LED Inventors Win the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics

The Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to the inventors of light emitting diodes (LEDs). This invention has revolutionized lighting both by saving energy and reducing costs. On October 7, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm announced that the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics was going to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura, the three scientists who helped develop blue LEDs.

Blue Light

LEDs have been around for more than 30 years, but in the 1980s, diodes could only emit red or green light. It wasn't until the 1990s, that Nakamura helped develop the first high-brightness blue LED, which is a far more functional than red or green. While called a blue light, it has been developed so that it appears white.

Canada's Ruling Conservatives' Fossil Fuel Obsession

Canada's ruling Conservative government is focused on expanding the country's exploitation of fossil fuels while ignoring the risks to the environment, the economy and Canadians. On October 6, 2014, Canada’s Environment Commissioner released a report that confirms the Harper government's obsession with fossil fuels.

5 School Systems Benefiting from Distributed Solar Power

There are a number of schools that are reaping the benefits of distributed solar energy. These efforts help schools to reduce their grid energy requirements and reduce their power bills.

As explained by Lou Kwiker, CEO of distributed solar company PsomasFMG, "During a time when many schools and public agencies are dealing with major budget constraints, on-site solar generation through a power purchase agreement is a way to reduce electricity costs."

Here are five school systems that have integrated solar power:

Citroën C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L Concept

One of the stand outs at the Paris Air Show is the Citroën C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L Concept. The compressed air hybrid system is one of the more interesting vehicle power plants. One of the more interesting hybrid systems involves the use of compressed air. While this technology has been around for a while, it is slowly making its way into concept vehicles like the Citroen C4. The Cactus has new lightweight components and technologies to achieve 2-liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers which translates to an impressive 118 mpg. According to Citroën this increases fuel consumption by 30 percent. One of the factors that make this vehicle unique is the fact that it can operate without gasoline at low speeds.

Infographic - Stranded Fossil Fuel Assets

Fossil Free Investment Resources

There are now a number of firms who are helping investors to move away from fossil fuels. While investing in fossil fuels and associated industries was once the bedrock of a sound investment strategy, there is a growing awareness that these investments are approaching the end of their life cycle.

Investors cannot ignore the overwhelming body of climate science that links the burning of fossil fuels to the economic catastrophe of climate change. Investors are also concerned about a large and growing number of governments, businesses, institutions and people who are demanding that we transition away from fossil fuels.

Governments around the world are also supporting emissions reductions efforts, carbon pricing schemes and support for renewable energy. The burning of fossil fuels is also a health issue which is clearly linked to asthma, coronary heart disease and respiratory disorders. That is why some healthcare professionals are at the forefront of divestment.

Climate Change May Reduce the Ratio of Men to Women

If new research proves to be correct, climate change will do away with the old adage that "its a man's world." According to research from Japan climate change may be killing male fetuses. The data shows that climate change may be behind a decline in the ratio of males to females in Japan. The study indicates that while the same number of males and females are being conceived fewer boy fetuses are being born. The researcher suggests that this may be due to increased vulnerability of male fetuses to warming and extreme weather.

MSc in Climate Change, Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation from the University of Copenhagen

A novel interdisciplinary graduate program at the University of Copenhagen teaches students about climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation. This two year program is the first in Europe to train graduates in climate change. The English language MSC program includes instruction in both the natural and social sciences including geophysics, geography, social-economic affairs and security policy. What makes the program unique is its emphasis on interdisciplinary complexities which will enable graduates to work among a broad range of issues at both the local and international levels.

The program is designed for those who hold a BSc degree in one of the following disciplines:

Carbon Taxation Schemes in 15 Countries Around the World

Chile is the First South American Nation to Tax CO2

At the end of September, Chile became the first South American nation to apply a carbon dioxide (CO2) tax. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet of Chile implemented the new environmental tax legislation as part of broad tax reform. Chile's new carbon tax apply to power plants with a capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) or more. The rate of taxation will be $5 per tonne of CO2 released. Thermal plants fueled by biomass and smaller installations will be exempt. The new rules will take effect in 2018.

Seven Greener Cars at the Paris Auto Show

At the 2014 Paris Motor Show there were a number of notable green vehicles including production cars and concepts. The Paris Show started on October 2 and is one of the most prestigious vehicle expositions in the world. It is important to note that vehicles from luxury sport models to utility vehicles are getting more efficient in an effort to reduce their overall emissions profiles.

Here are two production vehicles and five concepts from the Paris Auto Show:

Event - Making Science Storytelling Engaging and Accurate

This workshop will take place on November 3, 2014 at the Poynter Institute, 801 3rd Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida. Making Science Storytelling Engaging and Accurate, is a one-day intensive workshop that will help science and environmental journalists, bloggers and students produce engaging and informative content.

With increasing demand to produce compelling science stories, journalists are also faced with entertainment that can confuse scientific fact and fiction. As the need for science stories continues to grow, it has left the American public more misinformed about science than ever. Participants at this workshop will learn to craft compelling science-based stories in a competitive media landscape to accurately inform the public while keeping them engaged.

Participants will also learn how to:

Event - CanWEA 2014

This event will take place on October 27-29, 2014, at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Québec. This is THE Wind Energy Industry Event in Canada. The 30th annual CanWEA conference will continue to tackle important issues facing the industry while serving as the main platform for networking and discovering the latest technologies, solutions and opportunities in the Canadian wind energy market. Canada’s largest wind energy focused event is expected to draw over 1,500 delegates and 150 exhibitors.

Event - AWEA Offshore Windpower Conference and Exhibiton

This event will take place on October 7 - 8, 2014 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ. AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER 2014 Conference & Exhibition is the largest offshore wind energy event in North America. With projects in advanced stages of development, lease auctions in several states, and additional government funding for advanced technology demonstration projects, the U.S. offshore wind energy industry is picking up speed and momentum.

Event - Generate 2014: A Clean Energy BC Conference

This event will take place on October 15 - 17, 2014 in Vancouver, B.C.  The 12th annual Generate conference is brought to you by Clean Energy BC. The theme of this year’s event is "Generate, More than Electrons."

Two panel discussions will address the following subjects:

1. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development: What Clean Energy Can Do for Communities (Amrit Dhatt, Colleen Giroux Schmidt).

Event - Wind All States Summit in Albany

This DWEA event will take place on Wednesday October 15, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Marriot Albany, 189 Wolf Rd, Albany, NY 12205.

Distributed wind energy systems offer reliable electricity generation in a wide variety of global settings, including households, schools, farms and ranches, businesses, towns, communities and remote locations, as depicted below. Projects range for example from a 1-kilowatt (kW) or smaller off-grid wind turbine at a remote cabin or cell phone tower – to a 10-kW wind turbine at a home, small business, or small agricultural load – to several multi-megawatt (MW) wind turbines at a university campus, manufacturing facility or any large energy user.

Event - Solar Power International

This event will be held October 20-23, 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Solar Power International, the solar industry’s most powerful, comprehensive educational conference and product exhibition.

Event - World of Energy Solutions

This event will take place on October 6 - 8, 2014 in Messe Stuttgart, ICS, Germany. World of Energy Solutions is a conference, networking meeting place for experts, an international trade fair, marketplace as well as industrial motor and Think Tank.

Participants will have access to information on innovative products and applications, research approaches and technologies as well as energy storage solutions.

At this event you can explore the world of battery and storage technologies, fuel cell and hydrogen applications and future mobility solutions.

Video - The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)

The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) video features UC Berkeley learning, field trips and peer exchanges on multi-stakeholder engagement and collaborative environmental leadership. Perspectives shared include environmental leaders from Mexico, Indonesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Cambodia, USA and Bhutan.

Video - Walruses Forced Ashore by Melting Ice from Global Warming

In a vivid demonstration of the cascading consequences of manmade global warming, a record 35,000 Pacific walruses have hauled out of the Chukchi Sea onto a beach near Point Lay, Alaska. Walruses are an ice-dependent species, and with sea ice having retreated far offshore, the walruses have been forced to swim to land to be able to forage and rest, officials said.

Walruses, each of which can weigh more than 4,000 pounds, depend on sea ice for hunting food in deeper ocean waters and resting in between those dives, and the retreat of sea ice cover in recent years has helped push them ashore in increasing numbers in the Russian Arctic and now the Alaskan Arctic as well, biologists and climate scientists said.

Video - Animals on Earth Reduced by Half Living Planet Report 2014

Global wildlife populations have halved in just 40 years according to WWF and ZSL's Living Planet Report 2014. Find out more about the findings of the report and the importance of monitoring the populations of endangered species.

Video - Growing Momentum for Fossil Fuel Divestment

Momentum is growing in the movement to divest from fossil fuel companies. On Thursday, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu called for an anti-apartheid-style boycott and disinvestment campaign against the industry for its role in driving climate change. Meanwhile, nearly 100 members of the faculty at Harvard University released an open letter calling on the Ivy League school to sell off its interests in oil, gas and coal companies. "If the Corporation regards divestment as 'political,' then its continued investment is a similarly political act, one that finances present corporate activities and calculates profit from them," wrote the professors. "Slavery was once an investment issue, as were apartheid and the harm caused by smoking." Harvard has the largest university endowment in the country, worth more than $32 billion. We speak to James Anderson, professor of Chemistry and Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. He is one of the signatories to the letter urging Harvard to divest from the fossil fuel industry. He has done groundbreaking work exposing the link between climate change and ozone loss. We also speak to Jamie Henn, co-founder of the climate change-focused organization, 350.org.

Video - Why You Should Divest from Fossil Fuels

There is a powerful rational driving the movement to divest from fossil fuels. For more information about the economic reasons why fossil fuels are a bad investment and clean energy makes good investing sense click here.

Beahrs ELP and the Sustainable Environmental Management Course at UC Berkeley

The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) at the University of California, Berkeley. The 2015 summer course, Sustainable Environmental Management, runs from June 27 to July 18. Established in August 2000 with seed funding from UC Berkeley alumni Carolyn and Richard Beahrs, the ELP offers an annual three week summer certificate course at UC Berkeley, and coordinates the Berkeley ELP Alumni Network with over 540 members from nearly 110 countries.

Webinar - ISO 14001:2015 - The Path Forward

ISO 14001:2015 has a new structure and new requirements. Organizations certified to ISO 14001:2004 must adopt the new requirements but can choose to adopt the new structure or not.

Infographic - Obama's Accomplishments in Renewables, Job Growth, Defict Reduction, Health Care and Education

Walruses Forced Ashore Due to Melting Ice from Climate Change

In September of this year the absence of Arctic sea ice forced more than 35,000 Pacific walruses to come ashore on the northwestern Alaskan island of Point Lay. According to scientists global warming has melted the sea ice depriving the walruses of their usual habitat at this time of year. Walruses typically follow retreating sea ice setting up on floating platforms to give birth and raise their pups.

In the absence of ice, these walruses are forced to swim long distances to reach shore. This is not a new phenomenon and it is a corollary of melting sea ice in the Chukchi sea. Over the last decade there have been at least six years where this has been documented. However, the trend appears to be intensifying.

President Obama's "New (Clean Energy) Economy" Address at Northwestern University: Overview and Excerpts

On October 2, 2014, President Obama addressed students at Northwestern University. The President's address focused on the new economy and touting his administration's achievements saying that we have come a long way since the financial crisis that preoccupied his administration when he took office.

Part of the address focused on his historic clean energy accomplishments, in particular the fact that since he came to power, the US has tripled its wind production and increased its solar production ten times.  

He cited a number of statistics showing significant job growth, and a revitalized manufacturing sector. He reiterated his belief that middle class job growth is essential for the nation's well being.

Why You Should Divest from Fossil Fuels and Invest in Clean Energy

For both moral and economic reasons fossil fuels are a poor investment while clean energy investing has a bright and lucrative future.

Fossil fuel divestment is one of the fastest growing movements on Earth and it continues to gain momentum. Since the divestment movement was launched three years ago, more than 650 individuals and 180 institutions, including 50 new foundations, which hold over $50bn in total assets, have pledged to divest from fossil fuels. Whether in the form of mutual funds, stocks, hedge funds or bonds, fossil fuels are being abandoned at ever increasing rates.

Webinar - Energy Procurement Strategies for Winter 2014 and 2015

This complimentary one hour webinar presented by Energy Manager Today will take place on Wednesday October 8, 2014 at 2 PM EDT (11 AM PDT). The history-making 2013-2014 Winter Polar Vortex dramatically demonstrated the importance of energy supplier transparency. With both demand and prices reaching record highs, users need to fully understand the energy supply products they are purchasing, and be aware of and manage the risks and responsibilities being shared between customer and supplier.

The actions of some market participants reminded us that energy users need to be vigilant. Customers should make educated decisions when purchasing their energy supply. In a marketplace that often defies prediction, the energy consumer needs to fully comprehend the range of risks and benefits that may be associated with the contracts they sign.

11 Examples of Energy and Cost Savings at K-12 Schools in the US

In this budget constrained environment schools are always looking to reduce energy demand and save money. From nationwide programs sponsored by the federal government to small scale initiatives from individual schools, energy efficiency and retrofits are the rage in schools all across the US.

According to the government’s EnergyStar program, the nation’s 17,450 K-12 school districts spend more than $6 billion annually on energy, with as much as 30 percent of a typical district’s total energy used inefficiently. So there is a lot of room for savings. Here is a sampling of some of the energy and money that is being saved in the nation's K-12 schools.

Half of All Animals have Disappeared in the Last 4 Decades

The number of animals around the world have been reduced by more than half according to a new report on the health of the Earth. This is yet another indication of how humans adversely impact our planet. The new report shows how the population sizes of vertebrate species—mammals, (birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish) have diminished by 52 percent over the last forty years.

This is the finding in the The Living Planet Report which documents the state of the planet—including biodiversity, ecosystems, and demand on natural resources—and what this means for humans and wildlife.

The Living Planet Report is a comprehensive review of the health of the earth published every two years by the WWF an organization that works on finding solutions to the environmental problems we face.

Charitable Organizations and Philanthropists are Being Encouraged to Divest from Fossil Fuels

Charitable organizations are being called to divest their assets from fossil fuels. Divestment is a large and growing phenomenon. Calls to divest are coming from all quarters ranging from students to shareholders.

Charitable organizations are feeling the pressure to divest as well. In September 160 of the world's leading environmentalists called on charitable foundations and philanthropists to pull their investments out of fossil fuel companies.

The campaign was organized by Solarcentury founder, green energy entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett, who is also the chair of SolarAid and the Carbon Tracker Initiative. He has put together a declaration that was circulated by the European Environment Foundation (EEF), who is also writing to foundations directly.

Divesting from Fossil Fuels will Soon be a Fiduciary Duty

There is a powerful argument that can be made suggesting that fiduciaries for endowments will soon have a legal responsibility to divest from fossil fuels. Whether they are for universities, colleges, foundations or other institutions, they are charged with "the duty of care."

Here's how that duty is described in the American Law Institute's 1991 Restatement of Trusts, Third, Section 227:

Meaningfull Change to Make CR Reporting Pay: Inverviews with with VPs from Nestlé, Unilever and Pirelli

In these interviews from Ethical Corp you will see the views of VPs from Nestlé, Unilever and Pirelli on how to drive meaningful change and make CR reporting pay off. Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Vice President, Global External Affairs, Unilever and Filippo Bettini Head of Group Sustainability & Risk Governance, Pirelli SPA and Hilary Parsons Director Public Affairs, Nestlé share their ideas and thoughts in the interviews

You will hear:

Clean Energy Can Replace Fossil Fuels

The era of clean energy is dawning as the time for fossil fuels is running out. One of the leading arguments for fossil fuels is that cleaner forms of energy cannot hope to replace carbon intensive power. However, alternative sources of power like solar and wind are proving themselves to capable of replacing dirty forms of energy.

A few years ago the transition to clean energy was seen as a pipe dream, we now know that this dream is becoming a reality. The transition to clean energy is already underway, the only question is how long it will take. Some say we will eliminate the widespread use of fossil fuels in a couple of decades while others believe it will take more than half a century.

Not only is this happening, it is and will happen without the massive expense that some have predicted.

Divestment from Coal Foreshadows the Fate of All Fossil Fuels

Coal has been steadily declining in value and this fact may foreshadow the fate of all fossil fuels. As more government regulations come online and more assets are divested, coal is becoming increasingly risky and less valuable.

As explored in a Huffington Post article, the stock prices of coal have declined by 67 percent in the past couple of years.

The burning of coal causes air pollution and climate change causing emissions. These are the primary drivers of the decline in coal.

Columbia University Masters of Science in Sustainability

The Sustainability Management curriculum is designed to train and educate sustainability practitioners for a broad range of fields. The M.S.in Sustainability Management requires the successful completion of 36 credits divided among five comprehensive content areas:

Organizations and Individuals Coalesce for Action on Climate Change

There is a powerful synergy building between grassroots activism and those who are working with governments and the private sector. The United Nations, companies, investors, activists, environmental groups and coalitions are coming together to call for action on climate change.

We saw the largest climate protest in human history on September 21, 2014. A total of 2,600 events took place in 166 countries around the world as part of a global call for action on Climate Change. In New York City, the People's Climate Events saw an estimated 400,000 people come together. This involved 1,576 organizations and hundreds of thousands of social media posts. From students to senior citizens, people of every age, ethnicity and ideology were represented at this march. This unprecedented event sent a clear message to leaders at the UN Climate Summit on September 23.

Climate Change is a Health Problem and Divestment is the Cure

Climate change is commonly framed as an environmental issue, while this is undeniably true, it is also very much a human health issue. Hundreds of thousands of people are already dying each year from climate change and left unchecked this will get far worse.

From air pollution, to diminishing clean water supplies to food insecurity and extreme weather, climate change has a host of impacts that make it a grave threat to human health.

The Hippocratic Oath, the cornerstone of medical ethics states: "I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage.." Bearing this in mind medical workers cannot in good conscience ignore climate change.

That is why a number of health care professionals are coming together in support of action on climate change. In particular some are showing their support for divestment from fossil fuels as an important first step towards improving human health.