Canada makes detectable progress in wind

Canada remains a small time player in the wind energy business, however some progress has been made.

According to figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council, Canada has moved into the top ten nations in terms of wind energy capacity added in the year ended 08. Canada added 523 MW of wind power capacity in 2008, placing us ahead of all countries except the U.S., China, India and six European nations.

Canadian capacity was expanded by an impressive 28%, the same as the global average. The U.S., however, increased its own capacity by 50%, from 16.8 GW to 25.2GW. Apparently the financial crunch is thought to be hitting this expansion trend hard for 2009. It remains to be seen whether Obama's initiatives will kick in to re-energize the situation.

The total Canadian capacity moves to 2.3 GW. Canada is one of several countries in this range of between 1 and 4 GW total capacity.

Canada's wind energy association is called canwea, the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Following are some upcoming 2009 conferences taken from their website.

Opportunities in Canada's Wind Energy
Supply and Value Chains
Toronto, Ontario
February 18-19, 2009

Wind Project Siting,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
April 1-2, 2009

Wind and Power Systems
Palais des congrès de Montréal
Montreal, Quebec
May 20-21, 2009

Successfully Operating Your Wind Farm
Calgary, Alberta
December 9-10, 2009

Art not a factor at 4th annual Renewable Energy Conference

I think we are discovering an interesting trend.

Here is another conference on sustainable energy where the word "art" is a total non-factor.

From the event's website:

"The 4th annual Renewable Energy Conference is the #1 renewable energy event in Canada. This year’s theme “Emerging Opportunities” will host producers, manufacturers, suppliers, large energy consumers, investors & lenders, municipalities, and governments as they discuss the emerging opportunities for wind, tidal, bioenergy, solar and geothermal projects."

This event will be held in Halifax, N.S., May 27 & 28, 2009.

Is art the locomotive or the (non-existent) caboose of green movement?

There was an interesting non-participant in the 2nd World Future Energy Summit, held in Abu Dhabi Jan. 19-21, 2009.

Almost 17,000 people from 79 countries visited the summit, which included 359 exhibitors and 729 members of the press.

The program for the conference was extensive.

One thing I did not see, however, was any section on art included or mentioned in the website for this conference. Nor did I see any artists included in the exhibitors.

Let's follow up and keep an eye on this trend.

Meanwhile, the next edition will be the European Future Energy Forum, scheduled for June 9-11 in Bilbao, in the Basque region of Spain. Since the Basque region has minimal energy resources, a situation of energy urgency might easy to visualize. We'll be following the art content of this forum also.

Creative metal art sculptures

Here's an interesting artist doing sculptures with found art.

The artist's name is Tim Pace. He welds all types of scrap and found metal into sculptures for home. office, garden or any other purpose.

These works are available at his gallery and studio in Finger, Tennessee; at some regional art and craft shows, in the gift shop at the National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, Tenn., in the Chimneyville Crafts Gallery in Jackson, Mississippi, and at the Mississippi Crafts Center in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

The name of the operation is Eco Art Creative Metal Recycling.

Eco-Art work on permanent public exhibit include a sixteen-foot tall reading praying mantis at the Jackson-Madison County Library in Jackson, Tennessee, and several pieces at the Children's Museum of the Shoals in Florence, Alabama.