Electric Vehicles Could Lower Electricity Prices

04.03.2019

Regular readers of this column are well aware of the wonderful benefits of EV ownership. However, electric vehicles can also have a positive impact on the electric grid, serving as the perfect complement to renewable energy sources. Jeff McMahon, writing in Forbes, notes that a growing body of evidence supports the idea that the spread of EVs is good news for electric ratepayers.

“These vehicles plug into our electricity system, and a number of cost-benefit studies are showing that this can be really beneficial to all ratepayers, not just the drivers of the vehicles,” said Matt Stanberry of the trade group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). “As you increase electricity sales for charging the vehicles, it has the effect of driving down rates for all ratepayers because it spreads the fixed cost of the system out across a larger volume of sales.”

McMahon cites a 2017 study by M.J. Bradley & Associates, which analyzed the impact of EVs in five US states, and found that the benefits flow not only to EV owners in saved fuel and maintenance costs, and to society in reduced carbon emissions, but also to electric ratepayers in the form of reduced fixed costs. In fact, the study found that in some cases utility ratepayers benefited more than the EV owners themselves. For example, in New York the study found $265 in annual benefits from a plug-in vehicle: $18 for the owner, $166 for the utility customer, and $81 for society in reduced emissions.

Siemens, which manufactures EV charging equipment, has obvious reasons to take an interest in the issue. “We have heard the complaint come up that the utility-funded programs for EV charging infrastructure are a subsidy to EV owners, who tend to be well off in the first place and are driving their Teslas,” said Chris King, Chief Policy Officer at Siemens Digital Grid. “That couldn’t be more wrong.”

“California, which has close to half a million [EVs], is looking at net benefits already exceeding $1 billion. And this is to non-participating ratepayers,” King said during a recent webinar. King estimates that an EV can produce $2,000 to $2,500 in benefits over its 10-year lifespan. From this standpoint, investments in charging infrastructure benefit all ratepayers, not just EV owners. “It’s not a subsidy in any way to those EV drivers,” he says.

The benefits to utility customers should only increase as more drivers go electric. E3 has developed a model that can be used to estimate the benefits at different levels of EV penetration. However, for the maximum positive impact on the grid, EV drivers need to charge their vehicles at off-peak times, when there is spare capacity on the electric grid.

McMahon writes that state regulators should not only encourage utilities to invest more in public charging infrastructure, but also to introduce time-of-use (TOU) rates, which offer customers a discount for charging during off-peak hours.

However, there’s another major obstacle to overcome. There is “a lack of customer awareness of the availability of electric vehicles as an option for potential buyers who go out on the market looking for a new car,” says AEE’s Matt Stanberry. He notes that some surveys have found that 60 percent of buyers are unaware that EVs are a viable option, but other surveys have found that up to 84 percent say they would be interested in an EV once the benefits of driving electric are explained. “So there’s a disconnect here.”

Could utilities play a bigger role in educating the public about EVs? “Utilities are really well positioned to help in this education process,” says Stanberry. “They are connected to all ratepayers, and they can really help ratepayers understand the benefits of EVs and [the process of] charging.”

Source: Clean Technica

Are Companies Feeling the Pressure from Sustainable Consumers?

04.03.2019

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The world’s leading suppliers of groceries, personal care products, household goods and consumer electronics are racing to adapt to sustainably-minded consumers.

That’s the verdict from environmental non-profit CDP, which has published a new report showing the ‘Fast Moving Consumer Goods’ FMCG sector is having to change its business models in the face of a rise in veganism and increasing awareness regarding the impact of plastic packaging.

It acknowledges Danone and Nestlé are leading the ‘Food and Beverage’ sub-sector and notes Unilever and L’Oréal are taking the lead in ‘Household and Personal Care’.

However, it stresses some businesses are falling behind their competitors, noting Kraft Heinz and Estée Lauder as examples, and says these businesses have a key role to play in curbing more a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

It shows five out of the seven ‘Food and Beverage’ companies that originally offered dairy or meat-based products are innovating with new vegan alternatives and highlights Unilever as one of four companies to have already developed animal-free personal care product ranges.

Similarly, ‘Household and Personal Care’ companies are creating more plant-based, natural options – six out of seven companies including L’Oréal are actively innovating to replace fossil fuels with low carbon ingredients.

Around 60% of companies are investing in plastic packaging alternatives and recycling infrastructure to curb waste but the same percentage of the top ten revenue-generating brands for each business have failed to deliver low carbon innovations in the last decade.

The report also warns the sector is also highly exposed to climate change risks, such as relying on unsustainable palm oil, which have the potential to disrupt agricultural supply chains and cause price volatility.

Carole Ferguson, Head of Investor Research at CDP, said: “As consumer facing brands, at risk not just from climate change but water scarcity and deforestation too, these companies have a unique role to play in driving forward the sustainable economic transition.

“Ongoing activism around plastics and packaging is just the tip of the iceberg and we expect to see more environmental issues come to the fore as consumers start to question what goes into the products they buy, use and dispose of.”

Source: Energy Live News

Report Finds Plastic’s Entire Lifecycle Harmful to Humans

03.03.2019

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The global effort to reduce plastic production and waste often focuses on the use of specific items – straws, single-use grocery bags – or on the challenge of recycling or how to clean up the mess. It’s rare to see researchers offer a holistic view of how plastic is directly harming human health, as opposed to oceans or marine life, and rarer still for a report to cover the entire life cycle of plastic.

Yet that’s exactly what a 74-page assessment from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and its partners does. The authors of “The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet” don’t stop with the all-too-familiar plastic water bottles on the beach or microplastics in the food chain: They’ve traced plastic’s entire journey from the environmental costs of fossil fuel extraction, to the public health hazards associated with the production process, to the toxic effects of waste incineration.

“Plastic is a global health crisis hiding in plain sight,” warn the experts, who come from eight different organizations including Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and University of Exeter. More than half of all plastics ever made have been produced in the last 15 years, and nearly two-thirds of all plastics ever made have been scattered in some way in our water, soils and bodies. We’re breathing tiny particles in the air, eating tiny particles in our food, and we’re on a pathway to produce ever more.

To begin with, about 99 percent of all plastic components come from fossil fuels. Ethylene and propylene come from natural gas liquids, naphta is a byproduct of crude oil refining, and propylene is now derived from coal. The impacts of coal mines and refineries may be less visible when campaigns are focused on wildlife or the worthy goal of ocean cleanup, but that’s exactly why they’re “hidden.”

“The extraction of oil and gas, particularly hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, releases an array of toxic substances into the air and water, often in significant volumes,” the authors note. “Over 170 fracking chemicals that are used to produce the main feedstocks for plastic have known human health impacts.”

Consumers add to the invisible pile of plastic when they wash their clothes, releasing tiny microfibers into the water system, or use a lengthy list of personal care products. The shampoo bottle can always be tossed into the recycling bin, but the microbeads are a genie that can never be put back in.

The PFAS coatings are already in a third of all fast food wrap; the phthalates are leaching into the food. One 2018 study of 22 drinking water containers in German grocery stores found small (-50–500 μm) and very small (1-50 μm) microplastics in every type of water, whether sold in cartons, glass or more plastic.

Then there’s the recycling itself. Plastics are low-value, and now there’s even less of a market when there was already a low recycling rate in the first place, so they’re treated as waste. “All plastic waste management technologies (including incineration, co-incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis) result in the release of toxic metals, such as lead and mercury,” the authors note. Dioxins and acid gases enter the air, water and soils of neighboring communities, while fly ash and emissions travel much farther.

So it’s easy to see why the call to action includes “making the invisible visible.” We can’t just pick up every food wrapper or cigarette butt we see, and also must act on all the plastic health harms to which we have been blind.

Source: Sustainability Times

Wonder-Material Graphene Could Prove a Splash for Clean Water

02.03.2019

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Wonder-material graphene could be used to cheaply and effectively make dirty water clean.

That’s the verdict from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at the University of Manchester and the UK-based filter manufacturer LifeSaver, which have embarked on an 18-month research project to commercialise graphene-based water filters.

They say one of graphene’s many useful properties is effectively filtering water at high-flow rates – while LifeSaver’s current hollow-fibre membranes have an average sieve size of about 15 nanometres, which is small enough to filter out bacteria, microbial cysts and viruses, the company says this could be greatly reduced to catch more contaminants.

The scientists believe graphene could bring this sieve size down to as small as one nanometre, small enough to remove heavy metals, pesticides, certain chemicals and possibly even nuclear radiation.

They say a graphene-based commercially available filter could be used not only by outdoor enthusiasts but also scaled-up for use in humanitarian work.

Source: Energy Live News

What Russia’s Green Snow Reveals About the Rise of Pollution

01.03.2019

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Don’t eat yellow snow has always been good advice. To that we can now add warnings against green, pink, orange and black snow, as new evidence of our trashing of the planet is now being etched out on the most pristine of environments – our dwindling snow caps.

A spate of incidents in Russia has grabbed internet attention. Residents of Siberian towns watched with dismay as the snow around them turned green and black, with toxic emissions forcing some to wear masks. These seem to be connected to local factories, with a chrome plant in particular behind the green snow, and, as protests gather pace, the Putin government has come under pressure.

Snow pollution is not new. Campaigners have been warning for years of the dangers of dark snow, – black, brown and grey streaks across the ice that can be clearly seen from the air above Arctic regions – because of its effects on climate change. Dark snow is stained by black carbon, AKA soot – unburnt particles released by the combustion of fossil fuels in coal-fired power plants, factories and other sources, and carried to the ice caps on the wind. When soot falls on white snow, it is not only an aesthetic disaster: reflective snow and ice enhance the earth’s albedo (the ability of a surface to reflect sunlight), bouncing light and heat back into space, but dark snow absorbs heat instead, accelerating global warming. Eliminating soot could slow climate change, helping to reduce temperatures by up to 0.5C.

Snow is sometimes stained by natural phenomena. Chlamydomonas nivalis algae can make it appear pink or red, an effect documented by scientists since the 19th century. Orange snow spreading across eastern Europe last year may have been from particles of dust and sand from the Sahara, though pollution was a more likely cause of orange snowfalls in Siberia a decade earlier.

As far as eating snow goes, don’t try the white stuff. Researchers in Canada found in 2017 that melting urban snow releases a cocktail of toxic chemicals, largely from car exhausts, trapped in the snow from polluted air. Snow in its beauty has always exercised a hold over our imaginations, symbolising purity and transcendence, harking back to a mythical state of innocence. As the snow around us stains black, grey, brown, green and the rest, there could hardly be a more potent emblem of our runaway global problem with pollution.

Source: Guardian

Tokyo 2020: Finishing Line in Sight for Sustainable Medals

01.03.2019

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Mobile phones, digital cameras, handheld games and laptops are being recycled to manufacture all the medals for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo.

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said it had already collected 47,488 tons of discarded electronic devices and more than five million used mobile phones by October last year.

It had set targets to extract 2,700kg of bronze, 4,100kg of silver and 30.3kg of gold, with the goal for bronze reached last June.

By October 2018, it also extracted more than 90% of the gold and 85% of the silver – and is on track to achieve both targets for the athletes’ medals by 31st March 2019.

The project, which attracted donations from the public and businesses, is part of Tokyo 2020’s efforts to draw attention to the importance of sustainability under its slogan ‘Be better together – for the planet and the people’.

Tokyo 2020 organisers said: “Thanks to the huge levels of support from the public and companies across Japan and from national and international athletes, it is estimated that the remaining amounts of metals required to manufacture all Olympic and Paralympic medals can be extracted from the devices already donated.”

The designs for the medals will be unveiled this summer.

Source: Energy Live News

EU Approve Support for French Floating Offshore Wind Farms

28.02.2019

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The European Commission has given the green light for the French Government’s plans to support four demonstration floating offshore wind farms.

They will consist of three to four turbines – installed in the sea on floaters – and will each have a total installed capacity of 24MW.

The Groix Belle Ile project will be located in the Atlantic Ocean, while the other three projects, Golf du Lion, Eolmed and Provence Grand Large will be located in the Mediterranean Sea.

Each of the four demonstration projects will use a particular combination of turbine, floater and cables, testing the different technological solutions with the goal of deploying them on a larger scale.

The turbines will be interconnected with each other and connected to land through an underwater cable.

The Commission said the projects will promote the use of renewable electricity and help France meet its climate targets, without distorting competition.

It recently launched an in-depth investigation into the UK’s Capacity Market following the EU Court’s landmark ruling which led to the suspension of the scheme last November.

Source: Energy Live News

Australia Plans to Dump More Than 1 Million Tons of Sludge in Great Barrier Reef Waters

28.02.2019

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The Great Barrier Reef faces yet “another nail in the coffin,” Dr. Simon Boxall from the National Oceanography Centre Southampton told BBC News Friday.

That is because the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) has approved plans to dump one million tonnes (approximately 1.1 million U.S. tons) of sludge into the World Heritage Site. The decision comes in the same month that runoff from flooding in Queensland, Australia threatened to smother part of the reef and two years after the unique ecosystem was weakened by back-to-back coral bleaching events caused by climate change.

“If they are dumping it over the coral reef itself, it will have quite a devastating effect. The sludge is basically blanketing over the coral,” Boxall explained.

GBRMPA issued a permit on Jan. 29 for North Queensland Bulk Ports to dump maintenance dredge sludge within the park’s boundaries, The Guardian reported. In doing so, it exploited a loophole in a 2015 law meant to protect the reef. The law banned capital dredging, but said nothing about port maintenance, the process of removing sediment that builds up in shipping lanes. The permit would allow maintenance dredging and dumping over 10 years at Mackay’s Hay Point port, which BBC News said was one of the world’s largest coal export sites.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters argued the permit should be overturned.

“The last thing the reef needs is more sludge dumped on it, after being slammed by the floods recently,” Waters told The Guardian. “One million tonnes of dumping dredged sludge into world heritage waters treats our reef like a rubbish tip.”

North Queensland Bulk Ports defended the decision in a statement reported by The Guardian:

“Just like roads, shipping channels require maintenance to keep ports operating effectively,” the ports authority said. “Maintenance dredging involves relocating sediment which travels along the coast and accumulates over the years where our shipping operation occurs.

“Importantly, our assessment reports have found the risks to protected areas including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and sensitive habitats are predominantly low with some temporary, short-term impacts to (bottom-dwelling) habitat possible.

“The permits allow for the long-term, sustainable management of maintenance dredging at the Port and will safeguard the efficient operations of one of Australia’s most critical trading ports.”

But Waters said the initial ban showed that the government understood the risk posed to the reef, especially since 50 percent of its corals have died due to bleaching.

“Government policy needs to change to ban all offshore dumping, so GBRMPA is not allowed to permit the reef’s waters to be used as a cheaper alternative to treating the sludge and disposing of it safely onshore,” Waters told The Guardian.

Dr. Boxall told BBC News that the port could lessen the damage by dumping the sludge as far offshore as possible, but that it would still contaminate the water with dangerous materials like trace metals.

“If it’s put into shallow water it will smother sea life,” he said. “It’s important they get it right. It’ll cost more money but that’s not the environment’s problem—that’s the port authorities’ problem.”

The “maintenance dredging” is set to begin in late March, according to The Guardian.

Source: Eco Watch

ABB – Backbone of Industrial Digitalization in Serbia

27.02.2019

At the end of the 1980s, two prominent engineering companies Brown Boveri and Asea decided to join forces and resources. This capital enterprise was named ABB, and the newly formed company has added exactly three decades to 100 years long history of its founders, diligently writing the future of industrial digitalization. ABB is an inventive technological leader in the field of electric power networks, electrical equipment, industrial automation, robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally. The company emphasises two clear goals: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automation of industry from natural resources to finished products. ABB now operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.

Milan Jevremovic, Industry Segment Manager at ABB Serbia, gave us the answers to the questions about the energy efficiency solutions, the expansion of ABB’s network of electric chargers and ABB solar systems and solutions.

EP: ABB has been present for 28 years in Serbia. Which are ABB’s leading products in Serbia and what solutions have been proven to be most efficient when it comes to energy saving?

Milan Jevremovic: ABB operates in 3 sectors in Serbia: Energy, Industry, and Infrastructure and Transport. For All each of these sectors, ABB can offer a wide portfolio of products. Switchgears, medium and high voltage devices, relay protection and transformers have the most significant market share in the field of Energy. When it comes to the Industry sector, ABB is best known for its electric motors in Serbia. In addition to electric motors, we are the leaders in the domestic market in the field of frequency regulators with more than 200 MW of installed devices. It is estimated that they achieve daily savings in energy consumption of around 15 per cent of installed engine power. As far as the processing industry is concerned, there is also a complete portfolio of measurement and analytic devices as well as distributed control systems. In the last two years, robotics and advanced automation systems that support the development of Industry 4.0 are particularly prominent. In the Infrastructure and Transport sector, our company is mostly present with low-voltage equipment and All photographs: ABB distribution facilities, but also with a complete offer electrical installations in modern residential, office and commercial facilities.

EP: What are the solutions which ABB can offer for improving energy efficiency in different types of industrial plants?

Milan Jevremovic: In addition to the already mentiond products which directly or indirectly influence the reduction in energy consumption, ABB has comprehensive solution and services for improving energy efficiency for almost every type of industry. As the best example, I would like to mention a project for monitoring and managing the quality of coal that is being dug in the Kolubara Mining Basin in to improve the efficiency of boiler operation in the thermal power plants ‘Nikola Tesla’. Several excavators dig coal at the same time at different locations on the open-pit mine ‘Tamnava’. Coal is of varying quality, and the goal is to send homogenised coal of the necessary calorific value to the power plant in Obrenovac. The software tracks geological information on the locations where excavators work compares them with online data provided by analysers on excavators and conveyor belts and harmonises the final quality of coal which is delivered. If necessary, the software also allows the takeover of the coal from the warehouse to achieve the required quality of coal which is loaded into the wagons and delivered to the power plant. The combustion in the boiler is much better, the efficiency is higher, and the emission of harmful gases is lower when using the coal which has a constant quality. This is a unique project of this type in the world in which experts from PE Elektroprivreda Srbije, the Faculty of Mining and Geology, and the engineering team of ABB for open-pits from Germany worked together to come up with the best and most optimal solution. The implementation of this project is currently underway.

EP: ABB currently has the fastest charger for electric vehicles. How many chargers of that type have been installed so far and where?

Milan Jevremovic: ABB in its offer has Terra fast chargers, but the word fastest is not appropriate here. The charging speed depends not only on the power of the charger but also on the system of an electric vehicle that controls the charging. The power of ABB fast chargers goes from 50 kW, which is in practice currently shown as a minimum, up to 60kW chargers for charging the buses and tracks. When it comes to the prevalence of our chargers, it is enough to say that we have more than 6,000 electric chargers and systems installed in more than 100 countries in the world.

EP: What are the other advantages of ABB chargers apart from the fact that your chargers are technological state of the art?

Milan Jevremovic The basic model Terra 54 is a universal fast charger for all types of electric vehicles that exist today. Key parts of the charger are also ABB products that contribute to the reliability of the product itself. The small weight of the basic model, which is about 350 kg, is the result of excellent modular construction and technology. Terra 54 has five power modules that allow charging even in a case of failure of one of the modules. ABB can remotely monitor the operating parameters of each ABB’s fast charger in the world which has been put into operation and provide service and technical support to all their customers. The Terra fast charger stands out from the others since we have developed a unique design for people with disabilities, which is one of the conditions for placing on the market of the United States of America.

EP: What type of training do you organise for servicers?

Milan Jevremovic: ABB has its customer service, and it also provides training for partners who want to service ABB chargers. The training includes the training for hardware and software parts of the chargers, and after completing the training, the certified service provider can independently perform the inspection of the charger, to put it into operation and to perform service and maintenance during the exploitation.

EP: How many ABB’s chargers have been installed in Serbia and what is the prognosis for the further development of the network in Serbia?

Milan Jevremovic: So far, several slow chargers and one fast charger with remote monitoring system have been installed in Serbia. The fast charger is at the location of the company Porsche SCG in Belgrade. The development of a network of chargers in Serbia will depend on the needs and possibilities, the incentive measures, as well as the traffic development strategy that envisages the reduction of the impact of exhaust gases. Projects in this area are complex and require proper technological and economic assessments. Initial investments are not small and include support for state-owned or private-owned charging networks, various types of subsidies and incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles. The most important ones are the savings that the entire system brings and the reduction of emissions greenhouse gases. Given the fact that Serbia connects the East and the West, it is necessary to develop its network of electric chargers, so that everyone who drives electric cars, buses and hopefully trucks, can quickly and easily charge their vehicles.

EP: When are electric cars expected to become a common sight on Serbian roads, as in the countries of the European Union?

Milan Jevremovic: This is connected with the development of the infrastructure network of electric chargers as well as the aforementioned subsidies and incentives for the purchase of electric cars. It would be amazing if electric vehicles would become an everyday sight on our streets, but this will only happen once we get full support and benefits from the state. In 2012, Estonia developed a national network, precisely with ABB fast chargers, and it gave an excellent example to other countries. One fast charger of 50kW DC/22kW AC was installed at a distance of about 50 km on each main and highway in Estonia. In addition to those, additional 500 slow AC chargers were installed in governmental institutions. To inspire and motivate the others, ABB Serbia purchased an electric car last year for its own needs and installed an electric charger in front of the offices in Belgrade. By our example, we wanted to demonstrate the necessity of spreading both corporative and individual awareness on the protection of the environment.

For more information about ABB’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure click here.

Prepered by: Nevena Djukic

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on CLEAN ENERGY, December 2018. – February 2019.

‘Extinction Crisis’ Threatening Global Food Supply, UN Report Warns

27.02.2019

taneli-lahtinen-754080-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Taneli Lahtinen)

A drop in global biodiversity is putting our ability to produce food at risk, a new United Nations report warns.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Taneli Lahtinen)

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, biodiversity in food and agriculture “is indispensable to food security and sustainable development.”

However, in recent years biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels have all been in decline, reducing our overall food and agriculture systems’ ability to respond to shocks and stresses such as climate change.

“Many key components of biodiversity for food and agriculture at genetic, species and ecosystem levels are in decline,” the report said. “The proportion of livestock breeds at risk of extinction is increasing. Overall, the diversity of crops present in farmers’ fields has declined and threats to crop diversity are increasing.”

At the species level, many of those serving vital functions such as pollination or pest management are in decline “as a consequence of the destruction and degradation of habitats, overexploitation, pollution and other threats.”

A report out earlier this month in the journal Biological Conservation warned more than 40% of insect species could become extinct in the next few decades — an event it said could have “catastrophic” effects on the planet.

Even larger animals are at risk, with more than 25% of local livestock breeds at risk of extinction,. Only 7% are deemed to be at no risk whatsoever, with the future for most other livestock breeds unclear.

The drop in biodiversity is being caused by a number of major global trends, the report said, including climate change, international markets and demography.

“These are giving rise to other challenges such as land-use change, pollution, overuse, overharvesting and the proliferation of invasive species,” it said. “Interactions between these trends can often exacerbate their effects.”

Moreover, it warned that the assessment and monitoring of the status and trends in biodiversity at both national and global levels is “uneven and often limited,” meaning the problem could be worse than we currently understand. The report calls for more research in this area and an increase in policies “supporting sustainable use and conservation.”

The issue is attracting increasing attention globally, due to be taken up at the G7 meeting in April, the World Conservation Congress in June, and a major international convention in Beijing next year.

Speaking at the National Biodiversity Conference in Dublin this week, Irish President Michael Higgins called on the world to do more to tackle the “extinction crisis.”

“Over the past half century, humanity has witnessed the destruction of 60% of mammal, bird, fish and reptile populations around the world,” he said. “We are the first generation to truly comprehend the reality of what we’re doing to the natural world, and we may be the last with the chance to avert much of the damage. With this knowledge comes an extraordinary burden of responsibility that we all share.”

Source: CNN

Cuba’s Tobacco Growers Confront Climate Change

27.02.2019

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Looking at the plain, one-story wooden shacks that dot the countryside in Cuba’s vuelta abajo region, one would never guess that the farmers here grow one of the island’s most valuable natural resources: cigar tobacco.

Though Cuban cigars are famous worldwide, the majority of the tobacco that goes into premium cigars is grown in this relatively small valley in Western Cuba that possesses a unique micro-climate and rich volcanic soil.

The fields behind Hirochi Robaina’s house are full of mature tobacco plants, and the drying houses where the tobacco hangs and ages for at least 30 days are stacked to the rafters. But the fifth-generation tobacco grower is still not happy with this year’s harvest.

“This year was very complicated because of the weather,” he said. “The weather was bad. A lot of rain and wind.”

Usually, the winter months are the dry season, perfect for growing and harvesting tobacco for top brands like Cohiba, Montecristo and Partagas.

With this harvest, though, there was so much rain that fields are muddy. Some of the plants are flopping over or have grown so tall that they need to be pruned so the leaves, which are rolled into cigars, don’t lose their potency.

“It’s not normal. We start to grow tobacco in November. Normally, there’s no rain, just a little bit,” Robaina said. “But it changed a lot, very strong rain, very strong wind. It’s a big problem for tobacco farmers.”

The problem, he said, is the increased impact of climate change being felt on the Caribbean island.

In January, a freak weather system struck the western part of Cuba, causing a tornado that flipped cars, tore roofs off buildings and killed at least six people in Havana. Cuban weather forecasters said that in 500 years of recorded history, there has never been another tornado to hit the Cuban capital.

On Robaina’s farm, a two-hour drive from Havana, he pointed out the bare patches in his fields where winds from the same storm ripped out whole plants.

“We never had anything like this happen before here,” said Robaina, the youngest member of one of Cuba’s most storied tobacco-growing families. His grandfather Alejandro Robaina was a legend among Cuban cigar aficionados, and the tobacco he produced was saved for Fidel Castro’s personal supply of cigars.

To deal with the unpredictable weather, Robaina said, he’s consulting the detailed notes his grandfather left him on how to grow top-quality tobacco.

Many of his neighbors, he said, are switching from tobacco to crops such as corn and black beans that are easier to grow. That’s like a winemaker in Napa Valley or Bourdeaux deciding to stop growing grapes.

For Robaina, growing anything but cigar tobacco in the place that has the best climate and soil is not an option.

“Robainas have to grow tobacco,” he said. “We have to. This our life.”

The impacts of climate change don’t appear to have affected the bottom line for Cuba’s cigar industry.

At Cuba’s yearly cigar festival in February, the Habanos company, a foreign joint venture with the Cuban government that sells Cuban cigars abroad, announced record sales of $537 million in 2018.

But cigar experts said climate change could affect quality, as well as production.

“It’s something to be concerned about,” said David Savona, executive editor of Cigar Aficionado magazine. “When you are a cigar lover, you are smoking just tobacco. Cigars like these are made only with tobacco and time. If there is a problem with the weather, it’s going to have a direct effect on the cigar.”

Habanos executives said the Cuban government recognizes the impact that climate change could have on an island already vulnerable to hurricanes and coastal flooding and is responding to the potential fallout.

“We are working to mitigate the damage caused by climate change,” said Ernesto Gonzalez, Habanos’ operational marketing director. “Cuba is an example for the world on how to prevent natural disasters.”

Under a plan called Tarea Vida, or “assignment life,” the Cuban government is studying where the island will most be affected by climate change. According to government data, in the past 70 years, the average annual temperature has risen 0.9 degrees Celsius. Rising sea levels have affected about 85% of the island’s coastline, and the government has banned new construction in some coastal areas and begun to move at-risk communities farther inland.

The Cuban government said in November that tobacco growers had designed new drying houses to cure tobacco with metal roofs, instead of wood, that were more resistant to increased wind and rainfall caused by climate change.

Robaina said he’s concerned that as climate change makes it harder to grow tobacco, Cuban cigar production will go the way of coffee and sugar production on the island and cease to be a major export.

“We have to fight now,” he said. “To save our tobacco.”

Source: CNN

Saving the Environment One Hair Wash at a Time

26.02.2019

bath-664062_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In the ongoing dialogue surrounding water consumption and saving water, the length of your shower, how you water your yard and even your toothbrush usage probably come up. But there is another water-thirsty activity that should be added to the discussion — hair washing. Think about it. Daily shampooing by billions of people is destined to strain resources. So taking a moment to consider the ways you can cut back on the suds, the water and the money going down the drain can be the best way to help the environment.

Frequency

Your hairdresser recommends washing your hair twice daily, often followed by using a conditioner. Between the energy and water consumed, that’s a big hair care footprint. In addition to shorter showers, consider cutting back the frequency of your hair washing to every other day or even a few times each week. Dry shampoo and leave-in conditioner can help provide the look and feel you’re used to in between washings. Specially formulated to omit the use of water altogether, dry shampoo is a quick and easy way to get out the door faster without wasting time and water in the shower. Leave-in conditioner can keep the frizzies at bay with a expedited and no-water-required application.

Hot water reduction

Heating water is a major household expense and we’re often paying for a service we don’t need, such as washing clothes in hot water that will be just as clean in a cold wash. When it comes to hair washing, consider turning down the heat a bit in favor of cost savings. Of course, slashing your time in the shower will not only save on water-heating costs, but water consumption costs as well. Even better than turning the shower down is turning it off in between wetting your hair and rinsing out the shampoo. For greater results, adopt a less rigid hair-washing schedule altogether.

Product consumption

While we’re on the conversation of conservation, give a little thought to the amount of hair products you’re using as well. Try cutting back on the amount you apply, since most people use a much larger amount than they need. This not only helps minimize the shampoo that heads down the drain, but offers cost savings too.

Water conservation

If you’re already cutting back on shower time, think of other ways you can conserve the water you use in your shower. After all, you wouldn’t be the first person to collect your sudsy runoff in a bucket as you bathe. As long as your hair products are earth friendly, the water you collect can be used to water plants, wash animals or irrigate the lawn.

Also look into low-flow shower heads that either restrict the flow of water coming out or force air through the shower head so it feels like you’re getting a full stream with only half the water usage. While we’re on the topic of showers, they are almost always a better choice for the planet than baths. An average 10-minute shower uses around 20-25 gallons while a bath averages 35-50 gallons.

Outside the home

While your morning ritual is likely the culprit for most of your excess hair-washing water consumption, also implement a plan for when you are away from home. Conserving water at the hotel or the gym is still saving water, so keep it up when you’re out. Also, start a dialogue with your hairdresser who’s likely had the conversation before. Ask what he or she is doing to minimize water consumption and resources (think about how many heads get washed each day.) Yes, it might feel like you’re breaking some sort of code to head to the stylist without washing first, but if they are going to do it anyway, there’s no reason to wash twice. Alternately, wash at home and ask them to wet with a spray bottle instead of a full wash during your cut.

Types of hair products

More and more products are finding their way into the market that aim to satisfy the growing consumer desire for no-water, all-natural solutions to hair care. Remember that all those suds head straight down the drain and into the local water system, so choose non-toxic shampoos and conditioners that are biodegradable. Do it for the fishies and for the purity of the water your family drinks. While biodegradable products are better for the environment, remember that they are also better for you. Your scalp is skin, after all, and skin is the biggest organ in your body. With a high absorption rate, your skin takes in all kinds of chemicals and toxins in daily life. Don’t let your hair products be one of them.

In addition to the ingredient list, look at the packaging of your shampoo and conditioner. Use an all-in-one product instead of separate ones to automatically cut plastic waste in half. Better yet, find a refillable option for serious waste-reduction points.

There are a host of alternate products that can also aid in the clean-hair goal both in and out of the shower. Many people find success with natural products like apple cider vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and clay. Baby powder can also work as a dry shampoo in a pinch.

Source: Inhabitat

Scientists Have an Inkling Squids Could Help Cut Plastic Pollution

26.02.2019

squid-832175_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A recently-discovered squid protein could be used to stop microplastic fibres leaking into the environment.

A review published in Frontiers in Chemistry, conducted by scientists at Penn State University in US, suggests material found in the ringed teeth of a squid’s arms can be processed into an abrasion-resistant coating that reduces microfibre erosion in washing machines.

The protein is also self-healing, so items of clothing can repair tiny abrasions and damage.

Materials made from this protein are eco-friendly and biodegradable, with sustainable and cost-effective large-scale production achieved using laboratory culture methods, rather than having to harvest it from living squids.

Lead Author Melik Demirel said: “Squid proteins can be used to produce next generation materials for an array of fields including energy and bio-medicine, as well as the security and defense sector.

“We reviewed the current knowledge on squid ring teeth-based materials, which are an excellent alternative to plastics because they are eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable.”

Source: Energy Live News

Tourists Are Trashing the World’s Tallest Mountain, So China Has Banned Them From Its Base Camp

25.02.2019

mount-everest-89590_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

China has closed its Everest base camp to tourists because of a buildup of trash on the world’s tallest mountain.

The move comes as the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau said it had collected 8.4 metric tons (approximately 9.3 U.S. tons) of waste, including garbage and human waste, from the core area of the mountain last climbing season, ABC reported.

“[N]o unit or individuals are allowed entry into the core area of the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve,” notices posted by the local government in Dingri County, Tibet, read.

Qomolangma is what Everest is called in Tibet. While ABC News reported that the notices first appeared in December of 2018, the story has only been widely reported internationally in recent days, according to The Huffington Post.

Qomolangma National Nature Reserve Deputy Director Gesang Droma told ABC News that researchers and mountain climbers would still be able to access the mountain from the Chinese side with permits. The People’s Daily said that only 300 permits would be granted this year. Tourists who want to view the north face of the mountain can still do so from the Rongbuk Monastery about a mile away from the base camp, Droma said.

The trashing of Everest has emerged as a growing problem in recent years, with some news outlets referring to it as the “world’s highest garbage dump”.

Both Nepal and China have previously implemented policies trying to encourage climbers to clean up after themselves. Nepal charges teams a $4,000 trash deposit that is returned if they bring down at least eight kilograms (approximately 17.6 pounds) of garbage. China fines climbers if they do not return with the same amount. Despite this, only half of climbers in 2018 brought down the minimum amount of trash, according to a video posted by The South China Morning Post.

Most climbers choose to climb Everest from Nepal. Of the 648 summits in 2017, only 217 left from the Tibetan base camp, ABC News reported. However, the Tibetan base camp is popular especially with Chinese tourists because it is accessible via car.

The Nepalese base camp is only accessible after a two week hike, but it saw a record 45,000 visitors in the 2016-2017 year, BBC News reported. The Chinese base camp saw 40,000 visitors in 2015, the most recent year for which numbers are available. It received 59,000 visitors in 2014, 7,400 of whom were foreign tourists, according to ABC.

Source: Eco Watch

Decarbonisation ‘Could Leave Fossil-Fuel Economies Stranded’

25.02.2019

froet-gas-195383_960_720 — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Global decarbonisation could turn fossil fuel-reliant economies into ‘stranded nations’ unable to unlock the value of carbon-based assets and infrastructure.

These are the findings of a new World Economic Forum study, which shows the world’s sovereign wealth funds collectively own $8 trillion (£6.1tn) in assets but currently invest just 0.19% of this figure in green energy.

It says economies that are heavily dependent on fossil fuel resources with more than 10% of their total wealth based in carbon assets could become “stranded” – it says they must act now to develop the “human capital and economic diversification” to continue to thrive.

The report acknowledges some fossil fuel-dependent countries have already begun to diversify their economies for impending energy changes but notes progress is slow.

It says this could pose a serious problem because as much as three-quarters of energy is expected to come from green sources by 2050.

Maha Eltobgy, Head of Shaping the Future of Long-Term Investing, Infrastructure and Development at the WEF, said: “To protect their economic futures, countries whose economies rely on fossil fuels need to prepare now for the impending global shift away from these resources.

“The resource dependent, fossil-fuel-rich nations that have diligently-built large sovereign wealth funds to manage the economic challenges of the Age of Oil must now consider how to use this vast wealth to prepare for the Age of Green Energy.”

Source: Energy Live News

EU Gets Heavy-Duty on Emissions from Trucks

24.02.2019

jametlene-reskp-365848-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Jametlene Reskp)

The European Union has agreed to reduce emissions from new trucks by 30% by 2030.

The European Parliament and the Council, which represents the 28 member states, reached a provisional agreement which ensures between 2025 and 2029, new trucks will emit 15% less CO2 on average compared to 2019 emission levels.

Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles including, lorries, buses and coaches, represent around 6% of total CO2 emissions in the EU and 27% of total road transport emissions.

Truck manufacturers that don’t comply with the new regulation will have to pay a financial penalty in the form of an excess emissions premium.

Plans to strengthen the incentive system for manufacturers to make low and zero emission trucks have also been agreed.

The announcement follows an agreement last year for the monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions and fuel usage data from heavy-duty vehicles.

Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy said: “With the first-ever EU emission standards for trucks agreed, we are completing the legal framework to reach the European target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030. The European Parliament and Council have reached an ambitious and balanced agreement.

“The new targets and incentives will help tackle emissions, as well as bring fuel savings to transport operators and cleaner air for all Europeans. For the EU industry, this is an opportunity to embrace innovation towards zero-emission mobility and further strengthen its global leadership in clean vehicles.”

Source: Energy Live News

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