Credit: Motivators Inc.
In November, we explored renewable energy projects — big and small. These projects are all contributing to the big goal of finding and delivering clean, renewable sources of energy to lighten our carbon footprint.
We want to thank each of our interviewees for taking the time to participate in our series and for the work that they do:
• Paul Cyr, Kleinschmidt’s Project Manager for the Jordan Hydroelectric Project
• Chris Rose, CEO of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP)
• Jared Quient, Vice President of AMSOLAR
You’ll hear a lot more about renewable energy as we as a culture and an economy bring it into all aspects of our lives. Look close enough and you might find solar cells embedded into glass art to power the light inside of the building of where the art piece is housed. If you ride the train Portland, Oregon, stroll over to the Interstate/Rose Quarter Station to see that the sun is powering public art pieces that illuminate this light rail stop.
Credit: Sierra Club California
Looking further away, renewable energy is what will make some countries able to sustain themselves. For example, in Keyna, one of the world’s fastest growing populations, nearly 80 percent of the population lives in rural agricultural communities. Kenya is leading renewable energy efforts on the African continent’s largest wind farm that could provide up to 17 percent of the country’s grid-connected power supply. Kenya is also Africa’s largest source of geothermal energy and uses it to produce up to 15 percent of its country’s energy needs.
Closer to home, our great state of California has a big goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. While a recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report said that California was on track to see a significant reduction by 2020, it needs to change its policies and goals in order to meet its 2050 reduction goal. There is still more work to be done.
And the importance of this shift to renewable energy has never been more clearly demonstrated than in the power of natural disasters past year. Climate is changing and that will create a more unpredictable environment, leading to more intense future disasters, longer droughts, wetter monsoons and cyclones with higher speeds.
(Credit: Forbes.com LLC™)
As December is the month of giving gifts, we are dedicating it to ways you can contribute to relief efforts for different natural disasters, some close to home and some on the other side of the world. Stay tuned for the many different ways you can give.
Liz Faris, Account Manager
Collaborative Services, Inc.
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