The GREEN MARKET ORACLE

Saturday, January 12, 2013

10. Solar CPV With a Side of Hot Water - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Jennifer Runyon talks with Cogenra Solar's Mani Thothadri about the company's hybrid solution that has been placed on high-profile companies like Facebook.

9. Installers Comment on the Effects of Chinese Tariffs on the Solar Industry - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Many in the solar industry believe that low module pricing is what is driving the industry forward. But American solar manufacturers have stated -- and proved -- that China isn't playing by the rules.

8. AES Wins Wind Project of the Year - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Renewable Energy World's Jim Montgomery sits down with project representatives to discuss important aspects of the AES Laurel Mountain Wind Farm, which is the recipient of the 2012 Excellence in Renewable Energy Award for Wind Project of the Year.

7. Twin Creeks Unveils Tool to Slash Solar Costs - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Siva Sivaram of Twin Creeks Technology discusses the company's new manufacturing tool, which creates ultra-thin cells that the company says could reduce the cost of solar by as much as 50 percent.

6. The Road to Solar Power: One Company's Journey - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Jordan Winery made the switch to solar on June 29, 2012. The array was projected to handle 75% of the winery’s electricity needs, but initial reports indicate it could produce more than 90%, even during the busy bottling season.

5. Solar Project of the Year Winner: Agua Caliente - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Here is the winner of Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards Program for the Solar Project of the Year Award in 2012.

4. African Villages Go Solar with SOLARtec - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Marianne Schnell, Project Manager with SOLARtec talks about how the company's unique solar system in a box approach can help rural villages go solar, bringing electricity to villages that have never before been had access to the grid.

3. A Day in the Life of a Wind Technician - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

The Center for American Progress speaks with Nathan Crawford, the lead wind technician at Allian Energy in Iowa about the highlights and advantages of green jobs.

2. The State of the Solar Industry with Julia Hamm and Rhone Resch - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Hear what the experts are saying about the solar industry in 2012 and beyond. What will happen in this uncertain market? CEO’s weigh in. This is the official opening session of Solar Power International 2012.

1. Can the Solar Industry Make an Impact on American Unemployment? - Renewable Energy World's Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2012

Part of Renewable Energy World's "Solar on the Street" series at Solar Power International 2012, they asked conference-goers if they thought the solar industry could affect US unemployment.

GigaOM: Top Cleantech Stories of 2012

Here are GigaOM's top stories based on page views. GigaOM’s cleantech fans loved exclusive photos and videos of new technologies in 2012. Yeah, that’s probably not such a surprise, but the most-trafficked cleantech stories in 2012 included: the first photos and videos of Tesla’s Model X electric SUV, photos and an explainer of Apple’s ground-breaking solar farm in North Carolina, and photos and videos inside Facebook’s energy-efficient Oregon data center A number of these highly trafficked stories managed to capture the interest not just of cleanteach regulars but more mainstream readers as well. Meantime, their loyal readers also appreciated their profiles of new and under-the-radar startups, feature stories on clean energy and electric car trends, and explainers on new battery technologies.

As 2012 came to a close, GreenBiz asked executives from a range of companies and organizations to reflect on the past year and look at what lies ahead. They obliged by telling us about their accomplishments, frustrations, lessons learned, their thoughts about the biggest issues of 2012 and what they think will drive sustainability in 2013. A few big themes emerged: the failure to make significant progress at major global conclaves -- Rio+20 and the Doha Climate Change conference in particular -- the lack of urgency and action from policymakers on climate change, and the need for stronger, more transparent standards and ratings systems to meet increased consumer, investor, and corporate demand.

The NRDC looked back on the year that was and honored some of the outstanding issues and accomplishments for community sustainability that came to light during the year. As explained in their preface to the article "In many cases, naming a particular item one of the best of 2012 may be a bit (not completely) arbitrary: by definition, sustainability is seldom a single “event” that occurs wholly within one calendar year."

Renewable Energy World: 10 Most Commented on Articles of 2012

2012 has been a year filled with controversial topics and interesting advancements from the trade case to the presidential election, and each development spurred heated conversation in those involved in the renewable industry. Check out the top 10 most commented articles on RenewableEnergyWorld.com in 2012.

It was an odd year for green business, and it began with some mixed signals about how far companies were coming on sustainability. A GreenBiz report indicated that progress had slowed or even regressed, but MIT and BCG also declared that sustainability had reached a "tipping point" with more companies putting sustainability "on the management agenda."

SkyTruth provides up-to-date information on pollution incidents and reveals the truth about the environmental impacts of large-footprint industrial activities such as mining, drilling, commercial fishing, etc. They work to support scientifically credible research and policy decisions that will help us understand and manage our planet’s natural resources in the best way possible. Here are SkyTruth's “Top 10″ most viewed blog posts from 2012.

2012 Summary of Best Practices in Responsible Management Education (Part 2)

This is the second part of a two part series reviewing the best practices in responsible management for 2012. It was written by Giselle Weybrecht the author of The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business. The book aims to educate the next generation of business leaders about sustainability issues, whether these be students or business executives. Prior to this she worked for many years with the United Nations internationally in sustainable development. Today she works with government, universities, NGOs, business and with social entrepreneurs in sustainability around the world. She is committed to ensuring that the next generation of business leaders fully understand sustainability by working with business schools and businesses to embed these issues into their programmes. She is a dynamic and sought after speaker in sustainability issues and also writes on sustainability and business issues for a variety of publications including the Economist and Forbes.

This is the first part of a two part series reviewing the best practices in responsible management. It was written by Giselle Weybrecht the author of The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business. The book aims to educate the next generation of business leaders about sustainability issues, whether these be students or business executives. Prior to this she worked for many years with the United Nations internationally in sustainable development. Today she works with government, universities, NGOs, business and with social entrepreneurs in sustainability around the world. She is committed to ensuring that the next generation of business leaders fully understand sustainability by working with business schools and businesses to embed these issues into their programmes. She is a dynamic and sought after speaker in sustainability issues and also writes on sustainability and business issues for a variety of publications including the Economist and Forbes.

As reported in Seattle PI, President Obama may nominate outgoing Democratic Washington governor Chris Gregoire as the chief of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Gregoire was first elected to the position of Governor of Washington in 2004 and won re-election by a slim margin in 2008.

Gregoire has a mixed record on the environment. Before being elected Attorney General in 1992 she was director of Washington’s Department of Ecology. She served as the director of the Washington Department of Ecology from 1988 until 1992.

2013 International CES: Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies

The 2013 International CES show is the biggest trade show in the Americas and includes some of the newest eco-design and sustainable technologies. The show is organized by the Consumer Electronics Association and takes place in Las Vegas from January 8 to January 11. Last year 156,000 people attended CES 2012. The show is huge covering almost 2 million square feet of booths and exhibits. CES is not open to the general public and is intended for people in the consumer electronics industry. For those who cannot or will not attend here is a summary of some of the environmentally oriented gadgets at this year's show.

Eastman Kodak Company Kodak: EasyShare S730 Digital Frame The KODAK EASYSHARE S730 Digital Frame allows you to share your pictures anywhere in your home, thanks to the rechargeable battery. Easily navigate and explore up to 8000 pictures.

CES Las Vegas is the world's largest consumer electronics show and there are many technologies on display that can help to minimize our footprints. Smartphones are a ubiquitous part of our lives, however more than half (65%) of the time these phones are being used for purposes other than communications. Increasingly smartphones are becoming interfaces to services. They are now handheld computing tools that can serve our energy and environment needs. This includes everything from monitoring our energy use to calculating our carbon footprints.

One stellar example of a new home energy management system is Eversense 2.0, it uses your phone to turn lights turn off and adjust the thermostat, it can even set your alarm.

Review of the Most Extreme U.S. Weather Events of 2012

Extreme weather is helping Americans to accept the veracity of climate science. Thousands were killed due to extreme weather in the U.S. in 2012 and the costs amount to hundreds of billions of dollars in property damage, diminished agricultural yields and lost productivity. In 2012, there were eleven extreme weather events in the U.S. which cost a billion dollars or more. With the exception of 2011, when there were fourteen such disasters, 2012 saw more extreme weather events than in any year in U.S. history.

Extreme weather is a serious problem and it will become much more serious if we continue with business as usual. At the opening of COP 18, the annual United Nations climate summit in Doha, Qatar, UN climate chief Christina Figueres, urged governments around the world to “do something about” extreme weather. “We have had severe climate and weather events all over the world and everyone is beginning to understand that is exactly the future we are going to be looking about if they don’t do something about it.”

Arguably education is the single most crucial issue in the advancement of sustainability. In 2012, the importance of a green education was in evidence in the curricula and course offerings of a wide variety of educational institutions and online portals.

Sustainability, science and weather top The Green Market Oracle's list of the 20 leading stories of 2012. The next series of top stories (7 - 11) is focused on environmental politics. The third installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories of 2012 (12 - 16) deals with environmental communications. The final installment (17 - 20) is focused on education and includes a diverse array of environmentally oriented programming, green school buildings and teaching resources.

Event: MiaGreen Expo and Conference

MiaGreen Expo and Conference will take place on Jan 31 – Feb 1, 2013 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This is the only event in the United States providing access to the ever-growing, unstoppable green, renewable and sustainable markets for ALL the Americas.

This annual, business-to-business event is one-of-a-kind and grows bigger and better every year. With its unique marketing mix (80% US + 20% Latin America & the Caribbean), MiaGreen has developed as the one-stop, all-inclusive, interactive conference and marketplace for SUSTAINABILITY, combining a major trade show with front edge extensive educational and networking programs.

This event sponsored by AGRION will take place on Thursday, January 17th 2012 9:30am- 12:30pm ET. A streamed Panel Discussion is scheduled for 7:00am - 9:00am PT / 10:00am - 12:00pm ET / 16:00 - 18:00 (Paris-Frankfurt).

At AGRION’s US Offshore Wind: Benchmarks and Bellwethers roundtable, Bill Shore, CFO of Fishermen’s Energy, stated that federal procurement of renewables would top his policy wishlist for the Obama administration. With the announcement of the Energy Initiatives Task Force, which aims to fund projects and emerging technologies, this will soon be a reality. The US Army has a $7 billion budget, and is looking to be a third party investor in renewable energy projects and alternative energy technologies, which encompass micro-grid, energy storage, and fuel cell technologies.

This event is subtitled Assessing the Technological and Economic Potential of Electric Storage Operations for Real-Time Applications. It will take place on January 8-10, 2013 at Embassy Suites Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona.

Event Focus

Energy storage technologies have the potential to improve grid efficiency and reliability by optimizing power flows and supporting variable power supplies. However, storage applications are often costly and don’t always produce achievable returns in every grid scenario. Finding a reliable and profitable strategy within electric storage can be a daunting and confusing task, as utilities struggle to understand the tools necessary for accurately determining its economic impact and viability.

Satellite Animation: Review of Extreme Weather in 2012 (Video)

Watch the nearly year-long satellite animation as Weather Underground calls out the most significant weather events of the past year, including Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Isaac.

Sustainability is an Economic Imperative: The 2012 CK Prahalad Award Winners (Video)

See how the 2012 winners of CK Prahalad award are weaving sustainability into their business models and flourishing in the process. Companies like Unilever and Sustainable Apparel Coalition are leading the way and showing that the business case for sustainability is undeniable. As explained in this video sustainability is an imperative for all companies. The questions that must be asked is how can you have a business model that continues to take away from future generations? Any company that does not pay attention to its environmental interface is doing so at its own peril. The companies in this video prove that commitments to sustainability initiatives pay off while the failure to engage sustainability poses a very serious risk.

Video of the Oil Rig Belonging to Shell that Ran aground in Alaska

An offshore oil drilling rig belonging to Shell has run aground and is damaged. The event occurred on December 31st after the rig broke free from tow ships in rough seas. The rig called the Kulluk is carrying more than 140,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of lubricating oil and hydraulic fluid. In this video you can see an aerial view of the grounded rig and a brief from a Shell Incident Commander.

Shell Oil Rig Runs Aground in Alaska Raising Safety Concerns

As 2012 drew to a close we were given yet another reason to be weary of fossil fuels. On December 31st an offshore oil drilling rig belonging to Shell ran aground in the Gulf of Alaska after it broke free from tow ships in rough seas (see video). The rig called the Kulluk is carrying more than 140,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 12,000 gallons of lubricating oil and hydraulic fluid.

The US Coast Guard managed to rescue the 17 crew members on board the Kulluk. Alaska's wildlife, including a quarter million birds are being threatened by the rogue oil rig.

The urgency of the need for action on climate change requires that we become more sophisticated in our communications. On their own science based approaches are not moving us fast enough in the direction we need to go. In 2012 there were a number of new grassroots approaches that reach out directly to people using persuasive communications combined with digital technologies. This includes new environmental narratives, direct appeals to consumers, movies, and organizations with wide appeal like 350.org and Greenpeace.

The Green Market Oracle's top six stories of 2012 involve the subjects of Sustainability, science and weather. The next series of top stories (7 - 11) is focused on environmental politics. The third installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories (12 - 16) deal with environmental communications. The final installment (17 - 20) is focused on education.

Here are The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories of 2012 focused on Environmental Communications.

On January 3, 2013, the Department of Justice announced that it has reached an historic settlement with Transocean for its role in the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The $1.4 billion settlement will be paid under the Clean Water Act for civil and criminal penalties.

Much of these funds will go towards restoring the Gulf, as directed by the RESTORE Act. Gulf restoration and economic development groups lauded the announcement and issued the following statement:

The Green Market Oracle's Top 20 Stories of 2012: Environmental Politics

In 2012 we saw a number of political stories that have significant repercussions for the environment. These stories cover the less than stellar outcome of COP 18, Republican anti-environmentalism, the US federal election, and the environmental efforts of President Obama and the Democrats. Another important environmental story involves the dismantling of environmental protections by Canada's ruling Conservatives.

The Green Market Oracle's top six stories of 2012 involve the subjects of Sustainability, science and weather. The next series of top stories (7 - 11) is focused on environmental politics. The third installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories (12 - 16) deal with environmental communications. The final installment (17 - 20) is focused on education.

Here is the second installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories of 2012.

On the cusp of the fiscal cliff the House voted to approve a sweeping tax deal that also extends the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for wind energy for one year. The wind industry has grown tremendously under the PTC and ITC and it can be expected that the year long extension will continue this growth into 2013. This is good news for America’s 75,000 workers in wind energy in 50 states. While the deal passed overwhelmingly in the Senate the House vote was much closer (257-167). Predictably many Republicans did not support the initiative and almost pushed the credits over the cliff.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that wind set a new record in 2012 by installing 44 percent of all new electrical generating capacity in America, leading the electric sector compared with 30 percent for natural gas.

The Green Market Oracle's Top 20 Stories of 2012: Sustainability, Science and Weather

Fueled by a plethora of new research and extreme weather, sustainability, cleantech and renewable energy continued to grow in 2012 and investors are increasingly demanding that environmental issues are part of the disclosure profiles of corporations.

The Green Market Oracle's top six stories of 2012 involve the subjects of Sustainability, science and weather. The next series of top stories (7 - 11) is focused on environmental politics. The third installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories (12 - 16) deal with environmental communications. The final installment (17 - 20) is focused on education.

Here is the first installment of The Green Market Oracle's top 20 stories of 2012.

Happy New Year: Lets Make 2013 a More Sustainable Year

As 2013 commences we are called to to reflect on the year that has been. Most importantly we need to consider what we will do in the year to come. Last year we saw a number of studies and dire warnings about the state of our environment.There is reason to believe that both the business community and ordinary people are coming to terms with the facts.

The costs and risks associated with climate change make a powerful business case and extreme weather is making it increasingly difficult for the average person to ignore global warming.

In 2012 governments dithered but businesses around the world engaged climate change in record numbers. There was even evidence suggesting that average Americans are embracing climate science in ever increasing numbers.

This year we must come together to act. Businesses, consumers and even elected officials must get serious about engaging the environmental threats we face.

Let us dare to hope that despite the prodigious obstacles arrayed against us that 2013 will be the year that climate change gets the attention that it deserves. At the very least let us all commit to doing what we can to make human activities less egregious to the Earth.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 31, 2012

Infrastructure Planning: The Planning Inspectorate, Hybrid Bills and Community Engagement (Event)

This event will take place on Tuesday, 22nd January 2013 at the Johnnie Walker Room, The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, London. This seminar will provide a timely opportunity to discuss how planning for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) is being handled under the new system. This event is CPD certified.

This event will take place on January 24th 2013 in Birmingham, UK. The conference will address the role of the customer in the changing water industry. No longer a silent service provider, the sector has to realign as customer-facing, not only in the call centre, but throughout the supply chain. The rewards for successful engagement are multi-fold, including resource demand reduction, smoother project delivery, improved revenue collection and better environmental management.

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