We're well aware that interest rates (on loans) at such a high level inevitably pose a considerable burden on the small and midsize firms that we do business with.
[REIJI151.dic]
この金利では取引先の中小企業に相当の負担をかけることになる。
GreenTechSupport グリーン テクサポート The Planet Guardian
アメリカ口語教本（4-Course) William L. Clark 著 研究社
試験にでる英単語、英熟語シリーズ 森 一郎 著 青春出版社
（ 伝えたい！ 残したい！ ）
[英・数・理・ＰＣ・ＣＡＤ・ＣＧ・ピアノ]
[ 英・数・理 教室 ]
[ パソコン、ネットを最大限活用: ”ネイティブ” な環境で学習 ]
基本事項の習得で語彙力を増大/常に英英辞典を参照
フォニックス・発音記号・接頭語・接尾語・同意語・反意語・英英辞書で文法
米AmE・英BrEの図書・媒体(新聞・書籍・規格・ネット）の学習・活用
電子辞典： ロングマン現代英英辞典（LDoCE）・英辞郎(Eijiro)
LONGMAN Exams DictionaryでTOEIC・TOEFL等の英語検定対策
電子事典： Microsoft Student Encarta・Encyclopaedia Student Britannica
[ 英・数・理 教室 ]
[ パソコン、ネットを最大限活用: ”ネイティブ” な環境で学習 ]
基本事項の習得で語彙力を増大/常に英英辞典を参照
フォニックス・発音記号・接頭語・接尾語・同意語・反意語・英英辞書で文法
米AmE・英BrEの図書・媒体(新聞・書籍・規格・ネット）の学習・活用
電子辞典： ロングマン現代英英辞典（LDoCE）・英辞郎(Eijiro)
LONGMAN Exams DictionaryでTOEIC・TOEFL等の英語検定対策
電子事典： Microsoft Student Encarta・Encyclopaedia Student Britannica
この教室では、”小中”は青少年向け百科事典、”高”は一般向け百科事典を活用。
英英辞典を活用し、ネイティブの学生のような読書方法を試みている。
(英語でゲーム感覚で：算数・科学・地学・芸術・文学・伝記等の学習)
(英語でゲーム感覚で：算数・科学・地学・芸術・文学・伝記等の学習)
センター試験 英語 （筆記、リスニング） ・ 数学 対策
計算問題： 式を整理(暗算は避けたい)⇒展開⇒計算⇒解確認
文章問題： 問題の趣旨を把握⇔図式化⇒式を整理⇒展開⇒計算⇒解確認
[各種活用図書の一部]
文章問題： 問題の趣旨を把握⇔図式化⇒式を整理⇒展開⇒計算⇒解確認
[各種活用図書の一部]
アメリカ口語教本（4-Course) William L. Clark 著 研究社
試験にでる英単語、英熟語シリーズ 森 一郎 著 青春出版社
LONGMAN Dictionary of American English, Contemporary
English, Scientific Usage, and Exams Dictionary
English, Scientific Usage, and Exams Dictionary
OXFORD Advanced Learner's Dictionary 現代英英辞典
CAMBRIDGE Learner's Dictionary (Semi-bilingual Version)
The American Heritage Dictionary (College Edition)
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
問合せ先 住所： 792-0834 愛媛県新居浜市中西町５番３３号
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
Senior Healing Piano : 日本のうた
( 明治・大正・昭和・平成 )( 野ばら社から )
Ｓilvery Waves （銀波）：私の大好きなピアノ曲。
自分の人生を奏でてるようで
涙しながら弾いています。
春にはほぼ弾けるようになりたい。
浜千鳥 （日本唱歌）：この歌は私の人生そのもので
孤独な旅人です．業が余りにも深過ぎる。
収支入力ツール 月別集計ツール
1. Office Excel ２００７ 以降
2. Book の Sheet名 下記の8 sheets
CD1(科目名）、CD2(摘要名）、１４出納、１４集計、１５出納、１５集計、１６出納、１６集計
3. 特長 収支の予定、現状を常に把握可能、出納帳、家計簿、出欠簿、在庫表、（その他応用） 等一括で処理
4. 使い方 一例（出納：月初めに、１日付で、収支項目を入力、リストから予定を択ぶ、収支が発生したら上書き、リストを変更、日付でソート）
5. 使い方 一例（集計：赤の全集計表から必要な番号を、緑の集計表に入力、範囲を選択して印刷を行う、等）
GreenTechSupport グリーン テクサポート By MS Excel
（ 伝えたい！ 残したい！ ）
[MS Excel エクセル ビジネス ソフト]
[GTS 圧力容器計算書 ]---販売中
設計条件（入力）： 圧力、温度、材料選択、（RT選択）、各寸法、腐れしろ。
効率、許容応力、各表、各データの読取は自動計算、各規格の参照不要。
例： 円錐胴の場合の各寸法； 大径端径、小径端径、円錐胴の高さのみ。
・圧力容器構造規格 ｛労働安全衛生法｝ （Ｐ－Ｘｘｘ）
・圧力容器の構造 ｛ＪＩＳ Ｂ ８２６５｝ （Ｊ－Ｘｘｘ）
・特定設備の技術基準 ｛高圧ガス保安法｝ （Ｈ－Ｘｘｘ）
・ＡＳＭＥ ボイラーと圧力容器規格 （Ａ－Ｘｘｘ）
[材料積算、設計、検査から製品の出荷までに伴う諸計算書、書類]
[MS Excel エクセル ビジネス・ホーム ソフト]
[GTS 収支集計ツール：家計/会計/店舗/学校]---販売中
預金/現金の二元式、各項目ごとの各月集計表付き
入出先のコード番号と金額を入力 一画面で処理
[各種業務]
各種業務用ソフト作成、各種計算書作成
機械設計製図 ・ 各種工学計算書作成 ・ 英語翻訳
圧力容器設計 ・ 配管設計 ・ 構造物設計
各種イラスト ・ ＷＥＢ作成
問合せ先 住所： 792-0834 愛媛県新居浜市中西町５番３３号
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
Green TechSupport グリーン テクサポート The Planet Guardian
（ 伝えたい！ 残したい！ ）
[英・数・理・ＰＣ・ＣＡＤ・ＣＧ・ピアノ]
[ ＰＣ・ＣＡＤ・ＣＧ 教室 ]
[パソコンの操作の全て ： ファイル種々処理法、トラブル解消法]
[各種ソフトの操作 ： Ｏｆｆｉce，2Ｄ/3Ｄ ＣＡＤ、ＣＧ、ＷＥＢ …等]
マイクロソフトオフィススペシャリスト（ＭＯＳ）認定資格試験対策
３Ｄ－ＣＡＤ/ＣＧ 入門 －Ｉｎｖｅｎｔｏｒ と ３ｄｓ Ｍａｘ で学ぶ図形科学－
（東京大学教養学部の図形科学履修者用テキスト ９０分×１３週）
問合せ先 住所： 792-0834 愛媛県新居浜市中西町５番３３号
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
Green TechSupport グリーン テクサポート The Planet Guardian
（ 伝えたい！ 残したい！ )
[英・数・理・ＰＣ・ＣＡＤ・ＣＧ・ピアノ]
[ ピアノ教室 ]
[ 対象 ： 初級課程 ]
バイエルピアノ教則本 ハノン教本
ツェルニー練習曲 ブルグミュラー練習
[活用図書 ： こうすればピアノは弾ける －富永和子－著]
[活用図書 ： 楽譜がスラスラ読める本 －大塚 茜－監修]
問合せ先 住所： 792-0834 愛媛県新居浜市中西町５番３３号
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
TEL/FAX： 0897 - 41 - 5167
携帯電話： 090 5146 2354
email: iespcs@yahoo.co.jp
mobile: ieskkk@softbank.ne.jp
blog: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/iespcs/
[News] from [guardian.co.uk]
[guardian.co.uk > Environment > Guardian Environment Network]
Spanish firms race UK to build world's largest offshore wind turbineBusinessGreen: Gamesa says it will lead €25m project to build turbine even bigger than massive 'Britannia' machine
• Interactive: The battle to build bigger turbines
BusinessGreen
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 November 2010 11.29 GMT
Article history
The 10MW Aerogenerator X, a new breed of mammoth offshore wind turbine in development by British firm Arup - but a planned 15MW turbine by Spanish firms would dwarf it. Illustration: Wind Power Limited and Grimshaw
A group of Spanish firms have kick-started an initiative to build a massive 15MW wind turbine in a bid to tackle the technical and financial difficulties afflicting the offshore wind energy market.
Turbine manufacturer Gamesa yesterday confirmed it is leading the project, dubbed Azimut, alongside 11 wind and engineering firms and 22 research centres. It added that the research project will require a total investment of €25m over the next four years.
The main responsibilities will be divided between five firms, with Gamesa heading work on wind capture, Acciona Windpower responsible for electricity conversion, Alstom Wind managing the substructures, Acciona Energía heading up construction, operation and maintenance at offshore sites, and finally Iberdrola Renovables developing the grid connection.
The timetable of the project is slated to be finalised in 2013, but the Azimut group said it hopes to have established the technological groundwork to build the machine by 2020.
The project, which is backed by the Spanish government's Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology, is designed to help the industry overcome some of the technical and financial hurdles currently limiting the rollout of offshore wind energy.
"The most pressing of these obstacles are availability, turbine foundations and energy delivery to land," said Gamesa in a statement. "And [also] narrowing the gap between offshore energy's cost and required investment and those of onshore wind energy sites."
If built, Azimut's wind turbine will be significantly larger than any wind turbine currently planned. US firm Clipper Windpower tops the league at the moment, with plans to build the 10MW Britannia offshore machine in the North East of England, although it is thought that the company is unlikely to deliver a commercial turbine from the project in time for the next wave of Round 3 offshore wind farms.
[guardian.co.uk > Environment > Climate change]
UN: Greenhouse gases at highest level since pre-industrial timesGases continued to build in 2009 despite economic slowdown, says UN weather agency
Reuters
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 November 2010 15.29 GMT
Article history
Concentrations of the main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached their highest level since pre-industrial times, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said today.
Concentrations of the gases continued to build up in 2009 – the latest year of observations – despite the economic slowdown, the UN weather agency said in its latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
Rises in the amount of greenhouse gases increase radiation in the atmosphere, warming the surface of the Earth and causing climate change.
"The main long-lived greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have reached their highest recorded levels since the beginning of the industrial age, and this despite the recent economic slowdown," said WMO deputy secretary-general Jeremiah Lengoasa.
The findings will be studied at a UN meeting in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December to discuss climate change.
Total radiative forcing of all long-lived greenhouse gases – the balance between radiation coming into the atmosphere and radiation going out – increased by 1% in 2009 and rose by 27.5% from 1990 to 2009, the WMO said.
The growth rates for carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide were smaller than in 2008, but this had only a marginal impact on the long-lasting concentrations.
It would take about 100 years for carbon dioxide to disappear from the atmosphere if emissions stopped completely.
Carbon dioxide is the single most important greenhouse gas caused by human activity, contributing 63.5% of total radiative forcing. Its concentration has increased by 38% since 1750, mainly because of emissions from burning fossil fuels, deforestation and changes in land use, the WMO said.
Natural emissions of methane due for example to the melting of the Arctic icecap or increased rainfall on wetlands – themselves caused by global warming – are becoming more significant, it said.
This could create a "feedback loop" in which global warming releases large quantities of methane into the atmosphere which then contribute to further global warming.
These natural emissions could be the reason why methane has increased in the atmosphere over the past three years after nearly a decade of no growth, the WMO said.
Human activities such as cattle-rearing, rice planting, fossil-fuel exploitation and landfills account for 60% of methane emissions, with natural sources accounting for the rest.
[guardian.co.uk > Environment > Guardian Environment Network]
Spanish firms race UK to build world's largest offshore wind turbineBusinessGreen: Gamesa says it will lead €25m project to build turbine even bigger than massive 'Britannia' machine
• Interactive: The battle to build bigger turbines
BusinessGreen
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 November 2010 11.29 GMT
Article history
The 10MW Aerogenerator X, a new breed of mammoth offshore wind turbine in development by British firm Arup - but a planned 15MW turbine by Spanish firms would dwarf it. Illustration: Wind Power Limited and Grimshaw
A group of Spanish firms have kick-started an initiative to build a massive 15MW wind turbine in a bid to tackle the technical and financial difficulties afflicting the offshore wind energy market.
Turbine manufacturer Gamesa yesterday confirmed it is leading the project, dubbed Azimut, alongside 11 wind and engineering firms and 22 research centres. It added that the research project will require a total investment of €25m over the next four years.
The main responsibilities will be divided between five firms, with Gamesa heading work on wind capture, Acciona Windpower responsible for electricity conversion, Alstom Wind managing the substructures, Acciona Energía heading up construction, operation and maintenance at offshore sites, and finally Iberdrola Renovables developing the grid connection.
The timetable of the project is slated to be finalised in 2013, but the Azimut group said it hopes to have established the technological groundwork to build the machine by 2020.
The project, which is backed by the Spanish government's Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology, is designed to help the industry overcome some of the technical and financial hurdles currently limiting the rollout of offshore wind energy.
"The most pressing of these obstacles are availability, turbine foundations and energy delivery to land," said Gamesa in a statement. "And [also] narrowing the gap between offshore energy's cost and required investment and those of onshore wind energy sites."
If built, Azimut's wind turbine will be significantly larger than any wind turbine currently planned. US firm Clipper Windpower tops the league at the moment, with plans to build the 10MW Britannia offshore machine in the North East of England, although it is thought that the company is unlikely to deliver a commercial turbine from the project in time for the next wave of Round 3 offshore wind farms.
[guardian.co.uk > Environment > Climate change]
UN: Greenhouse gases at highest level since pre-industrial timesGases continued to build in 2009 despite economic slowdown, says UN weather agency
Reuters
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 November 2010 15.29 GMT
Article history
Concentrations of the main greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached their highest level since pre-industrial times, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said today.
Concentrations of the gases continued to build up in 2009 – the latest year of observations – despite the economic slowdown, the UN weather agency said in its latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
Rises in the amount of greenhouse gases increase radiation in the atmosphere, warming the surface of the Earth and causing climate change.
"The main long-lived greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have reached their highest recorded levels since the beginning of the industrial age, and this despite the recent economic slowdown," said WMO deputy secretary-general Jeremiah Lengoasa.
The findings will be studied at a UN meeting in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December to discuss climate change.
Total radiative forcing of all long-lived greenhouse gases – the balance between radiation coming into the atmosphere and radiation going out – increased by 1% in 2009 and rose by 27.5% from 1990 to 2009, the WMO said.
The growth rates for carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide were smaller than in 2008, but this had only a marginal impact on the long-lasting concentrations.
It would take about 100 years for carbon dioxide to disappear from the atmosphere if emissions stopped completely.
Carbon dioxide is the single most important greenhouse gas caused by human activity, contributing 63.5% of total radiative forcing. Its concentration has increased by 38% since 1750, mainly because of emissions from burning fossil fuels, deforestation and changes in land use, the WMO said.
Natural emissions of methane due for example to the melting of the Arctic icecap or increased rainfall on wetlands – themselves caused by global warming – are becoming more significant, it said.
This could create a "feedback loop" in which global warming releases large quantities of methane into the atmosphere which then contribute to further global warming.
These natural emissions could be the reason why methane has increased in the atmosphere over the past three years after nearly a decade of no growth, the WMO said.
Human activities such as cattle-rearing, rice planting, fossil-fuel exploitation and landfills account for 60% of methane emissions, with natural sources accounting for the rest.
[News] from [businessgreen.com]
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Recycling/Disposal]
Nine charged with exporting illegal e-waste
{不法電子廃棄物を国外に輸送したとして、９人が起訴される}
Environment Agency uncovers network allegedly dumping waste electricals in West Africa
BusinessGreen.com staff, BusinessGreen, 08 Oct 2010
Nine people have been charged today with illegally exporting electrical waste as part of the Environment Agency's latest crackdown.
Over the course of a two-year investigation, officers from the Environment Agency's National Environmental Crime Team uncovered a network of individuals, waste companies and export businesses allegedly making considerable sums of money from exporting electrical waste to West Africa, thereby avoiding the cost of treating it in the UK.
Under EU law introduced to stop potentially hazardous electronic equipment being sent for disposal in unsafe conditions in developing countries, it is illegal to send broken electrical equipment overseas.
The nine people have been charged with offences under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006 and bailed to attend Havering Magistrates' Court on 11 November.
Andy Higham, the Environment Agency's crime team manager, said there is evidence to suggest that illegally exported electrical waste from the UK is still ending up at waste sites in Africa, endangering the health of people working in and around those sites.
"Exporters of broken electricals put at risk the lives of those who work on waste sites in developing countries," he said. "These are often children who are paid a pittance to dismantle products containing hazardous waste. Illegal exporters also avoid the costs of recycling in the UK and undermine law-abiding business."
The agency's crime time is currently conducting 18 investigations into the illegal export of waste, half of which are in relation to electrics.
In July, it secured its first successful prosecution for the illegal export of electrical waste and a further four prosecutions are listed to appear in court over the next few weeks.
However, critics maintain that the illegal export of hazardous e-waste remains a major global problem and have repeatedly called on the government to step up efforts to enforce hazardous waste regulations.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Recycling/Disposal]
Nine charged with exporting illegal e-waste
{不法電子廃棄物を国外に輸送したとして、９人が起訴される}
Environment Agency uncovers network allegedly dumping waste electricals in West Africa
BusinessGreen.com staff, BusinessGreen, 08 Oct 2010
Nine people have been charged today with illegally exporting electrical waste as part of the Environment Agency's latest crackdown.
Over the course of a two-year investigation, officers from the Environment Agency's National Environmental Crime Team uncovered a network of individuals, waste companies and export businesses allegedly making considerable sums of money from exporting electrical waste to West Africa, thereby avoiding the cost of treating it in the UK.
Under EU law introduced to stop potentially hazardous electronic equipment being sent for disposal in unsafe conditions in developing countries, it is illegal to send broken electrical equipment overseas.
The nine people have been charged with offences under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations 2007 and European Waste Shipment Regulations 2006 and bailed to attend Havering Magistrates' Court on 11 November.
Andy Higham, the Environment Agency's crime team manager, said there is evidence to suggest that illegally exported electrical waste from the UK is still ending up at waste sites in Africa, endangering the health of people working in and around those sites.
"Exporters of broken electricals put at risk the lives of those who work on waste sites in developing countries," he said. "These are often children who are paid a pittance to dismantle products containing hazardous waste. Illegal exporters also avoid the costs of recycling in the UK and undermine law-abiding business."
The agency's crime time is currently conducting 18 investigations into the illegal export of waste, half of which are in relation to electrics.
In July, it secured its first successful prosecution for the illegal export of electrical waste and a further four prosecutions are listed to appear in court over the next few weeks.
However, critics maintain that the illegal export of hazardous e-waste remains a major global problem and have repeatedly called on the government to step up efforts to enforce hazardous waste regulations.
[News] from [businessgreen.com]
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Climate Change]
EU inks landmark sustainable logging deal with Cameroon
{EU、カメルンとの取引で空前の持続可能材木搬出計画に署名}
Voluntary Partnership Agreement aims to guarantee wood from EU's largest timber supplier is not illegally felled
BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
The EU yesterday signed a landmark agreement to license timber shipments from Cameroon, its largest African supplier, in a bid to eradicate illegal logging.
Earlier this year, the EU passed legislation that will from 2012 ban the import and sale of illegally felled timber and the push to tackle imports of illegal timber is being supported by a series of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA), which aim to independently certify timber from legal plantations.
Under the terms of Cameroon's VPA, from July 2012, all timber and wood product shipments from the country will have to carry a licence showing that they came from a legal origin if they want to access EU markets.
Cameroon will also establish a national system to ensure legal compliance in timber production, covering wood sold to non-EU markets and on the domestic market, as well as the 80 per cent exported to the EU.
Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Cameroon minister for forest and wildlife, formally signed the agreement yesterday, bringing to an end three years of negotiations.
The latest agreement follows similar VPAs signed between the EU and the Republic of Congo and Ghana. Six other countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Central African Republic, Liberia and Gabon – are also currently negotiating VPAs with the EU, while and a number of other nations have expressed an interest in preliminary talks.
Andris Piebalgs, European commissioner for development, said countries signing up to VPAs would find it easier to respond to growing demand for sustainably certified timber.
"This Agreement is a major step forward in our fight against illegal logging and will contribute to economic development and poverty alleviation in Cameroon, " he said. "At the same time, [it] responds to the ever stronger expectations in Europe for verified legality of timber products. It will benefit the European consumers because they can be sure that when they buy wood from Cameroon, it is from a legal origin.”
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Management]
Small businesses 'too poor' to reap green benefits
{中小企業、資金不足からグリーン事業で利益を得ることが出来ず}
Survey finds SMEs feel cost of adopting environmental policies is too great, despite recognising commercial advantages
BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
UK small businesses are claiming they are too strapped for cash to improve their green policies, according to a survey released today.
The research from Lloyds TSB Commercial suggests that while the economic downturn has pushed some firms to adopt environmental initiatives as a method of reducing operating costs, many others are failing to act and as a result are missing out on the commercial opportunities associated with 'green' business models.
Only 38 per cent of the 539 small and medium sized businesses polled had taken steps to analyse the environmental risks faced by their operations. Just over half cited cost as the main barrier to taking action to reduce their environmental impact, with a quarter blaming confusion surrounding environmental legislation for their inaction.
Those that had undertaken measures to reduce their environmental footprint typically implemented policies designed to cut costs by reducing waste levels and saving energy.
Encouragingly, almost half of those surveyed acknowledged that 'going green' would garner a positive reaction from customers. Similarly, improved profitability, staff retention and morale, and the enhanced ability to win contracts were all high on a list of recognised business benefits put forward by respondents.
However, almost 30 per cent admitted they had put environmental improvement plans on hold until they had recovered from of the impact of the recession.
John Maltby, managing director of Lloyds TSB Commercial, claimed that the recession had caused thousands of small firms to think more carefully about their environmental responsibilities.
"It is clear that businesses do seem to recognise the value of improving their green credentials, and the dangers of not doing so," he said. "Coming out of the recession many firms do seem focused on the costs savings to be gained from environmental improvements, but many are being held back because they fear the cost of taking action."
He added that to help small businesses understand and respond to environmental risks and opportunities, Lloyds would establish a network of regional business and environment managers and also stage 200 SME road shows over the next year.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
Gamesa and Northrop team up to build giant 5MW offshore turbine
{スペインの大手発電機メーカー、ガメサ社とアメリカの軍艦製造メーカー、ノースロップ社が5MWの巨大な沖合風力発電所の共同製作で合意}
Spanish wind giant reaches agreement with US naval ship builder to work on prototype offshore turbine, as EU countries move forward with plans for North Sea grid
Jessica Shankleman, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
Leading wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa has set its sights on providing offshore turbines for the UK's giant Round 3 initiative, after this week inking a deal with America's largest shipbuilder that will see the two firms install a new 5MW offshore turbine off the US coast.
The US arm of the Spanish firm yesterday confirmed it has signed a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, to build and install a prototype 5MW offshore turbine at an undecided location off the US coast.
The new machine, dubbed the G11X- 5.0 MW, will be based on Gamesa's existing G10X-4.5 MW platform and will be built by a 40-strong team of engineers in Virginia. The plan is to install the prototype by the end of 2012 before then installing a second prototype in Europe.
The news will revitalise Gamesa's plan to establish itself as a leading player in the Northern European offshore wind market, after discussions between the company and German offshore wind specialist Bard dissolved earlier this year. Gamesa has now decided to venture out alone with its plans for a 5MW turbine.
The company hopes the partnership with Northrop will provide expertise in building technology capable of coping with harsh marine conditions.
"The economies in the offshore market are really about reliability," a spokesman for Gamesa told BusinessGreen.com. "The whole purpose of working with Northrop is to have a partner with a world-class record in building naval ships and know-how in delivering reliable technology for harsh conditions. "
Gamesa is also working on the roll out of another family of offshore turbines boasting up to 7MW capacity, with a view to completing prototype versions by 2014.
The news comes as the offshore wind sector received a boost this week when the Belgian EU Presidency, EU energy ministries and industry met to agree on the need to speed up the development of a new North Seas Offshore Grid.
North Seas countries are expected to now sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 2 formally supporting the North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative. The MoU will also set out a framework to help solve cross-country questions on current and future grid developments in the North Seas.
"Building this North Seas Offshore Grid is essential to meet Europe's future energy needs – secure electricity supply, free of carbon emissions, at an affordable price- as it will connect Europe with its greatest domestic energy resource, offshore wind," said Marie-Pierre Fauconnier, Belgian director general for energy.
According to the European Wind Energy Association, countries lined up to sign the MoU include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Climate Change]
EU inks landmark sustainable logging deal with Cameroon
{EU、カメルンとの取引で空前の持続可能材木搬出計画に署名}
Voluntary Partnership Agreement aims to guarantee wood from EU's largest timber supplier is not illegally felled
BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
The EU yesterday signed a landmark agreement to license timber shipments from Cameroon, its largest African supplier, in a bid to eradicate illegal logging.
Earlier this year, the EU passed legislation that will from 2012 ban the import and sale of illegally felled timber and the push to tackle imports of illegal timber is being supported by a series of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA), which aim to independently certify timber from legal plantations.
Under the terms of Cameroon's VPA, from July 2012, all timber and wood product shipments from the country will have to carry a licence showing that they came from a legal origin if they want to access EU markets.
Cameroon will also establish a national system to ensure legal compliance in timber production, covering wood sold to non-EU markets and on the domestic market, as well as the 80 per cent exported to the EU.
Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Cameroon minister for forest and wildlife, formally signed the agreement yesterday, bringing to an end three years of negotiations.
The latest agreement follows similar VPAs signed between the EU and the Republic of Congo and Ghana. Six other countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Central African Republic, Liberia and Gabon – are also currently negotiating VPAs with the EU, while and a number of other nations have expressed an interest in preliminary talks.
Andris Piebalgs, European commissioner for development, said countries signing up to VPAs would find it easier to respond to growing demand for sustainably certified timber.
"This Agreement is a major step forward in our fight against illegal logging and will contribute to economic development and poverty alleviation in Cameroon, " he said. "At the same time, [it] responds to the ever stronger expectations in Europe for verified legality of timber products. It will benefit the European consumers because they can be sure that when they buy wood from Cameroon, it is from a legal origin.”
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Management]
Small businesses 'too poor' to reap green benefits
{中小企業、資金不足からグリーン事業で利益を得ることが出来ず}
Survey finds SMEs feel cost of adopting environmental policies is too great, despite recognising commercial advantages
BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
UK small businesses are claiming they are too strapped for cash to improve their green policies, according to a survey released today.
The research from Lloyds TSB Commercial suggests that while the economic downturn has pushed some firms to adopt environmental initiatives as a method of reducing operating costs, many others are failing to act and as a result are missing out on the commercial opportunities associated with 'green' business models.
Only 38 per cent of the 539 small and medium sized businesses polled had taken steps to analyse the environmental risks faced by their operations. Just over half cited cost as the main barrier to taking action to reduce their environmental impact, with a quarter blaming confusion surrounding environmental legislation for their inaction.
Those that had undertaken measures to reduce their environmental footprint typically implemented policies designed to cut costs by reducing waste levels and saving energy.
Encouragingly, almost half of those surveyed acknowledged that 'going green' would garner a positive reaction from customers. Similarly, improved profitability, staff retention and morale, and the enhanced ability to win contracts were all high on a list of recognised business benefits put forward by respondents.
However, almost 30 per cent admitted they had put environmental improvement plans on hold until they had recovered from of the impact of the recession.
John Maltby, managing director of Lloyds TSB Commercial, claimed that the recession had caused thousands of small firms to think more carefully about their environmental responsibilities.
"It is clear that businesses do seem to recognise the value of improving their green credentials, and the dangers of not doing so," he said. "Coming out of the recession many firms do seem focused on the costs savings to be gained from environmental improvements, but many are being held back because they fear the cost of taking action."
He added that to help small businesses understand and respond to environmental risks and opportunities, Lloyds would establish a network of regional business and environment managers and also stage 200 SME road shows over the next year.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
Gamesa and Northrop team up to build giant 5MW offshore turbine
{スペインの大手発電機メーカー、ガメサ社とアメリカの軍艦製造メーカー、ノースロップ社が5MWの巨大な沖合風力発電所の共同製作で合意}
Spanish wind giant reaches agreement with US naval ship builder to work on prototype offshore turbine, as EU countries move forward with plans for North Sea grid
Jessica Shankleman, BusinessGreen, 07 Oct 2010
Leading wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa has set its sights on providing offshore turbines for the UK's giant Round 3 initiative, after this week inking a deal with America's largest shipbuilder that will see the two firms install a new 5MW offshore turbine off the US coast.
The US arm of the Spanish firm yesterday confirmed it has signed a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, to build and install a prototype 5MW offshore turbine at an undecided location off the US coast.
The new machine, dubbed the G11X- 5.0 MW, will be based on Gamesa's existing G10X-4.5 MW platform and will be built by a 40-strong team of engineers in Virginia. The plan is to install the prototype by the end of 2012 before then installing a second prototype in Europe.
The news will revitalise Gamesa's plan to establish itself as a leading player in the Northern European offshore wind market, after discussions between the company and German offshore wind specialist Bard dissolved earlier this year. Gamesa has now decided to venture out alone with its plans for a 5MW turbine.
The company hopes the partnership with Northrop will provide expertise in building technology capable of coping with harsh marine conditions.
"The economies in the offshore market are really about reliability," a spokesman for Gamesa told BusinessGreen.com. "The whole purpose of working with Northrop is to have a partner with a world-class record in building naval ships and know-how in delivering reliable technology for harsh conditions. "
Gamesa is also working on the roll out of another family of offshore turbines boasting up to 7MW capacity, with a view to completing prototype versions by 2014.
The news comes as the offshore wind sector received a boost this week when the Belgian EU Presidency, EU energy ministries and industry met to agree on the need to speed up the development of a new North Seas Offshore Grid.
North Seas countries are expected to now sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 2 formally supporting the North Seas Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative. The MoU will also set out a framework to help solve cross-country questions on current and future grid developments in the North Seas.
"Building this North Seas Offshore Grid is essential to meet Europe's future energy needs – secure electricity supply, free of carbon emissions, at an affordable price- as it will connect Europe with its greatest domestic energy resource, offshore wind," said Marie-Pierre Fauconnier, Belgian director general for energy.
According to the European Wind Energy Association, countries lined up to sign the MoU include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[japantimes.co.jp > Life in Japan > EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL]
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010
BILINGUAL: KEYES' POINT
Hiyakasu: Teasing finds easy target in first love
By MICHAEL HOFFMAN
"Yukino! My big brother is in love with Yukino!" Little Kimika Keyes whoops with delight, which of course only throws Peter deeper into misery. Kimika is 10 and he's 14 — he should have the upper hand, but there is in her a bewildering mix of yōchi (幼稚, childishness) and seijuku (成熟, maturity) that forever kōsansaseru (降参させる, defeats) him.
Ana ga attara hairitai (穴があったら入りたい, He is ready to sink into the ground) for haji (恥, shame). Suddenly a thought strikes him, overpowering in its novelty: "Why don't I tataku (叩く, give her a good smack)? Just once, not hard, to teach her a little sonkei (尊敬, respect)." For a moment, he forgets about Yukino, his love, and his shame.
It seems an astonishing thing — he has never, ever, not once, raised a hand to her! Of course, it's hazukashii (恥ずかしい, embarrassing) to hit a girl, especially one so much younger than himself; on the other hand, doesn't a parent slap a child for the sake of kiritsu (規律, discipline)? Just once, to teach her. After that, it will never be necessary again.
But kangaete mireba (考えてみれば, come to think of it), it's his own fault, not hers. What moved him to uchiakeru (打ち明ける, confide) in her? Her of all people! He should have known — of course he knew. She's a child, a kid . . . and yet something about her makes him forget that. When had he almost honnōteki ni (本能的に, instinctively) started to regard her as his oneesan (お姉さん, older sister) instead of as his imōto (妹, younger sister)?
"She's minikui (醜い, ugly), she has nikibi (にきび, pimples)." When Kimika is in the mood to hiyakasu (冷やかす, tease), she holds nothing back. "Have you kissed her? Ugh!"
"No, I haven't! All right, listen, that's enough. There are things in life" — he assumes his most otonappoi (大人っぽい, grownup) air — "that you're too young to understand. Now listen to me, or I'll kubi wo shimete yaru (首を絞めてやる, wring your neck)!"
"Kowai! Kowai! (怖い！怖い！ Oh, I'm so scared!)"
"Listen. You think you know everything because you read lots of books and get ii seiseki (いい成績, good grades) in school and mom and dad amayakasu (甘やかす, spoil you rotten). But omae wa nani mo shiranai zo (お前は何も知らないぞ, you don't know anything), because you're still a baby — you'll have nikibi yourself when you grow up a bit! So just damare (黙れ, shut up)!"
The two children look at each other. It's hard to say who's the more odoroita (驚いた, surprised) of the two — Peter, who delivered that uncharacteristically long and resolute speech, or Kimika, who was its object.
"Just shut up and listen. Yes, I do love Yukino. Waratte mo ii (笑ってもいい, Go ahead and laugh). Zenzen kamawanai (ぜんぜんかまわない, I don't care at all), because you don't know what love is, unless maybe it's love for mom and dad and obaachan (おばあちゃん, grandma). You say Yukino is ugly. I know she's no bijin (美人, beauty). When you're a little older, I'll explain to you that when you love somebody, that doesn't matter.You asked if I kissed her. No, but — I want to! So there!"
"Ugh!" Kimika says again, laughing. "Get out and let me finish my shukudai (宿題, homework). Wait. If you want to, why don't you?"
"Because she doesn't want to. She said — "
"She's probably afraid of catching some disease!"
At dinner that night, Kimika says, "Peter hit me."
"I did not!"
"Did too!"
Reiko, back from another day at court as a saibanin (裁判員, lay judge) in a murder trial, looks wearily from one child to the other. All week she has been engaged in judging yūzai (有罪, guilt) or muzai (無罪, innocence). It is wearing her down. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry to find herself in a similar role at home. "Jigōjitoku (自業自得, serves you right)," she says half-playfully to Kimika. From various indications, she has gathered that the situation isn't serious and that Kimika was, and is, behaving obnoxiously on purpose. "Stop it now and — "
Suddenly there's a burst of music — the opening bars of "God Save the Queen." Peter's cell phone. Reiko jumps, as she does lately at any sudden noise. "Hontōni kyūkei ga hitsuyō (本当に休憩が必要, I really need a break)," she thinks to herself.
"Shinkeishitsu da ne, okāsan wa! (神経質だね、お母さんは！ You're so nervous!)" says Kimika.
"It's nothing."
Peter gets up and leaves the room.
Kimika snickers. "I bet I know who that is!"
[japantimes.co.jp > Life in Japan > EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL]
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010
BILINGUAL: KEYES' POINT
Hiyakasu: Teasing finds easy target in first love
By MICHAEL HOFFMAN
"Yukino! My big brother is in love with Yukino!" Little Kimika Keyes whoops with delight, which of course only throws Peter deeper into misery. Kimika is 10 and he's 14 — he should have the upper hand, but there is in her a bewildering mix of yōchi (幼稚, childishness) and seijuku (成熟, maturity) that forever kōsansaseru (降参させる, defeats) him.
Ana ga attara hairitai (穴があったら入りたい, He is ready to sink into the ground) for haji (恥, shame). Suddenly a thought strikes him, overpowering in its novelty: "Why don't I tataku (叩く, give her a good smack)? Just once, not hard, to teach her a little sonkei (尊敬, respect)." For a moment, he forgets about Yukino, his love, and his shame.
It seems an astonishing thing — he has never, ever, not once, raised a hand to her! Of course, it's hazukashii (恥ずかしい, embarrassing) to hit a girl, especially one so much younger than himself; on the other hand, doesn't a parent slap a child for the sake of kiritsu (規律, discipline)? Just once, to teach her. After that, it will never be necessary again.
But kangaete mireba (考えてみれば, come to think of it), it's his own fault, not hers. What moved him to uchiakeru (打ち明ける, confide) in her? Her of all people! He should have known — of course he knew. She's a child, a kid . . . and yet something about her makes him forget that. When had he almost honnōteki ni (本能的に, instinctively) started to regard her as his oneesan (お姉さん, older sister) instead of as his imōto (妹, younger sister)?
"She's minikui (醜い, ugly), she has nikibi (にきび, pimples)." When Kimika is in the mood to hiyakasu (冷やかす, tease), she holds nothing back. "Have you kissed her? Ugh!"
"No, I haven't! All right, listen, that's enough. There are things in life" — he assumes his most otonappoi (大人っぽい, grownup) air — "that you're too young to understand. Now listen to me, or I'll kubi wo shimete yaru (首を絞めてやる, wring your neck)!"
"Kowai! Kowai! (怖い！怖い！ Oh, I'm so scared!)"
"Listen. You think you know everything because you read lots of books and get ii seiseki (いい成績, good grades) in school and mom and dad amayakasu (甘やかす, spoil you rotten). But omae wa nani mo shiranai zo (お前は何も知らないぞ, you don't know anything), because you're still a baby — you'll have nikibi yourself when you grow up a bit! So just damare (黙れ, shut up)!"
The two children look at each other. It's hard to say who's the more odoroita (驚いた, surprised) of the two — Peter, who delivered that uncharacteristically long and resolute speech, or Kimika, who was its object.
"Just shut up and listen. Yes, I do love Yukino. Waratte mo ii (笑ってもいい, Go ahead and laugh). Zenzen kamawanai (ぜんぜんかまわない, I don't care at all), because you don't know what love is, unless maybe it's love for mom and dad and obaachan (おばあちゃん, grandma). You say Yukino is ugly. I know she's no bijin (美人, beauty). When you're a little older, I'll explain to you that when you love somebody, that doesn't matter.You asked if I kissed her. No, but — I want to! So there!"
"Ugh!" Kimika says again, laughing. "Get out and let me finish my shukudai (宿題, homework). Wait. If you want to, why don't you?"
"Because she doesn't want to. She said — "
"She's probably afraid of catching some disease!"
At dinner that night, Kimika says, "Peter hit me."
"I did not!"
"Did too!"
Reiko, back from another day at court as a saibanin (裁判員, lay judge) in a murder trial, looks wearily from one child to the other. All week she has been engaged in judging yūzai (有罪, guilt) or muzai (無罪, innocence). It is wearing her down. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry to find herself in a similar role at home. "Jigōjitoku (自業自得, serves you right)," she says half-playfully to Kimika. From various indications, she has gathered that the situation isn't serious and that Kimika was, and is, behaving obnoxiously on purpose. "Stop it now and — "
Suddenly there's a burst of music — the opening bars of "God Save the Queen." Peter's cell phone. Reiko jumps, as she does lately at any sudden noise. "Hontōni kyūkei ga hitsuyō (本当に休憩が必要, I really need a break)," she thinks to herself.
"Shinkeishitsu da ne, okāsan wa! (神経質だね、お母さんは！ You're so nervous!)" says Kimika.
"It's nothing."
Peter gets up and leaves the room.
Kimika snickers. "I bet I know who that is!"
[News] from [businessgreen.com]
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Recycling/Disposal]
American food waste also wastes millions in energy
{アメリカの食品廃棄物で、原油換算、３億５千万バレル相当が無駄に}
New research highlights energy footprint of throwing food in the bin
GreenBiz Staff, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
Americans waste a lot of food - 27 per cent of all food produced was not eaten back in 1995, the last time a study was conducted by the USDA. That number has no doubt gone up in the last 15 years, and two researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have published a paper looking at the wasted, embedded energy of all that food.
It turns out that if, by some miracle, Americans stopped wasting food entirely, the country would save two per cent of its annual energy budget, or about 350 million barrels' worth of oil.
The researchers, Michael Webber and Amanda Cuéllar, of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, looked at how much energy it takes to produce, package, prepare, preserve and distribute a year's worth of food in the United States. The figure they arrived at -1.4 billion barrels of oil equals between eight and 16 percent of our annual energy consumption.
"[T]he energy embedded in wasted food represents a substantial target for decreasing energy consumption in the US," the article notes. "The wasted energy calculated here is a conservative estimate both because the food waste data are incomplete and outdated and the energy consumption data for food service and sales are incomplete."
The report, which is available for download from the American Chemical Society, breaks down food waste by type, and looks at the energy used to produce, process, and transport food.
Although this is the first time food waste has been quantified as energy, it has been a focus of companies' efforts for some time - especially outside the United States. Last month, UK grocery retailers announced they had made progress in cutting their food waste, saving 1.2 million metric tons of food waste over the last five years. Sainsbury's, one of the leading UK grocers, announced earlier this year that it was investing in new technology to let grocery stores reduce food waste based on real-time supply chain decisions influenced by the weather. And in 2009, Marks & Spencer set a goal to recycle all its food waste as a way of achieving its zero-waste goal.
In the US, Sodexo last month launched an education campaign urging students to reduce their food waste on campus. And the Minnesota State Fair this year experimented with using food leftovers and animal waste to power the fair.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
Desertec looks to secure route to African solar farms
{デザーテック事業イニシアティブ、アフリカ太陽熱発電開発への確実な路線を歩む}
Italian grid operator Terna becomes latest shareholder in Desertec Industrial Initiative as high profile solar project gears up for its first annual conference
Jessica Shankleman, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
The high profile Desertec solar project has moved a step closer towards delivering on its ambitious plans for solar thermal power plants across the North African desert that could one day supply Europe with energy.
Italian transmission and system operator Terna confirmed last week that it has joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII) as a shareholder and will provide expertise on how to integrate solar energy projects into the European grid.
Meanwhile, Steg Renouvelables, a subsidiary of Tunisian utility company Steg, also said it will sign up to the DII, providing the project with a major ally in the North African energy sector.
The new recruits take the number of company's involved in the Desertec project up to 18 shareholders and 25 associated partners, all of whom are now working to promote the creation of giant solar thermal power plants, which could, if successful, generate up to 15 per cent of Europe's electricity.
Paul van Son, chief executive at the German-based DII, welcomed Terna's decision to join the project, particularly given its expertise as a grid operator and Italy's close proximity to Tunisia.
"Apart from creating a framework for power generation in desert regions, power transmission from North Africa to the European markets is another important element for Desertec," he said. "Italy is a key country for us due to its geographical location and its proximity to Tunisia. In addition, given its core expertise as a national grid operator, Terna can contribute to our joint venture with valuable knowledge about the integration of renewable energy into electric grids."
The vision of large-scale renewable energy generation in the deserts will also be at the centre of discussions at DII's first annual conference in Barcelona at the end of this month.
EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the conference, where executives from participating companies will discuss topics such as the regulatory and incentive framework that will be required to make desert solar power a reality.
In related news, Germany's energy watchdog yesterday urged the government to accelerate the country's grid expansion, warning that stringent planning regulations are undermining the country's ambitious renewable energy policies.
Germany is planning to build 850km of new power lines by 2015, but in the past five years only 90km have been completed, largely as a result of planning difficulties.
Speaking to Reuters, Matthias Kurth, president of the Bundesnetzagentur – the agency in charge of processing planning applications – accused some of Germany's 16 regions of dragging their feet when making planning decisions.
"The current speed is too slow," he said. "Planning and approval processes must be hurried."
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
US Navy connects first wave power system to grid
{アメリカ海軍、潮力発電システム網に初アクセス}
PowerBuoy installed off the coast of Hawaii begins feeding energy into the grid
Danny Bradbury, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
The US Navy has installed a wave power system at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base in Oahu, Hawaii, in what it says is the first grid-connected wave power installation in the US.
The test wave generation system, installed by Ocean Power Technologies, will generate 3 to 4 kilowatts of power, according to the Navy.
The device, called the PB40 PowerBuoy, is situated three-quarters of a mile off the coast in 100 feet of water. It is the third buoy that has been tested by the Navy since it began evaluating wave-based power in 2001.
The Navy said the test site will be expanded in the future to a capacity of one megawatt, as it tests out a number of commercial-scale systems from different suppliers.
Marine Corps Base Hawaii Commanding Officer Col. Robert Rice said the wave system was part of a wider project that would see the Marine Corps base at Kaneohe Bay become completely energy self-sufficient by 2015.
The project also represents the latest in a series of renewable energy deployments by the US Navy, including solar-powered parking lots and algae-based fuel.
Last year, Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus announced five renewable energy targets designed to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
These included the deployment of a 'Green Strike Group' of nuclear and biofuel-powered vessels by 2016, the halving of petroleum in its non-tactical commercial fleet by 2015, and the production of half its shore-based energy from alternative sources. Half of all shore-based installations will also be net zero energy consumers within ten years.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Recycling/Disposal]
American food waste also wastes millions in energy
{アメリカの食品廃棄物で、原油換算、３億５千万バレル相当が無駄に}
New research highlights energy footprint of throwing food in the bin
GreenBiz Staff, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
Americans waste a lot of food - 27 per cent of all food produced was not eaten back in 1995, the last time a study was conducted by the USDA. That number has no doubt gone up in the last 15 years, and two researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have published a paper looking at the wasted, embedded energy of all that food.
It turns out that if, by some miracle, Americans stopped wasting food entirely, the country would save two per cent of its annual energy budget, or about 350 million barrels' worth of oil.
The researchers, Michael Webber and Amanda Cuéllar, of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, looked at how much energy it takes to produce, package, prepare, preserve and distribute a year's worth of food in the United States. The figure they arrived at -1.4 billion barrels of oil equals between eight and 16 percent of our annual energy consumption.
"[T]he energy embedded in wasted food represents a substantial target for decreasing energy consumption in the US," the article notes. "The wasted energy calculated here is a conservative estimate both because the food waste data are incomplete and outdated and the energy consumption data for food service and sales are incomplete."
The report, which is available for download from the American Chemical Society, breaks down food waste by type, and looks at the energy used to produce, process, and transport food.
Although this is the first time food waste has been quantified as energy, it has been a focus of companies' efforts for some time - especially outside the United States. Last month, UK grocery retailers announced they had made progress in cutting their food waste, saving 1.2 million metric tons of food waste over the last five years. Sainsbury's, one of the leading UK grocers, announced earlier this year that it was investing in new technology to let grocery stores reduce food waste based on real-time supply chain decisions influenced by the weather. And in 2009, Marks & Spencer set a goal to recycle all its food waste as a way of achieving its zero-waste goal.
In the US, Sodexo last month launched an education campaign urging students to reduce their food waste on campus. And the Minnesota State Fair this year experimented with using food leftovers and animal waste to power the fair.
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
Desertec looks to secure route to African solar farms
{デザーテック事業イニシアティブ、アフリカ太陽熱発電開発への確実な路線を歩む}
Italian grid operator Terna becomes latest shareholder in Desertec Industrial Initiative as high profile solar project gears up for its first annual conference
Jessica Shankleman, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
The high profile Desertec solar project has moved a step closer towards delivering on its ambitious plans for solar thermal power plants across the North African desert that could one day supply Europe with energy.
Italian transmission and system operator Terna confirmed last week that it has joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII) as a shareholder and will provide expertise on how to integrate solar energy projects into the European grid.
Meanwhile, Steg Renouvelables, a subsidiary of Tunisian utility company Steg, also said it will sign up to the DII, providing the project with a major ally in the North African energy sector.
The new recruits take the number of company's involved in the Desertec project up to 18 shareholders and 25 associated partners, all of whom are now working to promote the creation of giant solar thermal power plants, which could, if successful, generate up to 15 per cent of Europe's electricity.
Paul van Son, chief executive at the German-based DII, welcomed Terna's decision to join the project, particularly given its expertise as a grid operator and Italy's close proximity to Tunisia.
"Apart from creating a framework for power generation in desert regions, power transmission from North Africa to the European markets is another important element for Desertec," he said. "Italy is a key country for us due to its geographical location and its proximity to Tunisia. In addition, given its core expertise as a national grid operator, Terna can contribute to our joint venture with valuable knowledge about the integration of renewable energy into electric grids."
The vision of large-scale renewable energy generation in the deserts will also be at the centre of discussions at DII's first annual conference in Barcelona at the end of this month.
EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the conference, where executives from participating companies will discuss topics such as the regulatory and incentive framework that will be required to make desert solar power a reality.
In related news, Germany's energy watchdog yesterday urged the government to accelerate the country's grid expansion, warning that stringent planning regulations are undermining the country's ambitious renewable energy policies.
Germany is planning to build 850km of new power lines by 2015, but in the past five years only 90km have been completed, largely as a result of planning difficulties.
Speaking to Reuters, Matthias Kurth, president of the Bundesnetzagentur – the agency in charge of processing planning applications – accused some of Germany's 16 regions of dragging their feet when making planning decisions.
"The current speed is too slow," he said. "Planning and approval processes must be hurried."
[BusinessGreen.com > News > Renewables]
US Navy connects first wave power system to grid
{アメリカ海軍、潮力発電システム網に初アクセス}
PowerBuoy installed off the coast of Hawaii begins feeding energy into the grid
Danny Bradbury, BusinessGreen, 06 Oct 2010
The US Navy has installed a wave power system at the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base in Oahu, Hawaii, in what it says is the first grid-connected wave power installation in the US.
The test wave generation system, installed by Ocean Power Technologies, will generate 3 to 4 kilowatts of power, according to the Navy.
The device, called the PB40 PowerBuoy, is situated three-quarters of a mile off the coast in 100 feet of water. It is the third buoy that has been tested by the Navy since it began evaluating wave-based power in 2001.
The Navy said the test site will be expanded in the future to a capacity of one megawatt, as it tests out a number of commercial-scale systems from different suppliers.
Marine Corps Base Hawaii Commanding Officer Col. Robert Rice said the wave system was part of a wider project that would see the Marine Corps base at Kaneohe Bay become completely energy self-sufficient by 2015.
The project also represents the latest in a series of renewable energy deployments by the US Navy, including solar-powered parking lots and algae-based fuel.
Last year, Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus announced five renewable energy targets designed to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
These included the deployment of a 'Green Strike Group' of nuclear and biofuel-powered vessels by 2016, the halving of petroleum in its non-tactical commercial fleet by 2015, and the production of half its shore-based energy from alternative sources. Half of all shore-based installations will also be net zero energy consumers within ten years.
[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[japantimes.co.jp > Life in Japan > EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL]
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010
BILINGUAL
Some space helps a language relationship to grow
By MICHAEL GAKURAN
Special to The Japan Times
Are you familiar with the "forgetting curve"? I was about 16 when I came across it, printed in the back of my physics textbook at secondary school. But I have a vivid memory of that discovery to this day. The graph had a tremendous impact on the way I approach learning, especially when studying Japanese.
Our brains organize and process information in order to recall the most important stuff first. I’m sure most people can relate to the frustrating feeling of having studied a new and tricky word, only to find it has ceased to exist inside our head the very next day. "What happened? Surely I’m not getting old already?" we fret. Perhaps we should blame a bad learning technique instead of our memories.
Age, stress and sleep — among other things — all affect how well we remember something. Typically, however, one of the biggest problems is that we aren’t even giving our bodies a decent chance to recall things in the first place. With the constant flood of information entering through our senses every second of every day, our brains have quite a job to sort out what is important from what is forgettable.
Stronger memories take longer to forget, the best example of which are "flashbulb memories" — those supremely powerful emotional experiences that seem to permanently etch themselves into our minds. Other memories, especially sensory ones, are retained only from a few seconds to mere minutes.
So what is the best way to transform short-term memories into long-term memories? That is where the forgetting curve and "spaced repetition" come in.
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first noted an exponential relationship between time and the strength of a memory in 1885. Put simply, the more we see something, the more likely we are to remember it. What is important, however, is not cramming information into our minds over a short period of time. For the best memory retention, we must continually review the information at optimally spaced intervals. This may sound like hard work at first, but after a while the repetitions spread out further and further. The end result is that you will only need to review a piece of information every few years or even less often.
With traditional flash cards, following the spaced repetition approach means maintaining a complicated setup with various categories to identify how well you remembered a particular item. But computers and free software available on the Internet can automatically calculate the best time for your next review. All you need to concentrate on is actually doing the study!
One particular piece of software that has transformed my Japanese language learning is Anki, named after the Japanese word for memory (暗記). Anki allows you to add new material or choose from a list of shared public decks to start studying. It can be used for almost anything, from hiragana and katakana to American states or even putting names to faces! You simply select how difficult something was for you to remember and Anki calculates the next time you need to see it to avoid forgetting it. It is a great way to build sound knowledge of a topic. I used it to study grammar and vocabulary, and I credit it for my success in passing the top level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I have friends who have also built decks using Anki, gradually adding material over the years, and their language ability has improved because of it.
Of course, flash-card systems are no substitute for learning and using a language properly. Studying in different environments and getting outside to interact with real people are also important parts of language learning. They will provide you with practical repetitions of the material you have been practicing at home — more deeply embedding it in your long-term memory.
Spaced repetition requires dedication to the review process, but if you’re serious about improving your Japanese ability, it’s time well spent. Good luck!
Michael Gakuran blogs at www.gakuranman.com and is the founder of gakuu.com, a Japanese language site for advanced learners.
[japantimes.co.jp > Life in Japan > EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL]
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010
BILINGUAL
Some space helps a language relationship to grow
By MICHAEL GAKURAN
Special to The Japan Times
Are you familiar with the "forgetting curve"? I was about 16 when I came across it, printed in the back of my physics textbook at secondary school. But I have a vivid memory of that discovery to this day. The graph had a tremendous impact on the way I approach learning, especially when studying Japanese.
Our brains organize and process information in order to recall the most important stuff first. I’m sure most people can relate to the frustrating feeling of having studied a new and tricky word, only to find it has ceased to exist inside our head the very next day. "What happened? Surely I’m not getting old already?" we fret. Perhaps we should blame a bad learning technique instead of our memories.
Age, stress and sleep — among other things — all affect how well we remember something. Typically, however, one of the biggest problems is that we aren’t even giving our bodies a decent chance to recall things in the first place. With the constant flood of information entering through our senses every second of every day, our brains have quite a job to sort out what is important from what is forgettable.
Stronger memories take longer to forget, the best example of which are "flashbulb memories" — those supremely powerful emotional experiences that seem to permanently etch themselves into our minds. Other memories, especially sensory ones, are retained only from a few seconds to mere minutes.
So what is the best way to transform short-term memories into long-term memories? That is where the forgetting curve and "spaced repetition" come in.
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first noted an exponential relationship between time and the strength of a memory in 1885. Put simply, the more we see something, the more likely we are to remember it. What is important, however, is not cramming information into our minds over a short period of time. For the best memory retention, we must continually review the information at optimally spaced intervals. This may sound like hard work at first, but after a while the repetitions spread out further and further. The end result is that you will only need to review a piece of information every few years or even less often.
With traditional flash cards, following the spaced repetition approach means maintaining a complicated setup with various categories to identify how well you remembered a particular item. But computers and free software available on the Internet can automatically calculate the best time for your next review. All you need to concentrate on is actually doing the study!
One particular piece of software that has transformed my Japanese language learning is Anki, named after the Japanese word for memory (暗記). Anki allows you to add new material or choose from a list of shared public decks to start studying. It can be used for almost anything, from hiragana and katakana to American states or even putting names to faces! You simply select how difficult something was for you to remember and Anki calculates the next time you need to see it to avoid forgetting it. It is a great way to build sound knowledge of a topic. I used it to study grammar and vocabulary, and I credit it for my success in passing the top level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I have friends who have also built decks using Anki, gradually adding material over the years, and their language ability has improved because of it.
Of course, flash-card systems are no substitute for learning and using a language properly. Studying in different environments and getting outside to interact with real people are also important parts of language learning. They will provide you with practical repetitions of the material you have been practicing at home — more deeply embedding it in your long-term memory.
Spaced repetition requires dedication to the review process, but if you’re serious about improving your Japanese ability, it’s time well spent. Good luck!
Michael Gakuran blogs at www.gakuranman.com and is the founder of gakuu.com, a Japanese language site for advanced learners.