Study: Solar Energy Could Fuel 28,000 Jobs
Press Release by Environment North Carolina
North Carolina could see at least 28,000 high-quality new jobs along with a cleaner environment by achieving an ambitious, but attainable, benchmark for solar power, according to a new Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center analysis.
“Everyone knows solar energy is clean. There has never been a solar spill,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, State Director of Environment North Carolina and co-author of the report. “The sun is also abundant in North Carolina and free. That’s why capturing it can create tens of thousands of jobs right here that can’t be outsourced.”
Wolfpack Gives Back
RALEIGH, N.C. — For the 5th year in a row University Housing and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office (WRR) gives students the option to donate reusable items to the “Wolf Pack N Go” program and divert waste from the landfill. Students donate items which will are picked up, stored and sold to the public.
This year 60 percent of the proceeds collected from the sale will go to Howl For Haiti, a campus-wide initiative to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti.
“Through this initiative students, staff and faculty of NC State are truly helping to assist the Haitian earthquake victims and restore Haiti.” says Kelly Hook, Student Body President.
WRR reported that last year students donated over 15,000 pounds of reusable items. Items typically donated are clothes, shoes, and small appliances.
The Wolf Pack N Go program urges people to participate by also participating at the sale on May 21 in the E.S. King Village Community Center. The sale takes place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Students, staff and faculty can donate items in reusable condition in the lobbies of all residence halls, as well as Administration Building III.
US Top Scientists Urge Coal, Oil Use Penalties
WASHINGTON (AP) – The nation’s top scientists say global warming is so urgent that the United States must make it more expensive to use coal and oil.
The National Academy of Sciences, an advisory panel to the government, is taking the unusual step of urging specific actions to curb global warming. Normally, the academy speaks out on scientific matters but doesn’t recommend policy.
The academy says the nation needs to cut its greenhouse gas emissions from 57 to 83 percent by 2050. That’s about what President Barack Obama has called for. The academy says the way to do that is through a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system that would limit pollution from carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming.
Eco-Conscious Flip-Flop Company Hosts Shoe Drive Party
Kinder Soles, Raleigh-based maker of “buy-one, give-one” flip-flops, is throwing a launch party in downtown Raleigh on May 20 at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub & Restaurant from 6-9 p.m.
The event supports Soles4Souls, the company’s charitable partner, with a shoe drive and percentage of proceeds from sales at the event.
Americans throw away at least 300 million pairs of shoes each year that end up rotting in our own landfills, while an estimated 300 million children around the world have never owned a pair of shoes. Each pair of Kinder Soles sold offers a significant rebate for donating a pair of shoes sitting idle in your closet.
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“North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders” Announced
Land for Tomorrow, a coalition dedicated to supporting the preservation of North Carolina’s land and water resources, announced the winners of the first-ever “North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders Contest” Tuesday.
The contest is part of Land for Tomorrow’s effort to highlight past generations’ conservation successes and urge North Carolina lawmakers to continue supporting conservation in our state. In fact, several of the nominations, including many of the Natural Wonders identified, were protected with the help of North Carolina’s conservation trust funds.
Participants were encouraged to nominate any landscape, natural feature, wildlife or plant life that is unique to North Carolina and should be considered among the state’s greatest natural wonders. About 1,300 nominations yielded 200 unique potential “Natural Wonders,” which were narrowed to a field of 25 semifinalists by a panel of prominent North Carolinians. From those 25, “North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders” were determined by popular vote. Over 3,000 individual votes were submitted.
And “North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders” are:
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Triangle Green Builders Welcome National Conference
The Triangle-area Home Builders Associations welcomes green builders from all over the country during the National Green Building Conference this week.
The conference takes place at the Raleigh Convention Center on May 16-18, 2010. This annual conference, which is presented by the National Association of Home Builders, is targeted to builders, developers, designers, manufacturers, and other professionals in the residential building industry.
It will feature a bus tour of selected green homes in the Triangle, a wide variety of educational sessions, an exhibit hall with many informative displays, and a special “Taste of the South” reception.
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Household and Hazardous Waste Collection Event for Cary, Wake Co.
CARY, N.C. — The Town of Cary and Wake County will partner to host an electronics and residential household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, May 22, 2010, at the Town of Cary Public Works and Utilities Facility, 400 James Jackson Avenue, Cary from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Last year this event was very successful, 744 residents participated in the event and dropped off 20,460 pounds of electronics and 53,806 pounds of residential household hazardous waste,” said Wake County Environmental Services Director Tommy Esqueda. “We look forward to another successful event this year.”
People may bring electronic items for recycling such as:
· Computers (CPUs)
· Household Electronics
· Keyboards
· Laptop PCs
· Monitors
· Televisions
People may also bring household hazardous materials such as:
· household cleaners/chemicals
· paints/lacquers/polishes
· pesticides/herbicides/poisons
· solvents
For information, visit www.wakegov.com/recycling or call 856-7400.
Two NC Land Conservation Groups Merge
By Media General News Service.
BOONE, N.C. – Two land-conservation organizations that, between them, have protected more than 15,000 acres in Northwest North Carolina are merging, officials said yesterday.
Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust, based in West Jefferson, and High Country Conservancy, based in Boone, are joining to form a new organization called Blue Ridge Conservancy.
The merger will help the groups better manage public and private money during challenging economic times, said Walter Clark, who will be the executive director of the new conservancy. Clark has served as the executive director of the Blue Ridge trust.
Phase II: Rebates for Energy-Saving Appliances
RALEIGH, N.C. – The N.C. Energy Office announced Wednesday that the state’s Energy Star Appliance Replacement and Rebate Program will offer a second phase starting June 1.
In the second phase, more appliances will be eligible for purchase by consumers seeking to reduce energy costs by replacing older appliance models, said Ward Lenz, Energy Office director.
“We were delighted with the results of the first phase with North Carolina consumers purchasing more than 54,400 appliances,” Lenz said. “With this second phase, we will put the remaining dollars to work to provide savings for consumers on appliances and utility bills while boosting our state’s economy.”
The second phase of the program will use mail-in rebates on items purchased on or after June 1. The rebates will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, starting on June 1, and continue until the remaining $1 million in funding is used. Consumers must be replacing older appliances to be eligible.
North Carolina received $8.8 million through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to participate in the Energy Star program. During the program’s first phase, which ran from April 22-25, about $7 million or 87 percent of the money was spent, leaving approximately $1 million for the second phase.
In addition to rebates on Energy Star refrigerators, freezers, clothes washing machines and dishwashers featured in the first phase of the program, rebates also will be offered during the second phase on Energy Star-rated central air conditioning systems, gas furnaces, air-source and ground-source heat pumps, and water heaters (gas storage, gas tankless, solar with electric backup and solar with gas backup).
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Green Travel
In honor of Earth Day 2010, here’s a link that provides tips on how to travel green. From hotels that use recycling materials to finding eco-friendly flights, RezHub.com has it all.
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