Feb. 11, 2013 - Implementing an energy management system in a school can reduce expenditure on energy and minimise waste. This can be both as a result of on-site management/operational issues as well as through investment in energy saving (no-, low-, medium- or high-cost measures).
Carbon emissions can be reduced through the use of less energy and utilising lower-carbon fuels (e.g. renewable energy or gas in preference to oil or electricity, where this is feasible). With existing financial mechanisms these can be cost neutral or, often, generate a net financial benefit.
These processes will raise awareness amongst the school community with the possible spread of good practices to home. read more>>>
27 February 2013 - We were 50,000 strong, converging on the nation's Capitol on Feb. 17 to exercise one of the perks of our democracy: The right of Peaceful Assembly.
The issue: the XL Pipeline, which if approved would continue the destruction of Alberta's landscape, exacerbate climate change, and threaten the water supply of thousands of Americans in the Midwestern states.
With the Washington Monument as a backdrop, we heard rousing speeches by Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Native American leader Chief Jaqueline Thomas and other activist heavyweights, and with a wind chill of 17 degrees to urge us along, we walked the blocks surrounding the White House to reiterate the theme of the speeches: that the president go thumbs down on the XL Pipeline and that we elected him on the basis of his promise to pay serious attention to the reality of climate change. read more>>>
February 26, 2013 - The intermittent nature of solar energy may be less of a concern to utilities with the creation of a new, more accurate forecasting method.
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is spearheading a three-year project to create unprecedented, 36-hour solar forecasts for solar power plants.
The system will forecast sunlight and resulting power every 15 minutes over specific solar facilities, enabling utilities to continuously anticipate the availability of solar energy. read more>>>
February 25, 2013 (ENS) – The U.S. EPA, eight states and 13 citizens groups have reached an agreement with American Electric Power that requires the nation’s largest power company to cut air pollution at 16 of its coal-fired power plants across the Midwest and South.
The settlement comes in a lawsuit originally filed in a federal court in Ohio in 1999 and is a modification of a prior 2007 settlement in a federal-multistate air pollution lawsuit.
That case addressed the air pollution carried from AEP plants east of the Mississippi River into New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Under the 2007 settlement, the company was required to install $4.6 billion worth of pollution controls and to invest $60 million in air pollution reduction projects. read more>>>
February 24, 2013 (ENS) – If Congress does not act this coming week, automatic federal spending cuts, called the sequester, will go into effect March 1 that will impact the environment. Funding for parks, energy development, travel, clean air and water, fish and wildlife protection, pollution prevention, and disaster readiness will be cut.
Known as the sequester, the cuts will amount to $85 billion dollars over a seven-month period; 100,000 people are expected to lose their jobs and many thousands more are government employees who will be furloughed for several days each pay period.
These cuts are aimed at achieve the $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances, the White House says. read more>>>
February 27, 2013 - Residential electric water heaters can help integrate wind into the power system, according to research from Ecofys energy consultants funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
That's not all. The research further reveals that residential electric furnaces, freezers/chillers in cold storage warehouses at industrial sites, and commercial heating and cooling loads can all help the grid accommodate the intermittency of wind. read more>>>
02/25/2013 - Wind energy companies are getting into the solar game.
February 25, 2013 - Wisconsin's energy-efficiency is set for growth this year with the help of the utilities' statewide energy-efficiency and renewable energy program Focus on Energy.
02/25/13 - There is a good reason why Argentina’s flag sports a shining sun. At present, Argentina only produces about 10MW of solar power, but that figure is soon about to receive a giant boost as the country plans to increase its capacity by 35 times and the government begins to hand out incentives to private companies. International developers are looking to the western regions where projects are estimated to produce over twice the amount of energy coming from solar in Germany, the world’s current market leader. The plans would assist in the efforts of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to increase the amount of energy generated by renewables from 2 percent to 8 percent by 2013.
Feb. 24, 2013 — Bottles, packaging, furniture, car parts... all made of plastic. Today we find it difficult to imagine our lives without this key material that revolutionized technology over the last century. There is wide-spread optimism in the scientific community that graphene will provide similar paradigm shifting advances in the decades to come. Mobile phones that fold, transparent and flexible solar panels, extra thin computers... the list of potential applications is endless.
The growing global demand for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) could help drive Nepal’s green economy, while improving livelihoods in its poorest communities. The study focuses on the cultivation, processing and trade of high-value MAPs, which are found in the forests and grasslands of the mountains in the northern part of the country. Given Nepal’s high degree of biodiversity, the study confirms Nepal’s significant potential to develop its BioTrade sector. This study is part of Capacity Building for BioTrade (CBBT) project, which is implemented by UNEP with financial support from Germany, and has conducted similar studies in Namibia and Peru. 
The BioTrade sector in Peru has grown by 20 per cent in the last five years - generating significant revenue and promoting sustainable development, while simultaneously supporting pro-poor development. The report sheds light on national and international regulations, certification and labeling processes and the role of the private sector and public-private partnerships. It also outlines specific areas for policy reforms and investments, in both the public and private sector, which can help the BioTrade sector realize its growth potential. Recommendations include economic partnership agreements; developing a national investment strategy for the BioTrade sector; enhancing research and development; building capacity and introducing economic and fiscal incentives. 
With its rich biodiversity, prior rural development investments and achievements in environmental management, Namibia is positioned to benefit from emerging markets of BioTrade. While highlighting the opportunities, this study is an important reminder of the many challenges that Namibia has faced and continues to address with regards to reducing socio-economic inequalities, maintaining economic growth and achieving a higher level of sustainable use and trade of biodiversity-based products. The study identifies a number of key sub-sectors in need of additional policy support and investment to derive secure and higher sustainable development returns from BioTrade. 
February 22, 2013 - Business leaders at the world's largest listed companies have been facing growing pressure from investors to embrace environmental best practices, following the launch of the Carbon Disclosure Project reporting season and the publication of new research showing shareholder support for environmental resolutions is on the rise.
The 2013 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Exhibition and Forum (2013MIECF) will take place from 21 to 23 March at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The theme of this year’s MIECF is “Sustainable Cities – The Way Towards a Green Future”. A series of green activities includes forums, seminars, exhibition, business matching, Green Public Day and technical visits, contribute to a better platform for business and investments. MIECF has gradually become an important platform for the Pan-Pearl River Delta and the international environmental protection industry to promote a green economy and technology.