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10 Pacific Island Journalists Invited to Cover COP23 - Winners of Media Competition Announced

As the result of a journalism competition that concluded this week, ten journalists from the Pacific island region have been chosen to travel to and report from this year’s UN climate conference taking place in Bonn, Germany (COP23, 6 – 17 November).

The ten outstanding journalists from print, on-line and radio/TV will receive sponsored participation in the conference, media training at the prestigious DW Akademie and access to UN and other experts.

The Pacific island journalism competition reflects the important role the small island developing State of Fiji will be playing at the 23rd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - the official title of the conference.

Fiji will be presiding over COP23 and the Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, will undertake the key role of COP President on behalf of all countries attending.

The competition was generously funded by the German Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nick Nuttall, Director of Communications of the UNFCCC and Spokesperson for COP23, said:

“We are impressed by the high standard of the entries to the competition and would have liked to invite everyone who submitted their work under the competition, but that is unfortunately not possible. We’re now looking forward to welcoming the 10 winners in Bonn in November.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for financially supporting this competition, and to the Fijian COP23 Presidency for its advice and getting the message out about the competition in the Pacific region. The Presidency, the government of Germany and the UNFCCC were concerned that the costs of getting to and from Bonn would have been prohibitive for many journalists from that region.”

“We all acknowledged that it was vital to have media from that location here to report to their publics and witness the negotiations, the rich array of Global Climate Action events taking place and the cultural activities that surround such conferences,” he added.

The 10 participants were selected by a judging committee consisting of two members of the UNFCCC; two from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communications branch; and two independent judges representing the Fijian COP23 Presidency. Their decision of the jury is final.

The jury selected six winners from print and online, two from radio and two from TV.

The winners are:

Print and Online

Ofani Eremae (Solomon Star, Solomon Islands)
Iliesa Tora (The Nuku’alofa Times, Tonga)

Lani Wendt Young (Samoa Planet, Samoa)

Jared Koli (The Island Sun, Solomon Islands)

Lice Movono (The Fiji Times, Fiji)

Anita Roberts (Vanuatu Daily Post, Vanuatu)

Radio

Mereoni Mili (Wansolwara – University of the South Pacific, Fiji)

Georgina Kekea (Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Solomon Islands)

Elenoa Turagaiviu (FBC News, Fiji)

Florence Jonduo (EMTV, Papua New Guinea)

More information can be found on the relevant DW Akademie web page here.

Photo Credits: Flickr/birdyartworks

This is What Happens When You Send a Disabled Filmmaker to Jamaica

James Sullivan’s funny and inspirational story will make you look at curb cuts in a whole new light. The World Bank animator and filmmaker recently packed his wheelchair and headed to Kingston to discover how disabled people in the poorest countries manage to live, work and play. James had been concerned he would be burden on society when he was injured 16 years ago. Now he’s out to change the world.

#All4TheGreen Week in Bologna & Ocean Week in New York

[video:https://vimeo.com/225451984]

Celebrating Climate Action and Sustainable Development Goals, Connect4Climate linked Ocean Week in New York to #All4TheGreen Week in Bologna.

Reza Deghati - World Bank Refugee Presentation

[video:https://youtu.be/VTQQkGaDmmQ]

Photojournalist Reza Deghati has traveled the world bearing witness to moments of war and peace. The also National Geographic Explorer talks at the World Bank Group about the Iraqi Kurdish refugees, peace and education portraying stories through photographs. During his lecture, Reza shares his work training women and children, through world-wide workshops, in visual media and communications.

Winds of change

The photo essay on the following pages turns its focus on wind energy and reflects on its enormous power for helping us keep the planet fit and healthy for coming generations.

When the sun set on Friday, January 20, the world had changed. Its most powerful person was now a man who does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity and has publicly stated that global warming is a hoax. Climate researchers and campaigners ended the day in shock and as darkness fell, further development of renewable energy, wind power included, felt nowhere near as secure as it had been.

The photo essay on the following pages turns its focus on wind energy and reflects on its enormous power for helping us keep the planet fit and healthy for coming generations.

Winds of Change - Connect4Climate Partner Foresight

Plastic Bag

Lifted effortlessly into the air, a plastic bag swirls above a basketball court in central Copenhagen. The wind energy keeping it aloft is roughly half to that used by an iPhone on standby.

Our plastic bag has a mass m 0.01kg and has a vertically projected area of

25cm25cm = 1/16m2

The gravitational force the wind must overcome to keep the bag in the air is

F = g*m = 9.82* 0.01 ≈0.1 [N]

We assume the bag is round and its drag coefficient Cd is about 0.5.

Apply the calculation for drag to find the wind speed (in metres per second) in a vertical direction needed to keep the plastic bag in the air

0.1 = ½*1*u^2*0.5*1/16

u = 2.5 m/s

The required updraft in the wind to keep the bag in the air is about 2.5 m/s.

In terms of energy that is equivalent to a power of

F*u = 0.1[N] * 2.5 [m/s] = 0.25 Watt.

An iPhone 6 on stand-by uses about 0.6 Watt

Tree

In the lull after Storm Urd, which raged over Denmark on December 26, 2016, twilight descends over a tree blown over by the high winds. Already its branches are becoming partially trapped in the still frozen waters of Utterslev Marsh. The energy in the wind which felled the tree could keep a Tesla S running for 42 hours at 100 kph.

Presuming that the surface area of the tree is similar to that of the rotor swept area A [m2]of a medium scale wind turbine, the tree would absorb energy [Watt] at a rate equal to:

P = Cp* ½ rho*U^3*A

0.5*0.5*1*20^3*20*20

= 1/4*20^5

800 kW

During the storm, the strongest gust was measured at 37.8 m/s (84.5 mph). Had the tree fallen in winds of 21 m/s while standing for one hour, the average energy absorbed would have equalled 1 MWh.

A Tesla S at one tenth of its maximum capacity of 236 kW (1000kW/23.6kW) would keep moving for 42 hours.

Flooding

The sun rises over a changed landscape. A tidal surge caused by the previous night’s storm leaves rows of small boats tied to invisible underwater jetties in Ise Fjord. Together with neighbouring Roskilde Fjord it makes up the largest fjord system on Denmark’s main island of Zealand. The force of the storm, equivalent to about fourteen hours energy consumption in the city of Aarhus, raised the fjord’s water level to 1.59 metres above normal.

Ise Fjord is nearly 50 kilometres long and has a total area of about 450 square kilometres.

E= m g H [Joule] Pr m2: 100 dm * 15.9 dm *1*9.82 m/s^2*1.59 m = 24,826 Joule/m2

450 km2 = 450 e6 m2

E pot =11.2 TJ = 11.2 e3 G Joule

A Dane uses just 6,122 kWh a year. With a year made up of 8760 hours, that is just under 1 kW of power per citizen

6122 kWh/8760 hours = 700 Watt

Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, with a population of nearly 320,000 therefore uses on average 700 W *319 680 people = 223 MW. One hour’s consumption of electricity in Aarhus corresponds to

223 MW * 3600 [s] = 0.806 TJ

The energy behind the rise of the water level in Ise Fjord could keep Aarhus supplied with energy for

11.2 TJ/0.806 TJ = 14 hours

Calculations by Torben Krogh Mikkelsen

Solar lamps brightened the coastal villagers' lives in Bangladesh

Sundarbans coastal people of Bangladesh are living in the dark. Villages are enveloped in darkness after the sunset. Women use kerosene lamps or have to cook food on daylight only. Students have to skip their study hours at night. Why? Most of the people in this area live below the poverty line. Their life and livelihood fully depend on the Sundarbans resources. They collect fishes, crabs, shrimp fry, honey, golpata (nypa frutican), and others, from the Sundarbans mangrove forest.

A community in Bangladesh.

For solving these problems and in a step forward to help the community, Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) has been working to promote clean energy at the non-electrified Sundarbans coastal area in Bangladesh with the help of Korea Green Foundation (KGF). To light up villages at night, an initiative is underway to distribute different types of 2800 Solar Lamps and 504 solar home systems among Sundarbans coastal area families and install three solar stations. These solar lights will decrease the need to purchase kerosene, which is associated with respiratory diseases and global warning.

A school in a Bangladeshi community

At a glance of our initiatives and results:

Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) and Korea Green Foundation (KGF) have distributed 2800 solar lamps and 504 Solar Home Systems among Sundarbans poor coastal families in Khulna, Satkhir, Bagerhat as well as among tribal people in Naogaon in Bangladesh from 2013 to 2017
Three solar stations have been installed in our project sites from where approximately 3000 people are directly and indirectly benefited
In previous times, 80% of the community was Kerosene dependent but now this percentage has been reduced to 10% and expenditure for light reduced to 30-200 (initially it was 200-600)
A studio, a photocopy shop, and a battery charging service (Community Digital Center) have been established in the solar charging station, therefore, the community does not need to travel 7-8 kilometers to get studio and photocopy related services

A child holds a solar lamp.

Key outcomes:

One Union i.e. more than 17 villages are now enlighted by the solar energy
Two schools and one Union Parishad building have been electrified due to the electricity produced at the solar station. Moreover, multimedia class has been introduced in the school
Renewable energy education programs are being conducted in three project sites among students and community people to let them inspire on renewable energy usage
‍The students and the community are getting solar lamp and battery facilities at a very cheap rate with nominal security money and a low-cost rental fee
People can rent 30-130 ampere batteries as regular or irregular customers from the solar charging station
Regular customers will pay the rent monthly, the irregular customers will pay on a daily basis. All kinds of batteries rent are cheaper than the local market price
Solar lamp and batteries can be charged at a lower rent in the solar charging station in comparison to the local market
Photography, photocopy, laminating and printing are available in “Community Digital Center” at very low-cost prices
E-mail facility, online circular download, online job application, different internet facilities and data transfer in memory card are also available in “Community Digital Center” at a lower price than the local market

Young Award Short Film Winner of the Film4Climate Global Video Competition 2016 presented by Connect4Climate and partners

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK33lqx-Tog&index=2&list=PLXpB73IOgf7QCGBxfc_E4grs3xmkt8lpX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Xh3sFGlvg&index=3&list=PLXpB73IOgf7QCGBxfc_E4grs3xmkt8lpX

http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/solar-lamps-brightened-their-lives-1340548

Too Close (play)

Timezone:

Too Close, a play with two actors from the World Bank and written by Luigi Laraia, an advisor to the Italian ED, is a metaphor about how we handle climate change. It recently won the DC Fringe Festival Award and was performed to a full house on June 5 on World Environment Day at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Outcomes from the Connect4Climate Digital Media Zone at LJD Week

The Connect4Climate Digital Media Zone (C4C Zone) was a 3 day-long initiative powered by Connect4Climate - the World Bank Group’s global partnership program dedicated to climate change and advocacy - to accompany the Law, Justice and Development Week 2016, organized by the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency, and the Climate Investment Funds Semi-Annual Meetings, hosted by the Climate Investment Funds. The events took place at the Headquarters of the World Bank between December 5 and December 9, 2016.

A Big Green House

Development of sustainable buildings is moving fast, pushing them to be energy producers rather than energy consumers. An early and futuristic example is the United Nations regional headquarters in Copenhagen, UN City, with its vast solar panel-covered roof, seawater cooling system, and rain-water-flushed sanitation.

A bird’s eye view is essential for gaining a true appreciation of UN City. From up here the building’s eye catching contour, an irregular eight-pointed star, is clearly visible. Zoom a little closer and the roof provides a first hint that it is more than the building’s design and dockside location that make it stand out. Stretching in serried ranks across the entire roof surface is more than 1400 solar panels, turning slowly to follow the sun as it arches across the sky. They meet one-third of the huge building’s energy demand. Under the panels a white membrane, fabricated from reusable plant-based materials, reflects heat away from the roof in summer and acts as insulation in winter, reducing energy used for cooling and heating.

Aerial view of the UN City in Copenhagen.

“It’s called Derbibrite; from Derbigum,” says Gry Kjær knowingly, with a nod towards the membrane. She was the building’s main architect when Danish company 3xNielsen won the bid to design it in 2011.

A different perspective of UN City.

According to the World Bank, buildings account for 19% of total carbon emissions today; they use 60% of the world’s electricity and account for 25% of water used and 50% of materials. The upside is that the building sector has the greatest potential for cutting carbon emissions at little or no cost, states the Bank.

UN City building's roof is covered by solar panels.

UN City uses roughly 45% of the energy consumed in a similarly sized conventional office block. The roof collects about three million litres of rainwater a year, used in the sanitation system. The 1300 workers, from more than 100 countries, who occupy UN City, may flush the toilets (low-flow, of course) with rainwater up to 5300 times a day. Together with low-flow and intelligent faucets throughout, the total volume of water saved in the kitchens, toilet facilities and shower rooms is 61%.

Only in public areas of the building, visited by people from all corners of the world, are the toilets not flushed with rainwater. An exception that Kjær explains with barely a twitch of a smile: “This is to prevent children and others who might drink the water from the toilet.”

Platinum performance

UN City is not alone in its sustainability efforts. It is a Danish example of a global trend in building design, from Copenhagen to Cincinnati. What the buildings share in common is the right to use one or more of a jumble of acronyms awarded in recognition of their sustainability credentials, such as LEED, BREAM, or DGNB. UN City proudly displays a LEED platinum sign, the highest accreditation achievable for this certificate. Selection for the award is based on a comprehensive points system, in which a minimum of 80 out of a possible 110 is required in categories such as material use, energy saving, water conservation, nearness to public transport, and so on. One of the UN’s demands from the outset was that the building had to contribute to the organisation’s mission to lead the way on all aspects of sustainability by achieving a platinum accreditation.

Inside UN City building in Copenhagen.

The UN could have chosen to strive for BREEAM, HQE, or DGNB certification but decided on LEED because it is the “toughest,” a statement that LEED’s competitors might take issue with. No matter which certificate is aimed for, the qualification process is demanding of human resources and costly. UN City’s construction company hired a full time employee whose sole job was to manage LEED documentation from start to finish of the building work. A fee of up to $1 million on large projects is also the norm. According to American analysts, the accreditation process adds 2% to construction costs, made up for by a 4% increase in the building’s value and savings in running costs, which often have a payback time of just seven years.

Proven to work

The desire to lead by example, as displayed by the UN in Copenhagen, lies behind the whole idea of certifying buildings for sustainability. No matter which of the four main certificate bodies asked, each points to the importance of setting a standard that companies have to meet. A sustainable operation is also good for business.

“The American construction sector understood that sustainability would be a key factor for both growth and showing environmental responsibility. LEED expresses the sector’s desire to improve,” says Jennivine Kwan from the US Green Building Council (GBC). Her words are echoed by Mette Qvist at GBC Denmark: “When Danish architects and construction companies lead the way in a space that everyone wants to occupy, I hear the sound of rattling coins.”

UN City at night.

Architects 3xNielsen must have got something right with UN City. LEED Platinum is not the building’s only accolade for sustainability. In 2012 it received the European Commission’s Green Building Award for New Buildings. Significantly, UN City was not a demonstration project; all the sustainability solutions implemented were already well known.

“The main contractor wanted proven systems. On the other hand, it was a lot to implement all in one building, at least at the time we were constructing it,” says Kjær, in a comment that directs attention to the building’s basement and yet another system rumbling along — the seawater cooling apparatus. The cold water that laps directly under five of the star-shaped building’s eight points, helps keep the structure cool, minimising energy use for air conditioning in summer months. It also cools UN City’s data servers.

Unexploited and untapped. The building sector has the greatest potential for cutting carbon emissions at little or no cost, according to the World Bank.

Intelligent walls

Between the roof and the basement, staff employed at the eight UN organisations housed in the building carry out their daily work, around the clock. A fitness centre is located on the premises and while managing the world’s crises, employees enjoy what are probably the best views on offer in Copenhagen from a building with inbuilt intelligence.

“When I go into my office the building notices. The air, temperature and window blinds take on a life of their own,” says employee Eva Egesborg. She and her colleagues can also create their own office climate using the “My Office” program installed on every computer terminal, selecting desired heat, light and other preferences.

An example of an office space inside UN City in Copenhagen.

Best of all, the UN City building is a pleasant place to be. LEED also gives points for indoor climate, green space, bicycle parking and other feel-good factors. For Egesborg, who has previously worked in the depths of the Danish Foreign Ministry, the view she has enjoyed for the past three years over the capital city’s inner harbours and the green spaces around the eight-pointed green house of Copenhagen has been a welcome daily gift. “I just love this building,” she says.

A Big Green House - FORESIGHT Climate & Energy Business

TEXT Rasmus Thirup Beck / PHOTO Adam Mørk

Source: FORESIGHT Climate & Energy Business