On April 22nd, countries around the world will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. In a recent video address to commemorate the event, President Obama highlighted Washington’s role in protecting the environment. The 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment Act has invested billions of dollars in clean energy and water projects throughout the U.S., as well [...]
Posts under ‘Environment’
Ambassador’s Journal: November 4, 2009
Returning to Jyväskylä. One of the first trips I made after arriving in Finland just over two months ago was to Jyväskylä to attend a two day Bio-Energy conference there. Anyone who cares about technology (and of course for me that means technology applied to address energy and environmental problems) knows that two days in [...]
(Almost) No Heater Required for Finland’s High Standard Energy-Efficient Housing
Imagine a newly-built apartment heated only with the excess energy produced by your television, your computer, even your own body. Now imagine that same apartment in Helsinki, Finland – one of Europe’s northern-most cities where winter climes can dip to -20C (5F). Sound impossible? Not at all. Finnish building contractors, Reponen Oy, are making it [...]
Natural Capitalism Solutions’ Paul Sheldon Presents the Profitability of Going Green
Former US Representative Thomas Barrett once said, “Chaos in the world brings uneasiness but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.” And it was this opportunity for creativity and growth, which Paul Sheldon, Senior Consultant for Natural Capitalism Solutions based in Longmont, Colorado, highlighted on September 21st to US Embassy contacts during an [...]
USAID Making Development Clean and Green
Having lived in Africa for six years, I consider myself a veteran traveler to the continent. This is particularly true of Mali in West Africa where I spent the last two weeks visiting good friends living in the city of Kayes. As this is my sixth or seventh trip to Mali (I have lost count), [...]