Rachel’s Blogs

This weeks eco ventures looks at green Green Data centres as part of sustainable green infocom technology efforts.

Did you know that green ICT takes up about 2% of global energy usage.

While 2% may not sound like much.

But just as Singapore is a small country which can make a big impact globally, that 2% could be significant.

And this can be especially true for the infocom technology sector when you look at how many industries it affects.

Here in Singapore there have been a number of announcements on companies looking to go green with their ICT needs.

For example Fujitsu’s announcement earlier in the year to open a green Data Centre – which is targeting to cut energy usage by 30% in comparison to traditional data centres.

And you know green ICT is getting attention when google search hits on the topic start to exceed 680 million.

It’s been a while since we touched on this topic, and in the run up to Copenhagen I thought it would be a good idea to give an update on where industry players are and what’s happening on the ground.

Quick recap, CDM projects or clean development mechanisms are a certification issued under the Koyoto Protocol and the most common way to trade carbon credits.

Under a cap and trade system companies have a certain limit on the carbon they can emit – if they are going to go over that limit they will need to purchase more credits from a firm which has earned so called green points with sustainable projects such as clean energy production or forestry.

The Koyoto Protocol is however due to end in 2012.

This has left many wondering as to the future of the carbon trading scheme.

If companies no longer have a limit to abide by under the Kyoto protocol – then there is no need to purchase credits.

However an extension – amendment – or replacement agreement is expected in the run up to Copenhagen in December.

The question now that is stopping many from entering the market is – why get in now when things could change in two years time if an alteration is made to the CDM/ carbon market.

Some industry players will argue that while changes may be on the cards – getting in now to a market that is still relatively young such as the carbon trading market provides players with experience and foresight in to what is to come.

And as the climate change and emissions reduction is going to be a major issue by governments globally – this could turn out to be an extremely lucrative market.

On the other hand – are we likely to see an agreement or conclusions as to the continuation of the Koyoto Protcol come out in December in Copenhagen.

Some experts say that there is still way to much ground to cover before governments can come to an agreement, and in fact we are more likely to see some direction and a reconvened meeting in 6months following Copenhagen to come to a firmer agreement.

Moving aside from this – there is the whole debate as to whether carbon emissions really make a difference.

Are companies just emitting the same amount and paying for it?

At the moment its mainly western developed countries importing credits from the developing countries such as China and Indonesia.

There have been arguments that this does nothing for the developed countries and just shifts the issue under the carpet.

So what do you all think – does a cap and trade the way to go?

What are you hoping to see come out of the Copenhagen talks in December?

Ok so for last week’s Eco Ventures we had a look at organic food… this week I took it a little closer to home…
Right inside your home in fact.

I found it interesting that despite the economic downturn – I’ve noticed a number of ads for green or eco cleaners in Singapore.

Surely with people looking to cut costs the last thing many consumers would be looking to do is to hire a more expensive cleaning service.

Surprisingly the companies I spoke with have seen quite substantial growth.. over the last year or so.. despite the tricky timing to launch a new venture.

The two firms I spoke with were Eunikeliving and Green Cleaners – both taking on very different approaches.

Eunikeliving uses materials that require just water.… apparently the cleaning is 6.5 times more effective in comparison to traditional cleaning methods.

Eunikeliving is not only tapping on to the green cleaning market with alternative solutions – but by providing a part time cleaning service, it is also catering to the growing demand of more consumers looking for such alternatives in comparison to full time domestic helpers.

Using a competitive pricing model Eunikeliving says that such eco cleaning services are on par cost wise in comparison to traditional methods.

So what is the method behind the madness?

Well as Eunikeliving shared with me recent studies have shown that 26 seconds after you use a chemical to clean your house traces can be found in your blood stream.

This takes me onto Green Cleaners.
Green Cleaners is a firm set up little under a year ago here in Singapore by expatriate Colin Pudsey.

Colin set up Green Cleaners after moving to Singapore and having a negative reaction to the cleaning products used by his weekly cleaners.
After searching for a healthier alternative and finding lack of options, Green Cleaners was formed.

Green Cleaners offers domestic cleaning services and as well as cleaner training services.

I had a sniff of some of the products used.. the linseed floor cleaner reminder me of bath oil… not such a bad alternative.

The majority of the consumer market looking to go green in Singapore are expatriates or young professional – but those in the industry say that the shift in consumer attitudes is pushing toward a longer term trend.

The main reason many consumers are going for eco-cleaning alternatives… health, children’s health and impact on the environment.

One question I have about the eco or green cleaning industry here in Singapore and probably for most of Asia is – what kind of regulations are in place to ensure that you are actually receiving so called green or eco cleaning services?

While the industry here in Singapore may be just finding its feet, I have no doubt that as the industry grows, and more players come to market – that some kind of industry standard will need to be out in place – for so called savvy green consumers to make sure that they are in fact getting their monies worth.

There are a number of statistics available online that highlight reports on the cleaning industry.

This is one example:

And if your interested why not give it a try yourself…. while I’m no domestic goddess.. I hear baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and a little bit of tea tree oil for disinfectant works wonders for most things.

Check out some behind the scenes pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECO-VENTURES/104855928773?ref=sgm

For this week’s Eco Ventures I revisited the eco-car sector – but with more of a focus on electric vehicles.

Governments around the region and the world are partnering with a number of companies to boost the technology within their respective economies.

A few questions were raised during interviews which I conducted over the last week, and I thought I would share them with you to find out what you think on the following.

How clean are electric vehicles?
Now whilst I am by no means biased one way or another, electric vehicles are often are perceived as having an extremely low carbon foot print, and little or no consumption in carbon fuels. Do consumers who are looking to purchase electric vehicles think beyond the car? Where did the electricity come from to power your vehicle? With this I suppose we could get into the smart grid debate.. but just as a point of interest…

Then there is the cost. Many industry observers believe that the price of electric vehicles is the main deterrent for users in going green, what kind of incentives and initiatives would you like to see?

The method used for charging. Now, at the moment electric vehicles can take quite a prolonged period of time to charge, with many owners charging overnight. What do you think would be a suitable solution to charge these green cars? I mean realistically we can’t have wires hanging from HDB block or condos to charge the cars below can we? Or are external rechargeable solutions the way forward?

Then there is the debate of swapping one scarce fuel for another when it comes to lithium batteries.. are we exchanging a depleting fuel supply only to replace it with a similar scenario? Are hydrogen cells the way forward?

The price of oil continues to rise and supplies continue to deplete is it not necessary for us to find an alternative to motor transport. Not to mention to reduce carbon emissions?

I have had the privilege of viewing a few electric car projects in the last week, and the technology is nothing less then fantastic. And whilst I have no doubt that electric vehicles of some variety will be the way forward with the mass amounts of government spending globally being pumped into the area – at the moment I suppose we are still in the trial and error stage.

I think for now hybrids, are good safety option.

Here’s an interest site of a local Singapore company that’s plugging its faith in the electric market:

http://www.ampleworld.com/

For more info, here are some interesting sites for you to check out:

Pluginamerica.org

Rechargeit.org

You know they say you are what you eat, and that we should take care of our bodies or we’ll regret it when we’re older.

The topic of this week’s Eco Ventures got me thinking.

According to a study out not so long ago (a research collaboration between Spire Research and Consulting and S.P. Jain Centre of Management), despite the financial crisis that the globe has just endured, 97% of organic consumers would still spend the same amount, if not more, on organic produce.

Take into mind – that on average, organic food is estimated to cost on average 112% more than the alternative.

85% of the consumers then went on to say that they would recommend organic food to their family members.

Such a strong and loyal customer base is any industry’s fantasy.

At present, organic consumers in Singapore are mainly expatriates and those in the middle/high income groups.

But I suspect that if more mass market chains are to increase their offerings of organic produce, economies of scale could bring prices down.

Most of Singapore’s organic produce is presently imported from the US, Australia, and Europe. With more demand in the region – this only leaves room for opportunity for regional suppliers to step up, comply with international standards and tap into that market – to provide affordable organic food.

International standards and regulation was one issue Peter Lim, the founder of what is believed to be one of Singapore’s pioneering organic stores – Nature’s Glory.

Nature’s Glory has been running for over 18 years now. Mr Lim says that he expects more supplies to come from South Korea, China and India. All that is needed is more regulation and certification to guarantee that what is claiming to be organic or pesticide free does what it says on the tin.

Leon Perera from Spire Research and Consulting believes there are opportunities for smaller organic firms in offering lifestyle or value-add products and services as well.

This is something that Nature’s Glory does; check out this selection of goods for your car.

So then you have to ask yourself – what is it that turns people to become such avid followers of organic food.

And surprisingly from Spire and S.P.’s survey, health was not the only factor. Others include superior taste, concern for the environment, concern for food safety, concern over animal welfare, support for small producers and even nostalgia.

So while I understand that it is difficult for all of us to go organic, there is also simply not enough supply. So, just be mindful of what you eat and take care of yourselves

I wonder how many of you reading this are avid organic movers and shakers, and how many of you think there’s no difference.

Mail me in your stories. This week I’ve heard of people that have not taken medication in over a decade, swearing by organic food. Or maybe you just take supplements and haven’t had a cold since eons. Either way, do you think there is continued demand for an organic industry in Singapore – and also Asia?

For this week’s Eco Ventures we took a look at Songdo in South Korea.

Songdo is part of “Incheon Free Economic Zone” or IFEZ.

Incheon’s government describes a free economic Zone as an area of “minimised regulations and maximized business incentives and opportunities for foreign investment.”

Incheon spans an area of around 209 square kilometres – and there are three main areas under development; YeonJong, Cheong Na and Songdo.

Songdo occupies about one quarter of the total area.

When I first arrived in Songdo with my crew I wasn’t very sure what to expect.

But certainly I had not anticipated what greeted me – as I drove up to the hotel surrounded by a construction site.

It was quite awe inspiring to see an entire city being constructed from scratch.

Incheon has many ambitious plans – such as building the world’s second largest building – the Incheon Twin Tower a 151 storey building.
Not to mention almost doubling its port capacity from 81 berths to 151 berths.

But what is the most, dare I say, incredible thing about this city is the network infrastructure on which it is being built.

The government of Incheon is working alongside developer Gale International and Cisco Systems to create the network through the city infrastructure.

And on an individual basis, you can monitor in your home, how much electricity you are using, set targets for yourself, and the monitor will even give you suggestions of how you can cut that down. It will even help you compare to how much your neighbours have been using. I think it’s a great idea. But then I suppose the technology is in the hands of the beholder. It’s up to you whether you would actually take advantage of such technology.

And as I mentioned, the city itself is connected, so you can monitor traffic and find out when your bus is going to arrive, avoid congestion and so on. Think you’ve left the lights on at home, but no time to go back and switch it off – don’t worry – you can turn it off with your mobile phone!!

I think with technology such as this it really depends on your preference and how dependant you really want to be on such IT in your life and your home.

For me, the show apartment was very futuristic – and as I’m quite a private person, I think I would still prefer old-fashioned ways of reducing energy usage etc.

But as my interviewees were telling me it’s all about a change of mind set to embrace technology.

To find out more about Incheon and Songdo check out:

http://eng.ifez.go.kr/

And to have a look at some of the behind the scenes pic’s check out our facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112400&id=104855928773&saved#/pages/ECO-VENTURES/104855928773?ref=sgm

Fantasic Crew!!

Me Enjoying Incheon!

For this week’s Eco Ventures I had a chat with Valeria Maioli – the man behind the lights of Singapore’s Formula One night race.

Following last year’s event – Mr Maioli told me that there were numerous enquiries into the amount of energy used by the race.

So this year what the Motor Sport Green Power company has decided to do is to build a power production centre to produce clean energy from sources such as solar, wind etc… then feed that energy back into the grid and offset the energy used during the F1 event.

Now the project plans to not just offset the notorious night race lights – but also just about every other energy guzzling factor related to the weekend long event.

Calculating the energy used will be a feat in itself…

And I’m a bit curious and interested to see how the actual project will pull together.

Mr Maioli stated that a location is yet to be confirmed for the centre which is targeted to start up next month…discussions with potential partners is still on going – as is the financial frame work of the project.

So let’s wait and see what happens…

But just to put it in perspective, last year’s race is estimated to have used some 500 megawatt hours of energy, which is the equivalent of 0.49% of what Singapore uses in a day based on 2007 consumption patterns.

The centre itself need not be near the race track – as the concept simply relies on the amount of energy being offset regardless of the location.

Going forward the plan is to have a totally green formula one championship – and more such centres globally to offset the energy usage of such races.

Interesting concept for a sport which is founded on burning rubber and fuel for speed… I wonder where the sport will go from here?

There are various other initiatives which the industry has undertaken.

For example the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix – all cars ran on green- grooved Make Cars Green tyres for the entire weekend. And further efforts have been made to bring biofuel into the races..

For a more in depth read on some past and present green racing initiatives take a peek at this site:

http://www.makecarsgreen.com/documents/MCG_Brochure_Spreads_13_11_08.pdf

Check out more pics on the Eco Ventures Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=110632&id=104855928773&saved#/pages/ECO-VENTURES/104855928773?ref=sgm

I’m doing this week’s Eco Ventures from Incheon, SOUTH KOREA!

One year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, key economies across the globe are still struggling to get on a healthy growth path.

But that’s not the only challenge facing them.

Climate change is becoming an important issue – and this week, we look at the financial impact climate change will have on world economies.

It will potentially cost governments billions or even trillions of dollars to mitigate against the risks of climate change, be it floods, or droughts and so on.

But one thing struck me today – are we fully aware of the repercussions of climate change?

It’s easy for us to get caught up simply in the trend of going green, or excited about the savings in going green… and so on.

But have you read articles recently about the impact of the rising sea levels in the Maldives or the increasing number of vine and olive yards in the South of England?

The Earth is not exactly what it was ten years ago – and you will be astounded at how massive or critical the changes can be.

For example look at reports last week of two German cargo ships successfully sailing through the North Passage along Russia’s Arctic Coast for the first time – something that would have been inconceivable just 10 years ago.

Undoubtedly more ships will join them.

But question is, should we be happy or should we be scared?

So share your stories with me… what has changed for you…

For this week’s Eco Ventures I took a look at the shipping industry, and more specifically at a technology one company has created to help shipping firms reduce not one, not two, but all three major gasses that are emitted from ships. (carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide)

According to some shipping industry numbers, shipping accounts for about 80% of global trade. And some say, the pollution caused by one ship is equivalent to that of 50 cars.

I suppose, considering the size difference, there is no surprise there.

But I think an important takeaway from this week’s story is an interesting comment passed on to me some time back. While many in the industry perceive it to be costly to implement systems such as scrubbing systems to their vessels to reduce the number of harmful gasses and particles emitted, depending on investment or type of technology purchased, it only takes around one to three years to see a return on that investment. And this is not that much considering it can cut back carbon emissions by as much as 70 percent.

Now I wonder if any of us think of the environmental impact of all this – because at the end of the day, after cost cuts and bottom lines, that’s what it comes down to.

Some studies show that the shipping industry could be responsible for as many as 60,000 premature deaths from heart and lung cancer EVERY YEAR.

And not to mention the impact on flora and fauna in coastal cities – the rise of Co2 emissions is estimated to be related to the 60% drop in the global bee population.

Now putting that into consideration – can you imagine what a difference a 70% reduction would make?

Not just that, but there are also more simplistic ways for shipping firms to cut carbon emissions – such as slower speeds to use less fuel, “better” ship designs and so on.

I have to say though, I’m genuinely impressed by what I have seen from the shipping industry in efforts to teach an old dog new tricks. These things do take time – but at least industry bodies, firms and solution providers appear to be sailing in the right direction.

I wonder if we are. Do you consider the environmental implication when you step into a car – go on holiday – get on that plane – or go on that cruise?

Why not calculate your carbon footprint – it may surprise you!! There are a few sites on line that can help you do that.

Interestingly sprouting from this – there are a number of online sites (if you’re an online shopper like me) that claim to offer economical ways to make your delivery carbon neutral.

It’s well documented that the working environment within an office can have profound effects on an employee’s efficiency – and that adding plants to a working environment can boost productivity and reduce stress.

The same has been said for the introduction of natural light.

When you put two and two together you would think that more companies would leverage on this particularly hassle-free and low cost tool.

Well, more are indeed looking at the option.

And more firms are also looking at sustainable ways of constructing and retrofitting their buildings.

This is not just to cut energy costs. Some companies are indeed looking further down the road – at the longer term potential and attractiveness of the building, or what investors – tenants and future buyers might be attracted to.

And the one word that keeps creeping up is SUSTAINABILITY!

Whether it’s in the type of lights, air conditioning system or building materials.

And is it any wonder why? I mean look at the European Union today for example – it’s just begun a three year effort to phase out energy guzzling light bulbs…. And it is only a matter of time before most economies catch on to the trend.

Doesn’t it make sense now to be investing in green technologies for buildings?

For today’s Eco Ventures I went down and had a look at 71 Robinson Road – an “ecologically designed building”.

It has a number of recycled fittings such as ceiling boards, partition walls and drains.

And along with various technical gadgets, it also implements simple efforts such as full height glass windows to maximize day light in the office.

Commerz Real, the money behind the building, says that while some tenants may be apprehensive of the higher rentals of green buildings, energy and cost savings help to offset this.

And as more buildings go green and construction and costs of implementing green technologies become lower going forward, perhaps rentals for such buildings may also trend downwards.