June 8, 2013
World Oceans Day 2013
Photo: Volvo Ocean Race. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand. On the final leg of their 2000 mile qualifier approach Auckland, New Zealand. Photo © Chris Cameron.
Photo: Volvo Ocean Race. Groupama Sailing Team, skippered by Franck Cammas from France at the finish of leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Cape town, South Africa, to Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Photo © Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images).
Photo: Bay of Bengal, near Chennai, India. Fishermen sail at dawn in their catamarans, consisting of four or five pieces of balsa wood tied together. Madras, India. UN Photo/John Isaac.
Photo: Orange fin anemone fish wards off predators that might eat the host anemone. Tuamotu, French Polynesia. Photo © Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation/Michele Westmorland.
Photo: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation scientist, Badi Samaniego, conducts a reef fish survey in French Polynesia. Photo © Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation/Michele Westmorland.
• World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008 and is now celebrated on 8 June each year.
The theme for World Oceans Day 2013-2014 is “Together we have the power to protect the ocean!”, which focuses on “getting involved with ocean conservation in our personal lives, within our communities and globally”.
According to United Nations, this day is celebrated to remind people about the shared ocean of the world and their personal connection to the sea. The day is also celebrated to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in people’s lives and the important ways in which they can help protect it.
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Posted by Editors at 5:24 AM
June 5, 2013
World Environment Day 2013
World Environment Day (‘WED’) is celebrated every year on 5 June to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. It is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign.
Think.Eat.Save. aims to accelerate action and provide a global vision for the many and diverse initiatives currently underway around the world.
Worldwide, about one-third of all food produced, worth around US$1 trillion, gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems, according to data released by FAO. “Food loss occurs mostly at the production stages - harvesting, processing and distribution - while food waste typically takes place at the retailer and consumer end of the food-supply chain.”
“In a world of seven billion people, set to grow to nine billion by 2050, wasting food makes no sense - economically, environmentally and ethically,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
“Aside from the cost implications, all the land, water, fertilizers and labour needed to grow that food is wasted - not to mention the generation of greenhouse gas emissions produced by food decomposing on landfill and the transport of food that is ultimately thrown away,” he added. “To bring about the vision of a truly sustainable world, we need a transformation in the way we produce and consume our natural resources.”
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Posted by Editors at 11:01 AM
May 26, 2013
International Year of Water Cooperation 2013 — Water is life.
Photo: This poster appeared in our March 16, 2011 post and is being published again on popular demand. The poster, designed by Polish artist Pawel Dadok, shows a person, in peaceful coexistence with different wild animals, drinking from a water hole. The poster caption has the following challenge for the observer: “Behave yourself. Be an animal. Water is life.”
In December 2010 the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. According to United Nations, “Water, a vital resource unlike any other knows no borders… As rapid urbanization, climate change and growing food needs put ever-increasing pressure on freshwater resources, the objective of the Year is to draw attention to the benefits of cooperation in water management… Cooperation is crucial not only to ensure the sustainable and equitable distribution of water but also to foster and maintain peaceful relations within and among communities.”
UNESCO has developed a series of entities focusing on water since it first began to address water-related issues in 1956. The International Hydrological Programme (IHP), created in 1975, was the first intergovernmental initiative on freshwater in the United Nations system. This programme relies on a network of 18 water-related centres and 29 UNESCO water-related chairs. UNESCO’s water family includes other entities such as the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft (Netherlands), the largest post-graduate water education facility in the world.
Key Messages for International Year of Water Cooperation 2013:
• Water cooperation is key to security, poverty eradication, and social equity.
• Water cooperation generates economic benefits.
• Water cooperation is crucial to preserve water resources and protect the environment.
• Water cooperation builds peace.
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Posted by Editors at 1:23 AM
November 18, 2011
Sheep in the Ariana Park, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Photos: Sheep graze on the lawn of the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Regional Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of an environmentally-friendly tradition held every year in October and November. The sheep’s grazing allows for the lawn to be naturally cut and for other organic maintenance work to be done. UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferre.
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Posted by Editors at 12:21 PM
June 4, 2011
Electric Cars at UN as General Assembly Meets on Green Economy
Photo: Electric cars are parked at United Nations Headquarters in a campaign to work towards supplying sustainable electricity to billions of people. The UN General Assembly is discussing: “Green Economy: A Pathway to Sustainable Development”. June 2, 2011. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/JC McIlwaine.
Photo: Participants of the Global Summit to Strengthen Public-Private Partnerships to Accelerate Global Electricity Technology Deployment arrive at United Nations Headquarters by electric cars, in a campaign to work towards supplying sustainable electricity to billions of people. The side event is held as the UN General Assembly debates on: “Green Economy: A Pathway to Sustainable Development”. June 2, 2011. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/JC McIlwaine.
Photo: A wide view of the General Assembly thematic debate on: “Green Economy: A Pathway to Sustainable Development”. June 2, 2011. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz.
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Posted by Editors at 6:16 AM
April 9, 2011
Liechtenstein Royal Castle
Photo: View of Vaduz Castle, the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. Vaduz, Liechtenstein. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Liechtenstein is a small Alpine principality in central Europe between Austria and Switzerland. It was created as a principality within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719 and became independent in 1866. Vaduz is the capital.
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Posted by Editors at 5:07 AM
March 16, 2011
International Poster Art Shows: Water is Life!
Photo: Winning Poster by Pawel Dadok, Poland.
‘Water is Life’. Under this slogan, the German Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association (ZVSHK) held an international poster competition in which 4,862 artists from 83 countries took part.
“With our poster competition, we wanted to address the problems caused by water shortage and water wastage on a worldwide scale. The competition seeks to raise people’s awareness of how important it is to have secure access to clean drinking water,” explained Manfred Stather, the President of the ZVSHK, at the award ceremony in Frankfurt.
The entry from Polish artist, Pawel Dadok, was declared the winner. His poster shows a person, in peaceful coexistence with different wild animals, drinking from a water hole. The poster caption has the following challenge for the observer: “Behave yourself. Be an animal. Water is life.”
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Posted by Editors at 11:50 AM
February 25, 2011
Zero Emissions Vehicles Round off Global Tour in Geneva
Photo: The Zero Emissions Race, co-sponsored by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), comes to a close as electric vehicles cruise through the finish line at the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland. The “zero emissions” vehicles, powered by renewable energies like solar, wind, wave and geothermal, drove across the globe in 80 days, through 16 countries, for a total of 3,000 kilometres. February 24, 2011. Geneva, Switzerland. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre.
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Posted by Editors at 6:26 AM
June 5, 2010
The ENERGY GLOBE World Award goes to India
• Winner: India.
• Top environmental gala televised worldwide from Rwanda.
Photo: Moderator: Desirée Nosbusch, Winner Bhagwati Prasad Agrawal, Award Presenter: UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
Photo: Winner Bhagwati Prasad Agrawal, Award Presenter: UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
Top-ranking UN VIPs, famous environmental champions, a glamorous gala, and, above all, the world's best environmental projects comprised the ENERGY GLOBE Gala Rwanda 2010. This year the top environmental gala served as the official opening event for the UN World Environment Day.
Before a full house, environmental VIPs delivered the introductions: top Rwandan politicians, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, UNEP climate hero Luo Hong, Peter Rae (vice president of the environmental initiative REN21) and Ian Redmond (patron of the Great Apes Survival Project).
As the winner of the ENERGY GLOBE in the category Water was announced, emotions began to rise in the hall: Rejoicing erupted among the team of a project from India, "River from Heaven", which works to supply water to rural areas. Then everything went quickly at the Awards: The ENERGY GLOBE in the category Earth went to Mauritius, where "Seeds of Hope" achieves reforestation and biodiversity. The award for the category Fire distinguished floating power plants in Norway. In the category Air, a CO2 saving engine from Taiwan took the prize. The Youth winner was a school self-sufficiency concept from Argentina that provides healthy nutrition for pupils and teaches them cultivation.
The ENERGY GLOBE World Award goes to ...
The climax was the selection of the ENERGY GLOBE World Award by the audience. Moderator Desirée Nosbusch talked with UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, the award presenter, about World Environment Day. Meanwhile in the background the audience votes were being counted. Then finally came the announcement: With a clear margin, the victory went to the winner of the Water Award, India!
However, the nominees were not the only excitement: During the Gala and at the after-show concert, pop and chanson diva Viktor Lazlo delivered samba flair. Inganzo Ngali, Rwanda's best-known folklore group, added local color to the Gala.
Photo: Viktor Lazlo performing at the gala.
• The impressive and committed projects that received the awards ensured that this high-class gala did not lose sight of its actual purpose. These projects made the glamorous festival a highly visible signal for sustainability and environmental awareness.
• The ENERGY GLOBE World Award is an annual event honoring top environmental projects from around the world. It was established in 2000 by Wolfgang Neumann from Austria and has become the most prestigious international environmental prize. Every year approximately 1000 projects are submitted by over 100 countries for the prize, which is awarded in the categories earth, fire, water, air and youth.
The nominees:
Category Earth:
• Federated States of Micronesia: On the island of Korae, Micronesia Eco Inc. has established a recycling system that conserves resources and generates income for inhabitants.
• Mauritius: The seedling program of Flora Marketing CO LTD offers residents new sources of income while ensuring biodiversity and combating massive deforestation.
• Austria: Meeting the German passive house standard with the renovation of an energy-hungry old apartment building was a challenge. A special solar façade enabled GIWOG to succeed.
Category Fire:
• Bangladesh: Shobuj Angira Foundation supplies portable solar energy in rural Bangladesh. Centrally located solar panels and portable batteries now bring light to villagers.
• Nepal: The improved water mills of the Centre for Rural Technology not only make work easier; they also deliver urgently needed, clean power in rural Nepal.
• Norway: Statoil ASA New Energy has constructed a prototype of a floating wind power plant. Now wind energy can also be harvested on the open sea.
Category Water:
• India: Networked underground rain water tanks supplied by Sustainable Innovations already provide 10,000 residents of rural India with clean drinking water.
• Pakistan: The extensive water and hygiene program of Aga Khan Planning and Building Service delivers water supply systems and health training to Pakistani villages.
• Germany: HelioTech Türk GmbH has implemented an economical desalination plant that uses solar energy to make salt water drinkable and works even in remote areas.
Category Air:
• Taiwan: Less CO2 through more efficient engines was the idea behind Epoch Energy Technology Corp.'s Hybrid Fuel System. It can be retrofitted into any engine and produces a hydrogen/oxygen mixture as additional fuel.
• USA: The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has saved money and energy since transforming its street lighting to LEDs. This perfectly combines economy and CO2 reduction.
• Sweden: The Malmö Environment Department supports public photovoltaic projects and so advertises for CO2-free energy production.
Category Youth:
• Argentina: The self-sufficiency program of CiudadanÃa Solidaria provides healthy nourishment at the school in La Soledad while teaching pupils and teachers about sustainable organic farming.
• Slovenia: The project "Ustanova Ekosola kot nacin zivljenja" lets pupils in the school center in Velnje test how energy saving works. This prototype is affecting all of Slovenia.
• Morocco: Under the motto "Ecology live", the Mohammed VEX Foundation for Environment Protection supports schools toward becoming eco-schools.
Source: Energy Globe Foundation
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Posted by Editors at 11:21 AM
June 4, 2010
World Environment Day: United Nations International Children's Painting Competition
Photo: Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, California, won the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC) in North America. Gong's painting portrays a tiger grieving over a world where human activities are depleting resources.
• Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, California, received the top North American prize in the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) 19th annual International Children's Painting Competition (ICPC). Her painting addresses the theme, "Biodiversity - Connecting with Nature."
Gong was honored at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh as Bayer Corporation and UNEP unveiled the 2010 ICPC Exhibition to herald World Environment Day celebrations in Pittsburgh, this year's North American host city. The 77-picture exhibition features the three winning paintings, including Gong's portrayal of a tiger grieving over a world where human activities are depleting resources.
Her first place award included a $1,000 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip for her and a chaperone to UNEP's TUNZA International Children's Conference in Nagoya, Japan, in October. While there, she will join the first place winners from UNEP's six global regions. This year, nearly 1.1 million paintings from 88 countries were received.
The ICPC is a signature event of UNEP's annual World Environment Day celebrations. The painting competition is sponsored globally by Bayer AG, an international health care, nutrition and high-tech materials group headquartered in Germany.
Established in 1991 and organized annually by partners UNEP, Bayer AG, Nikon and the Foundation for Global Peace and the Environment, the ICPC invites elementary and middle school students, ages six to 14, to learn about the environment and express that knowledge creatively through art.
Regional winners are selected from UNEP's six regions including North America; Africa; Asia and the Pacific; West Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Europe. They are announced during the six-week period between Earth Day in April and World Environment Day on June 5.
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Posted by Editors at 11:26 AM
April 26, 2010
World Premiere Of Disneynature's OCEANS
Disneynature's OCEANS opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.
Disneynature, the studio that presented the record-breaking film "Earth," brought OCEANS to the big screen on Earth Day, 2010.
Nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface is covered by water and OCEANS boldly chronicles the mysteries that lie beneath. Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind -- exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan and featuring spectacular never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, OCEANS offers an unprecedented look beneath the sea in a powerful motion picture.
All Photos are Copyright © Disneynature.
Photo: (Location: Hollywood, CA, USA.) Maguy Maccario, Vice President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA; Bob Iger, President and CEO The Walt Disney Company; Pierce Brosnan, the film's narrator; Demi Lovato, who sings the film's theme song; Rich Ross, Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios; Alan Bergman, President of the Walt Disney Studios.
The star-studded blue carpet screening of "Disneynature's Oceans" took place at the legendary El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. [El Capitan Theatre is a movie palace at Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It serves as the venue for many of Walt Disney Pictures' movie premieres.]
Those present were the film's narrator, Pierce Brosnan; the duo who sing the film's theme song, "Make A Wave", Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas; renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Sylvia Earle; the grandson and granddaughter of famed ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Fabien & Celine Cousteau; the world's foremost ocean artist, Wyland; some of the film's crew members; and high-ranking executives from the Walt Disney Company. Representing the Principality of Monaco was Maguy Maccario, vice president of the US chapter of the Prince's Foundation.
• Download Educational Activity Guide. This 8-Page Guide can be used to enhance students' scientific and geographic knowledge of Earth's oceans as presented in the new DisneyNature film OCEANS.
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Posted by Editors at 5:03 AM
April 1, 2010
Shell Starts Production at Perdido - World's Deepest Offshore Drilling and Production Facility
Photo: The deep blue sea is on display in the remote, isolated sector of the Gulf of Mexico where Shell's Perdido platform sits in water deeper than any other facility in the world.
Photo: Spar on board giant barge, Mighty Servant 1.
Shell today produced its first oil and natural gas from the Perdido Development, the world's deepest offshore drilling and production facility. Located in an isolated, ultra-deep sector of the Gulf of Mexico, The facility sits in approximately 2,450 meters (8,000 feet) of water.
• View the Map: Location of Perdido in the Gulf of Mexico
"Perdido is an impressive project in a strong Gulf of Mexico portfolio that continues to grow," said Marvin Odum, Upstream Americas Director, Shell Energy Resources Company. "Perdido presented technical challenges unlike we've ever seen in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell's team used its expertise to open this new frontier and confront complex reservoir characteristics, extreme marine conditions, and record water depth pressures. Perdido demonstrates what companies like Shell can do when US federal lands and waters are opened to responsible energy exploration and production."
From the first lease purchase to today's production, the Perdido Development required an industry workforce of approximately 12,000 people, including employees and contractors. Shell designed, and operates, the Perdido host spar, a floating production facility, which is jointly owned by Shell (35%), Chevron (37.5%), and BP (27.5%).
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 100 countries.
Source: Shell Oil Company
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Posted by Editors at 10:29 AM
March 20, 2010
From Russia with Love: That's the Theme of The Netherlands International Flower Exhibition
Photo: Accompanied by HRH Princess Máxima der Nederlanden, Mrs Svetlana Medvedeva, spouse of the president of the Russian Federation, officially opens the 61st Keukenhof international flower exhibition in Lisse, The Netherlands. She was especially invited because this year's central theme is 'From Russia with Love'.
Source: Keukenhof
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Posted by Editors at 4:55 AM
March 19, 2010
Better City, Better Life: Siemens at EXPO 2010
Photos: View of Shanghai
"Better City, Better Life" - that's the theme of EXPO 2010, which will take place in Shanghai from May 1 - October 31, 2010. Siemens is supporting EXPO 2010 with green infrastructure technology.
On the 1st of May, the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai will open its doors to the world. About 70 million visitors are expected in the Chinese metropolis.
It is supposed to be the first green world exhibition in EXPO history.
As a global EXPO partner, Siemens has supplied technology used in more than 40 projects on the exhibition grounds. In addition, Siemens supplied infrastructure including technology for rapid mass transit, clean air, cleaner water and ultra-modern health care in Shanghai.
Photo: Siemens won contracts related to the EXPO. These include high-speed trains at a speed of 300 kph from Beijing to Tianjin.
"Our green technology will continue to upgrade the city's infrastructure well after the EXPO. Thus, it is a triple win for EXPO visitors, for the host city of Shanghai and for Siemens," said Richard Hausmann, CEO Siemens Northeast Asia and President and CEO of Siemens Ltd., China.
Siemens was awarded contracts in connection with the Expo with a total value of more than one billion euros. About 90 percent of this amount is related to environmentally friendly products and solutions.
Photo: In China, ensuring a supply of clean water is a pressing problem. Shanghai, which is naturally rich in water, suffers from polluted springs. Siemens water treatment solutions help clean up Taihu Lake not far from Shanghai.
Photo: Shanghai buildings in the evening.
More than 50,000 energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) produced by Siemens' lighting subsidiary Osram will illuminate the pavilions and boulevards. LEDs consume 80 percent less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs.
The China Pavilion, with a total surface area of 160,000 square meters, is one of the largest Siemens projects at the Expo.
In addition to solutions for reduced energy consumption, Siemens also supplied infrastructure in advance of the Expo that will assure adequate power supply to the city of Shanghai both during and after the event.
Source: Siemens AG, Berlin
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Posted by Editors at 2:20 AM
March 4, 2010
The Plastiki Expedition
An 11,000 nautical mile journey-with-a-message from San Francisco, California, to Sydney, Australia, setting sail March 2010.
Photo: Eco-Friendly Catamaran, The Plastiki, Made From 12,500 Reclaimed Plastic Bottles Prepares to Embark on Transpacific Voyage From US to Australia. February 25, 2010. San Francisco, CA. (Photo: Luca Babini).
The Plastiki, an eco-conscious catamaran made from reclaimed plastic bottles is embarking on transpacific journey to raise awareness of ocean pollution problem by showcasing plastic debris as a resource and demonstrating real world solutions through its design and construction.
The goal of The Plastiki Expedition is to draw attention to the massive amounts of plastic debris in the world's oceans, and to showcase re-thinking waste as a resource by demonstrating real world solutions to this pressing problem.
The legacy of The Plastiki Expedition will be its capacity to shift public thinking and perception from plastics as the enemy to how plastic can become part of the solution. To solve the marine debris and waste issues at large will require a reprogramming of how the global community currently uses, re-uses and ultimately disposes of plastics.
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Posted by Editors at 8:20 AM
December 4, 2009
World Bank: Majority of People Want Action on Climate Change, Even if it Entails Costs
Photo: View of lakes and mountains. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
A new poll of 15 nations, most of them in the developing world, finds that majorities of the people canvassed want their governments to take steps to fight climate change, even if that entails costs. People signaled they would support public measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and step up adaptation measures. For example, respondents would support higher fuel efficiency standards for cars, preserving or expanding forests, and extending funding to vulnerable countries so they can develop hardier crops suited to more severe climates.
Photo: Fishing. Photo © Alex Baluyut / World Bank.
"The poll's findings shed light on global attitudes at a particularly important moment: the run-up to the conference on climate change to be held December 7-18 in Copenhagen. Hearing from people in the developing world offers a new lens on this issue," says Katherine Sierra, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development.
Photo: Horse-drawn cart. Mali. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Photo: Mali. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Carried out by WorldPublicOpinion.org and commissioned by the World Bank, the poll questioned 13,518 respondents in 15 nations -- Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.
Other key findings include:
• Public concern about climate change is high worldwide, but it's generally higher in developing countries.
• Publics, particularly in developing countries, believe climate change is already having negative effects.
• In most countries, wealthy and poor alike, large majorities are willing to pay to fight climate change.
• Support for increased adaptation funding to poor countries is widespread worldwide.
Photo: View of river and mountains. Bhutan. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
"It is encouraging indeed to see strong across-the-board support for committing to emissions limits in both developed and developing nations, since behavior change and attitudes will help determine whether we succeed or fail in addressing this global issue," says Marianne Fay, World Bank Chief Economist for Sustainable Development and Co-Director of the World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change.
Ms. Fay explained that the poll was commissioned as a follow-up to the recently released WDR. The aim was to gain a better understanding of how the recommendations of the Report to invest substantially and immediately to manage climate change ("Act now, act together, and act differently") resonate in a cross-section of countries.
In the low-income country of Vietnam, for example, 98% say their government should commit to limiting emissions as part of a deal, and 93% support the same course in the absence of a deal. At the other end of the wealth spectrum, the people of France express 97% support if an agreement is reached at Copenhagen, and 87% if no agreement emerges.
Photo: View of road before storm. Ghana. Photo © Curt Carnemark / World Bank.
Majorities in 14 of 15 countries are willing to pay to fight global climate change.
Majorities in most countries also support measures that would raise costs for energy and transportation.
Photo: Portrait of children. India. Photo © World Bank / Curt Carnemark.
Similarly, majorities in 12 countries support "gradually increasing the requirements for fuel efficiency in automobiles, even if this raises the cost of cars and bus fares." Majorities in 11 countries support "gradually reducing government subsidies that favor private transportation, even if this raises its cost." Majorities in all countries polled support "preserving or expanding forested areas, even if this means less land for agriculture or construction."
WorldPublicOpinion.org operates as a collaborative project involving research centers from around the world that is managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. The margins of error for each country range from +/-3 to 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted across the different nations in September and October 2009.
Source: World Bank
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"We, the Heads of the MDBs and the IMF, appeal to the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to agree in Copenhagen the foundations for an ambitious, comprehensive, and equitable global climate change regime that enables all countries to achieve sustainable development along climate-resilient and low greenhouse gas emission-intensive paths. We recognise the primacy of the UNFCCC, whose principles and process we have supported from the start. We endeavour, in accordance with our organizations' respective mandates, expertise, and resources, to further coordinate our financing and analyses of climate change actions and enable our client partners to maximise the effective use of new financial flows."
-- Joint statement by the heads of the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.
The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC) has released the names of over 140 leading climate experts from 17 countries who are asking the United Nations and other supporters of this month's Climate Change Conference to produce convincing OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE for their claims of dangerous human-caused global warming (AGW) and other changes in climate.
• "With revelations that critical temperature data used by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change appear to have been intentionally distorted to increase warming trends, national representatives to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference must demand a thorough re-examination of the scientific evidence supporting proposed mitigation actions. This should not be limited to simple temperature data auditing but must also include a re-evaluation of many of the climate-related assertions uncritically accepted by politicians and media worldwide."
-- Dr. Tim Patterson, ICSC Chair and Professor of Earth Sciences at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.
• "While policies designed to conserve energy, reduce pollution and help vulnerable peoples adapt to climate change are important to pursue, proposals to severely curtail GHG emissions in an effort to control climate make no sense, given the current state of scientific knowledge. Instead we need to focus on environmental issues we know we can positively impact - air, land and water pollution being primary examples."
-- Dr. Wibjörn Karlén, Professor Emeritus, Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Posted by Editors at 8:32 AM
November 30, 2009
U.S. Crude Oil Production in 2009 Poised To Show Big Jump: Platts Analysis
Photo: Platts' new 100-year anniversary global branding ad for oil rolled out in February issue of UK's Energy Risk Magazine; first in a series of Platts' 2009 ads to highlight the commodities it covers: Oil, Petrochemicals, Electricity, Natural Gas, Metals and Renewable Fuels.
• United States crude oil production for 2009 is on target to have its biggest one-year jump since 1970, according to a Platts analysis of industry data.
Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information.
With U.S. oil production averaging 5.268 million barrels per day (b/d) through October, the gain in U.S. output will be the most since the country produced 9.637-million b/d in 1970, which turned out to be the peak year of U.S. crude output, according to Platts' analysis of data published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). If that 5.268 million b/d figure holds through December, this year would show a 6.4% boost from the 4.95 million b/d average of 2008 and rank as the best U.S. oil production year since 2004, when output averaged 5.419 million b/d.
Projections from the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) indicate that the primary driver for this year's U.S. oil production resurgence is actually just getting started. That driver is the Gulf of Mexico, where operators have begun launching a group of new fields, fulfilling what has been a decade-long focus on unlocking the promise of deepwater exploration there.
Photo: Oil tanker and offshore drill on ocean.
In its reporting, Platts concluded that with the jump in the Gulf of Mexico, combined with the emergence of two other new oil-production trends, it appears the U.S. has a chance of at least maintaining oil output in the range of five million to six million b/d for some years to come.
The Gulf posted its biggest oil production year in 2002 with 1.556 million b/d, but only 61% of that total came from deepwater. In contrast, this year the MMS projects oil output of 1.213 million b/d with 76% from deepwater as the Gulf ramps toward an expected new oil production record of 1.635 million b/d by 2011.
Besides growth in the Gulf, those other trends involve further development of the Bakken Shale oil play in North Dakota and success by a group of operators now training their onshore exploration sights toward new oil targets at the expense of natural gas.
Photo: Oil Rig at Sunset.
As for companies shifting their strategies, that group includes large Houston independent and Bakken pioneer EOG Resources, which has set a goal of shifting from a 70% gas production share to a 50:50 oil and gas mix by 2011 with a comprehensive review of additional potential North American shale oil targets.
This rise in output has helped the U.S. reduce its net imports -- defined as imports less exports, both crude and petroleum products -- by a substantial amount. While there are many factors that go into the United States' net import figure, the decline has been striking, according to EIA data.
And while the drop in U.S. consumption can be seen as accounting for much of that decline, the U.S. also has put more than 140 million barrels of crude oil and products into inventory since the beginning of October 2008, something made possible in part by the rise in crude oil output.
Source: Platts
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Posted by Editors at 3:39 AM
November 19, 2009
Bridget Moynahan is the Newest Spokesmodel for Garnier Nutritioniste
Moynahan will be the face of the Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift product collection.
Global skincare company Garnier Nutritioniste is introducing actress Bridget Moynahan as the latest spokesmodel for the brand. Moynahan will appear in print and TV campaigns for the brand's top-selling Ultra-Lift skincare collection, set to debut July 2010.
Moynahan joins an impressive roster of Garnier spokesmodels, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Bar Rafaeli and Alana de la Garza.
"We are thrilled to partner with the beautiful Bridget Moynahan," says Maybelline New York-Garnier President David Greenberg. "Her class, grace and accessibility make her a model representative of the Garnier brand. Most importantly, she exhibits a likeable, healthy beauty that speaks to our consumer in such a positive way."
Moynahan is an all-American girl raised in the East Coast town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Before earning international recognition in films and TV, she had a successful modeling career, appearing on the covers of numerous magazines including Glamour, Vogue, Elle and Self. Moynahan has since appeared in a number of major films, such as Serendipity, The Sum of All Fears, The Recruit, I, Robot, and Lord of War. She is the star of the upcoming 2010 film Ramona and Beezus and is currently shooting the film Battle: Los Angeles.
Source: Garnier
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Posted by Editors at 6:11 AM
November 12, 2009
Marriott International Developing Green Hotels
Photo: Marriott International will expand its green hotel portfolio ten-fold in five years, with a new green hotel prototype for its Courtyard brand that will be pre-certified LEED(R) (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. Shown here, the Courtyard Portland City Center, which is certified LEED-Gold. (© Marriott International, Inc., William James Photography)
• Marriott International, Inc. announced today that it will expand its green hotel portfolio ten-fold over the next five years by introducing a green hotel prototype that will be pre-certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), an internationally recognized green building certification system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The green hotel prototype, which will be available in April 2010, will save owners approximately $100,000 and six months in design time, and reduce a hotel's energy and water consumption by up to 25 percent.
The green hotel prototype, referred to by the USGBC as "volume build certification," has been created for Marriott's Courtyard brand, which has a development pipeline of nearly 160 hotels worldwide. In 2010, the company expects to introduce similar green hotel prototypes for its Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites brands, which represent more than 290 hotels in the pipeline worldwide.
"Marriott's' commitment makes it among the first in the world to commit to implementing green buildings on this scale," said Doug Gatlin, Vice President, USGBC. Marriott was the first hospitality member of the USGBC, and has more than 20 LEED accredited professionals on staff.
While many of the benefits of LEED certification, such as improved energy savings, better indoor air quality and reduced CO2 emissions, are transparent to guests, others are easier to identify such as easy access to public transportation, in-room recycling, and light sensors in the guest rooms.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Posted by Editors at 9:09 AM
October 21, 2009
Tokyo Motor Show: Honda CR-Z Concept 2009 Makes World Debut
• Stylish hybrid coupe will arrive in North America in 2010 as 2-seat model.
Honda today debuted CR-Z Concept 2009, the second concept version of the stylish, sporty hybrid coupe, at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. While the vehicle displayed at the show is a global concept with a rear seat, the production version that will be introduced to North America in the second half of 2010 will be packaged as a sporty, 2-seat hybrid that provides a personal driving experience for North American customers.
"The Honda CR-Z will expand our lineup of hybrid vehicles and reinforce the fun-to-drive values associated with the Honda brand," said Erik Berkman, vice president of Automobile Corporate Planning and Logistics for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Beyond great styling and features, CR-Z will bring new levels of engagement and fun to customers interested a small car or a hybrid vehicle."
The production version of the Honda CR-Z will make its world debut at the January 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
|GlobalGiants.com|
Posted by Editors at 10:02 PM
