The 5th Energy Efficiency Fair will be held by Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. As Turkey is a hot market for Energy sector, Ministry and Renewable Energy Management of Turkey will be emphasizing how much important Energy Saving at the present time and companies will be presenting their products during the fair and forum… During the fair, the Energy Efficiency Forum will be held at the same time… more here http://www.evf.gov.tr/ .
The waste problems created by pod coffee have been well covered by TreeHugger. In 2007, Lloyd Alter called pod coffee a “design for unsustainablity.” However, the scale of the problem is little discussed. Even as pod coffee makers like Keurig take steps to make their products less wasteful, billions of pods are still going to landfills. Some will scoff at the idea that the users of ultra-convenient single cup brewing systems would try to recycle the packaging, but there are other factors causing pods to end up in the trash. And even when they are put out for recycled – it seems many many just don’t get recycled.
Pacific islanders will challenge world leaders this week to act on climate change, warning that their low-lying atolls are close to becoming uninhabitable because of rising seas and increasingly severe floods, droughts and storm surges. “The Pacific is fighting for its survival. Climate change has already arrived,” said Christopher Loeak, president of the Marshall Islands, which will host the Pacific islands’ annual summit, attended by most of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, including the US, China and the EU. Many small island Pacific “microstates”, including the Solomons, Tuvalu and the Carteret Islands, have all suffered rapid erosion, higher tides, storm surges and inundation of wells with seawater. Earlier this year Kiribati’s president, Anote Tong, predicted his country was likely to become uninhabitable between 30 and 60 years from now because of inundation and contamination of its freshwater supplies. Many of its outer islands are being invaded by the sea, and people are flocking to the capital, South Tarawa. The state has plans to buy 2,000 hectares of land in Fiji to grow food for itself and possibly to act as a new island home. More on the Guardian here.
The Titan Solara 50 solar powered plane is huge. The wingspan is about 150 feet! It can carry a payload of around 250lbs to “atmospheric orbit” and then stay operational up there thanks to its 3,000 solar cells that can produce 7 kW of electricity (and because it flies above the clouds, it’s always sunny during daytime). T giant solar plane could stay airborne for 5 years … theoretically even longer!
A New York taxi driver who was given a licence even though he had a record of traffic violations including ” running a red light, speeding, improper turn and use of a bus lane” has driven into a British tourist, 23 year old Sian Green. She was just standing by the road eating a hot dog – and was severely injured and has now lost a foot. This article highlights the problems when the differing needs of (sometimes angry) cyclists, cabbies, pedestrians and drivers when their interests collide …
Kids parties – styrofoam plates, plastic cutlery, too much food, fizzy pop in plastic bottles, too many decorations, and a goodie bag stuffed with junk toys and sweets and packaging for each little prince and princess to take home. In When Did Birthday Parties Become So Wasteful? by Katherine Martinko takes a look.
The United States uses 39% of the energy it produces, and wastes 61%… but simple measures that boost energy efficiency and cut waste can make a radical difference For the environment, it’s often better to cut 1 watt of demand (1 negawatt) than to add 1 watt of renewable energy supply, and it often costs less too. This chart from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab shows all of the main energy sources in the USA, what they are used for, and how much of that energy goes to useful work (“Energy services”) and how much is wasted (“Rejected energy”).
There is a lot of debate on the introduction of badger culling in the UK with two test culls being undertaken at the moment – and thousands of badgers will be shot on the (disputed) basis that they spread bovine tuberculosis (bTB) to cattle. But interesting new research shows that tuberculosis in humans is as old as humanity itself and the TB bacterium originated many thousands of years ago when the first modern humans had yet to start their global migration from their African homeland. By studying the genetic make up of 250 modern strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, it seems TB did not spread to humans from their domesticated animals – it pre-dates farming – and whilst TB could survive in small tribes of hunter gatherers, it benefited hugely from the human demographic explosion – as the human population increased with the agricultural and then industrial revolutions – so did TB.
Gibraltar is preparing for its biggest music event to date – the 10,000 capacity Gibraltar Music Festival headlined by Emili Sande, Olly Murs , 10cc, Texas and Level 42. And the Netherland’s 60,000 capacity Mysteryland festival will make its US debut next year at the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, Bethel Woods. Organisers ID&T say the EDM event will take place between the 23rd and 26th May 2014 with a capacity of 20,000. It is also organising TomorrowWorld in Atlanta between September 27th – 29th with a 50,000 capacity.
In Ireland, Mr Justice Peter Kelly has adjourned a case between Pod Music Ltd, the company run by John Reynolds, funder of the 35,000 Electric Picnic, and Festival Republic Dublin, urging both sides to resolve their differences out of court. Reynolds had claimed that he was being excluded from key decisions and “unexplained payments” now that FDR own 71% of the organising company.
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR UK FESTIVAL AWARDS’ TENTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR: The Submissions system is now live for festival award categories, Promoter of the Year, new technology category and more www.festivalawards.comIn the year of its 10th anniversary the UK Festival Awards has opened nominations for festivals and the industry to put themselves forward for inclusion in the awards. From ‘Best Small’ to ‘Best Major’ festival categories, ‘Best Toilets’ to the panel-voted ‘Promoter of the Year’ award, the UKFA 2013 will celebrate every aspect of this year’s festival season and the industry behind it. The winners will be presented with their trophies at a ceremony on Monday 2nd December 2013 at The Roundhouse, London. Festival promoters are invited to nominate their festival now by visiting http://www.festivalawards.com/apply. For festival promoters across Europe, nominations in the European Festival Awards will open simultaneously with the UK and promoters are invited to nominate their festival now by visiting http://eu.festivalawards.com/apply
AGF Blog 