"Our activities on the net are being closely monitored and there are plans in several countries to allow governments to shut down communications, as recently happened in Egypt. Tools are needed to help circumvent such blocks, so as to keep communications going even in adverse conditions. While hardware is an important choke point - physical connections can be severed - software is no less important. As the attempt to suppress Wikileaks has shown, taking an internet address off line is quite possible, but the direct connections of p2p are less susceptible to such disturbance. "

"The REN21 Renewables 2011 Global Status Report released today shows that the renewable energy sector continues to perform well despite continuing economic recession, incentive cuts, and low natural-gas prices."

"Worsening climate change and the emergence of new economic powers is leading to a renewed scramble for resources, with negative consequences for many impoverished communities."

Creepy video about how wonderful our "connected world" will be ............"Ericsson believes that in the Networked Society, more than 50 billion things will be connected, in order to make our lives and our businesses more efficient and more enjoyable."

"San Francisco earned the recognition of being the greenest among 26 other major cities examined by the United States and Canada Green City Index, a study commissioned by Siemens Corporation. The city bagged the greenest city title by scoring high points from its sustainability strategies in air quality, buildings and transportation as well as topping the waste category."

"Investment in renewable energy last year amounted to a record 211 billion dollars, a rise of 32 percent over 2009 and 540 percent over 2004, a UN-backed report said on Thursday. China, investing 48.9 billion dollars, up 28 percent, accounted for more than a fifth of the total, marking a year in which developing countries for the first time outstripped rich economies in renewables investment, it said."

"The buzz at Pivot25, a conference for mobile-phone software developers and investors held this June, is all about the future of money. Ben Lyon, the 24-year-old business-development VP of Kopo Kopo, wants $250,000 to produce his app for shops to process payments made by text message. Paul Okwalinga, 28, describes his money app - called M-Shop, it allows you to buy travel tickets and takeout via mobile phone - as "not reinventing the wheel but pimping it." Kamal Budhabhatti, 35, claims Elma, the latest product from his company Craft Silicon, lets a phone do and be almost anything financial - act like a credit card or an online bank (a "digital wallet," he says), trade shares or forex, organize a company's payroll and (incidentally) surf the Web and phone home. Cash suddenly seems very old. The previous week, Joe Mucheru, a senior manager at Google, declared credit cards prehistoric. Adding to the giddy mood is the thought that the inventions on display might make some lucky Pivot25ers gazillionaires. And where are these extraordinary futures being imagined and plotted? The giraffes and zebras grazing in the game park outside rule out Silicon Valley, Seattle and Bangalore. Try Nairobi. "

This is the environmental documentary of the year (2010) a must see... and major wake-up call for the world. Josh Fox is my new hero!.......... "It is happening all across America-rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property... See full summary » "

"FOUR DEGREES OR MORE? Australia in a Hot World explores the unintended consequences of current domestic and international climate policies. It invites us to imagine the social, economic and ecological implications of catastrophic global warming for Australia and its region."

"ZGF Architects and PoSI teamed up to provide a concept submission for the International Living Future Institute's 2011 Living City Design Competition which has been recently awarded a People's Choice Award voted by the attendees of the Living Future 2011 conference. Their submission entitled Symbiotic Districts: Towards a Balanced City explores the symbiosis between five EcoDistricts in Portland, Oregon as well as regional systems and examines how strategies in a single district contribute to the city's overall performance. "

"Here is our invitation to the storytellers of the world: Make a short film that Inspires us. Moves us. Gives us something to believe in. Envision a new, positive, possible future for the world. One that is environmentally sustainable, socially just, peaceful and spiritually fulfilling. The film contest includes awards valuing $30,000 that will be announced in July. Films can be 1 to 5 minutes in length, and must be submitted by June 21st."

"OnGreen is the world's largest cleantech social marketplace. Members from across the globe work together, connecting the best ideas in cleantech to funding and expertise, translating IP into ROI. With thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and business and technology experts spanning 177 countries, it's never been easier to connect with the people and resources needed to turn today's energy and environmental challenges into business opportunities."

When it comes to changing the way we use energy, cities are at the centre of the action, says Manish Bapna, managing director of the World Resources Institute.who reports here on the recent meeting of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

AARHUS, Denmark, Jun 15, 2011 (IPS) - Images of the immense, dark stain of oil covering the waters of the Gulf of Mexico made their way across the globe last year as one of the largest oil spills in history unfolded. Other images - of the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch', a gigantic pile of litter floating in the North Pacific Ocean; of countless felled trees in the Amazon; of tar sands in Canada - have gained much fewer headlines, but are likely to remain as monuments to the price tag of wanton human appetites.

"Some random thoughts on Bitcoin, the decentralized online currency. Here's something to stir the pot and have some fun:"

"Imagining tomorrow's America today, FUTURESTATES is a series of independent mini-features - short narrative films created by established filmmakers and emerging talents transforming today's complex social issues into visions about what life in America will be like in decades to come."

"The tenth symposium of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) focuses on the way socio-cultural research addresses complex problems and opportunities in Australia, the Asian region, and globally."

What will the world be like when personal, custom satellites -- or "cubesats" -- are as cheap and easy to launch as websites are today? Help us uncover ideas about the future of science and technology at the Signtific Lab -- launching February 18, 2009. Brought to you by the Institute for the Future. To get updates when Experiment #1: Free Space launches, pre-register now at lab.signtific.org

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