Archive for the ‘environment’ Category

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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

The New Delhi, India headquartered TERI’s stated objective is to deal with the huge problems that humankind is likely to face owing to (i) Depletion of earth’s non-renewable energy resources and (ii) Pollution caused by existing ways of using the energy resources.

    Over the years since its establishment in 1974, TERI’s objectives have got enhanced to cover environment and sustainable development. TERI also expanded its operations to North America, Europe and several countries in Asia including Japan, Malaysia and Gulf countries. The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) is an annual event that focuses on sustainable development while pursuing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    DSDS was successful in attracting leaders from government, industry, research and academia and civil society. Buoyed by its success, TERI has now established the World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF). WSDF will seek to carry the DSDS message to other countries of the world and to evaluate worldwide developments towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

    The TERI University established in 1998 is a research-oriented institution of higher learning with programs leading to Masters and PhD level degrees.

    TERI’s research projects extend over several areas, including Energy-Environment Policy and Technology Development, Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology, Regulatory Studies and Governance, Resources and Global Security, Social Transformation, Sustainable Development Outreach and more.

    Read more at the TERI website.

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    Posted in energy generation, environment, renewable energy, sustainable development | No Comments »

    Greenpeace Recognizes Climate Change Action by Companies Friday, April 30th, 2010

    Greenpeace has formulated a 100 point scale to measure climate change contributions by companies. It awards 50 points for “climate solutions”, 35 for lobbying and making public statements about climate change, and the remaining points for renewable energy use and setting emission targets.

    Cisco received top award with 62 points for its telecommuting, green building design and energy management initiatives, among others. The company had also set a target for reducing emissions by 25 percent during the five year period from 2007 to 2012. The company’s executives were also present at United Nations’ Copenhagen climate negotiations last year.

    Ericsson, who came second, had carried out a life-cycle analysis of IT solutions like phones and Internet communication comparing it to the traditional solution of driving to a physical workplace.

    The third placed IBM provided a range of emission-cutting services, including smart grid software and supply chain carbon management. IBM also publicized the results of its congestion pricing project in Stockholm that had reduced traffic by 18 percent over a one year period.

    Google scored for it public advocacy, particularly its CEO Eric Schmidt’s November 2008 speech calling for federal support for research and development, energy efficiency and broadband infrastructure. However, the company came in for criticism for not disclosing its emissions.

    Read the news report at New York Times

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    Posted in corporate responsibility, environment, renewable energy, sustainable development | No Comments »

    Demands from Indigenous-Originally-Rural Peoples Monday, April 19th, 2010

    All of us are descendants of people who were originally dwellers of forests and rural communities. Technology developments might have pushed all memories of those ancient habitats beyond even occasional thoughts. Yet, most of us might feel some semblance of sympathy for the people who have no access to the technologies and its benefts.

    It is in such a context that the demand of the indigenous people of Bolivia helps us to view things in a new perspective. At a conference in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia on March 29th and 30th 2010, the Indigenous-Originally-Rural Peoples and Social Organizations of Bolivia agreed up certain actions.

    They demand that developed nations fulfill and revise the commitments they had assumed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, regarding the development and transfer of technology.

    It was clarified that the technologies must be clean, environmentally sound, accessible for all developing countries. The demand went on to add that the transfer process must not be subject to profit, and rejected the proposal of developed countries of creating a “technology pool” where instead of transferring technology, it is put to sale at inaccessible costs.

    A second demand was for the creation of the Climate Justice Tribunal and the imposition of sanctions by this Tribunal on States that do not fulfil their commitments of development and transfer of technology.

    Read about the conference details and additional demands at World People’s Conference of Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth.

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    Posted in environment, technology transfer | 1 Comment »

    Investing in Clean Technology is a Trend and Opportunity Sunday, April 18th, 2010

    Technology has provided several benefits to human societies. At the same time, technological progress extracted a price in several forms including depletion of resources critical to our well-being, pollution of air and water and health hazards from toxic wastes. This has led to a focus on clean technology.

    By clean technology, we mean any technology that uses resources sustainably, minimizes pollution and avoids toxic discharges. Eenergy generation from renewable sources such as wind and sunlight, use of information technology for enhancing productivity, transport alternatives that have low impact on the environment and chemical processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances are specific illustrations of clean technology areas.

    Investment in clean technology is a growing trend and opportunity. Building construction methods that lead to efficient use of energy and mimimizes environmental pollution, and use of lights and devices that consume less power are examples of clean technology processes and products.

    Investments in clean technology is being encouraged through incentives like special funding and carbon credits. Companies in the field can also use it as a selling point that is increasingly effective among consumers.

    A Reuters Report says that solar power, wind and biotech made record money last year and promise excellent results in the future.

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    Posted in business, clean technology, environment, renewable energy | No Comments »

    International Industrial Biotechnology Network Inaugurated Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

    An international industrial biotechnology network with the goal of assisting its members in accessing and developing biotechnologies for sustainable industrial development was inaugurated on March 29 by UNIDO in Vienna. The network consists of research institutes and technology groups committed to sharing technology and expertise resources.

    Institute of Plant Biotechnology for Developing Countries and the University of Ghent (Belgium) are the organizers of the event. Incidentally, this year 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations. UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, will open the event.

    Focus of the network will be on the new opportunities for development of value-added products using biomass and bio-diversity that biotechnology makes possible. Participants at the symposium will look at several issues such as technological developments, implications of technology transfer and emerging global trends.

    Bio-products and bio-processes suitable for regions affected by climate change and ecological erosion will also be a focus area.

    Read about the new network at iibn website.

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    Posted in biotechnology, business, environment, technology commercialization | No Comments »

    Nanotechnology Industry Development: Several Obstacles Monday, March 29th, 2010

    Nanotechnology involves working at the levels of atoms and molecules. At nanoscale, properties of materials can change from what they are in normal state. Neutral materials can exhibit toxicity at nano scale, for example.

    Nanomaterials and the technology can also affect environment, and raise social and ethical issues. Regulatory oversignt is needed to ensure that the technology is handled responsibly. The problem is that regulators typically do not know what to regulate in this new field.

    Regulations can often hinder the development of the technology and industry. In a recent example, a “diabetes phone” that used biotechnology developments to help patients to check their blood-sugar levels, and then use information technology developments to seek remote treatment from doctors, could not be successfully marketed in Korea as local medical regulations did not allow remote treatment.

    Business funding practices might also not be helpful for development of industry using such innovative and unproven technologies. A study in India found that funding stopped at academic research stage. Bureaucratic procedures involved in releasing government funding discourages entrepreneurs in such new technologies.

    Developing countries also face the problem of inadequate venture capital availability to fund enterprises in new technologies. Typically, entrepreneurs have to depend on private funding.

    Knowledge transfer from academia to manufacturing industry is also not well-developed in these new technologies.

    Read about a study conducted in India on nanotech industry development problems in a dnaindia report.

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    Posted in business, emerging technologies, environment, nanotech business, nanotechnology, technology commercialization | No Comments »

    IBM into Sustainable Environment Sunday, March 21st, 2010

    IBM research goes beyond computers and chips into environmental issues. IBM Research and Sanford University scientists has achieved a breakthrough into green plastics. Biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of indestructible garbage on our planet.

    Smarter recycling methods can make use of plastic waste and further reduce the accumulation. Developments in green polymer chemistry is also said to open new ways to deliver medicine, in addition to creating environmentally sustainable plastics.

    IBM is using its chip, materials and nanotech expertise in other areas too, including DNA sequencing and water filtration. Discoveries made by the company during the development of photoresists for advanced microelectronics is finding new applications.

    Essentially the new developments involve the application of organocatalysis to industries such as biodegradable plastics, plastic recycling and healthcare. Use of organic catalysts (instead of metal) can also lead to biodegradable materials made from renewable resources.

    The paper on ‘Organocatalysis: Opportunities and Challenges for Polymer Synthesis’ is available at acs.org.

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    Posted in environment, nanotechnology | No Comments »

    Largest Photovoltaic Plant in the World Saturday, February 20th, 2010

    Sunovia Technologies of Florida, USA, is set to construct the world’s largest concentrated photovoltaic power generation plant in Dominican Republic of the Caribbean Islands. The island is blessed with an environment of extreme sunlight, and now this light is going to be turned into energy for the people and businesses of the island.

    The $200 million facility will be 2.6 sq.km. in size and will use high-efficiency solar cells. The company claims that as against the normal solar cell efficiency of 10 to 20 percent, the company’s solar cells will have 40 percent efficiency. Sunovia develops the solar cells in partnership with Illinois-based EPR technologies.

    Sunovia says that it will be a showcase facility and that already it has attracted the attention of several international companies. The concentrated facility will also be able to generate power at low cost according to the report.

    Read this story and others at: World Reports

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    Posted in emerging technologies, environment, renewable energy | No Comments »

    Significance of Legislation in Making an Environmental Change Saturday, February 13th, 2010

    Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the Second International Emerging Technology Symposium, May 11-12, 2010 in Ontario, California, co-convened by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the World Plumbing Council.

    According to Russ Chaney, IAPMO executive director, Mayor Villaraigosa “a passionate environmental advocate, … can speak firsthand about the magnitude of legislative work necessary to pave the way for … new innovations to become part of our everyday life.”

    He has pursued an aggressive environmental agenda for the United States’ second largest city, pledging to make Los Angeles the “greenest big city in America.” It was at his prodding that the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety in 2009 amended the city’s plumbing code to allow for water-free urinals to be installed in high-rise and large-venue buildings.

    “Waterless urinals represent a conservation effort that will drastically reduce the amount of water we waste,” Villaraigosa said at a November 2008 press conference. “I know that a bunch of politicians talking about urinals easily lends itself to bathroom humor, but we are in a serious drought. If we don’t conserve on a large scale in this city, we could actually run out of water. And that’s not funny.”

    Read more at: WaterTech News

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    Posted in environment | No Comments »

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