Green Country Profile: Germany

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One of the frontrunners in the the sustainability race is Germany, a country that is a financial epicenter for Europe and a hub of tourism. Not only does the country have the largest market in almost all fields of environmental technology in the world, but it is ranked first in renewable energies. Wind power is a significant source, and once again Germany is the foremost country in the wind energy industry, and among the top in solar thermal power

The German government has a strong vision for sustainability, developing a solid strategy in 2002, stating that the country intends to live without compromising people in other regions or in the future, summed up in four main guidelines: generation fairness, quality of life, social cohesion, and international responsibility. In addition, Hamburg in the northwest was dubbed the European Commission as the European Green Capital among 34 cities. In addition, the top eight cities featured two other German cities, Freiburg and Münster.This title is awarded to cities who provide solutions to environmental concerns in addition to showcasing ‘greenness.’ At this rate, Germany promises to be a long-standing leader in sustainability for years to come.

Via Travel Daily News

Photo courtesy of Axel-D

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Eco-Village: The Future or the Past?

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Just when we thought we were starting to see countries make some headway in sustainability, an eco-village floats into our awareness and shows us how the real eco-warriors live. A small 80-person village in Russia called Kovcheg features residents that try to live off the land in any way possible: eating local produce and meat, heating from local sources, and building from local trees. The economy is fuelled by crafts and travelling outside of the village occasionally to make enough money to survive, seeming as though these villagers base their lifestyle off of a modern and trendy spin on Mesopotamia or any other pre-industrial civilization.

In order to maintain the state of the village, inhabitants must follow specific rules governing the land and lifestyle. Villagers are allowed to contribute to the landscape by building log homes and adding greenery, and cannot blemish the land with anything else. In addition, all inhabitants must contribute in some form by teaching or sharing their skills with the community at the local common house.

What do you think? Is this lifestyle too outdated or a move towards the future?

Via RT

Photo courtesy of AndyRobertsPhotos

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Is It Too Late?

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A recent article by the Huffington Post is suggesting that the effects of human activity on our climate are so predominant, that we many not ever be able to reverse them at this point. The main facts supporting this argument are the fact that the US tornado season has been one of the worst ever recorded, as well as the arctic sea ice volume being at an all-time low. Even looking at a previous post of our own, discussing the literal drowning out of The Republic of Kiribati, located North of Fiji, there is no argument that climate change is starting to have devastating impacts on our planet. So what are we supposed to do?

The next step would be to try and obviously transfer the current energy supply system to sustainable sources, as opposed to the current mining and fossil fuel burning system we have. The problem with this switch, is the argument that green sustainable energy is too expensive to be a comparable option…however one very important fact is being overlooked in this argument: the residual costs of the current energy system. The effects of pollution, global warming, disease, and other negative side-effects of our current system, are costs that energy suppliers do not need to cover, therefore making the base cost of sustainable energy supplies more expensive. In the long run, the cost would in fact be cheaper, in monetary, and environmental senses. If we are able to prevent further costs associated to the deterioration of Earth by switching over to newer energy sources, then why aren’t we doing so? Let us know your thoughts by joining the conversation on Twitter.

 

photo courtesy of nosha

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Knock On Wood…

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The concept of constructing a wooden skyscraper has been previously disregarded for many reasons, the main one being the lack of strength that wood has to support it’s own weight. After about four storeys, wood does not have the ability to hold itself up strong enough for further storeys to be legally added. But, leave it up to Canadians to find a way around this, and to propose a feasible development with wood as the main infrastructure.

A 30 storey wooden skyscraper development has been proposed in Vancouver, BC. Skeptics are questioning the credibility of this development due to the previous hurdle regarding weight support, but a talented group of architects have found a way around this it would seem. They have in fact found an answer to the skeptics questions. “…using large pieces of glued laminated timber can be the solution for these problems. Laminated timber, also known as Glulam, is a type of timber made of many layers of dimensioned timber stuck together with moisture resistant adhesives which makes it durable.”

With the wood coming from sustainable sources, and with wood being a far more eco-friendly building material than concrete (if it is sourced from sustainable areas) are we seeing the future of construction develop before our very eyes? Will this building be furnished with re-assembled or recycled furniture, or have self-sustaining kitchens? only time will tell. Join the conversation on Twitter and let us know what you think.

 

photo courtesy of http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-27300135

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Green Country Profile: Iceland

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There’s a country we could all take cues from. It’s a land where 72% of its total energy consumption is from hydro- and geothermal sources, and has no fossil fuels as a natural resource. This country offers eco-friendly vehicles free parking and exports its sustainability expertise all over the world.

Right at the top of the greenest countries list is Iceland with some impressive environmental accomplishments to boast about. Very few countries out there than can match Iceland’s sustainability; it is deeply ingrained in the people, not just the government or corporations. The pervasiveness of the country’s green movement is part of the culture and tourism, with its most popular tourist attractions being the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa in Reykjavik and the many natural wonders tourists can discover while driving through the Golden Circle. This eco-tourism is widespread, and The Icelandic Tourist Board holds yearly Environmental Awards to recognize attraction/accommodation/tour organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to environmentalism (not surprisingly, the Blue Lagoon is a recent recipient).

Icelandic politics were instrumental in laying down the foundation for this green country, with two major organizations that dictate its environmental projects: The Ministry for the Environment, and the Environment Agency of Iceland. It’s green policies have been laid down for years, including it’s most effective Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Act, 2007 and the Nature Conservation Act, 1999.

Via PR Newswire and Mynatour

Photo courtesy of poptech

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Green Tech: HeatWave™

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A new product from DynaCurrent Technologies Inc. may change the way we heat homes while bumping up energy efficiency and saving costs. HeatWave™ is a way of heating your home the greener way. It can replace the typical heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems that use non-renewable resources like natural gas, propane, or coal.

With easy installation and maintenance, HeatWave™ has convenience factors attached to its benefits as well. It’s versatility allows it to be incorporated into new home builds or installed into existing “forced air ductwork or radiator-based heating systems.” And with a product called CoolWave in the works, this sustainable option can potentially be used all year round.

This zero emission option solely uses slight amounts of electricity without the use of other traditional HVAC sources of energy, which are common greenhouse gas producers. This keeps the potential big and the footprint small.

To learn more about DynaCurrent Technologies Inc. and HeatWave™, visit their website.

via Canada Newswire

photo courtesy of ChristmasStockImages.com

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Has The Future Come Early?

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Climate change and global warming have been hot topics on the radar for several years now; movements that have finally started to see some results in the huge shift towards electric vehicles this year…but are these efforts too little too late? Rising sea levels have been a “debatable” issue in the environmental realm for quite some time, as one of the main concerns of the impacts of global warming. Sadly, these warnings were not heeded, and we officially a country that is drowning, and this won’t be the last.

The Republic of Kiribati, located North of Fiji, is currently being drowned out by rising sea levels, as a result of global warming. The Republic of Kiribati is consisted of 32 atolls (coral island either partially or fully surrounding lagoons) and one main island. Residents are already seeing that several atolls are being swallowed up by the waves, leading Kiribati government officials to find a migration solution for the 100,000 inhabitants of the Republic. They are currently negotiating terms with Fiji to inhabit a 6,000 acre area as an area of migration for their citizens.

Should we consider this our first warning? What are your thoughts on the future of climate change, and how to stop it from drowning out the rest of the world? Join the conversation with us on Twitter.

photo couretsy of Midge64

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Green Country Profile: Canada

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It seems like it should have been the very first country to profile in this segment, but with a lot of criticisms directed at Canada for not reaching it’s full climate change potential, our homeland slipped through the radar. However, this wonderful country of ours does stand out as a leader in the environmental game, and the World Wildlife Fund and Cleantech Group LLC have taken notice. This week, Canada was ranked the seventh greenest among 38 countries in the world, following six standout countries, among them Denmark, Israel, and the USA.

Our high standing is due to “an entrepreneurial culture, relatively high patent activity and existing corporate activity in the green-tech sector.” These factors rank in our favour, unlike the federal government’s lack of support in environmental initiatives, as displayed in the cutbacks within Environment Canada. However, on a provincial level, many areas of Canada are doing quite well in the rally for climate change including Ontario’s Green Energy Act, Nova Scotia’s subsidizing of local renewable projects, and Quebec’s goal of fostering a strong electric vehicle industry. Organizations such as The University of Waterloo’s Institute for Sustainable Energy also keep Canada on the grid when it comes to slowing environmental damage. In addition, Canada’s bounty of natural wonders allow great potential for widespread use of renewable energy sources like hydroelectric and wind powered energy. Hopefully these positive factors only continue to snowball and place this country higher in the rankings as an environmental leader.

Via The Globe and Mail

Photo courtesy of Mike Kirby

 

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The Green(wash) Movement

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When it comes to the green movement, companies are tripping over each other to jump on the bandwagon; considering that this wagon has already been moving for years now, those who haven’t already hopped on will be left behind.

What has come up (and recently) is the concept of greenwashing: the use of falsified or exaggerated environmentally-friendly claims to boost a company’s reputation. This practice has put a black smudge on what is supposed to be a very positive trend. Many companies have gone a far as covering up the harm they cause the environment by putting a positive ‘green’ spin on it. Such things are making consumers wary,  and asking questions about whether corporations are portraying any small improvement as a drastic change. The onus is on the consumer to be a smart shopper but when every industry under the sun is bombarding the average person with ‘green this’ and ‘green that’ it becomes hard to distinguish who’s telling the truth.

Let’s spotlight the real estate industry. Energy efficiency standards are exactly what they sound like- standards. Most of them are not optional now, and to be truly sustainable, homeowners are going to need to above and beyond the minimum anyway. This not only boosts environmental friendliness but saves costs, which is exactly why a home with high energy performance is candy to a realtor. However, Mike Holmes cites the issues with the greenwashing in the home-building and reno industry. Meeting environmental standards involves finding professionals that not only know what they are doing, but will not make efficiency claims that they are not living up to. Unfortunately, along with most industries, real estate and construction are not immune to greenwashing, which is why organizations like Greenpeace are trying to get to the bottom (or should we say the end) of it.

Visit stopgreenwash.org to find out more.

Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks

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