BSc students’ field visit to develop strategic assessment of Guernsey’s renewable energy potential

May 20th, 2013 by Guernsey Renewable Energy Commission

Academics and students from the University of Exeter are in Guernsey on a field visit looking to build upon the visit by University of Exeter students in 2012 and to further develop a strategic assessment of the renewable energy potential for Guernsey.

This initiative is part of the State of Guernsey’s Commerce and Employment Department, through the Renewable Energy Team (RET), work to progress local macro renewable energy in part through long term strategic alliances with leading UK Universities.

About 45 undergraduate students studying for a BSc in Renewable Energy and academics have arrived in Guernsey and stay until 28 May 2013. Continue reading

Earth Day is celebrated on 22 April

April 22nd, 2013 by Kars4Kids

A History of Earth Day by Kars4Kids (click to expand – image courtesy of Kars4Kids.org)

Earth Day, which was established in 1970, occurs on the 22 April each year.

Kars4Kids, which recycles cars, has produced a timeline showing the history of Earth Day and lists some of the activities people and communities engage in during the annual celebration.

Is a society guided by sustainability still possible?

April 13th, 2013 by Island Press

(click book cover to go to publisher’s website)

In today’s society, the word “sustainable” has become practically meaningless, with most sustainable products just a step less bad than conventional alternatives.

Because of the power of “sustainababble,” the world has largely ignored the rich spectrum of political, cultural, and technological changes that would set us on the path to a truly sustainable future.

Although the science of sustainability is clearer than ever, we still face the question of whether transforming our society into one guided by sustainability is even possible.

This new volume of State of the World 2013 — which features contributions from experts at the Worldwatch Institute as well as from environmental thought leader David Orr, freshwater Continue reading

Island Analysis compares social, economic, and environmental performance of island jurisdictions

April 12th, 2013 by Island Analysis

Island Analysis has released the first of four 2013 Island Monitor Reports covering 14 of the 100 islands, which it monitors.

The first Report focuses on government income and expenditure trends in 14 islands shown on the map.

(click map to expand – map courtesy of Island Analysis)

The primary aim of the Island Monitor is to review economic, social, and environmental activity in islands around the world and to identify best practice.

The first quarter Report highlights the fact that islands worldwide are currently experiencing some serious challenges impacting on economic performance.

Consequently, for the first time, Island Analysis is developing an economic life cycle for islands which will assess where islands are on this life cycle and what progress islands are making in terms of sustainable economic development and diversification. Continue reading

The Guernsey Real Nappy Network offers a better alternative

April 2nd, 2013 by Guernsey Real Nappy Network

Some Guernsey mums have formed the Guernsey Real Nappy Network (GRNN) to raise awareness and promote the use and benefit of real nappies.

Too many people think of nappies as the synthetic disposable variety that are thrown in the bin after a single use.

By the time a child reaches two-and-a-half, he or she may have used 6,500 disposable nappies.

These days Real Nappies offer a much better alternative.

Also known as cloth nappies or washable nappies, they are far more user friendly and much more attractive, and no longer involve nappy pins, soaking buckets, and a flair for terry towelling origami.

Real nappies (please click image to expand – ©Emily Dodd (auntyemily) published under creative commons license))

They come in many designs, fabrics and fastenings that do an amazing job and also look and feel adorable. Continue reading

Beneficial to integrate sustainability into SMEs’ core business strategy

March 29th, 2013 by HW Fisher & Company

SMEs are a vital part of the value chain where there is a growing demand for sustainability management both from customers and suppliers (click image to expand – ©RLLord)

These days, the word ‘sustainability’ is ubiquitous, appearing on corporate agendas, in government policy and across current affairs.

Despite this, it is a term that is still often fundamentally misunderstood and therefore often avoided as a concept.

Sustainability is coming to everyday business and mainstream accountancy. It is to be embraced and not feared.

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) might consider sustainability a topic for large corporations, but as SMEs account for over 98% of all business in the developed world then collectively they could effect a greater impact than multinationals.

SMEs are also a vital part of the value chain where there is a growing demand for sustainability management both from customers and suppliers, especially for those businesses who Continue reading

Political & economic short-termism driving civilisation to destruction

March 29th, 2013 by University West

Climate scientists have shown through their research that the ongoing rise in global temperature will cause the sea level to rise, which will drown coastal communities, and cause severe weather, which will kill many people.

So why don’t politicians act on these findings?

Social scientist Stellan Vinthagen shows that today’s power relations prohibit change.

The world is heading towards a catastrophic global average temperature increase of 4°Celsius.

The consequences are a rising sea level, droughts, floods and lethal heat waves.

Stellan Vinthagen, Associate Professor of Sociology at University West in Sweden, states that it is the prevailing power structures that make politicians paralyzed. And he sees social scientists as a key group for this to change. Continue reading

Good Urbanism: 6 steps to creating properous places

March 7th, 2013 by Island Press

(Please click on book cover to go to publisher’s website)

Many places are surviving but not thriving, and improving the places we live depends upon our ability to envision and carry out better alternatives, argues Nan Ellin in her new book Good Urbanism: Six Steps to Creating Prosperous Places.

Instead of focusing on what is wrong with these places, she advocates for identifying the strengths of the place and how to build upon those strengths.

Ellin describes the consensus reached in recent years by planners and urban designers about what constitutes good urbanism.

In this book, she explains the yawning gap between this theory and reality, providing six steps for bridging it:

1. 1. Prospect: What do I see, hear, smell, taste, and feel about this place? What do others love and value about this Continue reading

Building Integrated solar PV sector company receives financial boost

February 13th, 2013 by Oxford Photovoltaics

Dr Henry Snaith, founder of Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd., holding a piece of glass with the thin non-toxic, organic solar cell printed directly onto it (click image to expand - image ©Kevin Arthur, courtesy of Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd)

Cleantech investment specialists MTI Partners Ltd has announced the completion of a £2 million investment round in Oxford Photovoltaics Limited (OPV), an Oxford University spin-out Materials/Cleantech company commercializing solid-state dye sensitized solar cells for the Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) sector.

These new, transparent solar cells can be produced from inexpensive, abundant, nontoxic and non-corrosive materials and be scaled to any volume.

They can be printed directly onto glass in a range of colours, making them ideally suited to use in glazing panels and facades.

This latest investment round allows OPV to build on its highly experienced technical and commercial teams and construct its own product development and test facilities at the Begbroke Science Park near Oxford, UK. Continue reading

Using LEDs to transmit wireless data efficiently and securely

February 1st, 2013 by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Tiny LED lights now being developed could deliver Wi-Fi-like internet communications, while simultaneously displaying information, and providing illumination for homes, offices and a whole host of other locations.

Over the next four years, with Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding, a consortium of UK universities led by the University of Strathclyde will be developing this innovative technology to help unleash the full potential of ‘Li-Fi’ – the transmission of internet data using visible light rather than the radio waves and microwaves currently in use.

The term Li-Fi was coined by Professor Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh who is one of the partners in the project.

Although the potential possibilities offered by Li-Fi are already being explored all over the world, this EPSRC-funded Continue reading