2008 September at Pop Green

Archive for September, 2008

The TH Interview: Jimmy Wales—Wikifying Green Knowledge (Part One)

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

Jimmy-Wales-wikipedia-founder-image

If Wikipedia is the reincarnation of the encyclopedia, the Wikia family of sites represents the rest of the library—not just the printed pages, but all the side conversations and muffled chatter. At least this is how Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales sees it. Wikia Green is one of the latest additions to this growing family of special interest, wiki-based subworlds. Wales wants readers to be able to dive into Wikia Green to satisfy burning curiosities on green science and technology, DIY, sustainable living, and policy, all while drawing on a knowledge base fashioned after Wikipedia’s model of free licensing and community review. ::TreeHugger Radio

Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download.

The music you hear is Ratatat.
Full text after the jump.

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September 25, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Smarter Grids, Smarter Cities and Common-Sense Planning

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

Many solutions to the world’s problems take nothing more than a common-sense approach. No one pretends that the environmental and social challenges ahead will be easy to solve, but sometimes the solutions simply require a different way of thinking. This week, we’ve got more interviews from the Cleantech Forum in Washington, DC on some of those common-sense solutions.

We’ll look at the evolution of electricity demand response with EnerNOC CEO Timothy Healy. There are certainly many technological hurdles in front of the development of a smart grid, but the concept of better electricity management is an easy one for utilities and their customers to understand. Healy will describe how the U.S. smart-grid market may grow and EnerNoc’s role in that growth.

We’ll talk about the aggressive carbon reduction goals of Stockholm, Sweden with the city’s CEO Irene Svenonius. She’ll describe the role of government and individuals in making common-sense choices to create an environmentally-friendly, economically-vibrant community.

Then we’ll explore the future role of cities in creating a more sustainable world with Chris Luebkeman, Director of Global Foresight and Innovation at the engineering firm Arup. He’ll talk about the importance of looking at sustainability through more than just an economic lens.

Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.

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The TH Interview: TOMS Shoes (Part Two)

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

For every pair of TOMS sold, another pair is given away to a child in need. Blake Mycoskie used to think he’d make as much money as possible in life and then give it all away. But now he figures he’ll just do business and help the world at the same time. ::TreeHugger Radio

Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download.

Check out part one of our interview with Blake Mycoskie.

(Full text below)

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September 18, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Cleantech Forum: An Insider’s Look at Cleantech Investing

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

This week, we’re podcasting to you from the Cleantech Forum in Washington, DC. This forum is a gathering place for early-stage investors who are pouring capital into renewable energy, smart-grid technologies and advanced materials. We’ll talk with some analysts and investors who will give us an inside look at the evolution and current status of the market.

Brian Fan, Senior Director of Research at the Cleantech Network, talks about what makes a sustainable cleantech company and lays out where most investments have taking place so far in 2008.

Scott MacDonald, a Partner with Emerald Technology Ventures, tells us about the history of the sector and about how venture capitalists strategically space their investments in this very capital-intensive industry.

Scott Faris, CEO of Planar Energy Devices, describes his company’s new solid-state lithium-ion battery and talks about how he’s using his experience in the venture capital space to grow his company during its early stages.

Finally, Ted Howes, leader of the Business and Sustainability Program at IDEO, gives us the broader perspective on what all the growth in the cleantech space means for corporations and their customers.

Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.

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The TH Interview: TOMS Shoes (Part One)

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

If you have an entrepreneurial itch, a love of shoes, or a distaste for poverty, Blake Mycoskie, the creator of TOMS, is someone you should know about. In an odd twist, Blake took the favored footwear of Argentine peasants and sparked a hipster shoe meme, transmitted by word of mouth. In our interview, Blake tells us about how TOMS got started, what comes next, and what it takes to hand-place thousands of shoes on children’s feet. ::TreeHugger Radio

Listen to the podcast of this interview via iTunes, or just click here to listen, right-click to download.

The music you hear is Bajofondo, from Argentina. For part two of this interview, click here.

(Full text below)

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September 11, 2008 - Inside Renewable Energy - Energy Equity: Diversifying the Market with New Incentives

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

The U.S. renewable energy market is growing at an impressive rate. But as more wind, solar and biofuel facilities get developed, there are fewer people or organizations that own those facilities. That is primarily due to the exclusive nature of the federal tax credits. Because of the shrinking diversity in the marketplace, a growing number of people are calling for changes to U.S. renewable energy incentives. In this podcast, we explore the issues with the federal tax credits as they relate to ownership of renewable energy systems.

John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance talks about the problems with “diseconomies of scale” in the U.S. wind and solar markets; Wind Expert Paul Gipe describes the ideal incentive framework to diversify energy equity; Dan Juhl, CEO of Juhl Wind, gives us an idea of how small-wind developers navigate the tax credit environment; and Lisa Daniels, Founder of the educational organization Windustry, talks about Minnesota’s commitment to community wind.

Inside Renewable Energy offers the latest in renewable energy news and information.

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