Smart cities are coming

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Smart cities are coming. Can they be as much about nature, health, and well-being as traffic flows, crime detection, and evermore efficient provision of utilities?

About the Writer:
David Maddox

The “smart city” is still more of an aspiration than a reality, but many cities have initiated programs and projects. The projects themselves tend to lean toward technological outcomes such as energy efficiency, traffic and pedestrian flows, and so on. The public, to the extent that it is aware of the smart city at all, probably imagines the same.

But if our goal is for better cities—cities that are better for both people and nature—what can smart cities do for us? How can the technology of smart cities be specifically directed toward the creation of ecologically sophisticated cities that serve human well-being? Can the benefits they provide be distributed justly and equitably, for everyone and not just a few? Can the services they provide be about more than just technology?

How might we create cities that are not only smart, but wise?

We asked out panel: Smart cities are coming. It is important that they be as much about nature, health, and well-being as traffic flows, crime detection, and evermore efficient provision of utilities. How will this be done?

 

 Read the full article here: https://goo.gl/SNNLx6

5 Ways Offices Are Adapting a Green Mindset With Irrigation, Water And More!

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Adapting a “green mindset” is the new big trend in office design, both interior and exterior.

And, this new green mindset can do a lot more than just help the environment. As it turns out, a green office is also great for the mental and physical well-being of its habitats.

Just think, when you see a garden of pretty flowers, you feel better, don’t you? That’s because human beings are designed to be close to nature.

So just exactly how are companies going green for the benefit of their employees and the environment? Read on to learn about the latest innovations.

1. Using Less Energy

Between computers, laptops, printers, and other devices, offices tend to use up a lot of energy.

However, cutting back on the amount of energy your office uses is pretty simple, and the offices already doing it are thankful for the cheaper utility bill each month.

Many offices are now encouraging their employees to keep their devices in power save mode so they consume less energy. Also, many offices are making it a priority to switch off lights that aren’t in use, especially at night.

Offices are also making the switch to eco-friendly light bulbs (i.e., LED bulbs).

And of course, using solar power wherever possible is also a way offices are going green and saving on energy.

2. Encouraging Alternative Transportation

Cars are huge environmental polluters. Yet, so many people make their daily commute to work by vehicle.

Many offices are trying to cut down on this pollution by encouraging their workers to seek alternative forms of transportation, such as biking or the bus. Carpooling is also being heavily encouraged.

In fact, many offices are offering incentives to their employees who bike or ride the bus to work.

3. Working from Home

20 years ago, working from home would have been an impossible task for many companies.

However, thanks to the rise in technology, working from home is now easier than ever. Working from home will cut down on the impact of transportation and general office energy use.

Plus, people who work from home tend to be happier and more productive. So there’s no need to worry about your workforce slowing down. If working 100 percent remotely isn’t an option, many offices give their employees the option to work from home one or two days per week.

4. Urban Gardening

Lucious gardens aren’t just for countryside cottages anymore. Many offices are developing urban gardening strategies to help out the environment.

In fact, many cities are now passing laws that require roofs to either be covered in solar panels or to have a garden.

If you opt for the garden route over the solar panels, you, of course, need to make sure you take proper care of the space. Be sure to hire a reputable landscaper and to have a professional install your sprinklersystem.

For irrigation contractors, look for those who follow the Plant Health Care philosophy, a philosophy which advocates for sound horticultural practices and minimal use of pesticides.

You can also make sure you are using your irrigation water efficiently by opting for rain sensors on sprinklers, only setting sprinklers to water your land, and not the streets, and adjusting your irrigation timers according to the season.

5. Be Smart With Your Paper

Even in the digitized world, we live in, sometimes you have to print things.

However, offices are learning to be smart with the paper they print. First of all, many offices are opting for recycled paper with low concentrations of chlorine bleaching.

And, it’s becoming a more common practice to use misprints as note taking paper and of course, to recycle all paper when done using.

 

Source: http://thefutureofthings.com/11127-5-ways-offices-adapting-green-mindset-irrigation-water/

Eden DM donates Green Genies and Worm Farms to residents of Gouritzmond

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Officials from the District Waste Management Unit of Eden District Municipality (Eden DM), on 20 March 2018, gave Worm farms and Green Genies to residents of the Gouritzmond area near Mossel Bay. This activity followed the launch of the first Home Composting Pilot Project in the Eden District on Monday, 5 February 2018, in collaboration with Hessequa Municipality.

FLTR: Eden DM District Waste Management Officer, Mr Johan Gie, Participant Ms Joma Meyer, Eden DM and Mossel Bay Councillor Theresia van Rensburg, Eden DM District Waste Manager, Mr Morton Hubbe and Participant Mr Hein Meyer, while examining the Worm Farm.

The project was approved by the Eden DM Council as pilot project after characterisation studies compiled of waste being transported from households and businesses to landfill sites in the Eden District Municipal areas, revealed that vast volumes of organic waste are being disposed of at landfill sites in the District. Approximately 30% of household waste contains organic waste that ends up in the landfill sites. Most of the landfill sites in the Eden district are already closed and the remaining sites are currently reaching their limit. The idea is to keep organic waste out of landfills, which will prevent the generation of detrimental landfill gasses – and this is where the Home Composting Project has an important role to play.

When the officials Mr Morton Hubbe, Eden DM’s District Waste Manager and Mr Johan Gie, Eden DM Waste Management Officer handed over the Worm Farms to the participants, they explained to them what items the worms can and cannot consume.

“Most of the food consumed by these worms, are items that would initially have ended up at the landfill site. After the food are consumed, the worm castings and worm tea can then be used as fertilizer for house- and pot plants and in the vegetable gardens,” Mr Hubbe said. The methods and techniques on how to care for these worms, were also also shared with the participants.

Mr Dawie van der Merwe (left), with the Eden DM Team: Eden DM and Mossel Bay Councillor Theresia van Rensburg (2nd, left), District Waste Manager, Mr Morton Hubbe (middle), District Waste Officer, Mr Johan Gie (2nd, right) and Administrative Assistant for the Eden DM Mossel Bay Office, Mr Wayne Odendaal (right). Mr Van der Merwe received the Worm Farm and Green Genie on behalf of his wife, Ms Anita van der Merwe.

For more information about Waste Management initiatives in die Eden district, visit our website: http://wastemanagement.edendm.co.za/
Click here to read the previous news article: Eden DM launches a Pilot Household Composting Project
All these instructions are reflected in a file, which are handed over to the participants, after which the participant signs off and acknowledge temporary ownership of the Green Genie and Worm Farm for a period of one year. After a year the participant will become the official owner of both the Green Genie and Worm Farm.

During the year, it is required from the participant to report to the Eden District and Hessequa Municipal Waste Management Officers on a monthly basis, which will allow officials to monitor the progress of the project and capture the relevant data. The reporting and capturing of the data of organic waste that was diverted from landfills must be done in an accurate manner that will be presented to the Municipal Council. Mossel Bay and Eden DM’s Councillor Theresia Van Rensburg and Administrative Assistant of the Eden DM Office in Mossel Bay, Mr Wayne Odendaal, were also present during the hand over. Cllr Van Rensburg said: “It is a wonderful project, especially in knowing what impact it will have on the environment – it is important that we create awareness on what difference bio-waste can make in order to care for our environment”.

It is envisaged that the next pilot project will be implemented in the Mossel Bay municipal area. The objective of the pilot projects is to make Councils aware of the positive impacts of home composting on waste diversion figures and the environment in order to motivate the roll-out of the project to the rest of the households in the municipal areas.

Renewable energy costs less by far, making it the logical choice

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“South Africa should urgently restart its large-scale renewables industry in order to benefit from the continued decline in renewables prices achieved globally and grow its green economy industrial base,” says Brenda Martin, CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).

While South Africa’s renewables programme has been stalled over the past three years, falling prices for renewable power has led to exponential growth in investment and an accelerated Energy Transition globally, the association noted in a statement. Adding that the Energy Transition is punctuated by two critical tipping points.

The first being when new renewables become cheaper than new thermal generation technologies.

South Africa has already moved past that point: the Department of Energy confirmed that the November 2015 Expedited Round bids for wind and solar power were 62c/kWh (2016 ZAR), significantly cheaper than new coal IPPs at around R1.03/kWh (2016 ZAR).  In fact, the costs of new wind and solar PV power is even lower than Eskom’s 2016/17 average price of electricity, by 20%.

The second tipping point happens when new renewables become cheaper than running existing thermal plant.

Big energy hubs like the US, China and Germany are expected to reach this point by the early 2020s. A recent study published by leading national consultancy Meridian Economics concluded that Eskom’s growing surplus capacity accelerated the transition in relative energy economics and that the country has already crossed over this tipping point: it will be cheaper to close Eskom’s older power stations and rely on a combination of power from its newer (and more efficient) coal plant and new renewables.

“South African electricity consumers would thus be better off if between three and five of Eskom’s oldest coal stations were shut down as soon as possible, rather than operated to their scheduled end-of-life, and the country’s energy needs were instead met by new renewable power producers,” Martin highlighted.

National auction programme

The government’s REI4P has also contributed to the decline in renewables prices, through its competitive auctions, a successful model that has been implemented in SA since 2011.

This national competitive auction programme has resulted in the procurement of 6.3 GW of independent renewable power projects, of which half had been connected to the grid by the end of 2017.  As a result of this consistent procurement, an entirely new green economy industry was spawned in South Africa, creating thousands of new jobs.

The tired, old critique that renewable power will reduce power system reliability is now completely debunked by sophisticated computer models run by both Eskom and numerous independent analysts.

These models optimise the mix of generation choices to ensure a level of security of supply that is equivalent or even superior to what is currently achieved. Read more: SAWEA calls for swift action by energy minister, Jeff Radebe

The results consistently confirm that on a least-cost path most of South Africa’s new capacity will be renewable, with some system support from gas turbines, and a growing role for energy storage.

Martin added: “In addition, it is worth considering that the CSIR and other research institutes have conclusively demonstrated that the option of new wind, solar PV and flexible generation capacity in South Africa delivers the least-cost electricity price trajectory in the years ahead to 2050 and beyond, as well as least water consumption, lowest carbon emissions and the most jobs.”

Eden District Municipality to host Green Energy Summit

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To progress to a more technologically advance region, Eden District Municipality (Eden DM) will be hosting a Green Energy Summit from 11 to 12 April 2018, which will take place at Fancourt in George.

During 2016 Eden District Municipality (Eden DM) started with its first step of going “greener”, when it invested in a solar system at the municipality’s head office in York Street, George. The whole concept of Green Energy also forms part of the key priorities of the Eden DM Council and is now well reflected in its new Spatial Development Framework which was adopted and approved by the Eden DM Council on 5 December 2017.

By hosting the Green Energy Summit, Eden DM, together with all stakeholders, will discuss the current realities and opportunities within the Green Energy space to quantify potential areas of opportunity for collaboration and partnership to support local Green Energy initiatives within the Eden District. The initiative will create a space for all role-players to unpack/pursue potential and current Green Energy projects and opportunities within the District. Through this, the Eden district and B-Municipalities will be able to formulate an action plan which will define a clear role, function and specific way forward for the region as a whole.

The Summit will unpack the current status of the area within the Green Energy Space by involving relevant local Political Leadership, Management teams and applicable Technical Staff of all relevant Municipalities in the Eden District.  The stage will also be open to focus on local business stories and applicable local case studies with the Eden DM area, to promote an enabling environment for local investment with specific focus on Green Energy. The identification of specific opportunities for promotion of local Green Energy investment opportunities within the Eden District, is also a high priority for discussion.  It is envisaged that constructive engagements between Municipalities in the Eden District and Green Energy stakeholders will take place on the second day of the events. Solutions for eliminating red tape will be discussed because to date, this hurdle has caused a lot of headache when Green initiatives were pursued.

Representatives from the following Government Departments and organisations are expected to attend the event, namely:  Western Cape Provincial Energy Security Game Changer project, Green Cape, relevant National & Provincial Government Departments, the Local Municipalities in Eden District, NERSA, SANEDI, SALGA, relevant Research entities, NGO’s and Local Green Energy stakeholders.