Carbon dioxide from industry could be buried offshore

Executice summary, by Damian Kahya and Richard Anderson

According to CO2 Sense, a not-for-profit company which works to support clean energy projects in the area, the Yorkshire and Humber region is one of Europe's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide.

Together, Ferrybridge, Drax and Eggborough provide more than 10% of our electricity but emit some 30 million tonnes of CO2, an odourless and colourless gas, every year.

Add to that two of the UK's larger refineries - Total's Lindsay oil and Conoco Phillip's Immingham - and one of our largest steel mills, Tata Steel's Scunthorpe plant.

The entire cluster puts out a total of 60 million tonnes of CO2 more than double the next biggest emitting region in the UK, along the Thames in Greater London.

"What we're in here is one of the Europe's big energy and climate change hotspots," says Dr Stephen Brown, director of carbon capture and storage at CO2 Sense.

It means that in this region, thousands of jobs depend on industries whose emissions are set to be taxed and regulated ever more heavily over the next decade.

The more industries releasing carbon dioxide in one place, the more potential customers there are for a plan to capture the greenhouse gas and bury it far out under the North Sea.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for electricity generation has not yet been carried out commercially and at scale anywhere.

Many of the UK's coal and nuclear plants are due to be de-commissioned over the next 10 years as a result of old age or because they do not comply with new emissions regulations.

And the government has promised to completely de-carbonise electricity generation by 2050 - so any new gas or coal plants will be needing their carbon dioxide captured and stored.

"If you want to achieve the sort of carbon reductions we're talking about... either we can't do it without CCS or it would be much more expensive," says Malcolm Grimston, associate fellow at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies.

But the Treasury withdrew £1bn of support funding from the project when it became clear that it would not be enough to get the plant built.

Instead a range of projects are now turning to an EU competition - NER 300 - for money they hope will be matched by governments.

Private equity backed 2Co wants to build a new coal plant above the Hatfield coal mine and pump the gas to North Sea oil fields where it can be used for enhanced oil recovery.

The idea is that by pushing carbon dioxide in, you can get more oil out - so making money for the taxpayer.

And at Ferrybridge, Scottish and Southern Energy are to start a small pilot plant shortly, though they are not seeking funding from the NER 300 competition.

All the proposals envisage a giant pipe starting with a coal plant, but then collecting carbon dioxide from anyone who will capture it before bringing it out to be buried under the sea bed.

The project is likely to be run by the National Grid and is designed to prevent high carbon industry leaving to avoid paying for their emissions - so called carbon leakage.

"There is the issue of carbon leakage for companies such as steel firms that compete on a global basis," admits Tata's Dr Bruce Adderly.

One way to force coal and steel plants to pay would be to make carbon so expensive that paying to bury it makes sense.

"The problem with that is you push industry into an uneconomic state and you would lose jobs - the last thing we want to do is lose our industry and then try and decarbonise something that doesn't exist," says Jim Ward, head of CCS at the National Grid.

"The recession has meant the price of carbon has plummeted, and means that anyone who has any money to do anything doesn't want to - a lot of these projects are not going to happen," says Mr Grimston.

Projects will be built, he says, and the cost of doing so will fall - but first there must be a negotiation with government.

And not only is CCS expensive to build, unlike conventional coal and gas, it is also expensive to run, unlike wind and nuclear.

Currently separating out the CO2 reduces the efficiency of the plant by about 20-30%, as you need to burn more coal or gas to produce the same power.

From his perch in a helicopter above one of Europe's most polluting regions, these concerns don't seem to deter Dr Brown.

For Yorkshire and the Humber, along with other industrial parts of the UK, it may well be CCS or bust.

Socially responsible flip-flops upcycled from old newspapers

PaperFlops create flip-flops made from old newspaper, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.

Recycled and upcycled products feature regularly here on Springwise. Just recently we’ve seen fortune cookie purses, surfboards and even shoes made with waste materials. Now a company in Indonesia,PaperFlops, are next to tread the eco-friendly footwear path with their flip-flop made from old newspaper, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.

PaperFlops are made entirely from biodegradable materials; newspapers, coconut shells, palm tree roots and 100 percent natural rubber. They employ mentally and physically disabled workers as well as street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, providing education and training in arts and crafts to manufacture the handmade products. It takes approximately 1kg of old newspaper to produce a pair of PaperFlops, which keeps production costs low, while a natural sealant is used to ensure they are water-resistant and hard-wearing. Priced at EUR 31 a pair, PaperFlops are available in a range of models and sizes, and are currently seeking funding through Ulule.

Boasting green credentials is becoming a standard requirement for companies looking to boost their public profile. When this can be achieved at the same time as benefiting the less privileged, so much the better. Could your business kill these two birds with one stone through some equally creative thinking?

Website
Contact
Source

From Conflict to Peacebuilding – the Role of Natural Resources and the Environment

This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report aims to summarize current knowledge on the links between environment, conflict and peacebuilding through thirteen field-based case studies.
Based on its analysis, UNEP’s report draws three key conclusions for future UN peacemaking and peacebuilding operations: - Natural resources and the environment can be involved in all phases of the conflict cycle: from contributing to the outbreak and perpetuation of conflict and to spoiling the prospects for peace. The way that natural resources and the environment are governed has a determining influence on peace and security. - Consequently, it is clear that investing in environmental management and the governance of natural resources is an investment in conflict prevention. - Moreover, cooperation over the management of natural resources and the environment provide new opportunities for peacebuilding that should be pursued.

The other global warming

The Other Global Warming - The way that we generate energy creates a long-term global heating that far exceeds the danger of greenhouse gases, according to a renowned astrophysicist. Instead, we need a form of energy creation that harnesses the natural power of the earth: sunlight, wind and waves.
Link to the article
Link to the original resource

Jungle Camera Traps Reveal Secrets of World’s Rarest Rhinos

The Javan rhino is critically endangered and faces an extremely high risk of extinction with fewer than 60 left in the wild. The largest population of these rhinos, an estimated 50 animals, is found in some of the world’s most lush and dense rain forests inside Indonesia’s Ujung Kulong National Park.

Getting to know Javan rhinos
To better understand these rarely-seen animals, WWF and staff from Ujung Kulong launched the first project to install video cameras in strategic locations in this protected area in the south-western tip of the island of Java.

The team completed the installation of 34 video camera traps in each of the known habitat blocks. A review of recent footage revealed a wealth of new information on these elusive animals. The cameras recorded both male and female Javan rhinos sharing the same mud wallow, proving that the sexes share the same territory. It also revealed rhino aggression towards another species, which had never been seen before.

The Indonesian project team has recorded video of nine individuals – including a mother and calf. Despite the footage, scientists are concerned. They have not seen any very young calves for several years.

Of the two populations left, the Indonesian population in Ujung Kulon National Park has the better chance of survival since it is the only one that still has proof of breeding. There have been no verified signs of Javan rhinos breeding in Vietnam’s Cat Tien National Park.

Hope for Javan rhinos
These video camera traps will continue to be an invaluable scientific tool for us to better understand the behavior and needs of this endangered species.

To conserve Indonesia’s Javan rhinos the government launched a rhino conservation strategy with WWF, the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), Asian Rhino Project (ARP), Yayasan Badak Indonesia (YABI), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goal is to secure a future for Javan rhinos by translocating individuals from Ujung Kulon to another suitable site to minimize the risk of local extinction.

Source: WWF

Bioplastic

Unlike typical plastics made from crude oil, “bioplastics” are often made from plant matter such as corn starch, potato starch, cane sugar, and soy protein. A potentially renewable alternative to petroleum-based plastics would have the long-term benefits of reducing global warming pollution and our dependence on fossil fuels, but do bioplastics fit the bill? As they become more ubiquitous—in the form of grocery bags and disposable plates, food containers, and cutlery—numerous concerns have been raised about their true value:

• Bioplastics are designed to be composted, not recycled. The plant-based material will actually contaminate the recycling process if not separated from conventional plastics such as soda bottles and milk jugs.
  
  
• Home composting may not be an option. Some bioplastics cannot be broken down by the bacteria in our backyards; polyethylene (PE) made from cane sugar is one example. Only bioplastics that are fully biodegradable will break down in a home compost pile, and it could still take up to two years for certain items (e.g., forks and spoons). The rest require the high heat and humidity of an industrial composting plant—of which there are only about 100 in the country, and not all collect waste.
  
  
• Plants grown for bioplastics have negative impacts of their own. Bioplastics are often produced from genetically modified food crops such as corn and soybeans, a practice that carries a high risk of contaminating our food supply. Also, corn and soybean producers typically apply large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our air and water. To compound matters, the growth of the bioplastics and biofuels industries (both of which currently rely on food crops as their raw material) increases the demand for crops and the impact of agriculture worldwide.
  

Environmental advocates are calling for bioplastic production based on renewable crops (such as native wild grasses) grown without chemicals. Bioplastics could also be developed from agricultural waste. Until then, what’s a consumer to do?

• Look for the “Compostable” logo. The Biodegradable Products Institute identifies products appropriate for municipal and commercial composting facilities. To find facilities in your state, see the Related Resources.
  
  
• Opt for reusable or recycled instead. When you can’t use metal cutlery or ceramic dishes, look for recycled, dishwasher-safe products that can be recycled once they’re no longer usable.

Source: union of concerned scientist

World Meteorological Day 2009

Each year, on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization, its 188 Members and the worldwide meteorological community celebrate World Meteorological Day around a chosen theme. This Day commemorates the entry into force, on that date in 1950, of the WMO Convention creating the Organization. Subsequently, in 1951, WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations System.

This year, the theme is “Weather, climate and the air we breathe”.

Brochure

UNEP Billion tree campaign

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a major worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people, communities, business and industry, civil society organizations and governments are encouraged to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each year. In a call to further individual and collective action, UNEP has set a new goal of planting 7 billion trees by the end of 2009. The campaign strongly encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment.

Loews hotels adopt local farmers

Loews Hotels—which operates hotels and resorts in 16 cities across North America—recently announced its 'Adopt-a-Farmer' initiative. The aim is to promote local farming while providing customers with food made from ingredients that are locally-sourced, organic and sustainable.

For example, the Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego uses herbs and vegetables from its own garden, sourcing the rest of its ingredients from 12 local farming communities. The Miami Beach Hotel adds in local, farm-raised seafood. The company’s New York headquarters connected with the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, procuring the only artesian sheep's milk made in the Hudson River Valley. Since many ingredients are seasonal, customers will have to wait until June for that strawberry tart, hopefully appreciating it all the more when it does arrive on the menu.

Furthering the brand's still made here approach, Loews Coronado Bay Resort is introducing "Farmers, Foragers and Fishermen"—a seasonal series of dinners, each of which pairs the resort's chef with a local purveyor, who dines with the guests and tells them about his or her products and methods. Although many eco-minded independent businesses already operate similar programs, it’s more unusual to see an entire hospitality chain adopt local farming. Which goes to show: size doesn’t have to get in the way of sustainability. (Related: Vacations that give back — Restaurant to close and reopen every season.)

Website: www.loewshotels.com
Contact: www.loewshotels.com/en/ContactUs.aspx

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau for Springwise

Eco-friendly Notebook

The venerable Moleskine-style notebook may claim the likes of Picasso and Hemingway among its past users, but an Oregon-based printing and publishing company recently launched a new alternative that offers the added appeal of eco credentials and customizability, and squarely targets (artistic) minipreneurs.

Pinball Publishing's Scout Book is a pocket-sized notebook with saddle stitching and a durable chipboard cover. Artists, designers and other minipreneurs can customize the 32-page notebook by uploading their own cover art and choosing an interior paper style—lines, grids or blank, with a choice of 18 Pantone ink colours. Both the cover and interior are made from 100 percent recycled paper, inks are soy-based, and Pinball uses renewable energy sources in its manufacturing. Minimum order is 250 notebooks, and multiple cover styles can be included in one order. Pinball specifically targets artistic entrepreneurs on Etsy and elsewhere with the Scout Book, which seems a natural for branded promotional giveaways, too.

Besides bringing one more product category into the ever-expanding realm of customizability, the Scout Book is also a testament to the growing ranks of (part-time) artistic and crafty entrepreneurs, who have become an attractive market of their own. Give them new options, make their lives easier, and they'll return your love in kind! (Related: White lines make paper stand out — Design-before-you-buy on German version of Etsy.)

Website: www.pinballpublishing.com/printing/scout-book?sec=scoutbooks
Contact: info@pinballpublishing.com

Source: Springwise

Using phones to track carbon footprint

Calculating one's carbon footprint can be a painstaking process that tests the commitment of even the most eco-minded consumer, requiring the regular input of data to achieve any kind of precise results. A new technology from UK startup Carbon Hero, however, aims to provide an effortless way for consumers to keep tabs on their environmental impact by simply carrying a GPS-enabled cell phone.

Carbon Diem, a new software package that's planned for launch next spring, runs on users' GPS-enabled mobile phones to determine how they're getting around at any given moment--on foot, by car, or on a bus, train or airplane. As an algorithm tracks the transportation mode used and distance covered, the software uses that information to keep an up-to-the-minute record of the user's carbon emissions, displaying the results in both daily and weekly terms. That, in turn, can help consumers gain new awareness of their impact on the environment and--the ultimate goal--learn to opt for lower-emissions alternatives. Companies, meanwhile, can use Carbon Diem across the organization to track and manage their employees' travel-related emissions. (Alleviating privacy concerns, the software cannot be used to record users' actual routes--only their emissions, The Guardian reported.) In tests over the past year, Carbon Diem's accuracy ranged from 100 percent when people are on planes or trains to between 65 and 75 percent when they travel by bus, company founder Andreas Zachariah told The Guardian.

Carbon Hero participates in the European Space Agency Business Incubation initiative. Its software is already Nokia N-series compliant, and currently the company seeks funding to speed its development cycle for the Blackberry platform. One to get in on early....? (Related: Visualising energy use.)

Website: www.carbondiem.com
Contact: info@carbondiem.com

Spotted by: Guardian via Maria Dahl Jørgensen for Springwise

Greener driving with Fiat and Microsoft

Helping drivers think twice before putting the pedal to the metal, Fiat has developed a new system that gives customers the insight they need to drive in more a sustainable way. ecoDrive processes driving data collected via Blue&Me, an in-car communications device developed by Microsoft. Users plug a standard USB drive into their car's Blue&Me port to gather information on acceleration, deceleration, gear changes and speed throughout the drive.

They then upload the data to their computer, where it's analysed by ecoDrive software to produce relevant tips for driving efficiency, like braking more gently into corners or maintaining a constant speed on straights. Drivers can also share their own tips and ecoDrive experiences using the ecoVille online community. Launched by Fiat in October 2008, ecoDrive is currently only available for the Fiat 500 and Grande Punto, but will work with any model featuring Blue&Me from 2009. Fiat claims the software can cut emissions and fuel consumption by up to 15%, meaning a lower carbon footprint and gas bill for drivers. An obvious improvement would be immediate feedback while a driver is behind the wheel, but we're sure that's in the works ;-)

Fiat and Microsoft's ecoDrive collaboration mirrors the successful partnership between Apple and Nike that runners can use to track and soundtrack their runs, enabling them to review their performance when they're back at their computers. As eco-awareness continues to build (and once energy prices start climbing again), consumers will become increasingly interested in tracking their personal energy use. We're confident that many other embedded eco-metric devices will follow, so if you're in manufacturing--now's the time to start researching and developing. (Related: Visualising energy use.)

Website: www.fiat.co.uk/ecodrive
Contact: www.fiat.co.uk/content/?id=3046

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz for Springwise

Ambient Feedback for Greener Driving

After we featured Fiat's ecoDrive, one of our spotters alerted us to Honda's Ecological Drive Assist System. Called Eco Assist for short, the system gives feedback on driving techniques, aiming to help consumers save fuel. Eco Assist also helps improve fuel optimization and battery charging. Recognizing drivers' love of a good challenge, Honda moves the goalposts by rating them on the eco-friendliness of their driving style. At the end of each journey, the instrument panel displays how well they did.

One of the system's smarter features is that it gives feedback by changing colour in real time, avoiding distracting statistics and numbers. Fuel-saving, smooth acceleration and braking are rewarded with a green glow, and aggressive starts and stops are reprimanded in blue. A positive alternative to the dearth of dry save-the-planet communications, the system's ambient communication makes its message easier to absorb: helpful for those multi-taskers who spend their journeys making phone calls, revising their routes and flipping through MP3s. Honda hopes the constant form of feedback will turn drivers' good intentions into subconscious habits.

The system will be included in Honda's American Insight hybrid as of spring 2009. Given that the easiest way to save the planet is to change our behaviour, how could your business put customers in touch with their actions? (Related: Visualizing energy use.)

Website: www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4878

Spotted by: Treehugger via Casey Palmer for Springwise

Media Agency focuses on low-impact advertising

Realising that green concerns are here to stay, British media agency Curb offers nothing but low-impact advertising. Its clean advertising service (similar to Street Advertising Services and GreenGraffiti, which we featured earlier) uses rainwater to clean logos into grubby pavements, and has been joined by a four other services that are both novel and easy on the environment.

Curb creates sand sculptures of all sizes; burns patterns and logos into wood using magnifying glasses; and offers a ‘logrow’ service to cut logos as big as 30m wide into turf. Although each service is handcrafted, the agency is adamant that images are produced exactly as created digitally. Last but not least, graphics can be projected on falling sheets of water to create a memorable display. Household names have already used Curb’s services: Adidas was immortalised in grass, Volkswagen commissioned a sand sculpture and Barack Obama’s face was etched into wood.

We’re happy to see that ‘cleanvertising’ has been expanded into an entire portfolio of green(er) advertising options. Curb claim to be the world’s first and only media agency to be doing this exclusively. Which indicates that there’s space for others in different regions. Start blasting, sculpting, cutting and burning!

Website: www.mindthecurb.com
Contact: info@mindthecurb.com

Spotted by: Paul Tsannos for Springwise

Building Green Habits, One step at a time

Breaking a bad habit is never easy, but a little support can help. Much like Green Thing, which we wrote about back in 2007, Green Groove is a site that aims to help consumers create and stick to a plan to eliminate their unsustainable ways and embrace new, greener habits.

Green Groove's goal is to help consumers make "a phased withdrawal on catastrophic climate change." Toward that end, the Idaho-based site invites visitors to take three initial steps to create their own, personal withdrawal plan. First, they choose their desired plan type, length and level of difficulty, including whether it's just a personal plan or one that incorporates a household or family. Next, the site guides visitors to select specific weekly goals in four categories: auto, diet, home and lifestyle. Within the "home" category, for example, weekly goals might include replacing one old lightbulb with a compact fluorescent, or hang-drying at least one load of laundry. Third, visitors are then invited to put their weekly goals into the order they'd like to follow in accomplishing them, thereby creating their step-by-step action plan. A downloadable "Goal Tracker" widget is available both for Mac and PC, as are "Green Groove Participant" and "Green Groove Certified" website badges for those who are in the midst of or have finished their plans.

With all the many external demands on consumers' time and attention today, the need for support in making lifestyle changes seems greater than ever. Deliver that help in bite-sized portions, and you may just win some lasting support yourself! (Related: Nagging service for dieters — A public incentive to stick to one's goals.)

Website: www.greengroove.org
Contact: support@greengroove.org

Spotted by: Phillip Farris for Springwise

Home Energy Monitoring, delivered by Google

Reducing energy consumption is clearly a global imperative, but before one can reduce it helps to know how much one is already consuming. Targeting the 40 million "smart meters" now in use worldwide—and the 100 million more soon to be added—Google is testing a new gadget that will take the information such devices collect and make it more easily accessible to the consumer.

Many smart meters don't display consumption information to the user, but Google's PowerMeter prototype—now in closed beta—is designed to receive such information and provide access to it via the user's iGoogle homepage. Aiming to help users make better energy decisions, the technology taps Google's scalable, secure IT architecture and the iGoogle gadget platform to show consumers their energy use in near real-time, including an analysis of how much energy is used by different household appliances and activities. Google vows to keep all data under the user's control, and it says it hopes to work with as many utility companies as possible to deliver the technology for free to anyone with a smart meter.

Finding alternative energy sources may be the gold rush of our era, but helping the world wean itself from nonrenewable energy is just as important—and potentially just as rewarding. Google is currently seeking utilities and device manufacturers to partner with; one to get in on early? (Related: Visualising energy use.)

Website: www.google.org/powermeter
Contact: www.google.org/powermeter/contactus.html

Spotted by: Tommi Pelkonen for Springwise

Earth Hour 2009

Javaneagle wrote:




Earth Hour 2009 by WWF - Sign up for Earth Hour!

Dari situs earthhour global

Apa itu? Semudah menjentikkan saklar.

Apa yang semula suatu kampanye agar orang-orang Sydney memadamkan lampu mereka, kini telah berkembang menjadi salah satu inisiatif perubahan iklim terbesar di dunia. Pada tahun 2009, jam 8.30 petang tanggal 28 Maret, orang-orang di seantero dunia akan memadamkan lampu-lampu mereka selama satu jam – Jam Bumi. Sasaran kami mencapai satu milyar orang, lebih dari 1000 kota, semua bersatu untuk bersama-sama dalam upaya global untuk memperlihatkan bahwa mungkinlah untuk mengambil tindakan pada pemanasan global.

Jam Bumi dimulai pada tahun 2007 di Sydney, Australia dengan 2,2 juta rumah hunian dan bisnis memadamkan lampu mereka selama satu jam. Peristiwa ini baru setahun namun telah menjadi gerakan pelestarian global dengan 100 juta orang meliputi 35 negara peserta. Penjuru global, seperti Golden Gate Bridge di San Francisco, Colosseum di Roma dan papan reklame Coca Cola di Times Square, semuanya membisu dalam kegelapan, sebagai lambang-lambang harapan untuk suatu maksud mulia yang setiap jam semakin mendesak.

Jam Bumi 2009 adalah panggilan global kepada setiap perorangan, setiap bisnis dan setiap komunitas. Suatu panggilan untuk tampil, mengambil tanggungjawab dan berpartisipasi dalam bekerja menuju masa depan yang lestari. Bangunan ikon dan penjuru-penjuru dari Eropa ke Amerika akan berdiri dalam kegelapan. Orang-orang di seluruh dunia akan memadamkan lampu-lampu mereka dan bersatu bersama-sama dalam menciptakan pembicaraan vital tentang masa depan planet kita yang berharga ini.

Lebih dari 64 negara dan wilayah berpartisipasi dalam Jam Bumi 2009. Jumlah ini terus bertambah setiap hari karena orang-orang menyadari bagaimana tindakan sederhana tersebut dapat membuahkan hasil yang begitu dahsyat dalam mempengaruhi perubahan.

Jam bumi adalah suatu pesan harapan dan pesan tindakan. Setiap orang dapat berbuat sesuatu untuk perubahan.

Apa yang dapat Anda lakukan

Memadamkan lampu-lampu Anda selama satu jam suatu awal yang bagus sekali. Walaupun demikian, ada banyak lagi yang dapat Anda lakukan agar Jam Bumi 2009 berhasil baik.

• Catatkan Diri Anda sekarang juga. Jadilah bagian dari Jam Bumi dan dapatkan tip-tip berguna serta alat-alat untuk mengurangi jejak karbon Anda setiap hari

• Tularkan pada Teman. Lebih baik lagi – ceritakan pada teman, keluarga Anda dan bahkan rekan-rekan kerja Anda. Doronglah mereka untuk me-link ke situs web ini dan bahkan mobilisasilah lebih banyak orang!

• Ceritakan Kisah Anda: Bagaimana perubahan iklim mempengaruhi keluarga dan komunitas Anda? Kami ingin mendengar bagaiman Anda menjadi bagian dari solusi.

Signup to GiverSign

Tell the world: Get the Earth Hour GiverSign and make your e-mails, blog posts, Facebook feeds and MySpace pages advocate the Earth Hour message. Let everyone know that you signed up to participate and that they should as well!

Youtube

English Version:

What is it?
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses and governments will turn out their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. In 2009 Earth Hour aims to reach 1 billion people in 1,000 cities.

When is it?
Saturday March 28, 2009 from 8.30pm – 9.30pm

Where is it?
Cities taking part in Earth Hour 2009 (as at 10/12/08):

1. Adelaide (Australia)
2. Brisbane (Australia)
3. Canberra (Australia)
4. Darwin (Australia)
5. Hobart (Australia)
6. Melbourne (Australia)
7. Perth (Australia)
8. Sydney (Australia)
9. Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia)
10. Sofia (Bulgaria)
11. Toronto (Canada)
12. Hong Kong (China region)
13. San Jose (Costa Rica)
14. Aalborg (Denmark)
15. Copenhagen (Denmark)
16. Odense (Denmark)
17. Ponphei (Fed. States of Micronesia)
18. Suva (Fiji)
19. Espoo (Finland)
20. Helsinki (Finland)
21. Guatemala City (Guatemala)
22. Bologna (Italy)
23. Florence (Italy)
24. Milan (Italy)
25. Naples (Italy)
26. Palermo (Italy)
27. Rome (Italy)
28. Turin (Italy)
29. Venice (Italy)
30. Amman (Jordan)
31. Mexico City (Mexico)
32. Auckland (New Zealand)
33. Christchurch (New Zealand)
34. Hamilton (New Zealand)
35. Oslo (Norway)
36. Tromso (Norway)
37. Trondheim (Norway)
38. Manila (Phillipines)
39. Gdansk (Poland)
40. Lodz (Poland)
41. Poznan (Poland)
42. Torun (Poland)
43. Warsaw (Poland)
44. Lisbon (Portugal)
45. Moscow (Russia)
46. Petropalovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia)
47. Singapore City (Singapore)
48. Cape Town (South Africa)
49. Ekero (Sweden)
50. Gothenberg (Sweden)
51. Kalmar (Sweden)
52. Kiruna (Sweden)
53. Lilla Edet (Sweden)
54. Malmö (Sweden)
55. Mullsjo (Sweden)
56. Nassjo (Sweden)
57. Norrkoping (Sweden)
58. Orebro (Sweden)
59. Sodertalje (Sweden)
60. Ulricehamn (Sweden)
61. Vaxjo (Sweden)
62. Ystad (Sweden)
63. Istanbul (Turkey)
64. Abu Dhabi (UAE)
65. Dubai (UAE)
66. Fujairah (UAE)
67. Sharjah (UAE)
68. London (UK)
69. Chicago (USA)
70. Las Vegas (USA)
71. Los Angeles (USA)
72. San Francisco (USA)
73. Miami (USA)
74. Nashville (USA)

Landmarks & Icons committed to Earth Hour 2009 (as at 5/12/08):

1. Sydney Opera House (Sydney)
2. CN Tower (Toronto)
3. Table Mountain (Cape Town)
4. Adia Building (Abu Dhabi) – Abu Dhabi’s tallest building
5. Burj Dubai (Dubai) – World’s tallest building
6. Federation Tower (Moscow)
7. Burj al Arab (Dubai) – iconic 6-star hotel
8. Quirinale (Rome) - Presidential residence
9. National University (Singapore)
10. Sky Tower (Auckland)
11. Auckland Harbour Bridge (Auckland)
12. Helsinki Cathedral (Helsinki)

Why do it?
The effects of climate change caused by carbon emissions pose the greatest threat to life on Earth. Only by changing the world’s collective attitude towards the use of carbon-emitting energy sources can we alleviate this threat.

Participating in Earth Hour is a contribution to a united global message to individuals, businesses, politicians and governments around the world that climate change affects and is the responsibility of the global community.

What will it achieve?
The objective of Earth Hour 2009 is to get as many individuals, households and businesses around the world to turn off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour.

Earth Hour aims to educate the global community about the threat of climate change and how easy it is for individuals and businesses to make small changes to the way they live and operate - small changes that will make a big difference.

Earth Hour 2009 hopes to deliver a global mandate for environmental reform to world leaders attending the UN Conference for Climate Change in Copenhagen, December 2009, to strike up a new global climate deal to usurp Kyoto.

History of Earth Hour
The inaugural Earth Hour took place in Sydney on 31 March 2007, when over two million people and two thousand businesses across the city turned off their lights and appliances for one hour. From its relative humble beginnings, the Earth Hour message has swept the planet.

In 2008, 50 million people across 35 countries turned off their lights in support of Earth Hour, sending a message across the globe that the collective actions of individuals really can change the world.

Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach 1 billion people in 1,000 cities globally.

Climate Change and Global Warming - Introduction

Javaneagle wrote:

This article covers the issues such as: What is Global Warming and Climate Change? What is the Greenhouse Effect? The Greenhouse effect is natural. What do we have to do with it? What are the impacts of Global Warming? Rapid changes in global temperature, Extreme Weather Patterns, Super-storms, Ecosystem Impacts, Rising Sea Levels, Increase in Pests and Disease, Failing Agricultural Output; Increase in World Hunger.

Anup Shah, Climate Change and Global Warming Introduction, GlobalIssues.org, Last updated: Thursday, January 01, 2009

Earth Hour 2008 Video

NGOs and Environmental Policy

As informed and effective advocates, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have had a role in shaping the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and its agenda from the beginning. Today, participation by NGOs, both local and international, is crucial, not only at the project level but also in GEF policy dimensions. Village organizations and other community-based groups, academic institutions, and foundations are among the NGO partners integral to GEF's efforts.
More than 150 GEF-financed projects are executed or co-executed by, or contain contracts or subcontracts to, nongovernmental groups. More than 60 regional and global NGO networks are involved in the design and implementation of GEF-funded transboundary waters projects. GEF's Small Grants Programme, administered by UNDP, has provided grants of up to $50,000 to finance more than 1,200 NGO-executed projects.