Picnic Green Challenge

January 25th, 2009 in Uncategorized, by Head Honcho

http://greenchallenge.info

Save the Planet. Stop Global Warming. Go Green.

You see these signs everywhere. You know the meaning of these messages but you never really cared enough for our dear Mother Earth. Instead of saving the planet, you continue to pollute and destroy it without you even knowing.

When you go shopping, what do you use – Paper Bag or Plastic Bag? If your answer falls on either of the two, then you’re not saving the planet. Next time you go shopping, bring your own shopping bag. Less paper means more trees. Less plastic means less garbage.

There are hundreds of ways and ideas to save Mother Earth. And to give recognition to a few brilliant ideas, the PICNIC Green Challenge was organized. The Challenge is a yearly international event which gathers creative and innovative ideas from people who are passionate about saving our planet and environment.

The PICNIC Green Challenge was launched in 2007 through the efforts of the Dutch Postcode Lottery and PICNIC. These institutions joined forces to work for a greener, cleaner planet. The Dutch Postcode Lottery has worked on saving the planet by supporting charities such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and UNICEF. PICNIC is an annual event held in Europe that brings together the best creators and innovators through a series of conference and workshops. Living to its commitment to save the planet, the Lottery donates €500,000 in prize money for the Challenge.

The PICNIC Green Challenge accepts entries of products, services, concepts, or any other idea that help save the planet and most especially, reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. The Challenge is open to any individual, company, or organization from any country across the world. An entry is judged based on the following guidelines:
* The product or service must reduce greenhouse gas emissions
* The product or service must be executable
* The product or service can be used within the next two years

The winning entry receives a whopping €500,000 and professional mentoring to execute the plan or idea. The winner will also get an initial list of potential customers who will patronize the product or service.

On its first year, the PICNIC Green Challenge 2007 awarded Igor Kluin of Qurrent for the Qbox invention. Qbox is a small box that can perform three things: optimize energy use, monitor energy use, and serve as router for a Local Energy Network (LEN) in your neighborhood.

Last year, a 23-year old Eden Bayer bagged the grand prize for his entry Greensulate. Greensulate is a rigid board insulator designed to replace expanded styrofoam, an unsustainable insulation material used in many modern buildings.

2009 is another exciting year for everyone at the PICNIC Green Challenge. Creative and innovative minds will soon compete for the best product or service that can save Mother Earth.

It’s time to save the planet. Share your best idea in mind. Who knows you might win in this year’s challenge? Visit http://greenchallenge.info for further announcements and information.