First Anaerobic Digestion Biogas Plant Opened in Macedonia

04.02.2016

The first organic waste to biogas anaerobic digestion facility in Macedonia has been officially opened by the country’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Mihail Cvetkov last Friday. Located on a cattle farm in Bitola, the 3 MW biogas plant represents a EUR 20 million investment by the Pelagonija agricultural company. “I hope there will be similar investments in agriculture in the future with funds provided by the budget,” said Minister Cvetkov.
“I.E. direct investments projected at over EUR 100 million and the rural development program from which EUR 50 million are singled aside every year. The third financial source is the IPARD 2 program estimated at EUR 106 million,” he added.

The biogas plant offers state-of-the-art environmental-friendly solution by processing manure with which 3-megawatt power will be produced. “Renewable energy is generated with this system. This domestic investment takes care of the environment, the production process and quality products,” said Bitola mayor Vladimir Taleski. He added that the investment was a confirmation of the cooperation established between the local self-government, the government and investors.

http://waste-management-world.com

Paris climate deal could ‘displace millions of forest dwellers’

04.02.2016

šuma, Svetski dan šuma, zaštita šuma, — Foto: Pixabay

The Paris climate agreement could make millions of forest dwellers homeless, according to a new analysis. Many developing countries will try to curb carbon emissions by setting aside forested areas as reserves. But experts are worried that creating national parks often involves removing the people who live in these areas. The study indicated designating forest reserves in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could displace as many as 1.3 million people. With funding from Norway, Liberia has proposed 30% of their forests become protected areas by 2020. DR Congo, funded by Germany and the Global Environmental Facility, aims to set aside 12-15% of their forested lands. Consultants TMP Systems concluded:

In Liberia, up to 335,000 forest dwellers could be affected
In DR Congo, it could be as many as one million

“Governments have targets to expand their protected areas, and now with new climate funding being available the risk is they will use this to expand in a way that doesn’t respect local rights,” said Andy White, from the Rights and Resources Initiative, the campaign group that sponsored the research. “It could result in the displacement of millions of people.”

Making matters worse

Analysts say that this type of displacement has already happened in sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and Latin America, and sometimes caused violent conflict. “I don’t think the international community wants to displace rural dwellers in Liberia – but I think if we go about it in the way we are talking about it right now, that is going to be the result,” said Constance Teague, from Liberia’s Sustainable Development Institute. “We need to recognise that indigenous communities respect the forest and they have worked on [it] for hundreds of years. “It may not look like what the international community may expect, but this effort to conserve the land does exist.” Liberia had the largest forest space left in West Africa, largely because of the indigenous communities, she added.

The report also looks into the costs of compensating people for the loss of their lands in both Liberia and DR Congo, which range from $200m (£137m) to more than £1bn. The main argument for setting up reserves is to: protect the lands from deforestation, limit emissions, preserve the carbon in the trees.

And Mr White said: “We need to make evidence available that makes it clear that the woods are full of people, and it makes more sense to help them rather than kick them out. “Where indigenous peoples rights are protected and they are able to use their forests for their own livelihoods, they have more carbon per hectare than protected areas. “They are active protectors, you don’t have to pay a park guard, because they protect their forests, and that is what the world needs.” Some 1.5 billion indigenous people inhabit or claim most of the land in the world – but, according to a study released last year, they have legal rights to just 10%.

www.bbc.com

Entrepreneurs Key to Circular Economy Success

04.02.2016

Every year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) brings together the world’s business, economic and political leaders in Davos to discuss the challenges and future of the world economy. The theme for this year is Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Learning how humankind can benefit from this revolution while addressing its challenges was also the central aim of the WEF Annual Meeting this year. According to Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF, “It is important that leaders and citizens work together to shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people.”
Entrepreneurship has been identified as one of the drivers of sustainable economic growth. Entrepreneurs create new businesses, drive and shape innovation, speed up structural changes in the economy, and introduce new competition – all of which contribute to productivity.
Entrepreneurs create and bring to life new technologies, products and services, building new markets and jobs along the way. However, the most common challenge that many entrepreneurs face, namely funding, has not been addressed adequately. If we are to truly make a significant global change in growing the economy through entrepreneurship, then we need to look at ways of supporting and developing our entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The circular economy

The WEF recently hosted The Circulars 2016, the annual awards that recognize innovation and achievement in the circular economy. According to Accenture Strategy Research this is done for two reasons: Companies both large and small can make a big impact with circular models across multiple sectors. And the opportunity is one of massive growth. By simply shifting from today’s model of ‘take, make, waste’ the global economy could unlock $25 trillion of otherwise lost revenue by 2050. The circular economy focuses on creating and promoting new business opportunities that entail entrepreneurship and eco-innovation.
Entrepreneurs will be the key custodians in leading the transition to a circular economy business model and closing the loop on dwindling resources. This is what we need to be focusing on – pairing entrepreneurial spirit and the concerted effort to finding solutions with the many challenges and problems that we face as a country and a continent.

http://waste-management-world.com

Circular economy to have considerable benefits, but challenges remain

03.02.2016

The environmental benefits of adopting a circular economy in Europe could be considerable – reducing waste, and minimizing the continent’s heavy dependence on imports of raw materials. A new report published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA) draws attention to both the benefits and challenges of such an economic transition. The report also describes possible ways to measure progress and highlights the areas where more attention is required from research and policy in order to turn the concept into reality.
The EEA report Circular economy in Europe – Developing the knowledge base describes the concept of the circular economy and outlines its key characteristics. Creating a circular economy requires fundamental changes throughout the value chain, from product design and production processes to new business models and consumption patterns. Recycling will turn waste into a resource and extending product lifetimes will help preserve natural resources. The European Commission’s 2015 circular economy package plays an important role in bringing this about.

‘The concept of a circular economy has recently gained traction in European policy making as a positive, solutions-based perspective for achieving economic development while respecting environmental limits. The EEA is prepared to support the transition to a circular economy through analysis and assessments,’ said EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx.

Unlike the traditional take-make-consume-dispose approach, a circular economy seeks to respect environmental boundaries through increasing the share of renewable or recyclable resources while reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy. Emissions and loss of resources will thus be reduced. Approaches such as eco-design, sharing, re-using, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing products and materials, will play a significant role in maintaining the use of products, components and materials and retaining their value.

Key findings

The benefits of a transition towards a circular economy in Europe could be considerable, reducing environmental pressures in Europe and beyond and minimising the continent’s high and increasing dependence on imports. Increasingly, this dependence could be a source of vulnerability. Growing global competition for natural resources has contributed to marked increases in price levels and volatility. Circular economy strategies could also result in considerable cost savings, increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s industry while delivering net benefits in terms of job opportunities.

Challenges – As new circular approaches emerge, frictions between the existing linear system and the new approaches are bound to arise. These may be perceived as threats by some stakeholders, but as opportunities by others.

Good practice examples exist. For instance, businesses are already employing or experimenting with new business models such as service- and function-based business models and collaborative consumption. Governments increasingly foster waste prevention, reuse and repair.

A transition requires a substantial expansion of the knowledge base to chart progress and identify where more work is needed to achieve change. Some indicators exist already. For example, Europe is reducing the amount of waste generated and recycles more and more of its waste. But more information is needed to inform decision making and combine thinking about environmental, social and economic impacts. Better insight is needed in production structures and functions, consumption dynamics, finance and fiscal mechanisms, as well as triggers and pathways for technological and social innovations.

www.eea.europa.eu

The smart money is going green

02.02.2016

Last month, the world reached a landmark agreement on climate change in Paris. This week, business leaders gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum need to start breathing life into that deal. The Paris Agreement delivered a clear and credible signal that the world economy is moving in a low-carbon direction. Now it’s time for companies and investors to make 2016 a ‘Year of Green Finance’ by putting efforts to reduce emissions on their priority list for investment and risk management.

Over the past few years, businesses have learned that strong climate action can deliver economic growth. Shares in companies taking the lead in this area outperformed the Bloomberg world index of top companies by almost 10% from 2010-2014. Investors can see the way the wind is blowing, which is why the value of green bonds for sustainable infrastructure has exploded, hitting $41 billion in 2015. Over 400 investors representing $24 trillion in assets have pledged to seek out and scale up low-carbon and carbon-resilient investments.

Cost of renewable energy falling fast

One reason investors are so excited is because innovation is lowering the price of renewable energy much faster than anticipated. The cost of solar panels has fallen 80% since 2008, and solar and wind energy can now compete on cost with fossil fuels in many regions worldwide. This has led to a drastic market shift: In 2013, new clean power capacity exceeded that of new fossil fuel capacity for the first time ever. We can expect the shift to continue. The cost of investing in carbon intensive sectors is increasing. According to research from Corporate Knights, 14 funds holding over $1 trillion in assets could have saved $22 billion had they shifted investments from the highest carbon companies to those that receive at least 20% of revenues from environmental markets or clean energy.

The awareness of the risks of high-carbon investment is growing, though it could still use a push. The financial community should expect increasing pressure on companies to disclose their exposure to climate risk, and to be more transparent about the carbon intensity of their investments. The Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition a joint effort by United Nations Environment Programme, its Finance Initiative, and major funds and asset managers announced last month that over $600 billion in assets had been committed to de-carbonization, six times its original target.

This is a clear indication that the smart money is already moving in the right direction. Businesses and investors are acting fast, but what can policymakers do to support the clean energy transition? For one, they can enact carbon pricing, which offers a win-win opportunity for climate and the economy. Revenues from such programs have helped to balance budgets or have been used to address other public priorities, such as employment generation or reducing inequality.

Green investments are making money

The transition will also require policymakers to throw their support behind green finance institutions and tools, including green banks and public capital for renewable energy and other low-carbon investments. Green banks are already successfully leveraging private capital in a number of countries and proving that such investments can be profitable. For instance, the UK Green Investment Bank expects to earn taxpayers a return of 10% in 2015. In developing countries, public capital must play a key role. Without financing, the upfront costs of clean energy can deter investors and obscure the future cost advantages from lower fuel and operating costs.

This is an urgent issue if ambitious renewable energy targets in countries like India are to be realized. Other countries like China and Brazil have provided low cost, long-term debt for renewable energy. We could all learn from their successes in providing cheap public financing. The Paris Agreement gave the world a clear signal. Early movers in business and finance will see important gains over competitors. But much work still lies ahead.

Author: Caio Koch-Weser is a member of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, chair of the Supervisory Board, European Climate Foundation, and vice-chairman of Deutsche Bank. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

www.cnn.com

Renewable Energy Technologies

02.02.2016

This book presents currently available renewable energy technologies (RETs) and explores their possible integration into the economically viable and green residential micro grids of tomorrow. The emphasis is on the importance of RETs in today’s energy-efficient building designs, and on those RET mathematical models suitable for both performance simulation and economic appraisal. A range of energy storage alternatives, as well as typical energy consumption patterns, are also thoroughly described and precisely simulated. After selecting the right components for a hybrid system, readers are introduced to problems of system integration and optimization, using simulations that support alternative scenario exercises and comparative analysis. The multi criteria comparison also includes detailed investment appraisals, using both conventional methodologies and the authors’ novel green-accounting-based appraisal to investigate the impacts on the economic efficiency of the project.

Authors: Marko Batić, Mladen Stanojević, Sanja Vraneš

www.springer.com

The world’s largest floating solar power plant is being built in Japan

29.01.2016

As solar power becomes a bigger and bigger part of the overall energy landscape, engineers around the world are busy working out how to build plants that are large and efficient enough to keep up with demand. Now Japanese electronics giant Kyocera is starting construction on what it says will be the largest floating solar power plant (in terms of overall capacity) in the world. It’s the fourth such floating plant Kyocera has worked on so far, but this one promises to be the most impressive yet: the facility is going to be built on the Yamakura Dam reservoir to the south-east of Tokyo in Japan, and will pump out 13.7 megawatts (MW) of power once it’s completed in March 2018. Some 51,000 photo voltaic panels will be stitched together to cover around 180,000 square meters (about 44.5 acres) of space.

That’s roughly the same area as 18 soccer pitches, so you get a sense of the sort of scale we’re talking about here. Kyocera says the new plant will provide enough power for 4,970 average households and offset around 7,411 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year that it’s in operation (equivalent to 19,000 barrels of oil). Floating plants “utilise Japan’s abundant water surfaces of reservoirs for agricultural and flood-control purposes”, says Kyocera. Of course, usable land is at a premium in the Asian country, so putting these panels on water makes sense. The process of building this plant began back in October 2014, and Kyocera says it has plans to build several more in the future too.

As John Boyd at IEEE Spectrum reports, Kyocera is working with solar experts Ciel et Terre on the plant: the French outfit has been pioneering the use of these types of floating solar panels since 2006. The support modules of the mounting platform are made from a metal-free, recyclable, high-density polyethylene material that’s resistant to both corrosion and the Sun’s ultraviolet rays (always a bonus for solar plant construction). Ciel et Terre says its plants don’t impact water quality in any way, although evaporation levels are reduced, and the new installation is going to be anchored to the bottom of the Yamakura Dam reservoir. It’s designed to be typhoon-resistant too, so should hold up in the face of the worst that Japan’s weather can offer. Right now, the world’s largest solar power plant (floating or otherwise) is the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in the Mojave Desert of California.

Its total energy capacity is 392 MW, and it terms of area covered, it’s almost 100 times bigger than Kyocera’s latest construction project. What’s most important, however, is that solar energy technology is proving versatile enough to be deployed in all kinds of forms across the globe.

http://www.sciencealert.com

EU seeks more control on national car tests

28.01.2016

The European Commission wants more powers over the approval process of new car types for the European market, it announced on Wednesday (27 January). If national governments and the European Parliament approve the proposal, the following changes will be introduced:
– Car manufacturers will no longer pay the test laboratory directly, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
– The commission and national governments will check if cars that have already been certified are compliant with safety and environmental requirements.
– If a car type is found to break the rules, the Commission will have the power to fine the company, if the national government has not. These fines can amount to €30,000 per vehicle on the market.
– EU countries will have to report to the commission annually about how many fines they have imposed.
– Car manufacturers will be forced to publish information about the software installed in their vehicles.
– If the commission thinks a test laboratory is not applying the rules strictly enough, it can “suspend, restrict or withdraw” that laboratory’s permission to certify new car types.
Nearly three in four MEPs supported a text which the legislative body asked the commission “to redesign the current type-approval regime in order to guarantee that type approvals and certificates by national competent authorities can be checked independently and reassessed by the commission”.

‘Real driving’ tests

The two commissioners also defended on Wednesday the design of a new testing mechanism that looks at toxic and polluting emissions during so-called ‘real driving’ conditions. Also in October, EU countries decided that under the new test, diesel carmakers would be allowed to exceed emissions limits by a factor of 2.1, and by a factor of 1.5 after January 2020. Currently, actual emissions are, on average, four times as high as suggested in lab results. This was because the gap between lab test results and the actual polluting done by cars on the road was so large, that national governments said car makers should be given some leeway to close the gap. The European Parliament does not have the power to influence the content of the new test, which was agreed through the so-called comitology procedure. It can only adopt or reject it. Last month, the parliament’s environment committee proposed to reject it. The vote, in the EP’s plenary session in Strasbourg, will be on Tuesday (2 February).

‘Constructive and timely’

Following the proposal’s publication, several interest groups gave it their praise. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said the plan was “a big step in the right direction”. “It is crucial that the cosy relationship between car makers, national authorities and testing services is broken up,” it noted in a press release. Green lobby group Transport & Environment (T&E) said it was a “constructive and timely attempt to bring into line carmakers who, for decades, have actively undermined the approval system circumventing regulation and damaging public health, safety and the climate”. However, T&E added it would have liked the commission to put in place sanctions on the national type approval authorities.

https://euobserver.com

Energy efficiency in industry will rise, study finds

27.01.2016

Energy efficiency levels in industry are expected to improve overall up to 2050, according to a new study entitled: ‘Energy efficiency and energy saving potential in industry and on possible policy mechanisms’. The study, published in January, covered pulp, paper and print, iron and steel, non-metallic mineral, chemical and pharmaceutical, non-ferrous metal, petroleum refineries, food and beverage and machinery.

Together, these sectors accounted for 25% of total EU final energy consumption, or 98% of industrial final energy consumption in 2013. In the decades up to 2050, only iron and steel and chemicals and pharmaceuticals are predicted to increase their energy consumption in the context of significant production growth and constant energy intensity improvement, the study said. Pulp and paper, especially, has a consistent good track record in improving its energy intensity, and energy consumption is projected to decrease despite a gradual increase in production rates.

Energy intensity is predicted to remain flat for non-metallic minerals such as ceramics, cement and glass. For non-ferrous metals, energy consumption is also expected to remain flat. The study noted the EU’s strong trend in the production of secondary metal through recycling and recovering useful scrap metal. Overall production in the petroleum refineries sector is assumed to decline by 23% by 2050. From 1992-2010, refineries increased their energy efficiency by 10%, but energy intensity is expected to increase slightly to satisfy demand for lower sulfur products, the study said.

The food and drink sector, meanwhile, is expected to continuously improve its productivity and high standards for food safety and quality, resulting in declining energy consumption even as production continues to grow.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu

ABB launches its anniversary year with an ABB-branded Allegra train

26.01.2016

ABB meets RhB — ABB branded Allegra Train for Rhätische Bahn RhB heading from Landquart to Davos and Filisur

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Charles Brown and Walter Boveri founded BBC in Baden, Switzerland. The company developed into today’s global player ABB, with subsidiaries in 100 countries.
This year ABB is celebrating its 125th anniversary in Switzerland. To kick off the anniversary year, a Rhaetian Railways’ Allegra train will display a timeline of facts and graphics highlighting historic milestones of ABB’s history in Switzerland and throughout the world. The interior and exterior of the trainset was redesigned in accordance with the ABB anniversary branding.

During the World Economic Forum (WEF), the train will shuttle between Landquart and Davos and will later be used on other Rhaetian Railways routes as well. With the joint branding, ABB and Rhaetian Railways are highlighting their close collaboration spanning nearly a century. Rhaetian Railways celebrated its own 125th anniversary in 2014, and its Albula and Bernina lines were added to the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2008 as masterpieces of railway engineering.Additional events and celebrations of the ABB anniversary will showcase ABB’s deep bond with Switzerland throughout the year. Among other things, ABB will be a prominent guest at the opening of the new Gotthard Base Tunnel – the longest railway tunnel in the world – at the beginning of June. The new tunnel is equipped with a wide range of ABB technologies that secure the power supply of the infrastructure and the ventilation.Charles Brown and Walter Boveri founded BBC in the Swiss city of Baden in 1891.

The electrical engineering pioneers viewed electricity as the pacesetter for a new age. ABB’s predecessors successfully implemented this vision with astonishing speed – and at an early stage in the railway sector as well. In 1913 BBC supplied the first locomotives for the Albula line. BBC was one of the driving forces behind the electrification of the Swiss railway network and was involved in the electrification of the Gotthard line between 1921-1924 as well.In 1988 BBC merged with the Swedish company ASEA to form ABB. In the power and automation technology portfolio of the group, electrical systems for trains as well as for railway infrastructure still form a core part of the company. Thus, the Allegra trains are equipped with an energy-efficient drive package from ABB, which generates electricity while descending grades across the network for trains climbing back up the mountains. It consists of compact power converters and transformers that are specially designed to withstand the tough conditions in the mountainous canton of Graubünden.

The Allegra train set was built by Stadler Rail. Since the start of the collaboration between ABB and Stadler Rail in 2002, Stadler Rail has ordered ABB traction equipment for more than 1,500 regional trains and more than 300 light-rail vehicles. ABB supplies the railway sector with innovative and energy-efficient technologies made primarily in Switzerland. Railway power converters are developed and manufactured in the town of Turgi in the canton of Aargau, and traction transformers in Geneva. Moreover, ABB manufactures and services all components and subsystems used in regional and long-distance railway networks as well as high-speed routes. ABB has an enormous installation base around the globe and offers life cycle services including maintenance, upgrades and retrofits.

About ABB

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people.

Source: www.abb.com

Good environmental governance is central to sustainable development and competitive economies, say participants at meeting in Vienna

26.01.2016

Good environmental governance and sustainable development – central elements of the economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security – are the focus of the two-day 1st Preparatory Meeting of the 24th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which opened yesterday in Vienna. High-level officials, experts and key stakeholders from the OSCE’s 57 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation, and representatives of the business community, international organizations, civil society and academia are discussing how good environmental governance in the OSCE area helps to reinforce security and stability. In his opening remarks, the Chairperson of the Permanent Council, Ambassador Eberhard Pohl, representing Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship, stated that “the prerequisite to preserve and share natural resources in a globalized world is co-operation. The OSCE, with its broad approach to security, and its second dimension in particular, can contribute substantially to understanding and tackling this task.”

Ambassador Pohl emphasized that promoting good governance includes aspects such as the rule of law, the accountability of the public sector and high-quality legislation in environmental matters. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stressed that “creating and sustaining an enabling environment for a vocal civil society, an informed and responsive public, and efficient institutions for sound management of the environment and natural resources, will continue to be our priority in the OSCE.” The Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Yurdakul Yigitguden, welcomed efforts to strengthen OSCE engagement with the private sector. “I see countless opportunities for business to contribute to sustainable development through commitment to seeking shared value and through commitments to environmental compliance and innovation.” “We must find new and better ways to counter the externalization of costs that stem from the exploitation of natural resources, within societies but also among world regions,” said former Executive Director of the UN Environmental Programme and former German Federal Minister for the Environment Klaus Töpfer in his keynote speech.

“Shifting the burden of resource exploitation on others has always been a source of tensions and conflict. In that way, sustainable development is the new name for peace.” He stated that “the OSCE and its participating States have a strong and responsible position to signal that negotiations on sustainability issues are reflected in real action. “ Helge Wendenburg, Director General for Water Management and Resource Conservation at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment pointed to the risks of climate change and the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit last year. “We need to stand up for good governance. Only then sustainable development can be promoted and environmental standards correctly implemented.”

A Second Preparatory Meeting will be convened in Berlin on 19-20 May and a Concluding Meeting will be held in Prague on 14-16 September.

Source: www.osce.org

Ljubljana is the 2016 European Green Capital

22.01.2016

Ljubljana is the 2016 European Green Capital, the first city in Central or Southeastern Europe to hold the title. Numerous changes have happened in a short period in Ljubljana, and those were exactly the reasons on why Ljubljana was chosen by European Commission to become a European Green Capital 2016.
Ljubljana is now:
– A city center, mostly dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists
– A city with the highest, 63% share of separated waste collected and is the first capital in the EU in the ‘zero-waste’ programme
– A city with 542 square meters of public green space per resident, where three quarters of the entire territory of Ljubljana are green areas
– A city where 73% of apartments are heated by the district heating system using natural gas

One of the few European capitals which can boast of having tap water which is perfectly drinkable without per-treatment. And Urbanscape Green Solutions are taking part in it. Through various projects, realized in the last few years and by greening the city roofs we added our piece to the decision of European Commission. With our Green Roof system on top of two main Info Points, where visitors get info about programme, events and activities taking place in Ljubljana and connected with European Green Capital 2016, we are proving our system (due to light-weight, efficiency of installation, high water absorption and much more) can be used practically everywhere.

Web site www.greenljubljana.com

Web communication plays a key role in presenting the title European Green Capital 2016. The aim of the website www.greenljubljana.com is to encourage as many people as possible to co-create with us a green society and at the same time to learn about the activities and achievements of the City of Ljubljana. The website is also adapted for people with disabilities.

On the website you can find out why Ljubljana received the title European Green Capital 2016, get acquainted with green facts, follow green events or read interesting and educational articles in the column Blog. As we are aware of the significance of responsible and environment-friendly activities, we would like to put the spotlight on the section Green Yourself where anyone can make small changes that contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in Ljubljana.

The visitors of the website are invited to actively take part in the campaign. You can document your green pledges on Facebook or Instagram page of the City of Ljubljana and publish them on social media by using the hashtag #ljforyou or #greencapital2016. The photos will be published on the website as well.

Vesna Vukajlović

Source: http://www.green-urbanscape.com and www.ljubljana.si

Analyses Reveal Record-shattering Global Warm Temperatures in 2015

21.01.2016

2015 was Planet Earth’s warmest year since modern record-keeping began in 1880, according to a new analysis by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Earth’s 2015 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Globally-averaged temperatures in 2015 shattered the previous mark set in 2014 by 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit (0.13 Celsius). Only once before, in 1998, has the new record been greater than the old record by this much.

The 2015 temperatures continue a long-term warming trend, according to analyses by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York (GISTEMP). NOAA scientists concur with the finding that 2015 was the warmest year on record based on separate, independent analyses of the data. Because weather station locations and measurements change over time, there is some uncertainty in the individual values in the GISTEMP index. Taking this into account, NASA analysis estimates 2015 was the warmest year with 94 percent certainty.

This color-coded map displays a progression of changing global surface temperature anomalies from 1880 through 2015. Higher than normal temperatures are shown in red and lower than normal termperatures are shown in blue. The final frame represents the global temperatures 5-year averaged from 2010 through 2015. Scale in degree Celsius.

“Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and NASA’s vital work on this important issue affects every person on Earth,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “Today’s announcement not only underscores how critical NASA’s Earth observation program is, it is a key data point that should make policy makers stand up and take notice – now is the time to act on climate.”

The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1.0 degree Celsius) since the late-19th century, a change largely driven by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.

Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001. Last year was the first time the global average temperatures were 1 degree Celsius or more above the 1880-1899 average.

Phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña, which warm or cool the tropical Pacific Ocean, can contribute to short-term variations in global average temperature. A warming El Niño was in effect for most of 2015.

“2015 was remarkable even in the context of the ongoing El Niño,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. “Last year’s temperatures had an assist from El Niño, but it is the cumulative effect of the long-term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing.”

Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures, so not every region on Earth experienced record average temperatures last year. For example, NASA and NOAA found that the 2015 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the second warmest on record.

NASA’s analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations. These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions if left unaccounted for. The result of these calculations is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.

NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but a different baseline period, and different methods to analyze Earth’s polar regions and global temperatures.

GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.

Source: www.climate.nasa.org

Energy storage commercially viable, 900 MW expected in 2016

20.01.2016

The energy storage market is shifting from R&D demonstration projects to a commercially viable market, states IHS, Inc. Q4 2015 saw a 45% increase in the global project pipeline, while 900 MW of projects are expected to be installed this year. The final quarter of 2015 saw a significant increase in planned global energy storage projects, up 45% on the previous quarter, to reach nearly 400 MW. The overall pipeline of planned battery and flywheel projects now stands at 1.6 GW.

The majority 45% are planned for the U.S., although Japan is expected to comprise around 20%. Several large-scale projects bolstered the Q4 pipeline, says IHS, including LG Chem’s 90 MW contract with Steag to supply six large-scale lithium ion batteries for what will become the largest energy storage system project of its kind, when complete, in 2017; and Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s 75 MW of awarded energy storage contracts under the California Public Utilities Commission’s Energy Storage Decision program, which is targeting 1.32 GW of storage by investor-owned utilities by 2020.

Driving the energy storage uptake are several factors, says IHS, including continued battery cost reductions, government funding programs and utility tenders. It expects to see 900 MW projects come online in 2016, thus leading to a doubling in the global installed base of grid connected capacity.

Source: www.pv-magazine.com

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Events for 31 October

Events for 1 November

Events for 2 November

Events for 3 November

Events for 4 November

Events for 5 November

Events for 6 November

Events for 7 November

Events for 8 November

Events for 9 November

Events for 10 November

Events for 11 November

Events for 12 November

Events for 13 November

Events for 14 November

Events for 15 November

Events for 16 November

Events for 17 November

Events for 18 November

Events for 19 November

Events for 20 November

Events for 21 November

Events for 22 November

Events for 23 November

Events for 24 November

Events for 25 November

Events for 26 November

Events for 27 November

Events for 28 November

Events for 29 November

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