Sun Wind and Rain www.sunwindandrain.co.uk

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

HSBC predicts low-carbon energy market will treble to $2.2tn by 2020

The global market for low-carbon energy firms will almost treble over the
next decade creating a market worth $2.2tn a year by 2020, according a major new
report from banking giant HSBC.

The research report maps out a number of scenarios for the world's emerging
low-carbon energy generation and energy efficiency industries and concludes that
despite current regulatory headwinds the sector is set to enjoy compound annual
growth rates of around 11 per cent over the next 10 years.

Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, report co-author Nick Robins said
there was a good chance that the projections could prove to be pessimistic. "We
just looked a low-carbon energy, we have not modelled the carbon market or the
adaptation agenda," he said. "The market could end up being a bit worse than we
suggest, but it has the potential to get a lot better as well."

The team behind the report mapped out four scenarios for the low-carbon
energy sector, including a worst-case scenario backlash in which governments
renege on green policy commitments and as a result the market only doubles to
$1.5tn by 2020; a Copenhagen scenario in which governments make good on
commitments made at last year's UN climate change summit in the Danish capital
and the market trebles to $2.2tn; and a green growth scenario in which
governments build on current pledges and the market swells to $2.2tn.
Read more at www.businessgreen.com

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Monday, September 6, 2010

Space Energy

http://www.spaceenergy.com/s/Default.htm

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Win a Hybrid Car

Amplify’d from competition.papermategreen.net

See more at competition.papermategreen.net

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Friday, September 3, 2010

Residential Planning Ballot

Amplify’d from www.planningportal.gov.uk

Think tank urges residential planning by ballot

The Government has been urged to adopt a system of “community-controlled” planning with housing schemes allowed unless 50 per cent of those directly affected by the proposals object by a ballot.

Under these proposals from think tank Policy Exchange, developers would be free to offer financial incentives to households to back schemes as well as inducements to local residents in return for supporting development. This could involve paying for a park or a playing field.

According to the report: ‘Making housing affordable’, developers would have to take on board local concerns about the quality of new homes and would have to propose homes that local people approved of.

In the case of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) existing planning rules would remain in force. In addition, a local authority would be able to designate up to 75 per cent of its existing undeveloped land as “off limit” to developers.

The authors of the report said that if councils wanted to build social homes they could grant themselves planning permission so long as they won the support of those directly impacted. Funding would come from central Government bonds. Councils, though, would no longer be able to require developers to include social housing as part of their developments.
Read more at www.planningportal.gov.uk

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

GE: Ecomagination Challenge

URL: http://challenge.ecomagination.com/ideas

GE’s Ecomagination Challenge is a $200 million call to action for businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, and students to share their best ideas and come together to take on one of the world’s toughest challenges – building the next-generation power grid to meet the needs of the 21st centur

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Monday, August 23, 2010

Villagers vote against wind farm in poll - Norfolk News - EDP24

URL: http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/news/commentary/st...

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Prize fund of £25,000 announced for best geography ideas

Amplify’d from www.bitc.org.uk

GeoVation, the geography innovation awards programme now in its second year, has announced a prize fund of £25,000 to support the development of winning ideas.

This year the Ordnance Survey-backed initiative is asking entrepreneurs, developers and community groups to focus their efforts on using geography to address three distinct challenges.

The first is around the question “How can Britain feed itself?”, where geography could play a vital role in helping connect people to farming and locally produced and sustainable sources of food. Among the ideas already submitted are the building of urban rooftop allotments and the creation of the “real” Farmville, where people could share and buy real produce.

Chris Parker, one of the programme organisers, comments: “GeoVation this year is all about investing in areas where we think geography can play a positive role in enabling change.

“We believe that geography can help producers and consumers work together in ways that have not been possible before and we’re offering seed funding to help make that happen.”
Read more at www.bitc.org.uk

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Monday, August 16, 2010

Earth's Energy Balance

Amplify’d from www.hydrogenambassadors.com

The earth energy balance represents the balance between incoming energy from the Sun Sand thermal (longwave) and reflected (shortwave) energy from the Earth. The energy released from the Sun in one hour would be adequate to cover the energy needs of the entire world population for one year. However, when the radiation reaches the Earth, most of it is reflected back to space by the atmosphere, some of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and at the Earth's surface etc. Only 0,005% of the 5,6 • 10²⁴J emitted by the sun per year is converted into mechanical energy by humans.

See more at www.hydrogenambassadors.com

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