February 2011 Posts (29)

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- James Brazell spent 40 years working for Texaco, ultimately retiring from the oil company as the coordinator of its worldwide exploration and production activities. So what is he doing driving a Crystal Red Chevrolet Volt electric car?

 …

The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster just and sustainable communities throughout the United States. The Foundation's Sustainable Environments work is grounded in an understanding of the interplay between the environment, the economy, and social equity. Through this category, grants are provided to nonprofit organizations in three key priority areas that aim to transform how Americans work, consume, and move: Climate Change, Green Economy, and Transportation and Smart Growth. Online letters…

From the Mountain Times: "A move to green manufacturing and product diversification has created 58 new positions at the Jefferson Gates Rubber Company - possibly a sign of things to come for industry in Ashe County.

...

Gates, a prominent leader in the manufacture of automobile belts, will add two new robotic cells to its existing floor space to process belts for the rising electric car industry.

...

The arrival of green…

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the Green Jobs Innovation Fund (GBIF) competition to support opportunities for workers to receive job training in green industry sectors and occupations.  Through this competition, the department will award approximately $40 million to support five to eight grantees with awards ranging from $5 million to $8 million each.  Eligible applicants will include national and statewide organizations with…

On Tuesday, February 22nd, SolTherm Energy held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Silver Bluff Village solar thermal installation. This solar…

"Tucked away in a nondescript building on East King Street, a group of Appalachian State University students and professors is laying the groundwork for a project  bringing international recognition to the university and the community.

...

'"We're not just throwing a prototype house out there," said Bret Sowers, a member of the Solar Homestead communications team. "We're actually throwing out a fully functional house that is affordable. It's something that can be…

Friday, March 4, 2011, 12:00-1:00 pm: A team led by Dr. Mark Venable is working to refine a method for using algae to purify nutrients (and pharmaceuticals) from livestock and municipal waste water using algae.  Their goal is to grow algae on a substrate that keeps algae and the pollutants they contain out of streams and allows for easy harvesting of the algae for oil extraction and biofuel production.…

Catawba College in Salisbury is accepting applications until March 20, 2011 for paid internships and fellowships in it's Catawba College Energy Corps. The program will facilitate the placement of as many as 17 students or recent graduates in on-the-job positions. These candidates must be currently enrolled in college or have completed such a program within the past three years.

The fellows and interns are expected…

A nice article article in Sunday's Asheville Citizen-Times covering the state of green jobs and features sgblue, FLS Energy, ABCCM Green Jobs and others.  Read the full article here.  A couple highlights follow:

Luke Lanier liked his life at UNC School of Law, but he found it hard to see purpose in being a lawyer.

After deciding law school wasn't…

The North Carolina Green Business Fund and the North Carolina Office of Science and Technology, a division of the state Department of Commerce, are seeking proposals from small for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations for energy efficiency projects to reduce energy consumption, implement renewable energy measures and promote the use of building energy efficiency.  Proposals are solicited from North Carolina-based for-profit businesses with fewer than 100 employees and non-profit…

On Thursday, February 24, national scientists and leading developers of serious games and gaming technologies will convene at Gaming the Future: Connecting Innovation & Education, a national press conference and…

Appalachian State University has installed their very first green roof on campus. It is located at Katherine Harper Hall (formaly Kerr Scott Hall). This building is host to technology programs including Building Science and Appropriate Technology. These majors will no doubt benefit from this installation as a hands-on learning opportunity. A green roof helps to reduce energy costs while reducing green-house emissions and enhancing storm-water managment. Read more about this…

Asheville-based, SolTherm Energy has recently completed a large solar thermal system at Silver Bluff Village in Haywood County. This system continues SolTherm's success in bringing the…

Deadline: 2/28/11 (Letter of Intent Due); Deadlines vary dependent on program (view RFA for details)

Agency: Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Program: Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Foundational Program

Description:  The AFRI Foundational Program is offered to support research grants in the six AFRI priority areas to continue building a foundation of…

NC IDEA provides small grants (up to $50,000) to high-tech startup companies to support business activities that validate potential markets, reduce risk of early failure, and advance projects to the point of self-sustainability at which time they are suitable for private equity investment. NC IDEA considers awarding grants to technology based businesses with the potential to become high-growth companies. NC IDEA defines a high growth company as a fast growing startup with a significant…

The Western North Carolina Forest Products Cooperative Marketing Project, which was launched in 2010 by the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (based in Asheville) and…

In response to national and international popularity of its Leaf electric vehicle, Nissan has announced that it will increase production of the Nissan Leaf, with plans to build 10,000 cars by the end of March 2011.



A spokesman for Nissan said : “We have built 1,000 units since December, but we will have to step up production to meet demand.” The goal is to have 10,000 Leafs produced by the end of the fiscal year on March 31st, 2011. The company still expects to reach its goal of…

In September, the U.S. Congress passed the federal Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Under the act, North Carolina has received $46.1 million to boost business and job growth through the North Carolina Capital Access Program (NC-CAP). Governor Beverly Perdue has designated the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center to administer the program in all 100 counties. The potential impact of NC-CAP on the economy of our state is immense, but only if we all do our parts--banks, businesses and the…

The Western North Carolina Green Building Council is launching a new team based weatherization program called Neighbor Saves! As part of this program, WNCGBC, along with American Green Media, Green Opportunities, and other fantastic local green talent, has produced a fun-filled, exciting music video showing the benefits of energy efficiency: We encourage you to watch, enjoy and pass it on in as many ways as you…

North Carolina regular gas prices have risen $.45 from Feb. 2010 to Feb. 2011. The North Carolina Monthly Petro Price Monitor issued on Feb. 8th 2010 indicates that prices continue to rise. Primary use of vehicles in NC is light duty transportation, as 76% of vehicles traveling are light duty vehicles. As such, 73% of petroleum products imported into NC are regular gasoline.

For the full report:…