China: Clean Energy Hero or a Nation Dammed?

Tackling environmental problems from carbon emissions to water pollution will be a key focus of a new five-year plan that China will launch during its annual parliament session starting this weekend. The plan for 2011-2015, including new directives aimed at reversing the damage done by 30 years of untrammelled growth, will also aim to give a fillip to clean and renewable energy. But the commitment to cleaning up rivers could be undermined if binding carbon targets lead to a renewed drive for large hydropower dams and reservoirs throughout China.

David Stanway for Reuters in Climate Spectator (4 March 2011):

Tackling environmental problems from carbon emissions to water pollution will be a key focus of a new five-year plan that China will launch during its annual parliament session starting this weekend.

The plan for 2011-2015 will include new directives aimed at reversing the damage done by 30 years of untrammelled growth, and it will also aim to give a fillip to clean and renewable energy.

The challenges were put in stark focus in an essay by environment minister Zhou Shengxian on Monday.

“The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the deterioration of the environment have become serious bottlenecks constraining economic and social development,” he wrote.

China, the world’s biggest source of climate change-inducing greenhouse gases, will put the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions at the top of its agenda.

But those same commitments could also spell bad news for China’s vulnerable river systems with hydropower capacity set to surge by 140 gigawatts by 2015. That’s nearly three times Australia’s total power generation capacity.

Beijing has already pledged to reduce carbon intensity – the amount of CO2 produced per unit of economic growth – by 40-45 per cent by 2020 from 2005 levels.

It also aims to raise the share of renewables to 15 per cent of the country’s total energy mix.

“The targets will not be as ambitious as we hoped, because the 2020 targets aren’t that ambitious,” said Ailun Yang, China campaign manager with Greenpeace.

“I would put much more emphasis on the detailed measures, which are much more important than the targets themselves.”

Detailed targets will emerge in the coming months as individual industries issue their own five-year plans.

The government wants to clean up heavy industries such as steel and aluminum, encourage non-fossil fuels, cut nitrogen oxide emissions and improve water and air quality.

BUSINESS AS USUAL?

Enforcing new restrictions and targets, especially for CO2 emissions, will test the central government’s clout.

Premier Wen Jiabao said last month China would cut energy and carbon intensity by 16-17 percent over the 2011-2015 period, less of a challenge than the 17.3 percent figure suggested last year.

Experts say energy intensity — the amount used per unit of GDP — needs to fall by 20 percent to achieve an 18 percent cut in CO2 intensity, but Wen did not make the distinction.

Yang Fuqiang, director of global climate solutions at the Worldwide Fund for Nature, said cutting CO2 intensity by less than 17 percent was little more than “business as usual.”

“There is a game being played by the central and local governments, and if the central government adopts 16 percent they will lose their authority because it shows that ‘government orders don’t go beyond Zhongnanhai’,” he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party headquarters in Beijing.

Yang said a 16 percent cut could allow China to hit the 40 percent carbon intensity goal by 2020, while an 18 percent cut would take it toward the higher 45 percent target.

A commitment to use market mechanisms in the fight against climate change is also expected, with a number of provinces keen to launch pilot emissions trading programs. Detailed plans will emerge later this year.

Analysts have said China might consider an absolute energy consumption cap over the 2011-2015 period, and draft policies to restrict coal production to 3.6-3.8 billion tons by 2015 have also been leaked to the local press. Provinces such as Guangdong might impose their own energy caps to stimulate city-to-city emission trading, but government researchers have dismissed the idea of a national limit.

“There are no such plans,” said Zheng Shuai, researcher at the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, but added some academics have proposed Beijing implement a limit on fossil fuel use without imposing an overall cap on energy use.

“This is more realistic because it will allow and encourage the use of renewable energy,” Zheng said.

DAM NATION

China is desperate to improve its depleted, contaminated rivers, which have been blighted by a spate of burst tailings dams, untreated chemical discharges and plant explosions in the past five years.

In 2009, nearly 20 percent of the length of China’s major rivers and lakes were judged unfit even for irrigating crops, according to government figures.

Environment minister Zhou said Beijing will aim to cut 2007 levels of heavy metal discharges in key regions and industries by 15 percent in the next five years.

“We understand thousands of key heavy metal polluters will be put under tightened monitoring and this is important,” said Ma Jun of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a non-government organization that monitors water pollution.

“But there is a lack of transparency and we believe public scrutiny could generate the motivation to cut their emissions.”

China will also push for more water conservation, imposing stricter water consumption standards heavy industry.

“We expect to see more action on that but I still believe that the first step is pollution,” said Ma.

“The huge volume of wastewater discharge is destroying our very limited clean water resources and if we continue to allow that we cannot talk about recycling and conservation.”

But the commitment to cleaning up rivers could be undermined if binding carbon targets lead to a renewed drive for large hydropower dams and reservoirs throughout China.

The five-year energy sector plan is expected to back controversial hydropower plants on China’s Nu River, also known as the Salween. Previously untouched rivers in Tibet may be next.

“We need to realize that large hydro by itself has such a large environmental impact that it shouldn’t be considered a renewable energy,” said Ma.

“In 2004, China overtook the United States as the world’s largest hydropower capacity but the plan is to more than triple that by 2020 — that means in many of our rivers there won’t be running water.”

Source: www.climatespectator.com.au

South Korea and Malaysia Building Up To A Green Tomorrow

South Korea confirmed its position as the Asian nation most determined to attain a low carbon future before anyone else with its Green Tomorrow plan set out by leading architectural firm Samoo at the second annual Green Building Asia event in Singapore last month, while Malaysia showed that it means business with its home grown Green Building Index and the work of Serina Hijjas, along with the important role played by IEN Consultants.

At the Green Building Asia Conference in Singapore 23/24 February, three presentation stood out amongst the others. To an audience of architects, engineers, developers, as well as Government representatives – and including abc carbon express editor – the two days involved a wealth of vital information and case studies of achievements from different countries in Asia Pacific.

Confirming the leadership position of South Korea was the presentation by two architects from the leading South Korean firm SAMOO, Byung-chul Shin and Michael Park. Some glimpses of what they covered are highlighted here.

Then Malaysia had its chance, and it had an ideal representative in the form of Serina Hijjas, Director of Hijjas Kasturi, Architects, who is also a contributor to the country’s Green Building Index.  Reinforcing Malaysia’s advance in this field was Poul Kristensen, Managing Director of Ien Consultants, who have been involved in a number of green building projects in Malaysia. More on Malaysia’s work follows:

Background on South Korea’s work on sustainable buildings:

In South Korea, as reported by Sung-Woo Shin of Hanyang University in a 2008 paper entitled “Current Work & Future Trends for Sustainable Buildings in South Korea”, a significant number of policies aimed at supporting a sustainable building related system has been implemented by the South Korean government.

These policies include those aimed at reducing the amount of raw materials used, saving energy, reducing waste, and improving building and material durability. As Professor Shin adds that other systems, such as those that rate a building’s energy efficiency and certify green buildings, were also created.

Shin says that as of late in South Korea, the number of green technology applications for differing types of construction has increased, most especially in the application of energy reduction technologies like natural lighting and insulation quality improvements.

As of 2006, according to data presented by Shin, 217 buildings in South Korea have been certified as being green, from a low of only three in 2002 to a high of 163 in 2006. The bulk of successfully certified buildings are multiple-family houses (171), while 32 office buildings, seven schools and seven mixed-use residential buildings also gained certification.

UK Trade and Investment reports that the South Korean government is making a very strong push towards the establishment of sustainable housing and buildings by initiating a multibillion-dollar green-building package. New homes are scheduled to be carbon-neutral by 2016, and there are commitments to “green” 1 billion existing homes and construct an equal number of new ones. Also, repair and restoration businesses are booming, and plenty of green initiatives are being offered as well

Korea, selected as a target nation of the second commitment period for the reduction of greenhouse gases by 2013, is making efforts to reduce the production of greenhouse gases in all industrial fields.

In particular, Korea is working hard to prepare for measures on the national level to reduce energy consumption and to limit the creation of carbon dioxide in the construction industry, which is responsible for over 40% of all carbon dioxide production. In order to pursue sustainability in the construction industry, existing development-focused construction activities must be transformed via a new paradigm focusing on sustainable development through the adoption of sustainable policies by the government and the development and dissemination of sustainable construction technologies.

For such reasons, this study examined sustainable policies, research, and education recently used in Korea to identify future trends in the sustainable construction industry toward which Korea should strive in terms of governmental policy, research, education, and projects.

Green Tomorrow, located in Yongin, South Korea, was designed by Samoo Architects & Engineers.

The main concept of this project is to adopt the sustainable design techniques into a traditional Korean architecture, promoting public awareness on energy saving and proposing a prototype of a green urban housing unit that accommodates a living space best suited for Korean climate and lifestyle. The south of the corridor is designed for regularly occupied spaces, which are living room and bedroom, whereas the North of the corridor is considered for temporarily used spaces.

On the far east side of the building lies the Korean Room, which resembles a traditional Korean summer pavilion, which is normally located near a lake as an independent entity in full openness. This traditional Korean architecture attempts to provide an eco-friendly space. The gallery space of this Korean room acts as a buffer space for energy savings and, therefore, double skinned facet is installed. The interior environment of the building is designed to raise the comfort level by using the optimal amount of heat, light, and air.

Green Tomorrow

The sustainable design starts from the coexistence with the nature. Besides the direct and specific
sustainable design such as energy saving, low carbon emission and resources recycling, energy-
efficient design becomes on demand in terms of design process, construction, and maintenance.
As far as the sustainable design is concerned, appreciation on the characteristics of the land and
the climatic environment should come first. Especially, in South Korea with distinctive four seasons
and large temperature differences in the summer and winter, it is critical to utilize the passive
design in spring and autumn to minimize energy consumption. To that end, the targeted amount
should be set first, and then, the passive design be applied to minimize the excess load to create
the pleasant indoor environment as much as possible. This, in turn, leads to the utilization of the
active design and renewable energy.

Green Tomorrow has implemented the environment-friendly approaches by the passive design in
its initial schematic design. And Korea’s traditional concept has been introduced in this project.
This has resulted in the realization of the eco-friendly architecture for the first time in Korea and
raised the public awareness level on the sustainable design by acquiring the globally-
acknowledged LEED Platinum certification for the first time in Northeastern Asia.

Source: www.samoo.com

Malaysia

Green Building Index

A Green building focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use – energy, water, and materials – while reducing building impact on human health and the environment during the building’s lifecycle, through better sitting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal. Green Buildings should be designed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on its surroundings.

Ar Serina Hijjas is a senior practicing Architect and Director of Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn, an architectural practice based in Kuala Lumpur. Ar Serina graduated from Bartlett School of Architecture and University of Sydney followed by a three year working stint with Foster & Partners.

Ar Serina has been practicing for 20 years with an active interest in the area of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability and has received three Asean Energy Efficiency Awards for Telekom Malaysia Headquarters Building (2005), Securities Commission HQ (2003) and the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

Ar Serina was on the first SIRIM Working Committee for MS1525:2001 and is a member of the PAM Sustainability Committee.

PAM’s architects have over the years been developing and working more and more towards a more sustainable and green architecture. In 2008, the need for a localised Green Building rating tool became more evident especially in the light of increasing demand from building end-users for Green-rated buildings that would not overly and adversely contribute to the destruction of the environment. This was also inline with the objectives of many companies today where good corporate social responsibility (CSR) calls for them to only support environmentally friendly initiatives including their office premises.

In August 2008, PAM Council endorsed and approved the formation of the new Sustainability Committee who was tasked primarily to develop and set-up the Green Building Index and the accompanying Panel for certification and accreditation of Green-rated buildings.

In addition, Greenbuildingindex Sdn Bhd was incorporated in February 2009, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PAM and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM), to administrate GBI accreditation and training of GBI Facilitators and Certifiers.

GBI accreditation for buildings is separated into three tiers. At the highest level is the GBI Accreditation Panel, the independent regulatory body for GBI accreditation. At the intermediate level are the GBI Certifiers, consisting of experienced professionals that conduct the assessment and accreditation of project submissions. On the front-end level are the GBI Facilitators, professionals who together with clients and design team to enhance their projects to meet or exceed GBI rating system requirements.

Source: www.greenbuildingindex.org

IEN Consultants

This is just one of IEN Consultants projects.

 The new low cost carrier terminal (LCCT), situated next to KLIA airport, is targeting to become a highly sustainable development with certification under LEED (Gold) and the Green Building Index (GBI). IEN Consultants has been engaged by the main contractor, UEM – Bina Puri J.V., to achieve the desired green building design targets under this design and build contract for the Main Terminal Building as and Satellite buildings.

Another is the building for SunPower:

The administration building for the ½ km long solar photovoltaic plant built by SunPower is targeting to achieve the first LEED Platinum certification rating in Malaysia. IEN Consultants has been engaged by the contractor, Hexagon, to ensure that the building project achieves it targeted green building certification. The building completion is early 2011.

Source: www.ien.com.my

Every Which Way But Loose (or Lose): A dry or wet future for Africa?

East African environmental specialists have questioned new research that concludes that that climate change will bring increased drought, rather than more rain, to the region. The new research, published in Climate Dynamics, predicts that the droughts common in eastern Africa over the past 20 years are likely to continue if global temperatures rise further. But the prediction contradicts the scenario of increased rainfall projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

East Africa: Climate Change ‘Will Bring Drought, Not Rain’

Dann Okoth for SciDev.Net, London (3 March 2011):

Nairobi — East African environmental specialists have questioned new research that concludes that that climate change will bring increased drought, rather than more rain, to the region.

The new research, published in Climate Dynamics, predicts that the droughts common in eastern Africa over the past 20 years are likely to continue if global temperatures rise further.

But the prediction contradicts the scenario of increased rainfall projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The researchers, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, studied temperature, wind speed and precipitation data over the last 20-30 years to determine what was driving climate variations in the tropical Indian and Pacific Ocean regions.

They found that the Indian Ocean has warmed particularly fast, increasing rainfall over the ocean and the westward movement of dry air over Eastern Africa – hence decreasing rainfall.

The severe food shortages experienced by millions of people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia will be exacerbated by increased drought in the future, said the researchers.

Their work supports efforts by the US Geological Survey and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to better target food aid by pinpointing areas of potential drought, and informing agricultural, environmental and water resources projects.

But the conclusions were dismissed by some East African climate researchers.

Richard Odingo of the University of Nairobi and former vice chair of the IPCC said the research was “half-baked” and served only US relief interests in the region.

He said it was erroneous to say the IPCC was wrong as the organisation used data going back 300 years from many different sources, as well as taking into account links between weather systems high in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Benson Ochieng’, an environment lawyer with the Institute for Law and Environmental Governance agreed. “The bottom-line in arriving at a conclusive result is to rely on many facets of the weather because climate is controlled by many atmospheric facets,” he said.

But Park Williams, co-author of the paper and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said global models [such as those produced by the IPCC] have a notoriously difficult time accurately simulating rainfall patterns over tropical land masses.

“Global models are tending to forecast a global trend toward a more El Ni-o-like climate which would, for example, generally mean more rainfall for Ethiopia and Kenya during the March to June period.

“It would be unwise just to look at the [rainfall] maps produced by the IPCC and take them at face value,” he told SciDev.Net.

“We did not set out to debunk the IPCC report. Our role was to examine the data and the science behind it.”

“People put a lot of confidence in the IPCC reports but there are a lot of caveats. There is still a lot of uncertainty in their models. We are quite comfortable using other models to come to other conclusions.”

Source: www.allafrica.com

News from the World of Water: Linking the Life Cycle  of Carbon & Water

Singapore is commemorating the World Water Day 2011 with a series of events organised by  different community groups at 10 locations where the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC Waters) programme has come alive, plus there’s Roger Jenkins special Water Wor(l)ds event at night on 20 March at the NTUC Auditorium. Meanwhile, botanists have discovered that rising CO2 levels have reduced the density of the pores (stomata) that plants use to breathe by 34%, dramatically lowering the amount of water vapour the plants release to the atmosphere.

Telling it the way it is on World Water Day

Singapore, March 4 – World Water Day and World Storytelling Day come together in Singapore on 20 March in an aptly titled and unique celebration – “Water Wor(l)ds” – devised and organised by Roger Jenkins, himself a storyteller, director, teacher and author.

Stories with a water theme will be told and acted out at two venues during the day – Sengkang Wetlands stage and Lower Seletar Reservoir – while in the evening a gala performance will be held at the NTUC Auditorium, 1 Marina Boulevard, which also provides a panoramic view of the Marina Bay Reservoir.

Traditional tales from around the world – from the mountains of Ecuador to the mouth of the Ganges – will be told by professional storytellers Roger Jenkins, Chuah Ai Lin and Dolly Chew, with Gillian Tan sharing some stories in song.

Roger Jenkins explains that the importance of water – and storytelling – is universal. “Water is a symbol for life, cleanliness, renewal and healing”. He quotes Ursala K Le Guin who said: “There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there are no societies that did not tell stories”.

For the evening performance at NTUC Auditorium, commencing at 8pm, it is necessary to book in advance for a seat, but entry is by donation. Funds collected by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) will go towards a water conservation project in an ASEAN country.

Roger Jenkins says he has three main objectives in organising the World Water Day’s event:

• To enable a wide range of people of all ages to tell and listen to stories;
• To raise awareness of the importance of water;
• To raise funds for a water related project in an ASEAN country.

Internationally, the organisers of World Storytelling Day – www.worldstorytellingday.webs.com – have adopted the theme of water for the first time this year, while the international observance of World Water Day – www.worldwaterday2011.org – is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

World Wor(l)d is supported and promoted by Sustain Ability Showcase Asia and the Singapore Environment Council.

For more information and bookings go to: www.rogerjenkins.com.sg

Source: www.eco-business.com

From Public Utilities Board:

Taking place on 20th March, these events include a variety of land and water activities such as round-island cycling, mass walks, eco-carnivals, fun dragon boat race, photo competition, story-telling and clean-ups at our reservoirs and waterways.

The anchor venue for Singapore’s World Water Day event will be held at the Marina Barrage, a dam which has created Singapore’s 15th and first reservoir in the city. This central event with other satellite events will see over 10,000 community leaders and water ambassadors congregating to remind people to better appreciate and cherish this precious resource.
The Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme transforms Singapore’s reservoirs and waterbodies into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes, creating a vibrant City of Gardens and Water. Through this programme, people are brought closer to water and reminded of their roles in conserving, valuing and enjoying our waters.

Simultaneously, partners like Sony, Coca-Cola, Aveda, National Youth Achievement Award, the Singapore Environment Council and Commonwealth Secondary School will be showcasing their efforts in helping to keep Singapore’s waters clean.

Here is a summary of activities which will be held at Marina Barrage:

• BONUS EVENT – Round island cycling from our ABC Waters sites to Marina Barrage
• Fun Dragon Boat Race
• Step-o-meter mass exercise
• Walk for Water – organized by Aveda and the Singapore Environment Council;
• Faith and Water – an inter-faith celebration of the Inter-Religious Organisation’s 62nd Anniversary
• “Water Through My Lens” Photo Competition 2011 exhibition organized by the National Youth Achievement Award
• Clean-up at Kallang Basin and Singapore River
• School Performances

Other locations include:

• Alexandra Canal
• Bedok Reservoir
• MacRitchie Reservoir
• Sengkang Floating Wetland
• Lower Seletar Reservoir
• Kolam Ayer Waterfront
• Pandan Reservoir
• Jurong Lake
• NEWater Visitor Centre

For the full Singapore programme go to:

www.singaporeworldwaterday.com

For events around the world go to:

Source: www.worldwaterday.org

Science Report by Kate Melville (4 March 2011):

“Profound” plant water cycle changes add new wildcard to climate change guesstimates

Botanists from Indiana University (IU) and Utrecht University (Netherlands) have discovered that rising carbon dioxide levels over the last 150 years have reduced the density of the pores (known as stomata) that plants use to breathe by 34 percent, dramatically lowering the amount of water vapor the plants release to the atmosphere. Writing about their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the researchers hypothesize that continually increasing CO₂ levels could reduce plant transpiration (water exchange) to the point where rainfall patterns are significantly altered.

For their research, the scientists gathered data from a diversity of plant species in Florida, including living individuals as well as samples extracted from herbarium collections and peat formations 100 – 150 years old. “The increase in CO₂ by about 100 parts per million has had a profound effect on the number of stomata and, to a lesser extent, the size of the stomata,” said IU’s David Dilcher. “Our analysis of that structural change shows there’s been a huge reduction in the release of water to the atmosphere.”

Most plants use stomata on the undersides of leaves to absorb CO₂from the air. The CO₂ is used to build sugars, which can be used by the plant as energy or for incorporation into the plants’ fibrous cell walls. Stomata also allow plants to “transpire” water, or release water to the atmosphere. Transpiration helps drive the absorption of water at the roots, and also cools the plants. Fewer stomata means gas exchange and transpiration will be limited.

Dilcher explained the significance of the findings by noting that while the carbon cycle is important, the water cycle is equally so. “If transpiration decreases, there may be more moisture in the ground at first, but if there’s less rainfall that may mean there’s less moisture in the ground eventually. This is part of the hyrdrogeologic cycle. Land plants are a crucially important part of it.”

While it is well known that long-lived plants can adjust their number of stomata each season depending on growing conditions, little is known about the long-term structural changes in stomata over periods of decades or centuries. “The hydrogeologic cycle is complex. It’s hard to predict how changing one thing will affect other aspects,” opined Dilcher. “We would have to see how these things play out. Plant adaptation to rising CO₂ is currently altering the hydrological cycle and climate and will continue to do so throughout this century.”

Source: www.scienceagogo.com

Canberra to Singapore: Nepal to Norway. Earth Goes Global 26 March

Earth Hour organisers are calling on sustainable businesses and individuals in Australia to stop being so shy about their achievements, adding a series of Earth Hour Awards for the first time this year. Orchard Road, Singapore  will be transformed into a “sea of candles” as part of an initiative to conserve electricity and Earth Hour champion, actress Nadya Hutagalung asks fans to “join me again this year as we spend an hour reminding ourselves what we should be mindful of all year. Raise awareness to the issues of climate change and how we can start to reduce our own carbon emissions.”

By Breanna Tucker in Canberra Times (3 March 2011)

Earth Hour organisers are calling on sustainable businesses and individuals to stop being so shy about their achievements.

The campaign has introduced a series of Earth Hour Awards for the first time this year and would like to see a greater number of entries from the capital.

Canberra’s Earth Hour business ambassador, Maria Efkarpidis, said Canberra had led the nation in switching off its lights during the campaign for the past two years so should have an abundance of sustainability leaders available for nomination.

”I know there are a lot of buildings in Canberra that have achieved up to six stars with the Green Building Council so there’s proof that we have sustainable initiatives in place and that they’re performing well,” she said. ”We need to get these people recognised as leaders so that others will see the good work they are doing and be inspired to build upon those initiatives themselves.”

Ms Efkarpidis is director of the Rock Development Group and has already shown considerable leadership in researching sustainable building initiatives.

The company has installed the capital’s first electric car charging station at the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets and plans to develop a $130 million green precinct at the same site.

By 2015 it hopes to have built a further six office and retail buildings that utilise geothermal heating and cooling, installed rainwater tanks and energy-saving technologies as well as provide community rooftop gardens.

It has also funded Canberra Capitals captain Jess Bibby to drive an electric car to schools to deliver an education program on healthy eating and living.

Many Canberra businesses, like Ms Efkarpidis’s, would qualify for the Earth Hour Workplace Champions award but there are other categories for other ages and individuals.

Entries for the awards close on Sunday. Earth Hour will be on March 26. For more information, visit www.earthhour.org.au.

Source: www.canberratimes.com.au

SINGAPORE:

Earth Hour Co-Founder and Executive Director, Andy Ridley, today announced a series of high profile and individual environmental actions, and a new dynamic online platform, to mark the global launch for Earth Hour, Beyond the Hour.

Beyond the Hour marks the start of a new phase for the Earth Hour movement. In 2010 hundreds of millions of people across the world took part in Earth Hour, but switching off the lights was only the beginning. This year Earth Hour asks people to commit to an action, big or small, that they will sustain for the future of our planet.

Jim Leape, Director General of WWF, who addressed media at the launch said: “The challenges that face our planet are immense, but never underestimate the possibility for change when we face these challenges with true common purpose. Hundreds of millions of people around the globe have given us a glimpse of what is possible. It is now time to go beyond the hour and show what can be done – by the people for the planet.”

An online platform www.earthhour.org/beyondthehour that captures and allows individuals, governments and organisations across the globe to share their actions, will act as the tool to showcase and inspire commitments to protect the one thing we all have in common – the planet.

“The Beyond the Hour platform has been built with social media at its core,” Ridley said. “Social media will play a crucial role for Earth Hour 2011, allowing us to connect with millions of people who are committed to taking lasting action for the planet.”

The platform, created with Leo Burnett, is translated into 11 languages, and integrated with most major social networks including: Facebook, Twitter, Mixi, Myspace, Odnoklassniki, Cloob, Orkut, Qzone, RenRen, Vkontakte, Maktoob, Skyrock, Xing, and Zing. Over 1,000 actions have already been shared on the dynamic online platform.

“Everyone has the power to make change: a CEO can change an organisation, a 7-year-old can change a classroom, and a president can change a country. What we are announcing today is just the beginning,” Ridley said. “It is through the collective action of individuals and organisations that we will be able to truly make a difference, which is why we are urging people across the planet to share how they will go beyond the hour this Earth Hour.”

Actions announced at today’s global launch included the following high-profile and individual commitments.

The Government of Nepal has made a commitment to put a complete stop to tree-felling in the Churiya Range, a vital ecological and sociological forest area spanning around 6,500 sq km.

Source: www.earthhour.org and www.earthhour.wwf.sg

From Channel News Asia:

SINGAPORE: Orchard Road will be transformed into a “sea of candles” as part of an initiative to conserve electricity in the annual Earth Hour event coming up this month.

Leading by example, the Orchard Road Business Association has more than 50 malls, hotels and retailers along the shopping belt participating in the initiative – twice the number as compared to last year.

“More than a hundred establishments are also participating in one way or another by setting their temperatures at 24 degree celsius, by turning off non-essential lights, and by turning off the facade lighting”, said executive director Steven Goh.

“We are going to turn Orchard Road into a sea of candles”, Mr Goh added.

Ms Amy Ho, managing director of World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore said that the focus for this year’s Earth Hour event is to set air-conditioning temperatures at 24 degrees celsius or higher.

“The issue of climate change is all about reducing our energy consumption as well as making more decisions on being more energy-efficient”, said Ms Ho.

Despite calls by the Singapore government to drive the efficient use of energy, implementing change across enterprises remains a key hurdle.

Mr Andy Ridley, co-founder of the Earth Hour global movement, says Singapore is a heavy consumer of energy, but has the potential to become a regional leader for environmental conservation.

“I believe strongly that the leadership is coming, I think it’s a bit slow, but I believe it’s happening. We just need to accelerate and the best way of doing that is for hundreds and millions of people to raise their voices at Earth Hour – in a hopeful way”, said Mr Ridley.

Earth Hour 2011 will take place at 8.30pm on Saturday, March 26, when Singaporeans are encouraged to switch off their lights for an hour.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

Another Global Advisory Role for Carbon Abatement & Management Expert

Global CarbonSystems has announced the appointment of world leading business sustainability expert, Dr Martin Blake, to its advisory board, as “he is an ideal person to support CarbonSystems’ in its global expansion into Asia, Europe and the Americas,” Mr David Solsky, the CEO of Carbon Systems said this week. The former Royal Mail sustainability chief is also chairman of the Singapore- based Carbon Zero Solutions.

Announcement:

Global CarbonSystems has announced the appointment of world leading business sustainability expert, Dr Martin Blake, to its advisory board. In making the announcement CarbonSystems’ chief executive David Solsky the appointment follows an extensive search and selection process, and has the enthusiastic support of the company’s directors.

“Dr Blake is an ideal person to support CarbonSystems’ in our global expansion into, Asia, Europe and the Americas,” Mr Solsky said. “He brings to the role a rare combination of experience at the highest levels of business, academia and public life. His leadership and management credentials are proven and well-recognised.”

For the past seven years Dr Blake managed the strategy and delivery of corporate social and sustainability programs for the Royal Mail Group, creating an internationally recognized Corporate Responsibility Program that has won over 75 national and international awards, including the World Mail Awards for carbon management and the Carbon Trust Standard.

Dr Blake was responsible for wide ranging programs that saved Royal Mail £20 million per annum and slashed its carbon footprint by 20 per cent per cent over a three-year period. He also reduced transport related carbon emissions by 10 per cent, building energy consumption by 20 per cent, waste by 50 per cent and water by 20 per cent. Royal Mail will slash its carbon emissions by a further 34 per cent by 2015. The Royal Mail Group is the UK’s largest single employer with more than 195,000 employees, 14,000 retail outlets and a fleet of 35,000 vehicles.

“I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity to assist CarbonSystems build on its outstanding record and reputation as a leading global sustainability software company,” Dr Blake said. “I am strongly committed to building the capacity of business leaders to achieve operational cost savings by investing in sustainability programs. In my advisory role I will be assisting CarbonSystems to capitalise on its early market momentum in Australia and the UK, and to grow its position as a global market leader in the provision of energy, carbon and sustainability accounting software.”

Prior to joining Royal Mail Dr Blake spent over 20 years in the Middle East working first for an American Healthcare provider and later the largest oil company in the world, Saudi Aramco, where he managed multiple state-of-the-art community infrastructure projects including hospitals, roads and universities, for a population of 30 million people.

Dr Blake has had a distinguished academic career. He earned Doctoral and Masters degrees in business administration from Hull University, and a science degree from the University of West England. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Business Development at both Griffith University and the University of Southern Queensland.

He holds directorships with leading private and public companies, including Ecologic (green transport and logistics) in the US, Sabien Technology Group and Amida Recruiting in UK. He is Executive Chairman of Carbon Zero Solutions (Sustainability and Carbon Management Consultancy) in the UK and Asia-Pacific, a strategic advisor to the Scottish Government’s Renewable Energy Group, and a Trustee of PURE, a UK charity specializing in Socially Responsible Carbon Offset.

CarbonSystems is a global provider of energy and carbon accounting software. Its technology helps companies manage their environmental performance and operate more efficiently by driving cost savings in their use of energy, fuel, gas, water, waste, and other environmental metrics. A privately owned and funded Australian company,

CarbonSystems has offices in Sydney, New York and London and has clients in diverse sectors, including corporate property management, education, electricity and gas, government, food services, fast moving goods distribution, information technology, managed services, mining, logistics, and professional services.

Source: www.globalcarbonsystems.com

Cleaning Up After Wanton Acts of Wastefulness

“My pet hate is watching people being wantonly wasteful” says Andrea Cally in The Age. “I’d rather see blood and gore than people treating the bay like a giant ashtray, emptying rubbish onto the road, or my personal nightmare, leaving the shower or tap running. As we become more conscious about climate change and our carbon footprint, we may think these wanton acts of wastefulness have gone the way of the chain-smoking, whiskey-guzzling screen heroes of yesteryear. Think again.” Surprisingly, people are still making more rubbish and on Clean Up Australia Day (6 March) thousands will scour the country on a mass pick up run.

Andrea Cally In The Age (4 March 2011)

Infidelities, identity fraud and blatant sexism aside, one of the most disturbing scenes in the ’60s period drama series Mad Men is the aftermath of a Draper family picnic. In the blink of an eye this idyllic picture of domestic bliss turns into one of wanton destruction, as the picture-perfect Don and Betty commit a blatant act of litter and run.

As soon as Don downs the last of his beer, he hurls his empty can into the trees. Meanwhile, his wife casually dumps the remaining food scraps and rubbish on the grass and walks away. These crimes against nature are all the more shocking because they are committed in front of impressionable children.

We all have our own forms of film torture. For some, it’s people who drive without looking at the road, or staged driving in a studio. Others hate onscreen violence or heights. My pet hate is watching people being wantonly wasteful.

I’d rather see blood and gore than people treating the bay like a giant ashtray, emptying rubbish onto the road, or my personal nightmare, leaving the shower or tap running.

As we become more conscious about climate change and our carbon footprint, we may think these wanton acts of wastefulness have gone the way of the chain-smoking, whiskey-guzzling screen heroes of yesteryear. Think again.

We are undoubtedly more environmentally aware today than the Drapers. But while our on-screen alter egos are environmentally evolving — encouraging us to be at one with nature in Avatar, showing us that greed and oil don’t mix in There Will be Blood, and giving us a glimpse into the wasteland we are creating inWall-E — the 2010 Clean Up Australia Day report shows the reality isn’t quite so squeaky green.

Last year’s report shows there was a 6 per cent increase in the number of items recovered at each site, equating to an extra 124 items per square kilometre.

Seven of the 10 most common items found were recyclable, and nine of those 10 were forms of packaging, including paper, PET drink bottles, alcohol bottles and aluminium cans. Clearly the ‘‘reduce, reuse, refuse, recycle’’ message isn’t registering.

Beaches and coastal areas were the third-most rubbished sites last year, and rivers and creeks were not far behind in fifth place. About 80 per cent of land-based litter, ends up in our waterways. This includes  plastic bags, which have a 450-year life expectancy. Any animal that ingests a plastic bag will die;  once its body decomposes, the plastic bag is freed to kill again. It has certainly earned its nickname as the serial killer of the sea.

The number of miscellaneous items recovered peaked at 21.2 per cent in 2010, compared with a 15-year average of 13 per cent. This upward trend is due to the number of cigarette butts found, which made up 92 per cent of this waste stream. Despite the fact that the number of people smoking has nearly halvedfrom 30.5 per cent in 1988 to 16.6 per cent in 2007, one in every five items removed during last year’s clean up was the legacy of this dirty little habit.

While cigarette butts were the most common item found, plastic food and drink containers achieved the most coverage for the 16th consecutive year, comprising 40 per cent of all recovered items.

Made from a cocktail of chemical compounds, plastic is one of the most pervasive and destructive waste forms in the world. During its long lifespan it poses a danger to surrounding flora and fauna through leaching, animal ingestion and injury, as well as transporting invasive species.

We all have a part to play in righting these rubbish-related wrongs, including the film and television industry, which reflects the acceptable social mores of the day. These industries have certainly done their bit when it comes to cigarettes, especially the fag-free, fresh-breathed fraternity in TV land.

You only have to listen to the loud chorus of disapproval whenMad Men confronts us with images of pregnant women sucking on a cigarette or socking back a wine to realise how much our attitudes have changed when it comes to polluting our bodies. Now it’s a matter of applying that logic to our external environment.

I, for one, would sleep better if the film industry introduced an animal-welfare style disclaimer for the environment that guaranteed that ‘‘no valuable resources were wasted; no landscapes, airspaces or waterways were contaminated, during the making of this film/TV show’’.

In the meantime I will be doing my bit by keeping my patch of Australia beautiful this Sunday. Care to join me?

Andrea Cally is a freelance writer. Clean Up Australia Day is on Sunday. www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

Source: http://www.theage.com.au

Go Beyond Carbon Price to Invest in Climate-Friendly Infrastructure

The climate change policy debate was reignited last week with Prime Minister Julia Gillard committing to introduce a carbon price from July 1, 2012. At the start of February, it seemed Prime Minister Gillard was gambling with her climate credibility by adopting a carbon price-only policy. Now, just a few weeks later, and Julia Gillard is gambling with no less than that, her political future, and the future of our planet. But it’s time, says Leigh Ewbank, Director of Public Policy at Beyond Zero Emissions, for the Australian Government to put investment in climate-friendly infrastructure at the heart of its carbon price push. It’s the key to securing a carbon price and putting Australia on the path to a safe climate future. Read More

By Leigh Ewbank on ABC’s The Drum (3 March 2011):

The climate change policy debate was reignited last week with Prime Minister Julia Gillard committing to introduce a carbon price from July 1, 2012.

At the start of February, it seemed Prime Minister Gillard was gambling with her climate credibility by adopting a carbon price-only policy. Now, just a few weeks later, and Julia Gillard is gambling with no less than that, her political future, and the future of our planet.

Gillard’s strategy draws a parallel with John Howard’s GST. While shock jock Alan Jones accuses the Prime Minister of lying (remember that cringe-worthy ‘JuLIAR’ jibe?), the argument is not as potent as critics think. Surely Alan Jones would remember that in 1995 John Howard said ‘There’s no way that GST will ever be part of our policy… never, ever. It’s dead.’ As we know, it was Howard who won the 1998 election on the pledge to introduce a GST and did just that in 2000. Gillard is betting that delivering a domestic policy achievement, like Howard, will trump flip flopping in the eyes of the public.

Countering the onslaught of the Abbott-led Coalition and the greenhouse mafia is a great challenge to Labor’s agenda. To blunt these attacks Labor must look beyond the support of the large environment groups, that some argue are ‘impotent’, and the clean-tech industry that is still in its infancy. Labor must demonstrate to the public that it’s serious about the climate change challenge and invest carbon tax revenue to projects that create jobs and help build a domestic clean technology industry. Without this transparent allocation of tax revenue, Labor’s carbon price push could go the same way as Rudd’s mining super profits tax.

Gillard’s flood levy that passed the House of Representatives last week, demonstrates the advantage of linking taxes with investments. In contrast to the ‘super profits’ tax, that failed to clearly articulate how its revenue would be used and was swiftly demolished by the major miners, the flood levy is directly linked to rebuilding Queensland’s flood-affected infrastructure. This is why I think the measure has withstood opposition attacks and gained strong public support (Exhibit A and Exhibit B).

It’s not too late for Labor to link its carbon tax with investments. Rather than focus solely on compensation for households and industry, Labor can invest carbon tax revenue in nation-building climate change initiatives.

In any case, regardless of whether Australia gets a carbon price, public investment will still be needed to fund large-scale infrastructure projects to create the foundation of a clean economy. New transmissions lines, electric vehicle recharge stations, high-speed rail and the first baseload concentrated solar thermal plants are currently beyond the capacity of the private sector. This infrastructure, which will not get built by carbon price signals, is the platform needed to deliver Gillard’s vision of a ‘sweeping technological revolution like Information Technology …in the 1980s and 90s’.

Instead of compensating the carbon-intensive industries of yesterday, Labor must invest carbon tax revenue in the industries of tomorrow. These investments can provide the Government with leverage against unreasonable demands for industry compensation. Every dollar that Gillard commits to compensating emissions intensive industry is one less for climate-secure infrastructure.

It remains to be seen whether Labor will adopt this approach. One thing is for sure: if Labor implemented these measures prior to launching its carbon price campaign then it would have the support of thousands of Australians working to decarbonise our economy. Without this support, Labor will rely on the political landscape in Canberra to price carbon.

In the House of Representatives, Rob Oakeshott has already indicated that he’d support the carbon price. The exclusion of agriculture should satisfy independent Tony Windsor, who has regularly expressed concern over the impacts of the climate crisis, and it has beenreported that Andrew Wilkie is ‘broadly supportive of carbon pricing measures’. While the Rudd’s failed CPRS and RSPT policies required a combination of Coalition, Green, independent and Family First support to pass the Senate, from July, the Government has a Greens balance of power to work with.

The Greens have previously supported an interim carbon tax of around $23 per tonne, so it’s plausible that Gillard could win the party’s support for carbon price at that level. It’s worth noting that Labor has some leverage on the Greens. After blocking Labor’s first attempt at carbon pricing and protecting Australia from a deeply flawed emissions trading scheme, the pressure is on the Greens as much as Labor. While Senator Brown and colleagues deserve credit for demanding stronger measures, blocking the carbon pricing legislation for the second time could be politically harmful, especially when the largest environmental groups have elevated a ‘price on pollution’ as the key remedy for our climate change crisis.

The Greens will push for the carbon-price plus approach Australia needs to successfully decarbonise. Senator Christine Milne already flagged the need for feed-in tariffs, among other measures. This sensible approach is consistent with international norms. Though Germany and Spain are party to the European ETS, feed-in tariffs have done the heavy lifting. It is the combination of carbon pricing and FiTs that is deploying renewable energy in Europe.

Australia has an upward carbon emissions trajectory. Recent Department of Climate Change analysis estimates that Australia’s emissions are set to grow by 24 per cent by 2020 from the year 2000. A price on carbon is one measure to arrest our nation’s ballooning emissions, but it alone is insufficient. It’s time for the Australian Government to put investment in climate-friendly infrastructure at the heart of its carbon price push. It’s the key to securing a carbon price and putting Australia on the path to a safe climate future.

Leigh Ewbank is Director of Public Policy at Beyond Zero Emissions.

Source: www.abc.net.au