RETURN2GREEN VISITS LARGEST RICE MILL IN NORTHERN GHANA

September 26, 2011 – Tamalee, Ghana
Press Release

RETURN2GREEN VISITS LARGEST RICE MILL IN NORTHERN GHANA

Ms. Lily He of Return2Green International and Professor Zhou call on Minister of Food and Agriculture Regional Director and Council Members to introduce new technologies for manufacturing with agro-waste and distributed energy using agro-waste as fuel.

The group also visited Nasia Rice Co. Ltd, the largest rice mill in Northern Ghana, which was assisted by Africa Development Bank. Nasia Rice Co. Ltd produces 830,000 kg rice of chaff per month.

The factory is literally choking itself with rice chaff waste, a common problem with all rice producers.

Rice husks have to be shipped to distant locations to be burned, which costs money and creates harmful emissions.

Next, Ms. He and Prof. Zhou met with Chief Andani Abdulai II, director of Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to discuss the potentials of starting up Return2Green projects in different regions of Ghana.

Over the last 4 days, high level meetings have indicated a very strong interest in Return2Green project proposals. They are much needed and a great fit for Ghana’s rural areas and industries.

RETURN2GREEN VISITS EJURA MAIZE FARMS IN EFFORT TO ENHANCE FARMER INCOMES AND REDUCE TONS OF CO2

September 24, 2011 – Ejura, Ghana
Press Release

RETURN2GREEN VISITS EJURA MAIZE FARMS IN EFFORT TO ENHANCE FARMER INCOMES AND REDUCE TONS OF CO2 BEING CREATED BY BURNING OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE

Ms. Lily He, President of Return2Green International, visited expansive maize farms in Ejura, the largest maize producing district in Ashanti, with officials from The Ministry of Food and Agricultural. The purpose of the visit was to gain cooperation with the Farmer’s Association for a public and private investment program in which agricultural waste from
the farms is collected for use as Distributed Energy Fuel and raw materials for MZ-3 flower pots.

By collecting the agro-waste for alternative uses; as opposed to burning it, thousands of tons of CO2 per year that harm the environment will be eliminated. Additionally, thousands of hours of paid working time for farmers at the manufacturing plants will be created, thus adding to their economic and social status.

The program which is still in the development stages is intended to be spread around the entire country creating substantial positive effects for thousands of Ghanaians.

RETURN2GREEN INTERNATIONAL ADDRESSES 5TH ANNUAL GHANA SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

September 23, 2011 – Kumasi, Ghana

Press Release

RETURN2GREEN INTERNATIONAL ADDRESSES 5^TH ANNUAL GHANA SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Ms. Lily He, President of Return2Green International, addressed the 5th Annual Ghana Society of Agricultural Engineering (GSAE).  One of the topics of the conference was achieving agricultural growth through introductions of new technologies to Ghana’s farmers, who have been depending on outmoded farming practices for years.

Ms. He mission in going to Ghana was to introduce new technologies in sustainable agriculture. The introductions included: manufacturing of biodegradable products made from agro-waste using a patented process developed by Professor Mouzhi Zhou. Ms. He also introduced a revolutionary new sustainable Sunlight Greenhouse technology along with a Distributed Energy technology that will provide power to the operations using waste as fuel.

 

Ms. He and Prof. Zhou were invited to address the conference by the Minister of Food and Agriculture.

Lighting Science Group and Dixon Technologies Announce World’s First Sub-$15 Ultra-Efficient 60 Watt Equivalent LED Bulb

Company's Full Range of High-Performance LED Lighting Products will Transform the Indian and Emerging Countries’ Lighting Markets

At a press conference in India, Lighting Science Group (OTCBB: LSCG), the world’s premier maker of LED lighting solutions, and Dixon Technologies India Pvt. Ltd, a world-class electronics products manufacturer in India, unveiled one of their first joint products: a high-performance, sub-$15 omnidirectional 60-watt equivalent A19 LED bulb that will be available in India by the end of the year and will be sold worldwide by Lighting Science Group early next year. Utilizing Lighting Science Group’s revolutionary technical design, the bulb is the first in a series of products being jointly manufactured and distributed by the two companies. The full line of products will include street lights, outdoor and industrial light fixtures and replacement bulbs that will set a new standard for lighting product performance, producing more light for less energy than any similar products currently available in India.The Indian market for LED lighting is expected to grow to $400 million by 2015 (53% per annum), making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. According to India’s Ministry of Power, the country plans to build 80 new coal-fired power plants to keep up with rising electricity demand over the next 5 years, and the potential savings from simply changing light bulbs to the new LED technology can significantly reduce they county’s electricity demand by as much as 40%.

“With India’s peak load electricity deficit expected to increase upwards of 15% in the near-term, the adoption of energy efficient technologies will prove critical in meeting India’s infrastructure needs and demands of continued economic growth. Our partnership with Lighting Science Group will make LED technology available for large scale implementation in the Indian market and we expect to be the market’s leading seller of LED lighting within two years,” said Sunil Vachani, chairman and managing director of Dixon Technologies.

Consistent availability of good quality electricity can be a constraining factor on economic growth, and moving to LED lighting is the low lying fruit of efficiency initiatives without polluting the environment: easy to implement with rapid repayment of the investment from power savings. The newly announced Lighting Science Definity® bulb fits perfectly into existing screw-in light sockets and creates a clean, bright light level equivalent to a conventional 60-watt incandescent bulb using 85% less electricity and is designed to handle the variable quality of power in India and other emerging economies. Even compared with relatively efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the new bulb uses 35% less electricity and, unlike all fluorescent lights, contains no toxic mercury. At a retail price that is below $15, the payback from electricity savings versus traditional incandescent light bulbs is 8 months and the LED bulb has an expected life of approximately 8 years.

“With 800,000,000 incandescent light bulbs and 300,000,000 CFLs sold in India each year, the market is ripe for these highly efficient, long lasting and nontoxic products,” said Atul Lall, deputy managing director of Dixon Technologies. “The economic and environmental implications of this partnership are significant: old-style light bulbs use 60 billion units of electricity each year, 7% of India’s total, and our Lighting Science Group Definity® lamps could save over 70% of that, equivalent to 32 coal fired plants with 500MW capacity.”

With its high efficiency, long life and high quality light, LED technology is transforming the $100 billion global lighting industry. That is why the Indian government is targeting LED lighting as a sector of excellence and as a driver of the future Indian economy.

“As India undergoes an infrastructure transformation in the next few years, the country has an unprecedented opportunity to leapfrog the rest of the world by becoming an early, large-scale adopter of LED technology,” said Jim Haworth, chairman and chief executive officer of Lighting Science Group. “Augmenting our production capabilities by utilizing Dixon Technologies’ manufacturing facilities in Noida, we’ll be able meet the expected strong demand from individuals, businesses and government in India and I expect that our LED lighting products-particularly the new 60-watt equivalent bulb-will quickly become some of the best selling lighting products in the world.”

About Dixon Technologies
Headquartered in Noida, India, Dixon is a leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider focused on delivering high quality, cost effective solutions for consumer electronics, lighting, set top boxes and home appliances for the domestic (India) and international markets. With fiscal year 2009-2010 revenues of USD $200 million (Rs.1000 Crores), Dixon provides its customers with world-class electronics products through a network of manufacturing facilities spread across India. Dixon is ISO 9000 & 14001 certified.

All of Dixon’s facilities are audited and approved by Multinational Customers, as per their global standards. This ensures that customers are able to optimize their operations by lowering their costs, providing reliable and safe products to their customers and reducing their time to market.

About Lighting Science Group
Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTCBB: LSCG) designs, develops, manufactures and markets LED lighting solutions that are environmentally friendlier and more energy efficient than traditional lighting products. Lighting Science Group offers retrofit LED lamps in form factors that match those of traditional lamps or bulbs and LED luminaires for a range of applications including public and private infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor applications. Lighting Science Group’s Advanced Projects Group business unit designs, develops and manufactures custom LED lighting solutions for architectural and artistic projects. Lighting Science Group is headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida; the Company’s European operations are based in Middelburg, The Netherlands; the Company has a sales office in Sydney, Australia; and it has a manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Lighting Science Group employs approximately 600 workers building lighting products from domestic and imported parts. Lighting Science Group is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company. More information about Lighting Science Group is available here.

Forward Looking Statement. Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the performance of LSG and/or its products and/or the marketplace and/or use terminology such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” “will be,” “will make,” and variations of such words and similar expressions. Such statements reflect the current view of LSG with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. In evaluating these statements, you should carefully review the risk factors detailed under “Risk Factors” in our most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that may cause our actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

Article courtesy of Got2BeGreen

Military Green Investments Could Hit $10 Billion by 2030

 

Breakdown of the DOD's energy use for operations and facilities. Eighty-one percent of operational costs go toward jet fuel, while 64 percent of facilities costs go toward electricity.(Credit: Pew Environmental Group/Federal Energy Management Report 2010)

It's no secret to anyone following green tech that the Department of Defense has taken a particular interest in advanced biofuels, vehicle fuel efficiency, renewable energy, and building efficiency. But many may not realize to what extent the DOD has changed its policy, or the large impact this shift is going to have on the economy, according to a report released yesterday afternoon by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The report asserts that the DOD is one of the world's largest institutional consumers of fossil fuels, consuming 300,000 barrels of oil a day in 2009. The DOD's energy cost for 2010 was $15.2 billion (PDF) with 74 percent going to operations and 26 percent going to facilities. About $11 billion of that was spent on liquid petroleum fuels, according to the report.

The study and the report, which took two years to complete, was overseen by retired Republican Senator John Warner, who is a former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and former Secretary of the Navy. Warner is the senior policy adviser at the Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate.

Aside from cost, a major nuisance of fossil fuel dependence is the danger involved in having to transport liquid fuels to combat areas, and the impact fuel availability has on the effectiveness of military operations. The DOD has estimated that 80 percent of supply convoy missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel, according to the report.

In view of that, the DOD has determined that incorporating renewables and other green tech into its energy ecosystem will improve security for the armed forces, as well as national security.

A move to less fossil fuel, especially in light of volatile oil prices, will also save the branches of the military money long-term both home and abroad, according to the report.

To that end, the DOD has set the ambitious goal of getting 25 percent of its energy needs from renewables by 2025.

The U.S. Air Force plans to be on 50 percent biofuels for all its domestic aviation needs by 2016. The U.S. Navy plans to reduce ship fuel consumption by 15 percent by 2020 compared to its 2010 levels. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines both plan to get 50 percent of their needed energy from alternative energy sources by 2020.

And while all branches of the military have plans to upgrade bases and installations (PDF) with more efficiency for buildings, the U.S. Army has a "net zero" program under way to get its bases to produce as much energy and water as they consume, and reduce, recycle, and reuse their waste. Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Carson in Colorado are on track to be net zero in all three categories by 2020.

There have also been myriad smaller roll-outs and programs within the last few years.

The Navy began using algae-based shipboard fuel on a limited basis in 2010. The Army began replacing its light-use vehicles on military bases with electric vehicles and ordered military bridges made of recycled thermoplastic composite in 2009.

The Marine 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment at Forward Operating Base Jackson, and their Afghan national army counterparts have been using portable solar charges in Afghanistan that enable them to carry fewer batteries and more ammunition, solar tarps on tents to power lights, and solar panels to power mobile command centers and computers.

The report noted that the DOD's shift in energy policy is a wise choice in terms of saving money and improving its own security drastically in the coming years. But its switch is also a secondary way to protect American national security, by helping the country to become less dependent on foreign energy sources. As in other areas of tech, military investment in green technology will help it reach commercial maturity more quickly, the report said.

"In fact, the department has created a far-reaching memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy to help accelerate the innovation process in service of the nation's energy and national security goals. DOD and DOE are working cooperatively on advanced batteries, energy efficiency, microgrids, and 'smart' technology," said the report.

Concurrent with this shift in policy, DOD clean-energy investments increased from $400 million in 2006 to $1.2 billion in 2009, a 300 percent increase. The institution plans to invest even more, projecting its green-tech investments will reach $10 billion annually by 2030.

Warner said he's not surprised that the DOD will once again be the leader in a new space as it's always been one of the earliest supporters of cutting-edge technology.

"The Department of Defense fostered the Internet, GPS, computer software, and other economically important innovations. Today, our uniformed men and women and their civilian counterparts are committed to transforming the way the department uses energy through efficiency and technology development. Their accomplishments and innovations are enhancing our national security, our economic security, and our environmental security," Warner said in a statement.

Article by Candace Lombardi, CNET

Small Scale “Recirculating Aquaponics” Project On Maui Demonstrates A Feasible Way To Incorporate Aquaculture And Hydroponics For Sustainable Living (Video)

 
This Maui project is a great example of what grassroots ingenuity can accomplish. Click here to watch video

The Burrito That Changed the World - Or at Least American Farming (Video)

If you lump all fast-food restaurants into the same profit-driven-pushers-of-unhealthy-food category, you may want to delineate a new group: sustainable farming advocates.

Chipotle, the fast-casual Mexican-inspired chain with 1,100 locations across the U.S. that has been serving up healthy food made with organic and local produce since 2008, has just announced the creation of a nonprofit foundation targeted at increasing the amount of sustainable farming practiced by American farmers. They're the only U.S. fast food chain committed to organic and local produce (10 million pounds coming from a 350-mile radius of each location just this year), and they buy more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant -- proving not only that it can be done, but that it can also be affordable and excel in flavor. Chipotle's success may be one of the examples that led McDonald's to agree to begin purchasing cage-free eggs and moved one of its former executives to develop a healthy fast-food chain set to launch in the near future.

The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation will use its funding to support family farms and ranchers developing sustainable practices and youth-targeted education programs focused on food and healthy eating. In a statement from Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle, he says, "By creating the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, we are extending our reach beyond our restaurants and will be supporting organizations and people that are working to improve individual family farms, animals and the environment, and youth and education programs."

Don't think they're serious? Chipotle also released a video this week featuring country music star and president of Farm Aid, Willie Nelson, singing Coldplay's "The Scientist" over an animated video of a farmer who turns his small family farm into an industrial operation that includes drugging livestock and creating pollution before a change of heart reverts him "back to the start" -- the song's refrain, where he embraces sustainability and better food.

Article courtesy of Organic Authority

Top 10 U.S. Cities For Green Job Seekers

According to a Mother Nature Network listing, the top 10 cities for green jobs. California led the pack with three of its cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento in the top 10. Green jobs increased in California by 36% between 1995 and 2008, compared with an overall job growth of only 13%. The top five from their list follows:

1. San Francisco is the number one city with more than 42,000 green jobs. As the San Francisco Chronicle's blog points out, for a city with a population of 809,000, that's a pretty impressive number. A sixth of the city's green-collar jobs are in the energy generation sector, with most of these in the solar industry. The city recently passed $100 million worth of bonds to create sustainable jobs and businesses. In addition to solar jobs, San Francisco is also filled with environmental consulting, green tech, and greenhouse gas emission monitoring jobs. MNN invited green architects in search of work to move to the city by the Bay, noting that 20 big construction projects have recently applied for LEED certification here.

2. Denver came in at number two, which wasn't surprising given that it is home to Vestas Wind Systems and other solar firms and clean tech companies. Government institutions, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is based in Denver, have produced green opportunities. During the Obama administration, NREL funding has almost doubled.

3. NYC was ranked third among the top U.S. metro areas for job creation, according to Clean Edge, a clean energy research firm. Also, many of PlaNYC's 127 initiatives are expected to create green jobs, especially because of the $1 billion for building retrofits to increase energy efficiency and because of the plans' target to reduce greenhouse gases by 30%. NYC also hosted a Green Collar Jobs Planning Commission and benefits from active organizations such as Sustainable South Bronx that provide green collar job training.

4. Portland created close to 20,000 clean-energy jobs in 2007. More than 1% of Oregon's 1.9 million jobs are related to the clean energy economy, the highest percentage in the U.S. Oregon ranked 3rd for producing sustainable manufacturing jobs.

5. In Los Angeles, energy generation jobs recently increased by 35% and energy efficiency jobs by 77%. Much of the green-collar job growth in L.A. is due to the 2009 Green Building Retrofit Ordinance, which required that all city-owned buildings greater than 7,500 square feet or built before 1978 be retrofitted to LEED silver certification standards. The ordinance also created a green jobs training program to help combat unemployment.

San Francisco, NYC, and Portland were also on The Daily Green's List of 5 Best Cities to Land a Green Job. The Daily Green also included Boston, which isn't surprising given that the Boston area was recently ranked fourth in a Clean Edge survey of the top U.S. metro areas for clean-tech job creation. Boston also benefits from its many renowned colleges including MIT, Harvard, and Boston University.

The more surprising choice that made both the Daily Green's and MNNs list was the City of Detroit since it currently has an unemployment rate of about 14%. However, Detroit has been the recipient of of U.S. Department of Energy grants that are creating jobs by funding hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Other cities which have been recommended but didn't make either list are: Washington D.C., Seattle, Chicago, San Diego and Austin. What is exciting about all of these cities is that the green job potential is growing not solely in the domain of cities along the coasts but also in the Midwest and Southwest.

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Health Clubs Can Fight Recession By Going Green

Did you know an average treadmill uses about 1500 watts of power that is equivalent to powering 15 old-fashioned light bulbs and in the process produces two pounds of CO2? Did you know the energy produced by 30,000 fitness centers located in the United States can power a small city?

Increasingly as Americans are looking for green options from driving hybrid cars to buying local produced food, business owners are facing a host of new questions. What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? How environmentally friendly your business practices are? How do you actually become green during recession?

Being a health club owner, going green becomes a natural step forward. The primary focus of health clubs is to improve the health of the members and going green focuses on protecting the health of the planet. With increased competition in the health club industry, businesses can differentiate themselves from the competition by going green while simultaneously, improving the bottom line.

Adopting sustainability practices can help reduce the electricity bill which is the major operating cost for most health clubs. Shifting to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights or LED bulbs can cut significant costs. Turn of lights in non-essential areas or turn on only every other row of lights in large areas such as gyms and swimming pools. Install dimmer switches on lights and keep lights at half brightness are other small steps that health clubs can take.

Today, many companies are producing special equipment for making health clubs energy efficient. The Green Revolution, a Connecticut based business has added around 1000 bikes at 60 gyms that convert the direct current created by pedaling into alternating current to be sent to the power grid.

Another important aspect of making your sustainability goals successful is to educate your employees. Encourage employees to share the health clubs initiatives with the clients to ensure that everyone at the facility is acting responsibly towards the environment.

Article by Marcos Cordero, Green Business Bureau