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Be sure to Stumble the posts you like, or submit them to other social bookmarking services. Let's promote each other, as well as this ... [visit site to read more]

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In a campaign initiated by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), more than 1 billion people from over 1,000 cities in 125 countries and territories, around the world switched off their lights for one hour between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Image via Wikipedia It all began, with the one-hour switch-off, first held in Sydney [...]

If you drove by my house last night at 8:30 PM EDT you would have noticed my lights were on, music was playing, and a small group of friends were gathered to enjoy each others' company and conversation.

Whither Earth Hour? The now annual global "action" that tries to get people to turn off their lights for 60 minutes as a stand against climate change. Not in my home.

What I don't like about Earth Hour is it sends the wrong message. It sends a message of deprivation and loss rather than prosperity through innovation.

Two billion people in the world currently live without access to electricity. They rely on kerosene and candles for their lighting needs, sources that are dangerous, expensive, and polluting.

The societal benefits brought to the world by electricity and access to light have been well-documented. Indeed, the relationship between total energy consumption and productivity and wealth creation suggests that the benefits of electricity generation are at least of the same order of magnitude as economic development itself, according to several articles in the journal Energy Economics.

Why would anyone want to go back to the Dark Ages, even for an hour?

How much better would it be if we promoted prosperity through innovation and made the most efficient electricity and lighting available to the most people. Turning out the lights is just empty symbolism.

When most people look at a leaf or a flower, they see a plant, but when Laura Su looks at these plants, she sees inspiration for pieces that are works of art. Prismera Design includes pieces that are ... [visit site to read more]

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Forced Green Turns 2 – We Have So Far To Go, Yet We Have Come So Far There’s a gruesome little saying that goes – if you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out, but if you put it in cold water and slowly heat it until the water boils, the frog will [...]

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March 26th's Tip

Soap Chips: Stop throwing out those little pieces of soap! It’s valuable stuff! Take the soap chips from all the sinks and showers in your house and put them in a big plastic ... [visit site to read more]

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Cleantech interest is alive and well in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Over 380 people showed up at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia tonight for the 2nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Cleantech Investment Forum co-presented by BlankRome and the Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic.

The capacity audience heard opening keynote remarks from the Honorable C.H. "Bud" Albright, former Under Secretary of Energy and now a Senior VP for Policy and Government Affairs with CenterPoint Energy, along with an investor panel, and five presenting companies.

"I'm a policy guy," Albright opened. "And I also believe we can solve our energy problems with technology."

But, Albright continued, "those policies must be focused on the realities today and quickly get out of the way of the market. We need to let the creativity that exists develop."

Part of that reality is that fossil fuels will be around for some time to come, Albright offered, and we need transition strategies, pointing to energy efficiency and transportation fuels as the low-hanging fruit.

"The winners will be those who see the need and meet the need," said Albright.

The investor panel expressed cautious optimism about investing in the sector and a sigh of relief that 2009 was over.

"We're still going to take time to come out," said Kef Kasdin, a general partner with Battelle Ventures. "But we see some optimism in raising capital."

Mary Kay James, a managing partner with DuPont Ventures said they are seeing growth in potential new investments to the point where they are hiring staff to handle analysis.

"The most important thing to drive investment is consistency," suggested Michael Donnelly of GE Equity. "We need consistency in policy. Wind investment, for example, has been a yo-yo" because of the inconsistency of tax credits and incentives.

Michael Bevan, a managing partner at Element Partners, is experiencing higher failure rates, and has been defensive with regard to reserves. "We still have a fair amount of dry powder," Bevan said.

The five companies presenting were:

AE Polysilicon, a Fairless Hills-based manufacturer of high-purity grade polysilicon for use in crystalline silicon solar panels.

BlackGold Biofuels, the Philadelphia-based company with its first brown grease to biodiesel treatment plant now going up in San Francisco.

Community Energy, which was the leading early developer of utility scale wind power projects and markets that is now trying to do the same thing in the solar space.

FiniteCarbon, a forest development company that provides a single-source solution for creating and monetizing carbon credits.

Momentum Dynamics, the Malvern-based company developing proprietary technologies that will allow electric vehicles to be recharged wirelessly, either parked or in motion.

Several other companies exhibited, including AdaptivEnergy, ChiSage Systems, NanoPack, Netronix, Sun & Earth, and Y-Carbon.

The forum, organized in part by Tom Dwyer and Lou Rappaport from BlankRome (with help from Lorrie Scott), along with the Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic, was sponsored by Fairmount Partners, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Fesnak and Associates, PECO, Drexel's College of Engineering, Turner, the MAC Alliance and New Jersey Economic Development Authority, among others.


(Disclosure: I am co-founder of the Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic, and an advisor to BlackGold Biofuels.)

The City That Can Look To The Sky, Reduced Their Energy Cost, And Improved Their Eco-Footprint On October 27, 2009 in the southwestern section of Toulouse, France newly installed lamp posts were energized. Starting with a greater than 500 meter section of the Allée Camille-Soula. It’s a very busy street which runs between a [...]

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Image via Wikipedia It all began 3 years ago, when the first Earth Hour, was observed world wide in March, 2007. Each year since then, more than 80 countries, many global landmarks, and major cities, fall into a dark abyss, from 8:30 -9:30 P.M. The Earth Hour Event, is not just about turning off your lights for [...]

On Tuesday, Oceana announced its second annual "Ocean Heroes Award" contest and asked for nominations for those who make a difference for the oceans. For the first time, Oceana has added a "Junior Ocean Heroes Award" for nominees under 18 years of age.

Winners of the contest will receive a ... [visit site to read more]

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* I was not paid by Born Free to say any of this. I purchased the bottles on my own with my own cash monies.

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Finally!!!

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) welcomed new protections for rhinos around the world – which are suffering a major upsurge in poaching – in a new decree issued on Monday during the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and ... [visit site to read more]

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Whether you’re young or just young at heart, there’s now a gummy vitamin that supplements your nutritional needs, what ever they may be. Yummi Bears, the first-ever gummy vitamins, are now available in 10 varieties including five organic and three vegetarian options. All Yummi ... [visit site to read more]

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“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau The Energy Department said a white roof can knock 10% to 20% off a building’s electric bill. To that end, it is encouraging anyone replacing or building a roof to take advantage of substantial [...]

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