In green technology news this week, APEC members agreed to make it easier to trade green goods; two South African energy initiatives received $250 million worth of bankrolling; a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators backed a bill to advance NPVs; Audubon and Toyota named the 40 recipients of the 2011 TogetherGreen Fellowships; an Australian designer generated water from thin air, and much, much more.
At a time when legions of wage-earners are “losing their shirts” in a teetering world economy, U.S. President Barack Obama opted to forego ceremonial Aloha shirts for the commemorative group photo at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Forum last weekend in Honolulu. The group of 21 world rulers was “all business” at this year’s shoot. But by the end of the meeting, they had “unambiguously good news,” according to Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Among several “green growth” initiatives they agreed to were: a reduction in applied tariff rates on specified green goods to five percent or less by year-end 2015, a reduction in APEC’s aggregate energy intensity by 45 percent by 2035; and a downtick in fossil fuel subsidies.
With just two weeks to go until the United Nations holds its Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, the Government of South Africa and the World Bank have signed a $250 million loan agreement that will launch the development of two of the largest clean energy projects ever attempted on the continent —a concentrating solar power facility and a wind power installation. The 200 megawatt capacity of the two power plants could generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes.
A bipartisan group of legislators — U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) — has introduced a bill that would provide incentives to U.S. manufacturers for producing or retrofitting natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs), as well as for building natural gas refueling infrastructure. The New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act of 2011 also would expand tax credits to consumers of dedicated NGVs and certain bi-fuel and dual-fuel alternative NGVs to help offset incremental cost. It would be fully paid for by a temporary user fee at the natural gas pump.
Audubon and Toyota, the founders of the TogetherGreen initiative, have revealed the 40 environmentalists selected for the 2011 TogetherGreen Fellowships. Each year, 40 Fellows are selected to conduct projects in a community that will engage diverse audiences in habitat, water, and/or energy conservation. This year's Fellows come from 38 cities in 27 U.S. states. The recipients will be provided with the tools, resources, visibility, and a peer network to advance their work. In addition they will receive a $10,000 grant.
Inspired by a recent drought in Australia, designer Edward Linacre has found a way to generate water from thin air. A simple low-technology irrigation procedure called AirDrop uses a turbine to push air into a network of pipes underground, The air is then quickly cooled to soil temperature— creating 100 percent humidity— and water produced from the air is collected in a tank that's kept beneath the surface to prevent evaporation. Recently, AirDrop won the 2011 James Dyson Award, created by British inventor Sir James Dyson, which challenges students to create innovative, practical, elegant solutions to humanity's greatest challenges. According to Huffington Post (News - Alert), the contest is open to undergraduates, as well as those who graduated in the past four years.
On November 16 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda rolled out the production model of its 2013 Fit EV. An all-electric hatchback subcompact that will be in the running against cars like the Nissan Leaf, the Fit EV offers a driving range of 123 miles on a single charge and a combined city/highway EV range of 76 miles. The car will be powered by a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 92-kilowatt coaxial electric motor. It offers three speeds, a standard Telematics system, interactive coaching features, bio-fabric seats, and a host of other bells and whistles. Starting next summer, the Fit EV will be available in California and Oregon in just one color—Reflection Blue Pearl—and only on a three-year lease. The lease payment of $399 a month is based on a $36,625 MSRP—expensive compared to the gas-powered Fit (which is $20,000, fully loaded). Six undisclosed East Coast markets will be added in 2013.
In related news, at the auto show this week, the all-new 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas —the only factory-built, CNG-powered car produced in America —was named “2012 Green Car of the Year” on November 17. The award was presented to Honda (News - Alert) by the editors of Green Car Journal.
Facebook’s data center in Prineville, Oregon, has emerged from an “extreme makeover” with inner and outer attributes that even the most zealous environmentalists would love (or “friend”). Today, the social network’s property uses 52 percent less energy to operate than a comparable facility built to code requirements—and it has been recognized with LEED Gold Certification. A solar energy array is generating an estimated 204,000 kilowatt hours per year, providing electricity to the office areas. In addition, the offices are warmed by reuse of heat created by the servers. New energy efficient server designs and a low-energy evaporative cooling system eliminate the need for traditional air conditioners. Overall, the data center uses 38 percent less energy to do the same work than Facebook's (News - Alert) existing leased facilities.
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a nonpartisan U.S. network of state and regional business groups, has been launched and will soon include the members of another similar organization, the Clean Economy Network (CEN).
Tom Steyer, one of the founders of AEE and founder and co-managing partner of Farallon Capital Management, stated that it is time to look at energy innovation as a necessity for America, not an option.
Now there is diva-class ecotourism: Forget the tents, the bug spray and the rain forest. For the traveler who prefers a flat-screen TV, a fitness center, and foodie-level dining – all in a silver-LEED, guilt-free Santa Monica seaside setting – the Shore Hotel may be the place for you. Even better, guests can call on a Green Concierge for local expertise on all things sustainable and eco-friendly, from activities to services, transportation to nightlife.
Finally, the emissions from the truck transporting 2011 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree are almost zero. according to the Diesel Technology Forum. The environment will not be damaged as the 65-foot white fir Christmas tree covers the 4,500-mile trek from the Stanislaus National Forest in northern California en route to Washington, D.C. This truck is a SmartWay-certified Pinnacle Axle Back model designed to address California's 2010 emission standards.
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
