By ELIZABETH SHEARER At Green Action Centre, we know being green isn’t always easy. That’s why we wanted to give you a simple 5-point checklist to...
Archive for category: Sustainable Solutions
Tips and Tricks for Clean Green Business Operations
The power of collective environmental action should not be a surprise when it comes to promoting the transition to a cleaner, greener planet. There are many simple changes you can make to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle. But how can businesses, particularly those first starting out, embrace the same techniques to reduce their carbon footprint, and encourage others to do the same?
The HERA Group: from Local Utility to Global Sustainable Development
Hera’s strategic drivers are innovation, efficiency, growth, excellence, and agility. Sustainability has been at the center of the business strategy since its establishment. In 2016, the company decided to move forward to take an active role in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
The Source of the Icelandic Energy Transition from Carbon to 100% Renewable
Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland, invites participants of CHARGE to a Magnet Networking Excursion to the Ljósafoss Power Plant. The excursion will serve as a grand finale of CHARGE 2018 on the 25th of September. After the conference programme concludes, participants will go straight to buses that will take them on an energy excursion like no other. Participants will travel outside of Reykjavik through the iconic Icelandic landscape to the powerplant. At the power plant, Landsvirkjun will host a reception for participants at the plant’s interactive energy exhibition space.
For thriving cities, people vs. nature is a false choice
Municipal leaders face hundreds of difficult choices every day. With so many needs and worthy programs, how does one choose where to invest limited funding? In the face of pressing human needs, cities too often decide that funding for environmental programs will have to wait.
Virginia’s rural co-ops learning lessons with community solar
Last month, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved three-year pilot community solar programs for four distribution co-ops served by the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), based in the Richmond suburb of Glen Allen. They are A&N, Mecklenburg, Northern Neck and Rappahannock. In addition, applications by two other distribution co-ops also served by Old Dominion — Shenandoah Valley and Southside — are pending before the SCC.
Greening Your “Back to School”
We know we need to improve active school travel rates and health outcomes of youth. We also know the reasons why. Here’s how to plan for a healthy school!
4 Lessons from Bhopal and Bogotá on Launching Citywide Bike Sharing
Bike sharing has experienced astonishing growth since its first major breakthrough 20 years ago. Following the rise of dockless bike sharing, more than 1,000 cities worldwide now offer bike-sharing services. Around 300 cities implemented new systems in 2017 alone.
Bike sharing offers a bevy of benefits that make them attractive investments for sustainable cities. They help address mobility challenges such as congestion, poor air quality, high greenhouse gas emissions and lack of transport options. To help catalyze further expansion of this healthy and environmentally sustainable mode of transport, the Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative (FSCI) met with experts and cyclists in Bhopal, India, and Bogotá, Colombia.
The Road to Mass Market EVs in the USA
Over the last few years, the conversation has changed to not “if” but “when” the vehicle electrification revolution will occur. Many of the major automakers have recently announced strategies to focus on plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). Ford, realizing “an inflection point in the major markets toward battery electric vehicles”, created “Team Edison” dedicated on developing all-electric cars and plans to introduce 13 new battery electric vehicles by 2023. GM announced its commitment to an all-electric future and will offer at least 20 all-electric vehicle models by 2023. Volvo will have an electric motor in every car it sells beginning in 2019. Mercedes-Benz plans to offer each model in an electric version by 2022.
Cambodia’s Renewable Energy Prospects
Cambodia has made great strides in its efforts to develop its economy and improve the standard of living of its mostly rural population, with current GDP growth rate hovering around 7%. But a 2016 WWF report claimed that more than 6 million Cambodians still lacked access to energy, and Cambodia’s developing industries—particularly textiles—are energy-hungry. Cambodia developed a blueprint for development in 2013, Rectangular Strategy, Phase III, that identifies cheaper energy sources for households and business/industrial consumers as key to continuing development. The report says that while large-scale hydro and coal-fired plants have thus far been the preferred strategy due to their high generation potential and low production costs, diversifying energy sources to reduce fossil fuel reliance is also an important goal going forward.