10 Predictions for Cleantech and Sustainability in 2012

Happy New Year everyone. We can't wait to go on tour this year with you and our partners.Here's a good article to contemplate as you walk into the new year:By Michael KanellosPublished December 28, 2011Was 2011 good or bad for sustainability and green technology?"First, the bad news. Three solar manufacturers trying to push the technological edge -- Solyndra, SpectraWatt and Evergreen Solar -- all went down in messy, public spectacles. Governments around the world, terrified about deficits, began to pull back on programs designed to promote renewable energy and sustainability. Electric cars like the FIsker Karma, Mitsubishi I and the sedan from Coda Automotive were delayed. The UN Talks in Durban, South Africa ended where they always do: with...

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Kudos to Alex and Anni

A local company, a very environmentally aware company, and a potential sponsor, for donating money to Bryant College to support their international business training.Here's the story: "Local company donates $1M to Bryant U.Donation to benefit International Business ProgramBy Shaun TowneCRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - A local company has donated $1 million to Bryant University.The gift from Cranston-based Alex and Ani, Inc. is to benefit the University's International Business (IB) Program.According to a news release, Bryant will receive $100,000 a year over 10 years.A working relationship between the company and the university began in 2010 when Alex and Ani were looking to expand into Spain, and sought guidance from Bryant faculty and students."Corporate partnerships like this one with Alex and...

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UK’s discarded Christmas paper and cards could fuel 20 moon trips

As we look to clean up from Christmas, and start fresh on 2012, here's a great story from Earth/Sky.org that will help us recycle this year and go electronic with our cards and letters next year:The link: http://earthsky.org/energy/uks-discarded-christmas-paper-and-cards-could-fuel-20-moon-tripsPart of the story: "Don’t stop recycling just yet, but if the technology were more developed, your Christmas waste could become biofuel to power motor vehicles.Scientists at Imperial College London have figured out that if all the UK’s discarded Christmas wrapping paper and cards were collected and fermented, they could make enough biofuel to run a double-decker bus the distance to the moon and back more than 20 times.These scientists say this demonstrates...

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Recycle Christmas Trees, Wreaths for Farm Project

From EcoRINews good article on recycling your Christmas Trees and Wreaths:The story: By ecoRI News staff"Bring us your Christmas tree Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers' Market from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.PAWTUCKET — Christmas tree or holiday tree, the name doesn’t matter. New Urban Farmers and ecoRI News will take your withering evergreen trees and wreaths for use as mulch in an urban garden.Drop off your unneeded trees and wreaths at the Jan. 7 Wintertime Farmers’ Market, outside of Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.Your old evergreens will be used for soil remediation for innovative agricultural projects going on right here in Pawtucket. New Urban Farmers is a community growing and garden project for inner-city...

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Good News for Companies that Support a Cause During the Holidays

Do you support a cause, specifically an environmental one? If not, know is the time to jump on board and enjoy not only the altruistic benefits, but, as per the below article, economic as well. Another good investment to think about over the holidays:Link to story: http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Good-News-Companies-Support-Cause-During-HolidaysSome of the story and link to video: TWEET MEGood News for Companies that Support a #Cause During the #Holidays http://3bl.me/r4k43v via @ConeLLC #causemarketing #coneresearchGood news for companies that support a cause during the holidays! CBS WBZ Radio interviewed Cone Communications' own executive vice president of cause branding and nonprofit marketing, Craig Bida, to reveal that consumers are shopping with a cause in mind. In fact, 91 percent...

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Enjoy the show every Sunday morning.

Enjoy the new s...

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10 shades of green Christmas trees

This will give everyone ideas for recycling this year and buying smarter next year. I love some of these choices, and by buying a tree and enjoying Christmas, you are adding to the local economy, supporting local businesses without further damaging the environment you live in:"I’ve immersed myself in discussions about green Christmas trees over the past few days, and I’m amazed by the wide array of options. There’s no official green meter to gauge which one is the greenest. But here’s a quick list of the various shades of green, along with some of the environmental benefits and potential drawbacks:A fake tree rescued from a dumpster or purchased from a thrift store (much of the environmental damage is done, but you can still keep it out of...

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Johnson Control wins Fort Bliss solar-energy contract

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Johnson Controls Inc. has won a contract to reduce energy use and add solar energy at the nation's largest military installation, Fort Bliss in Texas and New Mexico. A contract awarded Friday is valued at $16 million and is projected to save the Army post $39 million in energy costs over the next 24 years, Johnson Controls said. The contract was awarded two weeks after President Barack Obama signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next two years, using energy-saving performance contracts like those offered by Johnson Controls. Some 5,500 solar panels will be installed at Fort Bliss, along with new utility monitoring and control systems to manage energy...

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Damon Claus for a Cause - Water.Org/Holiday Green notes

We hope everyone is enjoying a slow down for the holidays, and getting geared up for a great, green 2012. We will be running some simple, seasonal updates as we move towards a huge year for us, including our 12 city tour.Enjoy today's update:2011’s Water.Org campaign is raising awareness of the water crisis this holiday season with our 2nd annual “You’ve Got” featuring Matt Damon. Matt Damon co-founded this organization alongside Gary White.The link to the story: http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Campaign/Damon-Claus-Cause-WaterOrgThe link to the video: http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Watch-Matt-Damon-and-Support-WaterOrg-Holiday-SeasonWater conservation is one of our most critical, life-threatening issues. Please help conserve.Our holiday cheers to Matt Dam...

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Giving Voice to Poor, Minorities on Climate Change/New Show today

This is a great article from EcoRINews that makes the direct connection between good environmental policy tied with solid economics, in this case focused on one state's effort to craft an urban policy that benefits the underserved as well.By DAVE FISHER/ecoRI News staffPROVIDENCEHere's the opening: "PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island is one of a handful of states that is taking a proactive approach to climate change. The Rhode Island Climate Commission, a 28-member board consisting of representatives from a bevy of governmental and non-governmental organizations, recently convened for the first time and is tasked with developing a plan for adapting and mitigating the inevitable effects of climate change on the Ocean State..."We love this part..."The project has already drafted several recommendations...

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Seattle officials vote to ban plastic bags

This is great news from the Seattle Times. It is a simple, tangible step towards using less energy, fossil fuel and reducing dangerous waste. Coupled with adding an additional fee for paper, and promoting people bringing their own bags, Seattle jumps into the lead in transforming retail into a cleaner future without adversely impacting the retailers ability to sell and make money.We applaud Seatle and other cities who have banned the harmful use of plastic bags. We will do a show on this, and help lead the charge to implement the same changes across the nation.Send us your comments.Please listen in tomorrow (WARL 1320AM), 12-1p, as we tackle the stink coming out of a local landfill and bring on the experts who can help solve the probl...

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Why Scott Walker Killed Wind Energy Jobs in Wisconsin

From an article by Louis Weisberg in the Wisconsin Gazette:When Wisconsin voters elected Scott Walker governor and handed Republicans control of the Legislature, about 1,000 new jobs in the emerging wind energy sector stood waiting on the state's horizon, according to industry proponents. But Walker, who received at least $1.5 million in campaign cash directly from interests opposed to wind energy and much more indirectly, quickly quashed the rules that would have allowed those jobs - and the state's energy independence - to move forward. Walker's move reportedly startled wind-energy supporters on both sides of the political aisle, since the so-called "wind siting" rules were ironed out during a year of negotiations with all the major stakeholders and approved by a two-thirds, bipartisan...

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Controversy in RI/Thanks to Greg Gerritt

Lots of talk, meetings, unrest in RI about the stench floating across the State from the Landfill.We are going to focus on this issue the next couple of shows (and there are some good, possible solutions which would benefit our local ecological system, too), but here's a good starting point on an essay sent to us by the head of the RI Environment Council, Greg Gerritt:"The smell from the landfill is primarily the result of the decay of organic matter buried in it. If we stopped burying food scrap and other organics, and instead composted them, the smell from the landfill would be greatly diminished over time, and we would be producing compost that can be used to revitalize agricultural soils in Rhode Island, improve the economy in our communities, and increase our community resilience in...

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Good news from Ford

This in from Environmental Leader:Ford Focus Electric to Boast 100 Mpg Equivalency"Ford says that its Ford Focus Electric is to be the first five-passenger electric vehicle to achieve a 100 mpg equivalent rating. The automaker announced this week that production of the car is to begin at a Michigan assembly plant.The Focus Electric (pictured) should also be able to fully recharge in three-to-four hours – half the time of Nissan Leaf, according to Ford. This technology can help double the car’s range during a busy day of driving and recharging multiple times, Ford says. Ford announced a solar powered home charging option for the car in August.The company began taking orders for the 2012 Focus Electric in November through dealers in the California and New York/New Jersey markets. Deliveries...

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Show yesterday

Good shows yesterday on radio station WARL 1320.Our special thanks to our special guest, Leland from: Boston Green Realty, LLC.229 Berkeley StreetSuite 201Boston, Ma. 02116office: 617.262.3075fax: 617.249.0434mobile: 617.966.2475web: www.bostongreenrealty.comGreat job, Leland. We will have you on aga...

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Brown University/Arpin Group

Through one of our companies, Arpin Renewable Energy Company, we have been testing solar applications to trucks and transportation. We've outfitted some of our trucks, and had spectacular results with eliminating conventional use of energy and reducing emissions.Through our partnership with TransSolar company, we are about to significantly expand our testing to many fleets, and should be launching new, solar products next year.Concurrently, we've mentored students at Brown University to not only help with this effort, but expand the potential use of solar on trucks. The results are award winning as you can see from this story: Congratulations to the Arpin team at Brown for a job well done:Arpin Renewable Energy Mentors Brown University Students...

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Canada to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol

Some interesting and disappointing news delivered by the BBC. Here it is:"Canada will formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the minister of the environment has said.Peter Kent said the protocol "does not represent a way forward for Canada" and the country would face crippling fines for failing to meet its targets.The move, which is legal and was expected, makes it the first nation to pull out of the global treaty.The protocol, initially adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is aimed at fighting global warming."Kyoto, for Canada, is in the past, and as such we are invoking our legal right to withdraw from Kyoto," Mr Kent said in Toronto.He said he would be formally advising the United Nations of his country's intention to pull out.He said meeting Canada's obligations under...

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Geen economies: UNEP praises efforts to shift to green economies

Great story today from the United Nation's Conference on Sustainable Development. Take a look:"Nairobi, Kenya - Poor countries across the world are engaging with the rich countries to reduce emissions from forests and fast track transitions to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy, the UN Environmental Programme (UNEPP) said Thursday. The multiple benefits of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD ) were discussed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban, South Africa. “In the same way that the Green Economy promotes sustainable, low carbon and resource-efficient economic growth, REDD also explicitly addresses the need for a balance between income growth, jobs and social equity,” UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said. “With...

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Solar City/CA/Weekend Edition

Nice USA Today story on Solar City's huge expansion in CA:$1B-plus solar power project gets private funding"A California-based solar company announced Wednesday that it has lined up enough private financing to begin what it says will be the largest residential solar photovoltaic project in U.S. history -- powering as many as 120,000 military housing units.SolarCity sought a loan guarantee last year from the U.S. Department of Energy to finance part of its five-year, $1 billion-plus plan to install, own and operate rooftop solar panels for privatized U.S. military housing communities nationwide. DOE offered a conditional commitment Sept. 7 but couldn't finalize the loan before its 1705 program expired Sept. 30. The DOE program has been scrutinized...

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New Shows/Late Post

We shot 4 great new shows today, all of which should premier in January. Then, of course, we go on the road with our 12-City tour and film everything the rest of the year on location. It will be a great year for the show.Also, we've reported a lot of good things about the Chevy Volt, including the overwhelming praise when we set up daylong test drives at a recent Farmer's Market. However, since then, the news has not been great, including this update:Second Chevy Volt fire sparks official investigationSafety administrators to examine lithium ion battery packs after another plug-in hybrid catches fire during crash testingBy BusinessGreen staff 29 Nov 2011 "The US road safety authority has announced an official investigation into the risk of fires breaking out in General Motors' flagship...

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Potawatomi plan $18.5 million biomass energy project next to Milwaukee casino

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe is proposing to build an $18.5 million biogas energy project adjacent to its Menomonee Valley casino. The renewable energy plan calls for construction of an anaerobic digester that would produce both electricity as well as heat that would provide for hot water and heating to the casino. The digester would produce gas from wastes produced by the food processing industry, the Potatatomi said in a proposal filed with the City of Milwaukee. The tribe estimated the project would create 61 construction jobs and five full-time jobs. If all approvals are obtained, construction would begin in late spring and be completed by early spring in 2013. The facility would be located one block west of the casino...

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Filming new shows tomorrow

We will be in the studio doing 5 new shows tomorrow, all of which will have their premier in Jan. We hope you are watching and listening on WARL 1320.In the meantime, here's some good news on one of the new EV's sweeping across the US:Nissan Leaf Rolling out to 50 States by MarchThe story: "Nissan is rolling out its all-electric Leaf to seven more states, with plans for availability in all 50 states and the District of Columbia by March, Fleet Owner reports.The company is now taking orders in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio, Indiana, Louisiana and Nevada, taking to 30 the current number of states where the Leaf is available.Originally Nissan had predicted availability in all markets by the end of 2011."Also, more good news on the...

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Coal Critic Coming to Madison to Speak on Effective Renewable Energy Advocacy, January 13, 2012

For immediate releaseDecember 7, 2011More informationMichael Vickerman608.255.4044mvickerman@renewwisconsin.orgLeslie Glustrom, research director of Colorado-based Clean Energy Action, and an unwavering critic of utility reliance on coal for electricity generation, will be the featured speaker at RENEW Wisconsin’s Energy Policy Summit.The Summit will be held on Friday, January 13, 2012, at the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Pyle Center located on the UW-Madison campus. Summit attendees will spend the day discussing and selecting renewable energy strategies that make sense in the current political environment in Wisconsin. More information on the Summit can be found on the RENEW Wisconsin website at http://www.renewwisconsin.org.As research director, Glustrom authored in 2009 an extensively...

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Arctic Cup

Arpin International Group is proud to be one of the major sponsors of this hockey event in St. Pete, Russia. The intent, of course, is to bring unity on the future treatment, and division, of the Arctic Lands, and make sure they are preserved as a valuable asset.Here's the story in today's Herald on our sponsorship and on two of our employees who are there playing and networking on behalf of the Arpin Group:Mover’s ‘hockey diplomacy’Execs play charity game in bid for Russian clientsBy Darren Garnick / The Working StiffWednesday, December 7, 2011 - "When teenage buddies Bob Sullivan and Mark Dearborn sweated out their summers lugging furniture for a moving company, they couldn’t have imagined it would lead to their own personal “Miracle.”More...

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Listen to Positive Energy Moving Forward WARL - 1320 AM Providence, RI

We will be live in the studio today, on 1320 AM, and their web site, with some interesting guests.Please call in. We'd love to hear from you.More stories on the blog later tod...

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Thanks to Gina at SIerra Club

For sending us this great article which we wanted to share with you:Big Solar Plans for Military FamiliesLink: http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2011/12/solarcity-merrill-lynch-military-solar.htmlPart of the article: "How do you double the number of houses that have rooftop solar? Ask SolarCity, which is moving ahead with its ambitious 5-year plan to provide 300 megawatts worth of solar for military families.SolarCity announced yesterday a partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch that will help finance the project that clocks in at more than $1 billion. Amid the rocky political climate, the project became uncertain after a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy fell through earlier this year. But this private financing should nudge the project -- named SolarStrong -- toward...

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From Eco News RI

Thanks to our radio partners for sharing this story with us:Renewable Energy Must Replace Dirty Fossil Fuels The link: http://www.ecori.org/green-opinions/2011/11/28/renewable-energy-must-replace-dirty-fossil-fuels.htmlPart of the story: "Much of the fossil-fuel industry claims we shouldn’t invest in electricity from wind and solar energy because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. True, but wind farms and solar panels in different locations all interconnected and monitored with a smart grid can send power where and when it is needed.The United States also has sufficient clean biofuels and bio-waste that can be used to generate base-load power when wind and solar power isn’t available. In fact, the Northeast is rich in biofuels and should be using more of this cheap,...

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Local firms join energy efficiency effort backed by Obama, Clinton

From an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Washington - President Barack Obama is enlisting former President Bill Clinton and companies including Briggs & Stratton Corp., Kohl's Corp., 3M and Alcoa Inc. in a $4 billion initiative to cut energy costs in buildings and encourage hiring for construction jobs.The program, which the administration forecast would create tens of thousands of jobs, is expected to provide work for energy service contracting firms including Johnson Controls Inc. and Trane.It combines $2 billion in energy-efficiency upgrades over two years for federal buildings along with commitments from companies, cities and universities to put $2 billion into similar efforts.The improvements to government buildings will be made under an existing federal program that uses...

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Sorry the show did not run today

For those of you who usually watch us on News Channel 5, we are sorry it did not run as scheduled. We are waiting for an explanation from ABC 6/News Channel 5, but they think it was a failed up load to their system on Friday, so it was not in their system today, at master control, to run.We'll get a written explanation and share it with you.Also, Terra Pass sent this to us and we are happy to share it with everyone. Send us a Christmas card:How do we fight climate change?Reminding our friends that we care:about them, our planet, and our future.Get the message across. Send an e-card today!http://store.terrapass.com/store/p/97-TerraPass-carbon-offsets-e-cards.html?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Send+an+e-card+today%21&utm_content=peterarpin%40msn.com&utm_campaign=Holiday+promo+email+-+11%2F28%2F2011It's...

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Renewable power trumps fossil fuels for first time

Thanks to Mark Learn for sending us this great story and great news:BloombergNovember 25, 2011, 12:29 p.m.Renewable energy is surpassing fossil fuels for the first time in new power-plant investments, shaking off setbacks from the financial crisis and an impasse at the United Nations global warming talks."Electricity from the wind, sun, waves and biomass drew $187 billion last year compared with $157 billion for natural gas, oil and coal, according to calculations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance using the latest data. Accelerating installations of solar- and wind-power plants led to lower equipment prices, making clean energy more competitive with coal."The progress of renewables has been nothing short of remarkable," United Nations Environment...

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Jay Leno Has Logged 11,000 Gas-Free Miles in His Chevy Volt Written by Megan Treacy on 22/11/11

How cool is this story: Jay Leno, car lover, has logged 11,000 miles on his Volt with no refill on gas. 11,000 emission-free miles. Thank you to EcoGeek for sending this story to us."We've heard a lot about sales numbers and predictions since the Chevy Volt's release, but we haven't heard as many real-world driving stories. What kind of range are people getting? Are they enjoying the car?Jay Leno, probably the most famous Volt driver so far, has raved about his experience with the vehicle and reported that he's racked up 11,000 miles in the car without ever having to fill up the gas tank.Leno drives his Volt from his home to the studio and back every day -- a 35-mile trip each way. With the Volt's battery range of 40 miles, he's able...

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