveTheClimate
** Sept. 21 Global 'Wake-Up Call' **
On Monday September 21, Avaaz.org and the tcktcktck campaign are organizing flash mobs around the world to press our leaders to take action on the climate.
Sign up to join one of 1,000+ climate "wake-up calls" or register an event near you. It's simple for everyone involved!
Click here for more info http://www.avaaz.org/en/sept21_hosts/
** 3 New Environmental Movies! **
Some excellent films about the climate crisis are opening in theaters this month:
The Age of Stupid - An old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching 'archive' footage from 2008, asks: why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance? http://www.ageofstupid.net/
No Impact Man chronicles the real-life adventures of the Beavan family striving to drastically reduce their carbon footprint and leave no impact on the environment while living in Manhattan. http://www.noimpactdoc.com
Crude - The inside story of the controversial "Amazon Chernobyl" environmental lawsuit. http://www.crudethemovie.com/
Thanks and visit soon!
Live Earth--------The "Love, The Climate" Giveaway: http://liveearth.org/LoveTheClimateFollow Live Earth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LiveEarthFriend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiveEarthPass it on to a Friend: http://www.joinliveearth.org/page/invite/passiton
What would the climate have to say if it were happy and healthy and had a voice? Thank our senators for creating a world full of green jobs and renewable energy. Post to the Facebook Page, upload a video or photo, or leave a voicemail... You AND the environment can WIN!
Click here for more info and to enter: http://liveearth.org/LoveTheClimate
** Sept. 21 Global 'Wake-Up Call' **
On Monday September 21, Avaaz.org and the tcktcktck campaign are organizing flash mobs around the world to press our leaders to take action on the climate.
Sign up to join one of 1,000+ climate "wake-up calls" or register an event near you. It's simple for everyone involved!
Click here for more info http://www.avaaz.org/en/sept21_hosts/
** 3 New Environmental Movies! **
Some excellent films about the climate crisis are opening in theaters this month:
The Age of Stupid - An old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching 'archive' footage from 2008, asks: why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance? http://www.ageofstupid.net/
No Impact Man chronicles the real-life adventures of the Beavan family striving to drastically reduce their carbon footprint and leave no impact on the environment while living in Manhattan. http://www.noimpactdoc.com
Crude - The inside story of the controversial "Amazon Chernobyl" environmental lawsuit. http://www.crudethemovie.com/
Thanks and visit soon!
Live Earth--------The "Love, The Climate" Giveaway: http://liveearth.org/LoveTheClimateFollow Live Earth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LiveEarthFriend us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiveEarthPass it on to a Friend: http://www.joinliveearth.org/page/invite/passiton
Carpool Websites see more Traffic, Roads Less in Chicagoland
If you're having trouble viewing this , you may see it online.
Carpooling and Car Sharing Make Commuting Cheaper
Good choices in Chicagoland growing
By Iya Bakare
A growing number of residents in Chicago and nearby suburbs are opting to leave their cars at home or ditching them altogether by joining carpool groups or tapping car-share companies when they really need some wheels. A handful of good options in the area are enabling local residents to reduce their contribution to green house gases and air pollution.
One carpooling company, eRideShare.com, is a free online service for residents that offers a venue for people to meet other carpoolers and connect with other carpooler groups. It offers a listing for people who are interested in traveling to the grocery store, airport and other destinations. The company also offers services for companies, churches, music festivals and other organizations with large groups that need to travel.
"Global warming has a number of ramifications," says Steve Schoeffler, eRideShare's CEO. "The price of oil and the amount of air pollution generated from driving are great reasons to carpool."
Click here to learn about how you can make your work commute greener
Links for the Week
Local Events:
Sep 24th, Fresh: New Thinking About What We're Eating, 6pm-9:30pm, 1925 W. Thome
Sep 26th and 27th Logan Square Kitchen Open House, 10am to 3pm, 2333 N Milwaukee
Sep 26th, Put the Garden to Bed celebration, 7pm-10pm, 2900 W. Ferdinand
Oct 3rd and 4th Ravenswood ArtWalk, 11am to 6pm
info@afreshsqueeze.com1030 W. Chicago Ave, Ste 300 Chicago IL 60607
This email was sent to mohanjain@comcast.net. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences opt out using TrueRemove®.Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
powered by
Carpooling and Car Sharing Make Commuting Cheaper
Good choices in Chicagoland growing
By Iya Bakare
A growing number of residents in Chicago and nearby suburbs are opting to leave their cars at home or ditching them altogether by joining carpool groups or tapping car-share companies when they really need some wheels. A handful of good options in the area are enabling local residents to reduce their contribution to green house gases and air pollution.
One carpooling company, eRideShare.com, is a free online service for residents that offers a venue for people to meet other carpoolers and connect with other carpooler groups. It offers a listing for people who are interested in traveling to the grocery store, airport and other destinations. The company also offers services for companies, churches, music festivals and other organizations with large groups that need to travel.
"Global warming has a number of ramifications," says Steve Schoeffler, eRideShare's CEO. "The price of oil and the amount of air pollution generated from driving are great reasons to carpool."
Click here to learn about how you can make your work commute greener
Links for the Week
Local Events:
Sep 24th, Fresh: New Thinking About What We're Eating, 6pm-9:30pm, 1925 W. Thome
Sep 26th and 27th Logan Square Kitchen Open House, 10am to 3pm, 2333 N Milwaukee
Sep 26th, Put the Garden to Bed celebration, 7pm-10pm, 2900 W. Ferdinand
Oct 3rd and 4th Ravenswood ArtWalk, 11am to 6pm
info@afreshsqueeze.com1030 W. Chicago Ave, Ste 300 Chicago IL 60607
This email was sent to mohanjain@comcast.net. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. manage your preferences opt out using TrueRemove®.Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
powered by
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Clinton Foundation to Set Up 3000 MW Solar Plant in Gujarat
TNN 8 September 2009, 02:31am IST
AHMEDABAD: The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of US-based William J Clinton Foundation, on Monday announced setting up of the world's largest solar power plant in Gujarat with an estimated investment of Rs 50,000 crore likely to flow into the state over the next five years. The proposed 3,000MW plant, one of the four being set up by CCI across the globe promises to make Gujarat the solar power hub of India. Gujarat has identified four locations along its international border with Pakistan for solar projects.
We are setting up similar plants in California, South Africa and Australia. We chose Gujarat because of the state's potential and its policy framework.
A lot of people are talking about renewable energy, but Gujarat has acted,said Ira Magaziner, chairman of CCI, who was in Ahmedabad to sign an agreement with the state government. CCI is in talks with at least a dozen large companies from across the globe willing to invest in the project, which is likely to come up over 5,000 hectares along border districts of Kutch and Banaskantha.
With the state government planning a large gas grid in the region, CCI is also exploring possibilities of making the plant hybrid. Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on the occasion that his government plans to convert the border into a solar hub. We would identify land and create infrastructure for the project. We want Gujarat to become a hub for manufacturing solar power equipment, R&D and generation. The initiative will generate 20,000 jobs, said Modi.
AHMEDABAD: The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of US-based William J Clinton Foundation, on Monday announced setting up of the world's largest solar power plant in Gujarat with an estimated investment of Rs 50,000 crore likely to flow into the state over the next five years. The proposed 3,000MW plant, one of the four being set up by CCI across the globe promises to make Gujarat the solar power hub of India. Gujarat has identified four locations along its international border with Pakistan for solar projects.
We are setting up similar plants in California, South Africa and Australia. We chose Gujarat because of the state's potential and its policy framework.
A lot of people are talking about renewable energy, but Gujarat has acted,said Ira Magaziner, chairman of CCI, who was in Ahmedabad to sign an agreement with the state government. CCI is in talks with at least a dozen large companies from across the globe willing to invest in the project, which is likely to come up over 5,000 hectares along border districts of Kutch and Banaskantha.
With the state government planning a large gas grid in the region, CCI is also exploring possibilities of making the plant hybrid. Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on the occasion that his government plans to convert the border into a solar hub. We would identify land and create infrastructure for the project. We want Gujarat to become a hub for manufacturing solar power equipment, R&D and generation. The initiative will generate 20,000 jobs, said Modi.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Reinventing Fire-- RMI2009- Conference in San Francisco
RMI2009: What will spark the transition from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables?
Rocky Mountain Institute is convening top leaders of business, energy, and security to discuss the most challenging questions of our time on October 1-3 in San Francisco. This two day symposium will explore effective opportunities to achieve economic growth for an era free of fossil fuels.Symposium Highlights
An Introduction to Reinventing Fire:What’s it about? Why is it the focus of Rocky Mountain Institute’s work?
Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly?Amory Lovins and a panel of experts will explore the pros and cons of a nuclear-powered future.
Walking It Like They Talk ItIs the corporate world taking energy efficiency and renewables seriously?
Whole Systems Thinking In Action:Attendees will take a look at RMI’s recent work in leading these key sectors towards a world without fossil fuels:
• Land Transportation
• Industrial Processes• Buildings
• Electrical Systems• Factor Ten Engineering (10xE)
Natural Capitalism: A Decade LaterTen years after its publication, its whole-systems sustainability framework is as relevant today as ever.
Accelerating Vehicle ElectrificationElectric vehicles are coming, and RMI is paving the way.
www.rmi2009.org
Rocky Mountain Institute is convening top leaders of business, energy, and security to discuss the most challenging questions of our time on October 1-3 in San Francisco. This two day symposium will explore effective opportunities to achieve economic growth for an era free of fossil fuels.Symposium Highlights
An Introduction to Reinventing Fire:What’s it about? Why is it the focus of Rocky Mountain Institute’s work?
Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly?Amory Lovins and a panel of experts will explore the pros and cons of a nuclear-powered future.
Walking It Like They Talk ItIs the corporate world taking energy efficiency and renewables seriously?
Whole Systems Thinking In Action:Attendees will take a look at RMI’s recent work in leading these key sectors towards a world without fossil fuels:
• Land Transportation
• Industrial Processes• Buildings
• Electrical Systems• Factor Ten Engineering (10xE)
Natural Capitalism: A Decade LaterTen years after its publication, its whole-systems sustainability framework is as relevant today as ever.
Accelerating Vehicle ElectrificationElectric vehicles are coming, and RMI is paving the way.
www.rmi2009.org
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Earth Days Movie by Earth Day Network
FMI visit http://www.earthday.net/
Help Us Reach A Billion Acts of Green - Register your Acts of Green Today! Calculate Your Ecological Footprint
|  EARTH DAY NETWORK and founding Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes are PROUD SUPPORTERS of It is now all the rage in the Age of Al Gore and Obama, but can you remember when everyone in America was not "Going Green"? Visually stunning, vastly entertaining and awe-inspiring, Earth Days looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement-from its post-war rustlings in the 1950s and the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson's incendiary bestseller Silent Spring, to the first wildly successful 1970 Earth Day celebration and the subsequent firestorm of political action. Find an EARTH DAYS theater near you! Group Discounts available. Watch the trailer and visit the EARTH DAYS website Read an article by filmmaker Robert Stone (and watch clips) at The Huffington Post Become a fan of EARTH DAYS on Facebook The EARTH DAYS poster can be purchased from Posteritati
|
2009 Earth Day Network 1616 P Street NW, Suite 340 Washington, D.C. 20036 USA +1 202.518.0044 |
Optimum Limit of CO2 PPM to Reverse Climate Change
Dear friends,
For once, this email isn't asking you to do anything at all. It's merely sharing the news--the amazing news--that arrived about 45 minutes ago at 350 headquarters.
Rajendra Pachauri is the U.N.'s top climate scientist. He leads the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which every five years produces the authoritative assessment of climate science. Their last report, in 2007, helped set the target of 450 ppm (parts per million of CO2) that many environmental groups and national governments have adopted as their goal for Copenhagen.
As you all know, that number is out of date. When Jim Hansen and other scientists looked at phenomenon like the Arctic ice melt of the last two summers, they produced new data demonstrating that 350 is the bottom line for the planet.
But it's been hard to get that news out to the powers that be.
So today it comes as enormous and welcome news that Dr. Pachauri, from his New Delhi office, said that 350 was the number.
"As chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) I cannot take a position because we do not make recommendations," said Rajendra Pachauri when asked if he supported calls to keep atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations below 350 parts per million (ppm).
"But as a human being I am fully supportive of that goal. What is happening, and what is likely to happen, convinces me that the world must be really ambitious and very determined at moving toward a 350 target," he told Agence France Presse in an interview.
It's your work that has made this breakthrough possible. In fact, Pachauri specifically cited the last big piece of news for 350: the decision of 80+ small island nations and less developed countries to endorse the 350 target.
"I think this is a good development," said Pachauri. "Now people -- including some scientists -- see the seriousness of the impacts of climate change, and the fact that things are going to get substantially worse than what we had anticipated."
This news makes it much easier for all of us to push hard leading up to the International Day of Climate Action on the 24th of October (signup to start or attend an event at www.350.org) , and the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December.
It's clear now that science is powerfully on the side of the 350 target. Now we need the political world to follow suit. You will make that happen in the next two months. Oct. 24 is officially 60 days away, and we're building just the momentum we need to make it count.
Thanks for all you do,
Bill McKibben
P.S. Once you've spread this news around your networks (click here to share it on twitter or here to share it on facebook), please go celebrate. And speaking of celebrations, our friends at The Age of Stupid report that the Global Premier of their new epic climate change film takes place on September 21--you can find details on local screenings here: www.ageofstupid.net
What will spark transition from fossil fuel
--- to renewabls--Rocky Mountain Institute--Click Below for informative article
India's environmental situation Alarming: PM
IANS 18 August 2009, 07:03pm IST
NEW DELHI: The "multiple environmental crises that confront our country have created an alarming situation", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Tuesday, while asking state governments to curtail pollution, clean rivers and fight climate change.
Opening a daylong conference of environment ministers from all state governments, Manmohan Singh said: "Climate change is threatening our ecosystems, water scarcity is becoming a way of life and pollution is endangering our health."
"We have to make fundamental choices about our lifestyles," the prime minister said, assuring his audience that the "challenges are not insurmountable".
Describing climate change as a "major global challenge", he said India was conscious of its "responsibility to present and future generations" and would ensure the "ecological sustainability of its development path".
Manmohan Singh sought the cooperation of all state governments to implement the eight missions that the centre has outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. He asked the assembled ministers to have state level action plans in concordance with the national plan.
The prime minister also called upon state governments to modernise their forest departments and to fill up vacant posts, pointing out that many states would now get huge funding for compensatory afforestation projects, as the Supreme Court has recently unfrozen over Rs.9,000 crore meant for this. The money was lying in escrow accounts for over seven years.
Welcoming the prime minister, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said the first tranche of these funds, Rs.400 crore, had been transferred to 10 states Tuesday morning, and Rs.1,000 crore would be transferred "in the next few days".
Manmohan Singh underlined the "need to ensure that local communities benefit from forest conservation. Tribals have guarded our forests for centuries. Their wisdom and experience should be utilised for conservation rather than turning them into environmental refugees".
He said the Tribal Rights Act was the best way to guarantee these rights.
The prime minister expressed concern that rivers all over India were still being degraded. He referred to the increased allocation in this year's national budget to clean rivers, and asked state pollution control boards to curtail release of industrial effluents into waterways, "which account for 25 percent of total pollution in rivers".
Manmohan Singh felt that India's mandatory environmental clearance rules had led to a "licence raj" and had become "a source of corruption". But he expressed confidence that the National Green Tribunal bill would change this by setting up an independent regulator. The bill was introduced in parliament during the last session.
"India's energy needs will increase sharply," the prime minister pointed out. "We have to ensure we meet this demand in an environment-friendly way." He sought more investments in green technologies and a boost to research and development in this field. "Environmental degradation threatens our economic security and our well-being," Manmohan Singh warned the assembled ministers.
While welcoming the prime minister, Ramesh appealed for more money for river and lake conservation and to set up joint effluent treatment plants in industrial estates.
minister referred to an anomaly in the rules, due to which states had to transfer the water cess they collected to the centre, which then sent 80 percent of the amount back to the states. It would make more sense for the state to simply send 20 percent of cess to the centre, he pointed out. Ramesh also sought "special bonuses" for states that maintained their green cover, and wanted this institutionalised through the Finance Commission or the Planning Commission.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
