MikeLigalig.com

PORT TOWNSEND, WASH. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Climate change is here and now. Scientists warn that it is happening much faster than originally predicted—sea rise, storms, drought. If you live in a vulnerable area, the task of combating such a force can appear monumental, even hopeless. Moana Marine is fully engaged on the frontlines of this battle, helping pacific island nations with the real world consequences of global warming. As rising seas and recurring drought contaminate fragile fresh water supplies, Moana Marine's solar and wind powered water purification systems are turning seawater into a steady stream of pure drinking water while providing energy to power homes, businesses and community centers. When an island community, once forced to abandon their ancestral home to America's nuclear bomb testing, went looking for solutions, they turned to Moana Marine.

The Marshall Island Bikini Islanders are no strangers to adversity. In 1946, yielding to the United States government's request to evacuate their pristine atoll "for the good of mankind and to end all world wars," they left, assured that they would soon be able to return. The US government then initiated their nuclear testing program, detonating 23 nuclear bombs on 7 sites around the atoll, including Castle Bravo, the largest nuclear bomb ever exploded. In an instant, their ancestral islands were rendered completely uninhabitable. Devastated and heartbroken, forever torn from their ancient roots, the people were reduced to the plight of refugee. Transported from place to place, they were finally resettled in two locations: remote, harsh, uninhabited Kili Island and Ejit islet in the Majuro lagoon.

Like other pacific islanders residing on low lying atolls in the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Micronesia, these proud and courageous people rarely make international news. The fact is that they are on the forefront of climate change, dealing with the daily realities of shifting winds and unrelenting sea rise. With elevations of only a few feet above sea level, any increase immediately impacts survival. Higher tides and pounding surf can quickly flood an entire island. Fresh water supplies become tainted. Power plants fail. People live in a constant state of uncertainty.

The current Bikini government and their local island council are taking the challenge, leading the way as climate change warriors, moving Bikini into the forefront of social activism, by adopting the most advanced solar, wind and water technologies. Their vision is to convert Kili and Ejit to 100% carbon free alternative energy and to supply both communities with solar and wind powered water production plants. The leaders have united with Tom Vance and his renewable energy company for their time tested innovations designed for remote, harsh environments.

The Kili Island community has been enjoying pure RO water produced by Moana Marine's signature water production plant since 2014. It is operated and maintained by local technicians trained by Moana Marine during installation. Their new plan calls for solar systems on every home, creating additional energy security on this remote outpost.

On Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Marshall Islands, construction is underway to install large, solar carports in front of the Bikini Town Hall. Each one will provide electric vehicle (EV) charging while supplying power to the Bikini Council building. The carports will also double as rainwater catchments, filling adjacent water tanks equipped with UV sterilization.

On Bikini's neighboring Ejit islet, the plan is to install a Moana desalination plant powered by wind and solar that will provide enough pure, clean drinking water to satisfy their daily needs and to assist neighboring communities in times of drought. The plan will also equip every home with solar power, joining with Moana Marine in their mission to create peace and security through water and energy independence, serving those whose voices are seldom heard.

Moana Marine first offered their Climate Change Solutions to Pacific Island nations in 2010. Since then, they have remained steady in their commitment to design robust, easily achievable applications for small communities facing the changes and challenges that are manifesting with climate change. Moana Marine's installations make use of evolving technologies to utilize the lowest LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) to run their desalination plants, EV charging stations and solar carports.

With the acceleration of climate change, the planet is reaching a tipping point. If each person can do a little something, we can bring about the needed balance. In the words of the Marshallese ancestors, "two drops make an ocean." Be a climate change contributor. Become the change that is needed.

Moana Marine takes their inspiration from the humble, yet tenacious, Mangrove Tree. One alone is weak, but when hundreds are planted along an eroding shoreline, they slowly gather sediment that not only creates new land but protects the surrounding reef and ecosystem. Together, united and focused around the globe, our collective efforts can bring about the same positive change.

Take the Climate Change Challenge. Make a difference. Together our efforts can turn the tide.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LOUISVILLE, KY. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Protect Environmental announced today issuance of the official patent on its environmental remote monitoring system. The system, known as Vapor Sentinel, is now available to monitor and optimize vapor mitigation systems installed on radon and chemical vapor intrusion contaminated sites.

The traditional approach to meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining landowner liability defenses on contaminated sites is costly and provides minimal assurances that building occupants are safe from exposure to radioactive radon and toxic chemicals. On average, mitigation systems are verified to be functioning correctly only one time each year, and contaminants of concern may only be confirmed to be below the applicable exposure limit one time every few years. This approach creates liability management challenges for the responsible party and makes obtaining and managing site closure difficult, if not impossible. In fact, most contaminated sites never achieve site closure, costing the responsible party hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, to meet ongoing long-term stewardship obligations.

The Vapor Sentinel Environmental Remote Monitoring System tracks the ongoing operation of vapor mitigation systems, providing 24/7/365 real-time monitoring to verify system functionality and confirm building occupants are safe from exposure to vapor intrusion. The system effectively addresses the liability management challenges associated with the traditional approach while providing a pathway to site closure that benefits the responsible party and provides peace of mind to building occupants. Likewise, the system facilitates the redevelopment of contaminated sites by providing a cost-effective option to satisfy the continuing obligations of the new owner or tenant.

Environmental monitoring and mitigation is a multibillion-dollar market. As of 2017, the U.S. EPA and its partners reported overseeing approximately 640,000 to 1,319,100 facilities to prevent releases into communities. However, no single comprehensive data source tracks the full extent of contaminated land in the United States.

"After many years in the product development cycle, we're excited to be delivering a better, more protective solution to our clients to manage the significant liability associated with radon and chemical vapor intrusion contaminated sites," said Kyle Hoylman, Managing Partner at Protect Environmental.

"The Vapor Sentinel Environmental Remote Monitoring System is a game-changer for our clients seeking to gain closure on contaminated sites and to help satisfy continuing obligations to maintain CERCLA liability defenses," said David Gillay, Partner at Barnes & Thornburg and head of the Remediation, Redevelopment, and Environmental Transaction practice groups for the firm.

Key features of the system include: 24/7/365 real-time monitoring, user-defined condition notifications, secure cloud-based data storage, reliable wireless connectivity, convenient client portal access, instant historical data access, customized automated reporting, durable weathertight enclosure, quick and easy installation, and proprietary patented technology. Full specifications for the system can be found at http://www.protectenvironmental.com/products/.

About Protect Environmental 
Protect Environmental is a leader in the environmental consulting and construction industry, focusing on radon and chemical vapor intrusion management. With a proven track record spanning 15 years and more than 15,000 completed projects across the country, the company provides expert service from its trusted professionals to provide peace of mind protection to property owners seeking efficient and effective management of environmental risks and liabilities. For more information, call 877-508-8850 or click on to http://www.protectenvironmental.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

The Bureau of Reclamation selected 19 projects to receive $3.5 million in WaterSMART Applied Science Grants to develop tools and information that will inform and support water management decisions. These projects will be matched by more than $4.5 million, non-federal cost-match, supporting a total project cost of $8 million.

"Water managers need the most updated information to ensure they are making the best water management decisions," said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. "Applied Science Grants fund tool development and studies that help make western water more reliable."

The projects selected are as follows: 

City of Sierra Vista (Arizona), Web-based Hydrologic Information Portal for the Upper San Pedro Basin, $99,000

Mojave Water Agency (California), Integrated Model Development and Alternatives Evaluation, $150,000

Pala Band of Mission Indians (California), Pala Tribe Innovative Practices in Hydrologic Data Acquisition and Use for Water Management, $55,120

Point Blue Conservation Science (California), California Central Valley Wetlands Water Budget Tool Development, $150,000

Rancho California Water District (California), Groundwater Modeling Enhancement for the Murrietta-Temecula Groundwater Basin, $195,000

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (California), A California Crop Coefficient Database to Enhance Agricultural Water Demand Estimations and Irrigation Scheduling, $299,627

University of California, Merced (California), Defining the Rain-Snow Transition Zone in the Northern Sierra Nevada, $299,976

Colorado Water Conservation Board (Colorado), Arkansas River Colors of Water and Forecasting Tool, $150,000

The Henry's Fork Foundation (Idaho), Predictive Hydrologic Modeling and Real-Time Data Access to Support Water Resources Management, $273,211

Idaho Power Company (Idaho), Precipitation Modeling Tools to Improve Water Supply Reliability, $300,000

Desert Research Institute (Nevada), Quantifying Environmental Water Requirements for Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems, $296,740

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico Water Data Initiative and Regional Pilot Project for Improved Data Management and Decision Support Tool in the Lower Pecos Valley, $300,000

Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission (New Mexico), Developing a Projection Tool for Rio Grande Compact Compliance, $141,272

Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma), Improving Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts for Irrigation Districts by Incorporating Soil Moisture Information Derived from Remote Sensing, $88,476

Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma), Applying Unmanned Systems for Water Quality Monitoring, $150,000

Texas Water Trade (Texas), Modeling Aquifer Properties in the Contributing Zone of Comanche Springs, $150,000

Gulf Coast Water Authority (Texas), Enhancement of Water Availability Models of the Lower Brazos Basin $30,000

Utah State University (Utah), A Platform Toward an Early Warning System for Shortages in Colorado River Water Supply, $91,078

Washington State University (Washington), Quantifying the State of Groundwater in the Columbia Basin with Stakeholder-Driven Monitoring, $299,940

Learn more about all of the selected projects at https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/appliedscience/.

Through WaterSMART, Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments to modernize existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. Visit http://www.usbr.gov/watersmart to learn more.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

ATEC Biodigesters International ("ATEC") is an Australian social enterprise that produces, sells and distributes the first commercially scalable biodigester in Southeast Asia. ATEC has also become the world's first company to integrate a pay-as-you-go ("PAYGO") consumer finance model with household biodigesters, allowing rural farmers to more easily access a technology that produces biogas as a clean cooking solution, as well as sustainable, organic fertilizer for agriculture.

A previous recipient of technical assistance and financial support from the Clean Cooking Alliance ("Alliance"), ATEC recently secured US $1.6 millionin its Series B equity round. The company also announced its expansion from Cambodia to Bangladesh.

ATEC CEO Ben Jeffreys recently spoke with Peter George, the Alliance's Senior Director for Private Sector & Investment, about what this funding and expansion mean for the future of the company.

This is the first in a series of conversations between the Alliance and industry leaders working in clean cooking around the world.

Peter George (Peter): Congratulations again on closing your Series B round. I'd be interested to hear a bit more about the transaction.

Ben Jeffreys (Ben): What this US$1.6 million equity financing allows us to do is to transition from startup to scale-up mode. We're doing this by rolling out the world's first patented PAYGO for biogas in Cambodia, setting up our new business unit in Bangladesh, and building out the international team for further expansion in the future through licensing agreements. This will put us on track to reach one million last-mile customers by 2030 with modern cooking and to make a significant impact toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

In early 2020, we are also looking to secure our first US$1 million in debt to expand our PAYGO model; 45% of this has already been secured by three investors. We will then increase this to US$5 million in the relatively near future.

Peter: Attracting investment for clean cooking businesses has, historically, been difficult. There is certainly a perception in the market that manufacturing or retailing more fuel-efficient biomass cookstoves, for instance, is not particularly profitable or scalable. How is your company different and how has it been able to overcome these perceptions and raise capital?

Ben: There are multiple reasons that our business model is different and that we were able to raise capital. Primarily, it has to do with our global potential, our scalable business model and how the integration of PAYGO enhances that scalability, and our strong corporate governance.

We see an evolution in the market from marginally improved products to modern, sustainable, aspirational solutions made possible through business-led innovation. We need to treat people as customers rather than beneficiaries. We must also ensure that we deliver value to consumers so that their usage of our product is sustained, and do so profitably so that we, as a company, are sustainable as well.

Peter: Now that you have closed this round, what comes next for ATEC?

Ben: Our goal now is to roll out PAYGO in Cambodia, as well as to expand into Bangladesh. Beyond that, we are looking at how, over the mid-term, we can package our products for distributors as a license agreement. This gives the dual benefit of empowering local businesses to make an impact through clean cooking, as well as giving us greater scale through lower costs and a streamlined business model.

Peter: There are many clean cooking companies seeking debt and equity investment to develop their products and grow their businesses. What advice would you give to the management of those companies?

Ben: My main advice is to speak to a lot of investors as early as possible. Once you've put forward your technology and model, ask them what issues they see within the business that you would need to solve if they were to invest. Go away and solve them. Then, come back to the same investor and show them the progress you have made.

One of our major feedback points was that investment in ATEC would be challenging without a patent. So, we went away and patented our system. Later, Series B investors flagged that relying on micro-finance institutions for consumer financing in Cambodia was a significant risk given regulatory changes, which led us to kick off PAYGO development. Sophisticated investors are skilled in identifying what's wrong in your enterprise, and it's your job to go away and solve those issues if you expect them to be confident about your company's growth potential and therefore viability as an investment.

Peter: How do you see your business, and the clean cooking sector more broadly, developing over the next 5-10 years?

Ben: With ATEC, our 2030 goal is to enable over five million people to cook with modern, reliable biogas that helps both their households and the environment. To achieve this, we need to remove friction points in the scalability of customer acquisition, product, distribution, payments, and business model. We are optimistic that the corporate sector is well equipped to continue optimizing these elements over the longer term and, with some tweaks, we can ultimately apply their best practices to the underserved last-mile.

However, as great as reaching five million people would be, this is a drop in the ocean compared to the three billion who don't have access to modern cooking. And unfortunately, many of these people don't have the conditions to install a biodigester.

Therefore, ATEC will also be developing other green, modern, cooking technologies that can reach the last-mile market globally and bring the amazing health, time, and income benefits to the women in developing countries who need it most. For additional updates on our work, feel free to subscribe to ATEC's mailing list and/or follow me on LinkedIn.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

During her tenure at Chicago Title Insurance, Ms. Newsome focused on title curative and insurance coverage. Her expertise includes overseeing projects from "cradle to grave," encompassing land acquisition, construction, permanent debt and out-sale. She possesses a keen understanding of curative, drafting and ALTA Title policies.

"Having worked on the title insurance side, I am very familiar with common questions and coverage scenarios," remarked Ms. Newsome. "I can anticipate potential issues for TerraPro Solutions clients, thus providing them with the cleanest version proforma. This streamlines the work for the client, the lender, tax equity and respective legal counsel. I have closed several projects worth well over $100 million. My legal background allows me to speak openly and honestly with other counsel to provide the quickest resolutions to any problems," she added.

"We are delighted to engage Brittany's expertise as an integral component of our service offerings," remarked TerraPro Solutions CEO Kimberlee Centera. "Incorporating her legal knowledge ensures the most comprehensive front-end due diligence as well as more efficient and cost-effective closings."

Ms. Newsome received her B.A. from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia and her Juris Doctor from Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to joining Chicago Title, Brittany worked in private practice with a high-volume real estate firm in Greensboro, focusing on residential and commercial transactions. She has been a member of the North Carolina State Bar since 2014.

TerraPro Solutions, a leading renewable energy project development consultancy has generated over 10 GWs in Solar, Wind, and Energy Storage. With a total financed value of over $6 billion, it is the top development consultancy in the renewables market. TerraPro Solutions provides high-level expertise in the development and implementation of renewable energy projects. Comprehensive services range from site feasibility and land acquisition to due diligence for investment and financing, through construction, compliance and post-construction operations.

TerraPro Solutions' risk management process includes in-depth risk reviews and comprehensive analysis as well as training and coaching that empowers project team members to make informed decisions about risk management. For more information contact Annemarie Osborne 949-237-2906 aosborne@terraprosolutions.com or Vanessa Faucher 858-573-2000 vfaucher@terraprosolutions.com or visit http://terraprosolutions.com/



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BOSTON, MASS. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

This week, Matmarket is launching the latest version of Insite Contoura Insoles, featuring 25 percent bio-based Susterra propanediol, a renewably sourced, plant-based building block that delivers high performance across a wide variety of polymer applications. Susterra propanediol is a molecular building block that is a fundamental part of the material structure, and not simply an additive, which allows Insite to reach new performance heights with a lower carbon footprint. Compared with conventional petroleum-based alternatives, Susterra propanediol produces 48 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and uses 46 percent less nonrenewable energy from cradle-to-gate.

"The performance and sport science properties of Insite insoles are industry leading, and we are happy that Matmarket chose Susterra propanediol to help make these performance breakthroughs a reality," said Steve Hurff, Vice President of Marketing & Sales at DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. "In addition, Susterra propanediol, a USDA Certified 100 percent bio-based product, enables a lower carbon footprint compared to petroleum-derived materials, meaning that brands and consumers no longer have to make tradeoffs for sustainability and performance."

"We started developing with Susterra propanediol for the sustainability benefits, however, we ended up integrating it into all of our products since the material performance alone outperformed our non-bio alternatives," stated Gregory Diharce, Chief Product Officer at Matmarket LLC. "The partnership with Susterra allowed us to develop compounds that enhanced material performance and durability while reducing overall weight which we have not found with any other bio-product."

Insite Contoura insoles use the latest in polymer science and ergonomic shape to elevate the comfort of every shoe. No longer is step-in comfort, performance and arch support exclusive of each other. Through continuing research, Insite insoles have proven to reduce hip, knee and ankle injuries by up to 36 percent when tested against footwear without ergonomic insoles. It is the first insole technology to measure the onset of fatigue to give brands the confidence of true, all-day comfort. Now with Susterra propanediol, we are able to produce a lighter, higher performing and more sustainable product which continues to elevate the standard in footwear comfort.

About Insite Contoura Insoles, a division of Matmarket

Matmarket is a global, product-based company providing direct-to-brand manufacturing and product solutions since 2000 with a diverse range of products. To learn more, please visit http://www.matmarket.com. To learn more about Insite insoles, please visit http://www.insiteinsoles.com.

About DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is a joint venture between DuPont, a global science company, and Tate & Lyle, a world-leading renewable food and industrial ingredients company. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products provides natural and renewably sourced ingredients that enhance product performance. For more information on Susterra propanediol, visit http://www.duponttateandlyle.com to see the solutions we offer across a wide variety of markets and applications.

2/11/2020

DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with , ℠ or are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

HOUSTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Lex Mundi, in conjunction with members of the Lex Mundi Environmental Practice Group Lex Mundi Environmental Group and the Lex Mundi Energy and Natural Resources Industry Group, has today published a new interactive guide - Lex Mundi Global Climate Change Law Guide.

Lex Mundi's complimentary guide has been developed to help in-house counsel understand the spectrum of relevant policies, measures and legislation related to climate change regimes in more than 30 jurisdictions around the world.

With climate and environmental issues dominating the global risks ranking produced by WEF ahead of its recent summit in Davos - it is becoming imperative that legal functions within organizations understand how relevant climate change laws apply to and inform, the way in which they conduct their business.

Specific questions and topics addressed in the guide include: 

National Policies

GHG Emission Trading Schemes

Renewable Energy Sources

Energy Efficiency Measures

Financial Institutional Measures

Prominent Litigation Cases

"Whether your legal team is undertaking energy transition measures or advising senior management on the impact of proposed climate change policy, Lex Mundi's new guide provides in-house counsel with valuable insights on the pace of regional legal climate change, how it affects their role within a company, how legislation in different countries may impact long-term strategy, risk-mitigation analysis, and how front-runners could affect the rest of the world," explains Marloes Brans, Partner and Head of Climate Change at Houthoff (Lex Mundi member firm for The Netherlands).

The guide's interactive and innovative format allows users to search for and download an individual jurisdiction's report or compare multiple jurisdictions in a side-by-side customizable report. The Lex Mundi Global Climate Change Law Guide can be accessed free of charge on the Lex Mundi website at: https://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/Global_Climate_Change_Law_Guide.asp.

"Climate change is a pertinent issue as we move into the new decade. Lex Mundi is pleased to curate this thought- leadership global guide to assist both in-house and outside counsel in navigating these often-updated regulations. Our guide will be regularly updated with current changes and new jurisdictional responses." comments Lauren Smith, Lex Mundi Business Development Manager.

About Lex Mundi 
Lex Mundi connects the world's leading independent law firms with collaborative processes and smart technology to deliver lean solutions across borders, industries and markets. Our 160 member firms with 600 offices draw on deep relationships and cross-border opportunities to create an unparalleled pool of expertise, comprising more than 21,000 lawyers worldwide. Lex Mundi provides a unique service platform for delivering coordinated and tailored solutions for client's complex cross-border challenges.

The selection criteria for Lex Mundi membership are rigorous and membership is reviewed on an ongoing basis. As a result, member firms share common values around continuous improvement and great client care, and they adhere to levels of legal excellence supported by ongoing training and knowledge sharing through Lex Mundi.

Our member law firms are located throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America.

Through our non-profit affiliate, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, members also provide pro bono legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the world.

For more information, please visit http://www.lexmundi.com and http://www.lexmundiprobono.org.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

The new "Generation 3" EC motor from Rosenberg that has been selected as a finalist in the AHR 2020 Innovation Awards competition is now available on axial fans and backward curved impeller modules for immediate shipment from the company's US warehouse.

Rosenberg's unique Gen 3 EC motor delivers 20-30% more cooling power with more sophisticated electronics built-in for communication, control and greater reliability. The new motors are 100% speed controllable and are CE, UL-R, and RoHS approved.

They are available now in EC axial fans in several sizes from 560-mm to 900-mm with maximum airflow of 16,674 CFM and EC backward curved impellers in sizes from 355-mm to 500-mm offering up to 6010 CFM of air movement at free air. Additional sizes and configurations are available for order on normal lead times. Please note that inventory levels are subject to change.

For more information, or to place an order, contact Rosenberg USA by phone at (704) 893-0883; fax (704) 882-0755 or e-mail sales@rosenbergusa.com.

About Rosenberg

The Rosenberg family of companies is headquartered in Künzelsau, Germany and employs more than 1,500 individuals worldwide. Rosenberg fans and blowers can be found in HVAC systems, as well as industrial and portable air conditioning; in air cooling for variable frequency drives (VFD), wind power generators and power converters, solar inverters, uninterruptable power supplies (UPS), transformers, heat sinks, fan coils, telecom racks and other industrial equipment; in air handling units and fan filter units (FFU); and in railway, marine, military and avionics equipment. Rosenberg USA is located just outside Charlotte in Indian Trail, N.C.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), a self-funded business council advancing sustainability in the vinyl industry, is pleased to welcome The AZEK Company to its membership.

"We're pleased to have AZEK join the Vinyl Sustainability Council," said Jay Thomas, VSC Executive Director. "While each of us can promote sustainable practices within our own individual entities, we see a much greater impact when we're able to collaborate. AZEK's membership will be a great asset to the group."

The AZEK Company, headquartered in Chicago, is the parent company to premium brands including AZEK Building Products, Versatex, Ultralox, Scranton Products, and Vycom. AZEK is an industry leader in the manufacturing of beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor living, residential, and commercial building products.

AZEK utilizes more than 200 million pounds annually of recycled material in its TimberTech deck boards alone and is committed to accelerating the use of recycled materials across all product lines.

"We're excited to join the VSC and advance our sustainability goals," said Jesse Singh, AZEK CEO. "We're already committed to finding additional ways we can create more sustainable products, and we're excited to see how we can contribute to the VSC's mission and advance sustainability through collaboration within the vinyl industry."

The VSC is open for membership to any company within the U.S. vinyl value chain from resin manufacturer to product retailer. Members work together to develop and implement best practices and innovation leading to continuous improvement throughout the industry, while promoting these achievements to key stakeholders. To learn more about the VSC and to become a member, please visit vinylinfo.org/vinyl-sustainability-council.

About the Vinyl Sustainability Council 
The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute, is a council created to advance the vinyl industry's efforts in addressing sustainability. The VSC is a collaborative platform for companies, organizations and other industry stakeholders to come together to create a sustainable development path for the industry. For more information, please visit vinylinfo.org/vinyl-sustainability-council.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LOMA LINDA, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

A global transition to a vegetarian diet would have significant impacts in the battle against global warming and other environmental concerns, according to research conducted at Loma Linda University Health.

Food production has been identified as a major contributor to increased greenhouse gas emissions, consumes 70% of fresh water, and is responsible for 80% of the world's deforestation. Improving agricultural technology and reducing food waste have been put forward as potential solutions to these environmental concerns. But Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, found that changes in food choices and diet patterns would have a far greater positive effect on environmental sustainability.

Vegetarian Diets: Planetary Health and Its Alignment with Human Health is a meta-analysis of 49 published research studies that focused on the impact that vegetarian and vegan diets have on greenhouse gas emissions, and water and land use. When the data from the 49 studies was combined, Sabaté found that shifting from current dietary norms to ovolactovegetarian and vegan diets would reduce greenhouse gas levels an average of 35%, reduce land usage for food production by an average of 42%, and agricultural water usage by an average of 28%.

"Many other studies have clearly demonstrated the health advantages of vegetarian and vegan diets," Sabaté said. "This analysis confirms that switching to these types of diets are also significantly eco-friendly as well."

Sabaté directs the environmental nutrition research program at Loma Linda University School of Public Health. This program explores the interrelationships between the environmental and health impacts of food choices, and ultimately seeks to improve the sustainability, health and equity of food systems.

One early sign that people are increasing in their commitment to make dietary changes due to concerns about climate took place in earlier this year. By choosing to serve all vegan meals to hundreds of celebrities and guests, two major entertainment industry award shows — the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards — increased public awareness and conversation about the link between sustainable agriculture and climate change.

While Sabaté says the field of sustainable diet and environmental impacts is still in its infancy, he has participated in a number of research studies that show clear connection between diet and climate factors. In 2017, he was part of a group that published a well-known study on the climate benefits of replacing meat in diets with beans. Sabaté and other researchers working in Loma Linda University Health's environmental nutrition program have published more than 30 papers that examined the relationship between food choices, environmental sustainability and population health.

Sabaté says additional research is needed into how changes in agricultural approaches impact the environment in low- and middle-income countries. He also points to needed research comparing large-scale agricultural operations with small-operation family farms practices.

"In societies where daily meat consumption is the social norm, drastically reducing meat consumption is a major challenge," Sabaté says. "In low- and middle-income countries, eliminating meat could adversely affect those populations' already marginal nutritional status.

The paper was presented at the 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in 2018, the premiere scientific conference on plant-based diets, which occurs every five years. The proceedings from the conference were recently published in a special edition of the journal Advances in Nutrition.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BALTIMORE (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Synagro Technologies, Inc., the preeminent provider of biosolids and residuals solutions services in North America, today announced that the City of Fort Worth has partnered with Synagro of Texas-CDR (Synagro) to provide a long-term solution to its biosolids management needs. Commencing in April of 2020, Synagro will assume operation of the city's current biosolids management facility and program, and simultaneously, along with project its team members, will design-permit-and-construct the drum drying facility which Synagro will operate for up to twenty years.

The new drying facility will process 100 percent of the biosolids produced by the city's Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility (VCWRF) as Class A biosolids. With the capacity to treat up to 166 million gallons of wastewater per day, the VCWRF is one of the largest in Texas. With rapid growth and a population approaching 900,000, Fort Worth is now the 13th largest city in the United States.

"Synagro was uniquely able to provide a complete solution, including transition services and land application while the Class A facility is under construction," said Andrew Bosinger, vice president, Strategic Accounts, Synagro. "Our solutions package allowed the city to minimize risks while maximizing the value of the design-build-operate procurement approach.

"Utilities across North America are faced with difficult choices in their biosolids program: How to invest in the upgrades required to address changing regulations and public pressures while working within the constraints of limited municipal budgets," added Bosinger. "The city was able to use a public-private partnership to achieve both cost and risk reductions, while upgrading their biosolids management program and securing and stabilizing a significant piece of its budget. Simultaneously, the city is providing long-term sustainability to its biosolids program."

About Synagro 
Founded in 1986, Synagro Technologies, Inc. works to turn waste into worth by helping more than 600 municipal and industrial water and wastewater facilities in North America move toward safer, cleaner and more environmentally beneficial practices. For some, it's simply cleaning the water supply. For others, it's much more – we partner with them to process their waste for compost or energy pellets, creating healthy soil and sequestering carbon in the process. As the largest recycler of organic by-products in North America, we're trusted because we remove risks while keeping the logistics clean. Because our expertise is the oldest in the business, we can offer tailored solutions that ensure no waste goes to waste. Much of our work isn't pretty. But a greener world emerging from a cleaner one – worth coming from waste – and we think that's pretty beautiful. Visit synagro.com to learn more.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

DENVER (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Ed Tepper has been named the Chief Operating Officer of CoPeace, an innovative impact holding company, CoPeace announced Tuesday. Tepper brings over 30 years of results-oriented and hands-on operations and financial management experience to the CoPeace executive team.

"It is a distinct honor and privilege to join the CoPeace executive team, board of directors, and investor group," Tepper said. "I believe CoPeace addresses important market needs by investing in companies that strive to do good every day, making these investment opportunities available to everyone, and holding itself to the highest standards of conduct, fairness, and transparency."

A self-described technology enthusiast and early adopter, Tepper has thrived in high-growth environments across multiple industries and has devoted most of his career to growing entrepreneurial and middle-market businesses. He was instrumental in the restructuring and restoration of profitability of two domestic and global manufacturing and distribution businesses.

"Ed brings a great energy and attitude to the CoPeace team, in addition to his years of management experience across multiple industries," CoPeace founder and CEO Craig Jonas said. "Ed has an outstanding track record of developing, motivating, and leading top-performing teams."

Tepper co-founded an advanced digital media services company, serving an elite clientele, including HBO, Showtime, A&E, and academy-award-winning filmmakers. He was co-founder and CFO of an Emmy-winning team recognized for bringing revolutionary enhancements to live sports broadcasts, including American football's yellow first-down line and baseball's pitch zone.

Previously, Tepper was COO of Sterling Ventures, an investment arm of a prominent New York real estate firm that also owns the New York Mets baseball team. Early in his career, he was an economist for Merrill Lynch and The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Tepper earned his M.B.A. in finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and holds a B.A. in economics from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a 3-year letterman on the men's tennis team.

Tepper has served as a judge for the Penn-Wharton Startup Challenge since 2004. He also sits on the Board of Directors of The Tepper Family Foundation and the Chester-Mendham Little League. He is a proud father of three, a youth baseball and soccer coach, and resides in the New York metro area.

CoPeace is a unique holding company, building a portfolio of carefully selected for-profit companies having measurable social and environmental impact. Investing in CoPeace is available to everyone.

CoPeace has raised capital from its private network of investors and plans to launch a direct public offering under Regulation A later this year, providing an investment opportunity to the general public.

As a designated Certified B Corp and a public-benefit corporation (PBC), CoPeace is committed to acting morally, ethically and responsibly in regard to society, the environment, the natural world and the world at large. CoPeace joins an exclusive community of just 2,500 B Corps and is one of approximately 400 B Corps also registered as a public-benefit corporation.

For more information about CoPeace and how you can grow your money for good, visit http://www.copeace.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BOXBOROUGH, MASS. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

The altE Store is concerned that a program proposal being considered by the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC), if enacted, will put hundreds of Massachusetts businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

On Wednesday, February 12th, the Massachusetts EEAC will hold a meeting to approve their priorities and budget for the year. As it stands the new budget is poised to effectively lock out independent Massachusetts installers from incentives for battery-based solar projects connected to the electrical grid. Instead, it provides those incentives to five national companies doing business in Massachusetts. It is our understanding that the proposed budget does not include any funds to add more "Battery Implementers" into the program in 2020.

The incentives program is referred to in EEAC meeting notes as the Daily Dispatch Battery program. This program is designed to help Massachusetts utilities meet peak energy demand, by using energy stored in home-owner battery systems connected to the electrical grid. In exchange, homeowners would receive incentives up to 50% of the material and installation cost of the battery-based system.

Overall this is a great program, avoiding the need for power plants that would only be useful during peak summer demands. It is being driven by the utility Program Administrators as part of the MassSave program, which helps energy efficiency and optimize utilization of the power grid. Vermont, California, and other states are enacting similar programs.

What makes this new program so devastating to Massachusetts businesses is the exclusion of smaller regional solar power installers from the program. Individually, they do not have the volume to purchase directly from the vendors included in the program. These smaller companies depend on distributors, like altE, to supply them with equipment from a wider variety of vendors. Furthermore two of the five approved companies are themselves installers and receive extremely valuable promotion from the program websites. See the National Grid program description for details: Connected Solutions Battery Program.

The Mass solar loan program encouraged Massachusetts homeowners to choose from any number of qualified solar installers. In stark contrast, this new program drives business to five of the biggest companies in the industry, effectively routing millions of incentive dollars to these national companies while putting smaller, Massachusetts-based independent solar companies at a competitive disadvantage, limiting their growth potential.

The exclusive market access granted to these select companies is due to budgetary constraints of the MA EEAC and its utility partners, to the detriment of Massachusetts rate payers and small business owners across the state. They will not be able to take advantage of innovative solutions from other companies that offer commercial and technical advantages. Limiting consumer choice will only lead to fewer options, higher prices, and longer wait times for service.

The utility companies use an intermediary to manage interconnects between the homes and the power grid. This company, EnergyHub, has been selected to be the sole source of the Daily Dispatch Battery program. The key technical requirement here is that the equipment (called an Inverter) be able to connect to the EnergyHub system. This connection should be open to any qualified Inverter company. Massachusetts-based independent solar power installers should be able to participate, including the smaller independent companies that have been providing solutions to state residents for more than 20 years.

The altE Store will have representatives at the MA EEAC meeting today to voice its concerns. We encourage the media to help inform the public about these behind-the-scene decisions, and encourage broader participation for Massachusetts installers and related renewable energy companies.

About altE Store

Founded in 1999, altE, Inc. has catered to customers on every continent of the globe. altE fulfills its motto, "Making Renewable Do-able," by offering cost-competitive, high-quality renewable energy products and educational services to a broad spectrum of the public, wholesalers, and professional solar installers. altE's headquarters is located at 330 Codman Hill Road in Boxborough, Massachusetts. For more information visit their website at https://www.altestore.com/store/ or contact Toll Free (877) 878-4060.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CHAPEL, N.C. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Sean M. Sullivan, an accomplished environmental attorney, has joined Robinson Bradshaw's Research Triangle office as a shareholder.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sean," said Emily Sherlock, chair of the firm's Environmental Practice Group. "His expertise adds immense value to our clients and positions us as one of the strongest environmental teams in the state."

Sullivan advises clients throughout the country regarding all major federal environmental programs, with a particular emphasis on hazardous waste, Brownfields redevelopment, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and emerging contaminants.

In recognition of his accomplishments in environmental law, Sullivan has received accolades from award publications including Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, North Carolina Super Lawyers and Business North Carolina's Legal Elite.

Sullivan was previously a partner at Troutman Sanders in Raleigh. He received his law degree cum laude from American University and his bachelor's degree with honors from the University of Miami.

Robinson Bradshaw is a Carolinas-based corporate law firm celebrating 60 years of providing comprehensive legal services to our clients. We represent businesses across the country ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Visit http://www.robinsonbradshaw.com for more information.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LONDON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Tranzend launches Ultra Coat on Kickstarter today. Ultra Coat is an ethically upcycled coat made out of coffee grounds and plastic bottles. Ultra Coat has coil-free, tri-zone heating panels that ensure even heat distribution powered by most rechargeable USB power banks.

With the click of a button, the embedded carbon-fiber panels heat the jacket within seconds, keeping the wearer warm and comfortable. The coil-free heating is evenly distributed without hotspots. The right-hand pocket houses the wearer's separate power bank to run the heating system for hours, and is controlled by a smart temperature controller with high, medium, and low settings. Almost like a personal climate control system for the wearer, Ultra Coat withstands temperatures ranging from 0°F to 70°F (-17°C to 20°C).

"We want to change the way people dress. We want to give them a coat for a variety of different occasions – commuting to work, being active outdoors in the cold, date nights, etc.," said William Chen, Founder of Tranzend. "We want people to continue to reach for Ultra Coat, day in and day out. Our goal is for this to be a functional everyday coat."

Ultra Coat's sleek, stylish design makes it the perfect match for any and all occasions. The coat's slim and compact layer of synthetic down thermal insulation gives all of the warmth without the bulk. Laser-cut microfiber pockets and extra pockets next to the coat's adjustable cuffs keep wearers' hands warm and their valuables secure. A stitched-in interior snow skirt keeps snow from getting into the coat when wearers are active in extreme climates.

Ultra Coat also comes equipped with Tranzend's signature magnetic, detachable hood, which attaches quickly to keep out rain or snow. Additionally, Ultra Coat keeps headphones close via a magnetic fastener at the end of the collar so earbuds stay in place and are easily accessible when needed.

Ultra Coat is an ethically-produced coat with maximum weatherproofing – it is waterproof, water-repellent and UV-protected. Laser-cut pockets and every sewing line are seam-sealed to increase durability and security of the garment. The coat is ultra-stretch, anti-stain and wrinkle-free so it keeps wearers looking sharp. Ultra Coat is machine washable and can tumble dry, but its odor-resistant, breathable fabric keeps it fresh-smelling and comfortable.

Ultra Coat is now available to pre-order on Kickstarter starting at $299. Available in a variety of sizes, backers can choose from S to 3XL. For more information about the campaign or to place a pre-order, visit pr.go2.fund/tranzendcoat.

About Tranzend 
Tranzend builds products with three principles in mind: sartorial aesthetic, technology and sustainability. Their team believes this creates an indisputable perspective toward the clothing they produce. Their design integrates sporting elements and heritage fashion from sustainable sources – providing every customer comfort and the ability to adapt to different environments. For more information, visit http://www.tranzend.co.uk.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BOULDER, COLO. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

E Source, the leading provider of customer-focused research, data, and consulting for utilities and their partners, continues to expand its offerings to utilities through the acquisition of Trove Predictive Data Science LLC.

TROVE provides predictive data science solutions for the utility industry, delivering data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for utilities' customer- and infrastructure-related challenges.

E Source delivers energy-related research and advisory services to thousands of utility employees and senior leaders across the US and Canada, arming them with the knowledge, guidance, and best practices they need to adapt to ever-changing business and market conditions.

"Our acquisition of TROVE will allow us to apply sophisticated predictive analytics and data science to our best-practice utility research and consulting practices," says E Source CEO Wayne Greenberg. "TROVE has had incredible success using advanced AI software to deliver big wins quickly for some of the largest utilities in the US. The opportunities are nearly endless for collaboration, and we couldn't be more excited to bring the TROVE team into E Source."

This acquisition is a transformational moment for E Source, representing continued efforts to create a broad portfolio of customer-first and technology-driven solutions to help utilities effectively manage the customer and infrastructure sides of their business reliably, efficiently, safely, and sustainably.

"The customers and markets that our organizations serve demonstrate a growing need for data-driven innovation," says Ted Schultz, CEO of TROVE. "With the combination of our talented teams, data, and expertise, we're uniquely positioned to meet these and future needs. It's an exciting time for all of us."

In June 2019, E Source was acquired by private equity firm Align Capital Partners. In February 2020, E Source announced the acquisition of smart meter and smart city advisory firm UtiliWorks Consulting. Both companies will be united under the E Source brand in the months ahead.

About E Source 
E Source is the leading solver of problems facing electric, gas, and water utilities and municipalities. We provide predictive analytics, market research, benchmarking data, and consulting services to more than 300 utilities, municipalities, and their partners. Our guidance helps customers make data-driven decisions to strengthen their customer relationships, plan for tomorrow's infrastructure needs, and further their environmental sustainability goals while becoming more innovative and responsive in the rapidly evolving market.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 12, 2020

In early 2018, HBO produced a documentary available now on YouTube entitled "Fashion's Crippling Impact On The Environment Is Only Getting Worse". One high-end fashion designer Christopher J Apparel (http://www.christopherjapparel.com) is doing their part to curb the fashion industry's polluting ways. Owner Christopher Coriale has created a sort of "Swiss Army Shirt" called The Manhattan from a newer fabric known as TENCEL.

The documentary estimates that from 2015 to 2030, the sheer amount of textiles produced in the world will almost double to 102 Million Tons. At that rate, the industry would need 35% more land and an eye-popping 50% more water.

Two years later? Little has changed.

Politicians like to capitalize on environmental problems and assert that unless we act urgently, dire consequences are sure to follow. For example, freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that Miami will be "underwater" within 12 years if we don't act now and has also promoted her now infamous "green new deal" proposal.

Opponents of these politicians as well as critics often point to the fact that the US has a stellar report card in its attempts to protect the environment as compared to other nations. Since the US is a small fraction of the earth's population and we couldn't possibly tell them how to run their countries, the environmental movement and doomsday predictions seem pointless. 
Or is it?

One of the best ways we can get other countries to make better environmental choices is to lead the way and vote with our wallets: the more environmentally friendly fabrics and clothing WE purchase, the better off the world will be overall.

For example, some businesses outside of fashion have already taken genius steps to do their part: One microbrewery in Miami found they not only could create their own edible 6-pack can-holders out of their wheat and barley bi-products instead of using the standard plastic variety, they saved money also.

Similarly, Christopher J Apparel's (http://www.christopherjapparel.com) The Manhattan from a newer fabric known as TENCEL. Coriale refers to it as a "Swiss Army Shirt" because it can be used as a t-shirt, undershirt, workout shirt, and "significant other" sleep shirt.

This fabric has a lot going for it: Not only is it luxuriously soft and is more durable, it also takes a fraction of the amount of water to produce and uses sustainable material. While the shirt is assembled and stitched in the USA, the fabric is purchased and shipped from China.

The documentary references a "circular economy" where instead of raw materials moving linearly from creation to use to a landfill, the raw materials used in the fashion industry would "circle back" to other stages like raw materials and never create waste to begin with.

Until that happens, buying higher quality, durable and sustainable clothing made of Tencel such as the Manhattan from Christopher J, is a great step forward.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

New anti-counterfeiting policies represent progress in the fight against a wide range of fake goods but more action is needed to address the threat of counterfeit microchips that undermine national security, critical infrastructure and public safety, the Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER) said today.

The new policies include measures in the U.S.-China phase 1 trade agreement that would impose tariffs unless China tightens enforcement against counterfeit products such as semiconductors, automotive parts, apparel, pharmaceuticals and more. In addition, a new initiative announced in late January, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, imposes stiff penalties on e-commerce platforms that do not crack down on sales of counterfeit goods.

However, counterfeit microchips pose a unique challenge. Counterfeiters in China use electronic waste (e-waste), much of it exported from the U.S., as raw materials to create fake parts that are then sold as new. Difficult to detect, these counterfeits threaten the reliability of military technology as well as cars, airplanes, nuclear reactors, sensitive medical equipment and more. As industry experts have noted, e-waste export policy is key to stopping counterfeit electronic parts and protecting military readiness.

Despite efforts to address this illicit trade, the problem persists – and grows, according to experts. For instance, in May 2019, a U.S.-based electronics distributor was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for selling counterfeit integrated circuits obtained from China. According to the Department of Justice, some of these counterfeit microchips ended up in a classified weapons system. Additional parts were sold for use in the B-1 Lancer bomber.

The case illustrates the role of e-waste in counterfeiting. As outlined in the Department of Justice release, the perpetrator "knew that the integrated circuits he sold were old, used or discarded and that his Chinese suppliers had pulled the circuits off of discarded circuit boards in China, sanded off all of the markings, and then remarked them in a process commonly referred to as 'blacktopping.'" The counterfeits were then sold as new parts made by manufacturers such as Xilinx, Analog Devices and Intel.

Given the ongoing concerns, the U.S. needs an all-of-the-above anti-counterfeiting strategy that includes swift passage of the Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA). SEERA will restrict export of untested, non-working e-waste that provides feedstock for China's microchip counterfeiters. The bill is sponsored in the House of Representatives (HR3559) by Rep. Raul Espaillat (D-NY) and Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) and in the Senate (S.2448) by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

SEERA will create economic benefits beyond reducing counterfeits. By requiring domestic recycling of e-scrap, SEERA will increase high-value exports of refurbished computer equipment and commodity-grade material refined from used electronics. The export reforms will also enable U.S. recyclers to attract investment, expand capacity and create up to 42,000 quality jobs for Americans.

CAER is the voice of the emerging e-waste recycling industry on Capitol Hill with more than 150 companies and supporting members operating more than 300 facilities in 37 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

With our environmental crisis an existential societal issue, twelve journalists have been awarded a 2019 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award, celebrating their work in documenting climate change impacts and solutions.

Honorees include six repeat winners: Dave Roberts of Vox, Stephen Leahy of National Geographic, Jonathan Watts of The Guardian, Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times, Adele Peters of Fast Company, and Robinson Meyer of The Atlantic.

First-time SEAL Environmental Journalism Award recipients include Emily Atkin of HEATED, Justin Worland of TIME, Fiona Harvey of The Guardian, Umair Irfan of Vox, Lisa Friedman of The New York Times, and Yessenia Funes of Earther / Gizmodo.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to environmental journalists, who investigate matters the powerful would prefer to keep hidden, translate complex scientific information into tangible stories the public can relate to, and dedicate their careers to an underappreciated, underfunded, and often dangerous field," commented awards chairperson Dr. Jonathan Foley, Execute Director of Project Drawdown. "The journalists celebrated by SEAL Awards know what so many of us have been slow to grasp: that climate change, pollution, and mass extinctions pose an unprecedented threat to human civilization. Thanks in large part to their talent and effort, we have reached a cultural tipping point where climate change and the environment are no longer a concern solely among scientists and activists, but have grown to become a mainstream topic of discussion and lens through which we evaluate our lifestyle, consumer habits, and even our political leaders."

Winners were selected based on a panel review of each journalist's work, data-driven analysis of the impact and reach of their articles, and consideration for writers who are bringing fresh perspectives and social relevance to environmental issues.

The 2019 SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards were chaired by Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown and an internationally recognized sustainability thought leader.

2019 SEAL ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS: 

Emily Atkin - HEATED - @emorwee

Lisa Friedman - New York Times - @LFFriedman

Yessenia Funes - Earther / Gizmodo - @YessFun

Fiona Harvey - The Guardian - @FionaHarvey

Umair Irfan - Vox - @Umairfan

Stephen Leahy - National Geographic - @StephenLeahy

Robinson Meyer - The Atlantic - @YayItsRob

Adele Peters - Fast Company - @Adele_Peters

Dave Roberts - Vox - @DRVox

Hiroko Tabuchi - New York Times - @HirokoTabuchi

Jonathan Watts - The Guardian - @JonathanWatts

Justin Worland - TIME - @JustinWorland

ABOUT SEAL AWARDS

The SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an awards-driven environmental advocacy organization.

Our core beliefs maintain that our environmental progress requires true leadership, leadership deserves recognition, and recognition is a form of accountability.

The SEAL Awards organizational pillars are:

Sustainability Awards - honors the most sustainable companies in the world. 2019 SEAL winners included adidas, AMD, Cisco, and Unilever

Environmental Journalism Awards - representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New Yorker, New York Times, and Washington Post

Environmental Research Grants - grant program has provided funding for nineteen researchers at leading institutions like Duke, Marine Conservation Institute, MIT, and UCLA



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

AM Conservation Group was presented the "Master of Innovation" Supplier Award at the 2020 Annual The Home Depot Pro Annual Conference.

AM Conservation Group won this award for their HealthGuard 5-Spray Handheld Chrome Showerhead, which has a patented anti-microbial removable faceplate, allowing for quick and easy cleaning. In addition to its sanitary benefits, this showerhead is highly water-efficient with a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute and a patented internal pressure compensator, which enables a consistent output and flow of water regardless of available water pressure. Offered at an affordable price, the hygienic HealthGuard is especially attractive to institutional entities such as hospitals, hotels, and assisted living facilities or families looking for an easier way to keep their shower experience clean and sanitary.

As a Home Depot Pro partner, AM Conservation Group supplies a wide variety of energy and water conservation products for The Home Depot's base of Pro customers such as contractors, healthcare and hospitality professionals, and multifamily residential managers.

AM Conservation Group's Director of Strategic Accounts, Chris Ehlers, and Director of Pro Sales, Katie Webb, accepted the Master of Innovation Award. "We're so proud of this product and how it provides a safe and sanitary shower experience for those who strive to maintain a sterile environment, all while achieving significant water savings," said Webb.

"Thank you to AM Conservation Group for partnering with The Home Depot to drive sustainable innovation that resonate with our Pros," said Stephanie Angerer, The Home Depot Pro Category Merchant for Faucets, Bath Accessories.

For more information on the HealthGuard Showerhead, visit AM Conservation Group's website.

ABOUT AM CONSERVATION GROUP 
Since 1989, AM Conservation Group has been the utility industry's leading provider of energy- and water-saving products, kits and online stores. We manufacture and distribute nearly 400 energy efficiency and water conservation products, which are custom-engineered for the unique needs of the industry and carry ENERGY STAR and WaterSense certifications. AM Conservation Group's product lines include Niagara Conservation and Simply Conserve.

ABOUT THE HOME DEPOT 
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,291 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2018, The Home Depot had sales of $108.2 billion and earnings of $11.1 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

OAK HILL, VA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

TSN Communications welcomes Amber Pearsonas its new director of media relations. Pearson will collaborate with clients and TSN team members to help its clients define their brand, get them noticed by their target audience and educate the public and media.

Pearson has nearly 20 years of experience in public relations, primarily centering on alternative fuels. She has worked for national associations in communications and marketing, helping to proliferate clean alternatives for transportation and energy. She specializes in writing, relationships and campaign management.

"I bring to TSN's clients a background of gaining the media's trust," said Pearson. "I have a true passion for sharing the good news of products and services that can help our environment and our health."

Based in Austin, Texas, Pearson has previously worked at the National Biodiesel Board, Propel Fuel and for many nonprofit and educational associations, including the U.S. Energy Department's Clean Cities. She has served as a contractor and writer for state propane associations. Her work can be found quoted in thousands of articles through press releases, interviews and authorship.

"Amber helps round out our team through her valuable relationships and extensive work history," said Greg Zilberfarb, president and CEO. "Our dynamic team knows the industries in which we work, and the craft well. All our members add up to one diverse knowledge pool and an exemplary full-service agency."

Pearson earned a bachelor's degree with an emphasis in agricultural journalism from the University of Missouri and an MA in Mass Communications from Lindenwood University. She enjoys traipsing after her two children — preferably outdoors — while enjoying the music and beauty of her city, and the occasional run with her high-energy dog.

About TSN Communications: TSN Communications is a client-focused company specializing in marketing and communications solutions to companies, non-profits and government agencies. The company helps clients gain market share and visibility through custom programs in public relations, market research, education and outreach, event planning, technology deployment, online training, Internet television and more. A division of Virginia-based the Sales NetWork, TSN Communications has locations across the United States. To learn how TSN Communications can Grow Your Business,℠ visit TSNcommunications.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FAIRFAX, VA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Join FirstService Residential, the leading residential community association management company in the Metro DC area, at Washington Metropolitan Chapter of Community Association Institute's (WMCCAI) 2020 Conference and Expo February 21 and 22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The expo is the largest event across all CAI chapters worldwide. FirstService Residential associates will join more than 2,100 industry professionals and residential community association board members for a comprehensive two-day event.

"We are delighted to attend this important event," said Michael Mendillo, president, FirstService Residential. "This conference offers a great opportunity for those serving on a condo or HOA board to gather new insights as well as network with industry experts. We are happy to be able to share the expertise we've gained through decades of working with communities and boards."

This year's expo features sessions covering association management trends and topics, as well as opportunities to share, learn, network and discuss challenges and solutions. FirstService Residential's team will be participating in Shoots and Ladders: A Team Approach to Project Planning. Join them Saturday, February 22 at 8:30 a.m., as they cover the various, and often complex, aspects of project management. Bernie Guthrie, CMCA, AMS, PCAM, regional director, FirstService Residential and Drew Ahrensdorf, vice president, FirstService Financial, will participate on the panel.

For every person who enters our booth raffle, FirstService Residential will donate $5 to the Alice Ferguson Foundation to support the promotion of the environmental sustainability of the Potomac River watershed. The Foundation's educational programs unite students, educators, park rangers, communities, regional organizations and government agencies throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area toward a common goal of protecting the valuable watershed.

"We look forward to meeting with area community association board members, as well as helping to support an important initiative – by making a donation to the Alice Furguson Foundation," said Trent Harrison, president, MidAtlantic, FirstService Residential. "We look forward to helping make a difference for the environment."

Visit FirstService Residential's associates and industry experts at booth 701, to learn about the benefits of collaborating with a professional residential property management company, as well as help support the Alice Furguson Foundation, just by entering the booth raffle.

http://www.fsresidential.com

About FirstService Residential 
FirstService Residential is North America's property management leader, partnering with 8,000 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives; single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities; and mixed-use and rental properties. HOAs, community associations and condos rely on their extensive experience, resources and local expertise to maximize property values and enhance their residents' lifestyles.

Dedicated to making a difference, every day, FirstService Residential goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (FSV), a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Iberian Lube Base Oil Company, S. A. (ILBOC), has won the 2019 ISA100 Wireless Excellence in Automation award. In so doing they join a list of distinguished end users which include BAPCO, Alcoa, Phillips 66, PETRONAS, NIPPON STEELE & SUMIKIN ENGINEERING.

Andre Ristaino, the ISA100 Wireless Managing Director, presented Mr. Gomez with ILBOC's award at the ARC World Forum. Vicente Blazquez, CEO of Bitherm, also participated in support of their customer, ILBOC.

Each year the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute honors one end-user who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, creativity, and engineering excellence in the field of deploying ISA100 Wireless technology.

In winning, ILBOC was chosen from several potential candidates. Their use case was a 904 node ISA100 Wireless steam trap monitoring application. A steam trap monitoring application of this large size is a great example of the power of ISA100 Wireless technology. The installation also included a unique ESCO (Energy Services company) contract with Bitherm that had NO upfront costs. All payments to Bitherm from ILBOC are based upon energy savings.

Luis Sancho Gomez of ILBOC presented their experiences at the 2020 ARC World Forum in Orlando, Florida.    

View ILBOC's presentation: https://isa100wci.org/en-US/Documents/Presentations/Excellence-and-Leadership-in-ISA100-Wireless-Appli.aspx

ILBOC is a joint venture (JV) between SK LUBRICANTS (South Korea, world leader in the lube base oil market) and REPSOL PETROLEO (first refining company in Spain). This JV was signed in 2012, same year of its plant construction started and only two years later, in 2014, ILBOC began its production becoming the biggest production plant of new generation lube base oils in Europe (Groups III & II), with a capacity of 630,000 tons per year.

Global monitoring of facilities and processes is a requirement in their Safety, Quality & Environmental (SQE) policies. Large-scale equipment monitoring (e.g. steam traps and valves) can be expensive and difficult to implement. The adoption and implementation of ISA100 Wireless has reduced costs related to installation of sensors and simplified the process of monitoring 904 elements (possibly the world's largest current ISA100 installation) by combining in a single management platform several applications:

1. Fight against Climate Change. Monitoring steam leaks and energy efficiency in steam traps. 
2. Safety. Monitoring hazardous gas leaks in safety valves. 
3. Employee Health and Safety. Detection of toxic gas (H2S) detection in the environment. 
4. Prevention of Catastrophic Risks Detection of explosive gas (hydrocarbons) in the environment. 
5. Safety & Reliability. Monitoring tightening torque on flange bolts & nuts (this is a specific experimental application for ILBOC needs to prevent dangerous Hydrogen leaks by gaskets between flanges, in R&D phase).

Other remarkable features of this project are the following:

a. Solar powered. All ISA100 wireless transmitters and sensors have been powered by rechargeable batteries with small solar panels. This allows the battery life to be extended extraordinarily. 
b. All-in-one architecture. The wireless network has been deployed by the powerful all-in-one CDS VR950 Gateway, which contains all the necessary components for network management and comes with advanced features such as redundancy and network collocation. This has strengthened the ISA100 wireless network, simplifying installation and commissioning while reducing costs. 
c. System redundancy. A VR950 ISA100 Gateway pair assures full system redundancy. In case of a hardware/software failure, the system recovers seamlessly and completely. 
d. Sandbox environment. Due to enhanced hardware capability, one can add applications on top of the VR950 for local processing and storage. 
e. Channel blacklisting. Avoids congested channels due to interference and enhances coexistence with other networks such as Wi-Fi. 
f. Field device auto-discovery. Enables the automatic reading of field device characteristics so that sensor/actuator data can be sent/received without additional manual configurations. 
g. Intensive Maintenance. This project has allowed the implementation of Intensive Maintenance, a methodology based on Smart Leak Detection and Repair (SLDAR), which has brought enormous benefits to ILBOC.

ILBOC's Learned lessons: "This large-scale deployment of wireless sensors demonstrated how ISA100 Wireless improved safety, environment, reliability, operations, maintenance, and reduced costs."

ILBOC's leadership in the development and implementation of large-scale wireless applications for Oil & Gas is groundbreaking. WCI believes ILBOC's work will serve as inspiration to drive the industry forward.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PRINCETON, N.J. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Manual SAP deployments are time-consuming, inefficient, and prone to human error. Due to these factors, relying on manual SAP deployments puts organizations at a greater risk of experiencing delivery issues and poor execution quality. Wharfedale Technologies Inc., a leading cloud service provider, announced today the availability of its DevOps Automation tools for SAP on Azure. These tools automate SAP deployments on Azure, making them many times faster, more cost-effective, and less prone to human error.

Wharfedale's automation tools incorporate best practice from SAP and Azure to produce consistent and cost-effective SAP deployments on Azure. The tools work in tandem to enable workflow automation and node configuration.

Wharfedale's DevOps Automation Tools offer customers the following benefits: 

Reduced time to market: SAP landscapes can be deployed in a matter of hours instead of days utilizing the automated workflows provided by Wharfedale's SAP automation solution.

Reduced Deployment costs: Organizations pay for virtual compute resources based on the time it is held. Automation minimizes the time non-productive resources are held as a work-in-progress there by reducing the resource costs of deployment.

Increased service reliability: A completely automated execution is far more reliable than manual execution. Automation produces significantly less errors and higher execution quality.

Impeccable compliance and improved auditability: Wharfedale's SAP automated solution for SAP deployments utilizes a template-based approach which allows organizations to meet strict compliance requirements. The template-based approach also simplifies auditing.

Reduced run costs: SAP Basis and infrastructure operations done manually require human labor and its associated costs. Wharfedale's automation tool reduces costs by minimizing human labor.

Our SAP Automation tools make SAP deployments on Azure many times faster and more cost-effective," said Mahesh Reddy, Chief Technology Officer at Wharfedale Technologies. "The truly groundbreaking thing about these automation tools is how we can now manage SAP deployments on Azure. With these tools, we can treat SAP deployments and SAP architecture as software code that we can version, test, replicate, and maintain through software development life cycles. Everything is predictable. We know that our architectures and automations will produce the same infrastructure every time we run it".

Offered as a part of Wharfedale's Managed Services, automation tools enable customers to improve the efficiency of their SAP implementations and operations with these automated solutions:

SAP Deployment Automation

Wharfedale utilizes various automation tools to deploy an SAP environment. Once the SAP instances are deployed, the automation tools can be used to automate start/stop activities for non-production SAP environments. This helps customers save infrastructures costs by making specific systems like sandbox, training, or development available only when needed.

SAP Basis Automation

With Wharfedale's automation tools SAP administration activities are simplified by automating various tasks such as SAP systems backup, systems refresh, systems copy, and OS patching.

Monitoring Solution for SAP Landscape

Utilizing its extensive experience managing SAP environments in Azure, Wharfedale has developed a monitoring solution that automates problem detection, diagnosis, and resolution for the most common performance issues customers face in their SAP environment. This automation significantly increases Wharfedale's response time and allows its support team to dedicate more resources to each customer's most critical issues.

About Wharfedale Technologies Inc. 

Wharfedale Technologies Inc. (WFT) is a leading technology consulting firm specializing in infrastructure integrations and cloud services in support of SAP solutions including upgrading to SAP HANA and migrating SAP S/4HANA to Microsoft Azure, as well as private/public hybrid cloud solutions. Wharfedale is a certified provider of SAP hosting, infrastructure and cloud services, and Microsoft Gold Partner for Cloud Platform. Wharfedale offers solutions for high availability, disaster recovery, advanced sizing for virtualization, backup/recovery integration, systems refresh automation and landscape optimization. 
For more information on Wharfedale and WFT Cloud services, please visit http://www.WFTCloud.com or call us at (888) 533-3113.    

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Wine Without Walls is looking for all of those wineries that are enthusiastically pursuing sustainability, that have what it takes to satisfy the needs of today's discerning consumers whilst considering the impact for future generations. The production and consumption of organic and biodynamic products is growing year on year, and increasingly businesses are following this model. Around the world, industries are striving to show their effort in becoming sustainable and environmentally friendly. Wine Without Walls draws attention to wineries that not only eliminate chemical products and processes from the production of wine, but endeavor to maintain or achieve official accreditation, through an ability to adhere to fundamental steps in the process, such as allowing the vines to follow nature's course, respecting the soil, and a focus on sustainable practices at all stages of production.

Increasing the visibility of top quality products that also show respect for the environment is the goal of this year's edition, and choosing a panel of world-renowned judges is the first step.

Whilst the bar is set high, past editions have proved the award-winning potential of organic and biodynamic wines. So who can join the selection? Wine Without Walls is open for registration to wineries whose wines are certified as organic under EU Regulation (EC) N. 203/201, certified as biodynamic or, alternatively, are under conversion to organic farming. This focus on certification is vital in demonstrating the commitment these wineries have to longevity in the category.

On April 15th, 16th, and 17th wines entered in Wine Without Walls will be blind tasted by a dedicated jury of professionals who specialize in biodynamic and organic wine. The members of the panel are chosen from around the world and will be led by Monty Waldin, author and expert consultant for wines in this category. Here's what he said about the judges and the scientific committee: "Not only does 5StarWines – the Book attract globally renowned Masters of Wine and Sommeliers as judges, it also reels in viticulturists and oenologists, as well as marketing, branding and sales experts. Therefore, the mix of judges means each wine not only gets tasted by different palates, but also by minds whose interpretations can be as diverse as they are synergistic regarding styling, value for money or terroir expression."

Waldin got into wine as a teenager and never lost his passion, rather, he developed a specialization in organic and biodynamic winegrowing following the way his grandparents used to take care of their farming. He is a spokesperson on topics such as recycling green waste, winter pruning and winemaking, processes that lead to the production of wine with a unique sense of place, ones that lessen their environmental footprint.

Products entered into the Wine Without Walls category undergo the same strict blind tasting as any other 5StarWines entrant, but with a dedicated expert panel accustomed to this specific category. Organic and biodynamic wines that obtain a score of 90/100 or above are then included in the special Wine Without Walls section of 5StarWines - the Book. In addition to being an important acknowledgment and an informative contribution to the global wine industry, the guide is also an effective promotional and commercial tool; distributed to an international audience of commercial operators and sector professionals. The dedicated trophies are "Best Winery - Wine Without Walls" and "Best Wine - Wine Without Walls", and they will be distributed at the dedicated Grand Tasting on April 21st, together with 5StarWines Trophies.

We are in excited anticipation of this event, set to take place in Verona on April 15th-17th, we remind those wishing to sign up that registration will be open until March 20th, however, all wineries that register before February 28th will receive a 10% discount.

5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organised by Veronafiere; held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world, the event is now in its fourth edition. 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls is a three-day tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals will taste and score -using a 100-point scale- participating wines. In the last edition, over 3000 bottles took part in the competition and 676 were selected, making it on the 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

UKIAH, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Real Goods, the California-based original purveyor of off-grid living supplies, is alive, well, and powered by altE since September of 2019. Real Goods is in no way connected to RGS Energy, nor has it been since December 2014.

RGS Energy, a Colorado-based solar installer and solar shingle company has ceased operations and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Given that the company spawned from Real Goods in 2002 (the "RGS" portion of the RGS Energy name was derived from "Real Goods Solar"), this has caused some confusion for Real Goods customers and other solar industry companies.

THE HISTORY OF REAL GOODS AND RGS ENERGY

The Real Goods Trading Corporation (Real Goods) was founded in 1978 by John Schaeffer as a brick-and-mortar store, selling off-grid living supplies in Northern California. That year they became the first commercial retailer of solar panels in the United States. In 1985, Real Goods began printing a mail-order catalog as its primary retail channel.

In 2001, Real Goods merged with sustainable lifestyle company Gaiam. In 2002, while continuing to operate its mail-order catalog and brick-and-mortar store for off-grid living supplies, Real Goods opened a residential solar panel installation division under the name Real Goods Solar. Two years later, Real Goods Solar added a commercial solar installation division.

In 2008, Real Goods Solar held an initial public offering (IPO) and began trading under the NASDAQ ticker symbol RSOL. Through holding 100% of Real Goods Solar's Class B shares, Gaiam maintained control of the company.

In January 2014, Real Goods Solar combined its residential and commercial solar installation divisions and rebranded under the name RGS Energy, changing its NASDAQ ticker symbol from RSOL to RGSE.

In December 2014, Real Goods founder John Schaeffer purchased 100% of the Real Goods name and retail/e-commerce interests from RGS Energy, divesting Real Goods from RGS Energy.

In September 2019, The Alternative Energy Store (altE) acquired Real Goods Trading Corporation assets from Schaeffer, and continues to power the Real Goods name and website. Real Goods expanded operations late last year, opening a new warehouse in Ukiah, CA.

Schaeffer remains Chairman of the Board of the Solar Living Institute (SLI), located within the Solar Living Center (SLC) in Hopland California. The SLI owns and operates the Solar Living Store, also housed at the SLC.

ABOUT REAL GOODS

Founded in 1978, Real Goods is the original purveyor of off-the-grid living supplies. Originally envisioned as a one-stop-shop where people could find everything they needed for their remote homesteads, the store began with the sale of the first retail solar panel in the United States and the humble goal of changing the world.

In September 2019, Real Goods was acquired by the altE Store. Now powered by altE, the Real Goods sales and customer support personnel continue to promote, sell, inventory, ship, and support solar energy solutions. Real Goods is Headquartered at 2005 N. State St., Unit G, in Ukiah, California. For more information visit their website at https://realgoods.com/ or call toll free at 800-919-2400.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

OAKLAND, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Oakland Zoo — Conservation Society of California is Taking Action for Wildlife by amending its own use and retail sales of single-use plastics, as global plastics pollution increases its threat to wildlife and the environment. The Zoo launches its #NoToPlastic public awareness campaign on Thursday, coinciding with changes in Zoo operations in eliminating many single-use plastics onsite, and with the goal of becoming nearly 100% plastic-free in the future.

Led by President and CEO, Dr. Joel Parrott, plans for the zoo-wide effort to phase out as much plastic use as possible was set in motion a year ago, as statistics of global issue demonstrated the urgency for change. He notes a 'defining moment' during a business trip to Taiwan in late 2018, where a museum displayed a necropsy video of veterinarians pulling what seemed like an endless stream of plastic bags and other plastic trash out of a killer whale's stomach.

"Plastic trash is everywhere, along our highways, in our creeks, and filling the ocean; posing a direct threat to animals globally. I'm proud to be one of the first Zoos in the U.S. to step forward and advocate for the elimination of plastics in our environment," said Dr. Parrott, President & CEO, Oakland Zoo—Conservation Society of California.

It has been over a decade since the Zoo banned plastic straws, utensils, and cup lids, but stronger action was needed. The single-use plastic audit began with many negotiations with multiple Zoo vendors in providing and/or sourcing alternatives to plastic, starting with the nearly 100,000 plastic-bottled beverages sold at the Zoo every year. The process took nearly a year, but progress was made. The Dasani water now sold at Zoo restaurants had never been offered in an aluminum can, and was newly engineered to be available at Oakland Zoo, along with an assortment of all canned-only beverages.

Popcorn went from a plastic bag container to a paper-based box, cotton-candy is discontinued until a sustainable container is sourced, and single-use plastic packaging was reduced by 60% in the Zoo's gift shop. A new retail section devoted to sustainability includes household items stasher bags, metal straws, bees wrap, and more. These changes have influenced some other AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) zoos to evaluate their own facilities in single-use plastics.

Single-use plastic has also been eliminated from many from daily internal operations. From the Animal Care department to Administration, the audit instituted changes in animal food containment, phasing out trash bags, and upgraded waste sorting systems.

As part of the public campaign to inspire others to reduce their use of plastics, on February 13 the Zoo will unveil Washed Ashore "Art to Save the Sea" plastic-trash sculptures in Flamingo Plaza. Sponsored in part by Recology, a 100% employee-owned resource recovery company based in San Francisco, this new display provides the opportunity to tell the story about the direct impact humans have on the environment, and what people can do to make a positive difference. Washed Ashore, larger-than-life animal sculptures constructed from plastic trash washed onto Oregon beaches, uses the power of art to spark change in consumer habits.

Zoo partner, Recology, is working alongside global NGOs to put a California statewide initiative on the November 2020 ballot. The California Plastic Pollution Reduction Act of 2020 seeks to fund environmental restoration in areas that have been impacted by plastic pollution and provide funding for domestic recycling infrastructure. The measure would involve a reduction of plastic packaging entering the state of California and require single-use plastic packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2030. The campaign is currently collecting signatures for the ballot initiative.

Every weekend, guests can visit the #NoToPlastic action booth in Flamingo Plaza to learn how to become more plastic-free in their daily lives, along with the opportunity to sign an anti- plastics pledge. This pledge asks guests to eliminate a form of single-use plastic in their lives, like straws, bottles, cups, or bags.

Along with the launch of the sculptures and onsite educational booths, the Zoo hosts monthly creek clean-ups, and February 15 marks the start of new monthly offsite #NoToPlastic clean-ups in local waterways and beaches throughout Alameda County, beginning with the Jack London Aquatic Center. Staff and the public will work in the local bay-destined waterways to remove the trash, including the ever-abundant plastics that harm wildlife.

Single-Use Plastic Facts: 

More than 70 million tons of single-use plastics are produced every year

Only 9% of what is put in a recycling bin, actually ends up being recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, the ocean, or simply dumped - and will take about 1,000 years to decompose

With 8 million tons of plastic finding its way into our oceans annually, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050

100,000 marine mammals die each year from consuming or becoming ensnared in plastic

Animals on land are being equally affected by plastic. Littered plastic bags, fishing wire and bottles commonly trap and entangle wildlife – 1 million sea birds are killed each year from plastic pollution

Contact:

Erin Harrison 
Oakland Zoo 
eharrison@oaklandzoo.org 
Office: 510-746-7120 
Cell: 415-601-1619

Isabella Linares 
Oakland Zoo 
ilinares@oaklandzoo.org 
Office: 510-632-9525 ext. 239 
Cell: 650 – 776 -9589

ABOUT OAKLAND ZOO AND THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF CALIFORNIA: 
Oakland Zoo, home to more than 750 native and exotic animals, is managed by the Conservation Society of California (CSC); a non-profit organization leading an informed and inspired community to take action for wildlife locally and globally. With over 25 conservation partners and projects worldwide, the CSC is committed to conservation-based education and saving species and their habitats in the wild. Oakland Zoo is dedicated to the humane treatment of animals and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the national organization that sets the highest standards for animal welfare for zoos and aquariums.

ABOUT WASHED ASHORE: 
Washed Ashore is a non-profit 501c (3).Our mission is to build and exhibit aesthetically powerful art to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits. The Washed Ashore staff has worked with over 14,000 volunteers in the last 10 years and processed over 26 tons of garbage from the beach into over 80 works of educational art. Washed Ashore has four traveling exhibits that tour the county and Canada to reach millions of people yearly with the message that their every action counts and we can all make better choices to reduce plastic pollution and help our planet.

ABOUT RECOLOGY: 
Recology is a 100% employee-owned integrated resource recovery company that provides environmental services – including recycling, compost, and garbage collection and processing to more than 140 communities in California, Oregon and Washington. The Recology mission represents a fundamental shift from traditional waste management to resource recovery. Our vision is to create a world without waste by developing and discovering sustainable resource recovery practices.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FREDERICK, MD. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

The Frederick County Agricultural Society (FCAS), as specified in the by-laws, held their annual life member meeting on December 14, 2019 at 10 a.m. in Building 9 at the Frederick Fairgrounds. The Frederick County Agricultural Society consists of 250 life member certificate holders that own the Frederick Fairgrounds, where The Great Frederick Fair is held.

During the annual meeting the shareholders elect a Board of Managers for the following year. 220 people attended the annual meeting and elected the following 2020 Board of Managers of the Frederick County Agricultural Society, Inc.:

John Bare 
Charles Cramer 
Joseph Devilbiss 
Robert Frank 
Maurice Gladhill 
James Grimes 
Colby Hubble 
Nancy Keller 
Jacqui Kreh 
John Murphy 
Ray Ramsburg

Following the meeting, the new Board of Managers elected officers. Charles B. Cramer of New Market was elected to serve as President, Nancy F. Keller of Keymar as Vice President, Robert Frank of Frederick as Secretary and Maurice Gladhill of Frederick resumes as Treasurer. Anne Rollins was re-elected to serve as legal counsel for the FCAS.

The Great Frederick Fair, Inc. has a separate Board of Directors. Tim Horman serves as legal counsel. All of the FCAS Managers serve on the Fair's Board of Directors, along with Shelly J. Stull of Frederick.

Karen Nicklas was named General Manager. Full time office staff includes Michele Lowe, Jacqui Nigh, Chris Spangler and Alice Stevens. The maintenance team includes Supervisor, Mike Toms; Rusty Riggs and Randy Wiles.

The 158th Great Frederick Fair is scheduled for September 18-26, 2020. Tickets are on sale now: 

Friday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m.: TobyMac w/ Ryan Stevenson (Christian), presented by Eddie Mercer Agri-Services

Monday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m.: Tractor/Truck Pull, presented by Krietz Auto

Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m.: Jon Pardi w/ Drew Parker (Country), presented by DARCARS Toyota of Frederick

Additional shows will be announced

Reithoffer Shows is offering an Advanced Sale Carnival Ticket: JACK PASS - $30 each: ONE – single admission & carnival ride wristband, valid any one day of the Fair; JACK'S PACK – $110 ($27.50 each) FOUR- single admission & carnival ride wristband. Buy tickets online, http://www.gffair.com/tickets



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

ORLANDO, FLA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Clean the World, a leader in global health dedicated to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and global sustainability, announced today that its full-service customer portal for hospitality partners has enabled them to increase customer support capacity by 600%, leading to an increase of soap production by 52% in 2019. This has allowed Clean the World to produce 5.8 million bars in 2019 – 2 million additional bars, up from 3.8 million in 2018. Clean the World's innovative technology gives its 8,000 hospitality partners access to new impact engagement tools, real-time impact and sustainability reporting, and the ability to service their account at any time, from any desktop or mobile device.

"Through the portal, our partners are better informed on ways to engage with Clean the World and the communities we serve," says Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World. "We are addressing the world's biggest health issues across hygiene, clean water, emergency relief, and hunger and are continuously looking for new ways to improve the lives of children and families in need. Our partners are the true heroes. The more they engage with us, the more impact we can deliver."

With the help of its hospitality partners, Clean the World collects the soap bars and bathroom amenities left behind daily by guests, diverting these materials from landfills. Once received at a Clean the World facility, soap bars collected from over 1.2 million rooms are recycled into new bars and the bathroom amenity bottles are sorted for plastic recycling or energy-from-waste. Since 2009, Clean the World and its partners have distributed 53 million soap bars and 5 million hygiene kits globally to 127 countries, while diverting 20 million pounds of waste from landfills. By providing access to soap and hygiene education, Clean the World has contributed to a 60% reduction in pre-adolescent deaths from hygiene-related illnesses.

"Our customer impact and engagement portal allows partners to deliver impact around the world," says Shawn Seipler. "As our portal evolves, Clean the World now has an easy-to-use, engaging, and interactive mechanism to deploy new impact solutions and services to our partners, giving them innovative ways to make a difference and drive positive impact locally and globally."

Previously, Clean the World partners were required to contact their account representative to order bins, get shipping labels, and receive impact reports. This technology offers a better user experience, giving partners the ability to manage their accounts at any time and from any device. In the past year, Clean the World doubled the amount of hotel partners it serviced. As the Clean the World team was busy onboarding new properties, the portal was able to assist by managing 65,000 customer support requests, increasing capacity by 600% over the previous year.

Florida-based software and website design firms, Concepta and Click Laboratory, built out Clean the World's customer portal in January 2019 with the first phase serving roughly 4,500 properties. Since then, Clean the World has doubled the number of properties and continues to enhance its portal to better serve partners.

"Helping people understand how technology can change a person's way of life has been the driving force behind Concepta's operations," says Thomas Capone, Vice President of Business Development at Concepta. "Through our partnership with Clean the World, we hope to inspire others to lead the charge and think differently. The customer impact & engagement portal provides automated tools and personalized insights so that partners can see their direct global impact. Clean the World is using technology to drive social good. The impact is monumental."

"Clean the World is one of those rare organizations we love working with that is working to improve the lives of people across the globe," says John Paul Mains, Founder and Chief Scientist at Click Laboratory. "They love to think outside of the box and have been inspirational to our team on using technology and innovation to serve others."

This newly-implemented technology equips Clean the World's Hospitality Recycling partners with the data needed to exceed their sustainability and impact goals. Partners receive deeper insights into their impact, encouraging them to make an even bigger commitment and increase their participation in social and environment issues. This portal is the key driver to increasing their sustainability initiatives, giving partners enhanced reporting, impact tracking, studies and trends on corporate responsibility, and more timely updates on emergency response efforts.

Customer portal users receive real-time feedback on the amount of soap that has been collected, pounds of plastic (shampoo, conditioner, and lotion bottles) that have been recycled, and the number of soap bars that have been distributed because of their efforts, arming these hotels with real-time impact metrics that can be shared with their guests. In addition, properties can use the portal to engage in various impact solutions and sustainability services and receive updates on Clean the World's mission-based programs. Partners can also easily upgrade their account, manage team access, and update contact information right from the portal, thereby equipping them with an easy way to service their account at their convenience. In addition, a backend tracking tool allows Clean the World's operation team to easily monitor shipments and update impact totals in real-time giving properties immediate feedback on their waste diversion.    

For partner properties interested in accessing Clean the World's customer portal, please visit: https://cleantheworld.org/portal/. For more information on how you can participate in Clean the World's world-renowned recycling program, please visit https://cleantheworld.org/get-involved/hotel-recycling-program/.

About Clean the World 
Clean the World is a social enterprise dedicated to WASH (water, sanitization, and hygiene) and sustainability. It operates soap recycling centers in Orlando, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Netherlands, and Punta Cana and leads a "Global Hygiene Revolution" to distribute recycled soap and hygiene products from more than 8,000 hotel and resort partners. Clean the World's foundation provides WASH (water, sanitization, and hygiene) programming to benefit global communities with high pre-adolescent death rates due to acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases (cholera) – which are two of the top killers of children under the age of five. Since 2009, the foundation has served over 10 million individuals and distributed 53 million bars of soap and 5 million hygiene kits in 127 countries. More information: https://cleantheworld.org/.

About Concepta 
Concepta is an enterprise technology company with a focus on creating innovative solutions for real-world business problems. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Concepta's services cover a broad range of enterprise needs with its core foundation in technology & engineering, product development, and technical strategies. Concepta's agile approach puts business needs first and focuses on high ROI deliverables. Concepta serves an international portfolio of Fortune 500 and Franchise 500 companies and have built multiple top 20 apps on both iTunes and Google Play. Concepta is one of the 10 Fast Growing Companies in Orlando, and led by 2 of Orlando Business Journal's "40 Under 40" dynamic professionals. Learn more about how Concepta works at conceptatech.com.

About Click Laboratory: 
Click Laboratory helps companies simplify marketing. We help companies understand their customers, how they interact with your brand and use machine learning to take the guesswork out of marketing that drives growth. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida Click serves the garage startup to the large enterprise with digital marketing and customer-facing application design that helps you focus on growth. For more information visit https://www.clicklaboratory.com/.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SKOKIE, ILL. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

UMF Corporation, a manufacturer of high performance, color-coded cleaning products, partnered with Baptist Easley Hospital, a member of Prisma Health, providing a comprehensive PCPLUS program in support of ensuring safe patient environments. With PCPLUS, the world-class hospital was able to cut its monthly laundry management costs in half, support infection prevention, decrease environmental impact, and free up capital.

PCPLUS is a comprehensive, all-inclusive program that includes customized commercial washers and dryers that are technology-enabled for efficient water and chemical use; high-performance, color-coded flat mops and wipers; hardware; and all other products required to process patient environments. Onsite hygiene specialist and operating room (OR) processing training are included in the program. PCPLUS also consists of ongoing equipment maintenance, a comprehensive warranty, parts and service, and annual loss-replacement of PerfectCLEAN products based on customer requirements.

"Through PCPLUS, we immediately realized monthly savings," commented Baptist Easley Environmental Services Supervisor Harriet Lugo-Weaver. "Infection prevention is a top priority for Baptist Easley, and with PCPLUS, we're easily able to meet our stringent infection prevention and environmental services standards, as well as patient satisfaction needs. In addition, with PCPLUS, we are reducing capital costs and ensuring maximum environmental sustainability via reduced water and energy usage."

As part of the program, Baptist Easley uses a 45-pound steam washer – which easily attains a constant wash and rinse temperature at the CDC-recommended 160+ degrees Fahrenheit – and a 65-pound dryer, also steam heated to ensure a temperature range sufficient to provide thermal disinfection. Baptist Easley also benefits from color-coded PerfectCLEAN products and environmental services training to support optimal infection prevention throughout the hospital.

"PCPLUS is the only program that combines the financial flexibility of outsourcing with the superior quality and control of on-site processing," said George Clarke, CEO of UMF Corporation.

With PCPLUS, customers conserve capital resources while ensuring product availability and optimal infection prevention. PCPLUS innovations include: 

Comprehensive 3-par inventory – all PerfectCLEAN products required for all patient environments.

Color-coding – a one-per-room color-coded methodology supporting infection prevention to eliminate cross-contamination in patient rooms, ORs, guest rooms and classrooms.

Automatic water savings (AWS) – as much as 40% on small loads. AWS calculates the weight of each load and adds precisely the right amount of water, thus reducing water and energy costs.

Smart dosing – smart dosing works with AWS to adjust the ratio of laundry chemicals to water, resulting in lower costs and a superior wash.

Eco-Power dryer – saves up to 15% on each cycle with reverse dryer cylinders to optimize savings. Determines when garments are dry and automatically reduces dryer temp, thus lowering gas consumption.

Hygiene Specialist Training – comprehensive training on best practices for environmental services department.

OR processing – on-site training includes checklists and best practices for processing the OR.

"We've been using the PCPLUS program for more than three years, and we've been very satisfied with the program," added Lugo-Weaver. "From the start, UMF Corporation has served as a true partner to Baptist Easley. Initially, their team worked closely with our facilities department to ensure seamless implementation of PCPLUS hardware, determining an optimal hospital location for the hardware, and working with an outside contractor to run water, steam, drain, intake and exhaust ducting, and electricity to the room. Since then, they've provided us with regular training and support whenever issues arise."

For more information on PCPLUS by UMF Corporation, please visit https://www.perfectclean.com/plus.

About UMF Corporation 
UMF Corporation is the leader in the research and development of high-performance textiles for the infection prevention and commercial cleaning markets. Through extensive testing, exhaustive analysis and the commitment of significant human and financial resources, new antimicrobial technologies have been merged with innovative product designs that are redefining the future of clean. http://www.perfectclean.com



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

ROSWELL, GA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Cultured Stone, from Boral North America, the company that pioneered the manufactured stone veneer category, continues to innovate by launching a panelized version of its Drystack Ledgestone profile in three color options: Rubicon, Melrose and High Plains. As the darkest palette in the profile, Rubicon presents a strikingly contemporary blend of deep grays and carbon-inspired tones. For those seeking more neutral shades, Melrose incorporates a sophisticated assortment of light-gray hues, and High Plains showcases an earthy grouse color with tan undertones that accentuate the profile's rustic textures. The new colors provide a variety of options to integrate with any design style, and the panelized system makes installation easier and faster at a time when labor shortages within the building industry are at an all-time high.

"The process of creating a panelized system is a deliberate and purposeful response to the current labor shortage," said Sarah Lograsso, Director of Marketing. "By creating solutions that alleviate jobsite pressures, we're hoping to underscore our commitment to providing dependable and versatile products."

TWEET THIS: New Drystack Ledgestone panels from @Cultured_Stone make installation faster to alleviate jobsite pressures caused by a growing shortage of skilled labor. #stoneveneer http://bit.ly/CS_DrystackLedgestone

There is a growing need to incorporate time-saving solutions for both new construction and remodeling projects as contractors struggle to find qualified laborers and meet high construction demand. A recent survey commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that 91 percent of contractors, construction managers, builders and trade contractors reported having a difficult or moderately difficult time finding skilled workers. Understanding that this shortage includes a decrease in skilled stone masons, Cultured Stone takes a bold lead in innovation through the debut of a panelized system that makes installation faster and easier.

Drystack Ledgestone panels provide the same textural variations present in the non-panelized profile, which is notable for its ability to capture both light and shadow in the interplay of carefully selected and shaped stones that have been tight-fitted for drystack installation. Architects and designers prefer Drystack Ledgestone for its texture and color variation, which blends well with both contemporary and traditional design styles.

For more information on Cultured Stone and its products, visit CulturedStone.com.

About Cultured Stone 
Cultured Stone originated the manufactured stone veneer category and continues to lead the industry in innovation, reliability and precision. For more than 55 years, Cultured Stone has produced stone and brick veneers of the highest quality for interior applications, such as fireplace surrounds and kitchen backsplashes, or exterior accents. Backed by a 50-year limited warranty, Cultured Stone products are engineered to meet the strictest requirements in the industry and contain an average of 50 percent pre-consumer recycled content. The company operates two manufacturing facilities in North America: Napa, California, and Chester, South Carolina, and the products are available nationwide from more than 850 dealers and globally in Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, detailed product specifications and other trade resources, visit CulturedStone.com.

About Boral North America 
Boral North America, a division of Boral Limited, brings a diverse array of premium brands under one banner to deliver next generation building materials for this generation's needs. Boral's innovative manufacturers and passionate teams provide the highest quality architectural solutions and industry leadership in a variety of categories, including stone, brick, roofing, siding and trim, and windows. For more information visit BoralAmerica.com

About Boral Stone Division 
The Boral Stone Division, within Boral North America, provides an extensive collection of sustainably manufactured solutions to match any design style and budget. With six unique brands and a global footprint, Boral Stone Division products enhance the aesthetic and tactile appeal of any project with the natural textures and authentic color palettes of architectural stone veneer. For more information visit BoralAmerica.com/Stone 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WATERLOO, ILL. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 16, 2020

"This unique issue is a celebration of indigenous women and children, and their contributions to climate change ... specifically how climate change affects radon gas levels." says Jacquelyn Nixon, Publisher. "Our number one goal is to provide additional information as to why everyone should test their homes, schools and workplaces for radon gas and mitigate if levels are high. Empowering the public with additional knowledge can be key to their willingness to perform a radon test. This is a must read!"

Typically climate change is incorporated as part of environmental campaigns and is perceived as separate from the radon issue. The awareness of how it affects radon is unrecognized territory, but deserves acknowledgement. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and number one cause among non-smokers. With over 21,000 deaths per year, new ways of educating the public should be considered.

A consistent radon campaign builds expectation and familiarity in one's audience. With new reasons to test, the information may gain increase listeners and radon testing.

Finally, CR3 would like to honor all of the young female climate change activists who stood up for what they believed in and worked toward a goal to improve our quality of living. When the children rise up and protest, it's time to truly listen.

As Gloria Linnertz, Dir of CR3 said, "Together, we can create our future."

2020 Issue CR3 News Magazine: Black & Women History Months 
Direct Link: https://joom.ag/NWxe 
CR3 News Magazine Newsstand: https://newsstand.joomag.com/en?q=CR3+News+Magazine 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/citizens4radonreduction.org 
info@citizens4radonreduction.org



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Martin Dougiamas, the founder of Moodle, designed a secure, dynamic, and integrated system to provide educators, learners, and administrators with personalized learning environments. "Moodle originally aimed at higher education, but was rapidly taken up by schools and companies, so it's used across all phases of learning and all ages," Dougiamas tells C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld.

To date, Moodle has stayed neutral on the question of what should be taught in curriculum and has left that to educators to decide. However, Dougiamas believes the UN's Sustainable Development Goals show us the big problems our planet faces, "so big that they need to become the world's agenda for education." He believes that education is the solution for all the goals. "We need to raise the amount of awareness and training around these goals in every curriculum in the world, from school to university to workplace."

Read the full article here

Martin Dougiamas is the Founder and CEO of Moodle. Growing up in the Australian outback in the late 1970s, Dougiamas experienced homeschooling and distance learning at a young age. While working and studying at Curtin University, his unusual academic background inspired him to develop and facilitate the alternative method of online learning. Dougiamas is now the CEO of the Moodle project.

CMRubinWorld's award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the world's leading thinkers.

For more information on CMRubinWorld

Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter

Contact Information:

David Wine

David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PITTSBURGH, PA (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Residents in Pine Township and the surrounding areas will have convenient access to a wide range of clinical services when AHN Wexford Hospital opens next year. Allegheny Health Network (AHN)and Peoples Natural Gas (PNG) officials announced today that the hospital will also be powered by an onsite, state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly energy solution.

Construction of a natural gas-fired electric power generation, heating and cooling facility is currently underway on the future Wexford Hospital's campus. A combined heat and power (CHP) system within the 18,000 square-foot, two-story power plant facility will simultaneously produce up to two megawatts of electricity and thermal energy onsite to meet all of the facility's energy needs including electricity, heat, chilled water, hot water and steam.

"At AHN, we strive to be good corporate citizens in every endeavor we take to invest in our facilities and expand access to care in the communities we serve," said Allan Klapper, MD, president, Wexford Hospital. "As we prepare to open a world-class hospital in Pine Township, we are extremely pleased to partner with Peoples Natural Gas to power the facility with an environmentally responsible energy solution that will greatly benefit the region and its many residents."

The Wexford Hospital power plant project has been supported by a $1.8 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection as part of the Alternative and Clean Energy (ACE) program. The program provides financial assistance for utilization, development and construction of alternative and clean energy projects in the commonwealth.

According to PNG, the combined heat and power system offers a number of benefits compared to conventional electricity and thermal energy production, including increased efficiency achieved from the onsite generation which eliminates wasted energy during typical transmission and distribution. The system also reduces emissions of greenhouses gases and air pollutants.

In the event of a grid disruption, the system will provide a redundant source of power to the hospital, supporting continuous operations and maximizing patient safety.

"Peoples is proud to partner with AHN to help bring this amazing new hospital to life in an environmentally friendly way for the residents of Wexford and the surrounding region," said Morgan O'Brien, president and CEO, Peoples Natural Gas. "Innovation is at the heart of many new developments currently underway in or planned for our region, and AHN's Wexford Hospital is a great example of that vision and commitment to its future."

Construction of the plant is expected to be complete by the end of this year, meeting all of the hospital's energy needs as construction of the hospital proceeds towards its expected completion in 2021.

AHN Wexford Hospital will offer comprehensive women and infant care, including labor and delivery services; advanced cardiac, neurosurgical, orthopaedic, and cancer care; a 24-room emergency department and short-stay observation unit; an adult intensive care unit (ICU); operating rooms that provide minimally-invasive robotic surgical capabilities; 160 all-private inpatient rooms; and a host of other patient- and family-friendly clinical programs, amenities and services.

"The Township of Pine is excited that AHN and Highmark Health have made a significant investment in transforming health care in this region and is doing so in a way that also prioritizes the health and wellbeing of the environment," said Larry Kurpakus, Director of Code Administration and Land Development, Township of Pine.

About Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network (http://www.ahn.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. Among the network's 250 clinical locations are nine hospitals — Allegheny General Hospital, its flagship academic medical center in Pittsburgh; Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Pa.; Canonsburg Hospital in Canonsburg, Pa.; Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Pa.; Grove City Hospital, Grove City, PA; Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills, Pa.; Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa.; West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh; and Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY. AHN also is home to a comprehensive research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; home- and community-based health services; and a group purchasing organization. The network employs 21,000 people and has more than 2,500 doctors on its medical staff. Established in 2013, AHN's member hospitals share legacies of charitable care that date back more than 160 years.

About Peoples Natural Gas

Peoples is an energy provider serving approximately 740,000 homes and businesses in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. The company's mission is to improve the lives of its customers and to help build long-term economic growth for the regions it serves. For more information about Peoples, visit http://www.peoples-gas.com and follow Peoples on social media @peoplesnatgas.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

AMSTERDAM (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 17, 2020

Stop choosing between performance and sustainability when it comes to clothing. Today, DULO launched a new line of men's performance dress shirts made of 100% biodegradable fabric on Kickstarter.

Now, men can enjoy the benefits of performance clothing without sacrificing care for the environment. With its biodegradable fabric, recycled premium polyester sewing thread and wooden buttons, DULO offers the comfort and performance men expect with a significantly reduced environmental impact over other clothing brands.

"We launched DULO to provide men with a low-maintenance, functional and stylish shirt, but learned just how harmful the traditional apparel industry has been to the environment," said Marin Gerov, co-founder of DULO. "When you know better, you do better. We set out to create clothing that offers what people have come to expect, but do so while thinking of the planet we're living on, too."

Every time an article of traditional performance clothing is washed, tiny microplastics are released into the water and environment. These nonbiodegradable plastics contribute to the eight million tons of plastic waste entering the oceans annually. DULO is different. When washed, microplastics released from DULO shirts are biodegradable and will degrade naturally in a matter of a few years, not centuries. What's more, if a DULO shirt ends up in a landfill after years of wear, it'll decompose into elements that can be used by the environment and be converted into green energy.

What makes DULO unlike other iron-free or performance shirts is its use of fabric. Each shirt is made of responsibly sourced Oeko-Tex certified Amni Soul Eco Fabric and Coats Epic EcoVerde threads. The result is a quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant, antibacterial, soft-to-the-touch shirt with a four-way stretch. It's machine washable, too. Even the packaging is sustainable with DULO shirts, which are shipped in 100% recycled paper transport boxes and arrive to customers in 100% recycled paper boxes.

DULO is available to pre-order in white, black or navy in slim, tall and regular fit shirts in sizes ranging from S to XXL. To pre-order, visit pr.go2.fund/DULO.

About DULO 
DULO was created on the premise that looking great shouldn't take extra time. After realizing that up to two hours every week was spent ironing dress shirts, Marin Gerov and Julian Samarjiev founded DULO to get that time back. As they researched the industry, they vowed to produce garments that were sustainable and biodegradable. The result is a performance dress shirt company that sacrifices nothing in quality while caring for the environment. For more information, visit http://www.weardulo.com. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 17, 2020

A new solar panel technology using primarily gravity could be the future of mass energy storage and power.

According to an article by Victor Tangermann published on Futurism.com, "A pre-programmed crane on top of a massive tower lifts and stacks colossal bricks on top of each using excess power from wind and solar plants. When demand exceeds electricity production, the crane reverses the process, recouping energy by unstacking the tower of bricks...Just 20 cranes could provide enough power for 40,000 households over a 24 hour period, according to the WSJ."

Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies, shares his excitement stating, "Solar technology is growing so rapidly that we're beginning to explore avenues we could have never imagined only a few years ago. Solar power itself is already an extraordinary discovery in that we have the main resource we need, the sun, given to us for free with each rising day. And now with the hope that gravity, easily harnessable source, could be used for energy storage, we may be on the brink of a new era in solar energy with higher efficiency and lower costs."

The article wraps up, "Lithium-ion batteries rely on rare-Earth metals, the extraction of which is steeped in environmental and humanitarian problems, and tend to lose their capacity over time...The concept is similar to "pumped hydro" systems, which use bodies of water instead of heavy bricks and a hill instead of a tower, and have been around for at least a century."

Zvik responds to the findings, mentioning, "It's funny how sometimes the seemingly most innovative technologies stem from past technologies that we thought we had developed to their full extent. Going back to solar energy for example, the sun has literally been around since the beginning of time, but relatively speaking, we just recently started using it as an energy source, and it's my belief that we've barely scratched the surface of the sun's potential. It will be amazing to witness the technologies we develop over the next few decades--developments that we haven't even dreamed up yet that will blow us away and completely change our world as we know it."



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NOVI, MICH. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Plan now for renovations or additions at the cottage, dock replacements, seawall projects or take home the latest water toys during the 13th annual Cottage & Lakefront Living Show opening Thur., Feb. 27 and running through Sun., March 1 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

"Live life from the lakefront this summer," said Dawn Baker, show manager of ShowSpan, Inc. "Get ready for summer at our preseason show by walking through full-size cabins and putting your toes in the sand at The Beach."

Food blogger and Meals for the Mitten cookbook author, Gina Ferwerda, will demonstrate "Appy Tails," appetizers and cocktails presented together for sunset viewing parties, on the Cottage Living Stage. Other seminars include cottage family succession planning and a guide to vacation rental success.

Attendees can list their vacation property or look for availability on the "For Sale or Rent" bulletin board. Families can locate and mark where their vacation home is located on an oversized Michigan map. Showgoers can choose the entry that best captures cottage and lakefront living at the Water & Woods Photo Contest. Children of all ages are invited to put their toes in the sand and build a sand castle at The Beach, the show's giant sandbox.

Michigan artists featured in the Cottage Art Show will present metal art, rustic furniture and home furnishings, jewelry and cottage décor for sale. Decorative accessories, gourmet foods, handcrafted items and Michigan-themed merchandise will be available for purchase in the Lakefront Marketplace.

DreamCatcher BoatWorks of Grand Rapids will demonstrate repair methods for handcrafted custom wood kayaks, canoes and boats; discuss boat building techniques; and display custom-built canoes, kayaks and furniture. Michigan Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of historic boats, will have restored boats on display.

Exhibits with displays, information and educational materials include lakefront cottage and homebuilders, new construction log, timber frame and cedar homes, realtors, financing, vacation property for sale or rent, rustic and fine furnishings, decor, shoreline and cottage landscaping, lakeshore maintenance and cottage services, boats, docks, decks, seawalls, outdoor recreational equipment, stand-up paddleboards and water toys.

Experts throughout the show will share tips, advice and knowledge on purchasing, renting, planning, maintaining and enjoying spring, summer and year-round vacation and lakefront homes.

Landscaping ideas for cabin, cottage and lakefront properties are incorporated into displays that include outdoor living spaces, fireplaces, cooking options, patios, decks and garden products. Entry level to luxury pontoon boats, fishing boats, family sport boats, jet skis, kayaks, wakeboards and runabouts will all be on display.

"We have the ideas and exhibits whether you are looking to buy, build, rent or maintain your vacation property or just want to find out how to make this summer memorable for your family," said Baker.

Suburban Collection Showplace is located at 46100 Grand River Ave. between Novi and Beck Road in Novi, Mich. Cottage & Lakefront Living Show admission is $12 and includes admission to Outdoorama; $5 for children 6-14 and children 5 and under admitted free. Advance tickets online for Thurs. and Fri. are $10. On-site parking is available for a fee. For more information, visit http://www.novicottageshow.com, facebook.com/cottageandlakefrontliving, instagram.com/micottageshows or call (616) 447-2860. 
# # # # 
MEDIA NOTE: 
Hours of the 2020 Cottage & Lakefront Living Show in Novi: 
Thurs., Feb. 27: 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. 
Fri., Feb. 28: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 
Sat., Feb. 29: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. 
Sun., Mar. 1: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

The 19th Annual Wall Street Green Summit will be held on Monday March 23rd at the Princeton Club in midtown Manhattan. The Summit will focus on accelerating climate change solutions by the deployment of more capital in the rapidly growing sustainable finance sector. Specific examples of investment strategies and technologies will be shown at the Summit.

This year's Summit will focus on six Impact Investment funds all with different strategies in Nordic technology acceleration, ocean investing, thematic ESG investing and human capital investing.

Speaker Sessions include: 

Karl Andersen, Founder of AV Group Ltd, which is focused on ESG and Impact in scaling Nordic technologies in energy, food and water to global markets

Tim Hoffman of Columbia Tech Ventures will offer insights on The Latest Developments in Cleantech Investment

Julia Davis, Head of Impact Solutions at Bank of the West/Paribas, will identify new investment ideas in sustainability.

A growing number of responsible investors are now clamoring for more product to invest in to address the key sectors of the world's economy impacted by climate change i.e. energy, food and water. The dire need to green the supply chain is focusing investors on scaling and commercializing technologies that will bring the world to climate stasis before it is too late. Impact investment in technologies and funds is needed to grow rapidly during this decade to address climate impacts.

Launched in 2002, Peter Fusaro's Wall Street Green Summit covers cutting edge contact, the latest industry developments, and feature practitioners and leaders in the field of sustainable finance. The 19th annual WSGS promises to stimulate dialogue and offer solutions on distributed generation, the emerging hydrogen economy, where ESG and Impact investment is going, and how renewable energy fits into this picture as part of the energy transition.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Modern Living with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with JonecaPresident Edward Chavez and Marketing Director Sharena Walker to discuss their revolutionary new approach to food waste disposal.

Joneca is a leader in the worldwide distribution of environmental products. The company is the manufacturer and distributor of innovative kitchen products in the North American market. Joneca specializes in residential kitchen and household appliances, particularly garbage disposers, unique food waste disposer accessories, water chillers and hot water dispensers. Joneca's residential food waste disposers feature antimicrobial protection against odor with brands such as Waste Maid, Commodore, Bone Crusher, Eco Logic, Waste Master and Titan. Joneca's other trusted brands include Mr. Scrappy, Ready Hot, and Bio Shield UV-C Air Sanitizer.

Walker says that food waste disposers from Joneca stand out from the competition. She explains, "Besides our press-and-go feature, we also have exclusive features in all of our disposers. One of these is bio-shield antimicrobial, which is an antimicrobial agent that's built into the wet components of the disposer. It fights bacteria from growing, which prevents odor. It's built into the disposer, which is very important in a kitchen environment. In addition, it's one of the quietest disposers on the market. All of our components are made of stainless steel, which means it won't fail due to corrosion."

For more information about Joneca and their eco-friendly food waste disposers, visit Joneca.comand tune in to WE tv as sponsored content on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:30am EST and internationally on Bloomberg Television on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 7:00pm GMT and Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 10:00am D.F. and 2:30pm HKT.

About Modern Living with kathy ireland 
Modern Living with kathy ireland is an independently produced television series airing domestically on WE tv as sponsored content and on Bloomberg Internationally. Hosted by lifestyle influencer and business mogul Kathy Ireland, the series features the latest in lifestyle and B2C trends, breakthroughs, and solutions, while highlighting companies from around the globe in a unique and credible format. For more about Modern Living with kathy ireland, visit modernlivingtv.com and check out the series on social media! 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PANAMA CITY, FLA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Hull's Environmental Services (Hull's) recently executed a five-year agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to provide emergency response cleanup services for the Northwest, Northeast and Central Regions of the FDEP. According to the contract, "Hull's will respond to any situation determined by the Department to represent a threat to the public or the environment of the State of Florida on an 'as needed' basis, twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, fifty-two (52) weeks a year."

Pursuant to sections 403.1655, 376.09, and 376.305, Florida Statute (F.S.), and Chapter 62-107, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), FDEP is authorized to contract with private independent vendors to aid in responding to emergency events which pose an environmental or public health threat when the responsible party is unknown or fails to act in a timely or appropriate manner.

Within FDEP is the Office of Emergency Response (OER), which responds to environmental pollution threats in every form, such as incidents involving petroleum spills caused by vehicle accidents, chemical plant explosions, and coastal oil spills. OER provides technical and on-site assistance to ensure threats to the environment and human safety are quickly and effectively addressed. In addition, OER works with local public safety officials and emergency response contractors to minimize threats to the environment.

Hull's Executive Vice President, Tony Payne, commented on the recent award, "It's really an exciting announcement for us. With four locations in Florida, it's our backyard and we certainly take great pride in knowing the State of Florida has entrusted Hull's Environmental Services for the next five years as an emergency response cleanup contractor for incidents that pose a risk to the environment or general public. We are fully prepared to provide the labor, supervision, equipment, materials, and expertise required to fulfill our obligations."

About Hull's Environmental Services 
Hull's Environmental Services, Inc. is a woman-owned small business operating from locations in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas. Throughout the southeast and mid-central United States, Hull's performs a variety of environmental services including emergency spill response for oil, fuel and hazardous materials, contaminated site remediation, hazardous & non-hazardous waste transportation & disposal, oil-field services, industrial cleaning & maintenance, vacuum truck services, tank cleaning and a wide variety of other related services for both the public and private sector. Hull's is also a United States Coast Guard certified oil spill removal organization (OSRO) for all or portions of COTP Zones five, seven, eight, nine, eleven and thirteen. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

sensemetrics Inc., a California-based Industrial IoT (IIoT) and cloud technology company transforming sensor data into real-time business intelligence, today announced that Geosense, a leading UK manufacturer of geotechnical and structural monitoring instrumentation company, is the first sensor company in Europe to integrate its portfolio of sensors into sensemetrics' cloud-based IIoT platform.

sensemetrics is the only proven plug-and-play sensor management solution that simplifies sensor data capture and provides standardisation that will enhance connected real-time data visualisation and intelligence platforms. Any Geosense analogue or digital sensor can be connected to sensemetrics' intelligent IIoT device, the Thread, which dynamically creates edge network connectivity and securely transfers data to the cloud. Additional Geosense products such as the SmartMux and Linx Logger provide expanded connectivity features to the system.

The partnership between sensemetrics and Geosense means improved connectivity and data management when monitoring the safety and performance of infrastructure, mining, and energy assets such as dams, tunnels, pipelines, bridges and high-rise buildings.

"We are pleased to be part of a collective effort to connect organisations, people, assets and devices through one cloud-based IIoT platform. Joining the sensemetrics Alliance Program builds on our commitment to be the industry leader in providing high-quality sensor connectivity to our clients worldwide," said Martin Clegg, Managing Director of Geosense.

Cory Baldwin, President of sensemetrics, said "We are excited to partner with Geosense and expand our support of their portfolio of geotechnical and structural sensors. Geosense is acknowledged as one of the leading manufacturers of geotechnical instrumentation. sensemetrics provides the preferred IIoT platform across a diverse cross-section of applications, including geotechnical, structural, environmental, geospatial, and process. Geosense complements our industrial focus, and we look forward to serving their customers in Europe and globally."

Sensemetrics' comprehensive integration of IIoT and Cloud technologies greatly reduces the cost and complexity of sensor automation.

Key features of the Geosense integration are: 

Calibration factors input automatically from OEM via REST API

Eliminates the frustration of managing calibration sheets, potential input errors, and enhances the users field integration experience allowing them to immediately validate calibrated measurements in engineering units upon install

Rapid visualization of digital sensors including IPIs in seconds

Time-saving - no more clunky FTP-CSV file management

Projects can be easily expanded without IT issues or upgrades

GIS, alarms and reports at the click of a button

Full integration of Geosense sensors together with Geodetic and Meteorological instruments

Visit sensemetrics Alliance Program for more information.

About Geosense 
Geosense has been manufacturing sensors since 1995 and specialises in vibrating wire, and MEMS technology used extensively for Geotechnical and Structural Monitoring. https://www.geosense.co.uk/

About sensemetrics 
sensemetrics is a leading innovator in the Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) market. The company offers the only market-proven cloud-based enterprise software platform that simplifies connectivity and standardizes industrial sensor data, enabling our partner network to more efficiently provide active risk management and safety solutions. http://www.sensemetrics.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

The Fashion Positive Advisory Council is pleased to announce that Sasha Radovich will be its new Executive Director. Sasha's proven leadership will help Fashion Positive maximize its strategy to help support fashion brands and manufacturers in reaching their Sustainable Development Goals and Science Basted Targets. Specifically, Sasha will help the industry make significant progress in the reduction of landfill waste, resource usage, CO2 and GHG emissions, as well as other important metrics.

"Textile Exchange is excited about the leadership that Fashion Positive can provide to create direction and action for strategies that support circular systems and the materials needed to support the transformation of supply networks," said La Rhea Pepper, Managing Director of Textile Exchange.

Lewis Perkins, President of Apparel Impact Institute and Fashion Positive Advisory Council member said, "On behalf of the Advisory Council, we are very excited about the experience and vision Sasha brings to this work. The future of Fashion Positive is bright under her direction, as we collectively transition the apparel sector to safe and circular materials, design and reutilization."

Sasha Radovich brings 20 years' experience of systems-change approaches from collaborative innovation to addressing impacts on people and communities, products, services and processes. Radovich's experience is rooted in sustainable economic development through multi-stakeholder partnership. Sasha has a unique blend of experience with: 

Private, civil society, and multi-lateral sectors.

Apparel, technology, and manufacturing industries.

Deep coalition building across geographies with global teams.

Navigating and planning for local impacts during systemic transitions.

Radovich has a passion for systems thinking and the circular economy and believes we cannot make systems change without partnerships with leading industry players and the organizations and people they impact.

This new leadership comes at an important time in the development of the circular economy, and the fibers and materials that can be leveraged to support it.

About Fashion Positive: 
Fashion Positive, which began as an initiative of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, is a nonprofit that leads the vision, definition and use of safe and circular materials for the fashion industry. Now in its 6th year, Fashion Positive is developing the first framework that defines the requirements for Circular Materials in the textile industry. This framework lays out requirements for Producers of fibers, both commercially-available and innovative, that clarify the pathway to what we can call "Circular." All requirements in the Circular Materials framework are connected to existing and globally-used verifications standards to demonstrate how these standards fit into the vision of Circular Materials. 
Textile Exchange is the fiscal sponsor for Fashion Positive and serves on the Advisory Council. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BOULDER, COLO. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Clinton Foundation today released a new report, Solar Under Storm II, focusing on best practices for installing climate-resistant rooftop solar in high-wind regions.

A sequel to Solar Under Storm, published in 2018, this latest report offers new and sought-after analysis of rooftop solar survivability from the Caribbean during extreme weather events and hurricane-force winds. The report is available at no cost to researchers, solar installers, policy makers, and the general public to help spread best practices for solar installations.

Chris Burgess, RMI's project director for the Islands Energy Program, said "The first Solar Under Storm was one of RMI's most popular reports in 2018. It provides a set of best practices for ground-mounted solar projects in high wind zones. The report was adopted into the Eastern Caribbean Building Code and is used to inform technical requirements for utility scale projects across the Caribbean."

Solar under Storm II is a follow up, focused on resilience of roof-mounted solar. The report was written in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation, FCX Solar and several solar professionals from Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos Islands. According to Burgess, "Rooftop solar is a critical energy asset that is experiencing tremendous growth globally. Solar is the number one source of electricity for many island nations, so it is important to understand how to secure these assets from major storms."

Sanya Detweiler, associate director of the Clinton Climate Initiative, said "Our work across the Caribbean is to support island governments and vulnerable communities as they transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources. In light of more intense and frequent storms, the knowledge and lessons captured in this report help to ensure that solar energy can be installed—and stay in place—even following extreme weather events."

The new Solar Under Storm Part II report shows that rooftop solar survival in the face of major hurricanes and cyclones is achievable and lists a number of technical considerations and recommendations for system specifications in future projects in hurricane-prone areas. These recommendations include: 

If top-down clamps are required, use clamps that hold modules individually or independently;

Specify bolt hardware that is vibration-resistant and appropriate for the environment and workforce;

Do not use self-tapping screws for structural connections.

The report also identifies areas of opportunity for multi-party collaboration to improve the entire value chain and life cycle of rooftop solar in the region. These collaboration recommendations include:

Collaborate with installers to implement and continuously improve QA/QC and operation and maintenance (O&M) processes;

Collaborate with racking suppliers to carry out full-scale and connection tests representative of ASCE 7 3-second (Category 5 hurricane) wind speeds;

Collaborate with solar module suppliers and distributers to ensure local availability of high-load, robust-frame PV modules.

The new report has been designed as guide for both technical and non-technical audiences, with the goal of creating more informed solar professionals, regulators, government officials, utilities, and customers. Ensuring roof-mounted solar installations survive hurricane force storms applies not only to the Caribbean, but also in other regions which have growing distributed energy systems and face intense storms, such as the Southeastern United States, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Pacific Islands.

The Solar Under Storm II report can be downloaded here: https://rmi.org/insight/solar-under-storm/

Media Inquiries, please contact: Alex Chin, Associate—Media Relations, media@rmi.org

About Rocky Mountain Institute 
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)—an independent nonprofit founded in 1982—transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

More information on RMI can be found at http://www.rmi.org or follow us on Twitter @RockyMtnInst.

About Clinton Foundation 
Building on a lifetime of public service, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation on the simple belief that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, everyone has a responsibility to act, and we all do better when we work together. For nearly two decades, that belief has energized the work of the Foundation in overcoming complex challenges and improving the lives of people across the United States and around the world.

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) collaborates with governments and partner organizations to increase the resilience of communities facing climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2012, CCI has worked in over 15 island nations, assisting in developing more than 70 megawatts of clean energy projects, lowering emissions by over 90,000 metric tons of CO2, and bringing in more than $125 million in project investment.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FREMONT, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Power Knot, the market leader in biodigesters that eliminate waste food for commercial foodservice operators, has opened a new 25,000-square-foot facility that significantly expands the company's manufacturing. The new facility, located just down the road from the Tesla automobile manufacturing plant and with fast access to the major international shipping port of Oakland, positions Power Knot to meet rapidly growing demand for its award-winning LFC biodigester from customers around the world.

"Demand for our LFC biodigester has surged dramatically over the past year, driven by large orders from cruise line operators Costa, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, P&O, and Seabourn, and as well as from large international businesses such as Dubai airport," said Iain Milnes, president of Power Knot. "Our new Fremont facility is three times the size of our former facility and will allow us easily to meet the growing global demand for our market-leading LFC biodigesters. In addition, we are ramping up production of new, larger models capable of recycling thousands of pounds of waste food per day. Fremont is a great city to work with, and we're looking forward to taking advantage of the numerous programs available to cleantech manufacturers."

Power Knot's new headquarters is in Fremont's Warm Springs Innovation District, where it joins some of the world's top manufacturing companies: Boston Scientific, Delta Products, Lam Research, Tesla Motors, ThermoFisher, Seagate, Western Digital and numerous startups in the cleantech, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The new Power Knot manufacturing plant was officially opened by Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, along with representatives from the city's economic development group and Power Knot's North American sales team and global distributors.

"Fremont is home to a growing number of clean tech manufacturers, ranging from electric vehicles to lithium batteries," said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei. "We are very excited to add Power Knot to the list, a company that is helping to address the challenge of global food waste through its pioneering technology. We welcome the Power Knot team to Fremont and wish them great success here."

The Power Knot LFC biodigester was recently recognized for its contribution to managing waste food with a "Restaurateurs' Choice Award for Environmental Good." The award, determined by the editors of Restaurant Technology News, recognizes excellence and innovation in providing and utilizing next-generation technologies to achieve sustainability and eco-friendly practices in restaurant operations.

The Power Knot LFC biodigester is a practical alternative to the traditional disposal of waste food. It uses a series of processes in which micro¬organisms break down biodegradable material in the presence of oxygen. The LFC environment accelerates the digestion of most food products within 24 hours by using a proprietary mixture of microbes and enzymes. The output is grey water that is environmentally safe and suitable for discharge down the drain or to enrich landscapes. Almost all waste food from an industrial kitchen, including fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, bread, rice, and noodles can go into the LFC biodigester, and the machine can compost both raw and cooked foods. The process is totally green and sustainable because it uses no chemicals.

About Power Knot 
Power Knot LLC markets the LFC biodigester and SBT bin tipper for the elimination of waste food in commercial kitchens and foodservice operations that demand hygiene and durability. The LFC biodigester digests waste food and reduces the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of waste food that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill. With installations globally, Power Knot offers the most technologically advanced machines available today and is the market leader, offering seven biodigester models that process from 25 kg (50 lb) to 1200 kg (2600 lb) of waste food per day. Power Knot designs, develops, and manufactures its products in Silicon Valley, California. For more information, visit powerknot.com.




*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BUFFALO, N.Y. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Two of the leading U.S. cannabis extraction system manufacturers are joining forces to create the most versatile customized botanical extraction plans and unmatched customer service on the market today.

The deal was created when Gibraltar Industries, the leading provider of products and services for commercial greenhouse growing and processing in North America, officially acquired its second extraction manufacturer in California based Delta Separations. The move brings Delta, an emerging leader in Ethanol extraction system technology, together with trailblazing CO2 extraction innovator, Apeks Supercritical, headquartered in Ohio.

Together, Apeks and Delta will work to drive the industry's most versatile extraction innovations and create holistic and customizable solutions for botanical processors with unrivaled expertise.

"Together, we are blazing a trail of innovation, versatility and customer service this industry has never seen before. On the extraction side, combining forces with Delta gives us the ability to serve customers with an integrated sales force and team of engineering experts from coast to coast in the United States and beyond," said Andy Joseph, Apeks Supercritical founder and General Manager.

"This opportunity with Gibraltar gives us the ability to join forces with the CO2 experts at Apeks Supercritical to create the most versatile customized botanical extraction plans and unmatched customer service on the market today," said Ben Stephens, Delta Separations Director of Research and Development.

Apeks and Delta will work together as part of a larger dynamic, vertically integrated growing and processing solution provider which also includes Greenhouse solutions companies Rough Brothers Incorporated (RBI), Nexus, and Thermo Energy Solutions.

"Both Delta Separations and Apeks Supercritical are highly respected industry wide with strong reputations for innovation and customer service. No matter what extraction method a customer prefers, this new combined product portfolio will better address their specific needs with more technology agnostic solutions," said Bill Vietas, President of Conservation and Renewable Energy Group for Gibraltar Industries.

Both Apeks Supercritical and Delta Separations will begin assimilating some operations, more than doubling existing staffing levels on the sales and service sides. Both companies will keep existing headquarters near Columbus, Ohio (Apeks) and San Francisco Bay area (Delta).

About Gibraltar 
Gibraltar Industries is a leading manufacturer and provider of products and services for the renewable energy, conservation, residential, industrial, and infrastructure markets. With a three-pillar strategy focused on business systems, portfolio management, and organization and talent development, Gibraltar's mission is to create compounding and sustainable value with strong leadership positions in higher growth, profitable end markets. Gibraltar serves customers primarily throughout North America and to a lesser extent Asia. Comprehensive information about Gibraltar can be found on its website at http://www.gibraltar1.com.

About Apeks Supercritical 
Apeks Supercritical, a Gibraltar Company, has been designing and hand crafting the highest quality botanical CO2 extraction systems since 2001. Today, Apeks has built and distributed more production CO2 extraction systems than any other company in the world and continues to evolve their technology and grow their footprint. The company is a pioneer in the cannabis and hemp industries and the first to design CO2 extraction systems specifically for cannabis oil extraction. Apeks continues to lead those industries today through the advancement of cutting-edge technologies like their patented Valveless Expansion Technology, Diaphragm Compressor Technology and fully automated, self-running systems.

About Delta Separations 
Delta Separations, a Gibraltar Company, was founded in 2015 in Santa Rosa, California and is an emerging leader in Ethanol extraction hardware manufacturing. Delta is dedicated to developing and improving equipment for safe extraction of high-quality oil from plant based biomass. Delta prides itself on supporting its clients with excellent customer service and industry education.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

HOUSTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

With Culture being the undisputed board imperative for 2020, ForbesBooks and Culture Code Champions author Bill Higgs speaks with Barefoot Wines founders, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, about how to unleash the potential of culture in organizations.

From assessing talent to the hiring and onboarding process, these industry experts explore in a just released two-part podcast the universal approach as codified in Culture Code Champions – 7 Steps to Scale and Succeed in Your Business. All three entrepreneurs built companies from scratch, which changed the face of their industry by developing, deploying and measuring an intentional culture. They share with listeners their journey and provide actionable insights to anyone who wants to improve the lives of their employees and the impact of their organizations.

"Keep the founder's entrepreneurial spirit alive with our onboarding process" is the key to successfully ensuring a great culture, notes Michael Houlihan co-Founder of Barefoot Wines and co-author of the book The Barefoot Spirit. Higg's followed this sentiment with, "Be intentional about crafting your cultural brand with new hires...it's a game-changer" in his discussion on Culture Code Champions.

Culture Code Champions is an advisory and consultancy that helps the world's most ambitious change-makers define, deploy and measure an intentional culture. By providing tools, insights and experience, we help organizations achieve extraordinary results in setting a magnetic culture that attracts and retains the best talent. Based on the pathway outlined in the ForbesBooks Culture Code Champions – 7 Steps to Scale and Succeed in Your Business, Culture Code Champions helps organizations build a championship culture that will increase bottom line profits significantly. Learn more and listen to the Barefoot podcast at http://www.culturecodechampions.com and follow us on Instagram @culturecodechampions



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CAPE CHARLES, VA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Preserve Communities has designated 350-acres from inside the Bay Creek community to serve as a permanent Nature Preserve. To honor the authentic coastal living Bay Creek is known for, the land set aside in the Nature Preserve will be dedicated toward exploration and preservation and remain protected against future development.

The Nature Preserve will encompass peaceful woodlands, traversed by clear running creeks and tranquil ponds, naturally populated with hundreds of species of wildlife. Natural coves along the shoreline will provide residents private access to outdoor health and wellness activities such as morning yoga and sunset gatherings.

A thoughtfully developed 'BaseCamp' will be introduced to act as the epicenter of the Nature Preserve. Members will be able to enjoy a host of multi-generational activities, from camping and fishing to kayaking and paddleboarding on the scenic Old Plantation Creek. The BaseCamp will also be home to Bay Creek's community garden.

"Virginia's Cape offers a wonderful balance between the sprawling waterfront and pristine nature and wildlife, something which is unique to our location on the East Coast," says Matt Hagler, Vice President Preserve Clubs & Resorts. "At Preserve Communities, we believe in thoughtful development, and by designating several hundreds of acres here in Bay Creek to conservation, we're practicing just that."

Bay Creek is also developing a partnership with Avid Trails, one of America's top trail system design companies. Avid Trails is set to design and implement walking and biking trails, along with activity stations throughout the newly designated preserve areas - all with the intent of providing a smooth, natural connection from the front door to the outdoors.

To learn more about the community and to discover the spirit and adventure of homeownership on the Shore at Bay Creek, we welcome you to visit, baycreek.net.

About Bay Creek

Just across the Chesapeake Bay on Virginia's enchanted Eastern Shore, you'll find the perfect antidote to the crowds and clutter of other coastal destinations. Welcome to Bay Creek, a multi-generational community featuring a delightfully diverse collection of neighborhoods and home styles alongside state-of-the-art amenities, and active lifestyle programming interacting with the beautiful nature, stunning beachfront and charming Cape Charles and world-class golf by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Whether you're looking for a primary residence, second home or vacation getaway, we invite you to discover Virginia's Cape at its absolute best. Learn more at baycreek.net.

About Preserve Communities

Preserve Communities is a real estate development company with over 30 years of proven success across a diverse portfolio of projects. Led by a seasoned team of professionals, we specialize in creating purposefully crafted communities that enhance the quality of life for residents. Our lifestyle centric communities are built to reflect their surroundings and take care to respect the long-term impact of development on the land and living experience. Learn more at preservecommunities.com.

About IMI Worldwide Properties 
Since 1990, IMI Worldwide Properties has been a leader in the luxury real estate industry. Working closely with premier developers, private equity firms, visionary landowners and key strategic alliances, we have introduced the world's most unique and desirable resort communities and private clubs to affluent buyers who trust the IMI brand. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PHILADELPHIA (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 20, 2020

The Business Intelligence Group announced today the winners of its 2020 Best Places to Work award program, which identifies the organizations doing all they can to improve performance by challenging their employees in fun and engaging work environments. The Business Intelligence Group is honoring these companies for helping their employees accelerate their careers, knowledge and performance. First, nominations for the Best Places to Work award were submitted and then employees of the nominated organizations were asked to complete an online survey to rate their overall satisfaction and company performance.

This year's overall winner is Netskope. The Netskope security cloud provides unrivaled visibility and real-time data and threat protection when accessing cloud services, websites, and private apps from anywhere, on any device. Netskope understands the cloud, and delivers data-centric security from one of the world's largest and fastest security networks, empowering the largest organizations in the world with the right balance of protection and speed they need to enable business velocity and secure their digital transformation journey. The company is based in Santa Clara, Calif., with offices in San Francisco, Seattle, New York, St. Louis, São Paulo, London, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney and India.

"As Netskope has grown since we launched the company in 2012, we have always instilled the idea company-wide that our team is our competitive advantage, and true differentiator," said Sanjay Beri, CEO and Founder of Netskope. "Our culture is positioned around empowering employees on an everyday basis, encouraging entrepreneurship and allowing freedom to unlock capabilities. Our amazing culture and team are what allows us to be successful, and the entire Netskope family is honored to be recognized as overall winner in the prestigious Business Intelligence Group's Best Places to Work award for 2020."

"It is clear that employee performance and engagement are keys to the success of all of our winners and finalists," said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer of Business Intelligence Group. "The Best Places to Work awards program puts the power of determining winners into the hands of employees, and they have spoken. Congratulations to all of the winners."

2020 Best Places to Work Award Winners

Global Enterprise 

Synechron

Multinational Enterprise 

Jumio

Large Business 

Tupelo Honey Hospitality Corp.

Medium-Size Business 

Acceleration Partners

Astute

Best Doctors Insurance

Federal Competitiveness & Statistics Authority

Gebrüder Weiss

Hyperscience

Lastline, Inc.

SADA

Sage Inacct

Service Express

Sisense

Sitetracker

Thycotic

Wesley Financial Group, LLC

Small Business 

3 Media Web

Arch Insurance - RoamRight

Arkadium

Boardable

Brandfolder

Donde Search

Dynamic Systems

Ekos

Juice Technology AG

Makers Nutrition

Nanoramic Laboratories

Peak Enterprises Corp.

ReversingLabs

Trust Point

Very

YouDecide

A small group of companies were also named finalists in the 2020 Best Places to Work awards, and they are 3Play Media, Inc., AllyO, Aryballe, Botkeeper, Eight Sleep, Lola.com, MENTIS INC, OneLogin, PebblePost, SoClean, Inc. and TimeXtender.

About Business Intelligence Group 
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry and business award programs, business executives—those with experience and knowledge—judge the programs. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

BERKELEY, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Berkeley Marine Robotics has received an Innovation Corps (I-Corps) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for customer discovery of its work on developing autonomous underwater robotic systems for ocean exploration and marine conservation. This grant was awarded based on the progress and strength of their technology development and project team. Berkeley Marine Robotics aims to utilize this grant to conduct further market study and approach potential partners among subsea research and maritime service industries.

Oceans have long remained the final frontier of exploration despite covering 70% of our planet. More than 80% of that seafloor still remains unmapped and unexplored. One of the most significant technical challenges to exploration has been the limited underwater effectiveness of radio signals and other traditional communication methods. Existing equipment of manned-submersibles and tethered remote-operated vehicles is limited in scope and scale – and involves significant cost and risk factors.

Berkeley Marine Robotics is working to solve these hurdles through patent-pending technologies in underwater wireless communication and autonomous swarm maneuverability. Their team has developed an ultra-low-cost model of robotic devices that can work in tandem and generate large-scale marine data with machine learning for research and industry. They have tested prototypes in university labs and aim to put them to initial use-cases in underwater survey and inspection service applications.

I-Corps project team will be represented by Alexandre Immas, a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley focused on marine robotics with prior work experience in offshore and deep-sea wind turbines, and Jonathan Daves, a Stanford MBA with operational experience at several successful startups and currently an instructor at the corporate innovation program at Stanford University. Berkeley Marine Robotics is led by Sushil Tyagi, a graduate of I.I.T. Delhi and a Wharton MBA in finance. Tyagi was previously a marine engineer at Exponent Failure Analysis and had published research on wave-induced motion simulation of modular floating structures during his graduate studies in Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering at UC Berkeley.

For more information: 
Email info@berkeleymarinerobotics.com.

Visit berkeleymarinerobotics.com

Link on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/berkeleymarinerobotics

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berkeleymarinerobotics/

About The National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business, or industry requirements and challenges. Over seven weeks, an I-Corps team (entrepreneurial lead, technical lead, and mentor) receives training and grant for customer discovery. Learn more on the NSF I-Corps website. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year 2020, its budget is $8.3 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Star Refrigeration has been awarded the highly sought after Quality Award at the CeeD Awards 2020 for leading the way in production waste elimination and efficient operation through the implementation of the lean manufacturing methodology, 5S (Sort, Sweep, Shine, Standardise, Sustain). The awards dinner, which took place at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel last night, recognised and celebrated the achievements of some of the best established and rising-star businesses and individuals in Scotland.

As a British manufacturer with a 50 year history, the honour was bestowed in acknowledgement of Star Refrigeration's manufacturing quality improvement programmes, which have led to the safe, effective and timely delivery of the highest possible quality industrial engineering products. With production facilities across the country, floor space of more than 4500 m2 and multiple engineering teams functioning collaboratively around the production areas, a practical approach to organising the workspace was of the utmost importance to the company.

Derek Barclay, Director of Production at Star Refrigeration said, "We are working across the globe to advance, solve problems and push our industry to the limits of innovation through the refrigeration and heat pumps systems we manufacture. Ensuring our people can work in a tidy, clean, and well-organised environment allows us to deliver projects successfully. Thanks to the CeeD Awards for this recognition"

Initially brought into the production environment to ensure the engineers' working environment was kept safe at all times by maintaining an orderly work space, the 5S system proved to be particularly successful at optimising production and reducing the time spent on any one project. In addition, an improvement on the quality of the product output from the factory was also noted.

Derek added, "The major success was the breakthrough of the team buying into the initiative rather than the management team driving this, which is a credit to the company's training and ongoing review process, supported by positive recognition for compliance. With the second facility at Westway seeing more and more production of the Azane packaged ammonia chillers, it's imperative we are lean. Our challenge is we manufacture bespoken and pre-engineered solutions so a typical production line isn't possible".

The 5S initiative helped facilitate the reorganisation of the company's physical assets and operational procedures. Due to its success in Thornliebank, Glasgow – Star's primary production location-, the methodology has been carried across to the rest of their manufacturing facilities up and down the country.

Presented by well-known Scottish broadcaster Sheeren Nanjiani, the high profile Awards Dinner in Glasgow attracted an audience over 500 people from a range of engineering and manufacturing businesses in Scotland.

CeeD itself is a fusion of organisations, all of which are dedicated to help one another improve their operational performance. This is achieved by collaboration and through sharing experience, expertise, best-practice and knowledge.

You can find out more about the upcoming awards at: https://ceedawards20.ceed-scotland.com/

To find out more about Star Refrigeration visit https://www.star-ref.co.uk/about-star.aspx 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CALHOUN, GA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 22, 2020

Shaw Sports Turf has become the go to turf provider for professional baseball. Five Major League Baseball teams have trusted the brand to supply a top-of-the-line playing surface. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins, and Tampa Bay Rays all have opted for Shaw Sports Turf game fields while the Toronto Blue Jays decided to install a field at their practice facility. The company is outfitting the Fredericksburg Nationals as well at the MiLB level.

Philipe Aldahir, Ph.D. is Shaw Sports Turf's Director of Research and Innovation and has developed a system of benchmarking playability characteristics of elite playing surfaces. This research allows for those characteristics to be replicated in a Shaw Sports Turf system. The goal is to not only be the best artificial turf surface, but the best playing surface – period.

Shaw Sports Turf is the only company with years of research dedicated to collecting data specific to baseball resulting in the B1K, Batting a Thousand, turf system. Working with university research partners, Shaw Sports Turf was able to study the playability of the surface as well as the athlete's interaction with it. This knowledge allowed the development of a surface with the player in mind, designed to not interfere with the game and enhance player performance.

The Geofill Performance Infill within the blades forms a firm surface similar to natural soil with lower energy rebound levels that mimic high-performance natural grass. The result is a more natural playing posture and motion from the players, creating less fatigue as their bodies will not have to overcompensate for the "bounciness" of the surface. The B1K surface also creates natural baseball bounce, allowing players to charge the ball confidently while fielding.

This infill is also right for those with a commitment to sustainability, as the Geofill infill is made from natural materials that are environmentally friendly. The transition to a synthetic playing surface provides significant savings in water consumption each season by requiring less water to maintain the system.

"From our first visit with the staff at Shaw Sports Turf, we were clear that a synthetic grass surface for Globe Life Field would only be a consideration if it could deliver the best surface in Major League Baseball and address the concerns we had related to impact on the players," said Rob Matwick, Rangers Executive Vice President of Business Operations. "Months of detailed research that included extensive input from our Baseball Operations group from both a health and performance aspect have resulted in this decision."

"Shaw's commitment to research and development have been second-to-none," said Matwick. "However, its engagement with the study at Auburn demonstrated to our staff that Shaw was just as concerned about player safety as we were."

"Baseball has done research all year long, along with Shaw, they've been out at Auburn University to test all this. This isn't like what you've seen in the past. It's not like an astroturf," Derrick Hall, CEO and President of the Arizona Diamondbacks said. "This synthetic grass is going to be consistent; it's going to look great. It's about fan experience where — I have heard for the last couple of years how hot and miserable fans have been in this building and that's because we've had to keep direct sunlight on this grass that's not growing right anyways."

"In going through the process of evaluating the playing surface at Marlins Park in 2019, we set out to find a solution to combat the challenges we have experienced with growing natural grass in Marlins Park," said Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter. "We appreciate the extensive research and new technology from our partners at Shaw Sports Turf to help us deliver a consistent playing field designed to enhance the safety for players and the playability for baseball."

ABOUT SHAW SPORTS TURF 
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Industries is a full flooring provider to the residential and commercial markets. Shaw supplies carpet, hardwood, laminate, resilient, and tile/ stone flooring products, as well as synthetic turf. Shaw Sports Turf is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America and has represented quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 3,000 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations. For more information please visit http://www.shawsportsturf.com, call 866-703-4004 or find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

BATTING A THOUSAND and B1K are trademarks of Shaw Contract Flooring Services, Inc.

Geofill is a registered trademark of Italgreen SPA.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

JUPITER, FLA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 23, 2020

Monster Tree Service, the nation's first and fastest-growing tree service franchise, is expanding in Florida. Recently featured by SUCCESS magazine, Thrive Global and Franchise Times, the Monster Tree Service franchise continues to build on its rapid three-year franchise system growth.

Business entrepreneurs Peter Waxman and Matt Kuntz have purchased the rights to a Monster Tree Service Territory in Jupiter, Florida, covering Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart and surrounding areas. The partners both grew up in the Jupiter area and are already meeting with customers to get a jump start on spring projects.

Waxman and Kuntz each possess unique business backgrounds that will contribute to their long-term success at Monster Tree Service. Waxman comes from a 25-year career in medical device sales and distribution. Kuntz owned a successful plumbing and A/C business that was recently acquired by a state utility company.

"Monster Tree Service is a great fit for our leadership styles," said Kuntz. "Peter's background is more operational, so he's taking charge of sales and managing the crews. My strengths are in advertising, marketing, and tracking the financial components of the business. I think we make a great team because we both respect the other person's strengths and we won't step on each other's toes. We also believe in building a winning work culture, where employees like coming to work every day and enjoy helping customers improve their properties."

Josh Skolnick, CEO and Founder of Monster Tree Service, is confident Waxman and Kuntz will be excellent Monster Tree Service franchise owners.

"Peter and Matt are ideal Monster Tree Service franchisees," says Skolnick. "Matt has a solid business background and an entrepreneurial spirit that can't be stopped. Peter has a knack for understanding the needs of his community, and I am confident they will thrive as the newest members of the Monster family. We are thrilled to have them on our team."

Monster Tree Service is the only franchise tree company capitalizing on the under-served $17 billion tree service industry. Monster Tree Service has achieved consistent year-over-year, 5 percent growth since 2009, resulting in a $10+ million business. Because it's a high-upside opportunity, and a recession-proof business, Monster Tree Service expects to achieve $100 million in sales by 2021.

"Our territory is on the eastern side of Florida and can quickly become ground zero for storms during hurricane season," said Waxman. "An important focus of our business will be helping property owners with storm prevention in the spring and summer months before storms hit. Our certified arborist is experienced at pruning trees to remove dead limbs and encourage strong growth. And our crew of professionals will act quickly after storms to manage cleanup efforts. We're excited to offer our community a wide array of services, including tree and plant health care, landscaping, tree removal, pest treatment and more."

For more information about Monster Tree Service, please visit http://www.whymonster.com/. 
For more information about Monster Tree Service franchise opportunities, please visit http://www.monsterfranchising.com/.

To learn more about CEO Josh Skolnick's vision for Monster Tree Service, please visit https://www.monsterfranchising.com/vision-story.

About Monster Tree Service

Founded in 2008 in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, by Founder and CEO Josh Skolnick, Monster Tree Service is the nation's first and fastest-growing franchise brand serving the $21 billion tree care industry. Over the past decade, Skolnick has aggressively built Monster Tree Service into a thriving national franchise system, working day and night to build the company into a multi-million-dollar business with more than 62 franchise partners and 166 territories sold in 28 states.

With dozens of fantastic franchise partners doing great work in their respective communities, Monster Tree Service expects to exceed $35 million in systemwide revenue in 2019. Each Monster Tree Service franchised outlet offers full-scale tree pruning and removal services, including tree pruning and trimming, tree removal, stump grinding, shrub maintenance, emergency services, plant health care and various secondary services.

Monster Tree Service franchise owners possess high levels of business acumen and business-building skills that bring a rare level of professionalism to the tree care industry. Fully invested in this industry — both personally and professionally — Monster Tree Service owners provide wonderful opportunities to other professionals who have a shared vision of continuing to legitimize the tree care industry as a skilled trade. These industry professionals will have the tools, training and respect to excel in providing unparalleled service to their clients and Make the World a More Beautiful Place, One Tree at a Time.

Monster Tree Service is committed to educating all customers on the natural conditions, diseases and infestations that impact the health of their plants/trees and treating all issues with an environmentally friendly, "Do Not Harm" approach. It's all part of the Monster Tree Service vision to partner with homeowners across the country to make their trees healthy, strong, and vital.

For more information about Monster Tree Service, please visit https://www.whymonster.com/.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WESTPORT, CONN. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020

WizSmart by Petix, expands their product line to include a new dog pad where both the packaging and the liner are made with bioplastic from sugar cane. The company has also added a larger 24 count pack size for the popular Ultra XL Pads.

Krister Holm, General Manager of WizSmart on their new product line: "Our new WizSmart Earth Friendly Dog Pads have all the features, benefits and performance our customers have become accustomed to, our male dog solution, the stay-put tabs and our pads stay dry all day. The key difference is that we are using bioplastic in the packaging and liner of this new Earth Friendly line. Bioplastic is made from sugar cane which is a renewable source. When sugar cane grows it captures CO2, reducing carbon footprint. We help save fossil energy resources which are non-renewable. Bioplastic is 100% recyclable and works exactly like regular plastic."

WizSmart experienced tremendous growth in 2019 by quadrupling their retail presence in all 50 States and Canada. They are committed to partnering with their retailers by driving store sales via an Astro Loyalty program, as well as, providing store employee training and engagement through the ExpertVoice platform. WizSmart is focused on supporting their retail stores and developing innovative, earth friendly, sustainable products consumers want and need.

About WizSmart By Petix - WizSmart by Petix, is an eco-conscious company and a proud member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. They transform more than 120 million unused baby diapers each year into an innovative super absorbent blend for their thick and soft dog pads. These dog pads are a 24 hour solution, which means less plastic, less waste and better for the environment. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Real estate investment firm KPG Funds today announced a sponsorship and partnership with Earth Celebrations' Ecological City: Art & Climate Solutions Workshops. This extensive workshop series, offered free of cost, from February 29 - May 6 engages residents, youth and local groups to collaborate with our artists-in-residence creating visual art, giant puppets and costumes exploring local sites and their climate solution initiatives, from community garden bio-swales that filter pollution runoff, water harvesting ponds and solar micro grids, to green roofs and rooftop bee farms, along with a community vision plan for climate resiliency on the waterfront.

"At KPG Funds, we put sustainability and environment at the forefront of everything we do, so we are delighted to sponsor Earth Celebrations' Ecological City: Art & Climate Solutions Workshops," Greg Kraut Co-Founder and CEO

"KPG Funds' sponsorship of Earth Celebrations' Ecological City: Art & Climate Solutions Workshops has been vital to our ability to engage the Lower East Side community through the arts on inspirational climate solution initiatives throughout the community gardens, neighborhood and waterfront," Felicia Young Founder and Executive Director Earth Celebrations

"NYC is leading the way with pro-environment local laws and KPG wants to enhance those noble efforts. We are honored to be able to help educate others on actionable environmental initiatives," Rod Kritsberg Co-Founder and CIO. "KPG is actively Working on reducing our risk to climate change."

Visual art and performance works created through workshops culminate in the Ecological City: Procession for Climate Solutions on Saturday May 9, 2020. The spectacular procession with 20 site performances celebrates the Lower East Side's model urban sustainable ecosystem throughout the community gardens, neighborhood and waterfront. Through the arts Earth Celebrations' engages community participants to build a deeper connection to each other and our urban and natural world and work together creatively to build a sustainable future.

Earth Celebrations was founded in 1991 by social action artist Felicia Young to apply the inspirational power of the arts to build community, collaboration and action on climate change, water quality, river restoration, waste management and the preservation of community gardens, parks and healthy urban environment. Through pioneering cultural strategies Earth Celebrations builds diverse sector partnerships with local organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, schools and community residents to address environmental issues, mobilize action, develop solutions and generate ecological, policy and social change.

About KPG Funds 
KPG Funds ("KPG") is a fully integrated real estate private equity platform with asset management, project management, development, design, leasing and property management. With over 35 years combined experience based in NYC, KPG manages fully discretionary institutional vehicles targeting middle market value-add office investments. KPG's management team has relied on an investment philosophy and organizational structure that results in its investors uncovering special situations and getting to opportunities ahead of the market, while receiving an unmatched level of service, transparency, and accountability. KPG is a privately held and management-owned SEC registered investment adviser that maintains an unwavering commitment to put its investors needs first. Additional information about KPG and a selection of current holdings and previous transactions are available at https://kpgfunds.com/ or by calling Gregory Kraut at 212-359-0743.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NEW YORK (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Premier international destinations from Barcelona to Bali have come under increasing pressure from those living there to curb runaway tourism after feeling the strains of what is now commonly referred to as "over-tourism." Today, Ovation Travel Group – one of the largest independently owned travel management and luxury leisure travel companies headquartered in the United States – is providing strategies for mitigating over-tourism while ensuring their clients enjoy experiences of a lifetime while traveling responsibly.

"Over the course of the last several years, concerns regarding 'over-tourism' have risen dramatically, particularly among local citizenry whose livelihoods and ways of life are at stake when tourists overwhelm their place of residence," explained Paul Metselaar, CEO and Chairman of Ovation Travel Group. "As more travelers are becoming aware of that plight, an increasing number of Ovation Travel Group's leisure clientele is actively seeking out our luxury leisure advisors' counsel on how to travel more responsibly and sustainably."

"While world-class destinations like Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Florence and Venice are among those that have been in the news – due to increased perceptions that tourism seems out of control – they are just four of many popular places globally that have begun imposing measures to limit the number of tourists who can visit at once," noted Gina Gabbard, Senior Vice President of Leisure & Independent Advisors. "In Ovation advisors' quest to be respectful and considerate of those who live in these places, they are now proactively recommending common sense strategies to their clients to improve sustainability while deepening their enjoyment."

Some of Over-Tourism's Root Causes 
"In recent years, travel has become increasingly easier, less expensive and more accessible," said Limor Decter, Ovation Luxury Travel Advisor and Concierge, "Social media has also greatly contributed to the popularity and wanderlust of many destinations."

"Tourism boards did such a great job that everyone around the globe wants to be in places like Florence and Venice in the summer. These old cities are simply not equipped to handle the influx of people, let alone the cruise ships that have also increased the daytime visitors to numerous other ancient cities," stated Andrew Steinberg, Ovation Luxury Travel Concierge. "These factors make the experience less romantic, less intimate and more stressful."

Strategies to Mitigate Over-Tourism 
Travel Off-Season – "My best tip to travelers, which can help reduce over-tourism, is to travel during off-peak times. It can be mutually beneficial for both the traveler and the destination. For the traveler, prices are more competitive, there is usually better access to tickets and sights even with short notice, and there are shorter lines and more flexibility with schedule changes. Plus, travelers are more likely to bump into locals than other travelers." – Sylvia Lebovitch, Ovation Luxury Travel Advisor.

Educate Yourself – "I want my clients to travel far and wide, but I also want them to be mindful and socially conscious wherever they go. It is important for clients to be educated on the local culture and customs so they can respect the local citizens." – Limor Decter

Move Around Like a Local – "I encourage my clients to take mass transit like trams and metro service. Not only is it sometimes easier to get around this way and see things you otherwise might have missed, but it also helps to relieve street congestion and also encourages a smaller carbon footprint." – Vicky Metcalfe, Ovation Executive Travel Specialist

Immerse Yourself – "I also like to recommend less moving around within a trip. I truly believe in quality over quantity when it comes to travel. I urge clients to immerse themselves in the culture and support local shops as opposed to just visiting touristy sights to tick off a bucket list." – Sylvia Lebovitch

Interact with Locals – "When I plan my clients' itineraries, I strive to create authentic experiences and interactions with locals so they can get a glimpse of another lifestyle and culture. I find these interactions also foster respect, humility and gratitude." – Limor Decter

Escape the City Center – "Get out of the center of town and experience parts of your destination that can be just as wonderful, but less congested." – Vicky Metcalfe

Visit Surrounding Regions – "I like suggesting less popular or lesser known locations for the seasoned traveler to minimize the impact of over-tourism." – Limor Decter

For counsel and assistance with luxury vacations globally, travelers are invited to tap into the expertise of Ovation Travel Group's experienced advisors by calling 800.977.5893 or emailing vacations@ovationtravel.com. Ovation's luxury leisure travel division is also inviting independent advisors to learn how to qualify for its program by visiting https://www.ovationtravel.com/become-an-independent.

About Ovation 
Ovation Travel Group, whose flagship brand, Lawyers Travel, began operations over 35 years ago, is one of the largest independently owned travel companies headquartered in the US. Ovation is a $1.4 billion travel company with travel consultants in more than 30 locations throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Ovation is the largest affiliate of BCD Travel and utilizes BCD's global network to fulfill its clients' travel programs across the globe. With over 700 employees and over 200 independent travel advisors, Ovation provides business travel services, bespoke luxury travel experiences and meeting and special events planning for over 700 professional organizations and over 200,000 travelers.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

VALLEY VILLAGE, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Houzz known for its home remodeling and design online platform has an annualized traffic of more than 50 million internet users, and they have just released the community's picks for the "Best Of 2020" awards. This year Treeium Inc. has been recognized in the Customer Service category as one of the top companies of the website globally.

Each and every year Houzz analyzes and surveys the community to determine which remodelers and designers are taking center stage and simply put, are a cut above the rest in providing top of the line customer service. The Customer Service category winners are selected based on a variety of factors, including the number and quality of the reviews the company has received throughout the previous year.

"It is an honor to be recognized by Houzz, for this platform is driven by the clients and by real people that we have been fortunately enough to service over the past year. It is an award that is a reflection of the quality service we pride ourselves on here at Treeium, Inc." As stated by Treeiums CEO Moty Ginsburg as the award announcement was unveiled. Treeium Inc. currently holds a five-star rating with over 200 reviews and when asked where they can go from here, Ginsburg jokingly replied "Maybe we can convince Houzz to allow 6-star ratings."

About Houzz: Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish - online or from a mobile device. Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin and Sydney. For more information, visit http://www.houzz.com

Treeium, a general contracting company based in California has over 26 years of experience with a specialty in full-service remodeling. With a keen focus on sustainability Treeium remains customer focused and community centric by maximizing transparency through full project visibility. While using innovative methods and delivering top of the line products, Treeium has become a household name in the home improvement and design industry and is committed to providing the highest level of customer service to each and every one of its clients. Modernizing and advancing the industry by fostering in a culture of innovation, the team of experienced professionals are driven to provide a customer first approach to deliver a quality product that fulfills the products satisfaction guarantee. Striving for excellence, while providing greener solutions, Treeium offers a vast array of full home remodeling services that has assisted our clients in turning their dream homes into an efficient, sustainable, eco-friendly reality.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) announced today that International Paper, one of the world's leading producers of fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper, has joined AFF and its partner, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in supporting the newly-created Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) to enhance carbon sequestration on family-owned forestland across the U.S.

Families own 290 million acres of America's forests, more than the federal government or the forest industry. For many landowners, cost is a barrier to sustainably managing their forestland. The FFCP incorporates family forest owners in the global effort to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by incentivizing individual and family forest owners to adopt forest management practices that improve forest health and increase carbon sequestration.

The FFCP represents a new approach to climate change mitigation that taps into the carbon storage potential of family-owned forestland while creating a new market and source of income for the families that dedicate time and effort to their forest management. Beyond creating a carbon market for family landowners and improving family forest management, the FFCP also improves overall forest health, fire resilience and water quality.    

"We are so grateful that International Paper recognizes the importance of engaging family forest landowners in climate solutions. Their leadership in providing the support to execute this program is crucial," said Nathan Truitt, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at AFF. "International Paper has long been a tremendous partner for sustainable forestry and this investment will mean we can do even more to keep forests healthy and maximize their carbon potential."

"International Paper is committed to environmental stewardship and we applaud this innovative approach that engages family forest owners in sustainable forest management for carbon and climate benefits," said Sophie Beckham, Chief Sustainability Officer at International Paper. "Our entire business depends on the sustainability of forests, and we are proud to support the Family Forest Carbon Program to ensure healthy and productive forest ecosystems for generations to come."

International Paper recently announced their Vision 2030 sustainability goals, which demonstrate their commitment to building a better future for people, the planet and the company. In keeping with the company's ongoing commitments to sustain forests and to improve the planet, the company's goals include improving their climate impact and leading forest stewardship efforts globally. International Paper's support of the FFCP is one way the company will leverage new and existing collaborations to make its desired impacts over the decade.

Recent research, published by The Nature Conservancy and 21 other institutions in Science Advances, demonstrates that nature-based solutions, like the FFCP, can help absorb one-fifth of the carbon pollution produced in the United States—30 percent more than previously estimated. This is equivalent to the emissions from every U.S. passenger vehicle. Carbon pollution reductions are needed globally by 2030 to keep global temperature increases under 2 degrees Celsius. Support of the Family Forest Carbon Program will help accelerate the impact of nature-based solutions.

About the American Forest Foundation 
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a non-profit conservation organization that protects and measurably increases clean water, wildlife habitat, and sustainable wood supplies that come from family-owned forests. AFF works with landowners, partners, leading businesses, and policymakers to address key issues such as conserving biodiversity, reducing risk of catastrophic wildfire, and addressing the threat of climate change. To learn more about the American Forest Foundation and the Family Forest Carbon Program, go to http://www.forestfoundation.org/carbon.

About The Nature Conservancy 
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.

About International Paper 
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa and Russia. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods and enable worldwide commerce; pulp for diapers, tissue, and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; and papers that facilitate education and communication. We are headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., employ more than 50,000 colleagues and serve more than 25,000 customers in 150 countries. Net sales for 2019 were $22 billion. For more information about International Paper, our products and global citizenship efforts, please visit internationalpaper.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Richard S. Bolan has published a comprehensive exploration of the immediate challenges faced by society due to climate change and its resulting environmental destruction.

In "Urban Planning in Planet Earth's Tragedy of the Commons," Bolan draws on his decades of experience in the urban planning field as a practitioner and educator to share with readers how the rapid growth of urban populations, the global dominance of corporatist-oligopolistic economies, and the rise of new technology have impeded progress to creating a more sustainable planet. These contemporary forces, Bolan says, require a new approach to the problems of urban growth and development.

"In many respects, the following chapters raise significant questions as to whether these goals are achievable," Bolan wrote in the introduction to his book. "Economic, social, and political trends show growing poverty and inequality and increasing planetary ruin. [The Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations] seem to require us to change our current behavioral trends by 180 degrees.

"Thus, the book addresses this question: are we facing public-private partnership or public-private warfare or overall human decline? How can we train young people with education, foresight, and normative values to meaningfully tackle these challenges and provide better living for everyone in this radically changing world? How might we best learn of how we may overcome and stop the Tragedy of the Commons impacting planet Earth?"

Ultimately, "Urban Planning in Planet Earth's Tragedy of the Commons" recommends a broad scope of improvements in education, both in the urban planning field and outside of it, to foster greater social responsibility, particularly among corporate and political leaders. The book provides an informed and well-researched perspective on how timely climate change and environmental problems can be addressed through critical economic, political, and social changes.

"Urban Planning in Planet Earth's Tragedy of the Commons" 
By Richard S. Bolan 
ISBN: 978-1-5320-7910-8 (softcover); 978-1-5320-7911-5 (e-book) 
Available through iUniverse, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

About the author 
Richard S. Bolan has been an urban planner for more than 60 years. Bolan previously directed planning for the City of Boston before joining the faculty at Boston College in 1967. While there, he served as editor for the Journal of the American Institute of Planners. In 1985, he moved to the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and remains a Professor Emeritus. His scholarly focus has been on planning theory and philosophy, and his most recent publications include "Urban Planning's Philosophical Entanglements: The Rugged, Dialectical Path from Knowledge to Action". Bolan earned degrees from Yale, MIT, and NYU. He currently resides in Minneapolis.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MIAMI (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Laurence Fishburne, Hollywood actor, producer, and director, is the host of the show "Behind The Scenes". The program is of the educational variety and seeks to inform its viewers about a wide array of topics that impact people across the globe. A new episode will take a turn into the world of waste and recycling. Industry professionals will discuss industrial recycling and waste management practices.

The United States is facing a problem with too much waste ending up in landfills. Daily trash is overflowing and ending up in the natural environment as litter. The oceans are filled with plastic and are becoming even more so as time passes.

Many organizations are looking to improve upon the U.S.'s litter problem by better managing their waste by recycling industrial waste. Recycling this type of trash not only aids the environment but also helps organizations cut down on costs. Companies can incur hefty fees to dispose of unused materials and byproducts. Many common industrial materials can be recycled. Some of these are plastics, batteries, glass, and cardboard. Today's manufacturers can reuse plastics to make new items. Paints, sports uniforms, and beverage bottles are a few of the products made from recycled plastic.

Waste is a problem for the U.S., but it does not have to be. Companies and developers are working together to find ways to improve the management and reduction of waste. "Behind The Scenes" will feature professionals in this field who will help explore more on waste management and industrial recycling on an upcoming episode for their technology edition (https://behindthesceneslf-price.com/).

"Behind The Scenes" with Laurence Fishburne is a high-quality educational show. The program is a receiver of several accolades for its endeavors. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

INDIANAPOLIS (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

SavATree, the industry leader in professional tree, shrub, and lawn care has announced a recent merger with Indianapolis-based Ping's Tree Service. This marks SavATree's 40th branch office and second Indiana location--further expanding their presence in the Midwest.

Founded by Phil Ping in 1973, Ping's Tree service is the largest privately owned and operated tree care service company in central Indiana. Services include tree preservation and care, pruning, removals, plant health care, and professional lawn care.

In December of 2019, SavATree merged with another highly regarded, local tree care company, Vine & Branch. Consequently, Ping's and Vine & Branch are combining teams, fleets and offices—under the SavATree canopy—to serve the needs of Indiana landscapes while employing a shared philosophy: do right by the customer, the community and the environment.

Executive Chairman Daniel van Starrenburg stated, "Ping's is a great match for us due to our shared culture, expert teams, and dedication to safety and quality results. By building density in the Indiana marketplace, customers will benefit from environmentally minded services that enhance the health and beauty of their properties while providing additional opportunities for employees. We are excited to welcome Ping's to the SavATree family."

Phil Ping's daughter, Lisa Daugherty, will lead the newly combined teams and commented, "I am excited to partner with SavATree to enhance the legacy my father built over the past 47 years by providing even more services and taking the company to the next level."

About SavATree 
SavATree provides environmentally sensible tree, shrub and lawn care to residential and commercial properties throughout the country. Property programs feature organic and hybrid plant health care, lawn care and general tree care—all highly customized to meet the needs of each landscape and steward. Services include tree and shrub pruning, insect, mite and disease management, deer deterrence, and professional lawn care, as well as tree and shrub nutrient/fertilization programs. Holiday decor and pest control available in select markets.      



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CAMPBELL, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Fashion³, the ecosystem comprised of boutique-oriented textile brands under the Mulliez group − Jules, Brice, Bizzbee, Pimkie, RougeGorge, Grain de Malice/Orsay − has selected Centric Software Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in order to significantly optimize its production cycles, boost product quality and reduce time to market. Fashion³ also aims to streamline manufacturers' processes and communication with partner brands and distributors through Centric PLM. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, consumer goods and home décor companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Created in 2017, the Fashion³ (Fashion Cube) brand ecosystem aims to invent a new zero-waste development model across seven textile brands by identifying innovations, imagining new solutions, and initiating synergies such as alignment of design, production and distribution processes meeting the goals and commitments of corporate social and environmental responsibility (CSR).

"From the outset, we identified two strategic axes common to our brands," says Franck Dumery, CIO of the Fashion³ ecosystem. "The 'zero waste' Product Life Excellence (PLE), and data analysis for understanding our customer needs. Since their creation, our brands have used a global and standardized approach to production, which today is synonymous with inefficiency and waste. We wanted to deploy a new ecosystem to precisely analyze purchasing behavior and better target the needs of our customers."

After a call for tenders led by Orsay, a brand in the Fashion³ ecosystem, Centric PLM was chosen. Centric Software's leading position in the market, the positive feedback from other Centric customers, the size of its user base, and the robust and durable structure of the solution appealed to the management team.

"Personally, I had already participated in the deployment of Centric PLM while in the IT department of Tape-à-l'œil. I knew where we were headed and I knew the quality of the support offered by the Centric teams. From a technical point of view, I was perfectly confident" says Franck Dumery.

The process redesign will be done in a swift manner and will adapt to the specific needs of each brand. The first phase of deployment involves the installation of a centralized system for production teams, under the supervision of purchasing groups of each brand. The second phase will consist of integrating new purchasing processes for each entity. Orsay will lead the project, and will be the first to switch to the PLM solution from Centric.

"Ultimately, our ambition is to streamline our processes, build strong partnerships with our suppliers and apply this model for each of our brands. We aim for better quality, for better compliance with our CSR principles and, by extension, for savings" adds Dumery.

"We are proud to welcome the brands from the Fashion³ ecosystem into the Centric family" says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. "The data analysis and the CSR goals are decisive for product design and development, as well as the image of the brands. This is why we are thrilled to support Fashion³'s strategic and operational objectives, especially in terms of growth and reduction of environmental impact."



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

TYLER, TEXAS (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

The new office space resides in a four story, class A building conveniently located in South Tyler, across from Broadway Square Mall. Will Goodson,a Senior Financial Advisor with the firm, will be heading up the new Tyler office.

In business for over 30 years, Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors is an established wealth management firm specializing in comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Current assets under management top $900 Million.

"We are thrilled to open our first office outside of the Houston area. We felt that Tyler was a great fit for our expansion plans. It's in the heart of East Texas, an area known for strong-rooted communities and rich history. We couldn't be more excited," said Will Goodson.

As an independent, fee-only financial advisory firm, Financial Synergies has the freedom to develop financial plans and investment strategies for their clients without conflicts of interest. They receive no commissions and do not sell financial products. Their clients' best interests are what drive their recommendations.

Financial Synergies' primary goal is to simplify their clients' financial lives. Their Certified Financial Planner professionals and advisors combine investment management and holistic planning to deliver total wealth management solutions. Working closely with clients, they construct financial game plans and investment strategies to accomplish goals, and give those clients greater confidence in their futures.

In addition to their traditional wealth management services, they also offer two specialty programs: 
Retirement Salary 
Pathway



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 25, 2020

The Energy Impact Center today launched the OPEN100 project, the world's first open-source blueprint for the design, construction and financing of nuclear power plants.

Bret Kugelmass, a robotics pioneer and former Silicon Valley entrepreneur, founded the Energy Impact Center (EIC) in 2017 to apply startup-style urgency and design-thinking principles to global societal problems. After two years of studying the challenges and opportunities associated with climate change, including conducting 1,500 interviews and over 100 site visits across 15 countries, the Center determined that the most viable solution was an extraordinary expansion of nuclear energy.

"Nuclear power isn't just part of the solution to addressing climate change; it is the solution," said Kugelmass, Managing Director of the Energy Impact Center. "OPEN100 will radically change the way we deploy nuclear power plants going forward, offering a substantially less expensive and less complicated solution."

The problem is that for the past 50 years, rising costs and delays associated with overly complicated and proprietary designs have severely limited the deployment of nuclear power around the world.

EIC created OPEN100 to serve as a foundation for new power plant construction, offering developers everything from a web interface to visualize plant and component design, costs studies, and construction plans. The open-source format will allow startups, engineering firms, global utilities, and capital markets to align around a common framework.

"The goal of the project is to accelerate the development of nuclear power, offering the world an affordable alternative to fossil fuels," Kugelmass said.

About The Energy Impact Center

The Energy Impact Center is a Washington, D.C. based nonprofit research institute focused on developing solutions to reverse climate change and achieve global decarbonization by 2040, while expanding economic growth and prosperity.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Whether they're hiding them in suitcases, stuffing them into socks or (poorly) disguising them as candy, wildlife traffickers have concocted many schemes to smuggle thousands of turtles out of the United States each year.

This illegal trade is fueled by a rabid demand for these reptiles, mostly in Asia, where they are used as pets, food or in traditional medicine. In combination with habitat loss and degradation, illegal trade in turtles has led to the imperilment of more than 60 percent of the world's 356 turtle species — the highest percentage of any class of vertebrate.

Southeast Asia is widely considered by biologists as one of the world's richest regions for turtle diversity, but many of its lakes, streams and wetlands have been depleted by turtle harvesters. With their native species disappearing, Asian importers have turned to wildlife traffickers in the United States to satisfy demand.

"When the turtles we're used to seeing are literally being taken from their homes, it's heartbreaking," says Dave Collins, the Tennessee Aquarium's director of forests and animal behavior. "When you see pictures of a pen with 200 to 400 Box Turtles all piled on top of one another waiting to be shipped into the trade, it's devastating."

The Eastern United States comprises another turtle "hotspot." Whether it's Bog Turtles in North Carolina or Wood Turtles in upstate New York, trafficking is having a dramatic impact on turtle populations all over the country, Collins explains.

"It's a serious issue for us," he says. "This is a problem that is far too big for one place to solve."

Fortunately, the war of attrition to save turtles is about to get a big boost from a sprawling collaborative partnership between dozens of zoos, aquariums, universities, government agencies and conservation non-profits.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recently approved the formation of a Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program specifically focused on protecting native turtles. Collins will serve as program leader and coordinator for the newly formed program.

Through the new AZA SAFE American Turtles program, animal care specialists are joining forces with state wildlife agencies, academics, non-government organizations and law enforcement to tackle turtle trade on a level no one organization could manage on its own, Collins says.

"I saw that there was a need for a closer working relationship and more cooperation and the ability to share resources," he says. "Through this program we can do much more with the resources we have, with very few extra resources required."

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums founded the SAFE initiative in 2015 to focus the expertise, resources and audience of its member institutions toward efforts to protect and recover species in need. SAFE American Turtles is the 26th of these programs, which also comprise efforts to protect imperiled animals such as Gorillas, Jaguars, African Penguins and Whooping Cranes, among others.

"SAFE is AZA's signature conservation program, which allows all members to do more conservation better while harnessing the collective power of our visitors to take action," says Dan Ashe, President and CEO of AZA. "For example, resources developed by the SAFE American Turtles team will be utilized by all AZA members, which multiply the impact we can have educating the public of the threats facing turtles."

Moving forward, zoos and aquariums will be able to communicate with each other more effectively to ensure confiscated turtles are housed and cared for, freeing up law enforcement agencies to concentrate on apprehending traffickers.

"Most people are unaware of the rampant problem of turtle trafficking, which has driven some species to the brink of extinction," Ashe says. "Turtle trafficking is a critical issue that compounds other threats they face, such as habitat loss and pollution. Educating people about these threats, and how to be smart consumers, will benefit turtles and the habitats on which they rely."

At launch, the SAFE American Turtles program will focus on protecting the Wood Turtle, Bog Turtle, Blanding's Turtle and Spotted Turtle. These native species are either federally threatened or under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for future listing.

The SAFE program's fifth focus is on terrapenes (also known as Box Turtles). This group of species wasn't chosen because of their imperilment but rather to serve as "ambassadors" for the program.

"Most people will never see these rarer turtles in the SAFE program," Collins says. "Terrapenes, like the Eastern Box Turtle, are the turtles that are probably most frequently seen crossing the road and that people stop to help. It really becomes the face of the program because they're so familiar."

Despite its initial focus on a handful of species, the SAFE American Turtles program will offer rapid-response to provide care and housing for all confiscated turtles, regardless of species. Once in human care, SAFE partners will explore avenues for entering confiscated turtles into conservation programs or reintroducing them to the wild whenever appropriate, Collins says. "When agencies need to confiscate or seize wildlife, they should be free to do that and not be worried about taking care of turtles in the back room."

As a group, turtles tend to be slow to reach sexual maturity, meaning the impact of trafficker on a wild population can result in a ripple effect on a wild population that could last for generations. That makes it even more important to stop traders before they can affect those populations, says Julie Slacum, the division chief of strategic resource conservation at U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Chesapeake Bay Field Office.

Being able to hand confiscated turtles over to expert care providers through the SAFE program should allow wildlife agencies to focus on being proactive, Slacum says.

"This will result in the best conservation outcome for these turtles, whether it be released into the wild, captive breeding for assurance colonies or for use for education or outreach," she says. "If we can intercept more turtles and prosecute more traffickers, we are hopeful that we will see a decline in illegal trade."

In addition to assisting law enforcement, the SAFE American Turtle program will also encompass a range of other projects, from monitoring patterns in domestic and international turtle trade to locating the wild origin of confiscated turtles through genetic analyses.

The initial SAFE partners include more than a dozen AZA-accredited facilities, including: 

Akron Zoo (Akron, Ohio)

Bronx Zoo (New York City)

Chicago Zoological Society / Brookfield Zoo (Chicago)

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Cleveland, Ohio)

Maryland Zoo (Baltimore)

New England Aquarium (Boston)

Potter Park Zoological Gardens (Lansing, Michigan)

Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, Rhode Island)

Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Toledo Zoo (Toledo, Ohio)

Turtle Conservancy (Ojai, California)

Turtle Survival Alliance (Charleston, South Carolina)

Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Zoo New England (Boston)

The SAFE program also encompasses more than 30 "field partners," including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Turtle Survival Alliance, World Wildlife Fund as well as nature centers, universities and state wildlife agencies as far afield as Arizona, Florida, Montana, Rhode Island and Washington.

Together, several of these institutions curate data on over 336 species of turtles – including nutritional needs, when they mature, their reproduction, what diseases they may be vulnerable to (and how to treat them), and what environments best suit them. All of this information is shared via the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), a global cloud service used by wildlife institutions in 99 countries to increase what we know about species worldwide.

Reversing declining turtle populations — whether due to trafficking, habitat loss or some other imperilment — represents a tremendous challenge. Nevertheless, Collins says he is encouraged by the enthusiastic response to a program tailor-made to addressing it collaboratively.

"I'm very optimistic because there are so many interested partners and even more partners who haven't even been brought into the picture yet," he says.

Collins has had a lifelong fascination with turtles. In addition to overseeing the Tennessee Aquarium's collection of freshwater turtles, he has privately studied and documented a population of Wood Turtles in upstate New York for more than 45 years.

For years, he's watched the increase in North American turtle trafficking and seen Asian markets filled with turtles first hand. After such a long period of dour decline, Collins says he's excited at the prospect of working with so many others to save the animals to which he has devoted so much of his life.

"The long-term well-being of turtles is really important to me," he says. "The idea that so many people can work together toward a common cause of making sure turtles are safe is very exciting."

*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN MARCOS, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Nutricare's PATCH bamboo bandages are returning to Natural Products Expo West March 3-7 at Booth H213, where they'll be showcasing their pioneering line of compostable bamboo bandages while competing for one of the most coveted NEXTY awards.

"Last year was our first time at Expo West, and we were blown away by the support and interest in green healthcare alternatives," said PATCH CEO James Dutton.

"That interest has helped fuel our expansion into over 3,200 CVS locations as well as secure shelf placement at Albertsons-Safeway stores nationwide, increase our online presence with Amazon and Grove Collaborative and open the door for additional natural living and national chain retailers to come in 2020." "We are also excited to have recently expanded our reach into North America with availability throughout Canada. We truly feel that the future is bright and full of possibility for eco-conscious consumer brands like PATCH," added Dutton.

In 2019, PATCH brought home the NEXTY Award for Best Natural Living Product, and is now up for the Consumer Choice Award in the Personal Care or Natural Living category.

Parents and kids alike love PATCH for their hypoallergenic and easy to remove adhesive, commitment to sustainability, and use of naturally healing ingredients like coconut oil and aloe vera instead of additional ointments.

PATCH Highlights:

Made from organic bamboo fiber 
Free of plastics, latex, and silicon 
Safe for sensitive skin 
Easy to remove and pain-free 
Dad-invented for kids who don't like to use ointments 
100% compostable - breaks down into soil in a matter of weeks 
Vegan-friendly and cruelty free 
Available in four lines, each imbued with naturally healing ingredients: 
PATCH Natural -- For use on cuts and scratches 
PATCH Coconut Oil Kids -- For use on abrasions and grazes 
PATCH Aloe Vera -- For use on burns and blisters 
PATCH Activated Charcoal -- For use on bites and splinters

Find your favorite line by stopping by Booth H213 in the Hot Products area between March 3-7 at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California.

PATCH can be found at CVS and Albertsons-Safeway locations nationwide as well as numerous natural living and specialty retailers. PATCH is also available online at Amazon, Grove Collaborative and patchstrips.com.

For more information or media inquiries, contact Leah Cybulski - Leah@teamchicexecs.com

About PATCH: 
PATCH is the first product to come out of the environmentally-conscious Australian-based brand Nutricare. Their dedication to creating natural solutions to common health care items is empowering consumers to make healthier choices for their families and the world. Nutricare has been a certified B Corporation since 2018 and was named '2019 Best for The World' certified B Corporation in September 2019. For more information, visit patchstrips.com or nutricare.co.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

ST. LOUIS (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

As it celebrates its 25th year as a leading national manufacturer of recycled and sustainable molded pulp packaging, EnviroPAK is pleased to announce the promotion of several members of its leadership team.

Patrick McSwain, who currently serves as EnviroPAK's Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, transitions to the role of President effective February 24, 2020. Patrick replaces Chris Miget, who is a founding investor in the company and has led the business since 2013. Chris will continue with EnviroPAK in an advisory role through March and will remain as an active investor and member of the Board of Directors.

Nick Follmer takes on an expanded role as Director of Operations. Mike Lewis and Dan Mueller have also been promoted into the roles of Production and Maintenance Managers, respectively.

"I am humbled to take on the leadership of EnviroPAK as we enter our next quarter century and look to build upon the successes this team has had in bringing high quality, and environmentally responsible, custom packaging solutions to market," said McSwain. "As Chris and the founders of EnviroPAK know, we have the best team on the field – I hope to continue to help give them the tools they need to deliver for our customers and our community as we know they can. I'd also like to thank Chris for his leadership at EnviroPAK, and for the tutoring and mentorship he has provided me and countless others at EnviroPAK along the way."

Prior to joining EnviroPAK Patrick served in senior operational and financial leadership roles across a range of industries, including aerospace, defense, and medical products.

As part of this transition, Nick Follmer has been promoted to Director of Operations. Nick has worked at EnviroPAK for more than 17 years in a variety of roles, most recently as Production Manager. In his new role, he will lead all day-to-day functions of the production floor, spanning the process from material acquisition to finished goods shipment.

Mike Lewis, also longtime team member at EnviroPAK for more than 15 years has most recently served as Assistant Production Manager and now moves into the role of Production Manager. Dan Mueller joined the team recently after decades in maintenance across several industries and has recently moved into the role of Maintenance Manager.

About EnviroPAK

EnviroPAK produces transfer molded thin wall (also known as type II) product, the most prevalent type used in the industry today. The process uses a forming and transfer die with a standard thickness of 1/16 of an inch and has provided delicate protection for eggs and light bulbs for more than a century. Today, this tried and true technology provides great accuracy and definition for moderate to high volume products.

Founded in 1995, EnviroPAK's mission is to provide sustainable molded pulp (also known as fiber) packaging solutions to businesses that are cost-efficient, space-saving and environmentally friendly. Its central U.S. location allows EnviroPAK to produce protective molded pulp packaging for electronics, computer, beverage, medical and telecommunication markets. EnviroPAK's award-winning in-house design team has been recognized for their packaging including an Institute of Packaging Professionals AmeriStar Gold Award and a Technology and Innovation Award from the St. Louis Economic Council. EnviroPAK offers the highest quality molded pulp products aimed at delivering world class sustainable packaging solutions for some of America's top companies. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

DAYTON, OHIO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Midmark Corp., a leading provider of medical, dental and veterinary equipment, technology and services, announced its partnership with Direct Relief on the shipment of medical equipment to Puerto Rico, equipping a health clinic in a remote area devasted by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20, 2017.

Midmark worked with Direct Relief to donate an exam table, pediatric table, sterilizer, LED procedure lighting, a blood draw chair, physician stool and diagnostic instruments needed for the Clinica Comunitaria Mameyes (COSSA). Located in the Mameyes community in the town of Utuado, in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico, the clinic opened in April 2018, after Hurricane Maria left the community and six others in the area completely isolated from any medical service for residents.

Founded by Francisco "Tito" Valentin of Mameyes, who recognized the desperate need to open the clinic and the benefits it would bring to his community, the free clinic serves seven rural and remote communities in the towns of Utuado and Jayuya. Valentin turned an abandoned building into the health clinic, which was still undergoing renovations in the fall of 2019; however, physicians and nurses on staff from the community are now treating approximately 125 patients per week. Not only has this clinic benefited these communities by offering health services, but it also has created job opportunities and the chance for many of its residents to work close to home.

"This donation will now allow us to use quality equipment and maximize our resources, perform minor surgical procedures, and obtain accurate measurement and weight of babies to determine if their growth is within normal range," said Valentin, president of COSSAO.

"Having traveled throughout the entire island and seeing many health centers and a few free clinics, Clinica Comunitaria Mameyes stands out because of the effort they've put into this clinic, the humility in which they do it, and the ownership they have created within their people," said Andrew MacCalla, director, international programs and emergency prep and response for Direct Relief. "That's something to feel proud of, especially after what they went through after Hurricane Maria and building a health clinic from the ground up."

Midmark is also partnering with Direct Relief on a shipment of medical equipment for the Bahamas to support a clinic in an area that was devasted by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Mitch Eiting, global philanthropic and corporate giving manager said, "We are happy to partner with Direct Relief to help support areas where these hurricanes left vast destruction in communities and their healthcare infrastructure. We believe that all patients deserve accessible, quality healthcare and are committed to doing our part to make this happen."

About Midmark

Midmark Corporation is the only clinical environmental design company that enables a better care experience for the medical, dental and animal health markets. With nearly 2,000 teammates worldwide, Midmark focuses on harmonizing clinical space, technology and workflows for caregivers and patients at the point of care. Founded in 1915 and headquartered in the greater Dayton, Ohio, area, Midmark maintains production and administrative offices in Versailles, Ohio, with eight other locations in the United States as well as subsidiaries in India, Italy and the United Kingdom. To learn more about Midmark, visit midmark.com.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Jordan Belfort (https://jordanbelfort.com), celebrity author and motivational speaker that inspired the Oscar-nominated film The Wolf of Wall Street, is performing a live seminar at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on March 28, 2020 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to an audience of business professionals looking to expand their networking opportunities and potentially start a new, highly successful career path.

Hosted by Suntuity Solar (https://suntuitysolar.com), the residential solar division of the Suntuity Group of companies based in Holmdel, New Jersey, the event is the first of its kind in the industry. The event is geared to redefine solar sales techniques for professionals and enable them to leverage clean solar power as a mainstream energy source using industry-leading and competitive business practices.

"I'm thrilled to be partnering with Suntuity Solar, who are not only a leader in the solar industry but also improving the lives of people everywhere with innovative energy services," said Jordan Belfort. "During this event, which is going to be simply massive by the way, you'll learn the keys to my Straight Line Sales & Persuasion System. The system I used to create over a billion dollars in sales worldwide and launch more millionaires than any sales trainer in history. Get ready, East Coast. I'll see you soon."

The inaugural event, held at the Hard Rock's Etess Arena, serves as a Business Bootcamp and Career Fair for driven individuals that are looking to set a foundation for their own success based on Belfort's Straight Lines Sales and Marketing strategies. In a fast-paced, sales-driven industry, Suntuity Solar continues to recruit top-notch talent that enables its business model with a highly-competitive option in the solar energy vertical.

"We are excited to have Jordan Belfort partner with us on this industry-leading endeavor," said Suntuity Solar CEO, Dan Javan. "We want our team members to position themselves both on a personal and professional level to succeed in life and within the Suntuity Group of companies. Over the past decade, the Suntuity Group has seen year-on-year double digit growth primarily due to the hard work and dedication of our colleagues. Being one of the fastest growing energy companies on the US East Coast in one of the fastest growing industries in the country, we are positioned to help our employees succeed."

Entrepreneurs and sales professionals looking to expand their career opportunities are encouraged to read more about the upcoming event and purchase tickets by visiting https://jbevent.suntuity.com/straightlinejb and reviewing the perks of each ticketing tier. The VIP package will offer a Meet and Greet and networking opportunities with Jordan Belfort, along with front row seating and a complimentary overnight stay at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel. All ticket holders will receive a copy of the former Wolf of Wall Street's E-book, Straight Line Sales.

A second event is slated for May 16, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The location will be announced in coming weeks.

About Suntuity Solar 
Suntuity Solar (https://suntuitysolar.com) is the residential solar division of the Suntuity Group of companies, a conglomerate of renewable energy, finance, technology and UAV services that has developed, built and managed over 275+ megawatts of energy projects across the globe. Suntuity Solar brings clean, affordable residential solar power to thousands of homeowners across the US with operations in multiple US states.

This press release was published by Suntuity Solar, a Suntuity company.

About Jordan Belfort 
Jordan Belfort (https://jordanbelfort.com), aka "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a New York Times best-selling author, renowned motivational speaker on a global level, and the world's #1 sales trainer. He has created more million-dollar producers, aka more millionaires, than any other sales coach in history. His book, The Wolf of Wall Street, was adapted into a blockbuster feature film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. And his revolutionary, one-of-a-kind Straight Line Sales System has been widely accepted as the most powerful and effective sales training system ever conceived.

Disclaimer: 
The information in this release has been included in good faith and is for general purposes only. It should not be relied upon for any specific purpose and no representation or warranty is given as regards to its accuracy or completeness. Suntuity is a registered trademark of Natural Power Sources LLC D|B|A Suntuity. No information in this press release shall constitute an invitation to invest in neither Suntuity, Suntuity Solar, nor any of its affiliates. Neither Suntuity, nor Suntuity Solar nor their affiliates' officers, employees or agents shall be liable for any loss, damage or expense arising out of any action taken on the basis of this press release, including, without limitation, any loss of profit, indirect, incidental 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

EVERETT, WASH. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

NASA and OceanGate Enter Into an Agreement to Collaborate in the Development, Manufacturing and Testing of New Carbon Fiber Pressure Vessels

The resulting pressure vessel will be used for the deep-sea submersibles.

OceanGate today announced it has executed a carbon fiber pressure vessel development agreement with NASA.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will serve as the facility where the development and manufacturing of a new aerospace-grade hull is completed. This design effort is key to OceanGate completing its latest Cyclops-class submersible that is intended to dive to 6,000 meters (19,800 feet) with five crew-members on board.

"We continue to receive more demand for Titanic, deep-sea research and environmental supervision of deep-sea mining missions that very few submersibles in the world have the capability of supporting. NASA's advanced composite manufacturing capability is ideally suited for the high precision and high-quality requirements of our latest hull design. OceanGate's primary goal is to open the oceans and make exploring, researching and documenting deep ocean sights safer and more accessible to not only researchers and governmental agencies, but also to citizen explorers. We look forward to working with NASA to do just that," explains OceanGate CEO & Founder, Stockton Rush.

"NASA is committed to cutting-edge composites research and development that will not only further our deep space exploration goals, but will also improve materials and manufacturing for American industry," said John Vickers, principal technologist for advanced manufacturing technology at NASA. "This Space Act Agreement with OceanGate is a great example of how NASA partners with companies to bring space technology back down to Earth."



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PORTLAND, ORE. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

In the U.S. and Canada, homeowners are gearing up for spring and summer exterior home improvement projects, including re-roofing their homes.

This is also a time when a massive amount of waste is created, due to the removal and disposal of old asphalt roof shingles. As the most common type of roofing material, approximately 11 million tons of worn-out asphalt shingle roofing waste is dumped into the landfill every year, representing a whopping eight percent of the total building-related waste stream in the United States.

To help reduce the environmental impact and save on re-roofing labor costs, experts say the fact is an old asphalt roof doesn't necessarily have to be torn off and removed in order to install a new roof. Thanks to its lighter weight, metal is one of the only roofing materials that can be installed directly over asphalt. The benefits of doing so not only include preventing waste, but realizing the savings that comes from reduced labor and tear-off costs and increased long-term energy efficiency.

According to the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), the leading nonprofit trade organization representing the industry, it's the lower weight and greater resiliency of metal roofing material (50 lbs. per 100 square feet for aluminum and 80-100 lbs. for steel, as compared to nearly 275-425 lbs. per 100 square feet for asphalt) that makes it suitable for installing over asphalt without adding too much weight for a home's structure. It also increases insulation properties, helping homeowners save on heating and cooling costs.

"Every year, we receive questions from homeowners who are rightly concerned about all the waste and mess that comes from removing their old asphalt roofs, asking if they can install longer lasting metal over their existing roofs to help reduce waste and avoid having to re-roof again in the future," said Renee Ramey, MRA executive director. "In many cases, the answer is yes, and there are plenty of great reasons for doing so."

Warranties offered on quality metal roofing systems installed over asphalt shingles are not typically impacted as long as the roof is properly installed, which is not the case when it comes to installing a second layer of asphalt over the top of an old shingle roof. That's because heat gain can impact the integrity of asphalt shingles and cause the new second layer of roofing to deteriorate much faster, while high temperatures will not impact quality metal roofing systems or finishes.

Other factors and considerations for installing a new metal roof over asphalt include: 

Layer limits: Most building codes allow for only two layers of roofing. Metal can typically be installed directly over a single layer asphalt roof, but tear off may be necessary for roofs that have more layers.

Structure soundness: If the old asphalt roof is severely damaged and has leaks, deteriorating decking or buckling, complete removal may be unavoidable before a new roof can be installed.

Underlayment essentials: The proper underlayment should always be used for installing a new metal roof, including over an old asphalt roof. Use the recommended underlayment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions to help protect your new metal roof.

Pro perspective: For any roofing project, work with an experienced, qualified installer who uses quality materials and proper installation methods. Get recommendations and make sure they are members of organizations such as the MRA and other trade groups that advocate for industry quality standards.

Above and beyond benefits: Because quality metal roofs last much longer, are more durable and energy efficient and can be 100% recycled at the end of their long lives, the sustainability and savings benefits are multiplied by installing It directly over an old asphalt roof. By saving on removal and tear-off, homeowners also can increase their value by applying that savings to upgrading their roof quality to ensure long-term reliability and performance, low-maintenance and increased protection.

"For a homeowner, leaving their old shingles in place can actually make the home more energy efficient and resilient," said Todd Miller, president of Isaiah Industries, an MRA member and well-known industry expert. "But perhaps more importantly, it means they can use the money they save on old roof removal and disposal to invest in an upgraded metal roof for their home. Sometimes, those savings allow them to buy the better roof they really want."

About Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) 
Representing metal roofing manufacturers in the United States and Canada, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed to help educate consumers about the many benefits of metal roofs. The main objective of MRA is to increase awareness of the beauty, durability and money-saving advantages of quality metal roofs among homeowners, as well as to provide support for metal roofing businesses and contractors. For more information, visit MRA.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LAKE WORTH, FLA. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Alex Schulze, co-founder and CEO of 4ocean, will bring his years of business expertise and insight to the Piper's Angels Foundation as the newest member of its Advisory Board. As a Board member, Schulze will advise organization leaders as they navigate the Foundation's direction and growth over the coming years.

The collaboration is synergistic, with both organizations founded less than three years ago by young entrepreneurs determined to be successful with their respective ocean-based missions. While Piper's Angels is on a quest to help cystic fibrosis patients through awareness of the proven health benefits of salt water, 4ocean is dedicated to keeping the ocean healthy through exhaustive global cleanup efforts and ongoing community research. 4ocean is currently operating in Indonesia, Haiti, Guatemala, and Florida with over 200 captains and crew members cleaning the ocean, seven days a week. To date, over 8 million pounds of plastic have been removed through their cleanup crews, all funded through the purchase of 4ocean products.

"The true value in Alex's involvement is the fact that he's the leader of an organization founded on the principle of doing good for the world," said Travis Suit, founder and executive director of the Piper's Angels Foundation. "That's a unique perspective to have, and one that aligns perfectly with our own mission."

Last year, 4ocean participated in the Foundation's Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis endurance paddle fundraising event from Bimini, Bahamas to Florida as a support vessel. This year, Schulze will participate again and also will enter a team representing 4ocean.

"This is something that is very important to me, and I'm always trying to get involved in different movements," said Schulze. "What Travis has created is absolutely unbelievable. He rallies crews of people from across the U.S. to join forces and cross the ocean together for the greater good. I will do anything to help and assist his mission."

4ocean brings a strong support base to the Piper's Angels Foundation. With a social media following of 3.5 million, the company offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with new people and further the Foundation's mission and support for its Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis event.

Additional information about the Piper's Angels Foundation can be found online, at https://www.pipersangels.org. Further details regarding 4ocean and its mission can be found at https://4ocean.com/. Information about the 2020 Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis taking place on June 20, 2020, including sponsorships, donations and volunteer details, can be found online at https://www.crossingforcysticfibrosis.com.

About Piper's Angels Foundation 
Piper's Angels Foundation supports and improves the lives of families with cystic fibrosis through heightened awareness, education, life-expanding activities, urgent financial support, and funding critical research. The organization aims to inspire action, make an impact and transform the lives of those affected by this disease. Additional information can be found online, at https://www.pipersangels.org.

About 4ocean 
4ocean is a purpose-driven business with a mission to help end the ocean plastic crisis by cleaning the ocean and coastlines while stopping the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits on land. With the goal of creating an economy around cleaning the ocean, 4ocean funds its cleanup operations entirely through the sale of product purchases. Every product purchased funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean, pulling more than 8 million pounds to date. The solution to ending ocean plastic pollution lies in stopping it on land before it enters the ocean, which is why 4ocean is tackling behavior change by educating consumers about ways to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

When water leaks are caught in time, there are rarely any problems beyond just a wet mess to clean up and minor repairs. When leaks are not caught and repaired the damage can be extensive and Mark Powers, the SERVPRO Avila Beach water damage specialist, has released a report about the problems that happen when leaks, standing water, even toilet overflows are not taken care of as soon as possible. 

Water damage includes property loss due to rotted wood, rust, wet electrical wiring, warped wood such as floors, doors and windows, decayed drywall, loss of carpets, drapery and upholstered furniture, loss of other property that was exposed to water, mold, and mildew, unpleasant odors and even structural damage that needs to be repaired.

Mold and mildew thrive in damp, wet environments. Mold spores are everywhere. When their environment is dry, the spores are dormant but exposure to moisture causes mold to grow within 24 to 48 hours, literally eating whatever it is growing on. Hungry mold in the company of water-soaked materials speeds up the deterioration process. In addition, mold and mildew can cause allergic symptoms and respiratory ailments in people and animals that are exposed. Some molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly known as "black mold produce mycotoxins. Exposure to high levels of mycotixins can lead to neurological problems and sometimes even death.

Pathogens found in wastewater, or "black water" commonly from sewage backups, or storm floods that have damaged sewage lines and allowed black water into the floodwaters, are harmful. The pathogens commonly found in black water include Salmonella, E. Coli, Pseudomonas, Shigella, Vibrio, Mycobacterium, Clostridium, Leptospira, Yersinia, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, intestinal worms and more. Even a simple toilet overflow is going to spread pathogens, although not necessarily to the degree of a sewer back up. However, a toilet that leaks or repeatedly overflows is spreading a certain level of pathogens. If the toilet has been leaking due to a crack in the porcelain or a failed seal for some time, those pathogens are going to build up in the flooring and walls.

The best way to prevent water damage is to regularly inspect areas where leaks might go undetected, remove any standing water around building foundations, including under the building, replace leaking faucets immediately, repair leaking pipes, and dry out any damp spots as soon as they are found.

Landscape watering is a common contributor to water that pools around foundations and under buildings. Change the watering direction, or even the plants, to eliminate standing water.

Despite best efforts, accidents happen and water damage and mold can follow. The Avila Beach water damage specialists at SERVPRO are available 24/7, 365 days a year to respond to an emergency. Water damage emergencies can include flooding from a broken pipe, storm or other natural disaster damage, even the results of the fire department saving a building from a fire. Even neighbors of the building that was on fire can experience water damage as well as smoke damage. SERVPRO of Avila Beach also helps property owners file and track insurance claims.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PLYMOUTH, MINN. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Recognizing that the potential for project savings is what makes its customers initiate or expand energy saving lighting, controls and IoT projects, EMC announced its top four utility performers of 2019. The company, which works with hundreds of utilities to provide energy saving lighting retrofits and controls implementations, based its criteria on important factors that impact program success for its customers including preapproval timelines, rebate values, payment timelines, trade ally bonuses and overall savings.

"We are proud of the strong, professional relationships we have with utilities nationwide, especially organizations like these who go the extra mile to deliver customer value," said EMC Chairman and CEO Jerry Johnson.

EMC's 2019 Top Utility Performers include:

Consumers Energy in Michigan

As Michigan's largest energy provider, Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

Their request for proposal (RFP) program helped EMC customers capture $250,000 in incentives and save 3.5 million kWh of energy.

Eversource MA and CT

Returning for a third consecutive year is Eversource. Serving four million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Eversource delivered the highest level of incentives of any EMC utility in 2019 at just over $2 million with 13.7 million kWh in energy savings for retail and industrial projects in the region.

PG&E California + Ecology Action

Serving nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company delivered $414,000 in incentives and 5.9 million kWh of energy savings for EMC projects in 2019.

With a focus on reducing carbon emissions at scale, PG&E California has made partnering with multinational corporations committed to reducing their carbon footprint a priority. To ensure the success of these initiatives, PG&E worked closely with Ecology Action, a program implementor that coordinated and facilitated the required documentation for EMC projects in the region.

PSEG Long Island

Returning to EMC's list for a second year is PSEG Long Island, which operates the Long Island Power Authority's transmission and distribution system. Collaborative and responsive on EMC projects, the utility delivered $1.1 million in incentives savings with 3.4 million kWh of energy saved.

EMC recognizes these programs not only for their great incentive programs and partnership in removing large amounts of energy from the grid, but for their superior communication, collaboration, program ease and desire to make sure customers receive their maximum incentives.

EMC provides leading-edge LED lighting + controls + IoT conversion systems and service solutions to a broad range of multinational retail, commercial, industrial and specialized customers. Since 2003, the company has used its total project management approach, EnergyMAXX, to successfully implement thousands of lighting upgrade projects, saving clients across industries billions in kilowatt-hours of energy.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PORTLAND, ORE. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 27, 2020

OpConnect announced today the release of an upgrade network kit to enable communications, load management and driver authentication for installed ClipperCreek CS and HCS units. This kit will allow owners of ClipperCreek's robust non-networked hardware to be retrofit with OpConnect's best-in-class network connectivity.

"ClipperCreek recently announced the shipment of its 90,000th EVSE (congratulations to ClipperCreek!) and we thought it was important to enable owners of many of these installed stations the ability to upgrade the units with connectivity," said Dexter Turner, OpConnect CEO. "The upgrade will allow these formerly non-networked stations to have driver authentication, data collection, load management and metering."

OpConnect is committed to providing innovative charging solutions to increase the adoption of electric vehicles across North America. The OpConnect network kit will allow site hosts who previously did not want network connectivity to now connect. So, whether it be due to a desire to manage access, need for load management or to collect charging data for purposes such as alternative fuel credits, customers can now upgrade their existing ClipperCreek hardware.

The feature is available today for all ClipperCreek CS and HCS model stations, depending upon their year of manufacture, and will give their owners OCPP enabled 40, 50, 80 and 100 Amp rated units, designed for passenger and fleet vehicle applications.

OpConnect's network technology is designed to accommodate multi-family, workplace, public and fleet applications. The network is fully OCPP compliant, allowing its customers to avoid vendor lock and having a choice of OCPP hardware, now including ClipperCreek, available on the market today.

About OpConnect (http://www.opconnect.com): 
OpConnect is a leading developer of electric vehicle charging station technology, operating over a thousand charging ports in sixteen US states using unique EV charging stations targeted at workplace, multi-family and fleet operations. OpConnect's EV charger products and cloud software services are Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) compliant, giving customers the flexibility of running charging station hardware with a variety of network platform providers.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 28, 2020

After nearly four years of secretive research and development, Umbra, headquartered in downtown Santa Barbara, is getting ready to launch its first group of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) microsatellites. Umbra developed the world's only microsatellites capable of generating high resolution imagery from space. Umbra can build a scalable constellation which supports high revisit rates. Average revisits on the order of an hour are achievable with 12 satellites while maintaining .50 centimeter resolution.

Umbra held a ribbon cutting ceremony and gave a tour of its newly remodeled 10,000 square foot facility decorated in the spirit of the 60s space-romance. Public officials, including Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo, City Council members Jason Dominguez and Kristen Sneddon. Wendy Motta, representing Congressman Salud Carbajal, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services were in attendance.

Santa Barbara has a long-standing history of aerospace. Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was founded in Santa Barbara in 1912, Allan Lockheed, later went on to form the Lockheed Aircraft Company, one of the companies that formed today's Lockheed Martin. Jack Northrop, a Santa Barbara High School graduate, started his career as a draftsman for Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company and later founded what became Northrop Grumman. Other innovative aerospace companies have established offices in Santa Barbara County, including, Astro Aerospace, AEC-Able, DSS and Raytheon.

Founders of Umbra, David Langan (CEO) and Gabe Dominocielo (CSO), are long-time friends who were born and raised in Santa Barbara, could not think of a better place to start a space company. "Santa Barbara is well known as a tourist destination, few realize that is has a century long legacy of aerospace industry. We are proud to be a part of it and participate in the development of its next stage," said Dominocielo.

Umbra's innovative approach will continue that legacy: its microsatellite weighs about 50 kg (110 lbs) and is launched into space in a (sub ESPA) rideshare volume of a rocket such as SpaceX's Falcon 9, bringing the costs of the mission to unprecedented lows. Once in space, Umbra's unique antenna expands into a parabolic dish larger than a side of a small school bus, allowing Umbra to achieve unparalleled performance. "Umbra's microsatellite offers an incredible capability [.25 meter imagery] which is unlike anything else I have seen before," said Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo.

Many companies are developing SAR microsatellites, but it's incredibly difficult to develop microsatellites without compromising performance. Umbra is unique: their products are high quality.

During the tour of Umbra's Mission Operations Control (MOC), Council member Kristen Sneddon, a geophysicist with an expertise in radar technology, noted, "You are building a SAR satellite, it is very exciting to have this technology [high-resolution SAR] developed and directed locally within the city." SAR data can be very useful in the Santa Barbara area, specifically to monitor shifting topography, fires, water aquifers, oil leaks/spills and overall environmental monitoring.

Umbra currently employs about 20 people and has raised capital from CrossCut Ventures, Hemisphere Ventures, Starbridge Ventures, PonValley and Champion Hill Ventures.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

NAIROBI, KENYA (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Silafrica, an award-winning manufacturer and supplier of packaging solutions, has joined other top Kenya-based manufacturers in endorsing the launch of the Kenya Plastics Action Plan, a global long-term initiative of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM).

This private sector-led initiative and Action Plan aims to bring manufacturers together to embark on collaborative strategies toward a circular economy focused on the sustainable manufacture, use and recycling of plastics in Kenya. The plan resonates with New Plastics Economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) Global Commitment, AEPW (Alliance to End Plastics Waste), and other long-term programs that address global plastics waste management. KAM and its members have endorsed the Charter, citing the Circular Economy approach as a model approach to the global waste challenge largely created by the outcome of the Industrial Age that perpetuated the Linear Economy.

Silafrica's Group Executive Director, Akshay Shah, a leading expert and advocate in circular economies, in recent months has been an active participant and panelist at several of KAM's events, leading up to the launch of the Kenya Plastics Action Plan in September 2019. Akshay's extensive knowledge of Circular Economy issues makes Silafrica well-positioned to positively impact forthcoming efforts of the Kenya Plastics Action Plan.

By endorsing the Action Plan, Silafrica and other manufacturers agree to support a long-term initiative that will incorporate policy suggestions to the Kenyan government and commitments from industry to support and promote: sustainable design, production and after-use markets of plastics; plastic collection management and other systems infrastructure; and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. The formal document has been officially launched and provided to the public for review.

The launch of the Kenya Plastics Action Plan will provide ample opportunities to engage with the media to boost publicity for upcoming events as part of KAM's commitment to sustainable and competitive manufacturing in Kenya.

####

About Silafrica 
Silafrica is an award-winning manufacturer and supplier of plastic and packaging solutions for corporations, consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and consumers alike. With headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, Silafrica has manufacturing hubs in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, and serves clients in these countries as well as Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and others throughout Africa. Its client roster includes leading global and African CPG brands who use packaging applications for primary and secondary consumer and industrial rigid packaging, and secondary flexible industrial packaging. Business sectors served include the fastest growing segments within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space such as food, beverage, personal care, home care, the construction space such as paint and chemicals, as well as the general logistics needs of the distribution and supply chains in the agricultural and consumer sectors.





*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Close to 100 business and community leaders from Orange and Sullivan counties gathered to discuss current and future development in the region and the need to improve mobility for enhanced safety and economic stability. The Feb. 26 event, "Driving Our Region's Prosperity: Mobility as a Catalyst for Economic Development" at West Hills Country Club was hosted by 17-Forward-86, a coalition advocating for a third lane east and west on Route 17 to enable future designation as Interstate 86.

"We're so pleased to have so many of our colleagues join us today," said Michael Lawler, director of 17-Forward-86 and partner of Checkmate Strategies. "This impressive showing demonstrates the growing support for widening Route 17, to ensure our infrastructure is able to handle the added capacity from the many significant investments in our region."

Lawler moderated a diverse panel with representatives of business, economic development, health care and law enforcement who all agreed improving mobility is paramount to the safety, quality of life and economic well-being of the Hudson Valley and Sullivan Catskills.

"With so many exciting developments underway in our region, we simply cannot wait any longer to make this critical upgrade to Route 17," said Maureen Halahan, president and CEO, Orange County Partnership, and co-chair of 17-Forward-86. "There is tremendous support for this project and we must move forward."

Halahan pointed to Legoland, which is building a $500 million theme park off Route 17 in the Town of Goshen and is expected to open July 4. Also in Goshen, Amy's Kitchen is constructing a 390,000-square-foot factory where the organic, vegetarian food maker plans to employ some 700 people. These and other projects in Orange and Sullivan counties are expected to attract millions of visitors to local roads – further necessitating the need for a third lane on Route 17.

Joining Halahan on the panel were Marc Baez, president and CEO, Sullivan County Partnership and co-chair, 17-Forward-86; Scott Batulis, president and CEO, Greater Hudson Valley Health System, Middletown; Chief Deputy Dennis Barry, Orange County Sheriff's Office; David Kohlasch, general manager, Kartrite Resort and Indoor Water Park, Monticello; and Randy Resnick, owner, Bernie's Holiday Restaurant, Resnick and Penguin Energy, and Liberty Market, Sullivan County. "This is a crucial point in our campaign to widen Route 17," said Baez. "We cannot afford to keep kicking this project down the road. This is critical for our region ... for our future."

Batulis pointed to the rapid growth of the health system and expansion plans for Orange Regional Medical Center, noting that "we need the infrastructure to support that growth." He also cited the importance of mobility on Route 17 for the 100,000 patients who visit the emergency rooms annually. "Every minute counts – there is no time for delay."

Chief Barry agreed, adding that, as first responders, officers see first-hand the dangers traffic tie-ups pose. "When we're dealing with life-or-death situations, seconds matter. We need to ensure our first responders are able to move quickly and freely, and improving mobility along Route 17 will help in those efforts."

The threats of traffic also take a toll on visitors, who continue to flock to the Sullivan Catskills for its beauty and offerings but dread the stop-and-go trip. "At our restaurants, the talk around the table tends to be traffic-related," said Resnick. "This project is a long time coming. And it's not just for Orange County – it's for Sullivan County, too. It's about two counties working together for a common good. This is our future."

The Kartrite, which opened in April 2019, has already exceeded expectations in terms of visitors, said Kohlasch. "We've hosted 200,000 guests and this year we'll probably double that," Kohlasch said. "This project is critical for our long-term success."

17-Forward-86 members shared details about the growing campaign to widen Route 17 and their efforts to get funding for it. The coalition is seeking $500 million from New York State and has been engaging state legislators to secure funding in the Department of Transportation's upcoming capital plan to implement recommendations in a 2013 capacity study issued by NYSDOT. The 2013 study, funded with $1 million secured by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, found that congestion on Route 17 will worsen and development in the region necessitates an additional lane/added capacity. The DOT's next capital plan is expected to begin April 1, 2020 and be funded by state and federal funds.

In May 2019, the DOT issued a request for expressions of interest for an engineering firm to begin a scoping and preliminary review process and later selected the firm WSP. The work is part of a $5 million Planning and Environmental Linkage study (PEL), which includes identifying priority locations and conducting environmental assessments and preliminary engineering. Funding for the PEL study was committed as part of the state's 2018-2019 budget.

About 17-Forward-86 
17-Forward-86 was established in August 2018 by a dedicated group of advocates who support the widening of Route 17. The coalition comprises more than 200 members of economic development groups, construction trades, tourism groups and energy companies who share a common vision for expanding the capacity of Route 17 to strengthen the economic well-being of the Hudson Valley and Sullivan Catskills.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Kongsberg Geospatial Ltd., an Ottawa-based developer of geospatial visualisation software, announced today the official release of TerraLens 9.2, the latest version of their real-time, high performance, software development toolkit for geospatial visualization.

The latest TerraLens 9 release offers increased performance to make better use of the advanced capabilities of modern GPUs, and provides new capabilities, including point-cloud visualization features, and advanced DPI scaling for responsive UI development.

TerraLens is a high-performance mapping and geospatial engine developed for the real-time display of sensor data, and is widely used in critical domain applications including air defense, air traffic management, and search and rescue.

The new engine includes support for easily displaying LiDAR, including colorized point cloud data, and features significant performance boosts when rendering 3D terrain in large viewports – maintaining high frame rates when panning and zooming high-resolution maps, even when rendering for 4K screens. Other performance boosts include much faster loading of WMTS map tiles.

With many work environments and applications transitioning to 4K displays, support for high ultra high-resolution viewports and responsive UI development was an important focus for this release. In addition to beefing up the 3D rendering support in large viewports, TerraLens 9.2 has added native DPI scaling for text and UI elements, making it a good choice for command and control applications that need to support multiple devices.

Additional new features in TerraLens 9.2 include underwater visualization effects, with support for different water levels and shaded subsea elevations. The SDK also provides new tools for displaying Line-of-Sight (LOS), dynamic Viewshed, and a Ground Proximity shader for use with areas and lines. These features are part of a new set of visualizations developed for creating multidomain applications and applications for controlling drones in flight.

Several of the new features in TerraLens 9.2 grew out of addressing new concerns affecting software development: "This new release addresses two trending operational concerns", explained Annette Gottstein-Puri, TerraLens Product Manager for Kongsberg Geospatial. "These are the performance cost of rendering to high resolution 4K displays – which are becoming more prevalent in operational environments - and the need for visualizations to aid situational awareness within 3D geospatial displays".

"This release of TerraLens continues to leverage the GPU to provide advanced real-time visualizations which help further situational awareness within the growing 3D geospatial market, and it addresses the demanding performance requirements needed to do this effectively on resource-hungry 4K displays."

While TerraLens 9 is intended to leverage modern GPU architecture, Kongsberg Geospatial will continue to support legacy rendering modes like X11 and GDI in their TerraLens 8.x product line, which will be maintained in parallel with TerraLens 9 releases.

TerraLens, Kongsberg Geospatial's industry-leading geospatial visualization platform, has been fielded in some of the most demanding applications in the world including AEGIS, Global Hawk, THAAD, NATO AWACS, and the Joint Battle Command-Platform.

To learn more about Kongsberg Geospatial, visit their website at http://www.kongsberggeospatial.com.

###

About Kongsberg Geospatial: Based in Ottawa, Canada, Kongsberg Geospatial (http://www.kongsberggeospatial.com) creates precision real-time software for mapping, geospatial visualization, and situational awareness. The Company's products are primarily deployed in solutions for air-traffic control, Command and Control, and air defense. Over nearly three decades of providing dependable performance under extreme conditions, Kongsberg Geospatial has become the leading geospatial technology provider for mission-critical applications where lives are on the line. Kongsberg Geospatial is a subsidiary of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Media contact: 1-800-267-2626 or reach us by email at info@kongsberggeospatial.com



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

CHICAGO (PRWEB) FEBRUARY 28, 2020

The investment further validates SHE Software's strong North American market position, spearheading further growth to build on the momentum achieved over the last two years. The firm plans to increase headcount to expand its global talent pool by 60 and develop the skillset of its existing team.

Matthew Elson, CEO of SHE Software explains, "SHE Software has played a critical role in helping develop the EHS management software industry having pioneered digital innovation for over 20 years. From our dominant position in the UK and Europe we are now focused on further scaling operations in North America."

"Our customers are individuals who deal with complex and dispersed operations where the more traditional approach to managing health and safety is no longer adequate. We typically help customers produce ROI paybacks within 12 months by improving EHS efficiencies and increasing engagement top-down, bottom-up."

SHE Software's leading-edge cloud based, mobile-first platform is transforming the corporate approach to EHS management. Building on their rapidly growing client base of more than 250 organizations, SHE Software is also developing a strong partner network in the US.

SHE Software has witnessed strong growth during the past 12 months securing more than 80 new customers and an increase of 54% in orders during 2019.

The software as a service (SaaS) firm has continued to add innovation to its flagship product, Assure, most recently launching a Business Intelligence feature that allows its corporate users to identify trends, track leading indicators and predict where preventative interventions will be most effective.

Elson continues, "We chose the Frog team because of its focus and expertise in scaling software firms like ours internationally. Frog's Scale-Up Methodology and Operating Partner team stood apart from our other options, and we very much look forward to writing the next chapter together."

Global spending on EHS software is expected to reach $1.9bn in 2024*, with the mid-risk corporate market largely unserved by dedicated modern software services and is therefore experiencing significant growth.

Mike Reid, Senior Partner at Frog Capital commented, "SHE Software's deep understanding of environmental, health and safety challenges, and how modern software engagement can transform attitudes and address key EHS issues has impressed the Frog team a great deal."

Charlie Winward, Managing Director, Northern Venture Capital Trust (VCTs) Funds at Mercia, said, "We are pleased to continue our support of SHE Software and welcome Frog Capital in this new funding round. SHE Software has made considerable progress in the EHS sector, and this syndicated round positions it well to continue its growth over the next few years and further build out its presence in the US market.

"SHE Software exemplifies the benefits of the Northern VCTs' approach to identifying and investing in technology firms. By combining our commercial and sector expertise with exciting opportunities and talented teams, we are seeking to build successful firms to create medium-term incremental shareholder value."

SHE Software is the team behind Assure, a truly user-configurable EHS management software platform that helps organizations achieve and demonstrate health and safety compliance, while generating cost-savings by reducing the administrative burden.

Deploying a mobile-first approach, employees and contractors can easily report EHS information 'at source', 24/7, on-site or off-site.

Assure is transforming how EHS is managed, engaging employees to generate new insights that help organizations target improvements and reduce incidents. Not only does Assure help demonstrate an organization's duty of care, it also reduces the financial burden of incidents and claims. All while supporting EHS decisions that are data driven and fact-based.

Notes to editors

*Verdantix, EHS Software Market Size And Forecast 2019-2024 (Global), Feb 2019.

About SHE Software

For over 20 years, SHE Software has been developing Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) management software. Founded in 1995, the firm now serves more than 250 customers across multiple sectors. Their safety accredited team is located across the US, UK and New Zealand.

The SHE Software team pride themselves in being expert in the application of technology to solve their customers' EHS challenges. Assure, its EHS software solution, provides organizations with an easily accessible way to manage health, safety and compliance. Supporting a proactive approach, Assure, empowers EHS professionals to draw insight from their data and make targeted interventions.

http://www.shesoftware.com

About Frog Capital

Frog is a specialist growth equity investor, backing European software companies at the Scale-Up stage, across two key themes: digital infrastructure and smart data. They have recently announced the First Close of their new fund, Frog European Growth II (FEGII).

Frog invest in businesses with proven product-market fit, strong momentum and positive unit economics, typically with €3m+ revenues and 30% growth. Frog work with their portfolio companies using their 'Scale-Up Methodology' to help continue their growth. They provide support at the Scale-Up stage with a team of operational experts and entrepreneurs.

Further information available at http://www.frogcapital.com

About Mercia Asset Management PLC

The Northern VCTs are three VCT funds with over £270m AUM investing in scale-up businesses across the UK, typically with a first cheque of £2-4m and a view to providing follow-on funding at subsequent rounds. They are managed by Mercia.

Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. Mercia provides capital across its four asset classes of balance sheet, venture, private equity and debt capital; the Group's 'Complete Capital Solution'. The Group initially nurtures businesses via its third-party funds under management, then over time Mercia can provide further funding to the most promising companies, by deploying direct investment follow-on capital from its own balance sheet.

The Group has a strong UK regional footprint through its eight offices, 19 university partnerships and extensive personal networks, providing it with access to high-quality deal flow. Mercia has over £0.8million of assets under management and, since its IPO in December 2014, has invested over £90million across its direct investment portfolio.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic "MERC" and includes the following wholly owned subsidiaries - 

Mercia Fund Management Limited is authorized and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 524856

Enterprise Ventures Limited is authorized and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 183363

EV Business Loans Limited is authorized and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 443560



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SARASOTA, FLA. (PRWEB) MARCH 01, 2020

Clean Air Gear division of MicroSweep Corp. has introduced a novel new product that eradicates virus particles shed by a contagious person, whether they have symptoms or not. Virus particles are copies of the original virus that has been reproduced many-fold by an exhausted host-cell infection in a contagious person.

ViraKill-60 is a special type of portable air purifier that destroys virus particles using clean ozone, then neutralizes any remaining oxidant. Ozone will inactivate viruses on contact, even at very low residual concentrations. Ozone destroys viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage to the viral RNA. Only 0.012 ppm of ozone removes all polio viral cells in less than 10 seconds.

The new ViraKill-60 (available at http://www.cleanairgear.com) creates temporary clean ozone that oxidizes viral particles on contact. Placed in a closed room and powered on, the unit cycles unattended for one hour. (The cleaning technology attacks organic molecules, including living cells, so the treatment area must be unoccupied while it cleans.) Treated premises can be reoccupied soon afterward because during the last ten minutes it neutralizes any ozone remaining in the treatment area. This is reliable because only clean ozone is produced, even in moist air, so there are no toxic byproducts to remove.

"ViraKill-60 can inactivate airborne or surface virus particles" said John Edwards, President of Clean Air Gear.

See ViraKill-60 at (http://www.cleanairgear.com) or email to info@virakill.com.

Clean Air Gear sells portable equipment to purify room air in the home and workplace.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

VALENCIA, CALIF. (PRWEB) MARCH 01, 2020

Valencia-based Landscape Development Inc. (LDI) announced today that its maintenance division, Enhanced Landscape Management LLC (ELM), has completed the asset purchase of Rancho Cordova based Zuke's Landscape, Inc. (Zuke's).

The purchase expands the maintenance operations of LDI, with total revenues exceeding $110 million, into new territory.

Zuke's owners, Dan and Jennifer Zuccaro will remain and join the ELM executive team. "We have had the pleasure of working with the LDI/ELM team for several months. What drew us together was the shared values of how we conduct business - treating our employees well and partnering with our valued clients," said Jennifer Zuccaro, who will play a key role in the integration of the Zuke's business into ELM.

Zuke's, through the course of nearly three decades, has developed a very strong local presence and a reputation of quality and customer service relating to commercial landscape maintenance. The entire staff is being fully retained, including field personnel and management.

ELM Division President Ron Reitz said this acquisition brings new talent into the LDI/ELM team as the company extends its maintenance reach into Northern California for the first time. "We continue to grow and push our maintenance division to new heights. We are very excited to bring Zuke's into the LDI/ELM family," Reitz said. "Their pride of ownership and their commitment to staff and clients aligns perfectly with our way of doing business."

LDI President and CEO Gary Horton said the acquisition is an important next step in the company's continued growth and commitment to growing the maintenance segment of the business. "This is a great addition to our LDI family and one which solidifies our position in a key market," Horton said. "This acquisition also allows us to consolidate our local construction and maintenance teams into the best-in-class regional facility, bringing our local talent together under one roof. We continue to pursue acquisition opportunities to grow our business and to provide the best service levels to our valued clients."

Horton founded LDI in 1983. The company currently operates from 13 regional offices throughout California and Southern Nevada.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SAN JOSE, CALIF. (PRWEB) MARCH 02, 2020

San Jose Symphonic Choir (SJSC), a 120-member volunteer chorus, led by Maestro Leroy Kromm and accompanied by Cal Arte Ensemble, explores the musical environment in Vienna at the turn of the 19th century with works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Grand Mass in C minor, K. 427 and Regina Coeli, K. 276, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Te Deum in D Major and in honour of his 250th birthday year, Ludwig van Beethoven, Opferlied.

Vibrant Vienna represents the musical connections that linked the lives of three composers who lived and worked in Vienna, Austria. Hummel was a student of Mozart's, and lived with his family for two years; Mozart heard the young Beethoven perform; and Beethoven and Hummel were both rivals and friends.

"The music of Mozart, Hummel, and Beethoven bridge the time when the shape of classical music was changing from the ordered elegance of the Classical period to the turbulence and drama of the Romantic era," said Leroy Kromm, SJSC Music Director. "Performing in Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph delivers an experience to hear awe-inspiring works in a setting that is acoustically rich evoking a quality of sound that transforms the audience."

SJSC is delighted to welcome Bay Area soloists: Soprano Gabrielle Haigh, Liliane Cromer, Mezzo Soprano, and Tenor Christopher Wall.

Connected to Our Bay Area Community for 96 Years 
San Jose Symphonic Choir is a volunteer choral organization of over 100 voices, performing choral masterworks and contemporary pieces under the inspiring leadership of Maestro Leroy Kromm. Throughout our 96 Seasons, we have maintained a strong connection within our community, performing in local venues with local musicians and orchestras and creating a musical community for our members.

Vibrant Vienna will be presented in the acoustically resonant Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, 80 South Market, San Jose, at 7:30 on 21 March 2020. $35 Advance General Admission/ $40 at the door. $30 for seniors, students and military/$35 at the door. Youth 12 and under are free. Tickets are available now on the choir website or by phone at 408 995 3318.

San Jose Symphonic Choir is supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San Jose, a generous grant from SV Creates, and by the Peery Fund



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

HOUSTON (PRWEB) MARCH 02, 2020

Pink Petro, the leading global community working to end the gender gap in energy, is marking the start of its fifth anniversary with Energy 2.0, its global energy forum on March 10, 2020.

Katie Mehnert, founder and chief executive officer of Pink Petro said, "This unconventional "unconference" brings together global energy professionals to discuss the tsunami of change shifting the industry."

Formerly known as HERWorld, the forum was first held in 2016 and has since grown to include diverse speakers inside and outside of energy, and through the power of digital, is broadcast to watch sites globally.

Energy 2.0 will take center stage in Houston at the Westin Houston in Memorial City and in Denver at the CU Denver School of Business, University of Colorado Denver. Energy 2.0 will also be streamed online courtesy of Hess Corporation. This year's event will encompass "Equality, Environment, and the New Economy."

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a Fifth Anniversary Sponsor. Hillary H. Holmes, a partner in Gibson Dunn's Houston office and co-chair of the firm's capital markets practice group said, "Powerful things happen when women come together with a common vision. They turn that vision into reality. Gibson Dunn holds diversity, equality and innovative thinking as core values. We are proud to support Pink Petro and Energy 2.0 – a force that moves us closer to making our shared vision of equality in the global energy industry a reality."

MORE THAN A FORUM

Energy 2.0 is a global experience where participants discuss the energy transition, big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain, geopolitics, and the workforce in a different and inclusive way.

The initial speaker lineup in 2020 includes feminist plumber, tradeswomen activist, and keynote Judaline Cassidy. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Judaline was amongst the first three women selected to learn plumbing at the John Donaldson Technical Institute of Trinidad. The lineup also includes Gen Z, Benji Backer, entrepreneur and political activist, named one of RedAlert's top "30 Under 30" conservatives and GreenBiz's 30 Under 30. Stephanie Cox will deliver the industry keynote. Cox is chief executive officer of Wood Americas business and is a seasoned energy industry leader with more than 28 years in oilfield leadership roles and diverse global business. Author and journalist Robert Bryce will deliver the keynote in Denver and discuss his sixth book "A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations." Other speakers for Energy 2.0 include thought leaders from a wide range of companies and startups including Total, Cemity Factory, NOV, Sunnova Energy, TPI Composites, Renewable Energy Systems, Schneider Electric Energy & Sustainability Services, Shell and Saudi Aramco.

DIFFERENCE IS DRIVING THE ENERGY TRANSITION

"Since its inception, our company has been built on the firm belief that energy is changing," Mehnert said. "The digital component of our offerings from membership to events to our careers service with a deliberate focus on inclusion is what sets us apart. We're about celebrating how different and unconventional ways drive our world forward."

"We're in an energy transition and transformation goes beyond gender, generations, nationalities, religion, sexual preference, and energy forms. It goes beyond industries and political affiliations. It gets back to us as humans in our rawest form. We need everyone at this table," says Mehnert on the marking of Pink Petro's fifth year.

The other leading Energy 2.0 sponsors in addition to Gibson Dunn also include Baker Hughes; BHP; CU Denver Business School, Global Energy Management Program, Hess Corporation; and Wood Mackenzie.

ABOUT PINK PETRO

Pink Petro is a social enterprise aimed at creating a new future and ending the diversity gap in energy. Its mission is to elevate and connect individuals, companies, and industries to create an inclusive workforce and supply chain. The community has a presence in 120 countries in nearly 500 companies across energy in oil and natural gas, LNG, renewables, and nuclear. Its sister company is Experience Energy and is the destination careers platform for diverse talent in energy.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

SANTA CLARITA, CALIF. (PRWEB) MARCH 02, 2020

Landscape Development, Inc., a landscape-industry leader serving all of California, has announced the formation and launch of their Enhanced Arbor Management (EAM) service. With this addition to the Enhanced Landscape Management (ELM) Division, Landscape Development, Inc. is now a full-service landscape company.

LDI currently employs over 1,000 landscape professionals from 13 regional offices throughout California and Nevada. For over 35 years, the company has delivered superior landscape services for a variety of project types from park and public spaces to commercial landscape to custom residential homes. Adding the Enhanced Arbor Management branch to Enhanced Landscape Management will allow them to offer customers a one-stop-shop solution.

"This addition to our company ensures that we are delivering true peace of mind to our clients by ensuring price, quality, safety and service standards are being met at all times. It is exciting to now be able to provide true, full-service for our clients," said ELM Division President Ron Reitz. "We wanted to make sure we did this right and have worked hard to ensure our operations are safe, staffed by highly trained crew members and equipped with the latest and best equipment available."

Tim Sokolowski has joined EAM as the division leader of tree care services. Sokolowski has over two decades of industry experience including sales, safety and operations management. Tree service operations have now commenced in Los Angeles, Ventura and Kern Counties with expanded coverage coming soon.

LDI was founded in 1983 by Gary Horton, who continues to serve as president and CEO.

About Landscape Development, Inc. (LDI) 
Landscape Development, Inc. is the industry-leading, integrated site and landscape services company serving all of California. From site design through construction, protection and maintenance, we provide personal, capable solutions for your site needs. Our collaborative team turns your vision into reality. We are exceptionally enthusiastic Green Industry professionals, dedicating our careers to working on your behalf. We're licensed architects, skilled craftsmen, erosion control technicians, and exacting managers. From design to management to emergency site response, we've got you covered, 24/7, 365 days a year. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WESTMINSTER, COLO. (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

Yesterday the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) honored more than two dozen individuals for their outstanding contributions to the field of weed science. The awards were presented during the organization's annual meeting in Maui, Hawaii.

"This year's honorees are making significant contributions to weed science through their research, teaching, publishing and outreach," says Bill Curran, annual meeting program chair and incoming president of WSSA.

The 2020 winners include:

FELLOW AWARDS (WSSA'S HIGHEST RECOGNITION) 

    Bryan G. Young, Ph.D., Purdue University

    Daniel B. Reynolds, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

HONORARY WSSA MEMBER 

    Bhagirath Singh Chauhan, Ph.D., The University of Queensland (Australia)

OUTSTANDING EXTENSION AWARD 

    John Byrd, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

OUTSTANDING RESEARCH AWARD 

    Patrick J. Tranel, Ph.D., University of Illinois

OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD 

    Baruch Rubin, Ph.D., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

OUTSTANDING PAPER, INVASIVE PLANT SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT 

    Interpreting life-history traits of miconia through management over space and time in the East Maui Watershed, Hawaii. Authors:

—    James Leary, Ph.D., University of Hawaii 
—    Brooke Mahnken, Maui Invasive Species Committee 
—    Christopher Wada, Ph.D., University of Hawaii 
—    Kimberly Burnett, Ph.D., University of Hawaii

OUTSTANDING PAPER AWARD, WEED SCIENCE 

     Sex-specific markers for waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. Authors:

—    Jacob S. Montgomery, University of Illinois 
—    Ahmed Sadeque, University of Illinois 
—    Darci A. Giacomini, Ph.D., University of Illinois 
—    Patrick J. Brown, Ph.D., University of Illinois 
—    Patrick J. Tranel, Ph.D., University of Illinois

OUTSTANDING PAPER AWARD, WEED TECHNOLOGY 

    Comparing responses of sensitive and resistant populations of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp to PPO inhibitors. Authors:

—    Kathryn J. Lillie, University of Illinois 
—    Darci A. Giacomini, Ph.D., University of Illinois 
—    Patrick J. Tranel, Ph.D., University of Illinois

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD 

    Hudson Takano, Ph.D., Colorado State University

OUTSTANDING EARLY CAREER WEED SCIENTIST 

    Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

OUTSTANDING INDUSTRY AWARD 

    Terry R. Wright, Ph.D., Corteva Agriscience

OUTSTANDING REVIEWER AWARDS 

    Vipan Kumar, Ph.D., Kansas State University (for Weed Science)

    Lauren Schwartz-Lazaro, Ph.D., Louisiana State University (for Weed Technology)

    Cynthia Huebner, Ph.D., USDA-USFS (for Invasive Plant Science and Management)

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD 

    Susan Koehler, Ph.D., USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD 

    Emily Unglesbee, DTN/The Progressive Farmer,

Biographical sketches of the winners are available in the 2020 annual meeting awards program, posted online on the WSSA website:http://wssa.net/wp-content/uploads/WSSA-2020-Awards-Program.pdf.

About the Weed Science Society of America 
The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

HOUSTON (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

Global markets are growing more competitive. As a result, process engineering and technology plays an increasingly important role in increasing the downstream industry's ROI and market share, confirms a Reuters Events report.

"Since 2010, petrochemical producers have announced significant expansions of capacity in the U.S., and the momentum is not over," states the report.

In the next Reuters Events Excellence in Process Engineering & Technology Optimization Webinar Series, KBR, Worley and SNC-Lavalin will be discussing process engineering intensification's role in the $204 billion being poured into 334 chemical and plastics projects across the U.S.

Other key themes explored in the 1-hour live webinar include: 

Intensified Process Fundamentals – Understand new chemical processes intensified through fundamental process R&D to create your own checklist for success.

Sustainability – Hear the latest innovations in environmental engineering and sustainable development to guarantee carbon capture readiness.

Modelling, Simulation & Automation – methods, tools and open-source software that employ a multi-scale, integrated, and systems-level approach to process intensification design, optimization, and control.

Speaker confirmed to speak:

KBR's Director of Automation & Process Technologies, Jatin Shah

SNC-Lavalin's Global Director – Technology Taskforce & Process Engineering, Sachi Maiti

Worley's Senior Technical Consultant, Scott Schroeder

The next installment of Reuter Events' Excellence in Process Engineering & Technology Optimization Webinar Series – Intensification is being hosted on March 6, 2020, 10am CT. To sign-up for the webinar click here.

The webinar Is being released in the run-up to the Downstream 2020 Conference and Exhibition, which takes place on June 10 and 11, 2020, at the NRG Center in Houston, Texas.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

According to the ASPCA, rodenticides and insecticides are among the top ten household toxins that poison pets every year. Most recent data from the ASPCA Animal Poison Center (APCC) estimates that of the 213,773 cases received, rodenticides and insecticides made up 12.5% of incidents in 2018. The Pet Poison Helpline also reports that rodenticides "always rank within the top 5 cases" managed by the helpline annually.

March is Pet Poison Prevention month, with special observance starting the week of March 16th, which is dedicated to Poison Awareness Week. Kari Warberg Block, Pest Prevention Expert and CEO/Founder of plant-based pest control company EarthKind, seeks to educate and urge pet owners to think twice before using harmful chemicals in the home that seriously threaten a pet's health and safety.

"What many homeowners may forget when using poisonous pest control methods is that rodenticides and insecticides can be just as toxic, and appetizing, to your four-legged friends as they are to the pest," she states. "A pet's curious nature automatically puts them at risk, and depending on the active ingredient used, poisoning symptoms may not appear for three to five days," notes Warberg Block.

The active ingredient type and concentration determine the severity of poisoning the pet will endure. Long-lasting anticoagulants (LAACs) are the most used active ingredients in rodenticides and prevent an animal's blood from clotting, causing a slow death from internal bleeding. Other active ingredients include Cholecalciferol, which can cause acute kidney failure in pets, and Bromethalin, which can lead to brain swelling, tremors, and seizures in animals. Typical symptoms of poisoning to look out for include lack of coordination, lethargy, vomiting, poor appetite, pale gums and difficulty breathing.

"If you think your pet has been poisoned, call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline immediately. If possible, locate the box of the pest control product to help them identify the active ingredient ingested."

But Warberg Block warns that it's not only direct contact with pesticides that is risky. "Pets are great pest catchers, so they also run the risk of secondhand poisoning from the pest itself," she explains, "In many cases, rodents are still active for a few days after ingesting poison, leaving pets at risk of poisoning too. If the rodent escapes outside, this threatens wildlife poisoning up the food chain, something that's been happening all too frequently," she states.

With Spring around the corner, Warberg Block notes that there will be no shortage of pests this year. Rather than filling the home with poisons, she recommends natural methods such as sealing cracks in windows, doors, and walls with caulk or weatherstrip, transferring dry food into airtight containers, fixing any leaks, and cleaning up areas where pet food may be present in order to adequately eliminate attractants that lure pests in.

Warberg Block created EarthKind to "preserve the good and prevent the rest," determined to reduce consumer reliance on poisonous pest control products with its plant-based alternatives.

With product options for Rodents, Spiders, Ants and Moths, all EarthKind products are safe for use around pets and children when used as directed. "My intention is to always work in harmony with our planet, using the power of nature to keep pests out of the home, without poisons, in order to protect what's inside. Our four-legged friends deserve to live in a safe environment, let's all make a conscious effort to create one for them!"

If you think your pet has ingested any poison, call the Pet Poison Helpline immediately at 855-764-7661 or go to http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Media interested in learning more about EarthKind or interviewing CEO/Founder Kari Warberg Block, please contact Sara White at sara@adinnyc.com or 212-693-2150.

About EarthKind 
Founded by leading pest prevention expert Kari Warberg Block, EarthKind is a pioneer in natural prevention for families and households everywhere. EarthKind is a pest prevention brand that manufactures naturally powerful and effective pest solutions that keep pests away, without killing or poisoning them. All EarthKind products are designed by inventive artists, scientists and engineers who care about the earth, made in the USA with 80% of the materials sourced from American farms and the company is providing handicapped individuals with meaningful employment. Kari was awarded the 2019 GMDC Retail Champions of Change award for her role as an inspirational industry retail leader, and was named to the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Woman Class of 2012, 2013 ND SBA Small Business Person of the Year and National Second Runner Up. Her latest product line, Stay Away was the winner of the 2015 NEXTY People's Choice Award for Best New Product of the Year.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), a national nonprofit dedicated to accelerating America's transition to a renewable energy economy, has named this year's recipients of its Renewable Energy Champion and Renewable Energy Leadership Awards. The awards will be presented this evening at ACORE's Annual Awards Gala at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

ACORE will present Renewable Energy Champion Awards to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in recognition of their critically important support of policies to promote renewable energy growth and investment.

ACORE will present its Renewable Energy Leadership Award to Pattern Energy Group for the company's pathbreaking contribution to the growth of the renewable energy economy.

"We are happy to recognize Senator Whitehouse, Senator Collins and Pattern Energy because each is playing an important role in helping us accelerate the transition to renewable power," said ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone. "Senator Whitehouse is a passionate and persistent advocate for climate action, and a great champion for renewable tax incentives. Senator Collins is a dogged supporter of energy storage, offshore wind energy and key policies to modernize the nation's grid. And Pattern Energy has pioneered new markets and innovative structures in deploying renewable power, while showing a steadfast commitment to broadly supporting growth in the sector."

Background on ACORE's 2020 Renewable Energy Awardees:

Renewable Energy Champion Awardees 

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has been a longtime ally for the renewable sector, deeply committed to combatting climate change. He co-founded the Senate Climate Action Task Force to build support for action to address carbon pollution, and he currently sits on the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis. Over the course of his political career, he's introduced numerous pieces of clean energy and climate legislation, including the American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act, which would put a price on carbon while generating substantial revenue for the American people.

Senator Susan Collins has been a strong supporter of renewable energy and advanced grid technologies since she was first elected to Congress in 1996. Her bipartisan Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act would direct the Department of Energy to develop a 10-year strategic plan for grid-scale energy storage. Sen. Collins has also been a strong supporter of tax incentives for clean energy technologies like energy storage and offshore wind.

Renewable Energy Leadership Awardee 

Pattern Energy Group is a U.S.-based, independent renewable power company that is helping lead the way to the renewable energy transition. The company, led by CEO and co-founder Mike Garland, has a portfolio of 28 renewable energy projects with an operating capacity of 4.4 gigawatts in the United States, Canada and Japan.

"With a record $55 billion in investment in 2019, the renewable industry is booming," Wetstone added. "However, we are all aware that we must do much better to secure the level of renewable energy penetration that scientists say is needed to protect our climate. We are happy to celebrate the efforts of this year's ACORE awardees in helping us meet this critical challenge."



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

HERNDON, VA. (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

GAP Solutions, a leading provider of public health preparedness and response support to Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Government, has been awarded a follow-on prime contract by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR). The multiple-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) has a five-year base period of performance and a total potential value of $100 million. Additionally, on February 11th GAP Solutions was awarded the first Task Order released on the BPA, a 5-year order to provide support and assistance to CPR's Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT).

CPR leads CDC's public health preparedness and response programs against broad range of potential threats including pandemics, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and/or radiological events. GAP Solutions is prepared to deliver rapid, flexible, and effective solutions to help CPR and its component divisions and offices deliver on their steady state and emergency response mission. Over the last decade, GAP Solutions has successfully performed related emergency preparedness and response requirements on behalf of CDC, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS Supply Service Center (SSC), HHS Medical Reserve Corp (MRC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"GAP Solutions is proud to continue to support CDC and the CPR via a contract tailored to deliver preparedness, response, and recovery emergency support functions," said Greg Bice, GAP Solutions Vice President for Scientific and Technical Programs. "Our team is prepared to support 24/7 emergency response and recovery operations in response to public health emergencies or disaster events."

About GAP Solutions

GAP Solutions has over 20 years of experience supporting our Customers unique mission requirements, including situational awareness, coordination, and planning activities and 24/7/365 emergency response operations following public health emergencies or disaster events. GAP Solutions leads and manages System One Federal Services, a unified delivery mechanism that leverages the diverse, scalable, and innovative capabilities of System One into a single, unified solution for our partners at HHS, DHS, and the DoD. With access to over 450 specialized recruiters, GAP Solutions in uniquely prepared to support our Customer missions as science, technology, engineering, and medicine continue to evolve.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FRESNO, CALIF. (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

Jain Irrigation makes history with first-ever irrigation automation to use AI and predictive analytics. 

Unity answers the question, "How much water does a landscape need?"

Unity decides when and how much an irrigation system needs to operate, allowing for as much available rainfall or precipitation as possible before initiating a watering schedule saving users water and establishing a more beautiful landscape.

Unity is an environmental data platform offering an Evapotranspiration (ET) and other environmental calculations derived from multi-sources for companies to build their own products.

Unity connects over secure cellular wireless to all models of existing ETwater smart controllers and other units in the field.

Jain Irrigation, Inc., ("JAIN"), the world leader in irrigation technology, today announces the general availability (GA) release of JAIN Unity, an automatic irrigation control system and environmental data services platform. Unity is the first-ever smart irrigation solution for landscape management fully powered by artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.

Jain Unity gives users (contractors, water managers, home and building owners) direct access to view how much water the plants in their landscape requires, along with real-time visibility to the efficiency of their irrigation system for eliminating water waste.

Arcadis and Bluefield Research recently released a report that is projecting over 36% of U.S. households won't be able to afford water in the next five years. "Irrigation, like landscaping in general, is fertile ground for AI to be a game-changer in sustaining our water supply," said Richard Restuccia, VP Water Management Solutions at JAIN.

"Jain Unity processes over a billion pieces of information hourly on how soil moisture responds to rain or irrigation events based on the different plant factors, soil types, weather, and environmental conditions at the site-specific location. Connecting to irrigation control that automatically acts upon this algorithm to implement the best strategies for minimizing water usage, and managing nutrient loss fulfills the promise of AI and predictive analytics. A user's ability to see and understand their water usage outdoors engages them directly in its conservation; reinforcing changes to their behavior that can add up to substantial cost savings for them, while also contributing to greater water resource savings for our communities' livability and affordability."

Aric Olson, President of Jain Irrigation, said, "Jain Unity builds upon the patented core ETwater technology we acquired in 2018 to now offer a wealth of environmental services along with the renown, centralized smart irrigation control. Designed for extensibility that allows swift integration of virtually an unlimited number of data sources, the Unity platform can cross-correlate and analyze data in a learning system that intelligently, automatically adapts to make continuous improvement for sustainable resource consumption. Its release marks an important event for JAIN toward 'unifying' our broad AgTech base worldwide and meeting the challenges in a rapidly changing future of water."

About Jain Irrigation, Inc. 
Jain is a fully integrated global food/plant production company recognized by Harvard Business to be one of five global sustainability champions and the G-20 for lifting people out of poverty. Our irrigation manufacturing capabilities include everything from behind the pump to the flush valve at the end of the lateral and everything in between, including drip irrigation. We lead the industry in manufacturing technology, owning both our extrusion and mold manufacturing equipment providers. Jain leads plant science research globally across a variety of food crops and is staffed with some of the world's leading research scientists. With the Gandhi Library, Jain now houses the leading collection of the world's best plant science knowledge in a single facility. Our agronomic knowledge is integrated from our world-class tissue culture operations through our food processing businesses. We research, educate, advance, manufacture, finance, propagate plants, and purchase produce for processing all to fulfill the Jain mission, "leave this world better than you found it."



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

EAST SETAUKET, N.Y. (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

The March 2020 opening of phase one of the innovative Atlantic Sapphire Salmon Farm in Homestead, Florida, marks a breakthrough step towards a more sustainable farming method for Atlantic salmon, a healthy alternative to more energy-intensive meats. The Penetron System of crystalline products was used to ensure a durable home for the fish.

A once sprawling tomato field only 15 miles (24 km) from the warm waters of Biscayne Bay in Southern Florida, the Atlantic Sapphire farm is now growing a new crop: Atlantic salmon. In a region famous for growing fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants – and alligators – there now stands a world-class salmon farming facility.

As it turns out, cold-water, protein-rich fish like Atlantic salmon are well-suited for farming in Southern Florida, thanks to the ideal geological structure the Atlantic Salmon project engineers found in the Homestead, Florida location. Because salmon is one of the few fish species that migrates from fresh water to salt water, both fresh water and (larger) saltwater concrete tanks were needed. The Homestead facility taps 12 wells for both freshwater and saltwater.

The $130-million facility is now the world's largest land-raised salmon farm. Based on Atlantic Sapphire's "Bluehouse" aquaculture technology, the 380,000-square-foot "farm" hatches and grows the fish to around 10 pounds, which takes about 22 months from egg to full-grown salmon – with no hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. All operations, including processing the fish, are now ramping up and will reach full capacity in 2020.

"Atlantic Sapphire needed a durable solution for the concrete water tanks that would meet the strict requirements to protect the reinforcing steel from the salt water and chemicals in the water – where the fish are raised and water is treated," adds Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. "OHL, the project contractor, was working under tight budgetary and scheduling constraints and looked to Penetron for a solution."

Together with the project engineers and Supermix, the ready-mix supplier, Penetron reviewed the project's numerous design considerations for the enormous concrete tanks. The application of virtually the complete product range of the Penetron System was approved once the time and cost savings became apparent.

Supermix treated over 2,500 yds³ of concrete with PENETRON ADMIX SB – in soluble bags – for the tank structures. Concrete repairs and finish work were done with topical applications of PENETRONand PENECRETE MORTAR.

Today, the 36 massive recirculating saltwater "grow-out tanks" are chilled to about 59°F (16°C) with 454,000 gallons of recycled water circulating in each of the 65-foot (20 m) wide and 22-foot (7 m) deep tanks.

"The new Atlantic Sapphire salmon farm in Florida represents the next level of sustainability and a realistic way to feed the world," adds Christopher Chen. "Today, to get a pound of beef you need 4-10 pounds of feed; salmon only needs 1.1 pounds of feed for a pound of fish – and it's a healthier meat. That's better than beef!"

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels.

For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MIAMI (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000401/mediaindex) is best known for his blockbuster performances throughout the years. "The Signal" star also utilizes his talents as host to the educational television show "Behind The Scenes" with Laurence Fishburne.

"Behind The Scenes" highlights a wide spectrum of topics to inform its viewing audience about events taking place in the world today. A new episode will take a turn into organic farming, where experts will discuss how it proves to be a preferred sustainable alternative.

With each passing day, climate change negatively impacts the health of the planet. Agriculture and food production are some of the top contributors to greenhouse gases released annually. Researchers are actively looking for ways to diminish these emissions.

Studies show organic farming produces less greenhouse gasses overall. Organic farming is overall more sustainable than its conventional alternative. Conventional farming has been scrutinized for creating biodiversity loss, increased water pollution, and soil erosion. Organic farming provides a greater diversity of produce, and the lack of pesticides enhances biodiversity and creates better soil quality, as well as reduced pollution from fertilizer and pesticide run-off.

Industry experts are finding more and more ways to help reduce the planet's environmental damage. Organic farming is sustainable and helps improve the quality of the earth. The new episode coming to "Behind The Scenes" will further dive into the sustainability of organic farming.

"Behind The Scenes" with Laurence Fishburne is carefully reviewed before broadcast to a broader viewing audience. The educational show has received numerous awards. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

LONDON (PRWEB) MARCH 03, 2020

Champion of Renewables calls for the establishment of a Fairopoly in every UK city

As the planet faces irreparable damage, it's time to take action – City Councils and businesses across the UK are urged to make a 'Fairopoly' pledge to decarbonise your city's heating and cooling network.

The Director of Star Renewable Energy and 'Champion of Renewables Award' winner at the Scottish Green Energy Award 2019, Dave Pearson, calls for the establishment of a Fairopoly in every UK city.

The Fairopoly concept is to have a tri-partite agreement between city councils, buildings and heat network developers to buy clean heat from district heating if provided at a fair price by the supplier. City-wide businesses in both existing and new buildings make a promise that they will purchase a minimum quantity of heat once the network is established. With enough of these pledges incentivised by councils and government planning departments, funding can then be raised to begin deployment across the country.

"In the drive to tackle climate change, it is imperative that we legislate for implementable change which will see the immediate and continued progress towards the ultimate discontinuation of fossil fuel consumption. As the UK is the first major economy to declare a 'Climate Emergency' and thus legally committing to zero net carbon by 2050, establishing a Fairopoly across cities will allow this to happen", said Mr Pearson.

It is estimated that £45 billion of fuel is imported to the UK each year and approximately 50% of this is used for heating. Cities with high building density have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge low carbon options, such as district heating and cooling.

Star Renewable Energy was founded to recognise the growing interest in this area of Star Refrigeration's work. Focused on large scale heat pumps for district heating and industrial applications, the company's award-winning technology can deliver energy harvested from water or air in a ratio of up to 10:1 vs "drive fuel consumed" – this fuel typically being electricity. Heat pumps offer a clean alternative to combustion, capturing low-grade heat from cool sources and boosting it to a useful temperature while at the same time generating cooling as a by-product. Even just harvesting heat from a chilly river allows a 3:1 ratio at 80C delivery temperature.

The Fairopoly concept aims to create a clean citywide thermal network by adding heat pumps to river banks or even barges which will generate hot water and heating for local homes, businesses, hospitals and schools. At the same time, it can deliver cooling for industrial processes or air conditioning. Using offshore windfarms to deliver the electricity to drive the heat pump means that heating is delivered carbon-free and decarbonisation of heating for entire cities across the UK is immediately within reach.

Mr Pearson, who received the Institute of Refrigeration Gold Medal for his dedication to the promotion of industrial heat pumps last week, added, "The technology is already here and it has been proven in a Norwegian city with a population of 60,000 inhabitants. In 2014 Star Renewable Energy installed a 14 MW heat pump in Drammen to provide heating and hot water to the city. The same technology is underway on Clydebank for 2020, and we are excited to see it being rolled out across the country".

"The missing link is that cities, who legislate in their region, must establish an imperative, a desire such that buildings want to join a Fairopoly. Using Clean Air laws, this could start now. The alternative to making the pledge is either that buildings achieve a 10% emissions reduction every year by themselves, or are forced to switch off their gas consuming devices more and more often every year to reach the target. A pledge to join a Fairopoly would seem far more palatable, and if it was at comparable cost why would any business say no?"

To find more about the concept of Fairopoly, visit https://www.fairopoly.com. Neither Star Refrigeration nor Star Renewable Energy offer such contracts- the website is intended to promote the critical thinking required to achieve net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050 through the decarbonisation of the UK's cities heating network. 
To find out more about Star Renewable Energy visit http://www.neatpumps.com

To find out more about Dave Pearson, Director of Star Renewable Energy, visit https://www.star-ref.co.uk/news/dave-pearson-presented-with-the-institute-of-refrigerations-(ior)-j-e-hall-gold-medal.aspx

About Star Renewable Energy

Star Renewable Energy (SRE) is the innovative business enterprise of leading UK heating and cooling specialist, Star Refrigeration, focused on large (>500kW), high temperature heat pumps ( >60C and up to 85C). SRE was set up to support the decarbonisation of the heating sector by delivering large heat pump systems for district heating and industrial processes.

SRE large scale heat pumps (Neatpumps) extract heat from rivers, lakes, sea water, mineshafts, aquifers, air, ground or even industrial waste stream. The Neatpumps have enough capacity to supply large buildings and entire cities with both district heating and cooling at lower cost and less carbon emissions. When using renewable electricity, Neatpumps generate heating and cooling without any emissions.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MONTVALE, N.J. (PRWEB) MARCH 04, 2020

Broker Online Exchange (BOX) is pleased to promote Lauren Johnson to the role of Director of Sales.

Johnson has been an instrumental part of the BOX team since its inception in 2013. She has worked hard to build relationships with both energy brokers and suppliers, and has been an integral part of the creation of sales and fulfillment processes throughout the organization. 
Johnson takes on this new role at a vital point in the growth of BOX, as the company continues to expand its network and find new ways to provide industry-leading service to both energy consultants and business owners.

CEO Arthur Gruen shares his vision for Lauren's new role, "As the business continues to grow, we are excited to have Lauren grow and enhance an already great Account Management team and help us continue to maintain the absolute best broker experience in the industry."

Throughout the life of BOX, Johnson has held multiple roles in both business development and account management, becoming an experienced professional in working with customers and suppliers alike to provide the best energy services. Combined with over a decade of sales experience, Johnson brings a powerful understanding of the combination of sales strategy and service required to provide the most value to potential and existing customers.

Vice President Benji Coomer praises her work, "Lauren was one of our first hires and has been instrumental in the exceptional growth the business has experienced over the last few years. We are excited to see what the future holds with her leading the Account Management team."

Johnson studied international business at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, complementing her education with a degree in Spanish Language and Literature at the Universidad del País Vasco in Leioa, Spain.

About Broker Online Exchange 
Established in 2013, Broker Online Exchange (BOX) has become the largest network of energy agents, energy brokers, and energy consulting firms in North America.

As an independent, well-capitalized company, BOX provides world-class, personalized access and support to anyone with an energy need, be it a consumer, broker, referral partner, or supplier. BOX connects a variety of diverse partners so they can each benefit from streamlined, efficient, deregulated energy.

Broker Online Exchange offers several unique advantages for commercial energy brokers and consultants. From instant access to all deregulated markets and energy suppliers to streamlined sales tools and a world-class support system, BOX gives brokers the edge they need to compete in today's commercial retail energy market.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

MONTVALE, N.J. (PRWEB) MARCH 04, 2020

Broker Online Exchange (BOX) is pleased to promote Jason Bear to the role of Director of Operations.

Bear takes on this new role at a vital point in the growth of BOX, as the company continues to expand its network and find new ways to provide industry-leading service to both energy consultants and business owners. Bear will be instrumental in maintaining the company's high quality of customer service and collaboration with the largest network of energy suppliers and professionals in the industry, focusing on mid- and back-office operational improvements and efficiencies.

Vice President Benji Coomer shares his praise for Bear, "We are excited to have Jason in place to help lead our operations group to a new level. He has truly helped create a polished and streamlined process in our back and mid office that our brokers and suppliers are already noticing."

Bear brings with him nearly 20 years of energy experience, both as an energy consultant as an operations specialist with some of the largest energy suppliers in the United States, including Direct Energy, and Hudson Energy, and North American Power. Since joining BOX, he has helped build and refine processes that have led the company to work with more energy brokers and consultants and service more customers than ever before.

"Having worked together with Jason for many years, I and others in the industry know how fortunate we are to have Jason join our management team," shares CEO Arthur Gruen. "He brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience on the operations side of our business and with the expanded growth of our company, it couldn't come at a better time."

Bear studied Business Management at the University of North Texas.

About Broker Online Exchange 
Established in 2013, Broker Online Exchange (BOX) has become the largest network of energy agents, energy brokers, and energy consulting firms in North America.

As an independent, well-capitalized company, BOX provides world-class, personalized access and support to anyone with an energy need, be it a consumer, broker, referral partner, or supplier. BOX connects a variety of diverse partners so they can each benefit from streamlined, efficient, deregulated energy.

Broker Online Exchange offers several unique advantages for commercial energy brokers and consultants. From instant access to all deregulated markets and energy suppliers to streamlined sales tools and a world-class support system, BOX gives brokers the edge they need to compete in today's commercial retail energy market.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

VENICE, CALIF. (PRWEB) MARCH 04, 2020

Iric, breakout film by Tudor Drive Productions, depicts the story of a homeless young man as he struggles to find his place in the world and make sense of a traumatic childhood.

"Our main goal with the film was to shed light on his story and give him the voice and platform to share it with the world. Iric is one of millions of young black men who have been funneled through the foster care system and have aged out with little to no hope [or knowledge] of how to go about life. The hand that he was dealt, from birth, automatically displaces him from the luxuries and norms that many of us take for granted. Our aim is to change that narrative through the works of film and change the pathway for other youth who may be in the same situation." — Marc-Anthony Robinson, Director of Photography, Cinematographer.

'Iric' has already garnered quite a bit of buzz within the industry and has won 7 festival awards across the nation.

"We made the film to elicit compassion and build understanding about the people in our communities facing homelessness. Film festival screenings provide an opportunity for people to get a peek into a life and a world that is increasingly divisive in social and political terms. Stories like Iric's need to be communicated and shared because they aren't sufficiently heard. Film allows people to meet each other who would not otherwise [interact]. I want audiences to take the time to get to know Iric's perspective and experience better. His voice gives us insight and can be used as a tool for social change." — Sandra Tamkin, Producer, Director and Founder of Tudor Drive Productions.

Filming and physical production of 'Iric' took place in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and at "Safe Place for Youth, A Project of Community Partners", a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the resilient human spirit of homeless youth.

The film will screen at Rock the Shorts Film Festival on Saturday March 7 at 2 pm. Tickets available at Rock the Shorts Film Festival - FilmFreeway (see Block 2). 
https://filmfreeway.com/RocktheShortsFilmFestival/tickets

About Tudor Drive Productions: 
Founded in 2019, Tudor Drive Productions is a purpose-driven production company creating documentary films that advance social and racial justice. For more information please visithttps://www.tudordrive.com

About DDHPR 
DDHPR is a boutique marketing and public relations firm catering to an eclectic roster of fashion, beauty, curve, multicultural, non-profit and artist clients. For more information, please visit http://ddhpr.com/



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

RALEIGH, N.C. (PRWEB) MARCH 05, 2020

Power Analytics Global, a next generation technology platform company that specializes in critical network infrastructure software monitoring, prediction, simulation and data-analytics, and Molecula, a Cloud Data Access company that simplifies, accelerates, and enables instantaneous, secure access to large, fragmented, and geographically distributed data sets to support the most demanding Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IoT workloads, announced today a strategic partnership.

The goal of the partnership is to deliver a combined offering for customers to cost effectively protect and enhance their critical revenue resulting in higher margins, customer retention and more informed capital allocation decisions. The combined offering will allow customers to drastically reduce the cost, time and complexity of accessing critical, operational data from globally distributed network assets and infrastructure. The hardened tools and real-time capabilities of this powerful combination enable our clients to incorporate, predict trends, and take action in real-time across relevant components of distributed data sets while lowering the hardware footprint needed to store, process and make decisions from the operational data streaming from these critical networks.

The Power Analytics suite of world-class software gives network infrastructure management and electrical engineering professionals control over their critical power infrastructure from design and modeling to simulation and analysis, saving millions of dollars, eliminating downtime, recovering stranded load capacity, reducing energy costs and optimizing business continuity. Power Analytics' cloud platform and next-generation analytics Power Digital Twin (PDT), are built on proprietary intellectual property and decades of engineering and design expertise. Power Analytics boasts a portfolio of 24 patents. The platforms allow customers to take full control of their critical network infrastructure, reduce costs, automate operations, and improve business reliability.

Keith Barksdale, Chairman of Power Analytics Global stated, "This partnership and unique product offering will allow us to bring an unrivaled solution to the Digital Twin marketplace which is estimated to grow in size from ~$3.8 billion today to ~$35-$40 billion by 2025. We are the only network software infrastructure company in the world who has combined power modeling with a Cloud Data Access platform, enabling real-time modeling and analytics across distributed network assets for the Digital Twin network infrastructure marketplace."

Kevin Meagher President of Power Analytics added, "This new partnership also demonstrates the fundamental strategy to 'future proof" this enterprise solution, bringing power and energy into advanced analytics that is integrated to the entire digital twin/AI/ML for any organization."

Molecula's differentiated approach to Data Access allows enterprises to access all of their data at the speed of thought, reducing the time and cost it takes to go from data to decision—without pre-aggregating, moving, copying data, nor federating queries to underlying source systems. Uniquely, this approach results in instant access to disparate data sets and a more efficient analytical data infrastructure, without compromising on governance or compliance and reducing infrastructure footprints by up to 100x.

Molecula's patented ability to deliver highly-performant representations of large, disparate data sources, provides real-time access to all data in-memory, avoiding data movement and provides a layer of abstraction above the physical implementation of data, irrespective of the source, how it is formatted and where it is physically located.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Power Analytics to enable the future-proof predictive monitoring of such critical operational network infrastructures. The massive amount of real-time data being generated by the complex and distributed components of these networks are at a scale that Molecula can uniquely process," said H.O. Maycotte, CEO and Founder of Molecula. "This integrated solution will modernize the analytical and AI/ML capabilities of Global 2000 organizations who desperately need to simplify, accelerate and improve control over the data being generated by these critical communications infrastructures."

As we move into a new decade, companies must invest in an upgrade of their fundamental network infrastructure and allow AI to unlock revenue opportunities from the increased amount of real-time data that is being generated by all of the connected sensors and devices within a digitized data network. Growing inefficiency in data management is costing businesses, delaying decisions, and obstructing real time insights.

We've reached a tipping point in data access where the effort involved in making data accessible is far exceeding the value we currently create with the data. Though we are heading into a digitalized world, the exponential growth and complexity of data is creating new inefficiencies and inhibiting the power and insight that data can provide. Current data infrastructure and management is costly and unable to support the size, complexity, speed, and urgency of future data.

About Power Analytics Global

Power Analytics Global is a global next generation energy management company that specializes in asset lifecycle extension, intellectual property development, and real-time analytics and asset management for power and industries supported by power. The Company offers a global portfolio of end-to-end energy optimization and lifecycle management solutions developed from proprietary intellectual property, engineered systems, and operational expertise. Power Analytics extensive suite of products include power asset life extension, operational servicing and automation, lifetime cost reduction, and real-time heterogeneous power source switching. Additional information regarding Power Analytics may be found on Power Analytics' website at http://www.poweranalytics.com.

About Molecula

Molecula's Cloud Data Access platform simplifies, accelerates, and improves control over big data infrastructure for Advanced Analytics, Machine Learning, and Edge/IoT. Its unique ability to deliver highly-performant representations of large, disparate data sources eliminates the need to pre-aggregate or federate, thus reducing data delivery cycles and data gravity. Global 2000 organizations rely on Molecula to achieve a data-driven enterprise by accelerating decision-making, enabling real-time customer segmentation, and analyzing large, distributed datasets across any cloud, from core or edge. Molecula is based on Pilosa, an open-source project with 2,000+ users across many tier-one organizations.

Molecula has offices in Austin and Palo Alto and was founded in 2017 with a mission to unlock human potential through the power of data. Visit Molecula's website at https://www.molecula.com.

To Learn More About Molecula and Power Analytics Solutions: 
Sign up for our joint Webinar. 
Download Solution Brief here.

Forward-Looking Statements

The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "indicate," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (PRWEB) MARCH 05, 2020

Actor, director, and producer Laurence Fishburne is lending his well-versed skillset as host to the program "In Depth". The series is an informative TV show that highlights a wide array of topics impacting people around the globe. A new episode coming soon will feature industry professionals discussing the use of solar power in ordinary, everyday life.

Tech experts are harnessing solar power to replace the traditional methods used to fuel modern advances. In place of fossil fuels, solar energy can power homes, cars, and appliances. Plenty of advanced technologies use batteries as a power source. The average person needed to always have a charger in tow to recharge their phone, tablet, or computer later in the day. Now, developers are using solar energy as the power source for charging these devices. No matter where someone is, they can travel without the worry of having to stop to find a place to charge their phone.

Solar power also provides the ability to heat. Water heaters, space heaters, and washing machines are some of the appliances that can benefit from solar energy.

Solar power provides not only the means to simplify and streamline lives, but also makes a favorable impact on the planet by reducing the overall carbon footprint. "In Depth" will further explore how solar energy can aid everyday lives.

"In Depth" with Laurence Fishburne is a high-quality educational program. The development and creative team behind the program have accepted multiple Tellys for their efforts in television. 



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK (PRWEB) MARCH 05, 2020

Remsoft announced today that it has acquired Xtivity Inc., a managed services firm focused on improving asset availability through effective Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) inventory management.

With the acquisition, Remsoft adds MRO inventory and supply chain management decision support capabilities to its proven solutions for asset intensive industries.

Headquartered in London, Ontario, Xtivity serves a broad cross-section of industries and geographic markets, providing reliability-centered inventory solutions for some of the world's largest industrial asset companies across Pulp & Paper, Mining, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas, and Transportation. By connecting MRO decisions to equipment performance, throughout the inventory lifecycle, Xtivity helps companies ensure optimal parts availability and asset performance.

Remsoft solutions are focused on optimizing the management and utilization of forestry and land assets, bringing transparency and intelligence to improve planning and scheduling across the forest value chain. A pioneer in optimization modeling technology, Remsoft helps to transform data into insights for more precise and proactive end-to-end planning including cloud-based, real-time operations scheduling.

The addition of Xtivity with its Pulse decision support system, based on machine learning algorithms, is a strong complement to Remsoft's family of intelligent technology solutions that power critical asset decisions.

"At the core, both companies are focused on providing customers with actionable, data-based insights to drive critical decision making," said Andrea Feunekes, Remsoft CEO. "We provide intelligent analytics technology and services, grounded by deep domain expertise, to help companies uncover the best choices amidst competing data elements. That's the synergy we'll be building on to deliver more value for customers in our combined markets."

Xtivity will operate as a subsidiary of Remsoft, and Managing Director, Andrew Jordan will continue in his role to lead the operations of the company. Combined, the companies will have expanded resources, including teams of seasoned analysts, MRO Supply Chain domain experts and software developers, to support global customers of all sizes on every continent.

"There's a great fit, between Remsoft and Xtivity, that starts with our core values," said Jordan. "Remsoft shares our commitment to client service and focus on delivering bottom line results. We each bring unique capabilities and expertise to this partnership, and together we provide a compelling proposition for our customers."

About Remsoft 
Remsoft is a leading provider of intelligence technologies for managing the world's forests, land and industrial assets. Over 150 global organizations rely on Remsoft technology and expertise to manage more than 500 Million acres of land, solving complex forest planning challenges over all time horizons – from strategic, environment and policy planning to tactical harvest and resource scheduling, and daily forest operations efficiency.

Remsoft's optimization analytics software and connected cloud solutions deliver insights and operational visibility to improve decision-making at every point in the value chain for sustainability, profitability, growth and competitive advantage. Learn more at http://www.remsoft.com.

About Xtivity 
Xtivity is focused on improving asset availability across asset-intensive industries through the effective management of inventory and the supporting supply chain.

By leveraging a combination of domain expertise, proprietary technology solutions and robust methodologies, Xtivity offers a unique combination of managed and professional services aimed at providing both ongoing and discrete MRO decision support to help clients achieve performance improvements across their business.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com

PITTSBURGH (PRWEB) MARCH 05, 2020

Special Pathogens Laboratory's conducted a field evaluation of a 62-day point of user filter and examined peer-reviewed literature to summarize the efficacy and performance of previously evaluated point of use filters. Appearing in the February issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, "Point-of-use filters for prevention of health care−acquired Legionnaires' disease: Field evaluation of a new filter product and literature review" aims to inform infection preventionists and healthcare engineers so they can choose the best product amid competing manufacturers' claims.

Legionella and opportunistic waterborne pathogens including Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Burkholderia, Stenotrophomonas, and nontuberculous mycobacteria can cause life threatening infections in healthcare facilities, especially in immunocompromised patients. In June 2017, CMS established that healthcare facilities must develop and adhere to policies and procedures designed to reduce the risk of growth and transmission of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in healthcare building water systems.

Immunocompromised patients, especially those in burn units, hematology-oncology units, transplant units, and NICUs, benefit from water that meets a higher standard for microbiologic quality than normal tap water. Point of use filters can improve water quality because they provide a physical barrier between waterborne pathogens and vulnerable individuals. These filters attach directly to faucets and showers and most filter out bacteria by particle size (>0.2 mm).

Point of use filters have been documented to protect high-risk populations from waterborne opportunistic infections. This has resulted in a growing number of product options from numerous manufacturers including, length of use, filter materials, and design. As the number of POU filter products introduced into the marketplace increases, this study provides objective data for easy product comparisons.

"We hope our study will provide much needed comparative data so healthcare professionals can determine the filter best equipped to prevent infections from opportunistic pathogens," says Dr. Janet E. Stout, president of Special Pathogens Laboratory and a co-author of the study.

This is the second article on the efficacy of point of use filters to control Legionella and other waterborne pathogens by Special Pathogens Laboratory in America Journal of Infection Control.

Special Pathogens Laboratory 
Special Pathogens Laboratory, The Legionella Experts, provides detection, control, and remediation for Legionella and other waterborne pathogens in building and utility water systems. Internationally renowned for clinical and environmental expertise in Legionnaires' disease and infectious disease, we provide microbiology services, water management, and education to all sectors, especially healthcare. Our mission is to end Legionnaires' disease. Our laboratory is A2LA and NELAP accredited and participates in CDC-ELITE and PHE Legionella proficiency programs.



*Work From Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at www.hostinger.com