Nice Carbon Calculator

There are many Carbon Calculators out there. Jared Blumenfeld, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment, wrote an opinion piece for the San Francisco Chronicle titled 'Crafting a Copenhagen Deal With Teeth', and I asked him if he could recommend a good Per Capita Carbon Calculator, and this Nature.Org Calculator is his recommendation. Check it out; it's pretty comprehensive!

Study: Livestock Now Accounts for 51% GHG Emissions

Recent analysis by Goodland and Anhang finds that livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions. Read the Worldwatch Institute article here.

Woods Institute for the Environment 5th Symposium Highlights

By Mary Vincent - Follow on Twitter @MaryVincent

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment hosted a 5 Year Anniversary Symposium October 21, 2009.  Stanford President John Hennessy and the Speakers highlighted the major accomplishments of the Woods Institute during its first five years, along with a discussion on where environmental research should be headed in the future.

The Projects include:
1. Environmental Venture Projects (EVP) where participants receive two years of seed funding.  Thus far, there have been thirty-three EVP's around the world where one example included a reintroduction of endangered species. There has been participation in over ten countries, eighty-eight faculty from twenty-five departments working to develop solutions and influence policy, and fifty public and private partnerships around the world.  Hopefully after two years, the projects would be stable enough to get other funding to continue their work.
2. Strategic Initiatives addresses large environmental challenges, i.e. Natural Capital – value in ecosystem services, Program on Food Security and Environment, and Center for Ocean Solutions (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-Like with over 44 scientists who have signed onto a scientific consensus statement and a virtual library with visitors from 95 nations)
3. Uncommon Dialogues brings researchers together with policy-makers, ie farm bill workshops in 2006 at Stanford and Washington DC to show how the farm bill could be organized around Ecosystem Services. The Bush Administration eventually published a paper and started a new center promoting Ecosystems Markets.
4. Affiliates Program is a partnership among member corporations and Stanford University. The program supports advanced research, policy study, outreach, and education across a broad range of issues at the intersection of energy and environmental science, technology, and policy. A major challenge of the 21st century is the well being of people today and in the future, with respect to water, food, energy, shelter and other resources.
5. Leadership Training includes:
a. Leopold Leadership Program brings together twenty leading academic scientists and trains them how to be more effective leaders. They are brought to Washington DC and are taught how to work more effectively with government, i.e. testifying etc. As a result, eight-five Fellows say they now engage more actively with policymakers and 100% engage more effectively with media.
b. First Nations Futures Program (New Zealand and Hawaii) employs strategies to better manage water and food systems and also informs Stanford's work on own research
c. Fisheries Leadership and Sustainability Forum provides fisheries training in science and economics and how might they better conserve ocean resources. Three fourths of participants have come back for other fisheries forums and are asking Stanford to do additional trainings for their councils and asking advice on how to solve problems.
New areas of focus include:
a. Freshwater initiatives
b. Sustainable Built Environment
c. Climate Vulnerability & Adaptation

The first session focused on research and leadership at the Woods Institute
Moderator: Lynn Orr, Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy
Panel of Woods Fellows:
Craig Criddle, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Gretchen Daily, Professor, Environmental Science and Director, Natural Capital Project
Jenna Davis, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Roz Naylor, Professor, Environmental Earth System Science and Director, Program on Food Security and the Environment

Gretchen Daily discussed Natural Capital and bridging the massive gap between what goes on in world academia and the kinds of issues that confront people taking decisions in natural capital in lands. The goal is to mainstream natural capital into decisions via
1. Capturing new knowledge in very useful and practical tools
2. Inspiring models of success for implementation
3. Engaging leaders and replicating and scaling approaches.
The Tool is InVEST, i.e. How would river restoration affect agricultural revenues, flood risk etc. There is potential for this to be replicated on wider scale i.e. China.  Due to flooding in 1998,  millions of lives were lost. An overnight result was that the government banned logging in the upper Yangtze river basin. A future strategy is to implement policy via three major efforts: National, County, Household (water retention, soil retention, carbon storage, biodiversity)

Craig Criddle is an environmental engineer looking at ways to short-circuit the water cycle. The components of waste water include Water (99.9%) and Biodegradable organics and Nutrients. There is a value of wastewater called “scalping” with distributed treatment to utilize 99.9% water.  There is an option for a Stanford campus Recovery of water at $1/1000 gallons which would be a good goal (right now the cost is $4).
The challenge is to think of centralized water recovery facilities in a different way and recover energy and nutrients (Methane). Also, Nitrogen can be converted to N2 that generates energy.

Roz Naylor stated the challenge: how can we feed the world 6 billion now and 10 billion in the near future.
She stated: In 2009, aquaculture now supplies one-half of the food for food globally, and within the past 20 yrs, aquaculture has grown 5 fold due to depleted natural marine systems and population growth.
Environmental challenges include fishing down the food web from Tuna to Sardines and Anchovies and fishing up from Catfish to Salmon, farmed fish escapes, diseases, parasites, and pollution.
Three approaches she's doing is:
1. Convening groups of experts to address problems, papers, press, and policy
2. Survey research: China, Chile
3. Modeling work (farmed fish feces and ocean pollution)
The Strategy is to focus on major environmental and equity in intensive food production, be interdisciplinary and draw from outside Stanford as needed, use field-based knowledge, sound analytics, policy relevance (US – CA and Federal and International via Chile and China)

Jenna Davis is working in Tanzania matching infrastructure and behavior and working with 1,200 households.  She stated Diarrhea kills more children each year than aids, measles, and malaria combined and ninety percent of child diarrhea can be traced to bad hygiene, water, and  bad sanitation. Almost 1 billion people are without an improved water supply; 2.5 billion do not have basic sanitation.

Panel Two's topic was Emerging Environmental Challenges
Moderator: Pam Matson, Dean of the Stanford School of Earth Sciences
Panelists:
Steve McCormick, President, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Julie Packard, Executive Director, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Steve Sanderson, President and CEO, Wildlife Conservation Society

Steve Sanderson mentioned the link with academic research to policy and practice trends; knowledge drives them. Need university to generate knowledge based on urgency (rather than curiosity) to conserve wildlife. Stanford can do heuristic modeling under dynamic circumstances addressing global climate change and emerging infectious diseases. What happens to animals and humans? We need to understand and frame demographics in strategies to protect them now and in the future.  The International community isn't working hard enough to stop deforestation and needs to go to high latitudes, address ecosystem risk, habitat risk, total system services. Look at tight interaction of wildebeast's vegetation they depend on and carbon lockup. Listen to people and be on the ground for the long term, i.e. gorillas.
The challenge to civil society is to rise up and demand a better environment; don't wait for government to do something.

Julie Packard - We have so much data, but we have such a long way to go to get humans to do something about it. What goes on to human psyche to promote action? Talk to your government representative. The awareness level of regular Americans about environmental issues is abysmal. Americans have more working knowledge of video games and sports than the environment. We all have a big job to do. Understand economic, environmental, and social aspect. Doing multi-discplinary work is important, but who is going to make this happen? We have climate data and solutions but no climate bill yet. There's a need to mobilize the public.  I'd like to see more social science research...what is UP with us? We need to take a long term view instead of a short term view so farmers can stay in business for multiple generations. The single biggest missing element for us is Conservation Psychology.

Steve McCormick spent 30 years of his career to preserve biological diversity. He's a big supporter of Gretchen Daily and her Natural Capital project. How do you mobilize the world?

More information on the Woods Institute work is here.

ComputerWeekly Blog awards

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Barnes and Noble introduce eReader

Barnes and Noble have introduced an eReader based on Android (Google's mobile OS). It incorporates 3G and WiFi and has 2GB of memory and can take up to 16GB microSD cards.

The eReader known as the Nook can also "lend" books to other B&N eReaders for up to 14 days at a time.

It retails for $259 and is potentially a Kindle (from Amazon) killer.

Apple updates products

Yesterday Apple updated various products.

New iMacs (20.1" and 27") come with up to 3.06GHz dual core CPUs and in November a quad core will be introduced.

The Mac Mini has now has a faster CPU, better graphics more memory and only consumes 14W. There's also a special version with Snow Leopard server with two internal disks.

The Macbook now is much more like the Macbook Pro (13") but has a unibody made of ABS plastic rather than aluminium which makes it cheaper too.

Still no news of the 10" Tablet (though a drunk Apple employee via a Twitter user stated "it's not what you'd call a tablet), though if it does come out soon it's likely Apple will wait for CES and announce it there and blow everyone else's press releases away.

New low power Bluetooth standard

A new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard is due soon,it was initially based on the Wibree system developed by Nokia.

BLE wil allow devices using the new specification to operate for potentially years off standard coin batteries. This will allow BLE chips to be incorporated into many everyday devices, though handset manufacturers will be early adopters, though initially they'll use dual-mode system (i.e. standard Bluetooth and BLE).

Chips vendors such as TI and CSR and Broadcom have adopted BLE and well on their way to producing silicon so devices may be available in 2010.

As BLE uses such low power it could change the way people think about device communication as it could be incorporated into a multitude of household components.

Android turns 1 and increases market share

Oct 21st 2009 is the anniversary of the launch of Android and Admob have released some stats.

Android now accounts for 7% global market share while in the UK 10% of all smartphones sold are Android based and the HTC Dream is the 2nd most popular phone for browsing after the iPhone.

Android is going to be become much more prevalent as more handsets are released (from companies such as Samsung, Motorola and even SonyEricsson).

Nominate your Company for the Water Award

Do you know a business that is managing its water sustainably? Should they be rewarded for it? If so, nominate them for the Stockholm Industry Water Award! Nominations for 2010 close 15 February.
The Stockholm International Water Award (SIWA) recognizes the business sector's contribution to sustainable water management. It is given to any sector of business and industry. It acknowledges improved performance in production processes, new products and management, as well as innovative approaches in water and wastewater process technologies that together help to improve the world water situation. More information is here.

Mary Nichols' Stanford Law School Speech on Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

By Mary Vincent - Follow on Twitter @MaryVincent

Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, was the Keynote Lunch Speaker at the Shaking the Foundations Conference at Stanford Law School October 16, 2009.
By the way, I initially saw Mary speak at a 2007 UCLA Evolutionary Change in Human Altered Environment Conference where she was Professor of Law and Director of the Institute of the Environment. That conference, where worldwide scientists spoke of habitat and species loss, influenced me to leave an eight-year silicon valley Fortune 500 software career in May 2008 and start Green Star Solution targeted to helping people, businesses, and governments reduce climate emissions and increase biodiversity.
The Stanford Law Students who planned this Shaking the Foundations Conference are definitely walking the talk from an environmental perspective by the lower carbon vegetarian and vegan fully compostable lunches provided. The delicious vegan roasted tofu, sweet potato, and onion sandwich on whole wheat bread was served with water in bottles made from plants! The water bottles are also completely recyclable and go into the same recycled containers for plastic and glass bottles.
Mary Nichols was introduced noting her long list of accomplishments as well as the fact she took public transportation all the way from Sacramento to Stanford which was not easy!
Mary's impressive Keynote included the following highlights:

• The Earth has only one atmosphere
• Our Country's emissions are going to affect someone around the world
• Climate Change is happening now and the facts are documented
• There is a loss of snow pack in the Sierra Nevada, the snow doesn't fall where it used to, and there is more rain thus more flooding
• Dryness is affecting trees which makes the areas more fire-prone
• Foodcrops including the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma won't be able to grow grapes
• Public Health is affected whereby insects and viruses take hold
• Those on the lower socioeconomic spectrum cannot insulate themselves or move
• We need a transformation in the way we use energy
• We need to break the link between economic growth and development
• California's AB32 was passed to reduce greenhouse gases 25% by 2020, but it's not enough to get us to the numbers to reduce climate change.  We need an 80% cut over projected growth by 2050.
• The California Air Resources Board (CARB) was given responsibility to develop a climate action plan. CARB initially reviewed the early actions which were cheap and easy and worked with Advisory groups such as an advisory committee for technology and environmental justice advisory.
• CARB is leading an inventory of where GHG comes from in the state and is trying to build on existing programs, i.e. energy efficiency. This work allowed California to be better prepared to benefit from the recent stimulus funds.
• Regarding Transportation, California was the only state allowed to regulate its own emissions standards, and was sued by the auto industry. The good news was California won every case that went to court. However, California still couldn't get a waiver from the EPA. President-elect Obama made a video that said he will support California's position on the issue. As a result, California is still working through the waiver process. The goal is to work through a variety of steps so more fuel-efficient cars come to California.
• The goal is to tie Programs to Public Health and push transformation of energy system that is safer for everyone.
• California is anxious to participate in programs across national and international boundaries.
• Mary believes that investments in Clean Technologies are going to pull us out of the recession.
• There needs to be more leadership from the international community, but it's not going to happen unless there's a push from below. Localized efforts have been successful in influencing policy.
• Regarding Cap and Trade and Copenhagen, if the US were to pass legislation, China would not agree to a cap. There may be certain amendments for certain countries to abide by the rules, i.e. reduce deforestation. Agreements with the developing world may give technical assistance. No one knows the final conclusions.
• Meg Whitman who is running for California governor said she would suspend AB32, however, even if she would try, the legal system would not allow her to do that.

More information on California's Climate Change Program is here.

20% off Smart Grid, GreenBeat 2009 Nov. 18-19 San Francisco

Smart Grid, GreenBeat 2009 is being held November 18-19 in San Francisco.

Green Software Unconference attendees: Save 20% on regular price tickets with discount code GREENSW09 here.

Keynotes will be given by former Vice President and Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore, John Doerr, a leading Silicon Valley investor with Kleiner Perkins, and Laura Ipsen, SVP of Cisco's Smart Grid Business Unit.

Also check out the Innovation Competition (http://www.greenbeat2009.com/innovation-competition)

Oct. 16 - Stanford - Mary Nichols Speaking on Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

Oct 16 - Stanford
Leading the Fight Against Climate Change
- Mary Nichols, one of California's first environmental lawyers and current Chairman of one of the nation's foremost environmental agencies—the California Air Resources Board—will deliver a keynote address on how California is leading the fight against climate change. http://shaking.stanford.edu/keynote

BT extends FTTP

BT Openreach has said they are now extending their FTTP (fibre to the premises) roll-out and will cover brownfield as well as greenfield areas. Originally FTTP was only planned for greenfield/new build areas.

This will greatly extend the number of homes covered by FTTP and offer speeds of around 100Mb/s, BT's FTTC (fibre to the street Cabinet) are offering around 40Mb/s using VDSL2+.

This is probably a preemptive move to frighten the various other players who may be considering fibre roll-outs such as BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse.

Nomadesk launch virtual Fileservers

Nomadesk have launched a virtual disk service. There's a personal version and a Team version, both with a 30 day free trial, but then they cost $50pa and $15 per month respectively. The personal version can be installed on up to 5 computers while the team version is unlimited. They have a Windows client and MacOS X (beta) client available now and there's a mobile desktop for managing files (as well as the web version).

There are lots of similar services out there Dropbox for one, however Nomadesk also have an API and clients can be built that use the Nomadesk cloud storage within the application.

Whether they're any better than anyone else, time will tell.

Nokia port Qt to Maemo

Nokia have ported Qt (the multi-system GUI layer) to Maemo which is the operating system that runs on their tablets such as the N900. Nokia previously purchased Trolltech who produce Qt which now runs on various UNIX like operating system, MacOS X and Windows and of course Symbian.

The Maemo port means there's a consistent programming interface for Nokia's main platforms and it means programs can easily be ported across systems.

The Maemo version should come out by the end of the year (for V5 of Maemo) and the Symbian version will follow.

Kevin Smith at the IndigO2

This isn't the normal technical post, though anyone knowing Kevin Smith (or more appropriately @ThatKevinSmith will know he's a prolific tweeter, does a regular PODcast (or in his case a SMODcast) and runs several websites (and a couple of comic shops).

On Saturday October 10th he did a Q&A session at the IndigO2 (part of the O2 Arena complex) in North Greenwich. The venue was pretty busy (there were a few empty seats) and Mr Smith pretty well ranted (in a god way) for 3 hours continuously, answering questions from the audience (don't ask why there was no commentary on the "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" ... you'll get a long answer).

The show was a lot of fun, though the main complaint was there was no hashtag for the event, so though people were tweeting, unless searching for @thatkevinsmith it was a bit meaningless.

There are several shows across the UK and another at the IndigO2 on Tues the 13th, which should be fun too and as the show is pretty well driven by the questions that come from the audience it should be different from Sunday's.

Hopefully they'll be a pre-show tweetup in the O2 arena and a hashtag for the night, I'm picking #kevinsmith ...

Businesses Support Corporate Citizenship Efforts During Recession

Plug-In_Vehicle Tracker

Mobile Phones for the Senior Market

The Mobile Phones for the Senior Market Conference is on October 26th at the Royal Institution of British Architects. Tickets cost £350.

The conference is all about phones for older people. Many of the current phones on the market are just too fiddly for older users and they don't want any of the features that modern phones come with.

There's a large (currently) untapped market and this conference will show how and why mobile phone companies should be addressing the older generation.

If you want to attend please enter "eurotechnews" as a discount code and you'll get a discount.

Adobe CS5 support for iPhone

It seems Adobe's CS5 will support developing Flash programs using Actionscript for iPhone.

Though Apple are still refusing to allow the Flash player to run on the iPhone allowing Flash programs to be downloaded from the web, the CS5 version seems to combine the Flash player and the program into a standalone executable so it operates as a program suitable for use on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The system will also allow existing Flash programs to be packaged into an executable.

Adobe are releasing beta versions of CS5 shortly.

RIM to Flash soon

RIM has joined Adobe's Open Screen Project (along with Google and 50 others) and have announced they are jointly developing Flash for the Blackberry phones.

This is in-line with Adobe's push to get Flash player 10.1 onto most smart phones by the end of the year.

Apple is notably absent from the list and there are no (public) plans for Flash on the iPhone.

Nintendo Wii most eco-friendly game console

Energy Literacy - Understand, Track, and Reduce Your Energy Consumption

RIM announce date for Blackberry Desktop Manager for Mac

It looks like Oct 2nd 2009 is the official release date for Blackberry Desktop Software for Mac.

There are beta versions out in the wild, but RIM have posted the date on their Blackberry website.

This will be welcomed by Blackberry/Mac users who've had to do with 3rd party software (which is generally paid for) or PocketMac which never worked properly (here anyway).

It's likely to be released when Canada wakes up, so sometime in the afternoon for us Europeans on the other side of the pond.