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Grid-supportive buildings boost renewables integration

When total building performance conforms to targeted load management goals, the building is called grid-supportive, and this is how building mass and technical storage help to smooth out the fluctuations from renewable energy.

The problem of balancing electricity loads

The number of renewable energy installations continues to expand worldwide. In Germany the installed power of wind and…

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How to communicate climate change

In a new survey of Australian residents researchers found that messages that focus on the local impacts of climate change are among the most effective at reaching people who are generally dismissive of climate science.

More ‘alarmed’ than ‘dismissive’

Based on their views on climate change, the 1,031 respondents were grouped into one of three categories: alarmed (34.4%), uncommitted (45.2%) and…

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Clean and Green Schools in Tamil Nadu

It’s always a joy to report on grassroots initiatives. We have featured the work of schoolteacher Kaliraj Kauruppasamyin Tamil Nadu on sustainapedia:

http://www.sustainapedia.com/kaliraj-kauruppasamy-tamil-nadu/

Clean and Green Schools Movement

Mr. Kauruppasamy’s profession is training school and college students about environmental education and especially to motivate them to grow more trees in…

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Ecological Leftovers: food for a finite planet

It is well known that the production of livestock-based diets comes with a very large ecological footprint (livestock emits approximately 14.5% of all man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions)¹. Swedish researchers have been looking at food production that remains within the global footprint which involves the ‘ecological leftovers’ principle, by raising livestock on pasture or by-products not…

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Cool pavements are really cool

Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects, where towns and cities are warmer than surrounding rural areas, have been reviewed in new research into cool pavements, which has found that reflective pavements can reduce temperatures by up to 20°C and are more durable than evaporative pavements, which are less effective at temperature reduction but may have other benefits, such as reducing runoff.

The UHI…

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The City Drowns: ebook from SEC India

The Society for Envirnmental Communications (SEC) new ebook

“Our lakes and ponds, once the sponges of urban India, have been eaten away by real estate developers — unfortunately, it seems land is what a city values, not water. Hence Lakes have today turned into hazards that get choked even with low rainfall, and overflow into the blocked canals during high rainfall causing floods in the city. It…

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Electricity from living plants

Plant-e

Plant-e is a young Dutch company that focuses on creating products that generate electricity from living plants. This super innovative way of power production is not only environmentally responsible, it is also of the moment and can be used virtually anywhere.

Plant-e products – based on technology developed at Wageningen University – were patented in 2007, and Plant-e is now the patent…

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NASA global climate change images show earth's changing landscape

NASA global climate change images show earth’s changing landscape

Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

NASA’s Global Climate Change website provides evidence of a changing planet. Among the multiplicity of articles, graphics and multimedia is a series of revealing before-and-after pictures. Begun in 2009 and taken by satellite and aircraft technology, the agency’s Images of Change project provides side-by-side photos of the same place over time…

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Climate change and transport: effects of sea-level rise on an English railway line

Consequences of Climate Change

Climate change will have major consequences for transport networks, especially those located on coastlines. A study by Leeds University assessed the impact of projected sea level rise on a vulnerable stretch of railway line on the coast of South West England. The authors say their semi-empirical modelling method could provide guidance to policymakers worldwide.

Disc…

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White Coal briquetting machines available in India

Our story about white coal has stimulated a lot of interest. In this post I list some of the providers of briquetting machines which I hope will be of interest to readers and entrepreneurs in India. As you can see, they are all clustered in the same location in Gujarat. Do let me know how you get on.

http://www.sustainapedia.com/production-white-coal-agricultural-waste/

Ronak Engineering, 13,…

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Pesticide Action Week 2016

20-30th March 2016

The Pesticide Action Week, curated by French organisation Générations Futures, is an annual and international event, open to everyone, with the aim to promote alternatives to pesticides. The campaign takes place during the first ten days of every spring (20th-30th of march) when the spreading of pesticides usually resumes.

The goals of this event are:

Raising awareness on the…

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Pathways for Transforming the German Energy System by 2050

The transformation of the energy system in Germany is a declared political goal of the federal government. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 80 percent under 1990 levels. This necessitates a massive reduction in energy-related CO2 emissions, forcing a fundamental restructuring of the present energy system towards a largely carbon-free energy supply. The…

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Climate Change IS happening, and here's why

Climate Change IS happening, and here’s why

The Paris climate conference last December was seen to be a game-changer: an opportunity to start the process of tackling the challenges set by climate change on a global basis. All of the 195 participating countries of the world now recognise that the evidence for climate change is unequivocal. The full IPCC synthesis report lays out all the details.

We still control the future, however, as the…

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Soneva's Slow Life Foundation provides stoves in Myanmar

Soneva’s Slow Life Foundation provides stoves in Myanmar

Myanmar Stoves Campaign is the newest SLOW LIFE Foundation project, which focuses on distributing cook stoves in Myanmar. It will be the first Gold Standard Certified carbon project in Myanmar. So far over 5,000 stoves have been distributed helping roughly 25,000 people, with an aim eventually to help over 1 million households in rural areas of Myanmar.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHX…

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Netherlands aim for lead in the circular economy

Netherlands President of Council of EU in 2015

As part of its desire to make the circular economy a centrepiece of its presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2016, the Netherlands has started a project to make the Netherlands a “circular hotspot”.

Circular Hotspot

The Circular Hotspot will start a number of projects to demonstrate…

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China's Ecological Footprint leads in world footprint growth

China’s Ecological Footprint leads in world footprint growth

Global Footprint Network reports that China is the world’s largest contributor to annual growth in the demand for ecological resources and services, and has been for the last five years for which data is available.

While the Ecological Footprints of many countries declined during the recession, including the United States and Germany, the Ecological Footprints of China and India, the world’s two…

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Earth hour 2015 is here! 28th March, 8:30-9:30 local time

Earth Hour sweeps across twenty-four time zones and six continents on 28th March 8:30 PM local time

Everyone’s talking climate change. Use #YourPower and take climate action now!

Take your first step towards changing climate change. Join millions of people across the world who are part of the Earth Hour movement.

Click here…

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#Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change #WWF

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