Innovation
Beehive Fence
British biologist, Dr. Lucy E. King,
won the international prize of the
Convention on the Conservation of
Migratory Species of Wild Animals
of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP/CMS) for developing
an innovative beehive fence as a
natural deterrent from crop-raiding elephants. Based on the fact
that elephants are scared about being stung by bees, Dr. King
created a fence that is assisting to reduce conflicts between the
world’s largest terrestrial mammal and local people in Kenya
and could become a blueprint for curbing similar problems in
other countries with large elephant populations and expanding
agricultural land.
 Suntrica SolarStrap
is a solar powered device that provides
charging power mobile phones, MP3
players and digital cameras. The high
efficiency solar panel stores energy into
a light-weight battery that can be easily
attached to a strap or belt for optimal
energy gathering. It will certainly have
its use while the use of mobile phones is skyrocketing globally,
some 20 per cent of the world still suffers from ‘energy poverty’
or not having access to a reliable supply of electricity.
Xenith
Students at Stanford University have
built a remarkable solar car — the Xenith
— an entrant in the 11th World Solar
Challenge in Australia. The car, whose
giant, flat, reflective surface makes it
resemble part of a satellite has 26 solar
panels. The students have so carefully
designed car, trying to make it lean and aerodynamic, that they
concern themselves with minutiae such as whether the driver’s
head might cast a slight shadow on the panels. The whole car
weighs only 375 pounds and its chassis of carbon fiber, titanium,
and aluminum measures just four inches thick.
Oyster
800
is the newest wave energy device
developed by the UK-based Aquamarine
Power, with an output of 800 kilowatts,
it produces 250 per cent more energy
than its predecessor. Most of the
improvements have come from a
hinged flap that sticks out of the water
and is pushed shut with each passing wave. When the flap
moves, it drives hydraulic pistons that deliver high-pressure
water via a pipeline to an onshore turbine.
numbers
7 Billion
The global population has reached 7 billion
people which poses challenges such
as ensuring adequate food and clean
water to guaranteeing equal access to
security and justice — UNFPA
1.4 billion
In 2010, 1.4 billion people, or 20 per cent of
the world population, did not have
access to reliable electricity or the
power grid and depended on biomass
for cooking and lighting — Keeping
Track of our Changing Environment:
From Rio to Rio+20, UNEP
1.2 million
Premature deaths avoided per year (of which
125,000 are children) thanks to policy
to rid the world of leaded petrol
— The Global Benefits of
Phasing Out Leaded Fuel
540%
Increased recognition of the need to
move towards low carbon, resource
efficient energy solutions can be
seen in the 540 per cent increase
in investment in sustainable energy
between 2004 and 2010.
110%
The number of megacities with at least
10 million people has grown from
10 in 1992 to 21 in 2010 — a 110 per
cent increase.
80%
Of total global CO2 emmissions, 80 per
cent is emitted by only 19 countries—
mainly those with high levels of
economic development and/or large
populations.
60%
Over 60 per cent of Greenhouse Gases
are emitted by three economic sectors:
energy, industry and forestry.
50%
Global emissions have to be reduced by at
least 50 per cent from their 1990 level
by 2050, if temperature stabilisation is
to be achieved at less than 2° Celsius
average warming above pre-industrial
levels — IPCC Fourth Assessment
Report: Climate Change, 2007
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