Burlington, Vermont now runs on 100 percent renewable energy
Burlington, Vermont, has been making waves for becoming the first city in the U.S. to be powered 100 percent by renewables. Reliant on coal a generation ago, Vermont’s largest city has slowly revamped its energy portfolio, culminating in the purchase of a hydropower plant late last year. A third of the city’s power needs are met by a biomass power station, with a further 20 percent from wind power, and a smaller portion from solar energy. The largest share of electricity comes from hydropower, much of it purchased from plants in Maine in addition to the city’s latest acquisition of its own plant. The fact that Burlington has been able to do this without raising rates since 2009 — and will save the city an estimated $20 million over the next 20 years — creates an interesting case study for communities that are interested in investing in renewables, but nervous about costs. (Triple Pundit)
Environment
Coastal communities dumping 8 million tonnes of plastic in oceans every year
Coastal populations put about 8m tonnes of plastic rubbish into the oceans in 2010, an annual figure that could double over the next decade without major improvements in waste management efforts, scientists warn. The figures suggest that about 10 to 30 times more plastic debris ends up in the oceans than surveys have found floating about on the surface. According to the report, the cumulative amount of plastic in the seas will soar tenfold by 2025 if nothing is done to slash waste generation or manage it more effectively. Of the 20 countries responsible for the most waste plastic ending up in the oceans China topped the table with 1.32 to 3.53m tonnes of plastic reaching the oceans in 2010. Indonesia followed adding 0.48 to 1.29m tonnes of marine plastic to the seas that year. The greatest sources were not only the major plastic producers, but generally those nations with the worst waste management practices. (The Guardian: BBC News)
Climate Change
Small islands will not accept weak Paris climate deal
Ahmed Sareer Maldives ambassador and president of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) at United Nations climate talks, said the future of his country depended on an ambitious deal in Paris later this year. “1.5C is still within reach… it’s clear that science has shown this is possible,” he said in an interview from Geneva, where negotiations are taking place this week. Governments agreed to limit warming to 2C in 2009, but the more ambitious goal of 1.5C has long been advocated by small islands, fearful rising sea levels and climate-linked extreme weather events could submerge their countries. In the past year several of the small island states have announced plans to be 100% renewable by 2020. “Small island states are spending heavily on renewable energy, and we want to send the message that if we can do it then other countries should be able to do so,” Sareer said. (RTCC)
Collaboration
Facebook and LinkedIn join to help women in tech
Facebook and LinkedIn want to boost dwindling numbers of women studying engineering and computer science. Through forming a collaborative initiative they hope to eventually fill thousands of lucrative Silicon Valley jobs long dominated by men. Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and LinkedIn chief executive Jeffrey Weiner said they’re launching mentoring and support programs at colleges to get more women involved in studying technology in general, but also as future employees for their companies. Telle Whitney, president and CEO of the Anita Borg Institute, which is a partner in the initiative, said diversity brings greater innovation in technology. ‘‘Think about it,’’ Whitney said. ‘‘If everybody who creates a product looks the same, you know the results won’t be nearly as interesting. We want for the sake of our future to have women involved in all the projects that will change our lives.’’ (Boston Globe)
Campaigns
Code REDD’s new crowdfunding mobile site encourages concerned citizens to ‘Stand for Trees’
Code REDD has announced the launch of ‘Stand For Trees’, the first consumer campaign that uses the power of social media and crowdfunding to enable users to take action to reduce deforestation and curb climate change. Individuals are asked to purchase $10 Stand for Trees certificates, which each prevent one metric tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere while protecting threatened ecosystems that sustain forest communities and numerous endangered species. Funds generated by sale of the certificates go to the development of sustainable livelihoods and the protection of forests in specific REDD+ project areas around the world. These projects provide developing countries with an economic alternative to deforestation, creating a low-carbon pathway to economic growth. The mobile site was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of its Global Climate Change initiative. (Sustainable Brands)
Inclusive Business
Big banks spend £1 billion per year and give 1m hours to community causes
Bankers at the biggest six institutions in the UK gave a total of more than 1.1 million hours of their time to community and charity projects in 2013, according to figures published today by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA). In a study revealing the scale of resources given to corporate social responsibility programmes the BBA also found the UK banks, combined with major US lenders operating in the UK, gave more than £1 billion to good causes in the same year. Many of the banks are supported in this through membership of LBG, which has created a model or framework of how to measure CSR contributions or, as LBG define it, “corporate community investment”. Barclays has run schemes for 16 to 25-year olds, while HSBC’s programmes have focused on primary schools and teachers, and Clydesdale Bank has set out to give financial education to under-fives. (City A.M.)
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