Tag Archives: pollution

Dubai tram test run to continue till November 10

Dubai tram test run to continue till November 10 Lily B. Libo-on / 22 January 2014 Powered by electricity to reduce the pollution, tram to be the fastest, more reliable, and eco-friendly way to get around. The testing of Dubai Tram, a rail vehicle that will run heavily on tracks along streets spanning 10.6 kilometres from Dubai Marina to Al Sufouh, begins at Zone 1 on January 26. Tracks being laid of Al Sufouh Tramway from Dubai Marina. – KT photos by Rahul Gajjar The Dubai Tram, which measures 44 meters in length, with fully air-conditioned carriages designed as a combination of luxurious interiors and state-of-the-art technology, will go for testing on January 26 for Zone 1, April 16 for Zone 2 and June 14 for Zone 3 and will continue until November 10. However, during the testing, Dubai Tram will not be open to passengers. A part of Dubai Government’s effort to provide a modern and integrated public transit system to efficiently serve densely populated areas and new developed areas in the emirate, Dubai Tram will also have allocated spaces for passengers using wheel chairs or mobility aid. “This area is marked with a wheelchair symbol and will have special marked call buttons that allow passengers using wheelchairs or mobility aids extra time to get in and out of the Tram. It will also have access ramps for mobility-impaired passengers, including people in wheelchairs, parents with prams and the elderly,” RTA said. Designed to be an environment-friendly transportation, the Dubai Tram is expected to be the choice of residents, who will leave their cars at home and take the Tram, to go around Dubai. It is powered by electricity to reduce the pollution from the daily traffic jams, making it the fastest, more reliable, and eco-friendly way to get around. RTA said the Dubai Tram has a maximum speed of 50km/hour with a total trip time of 42 minutes and with a capacity of 405 passengers who will be aboard the four cars for the silver class, two cars for women and children, and one car for the gold class. “Dubai Trams are quiet and run on much wider tracks so they cannot swerve to avoid obstacles. It will be running along seven stations such as Jumeirah Beach Residence 1, Jumeirah Beach Residence 2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Marina, Marina Towers, Mina Seyahi, Media City, Palm Jumeirah, to Knowledge Village and Al Sufouh,” the RTA said. The Dubai Tram system is integrated with Dubai Metro system at two stations in Dubai Marina and in Jumeirah Lakes Towers. “Footbridges provide a direct link between the two adjacent Tram and Metro stations for a smooth and seamless interchange for passengers between the two systems. To top it all, Dubai Tram stations are designed to be in harmony with the Metro stations reflecting the region’s art and ethnic heritage yet set in urban context. Designs are in five different styles, either at ground level or elevated, at roadside or at the median. — lily@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading

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US Renewable Energy Use Soared In 2012 – Report

Last updated on 19 July 2013, 11:45 am Wind made up 42% of newly installed electrical generation capacity in 2012, with solar and gas also increasing share The US Wind Energy Association estimates 15 million homes can be powered by 45,100 wind turbines (Pic: Flickr/Bonita-La-Banane) US use of renewable energy soared in 2012, according to data published by the USA government funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Wind turbines, solar panels and natural gas saw sharp rises in popularity, contrasting with coal, which continues to lose market share. In a statement LLNL energy systems analyst A.J. Simon said low gas prices had seen it gradually replace coal in the electricity generating sector. He added that the growth of renewables was tied to falling costs of solar and wind systems, together with government incentives to invest in clean energy. Renewables provided 49% of new electricity capacity in the US in 2012, and form a key part of President Barack Obama’s new climate action plan . Existing coal and gas plants are likely to face tougher pollution limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a move Obama says will help the US to meet its pledge to cut emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) statistics reveal there are 45,000 turbines currently operating in 39 US states, generating enough power for 15 million US homes. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) renewables are the “fastest-growing power generation sector” and could make up 25% of the global energy mix by 2018. “As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven in June. “This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries.” Technology advances The LLNL said “larger more efficient turbines” have been developed in response to government-sponsored incentives to invest in renewable energy. Each year, the Laboratory releases energy flow charts that track the nation’s consumption of energy resources. The LLNL also revealed the US used used 2.2 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTU), or quads, less in 2012 than the previous year. A BTU is a unit of measurement for energy; 3,400 BTU is equivalent to about 1 kW-hr. LLNL figures reveal the majority of energy use in 2012 was used for electricity generation (38.1 quads), followed by transportation, industrial, and residential consumption. However, energy use in the residential, commercial and transportation sectors decreased while industrial energy use increased slightly. Figures from the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) released yesterday indicate that coal still underpins the US electricity sector, and suggest it may be making a comeback. Total coal consumption was up 11% in first-quarter 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. It has provided 40% of total generation over the past five months, up from 32% in April 2012, when gas prices hit a record low. – See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/…h.IdrM4Ng8.dpuf Continue reading

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Emissions Trading Reforms Raise Price Of Pollution Permits

Policymakers say a higher price is essential to encourage more greenhouse gas reductions across Europe’s industry Damian Carrington guardian.co.uk , Wednesday 3 July 2013 The EU emissions trading scheme, the largest in the world and now being replicated in China, is intended to tackle climate change by reducing CO2 emissions across Europe’s industry. Photograph: Ina Fassbender/Reuters[/color] Critical reforms to Europe ‘s flagship scheme for cutting carbon emissions were passed for the first time on Wednesday in the European parliament. The move immediately caused the price of pollution permits, currently near rock bottom, to rise. Policymakers believe a higher price is essential to encourage more greenhouse gas reductions. The EU emissions trading scheme, the largest in the world and now being replicated in China, is intended to tackle climate change by reducing CO2 emissions across Europe’s industry. But a huge oversupply of permits, owing to the economic crisis causing production to drop, and because of lobbying by industry, caused the price paid to emit a tonne of carbon to crash in recent years . The short-term fix approved on Wednesday will delay the release of permits for 900m tonnes of carbon, cutting the oversupply, and member states will now decide how to implement the plan. German MEP, Matthias Groote, who steered the reforms through the parliament, said: “We shall not let the ETS be the victim of short-term concerns. Structural reform of our emissions trading system will follow to ensure it remains the cornerstone of EU’s climate policy.” “The symbolic nature of this vote cannot be underestimated,” Rob Elsworth, from carbon trading thinktank Sandbag. “The parliament has shown that it sides with climate ambition and has silenced those looking to kill the EU carbon market.” EU commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard also welcomed the vote. “We must have a well-functioning carbon market to boost innovative low-carbon technologies in Europe,” he said. Ed Davey, the UK’s energy and climate change secretary, said the vote was an important step forward. “We need a stable carbon market so we get a more certainty for investors so emissions reductions can be achieved at the lowest cost possible.” Analysts suggest that only the cancellation of permits, not merely a delay, will be sufficient to drive up carbon prices to the level that ensures industry acts to cut emissions. But amid intense industry lobbying it has been politically difficult to make any reforms: a proposal to delay – or backload – permits was defeated in the European parliament in April , causing the carbon permit price to fall by almost half on the day. On Wednesday, the vote was carried by 344 to 311 votes. However, energy intensive industry groups said they were disappointed at “interference” in the market. Ian Rodgers, director of UK Steel, said: “The parliament not only took the wrong decision on backloading, but also rejected an amendment which would have provided much needed [financial] support for industries that face significant barriers to reduce emissions.” Rhian Kelly, CBI Director for business environment, said: “British business is committed to the ETS as the cornerstone of EU energy and climate change policies [but] the commission must also improve support for those businesses most at risk from any future reforms.” MEPs rejected a number of proposals intended as compromises to industry. BNEF carbon analyst Konrad Hanschmidt said: “This was more bullish than the market had anticipated.” Nick Robins, at HSBC bank, said: “This will provide a modest – but temporary – boost to the market. More importantly, we expect that this will provide positive momentum for [future] structural reform of the ETS.” The carbon price rose 10% to €4.75 by mid-afternoon on Wednesday but remained about 50% down on its 12-month high of €9. The EU’s four biggest nations – UK, France, Germany and Italy – and at least eight other member states are in favour of strengthening the EU emissions trading scheme , as are dozens of major companies including Shell, E.ON, SSE, ENEL, Unilever and Ikea. David Hone, Shell’s chief climate change adviser, said: “The ETS is the most cost-effective approach to meeting Europe’s energy needs and reducing emissions over time. It is in urgent need of reform and backloading is an important first step.” The reform was also opposed by MEPs in the Conservative EPP grouping, including all but one Conservative MEP who defied David Cameron to vote against the backloading. Cameron wanted an even more ambitious backloading, of 1,200m permits. The UKLibDem’s European environmental spokesman and MEP Chris Davies said: “Conservative MEPs have turned their back on the future and shown their contempt both for the needs of British industry and the policies of the coalition government.” The ETS was launched in 2005, to allow the buying and selling of permits and ensure carbon was cut where it was cheapest to do so. Prices crashed during the first trading period to near zero in 2007, because of the over-allocation of permits. But traders dismiss that collapse, blaming it on early errors in the experimental phase of the market. The carbon price hit a peak of €32 in April 2006 and traded above €30 in 2008. Wednesday’s reforms will mean backloading can only happen once before 2020. Analysts believe the backloading of 900m permits could raise carbon prices to €15, but say prices above €20 are needed to give utilities sufficient incentive to make serious switches to lower carbon energy generation. Greenpeace’s Joris den Blanken said: “The Parliament unexpectedly rejected a further weakening of the plan, but there is still not too much to celebrate. As soon as the suspended allowances are allowed to re-enter the system, the carbon market will be back to square one.” He said 2.2bn allowances must be cancelled before 2020 to restore the credibility of the ETS.[/font][/color] Continue reading

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