Our Green Streets Blog

IDE's water technologies have had an important impact on poor rural farmers in developing countries. Photo: IDE

In Denver, an important art exhibition from developing countries opens in Denver, along with another feature concerning sustainability and affordable water technologies. The exhibition, titled, The Art of Dirt, has been organized by Denver-based IDE The exhibition takes place at the EventGallery 910 Arts and will run through September 25.

According to IDE, The Art of Dirt allows visitors to learn how simple, affordable technology design has improved the incomes and lives of the millions of people at the base of the economic pyramid. The exhibition includes photographs, videos and a tomato garden growing in the gallery that has been irrigated using IDE water technology.

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Nature Communications, the seventeenth publication from Nature Publishing Group was launched this month.. This publication will be different, says the publisher.

“Nature Communications differs in being multidisciplinary,” reports the Nature announcement. “It aims not to compete with the established Nature journals, but to publish rigorous and comprehensive papers that represent advances of significance to specialists within each field. In addition, it welcomes submissions in fields that are not represented by a dedicated Nature research journal — for example, developmental biology, plant science, microbiology, ecology and evolution, palaeontology, astronomy and high-energy physics. ”

Using nanotube wires for hybrid fuel cells has renewed promise Source: Nature Communications

One current article discusses hybrid nanotubes as a part of miniaturizing fuel cells for biological applications.

“Now Gao and coworkers show that electrodes made with porous microfibers composed of oriented carbon nanotubes are capable of delivering fast mass transport of the reagents and greatly enhanced currents,” the magazine reports.

Many readers may find much of these works from Nature to be highly academic in nature — even heady sometimes — but such information provides a solid barometer for scientific research and development trends.

My friend, architect and sculptor, Doug Eichelberger, spoke to me about an upcoming Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA) program paid internship he will oversee as artist/architect in residence called Design and Build. This is a public art paid internship program involving interns (high school seniors and college undergraduates) who commit a minimum of 15 hours a week for the duration of the six-week program.

According to the MOA, it sought “…nine interns for Design and Build: Spring 2010 for the “Recycled Dwellings Project”. Interns will collaborate on a design proposal while working with our professional artist/architect in residence. After the proposal process, interns will build their dwelling in a public space to be on temporary display through fall of 2010.”

Each intern will be awarded a $1,000 stipend. Engineering, architecture, design, art and carpentry were among skill sets that were sought from interns.

Eichelberger builds a barn with baled scrap plastic

“The goal is that the kids will learn about recycling collection and construction,” says Eichelberger, adding that the exhibit might serve as a springboard for other innovative projects that employ sustainable solutions. Eichelberger has used recycled materials in building project before, constructing numerous buildings on his ranch using various trash materials.

Concurrent with the launch of the internship program, this April 10, the museum will open Element House.

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News from Environmental Leader:

Safeway has become a founding member of the Sustainability Consortium, the group launched in support of Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Index.

The goal of the consortium is to develop guidelines and promote innovations as the supply chain seeks to reduce its energy use, emissions and packaging. The consortium made headlines in January when Wal-Mart and Best Buy, together with electronics suppliers Dell, HP, Intel and Toshiba, officially launched the effort.

The consortium is administered by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas, with financial support from Wal-Mart.

The consortium has courted Safeway, in hopes that it would become involved in what could be an industry wide sustainability metric system.

Safeway made its involvement in the initiative public March 1, reports Supermarket News. Safeway is the first grocer to join the group, according to a press release.

The retailer will use life cycle assessment data to create a company-wide supply chain policy encouraging sustainable purchasing and manufacturing practices throughout the organization’s direct and indirect buying.

From the Governor’s Energy Office:

Colorado Carbon Fund Advisory Committee Meeting

The Colorado Carbon Fund’s Advisory Committee meets Monday, March 1 from 2-4 pm at the GEO office.

The Agenda includes:

• An update on Colorado Carbon Fund marketing and plans for 2010.
• An introduction to Ben Vitale, the new president of The Climate Trust, our partners in managing the Fund and finding high quality projects.
• An Executive Session review of proposals received during the RFP for solar hot water systems. This portion of the meeting will be closed to the public.

If you’d like to listen in by webinar, please register online.

To attend in person, please contact
Susan Innis

On March 17 in Greensboro, NC, the American Wind Energy Association is bringing  representatives from a diverse range of industries, international and U.S.-based wind turbine manufacturers, component suppliers, service providers to the wind energy industry, and hear first hand the wind energy industry’s needs, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and share resources and best practices with industry leaders and experts, and your peers.
For more information visit:
www.awea.org/events/supplychain4

Paul Hawken, keynote speaker Source: http://paulhawken.com

Santa Monica, CA – The Sustainable Industries Economic Forum, scheduled Jan. 14, will feature environmental economist, Paul Hawken, and The Huffington Post co-founder, Arianna Huffington.

Paul Hawken, CEO of Pax Engineering Group and author of “Ecology of Commerce” and “Natural Capitalism,” will address the opportunities created by a triple-bottom-line approach (people, planet, profit) in the midst of the current business climate.

Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post , will give a presentation and serve as moderator for a question-and-answer session with Hawken.

The event will also feature an informational panel of local business leaders which will be moderated by Lewis Perkins, Sustainable Strategist at New House, LLC. Read more of this >>

Bevan Suits,Sustainable Design Group

Bevan Suits, head of Sustainable Design Group and recently featured on Green Streets in a review of  his Aquaponics Guidebook, penned this analysis: “Hydroponics is an industry. Aquaculture is an industry. Aquaponics is not an industry…yet. What current trends will guide its growth?”

As author of The Aquaponics Guidebook, Access to Personal Agriculture, Suits has a pretty good notion about how such questions might be answered, especially by today’s college students.

To make a point, he refers to compelling book on food by Michael Pollan, “In Defense of Food.”

If you have not read the book, this quote tells a lot about his concerns.  “Food. There’s plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

“Because most of what we’re consuming today is not food, and how we’re consuming it — in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone — is not really eating. Instead of food, we’re consuming “edible foodlike substances” — no longer the products of nature but of food science.”

Suits believes Pollan’s work appears to be taken as a call to action by many university students attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Incoming freshmen were given copies of the book for free and seemed happy to think of it as a guidebook.

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A note from Peter Olins, co-founder of the Northern Colorado Entrepreneurs Network, my emphasis provided:

Glenn:

“Almost certain you’re on Al’s list, but just in case.
It’s almost worth a blog article about the next generation of nonpartisan “political” speech and action.
It also helps to be Nobel laureate :~)

Regards,

P.”

REPOWER AMERICA

When a clean energy economy finally becomes a reality in America, people will look back to the day that together, you and I launched The Repower America Wall.

The Wall is a place where literally thousands and thousands of people committed to a revolutionary new energy future for our nation and the world are coming together — to express our hopes, share our resolve, and step up to a leadership role in building a grassroots movement for change like nothing America has ever seen. It’s an opportunity for you to be part of the climate movement in a new way, in a way that takes us beyond ourselves.

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For those who do not know Earthship, one of these scheduled webinars might be a great time to visit. And the price is exceptionally good, as is the subject matter! GRM

Earthship logo

“Long Way Home and Architects for Humanity will present world-renowned founder of Earthship Biotecture, Michael Reynolds (http://www.earthship.net/home/begin-here.html) as part of BuildBoston 2009 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston on Nov. 18, 2009 from 7 until 8 pm.

“Reynolds is best known for starting Eathship.net, a socially conscious construction venture that builds homes out of garbage with yearly utility bills under $100.”

Nov 16 and Dec 15 events: Read more of this >>