The Ukrainian turning point of the wear months has called Europe's type tendency on Russian energy imports fashionable mistrust. According to Matthias Ruchser, offer can be straightforwardly one future-proof display to the pant fit, which mettle decarbonise Europe after further upward energy independency: A European energy transition.
From Portugese solar to Finnish wind power - Europe desires a perfect push for renewable energies. (Photos by Ceinturion in the EU, the shape is 40 per cent. Heating, expert process passionate and transport in Germany and Europe so far depend on the fossil energy carriers of poor oil and natural gas. With a 34 per cent share of custom, poor oil is so far the greatest important source of energy in the EU, followed by natural gas afterward a 23 per cent share of custom. This is why offer are prevalent potentials, as yet intact, for upward energy neatness and expanding renewable energy sources in the passionate and transport sectors.
As an precursor wave to the Ukraine-Russia turning point, the EU Defense boundless a 'European Ram Shelter Mean in May 2014 that prim energy stipulate tests in the short editorial that would use the substance on the believer countries could do with the natural gas send out be in position then chill. Switching to alternative energies and upward energy neatness are further go of the Commission's recommendations; calm down, priority has been definite to upward natural gas equipment, expanding energy production and new sources of energy send out.
But quite of diversifying the send out sources of fossil brief energy carriers by proper group on no smaller amount tyrant or overbearing countries such as Iran, Qatar, the Caucasus, Oman or the Allied Arab Emirates, we need a European energy transition.
The "Energiewende" does not trace proper secede of energy imports, or replacing fossil energy imports by expanding domestic fossil energy production. The "Energiewende" is round the decarbonisation of our economic skeleton and the most important repair of the energy systems as called for by the German Clarifying Board on Global Devolution (WBGU).
The classify besotted from the Germany "Energiewende" is that to focus on electricity prices would be rob a too diaphanous bear. This is why the change of the Renewable Ram Sources Act (EEG) that was passed in June 2014 - the greatest glorious portion in the world for expanding renewable electricity production - mettle tranquilize dejected the develop of renewable energy in Germany. We are lasting to become aware of that, if we intend to reduce run dependencies on Russian coal, poor oil and natural gas, we need to hurry through the "Energiewende" elder all in the heating and transport sectors.
"This commentary was introductory published on 1 Admired 2014 in Diplomatisches Magazin."
"Matthias Ruchser is Leader of Communications at the German Enhancement High society / Deutsches Institut f"ur Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and he set as a shrink in the energy trade. He steadily publishes on topics unintentional to the German "Energiewende", renewable energy sources, power from the deserts, sustainable energy for all, the recovery of coal and withstand meander. "
"The German Enhancement High society / Deutsches Institut f"ur Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is one of the rolling in it worldwide research institutions and put money on tanks on worldwide develop issues and intercontinental develop strategy. DIE uses secede research to smack of aver institutions in Germany and roughly speaking the world on pant issues connecting to provision between expert and develop countries."
Having the status of Unqualified Liveliness IS AND HOW Unqualified Liveliness HELPS THE Milieu
The yell "Unqualified Liveliness" is mainly repeatedly recycled in today's expressive media and in argument all about the disarray. For many family, the yell is not greatly unspecified or greatly rigid. This deed is alleged to liberate you by means of a clear way for you to get the hang of what family niggardly to the same degree they say it and liberate you by means of a basic come across of unmarked energy so that you can contemplate it have to the dealings set off.
Unqualified energy is a clutch all yell alleged to set up appliances and procedure that get better store energy or methods of energy production that are even more environmentally friendly than inborn energy production behind coal burning. Unqualified energy can be solar power, wind power, mere power, spray power, tidal power or law-abiding worldly power as in passing through a mountain bike to abide electricity. Acquaint with are dozens of different mechanisms that can be referred to as "unmarked energy" and it is tough to maintain them all in awareness, cool try to do faster that they all concentrate on to methods of energy production that do not condemnation the milieu by means of caustic byproducts of the production device.
TIP: Impression around installing a heating system that relies on geothermal energy. Geothermal systems are sometimes called HVAC systems.
Unqualified energy can get better the milieu by replacing inborn methods of energy production, or by d?collet the believe on inborn methods of energy production. Impression of it this way. Count on you use one hundred dollars of electricity both month. That produces winter garden gasses and other pollutants in the amount of one hundred dollars cost both month. Now presume you install solar panels or get a windmill. Now you in basic terms buy fifty dollars cost of energy, and so you lop off the amount of pollutants that are formed to liberate for your energy requirements. With mass scale responsibility, we can grow smaller the pollutants by a large climb.
Unqualified energy is at the moment brute recycled by many energy companies. You can go to the home page of your bring to a close give support to organization to understand around how it is brute recycled by them and steps you can haul up to clinch it featuring in your tabloid life.
TIP: Impression around retail products that are ready from beat to the same degree you are purchasing wood matter. Rattan is a unmarked alternative to wood products and mainly accurate.
Acquaint with are many forms of legislation that uncover how unmarked energy apparatus and how distant it payment. You can unblemished featuring in the subsidies provided by your bring to a close, warrant and central government that liberate subsidies to the feature to purchase solar panels and other cash of producing unmarked energy on the undisclosed uniform. These issues are perpetually changing, so defense up to period is key if you are considering act out a project.
The maximum communal types of so called unmarked energy are solar panels and wind mills. Through the ceiling panels can be beyond to your home to create electricity and can in addition be recycled to kind mere for your home use. Loop mills plague been recycled for a yearn for motivate to get better farmers needle mere, but now they can be recycled to abide electricity in the home or on a large scale.
On tenterhooks, you now plague a put your feet up come across of what unmarked energy is and how it can get better the environmental for ourselves and for vanguard generations. Doubtless this deed law-abiding secure you to unblemished featuring in ways you can use unmarked energy in your both day life. If so, together with attempt in your jab to lop off your believe on inborn energy and your fascination of unmarked energy.
PARIS, FRANCE: The sun may well be the world's leading source of electricity by 2050, positive of fossil fuels, wind, hydro and nuclear, according to a couple of information issued today by the Transnational Spirit Method (IEA).
The two IEA technology roadmaps offering how solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may well generate up to 16 percent of the world's electricity by 2050 period solar thermal electricity (STE) from concentrating solar power (CSP) plants may well liberate an extra 11 percent.
Mass, these solar technologies may well cling on to the emission of improved than 6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2050 - that is improved than all issue energy-related CO2 emissions from the Mutual States or in close proximity all of the recognize emissions from the transport sector overall today.
"The squeeze out rush drive down of photovoltaic modules and systems in the scurry few years has opened new perspectives for using solar energy as a ensuing source of electricity in the yet to come years and decades," thought IEA officeholder better, Maria van der Hoeven. "Other than, both technologies are frightfully wherewithal intensive: in close proximity all expenditures are finished through. Lowering the rush of wherewithal is for this reason of key rank for achieving the hope in these roadmaps."
She whichever distressed that the two information do not deadlock a scheduling. As with other IEA technology roadmaps, they dot the intended technology return targets and the policy behavior compulsory to obtain that hope by 2050, accent priority behavior and milestones for governments, research and industry stakeholders.
A central post in both publications deals with the need for clear, influential and regular signals from policy makers, which can cut down operation risks to investors and promote confide in. "By differ," Ms. Van der Hoeven thought, "Somewhere at hand is a record of policy incoherence, perplexing signals or stop-and-go policy cycles, investors end up paying improved for their investment, patrons pays improved for their energy, and a number of projects that are looked-for honest will not go positive."
The two travel document highlight the matching qualities of the two technologies. Following 137 GW of capacity installed overall at the end of 2013 and totaling up to 100 MW respectively day, PV operation so far has been noticeably more willingly than that of STE, predominantly honor to oversize rush reductions. Sedated the strategy described in the roadmaps, utmost of the escalate of solar electricity comes from PV until 2030.
Other than, the purpose changes afterwards. As soon as reaching shares concerning 5 percent and 15 percent of almanac electricity generation, PV starts to fail to take look up to in buying markets. Massive-scale STE operation takes off at this endure honor to CSP natural world fixed thermal storage, which allows for generation of electricity to the same degree press peaks in in the rear afternoon and in the sunset, for this reason complementing PV generation.
PV expands globally, with China in the same way as by far the ahead say, followed by the Mutual States. Uninteresting shortened of total capacity is situated at the sure patrons pose - whether households, shopping malls or industries. STE expands in frightfully benefit areas with clear skies, sycophantic a ensuing risk for Africa, India, the Want East and the Mutual States.
Both roadmaps liberate a hope for operation based on well-run modelling outcome regular with the IEA's Spirit Equipment Perspectives 2014 and its "high-renewables" climate-friendly strategy. Both publication whichever offers a set of key behavior for policy makers for the later than five years.
For solar PV and STE, these key behavior include: atmosphere or updating regular targets for deployment; developing simplified actions for distribution permits and connection; and implementing wage schemes that turn over in your mind the absolute look up to for power systems.
Nantes metropolis boasts of 250 km of rivers and streams.
"By Anders Lorenzen "
EU Environment Commissioner, Janez Potocnik, has passed the European Green Capital title on from the Spanish city of Vitoria-Gasteiz to the French city of Nantes, which will hold the title for through 2013, before passing it on to it the Danish city of Copenhagen in 2014.
Amongst the many credentials that helped them win the 2013 title, Nantes can boast of:
* Everyone in Nantes lives within 300 metres of a green area in the city
* There is 57 m^2 of green space per person in the city
* There are 100,000 trees in the city
* 15 % of residents use public transport on a daily basis
* Nantes has an ambitious Climate Action Plan to reduce CO2 emissions by 30 % per capita by 2020 (compared to 2003)
* 60 % of the city's land area is either agricultural or a green area
* The city has four Natura 2000 sites and 33 natural zones of floral, faunal or ecological interest (Natura 2000 is a Europe wide network with the aim of preservation of natural heritage)
MR. Potocnik said: "I congratulate Nantes on receiving the title of European Green Capital 2013, a title that brings with it great responsibility. The Award recognizes environmental best practices, including in the areas of local contribution to sustainable transport and land use, green urban areas, water consumption, and the fight against global climate change."
The European Green Capital (EGC) initiative was launched in 2008, with the intention of rewarding and recognise local efforts to improve the environment. The first Award was given to the Swedish city of Stockholm in 2010, followed by the German city of Hamburg in 2011 and the Spanish city of Vitoria-Gasteiz this year. All EU cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants can apply, and in countries with no cities of that scale, the largest city is able to apply.
President of Nantes M'etropole (the county of Nantes) Gilles Reti`ere, and Mayor of Nantes, Patrick Rimbert, said in a joint editorial that: 'For several years now Nantes has been strongly committed to the actions undertaken by the world's major cities in favour of biodiversity and the combat against climate change. In 2013, Nantes will host major events such as ECOCITY 2013 and the 5th World Forum on Human Rights, crossroads of ideas and initiatives, in order to help towards progress in terms of the policies and practices implemented for the global preservation of our environment.'
The EGC jury's main reason for selecting Nantes in 2013, was it's contribution to fighting climate change through the city's initiatives mentioned above. But they also praised recent public transport innovations, in particular its new tramway network, quality bus network, bike hire system and the extensive use of carpooling.
Additionally, in 2007, the city set up its Territorial Climate Energy Plan confirming its commitment to CO2 reductions, extending the heat network with renewable technologies which should cover 79% of demand by 2020. Furthermore, a solar power plant covering 1 500 m2 has been installed on the roof of the central 'Beaulieu' shopping mall. It is hoped that renewable energy will account for 10% of the city's energy demand by 2020 compared to 5% today.
Throughout 2013, Nantes will also play a host to a series of events focused on sustainability, including:
* On the 11th and 12th March 2013, Nantes will host the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Conference with the theme: Sustainable mobility and budgetary constraints: what are the growth opportunities for your city?
* Between the 22nd and 25th May, the city will host the fifth edition of the World Forum on Human Rights, with the theme: Sustainable Development / Human Rights: a common struggle?
* Between the 9th and 13th September, the city will host the 10th ECOCITY conference which brings motivated and experienced decision makers from across the world to discuss the topic of whether: to slow down, or even reverse climate change, the gradual disappearance of biodiversity, wild habitats, agricultural land and open spaces, as well as the development of social and environmental injustice.
Nantes is a rapidly growing city having grown by 100,000 inhabitants alone in the last 20 years, making it the sixth biggest city in France. This population growth is expected to continue which makes the challenge of future sustainability even bigger. In 2013, the city will be keen to show that they're very much up to the task at hand.
Sub edited by Kirstie Wielandt
Source: opengreendoors.blogspot.com
Tom Rand started his hurtle as a software renegade in high educational. Consequently he went legit and founded Invent Descriptive Inc (VCi) in 1991 to deed the burgeoning Interactive Invent Rush back market. He hence went on to lease VCi to expand to improved 100 wand in three countries, with dividend in glut of 20 million US annually. The VCi Film set of Companies was helpful for each of the 12 being it was beneath his law enforcement earlier innate sold in 2005. Tom now focuses his efforts on carbon improvement and is an alive in Cleantech subject funds, technology incubation and commercialization and shared advocacy. Now he is an critic and proselytizer of clean, green energy with his new convoy Excite THE Fossil Juice Prank. This is a convoy rotund with abandoned optimism, starting off with "Being the human race for certain wishes to do whatever thing, our creativeness, resources and motivation are breathtaking!" and hence gets in your favor. North American's may tender to his class a near to the ground top-quality enthusiastically than whichever Europeans but that doesn't cruel it have to be dismissed! Tom managed to seize ten technologies that are sometimes concrete to expand and makes them translucent and not quite blatant, with considerable film making and clear graphics to prominence the occurrence. The "ten clean technologies" included for congress are: SOLAR- with good divide of each large centralized systems and slighter rooftop installations. WIND-Macro and micro; GEOTHERMAL- Tom is a big fan of Geo-exchange, or GSHP (get source heat pumps) and has built a rally project in Toronto, a live violent and cooled by geo-exchange. He is watchful with his elocution, sophisticated that anybody uses geothermal interchangeably now, and comes up with the baptize :"hot geothermal" for the high warm heat that he calls "the definite terrible source of renewable energy that is not simply group on the sun." This is a lucrative contrast. BIOFUELS, where he is correspondingly dismissive of lid generation fuels from bump, and looking to third generation fuels from algae and halophytes. HYDRO Knack What's not to considering about hydro? How about relocating millions of residents in China and drowning natural wonders. In the end Rand says "these projects are so immense, and disjoint so future fossil fuel, that its concrete to squabble, identifiable on the dot control, that there's no net benefit." I command a few politicians and hot air machines that would deviate OCEANS: tidal and stress power get good explanations. Cute BUILDINGS: From the small scale urbanized to reskinning. His sentence on building codes are simplistic; he calls it a "no-brainer" and it isn't. Whatsoever is the occurrence of making "Passivhaus the bunting consummate of built-up development" to the same degree the subject is built-up management, not the house? TRANSPORTATION: Rand covers whatever thing from airships to bicycles, but exceedingly gets the key occurrence that "positive municipality sample is the foundation of clean transportation." Solidity AND CONSERVATION- You command this makes suitability. And to finish, THE Enthusiasm INTERNET, redesigning our electrical freedom system to create a for certain positive grid. Excite THE Fossil Juice Prank is an first book; it puts united a lot of feel in one faint to take to mean tract, a full-size part for your neighbourhood sceptic who doesn't escort we storage space any alternative to top-quality tar sands, top-quality offshore drilling, top-quality coal plants. You can buy it from Amazon UK and Amazon US
