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World Expo Opens In Japan

More than 15 million visitors are expected to attend Japan’s 2005 World Exposition, which opened last week and runs through September 25. The theme is sustainable development; creating a new direction for humanity which is sustainable and harmonious with nature.“This is not a theme that we have chosen lightly,” say the organizers, the Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition. Recognizing that rapid technological development, mass production and mass consumption have brought about desertification, global warming, and a shortage of natural resources, only recently have we realized the enormity of our loss.“Learning from the world’s vast collection of wisdom and methods of interaction with nature found around the globe, we hope to bring the world together for the creation of a global society allowing the multitude of cultures and civilizations to coexist together,” the organizers said. Visitors will be transported either in low emissions buses or shuttles that run on magnets. There will be several environmental pavilions, one that runs on only renewable energy and where visitors will be treated to the potential of environmental technologies, and another that allows visitors to experience the changes occuring on Earth from the inside. Restaurants will serve food with bioplastics dishware and visitors […]

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Nepal's First Certified Sustainable Nepal Forest Products

While more than 80% of all medicinal plants are collected from the wild, the collectors rarely receive a living wage. This is particularly true in Nepal where every year villagers gather some 15,000 tons of medicinal plants, pack and dry them and sell them to traders for export. Although the plants hold the promise of a potentially sustainable source of income for local villagers, most of the time they must sell their goods to medicinal herb traders, who encourage them to harvest as much as they can, while paying them poorly for their products. Once a plant supply runs out, the medicinal traders move on, leaving the villagers, who have destroyed their only source of livelihood, without recourse. Thanks to the efforts of the Nepal Nontimber Forest Products Promotion Alliance, essential oils and handmade paper harvested to protect forests and provide benefits to villagers in Nepal are now available in the US. Coordinated by the Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources, the alliance includes Aveda Corporation; the Rainforest Alliance; community forestry groups and local institutions; and donors, including the United States Agency for International Development and the Ford Foundation. As a result of the group s efforts, in January […]

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Australian Company to Market Hythane in China

An Australian company has inked a deal to market hythane – a combination of natural gas and hydrogen – in China. The fuel reduces nitrous oxides and other emissions by up to 50 per cent compared to natural gas. Hong Kong-based Hydrogen China Ltd, a subsidiary of Brehon Far East Pty Ltd, has entered into a conditional agreement with state-owned China Railway Construction Co to establish an equally owned venture to demonstrate, market and roll-out Hythane as a fuel. Brehon Far East – which is 49% owned by Perth-based Eden Energy Ltd – has signed non-binding agreements with several Chinese cities to undertake a demonstration project before large scale conversions of public buses to Hythane. Under the latest agreement, China Rail will contribute the first $US1 million ($A1.3 million) in working capital, after which both parties will contribute equally. China recently announced a program to improve the air quality in 15 major cities.

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