US Government to promote bioeconomy
The White House is set to announce measures to support the development of US bioeconomy. According to the New York Times, the National Bioeconomy Blueprint puts forward ideas and strategies to help motivate research into biological manufacturing methods, medical treatments, biofuels, crops and so on. Much of the report refers to programs which are already running but the report is being cautiously welcomed and the formal announcement is expected to include important new initiatives.
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Japanese to increase incentives for solar and other renewable energy
Bloomberg reports that Japan is to step up its support for renewable energy sources, particularly solar. Solar providers are to earn 42 yen (52 U.S. cents) a kilowatt-hour for the electricity they produce, three times what industrial and commercial users are charged. Similar feed-in tariffs will benefit producers of geothermal, wind, biomass and hydroelectric power and will be introduced in July.
All of Japan’s nuclear power stations will be offline next month for extensive safety testing. The Japanese government is working hard to reduce dependency on nuclear power in favor of renewable alternatives.
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UK Prime Minister trumpets British renewable energy
The Guardian reports on a speech the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, made this week to a gathering of representatives from 23 of the world’s biggest economies. He praises the industry for taking a leading role and refers to the challenge of making renewable energy financially viable:
“Our commitment and investment in renewable energy has helped to make renewable energy possible. Now we have a different challenge. We need to make it financially sustainable.”
Collaborative Consumption – idealistic or good business
Treehugger gets involved in an interesting discussion about collaborative consumption and asks if there is anything wrong making good business out of good ideals.
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Whole Foods decision angers fishermen
American company, Whole Foods, has announced that it will not sell fish which it does not consider to have been caught by sustainable methods. The announcement has angered the fishermen of New England. It is a story which perfectly illustrates the tensions inherent in the requirement to move to sustainable production. A particularly hot topic in the fishing industry, there is a quote which speaks volumes about the amount of work that needs to be done to bring the various sides of this argument together:
“It’s totally maddening,” Mr. Sanfilippo said. “They’re just doing it to make all the green people happy.”
From Whole Foods:
“Stewardship of the ocean is so important to our customers and to us,” said David Pilat, the global seafood buyer for Whole Foods. “We’re not necessarily here to tell fishermen how to fish, but on a species like Atlantic cod, we are out there actively saying, ‘For Whole Foods Market to buy your cod, the rating has to be favorable.’ ”
Mr Palat is referring to ratings set by Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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Renewable energy skills needed in Wales
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) paints a picture of a sector poised for rapid growth but held back by a severe skills shortage
Not lack of resources or lack of political will or lack of a viable business model. This article points to a skills shortage as the reason Welsh renewable energy projects are not moving faster. The sector is calling for more support for training and skill development. Here is an article which makes a strong case for the employment potential in the renewable energy sector.
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Wells Fargo to go Greener and lend more for Green Business
The Wall Street Journal reports that Wells Fargo & Co are set to lend $30 billion over the next decade to ‘promote a greener economy’. Among the targeted areas are wind, solar and other clean energy technologies. They are also pledging “$100 million in community grants for grassroots environmental initiatives to support increased volunteerism for programs such as planting and care for city trees and open spaces.”
Nailing their colors to the mast, the company lists a number of in-house initiatives to improve their own green credentials.
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Green Business Roundup – January 11th 2012
Green Business Roundup – December 8th 2011
Green Business Roundup – December 23rd 2011