Nov
19

By

Sort and Prepare your Kerbside Recycling

Category: National, Wellington Tags:

Hands up: how many of you clean your tins and bottles before chucking them in your recycling bag?

Workers at Southern Landfill sorting recycling at conveyor belt

Workers on the sorting line at Seaview-based recycling facility Full Circle

Resize

Those of you feeling sheepish might be interested to know you might as well have thrown your dirty baked bean can in the bin – unclean recycling can’t be processed by our sorting facility, and is sent off to the landfill.

All of Wellington’s recycling is sorted by hand – just as it was back in 1971 when rubbish was collected in hessian sacks by the ‘dusties’. Technology has changed the way our rubbish is collected, but a team of workers is still needed to pick out the recyclables that can’t be processed – either because they have food left in them or they’re made of materials that can’t be recycled.

Sometimes sharp and dangerous items also find their way on to the sorting line, posing a major risk to the team that’s handling your recycling. So before you throw something in your green bag or bin, check it’s clean, not sharp, and is recyclable. You can find a list of recyclable material at Wellington.govt.nz/sortyourrecycling

  • Source, Wellington City Council

Nov
18

By

Researchers slam oxo-biodegradable ‘misinformation’

Category: International, Research Tags: ,

Europe: The European Commission has no data on non-collectable plastic waste – nor does it appear to wish to obtain any, according to France’s Centre National d’Evaluation de Photoprotection (CNEP). The institute believes this situation ‘does not facilitate the development of biodegradable polymeric materials’ and is warning of the dangers of ‘erroneous information’ regarding oxo-biodegradables.

‘It seems that the European Commission plans to deal with the problem of plastic waste only by approaches like recycling, composting or incineration,’ say CNEP researchers Jacques Lemaire, Dominique Fromageot and Jacques Lacoste. They argue that non-collectable plastic waste is ‘not recognised’ by the European Commission, which envisages the total disappearance of plastic waste from the year 2050.

Recently, the European Parliament considered banning oxo-biodegradables altogether on the basis of ‘not very expert reports’, the researchers contend. ‘Fortunately, this misinformation is effective only in Europe and oxo-biodegradables are experiencing normal development in Turkey, in the Middle East, in Africa, in China, in South America and North America.’

CNEP identifies and comments on a number of ‘negative’ assertions often made in relation to oxo-biodegradable plastic bags:

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polymers are only oxo-fragmentable.’ This view is disseminated by several technical centres which are not specialists in this technology, the researchers argue.

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polyethylene films (thus, correspondingly, plastic bags) are unsuitable for recycling with polyethylene.’ This opinion results from a study report showing that, in three cases out of four, the introduced materials were biosourced polyethylene which is not oxo-biodegradable; in the last of these cases, the material was not certified as oxo-biodegradable, ‘the organisation not having competence to do it’, the researchers conclude.

– ‘The residues of oxo-biodegradable films produced after exposure to light do not continue to oxidise at ambient temperature in the absence of light.’ This is contrary, they say at CNEP, to what can be proved by determining the energy of activation of thermo-oxidation and by understanding the kinetics which must necessarily intervene.

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polyolefins can give rise to toxicities.’ The CNEP team has found that the toxicity discussed appears only with contents at least 10 times higher than those used in formulations of oxo-biodegradable material.

– ‘It is not advisable to convert biosourced PE into oxo-biodegradable PE.’ In fact, the team counters, the biosourced PE is non-biodegradable and is likely to be a visual pollutant and macrotoxic in the marine environment. It thus appears desirable to make them acquire a biodegradable property.

The verdict is that research conducted into oxo-biodegradable materials since the year 2000 must be allowed to continue ‘without meeting non-scientific obstruction’. With regard to achieved scientific results, the CNEP team insists, it is not acceptable to oppose them based on ‘little or no proven facts’.

 

For more information, visit: www.cnep-ubp.com

Nov
4

By

This ‘boom’ might save the world – 10 quick facts about renewable energy

Category: International, National Tags:

Blogpost by Kaisa Kosonen – October 31, 2014 at 12:21Add comment

As the world’s leading climate scientists finalise the latest and most comprehensive report on climate change and ways to tackle it, a key question is: What is new? What has changed since the release of the UN climate panel’s last Assessment Report (AR4) in 2007?

On the ‘solutions’ side, the answer is pretty straightforward:

Nuclear power hasn’t changed much. IPCC notes that nuclear capacity is declining globally and that, from safety to financial viability, nuclear power faces many barriers. “Carbon capture and storage” (CCS) isn’t really breaking the mold either. Although the IPCC identifies a need and potential for future CCS-aided emission reductions, in reality, CCS isn’t delivering and, since 2007, “studies have underscored a growing number of practical challenges to commercial investment in CCS”.

The big news is the breakthrough in new renewable energy

In just a few years, solar and wind technologies have grown so competitive and widespread that they are gradually reshaping common perceptions of climate change mitigation. ‘Saving the climate is too difficult and too costly’ is becoming ‘We can do this!’ Even in purely economic terms, renewable energy (RE) is set to gradually outcompete fossil fuels. According to the IPCC:

“Since AR4, many RE technologies have demonstrated substantial performance improvements and cost reductions, and a growing number of RE technologies have achieved a level of maturity to enable deployment at significant scale (robust evidence, high agreement).”

So, what does the mean in practice? Here are 10 quick facts:

1. There’s now 15 times more solar power and three times more wind power in the world than in 2007.

Solar PV Total Global Capacity, 2004-2013

Wind Power Total Global Capacity, 2000-2013

2. The costs of solar and wind have declined profoundly. Renewables are increasingly the cheapest source of new electricity.

According to the IRENA, the price of onshore wind electricity has fallen 18% since 2009, with turbine costs falling nearly 30% since 2008, making it the cheapest source of new electricity in a wide and growing range of markets.

In places as diverse as Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, India and throughout the US, the cost of electricity production from onshore wind power now is on par with, or lower than, fossil fuels.

Renewables are Increasingly Cost-Competitive

For solar, the speed of cost decline has been even more dramatic. Solar photovoltaic (PV) prices have fallen by 80% since 2008 (!) and are expected to keep dropping. Solar can now increasingly compete with conventional energy without subsidies.

In 2013, commercial solar power reached grid parity (i.e. the point at which it is comparable or cheaper to produce electricity with solar than purchase it from the grid) in Italy, Germany and Spain and will do so soon in Mexico and France.

http://newclimateeconomy.report/energy

Source: http://newclimateeconomy.report/energy/

3. Renewables are now mainstream: In the OECD countries, 80% of new electricity generation added between now and 2020 is expected to be renewable.

IEA (2014) Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report

Source: IEA (2014) Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report.

In the non-OECD countries, conventional power still dominates, but renewables are already the largest new generation source. Given China’s recent action to curb coal use and restrict new coal plants in some regions, the projection on new conventional generation may still change.

IEA (2014) Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report

Source: IEA (2014) Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report.

4. Individual countries are already reaching high shares of wind, solar and other renewables

  • In Spain, wind power was the country’s top source of electricity in 2013, ahead of nuclear, coal and gas. Renewables altogether supplied 42% of mainland Spain’s electricity in 2013, and 50% in the first half of 2014.
  • In Denmark, wind provided for 41% of the country’s electricity consumption in the first half of 2014.
  • In South Australia, wind farms produced enough electricity to meet a record 43%of the state’s power needs during July 2014.
  • In the Philippines, renewable energy – mainly geothermal – provides 30% of the country’s electricity.
  • In the United States, the states of Iowa and South Dakota produced about 24% of their electricity with wind in 2012. Altogether nine US states were producing more than 10% of their electricity with wind.
  • In India, the state of Tamil Nadu already gets 13% of its electricity from wind.

5. Any country can now reach high shares of wind, solar power cost-effectively, says the International Energy Agency.

The Power of Transformation

6. Renewable energy now provides 22% of the world’s electricity.

Global power production from renewables, nuclear and power plants with carbon capture and storage

By 2030, wind energy alone could produce a fifth of world’s electricity.

7. Growth rates prove how fast renewables can be deployed and scaled up.

In just two years, Japan has installed 11 GW of solar energy. In terms of electricity, that equals more than two nuclear reactors (building a nuclear plant typically takes a decade or more). Furthermore, Japan has approved 72 GW of renewable energy projects, most of which are solar. This compares to about 16 nuclear reactors, or about 20 coal fired power plant units.

Last year, China installed as much new wind power as the rest of the world combined. This is as many solar panels as the US installed in the past decade. In four years, China aims to double its wind capacity and triple its solar capacity.

In just three years, Germany has increased its share of renewable energy in power from 17% to 24%. Solar alone produced 30 TWhs of electricity last year, which is equal to the output of about four German nuclear reactors.

Sub-Saharan Africa will add more wind, solar and geothermal energy in 2014 than in the past 14 years in total, while India aims to boost its solar PV capacity more than six-fold in less thank five years, by adding 15 GW by early 2019.

8. Leading investment banks are advising investors to go renewable.

Here’s where the renewables breakthrough is truly visible: annual new investments into clean energy have doubled since 2006/2007, with 16% growth recorded so far for this year.

Leading investment banks are advising investors to go renewables.

Citi declared in March this year that the Age of Renewables is Beginning. Renewables are increasingly competitive with natural gas in the US, while nuclear and coal is pretty much out of the game already.

Deutsche Bank considers solar to be competitive without subsidies now in at least 19 markets globally. They also see prices declining further in 2014. HSBC analysts suggest wind energy is now cost competitive with new coal energy in India, and solar will reach parity around 2016-18.

UBS analysts, according to the Guardian, suggest that big power stations in Europe could be redundant within 10-20 years! Technological advances, like electric cars, cheaper batteries and new solar technologies are turning dirty power plants into dinosaurs faster than expected.

9. Renewable energy delivers for communities and builds resilience.

Not having access to electricity means missing out on many opportunities in life. This is still reality for about 1.3 billion people in the world. But now, renewable energy is making energy access more achievable. Its technologies are by now significantly cheaper than diesel or kerosene- based systems, and cheaper than extending the grid in areas with low populations and per capita energy demand.

Local, clean solutions, like microgrids running on solar, give poorer smaller communities control over their own energy destiny. The systems are relatively cheap to maintain and the people living off of their own renewably sourced electricity are not beholden to volatile fossil fuel prices or the unsustainable demands of the massive energy conglomerates.

Children in Dharnai Village in India. 06/22/2014 © Vivek M. / Greenpeace

10. 100% renewable energy is the way to go.

Renewable energy can meet all our energy needs. As the IPCC finds, the technical potential ismuch higher than all global energy demands.

100% renewable energy is what communities, regions, cities – even megacities – and companies are already making a reality through courageous actions and targets.

Sydney, the most populated city in Australia, is going to switch to 100% renewable energy in electricity, heating and cooling by 2030. The colder cities are on board too: three Nordic capitals (Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen) have all set goals for 100 % renewable energy, whileReykjavik is meeting it already.

Germany’s windy state of Schleswig-Holstein will probably achieve 100% renewable electricity already this year, while Cape Verde, an Island country in Africa, aims to get there by 2020. In Denmark, the whole country aims to meet all its heat and power with 100% renewables in just 20 years and all energy, transport included, by 2050.

There’s plenty, plenty of more, see for example here and here.

Going 100% renewables is a smart business decision too, says leading businesses, including BT, Commerzbank, H&M, Ikea KPN, Mars, Nestle, Philips and Swiss Re. They are campaigning for a goal that by 2020, 100 of the world’s largest companies will have committed to 100% renewable power.

Renewable sustainable energy sources are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Every day there are more and more examples of it being used and improved upon across our fragile planet.

Yet, clean energy hasn’t won just yet. The powerful fossil fuel industry with their allies are fighting back hard, with the help of hundreds of billions of government subsidies they are still enjoyingannually.

This raises the question: where do you want to be? Stuck in the dark ages of fossil fuels, or basking in the sun and wind of a clean energy future?

Kaisa Kosonen is a Climate Policy Advisor with Greenpeace Nordic.

Source: Green Peace

Nov
3

By

The Energy-Smart Home: How much is your home costing you?

Category: Auckland Tags:

Adding up the running costs of a house over the average term of a mortgage makes investing in energy efficiency the proverbial no-brainer.
The re-configurable Samsung Home Smart Home, at the Viaduct earlier this month, showcased sustainable and cheaper options for the home. Photo / Supplied
The re-configurable Samsung Home Smart Home, at the Viaduct earlier this month, showcased sustainable and cheaper options for the home. Photo / Supplied

Earlier this month, on the wharf outside the Viaduct Events Centre, Samsung threw open the doors of its Home Smart Home – a re-configurable bach designed by architectural whizz-kids Jasmax, and stuffed with appliances that use just a fraction of the electricity and water that your appliances at home manage to plough though.

Electricity, gas and water bills are no longer just a minor bump in the monthly financial road. For most they now have to be seriously budgeted for.

It begs the question: when we buy a home, why don’t we measure its running costs? The average home in New Zealand uses around 25kWh of electricity each day, equating to just under $2500 worth of power each year. Multiply that by 25 years, the term of the average mortgage: $62,500, and consider that this cost doesn’t take into account the inevitable and depressing annual price rises.
Energy efficiency

First things first. Energy efficiency is key. In a recent report from the World Future Council on how San Francisco can reach 100% renewable energy, a full 50% of the means to achieve it came down to energy efficiency. And so it is with your home. The ‘Zero Energy Home’ in Point Chevalier, Auckland requires no gas or electricity for heating, relying solely on a concrete pad which absorbs heat when the sun is shining, and slowly releasing it again in the evening when it is required. This, combined with good insulation and smart ventilation, means that a heat source simply isn’t required. While installing a concrete pad may not be possible unless you’re building or renovating, insulation can be installed, and draught-proofing can be carried out. Double glazing can also be retrofitted, the advantages of which include being warmer in winter and cooler in summer, reducing condensation and cutting noise.
Insulation and heating

Before boosting your heating system, carry out energy efficiency measures and you’ll find you might need a unit with a smaller heating capacity. When you consider that (electrical) space heating makes up almost a third of the average power bill, it’s worth getting the smaller model. In descending order, choose passive solar options, wood or pellet burners, heat pumps or flued gas heaters. Avoid panel heaters, oil-filled column heaters and especially unflued gas heaters.
Solar

It’s going to cost you the guts of $7000 – $10,000 to do it right, but solar photo voltaic (PV) panels are going to cut a swath through your power bill. Wait until you’ve made your home energy efficient and re-measure your power use before choosing what size array you need. Get a slightly larger inverter than your panels need, because in future you may want to add more panels to charge your electric vehicle. Provided you choose the right-sized array for your needs, PV should pay itself off within eight years.

Water heating

Another third of your energy is used for heating your hot water.

Fortunately the days of the traditional hot water cylinder are drawing to a close, as they are being bullied out of existence by their radically more efficient successors. Top of the list are heat pump water heaters, which will immediately slash your water heating bill by up to two thirds and can be installed for as little as $2500.

Solar hot water, effective and efficient while the sun is shining, is nonetheless expensive to install so has a relatively long pay-off time. Gas hot water, whether through storage systems, or ‘on demand’ systems, come next for efficiency, but rely on fossil fuels.

Looking at replacing the old electric cylinder? Check out these alternative hot-water systems.
Electronics

Electronics take up around 18 per cent of power usage. If you have solar power, charge all your mobile devices during the day. Turn off appliances at night, as left on standby they are just wasted money.

Appliances with the Blue Energy Star mark are among the top ten per cent for efficiency. Refrigeration takes around 11% of the electricity used in your home. Over the 15-year life of a fridge, an efficient model will more than pay for itself.
Lighting

Ever burnt your hand on a bulb? That’s wasted energy, converted into heat rather than light. It’s also why lighting makes up eight per cent of your energy use. Changing your bulbs to LED models will save 80% of that energy and last for years. Over the life of the bulb, it will save around $110 dollars, dwarfing the initial investment.
Water

Aucklanders use an average of 175 litres of water per person per day, or almost 64,000 litres per year. At $1.34 for 1000 litres of water, that’s $85.76.

However we are charged not only for the water which comes onto our properties, but also for the waste water which leaves it. This is charged at $2.28 per 1000 litres, which adds another $146 to bring the total to $231 per person, per year.

An average home in New Zealand has 2.5 people, which brings the water bill to $462 – leaving out the $190 fixed charge, which nothing can be done about. Again, extrapolated over a 25-year mortgage, water charges are likely to be over $11,000, with a further $5000 of fixed charges (and ignoring any future, almost inevitable, rises in water charges).
Quick water tips:

•Install a rainwater collection system, if only for use on your garden

• Re-use dishwater: Pour washing-up water (provided you have used an eco-friendly detergent) over your flower beds – it will help eliminate garden pests

•Install a dual-flush toilet cistern: Also install a low-flow shower head – the best models will save 50% of your water use.

•Repair perished washers: Dripping taps can waste up to 90 litres of water per week.

•Apply good mulch around trees: Up to 73% of garden water evaporates before plants absorb it.

This editorial series is made possible with funding from Energy Alternatives. To find out more about energy efficient products visit energyalternatives.co.nz

Like what you see? For weekly Element news sign up to our newsletter. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Source: NZHerald

Oct
31

By

(no title)

Category: National Tags:

DOC will encourage Kiwis to get out and enjoy local campsites, scenic reserves, wetlands, forests and walking tracks and many other natural attractions.
DOC will encourage Kiwis to get out and enjoy local campsites, scenic reserves, wetlands, forests and walking tracks and many other natural attractions.

Conservation Week, which runs from tomorrow till November 9, will highlight “treasures on the back doorstep”.

DOC will encourage Kiwis to get out and enjoy local campsites, scenic reserves, wetlands, forests and walking tracks and many other natural attractions.

DOC partnership ranger at Rotorua Caraline Abbott says people will be encouraged to visit places near them which they haven’t visited for a while, or perhaps never dreamt existed.

For example, key events in our area include a geocaching at Okere Falls, Ngongotaha Nature Loop and Kaharoa Kokako Track. This modern day version of hide and seek, uses GPS-enabled devices to find containers known as caches, which have a logbook to record your visit.

“All you need is a smart phone to download a free geocaching app.”

Rotorua Residents are also being asked to complete the Jubilee Track on Mount Ngongotaha from the bottom to the Mountain Road intersection, a promotion with prizes provided, she says.

Other campaign events include a walk on the Tarawera Trail led by the Rotorua Tramping and Skiing Club, kiwi aversion training for dogs, and conservation themed pub quizzes.

“Nationwide, activities will showcase special species, feature people and groups involved with a local treasure, provide historical and cultural information and provide details of how you can assist conservation in your own back yard.”

The New Zealand Scout Association originally kicked off Conservation Week for New Zealand in 1969. DoC took it over in 1987 and has since worked with many community groups, businesses, councils and agencies to expand activities.

Well known artists including Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Don Binney have contributed work for previous campaigns.

For what is going on in your area, visit doc.govt.nz – Conservation Week 2014.

– NZ Herald

Oct
30

By

Our environment- what do you love, and what do you worry about?

Category: Hutt City Tags: ,

Hutt City Council wants your input into the draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy for 2015-2045.

The strategy outlines a direction for Council to ensure our natural environment is protected, enhanced or repaired, ensuring the city is in a sound state for current and future generations.

The Council sees leadership, protection and enhancement as key components to achieve the vision of a thriving environment, now and in the future.

Mayor Ray Wallace says, “This is a significant strategy, our vision is for Hutt City to be a great place to live, work and play and a healthy environment is key to this.”

Chris Cameron, Principal Policy Advisor for Council, explains that part of being strategic is prioritising.  “We’ve identified seven areas to focus on, and identified the key issues in each of those areas.”

Those areas of focus are;

  1. Water and the issues of quality and usage.
  2. Waste, with a focus on waste production, disposal, emissions and pollution and contamination.
  3. Transport, with major issues identified as emissions and network optimisation.
  4. Land-use, in which the major issues are accessibility, and efficient use of space, importance of green space and food supply.
  5. Biodiversity with identified major issues of the protection of species and habitat, invasive species and coherence and connectivity.
  6. Energy, with major issues of efficiency, emissions, changing demand and air pollution.
  7. Risks and resilience takes in all the other areas of focus and includes the natural hazards, climate change, resource shortages, and economic shocks

Chris Cameron says, “We had great public consultation once before on this, and now we are keen to go back and have more discussion to ensure we have this strategy right; we also see this as an opportunity to create great networks of  people  who feel responsibility for our environment.”

Have your say

Submissions opened on Wednesday 22 October 2014 and close at 4.00pm on Tuesday 11 November 2014.

We would like to hear what you think.

Download the draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy and make a submission online

The draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy is also available at the Hutt City Council Building, 531 High Street Lower Hutt, and all Hutt City Libraries.

Please send written submissions to:
Chris Cameron
Hutt City Council
Private Bag 31 912
LOWER HUTT 5040

Or email: chris.cameron@huttcity.govt.nz

Oct
29

By

Event: Solar NZ 2040 in Auckland

Category: Auckland, Event Tags:

Solar NZ 2040 is on at the Auckland Museum on November 7 & 8.
Solar NZ 2040 is on at the Auckland Museum on November 7 & 8.

ELEMENT PROMOTION: Solar NZ 2040 is being held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Events Centre, in the Auckland Domain on November 7 and 8.

The conference host, the Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand (SEANZ), concentrates on driving the growth of onsite renewable electricity generation in New Zealand.

SEANZ have selected industry leaders for the conference including keynote speaker Simon Troman (Managing Director, IT Power, Australia), who will discuss how disruptive solar PV has been in Australia, with 20% of its buildings using solar PV – in the context of a government moving to reduce renewable energy targets.

Speakers will explore what New Zealand’s newly-elected government will mean for the solar PV industry. with three Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Electricity Authority (EA) officials presenting their positions.

Speaker topics will include:

• The solar industry’s plan for New Zealand to 2040 – vision and numbers: Brendan Winitana (Chairman, SEANZ) will provide an update of important numbers, growth, analysis and the industry’s latest position.

• Solar power case studies featuring Reid Technology: David Reid will speak about the Samoa Racecourse solar farm.

• Leadership and success in business: Jan Nicol (Managing Director, Sharp Corporation) presents a how-to guide for getting ahead in business.

• What’s next in the solar PV space? A “panel-of-four” – a leading New Zealand solar PV academic, a lines company manager, a solar PV system integrator and a technical whiz kid – will present the benefits and value of neural networks (and a definition).

• The Technology Stream: Hear from three leading suppliers about new developments and their impact.

• The new SEANZ ABB Industry Awards Event: Recognising excellence in the solar industry. Join key players in the industry – inverter companies, engineering companies, regional councils, national government and building-integrated PV manufacturers and designers – to network and celebrate the industry.

If you are looking to invest in solar power and renewable energy sources or are already involved in the industry, Solar NZ 2040 is where you want to be on November 7-8.

For more information please refer to www.seanz.org.nz and book here

This article is an Element Advertising Promotion.

Source: NZ Herald

Oct
28

By

7 solar wonders of the world

Category: International Tags: ,

Blogpost by Paula Tejón Carbajal and Helena Meresman – October 28, 2014 at 9:50Add comment

Solar energy is clean, reliable, abundant and an affordable alternative to fossil fuels – but not only that, solar is also cool. Check out our selection of the most amazing solar plants from all around the globe.

1. The sunflower solar panel

This new piece of solar technology from IBM, set to launch in 2017, would not only provide electricity – it can also desalinate water for sanitation and drinking. A group of several solar generators could provide enough fresh water for an entire town. The sunflower operates by tracking the sun, so that it always points in the best direction for collecting the rays – just like a real sunflower!

Sunflower solar panel© IBM Research / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0

2. The loveliest solar plant, ever

We blogged this last week, but she’s worth showing againg; this heart-shaped solar power plant is to be built on the Pacific Island of New Caledonia at the beginning of next year, and will generate enough electricity to supply 750 homes. The unique design was inspired by the “Heart of Voh”; an area of nearby wild mangrove vegetation that has naturally taken the shape of a heart. It gained worldwide recognition thanks to the Yann Arthus-Bertrand best-selling book “The Earth from Above”. Pacific Islands are among the most vulnerable to climate change, and would derive the most benefit from a global switch to renewable energy sources.

Heart shaped solar aray© Conergy

3. The most scenic solar farm

The Kagoshima mega solar island is the largest solar power plant in Japan. Not only does it generate enough power to supply roughly 22,000 average Japanese households, it also doubles as a tourist destination. Boasting grand views of the Sakurajima volcano, the plant’s own learning centre highlights environmental issues and the science behind photovoltaic energy generation. Japan’s’ recent solar growth is truly massive. In 2013, Japan came in second worldwide for installing solar PV (only China installed more). A rapid expansion indeed!

Floating solar array© Kyocera Corporation

4. The plant that can generate power at night

This Gemasolar tower plant located in Sevilla, Spain, can deliver power around the clock – even at night. All thanks to the pioneering molten salt technology, which allows it to receive and store energy for up to 15 hours. In 2013, renewable energy provided 42% of Spain’s power demand. The future is here!

Solar at night

5. The largest solar plant

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the world’s largest solar thermal plant. Located in a sunny Californian desert, and owned by Google, among others, the plant began producing electricity earlier this year. The plant comprises 173,000 heliostats (solar-speak for mirrors), and produces enough electricity to supply 140,000 Californian households with clean and reliable solar energy.

Largest solar© Don Barrett / flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

6. Britain’s first floating solar plant

Britain’s first ever floating solar panel project was built in Berkshire last month. The 800-panelplant, situated on a farm water reservoir, avoids covering valuable farm land with a solar array, providing additional cost benefit over solar farms on fields. Because of climate change, in the future we can expect to see more extreme weather events such as last year’s flooding in Britain. Innovative renewable energy solutions could be Britain’s answer to climate change.

Floating Solar© Ciel et Terre International

7. The solar plant covering a network of canals

This solar pilot project in India provides both energy and water security. A network of 15-metre-wide irrigation canals covered with a total of 3,600 solar panels produces power for hard to reach villages. Shading from panels also prevents around 9m litres of water from evaporating each year, and water, in turn, provides cooling effect for the panels, improving electricity output. It’s a win-win!

Canal© Hitesh vip / wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Paula Tejón Carbajal is a Corporate Adviser and Climate & Energy Campaigner and Helena Meresman is Digital Mobilisation Advisor for the Climate and Energy campaign at Greenpeace International.

 

Source: Greenpeace NZ

Oct
23

By

Sydney suburb rewarded for recycling programme

Category: International Tags: , ,

Australia: Lane Cove, a suburb of Australia’s capital Sydney, has received the Innovation Council Award for its so-called RecycleSmart initiative – an online programme that allows residents to sign up for an individual account to monitor their recycling progress.

The programme provides real-time feedback on an individual’s recycling behaviour and offers tips to help avoid recycling mistakes. Since the programme’s launch, Lane Cove Council claims to have diverted around 10% of waste from landfill.

The award ceremony took place on the show floor of the Australasian Waste & Recycling Expo (AWRE), held early October at Sydney Olympic Park’s Dome, where leading local and international suppliers showcased their latest products and technologies. Exhibition director Brett Judd confirmed this year’s event was a big success: ‘We received a record number of individual registrations for AWRE in 2014 and feedback from the show floor from exhibitors was that the quality of the event for genuine business opportunities and lead generation has never been greater,’ he says.

AWRE 2015 will be held at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on August 13-14 next year. According to the event’s organiser, two-thirds of the show floor space has already been booked.

For more information, visit: www.awre.com.au

Oct
18

By

Stars unite for nature is speaking

Category: International Tags: , ,

We are all familiar with Leonardo DiCaprio’s campaign for saving the environment. He was the poster boy for the Prius and is now a UN Messenger of Peace. His celebrity provides a platform that climate change scientists could only wish for.

Now, a collection of high-profile stars: Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton and Robert Redford, have leant their voices to a new campaign called Nature Is Speaking.

Coordinated by heavy-hitting NGO Conservation International, the series of poignant short films – shot from the perspective of the elements – are designed to be conversation starters on the message that people are not separate from nature.

In fact we need nature to survive and thrive, not the other way around. It boils down to a simple message: Without natural resources, humans won’t survive.

As The Soil, Edward Norton says “You treat me like dirt.” And it’s true. We do. The soil is a prime example of a natural resource that we have pillaged throughout generations to support ourselves, grow our food, build our homes upon and drain the trace elements from to produce commodities that get us rich.

Harrison Ford, as The Ocean, says, “they poison me then they expect me to feed them – well it doesn’t work that way.”

Now I am not one to be star-struck. In fact I detest the amount of attention given to celebrities’ lives – this energy I feel would be much better spent to raise awareness with people about issues that will impact their lives and that of the people around them.

But despite this, I know that I can’t stop the paparazzi media machine, so if you can’t beat them, why not join them?

If we can harness the influence that celebrities have to change peoples’ behaviour for the better then, you simply have to do what works most efficiently.

Not only have Conservation International pulled in the big name celebrities, but HP has pledged to donate $1 (up to $1 million) for every time someone uses #NatureIsSpeaking on social media platforms.

Lets hope this plethora of stars can, at the very least, spark an interest in the natural resources that we exploit, ruin and often take for granted. Hopefully it will convince a farmer to plant a riparian strip, Coca-Cola to use glass bottles instead of plastic, a supermarket to ban the sale of products that contain palm oil or a new parent to use cloth nappies.

However small each action may seem, on a global scale it makes a true difference. Never before has it been easier for us to spread messages about good behaviour. That’s right, the things we can do to improve the environment we share.

Why not try it yourself? Next time you go onto social media, instead of combing the gossip columns or perusing the internet for something negative to say, try posting about something you have done that has made a positive difference for yourself or other people.

If you must follow celebrities fashion and behaviour, then perhaps take a leaf from the books of those listed above.

Kevin Spacey is The Rainforest

Penelope Cruz is Water

Robert Redford is The Redwood

Julia Roberts is Mother Nature

SOURCE: SAM JUDD NZHERALD

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