The Department of Energy announced $10 million has been awarded to 16 cities for 40 new Solar America Cities Special Projects. The funds, made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will enable the cities to increase solar energy use in their communities through innovative programs and policies that the government believes can be replicated across the nation.
The cities chosen for these awards came from the group of 25 large U.S. cities that are part of the DOE’s Solar America Cities program, which recognizes the participating cities as partners highly committed to solar technology adoption at the local level. Those cities already have been given millions of dollars in funds and technical assistance to accelerate solar adoption.
[caption id="attachment_5607" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ocean waves near Freeport, Texas (Photo: National Weather Service)"][/caption]
Ocean waves off the coast of Texas may soon provide the first commercial wave power in the US to generate electricity and desalinate water.
Renew Blue Inc. said today that the Texas General Land Office has granted it the first-ever state off-shore wave energy lease. The company said it will use ocean water and waves to produce desalinated water; the first 100 percent fossil-fuel-free bottled water.
This summer as I flew over Minneapolis, I looked down fondly at the chain of lakes that beautifies this tidy, progressive city. My second hometown.
I noticed the surrounding land was lush and green. And so were many of the lakes. Wait a minute: The lakes themselves were more green than blue, ringed in pea-soup of algae that was closing in fast on the open water at the middle. This algae-green, sickly green mess set off alarm bells.
I suspected that all those lake-dwellers residing on their hard-fought real estate were sullying the waters by collectively dumping tons of fertilizer on their neat green lawns, which created a super-rich, even toxic runoff. This was hugely ironic, because these striving homeowners had moved there so they could boat, swim and engage in the state sport, fishing fer walleye. Yet their pursuit of the picture-perfect lake house retreat was poisoning the natural environment.
The USL First Division’s Minnesota Thunder presents the “Thunder Goes Green Night” Thursday with discount tickets for those people who bike to the game. Also, the first 750 people will receive a Blue Sky Guide, a coupon book that has $3,000 in discounts to sustainable businesses in the Twin Cities Metro area. The soccer club will be handing out info about the Minnesota Energy Challenge and the Minnesota Center for Energy and Environment.
Game begins at 7:05 p.m. at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Fans who bike to the game get $2 off tickets. There will be eco-friendly activities and information. Anyone who pre-orders tickets with the promotion code ECO also will receive $2 off. There is only 1 discount per customer and fans must call in to get the discount: (763) 390-8324. It’s also Thirsty Thursday with discounted beers for 15 minutes after a Thunder goal.
Nalgene’s least wasteful city study, which was produced from a survey of 3,750 Americans in the top 25 largest cities that sought to probe their “mindset”, asking them about their green habits like whether they used public transportation and reusable grocery bags or composted and reused containers — resulted in San Francisco taking top honors as the most mindfully-least-wastefully green city:
These days it’s not just individual Hollywood A-listers who are going green in their personal lives; they’re taking the entire movie set in a sustainable direction. Some eco-driven insiders have even started up side businesses to complement their work in film. And who knows, with emerging companies like Film Biz Recycling in New York and EcoSet Consulting in Los Angeles, the industry may have just conjured up a new wave of green troops.
Shannon Schaefer, founder of the fledgling EcoSet Consulting (website still in progress), is on the front lines. During her stint as production secretary on the Coen Brothers’ film A Serious Man in Minneapolis last fall, she helped the Coens and FOCUS Features studio divert more than 11 tons of waste from the landfill.
The top 10 are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta and Seattle.
Los Angeles ranked first with 262 buildings earning the Energy Star rating, which can be applied to rehabbed and new properties. San Francisco had 194 buildings; Houston, 145; Washington D.C., 136 and Dallas, 126.
Energy Star, the EPA’s label for high efficiency, sets standards for everthing from light bulbs and appliances to buildings.
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