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Integral to program is that TV makers implement the use of ambient light sensors, which automatically lower the TV's brightness in a dark room by decreasing power to the backlight. This results in a power savings of 30 to 60 percent. The LCD TV Association says that in the future, the program will expand to include goals of reducing set size (which in turn reduces the carbon footprint of a set via smaller designs and packaging); and making packaging environmentally friendly. Amtran, LG Innotek, Rallypoint and RetrEvo Join “LCD TV Association” Major TV Manufacturer Ships GreenTV Logo Certified TV sets, Saving Consumers Up to 60% in Energy Consumption Las Vegas, Nev., January 6, 2009 – The “LCD TV Association”, a global, not-for-profit marketing trade association chartered to inform, promote, improve and connect the entire LCD TV supply chain, today announced that AmTRAN, a major display OEM/ODM company, LG Innotek, a cutting edge provider of electronic components; RallyPoint, a leading provider of software and services for internet-enabled HDTVs; and Retrevo, an innovative website and match-making service for people and electronics for finding, buying and using CE gadgets and gear; have all joined the LCD TV Association to help provide even better values and solutions for consumers of LCD TVs. In addition, the LCD TV Association also is pleased to announce that a major global TV manufacturer has recently begun shipping TVs which qualify for it’s GreenTV logo usage—becoming the inaugural company to do this (see our website at http://www.lcdtvassociation.org/greentv/certifiedgreentvs.html for more detailed information). The LCD TV Association’s GreenTV logo program was launched last year in an effort to help focus LCD TV manufacturers and brands on reducing the power consumption of LCD TVs and raising consumer awareness of this important issue. The program currently aims to work with major TV vendors to implement and promote ambient light sensors, which will automatically lower the set brightness in a dark room by decreasing power to the backlight—thus saving energy and actually reducing potential eyestrain as well. This can reduce power consumption by at least 30%, and as much as 60%, in current implementations. Participants in the program are awarded the right to use the Association’s unique GreenTV logo on products, packaging and advertising material to help consumers identify these specifically enabled and wonderfully featured sets. In the future, this program will not only work to increase energy efficiency further, but help reduce the carbon footprint of LCD TV sets (via smaller designs & shipping boxes and thus better logistics costs), as well as make them more recyclable and ecologically friendly from the start (less heavy metals, etc.)—leveraging the best, innovative technologies from companies like Corning and Merck KGaA, as well as utilizing more LEDs for lighting, etc. Learn more about the Green TV logo program at http://www.lcdtvassociation.org/greentv.html . For an example of how consumers are learning about this wonderful program, please visit http://www.GreenTV.com . “As we navigate through this current, but temporary, difficult economy, and progress through the U.S.A.’s digital TV transition by February 2009 with other countries to follow, it becomes even more important for the LCD TV industry and supply chain to join forces to advance the industry as a whole and provide the best possible value proposition for consumers. We are pleased to welcome AmTRAN, LG Innotek, RallyPoint and Retrevo to help us support this effort,” noted Bruce Berkoff, Chairman of the LCD TV Association. “We are also proud to see the first GreenTV logo enabled TVs from a major vendor (saving consumers up to 60% or so on some energy usage), and we will continue our efforts to help make LCD TVs even more “earth-friendly in the future,” Berkoff added. For more information on the LCD TV Association, it’s membership, or to join, please visit us on the web at www.LCDTVAssociation.Org or email us at membership@lcdtvassociation.org. About the LCD TV Association: The LCD TV Association’s “Sustaining Member” companies currently include Amtran, Corning, DisplaySearch, Dolby Laboratories, the Flex Tech Alliance, Fusion Optix, Global Lighting Technologies, LG Display, LG Electronics, LG Innotek, Luminus, Merck KGaA, Micronas, NOVA Chemicals, RallyPoint, Retrovo, Unipixel, Veritas et Visus, Vizio and Westinghouse Digital Electronics. About AmTRAN AmTRAN was established in August 1994 and is a leading display OEM/ODM company, developed innovative products for the flat panel display industry. The company has been publicly listed since October 1999 and has over 2,000 employees with a capital value of US$200 million since 2007, and target revenue of US$2 billion in 2008. More information about the company is available at www.amtran.com.tw/ About LG Innotek LG Innotek leads the drive to develop technology in cutting-edge electronics components and explore various markets. LG Innotek has eight core businesses (tuners, motors, power modules, LCD modules, camera modules, LEDs, MCMs, and Car Electronic Components) in four high-potential market categories (mobile, display, network, and car electronics). More information about the company is available at www.lginnotek.com About Rallypoint Rallypoint provides software and consumer services for Internet-enabled HDTVs and set-top boxes. Rallypoint licenses Internet content and develops social networking, voting, communication, shopping and sports applications on a number of industry-sponsored platforms. Rallypoint also offers its own patent-pending “TV widget engine” system that will be shipped with leading HDTV chipset vendors starting in late 2009. Rallypoint is a member of the LCD-TV Association. Please visit www.rallypoint.tv for more information. About Retrevo Media Contact: Stacey Voorhees-Harmon, Public Relations Consultant Phone: 925-336-9592 E-mail: stacey@savvypublicrelations.net Creating the new Green Economy and Green Jobs. It is now happening in a big way. Until now, finding really good (and recently posted/constantly updated) green jobs and opportunities was a task at best. And the best part is the countless green social communities are helping us in our endeavors by sharing and adding to the posts. We all know a friend, family member or somone we have met that has openly dreamed of really making a difference. As we all collectively grow, those dreams will become a larger reality for so very many. Our many thanks to GreenBiz and GreenTV viewers as we welcome all to a greener and finer world. The Vice President and his team are in Philadelphia this morning for the first meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, with a focus on a green jobs as a pathway to a strong middle class. Greg Nelson from the White House Office of Public Liaison is attending the meeting and will be filing updates throughout the day. Podesta added that we also need to leverage private financing, especially to reach neighborhoods and homes. Hi Everyone! My name is Karly and I am a resident of Plymouth, MA. I am currently a senior at Plymouth South High School and I am also an intern at Plymouth Rock Studios. I was given this wonderful opportunity through the Marketing Education technical studies program at my school. I am here to give everyone an insight about Plymouth Rock Studios being the first movie studio in the world to become LEED certified. This is not only an amazing status for the studios to hold, but for the town of Plymouth also. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, the construction, and the operation of high performance green buildings. Part of being certified could incorporate our rooftops looking like beautiful gardens up in the sky. Plymouth Rock Studios incorporated a green star logo, their trademark for recycling, which was also the first "star" to come out of the studio. Everyone here recycles everything from paper to plastic, cans and bottles, ect daily. What better place, than America's hometown to have an opportunity such as this one!! Soon we should see another increase in solar and wind power. The federal tax credit cap of $2,000 was eliminated and it is now unlimited. The state incentives i.e. 50% rebate in Delaware can be added to support the economics of a project. Also, renewable energy credits "recs" of about $220 per watt produced further support a project. The debt service on a 15 or 20 year loan results in a positive cash flow for a project. The elimination of pollution is another huge benefit of a green project (i.e. reduced health care costs). We should all try to support green projects, and finally head towards a cleaner environment and energy indepdence from OPEC and the oil industry. The cost for land based wind power in a windy location currently cost about 3.9 cents per Kilo watt hour. We are paying about 13 cents per kilo watt hour, and business are paying about 16-18 cents (some companies receive much lower rates). North and South Dakota, Montana, Kansas, Texas and other western states have very high wind resources, and we should all urge congress to build large wind farms in all these areas. Nate Edmunds Wilmington, DE DoubleTree Guest Suites in Times Square has two floors of eco-friendly rooms that include wastebaskets marked “recycling,” energy-saving light bulbs in all fixtures, water-saving showerheads, and on-the-shower-wall containers filled with shampoo and conditioner, as well as many other environmental efforts, Hotel Chatter reports. Some Kimpton Hotels have “eco-floors” too. San-Francisco based boutique chain, JDV Hospitality has two hotels that are certified green businesses. Hyatt Hotels have also been recognized for their environmentally friendly efforts. Their recently announced brand Andaz plans on being especially green with organic food and beverage, fully biodegradable products and focusing on energy efficiency. Marriott International states more than 85 of its hotels will earn the Energy Star label signifying 35 percent less energy use than average buildings. Some Best Westerns have turned to solar power and a fuel cell electric power plant is being installed at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in San Mateo, California. Rezidor Hotel Group states it’s the first hotel company worldwide to offer all guests a carbon offsetting program. Vail Resorts is planning a $1 billion project to transform a 9.5-acre site, currently known as West LionsHead, into what Vail is calling a green multi-use resort village consisting of residences, a hotel, offices, retail shops and restaurants, mountain operations facilities, a public parking garage, a new gondola and related skier portal and a public park. Wen-I Chang hopes to createa series of resorts that will blend environmental consciousness with the creature comforts consumers have come to expect A big chain that seems to be missing on this Green Hotel/eco-friendly trend is Starwood Hotels, Hotel Chatter reports, saying that the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons are also lagging behind. But stay tuned, as there is rumor of a multi-million dollar deal with GreenTV and Starwood! Barely a week goes by without news headlines announcing yet another innovative way of making biofuel, something that was lauded as remarkable only at the beginning of the year but has since fallen from grace. Many new biofuel initiatives sound great at the outset but once the mechanics and background information are revealed they seem to be just as harmful to the environment as existing methods of fuel extraction. That is, until now. A group of Spanish developers, led by researcher Francisco Angulo, have announced their creative means of producing biofuel, which it appears, may help the environment in more ways than one; they intend to make biofuel from general urban waste. They intend to treat the garbage with a certain bacteria, which in turn produces fatty acids that can be used to produce standard biodiesel. In a press release from Ecofasa, the company responsible for the concept, they state: “The process is fully biologic, competes with no feedstock and is really sustainable. “It is based on the metabolism’s bionatural principle, by means of which all living organisms, including bacteria, produce fatty acids. “As biotechnology takes part in it, and the yeasts and bacteria produce the process, it does not require the input of energy or heat that others need, so it is also highly worthwhile in terms of its energy balance.” The drawback? Only one liter of biodiesel is yielded per 10 kg of trash treated. However, the process is still in the development phase and won’t be ready for commercial use for another three to four years, so there’s plenty of time for it to loose face, too. Let’s hope not.
A hilarious look at the bare truth behind the serious side of "Green Washing". The Go Bare Report is filmed in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me style while spoofing on our friend Steven Colbert of The Colbert Report. A Must see G-rated experience! Pilot and new episodes coming soon! If you have a green product or service you want featured, contact us today NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) today announced the signing of an exclusive three year agreement with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) to provide Philips’ latest range of SmartPower2 energy efficient televisions to Starwood’s 460 properties across North America. The deal, which could be worth up to $100 million with existing opportunities and expected growth, will see industry-leading energy efficient televisions installed in new hotels and existing Starwood properties looking to convert to LCD TV technology for the first time. In what is believed to be the biggest 'green TV' deal to date, this agreement is also expected to save the premier global hotel company more than $12 Million dollars in energy costs over the seven year lifetime of the equipment, and reduce energy consumption by up to 40 percent when compared with the televisions currently in use. Philips will immediately begin installing these televisions, which are also available to consumers as the ‘EcoTV’. Taking the recently announced growth targets of Starwood North America into consideration, at least 80,000 Philips SmartPower2 TVs will be installed over the course of the next three years. This partnership impacts such well known Starwood brands as St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. These ‘Green’ TVs will also be included in Starwood's newest hotel brand, Element, which is at the forefront of green hoteling, having recently announced that each of its hotels brand-wide are required to pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. "This is a defining agreement for us, and is indicative of the fundamental change in mindset we have implemented around procurement and sourcing, and the partners we want to work with to achieve this," said Paul Davis, Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing at Starwood. "Philips has shown us that it is easy to simultaneously provide our guests with the very latest technology while making a sound business decision that significantly impacts costs and reduces energy consumption." Televisions were an important area to address for Starwood in its search for energy efficiency. Starwood estimates that the average hotel television is operating for six to eight hours every day. Anecdotal evidence highlights that guests regularly leave their hotel rooms without switching off their television, while many hotels also like to welcome guests with a personalized message on the television screen in their room. This deal continues an already successful relationship between Starwood and Philips, which has also been the exclusive provider of energy efficient lighting to the hotel group for more than two years. This lighting includes compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs for hotel rooms, as well as other energy efficient lighting for areas such as lobbies and building beautification. A comparison of hotel rooms reveals some staggering saving numbers. While configurations differ for each hotel, there is on average one television and three light bulbs in each room, using approximately 455 Watts of energy daily. Replacing these with the Philips SmartPower TVs and Philips energy efficient Compact Fluorescent light bulbs, and energy consumption is reduced to 153 Watts, just one third of existing energy needs. Philips currently has more than 6 million TVs installed in hotels worldwide, its success largely due to product built specifically for the Hotel TV market. The segment has consistently grown for Philips over the last 25 years, and is of increasing importance as Philips leverages its combined professional and consumer expertise to offer integrated solutions for this industry. "This partnership with Starwood highlights Philips’ ambitions to become a major sustainability and global innovation partner for the hotel industry," says Willem Houck, Head of Global Business Key Account Management for Philips Electronics. "Whether it be lighting lobbies around the world or choosing the right television when it is time for a replacement, we demonstrated to Starwood that there was no need to compromise on product quality in its goal to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and achieve important environmental goals." "For years we have been educating consumers around the world about how a simple switch in lighting can make a big difference to both their utility bill and the world's energy crisis. Now this simple switch is also available in the form of environmentally friendly televisions." About Royal Philips Electronics Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 128,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of USD 42 billion (E27 billion) in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter. About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with approximately 900 properties in more than 100 countries and 155,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis(R), The Luxury Collection(R), W(R), Westin(R), Le Meridien(R), Sheraton(R), Four Points(R) by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft(SM), and Element(SM). Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com. My husband and I have started building a grain silo into a house. We started in February 2006 and are just now coming to the framing part. We are new to the whole green idea but want to use it throughout our build. Unfortunately we are newly weds and are low on funds and time. We only work on the silo on the weekends because I work and my husband works and is a full time student. Our problem thus far with building green has been finding product availability, that is affordable and is truly green. Hopefully by salvaging a forgotten grain silo (an existing structure), we are already helping the environment. Regarding this most recent oil spill in the Gulf, we must think of helpful solutions, instead of simply pointing fingers. Nor does it help much to take actions such as boycotting BP gas, while Mother Earth lies hemorrhaging, as the oil is her life’s blood. Unfortunately, it has also become the life blood of our society. You see, to truly help the issue at hand is to look at the overall ‘reason’ of the oil spill, which is our dependence on it to run society and make life comfortable for us humans. To truly help would be to abstain from all use of petroleum: gas for all types of travel such as car, plane; heating; use of plastics… and the list unfortunately goes endlessly on. So since it is improbable we can stop our dependence – overnight – other ways of more effectively handling this sorrowful situation must quickly be considered. Blame does nothing, but love heals. One very significant way to help the cause is to send our love, our apologies (for all the rape, plunder and abuse of our Earth Mother), and our gratitude for her tolerance. The Hawaiians put this succinctly into a one word phrase: *Ho’oponopono, which, I’ve been told, loosely translates to: I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, Thank you. This one phrase, and our translation have been shown to “wreak” miracles. So let’s set miracles circling around our beloved, hemorrhaging Mother Earth by joining together in Love: Ho’oponopono I love you I’m sorry Please forgive me Thank you As we speak to Mother Earth, it may help the healing imagery to place our hands in a body of her waters, or at least stand in a natural area, and meditate, pray, sing, or chant these words and phrases – whatever feels most natural to you. The important thing to remember is to speak from the heart in communication with our dear Earth Mother. This is how we can directly help Mother Earth. *For more information on Ho’oponopono and where it comes from, check out: http://www.idreamcatcher.com/hooponopono/ There is also a beautiful song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac5SGwRPv0o&feature=related Have you heard about hygridding? It's the next step past simply being off-grid. It's about generating more power (mostly through solar & wind) than you can consume and feeding the excess back into the grid. At last check 37 states in the US had adopted "net-metering" - the regulation that states if you can produce more energy than you consume and back feed the grid, you local utility company is required to "buy" it back from you. Your electric meter spins backwards, creating credits to your account. Being off grid simply removes you from being a consumer of electricty supplied by your utility company. With hygridding, you actually become a mini-utility, so not only are you no longer consuming electric from the grid, you are actually supplying it!! Pretty cool. Check out this Wired article about hygridding. They say we are at the dawn of the hygrid age. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/solar.htm l This is creepy. What is this world coming to... Monsanto & Cancer Milk: FOX NEWS KILLS STORY & FIRES Reporters. As the world experiences incredible changes, our opportunities are boundless and endless. Please watch the trailer "The Shift". It is a mind blowing, revolutionary Movie documenting our evolution. Spirit is rising, and the male and female energies are now coming into balance. This is the beginning of a "Golden Age". www.theshiftmovie.com Whether we are conscious or not of the intricate role we play, we must make an effort to release old ways of thinking, beliefs and views. This is the time to practice unconditional love as taught by so many wise Masters/Teachers. Ms. Von Schlachmacher, her unique animated friends and more who share the latest in green.This is fun! Today, we continue to test and document green products and will begin to share our findings and offer these products to you at lower prices than the big box stores and planting a tree for each order placed. Stay tuned to GreenTV for your chance to win!! A recent report
by MIT on EGS estimated just 2% of the heat 3 - 10 km below below the
continental United States is more than 2,500 times the country's total
annual energy use. EGS has the potential to provide clean renewable electricity 24/7,
at a cost cheaper than coal. The ability to produce electricity from
geothermal energy has been thought exclusive to locations such as
California and Iceland. However EGS could allow us to harness the heat
within the earth almost anywhere. To see see the massive size of the US
geothermal resource accessible by EGS, check out their Google Earth layer.
For more on EGS, watch this video, featuring Dr. Steve Chu, Director of
the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Dr. Jefferson Tester,
professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and lead author of a major
recent study on EGS: Our EGS partners to date include: * AltaRock Energy: $6.25 million investment to develop
innovative technologies to achieve significant cost reductions and
improved performance in EGS projects EGS is heating up around the world. Australia, Germany, and the
European Union are currently leading the technology and
commercialization race. All 50 U.S. states, Europe, Russia, China, and
India all have substantial thermal resources accessible by EGS. While the US debates drilling in the ocean for oil, we are focused
on drilling for renewable energy - and lots of it - right beneath our
feet. A recent report by MIT on EGS estimated just 2% of the heat 3 - 10 km below below the
continental United States is more than 2,500 times the country's total
annual energy use. The United States needs more aggressive government
policies to help catch up to other nations, including expanded R&D
funding, a national renewable portfolio standard, and reliable tax
incentives. For more on our geothermal policy agenda, read this brief. EGS has enormous potential to cleanly address the world's energy
challenges. We look forward to continuing our efforts to advance EGS
through technology, investment, policy and information. We posted this recent study because GreenTV has been testing and validating green claims for over 10-years at our 24/7 Green Research Center..Read on.. Nearly one in four U.S. consumers say they have “no way of knowing” if a product is green or actually does what it claims, according to a new study from branding and marketing agency BBMG in New York. The agency says this signals a lack of confidence in green marketing and a widespread green trust gap. The BBMG Conscious Consumer Report: “Redefining Value in a New Economy,” conducted in conjunction with research partners Global Strategy Group and Bagatto, also finds that 77 percent of Americans agree that they “can make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies,” and they are actively seeking information to verify green claims. Where do consumers turn to for verification? Nearly 30 percent of respondents turn to consumer reports, followed by 28 percent who look for certification seals or labels and 27 percent who read the list of ingredients on products. Consumers are least likely to look to statements on product packaging (11 percent) and company advertising (5 percent), according to the study. Other key findings indicate that consumers are interested in buying green despite a tough economy with nearly seven in ten reporting that it is important to purchase products with social and environmental benefits. More than half are willing to pay more for green products. Respondents recognized Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, GE and Whole Foods as the most socially responsible companies, while they saw Exxon Mobile, GM, Food, Shell and McDonald’s as the least responsible companies. Another finding reveals that consumers will reward or punish companies based on their corporate practices. Seven in ten consumers (71 percent) agree that they “avoid purchasing from companies whose practices they disagree with”; and approximately half tell others to shop (55 percent) or drop (48 percent) products based on a company’s social and environmental practices. A recent consumer study on green packaging indicates that packaging is a tiebreaker for most shoppers when they decide which product to buy, and only influence consumer purchase decisions if quality appearance and functional needs are met.
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PC WORLD: GreenTV-Coming to a
PC WORLD: GreenTV-Coming to a Wall Near You
Description: 
At a time when power savings is a hot topic, LG has begun shipping the first televisions that qualify for the LCD TV Association's GreenTV logo. The logo program was designed to encourage TV makers to reduce power consumption, and to help consumers make an informed choice on what kind of TV they're going to buy.
The LCD TV Association is a global, non-for-profit marketing trade association, formed to help the entire LCD supply chain and retail channel through to the end consumer via various communication tools, including speeches, interviews, sponsored research, as well as industry newsletters, meetings and standards settings—resulting in information distribution. Participating at the many industry trade and consumer shows around the world to help promote members’ interests, as well as creates better LCD TVs for everyone. We encourage and engage in discussions to promote the industry overall, as well as helping foster healthy competition and create better products with higher value propositions for consumers and retailers alike. The LCD TV Association can help fight the growing “specsmanship” in trade publications and refocus conversations on true image quality and understanding for consumers, and help the whole LCD TV ecosystem to improve and thrive. For more information on the LCD TV Association, it’s membership, or to join, please visit us on the web at www.LCDTVAssociation.Org.
Retrevo is the first matchmaker for people and electronics that makes buying and using electronics products simple and fun. Retrevo is the first to use artificial intelligence technology to analyze, classify and summarize all relevant information on electronics products from both industry and social media sources including publishers, manufacturers, retailers, social networks, blogs, user reviews and even inside Adobe PDF manuals. Consumers are presented with objective product evaluations and answers in visually simple and actionable forms that give them the confidence and control throughout their entire electronics products relationship lifecycle. More information is available at www.retrevo.com
GreenTV & GreenBiz = Green Job
GreenTV & GreenBiz = Green Jobs!
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GreenTV and GreenBiz are now working together to empower millions of our combined viewers find local, national and international jobs and income opportunities.
Live from V.P. Bidens Green Jo
Live from V.P. Bidens Green Jobs Task Force..
Description: Friday, February 27th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Liveblog: The Task Force's first meeting
11:25 a.m.: The event site in Philly is hopping. We just arrived, and students and attendees greeted the motorcade with lots of excitement. The crowd arrived early and is starting to file in, a beautiful mix of community members, labor members, small business and green business owners, and environmental groups.
11:53 a.m.: The line is reaching way out the door, giving folks a chance to meet each other and tell their stories. Just met Jim Bauer, who is the local United Steelworkers (USW) President at the Gamesa Wind Turbine facility in Fairless Hills, PA. Jim worked for US Steel at the same site for 25 years, but the plant closed. When it opened up three years ago making turbines, Jim returned to the facility and joined the machine shop. They've cranked out 509 turbines so far. Jim says optimism has returned because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
12:08 p.m.: We're just about ready to get started here. Amazing stories at every turn -- people are hurting, but the optimism around green jobs is everywhere. Dave Johnson of the Laborers Union has been working with Newark community groups on a pilot project to help train community members to weatherize local homes. It is a win, win, win -- better, healthier homes for the homeowner, long-term skills and careers for residents, and reduced energy use and carbon for the world.
(12:21 p.m.: Ed. note: The Task Force has just made public its first staff report, "Green Jobs: A Pathway to a Strong Middle Class," which you can read in full.)
12:37 p.m.: And we're underway. Vice President Biden kicked things off with a rundown of why this is so important -- in many states, green companies are some of the few that are hiring. We need to create more of these opportunuities, and -- reflected by the breadth of the audience today, people are hungry for it. Electeds, business leaders, labor members, community members, students, faculty, all wanting to get to work to make this happen.
12:44 p.m.: Just as impressive as the crowd is the panel -- the VP, 6 cabinet secretaries (including newly confirmed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the author of the Green Jobs Act), and senior White House staff. Lots of praise for Senator Specter (R-PA) for making so many green job opportunities possible with his vote on the recovery act. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) is talking about the importance of the energy efficiency components of the recovery act, and how that will help cities like Philadelphia.
12:46 p.m.: VP Biden just plugged the AStrongMiddleClass.gov and invited attendees to make sure they participate and contribute to the conversation even after today.
12:50 p.m.: First presentation is from John Podesta from the Center of American Progress, then it will be Fred Krupp from the Environmental Defense Fund and Van Jones from Green for All. You can check out Krupp's presentation and handout, as well as a video from Jones.
1:01 p.m.: Van's message is about providing opportunity and hope, and the moral responsibility to make sure this green wave is one that lifts all boats -- "a green economy that MLK would be proud of." The way to do that, he says, is to make sure green jobs crop up not just in rural and suburban areas, but in urban areas, too. To great applause: "There is a moral principle to green the ghetto first ... to give young people the chance to put down that handgun and pick up a caulking gun."
1:05 p.m.: Van is describing the impact of opportunity and inspiration. The green dollars in the opportunity act are 'the hardest working dollars the federal government has ever spent....We need a new commitment, we need a new math, and we need a new ethic. And that's how we fight poverty and pollution at the same time." And for his own inspiration and push for opportunity, Van gets a standing ovation.
1:20 p.m.: "when I see less carbon, I also see more jobs." That's from Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund, which has invested a lot of time and energy into the details of how to make green jobs a reality. Fred is taking the remarkable vision of Van, and breaking it down step-by-step back through the supply chain: from end products (like solar panels or efficient windows or LEDs) to the components to the original raw materials. Where and how those supply chains get developed -- and the jobs each step in the supply chain represents -- is what will determine how well we can live this vision.
1:27 p.m.: Members of the Task Force are now asking questions. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis asked about gender in green jobs.Van answered by talking about where green jobs are headed: not just solar panel installations, but also managerial jobs, IT jobs, marketing jobs, and education jobs. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack mentioned the USDA programs supporting green jobs, and how popular and effective it is. He then asked about mayors, and what we can ask of mayors to help get this done. John Podesta answered: it's about scale. We need to create markets that can build and support this massive task and opportunity ahead of us.
1:38 p.m.: Energy Secretary Chu asked: with all the energy efficiency money in the ARRA, how do we help spend it in a way that greats good jobs? Van: The moment is now. The money is here. Now it is about doing it right. Because we could do this poorly and wrong. But let's do it well and right, by:
1:44 p.m.: HUD Secretary Donovan: Part of the new math is about how we can leverage energy savings to help finance energy efficiency for individual homeowners. Where can we get the best data and thinking? Van: Great work at MIT. They've been working with unions, labor, and other partners on a program called Emerald Cities.
1:48 p.m.: Education Secretary Duncan: How do we systemically give opportunities to students who need them? Too often, it seems like it relies on a remarkable social entrepreneur or non-profit to open those eyes and those doors. Van: starts early, in the curriculum. The greener, the more successful.
1:54 p.m.: Moving on to panel 2. Coming to the mics are: Governor Rendell (D-PA), Mayor Nutter (D-PA), Leo Gerard (United Steelworkers), Mark Edlin (President, Gerding-Edlin), Cecilia Estolano (CEO of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Authority)
2:02 p.m.: After a quick break, the Task Force jumps right back into some heavy content. Gov. Rendell leads off. As a Governor, he makes the important note that much of the innovation in this area has been in the States. Rendell has 3 points he suggests the panel address:
2:16 p.m.: And we finally get to hear from the host -- a city that Nutter himself called "stimulus-ready." Nutter is making green jobs a major focus in his economic development work in Philly. As he said in his testimony, whether you have a GED or a PHD, we've got a green job for you in Philly.
A bit of news: the Knight Foundation is granting $1.1 million to the city's Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) to train workers for green jobs, in collaboration with the mayor's office.
2:20 p.m.: Nutter: "'Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States, and we plan to be the first capital of green jobs."
2:30 p.m.: One of the key partners in making green jobs a reality has been Labor, in particular the United Steelworkers of America. USW President Leo Gerard has been a visionary on this issue, and has been building coalitions with enviro groups for years -- he's a founder of the Apollo Alliance and the Blue Green Alliance. President Gerard's members are truly the engine behind green jobs -- 2700 people showed up at the Good Jobs Green Jobs conference this month. They are the machinists at Gamesa's wind turbine facilities, the glassmakers in window factories, and the line workers in battery manufacturing. And right now, some of those jobs are in danger because the markets have dried up. But the Recovery Act has a chance to change that. Let's make it count.
He's also make a big commitment; that the Blue Green Alliance is going to develop a Green Jobs scorecard to help evaluate the impact of projects paid for by the Recovery Bill. A great addition. (Check out President Gerard's presentation.)
2:42 p.m.: Cecilia Estolano is talking about the work that she and Mayor Villaraigosa have been doing in Los Angeles -- alongside now CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley (and LA's Vice Mayor for Energy and Environment). LA has been at the forefront of many of these conversations, with real results. Estolano ended by saying: 'Thank you, Mr. Vice President, it is so nice to -- finally -- have a partner in the White House."
2:50 p.m.: One of the healthiest (and at times very funny) undercurrents of today's event has been each speaker claiming that his home town or state is the greenest. It came to a head with Mark Edlen (of Gerding Edlen's), who claimed Portland and Oregon are the greenest -- highest rate of renewables, highest hybrid car ratio, etc. That prompted Estalano to stand up for LA, Nutter for Philly, and Rendell for PA. VP Biden finally brokered a truce by calling the competition "healthy" but maybe best left for after the meeting.
2:54 p.m.: Mark Edlen talking now. He and his company -- Portland, OR-based architecture firm Gerding-Edlen -- in a lot of ways created an industry and market for green city living. He believes they can go further -- zero impact buildings. Gerding-Edlin just completed a 400-thousand square foot building that is off the sewer grid, and in fact puts water back into the system.
Mark also talked about a new initiative by Governor Ted Kulongoski (D-OR) called The Oregon Way. Gov K has brought together a public-private board to evaluate potential projects to be paid for by recovery funding -- and to rate them based on their impact in jobs and sustainability.
3:14 p.m. -- Biden wrapping up now. In addition to running the Middle Class Task Force, he's also the lead for Recovery Act Implementation, and he drew an important connection between green jobs, the middle class, and the Recovery Act. The act has tons of opportunity, he says, but a lot of hard work lies ahead in execution: openness, transparency, and impact -- it can be either a "platform or a tombstone." So let's get it right.
Paraphrasing: Green jobs are not autonmatically good jobs without fair pay and strong standards...So let's be level-headed about this, and make sure we do it right, while making sure we acheive our first goal of directly impacting the economy. And do it with openness, transparency, and with accountability.
Plymouth Rock Studios: 1st mov
Plymouth Rock Studios: 1st movie studio in the world to become LEED certified!
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Wind and solar power initiativ
Wind and solar power initiatives
Description:
Green Hotels
Green Hotels
Description: Hotels Go Eco-Friendly
How to Turn Garbage into Biofu
How to Turn Garbage into Biofuel
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Ecofasa turns waste to biodies
Ecofasa turns waste to biodiesel using bacteria
Description:
A group of Spanish developers working for a company called Ecofasa just announced a new biofuel made up from trash. This isn't a biodiesel made from used frying oil; instead, it's made from general urban waste which is treated by bacteria. The result of that bacteria? Fatty acids that can be used to produce standard biodiesel. According to the company's CEO, the process is fully biologic, competes with no feedstock and is really sustainable. However, the process doesn't yield that much actual fuel: just one liter of biodiesel from 10 kg of trash. The project is now in a development phase, but Ecofasa said that a commercially viable model could be ready in three to four years.www.ecofa.es
[Source: Econoticias]
The Go Bare Report
The Go Bare Report
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$100M Exclusive Green TV deal
$100M Exclusive Green TV deal
Description: Philips and Starwood Sign Exclusive ‘Green TV’ Deal
V.P. Joe Biden's Green Jobs Ta
V.P. Joe Biden's Green Jobs Task Force
Description:
Green Jobs and the New Green Economy;
Green jobs are jobs that provide products and services which use renewable energy resources, reduce pollution, conserve energy and natural resources and reconstitute waste.
So what do green jobs mean for the middle class?
First, quite simply, it means more jobs. At a time when good jobs at good wages are harder and harder to come by, it is critical we find new and innovate ways to create more such jobs. Building a new power grid, manufacturing solar panels, weatherizing homes and office buildings, and renovating schools are just a few examples of ways to create new good quality jobs – green jobs – and strengthen the foundation of this country at the same time.
Second, more green jobs mean more money in your pocketbook at the end of the month. If we create jobs that aim to reduce your energy costs – like your electric bill and your home heating bill – that means you have more disposable income for other things.
Creating more green jobs has multiple benefits. It helps the economy as a whole; it helps our environment; and it will save you money.
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Building a silo into a house
Building a silo into a house
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Recent Oil Disaster: Healing o
Recent Oil Disaster: Healing our Earth Mother
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HyGridding: Not just off Grid,
HyGridding: Not just off Grid, New Power Generation
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Monsanto & Cancer Milk: FOX NE
Monsanto & Cancer Milk: FOX NEWS KILLS STORY & FIRES Reporters
Description:
Click here: YouTube - Monsanto & Cancer Milk: FOX NEWS KILLS STORY & FIRES Reporters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL1pKlnhvg0
FOX NEWS Reporters (Reporters Steve Wilson & Jane Akre) uncover that most of the Milk in the USA and across some parts of the world is unfit to drink due to Monsanto Corporation's POSILAC®, which has been ...
Making a conscious Shift
Making a conscious Shift
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BigGreenTV
BigGreenTV
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Win Free Green Products on Gre
Win Free Green Products on GreenTV …
Description: Win a new Green powered Lawn Trimmer. Win a case of new BPA-free Water Bottles that compress to just over an inch, can be re-used 1,000 times and are earth friendly. Win a portable water purifier that creates healthy water using no electricity. Win a set of newly patented solar lights that are bright, last long and recyclable.
As many are aware, GreenTV did not accept advertising, sponsorship or endorse products during our first 10-years. We chose to focus instead on building a green social community based on trust and ethics.
During that time, we also built a 24/7 Green Research Center from the ground up exceeding green standards and using green products. This gave us a chance to validate the claims and function of true green products in a real world environment.
Geothermal Part of the Answer?
Geothermal Part of the Answer? Google Thinks So...
Description:
Posted by Charles Baron, Climate and Energy Team, Google.org:
Today, as part of Google's Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal initiative, Google.org announced more than $10 million in investments and grants in Enhanced Geothermal
Systems (EGS) technology. EGS expands the potential of traditional
geothermal energy by orders of magnitude. The traditional geothermal
approach relies on finding naturally occurring pockets of steam or hot
water. The EGS process, by comparison, replicates these conditions by
fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system, and using
the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine.
* Potter Drilling: $4
million investment in two tranches, to develop new approaches to lower
the cost and expand the range of deep hard rock drilling, a critical
element to large-scale deployment of EGS
* Southern Methodist
University Geothermal Laboratory: $489,521 grant to improve
understanding of the size and distribution of geothermal energy
resources and to update geothermal mapping of North America
Working
with Geodynamics, one of the world's leading EGS development companies,
we modeled Geodynamics' first 50 MW system at the Cooper Basin in
SketchUp, Google's 3D modeling technology. To see how EGS works, check
out the animation of the SketchUp model or download it.
Trust a 10 Year, 24/7 Green Co
Trust a 10 Year, 24/7 Green Company?
Description: Study: Consumers Lack Trust in Green Claims
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