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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 20th, 2008 Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 12th, 2008 Bauhaus-era plant to power Jordan Valley eco-tourism. http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDi…; Less well known, however, are the many other projects built throughout the 1920s to 1950s in the International Style. One of the most ambitious of these was the Rotenberg Power Plant, which from 1932 supplied both sides of the Jordan River valley with electricity up until 1948 when it was destroyed. In 1994, the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty turned the area into an international border crossing. Now, an equally ambitious Israeli-Jordanian initiative project, spearheaded by Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), aims to revive the area, and the Rotenberg compound along with it, as a unique eco-tourism site spanning both sides of the border.
‘This is 20th century industrial archeology.’ In May, a design workshop (also called a charrette) took place with the participation of faculty and students from Yale University and the Bezalel Academy of the Arts together with Jordanian and Palestinian architects. FoEME presented the results of the charrette in Jordan and Jerusalem, along with recommendations from pre-feasibility studies and business plans. The group recommended utilizing the site’s architectural heritage: a 2,000-year-old bridge built by the Romans to connect the cities of Beit Shean (today in Israel), Pella and Um Quais (today in Jordan); a khan (inn) from the Middle Ages that served travelers passing from east and west; an Ottoman era bridge that connected the railway from Akko (Acre) to Damascus; a Turkish customs house and police station; an additional bridge built under the British Mandate and, of course, the modernist Rotenberg power station. “The [station] rivals some of the industrial sites in the US from the same period on the same scale, like some of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) projects,” says Prof. Alan Plattas of the Yale University School of Design, at the charrette presentation at Jerusalem’s Van Leer Institute. “We’re not going to restore the power station. What we have now are the remains. We’ll convert the existing structures, stabilize the ruins, and reuse other structures. This is 20th century industrial archeology,” says Plattas, who further noted that the site’s old railroad station “is a little gem of modernist Bauhaus building.” The ultimate goal, he said, will be to turn the whole area into a major attraction for the newly burgeoning field of eco-tourism. “Tourism, over time, will supplement and overtake agriculture as the economic base in the region, especially on the Jordanian side. Former workers housing will be converted to eco-lodges, the power station will be reconstructed as a visitor center, and the surveillance apparatuses will be converted to birdwatcher shelters,” he says. Bird-watchers, it turns out, are a target market for a region that is one of the world’s major way stations for migratory bird, and re-flooding the present day dry lakebed would create a bird sanctuary. Baqura is already among the best preserved multi-ecosystem habitats in Jordan and FoEME estimates that the lake would serve to attract the more than 500 million migratory birds that cross the Jordan River Valley twice annually, as well as a good number of the world’s 60 million birdwatchers, along with assorted hikers, bikers and other various and sundry nature lovers. “Adjacent kibbutzim have already developed tourism industries,” says Plattas, who envisions a car-free compound surrounded by “reservoirs of parking, where people would leave their cars behind and convert to other modes of transport available at the park.”
The park will be developed in stages, with Phase 1 on the Jordanian side of what is a truly unique border. At Peace Island the charrette witnessed first-hand Israelis and Jordanians entering the site, without the need for visas and passports - due to terms of the 1994 treaty that took into account “the special circumstances of the Naharayim/Baqura area, which is under Jordanian sovereignty, with Israeli private ownership rights.” The owners, in this case, include concessionaires Israel Electric Corporation, formerly the Palestine Electric Corporation, whose visionary founder, Pinchas Rotenberg, was awarded use of the Jordan and Yarmouk rivers to supply hydroelectric power to Mandatory Palestine, by the British authorities. Rotenberg successfully negotiated with Jordan’s Emir Abdallah to use 1,500 acres of land that was under Transjordanian control. The station operated from 1933 until it was destroyed by the Arab Legion in 1948 and became part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. “The power station has a history of shared international cooperation that has been interrupted,” says Plattas. Travel itself has its own rhythms and the ongoing tension between Israel and its neighbors has blocked traditional traffic flow, says environmental consultant Aviad Sar Shalom. “Tourism in the area today is mainly on the Israeli side from north to south. This project will restore the natural tourism circulation of east to west.”
Bromberg says the next step will be for the Jordanian side to be declared a national park, and to link the Israeli sites of Naharayim and Gesher, “and then we’ll continue undertaking concrete investment in the infrastructure in a parallel fashion, preparing everything for the linkage into one cross-border Peace Park. If all goes well, we’ll have enough in place to be able to open in two and a half years time.” FoEME’s feasibility studies, says Bromberg, “predict that within five years of opening, we can expect 250,000 local visitors (Jordanian and Israeli) and 200,000 foreign visitors within 10 years. That will create many different types of employment as rangers, managers, service providers and small business opportunities such as concessions on bike and electric cart rentals, souvenirs, food service, guides, etc.” Because bird-watching takes place in the early morning or at dusk, the project forecasts an expansion in accommodation and transport providers on either side. “On the Israeli side there are already many establishments that will directly benefit such as B&Bs and kibbutz guest houses but we predict that demand will increase and facilities will upgrade. Presently, on the Jordanian side, there are limited facilities - the Pella guest house has only 10 rooms - so we intend to work with aid agencies to develop a training program that can help the rural communities to create a B&B infrastructure in the town of North Shuna and the village of Baqura.” It’s not just wishful thinking, Bromberg points out. “Certain aspects of the project already exist. The Israeli side [Gesher/Naharayim] is already open. And the Jordanians have already started to bring groups to the site; local students and teachers, entrepreneurs and potential investors. Northern Jordan is an area that is very poorly visited at the moment and with high unemployment. That’s why the authorities have shown such interest.” Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 3rd, 2008
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 1st, 2008 Nordic Climate Solutions – Scandinavia´s annual marketplace for low carbon economy leaders – takes place on November 25th and 26th, 2008, in Copenhagen. The event is jointly organized with the Nordic Council of Ministers and a series of industry leaders from the Nordic Region. Towards and beyond the Copenhagen UN Summit, NCS gathers a significant number of business and industry leaders. In 2007 the event gathered more than 600 decision makers. This year more than 1000 delegates are projected for the event in November. As we would like to offer our delegates key insight from experts WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR SPEAKERS for the following sessions: - Building the Future – Energy Efficiency: What energy and carbon savings could be realized if older commercial buildings had the energy consumption of the newer commercial building stock? How can we improve the incorporation of different energy efficiencies into different types of domestic and non-domestic buildings? And what will it take to achieve mass deployment of carbon neutral buildings? - Adaptation in the Third World – Markets Beyond China and India: As a global problem, climate change demands global solutions – yet the majority of the technology and financing for these solutions are not accessible to emerging economies and developing nations. India and China are naturally the center of attention when it comes to CDM projects or other climate action projects and policies, but how can we ensure that countries in Africa, Asia and South and Central America also have the capacity and the technology to develop in a sustainable and climate friendly manner? - The Future of CDM – The Post 2012 Scene: At the moment, there are more than 3,000 CDM projects in progress. What is the potential of the CDM on the post 2012 scenario and what concrete measures will be presented a the COP15 to improve this mechanism and ensure that it is contributing to global emission reductions and to technology transfer to all developing nations Climate Solutions for China: China is on its way to become the largest energy market in the world, with the greatest environmental challenges. This creates an enormous potential for the Nordic companies. The current five-year plan of China contains 250 billion dollar for investments in energy savings and environmental considerations and a range of ambitious goals. Thinking Outside the Barrel: President George W. Bush has stated that: “America is addicted to oil.” At times when the price approaches $150 per barrel – it is an expensive addiction to have. Fortunately, several alternatives exist. The Finance of Climate Change – A Guide for Governments and Corporations: The financial markets hold an increasingly important role in government and corporate initiatives designed to fight climate change and make the transition to the low carbon economy. Less is More – Energy Efficiency (End Use): Improved energy efficiency is often the most economic and readily available means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, there exists a difference between the actual level of investment in energy efficiency and the higher level that would be economically beneficial from the consumer’s point of view. The Local Market of the Nordic: Russia: Recently the Russian economy has been developing at a very high pace and significant investments are being made in the energy and environmental sector, as well as in restructuring. Adaptation - Urban Climate Solutions: Even with substantial reductions in emissions today, the delay in the climate system means that emissions we have already released into the atmosphere will continue to affect the climate for years to come. The impact on cities and the people living there will be significant. De-linking Economic Growth from Emissions – Bypassing the Western Route to Low Carbon Economy: The interrelations between economic growth, energy and CO2 have a tremendous influence on the possibilities of a global ambitious treaty being drafted at the COP15. EU – Framework Conditions: This year a new EU energy market package has been submitted. The ambition is to create framework conditions for efficient and functioning sustainable energy markets. How can the EU balance energy policies between the aims of security of supply, competitiveness and sustainable energy? Renewable Energy Production; With a raising stream of billions of dollars into the sector, the investments in renewable energy production reach new records each year.The Nordic Region has great experience in renewable energy production from a wide spectrum of sources. How may this experience and knowledge be utilized in the global market and what are the barriers to expanding the renewable portfolio standard? Please reply to mwi at mm.dk Thank you for any guidance/recommendations you can provide. Meik Wiking Monday Morning T: +45 33 93 93 23 NORDIC CLIMATE SOLUTIONS - NOVEMBER 25TH AND 26TH - 2008. WWW.NORDICCLIMATESOLUTIONS.COM Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on August 1st, 2008 nbsp;http://www.climatechangecentral.com/publ… Sustainable tourism taking root in AlbertaNot that long ago, the extent of sustainable tourism in Alberta could almost be summed up by hotel room signs encouraging guests to re-use their towels and turn off lights when they left.  But times are rapidly changing. In today’s hotels and motels, low-flow showerheads and toilets are increasingly commonplace, as are energy-efficient lights and appliances. Behind the scenes, some lodgings are using non-toxic cleaning materials, re-using waste water in flowerbeds and even installing solar panels or turning kitchen grease into biodiesel for running grounds equipment and shuttle buses. Meanwhile, tourism transportation companies are filling up with biodiesel, operating hybrid taxis and offering vehicle rental customers the option to purchase carbon offsets. With soaring fuel prices and escalating operating costs, all these tourism operators are discovering that embarking on energy-efficiency upgrades is just good business practice. But they’re also finding that these and other green actions are attracting the business of travellers who are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their journeys.
“We’re seeing more enquiries - particularly from Europe but also from elsewhere - about what sustainable measures our tourism operators are putting in place,” says Don Boynton, Communications Director for Travel Alberta. “It’s become a more important factor in bookings’ decisions by vacation planners and by independent travellers.” Alberta tourism operators are certainly noticing this shift in attitude. In February, nearly 40 industry officials attended a sustainable tourism workshop hosted by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Delegates agreed sustainable tourism is not a niche market but instead something all operators need to incorporate into their operations. And they recognized that a coordinated provincial plan is needed to develop and promote sustainable tourism in Alberta. “One of the first things we need to do is create a common language, so that when we use the term “sustainable tourism”, people know what we’re talking about,” says John Samms, executive director of Tourism Canmore, who is leading an initial working group, formed at the workshop, on developing that provincial plan. “Right now, if you ask 20 people what it means, you’ll come up with 20 different ideas.” Another focus is to improve what we’re doing in the province. One way to do that is to find early adopters of best sustainable practices and market their successes to other people in the Alberta industry. It needs to be a series of baby steps. You can’t get to the top of the ladder if there aren’t rungs along the way.” ——————————— http://www.climatechangecentral.com/publ… Ecotourism seeks a greener path in AlbertaSomewhere on the road to utopia, ecotourism took a bumpy detour. Whether it was unscrupulous operators, bloated claims, unrealistic expectations or simply confusion over exactly what ecotourism meant, the concept hasn’t yet lived up to its promise as a low-impact sector of the global industry. Within Alberta, Aurum Lodge would seem a perfect candidate as an ecotourism operator (see related story). Not connected to the power grid, the lodge meets nearly all its energy needs from a combination of solar power, excellent insulation and conservation practices. Its operators encourage nature appreciation and low-impact activities in the surrounding Rocky Mountains and donate a portion of gross revenues to various environmental causes. Indeed in 2001, it won the first Alberta ALTO Award for sustainable tourism and is the only Alberta lodging to receive a five-leaf rating from the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program. Aurum Lodge Yet Aurum Lodge owner Alan Ernst remains ambivalent about using the ecotourism label. “There’s no scientific definition of what constitutes ecotourism or even sustainable tourism,” he says. “The term has also definitely been abused. There’s been a lot of green-washing, a lot of people selling themselves as green or environmentally friendly, even though their intent is to bring in more visitors rather than truly protect the environment.” Still, there are a growing number of Alberta tourism operators who appear to meet the International Ecotourism Society’s definition of ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” For example, Inside Out Experience leads visitors on low-impact activities such as rafting and hiking and mountain biking (on established trails) from its base in Bragg Creek near Kananaskis Country; the company often picks clients up in a shuttle bus rather than have them all arrive in separate vehicles. During excursions, guides educate clients about the natural surroundings, outdoor etiquette (such as low-impact camping) and environmental impacts such as nearby logging. Inside Out Experience also gets as many goods and services as possible from Bragg Creek businesses, and it supports local aboriginal youth. “We’re training 12 kids from the Stoney Reserve to become hiking, biking and rafting guides this summer,” says company owner Andrew Pratt. “That also allows clients to learn about local history from an aboriginal perspective.” In the Porcupine Hills of southwest Alberta, Shaunere and Brian Lane have won a national environmental stewardship award for reducing grazing pressures, reviving native grasses and restoring creeks on their Brown Creek Ranch. Their rambling property is also a guest ranch to one family or couple at a time. “The guests get a chance to see a quiet working ranch and wildlife, too,” says Shaunere. “It’s nice to show people that their food begins on a family ranch in a clean, healthy atmosphere. It’s also important to be a steward, because a lot of good agricultural land is being bought up and turned into shopping centres.” Brown Creek Ranch ——————————————— Discussion PapersFeasibility of Ground Source Heat Pumps in Alberta Carbon Capture & Storage: The Need for a Longer-Term Collective Approach to Implementation Water and Energy Efficiency: The Link Climate Change - Securities Related Disclosure Requirements Biodiesel Vehicle Fuel: GHG Reductions, Air Emissions, Supply and Economic Overview Ethanol Vehicle Fuel: Energy Balance, GHG Reductions, Supply and Economic Overview Manure Management and Greenhouse Mitigation Techniques: A Comparative Analysis Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Opportunities for Reduction From The Alberta Swine Industry Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health Street Lighting and Traffic Signals Replacement Program Summary of Federal and Alberta Climate Change Plans Greenhouse Gas Offsets: An Introduction to Core Elements of an Offset Rule Implications of an Eco-Certification Program for Alberta Compliance and the Acid Rain Program Reduction and Removal of Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Alberta A Basis for Greenhouse Gas Trading in Agriculture —————————————– Eco-transport clears Banff skiesJason Hardy is no greenhorn when it comes to sustainable tourism transportation. The Banff Airporter owner used clean-burning natural gas to fuel his shuttle buses for five years, until costly technical problems prompted a search for a better alternative. He’s now switched to diesel vehicles that are using an ever-increasing amount of biodiesel.
“As a transportation company, we burn lots of fuel,” says Hardy, whose fleet uses some 25,000 litres of diesel a month transporting visitors between the Calgary International Airport and Banff. “We’re trying to make a difference and reduce our environmental footprint, so we’re interested in alternative fuels.” The biodiesel in the fleet’s fuel mix - which will increase from five per cent (B-5) now to 20 per cent (B-20) later this summer - currently comes already blended from Alberta sources of canola and rendering plant fat. But Banff Airporter is working with Red Deer College to develop a bioreactor on the company’s Banff premises, using cooking grease from local restaurants and hotels as a biodiesel feedstock. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Hardy. “We would be recycling a waste product that restaurants normally pay to get rid of, and at the same time we’d be saving money and reducing our environmental impact.” Transportation companies are among the biggest energy users in Alberta’s tourism industry. With soaring fuel prices, it makes economic sense to run the most efficient vehicles possible. Firms that take a greener approach are also finding it’s becoming a competitive advantage amongst tourists increasingly concerned about climate change. “I think if things like price are equal, more people will make choices based on who is making an environmental difference,” says Hardy. The Banff Airporter isn’t the only sustainable tourist transportation game in town. The Town of Banff recently launched a fleet of four biodiesel/electric hybrid buses. This combination of electric drive and biodiesel mechanical system is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 20 per cent compared with conventional buses. Down the highway in Canmore, Marcus Gorton found it made perfect sense to combine his degree in sustainable design with his experience in the taxi industry. So last year, he launched EcoCab, with a starter fleet of two hybrid taxis - a Toyota Prius and a Camry. On the road for 100,000 kilometres a year, they consume about half the gas and spew less than half the pollutants of regular cabs.
“Customers love it. A lot of locals are very environmentally friendly, and tourists are very interested in them; most have never been in a hybrid vehicle before,” says Gorton. “I believe in doing business in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.” Like Banff Airporter, EcoCab prints its promotional material on recycled paper and uses green cleaning products. Car rental companies are also responding to growing public environmental concerns. For example, the triumvirate of Enterprise, National and Alamo now allows customers to purchase carbon offsets when they rent vehicles. For about $1.25 per rental, matched by the companies, customers finance the planting of carbon-absorbing trees, expected to offset about half their vehicle emissions. The three car rental firms are also increasing the number of hybrid and E-85 ethanol vehicles in their fleets. Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 9th, 2008 From: naturalhabitat at naturalhabitat.rsys1.c… They write:
Bhutan is truly an anomaly in the contemporary world. This small kingdom in the heart of the Himalayas has remained in relative isolation, its Buddhist traditions and peaceable ways untouched by outside influence. Home to snow leopards, blue sheep, red pandas, Asian elephants and tigers, Bhutan’s environment and culture are strictly protected. Only since 1974 have tourists been allowed and visitors to Bhutan remain few. But those who have made the journey with us have discovered a mystical world of incredible mountains, wild rivers and friendly people.
Sincerely, P.S. We only have three places on our November 9 - 20, 2008 Bhutan: Spirit and Nature departure. Please call 1-800-543-8917 today if you’re interested in joining us.
Natural Habitat Adventures ————- Pincas Jawetz notes that he has been there - done that - and written about it. www.SustainabiliTank.info was quite intererested in the GNH idea and would like to see how this concept can be picked up for implementation in the West. Meetings at the University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada tried to investigate this and perhaps the day will come that Nations will agree to make their population’s happiness as their national goal. Permalink | ### |
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on July 5th, 2008
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Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on June 29th, 2008 As per e-mail and Conference website at http://www.aspo-usa.org/aspousa4/
—————– Agenda Spotlight: Sunday afternoon, Sept. 21 On Sunday you will be able to choose from the following concurrent sessions: - Reporting the Peak Oil Story
- Scenarios Planning for State and Local Government
————— Two Full Days of Plenary Sessions, on Monday, Sept. 22 and Tuesday, Sept. 23 Monday, Sept. 22 Demand, Meet Supply Our luncheon presentation will feature Jim Buckee on “Big Oil & Resource Nationalism”, and a surprise evening presentation (Hint: The words “Exponential” and “growth” will be mentioned.) Tuesday, Sept. 23 Where Now? Choices for the Long Haul
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