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New Urban Algae System Generates Energy While Cleaning Wastewater in Paris

December 5, 2012, inhabitat.com | “Ennesys, a Paris-based energy systems company and OriginOil, an American algae harvesting company just unveiled their new urban algae demonstration project in La Defense, near Paris. The revolutionary system harvests energy from algae present in wastewater while filtering the wastewater for use as graywater.”

a functioning demonstration project
New Urban Algae System Generates Energy While Cleaning Wastewater in Paris
inhabitat.com
Ennesys and OriginOil unveil a new biofuel technology using algae that can generate energy for a building while cleaning its wastewater.
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Filed under: Buildings, Business Policy, Climate, Energy, Energy - Renewable, Retrofitting

Iceland: A 100% renewables example in the modern era

Photo: IT CAN BE DONE!Iceland produces 100% of its electricity through renewable resources. Sure, not all of us are sitting on top of a geothermal hotspot, but every nation has its own abundant resources.BTW, Icelanders did not bail out their bankers who had overleveraged their balance sheets and had, as Paul Krugman wrote, "in effect hijacked (the country) by a combination of free-market ideology and crony capitalism.....the benefits of the financial bubble went overwhelmingly to a small minority at the top of the income distribution." Well, the top bankers were arrested and sentenced to jail, while the banks were broken up and capital controls put in place. Lo and behold, Iceland's economy is on the mend.You decide whether there is a connection between energy and economy, or whether it's merely a coincidence.http://reneweconomy.com.au/2012/iceland-a-100-renewables-example-in-the-modern-era-56428?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=iceland-a-100-renewables-example-in-the-modern-era-56428 http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/the-icelandic-post-crisis-miracle/http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/11/key-lesson-from-iceland-crisis-let-banks-fail.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/world/europe/icelands-economy-is-mending-amid-europes-malaise.htmlImage credit: Earth - The Operator's Manual{M}

November 7, 2012, reneweconomy.com.au | “Iceland’s famous for its breathtaking scenery, its geysers, its Blue Lagoon–and for sitting astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Among energy wonks, Iceland is also well known for using its abundant renewable energy, and especially for tapping the volcanic roots of the island in developing its geothermal resources.”

“IT CAN BE DONE!
Iceland produces 100% of its electricity through renewable resources. Sure, not all of us are sitting on top of a geothermal hotspot, but every nation has its own abundant resources.

Image credit: Earth – The Operator’s Manual”
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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy, Energy - Renewable, Investments, National Policy

A Vote for a President to Lead on Climate Change

November 1, 2012, www.bloomberg.com | “One [candidate] sees climate change as an urgent problem that threatens our planet; one does not. I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics.”

GoodNews FortheEarth shared a link

“~ CLIMATE CHANGE ENTERS MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ELECTION — via this editorial by the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg:
“The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast — in lost lives, lost homes and lost business — brought the stakes of Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief.”
“A Vote for a President to Lead on Climate Change” – Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City”
www.bloomberg.com
The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast — in lost lives, lost homes and lost business — brought the stakes of Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief.
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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy, International Policy, Local Policy, National Policy

Sweden Imports Trash from Norway for Heat and Electricity

October 25, 2012, www.nydailynews.com | “Sweden is apparently way too good at recycling.  In a country where only 4 percent of waste goes to landfills, officials have had to start importing trash so they can keep making heat and electricity. The Scandinavian country runs a wildly successful waste-to-energy program, generating 20 percent of the nation’s district heating and generating electricity for a quarter-million homes.”

Maryska Azzena shared a photo to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s timeline.
Amazing Facts and Nature
Sweden recycles so well that it has run out of garbage and now must import garbage from Norway to fuel its energy programs
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Filed under: Business Policy, Buy Local, Climate, Economics, Energy, Energy - Polluting, Energy - Renewable, Green Jobs, International Policy, Investments, Local Policy, Materials, National Policy, Pollution, Recycling, Recycling & Plastics, Trash cleanups

RWE to close UK coal, oil power plants in March 2013

Sept 18, 2012, www.the-european.eu | “The UK arm of German utility RWE will close two large power plants at the end of March 2013, when they will run out of operating hours restricted under EU environmental laws.”

Robert Brothers shared a link
Enviro laws make coal plants un-profitable, so they will close.
RWE to close UK coal, oil power plants in March 2013
www.the-european.eu
The UK arm of German utility RWE will close two large power plants at the end of March 2013, when they will run out of operating hours restricted under EU environmental laws.
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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Coal, Economics, Energy, National Policy, Oil

Study Shows Workers at “Green” Companies are More Productive

September 11, 2012, www.enn.com | “Apparently, environmentalism and economic growth really can go hand in hand. According to a new UCLA study, companies need not fear being hampered down by adopting green practices and standards. Workers in companies that do so are found to be 16 percent more productive than the average.”

16% more productive! Maybe because they feel better about the work that they are doing : )
Study Shows Workers at “Green” Companies are More Productive
www.enn.com
ENN.com: Environmental News Network — Know Your Environment
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Filed under: Business Policy, Economics, Energy, Green Jobs

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses

September 3, 2012, www.utcpower.com | “UTC Power is a world leader in fleet vehicle fuel cell technology. Transit agencies in the United States and Europe have fuel cell buses in regular passenger service; the buses equipped with our fuel cell systems have accumulated more than 600,000 miles.”

“Transit agencies have fuel cell buses in regular passenger service in the United States and Europe; the buses equipped with our fuel cell systems have accumulated more than 600,000 miles. The fuel economy of a hybrid fuel cell bus powered by a UTC Power fuel cell system is about two times better than a diesel-powered bus.”
Fuel economy for a bus powered with our hydrogen fuel cell system is two times that of diesel. PEM fuel cells by UTC Power.
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Filed under: Air, Business Policy, Climate, Energy, Energy - Renewable, Green Jobs, Pollution, Public Transport, Transportation

China Beats U.S. to Become Number One In Installed Wind Power

August 28, 2012, www.enn.com | “China surpassed the U.S. this year to become the number one in the world for installed wind power generating capacity. In the last six years, installed wind power generating capacity in China increased from 2,000 megawatts (MW) to 52,580 MW.”

“In 2011, China generated 70.6 terrawatt hours (TWh) of wind power, a 96 percent increase.”
China Beats U.S. to Become Number One In Installed Wind Power
ENN.com: Environmental News Network — Know Your Environment
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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Economics, Energy, Energy - Renewable, Wind

Portland’s largest green roof will be on a Walmart

August 28, 2012, www.smartplanet.com | “A new 90,000 square-foot Walmart in North Portland will put its roof to good use. Construction started this week on the Walmart store which will be home to a new 40,600 square foot green roof. Not only will it be the largest green roof in Portland (by 10,000 square feet) but it will also be the largest in the state, DCJ Oregon reports.”

Portland’s largest green roof will be on a Walmart | SmartPlanet
www.smartplanet.com
A new Walmart in Portland is building a 40,000 square foot green roof.
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Filed under: Buildings, Business Policy, Climate, Energy, Farms & Gardens, Permaculture, Retrofitting

World’s first community-owned tidal turbine to power up

August 24, 2012, www.enn.com | “The world’s first community-owned tidal turbine will be made and deployed in Scotland, after a fabrication contract between Scottish firms Steel Engineering and Nova Innovation was announced by First Minister Alex Salmond.”

“For an article about the successful installation of a large tidal turbine in Ireland in 2008, see this story: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/34319
World’s first community-owned tidal turbine to power up in Scotland
www.enn.com
ENN.com: Environmental News Network — Know Your Environment”

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Filed under: Business Policy, Climate, Energy, Energy - Renewable, Wind