What Contests Exist to Promote Green Ideas?

Hi JE,

Colleges like Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY (my alma mater), and many others across the US, have for years (since the 90's, at least) supported racing competitions of student-designed, solar-powered vehicles. Those vehicles are raced in solar-friendly places like Arizona. If you called your local technology-oriented college that had such a program, they may be open to community volunteers assisting on "green" projects like those racing vehicles.

- April05

Yeah.. those are fun.. but I'm not getting anything out of it.

there is a xprize for a 100 mile per gallon car.

But I must ask if that is really green.

Until gasoline prices escalated dramatically, I would observe Americans driving cars just to get to a neighbor five doors away; or from a store on one side of a parking lot to another store on the opposite side. Then there are those who circle, round and round, in, say, the WalMart or shopping mall lot, just to get 20 feet nearer (but sometimes 40 feet farther) from the building's front doors.

So, with 100-MPG cars (I think we can agree these will be—essentially—enclosed, 3- or 4-wheeled, single- or tandem-rider "motorcycles"), and the resultant, commensurate relative reduction in fuel price (i.e., cost outlay per mile), I can then see Americans not only driving 3-to-? times as many cars, but also starting up the car to visit the neighbor next door or across the street; or loading and driving the lawnmower around the house after mowing the front yard, in order to mow the back yard. (Yes...exaggeration; but you get the point.)

What say...?

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Another is GREEN buildings.

The most important contest is to save our world for our children. green should be on everyone's mind these days, both our environment and energy are closely tied together and in crisis today. They deserve at least as much effort solve the multitude of problems as was expended to put a man on the moon. It is an emergency situation.

well i like this answer alot if you need a prise to make a new project one would think a carrot may work ? its about what will happen if we do not come up with answers to save the planet from the mess we have made in the last 100 years.

i am doing it myself for the kids i have and all there children.

Megnacoaster, read the blog which has "APIX" in it on the Sustainability Engineering section or you can find the same with the

• APIX-SEProject Agro-Polymer Industry Complex - a Sustainability Engineered Project. INVITATION

. There, at least one group is taking action. And you can find more action in a MESS-SEProject.

This is the real contest, or shall I say, challenge. Let all the few who argue against man's contribution to the pollution of our land, sea, and air and its dire effects on our quality of life have their say. They know they are wrong but are simply letting their greed stand in the way of the changes we must make. As I said before, we are in a crisis situation. Some of us are tired of talking about it and rather than just saying, "They aught to do something about that.", we have become the "they", turning it to, "We are trying to do something about it.". Since you are close by in Canada, I know you know we are about to have our next bloodless revolution in the USA and we will throw out the old government and begin anew. I happen to live in the most polluted city in the most polluted nation on earth. We are only 5% of the earth's population, yet we contribute 25% of the earth's pollution. But, since a few of us realize that man it the most wasteful of all life on earth, we can take that waste and turn it into energy and goods rather than into pollution. This is our goal and at least we are trying. As for those opposed, I might point out, I am living on social security only, I give this engineering away freely, so, you can rest assured, greed does not play a part. However, my 10 grandchildren's and my 12 great grandchildren's future does play a part. When we geared up to go to the moon, the contest was to beat the Soviet Union to our satellite. Today the contest is the race for a comfortable, healthful, non-polluted future.

Here in the land of Oz we have a race for solar powered cars.

It creates a lot of interest and some very serious competitors with very innovative technology show up.

http://www.wsc.org.au/

Above is the link to last years race. Below is a similar thing for boats.

http://www.solarchallenge.com.au/

Is this what you are looking for?

Another link you find useful is: http://www.pv.unsw.edu.au/links/vwsc/

It is an "on line" solar challenge that allows you to construct a virtual model out of virtual components as a training aid for students to appreciate where gains can easily be made. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) have won this race in the past so they have proven ability and practicality, not just theory.

Hope this helps.

IT IS GOOD THAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS NOW FINALY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT OUR PLANET.

THE BEST COMPETITION I KNOW OF IS "WORLD CHALLENGE" ORGANISED BY BBC.

I THINK YOU CAN GET DETAILS AT BBCWORLD/WORLDCHALLENGE.COM

IF ACTUAL WEB SITE ADDRESS IS WRONG JUST TYPE IN BBC THEN FIND THIS COMPETION ON THE LINKS

GOOD LUCK WITH EFFORTS

1) Our government is always posting RFP's for green this or that. Their prizes are grant money.

2) "CleanTech" meets in Boston next month. It's a VC show 'n tell.

3) Various private brokers place industry's RFPs.

4) All our states are seeking new companies to boost their economies. Assistance is usually available.

5) And, ultimately it's our marketplace that awards the biggest prizes for innovation.

Go for it!

Bobguz

The Shell mileage marathon is run every year and companies and Universities from all over the world see how much they can squeeze out of a gallon of petrol (miles that is !) Check out the Shell Eco Marathon website... Have fun.

One big contest exists - it is called the "free market"

one bigger contest exists, it is called human need (not wants - Needs)

Chtank,

That is a bigger market, but in our imperfect world, the free market is a better one.

LG_DAVE

I am sorry guys, but as we speak, Agro-Biogenics Corporation is being formed under the Laws of India and is the holding company for APIX-SEProjects and for MESS-SEProjects. It will include ongoing sustainability engineering projects in the Philippines, South Africa, Ethiopia, India, and other locations. Yes, there is some profit to be made, but, believe me, the effort is to bring the profit into the hands of the less fortunate rather than into the hands of the already greedy rich. We recognize that more than 50% of the world's population earn less than $400 (US) per year, and lack the means to overcome this poverty without energy. We are volunteering to give the engineering to these peoples to develop their own energy while we are lessening the Carbon foot print that fossil fuels putting into our land, water, and atmosphere. All of us in CR4 have seen, I hope, the APIX project represents. Also, the CR4 administration has been asked to provide one of it's administrative personnel to serve on the initial Board of Directors of the Agro-Biogentics Holding company.

... so... it's pretty much what i thought..

not great.