Earth Equity News

International Renewable Energy Agency Getting Established. By Sarah J. Wachter, NYTimes, October 21, 2009. "The International Renewable Energy Agency, set up this year to lead a global crusade for renewable energy development and sharing of technology between the developed and developing worlds, has come a long way in a short time. Signed into existence in January at a founding conference in Bonn, the agency -- known by its acronym, Irena -- now has 137 member states, including the United States, which joined in July. Mexico has said it plans to join shortly. At a second conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, in July, member states accepted an offer from the United Arab Emirates to house the agency's future headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi's 'zero-carbon, zero-waste' desert development project... Irena will be housed in an architectural tour de force that will combine state-of-the-art passive energy-efficient features and a giant, energy-producing photovoltaic roof."