“Mountaintop removal is the most devastatingpeacetime activity in human history — in fact,if the destruction to our nation’s natural andcultural heritage were being perpetrated by aforeign power, it would be considered an actof war — because in a very real sense, it is— it is a war against the Earth. Every week,mountaintop removal coal-mining detonatesmore explosive force on the land and the

COAL COUNTRY is a dramatic look at moderncoal mining. We get to know working miners along with activistswho are battling coal companies in Appalachia. We hear fromminers and coal company officials, who are concerned aboutjobs and the economy and believe they are acting responsiblyin bringing power to the American people. Both sides in thisconflict claim that history is on their side. Families have livedin the region for generations, and most have ancestors whoworked in the mines. Everyone shares a deep love for theland, but MTR (Mountain Top Removal mining which hasleveled over 500 Appalachian mountains) is tearing themapart.

"We hear so much about the needfor oil; politicians debate over windfarms and solar power. But few ofus even realize that coal remains

an important energy source, andthat the methods of mining andprocessing coal are significantcauses of global warming. We need

to understand the meaning behindpromises of “cheap energy” and“clean coal”. Are they achievable?And at what cost?"

"We tell the compelling story of modern coal mining throughthe daily activities of working miners as well as those whoare battling the coal companies in Appalachia. Their personalstories are the touchstone for our exploration of the true costof coal and the search for alternatives sources of energy.Are the people fighting MTR really protecting the earth, ordo they stand in the way of affordable energy for allAmericans?"

communities of Appalachia than the atomicbomb dropped on Hiroshima, to extract thecoal that is warming the planet and poisoningthe water, air and land. We should all bededicated to ending this unsustainable, andultimately suicidal practice. And to promotingrenewable energy alternatives and the greenjobs they will create." - Woody Harrelson

www.coalcountrythemovie.com

"You thought you got it real nice,and off goes the mountaintop,and decades of mining follow."

“No Impact Man” Calls for a Cultural Shift

What I wanted to tell you was that during ourexperiment we were able to replace consumptionwith social connections, because that’s the trade-off that happens in our culture.”

The documentary film No Impact Man providesseveral examples of how Colin and his familyreplaced consumption with social connections:getting rid of the TV led to more timesocializing with the family; eatinglocally led to working as a family ina community garden and cookingmore meals together; and not usingfossil fuel-based transportation led tobiking together. In the process, thefamily’s health improved, Colin’s wife’s

pre-diabetes went away, their daughter wasless exposed to television (and thus fewer adsand stimulation to consume), and so on.

Of course, to mainstream this, you’d have tostrip away the more extreme actions that thefamily took but that few people will follow, suchas using no electricity or toilet paper. But formany categories of consumption, a large shareof the problem could be solved with lessextreme measures, such as using much lesselectricity (and making it renewable), usingrecycled toilet paper, and even eating less,which for those eating the standard Americandiet filled with too many calories, refined sugars,and fats, would reduce their ecological impactwhile making them healthier.

JOIN & TAKE THE NO IMPACTEXPERIMENT YOURSELF!

On October 8, Colin Beaven captured the heart of today’s consumptionchallenge perfectly while sharing with Stephen Colbert the results of his yearliving as “No Impact Man”: Colbert asked: “Do you look down on the rest ofus who are consuming all the time?”Beaven: “No, our whole culture is consuming. That’s the problem….”

www.noimpactproject.org

www.planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/100-places/

Producing Cocoa without negative impact on theenvironment? Congo is doing it!Find out how in a special slide-show @www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/07/congo-sustainable-cacao-industryphp.php

Climate Change is real.Here's the top 100 places to go visit before they get lost.

A young worldThe number of young people in the world has never been higher.

In all, there are about one billion 12 to 18-year-olds.

Almost nine out of 10 live in the developing world.

The proportion of young people per country is highest in Africa and lowest in Europe. In Uganda57% of people are under 18. In Italy, Greece and Spain the figure is 17%.

Developing countries which invest in their young could see economic growth surge, says the WorldBank. Those which fail could see tensions.

A quarter of young people live on less than US$1 a day.

Teenagers today are the largest generation on Earth.They will very soon determine the future.Their views are different from the views of their parents. The world their inheritis different. And their future is different.

Which future will they create?Based on which values?

IF given access to the best in education, knowledge, values, opportunities forsocial change - a new world is at THEIR hands.

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GETTING RID OF TOXINS IN OUR FOOD CHAIN

Pesticide Endosulfan Ruled “Highly Toxic”www.worldwatch.org/node/6299?emc=el&m=315853&l=6&v=da6ef830abby Ben Block on October 23, 2009

An international scientific review committee ruled last week that endosulfan, a widely used pesticide, ishighly toxic to humans and wildlife.

The ruling concludes debate on whether the chemical should beclassified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP), a decision thatcould result in a global ban."Thankfully the science - rather than political and economic interests- has been at the fore, and now there is a clear body of expertswho support endosulfan's eradication as a POP," said JulietteWilliams, founding director of the London-based EnvironmentalJustice Foundation.Endosulfan has been linked to mental retardationand death among farm workers, especially incircumstances when the chemical was appliedexcessively or improperly. Reproductive healtheffects and kidney failure have also beenobserved among those exposed at lowerconcentrations.

In the Arctic, bird, marine mammal, and fish populations are accumulating endosulfan in their fat cells. Thechemical is able to travel long distances via wind and water currents, a characteristic trait of POPs.

Endosulfan is now one step away from inclusion in the Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants, the international treaty that enforces bans on poisonous pesticides and other toxic chemicals.

Once the review committee evaluates the socio-economic impact of phasing out endosulfan, internationalnegotiators will meet in May 2011 to decide appropriate control measures.

At least 10,000 metric tons of endosulfan are still produced each year andapplied on fruits, vegetables, and grains in some 30 countries.

The substance is currently being phased out in about 60 countries, including those in the European Union,Thailand, and Niger, according to Karl Tupper, coordinator of Pesticide Action Network (PAN)-NorthAmerica's environmental monitoring program.

"A dwindling number of countries are actively using endosulfan," Tupper said. "The U.S. and Canada arein the midst of a re-evaluation of the chemical.... We're pretty confident the U.S. is going to ban it by theend of this year."

Why has it taken so long to know and decide about this?

Photo courtesy Orbital Joe/FlickrA former endosulfan production facilityin Baltimore, Maryland.

There are many ways to go non-toxic, andproduce large or larger amounts of good food.Why take the risk?

UK bans Malaysian palm oil advertThe Ecologist, 3rd November, 2009

(Demand for palm oil is growing as a source of biofuel)

A magazine advert that endorsed the sustainability of palm oil has beenbanned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) for makingunsubstantiated and untruthful claims.

The advert, produced by the Malaysia Palm Oil Council (MPOC) and entitled 'Palm Oil: The Green Answer'addresses the criticisms levelled at the palm oil industry, including deforestation and unfair treatment offarmers and indigenous peoples.It states: ‘These allegations – protectionist agendas hidden under a thin veneer of environmental concern– are based neither on scientific evidence, nor, for that matter, on fact.’

In banning the ad, the ASA said: 'We considered that, in conjunction with claims such as "puts minimalstrain on the environment", readers would infer from the claim that palm oil was sustainable and wouldnot have an adverse effect on the environment.'This is the second MPOC advertisement that has been banned by the ASA. The first was a televisionadvert banned in its current form for similar reasons.

According to the Adjudication record of the advert on the ASA website, it 'misleadingly [implied] that palmoil plantations were as biodiverse and [sustainable] as the native rainforests they replaced.'www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/348755/uk_bans_malaysian_palm_oil_advert.html

www.atlanticrising.org

Grist Magazine's Umbra has dozens of tips to makeyour life and lifestyle healthier, more fun, moreresponsible on the climate and environment...

Anything from toilets, to school lunch, coffee, travel,canned foods, idling cars, bike helmets, ...

www.grist.org/column/ask-umbra

Ask UmbraAstute advice to green your life

Swedes Put First Carbon Labels On FoodWhen Swedes examine the packaging of their food products, they're going to see more than nutritionalinformation--now there's going to be a 'carbon label' right next to it. The labels read 'Climate declared: Xkg CO2 per kg of product," so people will know just how much greenhouse gas their food is contributingto climate change.

According to the New York Times, it's part ofan experiment being pioneered by the Swedishgovernment 's Nut r i t ion Depar tment :

"New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissionsassociated with the production of foods, fromwhole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, areappearing on some grocery items and restaurantmenus around the country. If successful, thepractice could be adopted nationwide. It's partof the Swede's shifting attitude that climate andhealth should be given equal weight, as well asenvironmental and nutrit ional issues."There are recent precedents for such an idea--the Global Warming Diet used such a label asa satirical conceit to try to get people to payattention to the carbon footprint of the food andproducts they buy. Looks like the Swedes mayhave taken them seriously.

This idea is indeed gaining traction here in the US, as well--consider the Wal-Mart Sustainability Index,which will include carbon footprint as a primary criterion in the products it rates. And these sustainabilityratings will be seen by anyone who strolls through the retail giant's stores. And this is being done privately,as opposed to the Swedes' governmental initiative.

Either way, the phenomenon is undeniable--climate change is already beginning to change the very waywe shop and eat.

How the Government could easily fix our food chain

www.fixthefoodchain.com

www.theecologist.org

Kirtana Chandrasekaran, 13thOctober, 2009

Our growing demand for cheapfeed to produce cheap meat isexacting a terrible human andenvironmental price. But thesolutions are clear, and are withinour reach

Many people are surprised to findout that the meat and dairy industryproduces more climate-changingemissions than all the planes, carsand lorries on the planet – and thata hidden chain of destruction linksanimals in British factory farms torainforest destruction in SouthAmerica.

Animals in British and European

factory farms are pumped full of high-protein feed to grow quickly andproduce high yields. The protein inanimal feed is provided by soy, mostof which is shipped in from industrialGM plantations created by cuttingdown rainforest in South America.This releases vast quantities ofclimate-changing gases, destroystrees, plants and animals and drivesout communities that have lived onthe land for centuries.

The huge soy plantations neededjust to feed factory farms in Europeevery year cover almost 10 millionhectares in South America – anddemand is growing fast.

In the UK, factory farming is almostwholly dependent on the availabilityof this cheap soy feed – but at theexpense of UK citizens and farmers.

Earlier this year new researchfrom Friends of the Earthrevealed that families in Englandare paying more than £700million each year to fund thefactory farming system throughagricultural subsidies, despite thefact it is wiping out rainforestsand making climate changeworse.

Friends of the Earth’s Food ChainCampaign is calling for action totackle this crisis by fixing the foodchain and supporting planet-friendly farming. It is calling for anew law to quantify the globalimpact of the UK’s meat and dairyconsumption and develop astrategy to tackle it.

If you wish to know how to createa better food chain, visit

Green-biz pioneer Ray Anderson sayssustainability literally pays for itselfRay Anderson set out to make his business sustainable long beforegreen was the flavor of the month. Reading Paul Hawken’s TheEcology of Commerce in 1994 literally changed his life, inspiring himto overhaul the world's largest carpet company, Interface, and aim forzero waste and zero environmental impact. Now, withhis new book Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, hewants to spur other business leaders to “climb Mount Sustainability.”

Anderson recently dropped by the Grist office and we asked him howhis own ascent is going so far.

The Hidden Cost of Feeding FarmedFish - Greed of FeedA major investigation by the Ecologist reveals a host of unreportedenvironmental and social costs linked to the fishmeal productionindustry in Peru.

Largely hidden from view on the other side of the world, consumerswill be shocked at the human and environmental price they arepaying to put cheap salmon on the table this Christmas.

To read the investigation visitwww.theecologist.org/tv_and_radio/tv/268169/greed_of_feed.html

Full interview at www.grist.org/article/2009-10-19-ray-anderson-sustainability-interview-book/

Environmental Trading Card Game 'My Earth' Reaches Salesof 2.8 Million Cards

My Earth, a trading card gamereleased by My Earth ProjectsLLC, had sold a total of 2.8 millioncards as of June 2009. The MyEarth Projects is a joint venturebetween Dai Nippon Printing Co.,a Japanese full-service printingcompany, and two students fromKeio University.

"Environmental issues are allinterconnected," Yuta Okazaki,the creator of My Earth from KeioUniversity Graduate School atShonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC),explains. "A trading card gameallows us to explore theseconnections. I created My Earth,thinking that the causes andconnections of environmentalissues illustrated with tradingcards could make the learningprocess enjoyable, so thatelementary and junior high schoolstudents, among others, can learn

about them more easily."

Principal Kazuhiko Komasa, whotook up My Earth as a material forits environmental education atYokohama City TsutsujigaokaElementary School, elaborates."Because environmental educationtends to star t by cover ingbackground knowledge, children canfeel as though they are being forcedto memorize facts. This game allowschildren to see environmental issuesthrough voluntary participation."

My Earth has the scalability andvariabil ity that are signaturecharacteristics of trading cardgames, allowing users to createunique, original combinations. Thecompany plans to introduce asecond set of cards before the endof 2009 in order to gradually improveand expand the card line-up.

CopyrightMy Earth Projects LLC

www.japanfs.org/en/pages/029442.html

Zarah Rosewater . The purest rose fragrances and products.Organic, non-pesticide rose harvest in Iran

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YEN works to engage, educate andmotivate actors to provide improvedemployment opportunities for youth. It isa platform and service provider focusingon policy advice, innovative pilot projects,knowledge sharing, and brokeringpartnerships. YEN makes use of its coreagency partners’ know how andresources and ensures youth participationin delivering its services.

The Professional World isChanging.

Making a living is changing every fewyears. Job chances are changing.Employment models are changing. Whilesocial standars rise in some places, theyfall in others.

Will low income agrarian countries stepup to a higher quality of living, social andwork standards?

Will rich, industrial countries be able tokeep their social, economic and culturalstandards of living? We see themcrumbling all over Europe.

We are in the post-industrial world,and the old models will no longer work.

Where are the new models?

The Environmental Aspects ofSustainability require a radicalshift from old methods of extraction,production, consumption, waste,recycling, business, client andcustomer relations.

" DO UNTO OTHERSLIKE YOU WISH TOBE DONE UNTOYOU. "is the new rising star in the world ofbusiness.

Let's find out how to do it! And Dreamour own Dream of Making a Living- having a good time with ourcolleagues, producing valuable giftsfor the world we are proud of.

LET'S FORGETEVERYTHING WHAT WETHOUGHT WE KNEWABOUT THE WORLD OFBUSINESS.Companies are already doing it!

Now it's on all of us to catch up withthe Future!

The Youth Employment Network

www.teekampagne.de

Teekampagne : Paying high wages, delivering the finest qualityBlack Tea, growing to the biggest sales company worldwide...by selling directly to consumers and seeing their producersand clients as COMMUNITY.

American Apparel - ProducingFair T-Shirts IN the U.S.A.American Apparel has decided not tooutsource its labor, paying factory workersan average of over $12 dollars an hour.

Garment workers for similar American companies inChina earn approximately 40 cents per hour. It claimsto have the 'highest earning apparel workers in theworld'.

American Apparel bases its manufacturing in an800,000-square-foot (74,000 m2) factory in downtownLos Angeles, California. The company also owns andoperates its own fabric dye house, garment dye house,and knitting facility, all based in Los Angeles.

The company uses "team manufacturing" which pools the strongest workers towards priority orders.

Each team functions autonomously and determines its own daily production schedule,giving them control over their own hourly wages.

After its implementation, garment production tripled and required a less than 20% staff increase. The factoryclaims to have the capacity to produce 1 million shirts per week and manufacture 275,000 pieces a day.

According to The New York Times it is the largest single garment factory in the UnitedStates and employs over 4,000 people across two buildings.

Do we (still / yet) have a similar company in Europe?www.americanapparel.net

Hydrogen Economy. Shifting to a clean energy future.The hydrogen economy is a proposal for the distribution of energy using hydrogen. Hydrogen (H2) releasesenergy when it is combined with oxygen; however in practice, production of hydrogen from water requiresmore energy than is released when the hydrogen is used as fuel. Free hydrogen does not occur naturally,and thus it must be generated by electrolysis of water or another method. A reduction in carbon dioxideemission connected with hydrogen fuel is directly achieved only if the energy used to make hydrogen isobtained from non carbon-based sources. Nowadays (2009) the majority of hydrogen produced on earthcomes from fossil fuels. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

World's Largest 'Hydrogen Town Project' Starts in JapanA ceremony to celebrate the first installation of a residentialhydrogen fuel cell system was held on October 11, 2008, as partof the "Fukuoka Hydrogen Town" model project, which has beenin progress in Minakazedai and Misakigaoka Danchis (residentialhousing communities) in Maebaru City, Fukuoka Prefecture, insouthern Japan. These two bordering communities were chosenas demonstration sites for the project in order to promote theuse of hydrogen energy, particularly for fuel cells. Under theproject, the systems are to be installed at 150 houses in thecommunities. This will be the world's largest demonstration projectof this kind. From the end of fiscal 2008, the feasibility test willcontinue for about four years in order to examine the energy-saving effects of the system.

www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028694.html

Universal Phone Charger Approved,Could Save 13.6 Million Tons of CO2

Earlier this year we caught word that the EU might forceuniversal cell phone chargers onto manufacturers. "Force"is a little rough...more like "require them to be environmentallyresponsible and simply logical and quit manufacturing plannedobsolescence and exclusivity into piles of plastic and wires."Last week, a universal charger was approved by theInternational Telecommunication Union that, while not being"forced" upon manufacturers, is available for them to adoptas they roll out new phones.

The BBC reports that the new charger has a micro USBconnector, and is energy efficient. "We are planning to launchthe universal charger internationally during the first half of2010," Aldo Liguori, spokesperson for Sony Ericsson toldthe BBC. "We will roll it out with new products as they launch."

The ITC states, "Every mobile phone user will benefit from the new Universal Charging Solution (UCS),which enables the same charger to be used for all future handsets, regardless of make and model. Inaddition to dramatically cutting the number of chargers produced, shipped and subsequently discarded asnew models become available, the new standard will mean users worldwide will be able to charge theirmobiles anywhere from any available charger, while also reducing the energy consumed while charging."

According to the GSMA, 51,000 tons of redundant chargers are manufactured each year, and this universalcharger could displace many of those...if they are adopted by cell phone manufacturers. With companiessuch as LG, AT&T, DoCoMo, Samsung, Nokia and many more partnering with GSMA on a universal chargingsolution, we're optimistic that this will be a solution implemented over the next couple years. Not only willwe see a reduction in e-waste and GHG emissions, but the GSMA also predits it will cut standby powerconsumption by mobile phones by 50%.

Innovation of the Week: Policy Formulation and ActionPlanning for Urban FarmingFarms are also innovative. Backyard gardens or roof top gardens, exposed directly to the sky, maximize water supplywhere there is often poor access to irrigation. Plastic buckets, tires, and other “trash”can be used to contain soil for smaller gardens. Integrated fish farming has evenbeen used in some areas just outside of cities to both treat human waste and providefish for human consumption.

While encouraging urban agriculture could help to improve nutrition, sanitation, andresource management in cities, there is often little institutional or official supportfor farmers in large cities. Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture & Food Security(RUAF Foundation) introduced a program called Cities Farming for the Future inAccra, Ghana, in 2005, to promote “collaboration between urban authorities withcitizens, farmers, civil organizations, private sector companies and other governmentalentities in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of policies and relatedaction plans.”

The result has been a general increased awareness of the role urban agriculture can play both in providing food andin creating a more sanitary and sustainable urban environment; increased and improved education regarding urbanfarming; increased government incentivizing of urban agriculture; a farmers’ association and recognition from theGhana Agricultural Workers Union; revised agriculture bye-laws; and policy maker outreach.

blogs.worldwatch.org/innovation-of-the-week-policy-formulation-and-action -planning-for-urban-farming/

Re:Vision Dallas - - - - - Building a sustainable living block.Co-Op Canyon: Ecotopia Inspired by Anasazi Cliff DwellingsStandard’s design for the Dallas sustainable block was inspired by the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi Indians and theirstrong connection to nature. The structure resembles a terraced canyon with housing units tucked into the canyonwall. On the canyon floor, community gardens are ripe with organic fruits and vegetables that residents grow to usethemselves or exchange within the others as part of a cooperative community. Each residential unit also has its owngarden and yard space.

The sustainable city block can house up to 1,000 people, and in addition to its strong community aspects it is a zerocarbon and structure that wastes no water. On-site power from solar panels will meet the energy demands of thecommunity, while waste and rain water will be collected for use in landscape irrigation. Overall Co Op Canyon is awell thought out community with an appealing design - Standard has clearly thought outside of the box with theirentry.

The Re:Vision Dallas challenged architects and designers to create a residential complex within one city block thatcould live up to a LEED-ND rating, carbon neutrality, zero waste water and no run-off, all while reducing constructionwaste by 75%. The city block has already been set aside and the winners of the competition will have a chance tosell their idea to the Dallas developers.

The co-op is not only centered around the production of food, but also on community, with the aid of a communitykitchen, open space, picnic areas, child care, fitness center and retail space. The community kitchen is the centerof the co-op and functions as a wellness center, providing cooking classes, food tastings, and nutritional education.Retail space and small live/work units allow some of the residents to remain local for their work and shopping.

Israel says goodbye to oil, hello to mass-produced electriccars (Video)Israel will become the first country to mass-produce electric cars in an ambitious new scheme with Better ProjectPlace, and carmakers Renault and Nissan. Watch the video to find out how Israel could be oil free within 20 years.www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1019516.html

Panasonic Develops Energy-Saving Simulation Technologyfor FactoriesPanasonic Corp., a leading Japanese manufacturer of electronic products, announced on June 29, 2009,that it had developed a unique simulation technology that enables each factory to identify suitable energy-saving solutions to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from operations. The new optimization technologycan be used to accurately calculate efficient operating conditions of energy-consuming equipment. Thecompany plans to adopt this technology in its group factories to reduce CO2 emissions and improveproductivity in the following three processes.

High-speed drying process of a furnace: By predicting the drying conditions based on estimated internaltemperatures, humidity and air currents of a furnace, the new technology can determine final dryingcharacteristics and the optimal operating conditions for each furnace.

Air-conditioning process in a clean room: The new technology makes it possible to predict the aircurrents, temperatures, humidity and pressures of the overall factory including air-conditioning equipmentand the clean room, with higher degree of accuracy than conventional levels, almost identical to actualconditions, maximizing energy conservation.

Supplying process of high pressure air: High pressure air is usually supplied through a complex channelof pipes linked to several compressors in a factory. The new optimal design simulator can find the optimalpiping layout that minimizes pressure loss, improving energy conservation.

Copyright Ichinomiya City, Konobu Nakajima, Elementary School

Ecobank Aichi, a Japanese non-profit organization(NPO) based in the city of Ichinomiya in Aichi Prefecture,has published a booklet entitled "Green Curtains: ATeaching Manual" for elementary and junior highschools. The NPO started distributing copies of thebooklet in May 2008, free of charge to schools withinthe city, and will send it across the nation upon request.The organization intends to promote environmentaleducation through the project to reduce carbon dioxideemissions and to ease the summer heat using "greencurtains" formed by climbing plants covering the wallsand windows of buildings.Members of the NPO, including education experts,compiled the 20-page manual on how to create a plantcurtain and the contents comply with the curriculumguidelines for each grade at elementary and juniorhigh schools. The manual lays out monthly proceduresto be carried out from April to September and specificteaching points for actual classroom situations, including methods of utilizing school properties and providingwater effectively during long summer holidays.

A spokesperson from the group said, "We expect the manual will help children grow green curtainsappropriate to the circumstances of each school. We also hope that the use of green curtains will eventuallyspread to local communities through our support for the eco-activities of school children." The organizationintends to revise the manual annually over the next few years based on feedback from schools. It alsoplans to produce versions of the manual for households, kindergartens, and nursery schools.www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028728.html

Green 'Curtains' of Plants to Climb School Walls across Japan

Grameen Shakti - Bangladesh has the highest rate of solarroofs in the world - now 250,000 - and the highest growth rate"Bringing sustainable light and power to thousands of Bangladeshi villages, promotinghealth, education and productivity".

Grameen Shakti, under its Managing Director Dipal Barua,has installed more than 110,000 solar home systems inrural Bangladesh. It has shown that solar energy applicationscan be scaled up massively and rapidly to provide anaffordable and climate-friendly energy option for the ruralpoor.

- Installing renewable energy technologies in ruralvillages- Involving the local community- A role model for rural electrification

Grameen Shakti has built up a network of 390 village unitoffices, in all of Bangladesh's 64 districts, reaching out tothe rural areas where 70% of the country's 135m inhabitantslive. In these areas, there is no electricity grid and thepopulation therefore often has no access to electricity. Through the village unit offices, Grameen Shaktipromotes renewable energy technologies - especially solar home systems, which typically consist of asmall 30-100 W photovoltaic panel connected to a battery for storage. By June 2007 Grameen Shakti hadinstalled more than 110,000 solar home systems, with a capacity of about 5MW peak, covering 30,000villages. The installation rate is growing exponentially, with plans to reach 1 million installations in 2015.Currently, more than 4000 solar home systems are being installed per month. In addition, 4 wind energyplants, 1000 biogas plants and 3 solar thermal projects have been installed, and 9 solar-powered computertraining centres have been created. The biogas programme is linked to the emerging poultry and livestockindustry in Bangladesh with a focus on market slurry as a replacement for chemical fertiliser.

A woman engineer demon strating a SolarHome System

Niagara Falls Bans Plastic Beverage Bottlesto follow the best knowledge in sustainability matters. Reducing waste, promoting clean, community tapwater, eliminating risks of chemical impact on the beverage, assuring communalk contorl of precious waterresources and more.

Similar initiatives are taking place in Canada and Australia.

What is your country doing?

Forests and oceans more effective than carbon capturetechnology

The Ecologist, 14th October, 2009

Two new reports say existing forest and ocean systemsoffer the most cost effective way to capture and storecarbon - far cheaper than industrial Carbon Captureand Storage (CCS) technology

There has been a recent surge of interest in CCS, with climate change minister Ed Miliband saying this weekthat he was, 'determined to make sure it happens quickly'.

This followed a report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that said 100 CCS plants wouldneed to be fitted to fossil-fuel driven power stations built by 2020 and 3,000 by 2050 to bring about neededcarbon emission cuts.

However, research led by University of Michigan has shown that there is more potential than we realise forforests to act as carbon 'sinks'.

The study looked at 80 forests in the developing world over 15 years and found thatlocal ownership rather than government control of the land was the best guaranteeagainst misuse.

The research suggested this is because local communities were dependent on the forests for their livelihoods,and so valued its preservation more highly.

'The urgency of the global need to increase carbon storage in forests and local reliance on forests forcontinuing livelihood benefits through extraction of forest biomass make it especially important that scientistsbetter understand the relationship between carbon storage in forests and their contributions to livelihoods,'said lead author Professor Arun Agrawal.

'We show that larger forest size and greater rule-making autonomy at the local levelare associated with high carbon storage and livelihood benefits,' he said.

Blue carbon

In a separate development, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has estimatedthat marine ecosystems are storing carbon equal to half the annual emissions of the global transport sector.

It says that 55 per cent of the biological carbon captured in the world is removed from the atmosphere bymarine organisms, producing so-called 'blue carbon'.

Unlike carbon capture and storage on land, where carbon may be locked away only for decades or centuries,that stored in the oceans remains for millennia.

'We already know that marine ecosystems are multi-trillion dollar assets linked to sectors such as tourism,coastal defense, fisheries and water purification services: now it is emerging that they are natural alliesagainst climate change,' said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director.

'Indeed this report estimates that halting losses and catalysing the recovery of marine ecosystems mightcontribute to offsetting up to seven percent of current fossil fuel emissions and at a fraction of the costs oftechnologies to capture and store carbon at power stations,' he added.

UNEP Report : www.unep.org/pdf/BioseqRRA_scr.pdf