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Whether you were alive during the 1960's and 1970's or not, the Beatles were an incredible influence on our music, and on our culture. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote music that was loved back then, is appreciated now, and likely will still be admired well into the future.
John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is an artist and musician in her own right. Unarguably, she was a strong influence on her husband. And even after John's death in 1980 her art, her music, and her passions for our planet and for the memory of her husband remained unabated.
It is with that backdrop that SmartPower has been invited by Yoko Ono to the tiny island of Vioey, near the capital city of Reykjavik, Iceland. There we will help Yoko Ono keep a promise to her husband that was made in 1965. Yoko promised John that one day a memorial would be built to honor world peace. And so, 42 years later, it will happen.
But this is much more than a promise from a wife to a husband. More than a half a million people have sent their personal wishes for world peace to where this tower is now located. These wishes came from all around the world and each will be buried in capsules in the ground surrounding the tower. Each capsule will be covered with a tree. It is Yoko's wish that this Peace Forest will truly bring world peace.
But Iceland was chosen as the site for another reason as well. This tiny nation, with only 300,000 residents, is on the cutting edge of clean energy. Over 99% of this country's electricity is produced from hydropower and geothermal energy. Iceland is the only nation in the world that has filling stations all across the country that dispense hydrogen fuel for cars powered by fuel cells. It is also the only nation capable of producing hydrogen in adequate quantities at reasonable cost, because of all of their plentiful geothermal energy. Iceland expects to be fully energy independent by 2050 and fully dependent on renewable energy.
We could all learn a lot from tiny Iceland.
As they say in Reykjavik, "Let^s Meik Mor"
Sincerely,
Brian F. Keane
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"The Green Monster Turns Green"
The Boston Red Sox play in venerable old Fenway Park. The park is the oldest in Major League Baseball, having opened in 1912. Even though the park is 95 years old, it is on the 'cutting edge' of becoming environmentally friendly.
When one visits Fenway Park, you are generally stunned at how 'green' everthing is - the outfield grass is brilliant green in color, the left field wall is a subdued green, as are all the park walls, supports, lightposts, and boundaries. Even the 37-foot high leftfield wall is called the 'Green Monster.' Everywhere you look you see the color green.
The Red Sox have teamed up with the Natural Resources Defence Council to make changes to Fenway that will make the park 'the greenest in Major League Baseball.' The efforts include improved removal of refuse, a recycling program that will operate while the game is being played, the vendors will offer locally grown organic produce and to top it all off, the Red Sox are discussing the installation of solar panels on the park to reduce the park's carbon footprint and provide power from renewable resources. These initiatives will be implemented over the next five years and will be completed by 2012, the one hundreth anniversay of Fenway Park.
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to learn how to sign up in your state. |
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On October 9th and 10th, SmartPower's President, Brian F. Keane, joined Yoko Ono in Reykjavik, Iceland, in unveiling the 'Imagine Peace Tower', in memory of her late husband, John Lennon. The tower is not really a tower at all. It actually is a rather short building that will emit a very tall beam of light. The light will emanate from a wishing well bearing the words "imagine peace" in 24 different languages. The tower sits on the coast of the Island of Vioey, a small island only a short distance from Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik.
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Brian F Keane, President of SmartPower, greets Yoko Ono in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Photo courtesy of www.visir.is |
The construction of the tower involved engineers from Iceland and Japan, working from Yoko Ono's design, to build a 55-foot platform beneath a 6 1/2-foot-tall wishing well that houses nine spotlights. The spotlights are able to project the beams of light hundreds of feet into the sky. This location for the tower was chosen in part because Iceland is such an 'eco-friendly' country. The tower is powered by Iceland's geothermal power source. The tower will be lit each year from Oct. 9 to Dec. 8, "so it has the feeling of the shortness of life, but the light is eternal," Ono said.
Brian Keane attended the unveiling and initial lighting ceremony at dusk on the 9th and SmartPower hosted a sunrise breakfast on the 10th. "SmartPower is pleased to support this message of peace and this important use of clean energy," stated Keane.
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"The Imagine Peace Tower emits a highly visible
beam of light into the Icelandic sky." |
SmartPower's involvement in this event is an important commitment in our continuing effort to promote clean energy use in Europe.
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"What the Presidential Candidates are Saying about Clean Energy in NH."
In late September, The Democratic presidential candidates debated at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and the topics of clean energy and energy independence were mentioned frequently throughout the two-hour debate. Each of the eight Democrats hoping to become their party's nominee for president mentioned clean energy and energy independence and alluded to their plans for making them happen. This was the last debate in New Hampshire before the Presidential Primary in January of 2008.
Nearly all of the candidates did mention that they had specific energy plans for America. While none of the candidates were asked specific questions about their energy programs or about energy independence, nuclear power was a topic of discussion. Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) said that nuclear power is "off the table." Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) agreed. Former Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK) said, "nuclear is not an option, but wind power certainly is." Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said, "while nuclear is not her first choice, due to the cost and safety concerns, she wants to look at all options. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) stated unequivocally that "nuclear is off the table" and that he wants "a Works Green Administration that emphasizes solar and wind." Finally, Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) spoke about his commitment to an "Apollo-like program committing the country to clean energy." But Richardson was not asked about his on-going support for nuclear power. Neither Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) nor Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) were questioned about clean energy issues.
We will continue to follow and comment on these events up through the end of the NH Primary.
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The gauntlet has been tossed and only one town can be the winner!
On September 20th, the municipal leaders of Swarthmore Borough traveled to the neighboring Media Borough Council Meeting to officially declare a challenge to the Media Council and its residents.
The challenge sets the table for a competition to see which borough can signup more of its residents for clean energy. Literally, this friendly competition is for bragging rights and the label that comes with clean energy dominance in Delaware County.
In the fall of 2006, both Media and Swarthmore Borough committed to the Pennsylvania Clean Energy Communities Campaign. With this commitment came the offer from SmartPower and the Pennsylvania Sustainable Development Fund that once either Borough reached the goal of having 7% of their residents committed to the campaign, they will qualify as a Clean Energy Community and be eligible to receive a free 1 kilowatt solar PV system (valued at $10,000) as a symbol of their leadership.
Media has proclaimed itself as the 'Pennsylvania Capital of Solar Power'" and it needs approximately 130 additional residents to sign up for clean energy. Swarthmore Borough has a higher percentage of clean energy signups to residents than any other in Delaware County. Swarthmore Borough is also about 130 signups away from achieving Clean Energy Community Status. The leaders of both of these municipalities are taking this competition seriously and are gambling a case of energy-efficient compact florescent lightbulbs, as well as bragging rights, as the prizes in this competition.
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| "Members of the Media and Swarthmore Challenge, from left to right Marcia Tate, EAC Member, Peter Alyanakian, Media Borough Council Member, Mayor Robert McMahon, Media, Mayor Eck Gerner, Swarthmore, Geoff Semenuk, Swarthmore Borough Council Member." |
"This is definitely a battle for the supremacy of Delaware County," said Molly Tsongas, Pennsylvania State Director for SmartPower. "The challenge that has been accepted by these borough leaders is to lead Delaware County in clean energy. Together these communities will make our air cleaner, create healthier communities for their children and help Pennsylvania and the country declare its energy independence."
Lightbulbs, Lightbulbs Everywhere!
On September 15th, SmartPower helped to light up Warrington Township, in Bucks County, as it celebrated 'Warrington Day 2007.' SmartPower joined with the Sustainable Development Fund and PECO WIND, to encourage Warrington Township residents to sign up for clean energy. For each resident who signed up for clean energy from PECO WIND, the Township earned a $20 credit for purchasing clean energy from Community Energy , the company that provides the wind energy to PECO. As an added incentive to sign up for clean energy, SmartPower provided a free energy-saving Compact Florescent Lightbulb to each resident who signed up.
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| This is the wrapper that housed the CFLs donated by SmartPower. |
"We are really excited about our clean energy communities campaign," said Fred Suffian, Vice Chair Warrington Environmental Advisory Council. "This was our first public event to promote the program. We linked our clean energy effort with our efforts on clean water and clean streets and healthy yards for a healthy environment," Suffian concluded.
Meanwhile in Chester County, SmartPower also helped to light up Tredyffrin Township. The Township celebrated its 300th Anniversary, called the 'Tredyffrin Tricentennial,' and SmartPower did our part. Again, in cooperation with the Sustainable Development Fund and PECO Wind, SmartPower encouraged Township residents to sign up for clean energy. As in Warrington, each Tredyffrin resident who signed up for clean energy from PECO WIND earned the Township a $20 credit for purchasing clean energy. And again, SmartPower provided a free energy-saving Compact Florescent Lightbulb to each resident who signed up at the event.
"The Tredyffrin Township Environmental Advisory Council, PECO WIND and The Energy Cooperative spent the afternoon talking to interested township residents about how they could promote clean energy in the township, workplace and their own homes," said Molly Duffy, Chair of the Tredyffrin Environmental Advisory Council. "The Township committed to buying 20% clean energy by 2010 and wants to get its residents on board too," Duffy concluded
Additionally, Cheltenham Township, in the heart of Montgomery County, celebrated its 7th Annual Glenside Street Fair. SmartPower assisted in publicizing this event to the media and in encouraging Township residents and businesses to sign up for clean energy.
"Cheltenham Township broadcast the message that clean energy is real, it's here, and it's working," said Molly Tsongas, Pennsylvania State Director for SmartPower. "We hope that the community will join the efforts of their municipal leaders by signing up their home or business for clean energy and declaring their energy independence," Tsongas stated.
SmartPower will continue to light up Pennsylvania communities as they continue to purchase more clean energy.
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ING, the global financial institution of Dutch origin, has agreed to purchase clean wind-energy credits to offset 100% of its electricity use in all of its United States' operations. There are significant implications in the state of Connecticut for that purchase.
The capital city of Hartford will benefit greatly from the 'greening' of ING's operations. Part of the clean energy purchase through Community Energy includes participation in the CTCleanEnergyOptions program. The commitment of one million kilowatt hours of eligible CTCleanEnergyOptions will possibly allow ING to designate a free 1kw solar PV system from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund to the City of Hartford. In 2006, the City of Hartford earned the status of a Clean Energy Communitysm and if a panel does result from the ING purchase it will be the 9th 1 kw PV earned by the city from the Clean Energy Fund and the Clean Energy Communities program. The city of Hartford will receive the free 1-kW solar array system from ING's purchase.
This is further proof that the support and purchase of clean energy by corporate leaders offers significant benefits to the local community. Working together, the City of Hartford, ING and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund have demonstrated the clean energy truly is, real, here and working!
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The 12th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference, will be held October 21-24, 2007 in Philadelphia and SmartPower will once again be a Platinum Sponsor of this event. This conference is the premiere renewable energy marketing conference in the United States. To kick off this year's agenda, SmartPower President, Brian F. Keane, will serve as one of the panelists in the Opening Session Executive Roundtable on the "State of the Green Power Market."
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell will keynote the conference. He is one of the nation's true leaders on clean energy. He created the Governor's Green Government Council to make state government more responsive to energy concerns and he has formulated an Energy Independence Strategy that will significantly expand the alternative fuel, clean energy and conservation sectors in Pennsylvania. His goal is to keep Pennsylvania in the top tier of states that cuts consumer energy costs and promotes clean and renewable energy.
The conference is organized by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions and is supported by the US Department of Energy, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
This conference is the renewable energy marketing industry's largest gathering and will be attended by the leading renewable energy and green power industry stakeholders worldwide. This annual event allows national and regional experts to share information about the state of the renewable energy markets. Additional SmartPower staff members will be making presentations about clean energy and energy efficiency marketing during the conference.
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