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US Gov. Imposed Tariffs of Around 30% on Solar Panels from China

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:35:48 +0100

The US government has imposed tariffs of around 30 percent on solar panels imported from China, sparking charges of “trade protectionism” from Chinese government officials and increasing friction between the two countries.

The US Commerce Department ruled yesterday in favor of American companies that charged Chinese exporters had illegally “dumped” their solar panels on the US market below fair market price.

Commerce officials will continue their investigations in the trade cases, and are scheduled to release final determinations in July, although that decision will likely be postponed until late September. The International Trade Commission will issue its final determination on whether the US solar manufacturing industry was harmed by Chinese trade practices later this fall.

Do You Know Which Electric Vehicle is Right for You?

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:16:52 +0100

Thinking about acquiring an electric vehicle? Do you know which electric vehicle is right for you?

Source: Joao G. Cabral - from www.H2Brasil.com

Do you want to be green, lose weight, and help save the planet?

Wed, 16 May 2012 02:17:06 +0100

Do you want to develop a healthier lifestyle?
Do you want to embrace green living?
Do you want to help save the planet?
Do you want to lose weight?

Try the city sponsored "prescription" being followed by Parisians, Londoners, Berliners, Brazilians, the Dutch, and very soon... New Yorkers!

Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and a group of elected officials announced the big plan for public bikes around NYC. Some key facts are:

Within the service area, which will stretch from the Upper West Side and Upper East Side to Bed Stuy and Greenpoint,

New Yorkers will have access to 10,000 public bikes at about 600 stations.
Annual memberships will cost under $100. Members will be able to make trips of up to 30 minutes at no charge.
The stations will receive input from local communities, and the City Council will hold hearings on the program.
The system must operate without public subsidy.

All told, we’re talking about a system that will address several longstanding and disparate transportation-related problems faced by New York City residents: the long walk to the train station or bus stop that could be a short bike ride, the barriers to cycling posed by fear of theft and lack of storage space, the difficulty of getting across town in Manhattan.

The VELO stations and public parking for bikes in Paris

The iconic and very inspiring bikes found all over in London.

The creative parking spots for bikes in Old Amsterdam...

The public bikes, available for rent, all over Rio de Janeiro.

Product labeling puts power in the hands of consumers...

Thu, 10 May 2012 23:35:18 +0100

Nutrition facts on a box of cereal. Country of origin on a pair of shoes. Radiation information on a cell phone. Product labeling puts power in the hands of consumers, rewards responsible producers and educational retailers, and combats false advertising. It transforms markets—just look at what organic labeling has done for the food industry.

Not so long ago, everyone was completely in the dark when it came to the backstories of the things we buy—and when it comes to their climate impacts, we still are in the dark.

The team of environmentalists at brighterplanet.com created Prospect to make it easy for buyers and sellers to see the carbon and energy footprints of products on the shelf. With just five minutes of work and one line of code, developers can now outsource the scientific and technical chore of adding green analytics to their site, efficiently empowering their customers and demonstrating their sustainability commitment.

With enough sites using tools like Prospect, everyone will be one step closer to environmental transparency and climate accountability.

We hope you will enjoy this great opportunity to apply environmental transparency to your favorite products!

NASA Quest Challenges - What are They?

Sun, 06 May 2012 22:06:17 +0100

NASA Quest Challenges are Web-based, interactive explorations designed to engage students in authentic scientific and engineering processes. The solutions relate to issues encountered daily by NASA personnel.

The content of NASA Quest Challenges follows real NASA tasks with the goal of involving young people in developing tomorrow's solutions, while inspiring them towards careers in science and engineering. As students work in teams to mirror NASA career roles, agency experts are available to answer questions and to encourage a proper design process. The interaction with scientists occurs via Q&A, chats, interactive Webcasts, and posted feedback on the Web site.

Typically, each scholastic year offers one or two NASA Quest Challenges each of which typically spans six to eight weeks. The activities are designed around problem-based learning and crafted to assist teachers with the incorporation of the content into their educational standard's requirements.

A typical challenge begins with students receiving a question relating to an actual NASA mission. Students work on preliminary solutions, based on research, as NASA experts provide "real time" critiquing. Final designs are developed after student obtain constructive feedback and encouragement. Both student work and parallel projects at NASA are featured in a live Webcast.

For information on technical requirements and instructions on how to participate in Web events see our "How to" Page.

Source: NASA's website

STEM Women All-Stars Hit the Road

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:53:00 +0100

Last week, at the release of the White House Girls in STEM video, some of the Nation’s top women scientists and engineers took a break from their daily responsibilities at the heights of Federal, private, and academic science and technology enterprises to urge girls to open their minds to careers in these fields. Their voices joined a chorus of women across the country who are making it part of their mission to inspire students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Over the past few months, students from Santa Barbara, California to Miami, Florida have played hosts to some unusual substitute teachers, as senior women scientists and engineers from the highest levels of the Obama Administration hit the road as part of the Women in STEM Speakers Bureau roundtable series.

Designed to spark the interest of middle and high-school girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects, the Women in STEM Speakers Bureau was launched by the White House Council on Women and Girls and Office of Science and Technology Policy in September of last year. Over the past seven months, outstanding STEM rolemodels from nine Federal agencies have signed on to participate in the program, inspiring girls and boys alike with their own personal stories and insights.

In Santa Barbara this past March, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wowed Girls, Inc students with not only her tales of becoming the first woman to serve in that post, but also with props and squid!

For more information on the Women in STEM Roundtable, or other Administration efforts to increase the participation of women and girls in STEM, please visit www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/women.

Source: Lauren Andersen is a Policy Advisor in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/30/stem-women-all-stars-hit-road

Get Inspired by the Natural Environment

Fri, 04 May 2012 04:07:03 +0100

A recent research study done by Behavioral Economists pointed out to considerable findings about how individuals feel rewarded after looking at certain types of images. We decided to run our own tests and the result is below.

By looking at this picture you should feel relaxed.

This picture is likely to make you feel collaborative.

This picture is likely to make you feel calm.

This picture is likely to make you feel heroic!

Now that we got you inspired by the Natural Environment, let's get to action!
Are you looking to volunteer opportunities for the summer?
If yes contact us by filling up you information here or via email here

Do you know what a Geo Fair Trade Project is? Ever heard of WFTO?

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:23:54 +0100

WFTO is one of the partners of a project that developed an information system that gives greater transparency of the producers on their commitment to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.

Using geographical and local data of the producers’ production environs, the Geo Fair Trade Project, aimed at constructing mechanisms to trace products to its producers, to bring producers closer to the consumers, and to come up with social, economic and environmental indicators derived from the information gathered through the project.

This project is funded by the Directorate General for Research of the European Commission and coordinated by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Gers (CCI Gers). It is a three-year period project that began last April 2009 and to be concluded in April 2012.

How does Geo Fair Trade Project go about its aim?

Geo Fair Trade project required the cooperation of Research and Technology Developers (RTD) and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) to develop new social, economic and environmental indicators based on geographical data.

The project uses traditional traceability data and links it with geographical information to map out relevant indicators such as social and environmental issues, food safety, product quality, and sustainability. These indicators will enable Fair Trade products to be easily identified and traced to its origin.

Online interactive tools are available to allow visualizing the upstream and downstream flow of Fair Trade products. The Geographical Information System (GIS) Geoportal provides the basis for spatial information discovery of Fair Trade initiatives, and how these initiatives will impact the economic, social and environmental conditions of producers and their communities.

Who will benefit the project?
Fair Trade producers and the consumers benefit the project. The consumers can see the direct implications of their purchasing pattern on the livelihoods of identifiable groups of producers and workers.

A few case studies:
The FTAK organization (India) for Cashew nuts, coffee and spices.
The SONGTAABA organization (Burkina Faso) for Shea Butter.
The ATMA organisation (Ecuador) for Panama Hats, producer group of WFTO member Pachacuti.
The COSTAS organization (Brazil) for Coffee.
Get involved!

Do you want to host a workshop at your school, community center, or educational institution?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:11:19 +0100

Join or host one of our STEM education workshops!

Give us a call or send an email to: website [@] microempowering.com and we can coordinate our agendas or provide you with a vast list of resources and materials such as;

Resources:
PBS, public television stations and content producers rely on organizations like the following to help us stay informed about STEM initiatives.

International Society for Technology in Education: ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and higher education.

National Science Foundation: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…"

National Science Teachers Association: The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership of 60,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education.

Stem Education Coalition: The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM related programs.

NASA Webcasts: NASA's Digital Learning Network presents a series of videoconferences to assist educators in staying current on NASA education resources and related products. Topics to include: Exploring Space Through Math, Robotics, NASA Fit Explorers, NASA eProfessional Development Network -- Robotics Course, MoonWorld, and On the Moon. Questions about these events should be directed to Caryn Long at caryn.long@nasa.gov.

The Earth Day Agenda, 35 ways to Celebrate Earth day! From NYC City Council

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:34:59 +0100

Interested in volunteering on Earth Day?

According to Christine C. Quinn Speaker of NYC Council and James F. Gennaro Chair, Environmental Protection Committee - NYC Council. The 35 ways to Celebrate Earth day and give back to the Planet are listed on the links below:

FRIDAY, APRIL 20
Earth Day Indoors at Grand Central Terminal - www.grandcentralterminal.com
Earth Day in Times Square - http://www.earthdayny.org/
NY Public library Stories, Songs and Activities That Celebrate Our Earth - www.nypl.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 21
Earth Day Indoors at Grand Central Terminal - www.grandcentralterminal.com
Family Art Project: Who Will Speak for the Trees? - www.wavehill.org
First Annual New York Green Festival - www.javitscenter.com
A Recycled Percussive Hootenanny with Billy Jonas - www.symphonyspace.org
Earth Day Recycled Art at City Treehouse - www.citytreehouse.com
Get Green South Bronx Earth Fest - www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tompkinsvillepark
St. George Day Festival - Sat Apr 21 noon–8pm. Tompkinsville Park. Free. All ages.
Earth Day Garden Walk - www.wavehill.org Sat Apr 21 at 4pm.
Bronx Library Center - www.nycgovparks.org/parks/tompkinsvillepark/
John Flynn Earth Day Concert - www.wavehill.org
Get Green South Bronx Earth Fest - www.grownyc.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 22
Run for the Parks - www.centralparknyc.org
Family Art Project–Who Will Speak for the Trees? - www.wavehill.org
I Love the Earth Collage - Children's Museum of Manhattan - www.cmom.org
Earth Day in the Sky - www.thehighline.org
Earth Day Recycled Art - www.thehighline.org
First Annual New York Green Festival - www.javitscenter.com
EarthFest - www.cityparksfoundation.org
Earth Day in Green in Brooklyn - www.greeninbklyn.com
Earth Day Festival for Families - www.flushingtownhall.org
Earth Day Live Animal Program - www.alleypond.com
B'Earthday - www.prospectpark.org
Earth Day Fun at Queens Botanical Garden - www.queensbotanical.org
Earth Day at the Staten Island Zoo - www.statenislandzoo.org
Seed Safari - www.brooklynkids.org
Earth Day Special! Amble Through the Ramble Tour - www.centralparknyc.org
National Grid Earth Day Celebration - www.brooklyncenter.com
A-Maizing Grain Event at the Children's Museum of Manhattan - www.cmom.org

SATURDAY, APRIL 28
Sixth Annual Earth Day Rockaway - www.nycgovparks.org/parks/rockawaybeach/

SUNDAY, APRIL 29
Arbor Festival - www.queensbotanical.org

SATURDAY, MAY 5
Go Green! Greenpoint Earth Day Festival - www.nycgovparks.org

SUNDAY, MAY 6
Master Composters at Green for Queens Earth Day Fair - http://www.queensbotanical.org
(For additional Earth Day events around the city, visit http://ioby.org/calendar.)