March
Take part in BioBlitz this May
Biodiversity Day will be celebrated on May 22nd and this year Biodiversity Ireland is marking the event by organising a 24 hour BioBlitz.
BioBlitz is a scientific race to find as many species as possible within 24 hours. Scientists, students and the general public are all encouraged to take part in this exciting event to learn more about the variety of life that shares Ireland’s environment. This scientific race will begin at 5pm on Friday 21st May and finish at 5pm on Biodiversity Day, 22nd May.
BioBlitz will take place at five locations around Ireland and all will be in direct competition to find the most species! The properties are listed below. Remember, it is important to book your place in advance by contacting your closest participating park.
Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal
Connemara National Park, Co. Galway
Coole Park, Co. Galway
Wicklow Mountains National Park, Co. Wicklow
Newbridge Demesne, Fingal County Council
For further details on this fun-filled event, please see the following BioBlitz pdf.
Sustainable Restaurant Association for the UK
In March 2010 a new Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) was launched in the UK. It was established in an effort to encourage sustainable, green practices within the restaurant business. According to UK Government research, restaurants and hotels have the lowest environmental awareness of industries in the UK.
The SRA will provide support to restaurant owners that want to make the positive, active commitment to becoming more sustainable. They have outlined fourteen areas of sustainability that restaurants can address, for example, Sourcing, Society, and Environment. Restaurants are also encouraged to offer smaller, cheaper portions of food to reduce food waste. They will be visited by a ‘green inspector’ who will award a gold, silver or bronze status according to how sustainable they are. The SRA standards are the sustainability equivalent of the Michelin star ratings.
The SRA will help restaurant-goers to locate restaurants that are serious about running a sustainable business, from sourcing produce to energy supply choices.
‘Park and wash’ for Dublin’s cyclists
Next month will see the launch of Dublin’s first “park and wash” facility for city cyclists. The facility will be opened by a new ‘Build a Bike’ shop on Capel Street. There will be parking for 300 bikes and commuters will be able to take a refreshing shower before work, for just €1 a day.
Dublin City Council has been working hard to promote the use of bikes for daily transport around the city. The introduction of the ‘Dublin Bikes’ scheme in 2009 has been met with much enthusiasm and has proved highly successful. Since 2004, there has been a 74% increase in cyclists across Dublin with a jump in over 11% between 2008 and 2009 alone.
This new “park and wash” initiative will undoubtedly encourage even more people to abandon cars and traffic jams in favour of quicker, greener (and now even cleaner!) two-wheeled transport to work.
‘Park and wash’ for Dublin’s cyclists
Next month will see the launch of Dublin’s first “park and wash” facility for city cyclists. The facility will be opened by a new ‘Build a Bike’ shop on Capel Street. There will be parking for 300 bikes and commuters will be able to take a refreshing shower before work, for just €1 a day.
Dublin City Council has been working hard to promote the use of bikes for daily transport around the city. The introduction of the ‘Dublin Bikes’ scheme in 2009 has been met with much enthusiasm and has proved highly successful. Since 2004, there has been a 74% increase in cyclists across Dublin with a jump in over 11% between 2008 and 2009 alone.
This new “park and wash” initiative will undoubtedly encourage even more people to abandon cars and traffic jams in favour of quicker, greener (and now even cleaner!) two-wheeled transport to work.“Smart bins” for Dublin City
Dublin City Council has voted in favour of establishing a new approach to bins and waste collection in the city by introducing a new “smart bin” system.
These smart bins are furnished with solar panels and the energy created is used to compact the litter inside. The result is that they have up to five times the capacity of regular bins. The bins are also fitted with a sim card, which sends a text message to the council workers when it is full.
The smart bins should result in the elimination of unnecessary collection journeys while also saving on fuel and emissions. It is also hoped that these bins will bring an end to unpleasant overflowing bins across the city.
The new litter bin was approved at a meeting of the City Council’s Environment Strategic Policy Committee and the bins will be introduced around Dublin on a trial basis.
High energy efficient social housing for Northern Ireland
East Belfast is set to be the first location in Ireland and the UK where highly efficient social housing will be constructed that will eliminate the need for a central heating system.
This €5.5 million investment is led by Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland in partnership with Tyrone Timberframes. It is expected that over 50 homes will be built across Northern Ireland over the next three years. They will be 75% more energy efficient that a standard home, which will result in a considerable drop in running costs and remove the need for a central heating system. Upon completion, the houses will be sold in the region of €110,000.
India to invest in solar powered mobile masts
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is seeking to integrate solar powered mobile phone masts into the National Solar Mission, which aims to achieve 20,000MW of solar power capacity by 2022.
Currently, India’s 250,000 mobile phone masts are powered by diesel generators that each consume up to 5KW of power. Over the course of one year, these masts collectively consume roughly 2 billion litres of diesel fuel.
A change-over from diesel to solar power for India’s mobile phone masts would translate to an estimated saving of 5 million tons of CO2 emissions as well as over €1 billion (based on current fuel costs).
Should the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy be successful in implementing this change-over, it would undoubtedly have a huge impact on our environment and would set a new standard in energy efficiency across the globe.
Earth Hour 2010
A record breaking 125 countries took part in Earth Hour 2010, from 8.30-9.30pm on Saturday 27th March. The beginning of the global WWF-organised event was officially marked when the Chatham Islands in New Zealand turned off their diesel generators. Following soon afterwards, the famous Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge were sent into darkness, and the event ended a day later in Samoa.
Lights were extinguished in some of the best lit and most iconic places across the globe, including the Empire State Building, the welcome sign and strip at Las Vegas, The Giza Pyramids of Egypt, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.
In Dublin, many bars and pubs took part in Earth Hour by organising a Trad Night by Candlelight, while lights at the Customs House and Four Courts were switched off. In Scotland, some members of St. Andrews Golf Club marked the event in a novel manner by playing golf with fluorescent clubs and balls.
Earth Hour 2010 displayed a united stand in the fight against climate change. This follows the disappointing failure of the UN COP15 Climate Change Conference in December to reach a binding agreement on taking steps to reduce global warming.
You can see photos and videos of Earth Hour 2010 at www.earthhour.org.
Eco-upgrade for Irish website business
Purchase.ie is a new Irish business that was set up in November 2009 and has recently launched an eco-upgrade - all products sold on purchase.ie will be environmentally friendly or energy saving.
The philosophy of the business is to facilitate the spread of an innovative, environmentally friendly product range across Ireland, helping to build greener, more sustainable communities. Some products currently on sale via the website include hand-crafted ‘EcoGems’ jewellery made from recycled glass, a ‘Forever Flashlight’ which provides up to 45 minutes of lights after shaking it for 30 seconds (no bulbs or batteries required) and customised solar signs.
New allotment site in Westmeath
A new allotment site has been established at Lough Owel Farm in Co. Westmeath. If you are living in the area, have little garden space and are eager to start growing your own vegetables, then renting an allotment is an ideal solution. Apart from enjoying the satisfaction of producing your own food, it is a great opportunity to socialise and get to know people in your community.
For further information on renting an allotment, please see www.owelorganic.wordpress.com or contact Joe at 087-6911164.Growise compost launched
Growise is a new range of products from Bord na Móna Horticulture that guarantees a 20% sustainable green compost content. It is the only Irish compost to include green compost, from grass cuttings and other green materials, with Irish peat.
The Growise range is the result of ten years of research and development. It is also hoped that this new range will encourage more people to join the ‘grow your own’ trend in a move towards more sustainable lifestyles.Launch of Tidy Towns
Minister for the Environment, Mr John Gormley T.D., will launch the National Tidy Towns Competition 2010 today, Friday 26th March. The overall winner will be announced in September and will hold the title ‘Ireland’s Tidiest Town’ for a year.
The Tidy Towns Competition has helped to transform towns and villages across Ireland thanks to the local communities’ dedicated care of the environment. So, if you want to become involved in transforming your locality by landscaping open spaces, cleaning up or investigating the carbon footprint of your area, contact your local Tidy Town group. Website details for each Tidy Towns group are listed on the Tidy Towns website.East Midlands Airport steps towards sustainability
The East Midlands Airport in the UK has started planting a 26 acre willow tree farm north of the runway. The willows, which can start being harvested in about five years, will be used to make wood-chip fuel for a biomass boiler in the airport’s terminal building. This is the first airport in the UK that will be partly powered by willow trees.
Planting a willow farm is the first step towards the target of making East Midlands Airport ground operations carbon neutral by 2012. The wood-fuelled biomass boiler alone is expected to save 350 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
EU research on urban noise
New European research has identified 25 variables that affect noise in urban areas. Researchers were then able to formulate a new equation and use this to create an accurate tool for describing the types of sound in urban environments.
This tool could prove very helpful to those involved in urban planning. It is especially significant given the requirement under the EU Directive on Environmental Noise for Member States to monitor noise and draw up noise reduction plans where required.
Renewable bio-energy project for Ireland’s Western Region
The RASLRES Project is a new bio-energy initiative funded by the EU that aims to boost ‘sustainable economic development’ in Ireland’s Western Region.
The Western Development Commission (WDC) is leading this €3 million multinational project, which focuses on supplying local energy from local bio-mass sources (wood, seaweed, energy crops) and securing sustainable jobs in rural areas. The RASLRES Project will also contribute to reaching Ireland’s targets for reducing carbon emissions.
Expressions of interest from wood growers, suppliers and end-product users are being sought by Ian Brannigan, Regional Development Manager for the WDC and should be sent to ianbrannigan@wdc.ie.
EU Energy Research website
The European Commission has re-launched its Energy Research website. The website provides all the necessary details on funding opportunities within the European Union (EU) in the energy and nuclear energy sector. A publication search tool and outline of the policy framework will also help the public to navigate current developments in European energy research. There is also a page dedicated to the latest news and events within the EU energy sector.
Collaborative Green IT Cluster
A new initiative by IBEC, the Irish Software Association (ISA) and the Irish Software Innovation Network (ISIN) will see the establishment of a ‘Green IT Collaborative Cluster’. This will provide a forum for software companies, academics and large corporations to work together in finding solutions to specific problems posed by the Green IT industry.
For further information on becoming involved in the Green IT Collaborative Cluster, please contact Alicia Hunt at ISA, at alicia.hunt@ibec.ie or 01-605 1656.
European biorefinery research initiative
The European Commission has committed €52 million to a new four-year research initiative focusing on sustainable use of biomass. The aim of the research is to develop new methods of converting biological feedstock into energy using biorefinery technology. A further €28 million will be invested into the research by various partners from research institutes, universities and industries.
The biorefinery technology research will contribute to the European Energy & Climate Package, as well as the European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. Two of the main goals of the EU are to ensure that each Member State will use at least 10% renewable energy for transport, biofuels in particular, by 2020, and that at least 14% of the EU energy mix will be bio-energy by the same date.
Development of ‘virtually waterless’ washing machine
UK company Xeros Ltd. has developed a domestic washing machine that is “virtually waterless”. Using just one cup of water, a small amount of detergent and tiny plastic beads (which can be used for up to 100 washes) that attract stains and dirt, this new machine is set to have a much lower environmental impact than conventional washing machines.
It uses just 2% of the energy of a conventional machine and 90% less water, which also means that clothes are almost dry at the end of the wash. It is estimated that this new machine would result in a 40% reduction in carbon emissions compared to a conventional wash and tumble-dry.
There are many advantages to this practically dry-cleaning washing machine. Less energy is needed to run the machine so the persistent, unavoidable electricity bills would be reduced. As it also uses 90% less water, it would reduce pressure on this natural resource as well as bills on future water charges. Xeros Ltd. expects that this new machine will be available by the end of 2011.Jobs and Growth 2010: €1 billion fund towards green economy
On Friday March 19th, an Tánaiste Ms. Mary Coughlan T.D. published Jobs and Growth 2010, which outlines the Government’s principal policies and measures to stimulate the economy and create sustainable employment.
The policy statement shows that the Government is committed to spend €1 billion in 2010 to help programmes that support and stimulate a green, clean economy as well as upgrading environmental infrastructure. This ‘new green deal’ for Ireland aims to see a transition to a low environmental impact, green economy by promoting green ventures, green jobs and sustainable business solutions.
The full policy statement is available to download from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website.Major marine renewable energy farm to be developed off Scotland
On March 16th, Irish marine renewable energy company OpenHydro together with SSE (Scottish & Southern Energy) Renewables won the exclusive licence to develop a major, 200MW tidal energy farm off the northern coast of Scotland. This is part of the world’s first commercial wave and tidal energy leasing programme.
The tidal energy farm will be located at one of the world’s largest single tidal sites in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Strategic Area. When completed, it is estimated that the farm will produce enough energy to supply up to 130,000 homes.
Online plastics exchange
A new plastic recyclables exchange website, www.irishplastics.com, has been launched and is aimed at providing a forum to connect suppliers and buyers of plastic recyclables in Ireland. In addition, plastic recycling equipment can be tested for a fee to ensure it is suitable for work in a specific facility. Companies will then be saved the expense of having to hire or buy equipment until they know that it will be suitable to their needs.
IFCC Green Seminar
On March 23rd, The Ireland France Chamber of Commerce (IFCC) will present a Breakfast Seminar on Advancements in Green Technology in France & Ireland. The seminar will take place from 8am to 10am at The Clarion Hotel, Cork.
The seminar is aimed at Irish Companies that want to learn more about advancements in Green Technology, and will focus on green opportunities available in Ireland. Registration details are available on the IFCC website.Converting waste plastic to liquid fuel
Portlaois has become home to Ireland’s first processing plant that can convert waste plastics into liquid fuel.
The plant, which is run by Cynar, can process up to 20 tonnes of waste plastics each day that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. This amount of plastics can produce up to 19,000 litres of low sulphur hydrocarbon fuel which causes less damage to the environment than petrol or diesel.
The company plans to develop 5 plants in Ireland, 30 plants in the UK and a further 60 plants across Europe in the future. The aim is to develop the plants beside waste management facilities, which would provide the plastics necessary for the liquid fuel production. The fuel could then be used to power machinery at both locations. If all of the proposed plants were operational, it would result in the diversion of 570,000 tonnes of landfill waste each year as well as producing 57 million litres of liquid fuel.High-speed electric trains from London to Beijing
China has unveiled plans to build transcontinental, high-speed electric rail lines that are designed to link London to Beijing. The target time for this journey is just two days at a speed of 320km/hour.
China plans to connect the high-speed electric rail lines to a further 17 countries in Asia and Eastern Europe, where it will connect with the European rail infrastructure. This will allow China to expand its access to natural resources. There are also plans to link China to Russia through additional rail lines.
This is a highly ambitious project that is planned to be completed inside of ten years. However, successful completion would be a global transport revolution that would ensure a viable, greener mode of transport.
Using residual waste as an energy source
A study undertaken by Engineers Ireland and the Irish Academy of Engineering promotes the use of residual waste (remaining material after the waste treatment process) as an energy resource after reuse and recycling options have been exhausted.
The report Infrastructure for and Island Population of 8 million states that district heating schemes could be retrofitted in cities. It recommends that up to eight regional waste-to-energy (WTE) plants be developed which would link up with district heating. The regions’ residual waste could therefore be used for heating.
EU funding for Marco Polo project: 2010 call for proposals
Marco Polo is an EU funding programme that promotes freight transport by sea, rail and inland waterways instead of by road. Moving away from road freight transport results in less traffic congestion, less pollution and more efficient transport of goods.
The 2010 call for proposals was announced on March 16th. Those involved in the freight transport business should send in their project proposals by May 18th in order to apply for Marco Polo funding, which amounts to €64 million.
The funding areas for 2010 include:
Model shift actions
Motorways of the sea actions
Traffic avoidance actions
Catalyst actions
Common learning actions
For further details, please see the European Commission for Energy & Transport website.
Ireland’s first electric car “juicepoints”
The ESB has announced that the first four charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs), known as “juicepoints”, will be available in Dublin city centre next week. These juicepoints are the first of 1,500 that will be installed across Ireland within the next two years.
The tall, narrow juicepoints will be located along the kerbs and it is estimated that recharging time will be one to two hours. Managing Director of EBS e-cars, Paul Mulvaney, said the company’s aim was to have 2,000 EVs in Ireland by the end of 2011.
The move to support EVs in Ireland will contribute to reducing Ireland’s carbon emissions and help build a green economy.
New Irish Innovation Centre & Green future for Shannon Region
On 15th March, an Taoiseach Brian Cowan will officially open the new Irish Innovation Centre in San Jose, California in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
At the opening of the centre overnight, University of Limerick (UL), the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Shannon Development and the Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) announced an agreement to support sustainable energy activities in the Shannon region, helping to create jobs and support new green companies. Both UL and NUIG have plans to develop further undergraduate and postgraduate courses focusing on energy, which will help to support the initiative in the long term.
It is also hoped that this initiative will draw international research and development groups to the region, while reducing Ireland’s carbon footprint and working towards a sustainable, green future.
New EU guide on environmental impact assessment
On Friday 12th March, the European Commission (EC) published a new handbook on how to assess the environmental impact of products.
The International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) Handbook was developed by the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability (IES). It provides a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to carry out the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a product, focusing on emissions, resources used, effect on the environment and health.
This guide is aimed at supporting governments, local authorities, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to establish more sustainable product production and consumption. The EC are also encouraging green public procurement, ecodesign, more efficient waste management and measures to attain ecolabel standards in order to help reduce Europe’s environmental footprint.The full guide is available for download from the IES website.
Green Awards 2010
The Green Awards 2010 took place on the 11th of March in Dublin and celebrated Ireland's talent for green innovation through the development of new eco initiatives, services and products. The overall Green Business of the Year Award was presented to the drink's company Diageo for their successful initiatives to reduce waste and water consumption in the company.
Category winners:
Overall Green Business of the Year:
Diageo
Green Leader Award:
Construct Ireland - Jeff Colley, Publisher and Editor
Green Entrepreneur Award:
Crumb Rubber Ireland
Green SME Award:
Westport Woods Hotel and Spa
Green Transport Initiative Award:
Mater and Temple Street Hospital
Green Communications Award:
Construct Ireland
Green Supply Chain Award:
Diageo
Green Large Manufacturer Award:
Diageo
Green Innovation Award:
Rainvault
Green School/College Award:
Holy Family Boys NS
Green Community Award:
Ballymun Regeneration Ltd
Green Retailer Award:
Clery & Co (1941) Plc
Green Energy Award:
Airtricity
Green Residential Building:
Melted Snow Architects - 43 Clarence Mangan Road, Dublin 8
Green Building Award:
Solearth Ecological Architecture - Dechen Lying, Wicklow
Green Product Award:
Ecocem
Green Financial Institution Award:
Citi
Green Professional Services Award:
Byrne Wallace
Green Entertainment & Leisure Award:
Cliffs of Moher
Green County Council Award:
Wicklow County Council
Eco-projects gain EU funding
Under the 2009 EU CIP (Competitiveness Innovation Programme) Eco-innovation initiative, 45 projects have been selected to receive €32 million funding for market development.
Eco-innovation is an EU funding scheme that supports new ‘green’ products, services and technologies. These projects can help to reduce Europe’s ecological footprint by making better use of our natural resources, and the Eco-innovation fund aims to bridge the gap between research and production. Between 2008 and 2013, the EU has made nearly €200 million available to fund the Eco-innovation project.
The selected projects range from recycling and green business practices, to water-saving production methods and eco-buildings. Contracts will now be drawn up for the 45 selected projects, and the first projects are expected to be initiated before the summer.
An Eco-innovation European Information Day will take place in Brussels on April 13th to begin the next call for proposals. The deadline for submission of proposals is September 9th, 2010. For further details, please see the Eco-innovation website.This Place matters: help plan the development of your county
This Place Matters is a new community-led planning project that invites people to voice their opinions on the developments within their county.
Development plans for an area relate to the environment, heritage and culture. It is important that people are able to have their say on the future development of their area, but many people feel that they do not understand the process of making submissions to the council.
This Place Matters encourages people to have their say by organising introductory meetings regarding the planning process, facilitated by An Taisce. The meetings emphasise the importance of contacting county councillors, give pointers on how to present a point of view and more.
As a result, people become better informed on the planning process and should be able to produce their own submissions on the plans. This Place Matters is organised on a county by county basis. Please see you Local Authority website for notices of any upcoming meetings. Information on making an effective Development Plan Submission is also available the An Taisce website.Five-year sustainable energy plan for Ireland
On March 10th, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) unveiled its five-year sustainable energy plan. The strategy outlines plans to create up to 10,000 jobs and recoup €6 billion in energy savings for households and businesses across the country.
The long-term target of SEAI is to reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions to one fifth of what they are today by 2050. At the heart of SEAIs plans to achieve this ambitious target is the extensive development of renewable energy sources, especially ocean energy, creating a sustainable, green energy base.
In the short-term, SEAI envisages that by 2015 there will be a large increase in public transport usage, all new buildings will have high energy efficiency and electric cars will be more prominent on the roads.
Greenhouse launched in Dublin
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Mr John Gormley T.D. officially launched the new Greenhouse on Andrew Street in Dublin.
At the Greenhouse there is an eco-shop, the offices of ECO-UNESCO, Cultivate and exhibition space. Workshops relating to renewable energy, sustainable building, and many more environmental areas take place at the Greenhouse on a regular basis. For further information, please see the Cultivate website.
IPCC to be reviewed
United Nations Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon has ordered a review of work conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Many of the world’s science academies will be involved in the review and the Inter-Academy Council will co-ordinate the overall work.
The move by Mr Ban follows a number of errors that occurred in the IPCC’s last major assessment of climate science that took place in 2007. Given the seriousness of the issue of climate change for our world, Mr Ban was firm that “full transparency and accuracy” was needed from the IPCC.
Harvest Mile Competition
The Harvest Mile Competition 2010 is a Rural Action initiative that is being run in Co. Meath. The competition aims to encourage rural community groups and schools to renew one mile stretches of road or laneway in Co. Meath, the ‘Harvest Miles’. As rural roadways can often be neglected, this initiative helps to enhance the natural beauty and to protect habitats of the area.
Application information and guidelines are available on the Meath County website.
Pride of Place for Schools Competition
Schools in Co. Meath are invited to enter the Pride of Place Schools Competition. The aim of this competition is to bring nature, wildlife and colour into the school grounds. The competition runs between February and the end of May 2010, and the winners will be announced at an award ceremony on June 10th. There are five different categories:
1. Best Productive Garden
2. Best Biodiversity/Wildlife Garden
3. Best Use of Art in School Garden
4. Best Traditional Garden
5. Special Recognition Award
Getting involved in the competition is a great way to encourage biodiversity and sustainable living in schools. For futher competition details, please see the Meath County Council website.
UCC awarded prestigious international Green Flag
University College Cork has become the first third level institution in the world to be awarded a prestigious International Green Flag. The award was presented by Minister of the Environment, Mr John Gormley TD, on February 19th 2010.
Over the past three years, students and staff at the university have followed the student-lead Green-Campus Programme, operated by An Taisce in Ireland, to promote sustainable living and green awareness. Receiving the International Green Flag Award was a direct result of their efforts.
The university has saved an estimated €300,000 in waste management costs and has reduced landfill waste by almost 400 tonnes. Water conservation was also high on their achievements, having saved the same amount of water it would take to fill the Lough of Cork.
Staff and students are determined to continue and expand their Green-Campus programme.
Ecofont for eco-printing
‘Ecofont’ is made up of a number of small holes along each letter. When the page is printed, the letters look the same as regular printing but less ink has been used thanks to the tiny holes. It is recommended to use the font at point size 11 for best results, as the holes begin to show with larger point sizes. The ecofont is not restricted to one font style, but can be applied to other fonts on your computer.
Third EEA message for International Year of Biodiversity
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) has published the third of its ’10 messages for 2010’, entitled Freshwater Ecosystems .
This campaign by the EEA is in support of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. Each message highlights a particular ecosystem or issue relating to biodiversity in Europe. One message per month will be published until the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October.
Messages for January, February and March are available to download from the EEA website.
New enzymes for biofuel production
Novozymes, a bio-solutions company with headquarters in Denmark, has launched the first commercially viable enzymes for biofuel production from agricultural waste. Developments in enzyme technology now mean that biofuel producers can produce cellulosic biofuel from agricultural waste as an alternative to gasoline.
The enzymes, Cellic CTec2, are used to break down the cellulose in biomass into sugars, which are then fermented into ethanol. The cost of production is on par with the current cost of gasoline in the United States and Novozymes believes that it will soon be more cost efficient, as well as more environmentally friendly.
Large-scale plants are currently under construction and are due to be operational in 2011.
Interconnector funding approved by EU
On March 4th, the Irish Government received approval for a €110m grant from the European Commission to construct an electricity interconnector between Ireland and Britain. Permission to build the interconnector was granted by An Bord Pleanála in 2009.
The project will be undertaken by EirGrid, a state-owned energy company. This new East-West Interconnector will provide a two-way transmission of power and will enable Ireland to export renewable power. It is expected to increase the development of Ireland’s renewable energy industry, encourage competition and reduce Ireland’s reliance on imported fuels.
The converter station will be located at Woodland, Co. Meath. Construction of the East-West Interconnector will begin this summer and is expected to be completed by 2012.
Paper batteries for the future
Scientists at Stanford University have developed a new type of battery using nanotechnology. By dipping a sheet of paper into an ink made with carbon nanotubes and silver nanowire, the scientists are able to create a lightweight and flexible battery.
This new paper battery is extremely durable and has the ability to perform up to 40,000 charge-discharge cycles, which is a higher performance than most lithium batteries. Researchers also discovered that such paper batteries can be crumpled up or soaked in acid or basic solutions without their deteriorating the quality.
These developments have been outlined in a paper published online by the researchers entitled Highly conductive paper for energy-storage devices.
Imagine going to school in a treehouse...
The Elleray Preparatory School at Windermere Lake, England has recently devised a new eco way to cope with increasing student numbers, by building treehouse classrooms.
The three new classroom ‘pods’ stand on stilts and have been built specifically to have a low environmental impact. The connecting deck between the classrooms has been constructed entirely from recycled materials including plastic milk bottles and wood shavings. The school plans to use the deck as an outside classroom during the summertime. Each classroom pod itself has been made from a ribbed timber frame and sits on stilts made from Douglas Firs. They were then finished by shrouding them in shingles of English Chestnut.
A rainwater harvesting system has been installed, together with solar panels and a ground-source heat pump, helping the school to maintain a low environmental impact. The innovative, eco school extension was designed by Robert Gaukroger of Kita Design Company.
Plans for first bio jet fuel plant in Europe
British Airways (BA) announced plans in mid-February to construct the first European waste-to-bio jet fuel plant in London in partnership with the US-based Solena Group. It is estimated that this new facility will create 16 million gallons of bio jet fuel each year by converting 500,000 tonnes of waste biomass. This waste biomass would otherwise be sent to a landfill. In comparison to fossil fuels, the bio jet fuel will result in a life cycle greenhouse gas saving of up to 95%.
While the process of producing the bio jet fuel will produce oxygen, nitrogen, argon, steam and CO2 as by-products, the plant itself will be CO2 neutral.
BA announced plans to begin using this bio jet fuel from 2014. Many of the company’s flights would become carbon neutral, helping it to achieve it goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2050.
New efficient turbine design
A new style of wind turbine is being developed by US company FloDesign that has proven to be more efficient than traditional turbines. Its appearance and technology is similar to that of a jet engine.
The central idea behind the new style of turbine is that it can produce more energy from shorter blades and shorter structures, as opposed to the traditional open fan turbines. This results in less raw materials being used, reducing the manufacturing costs, and producing an overall more efficient turbine.
FloDesign’s new style of turbine is still in the research and development stage, but has received funding to continue the project.
Green Awards shortlist
The shortlist of candidates for the Green Awards has been announced. The Green Awards are given in recognition of exceptional achievements by local authorities, individuals, businesses and communities in combating climate change.
In 2009, there were twenty award categories but this year two new categories have been added – Green SME (Small & Medium Enterprises) and Green Entrepreneur. Those shortlisted for an award are listed on the Green Awards website and the winners will be announced at the award ceremony at the RDS on March 11th.
Social responsibility with a green agenda
Irish education charity Camara has called for Irish businesses to become more socially responsible by taking a greener attitude towards recycling electronic devices. While recycling e-waste is better than sending it to the landfill, there are alternatives to consider.
Camara (established in 2005) collects redundant computers from businesses in Ireland and Britain, restores them and sends them to schools in Ireland and Africa for education purposes. This provides an environmentally friendly solution for companies looking to dispose of e-waste, while also acting in a socially responsible way by contributing to community education projects. Of the electronic equipment Camara receives, 81% can be reused before eventually being recycled.
This follows a report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) this week which shows that each year, e-waste is increasing by approximately 40 million tonnes globally.
New Opel Ampera premiered at Geneva
Opel’s new an extended-range electric car prototype – Ampera – was premiered at the 80th Geneva Motor Show this week (4th-14th March). The ‘Voltec’ technology used to create the vehicle uses electricity as its primary source and gasoline as its secondary source of power. It is estimated that it would cost approximately €0.02 per km to run in comparison to €0.09 per km using gasoline priced at €1.16 per litre.
Electricity is stored in its 16kWh lithium-ion battery. For journeys of up to 60km the Ampera runs on this electricity alone, resulting in a zero-emissions journey. This is significantly different from conventional hybrids which need a gasoline engine or electric motor to turn the wheels. When the Ampera’s energy has been consumed, electricity is created from an internal combustion engine, allowing the car to continue for another 500km.
The Ampera can be charged in any household 230v outlet, and Opel plans to put the car into production in 2011.
Eco-friendly 'dry cleaning'
A new environmentally friendly cleaning method known as 'dry ice blasting' is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. A pressurised air stream of particles of solid carbon dioxide, known as 'dry ice', creates a micro-thermal shock on the surface being cleaned, which removes any contamination. Upon contact with the surface, the dry ice pellets evaporate. This method is being used for cleaning printing equipment, power generating equipment, food equipment, medical device manufacturing equipment and fire damage restoration.
Use of dry ice blasting instead of traditional abrasive cleaning methods results in surfaces remaining undamaged. Also, it does not employ any chemical substances or liquid during the process, making it an environmentally friendly alternative.
Further information is available on www.alternativemaintenance.ie.
Leadership 4 Growth Sustainable Built Environment Programme
Enterprise Ireland has launched a Leadership 4 Growth Sustainable Built Environment Programme. It has been designed specifically for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of companies in the green energy sector and related areas serving the sustainable built environment. Duke Corporate Education will deliver the new Enterprise Ireland programme which so far has 25 CEOs on board.
The Programme was launched by an Táinaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan TD on February 23rd. Further information about the programme is available on the Enterprise Ireland website.
Renewable fuel from reed canary grass
A team of researchers at the Contaminated Land and Water Centre at Teeside University in the UK has discovered that grass can be used to produce green energy.
The BIOREGEN project began in 2004 and investigated how brownfield sites (underused or abandoned industrial and commercial sites) could be used to grow energy crops. The researchers concluded that reed canary grass could be grown on brownfield sites and would make an excellent renewable energy fuel for biomass power stations. Also, it does not absorb contamination from the soil and results in overall improved soil quality.
Using brownfield sites to grow energy crops would leave other land free for producing food, as land use is one of the major concerns for those involved in the biofuel industry.
The European Union’s LIFE-Environment research programme funded €1.2 million to the BIOREGEN project.
New marketplace for Irish carbon credit trading
Cosain is a new Irish Efficiency and Emissions Initiative that is developing a marketplace where Irish companies can buy and sell extra carbon credits in order to offset their carbon emissions. The idea behind Cosain was developed by Niall McManus, who received an award from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland to plan the new marketplace.
Cosain offers companies the opportunity to bid for carbon credits using an auction setting. Upon completion of the trade, ownership of the carbon credits is transferred and cannot be resold. Further information on the company is available on the Cosain website.
2010 International Year of Biodiversity: Art Competition
In celebration of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity 2010, Wicklow Mountains National Park is hosting a competition for Wicklow's primary schools.
Children are being asked to explore their local environment and to send drawings, paintings or collages of the variety of life they have found.
The winners will be announced during Biodiversity Week, which will take place from 13th-23rd of may 2010. For further information on the competition details, please see the Wicklow Mountains National Park website.
Going ‘green’ for the World Cup
This year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa will be a shade greener as football teams from around the world will be kitted out in 100% recycled shirts. Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, South Korea and New Zealand are among the teams that will don the eco-shirts for the finals.
Each of the Nike football shirts are made from approximately eight plastic bottles, all of which have been retrieved from landfill sites in Japan and Taiwan. It is estimated that the recycled shirts take 30% less energy to produce in comparison to new polyester shirts.
Creating energy from football
Four engineering students from Harvard University have developed a soccer ball ‘Soccket’ that can generate and store electricity during a game. They designed it for use in off-grid areas of Africa.
Soccar is one of the most popular sports in Africa and a ball can be found in most communities across the continent. Instead on relying on high fume-emitting Kerosene lamps, communities living outside of the grid areas could use the new Soccket to generate energy for lighting and other domestic uses.
The Soccket captures kinetic energy created when the ball is being kicked around and then stores it in a battery. A discrete socket on the ball allows electrical devices to access the energy. At present, a fifteen minute soccer game will create enough electricity to power a small LED light for 3 hours, but the students are aiming to develop a ball with much greater energy capacity.
Previous - February
Upload to this page
Add your photos, text, videos, etc. to this page.
