Green Valley Network: Tomorrow's Sustainability Technology Today


In 2008 the Green Valley Network was created in conjunction with the Fayetteville Economic Development Council (FEDC), the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation (UATDF) and the U of A's Applied Sustainability Center. It was the vision of Dan Sanker from the University of Arkansas A's Applied Sustainability Center to foster collaboration and commercialization of sustainability technology. Spanning across a wide array of industries, Sanker had put together a superb panel of advisors for the network from all over the world. This was the original website.

I have always had a fascination with sustainability technology and how the internet can facilitate networking. Tech solutions are what I do as part of a team that does business custom software development for a number of companies in industries with higher-than-usual security and privacy concerns. The progressive software comapny I presently work for supports every aspect of software and product development life cycles starting from from feasibility analysis, user experience design, and prototyping, to development of scalable solutions. Our data team goes beyond everyday reporting to mine, segment, and deliver potentially game-changing insights for clients. It's challenging work that is particularly rewarding when we resolve complicated issues.

After the site's domain expired, greenvalleynetwork.org and it's content disappeared from the WWW. When I recently discovered that the domain was available to buy, I bought it with the goal of recreating as much of its original content as possible from archived pages. I did not want someone else to purchase the domain and re-purpose the site for something that had nothing in common with the original website. I believe that the information on these archived pages is still important and should be available online. Perhaps it will be inspirational to others to continue the vision network to help sustainability's innovators move ideas from 'mind to market' faster.

Now for a trip back to 2008...

 

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The Green Valley Network is a non-profit coalition that fosters collaboration and commercialization of sustainability technology. Join to find, analyze, distribute, develop, and capitalize practical sustainability technology.

We envision a better world as a result of quicker application of sustainable business practices, and we want to help bring the people, ideas, and resources together to facilitate advancement.

We envision a better world as a result of quicker application of sustainable business practices, and we want to help bring the people, ideas, and resources together to facilitate advancement [in sustainable technology].~ Green Valley Network

Green Valley Network is a non-profit coalition that fosters collaboration and commercialization of sustainability technology.

  • Sustainability is a technology platform like semiconductors, the Internet or nanotechnology
  • Innovators who apply emerging technology usually cluster together to leverage each other’s resources
  • Green Valley has become a business cluster for innovators who are applying tomorrow’s sustainability technology today
  • Green Valley Network helps sustainability’s innovators move ideas from ‘mind to market’ faster
  • Green Valley Network does not have opinions – it is an inclusive venue for innovators to interact on all issues related to sustainability

Where is Green Valley?

When a revolutionary technology sprouts, the status quo changes; some industries, companies and regions ;grow and some decline. It happened in rural Northern California in the 1960s and 1970s. Then, it happened again in Austin and in the Research Triangle in North Carolina.

The sustainability revolution has begun in a similarly unexpected area- a place with deep roots in the foundations of sustainability technology- agriculture, energy, industry and frugality.

 Green Valley is home to:

  • The highest concentration of plant scientists in the world
  • Wal-Mart, the largest funnel for global consumer demand and the largest proponent of sustainability on Earth
  • The largest pre-existing supplier cluster with 1,300 consumer goods companies
  • One of America's largest oil and gas energy centers
  • The world's busiest cargo airport
  • One of America's largest agri-business centers with biofuel and eco-tourism opportunities

 

Sustainability Curriculum Research 
ORIGINALLY THIS WAS AN RSS FEED

We are discussing sustainability curriculum with an emphasis on business and technology with community colleges and universities. We welcome your feedback on our existing course research, and want to hear your suggestions for any additional relevant courses that you would like to see added to our list. We are looking for sustainability courses that include technical aspects to help generate a trained sustainability technology workforce.

 

Sustainability Curriculum Research


Posted on 14 October 2008 at 16:08:40 by Sum-Sum Chan

Harvard Business School

Environmental Studies E-117 - Sustainability: The Challenge of Changing Our Institutions

This course begins by exploring the wide range of institutionally related environmental impacts and the associated roles of individuals within these settings. Harvard University is used as a primary case study to illustrate institutional practices including procurement, utility supply and consumption, building design and operations, transportation, and waste production and recycling.

ENRE E-119 Sustainable Buildings: Design, Construction and Operations

This course approaches sustainable development for buildings by examining how building components and systems affect human performance and well being. Sustainable development starts with site planning and evaluation, and proceeds through construction, commissioning, and occupancy phases.

ENVR E-117 Organizational Change Management for Sustainability

This course aims to address the real life challenges of environmental sustainability by building change agent capacities of students who operate within myriad institutional and other contexts. The course begins by exploring the wide range of institutionally related environmental impacts and the associated roles of individuals within these settings. Harvard University is used as a primary case study to illustrate institutional practices, including procurement, utility supply and consumption, building design and operations, transportation, and waste production and recycling.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chemistry 5.92 - Energy, Environment, and Society: Learn Globally and Work Locally

Energy, Environment and Society" is an opportunity for first-year students to make direct contributions to energy innovations at MIT and in local communities. The class takes a project-based approach, bringing student teams together to conduct studies that will help MIT, Cambridge and Boston to make tangible improvements in their energy management systems.

Green Building Design

Green Building Design addresses a wide variety of built environment issues, including environmental considerations, economic benefits such as reduced operating costs, enhanced occupant productivity, and increased building marketability.

Stanford University

CEE 242A / CEE 142A: Sustainable Development

In this course we will explore how choices related to both what to build and how to build it have substantial impacts on people and the communities in which they live. Students will leave the course with 1) a clear understanding of what sustainability in the built environment means, and 2) frameworks and tools that they can use to clarify and negotiate the inevitable differences that arise in complex multi-party processes.

University of Pennsylvania

ENVS 494:

Designed in response to University of Pennsylvania President Amy Guttmann signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. It examines the environmental footprint of the campus and engages students in developing solutions to the challenges of climate neutrality.

University of Washington

Public Affairs 595A - Civil and Environmental Engineering

Students develop sustainability projects in areas such as green buildings, climate change and energy, dining services, and toxics reduction.

Cornell University

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 477 - Environmental Stewardship in the Cornell Community

Each student undertakes an original project to improve the environment at Cornell while working with a faculty advisor and the Cornell infrastructure (generally campus life and/or facilities).

Brown University

Environmental Studies 0410 - Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Design

Students address the economics and logistics of implementing strategies to conserve resources and reduce the negative impacts of the built environment. Students collaborate in interdisciplinary teams on projects to investigate opportunities to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the Brown campus and community.

Rice University

Environmental Studies 302 - Sustainability: Rice into the Future

Students use the Rice campus and local community as a laboratory in which to do projects to reduce environmental impacts, enhance sustainability, or resolve environmental problems.

Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering 281/ Environmental Studies 281 - Engineering Solutions for Sustainable Communities

Students work in teams to analyze and solve specific problems affecting the campus and city. Emphasis placed on the integration of engineering fundamentals with societal issues, environmental and safety considerations, sustainability and professional communications.

Emory University

Environmental Studies 442 - Ecology of Emory (w/Laboratory)

The focus of the course is divided between the natural and the built environment. Students develop a forest management plan for the University and evaluate how LEED is used in campus construction projects.

University of Notre Dame

CBE 30310: Global Sustainability

This course examines the growing need for addressing “sustainability” as a parameter in the practice of engineering, as well as in related disciplines. The course begins with an introduction of the origin of resources on earth and their fragile connection with life on earth, both on the ecology and, ultimately, on the human population.

University of California – Berkeley

Energy and Resources 299 - UC Berkeley Climate Action Course

This Climate Action Course brings together interested students to study projects being considered for implementation under CalCAP, to identify new projects the campus might undertake, and to move forward through action-oriented research.

Sustainable Business 315 - Building Social Capital

The course requires student teams to make campus assessments, formulate innovative improvements, and be involved in the implementation of the project (if the project is accepted in the campus sustainability initiative process).

Sustainable Business 100 - Industrial Ecology

Sustainable Business 201 - Sustainable Business Management

Westchester University

Honors 314 - Science, Technology, and Environmental System

This course studies ecological footprint and has students analyze resource use on campus. In 2006-07 students developed 12-15 minute presentations that they presented to various constituencies on campus (food service, purchasing, etc.)

University of Maryland

GVPT 273 Introductions to Environmental Politics

A comprehensive overview of environment problems, institutions, policies, and remedies found in present day world society, with special emphasis on environmental matters as objects of American Public Policy, both domestic and foreign

GVPT 306 Global Ecopolitics

Consideration of global problems and general impact of science and technology on the world ecological, socio-economic, and political system, with particular emphasis on such matters as objects of public policy

BGMT 472 Advanced Logistics Operations

Analysis of the operational aspects of logistics management, including purchasing policies, transportation planning and inventory control. Attention is directed toward total logistics cost minimization and the establishment of a sustainable competitive advantage based on logistics activities.

ANTH 464 Cultures and Sustainable Development

Explores economic development, particularly the new sub-field of sustainable development

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Green Sustainability: An Arkansas Opportunity


Below you will find the draft agenda for the Green Sustainability: An Arkansas Opportunity Dec. 16th, 2008 event in Little Rock. We hope to see you there where you can speak directly to 65 state legislators gearing up for the 2009 legislative session.

AGENDA:

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development
House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development
Meeting Jointly

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
1:00 p.m.
Embassy Suites, The Ambassador Room, 11301 Financial Centre Parkway
Little Rock, Arkansas

A. Call to Order.

B. Approval of Minutes from the Sept. 23 and Oct. 3 & 4, 2008 Meetings

C.Green Sustainability: An Arkansas Opportunity

1:00 PM

Energy Security for the Future

Ken Nemath: Director, Southern States Energy Board

Clifford May: Director, Foundation for the Defense of Democracy

1:45 PM

Green Valley Network: Creating Preeminent Sustainability Technology Arkansas' Green Valley Opportunity: Leveraging Existing Natural, Cultural and Technological Resources to Build the Next National Business Cluster
Speaker: Dan Sanker, CEO, CaseStack, Co-Founder, Green Valley Network

The Economic Development in Our Backyard: What companies are here and in discussion to move here as a result of the Green Valley Initiative?
Steve Rust, Co-Founder of Green Valley Network; President, Fayetteville Economic Development Council

;The Global Retailing Role: How one company can set a business-wide course of action, and why is sustainability and economic and moral imperative?
Laurie Smalling, Government Relations, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Poised for Economic Development: The Businesses in Green Valley
Sustainable Business Growth: New companies are already moving to Green Valley. How can the state support the development of a business and research cluster?
Moderator: Laurie Smalling, Government Relations, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Panelists:
Bob Ames, ;Renewable Fuels Division, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Matthew Merchant, Managing Director, International Development Consortium
Jeff Rice, Program Manager, University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center Travis Clark, COO, Coenco
Joshua Hutchinson, Director of Government Relations, BioBased Systems
David Baker, Senior Vice President of Operations Management, FutureFuel Chemical Company
Clay Thompson, Senior Engineer, BlueInGreen
Tom Bartlett, Marketing Director, Better World Materials
Steve Rust, President, Fayetteville Economic Development Council and Representative for Acticut, Picoterm, Stora-Enso CDM and Reboard ;Karen McSpadden, COO of Green Valley Network, Program Officer, ;Innovate Arkansas and Winrock International
Mary Laurie, Director of Sustainable Initiatives, Nabholz Construction
Dr. Steven Gates, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, NorthWest Arkansas Community College

3:00 PM Break

3:45 PM

Energy Resources & Options for Arkansas

Moderator: Chris Benson, Director of the Arkansas Energy Office

Electrical Power Generation: Current and Future Prospects ;Nick Brown, CEO, Southwest Power Pool Supply vs. Demand: Where are we now? What are the projections for the next 5 to 15 years?

  • What are Arkansas' significant fossil fuel resources?
  • Carbon-Related Concerns: Does the power sector in Arkansas / the region anticipate new federal controls? What might they look like? 
  • What's an anticipated timeline? How might those affect power generation/consumption in the state?
  • Beyond Carbon Controls: What are other key issues or strategies associated with power generation/transmission/distribution in Arkansas currently and in the fore seeable future?

Conserving Energy by Building Smarter
Bob East, CEO, East Harding Inc. Construction Contractors

  •  How much energy is consumed by buildings in Arkansas? (by sector,form, etc.)
  • What are some strategies for conserving energy consumed in buildings?
  • What efforts are underway (public and private) for rebuilding energy conservation?

Transportation Energy

 Tommy Foltz, President, Foltz Company LLC

Consumption in Arkansas: How much? What forms? By whom?

  • What are key issues for transportation energy in Arkansas?
  • What are some strategic options that should be considered in Arkansas?

 Renewable Energy Options

 Jim Wimberly, President, BioEnergy Systems LLC

  • What are Arkansas' principal renewable energy options?
  • What are some key benefits and challenages?
  • What are some strategies for pursuing renewable options?

5:00 PM Reception/strong>

C. Adjourn

Note: Silence your cell phones. Keep your personal conversations to a minimum. Observe restrictions designating area as "Members and Staff Only."

 

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