September 2010
This article introduces innovations to produce food year-round in green houses without irrigation or traditional heating as one of the 100 innovations that shape "The Blue Economy". This article is part of a broad effort to stimulate entrepreneurship, competitiveness and employment.
The Market
Controlled environmental farming, also known as greenhouse farming has grown four to five fold over the past decade moving from a marginal yet traditional farming activity into an +$100 billion dollar business worldwide. The amount of land covered by greenhouses, both plastics and glass reaches 630,000 hectares of which 443,000 in Asia alone. The Mediterranean covers over 100,000 hectares, with Spain as the European leader with an estimated 55,000 hectares. The region around Almeria and Murcia (Spain) covers 200 square kilometers. The Netherlands has perhaps the highest percentage of farm land covered with approximately 0.25% of the total landmass as greenhouses.
The Netherlands has around 9,000 greenhouse businesses that operate on +10,000 hectares, employing about 150,000 workers, generating €4.5 billion worth of fruits, veggies, plants and flowers, of which 80 percent is exported. Turkey is fast emerging as one of the world's leaders of greenhouse tomato farms with a production in excess of 6 million tons. In recent years China has become the largest operator of controlled environmental farming. Its soilless farming includes coal cinder, peat moss, vermiculite, coir, sawdust, rice husk mixed with organic fertilizer, including mineralized pig manure. These Chinese techniques, already described by Marco Polo in his journal, are low cost and adapted to local conditions explaining the competitiveness of the produce.
For more information, please visit: http://www.marioninstitute.org/programs/sustainability-education-initiative/zeri-learning
Dear Reader,
The Blue Economy Congress in Hawai'i was a great success - we look forward to the first concrete projects taking off. Some of the keynotes can be viewed online once logged in to the community.
A whole range of international speakers impressed with their live projects from around the world. It was also fascinating how the spirit of "Aloha" relates to "Gross National Happiness" and "Zen" - turning The Blue Economy into a way of life far beyond the book.
Have you ever wondered how to finally ban CFC gases from production? Today, Industry has yet to find an alternative to this killer of the ozone layer for some medical products like asthma spray. Many other consumer products, especially for personal care, are sold in cans in a mixture with inflammable gases.
Dr. Andy McIntosh has analyzed the spray mechanism that an insect called the bombardier beetle uses as its defense mechanism. This beetle can eject toxic substances over a distance of ten times its size, using only physical pressure for this surprising performance.
A combination of pressure and temperature for misting of liquids has already been successfully developed and patented under the brand name µMist (TM). This technology is ready to be used in a wide range of applications like nebulizers, fire extinguishers, fuel injection and medical devices (inhalators). What is still missing are resourceful entrepreneurs to design some products which substitute propulsion gases with “no gases”. Perhaps you?
Interested? Detailed information on the business model and its potential is available at www.community.blueeconomy.de - or as pdf, if you do not wish to register there.
We wish you many inspirations and look forward to jointly changing the way we do business! Gunter Pauli and the Team of The Blue Economy.
For more information please check out http://www.blueeconomy.de/?id=36040&L=0
NEW BEDFORD — Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea,” Annie Leonard producer of “Story of Stuff,” and Van Jones, pioneer in human rights and the clean-energy economy will lead the list of speakers for the Sixth Annual “Connecting for Change: A Bioneers by the Bay Conference.”
The conference, to be held in downtown New Bedford, runs from Oct. 22-24 and is sponsored by the Marion Institute. Organizers said the three-day event is a “solutions-based gathering that brings together a diverse audience to create deep and positive change in their communities.”
“When we get in touch with the fact that we are all connected, and that we all have a critical role to create deep love, justice and sustainability in the world as well as in our own lives, we see the urgent need to connect for change,” said Desa VanLaarhoven, executive director of the Marion Institute. “When we build bridges from local leaders — and that's all of us — to other leaders from around the world, we inspire each other to do just that.”
READ MORE HERE http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100921/NEWS/100929968/-1/NEWS
Changing the World (Right Now)
by Desa VanLaarhoven
If you had a magic wand, and you could wave it and create a world full of light, love, justice and peace, when do you think you would choose to use it? Would you get around to it as soon as you were done with your education? Would you do it once you found the right job? Would you think about doing it "someday"? Of course not.
If you had the power to make a difference in the world, you would do it now. Right now.
On the 22nd -24th of October, more than 2,000 people who are committed to a creating a better world now will converge on New Bedford, Massachusetts. You can join them, and if you act now, you’ll save up to $75 on your registration.
Going to the Connecting for Change conference this year will put you on the front lines of building a clean energy economy with Van Jones, becoming responsible for our role in the consumption economy with Annie Leonard, and discovering what will make a real difference in security and prosperity in the developing world with Greg Mortenson.
Would you like to eliminate poverty? Create a thriving clean energy economy? Create a sustainable global supply chain? We need you. Each and every participant brings with them a special contribution to the event, and it really won’t be the same without you. Your passion, your ideas, and your very presence are critical.
To be a part of all of this and more, you need only act now, and register for the conference. The prices go up on Saturday, so take a couple minutes and register for a better tomorrow right now.
It may not be as easy as waving a magic wand, but you do have the power to make a difference in the world - not someday, but right now. I hope to see you in New Bedford.
This blog was written for the Marion Institute by James Boyce.
2010 has been a year of missed opportunities for the environment. From no progress or worse on the international climate action stage, to a clean energy bill in the U.S. Senate that is still on ice despite the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, it's enough to make you want to throw up your hands and buy beach-front property on the Bering Sea.
However, the price of resignation is even higher than the price of delay. So it looks like we are going to have to come together and take a look at what we can do about it. I want to invite you to come to New Bedford, MA on the weekend of October 22-24 for the Connecting for Change conference. Before I go further – you need to know that you can save $75 per ticket if you get your tickets before the early birds rates expire on Saturday. Don’t filibuster this - Get them now.
Van Jones is going to be there to talk about how we can address climate change AND revive the economy through clean energy investment and development.
Annie Leonard is going to be there to help us see the big picture of how the global supply chain works (and doesn’t), and what we can do to change that system.
Greg Mortenson is going to be there to talk about what it really looks like to work for America’s interests and long-term security abroad and he’s not going to talk about oil.
There will also be scores of workshops on sustainability for all aspects of the external as well as the internal environment.
But most importantly, there will be more than 1,000 people who are committed to create a sustainable world regardless of the circumstances. If the Senate won’t act, if world leaders can’t get their acts together, if dirty energy companies try to pollute the public debate as badly as they pollute the planet – so be it. We know what needs to be done. But none of us can do it alone. Come to New Bedford, and Connect for Change.
This blog was written for the Marion Institute by Van Jones.
I have been blessed with invitations to speak with people all over the country about the great changes we can bring about if we unite to build a clean energy economy. We can create a green wave that can lift all ships. Unfortunately, there are powerful interests that would rather see the status quo preserved. To prevail over the politics of "distract and divide," we are going to have to come together and connect with each other.
I want to invite you to join me in New Bedford, Massachusetts on October 22-24 at Connecting for Change, the premiere conference in the New England for people who are committed to doing their part in creating the future we know is possible.
Just as connecting with each other is the key to creating the solution for our environmental challenges, other issues can be impacted in huge ways by the same approach. From poverty and joblessness to education and healthy living – coming together to understand and be understood creates an opening for action that wasn’t there before. We are in this together and ticket prices go up this weekend – So get your tickets now. It’s important.
