Unfortunately, there have been many other environmental disasters in the past and there will, of course, be more to come. Using the current Deepwater Horizon accident as a rallying point, explore.org, “a non-profit multi-media organization, has recently created the the explore/HATCH Short Film Award to be given to a filmmaker who best tells the story of a remarkable individual’s actions in response to a devastating environmental event.” The group has been written about on 2nd Green Revolution before.

Submissions are due August 25th with the winner receiving a full expense trip to the HATCHfest Bozeman in September. Full submission guidelines can be found at http://explore.org/about/explorehatch_award/

If you or anyone you know is dabbling in film, this would be a great way to showcase their talents while highlighting the actions of individuals that have made a difference.

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According to the Biomimicry Institute, “The Biomimicry Professional Certification Program not only provides the most comprehensive biomimicry education currently available, it also affords an intellectually stimulating learning environment that allows for unique leadership and networking opportunities.” Only 16 participants will be accepted into the program. This is the second year that this two-year program is being offered. “The Biomimicry Institute seeks a dynamic group of four biologists, four engineers, four designers, and four businesspeople from around the world for the 2011-2013 cohort.” The program uses a mix of week long intensive courses in person and online “intersession” courses.

Check out the online FAQ section for any questions or email bpcp@biomimicryinstitute.org.

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A BBC story hails the school as the future. The curriculum follows a rigorous path, potentially leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. IB is a  comprehensive, demanding course of study comparable to the Advanced Placement (AP) system in the United States. Students combine theory with practice by implementing the ideas they learn in an organic garden. Food is either produced in these gardens or locally sourced. This practical application of knowledge fits in well with best practices in education. In addition, the school relies on collaborative approaches to learning, another key pedagogical tool that aligns with the current understanding of how people learn.

Among the school’s buildings is the largest bamboo structure in Asia. As the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani reports, this economical and locally available material with its open sides serves a multitude of functions. The fast growing, renewable materials and lack of air conditioning system reduce the impact of the materials and are well suited for the area.

For those interested in attending the school, admissions and pricing information can be found on the website. As part of the school’s philosophy, there are 20 local students who receive scholarships enabling them to attend. Not only does this diversify the student body, but it also serves as a major component of the social equity component of sustainability.

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In the poor, rural areas of Rwanda artificial lighting exists in the form of kerosene lamps, which pose a major fire hazard and cause air pollution and lung disease. Isn’t there a better way to provide lighting in an area without any electric infrastructure? Sameer Hajee thought there was. He started London-based Nuru Light as an 11-employee for-profit in 2009 with $200,000 in seed money from the World Bank Lighting Africa initiative. Nuru Light arranges microloans for entrepreneurs to buy LED lamps, plus an additional $200 to buy Nuru’s bike-pedal electric charger. The business is already having an impact. From a Fortune Magazine story :

Annonciata Mukandekwe, a 50-year-old basket weaver… spends an hour a day pedaling a small generator that charges LED lights. In her first two weeks in business, this widow sold 140 of the $6.58 lamps to her fellow villagers. Mukandekwe earns $3.78 a day in charging fees — more than triple the daily income in rural Rwanda. Her customers get safe, clean lighting at one-tenth the cost of kerosene.

Hajee was working at the United Nations and at Freeplay Energy (seller of hand-crank radios around the world) when he got the idea to start Nuru and left to pursue the vision. The loans that Nuru lends Rwandan entrepreneurs are usually paid back in 6 months. Part of Nuru’s business model is to teach those who are selling the devices accounting in order to increase the chances that the program will be sustainable when Nuru steps back. The skills learned through working with and receiving training from Nuru can also be applied to business opportunities outside of the company. Nuru Light has not yet made a profit, but has set up 70 businesses in Rwanda that provide lighting to the equivalent of 7,000 families.

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Also on the green events calendar for July are a couple of conferences in California, including one focused on plug-in vehicles. This symposium will take place at the end of the month in San Jose. For other intriguing options, a few of which may interest educators, take a look at the sampling below. For the full calendar, click on “Features” above and select “Green Events Calendar” from the drop down menu.

CONFERENCE: UCLA Sustainability & Leadership
When: July 5 – 9 2010
Where: Los Angeles, CA, United States (map)
Description: The world of corporate sustainability is changing rapidly and UCLA has a special program to help you keep up with the latest developments by putting you in intensive contact with the leading researchers in the field.
Further details:http://www.specialprograms.ucla.edu/SustainableBusiness/overview.htm

CONFERENCE: The Canadian Institute’s Energy Storage Conference
When: July 7 – 8 2010
Where: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (map)
Description: Attend this unique event and hear from industry experts on the latest electricity storage technologies, research, development and demonstration.
Further details: http://www.canadianinstitute.com/EnergyStorage

Biomimicry Education Summit
When: July 8 – 10 2010
Where: San Francisco, California (map)
Description: The Summit will promote an interdisciplinary exchange of concepts, perspectives, and tools among biologists, chemists, industrial designers, architects, artists, engineers, and business people engaged in biomimicry education, and biomimetic research and/or design.
Further details: http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/education/university/biomimicry-education-summit.html

Webinar: The Future of Carbon Regulation
When: July 13, 2010 | 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. PST
Where: Online
Description: The prospects for passing climate legislation in the US Congress have changed dramatically over the last year. Catalysts on this policy roller coaster have included the talks in Copenhagen last December, the health care bill, and current events, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Looking to the future, what are our current prospects for climate legislation and carbon regulation? What type of regulation or other approach would be most effective at reducing carbon? Will carbon markets continue to evolve without regulation? Understanding the answers to these questions will influence how companies embrace carbon reduction as a business strategy, and how all organizations move forward in a carbon-constrained economy.
Visit www.fluidms.com/webinars to register

Clean Energy and Smart Grid Fair (CSF) 2010
When: July 14 – 16 2010
Where: PACIFICO Yokohama, Exhibition Hall and Annex Hall 1-1-1, Minato Mirai Nishi-ku Yokohama (map)
Description: Objectives: We aim to promote the use of renewable energy by transmitting technology and information related to clean power generation. Furthermore, we also convey technology and systems related to the computerization and upgrading of power grids in the aim of realizing a stable supply of electricity, which includes clean power generation, and of optimizing electrical power supply and demand. What is more, CSF contributes to cutting CO2 and improving convenience in the lives of the people by promoting the dissemination of clean power generation systems and next generation power supply technology through the mutual interaction and business negotiations of industry officials.
Website: http://www.cs-f.jp/e/index.html

CONFERENCE: UBC Summer Institute in Sustainable Urban Design: Natural Systems and the Built Environment
When:July 18 – 23 2010
Where: Vancouver, BC, Canada (map)
Description: The UBC Summer Institute in Sustainable Urban Design delivers conceptual knowledge and practical strategies on how to integrate a natural systems approach to the design of building projects,landscapes and neighborhoods.
Further details: http://cstudies.ubc.ca/sisud

CONFERENCE: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Renewable Energy Industry
When: July 19 – 20 2010
Where: Boston, MA, United States (map)
Description: This conference will discuss the current status of M&A in the renewable industry and describe where it is heading on both a national and international level.
Further details:http://www.euci.com/conferences/0710-mergers/

Sustainability Education Summer Institute (SESI)
When: July 26 – 28 2010
Where: Bainbridge Island, WA (map)
Description: IslandWood is excited to once again host the Sustainability Education Summer Institute (SESI). SESI 2010 will provide a rich and vibrant opportunity for k-12 teachers, administrators and teacher educators to deepen their knowledge of education for sustainability (EfS) and apply it to their schools and programs. The conference content is being developed in collaboration with Western Washington University, Facing The Future, Environmental Education Association of Washington, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Further details: http://islandwood.org/school_programs/educators/sesi-2010

Plug-In 2010 Conference & Exposition
When: July 26 – 29 2010
Where: San Jose, CA (map)
Description: As original equipment manufacturers announce plans to bring plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles to market, representatives from automotive manufacturers, component suppliers, electric utilities, government agencies, academia and the environmental community should plan to attend Plug-In 2010 to share best practices, advance policies, hear from industry leaders and see the latest innovations associated with plug-in and electric transportation technology on the exposition floor.
Further details: http://www.plugin2010.com

Biennial of the Americas’ Events:

The Americas Round-table on Trade: Leveraging Partnerships for Sustainable Economies
When: Mon, July 12, 8:30am – 10:15am
Where: Denver, Colorado (map)
Description: Combined GDP of the Western Hemisphere exceeds $19 trillion. As a result, the 35 nations of the Hemisphere produce close to 30 percent of the world’s GDP. Nevertheless, along with those of the rest of the planet, economies in the Hemisphere have recently suffered tremendous setbacks. To promote and sustain healthy economies in the region, trade is certainly one important catalyst. For that reason, one approach might be to write even more bilateral and multilateral trade agreements. Greater value might come, however, from attempting to leverage the trade agreements already in place. How could these agreements be refined to work more successfully? How might their economic gains to-date be consolidated and furthered? How can technology advancements be put to use more strategically?
Further details:http://www.biennialoftheamericas.org/americas-roundtables#economy

The Americas Round-table on Energy and Climate Change: Designing Answers for Today’s Challenges
When: Wed, July 28, 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Where: Denver, Colorado (map)
Description: Round-table Focus: Of the many ties that could bind the Western Hemisphere together more closely, energy production surely is one of them. The Hemisphere has tremendous resources. Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela supply the U.S. with more than 40% of its crude oil. The U.S. and Colombia are among the top coal producers in the world, and Brazil is the world leader in producing and using ethanol as a transportation fuel. In the context of energy, however, the link between fossil fuel use and CO2 levels in the atmosphere is unquestionable. With little dispute, scientists believe that CO2 and other heat-trapping gases are influencing the climate. How might design be used to address the energy and climate change problems facing us therefore? Design levers likely include energy efficiency, renewable energy technology, markets, the use of natural gas, and reforestation, among others.
Further details: http://www.biennialoftheamericas.org/americas-roundtables#climate

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