While it might seem odd to some people, we keep birthday decorations up, in our dining room, all year long. I enjoy the festive nature and the bright colors of the decorations. They also remind me that every day is a celebration of life. If I am ever feeling a bit down, I simply look around, find something small to celebrate, and quickly, more examples flood into my perception.
I hope you can find something to celebrate today that brings joy to your heart. We begin our news with a focus on green energy and skip around from there.
US plans wind-energy auction off the Massachusetts coast.
The US Interior Department will auction over 725,000 acres of ocean 14 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, in January of 2015. The area will be used to create a wind-farm that will generate enough power for 1.8 million homes.
The department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has already granted a number of off-shore leases, totaling $14Million, for wind projects in Maryland, Virginia, and New England. They are planning another auction for projects off the coast of New Jersey as well.
Currently the US has no utility level off-shore wind turbine projects. While the energy costs twice as much to produce as coal power, it is much better for the environment.
SunEdison to build solar panel plant in Brazil.
Brazil currently produces less than 1% of its energy through solar power, and it has a limited capacity to produce photovoltaic cells within the country. All this is about to change, as US-based SunEdison pledged $30Million to build a solar panel factory in Brazil.
Experts project that 60% of future energy projects in Latin America will come from sustainable energy. Creating a solar panel module plant in Brazil will give the company a competitive edge in the region. SunEdison also pledged to build solar generating plants in Latin America and Brazil with local renewable energy company, Renova Energia SA.
As energy needs increase in developing nations, many governments are choosing to build sustainable platforms. This has spurred investment in the private sector as green energy becomes more economically viable.
SunEdison Targets Brazil With $30 Million Solar Plant by Vanessa Dezem for Bloomberg News
Moving on…
Would you pay for an advertising-free internet?
Google is launching a new, ad-free, internet environment called Contributor. Users will pay to access the platform through their Google account, and any ads featured on the websites they visit will be pixilated out.
Google will promote this platform as a way of directly contributing financially to the websites visited, instead of the advertisers. They will split the revenue with websites that sign up to participate in the program.
Currently the platform is available by invite-only, and websites can sign up for Google’s waiting list. While an ad-free web environment is appealing, the new set up is rather proprietary and seems like a repackaging of paying for premium content.
Websites would get the benefit of ad revenue from regular users, and monies from those who choose the no-ad version. While ads are distracting, no one is forcing users to click on links. This platform forces users to pay not to see the links at all.
Google launches ad-free net experiment on BBC News Technology
Turkish president believes men and women are not equal.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan often tries to foster the support of conservative religious groups in his country, and that was probably his goal at a recent speech made before a women’s conference in Istanbul.
Ergogan said women cannot be treated as equal to men because of their delicate nature. He also said that feminists reject motherhood and this is contrary to Muslim teachings. Many secular citizens feel that Erogan is forcing Turkey into isolation due to conservative national policy shifts.
Turkey president Erdogan: Women are not equal to men on BBC News Europe
Could you commit to being waste-free? This woman did it.
Lauren Singer was just an average young woman when she entered the program on Environmental Studies at NYU. As she learned more about sustainability, she realized that she needed to make changes in her life that reflected the information she was learning. What began as a goal to eliminate plastic, has morphed into a zero-trash lifestyle. Lauren writes on the concept on her own blog, and even created a line of sustainable home products that help her to remain garbage-free.
In a time when we are all thinking about leading more sustainable lives, her experiences are an inspiration to recycle, re-purpose and reuse more often.
And finally…
What if money was no object?
Alan Watts was a writer and philosopher, who brought Eastern traditions to the West and made them accessible for everyone. He passed in the early 70’s, but many of his talks were recorded, and still resonate with a rare vitality and freshness.
In this lovely video, Alan Watts asks us what we would do if money were no object. I hope you enjoy the brief journey, into joy, as much as I did.
What If Money Was No Object? Alan Watts on Youtube
That’s the news for today. Have a marvelous day. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for more news!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex