Dike to house ‘blue energy’ plant

RNW, 23December 2011

Afsluitdijk, The Netherlands

The cabinethas approved funding totalling 20 million euros for sustainable energy projectson the Afsluitdijk, the 32-kilometre barrier that closed off the Zuiderzee fromthe open sea to create what is now the freshwater IJsselmeer lake.

The dikewill house an innovative osmotic power plant, or ‘blue energy’ plant, whichexploits pressure created when salt water passes through a membrane to mix withfresh water. Solar panels will also be mounted on the dike.

Thesustainable energy funding comes as part of a renovation package to increasethe safety of the Afsluitdijk, which was completed in 1932. In its presentstate the barrier can no longer guarantee protection against high water, theInfrastructure Ministry says.

The surfaceof the dike is to be reinforced along its entire length, and the sluices thatdrain excess water from the IJsselmeer into the sea will be given a 200-millioneuro overhaul.

Theregional authorities have also investigated opportunities to use the dike forrecreational purposes. The renovation project may also include the constructionof a marina. At present the dike serves as a road link between the west andnorth of the country.

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  (Photo: RNW)

Gone fishin’—piloting community supported fisheries at Google

Google Green blog, 7/29/11

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

I've always loved the ocean—I was born in Shanghai, which means "upon the sea.” And as a chef, I'm always drawn to food that claims a spirit of place. After moving to California, near Half Moon Bay, I began visiting the docks to buy seafood, and got to know the fishermen.

Over time, it became evident to me that this part of our food supply is broken: many consumers purchase stale, unsustainably-raised fish from chain grocers. Meanwhile, fishermen often sell their diminishing catch to wholesalers at a very low profit, meaning their livelihoods are no longer sustained by their catch. There’s also the environmental factor to consider: Overfishing and illegal practices cause worldwide decline in ocean wildlife populations and wreak havoc on underwater habitats—not to mention the carbon footprint of transporting seafood far from its origin.

Google’s chefs have long been committed to sourcing food for our cafes as locally, seasonally and organically as possible. And in our Mountain View headquarters, many employees cook with the same ingredients at home thanks to on-site Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. When I joined the team as an executive chef in Mountain View, I wanted to make a difference in our purchasing program for seafood. For the five years leading up to then, I wrote a column for the San Francisco Chronicle called “Seafood by the Season,” and I knew it could be done. In early 2010, we began a push to apply the most rigorous standards to our seafood-buying practices, and respond to the in-the-moment fluctuations of the catch from small, independent fishermen.

Things took off from there. My colleague Quentin Topping dreamed of providing the same high-quality seafood we serve in our cafes for Googlers to take home to their families. That idea became the Google Community Supported Fishery (CSF), which we launched in May 2011. In this program, Googlers sign up to purchase a weekly supply of local, sustainable seafood, supplied through a partnership with the Half Moon Bay (HMB) Fisherman’s Association.

The Google Culinary team on a visit with fishermen in Half Moon Bay,
Calif. — Quentin and I are the second and third from the left, in black.

We tend to think on a massive scale at Google—whether it’s how to deliver instant search results around the globe or help thousands of small businesses get online—but when it comes to feeding our employees at work and at home, it really comes down to a local touch. Knowing where our seafood, meat and produce come from, as well as knowing how they’re raised, farmed or harvested, makes all the difference in the on-the-ground work of sustainability. We see many bright spots ahead for our Community Supported Agriculture and Fishery programs, such as expansion to other offices and adding a grass-fed beef and pasture-raised poultry program. It’s exciting to work someplace where we can think big and local.

We know of two CSFs in the Bay Area. The Half Moon Bay Fishermen’s Association supplies only Google at the moment, but will soon add public drop-off sites—keep posted by visiting Farmigo.com. The other is CSea out of Bodega Bay. If you live elsewhere, we hope you’ll consider stepping up to create one in your area.

And even if you don’t live near the ocean or have direct access to fresh-caught seafood, the choices you make about what fish to purchase or order in restaurants can make a real difference. You may want to consider following the guidelines that we used for our Google Green Seafood policy: Whenever possible, purchase species caught locally and in-season, by small, independent fisher-families, using environmentally-responsible methods. We think it’s important to be responsive to the fluctuations of catch too, and source from fisheries that enforce catch limits or are guided by ecosystem-based management programs. As for us, we’ll continue to research and source responsibly managed farmed seafood, and always keep transparency and Googler health at the center of our program.

Posted by Liv Wu, Executive Chef

Following the sun

The Jakarta Post, Associated Press, Manila, The Philippines, Wed, 07/27/2011

Following the sun: A solar-powered boat, M/S Turanor Planet Solar, is docked
for a welcoming ceremony at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila on
Wednesday. The multi-hulled vessel is in the Philippine Islands on its continuing
 voyage that began on September 27, 2010 in Monaco, in an attempt to
circumnavigate the world using only solar power. (AP/Bullit Marquez)

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Europe committed to sustainable fishing

RNW, 15July 2011, by Willemien Groot

(Photo: Clipart)

  

Unlessaction is taken, the last fish in the Mediterranean could be on our platewithin a matter of years. Europe's fishermen now have to make a real shifttowards sustainability insists the European Commission. A new package ofsustainable fishing measures is now on the table. And these measures will alsoapply outside European waters, so that Africa and Latin America will also reapthe benefits.

Overfishingis a global problem, but the situation in European waters is especiallyserious. According to European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, 83percent of all species in the Mediterranean Sea are overfished, as are 63percent of stocks in the Atlantic Ocean.

Brussels issetting its sights high: it wants the fishing grounds to have recovered to suchan extent in 2015 that responsible fishing is once again possible. A survivalplan for all fish species will be developed to guarantee their long-termfuture.

Recoveryplan

For proofthat the recovery of heavily exploited species is possible, we need look nofurther than the increase of plaice, herring and mackerel in the North Sea.Dutch fishermen, conservation groups and the Ministry worked together on arecovery plan. And the Netherlands should be doing more to advertise thesuccess of the plan says Irene Kingma of Ocean2012, a platform for around 100NGOs that advocate sustainable fishing.

We shouldbe demonstrating how it can be done. That's one of our main appeals to theMinister: do your best to promote this in Europe. Because you know that theSpanish minister will present a very different story, with a starring role forthe poor fisherman who can't earn a crust anymore.

Europeantrawlers’ association PFA is also advocating the widespread acknowledgement ofDutch practices. PFA trawlers catch shoal fish such as herring and mackerel andfreeze them on board. The association works closely with environmental groups.“It would be good to draw on the experiences of the people who actually do thework when developing a management plan,” says PFA chairman Gerard vanBalsfoort.

Illegalfishing

Now thatfish stocks in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are under threat, fishermen arecasting their nets wider and heading for the West African coast. There, Spanishand Asian factory ships in particular form a growing threat to the livelihoodof local fishermen.

In 2009,Greenpeace discovered that half the vessels fishing in these waters were thereillegally. Most of the offenders were Chinese and Korean. The environmentalgroup says the illegally caught fish is routed via the Canary Islands and endsup on the European market.

Guarantees

The membersof the PFA came up with solutions that can profit both the fishing industry andthe local authorities. One such solution is in Mauritania, where freezertrawlers catch herring and mackerel off the coast, species that are of littleor no interest to local fishermen. In exchange for these fishing rights, Mr VanBalsfoort explains, Mauritania receives payment that accounts for “between tenand twenty percent of GNP”.

Mauritaniachannels part of this revenue into developing its local fisheries. “We fish inMauritania under an EU agreement which contains so many guarantees that thefishing can be described as well controlled, and even includes scientificpractices. Our fishing in Mauritania is sustainable.”

Internationalallure

If theEuropean Commission gets its way and the individual member states imposesustainable measures on their fishermen, Irene Kingma of Ocean2012 believesthat this will have major repercussions. The Union also communicates itsinternal stance to the wider world, within the United Nations for example. “TheEU is actively exerting pressure on Asian countries to adapt their fishingpractices. And that’s having a favourable effect on West Africa’s coastalstates.”

IreneKingma hopes that the EU will keep a close eye on its agreements with thirdcountries. This is particularly important for the Latin American region,regarded as a growth market by European fishermen. Spanish trawlers have beensighted there with increasing frequency and the Netherlands is also keen toexplore the possibility of fishing there. But everything must be done to ensurethat the decimation of Mediterranean fish stocks is not repeated in other partsof the world.

China to boost offshore wind power to 30 gigawatts by 2020

People's Daily Online, by Ye Xin, China, June 22, 2011

In the next five years, China will boost its offshore wind power installed capacity to 5 gigawatts and form a complete technology and industrial chain. Afterward, China's offshore wind power will enter into a phase of large-scale development and is estimated to reach 30 gigawatts in 2020, according to the energy plan and renewable energy plan during the 12th Five-Year Plan.

The National Energy Bureau (NEB) will launch preparation work for the second public bidding on offshore wind power concession projects in the second half year of 2011 and is scheduled to complete the bidding in the first half year of 2012. The total construction scale will be between 1.5 gigawatts and 2 gigawatts, according to news from a symposium on offshore wind power held in Nantong City of east China's Jiangsu Province on June 22.

Offshore wind power is the frontier of the development of global wind power. China's enterprises must reach the international advanced level in offshore wind power, said Liu Qi, deputy director of the NEB.

In June 2010, the first stage project of East Sea Bridge Offshore Wind Farm went into operation in Shanghai. Totaling 102 megawatts, it is China's first large-scale offshore wind farm and is located on the east side of the Shanghai East Sea Bridge. It comprises 34 units of 3-megawatt Sinovel turbines.

In addition, China Longyuan Electic Power Group Corp. built the world's first experimental offshore wind farm in 2010 and the follow-up project started on June 21, 2011.

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Fish farming is answer to increasing global meat demands, says report

Conservation International says aquaculture has lower environmental impact than cattle, pig and poultry farming

guardian.co.uk, Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent, Tuesday 14 June 2011

Carp in a fish farm at Zabieniec, Poland. Photograph: Janek Skarzynski
/ AFP/Getty Images

The world needs to farm more fish and algae to meet the world's growing demand for animal products, according to a report released on Tuesday by international NGO Conservation International.

The worldwide assessment concluded the environmental impact of aquaculture is lower than raising cattle, pigs or poultry so it should be expanded to alleviate the growing global food crisis.

"Aquaculture is most likely to meet the growing demand for animal products with the least demand on ecosystems," said Sebastian Troëng of Conservation International. "It would be better still if more people became vegetarian, but that looks unlikely."

The report was co-written with the WorldFish Centre – which advocates sustainable aquaculture – as a response to the precipitous decline in word fish stocks.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that over 84% of the world's fisheries are either depleted, over- or fully exploited, which means that wild fish in oceans are too weak to meet the growing needs of an expanding, increasingly affluent global population.

Fish farming in ponds, lakes, rivers and coastal waters is increasingly used to fill the gap – it is overtake wild-caught fish produce this year – particularly in Asia. The world's most crowded continent accounts for 91% of aquacultural production with the vast majority – about two-thirds – in China. This trend is expected to continue.

"China, India and the rest of Asia with their growing middle classes are where we can expect demand for fish to rise most significantly," said co-author Mike Phillips, a senior scientist at WorldFish. "Current trends indicate that the majority of the increase in global production will come from south and south-east Asia, with a continued drive by major producersuch as China and Vietnam towards export to Europea and north America."

The report says fish farming can have environmental benefits if done sustainably. Fish process energy more efficiently than mammals such as cows and pigs because they are cold-blooded (so less calories are needed for warming themselves) and live in water (so relatively more of the body converts to muscle than bone). The authors say that for each kilogram of protein from beef, a cow needs to be fed the equivalent of 61kg of grain, for pork, a pig needs 38kg, but for fish it is just 13kg of grain.

In addition, says the report, aquaculture emits less phosophorous, nitrogen and greenhouse gases than livestock farms.

However, it warns farming can have a greater negative impact if it focuses on carnivorous fish such as eel and salmon, or on shrimps and prawns, which require more temperature control. There is a lower impact from herbivorous fish, or better still seaweed, mussels, oysters and molluscs.

Fish farms have also been blamed for pollution and genetic contamination of wild stocks.

The report says 73% of salmon, 90% of carp and 99% of seaweed consumed worldwide is produced with aquaculture. The authors predict worldwide production will rise from 52.6m tonnes in 2008 to between 79m and 110m tonnes by 2030. However, environmental constraints could slow growth in China due to shortages of land and water and increased competition for energy and feed.

To improve the industry, they suggest greater monitoring, technological innovation and policy support. Mass production of microalgae – which is thought to be approaching commercial stage – is thought to have enormous potential for efficiency gains because it could replace fish feed and fish oil.

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Indonesia calls for sustainable use of APEC's Marine Resources

Antara News, Mon, June 6 2011

Bali (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has called on APEC member countries to make use of their marine resources in a sustainable manner while also trying to preserve the environment.

The call was made by Endhay Kusnendar, head of the research and development division of Indonesia`s Marine and Fisheries Ministry at the opening session of the 22nd APEC Fisheries Working Group Meeting as well as the 24th APEC`s Marine Resource Conservation Working Group Meeting in Bali on Monday.

Endhay said APEC had now become one of the prominent economic powers in the world with its member economies accounting for 57% of the global GDP and more than 40% of the world trade volume.

With a total population of more than 2.6 billion, he said, APEC itself had become a huge potential market. The consumption of global fish products in APEC economies had reached 70%, which comes from both captured and aquaculture production.

"Though the numbers look very promising, on the other hand, however, we are facing a major threat of ecosystem degradation due to excessive use of our resources which in return will jeopardize the sustainability of our oceans, and coastal resources," he said.

He said it was crucial for countries having marine resources to realize the full economic potential of their fisheries resources. "Economic sustainability depends not only on management of resource sustainability but that economic value added for economies from the use of such resources is fully enabled," he said.

Therefore, Endhay said, Indonesia with its mega marine biodiversity as a comparative advantage, realized the responsibility to safeguard the sustainable development of its marine resources and called on other APEC members to make the most of their ocean related resources and manage it in a sustainable manner.

He also reminded about the agreement which had been made by APEC Ocean-Related Ministers last 2010 in Paracas, Peru, titled the Paracas Declaration.

"I believe strongly, after all these declarations; it is high time for us to reaffirm our commitment by moving from words to action in achieving sustainable development of our ocean, seas, and coastal resources in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

The APEC`S 22nd Fisheries Working Group Meeting and the 24th Marine Resource Conservation Working Group Meeting in Bali takes place in Bali starting June 6-9.

The meeting is participated in by representatives from 16 countries namely Indonesia, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Chile, Russia, the Philippine, China and Vietnam. The event is also attended by an observer from Independent Assessor and four expert speakers, including from NGOs.

Since 2010, the Lead Shepherd position for APEC FWG held by Mr Gellwynn Jusuf PhD from Indonesia, which currently also serves as Secretary General of Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), while Mr Ulises Munaylla PhD from Peru is the Lead Shepherd from APEC MRCWG since 2009. They are both Co-Chairs of the four days meeting in Bali.

Editor: Suryanto

World's largest solar-powered boat visits Brisbane

English.news.cn 2011-05-29

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal, as part
of its quest to become the first fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate
around the world. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Editor: Bi Mingxin

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Danish shipping giant switches to 'green' wood in containers

Deutsche Welle, May 24, 2011

Maersk says 'green' containers are
just part of its strategy

The Copenhagen-based Maersk Line has pledged to stop purchasing containers fitted with floorboards made from uncertified tropical hardwood in a bid to reduce illegal logging in tropical forests and combat climate change.

Denmark's Maersk Line announced on Monday that it was the first shipping company to stop buying containers with floors made from uncertified tropical hardwood.

The Copenhagen-based company, which is also building a new generation of energy-efficient vessels, is charting a course toward greater environmental responsibility throughout its shipping operations.

"So far, much of our focus has been on vessels and using as little fuel as possible," said Jacob Sterling, head of climate and environment at Maersk Line. "But we also need to look at containers."

Shipping firms, including Maersk Line, traditionally use containers fitted with tropical hardwood floors, according to Sterling. "This wood is highly durable and fairly low cost."

About two cubic meters of hardwood are required to produce floors for three 40-foot containers. The container industry uses between 1.2 and 1.5 million cubic meters of hardwood each year.

Maersk says illegal loggers have profited from the shipping industry's demand
for wood for too long

Certified hardwood

Under its new policy, Maersk Line will purchase containers equipped with floors made from either certified tropical hardwood, bamboo or recycled plastics.

All tropical hardwood has to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The certification, according to Sterling, requires that wood is harvested in a sustainable way for both the forest and the animals and people living there.

Bamboo is an attractive alternative because it is a fast growing plant and is highly abundant near factories making containers for Maersk Line in China, Sterling said.

The recycled plastic floor material, on the other hand, comes from waste collected through Germany's Grüner Punkt program. "This is a very high-quality floorboard, which is mixed with sawdust," Sterling told Deutsche Welle. "We favor the floors made of recycled plastics but will support the other two because we want to have a choice."

Maersk Line has purchased 64,000 containers that comply with the new policy. Over the next five years, the company plans to purchase up to 3 million containers. It expects to have its entire fleet of containers equipped with environmentally friendly floors within 18 years, the typical lifetime of a container.

Sterling noted that the three alternatives to uncertified hardwood floorboards will initially cost slightly more, but expects prices to drop over time. 

Welcome change

The Maersk initiative has been welcomed by environmental groups such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"Their conversion to using a globally recognized standard of certification... is a truly substantial contribution to the sustainable management of tropical forests, biodiversity conservation and improving local livelihoods," said Stephen Kelleher, Deputy Head of the Forest Conservation Programme at IUCN.

"Achieving sustainable development and environmental conservation will not be possible without the full engagement of the private sector, and we hope this bold move will inspire other businesses to follow suit - not only within the shipping industry, but across the commercial sector."

Author: John Blau

Editor: Sam Edmonds

ADB to help improve resources management in coral triangle

Antara News, Fri, May 20 2011

"The project aims to strengthen national and local institutions for sustainable coastal and marine ecosystem management and to establish support mechanisms for sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities," said Kunio Senga, Director General of ADB`s South East Asia Department.

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved assistance of around $12 million for the Coastal and Marine Resources Management Project in Coral Triangle member countries, including Indonesia.

The ADB will help improve the management of the Coral Triangle`s rich resources and provide job alternatives for people living in the coastal areas, according to the Manila-based ADB in a press statement here Friday.

"The project aims to strengthen national and local institutions for sustainable coastal and marine ecosystem management and to establish support mechanisms for sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities," said Kunio Senga, Director General of ADB`s South East Asia Department.

The assistance includes a $1 million grant from ADB`s concessional Technical Assistance Special Fund, and $11.2 million in co-financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines will provide $3 million in non-cash contributions.

The Coral Triangle, known as the "Amazon of the Seas" and one of the world`s most diverse and threatened marine ecosystems, encompasses ocean areas in six countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Its resources are critical for the economic and food security of an estimated 120 million people. These resources are at immediate risk from a range of factors, including the impacts of climate change and unsustainable fishing methods.

Assessments of the Coral Triangle show that up to 88% of reefs are under threat from harmful human activities, resulting in major losses for the fishing and tourism industries.

The project, which is targeted at Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, will strengthen management of marine resources by funding activities that build up the capacity of oversight institutions.

It complements ongoing projects worth $15.05 million, co-financed by ADB and GEF, to assist Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Timor Leste in fulfilling their Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) objectives, as well as engage Fiji and Vanuatu in these efforts.

The Coral Triangle covers 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean waters in Indonesia, Malaysia, PNG, the Philippines, Solomon Island, and Timor Leste.

The implementing agencies for the project, which is due for completion in June 2015, are the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia; National Oceanography Directorate-Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia; and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Editor: Ella Syafputri

China sets up first 7 national ocean parks

English.news.cn   2011-05-19

BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China's State Oceanic Administration (SOA) announced Thursday that the country has named its first seven national ocean parks to ensure sound ecological environment and sustainable development for coastal tourism.

The seven parks are sprawled along China's coastal areas, with two in Guangdong, two in Shandong, and one in Guangxi, Fujian and Jiangsu, respectively, SOA spokesman Li Haiqing said at a press conference.

According to the SOA, the largest park covers an area of 51,455 hectares and is located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.

The SOA also announced the expansion and improvement of five national special marine reserves in eastern Shandong Province.

Chen Liqun, an official with the SOA's environmental protection and management bureau, said the parks and reserves will coordinate oceanic ecological protection with the use of oceanic resources.

"The national ocean parks, which provide beautiful beach resorts for the public, can promote marine eco-environment protection and facilitate sustainable development of coastal tourism," Chen explained.

China established its first national special marine reserve in 2005. With the newly-announced projects, it now has 21 national special marine reserves and seven national ocean parks, covering a total area of nearly 360,000 hectares, SOA figures show.

In addition, the country also has 33 national marine nature reserves.

In contrast to marine nature reserves, which ban or restrict exploitation, special marine reserves and ocean parks are permitted to be developed in a scientific way under the principles of scientific planning, unified management, and a protection-first philosophy with appropriate utilization.

Editor: An

Age of sail boats inspires green solutions

CNN, By George Webster for CNN, December 26, 2010

Before fossil fuel-powered vessels came to dominate the seas, international
trade was conducted on vast tall ships. Are they set for a comeback?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• B9 energy plans to build first fleet of carbon-neutral "sail ships" for transporting cargo
• Project represents a return to traditional maritime trading methods.
• Comes as a handful of companies turn to sail boats to reduce emissions
• Shipping industry skeptical about economic viability for use on long-haul journeys

London (CNN) -- With its long hull, towering masts and expansive sails, it resembles a schooner from the 19th century. But fitted with a series of high-tech features, this so-called "sail ship" is designed to cut carbon emissions on the high seas today.

Part of a fleet of carbon-neutral, wind-powered sail ships planned by Britain's B9 Energy, it's just one example of how companies are looking to the past for greener alternatives to the gas-guzzling vessels that transport the world's cargo.

When it comes to wind power replacing fuel in shipping vessels, "it's not a question of if, but when," according to David Surplus, the chairman of B9 Energy, Britain's largest windfarm operator.

"By most people's estimates, we have reached peak oil -- sooner or later the fuel will run out and there will simply be no alternative," said Surplus.

Roughly 87% of international trade is carried out by the shipping industry, figures from the International Maritime Organization show.

With the majority of world trade traveling by sea, the shipping industry is responsible for around 4% of global carbon emissions, according to the latest figures available from the United Nations.

B9 expects its 100% carbon-neutral trading ship to be
in production by 2012.

B9 claims its vessel will be the first commercially produced merchant ship to harness alternative energy, but it certainly isn't alone in using old-fashioned sail boats to move goods.

"At the moment it's happening on a fairly small, fairly local scale," said Jan Lundberg, founder of Sail Transport Network, a group that promotes sailing as a means of eco-friendly, cost-efficient trade.

But the trend is growing, he said, pointing to examples like El Lago Coffee Company, which uses traditional sail boats to ship Guatemalan coffee beans to the United States, and the Sail Transport Company, a Seattle-based group that uses sailboats to deliver "petroleum-free organic produce."

B9's new eco-friendly ships, planned to be in production by 2012, signify a return to a much more traditional form of merchant shipping. Before diesel-powered steel tankers came to dominate the seas, international trade was conducted on vast, wooden sail ships.

The 100% carbon-neutral freighter will feature automated, self-adjusting sails that respond to minute changes in the wind to maximize propulsion. The boat will also take advantage of "skysail" technology -- a kite-styled towing system currently used on some cargo ships to improve fuel efficiency.

RELATED TOPICS

• Sailing
• Trade
• International Maritime Organization
• Nature and the Environment
• Emissions Offsets and Trading

In addition, a biofuel-powered engine will operate under less windy conditions.

Surplus says that with these technologies, the B9 sail ship will be able to carry up to 9,000 tons of cargo.

That's just a fraction of the more than 100,000 tons that much larger ships used for long-haul trade can carry, he admitted.

But B9 will initially just operate within Europe, particularly in the North Sea and Baltic where the winds are strong.

Surplus added: "There are currently about 1,500 similarly sized fossil fuel-powered ships working along these routes and our dream is to replace all of them."

Whether sail ships can replace modern freighters on a large scale, however, remains to be seen. Jeremy Harrison, communications director at the British-based Chamber of Shipping, has his doubts.

"I would love to see sail boats replace the current system," he said. "But I just can't see how it will be economical, even as fuel prices rise."

According to Harrison, advances in fuel efficiency onboard super-large cargo ships will help offset the rising cost of fossil fuels.

"Big shipping companies have already made huge savings just by 'slow steaming' -- reducing their speeds to save on fuel consumption," he said.

Earlier this year Maersk, the world's largest container shipping firm with more than 600 ships, announced that it had adapted its giant marine diesel engines to travel at super-slow speeds -- reducing emissions by 30% and saving a reported $100 million in the process.

"Unless you can build a sail-powered boat as big as the ships that are out there today, it will be very difficult to achieve the economies of scale to make it competitive," Harrison said.

Surplus, however, is undeterred.

He said: "A lot of people don't understand what renewable energy has achieved onshore. If you simply transfer those economic models across to shipping, it completely transforms the economic proposition."

(Photo: RNW )

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Indonesia, US Sign Up to Preserve Nusa Penida’s Marine Environment

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana | November 21, 2010

Nusa Penida, Bali. The Indonesian and US governments have announced a new initiative to establish a marine conservation area in the waters around Nusa Penida Island, to the southeast of Bali.

The conservation area will cover 200 square kilometers of waters around the island, and become part of the larger national conservation area totalling 200,000 square kilometers across the archipelago by 2020.

The Nusa Penida initiative has already received Rp 100 billion ($11.2 million) in funding from USAID, through the Coral Triangle Support Partnership, according to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad.

Of the fund, Rp 960 million will go toward helping seaweed farmers improve productivity, as part of the government’s target to boost seaweed production in Nusa Penida from 117,000 tons a year to 500,000 tons a year.

Fadel said the richness of the marine diversity around Nusa Penida deserved to be studied in greater depth.

“We’ll manage this conservation area in the same way that Brazil successfully manages the Amazon,” he said at a ceremony to inaugurate the area on Sunday.

The biodiversity around the island, he added, was apparent in a 2009 marine survey performed by scientists Emre Turak and Gerry Allen, which uncovered 296 coral species and 576 fish species, five of which were previously undiscovered.

Fadel also noted that a study by the Nature Conservancy’s Indonesian Marine Program had found 1,419 hectares of coral reef, 230 hectares of mangrove forest with 13 species of mangroves, and 108 seaweed patches with eight types of seaweed.

“We’ll also build a seaweed cultivation center here as well as a seaweed processing plant,” the minister said.

“In addition, we’ll build fish processing plants so that the fish caught in these waters will be ready and packed for shipment.

“We’ll also enlist the local community’s assistance in helping safeguard the waters.”

He added other aims of establishing the conservation area included to encourage fishermen to adopt sustainable fishing practices, and to boost tourism in the area.

US Ambassador Scot Marciel, who also attended Sunday’s event, said Indonesia was well-placed to support global conservation efforts, which made it an important partner for the United States, including in efforts to preserve marine ecosystems.

“We see the marine environment as key to the sustainability of humans,” Marciel said.

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