Through its
Cool Carpet initiative, Interface balances the
carbon footprint of its products as part of a
wide-ranging
sustainability programme
The life cycle carbon footprint of a bottle of
Mobius Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc changes
according to its destination
By 2020, the City of
Malmö in Sweden will be climate neutral
and by 2030 the whole municipality will run on 100
per cent renewable energy
A
prize-winning
nation-wide biogas programme takes
Vietnam's human and animal waste and turns it
into clean, renewable energy, improving
smallholders' quality of life
HANGER 4
LIFE produces a stylish range of ecofriendly,
carbon-neutral adjustable garment
hangers
The Far Eastern Group has built the
EcoARK, a three-story exhibition hall, using
1.5 million plastic bottles (video)
Zipcar provides
flexible car sharing, by the hour or by the day and
in many cities
The Esprimo P7000 Series of desktop computers
from
Fujitsu supports 0-Watt technology
WaveRoller captures
kinetic energy from ocean waves as they approach
the shore using a bottom-mounted moving wing and
converts that energy to electricity
New businesses in Tucson, Arizona, must use
rainwater
harvesting to meet
at least half of their landscaping
needs
Sky
Vegetables builds sustainable, commercial-scale
hydroponic farms on urban rooftops, providing new
jobs and nutritious, chemical-free, locally-grown
produce while reducing environmental
damage
Researchers from China and the United States are
working on a process that cleans
wastewater, generates electricity and can remove 90
per cent of salt from brackish water or
seawater
The solar-powered MoonLight,
from Kamworks, aims to
replace millions of kerosene lights, costly in use
and a major fire risk in straw and wooden Cambodian
houses
The
Genuine Progress Indicator measures how well
citizens are doing economically, environmentally
and socially
The AIRPod,
carrying three adults and a child, runs on
compressed air at one euro per 200km
The
E3 electric tricycle is an eco-friendly,
sustainable mini-taxi, zero emissions and zero
noise
Mumbai-based company
Crompton Greaves has partnered with Lemnis
Lighting to promote LED lighting
products in India
The Canadian city of Kelowna is equipping parks,
paths and other public spaces with solar-powered
LED lights
The
Auriga Leader of the NYK shipping line is a
solar power-assisted car freighter, carrying 328
solar panels
EnOcean
motive energy converters generate electricity from
the press of a button
Westmill
Wind Farm Co-op in southeast England produces
enough green electricity to power more than 2500
homes
Rwanda is
generating electricity from methane gas
extracted from Lake Kivu
The fabric in
Asics Commitment range of sportswear is woven
from bamboo yarn
During play, the
Energy Merry-go-round generates electricity
that is transferred to a battery and 220V invertor
for use in the classroom
The
PlayPump water system doubles as a water pump
and a merry-go-round for children
Curitiba's
BioCity Program (0.3Mb download) aims to halt
the rapid rate at which cities develop and reduce
biodiversity loss
Petrotec produces biodiesel from multiple
feedstocks, including waste frying oils, animal
fats and virgin vegetable fats and
oils
The
Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan presents a
community-based strategy for coming down from the
oil peak
Energy collected from an asphalt road and
parking lot heats an apartment building in
Avenhorn, The Netherlands (further
information from Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV,
0.3Mb download)
Two thousand
morning glory seedlings planted around the
outer wall of the contemporary
art museum in Kanazawa City, Japan,
significantly reduced
electricity consumption
The Save
Happy Valley Coalition is offering carbon
credits based on a reduction in production from the
opencast coal mine it is opposing
Cambridge
Mobile Sensing is exploring the use of vehicles
and people as platforms for environmental pollution
sensors
Purchasing
Save Your World products secures Guyanan
rainforest through a leasing
arrangement
The Sustainable
Energy Finance Directory is a free-of-charge
online database of lenders and investors who
actively provide finance to the sustainable energy
(renewable energy and energy efficiency) sector
worldwide
Bombardier
has developed the
first hybrid train to enter into commercial
operation
The Abu
Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has
launched a US$5 billion initiative to establish the
world's first
totally green city in Abu Dhabi
Massey
University is developing solar cells that use a
range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs,
window glass and clothing to generate
power
People in Mali can
generate energy and strengthen the local
economy by making use of the Jatropha
plant
When consumers in Texas and Maryland select
100%
Wind Clear Choice, Commerce Energy buys
wind-generated power to cover their needs,
supporting clean-energy industries
Dell Computers offers anyone in the United
States the opportunity to offset IT-related carbon
emissions when they purchase a computer or at any
other time
Café
Solar is produced using an energy-efficient and
low-cost means of drying coffee beans
The
Solar-Hydrogen Residence is a zero-emission,
signature project of the Hopewell
Project
The Global
Environment Institute trains farmers in China
to use up-floating biogas systems to provide
year-round heating and cooking fuel
Mazda is leasing a vehicle powered by a
dual-fuel
hydrogen-gasoline rotary engine to local
government and corporate customers in
Japan
A solar
mini-grid system, run by village cooperatives,
has been set up on Sagar Island in the Sundarbans.
The mini-grid system delivers better quality power
than stand-alone household installations and are
more efficient
The
Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign
encourages people, communities, business and
industry, civil society organizations and
governments to commit tree planting pledges with
the aim of planting at least one billion trees
worldwide during 2007
The Cargo
Trike bridges the gap between the humble
bicycle and fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles.
As well as reducing emissions, it has easy access,
a high payload and a flexible weather-proof
covering
Indigenous communities in rural Vietnam are
using
pico-hydro systems to generate electrical
power. The technology is often acquired by rural
communities on a
cash and carry basis
Students
on Ice offers students from around the world
unique learning expeditions to the Antarctic and
the Arctic to help them foster a new understanding
and respect for our planet
An entire Greek Theatre
concert season proved carbon neutral as
renewable energy credits were purchased to help
build wind turbines
The
Turtle Bag Campaign aims to protect Pacific sea
turtles from plastic bags and other debris. You can
buy
a Turtle Bag worldwide
The London Oasis
is designed to relax visitors with sounds, images
and cool, clean air and as a
demonstration of sustainable technologies (you
can view a
video)
Through its
quality assurance programme, the Nature &
More Foundation communicates the commitment and
effort that individual organic growers make towards
the planet and its people
The prototype
Solar Tower, developed in Germany, consistently
generated 50kW of electricity during its lifetime.
Based on this technology, EnviroMission
plans to build the world's first large-scale
solar thermal power station in
Australia
Dry
fermentation has a number of advantages over
traditional biogas processing based on liquid
fermentation, including a distributed system, less
manual work, no smell and reduced water
use
The City of Chicago is promoting
roof-top gardens to improve air quality,
conserve energy, reduce stormwater runoff and help
reduce the urban heat island effect (an
audio report is available)
The
Velotaxi is an environmentally-friendly
alternative to conventional taxis, which is being
adopted in many major cities
The
bus rapid transit system in Bogotá,
Colombia, has
improved the quality of life for all its
citizens by decreasing overall travel time,
increasing efficiencies of the public transit
system and increasing security
Johannesburg's EcoCity Initiative
aims to promote sustainable economic growth while
respecting environmental principles and developing
people's capacity. A key principle
is the self-sustaining economy
On Vanuatu, pure coconut oil is being used as an
alternative to petroleum in automotive diesel
engines. The result is both environmentally
friendly and good for the local
economy
The Gross
International Happiness Project is based on the
insight that conventional development concepts such
as GNP do not properly reflect the general well
being of the inhabitants of a nation
By 2005, the inhabitants of Jühnde plan to
produce all the electricity and heat they require
from
renewable raw materials without releasing any
additional carbon dioxide. There is a more detailed
account in
German
The Coastal Ark is a 30 foot mobile classroom
using state-of-the-art technology to bring
ecological information and outreach efforts to
coastal residents of the State of Georgia in the
United States
Giving a voice to people
on small islands using the technology of the
information age
Marking a new trend in
building green, the majority of residential
buildings in the
South Waterfront development in Portland,
Oregon, in the United States, will pursue
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
certification
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The world's
first personal carbon trading programme is
being conducted on Norfolk Island
SunnyMoney uses a pioneering technique called
microsolar to bring light to the poor, end reliance
on kerosene and provide a sustainable way out of
poverty for entrepreneurs
The SolarAid
battery charger from Godisa supports the
reliable and affordable supply of hearing aid
batteries in developing countries
The Recycled
Island project explores the possibility of
creating a habitable floating island in the Pacific
made from plastic waste floating around the
ocean
The
Tokyo Electric Taxi Project is trialling
battery-switch technology that could provide the
optimum solution for electric vehicle
fleets
Hydrogen-powered buses are carrying passengers
on the streets of Reykjavik, Iceland (video)
The
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan is
developing
elevated bamboo houses that will lift
communities above flood zones
As well as saving energy and reducing waste,
The
Edge LED lighting fixtures from BetaLED contain
no mercury or lead and comply with Dark Sky
regulations
The world's first hydrogen
fuel cell canal boat will tour Amsterdam's
waterways
The
Green Foodservice Alliance is encouraging
eco-friendly practices, such as use of spent grease
for biofuel production and donation of non-sellable
but edible food to a food bank or
charity
The role of the Panasonic
Eco Technology Center is to recover
high-quality recyclable materials from home
appliances that have reached the end of the
life
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, a
WWF Climate Savers partner, aims to
decrease carbon emissions by 30 per cent below
2000 levels by 2015
Motorola is trialling a
wind and solar power system to operate a GSM
cell site in Namibia, increasing rural voice and
data coverage (
video)
Amsterdam's
Climate Street is using innovative technology,
such as solar-power lighting and electric vehicles
to collect waste, alongside behavioural change to
create a sustainable environment
South Waterfront, Oregon’s first green
neighbourhood, uses innovative energy saving and
water conservation techniques to minimize impacts
on the environment
The Save
La Mesa Watershed Project has created a 33
hectare public park, a venue for healthful
recreation and a true forest experience, a living
classroom
Princess
Elisabeth Station, Antarctica, is the
world's first
zero-emission polar research
station
BioEnergy Solutions provides the infrastructure
necessary to create renewable natural gas from
animal waste, then shares revenues and carbon
credits with the farmer
The Sonatrach-
BP-
Statoil carbon dioxide capture and storage
project at the Algerian In Salah gas field should
inject close to one million tonnes of compressed
gas underground each year
The
Vatican aims to be the world's first carbon
neutral state and has installed
2,400 solar panels on the roof of the Paul VI
Centre audience hall
Dow Building Solutions has prepared a short
information sheet covering the construction of
green roofs
WATT, a
nightclub in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has a
dancefloor that generates electricity and
toilets that flush with rainwater
Norwegian music festivals, Canal Street and
Hove,
have
joined the Climate Neutral Network
TIDE, in southern India, markets
energy-efficient stoves that reduce fuelwood
use by as much as 30 per cent
Kungsbrohuset, a new building to be built by
Jernhusen in
Stockholm, will be heated partly by body heat from
the people who pass through the nearby Central
Station
New
Belgium's brew kettle is up to 70 per cent
more efficient than standard brew kettles because
it only heats thin sheets of wort
Climate Savers corporations are partnering with
WWF to establish ambitious targets to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily
The Carbon
Coalition Against Global Warming believes that
farmers can increase soil carbon by fostering plant
species with significant root biomass
The durability of the
Ford Escape Hybrid drive train is being tested
on the streets of New York
SFGreasecycle
collects waste vegetable oil from San Francisco
restaurants for free and recycles it into
biodiesel
The Lighting a Million
Lives Campaign aims to bring light into the
lives of one million rural people in India by
displacing kerosene lanterns with solar lighting
devices
DuraVermeer has built
floating houses in Massbommel in The
Netherlands to reduce flood impacts (
watch video)
Biblio.com is
the first major book marketplace to offset the
emissions on book shipment
New Zealand wine producer
Grove Mill has released a carbon-neutral wine.
Regenerating native forests will offset emissions
during production and international shipping
(watch
video)
Bitublocks
turn rubbish into building materials for new homes,
using less energy to manufacture than conventional
concrete blocks
UNEP and the Shell Foundation replaced costly
subsidies for energy access with a microcredit loan
scheme across southern India to provide affordable
and efficient solar lighting
Cut landfill by giving away your excess
goods to others who can use them
LocalCooling is
a free software tool that allows you to control and
learn about your computer's energy
consumption
Energy
Education Parks generate awareness of the
potential for new and renewable energy sources
amongst the people of West Bengal
The Border Green
Energy Team provides hands-on training in
appropriate technology, including solar power for
health clinics, and financial support to village
innovators in ethnic minority areas on both sides
of the Thai/Burma border
Harnessing the power of popular entertainers and
environmental scientists, Global Cool works
to stir anyone who cares about the planet to do
their bit to save the planet they care
about
The village of Ashton
Hayes in the United Kingdom is going carbon
neutral
The Urban
Greenspace Project is a Tauranga
Environment Centre initiative that provides
funding and support for people who are really keen
to clean up their local gully or reserve and bring
back the native plants and animals
The eco-Fridge
is a silent refrigerated transport system that uses
liquid nitrogen as the cooling accelerant to
counter emissions of carbon dioxide and
hydrofluorocarbons resulting from diesel-fuelled
systems
Hybrid
wind- and solar-powered lighting systems make
optimal use of natural resources in off-grid
locations
SPDG
Technologies is developing bio-composites,
based on fibres such as kenaf, as
a natural successor to
glass reinforced plastics for reasons of cost,
performance and environmental concern. Other
benefits include the regeneration of rural
areas
The Solar
Chill project has developed a solar-powered
refrigeration system to store vaccines in areas
without electricity
AeroVironment has
developed a
small, modular wind turbine system for
installation on buildings in urban and suburban
areas
Solar
Nation is a national campaign, based on popular
support through initiatives such as Vote Solar, that is
changing state and federal policy to make solar a
significant part of America's energy
future
Crijn Bouman has designed a
hydrogen-powered scooter - the Fhybrid - that
will fight pollution in inner cities
Walk the
World has one goal - to end child hunger by
2015. It is an annual
worldwide demonstration across the globe when
hundreds of thousands of people in every time zone
take to the streets to call for an end to the
needless suffering of hungry children
Kansas City residents will build
10,000 rain gardens to reduce runoff that is
polluting waterways. A rain
garden is a shallow basin filled with native
plants that hold and filter rainwater
Bank of America is subsidizing
staff purchases of the eco-friendly Toyota
Prius
Gorilla electric
tractors are designed to be as energy-efficient
as possible and can be charged
by solar, wind or hydro power
systems
Solar
dryers provide small-scale farmers with an
appropriate method of processing cash
crops
The
Green Goat is a hybrid switching-yard
locomotive running on battery power and diesel.
Developed by Railpower
Technologies, it offers lower emissions and a
15 to 45 per cent reduction in fuel
costs
German cities are
recycling prefabricated concrete panels used in
slab construction of dwellings when
redeveloping housing estates
The overall aim of the In
town without my car! campaign is to encourage
public awareness of the need to act against
pollution caused by the increase in motorized
traffic in the urban environment
The Solar
Trac is a solar-powered weeding platform and
light transport vehicle, providing lower running
costs, less noise and pollution and a better
working environment
The Thangka Painting
School opens night-time with light provided by
solar power. A 'thangka' is a Buddhist
religious painting. Students can sell their
paintings to buy a solar home system
Zero
Waste encourages the elimination of waste,
rather than simply its management, to ensure a
sustainable society. The
End of Waste (448 kb download) details
practical steps towards this goal
Energy Efficient Homes is building a house
that can float if the local terrain becomes
flooded
Potatopak's ambition is to reduce the use of
toxic, un-biodegradable Polystyrene and other
plastics through products such as the potato plate
made from 100% biodegradable potato starch
waste
The Kompogas process makes full use of the
energy potential of organic waste
Climate
Solutions takes a regional approach to halting
global warming, working with multiple stakeholders
to inspire and disseminate practical and profitable
responses
|
30
Ways in 30 Days, from UNEP, shows that
solutions to combat climate change are available,
accessible and replicable
The Australian
National Solar Schools programme offers grants
to schools to install solar and other renewable
power systems, solar hot water systems and a range
of energy efficiency measures
Schools for
Intelligent Energy Use builds a bridge between
intermediate vocational schools and civil societies
to increase involvement in the field of energy
saving and renewable energy
Toronto
Zoo is deploying green roof technology, solar
hot water heating and solar and geothermal energy
and plans to use dung from elephants and other
large animals in a
biogas plant
SmartTrips visits different Portland
neighborhoods every year with activities aimed at
reducing drive-alone trips and increasing biking,
walking and public transit use.
Progressive Lighting and Energy Solutions
makes companies green, one light bulb at a
time
Ghent, Belgium, has declared Thursday a
Veggie Day, promoting a meat-free,
climate-friendly diet for one day of the
week
The world's largest solar
thermal steam cooking system, providing 50,000
meals per day, has been installed by
Gadhia Solar at the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust
in India
The
Powerbrella uses flexible,
thin film solar panels from
Konaka to provide power for laptops, cell
phones and other portable devices (
video)
PedalPower+
allows bike riders to recharge their mobile phones,
GPS and other small devices from a bicycle hub or
bottle dynamo (
video)
Kiwi fruit exporter ZESPRI is exploring ways of
reducing the carbon footprint of the
industry
The
Genuine Progress Indicator measures how well
citizens are doing economically, environmentally
and socially
New York's Del Posto restaurant
no longer supplies bottled water to its
customers, citing transportation, packaging and the
absurdity of moving water all over the
world
The Zero
S is a high performance electric motorcycle
with half the weight of a normal bike
The
GeoBulb LED light bulb uses 7.5 watts of power
to provide as much light as a 60-watt incandescent
light bulb and has a lifespan of ten
years
Schools in Joondalup, Australia, can participate
in dune rejuvenation and protection through the
Adopt a Coastline programme
The
City of Oslo uses waste to generate energy for
a district heating system, part of a hierarchical
waste management strategy
The SOLVATTEN
safe water system uses the energy of the sun to
make unsafe water drinkable
The
Solekshaw is a solar-electric rickshaw for
eco-friendly urban transport
Offsetting air travel with atmosfair
buys solar mirrors that provide energy for the
preparation of thousands of meals daily in
India
SolidNav
has developed electric propulsion units for small
water craft and sailboats
Waste Management provides home recycling kits
for compact fluorescent bulbs, batteries and
electronics
Honda is leasing the hydrogen-powered fuel cell
FCX
Clarity to private individuals in southern
California
The CooKit
is an inexpensive, lightweight solar cooker that
can save scarce fuel in poor communities and be
swiftly deployed in emergencies (video)
Over 90 per cent of waste materials generated
during construction of the eco-friendly Del
Sur Ranch House were diverted from
landfills
The Efficiencity
virtual world shows how decentralized energy
production leads to lower emissions, more secure
supply and reduced bills
Sherwood Energy Village is a community-led
project that has re-developed Ollerton Colliery as
a sustainable industrial park
MV Beluga SkySails is the first cargo vessel
worldwide to use the innovative SkySails
auxiliary propulsion system (watch
video)
The natural cotton Lunch
Sak from Project Kool
replaces the millions of paper and plastic lunch
bags used each day
Blue H Technologies has invented a floating
wind turbine, which can be used at greater
depths than fixed turbines (
watch video)
NamPower's
Demand Side Management Project includes
replacing householder's incandescent light
bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescents
at no cost
Sunshine Technology aims to create profitable
forestry and bio-energy businesses that also
provide long-term benefits to the environment,
economy and their collaborators
Modbury, in Devon, has become the first town in
Europe to stop using plastic
carrier bags
Michigan State University scientists hope to
turn
cow manure into fibreboard for use in
furniture, shelving and even building
construction
The
Science Barge is a sustainable urban farm
powered by solar, wind and biofuels, and irrigated
by rainwater and purified river water
Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has begun
small-scale commercial production of biofuel from
algae grown in sewage (
watch video)
The Earthsong
eco-neighbourhood in New Zealand is based on the
principles of co-housing and
permaculture
Sunlabob,
in Lao PDR, offers a
rental scheme for solar home systems for
off-grid villagers who cannot afford to invest
up-front in such systems
The Grameen Surya Bijlee
Foundation is introducing
LED lighting, with its advantages in terms of
luminosity, life span, power required and cost,
into rural India. View
video report (3Mb download, in
Hindi)
The Electronic
Product Environmental Assessment Tool allows
organizations in the public and private sectors to
assess the environmental impact of computer
equipment
WWF China's
20 ways to 20% campaign is a nationwide
campaign that will engage Chinese society in saving
energy and help meet the national goal of a 20 per
cent cut in per GDP energy consumption by
2010
The Eden Project's Waste
Neutral philosophy is that if more people buy
products made from recyclates or create products
made from junk then we are completing the circle
and becoming fully sustainable
Blue
Spruce Farm is producing electricity by burning
waste methane gas from cow manure. "The girls
are now officially producing two streams of income,
a milk cheque and a power cheque," said farm
owner Earl Audet
In India, the
Prakratik Society aims to protect
Ranthambore's environment using biogas
digesters to reduce dependence on fuel and fodder
from the forest
WRAP works
in partnership, helping businesses and the public
to reduce waste, to use more recycled material and
recycle more things more often, thereby minimizing
landfills, reducing carbon emissions and improving
our environment
Entire bus fleets in cities such as Stockholm,
Sweden, are
running on renewable fuel
Through real-world trials in key urban locations
across Australia, the Solar
Cities programme is supporting governments,
industry, businesses and residents in working
together to change the way we think about and use
energy.
Adelaide,
Townsville,
Blacktown and
Alice Springs will host the first Solar Cities
(
watch video)
The
London Climate Change Agency will be housed in
a building that
integrates photovoltaic and wind
power
The Tango
Group is dedicated to sourcing and developing
alternative
solutions for products used in everyday life,
such as radios, clocks and torches
Reva
India manufactures electric cars for city use.
A full battery charge takes less than seven hours
and can give a range of 80km
Energy consumption in the
Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, has been
reduced by around 20 per cent through the use of
advanced technology and management systems in
lighting, heating and air quality
The Kathmandu
Electric Vehicle Alliance (KEVA) brings new
ideas, new partners, new technologies and new
resources to support the adoption and expansion of
electric vehicle use in Kathmandu, Nepal, and
improve the air quality of the city
Voltaic Systems' solar
bags have stitched-in solar panels that channel
power to a rechargeable battery that can charge
your mobile 'phone and other small
devices
Bluesky International has developed an aerial
thermal imaging system that allows local government
departments to
identify energy loss "hotspots" in
residential properties and target energy saving
assistance
The DriveNeutral
programme helps individuals
offset the climate impact of their driving
activities for about the cost of a single tank of
gas a year
SITA Dectra is using Diester,
fuel derived in part from biomass, to power its
waste collection trucks, leading to a 23 per cent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
Make a
pledge to cut your emissions, record your
progress and keep track of the
campaign
Unilever Ice Cream has committed to using
eco-friendly propane freezers, where permitted, in
their facilities and is exploring the use of
thermoacoustic
refrigeration
First Mile
Solutions develops solar-powered, wireless,
internet-based systems for remote
access to health care and other
applications
Curitiba,
Brazil, is considered one of the best examples of
urban planning on the planet
The
Earthship is a home made from materials
indigenous to the entire planet. The major
structural components are used car tyres filled
with compacted earth, forming virtually
indestructible rammed-earth bricks encased in
steel-belted rubber
The SolArt
Global Network makes visible the activities of
a group of artists, architects, engineers,
scientists and scholars dedicated to provoking the
cultural changes necessary to move from
petroleum-based energy to renewable
resources
The Children's
Scrapstore takes clean and safe waste products
from industry, creating a resource for childrens
art and play activities
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