I recently had the pleasure of having my first exhibition, at Vetlanda Konstförening in Sweden.
The Vernissage was Saturday February 26, 2011. It was crowded with people and lots of valuable and good feedback.
With an incentive package dedicated to renewable energy of between 200–600 billion dollars over the next decade, according to rumors, it is likely that China is aiming for a position as the world’s leader in renewable energy and low carbon technology.
China has published an astonishing and ambitious plan for renewable energy for the next decade.
According to the ambitious plan China will increase
China is already the world leader in solar heating systems to heat water (rooftop solar water heaters). Rooftop solar water heaters have been installed on more than 40 million Chinese homes, and were up to a total of 100 million square meters in 2006. During the next decade an additional 200 million square meters will be installed!
China will definitely lead the race towards a green economy, and most likely become “the first green superpower.”
Nothing much has happened in the shipping industry over the last 30-40 years. It is basically the same ship design and same fuel. Vessels burn more than 370 million tons of oil annually, resulting in emissions greater than the total emissions from the entire African continent. Due to increased consumption emissions are expected to increase by nearly 40 percent from 1.2 billion tonnes (2007) to 2 billion tonnes in 2015.
But, thanks to the development of a new crude oil tanker concept – “Triality,” by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) we are looking at a major step towards the new environmental ear for tanker shipping. “Triality” is fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), has a hull shape that removes the need for ballast water and will almost eliminate local air pollution.
By using LNG instead of bunker oil, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 34%, nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 84% and sulfur oxide (SOx) by 94%, and use 25% less energy than conventional vessels.
A traditional tanker in unloaded transit needs ballast water to obtain full propeller immersion and sufficient forward draft to avoid bottom slamming. The new V-shaped hull form and cargo tank arrangements completely eliminate the need for ballast water.
Although an additional capital expenditure of 10-15% is expected for a Triality VLCC newbuilding compared to a traditional VLCC, the estimated life cycle cost is expected to be 25 % lower than than the newbuilding cost for a traditional VLCC.
Camelina (also known as gold-of-pleasure or false flax) can be one of the most important crops for biofuel production. Camelina grows in rotation with wheat and/or on marginal land, it grows fast, needs little water and less fertilizer than many other crops, and does not compete with food crops.
Camelina sativa is grown increasingly in the U.S. for biofuel production, and grows best in northern parts of North America, Northern Europe and Central Asia. After the oil has been extracted from the seeds, the remaining protein-rich crop residues can be used as animal feed.
Updated life cycle analysis of the carbon footprint of camelina found that the renewable camelina-based jet fuel reduces GHG emissions by 75% compared to traditional petroleum-based jet fuel, and 80% compared to petroleum-based diesel.
Camelina, which is among the most tested of all renewable fuels, has been tested by the US Air Force, the US Navy, and Japan Airlines, in different aircraft types and vehicles, with successful test results.
By mid-2011 the US Navy and US Air Force will have made orders totaling nearly 500,000 gallons of Camelina biofuel from the firm Sustainable Oils.
I was asked that question yesterday.
The shipping industry accounts for 90 percent of all international freight. It carries 7.4 billion tons of freight annually and consumes 370 million tons of oil!
Due to increased consumption in the world, the shipping’s carbon emissions are expected to increase by nearly 40 percent over an 8-year period – from 1.2 billion tonnes (2007) to 2 billion tons in 2015!
According to a new report from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) the shipping industry can with relative simple means reduce vessels carbon emissions by 15 percent – while saving money – through measures like:
New technology can further reduce the transport sector’s negative environmental impact. The German company SkySails has combined century old experiences with revolutionary innovation and developed a kite for cargo ships.
Freight companies can reduce annual fuel consumption by 10-35 percent, depending on wind conditions, by letting wind power do part of the transportation. Kites for cargo ships are the size of a soccer field, have five times more thrust than conventional sails, and can be used for wind speeds between 7 and 40 knots (12–74 km/h).
Another shipping innovation comes from the Danish company DK Group, which in 2008 launched a mini-bulk carrier with a built in air pocket in the hull. The air pocket forms a thin layer between the hull and the water that reduces friction. Less friction means less fuel consumption (15 percent) and less carbon emissions.
Still other examples of solutions are ferries that run on solar energy (photovoltaic panels) in Hong Kong, shore power (also known as Cold Ironing) to power marine vessels when in a harbor, and hull cleaning to reduce friction and fuel consumption.
A former colleague of mine asked me how much environmental villain air traffic is in relation to other emission sources, and added “There should be more focus on food production.”
Air transport consumes annually 70 billion gallons of jet fuel and is a growing environmental hazard! The aviation industry’s contribution (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen oxides) to increased greenhouse effect is about 3.5 percent, of which carbon dioxide accounts for about 2 percent. The aviation sector is also the sector with the largest annual increase, with a doubling in fifteen years. According to the Air Transport Association, IATA, the industry’s vision is zero emission from aircrafts by 2050.
By comparison, the cement industry accounts for 6 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions (1.1 billion tonnes), which is almost twice the emissions from the aviation industry and 20 times what Sweden releases in one year!
For those who cannot afford, or rejects, to buy an electric car, do not want to change their travel patterns, there is a simple way to reduce everyone’s carbon emissions – stop wasting food!
Using data from the U.S. – which is somewhat higher than in Scandinavia, but not that much higher – approximately 27% of the manufactured food is thrown away as waste.
The U.S. could save the equivalent of 350 million barrels of oil each year – if you count the energy consumed in growing, packing, preservation and transportation, by not producing the huge quantities of food that is thrown in the garbage. The savings of not producing the food that is wasted, is equivalent to the emissions from 55 million cars (= all passenger cars in Germany) – annually!
Several airlines have over the last two years tested different types of biofuels for experimental flights. The pilots conducting the test flight for Japan Airlines (JAL) reported that the biofuel was more fuel efficient than 100 percent traditional jet-A fuel (kerosene). This indicates that biofuels may not only be a carbon-neutral option, but a more fuel efficient one.
In spite of good biofuel test results from airlines like JAL, Air New Zealand, Continental Airlines and Virigin Airlines, no airline has so far tested biofuels on a passenger flight, until now.
Germany’s biggest airline, Lufthansa, says it will launch the world’s first passenger flight using biofuel beginning in April 2011. An Airbus A321 aircraft on daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt will be powered with a biofuel blend made from 50 percent vegetable oil. The flights will continue for six months as part of a government-backed study on the long-term impact of biofuels on aircraft performance.
“Daily bio-fuel flights are a significant step forward in our pursuit of a sustainable future for aviation”, Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO.
I’m so much looking forward to seeing the results after the six months test flight period!
Fingers crossed!
For the first time an electric vehicle climbed to the top of the prestigious award “Car of the Year in Europe”!
The jury, consisting of 58 European automotive journalists, has voted Nissan Leaf as “2011 European Car of the Year”. The Nissan Leaf was a pre-favorite and won by nine points ahead of Alfa Romeo Giulietta in second place, and thirteen points ahead of the Opel Meriva on third place.
Nissan Leaf takes four people, has a relatively large trunk, comfort and equipment on par with traditional competitors. This includes six airbags, ESP and so on. The Leaf stands out as the first good example of an electric city car. Nissan Leaf is a super green alternative in countries like Norway, where more or less all electricity comes from hydro power.
“It’s the first electric car I drive that is almost exactly like driving any other car in the class. Both in terms of ride comfort, safety and the whole package, it is like any other car”, said Roger Korsvoll, member of the jury, Car of the Year.
This cannot be seen as anything but a celebration of the electric vehicle, and that the EV is finally a real alternative to fossil fuel cars. A happy day!!
In Malawi, where 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas and farming is the main income generator, communities struggle to meet basic needs and have few resources left over for schools or other public services. To address this issue and spur sustainable infrastructure development, the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative (CHDI) partnered with the John McAslan Family Trust to design a new generation of low-cost, low-energy, high-quality schools in Malawi.
In 2007, CHDI and the McAslan Trust began designing and testing a prototype and, a little more than a year later, the first schools were built and put to use. The schools improve upon existing designs by increasing light and ventilation, so classrooms are both brighter and cooler and make best use of their natural environment. The structures also utilize local raw materials in their construction, are relatively simple to build, and cost less than current designs — meaning they can be easily replicated and scaled up by local governments. In 2009, the Ministry of Education in Malawi adopted the improved design for use in constructing primary school classrooms across the country.
Moving forward, CHDI hopes the design can serve as a model for sustainable school buildings not only in Malawi, but throughout Africa and India as well. The schools project is part of a broader CHDI effort to implement solutions that can be sustained locally, without reliance on foreign aid. While the new school design will ultimately need to be tailored to meet the unique needs of each community, it has already proven that, when organizations and local governments share resources and innovations, sustainable solutions to even the biggest challenges are possible.
Finished compost can be sold or given away to agriculture. Compost utilized in agriculture industry reduces the dependency on petrochemical fertilizers and reduces water consumption by providing a healthier soil, and help to sequester CO2, thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Vineyard managers apply compost after the harvest to return nutrients to soil. Hundreds of vineyards in Northern California now apply compost because organic growers have demonstrated the practice elevates soil quality and vine health.
From an article pointing out the advantages of composting; “Growers and researchers alike are finding compost and mulch to be indispensable aspects of vineyard floor management programs. In addition to recent evidence that use of compost may reduce root rot associated with phylloxera damage, growers are using compost and mulch for erosion control, soil moisture retention, nutrient content, and as a contribution to overall vineyard health.”
