These clips come from Business Fights Poverty.

Read the post by Andy Wales, Head of Sustainable Development at SABMiller: “Could a floating brewery provide a business solution to water scarcity?”

Add your own post here, and join the other 33 million bloggers participating in Blog Action Day 2010: http://www.businessfightspoverty.org
Visit Business Fights Poverty at: http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Almost 1 billion people on this planet live without enough water.

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:Nov 18 Webinar with Michael Reynolds
(venue in Boston, MA) Followed by Q/A, approximately 2 hours. Anyone in the world with an internet connection can virtually attend. You can also have people physically gather together and have a laptop with projector on site so everyone can see. $10 per person (per connection).

Dec 15 Webinar With Michael Reynolds
(venue in Melbourne, Australia) Followed by Q/A, approximately 2 hours. Anyone in the world with an internet connection can virtually attend. You can also have people physically gather together and have a laptop with projector on site so everyone can see. $10 per person (per connection).

“…because your blog is related to our mission of living healthy lives on a green planet. This is just a quick note introducing the Local Action Challenge, a local contest that encourages people in Denver, CO to think global, act local… and win prizes doing it!

“SustainLane is heading up the Local Action Challenge in partnership with Hopenhagen, an international movement to drive action on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this December.

“Cities across the country – like Denver, CO – have sent in their top-ten lists of actions they’d like residents to take in order to combat climate change and otherwise care for the planet right in their own communities.”

According to Adam Waks, marketing manager for SustainLane Media, the program is gaining momentum. “So far, we have seen an incredible number of participants from all over the country. Since we launched the site on October 7th, thousands of people have visited and many are stepping up to the challenges, including Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, who challenged his constituents to follow his lead and “walk at least 10,000 steps each day.” As we get closer to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December and as more media begins to cover our challenges, we expect this number to increase rapidly.”

May the Force be with us!

I recommend visiting the Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2010, and looking at some of the entries from previous challenges, particularly the winners from last year (2009).

Bucky with tensegrity mode

To cite BFI executive director, Elizabeth Thompson:

“There is a movement afoot–of highly motivated individuals all over the world seriously engaged in coming up with solutions to the mounting set of problems we face. These design pioneers and social innovators are not waiting for large scale institutions to deliver us to a sustainable future. They understand the critical role they play as the change agents for the future we all want to see. These are the people and projects we are excited to see submit an entry to the Challenge.

“We have an amazing line-up of the international systems thinkers and design pioneers serving on the jury. This year we plan to capture and publish some of the discussion leading to the selection of the winning solution as we feel it surfaces some of the most critical issues faced in trying to figure out which solutions are leverage points for turning the ship around.”

This is a solid location for folks to spend time, look, absorb, invent.

Business and government leaders from Spain and the U.S. will explore how public and private partnerships are critical to creating growth in the renewable energy, transportation infrastructure and water treatment industries.

Both conferences will feature Spain’s Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Miguel Sebastián, as a keynote speaker. The Los Angeles conference will also include the California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, Dale E. Bonner, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary, Mike Chrisman, Qualitative Economist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Woodrow W. Clark II and Spain’s Secretary of State for Energy, Pedro Luis Marín Uribe.

Speakers at the Houston conference include Texas Secretary of State, Hope Andrade, Texas High-Speed Rail & Transportation Corporation Chairman, Judge Robert Eckels, Texas Water Development Board Executive Administrator, Kevin Ward, and Gestamp Wind North America CEO, Javier Mateache Sacristan.

Register to attend this event.Spain – US

source: gibbs-soell.com

from Environmental News Network: “More than 800 students in 20 teams from the United States, Canada, Spain and Germany will compete all week in ten contests that evaluate the architecture, engineering, comfort, marketability, appliances and lighting of the solar houses. The teams will perform everyday tasks, such as cooking, laundry, and washing dishes, to test the energy efficiency of their homes.”

The 2009 Solar Decathlon Teams are:

• Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)
• Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa)
• Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio)
• Penn State University (University Park, Pennsylvania)
• Rice University (Houston, Texas)
• Team Boston (Boston Architectural College, Tufts University) (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Team California (Santa Clara University, California College of the Arts) (Santa Clara, California)
• Technische Universität Darmstadt (Winner, 2007 Solar Decathlon) (Darmstadt, Germany)
• Team Missouri (Missouri University of Science & Technology, University of Missouri) (Rolla, Missouri)
• Team Ontario/British Columbia (University of Waterloo, Ryerson University, Simon Fraser University) (Ontario, Canada)
• Team Alberta (University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, Alberta College of Art + Design, Mount Royal College) (Alberta, Canada)
• Universidad de Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Madrid, Spain)
• University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona)
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Lafayette, Louisiana)
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, Illinois)
• University of Kentucky (Lexington, Kentucky)
• Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, Virginia)

Solar Decathlon entry from Team Spain

High-Tech Homes That Save Money Without

Sacrificing Comfort To Highlight DOE Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009 combines the latest in home
design and energy performance with the innovative spirit of university students
from around the world. The 20 university-led teams from the United States,
Germany, Canada, and Spain put their high-tech homes to the test—seeing how the
high-efficiency, solar-powered homes they built meet the energy needs of a typical
family. This year, the competition is enhanced by net metering—meaning the
houses are tied to the grid and will actually generate power for the local utility.
Just a few reasons to watch the solar village on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C., Oct. 8–18, 2009, are to:
•     Experience the future of green buildings today
•     Witness the powerful training platform for approximately 2,000 student
decathletes—the engineers, architects, and designers of tomorrow
•     Discover the latest innovative-housing solutions to reduce our carbon
footprint
•     Meet the students and professors who have designed, built, and tested these
prototype zero-energy, zero-carbon homes “from scratch”
•     Expand your knowledge of off-the-shelf modular components (such as
structural insulated panels, remote and Internet energy monitoring devices,
weather instrumentation, radiant flooring, and rain catchment systems) that
save energy and save money
•     Tour energy-efficient, highly attractive sustainable homes intentionally
designed to entice and appeal
•     Draw from the bright ideas of the students, who are dedicated ambassadors
inspired to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, beyond the competition.
The Solar Decathlon competition houses are open to the public Oct. 8–18,
2009, except for Oct. 14, when they are closed for competition purposes. For
more information, visit www.solardecathlon.org.