I’d like to share a correspondence from Solar Impulse with you all. Let’s show Bertrand and Andre that we are fully behind them and wish them success in flying Across America and in preparing to complete the construction of HB-SIB for 2015 Around The World Flight!
(Please click on red links below)
Dear Susan Sun,
We’re proud to announce that Solar Impulse has arrived in Dallas, Texas carrying the names of over 35,000 Clean Generation movement members! We’re especially excited by the number of young people we’re engaging – we know they are the key to the long-term success of our Clean Generation movement.
As we travel across the United States, we make sure to meet with students of all ages. Traveling to campuses and schools to make presentations and interact with students is a big part of how we spend our time on the ground. So far on our USA mission, we’ve already met with students from many schools, including Sunnyvale Fairwood Elementary School, San Mateo Union High School, and Stanford University.
Our sponsors help defray the costs of building and operating the plane itself, but our educational programs depend entirely on funding from people like you.
Today, we’re asking you to help support our educational efforts – and with a donation of $50 or more, we’ll also send you our exclusive 2013 Across America flight patch. This is the very same patch we wear on our flight jackets, and this is your chance to get one:
When we open the plane for public viewing at each of our stops, the questions students ask are a real highlight – often, they are better than we hear from adults. And when a student sees the plane for the first time, the look on his or her face is priceless.
For young people, our plane is living proof that a clean technology future is more than just a dream – and our mission isn’t accomplished unless we can bring this inspiration to thousands of students around the world.
We keep our costs low — a donation of $50 will pay for 2 students to learn about our plane and clean technology. Every little bit helps — just think of the satisfaction you’ll get knowing you helped support our educational programs.
We’re so happy to have your support. Next stop: St. Louis! As always, we’ll keep in touch about the exact flight schedule and opportunities for public viewing.
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments or suggestions will be welcomed publicly via comment below or privately via sunisthefuture@gmail.com .
Homepage: http://www.sunisthefuture.net
Allow me to introduce you to a wonderfully innovative project that truly reflects the spirit of “Necessity is the mother of invention“, below.
Did you know that there are over 7 billion people residing on planet earth at the moment (Please refer to World Population Clock)? By 2050, that number will have increased to 9+ billion and nearly 80% of the earth’s population will be residing in urban centers. They will require an additional chunk of arable land the size of Brazil in order to grow enough food. Furthermore, the potential loss of coastal property due to rising sea levels, crop loss from drastic weather related incidents, and the need to reforest large swaths of land in order to sequester CO2, these are all good reasons for motivating human kind to investigate toward a new agricultural technique, the vertical farming!
The vertical farm is a fantastic solution that automates the production of food in a more sustainable manner, reducing waste, pollution and carbon emissions. It is not meant to eliminate traditional rural farming but simply to reduce the strain put on the land, allowing some of it to return to nature and forest. Apparently, for each indoor acre farmed, 10 to 20 outdoor acres of farmland could return to their natural ecological state (which in most cases is hardwood forest).
To name some of the eco-benefits of local and urban vertical farms for our planet earth: 1. No pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and no pollution injected into waterways because vertical farms will rely on peat and/or hydroponic organic farming techniques.
2. Eliminating the need for heavy machinery and farming equipment responsible for a significant amount of agricultural emissions because vertical farms will be highly efficient and densely built. 3. Irrigation water will likely come from treated rainwater, grey or black. Efficient use and reuse of water inside the farm and recycling water will help to reduce the water use. 4. Indoor controlled growth eliminates crop loss due to weather and natural disasters such as flood, drought, or hurricanes.5. Environmental impact resulting from shipping will practically be eliminated. 6. Green tech jobs will be dramatically increased for growers, researchers, technicians, vendors, etc.
A Swedish-America company, Plantagon, has recently developed a vertical farm in the shape of a glass geodesic dome containing an urban greenhouse, leading the way in producing organic and functional food in urban area, cutting costs and environmental damage by eliminating transportation and delivery. Curvature of the glass allows varying amounts of sunlight to penetrate through according to the angle of incidence. The company Plantagon is working with Sweco (a consulting engineering firm) to calculate how much sun will reach the interior ramps as the seasons and the sun’s position in the sky change. Although much needs to be figured out, Plantagon envisons major cities adopting their greenhouse concept, featuring a large spiraling ramp that will provide the necessary space for food growth and production. Plantagon innovation consists of having succeeded in eliminating the need for artificial lighting through a transport system which moves the cultivation boxes from floor to ceiling in a slow pace helically. The natural lighting that is available then distributed evenly to the plants. Let’s take a look at the video of this innovative vertical greenhouse of Plantagon, below:
The company is behind a project with a vertical greenhouse, built in Linköping. Sustainable cities have also provided financial support to carry out a feasibility study for the possible establishment of a vertical greenhouse in Botkyrkavägen. Internationally Plantagon in collaboration with Tongji University in Shanghai established Tongji Plantagon Research Center, which opened in April 2013.
Plantagon greenhouse was elected in February 2009 in the Globe Forum Sustainable Innovators 100 list. Plantagon greenhouse was one of 50 Swedish inventions that were showcased in “The spirit of innovation room” in the Swedish Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010 .
Truly, the Homo sapiens have once again come up with a brilliantly appealing solution to one of the human plights…and it is done with such style…I can even envision Plantagon or future vertical farmers requiring different pieces of classical music to be streamed through the dome shaped glass greenhouse (well nourished by the sunshine) that will ultimately feed not only the body but also the mind and soul of mankind. What a lovely place to work in, full of oxygen, music, and sunshine….
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments or suggestions will be welcomed either publicly as comment below or privately via sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go!
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No, I’ve not yet forgotten about what I’ve promised you (please refer to my previous post, May 22, 2013)…. I did manage to get mom to go outside for a short while, to sit on the front porch under sunshine, to enjoy looking at the growing flowers and even to walk a bit toward her nearby neighborhood park. Now, I’d like to see her strength to increase to the point so she’ll be able to maintain more involved growing projects similar to what I’ve been growing at my home, shared with you below.
Tomato plant supported by glorious Florida sunshine
Orange tree plant also grown in container
Yes, I am growing these tomato and orange tree plants in containers! It’s worked out quite well. So, I’ve also started on various types of herbs and other vegetables such as peppers and egg plants.
Can you believe it: these are all grown in one container!
Perhaps you’d like to consider trying this at your home too? What a wonderful way to utilize our glorious sunshine! Growing food locally will not only be increasing the nutritious value of our food items, it will also help to reduce our carbon footprint (less transporting cost). What could be more local than your own yards, front porches, balconies, or windowsills?
If you’re interested in more involved “Green Projects”, you will definitely enjoy our next post.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Written, photographed, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments or suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go!
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I was away from posting for few days due to my mom’s hospitalization during the second half of last week. Once she’s out of the hospital, I’ve been trying different ways in getting her to go outside and sit on her front porch in order to receive the healing energy from our glorious Florida sunshine.
Healing Energy of Florida Sun @ www.cafepress.com/sunisthefuture
In the process of enticing her to take that first step of going outside, I’ve planted impatiens below the tree
Impatiens below the tree
and petunias in hanging basket stands
Petunias in hanging basket stands
in the front of the house.
Hopefully, she will be strong enough shortly so I might be able to interest her in even more involved green projects…be shared with you in the next post.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments and questions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Want to share this press release from SEIA from few days ago, below:
SEIA Says Multilateral Negotiations Important to Resolving China Trade Dispute
WASHINGTON, DC – Reacting to published reports that the United States and the European Union are trying to settle a lingering trade dispute with China over anti-dumping and anti-subsidy allegations, John Smirnow, vice president of trade and competitiveness for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) – issued the following statement:
“Meeting last week in China, SEIA and the Asia PV Industry Association – along with several other organizations – agreed to a joint policy position, the Shanghai Solar Declaration, which strongly encourages the United States, China, the European Union and other nations to engage in multilateral trade negotiations aimed at ending this costly and disruptive dispute.
“After expressing our intentions to the White House, we are very encouraged that these long-needed negotiations appear ready to proceed. Simply put, it’s time for everyone to work together toward a fair resolution of these cases.
“There is clear evidence that disputes within one segment of the industry affect the entire solar supply chain. What’s more, they cause a ripple effect throughout the economies of the United States, Asia and Europe. In addition to resolving current disagreements, we hope this process will also lead to the creation of a pro-competitive, collaborative framework for preventing future trade conflicts and ensuring the adoption of balanced and equitable agreements in the future.
“And, finally, in attempting to settle this dispute, we strongly encourage the Administration to carefully evaluate what impact any actions may have on American consumers and U.S. workers.”
To date, other signatories to the Shanghai Solar Declaration include: the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI); and the Solar Energy Association of Sweden.
About SEIA®:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 member companies are building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go! Thank you.
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got a message from Solar Impulse — the solar airplane that is flying across the United States right now. The plane is carrying a message encouraging governments, CEOs, and other decision-makers to support and deploy clean technologies. Because I signed up, my name is going to be carried in the cockpit of the plane. You should add your name too — the more names the plane carries, the stronger the clean technology message will be on the ground. So far, over 16,000 Friends are virtual passengers in the cockpit. You can add your name by clicking here — it only takes 30 seconds. Thanks! sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker __________________________________________________________________________________________
Due to the ongoing Across America mission of Solar Impulse, I’d like to share one of our earlier posts from 2011 on: Solar Plane, the Swiss Solar Impulse HB-SIA, below, undertaken at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. This project was initiated in 2003 and then promoted by Bertrand Piccard (who co-piloted the first balloon to circle the world non-stop);it has grown to a multi-disciplinary team of 50 specialists from six countries and assisted by about 100 outside advisers.
What a terrific way to prove that we, the earthlings, are capable of freeing ourselves from the dependence on oil ! Through the clean tech of solar energy, SOLARIMPULSE has brought us not only the physical possibility of the first manned flight over night (lasted about 26 hours) by solar powered planein July 2010, but also the message to educators throughout planet earth the importance of motivating children and students the pioneering spirit and developing new ways of thinking about future, energy, environment , and online education.
Solar Plane-Swiss Solar Impulse HB-SIA, a long-range solar powered plane
Please be sure to view these three FANTASTIC clips below (I could not help but share the feeling of exuberance and hope for mankind in viewing these clips….I was almost in tears….) :
The prototype HB-SIA has a non-pressurized cockpit, a similar wingspan to the Airbus A340, lithium polymer batteries under the wing, 12,000 photovoltaic cells on the upper wing surface and the horizontal stabilizer generate electricity during the day. These photovoltaic cells and horizontal stabilizer propel the plane and charge the batteries to allow night flight, theoretically enabling the single-seat plane to stay in the air indefinitely. On July 8, 2010, HB-SIA achieved the world’s first manned 26-hour solar flight, flown by Andre Borschberg (started on July 7, 2010, from an airfield in Payenne, Switzerland).
To top HB-SIA, the HB-SIB is planned in the future, with a pressurized cockpit (with supplemental oxygen and various environmental support to the pilot to allow a cruise altitude of 12,000 m (39,000 ft) and advanced avionics to allow for transcontinental and trans-oceanic flights, with wingspan of 80.0 m (262.5 ft), slightly wider than the 79.75 m (261.6 ft) wingspan of an Airbus A380 ( the largest passenger airliner in the world). Solar Impulse HB-SIB requires the development of new materials and construction methods. Solvay has invented electrolytes that allow the energy density of the batteries to be increased;Bayer Material Sciences is utilizing its nanotechnologies for this project;and Decision is using lighter carbon fibers than seen in any previous projects. HB-SIB will undergo the same structural strength and vibration testing as for HB-SIA. Flight testing for HB-SIB is planned for Spring of 2014 and the round-the-world flight for between April and July of 2015;the flight would circle the world in the northern hemisphere near the equator and five stops are planned to change pilots. Once improved battery efficiency allows the reduced weight, a two-seater is envisaged to make a non-stop circumnavigation.
One cannot help but sense the inevitable success of SOLAR ENERGY….upon the horizon…
Another lesson I have learned from this project…the importance of spirit of cooperation among all earthlings….it is time to shed the barriers of nationalism in order to reach the survival of humankind/earthlings….
* 1 inch = 1/12 ft = 2.54 centimeters (or cm)= 0.0254 meter (or m)
Your comments, questions, suggestions are always welcomed either publicly (via comments below) or privately (via sunisthefuture@gmail.com).
Written & Posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker, sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Homepage: http://sunisthefuture.net
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go! Thank you. ________________________________________________________________________________________
I’ve just discovered Walmart‘s plan to install solar panels on up to 60 additional stores in California, expanding Walmart’s solar portfolio to more than 75 % of its stores in the state. “California presents a great opportunity for Walmart to make significant progress toward our sustainability goals by installing solar power on more than 130 store rooftops throughout the state,” said Kim Saylors-Laster, Walmart vice president of energy. “Walmart has reduced energy expenses by more than a million dollars through our solar program, allowing us to pass these savings on to our customers in the form of everyday low prices.”
When complete, Walmart’s total solar commitment in California is expected to:
• Generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year, which is the equivalent of powering more than 5,400 homes*;
• Avoid producing more than 21,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 4,100 cars off the road*; and
• Provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility’s total electric needs.
“Walmart’s effort to expand and accelerate its solar power initiative program here in California demonstrates their commitment to sustainability. These kinds of projects create jobs, reduce costs for businesses by lowering power bills, and protect the environment,” said Mary D. Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board. “We appreciate Walmart’s leadership and encourage other businesses to follow Walmart’s lead.”
Walmart’s investment in solar power is anticipated to create hundreds of jobs in California through its partnership with SolarCity, which will own, install and maintain the new solar power systems. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company has added more than 500 new full-time jobs since it initiated its first Walmart solar project, and expects to hire hundreds more before the end of the year.
Walmart of the East Coast also announced the completion of eight new solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in Massachusetts with an event at its Walpole store, demonstrating the store’s solar array for state and local officials, environmental leaders and other guests.
“The stores in Massachusetts demonstrate our commitment to increasing the share of renewable energy that powers our stores and improving energy efficiency,” said David Ozment , senior director of energy at Walmart. “We believe in helping our customers live better by providing every day low cost and more environmentally friendly alternatives, like renewables. It’s our goal to eventually be supplied by 100 percent renewable energy.”
With almost 10,000 panels, the solar PV arrays throughout the state will provide 2.8 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually, saving approximately 1,484 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) annually – roughly the equivalent of taking 309 cars off the road.* The Walpole store alone will generate more than 380,000 kWh annually, saving roughly 200 metric tons of CO2e per year.
Our best wishes to Walmart’s commitment towards the goal of being supplied by 100% renewable energy. We hope more businesses will follow Walmart’s lead in setting goals that will not only be environmental-wise but also economic-wise in the march toward solar and renewable energy future.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments and suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go! Thank you. ________________________________________________________________________________________
got a message from Solar Impulse — the solar airplane that is flying across the United States right now. The plane is carrying a message encouraging governments, CEOs, and other decision-makers to support and deploy clean technologies. Because I signed up, my name is going to be carried in the cockpit of the plane. You should add your name too — the more names the plane carries, the stronger the clean technology message will be on the ground. So far, over 16,000 Friends are virtual passengers in the cockpit. You can add your name by clicking here — it only takes 30 seconds. Thanks! sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker _______________________________________________________________________________________
The news arrived on Friday, May 9, 2013, for the first time since measurements began in 1958, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and a separate team of scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography later also confirmed that the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere hit the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million, up from about 280 (the level it was at for thousands of years prior to Industrial Revolution).
An instrument near the summit of Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa Observatory from air
in Hawaii has recorded a long-awaited climate milestone: the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere there has exceeded 400 ppm (parts per million) for the first time in 55 years of measurement (and probably more than 3 million years of Earth history). Below, you will find parts from National Geographic News:
The last time the concentration of Earth’s main greenhouse gas reached this mark, horses and camels lived in the high Arctic. Seas were at least 30 feet higher—at a level that today would inundate major cities around the world.
The planet was about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer. But the Earth then was in the final stage of a prolonged greenhouse epoch, and CO2 concentrations were on their way down. This time, 400 ppm is a milepost on a far more rapid uphill climb toward an uncertain climate future.
Leader of the Scripps team is Ralph Keeling, son of the late Charles David Keeling who started the Mauna Loa measurements in 1958. Since then the “Keeling curve,”
The Keeling Curve: Atmospheric CO2 concentrations as measured at Mauna Loa Observatory
showing the steady climb in CO2 levels caused primarily by burning fossil fuels, has become an icon of climate change. When Charles David Keeling started at Mauna Loa, the CO2 level was at 315 ppm. The level reached 382 when he died in June 2005. His son Ralph Keeling continued the vigil, despite periodic potential threat of funding cut, because his father had passed onto him a “faith that the world could be made better by devotion to just causes.” Now his son and the NOAA team have taken over a measurement that captures (more than any other single number), the extent to which we are changing the world. Below, is a video clip on Keeling Curve:
I hope this post (with the video) will have motivated you to take part in assisting with our transition toward the renewable energy age. Join us by signing the petition for Solar-FIT For Sunshine State and start a petition for Solar-FIT for your state/country if you are not a resident of Florida (and do not reside in a place where Solar-FIT is already implemented)….for solar and/or renewable energy will ultimately be the solution in bringing down our atmospheric CO2, providing cleaner, healthier environment, and freeing us from the finite world of fossil fuel and proclivity toward international conflicts.
~Let’s respond to Charles David Keeling’s and Ralph Keeling’s vigil by spreading the sunshine across our globe~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments and suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Updates on our Solar-FIT For Sunshine State petition: 163 signatures strong. We need more! Please help us to spread more sunshine by signing this petition and sharing it with others. It is our shared responsibility to move toward the renewable energy age and Sunshine is the cleanest, healthiest, and least war-prone way to go! Thank you. ________________________________________________________________________________________
got a message from Solar Impulse — the solar airplane that is flying across the United States right now. The plane is carrying a message encouraging governments, CEOs, and other decision-makers to support and deploy clean technologies. Because I signed up, my name is going to be carried in the cockpit of the plane. You should add your name too — the more names the plane carries, the stronger the clean technology message will be on the ground. So far, over 16,000 Friends are virtual passengers in the cockpit. You can add your name by clicking here — it only takes 30 seconds. Thanks! sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker _______________________________________________________________________________________
Remember at the end of March this year I wrote a post on “First U.S. City Requiring Solar (Lancaster, CA). We Need More Mayors Like Mayor Parris!“. Well, nearly 400 miles away, in Sonoma County, the liberal stronghold of fewer than 8,000 residents in the city of Sebastopol, CA four days ago (on Tuesday) became California’s second city to require that all new buildings and additions (and the first to require residential and commercial buildings) be outfitted with solar PV to produce solar energy.
The system would have to provide 2 watts of power per square foot of insulated building area or offset 75 percent of the building’s annual electric load. In situations where solar power is impractical (such as shaded areas) new buildings may use other energy alternatives or pay a fee. Councilman Patrick Slayter, who co-authored the measure with Mayor Michael Kyes, remarked that the council’s action was “on the low end of the scale (of controversy), which is welcome.” In honor of Sebastopol, CA ‘s status as being the First City to Require All New Residential and Commercial Buildings to be Outfitted With Solar PV, I’d like to share a video on Sebastopol’s Link to its Past, below:
Carrie Cullen Hitt, senior vice president of state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association says she thinks mandated solar power is a trend that will likely grow but that people shouldn’t worry that a wave of change will happen in their neighborhoods anytime soon. California is already a solar power friendly state, ranking the third state with the most solar jobs per capita in USA by the Solar Foundation, and has more solar workers than it has actors.
Let’s hope that there will soon be a third and more cities joining this movement so we will be able to truly call this A Solar Trend….let’s hope this will not be a trend only confined to the state of California…
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your comments and suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
