POCONO RACEWAY TAKES THE
“GREEN” FLAG IN SOLAR ENERGY
Major Renewable Energy Project is the World’s Largest for a Sports Facility
POCONO, PA…July 31, 2009… Pocono Raceway is getting ready to “Go Green” by installing a three megawatt solar farm, which will power all the track’s energy needs and support the local energy grid. A groundbreaking ceremony, conducted today (July 31), was held before a media corps covering the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 race weekend activities at Pocono Raceway.
Working in conjunction with enXco, an EDF EN Company, and Evolution Energies the new Pocono Raceway Solar Farm will be constructed along Long Pond Road. The project is a 3.0MW photovoltaic array on approximately 25 acres and will consist of nearly 40,000 photovoltaic modules. The Solar Farm is being constructed on land that used to be parking lots that are no longer used due to a reconfiguration of other parking lots on Raceway property. The project is set to be completed by the spring of 2010.
“We are excited by the opportunity to partner with Pocono Raceway whose foresight to engage in the development of the world’s largest sports facility solar system is to be recognized and applauded,” said Tristan Grimbert, President & CEO of enXco.
DETROIT — General Motors said Friday that it is boosting production capacity for its new Chevrolet Volt due to strong public interest in the electric car that goes on sale this year.
GM will now have a production capacity of 45,000 vehicles in 2012, up from previous plans for 30,000 vehicles.
The automaker made the announcement as President Barack Obama toured the Volt production facility in Detroit. The federal government sank $50 billion into GM as part of the broader rescue of the auto industry, giving taxpayers a majority stake in the nation’s largest auto company.
The Volt, priced at $41,000, can go 340 miles on a single battery charge, according to GM. The vehicle is powered purely by the battery in the first 40 miles, and then uses a small tank of gasoline to create an additional charge for the remaining 300 miles.
Chevrolet dealers began taking orders this week for the 2011 model.
GM recently raised the number of launch markets for the Volt from three to seven.
by Nick Flores from greenforall.org – With support from the Citi Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, SJF Advisory Services and Green For All have partnered to launch a Green Jobs Award Program, which seeks to identify, recognize, and promote private companies that are leaders in quality green job creation.
With support from the Citi Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, SJF Advisory Services and Green For All have partnered to launch a Green Jobs Award Program, which seeks to identify, recognize, and promote private companies that are leaders in quality green job creation.
The program is intended to honor businesses that are making valuable contributions to both the economy and the environment. As such, it is open to private companies with at least $500,000 in revenue, and a business model that preserves or enhances environmental quality. Applicants will be judged on the quality of their jobs and benefits, the diversity of employment opportunities, and their level of community engagement.
Winners will be recognized at an award event, featured in various media outlets, and spotlighted in case studies to be distributed by SJF Advisory Services and Green For All. Data on all applicants will be compiled, creating a database of innovative green job creators that help tell the story of the green economy’s potential.
Stage 1 applications are being accepted now through August 31. Winners will be announced on November 16. Apply now!
An Advisory Board of experts in the fields of sustainable business, social entrepreneurship, cleantech investment, and workplace standards will help select the winners of this prestigious Award Program.
The report finds that investments in a clean energy economy can significantly drive down the unemployment rate and provide job opportunities to Americans across all skill and education levels. Through increased employment and lower energy bills and transportation costs, the standard of living for low-income people in particular would rise.
“Green Prosperity” focuses on job creation and the economic impact of clean-energy investments on lower-income families nationally, as well as in forty-one metropolitan statistical areas and Congressional Districts.
The report is written by Robert Pollin, Jeannette Wicks-Lim, and Heidi Garrett-Peltier from PERI. PERI released a complimentary report with the Center For American Progress called “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy: How the Economic Stimulus Program and New Legislation Can Boost U.S. Economic Growth and Employment.”
Solar panels on top of the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC heat 60% of the water. The showers were hot and the water flow excellent!
While at a 20-year college reunion in Greensboro, NC (yes, I’m an alum of Guilford College!) I had the chance to stay at one of the few LEED Certified hotels in the United States. Overall it was a FANTASTIC experience! The Proximity Hotel manages to retain the creature comforts of an upper-end home away from home, but does so in some really amazing ways – all hotels should be created like Proximity!
The Proximity folks have embraced over 70 green practices in creating their hotel experience – next time you’re staying out of town in a hotel, ask the staff and management HOW they use sustainable practices that add to the green economy!
Here is a sampling of the 70+ sustainable practices at Proximity Hotel:
* The building uses 41% less energy than a conventional hotel/restaurant by using ultra efficient materials and the latest construction technology.
* The sun’s energy heats hot water with 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes). This heats around 60% of the water for both the hotel and restaurant.
* 700 linear feet of stream was restored by reducing erosion, planting local, adaptable plant species and rebuilding the buffers and banks. Approximately 700 cubic yards of soil was removed to create a floodplain bench. And 376 tons of boulders and 18 logs were used to maintain grade control, dissipate energy and assist in the creation and maintenance of riffles and pools.
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The bistro bar is made of salvaged, solid walnut trees that came down through sickness or storm and room service trays made of Plyboo (bamboo plywood).
* Newly-engineered variable speed hoods in the restaurant uses a series of sensors to set the power according to the kitchen’s needs and adjusts to a lower level of operation (typically 25% of their full capacity). The sensors also detect heat, smoke or other effluents and increase the fan speed to keep the air fresh.
* Geothermal energy is used for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment, instead of a standard water-cooled system, saving significant amounts of water.
* North America’s first Regenerative Drive model of the Otis’ Gen2 elevator reduces net energy usage by capturing the system’s energy and feeds it back into the building’s internal electrical grid.
* Abundant natural lighting, including large energy-efficient “operable” windows (7’4” square windows in guest rooms), connects guests to the outdoors by achieving a direct line of sight to the outdoor environment for more than 97% of all regularly occupied spaces.
* Building materials with recycled content include reinforced steel with 90% post consumer recycled content, National Gypsum Wallboard 100%, asphalt 25% and staircase steel 50%. Concrete contains 4% fly ash (224,000 pounds), the mineral residue left after the combustion of coal that is diverted from landfills.
* 87% of construction waste was recycled, diverting 1,535 tons of debris from landfills.
* Water usage has been reduced by 33% by installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures, saving two million gallons of water the first year.
* Air quality improved by circulating large amounts of outside air into guestrooms (60 cubic feet per minute) and doing so in an energy efficient way by employing “energy recovery” technology where the outside air is tempered by the air being exhausted.
* Regional vendors and artists were used for materials to reduce transportation and packaging.
* Low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives, carpets, etc reduces indoor air contamination.
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Guestroom shelving and the bistro’s tabletops are made of walnut veneer, over a substrate of SkyBlend, a particleboard made from 100% post-industrial recycled wood pulp with no added formaldehyde.
* A green, vegetated rooftop will be planted on the restaurant to reduce the “urban heat island effect.” In other words, the green roof reflects the heat, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for refrigeration and/or air conditioning. It also slows the rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the building cooler overall. Currently, we are trying out various plants on the roof in a test area.
* “Education Center” for sustainable practices includes tours of our “green” hotel for guests, sustainable practices symposia, and outreach programs for students of all ages.
* Bicycles are available for guests to ride on the nearby five-mile greenway.
* Read about our Electronics Recycling Drive
BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy) is coalition of 18 major US corporations that agree it's time for energy legislation. Check out www.ceres.org/bicep for more info.
Shortly after the release of the American Power Act yesterday (May 12, 2010) from Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I – Conn.), a coalition of 18 US corporations called BICEP released a statement supporting passage of the bill and asking Congress to HURRY UP!!
The coalition released a statement of support, saying in part, “BICEP companies applaud Senators Kerry and Lieberman — along with Senator Graham who contributed so much to shaping this bill — for moving the Senate so far toward vital climate and energy legislation. It’s a significant step forward and contains several key elements in BICEP’s core principles, including major limits on greenhouse gas emissions and crucial initiatives to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency. We are heartened by this progress and understand how much hard work it’s taken to get here. At the same time we wish to remind all Senators of the unmistakable urgency of this moment. America can no longer wait to solve these problems, which seriously threaten our economy, our security and our environment.” For the full statement, click here.
Billionaire Branson sees more green in Green. The Virgin Green Fund Charter is to: * Invest in companies whose products and services reduce net greenhouse gas emissions and/or improve management of scarce resources, operate in environmentally and economically sustainable markets, and have a long-term positive impact on their communities and society more broadly * Conduct business with our partners in a way that is open, collaborative, based on trust and equitable
Richard Branson’s Virgin Green Fund seeks to support more mature energy companies that have significant growth on the horizon, but yep, still need just a guiding hand to get them through the growing pains of moving from start-up to mature.
$220 Million says they’re serious about the effort, which makes them different than many venture capitalists that seek and support start-ups. So far, the group as reviewed 3,700 companies and invested in only 10.
In the mix of threats to our national security and safety after the recent scare in Times Square, the CIA has added climate change as an area of focus. Late last year, the Agency announced that it had created a Center on Climate Change and Security. In its announcement, the CIA says, “The new Center does more than bring together in a single place expertise on an important national security topic—the effect environmental factors can have on political, economic, and social stability overseas. It will also be aggressive in outreach to academics and think tanks working the issue. The goal is a powerful asset recognized throughout our government, and beyond, for its knowledge and insight.”
A top-notch panel on "Competing by Leading: How Comprehensive Energy and Climate Legislation Will Enhance US Competitivenss" included • Jeff Anderson, President Clean Economy Network • Ken Colburn, Environmental Policy Director, Stonyfield Farms • Jonathan Jacoby, Senior Policy Advisor, Oxfam America • Anne Kelly, Co-Director, Ceres’ Policy Program; Director, BICEP • Robert McGarrah, Counsel, AFL-CIO Office of Investment
My big takeaway from the CERES 2010 conference this past week in Boston? Well, there were two:
1. Sustainable actions mean retainable jobs. As Ken Colburn, Environmental point guy at Stoneyfield Farms (the nation’s largest organic yogurt producer) shared, 48 people at the company owe their jobs to efforts the company made to reduce waste, maximize efficiency and move towards new energy source use.
2. Capital flows where there’s opportunity, and that means that just like seeds growing best in soil that been prepared for maximum growth, investments that grow jobs go into the nations that have done the best job of prepping their market for maximum growth.
In 2010, that means nations that have created the laws and regulations that give the best platform for renewable energy and sustainable business models to grow!! This can be US – right now it isn’t – but we CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!
We’re re-geared our entire economy before when we’ve needed to, and…we need to now! Even AFL-CIO investment strategist Robert McGarrah said their coal-mining union members are ready to take the next step, so don’t buy the line that energy and climate change legislation are bad for jobs. (Look for one coalminer’s story on CONVERGE soon!) This is sort of akin to telling someone not to blow into a balloon because “you’ll stretch it out and ruin it!” WhAT?!
For all of us that care about American prosperity, our health and our national security – it was clear at the CERES conference that we’ve got to do a better job of telling Americans, showing Americans and giving press to Americans who are making things happen around energy solutions and sustainability.
Find out more about what people were saying at the CERES 2010 conference – just click the logo!
Find out more about CERES' Roadmap to integrate sustainable solutions into business strategy and build long-term shareholder value.
A new ad campaign hitting the airwaves makes the case that every day Congress doesn’t pass an energy bill, Iran rakes in $100 million in new oil revenues. Are we aiding a government that has proclaimed itself our enemy in the world? Certainly, military leaders in the U.S. have repeatedly made the case that lack of action to greatly reduce dependence on oil as an energy source, and inaction on climate change, are a threat to America’s national security.
Submit your 500 - 2,000 word essay on how YOU think the green life and the good life go together for America! The best submissions will be posted and on this site under Best Stories and could be included in the Converge book (coming in 2011!)
About Converge
Converge is the story of the good life Americans want and the green life Americans need for our prosperity, health and safety.
The book, "Converge - Where the Good Life Meets the Green Life" will be published in 2011 as a collection of essays by Americans from coast to coast.
Converge is seeking citizen volunteer authors - go down to "I'm Ready" to submit your essay!
It won't be easy, but we CAN do it! America can lead the world in finding green solutions! Click here to learn more about five credible plans to reduce carbon emissions and promote the good life for everyone around the world!
