Consumer behaviour and the use of sustainable energy

Regarding the impact of age of energy consumers (or energy technology adopters), education, minority and other socio demographic variables, most studies again have been conducted on residential energy consumption. Lindén et al. (2006) find that younger people have better knowledge about energy- efficient measures, and Carlsson- Kanyama et al. (2005) find that younger households tend to prefer up- to- date technology, and that lower uptake of energy- efficient technology by older people may correlate with older people fewer years of formal education.

From the Handbook of Sustainable Energy edited by Ibon Galarraga, Mikel Gonzalez-Eguino and Anil Markandya

Mercury Poisoning from Compact Fluorescent Lights

Mercury vapor released from broken compact fluorescent light bulbs can exceed safe exposure levels

Read at: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-mercury-vapor-broken-compact-fluorescent.html

Ladder of Sustainability

From Ekins: UNESCAP

Where are we on the ladder of sustainability?

Air Conditioning Industry - How they can help phase out HCFC

Some countries have and are in the process of implementing their national HCFC phase out programme. Malaysia is going to follow suit in the near future to reduce out HCFC use and to meet the Montreal Protocol reduction targets.

As a concerned citizen and devil’s advocate to the national program which is to be implemented, I find it difficult to imagine how the government can successfully regulate the air conditioning industry given that the majority of the factories and brands manufactured in Malaysia are foreign owned and are not eligible for funding as part of the Montreal Protocol. On one hand the Government of Malaysia (GOM) has to balance the need to impose tough restrictions to meet these reduction targets while keeping the foreign investments within Malaysia.

Is generating consumer demand for environmental products the only sustainable way to meeting the reduction targets while keeping the foreign investments vested in Malaysia? Taking a step back to look at the broader picture, I feel that we are in some sort of a catch 22 situation where consumers demand influences the production of environmental products. Business decisions are keenly linked to those who matter, in the case of consumer goods, the consumers. If consumers are unable to accept higher prices for environmentally friendly products, what more can an unregulated industry do but to meet these demands. 

As a consumer I ask myself if it is worthwhile changing to an efficient and climate friendly alternative especially if I am the one who has to bear the price of being environmentally friendly. What do I do with my old air conditioner and can I get something back for it is always the question. Unfortunately I have not found a company way to recycle old air conditioning units. The most valuable components of air conditioners are the compressors, copper used and scrap metal value. Could these components be monetized to create an incentive to consumers to trade in for a new and better model? Would companies invest in the manpower and infrastructure to set up establishments to collect old air conditioning units if in return the consumer purchases a new unit? Scrap metal commands a good tariff, it was reported in the Malay Mail on the 21^st of June 2011 (http://www.mmail.com.my/content/75606-gatecrashers) that  the most sought-after item is metal as one can sell metal for RM140 a kg, followed by brass (RM40 a kg), copper (RM27 a kg) and aluminium (RM4.90 a kg).

If the design and manufacturing philosophy of most split unit air conditioners are not meant for repair why hasn’t a company or individual stepped up to tap this seemingly lucrative market? Should the government step in to promote and catalyse the demand for efficient and climate friendly alternatives? If the government through the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water has introduced the SAVE program (http://www.saveenergy.gov.my/about/save-program), I am sure he government consider extending this program to phase out HCFCs. 

KL an inefficient urban sprawl

We thoroughly agree with the findings of the World Bank where they report that KL is highly inefficient. It is said that Malaysia had neglected to expand its rail networks in the past unlike forward thinking countries such as Switzerland. This was perceived largely due to the need to promote car ownership and support the national automotive industry. Cheap fuel as a result of subsidies also made it relatively cheaper to drive in Malaysia than in other countries which helped encouraged urban sprawl.

The full article can be read at World Bank: KL a ‘mini Los Angeles’ of inefficient urban sprawl

REDD+

The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism to create incentives to protect, better manage and wisely use forest resources. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will now implement a 1.5 year project titled ‘National REDD+ Readiness in Malaysia’.  The project aims  to develop a national framework to include the policy, legal and institutional components for REDD+, to explore and provide recommendations on sustainable funding mechanism for REDD+ implementation, as well as improve capacity and stakeholder participation in REDD+ management.

The project will facilitate effective and coordinated implementation of REDD+ processes and activities to contribute to an overall sustainable development and the climate change agenda. Through this project, the development of a climate resilient growth strategy will be strengthened, and enhance conservation of the nation’s ecological assets, identified as one of the strategies in the 10th Malaysia Plan as strategies under the NP 4.4 (the Natural Resource, Energy and Environment Programme). The National REDD+ Framework will lay out the foundation on how to better integrate principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes, and therefore reverse the loss of environmental resources (MDG 7).

Interested candidates can refer to the TOR and apply online at http://www.undp.org.my/page.php?pid=159&menu=sub2&title=Vacancy_Notices_1.  Closing date is 10 December 2011.

Are we essentially self domesticating ourselves by offloading our cognitive processes into machines?
Can we only live in an environment that we created and is that why we feel most comfortable in our own homes?  If this is the case why are we not having great products in our own homes?

Innovation, quality, clean and clear attitude towards sustainability

From the start we think about the possibilities and the grammar of the sustainability business. We hope that we are speaking a new language with new words to provide innovative, clean and have a clear attitude towards green sustainable business practices and pricing. Our website hopes to address these pertinent issues in conventional marketing.

Sustainability in our products

We try to make our technology easy, approachable, must not take a long time to understand and to get things done. If the customer has to put in a lot of energy to understand it... they will feel it is not sustainable.

Poverty Reduction in Malaysia

At the national level, Malaysia has achieved the MDG objective of halving extreme poverty since1990. In 1990, the national poverty rate was 17%. By 2000, it had been reduced to 8%, and in 2009, despite the global financial and economic crisis, the national poverty rate was below 4%. The same is true for both urban and rural poverty. In particular, rural poverty dropped from 22% in 1990 to 8% in 2009. Urban poverty has declined from 7% in 1990 to under 2% in 2009.

Although Malaysia has come close to ending extreme poverty, there are significant pockets of rural poverty remaining, especially among the indigenous communities of Sabah and Sarawak. Income inequalities have been rising and the Income Gini coefficient currently stands at 37.9. The overwhelming proportion of this inequality is due to intra-group inequality.