On June 5, 2009, a new movie, Home, will be released that will show our beautiful home through amazing documentary films by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. For the first time ever, a movie will be released simulatenously in 50 countries, and will be free to download fromYouTube. Clearly, the intend of the movie and its producers is to spread as far and wide as possible, and thus to help save humanity from a catastrophe that will occur in case of inaction.

And action is best activated by showing the beauty and wonder of our home; and the extent of its destruction. It took about 4 billion years for life to evolve to todays beauty; we have about 10 years left to ensure that the human species can keep enjoying this beauty for many generations to come. (more…)

The EIA  just released emissions data for the US in 2008. And it gave an encouraging picture: Energy-related CO2 emissions have declined by 2.8%. The Waxman-Markey Bill would ensure that this trend will continue.

Source: Energy Information Administration, preliminary estimate for 2008.

It would be nice to be able to refer this drop is due to the great efforts of many activists in the states who are working hard to raise awareness of people about climate change. But the causes for this drop are likely less motivational but are the result of several factors:

1) High oil prices early in the year

2) The financial crisis and thus lower energy consumption (it fell by 2.2.% in 2008 in the US).

The emissions reductions were mainly due to a reduction of petroleum use by 6%. Emissions from coal and gas declined by only 1%. Please note: the released data are still preliminary. (more…)

A wonderfully inspiring movie on how the world could look like if we acted in time.

In response to the last movie we showed to you, here a movie that looks at the climate crisis with a more optimistic eye. The movie was made before the election of president Obama.

You can watch the 5-minute Video here. It is absolutely worth your time, I promise!

Maiken Winter

GlobalCom PR-Network, a global Public Relations Network, launched an international competence team in renewable energy and environmental technology.

These markets are fast growing business opportunities and attractive areas for PR firms. Moreover, the support and development of sustainable energy and environmental solutions help protect natural resources and also disadvantaged people.

The Munich based agency GlobalCom, which initiated the competence team is the driving force behind this initiative and co-ordinates 51 agencies in more than 60 countries.

Its partner, Vero Public Relations in Thailand and Vietnam is already seeking opportunities to collaborate with renewable energy companies and organizations in Asia.  Specifically, Vero Public Relations and the GlobalCom team are working to develop partnerships in which solar companies donate solar panels, inverters and batteries in exchange for positive awareness. 

Donations of solar energy kits would be made to community centers, orphanages and schools in Asia.

Following the donation, Vero Public Relations and GlobalCom implement public relations and marketing efforts to promote the donor company.  This includes media interviews, press releases, case studies and an online documentary about the impact of the solor donation.

For more information contact mailto: birte@cleanenergy-project.de - Ralf Hartmann

We like to share this GreenPeace video with you which wants to make us aware of global warming effects and how it changes the face our planet.

Your comments are welcome - Ralf Hartmann

Hundreds of Grass-Roots Activists and Scientific Leaders Meat in Nashville for Al Gore’s North American Summit

The Climate Project (TCP), an international non-profit founded by former Vice President Al Gore with a mission to increase public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level worldwide held a 3-day summit from May 14-17.

During the three day event, Gore will address more than 500 attendees as well as conduct a three hour training workshop. Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will also be present. Award-winning scientist, environmentalist and journalist Dr. David Suzuki will join Gore and Pachauri, establishing the first time in history that three of the most recognized names in climate change have ever appeared together. (more…)

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

German businessmen remain interested in the Kingdom, it was stated at the second meeting of the Joint-German Economic Committee held at the Federal Economics and Technology Ministry in Berlin last week. Speakers were from large private firms and government agencies involved in the renewable-energy, transport and automotive industries of the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu said at the meeting that the government needed German experience, especially regarding renewable energy and the environmental-management sector.

In 2008, Thai-German trade value totalled US$7.69 billion (Bt263 billion) - Ralf Hartmann

Source: THE NATION - Published on May 12, 2009

The Zayed Future Energy Prize announced today that it is now open for nominations. Nominations will be accepted online at www.zayedfutureenergyprize.com.

Earlier this year, the inaugural winner was recognised, Mr. Dipal Barua, Managing Director of Grameen Shakti, for his innovative approach to scaling renewable energy for two million residents of rural Bangladesh. The winner of the 2009 award will be announced at an event on January 19, 2010 at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). (more…)

People with alligator shoes, as James Hansen calls them - those are the well-paid lobbyists in Washington D.C. that do their best to persuade politicians that fossil fuels are needed to ensure energy and economic stability. You can guess who pays those people. And of course they are not only paid to influence people in the states, but all over the world.

As those lobbyists are extremely well trained in rhetorics - a tool which many people, especially scientists, scuff at because of its persuasive nature - those lobbyists and skeptics are a lot more successful than we are. Most people are better persuaded by well formulated, persuasive arguments, than by facts.

It is time that we learn better rhetorics to have a chance of convincing the public to accept and demand immediate actions inspite of the people in alligator shoes.

Maiken Winter

Repost from Yale360

New solar thermal technology overcomes a major challenge facing solar power – how to store the sun’s heat for use at night or on a rainy day. As researchers tout its promise, solar thermal plants are under construction or planned from Spain to Australia to the American Southwest. By David Biello

In the high desert of southern Spain, not far from Granada, the Mediterranean sun bounces off large arrays of precisely curved mirrors that cover an area as large as 70 soccer fields. These parabolic troughs follow the arc of the sun as it moves across the sky, concentrating the sun’s rays onto pipes filled with a synthetic oil that can be heated to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. That super-heated oil is used to boil water to power steam turbines, or to pump excess heat into vats of salts, turning them a molten, lava-like consistency.

The salts are just fertilizers — a mix of sodium and potassium nitrate — but they represent a significant advance in the decades-old technology of solar thermal power production, which has traditionally used mirrors to heat water or oil to generate electricity-producing steam. Now, engineers can use the molten salts to store the heat from solar radiation many hours after the sun goes down and then release it at will to drive turbines. That means solar thermal power can be used to generate electricity nearly round-the-clock.

The plant in southern Spain, known as Andasol 1, began operating last November and now provides 50 megawatts of power, enough electricity to supply 50,000 to 60,000 homes year-round. (more…)