The new ABN (Arpin Broadcast Network) is live

The home network for Renewable Now is broadcasting on its new platform:  ABN 2.  You can log on at arpin.tv.com.  Our first show runs live on Thursday, 10a, EST, with a second live stream at 4p, EST.  Log on to take a look between now and Thursday.

Also, found this on Green Technology World today (green.tmcnet.com): 

Bob Vila Teams Up With GreenTowns.com to Promote Sustainability

"Bob Vila, a pioneer in helping share green ideas and promoting new sustainable home renovation and repair products and technologies, has tackled a new role as partner and featured expert in the launch of a new online network, GreenTowns.com, a digital platform that connects and celebrates green initiatives and the people leading them in towns across America.

“Every town has its own unique challenges to finding green solutions. We want to help!” said Vila, CEO of BobVila.com. “The audience of BobVila.com is interested in sustainable building and green efforts, and we hope that our partnership with GreenTowns.com will connect them with specialists and local citizens across the United States who share the same green commitment.”

With the partnership, Vila hopes to reconnect with those home renovation enthusiasts he has associated with for more than 30 years, as well as with new home renovation fans who believe strongly in the idea of green technologies dominating the future of home building and renovation.

Vila’s home renovation and repair website is an eye-opener for all those who believe that ‘going green’ is expensive and non-aesthetic, revealing how small changes can have a big impact on helping the environment"

Take a look at GreenTowns.com, and we will get them, and Bob, an invitation to be on the show.

Improve Your Property Value By Going Green

As we focus on the business side of green here at Renewable Now, we found a good article on White Picket Fence on simple ways of improving the value of your property by going green.  Here it is:

"With the real estate market the way it is today, you can’t put too much emphasis on improving your property value and the attractiveness of your home to potential buyers.  One of the easiest, most affordable, and best ways to make your properties the perfect properties to attract buyers or renters is to go green.
That’s because going green isn’t just about the environment anymore. When it comes to real estate and home buying, it’s also about efficiency. When the real estate market is struggling, and the economy is tight, like it is right now, anything that speaks to buyers’ sense of thriftiness is a big plus.  Going green doesn’t necessarily mean needing permits and spending a lot of money renovating.  Some simple changes can make a big difference.

Including energy efficient appliances in the price of the home might not seem like a big deal–but to today’s buyers it is. It gives them a chance to include the price of the upgrades in their house payment financing and it can make the difference between two real estate properties that are otherwise equal. Having up to date inspections and maintenance on climate control systems, refrigerators, washers, dryers, and so forth can make a property much more attractive.

Have the house checked for drafts, as well.  This is especially necessary with older homes.  Potential buyers may like the price of an older home but think about heating and cooling costs over the years and shy away. More people consider these things when buying real estate than ever before.  Some simple checks and repairs can make climate control much more efficient, even in an older home or office.
Small changes can turn mediocre properties into perfect properties!"

We'd love to have a real estate expert do a monthly blog with us, as a guest, talking more about this and introducing other money-saving techniques to our audience.  We'd love to do a show with that expert, too.  Please get in touch with us if you are interested.

Renewable Now broadcast live, for the first time ever, on May 11.  Welcome to the show.

Whoa mama!

Nice article from Terra Pass (a very good, carbon offset organization) about advocating home energy audits for moms in honor of Mom's Day coming up this weekend.  Here's the link:  http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/whoa-mama?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Whoa+mama%21&utm_content=peterarpin%40msn.com&utm_campaign=Newsletter+05%2F04%2F2011.

Here's bits and pieces, but read the whole thing and get those home audits going: 

"This Mother’s Day, I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon of eco-friendly products. By all means, please (as always) consider the environmental impact of your gifts or check out these great gift ideas from Huffington Post, Treehugger, and Grist. But if I have to read another blog post about how flowers are destroying the planet, I’ll just get depressed."

And: 

"According to an online survey conducted in February by Harris Interactive, only 11% of Americans conduct home energy evaluations or audits. That’s disappointingly low when on a yearly basis, Americans spend $241 billion (yup, with a B) on residential energy costs, resulting in 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Conducting a home energy audit can help identify problems, determine efficiencies, lower carbon footprints, and best of all, save loads of money.

And: 

"Some helpful resources from the DOE and EPA for home energy audits include: Energy Star, Home Energy Score, Energy Savers, and the Home Energy Saver™."

And everything in between is good, too.

On our first show, which will broadcast live on May 11, in 5 days, Julian Dash from EDC will touch on some of the many funding programs state EDC's, and the local utility companies, administer for helping consumers and businesses conduct energy audits and finance, cheaply, investments in reducing use/waste and alternative forms of energy.  Be watching on the new ABN, Arpin Broadcast Network, arpin.tv.com which goes live on May 9, two days before Renewable Now broadcast live around the world.

Happy Mother's Day weekend.  Enjoy.

This Common-Sense Change Makes Good Business Strategy

Great article, with some interesting stats, on The Motley Fool site today.  Here's the link: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/05/04/this-common-sense-change-makes-good-business-strat.aspx.

Here's part of the report: 

"Going green" is a popular strategic destination these days. However, it's one thing to rejoice that you've decided to start that journey, and another to actually get there.
While more business leaders and investors now embrace the general idea of environmentally friendly initiatives, the reality of their actions might still fall short of their ambitions. To keep businesses on the right track, savvy shareholders may need to give them a push.

What's your damage?
Last year, environmental research firm Trucost calculated that human activity caused $6.6 trillion in environmental damage in 2008. The top 3,000 global corporations alone caused $2.15 trillion of that projected harm. If this course continues, annual environmental costs could reach $28.6 trillion by 2050. But even as they try to veer off this expensive, unhealthy path, some companies may struggle to change the ways they think about doing business.

Environmental Leader recently reported on a study conducted by U.K.'s Warwick Business School and University of Bath School of Management. After examining 25 years' worth of academic and industry research, the authors concluded that most companies' efforts to create "sustainable supply chains" have focused more on managing risk and avoiding public relations crises than establishing any true environmental benefit.

The authors called out Mattel (Nasdaq: MAT  ) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL  ) as examples. Toxic lead paint cropped up in Mattel's children's toys a few years back, while Apple, despite pledges of eco-friendliness, still faces accusations of sweatshop policies, worker suicides at its contracted Chinese manufacturers' plants, and lax environmental standards."

Roll that number around in your head a few times:  6.6 trillion dollars of environmental damage in 08.  Shocking.  From the business side of green, what a disastrous financial hole to dig out of.

So, let's stop the loss and stop the talk and do the right things.  Let's change the way we do business.  Start watching Renewable Now on May 11 and learn how to truely go green.  Together, we will "get there".

Billion Acts of Green

USA Today has launched a site to help people of all nations join a forever Earth Day Celebration, and come together to perform a billion acts of green.  Here's the URL:  http://www.usatoday.com/marketing/brand_mkt/splash/greeneffort/index.htm.

This is a great site and effort.  The paper offers readers a chance to sign up for green living tips, get expert advice from their reporters, green their home, offices, and participate and contribute in a global effort  "to commit to an act that helps reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainability"

Here is a sampling of yesterday's articles on that page: 

The latest headlines from USA TODAY

Royal wedding of Kate Middleton, Prince William has green twist
How green will the royal wedding of Prince William and commoner Kate Middleton be? Because of the sheer size and grandeur of ...
Which U.S. cities have dirtiest and cleanest air?
How clean is your air? Most U.S. cities with the dirtiest air are getting cleaner but half of Americans still live in areas ...
On Earth Day, more green light bulbs
What's notable on Earth Day 2011? While technological changes are sweeping the U.S. economy, perhaps the biggest switch for ...
Home energy upgrades get U.S.-backed loans
Many U.S. homeowners are now eligible for up to $25,000 in federally-insured loans to make energy-efficient upgrades such as ...
Gallup: Fewer Americans see climate change as threat
Fewer Americans and Europeans view climate change as a threat.

One of your first acts will be to watch the live world premier of Renewable Now on May 11...one week from today.

Ulysses Diversified Holdings Corporation Provides An Update On The Electric Car Charging Infrastructure

Great story on The Street regarding Walgreen's newest store opening, including an electric car charging station.  Here it is: 

"Ulysses Diversified Holdings Corporation (PINKSHEETS: UDHC) today issues an update to the investment community on the Company's progress for the electric car charging stations infrastructure. We are pleased to announce our first official Level II charging station installation has been completed at the Walgreens in Oak Park, IL.

Our Governor, Patrick Quinn, was on hand on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, to give a speech highlighting all of the green technologies used to build this beautiful new Walgreens store. As our Governor spoke, he pointed out the geothermal heating system, the new LED lights and the use of natural lighting that this new building design provided. Additionally, he pointed out the fact that Walgreens has healthy choices with fresh fruits and wellness centers that continues the green initiatives supported by this company. I came away from this press conference with a great sense of pride in this administration and their dedication to our neighborhoods, our state and our personal well being. I am inspired by today’s event seeing first hand how working together with such a wonderful group of companies, we can make a difference right now.

Arpin Group installed the first auto recharging station in RI last year, and we talk about that on an upcoming show with Al Dahlberg, Project Get Ready.  What I love about this article, though, is the quote "I am inspired by today’s event seeing first hand how working together with such a wonderful group of companies, we can make a difference right now". 

Who are the wonderful group of companies in your town, city that people feel good about?  Is your company part of that select group?  How great would it be to have people writing such glowing comments about you and your company?

Contact me if you have positive things to post about your company and your investment in our earth's future health.  Let's hope we see many new Walgreens stores in our neighborhoods inspiring the same pride in every community and town.

Be watching, 8 days from now, for the live, world premier of Renewable Now. 

 

Changes at the local chapter of Green Building Council

ProJo, a RI paper, wrote this weekend about RIGBC's Ex Director, Connie McGreavy leaving and moving back into the private sector.  Connie had started the chapter back in 2008, and had done a fantastic job.

We are fortunate enough to profile RIGBC and their work on one of the first episodes of Renewable Now (already shot and ready to premier in late May, after the May 11th show with Julian Dash and EDC).  As noted in this recent article, this local chapter of GBC helped enact two critical laws, one of which requires that the state energy conservation code be upgraded to international standards, and the other mandating that public buildings be constructed to USGBC standards--both major milestones.

And, directly relating to the business side of green, our focus, this high energy conservation standard helped attract 22 million in federal stimulus money to this state.  What a return on investment !!!.  All of our legislation should have such positive impact.

Does the right investment in green pay off?  You bet it does.

Connie is returning to her firm, Conserve by Design, and thinking about finding a job as a sustainability office in a major company.  Contact me if you'd like to get in touch with Connie.