Peace Boat presents Ecoship at the ETS 2017 in Austin
On March 27-30, for the fourth year in a row, the Energy Thought Summit (ETS) was held in Austin, Texas as a gathering of creative minds to convene and design real solutions for the energy transformation taking place in the world today. This inclusive event welcomes everyone to the table to create change in energy, and consider the roles that emerging technologies play in shaping a new future. Peace Boat was invited to join the Summit as a partner to promote sustainable energy, climate action and the Ecoship Project to build the planet’s most environmentally sustainable cruise ship.
The main theme of this year’s conference was “Design for Energy” and within this framework, Peace Boat’s Ecoship project proved to be one of the most innovative designs for greening the shipping industry. Peace Boat US Director, Emilie McGlone, presented the Ecoship project video on the main stage during the Summit, joined by New-York based photographer, Brian Park, who was sponsored by ETS to join Peace Boat’s 93rd Global Voyage to South America as part of a project to create a special photography exhibition entitled “Energy From” featuring images of the pristine nature of Patagonia to raise awareness about climate action. Following this year’s conference theme, attendees were encouraged to use art, design and creativity to solve today’s energy challenges and find innovative solutions to providing sustainable energy for the future.
The Mayor of Austin, Steve Adler, gave a compelling speech at the Energy Thought Summit for the inauguration of “Electric Drive”, a showcase for electric transportation in the heart of downtown Austin, constructed by the Austin Energy. Located in the Seaholm Eco District, Electric Drive is a transportation innovation hub that features DC fast charging for energy efficient cars in minutes as opposed to hours, as well as level 2 charging for customers to use while they enjoy other aspects of the Eco District. A solar- powered kiosk that includes charging for electric bikes, scooters, motorcycles, mopeds, and handheld devices can also be found on the street. Electric Drive is a key component of the Plug-In EVerywhereSM network and demonstrates Austin as a Smart City leader in electric transportation.