Green from the roots up, Sustainable from the top down
ExxonMobil continuing to fund climate sceptic groups, records show | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Records show ExxonMobil gave hundreds of thousands of pounds to lobby groups that have published ‘misleading and inaccurate information’ about climate change
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Inhabitat » Virtually Waterless Washing Machine Cuts Water Use by 90%
new washing system (prototype stage) uses nylon beads to tumble wash clothes with 90% less water than conventional washers. The machine also uses significantly less detergent and eliminates the need for tumble drying.
Brazil’s development bank to require beef-tracking system to avoid illegal Amazon deforestation
Responding to allegations that major Brazilian cattle producers are responsible for illegal forest clearing in the Amazon, Brazil’s development bank BNDES will soon require processors to trace the origin of beef back to the ranch where it was produced in order to qualify for loans, reports Brazil’s Agencia Estado. The traceability program aims to ensure that cattle products do not come from illegally deforested land.
3 News > Politics > Story > Environment commissioner calls for ‘smarter’ smart meters
Nearly 1.3 million households in New Zealand are expected to have “smart” electricity meters installed by 2012 – but the nation’s environmental watchdog today warned most of those meters will not be smart enough.
The utilities are rolling out smart meters which benefit the utilities but not the consumer or the environment – how to get it wrong, eh?
Intellect Blog » Blog Archive » How not to roll out smart metering
The energy companies in NZ are coming under fire because they have installed meters without the microchip that enables the meters to communicate with other devices, helping to reduce the amount of energy used in the home. However, as the meters do not have this microchip, there are no benefits to householders’ and only ‘benefits to retailers’.
Canada and Japan blocking climate-change deal, Sir David King warns – Times Online
Canada and Japan were blocking a possible deal on climate change at the Copenhagen summit, Sir David King, the former Chief Scientific Adviser,
No fluke: new survey finds $4 gas is the tipping point
Looks like $4 level is the tipping point for any future changes in driver behavior, according to a new survey put out by Cars.com.
The survey found that if gas were to shoot to over $4 a gallon again, 40 percent of car shoppers would “consider purchasing a new fuel-efficient car right away.”
Green walls: the growing success of ‘vegitecture’ – CNN.com
Walk past the southern face of the Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, and you will be greeted by a massive wall of brilliant green foliage — an 8,600 square feet plant installation by the designer Patrick Blanc, featuring more than 170 different species.
Architect Ken Yeang is the world’s leading green skyscraper architect and a passionate advocate of what is already being called “vegitecture”.
Yeang’s designs use walls of plants, scallop-shaped sunshades, solar panels, advanced ventilation and the structure and of the building itself to collect water and catch cooling air currents. It enables the construction to function as a self-managing ecosystem with less need for external energy.
Rising sea level to submerge Louisiana coastline by 2100, study warns | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Scientists say between 10,000 and 13,500 square kilometres of coastal land around New Orleans will go underwater due to rising sea levels and subsidence
China unveils $140bn plan to build seven giant wind farms by 2020 – 30 Jun 2009 – BusinessGreen.com
China unveils $140bn plan to build seven giant wind farms by 2020
Government claims wind farms will contribute eight per cent of country’s total power capacity
Two questions for those earning over 70 yuan a day
The CEOs of all companies with creative staff should gather their employees and ask two questions: “How can positive contributions be reported, and can the things we produce meet the needs of 9 billion people?”
Does morning rush hour make you crazy? Are you sick of traffic?
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), in partnership with IBM and Spencer Trask Collaborative Innovations, has launched a global challenge to identify innovative ideas for combating transportation congestion.
58% of world’s seagrass meadows on the decline
An international team of scientists has warned that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems, with 58 percent of world’s seagrass meadows currently declining.
US Campaign for Burma » Shepard Fairey Unveils Icon in Support of Aung San Suu Kyi
American artist Shepard Fairey has released a striking new image today, in support of the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi and the oppressed nation of Burma.
Fairey, who drew international acclaim during the 2008 American presidential election for his stirring red, white, and blue “HOPE” portrait of Barack Obama, has applied his bold style to create an iconic piece in support of Suu Kyi, the rightful leader of Burma, who has been held under house arrest by a military junta for the past 13 years
WaterBoxx Grows Forests in the Desert
A new Dutch invention makes it possible to reforest large desert and rocky areas in the coming years, they say. Experiments in the Sahara desert have shown that the WaterBoxx allows trees to grow under harsh conditions and can provide them with sufficient water
Peru’s government has given the green light to an Anglo-French company to drill for oil in the Amazon, just thirteen days after more than 30 people died in protests against the exploitation of the rainforest.
PNG’s climate change head ‘suspended’ – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The head of Papua New Guinea’s Office of Climate Change has reportedly been suspended amid allegations of improper deals involving carbon credits
Ideas to drive UK to sustainability
The Breakthroughs for the 21st Century project by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has selected 19 ideas which it thinks could make the biggest difference in tackling climate change, depletion of resources and inequality in the UK.
‘Sat nav’ for disappearing puffins – MSN Environment UK
Puffins living in one of the most remote places in the UK are to be fitted with “sat nav” devices in a bid to help scientists discover why their numbers are falling.
This summer researchers will use GPS technology to track the movements of a colony of puffins living on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast, in a bid to explain a “dramatic” decline in the bird’s population in the past five years.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Here is the chatstream from yesterday’s Energy & Sustainability show (above) – there were a couple of technical hitches which I have now sorted out and which shouldn’t present problems next week:
03:31 Tom Raftery: Do we have audio & video
03:32 cgarvey: yup, both working
03:34 SukiFuller: I’m gonna be listening but not able to type
03:35 Tom Raftery: http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/06/15/Global-warming-causing-mass-migration/UPI-51151245080561
03:37 Tom Raftery: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-peril-below-the-ice
03:39 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55M0XT20090623
03:40 Tom Raftery: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=car-exhaust-premature-birth
03:43 MikeTheBee: In more ways than one!
03:44 Tom Raftery: http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/policy/i/2193/
03:45 Doc_Manhattan: Hello Tom great show so far
03:46 Tom Raftery: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/business/energy-environment/29biofuel.html?_r=2
03:47 Tom Raftery: http://www.algasolrenewables.com/en/home
03:49 Doc_Manhattan: too cool on the algae
03:49 Tom Raftery: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/23753/
03:49 cgarvey: More good news .. http://url.ie/1xmu .. all the big mobile phone companies have signed up for a common charger standard to start to appear from 2010.
03:51 Tom Raftery: http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-cars-us-based-oil-company-debuts-100-electric-car-ev-sharing-program
03:52 Tom Raftery: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/06/27/mulally-fords-path-to-profitability-based-on-electrification
03:53 cgarvey: There is an issue with Firefox and comments (I’ll email you separately)
03:54 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUST9767820090623
03:54 MikeTheBee: Comments okay on Mac but not for me *again” on FF win
03:55 Tom Raftery: http://www.pcworld.com/article/167503/cisco_promotes_telecommuting.html
03:56 Doc_Manhattan: our group works together as a worldwide team on www.reactiongrid.com using a VW to meet so we’re participating!
03:56 MikeTheBee: @cgarvey Me too pls, I thought I had it sussed with cookies previously
03:57 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55S1XZ20090629
03:58 MikeTheBee: Ah good, mini USB is at least a standard of sorts
03:58 Tom Raftery: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE55N3ZV20090624
03:59 MikeTheBee: Scotland have no money of their own
04:01 cgarvey: mailing you now on both
04:01 MikeTheBee: @cgarvey Thx
04:01 SukiFuller: I have no technical issues. 🙂 Some great links today, awesome show Tom!
04:02 cgarvey: Thanks again Tom
04:02 MikeTheBee: Ell done again . cheers all.
04:02 Tom Raftery: Thanks everyone for a great show – apols for tech issues
04:14 cgarvey: Just a small correction: the new mobile charger standard is Micro USB, not Mini USB. Pic comparing them: http://url.ie/1xn9 .. WikiPedia article: http://url.ie/1xna Info
Algasol Renewables: Proprietary low-cost algae photobioreactor for biofuels
Algasol Renewables SL is a focused technology development company located in a science park, ParcBIT, in the Balearic Islands (Spain) with a unique technology for low-cost cultivation of micro algae in a closed environment – a technology that can be deployed both on land, in the desert and at sea.
National Grid report says it can handle variable wind power | Policy
The variability of renewable energy sources such as wind, often cited as the sector’s Achilles’ heel, does not have to be a problem, according to a new report from the UK’s National Grid.
Plant Would Let Algae Turn Carbon Dioxide to Fuel – NYTimes.com
Dow Chemical and Algenol Biofuels, a start-up company, are set to announce Monday that they will build a demonstration plant that, if successful, would use algae to turn carbon dioxide into ethanol as a vehicle fuel or an ingredient in plastics.
Mulally: Ford’s path to profitability based on electrification
Ford CEO Alan Mulally says the automaker is on track to return to profitability by 2011, despite posting a record $14.7 billion loss in 2008 and a forecast to continue posting losses through the rest of 2009 and 2010. A major portion of Ford’s turnaround plan revolves around “more and more electrification, both hybrids and battery electric vehicles
Cisco Promotes Telecommuting – PC World
Not only does Cisco’s telecommuting technology help the company save on collaboration technologies, but also the company’s telework program makes employees happy, survey results show. Cisco based its productivity savings on the number of billed hours at an average of $91 per hour, with the total figure reaching about $277 million.
Telecom firms back standard phone charger in Europe | Technology | Reuters
Top mobile telephone suppliers have agreed to back an EU-wide harmonisation of phone chargers, the European Commission said on Monday, hailing the pact as good news for consumers and the environment.
The Commission said the agreement would involve the creation of an EU norm, and that the new generation of mobile phones would use a standard micro-USB socket to ensure compatibility.
The Arctic Thaw Could Make Global Warming Worse: Scientific American
Some scientists suspect that permafrost acts as a cap that protects hydrates from melting, particularly in the shallow Arctic seafloor, where the hydrates are found only a few tens of feet deep. The more that sea or lake waters thaw the permafrost below, the more likely this cap is to blow suddenly, releasing jets of methane up through the water and into the atmosphere.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Global warming causing mass migration – UPI.com
Global warming will submerge island states, destroy farmland and force millions of people into migration by 2050, according to a report unveiled at climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany.
* Nissan aiming for mass-market lead in electric cars
* First zero emission cars on sale in Japan, U.S. next year
* Tennessee plant seen starting assembly in 2011 or 2012
Birth defects show human price of coal | International | Reuters
coal mining and processing has given Shanxi a rate of birth defects six times higher than China’s national average, which is already high by global standards
Technology Review: Blogs: Potential Energy: Tesla Receives Key Funding for Electric Sedan
The plan at Tesla Motors has always been to go beyond its first vehicle, the $100,000 electric Roadster, to make more-affordable electric cars–a plan that had come to depend on the startup receiving a hefty loan from the government. Today, the Department of Energy announced that it has approved that loan–in the amount of $465 million. The money could allow Tesla to bring its Model S electric sedan to market, as planned, by 2011.
Scotland agrees world’s toughest 2020 climate goal | Green Business | Reuters
Scottish lawmakers Wednesday backed a binding goal to cut greenhouse gases by 42 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, edging Germany into second place in a ranking of the most ambitious developed world targets.
Eco Cars: U.S.-based Oil Company Debuts 100% Electric Car, EV Sharing Program – Ecofriend
ExxonMobil, a U.S.-based oil company, has stunned the auto world with the launch of a fully electric car – the Maya 300
Car Exhaust Associated With Premature Births in Southern California: Scientific American
Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by University of California scientists published Wednesday.
You’ve heard of a ship in a bottle. How about a ship made of plastic bottles? That would be the Plastiki, designed to sail the Pacific on an 11,000-mile voyage highlighting the dangers of living in a throwaway world.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Using Corporate Social Responsibility to Win the War for Talent « MIT Sloan Management Review
It is by now an article of faith that employees who are skilled, creative and driven to satisfy customers are essential for differentiating a company from its competitors. Increasingly, success comes from being able to attract, motivate and retain a talented pool of workers. However, with a finite number of extraordinary employees to go around, the competition for them is fierce.1
There is growing evidence that a company”s corporate social responsibility activities comprise a legitimate, compelling and increasingly important way to attract and retain good employees.
Climate change threatens Ganges, Niger and other mighty rivers | Environment | The Guardian
Some of the mightiest rivers on the planet, including the Ganges, the Niger, and the Yellow river in China, are drying up because of climate change, a study of global waterways warned yesterday.
Choice: Eco Phones « Evolving Choice – Corporate Social Responsibility, Simply
Round-up of available ‘eco-phones’ – sad state of affairs!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
European airport group pledges to cut CO2 to zero | Green Business | Reuters
Thirty-one European airports including Paris Charles de Gaulle launched a joint program on Tuesday to cut their carbon dioxide emissions to zero, airports body ACI Europe said.
Amazon destruction not a good look for anyone | Greenpeace International
Just two weeks after the Greenpeace exposé ‘Slaughtering the Amazon’ showed how the Brazilian cattle industry is decimating the Amazon rainforest, we are seeing a stampede as companies and the World Bank start to sever their links with the slaughterhouses and farms involved
Climate change divides the Alps down the middle – Europe, World – The Independent
The dramatic effect of climate change on the Alps comes into focus as never before this week with the publication of a major report which reveals that the mountain range is rapidly dividing into two contrasting climatic zones, each posing new problems.
Obama Mountaintop Coal Mining Plan Disappoints Appalachian Advocates
The Obama administration’s new interagency plan to regulate mountaintop removal coal mining met with mixed reactions from Appalachian community advocates.
The agreement signed Thursday between officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, and the Army Corp of Engineers aims to reduce the environmental impacts of mountaintop coal mining in the six Appalachian states of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“While the administration’s announcement demonstrates some good intentions, particularly in their emphasis on green jobs in Appalachia, they are seeking compromise on an issue that is continuing the Bush administration legacy of sacrificing Appalachian Mountain communities,” said Willa Mays, executive director of the advocacy group Appalachian Voices.
Nike Quietly Goes Green – BusinessWeek
The brand’s eco-friendly products are cheaper to make, but its buyers are more interested in design and performance than sustainability
The eastern United States must plan on the very real possibility that total sea level rise by 2100 will exceed 6 feet on our current emissions path.
Energy: Building the smart grid | The Economist
By promoting the adoption of renewable-energy technology, a smart grid would be good for the environment—and for innovation
A Smart Grid primer for the uninitiated from The Economist.
Carbon Footprints of Nations | NTNU
Check out the carbon footprint of any country – v interesting tool.
China Processed a Record Volume of Crude Oil in May – ECF Your Window On China Energy Market
China, the world’s third-biggest economy, processed a record volume of crude oil in May as increased factory output, agriculture and a jump in car sales boosted demand for fuel.
Refineries turned 31.2 million metric tons, or about 7.4 million barrels a day, of crude oil into fuels including gasoline and diesel, China Mainland Marketing Research Co., which compiles data for the government, said in a statement today. The increase in fuel consumption lifted net crude imports to a 14-month high in May, customs data yesterday showed.
Emerald Isle plots green revolution | Business | guardian.co.uk
Of all the world’s developed nations, Ireland is the one that is closest to a depression. The banking system is shot, the housing market has collapsed, unemployment is expected to rise to more than one in six of the population. The deterioration in the public finances – and this is saying something – has been even more acute than in Britain. The Irish economy is expected to contract this year by just under 10%.
The good news is that Ireland’s predicament makes it a prime candidate for a “green new deal” – policies aimed not just at helping the economy through a difficult time but also to make it better able to face the twin challenges of a world where fossil fuels are dwindling and the temperature is rising.
Ireland seems ready to lead the way as Europe gears up for the low-carbon future
Of all the world’s developed nations, Ireland is the one that is closest to a depression. The banking system is shot, the housing market has collapsed, unemployment is expected to rise to more than one in six of the population. The deterioration in the public finances – and this is saying something – has been even more
What do Nike, Symantec, eBay, Aspen Skiing Company, Clif Bar & Company, Seventh Generation, Levi Strauss and Co., and Starbucks have in common? They are all members of BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy) and signatories of a recent full page ad in the Wall Street Journal showing business support for U.S. action on climate change and clean energy legislation this year.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
One of the more interesting sessions at the European Future Energy Forum was the one on Green building (in fact it was two back to back sessions, one titled Green building and the second was titled Energy Efficiency in Commercial and public spaces).
Not surprisingly, given their heavy involvement in the organisation of the event, both talks referenced the Masdar project.
Peter Sharratt (pictured above), the Global Director, Energy & Sustainability Services for WSP Environment, keynoted and gave a superb talk taking at first a very macro view and drilling down to some really good examples from completed projects.
One of the more interesting tidbits I took from Peter’s talk was around how Masdar will be an entirely carless city. There will be large car-parks at the entrances to the city where people will leave their cars. They will then use electric Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) vehicles to go to their destination moving around the underground of the city (below street level). I asked some of the Masdar representatives how deliveries to shops would be handled, for instance and he said they would have a flat-bed equivalent of the PRTs which would handle that.
Peter said that due to the lack of compressors and more especially the lack of traffic, Masdar would be the world’s quietest city. As someone who lives beside a heavily trafficked street in Seville, this resonates hugely with me!
Interestingly this was a theme also picked up at the sustainable transport session!
Venice Journal – Known for Its Water, Venice Turns to Tap to Lessen Trash – NYTimes.com
Venice is successfully converting people from drinking bottled water back to tap water – even offering discounts on carbonators for those who like it fizzy!
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
The European Future Energy Forum opened yesterday in Bilbao. The event is sponsored by the likes of Masdar, Iberdrola Renovables, Siemens and Gamesa with support from the local Basque government and Ente Vasco de la Energia.
The talks have for the most part been really interesting with the biggest problem being which track to choose when the parallel tracks are on. This morning, I went to the two tracks on sustainable transport (which I will write up in another post later) and yesterday I went to the panel discussion on renewable energy. The quality of the speakers is superb with speakers like Rene Umlauft (head of Renewables at Siemens), Robin Chase co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, and Sandrine Dixson-Decleve the Executive Director of the International Sustainable Energy Exchange (ISEE).
The networking opportunities here are immense and I have met some spectacular people doing amazing things in the area of renewable technologies (of which more in following posts as well). But the disappointing thing about the conference has to be the turnout. The organisers were projecting 3,500 delegates. I suspect the actual figure would be closer to half that. Obviously the current economic situation is has big part to play in this. Hopefully, the event will run again because the information exchange here has been immense and if/when it does, I suspect because of the quality of this year’s inaugural European Future Energy Forum, the turnout will be far higher.