Obviously it includes us!!!

     On 5^th June2012, throughout the world 40^th environment day was celebrated. Brazil country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world hosted main conference with the theme “Green Economy: Does it include YOU? ”

        A green economy is described as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.            
        Practically speaking, a Green Economy is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.         
       But what does all this mean to us? This essentially what the second part of the theme is all about. If the Green Economy is about social equity and inclusiveness then technically it is all about us! The question therefore asks us to find out more about the Green Economy and assess whether, in your country, you are being included in it.

The agendas highlighted 10 most important sectors for greener planet

Buildings

Construction has consequences - let's construct a better world!

Transport

Congestion, pollution, traffic accidents . . . there's a better way!

Energy Supply

Our lifestyles demand energy, but is the demand too great on our resources?

Fisheries

Seafood is delicious and healthy - but depleting our fish stocks isn't!

Forestry

Forests support livelihoods, societies and cultures, our climate, and a plethora of wildlife and ecosystems.

Water

Use water wisely!

Agriculture

Use your consumer power to support local, organic and sustainable agriculture!

Tourism

Tread lightly on your travel destinations.

Waste

If everything you buy becomes waste, where will we put it all?

Manufacturing and Industry

It's no big secret that industry and manufacturing have been rough on the environment - but things can change, and you can help!

Reference : http://www.unep.org/wed/

Energy technology breakthrough: Behind the Big Announcement, Disappointing Reality

A company is claiming a breakthrough in develop fuel cells that can supply affordable and relatively clean electricity. Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Cox Enterprises, eBay, FedEx, Google, Staples, and Walmart Among First Companies to Deploy Bloom Energy Server.
           The US based start-up, Bloom Energy, has raised about $400 million from investors and spent nearly a decade developing a new variety of solid oxide fuel cell, considered the most efficient but most technologically challenging fuel-cell technology.
           Short understanding on working of solid oxide fuel cell -
 http://www.bloomenergy.com/fuel-cell/solid-oxide-fuel-cell-animation/
http://electrochem.org/dl/interface/wtr/wtr07/wtr07_p41-44.pdf
            Bloom claims it has learned to make the devices from common materials that will last for years. The Bloom fuel cell’s heart is a thin white ceramic wafer made from sand. At Bloom’s offices, Mr. Sridhar, a former NASA scientist, picked up a stack of fuel cells that resembled floppy disks. One side of each was painted with a lime-green ink that acts as the anode while a black ink on the back served as the cathode. Bloom executives would not disclose the composition of the ink.
         

Bloom Energy has attention, money and customers. Now it needs to show its fuel cells are durable and cheap enough to compete.

 Bloom's first big backer was John Doerr, the famed venture capitalist who also helped get Google started, among others companies. 

          The buzz is often divorced from the real potential of a company. Due to such circumstances, Bloom was probably more or less forced into a huge press event, hyping its technology to a crowd mostly ignorant of the fact that very similar tech has been well-known for many years, with dozens of other companies working on it. And because of the influence of its backers, including Doerr and Colin Powell, the PR machine has grown far beyond what it would otherwise have been.