Increased energy efficiency in US apartments could $3.4 billion annually
Posted on January 30 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Jennifer Kho, Forbes.com
January 27, 2012
Energy-efficiency upgrades in U.S. apartment buildings could cut energy bills by almost $3.4 billion annually nationwide, according to a new report this week from think tanks CNT Energy and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
The estimate includes $2.03 billion in potential electricity savings and $1.34 billion in potential natural-gas savings from retrofits such as more efficient lighting, appliances and air- and water-heating systems.
These types of measures could slash utility bills for multifamily buildings – in this case, defined as those with at least five rental units – by 15-30 percent, the study finds. That could be welcome news for apartment-building owners, who often get squeezed when energy prices rise.
Multifamily buildings racked up energy bills totaling approximately $18.03 billion in 2005, according to the report, and that number has likely grown alongside overall residential energy use since then. Multifamily buildings accounted for 15 percent of U.S. energy consumption in 2005, the latest year for which this data is available from the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We have billions essentially sitting untapped in our apartment buildings,” Anne McKibbin, CNT Energy policy director and a co-author of the report, said in a statement. “We can harness that by simply setting better policies for efficiency for apartment buildings.”
If so much money is up for grabs, why haven’t apartment owners already upgraded? Energy-efficiency retrofits cost money, and – even if they expect the savings to quickly outweigh the costs – owners can have a tough time scoring the financing they need to pay for the projects up front.
UN says sustainable energy key in global battle against poverty and climate change
Posted on January 24 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Michael Casey, Bloomberg Business Week
January 20, 2012
Governments and the private sector must ramp up their investments into sustainable energy as part of a larger effort to alleviate poverty around the world and combat climate change, the U.N. chief told an energy conference Monday.
Ban Ki-moon told delegates at the World Future Energy Summit that he wants to see the world double its share of renewable energy, which typically includes wind, solar and hydropower, by 2030. He also called for providing universal access to energy services by that date and doubling the rate of energy efficiency as part of what he is calling the “Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.”
“This is the right time for the initiative,” Ban said. “Across the world, we see momentum building for concrete action that reduces energy poverty, catalyzes sustainable growth and mitigates climate change. Achieving sustainable energy is both feasible and necessary.”
Recalling his childhood in postwar South Korea where electricity “transformed my life,” Ban said it was unacceptable that today billions of people worldwide are without it.
“Why should energy poverty condemn billions to darkness, to missed opportunities for education and prosperity?” Ban said.
“It is neither just nor sustainable that one in five lacks access to modern electricity. It is not acceptable that 3 billion people have to rely on wood, coal or charcoal for cooking and heating,” he continued. “We need to turn on the lights for all households. To do that, we need to scale up success examples of clean energy and energy efficient technology. We need innovation that can spread throughout the developing world where energy demand is growing fastest.”
Popular University of Chicago climate science course hits the web - free for everyone
Posted on January 18 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Andrew Revkin, The New York Times
January 16, 2012
As part of the trend in higher education toward moving more course offerings onto the Web, the University of Chicago has launched Open Climate 101, an online version of a popular course led by David Archer that explores for non-science majors the body of research pointing to a rising human influence on the climate system.
It’s built around Archer’s climate text, “Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast” (sample chapter). (I have a particular affection for that title.)
The Huffington Post Canada - The Ocean: A Barometer for Mass Extinction
Posted on January 9 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared on December 31st, 2011, in the Huffington Post Canada. Subscribe to all of Ron Dembo’s blog posts by signing up to the RSS feed.
Early in December I was sitting in the middle of Milne Bay, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, eating my breakfast. To my left at the table was Charlie Veron, one of the world’s most preeminent scientists on extinction. We were on our way to see ocean vents where pure carbon dioxide is leaking from the ocean floor—a reminder that we are sitting on the edge of a ring of fire, one of the most active volcanic areas of the world.
It is always true that the future is here for us to see. We only have to look for it.
It is a scientific fact that the oceans are acidifying at an alarming rate and the impact of this will be profound. By looking at ocean vents and seeing what happens to the coral around them, we have a crystal ball for the future. The acidity around ocean vents mimics what will happen to all reefs if the current rate of acidification continues. The ocean is where life began and is the canary in the coalmine for mass extinctions.
Charlie’s work has shown that the last four mass extinctions on earth were linked to changes that preceded them in the oceans. By examining the history of oceans we know how mass extinctions occurred and how evolution proceeded. Moreover, we can get clues from the past as to how the earth will evolve.
He paints a picture of reefs covered in algae, of molluscs—which are one-third of all biomass in the poles—unable to grow their shells, of monoculture coral reefs, and lots of seagrass everywhere. Not to mention a huge proliferation of jellyfish. He says that we are sitting on top of the “headwaters of biodiversity”: From here life flows to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the North and South. It is from here that life extinct in one part of the world can be regenerated and flow to the rest of the world.
This might all sound like science fiction, but it is actually objective science. Here are the facts: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher today than it has been for the last million years. The oceans absorb a large part of the carbon dioxide we generate and most of this occurs in colder water (just think of how the carbon dioxide in your soft drink bubbles off at higher temperatures). This causes ocean acidification and already has resulted in a 30 per cent scientifically measured increase since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Back at the breakfast table, Katharina Fabricius, a world expert on ocean acidification who was sitting to my right, showed us how CO2 bubbling through coral actually eats away at the skeleton of entire reefs. We filled a bunch of bottles covering the breakfast table with samples taken from the area around these vents. There are also tiles, which will be left here to collect coral growth and compare it to reefs close by where there is no carbon bubbling out of the earth.
Up until now, scientists have been bringing samples to their labs and testing their responses to CO2. Today, the organisms will be tested in their own habitat. The indigenous elders say that they remember the vents bubbling when they were young children, so we know that coral in this area has been exposed to CO2 for at least 70 years. This provides researchers with a way of testing their hypotheses over long periods.
Branching coral grows faster than massive coral, but is more sensitive to environmental changes. Very few coral species can handle the growing acidity. There is one species that does, Porites coral, and it will be the winner. We can expect coral monoculture when the oceans get more acidic, as has happened before. And because this species does not provide a good home for other marine life, we will see it disappear. We will also see very healthy seagrass with nothing growing on it, looking like a beautiful golf course in the middle of the ocean.
The moral of the story is there will be winners and losers—more losers than winners.
Peeking 50 years into the future at our current rate of burning fossil fuels, we see extinction of many species and a few sites in the world where diversity of coral will be preserved. We see a world of vastly reduced biodiversity and man’s role in all of this will be uncertain. We are truly gobbling up our children’s world at an alarming rate.
These scientists are adamant: Once our atmosphere and oceans are acidified there is no way to reverse it, except over millennia.
This blog post originally appeared on December 31st, 2011, in the Huffington Post Canada. Subscribe to all of Ron Dembo’s blog posts by signing up to the RSS feed.
Early in December I was sitting in the middle of Milne Bay, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, eating my breakfast. To my left at the table was Charlie Veron, one of the world’s most preeminent scientists on extinction. We were on our way to see ocean vents where pure carbon dioxide is leaking from the ocean floor—a reminder that we are sitting on the edge of a ring of fire, one of the most active volcanic areas of the world.
It is always true that the future is here for us to see. We only have to look for it.
It is a scientific fact that the oceans are acidifying at an alarming rate and the impact of this will be profound. By looking at ocean vents and seeing what happens to the coral around them, we have a crystal ball for the future. The acidity around ocean vents mimics what will happen to all reefs if the current rate of acidification continues. The ocean is where life began and is the canary in the coalmine for mass extinctions.
Charlie’s work has shown that the last four mass extinctions on earth were linked to changes that preceded them in the oceans. By examining the history of oceans we know how mass extinctions occurred and how evolution proceeded. Moreover, we can get clues from the past as to how the earth will evolve.
He paints a picture of reefs covered in algae, of molluscs—which are one-third of all biomass in the poles—unable to grow their shells, of monoculture coral reefs, and lots of seagrass everywhere. Not to mention a huge proliferation of jellyfish. He says that we are sitting on top of the “headwaters of biodiversity”: From here life flows to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the North and South. It is from here that life extinct in one part of the world can be regenerated and flow to the rest of the world.
This might all sound like science fiction, but it is actually objective science. Here are the facts: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher today than it has been for the last million years. The oceans absorb a large part of the carbon dioxide we generate and most of this occurs in colder water (just think of how the carbon dioxide in your soft drink bubbles off at higher temperatures). This causes ocean acidification and already has resulted in a 30 per cent scientifically measured increase since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Back at the breakfast table, Katharina Fabricius, a world expert on ocean acidification who was sitting to my right, showed us how CO2 bubbling through coral actually eats away at the skeleton of entire reefs. We filled a bunch of bottles covering the breakfast table with samples taken from the area around these vents. There are also tiles, which will be left here to collect coral growth and compare it to reefs close by where there is no carbon bubbling out of the earth.
Up until now, scientists have been bringing samples to their labs and testing their responses to CO2. Today, the organisms will be tested in their own habitat. The indigenous elders say that they remember the vents bubbling when they were young children, so we know that coral in this area has been exposed to CO2 for at least 70 years. This provides researchers with a way of testing their hypotheses over long periods.
Branching coral grows faster than massive coral, but is more sensitive to environmental changes. Very few coral species can handle the growing acidity. There is one species that does, Porites coral, and it will be the winner. We can expect coral monoculture when the oceans get more acidic, as has happened before. And because this species does not provide a good home for other marine life, we will see it disappear. We will also see very healthy seagrass with nothing growing on it, looking like a beautiful golf course in the middle of the ocean.
The moral of the story is there will be winners and losers—more losers than winners.
Peeking 50 years into the future at our current rate of burning fossil fuels, we see extinction of many species and a few sites in the world where diversity of coral will be preserved. We see a world of vastly reduced biodiversity and man’s role in all of this will be uncertain. We are truly gobbling up our children’s world at an alarming rate.
These scientists are adamant: Once our atmosphere and oceans are acidified there is no way to reverse it, except over millennia.
CleanTechnica.com, December 23, 2011
Vermont is known for its lush Green Mountains, idyllic farm landscapes, and progressive politics. What many people may not realize is that Vermont has a pretty active secessionist movement too.
Vermont isn’t likely to secede from the U.S. But it is undertaking an ambitious renewable energy program that could at least put it on a path toward “energy secession” — developing a road map for procuring 90% of its heat, electricity and fuels from renewables by 2050.
Under Vermont’s new governor, Peter Shumlin, regulators are developing the state’s first comprehensive energy plan in over a decade. And this one is certainly forward-looking.
Vermont currently gets about 25% of its electricity from renewables — mostly biomass and hydro. But officials want to diversify technologies, address under-served markets like heat and fuels, and dramatically improve efficiency in all sectors. The state released its final comprehensive plan for 2011 last week.
Vermont has already embraced a modest transition to renewables, implementing a feed-in tariff in 2009 and developing a renewable energy standard (heat and electricity) of 20% by 2017. This latest plan, which just went through an extensive public commenting period, takes these efforts to the next level.
After Vermont received a devastating surprise pummeling from Hurricane Irene in August, state planners have taken the experience to heart, using it as one of the central drivers in the state’s new energy plan.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, the need to align local, regional, and state policies across agencies and departments to support thoughtful and resilient growth in our downtowns and villages has never been more acute. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development, with the support of the Climate Cabinet, will complete a review of the state’s designation programs in 2012.
Prior to Tropical Storm Irene, the state had already set a goal of 5% reduction in energy usage across state government. Now that the state faces significant infrastructure repair and rebuilding, energy usage in our state buildings is even more central to our planning. The CEP recommends that the state sharpen its focus on efficient buildings while strategically deploying renewable energy systems.
…We recommend the midcentury goal while recognizing that we must pursue our goals responsibly, ensuring overall energy costs for our businesses and residents remain regionally competitive. But we must also act boldly to protect our environment and our economic security.
Kudos to Vermont for considering such a bold vision for the future and taking a real step toward independence.
Posted on December 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions
Camilla Cornell, Financialpost.com
December 19, 2011
When Tom Heintzman travels, he either uses a plug-in hybrid car or purchases carbon offsets for all of his flights, takes public transport from the airport where possible, and uses hotel chains that are powered at least partially by renewable energy. But you would expect that of the co-founder and president of Toronto-based Bullfrog Power Inc., a green electricity producer.
Mr. Heintzman argues there’s a business case to be made for all companies – whether they style themselves as “green†or not – to reduce their transportation footprint.
“We definitely have a lot of polling data that suggest consumers are increasingly aware of companies’ corporate social responsibility and environmental practices and they’re increasingly relevant,†he says.
Many companies’ requests for proposals (RFPs) for business travel agreements now include pointed questions about what the chain is doing to mitigate its carbon footprint, says Sarah Dayboll, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
And meeting planners are increasingly asking for specific metrics, for instance, “what is the carbon footprint associated with having a meeting in the ball room at the Royal York?†says Fairmont Hotels’ Ms. Dayboll.
Of course it costs money and cash flow is always an issue for entrepreneurs. Here’s the thing; greener travel alternatives can cost the same or less than carbon-heavy options. Bullfrog staffers, for example, begin by asking themselves whether a business trip is necessary at all. “We use Skype and Web meetings quite a bit for longer distance communications,†Mr. Heinztman says. “The best way to cut down on emissions from travel is not to travel at all.â€
The company also opts for public transport where possible, whether in Toronto or elsewhere; an option that can actually save cash.
To whit, a few other ideas to help you travel greener without undue financial stress:
Rent a hybrid: If you can’t get by without a car rental, you can at least go hybrid. Travelocity.ca, for example, allows you to select green cars from its menu.
Catch an eco-friendly cab: In cities, green taxis are increasingly becoming an option. Vancouver’s longest operating taxi company, for example, Yellow Cab (yellowcabonline.com) boasts some of the latest technology: 200 of its 249 vehicles are hybrids. In Toronto, by contrast, only 2% of the taxis are low-emission vehicles. But Eco Taxi (eco-taxi.ca) will ferry you to the airport in a clean, green machine. The company asks for 24 hours notice, if possible, but says it can generally get a car to you within an hour in the downtown core.
Fly greener: Flying produces 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The stated goal of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is to reduce those emissions 25% by 2020, and many airlines are doing their best to comply. In the past 20 years, 44% of the growth of Germany’s Lufthansa has been carbon-neutral. The key, says Martin Riecken, a spokesperson for the airline: “You can’t just say you want to be greener. It must be measurable.†Lufthansa devotes an entire department to greening the airline and its operations, producing an annual Balance Report “testifying to what our goals are and whether we met them,†Mr. Riecken says.
Initiatives include the purchase of newer, more fuel efficient planes; a regular engine wash (so engines run cleaner and use less fuel); lightweight serving trolleys (because when you reduce weight, you reduce fuel requirements); and intelligent route planning.
In mid-July, Lufthansa became the first airline to use about one-quarter bio-fuel on four regularly scheduled return flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg. Testing will be complete by year-end, at which point the company plans to roll out the use of bio-fuel on a larger scale. “It costs us about 40% more,†Mr. Riecken says. “But the beauty of bio-fuel is that it not only reduces emissions during the flight, but when you grow it, the plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If you take that into account, this entire test saved about 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.â€
Not to be left behind, Air Canada has been replacing its fleet with new, fuel efficient planes. It points out that its latest aircraft use about three litres of fuel per 100 passengers, “comparable to the fuel efficiency of a compact car.†It has also implemented on-board recycling and partners with Zerofootprint to offer a carbon offsetting program to travellers who want to mitigate the emissions generated by their flights.
Eco-friendly hotel stays Many hotel chains are striving to operate greener. As a member of the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program, Fairmont has managed to cut its CO2 output by 8.4% since 2006 and aims to reduce it to 20% lower than 2006 levels within two years. Initiatives have included everything from the pedestrian (insulation) to the gee-whiz (The Savoy in London uses a new combined heat and power plant that reduces the hotel’s reliance on the national grid by approximately 50%).
But regardless of where you stay, you can mitigate your carbon footprint somewhat just by declining to have your sheets and towels changed daily, eschewing the little toiletry bottles provided, or turning off your lights when you leave the room. “I think it’s important for everybody to strive to reduce transportation and travel costs,†says Bullfrog’s Mr. Heintzman. “Transportation, heating and electricity would be the three big contributors to every individual’s and most businesses’ footprint.â€
Camilla Cornell, Financialpost.com
December 19, 2011
When Tom Heintzman travels, he either uses a plug-in hybrid car or purchases carbon offsets for all of his flights, takes public transport from the airport where possible, and uses hotel chains that are powered at least partially by renewable energy. But you would expect that of the co-founder and president of Toronto-based Bullfrog Power Inc., a green electricity producer.
Mr. Heintzman argues there’s a business case to be made for all companies – whether they style themselves as “green” or not – to reduce their transportation footprint.
“We definitely have a lot of polling data that suggest consumers are increasingly aware of companies’ corporate social responsibility and environmental practices and they’re increasingly relevant,” he says.
Many companies’ requests for proposals (RFPs) for business travel agreements now include pointed questions about what the chain is doing to mitigate its carbon footprint, says Sarah Dayboll, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
And meeting planners are increasingly asking for specific metrics, for instance, “what is the carbon footprint associated with having a meeting in the ball room at the Royal York?” says Fairmont Hotels’ Ms. Dayboll.
Of course it costs money and cash flow is always an issue for entrepreneurs. Here’s the thing; greener travel alternatives can cost the same or less than carbon-heavy options. Bullfrog staffers, for example, begin by asking themselves whether a business trip is necessary at all. “We use Skype and Web meetings quite a bit for longer distance communications,” Mr. Heinztman says. “The best way to cut down on emissions from travel is not to travel at all.”
Up to 20 square miles of virgin desert in New Mexico will soon be home to the nation’s newest town, only with a twist — no one will live there. Developer Pegasus Global Holdings (a communication, technology and defense contractor) and the state of New Mexico have announced plans to create a “mid-sized” smart city that they are calling The Center for Testing, Evaluation and Innovation. Details are vague, but the concept is clear enough: design a town that mirrors real cities in order to test sustainable infrastructure and technologies to see if they would work in the actual built environment without fear of disrupting real communities. Think of it as the green version of Westworld – only if something goes wrong nobody gets hurt.
Pegasus Global’s Robert H. Brumley CEO explains “The Center will allow private companies, not for profits, educational institutions and government agencies to test in a unique facility with real world infrastructure, allowing them to better understand the cost and potential limitations of new technologies prior to introduction.” The town will be built to mimic real cities with layers of different era-type buildings and transportation, with the one exception – there will be no full-time residents.
The Oak Grove School District in San Jose, Calif., is not just bringing renewable energy into the curriculum – they’re using it to power their classrooms. In partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions, the district celebrated the completion of a 1.8 megawatt solar photovoltaic system that will save more than $13 million in energy costs over the project’s lifetime.
The solar panel installation will generate up to 90 percent of energy needs for four schools and the district office, offsetting 1,377 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of planting over 220 football fields worth of pine forests.
With school budgets tight, the district says the the utility savings give it much needed relief. According to Chris Jew, acting Superintendent for Oak Grove School District: “At a time when school districts across the country are struggling under the weight of crippling budget deficits, Oak Grove has looked towards innovation as a way to maximize every taxpayer dollar. The savings being generated can now be reinvested into our classrooms where it belongs.”
Going Green Could Be a $100 Billion Business by 2017
Posted on December 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Stephanie Dhue, CNBC.com
December 14, 2011
Bringing greater energy efficiency to commercial buildings promises to be big business. Pike Research estimates the market will increase to $100 billion by 2017.
Companies doing retrofits — including Johnson Controls, Honeywell, United Technologies, and Ameresco, stand to reap the benefits from buildings going green. Property managers are also promoting the cost savings and other benefits of energy-efficient building.
Randy Harris of CBRE said green buildings are more desirable, especially for high quality tenants.
“Most Fortune 500 [companies] filed corporate social responsibility mission statements with the SEC and real estate is a way to help them achieve that corporately,” Harris said.
While there is anecdotal evidence that suggests going green boosts property values, it has yet to factor into the appraisal and lending process.
President Obama is making a renewed pitch for his green buildings initiative, with an additional $4 billion pledged for energy retrofits. The government has been a leader in making its buildings green, using its long time horizon to make the energy investments pay for themselves.
But what works for the feds often does not work for the private sector, which needs to see a return on investment in the two-year time frame, not the six to 20 years the government will wait.
We have the pleasure of working with hundreds of people every day that want to reduce their energy bills, go green and jump on the solar power bandwagon. And the question we see over and over again is: Just how much do I need and what will it cost? We’ll tackle that question here and show you how we calculate system size and cost. We have simple solar calculators that can do this on our website but so many people have asked how this is actually calculated that we thought we’d give a quick solar design lesson.
Start With the Consumption
We spoke to someone just yesterday who wanted solar panels on a 8’x22’ trailer. We asked him what his usage was, and his answer floored us. He was using 7000 kilowatt-hours per month, about 6 times the average household consumption. As it turns out, the trailer was an enormous ice maker. This illustrates that homes and buildings of all sizes vary widely in their energy consumption. A 1200-square-foot house in Florida might use 3 or 4 times what a similar house in Missouri uses because of air conditioning and different types of HVAC units.
So, when planning a solar system, you have to know what you use. The easiest way to do this is to simply look at your power bill. You’ll want to look at the “kw-hrs” number, which is short for kilowatt hours. A kilowatt hour is 1000 watts running for 1 hour. This number will determine just how many watts are required to almost completely eliminate your power bill.
Study finds home energy efficiency upgrades have hidden benefits
Posted on December 12 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Angeli Duffin, Earthtechling.com
December 11, 2011
The benefits of energy efficiency can go far beyond just a reduced monthly energy bill. According to a study released by the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, proposed upgrades to 69,000 area homes and 490 nonprofit buildings could save Cincinnati area residents $60 million, create new jobs and greatly reduce local air pollution.
In the area’s first study of this kind, researchers from the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy analyzed energy, building, census and environmental data in the greater Cincinnati area. The study concluded that through simple but effective upgrades such as more insulation, reducing drafts and upgrading heating and air conditioning units, homeowners could see an average energy savings of $500 per year for 18 years, for a total of $59.6 million in lower energy bills by 2030.
These energy efficiency upgrades also promise benefits throughout the local community. The study predicts that as homeowners save money on energy bills, their spending would redirect into other sectors – creating an estimated 317 jobs in 2030 and generating an additional $13 million for the local economy.
A tiny nation you may well have never heard of fears it may become an early casualty of climate change - and will almost be the first to make its entire energy supply carbon-free.
“By September next year, we will become the first nation using 100%-renewable energy, and number one in percentage greenhouse gas reduction in the Pacific and elsewhere,” Foua Toloa told a meeting on the fringes of the UN climate conference.
Tokelau’s entire population would fit inside four jumbo jets, and its per-capita income is around $1,000 per year.
So its greenhouse gas output is an infinitesimal fraction of the global total.
Now, calling Tokelau a “country” is something of an issue. The three atolls constitute a New Zealand territory, which depends almost exclusively on New Zealand’s budget for its finances, with little indigenous wealth creation.
But government is largely self-administered and it has some trappings of nationhood - for example, competing in international sporting events under its own banner - and ended up under New Zealand’s aegis only because of its colonial history.
Environmental Policy Expert Joins Zerofootprint Software Inc. Board of Directors
Posted on December 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Kenneth Ogilvie to its Board of Directors.
Mr. Ogilvie is an independent environmental policy consultant with more than three decades of experience in government, institutional and not-for-profit organizations. His unique combination of talents and experience make him a valued addition to Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Throughout his long and distinguished career, Mr. Ogilvie has focused on promoting environmental sustainability; from 1995 to 2008, he served as Executive Director of Pollution Probe, one of Canada’s most distinguished environmental groups. Prior to this, he was Manager of Policy Coordination for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy. Mr. Ogilvie has also worked for Environment Canada and the Manitoba Department of Environment.
Mr. Ogilvie has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Civil Engineering) from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from York University. He holds an honorary Doctor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Thompson Rivers University.
About Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
Kristy Hessman, Earthtechling.com
December 5th, 2011
Eco-friendly, affordable housing. That might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s exactly what is in the works just east of downtown Denver. KTGY Group Architecture+Planning has announced construction of the Bluff Lake Apartments, a residential community of 92 high-quality, eco-friendly units. The project is a partnership between the architects, affordable housing developer Mercy House and the city of Denver.
The apartments are slated for families who are earning between 30 percent and 50 percent of the area median income and are expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. The apartment’s green features include Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient lighting and water-saving fixtures. In addition, low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives and finishes are being used inside and much of the construction waste will be recycled.
“Oftentimes, when residents hear the words ‘affordable housing,’ they immediately envision substandard housing and an owner that doesn’t care about the property or its residents or neighbors. This is certainly not the case with Mercy Housing,” said KTGY Principal Michael Ohara, the designer of Bluff Lake Apartment Homes.
The project is the second affordable housing development in the Stapleton, Colo., area. In 2005, Mercy Housing opened Parkside Apartments in Stapleton, which provides 68 affordable homes. The organization currently owns and manages over 16,000 units of housing nationwide. including the Denver area, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Fraser and Durango.
In my real estate and consulting business, the one question that comes up time and time again is: “What steps can I can take to lower my home energy costs?”
“Ask your neighbors what they spend on their energy bill each month,” advises Ben Millar of E3 Building Sciences in Fort Myers, Florida. “If you are spending the same as everyone else with similar square footage in your neighborhood, maybe your home is okay,” he explains.
Once you have an idea of how your costs measure up, look at your consumption and the things that you can easily change. Here are some examples:
Lighting: Do you tend to leave the lights on when you leave the room? Keeping the home well lit can be a big concern for families with children. Luckily, there are several solutions to this issue. Energy-efficient lighting involves both the light source and the fixture. In many cases, you can simply change the light bulb to either a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) or a light emitting diode (LED). Energy-efficient bulbs may require a certain type of fixture by having a pin base that cannot fit into traditional fixtures. By replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your home with Energy Star qualified models, you can save $70 each year, according to energystar.gov. Other solutions include occupancy sensors, which automatically shut off the lights once everyone leaves the room.
Electronics: Do you have power strips on your high-consumption technology such as televisions, computers, stereo, or DVD player? As long as your gadgets remain attached to a power source, they are generating heat and electricity. Use a power strip switch which turns everything off when not in use.
Program the thermostat: Give your air conditioner a break during the day. Installing a programmable thermostat can regulate the temperature throughout your house whether you are home or away.
Solar water heaters: Solar water heaters can be a cost-effective way to reduce your hot water bills. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use (sunshine) is free.
Give your home an update: Improve outdated home appliances for the best return on your investment. Outdated appliances can be a drain on your utility bill. When I purchased a new Energy Star refrigerator and dishwasher last year using the Energy Star Rebate Program, my utility bill went down 40 percent.
Heating and cooling: As much as half of your energy costs go towards heating and cooling, according to Energy Star. If you have an HVAC system that is at least 12 years old, it may be beneficial to consider a newer and more efficient model. Changing the filter monthly and having your system checked at least once per year helps ensure energy efficiency. Your HVAC system, like your body, needs a good tune-up each year to remain in good health.
Weather-strip your windows: Plug up those drafts! If you have old windows and are considering changing them, check out Energy Star windows and pick one for your appropriate climate condition.
Rebates and incentives: Check out rebates and incentives at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. They can significantly reduce the cost of your upgrade and lower the time it takes to recoup your investment.
Get help from the local utility: In some areas, the local utility offers a free or low-cost service to come to your home and do an energy audit.
By following the above suggestions, you can save between 10 and 40 percent on your home energy bills, depending on your individual usage.
Posted on December 1 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Kelly M. Semrau, GreenBiz.com
November 30th, 2011
Americans have come a long way in their commitment to preserve and protect the environment since a groundbreaking survey from 1990 took the pulse of their green attitudes and behavior. Conventional wisdom holds that increased knowledge about the environment leads to more action and empowerment on the part of Americans.
And certainly, their knowledge has risen. Today, 73 percent say they know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems, up from 50 percent earlier.
So, what does action look like? This basic question led to the pioneer study, The Environment: Public Attitudes and Individual Behavior, which I was a part of back in 1990. The study, commissioned by SC Johnson and executed by GfK Roper, was the first, large-scale survey to measure both green attitudes and behaviors. We wanted to understand whether—if equipped with the right tools and knowledge—it is possible to change consumer behavior, or action, for the greener.
And according to the 20th anniversary study, behavior change is possible.
Cisco Systems executive joins Zerofootprint Software Inc. Board of Directors
Posted on November 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Gordon Feller to its Board of Directors.
A veteran businessman and community leader, Mr. Feller brings three decades of leadership experience to this new position.
He currently serves as a Director with Cisco Systems’ Internet Business Solutions Group, where he leads initiatives that support innovative urban development projects across three continents. Prior to joining Cisco, he was CEO of Urban Age, an international organization focused on the future of cities. Thanks to his leadership, hundreds of thought-leaders and policy-makers from around the world gather annually to share their ideas on sustainable development.
Mr. Feller has written more than 300 articles for newspapers and publications including CFO, Financial Times Planet Earth, Time and Urban Land. An accomplished public speaker, he also delivers keynote speeches at leadership events, including the annual Meeting of the Minds conference, where he speaks about the relationships between energy, infrastructure and urban development.
Mr. Feller received both his undergraduate degree and his Masters from Columbia University in New York City, where he graduated cum laude with numerous honours and fellowships.
About Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
Zero waste. Better batteries. Less money. That’s what earthCell has a plan for, and — with a little help from you, via Kickstarter — perhaps even the cash to make it a reality.
Currently, enough dead batteries enter the nation’s landfills each year to circle the Earth four times laid end to end. The solution, of course, is a little something called recycling, but current battery technology (not to mention a lack of collection sites) makes doing right in this arena harder than it should be in most parts of the country. Enter the earthCell, a low self-discharge nickel metal hydride (LSD NiMH) battery said to last the pants off your average alkaline battery (leaving the Energizer bunny in the dust).
When your earthCell batteries reach the end of their natural lives, simply drop them in the prepaid earthCell mailer. When that mailer is full, you can drop it in the mail back to earthCell, which will revitalize those batteries via their specialized tech. When they have been revitalized and reused hundreds of times, and finally given up the ghost – or if it’s been damaged somehow, or doesn’t meet spec — the company dismantles it and reuses the valuable materials inside to make shiny new batteries to further power your gadgets and gizmos.
If all of this sounds good to you, you’re not alone, as the earthCell project, as of when this story was published, had already met its $17,000 pledge goal with two full weeks still left. A pledge of $6.00 or more will get you batteries; $13 or more includes the prepaid mailer, while $45.00 or more will get you a 10 AA and 10 AAA batteries, mailers, and two handsome bamboo trays for keeping all those batteries organized.
Air pollution caused more than 100 billion euros ($134.95 billion) in health and environmental damage, highlighting the need for more renewables sources of energy, a report published on Thursday by the European Environment Agency found.
Europe’s 10,000 largest factories and energy facilities resulted in 102-169 billion euros in health issues, such as respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and environmental costs because of air pollution in 2009, the most recent available data.
Per citizen, the cost was between 200-300 euros.
“This analysis shows the significant impact of fossil-fueled power stations and the very high costs they impose on people’s health and the environment, making the case for introducing cleaner types of energy even more urgent,” European Environment Agency Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said in a statement.
The power generation sector was the biggest contributor of damage costs, with 66-112 billion euros, the study showed. It covered the EU 27 member states as well as Norway and Switzerland.
A small number of facilities, 622 or 6 percent of the total number, represented 75 percent of the total damage costs resulting from air pollutants, such as heavy metals, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide greenhouse gases.
Feed-in tariffs are a comprehensive renewable energy policy responsible for two-thirds of the world’s wind power (64 percent) and almost 90 percent of the world’s solar power. With simplified grid connections, long-term contracts and attractive prices for development, that’s policy that works.
The basic premise of the feed-in tariff is that the electric utility must connect any wind turbine or solar panel (or other generator) to the grid and buy all the electricity via a long-term contract with a public price. It’s use in Germany and its simplicity have led to mass local ownership of renewable energy in that country.
One of Canada’s most accomplished fundraisers joins cleantech start-up’s board
Posted on November 22 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
Jon Dellandrea Joins Zerofootprint Board of Directors
Zerofootprint is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Jon S. Dellandrea, CM to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Dellandrea is best known for his tenure as Vice-President and Chief Advancement Officer at the University of Toronto. Between 1994 and 2005, he led an initiative which raised more than $1.2 billion for the institution, allowing endowed student aid to increase from $68.7 million in 1995 to $463 million in 2004. More recently, he was involved in the launching of a $2.5 billion campaign for Oxford University – the biggest of its kind to date in Europe.
Prior his term at U of T, he served for five years as President of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation in Toronto, raising millions of dollars for the facility. Before joining Mount Sinai, he was Vice President of the University of Waterloo.
Appointed in 2010, Dr. Dellandrea currently serves as Chancellor of Nipissing University. He also currently serves as Counsel to Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Dr. Dellandrea received his undergraduate degree, Masters and doctorate from the University of Toronto. He also holds a Masters degree from Oxford University, as well as honourary doctorates from The University of Toronto and Nipissing University.
In 2006, Dr. Dellandrea was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education.
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
Posted on November 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in TALKINGplug™
Cathy Rust, BECgreen.ca
November 14, 2011
Zerofootprint provides the software for this genius device called the TalkingPlug.
Currently still in development, this plug could be groundbreaking in terms of what it could do for helping consumers and commercial activities reduce energy consumption. Any electricity consuming appliance plugged into the TalkingPlug can be monitored and controlled via a computer.
From a consumer perspective it means that window air conditioners can be managed from afar via computer so they don’t need to be cooling your home while you’re away but you can turn it on an hour before you get home from your smart phone. You also can see exactly how much electricity that unit is using. This plug can be especially useful in identifying old and inefficient appliances. By plugging in refrigerators, stoves, etc., you’ll get an idea of how much energy each unit consumes. You will also have the ability to compare it, via a Zerofootprint website, to what an average similar appliance uses and whether yours is out of date, or not performing to where it should be. This kind of information allows you to decide the most cost-effective you can make to lower your electricity bills.
Now imagine this system applied to fast food chains or other commercial applications. Because the TalkingPlug is connected to the internet, a company could see how its appliances are performing. For example a vending machine supplier could have all its vending machines across a city/country/continent monitored and discover which ones are performing well, which ones are broken and which ones are using too much electricity. By being able to quickly identify which machines aren’t working properly, they can be fixed or replaced much faster than if machines are just left to monthly or quarterly visits from the technician.
The TalkingPlug isn’t on the market yet, but keep a look out for it sometime within the next year or so.
The risk from extreme weather events is likely to increase if the world continues to warm, say scientists.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said it was “very likely” that emissions had led to an increase in daily maximum temperatures.
The findings of the Special Report were presented at the IPCC’s 34th Session, which is being held in Kampala, Uganda.
The details were outlined during a media briefing by the co-chairmen overseeing the compilation of two of the three segments of next IPCC assessment report.
Introducing the Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said: “It underlines the complexity and diversity of factors that are shaping human vulnerability to extremes.”
The summary stated: “Extreme events are rare, which means there are few data available to make assessments regarding changes in their frequency or intensity.”
However, it added: “There have been statistically significant trends in the number of heavy precipitation events in some regions.”
On the possible change to hurricane patterns, it said: “Average tropical cyclone maximum wind speed is likely to increase, although increases may not occur in all ocean basins.
“It is likely that the global frequency of tropical cyclones will either decrease or remain essentially unchanged.”
The report also said that small island - as well as mountainous and coastal - settlements were likely to be particularly vulnerable as a result of sea-level rise and higher temperatures, in both developed and developing nations.
“Rapid urbanisation and the growth of mega-cities, especially in developing nations, have led to the emergence of highly vulnerable urban communities,” it added.
Citing climate change as a factor that is contributing to more extreme weather events has long been a field of scientific research shrouded in controversy.
For example, a study published in 2009 showed that hurricanes in the North Atlantic were more frequent than in the previous 1,000 years, and while the authors said the current level of activity was unusual, they stopped short of suggesting there was a direct link with a warming world.
And earlier this year, another report said it had identified a link between an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and extreme rainfall events in the Northern Hemisphere.
While others had suggested that the global climate system - which shapes the planet’s weather patterns - was too complex to make such assertions.
A new study says the richest 20 per cent of Canadian households spew almost twice — 1.8 times — the greenhouse gas emissions of the country’s lowest income-earners.
The study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds household carbon footprints increase with income and concludes that reduction policies must reflect that inequality.
The report’s author, economist Marc Lee, says the rich can reduce emissions — taking steps like cutting air travel and investing in home energy efficiency — more easily than low-income families, without affecting basic needs.
The report says the top one per cent of households had emissions three times the average and almost six times those of households in the bottom 10 per cent.
The study also finds the top one per cent of income-earners were responsible for almost double the greenhouse-gas emissions of the next four per cent of households.
Lee says climate policies have to be fair to be effective, and he contends high-income Canadians should bear the greater burden of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Zerofootprint has developed sophisticated software to help clients figure out where they are starting from (benchmark) and what they need to do to reduce their energy consumption. Take, for example, the Halton Catholic District School Board.
This organization consists of 48 schools consuming large amounts of energy and water. Through the software provided by Zerofootprint, anyone can see which schools are the most efficient and which are the least in the areas of electricity, heating, and water. It also provides a way for the schools to compete against each other to see which school can improve its energy efficiency. Ron told me that the schools have enrolled their students into the challenge and one example he gave me was that when students find out that their school’s electricity consumption is nearing its daily consumption target, they will turn off non-essential lights and computers. He said that behaviour is changing as a result: the kids are playing board games at free time instead of hovering around the computer. And, perhaps most importantly, there is a sense of ownership and accomplishment when the students participate in this challenge. They see the results of their efforts and can connect human behaviour directly with electricity consumption. As Ron pointed out to me, efficiency efforts are as much about redirecting their budget as it is about environmental awareness; the less money schools spend on heating and electricity, the more money they have available to put into educational activities and after school programs.
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint. We talked about the three different areas his company is working on right now and all are about achieving the same goal: reducing energy consumption, whether it’s through plug load, adding insulation or by altering human behaviour.
Furthermore, Ron and Zerofootprint believe in benchmarking as a starting point. If this sounds at all familiar, then, hooray! you’ve been reading my blog, because I too in a firm believer of knowing where you’re starting from in order to develop a reduction strategy.
The Obama administration is to reassess the route of a controversial Canada-US oil pipeline, delaying a decision on the project by up to 18 months.
Studying a new route for Keystone XL is now expected to push the final decision past the 2012 presidential election.
The state department’s handling of the $7bn (£4.4bn) project is already under review for alleged wrongdoing.
The 1,600-mile (2,700km) pipeline would run from Canada to the Texas coast.
The state department is handling public consultations on the project as the pipeline would cross the US border with Canada. In a statement Thursday, the department said it would take a “in-depth assessment of potential alternative routes in Nebraska”.
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have ‘energy free’ lunch hours (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, as the kids themselves have been the driving force of the program. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallway influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams—to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes—the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “Proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have ‘energy free’ lunch hours (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, as the kids themselves have been the driving force of the program. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallway influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams—to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes—the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “Proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
A new report from the United Nations Development Program warns that if drastic measures are not taken to prepare nations for the impacts of climate change, the economic progress of the world’s developing countries could stall or even be reversed by 2050.
This year’s annual report, approaches the issue of climate change and environmental degradation from the standpoint of economic development and the eradication of poverty,. “Even if someone’s a climate skeptic, this report says, ‘Put that aside for a second,’ ” said William Orme, a spokesman for the United Nations agency. “If you believe in something like a moral commitment to the global community and in getting people out of poverty, we must address these environmental problems.”
Each region of the world faces unique challenges between now and 2050, the report warns, but most are linked to environmental complications arising from climate change.
Sub-Saharan Africa could suffer the gravest inequities if the worst-case scenarios come to pass, it adds. Many Africans rely solely on natural resources for their livelihoods and lack a means of coping with environmental hazards like air and water pollution and poor sanitation, the report notes.
Facebook has come into criticism from environmentalists for not doing enough to make its server farms sustainable, but the social media behemoth is winning measured praise after confirming it will build a data center in Sweden that – in the words of the Swedish agency helping finance its construction – “has the capacity to be drawn from 100 percent renewable resources.”
“This is a great step forward for Facebook, but we would like more details on how much renewable energy will power its data centre in Lulea,” Casey Harrell, a Greenpeace IT analyst, said in a statement. “With the IT sector one of the fastest growing consumers of electricity in the world, Facebook’s taking leadership on renewable energy could help determine whether we have a dirty ‘cloud’ or not.” The firm NCC Construction Sweden said it was awarded the Lulea contract, and that “Facebook has imposed stringent energy-classification requirements and the data center will be certified in accordance with LEED’s gold level.”
Posted on October 26 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have “energy free” lunch hour (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, the kids themselves have been the driving force. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallways influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams - to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes - the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
Designing buildings that leave a lighter imprint on the environment has become the de facto standard these days. The target for many is zero net energy use, meaning that a building makes as much energy as it uses over the course of a year.
Noteworthy net-zero-energy homes, commercial buildings and government structures are regularly built. But none have matched the scale of West Village, a net-zero community at the University of California, Davis, that its developers describe as the largest project of its kind in the country.
Stretching over 130 acres on the campus, which is just west of Sacramento, the initial phase of this $280 million project officially opened last weekend with the completion of 315 apartments, 42,500 square feet of commercial space and a recreation center. Once it is completed in 2013, the development will be home to about 3,000 students, faculty and staff in apartments and single-family houses.
The university collaborated on the project with the private developers Carmel Partners and Urban Villages, real estate development firms that specialize in sustainable design.
Reaching net zero energy for such a varied collection of residential and commercial spaces combines two approaches, according to Nolan Zail, project manager for Carmel Partners.
“First you have to find ways to reduce energy consumption for the development and then meet that consumption by generating energy on-site from renewable sources,” he said.
2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Award Winners and Finalists Revealed at Greenbuild
Annual competition aims to jump-start the discussion on how we might retrofit entire cities to
fight climate change
TORONTO (October 11, 2011) – The winners of the 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
were announced last week at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International
Conference and Expo, showcasing excellence in holistic retrofitting projects from around
the world. Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo made the announcement during
his breakout session on energy benchmarking and the importance of improving our older,
existing stock of urban buildings to fight climate change.
Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto. Winners were chosen by a jury
of experts in architecture, design, and engineering: Canadian architect John Patkau; Edward
Mazria, Architecture 2030 Challenge founder; Thomas Auer, energy efficient building design
expert; Michael Ra, Front Inc. founding partner; Michelle Addington, Yale Architecture
professor; and Dana Cuff, UCLA Architecture professor and Founding Director of sustainable
urban design think tank CityLAB.
“The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards is certainly a significant competition since re-
skinning will become the most important design task for the next decades – if we want
to seriously reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” says juror Thomas Auer. “The quality
of the submissions had been very exciting, technically as well as aesthetically, which
underlines the potential and importance of re-skinning.”
The Palms, a house in Venice, California designed by Daly Genik Architects, won the prize
for Best Overall Project 2011. The most notable feature of The Palms is a sheer white
exoskeleton made from locally sourced recycled steel, which transformed the look of the
house and expanded the outdoor living space without increasing the site’s footprint.
“The Palms is an outstanding example of an architecture project that can transform our
cities to fight climate change,” says Ron Dembo. “The design is energy and water efficient,
replicable, and beautiful. This project demonstrates that retrofitting existing buildings to
reduce their environmental impact does not have to mean limiting the quality of materials,
the use of smart technologies, or the aesthetics of the final product.”
The 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards winners and finalists are:
Best Overall Entry 2011:
The Palms, Venice, California, Daly Genik Architects
Residential Category
Winner – The Palms, Venice, California, Daly Genik Architects
Finalist – Centre for Justice Leadership, Humber College, Toronto, Canada (Gow
Hasting Architects)
Finalist – Artscape Wynchwood Barns, Toronto, Canada (du Toit Architects Ltd.)
Finalist – Percy Gee Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, England (Shepheard
Epstein Hunter)
Commercial/Industrial Category:
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Community Benefits – King and King
Headquarters, Syracuse, New York (King and King Architects)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Resource Efficiency – 21 Queen Street,
Auckland, New Zealand (Peddle Thorpe Aitken Architects)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Reproducibility – Ergo Tower, Milan, Italy (Aste
and Finzi Architetti)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Innovative Technology – First Canadian Place,
Toronto, Ontario (B+H Architects, Moed de Armas and Shannon)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Aesthetics and Community Benefits – Orange
Cube, Lyon, France (Jakob + MacFarlane)
###
About the Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards are a not-for-profit initiative of Zerofootprint. The
awards showcase newly evolving re-skinning design technologies and present new ways
of thinking about environmental sustainability. The purpose of the competition is to jump-
start the discussion around how we might retrofit entire cities in order to massively reduce
our collective environmental footprint. http://www.reskinningawards.com
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental
impact measurable, visible and manageable for corporations, governments, schools, and
individuals. Zerofootprint solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions
through behaviour change. http://www.zerofootprint.net.
For more information:
Anna Starasts
Marketing & Communications, Zerofootprint
+ 1 416 365 7557 x 194 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Ontario likes its eggs sunny-side up – literally. The province’s aggressive feed-in tariff (FIT) program has prompted Drouin Farms, a large family-owned organic egg producer, to install a 250-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system. Producing over 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year, the project will reduce CO2 emissions by 2,800 tons annually and produce enough electricity to power about 30 homes.
The system will also provide Drouin Farms with an additional revenue stream to help expand its operations. The farm expects to achieve up to 11 percent return on the solar project, breaking even on their investment in less than 8 years. The solar energy system uses 1,248 Conergy ON PV modules, manufactured in Ontario. The solar energy system was installed by Ottawa Solar Power, the largest solar installation company in Eastern Ontario.
What if buildings had lungs that could absorb carbon emissions from the city and convert them into something useful? What if they had skin that could control their temperature without the need for radiators or air-conditioning? What if buildings could come “alive?”
Science fiction?
“Not as such,” claims Dr Rachel Armstrong, senior TED fellow and co-director of Avatar, a research group exploring the potential of advanced technologies in architecture. “Over the next 40 years, ‘living’ buildings—biologically programmed to extract carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere—could fill our cities.”
Armstrong works on the cutting edge of “synthetic biology,” a relatively new science devoted to the manufacture of life-like matter from synthesized chemicals, and is something of an evangelist for the discipline.
Halton Catholic District School Board students and staff can now track their school’s energy consumption with the hope it will spark discussion and, ultimately, conservation efforts.
Since late September, the board’s 50-plus schools — but not yet Lumen Christi, the new elementary school in Milton — have been utilizing energy-saving software.
The board is using Toronto-based Zerofootprint Software Inc.’s online product to enable students, teachers, administrators and the community to better understand their energy usage.
“They (school boards) recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource,” Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, said in a press release.
“Simple behavioural intervention such as providing students with direct feedback on their consumption and then gently nudging them to change their habits can significantly reduce energy demand. The board is proving it’s possible for schools to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge — climate change,” he added.
During our live chat with Solarcentury’s Jeremy Leggett yesterday, we started out by discussing the high profile solar railway bridge his company is helping install in central London as we speak. This was, Jeremy argued, an example of how sustainable transportation and clean energy can work together for dramatic results. To illustrate his point, he mentioned a story that has somehow slipped under the TreeHugger editorial radar so far. Deutsche Bahn—Germany’s railway operator—has set a target of raising its renewable energy consumption from 20% right now, through 28% as soon as 2014, to a full 100% by 2050.
This is pretty ambitious stuff.
With 20% of its energy coming from renewables, Germany is already a world leader in this sector and recently passed even more aggressive laws to support the renewable energy industries.
The word “green” is tossed around a lot as a catchall term to describe sustainable or environmentally friendly projects, businesses, energy, and more. Green construction and architecture, for one, are proliferating across the world, but when it comes to gauging how “green” a building is, for example, one finds that there are more than a few standards by which to determine its efficiency and sustainability.
Enter Toronto-based Zerofootprint: A cleantech software and services company, which is leveraging competitive benchmarking between peers to help determine the “green” factor for any given building. Ron Dembo, the founder of Zerofootprint, contends that, if you want to motivate developers to improve the efficiency of a building, one can’t simply benchmark against everyone else, because each community has a different climate. Thus, the founder says that Zerofootprint aims to focus on benchmarking buildings against other buildings within a community to achieve maximum community efficiency.
All over the nation, elementary schools and major universities alike have been installing renewable energy systems and garnering LEED certification for energy efficient buildings. How does the average American feel about Uncle Sam investing in green schools like these? According to a new survey, sponsored by United Technologies and the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Center for Green Schools, nearly three out of four Americans support federal investment in school building improvements focused on creating healthier learning environments, saving tax dollars or lowering carbon emissions.
The independent survey included more than 1,000 Americans and was conducted via telephone from Sept.23 – 25, 2011, by GfK Custom Research North America. It revealed support not only for increased energy efficiency in the nation’s schools, but a failing grade in public perception for schools in general, with one in three of those surveyed reporting that the majority of U.S. schools are in “poor” shape. (Only six percent perceived U.S. schools to be in “excellent” shape.)
I’ve said it before, but symbolism is hugely important as we transition from the fossil fuel age to a clean energy economy. So the announcement that an iconic steam-era railway bridge is to become the world’s largest solar bridge is big news indeed.
The fact that it will generate an estimated 900,000kWh of electricity every year just seems like icing on the cake.
Whether it is an old mine becoming the world’s largest solar power plant, or an industrial dockyard used for coal deliveries now sporting gigantic wind turbines, some projects seem to have particular symbolic value when discussing the dawn of a new energy paradigm. But it would be a mistake to characterize the conversion of the Blackfriars railway bridge that spans the Thames near St. Paul’s Cathedral as simply symbolic.
UK telecoms and IT services provider Colt is well on its way toward building the world’s first zero-emissions data center, in all of four months. Being built for data center developer Verne Global, the plant will be built on a former NATO base in Keflavik, Iceland, where geothermal and hydroelectric power will supply all the electricity needed to power the 500-square meter data center’s servers and ambient cold air used to cool them.
Colt has manufactured the data center’s 37 modules in the UK and will begin shipping them to Verne Global’s data center campus in Keflavik in early October, according to a press release.
Sitting atop part of the Atlantic Ocean’s Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is the only country in the world that generates all its electrical power from clean, renewable sources — geothermal and hydropower. Its geographic location affords the country with access to plentiful geothermal and hydropower resources, as well as a cold climate that make it an ideal location for data centers. Its remote location is a downside, but undersea cables provide telecoms links between the island nation and the European and North American continents.
George Brown College: Toronto Digital Media Festival focuses on culture and innovation this October
Posted on September 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - Digifest, Toronto’s international festival celebrating innovation and digital creativity, will take place this year from October 26 to October 30. The general public will mingle with established and emerging designers, technologists and artists, to learn about the latest innovations and experience them firsthand through panel discussions and presentations, demos, interactive exhibitions, workshops, art installations and receptions.
The purpose of the festival is to showcase digital creativity in Toronto, bringing together academia, industry and the public to experience the convergence of interactive and mobile media, gaming, art, design, architecture, science and more. It is a five-day long celebration of the latest achievements in visualization, simulation and interaction in many fields, inspiring and connecting all involved.
Digifest’s long-term vision is to brand Toronto as a global leader in digital media and technology, based on the unique breadth and depth of its digital sector. “The School of Design at George Brown is pleased to catalyze and work with industry, government and other colleges and universities in partnership to position Toronto as one of the key global cities for global creativity,” said Luigi Ferrara, Director of the Centre for Arts & Design at George Brown College.
Digifest will begin with two Innovation Days on Wednesday, October 26 and Thursday, October 27 featuring the latest research by academic and industry partnerships. These presentations, curated by the Digifest Academic Committee, are each organized into one of the four Digifest streams: play, touch, build, and watch.
This year, “thought leader” lectures will be delivered by Asi Burak, Co-President, Games for Change; Dr. Ron Burnett, President, Emily Carr University; Dr. Ron Dembo of Zero Footprint; Simone Giostra, Founder, Simone Giostra and Partners Architects; Hunter Tura, Bruce Mau Design; and Siamak Hariri, Founding Partner, Hariri Pontarini Architects. Shorter presentations will be delivered by Dr. Ali Arya, Assistant Professor of Interactive Multimedia, Carleton University; Farzin Farhadi-Niaki, Expert/Researcher, PhD candidate, Carleton University; Eugene Fiume, Professor and Co-Director, Dynamic Graphics Project, University of Toronto; Dr. Sara M. Grimes, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto; Michael Jemtrud, Director, FARMM and Associate Professor, School of Architecture, McGill University; Jennifer Jenson, President, Canadian Games Studies Association; Melanie McBride, Researcher, Experimental Design and Gaming Environment EDGE Lab; Dawn Mercer, Faculty, Seneca College, Popcorn.js - The HTML5 Media Framework; Jason Nolan, Director, EDGE Lab; Nuket Savaskan Nowlan, Founder and President, 3D Virtual Crafting; Neil Schneider, Executive Director, S-3D Gaming Alliance; Greg J. Smith, Designer/Researcher, Mission Specialist Studio; and Dr. Anthony Whitehead, Director, School of Information Technology, Carleton University.
To kick off the festival, George Brown College will host a launch party at its new digital incubator, located at 333 King St. East, on the evening of Wednesday, October 26. Moreover, on the Wednesday and Thursday, the Applied Arts exhibition and educational fair for Toronto and Ontario high school students, featuring graphic design, illustration, advertising, game design and development, photography and more, will take place at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, followed by the Applied Arts Awards Gala on the evening of Thursday, October 27.
On Friday, October 28, TIFF Nexus at the TIFF Bell Lightbox will host the third innovation day focusing on the connection of the existing and emerging media sectors of film, gaming and new media. This innovation day will feature technology talks and presentations as well as the results of the 2011 Gaming Peripherals Jam - putting game developers together with hardware hackers to innovate in areas of interface - which will be showcased in an evening reception at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
From Wednesday to Friday in the evening, Digifest will host Meet The Media Guru, bringing innovators from across the globe for thought-provoking presentations that will inspire and challenge attendees. Meet The Media Guru is a social network and open community of digital culture based out of Italy where the public can meet world-famous protagonists of innovation. Gurus presenting this year include Paolo Rosa, Co-Founder, Studio Azzurro (Italy); Maurice Benayoun, New Media Artist (France); Tom Igoe, Co-Founder, Arduino (New York City) and Rebecca Allen, Director, Nokia Research Center Hollywood and Nokia Research Center Cambridge (United States).
Weekend events at Digifest will allow the public to experience Toronto’s digital design culture. Events will include the TOJam Arcade, an interactive exhibition of locally created video games; the First Person show, a video game, visual effects (vfx) and animation studio trade show; the Link Digital Art and Design Exhibit; Sunday Funday, a daytime event at Yonge-Dundas Square involving interactive digital attractions and performances; and a Spooktacular Halloween party at the St. Lawrence North Market.
The event will wrap on Sunday night with a closing gala at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Digifest will announce the winners of the Digifest Sony Ziris™ contest; the first place winner will go home with $1000 and a Sony Playstation 3™.
About Digifest
Digifest was founded by Luigi Ferrara, Director of the Centre for Arts and Design at George Brown College. In 2002, he was the President of the DXNet and Vice President of The Design Exchange. Digifest debuted in 2002, followed by festivals in 2004 and 2006 organized by the DXNet at the Design Exchange.
Digifest has been transformed by the School of Design at George Brown College in partnership with the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFF Nexus), Applied Arts Inc., Meet The Media Guru (Italy), TOJam and various media and venue partners. Academic partners include Brock University, Carleton University, Centennial College, CFC Media Lab, Ryerson University, Seneca College, ThingTank Lab, University of Toronto, OCAD University, UOIT and York University.
For further information:
Paul Zanettos
George Brown College
(416) 415-5000 ext. 3428 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
19-year-old engineering student’s invention could improve solar power efficiency by 40 per cent
Posted on September 28 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The idea is such a simple one: rotate solar panels to follow the sun throughout the day so they capture the most of the sun’s energy as possible. Solar power tracking systems have been around for some time, but a 19-year-old claims to have done existing systems one better. Eden Full is the lady behind the SunSaluter, a technology that can optimize energy collection by up to 40 percent—for a total cost of $10 per installation.
Full said that the device can reduce the payback period for solar panels by five years. To drive home the technology’s potential, she said if the SunSaluter were installed on 15 percent of today’s panels by 2030, it would improve efficiency so much that it’d be like the electricity for a city the size of Philadelphia being carbon neutral.
I saw Full present the SunSaluter at the Mashable Social Good Summit last week, where she won the $10,000 prize at the summit’s Startups For Good challenge. Her presentation to the panel of judges was so impressive that one of the judges said, “if you’re 19 years old, I have hope for the future.”
In Scotland, which has committed to generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, communities are beginning to view renewable energy investment as potentially profitable. Case in point: Thornhill, a small village in Stirlingshire, which is seeking approval to put up a 500-kilowatt wind turbine at a farm overlooking the village.
The community-owned and -operated turbine would go beside three others that are privately owned. The four turbines together are expected to produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. With 640 residents in Thornhill, every home in the village could benefit from low-cost, clean electricity for up to 25 years, with the excess being sold on the commercial market.
Sweetening the deal, Scotland’s aggressive feed-in tariff would allow the turbine to generate up to £5 million for the community over 25 years. Although the residents of Thornhill would be responsible for paying rent on the land, and maintaining and operating the turbine, they would also have access to financing and grant funding, freeing them from having to pay for the turbine up front. After costs, the village expects to receive an annual windfall of up to £150,000 for the first 15 years of the 25-year project, with project revenue increasing thereafter.
Halton Catholic Board Now Using Zerofootprint’s Online Energy Measuring Software
Posted on September 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The following was posted on the front page of the Halton Catholic District School Board’s website:
In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, our Board is now using Zerofootprint’s online energy measuring software that enables our Board’s students and staff to better understand their energy use.
Zerofootprint issued a news release that further explains their energy measuring software, “The Zerofootprint Challenge uses advanced measurement analytics to provide schools with personalized and visually engaging energy-saving maps, graphs, and gauges. The software allows students, teachers, and administrators to see their environmental footprint on an online map and compete against other schools in school-wide friendly competitions to see who can reduce their footprint the most by the end of the school year.”
For further information and to view our Board’s energy footprint please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Press Release: Halton Catholic District School Board and Zerofootprint
Posted on September 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
ZEROFOOTPRINT TEAMS UP WITH HALTON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE WITH BEHAVIOUR-CHANGE SOFTWARE
New online service fosters friendly competition between schools and enables students, teachers, and administrators to better understand their environmental footprint.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - September 13th, 2011 – The Halton Catholic District School Board is the latest Canadian school board to use Zerofootprint’s online solution that enables its students, teachers, and administrators to better understand their energy usage.
Schools today are becoming more and more motivated to save energy, reduce their energy bills, and do their part to preserve the environment. The Zerofootprint Challenge uses advanced measurement analytics to provide schools with personalized and visually engaging energy-saving maps, graphs, and gauges. The software allows students, teachers, and administrators to see their environmental footprint on an online map and compete against other schools in school-wide friendly competitions to see who can reduce their footprint the most by the end of the school year.
“We believe benchmarking our schools’ environmental impact with visually engaging maps, graphs, and charts will play a pivotal role in encouraging students and staff to further their commitment to energy conservation,” says Erin Holko, Environmental Sustainability Officer, Halton Catholic District School Board. “The Zerofootprint Challenge demonstrates how measurement feedback tools combined with behaviour change and friendly competition can create a powerful teaching platform for saving energy and money.”
Zerofootprint’s industry-leading solution will be creatively integrated into the teaching curriculum, and will improve the communication of school values to the Board’s students, staff, parents, and the greater community. Social networking tools will expand commitments and grassroots organizing efforts to parents and neighbours. Energy information will be taught in a visually and socially engaging way that can inspire poster competitions, innovative research projects, and special events. As well, the platform will be integrated onto the LCD screen, dedicated to environmental awareness and announcements, that is located in each school’s front foyer.
“The Halton Catholic District School Board understands that environmental benchmarking allows both students and teachers to make changes in their habits and behaviour that will lower their schools’ energy consumption,” said Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “They recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource. Simple behavioural intervention, such as providing students with direct feedback on their consumption, and then gently nudging them to change their habits, can significantly reduce energy demand. The Board is proving it’s possible for schools to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge – climate change.”
The most cost-effective way to confront climate change is through young people, and because students tend to look to their peers, especially a majority, to decide how to behave, The Zerofootprint Challenge’s persuasive techniques encourage and enable them to change their everyday habits. This people-driven energy conservation program powered by Zerofootprint technology allows students and teachers to quickly understand their footprint and change the way they use energy. By changing habits, savings are sustainable over decades.
About The Halton Catholic District School Board
The Halton Catholic District School Board is a model learning community that provides exceptional educational experiences and services to 52 school sites and more than 29,000 students throughout Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville. The Board is measuring, displaying, and comparing the energy, fuel, water, and carbon footprint of each of its schools. By engaging, educating, and empowering its students with the tools to understand their energy conservation, the Halton Catholic District School Board is proving that young people in schools can lead environmental change. http://www.hcdsb.org
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible, and manageable for corporations, governments, schools, and individuals. Our solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change. http://www.zerofootprint.net
For more information:
Lori Johnston
Project Manager, Zerofootprint
416-365-7557 x222 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Six ways you can make your home more energy efficient
Posted on September 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Canada is known for its cold winters. It should come as no surprise, then, that 60 per cent of the energy consumed in Canadian homes is for space heating. This can be costly, both in terms of our pocketbooks and our climate. Here are a few ways you can make your home heating more energy efficient:
1. Get a programmable thermostat and set it lower when you’re at work or school, or out for the evening. When you get home, consider setting it just below where you normally keep it. Lowering the temperature by just one degree can cut as much as three per cent off your home heating bill.
2. Get rid of any old, drafty windows and doors. Not only do they let warm air out, but they also allow cold, moist air to come in from outside. Replace these windows and doors make sure the news ones are installed and sealed properly.
3. Make sure your home is properly insulated. If your house is old or hasn’t been renovated for many years, there’s a good chance the insulation isn’t made from modern materials. Replace it with insulation with a high R or RSI value; the higher the value, the more effective it will be at keeping warm air inside your house. Make sure you also install a vapour barrier to keep moisture out.
4. Maintain your heating system. As furnaces are used they can often become less efficient. Make sure you keep up with your maintenance; a furnace should be looked at once per year. Check the air filters - if they’re blocked, your furnace has to work harder to pump out heat.
5. Let the sun heat your house. During the winter months, windows on the south side of your house will receive sunlight the entire day. Open the curtains and let it in. This will raise the temperature of your house and it won’t cost you a dime.
6. Bundle up. Instead of cranking up the heat to stay warm, just put on a few extra layers. You don’t have to wear your snowsuit indoors, but switching those t-shirts and shorts for a sweater and wool socks will help save you energy and money.
What are some other ways that you can reduce your energy consumption from home heating?
Source: Primer on Energy Systems in Canada, First Edition. Pollution Probe, January 2011
Posted on August 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
In Scotland, which has committed to generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, communities are beginning to view renewable energy investment as potentially profitable. Case in point: Thornhill, a small village in Stirlingshire, which is seeking approval to put up a 500-kilowatt wind turbine at a farm overlooking the village.
The community-owned and -operated turbine would go beside three others that are privately owned. The four turbines together are expected to produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. With 640 residents in Thornhill, every home in the village could benefit from low-cost, clean electricity for up to 25 years, with the excess being sold on the commercial market.
With Post-Its and Checklists, Schools Cut Their Energy Bills
Posted on August 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 14, 2011
The New York Times
Simple yellow Post-it notes with the message “When not in use, turn off the juice,” pointedly left on classroom computers, printers and air-conditioners, have helped the Mount Sinai School District on Long Island save $350,000 annually on utility bills.
Energy consumption in New York City’s 1,245 school buildings is down roughly 11 percent since 2008, as motion detectors have been installed on classroom lights and unused refrigerators and freezers have been unplugged for the summer.
In Yonkers, energy savings have financed $18 million in new boilers, windows and other capital improvements that the Westchester County district could not otherwise afford.
Schools, once known as energy wasters, are embracing conservation in increasing numbers. A desire to practice the environmentally friendly principles discussed in classrooms has been heightened by soaring energy costs and tighter budgets. With the help of a growing industry of energy consultants, school officials are evaluating every detail of their daily operations, like the temperature of the swimming pool and the amount of electricity the cafeteria ovens use, and are replacing energy-guzzling equipment with more efficient models.
Supporters say that even small adjustments can pay off almost immediately. “If we tested schools in efficient use of energy, many of them wouldn’t get a passing grade,” said C. David Myers, president of building efficiency for Johnson Controls, which has joined with 60 of the 125 school districts on Long Island to reduce energy use by 20 to 40 percent annually.
Nationally, more than two dozen states, including California, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire and Virginia, have used millions in federal stimulus money since 2009 to pay for energy programs and upgrades in school buildings, said Judy Marks, director of the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities in Washington. These efforts include replacing light fixtures, adding solar panels and building geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Some states have also started programs to finance school conservation efforts and to create local contracting jobs. Most recently, Oregon passed legislation in June to provide school districts with low-interest loans and grants for school efficiency improvements; Washington State started a similar grant-based program in 2009.
Greening Key Economic Sectors Could Cut Humanity’s Footprint in Half
Posted on August 18 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 12, 2011
Global Footprint Network News
Investing just 2 percent of global GDP to green key sectors of the economy could cut humanity’s Ecological Footprint almost in half while actually boosting economic growth, according to a new report by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
The report cites Global Footprint Network data as evidence of the challenge humanity has faced in improving human welfare without also incurring large increases in ecological demand.
“With 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day and with more than two billion people being added to the global population by 2050, it is clear that we must continue to develop and grow our economies,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in a press release. “But this development cannot come at the expense of the very life support systems on land, in the oceans or in our atmosphere that sustain our economies, and thus, the lives of each and everyone of us.”
The report calls for channeling $1.3 trillion into the transformation of 10 key sectors—agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism, transport, waste management and water. Such a shift, the report asserts, could deliver long-term growth equal to or better than the most optimistic scenarios projected under current economic policies, while avoiding the catastrophic risks of “business-as-usual” such as climate change, water scarcity and loss of ecosystem services.
Greening key sectors would spur growth in jobs and wealth that, over the long term, would exceed those lost from the transition away from resource-intensive activities, the report says. It would also have greater impact in reducing poverty because of the direct reliance of the poor on the health and vitality of their surrounding natural environment.
Posted on August 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 16th, 2011
Ron Dembo for The Huffington Post Canada
There is no doubt the word “smart” is overplayed and devalued. A good example is smart meters for measuring home electricity. A smart meter is only as smart as the software and feedback loops generated from its data—without feedback a smart meter is dumb.
In Ontario we have the largest penetration of electrical smart meters in our homes almost anywhere. Yet, very few residents even know they have one. What about the day that all home electricity meters are smart? Do we enter into the world of super smart?
It’s all about entering a world where we can “talk” to the objects around us and they can “talk” to us. This is happening regardless of any “smart” initiatives. The big question in my mind is, what should we be doing with this technology to make our cities more resilient (a goal I like more than smart)?
Sensors that can measure the impact of our actions and the things we use are becoming cheaper and more prevalent. For one thing, these ubiquitous sensors can be harnessed to rid us of the myriad of inefficiencies that we can no longer afford in a resource-constrained world. For example, we can reduce electrical consumption without losing the convenience we have become used to. We can use data and benchmarking to reward good behaviour and discourage bad behavior. We can use data to facilitate funding of retrofits in ways that have not been exploited before. We can spot and reduce the enormous amounts of waste in our system—water leakage, phantom load in our electrical system, fuel in our transportation system. We can improve the air we breathe in our buildings and at home if we finally start measuring and benchmarking it. We can optimize our use of resources by clever application of algorithms that can outperform the humans that currently do these tasks.
Examples are: optimization of building resource use, improving the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink, reducing the fuel we need for transportation, reducing the water we need for agriculture, reducing medical errors in our hospitals, improving the reach of health care. Cell phones are “smart” but I believe that the real value of cell phones is in how they have transformed lives and given users tools to improve their resilience through access to sustainable commerce in ways that were not possible before.
So, in short, I think we should turn our attention away from lionizing “smart” and focusing the data that we are now acquiring, through the ubiquitous use of sensors, toward making a our cities more resilient. A city with huge slums is not resilient. A city with inefficient transportation is not resilient. A city that wastes water and energy is not resilient. A city with a monolithic food distribution system is not resilient. A city with a monolithic energy infrastructure is not resilient. A city that does not foster use of local food production is not resilient. So resilience is the adjective that describes a city that is sustainable. More resilience equals more sustainability. Let’s be smart and focus on resilience and sustainability will follow.
Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “Towards More Resilient Cities”
Posted on August 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
There is no doubt the word “smart” is overplayed and devalued. A good example is smart meters for measuring home electricity. A smart meter is only as smart as the software and feedback loops generated from its data—without feedback a smart meter is dumb.
In Ontario we have the largest penetration of electrical smart meters in our homes almost anywhere. Yet, very few residents even know they have one. What about the day that all home electricity meters are smart? Do we enter into the world of super smart?
It’s all about entering a world where we can “talk” to the objects around us and they can “talk” to us. This is happening regardless of any “smart” initiatives. The big question in my mind is, what should we be doing with this technology to make our cities more resilient (a goal I like more than smart)?
Sensors that can measure the impact of our actions and the things we use are becoming cheaper and more prevalent. For one thing, these ubiquitous sensors can be harnessed to rid us of the myriad of inefficiencies that we can no longer afford in a resource-constrained world. For example, we can reduce electrical consumption without losing the convenience we have become used to. We can use data and benchmarking to reward good behaviour and discourage bad behavior. We can use data to facilitate funding of retrofits in ways that have not been exploited before. We can spot and reduce the enormous amounts of waste in our system—water leakage, phantom load in our electrical system, fuel in our transportation system. We can improve the air we breathe in our buildings and at home if we finally start measuring and benchmarking it. We can optimize our use of resources by clever application of algorithms that can outperform the humans that currently do these tasks.
Examples are: optimization of building resource use, improving the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink, reducing the fuel we need for transportation, reducing the water we need for agriculture, reducing medical errors in our hospitals, improving the reach of health care. Cell phones are “smart” but I believe that the real value of cell phones is in how they have transformed lives and given users tools to improve their resilience through access to sustainable commerce in ways that were not possible before.
So, in short, I think we should turn our attention away from lionizing “smart” and focusing the data that we are now acquiring, through the ubiquitous use of sensors, toward making a our cities more resilient. A city with huge slums is not resilient. A city with inefficient transportation is not resilient. A city that wastes water and energy is not resilient. A city with a monolithic food distribution system is not resilient. A city with a monolithic energy infrastructure is not resilient. A city that does not foster use of local food production is not resilient. So resilience is the adjective that describes a city that is sustainable. More resilience equals more sustainability. Let’s be smart and focus on resilience and sustainability will follow.
Posted on August 16 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Japan is one of the world’s richest, most technologically advanced nations, but their per capita energy use is only half that of Canada or the United States. In the aftermath of their nuclear crisis they have managed to further reduce their energy use. Tokyo, one of the world’s most electric cities, has cut energy use by 15%. Japan’s conservation programs provide a model for the future and demonstrate the power of social disapproval.
TOKYO — With Japan suffering from electricity shortages this summer, Michio Kuniyuki has stepped up his conservation patrols of Rikkyo University.
As he has done these past six summers, Mr. Kuniyuki spends his days making sure the lights and air-conditioning have not been left on in empty classrooms. Whenever he finds students in a classroom, he turns off the air-conditioning and inquires about the lights.
“Should I leave them on or can I turn them off?” Mr. Kuniyuki asked one day.
“Uh,” one young man hesitated, giving Mr. Kuniyuki the opening for his next move.
Click. Off.
Now backed by a colleague newly assigned to the patrols, Mr. Kuniyuki has been able to strategically map out their routes throughout the campus and outwit students who used to switch the lights back on as soon as they saw his back. “It’s doubly effective,” he said.
Already a leader in conservation, Japan consumes about half as much energy per capita as the United States, according to the United Nations Population Fund. But it has been pushed to even greater lengths since the nuclear disaster even as it tries to revive its economy. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the resulting backlash against nuclear power have left only 17 out of Japan’s 54 reactors online as the nation steels itself for August, the hottest month of the year.
Preliminary figures indicate that regions under conservation mandates have been able to meet reduction targets and even exceed them, providing a possible model of conservation’s potential when concerns about global warming are mounting. In the Tokyo area, the government is pushing to cut electricity use by 15 percent between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays to prevent blackouts — and on Thursday, for example, that target was met compared with last year.
Japanese are bringing to the conservation drive a characteristic combination of national fervor, endurance, sloganeering, technology and social coercion.
A “Super Cool Biz” campaign, which builds on the option of no-tie summer business attire begun in 2005, now encourages salarymen to dress down even further by wearing polo shirts or the traditional aloha-style shirts worn on the Japanese tropical islands of Okinawa.
To back up the call to conserve, electricity reports that forecast the day’s power supply and track demand in real time have become as much a part of this summer as the scorching sun and humid air. They are delivered along with the weather on the morning news and announced along with the next stop aboard some trains.
Government alerts are also sent to subscribers’ cellphones if overall demand nears capacity, prodding households to turn down the air-conditioner or, better yet, turn it off altogether.
Posted on August 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
By now the carbon footprint is a well-established concept, with the water footprint close behind. Now a “plastic footprint” aims to raise awareness of plastic waste. See this column for more background on plastic footprints.
August 15, 2011
NY Times Green Blog
With climate change and carbon dioxide emissions dominating the environmental conversation much of the time, the issue of plastic pollution tends to get short shrift. Still, the problem is worrying enough to be stirring serious concern among environmental and scientific experts, especially when it comes to plastic that ends up in the oceans, where it never quite biodegrades and can form a swelling gyre of sludge.
Beach and river cleanups simply no longer suffice. With plastic consumption growing, some are calling for a bigger-picture attempt to reduce wasteful use of plastic, increase recycling and raise awareness that plastic is essentially stored petroleum. Enter the Plastic Disclosure Project, an initiative that echoes the well-established Carbon Disclosure Project.
On Friday, August 12th, Zerofootprint and TerraCycle teamed up to demonstrate the value of life cycle assessments (LCAs) for companies and consumers in Media Planet’s “Packaging the Future” report. This supplement, distributed in the National Post, delved into the issue of sustainable packaging and what consumers can do to make better buying choices.
The Importance of Life Cycle Assessments
TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste, was looking to conduct a study on the environmental impact of their products. They wanted to show their current suppliers and clients that their repurposed products are an environmentally-preferable solution to incinerating waste, sending it to landfill, or buying products made from new materials.
TerraCycle turned to Zerofootprint, an award-winning cleantech software and services company that helps businesses measure, visualize, and manage their environmental footprint. Zerofootprint helped TerraCycle prove its products were green by providing a clear and comprehensive analysis of the processes used by TerraCycle to repurpose waste.
Green Alternatives
Zerofootprint has performed dozens of LCAs for companies looking to back-up the environmental benefits of their products. One of the most revealing studies Zerofootprint performed was for TerraCycle’s Drink Pouch Pencil Case, a pencil case made from used juice pouches. TerraCycle wanted to show that its production process consumed less energy than six other common pencil case manufacturing methods.
“According to Zerofootprint’s findings, the TerraCycle Drink Pouch Pencil Case was responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable product made from virgin materials,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. “These findings reconfirmed the business value of up-cycling to our stakeholder community. It was previously clear that the TerraCycle pencil case extended the useful life of the drink pouch material, but now we have more quantified information. Zerofootprint helped us discover that the existence of this product could replace the need for the production of a less sustainable version.”
There’s a story behind every product
To date, TerraCycle has successfully diverted more than 2.5 billion units of waste from landfills and has designed and produced more than 1,500 products made from waste. Conducting Life Cycle Assessments is one key way to demonstrate that companies’ processes are environmentally preferable to traditional waste solutions. This way, businesses can help communicate the value of their products to consumers, clients, and suppliers.
While LCAs are valuable for forward-thinking companies like TerraCycle, they can also help consumers understand their environmental impact. “Life Cycle Assessments bring to light the long story behind every object, from the extraction of resources to a finished product. They help us realize that every step has its own environmental impact,” says Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “Creating this awareness is at the heart of informing consumers to make responsible choices that will reduce our collective environmental footprint.”
Download the Zerofootprint & TerraCycle article here, or the entire Media Planet Packaging the Future report here.
If Airlines & Passengers Can’t Afford To Pay For Their Emissions, We Can’t Afford To Fly At All
Posted on August 9 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Airlines flying to and from Europe may soon have to pay for their carbon emissions. Customers are worried that these costs may be passed on to them, but the price of offsetting a passenger’s carbon emissions is likely to be less than other common surcharges. So TreeHugger asks: should we be flying at all if we aren’t willing to pay for our emissions?
The European Union’s long-coming plan to include foreign-based airlines in its carbon trading scheme is scheduled to begin in January 2012, which would make all airlines flying to and from Europe to paying for their carbon emissions. It should come as only a small surprise that airlines from the US to China are angry. A court case brought about by the US has just started, which is what brings this again into the spotlight.
The New York Times and AP both have current accounts of the US complaints, as we have covered here on TreeHugger. Reuters has the recent Chinese complaints about the scheme.
Despite all the talk of potential violations of international law, what all this comes down to is money. The China Air Transport Association estimates that it will cost Chinese airlines $123 million in the first year and triple that by 2020. Globally, the International Air Transport Association says it will cost $3 billion to implement.
It’s a painfully familiar refrain that rises whenever government attempts to regulate an industry and one which nearly always is baseless fear mongering.
Negawatts: The Positive Psychology Behind Negative Energy
Posted on August 8 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
PsychCentral.com examines the concept of negawatts from the perspective of psychology. This was based on Ron Dembo’s talk about negawatts at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th. Catch up with the podcast from the BBC.
This idea of Negawatts seems to turn consumerism on its head, but it is a model for efficiency and actually may create a market for power companies. There is even talk of a Negawatt energy market where energy would be sold like a commodity such as silver or copper. Since the cheapest watt is the one that’s never created, power companies could sell their unused power to communities in need at a discount: Everyone is happy.
You would be hard-pressed to look at the field of positive psychology and not see mindfulness, staying focused in the now, as a staple in becoming happier. By offering incentives to think about your wattage use we are making energy consumption a mindfulness project. I doubt Eckhart Tolle had it in mind, but his bestselling book, The Power of Now, takes on a deeper meaning when you realize the concept behind negawatts: We do, literally, have more (electrical) power when we are mindful of its use.
The Negawatt revolution straddles the shift between external and internal motivation, through a process Deci and Ryan called internalization. Negawatt theory is a direct attempt to transform an extrinsically motivated behavior (energy conservation) into an internally valued need (becoming energy-conscious.) If we look at SDT we see that rewarding people to use power conservatively has the potential to empower them. Knowing they can regulate wattage use on their own (autonomy) to both save and make money (enhancing their competence) for the betterment of others (community relatedness) strikes the chord Ryan and Deci meant by internalization. Consider how the work of Nobel Prize winner Al Gore motivated people around the world. We became conscious of the deleterious results of the greenhouse effect (extrinsic motivation) and have changed our intrinsic behavior accordingly (and buy compact fluorescent bulbs as an autonomous act of commonality).
In the case of Negawatts, the external motivator and incentive is to be paid for doing nothing. Critics see this as ludicrous — getting paid for doing nothing with a commodity you don’t own — but the truth is it is not nothing. It is mindfulness in the service of efficiency. In California they have rolling blackouts because of excessive energy demands. In India major cities have nearly daily blackouts because of lack of power. If we were able to reduce or eliminate blackouts because people are rewarded for not using power this becomes a proactive, voluntary act leading to greater community productivity and well-being. It isn’t doing nothing: It is consciously, mindfully making decisions for the betterment of yourself and others.
The ultimate question is: Will this work? Can we help people become more mindful of their energy consumption?
Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “We Are an Amazing Species”
Posted on August 8 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
In July I spent four days in Edinburgh at TEDGlobal listening to a broad range of talks by amazing people who are doing amazing things. The creativity of these people is inspiring. What we are capable of is truly awesome. It is awesome in the good it can produce and awesome in the destruction it is causing.
I opened my Blackberry one morning to read about the latest 17-year study on the role forests play in keeping our world in balance and, in short, they are even more powerful agents than we have assumed. Yet we are collectively destroying them at an unprecedented rate—it’s as if we were slowly cutting our lungs out while partying. We have been listening to the “Surgeon General” warning us about the perils of destroying the Amazon rainforests since I was a kid. Yet it goes on.
So, I went for a walk outside in a Scottish forest and spent an hour looking at some of the most magnificent spruce trees I have ever seen. They were surely there years before brilliant Scotsmen sculpted society as we know it today. Did they have any idea that their inventions would bring us to the brink of collapse? Did they know, as they perfected their steam engines, drew up their legal system, evolved democracy, that in only a few hundred years man would have taken this creativity and in the blink of an evolutionary eye produced what we have today? Could they have imagined the amazing things that would have resulted? And, could they have imagined it could all lead to the destruction of the world?
I mused about why Scotland? Why did all this creativity occur in this small, chilly, rainy place? But looking around me it was clear. This must have been heaven a few hundred years ago—lots of water, beautiful, abundant forests teeming with wildlife, an ocean nearby well stocked with fish—the perfect place to develop agriculture and have time to think, a Garden of Eden. They invented the stuff that would allow us to build cities in deserts, pump water from aquifers that had been there for thousands of years, cut forests down at an ever-accelerating rate. They started the ball rolling. They took us, at lightning evolutionary speed, to a place with challenges that we are not equipped to solve.
We, as a species, need to collaborate on an unprecedented scale to avoid a catastrophe. It is hard to see how we can get there. We are not wired for this. We need to evolve socially as rapidly as we are evolving technologically. We need to get to a point where we can maintain and share our world’s resources for the good of all species and we need to do this in record time. Evolution is too slow. We need social innovation, innovation in world governance that I cannot foresee happening fast enough. We are still cavemen standing guard over the animal we just killed.
It is even more difficult to imagine as I read about the squabbling and petty discussions that are happening leading up to elections in my home province of Ontario where conservation is becoming a dirty word and where electoral rhetoric is about trivia that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. And why should we care? We are fat cats living well in the world with lots of resources at our disposal. We are in the first class cabins on the Titanic. So what about those poor buggers on deck who are screaming just because they saw an iceberg cut a hole in the side of the boat? I want to know why it is taking the waiters so long to bring the champagne.
A typographical error led Amory Lovins to coin the phrase negawatts. In a brilliant 1989 keynote address to the Green Energy Conference in Montreal he outlined what has become the blueprint for a radical business and energy concept.
Pay people to do nothing.
Twenty-plus years later the idea is deeply taking hold.
Fast-forward to Dr. Ron Denbo who was recently featured on a TED global ideas project. He is the Founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, an international company that provides software to measure and manage carbon footprint. Individuals, governments and corporations can use these services to reduce the amount of CO2 they generate.
The rising amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is what has been causing global warming. It results in changing weather patterns (such as more frequent heatwaves and downpours), which threatens Earth’s stability and eventually makes it uninhabitable.
Dr. Denbo has a central mission for his company — to assist employees and citizens worldwide in combating climate change. His premise is simple:
“If we needed one more watt in this country, what would we do? We could build a new power plant, or we could save that watt. Which is cheaper?”
His point is that if we can accurately measure energy use, we can help save energy and change people’s behavior patterns for the better. If you measure and pay people for the watts they don’t use, it can offset the watts they do use.
The concept has become a reality for larger companies, but it is working its way down to individuals — new, accurate ways to measure and compare energy use have been developed. Once a typical usage baseline is established, the software Dr. Denbo has developed could measure what is being saved.
“You could put anything you want into an electrical outlet,” said Dr. Denbo at the forum. “There is no regulation on the efficiency, frivolity or value of what you plug in. (The power companies) have to supply that electricity.
Posted on August 5 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Ron Dembo
August 5th, 2011
HuffPost Canada
In July I spent four days in Edinburgh at TEDGlobal listening to a broad range of talks by amazing people who are doing amazing things. The creativity of these people is inspiring. What we are capable of is truly awesome. It is awesome in the good it can produce and awesome in the destruction it is causing.
I opened my Blackberry one morning to read about the latest 17-year study on the role forests play in keeping our world in balance and, in short, they are even more powerful agents than we have assumed. Yet we are collectively destroying them at an unprecedented rate—it’s as if we were slowly cutting our lungs out while partying. We have been listening to the “Surgeon General” warning us about the perils of destroying the Amazon rainforests since I was a kid. Yet it goes on.
So, I went for a walk outside in a Scottish forest and spent an hour looking at some of the most magnificent spruce trees I have ever seen. They were surely there years before brilliant Scotsmen sculpted society as we know it today. Did they have any idea that their inventions would bring us to the brink of collapse? Did they know, as they perfected their steam engines, drew up their legal system, evolved democracy, that in only a few hundred years man would have taken this creativity and in the blink of an evolutionary eye produced what we have today? Could they have imagined the amazing things that would have resulted? And, could they have imagined it could all lead to the destruction of the world?
I mused about why Scotland? Why did all this creativity occur in this small, chilly, rainy place? But looking around me it was clear. This must have been heaven a few hundred years ago—lots of water, beautiful, abundant forests teeming with wildlife, an ocean nearby well stocked with fish—the perfect place to develop agriculture and have time to think, a Garden of Eden. They invented the stuff that would allow us to build cities in deserts, pump water from aquifers that had been there for thousands of years, cut forests down at an ever-accelerating rate. They started the ball rolling. They took us, at lightning evolutionary speed, to a place with challenges that we are not equipped to solve.
We, as a species, need to collaborate on an unprecedented scale to avoid a catastrophe. It is hard to see how we can get there. We are not wired for this. We need to evolve socially as rapidly as we are evolving technologically. We need to get to a point where we can maintain and share our world’s resources for the good of all species and we need to do this in record time. Evolution is too slow. We need social innovation, innovation in world governance that I cannot foresee happening fast enough. We are still cavemen standing guard over the animal we just killed.
It is even more difficult to imagine as I read about the squabbling and petty discussions that are happening leading up to elections in my home province of Ontario where conservation is becoming a dirty word and where electoral rhetoric is about trivia that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. And why should we care? We are fat cats living well in the world with lots of resources at our disposal. We are in the first class cabins on the Titanic. So what about those poor buggers on deck who are screaming just because they saw an iceberg cut a hole in the side of the boat? I want to know why it is taking the waiters so long to bring the champagne.
Last fall, Zerofootprint attended the launch of the first phase of Sherbourne Common, an innovative new park in downtown Toronto, combining cutting-edge green technology and beautiful Canadian design. With the second phase unveiled last week this park becomes the first in Canada to have a water treatment plant seamlessly integrated into its kid-friendly water features, paving the way for a new generation of cutting-edge green spaces.
The Globe and Mail
July 29, 2011
Sherbourne Common marks the end of the park. Or, at least, the end of the conventional park. Here is a beguiling landscape, injected with rays of electric blue at night, that sits atop a vast, brainy infrastructure. Below a splash pad, where kids frolic by day, polluted water from Lake Ontario pours through ultraviolet cleansing tanks before being pumped up through celebratory water sculptures. A park of this kind may be a first for Canada and even North America, but it surely will not be the last.
Nature no longer exists. New nature is what we cultivate in our cities. Today, the urban farmers are planners, landscape architects and clean-tech innovators who plot to remediate the toxins left behind by the city’s industrialists. Historically, parks have been designed as picturesque snapshots – psychological escapes from urbanity. With Sherbourne Common, which opened this week, the mandate has been to heal a neglected part of the waterfront by providing a neighbourhood-wide water-treatment facility immediately below the park’s surface.
The Common extends in two parcels of land from roaring Lake Shore Boulevard to Queens Quay, and, from there, south to the lake’s edge. Its northern zone is the more austere of the two, with a ground surface divided, as if still on a drawing board, into pedantic textures: a yellow rubber surface for playing; loose, fine gravel; ipe hardwood decking; and narrow swaths of grass.
Luckily, there is also an abundance of life-giving trees and water. Water cleaned with UV light shimmers as it flows down chain-mail screens – held by curved nine-metre-high concrete arms – into raised pools that extend generously to Queens Quay. From there, the water gushes south into long troughs densely planted with native grasses selected for their ability to help clean water through bio-remediation. It then flows across the street toward Lake Ontario, nudging pedestrians to one side, before bursting above ground in spikes erupting from the splash pad.
The Common promises new life in the winter season, too. Ice will be allowed to form along those chain-mail screens – a rare concession to whimsy in this country, though not in the fantastically frozen fountains of, say, Paris. Set behind a lush planting of trees and grass, the splash pad becomes a skating rink when temperatures drop below freezing.
The iconic gesture here is a brooding pavilion, intended as a sculpted piece of architectural jewellery discreetly clad in the dull patina of Canadian zinc. To ennoble public washrooms and a future café with architecture by esteemed Teeple Architects is laudable, to be sure, and there’s an exhilarating curve to the front of the pavilion finely rendered by Eastern Construction – although it must be said that, from a distance, the building looks stubby and forgettably grey.
Invisible to the eye, located below the public washrooms, are the brains of the sewage-treatment facility: a series of disinfecting machines that use ultraviolet light – not the chlorine of yesteryear – to clean water from the lake and the run-off of surrounding roads, highways and buildings. In North America, where dirty water tainted with E. coli bacteria can be found flowing like nasty rivers into our lakes, this cleaning process is a rare phenomenon.
“Vancouver would be very envious to have this,” says the Common’s landscape architect, Greg Smallenberg, whose firm, Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg, is based in that city. Without $27-million in funding from the federal government, Sherbourne Common would have never happened – and Toronto would be without a new public asset on what were previously underused lands. From Chicago’s Millennium Park to Denmark’s Copenhagen Harbour Baths, the investment in the public realm is a no-brainer. Albeit on a smaller scale, Sherbourne Common is sure to earn dividends in enhanced tourism for Toronto, as well as invigorated neighbourhood economies, and the rebranding of the city as a place with an intelligent future.
A New Move to Develop Global Standards for Measuring Energy Use in Buildings
Posted on August 3 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Paris / Nairobi, 2 August 2011 - Efforts to establish international standards for measuring energy use in buildings have received a boost, after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) decided to consider an innovative tool developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to gauge energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in homes and offices across the world.
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM) - developed by UNEP’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative - could form the basis for a new international standard for measuring the environmental performance of existing buildings. The ISO - the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards, covering 162 countries - will develop relevant methods.
The Common Carbon Metric is intended to create a uniform system for defining the climate impact of buildings through a consistent protocol, which can, in turn, help develop international baselines for use by architects, designers and the construction industry.
Today, the building sector is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions with about one third of global energy use taking place in offices and homes. Moreover, building-related CO₂ emissions are set to rise from 8.6 billion tones in 2004 to 11.1 billion tones in 2020.
“At UNEP we believe there is great potential for the building sector to contribute to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sylvie Lemmet, Director of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics. “Development of the Common Carbon Metric and the ISO’s decision to consider it as an international standard are important steps to remove the barriers to unlock this potential and provide a path to more energy efficiency in the building sector.”
Developing new standards for buildings can help governments plan more effectively towards achieving national targets on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. The Common Carbon Metric can also support the formulation of carbon credit schemes and other emission reduction mechanisms.
The CCM is specifically designed to measure energy use when a building is operational. In other words, it is not applied to the construction phase. However, given that the day-to-day use of buildings accounts for 80%to 90% of their total energy consumption, the Common Carbon Metric deals with the period in a building’s lifespan where the greatest amount of emissions are produced. First launched during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009, UNEP’s Common Carbon Metric measures both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent in buildings per metre squared or per occupant over the course of one year. It contains two approaches: a “top-down” model, which takes measurements from a collection of buildings or a “bottom-up” model, which is applied to an individual building.
Urban acupuncture: a new approach to creating more sustainable cities
Posted on August 2 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Guardian
July 21, 2011
Around the world, mass migration from the countryside to cities surges. Cities from Los Angeles to Lagos will burst at the seams with citizens who seek new economic opportunities. Meanwhile municipal budgets will be constrained as energy prices increase, building materials become more expensive, and the fresh water supplies decline. Massive redevelopment projects that transformed Dubai, and $475m (£298m) open spaces like Millennium Park in Chicago are not an option for cash-strapped communities.
Could urban design infused with Chinese medicinal theory offer a solution? Watch for the “urban acupuncture” movement to transform urban life in the coming decade. Traced to Finnish architect Marco Casagrande, this school of thought eschews massive urban renewal projects in favour a of more localised and community approach.
“Urban acupuncture is a surgical and selective intervention into the urban environment,” said Los Angeles architect and professor John Southern in an interview, “instead of large scale projects that involve not only thousands of acres, but investment and infrastructure that municipalities can no longer provide.”
Southern explained that the urban acupuncture approach treats cities like a living organism. Such micro-targeting, low-cost, democratic, and empowering tactics provide urban residents the much coveted green space that they desire without driving to a specific location. Although city politicians want to score points from the creation of enormous parks or even large building complexes that score a green certification, those projects often run over budget and even take away space that could benefit local communities in other ways. Furthermore, Southern noted that only a limited number of practitioners profit from large scale projects, while micro-targeted initiatives benefit more individual designers and architects.
The Seattle 2030 District is an initiative of the City of Seattle to slash the environmental impact of a huge portion of its downtown core. This project will follow guidelines of the 2030 Challenge for Planning, a projects from not-for-profit Architecture 2030, the organization founded by Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards juror Edward Mazria. The organization pushes for the global building sector to drastically cut it greenhouse gas emissions and water use.
Solve Climate News
July 22, 2011
Seattle is greening its cityscape in a bid to boost its sluggish real estate market — all while cutting global warming emissions and slashing energy costs.
Industry leaders have banded together to spearhead a high-performance building initiative — the first of its kind nationwide — that sets ambitious sustainability and efficiency goals for privately owned buildings in the heart of the city.
The Seattle 2030 District aims to drive up property values, reduce vacancy rates, lower operating costs and create ongoing employment in retrofitted and newly constructed buildings downtown.
The idea is to rebrand the city as a hub for environmentally conscious businesses and residents and inspire similar urban development efforts across the country.
“Building owners and operators see it as a competitive advantage for the city,” Brian Geller, the initiative’s executive director, told SolveClimate News.
“Architects and engineers see it as an economic opportunity just to drive initial work. All of the stakeholders are excited about what it can do for the city as a whole,” he said.
More than 40 real estate companies, property owners and city agencies in Seattle representing around 23 million square feet have agreed to participate in the district so far. A total of 81 million square feet — or nearly 1,160 buildings — will be included in the project’s first phase.
The initiative, which Geller first proposed in late 2009, is set to celebrate its formal launch on Sept. 8.
BBC podcast The Forum recorded live from the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th.
This program tackles the big questions of our time with some of the world’s most respected thinkers - including our CEO Ron Dembo.
In this episode, host Bridget Kendall was joined by Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo, Pakistani film maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, British-American physicist Geoffrey West, and Indian sugar producer Rajshree Pathy.
The podcast is available on the web through the BBC website.
Fresh Ideas from TED Global in Edinburgh: BBC’s The Forum talks to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo
Posted on July 20 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
BBC podcast The Forum recorded live from the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th.
This program tackles the big questions of our time with some of the world’s most respected thinkers - including our CEO Ron Dembo.
In this episode, host Bridget Kendall was joined by Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo, Pakistani film maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, British-American physicist Geoffrey West, and Indian sugar producer Rajshree Pathy.
The podcast is available on the web through the BBC website.
A Boston hedge fund plans to begin a massive mining project in the Niagara region, destroying acres of pristine farmland and contaminating drinking water supplies in the region. They are still waiting for approval from the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources, to much public outcry. If you wish to sign the petition to stop this project, visit www.avaaz.org.
We all know that cranking your AC uses up plenty of electricity and increases your environmental footprint - but which Canadians indulge in this comfort the most?
Statistics Canada recently conducted a nationwide survey on air conditioning and found that residents of Saskatchewan are the savviest energy users when it comes to keeping cool. In contrast, Ontario’s electricity demands actually peak in the summer months because of substantial AC use.
The Globe & Mail
July 3, 2011
Take a bow, Saskatchewan. You’re the savviest summertime energy-savers in the country. Of course you’ll have to open your blinds first, so we can see you.
The summer issue of Statistics Canada’s EnviroStats has a nation-wide survey on air conditioning. Many Canadians consider it to be something of a necessity, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart about when and where we use it.
Half of all Canadian homes have some form of air conditioning, but usage varies regionally. Ontario is the only province where electricity demand peaks in the summer, due to residents’ prodigious application of air conditioners. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are also big users, reflecting the extremes of a continental climate.
Zerofootprint Founder and CEO Ron Dembo is a blogger for the new Huffington Post Canada. In his second post he asks readers: why don’t we measure and compare the air quality of the places where we spend most of our time - our homes, schools, and offices? Isn’t it time this changed? Read on:
Stop people on the street and ask them if the air quality in their home matters to them. I bet they would say “yes” across the board—yet, I’m willing to bet that most of us know more about the fuel efficiency of our cars, or the price of the houses in our neighborhood, or the cost of a haircut than we do than about the quality of air in our children’s schools. Strange, isn’t it? Is it that we don’t really care?
It is safe to say we should measure what we care about—so why don’t we? According to Health Canada, the average Canadian spends 90 per cent of their time indoors. We know poor air quality can cause sickness—think of mould, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), flame retardants on our furniture, etc.
What if I told you your house had 10 times the VOCs that are found in your neighbors’ houses? What if the boardroom on the fourth floor in your office was 20 times worse than the one on the third floor? Guess where you would hold meetings! And guess how long it would take before the fourth floor boardroom would be fixed.
Or, imagine your son’s school with air quality much worse than your daughter’s. It wouldn’t be long before you would be lobbying for a change.
Poor air quality shortens life expectancy in all Canadians. Health Canada estimates that the government spends several billions of dollars a year dealing with the negative human, financial, and social impacts of outdoor air quality. Outdoor air quality is linked to respiratory problems, lost workdays, increased hospital visits, and even premature death for thousands of Canadians. Poor outdoor air quality also significantly increases the rate of asthma in our children, a costly sickness since it leads to many emergency room visits.
Before buying my own home I once did an air quality test for urea-formaldehyde levels because the home had been insulated with urea-formaldehyde. The net result was great and so I bought the house. Not everyone has this choice, but they can read the Environmental Protection Agency’s introduction to indoor air quality to see how to reduce VOC exposure.
So, I propose that we monitor the air in our homes, schools, and offices in addition to our neighbourhoods so that we can see how we stack up with respect to our neighbours and peers. It will save us large amounts of money in the long run. It is technologically feasible and it could make a large dent on the government’s bill for health care, something that is getting out of hand.
To follow all of Dr. Dembo’s Huffington Post Canada blogs, sign up for the RSS feed.
Canada Lacks game plan to prosper in low-carbon world
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Director of Tides Canada’s New Energy Vision project, Merran Smith, contributed an insightful opinion piece to the Toronto Star on July 5. Her point: Canada isn’t ready to get ahead in the energy revolution that is already underway. And it isn’t just environmentalists who think so - read on:
The Toronto Star
July 4, 2011
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach recently asked a panel of experts to come up with a vision for the future of Canada’s oil-rich province. One of the key findings warns of a potentially radical shift in the world’s demand for Canada’s energy.
There’s no danger of Alberta running out of petroleum to sell to the world, the panel says. But will the world want it?
“We must plan for the eventuality that oilsands production will almost certainly be displaced at some point in the future by lower-cost and/or lower-emission alternatives,” the panel states. “We may have heavy oil to sell, but few or no profitable markets wishing to buy.”
These aren’t the words of environmentalists looking through green-tinted glasses. They come from former international trade minister David Emerson, chair of the Shaping Alberta’s Future panel, which included GE Canada CEO Elyse Allan, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge, and former Stelco CEO Courtney Pratt, among others.
These luminaries from Canada’s top corporate boardrooms have concluded an energy revolution is already underway. Unfortunately, when it comes to preparing for this shift, Canada lags behind.
Our nation’s long-term energy strategy remains rooted in an assumption of ever-increasing global demand for our petroleum. Meanwhile, evidence mounts that this conclusion may be putting Canada at economic risk.
The United States and China — our current and future energy buyers — are making unprecedented renewable-energy investments to reduce their dependence on imported oil. Along with Europe and other major economies, they are working to heat and power their cities — and move people and cargo where they need to go — with energy sources that are clean, safe, renewable, abundant and available closer to home.
China recently committed to place one million electric cars on the road per year. By 2020, that same nation’s high-speed rail network is expected to connect all cities with populations over 500,000, which will slash domestic aviation and the petroleum it requires. Meanwhile, declaring that “we can break our dependence on oil,” in late March U.S. President Barack Obama pledged $2.4 billion in grants for electric vehicle research. The funds were part of his goal to roll one million battery-powered cars onto America’s roads by 2015.
Around the same time, the European Commission kicked off a program to purge Europe’s cities of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Under that policy, half of petroleum-fueled cars and trucks will be gone from Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Athens and dozens of other major centres by 2030. Twenty years later — by about 2050 — these cities will be freed forever from the smog, noise and soot of internal combustion engines.
Financial Post: Miller Thomson goes green - with a twist
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Financial Post
July 6, 2011
Miller Thomson is measuring its carbon footprint. But the national law firm is one of the first Canadian firms to do so on the basis of the rigorous, internationally recognized ISO 14064 standards. The firm is working with Zerofootprint, a Toronto-based based energy efficiency green tech company. Although lawyers have hardly led the march to sustainability, environmentally conscious practices “are becoming increasingly important as business drivers,” Miller Thomson says.
Miller Thomson goes green with help from Zerofootprint
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
MILLER THOMSON BENCHMARKS CARBON FOOTPRINT AGAINST RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
Firm describes ‘sustainability’ as a business imperative
TORONTO, June 28, 2011 /CNW/ - Miller Thomson LLP is among the first of Canadian law firms to measure its carbon footprint against rigorous, internationally recognized ISO 14064 standards. The greenhouse gas emissions benchmarking program was completed recently in collaboration with Toronto-based Zerofootprint, an award-winning energy efficiency green-tech company based in Toronto.
The review included an analysis of sustainability practices within the firm’s Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton offices, as well as a comparison of how Miller Thomson measures up against other mid- to large-sized Canadian law firms, banks and accounting firms. Miller Thomson ranked among the top three on the national peer list.
“Our view is that sustainability practices are a business imperative”, said Gerald Courage, Chair of Miller Thomson. “Frankly, we would not have performed so well on a comparative basis had we not been actively working on these issues over the past three years. We are using these efforts to return measurable business value. We are seeking workplace efficiencies, cost savings, as well as preferred status in a growing number of competitive reviews by leading corporations seeking to clean their supply chains.”
Miller Thomson established a National Environmental Sustainability Committee in 2008 to evaluate and improve sustainability practices within the firm. Since then, a number of environmentally focused initiatives have been implemented. These include:
* Recycling initiatives for used office and computer equipment
* Desk side, kitchen and battery recycling programs
* Replacing all plastic bottles with reusable glass jugs and glassware
* Reducing paper usage with the introduction of double-sided printing and encouraging electronic file sharing and faxing
* Turning off electronic devices while not in use as a simple way to reduce power
* Encouraging video conferencing as an alternative to travel
* Working towards a new protocol to calculate greenhouse gas emissions based on airline travel across the firm
As part of their review, Zerofootprint also compiled a Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report to measure and benchmark the greenhouse gas impact of each office participating in the review. That report measured the environmental footprint of the three locations in accordance with standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, widely used international accounting tools for understanding, quantifying and managing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Benchmarking the greenhouse gas impact of each of the Miller Thomson offices we reviewed has been crucial to motivate meaningful change across the entire firm,” said Sarah Hansen, Partner and Chair of the firm’s National Environmental Sustainability Committee. “This benchmarking will allow us to measure our progress and implement sustainable policies and incentives that are effective and realistic.”
Zerofootprint also produced a Best Practices Report for Miller Thomson to streamline green efforts across the firm.
“Miller Thomson is leading the way in environmental benchmarking,” said Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “They recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource. Simple behavioural intervention, such as providing people with direct feedback on their consumption, and then gently nudging them to change their habits, can significantly reduce energy demand. The problems of climate change need to be tackled comprehensively. Miller Thomson has proven it’s possible for a business to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge.”
About Miller Thomson
Miller Thomson LLP is a national business law firm with more than 470 lawyers working from 11 offices across Canada. The firm offers a complete range of business law, advocacy and personal legal services. Miller Thomson works regularly with in-house legal departments and external counsel world-wide to facilitate cross-border and multinational transactions and business needs. Miller Thomson offices are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Markham and Montréal. http://www.millerthomson.com
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is an award-winning energy efficiency green-tech company. We measure energy and greenhouse gas emissions across homes, schools, buildings, and organizations. Our revolutionary benchmarking software tools enable millions of people to better understand their energy use, reduce their environmental footprint, and save money on their energy bills. Our online measurement and feedback tools are scientifically accurate, practical, quick, large-scale, cost-effective, and user-friendly. The result: we help individuals and organizations visualize their environmental footprint, and enable them to measure, compare, and change the way they consume energy. http://www.zerofootprint.net
“Energy is a design topic, not a technology topic, and there are a few of us who have always believed this.” Donald Watcon (Fellow, AIA)
The American Institute of Architects has announced its 2011 picks for its annual AIA/Commitment on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects. These awards recognize excellence in green design and sustainable architecture. Much like the Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards, scoring is based on a holistic approach that also considers the impact of a project on the community and its potential to be re-purposed in the future.
The American public is less likely to believe in global warming than it was just five years ago. Yet, paradoxically, scientists are more confident than ever that climate change is real and caused largely by human activities.
Something a bit strange is happening with public opinion and climate change.
Anthony Leiserowitz, who directs the Yale University Project on Climate Change Communication, delved into this in a recent poll. He not only asked citizens what they thought of climate change, he also asked them to estimate how climate scientists feel about global warming.
“Only 13 percent of Americans got the correct answer, which is that in fact about 97 percent of American scientists say that climate change is happening, and about a third of Americans just simply say they don’t know,” he said.
Most Americans are unaware that the National Academy of Sciences, known for its cautious and even-handed reviews of the state of science, is firmly on board with climate change. It has been for years.
Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy, paraphrased its most recent report on the subject.
“The consensus statement is that climate changes are being observed, are certainly real, they seem to be increasing, and that humans are mostly likely the cause of all or most of these changes,” he said.
That’s not just the view of the U.S. National Academies. There’s also a consensus statement from the presidents of science academies from around the world, including the academies of China, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Russia, France, Brazil, the list goes on.
Read the entire article and llsten to the radio story on www.npr.org.
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Imagine you and your neighbor buy the same car. They’re identical in every way, yet there is one important difference: he paid half as much as you did. How would you feel? The answer is obvious for most Canadians—you would feel foolish because you work hard for your money.
Now, imagine someone on your street living in an identical house paid half as much for electricity as you do. You would want to know how she did it, right?
These examples are not meant to be exaggerations. Most of us pay an electricity bill, but we don’t have a clue about how much electricity we consume relative to others like us. We can’t see it. We can’t feel it. We don’t even know what’s “normal.” Yet we all say it is important. Strange, eh?
Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “Smart Meters are Good for Us”
Posted on June 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Huffigton Post
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Imagine you and your neighbor buy the same car. They’re identical in every way, yet there is one important difference: he paid half as much as you did. How would you feel? The answer is obvious for most Canadians—you would feel foolish because you work hard for your money.
Now, imagine someone on your street living in an identical house paid half as much for electricity as you do. You would want to know how she did it, right?
These examples are not meant to be exaggerations. Most of us pay an electricity bill, but we don’t have a clue about how much electricity we consume relative to others like us. We can’t see it. We can’t feel it. We don’t even know what’s “normal.” Yet we all say it is important. Strange, eh?
What happens when individuals act in ways that seem out of kilter with their attitudes and values? Academics call it the “value action gap”, and have noted that it’s particularly evident in people’s attitudes toward the environment. We have the knowledge to act more sustainably but when it comes to actually doing something, other factors take over.
Companies have values, too. The dynamics of the value action gap are complex enough in individual choices, but with large companies they reach an entirely different dimension. The recent evidence we have seen at Global Action Plan is that there is a growing gulf between the aspirations and values of business leaders and the day-to-day reality of working life.
Increasingly, forward thinking leaders realise that sustainability is integral to the survival and well-being of their companies. What the government’s chief scientist Professor John Beddington, describes as the “perfect storm” of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy resources have profound implications for most businesses.
In response, there is a growing level of ambition from many companies in their sustainability statements. Fundamentally all of them are seeking to decouple economic growth from resource use.
If this was a reality show—The Biggest Carbon Loser, say — The Junction and Riverdale would be scheming against each other to claim neighbourhood supremacy.
Instead, they are trying, separately but ultimately together, to become the first carbon neutral urban communities on earth — green beacons in the struggle to prevent a global warming catastrophe.
It’s heady stuff — but first both communities must organize free trade coffee and other details for their Project Neutral launches next Saturday.
“We could get 40 people or we could get 200 and neither would surprise me,” says Sean Drygas, a leader of the east-end effort involving homes and businesses bounded by The Danforth and Pape, Logan and Langley Aves.
Rita Bijons has high hopes for the west, bounded by Annette St., Clendenan Ave., Runnymede Rd. and the CPR tracks, because her arrival on doorsteps with launch invitations already has residents thinking.
“Some are saying ‘My kids are terrible, they never turn off lights.’”
Project Neutral is the brainchild of Karen Nasmith, an urban planner who wants to broaden the greenhouse gas focus from new green communities to drafty old houses and the lifestyles of those in them.
Research done by Nasmith and Project Neutral co-founder Julie Dzerowicz turned up rural communities — including Ashton Hayes, England, and Eden Mills, Ont. — trying to reduce their measurable carbon dioxide output to the level they absorb or offset. But there are no urban neighbourhoods, not anywhere.
“The irony is that most of us live in the mature neighbourhoods where the built environment represents at least 25 per cent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Nasmith says. “So there’s huge potential.”
How do I take the guesswork out of carbon measurement?
Your carbon and environmental questions answered. An interview between Zerofootprint Founder and CEO, Ron Dembo and Jill Buck, founder of the Go Green Initiative, host of the Go Green Radio Show.
Increased energy efficiency in US apartments could $3.4 billion annually
Posted on January 30 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Jennifer Kho, Forbes.com
January 27, 2012
Energy-efficiency upgrades in U.S. apartment buildings could cut energy bills by almost $3.4 billion annually nationwide, according to a new report this week from think tanks CNT Energy and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
The estimate includes $2.03 billion in potential electricity savings and $1.34 billion in potential natural-gas savings from retrofits such as more efficient lighting, appliances and air- and water-heating systems.
These types of measures could slash utility bills for multifamily buildings – in this case, defined as those with at least five rental units – by 15-30 percent, the study finds. That could be welcome news for apartment-building owners, who often get squeezed when energy prices rise.
Multifamily buildings racked up energy bills totaling approximately $18.03 billion in 2005, according to the report, and that number has likely grown alongside overall residential energy use since then. Multifamily buildings accounted for 15 percent of U.S. energy consumption in 2005, the latest year for which this data is available from the U.S. Department of Energy.
“We have billions essentially sitting untapped in our apartment buildings,” Anne McKibbin, CNT Energy policy director and a co-author of the report, said in a statement. “We can harness that by simply setting better policies for efficiency for apartment buildings.”
If so much money is up for grabs, why haven’t apartment owners already upgraded? Energy-efficiency retrofits cost money, and – even if they expect the savings to quickly outweigh the costs – owners can have a tough time scoring the financing they need to pay for the projects up front.
Read the entire article on Forbes.com
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Video: She’s Alive and Beautiful
Posted on January 27 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in Nature + Science
A look at our planet and all its incredible, wild, natural beauty…
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UN says sustainable energy key in global battle against poverty and climate change
Posted on January 24 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Michael Casey, Bloomberg Business Week
January 20, 2012
Governments and the private sector must ramp up their investments into sustainable energy as part of a larger effort to alleviate poverty around the world and combat climate change, the U.N. chief told an energy conference Monday.
Ban Ki-moon told delegates at the World Future Energy Summit that he wants to see the world double its share of renewable energy, which typically includes wind, solar and hydropower, by 2030. He also called for providing universal access to energy services by that date and doubling the rate of energy efficiency as part of what he is calling the “Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.”
“This is the right time for the initiative,” Ban said. “Across the world, we see momentum building for concrete action that reduces energy poverty, catalyzes sustainable growth and mitigates climate change. Achieving sustainable energy is both feasible and necessary.”
Recalling his childhood in postwar South Korea where electricity “transformed my life,” Ban said it was unacceptable that today billions of people worldwide are without it.
“Why should energy poverty condemn billions to darkness, to missed opportunities for education and prosperity?” Ban said.
“It is neither just nor sustainable that one in five lacks access to modern electricity. It is not acceptable that 3 billion people have to rely on wood, coal or charcoal for cooking and heating,” he continued. “We need to turn on the lights for all households. To do that, we need to scale up success examples of clean energy and energy efficient technology. We need innovation that can spread throughout the developing world where energy demand is growing fastest.”
Read the entire article on Businessweek.com
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Popular University of Chicago climate science course hits the web - free for everyone
Posted on January 18 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
Andrew Revkin, The New York Times
January 16, 2012
As part of the trend in higher education toward moving more course offerings onto the Web, the University of Chicago has launched Open Climate 101, an online version of a popular course led by David Archer that explores for non-science majors the body of research pointing to a rising human influence on the climate system.
It’s built around Archer’s climate text, “Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast” (sample chapter). (I have a particular affection for that title.)
Read the entire article on The New York Times’ Dot Earth blog.
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The Huffington Post Canada - The Ocean: A Barometer for Mass Extinction
Posted on January 9 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared on December 31st, 2011, in the Huffington Post Canada. Subscribe to all of Ron Dembo’s blog posts by signing up to the RSS feed.
Early in December I was sitting in the middle of Milne Bay, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, eating my breakfast. To my left at the table was Charlie Veron, one of the world’s most preeminent scientists on extinction. We were on our way to see ocean vents where pure carbon dioxide is leaking from the ocean floor—a reminder that we are sitting on the edge of a ring of fire, one of the most active volcanic areas of the world.
It is always true that the future is here for us to see. We only have to look for it.
It is a scientific fact that the oceans are acidifying at an alarming rate and the impact of this will be profound. By looking at ocean vents and seeing what happens to the coral around them, we have a crystal ball for the future. The acidity around ocean vents mimics what will happen to all reefs if the current rate of acidification continues. The ocean is where life began and is the canary in the coalmine for mass extinctions.
Charlie’s work has shown that the last four mass extinctions on earth were linked to changes that preceded them in the oceans. By examining the history of oceans we know how mass extinctions occurred and how evolution proceeded. Moreover, we can get clues from the past as to how the earth will evolve.
He paints a picture of reefs covered in algae, of molluscs—which are one-third of all biomass in the poles—unable to grow their shells, of monoculture coral reefs, and lots of seagrass everywhere. Not to mention a huge proliferation of jellyfish. He says that we are sitting on top of the “headwaters of biodiversity”: From here life flows to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the North and South. It is from here that life extinct in one part of the world can be regenerated and flow to the rest of the world.
This might all sound like science fiction, but it is actually objective science. Here are the facts: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher today than it has been for the last million years. The oceans absorb a large part of the carbon dioxide we generate and most of this occurs in colder water (just think of how the carbon dioxide in your soft drink bubbles off at higher temperatures). This causes ocean acidification and already has resulted in a 30 per cent scientifically measured increase since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Back at the breakfast table, Katharina Fabricius, a world expert on ocean acidification who was sitting to my right, showed us how CO2 bubbling through coral actually eats away at the skeleton of entire reefs. We filled a bunch of bottles covering the breakfast table with samples taken from the area around these vents. There are also tiles, which will be left here to collect coral growth and compare it to reefs close by where there is no carbon bubbling out of the earth.
Up until now, scientists have been bringing samples to their labs and testing their responses to CO2. Today, the organisms will be tested in their own habitat. The indigenous elders say that they remember the vents bubbling when they were young children, so we know that coral in this area has been exposed to CO2 for at least 70 years. This provides researchers with a way of testing their hypotheses over long periods.
Branching coral grows faster than massive coral, but is more sensitive to environmental changes. Very few coral species can handle the growing acidity. There is one species that does, Porites coral, and it will be the winner. We can expect coral monoculture when the oceans get more acidic, as has happened before. And because this species does not provide a good home for other marine life, we will see it disappear. We will also see very healthy seagrass with nothing growing on it, looking like a beautiful golf course in the middle of the ocean.
The moral of the story is there will be winners and losers—more losers than winners.
Peeking 50 years into the future at our current rate of burning fossil fuels, we see extinction of many species and a few sites in the world where diversity of coral will be preserved. We see a world of vastly reduced biodiversity and man’s role in all of this will be uncertain. We are truly gobbling up our children’s world at an alarming rate.
These scientists are adamant: Once our atmosphere and oceans are acidified there is no way to reverse it, except over millennia.
We need to do what we can to stop it now.
Comments (0)
The Ocean: A Barometer for Mass Extinction
Posted on January 9 2012 by zerofootprint and filed in Huffington Post, Nature + Science
This blog post originally appeared on December 31st, 2011, in the Huffington Post Canada. Subscribe to all of Ron Dembo’s blog posts by signing up to the RSS feed.
Early in December I was sitting in the middle of Milne Bay, off the coast of Papua New Guinea, eating my breakfast. To my left at the table was Charlie Veron, one of the world’s most preeminent scientists on extinction. We were on our way to see ocean vents where pure carbon dioxide is leaking from the ocean floor—a reminder that we are sitting on the edge of a ring of fire, one of the most active volcanic areas of the world.
It is always true that the future is here for us to see. We only have to look for it.
It is a scientific fact that the oceans are acidifying at an alarming rate and the impact of this will be profound. By looking at ocean vents and seeing what happens to the coral around them, we have a crystal ball for the future. The acidity around ocean vents mimics what will happen to all reefs if the current rate of acidification continues. The ocean is where life began and is the canary in the coalmine for mass extinctions.
Charlie’s work has shown that the last four mass extinctions on earth were linked to changes that preceded them in the oceans. By examining the history of oceans we know how mass extinctions occurred and how evolution proceeded. Moreover, we can get clues from the past as to how the earth will evolve.
He paints a picture of reefs covered in algae, of molluscs—which are one-third of all biomass in the poles—unable to grow their shells, of monoculture coral reefs, and lots of seagrass everywhere. Not to mention a huge proliferation of jellyfish. He says that we are sitting on top of the “headwaters of biodiversity”: From here life flows to the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the North and South. It is from here that life extinct in one part of the world can be regenerated and flow to the rest of the world.
This might all sound like science fiction, but it is actually objective science. Here are the facts: The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher today than it has been for the last million years. The oceans absorb a large part of the carbon dioxide we generate and most of this occurs in colder water (just think of how the carbon dioxide in your soft drink bubbles off at higher temperatures). This causes ocean acidification and already has resulted in a 30 per cent scientifically measured increase since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Back at the breakfast table, Katharina Fabricius, a world expert on ocean acidification who was sitting to my right, showed us how CO2 bubbling through coral actually eats away at the skeleton of entire reefs. We filled a bunch of bottles covering the breakfast table with samples taken from the area around these vents. There are also tiles, which will be left here to collect coral growth and compare it to reefs close by where there is no carbon bubbling out of the earth.
Up until now, scientists have been bringing samples to their labs and testing their responses to CO2. Today, the organisms will be tested in their own habitat. The indigenous elders say that they remember the vents bubbling when they were young children, so we know that coral in this area has been exposed to CO2 for at least 70 years. This provides researchers with a way of testing their hypotheses over long periods.
Branching coral grows faster than massive coral, but is more sensitive to environmental changes. Very few coral species can handle the growing acidity. There is one species that does, Porites coral, and it will be the winner. We can expect coral monoculture when the oceans get more acidic, as has happened before. And because this species does not provide a good home for other marine life, we will see it disappear. We will also see very healthy seagrass with nothing growing on it, looking like a beautiful golf course in the middle of the ocean.
The moral of the story is there will be winners and losers—more losers than winners.
Peeking 50 years into the future at our current rate of burning fossil fuels, we see extinction of many species and a few sites in the world where diversity of coral will be preserved. We see a world of vastly reduced biodiversity and man’s role in all of this will be uncertain. We are truly gobbling up our children’s world at an alarming rate.
These scientists are adamant: Once our atmosphere and oceans are acidified there is no way to reverse it, except over millennia.
We need to do what we can to stop it now.
Comments (0)
Vermont aiming for 90 per cent renewable energy by 2050
Posted on December 28 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design
Vermont is known for its lush Green Mountains, idyllic farm landscapes, and progressive politics. What many people may not realize is that Vermont has a pretty active secessionist movement too.
Vermont isn’t likely to secede from the U.S. But it is undertaking an ambitious renewable energy program that could at least put it on a path toward “energy secession” — developing a road map for procuring 90% of its heat, electricity and fuels from renewables by 2050.
Under Vermont’s new governor, Peter Shumlin, regulators are developing the state’s first comprehensive energy plan in over a decade. And this one is certainly forward-looking.
Vermont currently gets about 25% of its electricity from renewables — mostly biomass and hydro. But officials want to diversify technologies, address under-served markets like heat and fuels, and dramatically improve efficiency in all sectors. The state released its final comprehensive plan for 2011 last week.
Vermont has already embraced a modest transition to renewables, implementing a feed-in tariff in 2009 and developing a renewable energy standard (heat and electricity) of 20% by 2017. This latest plan, which just went through an extensive public commenting period, takes these efforts to the next level.
After Vermont received a devastating surprise pummeling from Hurricane Irene in August, state planners have taken the experience to heart, using it as one of the central drivers in the state’s new energy plan.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, the need to align local, regional, and state policies across agencies and departments to support thoughtful and resilient growth in our downtowns and villages has never been more acute. The Agency of Commerce and Community Development, with the support of the Climate Cabinet, will complete a review of the state’s designation programs in 2012.
Prior to Tropical Storm Irene, the state had already set a goal of 5% reduction in energy usage across state government. Now that the state faces significant infrastructure repair and rebuilding, energy usage in our state buildings is even more central to our planning. The CEP recommends that the state sharpen its focus on efficient buildings while strategically deploying renewable energy systems.
…We recommend the midcentury goal while recognizing that we must pursue our goals responsibly, ensuring overall energy costs for our businesses and residents remain regionally competitive. But we must also act boldly to protect our environment and our economic security.
Kudos to Vermont for considering such a bold vision for the future and taking a real step toward independence.
Read the original article at CleanTechnica.com
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Financial Post: Travelling Green Pays Off
Posted on December 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions
Camilla Cornell, Financialpost.com
December 19, 2011
When Tom Heintzman travels, he either uses a plug-in hybrid car or purchases carbon offsets for all of his flights, takes public transport from the airport where possible, and uses hotel chains that are powered at least partially by renewable energy. But you would expect that of the co-founder and president of Toronto-based Bullfrog Power Inc., a green electricity producer.
Mr. Heintzman argues there’s a business case to be made for all companies – whether they style themselves as “green†or not – to reduce their transportation footprint.
“We definitely have a lot of polling data that suggest consumers are increasingly aware of companies’ corporate social responsibility and environmental practices and they’re increasingly relevant,†he says.
Many companies’ requests for proposals (RFPs) for business travel agreements now include pointed questions about what the chain is doing to mitigate its carbon footprint, says Sarah Dayboll, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
And meeting planners are increasingly asking for specific metrics, for instance, “what is the carbon footprint associated with having a meeting in the ball room at the Royal York?†says Fairmont Hotels’ Ms. Dayboll.
Of course it costs money and cash flow is always an issue for entrepreneurs. Here’s the thing; greener travel alternatives can cost the same or less than carbon-heavy options. Bullfrog staffers, for example, begin by asking themselves whether a business trip is necessary at all. “We use Skype and Web meetings quite a bit for longer distance communications,†Mr. Heinztman says. “The best way to cut down on emissions from travel is not to travel at all.â€
The company also opts for public transport where possible, whether in Toronto or elsewhere; an option that can actually save cash.
To whit, a few other ideas to help you travel greener without undue financial stress:
Rent a hybrid: If you can’t get by without a car rental, you can at least go hybrid. Travelocity.ca, for example, allows you to select green cars from its menu.
Catch an eco-friendly cab: In cities, green taxis are increasingly becoming an option. Vancouver’s longest operating taxi company, for example, Yellow Cab (yellowcabonline.com) boasts some of the latest technology: 200 of its 249 vehicles are hybrids. In Toronto, by contrast, only 2% of the taxis are low-emission vehicles. But Eco Taxi (eco-taxi.ca) will ferry you to the airport in a clean, green machine. The company asks for 24 hours notice, if possible, but says it can generally get a car to you within an hour in the downtown core.
Fly greener: Flying produces 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The stated goal of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is to reduce those emissions 25% by 2020, and many airlines are doing their best to comply. In the past 20 years, 44% of the growth of Germany’s Lufthansa has been carbon-neutral. The key, says Martin Riecken, a spokesperson for the airline: “You can’t just say you want to be greener. It must be measurable.†Lufthansa devotes an entire department to greening the airline and its operations, producing an annual Balance Report “testifying to what our goals are and whether we met them,†Mr. Riecken says.
Initiatives include the purchase of newer, more fuel efficient planes; a regular engine wash (so engines run cleaner and use less fuel); lightweight serving trolleys (because when you reduce weight, you reduce fuel requirements); and intelligent route planning.
In mid-July, Lufthansa became the first airline to use about one-quarter bio-fuel on four regularly scheduled return flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg. Testing will be complete by year-end, at which point the company plans to roll out the use of bio-fuel on a larger scale. “It costs us about 40% more,†Mr. Riecken says. “But the beauty of bio-fuel is that it not only reduces emissions during the flight, but when you grow it, the plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If you take that into account, this entire test saved about 1,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.â€
Not to be left behind, Air Canada has been replacing its fleet with new, fuel efficient planes. It points out that its latest aircraft use about three litres of fuel per 100 passengers, “comparable to the fuel efficiency of a compact car.†It has also implemented on-board recycling and partners with Zerofootprint to offer a carbon offsetting program to travellers who want to mitigate the emissions generated by their flights.
Eco-friendly hotel stays Many hotel chains are striving to operate greener. As a member of the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program, Fairmont has managed to cut its CO2 output by 8.4% since 2006 and aims to reduce it to 20% lower than 2006 levels within two years. Initiatives have included everything from the pedestrian (insulation) to the gee-whiz (The Savoy in London uses a new combined heat and power plant that reduces the hotel’s reliance on the national grid by approximately 50%).
But regardless of where you stay, you can mitigate your carbon footprint somewhat just by declining to have your sheets and towels changed daily, eschewing the little toiletry bottles provided, or turning off your lights when you leave the room. “I think it’s important for everybody to strive to reduce transportation and travel costs,†says Bullfrog’s Mr. Heintzman. “Transportation, heating and electricity would be the three big contributors to every individual’s and most businesses’ footprint.â€
Read the original article on Financialpost.com
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Travelling Green Pays Off
Posted on December 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Green Business + Investment
Camilla Cornell, Financialpost.com
December 19, 2011
When Tom Heintzman travels, he either uses a plug-in hybrid car or purchases carbon offsets for all of his flights, takes public transport from the airport where possible, and uses hotel chains that are powered at least partially by renewable energy. But you would expect that of the co-founder and president of Toronto-based Bullfrog Power Inc., a green electricity producer.
Mr. Heintzman argues there’s a business case to be made for all companies – whether they style themselves as “green” or not – to reduce their transportation footprint.
“We definitely have a lot of polling data that suggest consumers are increasingly aware of companies’ corporate social responsibility and environmental practices and they’re increasingly relevant,” he says.
Many companies’ requests for proposals (RFPs) for business travel agreements now include pointed questions about what the chain is doing to mitigate its carbon footprint, says Sarah Dayboll, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
And meeting planners are increasingly asking for specific metrics, for instance, “what is the carbon footprint associated with having a meeting in the ball room at the Royal York?” says Fairmont Hotels’ Ms. Dayboll.
Of course it costs money and cash flow is always an issue for entrepreneurs. Here’s the thing; greener travel alternatives can cost the same or less than carbon-heavy options. Bullfrog staffers, for example, begin by asking themselves whether a business trip is necessary at all. “We use Skype and Web meetings quite a bit for longer distance communications,” Mr. Heinztman says. “The best way to cut down on emissions from travel is not to travel at all.”
Read the entire article on the Financialpost.com
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Newest US city to be built just for testing green technologies
Posted on December 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Education + Training, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design
September 13, 2011
Up to 20 square miles of virgin desert in New Mexico will soon be home to the nation’s newest town, only with a twist — no one will live there. Developer Pegasus Global Holdings (a communication, technology and defense contractor) and the state of New Mexico have announced plans to create a “mid-sized” smart city that they are calling The Center for Testing, Evaluation and Innovation. Details are vague, but the concept is clear enough: design a town that mirrors real cities in order to test sustainable infrastructure and technologies to see if they would work in the actual built environment without fear of disrupting real communities. Think of it as the green version of Westworld – only if something goes wrong nobody gets hurt.
Pegasus Global’s Robert H. Brumley CEO explains “The Center will allow private companies, not for profits, educational institutions and government agencies to test in a unique facility with real world infrastructure, allowing them to better understand the cost and potential limitations of new technologies prior to introduction.” The town will be built to mimic real cities with layers of different era-type buildings and transportation, with the one exception – there will be no full-time residents.
Read the rest of this article at inhabitat.com.
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Solar saves - and teaches - for school district
Posted on December 16 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Education + Training, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Technology + Design
The Oak Grove School District in San Jose, Calif., is not just bringing renewable energy into the curriculum – they’re using it to power their classrooms. In partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions, the district celebrated the completion of a 1.8 megawatt solar photovoltaic system that will save more than $13 million in energy costs over the project’s lifetime.
The solar panel installation will generate up to 90 percent of energy needs for four schools and the district office, offsetting 1,377 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of planting over 220 football fields worth of pine forests.
With school budgets tight, the district says the the utility savings give it much needed relief. According to Chris Jew, acting Superintendent for Oak Grove School District: “At a time when school districts across the country are struggling under the weight of crippling budget deficits, Oak Grove has looked towards innovation as a way to maximize every taxpayer dollar. The savings being generated can now be reinvested into our classrooms where it belongs.”
Read the rest of this article on EarthTechling.com
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Going Green Could Be a $100 Billion Business by 2017
Posted on December 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Stephanie Dhue, CNBC.com
December 14, 2011
Bringing greater energy efficiency to commercial buildings promises to be big business. Pike Research estimates the market will increase to $100 billion by 2017.
Companies doing retrofits — including Johnson Controls, Honeywell, United Technologies, and Ameresco, stand to reap the benefits from buildings going green. Property managers are also promoting the cost savings and other benefits of energy-efficient building.
Randy Harris of CBRE said green buildings are more desirable, especially for high quality tenants.
“Most Fortune 500 [companies] filed corporate social responsibility mission statements with the SEC and real estate is a way to help them achieve that corporately,” Harris said.
While there is anecdotal evidence that suggests going green boosts property values, it has yet to factor into the appraisal and lending process.
President Obama is making a renewed pitch for his green buildings initiative, with an additional $4 billion pledged for energy retrofits. The government has been a leader in making its buildings green, using its long time horizon to make the energy investments pay for themselves.
But what works for the feds often does not work for the private sector, which needs to see a return on investment in the two-year time frame, not the six to 20 years the government will wait.
Read the entire article on CNBC.com.
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How much do I need? The answer to the most common question in solar power
Posted on December 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design
December 13, 2011
We have the pleasure of working with hundreds of people every day that want to reduce their energy bills, go green and jump on the solar power bandwagon. And the question we see over and over again is: Just how much do I need and what will it cost? We’ll tackle that question here and show you how we calculate system size and cost. We have simple solar calculators that can do this on our website but so many people have asked how this is actually calculated that we thought we’d give a quick solar design lesson.
Start With the Consumption
We spoke to someone just yesterday who wanted solar panels on a 8’x22’ trailer. We asked him what his usage was, and his answer floored us. He was using 7000 kilowatt-hours per month, about 6 times the average household consumption. As it turns out, the trailer was an enormous ice maker. This illustrates that homes and buildings of all sizes vary widely in their energy consumption. A 1200-square-foot house in Florida might use 3 or 4 times what a similar house in Missouri uses because of air conditioning and different types of HVAC units.
So, when planning a solar system, you have to know what you use. The easiest way to do this is to simply look at your power bill. You’ll want to look at the “kw-hrs” number, which is short for kilowatt hours. A kilowatt hour is 1000 watts running for 1 hour. This number will determine just how many watts are required to almost completely eliminate your power bill.
Read the rest of this article at CleanTechnica.com.
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Study finds home energy efficiency upgrades have hidden benefits
Posted on December 12 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Angeli Duffin, Earthtechling.com
December 11, 2011
The benefits of energy efficiency can go far beyond just a reduced monthly energy bill. According to a study released by the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, proposed upgrades to 69,000 area homes and 490 nonprofit buildings could save Cincinnati area residents $60 million, create new jobs and greatly reduce local air pollution.
In the area’s first study of this kind, researchers from the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy analyzed energy, building, census and environmental data in the greater Cincinnati area. The study concluded that through simple but effective upgrades such as more insulation, reducing drafts and upgrading heating and air conditioning units, homeowners could see an average energy savings of $500 per year for 18 years, for a total of $59.6 million in lower energy bills by 2030.
These energy efficiency upgrades also promise benefits throughout the local community. The study predicts that as homeowners save money on energy bills, their spending would redirect into other sectors – creating an estimated 317 jobs in 2030 and generating an additional $13 million for the local economy.
Read the entire article on Earthtechling.com.
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Tiny pacific nation plans an all-renewables future
Posted on December 9 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Energy + Climate, Technology + Design
December 9, 2011
A tiny nation you may well have never heard of fears it may become an early casualty of climate change - and will almost be the first to make its entire energy supply carbon-free.
“By September next year, we will become the first nation using 100%-renewable energy, and number one in percentage greenhouse gas reduction in the Pacific and elsewhere,” Foua Toloa told a meeting on the fringes of the UN climate conference.
Tokelau’s entire population would fit inside four jumbo jets, and its per-capita income is around $1,000 per year.
So its greenhouse gas output is an infinitesimal fraction of the global total.
Now, calling Tokelau a “country” is something of an issue. The three atolls constitute a New Zealand territory, which depends almost exclusively on New Zealand’s budget for its finances, with little indigenous wealth creation.
But government is largely self-administered and it has some trappings of nationhood - for example, competing in international sporting events under its own banner - and ended up under New Zealand’s aegis only because of its colonial history.
Read the rest of this article at BBC News.
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Environmental Policy Expert Joins Zerofootprint Software Inc. Board of Directors
Posted on December 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
Mr. Ogilvie is an independent environmental policy consultant with more than three decades of experience in government, institutional and not-for-profit organizations. His unique combination of talents and experience make him a valued addition to Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Throughout his long and distinguished career, Mr. Ogilvie has focused on promoting environmental sustainability; from 1995 to 2008, he served as Executive Director of Pollution Probe, one of Canada’s most distinguished environmental groups. Prior to this, he was Manager of Policy Coordination for the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy. Mr. Ogilvie has also worked for Environment Canada and the Manitoba Department of Environment.
Mr. Ogilvie has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Civil Engineering) from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from York University. He holds an honorary Doctor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Thompson Rivers University.
About Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
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Can Affordable Housing Be Eco-Friendly, Too?
Posted on December 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Technology + Design
December 5th, 2011
Eco-friendly, affordable housing. That might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s exactly what is in the works just east of downtown Denver. KTGY Group Architecture+Planning has announced construction of the Bluff Lake Apartments, a residential community of 92 high-quality, eco-friendly units. The project is a partnership between the architects, affordable housing developer Mercy House and the city of Denver.
The apartments are slated for families who are earning between 30 percent and 50 percent of the area median income and are expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. The apartment’s green features include Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient lighting and water-saving fixtures. In addition, low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives and finishes are being used inside and much of the construction waste will be recycled.
“Oftentimes, when residents hear the words ‘affordable housing,’ they immediately envision substandard housing and an owner that doesn’t care about the property or its residents or neighbors. This is certainly not the case with Mercy Housing,” said KTGY Principal Michael Ohara, the designer of Bluff Lake Apartment Homes.
The project is the second affordable housing development in the Stapleton, Colo., area. In 2005, Mercy Housing opened Parkside Apartments in Stapleton, which provides 68 affordable homes. The organization currently owns and manages over 16,000 units of housing nationwide. including the Denver area, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Fraser and Durango.
Read the original article at EarthTechling.com
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Governor General David Johnston hosts sustainability roundtable
Posted on December 5 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Technology + Design
The Right Honourable David Johnston hosted the day-long workshop, aimed at developing an energy efficiency strategy for the Canadian landmark.
The workshop gathered academics and experts from across Canada to share their insight on making Rideau Hall greener.
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Top 10 tips to lower your home energy bills
Posted on December 2 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits
December 1, 2011
In my real estate and consulting business, the one question that comes up time and time again is: “What steps can I can take to lower my home energy costs?”
“Ask your neighbors what they spend on their energy bill each month,” advises Ben Millar of E3 Building Sciences in Fort Myers, Florida. “If you are spending the same as everyone else with similar square footage in your neighborhood, maybe your home is okay,” he explains.
Once you have an idea of how your costs measure up, look at your consumption and the things that you can easily change. Here are some examples:
Lighting: Do you tend to leave the lights on when you leave the room? Keeping the home well lit can be a big concern for families with children. Luckily, there are several solutions to this issue. Energy-efficient lighting involves both the light source and the fixture. In many cases, you can simply change the light bulb to either a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) or a light emitting diode (LED). Energy-efficient bulbs may require a certain type of fixture by having a pin base that cannot fit into traditional fixtures. By replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your home with Energy Star qualified models, you can save $70 each year, according to energystar.gov. Other solutions include occupancy sensors, which automatically shut off the lights once everyone leaves the room.
Electronics: Do you have power strips on your high-consumption technology such as televisions, computers, stereo, or DVD player? As long as your gadgets remain attached to a power source, they are generating heat and electricity. Use a power strip switch which turns everything off when not in use.
Program the thermostat: Give your air conditioner a break during the day. Installing a programmable thermostat can regulate the temperature throughout your house whether you are home or away.
Solar water heaters: Solar water heaters can be a cost-effective way to reduce your hot water bills. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use (sunshine) is free.
Give your home an update: Improve outdated home appliances for the best return on your investment. Outdated appliances can be a drain on your utility bill. When I purchased a new Energy Star refrigerator and dishwasher last year using the Energy Star Rebate Program, my utility bill went down 40 percent.
Heating and cooling: As much as half of your energy costs go towards heating and cooling, according to Energy Star. If you have an HVAC system that is at least 12 years old, it may be beneficial to consider a newer and more efficient model. Changing the filter monthly and having your system checked at least once per year helps ensure energy efficiency. Your HVAC system, like your body, needs a good tune-up each year to remain in good health.
Weather-strip your windows: Plug up those drafts! If you have old windows and are considering changing them, check out Energy Star windows and pick one for your appropriate climate condition.
Rebates and incentives: Check out rebates and incentives at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. They can significantly reduce the cost of your upgrade and lower the time it takes to recoup your investment.
Get help from the local utility: In some areas, the local utility offers a free or low-cost service to come to your home and do an energy audit.
By following the above suggestions, you can save between 10 and 40 percent on your home energy bills, depending on your individual usage.
Read the original article on the Sierra Club website.
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Consumers are finally getting greener: study
Posted on December 1 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Kelly M. Semrau, GreenBiz.com
November 30th, 2011
Americans have come a long way in their commitment to preserve and protect the environment since a groundbreaking survey from 1990 took the pulse of their green attitudes and behavior. Conventional wisdom holds that increased knowledge about the environment leads to more action and empowerment on the part of Americans.
And certainly, their knowledge has risen. Today, 73 percent say they know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems, up from 50 percent earlier.
So, what does action look like? This basic question led to the pioneer study, The Environment: Public Attitudes and Individual Behavior, which I was a part of back in 1990. The study, commissioned by SC Johnson and executed by GfK Roper, was the first, large-scale survey to measure both green attitudes and behaviors. We wanted to understand whether—if equipped with the right tools and knowledge—it is possible to change consumer behavior, or action, for the greener.
And according to the 20th anniversary study, behavior change is possible.
Read the entire article on GreenBiz.com.
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Cisco Systems executive joins Zerofootprint Software Inc. Board of Directors
Posted on November 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
A veteran businessman and community leader, Mr. Feller brings three decades of leadership experience to this new position.
He currently serves as a Director with Cisco Systems’ Internet Business Solutions Group, where he leads initiatives that support innovative urban development projects across three continents. Prior to joining Cisco, he was CEO of Urban Age, an international organization focused on the future of cities. Thanks to his leadership, hundreds of thought-leaders and policy-makers from around the world gather annually to share their ideas on sustainable development.
Mr. Feller has written more than 300 articles for newspapers and publications including CFO, Financial Times Planet Earth, Time and Urban Land. An accomplished public speaker, he also delivers keynote speeches at leadership events, including the annual Meeting of the Minds conference, where he speaks about the relationships between energy, infrastructure and urban development.
Mr. Feller received both his undergraduate degree and his Masters from Columbia University in New York City, where he graduated cum laude with numerous honours and fellowships.
About Zerofootprint Software Inc.
Zerofootprint Software Inc. is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
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Zero-waste batteries soon a reality?
Posted on November 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Green Business + Investment, Nature + Science, Technology + Design
November 29th, 2011
Zero waste. Better batteries. Less money. That’s what earthCell has a plan for, and — with a little help from you, via Kickstarter — perhaps even the cash to make it a reality.
Currently, enough dead batteries enter the nation’s landfills each year to circle the Earth four times laid end to end. The solution, of course, is a little something called recycling, but current battery technology (not to mention a lack of collection sites) makes doing right in this arena harder than it should be in most parts of the country. Enter the earthCell, a low self-discharge nickel metal hydride (LSD NiMH) battery said to last the pants off your average alkaline battery (leaving the Energizer bunny in the dust).
When your earthCell batteries reach the end of their natural lives, simply drop them in the prepaid earthCell mailer. When that mailer is full, you can drop it in the mail back to earthCell, which will revitalize those batteries via their specialized tech. When they have been revitalized and reused hundreds of times, and finally given up the ghost – or if it’s been damaged somehow, or doesn’t meet spec — the company dismantles it and reuses the valuable materials inside to make shiny new batteries to further power your gadgets and gizmos.
If all of this sounds good to you, you’re not alone, as the earthCell project, as of when this story was published, had already met its $17,000 pledge goal with two full weeks still left. A pledge of $6.00 or more will get you batteries; $13 or more includes the prepaid mailer, while $45.00 or more will get you a 10 AA and 10 AAA batteries, mailers, and two handsome bamboo trays for keeping all those batteries organized.
Read the original article at EarthTechling.com
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Report: air pollution costs Europe billions
Posted on November 25 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Health + Pollution
November 24, 2011
Air pollution caused more than 100 billion euros ($134.95 billion) in health and environmental damage, highlighting the need for more renewables sources of energy, a report published on Thursday by the European Environment Agency found.
Europe’s 10,000 largest factories and energy facilities resulted in 102-169 billion euros in health issues, such as respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and environmental costs because of air pollution in 2009, the most recent available data.
Per citizen, the cost was between 200-300 euros.
“This analysis shows the significant impact of fossil-fueled power stations and the very high costs they impose on people’s health and the environment, making the case for introducing cleaner types of energy even more urgent,” European Environment Agency Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said in a statement.
The power generation sector was the biggest contributor of damage costs, with 66-112 billion euros, the study showed. It covered the EU 27 member states as well as Norway and Switzerland.
A small number of facilities, 622 or 6 percent of the total number, represented 75 percent of the total damage costs resulting from air pollutants, such as heavy metals, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide greenhouse gases.
Read the rest of this article at Reuters.com
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Simple, transparent feed-in tariff policy responsible for most renewable energy
Posted on November 23 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Green Business + Investment
November 21, 2011
Feed-in tariffs are a comprehensive renewable energy policy responsible for two-thirds of the world’s wind power (64 percent) and almost 90 percent of the world’s solar power. With simplified grid connections, long-term contracts and attractive prices for development, that’s policy that works.
The basic premise of the feed-in tariff is that the electric utility must connect any wind turbine or solar panel (or other generator) to the grid and buy all the electricity via a long-term contract with a public price. It’s use in Germany and its simplicity have led to mass local ownership of renewable energy in that country.
Read the full article at CleanTechnica.com.
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One of Canada’s most accomplished fundraisers joins cleantech start-up’s board
Posted on November 22 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
Zerofootprint is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Jon S. Dellandrea, CM to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Dellandrea is best known for his tenure as Vice-President and Chief Advancement Officer at the University of Toronto. Between 1994 and 2005, he led an initiative which raised more than $1.2 billion for the institution, allowing endowed student aid to increase from $68.7 million in 1995 to $463 million in 2004. More recently, he was involved in the launching of a $2.5 billion campaign for Oxford University – the biggest of its kind to date in Europe.
Prior his term at U of T, he served for five years as President of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation in Toronto, raising millions of dollars for the facility. Before joining Mount Sinai, he was Vice President of the University of Waterloo.
Appointed in 2010, Dr. Dellandrea currently serves as Chancellor of Nipissing University. He also currently serves as Counsel to Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Dr. Dellandrea received his undergraduate degree, Masters and doctorate from the University of Toronto. He also holds a Masters degree from Oxford University, as well as honourary doctorates from The University of Toronto and Nipissing University.
In 2006, Dr. Dellandrea was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to higher education.
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible and manageable for businesses, schools and individuals. Its solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change.
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The TalkingPlug by Zerofootprint
Posted on November 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in TALKINGplug™
Cathy Rust, BECgreen.ca
November 14, 2011
Zerofootprint provides the software for this genius device called the TalkingPlug.
Currently still in development, this plug could be groundbreaking in terms of what it could do for helping consumers and commercial activities reduce energy consumption. Any electricity consuming appliance plugged into the TalkingPlug can be monitored and controlled via a computer.
From a consumer perspective it means that window air conditioners can be managed from afar via computer so they don’t need to be cooling your home while you’re away but you can turn it on an hour before you get home from your smart phone. You also can see exactly how much electricity that unit is using. This plug can be especially useful in identifying old and inefficient appliances. By plugging in refrigerators, stoves, etc., you’ll get an idea of how much energy each unit consumes. You will also have the ability to compare it, via a Zerofootprint website, to what an average similar appliance uses and whether yours is out of date, or not performing to where it should be. This kind of information allows you to decide the most cost-effective you can make to lower your electricity bills.
Now imagine this system applied to fast food chains or other commercial applications. Because the TalkingPlug is connected to the internet, a company could see how its appliances are performing. For example a vending machine supplier could have all its vending machines across a city/country/continent monitored and discover which ones are performing well, which ones are broken and which ones are using too much electricity. By being able to quickly identify which machines aren’t working properly, they can be fixed or replaced much faster than if machines are just left to monthly or quarterly visits from the technician.
The TalkingPlug isn’t on the market yet, but keep a look out for it sometime within the next year or so.
Read the original article on BECGreen.ca
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IPCC: Climate impact risk set to increase
Posted on November 18 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Energy + Climate
November 18, 2011
The risk from extreme weather events is likely to increase if the world continues to warm, say scientists.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said it was “very likely” that emissions had led to an increase in daily maximum temperatures.
The findings of the Special Report were presented at the IPCC’s 34th Session, which is being held in Kampala, Uganda.
The details were outlined during a media briefing by the co-chairmen overseeing the compilation of two of the three segments of next IPCC assessment report.
Introducing the Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said: “It underlines the complexity and diversity of factors that are shaping human vulnerability to extremes.”
The summary stated: “Extreme events are rare, which means there are few data available to make assessments regarding changes in their frequency or intensity.”
However, it added: “There have been statistically significant trends in the number of heavy precipitation events in some regions.”
On the possible change to hurricane patterns, it said: “Average tropical cyclone maximum wind speed is likely to increase, although increases may not occur in all ocean basins.
“It is likely that the global frequency of tropical cyclones will either decrease or remain essentially unchanged.”
The report also said that small island - as well as mountainous and coastal - settlements were likely to be particularly vulnerable as a result of sea-level rise and higher temperatures, in both developed and developing nations.
“Rapid urbanisation and the growth of mega-cities, especially in developing nations, have led to the emergence of highly vulnerable urban communities,” it added.
Citing climate change as a factor that is contributing to more extreme weather events has long been a field of scientific research shrouded in controversy.
For example, a study published in 2009 showed that hurricanes in the North Atlantic were more frequent than in the previous 1,000 years, and while the authors said the current level of activity was unusual, they stopped short of suggesting there was a direct link with a warming world.
And earlier this year, another report said it had identified a link between an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and extreme rainfall events in the Northern Hemisphere.
While others had suggested that the global climate system - which shapes the planet’s weather patterns - was too complex to make such assertions.
Read the full article on the BBC News website.
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Footprint Calculators
Posted on November 16 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
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Life Cycle Assessments
Posted on November 16 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
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Offsets
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Zerofootprint Challenge
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ZEROreport
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Rich households have biggest carbon footprint: report
Posted on November 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Urban Issues + Population
November 15, 2011
A new study says the richest 20 per cent of Canadian households spew almost twice — 1.8 times — the greenhouse gas emissions of the country’s lowest income-earners.
The study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds household carbon footprints increase with income and concludes that reduction policies must reflect that inequality.
The report’s author, economist Marc Lee, says the rich can reduce emissions — taking steps like cutting air travel and investing in home energy efficiency — more easily than low-income families, without affecting basic needs.
The report says the top one per cent of households had emissions three times the average and almost six times those of households in the bottom 10 per cent.
The study also finds the top one per cent of income-earners were responsible for almost double the greenhouse-gas emissions of the next four per cent of households.
Lee says climate policies have to be fair to be effective, and he contends high-income Canadians should bear the greater burden of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Read the original article at CityTV.com
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Zerofootprint challenges students to reduce their school’s electricity use
Posted on November 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Education + Training, Technology + Design
Cathy Rust, BECgreen.ca
November 14, 2011
Zerofootprint has developed sophisticated software to help clients figure out where they are starting from (benchmark) and what they need to do to reduce their energy consumption. Take, for example, the Halton Catholic District School Board.
This organization consists of 48 schools consuming large amounts of energy and water. Through the software provided by Zerofootprint, anyone can see which schools are the most efficient and which are the least in the areas of electricity, heating, and water. It also provides a way for the schools to compete against each other to see which school can improve its energy efficiency. Ron told me that the schools have enrolled their students into the challenge and one example he gave me was that when students find out that their school’s electricity consumption is nearing its daily consumption target, they will turn off non-essential lights and computers. He said that behaviour is changing as a result: the kids are playing board games at free time instead of hovering around the computer. And, perhaps most importantly, there is a sense of ownership and accomplishment when the students participate in this challenge. They see the results of their efforts and can connect human behaviour directly with electricity consumption. As Ron pointed out to me, efficiency efforts are as much about redirecting their budget as it is about environmental awareness; the less money schools spend on heating and electricity, the more money they have available to put into educational activities and after school programs.
To read the original article visit BECGreen.ca
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Zerofootprint: Energy Efficiency through Software, Architectural Design and Human Behaviour
Posted on November 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Technology + Design
Cathy Rust, BECgreen.ca
November 14, 2011
Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint. We talked about the three different areas his company is working on right now and all are about achieving the same goal: reducing energy consumption, whether it’s through plug load, adding insulation or by altering human behaviour.
Furthermore, Ron and Zerofootprint believe in benchmarking as a starting point. If this sounds at all familiar, then, hooray! you’ve been reading my blog, because I too in a firm believer of knowing where you’re starting from in order to develop a reduction strategy.
Read the full article on BEC Green.
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Architecture in the Fourth Dimension (part of Build Boston 2011)
Posted on November 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Technology + Design
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ZEROmeter
Posted on November 11 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
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Products
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Keystone XL: Canada-US pipeline route decision delayed
Posted on November 11 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Energy + Climate
November 10, 2011
The Obama administration is to reassess the route of a controversial Canada-US oil pipeline, delaying a decision on the project by up to 18 months.
Studying a new route for Keystone XL is now expected to push the final decision past the 2012 presidential election.
The state department’s handling of the $7bn (£4.4bn) project is already under review for alleged wrongdoing.
The 1,600-mile (2,700km) pipeline would run from Canada to the Texas coast.
The state department is handling public consultations on the project as the pipeline would cross the US border with Canada. In a statement Thursday, the department said it would take a “in-depth assessment of potential alternative routes in Nebraska”.
Read the full article on the BBC News website.
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Ron Dembo on The Huffington Post: How to make kids care about climate change
Posted on November 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Education + Training, Energy + Climate, Huffington Post, The Zerofootprint Challenge
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have ‘energy free’ lunch hours (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, as the kids themselves have been the driving force of the program. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallway influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams—to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes—the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “Proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
Read the original article on The Huffington Post.
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The Huffington Post Canada: How to make kids care about climate change
Posted on November 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Education + Training, Energy + Climate, Social Issues + Governance, Ron Dembo Interviews + Articles
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have ‘energy free’ lunch hours (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, as the kids themselves have been the driving force of the program. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallway influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams—to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes—the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “Proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
Read the original article on The Huffington Post
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Climate change imperils global prosperity, UN warns
Posted on November 3 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Urban Issues + Population
November 2, 2011
A new report from the United Nations Development Program warns that if drastic measures are not taken to prepare nations for the impacts of climate change, the economic progress of the world’s developing countries could stall or even be reversed by 2050.
This year’s annual report, approaches the issue of climate change and environmental degradation from the standpoint of economic development and the eradication of poverty,. “Even if someone’s a climate skeptic, this report says, ‘Put that aside for a second,’ ” said William Orme, a spokesman for the United Nations agency. “If you believe in something like a moral commitment to the global community and in getting people out of poverty, we must address these environmental problems.”
Each region of the world faces unique challenges between now and 2050, the report warns, but most are linked to environmental complications arising from climate change.
Sub-Saharan Africa could suffer the gravest inequities if the worst-case scenarios come to pass, it adds. Many Africans rely solely on natural resources for their livelihoods and lack a means of coping with environmental hazards like air and water pollution and poor sanitation, the report notes.
Read the rest of this article at The New York Times Green Blog
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Facebook Arctic Center Gets Greenpeace Like
Posted on October 28 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Corporate Social Responsibility, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Technology + Design
October 27, 2011
Facebook has come into criticism from environmentalists for not doing enough to make its server farms sustainable, but the social media behemoth is winning measured praise after confirming it will build a data center in Sweden that – in the words of the Swedish agency helping finance its construction – “has the capacity to be drawn from 100 percent renewable resources.”
“This is a great step forward for Facebook, but we would like more details on how much renewable energy will power its data centre in Lulea,” Casey Harrell, a Greenpeace IT analyst, said in a statement. “With the IT sector one of the fastest growing consumers of electricity in the world, Facebook’s taking leadership on renewable energy could help determine whether we have a dirty ‘cloud’ or not.” The firm NCC Construction Sweden said it was awarded the Lulea contract, and that “Facebook has imposed stringent energy-classification requirements and the data center will be certified in accordance with LEED’s gold level.”
Read the full article at EarthTechling.com
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Schools can lead the energy efficiency revolution
Posted on October 26 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Climate change is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, both from an economic and a moral viewpoint. And whenever someone makes a case for action from a moral stance, most often they’ll justify it by invoking the future plight of the world and the children that will inherit it. It’s a delicate subject, after all, what’s more important than our children?
One of the most difficult aspects in inspiring the necessary change in consciousness is that climate change is such a hard idea to engage with. It is so abstract that it doesn’t really hit our nerve endings. Energy is invisible and intangible. But the fact of the matter is that most of our daily routine involves some sort of environmental impact. And the truth is most of our lifestyle could be made more efficient. That might sound overwhelming, but the changing of consciousness required to live efficiently does not necessarily require us to give up all the comforts that we take for granted. It’s really more about cutting out the waste. For a great glimpse of this kind of efficient future we can look to our children and our schools.
Zerofootprint has partnered with the Halton Catholic District School Board to save energy by cutting out environmental waste. The effort is to bring awareness to young people, not just by educating them about the perils of climate change, but by having them directly engage with the impacts of their everyday activities. The idea behind the program is to give teachers and students feedback on their energy use through visual maps and gauges. This insight will provide them with the information needed to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Schools are outfitted with monitors in the hallway showing energy use data. They then can adjust by doing something like turning off all the computers or, if it is bright outside, turning the lights off and opening the blinds. They also have “energy free” lunch hour (where the kids play board games instead of computer games). And, schools can challenge each other to a friendly contest on who can reduce their environmental impact the most.
The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, the kids themselves have been the driving force. The benchmarking program has spilled into other subjects too. And teachers are matching their students’ enthusiasm. The monitors that are up in the hallways influence teachers who are not even directly associated with the program. They try to curb their energy in order to contribute to the dips in usage that the students are looking for. Eco-teams made up of students are now functioning like sports teams - to give schools another point of pride besides the usual extra-curricular activities.
As inspiring as it is to see students and teachers directly engaging with their environmental impact, the benefits aren’t just on the moral side of the equation; there will be a huge payback on the economic side of things. The cost avoidance will be substantial. There is a significant potential for savings for school boards facing budget restrictions and program cuts. Added to the fact that this is the first stage of the program where teachers and students are still learning to behave more efficiently. The future for energy efficiency is extremely promising.
Imagine if this sort of behavioural change was used in our offices and homes - the savings would be astronomical. With so much debate revolving around our future energy sources, we sometimes forget that simply acting more efficient is the most effective way to both save money on our energy bills and combat climate change. Zerofootprint’s energy management software can provide much needed insight into environmental impact and what to do about it. When a student was asked how she felt about the program, she replied, “proud of myself.” Soon we can all feel proud, because our greatest untapped energy resource is the energy we never use.
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Beyond Green: A Net-Zero College Community
Posted on October 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Technology + Design
October 21, 2011
Designing buildings that leave a lighter imprint on the environment has become the de facto standard these days. The target for many is zero net energy use, meaning that a building makes as much energy as it uses over the course of a year.
Noteworthy net-zero-energy homes, commercial buildings and government structures are regularly built. But none have matched the scale of West Village, a net-zero community at the University of California, Davis, that its developers describe as the largest project of its kind in the country.
Stretching over 130 acres on the campus, which is just west of Sacramento, the initial phase of this $280 million project officially opened last weekend with the completion of 315 apartments, 42,500 square feet of commercial space and a recreation center. Once it is completed in 2013, the development will be home to about 3,000 students, faculty and staff in apartments and single-family houses.
The university collaborated on the project with the private developers Carmel Partners and Urban Villages, real estate development firms that specialize in sustainable design.
Reaching net zero energy for such a varied collection of residential and commercial spaces combines two approaches, according to Nolan Zail, project manager for Carmel Partners.
“First you have to find ways to reduce energy consumption for the development and then meet that consumption by generating energy on-site from renewable sources,” he said.
Read the full article at The New York Times Green Blog.
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Press Release: 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Award Winners and Finalists Revealed at Greenbuild
Posted on October 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases, Awards, Ron Dembo Interviews + Articles
2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Award Winners and Finalists Revealed at Greenbuild
Annual competition aims to jump-start the discussion on how we might retrofit entire cities to
fight climate change
TORONTO (October 11, 2011) – The winners of the 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
were announced last week at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International
Conference and Expo, showcasing excellence in holistic retrofitting projects from around
the world. Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo made the announcement during
his breakout session on energy benchmarking and the importance of improving our older,
existing stock of urban buildings to fight climate change.
Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto. Winners were chosen by a jury
of experts in architecture, design, and engineering: Canadian architect John Patkau; Edward
Mazria, Architecture 2030 Challenge founder; Thomas Auer, energy efficient building design
expert; Michael Ra, Front Inc. founding partner; Michelle Addington, Yale Architecture
professor; and Dana Cuff, UCLA Architecture professor and Founding Director of sustainable
urban design think tank CityLAB.
“The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards is certainly a significant competition since re-
skinning will become the most important design task for the next decades – if we want
to seriously reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” says juror Thomas Auer. “The quality
of the submissions had been very exciting, technically as well as aesthetically, which
underlines the potential and importance of re-skinning.”
The Palms, a house in Venice, California designed by Daly Genik Architects, won the prize
for Best Overall Project 2011. The most notable feature of The Palms is a sheer white
exoskeleton made from locally sourced recycled steel, which transformed the look of the
house and expanded the outdoor living space without increasing the site’s footprint.
“The Palms is an outstanding example of an architecture project that can transform our
cities to fight climate change,” says Ron Dembo. “The design is energy and water efficient,
replicable, and beautiful. This project demonstrates that retrofitting existing buildings to
reduce their environmental impact does not have to mean limiting the quality of materials,
the use of smart technologies, or the aesthetics of the final product.”
The 2011 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards winners and finalists are:
Best Overall Entry 2011:
The Palms, Venice, California, Daly Genik Architects
Residential Category
Winner – The Palms, Venice, California, Daly Genik Architects
Institutional Category:
Winner – HKW Building, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany (iParch,
Imagine Envelope Façade Consulting)
Finalist – Centre for Justice Leadership, Humber College, Toronto, Canada (Gow
Hasting Architects)
Finalist – Artscape Wynchwood Barns, Toronto, Canada (du Toit Architects Ltd.)
Finalist – Percy Gee Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, England (Shepheard
Epstein Hunter)
Commercial/Industrial Category:
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Community Benefits – King and King
Headquarters, Syracuse, New York (King and King Architects)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Resource Efficiency – 21 Queen Street,
Auckland, New Zealand (Peddle Thorpe Aitken Architects)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Reproducibility – Ergo Tower, Milan, Italy (Aste
and Finzi Architetti)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Innovative Technology – First Canadian Place,
Toronto, Ontario (B+H Architects, Moed de Armas and Shannon)
Finalist, Honourable Mention for Aesthetics and Community Benefits – Orange
Cube, Lyon, France (Jakob + MacFarlane)
###
About the Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards are a not-for-profit initiative of Zerofootprint. The
awards showcase newly evolving re-skinning design technologies and present new ways
of thinking about environmental sustainability. The purpose of the competition is to jump-
start the discussion around how we might retrofit entire cities in order to massively reduce
our collective environmental footprint.
http://www.reskinningawards.com
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental
impact measurable, visible and manageable for corporations, governments, schools, and
individuals. Zerofootprint solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions
through behaviour change. http://www.zerofootprint.net.
For more information:
Anna Starasts
Marketing & Communications, Zerofootprint
+ 1 416 365 7557 x 194
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Solar FIT A ‘Good Egg’ For Ontario Farm
Posted on October 20 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Climate Change, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design
October 20, 2011
Ontario likes its eggs sunny-side up – literally. The province’s aggressive feed-in tariff (FIT) program has prompted Drouin Farms, a large family-owned organic egg producer, to install a 250-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system. Producing over 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year, the project will reduce CO2 emissions by 2,800 tons annually and produce enough electricity to power about 30 homes.
The system will also provide Drouin Farms with an additional revenue stream to help expand its operations. The farm expects to achieve up to 11 percent return on the solar project, breaking even on their investment in less than 8 years. The solar energy system uses 1,248 Conergy ON PV modules, manufactured in Ontario. The solar energy system was installed by Ottawa Solar Power, the largest solar installation company in Eastern Ontario.
Read the full article at EarthTechling.com
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‘Living’ buildings could inhale city carbon emissions
Posted on October 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits, Urban Issues + Population
October 14, 2011
What if buildings had lungs that could absorb carbon emissions from the city and convert them into something useful? What if they had skin that could control their temperature without the need for radiators or air-conditioning? What if buildings could come “alive?”
Science fiction?
“Not as such,” claims Dr Rachel Armstrong, senior TED fellow and co-director of Avatar, a research group exploring the potential of advanced technologies in architecture. “Over the next 40 years, ‘living’ buildings—biologically programmed to extract carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere—could fill our cities.”
Armstrong works on the cutting edge of “synthetic biology,” a relatively new science devoted to the manufacture of life-like matter from synthesized chemicals, and is something of an evangelist for the discipline.
Read the full article at CNN.com
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Students enjoy green learning environment
Posted on October 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Education + Training, Energy + Climate, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design
October 14, 2011
Halton Catholic District School Board students and staff can now track their school’s energy consumption with the hope it will spark discussion and, ultimately, conservation efforts.
Since late September, the board’s 50-plus schools — but not yet Lumen Christi, the new elementary school in Milton — have been utilizing energy-saving software.
The board is using Toronto-based Zerofootprint Software Inc.’s online product to enable students, teachers, administrators and the community to better understand their energy usage.
“They (school boards) recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource,” Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, said in a press release.
“Simple behavioural intervention such as providing students with direct feedback on their consumption and then gently nudging them to change their habits can significantly reduce energy demand. The board is proving it’s possible for schools to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge — climate change,” he added.
Read the full article at InsideHalton.com
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German Trains To Run on 100% Renewables
Posted on October 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Urban Issues + Population
October 14, 2011
During our live chat with Solarcentury’s Jeremy Leggett yesterday, we started out by discussing the high profile solar railway bridge his company is helping install in central London as we speak. This was, Jeremy argued, an example of how sustainable transportation and clean energy can work together for dramatic results. To illustrate his point, he mentioned a story that has somehow slipped under the TreeHugger editorial radar so far. Deutsche Bahn—Germany’s railway operator—has set a target of raising its renewable energy consumption from 20% right now, through 28% as soon as 2014, to a full 100% by 2050.
This is pretty ambitious stuff.
With 20% of its energy coming from renewables, Germany is already a world leader in this sector and recently passed even more aggressive laws to support the renewable energy industries.
Read the full article at TreeHugger.com
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TechCrunch: How Zerofootprint Uses Data To Make Schools Greener
Posted on October 11 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Energy + Climate, Green Business + Investment, Technology + Design, Ron Dembo Interviews + Articles, Zerofootprint Challenge
October 8, 2011
The word “green” is tossed around a lot as a catchall term to describe sustainable or environmentally friendly projects, businesses, energy, and more. Green construction and architecture, for one, are proliferating across the world, but when it comes to gauging how “green” a building is, for example, one finds that there are more than a few standards by which to determine its efficiency and sustainability.
Enter Toronto-based Zerofootprint: A cleantech software and services company, which is leveraging competitive benchmarking between peers to help determine the “green” factor for any given building. Ron Dembo, the founder of Zerofootprint, contends that, if you want to motivate developers to improve the efficiency of a building, one can’t simply benchmark against everyone else, because each community has a different climate. Thus, the founder says that Zerofootprint aims to focus on benchmarking buildings against other buildings within a community to achieve maximum community efficiency.
Read the rest of the article at TechCrunch.com
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Americans said to want greener schools
Posted on October 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits
EarthTechling.com
October 7, 2011
The independent survey included more than 1,000 Americans and was conducted via telephone from Sept.23 – 25, 2011, by GfK Custom Research North America. It revealed support not only for increased energy efficiency in the nation’s schools, but a failing grade in public perception for schools in general, with one in three of those surveyed reporting that the majority of U.S. schools are in “poor” shape. (Only six percent perceived U.S. schools to be in “excellent” shape.)
Read the rest of this article on Earth Techling.
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World’s Largest Solar Bridge Under Construction in London
Posted on October 4 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Technology + Design
www.treehugger.com
October 10, 2011
I’ve said it before, but symbolism is hugely important as we transition from the fossil fuel age to a clean energy economy. So the announcement that an iconic steam-era railway bridge is to become the world’s largest solar bridge is big news indeed.
The fact that it will generate an estimated 900,000kWh of electricity every year just seems like icing on the cake.
Whether it is an old mine becoming the world’s largest solar power plant, or an industrial dockyard used for coal deliveries now sporting gigantic wind turbines, some projects seem to have particular symbolic value when discussing the dawn of a new energy paradigm. But it would be a mistake to characterize the conversion of the Blackfriars railway bridge that spans the Thames near St. Paul’s Cathedral as simply symbolic.
Read the rest of this article on TreeHugger.
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Iceland home to world’s first zero-emission data centre
Posted on September 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Carbon Emissions, Energy + Climate, Green Buildings + Retrofits
Clean Technica
September 30, 2011
UK telecoms and IT services provider Colt is well on its way toward building the world’s first zero-emissions data center, in all of four months. Being built for data center developer Verne Global, the plant will be built on a former NATO base in Keflavik, Iceland, where geothermal and hydroelectric power will supply all the electricity needed to power the 500-square meter data center’s servers and ambient cold air used to cool them.
Colt has manufactured the data center’s 37 modules in the UK and will begin shipping them to Verne Global’s data center campus in Keflavik in early October, according to a press release.
Sitting atop part of the Atlantic Ocean’s Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is the only country in the world that generates all its electrical power from clean, renewable sources — geothermal and hydropower. Its geographic location affords the country with access to plentiful geothermal and hydropower resources, as well as a cold climate that make it an ideal location for data centers. Its remote location is a downside, but undersea cables provide telecoms links between the island nation and the European and North American continents.
Read the full article at cleantechnica.com.
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George Brown College: Toronto Digital Media Festival focuses on culture and innovation this October
Posted on September 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - Digifest, Toronto’s international festival celebrating innovation and digital creativity, will take place this year from October 26 to October 30. The general public will mingle with established and emerging designers, technologists and artists, to learn about the latest innovations and experience them firsthand through panel discussions and presentations, demos, interactive exhibitions, workshops, art installations and receptions.
The purpose of the festival is to showcase digital creativity in Toronto, bringing together academia, industry and the public to experience the convergence of interactive and mobile media, gaming, art, design, architecture, science and more. It is a five-day long celebration of the latest achievements in visualization, simulation and interaction in many fields, inspiring and connecting all involved.
Digifest’s long-term vision is to brand Toronto as a global leader in digital media and technology, based on the unique breadth and depth of its digital sector. “The School of Design at George Brown is pleased to catalyze and work with industry, government and other colleges and universities in partnership to position Toronto as one of the key global cities for global creativity,” said Luigi Ferrara, Director of the Centre for Arts & Design at George Brown College.
Digifest will begin with two Innovation Days on Wednesday, October 26 and Thursday, October 27 featuring the latest research by academic and industry partnerships. These presentations, curated by the Digifest Academic Committee, are each organized into one of the four Digifest streams: play, touch, build, and watch.
This year, “thought leader” lectures will be delivered by Asi Burak, Co-President, Games for Change; Dr. Ron Burnett, President, Emily Carr University; Dr. Ron Dembo of Zero Footprint; Simone Giostra, Founder, Simone Giostra and Partners Architects; Hunter Tura, Bruce Mau Design; and Siamak Hariri, Founding Partner, Hariri Pontarini Architects. Shorter presentations will be delivered by Dr. Ali Arya, Assistant Professor of Interactive Multimedia, Carleton University; Farzin Farhadi-Niaki, Expert/Researcher, PhD candidate, Carleton University; Eugene Fiume, Professor and Co-Director, Dynamic Graphics Project, University of Toronto; Dr. Sara M. Grimes, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto; Michael Jemtrud, Director, FARMM and Associate Professor, School of Architecture, McGill University; Jennifer Jenson, President, Canadian Games Studies Association; Melanie McBride, Researcher, Experimental Design and Gaming Environment EDGE Lab; Dawn Mercer, Faculty, Seneca College, Popcorn.js - The HTML5 Media Framework; Jason Nolan, Director, EDGE Lab; Nuket Savaskan Nowlan, Founder and President, 3D Virtual Crafting; Neil Schneider, Executive Director, S-3D Gaming Alliance; Greg J. Smith, Designer/Researcher, Mission Specialist Studio; and Dr. Anthony Whitehead, Director, School of Information Technology, Carleton University.
To kick off the festival, George Brown College will host a launch party at its new digital incubator, located at 333 King St. East, on the evening of Wednesday, October 26. Moreover, on the Wednesday and Thursday, the Applied Arts exhibition and educational fair for Toronto and Ontario high school students, featuring graphic design, illustration, advertising, game design and development, photography and more, will take place at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, followed by the Applied Arts Awards Gala on the evening of Thursday, October 27.
On Friday, October 28, TIFF Nexus at the TIFF Bell Lightbox will host the third innovation day focusing on the connection of the existing and emerging media sectors of film, gaming and new media. This innovation day will feature technology talks and presentations as well as the results of the 2011 Gaming Peripherals Jam - putting game developers together with hardware hackers to innovate in areas of interface - which will be showcased in an evening reception at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
From Wednesday to Friday in the evening, Digifest will host Meet The Media Guru, bringing innovators from across the globe for thought-provoking presentations that will inspire and challenge attendees. Meet The Media Guru is a social network and open community of digital culture based out of Italy where the public can meet world-famous protagonists of innovation. Gurus presenting this year include Paolo Rosa, Co-Founder, Studio Azzurro (Italy); Maurice Benayoun, New Media Artist (France); Tom Igoe, Co-Founder, Arduino (New York City) and Rebecca Allen, Director, Nokia Research Center Hollywood and Nokia Research Center Cambridge (United States).
Weekend events at Digifest will allow the public to experience Toronto’s digital design culture. Events will include the TOJam Arcade, an interactive exhibition of locally created video games; the First Person show, a video game, visual effects (vfx) and animation studio trade show; the Link Digital Art and Design Exhibit; Sunday Funday, a daytime event at Yonge-Dundas Square involving interactive digital attractions and performances; and a Spooktacular Halloween party at the St. Lawrence North Market.
The event will wrap on Sunday night with a closing gala at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Digifest will announce the winners of the Digifest Sony Ziris™ contest; the first place winner will go home with $1000 and a Sony Playstation 3™.
About Digifest
Digifest was founded by Luigi Ferrara, Director of the Centre for Arts and Design at George Brown College. In 2002, he was the President of the DXNet and Vice President of The Design Exchange. Digifest debuted in 2002, followed by festivals in 2004 and 2006 organized by the DXNet at the Design Exchange.
Digifest has been transformed by the School of Design at George Brown College in partnership with the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFF Nexus), Applied Arts Inc., Meet The Media Guru (Italy), TOJam and various media and venue partners. Academic partners include Brock University, Carleton University, Centennial College, CFC Media Lab, Ryerson University, Seneca College, ThingTank Lab, University of Toronto, OCAD University, UOIT and York University.
For further information:
Paul Zanettos
George Brown College
(416) 415-5000 ext. 3428
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
See the original release on Canada Newswire.
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19-year-old engineering student’s invention could improve solar power efficiency by 40 per cent
Posted on September 28 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The idea is such a simple one: rotate solar panels to follow the sun throughout the day so they capture the most of the sun’s energy as possible. Solar power tracking systems have been around for some time, but a 19-year-old claims to have done existing systems one better. Eden Full is the lady behind the SunSaluter, a technology that can optimize energy collection by up to 40 percent—for a total cost of $10 per installation.
Full said that the device can reduce the payback period for solar panels by five years. To drive home the technology’s potential, she said if the SunSaluter were installed on 15 percent of today’s panels by 2030, it would improve efficiency so much that it’d be like the electricity for a city the size of Philadelphia being carbon neutral.
I saw Full present the SunSaluter at the Mashable Social Good Summit last week, where she won the $10,000 prize at the summit’s Startups For Good challenge. Her presentation to the panel of judges was so impressive that one of the judges said, “if you’re 19 years old, I have hope for the future.”
Read the rest of this article at treehugger.com
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Mother Earth News Fair- Seven Springs, Pa.
Posted on September 24 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Food + Agriculture, Nature + Science
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Scottish Village Goes 100% Wind Powered
Posted on September 22 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Climate Change, Urban Issues + Population
http://www.earthtechling.com
In Scotland, which has committed to generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, communities are beginning to view renewable energy investment as potentially profitable. Case in point: Thornhill, a small village in Stirlingshire, which is seeking approval to put up a 500-kilowatt wind turbine at a farm overlooking the village.
The community-owned and -operated turbine would go beside three others that are privately owned. The four turbines together are expected to produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. With 640 residents in Thornhill, every home in the village could benefit from low-cost, clean electricity for up to 25 years, with the excess being sold on the commercial market.
Sweetening the deal, Scotland’s aggressive feed-in tariff would allow the turbine to generate up to £5 million for the community over 25 years. Although the residents of Thornhill would be responsible for paying rent on the land, and maintaining and operating the turbine, they would also have access to financing and grant funding, freeing them from having to pay for the turbine up front. After costs, the village expects to receive an annual windfall of up to £150,000 for the first 15 years of the 25-year project, with project revenue increasing thereafter.
Read more on www.earthtechling.com.
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Halton Catholic Board Now Using Zerofootprint’s Online Energy Measuring Software
Posted on September 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The following was posted on the front page of the Halton Catholic District School Board’s website:
In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, our Board is now using Zerofootprint’s online energy measuring software that enables our Board’s students and staff to better understand their energy use.
Zerofootprint issued a news release that further explains their energy measuring software, “The Zerofootprint Challenge uses advanced measurement analytics to provide schools with personalized and visually engaging energy-saving maps, graphs, and gauges. The software allows students, teachers, and administrators to see their environmental footprint on an online map and compete against other schools in school-wide friendly competitions to see who can reduce their footprint the most by the end of the school year.”
For further information and to view our Board’s energy footprint please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Press Release: Halton Catholic District School Board and Zerofootprint
Posted on September 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
ZEROFOOTPRINT TEAMS UP WITH HALTON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE WITH BEHAVIOUR-CHANGE SOFTWARE
New online service fosters friendly competition between schools and enables students, teachers, and administrators to better understand their environmental footprint.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - September 13th, 2011 – The Halton Catholic District School Board is the latest Canadian school board to use Zerofootprint’s online solution that enables its students, teachers, and administrators to better understand their energy usage.
Schools today are becoming more and more motivated to save energy, reduce their energy bills, and do their part to preserve the environment. The Zerofootprint Challenge uses advanced measurement analytics to provide schools with personalized and visually engaging energy-saving maps, graphs, and gauges. The software allows students, teachers, and administrators to see their environmental footprint on an online map and compete against other schools in school-wide friendly competitions to see who can reduce their footprint the most by the end of the school year.
“We believe benchmarking our schools’ environmental impact with visually engaging maps, graphs, and charts will play a pivotal role in encouraging students and staff to further their commitment to energy conservation,” says Erin Holko, Environmental Sustainability Officer, Halton Catholic District School Board. “The Zerofootprint Challenge demonstrates how measurement feedback tools combined with behaviour change and friendly competition can create a powerful teaching platform for saving energy and money.”
Zerofootprint’s industry-leading solution will be creatively integrated into the teaching curriculum, and will improve the communication of school values to the Board’s students, staff, parents, and the greater community. Social networking tools will expand commitments and grassroots organizing efforts to parents and neighbours. Energy information will be taught in a visually and socially engaging way that can inspire poster competitions, innovative research projects, and special events. As well, the platform will be integrated onto the LCD screen, dedicated to environmental awareness and announcements, that is located in each school’s front foyer.
“The Halton Catholic District School Board understands that environmental benchmarking allows both students and teachers to make changes in their habits and behaviour that will lower their schools’ energy consumption,” said Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “They recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource. Simple behavioural intervention, such as providing students with direct feedback on their consumption, and then gently nudging them to change their habits, can significantly reduce energy demand. The Board is proving it’s possible for schools to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge – climate change.”
The most cost-effective way to confront climate change is through young people, and because students tend to look to their peers, especially a majority, to decide how to behave, The Zerofootprint Challenge’s persuasive techniques encourage and enable them to change their everyday habits. This people-driven energy conservation program powered by Zerofootprint technology allows students and teachers to quickly understand their footprint and change the way they use energy. By changing habits, savings are sustainable over decades.
About The Halton Catholic District School Board
The Halton Catholic District School Board is a model learning community that provides exceptional educational experiences and services to 52 school sites and more than 29,000 students throughout Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville. The Board is measuring, displaying, and comparing the energy, fuel, water, and carbon footprint of each of its schools. By engaging, educating, and empowering its students with the tools to understand their energy conservation, the Halton Catholic District School Board is proving that young people in schools can lead environmental change. http://www.hcdsb.org
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is a cleantech software and services company that makes environmental impact measurable, visible, and manageable for corporations, governments, schools, and individuals. Our solutions mitigate environmental risk and drive cost reductions through behaviour change. http://www.zerofootprint.net
For more information:
Lori Johnston
Project Manager, Zerofootprint
416-365-7557 x222
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Six ways you can make your home more energy efficient
Posted on September 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Canada is known for its cold winters. It should come as no surprise, then, that 60 per cent of the energy consumed in Canadian homes is for space heating. This can be costly, both in terms of our pocketbooks and our climate. Here are a few ways you can make your home heating more energy efficient:
1. Get a programmable thermostat and set it lower when you’re at work or school, or out for the evening. When you get home, consider setting it just below where you normally keep it. Lowering the temperature by just one degree can cut as much as three per cent off your home heating bill.
2. Get rid of any old, drafty windows and doors. Not only do they let warm air out, but they also allow cold, moist air to come in from outside. Replace these windows and doors make sure the news ones are installed and sealed properly.
3. Make sure your home is properly insulated. If your house is old or hasn’t been renovated for many years, there’s a good chance the insulation isn’t made from modern materials. Replace it with insulation with a high R or RSI value; the higher the value, the more effective it will be at keeping warm air inside your house. Make sure you also install a vapour barrier to keep moisture out.
4. Maintain your heating system. As furnaces are used they can often become less efficient. Make sure you keep up with your maintenance; a furnace should be looked at once per year. Check the air filters - if they’re blocked, your furnace has to work harder to pump out heat.
5. Let the sun heat your house. During the winter months, windows on the south side of your house will receive sunlight the entire day. Open the curtains and let it in. This will raise the temperature of your house and it won’t cost you a dime.
6. Bundle up. Instead of cranking up the heat to stay warm, just put on a few extra layers. You don’t have to wear your snowsuit indoors, but switching those t-shirts and shorts for a sweater and wool socks will help save you energy and money.
What are some other ways that you can reduce your energy consumption from home heating?
Source: Primer on Energy Systems in Canada, First Edition. Pollution Probe, January 2011
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Mother Earth News Fair- Marin County Fairgrounds
Posted on September 3 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Events
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Wind Power In Scotland: A Village Makes It
Posted on August 30 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
In Scotland, which has committed to generating 100 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2020, communities are beginning to view renewable energy investment as potentially profitable. Case in point: Thornhill, a small village in Stirlingshire, which is seeking approval to put up a 500-kilowatt wind turbine at a farm overlooking the village.
The community-owned and -operated turbine would go beside three others that are privately owned. The four turbines together are expected to produce enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. With 640 residents in Thornhill, every home in the village could benefit from low-cost, clean electricity for up to 25 years, with the excess being sold on the commercial market.
Read the full article at Earth Techling.
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With Post-Its and Checklists, Schools Cut Their Energy Bills
Posted on August 19 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 14, 2011
The New York Times
Simple yellow Post-it notes with the message “When not in use, turn off the juice,” pointedly left on classroom computers, printers and air-conditioners, have helped the Mount Sinai School District on Long Island save $350,000 annually on utility bills.
Energy consumption in New York City’s 1,245 school buildings is down roughly 11 percent since 2008, as motion detectors have been installed on classroom lights and unused refrigerators and freezers have been unplugged for the summer.
In Yonkers, energy savings have financed $18 million in new boilers, windows and other capital improvements that the Westchester County district could not otherwise afford.
Schools, once known as energy wasters, are embracing conservation in increasing numbers. A desire to practice the environmentally friendly principles discussed in classrooms has been heightened by soaring energy costs and tighter budgets. With the help of a growing industry of energy consultants, school officials are evaluating every detail of their daily operations, like the temperature of the swimming pool and the amount of electricity the cafeteria ovens use, and are replacing energy-guzzling equipment with more efficient models.
Supporters say that even small adjustments can pay off almost immediately. “If we tested schools in efficient use of energy, many of them wouldn’t get a passing grade,” said C. David Myers, president of building efficiency for Johnson Controls, which has joined with 60 of the 125 school districts on Long Island to reduce energy use by 20 to 40 percent annually.
Nationally, more than two dozen states, including California, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire and Virginia, have used millions in federal stimulus money since 2009 to pay for energy programs and upgrades in school buildings, said Judy Marks, director of the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities in Washington. These efforts include replacing light fixtures, adding solar panels and building geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Some states have also started programs to finance school conservation efforts and to create local contracting jobs. Most recently, Oregon passed legislation in June to provide school districts with low-interest loans and grants for school efficiency improvements; Washington State started a similar grant-based program in 2009.
Continue reading the full article from the New York Times.
Image credit: Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
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Greening Key Economic Sectors Could Cut Humanity’s Footprint in Half
Posted on August 18 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 12, 2011
Global Footprint Network News
Investing just 2 percent of global GDP to green key sectors of the economy could cut humanity’s Ecological Footprint almost in half while actually boosting economic growth, according to a new report by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
The report cites Global Footprint Network data as evidence of the challenge humanity has faced in improving human welfare without also incurring large increases in ecological demand.
“With 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day and with more than two billion people being added to the global population by 2050, it is clear that we must continue to develop and grow our economies,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner in a press release. “But this development cannot come at the expense of the very life support systems on land, in the oceans or in our atmosphere that sustain our economies, and thus, the lives of each and everyone of us.”
The report calls for channeling $1.3 trillion into the transformation of 10 key sectors—agriculture, buildings, energy supply, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism, transport, waste management and water. Such a shift, the report asserts, could deliver long-term growth equal to or better than the most optimistic scenarios projected under current economic policies, while avoiding the catastrophic risks of “business-as-usual” such as climate change, water scarcity and loss of ecosystem services.
Greening key sectors would spur growth in jobs and wealth that, over the long term, would exceed those lost from the transition away from resource-intensive activities, the report says. It would also have greater impact in reducing poverty because of the direct reliance of the poor on the health and vitality of their surrounding natural environment.
See the original article from Global Footprint Network News
Read the report from United Nations Environmental Programme.
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Towards More Resilient Cities
Posted on August 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
August 16th, 2011
Ron Dembo for The Huffington Post Canada
There is no doubt the word “smart” is overplayed and devalued. A good example is smart meters for measuring home electricity. A smart meter is only as smart as the software and feedback loops generated from its data—without feedback a smart meter is dumb.
In Ontario we have the largest penetration of electrical smart meters in our homes almost anywhere. Yet, very few residents even know they have one. What about the day that all home electricity meters are smart? Do we enter into the world of super smart?
It’s all about entering a world where we can “talk” to the objects around us and they can “talk” to us. This is happening regardless of any “smart” initiatives. The big question in my mind is, what should we be doing with this technology to make our cities more resilient (a goal I like more than smart)?
Sensors that can measure the impact of our actions and the things we use are becoming cheaper and more prevalent. For one thing, these ubiquitous sensors can be harnessed to rid us of the myriad of inefficiencies that we can no longer afford in a resource-constrained world. For example, we can reduce electrical consumption without losing the convenience we have become used to. We can use data and benchmarking to reward good behaviour and discourage bad behavior. We can use data to facilitate funding of retrofits in ways that have not been exploited before. We can spot and reduce the enormous amounts of waste in our system—water leakage, phantom load in our electrical system, fuel in our transportation system. We can improve the air we breathe in our buildings and at home if we finally start measuring and benchmarking it. We can optimize our use of resources by clever application of algorithms that can outperform the humans that currently do these tasks.
Examples are: optimization of building resource use, improving the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink, reducing the fuel we need for transportation, reducing the water we need for agriculture, reducing medical errors in our hospitals, improving the reach of health care. Cell phones are “smart” but I believe that the real value of cell phones is in how they have transformed lives and given users tools to improve their resilience through access to sustainable commerce in ways that were not possible before.
So, in short, I think we should turn our attention away from lionizing “smart” and focusing the data that we are now acquiring, through the ubiquitous use of sensors, toward making a our cities more resilient. A city with huge slums is not resilient. A city with inefficient transportation is not resilient. A city that wastes water and energy is not resilient. A city with a monolithic food distribution system is not resilient. A city with a monolithic energy infrastructure is not resilient. A city that does not foster use of local food production is not resilient. So resilience is the adjective that describes a city that is sustainable. More resilience equals more sustainability. Let’s be smart and focus on resilience and sustainability will follow.
Read the original post on Huffington Post Canada
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Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “Towards More Resilient Cities”
Posted on August 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared in the Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
There is no doubt the word “smart” is overplayed and devalued. A good example is smart meters for measuring home electricity. A smart meter is only as smart as the software and feedback loops generated from its data—without feedback a smart meter is dumb.
In Ontario we have the largest penetration of electrical smart meters in our homes almost anywhere. Yet, very few residents even know they have one. What about the day that all home electricity meters are smart? Do we enter into the world of super smart?
It’s all about entering a world where we can “talk” to the objects around us and they can “talk” to us. This is happening regardless of any “smart” initiatives. The big question in my mind is, what should we be doing with this technology to make our cities more resilient (a goal I like more than smart)?
Sensors that can measure the impact of our actions and the things we use are becoming cheaper and more prevalent. For one thing, these ubiquitous sensors can be harnessed to rid us of the myriad of inefficiencies that we can no longer afford in a resource-constrained world. For example, we can reduce electrical consumption without losing the convenience we have become used to. We can use data and benchmarking to reward good behaviour and discourage bad behavior. We can use data to facilitate funding of retrofits in ways that have not been exploited before. We can spot and reduce the enormous amounts of waste in our system—water leakage, phantom load in our electrical system, fuel in our transportation system. We can improve the air we breathe in our buildings and at home if we finally start measuring and benchmarking it. We can optimize our use of resources by clever application of algorithms that can outperform the humans that currently do these tasks.
Examples are: optimization of building resource use, improving the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink, reducing the fuel we need for transportation, reducing the water we need for agriculture, reducing medical errors in our hospitals, improving the reach of health care. Cell phones are “smart” but I believe that the real value of cell phones is in how they have transformed lives and given users tools to improve their resilience through access to sustainable commerce in ways that were not possible before.
So, in short, I think we should turn our attention away from lionizing “smart” and focusing the data that we are now acquiring, through the ubiquitous use of sensors, toward making a our cities more resilient. A city with huge slums is not resilient. A city with inefficient transportation is not resilient. A city that wastes water and energy is not resilient. A city with a monolithic food distribution system is not resilient. A city with a monolithic energy infrastructure is not resilient. A city that does not foster use of local food production is not resilient. So resilience is the adjective that describes a city that is sustainable. More resilience equals more sustainability. Let’s be smart and focus on resilience and sustainability will follow.
Read the original post from Huffington Post Canada
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Japanese Willingly Ration Watts in Shortage
Posted on August 16 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Japan is one of the world’s richest, most technologically advanced nations, but their per capita energy use is only half that of Canada or the United States. In the aftermath of their nuclear crisis they have managed to further reduce their energy use. Tokyo, one of the world’s most electric cities, has cut energy use by 15%. Japan’s conservation programs provide a model for the future and demonstrate the power of social disapproval.
TOKYO — With Japan suffering from electricity shortages this summer, Michio Kuniyuki has stepped up his conservation patrols of Rikkyo University.
As he has done these past six summers, Mr. Kuniyuki spends his days making sure the lights and air-conditioning have not been left on in empty classrooms. Whenever he finds students in a classroom, he turns off the air-conditioning and inquires about the lights.
“Should I leave them on or can I turn them off?” Mr. Kuniyuki asked one day.
“Uh,” one young man hesitated, giving Mr. Kuniyuki the opening for his next move.
Click. Off.
Now backed by a colleague newly assigned to the patrols, Mr. Kuniyuki has been able to strategically map out their routes throughout the campus and outwit students who used to switch the lights back on as soon as they saw his back. “It’s doubly effective,” he said.
Already a leader in conservation, Japan consumes about half as much energy per capita as the United States, according to the United Nations Population Fund. But it has been pushed to even greater lengths since the nuclear disaster even as it tries to revive its economy. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the resulting backlash against nuclear power have left only 17 out of Japan’s 54 reactors online as the nation steels itself for August, the hottest month of the year.
Preliminary figures indicate that regions under conservation mandates have been able to meet reduction targets and even exceed them, providing a possible model of conservation’s potential when concerns about global warming are mounting. In the Tokyo area, the government is pushing to cut electricity use by 15 percent between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays to prevent blackouts — and on Thursday, for example, that target was met compared with last year.
Japanese are bringing to the conservation drive a characteristic combination of national fervor, endurance, sloganeering, technology and social coercion.
A “Super Cool Biz” campaign, which builds on the option of no-tie summer business attire begun in 2005, now encourages salarymen to dress down even further by wearing polo shirts or the traditional aloha-style shirts worn on the Japanese tropical islands of Okinawa.
To back up the call to conserve, electricity reports that forecast the day’s power supply and track demand in real time have become as much a part of this summer as the scorching sun and humid air. They are delivered along with the weather on the morning news and announced along with the next stop aboard some trains.
Government alerts are also sent to subscribers’ cellphones if overall demand nears capacity, prodding households to turn down the air-conditioner or, better yet, turn it off altogether.
Continue reading the full article from the New York Times.
Image credit: Ko Sasaki for The New York Times
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Measuring Your Plastic Footprint
Posted on August 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
By now the carbon footprint is a well-established concept, with the water footprint close behind. Now a “plastic footprint” aims to raise awareness of plastic waste. See this column for more background on plastic footprints.
August 15, 2011
NY Times Green Blog
With climate change and carbon dioxide emissions dominating the environmental conversation much of the time, the issue of plastic pollution tends to get short shrift. Still, the problem is worrying enough to be stirring serious concern among environmental and scientific experts, especially when it comes to plastic that ends up in the oceans, where it never quite biodegrades and can form a swelling gyre of sludge.
Beach and river cleanups simply no longer suffice. With plastic consumption growing, some are calling for a bigger-picture attempt to reduce wasteful use of plastic, increase recycling and raise awareness that plastic is essentially stored petroleum. Enter the Plastic Disclosure Project, an initiative that echoes the well-established Carbon Disclosure Project.
Read the full article on the NY Times Green Blog
Image credit: Bettina Wassener
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Packaging the Future: The Importance of Life Cycle Assessments
Posted on August 15 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Technology + Design
On Friday, August 12th, Zerofootprint and TerraCycle teamed up to demonstrate the value of life cycle assessments (LCAs) for companies and consumers in Media Planet’s “Packaging the Future” report. This supplement, distributed in the National Post, delved into the issue of sustainable packaging and what consumers can do to make better buying choices.
The Importance of Life Cycle Assessments
TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste, was looking to conduct a study on the environmental impact of their products. They wanted to show their current suppliers and clients that their repurposed products are an environmentally-preferable solution to incinerating waste, sending it to landfill, or buying products made from new materials.
TerraCycle turned to Zerofootprint, an award-winning cleantech software and services company that helps businesses measure, visualize, and manage their environmental footprint.
Zerofootprint helped TerraCycle prove its products were green by providing a clear and comprehensive analysis of the processes used by TerraCycle to repurpose waste.
Green Alternatives
Zerofootprint has performed dozens of LCAs for companies looking to back-up the environmental benefits of their products. One of the most revealing studies Zerofootprint performed was for TerraCycle’s Drink Pouch Pencil Case, a pencil case made from used juice pouches. TerraCycle wanted to show that its production process consumed less energy than six other common pencil case manufacturing methods.
“According to Zerofootprint’s findings, the TerraCycle Drink Pouch Pencil Case was responsible for less greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable product made from virgin materials,” said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle. “These findings reconfirmed the business value of up-cycling to our stakeholder community. It was previously clear that the TerraCycle pencil case extended the useful life of the drink pouch material, but now we have more quantified information. Zerofootprint helped us discover that the existence of this product could replace the need for the production of a less sustainable version.”
There’s a story behind every product
To date, TerraCycle has successfully diverted more than 2.5 billion units of waste from landfills and has designed and produced more than 1,500 products made from waste. Conducting Life Cycle Assessments is one key way to demonstrate that companies’ processes are environmentally preferable to traditional waste solutions. This way, businesses can help communicate the value of their products to consumers, clients, and suppliers.
While LCAs are valuable for forward-thinking companies like TerraCycle, they can also help consumers understand their environmental impact. “Life Cycle Assessments bring to light the long story behind every object, from the extraction of resources to a finished product. They help us realize that every step has its own environmental impact,” says Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “Creating this awareness is at the heart of informing consumers to make responsible choices that will reduce our collective environmental footprint.”
Download the Zerofootprint & TerraCycle article here, or the entire Media Planet Packaging the Future report here.
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If Airlines & Passengers Can’t Afford To Pay For Their Emissions, We Can’t Afford To Fly At All
Posted on August 9 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Airlines flying to and from Europe may soon have to pay for their carbon emissions. Customers are worried that these costs may be passed on to them, but the price of offsetting a passenger’s carbon emissions is likely to be less than other common surcharges. So TreeHugger asks: should we be flying at all if we aren’t willing to pay for our emissions?
The European Union’s long-coming plan to include foreign-based airlines in its carbon trading scheme is scheduled to begin in January 2012, which would make all airlines flying to and from Europe to paying for their carbon emissions. It should come as only a small surprise that airlines from the US to China are angry. A court case brought about by the US has just started, which is what brings this again into the spotlight.
The New York Times and AP both have current accounts of the US complaints, as we have covered here on TreeHugger. Reuters has the recent Chinese complaints about the scheme.
Despite all the talk of potential violations of international law, what all this comes down to is money. The China Air Transport Association estimates that it will cost Chinese airlines $123 million in the first year and triple that by 2020. Globally, the International Air Transport Association says it will cost $3 billion to implement.
It’s a painfully familiar refrain that rises whenever government attempts to regulate an industry and one which nearly always is baseless fear mongering.
Keep reading the full article from TreeHugger
Image credit: Yuichi Kosio/Creative Commons
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Negawatts: The Positive Psychology Behind Negative Energy
Posted on August 8 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
PsychCentral.com examines the concept of negawatts from the perspective of psychology. This was based on Ron Dembo’s talk about negawatts at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th. Catch up with the podcast from the BBC.
This idea of Negawatts seems to turn consumerism on its head, but it is a model for efficiency and actually may create a market for power companies. There is even talk of a Negawatt energy market where energy would be sold like a commodity such as silver or copper. Since the cheapest watt is the one that’s never created, power companies could sell their unused power to communities in need at a discount: Everyone is happy.
You would be hard-pressed to look at the field of positive psychology and not see mindfulness, staying focused in the now, as a staple in becoming happier. By offering incentives to think about your wattage use we are making energy consumption a mindfulness project. I doubt Eckhart Tolle had it in mind, but his bestselling book, The Power of Now, takes on a deeper meaning when you realize the concept behind negawatts: We do, literally, have more (electrical) power when we are mindful of its use.
The Negawatt revolution straddles the shift between external and internal motivation, through a process Deci and Ryan called internalization. Negawatt theory is a direct attempt to transform an extrinsically motivated behavior (energy conservation) into an internally valued need (becoming energy-conscious.) If we look at SDT we see that rewarding people to use power conservatively has the potential to empower them. Knowing they can regulate wattage use on their own (autonomy) to both save and make money (enhancing their competence) for the betterment of others (community relatedness) strikes the chord Ryan and Deci meant by internalization. Consider how the work of Nobel Prize winner Al Gore motivated people around the world. We became conscious of the deleterious results of the greenhouse effect (extrinsic motivation) and have changed our intrinsic behavior accordingly (and buy compact fluorescent bulbs as an autonomous act of commonality).
In the case of Negawatts, the external motivator and incentive is to be paid for doing nothing. Critics see this as ludicrous — getting paid for doing nothing with a commodity you don’t own — but the truth is it is not nothing. It is mindfulness in the service of efficiency. In California they have rolling blackouts because of excessive energy demands. In India major cities have nearly daily blackouts because of lack of power. If we were able to reduce or eliminate blackouts because people are rewarded for not using power this becomes a proactive, voluntary act leading to greater community productivity and well-being. It isn’t doing nothing: It is consciously, mindfully making decisions for the betterment of yourself and others.
The ultimate question is: Will this work? Can we help people become more mindful of their energy consumption?
Read the full article on PsychCentral.com
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Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “We Are an Amazing Species”
Posted on August 8 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
In July I spent four days in Edinburgh at TEDGlobal listening to a broad range of talks by amazing people who are doing amazing things. The creativity of these people is inspiring. What we are capable of is truly awesome. It is awesome in the good it can produce and awesome in the destruction it is causing.
I opened my Blackberry one morning to read about the latest 17-year study on the role forests play in keeping our world in balance and, in short, they are even more powerful agents than we have assumed. Yet we are collectively destroying them at an unprecedented rate—it’s as if we were slowly cutting our lungs out while partying. We have been listening to the “Surgeon General” warning us about the perils of destroying the Amazon rainforests since I was a kid. Yet it goes on.
So, I went for a walk outside in a Scottish forest and spent an hour looking at some of the most magnificent spruce trees I have ever seen. They were surely there years before brilliant Scotsmen sculpted society as we know it today. Did they have any idea that their inventions would bring us to the brink of collapse? Did they know, as they perfected their steam engines, drew up their legal system, evolved democracy, that in only a few hundred years man would have taken this creativity and in the blink of an evolutionary eye produced what we have today? Could they have imagined the amazing things that would have resulted? And, could they have imagined it could all lead to the destruction of the world?
I mused about why Scotland? Why did all this creativity occur in this small, chilly, rainy place? But looking around me it was clear. This must have been heaven a few hundred years ago—lots of water, beautiful, abundant forests teeming with wildlife, an ocean nearby well stocked with fish—the perfect place to develop agriculture and have time to think, a Garden of Eden. They invented the stuff that would allow us to build cities in deserts, pump water from aquifers that had been there for thousands of years, cut forests down at an ever-accelerating rate. They started the ball rolling. They took us, at lightning evolutionary speed, to a place with challenges that we are not equipped to solve.
We, as a species, need to collaborate on an unprecedented scale to avoid a catastrophe. It is hard to see how we can get there. We are not wired for this. We need to evolve socially as rapidly as we are evolving technologically. We need to get to a point where we can maintain and share our world’s resources for the good of all species and we need to do this in record time. Evolution is too slow. We need social innovation, innovation in world governance that I cannot foresee happening fast enough. We are still cavemen standing guard over the animal we just killed.
It is even more difficult to imagine as I read about the squabbling and petty discussions that are happening leading up to elections in my home province of Ontario where conservation is becoming a dirty word and where electoral rhetoric is about trivia that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. And why should we care? We are fat cats living well in the world with lots of resources at our disposal. We are in the first class cabins on the Titanic. So what about those poor buggers on deck who are screaming just because they saw an iceberg cut a hole in the side of the boat? I want to know why it is taking the waiters so long to bring the champagne.
Read the original post at www.huffingtonpost.ca
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Negawatts: The Positive Psychology Behind Negative Energy
Posted on August 8 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Mentions, Energy + Climate
Psychcentral.com
August 8, 2011
A typographical error led Amory Lovins to coin the phrase negawatts. In a brilliant 1989 keynote address to the Green Energy Conference in Montreal he outlined what has become the blueprint for a radical business and energy concept.
Pay people to do nothing.
Twenty-plus years later the idea is deeply taking hold.
Fast-forward to Dr. Ron Denbo who was recently featured on a TED global ideas project. He is the Founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, an international company that provides software to measure and manage carbon footprint. Individuals, governments and corporations can use these services to reduce the amount of CO2 they generate.
The rising amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is what has been causing global warming. It results in changing weather patterns (such as more frequent heatwaves and downpours), which threatens Earth’s stability and eventually makes it uninhabitable.
Dr. Denbo has a central mission for his company — to assist employees and citizens worldwide in combating climate change. His premise is simple:
“If we needed one more watt in this country, what would we do? We could build a new power plant, or we could save that watt. Which is cheaper?”
His point is that if we can accurately measure energy use, we can help save energy and change people’s behavior patterns for the better. If you measure and pay people for the watts they don’t use, it can offset the watts they do use.
The concept has become a reality for larger companies, but it is working its way down to individuals — new, accurate ways to measure and compare energy use have been developed. Once a typical usage baseline is established, the software Dr. Denbo has developed could measure what is being saved.
“You could put anything you want into an electrical outlet,” said Dr. Denbo at the forum. “There is no regulation on the efficiency, frivolity or value of what you plug in. (The power companies) have to supply that electricity.
Continue reading this story on www.psychcentral.com
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We Are an Amazing Species
Posted on August 5 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Ron Dembo
August 5th, 2011
HuffPost Canada
In July I spent four days in Edinburgh at TEDGlobal listening to a broad range of talks by amazing people who are doing amazing things. The creativity of these people is inspiring. What we are capable of is truly awesome. It is awesome in the good it can produce and awesome in the destruction it is causing.
I opened my Blackberry one morning to read about the latest 17-year study on the role forests play in keeping our world in balance and, in short, they are even more powerful agents than we have assumed. Yet we are collectively destroying them at an unprecedented rate—it’s as if we were slowly cutting our lungs out while partying. We have been listening to the “Surgeon General” warning us about the perils of destroying the Amazon rainforests since I was a kid. Yet it goes on.
So, I went for a walk outside in a Scottish forest and spent an hour looking at some of the most magnificent spruce trees I have ever seen. They were surely there years before brilliant Scotsmen sculpted society as we know it today. Did they have any idea that their inventions would bring us to the brink of collapse? Did they know, as they perfected their steam engines, drew up their legal system, evolved democracy, that in only a few hundred years man would have taken this creativity and in the blink of an evolutionary eye produced what we have today? Could they have imagined the amazing things that would have resulted? And, could they have imagined it could all lead to the destruction of the world?
I mused about why Scotland? Why did all this creativity occur in this small, chilly, rainy place? But looking around me it was clear. This must have been heaven a few hundred years ago—lots of water, beautiful, abundant forests teeming with wildlife, an ocean nearby well stocked with fish—the perfect place to develop agriculture and have time to think, a Garden of Eden. They invented the stuff that would allow us to build cities in deserts, pump water from aquifers that had been there for thousands of years, cut forests down at an ever-accelerating rate. They started the ball rolling. They took us, at lightning evolutionary speed, to a place with challenges that we are not equipped to solve.
We, as a species, need to collaborate on an unprecedented scale to avoid a catastrophe. It is hard to see how we can get there. We are not wired for this. We need to evolve socially as rapidly as we are evolving technologically. We need to get to a point where we can maintain and share our world’s resources for the good of all species and we need to do this in record time. Evolution is too slow. We need social innovation, innovation in world governance that I cannot foresee happening fast enough. We are still cavemen standing guard over the animal we just killed.
It is even more difficult to imagine as I read about the squabbling and petty discussions that are happening leading up to elections in my home province of Ontario where conservation is becoming a dirty word and where electoral rhetoric is about trivia that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. And why should we care? We are fat cats living well in the world with lots of resources at our disposal. We are in the first class cabins on the Titanic. So what about those poor buggers on deck who are screaming just because they saw an iceberg cut a hole in the side of the boat? I want to know why it is taking the waiters so long to bring the champagne.
Read the original post on HuffPost Canada
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Completion of Sherbourne Common Marks New Era of Smart, Green Parks in Toronto
Posted on August 4 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Technology + Design, Urban Issues + Population
Last fall, Zerofootprint attended the launch of the first phase of Sherbourne Common, an innovative new park in downtown Toronto, combining cutting-edge green technology and beautiful Canadian design. With the second phase unveiled last week this park becomes the first in Canada to have a water treatment plant seamlessly integrated into its kid-friendly water features, paving the way for a new generation of cutting-edge green spaces.
The Globe and Mail
July 29, 2011
Sherbourne Common marks the end of the park. Or, at least, the end of the conventional park. Here is a beguiling landscape, injected with rays of electric blue at night, that sits atop a vast, brainy infrastructure. Below a splash pad, where kids frolic by day, polluted water from Lake Ontario pours through ultraviolet cleansing tanks before being pumped up through celebratory water sculptures. A park of this kind may be a first for Canada and even North America, but it surely will not be the last.
Nature no longer exists. New nature is what we cultivate in our cities. Today, the urban farmers are planners, landscape architects and clean-tech innovators who plot to remediate the toxins left behind by the city’s industrialists. Historically, parks have been designed as picturesque snapshots – psychological escapes from urbanity. With Sherbourne Common, which opened this week, the mandate has been to heal a neglected part of the waterfront by providing a neighbourhood-wide water-treatment facility immediately below the park’s surface.
The Common extends in two parcels of land from roaring Lake Shore Boulevard to Queens Quay, and, from there, south to the lake’s edge. Its northern zone is the more austere of the two, with a ground surface divided, as if still on a drawing board, into pedantic textures: a yellow rubber surface for playing; loose, fine gravel; ipe hardwood decking; and narrow swaths of grass.
Luckily, there is also an abundance of life-giving trees and water. Water cleaned with UV light shimmers as it flows down chain-mail screens – held by curved nine-metre-high concrete arms – into raised pools that extend generously to Queens Quay. From there, the water gushes south into long troughs densely planted with native grasses selected for their ability to help clean water through bio-remediation. It then flows across the street toward Lake Ontario, nudging pedestrians to one side, before bursting above ground in spikes erupting from the splash pad.
The Common promises new life in the winter season, too. Ice will be allowed to form along those chain-mail screens – a rare concession to whimsy in this country, though not in the fantastically frozen fountains of, say, Paris. Set behind a lush planting of trees and grass, the splash pad becomes a skating rink when temperatures drop below freezing.
The iconic gesture here is a brooding pavilion, intended as a sculpted piece of architectural jewellery discreetly clad in the dull patina of Canadian zinc. To ennoble public washrooms and a future café with architecture by esteemed Teeple Architects is laudable, to be sure, and there’s an exhilarating curve to the front of the pavilion finely rendered by Eastern Construction – although it must be said that, from a distance, the building looks stubby and forgettably grey.
Invisible to the eye, located below the public washrooms, are the brains of the sewage-treatment facility: a series of disinfecting machines that use ultraviolet light – not the chlorine of yesteryear – to clean water from the lake and the run-off of surrounding roads, highways and buildings. In North America, where dirty water tainted with E. coli bacteria can be found flowing like nasty rivers into our lakes, this cleaning process is a rare phenomenon.
“Vancouver would be very envious to have this,” says the Common’s landscape architect, Greg Smallenberg, whose firm, Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg, is based in that city. Without $27-million in funding from the federal government, Sherbourne Common would have never happened – and Toronto would be without a new public asset on what were previously underused lands. From Chicago’s Millennium Park to Denmark’s Copenhagen Harbour Baths, the investment in the public realm is a no-brainer. Albeit on a smaller scale, Sherbourne Common is sure to earn dividends in enhanced tourism for Toronto, as well as invigorated neighbourhood economies, and the rebranding of the city as a place with an intelligent future.
Read the entire article here.
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A New Move to Develop Global Standards for Measuring Energy Use in Buildings
Posted on August 3 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
Paris / Nairobi, 2 August 2011 - Efforts to establish international standards for measuring energy use in buildings have received a boost, after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) decided to consider an innovative tool developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to gauge energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in homes and offices across the world.
The Common Carbon Metric (CCM) - developed by UNEP’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative - could form the basis for a new international standard for measuring the environmental performance of existing buildings. The ISO - the world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards, covering 162 countries - will develop relevant methods.
The Common Carbon Metric is intended to create a uniform system for defining the climate impact of buildings through a consistent protocol, which can, in turn, help develop international baselines for use by architects, designers and the construction industry.
Today, the building sector is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions with about one third of global energy use taking place in offices and homes. Moreover, building-related CO₂ emissions are set to rise from 8.6 billion tones in 2004 to 11.1 billion tones in 2020.
“At UNEP we believe there is great potential for the building sector to contribute to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sylvie Lemmet, Director of UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics. “Development of the Common Carbon Metric and the ISO’s decision to consider it as an international standard are important steps to remove the barriers to unlock this potential and provide a path to more energy efficiency in the building sector.”
Developing new standards for buildings can help governments plan more effectively towards achieving national targets on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. The Common Carbon Metric can also support the formulation of carbon credit schemes and other emission reduction mechanisms.
The CCM is specifically designed to measure energy use when a building is operational. In other words, it is not applied to the construction phase. However, given that the day-to-day use of buildings accounts for 80%to 90% of their total energy consumption, the Common Carbon Metric deals with the period in a building’s lifespan where the greatest amount of emissions are produced. First launched during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009, UNEP’s Common Carbon Metric measures both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent in buildings per metre squared or per occupant over the course of one year. It contains two approaches: a “top-down” model, which takes measurements from a collection of buildings or a “bottom-up” model, which is applied to an individual building.
Read the entire press release from UNEP.
Image credit: Shutterstock/06photo
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Urban acupuncture: a new approach to creating more sustainable cities
Posted on August 2 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Guardian
July 21, 2011
Around the world, mass migration from the countryside to cities surges. Cities from Los Angeles to Lagos will burst at the seams with citizens who seek new economic opportunities. Meanwhile municipal budgets will be constrained as energy prices increase, building materials become more expensive, and the fresh water supplies decline. Massive redevelopment projects that transformed Dubai, and $475m (£298m) open spaces like Millennium Park in Chicago are not an option for cash-strapped communities.
Could urban design infused with Chinese medicinal theory offer a solution? Watch for the “urban acupuncture” movement to transform urban life in the coming decade. Traced to Finnish architect Marco Casagrande, this school of thought eschews massive urban renewal projects in favour a of more localised and community approach.
“Urban acupuncture is a surgical and selective intervention into the urban environment,” said Los Angeles architect and professor John Southern in an interview, “instead of large scale projects that involve not only thousands of acres, but investment and infrastructure that municipalities can no longer provide.”
Southern explained that the urban acupuncture approach treats cities like a living organism. Such micro-targeting, low-cost, democratic, and empowering tactics provide urban residents the much coveted green space that they desire without driving to a specific location. Although city politicians want to score points from the creation of enormous parks or even large building complexes that score a green certification, those projects often run over budget and even take away space that could benefit local communities in other ways. Furthermore, Southern noted that only a limited number of practitioners profit from large scale projects, while micro-targeted initiatives benefit more individual designers and architects.
Read the entire article on the Guardian website.
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SolWest Fair
Posted on July 29 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Technology + Design, Education + Training, Events
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Seattle 2030 District pushes for carbon-neutral downtown core
Posted on July 26 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Green Buildings + Retrofits, The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
The Seattle 2030 District is an initiative of the City of Seattle to slash the environmental impact of a huge portion of its downtown core. This project will follow guidelines of the 2030 Challenge for Planning, a projects from not-for-profit Architecture 2030, the organization founded by Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards juror Edward Mazria. The organization pushes for the global building sector to drastically cut it greenhouse gas emissions and water use.
Solve Climate News
July 22, 2011
Seattle is greening its cityscape in a bid to boost its sluggish real estate market — all while cutting global warming emissions and slashing energy costs.
Industry leaders have banded together to spearhead a high-performance building initiative — the first of its kind nationwide — that sets ambitious sustainability and efficiency goals for privately owned buildings in the heart of the city.
The Seattle 2030 District aims to drive up property values, reduce vacancy rates, lower operating costs and create ongoing employment in retrofitted and newly constructed buildings downtown.
The idea is to rebrand the city as a hub for environmentally conscious businesses and residents and inspire similar urban development efforts across the country.
“Building owners and operators see it as a competitive advantage for the city,” Brian Geller, the initiative’s executive director, told SolveClimate News.
“Architects and engineers see it as an economic opportunity just to drive initial work. All of the stakeholders are excited about what it can do for the city as a whole,” he said.
More than 40 real estate companies, property owners and city agencies in Seattle representing around 23 million square feet have agreed to participate in the district so far. A total of 81 million square feet — or nearly 1,160 buildings — will be included in the project’s first phase.
The initiative, which Geller first proposed in late 2009, is set to celebrate its formal launch on Sept. 8.
Read more on Solve Climate News.
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Fresh Ideas from TED Global in Edinburgh: BBC’s The Forum talks to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo
Posted on July 20 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Ron Dembo Interviews + Articles
BBC podcast The Forum recorded live from the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th.
This program tackles the big questions of our time with some of the world’s most respected thinkers - including our CEO Ron Dembo.
In this episode, host Bridget Kendall was joined by Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo, Pakistani film maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, British-American physicist Geoffrey West, and Indian sugar producer Rajshree Pathy.
The podcast is available on the web through the BBC website.
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Fresh Ideas from TED Global in Edinburgh: BBC’s The Forum talks to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo
Posted on July 20 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
BBC podcast The Forum recorded live from the TED Global conference in Edinburgh on July 13th.
This program tackles the big questions of our time with some of the world’s most respected thinkers - including our CEO Ron Dembo.
In this episode, host Bridget Kendall was joined by Zerofootprint founder and CEO Ron Dembo, Pakistani film maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, British-American physicist Geoffrey West, and Indian sugar producer Rajshree Pathy.
The podcast is available on the web through the BBC website.
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Notice: Public Petition to Stop Controverial Quarry Project in Ontario
Posted on July 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Health + Pollution, Urban Issues + Population
A Boston hedge fund plans to begin a massive mining project in the Niagara region, destroying acres of pristine farmland and contaminating drinking water supplies in the region. They are still waiting for approval from the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources, to much public outcry. If you wish to sign the petition to stop this project, visit www.avaaz.org.
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Saskatchewan most A/C savvy province in summer months, says Stats Can
Posted on July 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Urban Issues + Population
We all know that cranking your AC uses up plenty of electricity and increases your environmental footprint - but which Canadians indulge in this comfort the most?
Statistics Canada recently conducted a nationwide survey on air conditioning and found that residents of Saskatchewan are the savviest energy users when it comes to keeping cool. In contrast, Ontario’s electricity demands actually peak in the summer months because of substantial AC use.
The Globe & Mail
July 3, 2011
Take a bow, Saskatchewan. You’re the savviest summertime energy-savers in the country. Of course you’ll have to open your blinds first, so we can see you.
The summer issue of Statistics Canada’s EnviroStats has a nation-wide survey on air conditioning. Many Canadians consider it to be something of a necessity, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart about when and where we use it.
Half of all Canadian homes have some form of air conditioning, but usage varies regionally. Ontario is the only province where electricity demand peaks in the summer, due to residents’ prodigious application of air conditioners. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are also big users, reflecting the extremes of a continental climate.
Read more on theglobeandmail.com.
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It Is Time We Know What We Breathe All Day
Posted on July 7 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Health + Pollution, Huffington Post
Huffingtonpost.ca
July 7, 2011
Zerofootprint Founder and CEO Ron Dembo is a blogger for the new Huffington Post Canada. In his second post he asks readers: why don’t we measure and compare the air quality of the places where we spend most of our time - our homes, schools, and offices? Isn’t it time this changed? Read on:
Stop people on the street and ask them if the air quality in their home matters to them. I bet they would say “yes” across the board—yet, I’m willing to bet that most of us know more about the fuel efficiency of our cars, or the price of the houses in our neighborhood, or the cost of a haircut than we do than about the quality of air in our children’s schools. Strange, isn’t it? Is it that we don’t really care?
It is safe to say we should measure what we care about—so why don’t we? According to Health Canada, the average Canadian spends 90 per cent of their time indoors. We know poor air quality can cause sickness—think of mould, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), flame retardants on our furniture, etc.
What if I told you your house had 10 times the VOCs that are found in your neighbors’ houses? What if the boardroom on the fourth floor in your office was 20 times worse than the one on the third floor? Guess where you would hold meetings! And guess how long it would take before the fourth floor boardroom would be fixed.
Or, imagine your son’s school with air quality much worse than your daughter’s. It wouldn’t be long before you would be lobbying for a change.
Poor air quality shortens life expectancy in all Canadians. Health Canada estimates that the government spends several billions of dollars a year dealing with the negative human, financial, and social impacts of outdoor air quality. Outdoor air quality is linked to respiratory problems, lost workdays, increased hospital visits, and even premature death for thousands of Canadians. Poor outdoor air quality also significantly increases the rate of asthma in our children, a costly sickness since it leads to many emergency room visits.
Before buying my own home I once did an air quality test for urea-formaldehyde levels because the home had been insulated with urea-formaldehyde. The net result was great and so I bought the house. Not everyone has this choice, but they can read the Environmental Protection Agency’s introduction to indoor air quality to see how to reduce VOC exposure.
So, I propose that we monitor the air in our homes, schools, and offices in addition to our neighbourhoods so that we can see how we stack up with respect to our neighbours and peers. It will save us large amounts of money in the long run. It is technologically feasible and it could make a large dent on the government’s bill for health care, something that is getting out of hand.
To follow all of Dr. Dembo’s Huffington Post Canada blogs, sign up for the RSS feed.
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Canada Lacks game plan to prosper in low-carbon world
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Director of Tides Canada’s New Energy Vision project, Merran Smith, contributed an insightful opinion piece to the Toronto Star on July 5. Her point: Canada isn’t ready to get ahead in the energy revolution that is already underway. And it isn’t just environmentalists who think so - read on:
The Toronto Star
July 4, 2011
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach recently asked a panel of experts to come up with a vision for the future of Canada’s oil-rich province. One of the key findings warns of a potentially radical shift in the world’s demand for Canada’s energy.
There’s no danger of Alberta running out of petroleum to sell to the world, the panel says. But will the world want it?
“We must plan for the eventuality that oilsands production will almost certainly be displaced at some point in the future by lower-cost and/or lower-emission alternatives,” the panel states. “We may have heavy oil to sell, but few or no profitable markets wishing to buy.”
These aren’t the words of environmentalists looking through green-tinted glasses. They come from former international trade minister David Emerson, chair of the Shaping Alberta’s Future panel, which included GE Canada CEO Elyse Allan, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge, and former Stelco CEO Courtney Pratt, among others.
These luminaries from Canada’s top corporate boardrooms have concluded an energy revolution is already underway. Unfortunately, when it comes to preparing for this shift, Canada lags behind.
Our nation’s long-term energy strategy remains rooted in an assumption of ever-increasing global demand for our petroleum. Meanwhile, evidence mounts that this conclusion may be putting Canada at economic risk.
The United States and China — our current and future energy buyers — are making unprecedented renewable-energy investments to reduce their dependence on imported oil. Along with Europe and other major economies, they are working to heat and power their cities — and move people and cargo where they need to go — with energy sources that are clean, safe, renewable, abundant and available closer to home.
China recently committed to place one million electric cars on the road per year. By 2020, that same nation’s high-speed rail network is expected to connect all cities with populations over 500,000, which will slash domestic aviation and the petroleum it requires. Meanwhile, declaring that “we can break our dependence on oil,” in late March U.S. President Barack Obama pledged $2.4 billion in grants for electric vehicle research. The funds were part of his goal to roll one million battery-powered cars onto America’s roads by 2015.
Around the same time, the European Commission kicked off a program to purge Europe’s cities of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Under that policy, half of petroleum-fueled cars and trucks will be gone from Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Athens and dozens of other major centres by 2030. Twenty years later — by about 2050 — these cities will be freed forever from the smog, noise and soot of internal combustion engines.
Does anyone else see a trend here? (Continued…)
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Financial Post: Miller Thomson goes green - with a twist
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in
The Financial Post
July 6, 2011
Miller Thomson is measuring its carbon footprint. But the national law firm is one of the first Canadian firms to do so on the basis of the rigorous, internationally recognized ISO 14064 standards. The firm is working with Zerofootprint, a Toronto-based based energy efficiency green tech company. Although lawyers have hardly led the march to sustainability, environmentally conscious practices “are becoming increasingly important as business drivers,” Miller Thomson says.
More information is available online.
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Miller Thomson goes green with help from Zerofootprint
Posted on July 6 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Press Releases
MILLER THOMSON BENCHMARKS CARBON FOOTPRINT AGAINST RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONAL STANDARD
Firm describes ‘sustainability’ as a business imperative
TORONTO, June 28, 2011 /CNW/ - Miller Thomson LLP is among the first of Canadian law firms to measure its carbon footprint against rigorous, internationally recognized ISO 14064 standards. The greenhouse gas emissions benchmarking program was completed recently in collaboration with Toronto-based Zerofootprint, an award-winning energy efficiency green-tech company based in Toronto.
The review included an analysis of sustainability practices within the firm’s Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton offices, as well as a comparison of how Miller Thomson measures up against other mid- to large-sized Canadian law firms, banks and accounting firms. Miller Thomson ranked among the top three on the national peer list.
“Our view is that sustainability practices are a business imperative”, said Gerald Courage, Chair of Miller Thomson. “Frankly, we would not have performed so well on a comparative basis had we not been actively working on these issues over the past three years. We are using these efforts to return measurable business value. We are seeking workplace efficiencies, cost savings, as well as preferred status in a growing number of competitive reviews by leading corporations seeking to clean their supply chains.”
Miller Thomson established a National Environmental Sustainability Committee in 2008 to evaluate and improve sustainability practices within the firm. Since then, a number of environmentally focused initiatives have been implemented. These include:
* Recycling initiatives for used office and computer equipment
* Desk side, kitchen and battery recycling programs
* Replacing all plastic bottles with reusable glass jugs and glassware
* Reducing paper usage with the introduction of double-sided printing and encouraging electronic file sharing and faxing
* Turning off electronic devices while not in use as a simple way to reduce power
* Encouraging video conferencing as an alternative to travel
* Working towards a new protocol to calculate greenhouse gas emissions based on airline travel across the firm
As part of their review, Zerofootprint also compiled a Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report to measure and benchmark the greenhouse gas impact of each office participating in the review. That report measured the environmental footprint of the three locations in accordance with standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, widely used international accounting tools for understanding, quantifying and managing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Benchmarking the greenhouse gas impact of each of the Miller Thomson offices we reviewed has been crucial to motivate meaningful change across the entire firm,” said Sarah Hansen, Partner and Chair of the firm’s National Environmental Sustainability Committee. “This benchmarking will allow us to measure our progress and implement sustainable policies and incentives that are effective and realistic.”
Zerofootprint also produced a Best Practices Report for Miller Thomson to streamline green efforts across the firm.
“Miller Thomson is leading the way in environmental benchmarking,” said Ron Dembo, founder and CEO of Zerofootprint. “They recognize that energy efficiency is our greatest untapped energy resource. Simple behavioural intervention, such as providing people with direct feedback on their consumption, and then gently nudging them to change their habits, can significantly reduce energy demand. The problems of climate change need to be tackled comprehensively. Miller Thomson has proven it’s possible for a business to save money and address the world’s greatest challenge.”
About Miller Thomson
Miller Thomson LLP is a national business law firm with more than 470 lawyers working from 11 offices across Canada. The firm offers a complete range of business law, advocacy and personal legal services. Miller Thomson works regularly with in-house legal departments and external counsel world-wide to facilitate cross-border and multinational transactions and business needs. Miller Thomson offices are located in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto, Markham and Montréal. http://www.millerthomson.com
About Zerofootprint
Zerofootprint is an award-winning energy efficiency green-tech company. We measure energy and greenhouse gas emissions across homes, schools, buildings, and organizations. Our revolutionary benchmarking software tools enable millions of people to better understand their energy use, reduce their environmental footprint, and save money on their energy bills. Our online measurement and feedback tools are scientifically accurate, practical, quick, large-scale, cost-effective, and user-friendly. The result: we help individuals and organizations visualize their environmental footprint, and enable them to measure, compare, and change the way they consume energy. http://www.zerofootprint.net
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AIA Announces Top 10 Green Buildings of 2011
Posted on July 5 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Green Buildings + Retrofits, The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards
“Energy is a design topic, not a technology topic, and there are a few of us who have always believed this.” Donald Watcon (Fellow, AIA)
The American Institute of Architects has announced its 2011 picks for its annual AIA/Commitment on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects. These awards recognize excellence in green design and sustainable architecture. Much like the Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards, scoring is based on a holistic approach that also considers the impact of a project on the community and its potential to be re-purposed in the future.
Take a look at Time Magazine’s slide show of the 2011 winners, or learn more on the AIA website.
Photo: OS House, Racine, Wisconsin.
Photo Credit: John J. Macauley
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UBC Summer Institute in Sustainability Leadership
Posted on July 4 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Green Business + Investment, Education + Training, Events
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97% of US scientists say climate change happening - so why is public skepticism on the rise?
Posted on June 27 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Climate Change, Energy + Climate
National Public Radio
June 21, 2011
The American public is less likely to believe in global warming than it was just five years ago. Yet, paradoxically, scientists are more confident than ever that climate change is real and caused largely by human activities.
Something a bit strange is happening with public opinion and climate change.
Anthony Leiserowitz, who directs the Yale University Project on Climate Change Communication, delved into this in a recent poll. He not only asked citizens what they thought of climate change, he also asked them to estimate how climate scientists feel about global warming.
“Only 13 percent of Americans got the correct answer, which is that in fact about 97 percent of American scientists say that climate change is happening, and about a third of Americans just simply say they don’t know,” he said.
Most Americans are unaware that the National Academy of Sciences, known for its cautious and even-handed reviews of the state of science, is firmly on board with climate change. It has been for years.
Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy, paraphrased its most recent report on the subject.
“The consensus statement is that climate changes are being observed, are certainly real, they seem to be increasing, and that humans are mostly likely the cause of all or most of these changes,” he said.
That’s not just the view of the U.S. National Academies. There’s also a consensus statement from the presidents of science academies from around the world, including the academies of China, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Russia, France, Brazil, the list goes on.
Read the entire article and llsten to the radio story on www.npr.org.
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Smart Meters are Good for Us
Posted on June 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Huffington Post
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Imagine you and your neighbor buy the same car. They’re identical in every way, yet there is one important difference: he paid half as much as you did. How would you feel? The answer is obvious for most Canadians—you would feel foolish because you work hard for your money.
Now, imagine someone on your street living in an identical house paid half as much for electricity as you do. You would want to know how she did it, right?
These examples are not meant to be exaggerations. Most of us pay an electricity bill, but we don’t have a clue about how much electricity we consume relative to others like us. We can’t see it. We can’t feel it. We don’t even know what’s “normal.” Yet we all say it is important. Strange, eh?
Read the entire post at www.huffingtonpost.ca
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Ron Dembo Blogs for Huffington Post Canada: “Smart Meters are Good for Us”
Posted on June 21 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Huffigton Post
This blog post originally appeared in the new Canadian edition of the Huffington Post. Get all the newest posts by signing up to Zerofootprint CEO Ron Dembo’s Huffington Post blog RSS feed.
Imagine you and your neighbor buy the same car. They’re identical in every way, yet there is one important difference: he paid half as much as you did. How would you feel? The answer is obvious for most Canadians—you would feel foolish because you work hard for your money.
Now, imagine someone on your street living in an identical house paid half as much for electricity as you do. You would want to know how she did it, right?
These examples are not meant to be exaggerations. Most of us pay an electricity bill, but we don’t have a clue about how much electricity we consume relative to others like us. We can’t see it. We can’t feel it. We don’t even know what’s “normal.” Yet we all say it is important. Strange, eh?
Read the entire post at www.huffingtonpost.ca
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Waste Management & Resource Efficiency Course
Posted on June 20 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Social Issues + Governance, Green Business + Investment, Education + Training
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Engaging Employees Key to Achieving Corporate Sustainability Goals
Posted on June 17 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Business + Investment
The Guardian
June 16, 2011
What happens when individuals act in ways that seem out of kilter with their attitudes and values? Academics call it the “value action gap”, and have noted that it’s particularly evident in people’s attitudes toward the environment. We have the knowledge to act more sustainably but when it comes to actually doing something, other factors take over.
Companies have values, too. The dynamics of the value action gap are complex enough in individual choices, but with large companies they reach an entirely different dimension. The recent evidence we have seen at Global Action Plan is that there is a growing gulf between the aspirations and values of business leaders and the day-to-day reality of working life.
Increasingly, forward thinking leaders realise that sustainability is integral to the survival and well-being of their companies. What the government’s chief scientist Professor John Beddington, describes as the “perfect storm” of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy resources have profound implications for most businesses.
In response, there is a growing level of ambition from many companies in their sustainability statements. Fundamentally all of them are seeking to decouple economic growth from resource use.
Read the entire article here.
Image credit: Kathy deWitt / Alamy/Alamy
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Climate Finance North America 2011
Posted on June 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Energy + Climate, Social Issues + Governance
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The 2nd Annual Canadian Water Summit: Opportunities for Designing Our Water Future
Posted on June 14 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Events
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Project Neutral puts Toronto neighbourhoods in competition to become carbon neutral
Posted on June 13 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Urban Issues + Population
The Toronto Star
June 12, 2011
If this was a reality show—The Biggest Carbon Loser, say — The Junction and Riverdale would be scheming against each other to claim neighbourhood supremacy.
Instead, they are trying, separately but ultimately together, to become the first carbon neutral urban communities on earth — green beacons in the struggle to prevent a global warming catastrophe.
It’s heady stuff — but first both communities must organize free trade coffee and other details for their Project Neutral launches next Saturday.
“We could get 40 people or we could get 200 and neither would surprise me,” says Sean Drygas, a leader of the east-end effort involving homes and businesses bounded by The Danforth and Pape, Logan and Langley Aves.
Rita Bijons has high hopes for the west, bounded by Annette St., Clendenan Ave., Runnymede Rd. and the CPR tracks, because her arrival on doorsteps with launch invitations already has residents thinking.
“Some are saying ‘My kids are terrible, they never turn off lights.’”
Project Neutral is the brainchild of Karen Nasmith, an urban planner who wants to broaden the greenhouse gas focus from new green communities to drafty old houses and the lifestyles of those in them.
Research done by Nasmith and Project Neutral co-founder Julie Dzerowicz turned up rural communities — including Ashton Hayes, England, and Eden Mills, Ont. — trying to reduce their measurable carbon dioxide output to the level they absorb or offset. But there are no urban neighbourhoods, not anywhere.
“The irony is that most of us live in the mature neighbourhoods where the built environment represents at least 25 per cent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Nasmith says. “So there’s huge potential.”
Read the entire article at www.thestar.com
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BPI Building Analyst Certification Training
Posted on June 13 2011 by zerofootprint and filed in Technology + Design
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