Posted by : admin in (Environment)

Survey Shows that EcoTours Motivate People to Protect Environmentally Sensitive Areas

NORWALK, Conn., April 22 /PRNewswire/ — A survey released today by Quark Expeditions (), the world leader in polar adventure travel, shows that 60ACIORFIPROCENTE of people who participate in polar expedition ecotours are motivated to protect environmentally sensitive areas. To inspire more individuals to become active in the conversation and protection of the Arctic and Antarctica, Quark Expeditions today announced the Polar Ambassador Program.Conducted by The Tourism Company, a leading Canadian tourism research firm, The Quark Expeditions 2007 Guest Survey surveyed 231 male and female guests hailing from every continent with the goal of assessing their opinions regarding global warming and responsible tourism. It found that, as a result of their expedition experience, 60ACIORFIPROCENTE of guests were motivated to protect environmentally sensitive areas. In addition, 80ACIORFIPROCENTE consider the issue of global warming to be very important to them and 60ACIORFIPROCENTE experienced heightened awareness as to the urgent need to protect these areas.After their tour, one survey responder remarked, “Global warming is real and not an over exaggeration.” While others remarked, “This expedition has made me realize that every individual must take responsibility and I must set an even better example to my children, grandchildren and friends,” and “Now that we are better informed we need to speak up for change back home.”To help individuals speak-up for change, Quark’s new Polar Ambassador Program is designed to provide post-expedition support to individuals interested in working to help preserve the Arctic for future generations. The program will be first introduced to travelers on board Quark vessels during the Arctic 2008 season (June 9 - September 27) and will continue post- expedition through an online community. On-board the program will be delivered through a series of presentations about the biology, geology, glaciology and history of the regions, discussions about global warming and the negative impact that choices made in the developed world have on the polar regions. In addition, a wallet-sized booklet containing 10 simple things that travelers can do when they return home will ensure that Ambassadors will have information at their fingertips at all times. After returning home, the Polar Ambassador online community will serve as a gathering place with resources: a slideshow, Book Club and eventually, a Film Club and lesson plans.”We support the scientific view that the polar regions are a bellwether for the health of the planet and that failure to protect the region’s unique biology and geology will have an adverse effect on the planet as a whole,” said Patrick Shaw, President of Quark Expeditions. “This Program enables our travelers to return from their adventure with tools and information that will allow them to effectively educate their family, friends and colleagues with more than just pictures and stories.”Arctic areas are some of the last truly unspoiled regions of the world. Antarctica features multi-colored ice caps, glistening glaciers and towering snow-capped mountains. Alternatively, the Arctic region claims a beauty of its own, an endless expanse of the sea which is rich in biodiversity, including whales, seals and vast numbers of seabirds that rely on the food-rich waters. Protection of the polar regions is critical to the future health and wellness of our planet where global warming is resulting in diminishing glaciers and causing rising sea levels all over the world. The polar regions are important places for obtaining information about evolution, geological, climatic and marine processes.Quark Expeditions is a travel company committed to responsible tourism. It advocates for the protection of the polar regions. Their voyages are planned to minimize any disturbance to wildlife or fragile habitats. They follow strict codes of conduct set out by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators to ensure that the ships, Zodiacs and helicopters are operated in an environmentally responsible manner.For more information about the Polar Ambassador Program, visit .About Quark ExpeditionsSince 1991, Quark Expeditions has been establishing a tradition of firsts in polar expedition travel; as the first to transit the Northeast Passage with commercial passengers; the first to take travelers to the far side of Antarctica; and the first to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent with guests. Quark is also recognized for its diverse fleet; the largest fleet of passenger vessels in the polar regions — including the only polar icebreaker operating as an adventure ship in Antarctica. The fleet enables Quark to offer the widest variety of polar itineraries of any other adventure company in the world, and the greatest number of departures to Antarctica. In October 2006 and 2007, Quark was named a recipient of National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” for their “Emperor Penguin Safari” and their “Far Side” voyage respectively. In the March 2006 edition, Outside magazine named the “Emperor Penguin Safari” as one of the New Trips of a Lifetime. For more information, visit . Quark Expeditions

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Media Advisory: EPA Official to Be in Fort Wayne, Ind., Monday for Clean School Bus and Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge Events

A senior manager with the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 will join Fort Wayne Allen County and private sector officials Monday April 21 for two environmental events in Fort WayneAt the first event EPA will recognize the Fort Wayne Community School District for its work using a 50000 EPA Clean School Bus grant to reduce harmful diesel emissions from its school bus fleet The event will be at 1030 am at the South Transportation Center 6006 Ardmore Ave In case of rain it will be at Elmhurst High School next to the transportation centerScheduled to be at this event are Cheryl Newton acting director of EPA Region 5s Air and Radiation Division Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry Fort Wayne Community Schools Transportation Director Gary Lake and other school officialsAt the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge event Cheryl Newton will present a check for 24700 to Tony Burrus director of the Allen County Solid Waste Management District for the countys expired and unused medication collection media campaign The event will be at 1 pm at the Walgreens storefront at State and Wells streets In case of rain the event will be inside the storeAlso scheduled to be at this event are County Commissioner Linda Bloom Jean Joley of the Allen County TRIAD Greg Smith of Walgreens and representatives of the Allen County Sheriffs office and the Fort Wayne Police DepartmentEPAs Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge aims to collect at least 1 million pills and 1 million pounds of electronic waste to keep contaminants out of the Great Lakes More than 70 organizations communities and businesses across the Great Lakes basin will participate Not all communities including Fort Wayne will have electronic waste eventsAn unwanted medication collection will be held from 9 am to 1 pm Friday April 25 at seven Walgreen drug stores in Allen County The stores are at Clinton Street at St Joe Center Road West Jefferson at Getz Road Bluffton Road at Lower Huntington Road State Street at Wells Street Lincoln Highway West at Brookwood New Haven Chapel Ridge at 10170 Maysville Road and 1701 E Paulding Road at South Anthony BoulevardMore information on EPAs Clean School Bus USA program is at More information on the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge is at Share ideas on EPAs blog at flowoftheriverepagovgreatlakeschallenge US Environmental Protection Agency Region 5

Posted by : admin in (Environment)

Luxury Hotels and Resorts Act to Save the Environment with Eco-Friendly Hospitality

NEW YORK April 17 PRNewswire - According to the International Ecotourism Society more than two-thirds of US travelers consider active protection of the environment including support of local communities to be part of a hotels responsibility while 70 would pay a premium to stay at a hotel with a responsible environmental attitude With such consumer passions as their guide luxury hotels and resorts are going green with programs and amenities that help protect the globeHere are examples of what the hospitality industry is doing to reduce their impactHyatt Key West Resort and Spa has just become the FIRST Green Certified resort in Key West by the Florida Green Lodging Program and has received 1 Palm status To achieve this designation Hyatt Key West represents best management practices of water conservation energy efficiency and clean air They also formed a Green Team and operate in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations The hotels new Jala Spa part of their resort-wide redesign was a major aspect in the hotels certification designed with all-natural products the Spa donates 5 to the Reef Relief Organization with each Signature Jala Blue treatment purchasedBadrutts Palace Hotel in St Moritz Switzerland is reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 1000 tons per year thanks to an innovative heat pump system The ecologically sensitive heat pump is a cooperative effort between Badrutts Palace Hotel and Zurichs EWZ power station Water from Lake St Moritz serves as the heat source for the hotels heat pump system as well as that of a neighboring school but the heat pump has no negative effect on the lakes flora and fauna With the new energy-efficient heat pump Badrutts Palace Hotel saves 400000 liters of heating oil per season - a reduction of 80 annually over the previous heating systemSouth Africa intends to hold the greenest World Cup ever and to set a precedent for future events in terms of low-environmental impact and a positive social and economic legacy This is the aim of Green Goal 2010 a joint business plan of the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town Green Goal 2010 will involve assuring that the World Cups impact on the environment is minimized permanent infrastructure for the event leaves a positive legacy and offsetting occurs through suitable carbon-savings projects around the countryIn a city that is growing exponentially The Grand Hyatt Dubai is committed to growing responsibly The hotel has converted its diesel oil-fired water heating system to an eco-friendly solar paneled system to reduce its own carbon emissions The solar panels produce up to one kilowatt of energy per hour and the plant as a whole will produce 800 to 1000 kilowatts of energy per hour The entire project is projected to pay for itself in three years In addition to installing the panels the hotel has made a concerted effort to minimize water usage and has already cut their consumption by 120000 gallons a dayJumby Bay A Rosewood Resort a private island off the coast of Antigua is taking strides to becoming a completely eco-friendly private island With no cars Jumby Bays guests navigate the lush landscape on colorful Calloi Bicycles Jumby Bay is also home to the Hawksbill Turtle Preservation Program the longest-running privately funded project of this kind focused on the scientific study of the survival and recovery of Hawksbill Turtles In addition to the islands renowned preservation program including solar water heating systems and water purifying for plant irrigation Jumby Bay has a redesigned power station to minimize fuel consumption and the recycling of bottles cans and golf cart batteriesCan Mongolia Bhutan and Tibet benefit from an ecologically based and sustainable approach to tourism Nomadic Expeditions thinks so The pioneering purveyor of authentic cultural travel goes out of its way to minimize the impact on the environment it explores to promote awareness of conservation and sustainable tourism and to provide ongoing training for guides and drivers so that trip participants can receive the latest environmental information Through arrangements with local farmers Nomadic Expeditions Three Camel Lodge in the Gobi Desert was forged through a cooperative agreement with local authorities for sustainable development and conservation The property utilizes renewable energy resources including solar and wind power Hyatt Hotels

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Greenline Industries, Inc., Raises US$20 Million in first Round Financing

SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 /PRNewswire/ — Greenline Industries, Inc. the EPA Award winning leader in the design andconstruction of biodiesel production facilities, today announced thesuccessful completion of a US$20 million Series A preferred stock financinground with Leaf Clean Energy Company (”Leaf”) (LSE: LEAF.L), a publiclytraded London -based US$400 million clean energy fund focused primarily oninvestment opportunities in North America. This initial investment will allowGreenline to accelerate research and development to improve upon its existingtechnology and add new products to reduce the costs to produce biodiesel. Greenline is a leading provider of modular waterless systems that producebiodiesel. Greenline facilities provide multiple feedstock choices throughcomputer controlled continuous flow control technology that optimizes the mixof catalyst, methanol and oils. Greenline pioneered the innovative technologythat utilizes a patented Rohm and Haas ion-exchange resin to purify thebiodiesel, thereby eliminating the energy intensive problems of removingprocess water from the fuel and treating the wastewater. Greenline alsorecently introduced a non-polluting, non chemical, free fatty acid stripperpre-treatment module that enables producers to process less expensivefeedstock, including virtually any quality of animal fat.”We are honored to be partnered with Leaf since it brings Greenlineaccess to the global EPC experience of The Shaw Group Inc., and the carbonmarket expertise of EEA Fund Management Ltd through Energy & ClimateAdvisors, Leaf’s Appointed Representative,” explained Greenline CEO JohnKinney. “Our customers benefit from having access to financing and servicesthat no other biodiesel equipment provider can offer.”"This is a great opportunity for Leaf to partner with a leading biodieseltechnology provider, and we are excited by the prospect of helping Greenlinedeliver superior production solutions to the biodiesel industry,” said LeafChairman Peter Tom. About Greenline Industries, Inc. Founded in 2002 by Jacques Sinoncelli and Michael Brown, the mission ofGreenline Industries is to decentralize power. They are a world leader of EPAaward-winning patented waterless biodiesel processors. At its core, GreenlineIndustries is committed to addressing the world’s environmental andsocio-economic issues with biodiesel production technology. With offices inthe USA, Brussels, Romania, and Argentina, Greenline has sold more than 30 biodiesel production lines with an aggregate production capacity of 200 million gallons of biodiesel. Greenline may be reached at 1-415-526-7600 and viewed at http://www.greenlineindustries.com. About Leaf Clean Energy Company In 2007, EEA Fund Management Ltd teamed up with Shaw Capital, asubsidiary of the Shaw Group, to launch Leaf Clean Energy Company (”Leaf”).The fund raised 200m Pounds Sterling and is listed on AIM in London. Leaf wasincorporated for the purpose of acquiring interests in, owning, operating andmanaging clean energy companies and projects primarily in North America. Thesector spans multiple industries, including wind energy, solar energy, energyefficiency, pollution control, emission credit aggregation, waste-to-energy,wave energy, biomass power and biofuels. The company’s main investmentobjective is to achieve long term capital appreciation through its acquiredinterests in the clean energy sector, as well as through the potentialgeneration and commercialization of carbon credits derived from theseprojects. Leaf is advised by EEA and Energy & Climate Advisors, a jointventure between EEA and Shaw Capital. http://www.leafcleanenergy.com http://www.eeafm.com http://www.shawgrp.com/markets/shawcapital FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Brown Euro Marketing Tools 1-408-206-7035 p.brown@greenlineindustries.com Web site: http://www.greenlineindustries.com http://www.leafcleanenergy.com http://www.eeafm.com http://www.shawgrp.com/markets/shawcapitalGreenline Industries, Inc.

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The Cleantech Index (CTIUS) Adds IT and Energy Efficiency Leaders to Portfolio

NEW YORK, March 27 /PRNewswire/ — Cleantech Indices, LLC, in conjunction with the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), today announced the quarterly rebalancing of The Cleantech Index , effective March 29, 2008.(Logo: )Spain’s Telvent GIT S.A. and California-based Power Integrations will join The Cleantech Index and replace International Rectifier , Power-One and EnerNOC, Inc. .The changes will also be reflected in the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based upon CTIUS: the PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio ETF and the KSM Cleantech ETF (Bloomberg ticker: KSMCLNT) in Israel.”We selected Telvent and Power Integrations for their strong growth potential, technology, impact, sector representation and leadership,” said managing partner and index advisor, Rafael Coven of Cleantech Indices. “Both companies excel at applying innovative cleantech solutions to a broad array of applications that millions of people use everyday: from appliances, lighting and telecom networks to public transport and highways systems.”Telvent, a global information technology company, provides real-time services and products to customers in energy and energy transmission and for intelligent transportation systems for roadways and public transport networks. Telvent also provides IT solutions for water and wastewater management, and continuous monitoring of emissions, air & water quality and weather conditions.Power Integrations Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of proprietary high-voltage analog integrated circuits (ICs) used in power conversion. Utilizing its Eco-Smart(R) technology, the company’s ICs have enabled compact, lightweight power supplies that are more energy-efficient and reliable for a broad range of consumer and industrial products.About The Cleantech Index(TM) (CTIUS)The Cleantech Index is the first, and only, equity index intended to reflect the surging global demand for clean technology products and services. CTIUS is comprised of 46 public companies that are leaders in cleantech innovation and commercial deployment across a broad range of industry sectors: from energy efficiency and renewables to advanced materials, air & water purification, eco-friendly agriculture/nutrition, etc.By tracking the market performance of the premier cleantech companies, CTIUS is the industry standard index used for a growing range of financial products. Investors now have an easy, cost-effective, and liquid means to invest in the broad cleantech investment category — and do so with less risk than previously possible. For more information visit: . About Cleantech Group(TM), LLCThe Cleantech Group, LLC provides insight, opportunities and builds relationships that catalyze and accelerate market adoption and commercialization of clean technologies globally. The Cleantech Group family of companies founded the cleantech investment category and through its membership services brings together investors, executives, thought leaders, policy makers and entrepreneurs to facilitate the growth of cleantech globally. Cleantech Group, LLC