Clean energy isn´t flawless

Clean energy requires an environmental cost during production of the technology. China is one of the countries suffering most, being a major exporter resources, material and parts used in renewable energy technology for extracting wind, hydro and solar power. I was not so happy after reading an article about this issue on dailymail.com....

Conference coming up!

I have been selected as a delegate for the International Youth Forum in Russia! The event is a nine days long conference in Seliger, half way between Moscow and St Petersburg. I am a first-time visitor, so I´m thrilled at the thought of going to Russia!

The theme I chose from the conference is innovation and enterprise, with focus on sustainability and renewable energy. World politics, Civil and Social Development and Mass Media were other options.

There will be 700 students gathered from all over the world. Thanks to Facebook, we already have a discussion going. It´ll be great to meet peers with resourceful minds and ambitions for making positive change!

Visit Seliger´s website here.

The Sahara Forest Project

I read a very interesting article about the collaboration between Norway and Jordan through the Sahara Forest recently. This is an example of why I have so strong belief in international collaboration!

The Bellona Foundation, an international environmental NGO based in Norway, is involved in the project run by solar energy from the Sahara desert. The location is by the Red Sea in Aqaba, Jordan.

The target is revegetation (planting trees and greenery), water and clean electricity production. The network of natural windstoppers and roots from the plants will stop erosion and uncontrolled spreading of the desert. Simultaneously the Sahara Forest Project will produce fresh water using seawater greenhouses for destillation. The combination of concentrated solar energy and water production will provide a sustainable alternative for agriculture and biomass production.

The test- and demonstration centre is planned to be finished by 2012, and a large scale production site will be ready by 2015.

It's a very fascinating project, and a good indicator of how a green economy can be built. Industrial processes can make large-scale projects come to life in a shift towards sustainable solutions!


For more information you can click here to read Bellona's article, or visit the Sahara Forest Project's website here.

A greener everyday life

Many people ask me how to live a greener everyday life. I feel confused sometimes myself, as there's a jungle of different opinions and more or less acknowledged truths out there. What is right today might turn out to be false tomorrow, but there are some common features you can look out for and implement for a greener everyday life. Remember that the simple solutions are often the best! So this is my top five list:

1) Choose renewable energy, recycle and re-use.

- You know why. The greenest energy is the energy we don't use!

2) Travel green

- Make something useful out of your traveling. Networking and linking sustainability to traveling makes the experience so much more meaningful!
- Make international communication become global cooperation!
- Use trains, subway, local buses, environmentally certified hotels.
- Be an eco- tourist. Full time or as much as possible. Try hiking in the forests or mountains!

3) Eat green

- Vegetables, chicken and fish leave a considerably smaller ecological footprint than meat, palm oil etc. Homemade food with pure ingredients is great both for you and the environment. Want to try delicious vegetarian dishes? Try Indian or Moroccan recipes!
- Try using ecological, and/ or short- traveled food. Or maybe cultivate your own?

4) Support environmental organizations.

- I am a Rainforest Guard for instance, giving a set amount each month for preserving rainforests through the Rainforest Foundation.

5) Be creative!

- Common sense usually works. Any product, activity, or means of transport that requires energy leaves an ecological footprint. The more complex and grand, the more resources are used. Go for the simple solutions!
- Use ordinary (or organic) cooking oil mixed with lemon juice (30:1) for maintaining the
veranda, furniture etc instead of the toxic versions you can buy in stores. I tried, and it works!
- Support, live and share attitudes. Involvment is everything!

If you look at the list, notice how often an environmental approach can lead to good health and better economy. We get a tripple win situation, as everything is interlinked!