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SUNDANCE CHANNEL PREMIERES THIRD SEASON OF ISABELLA ROSSELLINI'S INNOVATIVE SERIES “GREEN PORNO,” ONLINE, ON-AIR AND AT TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL

editor@ens-news.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:13:42 -0700

GREEN PORNO: A Book and Short Films by Isabella Rossellini Hits Bookstores Nationwide on September 22

NEW YORK, N.Y., September 4, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Sundance Channel today unveiled plans for its multi-platform third season premiere of the network's critically acclaimed and Webby Award-winning short film series, "Green Porno," from iconic actress Isabella Rossellini. The series, which focuses on the reproductive habits of sea animals, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 11. The series will then make its online debut at www.sundancechannel.com on Monday, September 14 followed by the on-air premiere on Monday, September 21 at 8 pm, ET/PT. In addition, HarperStudio will release GREEN PORNO: A Book and Short Films by Isabella Rossellini in bookstores nationwide on Tuesday, September 22.

Like previous seasons of "Green Porno," this batch of short films about the reproductive habits of non-human species is scientifically accurate yet extremely entertaining. Executed with a handmade aesthetic, the films are a playful mixture of real world and cartoon. Each film features Isabella speaking directly to the camera about the creature at hand, and uses animation, paper cut-outs and puppets to illustrate its particular, often peculiar, mating strategies. "Green Porno 3" introduces several new elements to the series as Isabella examines the routines of sea animals popular in human kitchens in the first three films of the series: "Bon Appetit: Shrimp," "Bon Appetit: Squid" and "Bon Appetit: Anchovy." The films also feature biologist Claudio Campagna, who talks about what we can do to keep our plates in balance with the sea. In the fourth film, "Harem on the Beach: Elephant Seal," Isabella explores the curious ways of the elephant seal and journeys to Argentinean Patagonia to see the animals in action. Here, too, she is joined by Campagna, who has studied elephant seals for 30 years.

The new episodes of "Green Porno 3" can be found at www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno. The mini-site also houses previous seasons along with exclusive photos and videos. The series will also be offered on Sundance Channel on Demand beginning Wednesday, October 7.

With nearly two million video plays and over three million page views, "Green Porno" is Sundance Channel's highest-performing online series (Omniture Hitbox, 4/1-8/10/09). In addition, the first two seasons have garnered robust VOD orders for the network with nearly two million plays (Rentrak, 4/1-8/8/09).

ABOUT SUNDANCE CHANNEL
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, imaginative and uncompromising, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries and original programs. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is www.sundancechannel.com.

RAINBOW MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multiplatform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC (The Independent Film Channel), WE tv, Sundance Channel, IFC Entertainment and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading U.S. distributor of independent and foreign film with a unique day and date distribution model, "IFC In Theaters," that makes films available to a national audience by releasing them simultaneously in theaters as well as on cable's On Demand platform; IFC Festival Direct features titles acquired from major international film festivals and initially offers them exclusively through On Demand; IFC Productions, a feature film production company; and IFC Center, a state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of NYC's Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, an advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, a full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media's NYC studios and post-production facilities.

Press Contacts:
Sarah Eaton
Sr. Vice President, Public Relations
Sundance Channel
646-273-3541
sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com

Katie Lanegran
Sr. Director, Public Relations
Sundance Channel
646-273-7154
katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com

Display Express Control System Helps Architects and Builders Achieve Environmental Goals

editor@ens-news.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:01:23 -0700

AV equipment gets greener as customers seek lower energy consumption

DALLAS, TX, September 4, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- The green movement that is sweeping the world has inspired AV equipment manufacturers to focus on environmental issues as never before, according to Scott Hetzler, president of Contemporary Research, designer and maker of state-of-the-art audio visual technology and software to originate, integrate, and display high-definition TV content.

"By automatically managing power consumption, our Display Express control system helps architects and builders obtain LEED* certification for their buildings," according to Hetzler.

"While LEED has yet to add official points for savings in AV operation, applicants can claim innovative points for managing display power. Display Express turns displays off at night, on weekend or whenever the AV equipment is not working and saves about 6 megawatts every month for 50 displays.

"Rather than installing new copper wiring for large-scale display networks, Contemporary Research integrates displays over existing coax RF cables, avoiding waste and lowering the cost for HD video and control distribution.

"We engineer all our products to draw the lowest possible power, and use powder-coated metal enclosures instead of plastic," Hetzler said. "Our low-voltage products meet California energy and RoHS safety standards, we use lead-free solder and components in our manufacturing process, and we employ energy-efficient switching power supplies to reduce power consumption.

"The Digital Transition incurs a hidden price -- the dumping of thousands of analog tuners when
sites upgrade. We have a program to alleviate that problem. From now until December 31, 2009, we
well rebate $100 for every CR analog tuner being replaced by our 232-ATSC digital tuner. The dealer
sends in the paperwork and the old tuners, and we issue a credit and recycle the
tuners properly.

"Our 'Just In Time' production system not only improves quality and saves money, it also reduces waste. One of our goals is to attain full cycle manufacturing, where nothing leaves our plant other than our products.

"Contemporary Research is more than a company going green, we've been a green pioneer for years, and we're constantly inventing new ways to renew, restore, and recycle," he said.

"Partnering with Green Mountain Energy for renewable energy resources, our Dallas HQ has been driven by wind power since 2004. We buy locally wherever possible to reduce the CO2 footprint associated with long-haul trucking and shipping, and support suppliers who have 'green' shipping policies and use less packaging materials. Instead of filling landfills, we save the packing materials we receive and recycle them in shipping our finished goods to our customers. We believe our planet is our responsibility, and we're doing our part to make the world a better place to live in, for now and in the future," Hetzler concluded.

Contemporary Research HDTV tuners, modulators, and display control systems are at work in leading sports, retail and entertainment facilities, broadcast studios, corporate offices, federal, state and local government agencies, hospitals, casinos, colleges, schools and worship centers.

"The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

For more information, please visit www.crwww.com
Media Contact: Nissen Davis, T.310-548-1856, C.310-729-6510, Nissen@crwww.com
Sales Contact: Janine Davis, T. 972-931-2728, C. 214-673-6599, Janine@crwww.com

CivicUS Releases Research Notes Highlighting Water as a Critical Government Issue

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:12:10 -0700

CivicUS warns government and corporate leaders not to ignore the emerging threat that water presents to the public.

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire- (WORLD-WIRE) CivicUS, the leading continuous advisory service firm for leadership in state and local government, recently released "Water Utilization: Awareness First" and "MS4 Permits: Playing Catch With a Live Hand Grenade." Both Research Notes advise state and local leaders on water as an emerging threat that state and local governments and private enterprise must address.

Due to water's historically low cost and the industry's rate-base model, there is virtually no incentive for utility companies or the public to reduce water consumption. In "Water Utilization: Awareness First", CivicUS warns that cheap clean water will not last and advises governments to work with large water companies to encourage a model that encourages consumption reductions.

"Drinking water as a key environmental issue does not receive the attention it deserves," said Joseph Aamidor, Program Director of the Environmental Quality and Sustainable Practices service at CivicUS. He added "Government and business leaders need to address the issue now before it becomes too dire to develop long-term solutions to protect the public."

In "MS4: Playing with a Live Hand Grenade", CivicUS recommends that "an independent manager and dedicated source of funding will help governments and the business community address the contentious issue of storm water management.

"Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Permits are among the newest of controversial technical topics facing environmental regulators." According to Joaquin Gonzalez, Senior Vice President and Research Director at CivicUS, "Jurisdiction over stormwater management is shared among several departments, including Public Works, Environment, Transportation and Planning, increasing its complexity and the difficulty in implementing sound policy to solve it."

CivicUS will host a teleconference on September 23rd entitled, "Still the Ones: Air, Water and Land." There is no charge to participate, but attendance is limited. For information, call 301-296-4440 x1271 or email events@civicus.com.

About CivicUS
CivicUS is the leading continuous advisory service firm for executive-level management in state and local government. CivicUS offers government and corporate leaders cost-effective access to best practices, trend analysis and insights gained from interactions with peers and vendors. An annual subscription provides timely, relevant and useful advice about successful strategies, pitfalls to be avoided and vendors with effective solutions.

CONTACT: Mike Dombo of CivicUS , +1-202-997-8858, mdombo@civicus.com

"Green" Tax Credits and Incentives are Widely Available, say Venable Experts

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:03:54 -0700

Know what's there and how to take advantage.

ARLINGTON, VA, September 2, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Between Lamborghini developing a hybrid and the proliferation of "green" marketing, there can be no doubt that green is going mainstream. Congress is trying its best to encourage the green vision by enacting (and expanding) tax incentives designed to develop and use renewable and sustainable resources. How companies can obtain the benefit of the incentives will be outlined in "Tax Incentives for the "Green" Industry -- a September 10 webinar at 12:30 pm, hosted by BNA Tax and Accounting and presented by members of Venable LLP.

"Our presentation will focus on identifying the available tax incentives and understanding how to take advantage of them," says Tammara Langlieb, a member of Venable LLP who will be joined by fellow Venable colleagues and co-presenters Jessica Lubar and Charles Kolstad. "Whether practitioners have worked on "green" projects in the past or this is a new area for them, this audio discussion will present the issues that must be addressed, including the tax compliance requirements," adds Langlieb.

What will be covered:

Participants will learn how to:

Identify the availability of "green" tax incentives for commercial projects

Recognize fundamental ideas and solutions available to plan for tax efficient usage or development of renewable energy products

Evaluate which tax incentive may be optimal in a situation

Recognize the various compliance requirements involved

Register for this audioconference and obtain further information about CLE and CPE credits, go to: http://tmstore.bna.com/Pagemanager.aspx?pageId=8630 or call 1-800-372-1033, menu Option 6, then Option 1. The fee is $249 for BNA subscribers, $299 for nonsubscribers.

To receive automatic, email notification of upcoming BNA webinars that may be of interest to you, go to: http://www.bna.com/emailsignup.htm

About BNA Tax & Accounting Webinars
Designed for today's busy practitioners, our webinars offer the same expertise and relevance that are the hallmark of all BNA Tax & Accounting resources. In just 60-90 minutes, practitioners gain in-depth knowledge on a current tax or accounting topic from experts in that area -- and benefit from practical applications that can be put to work immediately. Conference attendees have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions, and may be eligible to earn CLE or CPE credits -- all from the convenience of their own office or conference room.

BNA is the leading independent publisher of print and electronic news and information for professionals in business and government. BNA produces more than 300 news services, including the highly respected Daily Labor Report, U.S. Law Week, and Daily Report for Executives. Visit BNA online at www.bna.com.

Contacts:
Mark Carrington
(703) 341.5880
mcarrington@bna.com

Climate Change Makes River Restoration More Important than Ever, Paper Concludes

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:52:50 -0700

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 1, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Restoring river ecosystems and riparian corridors can play an important role in combating climate change impacts to ecosystems by connecting one area to another, enabling plants and animals to move as the climate shifts. It also will create places that shelter fish and wildlife from hotter temperatures, which ecologists call “thermal refugia.”

Those are among the conclusions of a new peer-reviewed paper by seven organizations that evaluated how protecting and restoring river ecosystems and riparian areas can enhance the ability of these ecosystems to cope with climate change. This work appears in the September issue of Ecological Restoration with a collection of articles dedicated to the theme of restoration and climate change. In the paper, the scientists discuss the importance of replanting riparian vegetation and ensuring that rivers have sufficient water to maintain flows that benefit birds, fish and other wildlife, and human communities. Based on these and other benefits of riparian restoration, the authors recommend that river restoration activities continue and expand as the climate changes.

“I often hear people ask: ‘if climate change is going to disrupt natural systems, why should we bother to restore them?’” explains Nat Seavy, terrestrial research director at PRBO Conservation Science. “Restoration, especially of riparian areas, is a critical step toward protecting the integrity of ecosystems and the benefits they provide – including clean water, pollination, and flood protection – to wildlife and humans in a time of rapid climate change.”

The authors also discuss the need to modify restoration strategies to prepare for the uncertain conditions predicted to accompany climate change, and for ongoing research and monitoring to evaluate and improve restoration practices. Recommendations include planting a mix of riparian plants that are both drought and flood tolerant, ensuring that rivers have sufficient water to provide for periodic flooding of natural areas, and increasing habitat restoration on private lands.

"Protecting genetic diversity and native biodiversity with restoration projects will boost the resilience of society and nature to potentially catastrophic climate change impacts," says paper co-author Stacy Small, conservation scientist with Environmental Defense Fund's Center for Conservation Incentives. "Working with landowners to restore private lands will also enhance restoration efforts on adjacent public lands."

For decades, conservationists have been aware that increasing human populations, development, and changing land use threaten biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ecological restoration was originally developed to help speed the recovery of landscapes disrupted by human activities. Today, there is a growing awareness that ecological restoration also must look ahead to consider the potential consequences of a changing climate.

“Because dams and water diversions have disrupted natural water regimes, simply protecting the river isn’t enough,” explains Thomas Griggs, senior restoration ecologist with River Partners, an organization that has led restoration efforts along the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. “Over the last 20 years, we’ve learned how to speed the return of birds and other wildlife to these important habitats by planting the vegetation that would have come back as a result of natural flooding. In the next 20 years, we will need to look ahead to understand how climate change will impact these systems, and ensure that our efforts are successful into the future.”

Working collaboratively with partners across disciplines is increasingly important for effective restoration. The authors that collaborated on this project work for government agencies (the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management), academic institutions (University at California Davis), and non-profit organizations (PRBO Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon California, Environmental Defense Fund, and River Partners).

“This paper exemplifies the importance of partnering to prepare for climate change,” explains Ellie Cohen, executive director of PRBO Conservation Science. “By building diverse teams with unique knowledge and on-the-ground experience we can develop practical solutions supported by sound science.”

Authors were Nathaniel Seavy, Thomas Gardali, and Christine Howell (PRBO Conservation Science), Gregory Golet (The Nature Conservancy), Thomas Griggs (River Partners), Rodd Kelsey (Audubon California), Stacy Small (Environmental Defense Fund), Joshua Viers (UC Davis), and James Weigand (Bureau of Land Management).

PRBO Conservation Science is a non-profit conservation and education organization dedicated to advancing conservation through birds and ecosystem research. Founded in 1965 as Point Reyes Bird Observatory, PRBO Conservation Science partners with hundreds of governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as private interests to ensure that every dollar invested in conservation yields the most for biodiversity -- benefiting our environment, our economy, and our communities. Visit PRBO on the web at www.prbo.org.

Environmental Defense Fund is a national nonprofit organization that links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF's Center for Conservation Incentives (CCI) is an initiative to develop and expand landowner incentives for the conservation of natural resources and rare plants and animals. For more information visit: www.edf.org. Contact: Stacy Small, PhD, Conservation Scientist, (202)572-3263, ssmall@edf.org

Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. Audubon California is a field program of Audubon, which has more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local chapters dedicated to protecting birds, wildlife and the habitats that support them. Visit Audubon California on the web at www.ca.audubon.org.

Over the last 11 years, River Partners has restored more than 6,000 acres of river banks and floodplains, providing critical habitat for wildlife and sustainable solutions for California’s rivers. Its habitat restoration work supports efforts to sequester greenhouse gases, improve water and air quality, recover endangered species, improve public safety, and protect open space. A nonprofit organization, River Partners’ mission is to create wildlife habitat for the benefit of people and the environment.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 18 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 117 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages more land - 256 million acres - than any other Federal agency. About 15 million acres are in California and comprise some of the most biologically diverse areas in the State. These public lands, officially known as the National System of Public Lands, stretch from the Sierra to the Pacific and from northern ancient forests to southern desert expanses. BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

This work was funded in part by the CALFED Science Fellows Program. Beginning with the class of 2003, the CALFED Science Fellows Program has paired graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with CALFED Program agency scientists and senior research mentors. Fellows work on collaborative data analysis and research projects applicable to the California Bay-Delta system.

Citation
Seavy, N. E., T. Gardali, G. H. Golet, F. T. Griggs, C. A. Howell, R. Kelsey, S. Small, J. H. Viers, J. F. Weigand. 2009. Why climate change makes riparian restoration more important than ever: Recommendations for Practice and Research. Ecological Restoration 27:330-338. (open access available at: http://er.uwpress.org/cgi/reprint/27/3/330)

Contact:
Stacy Small, PhD, Conservation Scientist, Center for Conservation Incentives, Environmental Defense Fund, (202) 572-3263, ssmall@edf.org

Louisiana and National Conservation Groups Praise Obama Administration for New Cooperative Effort to Restore Louisiana and Mississippi Coastal Wetlands

editor@ens-news.com — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:28:16 -0700

Effort Reinforces President's Pledge to Restore Natural Hurricane Barrier on Eve of Katrina Anniversary

WASHINGTON D.C., August 28, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- On the eve of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana and national environmental groups today praised the Obama administration for announcing a new interagency working group to restore the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The severity of Katrina's damage – nearly $90 billion in property damage alone -- was caused, in part, by the fact that Louisiana has lost 1/3 of its original wetlands – about 2,000 square miles -- an area larger than Delaware. Yet, four years after Katrina, Congress has been unable to fund major coastal restoration projects it authorized in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not completed the projects' design and engineering.

“The pace of restoration has not matched the urgency of the situation,” said Steven Peyronnin, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. “We are hopeful that the Administration will breathe new life into restoration efforts that are crucial to protecting the people of Coastal Louisiana.”

According to the Administration: “The group will enable federal agencies, working with state and local governments and other regional stakeholders, to come together and develop a strategy to increase both the economic and environmental resiliency of the region. This working group will serve as a pilot for addressing the effects of climate change in other coastal regions.”

“Just as it requires a team of doctors with different expertise to perform major surgery, it will require a team of experts with different skills from multiple agencies to restore the coastal wetlands of Louisiana and Mississippi," said Mary Kelly, senior counsel of the Center for Rivers and Deltas at Environmental Defense Fund. "We applaud the administration for renewing President Obama's commitment 'to restore nature's barriers - the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that can take the first blows and protect the people of the Gulf Coast.'"

“As things stand, coastal Louisiana is disappearing and faces increasing threats from climate change,” said Susan Kaderka, director of the National Wildlife Federation's South Central Regional office. “The Obama Administration has signaled that it is keeping its promises to the people of the Gulf Coast.”

Coastal Louisiana is home to critical energy production infrastructure, the busiest port in North America by volume, and huge commercial and recreational fisheries. Disruption of these industries because of storm damage could severely disrupt the national economy. Katrina destroyed infrastructure and damaged critical refineries so severely that some of them were out of service for a year, leading to a spike in the price of gasoline.

“The situation in coastal Louisiana is one of national and international concern," said Brian Moore, director of Budget and Appropriations for the National Audubon Society. "This new announcement from the Obama administration recognizes the urgency under which we are operating and replaces what has been largely rhetoric with action. We are all very excited to get to work to restore this world class ecosystem.”

Contacts:
Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-572-3331-w, 202-550-6524-c, scrowley@edf.org
Maura Wood, National Wildlife Federation, 225-205-2804, woodm@nwf.org

Cleantech Group and New England Clean Energy Council Partner on Cleantech Forum(R) XXIII Boston

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:43:22 -0700

Registration about to close for significant clean technology industry event

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- (WORLD-WIRE) The Cleantech Group™, LLC, providers of leading global market research and financial services for the cleantech ecosystem, has partnered with the New England Clean Energy Council on its upcoming Cleantech Forum® XXIII Boston occurring in two weeks, September 8-10, 2009, convening more than 600 of the world’s clean technology leaders.

Connecting global power players for networking and deal-making among investors, entrepreneurs and large corporations, the Forum also includes sessions on promising opportunities in energy, carbon, solar, next-generation wind, water, waste management and other innovative technologies. This year’s conference theme, ‘The Second Cleantech Investment Boom: Aligning Entrepreneurship and Innovation with Government Stimulus,’ will examine the impact on the clean technology market of governments as strategic investors.

The partnership will help to foster the clean technology community in the New England region and to assist the Council in building an active community of stakeholders and a world-class cluster of clean energy companies. The Council is actively promoting the Cleantech Forum to its members and others.

“This Forum is primarily focused on how cleantech companies can best use government stimulus funding to drive innovation in an effort to penetrate global markets. It is in these meetings of the best and brightest in the industry that great ideas are sparked, connections made and networks built. Today, our Boston Forum is even stronger because of the collaboration with the New England Clean Energy Council,” said Nick Parker, Executive Chairman, Cleantech Group.

Cleantech Forum XXIII will have a strong focus on governmental programs given that policy-makers worldwide have pledged billions in capital to clean technologies. Attendees will include representatives from the following companies and investment firms, among others: Advanced Electron Beams, Inc., American Renewables, Autodesk, Inc., Battelle Ventures, Beacon Power, Benefuel Inc., Boston Power, Boulder Electric Vehicle, Carnegie Corporation, Chevron Technology Ventures, Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P., Deerpath Energy, Deloitte LLC, El Dorado Investment Company, Emerald Technology Ventures, Ener-G-Rotors, EnerNOC, EnerTech Capital, Global Environment Fund, GreatPoint Energy Inc., Groom Energy, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, McKinsey & Company, Mohr Davidow Ventures, New England Clean Energy Council, Nexterra Energy, NYSE Group Inc., Polaris Venture Partners, RockPort Capital Partners, SAIL Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Solarmer Energy Inc., Southern California Gas Company, Stellaris Corporation, TerraLUX Inc., Transonic Combustion, Veolia Environnement S.A., World Energy Solutions, Inc., World Environment Center and Ze-gen.

Additionally, government representatives will be in attendance, including policymakers from the Massachusetts Governor's Office, the U.K. and the U.S. Department of Energy.

“The New England Clean Energy Council is pleased to be working with the Cleantech Group in bringing their world-renown Cleantech Forum to Boston,” said Nick d’Arbeloff, President of the Council. “The New England region is rapidly becoming one of the largest clean energy clusters in the United States and a critical gateway to cleantech markets across the world; this conference will highlight many of the companies and technologies driving the region’s growth.”

Cleantech Forum XXIII Boston is one of the Cleantech Group's five premier events each year across North America, Europe, China and India. Since 2002, the Forums have provided clean technology market insight, investment opportunities and unparalleled networking for the world's leading investors, growth companies and global corporations.

For more information and to secure a place before registration closes, visit the Boston Forum web site: http://cleantech.com/bostonforum/.

For the detailed agenda, visit: http://cleantech.com/cleantechforum/boston09/agenda.cfm

Next Forum Event:
The Cleantech Group is preparing for Cleantech Forum XXIV Delhi, taking place in Delhi, India from October 15-16, 2009. For more information on the Forum, please visit: http://cleantech.com/delhiforum/

About the Cleantech Group, LLC
The Cleantech Group pioneered the clean technology investment category in 2002. Today, it accelerates the development and market adoption of clean technologies globally. The company’s worldwide network of investors, entrepreneurs, enterprises, service providers and others -- representing trillions of dollars in assets -- receives access to capital, investment deal flow, networking, market leading research and data, sales leads and promotional opportunities. The Cleantech Group also provides advisory services for large corporations and governments, publishes leading cleantech sector industry news coverage and produces the premier Cleantech Forum® events worldwide. Details are available at http://www.cleantech.com.

About The Council
The New England Clean Energy Council was formed in 2007. The Council’s mission is to accelerate New England’s clean energy economy to global leadership by building an active community of stakeholders and a world-class cluster of clean energy companies. The Council represents nearly 150 members, comprising clean energy companies, venture investors, major financial institutions, local universities and colleges, industry associations, area utilities, labor and large commercial end-users. The Council’s ranks include more than 50 clean energy CEOs, representatives from most of the region’s top 10 law firms, and partners from over a dozen of the region's top venture capital firms (with a total of over $8 billion under management). Working with its stakeholders, the Council develops and executes a wide array of programs in five key focus areas: Innovation, Growth, Education and Training, Adoption, & Policy. For additional information please visit www.cleanenergycouncil.org.

CONTACT: Liam Rose of Sterling Communications, Inc., +1-415-392-3213, lrose@sterlingpr.com, for Cleantech Group, LLC

On Katrina Anniversary Week, Coalition Urges Army Corps to Honor Obama's Priority to Restore Wetlands

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:08:12 -0700

Groups Cite Slow Progress in Restoring Natural Hurricane Buffer
Four Years after Katrina Devastated Gulf Coast, U.S. Economy

NEW ORLEANS, LA, August 26, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Three days before the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina (August 29), a coalition of 17 advocacy groups today urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to honor President Obama's priority in his budget and campaign "to restore nature's barriers - the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that can take the first blows and protect the people of the Gulf Coast."

Members of the MRGO Must Go Coalition delivered this message during a news conference and media tour to show the slow progress in restoring wetlands east of New Orleans along the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) to protect the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. Those are two coastal communities where Katrina did the most damage.

"The more vulnerable coastal communities are to hurricane damage, the more it costs the federal government—and taxpayers—to help those communities recover after a storm," said Pam Dashiell, co-director of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. "Katrina devastated both the Gulf Coast and the U.S. economy, causing nearly $90 billion in property damage alone."

Coastal Louisiana is home to critical energy production infrastructure, the busiest port in North America by volume, and huge commercial and recreational fisheries. Disruption of these industries because of storm damage could severely disrupt the national economy. Katrina destroyed infrastructure and damaged critical refineries so severely that some of them were out of service for a year, leading to a spike in the price of gasoline.

“Given the fragility of our nation's economy, restoring the wetlands to protect the Gulf Coast must remain at the forefront of the many congressionally-approved Corps projects nationwide," said Craig Taffaro, president of St. Bernard Parish. "It must be priority number one. The Corps should do everything it possibly can to expedite design and construction of critical restoration projects. We have a responsibility to keep coastal restoration projects as a top priority. The importance of keeping the Corps engaged in our protection cannot be underestimated.”

The severity of Katrina’s damage in Louisiana was caused, in part, by the fact that the state has lost 1/3 of its original wetlands – about 2,000 square miles -- an area larger than Delaware.

"Scientists agree that these lost wetlands could have helped reduce Katrina's storm surge," said Charles Allen, assistant director of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities and co-director of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. "Wetlands are 'horizontal levees' that in many cases are more economical and effective at damage prevention than man-made vertical levees because they absorb storm energy, slow incoming waves, wind, and surge waters. It is widely recognized that we urgently need to restore these wetlands and coastal forests to prevent similar or worse storm damage in the future."

Despite these facts, four years after Katrina, Congress has been unable to fund major coastal restoration projects it authorized in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not completed the projects' design and engineering.

While the Corps now has closed the MRGO, its MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Plan-- which must be completed before it seeks funding from Congress to rebuild the wetlands and cypress forests that will help protect New Orleans -- won't be completed until March 2011. This timeline is nearly three years after the congressionally-mandated deadline of May 2008.

"The ongoing Corps projects are significant, but there must be a continued sense of urgency to rebuild the natural deltaic ecosystem, infrastructure and the Mississippi River navigation system," said Colonel David Dysart, chief administrative officer for St. Bernard Parish. "There are good people at the Corps and at other relevant federal agencies who are trying to get their job done and quickly move these projects forward, but we need an unequivocal commitment from the Corps, Congress and other responsible agencies that they won't let outdated bureaucratic procedures stand in the way of necessary action. It's going to take creativity and breaking away from some long-standing ways of doing business, but the stakes call for nothing less."

"There is new hope in New Orleans thanks to a new president," said John Koeferl, a member of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, a subdivision of the Lower 9th Ward. "President Obama has pledged his dedication to urgently restore the Louisiana coast, noting that every four miles of wetlands can absorb about a foot of a hurricane's storm surge. The Army Corps of Engineers should honor the president's priority."

The MRGO Must Go Coalition is a group of 17 environmental, community, and social justice organizations working together to restore and protect Coastal Louisiana and the people who reside there.

The coalition members include: American Rivers, CAWIC, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Environmental Defense Fund, Global Green, Gulf Restoration Network, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Levees.org, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, Lower Ninth Center for Sustainable Economic Development, MQVN Community Development Corporation, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club - Delta Chapter. For more information, visit www.mrgomustgo.org.

Contacts: Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org
Amanda Moore, National Wildlife Federation, 225-229-1944, moorea@nwf.org

Green Display Expo Final Program Released

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:01:31 -0700

Green Display Expo Final Program Released

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:05 -0700

WASHINGTON D.C., August 25, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- The FINAL PROGRAM for the Green Display Expo scheduled for October 27th, Washington, DC, is shown below. This one-day event will be held at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington DC. The conference is the first to focus on the growing importance of a green display strategy that incorporates technology, policy, regulatory and business elements. Click here for complete agenda. Website: www.GreenDisplayExpo.com

“One of the key questions that many in the industry want to understand is the business case for going green,” noted Insight Media President, Chris Chinnock. “Can CE companies and suppliers be more profitable by embracing green policies? Can this approach lower manufacturing and distribution costs, comply with regulatory trends, lower power consumption and carbon footprints, and offer efficient recycling – and increase profits at companies? Is this a smart way to improve your brand and image with consumers AND increase sales? The assembled speakers should help to answers these and many other questions,” said Chinnock.

SPEAKERS FROM: Qualcomm, TCO Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, DoE/EPA/EnergyStar, Merck KgaA, Panasonic, Kent Displays, Corning, LCDTV Association, OLED Association, Infocomm and Insight Media.

Key issues to be addressed at Green Display Expo include:

Worldwide consumer and professional display regulations and policy

Corporate green strategies

Display technologies that lower power use, reduce carbon footprints or impact recycling/environmental issues

Recycling trends

Business, branding and marketing advantages of green

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Business Leaders

Display industry technologists

Product planners at consumer electronics companies

Policy and regulatory planners at government agencies and key consumer electronics companies

Marketing executives

Test agencies

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING:

Understand the full scope of technology, regulatory and competitive forces shaping the green display industry

Identify areas of opportunity

Identify areas of concern

Gain competitive intelligence

Business development

Network with all groups involved in the development, marketing, testing and standardizing of “green” displays

SPONSORSHIPS & EXHIBIT SPACE AVAILABLE
Click here for complete details.

REGISTRATION
Full one-day conference registration is $395.00 if registered by September 15th. Government employees receive a 20% discount. Click here to register.

CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT: Insight Media, Dian Mecca, (203) 831-8464, dian@insightmedia.info