Top Ten Emerging Environmental Technologies

LiveScience introduces 1o technologies that are shaping tomorrow's globe. But, will these technologies work? Be sure to visit the Top 10 list for full disclosures, and take a look at the linked sites, for more perspective on the technologies.

10. Make Paper Obsolete
Electronic Paper has a flexible display that looks much like real paper, but can be reused.
9. Bury the Bad Stuff
A new disposal method for CO2 admission is to inject it into the ground before it reaches the atmosphere.
8. Let Plants & Microbes Clean Up After Us
Bioremediation uses native plants and microbes to clean up contamination.
7. Plant Your Roof
Roof gardens help absorb heat, take up Co2, and give off oxygen, absorb storm water, and reduce summer air conditioning costs.
6. Harness Waves and Tides
New York City's East River is now in the process of becoming the test bed for six tide-powered turbines.
5. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
OTEC technologies convert the thermal energy contained in the oceans and turn it into electricity.
4. Sunny New Ideas
Solar cells and solar thermal collectors must make way for more efficient solar converts that use mirrors and parabolic dishes.
3. The 'H' Power
The promise of a "hydrogen economy," however, is not one that all experts agree will ever be realized.
2. Remove the Salt
Desalination, the removal of salt and minerals from seawater, is a promising way to provide potable water in places where drinking water is limited resource.
1. Make Oil from Just about Anything
Fans of thermo-depolymerization, or making energy oil from any carbon- based waste, say a ton of turkey waste can produce 600 lbs of petrolium.

Hey Jersey!

We're approaching the moment of expansion, and we're talking about it everywhere. We're registering for conferences at Jersey's best colleges, and chatting with cocktails in hand at local hotspots.

You and I are exchanging among fellow, professional tree-huggers, the feasibility AND brilliance we see in sustainability. The chatter is great, usually entertaining AND informative. But- it seems we need to qualify what sustainability MUST mean in order for so many minds to meet at any ONE juncture.

The 'S' word means ENACTING plans that ONLY support ONE outcome: Earth and opportunity exist indefinitely. That's right sustainability is a VERB! So, if the S word is YOUR goal, then it's already MORE than a buzz word to you. Thus, you belong to NJPros. If you were swept up and into the buzz-hive, then Green is only a fling, and you better hope the rest of us get it right.

The New Jersey Professionals Network is the place where eco-minded people (and folks who want to learn what the buzz is all about) meet-up to ENACT. We are shop owners and professors, analysts and writers (and of course so much more). Let's use virtual and real-time forums to enact as a cohesive unit. In this movement, the HOW becomes easier and the WHY is clearer.

We'll shake hands soon!

-Pamela
President, NJPros
meetup.com/njpros
njpros@gmail.com

Jumpstarting the New Economy - Green Ventures 2009

On a sun-drenched day out of the office, the 2009 Green Ventures Conference took place on the Fairleigh Dickenson University campus in Madison, New Jersey. Jumpstarting the New Green Economy sparked dialogue covering a wide-range of sustainable topics. Conversations and sales pitches benefited from perspectives shared by dozens of expert panelists. Participating vendors highlighted eco-savvy robot technology, sustainable youth development programs, residential renewable energy equipment, and even biodegradable consumer products!

A conference rooted in Triple-Bottom Line ideals, it’s always an organic experience - engaging with green professionals., that is. For every pretentious Greenie who pointed out the “hypocritical nature of the caterers plastic utensils,” (which were made from recycled material) there was the advocate Greenie, the kind that posted LANDFILL on the general trashcan to remind the bandwagon Greenie of accountability to Mother Nature. Hybrid by default, Greenies are driven by cause rather than the cost, willing to Google collaborators instead of competitors.

On the exhibition floor, event organizers checked-in with attendees inquiring about affiliation and trade. They also verified comfort levels, hearing and seating arrangements, and suggested panelists to connect with that were synergistic to guests areas of special interest.

“The goal for our participants is to help them create a vision for business and work within a new paradigm,” said event chairman Jonathan Cloud. “[This] is a platform in which to carry on a large number of interrelated conversations, that we are all part of what we need to reinvent in order to harmonize our actions with the needs of others and the planet,” said cloud.

from the hand of...
LadyPink

Sustainability Is a Processes Not a Switch

"Credibility is Key" hit the nail on the head with the question, "...can you really claim to be aiming for sustainability if your fundamental business model is unsustainable?"

The simple answer is 'of course not.' Green-washing is ever present with companies like Clorox producing 'Green" options but not changing the formulas to their traditional brands. As mentioned in an earlier post, GM and DuPoint are on top toxicity lists.

But, what we have to realize is that sustainability is a process. It's the process of breaking out of old habits and adapting brand new methods that are completely opposite from our routines. For large corporations this means either a). waiting for a more cost effective way to do business b). becoming a pioneer and taking the initial loss for the long-term ROI.

This is not an easy choice at all. While they are thinking about A or B, the corporations' "greenwashed" contributions to sustainability actually makes the complicated answer ABSOLUTELY. Let's face it, we have come to depend on corporate brands in a 'stamp of approval' way. If these companies are now Greening their habits-even if it's faux Green, they are sending a very large message to the non-greened general population that sustainability is the right way to go.

Turning Bricks Green: A Collabortive Effort to Revitalize Newark, NJ

Residents of Newark, NJ will capture the limelight again this year, as the premier model of a sustainable green economy. The Newark’s Green Future Summit kicked off today at the NJIT campus in Newark. The Summit ran under the coordination of Mayor Cory Bookers newly appointed Sustainability Coordinator, Chelsea Albucher, The Apollo Alliance, Green for All and a host of additional private investors, community leaders, and residents.

The two-day conference began with Booker's’ strategy outline, and a vision that would create substantial economic development opportunity, specialized workforce training, and committed social rehabilitation initiatives for residents including youth, small and minority owned businesses, and ex-offenders.

“Newark is perfectly placed. How do we infuse [that] with a green economy so that we can save energy, reduce costs, and also create a better atmosphere? We show the nations what can happen when people come together fr a greater cause," said Booker.