In a previous post, I referred to an emotional talk by John Doerr, the famous venture capitalist at the TED conference. It’s now on YouTube, and I recommend that you watch it. He’s a great speaker and talks about how he and Kleiner Perkins approached the problem, as well as how companies like Wal Mart, and countries like Brazil have tackled this issue.
But a recurring theme in his talk is that despite some victories, we are not doing enough, and we need to redouble our efforts. He encourages the attendees of the conference to “make going green your next big thing - your gig.” How?
- Personally go carbon neutral
- Help lobby for legislation at the governmental level on climate change
- Use your personal power and your rolodex to help your companies go green.
Now we a may not all be powerful venture capitalists or captains of industry, but these are things we definitely need to do.
While I’m on the topic of model communities, here’s another example. And it’s in China, of all places.
“In Rizhao City, which means City of Sunshine in Chinese, 99 percent of households in the central districts use solar water heaters, and most traffic signals, street and park lights are powered by photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. In the suburbs and villages, more than 30 percent of households use solar water heaters, and over 6,000 households have solar cooking facilities. More than 60,000 greenhouses are heated by solar panels, reducing overhead costs for farmers in nearby areas.”
Amazing, right?!
Check out this article for more info.
I’m surprised I hadn’t heard about this sooner, but there is a grand experiment occurring in Reynolds, Indiana, also known as Biotown, USA.
According to the website, “the purpose of BioTown is to create a model community that is energy self-sufficient. BioTown will create a cleaner environment, develop new markets and enhance value for Indiana waste products while producing its own energy.
“BioTown will:
- Showcase efficient methods to convert biomass into energy,
- Encourage the use of biodiesel and ethanol,
- Use bioenergy to fuel homes and businesses throughout the town,
- Promote alternative energies across the United States,
- Educate Hoosiers and people across the United States about alternative and renewable energy, and
- Prove that agricultural energy is safe, reliable, and consistent.”
Check out the website for more information; it’s an interesting read and I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.
