Having been in the pipeline for a while and in preparation during the whole of 2008, a new international body to promote renewable energy was officially a reality as a large number of countries signed the up to the International Renewable Energy Agency statute in Bonn on the 26th of January.

More than 120 government delegations from across the world attended the conference and a total of 75 nations, a broad cross-section of developing and industrialized countries, signed the Agency's statute. Many others expressed their strong commitment to Irena’s goals and their intention to join in the near future.*

55 of the member governments of the organisation are now committed to full membership. The goal for IRENA is to 'help mobilise the huge potential of Renewable Energy' to mitigate climate change, ensure an affordable energy supply and energy security while fostering human and economic development.

In pointing out that huge potential, the unit Current Global Primary Energy Consumption is used [GPEC]. An estimate in the IRENA presentation material states that renewable energy, if fully harnessed, amount to a theoretical 2032 GPEC. This is naturally impossible but hints at our possibility to cover our energy use through alternative energy sources. That we have over two thousand times of our current consumption at our disposal relies on 1800GPEC from solar radiation. Painfully aware of how difficult it is to effectively make use of solar energy, the 200GPEC of wind energy is possibly more inspiring and the point the IRENA is trying to make is that a combination of these two and the 20GPEC derived from biomass and 10 from geothermal could see us through.

At the moment China, Japan, the US and the UK, along with other major countries are not yet on board making the IRENA another hopeful but perhaps impotent move, where international initiatives are reduced promotion and policy making. A spokesperson for the UK's new Department for Energy and Climate Change said, 'We are certainly supportive and in interested in joining but we need to make sure that what we are joining has the right focus. There needs to be more focus o the deployment of renewables rather than just talking policy and issuing papers and there needs to be a wider membership.' What is meant by wider membership is not entirely clear, an organisation where everyone is waiting for the others to join will have trouble growing and remain hampered and, surprise, prone to talking about policy making. This draws to mind the problems of getting the major polluters to sign and implement the Kyoto protocol. With everyone waiting for the Kyoto successor, the climate conference in Copenhagen in December, IRENA is at least a step away from talk about reductions and carbon offset and towards actually building up alternatives. Talk is cheap it is true enough. But a signature of commitment is at least something and the countries still looking on from the sidelines are not helping what could be an important actor in the work towards switching on a large scale.

The chairman of World Council for Renewable Energy, German member of parliament Hermann Sheer and initiator of IRENA, told the the Guardian:

IRENA is the single-most important step for a speedy global introduction of renewable energies. It will give an enormous push to the use of renewables around the globe.*

The organisation has at present a budget of €25million gathered through member subscription and will give financial, practical and technological support to member countries. Chad for example, with a constant supply of strong sunlight is to date almost entirely dependent on conventional fossil fuel energies. The country will benefit from IRENA funded installations.

75 nations have signed signed on [see listing below, obtained here.] Iran and Afghanistan are among them; Japan, China, India and the US are not, nor are the UK. One wonders why.

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* Article by Kate Connolly and David Gow, 'UK looks on from sidelines at green energy summit' in The Guardian on 26 Jan 2009, p19

For an official pdf-format brochure on IRENA, click here.

For the IRENA website, click here.

Leif Ahnland

Founding Conference of the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA

26 January 2009, Bonn, Germany

Signatory States

1 Afghanistan
2 Algeria
3 Argentina
4 Armenia
5 Austria
6 Bahrain
7 Benin
8 Bulgaria
9 Burkina Faso
10 Cape Verde
11 Central African Republic
12 Chad
13 Chile
14 Comoros
15 Côte d'Ivoire
16 Cyprus
17 Democratic Republic of the Congo
18 Denmark
19 Djibouti
20 Egypt
21 Eritrea
22 Ethiopia
23 Finland
24 France
25 Gambia
26 Germany
27 Ghana
28 Greece
29 Guatemala
30 Guinea-Bissau
31 Honduras
32 Iceland
33 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
34 Ireland
35 Israel
36 Italy
37 Jordan
38 Latvia
39 Liberia
40 Lithuania
41 Luxembourg
42 Madagascar
43 Mali
44 Mongolia
45 Montenegro
46 Morocco
47 Nepal
48 Netherlands
49 Nicaragua
50 Niger
51 Nigeria
52 Norway
53 Peru
54 Philippines
55 Poland
56 Portugal
57 Republic of Korea
58 Republic of Moldova
59 Romania
60 Sao Tome and Principe
61 Senegal
62 Serbia
63 Slovenia
64 Spain
65 Sweden
66 Syrian Arab Republic
67 Tajikistan
68 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
69 Tunisia
70 Turkey
71 Uganda
72 United Arab Emirates
73 Uruguay
74 Yemen
75 Zambia

Posted under Cars & Transport, Environmental News, Gas & Electricity, How To's & Guides, Paid For Products, Renewable Energy

Uruguay, which has a wool industry worth some $360 million and keeps around 60,000 people employed, is shifting the way it produces sheep hair in an attempt to counteract falling production levels, with a new focus on organic production methods. Though the government ministry has said that this year's shear, which begins this week, should bring in around 42 million kilos of wool, there have been warnings from both farmers and those inside the textile industry that rising costs, poor exchange rates, primarily against the weakened dollar, and an exacting tax rebate system are all at risk of lowering production levels.

Despite that backdrop of uncertainty, one of the country's leading wool and textile dealers, Pedro Otegui, has outlined his vision of the country's wool industry as one where a shift toward the increasingly popular organic method of production will secure continued trade. In addition, he stated that the World's growing population – which is expected to be over one and a half billion people in the next twenty-five years – will ensure that there remains a large enough wool market for Uruguay to continue profitably exporting wool and textiles.

"We know some farms are already moving towards the organic certification process, so we estimate that not too long from now, we should be able to supply the world Uruguayan wool stamped with the organic seal," Otegui said.

Even though the size of the sheep flock in Uruguay has fallen dramatically in the last couple of years – from around 26 million then to 10 million today- there is wide scale belief that the country can see its industry through by promoting organic wool, which it feels is a relevant product for international buyers who wish to endorse sustainable and animal cruelty-free methods of farming.

There are large fears over Australia's $2.9 billion a year wool industry over the country's lack of speed in keeping abreast of their consumer's concerns over ethical farming practices. Mulesing, the practice of cutting the skin off of the hindquarters of Merino sheep to prevent fly larvae infestations has been around for over eighty years. The practice has been condemned by animal rights campaigners, who argue that it is unnecessarily cruel, despite the fact that the infestations can be fatal.

The industry has had to change in Australia, with a new focus on providing higher quality, ethically sourced wool. It is this kind of change that farmers and textile manufacturers in Uruguay see as crucial for the sustained existence of their industry. As of July this year Australian sheep farmers have had to separate wool produced using mulesing at their auctions. A large reason for this is that the companies buying the wool became aware of their customer's desire to avoid clothes that use it. In 2004 Abercrombie and Fitch banned the use of mulesing wool in its clothing. Hugo Boss, Timberland, Victoria's Secret and most recently Hennes and Mauritz (H and M) have all followed suit.

The actions of these huge companies have placed unmulesed wool at a ten percent premium over its mulesed counterpart and show the insight of the Uruguayan industry in realising that their future success is reliant on recognising and anticipating consumer concerns, such as the currently dominant concerns over animal welfare and organic products, and responding accordingly.

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Thanks to advances in photovoltaic solar panelling, this summer sees the first fully solar-powered speaker and charger system take a step away from the trouble of batteries and power sockets and put an innovative foot forward for modern day ethical travel.

Launched by minispeakers.co.uk, the K3000ST Solar retails at less than £100 and is suitable not only for charging your iPod but it also offers the alternative of solar power to a number of other portable devices from Apple including the new iPhone and iTouch (operational for some cameras and mobile phones too).

Marked as one of the ‘must have’ gadgets for this year, the solar speakers are turning what’s hot under the sun into what’s cool for the summer. The travel speaker works via two photovoltaic panels – or PV cell – which are set into both sides of the portable device that is held by a hinge and opens much like a flip-down mobile phone. But best of all, the K3000ST uses only what’s natural to generate its energy.

Once opened, the sun’s radiation can be received by the solar charger adapter and left out to soak up all that eco-friendly free energy whilst you soak up the sounds, sound, or the great feeling of being outdoors in a greener summer.

The robust, high quality travel speaker is already recognised by Macworld Magazine with an editor’s choice award as well as being rated as a five star ‘best buy’ by The Sunday Times. The docking speaker, which measures at just 123.6 mm wide x 48.6 mm high x 48 mm deep, weighing only 420 grams, offers its users 2 x 1.8 watt of solar power output and the freedom to take their music anywhere in the world.

The solar speaker pack, which comes in a tough zip-up carrying case, includes the speaker itself, a durable flip-up solar charger – and for on those cloudy days – a universal main adaptor.

This new travel-size docking system means that if you’re relaxing on a sunny secluded beach or out and about in the Great British Summer, there is no need to reach for a pack of batteries or even to turn back for a power socket, your music can keep on playing by simply plugging your iPod into the docking bay and letting the sun do just what’s natural.

The charger itself is highly functional and can be attached to any travel bag or rucksack, hung from a window, or simply left open anywhere there’s sunshine – perfect for use in all sorts of adventures (even if its one in the back garden).

The solar pack costs £95 plus p&p and can be ordered direct from Minispeakers.

Posted under Cars & Transport, Gardening & Outdoors, House & Home, Lifestyle & Fashion, Paid For Products, Product Innovations, Renewable Energy

Even though solar distillation dates back into the 16th century, the concept itself still seems to the modern day lifestyle a new and at times unapproachable model. But that’s soon about to change.

Through continued testing on distillation and purification capabilities – conducted on solar stills at New Mexico State University and Sandia National Laboratories – the results verify solar stills’ effectiveness in eliminating salts and microbial contamination at energy efficient levels. And via distillation traders such as Solaqua and their release of the Rainmaker 550 Solar Distiller, delicious ultra-pure and eco friendly distilled water is something that can be enjoyed in any household.

The basic principles of solar water distillation are simple yet effective, as distillation replicates the way nature makes rain. The sun's energy heats water to the point of evaporation. As the water evaporates, water vapour rises, condensing on the glass surface for collection. This process removes impurities such as salts and heavy metals as well as eliminates microbiological organisms. The end result is water cleaner than the purest rainwater.

The SolAqua Rainmaker model is an example of a ‘passive’ solar distiller – which means that it only needs sunshine to operate, and further still, there are no moving parts to wear out so its efficiency and usage can go on and on.

Distillation is the only stand alone point-of-use (POU) technology with National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) international certification for arsenic removal, under Standard 62. And recent testing confirms that solar distillation removes all salts as well as biological contaminants (for example, cryptosporidium, E. coli, etc.) which means that the natural pH buffering caused by the evaporation and condensation processes leaves the distilled water with an excellent taste – even compared to steam or electric distillation – that is safe for human consumption and of the highest water quality.

The production rate of a single solar distillation model is also an impressive feat. For example, in temperate climates a solar distiller can produce up to 1.5 gallons (six litters) per day in the summer, and approximately half that in the winter months. Thermal efficiency (60%) is equivalent to about 550 Watts when operated in full sunlight. Production is about 0.8 liters per sun hour (kWh/m2).

The patented construction materials of the Rainmaker 550 are tried and proven by the National Sanitation Foundation. These NSF-approved features are pre-assembled and ready for years of trouble-free pure distilled water.

The Rainmaker 550 Solar Distiller retails for £240 ($479) + p&p and can be found at www.solaqua.com.

Posted under Climate, Gardening & Outdoors, House & Home, Paid For Products