January 2011 |
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| Major Solar Power Plants in California |
| January 11, 2011 |
| Edison town in Southern California has signed to build and operate seven solar power plants in the state this year, one of which will be the biggest in USA. Once operational, these plants will more than double the solar power capacity of the state. This marks another encouraging initiative in the state of California, which will lead to more states adopting such projects. |
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| Mandates for preventing future oil spills |
| January 11, 2011 |
| The US Commission appointed by President Barack Obama to look into the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has concluded that the overseers and corporations have to radically overhaul their approach to safety standards. The 400-page report has made numerous recommendations to the industry and government to go beyond the currently deployed safety measures. |
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| Top 20 Projects of 2010 |
| January 11, 2011 |
| Here is a list of the top 20 DIY projects from the ReadyMade Magazine that can be made at home with all used household items and accessories. |
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| Useful Banana Peels |
| January 2, 2011 |
| From time immemorial banana peels have been a staple of pranks pulled on people. Cartoons and video games have thrived on having their characters slip on the proverbial peel to generate humour. Now a Brazilian chemist, Milena Boniolo, has discovered a unique use of the lowly banana peel that could save it from a garbage heap – to clean polluted water. Her technique if implemented can provide low-cost alternatives to the expensive techniques currently in use. |
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| Greenest Corporations of 2010 |
| January 1, 2011 |
| Greenopia released its list of the Corporate Leaders in Sustainability for 2010. The five criteria for this being - green building design, supply chain, sustainability report, recycling, and stock. The winners in various categories included Ikea for home, Honda for drive, Dell for think, etc. As per Greenopia, these corporations despite their scale of operations, have made majors strides towards sustainability. |
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December 2010 |
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| Time for “Hollywood” to go solar? |
| December 29, 2010 |
| One of the world’s most iconic and most easily recognisable landmarks is the Hollywood sign situated on Hollywood hills. This sign has been an important cultural attraction for many decades since its construction in 1923. Now a group of environmentalists are hoping to harness solar energy to light up this sign. With the White House planning to re-install solar panels on its roof the Hollywood sign is perfectly positioned to make utmost utilization of the power of the sun. The environment group believes that doing this would send a strong and symbolic statement to the cause of renewable energy. |
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| Geothermal energy to pick up steam |
| December 28, 2010 |
| For several years now, Geothermal energy has been seen as being a highly potential source of energy. This energy derived from the internal heat of the earth, is virtually free of carbon emissions and more reliable than solar and wind energy, but has not been fully tapped or utilised. But now there is renewed on the part of geophysicists like David Blackwell, to revive and unlock the full potential of this deep-seated source of energy. |
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| Green Designs for the US Govt. |
| December 23, 2010 |
| The US Government spends close to $25 billion annually on its power and fuel costs making it the world’s largest power consumer. There exists a huge opportunity to build energy efficiency into the system which the government has been doing since 1978. Now the Obama administration is trying to ramp this up by infusing $4.5 billion stimulus funds by next September into greening and its building and renovation projects. As per estimates, the government hopes to cut down its GHG (Green House Gas) emissions by 28% by 2020. |
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| A Picture of things to come? |
| December 13, 2010 |
| Recently released world maps by NASA show a scary picture of how global warming has affected our world. The stark contrast in the world maps of the decades starting 1970 and 2000 show temperature anomalies that taken place in the intervening years. According to the analysis, two-thirds of this warming occurred since 1975 at the rate of 0.150C to 0.200C per decade especially along the poles. |
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| Recyling a Christmas Tree |
| December 7, 2010 |
| In a day and age where consumerism is king especially during the holiday season, the stellar efforts made by Jean Eadie of Scotland. This 85 year old widow has been using the same Christmas tree since 1928 to celebrate Yuletide which she bought when she was 3 years old. Jean believes that the current trend among the youth of buying things and discarding them with every change in fashion trends, should be strictly avoided. Jean teaches us the value of not just caring for our cherished items, but also gives us lessons in recycling. |
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| Marriott shows the way |
| December 6, 2010 |
| The Torrance Marriott South Bay, Los Angeles is leading the way for hotels in USA to go in for water conservation. Using simple actions the hotel has managed to reduce almost 32% of water usage. As more and more companies realize the importance of water conservation, such an initiative is a welcome move that can go a long way in creating awareness among the hospitality industry. |
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| Eco Reminders |
| December 2, 2010 |
| All of us at some stage in life have used stickers or post-it pads to remind us of something. Here is an innovative way of reminding yourself of some of your commitment to protecting the environment. Hu2 has launched stickers with eco-messages that remind you of an eco-friendly habit that you can put to use. These stickers are of various sizes and shapes and each of them talk of a different environmental cause. For this initiative, Hu2 has been nominated for the “TreeHugger Best of Green Award 2010” in the “Best Industrial Design Idea” category. |
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November 2010 |
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| China overtakes US as most attractive Renewable Energy country |
| November 30, 2010 |
| An independent confirmation by Ernst & Young says that China is now a more attractive country for renewable energy, displacing the US which held the top spot for the past five years. An interesting fact to note is that one in every two wind turbines installed in the world is in China! This has been possible mainly because of the Chinese Government’s heavy investment of around $10bn in new wind projects. |
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| Bags made of old coffee sacks |
| November 30, 2010 |
| Tote and hand bags made out of old coffee sacks are being manufactured by a London based firm “The Lost Property”. The coffee sacks are sourced from South American coffee roasting houses which are collected by them and converted to rucksacks, tote bags or shoulder bags – each piece unique in itself. |
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| Taking trash inside the office! |
| November 22, 2010 |
| Terracycle is an organization known for its recycling efforts. They have now taken it a step further by taking the recycling mantra into their own office by having their office interiors made of recycled material. From turning an old door into a desk, to using a wooden crate as a lamp shade, to recycling carpets on the floor, the Terracycle office has it all. |
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| Fat(s) chance as renewable fuel |
| November 22, 2010 |
| The search for the raw material that can be used as a source for renewable fuel has led scientists to experiment with wood chips, algae, solid waste, etc with some success. Tyson Foods, the food-processing giant feels animal fats have a good chance of being the next big source of renewable fuel. In partnership with research firm Syntroleum Corporation Tyson Foods have opened a plant in Louisiana, for testing the prospects of converting inedible fats and greases to renewable diesel fuel. |
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| Top 5 "green" skyscrapers |
| November 22, 2010 |
| With the demand for space ever increasing to meet the unending needs of the human race, the most feasible option would be building skyscrapers. But these super-towers have their own set of problems due to the high consumption of resources and hazards to the environment. This article highlights the top 5 skyscrapers which have been built using green techniques – from integrating wind turbines into the design, to constructing the facades made of 85% recycled steel. |
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| Tigers to be extinct? |
| November 22, 2010 |
| Tigers would become extinct in the next 12 years if countries do not take quick remedial steps to curb poaching and protect the natural habitats of these wonderful animals – this was pronounced in a “tiger summit” hosted recently by the Russian Prime Minister. There are only around 3200 wild tigers all over the world which need our support to survive. |
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| What causes Global Warming? |
| November 21, 2010 |
| There are loads information and many conjectures to the above question. To bring all this varied information together, the United Nations has formed a group of scientists – International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). One of first discoveries of IPCC has been the effect of several greenhouse gases that result in this phenomenon and many of them are emitted by humans. |
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| 200 miles in a solar-powered wheelchair |
| November 21, 2010 |
| Haider Taleb, a physically challenged individual from UAE wants to prove to the world that a disability should not be a dampener in your commitment to the environment. This 47-year is all set to travel 200 miles across the UAE in a solar-powered wheelchair. More power to such champions (pun intended)!!! |
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| GE to green its vehicle fleet |
| November 15, 2010 |
| General Electric has committed to buying 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 in a move that will give a tremendous boost to the green vehicle market. GE will procure an initial 12,000 Chevrolet Volts from General Motors when it releases in 2011. GE holds one of the world’s largest vehicle fleets with around 30,000 vehicles. |
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| Eco-gift guide 2010 |
| November 10, 2010 |
| With the holiday season just a month or so away it is time to draw up a list of the gifts to be given away to your near and dear ones. This article lists out the year’s guide to the top eco-friendly gift ideas of the year 2010. |
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| Top 5 Eco Video Games |
| November 8, 2010 |
| There is no denying that the future of our world is in the hands of the younger generation – a generation that is fed on the wonders of technology and are making the most of it. An innovative method to get them hooked on to the concept of eco-consciousness is to speak their language. Listed in this article are the top 5 video games which are about generating this interest in youngsters. |
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| Chicago Climate Exchange to shut? |
| November 3, 2010 |
| The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) the 8 year old platform that facilitated power companies, manufacturers, and others to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and trade the credits they earned for their success, will shut down at the end of this year, when the current commitments made by the CCX market participant expire. But climate change advocates can take heart in the fact in the recent elections, Californians rejected the state’s efforts to rollback its global warming program and a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will effectively stymie any renewed effort to advance a bill curtailing such rollback across USA |
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October 2010 |
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| How to use discarded books |
| October 26, 2010 |
| Books can be your best friends, so no one likes to discard them even after reading them. This article spells out five ingenious things to do with discarded books – reuse old books to make beautiful and imaginative things at home. |
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| A Lighting breakthrough! |
| October 21, 2010 |
| Set to coincide with the 131st anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb, GE announced their new breakthrough technology in light bulbs – a high efficiency LED bulb that uses jet-engine technology to keep cool. Big players of the industry have announced to phase of their popular 60-watt incandescent bulbs by the end of this year. |
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| Newsweek identifies the top 100 green companies in the world |
| October 18, 2010 |
| Newsweek has released its ‘2010 Green Rankings’, which identifies IBM, Hewlett Packard, Johnson & Johnson, Sony and Glaxo Smithkline as the five best-performing companies, with Green Scores ranging from 94.2% (Glaxo Smithkline) to 100% (IBM). The Green Scores are derived from three component scores: the Environmental Impact Score, the Green Policies Score, and the Reputation Survey Score, weighted at 45 percent, 45 percent and 10 percent, respectively. |
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| Wonders of paper |
| October 17, 2010 |
| We have often heard the adage “house of cards” but how many of us have stepped inside – or even heard of – a house made entirely of paper? Built almost 90 years ago and still standing strong, the ‘Paper House’ is a popular tourist attraction in Rockport, Massachusetts. The walls have been fashioned entirely out of newspaper held together by glue with varnish on the outside, while most of the furniture, including even a piano has been crafted out of paper! |
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| Green Butler at The Savoy |
| October 8, 2010 |
| At a time when hotels are working out innovative methods at attracting guests, The Savoy in London which re-opened on the 10th of October 2010, has initiated a new concept that in addition to being innovative is also an extremely responsible one - a Green Butler. With an aim to be the most environmentally-responsible hotel in London, the Green Butler of The Savoy will ensure that all their guest’s are made aware of the areas of the city using cutting-edge sustainable technologies as well as knowledge of The Savoy’s own environmental initiatives and of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ Green Partnership Programme. |
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| Algae based bio-fuel |
| October 6, 2010 |
| With petrol prices hitting all time high search is on for a less expensive and eco-friendly option at the same time. This need could well be answered by Ford Motors who may be successful in introducing a new algae based bio-fuel , which could perhaps revolutionalise the its product offering. The company currently offers 14 lines of biofuel- powered automobiles. |
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| Wool and Seaweed to make bricks |
| October 6, 2010 |
| Can wool be used to make bricks? Yes, as per researchers in universities in Spain and Glasgow. They are working with combining wool fibres and seaweed extracts along with other material to create a unfired brick that has been found to be 37% stronger than regular unfired bricks. |
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| Walk to School day |
| October 6, 2010 |
| We all know about the benefits of walking and how much of a positive effect it can have on our health. On 6th of October which is celebrated as “International Walk to School Day”, millions of kids around the world walked to school setting an example for all adults to follow. |
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| Scotland raises its renewable energy targets |
| October 3, 2010 |
| For a country that has already achieved its 2011 target of generating 30% of its total electricity consumption from renewable sources (mainly wind power), Scotland is taking its commitment to another level. The country now hopes to achieve a target of 80% by 2020 and in the process generate up to 28,000 new jobs. |
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September 2010 |
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| Tree planting record |
| September 30, 2010 |
| In a time period of just over eighteen hours, a Lance Naik (Lance Corporal) in the Pakistani army planted a record 20,101 tree saplings! At 18 trees per minute, Muhammed Yousuf Jamil established a new Guinness World Record. The enthusiasm and determination shown by Jamil is an example that all of us can well do to emulate. |
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| New ISO Standard on Social Responsibility |
| September 28, 2010 |
| ISO International Standards are respected and accepted as de facto the world over. A new addition to the existing list is the ISO 26000, which provides a definition and framework for Social Responsibility. This is good news, especially for hotels and organisations that already have a Corporate Social Responsibility component or project in place, since this new standard gives a definitive set of guidelines for benchmarking and GAP analysis. |
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| "Upcycling" soda cans |
| September 26, 2010 |
| Did you know that around sixty-five billion soda cans are used in USA every year! A new trend in the USA is “upcycling” rather than recycling these cans. Interesting items like purses and handbags are being made from these cans – while being reused, they are also being put to good use. |
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| Eco-clearance for Navi Mumbai by October |
| September 21, 2010 |
| The much delayed second international airport for India’s commercial hub, Mumbai will finally see the light of day soon. The project which has been interminably delayed due to various reasons got another jolt when the environment ministry enquired about the diverting of a river for the purpose of building the new airport. The city of Mumbai desperately needs a new airport since the current airport will achieve its peak capacity with the next few years. |
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| Salt Lake City Convention Centre to have America’s largest solar rooftop |
| September 13, 2010 |
| The installation of the world’s largest solar array – on the rooftop of Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake – will be completed in January 2011. The 600,000-square-foot project will more than double the current solar capacity of the state of Utah and generate 25% of the annual energy consumed at the Center. |
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| World’s first “Green Highway” – coming soon to Finland |
| September 8, 2010 |
| Imagine a highway where you have electric charging stations along with pumps filled with bio-fuels and normal petrol /diesel based fuels - yes, this is coming up very soon in Finland. At a time when the whole world is looking at alternate fuels to satisfy the ever-increasing and insatiable global need, this is new initiative that can trigger off something of a revolution for other countries to emulate. |
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| Lavasa Project to be probed for irregularities |
| September 4, 2010 |
| Lavasa, India’s first man-made hill city is in a spot of bother due to alleged irregularities in some of its environmental clearances. Spread over 144 hectares of land near Pune, Lavasa has been projected as better alternative to the existing hill stations in Maharashtra since it is more of a planned city with a lot of upcoming hotels and other recreational facilities. When one of India’s leading newspapers pointed out some irregularities in the granting of clearance to the agricultural land on which Lavasa is built, a war-cry was taken by the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly which led to the Revenue Minister Mr Narayan Rane ordering a probe in to the allegations. |
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August 2010 |
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| Getting e-waste right |
| August 30, 2010 |
| Despite all the positive effects of technology in our lives, one of the biggest negatives is the amount of e-waste generated after a particular device outlives its use. The harmful effects of e-waste were never considered serious till recently and now suddenly the proper and effective disposal of e-waste has become a huge bugbear the world over. This article by Mario Insenge talks about how the hospitality industry and take care of its e-waste. |
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| Distribution of drought-tolerant maize to lift some of world’s poorest out of poverty |
| August 27, 2010 |
| The Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa plan, which has been handing out drought-tolerant maize to 13 African countries for the past four years, is hastening plans to develop more varieties of maize that can withstand dry conditions. The project aims to add $ 200 million of additional grain to Africa’s harvest by 2016, which will directly benefit 30-40 million poor African farmers. |
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| World’s first energy positive solar home is unique, inspirational |
| August 20, 2010 |
| Located in Germany, the world’s first solar home produces five times the energy it consumes and has spurred the innovative use of energy harnessed from the sun for many homes and offices. Featuring a kinetic design with solar panels fitted to the roof, the pole-mounted Heliotrope is timed to rotate 180 degrees through the day, following the sun’s track. A unique hand railing system on the roof doubles as solar thermal tubing that heats the home’s water and radiators. |
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| Solar city in Germany produces 4 times the energy it consumes |
| August 16, 2010 |
| Through smart solar design and a large number of photovoltaic panels pointed in the right direction, the solar city of Sonnenschiff, in Freiburg, Germany, produces four times the energy it consumes. The rooftops of this city’s buildings feature rainwater recycling systems that irrigate the gardens while supplying the toilets with greywater. The buildings also make use of wood chip boilers for heat in the winter, further decreasing their environmental footprint. |
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| Dams, abstractions killing many of Africa’s local freshwater species |
| August 14, 2010 |
Water abstraction, dams and overfishing are threatening to make extinct 21% of the 4,526 freshwater species endemic to Continental Africa, says the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species™. These include several species of fish that are also an extremely important source of food. The study also divulges that 21% of all freshwater taxa are globally threatened, including 22% of fishes, 23% of crabs and 25% of aquatic plants.
For more on the IUCN Red list, go to www.iucnredlist.org |
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| Hotels in India show strong interest in Green Certification |
| August 5, 2010 |
| An improved understanding of the bottom-line benefits of going green has prompted a number of hotels in India to seek environment certifications such as ECOTEL. With advancements in eco-friendly technologies and improved access to earth-friendly products such as certified wood, going green is now much more lucrative for hotels as well as easier to implement. |
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July 2010 |
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| Global warming to continue, according to the 11 indicators of new NOAA study |
| July 30, 2010 |
| Research headed by the US National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration and based on new data confirms that climate change is indeed “undeniable”. However, the NOAA research has also suggested that while the earth will continue to warm, it will not be by as much as the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (2007) and other authoritative studies have estimated. |
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| Air in Chinese capital unfit to breathe |
| July 30, 2010 |
| Although the government continues to fight air pollution in Beijing by shutting down noxious factories, tightening auto emission standards, and encouraging individuals to reduce the use of coal for home heating, the problem is intensifying rapidly. New research points to an increase in the percentage of inhalable particulates, and says that the air in Beijing violates WHO standards. |
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| World’s largest wind energy centre breaks ground |
| July 30, 2010 |
| Terra-Gen Power has begun construction of the 3,000-megawatt Alta Wind Energy Centre, which will have the largest wind generating capacity in the world. The project, located in Kern County, California, is expected to provide electricity to 275,000 Californian homes. Terra-Gen expects the project to offset more than 52 million metric tons of CO2 – the equivalent of removing 446,000 vehicles from the road. |
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June 2010 |
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| No more poaching: livelihoods programme in Assam, India provides better alternatives to villagers |
| June 06, 2010 |
| An eco-development program initiated by the authorities of Kaziranga National Park (Assam), is taking big steps in bringing an end to poaching as a means of livelihood for villagers in the area. Forest officials are helping hardcore poachers introduce hill trekking and elephant safaris as well as open food outlets. The programme, which has reached out to more than 5,000 villagers, is engaging tribals in occupations such as piggery, bee-keeping and weaving. |
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May 2010 |
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| International experts identify 19 top solutions for freshwater crisis |
| May 24, 2010 |
| A survey of more than 1,200 leading international experts in 80 countries, conducted by GlobeScan and SustainAbility, has identified the 19 best solutions for global water shortages in the next 10 years. The most important solution, concludes the survey, is a better understanding of the intensity of the water crisis, and this means educating users about the need to modify their consumption and lifestyles. Inventing new water conservation technologies, recycling wastewater and improving agriculture and irrigation practices were also identified as essential measures to address this crisis. |
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| Sunday Times, London announces 60 best green companies for 2010 |
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| The Sunday Times Green list was published on 30th May announcing the UK’s 60 best green companies. The annual competition, now in its third year, finds companies who are at the cutting edge of improving their corporate environmental performance. At number one is small company UKOS, which is in the business of office supplies. Construction company Skanska, power generation firm Infinis and retailing and financial services giant The Cooperative are at second, third and fourth place, respectively. Ranked number seven is Marriott Hotels International. |
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| Fern Ecotel Jaipur walks for a greener Earth |
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| The 4-km walk organized by Fern Ecotel Jaipur (Rajasthan, India) on World Environment Day was a big success with many people from the local community joining in with great enthusiasm. Posters and slogans made by the hotel’s Green Team spread the message of eco-friendliness, and plants and saplings brought from the Fern were distributed to the participants and others. |
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