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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
In India, SELCO blazes an entrepreneurial trail to bring solar power to the peopleHarish Hande is democratizing electricity. In India, nearly half of all households lack power. Mr. Hande has made it his life’s work to change that, and he’s doing it with affordable, sustainable technology. Hande is the managing director of SELCO, a social enterprise in Bangalore, India, that develops sustainable technology to improve the lives of India’s underprivileged masses. In the past 10 years, Hande says, SELCO has increased Indian fuel efficiency, enhanced the financial power of India’s rural banks, and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of low-income Indians.... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: The Christian Science Monitor
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China's proposal unveiled ahead of Durban climate talksChina will urge implementation of the Bali Action Plan and inclusion of all developed countries into the Kyoto Protocol at the next month's climate talks in Durban, South Africa, said a senior official.
Describing the proposal as constructive, Chinese Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Xie zhenhua said China's call to implement of the Bali Action Plan means the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol should be upheld, as a major disagreement in Durban may be focused on the issue. Xie... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: Xinhuanet
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Top Countries That Will Suffer From Global Warming and Rise of Sea Water LevelsMapplecroft, a British firm that is known in analyzing risks, has released a list of nations that will be affected by the global warming. Thirty out of 193 nations will be highly affected by climate changes. The firm uses a tool called the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) which checks countries’ exposure to extreme weather events like cyclones, storm surges, wildfires, and drought. It also assessed the effects such as loss of crops, water stress, and lands lost to the sea. "Many countries there are particularly vulnerable to even relatively low exposure to climate... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: au.ibtimes.com
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Thin film investments and opportunity in India with the IFCPV Insider spoke to Joseph Hudgins of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) about the drivers behind thin film investment decisions and how the Indian PV market can take off Ahead of his presentation at Thin Film USA (1-2 December, San Francisco), Joseph Hudgins, Principal Solar Scientist, Climate Business Group of the IFC, put a positive spin on a difficult year for the PV industry. “Despite the tumultuous market and hard financial times, it is exciting to see the cost for an installed PV system at or below $2.50,” he explained. “This is near the tipping point which enables... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: Environmental Expert
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India’s Kiran Gets Funding From Solyndra-Backer ArgonautKiran Energy Solar Power Pvt., an Indian developer of sun-powered plants, raised $50 million from three private equity firms, including Argonaut Ventures, which invested in the failed U.S. panel maker Solyndra LLC. Bessemer Venture Partners and New Silk Route Partners are the other investors, Kiran Energy founder Ardeshir Contractor said in an interview in Mumbai. Kiran Energy is setting up a 20-megawatt solar plant in the western state of Gujarat that is using panels made by Sharp Corp. and getting financing from State Bank of India and Mizuho Financial Group Inc.,... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: BusinessWeek
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New Technologies Redraw the World’s Energy PictureGOLDA MEIR, the former prime minister of Israel, used to tell a joke about how Moses must have made a wrong turn in the desert: “He dragged us 40 years through the desert to bring us to the one place in the Middle East where there was no oil.’ ” As it turns out, Moses may have had it right all along. In the last couple of years, vast amounts of natural gas have been found deep under Israel’s Mediterranean waters, and studies have begun to test the feasibility of extracting synthetic oil from a large kerogen-rich rock field southwest of Jerusalem. Israel’s swing of fate is... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: New York Times
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India confronts US, EU at WTO over national solar power generation programmeIndia has stoutly defended its national solar power generation programme at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where the US and the EU raised objections to its requirement of mandatory use of locally-made equipment. India refuted allegations at a recent meeting of the WTO's committee on trade related investment measures, or Trims, that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission violated global trade rules, a government official told ET. "The mandatory use of solar modules manufactured in India, in the project, and the 30% local sourcing requirement is to give a boost to the... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: Economic Times
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Biogas Offers Poor Country's a Cleaner, Safer FuelHere’s an unlikely starting point for clean energy: No toilets, and plenty of dung. In developing countries where domestic animals are ubiquitous and sewage systems rare, biogas technology — in this case methane derived from feces — can provide both valuable fuel and improved sanitation. Unlike directly burning animal dung, the methane is clean-burning and odorless. And the technology has benign byproducts: reductions in deforestation and disease. Dalla, a village of a hundred or so mud-walled, thatch-roof huts, clusters along a narrow dirt road a few kilometers from... Read more.. Date : Oct 26 Source: New York Times
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Biofuel production from forests 'will increase greenhouse gas emissions'A new study has revealed that production of biofuel from West Coast forests would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal. The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggested biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Date : Oct 26 Source: Newstrack India
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India, Japan to hold strategic dialogue; nuclear energy in focusIndia and Japan will hold their fifth strategic dialogue from Friday during which the two sides will review and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in key areas, including civil nuclear field, trade and security. During the two-day dialogue, to be led by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba, the two sides will also discuss agenda for visit of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda here in December. "They will review all aspects of the bilateral strategic and global partnership and discuss regional and international issues of mutual... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Economic Times
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Barefoot College | Powered by the sunIn the hamlet of Bhopa ki Dhani, Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, 150km from Jaipur, 25-year-old Santosh Devi shimmies up a wooden ladder. This is quite a feat, considering Santosh is wearing a sari and is carrying a heavy toolkit. On the roof of the building, she checks the solar panel for any problems; Santosh is the solar engineer for the village. Later in the day, after her round of the villages (she has four under her, including her own), Santosh returns to her village of Balaji ki Dhani, where she works at a table fitted with solar photovoltaic modules, connectors, wiring equipment, a... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Livemint.com
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Crow-made homes a reality for reservation's residentsAaron and Martha Alden stood in the kitchen of their new home on Wednesday morning, happy to be there. Light poured through the south-facing windows into the open, high-ceilinged room that contains the kitchen, dining and sitting areas. A doorway off the main area leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom. The couple, both enrolled members of the Crow Tribe, moved into the 900-square-foot house on Oct. 13. The blue-and-black house sits on a hillside on the west side of Crow Agency. “It feels great, and we were fortunate to have a home made by our own people with our own... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Billings Gazette
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Clean India yatra kicks off in AhmedabadWith a view to creating awareness about waste disposal and its better management, a national yatra, which started in New Delhi, reached Ahmedabad on Monday to spread its message. Organised by World Malayalee Council (WMC) and other organisations, the yatra will make its way to different cities of the country to create awareness about a methodical and scientific approach to curb the ravages caused by wrong waste disposal methods. Some 20 members of the yatra had a meeting with the mayor and municipal commissioner on Monday. AMC appreciated the efforts of the campaign. Speaking... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Daily News and Analysis
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Sardar Patel gets grant of Rs 7.5 lakh for green initiativeStudents of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya have won a grant of Rs 7.5 lakh to implement green initiatives in their school. Part of Green-I 2011 — an initiative that aims to introduce green initiatives in schools — the school was among the 120 participants from all over the country to present a green proposal. The topic at The Green-I 2011 competition, which is in its fifth year, this time was to create a blueprint to become a green and sustainable campus and also a leader in imparting environmental education. The finalists included Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Vasant Valley School, Sri... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Hindustan Times
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Efforts to mitigate climate change are insufficient: UNInternational efforts to mitigate climate change are insufficient to meet the goal of keeping global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a United Nations report warned on Monday, just a month before a major conference on the issue is held in Durban, South Africa. The report laid out a list of options to achieve the target, including more cuts in greenhouse gases from additional sectors, stronger accounting rules both within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and through other multilateral and domestic strategies, sharing mitigation efforts... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Kerala Next
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Tata Power’s Trombay Thermal Power Station bestowed 'Greentech Gold Award' for excellence in environment managementTata Power, India's largest integrated private power utility, has been committed to environment conservation and management. From focusing on producing clean energy to implementing eco-friendly technologies, and from reducing its carbon footprint to driving energy conservation, Tata Power has been leading the agenda of growth with responsibility. Date : Oct 25 Source: India Education Diary
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PowerGrid plans to go globalState-run PowerGrid Corporation, which is a central transmission utility, intends to go global as an investor and developer of the transmission system. As a beginning, PowerGrid Corporation has proposed to form a joint venture (JV) in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the setting up of an associated transmission lines to tranmit power within the respective countries from the proposed power project planned by India’s largest power generator NTPC. It entails an investment of Rs 1,500 crore. PowerGrid official, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard: “We have already... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Business Standard
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Essar Energy On Course To Expand Vadinar RefineryEssar Energy said it had completed the 35-day shutdown of the Vadinar refinery to tie in new units for the first phase expansion and the revamp of three key units, reports said. The expansion involves a capital cost of $1.85 billion (around Rs.9,000 crore) and will see Essar Energy complete almost $5 billion (Rs.24,500 crore) of projects across its power generation and refining businesses by March 2012. The expansion will increase refinery capacity to 375,000 barrels per day or bbl/day (18.75 million tonnes) from 300,000 bbl/day (15 million tonnes) and increase the complexity... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: RTT News
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Oil India, Gabon Said to Hold Talks on $2 Billion OilfieldsOil India Ltd. has held talks with Gabon’s national oil company for a partnership to buy Etablissements Maurel & Prom SA’s assets in the African nation, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. India’s second-biggest state-run oil producer completed technical and financial assessments of the fields, which may be valued at more than $2 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. Oil India and Gabon Oil Co. are yet to decide how much of the assets each will hold, the people said. Oil India plans to spend as much as half... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: BusinessWeek
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Voltech Group join hands with NanoPV, RGTCVoltech Group, a leading service provider in the Testing and Commissioning of Electrical Systems globally, today entered into two major joint ventures with the US-based NanoPV and Rank General Trading and Contracting Company (RGTC), Kuwait, for expanding its global business base. Date : Oct 25 Source: New Kerala
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Record $7.2 Billion Indian Renewable Funding Bucks Europe’s PainIndia has awarded permits to build about 1,100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity by next year, more than what any other country outside of Europe installed in 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. .Investment in clean-energy projects in India reached a record $7.2 billion in the first three quarters, bucking debt woes in Europe that threaten to derail more established solar and wind markets. The total value of project finance, money raised on public markets, and new investments from private equity and venture capital in the nine months to September already... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Bloomberg
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Flying GreenRecently, two important developments took place in the global aviation industry — successful completion of the world’s greenest commercial flight and the development of the world’s first low carbon aviation fuel that captures waste gases from industrial steel production — that will go a long way to helping reduce carbon footprint of the industry that will carry 2.83 billion people this year to support $3.5 trillion worth of business 16.A one-minute reduction in every flight's time could reduce global carbon emissions by 4.8 million tonnes a year. Efficient air traffic management (... Read more.. Date : Oct 25 Source: Gulf News
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Beautification of riversides, nullahs to cost 19 croreThe standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on Friday, approved work tenders of Rs 19 crore for beautification and protection of water bodies in the city. "The PMC has funds allotted for beautification under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Mission. The PMC has decided to go ahead with the work and accordingly the work tenders for the same were approved unanimously by the committee," said standing committee chairman Ganesh Bidkar on Saturday. "The beautification work will be done in rivers, nullahs and lakes. We also plan to develop jogging tracks and... Read more.. Date : Oct 24 Source: Times of India
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Changing with times, Hyderabad Industries goes greenHyderabad Industries Limited (HIL), a household name in asbestos cement roof sheeting, is transforming into a manufacturer of green building products and solutions provider in tune with the changing demands of environment-conscious consumers. The over six-decade old HIL, a C.K. Birla Group company, will continue to make asbestos cement roof sheeting as a 'social responsibility' but has devised a new business strategy to focus on green building products, which are driving the growth. The Hyderabad-based firm, which started focussing on non-asbestos building products a few... Read more.. Date : Oct 24 Source: Kerala Next
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What ails Taratolla hub in KolkataSheer 8 kms. away from West Bengal's seat of power at Writers' Buildings, Taratolla on the western fringe of Kolkata could have emerged as a major industrial hub in the state since in the past many of the MNCs had set up shop here. But lack of proper infrastructure like roads, transportation, drainage and garbage disposal system, lighting and police system forced the region to take a back seat. Now, the new government in West Bengal says it wants to develop the area as the biggest industrial hub and provide basic necessities to the local residents as well as to the companies willing... Read more.. Date : Oct 24 Source: Kerala Next
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