There have been many disasters in recent years: Tsunamis, forest fires, floods, hurricanes, but the I was surpried at how much the earthquake in Haiti has generated a flurry of fund raising activities.

I came across a blog post which talks about various technologies that can be used in the relief efforts as well as the reconstruction of Haiti.

The post also talks about Social Media and how it contributes tothe effort.

http://carbonoutreach.blogspot.com/2010/01/five-ways-haiti-can-use-solar-power-for.html

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• Copenhagen and low-carbon investments A little quote from the BusinessGreen website "The potential impact on low-carbon investments of failing to deliver a meaningful deal at the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit was underlined last week with the news that analyst firm Point Carbon is downgrading its long-term price forecasts, primarily as a result of growing uncertainty......
• Cap and Trade - off I read an interesting article in the Washington Post about Cap and Trade. It gives an example about how a polluter can simply purchase carbon credits from an industry that is in a naturally low polluting field of activity and which would not even engage in that field of activity.......
• GM files for bankrupcy--the end of the car era ? I wrote a little essay on the future of the automobile,"The end of the car era ?"in it, I talk about how the snootiness and myopic visions of American auto manufacturers led to this current situation. I also talk about whether it is a good thing to keep pushing the......

• Hire Smarter (or NOT) with Social Media As marketing people, we love social media. And why not? Its comparatively inexpensive, has a broad reach and a variety of platforms available to establish thought leadership, demand generation and customer loyalty.But one thing that companies need to understand before jumping onto the social media bandwagon is that social media......
• Social Media Case Study on GoGirl I went to my first Social Media Breakfast last week. The presentation by Risdall Online Marketing Group was impressive. So impressive I took 2 1/2 pages of notes. They had one tough assignment. Selling what, for want of a better term, is a feminine urinary device. The device was created......
• Learn How to Get Traffic to Blog When it comes to writing in a blog, simply writing and assuming that traffic will come is not exactly the right way to go about things. If you want to learn how to get traffic to blog, then you need to be willing to take some extra steps to make......

A mutual funds company, Global mutual fund, has a “green” portfolio which it calls: “Portfolio 21″.

The corporation newly announced its top 10 companies. I was somewhat surprised to see companies listed which I never thought of as “green”.

For instance, the Autodesk corporation.  On the other hand, since 3D CAD cuts down the use of paper, that would make it a candidate. But Autodesk goes further, it has recently partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council with a goal of integrating its technology with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Railways are inherently efficient land-based transportation, and East Japan Railway continuously operates to decrease its power consumption. It has introduced reduced-weight railcars, and is installing solar and wind systems at some of its “eco stations”. The company is also working to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the entire transport system by promoting inter-modal transportation by combining rail with additional modes of travel.

The Henkel company, out of Germany, creates an array of bio-based detergents and adhesives, minimizing the company’s reliance on fossil fuels. More than two-thirds of its products’ formulations are usually based on renewable raw resources.All new products must help with sustainable development.

Itron manufactures advanced metering national infrastructure system that allows two-way communication between utilities and consumers. This assists customers to participate in demand response and energy conservation programs.

Natura Cosmeticos, of Brazil, is more than just a cosmetics organization. It promotes the development and discovery of new and renewable raw materials, and supports sustainable agriculture and agroforest systems.

Potlatch is promising as being a leader within the domestic sustainable forestry industry. The company recently achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for all its forestlands and also finds other business opportunities for its forestland by way of recreation leases and conservation easements.

Red Electrica is Spain’s leading power transmission company. It is responsible for the management of its country’s electricity distribution system. Spain has become the second-largest European wind-power producer and expects to have wind farms producing 13,000 megawatts by 2011.

Sharp, a well recognized name in consumer electronics products, is the world’s largest producer of solar cells and is one of just a few industry leaders to support a solution to e-waste in the United States.

Umicore is based in Belgium, and is the world’s leading recycler of precious metals. Examples include materials for rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and auto catalysts.

Vestas, a Danish company, develops, manufactures, and markets wind energy products. This company has a clear sustainability strategy based on manufacturing equipment and operating facilities for the renewable energy sector.

Sometimes, even companies which you never thought of as “green” do contribute to a better environment.

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• Copenhagen and low-carbon investments A little quote from the BusinessGreen website "The potential impact on low-carbon investments of failing to deliver a meaningful deal at the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit was underlined last week with the news that analyst firm Point Carbon is downgrading its long-term price forecasts, primarily as a result of growing uncertainty......
• China's low carbon and sustainability problems I came across an interesting article about the low carbon emissions and sustainability problems facing China as the country moves increasingly towards urbanization. It is predicted that china will have 75 percent of urbanization by 2050, which means much more energy consumption and green house gas emission. China currently lacks......
• Business practices in the 21st century A lot of entrepreneurs may change their business practices and adapt to the 21st century after they have gone through the list of speakers that have been assembled in Calgary for the "Engage today" mega event happening later this week. The organizer was able to get the Dalai Lama for......

• List of Companies in the S&P/TSX Composite Index Want to see what companies there are to invest in up in Canada? There are 203 companies currently listed in the TSX Composite Index.  Approximately 60 of these are large-cap, 60 mid-cap, and the other 80+ small cap.  You may also want to consult the list of just Canadian large-caps......
• Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume 144. Paying More for Flights Eases Guilt, Not Emissions “The carbon offset has become this magic pill, a kind of get-out-of-jail-free card,” Justin Francis, the managing director of Responsible Travel, one of the world’s largest green travel companies to embrace environmental sustainability, said in an interview. “It’s seductive to the......
• EarthTalk: Finding Green-Friendly Outdoor Clothing. EarthTalk is a weekly installment from E/The Environmental Magazine. Dear EarthTalk: I’m planning a summer backpacking trip and was hoping to buy some of the latest green-friendly outdoor clothing. Where the best options out there today that wear as well as traditional items but without the environmental guilt? Outdoor gear......

Clean coal, Carbon Sequestration, these are expressions we hear quite often when dealing with the production of electricity using fossil fuel other than oil. About twice a week, a new coal plant opens in China.

I came across a blog post on the topic of patents and innovations and the possible competition between China and the US regarding advances in the field of clean coal. The cold war between the former Soviet Union and the US helped advance our exploration of space and the resulting technology that has now become part of our lives. It is thought that perhaps a similar rivalry could stimulate the advancement of cleaner technologies.

There are two things to consider when it comes to energy: 1) Is it clean? 2) Is it renewable?

No matter how clean you make your coal burn, it is not a renewable resources and its mining can also be a source of environmental degradation.

Technological prowess  should be aimed at developing means to better harness clean and renewable energy sources.  The harnessing of  the wind has been done for centuries, certainly we could use that head start to our advantage.

Sometimes I feel like a lot of brain resources are wasted on too many dead ends when it comes to finding solutions to our energy needs.

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• Green Portfolio A mutual funds company, Global mutual fund, has a "green" portfolio which it calls: "Portfolio 21".The corporation newly announced its top 10 companies. I was somewhat surprised to see companies listed which I never thought of as "green".For instance, the Autodesk corporation.  On the other hand, since 3D CAD cuts......
• Buildings and energy consumption. An interesting article on the architecture 2030 website about energy consumption as it relates to buildings. The article shows three pie charts with the first two showing U.S. energy consumption and the third one showing worldwide energy consumption. Surprisingly, it shows that transportation only accounts for 1% of energy consumption......
• Who else wants more 2009 predictions ? I am notoriously bad at predicting a year ahead because my predictions occur 5 to 20 years later.With the speed of progress, I'd say that whatever I write here shold happen within the next 3-5 years.  Enjoy: Cell phones: on the cover of PC Magazine it says that "PC is......

• Channeling Your Inner Energy towards Career Goals Using the Law of Attraction When you are using your inner energy to meet your own career goals you will find it far more satisfying in life. There are practices to get your inner energy to come out and this will help you find your career objectives in life.  With the law of attraction, anything......
• What if We Measured Energy Usage in Lumps of Coal? Ever run into one of those people who refuse to turn off a light when they leave the room? Or worse, those folks that put up so many Christmas lights that you can probably see their home from space? Congrats!  You've just anonymously met one of my neighbors.  Nice guy, nice family......
• Voting For The Environment - Where The Republicans Stand. As a follow-up (and just to be "sorta" fair) to yesterday's post about the Democrats running for President and their views on the environment, I present to you the same for the Republicans running this year. I don't know which of the three will get the nomination, but I am......

With the inauguration of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, I think I should push on with the publication of my book. Getting all the facts right and all the details in before final review.

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• Copenhagen and Third World nations By being just a little smarter and with just a bit more foresight, it could be advantage of Third World. Third World nations feel that first world nations had it good for 200 years and that it gave them an advantage that they are now denied. In fact, it's quite......
• The Evil Liberal Agenda According to the Conservatives, the Liberals have an agenda:  They want to rule the world.  Here are the facts:  Al Gore owns 100% of 100% of all the green companies in the world, on top of donating money to all those non-profit organizations who own large pieces of land that......
• Cisco and the future of Internet Video For the past couple of years, an unknown brand has made quite a stir in the cheap video camera market. The Flip video camera is super simple to use. Just press the big red button to start recording and press it again to stop. Then, you simply press to pop......

• Optus - you seriously need to improve your customer service Ok, I have had enough! It is the fourth time this month that I have had to spend more than 30 minutes on hold because my message bank keeps reverting to an automated message that has nothing to do with my business. When is enough, enough? How many times should......
• Tips To Sell Affiliate Products Online Now-a-days, selling affiliate products in Internet is becoming more popular. The buying habit of Internet user gets increasing every year. The success of an affiliate program depends on how the products are promoted and how they are placed for sale ? We have to understand and implement the basic factors......
• How to Fix and Seal a Wood Deck [/caption]The wood deck is one of the hallmarks of the do-it-yourself home improvement buff, but what happens if you come across a home that has a wood deck that needs to be repaired? You may know a lot about building decks, but in order to fix one up and bring......

I found an interesting story on what good journalism should be instead of what we have been served lately.

It concerns Al Gore and Copenhagen, Cop15, sure turned out differently than what I expected.

There was more talk about prostitutes and protesters being arrested.

Al Gore just got some bashing concerning predictions about Arctic ice melting.

There is a Science teacher in the US that I follow on Twitter. He came up with a better researched and balanced piece than professional journalists at www.timesonline.co.uk

Click here to read the story, it is a good insight on how good journalism should be.

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• Copenhagen Summit -- controversial for all the wrong reasons Last June, a group of scientists met up in Copenhagen as part of the preparation for the December summit. They hinted at some bad prognosis in regards to climate change. At the time, I thought that this would be the focus of the December summit: Forcing industrialized nations to put......
• The Evil Liberal Agenda According to the Conservatives, the Liberals have an agenda:  They want to rule the world.  Here are the facts:  Al Gore owns 100% of 100% of all the green companies in the world, on top of donating money to all those non-profit organizations who own large pieces of land that......
• Either way, you are right! Whether you think that 1,849 is the number of projects that I have or that project 1,849 itself contains 1,849 projects, either way, you are right. Project 1849 is about the sharing and the dissemination of ideas, information, knowledge. Over the coming months, I will present a multitude of topics......

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• This Week On TechCrunch: Zuckerberg eaten by zebras, Al Qaeda invests in Twitter, Spotify profitable and more The only good thing about the deadline for this week’s TechCrunch round-up falling on Christmas Day is the absolute certain fact that you won’t be reading the results. After all, with the holiday season in full swing, no one in their right mind will be reading TechCrunch. I certainly won’t.......