NORTHERN IRELAND: 80% Reduction in Plastic Bags. Plastic bag use in Northern Ireland may have fallen by more than 80% since the introduction of a levy earlier this year. Provisional government figures indicate that 17.5 million single-use carrier bags were dispensed by retailers between 8 April and 30 June. It is estimated that 300 million carrier bags were used in NI in 2012. Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: "This is great news for the environment." Figures from several major supermarkets suggest a possible annual reduction of more than 80% in those stores. Due to factors such as seasonal variation, the Department of the Environment (DoE) is reluctant to use the data for a single quarter as a basis on which to predict the likely annual reduction for the entire retail sector.

BBC News - Big fall in plastic bag use in Northern Ireland:

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Nissan Expands Its Green Manufacturing Footprint. In Mexico, Nissan has expanded a green energy program so that 50 percent of the energy used by the Aguascalientes Vehicle Assembly Plant comes from renewable sources including wind power and landfill gas. For more than a year, the plant has used a wind farm in southern Mexico and methane from garbage at the city dump, which combined have cut the plant's utility costs by more than 10 percent. Nissan's program leverages Mexico's largest wind farm, which consists of 35 large wind turbines about 600 miles away. The wind replaces about 5.3 million gallons of fuel oil. Nissan also currently gets about 5 percent of its power from generators that run on methane from a local landfill with aims to almost double that. The biogas that is produced from the breakdown of organic matter is used as fuel. One of the limiting factors is the availability of trash. "If we had access to more, we'd use it," said Marco Antonio Rivera, senior manager for energy and environment at Nissan Mexico.

Nissan Expands Its Green Manufacturing Footprint -- IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --: "The plant is looking at other renewable sources as well to balance the mix of sources required to offset variables with renewable energy that can't be controlled such as the wind. Additionally, nearly 100 percent of recyclable materials at the plant are recycled. The green energy program will be extended to the Cuernavaca Vehicle Assembly Plant and to the new Aguascalientes 2 assembly plant scheduled to open later this year."

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Renewable Energy Group Celebrates Minnesota Biorefinery Expansion. Renewable Energy Group(R) REGI -1.64% celebrated completion of upgrades to its 30-million gallon biodiesel refinery in southern Minnesota with a ribbon cutting and visit by U.S. Senator Al Franken, along with state and local leaders. REG began the $21 million project last October to upgrade the Albert Lea biorefinery, which enables the plant to utilize multiple raw materials such as waste animal fats and greases and inedible corn oil, in addition to the refined vegetable oils the facility was originally built to process. The project was completed in June. "We completed the upgrades at REG Albert Lea on time and on budget," said Daniel J. Oh, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer. "That is a testament to the hard work of our team and contractors." Within days of start-up, all biodiesel produced at Albert Lea met the company's REG-9000(R) quality specifications, which exceed the industry's ASTM B100 standard. Multi-feedstock biodiesel has been available at Albert Lea since June 19. The upgrade project supported between 70 and 80 construction jobs.- MarketWatch

Renewable Energy Group Celebrates Minnesota Biorefinery Expansion - MarketWatch:

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CARBON CREDIT: FRANCE: Former president Nicolas Sarkozy's attempt at a carbon tax was blocked by the country's constitutional court in 2009. He had planned to set the levy at 17 euros per metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions and increase it over time, which would have translated into a rise in the price of fuel for cars, domestic heating and factories. Socialist President Francois Hollande is keen to reassure the Green party's members of his government of his green credentials after he sacked his environment minister earlier this year, but is also wary of raising new taxes.

France to introduce new type of green tax- minister | Reuters: "(Reuters) - France will introduce a new type of green tax, Energy Minister Philippe Martin announced on Thursday, but gave no details about what form it would take or when details would become available.Government sources said earlier this year that any such tax was likely to be limited and have little to no impact on French consumers and industries in the first year in 2014.
Martin said on Thursday a "decision was taken" by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to create what he called "a climate energy contribution.""

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Watch the video - News Philippines: "Birth of a new star".
CLICK LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Birth of a new star

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Birth of a new star

Astronomers in Chile vividly capture the violent birth of a new star in the constellation Vela. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

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IJBURG, AMSTERDAM - Small docks and communal walkways link the floating houses built on a lake in east Amsterdam. Secured by sliding collars to steel pilings, the houses can rise and fall during floods and storms. (Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)

Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines: "IJBURG, AMSTERDAM - Small docks and communal walkways link the floating houses built on a lake in east Amsterdam. Secured by sliding collars to steel pilings, the houses can rise and fall during floods and storms. (Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)"

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ST. PETERBURG, RUSSIA - Two curved steel gates, each more than 350 feet long, can swing shut to protect St. Petersburg, Russia, from Baltic Sea storms, which have flooded it repeatedly over the past three centuries. Completed in 2011, the gates are part of a 16-mile-long flood barrier that also carries a new highway. (Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)

Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines: "ST. PETERBURG, RUSSIA - Two curved steel gates, each more than 350 feet long, can swing shut to protect St. Petersburg, Russia, from Baltic Sea storms, which have flooded it repeatedly over the past three centuries. Completed in 2011, the gates are part of a 16-mile-long flood barrier that also carries a new highway. (Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)"

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FLEVOLAND - Flanked by windmills, this dike protects farmland that is almost entirely below sea level. Dikes and continuous pumping keep more than a quarter of the country from reverting to swamp or open water. ( Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)

Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines: "FLEVOLAND - Flanked by windmills, this dike protects farmland that is almost entirely below sea level. Dikes and continuous pumping keep more than a quarter of the country from reverting to swamp or open water. ( Photograph by George Steinmetz/National Geographic)"

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Superstorm Sandy narrowed New Jersey's beaches by more than 30 feet on average. At Seaside Heights it swept away the pier under the roller coaster. (Photograph by Stephen Wilkes/National Geographic)

Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines: "SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY - Superstorm Sandy narrowed New Jersey's beaches by more than 30 feet on average. At Seaside Heights it swept away the pier under the roller coaster. (Photograph by Stephen Wilkes/National Geographic)"

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Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines

Nat Geo's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment | Nat Geo Mag's 'Rising Seas': The impact of carbon emissions on our environment - Yahoo! News Philippines: "The cover of the September 2013 issue of National Geographic Magazine. © National Geographic"

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FYI: If you know of an individual, initiative or organisation that deserves an award, then click here for the nomination form for the 2013 Muslim News Awards for Excellence. Go to: http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/awards/

Awards | The Muslim NewsThe Muslim News: "The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2014 Nomination Form. If you know of an individual, initiative or organisation that deserves an award, then click here for the nomination form for the 2013 Muslim News Awards for Excellence." CLICK LINK: Awards | The Muslim NewsThe Muslim News:

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Climate 'catastrophe' looms in Pacific: The Marshall Islands has warned of a Pacific "climate catastrophe" that will wipe it off the map without decisive action on global warming, saying the next 12 months are critical. Tony de Brum, minister in assistance to the Marshall Islands' president, is in Australia making the case for a major climate declaration at the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum it will host in September which he has insisted US Secretary of State John Kerry must attend. De Brum hopes the so-called Majuro Declaration can be presented to the United Nations General Assembly to help renew global efforts on emissions reduction as the Pacific region confronts rising seas and growing numbers of so-called climate refugees. "Our hosting of the forum comes at the cusp of the most important geopolitical period for the region since World War II," de Brum told reporters at a briefing in Sydney Thursday, adding the next 12 months "are critical to addressing climate change". "Business as usual will lead to a climate catastrophe and time is running out. "We feel very strongly that if (Kerry) does not attend it would be a slap in the face and like the United States would be reversing its so-called pivot to the Pacific," he added. De Brum said the tiny Pacific atoll of 55,000 people, which stands at an average of just two metres above sea level, was already feeling the impacts of global warming with an unprecedented seven-month drought in the north and a devastating king tide earlier this year triggering disaster declarations. "During my lifetime I have seen an island in the lagoon of Majuro atoll, the capital centre of the Marshall Islands, disappear from the surface of the Earth," he said. "We do not have scientists measuring this that and the other, we have experienced first-hand the effects of climate change... It is not something that is down the road or at the turn of the century." - Yahoo! She Philippines

Climate 'catastrophe' looms in Pacific: Marshall Islands - Yahoo! She Philippines: "De Brum said the Marshalls government was already ferrying food and drinking water to 13 outer island communities due to drought-linked shortages that were threatening the export of copra, the dried-out flesh of coconuts from which oil is extracted, which underpinned its economy. There had also been a "marked increase" in what he described as climate refugees from neighbouring Kiribati and Tuvalu and he said the government expected similar movements out of the Marshalls itself in coming years, with a two-metre sea level rise predicted by the World Bank before the end of the century. "This would fundamentally alter the world as we see it and be the end of my country, the end of Kiribati, the end of Tuvalu and many other countries like it.""

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Apples losing their crunch to global warming: Analysing data gathered from 1970 to 2010 at two orchards in Japan, a research team said there was clear evidence that climate change was having an effect on apple taste and texture. "All such changes may have resulted from earlier blooming and higher temperatures" during the growth season, they wrote in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. About 60 million tonnes of apples are produced every year, making it the world's third most popular fruit. Previous studies had shown that global warming was causing apple trees to flower earlier, and that harvests were also affected by changes in rainfall and air temperature. The orchards used in the study produce the Fuji and Tsugaru apples, the two most popular kinds in the world. - Yahoo! She Philippines

Apples losing their crunch to global warming: study - Yahoo! She Philippines: "The farms are located in Japan's Nagano and Aomori prefectures, which had seen a mean air temperature rise of 0.31 and 0.34 degrees Celsius (0.5 and 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit), respectively, per decade. The orchards were chosen because there had been no changes in cultivars or management practices for extended periods, thus ruling out non-climate factors like technological improvements in the apple change. The data collected over the years included measures of acid and sugar concentration, fruit firmness and watercore -- a disease that causes water-soaked areas in the flesh of an apple.The analysis showed a decrease in acidity, firmness and watercore, but a rise in sugar concentration over time." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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RENEWABLE ENERGY: Solar power co-operatives fast emerging with an innovative way for local communities to gain access to renewable energy generation. Over the last few years, several such initiatives have been successfully launched in the UK — with new schemes opening in a number of cities including London and Bristol. So, how do such schemes work? And what benefits can they provide to local people? Bristol Energy Cooperative The Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC), a member of the Bristol Energy Network, was established following a meeting by several Bristol-based environmental activists. As Peter Thompson, Chair of the BEC explains, one of the key motivations was frustration at the limited options available to unincorporated informal community groups — coupled with the "desire to engage in action at a city-wide scale, beyond the remit of any of the community groups established up to that point."

Sharing Renewable Energy: Solar Power Co-operatives in the UK: "In total, the BEC has completed three installations, one at Hamilton House, a community centre in the Stoke's Croft area of the city, with two others at the Knowle West Media Centre, and at Easton Community Centre.

The Hamilton House project runs to some 20 kW, providing an estimated annual energy output of 14,145 kWh.  It was financed and installed by Ethical Solar, which gave BEC the option of buying the panels, and the resultant generation feed-in tariff income, at an early stage.  The system consists of 85 x 230-Watt Innotech panels and two 3-phase SMA inverters." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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Carbon Credit: Japan signed an agreement with Laos to launch a scheme that will allow Japanese companies to earn cheap carbon credits by helping the Southeast Asian nation cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions

Japan, Laos ink carbon deal - News - Point Carbon: "Japan, Laos ink carbon deal
07 Aug 2013 14:26
TOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters Point Carbon) - Japan signed an agreement with Laos on Wednesday to launch a scheme that will allow Japanese companies to earn cheap carbon credits by helping the Southeast Asian nation cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the Japanese government announced."Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/13/3559463/soccer-loving-pope-meets-world.html#storylink=cpy

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CIVIC CLUB UPDATE: Rotary Club of Strongsville Give Back to the Community. From the Chili Open Golf Classic to the newly created Duck Race, the Rotary Club of Strongsville continues to be a major fundraising force in the city. The club, which is 159 members strong, celebrated its 35th anniversary on April 28. Last summer, the club cleared $100,000 in donations to community and charitable organizations over a 12-month period.

Rotary Club of Strongsville continues to give back to the community | cleveland.com: "“Our goal and objective is to give back to the community,” said Brian Kiplinger, who became president of the club July 1. “We want to give back through all the hard effort we put into these fundraisers. We take it pretty seriously who we select (for donations).”

Kiplinger, a CPA with Kiplinger & Co. CPAs, LLC in Strongsville, has been a club member since 1997. He previously served as president of the Rotary Club of Brunswick.

“We’re a service organization. We’re not a networking organization. There are other organizations that accomplish that,” said Kiplinger. “We want to give back to the community, both young and old.”" CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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Cutting energy bills for your business - Energy is one of the biggest overheads for businesses, so it’s important to get the cheapest rate possible for gas and electricity. The thought of being locked into contracts puts many businesses off the idea of switching supplier, but it’s thought that around a third of businesses are in a position to switch at any time. There is a large commercial energy market, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of going with one of the ‘Big Six’: EG Opus, Haven, Gazprom, Total, Corona and Dual Energy. Switching commercial suppliers is a bit more complicated than at home, but still, it can be done. The contract will need to be terminated in writing before it comes to an end as suppliers tend to auto-renew without so much as a letter to inform businesses. Check the terms and conditions to find out the noticed period – it could be as much as 90 days. - Mirror Online

Cutting energy bills for your business - Mirror Online: "Some providers specialise in the provision of green and renewable energy systems, which can reduce energy bills and protect the environment. It’s important that businesses work with a supplier that can accurately assess the business needs before choosing the most effective system. Solar PV, solar thermal, biomass, wind power, air or ground source heat pumps are just a few of the examples available to UK businesses. Investing in renewable energy does involve an initial outlay, but with government incentives, such as the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), it’s possible to earn additional income as well as cutting bills." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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RENEWABLE ENERGY: 5th Annual Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition (RETECH) - RETECH has become the meeting place for the renewable energy industry. More than 1,500 government, utility, technology and finance professionals from 35 countries will gather to discuss ways they’re driving the growth of renewable energy in the US and around the world.

Industry Leaders Unveil the Future of Renewable Energy at the 5th Annual Renewable Energy Technology Conference & Exhibition (RETECH) - SFGate: "RETECH 2013 is the premier event to connect with influential leaders and decision makers as they share insights on renewable energy and what the next year holds for the industry. Request a media pass by emailing Kristen Cullen, kcullen(at)rasky(dot)com with your complete contact information. Who: Notable speakers and attendees from both private and public sectors that include senior executives and industry experts from Siemens Smart Grid, GE Digital Energy, ExxonMobil, Walmart, as well as US Departments of Commerce, Energy and State. For a full list of confirmed speakers, visit http://www.retech2013.com." CLICK LINK TO READ FULL ARTICLE

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RENEWABLE ENERGY: Wal-Mart, Google and General Electric made investments! Notably Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway firm has been increasing its clean energy investments, with a recent purchase of $5.6 billion for a renewable energy company in Nevada and a $2.4 billion investment in a wind farm in California. As clean energy markets expand, these American companies and investors will be well-positioned to lead.

Shifting global investments to clean energy | The Great Debate: "The reality is that emerging economies do not need to go down a path of relying on fossil fuels. Just as many developing countries skipped land lines and went straight to cellular telephones, these countries can leapfrog right to affordable clean energy.

Investing in clean energy is not only good for the economic growth, it is good for people. The unfortunate reality is that those in the poorest countries are often the most vulnerable to climate change — whether from rising seas that threaten homes and water supplies or droughts that drive up food prices. This is the human cost of fossil fuels that often goes unmentioned in balance sheets and gross domestic product statistics." CLICK LINK TO READ MORE

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Carbon Credit: EU approves German carbon support scheme for heavy industry meant to prevent energy-intensive industries such as steel and cement makers from relocating outside Europe to avoid the costs associated with the EU's carbon trading scheme, known as "carbon leakage." | Reuters

EU approves German carbon support scheme for heavy industry | Reuters: ""The Commission's investigation found that the scheme... would effectively prevent carbon leakage while keeping competition distortions to a minimum," the European Commission said in a statement." CLICK LINK TO READ ARTICLE

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Update: Climate Model Shows How Global Warming Affects Future of Storms. Like Virtual Reality Computer Programs, you can input today's conditions (wind speed, temperatures, pressures, etc.) and predict what will happen in the future. Today's weather forecasts use similar prediction tools. In some respects, "climate" computer programs and "weather" computer programs are different, but there are some clear similarities. "Weather" prediction programs try to give short-term prognostications of local weather a few days into the future. "Climate" predictions attempt to describe long-term trends in large-scale climate patterns years and decades into the future. So, how can computer programs help us answer the hurricane/cyclone question? With the help of the program, a scientist can play "what if" scenarios and see how future storms will change. What if greenhouse gases increase? What if ocean temperatures increase? What if wind speeds change? How will these things affect the number and strength of hurricanes? - John Abraham | Environment | theguardian.com

Global warming and the future of storms | John Abraham | Environment | theguardian.com: "Very recently, a publication appeared by perhaps the world's best-known hurricane scientist, Dr. Kerry Emanuel of MIT. Dr. Emanuel combined global computer simulations with more regional simulations to look into the future at the evolution of storms. What he found was surprising. Because the storms will become stronger and more numerous, within the next century, the power dissipated by future storms will increase by about 50 percent. What was particularly interesting was that his findings show increases in both strong and weaker cyclones."
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