Negotiations at the World Trade Organization on a free-trade agreement that would free “environmental goods” from the shackles of tariffs and other protectionist measures. The WTO talks involve the United States, China, the European Union, and 11 other countries and affect $1 trillion worth of trade every year.
Examples from the list include waste incinerators, which burn trash to produce electricity — and, in doing so, can pollute air and water with poisonous byproducts. The list also includes steam generators, which are used by coal and nuclear power plants. And it includes centrifuges, which are not only used for water purification but also by tar-sands oil producers.
Germany has proven itself as a world force in soccer this year, but is heading for more than soccer chamionships. Germany now leads the world in solar production, well on the way to their goal of 80% of their energy use by 2050.
Three national solar energy records were set in Germany recently. According to the Fraunhofer ISE solar energy research institute:
Solar met more than 50 percent of Germany’s total electricity demand for the first time;
A new solar peak power production record was set; and
Weekly total solar power output hit new highs.
That’s not all. With prospects for new, cheaper and more effective energy storage solutions improving, sales of solar power storage systems are “set to skyrocket in Germany”.
The 2013 infrastructure report card for the U.S. is out and doesn't look good as a result of lots of deferred maintenance over many years. Let's face it, infrastructure is often invisible, and even when it is not, it is most often just not a very sexy topic. And public spending over the last 40-50 years has echoed that sentiment with public infrastructure investment in 2013 half of what it was fifty years ago in terms of percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP).
But with a nearly failing grade, it is time to sink more resources into upgrading our nation's infrastructure, creating more jobs, and creating more sustainable conections that, from the ground up keep our homes, businesses, cities and economies connected and working. Infrastructure is essential to support healthy, vibrant communities and is critical for long-term economic growth, increasing GDP, employment, household income, and exports.
Infrastructure is the foundation that connects the nation’s businesses, communities, and people, driving our economy and improving our quality of life. The U.S. economy has been one of the strongest, most vibrant in the world because of the infastructure investment made during the depression.
It is also an opportunity to incorporate sustainability measures to maximize the investment for our long-term viability – creating solar roads that move people and goods efficiently, produce renewable power for our homes and electric cars.
Christian Schallert lives in a 258 square foot space and maximizes the hell out it by hiding everything behind walls, cabinets and clever design making it comfortable for 1-40!
Student researchers at the University of California, Riverside developed an air-cleaning, titanium-dioxide coating for ceramic tiles.
The research, titled "Test Protocol for Evaluating Smog Reducing Roof Tiles," won an honorable mention in the second phase of the Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity, and the Planet student design competition.
The choice to focus on the roof as a pollution-reducing surface is promising given the predominance of roof area that is exposed to direct sunlight and the durability and popularity of these roofing tiles, particularly in southern California. Research results estimated one residential roof can reduce smog equivalent to 11,000 miles of car travel each year!
King County Parks, located in Washington State, took top honors for their eco-friendly cargo camping containers. When was the last time your camping experience included staying in a repurposed cargo container? King County Parks’ popular cargo container-turned-camping structure at Tolt-MacDonald Park near Carnation has been honored with the “Spotlight Award for Innovative Facility” from the Washington Recreation and Parks Association. The camping container has been a hit with visitors to Tolt-MacDonald Park and Campground since its installation among the tall trees and near the west bank of the Snoqualmie River. Campers have enjoyed the comfort and convenience of the container, including a double/single futon bunk and a futon cot-sized chair that converts to a bed. Radiant heat, LED lighting, a table and bench set, and food storage are among the additional indoor features, while outside there is a deck, picnic table and fire pit. Developed in partnership with the King County Solid Waste Division Green Tools program, the cargo camping container has been retrofitted with sustainable and recycled materials throughout the design. The work resulted in a facility that achieved the highest “Platinum” rating on the King County Sustainable Scorecard.
Wind turbines might be an excellent source of renewable energy, but they have yet to become a residential feature due to one thing – the noise. Thankfully, a Rotterdam-based company called The Archimedes claims to have a solution that is not only quiet, but significantly more efficient that existing wind turbines. Modelled after a Nautilus shell, its inventors claim the Liam F1 Urban Wind Turbine can achieve “80 percent of the maximum that is theoretically feasible.”
“The Liam F1 generates an average of 1,500 kilowatt-hours of energy [per year] at a wind-speed of 5 m/s [16.4 ft/s], which resembles half of the power consumption of a common household.”
Although it’s not officially available until July 1st, the company states that it has already sold 7,000 of the turbines in 14 countries. When it does become available to the general public, it will sell for €3,999, which is about US$5,450.
We have good reason to celebrate this year's solstice according to Al Gore.
“At the turn of the 21st century, some scoffed at projections that the world would be installing one gigawatt of new solar electricity per year by 2010. That goal was exceeded 17 times over; last year it was exceeded 39 times over; and this year the world is on pace to exceed that benchmark as much as 55 times over.”
Gore says such growth is comparable to the industry boom of cellphones, which were predicted to only claim about 900,000 subscribers by the year 2000 when first introduced in the early 1980s. When the 20th century came to an end, there were over 109 million subscribers. Now there are 6.8 billion. And we have solar-powered cellphones.
UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors Gisele Bündchen, Don Cheadle, Ian Somerhalder and Yaya Touré are sending an SOS to the world on behalf of Small Island Developing States.
Their message in the bottle: "We are all connected. The challenges faced by islands will face us all. So, every action we take to reduce waste and mitigate climate change counts. Join one of our teams and pledge to make a difference by taking action for WED."
The National Park Service has done an enormous service to us all by rejuvenating and preserving the historic hot springs bath houses and downtown of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Upgrading these health spa's has strengthened the local economy and preserved the health benefits and historical fabric for future generations.
Particularly charming are the beautiful bath houses, tree-lined grand promenades, small local businesses and pedestrian pocket parks that invite you sit and stay.
Of course, historic preservation and reuse of existing buildings is one of the first and foremost ways to be sustainable primarily because it eliminates the need to produce all those new building materials, each of which comes with an environmental price tag. But this is probably just the tip of the sustainability iceberg as the Hot Springs Bath House District has demonstrated. Bath houses continue to attract many visitors providing local economic sustainability while preserving the local history, scale and community fabric. Both are enormous and continuous benefits to the local community as well as all of us seeking to soak and rejuvenate in the special hot waters that people have come from far and near to experience for more than a hundred years.
As more studies are done by NASA and others, these hot spring waters continue to provide new information on what makes them so special.
