news20101008gb

[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.

news20101007gb

[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.

news20101006jp

[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!"

news20101006gb

[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.