Considering the explosion of green and renewable activities around the globe, it came as a surprise to learn that the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization (IREO) conference at the United Nations on June 11th was the first UN conference ever about renewable energy. Surely, the U.N. needs the IREO, as many of the world’s problems revolve around or emanate from energy issues like pollution from power plants, oil spills, mining uranium and coal, and especially the lack of access to basic energy and electricity for billions of people across the globe.

The IREO was founded by its Secretary General, Robson Mello, in response to the need for global renewable energy solutions. Clearly, if the billions of people without even the basic services begin to power themselves with non renewable sources, as developed countries have done in the past, the world is headed fast for insurmountable problems. With this in mind, the IREO supports programs that promote conservation and works to build international alliances that support emerging sustainable technologies, with a focus on facilitating the transition from carbon based energy sources to renewable sources, particularly in developing nations.

There’s a huge discrepancy between the easy access to energy in countries like America, energy that many of us have taken for granted until recently, and the lack of energy access in many other countries. The IREO intends to bridge this energy gap between first and third world countries – enabling countries to learn from each other’s solutions and mistakes, and develop a mutually sustainable world in the process

Last year, the IREO held the first annual Renewable Energy Awards gala which honored individuals and organizations who are leaders in advancing global alternative energy solutions. Luckily, this year’s second annual IREO Awards gala was coupled with the full day conference and another conference is being planned for 2010 to precede the third annual awards ceremony.

Granted, it was exciting to see the paparazzi attracting celebrities like L’il Kim, Wyclef Jean, Tony Goldwyn, Gloria Reuben and Matthew Modine at the Awards gala in the evening. But, the IREO event this year became all the more interesting and important because it was coupled with the more serious and academic conference during the day. The conference was more like a symposium you’d go to at a University or International Research Center or Science Academy than a Hollywood on the Hudson event, albeit with a sprinkling of TV and film personalities in the audience, like Titanic actor Billy Zane who wore a pin striped suit and blended in with the rest of the crowd. Also soaking in the info was Darren Moore, the "Eco-MacGyver" and co-host on Adrian Grenier's Planet Green show “Alter Eco”.

The conference included a mix of ambassadors, diplomatic representatives, eminent scientists, renewable energy experts and business leaders - all gathering with the goal of bringing affordable, renewable energy technology to countries across the world.

Admittedly, the cocktail party and awards dinner in the United Nations delegate dining room that night was a welcome respite from the heavy save-the-world issues discussed during the day. While deliberately avoiding the paparazzi in the red carpet area - This writer didn’t mind the fun of having a glass of wine while talking to the likes of the Jordanian ambassador about renewable initiatives in the Middle East or making connections with someone from the Brazilian consulate to find out more about what was going on in South America.

Robson Mello is breaking new ground for the UN with the establishment of the IREO. He has established the Brazilian Foundation of America, (BFA) a nonprofit organization that assists both Brazilian Americans and immigrants living in Long Island, and the tri-state area. The BFA also works in Brazil and focuses on underprivileged communities in

northeast Brazil. In 2006, the BFA started its first renewable energy project in Fortaleza, Brazil. The project educated the people of Fortaleza to recycle their fried oil into bar soap for both personal use and for a secondary income. This project led to the creation of the IREO. Currently, the IREO and the BFA are expanding the project to build a biodiesel refinery in Fortaleza. The project will benefit nine underprivileged communities in the city, reaching an estimated 3,000 people.

Here are some highlights from the IREO Conference:

*Scientist Dr. Arthur Nozik, of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said that the sun provides enough potential energy to power the world for an entire year in 1 1/2 hours. He spoke about solar photochemistry developments that will use the sun to make things like methane and hydrogen, making us aware that solar photo voltaics will just be one part of the solar energy equation in the future.

*Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, of Sulabh International in India, spoke about his amazing BioGas from Human waste system which takes human waste that would otherwise end up polluting water and turns it into a fuel source (methane) that can be used for cooking, lamps, electricity generating and space heating. This incredible system solves a real waste problem, essentially creating free energy. I thought even communities in the U.S. should consider these systems: as little as 300 people are needed to make the system viable.

*Dr. Daniel Nocera from MIT said in his presentation: “Corn Ethanol is absolutely worthless. I won't even go there." But, he also said that he thinks that Hydrogen is a method of hope and is working on a home based solar powered hydrogen generation system that generates electricity and power for the home as well as for EV's and plug in Hybrids. (Like the system at Worldsnest in New Mexico which I have reported on before).

Josh Tickell, director and genesis of the excellent film Fuel gave one of the more inspiring talks and said "We are on the cusp of the most exciting revolution in human history.” Watch the film if you have not already.

John Paul DeJoria, owner of Paul Mitchell Systems, Patron, and Sun King Solar spoke passionately as well. He was way ahead of the curve on renewable energy having installed solar panels on his house in Hawaii over 20 years ago. DeJoria was one of the producers of Fuel and he told the audience to watch out for the thin film PV that will be coming out from Sun King Solar in California for as lows as $2 per watt.



*The founders of EcoloBlue,makers of an atmospheric water generator were on hand with a space aged device that can take water out of the air and also purify water from any source of any contaminants. I’ll be writing about this product in New York House magazine in the coming months. EcoloBlue also makes biodegradable plastic bottles so you can fill them with the water from their atmospheric water generator and not have to worry about using water bottles that harm the planet.

*Last, but not least, I'd like to mention Claire Smith, who I first met at the X Prize i2i (Incentive to Innovate) conference at the UN,which is making impressive strides to make the whole country carbon neutral. Claire talked about the Scottish Government’s Saltire Prize: a competition open to the whole world that will award a ten million pound prize to whomever invents the best means to capture wave and tidal power off the coast of Scotland. Look for more news about this on MetroGreenBusiness.com and in later reports from NewYorkHouseMagazine.com