Tag: World Team Now (Page 13 of 14)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) & 危機; pinyin: wēijī

March 25, 2009 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

By Suzanne Maxx

President Obama signed The Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17th since then the billions of dollars allocated to revive our economy, and create opportunity for transformation, bring to question: is money enough for a solution? With the inherit dysfunction of traditional large US banks and corporations failing, industry is being forced to morph in a new direction. We are ready for innovative technology, alternative vehicles, re-structure infrastructure, and a smart grid. It is time to give up the addictive dependency on fossil fuel and the quest for more money. Maybe now we can invest in renewable energy and be more responsiblity of our resources.

The ARRA presents the opportunity with of infusion of “green” jobs and for funding too many of the projects that could sustain humanity. There are many possibilities open to not only World Team Now, but each of us individually with the ARRA. It attempts to call attention to that question that is emerging collectively: Will humanity be able to live in balance with our resources and one another?

The website, Recovery.gov, is the main vehicle to provide information, about grants, biz /contract opportunities, loans, benefits, and view the time line. This gives us the chance to participate in the oversight, proving transparency to move policy into action with specific measurable results. Here you can watch, interact, or simply to learn more click here . The ARRA calls to mind the following word:

危機; pinyin: wēijī;

The Chinese word 危機; pinyin: wēijī; may better speak to the world’s view of the USA’s ARRA… The compounded Chinese word “crisis” is composed of two characters: One represents “danger”, and the other represents “opportunity” or more accurately translated to “crucial point”.

Growing Up With EPA

March 19, 2009 / Suzanne Maxx / 1 Comment

By Suzanne Maxx

“To the hard working men and women of the EPA it is a new day, it’s a new day,” proclaimed Michelle Obama. “The Obama EPA is on the job. It’s a new day!” she exclaimed, “and the truth is we can’t wait one more minute with the recently signed Recovery Package”, and she continued to inspire with her speech. The First Lady describes her first most important job as being a “Mom”. I asked my Mom to watch this as she had worked at the EPA for many years and had left the federal government during another adminstration:

Video of Michelle Obama to EPA

She was moved to tears, and regained hope… It is a relief to know that energy and the environment are being championed with bold new policies and decisions, and for the affirmation that science will be at the heart of environmental policy.

Michelle’s prioritization about the importance of the environment for this administration, left few dry eyes in the audience, now coming out from the dark into a bright light, and very eager to see. It is comforting to actually hear, “You have partners in the White House who believe and support you,” those words are powerful, coming from the First Lady and a Mom.

As a child growing up our normal dinner table conversations about PCB’s, super fund clean up sites, hazardous wastes, water contamination, aquifers, floods, hurriacanes, and other natural and man-made disasters were the side effects of two parents passionate about their work in public service for the then fledgling US Federal Government Agencies: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They both met working together at the Army Corps of Engineers. My Mom remained at EPA working as an environmental scientist for Region 2 in water supply for almost two decades.

Tom Maynard, my Step- Father worked at HUD as an urban planner, and the start-up, FEMA. His presence is deeply missed now since is passing. Tom served as a board member for World Team Now, our non-profit then named, Team World Corps. His respected skills as an urban planner and in his later years as a private consultant, allowed him to win many government grants, and he had planned to attain grants for us. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado chapter of the American Planning Association posthumously. With all the opportunities, and challenges World Team faces with our green building projects now, Tom is deeply missed.

This is the foundation our non-profit organization World Team Now is founded on, and I’m thankful for these two parents who I admire and respect for their choices respectively to serve the public, and my chance to grow up, and be exposed to this environment.

http://www.epa.gov/

Eco-onomy/cology Movement

February 20, 2009 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

Leadership “Yes, WE Can…”
We , humanity are at a cross roads, and now the many plans emerging from The environmental movement in the USA are finally being considered, and taken seriously by our new President of the USA, Barack Obama. Hard to believe it was just one month ago today that he was sworn into office as the 44th President of the USA.

The first monday morning President Obama’s first full work week in office, he took a stand for renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal), green jobs, plug in electric vehicles (PEV’s) and was able to communicate the integrated correlation between where we are environmentally, with where we are in the global ECOmony. He signed docs before the press, and started his week with action. He froze all policies pending from the past administration.

After President’s Day, less than one month in office, President Obama made the largest investment in clean energy and green jobs in our history of the USA with his signature on the previously reviewed 787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now legislature..

Thank you to all at World Team Now who believe these issues around energy and transformation are important. We are benefiting from your time, energy, and money with our actions and events. Our example is heard at a level where change can begin, with small actions like our net metering project, and larger ones now in government with policy. If governments can change why can’t we the people of the world unite together and work together for change?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan offesr possibilities for our alternative and renewable energies to emerge into mainstream, with programs to support change and inspire innovation now.

Closely tied in content to the stimulus package, for economic recovery and environmental transformation, is the RETECH event. Towards the bottom of the page along with UN’s NGO Committee, and the The U.S. Green Building Council, World Team Now joins this prestigious team of “Supporting Partners” for RETECH. This is the one of the 1st major US conference’s and convention following the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. ACORE’s RETECH in Las Vegas, Nevada teases out many of the core topics we at World Team Now are focused on in energy, with not only solar thermal farms, and nano-technology, but also tidal; and wave. This is a chance to learn more about net metering, the smart grid, EV’s, LED lighting and more through a large fun event, that seeks solutions form being on. This is the place to be on the cutting edge of renewable energy and technology, which may translate to “green” for you, in many ways. Join in this coming week February 25th-27th in Las Vegas.

Stimulus for Transformation?

February 14, 2009 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

What do you love for Valentine’s Day? How about a possibility for the USA to move towards transformation? It is hard to believe we may see some governmental support for Alternative and Renewable Energy & Technology: Green Building, Solar, Wind, Plug in Electric Vehicles, a Smart Grid, the fact that these are finally being recognized is a demonstration of love of our earth and humanity, consciousness growing– on Valentine’s Day in the USA. Here is what appears to be in the box of candy, but one never knows when you bite into it, what is on the inside….

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (H.R.1), passed by Congress today is expected to be forwarded, and signed into law shortly.

Highlights from the Stimulus Package are:

Renewable Energy Incentives

$20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency over 10 years, including: extending tax credits for energy produced from wind, geothermal, hydropower and landfill gas; (This is very exciting!)
grants to build renewable energy facilities ;(hope many can benefit, this is great especially if policy comes into play to inspire people towards transformation)
tax credits for purchases of energy-efficient furnaces, windows and doors, or insulation;(NYSERDA co-generation, heat coolant geothermal?)
tax credit for families that purchase plug-in hybrid vehicles (finally incentives, the Electric Vehicle will indeed be resurrected, and with better batteries: A123 )

Energy
About $50 billion for energy programs, focused chiefly on efficiency and renewable energy, (ok, this gets us going!) including
$5 billion to weatherize modest-income homes;
$6.4 billion to clean up nuclear weapons production sites; (this merits further discussion later)
$11 billion toward a so-called “smart electricity grid” —Yes, it is so anitquated our Grid, it’s time to reduce waste;
$13.9 billion to subsidize loans for renewable energy projects (Elation! World Team -Dream to Reality);
$6.3 billion in state energy efficiency and clean energy grants(NYSERDA’s deserves support for their programs)
$4.5 billion make federal buildings more energy efficient (“Got to be the change ….”)

Elated about most of this but, we will discuss the nuclear waste issue when we are not in a mode of gratitude…

Science
$3 billion for the National Science Foundation for basic science and engineering research; (Yes, hopefully explore the ocean and more with Tidal Energy)
$1 billion for NASA;
$1.6 billion research in areas such as climate science, biofuels, high-energy physics and nuclear physics. .

Infrastructure
$46 billion for transportation projects, including $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair;
$8.4 billion for mass transit;
$8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak;
$4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers;
$4 billion for public housing improvements;
$6.4 billion for clean and drinking water projects;
$7 billion to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas.

Expanded college credit
About $13 billion to provide a $2,500 expanded tax credit for college tuition and related expenses for 2009 and 2010. The credit is phased out for couples making more than $160,000.

It will be interesting to see what legislation actually goes into effect and becomes solid. We focused on the legislation that aligned with the core competencies of the work we have been focused on developing with World Team for almost two decades. The other issues are significant as well but, and like cells of our body all contribute to the whole of this will become emergent.

Solar Energy: Here Comes the Sun

February 5, 2009 / Suzanne Maxx / 0 Comments

Our path for World Team Now is to create change, show it through the journey of teams of people, as they take on environmental and social projects.

Our pilot World Team project is the Malibu Solar Roof on “The Sunset Restaurant,” in 2009. Team World Corps'(“World Team Now’s”) first gala dinner event was held in December 2, 2007 at The Sunset. To learn more about the event and the Sunset Restaurant, click here:

http://worldteamnow.org/events/twcgala.html

Policy & Politics: Shining the Light on Solar Energy

A good for beginning real change in politics is to know that Congress passed an 8-Year Extension of Solar Investment Tax Credit

This historic legislation extends the 30-percent federal investment tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations for 8 more years.

This legislation will:

Extend for 8 years the 30-percent tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations;

Eliminate the $2,000 monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, creating a true 30-percent credit;

Eliminate the prohibition on utilities from benefiting from the credit;

Allow Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) filers, both businesses and families, to take the credit; and

Authorize $800 million for clean energy bonds for renewable energy generating facilities, including solar.

The energy presented with the Inauguration of President Obama is historical and represents the best of what can be united within us: unity within the possibility of freedom, and change for ALL.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) & 危機; pinyin: wēijī

Growing Up With EPA

Eco-onomy/cology Movement

Stimulus for Transformation?

Solar Energy: Here Comes the Sun

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