SBY Honored, Along With Companies, for Green Growth

Jakarta Globe, Feb 26, 2015

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when he was still president of Indonesia. (EPA
Photo/Bagus Indahono).

Jakarta. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was among a diverse group of winners of awards for sustainable business practices whose names were announced on Wednesday evening, with the former Indonesian president receiving praise for “his achievements in developing green growth in Indonesia and his commitments to action on climate change globally.”

A Special Award for Leadership in Green Growth and Development was presented to Yudhoyono at the Shangri La Hotel Jakarta, during a ceremony attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sofyan Djalil and other ministers, as well as CEOs, heads of international agencies and media.

“Development and growth is something that needs to be planned carefully. It needs to ensure social inclusiveness. It needs to protect the environment, it needs to correspond to climate challenge, it needs to go on for the long term,” Yudhoyono said at the award ceremony.

The 2014 Sustainable Business Awards Indonesia were organized by Global Initiatives in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The organizers said in a press release that cement company Holcim Indonesia emerged the overall winner, but companies such as Bank BNI, Astra International, Bukit Asam, Nestle Indonesia, Bumi Serpong Damai and Unilever also won in various categories.

Tony Gourlay, CEO of Global Initiatives, said in the press release: “For the third year in a row, we are pleased to showcase companies in Indonesia who have embedded sustainability in their corporate mission and whose leadership shares this vision. We encourage other companies to follow their lead and communicate their sustainability efforts more widely.”

The complete list of SBA winners

MAIN AWARDS

Overall Winner: Holcim Indonesia

1. Strategy and vision: Unilever Indonesia

2. Workforce: Holcim Indonesia

3. Community: Astra International

4. Energy management: Holcim Indonesia

5. Water management: Bukit Asam

6. Waste & material productivity: Danone Aqua Group

7. Climate Change: Holcim Indonesia

8. Supply Chain: Nestle Indonesia

9. Land Use, Biodiversity and the Environment: Monsanto Indonesia (Branita Sandini)

10. Business Responsibility and Ethics: Unilever Indonesia

* Environmental Disclosure: Dupont Agriculture Products Indonesia

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS

1. Pioneer in Green Finance in Indonesia: Bank Negara Indonesia

2. Outstanding leadership in sustainable agriculture: Great Giant Pineapple

3. SME placing sustainability at the core of its business: Pulau Nikoi

4. Outstanding Energy Management in the mining sector: Vale Indonesia

5. Outstanding Water Management in the property sector: Bumi Serpong Damai

Special Award for Green Growth & Leadership: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Obama vetoes Keystone pipeline bill

Yahoo – AFP, 24 February 2015

Barack Obama issued the most significant veto of his six-year presidency,blocking

 legislation allowing the Keystone XL oil pipeline to be built between Canada and

 the United States (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Washington (AFP) - Barack Obama issued the most significant veto of his six-year presidency Tuesday, blocking legislation allowing the Keystone XL oil pipeline to be built between Canada and the United States.

In defying the Republican-controlled Congress, Obama made good on a long-standing veto promise and set the stage for a battle in the 2016 presidential election.

The 1,179-mile (1,900-kilometer) TransCanada-built pipeline would transport crude from energy-rich Alberta to a network of pipelines that reach across the United States to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Obama says he is not against the project in principle, but accused legislators of trying to "circumvent longstanding and proven processes" for gauging whether Keystone is in the national interest.

The bill "has earned my veto," he said.

The pipeline is the subject of several governmental studies, some of which are ongoing.

Republicans -- who are likely to try to get enough Democratic support to reach a two-thirds majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives needed to override the veto -- accused Obama of hiding behind process and of killing jobs.

"The president's veto of the Keystone jobs bill is a national embarrassment," said House Speaker, Republican John Boehner.

"The president is just too close to environmental extremists to stand up for America's workers."

Many Democrats and environmentalists have warned the project has potential oil spill risks and would actually create very few jobs.

They also have broadly denounced provisions which exclude TransCanada from certain fees and taxes as a "giveaway" to a foreign company.

Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Rickford, said he still believed the pipeline would be built.

"This is not a debate between Canada and the US. It's a debate between the president and the American people, who are supportive of the project," he said.

"It is not a question of if this project will be approved -- it is a matter of when."

TransCanada vowed to keep fighting to get Keystone XL over the line.

"Keystone XL is in the national interest of the United States and should be approved and constructed," the firm said in a statement.

Related Articles:

Obama vetoes Keystone XL oil pipeline legislation

Oil slump not necessarily bad news for climate


"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much.

Water

We've told you that one of the greatest natural resources of the planet, which is going to shift and change and be mysterious to you, is fresh water. It's going to be the next gold, dear ones. So, we have also given you some hints and examples and again we plead: Even before the potentials of running out of it, learn how to desalinate water in real time without heat. It's there, it's doable, and some already have it in the lab. This will create inexpensive fresh water for the planet. 

There is a change of attitude that is starting to occur. Slowly you're starting to see it and the only thing getting in the way of it are those companies with the big money who currently have the old system. That's starting to change as well. For the big money always wants to invest in what it knows is coming next, but it wants to create what is coming next within the framework of what it has "on the shelf." What is on the shelf is oil, coal, dams, and non-renewable resource usage. It hasn't changed much in the last 100 years, has it? Now you will see a change of free choice. You're going to see decisions made in the boardrooms that would have curled the toes of those two generations ago. Now "the worst thing they could do" might become "the best thing they could do." That, dear ones, is a change of free choice concept. When the thinkers of tomorrow see options that were never options before, that is a shift. That was number four. ….”

Apple to invest 1.7bn euros in Ireland, Denmark data centres

Yahoo – AFP, 23 Feb 2015

Apple's two data centres, set to begin operations in 2017, will run entirely on
renewable energy. They will support such online services iTunes, App Store,
iMessage, Maps and Siri for European customers (AFP Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

New York (AFP) - US tech giant Apple said Monday it would invest 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in two data centres located in Ireland and Denmark, to boost online services in the European market.

“This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date," said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement.

The two data centres, set to begin operations in 2017, will run entirely on renewable energy. They will support such online services iTunes, App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri for European customers.

Apple currently employs 18,300 people across 19 European countries and has added over 2,000 jobs in the last 12 months alone, the company said.

"We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations, creating hundreds of local jobs and introducing some of our most advanced green building designs yet," said Cook.

The facility in Ireland will be built in Athenry, County Galway, and the other in Viborg in Denmark's central Jutland.

This month Apple became the first company to be valued at over $700 billion after recently posting an unprecedented $18 billion in quarterly profits, thanks in large part to record sales of its iPhone.

Related Articles:

An Earth Day treat: lots of renewable energy for our Iowa data center :Google

Google invests €600m in massive Groningen data centre

Obama adviser John Podesta's biggest regret: Keeping America in dark about UFOs

Yahoo News, Caitlin Dickson, February 13, 2015

In this Nov. 19, 2014 file photo, Counselor to the President John Podesta speaks in

 Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014. In the year that will pass before the 2016 

campaign for president formally kicks off with the votes in the Iowa Caucus, any

 number of candidates, donors, political operatives — and people who have nothing

 to do with American politics — will shape the race for the White House. (AP Photo/

Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Outgoing senior Obama adviser John Podesta reflected on his latest White House stint Friday, listing his favorite moments and biggest regrets from the past year. Chief among them: depriving the American people of the truth about UFOs.

1. Finally, my biggest failure of 2014: Once again not securing the #disclosure of the UFO files. #thetruthisstilloutthere cc: @NYTimesDowd
— John Podesta (@Podesta44) February 13, 2015

Podesta’s longtime fascination with UFOs is well-documented, as his brief political hiatus following four years as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff freed him up to pursue his otherworldly passion.

At a 2002 press conference organized by the Coalition for Freedom of Information, Podesta spoke on the importance of disclosing government UFO investigations to the public.

“It’s time to find out what the truth really is that’s out there,”  he said. “We ought to do it, really, because it’s right. We ought to do it, quite frankly, because the American people can handle the truth. And we ought to do it because it’s the law.”

Following Podesta’s tweet, Friday, the Washington Post recalled an exchange one of its reporters had with Podesta in 2007. Karen Tumulty had asked Podesta about reports that the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, had been bombarded with Freedom of Information Act Requests specifically seeking email correspondence to and from the former chief of staff including terms like “X-Files” and “Area 51.” Podesta’s response, through a spokesperson, was “The truth is out there,” the tagline for the TV show “The X-Files” of which Podesta was known to be a fan.

A 2010 editorial in Missouri’s Columbia Tribune disparaged reports that Podesta had asked an outspoken UFO photographer to stop discussing his knowledge of extraterrestrial activities in public.

“One wonders why Podesta would do such a radical reversal, given his former plea for UFO disclosure,” the editorial implored.

But contrary to the Columbia Tribune’s concerns, Podesta had clearly not abandoned the cause. He wrote an introduction to the 2010 book “UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record.”

Unfortunately, Podesta will likely have little time to fill out FOIA requests in his new job at Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Perhaps, as his tweet suggests, he’s passing the torch to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.

Related Articles:

New Obama Advisor John Podesta An Advocate For UFO Disclosure

John Podesta writes probing foreword for new book on UFOs

US Government Takes First Major Steps Towards UFO Disclosure
Will ET Be Here Soon? NASA Brings Scientists, Theologians Together To Prepare
US Congress has close encounter over extraterrestrial life
US Group Wants Global Effort to Unveil UFO Evidence

Canada's ex-defense minister: U.S. knows how aliens can make us greener

"The Big Picture - You Are Not Alone" -  Feb 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"Common Questions from Non-Lightworkers" - Feb 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"... Question Three: Is there life on other planets?

Are you kidding? There's life everywhere. Everywhere! Right now, your scientists are searching for microbial life on all the planets and their moons in your solar system, and they will eventually find it. They expect to find it. They will eventually understand that the seeds of life are everywhere.

How much life might there be? How long has it been "out there"? When science starts to realize the scope of how long life has been in your galaxy, they will begin to see something counterintuitive to evolution - their own Human history. How old is your Universe? Ask your scientists and they will say about 13 billion years. That's OK. Let's use their numbers. How old is your own planet - 4 or 5 billion, perhaps? Correct. But how old is humanity? Why weren't you here with the dinosaurs? You think the earth wasn't ready? Do you think that perhaps that which controls evolution was a little too stupid to make a Human sooner, but the process could make a dinosaur? Have you ever thought about these things?

If you put the earth's entire history into a 24-hour clock, life itself only started in the last hour and humanity, all of civilization, happened the last few seconds. Isn't that odd to you? Therefore, in a Universe that may be 13 billion years old, you arrived in the last few seconds. Did you ever think maybe you're the newest ones on the block? Well, you'd be right.

If the Universe is really that old, do you think perhaps there are civilizations in your galaxy that might be a billion or more years older than you? If that's the case, do you think perhaps they have gone through anything you're going through? Do you think any of them might have had your DNA attributes? Perhaps they also went through what you are going through spiritually? Perhaps they even went into a quantum ascension status? The answer is dozens of them.

You already know them and you've listed them in your publications. The ones who directly seeded you are called Pleiadians. The ones who seeded them might be Octurian and the ones who seeded them may be even Orion. They're everywhere, and they're all here as well. They're looking at you, for you are the ones who are next, and you are passing this marker of the shift

Oh, dear ones, it's going to be a long time before you really know any of these things to be your reality. The first step is peace on Earth. The next is a new kind of Human evolution that is going to increase your DNA efficiency to 100% and you're going to live a long time. Every time I say that, there are Humans in their intellectual mind saying, "Well, there is a geometric birth rate going on. We're not going to make it. It's going to over-crowd and we are going to run out of food. So what you're saying, Kryon, can't be a good thing. We're all going to be suffering and killing each other for food."

Let me address this, for if that is your thought, Human, you are assuming Humans are stupid and haven't figured out what's going on and why there's so much birth. You assume they can't control it because they haven't figured it out? I want to tell you, you're going to see something you didn't expect. You're going to see a decline in birth rate because Humans are smart and they're getting smarter. They're going to see that quality of life is linked to the number of children they have, and they're going to figure out the solution. It won't be how many children their church says they should have. They are going to do it intuitively. You're going to see it sooner than not.

You are going to see wisdom on the planet in many areas that no sociologist would ever have predicted. You will surprise them all, and it's going to happen without a government program. It's going to happen because you decide you want it. It's going to happen collectively, and you may even see it soon. Look for negative birth rates in first-world countries. Where Humans are able to see a larger picture and have freedom of information, the situation will not be what you have predicted.

Is there life on other planets? The scientists are saying, "It's going to be a long time before we get to the stars, you know? We have to get in this little metal can and put air in it, and then travel in it for years and years before we ever get to the next star." Meanwhile, a Pleiadian can do it in the blink of an eye! What do you think is going on there? Do you even believe me?

Not long ago, if you wanted to communicate to someone far away, you sent a letter. It was carried by a horse. It took a month to get a response. Now you communicate instantly!  Why is this so unbelievable to you about travel?

I will tell you, as long as you stay in 3D, you'll still be getting in little metal cans and air suits and going to planets. As soon as you begin the quantum age, however, you will simply wish yourself there, because you will be entangled with everything and can go with intent. If you don't believe this now, you will later, for what I give you is true. It may be lifetimes and lifetimes from now, but the group that is before me is the group that is going to come back over and over and over. The difference is that you're done coming back in an old energy. This is a new energy. ..”

Dutch Windmill Might Revolutionize Wind Energy Generation

zmescience, Mihil Andrei, Feb 16, 2015

The Dutch Windwheel is a concept for a sustainable landmark that will not only generate wind energy silently, but also capture rainwater, recycle tap water, produce biogas – and most importantly, house 72 apartments. It will also have some rotating cabins providing a brilliant view of the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

Design and sustainability are the key issues developers have in mind, and innovation is the key to that. It will host 72 apartments, 160 hotel rooms, commercial outlets and a restaurant, for which it will generate a lot of sustainable. How do they do it? The key here is a bladeless wind turbine with no moving parts that produces electricity using charged water droplets.

The technology, called EWICON (Electrostatic Wind Energy Converter) creates energy through the displacement of charged particles by the wind in the opposite direction of an electrical field. Each tube features several electrodes and nozzles which release positively-charge water into the air, through a process that’s been dubbed “electrospraying”. The technology was developed by Delft University of Technology researchers Johan Smit and Dhiradi Djairam and from what I could find, this will be the first major application of the technology. Here’s a video which explains how EWICON works:

“Moreover, the Dutch Windwheel is designed for disassembly and re-use and built with materials from the Rotterdam region, the harbour and the surrounding steel industry. With the Dutch Windwheel the Netherlands is an icon with global appeal richer. It tells the story of the Netherlands and generates a new story for the Netherlands; it is both a sustainable icon and icon for sustainability”

The main advantages are that it can come in any shape and size, it is silent and has very little wear and tear (due to no rotating parts). All in all, it’s highly suitable for urban environments. However, I feel that there are some other “costs”, like the pumping and cleaning of water. I think it’s extremely intelligent of the designers to mix the energy-generation with the living apartments, because that actually reduces some of the costs (regarding  the pumping and cleaning).

It should also be taken into consideration that the building will act as a landmark, attracting over a million visitors every year (according to the developer’s expectations). The outer ring will also function as a “London Eye”, with 40 rotating cabins to provide visitors with impressive views of Rotterdam.

“The Dutch Windwheel will be a showcase and accelerator for innovation, renewable energy and the circular and inclusive economy. It is the dynamic showcase for Dutch Clean Technology and provides a continuous platform to demonstrate technical and technological innovations”, the Windwheel website reads.

The facility is also equipped with solar PVs, and a climactic facade to make the best use of natural resources. The building’s water usage is also carefully managed, with rainwater captured atop the structure, and tap water fed into the wetlands that surround the Windwheel. The residents’ waste will also be recycled and turned into biogas.

The developers of the design, a consortium made up of Rotterdam-based companies BLOC, DoepelStrijkers, Meysters and NBTC Holland Marketing, intend the structure to be a “dynamic showcase for Dutch Clean Technology [that] provides a continuous platform to demonstrate technical and technological innovations,” a new take on the traditional Dutch windmills.

I wish I could find some figures regarding energy generation and recycling… but since the construction is set, I think it’s quite significant. This is definitely a project worth following in the future – we’ll keep you posted on any further developments.

Henan man invents 'green firecracker' to fight New Year smog

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-02-19

A vendor sets off fireworks in front of his store in Taiyuan, Shanxi
province, February 2013. (File photo/CNS)

Chinese revelers may have the hard choice of deciding between protecting the environment or protecting tradition as they prepare fireworks displays for the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 19 this year.

But a man from central China's Henan province has devised an invention that could allow them to do both.

Wang Xinming, an oil company employee, created a non-polluting firecracker to help people protect the environment and enjoy a festive atmosphere at the same time.

"My invention is not powered by explosives or electricity," the 29-year-old Wang said,

Approved for patent in July, the firecracker uses a closed cavity which can be injected with air. Users then just need to press a button and the closed cavity will immediately open a small hole, through which, compressed air will discharge and produce an explosive sound.

It is more beautiful than normal firecrackers. If customers need, the firecracker can emit water mist and even fragrance, Wang said.

Chinese people traditionally light firecrackers and fireworks during the Spring Festival or Chinese Lunar New Year, based on the that the noise will fend off evil spirits and bad luck.

However, this tradition has been blamed for dust, sulfur dioxide and lingering smog in recent years.

"My firecracker is safe and environmentally friendly," Wang said. Although the invention has not been mass produced, Wang sees great potential in the market.

It is mainly produced from plastic. With the manufacturing cost reaching about 150 yuan (US$24) per unit, the selling price may be higher. But it can be reused, Wang said.

"Some ways of celebrating festivals may have drastic impact on our environment. If Wang's invention can be mass produced, it's another way for us to fight smog," said Chen Ying, a research fellow at the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Public safety downplayed for profits in Groningen gas fields: report

DutchNews.nl, February 18, 2015

Maximising profit was the main driver for the extraction of natural gas from underneath Groningen province and public safety took a back seat, the safety research council OVV says in a report on Wednesday.

The council says everyone involved in the gas industry should recognise and admit to the people of Groningen that their safety was not a priority issue. This is essential to heal the rift between locals, national government and gas extraction firm NAM, the council says. 

Parts of Groningen have been hit by earthquakes because of the gas extraction and locals argue their fears have not been fully recognised by national government in The Hague. 

‘It should not be the case that a source of so much money for the Dutch state and for companies should leave people with problems,’ commission chairman Tjibbe Joustra told broadcaster Nos.

The concept report leaked out earlier this year. The definitive version covers the period from the discovery of the gas reserves in 1959 to January 2014.

The report criticises the mining authority SodM for not being independent enough. It says the economic affairs ministry failed to represent all public interests equally and that NAM should have done better research into the likely effect of the gas extraction. NAM is a Shell-ExxonMobil joint venture which extracts the gas on behalf of the Dutch government.

Impact 

The people of Groningen were continually fed ‘calming messages’ and were kept out of the decision-making processes, the report says. In 1993 it emerged that the gas extraction could cause earthquakes but it was not until 2012, when a quake measuring 3.6 on the Richer scale hit, that the problem was first taken seriously.

Thousands of homes have been damaged by earthquakes as the ground settles after the gas has been removed. The government has earmarked millions of euros to strengthen property and has also reduced gas extraction volumes because of the safety concerns. 

Local politicians have threated the national government with legal action if they fail to take emergency steps. 

Campaigner Dick Kleijer told the Volkskrant the report confirms what people living in the province have thought for years. The fact public safety has been ignored is a ‘scandal’, he said. ‘Safety should be more important than gas extraction, not the other way round.’

Related Articles:

Minister cuts Groningen gas volumes yet again

‘Earthquake repairs to cost far more than estimate’

Japan prepares to mark three years since devastating quake

As world honours the dead, Indonesia begins tsunami memorials

"Fast-Tracking" - Feb 8, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Reference to Fukushima / H-bomb nuclear pollution and a warning about nuclear  (> 20 Min)

Biofuel from trash could create green jobs bonanza, says report

Advanced biofuels industry could spur hundreds of thousands of jobs across Europe, says new report, but key European parliament vote next week could throw clean fuel ambitions into disarray

The Guardian, Arthur Neslen, 17 February 2015

Biofuel from household and industrial waste, woody crops, agricultural residues
 or algae is seen as less environmentally damaging than first generation biofuels
 produced by growing crops such as rapeseed. Photograph: Shutterstock/Courtesy
of Avery Dennison

Creating biofuels from waste produced by industry, farms, and households could generate 36,000 jobs in the UK and save around 37m tonnes of oil use annually by 2030, according to a new report.

Across Europe, hundreds of thousands of new jobs could be created by using these ‘advanced biofuels’, which could replace 16% of the continent’s road transport fuel by the same year, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) study said. But the gains will not come without ambitious policy to promote advanced biofuels, it warned.

“Alternative fuels from wastes and residues offer real and substantial carbon savings, even when taking account of possible indirect emissions,” said Chris Malins who led the analysis for ICCT . “The resource is available, and the technology exists – the challenge now is for Europe to put a policy framework in place that allows rapid investment.”

However, a key vote in the European Parliament’s environment committee next week could stop this potential being realised, as a centre-right grouping of MEPs has signalled that it will oppose a biofuels reform package considered crucial to the fledgling industry.

The committee will vote next Tuesday on a compromise biofuels reform bill that would mandate a goal of advanced biofuels providing 1.25% of Europe’s transport fuel by 2020.

This advanced fuel could come from woody crops, agricultural residues, algae or household and industrial waste. It is seen as less environmentally damaging than first generation biofuels produced by growing crops such as rapeseed, which have been criticised for displacing food crops and raising commodity prices.

Malins said that a mandatory advanced biofuels goal was “absolutely crucial” to realising the sector’s potential, as it would bring market certainty and long-term signals for investors.

  

But sources at the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) told the Guardian that they were unlikely to back such a package. “We think it is unrealistically ambitious,” a source said. “We are not going to support the compromise proposal.”

The bill would also introduce criteria for assessing biofuels’ sustainability and set a 6% cap for the amount that first generation biofuel could contribute to the EU’s 2020 target of providing 10% of road transport fuel from low carbon sources.

Marko Janhunen, the vice-president of UPM Biorefining in Finland, said that parliamentary manoeuvring could risk the advanced sector’s potential for hi-tech job creation in rural areas.

“This is a critical moment for the advanced biofuels sector and this discussion is very frustrating,” he told the Guardian. “We want to see incentives and reasons to invest. We want to get rid of the regulatory uncertainty that has been surrounding the discussion.”

UPM recently opened a €175m renewable waste biorefinery that transforms residues from pulp into renewable diesel that can be used by cars – or potentially, one day, by planes. British Airways is one of several members of a Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels group that Janhunen also chairs.

“The EU has spent hundreds of millions in projects supporting the uptake of these technologies,” Janhunen added. “Now they are here, it is very important to set policies in place that enable them to be brought into the market.”

The current proposal has faced a tortuous journey and campaigners fear that even a narrow victory now will embolden east European states to finally bury it in the European Council.

“If the EPP votes against the compromise, there is a massive risk that the whole package could fall into a conciliation process, or even no conclusion at all,” said Nusa Urbancic, a clean energy programme manager at the Transport and Environment group. “This will mean continued negative impacts on deforestation and food prices, as well as leading the EU away from our climate objectives.”

The European ethanol industry association (ePURE) has thrown its weight behind the biofuels bill. Its secretary-general, Robert Wright, told the Guardian that “only a binding target will send a clear signal to investors that there will be a future market for advanced biofuels.”

But other industry figures were sceptical about the likelihood of meaningful regulation at the EU level, and about the ICCT’s analysis more generally.

“Studies like this have rosy assumptions that feed into rosy conclusions,” said Eric Sievers, the CEO of Ethanol Europe Renewables. “You don’t make a large capital investment in a regulatory regime that expires in 2020, so the potential and reality are at odds. Nothing prevents this stuff from being imported from the US or Brazil so the whole jobs argument goes down the tubes.”

In the absence of EU renewable targets for 2030, however, Malins said that the cleaner fuel process in Europe could still be continued with carbon intensity fuel standards similar to those in California, an extension of the bloc’s Fuel Quality Directive, or fiscal measures by European states.

Urbancic said that the US already had advanced biofuels targets which would likely deter its small industry from importing to the EU, while Brazil was likely to focus its industry on aviation.

Oil slump not necessarily bad news for climate

Yahoo – AFP, Catherine Hours, Celine Serrat, 14 Feb 2015

Advocates of wind say unit costs of their technology are falling, which makes

turbines better able to withstand a fall in fossil energy (AFP Photo/Shaun Curry)

Paris (AFP) - Since the 1970s, the renewable energy sector has usually trembled each time oil goes through the "bust" phase of the commodity cycle.

When crude was dear, users became interested in wind, solar and hydro.

But when oil became cheap, they gorged on it once more, turning their backs on novel, cleaner but costlier alternatives.

Today, oil is again in the doldrums. It plunged by 60 percent in price between June 2014 and January, falling to just over $40 a barrel, before pulling back to around $60 today.

The question whether gas and coal will
track oil in its extreme price movements
is unresolved for now (AFP Photo/Patrik

Stollarz)

So does this herald another crisis for green energy, further complicating the fight against carbon pollution?

Not necessarily, say observers.

Lower oil prices may indeed lead to more emissions in the transport sector, where electric vehicles have struggled to penetrate even at times of high pump prices, they say.

Transport accounts for around 14 percent of the world's annually tally of greenhouse-gas emissions.

As the cost of petrol (gasoline) falls, "people drive more, and tend to buy thirstier cars," said Pascal Canfin, a climate expert at the World Resources Institute (WRI) think-tank.

Fossils vs. renewables

But the picture is different when it comes to energy production, which contributes to 35 percent of world emissions.

"In most (electricity) markets, renewables are not competing with oil, they're competing with natural gas and coal," said Alden Meyer, an analyst at a US NGO, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The question whether gas and coal will track oil in its extreme movements is unresolved for now, said Canfin.

But already, more and more high-end oil projects -- deeper-water and marginal fields and tar sands, for instance -- are being shelved.

Oil investment around the world is likely to fall this year between 10 and 15 percent, the specialist bank Evercore IS forecasts.

Advocates of wind say unit costs of their technology are falling, which makes turbines better able to withstand a fall in fossil energy.

In 2014, 51,477 megawatts of wind-generated capacity were added, a record increase of 44 percent over the previous year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the industry's lobby.

"Not only the low prices but also the cost stability of wind power makes it a very attractive option for utilities, independent power producers and companies who are looking for a hedge against the wildly fluctuating prices of fossil fuels," argues GWEC chief Steve Sawyer.

Stranded assets

Another risk factor for fossils is climate policy, said Dimitris Zenghalis of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Unbounded fossil consumption "is incompatible with climate objectives," Zenghelis said bluntly. "If you're an investor, you have to take that risk into account."

UN members on Friday completed a new round of negotiations towards a planned climate deal to be sealed in Paris in December.

The pact aims to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels.

The prime concern for investors, said Zenghelis, is "stranded assets" -- long-term fossil projects that could be scrapped.

According to research published last month in the science journal Nature, a third of all oil reserves, half of gas and over 80 percent of coal reserves must be left untouched until 2050.

This would be the sole way to meet the global 2 C target, according to the study, led by specialists at University College London.

Targets for climate action include reducing the subsidies for fossil fuels, which according to the International Energy Agency (UEA) amounted to 550 billion dollars in 2013, and imposing taxes on carbon pollution.

If governments use lower oil prices to

 overhaul their fossil subsidies or

 introduce environmental taxes, then the 

fall in prices will be excellent news for

 the climate (AFP Photo/Philippe Huguen)

Another goal would be to boost energy efficiency.

"If governments use lower oil prices to overhaul their fossil subsidies or introduce environmental taxes, then the fall in prices will be excellent news for the climate," said Stephane Hallegatte, a senior economist at the World Bank.

Historically, though, green policies typically get sidelined when oil prices fall.

Governments usually prefer to reap the benefits of a short-term economic lift.

And they are loath to stir unpopularity with the public or opposition from powerful lobbies by introducing energy levies.

This time, though, the conditions seem more favourable: the science about the dangers of fossil pollution -- just published by the UN's expert panel -- is clear, and public awareness is high.

"Politically, now this is a very good time to do it," said Zenghelis.

"It just remains to be seen whether policymakers will take advantage of it."

Related Article:

Green power takes on fossil fuels

Pilot whales die after 198 stranded on New Zealand beach

BBC News, 13 February 2015

A conservation worker tends some of the beached whales

Almost 200 pilot whales have stranded themselves on New Zealand's South Island, as rescuers and volunteers raced to refloat them.

Two dozen of the 198 whales found on Farewell Spit, Golden Bay, had already died, the conservation department said.

If the attempt to refloat them on Friday is unsuccessful, rescuers will have to wait 24 hours for high tide to try again.

A local official said it is the biggest beaching incident in 10-15 years.

"Because there's just so many whales, there are a couple of spots where a lot would gather together and that's kind of problematic from the aspect that you can't get in there, it's just too dangerous," said Mike Ogle, a local conservation ranger.

Farewell Spit has been the location of many whale strandings.

Experts say its shallow waters seems to confuse whales and hinder their ability to navigate.

Once they are stranded, whales can suffer from dehydration and sunburn.

Pilot whales can grow to about 20ft (6 metres) and are the most common species of whale in New Zealand's waters.

Andrew Lamason from the Department Of Conservation said it could take days to refloat the whales and even then there would be no guarantees they would survive.

"We've had plenty times in the past where the pods have gone out to sea and turned around and come back again," Mr Lamason said. "We're preparing for a big few days."

Scientists do not know what causes groups of whales to beach themselves.

File photo of pilot whales in Scotland

Related Article:

“2011 and Beyond” - What you are seeing, and why - Jan 16, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Text version)

“… (2) The second thing the melting ice caps give you is about ecology. I'll give you this prediction in a moment. There is a Human 3D paradigm that says everything gets "used" and then goes away. But nature doesn't work that way, and our prediction is going to go against everything you have been told. I'm going to give you a parable and the prediction in a moment, but before that, I'm going to give you the explanation of the birds and the fish.

In the last few weeks, fish have been washing up dead in certain lakes by the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Birds have been falling from the sky. I'm going to make a statement way in advance of what science is going to tell you. All of it can be traced to the water cycle - all of it. It's always about the weather, a cycle of weather you've not seen before. Do you remember a few years ago when whales were beaching themselves? Did you notice that this attribute stopped? But while they were beaching themselves every year, many Human Beings were in fear, saying, "It's the end of the world. They're committing suicide."

The whales beached themselves because the magnetics of the earth shifted so greatly that their navigational system [the magnetite in their biology, which is their migration compass] steered them right into the land. The land didn't move; the magnetics did. Therefore, you might say their internal inherited migration map was flawed. The reason it's not happening now is because the calves, the generation beyond the one that beached themselves, figured it out and rewrote the maps. Nature [Gaia] does this. So the next generation didn't repeat it. Instead, it realigned itself to the migratory lay lines and now whales don't beach themselves nearly as often.

The magnetics of the planet continue to shift and the birds are unaware. Like the whales, many of the birds have migrated themselves right into a high place in the atmosphere, which pummeled them to death by freezing rain and hail. Then they fall from the sky. It's the weather cycle. Will they continue to do this? Some will, for awhile, and then they will figure it out and recalibrate. That's what nature does.

You might say, "Well, nature's way is severe." It is not severe. It is a positive learning system that allows generations of birds to be around next time. The few deaths allow for the many to continue their life cycle and their lineage on the earth.

I want you to analyze the fish that have washed up. Let science reveal this as well. I want you to analyze the fish. They have something in common. They're all juveniles. And why is that? What do you know about the water cycle? What do you know about cold water and the life cycle of certain fish and their habits of reproduction? I will tell you the layers of water are changing in temperature and that is going to change the life cycle of the oceans and lakes. The juvenile fish are the most susceptible to death by becoming too cold, especially the ones of the kind that washed up dead. By the tens of thousands, the cold killed them. It is the water cycle. Will it continue? For awhile, until they acclimate, until they recalibrate for the cold - and they will. Nature does that.  ….“

"The Energy of the Future" (2) - Dec 7, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version) - New

“… The Physics of It: A Review

Now for some physics, and I'll call it spiritual physics so it's not too complicated. In 1993, we gave you a book called The End Times. In this book, we made some statements. We talked about the magnetic grid of the earth, and we told you that it had to be there for Human life to exist - and it does. At the time, science didn't agree, but now many are seeing it. We went on to give you the esoterics of it, what my partner calls the woo-woo part. Your DNA, a multidimensional molecule, has within it everything that the Universe knows. It carries your Akashic Record, all of your lifetimes, all of your spiritual purpose, your spiritual being and your karma. Everything is in your DNA. This will never be proven, since it's a spiritual attribute. The DNA creates a field and it's called the Merkabah (a Hebrew word).

We also told you that the magnetic grid of the earth, a multidimensional energy, transfers certain things to your DNA on a day-by-day basis. The grid then becomes a major energy transfer system. That should have connected the dots for some of those who were paying attention - for if the grid changes, dear ones, you do, too. I told you the grid would change more in 10 years than it had in 100, and it did. You can measure your magnetic grid's movement with a compass. Between 1993 and 2002, it moved greatly, more than in any other time in modern Human history. We said this would be, and so it was. Our grid group left in 2002, as we told you we would.

Again, those paying attention should have known something was happening. I also told you within those initial transmissions back then that you would have no Armageddon, and you did not. Also, that there would be no World War III, and there wasn't. In the face of all the prophecy that told you differently, we told you there was a potential for Human Beings to pass the marker, survive, and start a new energy on the planet. We told you this would be the start of peace on Earth, and this is where you sit today. All of those years ago, we told you about the potential of where you sit today, listening to this message, and asking what might be next. So I'll label the channel right now: The Energy of the Future.

The Energy of the Future

Last week, I gave you a channelling of what to expect within the next three years. The message tonight will talk to you about the energies that are going to be manifested beyond that and some of the changes to expect and why they are taking place. You may want to listen to this channel a number of times to put it together, for there are reviews and new information.

So before we begin, what have we established?

Number One: Locked into the Human body via your DNA is brilliance and mastery, working at approximately 34 percent.

Number Two: The magnetic grid of the planet postures everything to do with your DNA. It also has much to do with what you call Human nature, what you want and what you've created. It seems static, never changing, and has been seen as "the way it is". However, we will call it the temporary lock on DNA. You see, when your Human consciousness and spiritual maturity starts to move in the next years, your DNA will start to change. This has nothing to do with chemistry, but everything to do with energy stored within it, and rewriting the data. New energies will unlock certain parts that have been locked, some of them being the very parts that I've just told you about at the beginning of this channelling - the things that are puzzling regarding healing and the Akash.  …”