Cancun kicks real work to Durban in 2011

Cancun 2010.

global warming

Well done to all who played their part to lower the worlds CO2 emissions in Cancun this week.
The good bits
• A Fund to channel money from the West to developing nations
• Formal recognition that current emissions pledges need to rise
• A framework on paying countries to stop deforestation
The unfinished business
• Deeper emissions cuts over Kyoto targets
• Mechanisms for negotiating deeper emission cuts
• Deciding on the legal status of any new global agreement

Remember that the developed countries which are parties to Kyoto (pretty much everyone except America) made initial commitments on cutting emissions that run out in 2012. In principle these are to be followed in 2013 by a second, more ambitious, commitment period. So for me, the most impressive result in Cancun was heading off a potential road block on the subject of the “second commitment period” to the Kyoto protocol.i.e. beyond 2012 which is when we need to seriously act in a deeper way.
Because Kyoto actually makes binding demands on us – the developed countries, it is a reference point for developing countries and their insistence on its continuing relevance was a blocker in the Copenhagen talks.

At the beginning of the Cancún conference Japan clung to its long-held refusal to have anything to do with that second commitment period; Canada and Russia did likewise. This is understandable given that the world’s biggest emitters, America and China, are not bound to such commitments. However the big emerging economies—the so called BRICS Brazil, China, India and South Africa—made it clear that a second commitment was their top priority.

On reading the text referring to the Kyoto protocol that was agreed in Cancún, it talks positively about the second commitment period in principle. But it is also very clear that neither Japan nor anyone else is currently obliged to sign up for it, and that its exact legal form remains to be determined.
All the pledges on emissions cuts that the developed countries (except the USA) made as part of the Copenhagen accord have not been inked into the Kyoto text. If they were it would have been seen as official commitments . Instead they have put into a separate part of the text.

None of this amounts to a real breakthrough. And, as the agreements make clear, the pledges from the Copenhagen accord, which have now been formally associated with the UN process, are far too low to deliver the two degree target that those agreements seek to achieve.
They must now be raised. Undoubtedly, there will be calls for Europe to go beyond the 20% cut to a 30% cut. And the problem of the specifics of the second commitment period has not gone away.

A sobering thought is that Chinese CO2 emissions will continue to rise and dwarf any reductions which we might make. China INCREASES its emissions by the equivalent of total UK emissions every 2 years.
Feeling powerless? Don’t be. Everyone can play their part.

If there is one thing that you can personally do to help, then get your employer to take energy saving measures at your place of employment. This will save money and cut your personal Co2 emissions while at work. Using products such as Energy Watch IT (see www.energywatchit.com) will save approx 60% CO2 emissions due to wasted PC power. Simply retrofitting fluorescent lights throughout your office (replace inefficient T8 lamps with more effecient T5 lamps will save 40% power and Co2 emissions). (see www.energysense.ie to get them).

That’s two small personal actions that can be done faster than any of the actions arising from Cancun.

Energy savings tips from Cork City council

Energy savings through lighting upgrades - a bright idea

Recently noticed some energy savings tips from Cork City council and in these tough economic times they are worth considering afresh.
Most are a no cost action , just good energy practice that will yield dividends . Heres a quick list :

1. Give your office equipment a power break at night
Switch off computers, printers, photocopiers and other appliance when leaving. Everyone looks after their own workspace and last person to leave takes responsibility for lights. Savings : could be up to 50% of usage, depending on what equipment is involved.
2. Eliminate Standby energy use
Appliances still use energy even after being turned off. Disconnect completely when leaving.
Savings : Standby energy use can be up to 10% of total energy consumption.
3.Computers know how to save energy, so tell them.
Configure the power scheme in your computer for greenest option. Set up the monitor to turn off automatically if the computer has not been used for more than 5 minutes. Savings : 20-40% of the energy used
Also power down completely when finished for the day or get the IT dept to automatically shutdown machines after 8 pm for example.They did it at Dundalk IT and are reaping the rewards.
4. Invest in daylight savings!
On bright days ensure all blinds are open, on dull days close the blinds. Empty rooms should have blinds closed. Re-arrange desks to benefit from natural daylight where possible. Savings : lighting, heating, aircon.
5. Don’t waste energy in unoccupied rooms
Switch off the lights when you are not using the room. Likewise for heating and aircon. If justified install occupancy sensors, however beware that these have been shown to take a long time to recover costs. Cheaper option is simple manual procedure that people follow.
6. CFL lighting is better!
Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. They use 80% less energy and last up to 15 times longer. LEDs for spotlights are also the lowest power option although still a little costly , these will dominate lighting in the years to come as prices drop, payback times reduce and lighting output gets better.
7. Retrofit older Fluorsecent bulbs to latest technology.
Just because you have Fluorescent CFL bulbs doesent means you are winning on savings. The latest fluorescent retrofit products can further reduce T8,T12 lamps to the latest T5 effeciency levels by simple replacement of ballast and lamps while reusing existing light fittings . Savings: re-use existing fittings and gain 50%+ savings on lighting costs with lower maintenance. A good place to start is Energy Sense Ireland . Check it out.

For the full list of tips visit Cork City Council website .

If you have some good advice feel free to submit it as a comment.

Energy savings tips – no cost and low cost.

Recently noticed some energy savings tips from Cork City council and in these tough economic times they are worth considering afresh.
Most are a no cost action , just good energy practice that will yield dividends .

Heres a quick list :

1. Give your office equipment a power break at night
Switch off computers, printers, photocopiers and other appliance when leaving. Everyone looks after their own workspace and last person to leave takes responsibility for lights. Savings : could be up to 50% of usage, depending on what equipment is involved.
2. Eliminate Standby energy use
Appliances still use energy even after being turned off. Disconnect completely when leaving.
Savings : Standby energy use can be up to 10% of total energy consumption.
3.Computers know how to save energy, so tell them.
Configure the power scheme in your computer for greenest option. Set up the monitor to turn off automatically if the computer has not been used for more than 5 minutes. Savings : 20-40% of the energy used
Also power down completely when finished for the day or get the IT dept to automatically shutdown machines after 8 pm for example.They did it at Dundalk IT and are reaping the rewards.
4. Invest in daylight savings!
On bright days ensure all blinds are open, on dull days close the blinds. Empty rooms should have blinds closed. Re-arrange desks to benefit from natural daylight where possible. Savings : lighting, heating, aircon.
5. Don’t waste energy in unoccupied rooms
Switch off the lights when you are not using the room. Likewise for heating and aircon. If justified install occupancy sensors, however beware that these have been shown to take a long time to recover costs. Cheaper option is simple manual procedure that people follow.
6. CFL lighting is better!
Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. They use 80% less energy and last up to 15 times longer. LEDs for spotlights are also the lowest power option although still a little costly , these will dominate lighting in the years to come as prices drop, payback times reduce and lighting output gets better.
7. Retrofit older Fluorsecent bulbs to latest technology.
Just because you have Fluorescent CFL bulbs doesent means you are winning on savings. The latest fluorescent retrofit products can further reduce T8,T12 lamps to the latest T5 effeciency levels by simple replacement of ballast and lamps while reusing existing light fittings . Savings: re-use existing fittings and gain 50%+ savings on lighting costs with lower maintenance. A good place to start is Energy Sense Ireland . Check it out.

For the full list of tips visit Cork City Council website .

If you have some good advice feel free to submit it as a comment.

Calling time on wasted energy costs for Publicans

Calling Time On Waste

A new booklet is available from the EPA to help publicans cut costs and improve their environmental performance. The publican’s handbook to a leaner, greener cost base, is the result of a collaboration between the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Monaghan County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and will be distributed to VFI members throughout the country.
Some significant savings can be made especially by the easy option of lighting replacements and retrofits to high frequency ,lower energy units.

Examples of case studies by Monaghan County council include:

• One pub changed all existing light bulbs to energy efficient CFLs resulting in a saving of €1,400, the equivalent to over 8000 kWh of electricity.
• One bar saved €800 on its bi-monthly bills by installing energy efficient lighting and timers on fridges.
• By turning off fridges in the “back room” during the week a publican saved €300 per annum.
• By installing timers on their beer cooling system another pub saved €400 per annum on operating costs.
• By installing a night meter a publican saved €600 per annum on his electricity charges.

Energy Sense Ireland is actively engaged with similar clients and commercial buildings throughout Ireland to drive down energy costs and save CO2 emissions. We applaud the EPA initiative and look to see further sectoral guides to reduce Irelands Inc’s cost base .
Let’s hope these savings translate to cheaper beverages. Now, that’s something we can all drink to.
Cheers !
Download a copy of the guide here