Investments in Renewables are Eclipsing Fossil Fuels

We are moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. While the combination of new regulatory regimes, climate action and divestment signal the end of fossil fuels, investments in renewable energy are booming. Recent research confirms that the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables is well under way. Competitive pressure from clean energy sources are hastening the demise of fossil fuels. The price of renewable energy and battery storage is falling as the demand for clean energy is increasing. Record amounts of renewable energy investment was documented in 2015. Investments are pouring into renewables at more than twice the rate of fossil fuels.

Energy economics are changing as evidenced by events in 2015. Investments in renewable energy has been steadily growing since the dawn of the new millennium and in 2015 asset finance soared to a record high.


As investments in renewable energy are increasing, investments in fossil fuels are declining. In 2015 global investments in fossil fuels were $130 billion while investments in renewable energy were $286 billion.

Renewable sources of energy are eclipsing fossil fuels and in 2015 they supplied the vast majority of the new energy.


Related
Market Forces are Killing the Fossil Fuel Industry 
Renewables will Keep Growing Whether Oil Prices are Low or High 
Renewables Decoupled from the Price of Oil 
Despite the Oil Rally Expect Low Prices to Continue in 2016

Renewables will Keep Growing Whether Oil Prices are Low or High

Regardless of whether oil prices are low or high we will continue to see massive increases in renewable energy which will ultimately help to make fossil fuels obsolete. Although low oil prices have historically hurt the growth of renewables, this appears to have changed. World Watch cites statistical analysis that shows low oil prices are no longer correlated with a slowdown in renewables. The data supports the contention that renewables have decoupled from the price of oil. As explained in a GMO article last February, low oil prices can't stop the growth of renewables. For more than a year we witnessed drastic declines in the price of oil but contrary to conventional wisdom renewables have kept growing.

An NRDC opinion piece published in the New York Times said:
"[T]oday’s low oil prices pose little risk to the continued rapid scale-up of clean energy in the United States. Because only 1 percent of United States electricity comes from burning oil, oil prices don’t affect the rapid growth of renewable power and energy-efficiency improvements on our electricity grid."
Clean energy provided more than 50 percent of all the new energy produced in the US in 2015. The Obama administrations fuel standards are decreasing demand in the transportation sector and sales of electric cars have remained steady.

Although the idea that renewables are decoupling from oil's price volatility is not new, this view is being bolstered by recent research.

As reported in a World Watch Institute post, the REN21 2015 Renewables Global Status Report, indicated that as of the end of 2014, renewables represented more than 58 percent of all new additions to global power capacity (134 gigawatts), with investment growing 17 percent to more than $301 billion and creating over 1.4 million renewable energy sector jobs in 2014 alone.

According to a new report 2015 was a banner year for clean energy with investments totaling $286 billion. The report was conducted by Frankfurt School and UNEP is titled, Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016. The report states that renewables (not including hydro) made up 53.6 percent of the gigawatts of installed capacity in 2015.

In 2015 investments in renewables were more than twice that of coal and gas. Even if oil prices rebound it will not save dirty energy from its inevitable demise, nor will it keep renewables from dominating the energy sector. "No matter how quickly prices recover, the crude oil market is projected to continue contracting for the foreseeable future," World Watch's Philip Killeen said.

While investors are weary of fossil fuel's uncertain future, some basic math makes renewables very attractive.

By doubling investments in renewables we can save up to $4.2 trillion annually by 2030 and generate between one third and one half of all our energy from truly clean sources. This is the finding in a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) titled, REmap: Roadmap for A Renewable Energy Future, 2016 Edition.

As explained by IRENA's Director-General Adnan Z. Amin:
"Achieving a doubling is not only feasible, it is cheaper than not doing so, REmap shows this is not only the most economic pathway, but also the most socially and environmentally conscious. It would create more jobs, save millions of lives from reduced air pollution and set us on a pathway to limit global temperature rise to two degrees as agreed in Paris."
Investors are and will continue to be attracted by the sheer scale of the opportunity. New research from Bloomberg New Energy Finance research suggests that post-Paris, renewables represent a $12.1 trillion investment opportunity for private investors through 2040.

Market Forces are Killing the Fossil Fuel Industry

A confluence of factors are providing some significant headwinds for the fossil fuel industry. Declining clean energy costs and low oil prices are driving investors away from fossil fuels and towards renewables.

Private sector investments in clean energy are rapidly increasing as investors come to terms with the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. The smart money knows that fossil fuel are the leading cause of global warming and they have no future if we are to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. Post COP21 there has been unprecedented international momentum demanding that we wean ourselves off of fossil fuels. There has also been unprecedented growth in renewable energy. These factors have not gone unnoticed by the investor community. As they read the writing on the wall, investors are abandoning hydrocarbons in droves.

Investors are coming to the realization that age of oil is coming to an end. Rather than being the bluest of blue chips, oil in now a high risk investment. It is getting harder to refute the fact that oil is a bad investment. Financial losses and diminished profits are transforming global energy and leading the move away from dirty energy.

Low prices have already taken a toll on the oil industry and on investors. In 2015 oil stocks tanked and low oil prices have closed drilling operations and stymied new exploration and development. As reported by GreenBiz, "the stock prices of large conventional energy companies listed in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index by 13 percent and have cost investors more than $703 billion since the record-high oil prices of June 2014."

In a World Watch post Philip Killeen, a Research Assistant for the Climate and Energy team at the Institute reports on the impacts of low oil prices. He points to a massive scaling back of oil industry operations. He states that oil companies have decommissioning two-thirds of their rigs and significantly reduced investment in oil field exploration and development. 

According to a Wood Mackenzie report, since 2014, 68 major oil and natural gas projects worth $380 billion and representing 2.9 million barrels of oil equivalent per day have been put on hold. In addition an estimated 250,000 oil workers have lost their jobs.

Fossil fuels are being replaced by renewables and market forces can be expected to continue to put downward pressure on dirty energy in 2016.

Related
An Upside to Low Oil Prices

Renewables Decoupled from the Price of Oil

Low oil prices are no longer holding back renewables, in fact they are proving to be a boon. Historically the price of oil has been tied to renewable energy. The higher the price of oil the more it benefited the growth of renewables. Conversely the low oil prices slowed the growth of renewables. However, according to recent statistical analysis this link appears to have been broken.

As explained by Philip Killeen in a World Watch post, the "increasingly unprofitable global oil market" and the "hemorrhaging investment in conventional energy sources."

"[C]heap oil no longer foretells disaster for renewable energy companies. On the contrary, disillusioned fossil fuel investors are seeking high-growth opportunities—just in time to ride the renewables wave in the wake of the 2015 Paris climate talks," Killeen said.

Investors are selling their oil shares and overall investment in oil has declined. "[I]nvestors remain skeptical of underlying oil market fundamentals and are reducing their exposure," Killeen added.

Renewable energy is increasingly attractive to investors and new financing schemes are reducing risk and eating away at investments in fossil fuels. Buoyed by the UNFCCC's climate finance mechanism in the Green Climate Fund the GCF Private Sector Facility (PSF) is using innovative tools and concessional funding mechanisms to promote private sector involvement.

This trend away from fossil fuels and towards renewables is well under way. "The global shift from fossil fuels to sustainable energy has already begun—it’s time for investors to ride the wave," Killeen said.

Despite the Oil Rally Expect Low Prices to Continue in 2016

Even though we have seen a recent uptick in oil prices the outlook in the short and medium term is anything but bullish. According to a number of energy pundits, there is little reason to believe that oil prices will keep their current value. First, despite the agreement to reduce production from Saudi Arabia and Russia, there is no agreement from other producers to curb production and secondly Iran’s oil shipment to Europe will rise sharply by May.

In a March 29th Seeking Alpha article titled, "Big Trouble For Oil Prices Could Be Brewing," Daniel Jones says that despite the rise in oil price the short term future does not look good. "[T]he market suggesting additional upside may not be possible near-term or downside is probable," Jones said.

Oil prices may decline as we see more production, ongoing soft global demand and unprecedented urgency to cut production in the wake of the COP21 agreement in Paris. Demand is expected to remain sluggish for the foreseeable future. As explained in a World Watch post by Philip Killeen:

"Projections on the demand side are equally grim. The most recent market status report from the International Energy Agency has revised projected oil-demand growth downward through 2020, citing unusually warm winters, the reorientation of large consumers like China away from oil-intensive industries (such as heavy manufacturing) toward more consumer-driven economies, and the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy and natural gas against petroleum and coal in emerging markets."

On March 29th, Reuters reported that US commercial crude oil stockpiles were expected to have reached record highs for a seventh straight week and analysts are forecasting record levels for US crude stockpiles.

There are indications that the recent rally is already faltering. On Tuesday the price of a barrel of oil (Brent crude) fell below the $40 mark to $39.69.

Major suppliers of oil are set to meet on April 17 in Doha, however there are indications that efforts to increase production from cash starved nations like Russia and Iran will increase global supply.

"The numbers continue to suggest a supply glut and I suspect that more talk is relevant out of OPEC and Co to help the price stand up or to help it remain relatively stable," Jonathan Barratt, Chief investment officer at Ayers Alliance in Sydney, said.

On March 28th Barclays predicted that in the second quarter of 2016, "the price of oil could fall back to the low $30s."

Hybrid and Fully Electric Cars at the New York Auto Show

A number of greener cars are being showcased at the 2016 edition of the New York International Auto show. This year almost every automaker is highlighting their hybrid and electric vehicles. As explained by Honda Executive Vice President John Mendel in New York, hybrids and pure electrics are a “mainstay” for the industry.The show opened on March 23 and will run until April 2.

General Motors

There has been a lot of buzz around GM's new affordable all electric family car called the Bolt What makes this car noteworthy is its 200-mile range all for around $30,000 after federal tax incentives. This is the first electric vehicle from GM since it launched its electric and gas powered Volt.

Hyundai

Hyundai has introduced multiple versions of a vehicle called the “Ioniq" which includes a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full-electric versions all in the same body. The Korean carmaker plans to sell more green cars by 2020 than any other maker except Toyota.

Toyota

Toyota, is already at the top of the heap in the green vehicle space with more hybrids that everyone else combined. The company has unveiled a new line of its industry leading Prius that has dominated the sector for ten years now. The plug-in Prius Prime will have an all-electric range of 22 miles and a projected average 58 mpg for nonelectric use.

SUVs

In the SUV space Toyota is also a dominant player with its hybrid version of its Highlander. Honda showed off its new Acura MDX “sport hybrid” option. Honda is setting its sights to lead the green car space as it has announced that two thirds of its sales will be hybrids or other clean technologies by 2030.

The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid is a mid-size crossover SUV and it is scheduled to go on sale this summer as a 2017 model. These SUVs will compete with a range of vehicles including a plug-in hybrid version of the new Mini Countryman crossover SUV that is expected to be available next year. Other greener SUV competition includes plug-in hybrid versions of the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE (nee ML), Porsche Cayenne, and Volvo XC90.

Exotics

There are also other more exotic hybrid cars on display at the auto show. One such vehicle is the Koenigsegg Regera supercar. Although it can hardly be described as a green vehicle, it does qualify as a hybrid. It combines electric drive with a V-8 engine to generate more than 1,500 horsepower. Another exotic hybrid that is appearing at the show is the Maserati Levante is available in hybrid form.

Event - California Higher Education Sustainability Conference

This event will take place on June 27th- July 1st, 2016 at California State University, Fullerton. The California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) highlights cutting-edge research, as well as case studies with proven successes in curriculum development, operational programs, and community partnerships. This unique event is jointly organized by independent / private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities, and the University of California creating the opportunity for dialogue across institutions.

Online Registration is Currently Closed, However We Welcome you to Register Onsite. If you have any registration or housing questions, please contact:

Ellen Robinson
Senior Production Manager
Your Great Event
(818) 242-9108 x 204 (P)
ellen@yourgreatevent.com

and/or

Katie Maynard
Event Manager
CA Higher Education Sustainability Conference
(805) 448-5111 (M)
kmaynard@geog.ucsb.edu

The Symbolism of Easter in the Age of the Anthropocene

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect deeply on the shift of consciousness required to extricate ourselves from the horrors of climate change and the tragic state of environmental degradation we have created. We need the kind of philosophical and psychological insights that will enable us to extricate ourselves from the age of the Anthropocene, a time when human activities are having a significant adverse global impacts on Earth's geology and ecosystems.

The egg is a prominent symbol of Easter and a fitting metaphor for the Earth. An egg symbolizes the promise of new life and at the same it is fragile and can be easily broken. As a festival celebrating the return of spring and as a Christian holiday, Easter calls us to remember the cycles of renewal and the interconnectedness of life and death.

Above all, Easter symbolizes rebirth, and renewal. From an ecological perspective this is precisely what is required as we engage the serious work of being better environmental stewards. A number of symbols have become part of the Easter tradition. Some are directly related to the life of Jesus Christ and other date back to pagan traditions.

For Christians, Easter is a celebration of Christ's resurrection, the ultimate symbol of rebirth. Easter's known pagan roots date back to the 8th century, specifically an Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess known as "Eostre," whose name may be derived from "eastre," meaning spring.

The Easter Egg is taken from Celtic and Teutonic pagan traditions. Eggs are directly associated with springtime festivals in many older texts and narratives. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.

Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration. 

Judaism celebrates Passover around this time of year and it commemorates the Hebrews' escape from Egyptian enslavement. This is metaphorically relevant to ecology as a symbol of freedom from the bondage of environmental destruction.

With so many around the world seeking to renew our relationship to the Earth, Easter is particularly relevant in modern times.

Easter is an opportunity to reconsider our relationship to this planet, and a good time to reflect on the truly transformational work that lies ahead. Easter is also an aspirational homage to the possibility that we can live in harmony with our environment.

Related Articles
A Thanksgiving Infused with Environmental Gratitude
Why We Need a New Climate Change Narrative
Overcoming Obstacles in the Creation of a New Climate Narratives
Crafting a Positive Environmental Narrative
Pessimism is Impeding Environmental Advocacy
A New Environmental Movement Breeds Hope for the Future
Environmental Success Stories: Mercury, SLCPs and Many More
Forging a New Climate Change Narrative: Addressing 5 Psychological Realities

Event - Sustainable Brands San Diego

#SB16sd will take place on June 6-9, 2016 at the Paradise Point Spa and Resort in San Diego, California. As the demand for new products, services and business models that deliver purpose and profit continues to soar, brand leaders who are tapping into this shift are thriving in the face of uncertainty. This year, elevate your courage to galvanize purpose and mobilize your brand to succeed. Seek to clarify how your brand can make a unique contribution to the world and motivate others to follow to create impact at scale.

Sustainable Brands is home to over one million business leaders who are reshaping the future of commerce worldwide – connect in person this June at SB’16 San Diego and begin Activating Purpose for a flourishing future

At #SB16sd participants will discover how brands and business leaders are activating purpose for a flourishing future with sustainability-led innovation that creates scalable impact and profitability.

The event will also help you to elevate your courage within to galvanize personal purpose and mobilize your brand. It will also help you to find detail-rich case studies, practical know-how and specific implementation tips to help you drive business success and positive impact.

Why Attend

Thought leaders, brand innovators, designers, and global business leaders will gather to explore various topics and issues pertinent to sustainability. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join them in discovering the new products, services and business models that will successfully deliver purpose and profit.

Who should attend

SUSTAINABILITY & CSR

I seek to solve social problems that alleviate, or altogether eliminate, resource tensions along the way.

BRAND STRATEGY

I believe leadership stems from brands that have awareness of the impact they have on the world around them.

COMMUNICATIONS

I encourage purpose-driven voice and invite stakeholders on interactive, co-creative journeys.

DESIGN & INNOVATION

I seek skillful, sensitive design that leads to radical innovation and heightened shared value.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Supply chain disruptions are not an option. I strive for enlightenment across the entire value chain.

HUMAN RESOURCES

I encourage embedded sustainability-driven behaviors and pro-active management to drive change from within.

Program

Through an innovative program of collaboration and information, Sustainable Brands ’16 San Diego seeks to provide inspiration, tools, and partnerships to drive business success and positive impact. Join us for plenaries, breakouts, workshops, the Activation Hub, the Innovation Open, and numerous networking events where you will discover how brands and business leaders are Activating Purpose with sustainability-led innovation to create scalable impact AND profitability.

Click here for the program overview
Click here for the speakers list
Click here to register

Event - Cleantech Revolution Tour (Berlin)

The first CleanTechnica Event that is part of the Cleantech Revolution Tour will take place on April 9th - 10th, 2016, in Berlin, Germany. This event will focus on Cleantech inspiration, education & empowerment. The Cleantech Revolution Tour, brought to you by CleanTechnica in partnership with GridHub, will include speakers, analysts, and experts focused on stimulating the greater adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and solar energy. This is the first in a series of events that are planned for cities across North America and Europe.

The top solar & EV journalists, analysts, and executives will be in attendance. Sponsors and partners, other than GridHub, who will be involved in this launch include EV-Volumes, Renewables International, World Future Council, EV Obsession, and Solar Love, with several others likely to sign on soon.

The price is just €50.

Click here for the agenda
Click here to register

Our Forests are Being Decimated but they can be Reborn

Forest are a critical part of our efforts to protect biodiversity and manage global warming. In fact we cannot talk about addressing climate change without also talking about protecting forests.

On March 21st 2016 we celebrated the sixth International Day of Forests. On this day efforts are made to make people aware of the immense importance of forests.

A New York Times article titled, "With Deaths of Forests, a Loss of Key Climate Protectors," makes this point emphatically. Some scientists have said that the extent to which our planet is habitable is related to the number of trees on Earth.

Benefits

Forests provide significant economic, social and health benefits. Forests contribute to every aspect of sustainable development and to all the Sustainable Development Goals. By serving as carbon sinks, forests combat climate change. They are also important economic contributors. One fifth of the global population or 1.3 billion people directly depend on forests for employment and as a source of resources. As explored in this infographic, forests combat climate change and contribute to the economy. Forests also contribute to clean water, biodiversity and food security.

Deforestation

We are seeing alarming rates of deforestation continue particularly in tropical countries. The was the conclusions of the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch. As reported by Think Progress Their research shows that in 2014 alone, the planet lost more than 45 million acres of tree cover, with tree cover loss in tropical countries accounting for more than half of that total or 25 million acres. It should be noted that tropical forests store 25 percent of global carbon. Sadly the rate of deforestation appears to be accelerating. Commonly deforestation can be attributable to slash and burn agriculture.

COP21 Agreement

The COP21 climate agreement reached in Paris, identified stopping deforestation as a crucial part of keeping temperature increases within acceptable limits. For many countries conserving and restoring forests are the best ways they can achieve their emissions reduction targets.

The COP21 agreement incorporates many elements of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Specifically Article 5 sections 1 and 2. As quoted in a Mongabay article, Rosalind Reeve, a senior fellow in climate change and the environment at Ateneo School of Government in Manila, Philippines said that the importance of forest inclusions in the agreement cannot be understated.

"It is essential that we reduce deforestation to zero," Reeve said. "We need to do the same with forest degradation [which selectively removes trees and biodiversity from forests, leaving them less intact and thus less effective as a carbon sink]. We need to preserve ecosystems. All of that will help us to [reach] 1.5 degree C, and stay under 2 degrees C [of warming]. If we don’t [preserve forests], we can’t. It’s that simple."

Here is a Video that marks the sixth anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Forests. In this video Peter Holmgren, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and Tony Simons, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), sit down together in a special three-part video interview series to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for forests and for our planet.

Part 1 discusses the contributions of forests and trees to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the interconnections between forests and water. Indeed, the theme of the 2016 International Day of Forests was “Forests and Water: Sustaining Life and Livelihoods.”



Growing Forests

In addition to conserving existing forests we also need to plant trees on a massive scale. There are some novel approaches that suggest we may be able to help reverse the deforestation trend by planting trees. One such program employs drones with the goal of planting a billion trees. The drones tasked with reversing deforestation are from UK based BioCarbon Engineering which won £20k in funding from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. BioCarbon Engineering's drone system is both cheaper and capable of planting more trees than traditional methods.

These drones perform "precision planting activities" by firing a pregerminated seed pod into the soil with pressurized air. The pod is encapsulated in a nutrient-rich hydrogel for "high up-take rates." After planting, the drones will also be used to audit and monitor the reforested sections to assess the recovery of the areas.

UAE Drones for Good England from zee on Vimeo.





Other less sensational efforts to support forests are also underway. This includes massive organizations like the World Bank and small non-profits like Ecosia. The latter is a search engine company that has already planted a million trees and by 2020 they hope to plant a billion more.

Warmest Winter Ever and the Coming Climate Catastrophe

The oft repeated refrain that weather does not equal climate is giving way to the realization that when you string decades of weather data together a clear and irrefutable warming pattern emerges. In 2015 the hottest summer in recorded history eventually culminated in the hottest year in recorded history. The new numbers posted for last year broke the record set the year before.

Worse still global temperature data suggested that the warming trend is accelerating. As the new year commenced we saw even more support for this contention. February 2016 saw the biggest temperature increase on record and we now know that last winter was the warmest ever.

We have not seen any pause or slow down in warming in the last five decades, in fact what we have seen is 30 consecutive years of above average temperatures. This paints a very convincing picture of the anthropogenic warming trend. The Earth is now hotter than it has been in at least a millennium and the warming trend appears to be speeding up.

As reported by the Guardian Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, the last five months have been hotter than any month preceding them and he called this "a very worrying result."

The record heat is accompanied by a number of other related phenomenon from emissions to retreating ice in the Arctic. However, there is a certain gravitas to temperature records that is significant because this information is accessible to lay people.

Emission levels keep rising and Arctic sea ice continues to melt at a prodigious rate. The Spring of 2016 is expected to offer above average temperatures and the year is likely to be the warmest ever beating the record set last year.

The growing emissions causing the warming will wreak havoc on our climate. One of the most dramatic impacts has to do with an increase in the strength of extreme weather events. Rising temperatures are already causing powerful droughts in places like Vietnam and Zimbabwe and massive swaths of coral in places like the Great Barrier Reef are dying. Agricultural production is also being hampered by climate change and this will only worsen making it very difficult for us to feed the world, particularly as the world's population grows from 7 to 9 billion.

Perhaps the most terrifying part of the science of global warming is the recent realization that the planet is likely to get much hotter far sooner than most scientists had imagined. This was the finding in a climate model created by researchers at the University of Queensland and Griffith University. They developed a “global energy tracker” which predicts that average world temperatures could climb 1.5C above pre-industrial levels as soon as 2020. The model further predicted they would increase by 2C by 2030.

An even more horrific picture came into view in peer reviewed research published by world famous climate scientist James Hansen. As explained by the Atlantic, the paper Hansen published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, suggests that the near-term effects of climate change could be much more catastrophic than previously anticipated. In addition to sea level rise inundating cities, by 2100 we could see superstorms powerful enough to hurl ocean boulders hundreds of feet into the air.

Hansen's research indicates that one of the most serious consequences of global warming involves the interruption of ocean currents induced by the meltwater from Greenland's glaciers. This will more cause more warming and more extreme weather. 

Although Hansen concedes that we have probably not reached the point of no return, he also points out that we must act to reduce emissions and we must act now. In addition to suggesting that warming is happening faster than many had imagined, the Australian researchers mentioned above offer some solutions.

The conclusion of their research adds urgency to our efforts to the switch from fossil fuels to renewables. One of the researchers, a molecular bioscience researcher by the name of Ben Hankamer said:
“[T]he conclusion really is that economists and environmentalists are on the same side and have both come to the same conclusion: we’ve got to act now and we don’t have much time.”
Another one of the researchers accounting professor Liam Wagner said:
"Massive increases in energy consumption would be necessary to alleviate poverty for the nearly 50% of the world’s population who live on less than $2.50 a day...We have a choice: leave people in poverty and speed towards dangerous global warming through the increased use of fossil fuels, or transition rapidly to renewables."
Hankamer said: “When you think about statements like ‘coal is good for humanity’ because we’re pulling people out of poverty, it’s just not true”.

The researchers suggest that another way to spur growth, increase renewables and advance the end of oil is to take the $500bn in subsidies for fossil fuels and provide those funds to clean sources of energy.

"[Y]ou would actually see a great deal more growth from putting it [$500bn] into renewables than providing it for fossil fuels," Hankamer said.

David Suzuki's Passion for Nature

Today, March 24, 2016, we celebrate the 80th birthday of the iconic Canadian environmentalist and elder Dr. David Suzuki. This internationally respected nature lover is considered by many to be the greatest living Canadian. He has been an academic, science broadcaster and author but he is best known for his work as a passionate defender of the natural world.

It will come as a surprise to many but Suzuki's passion for nature was born in a Canadian concentration camp. While Suzuki has earned global praise, he was not always venerated as he is today. Due to his Japanese heritage, the Suzuki family was subject to the racist brutality of internment during the Second World War.

These camps did not have schools or formal activities and Suzuki's inability to speak Japanese prevented him from playing with the other mostly Japanese speaking children. Ironically these factors contributed to his rise to prominence as one of the world's foremost environmentalists and lovers of nature. The absence of activities or friends caused him to spend long hours exploring the forest adjacent to his camp (now known as Valhalla Provincial Park).

Suzuki is one of the world's leading champions of climate action and environmental advocacy.  He is the co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation which focuses on issues like climate change, clean energy and sustainability. Essentially they strive to encourage a mode of life that is in harmony with nature. He is also the inspiration behind the Blue Dot Movement that is campaigning to enshrine clean air, water and soil into Canadian law.

Like so many scientists today Suzuki is deeply concerned about tje ecological toll that climate change is taking on the world today. "I am raising the alarm" Suzuki said in a Globe and Mail interview, "especially now as an elder"

Suzuki has explained that our disconnection with nature is at the heart of our destructive relationship with our environment. As he put it, "[we] no longer live as part of nature." He believes that the comforts of contemporary life isolate us from the realization that we are part nature. He posits that we need a paradigm shift that enables us to prioritize nature.

While Suzuki is well loved by most, he has earned the ire of some of those whose interests he has undermined through his advocacy . He is no stranger to threats and intimidation. His office at UBC (the University of British Columbia where he was a professor of genetics) was broken into two times. A bullet was even fired into his home. However, Suzuki never capitulated and he is even more strident now that he is an elder.

Suzuki's connection to nature inspires him to speak truth to power. To illustrate the point he recently suggested that former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper should be thrown in jail for his willful ignorance on climate change. 

Despite the daunting challenges posed by climate change Suzuki remains stalwart in his conviction that we must fight for the planet until we breathe our last breath:

"There are many of my colleagues now who are saying it’s too late; we’ve passed too many tipping points. And my response to that at my age is I don’t have to worry about it in the sense that … I’ll be dead when things really kick in badly. But I don’t think anyone should say it’s too late, because that’s a hopeless prognosis. And we don’t know enough to say it’s too late. It’s very, very urgent. But don’t say it’s too late. Because we have to have hope."

Suzuki has won many awards and achieved a number of great things in his life. His awards include the Right Livelihood Award, a Nautilus Book Award and Companion of the Order of Canada. As an activist he has successfully stopped fossil fuel drilling operations and stopped supertanker traffic off the west coast.

Although he has received many awards and accolades the accomplishment that he values the most is being a father and grandfather.

Liberal Budget Delivers a Raft of Green Promises

The newly elected Liberals first budget makes good on their green campaign promises. The budget called "Growing the Middle Class," was released on March 22, it is intended to help make Canada "a champion of clean growth," and "make a speedy transition to a low-carbon economy."

As explained in the document Canada must now strive to catch up to the low carbon leaders in the world. This is no easy feat after ten years of climate inaction from Stephen Harper's Conservative government. However, rather than focus solely on the challenge ahead, the Liberals are looking to capitalize on the opportunities.

In his budget speech to Parliament, Finance Minister Bill Morneau challenged the old Conservative polemics saying, "Some believe we must choose between a strong economy and a clean environment. They are simply wrong."
"We are at a turning point in world history with the International Energy Agency reporting that the global economy has grown while global carbon emissions haven’t," Morneau said. "The IEA credits the widespread adoption of a clean energy. This is just a glimpse of the future; a future we want Canada to lead."
Here is a breakdown of some of the major green spending in the 2016 Liberal Budget:

Green Infrastructure

The Liberal's have allocated green infrastructure investments of $5 billion over the next 5 years.

Public Transportation

In order to improve and expand public transit a total of $3.4 billion will be invested in communities across Canada.

GHG Emissions Reduction

The government is spending a major portion of its budget to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and honor its COP21 commitments. Financial incentive for the provinces and territories will help to build a pan-Canadian climate strategy. A total of $2.9 billion over the next five years is earmarked to reduce emissions and pay for the pan-Canadian framework.

Water

Municipal and provincial governments have access to $2 billion to improve their water infrastructure and wastewater treatment.

Low Carbon Economy Fund

Beginning in 2017 and stretching into 2018 there will be a $2 billion low-carbon economy fund.

Clean Economy

The Liberals have allotted $1.75 billion over two years to develop a low carbon clean economy and protect the environment

Climate Resilient Infrastructure

A total of $518 million has been earmarked for local governments to upgrade and build a climate resilient infrastructure

National Parks

To add national parks and provide free admission to these parks to mark the 150th anniversary of confederation in 2017, the Liberal's have earmarked $142 million.

R&D

Over the next five years the government will invest $132.5 million into research and development of clean technologies.

Energy Efficiency and Building Retrofits

Over the next five years $128.8 million will go into energy efficiency programs to retrofit buildings and to improve standards for vehicles and products.

Alternative Fuel Charging Stations

Over the next two years $62.5 million will be used to build electric, hydrogen and natural gas charging stations

Discussion to Expand Electricity Infrastructure

The Liberals will also launch regional discussions to identify the most promising projects to expand electricity infrastructure.

Fossil Fuel Subsidies

If there is one area where the Liberal's did not live up to their promises it is subsidies. While the Liberal's will continue to phase out a billion dollars in fossil fuel subsidies, they will not do so as quickly or as aggressively as they had promised. Even more significantly, this will not apply to liquefied natural gas (LNG), at least not until 2025. The existing accelerated capital cost allowance for LNG remains in place. This means that companies can continue to write off 30 percent of the cost of their equipment and 10 percent of the cost of their buildings.

Overall this is a decidedly green budget. It just goes to show how quickly political tides can turn. Mere months ago we were tied to the yoke of a petro-obsessed tyrant. Now we have a Prime Minister who has breathed new life into the Canadian political landscape. The tabling of this budget sets in motion a collection of policy initiatives that will help move the nation into the 21 century. We have set a new course, or perhaps it would be more apt to say we are navigating by a different star. One thing is certain this is not Stephen Harper's Canada anymore.

This budget is about more than just doing what they said they would do. This budget makes a statement by repeatedly mentioning the environment. From taxes to trade, the environment was mentioned more times in this relatively brief document than in any of the previous budgets tabled before Parliament.

Businesses Make Water Stewardship Pledges at a White House Summit

Water is essential to sustain life and it is also crucial to many business including some of the staples of our economy (eg: food, clothing, cars and mobile phones). At a White House Summit on World Water Day several businesses made ambitious pledges related to water conservation strategies and technological investments.  Together these water related private sector efforts will amount to more than $1 billion over the next ten years.

At the Summit the White House recognized sustainability advocacy organization Ceres’ water initiatives including Connect the Drops and their Water Climate Bonds Initiative. These bonds are designed to help foster investment in resilient and sustainable water infrastructure. Ceres Water bonds are part of a collaborative effort that includes the Climate Bonds Initiative, the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, CDP, and the World Resources Institute. The Bonds offer investors verifiable, science-based criteria for evaluating bonds earmarked for financing sustainable water infrastructure projects.

Ceres was also honored for its Connect the Drops initiative, in which California companies agree to 1) make and implement business commitments to support California’s action plan for water conservation, and 2) engage with policymakers, employees, customers and their peers on improving water management and enhancing water efficiency in the state. Five new members also signed onto the Connect the Drops initiative including Anheuser-Busch InBev which has reduced its water usage rate by 23 percent from 2009 through 2015, resulting in water savings of over 2.5 billion gallons (the four other signatories are Annie’s, EILEEN FISHER, Kellogg Company, and Xylem). Together these members will save one billion gallons of water by 2020.

Pledges also came from existing Connect the Drop signatories including General Mills, Genentech and Levis Strauss & Co. (see below)

Here are some of the other corporate actions announced at the Summit:

General Electric has committed $500 million for advanced water, wastewater and reuse technologies. 

General Mills pledged to champion development of water stewardship plans in the most material, high-risk watersheds in its global supply chains by 2025 that includes corporate collaboration efforts, development of foundational tools, and science-based policy advocacy in these watersheds.

Genentech announced a project that could save 60 million gallons of water per year by 2020 by treating manufacturing process wastewater in San Francisco.

Levis Strauss & Co., who has saved more than a billion liters of water since 2011 is sharing its Water

Xylem a water technology company will invest at least $300 million in water-focused research and development activities through 2018 including a new national water-innovation challenge in collaboration with the US Water Partnership. 

Ask the Canadian Government to Protect our Water Resources

In honor of David Suzuki's 80th birthday on March 24, Canadians are calling for more action to "protect, respect and fulfill our right to clean water." Canada has one-fifth of the Earth's fresh water, a quarter of its remaining wetlands and the world's longest coastline so it should come as no surprise that water is an important issue for Canadians. Led by the Suzuki Foundation, the Blue Dot movement said:
"Access to clean water is a fundamental pillar in the right to a healthy environment. Finland, Uruguay and Greece have already used environmental rights legislation to protect marine biodiversity, limit overfishing, stop destructive dam projects and protect indigenous peoples' right to clean drinking water."
According to the Suzuki Foundation the Canadian government isn't doing enough to protect our water. They are urging Canadians to speak out on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, 2016.

They are reaching out to their Blue Dot supporters and others to ask them to tell the federal government and Canadians to support legal protections that enshrine water as a precious resource. They are specifically calling for an environmental bill of rights that include:
  • Respect our right to clean water: Pass a federal environmental bill of rights to recognize our right to a healthy environment and hold water in the public trust for future generations.
  • Protect our right to clean water: create legally binding national standards for drinking water quality and set long-term targets and timelines for water pollution reduction.
  • Fulfill our right to clean water: reinforce the mandate to address the drinking water crisis in Indigenous communities, establish a Canada Water Fund to foster the clean water tech industry and create a robust national water quality and quantity monitoring system.
As explained by Marianne Gallinger, Blue Dot movement volunteer, the right to a healthy environment is not only about us it is "also about protecting the health and happiness of future generations. It's our responsibility to leave behind a positive legacy." 

More than 110 municipalities have passed environmental rights declarations. This comprises 11.5 million people (one-third of the population)who live in a community that has passed a right to healthy environment declaration. Please help Blue dot to continue to build on this incredible momentum. The ultimate goal is the recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Blue Dot movement is asking Canadians to a write a letter to the editor of their local newspapers demanding strong federal leadership on the right to clean water. Click here for more information.

Canadians are also being asked to sign the Blue Dot pledge: "Will you stand with the groundswell of people across Canada who are calling on all levels of government to recognize our right to a healthy environment (including the right to water)" and join the #WaterIs THUNDERCLAP.

In addition concerned Canadians are asked to talk about federal environmental rights as well as encourage their MPs to champion these rights federally.

World Water Day 2016: Employment and Energy

Each year World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 and this year the focus is on jobs and by extension energy. The day is an opportunity to raise awareness and engage concrete actions related to responsible water stewardship. The first World Water Day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly on March 22, 1993.

Water stewardship is a global issue. As reviewed in a 2016 Yale report, since 2000 the number of people who lack access to clean water has been cut nearly in half from over one billion to 550 million.

However as highlighted by the lead issue in the drinking waster of Flint and other US cities the problem of clean water is not just an issue in the developing. World water day is also about the ways in which our economy and energy generation is dependent on water. As explained by the UN, World Water Day is also about the economy and jobs.

Although one and a half billion people work in water related sectors and nearly all jobs are dependent on water in one way or another, many of these workers are not protected by basic labor rights. That is why the theme this year is water and jobs. Specifically how the quantity and quality of water can change workers lives and livelihoods and even transform societies and economies.

The eleventh edition of the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2016, identified climate change as the single biggest threat but water was also a big concern of these experts. They specifically warned about water shortages and droughts, as well as inefficient or non-existent water infrastructure to transport water to where it is needed.

The Global Opportunity Report 2016, a collaboration of three organizations, DNV GL, the UN Global Compact, and Monday Morning, identifies water risks as an opportunity. A key opportunity that they highlighted is what they call “Smart Water Regulation,” which emphasizes such things as effective pricing mechanisms that will encourage all water users to use water more efficiently and responsibly. Their argument is that raising water rates, particularly in the US, will benefit everybody.

Here are some of the opportunities they identified from raising water rates as reviewed in and Environmental Leader article by Klaus Reichardt is CEO of Waterless Co. Inc,:
  • First and foremost, higher costs will invariably influence water consumption and make Americans much more water-wise and responsible when it comes to water.
  • Rising costs will encourage private industry to step in and develop water-using products that are much more water efficient; we see this happening already.
  • Additional funds collected due to rising water prices can be used to invest in water infrastructure and pipelines, which are in dire condition in many parts of the U.S.
  • Improving water infrastructure creates all kinds of jobs for the public and private sectors from engineers and designers to construction workers; moreover, these are typically well-paying jobs.
  • Funds become available so we can more accurately measure and monitor water; current and accurate water data are necessary for water efficiency.
One of the most wasteful components of water usage in the US is related to the shale gas boom. While gas is touted as a more environmentally friendly source of energy studies show that it is not as clean as its supporters suggest, in fact it may be worse than coal. In addition leaking natural gas pipelines are ubiquitous further compounding the problem.

Large amounts of water are required to extract natural gas. The is a powerful nexus between water and energy. As reported by Environmental Leader, water shortages may undermine clean energy.

Downstream Strategies says that in 2006 there were 35,000 wells that had been fractured that had required as much as 140 billion gallons per year of water. The same article quotes Susan Story, chief executive of American Waterworks as saying that 200 billion gallons of water are used each day for power generation.

All forms of thermal power and hydro electric power are also at risk from water shortages. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, energy production, water supply and food production account for more than 94 percent of water withdrawals from lakes, rivers and streams.

The National Energy Renewable Laboratory has reported that the United States alone withdraws 1,500 gallons of fresh water per capita each day. That includes 190 gallons a day for domestic and commercial use, 673 gallons each day for industrial use and 600 gallons every day for agricultural use. “In many regions, the water supply is shrinking because of drought and non-sustainable pumping aquifers,” says the lab’s study.

The World Policy Institute indicates that coal-and-oil-fired power plants consume roughly twice the water than that of gas-fired facilities while nuclear generation needs three times that of natural gas. Carbon capture and burial could increase water consumption between 30-100 percent.

Both wind turbines and solar panels are the most efficient forms of energy generation when it comes to water. However, solar thermal electricity generation uses twice the water as coal and five times the amount as gas-fired plants.

New technologies like “one-through cooling” that returns nearly all the water to its original source and “closed loop” systems that re-circulate the water. However, we will need to be far better water managers if we are to meet our energy needs.

Concerns about water risks are not new and neither are attempts to address the problem. A 2010 report by Ceres reviews water risks to public utilities and their investors. A 2014 Ensia article by Ceres President Mindy Lubber reports that San Francisco’s water utility is a leader in responsible water stewardship. The water utility's headquarters uses 60 percent less water than comparable-size buildings with an additional construction cost of less than 1 percent. The utility is allowing building owners and developers to produce and exchange onsite water with each other. It’s paying up to $500,000 to developers who can produce water onsite (this includes gray water, rainwater or stormwater) for use by other entities in the city.

There are some interesting developments in the finance of US water projects. For example, in March Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s office announced that they will issue $5.5 million in coal severance tax bonds as part of a $40.5 million financing package for a dozen drinking water and wastewater projects across the state.

Forests Combat Climate Change and Benefit the Economy (Infographic)

February Heat Smashes Records Prompting Scientists to Declare a Climate Emergency

While new heat records are commonplace, February 2016 is in a class of its own for having the largest ever average monthly departure from global norms in the history of temperature measurements. The global average temperature in February was 1.35 degrees Celsius (2.43 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1951-1980 average.

NASA, NOAA, the Japan Meteorological Agency and a satellite-based estimate of lower atmospheric temperature from the University of Alabama at Huntsville all confirm February's record setting heat.

As explained in an AP article, "Earth got so hot last month that federal scientists struggled to find words, describing temperatures as "astronomical," "staggering" and "strange." They warned that the climate may have moved into a new and hotter neighborhood."

Jeff Masters and Bob Henson at Weather Underground said:

"This result is a true shocker, and yet another reminder of the incessant long-term rise in global temperature resulting from human-produced greenhouse gases."

February is the fifth month in a row where global temperatures exceeded 1°C (about 2°F) above average. There have now been ten consecutive months of record setting temperatures.

Part of this can be attributed to El Niño, but the overall trend can be attributed to the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. El Niño’s influence on global temperatures as a whole is likely small—on the order of 0.1 degree Celsius or so.

Climate Central, quotes climate scientist Michael Mann who said:

"I think we all knew this would be a warm year due to the major El Niño event. But I don’t think any of us expected such remarkable and persistent record-breaking warmth."

As reported by the Weather Underground, Jeff Masters and Bob Henson described February's temperature readings as a "bombshell of a climate report." and they went on to say that this is an "ominous milestone in our march toward an ever-warmer planet."

A Slate article stated that "global warming is going into overdrive."

Writing on his blog, former NASA scientist Roy Spencer said that February 2016 featured “whopping” temperature anomalies

Peter Gleick, a climate scientist at the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, said it’s difficult to compare the current temperature spike: "The old assumptions about what was normal are being tossed out the window … The old normal is gone."

The Guardian reports that this unprecedented leap led scientists, usually wary of highlighting a single month’s temperature, to label the new record a “shocker” and warn of a “climate emergency”.

"We are in a kind of climate emergency now,” said Prof Stefan Rahmstorf, from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research in Germany. He told Fairfax Media: “This is really quite stunning ... it’s completely unprecedented."

While February broke a record for temperature increases above the mean, as of the midway mark in March, the anomaly has been even larger.

Event - Compliance & Conduct Risk in Financial Services Forum

This event will take place on June 21 and 22, 2016 at the Crown Plaza in London, UK.

This two day Conference is focused on Culture, Ethics and Integrity and it will bring together leadership from Compliance, Conduct Risk and European Regulators in a series of interactive and dynamic sessions to deliver a holistic view on how compliance and conduct risk are each changing financial services.

Learning Opportunties

DEFINE GOOD CONDUCT: set the tone from the top and create a culture of responsibility BECOME CUSTOMER-CENTRIC: embed a clear culture change strategy to mitigate risk and drive positive customer outcomes
GAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE: fully understand the digitalisation of financial services and use this to your distinct advantage
RENEW CONSUMER TRUST: through innovative product design, avoid mis-selling and provide customers with the services they really need

New for 2016

BENCHMARK AGAINST YOUR INTERNATIONAL PEERS: 2016 will be a global event, bringing together UK, EU and global participants to provide a broader perspective
TAILORED SESSIONS: Led by thought-leaders and industry experts, there will be more workshops, round tables and interactive sessions to maximise learning opportunities
PREPARE FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES: Futureproof your business by understanding how conduct risk will impact your organisation
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE: Hear how other industries have addressed compliance issues and embedded a culture change
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY: Use the digitilisation of the financial sector to your advantage and engage the next generation

Expert 2016 Speaker Line-up

Julia Dunn, Nationwide, Chief Compliance Officer
Kimon De Ridder, GE Capital International, Chief Compliance & Regulatory Officer, Working Capital Solutions
Toby Billington, Deutsche Bank, Global Head of Wholesale Conduct
Rachel Churchill, HSBC, Global Head of Conduct Compliance
Citi, Darren Jarvis, Citi, Head Business Controls and Supervision at Citi Markets
Mikael Down, Banking Standards Board, Director of Policy and Analysis
Helle Meineche, Danske Bank, Head of Group Compliance
Jaime Aguilar, Santander, Director Compliance Processes and Systems
Ita Rogers, AIB, Head of Conduct of Business Compliance
Irwin Nack, Bank Of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Chief Compliance Officer & General Manager
Viri Chauhan, ICT, Global Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance
Andy Agathangelou, The Transparency Task Force, Founding Chair

Click here for the agenda
Click here to register (Discount rate ends April 6, 2016)

Event - Fuel Cells Science and Technology 2016

This event will take place on April 13 and 14, 2016 at the Hilton Glasgow in Glasgow, UK. This event will have a good mix of industrial and academic delegates and presenters and an excellent balance between research and technology.

Thousands of fuel cells are being produced annually and sold commercially in a wide range of applications, but continued research, both fundamental and applied, will be essential to help reduce production costs and increase durability.

This conference will bring together leading researchers and technologists, working in critical areas such as new materials, degradation processes and systems engineering, to discuss the state-of-the-art, highlight new developments and propose research priorities.

Attendance will benefit all those interested in the key research and development issues facing fuel cell science and technology, including end-users.

Participants can interact with leading international researchers who have contributed oral and poster presentations. These researchers have been selected from more than 200 submitted abstracts, will cover the latest research and technologies in:
  • Fuel cell electrochemistry
  • Materials for fuel cells
  • Cell and stack technology
  • Fuels and fuel infrastructure
  • Fuel cell systems and applications
  • Fuel processing
  • Modelling and control
  • Fuel cell components

keynote Speakers
  • Simon Coote, Head of Energy Industries, Scottish Government, UK 
  • John T.S. Irvine, Professor of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, UK 
  • Felix Büchi, Head of Fuel Cell Systems and Diagnostics, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland

To see the Programme click here
To register click here

Earth Hour 2016: A Global Celebration and Call to Climate Action

Earth Hour will take place between 8:30 and 9:30 local time on Saturday March 19, 2016. This year Earth Hour celebrates its 10th anniversary and people in more than 170 countries and more than 7000 cities and towns are expected to participate.

This annual event calls individuals, households, communities and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for an hour as a symbolic gesture to call attention to the environmental stewardship and climate action throughout the year.

Earth Hour offers a global message that individuals and business care about addressing environmental challenges. It also sends a strong message to governments, showing that many communities around the world are aware of the challenges faced by the planet and want action to be taken in order to create a more sustainable world.

This year's theme is: Protecting the places we love. We are encouraged to consider the places you love and what impact climate change is having and will have on may of those places.

Earth Hour has helped to galvanize public opinion. As explained on the Earth Hour website, "Changing climate change starts with us, here today."

People, governments and organizations all around the world have launched a broad array of Earth Hour activities. In previous years Uganda started the world's first Earth Hour forest; Argentina used its Earth Hour campaign to help pass a Senate bill for a 3.4 million-hectare marine protected area; Solar-powered lights have been installed in Indian villages without electricity; More than 250,000 Russians voiced support for better protection of their forests and seas.

This year's Earth Hour takes place against the backdrop of the global climate agreement that was signed in Paris at the end of last year. While the positive outcome at COP21 gives us reason to be optimistic there is so much that remains to be done. As explained by the WWF, "the time for climate action has only just begun."

Mindful of the outcome at COP21, Oman will join nations across the world to mark Earth Hour. The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) has urged people to switch off all non-essential lights during this hour.

Lamees Daar, executive director of ESO, said:

"Colleges and universities in Oman have pledged to join the cause. From warming oceans to extinct species and natural disasters, global warming is a reality that mankind is facing every day. The world has made history by adopting the landmark COP21 agreement. We must now unite again to preserve the environment for future generations. After all, if we do not act, who will?"



Bangkok officials have urged residents to switch the lights off at their homes for one hour on Saturday night. While these efforts are primarily about raising awareness and auguring climate action throughout the year, they also save energy. Last year Bangkok saved 1,940 megawatts of electricity during the Earth Hour, which accounted for nine percent of the total electricity saved. Egypt's participation over the past years in the initiative has lead to a decrease in the consumption of power of about 100 megawatts, which is equivalent to the power generated by two small generating plants.

Earth Hour should not be seen as an end in itself but as the key driver of a larger movement to protect the planet. There is a large range of initiatives that people can join to make their participation count even more.



For more information go to http://earthhour.org

#ChangeClimateChange #earthhour 

Auto Brands Hedge Against Reputational Risks by Building More EVs

Car companies know that they will come under increasing scrutiny and some forward looking auto brands realize that building more electric vehicles (EV's) may be the best defense. There are a number of automakers that are concerned allegations of cheating in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal. The fallout from the Volkswagen scandal is fascinating not only for what VW did to deceive, but for what auto brands are doing in response. Many know that they are guilty of misrepresenting their own fuel efficiency and emissions numbers. To get ahead of this issue some car companies are doubling down on low and zero emission vehicles. In the face of vulnerabilities about their own misrepresentations, auto makers like Mercedes are struggling to get ahead of the issue by producing more green cars.

Volkswagen has been exposed for installing a cheat device to get around testing. There are a number of class action suits that have been filed against the company for the emissions cheating scandal. They are being sued by institutional investors for $3.6 billion and they face fines of more than $20 billion from state and federal regulators. It will cost at least $7.5 billion to compensate vehicle owners and there are also massive losses associated with declining stock values.

VW’s shares have fallen 33 percent since the scandal went public in September. Despite strong car sales in the US and Europe, Volkswagen has seen its market share and overall car sales decline. In the U.S., Volkswagen sales fell 15 percent between September and November. In Europe, the disgraced brand recorded a decline in sales for the month of January, and in February, they had the worst sales numbers of all the major automakers.

Auto company deception: the tip of the iceberg

The misrepresentation in the auto industry extends well beyond diesel engines and Volkswagen. While the VW scandal was widely publicized, it is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Other car makers are also guilty of falsifying mileage ratings and emissions. Audi, Porsche, BMW, Peugeot and Mercedes are all reported to have exaggerated their mileage claims.

In February, Mercedes Benz was hit with a lawsuit for radically exceeding the emissions limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. According to the lawsuit, the emissions of Mercedes’ diesel engines are up to 65 times the legal limit. Apparently the nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction system shuts off when the temperature falls to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

This is damning to Mercedes because they have extolled the virtues of their diesel engines saying they are "the world’s cleanest." Their emissions reduction efforts fall under the heading of BlueTEC and the specific technology that is at the center of the controversy is something called "AdBlue". The company specifically touted Adblue as a "breakthrough innovation" that is supposed to turn NOx into harmless nitrogen and oxygen.

Volkswagen: let the punishment fit the crime

Volkswagen’s fraud has unleashed a number of suggestions as to how they should be punished. To make the punishment fit the crime some have suggested that VW should be forced to build electric cars. In a letter to California regulators, Elon Musk said that the cars are unfixable and Volkswagen should invest in zero emission cars. In addition to Musk, the letter was signed by former eBay President Jeff Skoll, Sierra Club Executive Director Mike Brune, clean energy firm Energy Innovation CEO Hal Harvey, and 41 other clean energy executives and environmental activists.

As reported by Autoblog, a German newspaper is saying that there are ongoing discussions between VW and the EPA. The paper known as Welt am Sonntag suggests that the EPA may actually force Volkswagen to build EVs in the US and invest in EV charging infrastructure.

To cleanup their image and get ahead of punitive measures, automakers like Mercedes appear to be pre-emptively taking Musk’s advice. Mercedes has announced an all-new line-up of cleaner, more efficient diesel engines, as well as what Green Car Reports described as a “barrage of plug-in electric cars.” At the same time, Mercedes’ parent company Daimler announced that it is “expanding its product portfolio with plug-in hybrid drive systems.”

To help drive their renewed clean car advocacy home, EV Obsession reports that all of Mercedes senior managers will soon be driving electric plug in hybrid cars. Mercedes wants to make “electric mobility an integral part of the everyday lives of our top management to set an example and to provide a clear role model.”

According to MotorTrend, the Volkswagen Group is working on or evaluating a total of nine new battery powered vehicles including an all-electric Beetle, a compact crossover, a sedan, and a two-seat sports car.
Another article by Green Car Reports indicates that the VW group will have 20 new EV or PHEV models by 2020.

There are parallels between the Volkswagen scandal and the malfeasance of Exxon and the entire fossil fuel industry. However there is also a powerful difference. Auto brands can do a lot to correct the situation they created, while oil companies cannot. Oil companies are incapable of producing hydrocarbons that do not emit greenhouse gases while automakers can produce low and zero emission vehicles.

Source: Global Warming is Real