ENERGY GLOBE World Awards 2012

For the twelfth time in a row the International Energy Globe Awards were presented -- this time in Vienna, Austria, as part of the CIRIEC Congress. High-ranking celebrity speaker such as former Indian environmental minister, Maneka Gandhi; Professor Edward S. Ayensu, President of CSIR Ghana and former World Bank Inspection Panel Director; Leanne Liddle from the Bush Heritage Australia Board and member of the Government of South Australia; Paul Singer, Brazilian State Secretary for Solidarity Economy, as well as a number of other celebrities presented the awards. Nominees came from all over the world and were honored for their lighthouse projects that can be implemented anywhere in the world and that offer a better quality of life to millions of people.

In the category of EARTH, Kenya was the final winner. Charles Kalama, CEO of Eco Post Ltd., was honored for his unique recycling project where fence posts are made from post-consumer waste plastic. His highly successful business project has resulted in 300 fewer tons of plastic waste going to the dumps each year. It also helps preserve the already decimated forests of Kenya, at the same time indirectly and directly creating more than 200 new jobs.

The category of FIRE was dominated by a project entered by the Californian city of Lancaster, where a new form of public-private partnership helps provide entire neighborhoods with solar power that is also stored in batteries and can be used for powering household appliances as well as electric cars. 90 such solar houses have already been built. Thus, Lancaster has laid the foundation for a prototypical form of energy self-sufficiency. On behalf of the entire city, Councilman Ken Mann was presented with the award.

The SAR-Method, a groundbreaking project for removing arsenic from drinking water in India without the use of additional chemicals, was the project entered by Bhaskar Sen Gupta from the School of Civil Engineering at Queen's University in Belfast . It received the award in the category of WATER. Worldwide more than 137 million people in over 70 different countries are forced to drink arsenic-contaminated water. Now they can hope for a healthier life.

For its exemplary in-house implementation of Agenda 2020, the German Viessman Company was presented with the award in the category of AIR. Through complete remodeling of their production facilities and implementation of an innovative energy concept, CO2 emissions were reduced by 80 per cent. Use of renewable energies was increased to 23 per cent, fossil energy consumption was reduced by 66 per cent; production efficiency went up by 20 per cent. Representing Viessman in Austria, Peter Huber accepted the Award on behalf of the entire company.

The Winner of the category YOUTH as well as the ENERGY GLOBE World Winner is Lakota Chief Red Cloud, who is working on a solar energy revolution for Native Americans in the U.S. State of South Dakota. More favorable future and renewable energy for a better quality of life on tribal lands by honoring the old ways.