Sorry for the change yesterday on the radio side

We had a great live show set up for yesterday on WARL 1320AM and Blog Talk, but our major guests cancelled late and we had no choice but to run the audio from a recent TV show.  We apologize for that.  We'll be back live promoting Green Fest in Boston next week.

In the meantime, here's some good reading on success stories within the green economy from the UN:

ou are: www.unep.org > Green Economy > Success Stories

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Success Stories

Collection of 8 stories

The economic analysis in the Green Economy Report builds in part on the encouraging signs and results of many initiatives around the world. A number of these come from developing countries, including emerging economies, and illustrate the positive benefits from specific green investments and policies, that if scaled up and integrated into a comprehensive strategy, could offer an alternative development path, one that is pro-growth, pro-jobs and pro-poor. A limited selection from a growing range of experiences in different sectors, are summarized below, highlighting their economic, social and environmental benefits. While some represent established broad-based policies and investment programmes, others are newly initiated pilot projects. In this sense the collection underlines that a green economy strategy has established and proven examples on which to build. At the same time, some recent developments also illustrate the growing interest in seizing opportunities to move to a green economy.

We are interested in your own experience with success. Contact us if you have a story to tell.

	Organic Agriculture in Cuba Cuba’s transition to organic agriculture emerged as a necessary response to the food crisis that gripped the nation in the early 1990s. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and a longstanding trade embargo that severely constrained industrialised agricultural practices on the island, Cuban producers turned the declining availability of pesticides, fertilisers and petroleum into an opportunity to shift towards organic production with numerous environmental, social and economic gains.
	Solar Energy in Barbados Barbados’ overreliance on imported fossil fuels has become one of the island’s major environmental concerns. The Barbadian government’s National Strategic Plan of Barbados for 2006-25 is designed to rectify this dependency by increasing the country’s renewable energy supply, with a particular focus on raising the number of household solar water heaters by 50 per cent by 2025. Solar water heaters are now a widely used renewable energy technology in Barbados, with installations in nearly half of the island’s dwelling units.
	Waste Management in Republic of Korea Waste management and recycling in the Republic of Korea’s has not reduced waste generation, but has also encouraged reusing waste as an energy resource. Over the past years, targeted policies have significantly increased the recycling rate while creating thousands of jobs in an endeavour to build a Resource Recirculation Society.

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Great stats this week from our radio partners Facebook page

This from WARL:  Congratulations to WARL for building a great and loyal audience

facebook Hi Peter, Here are the latest insights about your Facebook Page. WARL 1320 A.M. New Likes Talking About This Weekly Total Reach 5 21 -8.7% 1,477 +68.4% See All Insights · Promote Page Manage Your Page

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Tomorrow's radio show on WARL 1320 and Blog Talk Radio

Has lots of variety and covers plenty of terrain.

First, we head up to Boston to update everyone on this year's GreenFest.  Have you been before?  If not, see  if you can get up this year this year.  Starts on Thursday night, Aug 16  and ends that Sunday.  In between the days are packed with events as the event works to build a better word.  Here's the link to their main page:http://www.bostongreenfest.org/

After that, we introduce you to the Worldwatch Institute and our special guest, Danielle Nierenberg – Senior Researcher, Food and Agriculture Program | Nourishing the Planet Director.  Danielle and the Institute have garnered world attention for their work on nourishing the planet, and we'll look at the economic impact of their work tomorrow.

We'll be on from 12-1p, EST, then you can listen to it 24/7 on the Renewable Now network on Blog Talk.

Right after that, we will film five new TV shows in Warwick RI,  Busy day.  If we miss a blog tomorrow, as we did Monday preparing for this week, we'll be back on Thursday.

Here's more on the Institute:  

Mission

Through research and outreach that inspire action, the Worldwatch Institute works to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world that meets human needs. The Institute’s top mission objectives are universal access to renewable energy and nutritious food, expansion of environmentally sound jobs and development, transformation of cultures from consumerism to sustainability, and an early end to population growth through healthy and intentional childbearing.

HISTORY

Founded in 1974 by Lester Brown as an independent research institute devoted to global environmental concerns, Worldwatch was quickly recognized by opinion leaders around the world for its foresight and accessible, fact-based analysis. Now under the leadership of population expert and author Robert Engelman, Worldwatch develops innovative solutions to intractable problems, emphasizing a blend of government leadership, private sector enterprise, and citizen action that can make a sustainable future a reality.

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Enjoy the show and tour 21012

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Wisconsin Energy to buy Monfort wind energy center

From a story on WTAQ radio, Green Bay:

GRANT COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) - Wisconsin’s largest electric utility will spend $27 million to buy an existing wind farm in the southwest part of the state.

Wisconsin Energy, the parent of We Energies, has agreed to buy the Montfort Energy Center near Montfort in Grant County. NextEra Energy Resources of Florida currently owns the facility.

It opened 11 years ago, and it now has 20 turbines that provide enough power for about 9,000 homes. We Energies’ CEO Gale Klappa says the wind farm will deliver positive benefits for both customers and shareholders. It will also help the utility meet its state-mandated requirement to produce 8.25 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2015.

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Thanks to one of our co-host, John Flaherty

For updating us on a very nice installation of solar at Brown University.  We work closely with RI College, and they have a very big push into sustainability, across their campus facilities, formation of a terrific green team, bringing bee hives on campus, installing a farmer's market in concert with neighbors on Fruit Hill in Providence, and across their curriculum.  Pushing clean energy and other positive changes on every school campus, from first grade up to master graduates, ingrains positive change into students who are hungry to learn and find better ways  of doing things.

Nice job, Brown.

Here's the story:  More heat and lightThe 168 hybrid solar panels installed on the roof of the new aquatics center provide both electricity for the building and heat for the pool. It is the largest hybrid solar installation in the country and the first on a college campus. Credit: Mike Cohea/Brown University

The new 94,000 sf building was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, with landscape designed by Todd Rader + Amy Crews. The project provides a 10,000 sf fitness loft, 3 exercise/dance studios, a cafe/lobby, approximately 10,000 sf of lockers, support, and administration space. In addition, a 12,000 sf Strength and Conditioning facility for varsity athletes and a 56 meter pool designed to be one of the fastest in the Ivy League. As part of the project, the Ittleson Quadrangle was created and is the heart of the athletics complex.

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A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Finishing up from yesterday:

Identifying the Opportunity

It’s time to kill two birds with one stone. The grid needs to be upgraded and powered with cleaner sources of power. Fortunately, we can simultaneously adapt to a more flexible and reliable grid while also reducing electricity’s contribution to climate change. The National Renewable Energy Lab recently concluded that it is entirely possible for renewable technologies to supply more than 80 percent of total U.S. electricity in 2050. NREL is not alone. InReinventing Fire, RMI outlines how a highly renewable and reliable grid is not only possible, but also cost competitive.

However, to achieve these visions of the future, significant investments in the control and management systems in the distribution grid are needed. Luckily, emerging technologies are opening up a world of possibilities.

For instance, imagine a grid that is threatened by storms. By knowing the exact moment and location that a falling tree takes out a wire, utilities can reduce the duration of or even prevent outages. EPB, the municipal utility established by the City of Chattanooga in Tennessee, successfully weathered its own recent storms with its upgraded smart grid systems. Newly installed feeder switches sensed disruptions in real time, successfully isolated network faults and cut the number of customers affected by storm-related outages in half compared to what would have been the case with previous technology.

On the other side of the country, California utilities are beefing up their own distribution systems. Pacific Gas & Electric, for instance, installed a system of high-speed communications control software, and within a year, this system has already prevented an outage near the town of Rio Vista.

For a specific class of customers, even more can be done. Local investments in energy management and control systems can make dramatic contributions to a resilient grid. Microgrids, such as those at UCSD and at military bases, are already demonstrating the benefits of improved control and management capabilities. A microgrid with onsite generation, storage, and load control can manage local resources to meet essential needs during an outage, even in the event of a wider grid blackout. In grid emergencies, some microgrid control systems can relieve grid stress by reducing electricity demand, by exporting power to the grid, or by islanding itself temporarily until conditions stabilize.

Making Smart Choices Now for the Future

Innovative opportunities exist for the electric grid, and a growing number of people are realizing that delays in grid investments could prove to be penny wise and pound-foolish. The actions of utilities and regulators, however, will determine how smooth the transition is to a more resilient and renewable system. Utilities will need to aggressively continue piloting intelligent technologies, perhaps adapting their business models enabled by the new communications. Regulators, while holding utilities accountable for grid expenditures, must also support the much needed investments and innovation for future generations.

And as for the average citizen, the choice is simple. You can do nothing: you can continue paying the electric bill, occasionally pausing to grumble about electricity cost or reliability. Or, you can learn more about the electricity system (like Newt Gingrich), and request (perhaps even demand) grid upgrades that will protect against storms and enable a greater use of renewables.

RMI is working to reinvent the electric system, recently launching theElectricity Innovation Lab, a collaborative engagement to address the technical, institutional, and regulatory challenges of achieving an electricity system that is more clean, secure, and reliable for all. We heartily welcome your input.

Whatever you decide, remember that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.

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