Earth Hour is upon us

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the event launched in 2007 as a singular “lights-off” event in Sydney, Australia and has since grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide. WWF reported that last year, a record-breaking 172 countries and territories took part, with about 10,400 participating landmarks going dark for an hour. 

Earth Hour aims that by darkening our rooms we will enlighten our awareness of the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world.

According to the event website, the movement has racked up some tangible achievements:

• WWF Uganda started the world’s first Earth Hour Forest
• More than 250,000 Russians voiced support for better protection of their country’s seas and forests
• Argentina used its 2013 Earth Hour campaign to help pass a Senate bill for a 3.4 million hectare Marine Protected Area in the country
• Thousands of wood-saving stoves were distributed to families in Madagascar
• Solar-powered lights were installed in three villages without electricity in India
• In Paraguay, WWF used the Earth Hour platform to build public support to gain an extension of the logging moratorium, helping to reduce deforestation
• Education programs for schools were launched in Thailand and Taiwan
• Hundreds of thousands of LED lights were installed by girl scouts in the USA
• More than 2123 mitigation actions submitted by Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 participating cities

It’s symbolic. The organizers don’t measure resultant reductions in power consumption or greenhouse gas emissions. It seems especially effective when children participate; a powerful way to convey climate change issues in a visually memorable way. But is it a bit too much of “child’s play” to incite radical change among the world’s largest energy consumers? Now in its tenth year, the one-hour event continues to be the key driver of the wider environmental movement.

If you’re reading this now from Egypt, Jordan, Israel or Lebanon – go flip off the power and come back in 30 minutes. Missed the hour in your local time zone?  Self-direct, and pick another hour to switch off. Or drop some cash to the cause via their website donation tab.

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The first Earth Hour took place in 2007. Since then, it has blossomed into a massive global celebration that sees not only millions of individuals hitting the switch for an hour, but major landmarks as well.

Every year, the Burj Khalifa switches off and this year, for the first time, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia and Bosphorous Bridge that connects Europe and Asia will be switching of as well.

In Jordan, a candlelit march will take place on one of the city’s oldest streets in Jabal Amman, and the lights of Al Karak Castle will be switched off as well.

Related: Why Earth Hour still matters

Small events will take place in Egypt and Iran and other countries across the Middle East and North Africa – all you have to do is head over to WWF’s Earth Hour site to find out how you can get involved in your own community or country.

And if there isn’t an event, make one! Or have your own private party in the dark.

Whatever you choose to do, remember this. While Earth Hour is a symbolic international gathering designed to celebrate a healthier planet, the idea is to get people thinking about ways that they can reduce their footprint for the long term.

“It’s a brilliant reminder that together we can make change happen, and it gives us a chance to think about the small things we can do everyday to help create a brighter future,” writes WWF.

“So whether you reflect under the stars or celebrate by candlelight, it’s a moment to say you’ll do your bit to protect our planet – not just for one hour, but every day.”

This year’s Earth Hour takes place on March 29, from 8.30-9.30pm (local time.)

The post Hit the switch and join millions for Earth Hour 2014 appeared first on Green Prophet.

Last week the Emirates Wildlife Society – World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) recognized five firms in particular for exceeding energy and water conservation targets set as part of the Heroes of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) environmental initiative in a country that currently has one of the world’s highest per capita carbon footprints, The National reports.

A total of 50 companies voluntarily signed on to the Heroes of the UAE program, which requires that they reduce both their energy and water consumption by at least ten percent.

They are also asked to document and share every step of the process in order to establish permanent reductions and encourage other institutions to do the same.

In addition to enumerating energy and water savings, each company volunteers to compile a case study and develop a plan for future carbon emission reductions, according to The National.

Then they are subjected to Ernst & Young’s independent auditing program to ensure that each company’s reported numbers are consistent with unbiased findings. And so far, those numbers are outstanding.

“The five organisations all surpassed the target,” writes Vesela Todorova, “achieving savings of between 11 per cent and 55 per cent in energy use, and 28 per cent and 89 per cent in water use.”

The EWS-WWF honored the first firms that submitted their case studies at a recent ceremony that was attended by the Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid bin Fahad.

It’s not easy to get UAE residents excited about slashing energy or water use when it is government subsidized, but for companies working to increase their bottom line, it makes economic sense not to mention the happy side effect of fewer greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere.

Of the interventions used to reach these targets, the simplest and arguably one of the most effective includes setting air-conditioners at higher temperatures – a welcome move given that sitting in most buildings in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is akin to socializing in a refrigerator.

:: The National

Image of Dubai, Shutterstock

Looking for more ways to dive into renewable energy in the Middle East? Visit the 5th MENASOL Middle East & North Africa Solar Conference & Expo; 14-15 May, Dubai. Click here for the MENASOL website.

The post 50 Gulf Companies Voluntarily Cut Energy and Water Use appeared first on Green Prophet.

Rarely has a species caused so much rancor, but the coffers of thousands of people will either expand or shrink depending on what new quotas are set at the 18th Special Meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna in Agadir. Although stocks are gradually improving thanks to past quotas, conservation experts warn that the species is in no way out of danger.

Caps on bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean have allowed the species to recover, although there is cause to believe that limits are not honored and overfishing still occurs. The Bluefin Tuna industry has high stakes since the muscular meat sells for a premium.

“In January 2012, a prime, 593-lb (269-kg) bluefin tuna sold in a Japanese fish market for $736,000 (¥56.49 million), a world record,” according to National Geographic.

With one of the world’s most aggressive fishing fleets, Spain has been pressing the European Union to increase the number of fish that can be caught in advance of the current cap’s pending expiration.

“The fate of bluefin tuna depends on an international negotiation decided almost entirely by fishermen,” said Catherine Kilduff, an attorney from the Center for Biological Diversity. “For the sake of not repeating the mistakes of a long history of mismanagement, we urge votes that will cap bluefin tuna fishing at current levels.”

“There are still too many boats for too few fish to be sustainably caught,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, head of fisheries for WWF-Mediterranean.

“ICCAT scientists are clear this year that the fishing quotas must not increase to enable Atlantic bluefin tuna to fully recover over the next decade,” Tudela said.” WWF calls on ICCAT contracting parties to stick to this recommendation.”

The press were invited to attend the opening ceremony of this year’s meeting in Agadir, which opened on Nov. 12 and closes on Nov. 19, but are not permitted to participate in any subsequent meetings, a sign of how carefully the quotas will be vetted.

Image of bluefin tuna, Shutterstock

The post Fate of Bluefin Tuna Dangles in Morocco appeared first on Green Prophet.

According to the World Wildlife Fund’s latest report, Qatar still has the world’s largest carbon footprint

It’s been a couple of years since Qatar was awarded the ‘largest carbon footprint in the world‘ title (relative to the size of its population), but it appears little has changed since then. Despite various green initiative such as supporting local farms and ensuring that all new mosques were eco, they are still spewing record amounts of carbon for such a tiny nation. And once again, the nations next on the list were Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It seems that old habits die hard and no more so than in the Gulf.

The fact that these countries are amongst the richest nations in the Middle East is clearly part of the problem – well, it’s part of the explanation anyhow. According to the WWF Living Planet report, high-income countries have an ecological footprint on average five times higher than that of low-income nations.

“We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal,” said Jim Leape, WWF international director general to Al Jazeera English. “We are using 50 per cent more resources that the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast — by 2030 even two planets will not be enough,” added Leape.

Denmark and the US were the fourth and fifth rank, respectively, in terms of the size of their carbon footprint per capita. It is important to point out to that whilst the Middle East does contribute 5% of the global carbon emissions, this is relatively small compared to the US which along with Europe emits 32% of global emissions.

So whilst having three gulf nations at the top may seem to indicate a huge environmental problem in the Middle East, the reality is that a few, small but very rich nations are living and spending more lavishly than the average person the US. In fact, research by Carboun showed that Gulf residents produce two to ten times the carbon as the average global citizen. However, overall, the US and other rich developed nations in Europe are contributing the most to climate change.

This survey is conducted every two years and has shown an average 30% decline in biodiversity since the 1970s. This figure rises to 60% in the hardest-hit tropical regions – as we all know, it is the poorest and those who have contributed least to climate change that are worst affected. The WWF is urging governments to implement a change in policy that would reduce human demand for land, water and energy and measure a country’s success beyond its GDP figure.

: Al Jazeera.

:: Image of Qatar skyline by Peter Cowan from Shutterstock.com

For more on emissions in the Middle East see:
CO2 Emissions in Middle East to Double in 30 Years
Despite Best Intentions, Gulf Countries Can’t Quit CO2
All New Mosques in Qatar Will Be Eco-friendly

The post Qatar (Still) Has the World’s Largest Carbon Footprint appeared first on Green Prophet.

A recent report compiled by Cleantech Group and the World Wildlife Fund shows that Israel is only behind Denmark in terms of its clean tech prowess. The tiny country beat out Sweden, Finland, the United States and other leading national innovators. Called “Coming Clean: The Global Cleantech Innovation Index 2012,” the report evaluated the top 38 countries investing in clean tech and ranked them according to their the establishment of startups in proportion to their overall financial strength.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DANLiZmtX50[/youtube]

Israel might have led the pack, but the report found the local market to be insufficiently robust. It also noted that the government is not as supportive as it should be.

Green Prophet’s Susan noted wryly in an earlier post that Israel fathered modern solar energy generation but doesn’t implement it widely within its own borders because of political motivations that cause its leadership to chase after fossil fuels. This has resulted in the irrational pursuit of oil shale and natural gas that pays no heed to environmental concerns.

Even so, Bar Ilan University, the Technion, and other leading institutions in the country continue to produce some of the brightest minds on the planet.

This is not the first time that Israel has ranked so highly on the global clean tech scale and the country’s reputation is well understood.

Last year Cornell teamed up with Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in order to create a super hub for cleantech startups in New York City.

It seems the world over recognizes Israel’s talent, but not its own leadership. Maybe after the country is doubled over with the blackouts expected this summer (stemming from a disruption of Egypt’s natural gas supply) the government will start shifting its attention?

:: Ynet News

More Cleantech News from Israel:

Has Israel Become a Petrostate?

Technion & Cornell Win Historic Bid to Build a Net-Zero Tech Hub in NYC

A Mixed Bag for Israel’s Cleantech

The post CleanTech Group and WWF Name Israel as 2nd Top Cleantech Producer appeared first on Green Prophet.

On March 26, 2011, 71 government, public, and private organizations in Abu Dhabi will join the World Wildlife Fund’s international initiative to switch off the lights for Earth Hour. In keeping with a host of the Emirate’s day-to-day energy-saving initiatives including the “Turn-it-off campaign,” several businesses will turn off their lights between 8.30 and 9.30 p.m. Khaleej Times reports 14 major hotel chains are among those that will participate.

Designed to draw attention to the dire need to reduce electricity consumption and the powerful impact of just a few small gestures, Earth Hour has become an international sensation. Although this year’s event may be eclipsed in part by the ongoing vitriol besieging Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen in particular, Abu Dhabi is forging ahead.

Emirates Palace, the Sheraton, Crown Plaza, and the Hilton hotel are among the hotels that plan to participate.

Representatives of the Sheraton Hotel explained to Khaleej that they will turn off their exterior signage lighting, dim or turn off non-essential interior lights, and use candlelights in some public areas. They will also leave explanatory notes inside each room to explain the purpose of turning off. Also on offer will be candlelit dinner and “green” cocktails.

Similarly, the Emirates Palace hotel will turn off their interior and exterior decorative lighting.

“We are keen on energy efficiency procedures in all phases of work, and the Emirates Palace even won international awards in this area as we use environment-friendly materials, which reduce energy consumption,” the general manager of the hotel Hans Olbertz told the paper.

The cool Eco Chicks of Abu Dhabi are also getting involved: they are inviting interested energy savers to walk along the Abu Dhabi Corniche. They will meet at the parking lot near the Hilton hotel at 6.45pm, with Dubai Drummers in tow, and encourage participants to bring along homemade lanterns. And if you bring an old incandescent bulb, you’ll receive a friendlier replacement for free.

Go forth and conquer, all ye eco-warriors.

:: Khaleej Times

More on earth hour in the Middle East:

Lights Out During Earth Hour 2011 This Week in Israel

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa’s Towers In Darkness During Earth Hour

Free Concert Powered by Falafel Oil for Earth Hour

image via Christian Haugen

The post 71 Abu Dhabi Businesses Switch Off For Earth Hour appeared first on Green Prophet.

Sometimes less is more. WWF creates a brilliant file format that can’t be printed.

The Chinese used to write books on silk. Think about that for a second. If you thought you had to produce an entire sheet of silk in order to pass on that really bad joke your father sent you, might you think again? Silk became too cumbersome to consistently produce, even for the Chinese, so they invented paper in 104 A.D.  The Arabs then inherited and perfected paper several hundred years later and were the first to use linen.

But modern technology has made paper far too disposable, and therefore the trees from which it is mostly produced. To help curb the unthinking habit of pushing print, a habit that needlessly imperils our forests, the World Wildlife Fund has created a document format that simply can’t be printed. It is called .wwf.

By naming a file saveas.wwf (instead of saveas.pdf or .doc or .rtf), that file is rendered unprintable. Not only will its creator be unable to print it, but no one who receives it as an attachment or as a share will be able to either.

This may seem a little controlling, but by simply using a different format, trees can be saved. One large pdf document requires the equivalent of a whole tree. If 10,000 people were to save their large documents with the wwf extension, 10,000 trees.

Too often documents are printed and then end up seconds later in the trash basket. Before I became a full-time digital nomad, when I was still in University, it would have been easy for me to go through thirty sheets of (recycled) paper for one essay. Now I never print.

This isn’t to say I don’t miss having a piece of paper in my hand that I can scribble on, but some things are more important than my little quirks, and our precious, ever-diminishing forests are among them.

It’s a brilliant idea for unimportant documents, but we do caution, given the nature of the digital age – when files are easily swallowed up by an unexpected crash – that legal and other essential documents are printed and stored. But casual communication and short one-liner emails can just as easily evaporate into cyber air without hurting a soul (or a tree).

For more information, please visit www.saveaswwf.com

More nature-saving technology:

Sunpowered Cooling From Linum Picked by ARPA-E

Now Innowattech is Testing Piezoelectric Power From Railways!

Gonen Fink’s Pythagorean Theorem: a Skylight that Makes Electricity

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