Energy Use of U.S. Consumer Electronics

This in-depth report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the US government provides detailed data on energy use of electronic equipment as well as use frequency and standby consumption. The major consumer electronics in U.S. homes accounted for over 10% of U.S. residential electricity consumption in 1999, which is comparable to the electricity consumed by refrigerators or lighting. The results of this study are astounding: Consumer electronics consumed 113 TWh in the U.S. in 1999, over 60% of which was consumed while the products were not in use…. Consumer
weblink: Energy Reportfrom: Lawrence berkeley National Laboratoryin detailsee also: Phantom Load XlnkS5A4 XlnkC18AC

Climate Change Impacts on Transportation Workshop

Transport Canada held a two-day workshop in Canmore, AB, January 2003 on the impacts of climate change on transportation in Canada. Impacts on transportation in Canada may arise from: – opening of the Northwest Passage – sea level rise – increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events – increased frequency of freeze/thaw cycles – changes to lake levels or debris flows in rivers – degradation of permafrost – droughts/extreme heat – warmer winters – avalanches Follow the link below to read the preliminary report and highlights from this workshop.
from: Transport Canadadocument: Climate Change Impacts on Transportation Workshopin detail XlnkS57D XlnkC189A

Sustainable Streetscapes: A Case Study by Alexandra Steed

As part of a Sustainable Region Initiative, on January 17, 2002, the Greater Vancouver Regional District held a conference to consider and evaluate progress toward the overall regional aim of sustainable development of urban infrastructure. Recently, the City of Vancouver adopted a set of principles for sustainability as an initiative to advance the economic, social and ecological sustainability of the city and its neighbourhoods. The report states that, “Ultimately, the City’s objective should be to incorporate enhanced sustainability into all the City operations as a ‘way of doing business’.” Indeed, at both a municipal and regional scale, a framework based on the principles of sustainability, causes a paradigm shift in the way we approach urban design. This paper considers the City of Vancouver’s implementation of its goals by taking up a case study of Crown Street in Vancouver south.
document: Sustainable Streetscapesin detail XlnkS568

Unnatural disasters

Paper # 158 by the Worldwatch Institute In the 1990s, natural catastrophes like hurricanes, floods, and fires caused over $608 billion in economic losses worldwide, an amount greater than during the previous four decades combined. But a growing share of this devastation is not natural at all: the effects of a disaster are magnified by ecologically destructive practices, like degrading forests, engineering rivers, filling in wetlands, and destabilizing the climate. And at the same time, continuing human migration to cities and coastal areas is putting more and more people and infrastructure at risk. The projected effects of climate change and sea level rise can only heighten coastal risks. Over 2 billion people were affected by disasters in the last decade. More people are now displaced by disasters than by conflict. And the economic losses are especially devastating to poor countries, where the losses often represent a large share of the national economy. Losses there are often uninsured. Disaster mitigation is a very attractive investment; on average every $1 invested in disaster preparedness saves $7 in disaster recovery costs. But investing in mitigation requires governments and communities to give up politically expedient short-term thinking and plan for the long term.
weblink: Order the paperfrom: World Watch Institutein detail XlnkS512 XlnkC17DD

Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions by NAS

The report of the US National Academy of Sciences on Climate Change. Basically, a team of well-renowned US academics and scientists assess the validity of the IPCC report 2001. This study originated from a White House request to help inform the Administration’s ongoing review of U.S. climate change policy. The objective was to identify the areas in the science of climate change where there are the greatest certainties and uncertainties, and views on whether there are any substantive discrepancies in the IPCC Reports In general, the NAS team agree with the scientific findings of the IPCC report
weblink: NAS Climate Change pagefrom: National Academy of Sciencesin detail XlnkS4F9 XlnkC185C

Tomorrow’s Markets – Global Trends and their Implications for Business

This important publication by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seeks to identify the trends for the global business environment. It addresses such topics as: – Markets and society – Innovation: More Value, less impact – Natural Capital – the networked world – Role and responsabilities
weblink: UNEP Publicationfrom: UNEP _ United nation Environment Programin detail XlnkS4F7 XlnkC180C

Sustainable Development and Consulting Engineering Industry

International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Resources site devoted to sustainable development and sustainability activities. These documents were prepared in preparation to the Rio+10 conference in Jo’Burg.
weblink: fidic.org/resources/sustainability/from: FIDIC – International Federation of Consulting Engineers.in detail XlnkS4D0 XlnkC17F4