The Sustainability Journal - Vikram R Chari - Volume 2012 Issue 65

Nuclear expert to talk on Japanese disaster - Tacoma News Tribune ow.ly/1iAstO

South Africa fights surging rhino killings in remote Kruger dlvr.it/1PWg1T

Stockholm+40 (1972-2012) important sustainability conference on April 23-24 sweden.gov.se/sb/d/15451

Tips – Re-upholster used furniture instead of buying new ow.ly/8Kksk

Organic farmer's easy approach grows bonds dld.bz/bpzNF

Repair Is Green: Two Simple iPhone Repairs You Can Do at Home - bit.ly/HwI5E0

Japan’s Rapid Residential Solar Power Growth dlvr.it/1PY518

How The Evolving Housing Market Will Help Sustainable Communities dlvr.it/1PY4QK

Steve King’s War On Vegetarians: Brags Of Forcing ‘Anti-Meat Crowd’ To ‘Confess’ Their... dlvr.it/1PY4RW

Solazyme and Bunge to open Oil Production Facility in Brazil | digg.com/!daAkwrN

Japan’s Rapid Residential Solar Power Growth dlvr.it/1PY518

Forest Service employee traps and tortures wolf, doesn’t get fired bit.ly/HoROB2

Nest makes its smart thermostat, er, smarter bit.ly/Hrv1jP

"Rapid deployment of low emission energy systems can do little 2 diminish climate impacts in 1st half of this century" bit.ly/I5LeeK

Latest from Philips LED -> Roled Opto Electronics Shanghai Co. Ltd. And Future Lighting Solutions Collaborate on Music and Light Performance. Latest from Philips LED -> Philips Lumileds brings new standards to mid-power LEDs for illumination.

Healthy Polar Bear Count Confounds Doomsayers - Canada Free Press ow.ly/1iB1Bn

NRDC Report Reveals 29 States Unprepared for Growing Water Threats to Economy, Health - YAHOO! ow.ly/1iB1Bs

What thawed the last ice age? - CNET News - Research suggests that -- contrary to some prior findings... ow.ly/1iB1Bx. Within a few hundred years sea levels in some places had r... ow.ly/1iB1BU

Natural Disasters Tied to Unnatural Causes - msnbc.com ow.ly/1iB1BR

Play Clean Taking Solar and Wind Out to the Ballgame : Greentech Media greentechmedia.com/articles/read/…

More CSR Waffle ? bit.ly/Hh1vxS

Survey Shows people want to know more about Smart Appliances digg.com/!daAkxx9

Will Modern (But Still Dry) Phoenix Outlast the pre-Historical Hohokam? bit.ly/HhFhfz

Arizona Senate Bill 1507 Aims to Prohibit the Rio Declaration and Ban Sustainability Initiatives State-Wide bit.ly/HrTMN4

Check it - the new NYC taxi is finally bike-friendly: bit.ly/I7apO6

100 Years Ago: Loss of the Titanic April 1962 - bit.ly/HWLTAG

Tom Kunz fights to save a vital but misunderstood creature from extinction (from @OnEarthMag) j.mp/HWq6sR

California charges forward with EVs ow.ly/1iB3Rs

NRDC: NY among best prepared for climate change - Albany Times Union (blog) ow.ly/1iB4gt

Obama Administration And Five US States Sign Memorandum Promising Greater Collaboration Regarding Offs... ow.ly/1iB4gB

Clean coal nonsense: New industry ad claims ‘real environmental progress’ bit.ly/HgZs1r

American LENR Technology could replace Coal in Power Plants in a Few Years p.ost.im/p/eqLamU

The Giant Sequoias Need Your Help - Activists are hoping the National Forest Service's management plan for the Giant... ow.ly/1iB3AI

A century of nature documentaries, from imperialism to "eco porn" j.mp/I0tHbW

Green Job Moves: Carbon War Room, Serious, B&W, Nth Power, Switch Lighting: The ego has left the building Ji... bit.ly/HT6VUh

New USGS Report Links Fracking and Earthquakes bit.ly/Hle2T3

The average Asian consumer eats 150 kg of rice annually compared to the average European who eats 5 kg.

Earth's wobble led to CO2 release that ended last Ice Age - bit.ly/Hledhq

Nearly 90% of Chinese 18-25 Year-Olds Want Brands to Cut Carbon Emissions bit.ly/I6j5EY

U.S. Global Warming Denial Will Help China Overtake America, Experts Warn bit.ly/HXouz5

The Sustainability Journal Vikram R Chari Volume 2012 Issue 33

SunPower going ‘on the offense’ in 2012, CEO says bit.ly/zmhQgn

Protect the Arctic, Mr. President - Seattle Times - PRESIDENT Obama made a vow in his recent State of the ... ow.ly/1hrfKZ

Interesting fed-funded behavioral efficiency work at Stanford involves teaching Girl Scouts energy-saving techniques energy.gov/articles/arpa-…

'Green News Report' - February 16, 2012 bit.ly/wiSKJL

It’s the One-Year Anniversary of House Solyndra Investigation, But the Traditional Gift of Paper Seems Superfluous bit.ly/wBxkPR

Hog farmers in MN are struggling with exploding barns. When pigs start exploding, it's time to rethink our food system bit.ly/xcsYzE

Warren Buffett's Billions at Risk; Berkshire Hathaway Is Lowest-Rated on Sustainability - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-paul-herman/warren-buffetts-billions-_b_1251884.html

Obama bypasses Congress again on climate change - USA Today ow.ly/1hseWl

Clinton Leads New Effort Against Climate-Heating Gases - Bloomberg ow.ly/1hseWq

Coal, Mining Interests File Suit to Block Landmark Mercury Regs bit.ly/wz3ZMr

What Supportive Govt Policies Can Do: North Carolina Becomes Hotbed for Renewables - SustainableBusiness.com bit.ly/xBkjgE

Nanosolar scores $20M to scale up its thin-film solar printing tech smrt.io/wTrPQ3

Access to Low-Cost Feedstocks Remains a Key Barrier to Wider Adoption of Biofuels shar.es/gmkG5

Green Blog: A Different Kind of Beekeeping Takes Flight bit.ly/yNNVki

No more injections: implantable microchip delivers drugs smrt.io/zZMyOz

Pollution from Electric Cars? geology.com/news/2012/poll…

Tell USDA To Reject "Agent Orange" Corn bit.ly/xEGzax

Mitsui unit to pay $90 million over Gulf oil spill reut.rs/xl2v63

SCA First to Introduce Verified Compostable Products shar.es/g1nsL

Hawaii plastic bag fee could be first of its kind huff.to/yRvKN7

Mission Impossible: Oil Spill Clean-up in Arctic Waters - PRWeb ow.ly/1hsxj5

Investor sues electric car maker Fisker ow.ly/1hsw6l

Fearing Urbanization goo.gl/fb/AKKlH

Old School Industries Transforms Unwanted Furniture Into One-of-a-kind Pieces with an Edge bit.ly/wBtnPp – Inhabitat

Is 'Low-Profit LLC' the Next Big Label for Responsible Businesses? bit.ly/ywaTTE

Food Inc Interview ~ ecopreservationsociety.org/site/index.php… ~ Michael Pollan Interview with Bill Moyers

The 10 Top Mums in the Animal Kingdom bit.ly/ztfv5t 

The Sustainability Journal Vikram R Chari Volume 2011 Issue 135

The field of what is variously known as CSR, sustainability, corporate citizenship and business ethics is ushering... fb.me/UON21bWg

Bay Area to install more than 300 new public EV chargers bit.ly/v65JGd

What NOT to do with your fluorescent bulbs: bit.ly/vX863O

Coal seam gas could be worse for the environment than coal bit.ly/uN8dQj

Large Solar Project Proceeds on a Commercial Basis bit.ly/tymffa

This is the future of parking lots. Sun-Tracking solar 'trees' installed at GM Tech facility bit.ly/vsyoeV – We need more of these!

New report: Large banks are doing their best to destroy our planet's ability to support human life bit.ly/toE8UB

Guest Viewpoint: Fracking for natural gas will hurt our climate - Press & Sun-Bulletin ow.ly/1fVv8D

Oil spill claims expansion for shrimpers, crabbers is not retroactive - nola.com ow.ly/1fVv8I

Don’t drink the weed killer: Atrazine taints rural groundwater http://bit.ly/vR9lV8

New blog post: How To Make Solar Panels: What You Should Know bit.ly/rNdJCL

Corporations accept climate change reality - Times Union ow.ly/1fVzSu

Climate change’s effect on hurricanes might not be much - Bradenton Herald ow.ly/1fVzSz

EPA Proposes Rule to Prevent Invasive Marine Life in U.S. Waters – Businessweek ow.ly/1fVBlm

 The Floating Axis Wind Turbine (FAWT) - Energy Matters ow.ly/1fVBlq

Oil spill settlement offer quadrupled for shrimpers, crabbers - Jackson Clarion-Ledger ow.ly/1fVBlt

EnerNOC Wins Cleantech award http://bit.ly/vKxori

Toyota and BMW in green agreement http://bbc.in/rJkZir

Green Builder House Plans Committed to Sustainable and Energy Efficient Residential Planning sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl…

How sustainable real estate and green practices give businesses a competitive advantage | Smart Business: sbnonline.com/2011/12/how-su…

Smart Grid - T&D Demonstration Plug-In bit.ly/tH4lKw

U.S. Charged With Stonewalling Climate Negotiations huff.to/sFImvP

Ski Resort’s 3 Rs: Reduce, Recycle, Renew -bit.ly/vbCQE1

FORBE­S names Totsy #36 out of the top 100 Ameri­ca’s Most Promi­sing Compa­nies!­!! http:­//lnk­d.in­- eekNk­v

Carbon Plan reveals UK will 'significantly exceed' emissions targets: business_green Government...bit.ly/rItIsn 

The Sustainability Journal Vikram R Chari Volume 2011 Issue 129

China says economic woes no excuse for climate inaction - Reuters UK t.co/AkEUJZxV  China Outlines Cuts in Carbon Emissions nytimes.com/2011/11/23/wor…

Street Prophets Coffee Hour: Global Warming - DAILY KOS ow.ly/1fM9qh

Norway eyes Barents drive - Upstream Online t.co/kVwwD67u

Brazil fine Chevron over oil spill - France 24 - AFP - Brazil slapped a $28 million fine on US energy giant... ow.ly/1fM9qs

Record levels of CO2 in the atmosphere between 2009 and 2010 t.co/XrkPWu9c

Big companies slap on latest eco-label: WindMade smrt.io/rWhKCv

Concentrated Solar Power Industry to Experience Turbulent Times shar.es/orycy

China sets out demands for “tangible results” at Durban Summit: business_green As developed nat...t.co/rvllKM76

GE touts hybrid gas, solar and wind power plant as answer to energy crisis: business_green Turk...bit.ly/rqoevp

Green Your Thanksgiving: Sustainable Decorations: No need to buy new decor this year. How to make an eco-friendly... t.co/wmokXk5d

The Sustainability Journal - Vikram R Chari - Volume 2011 Issue 126

Opportunity Green Roundup: Perspectives from Heavy Hitters in CSR bit.ly/rKl3kO

Deforestation causes cooling in Northern U.S., Canada, study finds bit.ly/unwbAb

Making the Case for the Value of Environmental Rules ~ bit.ly/vCu1zC

The mainstream media is taking aim at renewable energy subsidies and it's no accident..: bit.ly/vIBfl9 Liberal Democrats prepare to revolt over solar subsidies crackdown: business_green Extent of Li...bit.ly/vXq3Dt

COLUMN - World must keep focus on climate risk: Gerard Wynn - Reuters India ow.ly/1fH8pd

Obama administration moves to double auto fuel efficiency by 2025: business_green New standards...bit.ly/u8KRox

Coal exports are a bigger threat than the tar-sands pipeline bit.ly/uUuajs

Sydney to help office owners finance green upgrades bit.ly/thAhK0 ~Reuters

Five Companies that Make Philanthropy Work, and Make Work Philanthropy ow.ly/1fHd5h

New mpg standards will cut CO2 pollution from new cars in half. This is the boldest step by US to halt climate change bit.ly/tIZS6q

Iowa Scientists Ask Candidates to Acknowledge Climate Change - Christian Post ow.ly/1fH9vO

New York state may soon suffer outsize effects from climate, says report – PhysOrg ow.ly/1fH9vZ

 Climate change slowly melting China's glaciers (3) - People's Daily Online ow.ly/1fH9w2

Air source heat pumps blast open renewable heat fund: business_green DECC reveals winning entri...bit.ly/rL1n4d

Building resilience: resource security and the role of the circular economy: business_green Gre...bit.ly/ulXD1q

The Green Building Tools Cities Can Use to Cut Water Pollution grn.bz/tnGbtO

How Genentech Used a Parking Lot to Fund its Employee Commuter Shuttle bit.ly/tT6H3o

Defense Science Board Warns of “Failure to Anticipate and Mitigate” Climate Change bit.ly/vMCeAc

Hybrid solar-wind power connects rural Navajos cnet.co/rOZmqE

Study: Meeting green transport targets may need £895m biofuels spend: business_green Government... bit.ly/tI4FwI

Siemens Makes a Big Play in the Natural Gas Markets, Perkins+Will Makes a Big Push for Transparency, & More... - eepurl.com/hbp-k 

The sustainability Journal Vikram R Chari Volume 2011 Issue 122

Australia passes Carbon Emissions Tax shar.es/bRDav 

Critical List: Australia will have a carbon tax; 10 percent of Chinese farmland contaminated http://bit.ly/rTMv79

Social Business Strategies ‘as Important’ as Economic Ones: Building a social purpose into a business... bit.ly/tzIoVA

Survey Shows EU Consumers Eager to Invest in Sustainability shar.es/bREk7

What if California Cut Its Global Warming Pollution 80% and No One Noticed? bit.ly/vZ5JE0

The War on the EPA Just Got Really, Really Weird bit.ly/se9Uqe

Sustainability part of the plan for Bishops Bay development bit.ly/uOa1Fn

The Daily Dig: Stolen Restaurant Grease is Good News for Biofuel Market http://bit.ly/rumtTK

The Pupa Pavilion Is Built Entirely from Office Waste! http://bit.ly/u09pAC

The Big Question: How Can PV Players Survive?: Does the solar PV market's current turbulence reflect worrying ...http://bit.ly/v9Q9e1

The Science of Controversial Shale Gas Extraction in Photos http://bit.ly/rIrwls

Podcast: Amory Lovins on How to “Reinvent Fire” and Run a 150% Bigger Economy With No Oil, Coal or Nuclear http://bit.ly/vwrraz

 Carbon Neutrality VIDEO http://youtu.be/YQo4eGlsphg?a

Early Fuel Cell Developments Is Creating New Markets for Hydrogen http://shar.es/bRihw 

How to make your e-book reader solar-powered: http://bit.ly/tfTyWU

Gulf oil spill grants were fumbled, lawsuits say - New Orleans Times-Picayune http://ow.ly/1fxHPC

 Global Offshore Wind Market to Grow 37% Annually Through 2020 - http://msnbc.com http://ow.ly/1fxHPz

Health Tab for Climate Change: $14 Billion - Mother Jones http://ow.ly/1fxHPj

Nissan LEAF Test Drive: Acceleration at Speed of Electrons http://bit.ly/vNwelW

Zero Motorcycles unveils 2012 lineup; 114-mile range http://smrt.io/utrjG9

A research expedition around underwater mountains will document the impact of overfishing. ow.ly/7mDtt

Early Fuel Cell Developments Is Creating New Markets for Hydrogen shar.es/bRihw

Most Solar Makers Will Disappear by 2015: Trina CEO bloom.bg/ucLf79 >Gao predicts 5 comps each in modules, polySi, ingots/wafers  

The Sustainability Journal Vikram R Chari Volume 2011 Issue 61

How important is sustainability? Here's what EPA's science advisor, Paul Anastas, had to say http://t.co/GVBYzn1

North American Indians to suffer disproportionate climate impacts green http://bit.ly/pSLjYG

U.K. media down on renewable energy: http://bit.ly/nAmUjz

Watch this video on the importance of recycling old and used electronics:  http://t.co/qAstrXe

Ocean power: Still DOA http://bit.ly/oVS8qb

What do you think of this article? True? "What if the Smart Grid Isn't So Smart?" http://t.co/Zaf9Kzt

The Long-Term Consequences Of Texas' Worst Ever Drought #green http://read.bi/p6Mpsk

Our oil addiction, illustrated green http://bit.ly/niXhLr

4 recommendations for making America's infrastructure smarter http://smrt.io/ptjp5d

Record heat, no solar means Texas is paying 40 times more for power: http://bit.ly/rnzFFK

Can Energy Efficiency Save the Economy? http://t.co/lQ7Skph

Did you know that you can run your home for one day from a Chevy Volt and for 2 days from a Nissan Leaf?

First Takes: Boom Times for Renewables, Buick's First Hybrid Hits the Road, and More http://grn.bz/pNkfYK

: Is your cheese killing the planet? Sobering for #vegetarian & omnivore alike. But it's not all bad news: http://bit.ly/ouInTM

Rockefeller Foundation and Partners Launch Global Debate on the Role of Philanthropy in International...http://bit.ly/nSeXgO

If your company has a poor Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) record, 3 reasons why banks might fear you http://bit.ly/puIrEU

Opposition to Natural Gas Fracking Heats Up http://t.co/Lb1Fikg

Automakers have most of the technology they need today to meet the 2025 55 mpg fuel economy standard. http://ht.ly/5VljF

SunShot: $50 Million Closer to Cheap Solar Power and Green Jobs, Too http://bit.ly/qqMB0p

To keep up with energy innovation, legislators rewrite rules http://smrt.io/qaGpIO

This is a wonderful ad campaign for a dish detergent which emphasizes sustainability! Such a perfect example of... http://fb.me/DxxO3GSP

US Debt Deal Kills Off Prospects of Renewables Support http://bloom.bg/oj17yn

Report: ICE to close Chicago Climate Futures Exchange http://bit.ly/pC4KE4 Chicago Exchange's Closure Drives Another Nail in US Carbon Market http://grn.bz/ndlgaF

REpower wins latest Co-operative wind farm deal http://bit.ly/rboixg

One of Every Four U.S. Bridges Is 'Broken' green http://onforb.es/pPwiPN

Emirates eyes EU carbon tax of $1 billion over 10 years Dubai http://t.co/RcV8GTw

Atomic Bomb Survivors Join Nuclear Opposition green http://nyti.ms/puYypF

No relief in sight for Texas heat and drought green http://reut.rs/px9y9p

Climate change hurts your health right now, today http://su.pr/1hnDUn

Denmark’s Roadmap for Fossil Fuel Independence http://bit.ly/qDojDZ

Friday Inspiration it is! RayCAnderson: a 'Radical' Industrialist on a sustainability  journey http://bit.ly/nQhDot

Suburbs can be green too! This Chicago suburb of lux mini mansions features green design elements and a compact... http://fb.me/1d2cijZ9i

'Exceptional' Drought Parches US - About 41% of the country is facing abnormal dryness or drought green http://bit.ly/r7l0GE

Green-tech venture investing looks for a reboot http://cnet.co/r5hKV0

Greenpeace Report: Biofuel Is Not Eco-Friendly green http://hgm.me/ppiHC8

Solar Systems Increase The Value Of Homes By $5.50 Per Watt Installed! Inhabitat http://ow.ly/5WkbM

Drought-stricken Texas town drinks own recycled urine to save water  green  http://bit.ly/nXZnjO

BP funds push for more offshore drilling in oil-soaked Louisiana: http://bit.ly/n1LVo7

Carbon offsets near record low, worst performing commodity http://bit.ly/rh7LS9 ~Reuters

[Caveat: we haven't checked the accuracy of the numbers] Solar Tower plan in Arizona promises a 200MW production http://bit.ly/pN0m2X

Aug 6^th - 20 years ago today, the World Wide Web opened to the public http://tnw.to/1AGha

Interesting Egyptian stories! : http://bit.ly/oFy7qi

How to Clean Up the Carbon Mess http://grn.bz/noYp6K

As summer temperatures rise, so does deadly coal pollution http://bit.ly/rdtucB

Blackstone Private Equity Firm Invests in German Offshore Wind…In a Big Way  http://bit.ly/qVeEOS

The Carbon-Constrained World: Companies Ignore It At Their Risk: When U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham last year dec... http://bit.ly/oEsoSn

Ever more growth in use of natural gas is welcome for many reasons. But it is not a cure for global warming http://ow.ly/5VYx5

Pod Cars, Moving Silently at Heathrow's Terminal 5 - NYTimes.com http://ow.ly/5WBNI

Recommended classic on governance: "The Struggle to Govern the Commons" co-authored by Nobel Laureate E. Ostrom http://bit.ly/pnTCP1

Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa: an activist executed for trying to save the Niger Delta from Shell's destruction green http://bit.ly/r5W91B

We like biofuel, but a study says it's causing higher food costs. We question the study, but here's what they said. http://bit.ly/nC9hEz

'Superbugs' in our food sustainability http://t.co/pGTeIyD Drug Resistant Salmonella Prompts Recall of 36,000,000 Pounds of Turkey green http://bit.ly/oJmRkC A strain of Salmonella resistant to the most powerful antibiotics has been found in the UK, France and Denmark. #green http://bbc.in/nMLh6o

Today's eco term: Power grid. Do you know why clean energy is held back by a power grid & what it is? http://dld.bz/ahwJc

President Clinton Encourages Walden Graduates to Use Their Education to Effect Positive Change: ... http://bit.ly/q0D8TI 

Shell has admitted liability but has a long way to go to make amends green  http://bit.ly/qYx5NX

Roundup: Amazon Deforestation on the Rise Again in Brazil; UN Slams Shell as Nigeria Needs Biggest. http://bit.ly/oXPvfG

Is fair-trade coffee worse than regular beans?  http://wapo.st/r3Uj0X

Connecting the Dots: Diet and Health (People, Planet, Economy) http://ow.ly/1e8oA9

Climate Skeptics: How do you solve a problem like conservative white men? green  http://bit.ly/o98oPn

How Climate Deniers Follow Big Tobacco's Propaganda Script green http://bit.ly/qCFvnR

Fuel-Saving Mazda i-Stop Stalled In U.S. Because Of EPA Tests green http://hgm.me/pqsNao

Twenty scientists urge President Obama to reject tar-sands pipeline green  http://bit.ly/qZkCtH

http://t.co/UBSj1Ax - Off The Grid Home Energy

How plastic bags are recycled via Earth911TV http://youtu.be/Q6hzhKmw4EY

Donald Trump and His Hair Oppose Offshore Wind Farm, Saying It Ruins View from his Golf Course’s Despoiled Land http://bit.ly/nrz1IN

How do you convert other people to sustainable living? Tips and advice for spreading the word & the movement. http://dld.bz/ahx5a

BP Is Top Funder Of ALEC Annual Meeting In Oil-Soaked Louisiana green http://bit.ly/qHQgHt

Brene Brown at TED on The Power of Vulnerability http://bit.ly/nmLYUC

Gulf Spill's Effects Unknown For Years via Nat Geo http://ow.ly/5WYjr 

Geologist experiments with crowdsourcing to track water levels of local streams green  http://bit.ly/nE5URt

Bees are struggling everywhere, but ironically they may be better off in cities than in the country. Why? http://bit.ly/mQVecW

Summer is the perfect time for some nature-loving camping. If you're getting your tent on, do it green. http://bit.ly/oSMsMD

Find The Advantages of Wind Energy For The Home Alternative Power http://bit.ly/rcqvBi

Can the US learn lessons from the European biking culture as a means of mass transportation? http://bit.ly/nHmUvs opinion on YaleE360 

New Post: P4 SOLAR STILL WATER DESALINATION SEA WATER BOIL 5 GALLONS  http://dlvr.it/fFxtD

Micronesia Creates Shark Sanctuary green http://n.pr/nbHcRo

Why You Should Think About Sustainability Like an Engineer http://grn.bz/q9J7jw

How the Tourism Industry Can Prepare for Climate Change http://grn.bz/nd8Snr

Why Tork Certified its Napkins to Be Compostable http://grn.bz/qsr8o9

Will China Take Over the Inverter Market?: Sungrow. It’s not a name you hear all the time at solar conferences...http://bit.ly/nrcVUw

 Our sustainable procurement toolkit is now available. Born in 2007 but as useful today http://t.co/H9GOBhl

UNH gets gold rating for sustainability - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-: http://t.co/QeFCob0 

London lags behind in home insulation league http://bit.ly/mTfURA

Real Goods Solar Develops Financing Program For Commercial-Scale Solar Projects: Real Goods Solar Inc., an engin... http://bit.ly/qsVXDS

New York Governor Signs Into Law Power NY Act, Mandating Solar Study: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D-N.Y., has signed i... http://bit.ly/nSyMm3

SEH Commercial implements solar installation for log cabin http://bit.ly/qYdh3Z

50 years of change in Cape Cod National Seashore green http://bit.ly/ptpIjB

SOLARLOK wing edge junction box offers an ideal connectorized solution for easy module cell expansion http://bit.ly/olMNE2

British householders should take advantage of the surprise Government incentive to install eco heat technology in t http://bit.ly/pRBZRa

China's new energy market to experience a fast growthhttp://bit.ly/qJoO6N

Suburban sprawl with the point of a bayonet: http://ygl.as/pqIseL

Building a strong sustainability program is akin to constructing a building : be meticulous, calculated and apply... http://fb.me/1c6Lih9BP

Help for humpback whales: US and Bermuda agree to help endangered species along ocean migratory route. http://ht.ly/5XJko

Why carry a bottle and use tap or drinking fountains? See http://youtu.be/Se12y9hSOM0

Green: Oil Sands to Boost Emissions, Canadian Report Says http://bit.ly/qzq8VK

http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/chuck-wolfe/27993/retaining-sustainable-storefronts-urban-realm A cool... http://fb.me/uoLhbFvu

The US Debt Crisis and what we can expect down the road - politics and economics should not mix!

The antiquated two party system has really deepened the divide and ensured that extremist political agendas are being forced on a very real economic crisis to hit the United States of America, when the need of the hour is to come together and lead by economic common sense.

Debt default. A ratings downgrade. Political deadlock. Such terms, once associated primarily with the developing world, now abound in the mighty United States.

Jennifer Ablan & Dale Hudson - Reuters.

As the U.S. Congress flirts with the once-unthinkable prospect of not paying the country's bills, the heated battle over a usually routine vote to lift the country's debt ceiling is dealing another blow to America's image.

The global financial crisis, which was rooted in poor regulation of the U.S. housing and banking sectors, already tarnished perceptions of the United States overseas.

For political economy experts who have spent their careers focused on the emerging world, Washington's protracted debt stand-off is all too reminiscent of the divisions more typical of developing-country politics.

"We attend a lot of meetings with Latin Americans and we used to complain to them about the problems they had, and now they like to say to us: 'That sounds just like the U.S.'," said Peter Hakim, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy group in Washington.

"What's really shocking is the inability to reach agreement. All of a sudden the U.S. is a democracy that is unable to find a compromise. We're polarized."

That sort of polarization is common in the developing world. The United States was often a critic of institutional disarray in places such as Brazil, where a multitude of parties makes it difficult to enact legislation, or Mexico, where the opposite problem -- long-standing one-party rule -- stifled political choice.

Yet the stalemate now facing the U.S. two-party system demonstrates the challenges of the divided government Americans voted for last November.

Given that the United States is home to not only the world's largest economy but also its most liquid and safe debt market, the repercussions of a U.S. financial meltdown are potentially much larger than a more contained emerging-marketscrisis.

British Business Secretary Vince Cable told BBC television on Sunday that "right-wing nutters" in the U.S. Congress were holding up a deal to prevent a catastrophic default, posing a greater threat to the global financial system than the euro zone, which has been grappling with a debt crisis of its own.

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, whose own country defaulted on about $100 billion in debt a decade ago, asked last week: "When did the American dream become a nightmare?"

When advising the United States on how to deal with the budget crisis, ratings agency Moody's last week suggested the country eliminate the debt ceiling to prevent repeats of the kind of uncertainty now gripping financial markets.

Instead it suggested following the example of Chile, where increases in debt are constrained but not technically limited.

Fast-growing countries in Latin America, including Chile and Brazil, achieved a more sustained growth path in part due to reforms aimed at reducing their debt loads and reining in budget deficits.

COURTING A DOWNGRADE

The push from Republican leaders for sharp cuts in U.S. government spending, which many economists say would hurt a fragile recovery, has made the rating agencies a driving force for policy. They had come under fire for giving top-notch grades to shoddy real estate securities, contributing to the financial meltdown of 2007-08.

Ratings agencies played a central role in the emerging-market debt crises in Russia, Asia and Latin America in the late 1990s. Back then they were also criticized as too late to downgrade countries with questionable credit records.

If the United States is downgraded, interest rates could rise, risking a new recession. Some Wall Street economists say the recovery is already being hampered as the threat of a debt defaultdeals a further blow to consumer confidence.

Another damaging consequence of the debt limit scuffle has been to shift the discussion away from doing more to bring down a 9.2 percent jobless rate to a debate over spending cuts that will most likely put a damper on economic growth.

Investors, who long brushed off the prospect of an outright default as highly unlikely, are increasingly concerned and shocked that the politicians in Washington have allowed the crisis to get this far.

"The extent of political dysfunctionality will stun many, especially at a time when America needs unity and common purpose in D.C. to also address high unemployment and other challenges," said Mohamed El-Erian, co-chief investment officer of the mega bond fund PIMCO, who writes columns for Reuters.

Haag Sherman, managing partner at Salient Partners, an investment firm in Houston, Texas, said the angry tone of U.S. politics harked back to the early days of the Republic, when the United States really was a developing nation.

"We were an emerging market then, and you have some of the hallmarks of an emerging economy today: increasing concentration of wealth, an entrenchment of the political class," he said.

=======================================

My final two-cents forecast for the world economy 

- Rising Inflation and a dip in growth

- A very real devaluation of the US Greenback as a currency of trade

- Very slow economic recovery for the US

======================================