Ozone Hole Impacts Arctic, Antarctic & Australia

The Antarctic ozone hole is about one-third to blame for Australia’s recent series of droughts, scientists say. Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization revealed that the Arctic was experiencing the worst ozone depletion on record – a consequence of unusual weather conditions. But the forecast is that even the Antarctic ozone hole – which is more severe than its Arctic equivalent – should be repaired by 2045-60.

By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News (21 April 2011):

The Antarctic ozone hole is about one-third to blame for Australia’s recent series of droughts, scientists say.

Writing in the journal Science, they conclude that the hole has shifted wind and rainfall patterns right across the Southern Hemisphere, even the tropics.

Their climate models suggest the effect has been notably strong over Australia.

Many parts of the country have seen drought in recent years, with cities forced to invest in technologies such as desalination, and farms closing.

The scientists behind the new study – led from Columbia University in New York – added the ozone hole into standard climate models to investigate how it might have affected winds and rains.

“The ozone hole results in a southward shift of the high-latitude circulation – and the whole tropical circulation shifts southwards too,” explained Columbia’s Sarah Kang.

Of particular interest was the southward migration of the Southern Hemisphere jet stream.

These high-altitude winds are key to determining weather patterns, in both hemispheres. Much of the cold weather felt in the UK over the last couple of winters, for example, was caused by blocking of the Northern Hemisphere stream.

The Columbia team found that overall, the ozone hole has resulted in rainfall moving south along with the winds.

But there are regional differences, particularly concerning Australia.

“In terms of the average for that zone, [the ozone hole drives] about a 10% change – but for Australia, it’s about 35%,” Dr Kang told BBC News.

Their modelling indicated that global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions was also a factor – although natural climate cycles are also thought to be important, as Australia suffered severe droughts in the era before ozone depletion and before the warming seen in the late 20th Century.

“This study does illustrate the important point that different mechanisms of global change are contributing to the climate impacts we’re seeing around the world,” observed Professor Myles Allen of Oxford University, a leading UK climate modeller.

“It’s very important to unpack them all rather than assuming that any impact we see is down simply to greenhouse gas-mediated warming.”

No reverse

Ozone depletion is caused by chemical reactions in the stratosphere, the upper atmosphere.

The chemicals involved derive from substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and their relatives, which used to be staples in air-conditioning, refrigeration and aerosol cans.

Desalination is one of the approaches being used to combat Australia’s dwindling supply of water Although the UN Montreal Protocol has significantly curbed emissions of these substances, they endure for decades in the atmosphere, and so their effects are still being felt.

The ozone layer blocks the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which can cause skin cancer and other medical conditions.

Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization revealed that the Arctic was experiencing the worst ozone depletion on record – a consequence of unusual weather conditions.

But the forecast is that even the Antarctic ozone hole – which is more severe than its Arctic equivalent – should be repaired by 2045-60.

Sarah Kang cautions that this alone will not restore prior climate conditions to Australia or anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere.

“As the ozone hole repairs, it is going to work to reverse this trend; but there is also the rising trend in carbon dioxide, and that is acting in the same direction as the ozone hole,” she said.

Australia’s persistently dry weather has caused major impacts on communities, farms and nature.

In recent years, the volume of water flowing into the reservoirs of Perth, the Western Australian capital, has been just one third of what it was during most of the 20th Century.

The Murray-Darling basin, which lies in the highly populated southeast, is the subject of a somewhat controversial plan aiming to distribute water fairly against a backdrop of over-extraction, prolonged drought, natural climate variability and greenhouse gas-mediated global warming.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The blame game, voiced in vulnerable river towns and Asian capitals from Pakistan to Vietnam, is rooted in fear that China’s accelerating programme of damming every major river flowing from the Tibetan plateau will trigger natural disasters, degrade fragile ecologies and divert vital water supplies. Beijing is signalling it will relaunch mega projects after a break of several years to meet skyrocketing demands for energy and water, reduce dependence on coal and lift some 300 million people out of poverty.

Associated Press & The Straits Times (18April 2011):

The wall of water raced through narrow Himalayan gorges in north-east India, gathering speed as it raked the banks of towering trees and boulders. When the torrent struck their island in the Brahmaputra river, the villagers remember, it took only moments to obliterate their houses, possessions and livestock.

No one knows exactly how the disaster occurred, but everyone knows whom to blame: neighbouring China.

‘We don’t trust the Chinese,’ says fisherman Akshay Sarkar at the resettlement site where he has lived since the devastating flood a decade ago.

About 800km east, in northern Thailand, Ms Chamlong Saengphet stands in the Mekong river, in water that comes up to only her shins. She is collecting edible river weeds from dwindling beds. A neighbour has hung up his fishing nets, his catches now too meagre. Using words bordering on curses, they point upstream, towards China.

The blame game, voiced in vulnerable river towns and Asian capitals from Pakistan to Vietnam, is rooted in fear that China’s accelerating programme of damming every major river flowing from the Tibetan plateau will trigger natural disasters, degrade fragile ecologies and divert vital water supplies.

Beijing is signalling it will relaunch mega projects after a break of several years to meet skyrocketing demands for energy and water, reduce dependence on coal and lift some 300 million people out of poverty.State media recently said China plans to construct dams on the still pristine Nu river, known as the Salween downstream.

The remapping of the water flow in the world’s most heavily populated and thirstiest region is on a gigantic scale, with potentially strategic implications. On the eight great Tibetan rivers alone, almost 20 dams have been built or are under construction, while some 40 more are planned or proposed.

But the stakes may be even higher, since those eight Tibetan rivers serve a vast west-east arc of 1.8 billion people stretching from Pakistan to Vietnam’s Mekong river delta.

Chinese officials have said the dams can benefit their neighbours, easing droughts and floods by regulating flow, adding that hydroelectric power reduces China’s carbon footprint.

‘China will fully consider the impact to downstream countries,’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jiang Yu told Associated Press. ‘We have clarified several times that the dam being built on the Brahmaputra River has a small storage capacity. It will not have a large impact on water flow or the ecological environment downstream.’

China is hardly alone in disrupting the region’s water flows. Others do it with potentially even worse consequences. But China’s vast thirst for power and water, its control over the sources of the rivers and its ever-growing political clout make it a singular target of criticism and suspicion.

In north-east India, a broad-based movement is fighting central government plans to erect more than 160 dams in the region, and Laos and Cam-bodia have proposed plans for 11 Mekong dams, sparking environmental protest.

‘Everyone knows what China is doing, but won’t talk about it. China has real power now. If it says something, everyone follows,’ says Thai environmental advocate Somkiat Khuengchiangsa.

But there is little chance the activists will prevail.

‘There is no alternative to dams in sight in China,’ says Mr Ed Grumbine, an American writer on Chinese dams. Mr Grumbine, currently with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yunnan province, notes that under its most recent five-year state plan, China failed to meet its hydroelectric targets and is now playing catch-up in its 2011 to 2015 plan, as it strives to derive 15 per cent of energy needs from non-fossil sources, mainly hydroelectric and nuclear.

Noting that Himalayan glaciers which feed the rivers are melting due to global warming, India’s Strategic Foresight Group last year estimated that in the next 20 years, India, China, Nepal and Bangladesh will face a depletion of almost 275 billion cubic m of annual renewable water.

Mr Jeremy Bird, who heads the Mekong River Commission, an inter-governmental body of Laos, Cam-bodia and Thailand, sees a tendency to blame China for water-related troubles, even when they have natural causes. He says diplomacy is needed, and believes ‘engagement with China is improving’.

Source: www.ytlcommunity.com

Global Eco View Via Singapore’s Micro Satellite

Riding on a rocket owned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), Singapore’s micro-satellite X-Sat blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India last week to take photographs to measure soil erosion and environmental changes on Earth.  The 105kg fridge-size satellite was one of three riding on Isro’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16).

Jermyn Chow Straits Times (21 April 11):

Riding on a rocket owned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the micro-satellite X-Sat blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India yesterday, more than four years late.

The 105kg fridge-size satellite, which will be used to take photographs to measure soil erosion and environmental changes on Earth, was one of three riding on Isro’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C16). The other two were built by India and Russia.

Yesterday’s launch, at 12.42pm Singapore time, was PSLV’s 18th successful lift-off since its maiden flight in 1994. Only two launches have failed.

X-Sat is designed and built from scratch by scientists and engineers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore’s defence research body DSO National Laboratories.

Now in orbit, X-Sat is establishing communication contact with ground control in NTU, a process likely to take up to a week. Once contact has been made, an ‘initial health status of the satellite will be ascertained and confirmed’, said an NTU spokesman.

This includes checking its solar panels and communication systems and the Korean-made camera, dubbed Iris, that can capture forest fires and sea pollution.

It will then relay data and beam images back to the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing.

With the successful launch of X-Sat, Singapore is one of the first countries in South-east Asia to have its own satellite in space. Previous satellite launches by the Republic involved construction efforts by foreign companies.

The launch capped more than nine years of hard work by scientists and engineers. Experts say the series of starts and stops had sent the cost of X-Sat from $10 million to more than $40 million.

NTU president Su Guaning congratulated the team, and said the launch represents ‘a huge leap’ in Singapore’s efforts to build space technology. He added that he hopes X-Sat’s launch will ‘excite and inspire’ more youth to take up engineering and venture into space technology.

Other countries with more established space programmes such as China, the United States and Israel launch more sophisticated satellites weighing between 500kg and 1,000kg every year. While X-Sat is small, space analysts say its launch is a credible effort by Singapore.

But defence analyst Bernard Loo of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies does not see a ‘strategic need’ for Singapore to have its own space programme yet.

‘Singapore’s strategic space is so small, there is no need for such sophisticated technology for early warning of an impending attack,’ he said.

Singapore’s satellite capability gains traction with successful launch

Source: www.wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com

Bloomberg/Clinton Double Act For Cities and Climate Initiative

This is the genius of C40 and CCI. Cities comprise 2% of the geography of the world and 70% of the world’s emissions. So the newly formed C40 Clinton Climate Initiative, which combines previous efforts led by former President Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to leverage big cities in the fight against global warming, has Jay Carson as its CEO and an important job to do, says Fortune magazine.

By David Whitford, editor-at-large, Fortune (22 April 2011):

Jay Carson is CEO of the newly formed C40 Clinton Climate Initiative, which combines previous efforts led by former President Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to leverage big cities in the fight against global warming. He’ll have a budget this year of $12 million and a staff of 65.

Carson is only 34 but he’s been in the spotlight basically since he graduated from Columbia — as deputy mayor of Los Angeles, press secretary for former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and for two failed Democratic presidential contenders (John Dean, Hillary Clinton), and communications director for the Clinton Foundation, a job he once described to The New York Observer as “playing cards, riding in cars, traveling the world with President Clinton.”

He’ll be doing a lot of traveling in this job, too. Fortune caught up with Carson by phone earlier this week while he was waiting at LAX to board a flight back East.

Why do you think cities should lead the environmental movement?

In a number of policy areas, cities are the future. But on this issue in particular it’s because elsewhere the hurdles are so high. It is very hard to target one piece of climate action for the entirety of China. Or one piece of climate action for the entirety of the United States of America, if only because the needs in Montana are very different than the needs of New York. This is the genius of C40 and CCI — you don’t need to get Montana. Cities comprise 2% of the geography of the world and 70% of the world’s emissions.

Is it also because cities are more agile and can act more quickly and more effectively than nations can?

As Mayor Bloomberg likes to say, while nations talk, cities act. That’s the fundamental principle of our organization. [Los Angeles] Mayor Villaraigosa was the genius behind this. He said I can get four or five of my mayoral colleagues and we’re 100 million people. I love Montana, but instead of trying to get Montana, let’s get a few like-minded mayors around the world on board to really take action. And then bring that action to scale with other similar cities. What worked in Moscow may not work in Los Angeles, but sometimes in surprising ways the policies are transferable.

Another way to look at this is that it’s bottom-up instead of top-down. Cities know what the carbon drivers are. I don’t want to oversimplify but it’s transportation, it’s your cars; it’s your building output; and it’s the generation of your electricity. Those are the three things. So if we work to reduce the carbon output in those areas, we will reduce our overall carbon output.

The way that Mayor Bloomberg and the City of New York did it was they simultaneously set a 30% carbon reduction goal while figuring out over 200 ways that they were going to get it done. That’s just the way cities and mayors work. At these international treaty talks, everyone talks about carbon percentage reduction without talking about how that will happen, except in the most macro ways. Cities and mayors don’t get to sit around and talk lofty rhetoric and not back it up.

Some Fortune readers might say that what you’re describing — leverage, impatience with rhetoric, a focus on results — fits business better than it does politics at any level, even cities.

Businesses tend to look at what works, at what will affect the bottom line. And by the way, smart companies around the world see that reducing their carbon emissions actually helps their bottom line. There’s this great nexus at Wal-Mart between shrinking its packaging and saving money in terms of transport costs. Fewer trucks on the road, less paper used in packaging, more money saved for Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500). Everybody wins.

Just like a business, a city can’t implement a policy that ultimately doesn’t work. Green building codes, for example. You cannot pass green building codes that ultimately bankrupt your developers because cities need developers. You have to make sure that your building codes save energy to a degree that, while it may cost slightly more to build, the savings over the long run will benefit developers and building owners.

What kind of green policy initiatives can we expect from cities?

Nothing about this is overly prescriptive. Cities can figure out what works for them. You can literally do this on an XY matrix. One axis is carbon output, ranked 1 to 10. The other, areas of control that the mayor has, ranked 1 to 10. If you get something that’s a 10 on both, that needs to be a policy that you’re pushing.

In New York, buildings are huge on the carbon output axis. And the mayor has a reasonable amount of control over building codes. Taxis have a huge carbon output and a reasonable amount of control by the mayor. So you go after those two, which Mayor Bloomberg has done. With a far-reaching green building code, which by the way was supported by the Real Estate Board of New York when they understood what the financial savings would be. And you have a green taxi law, which was to some extent fought by the taxi lobby but I think has been embraced by the city; people are coming around. New York has more than 12,000 taxis. Move all those to hybrids and you make a huge impact.

On the other hand, New York has nothing to do with Con Edison (ED, Fortune 500). So New York cannot touch power generation. But the city of Los Angeles — and by the way, the city of Austin, too, and several other cities around the world — controls power generation. The mayor appoints five members to the board of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, and they run it. So when Mayor Villaraigosa came in, he said, “We need to generate cleaner power, we’re far too reliant on coal, let’s move more heavily into renewables.” He was a visionary in that realm.

What we will do in C40 is link other cities together with municipal utilities and have them learn from Los Angeles. And by the way, L.A. is now implementing a drastic carbon reduction program that is highly affordable and supported by the business community.

Bloomberg’s a big-city mayor. Clinton grew up in Arkansas. I’m wondering how they get along.

They both have enormous drive. They both love what they’re doing. They both are self-made. These are two guys who started essentially at the bottom rung. One went on to become the first two-term Democratic president since FDR, with the strongest economy that the country has ever seen. The other built one of the most successful companies ever and became a three-term, extremely successful Mayor of New York. That is a bond that they absolutely share. In addition to loving New York.

Source: www.money.cnn.com

Election Fever and Earth Day Action in Singapore

Announcing the date for the next General Election and celebrating Earth Day all fell in the same week. The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) announced that under Earth Helpers, businesses and organisations keen on launching an environmental project – but lacking the resources to do so – will be invited to partner with the Singapore Environment Council and  a group of Singapore environmentalists who assemble informally every month as “Green Drinks” is advocating for more green discussions in the new Parliament. Meanwhile, Singapore schools will be observing an environment day every April 22 (Earth Day)  in a bid by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to encourage youth to be pro-nature. Pictured is the Earth Day Eco Walk at Siloso Beach Resort.

‘More green discussions in Parliament, please’

 By Lynda Hong Ee Lyn in Today  (20 April 2011):

Employment, rising costs of living and many other bread and butter issues have been so-called hot-button election topics but a group of environmentalists in the latest Green Drinks – an informal monthly gathering of environmentalists – is advocating for more green discussions in the new Parliament.

Together with seven panellists – leaders of environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs), businessmen and a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) – some 40 participants discussed how environmental issues can be further advocated on a political level.

Former NMP and IUT Global CEO Edwin Khew said discussions on environmental issues in the latest Parliament that was dissolved yesterday were rare, adding that his predecessor NMPs had mostly raised bread and butter issues.

One example on the lack of green empathy was the national recycling rate of 58 per cent. If industrial recyclables from construction waste were excluded, the household recycling rate would sink to such a low rate it would “stick out like a sore thumb.”

While greater scrutiny of environmental issues is needed, the majority agreed that Singapore is not ready for a Green Party, as is the case in Germany and Australia.

Green issues could be looked at in totality as a part of all national issues, including defence, foreign affairs and housing, suggested participant Joseph Chun.

Another way would be to have an official to overlook green issues in every ministry, said Mr Mark Cheng, co-founder of NGO Avelife.

Panellist Allan Lim, CEO of Alpha Biofuels, suggested a bottom-up approach in pressurising politicians to be more environmentally aware.

This, he said, could be achieved by building a critical mass of environmentalist Singaporeans.

He asked – a rhetorical question perhaps – would political candidates be more inclined to attend Green Drinks sessions if they were held at a Community Club instead?

Another way to get more politicians to be more environmentally aware is to press for more green jobs, said Mr Wilson Ang, founder of ECO Singapore.

Agreeing, Mr Howard Shaw, former executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, added that a green economy can spur political will.

Despite the People’s Action Party’s promise to build a green and sustainable society, five previously elected Members of Parliament and Ministers of State have declined to attend Green Drinks gatherings.

Organisers say discussions at Green Drinks sessions will be collated and presented to the various political parties.

Source: www.todayonline.com

A helping hand for those going green in Singapore

Yuen Sin in Straits Times (22 April 2011):

THE staff of Siloso Beach Resort are keen to expand their environmental initiatives but are often too busy conducting tours of its natural surroundings for guests.

With the launch of the Earth Helpers programme by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), they will be able to get a helping hand to do these tours, leaving them free to nurture other initiatives.

At SEC’s Earth Day celebrations yesterday, chairman Isabella Loh said organisations have often raised the issue of having difficulty in finding the right people with the expertise and passion in managing or implementing environmental initiatives.

This is where the SEC comes in.

Under Earth Helpers, businesses and organisations keen on launching an environmental project – but lacking the resources to do so – will be invited to partner the SEC and tap on its staff and volunteers.

Management and staff from these organisations will also be encouraged to participate.

There are no restrictions on the type of projects that can be proposed but the commitment of organisations and how impactful the project is would count.

Moving beyond spreading general awareness, the SEC aims to engage at least 10 companies under the scheme this year.

It has more than 100 long-term, registered volunteers and hopes that this initiative will expand their number.

‘It’s a chicken-and-egg situation,’ Ms Loh said. ‘Volunteers will sign up when they see that there are projects that require their support.’

At next year’s Earth Day celebrations, volunteers can look forward to being presented with awards under a new recognition programme announced yesterday.

Environmental journalism awards will also be given to media professionals from both traditional and new media.

Source: www.wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com

Schools to mark April 22 as eco-friendly day for youth

Lim Yi Han  in Straits Times (22 April 2011):

CLASS, attention please. Schools will be observing an environment day every April 22 in a bid by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to encourage youth to be pro-nature.

Launched on Wednesday, the Youth For The Environment Day will be included in the National Education calendar for all primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and the Institute of Technical Education.

April 22 also marks Earth Day which is celebrated in many countries.

The NEA believes that schools are a good start to getting young people committed to caring for the environment.

Schools are encouraged to mark the April 22 event by organising environment-related activities, such as visiting incineration plants to get an insight into waste management.

Mr Andrew Tan, chief executive officer of NEA, said he believes there is a growing awareness among young people here not to take their surroundings for granted.

Youth For The Environment Day is intended to give them their own platform to celebrate and nurture ‘this culture of environmental ownership’.

At the event’s launch, which was attended by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, NEA also handed out the EcoFriend awards to 11 individuals, of whom six are young people.

The awards, launched in 2007, recognise outstanding environment champions.

One recipient is Mr Chua Ang Hong, 21, a first-year student at Nanyang Technological University’s Nanyang Business School.

Last year, he organised an anti-littering campaign in Aljunied GRC where he is vice-chairman of the Ci Yuan Community Centre Youth Executive Committee.

The six-month campaign included house visits that saw his team reach out to 12,000 residents to educate them about the danger of killer litter.

Mr Chua, who is also business manager in Earthlink NTU, the school’s environmental club, said: ‘All of us have a part to play in conserving the environment because we are also taking resources from it.’

To find out more about the Youth For The Environment Day, visit www.yed.sg

Source: www.wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com

No Blip but Blimp on the Radar: Sustainability Good for Aerospace Business

For Lockheed Martin going green is good for the environment and good for business. In its 2010 Corporate Energy, Environment, Safety and Health Report released online, the aerospace company details how energy, water and waste to landfill reduction programs are helping to meet its sustainability targets and improve operational efficiencies, with energy savings programs with potential carbon reduction of up to 161,000 metric tons and associated possible operating cost reductions over the next two years. It also said it is lowering annualized operating costs from using fewer natural resources. 

Lockheed Martin reports (17 April 2011)

For Lockheed Martin going green is good for the environment and good for business. In its 2010 Corporate Energy, Environment, Safety and Health Report released online, Lockheed Martin details how energy, water and waste to landfill reduction programs are helping the company meet its sustainability targets and improve operational efficiencies.

The company said its energy savings program has identified 150 projects with potential carbon reduction of up to 161,000 metric tons and associated possible operating cost reductions over the next two years. It also said it is lowering annualized operating costs from using fewer natural resources. 

“We are embedding sustainability practices into our DNA,” said David Constable, PhD., vice president of Energy, Environment, Safety and Health for Lockheed Martin. “As we become more energy efficient, use fewer resources and apply sustainability solutions in the design and management of all our operations, we reduce overhead costs, deliver greater benefits to our customers and improve the environment in the 545 communities worldwide where we have operations.”

For example, Lockheed Martin launched a “green information technology” program, which has consolidated 4,000 data servers since 2008, resulting in a savings of 26 million kWh of electricity consumption and $2.6 million in annual costs.

In 2008, Lockheed Martin set the goal of reducing by 25 percent in its water, waste-to-landfill and greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2012, based on 2007 baseline performance. The company said it has achieved one of these goals and is on track to meet the others.

Other key achievements noted in the report include:

Decreased waste to landfill by 1.1 million pounds from 2009 to 2010, and by 26 percent since 2007 primarily by expanding recycle programs and working with vendors to eliminate excess packaging;

Reduced water usage by 136 million gallons from 2009 to 2010, and by 22 percent since 2007, through such initiatives as upgrading to low flow plumbing fixtures, making improvements to cooling towers and installing landscaping that requires less water;

Cut carbon emissions by 95,000 metric ton CO2 equivalents from 2009 to 2010, and by 15 percent since 2007 through a combination of energy efficiency initiatives and the purchase of renewable wind and solar energy and renewable energy credits;

Expanded its greening the supply chain program, working with 51 Indirect and IT suppliers. A program with Staples has achieved financial benefits and led to saving nearly 9,000 trees by using more recycled content in 2010. Working with Dell, Lockheed Martin eliminated extra packaging by insisting that computers be shipped in multipacks or recycled containers;

Named as an environmental leader for its GHG emission reduction efforts among S&P 500 Industrial companies by the Carbon Disclosure Project and achieved U.S. Building Green Council LEED® certification for 21 company facilities with 19 additional sites working to achieve various LEED® certifications; and

Reduced recordable workplace injuries by an absolute 49 percent from 2003 to 2010 and established new 25-Foot Safety Control Zone program to heighten employees’ safety awareness in their immediate work area.  

The report is available online and includes an interactive tool that allows individuals to view sustainability metrics by topic and location. www.lockheedmartin.com/sustainable

)

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

Source: www.pr-usa.net

Build In Sustainability With or Without a Carbon Price

The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) applauds the Australian  government for committing to helping householders manage the impact of a carbon price; but in doing so, encourages them to ensure that at least some of the compensation paid to householders under the proposed carbon price is directed towards permanently improving home energy efficiency, so that change is ‘hardwired’. “The case for improving building sustainability exists with or without a carbon price,” Michael Plunkett, ABSA’s Chairman said.

Carbon compensation must hardwire change

ABSA Reports (15 April 2011):

The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) applauds the government for committing to helping householders manage the impact of a carbon price; but in doing so, encourages them to ensure that at least some of the compensation paid to householders under the proposed carbon price is directed towards permanently improving home energy efficiency, so that change is ‘hardwired’.

“The case for improving building sustainability exists with or without a carbon price,” Michael Plunkett, ABSA’s Chairman said.

“We have over eight million existing dwellings across Australia and if compensation is to be paid to householders, as the Federal Government has consistently indicated, we believe that some of those funds must be earmarked to hardwire change in the home.

“The first step in constituting change is the most important. ABSA believes that each householder needs to understand what the best solutions are for them to improve energy efficiency in and around the home. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A detailed assessment by a qualified assessor ensures that households can identify proven ways to lower their carbon emissions and save a considerable amount on their quarterly utility bills,” Mr Plunkett said.

“It is only when an assessment has been undertaken that the best methods for improvement can be identified – we strongly believe that you can’t manage what you haven’t measured.

“Without first understanding then targeting the specific needs of individual households, compensation dollars may not be well spent by Government.

“Compensation to those householders who are most affected, but are least able to pay, should take precedence. Handing out money as a simple offset against cost increases does nothing to secure long term change, and won’t help us to substantially reduce emissions from existing housing stock,” he said.

“There is a big job that must be done in Australia – that of creating lasting and meaningful change in homes across the country. Change that is hardwired into the fabric of the home,” Mr Plunkett said.

The Multi-Party Climate Change Committee (MPCCC) in its ‘Principles to guide development of a carbon price mechanism’ indicates, “assistance should be provided to those households and communities most needing help to adjust to a carbon price, while striving to maintain incentives to change behaviour and reduce pollution.” (http://climatechange.gov.au/government/initiatives/multi-party-committee/meetings/third-meeting/communique.aspx#attachmenta )

“ABSA believes that householder compensation should be targeted and well thought through and the best way to do this it to link payments to a range of recommendations made as a result of assessment of an existing home by a qualified assessor. In improving the existing building stock in this way we should not forget the other essential component to ensure a less energy and water intensive future in our built environment, that is to continue to improve standards for new homes”, Mr Plunkett said.

“Directing carbon compensation in these ways will help hardwire change in the household and will ensure that carbon compensation is money well spent,” he said.

About ABSA: The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) is a not-for-profit national membership organisation representing over 1,800 building and design professionals who specialise in assessing the environmental impact of buildings. ABSA’s vision is to improve sustainability through the design and use of buildings. For more information about ABSA visit

Source: www.absa.net.au

Getting a Taste for Salt and Seawater in the Energy Menu

When the mighty Amazon finally meets the sea, millions of gallons of fresh water mingle with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. It could be the start for a new form of simple battery that uses the difference in saltiness between fresh water and seawater to produce electricity, say researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, capable of producing as much as 13% of the world’s energy. Meanwhile, the Southern Hemisphere’s first commercial-scale wave power unit has begun producing energy as part of a trial project, says Carnegie Wave Energy.

In New Scientist (21 April 2011):

When the mighty Amazon finally meets the sea at Belem in Brazil, millions of gallons of fresh water mingle with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s the end of an epic journey across South America – but it could be the start for a new form of simple battery that uses the difference in saltiness between fresh water and seawater to produce electricity.

Researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, say these sorts of meeting points could be used to produce as much as 13 per cent of the world’s energy if electricity from all of the world’s rivers were harvested in this way.

It’s quite a claim, but not an entirely new idea. Scientists have long known you can produce electricity using the difference in saltiness of water. Other methods of using difference in salinity to create electricity have usually relied upon membranes which the ions pass through. But these are costly as well as fragile and are unsuitable for large-scale energy production.

The battery itself, known as a “mixing entropy battery” is relatively simple, and consists of two electrodes – one which contains positive sodium ions, one that has negative chlorine ions – which are immersed in fresh river water.

The battery slowly charges as the river water, which is low in salinity, and a small electrical charge pull the ions from the electrodes, increasing the voltage between the two.

The fresh water is then drained and replaced with seawater. The seawater is full of ions, which rush back to the electrodes, and produce electricity that can be drawn off from the battery. The saltwater is then drained and replaced with river water again, and the process starts over.

In tests the team managed to achieve 74 per cent efficiency in converting the potential energy in the battery to electrical current. During tests they found that 2.2 kilojoules of free energy could be harvested from every litre of fresh water.

Nice idea – but good luck telling environmental groups you’re planning on building giant power plants at some of the worlds most picturesque estuaries, however efficient.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Sydney Morning Herald (21 April 2011): 

The Southern Hemisphere’s first commercial-scale wave power unit has begun producing energy as part of a trial project.

Carnegie Wave Energy said its CETO 3 unit on Garden Island, south of Perth, had begun producing hydraulic power and was performing to expectations.

Managing director Michael Ottaviano said the trial would be followed by a grid-connected, two-to-five-megawatt demonstration project.

The system is made up of submerged buoys tethered to pump units anchored to the ocean floor at about 25 metres depth. The buoys move with the motion of the waves, driving the pumps, which in turn pressurise water that is delivered to shore via a pipeline to drive hydroelectric turbines, producing zero-emission electricity.

Waves in excess of one metre are needed to produce reliable energy, which makes the southern and western coasts of Australia ideal, according to Mr. Ottaviano. Most of the southern half of Australia receives two-metre swells for at least 90 per cent of the year.

Mr. Ottaviano said the purpose of the trial project was to demonstrate Carnegie’s pumping technology, not the power off-take technology, which was ”off the shelf”.

Power from the trial project was not being used, he said. The company was instead focused on collecting performance data.

”We’ll have a full idea of this unit’s performance in a matter of weeks,” he said.

Power from the forthcoming grid demonstration project could be sold to state electricity retailer Synergy or the Department of Defense for use on Garden Island, which is Australia’s largest naval base, he said.

Carnegie has signed a memorandum of understanding with both parties.

”We’ve also been short-listed by WaterCorp to sell them power for the new desalination plant being built south of Perth down at Bunbury,” Mr. Ottaviano said.

Source: www.eco-business.com

Google it! What’s in the wind for Singapore? Investing in R&D & Data Centres

Why is Singapore attracting global players in wind energy? Its attractiveness stems from its strong foundational R&D competencies, favourable intellectual property (IP) protection and ability to attract international talent,’ he added. The wind industry falls under Singapore’s cleantech sector, which has been identified as a major pillar of growth for the country. It is expected to contribute S$3.4 billion to gross domestic product by 2015 while providing 18,000 jobs. Meanwhile Google is going for wind to power another of its Data Centres.

Jessica Cheam , Environment Correspondent , Straits Times (Singapore)  (23 April 2011): 

THE wind seems to be blowing in Singapore’s direction – when it comes to the city state’s nascent wind power industry.

In the past few years, the Republic has attracted a spectrum of wind industry- related firms to set up shop here – even though the wind surrounding sheltered Singapore clocks an average speed that is insufficient for commercial wind power generation.

Spanish wind giant Gamesa is the latest of such firms to establish its presence here. It set up a research and development (R&D) laboratory earlier this month.

Its chairman Jorge Calvet said at the opening ceremony that the firm took ‘the quickest time’ in its history to decide on opening the new centre here, primarily due to Singapore’s R&D expertise.

The research centre, the first for Gamesa in South-east Asia, will work with local institutions on wind technology research.

Mr Goh Chee Kiong, director of cleantech at the Economic Development Board (EDB), said Singapore is fast becoming a hub of choice for wind energy activities despite not having a domestic market.

‘Wind companies look to Singapore to conduct R&D as well as to set up their control towers to manage their Asia-Pacific markets,’ he told The Straits Times.

‘Our attractiveness stems from our strong foundational R&D competencies, favourable intellectual property (IP) protection and ability to attract international talent,’ he added.

The wind industry falls under Singapore’s cleantech sector, which has been identified as a major pillar of growth for the country. It is expected to contribute $3.4 billion to gross domestic product by 2015 while providing 18,000 jobs.

Cleantech refers to clean technology such as solar or wind energy that minimises the use of resources and the impact on the environment.

Danish wind power giant Vestas was among the first high-profile investments Singapore attracted. The firm invested $500 million in a research centre at Fusionopolis in 2008.

Since then, other firms have followed, such as German technology company Siemens AG, which set up its regional headquarters for wind operations here.

Last year, Norwegian wind service firm DNV also opened a cleantech centre here, which offers advisory services for the sector, such as project development support and wind turbine technology.

Mr Soren Karkov, director of clean energy for DNV, said Singapore’s strength as a financial hub is a pull factor.

‘Many of the financial institutions have headquarters here and we have seen an increasing number of requests for wind and solar energy-related assessments such as technical and financial due diligence,’ he said.

Singapore’s booming wind business – riding on the larger growing Asia wind market – is reflected in the number of staff at Siemens’s wind power unit.

When the company set up its regional headquarters here in 2008, there were only two or three staff members. Today, the number is 33, said Mr Jeyan Nadarajah, the company’s commercial head of Asia-Pacific for wind power.

‘We decided on Singapore because of its strategic location, especially in terms of proximity to potential customers in the region, and good pool of skilled manpower,’ he said.

The Siemens team in Singapore focuses on acquiring and executing wind farm projects. Although there are no large-scale wind projects here, Siemens uses Singapore as a base to serve markets such as China and India.

Nearer to home, Thailand and the Philippines also have huge potential for wind power growth, Mr Nadarajah said.

EDB’s Mr Goh said other factors contributing to the growing wind industry here are the ‘complementary capabilities from our thriving aerospace and marine and offshore industry sectors’, for instance in the fields of aerodynamics, controls and system integration.

Such firms include Singapore-listed Keppel Offshore & Marine and Swiber Holdings, both of which provide offshore services for the wind sector.

Keppel Offshore & Marine chief executive Tong Chong Heong said the offshore wind energy sector is gaining momentum on a global scale. On average, 250 offshore wind turbines are installed worldwide each year, and this is expected to increase to about 1,000 units over the next decade or so, he noted.

The firm provides installation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, and also conducts research into areas such as transport, wind turbine foundations and installation and cabling.

It recently won a contract to build a wind turbine installation vessel that will be used in the North Sea.

‘Our global yards are able to offer integrated solutions that can help to improve reliability and reduce the cost of offshore wind projects,’ Mr Tong said.

‘In the absence of a wind industry of its own, Singapore is still able to support the sector’s growth by participating in different aspects of the value chain.’

Source: www.lexisnexis.com

James Niccolai , IDG News Service (22 April 2011):

Google has invested in a wind farm in Oklahoma to help offset the environmental impact of its data centers, even as Greenpeace stepped up its criticism of big Internet companies for using “dirty power” that contributes to global warming.

Google has signed a 20-year purchase agreement to buy all the power generated by a 100-megawatt wind farm to be built near one of its data centers in Mayes County, Oklahoma, Google announced in a blog post Thursday.

It’s Google’s second investment of this type in the past year. Both were made by a subsidiary company, Google Energy, which is certified to buy and sell power on the U.S. wholesale market.

“These purchases represent long-term, meaningful actions to reduce our carbon footprint and power our operations with clean electricity,” Google said.

The company also published a white paper Wednesday that explains the complexities of trying to use renewable energy to run a data center. For regulatory and other reasons, Google can’t take the power generated by the wind farms and apply it directly to its data centers.

“At our data centers, Google is a retail customer — we have no way of taking power off the grid wholesale and applying it to our load,” it says in the white paper. “We have to buy power just like you do: from our local regulated utility.”

Instead, Google sells the power it agrees to purchase back to the grid at local, wholesale prices. The purchase agreements provide the financial incentive for the wind farms to get built, it said, and Google gets to collect Renewable Energy Credits for the wind power it sells. RECs are akin to carbon offsets, except Google says they are more effective because they represent renewable power that has actually been produced.

“Even if we can’t legally or physically transfer the [wind] power to our facility, being in the same power market ensures we are contributing to greening the grid where we operate,” the company said.

Both the wind farms are being built by NextEra Energy, in which Google has made an investment. It said the Oklahoma facility will be operational by late this year.

Google made its announcement at GigaOm’s GreenNet conference in San Francisco. Greenpeace was also there, to step up its campaign against Internet companies that it says rely on power from coal-fired plants to run their data centers.

A new Greenpeace report, “How Green is Your Data?” criticizes Facebook, Google and Apple for building data centers in North Carolina, where it says “cheap and dirty coal-powered electricity is abundant.”

“The IT industry points to cloud computing as the new, green model for our IT infrastructure needs, but few companies provide data that would allow us to objectively evaluate these claims,” Greenpeace says.

Greenpeace argues that big Internet firms should locate their data centers where the local utility companies are producing renewable energy, in order to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage further investments in renewables.

It also credits Google for its efforts, however.

“Of the 10 brands graded, Akamai, a global content distribution network, earned top-of-the-class recognition for transparency; Yahoo had the strongest infrastructure siting policy; Google and IBM demonstrated the most comprehensive overall approach to reduce its carbon footprint to date,” Greenpeace said.

Google, in its white paper, suggests running a data center on renewable energy is more complicated than Greenpeace implies.

“We know from Kirchoff’s circuit laws that electricity generated in one spot cannot be directed to a specific user over the electricity grid,” Google said. “Once you put electricity on the grid there is no actual way to say ‘the energy from wind farm X is going to my data center Y.’”

Source www.goodgearguide.com.au

Growth in Investing  in Sustainability in Australia and Singapore

The Australian sustainable business market will grow to A$2.9bn in 2014 from $1.6bn in 2010, according to a new report from independent analyst firm Verdantix. The forecast is based on analysis of spending by 139 firms with Australian revenues of at least $900m and cross-industry research into over 1,000 Australian corporate sustainability initiatives, including energy efficiency, carbon management, sustainable supply chains, cleantech and sustainable product innovation. And investing in a paperless future is good for the earth and the bottom line. So GreenPost is underway, as Singapore’s only aggregator of electronic bills and statements, presenting them on a single platform for the user’s convenience.

Verdantix report from London (19 April 2011):

The Australian sustainable business market will grow to $2.9bn in 2014 from $1.6bn in 2010, according to a new report from independent analyst firm Verdantix.

The report forecasts that sustainability spending will exceed $1.8bn in 2011, grow to $2.1bn in 2012 and reach $2.5bn in 2013. The forecast is based on analysis of spending by 139 firms with Australian revenues of at least $900m and cross-industry research into over 1,000 Australian corporate sustainability initiatives. The Verdantix model categorises spending by 29 initiatives including energy efficiency, carbon management, sustainable supply chains, cleantech and sustainable product innovation.

“Many Australian business leaders perceive climate change and sustainability trends as a break on growth and a cost to business” commented Susan Clarke, Verdantix analyst and author of the report. “But carbon regulations, rising energy prices and natural resource scarcity also create new market opportunities. Innovative firms like CarbonSystems, Energetics, Intelligent Pathways and WSP Environment & Energy already benefit from the market for energy efficiency and carbon management. A pure focus on blocking and tackling new energy and climate change regulations will protect margins in the short-term but misses out on big opportunities like bio-diesel refining.”

According to the Verdantix report, Australian Sustainable Business Spending 2009-14, the market will experience a 13% CAGR from 2009 to 2014. Sustainability spend will increase by 9% in 2011 compared to 2010. This positive trend will continue with a year-on-year increase of 13% in 2012. The recently proposed carbon price mechanism, if it is implemented by 2013, will cause an increase in year-on-year growth rates, reaching 20% in 2013 and 2014.

Across 29 sustainable business initiatives the Verdantix market forecast finds that spending on smart grid and electric vehicles will grow fastest. Spend on smart grid will grow at a 27% CAGR to reach $72 million in 2014. Electric vehicles and infrastructure will grow at a 22% CAGR to reach $58 million in 2014. Public-private consortium partnerships such as the ‘Smart Grid, Smart City’ demonstration project encourage investment from firms like AGL Energy, Ausgrid and Sydney Water.

Reflecting the structure of the Australian economy, energy and emissions intensive industries account for 43% of sustainable business spending in 2011. The basic resources sector will invest $360 million, accounting for 20% of spend. Oil and gas firms account for 12%, travel and transport 6%, and utilities 5%. Despite strong commitments to sustainability by services firms like National Australia Bank their budgets are significantly smaller than the industrial sectors.

“Australia is already experiencing a boom in commodities demand as the Asian economy gathers steam. Our forecast for a 13% CAGR between 2009 and 2014 assumes economic growth in Australia of 3% to 3.5% over the period,” stated David Metcalfe, Verdantix Director. “Spending on sustainability is positively correlated with global and national economic growth because they drive up the price of fossil fuels and other natural resources. As a result, spending on initiatives such as energy efficiency, sustainability communications, lobbying and renewable energy production will be higher if economic growth is above current forecasts.”

The Verdantix report, Australian Sustainable Business Spending 2009-14, launched today and is available to Verdantix clients at www.verdantix.com.

Verdantix is the fastest-growing, independent, analyst firm focused on sustainable business strategies and market opportunities.

Source: www.verdantix.com

29 Mar 2011

The Business Times (29 March 2011):

Pay your bills and save the Earth at the same time and with the support of a dedicated engineering team from StarHub.

However, with the aid of a co-investment from Spring Singapore and a round of private angel funding, the team managed to reconceptualise the product to draw the data from the biller.

E-BILLING is great. You save trees while you pay your bills, with the mere click of your mouse. When more and more companies start to offer e-billing services, you eagerly take them up, you love the thought of doing your part for the environment, not to mention how convenient it is.

Then comes that one night, which finds you seated in front of the computer, all ready to settle your monthly bills. You soon begin to realise that what was once ‘a mere click of the mouse’ has become a tiresome labyrinth of portals and Web interfaces – a much more tedious process than before.

What you would have experienced, is what Harveen Narulla, director of GreenPost, calls ‘multiple log-in fatigue’, a phenomenon he feels is the main reason why many people are not going paperless with their bills.

‘At a time when people are increasingly under pressure, dealing with work commitments, family commitments, and a shortage of time, they want technology to make their life easier, not harder,’ he explains.

This is where GreenPost comes in. GreenPost is Singapore’s only aggregator of electronic bills and statements, presenting them on a single platform for the user’s convenience.

‘Every biller wants to pull customers to their website to check bills. It takes a third party who’s not a biller, to say ‘Hey, I’ll aggregate all your bills,’ and that is what we are,’ says Mr Narulla.

GreenPost currently aggregates bills from some of the highest volume billers in Singapore (M1, StarHub, SingTel, Singapore Power services, NUSS Alumni club), and plans to link up with all billers – not just the top volume ones – by 2012.

The company also aggregates bills from Malaysia (Maxis, Digi, TNB), and Australia (Optus), and intends to expand its presence in both. Plans for India, Hong Kong, and America are in the pipeline.

This will save upwards from two million pages of paper per month, a conservative estimate based on a function of user take- up rates, the average number of bills per person, and the average amount of paper used to mail a single bill.

‘We will achieve these numbers with 125,000 users,’ says Anand Singh, the founder and CEO of GreenPost, who pointed out that signing an agreement with any of the six banks they are currently in negotiations with would allow them to hit 400,000 users within six months. These six banks include OCBC, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, UOB, ICICI, and ANZ.

Under the pending agreements, users can choose to display the bill information aggregated by GreenPost within an Internet banking platform of his choice. This gives the user the convenience of having his bill information alongside the bank’s existing payment service, making it much easier for him to make payments.

GreenPost is also in the process of negotiating commercial terms with the most common payment collection providers, which will enable users to pay their bills from the GreenPost portal itself.

Data analytics and a bill archive are also available, allowing users to keep track of their bill history from up to two years ago.

To top it off, all these benefits will be provided to users for no charge at all. So where does the money come from?

Former Bloomberg news anchor Bernie Low posed Mr Singh the same question in 2009, describing the company as a free service, an effort to save the trees. ‘It’s not a business model right?’ asked an incredulous Mr Low. ‘You’re not a money making proposition.’

Mr Singh disagreed, describing three ways in which the company intends to make money, charging billers a portion of the cost savings GreenPost affords them through reduced paper costs, advertising revenue from intelligent ad banners (replacing the marketing pamphlets often sent together with bills), and charging a fee for payment collection.

Today, the business model has evolved to include two more – the accumulation of carbon credits from forest savings, and a paid curtain where users can pay to upgrade their accounts to include more in-depth bill data analytics and a larger archive.

Things weren’t always smooth going though. The company struggled to attract initial investment due to the financial crisis in 2008 and a general wariness toward B2C (business-to-consumer) companies by investors in Singapore – something Mr Narulla attributes to the unique revenue cycle of a B2C company.

The revenue cycle of a B2C company ‘is almost flat for a long while, hits an inflection point and then spikes’, something Mr Narulla feels Singapore investors are relatively unfamiliar with, compared to the gradual growth curve of a traditional company.

To make matters worse, the original idea, incubated with the assistance of NUS in 2005, of linking up biller systems with the GreenPost platform was deemed unfeasible despite successful technical integration due to cost, says Mr Narulla.

‘Integration by connecting directly with biller systems, and pulling data from biller customer management systems is a very expensive exercise,’ he explains, referring to the pilot tests done with the support of a dedicated engineering team from StarHub.

However, with the aid of a co-investment from Spring Singapore and a round of private angel funding, the team managed to reconceptualise the product to draw the data from the biller’s portals, which avoids the hugely expensive integration challenges the company had faced before.

From then on, the company launched its beta platform in September 2009 and launched commercially in March 2010.

It has since developed mobile apps for the iPhone and iPad in June and August of 2010 respectively, with plans to release an Android app in May 2011, making it the first bill aggregator in the world to incorporate a mobile platform.

GreenPost was also selected as technology partner by CrimsonLogic for its bid for the Singapore government’s OneInBox tender, which, if successful, would see them aggregating all Government-to-Citizen correspondence.

Mr Narulla hopes to be supporting the top 20 billers in Singapore, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia by the end of 2012, and to fully commercialise three of these countries in a three to five year time-frame.

Says Mr Narulla, ‘We believe that we are doing something that could change the shape of the world. It could lead to hundreds of thousands of trees still standing.

‘If people’s mindsets and attitudes don’t change, the last tree will fall one day. But if through our lives, work, and involvement we can delay that by even 20 to 50 years, we will have done our job.’

Source: www.spring.gov.sg  and  www.gogreenpost.com