But, Pols is not the only one who thinks this: “China invested almost twice as much in clean energy projects last year compared with the US, and has emerged as the world’s market leader in installed wind power capacity in 2009”. An impressive opening by the May 2010 issue of the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices, released by Ernst & Young, which placed China (and it still does) as the most attractive country in the world to invest in renewable energy.

Just a few weeks ago the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) released the World Wind Energy Report 2010 which introduces the latest data on worlwide wind capacity. The report stresses that China became in 2010 number one in total installed capacity and the center of the international wind industry, and  added  18,928  Megawatt  within  one  year, accounting for more than 50 % of the world market for new wind turbines.

But outside China a decrease in new growuth capacity was observed, which the report justifies, along with Pols’ statements, as a result of insufficient political support for wind energy utilisation. In a paradox situation, more and more policymakers are declaring their support for increased use of wind energy, but such statements do not go hand in hand with the necessary political decisions.

China’s production of green technologies has grown by a remarkable 77 per cent a year, according to the new WWF’s report. China is the largest producer in money terms, earning more than 44 billion of euros, or 1.4 percent of its gross domestic product. This is a direct result of a conscious decision to capture this market and to develop it aggressively, according to Pols.

But, on its latest issue (February 2011) of the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices, Ernst & Young, warns that while China continues to lead the way and is still experiencing growth in its wind and solar markets, “its score remains static, amid concerns over the sustainability of its meteoric growth, falling stocks, inflationary pressures, and indications of an uneven supply chain. Its closest competitor, the US, has approved a one-year extension of the Treasury Grant Scheme – providing some much needed respite to its renewable energy market.”

On the other side, Denmark, a longtime leader in wind energy, derives 3.1 percent of its gross domestic product from renewable energy technology and energy efficiency, or about euro 6.5 billion ($9.4 billion). The U.S. ranks 17 in the production of clean technologies with 0.3 percent of GDP, or 31.5 billion euros, but those industries have been expanding at a rate of 28 percent per year since 2008.

Via: United Explanations

The DA36 E-Star uses a serial hybrid electric drive train in which a main engine is powered alternately by a gasoline-powered generator and batteries. A 70-kilowatt Siemens engine runs the aircraft’s propeller. That engine is powered alternately between a small Wankel combustion engine made by Austro Engine that runs on gasoline and acts as a generator, and EADS batteries. Additional EADS batteries are used during takeoff and ascent.

While it’s in early development, Siemens claims its drive train can be scaled up for use on a large passenger plane, and under further development hopes to create a drive train that can save 25 percent in fuel consumption.

Of course, even more so than with electric cars, battery weight is still an issue. The plane’s range is limited by the number of batteries and the amount of fuel it can carry.

But silence is golden even in the skies, or at least during takeoff and landing. Aside from the obvious potential for immense cost savings in fuel, the plane can take off and land in electric-only mode, making it significantly quiet for passersby on the ground.

Now this is probably the key point. Our inclination into greener fuels has to convey a gradual take-over. One cannot expect a fully electric propelled aircraft, but at least a Hybrid is a step forward towards sustainability. That’s what we believe here at Sustentator. Furthermore, imagine the social benefits of silent take-offs and landings. Isn’t a noisy take-off affecting quality of life? And why not add to this, the probability of economic benefits for Airlines which can add late-night flights at banned hours in urban airports. I don’t think they had that listed on their past agenda…

Via: CNET

Very little attention was paid to renewable sources of energy. They were thought as alternatives for the future (O’Keefe, 1980). However around 2007 there were some optimistic moves towards greener technology, more accurate electricity planning, and integration with other electricity networks in East Africa (KPLC, 2006; Republic of Kenya, 2002). Today, policy makers are beginning to view this transition in the context of the wider welfare of the population in order to accurately describe the benefits of new energy technologies (Karekezi et al, 2004).

To understand the acceptance of solar energy technology, research for this article employed a qualitative, comparative analysis methodology. The data that was collected and analysed include:

A. Stakeholder needs and levels of participation in projects,

B. Electricity network scenarios and strategies,

C. Government policy,

D. Historical approaches to technology development and diffusion.

Stakeholder needs and levels of participation in projects:

Stakeholder involvement is depicted by examining methods employed by key energy project facilitators and describing their levels of project participation (Forsyth, 1999; Wilkins, 2002). One singular event, the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development is said to have accelerated these changes (Jacobson, 2007). The introduction of solar PV technologies to Kenya has been historically driven by external influences. Thereafter donor activities, such as financing of selected projects, have determined energy project directions and therefore the roles of stakeholders (Murphy, 2001). This has had both national and international impact. It is possible that such a surge presents competition with other energy technology drivers as compared in:

International vs. National Development Targets for Sustainable Development – Based on a Comparative Analysis of Stakeholder Needs (Wilkins, 2002; Republic of Kenya, 2003).

The public sector financing of decentralised power production to meet the demand of both the rural and urban poor has been in decline (Jacobson, 2007). Liberalised economic markets in the 1990’s lead to the reduction of donor financing of state-owned, mainly centralised, electricity infrastructure. This had switched donor attention towards the private sector, as for them the focus was on getting significant return on investment. Since only the wealthier areas can fulfil this criteria establishing better electric supply by the private sector was restricted to the urban areas. So there has been little improvement in rural electrification in rural and low income areas.

One survey found that 4.3% of rural households in Kenya are connected to the national grid. However, these data sources are inconclusive. The electricity-connected households do not indicate usage and the efficient provision of service were not examined. Although, the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, Kenya’s main electricity provider, does not recognise solar PV electricity sources as a major component of future developments (LCPDP, 2007), it also found that solar electricity has emerged in Kenya as a key alternative to grid based rural electrification (Jacobson, 2007).

Demographic research on electrification of rural areas tends to focus on the household as the primary unit of analysis with a great sub-focus on adopted technologies rather than the critical historical and dynamic linkages within society that require more attention. Table 2 shows a representation of the potential role of women in this light. Sales of solar equipment are primarily going to the rural elite or relatively high income rural households. Key evidence of rural elite social response to solar electrification is their application for electric light for business, study and social activities at night and also for household appliances (Jacobson, 2007).

Table 2: International vs. National Development Targets for Gender Equality – Based on a Comparative Analysis of Stakeholder Needs (Wilkins, 2002; Republic of Kenya, 2003).

The bigger controllers of the destiny of such technologies are the processes of social interactions and migration that influence decision making. These have been under-explored. To understand the acceptance and uptake of Solar PV technology, it is important to understand the connection between demography, locations and cultures. The distribution end of the power provision hierarchy governs connectivity with more influence. There is now a stronger rural-urban connectivity in communication as a result of access to electric power, but the relationship is highly uneven and the full national context is not well understood. Connectivity is at its strongest location wise but demographically there is not much stretch (Jacobson, 2007). The elevation of the wealthier rural dwellers as result of their advantageous position makes the inequality gap much wider.

In order for users, facilitators and non-participatory bodies to identify with an energy related project, whether decentralised or centralised, cross-involvement in the decision making process is needed. At early stages simple generalisations such as local conditions and estimations such as monetary value of resources help to justify most rural energy programmes (Murphy, 2001). However, if the project continues on a simplistic track, with a lack of understanding of the complexity and reality of the cultural and social situation, the project is more likely to fail. For a successful project and more public acceptance of the solar PV technology, social dynamics need to be understood. A new national energy related institution dealing with technology absorption could undertake the survey to understand people’s daily patterns of behaviour to solve this (Murphy, 2001). This can be termed as the emergence of the sophisticated stakeholder, whereby the local individual or group acceptance of the technology, such as solar PV, is determined by the form in which it fits day-to-day activities in that particular location.

Infrastructural Needs

In the past, power provision has not been a centrepiece for rural development in Kenya as there has been an urban focus. With the exception of cash crops, the relatively subsistent nature of the rural economy has made it a small contributor to economic output. A lack of public service provision from the state has caused strain on many household incomes, with more time spent on subsistence activities such as walking long distances to collect firewood. In contrast, the growth of the energy sector from 1980 onwards has contributed greatly to the economy (Raskin et al, 1984).

The average solar PV module size is small, about 25W with the most common unit capable of producing 14W. Quantities of energy supplied from them are much lower than grid connected installations. This provides limitations to the type of appliances that can use solar derived electrical power. This is a limitation to acceptance of this technology, unless the challenges of affordability and installation of multiple modules can be addressed (Jacobson, 2007).

In the Kenyan rural areas, solar PV is a competitor to battery-based systems. The disadvantage of the battery-based system is the bulky size, cost and time consumed in taking a unit to the battery charging shop. The television sales in Kenya and solar PV sales in rural areas are strongly linked (Jacobson, 2007). This is an indication of purchasing power of the rural elite whereby the motivation to buy solar PV equipment is driven by the desire to own a television. Future solar sales, including successful installation and usage, will depend on what needs there are amongst the rural poor that solar energy can fulfil. This will guarantee expansion further down the economic demographic pyramid and across difference facets of rural life (Prahalad, 2004).

Most households in rural areas are limited in infrastructure for connecting up to the electricity grid. Infrastructure design considerations include compatibility with the electricity grid and also safety. Culturally, there are limitations to the acceptance of electricity for cooking activities. Wood and charcoal fires have a better perceived consistency towards cooking particular dishes that rural users prefer over electric cookers of which most have little experience of using. Some households use dual options for other reasons. For example, in urban areas gas and electricity cookers are used due to the unreliability of power supply rather than preference (Murphy, 2001).

Capabilities: Regional Connectivity

The connectivity of household appliances to a decentralised or centralised electricity network could form the fulcrum for increasing social and economic interconnection.

Kenya has one of the largest per capita markets for solar PV technology among developing countries (Jacobson, 2007). Extrapolating the true market size for renewable technology dissemination is actually quite difficult. The advantage of the Solar PV case is that there is reliable data from multiple sources but it is not coherent with other technologies. A 2003 survey of 76 households in rural Kenya showed that 32% of solar households were using lighting for income generation and work related activities (Jacobson, 2007). Figure 2 symbolises the relative strength of the socio-economic ties (indicated by the thickness of the arrow). From this depiction of social ties, differentiating rural from peri-urban and urban, one can observe the energy needs across the market.

Figure 1: Emprukel Primary School, Kenya: Solar PV Panels Before Installation (Photo credit: Solar Maasai, 2010, http://solarmaasai.blogspot.com)

There are subtle differences in social-economic ties across regions. It emerges that there is not only a negligence of needs in the rural areas, but also in the peri-urban areas or secondary towns in developing countries. There is a clear link between different energy uses and their effect on natural resources. Nakuru for example, Kenya’s 4^th largest urban centre, has experienced heavy migration over the years presenting constraints to the government’s ability to provide essential services (Milukas, 1993). Whilst Nakuru is a tourism destination, transport hub and commercial centre for agriculture and agro- processing, little attention has been paid to energy related issues from activating an effective policy to investment redirection. One neglected energy trend is the elevated deforestation around Nakuru, constraining wood-fuel resources.

Capabilities: Affordability

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) point towards delivering poverty alleviation to the 2 billion or so people living without access to modern amenities needed to survive and have a fulfilling life. Solar PV advocates similarly push the technology to this bottom-most tier but there is a risk of having a skewed perception of the levels of poverty. A survey in 2000 of 1,512 households indicates that most families that own solar systems have annual household incomes of over US$ 2,000 per year, while households below the median wealth level have incomes ranging from US$ 660 to 1,300 per annum. Thus, the majority of solar PV system owning households are substantially better off than most of their rural neighbours but may not be wealthy by OECD country standards. In this sense, when analysing affordability, one must differentiate between the varying international and national standards and use survey data to define the local affordability criteria. This helps challenge the characterisation of populations without electricity as a large and relatively undifferentiated mass of rural poor (Jacobson, 2007).

Solar households could be characterised in terms of both wealth and occupations. The two tend to be commensurate in Kenya. Based on the same 2000 survey, 80% of solar owning households reported a professional salary. These vary from jobs that provide professional salaries, such as teaching, to agricultural producers that create considerable income from produce sales. Here, 55% of earnings for households that purchase solar systems came from agricultural earnings (Jacobson, 2007). Sensitising to these categories’ purchasing power can pave the way for optimal availability and operability of energy technology systems.

A dimension in the lower income households is the cash-based approach, whereby the purchase of a solar system is incremental, with costs spread over time. The 2000 survey data shows that this puts a strain on the optimal usage for income generating activities and additional activities such as children’s reading purposes. This is because there only just enough money to spend on a system less than 25W that produces very little electricity. Also, this results in a non-guarantee of quality and performance of solar systems that further weakens the feasibility of solar access for people below the median wealth level (Jacobson, 2007). There is a lack of ownership due to low income and lack of subsidies in sales of solar equipment. This prevents the generation of further income and work and finally also prevention of the diffusion of solar power technology.

In Kenya, there is an incomplete proof of the solar technology bringing certain income-related activities, as the technology itself cannot be a stand-alone solution. Nevertheless, its potential as an emerging contributor to economic growth is great.

The Way Ahead

It is clear that there are links between rural stake-holders involvement and bad performance of the power industry in Kenya in electrifying rural areas, as demonstrated by the effects of energy policies in the past.

Renewable energy access is more likely in areas where it is locally available. Also it is worth providing incentives for the adoption of renewable energy like solar energy where fossil fuel access is expensive. Therefore, there needs to be a common platform, in the form of a national or regional energy institution, to support an array of renewable technologies and services that incorporate social needs, technology absorption and acceptance, affordability for low income groups, income generation and economic productivity, as described in this article. Key public and private sector organisations should have extended powers in dealing with these issues. This can mitigate against the worldwide influences on cost, growth, technology, and infrastructure size in the energy sector.

To this end, energy policy should overlap with all other public policies with a cross-section of decision makers and enforcers. This can help a national or regional energy institution sensitise towards disseminating the most appropriate technologies and accommodate infrastructure connectivity, improvement and maintenance as well as local skills deployment.

Planners and policy makers are increasingly making the improvement of rural and peri-urban people’s quality of life a major objective for energy projects, as shown in Table 1. However, it should be clear that improvement of quality of life means meeting the particular local needs. These objectives can come together as a capability proposition to alleviate poverty.

Kyrea Mwangi Njuguna, Mechanical Engineer and Consultant, +33 (0) 631419905, kyrea.njuguna@cantab.net

Kyrea is a chartered mechanical engineer who has worked in design and detailed engineering in the oil and gas industry for M.W.Kellogg, Worley Parsons, SNC Lavalin and Technip, researched on sustainable development at University of Cambridge, and consulted on energy strategy and operations at Arup. He recently contributed to biogas and hydropower pilot projects in Haiti with the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG).

List of References

Forsyth, T., 1999, International Investment and Climate Change –Energy Technology for Developing Countries, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

Jacobson, A., 2007, Connective Power: Solar Electrification and Social Change in Kenya, World Development 35(1), p144-162.

Karekezi, S. and Kimani, J., 2004, Have Power Sector Reforms Increased Access to Electricity Among the Poor in East Africa? African Energy Policy Research Network (AFREPREN), Nairobi, Kenya.

Mariita, N. O. , 2002, The Impact of Large-Scale Renewable Energy Development on the Poor: Environmental and Socio-Economic Impact of a Geothermal Power Plant on a Poor Rural Community in Kenya, Energy Policy 30(11-12), p1119-1128.

Milukas, M. V., 1993, Energy for Secondary Cities: The Case of Nakuru, Kenya, Energy Policy 21(5), p543-558.

Murphy, J. T., 2001, Making the Energy Transition in Rural East Africa: Is Leapfrogging an Alternative?, Technological Forecasting and Social Change 68(2), p173-193.

O’Keefe, P. and Shakow, D., 1980, Facing Kenya’s Energy Predicament, Energy Policy (June 1980), p173-175.

Prahalad, C. K., 2004, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, Wharton School Publishing, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Raskin, P. D., Bernow S., and O’Keefe, P., 1984, Energy and Development in Kenya – Opportunities and Constraints, Nordic Africa Institute.

Republic of Kenya, 2002, National Development Plan 2002 – 2008: Effective Management for Sustainable Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

Republic of Kenya, 2003, Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003 – 2007, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

Republic of Kenya, 2006, Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 96 (Acts No. 12), The Energy Act, 2006, The Government Printer, Nairobi.

The Kenya Power & Lighting Co. Ltd and The Ministry of Energy – Kenya, 2007, Update of Kenya’s Least Cost Power Development Plan 2008 – 2028, The Ministry of Energy.

Wilkins, G., 2002, Technology Transfer for Renewable Energy – Overcoming Barriers in Developing Countries, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

Solar Roadways is embedding PV cells and LED lights into panels engineered to withstand the forces of traffic. The lights would allow for “smart” roadways and parking lots with changeable signage, while the cells would generate enough energy to power businesses, cities and, eventually, the entire country. Each 12-by-12-foot Solar Roadway panel would produce about 7,600 watt-hours a day, based on an average of four hours of sunlight. At that rate, a one-mile stretch of four-lane highway could power about 500 homes.

Brusaw’s goal is to get the cost per panel under $10,000. That’s roughly three times the cost of asphalt. But he wants to make panels that last three times longer than asphalt roads, which have to be resurfaced every 10 years in many places. The cost would be about the same and, added to that, great quantities of electricity would be generated. The key to commercial viability will be the panels’ glass. It must be textured for traction, embedded with heating elements for melting away ice and snow, and able to survive years of traffic.  At the same time, it has to be self-cleaning if sunlight is to reach the PV cells. Not an easy task ahead.

Brusaw would like to be ready for testing in parking lots, which he sees as the perfect proving grounds for the lights and the power-generation system. Directional arrows and parking lines could be reconfigured to deal with busy times, and the electricity generated could feed adjacent businesses. A McDonald’s retrofitted with a solar parking lot could take itself largely or entirely off the grid or become a site for recharging electric vehicles (while the owners stopped inside for food, naturally).

Despite the difficulties surrounding the maintenance and implementation costs, here at Sustentator we give a good round of applause to every creative and innovative project that conveys positive, practical and real solutions towards 21^st century climate change. Although some projects might not seem viable nowadays, one never knows how numbers and interests fluctuate in years to come, making brilliant ideas possible in the future.

Via: Popsci.com

The Bangkok meeting hosted sessions of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), as well as three pre-sessional workshops, which focused on technology development and transfer, developed country mitigation, and developing country mitigation – issues that are crucial for creating forward momentum.

Following the three workshops – the working groups set out to organize their work for 2011. Their main task was to agree to an agenda of issues that would allow each group to achieve its mandate for the year in order to produce results at the Seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa at the end of the year. As simple as it may sound, however, the task proved painfully complicated and difficult.

Kyoto Protocol. Although some argue that the Cancun Agreements effectively killed the Protocol and paved the way for it to be replaced by a new set of agreements, many developing countries continue to call for a second commitment period for Kyoto.

Climate Agenda. The AWG-LCA talks finally composed a compromise agenda (FCCC/AWGLCA/2011/L.1), which all delegations approved. The agenda included: preparation of a comprehensive and balanced outcome to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action now, up to and beyond 2012; review of the definition of its scope and development of its modalities; continued discussion of legal options with the aim of completing an agreed outcome; and other matters, including countries with economies in transition and those with special circumstances.

Trade issues. An agenda heading on unintended consequences of “response measures,” which is a topic that often raises discussion around competitiveness, trade, and economic development implications, continues to figure prominently on the agenda for this year. A novel two-session forum on response measures is scheduled to take place at the upcoming meetings in Bonn (6-17 June) and Durban (28 November-9 December).

On the final day of the UN Climate Change Conference, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres urged countries to push ahead with their work to aim for another step in addressing global climate change in 2011. Despite difficulties the Parties finally agreed an agenda to work towards a comprehensive and balanced outcome at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban at the end of the year.

Governments agreed that this outcome will both address the implementation of the Cancún Agreements and issues that were not resolved at Cancun but which are part of the comprehensive Bali Action Plan that governments agreed in 2007.

‘I feel that we now have a solid basis to move forward collectively and that governments can deliver further good results this year, provided every effort is made to compromise and show the necessary flexibility to achieve that goal,’ said Ms. Figueres.

The Cancún Conference (COP-16)

The latest COP conference celebrated in Cancún (Mexico) began on a low note after delegates failed to reach an agreement at Copenhagen. A modest deal was reached in the final hours of the talks, in which countries pledged to meet emissions targets, although none of these commitments were legally binding. Countries also reiterated their intention to limit average global temperature rises to 2C above pre-industrial levels. In addition, a forest deal (Redd) will provide finance for countries who avoid emissions from deforestation. A green fund, which will provide poorer countries with funding to decarbonise their economies and adapt to climate change, will initially provide $30bn to developing countries, potentially rising to $100bn in 2020. The only resistance came from Bolivia, who said that decisions had been made without consensus and that the agreement did not go far enough to prevent climate change.

Via: UNFCCC

Fotos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unfccc/5584118791/in/photostream/lightbox/

BP reported a 16 percent rise in first-quarter net profits as gains from the sale of major assets outweighed the ongoing costs of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Revenue rose 18 percent to $88.3 billion, from $74.4 billion. The first-quarter results include a $400 million pretax charge for the oil spill, adding to $40.9 billion set aside by the company last year to cover claims and damages over the blowout whose first year anniversary was marked last week by a raft of lawsuits.

The oil giant’s finance director, Byron Grote, told City analysts: “We expect to be back and actively drilling during the second half of the year.” Such a return would be a major victory for BP – which last summer was threatened by a proposed law to ban the company from the Gulf for up to seven years.

As you might expect environmentalists reacted angrily after BP confirmed its intentions to be back drilling in the Gulf of Mexico within months despite facing billions in financial penalties over the Deepwater Horizon disaster – and despite balls of tar still washing up on beaches.

“BP’s reckless approach led to the worst oil disaster in American history, but one year later they’re off the hook and ready to take more risks,” said Phil Radford, director of Greenpeace USA. “It’s a testament to the political influence of these big oil companies that right now Tony Hayward is sailing his luxury yacht rather than facing criminal charges,” he added.

Some environmentalists remain concerned that the damage to the gulf still runs deep, with large amounts of oil continuing to cause damage.

Via: The Guardian | Businessweek

The researchers found a way to make an “optical battery,” said Stephen Rand, a professor in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Physics and Applied Physics.

“You could stare at the equations of motion all day and you will not see this possibility. We’ve all been taught that this doesn’t happen,” said Rand, an author of a paper on the work published in the Journal of Applied Physics. “It’s a very odd interaction. That’s why it’s been overlooked for more than 100 years.”

Light has electric and magnetic components. Until now, scientists thought the effects of the magnetic field were so weak that they could be ignored. Rand and his colleagues found that at the right intensity, when light is traveling through a material that does not conduct electricity, the light field can generate magnetic effects that are 100 million times stronger than previously expected. Under these circumstances, the magnetic effects develop strength equivalent to a strong electric effect.

“In solar cells, the light goes into a material, gets absorbed and creates heat. Here, we expect to have a very low heat load. Instead of the light being absorbed, energy is stored in the magnetic moment. Intense magnetization can be induced by intense light and then it is ultimately capable of providing a capacitive power source. Rand said, “the finding, according to the researchers could lead to a new kind of solar cell without semiconductors and without absorption to produce charge separation.”

In traditional optical rectification, light’s electric field causes a charge separation, or a pulling apart of the positive and negative charges in a material. This sets up a voltage, similar to that in a battery. This electric effect had previously been detected only in crystalline materials that possessed a certain symmetry.

The light must be shone through a material that does not conduct electricity, such as glass. And it must be focused to an intensity of 10 million watts per square centimeter. Sunlight isn’t this intense on its own, but new materials are being sought that would work at lower intensities, Fisher said.

This new technique could make solar power cheaper, the researchers say. They predict that with improved materials they could achieve 10 percent efficiency in converting solar power to useable energy. That’s equivalent to today’s commercial-grade solar cells.

In experiments this summer, the researchers will work on harnessing this power with laser light, and then with sunlight.

The paper is titled “Optically-induced charge separation and terahertz emission in unbiased dielectrics.” The university is pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property.

Via: Michigan Today

Keeping local culture in mind designers are creating products to meet communities’ needs. It turns out that even the most pressing problems, from health care to potable water, can have affordable -and beautifully designed- solutions.

Infant Warmer

Around 19 million low-birth-weight babies are born every year in developing countries. Unable to regulate their body temperatures, many die. The embrace helps to warm vulnerable infants (a special pouch slips into the back of the bag to provide hours of safe heat) while allowing for nursing and cuddling.

Website: embraceglobal.org

Purifying Straw

Some 900 million people lack access to safe drinking water. Sipping through the LifeStraw filters surface water on-site, reducing the transmission of bacteria and viruses. Each filters about 160 gallons (around 600 litres).

Website: lifestraw.com

Water Container

In impoverished rural areas, clean water is often miles away from the people who need it, leaving them susceptible to waterborne diseases. The sturdy Q drum holds 13 gallons (around 50 litres) in a rolling container that eases the burden of transporting safe, potable water -a tasks that falls mostly to woman and children.

Website: qdrum.co.za

Portable Clay Cooler

Built upon an ancient food-storage technique, the pot-in-pot system uses evaporation from a layer of wet sand between two nesting pots to help extend the life of farmers’ goods. Tomatoes can last weeks instead of just days, meaning more fresh produce at the market and more income for farmers.

Sugarcane Charcoal

Burning wood and dung, the main fuel sources for many in the developing world, has contributed to deforestation and respiratory ailments. Not only do briquettes made from crushed sugarcane stalks make use of an abundant local resource, they burn more cleanly and allow residents to start start a charcoal business for less than U$S50.

Website: d-lab.mit.edu/resources

Affordable Laptops

The one laptop per child project aims to educate children in remote parts of the world. Governments purchase the computers, each equipped with Wi-Fi “rabbit-ears” and e-book mode, for schools. Uruguay has already distributed some 400,000 laptops, with another 90,000 on order. A tablet version is due in 2012.

Website: laptop.org

Via: National Geographic Magazine

The Bangkok meeting hosted sessions of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA), as well as three pre-sessional workshops, which focused on technology development and transfer, developed country mitigation, and developing country mitigation – issues that are crucial for creating forward momentum.

Following the three workshops – the working groups set out to organize their work for 2011. Their main task was to agree to an agenda of issues that would allow each group to achieve its mandate for the year in order to produce results at the Seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa at the end of the year. As simple as it may sound, however, the task proved painfully complicated and difficult.

Kyoto Protocol. Although some argue that the Cancun Agreements effectively killed the Protocol and paved the way for it to be replaced by a new set of agreements, many developing countries continue to call for a second commitment period for Kyoto.

Climate Agenda. The AWG-LCA talks finally composed a compromise agenda (FCCC/AWGLCA/2011/L.1), which all delegations approved. The agenda included: preparation of a comprehensive and balanced outcome to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action now, up to and beyond 2012; review of the definition of its scope and development of its modalities; continued discussion of legal options with the aim of completing an agreed outcome; and other matters, including countries with economies in transition and those with special circumstances.

Trade issues. An agenda heading on unintended consequences of “response measures,” which is a topic that often raises discussion around competitiveness, trade, and economic development implications, continues to figure prominently on the agenda for this year. A novel two-session forum on response measures is scheduled to take place at the upcoming meetings in Bonn (6-17 June) and Durban (28 November-9 December).

On the final day of the UN Climate Change Conference, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres urged countries to push ahead with their work to aim for another step in addressing global climate change in 2011. Despite difficulties the Parties finally agreed an agenda to work towards a comprehensive and balanced outcome at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban at the end of the year.

Governments agreed that this outcome will both address the implementation of the Cancún Agreements and issues that were not resolved at Cancun but which are part of the comprehensive Bali Action Plan that governments agreed in 2007.

‘I feel that we now have a solid basis to move forward collectively and that governments can deliver further good results this year, provided every effort is made to compromise and show the necessary flexibility to achieve that goal,’ said Ms. Figueres.

The Cancún Conference (COP-16)

The latest COP conference celebrated in Cancún (Mexico) began on a low note after delegates failed to reach an agreement at Copenhagen. A modest deal was reached in the final hours of the talks, in which countries pledged to meet emissions targets, although none of these commitments were legally binding. Countries also reiterated their intention to limit average global temperature rises to 2C above pre-industrial levels. In addition, a forest deal (Redd) will provide finance for countries who avoid emissions from deforestation. A green fund, which will provide poorer countries with funding to decarbonize their economies and adapt to climate change, will initially provide $30bn to developing countries, potentially rising to $100bn in 2020. The only resistance came from Bolivia, who said that decisions had been made without consensus and that the agreement did not go far enough to prevent climate change.

Via: UNFCCC

After major decrease in new installations can be observed in North America and the USA lost its number one position in total capacity to China. China became number one in total installed capacity and the center of the international wind industry, and added 18,928 Megawatt within one year, accounting for more than 50 % of the world market for new wind turbines. The decrease in new capacity outside China can be seen as a result of insufficient political support for wind energy utilization. In a paradox situation, more and more policymakers are declaring their support for increased use of wind energy, but such statements do not go hand in hand with the necessary political decisions.

The highest growth rates of the year 2010 by country can be found in Romania, which increased its capacity by 40 times. The second country with a growth rate of more than 100 % was Bulgaria (112 %). In the year 2009, still four major wind markets had more than doubled their wind capacity: China, Mexico, Turkey, and Morocco. Next to China, strong growth could be found mainly in Eastern European and South Eastern European countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Cyprus, and Belgium. Africa (with the exception of Egypt and Morocco) and Latin America (with the exception of Brazil), are again lagging behind the rest of the world in the commercial use of wind power.

Top wind markets 2010

In 2010, the Chinese wind market became a class of its own, representing more than half of the world market for new wind turbines adding 18,9 GW, which equals a market share of 50,3 %. A sharp decrease in new capacity happened in the USA whose share in new wind turbines fell down to 14,9 % (5,6 GW), after 25,9 % or 9,9 GW in the year 2009.

Nine further countries could be seen as major markets, with turbine sales in a range between 0,5 and 1,5 GW: Germany, Spain, India, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Sweden and the Eastern European newcomer Romania.

In relation to its population, Denmark has the by far highest amount of installed capacity per person (0,675 kW per person), followed by Spain (0,442 kW/person), Portugal (0,344 kW/person) and Germany (0,334 kW/person). In this perspective, world leader China only lands on place 27 (0,033 kW/person), the USA reach number 9 (0,128 kW/person) and India reaches only position 39 (0,011 kW/person).

All wind turbines installed by the end of 2010 worldwide can generate 430 Terawatthours per annum, more than the total electricity demand of the United Kingdom, the sixth largest economy of the world, and equaling 2,5 % of the global electricity consumption.

By the end of the year 2010, about 670,000 persons were employed worldwide directly and indirectly in the various branches of the wind sector. Within five years, the number of jobs almost tripled, from 235 000 in 2005. There is an increasing demand for a very broad range of jobs, from engineers, skilled workers to mangers, financial, environmental and legal experts.

Offshore wind capacity

Offshore wind capacity continued to grow in the year 2010. Like in the previous year, wind farms installed in the sea could be found in twelve countries, ten of them in Europe, as well as in China and Japan. Total installed offshore wind capacity amounted to 3,117.6 MW, out of which 1,161.7 MW were added in 2010.

This represents a growth rate of 59%, far above the average growth rate of the wind sector. The share of offshore in total wind capacity worldwide went up from 1.2 % in 2009 to 1.6 % in 2010. The share of offshore capacity in new installations went up to 3.1 %.

The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) is a non-profit organization which works for a world energy system fully based on the various renewable energy technologies, with wind energy as one cornerstone. WWEA acts as a communication platform for all wind energy actors worldwide, WWEA advises national governments and international organizations on favorable policies for wind energy implementation and WWEA enhances international technology transfer, a key in the accelerated dissemination of this clean technology.

Via: World Wind Energy Association

The EIA report states that renewable energy sources, including biomass/biofuels, solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal contributed 10.9 percent of domestic energy production through the end of September, up 5.7 percent over the same period in 2009. Nuclear energy accounted for 11.4 percent of domestic production – down 0.5 percent from the same period last year.

Given that renewable power continues to grow at a healthy clip, while nuclear power has stagnated in recent years (since 2007, nuclear power has been flat while renewable resources have delivered 22% more primary energy) renewables may well deliver more total primary production than nuclear sometime this year.

Of the various sources of renewable energy, each contributed the following to the overall renewable portfolio:

× Biomass/biofuel: 51.95 percent

× Hydropower: 31.50 percent

× Wind: 10.52 percent

× Geothermal: 4.65 percent

× Solar: 1.38 percent

Wind, biofuels shows biggest growth

Comparing those statistics with the same period of 2009 shows solar energy production expanding 2.4 percent and hydro declining by 5.2 percent. The big winners were biomass and biofuels, which grew by 10 percent in the first three quarters of 2010, and wind energy, which grew a full 26.7 percent. Combined non-hydro renewable sources grew 11.5 percent.

Overall, U.S. primary energy production rose 2 percent in the first nine months of 2010 over the same period last year. Fossil fuels accounted for 78 percent of primary energy production.

Via: Cleantechnica | Globalwarmingisreal

Most shortages are local and minor and easily addressed. But, in other cases, the shortages persist for days, weeks, or even years and involve millions of people. The reasons for these shortages vary incredibly: from forest fires to safety problems at power stations, from problems in electricity market liberalization to heat or cold waves. Or maybe as a consequence of an earthquake like it happened in Japan some days ago.

Our colleagues at Threehugger tackle the issue explaining how in 2002 the Tokyo Electric Power Company had to begin shutting down 17 nuclear power plants for emergency safety inspections. Manufacturers switched their production schedules to lower-demand periods, the company launched a conservation campaign and people trimmed their use. It didn’t hurt too much because Tokyo’s summer was cooler than expected. In fact, the critical month of July proved to be among the coolest in history. Electricity demand was far below expectations.

A later survey by the Center for Consumer Studies of Dentsu Inc. found that 80% of respondents claimed to have taken measures to reduce their electricity use during the shutdown, by dimming lights, raising the set point of air conditioners, and reducing air conditioning use. These savings were obtained after as little as three days after the conservation campaign began and they persisted for anywhere from a few hours to several months. Some programs continued to save electricity even after the crisis had ended. In most cases, the programs avoided significant blackouts entirely.

TEPCO estimated that it achieved roughly 1.4 GW savings through adjustments in its load contracts with industrial and other large customers and 1.3 GW in other conservation. The combined savings, 2.7 GW, represents about 4.5% of TEPCO’s peak demand (at 60 GW).

Now Japan faces similar challenges in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, with the loss of power from its nuclear facilities. And people is, again, undertaking measures for saving electricity in order to avoid a blackout.

Via: Threehugher | IEA

The conference will provide an update on progress of the Cancún agreements and settle a plan for this year’s negotiations, at the COP17 summit in Durban, South Africa in November. It is hoped that delegates will lay the groundwork for a new deal on emission targets, so that an internationally binding commitment to reduce emissions can be reached before Kyoto expires next year.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said that governments have two main tasks before them in 2011. The first relates to the emission reduction targets and actions which would allow the world to stay below the maximum two degree Celsius temperature rise agreed in Cancun. Ms. Figures pointed out that the sum of national promises so far equals only around 60% of what science requires by 2020 to stay below the agreed two degrees goal.

Ms Figueres said that governments this year need to resolve fundamental issues over the future of the Kyoto Protocol, currently the worldís only existing agreement where almost all industrialised countries agreed internationally-binding commitments to reduce emissions over time. The first period of these commitments under the protocol expires at the end of 2012.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Bangkok, which ends on Friday, is being attended by around 1500 participants from 173 countries, including government delegates, representatives from business and industry, environmental organisations and research institutions.

Japan’s emission reduction target to remain despite nuclear disaster

Figueres added that Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has given assurances ”that in his view the nuclear disaster does not change the Japanese target.” (to reduce emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020) however, that it is ”still very much too early to know whether Japan will have to change their commitment.”

Her remarks came after Japanese government spokesman Yukio Edano earlier Monday suggested Japan may review its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex.

Via: UNFCCC | The Guardian

The third edition of one of the world’s top events dedicated to renewable energies, with special focus on ethanol and other sugarcane by-products, is confirmed for June 6th and 7th. Dignifying for all Latin-American subjects, it is not based on any city of the northern hemisphere, in contrast, the Ethanol Summit, launched in 2007 and held every two years, is organized by the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)  at Sao Paulo’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The defining phrase adopted this year – “Solutions for a Low-Carbon Economy” – sounds promising on a regional scale, and demonstrates that the sustainability battle is tackled all around the world.  Yet, the question is, how did this attainment came to happen?

Key Elements On Ethanol Blooming

The ethanol industry in Brazil is more than 30 year-old and even though it is no longer subsidized, production and use of ethanol was stimulated through the following main factors:

Low-interest loans for the construction of ethanol distilleries.

Guaranteed purchase of ethanol by the state-owned oil company at a reasonable price.

Retail pricing of neat ethanol so it is competitive if not slightly favorable to the gasoline-ethanol blend.

Tax incentives provided during the 1980s to stimulate the purchase of neat ethanol vehicles.

Nowadays, Brazil is considered to have the world’s first sustainable bio-fuels economy and the bio-fuel industry leader, a policy model for other countries; and its sugarcane ethanol “the most successful alternative fuel to date.” [According to the economist, The New York Times, and Sperling, Daniel and Deborah Gordon (2009). "4 Brazilian Cane Ethanol: A Policy Model”]

What about the environmental gain? Ethanol Fuel Benefits

Ethanol produced from sugarcane provides energy that is renewable and less carbon intensive than oil. Bio-ethanol reduces air pollution thanks to its cleaner emissions, and also contributes to mitigate global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline, is very significant, because, as much carbon dioxide is taken up by the growing plants as is produced when the bio-ethanol is burnt, with a zero theoretical net contribution. Several studies have shown that sugarcane based ethanol reduces greenhouse gases by 86 to 90% if there is no significant land use change, and ethanol from sugarcane is regarded the most efficient bio-fuel currently under commercial production in terms of GHG emission reduction.

UK estimates for the carbon intensity of bioethanol and fossil fuels. As shown, Brazilian ethanol from sugarcane is the most efficient biofuel currently under commercial production in terms of GHG emission reduction.

Air pollution

The widespread use of ethanol brought several environmental benefits to urban centers regarding air pollution. Lead additives to gasoline were reduced through the 1980s as the amount of ethanol blended in the fuel was increased, and these additives were completely eliminated by 1991.

Latest News

Even though the development seems promising, some people say the industry is going through a mid-life crisis, as recent fluctuations in the price of sugar obliged Brazil to import Ethanol from the U.S. (another gigantic ethanol producer), added to other contextual factors. Yet, the nation is not letting down the matter and enormous quantities of funds are being injected by the Development Bank (BNDES) and the Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP) to support the Technological Innovation in the sugar-based Energy and Chemical Sectors (PAISS).
The PAISS will focus on three key areas:

1. Second Generation Bioethanol,

2.New Sugarcane Products (including development from sugarcane biomass through biotechnological processes)

3. Gasification (with an emphasis on technology, equipment and processes).With the support of the PAISS and Brazil’s massive supply of low-priced biomass, the country hopes to become a pioneer in the production of cellulose-ethanol and other advanced biofuels in order to keep its leadership in the sector. Let’s hope this helps as an example for the rest of the developing region, and for the rest of the world.

In this year’s edition of World Water Day United Nations Environment Program and UN-Habitat released the Rapid Response Assessment entitled “Green Hills, Blue Cities”. The report finds that 40 percent of Africa’s one billion people live in urban areas where water supplies and sanitation are inadequate.

Africa’s cities are growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the world, stressing drinking water supplies and sanitation services. Africa’s urban population is projected to triple to over 1.2 billion by 2050 in cities already challenged in many places and in many ways by shortages of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation services.

The theme of this year’s World Water Day has been “Water for cities: responding to the urban water challenge.” The main event was a three-day exhibition and fair hosted by the government of South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

While Africa is currently the least urbanized region in the world, that is changing fast, the assessment concludes. Africa’s urban dwellers without access to safe drinking water jumped from about 30 million in 1990 to over 55 million in 2008. Over the same period, the number of people without reasonable sanitation services doubled to around 175 million, says the report.

“Africa is the fastest urbanizing continent on the planet and the demand for water and sanitation is outstripping supply in cities”, said Dr. Joan Clos, executive director of the UN’s Human Settlements Program, UN-HABITAT.

Over the last 50 years, many African cities have grown from villages to large agglomerations. To date there are 48 cities with over a million inhabitants in the region. Lagos and Cairo have population figures exceeding 10 million. Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa has grown from 100,000 to 3.5 million people over the past 50 years. Today it is one of the largest cities in Africa and has trouble providing residents with enough fresh water and sanitation services.

The report shows that there is a way forward for a more sustainable future where restoration of ecosystems, often in the green hills and watersheds surrounding cities, can provide cheaper, efficient and resilient water supply systems in a changing world.

Via: Environment News Service

The city of Buenos Aires (Argentina) is committed to re-educate citizens onto more sustainable ways of transportation. How? Reinstalling structurally and culturally the use of the bicycle.

The main issues for a cyclist in a capitol go from adequate and exclusive paths (mainly for safety reasons) to proper parking spots. Though this might seem easy to solve in terms of structure -yet not cheap-, there is an important cultural side to develop and re-enhance on citizens.

This is why the city’s program mejor en bici “better on bike” contemplates five distinct items to approach environmentally friendly transportation to the people:

1. The construction of protected network of cycle-paths.

2. An adequate infrastructure for parking spaces.

3. An easy rent-a-bike system.

4. To promote and educate bicycle transit publicly, in order to spread and increase the chances of making it a real and sustainable way of transportation.

5. A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program to encourage the use of bicycles..

Furthermore, the government tackles more indirect benefits as a consequence of cycling: (According to www.mejorenbici.gob.ar)

Trasportation freedom and traffic reduction

The bike gives you more liberty to move, for you and your fellow citizen, since one is not occupying the space of an entire car, thus reducing traffic.

Health Benefits

Improves fitness, fighting sedentary aches like back issues and muscle fatigue. There is also a 50% less risk of cardiac issues, reduces herniated discs chances, favours the immune system and lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)

Ecological

Doesn’t need any kind of fuel, therefore does not produce any toxic emission. Reduces noise pollution.

Economical

Doesn’t demand an important investment and maintenance costs are reasonably low.

Bicycle day parades all over Buenos Aires’ city center are already being organised to continue encouraging the citizens to adapt to this safer and promising mean of tranportation. Added to this, one can have access to free bikes at specific terminals just by completing a simple form and acquiring a PIN number.

Despite the fact that this might not be new for many people living in highly developed first world cities, it is an important and surprising sustainable development for the capital of Argentina. Although, to be realistic, it may take time for individuals, car drivers, taxi drivers and bus drivers to adapt to such a change, let us hope this course continues in the long run.

Bees are the predominant and most economically important group of pollinators in most geographical regions. But, current evidence demonstrates that a sixth major extinction of biological diversity event is underway.

A reduction in the number of bees could result in a decrease in pollinators which could affect not only in an alteration of food security but also in the fate of many other economically and environmentally-important plants and animals.

Now scientists are warning that without profound changes to the way human-beings manage the planet, declines in pollinators needed to feed a growing global population are likely to continue. According to a new UNEP report unveiled last Friday March, 10th more than a dozen factors, ranging from declines in flowering plants and the use of memory-damaging insecticides to the world-wide spread of pests and air pollution, may be behind the emerging decline of bee colonies across many parts of the globe.

Among the causes there are:

· New kinds of virulent fungal pathogens-which can be deadly to bees and other key pollinating insects- are now being detected world-wide, migrating from one region to another as a result of shipments linked to globalization and rapidly growing international trade.

· Increasing use of chemicals in agriculture, including ‘systemic insecticides’ and those used to coat seeds.

· Climate change may aggravate the situation, in various ways including by changing the flowering times of plants and shifting rainfall patterns.

The effects of the bees’ decline could be disastrous. An estimated 20,000 flowering plant species, upon which many bee species depend for food, could be lost over the coming decades unless conservation efforts are stepped up.

The study, entitled Global Bee Colony Disorders and other Threats to Insect Pollinators, underlines that multiple factors are at work linked with the way humans are rapidly changing the conditions and the ground rules that support life on Earth. It shows humans’ large dependency on ecosystem services even for such vital sectors as food production.

Via: UNEP

Now a new report released by the National Academy of Sciences has warned that climate change could upset the delicate security balance in the Arctic and that America is unprepared for the challenges ahead. According to the report United States urgently needs to build up its military readiness in the Arctic where melting summer sea ice is setting up a global struggle for resources.

“The US military as a whole has lost most of its competence in cold-weather operations for Arctic weather,” the report, National Security Implications of Climate Change for US Naval Forces, warned. “In the immediate term, the navy should begin Arctic training and the marine corps should also establish a cold weather training programme.”

The report warned that America was currently unprepared to defend its interests in the Arctic. Current submarine sytems would be challenged to operate in the Arctic, the report warned. In addition, the coastguard has just three ice breakers, and these are old and obsolete.

The report said that it expected large stretches of the Arctic to be ice-free in the summer by 2030, if current rates of ice loss continued. Competition for oil and gas in the region was bound to increase, the report said. Last year, Scottish oil producer Cairn Energy confirmed it had found oil off the coast of Greenland and one of Nato’s senior commanders warned the race for resources could lead to conflict.

The report, four years in the making, reflects growing concern in US military and strategic circles about the security implications of climate change.

Via: The Guardian | United Explanations

Via: Engadget

On the occasion of World Water Day, the Sustainable Cities Collective presents an exclusive webinar about how global cities are dealing with the challenge of managing their most essential resource. Their expert panelists will tackle water supply issues, environmental concerns, weather events, and the growing influence of climate change.

You can join them on March 22nd -1 PM ET / 10 AM PT-  and discuss about:

What drier climates and unpredictable weather could mean for water management.

The greatest strains on water supply, and the potential effects on populations.

Solutions like graywater use, cistern systems, desalination, and more.

Agricultural and manufacturing processes that minimize water consumption

You can register here

Featuring:

Larry Levine is a senior attorney in NRDC’s Water Program, and works on a variety of issues pertaining to water quality in the Northeastern U.S., as well as at the national policy level. He focuses especially on promoting the use of “green infrastructure” as a sustainable solution to polluted urban runoff and raw sewage overflows. Larry was previously a litigation fellow at NRDC and a clinical fellow in environmental law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and is a graduate of Yale Law School and Tulane University.

Scott Edward Anderson is the founder of VerdeStrategy, a consulting and advisory firm focused on the cleantech, energy, and environment sectors, and the popular blog TheGreenSkeptic.com, as well as a frequent commentator on FOX Business Network. He has held management positions for large institutions, such as The Nature Conservancy, the world’s most successful global conservation organization, and Ashoka, a social venture capital organization with operations in 72 countries worldwide, and has consulted with dozens of businesses and social entrepreneurs around the globe.

Richard McGill Murphy moderates the Sustainable Business Forum. Richard is a journalist and media consultant with 15 years of experience covering business, technology and international affairs. He writes for Fortune and BusinessWeek and serves as managing partner of Walled City Media LLC, a media strategy firm. Previously, he has worked as a top editor at Fortune Small Business and CNNMoney.com, and earlier served as editorial and program director at the Committee to Protect Journalists. He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from Harvard and a doctorate in social anthropology from Oxford University.

The Centre for Sustainable Energy has unveiled the energy efficiency details of more than 40,000 public buildings – including schools, hospitals and council offices – through a Freedom of Information Act request. By using this handy map users can find out how efficient – or inefficient – they are.

Following the European Union energy label, which defines a set of energy efficiency classes from A (best) to G (worst), one can see how in London, for example, the Hackney Service Centre gets a mere G, and the Homerton Hospital an E and a G. In fact there are fewer than 200 A-rated buildings among the whole list, and thousands of G-rated.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change cut its carbon footprint by 20%, compared with 2009, through a variety of measures including heating adjustments and making better use of office space. But the headquarters of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Westminster scores just an E.

Other key findings are:

• 40,146 public buildings are covered, including schools, government departments and council offices.

• 119 buildings get more than 50% of their electrical energy from renewable power – 0.3%.

• Only 568 buildings get 1% or more of their electrical energy from renewable energy sources – 1.4%.

• A leisure centre in Surrey uses the most electricity proportionally of any building on this list. The Spectrum Leisure complex in Guildford, uses 475 kw per hour per square metre.

• Manchester University has the highest carbon emissionson this list. It produced 51,601 tonnes of CO2 in 2008 – and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has an energy rating of E.

Check out the map and see how (in)efficient are public buildings in your district and then call people to action. Let’s save a some energy, it will be useful in the near future.

Via: The Guardian

As a consequence of that rapid industrialization in 2007, China became the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Since then, not only the EU and the US, but also developing nations such as the alliance of small island states have put the government in Beijing under pressure to adopt binding emission cuts.

As a result of that, at the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen, China announced that it would reduce its carbon intensity – the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic output – by at least 40% by 2020. Achieving this ambitious goal has become an overriding political priority for the Chinese government. The draft of its new five-year plan, which will be discussed by the National People’s Congress in March, includes an environmental tax and other carbon-cutting measures.

One of the most shocking and unexpected measures unveiled by Beijing is that China has set an annual growth target of 7% to ensure sustainable development during its new five-year plan. Hence, the new target (lowered from 8%, the initial expected economic growth rate) may mark the end of China’s peak growth years as environmental constraints drive up the expense of resources and pollution control.

“In China’s thousands of years of civilization, the conflict between humanity and nature has never been as serious as it is today,” the environment minister Zhou Shengxian wrote on his ministry’s website. “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the deterioration of the environment have become serious bottlenecks constraining economic and social development.”

In words of the premier, Wen Jiabao, this decisions responds to the will “to raise the quality and efficiency of economic growth”. He said: “We absolutely cannot again sacrifice the environment as the cost for high-speed growth, to have blind development, and in that way to create over-capacity and put greater pressure on the environment and resources. That economic development is unsustainable.”

Between 2000 and 2010 China’s energy demand has surged by 220%, compared to a world average of 20%. Since 2006, the country has accounted for 75% of the global increase in coal consumption and 60% of the increase in oil use.

Via: The Guardian

Deforestation in the Amazon is no longer only a matter of logging or an issue related to the wood industry. Currently the main drivers of the land use change in Brazil are cattle ranching, soy cultivation and logging, whose production has been increased as a result of increased demand both domestically and internationally.

The economic boom of the new emerging economies, with China as the main protagonist, is causing the emergence of a new global middle class whose income growth is causing a change in diet towards increased consumption of animal protein foods and dairy products. This is causing an increasing demand for these goods, in which Brazil is a world class producer and exporter.

Last week in an interview carried out by The Ecologist, WWF Brazil CEO Denise Hamu said increasing productivity can help combat deforestation in the Amazon. According to Hamu more intensive beef production can limit deforestation in Brazil “where the space used to rear cattle is ten times what you see in other countries”.

The majority of deforestation in the Amazon is being driven by the spread of cattle ranches with one report estimating that 40 percent of Brazil’s cattle is currently kept within the confines of the Amazon, where illegally occupied forest land is available. In total, cattle occupy around 80 per cent of land already in legal use in the Amazon.

But, according to Hamu, protecting against deforestation would only work if it was driven by consumers refusing to buy products that come from unknown sources. ”Sometimes we tend to expect that governments are going to solve everything but if the society doesn’t engage and doesn’t realise that we are part of the problem and part of the solution – no matter how many laws, how many protocols we sign in the multilateral world – we won’t change anything,” said Hamu.

Which could be a way to fight deforestation? Hamu responds: “We can increase productivity. The data we have in Brazil about the space used to raise cattle is ten times more than what you see in other, very competitive countries. Are we using the right scale to raise our animals? […] we need to review our productivity parameters and how we can really get into the market without deforesting. Brazil has realised that big companies such as Walmart have been putting conditions on the import of beef and soya products to include the origin of production.”

Via: The Ecologist

Joye undertook five expeditions over 2,600 square miles of the Gulf’s floor by employing a deep-diving submersible dubbed Alvin. She used chemical analysis to identify that the oil on the floor was indeed from the BP Macondo well that blew out last April. Having studied many of the locations before, Joye said the oil spill had a noticeable impact.

“Filter-feeding organisms, invertebrate worms, corals, sea fans—all of those were substantially impacted—and by impacted, I mean essentially killed,” she told the BBC. According to her instead of the Gulf recovering by 2012, it will probably take that long to really understand the full impact of the spill, including on important fisheries in the region, as fish are ecologically dependent on many benthic species.

According to Joye only about 10% of the oil was consumed by microbes, complicating the narrative that microbes had consumed most of the oil already. “There’s some sort of a bottleneck we have yet to identify for why this stuff doesn’t seem to be degrading,” Joye status.

BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20th, 2010, sending some 4.9 million barrels of oil and up to 500,000 tons of methane into the Gulf of Mexico over three months.

Via: Mongabay

They will be 400m long and 73m tall. These container ships will only be marginally longer and taller than the current largest class of vessel. The 160,000 tonne ships will be able to carry nearly 20% more containers than the previous ships because of their new width. The container ship, which is as long as the Empire State building and as wide as an eight-lane motorway, will be able to carry more than 860 million bananas or 18 million flat-screen televisions in 18,000 containers.

Maersk has signed a $1.9 billion contract with Korean shipbuilders Daewoo for the first 10, with an option for 20 more. The first order will be completed in two to four years.

The company is hoping to cut the cost of transporting a container from China to Europe by 26%. “These are probably the largest ships you will see built for the next couple of years years. We could have made them longer but ports would have had to be enlarged. We could not make them wider because port cranes can only reach across 23 or 24 containers,” said Maersk CEO Eivind Kolding in London.

Maersk has been criticized in the past few years because the global shipping industry, which it dominates, had failed to reduce its carbon emissions. Shipping is responsible for 3-4% of global emissions, largely because it traditionally burns cheap but heavily polluting “bunker” fuel.

Maersk, trying to position itself as environmentally responsible, said that $30 million, or one-sixth of the total cost of each vessel, would go towards fuel-saving and emissions reduction. The vessels’ twin engines have been designed to run slower and waste heat will be recovered and instead of using nearly 200 tonnes of fuel a day, the new ships should be able to run on around 100 tonnes.

Via: The Guardian

“Investing 2% of global GDP into 10 key sectors can kick-start a transition toward a low-carbon world,” the Nairobi-based agency said in a statement.

The investment would expand the global economy at the same rate, if not higher, as under present economic policies, said the report by the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP).

“The sum, currently amounting to an average of around $1.3 trillion a year and backed by forward-looking national and international policies, would grow the global economy at around the same rate if not higher than those forecast, under current economic models.”

Currently there are 2.5 billion people living on less than two dollars a day, and it is expected that more than two billion people will be added to the global population by 2050. “It is clear that we must continue to develop and grow our economies”, says UNEP’s Executive Director Achim Steiner in the statement.

Agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism, transport, waste management and water are sectors that could do with more greening, the report said. The recycling sector’s footprint could nearly double by 2030, or 30 percent of total energy-related carbon dioxide.With an investment of $108 million in the waste sector annually could increase recycling threefold by 2050 and reduce landfill contents by more than 85 percent.

Only in Brazil 10 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissioins are avoided by recycling, a sector which generates US$ 2 billion, states the report.

Via: Reuters

Greenroofs help to invest in the protection of our environment by diminishing developmental impact on our communities while providing a fresh approach with visually appealing organic architecture.  Here is a potentially ideal architectural union of aesthetics, economics, and ecology.

Greenroof ecology is certainly a new area of interest, and can be viewed both as an independent ecosystem and as an interrelated connection to a local ecosystem.   Greenroofs are the products of natural forms and materials and by mimicking nature, their function produces natural processes: they represent a living dynamic system.

By utilizing the process of integrated design, we can assess the attributes of a site and create buildings and developments that heal rather than harm the environment. Greenroof structures can become net producers of energy, clean water and air, as well as part of healthy human and biological communities. Mutually dependent factors such as soil make-up, ground water, topography, microclimates, existing vegetation and land use together combine to create our livable environments, and we can incorporate these site- specific elements to create a unique greenroof.  The same set of beneficial landscape ecological principles can be applied to all greenroofs, whether constructed at the scale of a garden shed or a 40,000 m2 factory.

Instead of replacing the natural environment with the built environment, we should strive for an intermingling of the two so that each can help sustain the other. Building rooftops, usually considered forgotten spaces and deserts in biological terms, now represent valuable opportunities for creating a new life environment. The basic philosophy of greenroofs applies sustainable “green development” techniques to support our human and natural communities and development while remaining economically viable for owners and users of a site.

China is currently suffering the worst drought in 60 years. Its desperate situation requires from desperate measures. The chinese government has announced a billion dollars in emergency water aid to ease the severe drought, as the United Nations warned of a threat to the harvest of the world’s biggest wheat producer. Beijing has also promised to use its grain reserves to reduce the pressure on global food prices, which have surged in the past year to record highs due to the floods in Australia and a protracted dry spell in Russia.

The measures were evident in one of several key agricultural provinces afflicted by four months without rain, the Baita reservoir in Shandong. With nearby crops turning yellow, a mechanical digger cut a crude, open-cast well into the dried-up bed of the reservoir. Muddy water from the five-metre deep pit was pumped up to the surface via a hose that snaked past a fishing boat stranded on the cracked earth.

The problems are compounded by the growing water demands of cities and industry. On the outskirts of Sishui – which translates as Four Waters due to its historic abundance of rivers and sprints – villagers complain that they are not allowed to use the Si river that runs past their homes because the water is earmarked for the Huajin paper mill and an artificial lake in a nearby urban development.

“We can’t use our own water. The local officials want to keep it so they can show a ‘green face’ to the big-shot leaders from Beijing,” said a peanut and cotton farmer who gave the surname Liu to The Guardian. “We are very angry. But we are afraid to complain.”

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation issued an alert earlier this week (pdf). “The ongoing drought is potentially a very serious problem,” it said, noting that the affected area of 5.16 million hectares representd two-thirds of China’s wheat production.

Via: The Guardian

The research shows that Earth is twice as dusty as in 19^th century. The study, led by Natalie Mahowald, associate professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, used available data and computer modeling to estimate the amount of desert dust, or soil particles in the atmosphere, throughout the 20th century. It’s the first study to trace the fluctuation of a natural (not human-caused) aerosol around the globe over the course of a century.

"Now we finally have some information on how the desert dust is fluctuating. This has a really big impact for the understanding of climate sensitivity," she said.

Desert dust and climate influence each other directly and indirectly through a host of intertwined systems. Dust limits the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth, for example, a factor that could mask the warming effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It also can influence clouds and precipitation, leading to droughts; which, in turn, leads to desertification and more dust. Ocean chemistry is also intricately involved. Dust is a major source of iron, which is vital for plankton and other organisms that draw carbon out of the atmosphere.

The study is also notable for the variety of fields represented by its contributors, she said, which ranged from marine geochemistry to computational modeling. "It was a fun study to do because it was so interdisciplinary. We’re pushing people to look at climate impacts in a more integrative fashion.", says Mahowald.

Via: Science Daily

The Skinny Player is a concept by industrial designers Chih-Wei Wang and Shou-His Fu to allow people to listen to music without needing to carry a player or use headphones. They envisage that you would buy the player with an album preloaded onto it. To listen to the music you would simply stick the Skinny Player onto your body, on your arm for instance, which would provide the heat to power the player.

The Skinny Player comprises of a plaster/band aid shaped device that features an on/off button in the middle of it and has flexible speakers running down the ‘arms’ of it. By sticking the player to you it would gain power from its flexible battery charging device. This part of it must always be in contact with you for the device to function, by using body heat the player is powered in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.

The one issue with the player is the concern over the ability of the player to stick to a person without coming off. The device is intended for exercise, a time when the body is hot, and usually sweats, most stick on items do not remain stuck on a sweating body for long. The player would allow anyone to listen to music at any time without any forethought, or the need for batteries, which for some would make this a useful eco-friendly powered device.

Source: Yanko Design