Environmental Sustainability Updates

[environmental-sustainability] Egyptian wins US$100,000 African Innovation Prize

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:44:33 GMT

An Egyptian scientist' has been awarded a prestigious prize for designing an antenna that could facilitate mobile network upgrades.

[environmental-sustainability] Africa's hidden scourge needs an integrated approach

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Buruli ulcer could spread as agriculture intensifies in Africa, making prevention research vital, says agro-eco-health expert Rousseau Djouaka.

[environmental-sustainability] Green growth is not just for rich nations: World Bank

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:19:37 GMT

The World Bank urged global governments on Thursday to heed the environment when pursuing prosperity, rejecting what it called a myth that green growth is a luxury most countries cannot afford.

[environmental-sustainability] Salutations!

Fri, 11 May 2012 05:55:02 GMT

Hello everyone! My name is Tobbie. I'm glad to become part of this forum. Hope to catch up with the latest discussion. :)

[environmental-sustainability] Push from Mississippi kept Deepwater Horizon oil slick off shore

Fri, 11 May 2012 02:50:50 GMT

Geoscientists offer an explanation for why the Deepwater Horizon oil spill didn't have the environmental impact that many had feared. Using publicly available datasets, their study reveals that the force of the Mississippi River emptying into the Gulf of Mexico created mounds of freshwater which pushed the oil slick off shore.

[environmental-sustainability] First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012

Fri, 11 May 2012 02:50:50 GMT

Forests in the Amazon Basin are expected to be less vulnerable to wildfires this year, according to the first forecast from a new fire severity model.

[environmental-sustainability] North Atlantic storm patterns throw light on England's 1987 gale

Fri, 11 May 2012 02:46:46 GMT

The cyclone that brought about the devastating winds that battered the UK in the great storm of October 1987 was exceptional in both its strength and path across the south of the country. This is the finding of a new study which has analyzed the places where sting jets – an area that develops in some cyclones and causes strong surface winds – appear in the North Atlantic and how often they do so.

[environmental-sustainability] UNDP development report biased: India

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:59:42 GMT

The government has taken exception to the 'biases' in the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Asia Pacific Human Development report, titled, One Planet, which was released on Thursday.

[environmental-sustainability] You Are Here: Welcome to the Anthropocene

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:08:24 GMT

Learn more at Welcome to the Anthropocene

[environmental-sustainability] Nanotube 'sponge' has potential in oil spill cleanup

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:20:20 GMT

A carbon nanotube sponge that can soak up oil in water with unparalleled efficiency has just been developed, with help from computational simulations.

[environmental-sustainability] Finding Beauty in Old Things

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:57:12 GMT

Some designers repurpose old things for aesthetic satisfaction as well as environmental reasons.

[environmental-sustainability] Logging of tropical forests needn't devastate environment

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:27:27 GMT

Harvesting tropical forests for timber may not be the arch-enemy of conservation that it was once assumed to be, according to a new study.

[environmental-sustainability] Nice Biodigester System, and Politics of Use

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:18:23 GMT

http://www.resilientcommunities.com/dont-throw-away-your-wealth/ Is this state of the art for a low priced small system? Should sewage plants their methane to power their plants, and more? Many landfills are now using their methane for generators and trucks.

[environmental-sustainability] Chimpanzee cultures differ between neighbors: Neighboring chimpanzee groups use different hammers to crack nuts

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:14:14 GMT

Culture has long been proposed to be a distinguishing feature of the human species. However, an increasing amount of evidence from the field has shown that in several animals, differences in behaviors between populations actually reflect the presence of culture in these species. These studies have mainly come from populations that live far apart from each other which make it difficult to exclude ecological or genetic differences as being the underlying reasons for the observed behavioral differences.

[environmental-sustainability] Why it was right to publish research findings on bird flu

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:47:57 GMT

An editorial in the journal Nature explains the reasons for publishing the full results of a controversial paper about a modified bird flu virus

[environmental-sustainability] Egypt's Zewail science city hit by universities' dispute

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:33:53 GMT

Ahead of its September opening, Egypt's high-profile science and technology city is mired in a dispute over who owns the site's buildings.

[environmental-sustainability] Millennium villages project 'a success'

Thu, 10 May 2012 15:26:02 GMT

A project to help African countries achieve the MDGs is proving a success says a study, although experts question its methods.

[environmental-sustainability] Antarctic ice shelf faces threat from warm waters

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:50:57 GMT

Scientists have punched holes in Antarctic's viability by refuting the prevalent assumption that its Weddell Sea ice shelves would remain impervious to global warming due to the sea's peripheral location.

[environmental-sustainability] Five-limbed brittle stars move bilaterally, like people

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:03:03 GMT

Brittle stars and people have something in common: They move in fundamentally similar ways. Though not bilaterally symmetrical like humans and many other animals, brittle stars have come up with a mechanism to choose any of its five limbs to direct its movement on the seabed. It's as if each arm can be the creature's front, capable of locomotion and charting direction.

[environmental-sustainability] Optimal planning of solar power plants

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The photovoltaics industry is booming, and the market for solar farms is growing quickly all over the world. Yet, the task of planning PV power plants to make them as effi cient as possible is far from trivial. Researchers have now developed software that simplifies conceptual design.

[environmental-sustainability] Brazil to create network on neglected diseases

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:04:01 GMT

Brazil’s Ministry of Health announces USS10 million boost for neglected disease research.

[environmental-sustainability] On Our Radar: Lugar, the G.O.P. and Climate Change

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:05:39 GMT

The senator says the nation must address greenhouse gas emissions.

[environmental-sustainability] Himalayan forests at greater risk from climate change: Govt

Thu, 10 May 2012 01:43:46 GMT

Climate change will be an additional stress on Indian forests, especially in Upper Himalayan stretches, according to government report.

[environmental-sustainability] EU shifts climate change targets again

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:08:24 GMT

The EU has shifted its goalpost for climate change again, unilaterally seeking talks on a new global protocol from this year that puts India and other developing nations at par with developed world.

[environmental-sustainability] Environment ministry clears raising Maheswar dam’s water level to 154m

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:06:49 GMT

The environment ministry has cleared raising the water level at Maheshwar dam in Madhya Pradesh to 154 meters that will expedite process of power generation.

[environmental-sustainability] Assessing Whether Solar Panels Make Sense for You

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:45:38 GMT

Many installers will offer to put solar panels on your roof for no money down, but there are several factors to consider when deciding whether the deal makes sense for you.

[environmental-sustainability] Whale population size, dynamics determined based on ancient DNA

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Researchers compare ancient, modern whale DNA to investigate discrepancies between genetic data and historical estimates.

[environmental-sustainability] Protein analysis investigates marine worm community

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:00:00 GMT

Techniques used by researchers to analyze a simple marine worm and its resident bacteria could accelerate efforts to understand more complex microbial communities such as those found in humans.

[environmental-sustainability] DC3: Chemistry of thunderstorms

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:14:14 GMT

NASA researchers are about to fly off on a campaign that will take them into the heart of thunderstorm country. The Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) field campaign will use an airport in Salina, Kan., as a base to explore the impact of large thunderstorms on the concentration of ozone and other substances in the upper troposphere.

[environmental-sustainability] NASA spacecraft detects changes in Martian sand dunes

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:12:12 GMT

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed that movement in sand dune fields on the Red Planet occurs on a surprisingly large scale, about the same as in dune fields on Earth. This is unexpected because Mars has a much thinner atmosphere than Earth, is only about one percent as dense, and its high-speed winds are less frequent and weaker than Earth's.

[environmental-sustainability] Is That Onions You Smell? Or Battery Juice?

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:56:12 GMT

No more crying over electric bills, now that an onion-processing company has a battery to store electricity at off-peak periods.

[environmental-sustainability] One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:42:42 GMT

Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. Scientists report that 20 species are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species are near "threatened" status.

[environmental-sustainability] European Elections and Sustainable Development in America

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:02:40 GMT

In Europe, voters have chosen growth over austerity and this has implications for the U.S. economy and sustainable development. The Greek and French electorate’s rejection of austerity will have a dramatic effect on European spending, including investments in sustainability. These changes can also be expected to reverberate across the Atlantic.

In France, Francois Hollande’s presidential victory has derailed Nicholas Sarkozy’s austerity policies and in Greece, the parties supporting the international rescue package have lost control of parliament. In both countries, voters decisively said no to austerity and yes to growth.

France and Greece Choose Growth over Austerity

Both France and Greece appear to be doing a 180 on austerity. Hollande has been critical of the austerity policies central to European bailout deals. He promises to ease austerity measures and increase taxation on the wealthy. Hollande has pledged to renegotiate the European fiscal pact that was signed in December 2011 and he wants to issue common European bonds to finance growth through investment in sectors like renewable energy.

Investment in renewable energy is only one of several commitments that have pleased France’s Green Party (which received 2 percent of the French vote). During the campaign, Hollande promised to diversify France’s energy, including promises to cut the country’s nuclear dependence in half by 2025. He also vowed to increase renewable energy and respect France’s international engagements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This will help France reach and perhaps even surpass its EU-backed sustainability goals of 20 percent by 2020. Greenpeace France notes that the newly elected President of France has called for the EU to increase its GHG emissions target to 30 percent by 2020.

Prior to the election, France’s right leaning Sarkozy government was criticized for doing little for the environment. In an October, 2011 article published in the French daily Le Monde, MPs from the “ecological” wing of the Socialist party derided the center-right’s environmental record. They chided the “environmental passivity of the right” saying that after 10 years of leadership, “France invests nine times less than Germany and five times less than China in clean energy.” They further drew attention to the fact that there are no French businesses among the top 10 producers of wind turbines or photovoltaic panels. They also pointed out that in terms of wind production per inhabitant, France was in thirteenth place in Europe and the country had no offshore wind developments.

The fate of Greece is much less certain. The results of Greek parliamentary elections are inconclusive, fueling fear that Greece will become the first developed nation to default on its debt.

If a coalition government cannot be formed, Greece will go back to the voters some time in June, but this will be too late for the bailout package being offered by the EU. If Greek political leaders cannot form a government, the country will default on its debt and cease to be part of the EU. This will have a calamitous impact on the economy of the entire continent and the wider world. Whatever the future holds, it is now clear that Greeks have refused austerity.

Rio+20

All of this intrigue takes place just ahead of the Rio+20 conference, which will take place on June 20 – 22, 2012. This is the fourth major summit on sustainable development since 1972. The summit brings together at least 100 global leaders and 50,000 participants from around the world, including corporate executives and representatives of various social movements. Participants will focus on growth, and address specific concerns as they relate to oceans, food, energy, biodiversity and climate. The summit aims to find ways to support sustainable development.

U.N. Secretary General Bank Ki Moon wants to bring sustainable energy to even the most remote corners of the planet and 3,000 scientists will present a new science for Planet Earth at Rio 20 known as the State of the Planet Declaration.

However, some of Europe’s key players will not be attending the Rio Conference. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not attend nor will British Prime Minister David Cameron. Despite rearranging the summit’s dates so they would not coincide with Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Cameron announced he will not be attending Rio. US President Barack Obama is also likely to stay on the campaign trail rather than go to Rio.

Whatever happens in Rio, the elections in Europe have changed the political map and this has implications for the forthcoming American election.

Sustainable Development in America

Austerity in Europe was not good for the growth of sustainability or the American economy and social unrest born of economic hardship compounded the problem. The end of austerity is good news for advocates of sustainable development and those who want to see more growth in the American economy.

In Europe, government investment to stimulate growth will benefit the American economy. It may also make it easier for the Obama administration to increase its commitment to sustainable development. As should be obvious to all with even a passing interest in American politics, when it comes to sustainable development, the Democrats are the only game in town.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has an economic strategy that has austerity at its heart. Events in Europe may encourage Americans to question the Republican vision for America. According to the European narrative, spending cuts further slow the economy and actually increase debt. This puts Republicans squarely at odds with the new economics sweeping across Europe.

As stated by Richard Eskow, a senior fellow at the liberal Campaign for America’s Future, this should bode well for the Democrats:

“This should be the Democrats’ moment, a time to make political gains in the most honorable way possible: by fighting for what’s right. Today’s radical Republicans want to destroy government and slash the very spending that’s needed to rescue the economy. The GOP is even rejecting the common sense spending on roads and bridges embraced by past Republicans from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush. As austerity measures eviscerate Europe’s economy and undermine the political popularity of its leadership, this should be the Democrats’ finest hour. Unfortunately, too many Democratic leaders have preferred to echo the austerity rhetoric of their Republican opponents — and of Europe’s embattled leaders. The president’s last debt deal with John Boehner was a milder version of European austerity, and it slowed our country’s tentative growth. And yet he’s reportedly pushing for another “Grand Bargain,” leaving him with a muddled economic message, and Americans in a prolonged state of fear.”

There is reason to believe that Americans may support government spending at least until there is stronger growth and more jobs. Americans may very well follow the French and the Greeks who have chosen to abandon austerity in favor of growth.

The near term fate of sustainable development hinges on governments adopting a policy of growth rather than a policy focused on austerity.
——————–
Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, green investor and author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, eco-economics and enviro-politics. He is the owner of THE GREEN MARKET, a leading sustainable business blog and one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. Find The Green Market on Facebook and follow The Green Market’s twitter feed.

Image credit: National Post/Getty Images

Hollande’s victory: The world ponders a major shift (csmonitor.com)
Greek, French Elections Sound Death Knell for Austerity (the2012scenario.com)
Could U.S. feel effects of Europe’s political testiness? (ctv.ca)
Sustainable Development And The Built Environment In The Middle East: Challenges And Opportunities – Analysis (eurasiareview.com)

[environmental-sustainability] Technology measures Martian sand movement: Dune migration rates appear to be similar to those on Earth

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:59 GMT

Last year, images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars -- observations that challenged previously held beliefs that there was not a lot of movement on the Red Planet's surface. Now, new technology has allowed scientists to measure these activities for the very first time.

[environmental-sustainability] New weak point discovered in the Antarctic ice sheet

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:59 GMT

The Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf fringing the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, may start to melt rapidly in this century and no longer act as a barrier for ice streams draining the Antarctic Ice Sheet, new research shows.

[environmental-sustainability] Bird color variations speed up evolution

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:59:59 GMT

Researchers have found that bird species with multiple plumage color forms within in the same population, evolve into new species faster than those with only one color form, confirming a 60-year-old evolution theory.

[environmental-sustainability] New Antarctic ice shelf threatened by warming

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:33:11 GMT

Scientists are predicting the disappearance of another vast ice shelf in Antarctica by the end of the century that will accelerate rising sea levels.

[environmental-sustainability] Secrets of the first practical artificial leaf

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:39:39 GMT

A detailed description of development of the first practical artificial leaf -- a milestone in the drive for sustainable energy that mimics the process, photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert water and sunlight into energy -- has just been published. The article notes that unlike earlier devices, which used costly ingredients, the new device is made from inexpensive materials and employs low-cost engineering and manufacturing processes.

[environmental-sustainability] Secrets of the first practical artificial leaf

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:39:39 GMT

[environmental-sustainability] Europe writes off biggest environment satellite

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:39:10 GMT

The European Space Agency (ESA) has declared the official end of Envisat, the Earth-monitoring satellite that went offline last month after operating for twice its predicted lifespan.

Environmental Sustainability Updates

[environmental-sustainability] Egyptian wins US$100,000 African Innovation Prize

[environmental-sustainability] Africa's hidden scourge needs an integrated approach

[environmental-sustainability] Green growth is not just for rich nations: World Bank

[environmental-sustainability] Salutations!

[environmental-sustainability] Push from Mississippi kept Deepwater Horizon oil slick off shore

[environmental-sustainability] First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012

[environmental-sustainability] North Atlantic storm patterns throw light on England's 1987 gale

[environmental-sustainability] UNDP development report biased: India

[environmental-sustainability] You Are Here: Welcome to the Anthropocene

[environmental-sustainability] Nanotube 'sponge' has potential in oil spill cleanup

[environmental-sustainability] Finding Beauty in Old Things

[environmental-sustainability] Logging of tropical forests needn't devastate environment

[environmental-sustainability] Nice Biodigester System, and Politics of Use

[environmental-sustainability] Chimpanzee cultures differ between neighbors: Neighboring chimpanzee groups use different hammers to crack nuts

[environmental-sustainability] Why it was right to publish research findings on bird flu

[environmental-sustainability] Egypt's Zewail science city hit by universities' dispute

[environmental-sustainability] Millennium villages project 'a success'

[environmental-sustainability] Antarctic ice shelf faces threat from warm waters

[environmental-sustainability] Five-limbed brittle stars move bilaterally, like people

[environmental-sustainability] Optimal planning of solar power plants

[environmental-sustainability] Brazil to create network on neglected diseases

[environmental-sustainability] On Our Radar: Lugar, the G.O.P. and Climate Change

[environmental-sustainability] Himalayan forests at greater risk from climate change: Govt

[environmental-sustainability] EU shifts climate change targets again

[environmental-sustainability] Environment ministry clears raising Maheswar dam’s water level to 154m

[environmental-sustainability] Assessing Whether Solar Panels Make Sense for You

[environmental-sustainability] Whale population size, dynamics determined based on ancient DNA

[environmental-sustainability] Protein analysis investigates marine worm community

[environmental-sustainability] DC3: Chemistry of thunderstorms

[environmental-sustainability] NASA spacecraft detects changes in Martian sand dunes

[environmental-sustainability] Is That Onions You Smell? Or Battery Juice?

[environmental-sustainability] One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction

[environmental-sustainability] European Elections and Sustainable Development in America

Related articles

[environmental-sustainability] Technology measures Martian sand movement: Dune migration rates appear to be similar to those on Earth

[environmental-sustainability] New weak point discovered in the Antarctic ice sheet

[environmental-sustainability] Bird color variations speed up evolution

[environmental-sustainability] New Antarctic ice shelf threatened by warming

[environmental-sustainability] Secrets of the first practical artificial leaf

[environmental-sustainability] Secrets of the first practical artificial leaf

[environmental-sustainability] Europe writes off biggest environment satellite