Schneider Electric Launches Go Green in the City 2019

24.01.2019

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, launches Go Green in the City 2019, its annual global student contest to find bold ideas and innovative solutions for smarter, more energy-efficient and sustainable cities.

Now in its ninth year, Go Green in the City is a major event for business and engineering students worldwide. In 2018, over 24,000 young innovators from more than 3,000 universities in 163 countries took part, including 58% women. The stakes for Go Green in the City competitors are high. Not only do the competitors get a chance to make an impact in powering the digital economy, but they also get a chance to win an international trip to Schneider Electric’s Global Innovation Summit 2019, a 2-days event on October 2-3, 2019, in Barcelona (Spain) which will bring together Schneider Electric experts and world-leading industry thinkers to share insights and bold ideas on the challenges and opportunities of Powering the Digital Economy. Students will have opportunities to be connected and be mentored by industry experts, ultimately to work for Schneider Electric.

Sustainability and Technology Working Together

In 2019, the competition should attract even more interest, thanks to the four specific topic categories. Students are invited to submit their bold ideas in one of four categories: “Buildings of the Future”, “Plants of the Future”, “Grids of the Future” and “Sustainability and Access to Energy”.

The challenges are connected to Schneider Electric’s sustainability business strategy and reflects the company’s commitment with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), inviting students to share ideas to reshape the future and show a more effective side of sustainability: the connection of the social and environmental impacts with technology and the business world.

Olivier Blum, Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Schneider Electric commented, “The young generation today face considerable challenges in creating a bright future for themselves. Achieving a sustainable world future is only possible when empowering young people and helping them to become a driving force for innovation. I am proud that Go Green in the City has become a platform for students to develop their ideas for a better tomorrow.”

An ever-learning journey for students

Zvirevo Chisadza and Tariro Cynthia Mutsindikwa, from Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences in Algeria, shared their excitement as 2018 Go Green in the City global winners: “My Go Green in the City 2018 competition journey was such an amazing experience. It all started as a small idea but through the help of the Schneider Electric mentors it became big and more defined to fight against the world hunger”, said Tariro Cynthia. “Through the competition, we networked with Schneider Electric experts and had a chance to learn about sustainability challenges in the world”, commented Zvirevo.

Teams must be composed of two students attending accredited business, engineering, physics, computer science, mathematics and other sciences schools. They must be from the same country or region for the duration of the competition. Each team should include at least one female member, in line with Schneider Electric’s policy of promoting Diversity and Inclusion. The deadline for submissions is May 25th, 2019.

For more information, please visit: gogreeninthecity.se.com, www.facebook.com/GoGreenintheCity.

These Are the Most Endangered Species in the World

24.01.2019

animal-1555953_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

As 2018 ended, it brought to light the reality that some animals — after existing on Earth for millions of years — are gone for good. At the end of last year, scientists announced that three bird species went extinct, and there are even more species that could vanish in 2019.

Unlike past mass extinctions, which were the result of things like asteroid strikes and volcanic eruptions, the current crisis is mostly caused by human activities. The Earth is currently losing animal species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate, meaning we could see 30 to 50 percent of the planet’s species going extinct by 2050.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, we are in the middle of the planet’s sixth mass extinction of plants and animals, and this latest wave of species die-offs is the worst we have experienced since the loss of dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

“Our results confirm that there is a growing wave of extinctions sweeping across the continents, driven mainly by habitat loss and degradation from unsustainable agriculture and logging,” Birdlife chief scientist Stuart Butchart told USA Today.

We have an abundance of animals that help the world’s ecosystems thrive, but what will happen when more animals become endangered and go extinct?

Eco2 Greetings has created an interactive map that highlights the animals that have recently become endangered and critically endangered, and it also shows where their natural habitats are based.

The world’s most critically endangered species include Vaquita (population 30), Javan Rhino (63), Sumatran Rhino (80), Amur Leopard (84), Cross River Gorilla (250), Malayan Tiger (295), Sumatran Tiger (400), Mountain Gorilla (880), Yangtze Finless Porpoise (950) and Sumatran Elephant (2,600).

The world’s most endangered species are North Atlantic Right Whale (325), Indochinese Tiger (350), Black-footed Ferret (370), Amur Tiger (540), Borneo Pygmy Elephant (1,500), Ganges River Dolphin (1,500), Indus River Dolphin (1,816), Galapagos Penguin (2,000), Bengal Tiger (2,500) and Sri Lankan Elephant (3,250).

The existence of these animals is in our hands. So now the question is what can we do to boost these numbers and save these species?

Source: Inhabitat

NEW DELICATESSEN – Natural and Sun-Kissed

23.01.2019

Pompon sun-dried paste is designed as a healthy, gluten-free alternative to classic pasta. Fresh pumpkin, by specially designed process of cutting into strips and natural drying process on sun and air, is turned into gluten-free delicatessen paste. This project, designed by Belgradian Slavica Orelj, won the award of National Forum for Green Ideas in the category for the best innovative, environmentally oriented business projects.

The project itself is based on the idea that the contemporary way of life does not necessarily have to be contradicted to nature and environmentally conscious lifestyle. Pompon pumpkin pasta is entirely natural, high-quality food, entirely produced following ecological principles of energy efficiency, without any industrial waste and complex technological processing.

By drying pumpkin strips in the air and sun, healthy food of entirely unchanged natural composition and extremely decorative form is obtained. Due to its exotic orange colour and neutral flavour, this kind of pumpkin paste can be easily combined with various sweet and salty foods.

On the one hand, its simple preparation (it is enough to put dried strips into boiling water for 7 minutes) is adapted to the fast meals of a modern businessman, and on the other hand, its nutritious quality, the richness of taste and decorativity is recommended as exceptional delicacy worthy of top restaurants.

Exclusively muscat pumpkin that comes from the fields of local producers is used for drying. In this way, the transport of fresh pumpkin itself is reduced to the smallest possible extent. The pumpkin is cut immediately after harvesting by a special machine into long, thin strips, which are then dried naturally

in the sun and air for days until they reach the required minimum of moisture. The strips are then packed in cellophane packaging. When stored in this manner they can be used within a minimum of a year from the date of packaging. When dried in this way, pumpkin completely retains its rich natural features. Since it does not naturally contain gluten, it is suitable for special diet regimes.

A relatively short period that is suitable for natural drying is left since pumpkin matures at the end of the summer, that is why a careful and efficient organisation of all production phases is required. Only solar energy is used for the entire production process. Even the small quantity of electricity needed for the operation of cutting machines is obtained from solar panels. Only organic waste – peel and pumpkin seed – remains after the production process. In fact, the real waste doesn’t even exist. The pumpkin peel is further used to make compost – fertiliser for soil cultivation, while the seeds are dried, and they become an additional product.

Read the whole article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on CIRCULAR ECONOMY, September-November 2018.

Price of EVs ‘Could Be Same as Petrol and Diesel by 2021’

23.01.2019

jp-valery-1056863-unsplash — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (JP Valery)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (JP Valery)

The cost of owning an electric vehicle (EV) could match petrol and diesel cars in the next five years.

That’s according to new research by Deloitte, which reveals consumer concerns over the upfront purchasing costs of EVs will gradually ease over time as technology improves.

A record two million EVs were sold globally last year and the price parity is expected to help boost demand further – the report forecasts four million EVs to hit the roads by 2020, 12 million by 2025 and 21 million by 2030.

Other factors forecast to accelerate the uptake of EVs are growing consumer demand for greener vehicles, coupled with government policies that offer financial incentives and inner-city restrictions for old, polluting cars.

Michael Woodward, UK Automotive Partner at Deloitte said: “In the UK, the cost of petrol and diesel vehicle ownership will converge with electric over the the next five years. Supported by existing government subsidies and technology advances, this tipping point could be reached as early as 2021. From this point, cost will no longer be a barrier to purchase and owning an EV will become a realistic, viable option for new buyers.”

However, the report projects supply will vastly outweigh consumer demand by around 14 million units over the next decade as manufacturers increase their capacity.

It suggests the gearing up of EV production is driving a wide “expectation gap” and both incumbent and new manufacturers will need to adapt towards the new competitive landscape.

Mr Woodward adds: “Those that can successfully build trust in their brand, ensure a positive customer experience from initial sale after through to aftercare and reflect consumer shifts towards the sharing economy in future business models will successfully navigate this. Equally, continual investment in engineering talent and the formation of partnerships with bespoke battery producers and third-party mechanic networks will also be important.”

Source: Energy Live News

Pet Food Manufacturers Are Experimenting with Insects instead of Meat

23.01.2019

dog-2210717_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

It is now a well-established fact that there is a link between human meat consumption and climate change, thanks to the CO2 and methane emissions that come from raising and transporting cattle and pigs. Since pets are responsible for 20 percent of global meat consumption, some pet food manufacturers are turning to insects instead of beef to make their products.

According to the BBC, one pet food manufacturer says that 40 percent of its new product is made from black soldier flies, which are an excellent source of sustainable protein. The food comes from UK startup Yora, but does it meet your dog’s nutritional needs?

Pet diet expert at the Royal Veterinary College, Aarti Kathrani, says that the flies can be a useful part of your pet’s diet, but more research is needed.

“Insects can be a very useful source of protein,” Kathrani said. “More studies are needed to show how much of these nutrients can actually be absorbed by a dog’s body— but some studies suggest that insects can provide nutrients for dogs.”

Since they use a smaller percentage of water and land, flies do produce protein more efficiently than cows. However, the environmental effects of feeding your dog flies instead of meaty food go much deeper.

Analysis results showed that when societies become wealthier, people opt to indulge muscle meat rather than meat from internal organs. Those organs, also known as offal, are just as nutritious, so it gets made into pet food. Which concludes that dog food is just as sustainable (or unsustainable) as human meat consumption.

And, if we wean dogs off of meat and switch them to insects, what would we do with the offal?

Insects in cat food can be a different story as cats tends to be more picky with their food because they can’t make taurine, an essential amino acid. They do get their taurine from meat and fish, but Dr. Kathrani says that there are insects that also contain taurine and could be useful for a feline diet.

In addition to Yora, other competitors have popped up in the pet food market that are incorporating fly protein, including Insectdog, Entomapetfood, EnviroFlight, Chippin and Wilderharrier.

Source: Inhabitat

Seeds on the Moon Started to Sprout for the First Time — but Quickly Died

22.01.2019

cotton on moon — Photo: Twitter @PDChina (screenshot)

China has taken a major step toward long-term space exploration. Earlier this month, the Chinese moon probe Chang’e 4 carried a container with cotton, mustard and potato seeds, yeast and fruit fly eggs to the moon’s far side (facing away from Earth), and early this week, the China National Space Administration said that those seeds started to sprout. Unfortunately, temperatures dropped and killed the plants.

According to the BBC, the project was designed by 28 Chinese universities, and the experiment was contained within a canister 7 inches tall and weighing about 6.5 pounds. It was designed to test photosynthesis and respiration, which are processes that produce energy.

The plants were in a sealed container on the lunar lander, and the hope was that the crops would form a mini-biosphere. Inside the container, the organisms had a supply of air, water and nutrients to help them grow. The scientists said that keeping it at the right temperature was a challenge, because of the wild temperature swings on the moon, which ultimately killed the first sprout.

If the experiment worked, astronauts could potentially begin to harvest their own food in space. That would be incredibly useful for long-term space missions, because they wouldn’t have to return to Earth to resupply. Although the sprout died, the experiment is a move toward this goal.

But could these experiments contaminate the moon? Generally, scientists don’t believe this is something we need to worry about, especially because there have been containers of human waste on the moon for 50 years thanks to the Apollo astronauts.

The consensus among experts is that the sprout was “good news.” Fred Watson, astronomer-at-large at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, said that it could be a positive development for future space exploration.

“It suggests that there might not be insurmountable problems for astronauts in future trying to grow their own crops on the moon in a controlled environment,” Watson said. “I think there’s certainly a great deal of interest in using the moon as a staging post, particularly for flights to Mars, because it’s relatively near the Earth.”

Source: Inhabitat

Beautiful, Historic Town in Sicily Is Selling Homes for $1

22.01.2019

1024px-Sambuca-de-sicilia-chiesa-del-carmine — Foto: WIkipedia/Miboesch

Sambuca, the “City of Splendor,” is hoping to save its historic structures and revive a waning community.

If your dream house is a historic dwelling nestled in a hilltop town in Sicily, with views of the Mediterranean island and nearby beaches … and has a listing price of €1 … consider this your lucky day.

The southern Italian town of Sambuca di Sicilia has placed dozens of dwellings on the market for €1, or just over a dollar. The town is hoping to lure newcomers to make up for a dwindling population that could otherwise leave the town in ruins. As CNN reports, the town, like other rural communities in Italy, is suffering from depopulation as younger residents move to bigger cities. Other towns have created tantalizing campaigns to attract a new population, but Sambuca promises that this offer is different – less of a PR gimmick.

“As opposed to other towns that have merely done this for propaganda, this city hall owns all €1 houses on sale,” says Giuseppe Cacioppo, Sambuca’s deputy mayor and tourist councilor. “We’re not intermediaries who liaise between old and new owners. You want that house, you’ll get it [in] no time.”

And the town is decidedly not lacking in beauty. With its long history, the area boasts an eclectic mix of architecture, from churches with Moorish domes to Baroque palazzos with “glazed tile floors, decorated with smiling cherubs, fearsome gargoyles, twisted columns, allegorical statues and coats of arms,” explains CNN.

The homes for sale are primarily in the Saracen District, known for its narrow winding alleys and arcaded stone portals. And the home are perfectly TreeHugger-sized, ranging from 430 to 1,614 square feet (40 to 150 square meters) – many of them the two-story Moorish dwellings typical of the town, complete with “inner courtyards, lavish palm gardens with orange and mandarin trees, arcaded entrances, flowery majolica staircases, typical Sicilian tile roofs and terraces overlooking the stunning scenery.”

SOLD!

But of course, one can’t expect all of this amazingness without providing something in return. The new owners must commit to refurbishing their new abode within three years, with an estimated cost starting around $17,000 – in addition to a security deposit of around $5600.

Even so, what a steal. What a way to escape the rat race and find a slow life, in the country that made slow living famous. And what a wonderful initiative for the town to create, saving not only its buildings, but its heritage as well.

“Sambuca is known as the City of Splendor,” Cacioppo says. “This fertile patch of land is dubbed the Earthly Paradise. We’re located inside a natural reserve, packed with history. Gorgeous beaches, woods and mountains surround us. It’s silent and peaceful, an idyllic retreat…”

You can read more about the offerings at CNN.

Source: Tree Hugger

Architects Propose Turning Buckingham Palace into Affordable Housing

21.01.2019

buckingham-palace-3932671_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

It’s time to end restrictive single family zoning and intensify an underdeveloped, underutilized urban resource.

Times are tough in the UK, not knowing whether it is in or out of Europe and the economy under stress. It is particularly hard for senior citizens; on MNN I have written about programs where elderly, lonely homeowners can share their homes with others, who then can keep a bit of a watchful eye on them.

Now think about Elizabeth, worrying about 775 rooms and 79 bathrooms. The kids are grown and gone, so she and her husband are rattling around in this barn. But now Opposite Office, an architecture firm out of Munich, Germany, has a great idea: convert her pile into rental housing for the poor, and add a big addition on top.

Cities need density to support an active community, and Buckingham Palace and the grounds around them have not been upzoned in centuries. From Seattle to San Francisco to Toronto, this kind of planning has come under fire. Here is an opportunity for Her Majesty to show that she is in touch with the times, to say YES in my backyard, instead of being locked into the most rigid single-family zoning this side of Versailles.

Interestingly, the plans proposed by the architects are very much like Versailles, with all the rooms en filade, one opening up into the others, with no space wasted for corridors. This is very efficient, if not very private.

“Affordable living space is created by a very efficient system of spatial sequences. Only eight staircases connect the apartments and allow plenty of space for living. There are no corridors and hardly any circulation areas, only simple non-hierarchic sequences of spaces that can be taken over by the future residents. There is a lot of community in this open and generous system, but there are also sleeping niches along the sides of the refurbished Palace, which accommodate the intimate private spaces of the inhabitants and can be closed by sliding and folding walls.”

As a historic preservationist, I am very impressed at how they have maintained the character of the palace and extended it upward. This could be a template for intensification of historic buildings around the world.

Author: Lloyd Alter

Source: Tree Hugger

World’s Largest Wind Turbine to Test Its Wings in Rotterdam

21.01.2019

Screenshot from 2019-01-18 14-39-10 — Photo: Twitter @GErenewables (screenshot)

Rotterdam’s skyline will soon feature the world’s largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine.

GE Renewable Energy announced on Wednesday it will install the first 12-megawatt Haliade-X prototype in the Dutch city this summer. Although it’s an offshore wind turbine by design, the prototype will be installed onshore to facilitate access for testing.

EcoWatch has written about this giant machine before. At 853-feet tall, it’s about three times the height of the Flatiron building in New York City. Its massive rotor diameter of 722 feet is roughly the tower height of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge above water.

It’s not only big, it’s incredibly powerful. On its own, a single Haliade-X can generate enough power to supply 16,000 European households, GE touts, adding that a 750-megawatt wind farm configuration could produce enough power for up to 1 million homes.

Once it’s up and running, the size and strength of the Haliade-X will surpass MHI Vestas’ 9-megawatt turbines installed at Vattenfall’s offshore wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Companies are investing in bigger and bigger offshore turbines that can capture more wind and produce more power. This is appealing for wind farm operators because fewer turbines can simplify operations and lower maintenance costs.

“In our fight against climate change we need a massive expansion of the number of windfarms at sea,” Alderman Bonte, responsible for Rotterdam’s Energy Transition, said in a press release. “We are delighted that GE has selected the Port of Rotterdam as the test location for the Haliade-X 12 MW, which is the largest wind turbine in the world and can therefore help us accelerate the clean energy transition.”

GE’s installation plans were struck with Future Wind, a joint venture between renewable energy consultant Pondera Development and SIF Holding Netherlands, which manufactures offshore foundations for wind turbines. The deal includes five years of testing and a 15-year full service operation and maintenance agreement.

This initial period of operations will enable GE to collect data needed for a Type Certificate, a “key step in commercializing the product in 2021,” the company said.

“As we rapidly progress on assembling the Haliade-X prototype, this announcement is a critical step forward for GE and our customers,” John Lavelle, VP and CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said Wednesday in the press release. “The port of Rotterdam has been a real partner and provides all the necessary conditions to test the Haliade-X in the most drastic weather conditions.”

GE is investing $400 million to develop the Haliade-X turbine to help reduce the cost of offshore wind energy “in order to make it a more competitive source of clean, renewable energy,” the company said.

This video illustration below shows how the turbine will appear in the industrial area of Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam:

Source: Eco Watch

Flexitarian Food Puts Meat-Based Diets at Steak to Save the Planet

20.01.2019

vegetables-1363032_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Scientists say a new ‘flexitarian’ diet needs to be widely adopted to protect the environment, feed the hungry and stop millions of early deaths.

The EAT-Lancet Commission, which is made up of a group of 37 scientists from around the world, has developed the ‘planetary health diet’.

The regimen does not completely banish meat and dairy from our dishes but provides the bulk of its protein in the form of nuts, beans and lentils.

By 2050, 10 billion people are expected to populate the world – researchers say this number will not be able to be sustained by current ways of eating.

They propose limiting red meat consumption to a burger a week or a large steak a month, with a tax being proposed as an effective way of enforcing this.

While you can still have a couple of portions of fish and chicken a week, they advise fruit and vegetables should make up at least half of every meal.

Professor Walter Willet, one of the report’s authors, said: “There’s tremendous variety there. You can take those foods and put them together in thousands of different ways.

“We’re not talking about a deprivation diet here, it is healthy eating that is flexible and enjoyable.”

The researchers say the diet will prevent about 11 million people dying each year from heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

Source: Energy Live News

London to Create ‘World’s Most Advanced’ Air Quality Monitoring Network

19.01.2019

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the launch of what is claimed to be the world’s most advanced and comprehensive air quality monitoring network.

The city is collaborating with Environmental Defense Fund Europe (EDFE) and Google Earth Outreach for the Breathe London project, which will use a range of fixed and mobile sensors to build a real-time, hyperlocal image of the capital’s air quality.

They have equipped two of their Street View cars with air quality sensors, which will take pollution readings approximately every 30 metres at tens of thousands of locations across London.

A total of 100 fixed sensor pods will be mounted on lampposts and buildings close to known air quality hotspots and sensitive locations such as schools and nurseries.

The data, which will be available for public access, will provide “an unprecedented level of detail” about London’s air quality crisis and deliver new insight into the sources of pollution.

The project, devised by City Hall and the C40 Cities, is being delivered by a consortium led by EDFE and funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

Mr Khan said: “London’s filthy air is a public health crisis that leads to thousands of premature deaths in the capital every year as well as stunting the development of young lungs and increasing cases of respiratory illness. An issue this large and complex requires bold and innovative action so I’m proud that we’re leading the world in establishing this new monitoring network – allowing Londoners to see the levels of pollution at a local level. This real-time data will also help us learn more about London’s toxic air and help us to put the right policies in place to continue our clean-up efforts.”

Source: Energy Live News

U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Is Drilling Us Towards Climate Disaster

17.01.2019

As the 116th Congress commences, in the wake of dire reports from climate scientists, the debate over U.S. climate policies has taken a welcome turn towards bold solutions. Spurred on by grassroots pressure from Indigenous communities, the youth-led Sunrise Movement and communities from coast to coast fighting fossil fuel infrastructure, Capitol Hill is alive once again with policy proposals that edge towards the scale required to address the crisis we’re in.

A new study released Wednesday by Oil Change International and 17 partner organizations makes it clear that managing a rapid and equitable decline of U.S. fossil fuel production must be a core component of any comprehensive climate policy.

Here’s a breakdown of what we find in the report:

Existing Fossil Fuel Projects Are Too Much Already

Previous analysis of the global disconnect between fossil fuel industry plans and climate goals underlies our U.S. report. Existing oil and gas fields and coal mines around the world already contain enough carbon to push the world beyond the goals of the Paris agreement—and well beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) of temperature rise (Figure 1). There is already no room for new fossil fuel development anywhere in the world. Meeting the Paris agreement goals requires stopping new exploration and extraction projects and managing the decline of the fossil fuel industry over the next few decades.

The U.S., as one of the world’s largest extractors and emitters of fossil fuels—and as a wealthy country with the resources to manage a rapid and just transition to renewable energy—should be moving first and fastest to phase out fossil fuel production. Yet …

U.S. Oil and Gas Extraction Is Rapidly Expanding

Our analysis shows that the U.S. is set to drive nearly 60 percent of global growth in oil and gas supply between now and 2030—expanding production by four times the amount of any other country (Figure 4). By contrast, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s recent Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming warns that the world needs to cut carbon emissions nearly in half by 2030 to keep warming within that limit.

Between 2018 and 2050—the time span over which fossil fuel emissions should be zeroing out—new U.S. drilling projects could unleash 120 billion tons of new carbon pollution (Figure 5). If left unchecked, this would amount to the world’s largest burst of new carbon emissions from oil and gas development through 2050. It would be equivalent to the lifetime carbon pollution of nearly 1,000 average U.S. coal-fired power plants.

To summarize: At precisely the time when the world must rapidly decarbonize to avoid climate disaster, the U.S. is moving further and faster than any other country to expand oil and gas extraction.

If not stopped, this continued drilling spree would be a disaster not only for the climate but for communities on its front lines. Our analysis indicates that communities living atop and around the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico and the Appalachian Basin underlying Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia face the biggest onslaught of new drilling (Figure 9).

Upwards of 90 percent of the projected drilling expansion analyzed in our report would depend on fracking. This would bring with it more air and water pollution, health risks, heavy trucks taking over roadways and growing competition for water. It would mean more dangerous pipelines threatening the sovereign land and water sources of Indigenous peoples. It would mean more communities being entangled in a volatile industry that has no viable future on a livable planet.

What Does Real Climate Leadership Require?

Over the past decade plus, community-led movements have come together across North America to fight new pipelines, fracking rigs, export terminals and, increasingly, petrochemical plants. They’ve won crucial victories: Case in point, while still being pushed by its Canadian backers and the Trump administration, the Keystone XL pipeline still isn’t built.

But too few U.S. politicians have used their own power to stop this spread of fossil fuel infrastructure and extraction. This is a major reason the oil and gas industry is in a position to drill us towards climate disaster. The industry is riding high off of decades of compounding policy decisions to lease federal and state lands and waters for extraction, to approve permits for new wells, pipelines and other infrastructure, to leave fracking woefully unregulated, to maintain billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies, and, at the end of 2015, to lift the four-decade-long ban on crude oil exports.

The U.S. is now the world’s largest oil and gas producer and, increasingly, dumping our excess oil and gas into global markets, which drives down prices and undermines policies aimed at reducing demand for fossil fuels.

This report should be a wake-up call for elected officials and policymakers at all levels of U.S. government who consider themselves to be climate leaders. Real climate leadership requires decisively saying “no” to further expansion of the fossil fuel industry while enthusiastically saying “yes” to a renewable energy transition on the pace and scale of a Green New Deal.

Every decision around a new fossil fuel lease, permit, subsidy or setback is an opportunity for U.S. politicians to stop fossil fuel expansion and champion a just transition to an economy powered by clean energy. The U.S. fossil fuel industry is gearing up to swing a giant wrecking ball through global climate goals. U.S. politicians cannot afford to stand by and let them … or worse yet, help swing it.

Source: Eco Watch

2018 Was the Hottest Year Ever Recorded for Our Oceans

17.01.2019

The year 2018 was the hottest year for the planet’s oceans ever since record-keeping began in 1958, according to a worrisome new study from international scientists.

The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, noted that the five warmest years for our oceans were the last five years—2018, 2017, 2015, 2016 and 2014 (in order of decreasing ocean heat content).

This increase in ocean heat is “incontrovertible proof that the Earth is warming,” the study states.

To illustrate, the heat increase from 2017 to 2018 alone is roughly 388 times more than China’s total electricity generation in 2017, according to a press release of the study.

“The new data, together with a rich body of literature, serve as an additional warning to both the government and the general public that we are experiencing inevitable global warming,” lead author Lijing Cheng, an oceanographer from the Beijing’s Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in the release.

A slew of recent scientific reports have sounded the alarm on our warming oceans. The same group of scientists behind the current study revealed in Science last week that the world’s oceans are warming about 40 percent faster than previously thought.

Also this month, a different team of scientists showed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesthat the average heating of the oceans in the last 150 years was equivalent to the dropping of 1.5 atomic bombs per second.

Earth’s seas, which absorb more than 90 percent of the extra solar energy trapped by greenhouse gasses, are vital to our existence. This continued ocean warming has potentially devastating consequences, including sea level rise, stronger and wetter storms and melting polar ice. Marine life, especially coral reefs, are also vulnerable.

“The ocean and global warming have already taken place and caused serious damage and losses to both the economy and society,” Cheng said in the press release.

The researchers, who predict that ocean heat will continue to rise, urged immediate action to slow this alarming trend.

Source: Eco Watch

Production Is Love in the Long Run

16.01.2019

_Z3A3883 dobra — Fotografija: Eko sistem(privatna arhiva)

Novi Sad-based company “Eko-sistem” creates new products from waste tires: mats for playgrounds, speed bumps, wheels for bins and containers. The possibilities are not exhausted. The recycled tire can change its shape and obtain new “life chance” through numerous other products. By applying new technologies, “Eko-sistem” closes the circle; thus, waste can be reused, while resources are being saved, and the environment is being protected from pollution.

This young company, which was registered in 2015 as a branch of a renowned company “Plava Frajla”, has made a breakthrough with its products on the European market in a short time. They are proud to say that they cover more than half of the market of the former Yugoslavia. Natasa Bozicevic Stankovski, the responsible person for waste management in “Eko-sistem”, says that the success is even greater when taken into consideration that they have beenoperating only for three years, and regular orders from the European countries confirm that the quality of domestic products of waste tires does not lag behind the well-known European producers in this field.

“Our work is all about great passion. We are in love with the process of making a product. We are constantly trying to find a way to be faster and better. We also research which machines we should purchase to improve our production. We work in three shifts without shutting down the machines, 24/7 throughout the year.” Giving the fact that this production process is preceded by recycling, the company is registered as an operator of specific waste – a recycler, which means that it has all the necessary permits following the legal regulations in Serbia, they purchase tires from legal and natural persons.

The “Eko-sistem” products represent one of the best examples of the circular economy applied in Serbia

Read the whole article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on CIRCULAR ECONOMY, September-November 2018

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