Official prophecy of doom: Global warming will cause widespread conflict, displace millions of people and devastate the global economy
Climate change will displace hundreds of millions of people by the end of this century, increase the risk of violent conflict and wipe trillions of dollars off the global economy, according to a leaked draft report from the UN International Panelon Climate Change (IPCC). The second part of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), due to be finalised at the end of this month, says the warming climate will place the world under enormous strain, forcing mass migration, especially in Asia, and increasing the risk of violent conflict. Based on thousands of peer-reviewed studies and put together by hundreds of respected scientists, the report predicts that climate change will reduce median crop yields by 2 percent per decade for the rest of the century – at a time of rapidly growing demand for food. The report also forecasts that the warming climate will take its toll on human health, pushing up the number of intense heatwaves and fires and increasing the risk from food and water-borne diseases. (The Independent)
Policy
EU plans to standardise mobile phone chargers to crack down on waste
Phone makers may have to offer European customers a standardised mobile phone charger from 2017, after MEPs approved a new EU directive designed to crackdown on “unnecessary” waste last week. According to theEuropean Commission (EC), more than 185 million mobile phones are sold in the EU, and many use different chargers which become redundant after the user changes phone. In 2009, phone makers such as Apple, Nokia,Motorola, Samsung, Sony and Alcatel signed an agreement to make their phones compatible with a single, USB style charger, but this has not been unanimously followed. The new draft law specifies that the ability to work with common chargers will be an essential requirement for new radio equipment. Rapporteur Barbara Weile, the MEP guiding the legislation through Parliament, said the move would reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs for consumers and industry. She added: “This serves the interests both of consumers and the environment… It will put an end to charger clutter and 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually.” (Edie)
Global fishing bloc signs accord to address dwindling fish stocks
Officials from some of the world’s top fishing powers have signed a declaration in Greece to promote sustainable management of fish stocks. The signatories – the EU, United States, Japan, Philippines, Colombia and Indonesia – pledged to support measures on fishing overcapacity including developing international fishing vessel records, limiting the number of licenses and vessel tonnage and eliminating fisheries subsidies that contribute to fleet overcapacity and overfishing. Overall, the bloc accounts for a fourth of the world’s seafood resources. The group said in a statement “we bear responsibility for the conservation of living marine resources and thus for addressing overcapacity when it undermines conservation and sustainability objectives.” (Clean Biz Asia)
Technology & Innovation
Commuters given walk-on part in Pavegen energy trial
Commuters in a small town in northern France are to illuminate their station under a British scheme to use footsteps to create energy. Pavegen is to supply high-tech tiles that will harness the kinetic energy generated by pedestrians for lighting. The installation in St Omer will be the first permanent attempt to turn foot power into electricity and will be installed at the station, where 5,000 pairs of feet will trample on them each day, supplying electricity for lights in the seating area and for two USB ports. The combined effect of thousands of pairs of feet will supply about 30 percent of the energy used to light the seating area and when the batteries run low the system will automatically switch to draw energy off the electricity grid. Although doubts remain about the cost-effectiveness and energy-producing capacities of the initiative, Laurence Kemball-Cook, the chief executive of Pavegen, expressed hopes that St Omer would lead to foot-powered electricity in other towns and cities. (The Times)
Start-up spins sour milk into textiles
A German start-up is using milk that would have gone to waste to manufacture textile fibres using sustainable processes. Qmilk was founded by Anke Domaske after having seen a YouTube video on milk fibres. She found that the old process was too chemically laden for what she needed but that a more environmentally friendly process could produce a fibre that makes clothes that feel like silk. One of the major advantages is its antibacterial properties, and like silk, it is also temperature regulating, light, absorbent, compostable and flame resistant. According to Domaske, “We only need a maximum of two litres of water and 80°C temperature [to make 1kg of textiles]. We have low waste and the process takes five minutes. Everything in the manufacture of Qmilk uses 100% natural and renewable resources”. If the future of food waste is turning it into something useful, then Qmilk fills a gap in the market. “We have a transparent production chain and we know where all our milk comes from. To be sustainable we understand that people want to look behind the scenes” added Domaske. (The Guardian)
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