We wanted to share an interesting article we found on the Wall Street Journal today about the costs of going green. Across Europe, towns and cities are investing in sustainable architecture – buildings that run on clean energy, like solar or wind power.

The article says even though we might assume eco-friendly buildings will save on energy bills and increase property values, that hasn’t actually been proven yet. The costs of constructing green buildings is in itself quite expensive, and it’s too soon to back up the claim that the investment pays off in the end.

So is Europe moving too fast with its boom in green construction? Or will lower utility bills and higher property value will make up for the costs quickly? Let us know what you think…

The city of San Francisco in the United States is taking a unique approach to the problem of expensive solar power systems. City officials have introduced a new program called “Solar@Work” to help small and medium-sized businesses in the area afford solar power.

Big businesses are usually able to pay for massive solar power systems, and individual home owners can buy small panels to install on their houses. But for mid-sized companies, or even small companies, those options just don’t work. The idea behind Solar@Work is to allow those businesses to team up and purchase (and install) solar power systems at a discounted rate. So the more companies that decide to go in on the deal, the lower the price!

One city official called it the “Groupon” for solar power – after the very popular group coupon system that’s become a huge hit across the world. By the end of the year, Solar@Work is hoping to have installed solar power systems on about 20 buildings during the test phase of the project. If it goes well, the concept could be expanded across California, the U.S. and the world.

Is this the way to reduce the cost of solar energy for everyone in the future? Let us know what you think!

These pictures have been made during a 7-day Training programme in arctic ice. During the excursion participants learned about polar climate-related issues and, at the same time, they saw the amazing  beauty of the polar Arctic region.
The aim of this project was to raise awareness of the dramatic climate change impacts in the Arctic on an environmental, geo-political and socio-cultural level. Twenty young people from across Europe and Canada who are active in climate change projects participated on the training event.
The project was organized by the British Council and facilitated by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).

For more online informations visit the British Council’s Zero Carbon Centre, the Youth in Action programme and the event’s blog.

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The Melt! festival in Germany close to the city of Dessau is trying to become more environmentally friendly. Only recently solar panels have been installed. They produce enough electricity to power two festivals the size of Melt! each year. But the organizer’s commitment doesn’t stop there. Vegan and vegeterian food is strongly encouraged. We have asked at one of the stalls, why vegan food is more climate friendly than a meaty diet.

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Today we had a look at a bicycle disco for you. Find out how two people on bikes can power a stage for music bands here…

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