Rachel’s Blogs

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.

While the feat of turning water into wine may remain the stuff of dreams …

In this weeks Eco Ventures I spoke with a company which holds the technology to turn waste in to water.

At first I have to admit I was quite skeptical of the technology.

I mean – you put the food in and it’s just water that comes out… really?? Oh I see… bugs gobble it….Come on..????

Basic biology failed me here I suppose – one of the companies spokespeople reminded me most food stuffs consist of about 80% water. The mico organisms (which live inside the bin speed up simple decomposition) are simply returning food waste to liquid base.

Now while the water that comes out the other end of the machine which looks a little like a washing machine may not be drinkable on first release. The company did assure me that the water does meet PUB’s standard as I watched it slowly being pumped back into a drain. And perhaps eventually this waste water could be converted into NEW water.

Actually the thing that surprised me the most about the technology was the lack of smell.

When it comes to food waste :

Singapore’s humidity + restaurant bins left for a few hours = smell and attention from eagerly awaiting pests.

The interesting thing about this technology was after getting my head right down there for a good sniff, not something I would willingly do with a regular bin – but to be honest there was no strong odor – just a slight scent of vegetable.

Now, there is a domestic version available – but I wonder…… how many of you would be willing to bring home some new microbes pets to quickly gobble your food waste???

No more plastic bags…

Below is an example of the microbes habitat within the machine:

Today’s Eco ventures looked at SMART grids – which go along side the concept, I suppose, of intelligent homes.

By monitoring household energy usage – a smart grid lets you know how much energy you use – so you can monitor and avoid wasteful consumption.

Over in the US my interviewee told me that on average you can shave around 20% off your electricity bill.. which just goes to show how much unnecessary energy we waste now.

In fact Dr RAHMAN from IEEE Power and Energy Society also cited an example of some consumers in the America with electric vehicles – some are using their car to run their homes during the day – and then – charging their car battery at night when energy prices are cheapest.

I think when implementing something like energy consumption monitoring, with similar changes it will probably depend on regulation to give most consumers a push in the right direction.

Just look at the hybrid car industry.

With policy intervention or government initiatives for companies to make the switch – monitoring what you use and when you use it becomes a bigger issue and a must. As opposed to simply taking the energy that’s pumped out of our sockets for granted.

Another advantage of using smart grids is that they also bring in energy from a number of sources – benefits can be seen most greatly from sustainable energies such as wind and solar.

One of the reasons for this is when you think about using solar or wind energy – they tend to be intermittent – the sun does not shine all the time and the wind is not always blowing. However, from my understanding the smart grid is able to alter the source and leverage on energy saved that is yet to be consumed.

An article recently highlighted that smart grids could also help the US increase its power capacity by 13%!

I came across the fun gadget above the other day.

A solar reading light.

I thought I would share it with you it was around the same price as a regular light – and no additional electricity cost

Though I have to say – the bulb really wasn’t as bright.

I remember venturing off on camping trips with my buddies when I was much younger – eco impact… well apart from excess marshmallow eating… not much.

But when it comes to larger hotels and resorts going green.. the trend is there. Next time you go to a hotel or resort, I am sure it will have some type of environmentally-friendly initiative – the industry is changing. And I think more players are realizing that going green even when it comes to smaller initiatives such as encouraging guests to choose whether or not to wash towels – also helps to cut costs.

From my perspective there are a number of ways in which hospitality providers are going green.

The first is technology.

Take the Grand Hyatt in Singapore for example. About 10 years ago the hotel launched a GEM project – which stands for Green Energy Management. The firm invested close to $3 million dollars into the project with a projection for return on investment of about a million dollars in terms of saving in energy and cost. But to the hotel’s pleasant surprise the saving was more about the lines of $1.5 million dollars. And since then it has continued to implement technologies to cut costs and carbon emissions.

Just over a year ago I interviewed the hotel on its next big green project. The hotel was planning to implement tri-gen technology to replace its old boiler. (Trigeneration systems combine heat and cooling from a single power source.) Today I got some fresh updates from the hotel. It looks set to have the technology kick in early next year – and will be the FIRST hotel in the region to do so. The hotel will be investing some $1 million Sing dollars into the project – but is expecting to see a return on investment of $600,000 dollars in terms of operating cost savings per year!! Not to mention cutting carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 200 cars off the road every year!!

The company is also implementing smaller initiatives such as using LED light bulbs in parts of the hotel. The light bulbs save the hotel energy and costs.

Now the second way hotel providers are going green – Working with the community.

One resort group that has been pretty big on this is Banyan Tree. In 2007 the Banyan Tree started an initiative called greening communities. It issues a challenge to each of its resorts to plant 2000 trees per year for the 10 years from 2007 to 2016. Now the aim here, the interviewee from the firm told me, was not the tree planting in itself. But rather the message and education that is given to the communities which are planting the trees.

The resort group has also set up a Banyan Tree Global Foundation. It’s basically turned its corporate social responsibility department into a separate company – to protect its initiatives such as the green imperative fund. (When you stay at a Banyan resort – an additional $2 will be added to your bill – you can choose to keep this on or take it off. The money will go to the fund. The hotel will match your amount.) Banyan Tree says 80% of the fund goes to creating benefits for the communities which its resorts are based around and the environment.

I’ve actually had a visit to the Angsana Bintan where the Banyan Tree’s conservation lab is based. While there I was lucky enough to see a small forest box turtle which had just been caught to be tagged for a monitoring project. And had a look at the labs attempts to re-grow the coral reef. The resort also has a nature walk which I took part in – it shows you round the local environment and community, as well as make you feel that little bit more adventurous.

Now last but by no means not least ..(and yes there are many more ways hotels and resorts are going green.)

For this week’s Eco Ventures I not only spoke to the more well known hospitality providers – but also to an agricultural events company called Garden Asia.

Garden Asia is actually part of the oldest plant nursery in Singapore. From growing and selling plants and fauna, the company changed direction in a bid to entice consumers out to Singapore’s forgotten farmlands in Krangi. This led to the firm launching an events company – and soon some villas to give you a real taste of the countryside! Quite an amazing evolution!

I rediscovered a whole part of Singapore I had forgotten about… from fish farms.. to goat farms.. to mushroom farms..to bollywood veggies. All sharing the resources of the Krangi Reservoir, the farming community of Krangi has teamed together to create cross farm challenges – now who said all there was to do in Singapore is shop!:)

Why not check out Eco Ventures on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/ECO-VENTURES/104855928773?ref=sgm

This weeks Eco Ventures was actually supposed to take a different turn… but as the global auto industry moved in a different direction – the pick up and the contribution from environmentally related technologies and initiatives could not be ignored…

So down the auto track we drove….

Cash for clunkers was one of the big movers for the week – helping to boost industry players sales. The scheme basically means that consumers receive up to $4,500 US dollars to trade in their old vehicle… providing they are going to buy a more fuel efficient model.

I wonder if similar initiatives would have similar success in Europe?

Other auto players have also been boosted by energy efficient models such as Toyota’s hybrid. Toyota’s Prius is also the first car in Japan to outsell ALL OTHER VEHICLES IN JAPAN!

More industry players are working on developing terminals for charging electric vehicles. I wonder how long it will take before we see electric car charging points on the streets of Singapore??

In other eco news this week… the Lettuce Ladies strike again… hitting the streets of Tokyo earlier this week scantily clad in just lettuce leaves in efforts to convince more people to go green by going vegetarian…

Also…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE!!

Yes.. The National Day Parade this year is going green… not only is it fueled with the help of Alpha Biofuels – cutting 3.5 Olympic swimming pools worth of carbon emissions… but also will be launching – but for those of you attending this years NDP – the fun packs will also be going green with recyclable aspects

For this weeks Eco Ventures I went down to have a look at a plant which converts cooking waste into biodiesel or fuel.

I actually first interviewed Allan Lim Alpha Biofuel’s CEO when I first joined CNA just over a year and a half ago now.

At that point Allan was still cooking fuels out of a university lab. Now with a plant and 7 retail points island wide – there is no question that in Singapore demand for renewable fuels is picking up.

In fact – Alpha Biofuels shared with me that just a few months ago when prices at the pump for regular fuel were beginning to pick up again – Alpha Biofuels retail points had been overwhelmed by taxi drivers – whom in a short period of time pumped the biodiesel dry.

Plus no conversion is needed for vehicles to use the diesel, making it an easy alternative.

The company is also planning to set up mini plants which can be set up within cities in the region – taking on their waste and returning it back to them with fuel.

And a growing number of businesses are tapping onto the potential of converting waste to energy.

Over in the UK for example… poo power which is being experimented with to use methane gas from human waste to supply power to over 500 homes in a pilot project.

Wow what a week!!!

If you remember the first episode of Eco Ventures we discussed increasing pushes in the auto industry toward environmentally friendly vehicles such as hybrids and electric cars.

In the last week it seems like globally players have upped a gear and are pumping in millions if not billions of dollars into development in the sector.

Previously I know a few comments came back to say one of the main reasons deterring many from purchasing hybrid vehicles was the price tag that goes along with it…. But watch this space… I firmly believe that with the number of international players seriously entering the arena prices will come down and selection will come up.

But who will be the front runner… electric vehicles… hybrids… or something else??

OK on another front… ECO VENTURES is up on facebook… for those of you who are interested please feel free to join the group and leave your feedback here, there or via mail J

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/ECO-VENTURES/104855928773?ref=nf

Now I leave you with a random and interesting story…

Shrinking sheep and climate change???

Recently articles highlighted that in islands off Scotland the size of sheep inhabiting the island has actually been shrinking!

Now while larger sheep should be dominant due to ‘survival of the fittest’ when it comes to harsh Scottish winters… in fact… due to warmer winters as a result of global warming… sheep were actually getting smaller…

Over in Australia a similar phenomenon… apparently genetically small sheep have lighter coats..

Investing in Climate Change funds to me is just like investing in anything else. From my perspective most investors will do so not because they are environmentally conscious – but to see some positive returns.

And with growing investments into the industry and power house that’s getting the green train in motion – why not?

It’s important to note that Climate Change funds themselves do not invest directly in preventing climate change- but rather in companies that are taking steps to prevent or deal with the consequences of what could be the inevitable.

Someone said to me this week – “I’m not sure I 100% believe in this whole climate change lark… and even if I did…the way people are guzzling gas is there anything we can do about it anyway?”

Well that said, wouldn’t it be nice to try??

Considering the changes our planet has gone through in the past… ice ages and the rest.. are we just a catalyst to the inevitable?

While many of us could spend hours pondering and debating solutions, possibilities and theories…. climate change is here to stay and whether you want to make a buck or two investing on the back of such vehicles are climate change funds then why not?

One fund expert told me that when you consider the rate of technological advances that man has undergone… I mean look at the time span from when man first took flight.. to first stepping on the moon. Likewise, the rate at which we develop more sustainable energy solutions will be and is phenomenal.

Considering that current renewable energy technologies potentially could be outpaced by a bright new energy source that technology and sciences births to solve all our energy needs. Could it be climate change fund managers with an ear to the ground that would be able to spot early the next climate change Microsoft??

For on the street investors it may be more difficult to keep track of what the last trend – technology and know-how within the climate change arena.

It would be interesting to hear what your perspective is of climate change funds? I have no doubt we will be seeing much much more of them in the not too distant future. So feel free to either leave a comment, or why not drop me a mail at Rachel@channelnewsasia.com

PS. On another note; Over in the UK, H1N1 has reportedly hit Downing Street – infecting Gordon Brown’s Advisor on Climate Change Michael Jacobs.

One to also watch out for this week: The UK is expected to release a emissions cut road map that will reduce British emissions by 80% by 2050. (From the 1990 levels)

Tags: Climate Change Funds; sustainability; alternative energy

The World Bank has just launched an eco2 cities program, the focus of which was to promote sustainability for cities with guidelines.

Almost like a template… so you want to go green and cut costs…here’s how….

Of course it will depend on the cities as to what changes need to be made, and also rely on the municipal bodies within the cities to pull the plan together.

And for developing cities will we start seeing eco cities mushroom up all over the globe?

It would have to be an overall city master plan to connect all the pieces of the puzzle to make it efficient and sustainable.

The World Bank also mentioned a pretty scary statistic.

That if developing countries consume the same way as developed… then we will need 4 PLANET EARTHS to sustain our growth… FOUR PLANET EARTHS!!!

A luxury we really don’t have!!

One thing The World Bank pointed out with its Eco2 cities plan is that massive investments are not needed.. just restructuring and design change – I suppose for developing cities small changes such as recycling implemented early can make a big difference… get it right the first time etc.

As governments continue to launch sustainable options, Obama’s legislation to cap green house gases and other emissions has now been passed – Along with news that China is forming a new energy development plan.

But what more do you think can or needs to be done?