This briefing, carries out by consultant group LTS International, examines existing systems for ensuring that finance for the UN’s Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation scheme, under which rich countries pay developing ones to preserve rather than harvest their forests, is used effectively and transparently, and outlines what still needs to be done to ensure this.
Read Global Witness briefing on this issue.
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This briefing examines the multilateral bodies which send finance to the UN’s Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation scheme (REDD+), under which rich countries pay developing ones to preserve rather than harvest their forests. Global Witness checks for how transparent and accountable the finance tracking systems are and makes recommendations for what could be improved, as policy makers discuss funding for REDD+ in Durban.
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Global Witness submitted a briefing to the British APPG on the Great Lakes in advance of a visit to the region in May 2011 highlighting concerns over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s natural resource sector.
Release date: 06/22/2011
Contact Information: Mollie Lemon (News Media Only), [email protected], 202-564-2039, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – EPA will participate in a media teleconference hosted by NASA at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 23 to preview the upcoming series of aircraft research flights over the Baltimore-Washington traffic corridor to study urban air pollution.
NASA research satellites monitor many air pollution components, but it has been a challenge to use these measurements of the atmosphere from space to detect pollution near the ground. This multi-year airborne field campaign will help improve the capability of satellites to measure near surface-level atmospheric composition. EPA is partnering with NASA and several other organizations on the effort.
The campaign is called DISCOVER-AQ, which stands for Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality. It will use two NASA aircraft to make a series of flights in July to measure gaseous and particulate pollution. Flights will be coordinated with extensive ground observations at various sites in Maryland extending from the Washington Beltway to northeast of Baltimore.
The teleconference participants are:
To participate in the teleconference, reporters need to contact Steve Cole at 202-358-0918 or [email protected] for dial-in instructions. Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live on NASA’s website: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio
SOURCE: Save the World Air, Inc.
SANTA BARBARA, CA–(Marketwire – Jun 20, 2011) – STWA, Inc. (
The RMOTC facility required substantial retrofitting that included construction, electrical and industrial engineering and permitting. This has resulted in hundreds of man-hours to bring the facility up to the required parameters for testing the prototype. STWA is now pleased to announce that after the various delays associated with poor weather conditions and third-party lead time interruptions, the facility build-out, although behind schedule, is set for prototype testing and is proceeding normally at this time.
Bjørn Simundson, head of new product development, program management and operations at STWA, Inc., said, “We have been working not only on developing our own prototype, with its associated lead times, engineering, physics and supply chain management, but have had to design and retrofit the majority of the testing facility at the same time. This included a design and build strategy from the ground-up of the entire infrastructure with fully operational valving, controls, permits, filtration, pipeline pigging and flushing, with the associated delays caused by third-party personnel changes and severe weather. Additionally, we had to work with our partners here on the requisite testing procedures and protocols. The side benefit of our time delays is that it gave us extra time for Phase I testing to more rigorously test our prototype and improve its operational envelope.”
Mr. Simundson added, “The facility at RMOTC was chosen as a suitable testing facility that was acceptable to The Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) and its members. When STWA came in here it was near completion and required necessary retrofitting mentioned. We have spent roughly $ 500,000 in upgrades and now have a multi-device flexible full-scale outdoor testing laboratory at our disposal. This facility has been developed to yield results credible and demonstrable for the industry and has been valued at roughly $ 5.5 million. We do not anticipate any further monetary and/or timeline burdens in the future.”
The following is an abbreviated bullet-point list of the materials and processes involved in the build-out:
The following are the benefits generated by the unexpected extended build-out:
Furthermore, Mr. Simundson commented, “Although we had originally intended to make this a cold-simulation test, ambient testing is also an accepted and expected protocol that is desired and requested by industry members. The location of RMOTC was specifically chosen due to the fact that this pipeline system has been developed with the intention of a dynamically controllable operational design. Ambient temperature testing is an industry-requested testing parameter, and as the ground continues to heat up, this is actually bringing us further into normal operating temperatures. We can add a temperature controllability feature at a later date to accommodate requests made by future end-users for cold-climates and/or deepwater applications, and now we have a custom-built facility to conduct this testing.”
Mr. Simundson added, “The remaining steps are to pig and flush the completed pipeline and tank battery with water to remove any debris, rust, iron filings, scale or other foreign objects to prevent them from contaminating our equipment, and then fill the battery with the 2,100 barrels of oil produced onsite in order to test our AOT equipment.”
Mr. Cecil Bond Kyte, Chairman and CEO of STWA, Inc., commented, “The project, including planning and implementation, has been massive in scale. The prior time estimates were based on many variables. The fact that our technology had never been attempted at full scale made it all the more important that we eliminate variables and potential challenges upfront. This has made time estimates difficult due to unknown factors and conditions. We will publish certain testing completion information at various stages of the ongoing testing.” Mr. Kyte continued, “We are glad to have developed a solid working relationship with the staff at RMOTC and the DOE. With our investment here, STWA plans to be testing numerous devices at this facility for years to come as specific applications are requested by future end users.”
Mr. Kyte added, “I would like to thank our shareholders and all interested parties for their patience as we now prepare for flow-rate testing of our AOT™ prototype.”
About STWA, Inc.
STWA, Inc. (
More information including a company Fact Sheet, logos and media articles are available at: http://www.stwa.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company’s estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company’s estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
16/06/2011 - How can we develop our economies without damaging our environment, fuelling climate change or over-exploiting the planet’s natural resources?
The question will be at the heart of discussions at the Global Green Growth Summit in Seoul from 20 -21 June 2011. Jointly organised by the OECD and the Korean government, the conference will bring together political leaders, experts and civil society representatives to look at issues such as green economic policy, governance, technology and development cooperation.
Speakers will include Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General; Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and Han Seung-soo, Chairman of the Global Green Growth Institute, Korea. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will give an opening speech by video.
A key session on Tuesday 21 June will focus on prospects and challenges for the Korean economy, marking the country’s 15 years as a member of the OECD as well as the 50th anniversary of the Organisation.
A press conference on the OECD’s social policy recommendations for Korea, presented by Mr Gurría will take place at 9.40 a.m.on Tuesday 21st June.
The conference takes place at the Lotte Hotel, Seoul and is open to the media. A full programme is available here.
For further information about the Summit including how to register, journalists are invited to contact: Hee Kyung Son at the Global Greeen Green Insititute, Seoul: From Korea: 010 9530 995; Int’l: +82 10 9530 995; E-mail: contact here.
June 13, 2011 02:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time
DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a0c3d1/ondemand_briefing)
has announced the addition of AltaTerra Research’s new report “On-Demand
Briefing: Solutions for Sustainable Cities: Renewable Energy Program
Successes and Challenges” to their offering.
“Solutions for
Sustainable Cities: Clean Technologies in Municipal Practice.”
Municipalities across the United States are exploring the use of solar
power to lower energy costs, meet carbon emission reduction goals, and
stimulate the creation of green jobs.
San Jose, California is leading the way with a comprehensive,
multi-pronged program. As part of a “Green Vision” plan, the city set a
goal of getting 100 percent of its electrical power from clean,
renewable sources within 15 years. The city is also addressing a wide
range of sectors–not only municipal buildings, but also residential,
commercial and industrial, and utility facilities.
In this online briefing you will learn the answers to questions, such as:
In this briefing, Jon Guice, managing director of research at AltaTerra
Research, presents an overview of the solar market today, including
market drivers for the municipal solar market. Jeff Janssen,senior
policy advisor at the City of San Jose, discusses how the city’s solar
goals fit into the larger picture of local economic development and job
creation. Napp Fukuda, sustainability manager at the City of San Jose,
provides detailed information on how the city is installing solar on
city buildings and encouraging adoption throughout the community,
including initiatives to foster corporate employee solar purchase
programs and innovative community financing models. David Herrmann,who
managed the DOE Solar American Cities contract atCH2M Hill, discusses
how cities across the country are adopting solar and what resources are
available from the DOE Solar America Communities program.
Key Questions to be Addressed:
This briefing is the second in the three-part series “Solutions for
Sustainable Cities: Clean Technologies in Municipal Practice.”
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a0c3d1/ondemand_briefing
Friday 20th May 2011: The latest Drought Management Briefing from the Environment Agency includes information on the weather situation, river levels and environmental impact.
Trevor Bishop, Environment Agency’s Head of Water Resources, said:
“The Environment Agency, water companies and other water users have plans in place to cope with dry spells.
“Low river flows can harm wildlife and we are stepping up our monitoring to be able to respond quickly. Today we rescued fish that had become trapped in isolated pools in the River Lathkill in Derbyshire.
“We are working with farmers and others to balance the water needs of people, businesses and the environment. It’s important that we all use precious water wisely at all times of the year, especially during dry periods.”
Federal officials have decided not to provide endangered species protections to the American pika, an animal thought to be struggling because of climate change.
Further information:
Gov. Rick Perry and other top Texas officials on Tuesday announced a legal challenge to the federal government’s finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are dangerous to people.
Further information:
