EU Business Avenues - Clean Tech 2015

Singapore
June 2015

The Clean Technologies 2015 mission is part of the EU Business Avenues' inaugural mission in ASEAN with participation of 41 European companies selected by the European Union and will be held in June 2015 in both Singapore and Vietnam. The mission will include sector expert presentations, site visits, technical seminars, networking opportunities and a two-day 1-2-1 business matching event. Participating companies will also benefit from post-event meet-ups.

The welcoming banner to the event...

Singapore is recognized as a global leader in the environment and water sectors, being at the forefront of environmental innovation and an early adopter of solutions. With its government strongly involved in the promotion of the development of the local environment and water industries, the aim is to establish Singapore as a global R&D centre for renewable energy. The main focus will be on solar energy development, with effort put in to also promote wind energy, electric mobility, smart grids, biomass, fuel cells, energy efficiency, and carbon services.

The stage where the opening speech was made during the networking session...

The strong government support and local business culture makes Singapore an ideal springboard as an R&D and sales hub for European companies with innovative, high-tech environmental and water offerings looking to access regional markets.

Handouts include a brochure about the event and a list of the participating companies...

The EU Business Avenues Clean Technologies 2015 focuses on three main sectors namely: (1) Water, (2) Environment / Waste Management and (3) Renewable Energy. The participating companies for this mission specializes on the following sub-sectors:

(Source : CleanTech 2015)

According to Davide Besana, EU Trade Affairs, the EU Business Avenues Clean Technologies event is based on the Gateway program an EU-funded initiative helping European SMEs to establish long-lasting business collaborations in Japan and Korea. EU Gateway participants attend one week in-country business missions and benefit from business support services such as: coaching, logistical and financial support, among others. The resulting high returns from this program prompted the EU to pilot the EU Business Avenues in Southeast Asia.

(Source : EU Gateway)

The EU countries have much to share with the region on sustainable energy. EU ranks as the top producer in renewable energy and clean technology. First in cleantech IPOs, EU also attracted over $1b in cleantech venture capital in 2014. (Climate Week Paris, 2015) According to Dr Luca Sanfillippo, from Systea Environmental & Industrial Analytical Technologies, Italy, this trip is a mutually beneficial exchange as Singapore is advanced in its use of water treatment technologies.

Networking and sharing among the exhibitors and visiting Singapore companies...

Among the EU countries, each country has its strengths in renewable energy. For example, Spain, Greece and Italy, being located in the southern regions with ample sunshine, generate a significant portion of their energy through solar power. Sweden and Croatia tap on their hydropower for their energy needs, while Ireland and Denmark use wind energy more.

(Source : Eurostat)

It was certainly an enlightening networking session learning from the participating companies about what the world has to offer to meet our planet's increasing energy needs yet maintaining a clean and green environment.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Sources

• "EU leads world in total renewable generation, clean tech IPOs, wind energy patents" (19 May 2015). Climate Week Paris. Retrieved from http://www.climateweekparis.org/news-media/eu-leads-world-in-total-renewable-generation-clean-tech-ipos-wind-energy-pa.
     
• "Introducing The Sector", Clean Technologies 2015 (16 June 2015). EU Business Avenues. Retrieved from http://www.eubusinessavenues.com/ct2015/about/introducing_the_sector.html.

   

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Lower Peirce Reservoir - Monkeys Basking In The Sun

Lower Peirce Reservoir

North, Singapore

March 2015

On the fringes of the forest, this is a common sight - A pack of Macaca fascicularis (Long-Tailed Macaque) basking in the sun. Being a complete family unit, the pack consisted of the alpha male, several females, and young, some of whom were still carried by their mothers.

Oblivious to the danger, a jogger runs by with her young child in a pram.
She stops to point out the "cute monkeys" to her toddler...

In a Straits Times report ("Monkey see, monkey do: 5 monkey hot spots in Singapore"), Upper Thomson was listed as a "monkey spot". Residents reported incidents where monkeys smashed their flower pots, gnawed through water containers, upset pots of plants and stole fruit from the trees they planted.

Most macaques are non-aggressive, as long as they are not threatened and food is not carried in front of them. Once past the danger post by them, a regular visit to Lower Peirce Reservoir is always a treasure trove of small finds.

A curious female Telamonia festiva (Jolly Telamonia) peers from bneath a leaf...

A moth caterpillar balances itself at the edge of the stem...

This bug is big - With legs extended, it was almost the size of a human palm...

If you see a beetle with bright yellow spots on its back but much larger in size than a typical ladybird beetle and having a slightly more elongated body, it may be a fungus beetle. Fungus beetles, as the name implies, are affiliated with fungus. However, they are not always seen on fungus as they do fly around and land on some other surfaces. They belong to the family Endomychidae, commonly called Handsome Fungus Beetles.

The Lower Peirce version of Eumorphus quadriguttatus (Handsome Fungus Beetle)...

A male Tyriobapta torrida (Treehugger) Dragonfly from Libellulidae family. They are found in forest swamps and near waterways, guarding small territories in shaded areas...

A juvenile Argiope (St Andrew's Cross Spider) resting in a dark corner...

A cheeky Chrysilla lauta (Elegant Golden Jumper) Male Spider glaring back...

A grasshopper-like Cicadellidae (Leafhopper) resting in a very prominent location with the colour contrast...

March is certainly the spiderling season with lots hatching. On the web, dew drops can be seen collecting in big puddles...

A delicate damselfly rests by the water edge...

An Ampullariidae (Apple Snail) slowly gliding along a stalk...

A parting tribute to Mr Lee as the skies turned dark with rain clouds...

Sources

• "Monkey see, monkey do: 5 monkey hot spots in Singapore" (24 October 2014) by Bryna SIM, Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/monkey-see-monkey-do-5-monkey-hotspots-singapore-2014102.

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Eco Action Day - Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet, Consume with Care

05 June 2015

Singapore

 

Organized by Ricoh Asia Pacific and Eco-Business, this year’s Eco Action Day panel discussion focused on the World Environment Day theme on sustainable consumption and production.

 

The panel featured distinguished speakers including Ronnie Tay, CEO, National Environment Agency; Ynse de Boer, Managing Director, Strategy and Sustainability Services, Accenture; Ariel Muller, Director, Asia Pacific, Forum for the Future; Professor Victor Savage, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, National University of Singapore; and Vincent Lim, Managing Director, Ricoh Singapore.

 

(Source : Eco Action Day)

 

The theme is aligned with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day (WED) message: Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet, Consume with Care. Aptly, it was also held on WED on 5 June as the highlight of Eco Action Day, Singapore’s largest business-led environmental awareness campaign. The dialogue was attended by 100 people from business, government and civic society leaders.

 

In conjunction with Eco Action Day, the Eco Action Day Awards were presented to seven schools and organisations to recognise their efforts in raising awareness of the importance of sustainability. This year’s Award winners are:

• Most Creative & Most Fun Eco Award - Crescent Girls’ School
• Most Inspiring Eco Award - Loola Adventure Resort (Bintan)
• Most Inspiring Eco Award (Merit) - Starhub Ltd
• Most Effort Eco Award - Orchid Park Secondary School
• Most Effort Eco Award (Merit) - West Spring Primary School
• Best Eco Practices Award - Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company Pte Ltd
• Best Eco Practices Award (Merit) - Samwoh Corporation

(Source : Eco Action Day)

 

The afternoon session kicked off with a case study by Jin Dong, IBM China. Project Green Horizon is a multi-year initiative to support China's energy and environment goals using big data. Its three components include reduction of air pollution, increase of renewable energy utilization, and improvement of energy consumption efficiency.

 

 

The afternoon panel sessions were an in-depth discussion on sustainability, both at the corporate and education levels. In the first session, moderated by Mr Terry F Yosie of World Environment Center, with panelists from Ricoh Company Ltd, IBM Research China, Keppel Land and SingTel. In Session 2, educators from Singapore Environment Institute and Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD) shared on the spreading of the sustainability message to youths.

 

Posters were available for corporate participants to bring back to spread the conservation message...

 

Eco Action Day partners for 2015 include the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), National Environment Agency (NEA), Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Energy Market Authority (EMA), Singapore Environment Council (SEC), Singapore Compact for CSR, Singapore Business Federation, Keppel Land, Keppel Reit, Mapletree Business City, ComfortDelGro, Rice Communications and Eco-Business.

“Sustainable consumption and production does not simply imply consuming or producing lesser goods and services - it is about adopting more efficient and less resource intensive processes. As consumers, we can help by shifting our consumption patterns towards goods that use less energy, water and other resources, and by wasting less food.”

- Jessica Cheam, Editor, Eco-Business -

 

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San Andreas - Movie With A Fault

Singapore

June 2015

    

San Andreas is a 2015 American 3D disaster film directed by Brad Peyton. Now showing at major cinemas in Singapore, it stars Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson and Paul Giamatti.

    

(Source:  Masti Movie)

   

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) seismologist Lawrence Hayes (Giamatti) discovers the accuracy of his earthquake prediction model when an unknown fault ruptures near the Hoover Dam, starting a series of earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault. Johnson plays Ray, a Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter rescue pilot whose family is caught in the series of earthquakes in downtown San Francisco.  
 

(Source:  Free Press Journal)

San Andreas Fault

This is real.  
 

Aerial photo of the San Andreas Fault in the Carrizo Plain, a large enclosed grassland plain, San Luis Obispo County, 160 km northwest of Los Angeles...

(Source:  Wikipedia)

The San Andreas Fault, the major fault line running through California, is a continental transform fault that extends roughly 1300 km (810 miles) through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The fault divides into three segments, each with different characteristics and a different degree of earthquake risk, the most significant being the southern segment, which passes within about 56 km of Los Angeles.   The San Andreas Fault is expected to be the source for the "Big One". It has on average a major earthquake every 150 years, but the southernmost segment has not had one since 1680, over 300 years ago. This is why seismologists believe that a major earthquake is overdue.

(Source:  Water Replenishment District)

 
The central segment of the San Andreas fault runs in a northwestern direction from Parkfield to Hollister. While the southern section of the fault and the parts through Parkfield experience earthquakes, the rest of the central section of the fault exhibits a phenomenon called aseismic creep, where the fault slips continuously without causing earthquakes.   That is mainly because the creeping section slowly and continuously moves, while the locked Northern and Southern sections remain locked. These stuck sections of the fault store energy like springs, slowly building up strain. When they suddenly unzip and slide past one another, a massive earthquake occurs.  

What Are Plates?

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core. The plates act like a hard and rigid shell compared to Earth's mantle. This strong outer layer is called the lithosphere. From the deepest ocean trench to the tallest mountain, plate tectonics explains the features and movement of Earth's surface in the present and the past.
   

(Source:  Wikipedia)

  

Plates at our planet’s surface move because of the intense heat in the Earth’s core that causes molten rock in the mantle layer to move. It moves in a pattern called a convection cell that forms when warm material rises, cools, and eventually sink down. As the cooled material sinks down, it is warmed and rises again.   Most geologic activity stems from the interplay where the plates meet or divide. The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another; divergent, where plates move apart; and transform, where plates move sideways in relation to each other.  
 

(Source:  Ocean Explorer)

Divergent Boundaries

A divergent boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other. Along these boundaries, lava spews from long fissures and geysers spurt super-heated water. Frequent earthquakes strike along the rift. Beneath the rift, magma - molten rock - rises from the mantle. It oozes up into the gap and hardens into solid rock, forming new crust on the torn edges of the plates. Magma from the mantle solidifies into basalt, a dark, dense rock that underlies the ocean floor. With this, oceanic crust, made of basalt, is created at divergent boundaries.  

On land, giant troughs such as the Great Rift Valley in Africa form where plates are tugged apart. If the plates there continue to diverge, millions of years from now eastern Africa will split from the continent to form a new landmass. A mid-ocean ridge would then mark the boundary between the plates.  
 

(Source:  msafiri)

Convergent Boundaries

At a convergent boundary, the impact of the two colliding plates buckles the edge of one or both plates up into a rugged mountain range, and sometimes bends the other down into a deep seafloor trench. A chain of volcanoes often forms parallel to the boundary, to the mountain range, and to the trench. Powerful earthquakes shake a wide area on both sides of the boundary.  

If one of the colliding plates is topped with oceanic crust, it is forced down into the mantle where it begins to melt. Magma rises into and through the other plate, solidifying into new crust. Magma formed from melting plates solidifies into granite, a light colored, low-density rock that makes up the continents, forming continental crust made of granite, while at the same time, destroying oceanic crust.  

An example of a convergent boundary is when India and Asia crashed about 55 million years ago, slowly giving rise to the Himalayas, the highest mountain system on Earth. At ocean-ocean convergences, where one plate usually dives beneath the other, deep trenches like the Mariana Trench in the North Pacific Ocean, the deepest point on Earth, are formed. These types of collisions can also lead to underwater volcanoes that eventually build up into island arcs like Japan.  
  

(Source:  Wikipedia)

Transform Boundaries

A transform plate boundary when two plates slide past each other. Rocks that line the boundary are pulverized as the plates grind along, creating a linear fault valley or undersea canyon. As the plates alternately jam and jump against each other, earthquakes rattle through a wide boundary zone. In contrast to convergent and divergent boundaries, no magma is formed. Thus, crust is cracked and broken at transform margins, but is not created or destroyed.  

The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform boundary, where two plates grind past each other along what are called strike-slip faults. These boundaries do not produce spectacular features like mountains or oceans, but the halting motion often triggers large earthquakes, such as the 1906 one that devastated San Francisco.  
 

(Source:  Wikipedia)

   
 

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Science Centre - Explore New Horizons At The Revamped Omni-Theatre

Science Centre Singapore

Jurong East

West, Singapore

May 2015

The Science Centre Singapore Omni-Theatre reopens on 30 May 2015. Digitally enhanced with the world's latest 8K digital fulldome system, it allows you, the theatre goer, to have a digitally immersive experience by traveling beyond physical boundaries to remote locations on Earth and the solar system in the comfort of your seat.

On Southeast Asia's largest seamless some screen, you can enjoy a selection of digital fulldome movies and "live" shows with topical real-time presentations conducted by knowledgeable science educators. Each show is introduced with high-resolution graphics, along with real-time images from the American Museum of Natural History and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

With this new technology, science educators can now have full control over where they want to bring their audiences, what they want to show, and through this learning journey, introduce them to space science and exploration.

The host welcoming all guests to the revamped experience...

A chaotic cluster of green words - all the man-made satellites |
that are roaming round the earth at this very moment...

Watch the Earth's rotation on its axis with the orbiting satellites...

Move on to the Moon, Earth's very own satellite, including the "dark side" that faces space...

Singapore at night, one bright blob with smaller dots where HDB estates are located
and yellow light streamers for roads...

Seconds later, be zapped to the tallest peaks on Earth
and see Mount Everest in person at the Himalayas...

Mars

The hue from the "Red Planet" comes from "rusty" surface rich in iron oxide formed from surface iron reacting with oxygen in the air and liquid water from long ago to create a film of iron oxide.

 

Located along the equator of Mars, on the east side of the Tharsis Bulge, the Valles Marineris (Latin for Mariner Valleys) stretches for nearly a fifth of the planet’s circumference. At more than 4,000 km, 200 km wide and up to 10 km deep, the rift system is one of the largest canyons of the Solar System, even larger than Earth's Grand Canyon in the United States.

Jupiter

Jupiter is a gas giant planet. Its atmosphere is made up of mostly hydrogen gas and helium gas, just like the sun. The planet's surface is covered in thick red, brown, yellow and white clouds.

The Great Red Spot is a giant, spinning storm in Jupiter's atmosphere. It is like a hurricane on Earth, but it is much larger. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is more than twice the size of Earth! Winds inside this storm reach speeds of about 270 miles per hour. Unlike hurricanes and cyclones on Earth, which come and go in a matter of days, this iconic oval has endured for centuries.

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. its rings are the most extensive planetary ring system of any planet in the Solar System. They consist of countless small particles, ranging in size from micrometres to metres, that orbit about Saturn. The ring particles are made almost entirely of water ice, with a trace component of rocky material.

From a different angle, the rings are hardly visible...

Neptune

Neptune, another gas giant, is the eighth planet from the Sun and is the most distant planet from the Sun in our Solar System. The atmosphere of Neptune is made of hydrogen and helium, with some methane. The methane absorbs red light, which makes the planet appear a lovely blue. High, thin clouds drift in the upper atmosphere.

Seen along its orbital path around the Sun...

Beyond Our Solar System

There are other galaxies and globular clusters,
a spherical collection of stars that orbits a galactic core as a satellite...

The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. Its name "milky" is derived from its appearance as a dim glowing band arching across the night sky...

The Butterfly Cluster (also known as Messier 6 or NGC 6405) is a bright open star cluster of some 12 light-years across, located around 1,600 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius (the Scorpion). Its name derives from the vague resemblance of its shape to a butterfly...

Digital Fulldome Movie

In Back To The Moon, a 40-minute Digital Fulldome Movie, teams around the world are competing for a chance to win the Google Lunar X Prize of $20 million, the largest incentivized prize in history In a renewed race to the moon. To qualify, teams must land a robotic spacecraft on the moon, navigate 300 metres over the lunar surface, and send videos, images and data back to Earth.

Tickets are priced at $14 for Digital Movies / Live Shows and $12 for IMAX movies. For more details, including the full list of movies and shows, check out the website for Science Centre Singapore's Omni-Theatre.

"This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

- Neil Armstrong -

 

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