3p Contributor: Leon Kaye
Recent Articles
Why Masdar Matters
Masdar City pushes the boundaries of design and clean energy
To finally visit Masdar City is to believe it–and to believe in its vision for the United Arab Emirates and the world. This planned “city within a city” broke ground in 2006 and opened its doors to its first residents in 2009. Should all go as planned, this 2.3 square mile (6 square kilometer) development will house up to 40,000 people, over 1000 businesses and host another 50,000 workers who will commute here on a daily basis.
Masdar’s channeling of traditional Arabian architecture, its underground personal rapid transport (“PRT”) podcars and reliance on solar energy–not Abu Dhabi’s abundant supply of hydrocarbons–lure visitors from afar to visit this 21st century oasis. Siemens is moving its regional headquarters here, and other companies are in negotiations to join this hub of innovation and sustainability tinkering.
Masdar’s journey has not been an easy one, and the international media have indulged in Schadenfreude as critics have assailed everything from the concept (a “gated community mentality”) to scaled back goals. Comments on the newswires and blogs harp on the fact that Masdar is “far from finished” and highlight the glitches and what may malfunction on any given day.
To focus on what Masdar is NOT misses the point of what Masdar IS: an important experiment that will have an impact far beyond this patch of desert a short hop away from Abu Dhabi’s international airport.
From Detroit to Doha, Citizens Are Building a Greener Economy
One of Earthworks Urban Farms' locations, Detroit, MI
Submitted for the United Nations World Environment Day blogging competition sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Please “Like” it on Facebook or Tweet using the hashtag #WED2012.
Citizens intrigued with the idea of creating a green economy, but unsure about how they can participate in this transformation, can look at two cities that offer stark contrasts. Detroit and Doha lie in what appear to be different worlds – Detroit in the American state of Michigan and Doha in the sovereign Arab country of Qatar. These cities have long had a connection, however. Doha’s economy is reliant on petroleum, some of which ends up as gasoline that fuels Detroit’s cars. Detroit, of course, has long suffered from the automobile industry’s boom and bust cycles, and Doha confronts a future that may include depleted oil reserves.
My recent stay in Detroit and current trip to Doha have opened my eyes to how citizens are taking matters into their own hands and building more sustainable economies. Whether they till soil in Detroit or harvest the abundant sun in Doha, residents in these cities are now harnessing local resources that have been abundant all along. And in doing so, they are tackling persistent poverty and unemployment in Detroit and building an economy in Doha that can sustain itself should the country’s oil and gas reserves ever be depleted. The end result is that citizens from all walks of life, not just politicians or those with the right connections, are involved.
Kodak’s New Film: Solar
- Natcore Technologies, one of Kodak’s last hopes.
It has been a rough several years for Eastman Kodak, the 120-year-old film and, now, digital imaging company. The pain intensified last week with the announcement that the iconic company will endure a painful bankruptcy restructuring and a US$950 million lifeline of financing from Citibank. While its 1993 spinoff, Eastman Chemical, has thrived and become a Fortune 500 company, Kodak has sputtered. The company sat on the digital technology one of its employees invented in 1975, and years later, when its management realized that Asian companies could produce superior digital products for far cheaper, Kodak’s market dominance had disappeared. Meanwhile, its long and heated rivalry with Fuji became a one-sided smackdown with the Japanese competitor coming out far ahead.
But could Kodak come back? One opportunity lies in thin-film solar technology. The company is partnering with Natcore Technologies, a New Jersey-based startup, to create flexible solar cells.
Swedish Cities Close to Building a Bicycle Superhighway
Bicycling in Malmö, Sweden
With all the handwringing over aging infrastructure, rising energy costs, high speed rail and other public transportation projects that are spiraling in costs, cities and towns could look at solutions that can improve mobility and do not the bust the budget: bicycles and bicycle paths.
Studies have suggested that building bicycle paths can have a sizable economic impact especially when you look at the job-per-dollar ratio. To that end, towns and cities preoccupied with trying to improve their citizens’ quality of life and address metrics like their carbon footprint should take a look at what cities in southern Sweden are planning to improve their local transportation systems.
Pay-As-You-Go Solar Could Provide Clean Electricity to 1 Billion People
InDigo's pay-as-you-go solar power module
Up to 1 billion people in the world still lack or have unsteady access to electricity. For these people, kerosene, a dirty petroleum product, is usually the fuel of choice–or more accurately, they have no choice. This US$36 billion a year industry often consumes 30 to 35 percent of poor families’ income.
Nevertheless there is hope – without giving Westerners the willies that we are going to kill the planet through carbon emissions. Solar energy, specifically solar printing, could be an answer. One company working on this front is Eight19, a UK company that provides printed plastic solar cells that are flexible, lightweight and can be used on a bevy of solar-powered applications.
Eight19 confronts the problem that the world’s poor face when choosing a fuel. While kerosene is relatively expensive, families are accustomed to purchasing the necessary fuel on an as-needed basis. Meanwhile clean energy options like solar power systems require payment up front.
Ryanair Passes on Carbon Tax to Passengers
Inside a Ryanair cabin.
For European travelers, as well as their cousins who cross the ponds for an extended holiday, Ryanair is the ticket to exploring 160 cities throughout the continent, Britain and its base in Ireland. What started off as a puddle jumper connecting Gatwick to Waterford is now a giant that operates 1400 flights a day.
Flying Ryanair makes traveling with an American legacy airlines feel like an Air Force One experience, but the 73.5 million passengers who flew on the company’s fleet speak volumes about the company’s success. Notoriety is certainly part of Ryanair’s business model. Synthetic leather seats, no seat back pockets, dodgy customer service, penalizing passengers for not printing their boarding passes before arriving at the airport and cheeky threats to charge for lavatory use are all part of the Ryanair schtick. Now Ryanair is passing on the cost of the European Union’s aviation carbon tax.
Which Companies Pitched Green Products at CES?
Pansonic's booth at this year's CES in Las Vegas
For technology and electronics geeks, CES in Las Vegas this week is better than heaven. Over 3100 exhibitors pitch new products and software in an event that crams the Las Vegas Convention Center, the nearby Hilton and hotels on the strip. For large companies like Microsoft, Intel, Samsung and Panasonic, rather than booths they have palaces. Huge kitchen displays, rows of new computers and cell phones, theaters and amphitheaters make the nicest Apple Store (whose parent company does not attend) look like a thrift shop. This week 140,000 people flock to Las Vegas and contribute US$150 million into the local economy. Some say CES may go the way of COMDEX (a longtime consumer electronics store that ceased in 2003), but even after Microsoft rocked the electronics world by announcing they would skip CES 2013, that open space was snapped up in 45 minutes.
Among those cavernous halls were plenty of energy efficient, “green” and eco-friendly products.
The New GM: New Fuels, Less Waste, More Involvement with Detroit
GM's headquarters at sunset, Detroit
General Motors (GM) just released its first sustainability report since the company’s transformation to what is now GM Company. The last several years have been excruciating for American automakers and Detroit. But GM has turned a corner, and despite the recent controversy with the Chevy Volt, the company is improving its performance at many levels from its supply chain management to overall design process.
From the development of new urban mobility technologies, waste diversion to a commitment to greener cars, the new GM going forward is a different company from the one with which our parents and grandparents grew up. So are the days of unruly supply chains (one reason why Japanese car companies with their lean supply chains left their American competitors in the dust), unlimited models and brands, and big inefficient cars over? Let’s take a tour of what GM is touting in its latest corporate social responsibility report:
New Levis Store in Amsterdam a Model of Reuse and Recycled Construction
Levi's Store, Amsterdam, Kalverstraat
With all the attention we here at TriplePundit have given to cities that are models of resilience and sustainability, there are cities that are leading examples of the successes, and challenges, of leading green.
Amsterdam is one city that comes to mind immediately as a model of sustainability. And why not? Home to the Global Reporting Initiative, small and compact, full of gorgeous farmers markets, and eye candy bicycling everywhere, Amsterdam and much of the Netherlands shine for its healthy lifestyle and forward thinking.
Motel 6: Sustainability Means We’ll No Longer Leave the Light on For You
Accor's Novotel and Pullman hotels in Sydney, Australia (courtesy Wiki Commons)
If you live in North America, you have heard those ads on the radio for Motel 6, which since 1988 have featured NPR commentator Tom Bodett saying that the 50-year old chain will “leave the light on for you.” Despite the competitive hotel industry, travel consolidator web sites and growing interest in services like AirBnB, Motel 6 still thrives. In 2009, the chain, now owned by the French hotel group Accor, opened its 1000th property in Biloxi.
For those who live on the other side of the pond, Accor is a leading brand that owns a bevy of chains. From the large discount hotel brand Ibis to the more posh Sofitel, the US$7.7 billion (€6 billion) company shows no sign of slowing down.
Credit hotel companies like Accor for having an important role in reinventing old properties: abandoned banks and apartment buildings over the last 20 years have been renovated into hotels and inns. But that smart reuse also means increased energy and water consumption.
Mexico City’s Largest Landfill Closes, Creating Jobs & Energy
Bordo Poniente before closure, courtesy Mexico City's federal government web site.
A city of 8 million people creates a fair bit of trash, and hence Mexico City has long struggled with waste diversion. But as Mexico’scapital marches on with plans to transform itself into a leading “green” city, the city is finding that trash can offer treasure.
To that end, the city last month shut down its Bordo Poniente landfill, Mexico City’s largest garbage collection site that over time became a 927 acre heap of trash. Now a joint effort between the city, the Clinton Initiative and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group will together work on creating both jobs and energy.
The 10 Emerging Sustainable Cities to Watch in 2012
National Theater, Accra, Ghana, courtesy Wiki Commons
When “green,” “sustainable” or resilient cities come to mind, the usual suspects crop up: Portland, Amsterdam, San Francisco and even high-tech Abu Dhabi score plenty of attention. As more cities push their green agenda the way they promote business opportunities or local tourism, some cities are way ahead of others. Mayors now try to jockey themselves to the front of the sustainability beauty contest with some cities here in the United States showing far more success (Chicago) than others that miserably fail (Los Angeles). Around the world are many cities that have responsive government, vibrant passion at the grass roots level, or both.
Whether they benefit from visionary leaders, flourishing social enterprise, or commitment from community activists, the following 10 cities are well worth a visit to experience their transformation and resilience. If they are not in your travel plans anytime soon, track them from afar. The progress underway in these cities will inspire other mayors and civil societies to learn from their example.
Resilience: The Next Big Word for 2012
Protests in Athens, Greece - Courtesy Leon Kaye
Create a “sustainable advantage” to win in this new age of sustainability.
- From yet another sustainability consultancy newsletter.
Big symbolic words come and go, and for various reasons they often annoy. That is not the fault of the actual words: articulating ideas like “corporate social responsibility” and “social entrepreneurship” in just one word is a difficult task. Environmental and conservation are words of yesteryear. Green fell out of favor and sustainability became the latest word. Now sustainability has caused grumblings for its repeated overuse and abuse. The bludgeoning of sustainability, alas, has become unsustainable.
Watch for another word, which is hardly new, to gain traction during 2012. If that Mayan prediction that the world will end–almost end–rings true, this word will surge in use and popularity at the perfect time. And mercifully, it will not be “occupy.”
Cassava Beer Rolls Out in Mozambique
Impala Beer, a new Mozambique brew made from cassava
At Triple Pundit, we imbibe in beer once in a while, and give credit to beverage companies that spur economic development and work to reduce water consumption. As the global craving for beer surges, companies are also scrambling to engage smaller and local farmers into their supply chains.
The giant brewer SABMiller is one company that is working with local farmers while adding local flavor to its portfolio of beers. Last month in Mozambique, a local SABMiller subsidiary, Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM), launched what the company says is the first ever commercial scale beer based on cassava (known as yuca or manioc in other regions).
For SABMiller, the rollout of a beer based on a common staple is a pragmatic move to brew beers that are affordable in local markets. But for farmers in this southeastern African nation, SABMiller’s promise to source ingredients locally (instead of importing wheat and barley from elsewhere) offers economic opportunity to farmers.
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