Silicon Valley of Green

What Do You Need for a Silicon Valley of Green?

Start with howling winds. Add fear and high math scores.

May 6, 2011 - What are the secret ingredients needed to transform a city or region into a hotspot in the green economy?

Necessity can be a primary driving force. In 1974, in the wake of the first oil embargo, Japan embarked on Project Sunshine to create a solar industry and promote efficiency. Brazil’s ethanol industry launched around same time for the same reasons.

Israel has become a leader in drip irrigation, desalination, sustainable development and drought-resistant agriculture because of its environment. Approximately 93 percent of the country’s land mass consists of “dry lands” that receive 600 millimeters of rain or less a year; as a result, the country remains a leader in drip irrigation, desalination, sustainable development and drought-resistant agriculture. {continued}