Green Education Prospectus
Green Job Growth
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2009, based on the National Establishment Time Series Database; analysis by Pew Center on the States and Collaborative Economics.
Green Job Distribution
Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2009, based on the National Establishment Time Series Database; analysis by Pew Center on the States and Collaborative Economics.
Tag Archives: energy conservation
Top 5 Green Apps for iPhone and Android
These days our phones are so much more than just simple communication devices. They are our lifelines, and they also provide us with help on things that many people would never imagine a phone can do. Like going green; your smartphone can do just that. Dozens of applications have been created that can help you with going green at home and elsewhere. Here are a sampling of a few of Eco Institution’s favorite green apps and their uses.
Carbon Meter – The carbon meter by ViralMesh helps you track and log your eco-friendly activities like walking or biking instead of driving as well as the amount of Co2 emissions you save because of it. The savings are deposited in the program’s EcoBank so that you can keep track. There are also specials or discounts available from ViralMesh’s green partners as your carbon savings stack up. Continue reading
Posted in Car, Green
Tagged android, carbon emissions, eco friendly, energy conservation, energy efficiency, environment, green, green living, htc, iphone, smartphone, sustainability, sustainable living
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“Blue Green Tour” Set to Travel Country Promoting Green Collar Employment and Legislation
From now until September, a group of labor unions and environmental organizations is beginning a national bus tour dubbed “The Job’s Not Done Tour.” The group plans to visit 17 states and make 30 stops beginning in California and passing through, Nevada, Missouri, Arkansas, and Michigan on the way to Richmond, Virginia. The tour is being staffed by workers in the clean energy sector, also known as green collar workers.
Blue-Green Alliance Executive Director David Foster told reporters on a press conference call the tour will work to promote green collar employment as well as renewable and alternative energy production. The program will also highlight the relationship between the ongoing economic crisis and the need to pass climate change and clean energy jobs legislation.
Communication Workers of America President Larry Cohen highlighted the importance of creating new green collar jobs in the high-tech sector and the need for the government to make a serious commitment to modernize America’s green economy.
Baby Boomers Join Green Collar Workforce
Increasingly, Baby Boomers considering delayed retirement are joining the green collar workforce. The 79 million baby boomers currently nearing retirement age are increasingly moving towards the green sector to take advantage of the opportunities it affords. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey in June 2010 and found that 60 percent of adults ages 50-61 are planning to put off retirement due to the recession. In addition, 35 percent of individuals 62 years and older reported that they’ve already postponed retirement. Current unemployment figures paint a picture that is discouraging for all workers; however the green sector has proven to be very recession resistant in part due to massive government subsidies supporting the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. These include a variety of corporate exemptions, tax credits, grants and loans for the solar and wind power industries as well as funds allocated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earmarked for retrofit and energy efficiency programs.
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Posted in Green, Green Collar
Tagged american recovery and reinvestment act, Baby Boomers, clean energy jobs, eco friendly, Ecological certification, energy conservation, environmental careers, Environmental Consultants, green building consulting, green certification, green jobs, home based business, sustainable living
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Epicor and Village Green Global Partnered for Green IT Sustainability
More and more companies are getting involved in the “greening” of the IT industry. A great example of this is the Computer Savers Computing Initiative’s (CSCI) coordinated efforts in slashing a total of 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions generated as a result of computer use over the last three years. This has fueled them in expanding their focus to include commercial and networking systems and devices like routers, switches, cables, WLAN, security and access devices.
Next in line for the “green IT” prize is Epicor Software Corporation [NasdaqGS: EPIC] and Village Green Global, Inc. after announcing their strategic partnership that will extend the abilities of Epicor’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite in the area of sustainability. The venture will assist companies to analyze, identify, track, audit, manage, and report on carbon emissions, environmental impact and energy consumption. Founded in 1984, Epicor Software is a worldwide leader delivering business software solutions to the manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and services industries. It provides enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and enterprise retail software solutions that permit companies to drive increased efficiency and improve profitability.
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Watchdog Group Reports Positive Results in Reducing IT Energy Consumption
The Computer Savers Computing Initiative or CSCI was established by Google [NASDAQ: GOOG] and Intel [NASDAQ: INTC] in 2007 with the goal of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions from the operation of computers by 54 million tons per year. It focuses on power management strategies through changes in policy, software and hardware.
CSCI’s coordinated efforts led to slash a total of 32 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a period of three years beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2010, according to the study conducted by Natural Logic.
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Seventh Generation Reverses Position to Form Agreement with WalMart
Seventh Generation [Formerly SGN – Delisted] has reached an agreement with Wal- Mart Stores Inc. [NYSE: WMT] to distribute the brand’s environmentally conscious consumer cleaning and paper products in 1,500 of the retailer’s locations. It represents a major change of direction for Seventh Generation as well as a possible shift of reputation for beleaguered Walmart, which has been widely criticized for what critics see as a blatant lack of corporate responsibility. Continue reading
Bioprocess Algae Co2 Conversion Project Enters 2nd Phase
The Grower Harvester™ algae project is a very exciting development in both the renewable energy and Co2 remediation sectors. Based at a Shenandoah, Iowa ethanol facility operated by Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. [Nasdaq: GPRE] it is a joint venture between Green Plains and a water filtration company CLARCOR Inc. [NYSE: CLC] and is currently operated under the name BioProcess Algae LLC. The Shenandoah plant is one of multiple ethanol production facilities operated by Green Plains (One of the top 5 ethanol producers in the United States), and is the first of its kind to implement this type of Co2 reclamation technology.
The Grower Harvester Technology
It is easy to see the benefit of the project’s objectives. Simply stated, the purpose of the project is to capture Co2 produced in an industrial setting and convert it to biomass (plant material). The benefit of this process is twofold: 1) The technology reclaims energy that would otherwise be lost as waste and stores it in the form of biomass 2) The technology reduces the overall Co2 emissions produced during the industrial process of manufacturing ethanol which would normally be released into the atmosphere and could cause environmental damage and contribute to global warming. Continue reading
Posted in Green
Tagged eco friendly, energy conservation, environment, green, Seventh Generation, sustainable living, Wal-mart, Walmart
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Department of Energy to Invest Millions to Make American Homes Energy-Efficient
To help American households become energy efficient, the US Department of Energy will provide $30 million worth of investment to retrofit projects of American homes to make them more efficient in using energy. The $30 million initial investment will be allotted for the first 18 month life of the project. 15 research and deployment partnerships will also be utilized to realize the said program. The agency will also allocate a total of $20 million per year for the project. There will also be three possible one-year extensions.
Vice President Joe Biden announced the Department of Energy’s Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative back in April with the idea of making each home to be as energy-efficient as possible. The project involves both public and the private sector including non-profit organizations in carrying out the retrofit tasks in pilot communities. It will also involve industry experts and new technologies and engineering expertise in the department’s existing pool of resources.
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Posted in Car, Green, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Sustainable Living, Wind Energy
Tagged buildings technology program, department of energy, doe, energy conservation, energy efficiency, energy efficient home, energy projects, retrofit, retrofitting projects, steven chu, vice president biden
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How to Beat the Heat and still be Energy Efficient
The summer was truly a hot one this year and this has caused increased spending on electricity use for each household. While you might be cooling yourself by turning on the air conditioner and might be working on around the clock, make sure that each of your cooling equipment is able to handle the pressure.Regular equipment check is necessary to make sure that your cooling system is working properly and is being used efficiently. Changing the filter on a per quarter basis is one of the simplest ways to make sure that your equipment will function well and is able to deliver the kind of service you expect. Also, by doing so, you are able to make sure that your entire family is safe as well.
It is recommended that air conditioners and heaters should be checked by a qualified technician at least twice a year. The purpose of this is to make sure that the appliance produces clean output and functions the way it should. Using a programmable thermostat will also help. The thermostat could help regulate the temperature level at home and help reduce the amount of energy used by the equipment by automatically switching the air-conditioner on if temperature drops at a comfortable temperature. This is more energy efficient than having to manually switching the equipment on and cool an environment that is relatively hot as more energy is consumed when the equipment tries to stabilize the room temperature.
Even the Energy Department Lags on Energy Conservation
The old adage ‘easier said than done’ applies to virtually almost all aspects of life. Consider the Department of Energy for example. The government agency has been massively campaigning towards energy efficiency and conservation towards sustainability for the past few years. But lately the agency’s accomplishments in this area are getting fewer and farther between.
If you have ever visited the government’s Dept. of Energy website, you have probably seen articles containing advice on how to conserve energy. Articles suggest using advanced light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LED). However, it seems that the agency itself is having problems implementing the advice. Many of the offices are still utilizing old fluorescent bulbs that they themselves have been campaigning to stop using. Its internal audit has issued this report in the middle of the department’s effort to disseminate information about energy efficiency and conservation. Continue reading
