Hello All,
Some of you might already know that the Tomorrow's Leaders Project that managed this blog for the past 9 months, has officially ended.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and enthusiasm. A special thought for those who worked with us on events and campaigns.
For those of you who aren't familiar with us and our work, well, its not too late! While the TP won't exist anymore, there are still hundreds of Sustainability related things that you can do at Westminster.
There is good news though... the Sustainability department at Westminster will be continuing its good work, and will have bigger better projects in the future, some of which are already in their first phase.
For more information, please see: wwww.wmin.ac.uk/sustainability
Also this blog will remain in cyberspace and continue to be updated with loads of debates, questions, concerns and information on Sustainability.
So it's with a heavy heart that we at Tomorrow's Leaders say goodbye, and hope that are paths cross again soon.
Until then, keep green and we hope that this end is a beginning of a lot more.
Over and Out!
Shelby and Gayatri
The Tomorrow's Leaders Project
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Of Tropical Paradises and Sustainable Futures
Hawaii's six main islands are quickly becoming a green laboratory for the rest of America and perhaps the world. With a startlingly diverse array of energy experiments and projects underway, Hawaii is well on its way to establishing a renewable energy future and reduce its dependance on fossil fuels. Each islands has its own renewable energy accent: waves in Maui, wind in Lanai and Molokai, solar panels in Oahu and eventually crops grown from biomass energy in Kauai.
Hawaii needs renewable energy to reduce the cost of energy to its citizens, avoid the negative economic effects of volatile oil prices, reduce its overdependence on oil, and increase its energy security by reducing imports from overseas. Renewable energy can grow new industries in Hawaii, provide jobs and income for its citizens, and protect its environment, which is also the basis of its economy. Hawaii’s citizens pay the nation’s highest energy costs. This is in part due to the fact that Hawaii is the most oil-dependent of the 50 states. The Hawaiian Islands have no fossil fuel resources and do not import natural gas.
Given its location in pacific, its tropical climate and the fact that it benefits from a large variety of natural resources favourable to the production and widespread use of renewable energy (waves, wind, sun and biomass), Hawaii is a perfect place to implement renewable energy models. Moreover, its climate being similar to that of other developing nations, the significance of these experiments to the wider world is quite important. Successful models can be mainstreamed, and implemented elsewhere and thereby contribute to one of the most problematic points in the Copenhagen agenda: reducing fossil fuel dependency and carbon emissions in the developing world.
However, about three decades ago a similar renewable energy plan was formulated by the Hawaiin govermnent, that never saw light of day. Hopefully, thirty years on the pressing need to combat climate change is greater than political complacency.
Hawaii needs renewable energy to reduce the cost of energy to its citizens, avoid the negative economic effects of volatile oil prices, reduce its overdependence on oil, and increase its energy security by reducing imports from overseas. Renewable energy can grow new industries in Hawaii, provide jobs and income for its citizens, and protect its environment, which is also the basis of its economy. Hawaii’s citizens pay the nation’s highest energy costs. This is in part due to the fact that Hawaii is the most oil-dependent of the 50 states. The Hawaiian Islands have no fossil fuel resources and do not import natural gas.
Given its location in pacific, its tropical climate and the fact that it benefits from a large variety of natural resources favourable to the production and widespread use of renewable energy (waves, wind, sun and biomass), Hawaii is a perfect place to implement renewable energy models. Moreover, its climate being similar to that of other developing nations, the significance of these experiments to the wider world is quite important. Successful models can be mainstreamed, and implemented elsewhere and thereby contribute to one of the most problematic points in the Copenhagen agenda: reducing fossil fuel dependency and carbon emissions in the developing world.
However, about three decades ago a similar renewable energy plan was formulated by the Hawaiin govermnent, that never saw light of day. Hopefully, thirty years on the pressing need to combat climate change is greater than political complacency.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Oh Copenhagen!
"This is the generation that must stop the spread of the pollution that is lowly killing our planet... Rolling back the tide of a warming planet is a responsibility that we have to ourselves, to our children to all of those who will inherit creation long after we are gone."
- Barack Obama, April 2009.
From the 7th to the 18th of December, the officials, environment ministers and leaders of the world's most powerful nations will once again convene at Copenhagen to discuss quite literally the planet's future and how as nations a greener world can be created for this and future generations.
Naturally, with every country pulling its weight to ensure that policy decided upon at Copenhagen is suitable to their own realities, the summit has the reputation of turning into a business as usual situation more often than not ending in a deadlock (such as over the issue of funding green technology for developing nations).
After 2 meetings at Bonn, 1 at New York, another in Bangkok and yet another in Barcelona, this year alone, the lead up to Copenhagen has been dynamic to say the least. For all those who are still wondering, these are the key tasks ahead for Copenhagen not to turn into one of the biggest political failures.
1. Setting binding targets to reduce carbon emissions. So far the US, EU, India and China have all tables offers of reducing their carbon emissions. Whether these are implementable remains to be seen, as does the issue of accountability.
2. Green Funds and Technology should be established to encourage low carbon emissions in developing countries. This hotly debated issue of who picks up the bill is one of the key areas of conflict at Copenhagen.
3. Developing Countries need to take anti-deforestation actions that are associated with emissions and consequently commit to 30% lower emissions than what they are currently projecting by 2020. Once again a bone of major contention, the question remains how can these countries afford to implement greener economies when they are not at par with richer nations? Can we expect the same type of commitment to greening the planet from countries that have complicated histories (often further complexified by the effects of colonisation) and pressing issues such as civil war, starvation and hunger, conflict and other endemics, not to mention poor economic development?
4. Rich nations need to leverage more support and finance to green the planet
5. All countries must agree that global emissions must be at least 80% lower than 1990 levels by 2050.
Somehow reminiscent of an armchair revolution, these talks have been alive for the best part of the decade, and it seems that most agree on most of the points. The crucial question of HOW is yet to be answered. Perhaps the old and wise of the world woud consider third sector involvement that bypasses counter productive political nerve endings.
- Barack Obama, April 2009.
From the 7th to the 18th of December, the officials, environment ministers and leaders of the world's most powerful nations will once again convene at Copenhagen to discuss quite literally the planet's future and how as nations a greener world can be created for this and future generations.
Naturally, with every country pulling its weight to ensure that policy decided upon at Copenhagen is suitable to their own realities, the summit has the reputation of turning into a business as usual situation more often than not ending in a deadlock (such as over the issue of funding green technology for developing nations).
After 2 meetings at Bonn, 1 at New York, another in Bangkok and yet another in Barcelona, this year alone, the lead up to Copenhagen has been dynamic to say the least. For all those who are still wondering, these are the key tasks ahead for Copenhagen not to turn into one of the biggest political failures.
1. Setting binding targets to reduce carbon emissions. So far the US, EU, India and China have all tables offers of reducing their carbon emissions. Whether these are implementable remains to be seen, as does the issue of accountability.
2. Green Funds and Technology should be established to encourage low carbon emissions in developing countries. This hotly debated issue of who picks up the bill is one of the key areas of conflict at Copenhagen.
3. Developing Countries need to take anti-deforestation actions that are associated with emissions and consequently commit to 30% lower emissions than what they are currently projecting by 2020. Once again a bone of major contention, the question remains how can these countries afford to implement greener economies when they are not at par with richer nations? Can we expect the same type of commitment to greening the planet from countries that have complicated histories (often further complexified by the effects of colonisation) and pressing issues such as civil war, starvation and hunger, conflict and other endemics, not to mention poor economic development?
4. Rich nations need to leverage more support and finance to green the planet
5. All countries must agree that global emissions must be at least 80% lower than 1990 levels by 2050.
Somehow reminiscent of an armchair revolution, these talks have been alive for the best part of the decade, and it seems that most agree on most of the points. The crucial question of HOW is yet to be answered. Perhaps the old and wise of the world woud consider third sector involvement that bypasses counter productive political nerve endings.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Water Conservation: Lunch box recap
Last week was the water conservation lunchtime talk, in accordance with water amnesty month. The month is now coming to an end, but the talk was great and gave many ideas on what is and can be done going forward.
With a well rounded panel of three speakers, Matt Richards of Christian Aid- telling about water conservation and supplying efforts to areas of Kenya, Chris Meloy of the University of Westminster- speaking on alternatives to bottled water and on water conservation and innovations with drilling their own spring in Chiswick, as well as Katherine Richardson of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory- speaking on the current state of the earths oceans, as well as alternative energy sources that could come from the oceans.
This week we will post a blog about what each of the speakers shared with us at the event. This week we will recap what Matt Richards had to say.
Matt Richards
Matt Richards, of Christian Aid, recently took a trip to Kenya with the organization to address the massive drought in Kenya and aid some of the people living in remote areas, here is what he had to say:
Responses to climate change and drought
"CA has been working with a partner organisation in rural Kenya called Ukamba Christian Community Services, the organisation is providing the knowledge and funding to build sand and earth dams as well as helping to sink new wells.
The sand dams are built in dry river beds. Behind these concrete dams, which are sometimes 3 or 4m, high sand is dumped which serves as a holding tank for the water whilst filtering it. As the ground water is kept beneath a layer of sand it is protected from evaporation and the water remains there throughout the dry season. It is also worth noting that as there is no open expanse of water malaria carrying mosquitoes cannot breed and there is less chance of animal contamination. The water is stored here and can be pumped out by the villagers when needed. A shallow well and pump is constructed on the river bank which can be used to pump out from under the layer of protective sand. .
CA is also funding the construction of earth dams which create small reservoirs of water. The earth dams are larger than the concrete ones, sometimes 10m or 12m high. Behind the dam water is collected from nearby hills and higher ground, this run off is stored here for use by the villagers. The water is piped out of the lake and filtered so that it is fresh and clean for use by the community."
Here are examples of two different types of dams built and that Matt visited. (The photos used are Matt's photos on location)
Miumbuni Sand Dam at Uvaleni
"I visited Uvaleni village in the countryside about 150km south of Nairobi. In the 1960s the river that flowed here was 10m deep but it is now a dry river bed. In a narrowing of the river bed a large sand dam has been constructed from concrete. The dam cost around 800,000 KSh or £8000 which was paid for by Christian Aid. The dam has transformed the lives of these villagers, before it is was built they had to walk 5km to collect water, a 10km round trip to be taken every morning. They had to leave their homes at 3 or 4am in order to have water for the start of the day. But this water was often used up at the start of the day which meant that wives had to go again to collect water after breakfast, making the 10km round trip again. But thanks to the construction of the concrete sand dam there is clean, fresh water for 1000 households and 2000 cattle, a real change to the lives of the Uvaleni villagers and less than a 1km walk from the village."
With a well rounded panel of three speakers, Matt Richards of Christian Aid- telling about water conservation and supplying efforts to areas of Kenya, Chris Meloy of the University of Westminster- speaking on alternatives to bottled water and on water conservation and innovations with drilling their own spring in Chiswick, as well as Katherine Richardson of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory- speaking on the current state of the earths oceans, as well as alternative energy sources that could come from the oceans.
This week we will post a blog about what each of the speakers shared with us at the event. This week we will recap what Matt Richards had to say.
Matt Richards
Matt Richards, of Christian Aid, recently took a trip to Kenya with the organization to address the massive drought in Kenya and aid some of the people living in remote areas, here is what he had to say:
Responses to climate change and drought
"CA has been working with a partner organisation in rural Kenya called Ukamba Christian Community Services, the organisation is providing the knowledge and funding to build sand and earth dams as well as helping to sink new wells.
The sand dams are built in dry river beds. Behind these concrete dams, which are sometimes 3 or 4m, high sand is dumped which serves as a holding tank for the water whilst filtering it. As the ground water is kept beneath a layer of sand it is protected from evaporation and the water remains there throughout the dry season. It is also worth noting that as there is no open expanse of water malaria carrying mosquitoes cannot breed and there is less chance of animal contamination. The water is stored here and can be pumped out by the villagers when needed. A shallow well and pump is constructed on the river bank which can be used to pump out from under the layer of protective sand. .
CA is also funding the construction of earth dams which create small reservoirs of water. The earth dams are larger than the concrete ones, sometimes 10m or 12m high. Behind the dam water is collected from nearby hills and higher ground, this run off is stored here for use by the villagers. The water is piped out of the lake and filtered so that it is fresh and clean for use by the community."
Here are examples of two different types of dams built and that Matt visited. (The photos used are Matt's photos on location)
Miumbuni Sand Dam at Uvaleni"I visited Uvaleni village in the countryside about 150km south of Nairobi. In the 1960s the river that flowed here was 10m deep but it is now a dry river bed. In a narrowing of the river bed a large sand dam has been constructed from concrete. The dam cost around 800,000 KSh or £8000 which was paid for by Christian Aid. The dam has transformed the lives of these villagers, before it is was built they had to walk 5km to collect water, a 10km round trip to be taken every morning. They had to leave their homes at 3 or 4am in order to have water for the start of the day. But this water was often used up at the start of the day which meant that wives had to go again to collect water after breakfast, making the 10km round trip again. But thanks to the construction of the concrete sand dam there is clean, fresh water for 1000 households and 2000 cattle, a real change to the lives of the Uvaleni villagers and less than a 1km walk from the village."
Nzezeni Earth Dam at Mukaa
"As I mentioned earlier CA are funding the construction of earth dams as well as sand dams. Here in the village of Mukaa a dam about 12m high has been constructed by the community. Our partner organisation UCCS provided the knowledge and funds for the dams construction. The lake which was created as a result of the construction of this earth dam is currently about 8m deep and it is hoped that when the rains do come it will be about 10m deep. When it is full it will store enough water for the community for 4 years. The villagers have built a pipe system at the base of the earth dam which filters the water from the reservoir and enables them to use a tap to collect it. A fence has been built around it to stop animal contamination and they hope to plant fruit trees on the bank which can be used to generate income for the community."
"As I mentioned earlier CA are funding the construction of earth dams as well as sand dams. Here in the village of Mukaa a dam about 12m high has been constructed by the community. Our partner organisation UCCS provided the knowledge and funds for the dams construction. The lake which was created as a result of the construction of this earth dam is currently about 8m deep and it is hoped that when the rains do come it will be about 10m deep. When it is full it will store enough water for the community for 4 years. The villagers have built a pipe system at the base of the earth dam which filters the water from the reservoir and enables them to use a tap to collect it. A fence has been built around it to stop animal contamination and they hope to plant fruit trees on the bank which can be used to generate income for the community."
Matt had an amazing experience and was able to see and learn more than he was able to share at the event. If you have any further questions for Matt on his experience, please feel free to make a comment or ask a question and we can pass it on to him. We are thankful for Matt's participation in water amnesty month at the University of Westminster.
Monday, 2 November 2009
An Inconvenient Suggestion
On September 24th and 25th Pittsburgh was host to the the 20 most powerful economies of today. As you all know, the G20 convened once again to discuss the future of their world, our world, your world. One of the many points on the agenda, consistent with other recent G20 summits, was tackling climate change. To this effect, the G20 sees itself as pioneering a groundbreaking effort that includes phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, encouraging greater transparency and oversight in oil markets, boosting investments in green technology and innovation, promoting bilateral climate change partnerships for clean technology.
Sound like a broken record?
What's so groundbreaking about these points that seem like the favourite refrain of every politician seeking to earn a few brownie points?
Well, for starters, this agenda was accompanied by Barrack Obama's Recovery Act, which not only assumes the fact that the USA is the the world's largest producer of carbon emissions, but also pledge $80+ billion towards clean energy. Moreover, it includes a comprehensive energy and climate bill that proposes reducing carbon emission by 80% by 2050 in the USA.
More groundbreaking still is the suggestion that India (spearheaded by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) proposed at the summit. In a nutshell, developed countries should take on a larger share of the responsibility concerning climate change, since less developed countries do not have the same resources to tackle these issues. Not that India is saying the weight of climate change lies solely with the West, simply that it is in a better position to effectively address the issues at hand. Also, and here's the clincher, patents and intellectual property laws should be waived with respect to clean green technology. Since climate change is something that effects the whole planet, knowledge on how to tackle and concrete methods that work should be shared equally across the globe.
How's that for a sustainable, equitable suggestion?
The question still remains, beyond all gestures, proposals, talks and good intentions, can the world look beyond profit, political, economic, social and cultural difference and truly unite under the fight to save our environment, and how?
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Water Amnesty Lunch Box Talk
As some of you may have noticed, we have been making a mad dash around all of the campuses trying to inform students and staff about the Universities participation in Water Amnesty Month.
We have had a few weeks of events promoting water saving, some of you were lucky enough to get a bag full of helpful water saving tips. As part of water Amnesty On 10 Nov 1pm – 2pm in C402 Cavendish, there will be a lunchtime discussion on water: You’ll get to hear about latest innovations and water sourcing projects. Bring your questions and your own lunch with you and we provide coffee/tea, biscuits and water. Please RSVP: csr.westminster@gmail.com .
Additionally, if you want more information on Water Amnesty month please go to the Universities Sustainability site at: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-16980
look forward to seeing you there!
We have had a few weeks of events promoting water saving, some of you were lucky enough to get a bag full of helpful water saving tips. As part of water Amnesty On 10 Nov 1pm – 2pm in C402 Cavendish, there will be a lunchtime discussion on water: You’ll get to hear about latest innovations and water sourcing projects. Bring your questions and your own lunch with you and we provide coffee/tea, biscuits and water. Please RSVP: csr.westminster@gmail.com .
Additionally, if you want more information on Water Amnesty month please go to the Universities Sustainability site at: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-16980
look forward to seeing you there!
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