Ecological news

Launch of the Bloom box fuel cell. At the heart of the device, developed by American Company Bloom Energy, “is a thin fuel cell made from a plentiful resource, sand. The size of a floppy disk, it is painted with proprietary inks that allow the fuels to react with oxygen from the air, a chemical process that produces electricity.” According to inventor Sridhar, “a single cell can produce about 25W, enough for a low-energy lightbulb, and a stack of cells the size of a brick will power an average home. A single Bloom box, a unit the size of a chest freezer and which contains several stacks of fuel cells, will produce 100KW, enough for 100 homes.” Source: The Guardian, February 22, 2010 / Video

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Could salt water fuel cars? Youtube video / Howstuffworks / video

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 Copenhagen Climate Conference 2009.

read full information on our new  climate page.

Full text of the Copenhagen Accord

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Uruguay: ‘Dry Toilets’ provide ecological solution in slums. Source: IPS, December 28, 2009

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Bright future for lighting technology with glowing OLED wallpaper. ‘OLEDs may soon replace lightbulbs in homes and offices with panels of energy-efficient light built into walls. Wallpaper that can glow with light and bendable flat-panel screens are a step closer thanks to research into organic LEDs (OLEDs), which are widely hailed as the next generation of environmentally friendly lighting technology. OLEDs use very little power to produce light, even compared with modern energy-saving bulbs.’ Source: The Guardian, December 30, 2009

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Japan: Solar trend catches fire among households. According to the Japan Photovoltaic Expansion Center, the solar energy battery shipments for regular homes between April and September 2009 more than doubled, with a combined generating capacity of 205,833 kilowatts, from the same period in 2008. ‘The Japan Federation of Housing Organisations has observed a similar trend during the same period – new home buyers installing solar panels on their roofs at a rate double or triple the corresponding figure in years past.’ Source: December 29, 2009

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‘With its vast renewable energy potential, South Asia can lead the world in achieving energy security. But sources within the region said it needs technological and financial support from the developed countries before it can tap its rich energy resources’. Source: IPS, January 7, 2010

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Environment: Invasion of the Little Green Molecules. ‘While the world's climate negotiators were getting ready for Copenhagen earlier this month, a meeting was taking place in Mumbai to discuss progress in green chemistry, a field that – like the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – has the potential to greatly enhance the world's environmental health and sustainability. (…) The aim is to prevent chemical pollution – and by extension, related adverse health impacts – by eliminating potential chemical hazards of new materials at the design stage. The fundamental idea is that eliminating chemical hazards at the outset – rather than trying to contain or treat these problems after they've occurred – is the best way to prevent such toxics from being released into the environment and of protecting people from exposure to such substances.’ Source: IPS, December 31, 2009

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Towns Rush to Make Low-Carbon Transition. ‘More and more neighborhoods are making the transition to a climate-friendly community.’ Source: Yesmagazine, December 01, 2009

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Transition Albany: A Local Response to Climate Change. Catherine Sutton is ‘the initiator of Transition Albany—the effort of a 1.7-square-mile California town (population 16,500+) to transform itself into a self-reliant and resilient community.’ Source: Yesmagazine, January 6, 2010

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Transition Towns – preparing for a self-sufficient community-based future. ‘In over 150 cities in 14 countries, ‘Transition Town’ communities are raising awareness of the threats associated with peak oil and climate change, and taking practical steps to prepare for a post-industrial future…’ Source: Eartheasy.com, November 9, 2009

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No Need to Wait (or Pay) for Climate Technology. ‘The Global Innovation Commons is a massive interactive archive of energy-saving technologies already in the public domain.’ Source: Yesmagazine, December 04, 2009

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Shell accused of abandoning solar power buyers in the developing world. ‘Shell has become embroiled in a major row with the World Bank and green energy companies after allegations that it is unfairly refusing to honour warranties on solar power systems sold to the developing world.’ Source: The Guardian, January 10, 2010

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North Sea countries plan vast clean energy project: ‘Sun, wind and wave-powered: Europe unites to build renewable energy 'supergrid'.’Source: The Guardian, January 10, 2010

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Egypt: Rooftops empower the poor. ‘Solar CITIES is  a development initiative spearheaded by U.S. urban planner Thomas Culhane. The project leverages local experience and innovation to develop cheap and robust clean energy technologies adapted to the rigorous operating environment of Cairo's poorest neighborhoods.’ Source: IPS, January 3, 2010

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New research from the Soil Association reveals that “a worldwide switch to organic farming could offset 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Raising soil carbon levels would also make farming worldwide more resilient to extremes of climate like droughts and floods, leading to greater food security. On average organic farming produces 28% higher levels of soil carbon compared to non-organic farming in Northern Europe, and 20% higher for all countries studied (in Europe, North America and Australasia).” Source: www.soilassociation.org

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Scientists grow pork meat in a laboratory. Dutch scientists “have grown meat in the laboratory for the first time. Experts in Holland used cells from a live pig to replicate growth in a petri dish. The advent of so-called ‘in-vitro’ or cultured meat could reduce the billions of tons of greenhouse gases emitted each year by farm animals — if people are willing to eat it.” The Vegetarian Society reacted cautiously yesterday, saying: “The big question is how could you guarantee you were eating artificial flesh rather than flesh from an animal that had been slaughtered. It would be very difficult to label and identify in a way that people would trust.” Peta, the animal rights group, said: “As far as we’re concerned, if meat is no longer a piece of a dead animal there’s no ethical objection.” Source: www.timesonline.co.uk / see also: www.peta.org

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According to the world's developing nations, “a green technology body with powers to direct a worldwide transition away from a high-carbon economy is needed to combat climate change.” Source: The Guardian, November 22, 2009

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Bacteria convert food processing waste to abundant, clean hydrogen: “Bruce Logan and colleagues at Penn State University had already shown success at using microbes to produce electricity. Now, using starter material that could theoretically be sourced from a salad bar, the researchers have coaxed those same microbes to generate hydrogen. (…) “In a microbial electrolysis cell, bacteria break up fermented plant waste to form hydrogen.” Source

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Plan for Dominican town of Miches (Dominican Republic) faces an environmental test: Miches “is 60 miles from the nearest airport, a three-hour drive on roads so bad the trip can be nauseating. Electricity is erratic, drinking water is contaminated, the beach in town is littered with trash and nearby rivers are either clogged with an invasive weed or plagued by silty agricultural runoff that threatens the fish on offshore reefs. But to a team of conservation biologists and other researchers from Columbia University who began working here in 2007, Miches has great potential. They see tourists camping in platform tents, like those in St. John, in the Virgin Islands. They see hikers in its lush green hills, people riding horseback on pristine beaches outside of town and others heading out to sea to watch whales, dolphins or manatees. They imagine the town’s half-derelict waterfront plaza lined with locally owned restaurants serving locally caught fish.” Source: New York Times, November 23, 2009

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A survey, entitled Brand Emissions, studying “the carbon performance of 600 of the UK's biggest brands reveals that two-thirds are either increasing their greenhouse gas emissions, have targets that are weaker than the government's Copenhagen goal for carbon cuts, or are failing to put information about their carbon emissions in the public domain. To tackle global warming the government has set a national target for 2020 of a cut of 34% on the 1990 emission levels.”  Source: The Guardian, November 25, 2009

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How a community Food System Works:  “It begins with small farms working with natural cycles and ends with fresh food and stronger communities in nearby cities.” Source: Yesmagazine

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‘Fresh Food from Small Spaces’ is R.J. Ruppenthal’s square-inch gardener’s guide for urban dwellers to cultivating vegetables and fruits without a real garden.  It is a “comprehensive "how-to" guide for growing fresh food in the absence of open land. Fresh Food from Small Spaces fills the gap as a practical, comprehensive, and downright fun guide to growing food in small spaces. It provides readers with the knowledge and skills necessary to produce their own fresh vegetables, mushrooms, sprouts, and fermented foods as well as to raise bees and chickens—all without reliance on energy-intensive systems like indoor lighting and hydroponics. Readers will learn how to transform their balconies and windowsills into productive vegetable gardens, their countertops and storage lockers into commercial-quality sprout and mushroom farms, and their outside nooks and crannies into whatever they can imagine, including sustainable nurseries for honeybees and chickens. Free space for the city gardener might be no more than a cramped patio, balcony, rooftop, windowsill, hanging rafter, dark cabinet, garage, or storage area, but no space is too small or too dark to raise food.”  Source: www.chelseagreen.com

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The War on Soy: Why the 'Miracle Food' May Be a Health Risk and Environmental Nightmare. “Soy's glory days may be coming to an end. New research is questioning its health benefits and even pointing out some potential risks. Although definitive evidence may be many years down the road, the American Heart Association has quietly withdrawn its support. (…) Even if you're not a vegetarian or an avid tofu fan, there is a good chance you're still eating soy. Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, explains that soy is now an ingredient in three-quarters of processed food on the market and just about everything you'd find in a fast food restaurant. It's used as filler in hamburgers, as vegetable oil and an emulsifier. It's in salad dressing, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets. (…)Increasing evidence is showing that soy production is also catastrophic for the environment. Just like a beef burger, a soy-based veggie patty may also be leading to deforestation, water depletion, and pesticide pollution. But it's also important to note that the vast majority of soy produced globally isn't used for tofu and veggie sausage -- it's actually used to fatten livestock and create biofuels.”  Read the full story at Alternet.

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According to a leading economic report of TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), the cost of biodiversity loss fluctuates between US$ 2.5 and 4.5 trillion a year. "We cannot continue our stewardship of this planet if we keep looking at public benefits and public wealth as somehow subordinate to private wealth," said economist Pavan Sukhdev, who heads up TEEB. Source: Climate Ark, November 17, 2009

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Wind energy notched up a new record in Spain on November 8, 2009 “when it generated 53 percent of total electricity demand nationwide for part of the day, according to official figures announced” the next day. Source: IPS, November 9, 2009

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According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) a total investment of 10,500 billion dollars is needed from 2010-2030 to curb carbon emissions and to avoid irreparable damage to the planet’s climate. Source: http://en.cop15.dk/news

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A whistleblower at the International Energy Agency (IEA) claims the world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit. “It has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying. The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog (i.e. IEA) to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.” (…) "Many inside the organization believe that maintaining oil supplies at even 90m to 95m barrels a day would be impossible but there are fears that panic could spread on the financial markets if the figures were brought down further. And the Americans fear the end of oil supremacy because it would threaten their power over access to oil resources," he added. Source: www.guardian.co.uk, November 9, 2009

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According to their press release of October 22, 2009, Sharp Corporation has achieved the world’s highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 35.8% using a triple-junction compound solar cell. To read the full article, click here.

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The UK-based Power Collective has developed the Ridgeblade, an innovative, affordable and effective micro-generation wind-power system that can be fitted to buildings with minimum visual impact and maximum energy conversion potential. “The RidgeBlade is fitted on the ridge line at the top of a building and uses the existing roof area to collect and focus the prevailing wind. This is where the wind is forced to travel over the roof surface, accelerating the airflow though the turbine. It generates electricity in a wide variety of wind conditions making it a quiet, discrete and effective way to reduce carbon emissions and cut electricity bills. We think it is what the world has been waiting for. “ The Ridgeblade won the €500.000 Green Challenge Prize 2009 of the Dutch Postcode Lottery. Source: : www.thepowercollective.com/ / video on youtube: click here

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GM’s hydrogen car of the future is based on a universal and revolutionary ‘skateboard’ chassis. Watch the FutureCar video

Info: www.supercars.net & www.gmskateboard.com/

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According to a study published by The Climate Group, “A truly global climate change deal — with full collaboration from the developed and developing world — would dramatically reduce the costs of dealing with global warming and moving to a clean energy economy.” Source: The Guardian, September 21, 2009

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Joule Biotechnologies, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a revolutionary process for producing renewable transportation fuels. This new production system enables to supply “unlimited quantities of renewable fuel at costs competitive with fossil fuels.” Joule’s patent-pending Helioculture™ technology, “a revolutionary process that harnesses sunlight to directly convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into SolarFuel™ liquid energy. This eco-friendly, direct-to-fuel conversion requires no agricultural land or fresh water, and leverages a highly scalable system capable of producing more than 20,000 gallons of renewable ethanol or hydrocarbons per acre annually—far eclipsing productivity levels of current alternatives while rivaling the costs of fossil fuels.” www.joulebio.com

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From the New York Times (June 16, 2009): Urban Farming, a Bit Closer to the Sun: “High above the noise and grime of urban streets, gardeners are raising fruits and vegetables. Some are simply finding the joys of backyard gardens several stories up, others are doing it for the environment and some because they know local food sells well. (…) Farming in the sky is a fairly recent development in the green roof movement, in which owners have been encouraged to replace blacktop with plants, often just carpets of succulents, to cut down on storm runoff, insulate buildings and moderate urban heat. A survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which represents companies that create green roofs, found the number of projects its members had worked on in the United States grew by more than 35 percent last year. In total, the green roofs installed last year cover 6 million to 10 million square feet, the group said.” Source

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China seeks to dominate in renewable energy: “Calling renewable energy a strategic industry, China is trying hard to make sure that its companies dominate globally. Just as Japan and South Korea made it hard for Detroit automakers to compete in those countries — giving their own automakers time to amass economies of scale in sheltered domestic markets — China is shielding its clean energy sector while it grows to a point where it can take on the world.” Source: New York Times, July 13, 2009

On July 16, 2009 the British government “announced the formal go-ahead for four environmentally friendly ecotowns across England. The successful bids, which will still have to go through the planning process, were named as Rackheath in Norfolk, Whitehill Bordon in East Hampshire, North West Bicester in Oxfordshire and the China Clay community scheme near St Austell, Cornwall.”  Source: The Guardian, July 16, 2009

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China and Singapore are teaming up to build a huge eco city “in north-east China, with the capacity for 350,000 people, near the western shore of the Bohai, one of the most polluted seas in the world.” This settlement, known as Tianjin Eco-City and likely to be the size of Bristol, could be copied across China, India and other developing countries. Source: The Guardian, June 4, 2009

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According to the World Resource Institute “the adoption of policies and financial incentives by several countries is promoting widespread diffusion of photovoltaic cells. In 2008, approximately 5.2 GW were installed while revenues reached over $ 30.5 billion. The competitive industry that has emerged (along with government programs) is promoting innovative basic and applied research which aims to increase the efficiency of solar cells and reduce the costs of the production and installation chain. Research on solar power in 2008 focused on new designs and materials, cost-cutting features, and efficiency gains.” To read the WRI report: click here

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According to research carried out by Judith Lean, of the US Naval Research Laboratory, and David Rind, of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies “the world faces record-breaking temperatures as the sun's activity increases, leading the planet to heat up significantly faster than scientists had predicted for the next five years.” (…) “The analysis shows the relative stability in global temperatures in the last seven years is explained primarily by the decline in incoming sunlight associated with the downward phase of the 11-year solar cycle, together with a lack of strong El Niño events. These trends have masked the warming caused by CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.” (…) “The study comes within days of announcements from climatologists that the world is entering a new ‘l Niño warm spell. This suggests that temperature rises in the next year could be even more marked than Lean and Rind's paper suggests. A particularly hot autumn and winter could add to the pressure on policy makers to reach a meaningful deal at December's climate-change negotiations in Copenhagen. Bob Henson, of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, said: ‘To claim that global temperatures have cooled since 1998 and therefore that man-made climate change isn't happening is a bit like saying spring has gone away when you have a mild week after a scorching Easter.’” Source: The Guardian, July 27, 2009

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According to research carried out by Judith Lean, of the US Naval Research Laboratory, and David Rind, of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies “the world faces record-breaking temperatures as the sun's activity increases, leading the planet to heat up significantly faster than scientists had predicted for the next five years.” (…) “The analysis shows the relative stability in global temperatures in the last seven years is explained primarily by the decline in incoming sunlight associated with the downward phase of the 11-year solar cycle, together with a lack of strong El Niño events. These trends have masked the warming caused by CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.” (…) “The study comes within days of announcements from climatologists that the world is entering a new ‘l Niño warm spell. This suggests that temperature rises in the next year could be even more marked than Lean and Rind's paper suggests. A particularly hot autumn and winter could add to the pressure on policy makers to reach a meaningful deal at December's climate-change negotiations in Copenhagen. Bob Henson, of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, said: ‘To claim that global temperatures have cooled since 1998 and therefore that man-made climate change isn't happening is a bit like saying spring has gone away when you have a mild week after a scorching Easter.’” Source: The Guardian, July 27, 2009

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      “Within 6 hours deserts receive more energy from the sun than humankind consumes within a year.”

Dr. Gerhard Knies, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the DESERTEC Foundation

Global company Siemens estimates that an area of 300 square kilometres in the Sahara fitted with parabolic collectors would be enough to meet the planet's entire energy needs. Source

In June 2009 some 15 German companies and institutions have expressed interest in joining a consortium to formalize the so-called Desertec concept. This project calls for a string of solar thermal power plants in the North African desert to provide electricity for European households. This venture is ‘expected to cost 400 billion euro’s (552 billion U.S. dollars) and start providing the first electricity in 10 years.’ Greenpeace welcomes the initiative, calling it ‘one of the most sensible responses to the global environmental and economic problems of our time.’ Participant Siemens estimates that an area of 300 square kilometres in the Sahara fitted with parabolic collectors would be enough to meet the planet's entire energy needs. Source

Green sector ready for an explosive growth

A study from the independent American thinktank Pew Charitable Trusts shows that in the period 1998 – 2007 green jobs in the US were growing more than twice times as fast than all other jobs. According to Pew vice-director, Lori Grange, the green sector is ready for an explosive growth. Source: greeneconomypost.com

On 12-13 June 2009 the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Italian Senate hosted the GLOBE International Legislators’ Forum in Rome. Senior delegations attended from the Parliaments of the G8, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa. The following fragment is the introduction of their statement to the leaders of the G8 and Major Economies Forum: “The world is facing dangerous climate change and is consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate. We are entering a natural credit crunch, the losses from which have the potential to dramatically exceed the suffering caused by the financial crisis, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable. As world leaders focus on economic recovery, they must take into account the other global challenges – aggravated poverty and social instability, climate change, air quality, energy security and the degradation of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We believe that the current concerns of global policy makers and leaders about economic recovery must be consistent with the necessary initiatives to tackle these challenges and that a new economic cycle of green growth and job creation should be supported by the combination of new market frameworks and a new commitment that values our natural capital.” Link to full text  / www.globeinternational.org

A new report of the UN Environmental Program UNEP indicates that green energy sources for the first time recruit more investments than fossil fuels do. During 2008 an amount of more than 140 billion US dollars has been invested worldwide in wind and solar energy, as against 109 billion in gas and coal plants. Europe is still the most important center for renewable energy with an investment of almost 50 billion US dollars in 2008, which is 2% more than in 2007. The developing countries together realized a growth of 27%. China doubled its wind power capacity, while in India the investments increased by 17%. UNEP director Achim Steiner points at the fact that renewable energy has become as important, if not more important than fossil fuels in the energy mix. Source: IPS, June 5, 2009

Meanwhile, China announced some ambitious plans to launch a green revolution through seriously extending wind and solar energy facilities in order to match Europe’s goal of 20% renewable energy by 2020. Source: The Guardian, June 10, 2009

According to a study of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies even the most polluted and damaged ecosystems can recover in a relatively short period of time, if humans commit to the rerstoration effort. Source: ENN, May 28, 2009

In spite of the economic crisis, the worldwide demand for organic products further increased in 2008. In Belgium there was a growth of up to 17% in certain supermarket chains. In the Netherlands the sales of organic products in supermarkets increased by 12% and in Germany there was a growth of 10%. According to the Organic Trade Association, the sales of organic food and other organic products rose 17% in 2008. Also in China the sales of organic products grew by more than 10% annually since the beginning of this decennium. At the end of 2007, 32.2 million hectares of farmland and grasslands were cultivated organically. The largest areas are situated in Australia, Argentina, Brazil and China. In Argentina the surface of organic fields increased in 2008 by 36% to 4 million hectares. Source: IPS, June 5, 2009

A recent study of the European Commission states that the European Union target to extend by 20% the use of renewable energy by 2020, will create 2.8 million extra jobs. Source: ANP, June 2, 2009

‘National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan have found an increase in environmentally friendly consumer behavior in 13 of the 14 countries that were surveyed in both 2008 and 2009.’ Source: Greendex

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“To initiate rapid change from our present energy supply system to one based on renewable energies, we need ambitious examples.” 

professor Eicke R. Webe,

director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

The New Zealand Project: the first resource-based community

The New Zealand Project is recently launched to be the first experimental community based on Jacque Fresco’s ‘The Venus Project’. This experimental community ‘will be the vision and prototype dedicated to The Zeitgeist Movement Community tot test and implement a Resource-based Economy  for the First time.’  It ‘will be offered as a service to experience eco friendly living while enjoying the luxury of latest Technologies.’ Information: http://www.thenzp.com/ / www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/wiki/

Babcock Ranch, Florida: the first ecocity planned to be powered by the sun

Next year (2010), project developer Kitson & Partners will start building in the southwest of Florida Babcock Ranch, a new ecocity that will become the first city on earth with plans to generate 100% of its energy needs on-site through the use of clean, renewable solar energy. The city will be powered by an innovative $300 million solar energy facility. Some 19.500 eco-friendly houses will be built as well as new offices and factories to create about 20.000 new jobs. There will be an electric car charging point at almost every street corner. CEO Sydney Kitson considers this new city as a pilot project for the future American society: ‘Babcock Ranch will also be a working laboratory for companies and industries that are focused on sustainable technologies and environmental issues.’ Sources: www.happynews.nl / Babcock Ranch

Peace Research Center and Ecovillage Tamera in Portugal

Tamera is an international training and experimental site in Southern Portugal, focusing on the development of peace research villages and healing biotopes worldwide. ‘Under the motto "Think Locally, Act Globally," approximately 200 people live, work and study in Tamera,’ which main aim is ‘to develop an example of a model for a nonviolent co-existence of people and between people and nature. The main tasks of Tamera are: the education of young people within the "Monte Cerro" peace study, the building of a village model called "Solar Village" which produces its own food and solar energy, and global networking under the name of GRACE.’ www.tamera.org

Civil engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are currently exploring ways to create concrete with reduced creep that will be able to last for 16000 years. web.mit.edu

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‘It is high time for electric cars to fully flourish after 100 years of development.’

Jacqueline Cramer, Dutch Minister of Environmental Affairs

Source: www.happynews.nl

On June 26, 2009 Bernard Piccard and André Borschberg unveiled at Dübendorf airfield close to Zurich, the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the first aircraft designed to fly both day and night without fossil fuel or pollution. ‘The HB-SIA is the first prototype of the Solar Impulse project. Its mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of a complete day-night-day cycle propelled solely by solar energy. After fine-tuning on the ground, the aircraft should make its first test flights between now and the end of 2009, first of all at Dübendorf airport (canton of Zurich) and then from Payerne air base (canton of Vaud). A first complete night flight is programmed for 2010 and will take place over Switzerland.’ Source / www.solarimpulse.com 

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new advanced Lithium Ion battery that will allow mobile Phone and laptop computers to be fully charged in seconds. ‘Electric car batteries may be charged in as little as five minutes, removing one of the main barriers to wider uptake of Electric Vehicles. Solar and wind power generation could also benefit as better batteries could be used to store surplus energy.’ Source: www.gizmag.com

Better Place has recently demonstrated its first battery swap station in Yokohama, Japan. The system will be introduced in Denmark this fall (2009). In cooperation with Dong, Denmark will be turned into a test sight for electric cars. ‘According to Better Place the Danish market for electric car should be ready in 2011 where the number of charging stations should be sufficient to cover the whole country. Better Place expects 500,000 electric cars on the road by 2020.’ Source / Demo on youtube: click here

In April 2009, managers from 8 different electrical grids in the Netherlands announced their plans to cooperate on the building of an electric car charging infrastructure. Source: www.happynews.nl

Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG, a pioneer in photovoltaics and accumulator technology, have joined forces to create the Quant, a four-seater solar car, which is considered as ‘a breakthrough the market has been eagerly anticipating for years.’ (…) ‘The Quant has a unique propulsion system which makes optimum use of NLV Solar's groundbreaking, proprietary technology in the fields of photovoltaics and accumulators. The high-efficiency Pyradian solar cell is applied as an invisible thin-film coating to the entire body of the vehicle, including the glazing.’ Source

On June 16, 2009 a prototype of the Riversimple Urban Car, a two seat hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has been unveiled to the public in London. The car has been developed by teams at Oxford and Cranfield universities in Great Britain and has a top speed of around 50 mph and a range of around 200 miles. The Riversimple Urban Car will be ‘the first production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that is intended to be leased over a 20 year period’ and ‘is being developed as an open source car akin to software development, which will help it spread quickly to many different parts of the globe without the usual restrictions imposed by most car companies.’ Source / Demovideo / See also: www.hydrogencarsnow.com

Nissan’s new electric vehicle, the EV-02, will be released in the US and Japan in 2010, and in the rest of the world in 2012. Online Video: livinggreenchannel.com

Water-fuel  car unveiled in Japan: In June, 2008 Japanese company Genepax presented a new car that runs on nothing but water. ‘The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.’ Source: Reuters, June 13, 2008 /  Watch the video: click here

Renault electric cars: French car constructor Renault is developing three electric car models. An electric Kangoo will be used as a taxi during the Olympic Games of 2012 in London. Another one, the ‘Fluence’, will initially be made for ‘Project Better Place’, a project that aims at the development of an infrastructure for electric cars and will be started up in 2011 on different locations all over the world.

Mitsubishi i-Miev electric car: Mitsubishi is ready to launch the i-Miev, a 4-seater family car with a maximum speed of 87 miles per hour and a 100 mile range on a full charge. (De Morgen, December 28, 2008)

BYD F3DM electric hybrid car goes on sail: The BYD F3DM is a hybrid electric car, for sail in the Chinese market since December 15, 2008. This car is equipped with the world’s first dual hybrid power system, for the driver to switch between electric (EV) and hybrid electric (HEV) mode. The F3DM has a range of 62 miles on electric power provided by the battery. China’s first mass-produced electric hybrid vehicle is expected to make its way to the U.S. in 2010.

Future cars: Link to Future cars website: http://www.futurecars.com/

The Hypercar: Link to audio slideshow made by physicist and energy expert Amory Lovins on the ‘Hypercar’, a general class of vehicles so fuel-efficient it might radically reduce oil consumption worldwide: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/car/efficiency.html

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Renewable energy

Osmotic Power

‘When freshwater meets saltwater, for example where a river flows out into the sea, enormous quantities of energy are released. This energy can be utilised to generate power through the natural phenomenon of osmosis.’

How osmosis Works

‘Osmosis is the transport of water from an area with low concentration of dissolved substances (e.g. salt) through a membrane to an area with a higher concentration. The membrane is semi-permeable. It allows some substances to pass through, but stops other substances. Nature will seek to equalise the difference in concentration between the two sides of the membrane. It is this mechanism which enables plants to absorb moisture through their leaves and retain it. As water is drawn through the membrane one way only, a pressure is generated on the “inside”, which in an osmotic power plant can be utilised to generate electricity.’

The global potential of osmotic energy is estimated to be an impressive 1600-1700 TWh. Source; www.statkraft.com

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Canadian scientists are developing new cow races that will need less food and will expel less methane. Source: IPS, June 4, 2009

‘Sustainable water management is the key factor to countries to achieve sufficient food production.’ www.futurewater.nl/uk/

“If the world's governments fail to reach an immediate agreement on how to manage water resources by 2030, half the planet's population will not have enough water to survive,”  says scientist Jonathan Baillie, director of environmental conservation at the Zoological Society of London. Now ‘there are already 2.8 billion people suffering from lack of access to water.’ Source: ipsnews.net

By 2025, the city of Amsterdam aims to get 30% of its energy requirements from sustainable energy sources and to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% in comparison with 1990. Amsterdam plans to establish its own sustainable energy company. They have the intention to place 10 million square meters of solar panels as well as some different windmill parks. Source: De Volkskrant, May 25, 2009

According to the ‘Land Grab or Development Opportunity?’ report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Madagascar and Soudan are giving away vast tracts of farmland almost for free to investors from China, South-Korea and the Gulf States. The only benefits consist of vague promises of jobs and infrastructure. Source: Financial Times, May 24, 2009

At the Agribusiness Forum, that took place in Cape Town in June 2009, a final conclusion was formulated stating that small farm holders are the key to tackle hunger and poverty in Africa. IPS, June 18, 2009

Activist groups such as Vandana Shiva’s Navdanya state that giants from biotech industry act like biopirates. Shiva indicates that "climate resistant traits that the agricultural biotechnology giants have been patenting have been evolved through centuries of farmers’ breeding." Crops that can withstand environmental stress may be one answer to climate change. But because the gene giants look at climate change as a business opportunity they ‘re piling ‘one disaster upon another.’ (…) "On the basis of this new form of biopiracy, the biotech industry is positioning itself as the climate saviour and making governments and the public believe that, but for them, there will be no climate resilient seeds." (…). "By making broad claims on all crops and all traits, the industry is closing future options for adaptation to climate change." Shiva sees hope “hope in the fact that governments, starting with those of the G77 countries and China, are waking up to the importance of excluding climate-friendly technologies from patenting at the Jun. 1-12, 2009 negotiations on climate change in Bonn.” Source: IPS  / greenbio.checkbiotech.org

Research from the SOS Atlàntica Foundation and the National Institute for Environmental Planning (INPE) revealed that the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, one of the biggest woods in the world, is decreased by more than 100.000 hectares in the last three years, mainly due to urban expansion and economic growth. Source: IPS, May 28, 2009

In June 2009 the federal and state authorities in Brazil have signed a ‘wind charter’ that is “aimed at developing public policies and setting targets for the production of wind energy, which currently accounts for less than one percent of the power generated in South America’s giant.” According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), “Brazil is the world’s largest renewable energy market, with around 46 percent of the country’s energy coming from renewable sources, which represent 85 percent of its power generation capacity due to its vast hydropower resources and its decades-old ethanol industry.” Source: ipsnews.net/news

According to marine biologist Mr. Andrew Lenton and his team at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, France, “the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica impairs the ability of the Southern Ocean to absorb carbon dioxide of the earth’s atmosphere. The oceans of the Earth are the largest absorbers of carbon dioxide on Earth, and the Southern Ocean is thought to take up more than 40 per cent of the carbon dioxide absorbed by oceans.” www.techmonitor.net

A study from the Global Humanitarian Forum indicates that currently about 300 million humans are suffering from global warming. Climate changes cause 300.000 dead persons annually and have an additional cost of 125 billion dollars per year. By 2030 about 660 million humans would be hit by the effects of climate changes, going from famine to diseases and shortages of water. About 4 billion humans are threatened by the rising water level, floods and storms. Many of these humans live in the poorest parts od Africa and Asia. Source: De Morgen, May 29, 2009 According to the Italian environmental organization Legambiente global warming will also make millions homeless. Source: IPS, June 1, 2009

During a period of 4 years Parhealth researched the effects of fine dust on the health condition of babies in Flanders. The results of the research indicate that air pollution causes a significant mortality increase amongst infants between one and four weeks old. ‘If there is a certain rise of fine dust particles in the air, the mortality risk increases by 5%. If there are pollution peaks, the mortality risk increases to 11%. (…) We consider it normal not to buy dioxin-contaminated eggs in supermarkets. As far as it concerns air quality, apparently we’re not evolved so far. (…) I can imagine politicians now denying the consequences of air pollution will be prosecuted within 30 years from now”, Benoit Nemery, professor at the university of Leuven and coordinator of Parhealth. Source: De Morgen, June 4, 2009

Further growth of CO2 emissions in the industrialized countries: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicates that the CO2 emissions in the 40 industrialized countries (- the ‘Annex I’ countries of the Kyoto Protocol -) have increased by 2,3 % between 2000 and 2006. There was a huge growth in Spain (+ 50,6 %), Portugal (+40 %), Australia (+28,8 %), Canada (+21,7 %) and the United States (+14,4 %). De Morgen / afp, November 17, 2008

United Nations weather service experts reported that the concentration of the 3 most important greenhouse gasses (CO2, methane, nitric acid) has increased again in 2007. A further growth of the greenhouse gasses will have disastrous consequences, such as serious drought and flooding. De Standaard, November 25,  2008

According to the majority of the climate scientists we have less than 8 years left to significantly reduce te emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses. After this awfully short period of time, the greenhouse effect will amplify itself so fast that it will be impossible to get it under control, says the British writer Ian Mcewan. De Morgen, November 29, 2008

The agreed EU standard on car emissions: no more than an empty box: Due to countries such as Germany and Italy, protecting the short-sighted interests of their car manufacturers “the target of 130 grams per kilometre would be reached neither in 2012, nor at a later stage:

·         In 2012, type approval emissions could be as high as 164.5 grams per kilometre. This would actually be an increase from the 2007 average of 158 g CO2/km.

·         In 2015, emissions could still be as high as 139 grams per kilometre. This would be no more than a 2% reduction compared to present trends.”

Source: Franziska Achterberg, December 1, 2008, www.greenpeace. org

Too much fine dust in Belgium, China, India, etc…: Recent research indicates that in 2007 almost 50 % of the Belgian population has been too often exposed to the inhalation of fine dust. These toxic and hazardous particles are mainly produced by diesel engines, industry, power plants, households, etc… Belga / De Morgen, November 23, 2008

UNEP, the United Nations environmental organization, lately published an alarming study which reports that China and India together count one million deceases per year as a consequence of the heavy polluted air in big cities like Beijing and Delhi. The ‘wrongdoer’ is a mix of greenhouse gasses and ‘atmospheric brown clouds’, mainly existing of soot and sulfur.  De Morgen,  November 15, 2008

Pope Benedictus XVI goes organic: Recently the Pope let lay out an organic vegetable garden in Vatican City. The Pope also insists to switch over as far as possible to organic gardening for the remaining 22 hectares of Vaticanic gardens. Belga / dea / De Morgen,  October 22, 2008

Indian NGO Navdanya has trained 200 000 farmers in organic production

Navdanya, an Indian-based non-governmental organization which promotes biodiversity conservation, organic farming, the rights of farmers and the process of seed saving, “has trained 200 000 farmers in organic production and helps to market their crops in semi-finished or processed form." These crops are grown on organic farms that meet the SGS qualifications. The SGS Organic Production Standard is a worldwide program for organic production and processing.

“Navdanya started as a program of the Research Foundation for science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE), a participatory research initiative founded by world-renowned scientist and environmentalist Dr. Vandana Shiva, to provide direction and support to environmental activism.”

Navdanya is a member of the Terra Madre slow food movement. www.navdanya.org/organic/

Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign: ‘The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each year. In a call to further individual and collective action, UNEP has set a new goal of planting 7 billion trees by the end of 2009. The campaign strongly encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment.’ http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/

Brazil plans to reduce the deforestation by 70 percent: The Brazilian government has announced a national plan to reduce the deforestation by 70 percent by 2018. According to the Brazilian minister of Environmental Affairs, Carlos Minc, this deforestation reduction in the Amazone area means a decrease 4,8 billion tons of CO2. Belga / De Morgen, December 1, 2008

…’building wind farms and solar panels, fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil’…

Barack 0bama, president-elect of the United States plans to create or save 2,5 million jobs by 2011 through investments in public works programs (rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools,… ) and in alternative energy programs. New York Times, November 23,  2008

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written and published by Rafael Staelens. © 2008 - 2010 :Copyright: Rafaël Staelens, Belgium - contact: ecovaproject@gmail.com