IBM the computer giant recenty launched the Green Consultancy Service-to help government agencies analyze their environmental impact, boost energy efficiency and reduce global warming activities.
It is  the first consulting service designed to help government organisations analyse energy and water use, assess waste management, evaluate overall environmental impact and develop improvement strategies. The IBM Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic can help governments better understand their overall performance on environmental issues, identify improvements that can increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact including greenhouse gas emissions, and help ensure public institutions meet their own rising environmental standards.
IBM developed the diagnostic to help US federal agencies comply with current requirements for broad improvements in efficiency and economy for all environmental, energy and transportation management operations. However, it can be adapted to any future requirements for US government agencies or for use with any other federal, state or municipal government in any country.

“Citizens everywhere are demanding that governments improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, and public officials at every level are responding by raising standards for how they operate,” said Eric Riddleberger, IBM’s business strategy consulting global leader, who heads up the company’s corporate social responsibility consulting efforts. “Using a comprehensive approach that employs new, smart processes and tools to assess current performance and develop improvements can help public agencies meet those standards while maintaining proper levels of public service.”

The IBM Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic offering uses a proprietary Heat Map tool to provide an initial analysis. Based on IBM’s Component Business Model approach, the tool breaks organisations down into logical segments — finance, operations, procurement, etc. — and then provides an analysis as to how well they are performing in terms of efficiency, cost and environmental impact.

Areas for potential environmental improvement are colour coded — red for “most critical”, yellow for “moderately critical”, and green for “performing within guidelines” — to help government institutions prioritise where to make changes. From there, IBM can assist government agencies in developing a comprehensive strategy for prioritising and implementing those changes, accounting for the cost and benefit of each solution.

Specific areas addressed in the diagnostic are

• environmental management systems
• energy and greenhouse gases; water management
• waste and disposal; facilities and equipment
• workforce programmes

The Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic joins a growing portfolio of consulting offerings from IBM designed to help clients address CSR issues throughout their operations, including: the CSR Assessment and Benchmarking Utility, the Carbon Tradeoff Modeller, Green Sigma, Environmental Product Lifecycle Management, the Supply Chain Network Optimisation Workbench (or SNOW) and Strategic Carbon Management.

The public sector diagnostic is designed to be used together with many of these other offerings. For example, after completing an analysis and identifying areas for improvement with the public sector diagnostic, clients can use Green Sigma, which applies Lean Six Sigma principles to measuring and monitoring energy and water usage throughout a organisation’s operations, and the Carbon Trade-off Modeller, which helps evaluate and balance carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage with other key factors throughout a supply chain — cost, service and quality.

These offerings use “smart” approaches, such as advanced business processes and monitoring dashboards, which allow clients to collect and analyse large amounts of data to make better decisions.

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For the first time in this Space -Age , two satellites have collided in orbit. Early on Wednesday morning, Sydney time, a Russian communications satellite and an American Iridium mobile phone spacecraft smashed into each other, 790 kilometres above Siberia.

This left both the satellites unusable . US Air Force Brigadier General Michael Carey, of US Strategic Command, said at least 600 pieces of wreckage had been observed circling the world.

“We knew this was going to happen eventually,” said Mark Matney, of NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office.

Orbital traffic control had been impossible because the position of most satellites, until now, could only be plotted to an accuracy of four of five kilometres.

Yesterday, NASA was trying to determine whether the wreckage posed a danger to other satellites. Initial findings showed the risk to the International Space Station was “very, very small”.

The 900 kilogram Russian satellite, Cosmos 2251, was launched in 1991 and ended its working life 10 years ago. The 670 kilogram American vehicle was one of 66 operational Iridium spacecraft relaying satellite-telephone communications.

NASA says about 17,000 objects bigger than 10 centimetres, mostly debris from satellites and rockets, circle Earth.

This is high time now to take a look at the space debris also.Otherwise it may cause serious damage to our future palns of space flightsor telecommunication plans…

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Oman has the world’s most amazing water water irrigation and supply system that has been there for almost 500 years or so.These water channels called Falaj have been a savior for the people of Oman ever scince there construction and still are.

The quest for water starts with searching for underground water in and around the cities or villages .The water flow of Aflaj is relatively constant all year round and varies according to the amount of annual rainfall and drought periods. The main structure of the falaj consists of: the mother well that may reach a depth of 65 to 200 feet, the main channel, and the access shafts that are built every 50 to 60 m along the channel. The average water flow of the falaj is about 9 gal/sec which is adequate to irrigate a large number of hectares permanently. Water distribution is fairly complicated but rather efficient to ensure fair and adequate water supply for all farming lands. The irrigation timing in the past was based on sun-clock in the day time and the stars in the night. Water is mainly distributed to the contributors ( owners ) and their share is inherited, while others may buy a share from the owners or through rental from regular auctions according to the farmers need of the water.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR)of Oman, the number of aflaj in Oman is estimated to be 11,000, among which 4,000 are major ones that are constantly flowing. Maintenance is frequently carried out to maintain maximum water flow rate of the falaj, since it is the main source of water for domestic and agricultural purposes.

There are to types of aflaj in Oman; Ghaily falaj , which are dug close to the ground surface and normally open channels. The water of this kind of Aflaj comes from Wadi (valley) bottom which accumulates after rainfall or through higher water table that leak to lower ground levels of Wadis. This Type, which represent 55% of the total number of aflaj, are around 4 meters deep and two kilometers long. Ghail Aflaj dry out after long periods of drought with low rainfall since it depends on hallow underground water table.

The other type of Aflaj is Iddi or Daudi, which is underground canals and connected to the mother well where the underground water flows and runs through covered channels to the irrigated lands. There are openings along this type of falaj used as entrance for maintenance and cleaning of falaj. The depth of these canals is around 50 m and may reach a length of 12 kilometers. It consists 45% of the total aflaj and is the main and permanent source of water in many Omani regions.

The objective of this paper is to present the traditional aflaj systems, water distribution and management and their physical structure. In addition, it describes the impact of the falaj system on the organization and community development of the early settlers of the arid regions in south-east Arabia.

Oman have given an insight into what can be the fate of countries that overuses or wastes this natural resource called WATER

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6,500 Consumers surveyed from 13 countries -

• Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA, Nigeria, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil

If each of the three billion people globally owning mobiles brought back just one unused device we could save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking 4 million cars off the road. By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference.

– Markus Terho, Director of Environmental Affairs, Markets, at Nokia

% of People aware of Mobile phone recycling

One of the statics that highlighted the survey was awareness of people in India about recycling which scored lowest in the Global Ranking. The most interesting fact the survey brought out to the world was about what people do with their old handsets, highlights -

• Only 3% of the users globally recycled their handset,
• 4% of them were thrown
• (Majority) 44% of them were kept at home, coming to no use at all.
• While rest of the 16% of them being sold in emerging markets.

% of What people do with their handsets

Nokia in response to this, has launched Take-Back Campaigns in India. Nokia has been running such campaigns from late 1990′s in other parts of the world. Nokia has formed alliances with Environmental protection & preservation agencies like WWF & StEP. With the launch of Take-Back Campaigns in India, Nokia aims at improving awareness about recycling. Moreover Nokia in a statement mentioned -

..company will be planting a tree for every handset dropped into these recycling bins and giving out a surprise gift as well,

Well, I think it would be really interesting to watch Nokia plant trees, but the scenario I’m looking into is Where? and planting is good ..but the question who is going to maintain it? Well, I personally have affinity for the organizations that are into social development and humanizing things rather than monetizing every damn thing! I love the concept Nokia has come up, and I believe it to be the first co. marketing the human effort.

Nokia’s Take-Back Campaign is NOT LIMITED to Nokia handsets only, its available to all the mobile phones. So if you have a mobile phone kept in your junk yard or drawer, please.. please take it out go to your nearest Nokia Care Center and give it for recycle.

CONTRiBUTE TO ENViRONMENT

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