Passive House is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality. A Passive House is a comprehensive system. "Passive" describes well this system's underlying receptivity and retention capacity. Working with natural resources, free solar energy is captured and applied efficiently, instead of relying predominantly on ‘active’ systems to bring a building to ‘zero’ energy. High performance triple-glazed windows, super-insulation, an airtight building shell, limitation of thermal bridging and balanced energy recovery ventilation make possible extraordinary reductions in energy use and carbon emission.

What is a Passive House?: "Today, many in the building sector have applied this concept to design, and build towards a carbon-neutral future. Over the last 10 years more than 15,000 buildings in Europe - from single and multifamily residences, to schools, factories and office buildings - have been designed and built or remodeled to the passive house standard. A great many of these have been extensively monitored by the Passiv Haus Institut in Darmstadt, analyzing and verifying their performance. Even governmental agencies have adopted passive house standards in their policy-making (read more about the EU Commision’s intent to implement the Passive House Standard.)."

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UAE poised to become leader in renewable energy. There is no shortage of natural resources in the UAE which holds the world’s sixth-largest oil reserves and has the fifth-largest national gas reserve, a privileged position which has garnered substantial economic benefits for the nation ever since the union in 1971. In recent years, however, with ecological scarcities plaguing the planet, and energy consumption continuously on the rise, the UAE has sought to considerably reduce its dependency on oil. Instead, it has focused on the sustainable development approach, which encourages the use of renewable resources that can be naturally replenished and create pure ‘clean’ energy that can supply electricity, cooling and heating requirements. Indeed, with global energy demand set to double or even triple by 2050, the emirates has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to a renewable energy future, launching a host of initiatives which aim to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. Dubai — A solid ground for sustainability The second largest of the seven emirates, Dubai boasts abundant natural resources — many of which can expedite the delivery of renewable energy. In the past decade, the Government of Dubai has established a slew of plans which aim to reap the benefits of this resource-endowment as well as drive the emirate’s eco-mission and shape the future of global sustainability. One of the most ambitious of these projects is the creation of a multi-billion-dirham solar-energy park managed by the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa) and to be completed by 2030. Announced in January 2012, The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park symbolises a true milestone for the UAE, especially as it intends to reach a capacity output of 1,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030.

UAE poised to become leader in renewable energy - Khaleej Times: "The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will be managed and operated by Dewa, is instrumental to the DSCE’s Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 — a long-term programme launched in 2011 which aims to diversify the emirate’s energy mix to include renewable energy and reduce its consumption by 30 per cent by 2030. The strategy is set to diversify the city’s energy production by encouraging potential business opportunities, public-private partnerships and substantial investments. The Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (DCCE) — instituted in 2011 — also plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the city’s energy security, offering a wide range of carbon diminution services and consolidated advice to both public and private organisations."

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Update: The world's urban population is expected to surge from just over 3.5 billion now to 4.9 billion by 2030, according to the assessment by the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. At the same time, the area to be covered by cities will expand by 150 percent, it said. "Most of this growth is expected to happen in small and medium-sized cities, not in megacities," according to the report, issued to coincide with a U.N. meeting on biodiversity in Hyderabad. More green spaces in cities can filter dust and pollution and soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Some studies have shown that the presence of trees can help reduce asthma and allergies for children living nearby, it said. And the study said that cities were also home to a wide range of animals and plants.

Cities can get greener by 2030 as new urban areas built - U.N. - Yahoo! News Philippines: "More than 65 percent of Poland's bird species are found in Warsaw. In South Africa, Table Mountain national park, rich in wildlife, is surrounded by the Cape Town municipality. In the United States, Saguaro national park is just outside Tucson."Sustainable urban development that supports valuable ecosystems presents a major opportunity for improving lives and livelihoods," said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Programme.
More tree cover in cities can help cool them in summers, meaning less need for air conditioning, it said.
"Recent studies highlight the importance of even small urban gardens in providing habitat for native pollinators such as bees, which have declined alarmingly in recent years," the study added."

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Celebrate United Nations International Day of Peace 2012!

Celebrate United Nations International Day of Peace 2012!: "HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future"

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future

( ) Invite Participants to your school, company, organization to have an Inter-Cultural Dialogue for Peace to find ways on how to achieve sustainable peace for a sustainable future in this changing climate

( ) Organize a Prayer Gathering on September 21, 2012 in your school, company, organization to pray the Prayer for Peace @ 12:00noon. As we pray One Another for Peace, we join the whole world in celebrating the
United Nations International Day of Peace Inter-Faith Prayers for Peace

( ) Be the “Cyber Prayer Crusader” for the “24 hours on-line Prayer” for the UN World Peace Inter-Faith Prayer for Peace and connect with the rest of the world as we unite in prayers globally as one on September 21, 2012

( ) Download a copy of the Prayer for Peace & gather your friends and family on September 21 @12:00 noon
to pray wherever you are @ school, @ home, @ workplace

( ) Promote peace by posting the attached Prayer for Peace in your workplace, school, company, etc

( ) Help us promote by posting the attached Prayer for Peace in your social internet networking sites

( ) Like & Share to your friends the Peace Page on facebook:
www.facebook.com/sailingforpeace/
www.facebook.com/wellnesspilipinas/
www.facebook.com/wellnessforpeace/

( ) Join the Sailing for Peace Worldwide Peace Vigil groups on facebook:

Peace!:
www.facebook.com/groups/peace/

United Nations International Day of Peace Vigil
www.facebook.com/groups/unitednationsinternationaldayofpeacevigil/

Malusog ang Pinoy:
www.facebook.com/groups/wellnesspilipinas.malusogangpinoy/

Climate Change Peace Building Adaptation:
www.facebook.com/groups/climatechangepeacebuildingadaptation/

Let’s Pray One Another for Peace:
www.facebook.com/groups/letsprayoneanotherforpeace/

Developing the “Peaceful Personality”
www.facebook.com/groups/developingthepeacefulpersonality/


( ) Join the “Art of Peace Leadership Workshop to be given to your school, company, organization, etc irregardless of age, race, creed, religion & faith.


For more details, please call 0929.519.7788 or e-mail wellnesspilipinas@yahoo.com.ph. Thank you!

Peace & Love

God bless you!

Ambassador Zara Jane Juan
Public Speaker, Internet Journalist & Peace Ambassador



Worldwide Peace Vigil of Sailing for Peace 2011-2015 for UN International Day of Peace, Sept 21
Author, Wellness for Peace on Climate Change, Philippine Contribution to UN Int’l Day of Peace, 2011
www.wellnesspilipinas.blogspot.com
www.peaceadvocates.blogspot.com
www.wellnesspilipinas.blogspot.com
www.zarajanejuan.blogspot.com
www.innovativemindandbody.blogspot.com


Peace makers do not kill but heal relationships,
Let’s provide a way for peace to come…
…in rough waves…or still waters…
…hop in… trust me…
let’s sail for peace.

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Climate Change Update: “Human activities” cited as contributing to climate change, agriculturally related “land surface changes” were notable. “Humans alter land surface characteristics by carrying out irrigation, removing and introducing forests, changing vegetative land cover through agriculture, and building cities and reservoirs

 "Updating a 2007 position statement, the American Meteorological Society released an updated Statement on Climate Change Aug. 27. In addition to providing background and a brief overview on how and why the global climate has changed in recent decades, the statement names human activities as the main cause of atmospheric and oceanic warming. “There is unequivocal evidence that Earth’s lower atmosphere, ocean and land surface warming; sea level is rising; and snow cover, mountain glaciers, and Arctic sea ice are shrinking,” the statement concludes. “The dominant cause of the warming since the 1950s is human activities. This scientific finding is based on a large and persuasive body of research.”"

'via Blog this'Meteorologists update position on climate change | News | Breaking News | Feedstuffs Weekly Newspaper for Agribusiness:

Climate Change Update: France to close its oldest nuclear power plant end 2016. New tenders for solar and offshore wind power by end 2012. French President Francois Hollande called for deeper cuts in European Union carbon dioxide emissions as he sought to put the environment back at the top of the international agenda.

"Hollande recommended a 40 percent cut in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030 and a 60 percent reduction by 2040 at the European Union level, well beyond the 20 percent target set for 2020. "We have an ambitious strategy," Hollande told an environment conference in Paris, adding he would defend those targets at the European Union level. The EU's current target is to cut emissions by 20 pct below 1990 levels by 2020. It has said it would consider moving to a 30 percent cut by 2020 if other rich economies followed suit with a similar level of ambition, but that is looking increasingly unlikely due to economic constraints caused by the euro zone crisis and opposition from some EU member states. Hollande also said Europe would reiterate its 20 percent cut target at the next round of U.N. climate talks in Doha in November."

'via Blog this'UPDATE 1-France seeks more ambitious EU carbon cuts | Reuters:

Climate Change Update: Satellite images show that the rapid summer melt has reduced the area of Arctic sea ice to less than 3.5 million square kilometres this week. Sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk to its smallest extent ever recorded, smashing the previous record minimum and prompting warnings of accelerated climate change.

"Satellite images show that the rapid summer melt has reduced the area of frozen sea to less than 3.5 million square kilometres this week – less than half the area typically occupied four decades ago. Arctic sea ice cover has been shrinking since the 1970s when it averaged around 8m sq km a year, but such a dramatic collapse in ice cover in one year is highly unusual. A record low in 2007 of 4.17m sq km was broken on 27 August 2012; further melting has since amounted to more than 500,000 sq km."

'via Blog this'Arctic sea ice shrinks to smallest extent ever recorded | Environment | guardian.co.uk: