Friday, May 31, 2013

Events: Industry Visit to Hysan Place organized by BEC on 27 Jun 2013

Industry Visit to Hysan Place  Event Date:27 Jun 2013 Event Time:2:45 pm - 4:45 pm Venue:Causeway Bay Fee:$200.00 Discounts:HKD160 for BEC Member; HKD200 for Non-member Contact:Ms Amy Ma Email:amy@bec.org.hk Telephone:2784 3960 Industry Visit to Hysan Place Hysan Place is built to the highest international environmental and sustainability standards. It received provisional Platinum certification under BEAM Plus for new buildings,...

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

New Books: Development, Power, and the Environment Neoliberal Paradox in the Age of Vulnerability By Md Saidul Islam (7 May 2013)

Development, Power, and the Environment Neoliberal Paradox in the Age of Vulnerability By Md Saidul Islam Published 7th May 2013 by Routledge – 262 pages Description:  Unmasking the neoliberal paradox, this book provides a robust conceptual and theoretical synthesis of development, power and the environment. With seven case studies on global challenges such as under-development, food regime, climate change, dam building, identity...

Macau's Updates: Macao records 73 days of acid rain in 2012

Macao records 73 days of acid rain in 2012 Xinhua, May 25, 2013\ Macao recorded 73 days where the pH value of rainwater was lower than 5.6 (classified as acid rain) in 2012, according to data from the city's Statistics and Census Service. In 2012, Macao's mean air temperature (22.3) registered a 0.4 rise year on year. Precipitation totaled 1,556 millimetres, up by 14.1 percent year on year. There were 73 days where the pH value of rainwater...

Chinese Updates: China's Nature Reserves Exceed Global Average (24 May 2013)

China's Nature Reserves Exceed Global Average 2013-05-24 The size of nature reserves in China reached almost 15 percent of the country's total land area by the end of 2012, exceeding the global average of 12 percent. Li Ganjie, vice-minister of environmental protection, announced the figure at a celebration of the 2013 International Day for Biological Diversity on Wednesday. The figure has grown from 6.9 percent in 1993 to 14.9 percent...

Philippine Updates: SWEEPING MINING REFORMS EARN PH RANKING IN GLOBAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INDEX (26 May 2013)

SWEEPING MINING REFORMS EARN PH RANKING IN GLOBAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INDEX Sunday, 26 May 2013 00:00 The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has welcomed the Philippines’ ranking in the recent global report issued by the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI), indicating that the government has made “meaningful progress” toward better management of mineral resources in the country. In its 2013 Resource Governance Index, the New...

South Korean Updates: Gov't to remove electricity subsidies for companies next year (22 May 2013)

Gov't to remove electricity subsidies for companies next year 2013-05-22 May 22, 2013Yonhap News Agency electricity subsidies-endGov't to remove electricity subsidies for companies next year SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The government plans to scrap electricity subsidies for companies next year as it seeks ways to reduce energy consumption and save budget, officials said Wednesday.The government has offered the subsidies to companies...

South Korean Updates: S. Korea constructs its first carbon capture facility (24 May 2013)

S. Korea constructs its first carbon capture facility 2013-05-24 May 24, 2013Yonhap News Agency carbon capture-plantS. Korea constructs its first carbon capture facilitySEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday began operating its first carbon capture facility at a thermal power plant that is designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 90 percent.The carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit at the Boryeong Thermal Power Plant Complex...

South Korean Updates: S. Korea develops ammonia-fueled vehicle (28 May 2013)

S. Korea develops ammonia-fueled vehicle 2013-05-28 May 28, 2013Yonhap News Agency S Korea-ammonia fuelS. Korea develops ammonia-fueled vehicleSEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday unveiled its first vehicle partly fueled by ammonia, an alternative to fossil fuel that produces no greenhouse gases.The vehicle, developed by the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), uses a mixture of ammonia and gasoline that is 70 percent...

Publications: Indicators of Resilience in Socio-ecological Production Landscapes (SEPLs) by Nadia Bergamini, Robert Blasiak, Pablo Eyzaguirre, Kaoru Ichikawa, Dunja Mijatovic, Fumiko Nakao and Suneetha M. Subramanian (May 2013)

Indicators of Resilience in Socio-ecological Production Landscapes (SEPLs) By Nadia Bergamini, Robert Blasiak, Pablo Eyzaguirre, Kaoru Ichikawa, Dunja Mijatovic, Fumiko Nakao and Suneetha M. SubramanianOver time, close interactions between humans and their surroundings have created resilient socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) in many parts of the world. When wisely managed, SEPLs have the potential to sustain rich levels of biodiversity...

Taiwan Updates: 環保署參與巴塞爾公約 展現廢電子電器回收成果 (28 May 2013)

環保署參與巴塞爾公約 展現廢電子電器回收成果 提供單位:行政院環境保護署廢管處 發布日期:2013.05.28 環保署派員參加5月3日至6日在瑞士日內瓦召開之巴塞爾公約第11次締約國大會(BC COP11),大會期間並積極參與友邦國布吉納法索及瓜地馬拉等2國舉辦之周邊會議,並於會中報告我國電子廢棄物管理成果(E-WASTE),獲得現場熱烈討論與一致好評。 環保署說明,本次大會達成多項重要決議:一、通過有害及其他廢棄物之環境友善化管理架構。二、持續研擬電子廢棄物越境轉移技術指引。三、針對特定名詞如再使用、二手物品以及使用過物品等明確定義,以降低各國間的管理歧異。另因近年電子產品使用普及,汰換速度迅速,以致產生大量電子類廢棄物,為了解各國對該類廢棄物管理情形及公約未來發展趨勢,該署在2009年即加入巴塞爾公約「電腦設備夥伴計畫(PACE)」,並透過實際會議的參與及通訊會議的討論,使國內管理政策與國際接軌。 環保署執行電子廢棄物回收,成效卓著。2011年電腦、電視機、電冰箱、洗衣機、冷(暖)氣機等13項廢棄物,約計回收580萬台,換算重量有11萬4,657公噸。統計每人每年回收量為4.94公斤,已超越歐盟2012年每人每年回收量4公斤的目標值。另2012年該署新增家電販賣業者須無償回收民眾汰換的電視機、電冰箱等家電,以提升民眾回收的便利性與習慣。透過資源回收系統的運作,國內產出的電子廢棄物大多已進入回收體系。 本次環保署除參與友邦國周邊會議外,並與日本、美國、及布吉納法索等國家代表,針對永續物料管理趨勢對於電子廢棄物輸出入政策影響、環保與海關部門間合作機制、特定有害廢棄物輸出入現況問題及其他環境議題進行會談,雙方在環保專業領域上進行實質交流,建立未來合作契機。 環保署為妥善管理廢棄物及落實巴塞爾公約精神,已全盤檢討「廢棄物輸入輸出過境轉口管理辦法」、「有害事業廢棄物認定標準」、「禁止輸入之廢棄物種類」等相關規定,且為促進廢棄物源頭減量及循環利用,已草擬「資源循環利用法(草案)」,該署以務實的作為,堅守維護國民健康及環境保護的責任。  For...

Events: Technologies to Tap Unconventional Gas Supplies organized by HKU on 17 Jun 2013

Technologies to Tap Unconventional Gas Supplies Introduction AmCham event Date:17 Jun 2013 Time:12:00pm With global energy demand increasing around 35 percent from 2010 to 2040, ExxonMobil foresees global gas demand rising by 65 percent through 2040 and will have overtaken coal as the second-largest energy source, after oil. Unconventional resources found in shale and other tight rock formations were once considered uneconomic to produce....

Events: Youth Sustainability Summit 2013 organized by AIESEC on 14-15 Jun 2013

Summit Youth Sustainability Summit 2013 Be Inspired to Inspire Date: 14-15 Jun 2013 Have you ever thought of making an impact to our society? Meeting with young people from Africa, USA, Hungary etc. in 2 days? Talking to leaders in various fields? Contributing to future policy planning? And a lot more! AIESEC in Hong Kong is organizing Youth to Sustainability Summit 2013, an international conference to connect and draw thoughts...

Events: 2013 Summer Garage Sale & Market at HKUST organized by HKUST on 15 Jun 2013

Event 2013 Summer Garage Sale & Market at HKUST Date   :   Saturday, 15 June 2013 Time   :   9:30 am – 1:30 pm Venue : LG3 Car Park at HKUST Clear Water Bay (from the main entrance of the University turn left at the "Red Bird" roundabout and take the road down the hill towards Towers 1 & 2.  Take the second turn right into the covered car park - it will be signposted.The Summer Garage...

HK's Updates: Greening partner campaign launches (25 May 2013)

Greening partner campaign launches May 25, 2013 The Development Bureau's Be Our Greening Partner campaign launched today, with key events such as a Greening Partner Charter and activities such as community tree surveillance talks, landscape design seminars, tree appreciation visits, and Old and Valuable Tree guided tours. The campaign is among the "Hong Kong: Our Home" campaign activities under the theme Fresh Hong Kong. Speaking...

HK's Updates: Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign launched (18 May 2013)

Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign launched (with photos) ***************************************************      The Food Wise Hong Kong Campaign, a territory-wide food waste reduction campaign, was officially launched today (May 18) to encourage the entire community, from individuals and households to commercial and industrial sectors, to avoid and reduce food waste generation in Hong Kong.     More...

HK's Updates: Blueprint for sustainable use of resources maps out Hong Kong's comprehensive waste management strategy for coming 10 years (with photos/videos) (20 May 2013)

Blueprint for sustainable use of resources maps out Hong Kong's comprehensive waste management strategy for coming 10 years (with photos/videos) ************************************************************      The Environment Bureau today (May 20) unveiled "Hong Kong: Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013-2022", which analyses the challenges and opportunities of waste management in Hong Kong, and maps out a...