Conflicts. War and blood. Extreme regimes. Aggressive foreign policies. And a battered Asian economy!
The United States is not going to suffer as badly as many other economies around the world. The biggest fault lines in the global system are in Asia… That's where things are going to be really unpredictable… Asian economies are going to be really slammed this year. We may be looking at a Lost Decade.
That was Harvard author and financial crisis guru Niall Ferguson in a recent interview.
There will be blood, in the sense that a crisis of this magnitude is bound to increase political as well as economic [conflict]. It is bound to destabilize some countries.
About the International Monetary Fund predicting a quick end to it, Ferguson insists they are wrong. I think the IMF has been consistently wrong in its projections year after year. Most projections are wrong, because they're based on models that don't really correspond to the real world.
You're going to end up assuming that this recession is going to end up like other recessions, and the other recessions didn't last that long, so this one won't last so long. But of course this isn't a recession. This is something really quite different in character from anything we've experienced in the postwar era…
So, what do we do as a battered global economy contracts? Do we wait till it unravels? Do we anticipate the worst and be prepared? How well protected are our markets? Do we see a surge of buy-Indian as well?
More important, do we see an opportunity in the recession, as voiced by CII members at the annual day in Bangalore? Speakers repeatedly spoke of deriving strength from our human capital.
For industry, and hence the economy, there is need to infuse confidence among its ranks. The recession could well be the time for ‘cherry picking instead of carpet bombing’ . There is an untapped potential in rural India and this calls for reconfigurance of business potential to the ‘core of India’.
There is a surging demand from rural India, from energy, water, health facilities to goods. Should the focus turn inwards? What is being done to stimulate the economy? What about the urgent need for upgradation of skills required for a shift to a low carbon economy? How equipped are we for the drastic change it calls for? What are we doing about it?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
1 cup coffee = 200 litres water
If told that your cup of latte coffee costs exactly 200 litres of water to make, what would your reaction be? Incredulous? Or dismissive as yet another gimmick by the climate change merchants to prick the conscience?
If you ask WWF, it is all about ‘changing the way we think’.
Look at the breakdown, by liters, of the water needed to make that latte:
0.1 for the water itself, 2.5 to make the plastic lid, 5.5 to make the paper cup and sleeve, 7.5 to grow the sugar, 49.5 to feed the cows that make the milk, 143 to grow the coffee!
As WWF says, this doesn’t mean we should stop drinking lattes but think about how our habits impact the environment. From there, we need to make and grow things more efficiently, and consume less of them.
This has to be done with the big picture in mind of how what we do affects the water, soil, energy, poverty, health, etc. The full life-cycle of the things we use from concept to landfill.It means a lot, lot of thinking. Can we?
If you ask WWF, it is all about ‘changing the way we think’.
Look at the breakdown, by liters, of the water needed to make that latte:
0.1 for the water itself, 2.5 to make the plastic lid, 5.5 to make the paper cup and sleeve, 7.5 to grow the sugar, 49.5 to feed the cows that make the milk, 143 to grow the coffee!
As WWF says, this doesn’t mean we should stop drinking lattes but think about how our habits impact the environment. From there, we need to make and grow things more efficiently, and consume less of them.
This has to be done with the big picture in mind of how what we do affects the water, soil, energy, poverty, health, etc. The full life-cycle of the things we use from concept to landfill.It means a lot, lot of thinking. Can we?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Where is the technology?
Addressing Congress, Obama made a case once again for aggressive action on clean energy and climate change mitigation.
… to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America.
None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward…
Wishing for such leadership rhetoric among our leaders is one thing. The other is to look practically at what can be done.
The low-carbon technology industry is both capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive; private investment alone will not help the industry scale up sufficiently. Public funds and clear, long-term policy signals are needed to increase private investment. When that is the case for a nation that has been the envy of the rest of the world, how realistic is it to expect struggling economies and the nouvea rich countries to switch to low carbon energy?
Taking the case of US and China, the Worldchanging advocates that economic recovery can form the focus for climate-change negotiations, with major economies establishing bilateral partnerships and using stimulus packages to transform traditional models of growth.
But, there has to be more diffusion of technology across borders. Recent research has found that 76% of transfers still take place between developed nations. As nations talk tough to each other over emissions that belch out into the atmosphere uncontrolled, it is important that the rich nations make tech transfer work for the developing world.
After all, the blame for emissions does not always lie with the emitter. A new report talks of how about 9% of total Chinese emissions are the result of manufacturing goods for the US, while 6% come from producing goods for Europe.
If then as Dieter Helm, professor of economics at Oxford University, who argues that "focusing on consumption rather than production of emissions is the only intellectually and ethically sound solution" how does one go about measuring and parsing the precise footprints and taxing countries accordingly? A tough job!
Double accounting gets tough but at least acknowledging that consumption is also a critical aspect is a first step. And providing the technology the next. Any other solution to this truly ‘global’ problem?
… to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of more renewable energy in America.
None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward…
Wishing for such leadership rhetoric among our leaders is one thing. The other is to look practically at what can be done.
The low-carbon technology industry is both capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive; private investment alone will not help the industry scale up sufficiently. Public funds and clear, long-term policy signals are needed to increase private investment. When that is the case for a nation that has been the envy of the rest of the world, how realistic is it to expect struggling economies and the nouvea rich countries to switch to low carbon energy?
Taking the case of US and China, the Worldchanging advocates that economic recovery can form the focus for climate-change negotiations, with major economies establishing bilateral partnerships and using stimulus packages to transform traditional models of growth.
But, there has to be more diffusion of technology across borders. Recent research has found that 76% of transfers still take place between developed nations. As nations talk tough to each other over emissions that belch out into the atmosphere uncontrolled, it is important that the rich nations make tech transfer work for the developing world.
After all, the blame for emissions does not always lie with the emitter. A new report talks of how about 9% of total Chinese emissions are the result of manufacturing goods for the US, while 6% come from producing goods for Europe.
If then as Dieter Helm, professor of economics at Oxford University, who argues that "focusing on consumption rather than production of emissions is the only intellectually and ethically sound solution" how does one go about measuring and parsing the precise footprints and taxing countries accordingly? A tough job!
Double accounting gets tough but at least acknowledging that consumption is also a critical aspect is a first step. And providing the technology the next. Any other solution to this truly ‘global’ problem?
Two minutes' worth
If faced with an impending cataclysmic event like a fire, hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, landslide, etc, that was going to wipe away your home, your accumulated possessions, what would you take with you, if you only had a couple of minutes to pack?
As the question goes to prove, that is an interesting thought-provoking article which is worth reading in full.
What would you take with you in the 2 minutes you have? Any quick answers?
The average person will start thinking on all that he has, maybe room by room. And ticking off what he prizes. The thought process can take some time. Just goes to show the junk we accumulate in our homes. Sifting through them mentally is tiring enough.
Finally as in the Australian bushfire mishap, most people will settle for saving their pets and albums. Goes to prove that stuff ‘that money can buy’ has no real importance unless it has an attached value to who we are. Relationships and memories are more important.
Then why do we clamour for more stuff? Why do we drive the race to deplete the planet’s resources, simply to occupy one forgotten corner of our homes?
That seems to be the lesson hitting hardest in ‘depressed’ America. Malls are seeing fewer crowds. Perhaps the Power of Less, written by Leo Babauta, has effectively sent home the message.
Living with less brings more space, more value and quicker decisions! Not to forget a sustainable planet.
As the question goes to prove, that is an interesting thought-provoking article which is worth reading in full.
What would you take with you in the 2 minutes you have? Any quick answers?
The average person will start thinking on all that he has, maybe room by room. And ticking off what he prizes. The thought process can take some time. Just goes to show the junk we accumulate in our homes. Sifting through them mentally is tiring enough.
Finally as in the Australian bushfire mishap, most people will settle for saving their pets and albums. Goes to prove that stuff ‘that money can buy’ has no real importance unless it has an attached value to who we are. Relationships and memories are more important.
Then why do we clamour for more stuff? Why do we drive the race to deplete the planet’s resources, simply to occupy one forgotten corner of our homes?
That seems to be the lesson hitting hardest in ‘depressed’ America. Malls are seeing fewer crowds. Perhaps the Power of Less, written by Leo Babauta, has effectively sent home the message.
Living with less brings more space, more value and quicker decisions! Not to forget a sustainable planet.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Mercurial unision?
Obama's administration has come out in favor of a new international treaty to control mercury pollution. With the US on board, China and India followed suit, and they paved the way for over 140 countries to agree to negotiate a legal binding treaty that could reduce mercury pollution around the world.
The agreement was announced at a high profile UN meeting in Nairobi. The agreement marked an end to a 7 year effort to formally address the mercury issue. Negotiations had largely been stalled because the Bush Administration had blocked them. Achim Steiner, the Director of the UN's Environmental Program, said the US's move helped turn the tide.
With mercury pollution still on the rise, this agreement came at a crucial time. Mercury is a dangerous toxin that can cause neurological damage when exposed to children. Obviously, this spells more bad news for coal burning thermal plants that are worst generators of mercury. Hopefully the technology that will need to be implemented will be forthcoming at affordable costs to the developing world.
Just goes to show how much can be achieved if the rich north leads by example. Hopefully like the Montreal protocol which was effective in alleviating the ozone hole problem, this one too will have its success story to show in a few years.
Meanwhile, the much awaited $787 billion stimulus bill announced by Obama apportions $8 billion in high speed rail system and modernizing and revitalizing railroads. This is being seen as a move that will relieve congestion, conserve energy, prevent pollution and improve accessibility.
Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second largest under a single management. Covering over 1 lakh kilometers, it runs some 11,000 trains everyday. Now what prevents improving accessibility and speed on some of these tracks? (Forget any stimulus in our desi budget. At least we can pick some useful tips.)
For instance, in the case of the new Bangalore international airport, with so many crores poured into underpasses and Volvo buses, how come the fact that a railway line going all the way very close to the airport, was not made use of? Kuala Lumpur has a very efficient rail network connecting the 70 odd kms between the airport and the city.
But there is a cultural side to our preferences to commute. How many prefer to car pool or take a bus to work. Very few, as revealed by a survey. And this is not as much about convenience as it is about status! Will high speed trains and a metro mean fewer cars on the roads? Not really, believe many who say that those traveling by bus may shift to the metro, not the car commuters.
How does one change attitudes? Any answers? Will recession do it?
The agreement was announced at a high profile UN meeting in Nairobi. The agreement marked an end to a 7 year effort to formally address the mercury issue. Negotiations had largely been stalled because the Bush Administration had blocked them. Achim Steiner, the Director of the UN's Environmental Program, said the US's move helped turn the tide.
With mercury pollution still on the rise, this agreement came at a crucial time. Mercury is a dangerous toxin that can cause neurological damage when exposed to children. Obviously, this spells more bad news for coal burning thermal plants that are worst generators of mercury. Hopefully the technology that will need to be implemented will be forthcoming at affordable costs to the developing world.
Just goes to show how much can be achieved if the rich north leads by example. Hopefully like the Montreal protocol which was effective in alleviating the ozone hole problem, this one too will have its success story to show in a few years.
Meanwhile, the much awaited $787 billion stimulus bill announced by Obama apportions $8 billion in high speed rail system and modernizing and revitalizing railroads. This is being seen as a move that will relieve congestion, conserve energy, prevent pollution and improve accessibility.
Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second largest under a single management. Covering over 1 lakh kilometers, it runs some 11,000 trains everyday. Now what prevents improving accessibility and speed on some of these tracks? (Forget any stimulus in our desi budget. At least we can pick some useful tips.)
For instance, in the case of the new Bangalore international airport, with so many crores poured into underpasses and Volvo buses, how come the fact that a railway line going all the way very close to the airport, was not made use of? Kuala Lumpur has a very efficient rail network connecting the 70 odd kms between the airport and the city.
But there is a cultural side to our preferences to commute. How many prefer to car pool or take a bus to work. Very few, as revealed by a survey. And this is not as much about convenience as it is about status! Will high speed trains and a metro mean fewer cars on the roads? Not really, believe many who say that those traveling by bus may shift to the metro, not the car commuters.
How does one change attitudes? Any answers? Will recession do it?
Friday, February 20, 2009
Food will get scarce
Up to 25% of world food production could be lost to “environmental breakdowns” by 2050 unless action is taken. Cereal yields worldwide have stagnated, while one-third of these are used as feed for livestock. This figure is expected to rise to 50% by 2050, with environmental degradation and poverty rates increasing.
If you think the Rs 38 per kilo of rice is exorbitant, be ready for more. The 100 year long trend of falling food prices is likely over, with food price rises of 30-50% likely within next few decades. Those living in extreme poverty may end up spending 90% of their income on food.
The report, entitled 'The Environmental Food crises: Environment's role in averting future food crises', has been compiled by a wide group of experts from both within and outside UNEP.
Climate change emerges as one of the key factors that may undermine the chances of feeding over nine billion people by 2050. Increasing water scarcities and a rise and spread of invasive pests such as insects, diseases and weeds - may substantially depress yields in the future.
The melting and disappearing glaciers of the mighty Himalayas, linked to climate change, supply water for irrigation for near half of Asia's cereal production or a quarter of the world production.
Globally, water scarcity may reduce crop yields by up to 12 per cent.
Not to despair, the remedy is as simple as changing the ways in which food is produced, handled and disposed of across the globe- from farm to store and from fridge to landfill. When modified sustainably, this can both feed the world's rising population and help the environmental services that are the foundation of agricultural productivity in the first place, says the report.
A recent report by UNEP and the UN Conference on Trade and Development surveyed 114 small-scale farms in 24 African countries. Yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used, with the in yield jumping to 128 per cent in east Africa.
The study found that organic practices outperformed traditional methods and chemical-intensive conventional farming and also found strong environmental benefits such as improved soil fertility, better retention of water and resistance to drought.
If you think the Rs 38 per kilo of rice is exorbitant, be ready for more. The 100 year long trend of falling food prices is likely over, with food price rises of 30-50% likely within next few decades. Those living in extreme poverty may end up spending 90% of their income on food.
The report, entitled 'The Environmental Food crises: Environment's role in averting future food crises', has been compiled by a wide group of experts from both within and outside UNEP.
Climate change emerges as one of the key factors that may undermine the chances of feeding over nine billion people by 2050. Increasing water scarcities and a rise and spread of invasive pests such as insects, diseases and weeds - may substantially depress yields in the future.
The melting and disappearing glaciers of the mighty Himalayas, linked to climate change, supply water for irrigation for near half of Asia's cereal production or a quarter of the world production.
Globally, water scarcity may reduce crop yields by up to 12 per cent.
Not to despair, the remedy is as simple as changing the ways in which food is produced, handled and disposed of across the globe- from farm to store and from fridge to landfill. When modified sustainably, this can both feed the world's rising population and help the environmental services that are the foundation of agricultural productivity in the first place, says the report.
A recent report by UNEP and the UN Conference on Trade and Development surveyed 114 small-scale farms in 24 African countries. Yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used, with the in yield jumping to 128 per cent in east Africa.
The study found that organic practices outperformed traditional methods and chemical-intensive conventional farming and also found strong environmental benefits such as improved soil fertility, better retention of water and resistance to drought.
Printing solar cells
From the world of technology, some news! Mitsubishi has broken its own photovoltaic cell efficiency record with the latest PV cells boasting 18.9 percent efficiency. Mitsubishi achieved its latest feat by using a patterned layer on the rear surface of the cell to reflect infrared solar rays onto the device. The same honeycomb-like pattern is on the front surface of the PV cell as well.
Australian scientists at CSIRO’s Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) are working on a cheap way to print solar cells just like money. Trials will even be conducted by Securency International — a banknote printing company.
If you have been wondering why cell phones have not been going solar, Samsung and Chinese group ZTE have just unveiled their versions of such a mobile phone. The ZTE will be the world’s first low-cost solar-powered mobile phone targeted at the world’s poor yesterday, priced at under $40 (32 euros). The handset, called Coral-200-Solar, uses Dutch technology to boost the current from a single mini solar panel, which is located on the back of the phone. A charge of one hour in full sunlight will offer 15 minutes of talk time.
Samsung’s Blue Earth phone, with a touchscreen device has mini solar panels located on its back. Fully charging the phone via solar power takes between 10 and 14 hours and would offer 4 hours of chat time.
The Blue Earth is built from plastic harvested from used water bottles, according to Samsung. Also eco-friendly, the phone and high-efficiency charger contain zero toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants, beryllium, or phthalates. A built-in pedometer counts the user's steps and calculates many CO2 emissions said users has saved by walking instead of driving.
Australian scientists at CSIRO’s Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) are working on a cheap way to print solar cells just like money. Trials will even be conducted by Securency International — a banknote printing company.
If you have been wondering why cell phones have not been going solar, Samsung and Chinese group ZTE have just unveiled their versions of such a mobile phone. The ZTE will be the world’s first low-cost solar-powered mobile phone targeted at the world’s poor yesterday, priced at under $40 (32 euros). The handset, called Coral-200-Solar, uses Dutch technology to boost the current from a single mini solar panel, which is located on the back of the phone. A charge of one hour in full sunlight will offer 15 minutes of talk time.
Samsung’s Blue Earth phone, with a touchscreen device has mini solar panels located on its back. Fully charging the phone via solar power takes between 10 and 14 hours and would offer 4 hours of chat time.
The Blue Earth is built from plastic harvested from used water bottles, according to Samsung. Also eco-friendly, the phone and high-efficiency charger contain zero toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants, beryllium, or phthalates. A built-in pedometer counts the user's steps and calculates many CO2 emissions said users has saved by walking instead of driving.
Impressive moves
Nagpur is taking a lead to become the first solar city in India by 2012. Just launched is an ambitious programme of development of solar cities. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy proposes to develop 60 such cities during the 11th Plan Period. At least one city in each state to a maximum of five cities in a State will be supported by the Ministry.
The objectives are to meet the peak electricity demand of cities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and expensive oil and gas for energy and to promote increased use of renewable energy.
Up to 10 per cent of energy consumption of the city will be met through renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Fifty per cent of the cost will be shared by the Ministry.
The ministry plans to develop two cities as models in this regard, providing Rs 9.5 crore for the same after a master plan is submitted by the applying city. Great!
Going one step ahead, Himachal Pradesh is coming out this March with an environment master plan on climate change towards becoming the country’s first carbon neutral state. Setting up of an environment fund, a voluntary initiative has already helped the government to generate awareness about serious affects of environmental pollution. The drive to undertake an environment audit of all government departments and CFL scheme has invoked a positive response.
Payment for Environment Services(PES), an issue which Himachal Pradesh had raised with the Planning Commission, after its team visited Costa Rica to study the country’s model, has received endorsement from environment experts. The state plans to adopt technological interventions for reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions from sources such as industrial, business, residential, automobiles, energy, landfills and agriculture sectors.
It also aims to mitigate emissions through undertake conservation strategies such as afforestation programmes, promoting use of renewable energy, meeting energy requirement from the hydel power, biomass rather than fossil fuels, recovery of energy from the waste and to prevent change in forest land use, etc.
Impressive. What else can one say? In a nation which has for long been using the excuse of development to delay emission mitigation, such actions are laudable. It raises questions like: why should ecological concerns be seen always as opposing development? Isn’t there some definition of development we need to rework in an economy where people in the BPL levels don’t seem to reduce?
Is it a great achievement that a farmer sports a mobile phone? Ok, he has access to markets but what about access to good hospitals or education? The costs are far too high. Forget the farmer, even the urban middle class is finding the costs of basic essentials prohibitive.
Let us know what you think.
Meanwhile, a recent survey study, by HSBC’s Climate Partnership , has noted that nearly 45% of Indians surveyed view climate change as a higher priority than economic turmoil. However, what is being done is not much. In a report titled, “Green India Standards” published by the Institute of Financial Management and Research, Indian states were evaluated on an Environment Sustainability Index based on performance based indicators covering components such as environmental stress, environmental governance, and population pressure. Overall, only a handful of India’s 28 Indian states achieved a high ESI ranking.
Possibly it is the dual control over some subjects by the state and centre that hampers states from acting in a sustainable manner. Perhaps localized decision may be best as they are more in touch with the pulse of the stakeholders, resources, etc. But if the HSBC survey is anything to go by, it is time our governments woke up to the job.
Do we merely become stragglers in the green movement or take a lead?
The objectives are to meet the peak electricity demand of cities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and expensive oil and gas for energy and to promote increased use of renewable energy.
Up to 10 per cent of energy consumption of the city will be met through renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. Fifty per cent of the cost will be shared by the Ministry.
The ministry plans to develop two cities as models in this regard, providing Rs 9.5 crore for the same after a master plan is submitted by the applying city. Great!
Going one step ahead, Himachal Pradesh is coming out this March with an environment master plan on climate change towards becoming the country’s first carbon neutral state. Setting up of an environment fund, a voluntary initiative has already helped the government to generate awareness about serious affects of environmental pollution. The drive to undertake an environment audit of all government departments and CFL scheme has invoked a positive response.
Payment for Environment Services(PES), an issue which Himachal Pradesh had raised with the Planning Commission, after its team visited Costa Rica to study the country’s model, has received endorsement from environment experts. The state plans to adopt technological interventions for reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions from sources such as industrial, business, residential, automobiles, energy, landfills and agriculture sectors.
It also aims to mitigate emissions through undertake conservation strategies such as afforestation programmes, promoting use of renewable energy, meeting energy requirement from the hydel power, biomass rather than fossil fuels, recovery of energy from the waste and to prevent change in forest land use, etc.
Impressive. What else can one say? In a nation which has for long been using the excuse of development to delay emission mitigation, such actions are laudable. It raises questions like: why should ecological concerns be seen always as opposing development? Isn’t there some definition of development we need to rework in an economy where people in the BPL levels don’t seem to reduce?
Is it a great achievement that a farmer sports a mobile phone? Ok, he has access to markets but what about access to good hospitals or education? The costs are far too high. Forget the farmer, even the urban middle class is finding the costs of basic essentials prohibitive.
Let us know what you think.
Meanwhile, a recent survey study, by HSBC’s Climate Partnership , has noted that nearly 45% of Indians surveyed view climate change as a higher priority than economic turmoil. However, what is being done is not much. In a report titled, “Green India Standards” published by the Institute of Financial Management and Research, Indian states were evaluated on an Environment Sustainability Index based on performance based indicators covering components such as environmental stress, environmental governance, and population pressure. Overall, only a handful of India’s 28 Indian states achieved a high ESI ranking.
Possibly it is the dual control over some subjects by the state and centre that hampers states from acting in a sustainable manner. Perhaps localized decision may be best as they are more in touch with the pulse of the stakeholders, resources, etc. But if the HSBC survey is anything to go by, it is time our governments woke up to the job.
Do we merely become stragglers in the green movement or take a lead?
Monday, February 16, 2009
The wealth of the planet
Leading economists of the world, including Nicholas Stern, have cautioned against delay in a global redoubling of efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions to bring it down to 80 percent (of 1990 levels) by 2050. A global fund of $400 billion to be invested in low carbon technology can not only tackle climate change, but also help tide over the economic crisis and create jobs.
Looks like even the giant in a hurry to open coal based thermal plants, China, is considering the creation of Low Carbon Zones (LCZs) as against special economic zones (SEZs). The LCZs would aim to stimulate transformational regional political leadership, endorsed at the national level, to create an enabling environment for large-scale innovative low carbon private and public investment. They could pioneer approaches to decarbonisation, compatible with Chinese institutions and development approaches. A pilot has been planned for China’s heavy industrial province of Jilin.
Outlined in a new report, is another concept China is looking at - developing low carbon cities. The program aims to recruit, motivate, and engage 20 Chinese cities in a five-year campaign to transform and accelerate the local market for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. MOUs have already been signed with the cities of Guiyang and Dezhou.
For all the brickbats aimed at China, its emissions that have overtaken those by the US (not per capita wise), and its pollution, does look like the rising giant is softening the blows to the climate in some ways.
Coming back to the economy, Sir David King, former UK scientific adviser, and presently director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, in a lecture to the UK government also advised politicians not to allow the financial crisis to distract them from tackling climate change.
King noted that with growing population and dwindling resources, fundamental changes to the global economy and society were necessary. “Consumerism has been a wonderful model for growing up economies in the 20th century. Is that model fit for purpose in the 21st century, when resource shortage is our biggest challenge?”
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations had proposed that everyone be free – free of bondage and of political, economic and regulatory, free in choice of , and free to own and exchange the products of that labour (“free trade”). “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence but peace, easy taxes and a tolerable administration of justice.”
But has this opulence been achieved by everyone??
So, is it time to change the way we address economic growth? Is it necessary to cry a halt to unlimited growth? What better way than reigning in unlimited wants?
As ecological economist Herman Daly puts it: When you have to classify the very capacity of the Earth to support life as an “externality”, then it is time to rethink your theory.
Any theories, anyone?
Looks like even the giant in a hurry to open coal based thermal plants, China, is considering the creation of Low Carbon Zones (LCZs) as against special economic zones (SEZs). The LCZs would aim to stimulate transformational regional political leadership, endorsed at the national level, to create an enabling environment for large-scale innovative low carbon private and public investment. They could pioneer approaches to decarbonisation, compatible with Chinese institutions and development approaches. A pilot has been planned for China’s heavy industrial province of Jilin.
Outlined in a new report, is another concept China is looking at - developing low carbon cities. The program aims to recruit, motivate, and engage 20 Chinese cities in a five-year campaign to transform and accelerate the local market for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. MOUs have already been signed with the cities of Guiyang and Dezhou.
For all the brickbats aimed at China, its emissions that have overtaken those by the US (not per capita wise), and its pollution, does look like the rising giant is softening the blows to the climate in some ways.
Coming back to the economy, Sir David King, former UK scientific adviser, and presently director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, in a lecture to the UK government also advised politicians not to allow the financial crisis to distract them from tackling climate change.
King noted that with growing population and dwindling resources, fundamental changes to the global economy and society were necessary. “Consumerism has been a wonderful model for growing up economies in the 20th century. Is that model fit for purpose in the 21st century, when resource shortage is our biggest challenge?”
Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations had proposed that everyone be free – free of bondage and of political, economic and regulatory, free in choice of , and free to own and exchange the products of that labour (“free trade”). “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence but peace, easy taxes and a tolerable administration of justice.”
But has this opulence been achieved by everyone??
So, is it time to change the way we address economic growth? Is it necessary to cry a halt to unlimited growth? What better way than reigning in unlimited wants?
As ecological economist Herman Daly puts it: When you have to classify the very capacity of the Earth to support life as an “externality”, then it is time to rethink your theory.
Any theories, anyone?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Change is upon us
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have come up with a way to convert cellulose found in all plant material into a biofuel. Using solvents and additives that can dissolve cellulose, they converted it to the biofuel DMF in two steps. DMF has the same energy content as gasoline, doesn’t mix with water and is compatible with the existing liquid transportation fuel infrastructure. Biomass derived from plants and crop waste can be turned into this fuel.
A group of MIT undergrads have created a shock absorber that harvests energy from a vehicle's movement and can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 10%. The new shocks have a tiny turbine powered by a generator, so each time a shock is compressed or extended, hydraulic fluid must pass by the turbine. An active electronic system controls the hydraulics and the car has a smoother ride while also generating electricity.
While testing of a 6-shock truck, they found each shock absorber is able to generate up to an average of 1 kW on a road. Ideal for the potholes of India??As is evident, efforts are all into creating newer sources of energy. The quest for more! But a much simpler and quicker way would be to concentrate on the negawatts.
According to Panarchy, a theory explaining evolution of complex systems from forests to markets suggests a new world order is approaching. ‘We will have to change not just the machines we use to produce and consume energy, but also the work we do, our activities, our financial systems, how we produce food, etc.’
The trigger point for such a transformation is already upon us. From inventing new machines we need to invent new ways to live!? Care to share your views?
A group of MIT undergrads have created a shock absorber that harvests energy from a vehicle's movement and can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 10%. The new shocks have a tiny turbine powered by a generator, so each time a shock is compressed or extended, hydraulic fluid must pass by the turbine. An active electronic system controls the hydraulics and the car has a smoother ride while also generating electricity.
While testing of a 6-shock truck, they found each shock absorber is able to generate up to an average of 1 kW on a road. Ideal for the potholes of India??As is evident, efforts are all into creating newer sources of energy. The quest for more! But a much simpler and quicker way would be to concentrate on the negawatts.
According to Panarchy, a theory explaining evolution of complex systems from forests to markets suggests a new world order is approaching. ‘We will have to change not just the machines we use to produce and consume energy, but also the work we do, our activities, our financial systems, how we produce food, etc.’
The trigger point for such a transformation is already upon us. From inventing new machines we need to invent new ways to live!? Care to share your views?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Green homes in UK
The British Government has just announced that it will be offering eco home makeovers for free to over 25% of its residents (roughly 7 million homes and flats) as one way to reduce carbon emissions and help with fuel costs.
Insulation will be updated and homeowners will be encouraged to look into solar panels and/or wood burning stoves, reports the Guardian. Roughly 1/3 of the country's emissions could be cut after all improvements are completed, which is by 2020. The home sector accounts for a third of the UK’s emissions.
Not only will energy use be cut but jobs will be created. However, the programme will cost around $2-12 billion every year.
This announcement follows recommendations by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute in 2007 which felt the government (or someone) will have to step in with a little aid to make homes more efficient.
The residential sector is generally the third largest carbon emitter (by way of energy usage) after industries and transport sector. In India, the ECBC code is in place, but mandatory for commercial buildings with loads of above 500 KW only.
There is need for awareness about energy efficient buildings in the household sector, especially on energy rated appliances. Is it a good idea for local governments to offer grants and effect a makeover?
Insulation will be updated and homeowners will be encouraged to look into solar panels and/or wood burning stoves, reports the Guardian. Roughly 1/3 of the country's emissions could be cut after all improvements are completed, which is by 2020. The home sector accounts for a third of the UK’s emissions.
Not only will energy use be cut but jobs will be created. However, the programme will cost around $2-12 billion every year.
This announcement follows recommendations by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute in 2007 which felt the government (or someone) will have to step in with a little aid to make homes more efficient.
The residential sector is generally the third largest carbon emitter (by way of energy usage) after industries and transport sector. In India, the ECBC code is in place, but mandatory for commercial buildings with loads of above 500 KW only.
There is need for awareness about energy efficient buildings in the household sector, especially on energy rated appliances. Is it a good idea for local governments to offer grants and effect a makeover?
Extreme choices
Watering the lawn, recycling toilet paper, composting waste, line-drying clothes, these amount to big changes in the way the rich North adapts to climate change. New afterthoughts keep adding and in this, the latest is to live without a refrigerator!
People claim to be spending between 380-1300 KWh every year, amounting to a maximum of 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Hence there are moves to do away with fridges. Sometimes it means a simple choice of going for smaller ice-boxes and warm beer. But many times, it calls for a total change in eating habits like cooking fresh and cooking small amounts, not going for ready-made food, etc.
Technologically too, it makes no sense to draw power to keep the fridge running when it is snowing outside. (With the insulation that homes in the west have, the insides are warm and not conducive for storing food.)Why not draw the cold air outside into the fridge? A simple rewiring, a dash of microprocessors and few extra pipes running around the house (in cold climes) could well reduce dependence on power to run your fridges, says the Energy Collective. Check out the blog for more.
But there are others who think this is all an extreme choice. They point out that without a fridge you will end up in more trips to the store (which burns more gas, for those who drive) and the purchase of food in smaller portions (thus more packaging)! Carbon footprint could be more easily and radically reduced if you simply stop eating meat.
Either way, it would be a good idea to follow some basic tips to cut power consumption by your refrigerator. Check these out, and let us know if it makes a difference:
· Once a year, unplug the refrigerator and clean the door gaskets and compressor coils.
· Buy a refrigerator that has the freezer on top, a configuration that is more efficient than a side-by-side model.
· Do not open the door too often, to limit the frequency with which the compressor runs.
· Place the refrigerator in a cool place.
People claim to be spending between 380-1300 KWh every year, amounting to a maximum of 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Hence there are moves to do away with fridges. Sometimes it means a simple choice of going for smaller ice-boxes and warm beer. But many times, it calls for a total change in eating habits like cooking fresh and cooking small amounts, not going for ready-made food, etc.
Technologically too, it makes no sense to draw power to keep the fridge running when it is snowing outside. (With the insulation that homes in the west have, the insides are warm and not conducive for storing food.)Why not draw the cold air outside into the fridge? A simple rewiring, a dash of microprocessors and few extra pipes running around the house (in cold climes) could well reduce dependence on power to run your fridges, says the Energy Collective. Check out the blog for more.
But there are others who think this is all an extreme choice. They point out that without a fridge you will end up in more trips to the store (which burns more gas, for those who drive) and the purchase of food in smaller portions (thus more packaging)! Carbon footprint could be more easily and radically reduced if you simply stop eating meat.
Either way, it would be a good idea to follow some basic tips to cut power consumption by your refrigerator. Check these out, and let us know if it makes a difference:
· Once a year, unplug the refrigerator and clean the door gaskets and compressor coils.
· Buy a refrigerator that has the freezer on top, a configuration that is more efficient than a side-by-side model.
· Do not open the door too often, to limit the frequency with which the compressor runs.
· Place the refrigerator in a cool place.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Free, endless energy!
Perpetual motion and unlimited energy have been the holy grail of the human race insatiated with available resources. Claims have surfaced and died as quickly. But that does not stop the endless search for endless energy. Some machines which go close to the ideal have been in the news.
Latest is the invention from Serbian scientist and inventor Veljko Milkovic. Under ‘ideal’ conditions his two-stage mechanical oscillator will output twelve times more energy than what is input, he claims. Check out the figure and details. It does look like the two machines working independently contribute to a perpetual motion, given perfect conditions. The Centrifugal and Gravitational forces work in concert to produce the amazing energy gains.
Interesting is the idea that the model can be scaled up to handle utility level energy outputs. Plus the appeal to rural life where the machine can help replace the manual water pumps!
Once the optimal speed has been reached by the swinging pendulum, very little energy is required to maintain it.
Now, the laws of thermodynamics prohibit the creation of energy out of nothing (first law) as also the ‘unending’ supply (second law which states that entropy of a system keeps increasing, or its capacity to do work keeps decreasing.)
How then can this machine be explained? Any explanations?
Once the optimal speed has been reached by the swinging pendulum, very little energy is required to maintain it.
Now, the laws of thermodynamics prohibit the creation of energy out of nothing (first law) as also the ‘unending’ supply (second law which states that entropy of a system keeps increasing, or its capacity to do work keeps decreasing.)
How then can this machine be explained? Any explanations?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Smart island
The island nation of Malta, halfway between the coasts of Sicily and North Africa, will soon be the first smart grid island with IBM on the job with the utilities. Using 250,000 smart meters that will enable the national utilities and their customers to better manage energy and water use, the network is expected to be completed by 2012.
Malta is tiny, with less than 400,000 people but the experiment will show if smart grid will be accepted. When operational the network will allow the electric and water utilities to monitor remotely and manage in real time. Users can track energy use and adjust it to the time when the pricing is low. Meanwhile, Xcel Energy is working on its vision to make Boulder, Colo. the first fully integrated Smart Grid City in the US.
Is the smart grid an effective option or a costly one? While the need for optimizing energy usage cannot be denied, how much will implementation cost? With all the sensors, meters, routers and switches to be incorporated at many levels, can someone tell us how feasible this is for a developing nation? Has a cost benefit study been done?
Malta is tiny, with less than 400,000 people but the experiment will show if smart grid will be accepted. When operational the network will allow the electric and water utilities to monitor remotely and manage in real time. Users can track energy use and adjust it to the time when the pricing is low. Meanwhile, Xcel Energy is working on its vision to make Boulder, Colo. the first fully integrated Smart Grid City in the US.
Is the smart grid an effective option or a costly one? While the need for optimizing energy usage cannot be denied, how much will implementation cost? With all the sensors, meters, routers and switches to be incorporated at many levels, can someone tell us how feasible this is for a developing nation? Has a cost benefit study been done?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sakshat technology
Technology news is abuzz with the low-cost laptop Sakshat developed by India. Costing $10 it beats hollow all other entries (like MIT’s XO) in the cheap computer segment. A joint project by scientists at the Vellore Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras and the state-controlled Semiconductor Complex, the laptop has 2Gb of Ram and wireless connectivity.
While experts doubt the laptop will be using Microsoft software, sure to push up prices, the Indian spokesperson says the price works out to $20 (Rs 1000) but will come down with mass production.
The laptop is the centre piece of an ambitious Rs 46 billion e-learning programme to link 18,000 colleges and 400 universities across the country. A network of laptops from which students can access lectures, coursework and specialist help from anywhere in India, will ‘trigger a revolution in education’ reports The Guardian. Details of how things have been worked out so cheap are not yet out.
This may not be exactly energy-relevant news though we can bring in energy aspects. However, we would like to note here that the country and its scientists are capable of developing low-cost, revolutionary technology. The energy sector is looking for exactly that. Do let us know if you have heard of any research oriented towards energy, however small or big. We are interested.
PS: We now hear that 'it is neither a laptop nor costs $10'. More clarifications will follow for sure.
While experts doubt the laptop will be using Microsoft software, sure to push up prices, the Indian spokesperson says the price works out to $20 (Rs 1000) but will come down with mass production.
The laptop is the centre piece of an ambitious Rs 46 billion e-learning programme to link 18,000 colleges and 400 universities across the country. A network of laptops from which students can access lectures, coursework and specialist help from anywhere in India, will ‘trigger a revolution in education’ reports The Guardian. Details of how things have been worked out so cheap are not yet out.
This may not be exactly energy-relevant news though we can bring in energy aspects. However, we would like to note here that the country and its scientists are capable of developing low-cost, revolutionary technology. The energy sector is looking for exactly that. Do let us know if you have heard of any research oriented towards energy, however small or big. We are interested.
PS: We now hear that 'it is neither a laptop nor costs $10'. More clarifications will follow for sure.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Kudos to Google
Google has just launched version 5.0 of Google Earth, which includes detailed ocean data that allows a user to virtually dive under the water and see what is beneath without getting wet!
It has a “historical imagery” that features a time slider of satellite data for a location over time. This gives an idea of how the planet’s features are changing over time. Al Gore used the time slider feature to show the disappearance of the glaciers over time. He hopes people will use Google Earth to see the reality of what is happening with climate change.
The environmental cause has already been served by Google Earth Outreach section that allows organizations to create a variety of information layers on top of Google Earth, making that data publicly available and easily visualized.
The new version of Google Earth allows users to click on video clips of hydrothermal vents, read up on which seafoods are being harvested unsustainably, look at marine dead zones and sanctuaries and the like. But as Andy Revkin poses the question, is this going to make surfers any more eco-conscious?
Or will it be one more toy to engage us for some time? Remember when Google Earth first launched how we all scrambled to zoom into it for a view of our homes and workplaces?!
An interesting aside is how BirdLife used Google Earth and ended up finding three new species of butterfly, one new species of snake, and seven threatened species of birds. The team chanced upon an unmapped region in southern Africa and an expedition to this place led to the discoveries.
Again, an interesting question posed by TreeHugger, and we second that: is it a good idea for biodiversity hotspots to catch world attention? See what happened to Darwin’s Galapagos island where introduction of foreign species by visitors have caused the extinction of native species. Sometimes, it does seem like ignorance is bliss, for some!
All the same, one has to give it to Google for the many ways it is serving information on a platter to the seeker.
It has a “historical imagery” that features a time slider of satellite data for a location over time. This gives an idea of how the planet’s features are changing over time. Al Gore used the time slider feature to show the disappearance of the glaciers over time. He hopes people will use Google Earth to see the reality of what is happening with climate change.
The environmental cause has already been served by Google Earth Outreach section that allows organizations to create a variety of information layers on top of Google Earth, making that data publicly available and easily visualized.
The new version of Google Earth allows users to click on video clips of hydrothermal vents, read up on which seafoods are being harvested unsustainably, look at marine dead zones and sanctuaries and the like. But as Andy Revkin poses the question, is this going to make surfers any more eco-conscious?
Or will it be one more toy to engage us for some time? Remember when Google Earth first launched how we all scrambled to zoom into it for a view of our homes and workplaces?!
An interesting aside is how BirdLife used Google Earth and ended up finding three new species of butterfly, one new species of snake, and seven threatened species of birds. The team chanced upon an unmapped region in southern Africa and an expedition to this place led to the discoveries.
Again, an interesting question posed by TreeHugger, and we second that: is it a good idea for biodiversity hotspots to catch world attention? See what happened to Darwin’s Galapagos island where introduction of foreign species by visitors have caused the extinction of native species. Sometimes, it does seem like ignorance is bliss, for some!
All the same, one has to give it to Google for the many ways it is serving information on a platter to the seeker.
Imagine
Imagine an Asian electricity grid anchored by China at one end and Australia on the other. The grid would carry and distribute hemispheric solar, geothermal, wind and wave energy, picked on the way.
The 10,000-kilometer long electricity transmission system stretching from Beijing to the Great Australian Bight would harness Australian concentrating solar power, geothermal, wind and wave energy and carry these northward to where the demand is. Geothermal power of Indonesia's volcanoes, wind farms in China will add their mite.
The writer suggests that Southeast Asian natural gas and Laotian and Vietnamese hydro power plants could provide 'load balancing’. Even China's Three Gorges Dam might find a role as hemispheric provider of peaking power. It goes on to suggest ways in which every region could contribute.
Grandiose plans with ambitious objectives. Eventually we can imagine a grid connecting the whole planet. But will it succeed? Even within a nation, linking the many regional grids face a lot of technical and political hurdles. Can an international grid work? For instance the same group proposing this has also drawn up plans for generating CSP in Africa and transmitting it to Europe.
Are these feasible? Smart grid deployment may be able to address the technical issues but not the socio-economic ones. Whether it be climate change or energy, nations are more caught up in guarding their interests. Will such sharing work? What do you think? Or will we first need to work towards the beautiful vision Lennon had, when penning Imagine.
The 10,000-kilometer long electricity transmission system stretching from Beijing to the Great Australian Bight would harness Australian concentrating solar power, geothermal, wind and wave energy and carry these northward to where the demand is. Geothermal power of Indonesia's volcanoes, wind farms in China will add their mite.
The writer suggests that Southeast Asian natural gas and Laotian and Vietnamese hydro power plants could provide 'load balancing’. Even China's Three Gorges Dam might find a role as hemispheric provider of peaking power. It goes on to suggest ways in which every region could contribute.
Grandiose plans with ambitious objectives. Eventually we can imagine a grid connecting the whole planet. But will it succeed? Even within a nation, linking the many regional grids face a lot of technical and political hurdles. Can an international grid work? For instance the same group proposing this has also drawn up plans for generating CSP in Africa and transmitting it to Europe.
Are these feasible? Smart grid deployment may be able to address the technical issues but not the socio-economic ones. Whether it be climate change or energy, nations are more caught up in guarding their interests. Will such sharing work? What do you think? Or will we first need to work towards the beautiful vision Lennon had, when penning Imagine.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Vehicle to grid
The University of Delaware recently demonstrated how an electric plug-in vehicle can be used to store power and provide it to the electric grid when needed. Vehicle to grid technology.
Grid reliability is something many see as threatened as renewable sources get mapped in. This is because of the variable nature of the ‘infirm’ energy they provide, dependent on natural conditions.
With incorporation of renewable energy like wind and solar, there is a need for storage facility. These help smooth power output fluctuations. At present batteries that store solar energy are bulky and take up large space.
By using electric vehicles with their batteries as a storage option, utilities can store wind energy, which often peaks at night, and draw the power when the car is not in use. Taking into account a fleet of such cars, the storage potential becomes huge. This is what the Delaware team plans. Right now, a single car can power 7-8 homes when charged for 30 minutes!
The more EVs you have, the better is your ability to ensure a smooth grid flow of power. But when one looks at where the power comes to run your EV, then it is a problem to advocate too many.
Generally, electricity comes from two basic types of power plants: the efficient base load plants that need to run at a steady pace, and the less efficient peaking plants, which supply bursts of power when needed, but produce more nitrogen oxides. When not sure of demand, operators shut down base load plants and use the 'dirtier' peaking power plants.
That is where plug-in EVs can help. There will be no need to shut down base load plants because the demand will be there, thanks to the EVs.
Going a step ahead, will be EVs running on solar PVs, whose power can be collectively harnessed by the grid from the parking lot. A further step is where individual homes harnessing renewable energy also supplying excess into the grid. This has been tried out in some cities in the US already.
So it all boils down to using available equipment that have storage capabilities! No more is it running one way but a story of give and take.
What do you think? Can we look at these options seriously?
Grid reliability is something many see as threatened as renewable sources get mapped in. This is because of the variable nature of the ‘infirm’ energy they provide, dependent on natural conditions.
With incorporation of renewable energy like wind and solar, there is a need for storage facility. These help smooth power output fluctuations. At present batteries that store solar energy are bulky and take up large space.
By using electric vehicles with their batteries as a storage option, utilities can store wind energy, which often peaks at night, and draw the power when the car is not in use. Taking into account a fleet of such cars, the storage potential becomes huge. This is what the Delaware team plans. Right now, a single car can power 7-8 homes when charged for 30 minutes!
The more EVs you have, the better is your ability to ensure a smooth grid flow of power. But when one looks at where the power comes to run your EV, then it is a problem to advocate too many.
Generally, electricity comes from two basic types of power plants: the efficient base load plants that need to run at a steady pace, and the less efficient peaking plants, which supply bursts of power when needed, but produce more nitrogen oxides. When not sure of demand, operators shut down base load plants and use the 'dirtier' peaking power plants.
That is where plug-in EVs can help. There will be no need to shut down base load plants because the demand will be there, thanks to the EVs.
Going a step ahead, will be EVs running on solar PVs, whose power can be collectively harnessed by the grid from the parking lot. A further step is where individual homes harnessing renewable energy also supplying excess into the grid. This has been tried out in some cities in the US already.
So it all boils down to using available equipment that have storage capabilities! No more is it running one way but a story of give and take.
What do you think? Can we look at these options seriously?
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