Sustainable Industrial Revolution

The authors of ‘Towards a Sustainable Industrial System’ are calling for an industrial equivalent of the human genome project in order to help business address the threat of global warming. Lead author Prof Steve Evans says the vision for the new industrial revolution was to create a system which delivers commercial success but uses a quarter of the current resources.

Call to drive the next industrial revolution

Industrialists, academics and government should join forces to drive a new industrial revolution which would help tackle climate change, says a new report.

The authors of “Towards a Sustainable Industrial System” are calling for an industrial equivalent of the human genome project in order to help business address the threat of global warming.

Some of the world’s leading manufacturing experts have combined to produce the report published by the University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing (IfM).

The ambitious venture aims to understand how essential elements of industrial systems – resources, processes and organisation – could be integrated to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining acceptable standards of living without damaging the planet.

A global co-operative research effort would provide an opportunity to pool expertise in industrial design, production research and regulation.

The project would help speed change through the rapid sharing and application of environmentally-sound manufacturing practices as well the systematic development of new green technologies and approaches.

The report, to be launched on September 23rd, is designed to highlight the benefits and opportunities which can flow from a more integrated approach to industrial sustainability.

It recommends a radical integrated approach to the analysis and design of industrial systems, many of which have grown in piecemeal fashion with little regard for overall impact.

Significant work has taken place targeting elements of the system, such as the use of raw materials, adopting frugal production processes and paying close attention to reuse and recycling.

But these can be dramatically enhanced if applied in the context of a broader view of the industrial system.

Following in the footsteps of the original human genome project, the project will take an ‘open source’ approach, enabling rapid dissemination of findings.

Initial areas of focus for the programme will include:

• The development of a handbook of examples of global best practice

• Support for short intensive programmes to enable companies to make immediate 10% environmental improvements

• Support re-education of existing workforce to swiftly implement changes

• Facilitate rapid adoption of industrial sustainability principles in workplaces, schools and universities

The report’s authors are Professor Steve Evans of Cranfield University, Professor Mike Gregory of the IfM, Professor Chris Ryan of the University of Melbourne and Professor Margareta Norell Bergendahl of the King’s Technical School, Sweden.

Lead author Prof Steve Evans described the importance of the report: “Groups like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have identified the environmental problems caused by industrial activity, but they lack the expertise and knowledge of industry.

“For years industrial academics have focused on efficiencies and technologies to speed production and save cash, now there’s an opportunity to focus these efforts on solving the greatest issues of our time.

“The opportunity and responsibility to effect change rests with those of us who work within the industrial system and that includes industrialists, policy makers and academics.

“Companies like Toyota, Philips, Xerox have led the way, making huge strides towards sustainability, now we in academia need to join forces to speed the change.

“There are major opportunities for companies that learn to do more with less. Not only will it add more to the firm’s bottom line, but by learning these new ‘green’ skills it makes them more adaptable in the future.”

He said the vision for the new industrial revolution was to create a system which delivers commercial success but uses a quarter of the current resources.

The paper will officially be launched today (September 23rd) ahead of the Institute for Manufacturing’s 14th annual Centre for International Manufacturing Symposium.

The Institute for Manufacturing

The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), is a division of the Department of Engineering. The IfM brings together expertise in management, economics and technology to address the full spectrum of industrial issues. Its activities integrate research and education with practical application in companies, providing a unique environment for the creation of new ideas and approaches to modern industrial practice. The IfM works closely with industry, at a regional, national and international level, providing strategic, technical and operational expertise to help companies to grow and to become more competitive.

IfM and sustainability

The Institute’s sustainable manufacturing group has published a range of research papers, including the 2006 “Well Dressed?” report on the sustainability of the textile industry. This work formed part of the Biffaward programme on sustainable resource use.

The IfM’s new building on the west Cambridge site was the first University of Cambridge building to hold an excellent rating in the coveted BREEAM environmental award.

Cranfield University

Is a wholly postgraduate institution with a worldwide reputation for excellence and expertise in aerospace, automotive, defence, engineering, environment and water, health, management and manufacturing. The University is made up of the following Schools: Cranfield Health, School of Management, School of Applied Sciences, School of Engineering, and Cranfield Defence and Security at Shrivenham.

Prof Stephen Evans

Professor Stephen Evans spent over 12 years working in industry after graduating from the University of Bath. His initial industrial experience was in a variety of manufacturing engineering roles leading to an emphasis on improving engineering performance. All excellent grounding for tackling complex, real-life problems.Stephen’s last industrial post was Engineering Systems Manager at Martin-Baker Engineering Limited, the world leading manufacturer of ejection seats. He researches and conducts projects with organisations on improving their performance in various dimensions – 1. designing more sustainable products and making them in more sustainable ways, 2. designing, making and serving more efficiently and effectively. These always include aspects of creative and joined up thinking that is a challenge to implement.Stephen has lead or co-lead the first UK EPSRC research projects in the fields of: Concurrent Engineering, Co-development, and Eco-design, plus leading EU projects in Innovation Measurement, Product-Service Systems and Quality Management. He is currently Special Adviser to the House of Lords inquiry into Waste Reduction.

Source: www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk and www.cranfield.ac.uk

South Korea Goes for Green Growth

President Lee Myung-bak is pushing a “low-carbon, green-growth” policy aimed at lessening South Korea’s dependence on fossil fuel and promoting the development of substitute energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and other technologies enhancing energy efficiency.

The Age (23September 2009):

South Korea rose from poverty to prosperity on the back of brawny industrialisation, manufacturing carbon-heavy autos, ships and steel for the rest of the world mostly under the stern guidance of military-backed governments.

Now, President Lee Myung-bak sees a crisis coming for Asia’s fourth-largest economy – one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas polluters – amid growing calls to curb global warming.

But Lee, a prominent player in South Korea’s industrialisation as the former CEO of a construction giant, also sees business opportunities lurking in the crisis. He is at the center of efforts to drive the country in a new direction.

Lee is pushing a “low-carbon, green-growth” policy aimed at lessening South Korea’s dependence on fossil fuel and promoting the development of substitute energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and other technologies enhancing energy efficiency.

The plan is seen by some as nothing less than an attempt to remodel the decades-old pattern of South Korea’s development and could set an example for other economies to follow. Others, however, call it nothing more than old-fashioned pump-priming in a green guise.

“Global warming is a crisis while at the same time an opportunity that can create a gigantic market as it takes a tremendous amount of investment to address it,” Lee said in his regular radio address to the nation last month.

The United Nations, which is promoting a campaign to lower greenhouse gas emissions, has praised Lee’s plan as a “major attempt to fundamentally transform the country’s growth paradigm.”

Granted, South Korea is not alone in seeking to add a green hue to its traditionally smokestack heavy economy.

Japan aims to expand the “green business” market and create up to a million new jobs. Taiwan says it will invest $US1.3 billion ($1.51 billion) over the next five years to expand and upgrade the island’s solar and wind energy industries and help reduce the use of fuel.

But South Korea’s drive, involving some $US87 billion ($100.82 billion) of spending over the next five years, stands out not only for its scale, but also in terms of the strength of Lee’s commitment.

It has become an overarching basis for government policies, and Lee rarely fails to mention it in public speeches.

He even wore a green necktie during a national ceremony last month in a gesture underscoring his commitment to the policy.

Lee’s “five-year green growth plan,” announced in July, aims to spend 107 trillion won ($100.82 billion) on a variety of projects to reduce emissions and develop cutting-edge technologies and other areas.

It is reminiscent of a “five-year economic development plan” that former general-turned-president Park Chung-hee initiated in 1962 to rebuild a country devastated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

That drive, repeatedly extended for decades by successive military-backed governments, is credited for driving the country’s rapid transformation into an economic power. South Korea became fully democratic in the late 1980s.

The industrialization, however, made South Korea one of the greatest producers of greenhouse gases blamed for dangerously warming the globe. The country now fears its economy could suffer unless it is ready for a mandatory requirement to cut emissions at a UN meeting or if higher trade barriers are built against big emitters like it.

Other challenges Lee’s green initiative aims to tackle include the country’s heavy dependence on oil and gas imports, which account for a third of total imports, and slowing economic growth.

“Without this, we can’t get out of energy vulnerability, and growth will remain stagnant,” said Kim Sang-hyup, presidential secretary for national future and vision. “That’s why we say this is a strong growth policy.”

Key areas of green technologies that South Korea plans to focus on include solar cell, hydrogen fuel cell, wind energy, and light-emitting diodes or LEDs, which are used in making energy-efficient bulbs and other products.

Experts say these areas, though unfamiliar, have strong growth potential, and South Korea can excel in them because it can apply its world-class technologies, such as those used in semiconductor or shipbuilding.

Local environmentalists, however, criticize Lee’s initiative for including a massive construction project aimed at overhauling the nation’s four major rivers, claiming it is a pretext to push for his unpopular campaign pledge to build a grand canal through the country.

About a fifth of the five-year green growth budget is set aside for the river project.

“It’s just an economic stimulus package creating menial jobs in construction projects like the four rivers’ project,” said Lee Sung-jo, an activist with the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement.

AP

Source: www.theage.com.au

Climate Camp at Oldest Coal Mine

“We’re tired of airy fairy schemes, half-baked plots and weaselly excuses for increasing pollution, putting our drinking water at risk, and stalling on renewable energy jobs. We need less pollution and more clean renewable energy like solar and wind – it’s that simple,” says Climate Camp spokesperson, Jessica Miller.

Announced: Climate Camp 09 at Australia’s Oldest Coal Mine in Helensburgh.

Thursday October 24, Sydney/Illawarra, NSW — Climate Camp 09 will take place on Dharawal land in Helensburgh 40 minutes south of Sydney at Proud Park near the site of the Metropolitan Collieries, from October 9-11.

Climate Camp is 3-days of sustainable living, workshops, art and music. It will conclude in a peaceful direct action near the Metropolitan Collieries, to send a strong signal to the NSW Government and polluting industries that when it comes to climate, water and jobs in NSW, stalling, excuses and empty promises are not acceptable.

“We’re tired of airy fairy schemes, half-baked plots and weaselly excuses for increasing pollution, putting our drinking water at risk, and stalling on renewable energy jobs. We need less pollution and more clean renewable energy like solar and wind – it’s that simple,” says Climate Camp Spokesperson, Jessica Miller.

Jessica Miller, who was previously with Climate Friendly, was asked to tell in her own words about it Climate Camp and her involvement in the movement:

“There are many ways to see Climate Camp, but I suppose that at its core it is a group of people who have legitimate concerns about their future and their communities, and are fed-up with government rhetoric and inaction on climate change.

“Though Kevin Rudd says much about climate change (just look at what’s come out of New York), rather than investing in renewable energy, his government is expanding of coal-fired power stations and giving billions of dollars worth of concessions to the biggest polluters. Actions speak louder than words.

“It is truly frustrating. There are so many brilliant Australia entrepreneurs who are chomping at the bit to install wind farms, large scale solar, wave and other renewable technologies but who are on the verge of going broke because this government is not providing adequate incentives.

“People in the Illawarra, Latrobe and Hunter Valleys don’t particularly like working in mines – it’s a dirty, exhausting job – they don’t want their kids to do it. But rather than transitioning these communities to jobs in renewable energy, the Government keep the mines going, refusing to see beyond the next election, coal in Australia is a cheap buck. And irresistible to the NSW Government, who we all know are scraping for pennies and who are willing to allow mines to expand regardless of the impact on rivulets and our drinking-water supply.

“Walk against Warming, 350.org and Climate Camps all over Australia represent a new climate movement. The movement builds on, but is quite distinct from the ‘Environment Movement’. Far from a bunch of dread-locked hippies, the new climate movement represents people who are legitimately concerned by the excuses, stalling and inaction from Government – we are public servants, journalists, tradies, Mums, Dads, Grandparents, scientists, teachers and regular people.

“Climate Camp is huge in the UK. Because it is made-up of grass roots people and is free of vested interests; provides popular education on a range of climate-related issues; promotes sustainable living (we’re solar-powered, supply only local food and recycle all the way), climate justice and seeks to legitimise non-violent direct action as a responsible, reasonable and just thing to do considering the climate risks if we choose to do nothing.”

In June, NSW Planning Minister Keneally approved a $50 million expansion of the Metropolitan Collieries, the first decision since a major government inquiry into the impact of coal mining on water in the Southern Coalfields. The approval allows for longwall mining to take place directly under the Woronora Dam, one of Sydney’s most reliable drinking water sources.

In what could be a landmark case, the Environmental Defenders Office is working with community group Rivers SOS to take the NSW Government to the Land and Environment Court to challenge the legality of the mining approval process.

“River SOS exists to campaign for the protection of river systems against the impacts of mining. The integrity of our water supplies has never been more threatened, with predicted climate change-induced drought and damaging impacts on the catchments due to longwall coal mining of an extent and intensity never seen before.

This is a totally unacceptable and reckless position that the Government has taken, and for this reason we welcome the opportunity to unite with the other at Climate Camp in roundly condemning it,” said Julie Sheppard, Rivers SOS secretary.

“Climate Camp 09 is about ensuring that a good, healthy, clean and safe life is guaranteed for our kids and communities and we fully support Rivers SOS taking the NSW Government to court to account for their recklessness,” says Miller.

The entire community is invited to attend Climate Camp 09.  A solar-powered and family-friendly event, Climate Camp offers something for everyone. There will be a kids’ program as well as discussions and practical forums that tackle a range of issues from sustainable economics, how to make a worm farm to climate science.

Climate Camp addresses how we as everyday people in our communities can ensure that our interests are put ahead of corporate interests and irresponsible politicians.

Source: www.climatecamp.org.au

Cool Change or Hotter Than Ever?

Worldwide, it was the third-warmest June quarter on record, and the warmest ever observed for the world’s oceans, observed author Bob Henson. Some thought it was cooler than usual.  As always, it’s critical to look beyond a single cool spell—or even a cool season over an entire region—to see what’s happening to our planet’s climate in full.

Bob Henson in UCAR Communications  (21 September 2009):  

If you’re a gardener in New England, you might remember the wet, cool summer of 2009 for its tomatoes and potatoes, ravaged by the earliest and most widespread “late blight” on record. If you’re from south Texas, you were probably just trying to keep green things alive in heat and drought on par with the Dust Bowl’s worst.

Such were the contrasts of the season across the United States. Rumor has it that it was a cool, damp summer—and indeed it was, if you happened to live in the populous Midwest and Northeast. It was the coolest July on record in five states: Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  For the country as a whole, meteorological summer (June through August) came in as the 30th coolest in the last 115 years.

Some folks took the mild summer in the central and northeast U.S. as a sign that global climate change has been overblown. But, when you step back and look at the June-through-August period for Earth as a whole, central North America stands out as one of the few areas where temperatures were below average.

In the graphic (go to website to view) from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, most other parts of the globe are swathed in above-average red, with places like Winnipeg and Chicago enveloped in a small oasis of below-average blue.

Worldwide, it was the third-warmest June/July/August on record, and the warmest ever observed for the world’s oceans, according to NCDC. Let’s look at some of the numbers, which I’ll give in the temperature scale in which they were reported, followed by a conversion to the other scale (Fahrenheit or Celsius).

The frequent lake breezes that kept Chicago air-conditioned this summer, and the delightful absence of hazy heat in New York’s Central Park, where it never topped 92°F (33.3°C), sounded pleasant enough. Yet the records being set on the other side of the country were not only more impressive but more dangerous. 

In July, at least three major cities—Austin, San Antonio, and Phoenix—had their hottest single months ever recorded. So did Death Valley, California, where 22 days reached or topped 120°F (48.9°C). And Seattle smashed its all-time daily heat record, hitting 103°F (39.5°C), an event extensively chronicled by University of Washington professor Cliff Mass in his weather blog.

Australia was unusually hot too—especially noteworthy given that it was still winter on that side of the globe.  As noted by the Bureau of Meteorology, August was the most anomalously warm month in the continent’s history (bureau statement, PDF), running an impressive 3.20°C (5.76°F) above average.  Many parts of Australia topped 35°C (95°F) at least once in August.  Brisbane hit highs in midwinter that it hadn’t reached even in the preceding summer.

As always, it’s critical to look beyond a single cool spell—or even a cool season over an entire region—to see what’s happening to our planet’s climate in full.

About Bob Henson

Edit the UCAR Quarterly. The Quarterly brings news from UCAR and its member institutions to the research community.

Edit Highlights, the magazine-style summary of UCAR/NCAR/UOP research and support activitiespublished every two years.

Help write news releases and assist with media inquiries, particularly those involving severe weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.).

My background

On July 20, 1960, I was born in the Great Plains metropolis of Oklahoma City, my hometown through high school. Surrounded by wild weather, I grew up fascinated by it. My bachelor’s degree at Rice University featured an interdisciplinary major in meteorology and psychology. I went to graduate school in both meteorology and journalism at the University of Oklahoma. For my M.A. thesis in journalism, I studied the broadcasting of severe weather warnings on local television.

I’ve been at UCAR since 1989, covering the wide range of research and related activities conducted by NCAR, UOP, and UCAR’s members and affiliates.

I enjoy freelance writing on a variety of topics. I am a contributing editor of Weatherwise magazine and was a frequent correspondent for the The Weather Notebook radio show. I’ve written Television Weathercasting: A History (McFarland, 1990), The Rough Guide to Weather (Rough Guides/Penguin, 2002), and The Rough Guide to Climate Change (Penguin, 2006).

Bicycling: I’ve done several tours of 200-800 miles and spend a lot of my transportation time on two wheels.

Storm photography: Over the past 25 years, while on research experiments and personal travel, I’ve seen around 30 tornadoes and a vast array of severe thunderstorms. To the right is a photograph of a rotating LP (low-precipitation) supercell near Wray, Colorado, on June 2, 1999, with a small rain core impersonating a tornado.

About UCAR

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research promotes partnership in a collaborative community dedicated to understanding the atmosphere—the air around us—and the interconnected processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research and UCAR’s community programs provide research, observing and computing facilities, and a variety of services for the atmospheric and Earth sciences community. 

NCAR and the UCAR Community Programs are managed by UCAR, a nonprofit consortium of research universities, on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the university community.

Source: www.ucar.edu

Green Generation for Global Action

“We need a revolution,” writes Richard Branson. “A revolution in the way we think about the world. The world is in greater peril than ever. But we also have unprecedented opportunities to build a sustainable future.”

By Richard Branson and Kathleen Rogers in a Special for CNN (24 September 2009):

(CNN) — As global leaders convene in New York City for UN climate change talks and the Clinton Global Initiative, the world is in greater peril than ever. But we also have unprecedented opportunities to build a sustainable future.

While technology continues to improve the standard of living for millions, there are still millions more living in abject poverty. Thousands of people die every day from preventable, treatable diseases like AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Conflicts continue to devastate the globe, leaving far too many people with no education, no democracy, no government, no enforceable legal system — and often no simple choices to lead themselves to a better life.

To compound these troubles, our planet faces its biggest challenge and greatest threat from the increasing problems posed by climate change. The only way we can address the scale and urgency of this challenge is by coming together.

We need a revolution. A revolution in the way we think about the world. A revolution in the way we work together for common interest, and a revolution in our approach to tackling tough social and environmental problems.

This revolution will reinvent our economic system, to ensure the sustainability of life on our planet by developing a world of prosperity for all in a low carbon economy. We have personally seen the results of bringing together the best minds from all sectors to think through how each of us can contribute to such a revolution.

It is an imperative that transportation companies look for alternatives to dirty fuels , and while re-engineering our businesses to reduce our carbon footprint, we’re investing in clean technology and partnering with companies committed to doing business responsibly.

More businesses must join with governments, entrepreneurs, and non-profits to address climate change. People will matter most in this fight — we need entrepreneurial spirit and energy to come together with a whole new way of working in the world.

Similar to “The Greatest Generation” who confronted the challenge of World War II and inspired the major societal changes that followed, the new “Green Generation” includes ordinary people engaged in individual and collective activities to improve urgent national and global issues, such as climate change or the world’s water crises.

Increasingly, members of the Green Generation will be bound together in a movement that must radically eclipse other monumental changes in social and industrial history.

Collaboration is essential. Organizations like Virgin Unite, the Virgin Group’s non-profit foundation , and the Carbon War Room have joined with groups like the Earth Day Network to tackle tough social and environmental problems and to raise awareness in the next generation.

Social innovators like Ashoka organization founder Bill Drayton and Muhammad Yunus who started the concept of micro credit and those working individually like the Goldman Environmental Prize winners are taking new paths in resolving social and environmental problems.

Why is an entrepreneurial approach needed? Entrepreneurs play a unique role in tackling environmental problems head on because we spot possibilities where others only see obstacles. We convened the Carbon War Room to deliver sustainable market models to increase the effectiveness of climate change efforts underway.

The same unconventional approaches that enabled icons like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to revolutionize personal computing, or Pierre Omidyar and Jeff Skoll to develop an ingenious online marketplace can help alleviate the tremendous suffering that persists in the world and combat the threats posed by climate change.

We are supporting the 40th anniversary of Earth Day next April. In advance of that event, we think now is a pivotal time for people, businesses and governments to join together to create a global green economy.

Over one billion people including 17,000 partners in 180 countries participate in Earth Day each year, because of their shared sense of responsibility and urgency about the future.

The next revolution will be a sustainable one, moving away from the excesses of the industrial revolution to a new future based on protecting and valuing our natural resources. We have to serve the Earth as well as its people, and come together as we face this, the defining challenge of our time.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Richard Branson and Kathleen Rogers.

Sir Richard Branson founded a mail-order record retailer in England in 1970 that grew into the Virgin Group of about 200 companies in over 30 countries. Kathleen Rogers is president of the Earth Day Network which promotes environmental causes, and she has worked for more than 20 years as an environmental attorney and advocate.

Source:  www.earthday.net  and www.cnn.com

Green Roofs & Global Greenhouse Cities

Green Roofs Australia held their national conference in Melbourne this week and President Sidonie Carpenter announced the hosting of the 2012 Cities Alive Australia World Green Infrastructure Congress in Brisbane. More on how global cities are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the role of green roofing.

Green Roofs Australia Inc (GRA Inc) is the host of the 2012 Cities Alive Australia World Green Infrastructure Congress from 12 – 20 October. Global owner of this annual event is the Toronto, Canada-based Green Roofs Infrastructure Network (WGRIN). GRA Inc is one of 12 national associations that are now WGRIN members.

The Brisbane-led congress is being planned with four major themes for papers and displays on green roofs, green walls and allied technologies.  The focus will be on the HOT-DRY green roof and green wall technology considered essential for future responses to many of the world’s climate change problems and transport cost problems.  A call for papers and displays is now open.

The first week of the congress will be held in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Southbank.

Source: www.greenroofs.wordpress.com

American Chemical Society: Global cities and greenhouse gas emissions

Denver released the largest amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) and Barcelona the smallest amount in a new study documenting how differences in climate, population density and other factors affect GHG emissions in global cities. The study, which could identify ways in which cities can reduce GHG emissions, is scheduled for October 1 issue of ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

Christopher Kennedy and colleagues note in the new study that some cities are developing strategies to reduce releases of GHG, which include carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that can contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect. Not enough information was previously available on why emissions vary considerably among different cities. The authors asked, “How and why do emissions differ between cities?”

To help answer those questions, the scientists analyzed those variations and how climate, power generation, transportation, waste processing, and other factors contributed to the differences. Denver had the highest overall GHG emissions, with levels two to five times higher than other cities. Its high levels were due partly to its high use of electricity, heating and industrial fuels, and ground transportation, they note. Los Angeles was second on the list, followed by Toronto and Cape Town (tied for third), Bangkok, New York City, London, Prague, Geneva, and Barcelona.

‘Green’ roofs may help put lid on global warming

“Green” roofs, those increasingly popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global warming, scientists in Michigan are reporting. The scientists found that replacing traditional roofing materials in an urban area the size of Detroit, with a population of about one-million, with green would be equivalent to eliminating a year’s worth of carbon dioxide emitted by 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks. Their study, the first of its kind to examine the ability of green roofs to sequester carbon which may impact climate change, is scheduled for the Oct. 1 issue of ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

Kristin Getter and colleagues point out in the new study that green roofs are multi-functional. They reduce heating and air conditioning costs, for instance, and retain and detain stormwater. Researchers knew that green roofs also absorb carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, but nobody had measured the impact until now.

The scientists measured carbon levels in plant and soil samples collected from 13 green roofs in Michigan and Maryland over a two-year period. They found that green roofing an urban area of about one million people would capture more than 55,000 tons of carbon, the scientists say. That’s an amount “similar to removing more than 10,000 mid-sized SUV or trucks off the road a year,” the article notes.

Source: www.eurekalert.org

One Fine Day: 100% Clean Energy

There is a proven way to rapidly boost the adoption of renewable energy – give companies or individuals who want to generate green energy access to the grid and promise to pay them extra for the electricity they “feed in” over the next 20 years or so. The New Scientist says so!

By Ben Crystall in the New Scientist(15 September 2009):

Paying people who generate green energy and feed it back to the grid is the best way to boost uptake of renewable energy.

ONE day, 100 per cent of our energy will have to come from renewable sources. But how do we make it happen?

There is a proven way to rapidly boost the adoption of renewable energy – give companies or individuals who want to generate green energy access to the grid and promise to pay them extra for the electricity they “feed in” over the next 20 years or so.

This approach is known as a feed-in tariff, and since Germany introduced feed-in tariffs in 1990, the proportion of electricity it generates from renewable sources has grown from less than 3 per cent to about 15 per cent in 2008. By comparison, the UK, which tried to boost renewable energy through an alternative “green certificate” scheme, generated just 5 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources in 2008.

Other countries are now trying to emulate Germany’s success. To date, 21 European countries have introduced some form of feed-in tariff, and this year the UK, South Africa and the Canadian province of Ontario announced plans to implement similar schemes.

The catch with feed-in tariffs is that consumers or taxpayers have to foot the bill for the higher price paid for renewable energy. Partly for this reason, they generally favour or are limited to smaller generators. While this is not ideal, small power generators can make a big difference if there are enough of them. According to some estimates, microgeneration could provide up to 40 per cent of the UK’s electricity by 2050.

Even with guaranteed prices, though, the initial investment in the generating equipment – a photovoltaic panel, say, or a small wind generator – puts the technology beyond the budget of most households. Fortunately there are other ways for people to take advantage of feed-in tariffs.

More than 350,000 households in Germany hold shares in wind turbines, and almost all wind farms in Denmark are community owned. By providing people living close to the generators with extra income, community-owned renewable power schemes can also help overcome local opposition to what people might otherwise see as intrusive wind turbines.

Read more: Blueprint for a better world

Source: www.newscientist.com

Voluntary Climate Action Must Count

Growing uncertainty around key policy decisions here in Australia are fuelling confusion and doubt about how best to combat climate change. The government needs to clearly account for voluntary action separately – like buying Green Power –  thereby recognising the additional environmental benefits and preventing free kicks to polluters. A hard hitting exclusive article by Freddy Sharpe, CEO, Climate Friendly.

Article by Freddy Sharpe, CEO, Climate Friendly

Fixing climate change – if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well

Headline-grabbing behaviour by carbon companies in Papua New Guinea and the growing uncertainty around key policy decisions here in Australia are fuelling confusion and doubt about how best to combat climate change.

In particular, concerned individuals and businesses who want to do the right thing and voluntarily take action now are at risk of being discouraged from doing anything at all.  Quite rightly, we want to be absolutely certain that our actions are having a direct and meaningful impact on reducing emissions. And recent events do not inspire such certainty.

If you believe the economists, none of us should be acting voluntarily anyway.  Economic theory tells us that public benefit and private cost are not natural bed-fellows.  Strange creatures that we humans are, we would rather wallow in our communal mess than risk giving our fellow citizens a free ride at our expense by paying for the cleanup.  That’s why we have tax and welfare systems, to socialise the costs of what we euphemistically call externalities (minor things like ensuring clean air, healthy people and not cooking the planet).

However, many of us are taking voluntary action on climate change.  Reducing energy consumption, installing renewable technologies like solar hot water and solar electricity, buying green power and purchasing carbon offsets can all make a significant difference to our national emissions. 

As a result voluntary markets are growing rapidly and, in Australia, we are more than doing our fair share.  Last year, the global volume of voluntary carbon trades doubled and, after the US and Europe, we have the largest number of companies taking voluntary action. 

We need to encourage this trend, not undermine it.  There is one particularly bewildering paradox we need to resolve.  As a result of Australia having committed to a binding national target for its emissions by ratifying the Kyoto protocol in January last year, no voluntary activity now undertaken within Australia has any additional impact on our emissions.  In fact, the more that voluntary actions cut emissions, the more room big polluters have to pollute. 

To explain this absurdity, let’s consider an unrelated topic with which we are all familiar – the education system.  The government’s policy on education commits them to providing a certain level of funding for schools.   Imagine if the policy went on to say that, for every dollar of additional funds raised voluntarily by parents (through sausage sizzles and the like), the government would withdraw one dollar.  Overall, the funding target would be met but the incentive for any parent to act voluntarily would be totally removed.

So it is with emission reductions.  The overall Kyoto target will be met, but anyone acting voluntarily is giving a free kick to a big polluter who would otherwise be forced to reduce their emissions. 

A particularly good example of this confusion involves Australian Green Power.  When first introduced, this world-leading scheme allowed concerned electricity consumers to buy power, at a premium, from renewable generators such as wind farms.  Because we had no national emissions target, these purchases were guaranteed both to provide additional funding to the development of clean energy and to make genuinely additional reductions in our overall emissions.  Unfortunately, that second point no longer holds true.  While the context has changed, the scheme has not.

Happily, however, this whole issue can be quickly and easily resolved with a simple policy change.  The government needs to clearly account for voluntary action separately, thereby recognising the additional environmental benefits and preventing free kicks to polluters.

The current state of confusion is compounded by other unanswered questions, such as what (if anything) will replace the Greenhouse Friendly scheme.  This government programme, designed to support Australian voluntary carbon offset projects and which touches many businesses and consumers, is being phased out from July next year.  A key framework for future offset activities, the proposed National Carbon Offset Standard, has yet to be released.  Uncertainty abounds.

As important as policy certainty is the need to ensure trust in corporate behaviour.  The Global Financial Crisis has highlighted the universal truth that ignoring long-term risk for short-term gain will eventually prove our undoing. It’s only ever a matter of time.  It’s certainly true of climate change risk, as the science increasingly informs us.  By the same logic, short term actions that damage trust in the integrity of legitimate carbon markets must be avoided. 

The recent events involving carbon firms in Papua New Guinea highlight the critical importance of robust policy and legal frameworks that protect the interests of all parties.   These need to be supported by rigorous third-party validation and verification of emission reduction activities.  In this way, confidence can be maintained.

If acting on climate change is worth doing, and it certainly is, it’s worth doing well.  Eliminating confusion and ensuring transparent behaviour will provide the certainty and confidence that we need in order to act.

Source: www.climatefriendly.com

All at Sea: Toxic Oil Slick is a Killer

Four weeks after the Montaro Field oil leak began, the well head remains uncapped and the toxic slick continues to spread, covering an area north of Australia at least 100 times the size of Sydney Harbour. “It is unfortunate that this unfolding wildlife crisis is not being given the urgency and attention it deserves. Out of sight should not mean out of mind,” said WWF’s Dr Gilly Llewellyn.

Toxic oil spill likely to affect thousands

Up to fifteen species of whale and dolphin, over thirty seabird species and five turtle species are the potential victims of the Montaro Field oil leak, which continues to pour out an estimated 400 barrels of oil each day.

New estimates show up to 30,000 individual sea snakes and 16,000 turtles may be found in the area affected by the oil leak’s slick.

Four weeks after the leak began, the well head remains uncapped and the toxic slick from this chronic oil leak continues to spread, with estimates of between 6,500 and 15,000 km2 being covered – an area at least 100 times the size of Sydney Harbour.

These figures are contained in a new report by Australian ecologist Simon Mustoe (CenvP) for WWF-Australia, titled Montara Field Oil Leak and Biodiversity Values, which, released today examines the likely impacts of the toxic oil slick on the region’s wildlife.

“We need to shatter the myth that oil an spill only affects marine wildlife when it washes up on our beaches,” said Dr Gilly Llewellyn, WWF-Australia’s Conservation Director.

Marine wildlife communities, habitats and species, their location, conservation status, significance under the EPBC Act and vulnerability to the Montara Field oil leak are analysed in the report, painting a picture of an unseen marine community under continuing threat from the leak. 

“This area has a huge amount of marine life, including some of the most iconic wildlife in the oceans. Species such as Fraser’s dolphin, green and flatback turtles and red-footed booby migrate through this area and may come into contact with the slick.

“We should not be lulled into thinking that spraying dispersants on the surface solves the problem. These dispersants may end up actually raising the level of toxicity in the water column while sinking some of the oil currently on the surface into deeper water,” said Dr Llewellyn.

As seabirds spend a large amount of time on the surface of the water, the report highlights that they are particularly vulnerable to the oil slick on the surface.

The report also shows the duration of the leak and slick to be a major concern, with risks to large numbers of individual species and possibly longer-term effects on both individuals and populations.

WWF will next week launch a research trip from Darwin to the affected area to assess first hand the marine life and the potential impacts of the slick.

“It is unfortunate that this unfolding wildlife crisis is not being given the urgency and attention it deserves. Out of sight should not mean out of mind,” said Dr Llewellyn.

“The only way to really know what marine life is at risk from this toxic slick is to actually go to the affected region and do the research.

“We will be happy to share our findings with companies and government organisations tasked with cleaning up after this disaster.

“But more importantly, as the threat of more oil and gas infrastructure in this fragile marine region grows, we must make sure that the very real risk of more leaks is taken into account.”

A copy of the report – Montaro Field Oil Leak and Biodiversity Values is available from WWF.

Source: www.wwf.org.au

Tasty Blend of Science & Stormwater

This is an exciting demonstration of the value of stormwater and the drinking water that can be produced from it by using a combination of natural treatment processes and engineered methods, says the CSIRO.

This is your chance to taste what science can do for you.

17 September 2009

CSIRO scientists have bottled ‘Recharge’ , pure drinking water that was once stormwater.

“This is an exciting demonstration of the value of stormwater and the drinking water that can be produced from it by using a combination of natural treatment processes and engineered methods,” CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Urban Water Stream Leader Dr Peter Dillon said.

The water was captured in the City of Salisbury, on the Northern Adelaide Plains in South Australia. It was stored under Salisbury in a porous limestone aquifer 160m below ground.

“ This is an exciting demonstration of the value of stormwater and the drinking water that can be produced from it by using a combination of natural treatment processes and engineered methods,”CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Urban Water Stream Leader Dr Peter Dillon said.

When recovered it was found to meet drinking water health standards.

“The stormwater was first treated by passing it through a reed bed or wetland,” Dr Dillon said.

“This allows particles to settle. It was then injected via wells into a limestone aquifer for storage and months of natural slow filtration through the aquifer.”

After recovery the water was rigorously tested in National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratories.

For extra safeguard and aesthetic quality the water was aerated, filtered through an activated carbon filter and it underwent microfiltration and ultraviolet disinfection.

‘Recharge’ complies with the same health standards as tap and bottled water.

Dr Dillon said the water demonstrates that drinking water can be produced from stormwater, and that the concept can be part of a suite of diversified water supply options.

“Compared to other common alternative supplies stormwater harvesting is cheaper, energy efficient and has a small carbon footprint.”

“It also avoids the economic, social and environmental costs of building new dams for water storage and shows the value of urban aquifers.”

CSIRO scientists are continuing to test the robustness of the concept to ensure water can be produced that consistently meets drinking water health standards.

‘Recharge’ was produced by CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Flagship and the City of Salisbury.

The water will be available for public tastings at: The CSIRO stand at the Reuse 09 conference and exhibition at the Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Centre from Monday 21 September to Thursday 24 September.

CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The 10 Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.

Source: www.csiro.au