Asia’s First Fully Solar-Powered Drone Lifts Off

28.08.2018

In April, a group of students from the Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) at National University of Singapore Engineering developed a quadcopter drone that is powered completely with solar energy, without the need for batteries or other energy storage. In test flights, the aircraft has flown to a height of ten metres and up to a duration of two minutes. This feat is a first in Asia.

Since 2012, different groups of students from the iDP, under the supervision of NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Aaron Danner, have been working towards building a fully solar-powered quadcopter drone. The first prototype in 2012 achieved only 45 per cent of flight power from solar cells.

“Our aircraft is extremely lightweight for its size, and it can fly as long as there is sunlight, even for hours. Unlike conventional quadcopter drones, our aircraft does not rely on on-board batteries and hence it is not limited by flight time. Its ability to land on any flat surface and fly high off the ground in a controlled way also makes it suitable for practical implementation,” said Assoc Prof Danner.

The current prototype was constructed using lightweight carbon fibre, has a surface area of about 4sqm and only weighs 2.6kg in total. It is fitted with 148 individually characterised silicon solar cells and supported by a frame equipped with four rotors. It can be controlled by remote control, or programmed to fly autonomously using a GPS system installed on the aircraft.

The three team members — then-final year NUS Engineering students Mr Goh Chong Swee, Mr Kuan Jun Ren and Mr Yeo Jun Han, made further refinements to the earlier prototypes of the quadcopter drone, increasing the number of solar cells used as well as adjusting the frame material in order to make the drone more efficient and lightweight. The team, jointly supervised by Teaching Assistant Mr Brian Shohei Teo from iDP, developed three prototypes in total over the two years spent on the project.

— Assoc Prof Aaron Danner, NUS Computer and Electrical Engineering

The many crash landings of their various prototypes throughout the duration of the project were the most memorable part of the experience. Mr Goh commented that they had to “crash to learn”.

“Through each crash we learnt something; like maybe this joint is not done properly, this solar cell is not mounted properly, and the suitability of the flight controller we used,” he added.

“We encountered many engineering challenges when building the drone,” shared Mr Yeo. “These included finding an optimal number of solar cells efficient and light enough to power the propulsion system, which in turn had to be light and at the same time able to produce sufficient thrust to lift the aircraft. Other issues we faced included tuning and calibration of flight controls to enhance flight stability, as well as designing a frame that is lightweight yet sufficiently rigid.”

Using solar energy as a power source for the drone has multiple advantages. The drone is not limited by the size and capacity of a battery or fuel tank; in contrast to many battery-powered drones that can often only fly continuously for about 30 minutes before needing charging, said Assoc Prof Danner. A solar-powered drone could thus potentially be able to fly as long as there is sunlight, fly itself to faraway destinations, recharge itself during the flight and would not need to operate within range of an airbase.

With these advantages, the team sees this aircraft potentially used as a ”flying solar panel” to provide emergency solar power to disaster areas, as well as for photography, small package delivery, surveillance and inspection. Batteries could also be added to power the aircraft when there is no sunlight, or for charging. Other hardware such as cameras could also be incorporated for other applications.

The current aircraft is proof-of-concept that a fully solar powered quadcopter is a possibility, Assoc Prof Danner said. In the future, the team will continue to fine-tune the aircraft, further improving its flight time and duration. They are currently sourcing for better solar cells and looking into ways to reduce the size of the aircraft. The team also hope to build a spin-off company and bring the technology closer to commercialisation in the future.

Source: NUS

Recent Figures Reveal Spain’s Human Population Is Now Outnumbered by Pigs

27.08.2018

animal-farming-1851018_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Environmentalists are alarmed by recent data that reveals Spain’s pig population now outnumbers its human one by 3.5 million. This is the first time the number of pigs in Spain has exceeded that of humans, and the discrepancy is adding to concerns about the environmental impact of the pork industry. This impact stems primarily from greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate discharges, and water consumption.

The number of pigs in Spain has increased by nine million in the last five years; in 2017 alone, Spain’s pork industry produced about four million tons of pork products. Environmentalists are calling on producers to slow down, and for good reason. Each pig in Spain drinks close to four gallons of water per day, and the total amount consumed is enough to satisfy the water needs of Spanish cities Zaragoza, Seville and Alicante combined. Pig farming also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions from livestock overall, which is the fourth-largest emissions generator in the country.

The enormity of the industry also makes it difficult to regulate. “When you don’t control an industry in which traditionally there’s a lot of fraud, because there’s a lot of demand but not a lot of product, this is what happens,” said Francisco Espárrago, a jamón ibérico de bellota producer in Extremadura, in reference to numerous quality control issues that have plagued Spain’s pork industry. It appears that stricter – or perhaps better enforced – regulations would benefit Spain’s longstanding pork traditions that have existed since Roman times, protect local producers, and alleviate environmental infractions which are cause for national concerns.

Source: Inhabitat

19 Global Cities Commit to Make New Buildings Net-Zero by 2030

27.08.2018

walt-disney-center-1629173_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The world’s most iconic skylines are going green. Nineteen city leaders from the C40 coalition signed the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Declaration on Thursday to ensure all new buildings operate with a neutral carbon footprint by 2030.

The mayors of Copenhagen, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York City, Newburyport, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tshwane, Vancouver and Washington, DC also pledged to ensure all buildings in the cities—old or new—will meet net-zero carbon standards by 2050, according to a press release. The cities are home to 130 million people combined.

Buildings are often a city’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions due to fossil fuels being used for heat, hot water and other energy needs. About 39 percent of the total energy consumption in the U.S. comes from the residential and commercial sectors. In megacities such as London, Los Angeles and Paris, buildings account for more than 70 percent of their overall emissions. These structures are not only driving climate change, but the air pollution emitted from the buildings is also a public health concern.

Net-zero buildings, however, are incredibly energy-efficient and meet any remaining energy needs from renewable energy sources. Not only are these green buildings environmentally and socially beneficial, but they also offer economic benefits, such as cost savings on utility bills for tenants and higher property value for owners.

“Combating climate change is a moral necessity, an environmental imperative, and an economic opportunity—and Los Angeles is proud to be a leader in creating our clean energy future,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in statement. “By pledging to reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings, cities are moving us another step closer to the goals of the Paris Agreement–and the promise of lower emissions, less pollution, and more renewable energy innovation.”

The pledges were made ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco next month and align with the Paris agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Delivering on the commitments made today will require a united effort, as city governments do not have direct control over all the buildings in a city. This commitment includes a pledge to work together with state and regional governments and the private sector to drive this transformation, and calls on national governments for equal action,” the press release stated.

As part of the commitment, the cities will develop a roadmap to reach net-zero carbon buildings as well as a suite of supporting incentives and programs. Each year, they will release a report on their progress towards meeting their targets.

“Paris is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and iconic buildings. As mayors of the world’s great cities we recognize our responsibility to ensure every building, whether historic or brand new, helps deliver a sustainable future for our citizens,” said Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, in a statement. “With this commitment cities are getting the job done, concretely delivering on the Paris Agreement and building better cities for generations to come. One more time, the future is taking place in cities.”

Source: Eco Watch

Fast-Melting Lakes Could Increase Permafrost Emissions 118 Percent

27.08.2018

frost-3425157_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Scientists may need to more than double their assessment of how much carbon dioxide and methane thawing Arctic permafrost will release into the atmosphere this century, according to a study published this month.

The paper, published in Nature Communications Aug. 15, said that previous estimates for how greenhouse gasses released by thawing permafrost would contribute to global climate change focused on the slow thawing of permafrost near the surface.

However, those estimates excluded the impact of thermokarst lakes that form when warming soil melts ground ice, rapidly thawing the soil beneath them and providing food for carbon-dioxide and methane-releasing bacteria.

“Thermokarst lakes provide a completely different scenario. When the lakes form, they flash-thaw these permafrost areas,” lead study author and University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Water and Environmental Research Center associate professor Katey Walter Anthony said in a UAF press release. “Instead of centimeters of thaw, which is common for terrestrial environments, we’ve seen 15 meters of thaw beneath newly formed lakes in Goldstream Valley within the past 60 years.”

Previous models had not incorporated thermokarst lakes because the small size of each lake made them difficult to account for. However, the study found it was important to take their emissions into consideration because, unlike the gradual thawing of permafrost soil, the rapid thawing beneath the melt lakes cannot be reversed this century.

“You can’t stop the release of carbon from these lakes once they form,” Walter Anthony said. “We cannot get around this source of warming.”

Walter Anthony’s U.S. and German research team spent 12 years observing and measuring thermokarst lakes in Alaska and Siberia and drew their conclusions from those observations, as well as from remote-sensing data of lake changes in the past two years. They found that the lakes could increase the emissions generated by permafrost by 118 percent in the late 21st century.

Other scientists responded to the study by emphasizing the limits of climate models that governments rely on to make climate policy decisions.

“The models that we’ve used to construct these carbon budgets, of how much CO2 we can emit and stay below a certain temperature threshold that we say is the edge of where things go from bad to really bad—those carbon budgets are probably made with models that are incomplete and may, in many ways, be very optimistic,” Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California climate scientist Charlie Koven told Alaska’s Energy Desk Monday.

Previous models showed gradual, land-based permafrost thawing would be offset by an increase in plant growth as the Arctic warms, but the rapid thawing caused by thermokarst lakes could mean that the warming contribution of thawing permafrost will be close to that of clearing or burning forests, the study found.

Source: Eco Watch

The Impact of Architecture on the Environment

26.08.2018

Pixabay hall — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

In 1987, the World Commission on the Environment and Development defined sustainability as a process of meeting the present needs without compromising future generations and their needs. This definition can be expounded into three main aspects on which sustainability rests – ecology, economy, and society.

Ecological aspect refers to our impact on the environment and surroundings. It can be positive and negative. The key factors in this aspect are energy, its renewability, and consumption, water, air and soil pollution, emission of gases, resource renewal, climate change… The economic aspect includes the prices of material, its transport and processing, energy efficiency, productivity as well as the development of local economy. On the other hand, the social aspect is to provide social equity, preserve cultural heritage, engage and educate the local community, as well as its safety and health.

When we want to characterize something as sustainable, it is important to have in mind that these aspects should not be separated because neglecting either of them will lead to the emergence of an unsustainable system.

Architecture is a discipline that through its practice has a profound impact on all fields of sustainability. The economic development of a country will cause the construction of many industrial, business and residential facilities, and also the economic development of one country will lead to a desire for a larger and more luxurious housing unit. It can be concluded that the growth of the economic status of a social apparatus, a country, business or family, also increases the demand for land and construction materials, which affects the global ecosystem. The challenge of sustainable design is to find technological and design solutions that guarantee the prosperity of this ecosystem.

During its existence, an object affects the local and global environment by various related activities and processes even before it is actually constructed. Exploitation of resources, their processing, production of construction materials and their transport can cause environmental damage of a larger scale. Materials that are not available locally must be delivered from the locations that are on some occasions far away from the place on which the facility is being built. Therefore, even if these exclusive materials are produced with minimal energy consumption, the transport itself will have a negative impact on the environment. The process of constructing an object, although temporary, also affects the environment in terms of the use of energy and resources by creating a construction site and temporary infrastructure for its servicing, making waste and noise…

After the completion of the construction, the very functioning of the building leaves a long-term effect on the ecosystem. Energy and water consumed by the residents of the building are converted into harmful gases and wastewater after use. When a facility loses its function, it does not lose its influence on the environment. If we do not recycle that facility, either in terms of object conversion or literal demolition in order to use the materials for something else, all energy spent on exploitation, processing, production, transport, construction, and maintenance can be considered as a loss.

Problems which sustainable design aims to solve depend on a number of external factors that are contained in three aspects of sustainability. These external factors vary in intensity and type, thus it is impossible to provide universal solutions. The sustainable design actually represents a conceptual framework which helps us anticipate these problems and find a solution with adequate ecological, economic and social qualities. With sustainable design, we try to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, promote the use of renewable energy resources, reduce waste to a minimum and create healthy and comfortable places. The principles of sustainable design include optimization of the potential of construction land, use of ecological materials, conservation of energy and water, optimization of functioning and maintenance process of the facilities, as well as the improvement of the conditions for staying and working on the premises.

When positioning a facility on a plot, the existing contour of the site should be taken into account. Major changes in the field are not only costly but also affect the existing microclimate, such as changes in the conventional drainage of the field and airflow, which may be even more important at the moment. In addition, attention should be paid to the level of groundwater – if you expose groundwater to external influence during the construction, you will increase the chances of its pollution. It is recommended that flora and fauna at the construction site become the part of the project in greater percentage so as to maintain the local ecosystem.

By proper positioning of a facility in relation to the environment, an architect adjusts the facility to the natural resources at the site, such as the sun and wind energy, which increases the energy efficiency of the facility and the quality of its space. Thus, the shade during summer is created by planting deciduous trees on the south side of the building (which is the most exposed to the Sun), while in winter the sunlight passes through the stripped branches which results in achieving passive solar heating of the building. By planting the conifers on the north, the facility is protected from cold, winter wind. By combining both principles, the thermal loses of the facility are reduced, as well as the energy consumption for heating or cooling.

The urban environment limits the freedom of positioning in relation to natural resources, and this should be addressed at the urban level by forming parameters for construction of blocks so as to maximize the utilization of these natural conditions. The advantage of cities in terms of the local environment is reflected in the existing infrastructure for the supply of construction sites and buildings, which would have to be planned and whose performance would affect the environment if they were built outside the towns.

Renewable resources are all those resources that can be grown and exploited at a rate that exceeds the speed of human consumption. By definition, the use of these materials is sustainable. Materials made from non-renewable resources (oil, metals, etc.) are not sustainable even if their current supplies are adequate. The use of renewable materials, as much as possible, greatly reduces the need for non-renewable materials.

Read the whole article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, July 2018.

Prepared by: Petar Veselinovic

Solar-Powered Car to Speed into the Sunlight by 2019

25.08.2018

SonoMotors_Sion_electric_car_solarcar_Hero-1 — Foto: Sono Motors

A German start-up has launched a series of trials to test its new solar-powered car.

Sono Motors’ Sion is an electric vehicle (EV) with one important difference – 330 solar cells built into its doors, bonnet and roof aim to do away with the range anxiety often associated with battery-powered transport.

Once fully charged it will possess a range of around 155 miles, with its on-car generation allowing it to cover an additional 19 miles per day.

In case it isn’t sunny or the car needs to be charged at night, it can also be powered from conventional EV charging points.

Production of the Sion is planned to begin in 2019, with the company having already taken more than 6,500 pre-orders at a price of €16,000 (£14,400), excluding the battery unit.

Source: Energy Live News

Passionate Fisherman in the Struggle for Preservation of Untouched Nature

25.08.2018

Twenty years ago, he won the affection of a broader audience with the role of Brando in the television serial “Family Treasure”. Since then, Vojin Cetkovic has shown that he is equally able to play different and demanding roles: bad guys, monks, poets and recently he added the role of the first crowned Serbian king – Stefan the First-Crowned in the TV serial “Nemanjici – the Birth of the Kingdom”. Although it is expected to talk to him about his rich career and plans, we decided to ask him about his love for fishing, black storks and white-tailed eagles that land in the vicinity of his energy-efficient vacation home, but also about the things which drive him to participate in the activities of clearing illegal landfill in National Park Fruska Gora.

EP: When did you decide that you were tired of city life and was the love for fishing crucial for the construction of your vacation home in Cortanovci municipality, on the Danube bank?

Vojin Cetkovic: It was my need made all the difference. I have been fishing since I was five. I was lucky to have grandparents who lived in the village, thus I spent a lot of time there, and my parents constantly took me into nature. Since my childhood, I have been attached to nature, animals, and especially plants and rivers. My parental grandfather had an entire hill above Mojkovac, where he lived, so it was most logical for me to find a place for my vacation home which is close to a hill and a river. Thanks to my friend from the kindergarten Novica, who has a vacation home in Cortanovci, we often visited him there and I liked the place very much. He found a plot for me. At first, the Danube could not be seen due to the shrubbery on the plot, but when I cleared it, one of the most beautiful panoramas appeared in front of us. Now I have a boat on the Danube and a house with the view.

EP: Since we are not a nation that takes much care of nature it is not difficult to come across the daily evidence of our negligence. What is the thing that especially worries you while you are fishing?

Vojin Cetkovic: Everything bothers me, and above all the consciousness of people. Some fishermen often do not know where they are, and they say they love the river. Recently, I saw a father who thought his son how to catch a pike during the prohibition period and not to mention the size of the pike which was well below the allowed dimensions. What are you supposed to say to that man?

I have seen everything on rivers; poachers, nets which should not be in small rivers. Unfortunately, without harsh laws and without the application of these laws, nothing can be done. That is what bothers me the most. It also bothers me that the state was negligent because the damage is huge and almost irreparable. Twenty years ago, in the kilometer of the river flow, there were around 800 kilograms of fish. Today it is less than 80 kilograms. The data on the amount of fish in the see is equally shocking.

Since I am a public figure and I have the chance to be heard by people, I feel that my duty is to talk about ecology and somehow change the consciousness among people. That would be my huge success, and I have given that task to myself. I have often responded to working actions for cleaning of lakes and rivers, and within a project, we tried to stock the Drina with huchen. There were many difficulties in the implementation of this project, and there were some constant excuses that were mostly related to the difficult economic situation. I also spoke with some guards, who were willing to do their job well and to catch poachers, but they are in a difficult situation due to the threats they receive.

I read that Chapter 13 which is related to fisheries should be opened. If all the laws were implemented as well as the requirements which the European Union requires from us and if only ten people who committed offenses were punished, the situation would change dramatically.

In addition, we still have factories that throw out wastewater into rivers and canals and cause a lot more damage. It is necessary to install collectors, which is a large investment that will have to be implemented. I know very well both running and standing waters in Serbia and I can say that the situation in them is quite alarming. There are rare examples of certain parts of national parks in which some order exists, and in which stocking with young fish is carried out and fishing is controlled. According to my knowledge, the European Union has devoted enormous funds to ecology and I hope that it will be used for these purposes.

The Survival of Drina Huchen

At the initiative of Vladimir Grbic, the famous volleyball player and also a fishing enthusiast, a project was launched for stocking the Drina with huchen six years ago in which Vojin also participated. “The Pond in Perucac is built under the Perucac dam due to which it was not possible to establish a fishing route. The huchen could not go upstream of the Drina where it would spawn, thus its survival was questioned. Drina huchen is really unique and beautiful for sports fishing. We tried with the Ministry for Agriculture and Environmental Protection to make an agreement. We received the funds and managed with the help of ichthyologists, although it was very difficult, to let a certain number of huchen in the Drina”, says Vojin and he explained to us that the huchen, this natural rarity, which exists in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Slovenia, were produced in artificial conditions and were returned back into the Drina. Unfortunately, the project did not last for long. Now that pond serves for commercial purposes.

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, July 2018.

Interview by: Nevena Djukic

Spectacular Town Hall Doubles as a Bridge in Denmark’s Faroe Islands

24.08.2018

town-hall-eysturkommuna_henning-larsen_photo-by-nic-lehoux_742 — Photo: Henning Lasen

When Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen Architects was tapped to design the Town Hall in Eysturkommuna, the firm knew that there would be no point in trying to compete with the sublime Faroe Islands setting. Sculpted by wind and volcanic forces, the lush Nordic landscape instead provided inspiration for the building, which doubles as a bridge over a river and appears as a green-roofed extension of its surroundings. Blurring the line between nature and building, the Town Hall pays homage to traditional Faroese architecture with a new contemporary twist.

Located in the village of Norðragøta, the Town Hall in Eysturkommuna is a subtle addition to the lush landscape that was created to help revive the local community. With an area of 750 square meters, the building is remarkably small for a town hall, yet what the structure lacks in size it makes up for in dramatic views. Doubling as a bridge, the angular building unites what used to be two separated municipalities and is partly wrapped in full-height glazing to frame stunning vistas of mountains and water. A circular mirror-lined glazed opening was also inserted into the floor to allow views of the rushing river below.

“A central theme in traditional Faroese architecture is the blurred line between nature and building, the fact that the spectator has difficulties distinguishing where the landscape ends and the building begins,” explains Ósbjørn Jacobsen, Partner at Henning Larsen. “The primary conceptual idea behind the design of the town hall is driven by the notion of this fleeting line between landscape and building. I believe that could be one way to approach modern Faroese architecture.”

The public is not only invited to enjoy the interior of the Town Hall, but they are also welcome to use the terraces and green roof for picnics or to even swim in the river. To heighten the building’s connection with the site, artist Jens Ladekarl Thomsen created an exterior sound and light installation that draws from the sounds and structure of the local neighborhoods and nature and “lets passersby believe the ‘house speaks’ of its surroundings.”

Source: Inhabitat

Renewables Powered 88% of Brazil in June

24.08.2018

brazil-3001462_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Renewable energy generated 88% of Brazil’s entire demand in June.

Clean power sources such as wind, biomass, solar and hydro accounted for 81.9% of Brazil’s installed capacity of energy generation at the time, according to a new report from the country’s Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The nation’s total electrical generation capacity reached 160GW in June, if distributed generation is also taken into account.

Hydropower is still the country’s main source of energy, creating 63.7% of the month’s electricity, followed by 561 biomass plants creating power from organic fuels such as sugarcane, rice husk and wood waste.

Wind farms account for 8.1% of the energy produced in June, with solar facilities contributing around 1%.

Source: Energy Live News

Sweden’s Reindeer at Risk of Starvation After Summer Drought

24.08.2018

Sweden’s indigenous Sami reindeer herders are demanding state aid to help them cope with the impact of this summer’s unprecedented drought and wildfires, saying their future is at risk as global warming changes the environment in the far north.

The Swedish government this week announced five major investigations aimed at preparing the country for the kind of extreme heatwave it experienced in July, when temperatures exceeded 30C (86F) and forest fires raged inside the Arctic circle.

But it has yet to come up with any concrete measures for the country’s 4,600 Sami reindeer owners – the only people authorised to herd reindeer in Sweden – and their 250,000 semi-domesticated animals, raised for their meat, pelts and antlers.

The owners are asking for emergency funding to help pay for supplementary fodder as a replacement for winter grazing lands that could take up to 30 years to recover from the summer’s drought and fires.

“We are living with the effects of climate change,” Niila Inga, chair of the Swedish Sami Association, told the SVT news agency. “The alarm bells are ringing. We face droughts, heatwaves, fires. This is about the survival of the reindeer, and of Sami culture, which depends on them.”

The owners are warning that without help some of their herds may not survive the year. They are also concerned that some young reindeer calves may have become so weakened by the prolonged drought they would not be able to follow their mothers to new feeding grounds.

They also want a longer-term government aid programme to help them manage and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Since Sami owners do not own the land their reindeer graze on, Inga told the Local, they need laws allowing them to improve grazing land. Funding is also urgently needed to look into the growing difficulties reindeer have finding the lichen that form a key part of their diet.

Although warmer summers help lichen grow, warmer and wetter winters are increasingly leading to rainfall rather than snow during the coldest Arctic months. When temperatures fall back to below freezing, impenetrable sheets of ice form on ground that would normally be covered by a much softer crust of snow.

This leaves the reindeer, who habitually feed by digging into the snow and then grazing on the lichen beneath, unable to smell the vital food source or dig down to get to it, leading to some herds starving to death.

Scientists have held out hope of finding ways to spread lichen more readily in forests where it would be more easily accessible to the animals, but more funding was urgently needed, Inga said.

Summer temperatures in Sweden usually hover around 23C. The country had to ask for help from Italy, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Poland and France to fight this year’s blazes. Climate change is being felt disproportionately hard in the Arctic, with temperatures climbing at double the rate of the global average.

A spokeswoman said the government was supportive of the herders’ call for emergency winter aid but was waiting to receive the Sami administration’s full report on the consequences of the summer heatwave, expected in the next few weeks.

Source: Guardian

New Study Finds Food Waste Will Increase to 66 Tons per Second If Left Unchecked

23.08.2018

food-3229501_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A new analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that global food waste will increase by more than 30% by 2030 if no action is taken. The figures themselves are even more alarming: a total of 2.1 billion tons of food is projected to be thrown away or, in the case of perishables, lost; this amount equates to a colossal 66 tons per second.

Currently, about 1.6 billion tons of food goes to waste each year, which represents $1.2 trillion worth of food and accounts for 8% of yearly global green house emissions. And, while food loss awareness is on the rise, global attempts to deal with the issue are not. According to Shalini Unnikrishnan, a partner and managing director of BCG, attempts to deal with food waste are “fragmented, limited and ultimately insufficient given the magnitude of the problem,” In fact, the problem will only get words as countries continue to industrialize. “As population grows rapidly in certain industrializing parts of the world, like in Asia, consumption is growing very rapidly,” Unnikrishnan observed.

One possible solution, according to BCG, is the creation of an ecolabel, such as those found on fair trade products. This ecolabel would let consumers know which companies have committed to reducing waste and make it easier to buy responsibly. However, “The scale of the problem is one that will continue to grow while we’re developing our solutions,” Unnikrishnan said. The UN hopes to halve food waste by 2030, but if governments, companies and consumers don’t make significant changes in the way they approach food – and work together to do it – there is little chance of this happening. According to Unnikrishnan, “It’s not an easy problem, no single country, no single entity can solve the entire problem on their own.”

Source: Eco Watch

C&A Buttons Up ‘World’s Most Sustainable Jeans’

23.08.2018

csm_06_Our-Sustainability-Work_480_320_edea1e4d1c — Photo: C&A

Sustainable fashion brand C&A claims it has created the world’s most environmentally-friendly jeans.

Produced in compliance with non-profit Cradle to Cradle’s top level of green certification, the company says every aspect of the denim garments is sourced sustainably, down to the buttons, dyes and fibres used to make them.

C&A suggests some elements, such as the lining material or sewing thread, had to be completely redeveloped in its goal to create a pair of “infinitely recyclable” jeans.

It maintains every supplier and factory involved went through a thorough selection process, with materials being tested and certified not only for their environmental credentials but also with regards to good working conditions and sustainable forms of labour.

Jeffrey Hogue, C&A’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “All of the components have been successfully optimised to make sure that only non-toxic materials are used.

“During the process, only renewable energy and high social standards were applied, leading to a product that is designed for its next life.”

Source: Energy Live News

Renewable Energy Tariffs ‘Are Now Among Cheapest on the Market’

23.08.2018

Renewable energy tariffs are now among the cheapest on the market.

That’s according to uSwitch, which suggests the ten cheapest eco-tariffs could save homes an average of £273 compared to a big six standard tariff, up from £233 the same time last year.

The cheapest green energy tariff available today comes in at around £859 per year, £278 cheaper than the average big six plan and £354 less than the average price of a big six standard variable tariff.

The price comparison service also shows the number of environmentally-friendly tariffs on the market has shot up to 57, an increase of 21 since last summer.

It says more readily available and affordable renewable electricity and bio-gas has led to green deals becoming more competitively priced and more diverse in what they offer.

A survey conducted by the brand illustrates around 38% of households are now considering switching to a green energy tariff, up a tenth from 2017.

Shona Eyre, Energy Expert at uSwitch.com, says: “With green energy tariffs now featuring heavily in the best-buy tables, planet-friendly deals are no longer an expensive luxury for those who can afford to pay for their principles.

“Whether it’s using less energy around the home or choosing a green energy deal, these are small changes that make a big difference – both environmentally and financially.”

Source: Energy Live News

Ambassador of Denmark, Anders Hougård: The promotion of the green agenda is a never-ending process

22.08.2018

The country of well-being, the oldest monarchy in Europe and the country with the happiest inhabitants, the birthplace of LEGO bricks, “hygge” lifestyle and famous fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen – we can try to find the most picturesque proposition that would summarize the description in a few words but that would still partially reflect the success of his Nordic country. The basic prosperity of Denmark is primarily social balance, high level of trust in the state, strong cooperation between the public and private sector, extremely low level of corruption, as well as free health care and education.

In addition, Denmark is making efforts to create a “green” and sustainable society that will achieve the goal of draining entire energy from renewable energy sources by 2050. According to the Environmental Management Index (EPI) for 2018 this country is in the third place, and its citizens consider that environmental protection is their civilizational obligation. Hence, it does not surprise the fact that the number of bikes in Denmark exceeds the number of inhabitants. In an interview with the Danish ambassador in Serbia, Anders Christian Hougård, we found out which measures have the Danes taken to find themselves in such a high position, and also which projects the Danish Embassy has carried out in Serbia so far and in which areas we could still cooperate in order to ensure a higher rate of economic growth in our country.

EP: According to the EPI ranking for this year Denmark has taken the third place, which is desirable for most countries and a fairly unattainable position. However, if we were to take only fishery and forestry into account, the status of Denmark would be somewhat different. What has your country taken so far to prevent losses in forested areas as well as in fish and shell stocks in the Baltic Sea?

Anders Hougård: Our ranking in the field of the fishery is a consequence of the continuous and rapid decline of fish stocks. This is a matter of great importance to us, especially because the fishery is a very important industry in our country which has a great export value. The Danish Fisheries Agency is in charge of regulating commercial fisheries, and the agency’s ambition is to support growth through a green transition. Funds are provided through the European Fisheries Fund for the development of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and at the same time inspections are performed to ensure that the fish stocks in the Danish sea waters are sustained. In the Baltic Sea, fish stocks and nature are particularly vulnerable, as many different countries are bordering, and risks of pollution and over-fishing are therefore high.

Concerning forest management, the Danish government is planning to cover additional 10.000 hectares with trees and to make a nature reserve of untouched forest. Furthermore, 3.300 hectares will be laid out as protected biodiversity, and when the whole project is completed, the total protected forest and biodiversity in Denmark will be more than doubled compared with today. As such, this will substantially reduce tree cover loss and improve diversity in nature to the benefit of the forest industry, as well as outdoor recreation. Compared to international standards, Danish forestry is overall healthy and sustainable, but over the last many years increased industrialization and the lack of focus on preserving forests and ecosystems have put Danish forests at risk.

EP: Does the Danish government run any campaign on the importance of preserving the environment or it seems redundant now after decades of attentive implementation of conservation and nature policy?

Anders Hougård: The promotion of the green agenda is a never-ending process. It is important to keep the education ongoing and that it involves everyone in the society, from small children to seniors. The current Danish government is putting in a great effort in promoting their green agenda these days. They have proclaimed themselves the greenest government in the history of Denmark. For the big part of the Danish population, a green agenda is at the top of the list, and more people are becoming aware of the crucial necessity of protecting the environment. Additionally, there is a widespread political consensus on the green issues, so even if the parties in the Government change, the overall course will not change. The investments in civil society for sustainable energy transition should reflect on easier negotiations and subsequent completion of relevant EU chapters, and in particular Chapter 27.

EP: Your country provides many good examples of how to protect the natural environment. What is the key approach to keeping the economic growth and the nature safe?

Anders Hougård: The development and execution of policies have been focused on the synergy of nature protection and economic growth for many years now. A major part in it is planning and communicating these policies to the public and with the business sector. We came to an understanding that environmental protection can also create new job opportunities and new innovative companies which contribute to our economic growth.

For example, by implementing policies for wastewater treatments, we have not only contributed to saving the nature and waterways but also created new jobs in construction, operation, and maintenance of such facilities. The decision to protect waters has therefore created jobs and economic growth which go hand in hand. The same principle can be applied to renewable energy, energy efficiency, the introduction of processing industry standards, and soon. However, it has all started with a decision and dialogue to aim for a cleaner and healthier environment.

EP: How did your country achieve harmonious arrangement between nature conservation and keeping the land usable for human purposes?

Anders Hougård: The keyword here is urban and environmental planning. This topic has been high on political agenda for many decades and it is a subject of many ongoing discussions on how to achieve the best balance between, primarily, agriculture and nature conservation. This debate topic was set many years ago, and its purpose is only to find a variety of ways to achieve that goal. It is important to keep an open mind for solutions which have come about during the decades of trying to reach the harmony between nature and the use of land for human needs.

Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine on SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, July 2018.

Interview by: Nevena Djukic and Tamara Zjacic

Summer Weather Is Getting ‘Stuck’ Due to Arctic Warming

22.08.2018

glacier-401361_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Summer weather patterns are increasingly likely to stall in Europe, North America and parts of Asia, according to a new climate study that explains why Arctic warming is making heatwaves elsewhere more persistent and dangerous.

Rising temperatures in the Arctic have slowed the circulation of the jet stream and other giant planetary winds, says the paper, which means high and low pressure fronts are getting stuck and weather is less able to moderate itself.

The authors of the research, published in Nature Communications on Monday, warn this could lead to “very extreme extremes”, which occur when abnormally high temperatures linger for an unusually prolonged period, turning sunny days into heat waves, tinder-dry conditions into wildfires, and rains into floods.

“This summer was where we saw a very strong intensity of heatwaves. It’ll continue and that’s very worrying, especially in the mid-latitudes: the EU, US, Russia and China,” said one of the coauthors, Dim Coumou from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “Short-term heatwaves are quite pleasant, but longer term they will have an impact on society. It’ll have an affect on agricultural production. Harvests are already down this year for many products. Heatwaves can also have a devastating impact on human health.”

Circulation stalling has long been a concern of climate scientists, though most previous studies have looked at winter patterns. The new paper reviews research on summer trends, where it says there is mounting evidence of planetary wind systems – both low-level storm tracks and higher waves in the troposphere – losing their ability to shift the weather.

One cause is a weakening of the temperature gradient between the Arctic and Equator as a result of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The far north of the Earth is warming two to four times faster than the global average, says the paper, which means there is a declining temperature gap with the central belt of the planet. As this ramp flattens, winds struggle to build up sufficient energy and speed to push around pressure systems in the area between them.

As a result, there is less relief in the form of mild and wet air from the sea when temperatures accumulate on land, and less relief from the land when storms build up in the ocean. Last year, Hurricane Harvey had a devastating impact on Texas because it was parked an unusually long time on the coast, where it kept drawing up moisture from the sea and dumping it in the form of the greatest deluge ever recorded in the US. Scientists had previously noted that hurricanes are slowing and bringing more rain.

A separate new paper in Scientific Reports indicated that the trapping of planetary airstreams – a phenomenon known as amplified quasi-stationary waves – also contributed to the 2016 wildfires in Alberta, which took two months to extinguish and ended as the costliest disaster in Canadian history with total damages reaching 4.7bn Canadian dollars.

“Clearly, the planetary wave pattern wasn’t the only cause for the fire – yet it was an additional important factor triggering a deplorable disaster,” says lead author Vladimir Petoukhov from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “In fact, our analysis reveals that beyond that single event, actually from the 1980s on, planetary waves were a significant factor for wildfire risks in the region.”

He said wave pattern studies will help forest managers and fire forecasters because changes can be detected ahead of their impacts.

However, scientists are also concerned that slowing circulation could produce “surprises”, by amplifying other climate changes.

“Simple warming is well understood in climate models, but scientists are trying to understand non-linearities, how climate change effects interact with one another and how feedback processes are involved,” said Coumou. “Non-linearities can rapidly change weather conditions in a given region so you get more abrupt changes.”

Scientists unconnected with the paper said it highlighted the risks of disturbing natural weather patterns.

“What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. By upsetting the energy balance of the planet we are changing the temperature gradient between the equator and the pole. This in turn sets in motion major reorganisations of the flow patterns of the atmosphere and ocean,” said Chris Rapley, professor of climate science at University College London. “The consequences are emerging and they are disruptive, and likely to become even more profoundly so. We are on a journey and the destination doesn’t look good.”

Source: Guardian

Greek Island to Be First in Mediterranean to Power Itself With Only Wind and Solar

22.08.2018

people-650536_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Greek island of Tilos is set to be the first in the Mediterranean to power itself entirely with wind and solar power, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

The final tests of a new system that will allow the island to power itself with batteries recharged by a solar park and 800-kilowatt wind turbine are taking place this summer, and the system is expected to go live later this year.

“The innovation of this program and its funding lies in the batteries—the energy storage—that’s what’s innovative,” project manager Spyros Aliferis told The Associated Press. “The energy produced by the wind turbines and the photovoltaics will be stored in batteries, so that this energy can be used for the grid when there is demand.”

The switch is practical as well as sustainable. Tilos is a small island with an outdated, costly power system that is strained when its winter population of 400 expands to 3,000 in the summer.

It currently gets its power from a diesel plant on the island of Kos, which is 69 kilometers (approximately 42.87 miles) away. Tilos is the last of three islands connected to the plant by an underwater cable, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported.

The system is vulnerable to outages, which can last as long as 12 hours, making life difficult for hotel owner Andreas Lardopoulos, since it can lead to spoiled food and appliance failures.

“Hopefully the renewable energy will help us solve these problems and save some money,” Lardopoulos told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Which is not to say that environmental concerns aren’t also part of the island’s motivation.

The island’s late mayor Tassos Aliferis was an environmentalist. In addition to first proposing the idea of going renewable, he also banned hunting and expanded eco-tourism.

His successor, Maria Kamma, also hopes green energy will provide a better future both for the island’s human residents and its rich biodiversity—it boasts more than 150 bird species and around 350 plant varieties.

Kamma told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the island’s population shrunk to 200 in the 1990s and was only increased due to infrastructure and transportation updates. She said she hoped the green energy initiative would continue this trend and ensure residents “have a very good standard of living.”

The European Commission also hopes Tilos can be a model for other islands with similar power woes, The Associated Press reported. The EU funded the 13.7 million-euro ($15.7 million) project to the tune of 11 million euros ($12.5 million).

The EU’s goal is one shared by Zisimos Mantas, the chief business development officer of the Greek company in charge of the project: Eunice Energy Group.

“We hope that the Tilos project will be replicated in many more islands,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Source: Eco Watch

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