"Green Finance" Climate Change Solutions

The concept of green finance or disbursement of capital by using environmentally friendly principles could be the solution of the financial sector to cope with the impacts of global climate change.

"There are two serious threats, namely the problem of energy use and environment that can be overcome with a green finance," said Head of Environment Finance Special Advisor to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Takashi Hongo, held discussions Fisheries Society Archipelago (MPN) in Jakarta,

However, according to Hongo, to apply the concept of green finance actually required determination of financial entities, both private and government, to spend large amounts of investment. In addition, the application of green finance requires technological advances that can reduce the impacts of climate change.

He pointed out, a number of fishermen in Japan several years ago decided to use LED technology (light emitting diode) due to high prices of fuel used for fishing.

Hongo explained, at the beginning it needed a huge cost to purchase and equip fishing vessels with a LED, but once used they can save operational costs. "They (the fishermen) to borrow money from banks," he said.

For that, according to him, financing and encouragement to use environmentally friendly technology is the key required in the application of green finance.

Meanwhile, other speakers, Advisor to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Division of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Suseno Sukoyono say, actually there are many business opportunities or financial that may be developed due to climate change, including the one green finance.

Moreover, he said, Indonesia is actually not the biggest contributor to emissions, but climate change has caused some problems such as rising temperatures and rising sea levels that looked like a phenomenon that rob lately often occur in the area of Muara Baru, North Jakarta.

"Indonesia produces 1.7 per capita emissions, while the United States and Australia 20.6 16.2," he said.

He also warned the energy crisis such as rising oil prices has now reached about 100 U.S. dollars should also make an aspect to encourage the application of green finance.

1:38 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia Flood impacts of climate change

Flood damaged towns

Heavy rain that led to floods soak about 30,000 homes in Queensland since last month. The capital of Queensland, Brisbane, totally paralyzed. Until now recorded 19 deaths and thousands of people displaced.

The city has a population of 2 million people into the city past the flooded areas of Queensland. Earlier, heavy rains change the three-quarters of the Queensland region into disaster zones on a scale two times larger than the size of the State of Texas in the United States or the combined size of France and Germany.

Tens of thousands of homes did not have electricity supply. More than 50 areas in the suburbs and the streets flooded after the Brisbane River to overflow. Embankment of the river burst its banks since Tuesday (01/11/2011) being unable to withstand the flood overflow. Elevation or height of water in the river was allegedly going to continue to grow after yesterday reached 5 meters.

For a while the Reuters news agency reported the estimated losses due to flooding at 5 billion U.S. dollars. A BBC correspondent in Brisbane, Phil Mercer, says, the city now have to perform large-scale infrastructure improvements. Even some victims of flooding most likely can not return to their homes.

Flooding also affects the coal industry, both in Australia and international markets, because many coal mine in Queensland affected by stagnant water. The price of coal reported a spike shortly after the floods.

1:36 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesian Forest Monitoring of Air

Warming global temperatures due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon, has caused climate change and melting ice at the poles. Monitoring efforts conducted by looking at potential sources of damping-woods-with remote sensing technology, using satellites and airplanes.

Indonesia, the country the second largest rainforest in the world, the target of many developed countries. With the potential of natural resources that, in the equatorial region is a focus for the world to resist and reduce carbon emissions, the cause of warming global temperatures.

However, the extent of forest area in Indonesia up to now has not known for sure because most of the land area in these islands, especially Kalimantan, often covered by cloud evaporation results in the surrounding waters.

Indonesia of course concerned with the preservation of its forest resources because of the gas carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from the region continue to rise. Projected to increase from 1.72 gigatons (Gt) in 2000 to 2.95 Gt in 202O, and will climb again be 3.6 Gt t cope 2030.

This increase will occur when there is no effort to suppress the release of carbon gases and manage the carbon source, particularly in the forestry sector.

For Indonesia, the increase in carbon emissions in a long time obviously worrying. Rising carbon content-as a trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise. Its effects include the melting of polar ice will increase the volume of sea water to raise sea.

Therefore, islands and island states, including Indonesia, would have significantly affected the process, the reduction in land in coastal areas due to sea level rise.

With an integrated program to conserve forests, Indonesia has the potential to reduce CO emissions to 2.3 Gt in 2030 or 4.5 per cent from that required at the global level. Reduction could reach 50 percent or 1.16 Gt.

Then to conserve and rehabilitate areas of peat carbon reductions could reach 0.60 Gt (26 percent). Because the peat and forest is the largest source of CO2 emissions in Indonesia, which reached 45 percent.

1:34 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Modern Pyramids on Carbon Free City

A design of solar power generation future will be a key marker of the city without the world's first carbon. The design called Lunar Pinch was deliberately created to rival the popularity of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Lunar Pinch is one of the participants Land Art Generator Initiative, a public art installation design contest which is also fully functional as power plants without pollution. The draft made the team leader Robert Flottemesch, senior engineer at the Hudson Valley Clean Energy, New York, who is also an artist who cares about renewable energy, it managed to become the first winner of the contest.

Flottemesch and his team designed the Lunar Pinch as a series of pyramid consisting of a large pyramid at the center and eight smaller pyramids that surround the vicinity. All pyramid that serves to capture energy from sunlight during the day and convert it into electrical energy. Uniquely, the series of pyramids that will light up according to the opposite-but-with the cycles of the moon. At the time of new moon, all the pyramid is lit, while the full moon when all the pyramids would be extinguished.

To perform its function as a power plant, the exterior of the pyramid will be shrouded in solar panels. The edge angle is made of glass and amorphous silica which makes it look like a polished agate perfectly.

Each pyramid of eight small pyramid will generate 1.74 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply electricity to 250 houses. Solar energy was channeled through underground cable electricity networks which are distributed to thousands of homes in the vicinity.

1:33 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Turn off the lights One Hour on March 26

Did you know about Earth Hour? Celebration of Earth Hour is a global movement to encourage individuals, community, business practitioners, and governments around the world to turn off lights and electronic equipment for 1 hour.

Earth Hour Celebration held every Saturday the third week in March. Implementation was done beginning at 20:30 to 21:30 local time. This year, the celebration of Earth Hour falls on March 26

Initially, this celebration is a collaborative campaign of WWF Australia, Fairfax Media and Leo Burnett for the city of Sydney, Australia. The goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city as much as 5 percent in 2007. Until last year, 128 countries have been involved in this celebration.

Nyoman Iswarayoga, Director of Climate and Energy Programme WWF Indonesia, said, "This year is no different from the celebration of Earth Hour. If last year is only 60, so this year to be 60 +. It means turning off lights after 60 minutes then serve as a lifestyle."

"We expect, after the celebration of Earth Hour people can recognize the need for saving energy consumption. People can change their lifestyles," he continued in celebration of Earth Hour press conference at the Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers, Jakarta, Tuesday (03/01/2011).

To reach as many individuals, WWF Indonesia, held road shows in several cities, like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bali. Road show aims to embrace the community in order to help mobilize communities to participate in Earth Hour.

After Earth Hour, Nyoman invite everyone to change the lifestyle of a small action. "For example we can know whether the lights on in your home or office is actually needed or not. And if we go to the supermarket can bring their own bag or have to ask for plastic bags," he explained.

Changes in lifestyle, according to him, can be started at the firm or household level. Corporate culture is introduced to employees can be taken and transmitted to the level of household employees and the surrounding environment. The mechanism of the opposite could happen. Come celebrate 60 + Earth Hour!

1:31 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Celebrate "Earth Hour" by Romantic

Celebration of "Earth Hour" this year will fall on March 26, 2011. Earth Hour is a movement to turn off lights and electronic equipment for 1 hour, starting at 20:30 to 21:30 local time to raise awareness tehadap Earth.

Global Campaign is supported by many parties including the hotel manager of Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers. Hotels in Jakarta were invited to celebrate Earth Hour with a more romantic. Within the specified time, Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers invites celebrate Earth Hour with "Romantic Candle Lit Dinner: Go Dark for Good Cause." In the event, visitors will be invited to dinner in the dark, without any lights.

In the dinner, guests will be given a treat dishes made from organic and environmentally friendly entertained by entertainment in the form of acoustic music without electricity. In addition, some dinner proceeds will be donated to WWF Indonesia to support the conservation and development programs.

General Manager of the hotel Julius Slamet said, "We do not just turn off the lights, but also do not use fuels such as gas. Imagine if everybody did it, how much can be saved," Julius said, the next Earth Hour can also be developed into an hour without water

1:30 AM | 0 komentar | Read More