Up In Smoke is a report prepared in London by leading development and environmental organizations and supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. From destruction in the Caribbean by hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan to the worst flooding in recent years in Bangladesh, global warming induced weather events threatens to reverse human progress and make international targets on halving world poverty by 2015 unattainable. The fear is that, in a world in which global warming is already happening, such severe weather events are likely to be more frequent and extreme. The report calls on the international community to take urgent action to introduce: – A global risk assessment of the likely costs of adaptation to climate change in poor countries. – Cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases by industrialised countries in the order of 60%-80% (relative to 1990 levels) by the middle of this century – far beyond the targets of the Kyoto Protocol.
weblink: New Economics Web page • from: IPCC • in detail XlnkS6B7 XlnkC17DC
Monthly Archives: October 2004
How to measure well-being? The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators
The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators are a contribution to the worldwide effort to develop comprehensive statistics of national well-being that go beyond traditional macroeconomic indicators. A systems approach is used to illustrate the dynamic state of our social, economic and environmental quality of life. The dimensions of life examined include: education, employment, energy, environment, health, human rights, income, infrastructure, national security, public safety, re-creation and shelter. See Calvert Henderson
• source: Well-being • See also XlnkS5AA
Biologist at the design table
What if biologists and naturalists with an understanding of the natural world and sustainability were integrated in design team and help engineers to apply nature’s elegant design strategies to human challenges? That’s the objective of Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Train biologists to apply biomimicry to design.
weblink: Biologists at the design table • from: Janine Benyus • in detail • see also: Biomimicry XlnkS6B6 XlnkC18CA
Recycle network
Freecycle Network is a network of local networks of people who diverts from landfill things that ca be reused or recycling in their own towns. Membership is free. Visit their web site for more information.
weblink: Freecucle network web site • from: FreeCycle • in detail XlnkS6B5 XlnkC1920
Solar energy on Earth
The power emission from the sun is 1.37 kW/m 2 on the surface of the sphere, which has the sun as its centre and the average radius of the earth trajectory. The power hits a circular disc with an area of of 1.27 x 10 14 m 2 . The power emitted to the earth is thus 1.74 x 10 17 W.
• source: Wind • See also XlnkS6B4
Wind
All renewable energy (except tidal and geothermal power), and even the energy in fossil fuels, ultimately comes from the sun. The sun radiates 174,423,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of energy to the earth per hour. In other words, the earth receives 1.74 x 10 17 watts of power. About 1 to 2 per cent of the energy coming from the sun is converted into wind energy. That is about 50 to 100 times more than the energy converted into biomass by all plants on earth.
weblink: Dansh Wind Association Guided Tour • from: Danish Wind Association • in detail XlnkS6B4 XlnkC191F
Smart consumption according to Bush.
The British scientific magazine Nature asked the following question to Bush and Kerry the two candidates to the US presidency. “Many environmental prob_lems can be attributed to the high levels of consumption in developed nations such as the US. Can science and technology allow everyone on the planet toreach these levels of consumption? Or do Americans need to change their lifestyles and consume less?” The answer by President Bush stood out: “America in a very real sense has changed, not by consuming less, but by consuming and pro_ducing smarter. We have proven that economic growth makes possible the environmental progress our country has achieved and will continue to achieve in the future..” This answer truly exposes the deep root of Bush’s ideology. First is the blithe acceptance of the US’s overconsumptive ways. Bush suggests that massive con_sumption levels are fine because they are “smart:’ This makes no sense. Producing and consuming smarter means doing more with less, that’s the “smart” part, but Bush (and many americans) will never question their right to consume.
• source: Consumption • See also XlnkS6B3
Consumption according to John Ralston Saul
The problem with markets dependent on consumption is that the consumers are unreliable. The producer must constantly try to out guess them. … It is therefore more rational to simpy decide what people should want, them tell them they need it, then sell it to them. Saul calls this three step process ironically “consumption”. [it is in fact consumerism]
• source: Consumption • See also XlnkS6B3
Consumption
The ultimate aim of all economic activity is the satisfaction of human wants by means of the consumption of goods and services – referred to as consumer’s good. A consumer society sets an inordinate value on consumer’s goods which are becoming not an aim anymore but the ultimate good. Manipulation of the behaviour of consumers, through every aspect of marketing communication is called consumerism and has led to increased concern about its economic effect and morality. There has been a rise in consumerism resistance. Ralph Nader has been credited with early influence in this movement.
• in detail XlnkS6B3
Aside
You get never enough of what you don’t really want.– Eric Hoffer