Sustainable development and much more

Global bike sharing news

Edouard — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:22:09 +0000

I have been blogging here many times over on how biking and bike sharing are great sustainable solutions to fossil fuels depletion, high oil prices, air pollution and traffic congestion.

While browsing Cleantechnica in search of great articles to share with you all, I found a blog solely dedicated to bike sharing and the many projects around the world : The Bike-sharing Blog

From the Americas to Asia and Europe, it seems this solution is gaining a lot of traction and attention. So if you are interested to keep up with related news, don’t hesitate to read this blog…

G8 leaders agree to act on climate, air pollution

Edouard — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:02:38 +0000

Are we finally getting things right on climate change ? Not completely, but what happened last week may be a good omen for the Rio +20 conference. As I noted in a post published yesterday on Cleantechies :

” Further to the Camp David meeting last week, G8 leaders agreed to act on climate change and air pollution by focusing on methane, black carbon (soot), and hydroflurocarbons (HFCs). “

” This is the logical follow up of a move in the same direction by the United States, China and other countries back to February. However, like the previous agreement, CO2 is still not mentioned. “

2030, the coming global water crisis

Edouard — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:47:10 +0000

The Atlantic published an article under this title that points to another inconvenient truth: between the growing needs of an increasing population and climate change, water will soon come in short supply.

To the first U.S. Intelligence Community Assessment of Global Water Security :” by 2030 humanity’s annual global water requirements will exceed current sustainable water supplies by forty percent.”

” Absent major policy interventions, water insecurity will generate widespread social and political instability and could even contribute to state failure. “. It’s time to save the precious liquid.

District heating and cooling has huge potential

Edouard — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:23:35 +0000

I previously wrote on Cleantechies that more aggressive climate policies could save Europe money and that air pollution costs billions to the European Union. Here is another example of how Europe could save money :

” According to a recent study carried out by Euroheat & Power, the international association of district heating and cooling, the value of energy wasted each year in the European Union amounts to a whopping 1.000 euros per citizen. “

To learn out more on this, please check out the full article. As always, comments, shares and so on are more than welcome.

Towards sustainability, reloaded : transport

Edouard — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:06:15 +0000

(Word of caution : this is a repost from an old series) For the fourth installment of these series – see the previous articles on heating, electricity and water- I would like to propose you a selection of the best tips to help you using less your car.

Doing so is good for your health, your budget, your community and our common environment. It is also one of the most efficient step to cut your greenhouse gases emissions.

Spring is the best moment to do so as the weather is becoming more clement and allows to get back on our bikes. It is also the best way to prepare for summer.

For short distances,

walk or bike. Biking is a fun thing if there are few cars around or bike lanes. I recently wrote an article on the multiple advantages of biking.

Among them, I noted this is a great solution to improve your health as it provides your cardio vascular system the amount of exercise it needs and can help you in managing your weight.

Humans were first hunter-gatherers who walked miles and miles per day. This contrasts heavily with our current lifestyles where we sit in front of a computer screen most of the day. It’s time we get back to walk for the shortest distances. I am always appalled at how people drive for a couple of kilometers.

—

For longer distances

like the daily commute to the job, use public transportation systems or carpool.

Both solutions are increasingly popular since the spike in oil prices last years and the current economic downturn as they enable to save huge amounts of money and can be as convenient as driving your own car.

My brother-in-law – hello Simon ! – is now carpooling with co-workers every day. He now drives to work only two days per week, spend a good time commuting with people he appreciates and saves a lot of money in the process as diesel now costs a euro and a half per litre here. (up 50 percent compared to first time I wrote this article)

—

Long distances

First and foremost avoid taking planes and privilege trains.

For business purposes, why not trying videoconferencing ? Although it won’t be feasible for ALL your business needs, your company may able to save significant amounts of money.

For vacation, why not discovering the marvels of your own country or region as traveling by plane can fast explode your carbon footprint ?

Last year alone I avoided a tonne of CO2 emissions simply by taking the train instead of the car. This also enabled me to meet cool people, write articles for this blog and read great books and magazines. Public transportation systems as a whole provide similar advantages.

—

Next month we will tackle food and how one can eat differently to improve our health and help save our planet. So for this and for much more, stay tuned !

Climate change to worsen allergies

Edouard — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:24:38 +0000

If a weirder climate, rising sea levels and so on and so forth weren’t enough to motivate us to combat climate change, here is another reason to do so. As Al Gore notes on his blog :

“Watery eyes, runny noses and puffy faces will abound this year as a warm winter, human development and climate change converge to create a brutal allergy season that will likely get worse for years to come, according to experts.”

“(…) More people are becoming susceptible to allergies over time as pollen seasons are getting longer.” (via E&E News : Climate change is expanding allergy risks )

A bright future for solar in India

Edouard — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:04:09 +0000

The recent launch of a 600 MW solar park in the state of Gujarat – the largest in Asia – was the occasion for The Economist to publish an interesting article on the huge potential of solar energy in India.

The British weekly notes : ” solar power would appear to be an obvious winner for India. The country has plenty of sun and flat, idle land. India is energy-hungry, but electricity supply is sporadic “

There, you will read how the ambitious plans presented by the government could pretty well be just the start if prices keep decreasing and decreasing.

Saudi Arabia to invest massively in cleantech

Edouard — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:33:34 +0000

Yes, you read that right : the oil superpower is willing to tap into its significant solar potential by installing no less than 41 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2032. The project is estimated to cost $109 billion (84 billion euros).

Out of the 41 GW of capacity, 16 will be brought by solar photovoltaic (PV) and the remaining 25 will be coming from Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). This will be a smart use of the Kingdom’s huge deserts.

As Green Prophet notes the project will enable the country to save half a million barrels of oil per day. Solar would then account for a third of the electricity production.

But this is not all as Saudi Arabia plans to invest in other low carbon energy sources.

Indeed, wind, geothermal and nuclear are due to bring an extra 21 GW of capacity. In another Green Prophet article, we learn that ” Saudi Arabia will spend more than $100 billion to build 16 nuclear energy plants within the next few years.”

Climate Progress brings us some more details :

Of the 41 GW of solar, photovoltaics is expected to comprise 16 GW, while concentrated solar power (CSP) will encompass 25 GW. “The CSP plants, with their higher capacity factor than PV, are foreseen as a bridge between base-load technologies (including geothermal, waste-to-energy and nuclear) and PV, which will provide coverage for daytime demand,” explained Apricum, a strategy consulting and transaction advisory firm specialized in renewable energy.

But there is more in this article :

In a recent speech, Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi expressed concerns about climate change, saying “societal expectations on climate change are real, and our industry is expected to take a leadership role.”

It would be nice to think that the Saudis were doing this for climate change reasons. But they’re doing it for more selfish objectives: jobs and efficiency.

In that same speech, Al-Naimi explained the need to support new energy industries that can create more jobs than the oil sector: “We know that pumping oil out of the ground does not create many jobs. It does not foster an entrepreneurial spirit, nor does it sharpen critical faculties.”

It is interesting enough to read that an oil rich nation is thinking about the biggest renewable energy plans ever (unless I am mistaken), but to know that they are doing it for green jobs makes it even better.

Congratulations Saudi Arabia !

Pacific Garbage Patch has gotten 100 times worse

Edouard — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:07:45 +0000

This seems to come straight from a nightmare. According to Grist, the Pacific Garbage Patch has gotten a hundred times bigger in only forty years. This is a huge problem as all this pollution directly harms the local biodiversity.

Turtles and fishes are the first victims but all this could also endanger zooplankton in the near future as to the BBC ” the fragments make it easier for the marine insect Halobates sericeus to lay its eggs out over the ocean.”

If you think about cleaning up Grist notes that ” the microplastic is intensely difficult to clean up, so it’s critical to keep plastic out of the ocean to keep the problem from getting worse. “ Indeed !

French solar PV capacity hits 3,000 MW

Edouard — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:31:59 +0000

” According to the French utility EDF, the French solar PV capacity reached in March 3,000 MW, with over 2672 MW in mainland France and 339 MW in Corsica and overseas.”

” According to the data : the total capacity grew by 15 percent this semester in metropolitan France. An additional 1,581 MW are already installed but are waiting to be plugged to the grids. “

You will be able to read the full article on Cleantechies as this represents the introduction of my latest post there. Hope you will like it.

Microsoft to become carbon neutral

Edouard — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:23:11 +0000

Little by little, Big Business understands that climate change has to be addressed. The last example is Microsoft as it is willing to become carbon neutral as early as July 1st, 2012. As Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s COO, noted :

( Microsoft wants ) ” to infuse carbon awareness into every part of our business. To achieve this goal, we have created an accountability model which will make every business unit responsible for the carbon they generate.”

This will create ” incentives for greater efficiency, increased purchases of renewable energy, better data collection and reporting, and an overall reduction of our environmental impact.”

South Korea to enact carbon trading scheme

Edouard — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:15:11 +0000

Things do seem to accelerate on the climate front. South Korea will have in 2015 a national emissions trading scheme that will cover sixty percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. As Reuters noted:

” (t)he programme won approval, despite fears it would hurt the economy, because of the long-term benefits to the country’s huge conglomerates from being more energy-efficient and exporting greener goods.“

Just like in Mexico earlier this year, a vast majority of lawmakers voted for this as of the 151 lawmakers who voted, 148 approved the scheme. Another G20 member to rally the climate cause ?

Worth an article – My April 2012 tweets

Edouard — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:50:01 +0000

I have been committed since January 2007 to bring you each month a selection of the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change and the world energy sector.

However, I don’t blog as much as I would like to and generally write around 25 posts per month. But many more news are worth reading. This is why I use Twitter to share dozens of news that are worth your time.

I believe it offers a good complement to this website. So if you are on Twitter and like this selection, don’t hesitate to start following me.

Climate and environmental issues

Italy to introduce carbon tax to fund green energy http://zite.to/IM9Itp Applause! Bravo! Bravissimo!

Connect the dots, the video. it’s a pretty powerful film, for a pretty powerful day http://www.climatedots.org/thingshappen/

EPA Introduces Historic New Standards To Limit Industrial Carbon Pollution http://bit.ly/IhYzAn

Why Trees Matter: http://nyti.ms/HJccwO via @nytimes #trees#sustainability #li

EU renewable #energy targets drive tree-cutting; #biomass ’insanity’ could cause Europe to miss 2020 #carbon target.http://goo.gl/93Om5

Fascinating and unexpected new study indicates the weird weather is only getting started. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/27/world/study-hints-at-greater-threat-of-extreme-weather.html?_r=1&hpw

Taking Action On Climate And Clean Energy In 2012: A Menu Of Effective And Feasible Solutions http://bit.ly/K1dHIr

Energy

Forget cheap oil; costs of new ‘production’ are rising at 18% per year. Oil companies now already need $98 per barrel: http://bit.ly/OilApp

#Chaleur: 500 milliards d’euros partent en fumée par an en Europehttp://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/2012/04/17/20002-20120417ARTFIG00660-500milliards-d-euros-partent-en-fumee-par-an-en-europe.php par @Fnodelanglois

Did you know? While Denmark has experienced economic growth of 78% since 1980, its #energy use is nearly unchanged:http://bit.ly/x2RJtB

Switzerland: Combined #Heat & #Power central to energy strategy in nuclear phase-outhttp://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Strategy_outlined_for_nuclear-free_energy_future.html?cid=32506164

Did you know? Electricity generation from solar PV tech has grown at an avg annual rate of 42% since 2000 Find out morehttp://j.mp/IGBMRV

Le marché solaire français est mort, mais les tarifs baissent toujours http://bit.ly/JqjsOD

Trash to cash! #China sets waste-to-energy feed-in tariff twice that of coal power http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/china-sets-waste-to-power-price-double-that-of-coal-fired-plants.html

Jim Hansen’s updated chart: US gasoline demand is almost totally insensitive to price http://twitpic.com/9egmjq More: http://bit.ly/JxZdMC

Oil’s share of total world energy consumption peaked in 1973, at 48.7%. The decline since has taken oil’s share down to 33.56%, as of 2010.

Nearly 50% of the growth in electricity demand over the last decade was met by coal fired power. Find out more: http://bit.ly/IGBMRV #energy

Exxon to Spend (WASTE) $185B Searching For New Oil – Energy Boom – Solar Feeds http://www.solarfeeds.com/exxon-to-spend-waste-185b-searching-for-new-oil/ via @solarfeeds

RT @treehugger: Majority of Americans Support Clean Energy & Climate Action, Even While Politicians Don’t http://bit.ly/Ipbh5F

“Many people don’t realize the cost of the solar module has dropped 4x in 3 yrs, and will continue.” – Dr. Steven Chu

Your new offshore energy source: floating algae farmshttp://bit.ly/IgWffa

9% of Australian homes had solar PV installed by end-2011, over 500,000 systems now. Up to 28% in best neighbourhoods:http://bit.ly/AuSolr

Gallup: 65% of Americans Have More Guts Than Obama, Support ‘Imposing Mandatory Controls On CO2 Emissions’ http://bit.ly/IBoiI0

Sustainability

Looking for a job? Unions say there could be 48 million of them in the green economy if we invest: http://www.ituc-csi.org/new-report-growing-green-and.html

A Book Review Of ‘The Crash Course’: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy and Environment http://bit.ly/KeD0ae

77% of people believe that main source of energy for developing countries should be renewables http://bit.ly/IDBIVQ

If you try to buy happiness, you’re going to fail. New study shows consumerism connected to depression. http://bit.ly/IfUrAK

7 Ways Embedding Sustainability Creates Value for Your Organization | 2degrees: http://bit.ly/IqP7ME

Misc

“A person who cares about the earth will resonate with its purity.” – Sally Fox. RT if you care.

I cannot decide is this good or bad? RT @tedxbrussels: Thinking In A Foreign Language Leads To Better Decisions: Studyhttp://huff.to/I5UJLS

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” -Rachel Carson

Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I may remember. But involve me and I’ll understand. Chinese Proverb

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. ~ Ambrose Redmoon

Americans connect the dots, demand action

Edouard — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:31:06 +0000

Two recent polls are showing that change might soon take place in the United States. Climate Progress recently noted that 75 % of Americans support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and that 60 % support a carbon tax.

The same website mentioned shortly afterwards another poll showing that 63% of Americans say their country should fight global warming regardless what other countries do. This represents an overwhelming majority…

As 80 percent of Americans have already experienced extreme weather events such as dramatic drought, tornadoes and floods, this is no surprise.

Despite Big Oil and Big Coal lobbies’ huge advertisement efforts on trying to dismiss climate change and cleantech, Americans are connecting the dots.

Isn’t it the perfect timing for Democrats and other politicians to start becoming serious about climate change, cleantech and efficiency ? We have seen many times here that climate change is a real problem that demands real solutions as soon as possible :

Another heat wave hits America and Europe

Climate disinformation backfires in the USA

Global weirding is already a reality in the USA

Likewise, we have seen even more research on the astounding potential of both energy efficiency and cleantech on American soil :

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEE) showed that the United States could consume 60 percent less energy by 2050 ;

Hawaii could be entirely powered by geothermal ;

23 measures to cut US emissions by 27% by 2020

To conclude : tomorrow, on May 5th, 350.org is organizing a global event aiming at connecting the dots between extreme weather events and climate change. Don’t hesitate and join them. This way you will make your voice heard !

Appaling environmental politics in France

Edouard — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:02:33 +0000

Here we go. The only debate of the French Presidential elections have come and gone. Sunday, Mr. Sarkozy and Hollande will be either reelected or elected as the President of the sixth world economy.

During nearly three hours, none of them have mentioned environmental issues. Peak oil occurred during the last Presidential mandate, but both candidates are acting as if there would be cheap oil for ever and ever.

The next five years are absolutely critical in mitigating climate change AND averting the worsening economic recession because of higher oil prices. Do they care ? It doesn’t seem so.

The centerpiece of President Sarkozy’s environmental policy – known as The Grenelle de l’Environnement – was a great idea but it hasn’t achieved a fifth or a tenth of what needs to be done.

It had started quite well but has slowed down and slowed down and long died without a whimper and without anybody noticing. Worse, the environmental and energy issues are absent of his program this year. (and this despite a roundtable on the very subject last year…)

François Hollande’s programm on these issues is either laughable or downright scary. Thinking nuclear is a bad thing for France means that emissions would rise instead of decreasing fast and big.

Sure, there are the mandatory some efficiency measures but nothing that really would tackle the issues in the way they should be…

The Economist noted that France was in denial when it comes to its elections, it seems it was quite right…

Green jobs in both efficiency and cleantech have the potential to spur sustainable economic growth. But in France as in most G20 countries, these opportunities fall into deaf ears…

Cleantech to take trilllions away from Dirty tech

Edouard — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:48:16 +0000

Do you know why Big Oil and other fossil fuels conglomerates are pushing so hard against energy efficiency and renewables ? Because it could take away four trillion of dollars from them in the next eight years !

This is one of the many findings of the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) report. Cleantechnica plans to present more in the near future in a series of articles. I will tweet them or quote them in a way or another so stay tuned.

This takes place as oil companies are reporting billions of quarterly benefits and made a combined record profit of $137 billion in 2011. This has to change. Money has to get back to OUR pockets.

Japan set ambitious 2050 goals, feed-in tariffs

Edouard — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:52:57 +0000

Japan seems to become pretty serious about climate change as it will soon make official a law mandating for 80 percent cuts of greenhouse gases emissions by 2050 (compared to 1990, just in line with IPCC recommendations)

Not totally unrelated to these most commendable goals, the country enacted generous feed-in tariffs for solar, wind and geothermal. This takes place in a country which recently took the decision to close its nuclear reactors.

Let us hope the feed-in tariffs won’t lead to another boom and bust market and that the country will gives itself the means to reach those ambitious goals…

Celebrating an eight-year commitment

Edouard — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:53:21 +0000

Somewhere in March / April 2004 as I was a 20 year old student at the Burgundy School of Business I discovered both the threat of climate change and the potential of solar energies.

These topics have never left me ever since. Indeed what better or more captivating projects for a twenty something kid from rural France than help saving our civilization and keeping our beautiful planet habitable ?

I wrote afterwards most if not all of my academic papers afterwards on these topics and started reading any news article I could find on those topics.

Back to December 2006 as I was just finishing my Master’s degree I decided to share the most interesting stuff I was coming across. My blog was born a few weeks later…

Of course, this event had to have some background. Before writing that paper on solar energies, I already had been raised in rural areas, spending a lot of time in the family farm with my grandparents and the whole family.

Learning to live frugally and to avoid wasting energy is not new to me. It was already part of me as a kid. I had learned the importance of insulating houses in my mid-teens as I was lending a hand to my grand-father as he was weatherizing a flat.

But back to the topic : eight years is a LONG time for a person who isn’t 30 years old yet. At the time, I hadn’t discovered the huge potential of efficiency. I thought solar could single handedly solve all our problems.

The term cleantech was either confidential or not invented yet… It is also a long time to see the evolution of a sector. And I daresay that we have reasons to both hope and despair.

Reasons to despair :

Media coverage of climate change has decreased significantly globally ;

Little to nothing has been done internationally to tackle the twin threats of peak oil and climate change ;
In most G20 countries, elected representatives act as if they didn’t know about these very threats.
We are seeing the first dramatic effects of global warming.

Reasons to hope :

Despite the awful media coverage, people are beginning to connect the dots between extreme weather and climate change ;
More and more countries are willing to tackle the triple crisis: the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Mexico…
A consensus on a carbon tax is slowly forming as Italy announced it was also considering one.
The continuous rise of oil prices are leading people to drive less, thus decreasing oil consumption and most importantly, is leading to behavioral change

On the overall, albeit the situation is getting more desperate each day, I am still optimistic.

What about you ? How did you come to environmental and energy issues ?

Study : Europe should push for 30 percent cuts

Edouard — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:34:35 +0000

Here is the beginning of my latest post on Cleantechies. It is about a study corroborating what I have been writing for years. As always, please go there to read the full post. Comments, tweets and shares are more than welcome !

” We have seen time and again that the European Union should push for a more aggressive policy on climate and energy. It is highly feasible and we have seen that the current Danish presidency would be the perfect moment to do so.”

” Now, here is more : according to BNEF : “Raising Europe’s carbon reduction target for 2020 from 20% to 30% will cost EU countries under 0.04% of GDP, with some member states getting a net benefit. “

IEA pushes for more renewables, efficiency, faster

Edouard — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:00:21 +0000

The prestigious International Energy Agency published this week an interesting report on both renewables and efficiency and how they are being deployed. The results are clear :

Despite growing very fast, cleantech is not growing fast enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. Under the business as usual scenario, temperatures would warm by 6°C this century.

Among many other measures, the IEA stresses the importance of ending fossil fuels subsidies, deploying carbon capture and storage and promoting energy efficiency everywhere.

To support this publication, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Maria van der Hoeven, had a great article published on The Guardian where she presents three key recommendations :

First, level the playing field for clean energy technologies. this means ending fossil fuels subsidies. (These amounted to $409bn worldwide in 2010, against the $66bn allotted for renewable energy support) ;

Second, unlock the potential of energy efficiency, which she calls the “hidden fuel of the future “ The IEA has developed 25 energy efficiency policy recommendations that, if implemented globally now, could cumulatively save about 7.3 gigatonnes of CO2 a year by 2030. ;

And finally, accelerate energy innovation and public support for research, development and demonstration.

To Ms. van der Hoeven ” The present state of affairs is unacceptable precisely because we have a responsibility and a golden opportunity to act. “ I could not agree more…

Why drilling for oil in the Arctic is downright crazy

Edouard — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:59:33 +0000

As China and Iceland signed last week a treaty on arctic oil and as a small spill declared in Russia, I thought it was appropriate to write about a previous article from Climate Progress on the risks of such practices.

As Kiley Kroh noted there: ” Analysts at one of the world’s largest insurance markets are warning that offshore drilling in the Arctic would “constitute a unique and hard-to-manage risk ”

“Lloyd’s of London, a large UK-based insurance pool, issued a report today outlining the severe environmental and economic risk of oil and gas drilling in Arctic waters.”

The article goes on :

The stunning report comes as Royal Dutch Shell prepares for exploratory drilling operations in the Arctic – even while leading experts warn that there’s virtually no infrastructure in place to clean up an oil spill in the fragile region.

(…)It’s easy for oil companies to dismiss environmentalists concerned about the Arctic as politically-motivated. But when a centuries-old company that has made billions of dollars judging risks and insuring everything from Betty Grable’s legs to the World Trade Center’s new Freedom Tower, thinks an operation might be a little too edgy for them, it ought to make oil companies stand up and take notice.

In another article, Climate Progress also notes that a major German bank will refuse any funding of oil and gas activities as the “risks and costs are simply too high.”

As Climate hawks are increasingly calling to leave fossil fuels in the ground, drilling for oil in the Arctic won’t change anything in terms of gas prices or oil reserve…

However, it might – no, it WILL – sooner or later pollute in the most dramatic way one of the last places where Man hasn’t done too much damage yet.

When will our representatives act on climate change, energy and so on ? Are they waiting for 2020, when it will be too late ?

Are we going to let the climate crisis go like the sovereign debt one ? (ie. Do nothing, the future generations will tackle the issues with their newfound superpowers…)

Ditch the chocolate snack, eat organic apples

Edouard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:35:50 +0000

Last year I was inviting you to ditch the sodas and drink tea instead. Today I would like to invite you to ditch the chocolate snack to eat organic apples instead. Apples taste great and can reduce your cholesterol.

Forbes has a great article on organic apples and provide not one or two but five reasons why you should organic ones. I hope this will convince you to join me in eating organic fruits.

Indeed, I have taken the habit of eating one each day during my daily work and have found they are great in stopping me from being hungry.

Despite being a slim 60 kilos for 1.77 meter, I have cholesterol. A trait I have inherited from my dear dad (approximately same weight and height).

As a former Medical Doctor, he has convinced me to eat apples as a great and tasty way to cut the cholesterol. A little search on Google will show you how right he was.

To conclude, they are the ideal snack between two meals.

100% renewables in Denmark by 2050

Edouard — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:04:47 +0000

You must have read or heard about it by now : Denmark is willing to be powered by a hundred percent renewable energies by 2050. The government have set an interim goal of 35 percent by 2020.

Additionally, the country is willing to cut by 34 percent its emissions by 2020 compared to 1990. This is to my knowledge the third European nation to go above the mandatory 20 percent cuts by 2020 after Germany and the UK.

Isn’t it more than high time for both the European Union and the G-20 nations to follow suit. Let’s hope the Rio conference will show, for once, real leadership.

Computing for sustainable water

Edouard — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:21 +0000

Last week the World Community Grid announced it was launching a new project that directly caught my attention, called Computing for Sustainable Water. As the article I received in my mail stated :

” Researchers at the University of Virginia are running the Computing for Sustainable Water project to study the effects of human activity on a large watershed. “

” The results will provide insights on how to restore and sustain this particular watershed as a healthy long term resource and also apply this research approach to other important watersheds around the globe.”

Friday video : Petroleo

Edouard — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:38:57 +0000

I thought a short video might be interesting to end this week. It’s called Petroleo and it was done by two animation students at Gobelins, The French Ecole de l’Image. This was done during a Cartooning for Peace workshop.

An idea from famous French cartoonist Plantu, Cartooning for Peace offers higher levels of visibility to the many syndicated cartoonists fighting for peace and Human Rights around the world.

Petroleo offers a great reflection at our addiction to oil and its effect on us. You know my opinion on that matter : we need to get out of oil ASAP.

Without further ado, here is the video. Hope you will like it :

Click here to view the embedded video.

The end is just an absolutely brilliant metaphor of our situation if we just keep on digging for extreme oil : we will end up in total misery with extreme pollution and nothing to eat.

Global collapse could occur by 2030

Edouard — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:14:51 +0000

It seems the great Albert Einstein was right all along when he stated that “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.” Indeed, according to Care2 :

In 1972, MIT researchers published “Limits to Growth.” In it, they used models to analyze economic data, and predicted that if civilization continued on its path toward increasing consumption, the global economy would collapse by 2030.

Forty years later, instead of seeming unlikely, the prophesies of this controversial study appear to be coming true, right on schedule.

(W)e have only accelerated our consumption of the planet’s resources, and this destruction can’t go on much longer.

With all the pollutions (air, soil, water), the non-renewable resources depletion, the overpopulation and so on, it seems the twelve reasons for collapse found by Jared Diamond were right.

I have already noted that the linear economic model (in which we take, make and dispose) in which we are trapped won’t work for much longer.

A new way based on a circular economic model is the only way forward. Otherwise our children (and even ourselves) will have to fight for our very survival.

This is the best example of the very triple crisis we are trapped in. The United Kingdom is going forward, Mexico is joining. If all G-20 economies could follow suit within the next three years, I could sleep more easily.

What do you think ?

Oil prices : from a recession to another

Edouard — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:18:52 +0000

To the prestigious International Energy Agency :” If oil averages USD 120 per barrel in 2012, the global oil import burden is set to reach a record high of over USD 2 trillion, or USD 5.5 billion per day “

Their press release goes on : ” The current price levels are on average higher than the awful year of 2008, and as such have the capacity to tip the global economy back into recession “

The solution is simple : we have to ween ourselves from oil as soon as possible. It’s not as if already knew it and not as if we lacked alternatives.

Indeed, between better public transportation, electric vehicles, efficiency, hybrids, algal fuels and other sustainable biofuels there are plenty of ways to cut our oil consumption. What we lack is the political push to do so…

Oil prices are as I write at $120 (Brent crude). They averaged $111 in 2011. With the threat of a war with Iran, they could go through the roof. This led me to wonder if they could increase exponentionally. What do you think ?

European Energy ministers to meet this week

Edouard — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:00:59 +0000

Some great people are making a difference. Among them is Alice Stollmeyer, one of my most recent “discoveries” on Twitter. Alice is an independent energy policy advisor and specialist in European public affairs.

Her first blog post is on the incoming European Energy ministers meeting which will take place between Wednesday and Friday in Denmark. It will have most important topics on its agenda.

1) implementation and strengthening of EU legislation (let’s hope they will go for 30 percent) ; 2) towards a greening of the Economy ; 3) the road towards Rio+20. Make sure to read her full post for more.

Solving climate change isn’t expensive

Edouard — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:00:55 +0000

Do you remember the Stern Report on climate change ? Back to 2008, it became famous for noting that inaction would cost a fifth of Mankind’s wealth and that solving climate change would cost only ONE percent.

Now, the Committee on Climate Change corroborates the findings by stating that the United Kingdom could slash its emissions by 80 percent by 2050 with only one or two percent of GDP.

Solving our civilization with only one or two tiny percent of our fortune ? Isn’t it the kind of affair we can’t refuse ? Let’s jump on the occasion while we still can. (via Mother Jones and Grist)

Worth an article – My March 2012 tweets

Edouard — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:40:08 +0000

I have been committed since January 2007 to bring you each month a selection of the latest headlines and best researches on sustainable development, climate change and the world energy sector.

I believe it offers a good complement to this website. So if you are on Twitter and like this selection, don’t hesitate to start following me.

Climate and environmental issues

#ConnectTheDots - the 10 weirdest things about our record-breaking March weather http://wxch.nl/H0HYoK #350ppm

We recently told you that climate damage to oceans could cost $2 trillion, but what are those costs from? Find out herehttp://ow.ly/9U7q8

I don’t want to look like I am complaining, but being able to sunbathe in March in Northern France at six pm IS NOT normal.#climatechange

Climate change to cost Pakistan $14 billion annuallyhttp://bit.ly/GLMw2C

If you’re a little freaked by the weather–we truly need you helping with Connect the Dots day on May 5 http://www.climatedots.org/

Our weather has been weird; Mexico’s drought has been truly truly devastating. http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/64995

Plunder continues as EU fisheries ministers tinker around the edges of reform http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/17251

Forest coverage in region covering 20 northern U.S. states has increased by 28%, outpacing other regions. http://goo.gl/HcsrE

These microalgae-powered lamps could absorb 150 times more CO2 than a tree: http://bit.ly/wJ4eDP

Forget Kyoto – climate bonds will drive the green revolutionhttp://theconversation.edu.au

Severe drought affecting most Mexican states has caused 40% drop in crop production opening door to food shortages.http://bit.ly/yzhK1L

Science: Ocean Acidifying So Fast It threatens Humanity’s Ability to Feed Itself http://bit.ly/w93DgD

Energy

Common Sense 101: If You Drive a Hummer, Don’t Complain About Gas Prices : TreeHugger http://www.treehugger.com/cars/common-sense-101-if-you-drive-hummer-dont-complain-about-gas-prices.html My point exactly

Climate Presenter Peter Joseph: “Our biggest worry is not a nuclear winter but a carbon summer.” http://ow.ly/9xbDJ

IEA estimates to achieve a 50% CO2 emissions reduction, funding for R&D in clean tech will need to be 2-5 times higher: http://j.mp/zTbC1o

RT @joschapa ”the real challenge is retrofitting existing buildings, not to build new, more efficient buildings” #sbc2012 #HECSBC

Could algae really provide up to 17% of our transportation fuel? [VIDEO] http://bit.ly/GJIkiE

La #Wallonie éteint l’éclairage sur les autoroutes entre 0h30 et 5h30. Elle économise 15GWh, soit deux millions d’euros par an #diantonio

RT @ecocitoyens : A lire sur @lenouvelobs : « Carburant trop cher ? Apprenez à économiser. Vraiment. » http://bit.ly/HvaG0e

two euros for one liter of unleaded gasoline. It is already happening in Paris : www.lefigaro.fr [Fr]

Presentation from @IEA workshop: Multiple Benefits of #Energy#Efficiency: The UK Perspective: http://slidesha.re/xqQU5C

Renewable hydropower could supply all of Africa’s electricityhttp://bit.ly/GCV9dO

How selling #comfort and #warmth can encourage more homeowners to insulate http://wp.me/p15i9j-wD #EnergyEfficiency

That’s… a lot of money. Wow. #350ppm RT @drgrist: Oil companies get $7,610 in U.S. taxpayer subsidies every minute.http://is.gd/Be0x7D

RT @TomasWyns: A 2050 low-carbon roadmap for America:http://europeanclimatepolicy.eu/?p=515 and it’s amazing! -80% emissions and $5 trillion savings.

Sustainability

If companies had to pay for full environmental costs of their operations, they would lose 41¢ for every $1 in earnings.http://ow.ly/9tucc

19 Climate Games That Could Change the Future http://bit.ly/wqSQjP

Scalable consumption + supply chain + circular economy = Hope for sustainable economies http://bit.ly/FPJBT3 @DRMeyer1

Great article on why #Renewable #Energy should be talked about–a LOT–in Business Schools: http://bit.ly/GIOi3J

EU maintained #glass #recycling rate of 68% in 2010, equivalent to 25 billion glass containers. http://goo.gl/d9d2Q

Climate change disproportionately affects poorer nations, but it also hurts the poor in the world’s wealthiest cities http://ow.ly/9U7cV

Nine Barriers to Reinventing Capitalism (from an enviro lens) from@volansjohn http://gu.com/p/36b76/tw More than #CSR#neweconomy

This is crazy, outrageous: “Sueño con ser mileurista, tener familia, casa… “ http://politica.elpais.com

Misc

In case you missed it: exec publishes scathing resignation letter – “Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs” http://ow.ly/9F0rL

Inspiring quotes

Where there is great love there are always miracles. Willa Cather

Miguel de Cervantes: “That’s the nature of women not to love when we love them, and to love when we love them not.”

Man is a complex being: he makes deserts bloom – and lakes die. ~Gil Stern

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ~Einstein