Thanks to Barbara Seeley

For a great post and picture the welcome sign we will see in Rio for the Olympics in 2016:Here's the related story:  " Solar City Tower ",  built atop the island of Cotonduba ,  will be the welcome  symbol to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de  Janeiro .It will be  seen by the game visitors and participants  asthey arrive by air or water.The  tower, captures solar energy. It will supply  energyfor all of the Olympic city, as well  as also for part of Rio .         It pumps up water  from the ocean to create whatappears like a  water fall and this fall stimulates  turbinesthat produce energy during the  night.It will also hold the Olympic ...

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Enjoy the show on ABC 6 Saturday and Live Well Network Sunday

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From Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's office

Here's the link for signing up, and the information on the event is below:  http://whitehouse.senate.gov/events/?event_uid=fcef20de-5056-a032-52c7-418165e819b9&process=event_selected Upcoming EventsFields marked with an asterisk* are required for a response.Event InfoMay 01, 2012 2:00 PM - Ocean Explorers Turned Ocean InterpretersRhode Islanders know that protecting the ocean helps us support industries that are critical to the Ocean State's economy, like fishing and tourism.But protecting the ocean is no small task -- and our efforts are most effective when they are informed by the work of ocean experts and researchers. That's why we're glad to welcome three renowned ocean explorers to the University of Rhode Island for a free, open-to-the-public event on May 1st.At this event,...

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Continuing yesterday's blog

Here's a second look at the story provided by our newest radio co-host, Seth Handy, Environmental Lawyer, who, by the way, did a great job on his first broadcast today on WARL 1320 AM, as we explore the power of microgrids:   ..."Microgrids are the foundation for a revolutionary electric system that ensures reliability by focusing on the customer. By creating a feedback loop between the utility and the end user, microgrids become powerful tools in supply and demand. Just as knowledge has been revolutionized by the power of individual contributions (Wikipedia has had millions of participants that shape our collective knowledge), our energy ecosystem can be transformed similarly. Because of the importance of these evolving systems, RMI is partnering with key institutions to prove that creative...

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Welcome to Seth Handy, Environmental Lawyer and, now, Co-host on radio

Renewable Now's goal is to expand our global reach and audience.  We do that by engaging as many experts into the process as possible, as guests on the TV show, radio show and as contributors to our blog and web site.We welcome our newest expert, Seth Handy. Seth has a varied background that lends itself perfectly to the business side of green--having worked on the legislative side, legal and as a developer of historic buildings into mecca's of new commerce.  He is a perfect fit.We'll start by running Seth's first blog with this note he sent us:  " What I'd propose for the blog is to respond to your piece on Denmark by sharing a link to this page on micro-grid from RMI, including the piece on the UCSD micro-grid. http://www.rmi.org/nations_largest_microgrid_online_esj_articleTogether...

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV Tops the Greenest Car List for 2012

By Leslie GuevarraPublished February 07, 2012Email | Print | Single Page ViewTags: Alt-Fuel Vehicles, Energy & Climate, More...Making its debut in the U.S. market, the all-electricMitsubishi i-MiEV has knocked the Honda Civic Natural Gas car from its eight-year reign as No. 1 on the annual Greenest Vehicles List compiled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.The organization released its annual rank and spank lists this morning of the vehicles that are the "Greenest," the "Meanest" (the worst) and the "Greenest Choices" for their class based on tailpipe emissions, fuel economy and emissions related to climate change.With a combined city and highway...

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Nice article editorial from our partner, EcoRINews

Corporate Takeover of Earth Day UnderwayJoanna Detz"Two years ago, BP kicked off Earth Day with an oil spill of epic proportions that flowed for three months. It was a signal, perhaps, of the failure of decades of preceding Earth Days to save the planet from this sort of ruination.This year, it’s time to acknowledge the cold and unappealing truth: Earth Day’s poignancy and relevance has faded. That there should be an appointed day when we humans should all give a hoot about the planet appeals to the lowest common denominator and opens the door to all manner of marketing gimmickry and greenback-seeking hoi polloi.In an era when the “Lorax” movie is cross-promoted with an SUV, plastic bottles are touted as green and the inventor of plastic...

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New Consumer-Friendly Report on Climate Benefits of EVs

Thanks to Gina at Sierra Club for this excellent post:What are the climate and fueling benefits of switching to an electric vehicle in your home state?In the "State of Charge," an important, in-depth, and much-anticipated report released this week on the global warming impacts and fueling costs of electric cars, our friends at Union of Concerned Scientists find that EVs have significant climate benefits over conventional gas vehicles across the United States.The report, which I believe we will be referencing for months and even a couple of years to come, shows that all fully electric as well as plug-in hybrid vehicles, in every region of the country, result in lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) than the average 27 mpg compact cars...

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Take a look at the new video we just posted...

More later today.Tune into the radio show tomorrow at 12-1p, EST, as I co-host with Jack Gregg and we catch up with Mass Energy, which is RI Power and Light in RI, and a wonderful woman moving us into mass transit on the South Shore of Ma...

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Marriott Headquarters’ LED Retrofit to Save $120,000 Annually, Deliver 2-Year ROI

We love seeing positive stories on investments in saving energy and great ROI's.  Here's one from Environmental Leader on a  nice effort by GE and Marriott Hotels:"GE Lighting LED retrofits at Marriott International’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md., will reduce electricity use by 860,000 kWh, or 66 percent, and save more than $120,000 in annual combined energy and maintenance costs, GE Lighting said.The anticipated payback period for the lighting project is slightly more than two years. GE estimates energy expense savings at $104,000 per year, and maintenance mitigation at another $210,000 savings over the decade. Marriott also will receive more than $130,000 in utility rebates and EPACT savings.Marriott chose GE’s high-efficiency...

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Enjoy the show and tour 21012

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Denmark Sets Goal of 100% Renewable Energy by 2050

Great job, Denmark, on setting the highest possible goal on using renewable energy.  We hope, in other parts of the world, not to be too far behind:From EcoGeekWritten by Megan Treacy Denmark has released a portfolio of programs to achieve the ambitious targets of getting all of its electricity and fuel needs from renewable sources by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2020. The country intends to get half of their energy from wind and the rest by utilizing smart grid, biogas, geothermal, wave and other sustainable technologies.Denmark will add 1500 MW of offshore wind and 1800 MW of onshore wind by 2020 in order to reach its goal of 35 percent renewable energy by...

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From Environmental Leader

Good piece today: Leakage Rates ‘Threaten Green Benefits of Natural Gas"Failure to reduce methane leaks has the potential to eliminate much, if not all, of the greenhouse gas advantage of natural gas over coal, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Methane is the main ingredient in natural gas and burns cleaner than other fossil fuels when combusted, but un-combusted methane is a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide – the principal contributor to man-made climate change. As a result the gas’s leakage from production and transportation has the potential to remove any environmental benefits it boasts over traditional fuels, according to Greater Focus Needed on Methane Leakage from Natural Gas Infrastructure, whose five...

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Study: Centuries-Old Farming Methods Hold Key to Rainforest Conservation

From Voice of America:  Ancient Amazon farmers shunned slash-and-burn techniques"The Amazon region of South America, the largest tropical rainforest and river basin on Earth, is disappearing at a rate of around 800,000 hectares a year, but a new study finds one possible strategy for reversing this trend in ancient Amazonian farming methods.Analysis of a 1,000-year-old ecological record in the Amazon provides a rare glimpse at early farming practices before European explorers began arriving in the Americas more than 500 years ago. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds the ancient farming methods could slow the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.he rapid expansion of agriculture and cattle ranching, road and dam construction, and...

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With Sadness

Providence Journal environment reporter Peter Lord, 60, dies; service set.PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Peter B. Lord, a Providence Journal reporter whose award-winning coverage of environmental issues took him from the beaches and forests of Rhode Island to the Arctic Circle, Central America, Hawaii and beyond, died Wednesday at the Village House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, in Newport. He was 60 years old.Lord joined The Journal as a reporter in 1979 and was assigned to cover the environment in 1981. Over the next three decades, he developed a national reputation for the clarity and depth of his writing on everything from oil spills, invasive species, and climate change to the successful efforts of Block Islanders to preserve much of the island's land.Thank you to Peter Lord and other great...

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Good updates from EcoGeek

Two good stories we want to share with you:The US Environmental Protection Agency has released its Clean Air Act standard for carbon emission from new power plants. Under the proposed EPA rule, any new fossil-fuel-fired power plants (whether fueled by coal or natural gas or any other fossil fuel) would have to meet an "output-based standard of 1,000 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour (lb CO2/MWh gross)." (EPA Fact Sheet PDF) EPA believes that over 95% of existing gas-fired plants would meet this standard, but that coal-fired plants would need to incorporate carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology in order to meet the limit.The proposed rule does not apply to existing plants or to plants currently under construction. Nor does it...

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Catching Wind updates Wisconsin wind news

Catching Wind, a newsletter from RENEW Wisconsin, includes the following updates on wind in Wisconsin: Siting rule survives challenge, takes effectCapping a bitter four-year struggle, the Legislature cleared the path for wind energy development to resume in Wisconsin under clear and consistent rules. By adjourning without passage of bills restricting wind development, the Legislature allowed a statewide permitting rule developed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to take effect. Community wind sweeps into western WisconsinTwo privately owned utility-scale wind turbines are set to rise this spring near Organic Valley Cooperative’s distribution center in Cashton, home of Wisconsin’s first Community Wind project. Called Cashton Greens, the wind project is a joint venture of LaFarge-based...

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Our partners, EcoRINews

Between now and Earth Day, we're asking you to commit to us.  For $1, $5, $10, or $25 or $50 per month, you can become an ecoRI Newssustaining donor. Your financial support directly funds our reporting and outreach. We do a lot on a shoestring budget, and we need your support to keep our operation going. What do we do with your money? Well, here's just some of what we do:Investigate stories not covered by the mainstream media.Tell the stories of unsung heroes who are working every day to preserve our state's environment and lift up underserved communities.Collect your compostable food scraps at farmers' markets.Green up road races, conferences and events around the state.Work hard because we care, and because we, too, live in...

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