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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 13th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

UNEP NEWS RELEASE: Green Goes Mainstream: Biodiversity Is Climbing the Corporate Agenda.
July 13, 2010

from James Sniffen :

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Business Report.

Green Goes Mainstream: Biodiversity Is Climbing the Corporate Agenda.
Companies with ‘Net Positive Impact’ on Biological Diversity are Winners in
Resource-Constrained World.

One in four global CEOs sees biodiversity loss as a strategic issue for
business growth: Latin American and African CEOs are most concerned about
impacts of biodiversity loss on business growth prospects—European CEOs are
least concerned.

————

13 July, 2010 – Business leaders in biodiversity-rich developing economies
are concerned about losses of “natural capital”, a new report launched
today highlights.

Over 50 per cent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) surveyed in Latin
America and 45 per cent in Africa see declines in biodiversity as a
challenge to business growth. In contrast, less than 20 per cent of their
counterparts in Western Europe share such concerns.

The findings, compiled by a study of “The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity” (TEEB), indicate that those corporate chiefs who fail to make
sustainable management of biodiversity part of their business plans may
find themselves increasingly out of step with the market place.

Another recent survey, also spotlighted in the TEEB report for business,
shows rising interest among consumers with 60 per cent of those surveyed in
America and Europe and over 90 per cent in Brazil aware of biodiversity
loss.

Over 80 per cent of those consumers surveyed said they would stop buying
products from companies that disregard ethical considerations in their
sourcing practices.

The “TEEB for Business” report indicates that scrutiny of big business and
its impacts on the world’s natural capital is likely to intensify as better
evaluations and assessments come to the fore.

The UK-based consultancy TruCost, on behalf of the UN’s Principles for
Responsible Investment, is set to publish a study on the activities of the
world’s top 3,000 listed companies, estimating that their negative impacts
or “environmental externalities” total around $2.2 trillion annually.

Pavan Sukhdev, the TEEB Study Leader and also head of UNEP’s Green Economy
Initiative, said: “Through the work of TEEB and others, the economic
importance of biodiversity and ecosystems is emerging from the invisible
into the visible spectrum. It is clear that some companies in some sectors
and on some continents are hearing and acting on that message in order to
build more sustainable, 21st century businesses.”

Today’s report, entitled “TEEB for Business” and part of a suite of reports
being launched in the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity, calls for
companies to embrace concepts such as “No Net Loss”; “Ecological
Neutrality” and ultimately “Net Positive Impact” on the environment.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP
which hosts TEEB, said: “We are entering an era where the multi-trillion
dollar losses of natural and nature-based resources are starting to shape
markets and consumer concerns. How companies respond to these risks,
realities and opportunities will increasingly define their profitability;
corporate profile in the market-place and the overall development paradigm
of the coming decades on a planet of six billion, going to over nine
billion people by 2050.”

Julia Marton-Lefevre, TEEB advisory board member and Director-General of
the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which
coordinated the “TEEB for Business” report, urged companies attending the
1st Global Business for Biodiversity Symposium at the Excel Centre in
London on 13 July to back new and transformational policies such as those
outlined in the report.

“Together Governments and business, in both developed and developing
economies, can show leadership by establishing networks of committed
corporations across all sectors dedicated to achieving a ‘Net Positive
Impact’ on biodiversity and ecosystem services.”

The TEEB report cites the case of the multinational mining giant Rio Tinto
as one company that has committed itself to achieving “Net Positive Impact”
on biodiversity. In association with leading conservation experts the
company has developed new ways of assessing the biodiversity values of its
land holdings, and has begun to apply biodiversity compensation or “offset”
methodologies in Madagascar, Australia and North America.

Other companies with similar commitments on biodiversity include Wal-Mart
(Acres for America initiative), Coca Cola (water neutral by 2020) and BC
Hydro (no net incremental ecological impact).

In addition to minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts, business can also
generate revenue from conserving biodiversity and delivering ecosystem
services. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries all depend on healthy
ecosystems to ensure healthy profits.

The tourism sector has a major stake and role to play in conserving
biodiversity. Realizing its reliance on the biodiversity rich but fragile
coral reefs, Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd in Tanzania has invested over
$1.2million to establish a marine park to protect the corals surrounding
Chumbe Island. The company actively supports park management as well as its
own resort facilities.

The “TEEB for Business” report, which will form part of a final TEEB
synthesis report to be launched at a meeting of the Convention on
Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010, calls on
professional associations to develop new accounting and reporting tools for
business.

The measurement and valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in
business is improving. The report recommends that accounting professions,
financial reporting bodies and others should accelerate efforts to develop
common standards and metrics to enable business to assess and disclose
their biodiversity impacts and responses in annual reports.

Joshua Bishop, the “TEEB for Business” report coordinator and Chief
Economist of IUCN, said: “Better accounting of business impacts on
biodiversity – both positive and negative – is essential to spur change in
business investment and operations. Smart business leaders realise that
integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in their value chains can
generate substantial cost savings and new revenues, as well as improved
business reputation and license to operate.”

In another recent report by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development, business leaders expressed their vision of a sustainable
future, which include “prices that reflect all externalities: costs and
benefits” (WBCSD Vision 2050).

Steps in this direction are already being taken, as evidenced by the growth
of markets for biodiversity and ecosystem services.  Market data compiled
by Forest Trends and the Ecosystem Marketplace showed:

* The certified agricultural products market was valued at over $40bn in
2008 and may reach up to $210bn by 2020.

* Biodiversity offsets, such as wetland mitigation banking in the United
States or “bio-banking” in Australia, are predicted to rise from $3 billion
in 2008 to $10 billion in 2020.

* Bio carbon/forest offsets including REDD are expected to rise from just
$21m in 2006 to over $10bn in 2020.

Starting today, businesses can show leadership on biodiversity and
ecosystem services (BES) by:

1. Identifying their impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and ecosystem
services
2. Assessing the business risks and opportunities associated with these
impacts and dependencies
3. Developing BES information systems, set targets and report results
4. Taking action to avoid, minimize and mitigate BES risks
5. Integrating BES actions with wider Corporate Social Responsibility
initiatives
6. Engaging with business peers and stakeholders to improve guidance and
policy
7. Grasping emerging BES business opportunities

The “TEEB for Business” report will be launched at the first Global
Business of Biodiversity Symposium on 13 July at the Excel Centre, London.
 http://www.businessofbiodiversity.co.uk/

———-

The “TEEB for Business” report is available at www.teebweb.org

The lead authors and editors of the “TEEB for Business” report include
staff from Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), Earthmind, the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), IUCN, UNEP and
WBCSD.

The survey of CEOs and their attitudes to biodiversity loss was carried out
by Price WaterhouseCoopers.

The survey of consumer attitudes to biodiversity and business was carried
out by global market survey company IPSOS.

The TEEB project is hosted by UNEP and supported by the European
Commission; the German Federal Environment Ministry; the UK Government’s
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the UK Department for
International Development; Norway’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs; The
Netherlands’ Interministerial Program Biodiversity; and the Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency.

For more information, please contact:

Georgina Langdale, Communications, TEEB, Tel: +49-1707-617-138, Email
Georgina.langdale@unep-teeb.org

Brian Thomson, Media Relations and Campaigns, IUCN, Tel: + 41-22-999-0251,
Email Brian.Thomson@iucn.org

Or Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson/Head of Media, Tel: +254-733-632755
Email nick.nuttall@unep.org

***********************************
Jim Sniffen
Programme Officer
UN Environment Programme
New York
tel: +1-212-963-8094/8210
sniffenj@un.org
www.unep.org
*********************************

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 11th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

The Return of the Bicycle.
Analysis by Lester R. Brown*
 http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52066

WASHINGTON, Jul 6, 2010 (IPS) – The bicycle has many attractions as a form of personal transportation. It alleviates congestion, lowers air pollution, reduces obesity, increases physical fitness, does not emit climate-disrupting carbon dioxide, and is priced within the reach of the billions of people who cannot afford a car.

Bicycles increase mobility while reducing congestion and the area of land paved over. Six bicycles can typically fit into the road space used by one car. For parking, the advantage is even greater, with 20 bicycles occupying the space required to park a car.

Few methods of reducing carbon emissions are as effective as substituting a bicycle for a car on short trips. A bicycle is a marvel of engineering efficiency, one where an investment in 22 pounds of metal and rubber boosts the efficiency of individual mobility by a factor of three.

The bicycle is not only a flexible means of transportation; it is ideal in restoring a balance between caloric intake and expenditure. Regular exercise of the sort provided by cycling to work reduces cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis, and it strengthens the immune system.

World bicycle production, averaging 94 million per year from 1990 to 2002, climbed to 130 million in 2007, far outstripping automobile production of 70 million. Bicycle sales in some markets are surging as governments devise a myriad of incentives to encourage bicycle use. For example, in 2009 the Italian government began a hefty incentive programme to encourage the purchase of bicycles or electric bikes in order to improve urban air quality and reduce the number of cars on the road. The direct payments will cover up to 30 percent of the cost of the bicycle.

China, with 430 million bikes, has the world’s largest fleet, but ownership rates are higher in Europe. The Netherlands has more than one bike per person, while Denmark and Germany have just under one bike per person.

China dramatically demonstrated the capacity of the bicycle to provide mobility for low-income populations. In 1976, this country produced six million bicycles. After the reforms in 1978 that led to an open market economy and rapidly rising incomes, bicycle production started climbing, reaching nearly 90 million in 2007.

The surge to 430 million bicycle owners in China has provided the greatest increase in mobility in history. Bicycles took over rural roads and city streets. Although China’s rapidly multiplying passenger cars and the urban congestion they cause get a lot of attention, it is bicycles that provide personal mobility for hundreds of millions of Chinese.

Among the industrial-country leaders in designing bicycle-friendly transport systems are the Netherlands, where 27 percent of all trips are by bike, Denmark with 18 percent, and Germany, 10 percent. By contrast, the United States and Britain are each at 1 percent.

An excellent study by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler at Rutgers University analyzed the reasons for these wide disparities among countries. They note that “extensive cycling rights-of-way in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany are complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists.”

These countries, they point out, “make driving expensive as well as inconvenient in central cities through a host of taxes and restrictions on car ownership, use and parking.… It is the coordinated implementation of this multi-faceted, mutually reinforcing set of policies that best explains the success of these three countries in promoting cycling.” And it is the lack of these policies, they note, that explains “the marginal status of cycling in the UK and USA”.

The Netherlands, the unquestioned leader among industrial countries in encouraging bicycle use, has incorporated a vision of the role of bicycles into a Bicycle Master Plan. In addition to creating bike lanes and trails in all its cities, the system also often gives cyclists the advantage over motorists in right-of-way and at traffic lights. Some traffic signals permit cyclists to move out before cars. By 2007, Amsterdam had become the first western industrial city where the number of trips taken by bicycle exceeded those taken by car.

Within the Netherlands, a nongovernmental group called Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-ce) has been formed to share the Dutch experience in designing a modern transport system that prominently features bicycles. It is working with groups in Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya, Peru, South Africa, and Uganda to facilitate bicycle use.

Sales of electric bicycles, a relatively new genre of transport vehicles, also have taken off. E-bikes are similar to plug-in hybrid cars in that they are powered by two sources – in this case muscle and battery power – and can be plugged into the grid for recharging as needed.

In China, where this technology came into its own, sales climbed from 40,000 e-bikes in 1998 to 21 million in 2008. China had close to 100 million electric bicycles on the road that year, compared with 18 million cars. These e-bikes are now attracting attention in other Asian countries similarly plagued with air pollution and in the United States and Europe, where combined sales now exceed 300,000 per year.

In contrast to plug-in hybrid cars, electric bikes do not directly use any fossil fuel. If we can make the transition from coal-fired power plants to wind, solar, and geothermal power, then electrically powered bicycles can also operate fossil-fuel-free.

Above all, the key to realising the potential of the bicycle is to create bicycle-friendly transport systems. This means providing bicycle trails and designated street lanes for bicycles, designed to serve both commuters and people biking for recreation, and making bike parking facilities and showers available at workplaces. This simple bicycle is a winner in the Plan B economy.

—————

*Lester R. Brown is founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute. This article is excerpted from Chapter 6, “Designing Cities for People” in Brown’s ‘Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilisation’ (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009), available on-line at  www.earthpolicy.org

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 9th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from raffaella@ecoharmony.com
to Energy-l <energy-l@lists.iisd.ca>
date Fri, Jul 9, 2010
subject [LondonRIG] Event 29 July 2010: Christian Aid’s Climate Change & Adaptation Work.
)

Dear all,

For those of you in London or passing by, LondonRIG will be having another informal presentation and discussion on:

“Christian Aid’s Climate Change & Adaptation Work with Links to Emerging Renewable Energy Issues” by Richard Ewbank, Climate Change Programme Coordinator at Christian Aid.

When: Thursday 29th of July 2010 at 18:30

Where: The Carpenters Arms, 12 Seymour Place, Marylebone, London

Note: The event is open to all! However due to the informal nature and short duration of the meet-up, we do not encourage or support attendance from overseas – unless you are passing by London for other reasons.

RSVP: thalia@ecoharmony.com (please respond with a YES or MAYBE if planning to come)

Topic:
‘Christian Aid has gained a high profile as a campaigning agency working on climate change but Richard will explain how their main programme work involves the rather more practical side of supporting poor communities to cope with the increasing levels of climate change that they are experiencing. This means increasing the resilience of their livelihoods, enhancing the ability of their communities to identify and plan for the likely future climate threats they may face and diversifying their sources of income.

He will describe how an important part of this process is to detect the level of climate change that has occurred and is likely in the future and to attribute livelihood risks correctly to climate or other risk factors.

With 44% of people in India and over 70% in Africa not connected to grid sources of electricity, renewable energy is a key resource in this adaptation process. ’

Please find flyer attached. Feel free to post this on your own newsletters or websites and to forward this to others who may be interested to attend.

Directions and other information about the event and the London Regional Interest Group, are available on the HEDON website:

http://www.hedon.info/LondonRIG:29Jul2010

We look forward to seeing you there.
Best regards,
Thalia & Raffaella

Thalia KONARIS
Eco Ltd: www.ecoharmony.com
PO Box 900, London, Bromley, BR1 9FF, UK
Tel +44-20 30 120 130
Fax  +44-20 30 120 140
email thalia@ecoharmony.com

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 9th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

It happened last night, June 29, 2010, and the venue was the delightful Museum of American Finance – right there at 48 Wall Street, and our host was the delightful 1988 Founder, and Chairman Emeritus, John E. Herzog.

The Spring Issue of Financial History, the Museum’s Magazine is very up-to-date. It has on the cover Charles Ponzi and articles like “why We Love Scandals,” “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul,” “James Bowie’s Louisiana Purchase Fraud,” and Monclova Speculations,” “How to Make a Dead Ma” on the life insurance business.

The first thing I learned at the Museum was that Warren Buffet, now billionaire investor of the  was the only student at the Columbia University School of Business, who ever got an A+ from his Professor Benjamin Graham who in the early 1930s, taught his students Value Investing. Today’s Ben Graham Center for Value Investment at the Richard Ivey School of Business, in London, Western Ontario, Canada,  teaches: “First, we think of stocks in the same way that a business person would think of a business. Second, we do not follow but instead try to take advantage of the manic depressive Mr. Market. Third, we always look for a margin of safety.” Did you note – A MARGIN OF SAFETY!” Do you need to study the Manic Depressive side of Washington?

Anyway, Warren Buffet went on to sell pinball machines in bars, and with his first $1,000 he earned he bought land which he rented to farmers. The rest is history, and ask Berkshire Hathaway investors about safe investing.

I learned much more in this excellent museum and recommend it to our readers. I even learned that in the Napoleon – Thomas Jefferson Louisiana deal – the Louisiana purchase that doubled the size of the US for $15 million in US Treasuries subscribed by two European banks, the US acquired the land at 3 cents/acre.

But, it was not the museum and the catered treats we got at the end that brought me there: it was a Sierra Club e-mail about a panel: “EVERYBODY WINS: INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY.”

The  moderator was Michael Richter – partner with Environmental Capital Partners (ECP), a private equity firm affiliated with New York Private Bank & Trust that provides long-term capital and management support to leading middle-market companies in the environmental industry. (Before doing that, and before business school,  he was three time National Hockey League All-Star.)

His panel included:

Rebecca Craft, Director of Energy Efficiency Programs at Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. A regulated utility that whatever happens – must make a profit.

Christopher J. Lord, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Hannon Armstrong Capital. They specialized in the last 30 years in investment in new technologies.

Carl Pope, Chairman of the Sierra Club, America’s largest grassroots environmental organization and as the paper proudly states - “The Aspen Institute, after surveying every member of Congress and key federal officials, named the Sierra Club as the most influential organization in Washington DC.” I was appalled reading this self description which in my eyes looked rather like the reason of disqualification from claiming representation on environmentalism’s board.

————–

After the statements by the panelists, with major participation of Con Edison that turned it all into a rather energy for the home sort of an event, there were many intelligent questions from the audience, and I am sorry to say that again I found it quite disquieting as I realized that with this sort of discussion we will really not get out of the hole we find that we dug ourselves with the  help of exactly this sort of thinking – how to make a buck by skirting the real issues and trying somehow to improve at the margin.

I did not raise any question – rather slumbered through it all – then went over to a chat with Carl Pope.


Now this is a work in progress and I will get back to it – but want to post mow because of another event I picked up and want our readers that can make it – go over if they can.

Today, Wednesday, June 30, 2010,  12:30 – 01:30, at the Museum – 48 Wall Street, New York NY, 10005
tel: 1-212-908-4110

There will be a  discussion on past, present, and future of energy trading.

Participants are: Howard Hopkins, Director Energy Products CME Group.

and Paul Huges. Senior Analyst within Business Development for CME Group.

They will provide an overview of pre-electronic energy trading, speak about the current status of the markets, and discuss the globalization of futures markets and CME Group.

—————

We just received our electricity bill and it had an attachment for the sake of “ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURE FOR CON ED”
It gave “The Fuel Souces and Air Emissions to Generate Your Electricity for the year 2006.” Is it not amazing? July 2010 we get information for 2006 – and they are partners of a panel with Sierra Club Chief?

So how did they produce our electricity in 2006?

Gas          – 50%

Nuclear   – 35%

Coal         -    8%

Hydro     -     3%

Oil           -     2%

Biomass, Solar, Solid Waste, Wind – each one of them says Less then 1% – and if we total them all up – we find that their total is 2% at best.

Now, do not think that the Con Edison list was according to resources used as I did it. It was rather by alphabet – so it is less obvious to the eye.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

A SWISS-led Project. They also came up with the Swatchmobil that turned into best-selling SMART car.

Why does the US not do this sort of work. Think about the availability of the Huntsville, Alabama facilities, could they figure out work on Solar Flight projects?

————————-

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20…

Solar Impulse completes 24-hour flight.

AP – guardian.co.uk, – Thursday 8 July 2010.

Plane powered by the sun lands safely in Switzerland after completing its first 24-hour test flight

Watch footage of the flight Link to this video

An experimental solar-powered plane landed safely today after completing its first 24-hour test flight, proving that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night.

Pilot André Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse aircraft on to the runway at Payerne airfield, about 31 miles south-west of the Swiss capital, Berne, at 9am local time today.

Helpers rushed to stabilise the pioneering plane as it touched down, ensuring that its massive 63-metre wingspan didn’t touch the ground and topple the craft.

The record feat completes seven years of planning and brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its ultimate aim of circling the globe using only energy from the sun.

The team says it has now shown the single-seat plane can theoretically stay in the air indefinitely, recharging its depleted batteries using 12,000 solar cells and nothing but the rays of the sun during the day.

Borschberg took off from Payerne airfield into the clear blue sky shortly before 7am yesterday, allowing the plane to soak up plenty of sunshine and fly in gentle loops over the Jura mountains, west of the Swiss Alps.

The 57-year-old former Swiss fighter pilot dodged low-level turbulence and thermal winds, endured freezing conditions during the night and ended the test flight with a picture-perfect landing to cheers and whoops from hundreds of supporters on the ground.

After completing final tests on the plane he embraced project co-founder Bertrand Piccard before gingerly unstrapping himself from the bathtub size cockpit where he had spent more than 26 hours sitting.

“When you took off it was another era,” said Piccard, himself a record-breaking balloonist. “You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things.”

Although the goal is to show that emissions-free air travel is possible, the team has said it doesn’t see solar technology replacing conventional jet propulsion any time soon. Instead, the project is designed to test and promote new energy-efficient technologies.

————————-

Solar-Powered Plane Flies for 26 Hours.


Solar Impulse, piloted by André Borschberg, flew for 26 hours and reached a height of 28,543 feet, setting a record for the longest and highest flight ever made by a solar plane.
By ALAN COWELL, the New York Times
Published: July 8, 2010


But the paper edition printed in New York on July 9, 2010 demeaned the article by giving it the title:

THE POWER OF THE SUN MADE ICARUS CRASH, BUT IT KEEPS A PLANE ALOFT FOR 26 HOURS. We think Alan Cowell should complain to NYT headquarters.

NYT Editor – The sensationalism is in the achievement and the potential, not in the wise cracks – please.


PARIS — Slender as a stick insect, a solar-powered experimental airplane with a huge wingspan completed its first test flight of more than 24 hours on Thursday, powered overnight by energy collected from the sun during a day aloft over Switzerland.
The organizers said the flight was the longest and highest by a piloted solar-powered craft, reaching an altitude of just over 28,000 feet above sea level at an average speed of 23 knots, or about 26 miles per hour.
The plane, Solar Impulse, landed where it had taken off 26 hours and 9 minutes earlier, at Payerne, 30 miles southwest of the capital, Bern, after gliding and looping over the Jura Mountains, its 12,000 solar panels absorbing energy to keep its batteries charged when the sun went down.
The pilot, André Borschberg, 57, a former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot, flew the plane from a cramped, single-seat cockpit, buffeted by low-level turbulence after takeoff and chilled by low temperatures overnight.
“I’ve been a pilot for 40 years now, but this flight has been the most incredible one of my flying career,” Mr. Borschberg said as he landed, according to a statement from the organizers of the project. “Just sitting there and watching the battery charge level rise and rise, thanks to the sun.” He added that he had flown the entire trip without using any fuel or causing pollution. The project’s co-founder, Dr. Bertrand Piccard, who achieved fame by completing the first nonstop, round-the-world flight by hot air balloon in 1999, embraced the pilot after he landed the plane to the cheers of hundreds of supporters.
“When you took off, it was another era,” The Associated Press quoted Dr. Piccard as saying. “You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things.”
The project’s designers had set out to prove that — theoretically at least — the plane, with its airliner-size, 208-foot wingspan, could stay aloft indefinitely, recharging batteries during the day and using the stored power overnight. “We are on the verge of the perpetual flight,” Dr. Piccard said.
The project’s founders say their ambition is for one of their craft to fly around the world using solar power. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse, made of carbon fiber, is powered by four small electric motors and weighs around 3,500 pounds. During its 26-hour flight, the plane reached a maximum speed of 68 knots, or 78 miles per hour, the organizers said.
The seven-year-old project is not intended to replace jet transportation — or its comforts.
Just 17 hours after takeoff, a blog on the project’s Web site reported, “André says he’s feeling great up there.”
It continued: “His only complaints involve little things like a slightly sore back as well as a 10-hour period during which it was minus 20 degrees Celsius in the cockpit.”
That made his drinking water system freeze, the post said and, worst of all, caused his iPod batteries to die.
—————————–
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/37ebb444-8abe-11df-8e17-00144feab49a.html

Solar-powered flight boosted by trip at night.

By Pilita Clark and Fiona Harvey in London

Published: July 8 2010 20:04, The Financial Times – front page.

The race to make aircraft environmentally sustainable received a boost on Thursday after a Swiss group said it had flown a solar-powered aircraft through the night.

The Solar Impulse aircraft, with the wingspan of a large passenger jet but the weight of a family car, flew for more than 26 hours using solar power stored during the day, in what organisers said was the longest and highest flight in the short history of solar aviation.

A solar-powered aircraft

A glider-like aircraft with solar cells in its wings has completed its first night flight.

“I have just flown more than 26 hours without using a drop of fuel and without causing any pollution,” said André Borschberg, the fighter pilot and engineer who made the flight over the Alps, landing at dawn at Payerne airbase in the north-western canton of Vaud.

Mr Borschberg is a co-founder of the Solar Impulse venture, along with Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss explorer who made the first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight in 1999.

The aircraft has 12,000 solar cells built into its wings that power four electric motors and batteries. Mr Piccard said the flight was a big step towards “perpetual flight without using a drop of fuel”.

The organisers are planning a 36-hour flight next, and in two years will attempt to fly around the world. Iata, the airline industry’s main trade body, will support that flight by obtaining air traffic control clearance.

The association said: “Solar power is unlikely to be the solution for commercial aviation. But after today’s flight, nobody, ever again, can say that carbon-free flight is impossible. The industry’s job is to achieve the same for a plane carrying 400 people.”

However, the craft is still viewed by the aviation industry as a fascinating experiment rather than a model of what aircraft can become. The Solar Impulse has been engineered to be as light as possible and is capable of carrying only the pilot. Many engineers are sceptical that solar panels alone could ever provide enough power for a standard-sized passenger aircraft.

But the €70m ($88m, £58m) Solar Impulse project has attracted interest and support from some European blue-chip companies. These include Deutsche Bank, France’s Dassault Aviation and the Altran high-tech consultancy.

Using renewable energy to power transport is a long-held dream of environmental engineers. Electricity and heating can easily be generated from renewable sources but transport fuels that could replace oil are much more of a challenge. Electric cars use proven technology, but the batteries that would enable them to travel long distances are still not fully developed.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

From The Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce Inc.

www.BrazilCham.com

Eduardo Giannetti da Fonseca, Ph.D.
Economic Advisor to Ms. Marian Silva’s (Green Party. of Brazil) Presidential Campaign.

Thursday, July 22, 2010
4:00 – 4:30 PM    Registration and Networking
4:30 – 6:00 PM  Presentation and Question & Answer

Crowell & Moring LLP
590 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor,  New York City

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from: Bel Camargo <belcamargo@gmail.com>
date: Thu, Jul 8, 2010
subject: New climate finance policy brief by ODI and the Heinrich Boell Foundation

New climate finance policy brief by ODI and the Heinrich Boell Foundation: Climate finance additionality: emerging definitions and their implications.

This is the second paper in a series of policy briefs which provides independent commentary on current themes associated with the international debate on climate finance. The papers are prepared by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Heinrich Boell Foundation and posted on the climate funds update website (www.climatefundsupdate.org).

The website has just updated information on several of its funds and will conduct a systematic update of all funds by end of July. The website will also soon expand to include new searchable graphs and databases as well as new information on Fast Start Finance.

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Past US Independence Day, for Bastille Day – July 14, 2010 – we note the following US effort:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE SELECTS ROCHESTER AS A SITE FOR A FORUM DISCUSSION ABOUT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE

- NEI Aims to Double the Number of Exports by 2012 -

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – (July 2, 2010) — Rochester is the only Upstate New York City the U.S. Department of State has selected as the location for a forum discussion about President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI). NEI aims to double the United States’ number of exports by 2012 and create 2 million jobs nationwide, approximately the same number of jobs lost by the manufacturing sector during the economic downturn.

“The Department of State chose Rochester because the Greater Rochester Region is the largest exporting metro region in Upstate New York, and it is one of the top 5 exporting regions per capita in the United States,” said International Business Council (IBC) of Greater Rochester, NY Executive Director Laurie DeRoller. “This town hall style meeting will provide local businesses with valuable information they need to grow and create jobs.”

Thomas Engle, director of the Office of Monetary Affairs Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs for the U.S. Department of State, will speak at the event, which takes place Wednesday, July 14 from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Gleason Works Auditorium, located at 1000 University Avenue in Rochester.

The IBC is hosting the NEI Forum Discussion along with the United States Department of Commerce (USDOC) Export Assistant and the Upstate NY District Export Council (DEC). There is no cost for IBC and DEC members, and Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) board members and investors. There is a $20 cost for all other attendees. To register for the event, contact Heidi Schmitt at Heidi@Rochesterbiz.com or register at http://www.regonline.com/register/checkin.aspx?EventId=875859.

ABOUT IBC:

The International Business Council of Greater Rochester, NY (IBC) is a collaborative association established to promote and expand international opportunities by developing and
enhancing the expertise of its members. An affiliate of GRE, IBC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing the trade community programs, assistance, and opportunities to enhance international trade practices.

ABOUT GRE:

Located in the heart of New York’s technology corridor, Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE) is a public-private partnership established to professionally market the Rochester metropolitan region as a competitive, high-profile place for business location and growth. Its efforts support business attraction and expansion, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation.  GRE collaborates with businesses, universities, not-for-profit organizations and government leaders to ensure a unified approach to regional economic development.  For more information, please go to www.RochesterBiz.com.
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But not everything is smooth with the NEI – there is also criticism. We hope that the Rochester location will provide for a discussion of not only the job creation aspect of this initiative – but also of the quality of the jobs as sustainability can be achieved only if these are high quality new tech jobs – otherwise the effort will rather end up promoting jobs overseas at high subsidy expense. We expect a lively discussion in Rochester.

——————————————-

Obama Announces Export Council, Reports On Export Progress.

By Dave Johnson

July 7, 2010,

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010072707/obama-announces-export-council-reports-export-progress

In his State of the Union speech President Obama announced the National Export Initiative, a campaign to double US exports within 5 years. Today he gave a progress report and announced the members of his Export Council, with a number of CEOs (and one labor leader) including Alan Mulally of the Ford Motor Company, Scott Davis of U.P.S., Glenn Tilton, United Airlines Chairman and CEO and Robert A. Iger of the Walt Disney Company.

The White House says that with a 17% increase in exports in the first 4 months of the year we are on track to double exports within 5 years.

Announcing the Export Council, Obama said, “We’ve got to compete for those customers. We mean to compete for those jobs and compete to win.”

For example, they are setting up “business assistance centers” abroad to help American companies get business, and increasing credit through the Export/Import bank.. They are fighting barriers that other countries have set up to keep out American products, so far increasing our export of things like pork by $1 billion. “When we give other countries the privilege of free and fair access we expect it in return.”

—————–

Leo Hindery, Chairman of the US Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation, writes at Huffington Post,

There are three problems with this pledge.

First, doubling U.S. exports would create just 10 percent of the 22 million new jobs we need, and yet, combined with multiple new free trade agreements (FTAs), it seems to be the only specific jobs policy coming from the White House.

Second, this strategy wrongly overshadows the more critical imperative of ‘import substitution’.

Third, the first three FTAs being proposed — with South Korea, Panama and Colombia — are very poorly negotiated and will cause even more American jobs to be lost overseas.

. . . And as the economist Clyde Prestowitz has determined, with plenty of supporting evidence, “the more free trade agreements the U.S. has entered into, the bigger America’s trade imbalances have become and the less our allies have seemed to like or pay attention to us”.

Hindery explains how past “free trade” agreement have failed American workers,

When NAFTA was proposed in 1993, five promises were made about the positive effects that were certain to come to the U.S., not one of which has been kept. The two ‘biggies,’ of course, were that (1) “NAFTA will generate a U.S. trade surplus with Mexico of around $100 billion between the years 2000 and 2010″ — in fact, our trade deficit with Mexico for these ten years will be around $527 billion; and (2) “NAFTA will create many new high-wage jobs in the United States” — instead, at least two million American workers have already lost their jobs.

. . . But even more imbalanced has been China’s entry into the WTO, which occurred a decade ago. Back then, President Clinton promised that this would be “a hundred-to-nothing deal for America when it comes to the economic consequences” — instead, our overall trade deficit with China has increased 173 percent since 2000, China is now responsible for around 75 percent of our overall annual trade deficit in manufactured goods, and we’ve lost more than one-third of our manufacturing jobs, mostly to China (and Mexico).

But Hindery’s beef is not that Obama is pushing Bush-negotiated agreements with Korea, Columbia and Panama, it is that this appears to be the only job-creation plan that Obama is offering.

Hindery offers a number of steps to improve the situation, including scrapping Bush-negotiated trade agreements and negotiating fair and balanced agreements that lift us and our partners instead of giving big corporations a hammer to use to lower American wages and eliminate American jobs.

Increasing exports is important. Fighting trade barriers is important. This will help the economy recover. Bravo to the President for this.

Now, how about recognizing that there is a jobs emergency and pushing hard on the Congress to set up some direct government job-creation programs?

—–   —–    —–

We want to add here again – that job creation is important but one must remember to look under the rug and make sure that these are jobs in the technologies of the future. In the past the US exported wind mill technology under the otherwise corrupt ENRON Corporation – but with ENRON we also lost the wind – and that is something that needs correction – so our point is that the US needs exports that are for the long term – exports of technologies for the future.

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 8th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

A blog about all things green, from conservation to Capitol Hill.

Report Card on Renewables: Europe’s Getting A’s.


Posted by Jeffrey KlugerTuesday, July 6, 2010 at 3:54 pm


There are some new numbers worth pondering as the east coast sizzles through day three of a heat wave and the Time offices operate at brown-out  levels so that the air conditioning doesn’t crash the building-wide power grid. Whether or not the current scorcher has anything to do with climate change, there’s no doubt that we’re in for a lot more such summers as atmospheric carbon levels rise and the planet steadily warms. And there’s no doubt that the best way out of that mess is to switch from an oil-based grid to a renewables-based one—and pronto. That’s why Europe—Olde Europe, fusty Europe, the continent that couldn’t shoot straight—has reason to be proud.

According to a new report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC), fully 62% of new electrical capacity installed in the European Union in 2009 came from renewables—meaning that nearly 20% of all electricity consumed by the continent is now clean and green. Of the 62% that was newly installed, 37.1% was wind power, 21% was photovoltaics, 2.1% was biomass, 1.4% was hydropower, and .4% was concentrated solar power—solar electricity produced not from  panels, but from collected sunlight that boils a fluid which in turn drives a zero-emissions turbine.

Of the 38% of new power that was not renewable, most (24%) was natural gas, and 8.7% was familiar, dirty coal. Nuclear power, which has historically played such a big role in the continent’s power grid, was just 1.6%.

Europe’s success is no accident, but rather comes from long range planning. Policymakers had set themselves a goal of producing 40 gigawatts (GW) of wind power per year by 2010, for example, and with that serving as a goad, actually exceeded the target by nearly 100%, with a current output of 74 GW. The new goal is 230 GW (or 20% of the continent’s total energy needs) by 2020.


As for the U.S.?

Renewables currently provide just 10.1% of our total electricity generation, or about half of the level Europe has achieved. And with the climate and energy bill now languishing in the place all good ideas go to die—the U.S. Senate—the prospects for  improving  those numbers in the near future look dim. Meantime, the 4 PM temperature in New York City is 102 degrees and the lights are still on—for now.

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/07/06/report-card-on-renewables-europes-getting-as/#ixzz0t4OJ8DiL

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 7th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from: Energy and Capital <eac-eletter@angelnexus.com>
subject: I Got the Asian Itch.

By Nick Hodge, Energy & Capital | Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

I’ve got the Asian itch, and it won’t be hard to see why…

I’ve got this itch because the region’s economies continue to grow while economic tremors continue to rock Europe and the United States.

I’ve got this itch because Asia’s investment in cleantech continues to grow while it shrinks in other areas:

New Financial Investment in  Clean Energy by Region.

I’ve got this itch because Asian governments turned to cleantech as the obvious choice for financial stimulus — with China, South Korea, and Japan allocating $20 billion more to the sector than the United States:

Annual Global Stimulus Spending  for Clean Energy.

I’ve got this itch because China out-invested us 2:1 last year in new energy technologies:

New Financial Investment in  Clean Energy - Top 15 Countries.

Which makes their long-term cleantech investment curve look like this:

New Clean  Energy Investment in  China.

While ours looks like this:

New Clean Energy  Investment  U.S.

Scratching the itch…

With a financial investment edge like that, you can bet Asia’s — particularly China’s — dedication is translating to wins in the public markets as well.

Five years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find more than one or two Chinese companies on global top ten lists…

Now, they’ve taken three of the top 10 global wind spots and six in the solar race:

Top 10  Solar and Wind  Manufacturers

And not only are they whooping us in investment and production capacity; European and U.S. companies look silly next to Chinese stars:

Chinese Solar  vs. U.S. and  Europe 2

That’s why 19 of the last 60 or so winners I’ve closed in the Alternative Energy Speculator have been China-based.

But my itch isn’t satisfied yet…

You see, only Asia’s dominance of the solar market has been thoroughly established in U.S. markets, where Chinese ADRs are common.

And while their dominance of wind and smart grid industries is definitely being plotted and executed, there’s been no way to play it in domestic markets — until now.

Sinovel (the #3 company in the table above) has announced ambitions to be the world wind leader in the next five years. I’m guessing this company, along with a few other Chinese entrants, will go the initial public offering route.

And if you think there’s work to be done on our grid, you should have a look at Asia where, in some places, there is no grid at all.

In fact it’s being built from scratch.

Just last week, Bloomberg broke news that “smart grid technology will be one of the key industries for research and development support in China’s upcoming 12th Five Year development plan, due to be enacted at the beginning of 2011.”

China’s largest grid operator, the State Grid Corp., has already said it will invest $37 billion this year alone to build a nationwide smart grid network.

So to recap…

China has leveraged its massive economy to become world leaders in solar and wind technology, outinvesting other nations by far.

Now they’re turning to the smart grid, which we’ll be necessary if they’re ever to harness that solar and wind potential effectively.

And make no mistake — only the Chinese survive in China. They take care of and nurture their own.

Like the Chinese solar companies now sharply outperforming their foreign competitors, I’ve found the one company about to become a global smart grid and electric car juggernaut.

As you can tell from all the data above, China is betting on a clean energy future.

And it’s winning.

While the U.S. continues to lag behind, you can satisfy your Asian itch by following China’s lead.

Call it like you see it.
Nick

P.S. China’s thirst for energy is incomparable. And it’s not just clean energy they’re after… My friend Christian DeHaemer is fresh off a trip to Mongolia, where he cozied up with a tiny company sitting on $51 billion worth of crude. And China wants it — bad.

He’s going to release a full report on the company and its massive find tomorrow. But because you’re a loyal reader of Energy & Capital, I figured I’d give you early access to it today.

———————–

China’s Next Cleantech Takeover: World’s Largest Automaker!

It was just a tiny, $10 battery company…

But right now, as part of China’s rapid cleantech mission, this little gem is rapidly on the verge of becoming the world’s largest automaker!

Click here for your free report.

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 7th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Rio+20 Summit Preview Article: Another Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012: Leading or Misleading the World through a Green Economy? by Uchita de Zoysa


from: Uchita de Zoysa <uchita@sltnet.lk>
to: submissions@sustainabilitank.com,
 sustainabilitank.com
date: Mon, Jul 5, 2010
subject: Rio+20 Summit Preview Article: Another Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012: Leading or Misleading the World through a Green Economy? by Uchita de Zoysa

To: SustainabiliTank

Dear Sir/Madam,

Another Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012: Leading or Misleading the World through a Green Economy?

I am herewith sending you an article themed “Another Earth Summit on Sustainable Development in 2012: Leading or Misleading the World through a Green Economy?”. This is one of the first international reviews of the planned Rio+20 Summit or the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to be held in 2012.

The summit is planned as the 20th Anniversary of the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro held in 1992. The 1st Preparatory Committee meeting of the summit was held in last May, which I participated, was arranged in a hurry without much notification to governments across the world. Specially the Southern developing countries are still  not aware of this critical process that will determine their futures. The process is very weak and the agenda dominated by the so called ‘Green Economy’ has already created doubt over the objectives and the successful outcome of the summit.

This article is written with firsthand experience and quoting the different people who participated in meetings I was involved in organizing at the 1st PrepCom for UNCSD in New York from 17-19th May 2010.

As a participant at the 1992 1st Rio Earth Summit and now involved in the Rio+20, I feel its my duty to early inform readers of the importance of this summit.

I  would greatly appreciate if your paper would publish this article at the earliest convenience to create early awareness amongst our government, stakeholders and citizens.

I thank you in advance for your kind support.

Sincerely,

Uchita de Zoysa

Chairman – Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS)

—————————-

Managing Director – D&D Strategic Solutions (D&D)

Executive Director – Centre for Environment & Development (CED)

Convenor – Climate Sustainability PLATFORM

253/10, Thilakaratne Mawatha, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

tel/fax: +94 11 2768459 mobile: +94 777 372206

e-mail: uchita@sltnet.lkinfo@glossolutions.com /ced@sltnet.lk /betterworld@sltnet.lk

skype: betterworldasia         skype: uchita.de.zoysa

web: www.glossolutions.com

blog: http://betterworldasia.blogspot.com/

blog: http://ddstrategicsolutions.wordpress.com/

blog: http://centreforenvironmentdevelopment.blogspot.com/

blog: http://www.climatesustainabilityplatform.blogspot.com/

blog: http://climatesustainability.blogspot.com/

—————————-

ANOTHER EARTH SUMMIT IN 2012 (by Uchita de Zoysa).doc ANOTHER EARTH SUMMIT IN 2012 (by Uchita de Zoysa).doc
64K   View Download

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 3rd, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 3rd, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

What does the number 350 mean?

350 is the most important number in the world—it’s what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million.

Everyone from Al Gore to the U.N.’s top climate scientist has now embraced this goal as necessary for stabilizing the planet and preventing complete disaster. Now the trick is getting our leaders to pay attention and craft policies that will put the world on track to get to 350.

Is 350 scientifically possible?

Right now, mostly because we’ve burned so much fossil fuel, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 is 390 ppm—that’s way too high, and it’s why ice is melting, drought is spreading, forests are dying. To bring that number down, the first task is to stop putting more carbon into the atmosphere. That means a very fast transition to sun and wind and other renewable forms of power. If we can stop pouring more carbon into the atmosphere, then forests and oceans will slowly suck some of it out of the air and return us to safe levels.

Is 350 politically possible?

It’s very hard. It means switching off fossil fuel much more quickly than governments and corporations have been planning. But we can change that–if we mobilize the world to swift and bold climate action, and shift the world to a clean energy future.

What was the day of action in 2009?

On October 24, the International Day of Climate Action covered almost every country on earth, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history.

There were be big rallies in big cities, and incredible creative actions across the globe: mountain climbers on our highest peaks with banners, underwater demonstrations in island nations threatened by sea level rise, churches and mosques and synagogues and ashrams engaged in symbolic action, star athletes organizing mass bike rides–and hundreds upon hundreds of community events to raise awareness of the need for urgent action.

Every event highlighted the number 350–and people gathered at some point for a big group photo depicting that all important message. At 350.org, we assembled all the photos for a gigantic, global, visual petition.

The thousands of events on October 24 will drive 350 and all that it represents into the human imagination, and helped shift the political climate around climate change. Countries on the front lines of climate change are no longer willing to settle for weak efforts and half-measures. All the actions on October 24 will help our leaders realize we need a real solution that pays attention to the science.

How did this make a difference?

October 24 has finally put the focus where it needs to be: on the science and the citizens, not the special interests and the backroom deals.

People have sent in thousands of images of citizens gathering at important places around the world—from the melting peaks of Mt. Everest to the sinking beaches of the Maldives—displaying the number 350 in a creative way. 350.org staff will display these photos on the big screens in Times Square and projecting them at the UN headquarters. Those photos are appearing in newspapers large and small—the same newspapers that politicians all over the world use as a barometer of public opinion. We’re also delivering copies of the images—and the stories that go with them—to national delegates, environment ministers, and heads of state the world over.

Grassroots global action will be useful to put pressure on world leaders. Together we can remind our leaders that they need to take physical reality—and not political expediency—into account when they’re making decisions about our collective future. 350 is a clear and specific goal (unlike vague demands to “stop global warming”) that helps move politics n the direction science and justice demand. At 350.org, we make sure your voice is heard, and this debate is re-framed in time to make a difference.

350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project.

What is 350?
350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Scientists measure carbon dioxide in “parts per million” (ppm), so 350ppm is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. To get there, we need a different kind of PPM-a “people powered movement” that is made of people like you in every corner of the planet.

——————-

10/10/10 Global Work Party

Dear World,

It’s been a tough year: in North America, oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico; in Asia some of the highest temperatures ever recorded; in the Arctic, the fastest melting of sea ice ever seen; in Latin America, record rainfalls washing away whole mountainsides.

So we’re having a party.

Circle 10/10/10 on your calendar. That’s the date. The place is wherever you live. And the point is to do something that will help deal with global warming in your city or community. We’re calling it a Global Work Party.
 http://www.350.org/

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 2nd, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

from monitor@unelections.org
leone@wfm-igp.org
date Fri, Jul 2, 2010 at 5:11 PM
subject [UNelections] New Leadership at UNFCCC – Figueres Takes Office Next Week.
UNelections Monitor, Issue #144 – New Leadership at UNFCCC – Figueres Takes Office Next Week

New York, July 2, 2010 The United Nations’ new head for climate change negotiations takes office in Bonn, Germany next week. Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica, who succeeds Yvo de Boer of the Netherlands, was selected in May in a process featuring competition and a greater level of formality than in other recent appointments, but which also was kept largely confidential. She is the first person from a developing country to hold the position of Executive Secretary. The appointment of a woman also has been noted and welcomed.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Figueres on May 17, and the appointment was endorsed by the Bureau of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the same day.

Many have welcomed Figueres’ appointment, including environmental organizations, governments, and private companies. An op-ed on the news site Business Green wrote, “if you were to develop the composite CV of the ideal person to replace … de Boer it would look a lot like the resume submitted by Figueres.” The UNFCCC said, “Ms. Figueres’ leadership at the helm of the UNFCCC comes at a crucial time in global efforts to take effective action on climate change,” referring in part to the upcoming conference in Cancún, Mexico, where some hope that a legally binding agreement will be reached.

While de Boer’s resignation took effect yesterday, July 1, Figueres’ term begins on July 8, next Thursday, the UNFCCC stated in a recent Note Verbale.

About Christiana Figueres

Figueres has served as Costa Rica’s climate change negotiator for 15 years, and she is credited with helping to secure Latin America’s cooperation with the Kyoto Protocol.

She has particular experience on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM aims to stimulate sustainable development and emissions reductions by allowing countries to trade “credits” toward their emissions limitation commitments. She represented Latin America and the Caribbean on the Executive Board of the CDM in 2007 and co-Chaired the negotiating group on the CDM at the 2009 Copenhagen Conference of the UNFCCC. Figueres is said to have been a “key architect” of the new financial instrument “programmatic CDM” with four “groundbreaking publications that have marked global thinking on this novel concept.”

Figueres also advises private companies involved in climate change mitigation, including the Carbon Rating Agency (CRA), which seeks to establish standards for the global carbon markets.

Figueres has non-profit experience as well. She founded the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas (CSDA), which promotes Latin American countries’ participation in the UNFCCC, and she has served on the board of the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

Figueres began her career in 1982 as Minister Counselor for Costa Rica’s embassy in Bonn, Germany. In Costa Rica, she was Director of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Planning, and later became Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture.

She has a Masters degree in Anthropology from the London School of Economics and a Certificate in Organizational Development from Georgetown University. She speaks Spanish, English and German.

Figueres’ publications include analysis of the design of the climate regime and book chapters on global environmental governance published by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy.

Upon her appointment as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Figueres expressed her “gratitude” and her “great respect for the institution and a deep commitment to UNFCCC process. There is no task that is more urgent, more compelling or more sacred than that of protecting the climate of our planet for our children and grandchildren.”

In interviews since the appointment, she has expressed the view that, despite calls from some developing countries, a binding agreement is not the goal for the upcoming Cancún conference. Instead, the next step is trust-building, to repair the current “trust deficit,” through fulfillment of earlier promises, including to “curb emissions, and – on the part of the rich – to provide money to help developing nations adapt to climate impacts.” The needed trust-building atmosphere began in Bonn earlier this month (this perception was echoed by several delegates recently).

She also has noted that UNFCCC conferences must observe transparency and inclusiveness. Having observed that their absence at the Copenhagen Conference contributed to its disappointing outcome, “what we need to be mindful of is that all interests that will be there among parties of the UNFCCC are represented” (BBC). Moreover, the UN is the only viable forum for dealing with climate change, as only the UN offers every country a voice when negotiating, and there is “no alternative” to it in tackling complex climate challenges (Xinhua).

Finally, she has noted the importance of the appointment of an Executive Secretary from the developing world. Her appointment marks the “first time this is in the hands of the developing world, and I think that’s actually quite symbolic and represents the much greater role that the developing world is taking in the climate negotiations” (Living on Earth interview, May 28).

Post of Executive Secretary

The UNFCCC is an international treaty, the “parent” of the legally binding 1997 Kyoto Protocol. States that have signed the UNFCCC are known collectively as the Conference of Parties (COP). The COP’s current focus is to negotiate a new international agreement on climate change, a “successor” to the Kyoto Protocol, to take effect in 2012. With its goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, the treaty would “shape the way countries power their economies” and thus is very complex to negotiate.

The COP is governed by a Bureau. The Executive Secretary is the head of the Bureau.

The Bureau is made up of delegates from 11 COP member countries, representing the five geographic regions. The Bureau handles administrative and management issues of the negotiation process, advises the President of the COP, and serves to represent each regional bloc and other groupings for negotiation. The current members of the COP Bureau are: Australia, Bahamas, Denmark, South Korea, Mali, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan and Russia.

Figueres will have five months to prepare for the next COP meeting, which will take place in Cancún, Mexico beginning in late-November. Preparatory talks will take place in Bonn, Germany in August and in China in October.

The position of Executive Secretary “is currently at the Assistant Secretary-General level [but] may be upgraded to that of Under-Secretary-General,” according to the March 11 letter of the Secretary-General asking governments for nominations for the position, “depending on the outcome of a review to be undertaken by the Secretary-General of the structure of the UNFCCC secretariat.”

—————————————–

Selection Process:

Although the selection process was kept confidential by the Secretary-General’s office, and reliable information was difficult for stakeholders to find, the process seemed to include some important elements of an accountable, qualifications-based process. These included announced criteria and a clear timeline. In addition, the process was competitive.

The selection procedures are outlined below, followed by an analysis of the process’ integrity.

Qualifications and Call for Nominations

On March 11, the Secretariat circulated a call for nominations and position guidelines on the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, which highlighted criteria that a successful candidate would need to fill.

The Secretary-General’s letter requested missions to the UN to nominate candidates by March 31.

The criteria were:

  • Commitment to a global strategy to address climate change and its consequences through the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol;
  • Capacity to work with the President, the Bureau and the delegates of the COP, and the willingness to provide objective leadership when required;
  • Proven skills in management and the capacity to provide leadership to an autonomous secretariat of approximately 450 staff and a total expenditure of up to USD 100 million per year;
  • Vision, high professional standing and knowledge of the issues involved in the climate change and sustainable development spheres;
  • Ability to, and experience in collaborating actively with the UN Secretary-General, with heads and senior staff of UN system agencies, funds and programmes as well as of other international entities, the private sector, and civil society organizations;
  • Excellent communication and representational skills; and
  • Highest possible standards of integrity in professional and personal matters.

Candidatures

In response to Ban’s call, eleven countries nominated candidates, the UN reported on April 15. The UN declined to name any of the candidates or nominating countries, but several candidates were identified by their governments and other reports. They were:

Thompson is one of two candidates who gave a press briefing at the UN on her candidacy. The other was Christiana Figueres.

In a noon press conference at UN headquarters on April 15, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban, stated, “… it is standard practice, not just for this job but for any job – we do not reveal the names of candidates.”

He added that the appointment would “be made following a normal competitive process run by a selection committee and in consultation with the bureau of the UNFCCC.”

According to reports, the other candidates may have included Tony Blair (United Kingdom), Hassan Wirajuda (Indonesia), and Carlos Rufino Costa Posada (Colombia).

Shortlist and Interviews

Five candidates for the post were interviewed by the Secretary-General’s selection committee beginning in late April, according to reliable sources speaking to the UNelections Campaign. The interviewed candidates – also known as the shortlist – were:

  • Figueres,
  • Pasztor,
  • van Schalkwyk,
  • Sharma, and
  • Thompson.

The shortlist was notable for its geographic and gender balance, with two women and candidates from four UN regional groups.

The selection committee that reviews candidates and conducts interviews for a high-level appointment generally is made up of UN officials ranking as Assistant Secretaries-General (the level of the post being filled) or higher, and established and overseen by the office of Ban’s Chef de Cabinet, Vijay Nambiar.

Decision by Secretary-General

Following the interviews, the selection committee made recommendations to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was responsible for the final decision.

Ban’s decision to appoint Figueres reportedly was influenced or reinforced by the Alliance of Small Island States, known as AOSIS, which made a strong bid for Figueres, a candidate from a small developing country, over Marthinus van Schalkwyk, rumored to be the other leading candidate.

According to the Economic Times, Figueres’ candidature was strengthened by “the support she enjoys from many members of the [Alliance of Small Island States]”, or AOSIS, to which she is seen as a “strong ally.” For this reason, her appointment “is being viewed as part of an effort to reach out to small island states and less developed countries in a bid to rebuild the trust between nations.”

“Although [van Schalkwyk is] respected personally, small island states that feel threatened by climate change are understood to have resisted the appointment of someone from the BASIC bloc of countries” (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China), reports the BBC.

It also has been suggested that Figueres was selected because of her “great reputation of being a negotiator, a conciliator who brings people together,” and of “having a deep understanding of its processes and its outstanding issues.”

Another explanation for Ban’s decision is that he plans to appoint van Schalkwyk instead as Under-Secretary-General to lead the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). The appointment of its current head, Inga-Britt Ahlenius, expires this year after a five-year, non-renewable term that began April 20, 2005.


Approval by COP

UN officials presented Ban’s decision to a meeting of the UNFCCC COP Bureau on May 17. The Bureau reportedly gave Figueres’ nomination its unanimous support, which finalized the appointment.

Although it had been reported that Ban would consult with the COP in making the decision, it seems that the Bureau simply accepted his only recommendation in a largely ceremonious procedure.

Reuters reported that Figueres was “Ban’s only recommendation” to succeed de Boer, and that it was “just a courtesy” to present it to the Bureau.

Analysis of Process

Positive steps taken in this appointment process included the use of specific criteria in evaluating the candidates (“position guidelines”), and the public listing of those criteria. These correspond to two elements repeatedly called for by the UNelections Campaign – formal candidate qualifications and an official timeline and systematic reporting.

In addition, the fact that eleven countries nominated individuals for the post contributed to ensuring that the Secretary-General could select someone highly qualified. Indeed, the WWF noted that the candidatures submitted included strong candidates, “particularly from developing countries.”

Another feature of high-level appointments called for by the UNelections Campaign is inclusion of geographic and gender considerations. The reported shortlist included at least one person from each of the UN’s regional groupings, with the exception of the Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG), and three of the candidates on the list were women.

The appointment of a woman is particularly welcomed in light of the recent creation by Ban Ki-moon of an Advisory Group on climate change financing that included 19 men and no women (a woman was added later), as well as the importance of women’s voices in climate change, which is known to disproportionately impact women.

Despite these positive steps, the process fell below international standards in its level of transparency following the call for nominations. Strict confidentiality was imposed by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson in speaking with the press and by senior officials in the Executive Office who managed the selection process. The names of candidates and the selection committee’s shortlist were kept confidential and obtained only informally.

As a result, reliable information was difficult for stakeholders to find.

Greater transparency at all stages would afford media, civil society, and all Member States the opportunity to research candidates and provide feedback to the Secretary-General. During his term as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has not employed the previous practice of circulating a shortlist for high-level appointments, instead insisting on the necessity of confidentiality and that, despite the record of previous Secretaries-General, it is “standard practice, not just for this job but for any job – we do not reveal the names of candidates.”

Overall, the competitive nature of the appointment, the selection of someone regarded as very well qualified for the position, and a woman from a small, developing country reflects relatively well on the Secretary-General’s appointment process this time. Steps toward greater transparency would bring his future appointment processes closer into line with international standards.

———————

Reactions:

Below are excerpts from various stakeholders’ reactions to the appointment of Figueres to lead the UNFCCC.

  • · NGOs

o       Greenpeace:

§         Costa Rica’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2021 is “the type of attitude we need on the global stage.”

§         Having observed Figueres in several negotiations, she “seems to be a person who has courage and ambition.”

o        WWF:

§         Figueres “promises to be an inspiring leader who can keep a high level political dialogue going in order to secure the first critical elements of a climate treaty in Cancún, Mexico in December,”

§         She “will bring forward her experience with government, business, and civil society and at the same time the perspective of a developing country government. Her background should allow her to foster trust between countries and to push for an ambitious climate deal.”

§         “We are convinced that Ms. Figueres will maintain an open door policy and engage widely with civil society,”

o Pew Center on Global Climate Change

§         Through her many years of participation and leadership in the multilateral climate process, Ms. Figueres has demonstrated the expertise and commitment needed to lead the UNFCCC at this critical stage. She understands the issues, the history, and the many interests at play. These assets will be essential as she works with parties to strengthen confidence in the UNFCCC process, set realistic expectations going forward, and facilitate practical progress.”

o        Women’s Views on News:

§         “Seeing as climate change disproportionately affects women – as do natural disasters – the election of Christiana Figueres is particularly heartening. Figueres has an impressive background in UN climate change work and is thought not only to have a profound understanding of the issue, but also extensive experience of dealing with the bureaucratic processes of the UN. This could make her more likely to effect change.”

Member States:

  • US: Figueres is “well-qualified with a deep background in UN climate change negotiations.”
  • China: Welcomed the appointment of a candidate from a developing country. “Climate change issues are closely related to world development, especially the development of poor countries.”
  • Denmark: Figueres is “highly experienced, she is well connected, she knows all the negotiators. She knows the dossiers.”
  • Japan: “As one of her co-chairs in the [CDM group in December], I know for sure that [Figueres] will lead us in a balanced and transparent manner. I have a great confidence in her leadership and would like to provide her, the secretariat, and the negotiation process with all necessary support.”

Private sector:

  • IDEAcarbon (owns the Carbon Rating Agency):
    • Is “honoured and delighted that such a highly regarded and experienced figure has been appointed to this important post and we welcome her appointment wholeheartedly. We feel that this can herald a new impetus to the international negotiations to secure a new global deal for climate change, as Ms. Figueres understands what is required to get the sector participants fully engaged and how financial flows can make a difference in mitigation, adaptation and market mechanisms.”
    • “Christiana Figueres’ background in finance makes her an excellent choice to shepherd the UNFCCC towards a global climate deal, with an integral role that the carbon markets can play in achieving its objectives. She is widely seen as a negotiator who is able to bring complex issues between parties to a common approach.”

o        “We’re delighted that someone with such a background in the process of the negotiations and with such respect among parties and observers, including the private sector, has been given the job.”

o        She needs to “restore the world’s confidence in the international negotiating process after the low point of Copenhagen and she needs to find a way to bring private sector stakeholders and economic stakeholders in the public sector, such as finance ministries, into the heart of the process.”

o        “She’s always been willing to listen to business and has taken time to understand what business is saying.”

o        “Christiana has been involved in the climate change negotiations since the early days of the UNFCCC and, having worked in the public, private and NGO sectors, she perfectly combines diplomatic skills with a great mix of expertise, in particular on market-based instruments and regulatory issues…. Her intelligence, eloquence, determination, responsiveness and gentleness is outstanding – but the way she is approachable by stakeholders at all levels and builds trust amongst them is unique and this is exactly what is needed within the UNFCCC process.”

  • Business Green (Editorial)
    • “If you were to develop the composite CV of the ideal person to replace the out-going Yvo de Boer it would look a lot like the resume submitted by Figueres.”
    • “The appointment of a woman from a relatively small developing country to one of the most high profile UN posts is also to be welcomed, particularly given that the climate change negotiations continue to be dominated by middle-aged men in dark suits from the world’s most powerful economies.”
    • “…She clearly genuinely and passionately cares about the urgent need to combat climate change.”

Finally, Yvo de Boer commented, “I have known Christiana Figueres for many years and can testify to her deep commitment and work to establish the robust and effective international climate regime that is the only way for all nations to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. She is familiar with the different interests a successful outcome of negotiations must address and can help stakeholders to find common ground. I wish her every success.”

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###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 1st, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

MU  Vienna
 http://www.modul.ac.at/pgm/msc?gclid=CLP…

Master of Science in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy

Study in a Unique Multidisciplinary Environment

The Master of Science (MSc) degree programs* at MODUL University Vienna offer a unique multidisciplinary approach, working with research teams from three different departments: public governance and management, tourism and hospitality management and new media technology. Our research and teaching staff actively participate in international scholarly and professional networks and are at the forefront of their field, which enables us to bring you right to the heart of scientific practice.
Photo MSc SDMP

Are you interested in studying the principles of sustainable development and understanding the impact of environmental policies on local communities and international businesses or the impact of economic development policies on environmental quality? Do you want to investigate what policies can be implemented to reduce environmental impacts in the tourism production chain? Do you want to understand to what extent the success of local environmental policy depends on civic participation in policy making? The future world needs people with comprehensive knowledge of both environmental and development issues to provide leadership for our local and global communities.
As a MU Vienna Master of Science graduate, you will be able to address the globalization and sustainability challenges of this millennium.

As a graduate of the MSc in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy you will be qualified for positions as consultants, scientists, policy advisors, program coordinators and environmental marketing specialists at research institutes, in government, in globally presented companies or at NGOs all over the world. In addition, the MSc degree prepares students for a subsequent PhD program. For further information, see the folder for the MSc programs.

Strenghts of the Study Program

  • Studying in a multi-disciplinary research environment with an emphasis on critical thinking and the application of specialist knowledge to the challenges of the 21st century
  • Understanding the emergent trends and key management issues by empowering the analytical skills of students
  • The open atmosphere at MU guarantees the best support for writing the master thesis

Facts & Figures

Title Master of Science in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy
Duration Full time 4 semesters (Extended 6 semesters), graduates awarded with 120 ECTS
Organization Study year is divided into fall and spring semester (master thesis in the 3rd and 4th semester)
Curriculum Comprises Management & Research Core courses, courses in Innovation and Change Management, Environmental Systems and further courses in the field of specialization
Language English is the study language
Max. Students 30 per year
Tuition Fee EUR 19.000 (paid in two installments, tuition fee does not include reading material). In the case that additional courses need to be completed, extra costs could be involved
Program Start Annually in Mid-September

Admission Criteria

  • Admission to this master program is granted to persons who have completed at least the equivalent of a bachelor’s or diploma degree, and ideally can demonstrate their research skills and their basic knowledge of the natural and/or social sciences.
  • A suitable preparation for the MSc in Sustainable Development, Management and Policy might include courses from among physics, geology, technical sciences, biology, geography, earth sciences, planning, sociology, policy sciences, law, management, or economics. Selection will be based upon transcripts of courses and grades taken at previous universities and other educational organizations.
  • All candidates whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from an undergraduate program conducted in English are required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language by showing that they have passed one of the tests below or by satisfying the Admissions Committee in a form deemed appropriate by the Committee:
    - TOEFL (570 PBT or 230 CBT or 88 IBT) or
    - IELTS 5.5 (no sub-score under 5.0)
  • MODUL University Vienna reserves the right to request that individual applicants submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, even if they have attended a secondary school conducted in English, to ensure their English skills meet the expected academic level.
  • CV and motivation letter

Credit transfer applications must be submitted together with the admissions documents.

The Admission Committee will make decision on a case-by-case basis to determine whether there are sufficient grounds for admission. The admission committee decides on:

  • Type of acceptance (full acceptance / conditional acceptance)
  • If credits are transferred to the program
  • Merit scholarships
  • Additional courses that need to be taken by candidates who do not fulfill all requirements for entering the program

For further information on the admissions process, please contact admissions@modul.ac.at.

* Degree programs are subject to accreditation by the Austrian Accreditation Council.

Attachment
Application Form MSc Programs.pdf
Facts_MSc_Programs.pdf

———————————————————

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Study Abroad Cooperations

MODUL University Vienna’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management maintains exchange agreements with many institutions.
For general information on the exchange programs please contact the International Officer at the Student Service Center.
 http://www.modul.ac.at/study_abroad

among the list of such institutions is also included the -

CUNY Logo

City University of New York, USA

The City University of New York (CUNY) is the largest urban public university in the USA and also offers a program in Hospitality Management. An exchange program is under development.

——————————————————-

Contact

Admission Services

For information for prospective students, please contact:

Admission Services
Address: Am Kahlenberg 1
1190 Wien, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 320 3555-202
Fax: +43 1 320 3555-902
E-Mail: admissions@modul.ac.at


University Communication Office

For information on press and media material as well as for journalistic inquiries, please contact:

University Communication Office
Address: Am Kahlenberg 1
1190 Wien, Austria
Tel.: +43 1 320 3555-104
Fax: +43 1 320 3555-902
E-Mail: andreas.eder@modul.ac.at

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 1st, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

White House Energy Session Changes No Minds.

By JOHN M. BRODER, The New York Times.
June 29, 2010

WASHINGTON — The senators who emerged from a White House meeting with President Obama on energy policy on Tuesday made no effort to paper over the large differences that remain between them.


Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, left, and John Kerry on Tuesday after a White House meeting on proposed energy legislation.

Green
A New York Times blog about energy and the environment. Go to Blog
———————-

Democrats continued to insist on putting some sort of price on greenhouse gas emissions; Republicans continued to insist that to do so would be to impose a tax that would smother the economy.

“We have to take a national energy tax off the table,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee.

“There is no energy tax,” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, sponsor of a bill that would significantly raise the cost of greenhouse gas pollution.

This battle has divided the Senate for a year and must be somehow resolved in the coming weeks if the Senate is to produce a comprehensive energy bill that also addresses the gases contributing to climate change.

It does not appear that Tuesday’s meeting moved either side, although Mr. Kerry said Tuesday that he was willing to scale back the bill he and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, proposed this spring to cut energy use and reduce global warming pollution.

Mr. Kerry suggested starting with electric utilities only, a plan tentatively embraced Tuesday by Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Republican of Maine.

Mr. Obama summoned the 23 senators, of both parties, to the White House to try to find some way out of the impasse. He repeated his call for putting a price on climate-altering pollution through a cap-and-trade system or some other sort of emissions tax, but acknowledged the adamant opposition to the idea from most Republicans as well as some Democrats.

“Not all of the senators agreed with this approach,” noted an account of the meeting provided by the White House, “and the president welcomed other approaches and ideas that would take real steps to reduce our dependence on oil, create jobs, strengthen our national security and reduce the pollution in our atmosphere.”

———————

Among the ideas circulating in Washington are:

a so-called energy-only bill that would encourage conservation and greater efficiency in buildings and vehicles;

more government incentives for alternative fuels;

a plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants while delaying regulation of other major sources of pollution for years;

and a measure to rapidly build nuclear power plants and electrify the American vehicle fleet.

Mr. Obama neither offered specific ideas of his own nor endorsed any of these proposals, but said all parties shared an urgency about enacting some form of energy legislation this year, the White House account said.

Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said Mr. Obama was attentive but noncommittal.

“He’s not saying, ‘Here’s what I want you to do,’ ” Mr. Brown said. “He probably needs to say that and push one approach. He hasn’t done that yet.”

——————–

Mr. Brown said no one offered support for expanded offshore drilling as a way to reduce dependence on imported oil. Mr. Obama proposed just such a plan three weeks before the BP Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April, killing 11 workers and sending an uncapped geyser of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

——————-

As Mr. Obama tried to nudge the Senate forward on a comprehensive energy package, both chambers were moving swiftly on measures to address the oil leak in the gulf and the industry and regulatory practices that contributed to it.

House and Senate committees will begin debate on Wednesday on bills that will change the way offshore drillers operate and the government oversees them.

There are several proposals to lift the current $75 million limit on liability for drilling accidents; the strongest, by Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, would eliminate the cap entirely.

There are bills before both chambers to revamp the Interior Department agency that regulates drilling on public lands and waters. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has already proposed splitting the agency formerly known as the Minerals Management Service into three separate offices and renaming the minerals service the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Two Congressional panels are studying alternative overhaul plans.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will take up a bill called the Blowout Prevention Act that will require oil companies digging high-risk wells in deep water to use more sophisticated emergency equipment with backup systems to ensure they work in the case of a blowout. The bill also sets strict new rules for how wells are designed, cemented and encased and requires that a relief well be started within 15 days of an accident.

There is broad support in both parties for new regulations on offshore operations, for measures to aid the Gulf Coast and for some form of energy legislation that tries to reduce dependence on imported oil. But consensus ends there.

Mr. Lieberman said he believed that he and other proponents of a strong energy bill could win some Republican support, though he said he had not yet found the formula for gaining those votes.

“I’m not naïve about the difficulty of doing this in an election year,” he said.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/scienc…

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 1st, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

Climate Change’s Unlikely Crusader – T. Boone Pickens.

 http://www.globalwhisperer.com/2010/06/c…

June 30, 2010 by Global Whisperer

T. Boone PickensT. Boone Pickens – Oil Baron, Corporate Takeover Specialist, and… wind power advocate?

Oil Baron, Natural Gas Advocate and Corporate Raider T. Boone Pickens, is also the 117th richest person in America. His corporate acquisitions and takeovers have placed him into many industries, mostly relating to energy. A takeover of Gulf Oil, placed him on the cover of time magazine in March of 1985.

He was a huge financial supporter of President George W. Bush, as well as the Republican Party. He contributed to the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, which ran an advertising campaign against Bush’s rival, John Kerry. He supported Rudy Giuliani’s presidential committee.

wind turbine pickensLocal farmer’s would be paid to place turbines on their land.

Then in 2008, a new side of T. Boone revealed itself. He announced that his company, Mesa Power had filed documents with the state of Texas announcing he would be adding 4 gigawatts of electricity to the state grid. He planned to buy 2,700 wind turbines placing them on up to 200,000 acres.

“We are now meeting with Panhandle landowners and negotiating wind lease and easement agreements,” said Pickens. “We are excited at how quickly the pieces are falling into place.”

T. Boone explained that the wind corridor that runs up through Texas and the U.S. should absolutely be utilize to provide a good chunk of the United States Power. The project would be the largest wind farm in the world.

He didn’t wait long to take action. In January of 2008 T. Boone estimated that the cost of the turbines would be in the $200-$300 million range. The first order of 6667 turbines was placed with General Electric in May of 2008. In July, the Texas Public Utilities Commission approved funding of $4.98 billion in electric transmission lines to connect the wind farms to the electric grid.

Then, with the credit crunch, the project began suffering setbacks.

“When we were looking at the project, we felt like we could do it with 30 percent equity and 70 percent debt,” The New York Times quoted Pickens saying on Wednesday. “The 70 percent debt is where we’re having a little slowdown.” “The 70 percent debt is where we’re having a little slowdown.”

“To put it plainly, T. Boone is out to save America,” – Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club.

T. Boone insists this is only a setback, the Texas grid lines need to be laid, but the state has committed to the project.

The land the wind turbines will be located on also benefits local farmers.

The farmers who own the land could makes $500 a month for each wind turbine on his property. T. Boone estimates the entire project could cost as much as 10 billion. To compare, costs of this year’s Gulf Oil spill areapproaching 22 billion (Source).

An unlikely partnership An unlikely partnership?

T. Boone has since released his own energy plan, called Pickens Plan, which called for huge investments in Solar, Wind and Natural Gas. Then in May of 2010, T. Boone paired up with his previous rival, John Kerry. They worked together to incorporate many of the ideas of Picken’s Plan into Kerry’s climate legislation bill, which is expected to hit the floor this year.

T. Boone insists that if Kerry’s bill fails, the Picken’s Plan ideas will be moved into a different energy bill that can make through Congress. As it stands now, no republicans have stepped up to support the bill. Kerry hopes with T. Boone’s advocacy, it will gain some bi-partisan support.

“To put it plainly, T. Boone is out to save America,” said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, after meeting with Pickens in 2008.

###

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 27th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

 http://planetark.org/wen/58569

Analysis: Silicon Valley All Aglow On Green Lighting.

by: Poornima Gupt
Date: 28-Jun-10, reporting from the Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley has seen the light, and it’s LED. {it is not just for the military anymore.}

The incandescent light bulb has had the global lighting market in its grip for more than 130 years, building into a more than $100 billion industry. But green concerns about efficiency spell an end to the era, and the U.S. technology capital sees light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, as the new king.

“Lighting is going to completely change over the course of this decade,” said Alan Salzman, chief executive of Silicon Valley-based venture fund VantagePoint Venture Partners.

His firm has $4.5 billion in committed capital in startups across different sectors, but lighting is an area he is very bullish on.

“The largest sector in terms of companies in our portfolio is lighting,” Salzman said.

While many love the look of the light cast by incandescent bulbs, none like the high energy bills. Nations around the world, including the United States, are phasing in efficiency standards that will eliminate the incandescents if no major energy improvements happen.

Investors are betting on other technologies taking hold.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs so far have been the only real alternative to conventional bulbs but they contain mercury and many don’t like the quality of the light.

LED lights, on the other hand, contain no mercury, have a long life and are very energy efficient.

LEDs, made of diodes or chips, have come a long way since the first practical LED was a developed in 1962. Its sole color was red. Now developers produce light colors across the spectrum.

They consume only about 20 percent of the energy used by incandescent bulbs. With about 20 percent of the world’s electricity used for lighting, switching to LEDs would generate significant energy savings and cut greenhouse gas emissions while nations debate how to price carbon dioxide pollution.

COST CHALLENGE

There is one major hurdle for mass adoption of LEDs — they cost too much. Experts say that for the market to take off, good quality LED lights need to available under $10. Current bulbs cost many times that.

Investors are betting heavily the cost will fall quickly as LED start-ups achieve scale and the technology advances.

“The market really started shifting in the last 12 months,” said Warner Philips, co-founder of LED start-up Lemnis Lighting and great grandson of the founder of Dutch electronics giant Philips Electronics.

Lemnis introduced its first LED bulb, called Pharox, that can go into a standard light socket about four years ago. The latest version can last around 25 years, based on four hours of daily operation, but it costs $25.

The price has halved in a short time. Lemnis had been selling LED bulbs around $50 only about six months ago and Philips expects the price to fall below the crucial $10 level soon.

“That will be probably be in the first half of next year,” he said.

BULLISH GROWTH PROJECTIONS

LEDs by 2020 will account for nearly half of the $4.4 billion U.S. market for lamps in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors, predicted Pike Research, which tracks the market.

Even at the current high price, some commercial establishments and retailers are switching.

Late last year, retail giant Wal-Mart said it would install LEDs in 650 of its stores and picked Cree Inc, one of the few public companies in this space, to supply the lights.

Other companies switching to LEDs include coffee retailer Starbucks Corp, Red Robin restaurants and Yum! Brands Inc.

Cree’s shares hit an all-time high of $83.38 this April, rising almost 49 percent from the start of the year, partly due to bullish expectations on the LED market. The global economic slowdown has ratcheted back expectations, though, and sent shares down toward $65.

In the first quarter of 2010, venture capitalists invested $100 million in 14 LED lighting companies, up from $14 million in the same quarter a year ago, according to Cleantech Group.

California’s Bridgelux, which makes high-power LED chips specifically for the lighting industry, is in the process of opening a Silicon Valley plant and investors are eager to join in.

Bridgelux raised $80 million earlier this year and turned away some would-be investors.

“We had a lot of people pounding on our doors,” said Chief Executive Bill Watkins.

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 27th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

We must abandon oil before it’s too late.

The Gulf of Mexico spill has made it imperative that we end our dependency on petrol.

How much should we worry about running out of oil? Of late, there have been disparate predictions for our oil reserves, with some claiming that oil will last us for decades. In fact, the question is not so much: “When will there be no more oil left for us to take?” but, rather: “When will demand outstrip production?” And that could happen sooner than most people realise. This is an issue that governments around the world, including our own, are ignoring despite the potential risk to our economies.

Conventional oil production has a limited capacity. Most additional demand must be met by unconventional sources, which are abundant. But the capacity for production depends on the effective management of environmental, social and technical challenges that unconventional sources pose. The current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a clear indicator of how these boundaries are being pushed.

The most significant concern is transport; while there are many other ways to provide heat, light and electricity, liquid transportation fuels would be hard to come by if oil supply dried up.

The International Energy Authority (IEA) predicts that over the next 20 years there will be a steady increase in demand for liquid fuels, most of which will come from China and India. It also predicts that the supply of oil from fields that are currently in production will plummet over the same time frame.

There will be additional sources of oil to help fill this gap – from fields that have been found but not yet exploited, from those yet to be found, and from unconventional sources such as Canada’s tar sands (though this is costly and particularly damaging from the point of view of climate). There is also the possibility of converting natural gas to liquid fuels. However, even adding all these into the mix, the IEA notes that there will still be a significant shortfall between demand and supply.

Moreover, some of the estimates of future supply look overly optimistic. Analysis from my institute, the Smith School, suggests that by taking the Opec figures at face value, the IEA is overestimating the reserves in fields yet to be developed by some 30%, making the shortfall even worse.

The bottom line is that demand for liquid fuels is virtually certain to outstrip production by a considerable margin over the next two decades, regardless of how much oil remains in the ground.

Knowing this, can’t oil companies simply boost their production rates or find other options? Shell recently built a plant to convert natural gas to liquid fuels in Qatar, but at some $20bn, the capital costs were enormous. Such plants can only hope to provide a sensible return on investment in the few places in the world where natural gas is plentiful. As for biofuels, although the US is likely to hit 10% of biofuels for cars later this year, globally these fuels are still only a tiny percentage of the total.

Thus, as the world emerges from the current economic downturn, all the evidence is that oil prices will take a substantial hike. Our analysis predicts that prices will soon be considerably more than $100 a barrel, peaking at around $130 by 2015. This in itself is likely to stall the global economic recovery following the financial debt crisis.

In principle, that’s good news for oil-rich countries such as Norway and the Gulf states, where higher prices mean higher GDP. But most countries in the world are oil importers and as prices rise their economies will suffer. Developing countries will be especially vulnerable, as their economies depend heavily on manufacturing and distribution, which are, in turn, dependent on transport fuels. Take Rwanda, an ambitious country whose economy is currently growing by 8% to 9% per year. We estimate that rises in oil prices over the next two decades will cumulatively cost Rwanda some 30% of its GDP.

That’s a large number. As scientific adviser to the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, I have recommended that the country should do everything in its power to decouple its economy from oil. But Rwanda is by no means atypical. In the face of rising oil prices, most net importers of oil around the world will face further recession if they have not found other ways to move themselves and their goods around. The coming supply crisis provides a clear imperative to all who are dependent on oil imports to find ways to kick the habit.

What, then, should we do? There is no silver bullet. To achieve this necessary change, we will need every weapon at our disposal. Improving the energy efficiency of our transportation will be crucial – by reducing air friction, improving engines and running smaller, lighter vehicles. Alternative fuels will also be important, moving from petrol to new generations of biofuels, hydrogen fuel cells and electric vehicles.

But we will also need to go beyond the designs of the vehicles and fuels themselves and look at changing urban design, building and improving mass transportation systems and changing the ways that people drive.

This, of course, is independent of the additional, but pressing imperative to reduce carbon emissions and prevent dangerous climate change. Put the two together and the case for change becomes overwhelming.

There’s a final reason to wean ourselves off our current dependency on oil. In these difficult economic times, we need to stop bleeding our economies by pouring money into the handful of countries that hold most of the oil.

Today, the rest of the world pours more than $2 trillion a year into the Gulf states, which is $6bn per day. This money would surely be better spent developing energy resources that are much closer to home?

Sir David King, director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford, was chief scientific adviser to the government from 2000 to 2007

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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 27th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)

TURNING WASTELAND INTO BIO-ENERGY
Published by Sudhakar Ram on Mon, 21/06/2010
http://www.thenewconstructs.com/constructdetails.php?id=153

“We can create a more sustainable, cleaner and safer world by making wiser energy choices”. Robert Alan

The professor was touring villages in Karnataka, gathering information for a program called Sustainable Transformation of Rural Areas. Soil and growing conditions were harsh in much of the area, and many of the villages were poor. In one such village, the professor and his team of research assistants stopped in a tea stall.

Naturally, the strangers drew attention in the small village. One villager struck up a conversation with the professor, and asked what the visitors were doing.

“We’re looking for ways to use science and engineering principles to solve real-life problems in villages like this one”, Professor Shrinivasa told the man.

The villager thought for a moment. “Well, we use oil from the Honge tree to light the lamps in our temples”, the man volunteered. “Maybe you could find some other use for that oil”.

Indeed he could. The professor, who is based at the Indian Institute of Science, found that the Honge tree (whose Latin name is Pongamia Pinnata) grew throughout the village, and oil could easily be extracted from the tree’s plentiful pods. He also recalled that many years ago Rudolf Diesel had used peanut oil when demonstrating his invention, the diesel engine. The professor told his colleagues, “Let’s try this oil in a diesel engine right here in the village”.

They got some oil, borrowed a small diesel engine, started it up and – boom! – the engine fired up, ran smoothly and kept running smoothly. Villagers immediately began using the local oil instead of spending money to buy diesel fuel.

That was a decade ago, and since then Professor Shrinivasa has traveled to relatively less fertile lands across India to promote the planting of Pongamia trees as a source of alternate fuel.

My wife Girija and I met Professor Shrinivasa recently, and found that he had lost no passion for his cause. He talked enthusiastically about the benefits of Pongamia-based bio-diesel. For one, it is grown in dry lands and hence does not lead to the food shortages sometimes caused when farmers grow corn or soya for bio-fuel instead of other crops for food. Second, in terms of emissions, bio-diesels are carbon neutral: the carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees is released when the fuel is burnt. Third, in terms of particles that cause pollution and respiratory diseases, bio-diesel emissions are less harmful than petrol and diesel.

The economics are compelling. A hectare of wasteland growing Pongamia trees can yield 10 tonnes of seeds worth around Rs. 40,000. Horticulture is far less labor intensive and hence can be done at relatively low costs, providing a good return to the farmers.  The professor’s calculations show that India has adequate availability of wastelands that can be planted with enough Pongamia trees to meet the entire nation’s petrol and diesel requirements. But this calls for enormous political will and an ability to overcome the petroleum lobbies. As a lone champion, Professor Shrinivasa has yet to build the momentum to battle these forces – but continues on his path regardless.

The Connected Age requires us to look for viable alternatives in various aspects of our daily lives. It requires us the boldly embrace these new alternatives – as they emerge. It requires us to battle the vested interests and the entrenched beliefs of the industrial age with the vision of creating a more inclusive and sustainable world. And it requires us to step forward the way the professor has, and to support people like him who have stepped forward. Do share your own insights in this area.

Long live the earth.

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