4MATTERS- The new face for BDPollution

To all my readers, followers, advertisers, guest writers, WAIT, looks like no one would know this link yet. Anyways  I have been planning to rebrand BDPollution for a very long time. BDPollution was created in 2005 when I was just preparing for my A'Levels.  I felt that the name was not getting any traction even after 8 years and so decided it needed a new brand and new feel and look. All of my previous posts will remain the same, just the name has changed. BDPollution is now  4MATTERS .

4MATTERS has its new tag line Heart. Optimistic. Passionate. Enthusiastic. or in other words H.O.P.E. I would love to see the blog take newer heights and expect the new look to take it there. It will have majority content from Bangladesh and will cover the regular international news, reviews, products and services.

There are a lot of things happening in Bangladesh regarding the environment and want to share that with everyone. I want 4MATTERS to become the environment news vine  for Bangladesh covering almost all aspects..

Blog Update- Happy New Year 2014

Hello, and a Happy New Year to everyone! Its been a long time since I signed in and wrote a post. Anyways, lots of things going on from my end, like working for a LEED GOLD certification for a garments industry as an engineer and on top of that, have some interesting ideas for the blog. I am currently on rebranding the blog and as it seems my domain http://www.bdpollution.com has been taken by someone else, I am unable to use that for now. So I have decided on rebranding the blog completely. So if any interesting names pops along on your mind, I would love to hear about them. So send me a message about a new name for the blog and what else you would want from it.

Cheers

Nektarina (S)pace interviews BDPollution and Bangladesh for their July Issue 2013

For their July issue 2013, Nektarina (S)pace, a monthly web magazine published by Nektarina Non Profit had requested to do an interview on BDPollution, me and Bangladesh. The interview spanned about 9 questions ranging from what is BDPollution to what inspired me to start BDPollution. Anyways go ahead and catch the article here at Nektarina (S)pace.. To be more specific, check from pages 75 onwards.

Interview courtesy to Sandra Antonovic, Editor-in-Chief, Nektarina (S)pace and CEO of Nektarina Non Profit..

A love story about the world’s first electronic TukTuk!

I want to tell you a story that begins in India about ten years ago. The story revolves around an American entrepreneur and a method of transport very familiar with pretty much everyone in the whole of Asia: the TukTuk!

Our American entrepreneur – let’s call him Adam Rice, as that’s his name - was struck by the challenges that faced the cities in Asia he often visited. Besides the typical issues of sanitation, housing and clean drinking water, he recognized that one of the biggest challenges facing cities like Mumbai and Bangkok was an effective means of transportation for its growing populations. And like most tourists and locals he loved the convenience of travelling around in a Tuk-Tuk. He then got thinking about the challenges in his own adopted country of Germany, and what lie ahead for the future. He realised that the TukTuk could solve many of the problems facing our increasingly crowded streets, but not in its current form, as however loveable, they are actually quite inefficient users of fuel and cause significant levels of air and noise pollution.  So what was the solution? 100% Electric motors of course! So fast forward a few years and we have the first eTukTuks hitting the streets of Europe.  Due to transportation regulations they are not (yet!) in use as taxis, instead they are used daily for tourism and special events. But they are an alternative way that the general public can experience first-hand the joys of electric driving and dispel all the myths. After one overnight charge the Tuk is good to drive for 85-100km depending on weather and driving conditions. Not bad eh. And before all the super-greenies out there start asking – yes the Tuks in Berlin are all powered by green electricity! In Germany we are lucky enough to be able to choose from four genuine providers of renewable, non-nuclear energy: Naturstrom, Lichtblick, Greenpeace Energy and EWS Schönau. 

In Berlin our eTukTuks are just one part of a transport revolution that seems to be taking place here at the moment. Carsharing schemes are really taking off and “cars-to-go” – even electric ones - can be found on every street corner. We also have a super public transport system and well-used cycle paths. However Berlin still isn’t meeting the EU standards on pollution despite laws requiring old cars to be removed from the roads and the creation of an “environmental zone” in the city centre.  So there is still a great deal of work to be done - which isn’t easy, especially when the German Chancellor is so influenced by the extremely strong German car lobby and exerts her power to weaken Europe-wide emissions targets. 

But meanwhile, back in happy 100% electric TukTuk land, we are doing the best we can do, to assist the long –overdue electric transportation revolution.

So where is the love story? Well, basically anyone who comes into contact with our eTuks falls INSTANTLY in love with them. They look great, sound great and smell great so what is not to love?  

--

This is a guest post.


Katie Griggs is Operations Manager at eTukTuk Gmbh. She is also Campaign Director for 10:10 Deutschland.

Global Power Shift - Could this be the new frontier to the climate change battle?

This year, actually starting from today June 24th to June 30th, 2013, 350.org are changing to higher gears in an attempt to wield the power of human movement. Global Power Shift is 350.org newest campaign towards international climate action.. A six-day conference in Istanbul, Turkey is being held to organize, make new strategies among leaders and organizations who can mobilize and create an unparalleled movement in the fight for climate change.

There are about 500 youth climate activists from 130 countries participating. This just shows the massive scale and the actions that are being planned by 350.org. Currently attending the conference is Phase 1 of their mission. Phase 2 begins after June 30th and is aimed for 2013-2014.

To know more head over to their site at Global Power Shift or 350.org

A Single Man's Walking Challenge 1: Gulshan-Dhanmondi-Gulshan

                                                 (On the way)                                                                   

Last year, I realized I was not doing enough on my part to make a difference so I came up with an initiative of my own. I decided to come up with a series of challenges.  I normally go to the park once or twice a week to walk and jog, so I felt I was already trained. Trained for what?  The challenge was to walk from Gulshan 1 to Dhanmondi and back to Gulshan 1, a distance of about 15kms.

I created an event on facebook (since its one the popular social media platform if you want to spread the word about any event). Once I did that, I made a story to explain the challenge. 

The story begins about a young slim fellow, who is a little bit concerned about the environment and decides to make a little difference if not any at all. As he walks on the streets of Dhaka, it strikes to him why not do a series of walking challenges. A simple task to normal people however for him it seems like a challenge and something he feels he need to achieve. So he plans the route for his first challenge from Gulshan-Dhanmondi-Gulshan. A distance of more than 10kms.

Why walk?

Walking from his experience has indicated certain things

- It saves time
- It saves fuel

- It saves money

- Good exercise
- Makes you feel happier

As a 10:10er and eco-blogger, he feels its been awhile since he had a nice long walk. The timing is perfect with the nice winter weather and he knows he will not get bored while walking considering all the exciting and funny things that happens on the streets of Dhaka. 

When does he plan to do so?

Friday,February 10th, 2012

Route: 

Starting point- Gulshan-1 circleMid-way point- Dhanmondi(short pit-stop, not sure, it will depend on his spontaneity)Ending point- Gulshan-1 circle

Problems he might face:

- Getting mugged on broad daylight.
- Oversleeping and missing the challenge completely being a weekend.
- Getting ill prior to the challenge.

Updates about the event:

He plans on twittering while on the move.

Twitter
twitter.com/fhmtech

How can you participant? 

- Cheer him on!
- Criticize him for being an idiot ( there is something called a bicycle, or even better a car..)
- Spread the word that walking is good for many reasons and is not a tedious thing to do- When traveling short distances try walking instead of using the car.- Send an invite to your friends.

What is 10:10?

10:10 is a global campaign run through out the world to promote carbon cutting and reduce climate change. 10:10 Bangladesh joins with organizations, businesses and educational institutes and promote active participation of people through events/projects and raise awareness. www.1010global.org You can sign up your organization or yourself at www.1010global.org/bd (for Bangladeshi citizens)

Country hub of 10:10 Bangladesh- TERM Magazine, a concern of Bangladesh Information Gateway Ltd.(BIG) Ltd.


 The walk itself was very good considering a nice winter morning. I was a bit worried about the weather but it was perfect. I reached my check point in Dhanmondi and grabbed lunch at Nandos with a close friend. After a heavy stomach, I started the return journey, digesting all the food.

According to pace, I reached Dhanmondi in about 1 hour 30mins. It was slightly quicker if I compare with a car. This being the fact, the car is stuck in traffic most of the time. On the return journey, I took about 1 hour 45 mins, kinda slowed down. At the end it was a good challenge, seeing some interesting things on the way.

Surprisingly, I received a lot of interest from people and those who wanted to participate. Hopefully next time I might just let other people be part of it.

Also have to thank Sandra Antonovic for posting a guest post about the event on the web magazine. She is the CEO of Nektarina non profit, Editor in Chief of Nektarina (S)pace web magazine. Check it out here.

Alternate energy, may not be alternate any more

In my usual scourging on the net regarding environmental issues, I came across an article of The Economist which is couple of months old nonetheless and as I read through it, it made it realize that the term we use "Alternate energy" may not be alternate any more.

When scientists were giving presentations, seminars about the need of shifting the use of fossil fuel into alternate fuels around the late 80s, it definitely took time for it pick up. Currently the use of solar and wind energy have increased significantly over the last 10 years, powering a small portion of national girds of many countries. Initially costs of these were quite high, and not preferred such an example would be of solar energy. The entire process of harnessing the Sun's energy and converting that into electricity was very expensive but now with prices coming down ( notable because of research, production costs coming down) , it has become a common household item.

Ok so as the article goes, solar and wind energy cannot be termed as alternate energy source anymore. Why? Its because as I mentioned, they are now powering major countries. Germany is now mostly dependent on solar and wind if not fully but with its nuclear programs being shut down by 2020, these two sources of energy will eventually become its main contributor of power.

Anyways read the article here.

Want to throw food, think again - World Environment Day 2013-

An annual program organized by UNEP (United Nations Environment Protection,) the World Environment Day falling on June 05, is back this year with the theme Think.Eat.Save. The theme focuses on not wasting food, as it seen that it takes a lot of effort to produce the food which in turns reflects to the amount carbon emissions produced. The UN Food and Agriculture estimates that about 1.3 billion tonnes of food is disposed off. Considering that amount of food wasted, it is possible to feed an entire continent of people for several years.

With a global population of 7 billion and growing, needing to feed such a population has been a burden on natural resources. The UN’s Food and Agriculture estimates that one third of the world’s food is wasted or lost. There are places in the world where people starve of hunger and are not able to have a proper three square meal. So imagining that 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted, this year’s theme seems very appropriate Think.Eat.Save.

It is not only about saving food but considering the fact of preserving other resources when consuming food. One of major requirements of producing food is water. I found an article from the Guardian published this year January indicating how much water is required to produce common food stuff. As I went through the article, it seems we waste a lot more water and I mean a lot. For example to produce 1 kg of chocolate, 17,196 litres of water is used. So now do the math, 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted and multiple the amount of water wasted.

On the top of that, the production, manufacturing, shipping and transportation of food lead to a massive trail of carbon footprint. I again say, this year’s theme is about thinking before you eat, then eat and finally save/protect the environment.

They have created some interesting posters with facts for those of you who want to see, check it out.

10:10 Bangladesh Sustainable Hunt

It has almost been three (3) years since the inception of 10:10 Bangladesh and it has so far been quite an interesting journey. Their next event, 10:10 Bangladesh Sustainable Hunt, is another such fascinating event. This time, they have come up with a contest where contestants are supposed to share their sustainable ideas and energy- saving habits.

The contest is divided into two categories

Category 1- Energy-saving success story (a habit/story that can inspire us).

Category 2- A sustainable idea/project (your idea of a project can be of any sort, but it has to be done in an energy-efficient manner, unique and scalable).

The winner will have his/her own documentary film about how they are doing their part on creating a sustainable environment. On top of that, the winning idea will have the opportunity to implement their idea or project with the collaboration of 10:10 Bangladesh.

Unlike previous endeavors, where contestants can apply from any part of the world, this time the competition MUST be within Bangladesh. The reason behind this was to highlight Bangladesh.

To know more details about the event, and how to participate, visit the facebook page at 10:10 Bangladesh Sustainable Hunt.

Controversial 400ppm- the warning we didnt listen to

As it seems in recent news, the global carbon emissions have crossed the 400ppm (parts per million). Now there have been debates if it has actually crossed that margin. According to initial reports, it was stated that global emissions have reached 400ppm, although at a Hawaii site it still has not crossed that threshold. I checked up on the Keeling’s curve and saw that the current level stands at 399.88ppm. So the debate basically is that 399.88 were rounded up to 400. 

Now to me honestly 399.88 can be rounded to 400, and as I am a science graduate, I understand the difference between 399.88 and 400. But when it comes to a bigger picture 399.88 and 400 is the same. It may take another 10 years or so to increase another 0.12 ppm to reach the 400.00 level but scientists, environmentalists and many other groups have been trying to make sure we do not reach that stage. As we know that 350ppm is the safest limit and that is a target we should accomplish. It is said global temperatures will rise to 2 degrees Celsius and we will face many climatic changes if we surpass the 400ppm mark.

For the debaters who say we still have not reached the 400ppm, please come to reality. It does not make much of a difference now. 

Those of you, who want to follow the trend of emissions, visit the Keeling Curve.

Get to know more from here.

Photo courtesy to PremacultureNews.