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Clean Tech Open Announces Semi-Finalists in Rocky Mountain Region

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:10:26 -0500

Some of the Rocky Mountain region’s best and brightest clean tech concepts took a major step forward, as the Clean Tech Open (CTO) today announced the 12 regional semi-finalists in its clean tech business plan competition.

The semi-finalists were selected from a talented pool of 64 clean tech entrepreneurs from the Rocky Mountain region, as well as teams from other states, including Arizona and Michigan. The semi-finalists will go on to compete for three regional prizes of up to $50,000 in cash and in-kind services, and one national prize of up to $250,000 in cash and services.

All told, the 2009 Clean Tech Open competition includes more than a $1 million in total prizes and a “100K Jobs Challenge” to create 100,000 clean tech jobs in America over the next five years.

The 2009 Rocky Mountain semi-finalists include:

· All Optronics: Cost-effective solar power using a unique optical concentrator and optimized silicon solar cell, www.alloptronics.com, Tucson, Ariz.

· Clean Coal Briquette Inc.: Clean coal briquettes made from coal waste and biomass waste for use in coal power plants, Lakewood, Colo.

· CLEANtricity Power: Manufacturer of small wind turbines that can generate power in a variety of locations and wind conditions, Broomfield, Colo.

· Cool Energy: Developers of a clean energy generating system, www.coolenergyinc.com, Boulder, Colo.

· EE-Low Cost Energy and Carbon Reduction: Low-cost energy and carbon reduction through a Software-as-a-Service web application, Durango, Colo.

· Husk Insulation: High-performance insulation from agricultural waste, www.huskinsulation.com, Ann Arbor, Mich.

· ImagiPLAY: Earth-friendly, ethically made, child safe toys, www.imagiplay.com, Boulder, Colo.

· New Sky Energy: Captures carbon dioxide from the air or flue gas streams to manufacture consumer products and commodity chemicals that are normally made by CO2-polluting industries, www.newskyenergy.com, Boulder, Colo.

· Rivertop Renewables: Progressive chemistry, providing competitively priced, biodegradable alternatives to several widely-used chemicals, www.rivertop.com, Missoula, Mont.

· SEED - Small Engines for Economic Development: Develops fuel efficient and affordable irrigation pump sets for small landholder farmers in developing countries, Fort Collins, Colo.

· Sunflower: Designs and delivers active day-lighting and hybrid lighting solutions to commercial buildings, www.sunflowerdaylighting.com, Longmont, Colo.

· SunTrac Solar: High temperature solar panels for solar thermal systems, www.energisticsystems.us, Golden, Colo.

The semi-finalists will now go through a rigorous mentoring process with local and national business leaders to prepare for the regional finals in September, and the National Awards—the “Academy Awards of Clean Tech”—in November. In addition, they will be invited to participate in the Clean Tech Open Accelerator program, where they will be given hands-on training and experience in all aspects of starting and sustaining their businesses from national experts in venture capital, business, law, marketing and sustainability.

Mysterious Ecological Disasters Bombard Chile

Wed, 20 May 2009 04:20:21 -0500

Chilean scientists are trying to make sense of a series of as-yet-unexplained ecological disasters.

The strange occurrences started in March this year when remains of large numbers of penguins were found washed up on a beach in southern Chile. Over 1200 carcasses are believed to have been deposited on the beach. This was followed soon after by millions of sardines, found dead on a nearby stretch of coast. The unbearable smell forced school closures and the armed forced had to step in to clear the remains.

Up north on a salt lake near the Atacama Desert, flocks of endangered Andean flamingoes inexplicably abandoned their nests. Over the next three months, the neglected eggs failed to hatch. 2000 chicks died.

Taken together, these events seem to point to a larger pattern of ecological disruption. Theories thrown up include overfishing, global warming, bacterial infection as well as habitat alteration. As a result of these large scale deaths, there is a growing sense that Chile has to do more to preserve its biological diversity.

Alex Muñoz, executive director of marine conservation group Oceana, pointed out Chile's current problems regarding fishing. "Chile has very primitive legislation governing the management of its fisheries. Our marine resources are facing big problems such as overfishing, and the destruction of vulnerable marine ecosystems by industrial trawling".

"We are still waiting for an official report from the government, but we should consider the lack of sound management of fisheries if we want to work out what caused the death of the penguins and the sardines.''

Local universities are conducting their own investigations into the events and their findings are expected to be published soon. An official government report, though, is not due for many more weeks.

Julio Lamilla of the Zoology Institute at the Austral University in southern Chile points out that although everyone has their opinions, no-one has uncovered enough evidence to support any theory thus far.

The death of the flamingo chicks is probably the most unnerving of all the cases. Andean flamingoes are the rarest of all 6 species, with over half of all 40,000 individuals nesting in Chile. With the inexplicable failure of the breeding season this year, it is hoped that more chicks will be born in subsequent years to make up for the loss.

BIG GREEN LIES EXPOSED

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:06:00 -0500

Finally, help arrives to separate “green” myth from fact with the help of Seventh Generation and the Fine Living Network. On April 22 - earth day 2009 - join environmental activist, advocate and Seventh Generation President Jeffrey Hollender as he separates myth from reality when it comes to the conventional wisdom of green living. “Big Green Lies” airs at 9PM ET/PT, on Fine Living Network.

While many people have adopted small, easy habits to make their lives a little more environmentally friendly, some of those activities may be steeped in eco-fiction instead of fact. For example, people are trading in their gas guzzlers for hybrids. But, it may make sense to hit the used car lot instead when considering the environmental impact of producing a new car. Or, people might look at conventional fuel-efficient cars that actual achieve greater gas mileage than its hybrid brethren. And what about the eco-issues surrounding organic food? Certainly organic foods that are grown and produced using sustainable, regenerative farming methods are good for the planet, but only if they’re not trucked, shipped or flown around the world before arriving at their final destination.

From the corridors of power to the halls of your home, follow the crew of BIG GREEN LIES as they perform mad science, track down the partisan experts, expert partisans, average citizens, rabid researchers, and other oracles who think they’ve got the ecological answers you’re seeking. Tune in as host and Seventh Generation CEO Jeffrey Hollender dispatches his team of off-kilter operatives to locations around an overheated globe to separate ecological facts from fiction, addressing the issues that no one’s had the chutzpah to take on until now. Take a sneak peak at some of our attitudes to a few myths (yes, yours and mine!) - and trailer at www.biggreenlies.com

“As the name implies, Big Green Lies aims to reveal the falsehoods behind prevalent green myths and settle long-standing debates,” said Jeffrey Hollender. “Our team tackles a few of those questions in our first episode:

· Is the planet really having a cow over our appetite for beef?

· Would the world be better off if some of us didn’t drive a Prius?

· Should a smog alert be issued for our living room?

· Paper or plastic-which really has sustainability in the bag?

· Are disposable diapers as guilty of environmental sins as everyone thinks?

There are many, many Big Green Lies out there that need our attention.” Take a sneak peak at http://www.biggreenlies.com and find out if your attitudes, ideas and knowledge match those of our own men and women on the street!

Alliance for Sustainable Colorado Convenes 5th Annual Sustainable Business Legislative Briefing

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:22:13 -0600

A record number of attendees packed the Old Supreme Court Chambers today for the 5^th Annual Sustainable Business Legislative Briefing at the State Capitol.

Organized by Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s CASBA program (Colorado Alliance of Sustainable Business Associations), the briefing and policy discussion drew more than 150 business and non-profit representatives and state legislators. The speakers and topics focused on strategies for continuing the growth of Colorado’s New Energy Economy.

“Colorado and the rest of the country are facing unprecedented economic challenges, but our state is well-positioned to lead the country in the development of a New Energy Economy, said Gov. Bill Ritter. “I look forward to seeing the state legislature’s recommendations for long-term, clean energy solutions that address immediate economic challenges.”

Presentations were made by three notable leaders concerned about Colorado’s economic development.

André Pettigrew, executive director of Denver’s Office of Economic Development, spoke about local government initiatives to create green jobs as part of Denver’s involvement in the Climate Prosperity Project.

Speaker of the House, Terrance Carroll, described the purpose of the state legislature’s Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth.

Gov. Ritter closed the briefing with his vision of how green jobs and sustainable business practices fit into the new energy economy.

Speaker Terrance Carroll explained, "We want to expand the circle of opportunity for everyone in our state. One way we can do that is by energizing our economy. We are making targeted investments in new technologies like expanding concentrated solar and high-altitude wind turbines to effectively tap into those 300 days of renewable rays and the gusts that consistently blow across our rolling plains. I want to make sure that the consumer has the opportunity to choose clean power over coal. By investing in renewable resources, we are working toward genuine energy independence. We have successfully begun to create a new energy economy: we have created thousands of new ‘green-collar’ jobs, and there are many more to come."

Representatives from sustainable business associations and individual companies asked questions and offered policy suggestions. Associations represented included the Boulder Green Building Guild, Colorado Association for Recycling, Colorado Renewable Energy Society, CORE (Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy), Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association, Greener Denver Business Program, Outdoor Industry Association, Catamount Institute - Pikes Peak Sustainable Business Network, and US Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter.

A sustainable business includes “triple bottom line” measures of its profitability as well as its impacts on the well-being of people and the environment.

“The triple bottom line approach has quickly emerged as a wise and prudent strategy shared by leading businesses,” commented André Pettigrew. “By reducing energy consumption, companies ultimately are generating green savings that make them more competitive and generate new opportunities for employment and innovation.”

“State government has an essential role to play to encourage business development that is profitable for companies and helpful for society while not damaging the environment,” said Janna Six, Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s CASBA coordinator. “For example, government investments can stimulate development of infrastructure for clean energy, mass transit, and small businesses.”

Video and details of policy ideas from the briefing will be available at www.casba.info.

The legislative briefing followed Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s co-hosted event last week -- the Green Inaugural Ball, at the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The event, chaired by former Vice President, Al Gore, drew national and local environmental leaders, including Van Jones and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

CASBA is Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s business program to expand sustainable and socially responsible business practices throughout Colorado by facilitating communication and collaboration among sustainable business associations. CASBA is a program of Alliance for Sustainable Colorado.

About Alliance for Sustainable Colorado
Alliance for Sustainable Colorado works to catalyze the shift to a truly sustainable world by fostering collaboration among nonprofits, businesses, governments, and academia. The Alliance Center at 1536 Wynkoop Street near Union Station, a LEED certified office building, is home to 27 non-profit organizations. To request a tour of the Alliance Center, contact Emily Andrews at eandrews@sustainablecolorado.org

The Alliance has been recognized by several organizations for its leadership in sustainability. Recent awards include; US Green Building Council National Leadership Award for Education by an Organization, Wirth Chair Energy Pioneer Award, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Gold Environmental Leader Award, Colorado Energy Champion issued by the Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation, and the Denver Mayor’s Design Award “It Ain’t Easy Being Green”.

The Green Bandwagon

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:05:49 -0600

So this morning, as I was watching a little bit of CNN’s nonstop 40-hour coverage of the primaries (and wondering whether I should drool in ecstasy at the prospect of 40 hours of pure politics or just simply lobotomize myself), I saw a new Toyota commercial in which a model of a Prius hybrid was constructed out of natural materials (sticks, straw, etc.) and then broke down over time, as if the components were returning to the Earth. This is part of Toyota’s zero-waste campaign, which is part of a larger corporate campaign called “Why Not?” (www.toyota.com/whynot). What struck me was not Toyota’s campaign itself, but the similarities this commercial and the subsequent website have shared with those of other corporations that have started these recent kicks to reduce waste and make themselves “better.” Lockheed-Martin is another major company that has started one of these global campaigns, theirs being called “How” (www.lockheedmartin.com/how). Many more corporations are now jumping on the bandwagon and launching their own campaigns to “do their part” for the environment and for people all over the world (some of these campaigns also include issues of the economy and putting human safety/life first). Even Apple, the computer maker whose superiority I tout on an almost daily basis, has become more environmentally friendly in the past few months. I’m not going to criticize the motives behind these campaigns, and I applaud these companies for jumping on the bandwagon, but we should remember not to give them a free pass just because they’ve deviated from their previous ways. Don’t buy into the fluff of commercials and posters that are produced with millions of dollars and professional media houses, showing the smiling men, women, and children that have become the epitome of corporate advertising and Americana. I don’t mean to give this the tone of an “I’m railing against the evil corporate machine” article, but what I’m saying is that we must remember to keep an eye on them and make sure that they make good on their promises to better the world. Also, we need to remember that there are many smaller companies and corporations that were transforming themselves long before these mega-corporations were doing so. The firm I’ve worked at has done environmentally friendly designs for nearly 25 years, long before the boom in green building. With the proliferation of hybrid cars and the term “green collar jobs,” going green has become the cool thing to do. However, I’m afraid that it might to go the way of all fads, much like the Tomagotchi. Hybrids are, in some respects, still considered to be somewhat exotic, when we should be working intensely to make them the standard (and eventually discard them for something that doesn’t need gasoline). We don’t need electric cars that cost $90,000 dollars – we need ones that cost $10,000 that can get people to and from work every day. Going green shouldn’t be the “cool,” “trendy,” “exclusive,” or “different” thing to do – it should be integrated into our society as the normal thing to do, as something that any person or family could do, and more importantly, as the right thing to do.