Art has long been used as a medium to transmit messages or intent, from artists to audience, and they can be from a diverse range of topics. A climate-themed art exhibition, called Unfold, is being staged by Cape Farewell in Beijing, looking at themes and debates provoked by climate science. The Annual Festival of Art in Paso Robles, California also combined arts and sustainability, featuring a sustainable landscaping exhibit. Read more

Climate change art exhibition opens in Beijing

Exhibition, called Unfold, aims to merge culture and science to provoke climate debate in China

By Jennifer Duggan in The Guardian (25 May 2013):

With its greenhouse gas emissions continuing to soar and environmental concerns a hot topic, China is perhaps the perfect venue for a different way of looking at the issue of climate change – through art.

A climate-themed art exhibition is to open in Beijing today and will look at themes and debates provoked by climate science. The exhibition, called Unfold is being staged by not-for-profit climate change arts organisation Cape Farewell which aims to prompt what it calls a cultural response to climate change. The exhibition has travelled to a number of cities, starting in Vienna, and has also been shown in New York, London and Chicago.

It includes the work of more than 20 artists, all of whom have travelled on and been inspired by expeditions to the Arctic and the Andes. “All of the artists in the show have travelled on one of the three voyages [organised by Cape Farewell]. So they have all had direct experience of the effects of climate change in a part of the world which is probably at the frontier of change. It’s a kind of frontline where you can see quite dramatically the way the glaciers have retreated,” said Chris Wainwright co-curator of the exhibition and pro-vice chancellor of the University of the Arts London (UAL).

“What we do is we embed them [the artists] with a scientist, that’s a very important part of it. The scientist informs the artists and then the artist is being inspired to try and create something,” said David Buckland, Cape Farewell’s founder and director.

The issue of climate change and environmental issues in general are the topic of much debate in China, both among the public and in the media. “It seemed logical that we bring it to China because the issues about climate change are often focused around China,” said Wainwright. On the issue of climate change, Buckland believes China is “very engaged and very aware on a people level”.

China has become the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions, burning huge amounts of coal and, for this reason, Wainwright believes it is an important venue for the exhibition. “China is seen as one of the countries that has a significant responsibility for addressing climate change, one of the countries that is one of the highest creators of CO2 emissions and it was felt that there was a need to bring the show, not just to China but to parts of the world where these issues could be addressed and discussed,” he said.

They also hope to “empower” artists and people in China to address climate change issues “not necessarily in a confrontational way but in an empowering way so that people can think about how they can positively change their lives and change the way they behave”, said Wainwright.

“It’s an incredibly big ask to try to re-frame our complex societies and I think that is very difficult for anyone to find a way through this. Can we be inspired to think differently and hopefully find solutions to what is a global problem but working locally? That is incredibly important in China,” said Buckland.

Cape Farewell looks to promote a cultural response to climate change, as a way of changing the debate. “The scientists are the messengers but it is really important that all of us take on board that climate change is a very serious event,” said Buckland. “I think the artworks themselves contain stories, narratives and that is a lovely way to talk to the wider public. At the same time it would be good to educate but it is more important for people to be excited about what we are doing and to re-frame the climate debate.”

One of the pieces included in the exhibition is an artificially grown diamond, made from the ash of a polar bear bone by artistic duo Ackroyd and Harvey. The pair found the bone on one of the expeditions organised by Cape Farewell. “We attach huge importance to the value of things like diamonds, they are the symbol of our wealth, the symbol of our status. I think the work asks the question: which is the most valuable, the polar bear or the diamond?” said Wainwright.

Another piece of note in the exhibition is an LED text display by Atonement author Ian McEwan entitled The Hot Breath of our Civilisation which was written after he took part on an exhibition to the Arctic. The expedition also inspired McEwan’s novel Solar.

• The Unfold exhibition takes place at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing from 29 May until 19 June and in AMNUA, Nanjing University, from 28 June until 20 July.

Source: http://m.guardian.co.uk

Fifth Annual Festival of Art in Paso Robles combines art and sustainability

Local art enthusiasts were in for a special treat Saturday.

It was the Fifth Annual Festival of Arts in Paso Robles.

The event was held at Paso Robles City Park.

There were several new features this year, including a new bar and lounge area, featured artists, and a sustainable landscaping exhibit.

“This is like no other art festival around, since it celebrates the environment, it celebrates the artists, and it celebrates kids, and it’s all free,” said Barbara Partridge, the event chair.

The event was free to attend, but guests could also purchase art, souvenirs, and food.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the Festival, Studios on the Park, and the Salinas River Corridor Project.

http://www.ksby.com/

Vision Statement

The vision of the Paso Robles Festival of the Arts is to be the premier multiday arts festival in Central California honoring and preserving the natural beauty and character of the region through the arts.

Mission Statement

The Paso Robles Festival of the Arts celebrates the arts and promotes Paso Robles as an arts destination through an annual festival connecting world-class artists, the Paso Robles community, and visitors of all ages.

Beneficiaries

Salinas River Corridor Project Update

Salinas River IllustrationThe community has connected with a new vision of an enhanced river corridor where conservation, recreation and enhancements to the natural habitat are all possible ~ and the Festival’s connection to the Salinas River Corridor is still going strong.

Last year’s success story was in acquiring the 154 acre Salinas River Parkway Preserve with over $1.5 million in State grant funds. That purchase would not have been possible without the matching funds generated in previous years by the Festival of the Arts.

This year there is much progress to report! Additional land has been acquired that will make way for construction of the River Road trail connection between the Niblick and 13th Street bridges. Also, grant funds have been secured for trail and restoration enhancements that will connect Charolais Road walking trails with the River Parkway trail. And more….

Come by the Environmental Partners Area and see for yourself what projects are underway and what possibilities exist!  Remember, portions of the proceeds of the day’s events will be dedicated to the REC Foundation’s river enhancement fund.

http://www.prcity.com/fota/

A smartphone might be an irreplaceable tool for the modern man, but its manufacture of exacts a heavy toll on the environment – from mining of raw materials to factory emissions. Now the Samsung Galaxy S4, has received TCO certification – the world’s first – for sustainable design and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the mobile becomes a handy tool in promoting seafood sustainability, where consumers are able to find out more about the fish they eat by scanning a QR code. Read more

Samsung GALAXY S4 becomes world’s first TCO certified smartphone

In Tempo (26 May 2013):

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced recently that the Samsung GALAXY S4 is TCO Certified.

The first smartphone to be awarded such an honor. TCO Development, an independent body that focuses on sustainability in the IT industry, found the GALAXY S4 was sustainably designed and manufactured and met customer demand for sustainable mobile products.

“The demand for environmentally friendly products informed our decision making process when we were creating the GALAXY S4.

“We are delighted to be the first smartphone manufacturer to be TCO Certified as this validates our approach to sustainability,” said JK Shin, CEO & President, IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics.

“This is the second significant certificate the GALAXY S4 has received since its release as we were also awarded Platinum ECOLOGO certification from UL. Our customers can trust that every device we release to the market is sustainable and environmentally friendly.”

To become TCO Certified a smartphone must meet requirements across a variety of criteria including social, environmental and economic viability.

In the social category, Samsung demonstrated that it is committed to socially responsible manufacturing and is compliant with International Labour Organization and United Nation conventions.

In the environmental category, it was found that the GALAXY S4 was free from many hazardous materials such as nickel, beryllium, and mercury which, if present, would have severely restricted its potential to be recycled at the end its lifecycle.

In terms of economic viability, the power efficiency of the charger was praised, as was the smartphone’s industrial design which boosts reliability.

“TCO Certified Smartphones are designed to make it easier for smartphone buyers to choose products that have been designed with sustainability in mind. By certifying their smartphones, leading brands such as Samsung have a real opportunity to demonstrate that their products are helping advance more sustainable mobile solutions,” said Sören Enholm, CEO TCO Development.

Source: http://www.tempo.com.ph/

QR codes used in edible form for sustainable sushi fish

By Jennifer Goula for  Mobile Commercial Press (25 May 2013):

Another restaurant is now using smartphone barcodes to promote sustainability in seafood.

Diners eating at an upscale San Diego restaurant called Harney Sushi will now be able to use their smartphones to scan QR codes on their dishes to learn more about the sustainability of the seafood products that have been used.

When the barcodes have been scanned, they direct users to websites where they can discover more about what they’re eating.

The QR codes lead users to the website for FishWatch at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where they will be able to discover more about the seafood that they are eating as a part of their meal, in terms of its sustainability. The owners of the restaurant, Dustin Summerville and Kirk Harrison, as well as Robert Ruiz, its executive chef, have partnered with a number of different stakeholders in fisheries, as well as with scientists from the NOAA from that agency’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The center is located in La Jolla, California and the participants are working together to come up with a local culture and economy of seafood sustainability.

The edible version of the QR codes give consumers the chance to learn more about this effort.

Though not the first, Harney Sushi is among the original restaurants in the U.S. to use these QR codes, printed with water based, edible ink on rice paper. This is not the first time that the restaurant has made its way into the news. In 2010, this location’s executive chef Ruiz won the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival grand prize and has earned the title of “Chef of the Fest.”

This makes the QR codes only the latest effort to help to work with the community and spreading the word about the efforts that the restaurant is making to be environmentally responsible. The barcodes are a very practical vehicle for sharing this message, because they are compatible with virtually any smartphone – a device carried by the majority of the restaurant’s patrons, as well as being very inexpensive to create and easy for the customers to scan and use.

Source: http://m.qrcodepress.com/

The IPCC has estimated that the aviation industry is responsible for about 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change, with estimates growing to 5% by 2050. It comes as good news then, that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has passed a resolution calling on world governments to agree to manage emissions from air travel, with a single global mechanism to enable airlines to account for and offset their emissions. Read more

Airlines agree to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020

International Air Transport Association resolution calls on world governments to agree measures to manage carbon dioxide

By Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent in The Guardian (4 June 2013):

International airlines have agreed for the first time to global curbs on their greenhouse gas emissions – but fell well short of the measures to combat climate change that green campaigners had demanded.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Monday passed a resolution calling on world governments to agree measures to manage carbon dioxide from air travel, which would come into force from 2020.

They said there should be a single global “market-based mechanism” – such as emissions trading – that would enable airlines to account for and offset their emissions.

But they did not agree to a global limit on greenhouse gas emissions from air travel, or set out in detail how governments should implement a market-based mechanism to cover all airlines.

Their move may help to ease an ongoing row over whether airlines from outside the EU should be bound by Europe’s emissions trading rules.

The European commission insisted that they should, and would have to pay for carbon permits covering flights taking off and landing within the EU’s borders.

Under the emissions trading system, companies must produce a permit for every tonne of carbon dioxide they produce, with some permits allocated free and others auctioned. Companies can also top up their permit quota with carbon credits – awarded by the UN to projects that cut emissions in developing countries, such as solar panels or windfarms.

Several governments, including those of the US, China and India, objected to their airlines being included in the EU emissions trading scheme, and began a legal battle.

Last year, the commission said it would relax its rules if the global airline industry showed it was willing to regulate and reduce its emissions in another way.

But green campaigners pointed out that Monday’s IATA resolution could allow airlines simply to buy cheap carbon credits to offset their emissions, rather than make real reductions.

Carbon credits are currently at rock bottom prices because of a glut on the market, and because companies covered by the EU’s emissions trading system were awarded far more free permits than they needed.

Bill Hemmings, aviation manager at the green campaigning organisation Transport & Environment, said: “The IATA resolution represents a welcome departure from their historical position that better air traffic control, better planes and biofuels alone can solve the problem.

“However, it kicks the ball in the long grass, until after 2020, and sets out a string of unworkable conditions. It rules out the EU emissions trading scheme as a stepping stone, [and rules out] the raising of revenues and impacts on traffic volume, which are inherent to any market-based measure.

“Finally it relies solely on out-of-sector offsets rather than real emissions reductions within aviation.”

The success of the IATA resolution also depends on whether governments and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) can agree later this year on how to regulate airline emissions.

Tony Tyler, director general of IATA, said: “Airlines are committed to working with governments to build a solid platform for the future sustainable development of aviation.

“They have come together to recommend to governments the adoption of a single market-based mechanism for aviation and provide suggestions on how it might be applied to individual carriers. Now the ball is in the court of governments.”

Given the slow progress of global negotiations on climate change under the UN, however, the likelihood of governments coming up with a strong agreement on aviation emissions in the short term seems slim.

Connie Hedegaard, the EU’s climate chief, said European governments were willing to help draft and support a strong system on aviation emissions.

“It is a very strong message that the airline industry seems ready to support a single global market-based measures to keep their emissions in check.

“Now it is time for the governments to match this and deliver in ICAO. The EU is ready.”

If there is an agreement on a market mechanism, the next question will be how it operates.

Eva Filzmoser, director of the campaigning organisation Carbon Market Watch, warned that the simplest system on offer – of allowing airlines to buy carbon credits – could be less effective than alternatives.

“A global carbon offsetting scheme is the wrong choice because it does not lead to emissions reductions in the aviation sector itself – it merely compensates these emissions through investment in reduction projects elsewhere.

“Only a cap-and-trade scheme with a stringent cap and a limit on the use of offsets will create sufficient incentives for essential emission reductions in the aviation sector itself.”

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

To more fully understand the impact of economic activities on the environment, the Singapore government is embarking on a five-year plan to monitor the entire island’s carbon emissions . And proving that environmental protection is not only the domain of government, Google has made its first renewable energy investment in Africa. The US$12 million Jasper Power Project in South Africa will generate 96 MW of solar energy, to be the largest solar PV facility on the continent. Read more

Government to track Singapore’s carbon emissions

By Feng Zengkun in The Straits Times (3 June 2013):

5-year-plan will monitor emissions and how much is absorbed by plants

Singapore is embarking on an ambitious five-year plan to take stock of and monitor the entire island’s carbon emissions.

The National Parks Board (NParks) wants to set up a system which will allow it to track emissions and how much of it is absorbed by the country’s greenery.

The project, which is expected to start by the end of this year, will even include roadside trees and playing fields, according to a tender document posted by NParks on procurement website GeBiz last month.

Carbon-accounting experts believe the data could help Singapore improve its plans to take better care of the environment.

If the research reveals for example, that a certain plant species absorbs more carbon dioxide, more of those plants could be planted in housing estates, said the experts.

According to the tender, data from the project will be included in Singapore’s Biennial Update Reports to the United Nations, the first of which is due by the end of next year.

This tabulates the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and efforts to reduce them, said NParks director Lena Chan. Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which includes Singapore, agreed to submit such reports during a conference in South Africa two years ago.

In 2010, Singapore emitted around 43 million tonnes – about 0.2 per cent of the world’s output – of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

If the country had done nothing after 2005 to reduce emissions, its output in 2020 would reach 77.2 million tonnes. The Government has pledged to cut emissions by 7 per cent to 11 per cent below this projection.

As part of the latest project, Singapore’s land will be divided into six categories: forest, cropland, grassland, wetland, settlements and other land.

About 56 per cent of Singapore’s land is covered by greenery. Of this, 27 per cent is actively managed vegetation such as parks and gardens while the other 29 per cent includes swamps, marsh, forest and scrubland.

Land plots will be chosen to represent these categories as well as various vegetation types.

Researchers will identify plant species in some of these plots, collect plant and soil extracts and measure their carbon content. Data will be collected annually to track the country’s carbon balance.

One way to quantify the carbon being absorbed in grass, for instance, is to dry a plot sample in an oven, said Dr Alex Cobb from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, who is involved in a similar project here.

“This gives you the grass’ biomass. Then you take a smaller sample of the dried material and measure its carbon content,” he said. Dr Cobb added that some land categories such as forests would offer more challenges, as they contain more types of plants and trees. One possible method is to record the trees’ diameters and compare them with available data to come up with carbon estimates, he said.

Nature Society of Singapore president Shawn Lum said: “Essentially, for every kilogram a tree grows, about half of that is carbon absorbed from the atmosphere.”

Dr Lum added that NParks could tap on the work of several other projects. The National University of Singapore and National Institute of Education have already compiled some carbon data on Bukit Timah trees, and primary and secondary forests here.

Source: www.nccs.gov.sg

Google makes first renewable investment in Africa

From Eco seed (3 June 2013):

Google makes first renewable investment in Africa

Internet giant Google has made its first ever renewable energy investment in Africa.

Located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, the $12 million Jasper Power Project has 96 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity.

The P.V. plant will be of the largest installations in the continent when completed, providing clean electricity to approximately 30,000 South African homes.

“South Africa’s strong resources and supportive policies for renewable energy make it an attractive place to invest—which is why it had the highest growth in clean energy investment in the world last year,” wrote Google in a blog post.

The project will be developed and funded by SolarReserve, Intikon Energy and the Kensani Group, and backed by Rand Merchant Bank, the Public Investment Corporation, Development Bank of South Africa and the PEACE Humansrus Trust.

Jasper will allow for the creation of around 300 jobs during the construction and 50 permanent jobs once operational, aiding to the region’s high unemployment rates. In addition, around $26 million of total project revenues will be set aside for rural development and education programs in the area.

“We believe this investment not only makes financial sense, but also has potential to help grow the renewable energy industry and move the world closer to a clean energy future,” said Google, which has committed over $1 billion to renewable energy investments.

It was in 2011 when the company made its first renewable energy investment in an 18.65 MW solar plant in Brandenburg, Germany. Among its other renewable energy projects include the 845 MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Arlington, the 161 MW Spinning Spur Wind Farm in Texas and the 88 MW Recurrent Energy solar project in California.

To date, the company’s total nameplate capacity of its renewable energy investments stands at more than 2 GW. Combined, these projects could generate 5.66 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power around 500,000 households. – EcoSeed Staff

Source: www.ecoseed.org

When watching a recent Sky News broadcast from the United Kingdom, we were shocked at the obvious bias in giving time to a sceptic conservative and suggesting that investing in clean energy would lead to higher energy prices for consumers.  This in spite of the UK Government’s ambitious move to meet its legally binding target of reducing emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels and in spite of a high level of investment in wind, solar, tide and wave energy. The sceptics and deniers – and some in the media as well – are at work to derail a plan to move faster to a clean energy, low carbon future. Maybe it was a strong appeal from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, but the signs are that the UK Government is losing its way and its will. Read more

UK energy minister attacks climate sceptics as bill set for vote

By Elizabeth Rigby, Jim Pickard and Pilita Clark in Financial Times (3 June 2013):

Ed Davey sought to prove he remained committed to the green agenda on Monday as the energy secretary prepared for a Commons showdown over his refusal to commit to a 2030 green electricity target.

The Liberal Democrat energy secretary lashed out at unnamed “sections of the press” for giving an uncritical platform to “dangerous” climate sceptics who denied that humans caused global warming.

“This is destructive and loudly clamouring scepticism born of vested interest, nimbyism, publicity-seeking controversialism or sheer blinkered, dogmatic, political bloody-mindedness,” he told a group of scientists and business people at a Met Office event in London.

His attack on climate sceptics, before Tuesday’s vote on the energy bill, prompted a furious response from some MPs. David Davis, a senior Conservative backbencher, described his remarks as “astonishing”.

“The last thing Britain needs at a time of rising energy bills is an energy minister who uses dodgy statistics and alarmist rhetoric to justify even more massively flawed green energy policies,” he said.

The speech was aimed in part at persuading Lib Dem backbenchers against supporting an amendment to his energy bill on Tuesday which would commit the UK to near carbon-free electricity generation by 2030.

Mr Davey last year gave into pressure from George Osborne, chancellor, and delayed a commitment for almost all energy to be generated from low-carbon sources such as wind and nuclear by 2030 – much to the dismay of his own party.

The coalition will face a substantial rebellion today as at least a dozen Lib Dems join forces with Labour, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru to support the amendment tabled by Tim Yeo, the green-minded former Conservative minister and chair of the energy select committee, calling for the 2030 target.

Mr Yeo said David Cameron’s majority could be whittled down to just 20. “This could be seen as an encouragement to the House of Lords to take up the fight,” he said.

The energy secretary will rely on Tory MPs to vote down the amendment. Peter Lilley, a Tory backbencher, said the 2030 commitment should be rejected because it was impractical to remove carbon from Britain’s electricity market in such a short timescale.

“We shouldn’t legislate for the impossible in the hope that it will become possible,” said the MP, who sits on the energy select committee.

Mr Lilley, who is also a member of Downing Street’s parliamentary advisory board, said the rollout of renewables would not be enough to meet Britain’s energy needs while the nuclear programme had been “disappointingly slow”.

Mr Lilley, an outspoken critic of the renewables industry, said Britain’s looming energy crunch had been delayed by the recession, giving some breathing space. But he warned: “We have ended up with a spaghetti of regulation, subsidy, tax and controls which this energy bill merely compounds.”

Source: http://www.ft.com/