GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 012, Leonardo DiCaprio, Climate Change

WORLDS FIRST ENGINEERING NEWS
FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS
FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE NO. 012
CLIMATE LEONARDO SPECIAL FEATURE
CHANGE DICAPRIO: ARTICLES BY:

REN 21 GWEC / WBA / EESI
Hollywoods Biggest ISES / RENEWABLES 100
IS REAL Hope in Fighting

Climate Change
MICROSOLAR / EKOENERGY
2 Climate Change Revolution February 2017
Climate Change Revolution February 2017 3
SPONSORED CONTENT
TITLE HERE

SPONSORED CONTENT

4 WAVE I WETEX 2016 SPECIAL EDITION
Innovative
Water Solutions
Veolia Photo Library

WATER TECHNOLOGIES
Through its innovative solutions, Veolia Water Technologies enables industry, local authorities
and citizens to optimize their use of resources for more efficient, environmentally-friendly and
socially responsible outcomes.
We understand the importance of increasing the value of water and we do so by supplying high
quality water, treating and reusing wastewater, producing and/or recovering energy, extracting
raw materials and capitalizing on valuable byproducts.
www.veoliawatertechnologies.com
Contact us: sales.vwsgulf@veolia.com

Theres been a lot of debate whether climate change is real or not. But here on
GineersNow, we believe climate change is a natural process but the rate of the
change is alarming. Because of human activities, were facing global warming
really fast and its bad news to every living thing on this planet. Its a serious
matter everyone needs to focus on.
There have been skeptics about this issue but climate change is really
happening. Science proves it. Its affecting everyone and we need to make
changes to save ourselves from its destructive effects. Weve seen natural
disasters that were results from global warming and weve seen natural habitats
of different species being destroyed. If we dont act now, we will be facing
more calamities and well be losing more species in just a blink of the eye. If
we continue to ignore its effects, well be in terrible danger. As of this moment,
humanitys fate will depend on what actions we do now!
Editor's Featuring in this months issue is one of the worlds famous environmental
activists, Leonardo DiCaprio. Weve seen him in blockbuster movies and weve
heard of his passionate fight against climate change. The award-winning actor
Note
is continuously working with different organizations to combat climate change,
protecting the environment and educating people of the effects of global
warming. His advocacies have inspired millions to contribute in helping the
planet and in our cover story, well explore what got him inspired and what he is
up to now.
In our pursuit to discuss climate change, we have asked for the help of experts
from different companies such as REN21, GWEC, WBA, EESI, ISES, Renewables
100, microSOLAR and EKOenergy to discuss the issue and express their
opinions on the crucial fight against climate change.
This harmful phenomenon is happening right now. It has already affected

different parts of the world - from the droughts countries suffer from to different
species losing their homes to global warming. This is why we need to act on it
now. We need to come up with solutions to this alarming problem that affects
everyone and everything around us. Through science and engineering, we can
work together to protect the planet and protect ourselves. You and I can make
a difference if we all work on it NOW!
Engr. Alice Hernandez

Senior Editor-at-Large

GINEERSNOW TEAM
Ems Bagatsing
Sales & Marketing Director
Ems@LincolnMartin.com
Robert Bagatsing
Editor-In-Chief
editor@GineersNow.com
Engr. Alice Hernandez
Senior Editor-At-Large
John Vauden Charity Bagatsing Raymond Gerard del Valle

Senior Editor Senior Editor Junior Editor
Asia-Pacific North America
Goran ulibrk
Hina Sapra Engr. Dion Greg Reyes Marketing and IT
Senior Editor Junior Editor Manager
South Asia
Engr. Cielo Panda Carl Duffrey Bartolome
Therese Matheren Junior Editor Video Editor
Senior Editor Creative & Layout
North America
GineersNow is a subsidiary of
Lincoln Martin Strategic Marketing
Level 14, Boulevard Plaza Tower 1
MBR Boulevard, Emaar Square,
Downtown Dubai, UAE
P.O. Box 334036, Dubai, U.A.E.
Mob: +971 50 4289684
www.LincolnMartin.com
Disclaimer: The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or
omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and
views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.
Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information
contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be
appropriate for the readers' particular circumstances.
The Copyright Law of the United States of America, Chapter 1, Subject 107, called the Limitations on
exclusive rights: Fair use states that, Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the
fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any
other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
(including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copy-
right. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be
considered shall include
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for
nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

22 28 34 38 44
10 Heres Why You Didnt Get That
Engineering Job 33 Solar
This Spinning Photovoltaic Cone Offers
Greater Efficiency Than Conventional
Panels
CONTENTS
11 Future Engineers: Guide On How To

Survive The Year 2035 Jobs And Skills
34 Is Climate Change Real?
12 10LookQualities Top Engineering Companies
For In An Engineer
36 Global Investments On Renewables And
Clean Energy Totaled To $329 Billion
14 Mechanical Engineering Sector Suffers

Terribly From Lack Of Women
37 How To Make The World Shift To Clean
Energy
15 The Engineering Skills Gap Is Still

Prevalent In Any Industry
38 AClimate
Call To Engage With Government On
Change
16 AnWorkEngineers Guide On Spotting Toxic

Environments
40 Climate
The International Solar Energy Supports
100% Renewable Energy To Mitigate
17 How To Find Out If Youre An Underpaid

Engineer
Change
18 How Do You Help An Unmotivated

Engineer At Work?
43 10Motivated
Tips To Keep The Millenial Engineer
To Work
19 How To Deal With Engineering Manager

Who Is A Rumor-Monger
44 The Latest Mining Industry Trends:
An Analysis For 2017
20 China To Invest $100B In Wind Power

Projects By 2020
48 How Humans Became The Leading
Cause of Climate Change
21 Middle East Electricity And Solar Middle

East Show Kicks Off In February
51 International
Vertu Introduces Constellation, A Luxury
Performance Smartphone For The
Traveller
22 Global Warming: From Scientific Finding

To Danger Reality 52 How Nations Are Rising Up To The
Climate Change Challenge
25 Why Should Civil Engineers Be So

Concerned About Climate Change? 54 The Coming Storm Over Bangladesh
26 Steel Is A Better Material Than Concrete
When Measured On Relative Impacts 56 The Future Of Construction Is Here:
Inflatable Concrete
28 Leonardo Dicaprio: Hollywoods Biggest

Hope In Fighting Climate Change 57 This Engineer Is Among The Miss
Universe 2016 Contestants
32 Meeting Climate Change Head-On:

Renewable For Mitigation And Adaptation 58 Africas 8 Most Mineral-Rich Countries
Source: Pinterest
Heres Why You Didnt Get

That Engineering Job
Take time to consider these mistakes before going to your next interview
So youre currently on the job hunt and youve to succeed at this engineering job. When you
landed some interviews with top engineering do this, its as if you are assuming the role of the
companies, unfortunately you havent been offered hiring manager by claiming the position. So many
any jobs yet. Youre wondering what you might job hunters do this, and it becomes a clich.
have done wrong, or how you couldve done better
as a young engineer. Here are some mistakes you Its good to sell yourself by justifying your
might have done that no one will tell you about. engineering skills, talents and accomplishments,
not by saying statements as I mentioned.
YOU MISTOOK FRIENDLINESS AS FRIENDSHIP
Interviewers are trained to have a friendly yet YOU MISTOOK WHAT THEIR QUESTION WAS
professional tone during an interview, so they can REALLY ABOUT
make you comfortable. By doing so, you are made Even before your interview, your interviewers have
to believe that your interviewer truly understands most likely already browsed through your resume.
you and that you are on the same engineering But during your conversation, your interviewer
team. When you enter this zone, you may confide asks you a question that youre sure youve
too much personal information than needed, like stated the answer already on your resume. So
saying something negative about your previous you tell your interviewer, Ive already answered
company and boss, or opening up personal that on my resume. Thats a big no-no. Most
problems, or anything that can negatively affect likely, the interviewer already has read this in your
your candidacy. resume, but is only asking the question to test
your communication skills when you are talking
Always remember that while it is important to have about something that you should have in-depth
a connection with your interviewer, this is their knowledge of.
method to get as much information about you as
possible. It is to test you on how professional you They also ask this to see, if you really did
are in such circumstances. understand what was on your resume, or if you
really did do the things you stated in your
YOU MISTOOK I CAN DO THAT. WITH IM THE resume. These are only some of the mistakes
BEST ONE TO DO THAT. made by job-hunters, so maybe its time for some
Dont assert yourself in a particular job listing self-reflection on how you can improve.
saying something similar to Im uniquely qualified

Source: Pinterest
Future Engineers: Guide

on How to Survive the
Year 2035 Jobs and Skills
A guide for the future engineers out there. An great people skills, and the ability to interpret and
Australian report predicted that in the next 20 understand health and well-being data.
years, a huge chunk of employees will act as As people around the world age, this kind of jobs
remote controls to unmanned vehicles, some will be significant. Online chaperones will be a
will be personalized preventive health helpers, job title as well in the next 20 years because
and others as online chaperones due to cyber of the risks imposed by cyber-crime. They will
security. provide protection and support for online activity.
This report, authored by Commonwealth Transitions within the workplace due to

Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, innovation also mean transition with skills. By
indicates that new skills will be required for the 2020, World Economic Forum listed top 10
workforce to learn as we move along with the skills needed in the future workplace, in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution. following order as listed in their Future of Jobs
report: complex problem solving, critical thinking,
Unmanned vehicles have started their era and by creativity, people management, coordinating with
2035, all we need are pilots, ship captains and others, emotional intelligence, judgment and
drivers working on their vehicles even a thousand decision making, service orientation, negotiation,
miles apart. Personalized preventive health and cognitive flexibility.
helpers will emerge as well, who need to have

Source: Giphy
QUALITIES TOP
ENGINEERING COMPANIES
LOOK FOR IN AN ENGINEER
I f you want to land your dream job and easily climb your way up the corporate
ladder, these qualities will help you succeed.
There are several attributes that top engineering youve faced in the past and how you were able
companies are looking for in a candidate during to overcome it. Thats how theyll judge you on
the recruitment phase. There are 10 specific your ability to handle stress.
qualities that engineers should mold and develop
during the course of their engineering careers. Dont give a dramatic effect to it. Keep it professional
and dont shed a tear.
No one is perfect that is a universal fact. We
can never recruit that one person who fits all of
the qualities an employer looks for without a flaw
or two. However, it still helps that we know what
3 YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF PATH YOU
WANT TO TAKE IN YOUR ENGINEERING
CAREER
kind of qualities we need to land the job of our If you want to work for big engineering
dreams and boost our careers. So if you want to companies, recruiters would ask you what kind
land the job of your dreams and start paving your of path you want to take once you get the job.
way to a successful career life, here are the top Would you like to eventually be promoted to a
qualities your future employer may need from managerial position? They would surely ask you
you: that. Theyd want to know if youre the type who
wants to stay in the company for a long time.
1Employers
YOU KNOW YOUR ENGINEERING
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
usually ask you what your strengths
Companies want loyalty from the people they hire.
and weaknesses are. So our advice is to be

honest and tell them what youre really good at.
Then, you can explain what your weaknesses are
4 YOU CAN WORK UNDER LIGHT
SUPERVISION
No one needs a burden so they need to hire
in a way that you can use it to your advantage. someone who can easily understand the job
description and knows how to do it.
Its pretty tricky but give this a lot of thought before
you head to the interview. Your supervisors would hate it if you keep bugging
them if youre doing the job right or not. So as much
2 YOU KNOW YOUR ENGINEERING

SUCCESS STORIES
They would ask you for a success story. Usually,
as possible, avoid annoying them.
employers would want to know what problems

Source: Pinterest Source: Pinterest Source: Trinity House
5YOU LIKE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

When they ask you about a challenging
situation where your problem-solving skills are
8 YOU ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO LEARN
NEW TECHNOLOGIES OR ENGINEERING
METHODS
tested, theyd want to see how you handle those If youre the type who hates change, then that
tasks and if you can fix the problem. We all know would be a disadvantage for you. Being part
that our jobs require us to solve problems all the of a company really requires you to learn new
time, so expect that youll be asked these kinds things to improve your skills. Your future boss
of questions all the time. would appreciate you even more if you show
enthusiasm in learning new things.
Hey, engineering school trained us very well for this
so this shouldnt be a problem anymore. Share to these people that you like to read a lot of
things to widen your knowledge on a certain topic.
6 YOU ARE ACTIVE IN YOUR WORK

As soon as you get the task done for the day,
your employers would appreciate it if you offer to
You can also tell them youre very willing to learn
something new for the job.
help with other tasks. If you end up as the perky

employee whos always game to get a lot of job
done, youd be one of the most favorite people in
9 YOURE A RESPONSIBLE ENGINEER
Anybody wants to hang out with the
responsible ones inside the company so if youre
the company. that type, theres a higher chance that your
employers would hire you for the job.
Dont be too perky though. Some employers might
think youre a goody two shoes. So if youve had experiences when youve proven
yourself responsible, go ahead and tell everyone
7 YOU CAN WORK WELL WITH YOUR

COLLEAGUES
When they check your resume, they would ask
about it. But dont sound arrogant though.
10 YOU HAVE AN AMBITION

Employers look for someone who has the
you what kind of organizations you worked with drive and determination to succeed with their job.
during college. Theyd assess how well you In short, they want someone with ambition.
perform in group activities. That would play a
crucial part on how your boss would assess you. So go ahead, show them that you are that engineer.
So if youre the type who can easily work well with

other people, this is no problem for you.

Source: The Engineer
Mechanical Engineering Sector Suffers

Terribly from Lack of Women
Why does this sexism prevail in the mechanical engineering sector?
Why do few women get interested if they do, stay in this field?
I
n a field like mechanical engineering where I dont want to work in an exclusively male
men are still considered dominant, its difficult environment, some women would say. They
for women to be on level ground despite the are put off by the course because they are
efforts of institutions to close the gender gap. surrounded by men and men alone. Women like
The misconception deep-rooted from childhood to talk about their stuff at work too, and want to
observations that engineering is only for men be comfortable around their kind, but they dont
lingers around the industry, which lost great get that opportunity at all because of the false
contributions from talented female supposed- thought of the working environment.
to-be engineers. Why does this sexism prevail in
the mechanical engineering sector? Why do few STEREOTYPING
women get interested if they do, stay in this What hurts the mechanical engineering more is
field? Here are four reasons: the stereotype of most people about the course.
They say that there is not a single woman in the
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT MECHANICAL field anyway or someone who makes waves in
ENGINEERING the industry. Or that the field requires manual
As previously said, it is the misconceptions that strength. Thats where they are wrong. The
hinder women to join mechanical engineering. work of mechanical engineers is not limited
For most of us, mechanical engineering sounds to only that. The scope is so wide that these
something like repairing old greasy machines. But engineers could enter the design sector, product
that truth is that lubricants and grease are only development, or testing, among others.
a small part of the vast scope of the mechanical
engineering work. This old-fashioned thinking MORE BRAWN THAN BRAINS
is propagated naturally without stop, which is Its true that the mechanical engineering sector
why there are lesser women signing up for a was more brawn than brains. But that was
mechanical engineering degree. before. The industry has evolved to be more
welcoming to women. Mechanical engineer is
FEAR OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT not only a mans job. Stereotypically, it may not
Other than the work that is falsely thought to come naturally to women because it deals with
be of mechanical engineers, there is one more machines, but they sure can do what men can do
critical issue to be addressed about mechanical no matter what it is.
engineering: it is a world of men.

The Engineering Source: The Engineer
Skills Gap is
Still Prevalent
in Any Industry
Engineering Students Urged by
Employers to Get Experience & Training
T
here are engineering jobs available, but The skills gap is not a new issue in the
engineering graduates just do not qualify. engineering industry. There have been efforts
The engineering skills gap is the main reason to answer this problem through educational
for sluggish industries. This is what the 2016 Skills institutions, by updating engineering curricula to
and Demand in Industry report published by the match with the industrys demands. But among
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) the employers involved in the survey, 91% of
aimed to say with their statistics gathered. After them agreed that work experience will help
interviewing over 400 UK engineering employers, students and trainees to improve the supply of
the report found that 62% of these employers engineers and technicians. Other critical aspects
believe that the graduates do not have the right that the report covered about engineering are
skills for todays workplace. In addition, 68% of the diversity issues, the role of education and a lack
employers asked are concerned about the struggle of experienced engineering staff. Here are key
of the educational system to keep up with the findings from the report:
skills required for technological change.
EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS GAPS

52% of employers are currently seeking new
engineering and technology recruits
57% are currently, or have recently, experienced
problems recruiting senior engineers with 5-10
years experience
50% find that a typical new engineering and
technology recruit does not meet their
reasonable expectations
Source: InfoPaathShaala Source: College of Engineering -
University of Wisconsin-Madison
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

ENGINEERING WORK EXPERIENCE 9% of the UK engineering and technology
76% of employers agree that compelling all workforce are female
engineering and technology companies to 63% of businesses dont have gender
provide work experience would improve the pool diversity initiatives in place (increased from
of engineering talent 57% in 2015)
73% dont have LGBT or ethnic diversity
53% dont know how the apprentice levy can initiatives in place
benefit their organisation 40% of employers agree that their
Source: University of Memphis, organisation could do more to recruit people
Department of Civil Engineering from diverse backgrounds

An Engineers
Guide On Spotting
Toxic Work
Environments
Before you decide to join a certain
company, how about checking these
warning signs from the people working
in that company.
H
eres an engineers guide so you LEADERS WHO DONT WALK THE WALK PEOPLE PLAY GAMES
wont have to experience these toxic The engineering bosses who say one thing Mean people exist. Bullies are still found in
situations but we know youll do it but do the opposite are the worst. Observe offices. The work politics can be dirty and
anyway. their honesty, integrity and transparency you dont want to get involved in playing
before you consider working for them. It games with these people.
The environment youre working in is very would be hard for you to trust them to lead
crucial to your job as an engineer. Being in you if you dont trust them to enough to Instead of finding time to be productive at
a company that allows you to grow and be work with. A good leader says the right work, these people would just waste it on
better in your profession is a dream come things and does them as well. complaining and sabotaging a colleagues
true for most of us. career. Not only is it bad for you, its bad
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ALWAYS TIRED for the company as well.
However, we cant deny the possibilities OF THEIR JOBS
of working in companies that could have It should be an obvious sign for anyone if THE RED TAPE
been good for us but only look good on the people who work in a certain company When the rules are too strict and you have
the outside. These companies may look often find themselves unmotivated to get to conform to what the company wants
good on paper but the people well be tasks done. They waste their time doing you to do, it could lead you to suffer in your
working with there may offer us a toxic unproductive work or wandering around career growth. You have so many great
environment that could be detrimental not the office (drinking coffee for an hour or ideas for the projects yet you couldnt
only to our career but also to our well- gossiping). If you dont want them to drain push through with them because of the
being. off the energy that you have, better avoid regulations that interrupt you.
working with them.
A toxic company culture must be avoided So go ahead, we advise you to do your
by any engineer at all cost. Would you LACK OF COMMUNICATION research first. Learn more about the
want to work in a company where you When all the communication employees companies you want to be part of. Ask a lot
dread walking in the office everyday are getting inside wok are through of questions and think about your options.
because the energy inside it is too meetings and memos, isnt it alarming that Better to be in a healthy environment
negative for you to get some work done? the management is keeping something despite the relatively low income than a
Nope, nobody wants that. from them? A healthy environment involves high-paying one thats toxic.
employees knowing what is going on,
So before you decide to join a certain where the company is headed and other Being in a toxic culture may affect
company, how about checking these important stuff necessary for their jobs. your health, your personal life and your
warning signs from the people working in Employees want to know if the company capabilities as an engineer.
that company. theyre working in is doing well or not.

How To Find Out If
Youre An
Underpaid Engineer
Before you start contemplating if you should start looking for a higher-paying job,
you should find out if youre paid fairly for the work you do.
I
n an ideal world, were all paid fairly with the can find a way to find out if they earn more for
work we do for the company were part of. We doing the same things that you would help you
put in the time and effort and in return, we assess salary matters.If someone does earn
expect to get the right amount of money for our higher with the same work that you have, do not
service. But have you ever thought that maybe demand your boss to increase your salary. It is
you are just underpaid with everything that you;re better if you come up with a rationale on why you
doing? Do you feel like youre not getting the need a raise.
salary that you think you deserve? Before you
start complaining and contemplating if you should HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE IN OTHER COMPANIES
start looking for a higher-paying job, you should EARN FOR DOING THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE?
find out if youre paid fairly for the work you do. Ask around and you can find out if how much
others are earning for the same amount of work
According to GOBankingRates, a personal finance that you do. If you think that your salary is too low
site, you should consider these questions first to for you, you may even consider looking at ads and
find out if you truly are an underpaid professional. find one that suits you.
DID YOU LEARN A NEW SKILL RECENTLY? Some people get some job offers from other
Have you done anything to increase your skill companies to use it for salary negotiations with
set lately? Did you attend an on-the-job training, their current jobs.
taken a new course to new responsibilities to
improve or learn new skills? If youve answered HOW MUCH DO NEWLY-HIRED PEOPLE EARN
yes to any of these questions, that makes you IN YOUR COMPANY FOR DOING JOBS SIMILAR
more valuable to your company and it should TO YOURS?
reflect in your paycheck. If you want to ask for a Consider how long youve been staying at the
raise to your boss, you may have to come up with company and the type of jobs given to you
ways you can suggest that will help the company at work. Now, when your employer offers an
save money or increase revenues with your new open position to other people, check their job
set skills. description and their salary range.
DO YOUR COLLEAGUES GET PAID MORE FOR Once you get an idea whether you are paid fairly
DOING SIMILAR WORK? or not, its a good opportunity to discuss it with
Its not really a conversation you want to have your boss.
with the people you work with. However, if you

Source: Digital Trends
HOW DO YOU HELP AN

UNMOTIVATED ENGINEER
AT WORK?
There are different reasons why the engineers at your
workplace dont show up to work with a goal
to accomplish great things for the day.
T
here are days when you observe the people As a company, provide time for each of your
you work with are not motivated enough to engineers to explore new things and give them
do their tasks at hand. You see them feeling new tasks every now and then. For a profession
uninspired to achieve good results at work. Then, that taught them to practice critical thinking in the
you find yourself asking if the problem comes field, it is best if you give them challenged that will
from the people they work with, the specific work help them apply what they learned in engineering
assigned to them or that the company is failing. school and actually have the chance to discover
There are different reasons why the engineers at more about their work.
your workplace dont show up to work with a goal
to accomplish great things for the day. As a leader MAKE THEM FEEL THEYRE PART OF THE
in your team, you must properly identify what the SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY.
problems are and find the best possible solution This is probably the hardest thing to do. One
to fix these problems. Here are some ways to success of the company doesnt necessarily
help unmotivated engineers have better work mean everyone can be happy about it, especially
performances at work: for those who are not personally involved in the
project. You have to find a way to let the people
YOUR ENGINEERS DONT SEE THE VALUE at work know that each one contributes to the
IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING. success of the company. It is better to even give
In most cases, unmotivated engineers often feel them validation every now and then. Help them
that way because they dont see the point in what understand what kind of impact they can have on
they are doing. This is why you have to explain the company.
your vision for your company. It is important that
they know what and why they are doing these While it is always challenging to keep your
things. Let them know the value of their jobs engineers motivated at work, as the leader, you
and how they can help achieve the goals of your have to come up with ways to keep them inspired.
company. Give them something to believe in If you dont want to have internal problems at
and involve them in things that will get everyone work, it is best to keep them motivated and feel
excited about when achieving certain tasks for valued at work.
your companys vision.
As Sir Richard Branson once said, Clients do
GIVE YOUR ENGINEERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO not come first. Employees come first. If you take
DISCOVER. care of your employees, they will take care of
Most often than not, engineers do not like jobs the clients. Keep them motivated. Keep them
that are boring. They hate taking jobs that doesnt inspired.
allow them the opportunities to improve and grow
as a professional.

Source: Pinterest
How To Deal with Engineering Manager

Who is a Rumor-MongeR
Heres a story from a friend who has experienced being at the receiving end
of the gossip. Whats worse is that, it usually comes from his boss.
E
ver since we landed high school until we their group. Just like this example, from an
stepped foot into the college of engineering, episode from the series The Office. But bosses
gossip has always been there. Unfortunately, who are rumor mongers should understand that
gossip happens even in the workplace. Heres a by doing this, they could ruin the reputation
story from a friend who has experienced being of their team - sometimes even permanently.
at the receiving end of the gossip. Whats worse Bosses should be professional, pleasant, kind
is that, it usually comes from his engineering and concerned about the welfare of their team
manager. members. Gossiping encourages an unpleasant
environment, which may not only affect the
Almost everyday, my boss would call me into his teams personal lives, but it may affect the work
office for extreme conversations about my other they do as well.
co-workers. It wouldve been okay if he praised
themwherein sometimes he wouldbut If bosses have a problem with a certain
more often than not, he would speak ill about employee, its best to talk to them personally
some of them then try to ask my opinion on the and hit them straight with the facts. Healthy
matter. A is so lazy, look at him just staring confrontation is a good way to clear things up
at his computer, why cant he be just like B? with a team member, rather than going around
Sometimes he would even try to push me into the office, asking people around if team member
his game by saying What do you think? Isnt it X really was partying yesterday, but called in sick.
better that Y was fired? If it is absolutely necessary to ask another person
about a team members performance, a boss
My friend was a newbie engineer at work and he should ask them this way How is Y doing with
couldnt afford to be fired, so he was afraid to tell the new action plan? not Y must be slacking off
his boss that he really wasnt the type who likes again, the action plan presentation sucks! What
to gossip. Everyone wants to have friends in the a loser. A good boss thinks about the welfare of
workplace, were a team after all - that includes his/her team and absolutely doesnt gossip! So, if
the boss. There are bosses who have difficulty ever you end up being a boss in the future, learn
fitting into their workplace thats why sometimes to be a leader, not a gossip monger.
they make up stories to be able to connect with

Source: tessant.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com
China to Invest
$100B in Wind Power
Projects by 2020
#2 The economic efficiency remains the main
restraint on the development of the sector. The
cost of power generation that is associated with
wind power projects are higher than that of
traditional fossil energies to generate power.
#3 Policies and the market environment to support

the development of the countrys wind power
sector need to be optimized further.
In line with these factors, the country has an
outlined plan that contains the priorities for the
A
ccording to the National Energy five year plan period.
Administration of Chinas latest wind
power development plan, the country will #1 To increase the efficiency by matching the
be investing more than 700 billion Yuan, or supply and demand. In addition to this, they plan
approximately 100 billion USD in wind power to restructure the distribution network so that
facilities from 2016 to 2020. wind power will be available in regions where the
supply doesnt meet the demand, through better
These wind power facilities are planned to have optimization of the grid when new sections of
an accumulated on-grid installation capacity of the grid will be built. They will also improve the
wind power facilities that will reach 210 million ability to regulate as well as adjust peak loads and
kW by the end of 2020. Chinas goal is to increase optimize interprovincial and interregional supply
their on-grid installation capacity of offshore wind networks.
power facilities to more than 5 million kW. They
also aim to make sure that the countrys annual #2 To improve the wind power development and
wind power generation volume will reach 420 utilization capabilities in the eastern and southern
billion kWh, which accounts for 6 percent of the regions of the country.
countrys total power generation volume.
#3 To drive independent innovation in technologies
Based on the expected power generation volume and in the building of utility-grade systems.
of wind power facilities by the year 2020, China To create world-class wind power technology
will expect savings of 150 million tons of standard R&D and equipment manufacturing facilities
coal as well as a reduction in emissions of 380 through promotion and support of independent
million tons of carbon dioxide, 1.30 million tons innovative efforts, to enhance the building of
of sulfur dioxide and 1.10 million tons of nitrogen utility-grade service systems, drive industry-grade
oxide annually. The wind power sector of China technological advancements and to improve the
is expected to create around 300,000 new overall quality of wind power development.
jobs during this period, raising the number of
employees in the sector to 800,000 by 2020. Chinas wind power sector plans to focus on
improving their management system, promoting
However, the country is challenged with three competition to remove the weakest players,
major factors in growing their wind power section. enhancing international cooperation as well as
taking advantage of support from the financial
#1 The existing power operation and management sector.
system cannot meet all the requirements of large
scale, on-grid wind power generation. Source: www.renewableenergyworld.com

Source: Solar Middle East
Middle East Electricity and Solar

Middle East Show Kicks Off in February
T
he Middle East Electricity and Solar Middle Visitors will be able to meet different leading
East Show, which is hosted by the UAE international suppliers as there are numerous
Ministry of Energy will take place from leading solar product manufacturers who will be
February 14 (Tuesday), to February 16 (Thursday) exhibiting their different products in this event. The
at the Dubai World Trade Center, UAE. The 3 day visitors can also expect to meet the speakers and
event is considered as the largest international understand more about the topics for this 2017s
trade event for the power industry, as it covers conferences: Energising the Smart City, and the
the generation, transmission and distribution of 2nd Annual The Solar Agenda.
electricity, as well as the renewable and nuclear
energy sectors and the lighting industry. ENERGISING THE SMART CITY
This conference is in association with Dubai
According to their website, the exhibition provides Municipality and the Environmental Centre for Arab
the ideal platform for international companies and Towns (ECAT). This is a high-level conference by
decision makers from across the Middle East, Middle East Electricity that will feature discussions
North Africa and the rest of the world to conduct on how to provide innovative energy solutions to
business, network and learn about the industrys modern cities. This topic will is scheduled on the
latest innovations. 15th of February.
This 3-day event is hosted by the UAE Ministry of THE SOLAR AGENDA
Energy and is so-located with the worlds largest This is MEE & Solar Middle Easts 2nd annual
power event, Middle East Electricity, Solar Middle Solar Agenda. This is a one day conference,
East is MENAs leading trade focused event for the wherein this year, will focus on all the aspects of
solar industry. financing solar projects in the Middle East.

Global warming:
from scientific finding to danger reality
E
KOenergy is a not-for-profit initiative launched up, and got the idea that maybe something should
by 45 environmental organisations. The be done about it, the setting changed dramatically.
company sees climate change as the biggest Immediately the fossil fuel industry started
threat to mankind, and considers renewable to spend millions to rescue its own business.
energy as the best available solution to keep Creating doubt was their main strategy. And with
climate change under control. success, 40 years have been lost.
We asked Steven Vanholme, Elyem Chej and The same scientists who predicted the heating
Christiane Lsel from the EKOenergy Secretariat say that an average temperature increase of 1.5
about their views on this matter. could have disastrous effects and even trigger an
uncontrollable warming. The bad news is that we
Steven Vanholme, EKOenergy Program are almost there. It has also been argued that the
Manager, 20 years involved in climate and current amount of emissions already exceed the
energy campaigns. point of no return. It always takes some time for
masses to heat up.
If people want to know why their lungs hurt, Id
obviously recommend them to go the doctor. If So who wants to spend time on discussing
somebody asks me about climate change, I refer, whether climate change is real, when scientific
of course, to what climate scientists say. evidence tells us that we must act now? Luckily,
Physicists have known for a long time that the more and more are moving to action.
climate on earth is largely influenced by the
amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One of the very few means we have to win the
In the 1890s, the clever Svante Arrhenius even fight against climate change is a drastic shift
calculated quite precisely how burning coal would towards 100% renewable energy. This, combined
influence the global temperature. But until the with reforestation and carbon sequestration
1940s, with about 2 billion people on the planet technology, may still leave a chance to keep the
and hardly any cars and airplanes, the danger planet more or less in a shape which can support
zone seemed to be in the far future. societies as we know them now.
After the Second World War, this really became And there is one lucky thing: even people who
a well-studied topic and increasingly a matter dont care about the planet can be motivated to
of concern. Scientists noticed that things were join the renewable revolution. The time of fossil
changing fast. But when politicians started to wake fuels is over. Renewable energy is the cheapest

Steven Vanholme Elyem Chej Christiane Lsel
way to produce energy and becomes cheaper We asked her what worries her most.
every year. Its a technology. The more people
use it, the better it becomes. And there is more: Earths surface temperature has been increasing
it generates jobs and brings clean air, on top of to record high temperatures for 3 years in a row.
being able to use everywhere, including places If the levels of greenhouse gas emissions are not
where neither coal nor nuclear have been able to dramatically reduced, many areas of the planet will
bring energy. become unlivable. According to recent scientific
studies, the temperature in the Arabian Gulf could
This is also where EKOenergy is playing a role. reach and exceed the limits of human adaptability,
We are actively promoting renewable energy. It rendering many parts of the region uninhabitable.
is important not to wait for politicians but to take
action ourselves. We tell about the advantages of Climate change also leads to to food shortages as
renewable energy as if our life depends on it. a consequence of droughts and extreme weather
Our ecolabel, which can be used worldwide, events. According to the UNs Intergovernmental
plays an important role in our campaigns. It Panel on Climate Change, food systems are at
helps consumers actively choose climate friendly risk of breaking down due to warming, drought,
products and communicate about it. We encourage flooding and precipitation.
companies and individuals to join strengths with
us. Together, we are unstoppable. Eighty percent of the additional heat trapped by
greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans,
Elyem Chej, from Western Sahara and Spain, which leads to the expansion of the water.
studied Political Science with a focus on Along with the melting of ice sheets, this leads
International Relations. She felt it was to increased sea levels. Scientists predict an
her duty to get involved in active Climate increase of many meters in the coming centuries.
Change action by joining EKOenergy due to Well see coastal flooding, saltwater intrusion into
the extreme weather events that are driving aquifers and surface waters, destruction of coastal
communities to starvation worldwide. ecosystems.

Illustration: Spatial distributions of extreme temperatures.
Source: Future temperature in southwest Asia projected to exceed a threshold for human adaptability,
Jeremy S. Pal & Elfatih A. B. Eltahir Nature Climate Change 6, 197200 (2016)
I believe that we are the last generation that can The falling cost of solar power and battery storage,
act to protect our planet. And thats why I want to rising sales of electric vehicles, increasingly
contribute to this cause. smart buildings and cheap hydrogen are all
weighing on the fossil fuel industry. Its not only us
Well aware of the challenges, we also see many saying that, but many people from the industry. In
evolutions that help us stay positive and optimistic. the end, clean power will win out based on simple
Christiane Lsel, a German who joined dollars and cents regardless of the fact they will
EKOenergy as part of the EUs EVS-program, also help save the world.
doesnt have to think long when we ask why
renewables are the future. An increasing number of companies, like Google
and IKEA belonging to the RE100 network promise
The costs of wind, solar, and other renewables to only use renewable electricity. This is a clear
have gone down drastically in the last 5 years. sign. We at EKOenergy are helping many smaller
New wind farms and solar power plants are on companies to follow these examples.
average cheaper than new coal, natural gas,
or nuclear power plants even without any After the Paris Agreement, there is finally hope
governmental support. that the world is switching from words to deeds.
No wonder the oil industry is so scared, and angry
As solar and wind are technologies, not scarce about it. If reason prevails and if we all work on
resources, further cost reductions can be this together, there is still a possibility, maybe
expected. About 500,000 solar panels were not to stop climate change, but at least to slow it
installed every day last year. We are sure that this down.
is only the beginning of a solar revolution.
Someday, when my kids will ask me what I have
Storage technologies, such as batteries and done to save their future on this planet, I want to
gasification, are getting better each year, and they be able to answer truthfully. I want to answer, that I
are getting cheaper too. This is important to allow did everything I could. And for that I am not willing
intermittent power sources (like wind and solar) to to give up!
play an even larger role in delivering power to the
grid.

Why Should Civil Engineers
Be So Concerned AbouT
CLIMATE CHANGE?
Part of the mandate of civil engineers is to provide infrastructures.
Weve reached that age of the human race wherein It is now critical for civil engineers upon their
climate change is already causing irreversible mandate in developing structures and systems to
damage. A century or so ago, it might be acceptable integrate the global warming problem in planning.
that environmental experts are the only ones It already serves as an important factor in the
holding critical knowledge about this phenomenon, construction of future highways, bridges, water or
its status and its growing effects; but now that the wastewater plants, buildings, and ports and harbors.
problem is affecting communities on larger scales There is discretion on civil engineers to find ways
and at an uncontrollable rate, climate change in improving the resiliency of infrastructures and
should already pose as a public concern. And civil developing systems that are bound to be affected
engineers, among other engineering professionals, by activities brought about by climate change. Not
have a critical role mandated to us as catalysts only do civil engineers have a role in combating
in mitigating, if not preventing, the growing and climate change through new projects, but also in
worsening impacts of climate change. the rehabilitation of existing infrastructures. The
technical knowledge that comes with profession
Also called global warming, climate change is will be put to better use if the element of the said
essentially the rise in average surface temperatures phenomenon is considered in making engineering
on Earth. Data from different organizations like the decisions.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Civil engineers can very well anticipate, mitigate
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and adapt on the impacts of climate change. It
suggest that climate change exists due primarily will take a lot of convincing the general public, the
to the human use of fossil fuels, releasing carbon government, and the contractors to include this
dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the critical factor in infrastructure projects; which is why
air. Such gases get trapped as heat within the it is a need that the climate change problem has to
atmosphere which causes summers to be longer be understood by all. The field of civil engineering
and hotter, rains to be heavier in downpour, sea will have to make necessary adjustments and stay
levels to rise, ecosystems to receive a range of away from most conventional methods, practices
harmful effects, and drought to cause massive and standards since a revamp in design and
wildfires, among others. Other than the visible systems with global warming included as a factor
consequences, a cause of alarm about climate draws massive changes.
change is the growing of the Earths average
temperature: it has climbed up to 1.4 F over the One of the premiere organizations in civil
past century and is expected to rise as much as engineering, the American Society of Civil Engineers
11.5 F over the next. (ASCE), is already tapped by environmental
organizations concerned with climate change to
But why should civil engineers care about this have an adaptation planning and implementation
phenomenon the most? What kind of role do civil framework, with some of its policies already aligned.
engineers hold in dealing with this crisis? The Its a start that the ASCE leads the path in the civil
events that are results of climate change like engineering initiative about climate change, with
flooding, precipitation, drought, fires, et cetera are the rest of the civil engineers around the world to
all affecting infrastructures. And who designs and take the challenge and contribute through their own
builds these infrastructures? The civil engineers. ways.

Steel is a Better Material Than
Concrete When Measured on
Relative Impacts
Minus the cost and aesthetic criteria,
steel is the preferable choice over concrete.
By Dion Greg Reyes
As soon as civilizations in various parts of the After using a generalized methodology for
world emerged, people started to build and use assessing the non-cost factors of building design,
structures made out of concrete and steel. Such the following analysis were derived. When it comes
materials placed wood, adobe and thatch off to inputs, concrete is a more disadvantageous
the map of towns and cities marking the dawn material compared to steel. A concrete
of construction innovation and flourishing of an superstructure would consume over three times
engineering age. Ever since, designers, engineers as much energy and six times as much natural
and tradesmen get to manipulate concrete and resources as a steel one. Production of a concrete
steel to form brilliant structures in the service of building also would use more toxic substances
mankind which are evident in developed areas. compared to its steel equivalent. Both concrete
and steel do not have significant differences when
Civil engineers study the technicalities of both it comes to materials transportation.
materials concrete and steel especially
those who major in structural engineering. Only However, when outputs are measured, there is an
these kinds of engineers can say objectively imbalance between the two with concrete still in
which material reigns supreme over the other a worse light. Upon building a concrete structure,
through the study of reinforced concrete and it will produce almost four times as much solid
steel structures. It is in the judgment of structural waste as a steel one. A steel superstructure offers
engineers to say which material is suited for a more recyclability of materials, but can damage
specific project with both having diverse positives. the water almost three times as a concrete
superstructure. When it comes to air pollution
There are several factors considered to weigh emissions, concrete buildings appear to be more
relative impacts of both materials. Massachusetts destructive, which is five times polluting the air
Institute of Technology for its Greening East more than steel buildings. The biggest takeaway
Campus Project Building looked at the input, for concrete structures when it comes to output is
output and production worker health and safety that it is almost seven times to contribute to global
of concrete and steel as these three find common warming than its steel equivalent.
ground for efficient comparison.

Source: Arch 5541
Being production worker health and safety also a It can be concluded via these three relative
factor of consideration, buildings of steel do not measures of impact that concrete is a relatively
have much of a significant edge over buildings of poorer material compared to steel for the
concrete. Production of a concrete superstructure construction of the Greening East Campus
involves roughly the same rate of fatal Project Building. This is primarily caused by the
occupational injuries as production of a steel one. large amount of material that goes into concrete
But when non-fatal injuries and illnesses are taken structural elements. According to the Athena EIE
into account, steel structure production poses model used in evaluating the impact categories,
a higher rate of 12% than concrete structure over six times as much material (by mass) is
production. required to produce the concrete superstructure
than is required for the steel superstructure.
Source: Havit Steel Structure
The modelled concrete superstructure requires
approximately 21,000 cubic meters of concrete
(46,000 standard tons assuming a density of
2,000 kg per cubic meter) and about 1,500
tons of iron and steel for wire and rebar. A steel
superstructure for the East Campus Project
building would require approximately 3,000 cubic
meter of concrete (7,000 standard tons) and about
1,000 standard tons of iron and steel.
This evaluation doesnt consider the aesthetics,

but by the potential impacts and tradeoffs at stake
in deciding to use steel or reinforced concrete to
build one identified structure.

Source: Esquire
Climate change is real, it is

happening right now. It is the
most urgent threat facing our
entire species, and we need
to work collectively together
and stop procrastinating

Leonardo DiCaprio:
Hollywoods Biggest Hope in
Fighting The Climate Change
I
f youve been living under a rock, it still Little did everyone know that he had been
wouldnt be acceptable if you havent heard exposed to the concept of species loss when
about Leonardo DiCaprio. He happens to be one he was still young. In an interview, he shared
of the biggest stars in the world and he is proving that a reproduction of Boschs Garden of Earthly
himself to be a modern day hero. While people in Delights was hung above his crib. But it was
Hollywood come off as superficial and ignorant, when he met Al Gore back in 1998 at the White
DiCaprio shows the world how his fame can be House that really sparked his interest in climate
used to save the environment. activism.
But before he became a climate change activist, This led him to establish his own foundation, the
how did he exactly become who he is now? Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which focuses
From turning into the Hollywood heartthrob on wildland conservation, climate change, public
girls obsessed with during his Titanic days to advocacy, indigenous rights, marine conservation
becoming a respectable personality to both the and innovative solutions. Working with several
general public and heads of states, we can all partners, his foundation has already awarded
agree that he is the man everyone needs to start grants worth $61.1 million and supported more
making changes. than 65 organizations. Some of the foundations
donations included $3 million to stop overfishing
Born in Los Angeles, California, Leonardo and $3 million to protect tigers in Nepal.
Wilhelm DiCaprio came from a rich mixture of
different cultures in his blood. His father is of
Italian and German descent. This is why DiCaprio
knows how to converse in Italian and German Source: Instagram
while his maternal grandparents were Russians.
When his parents separated a year after he was
born, he and his mother lived in Los Angeles
neighborhoods.
His career started during the 90s when he first

appeared in different educational films and
commercials. He got his break on television when
he was cast on Parenthood, which eventually
earned him a nomination for the Young Artist
Award for Best Young Actor. His movie break
was on the sci-fi film, Critters 3 and went on to
join the casts of Growing Pains (tv), This Boys
Life and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape. After his
success on the film Titanic, DiCaprio became a
household name and starred in several movies
with very interesting roles. Even up until now, his
star still shines bright in Hollywood and he has no
plans of retiring from acting.
With a career full of demanding roles, where

did his environmental activism fit in? When did
DiCaprio become involved in finding ways to be
part of the climate change revolution?

DiCaprio has been very supportive of several foundations and charities (some of these foundations
focused on films) as well. See the list below to check which ones he supported through the years:
African Wildlife Foundation Indigenous Environmental Network Stop Global Warming

Cinema For Peace Motion Picture and Television The Gorilla Organization
Declare Yourself Fund Foundation The Solutions Project
Feeding America Onyx and Breezy Foundation TreePeople
Film Foundation Pediatric Epilepsy Project United Nations
Global Cool Reef Check Foundation Environment Program
Global Green Save the Elephants Unite for Japan
Green Cross International SOS Childrens Villages WildAid
What makes DiCaprio so admirable is how In 2007, DiCaprio produced the 11th Hour,
passionate and dedicated he is in working with which he wrote and narrated as well. The
different organizations and leaders to improve documentary film tackles different crucial issues,
policies involving the environment. He became mainly exploring how we arrived as a human
part of the board of the International Fund for race to where we are now, how it affects the
Animal Welfare, the World Wildlife Fun and the environment and how we can change the course.
National Resources Defense Council.
Last year, DiCaprio released another
His foundation has also been raising money in documentary called Beyond The Flood on the
its annual gala that involves several celebrities. National Geographic Channel. He raised more
In its third annual gala, the event was held in pressing issues where he discussed the dangers
Saint-Tropez last year and successfully raised of climate change with scientists, activists
$45 million. The money went to causes that and several world leaders. The film featured
protected vulnerable wildlife and stopped climate prominent figures such as Barack Obama, Elon
change. Some of the money raised also went to Musk and Pope Francis. DiCaprio worked with
GiveForFrance.org. The event were full of high Martin Scorsese and it distributed worldwide for
profile personalities such as Bono, Mariah Carey, free as part of NatGeos commitment to covering
Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell and Arnold climate change.
Schwarzenegger.
Source:Getty Images

Source: Instagram Source: Instagram Source: Variety Source: Hollywood Reporter
DiCaprio has been using his popularity to reach Unfortunately, not everyone believes in climate
out and educate people about the harmful and change. This is a serious matter especially
deadly effects of climate change not only to when skeptics include world leaders such as
people, but to animals. One of the most important the President of the United States of America.
highlights of his campaign and even in his career Last year, DiCaprio, together with the head of
was when he finally won the Best Actor award in his foundation, met with Donald Trump to give a
2016s Academy Awards. Millions have always presentation to the President, his daughter and
rooted for him to win the award for his role in the Presidents team on how jobs that center
the movie, The Revenant. During his acceptance around preserving the environment can boost the
speech, he used it as an opportunity to reach out economy.
to millions who watched the show and informed
them of his fight against climate change. In his By putting the governments focus on renewable,
moving speech, he said: clean energy, it could create millions of jobs for
the country. While we have to see if DiCaprio
And lastly, I just want to say this: Making The influenced Trumps government or not, we know
Revenant was about mans relationship to the that he will always be involved in his advocacies.
natural world. A world that we collectively felt in
2015 as the hottest year in recorded history. Our As of this moment, DiCaprio remains to have
production needed to move to the southern tip of a busy acting career ahead of him. The public
this planet just to be able to find snow. Climate seems to know only a little about his private
change is real, it is happening right now. It is life but if theres one thing admirable about the
the most urgent threat facing our entire species, award-winning actor is his dedication to the
and we need to work collectively together and environment.
stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders
around the world who do not speak for the big While most celebrities promote themselves on
polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, their social media accounts, DiCaprio likes to use
for the indigenous people of the world, for the his Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to express
billions and billions of underprivileged people his opinions and inform the public of different
out there who would be most affected by this. issues concerning the environment.
For our childrens children, and for those people
out there whose voices have been drowned His actions have become admirable and
out by the politics of greed. I thank you all for inspiring, making him one of the most respected
this amazing award tonight. Let us not take personalities in the whole world.
this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for
granted. Thank you so very much.

Although renewable energy systems are also vulnerable
to climate change, e.g. extreme water levels, high
temperatures and wind speeds, they have unique
qualities that make them suitable both for reinforcing
the resilience of the wider energy infrastructure and
for ensuring the provision of energy services under
changing climatic conditions. System modularity,
distributed deployment, and local availability and
diversity of fuel sourcescentral components of
energy system resilience are key characteristics of
most renewable energy systems. Ultimately, renewable
energy systems improve the resilience of conventional
power systems, both individually and by their collective
contribution to a more diversified and distributed asset
pool.
Meeting Climate Change There is increasing awareness that in order to provide

needed energy services in a climate-constrained
Head-On: Renewable for environment, future energy systems need to be resilient

and to maintain service even under extreme, changing,
mitigation and adaptation

or unpredictable conditions by being robust, yet flexible
and adaptive.
The role of renewables has been proven in climate

Is climate change real? Yes! mitigation. As the effects of extreme weather are felt
increasingly, more attention will need to be paid to how
The December 2015 adoption of the Paris Agreement renewable energy can support adaptation activities
by 195 countries to limit global warming to well below so that energy services can be assured. Mitigation
2 degrees Celsius and its ratification less than a year and adaptation responses to climate change cannot
later sent a clear signal that countries acknowledge remain independent of each other. Rather, both
that climate change and its effects are real. In parallel responses need to occur simultaneously, illustrating
actions to reduce emissions were embodied in high- their complementary nature and their collective role in
profile agreements by G7 and G20 governments to meeting climate change challenges.
accelerate access to renewable energy and to advance
energy efficiency. The United Nations General Assembly While uncertainty remains about the precise extent of
adopted a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal on climate change and its effects, it is real and here to
Sustainable Energy for All (SDG 7). The world also saw stay. Is climate change real? The answer is yes. The
the largest global capacity additions from renewables more pressing question is, what are prepared to do?.
to date despite a dramatic decline in global fossil fuel Renewables coupled with energy efficiency provide both
prices. the means to reduce energy consumptions effect on
the climate while also ensuring the provision of energy
Energy plays a central role in economic development services. The solution is there: it only takes courage to
and in the overall functioning of society. However, in change.
order to increase energy access while at the same
time meeting the target of limiting global temperature
increase to 2 degrees Celsius, remaining fossil fuel
reserves will have to be kept in the ground. Both
renewable energy and energy efficiency will have to be
scaled-up dramatically.
It is widely recognised that the use of renewable energy

is critical in mitigation, i.e. efforts to reduce the scale For more information about the status of renewables
and rate of climate change. However, renewable energy visit www.ren21.net. Here you can get the latest
is also an important component of climate change information on the global renewable energy market,
adaptation: 1) in improving the resilience of existing industry and policy landscape. All references are
energy systems in the face of the impacts of a changing linked. Text can be easily translated via the web
climate; and 2) in ensuring the delivery of energy browser into other languages. Learn how renewables
servicesincluding lighting, heating, and cooling and energy efficiency together are advancing the
under changing climatic conditions. energy transition.

This Spinning Photovoltaic Cone
Offers Greater Efficiency Than
Conventional Solar Panels
The technology is packed in a one meter-diameter cone.
Source: V3 Solar
The conventional solar panel is flat, covering a floats on magnets, there is almost no resistance,
vast, open space may it be on land or roof. Its and the magnets are arranged to push the spin
shape actually doesnt matter as long as it is forward. The rate of spin is controlled by electronic
efficient in absorbing solar energy. But it turns feedback loops to maximize production. Industrial
out that an unorthodox solar cell design by design team Nectar Design helped V3 Solar in
V3Solar is capable of generating more electricity. developing the device.
A third party has verified that the elegant Spin
Cell cones of V3Solar can produce over 20 times Its makers believe that the Spin Cell could be
more electricity than a static flat panel with the a game-changer in the market. According to
same area of photovoltaic cells. The technology is V3, there is a difference of response when the
packed in a one meter-diameter cone embedded conventional solar panel and the Spin Cell are
with a layer of hundreds of triangular photovoltaic placed in a 20x solar concentration.
cells positioned at an angle of 56 degrees,
encased in a static hermetically-sealed outer lens For a flat, static solar panel, the temperature
concentrator. quickly reaches 260 degrees F, and the solder
melts within ten seconds, and the PV fails. With
Solar power generation is done by the the same concentration on the Spin Cell, the
photovoltaic cone through spinning, run temperature never exceeds 95 degrees F, V3
by a solar-generated power which explains in their website. Spin Cells can also be
is also feeds a Maglev system in used in another form called Power Pole, which is
order to reduce the noise and aimed to save space compared to conventional flat
for maintenance. The spin is panels. As the name suggests, it is a pole, which
powered by a small amount holds 10 Spin Cells, or 10KWp, in a footprint of
of electricity that comes 10 SF. Thats a greater solar power generation
from the sun, V3Solars in a small space. In this setup, much attention is
Chief Marketing Officer given to the Spin Cells not to shade another. This
Robert Styler tells. It is done by placing them with utmost mathematical
only requires one precision. V3Solar had already secured its first
amp because licensing agreement to supply 800,000 Spin Cell
the unit units for a large solar farm.

Is Climate Change Real? by Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General
It is difficult to get a man to understand something MONEY

when his salary depends upon his not understanding The fossil fuel industry is arguably the most
it. - Upton Sinclair powerful vested interest in the history of human
civilization. After all, it was on the back of steam-
Im not going to spend time on the physics or the powered cotton gins and trains powered by coal
evidence of climate change. To be clear, were that started the industrial revolution, not to mention
talking about a) the measurement of the physical the steel and cement industries. Later it was fossil
changes in the biosphere, cryosphere and the fuel powered power plants, factories, automobiles,
oceans over the past 150 years or so; and b) the ships and trains that have been the driver for
thesis, overwhelmingly supported by national and modern industrial society. And the accumulation of
international scientific bodies, that the majority almost unimaginable wealth held by governments,
of these changes are a result of human activity, corporations, and concentrated in a relatively small
primarily the increase in carbon dioxide in the number of individuals. Ever since the climate issue
atmosphere (and the oceans) as a result burning first came to public and political prominence in the
fossil carbon in the form of oil coal and gas. late 1980s, elements within the fossil industry have
used their considerable wealth and influence to
The global response to the threat of anthropogenic undermine climate science and sow doubt in the
climate change, which began in 1988, has focused general public. Exxon Mobil is currently being sued
on defining tolerable limits to the changes which by a number of US States on that basis, and the
will take place, and changing our behavior to try Koch brothers have been fighting against renewables
and remain within these limits. Since 1992, with in state legislatures across the country. Furthermore,
the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on these same elements have been funding so-called
Climate Change, this has been defined broadly by institutes to add confusion to the political debate
the Conventions Article 2, i.e., to avoid dangerous for many years . They have been quite successful,
climate change . Up until recently this was defined especially in the Anglo-Saxon world.
as keeping global mean temperature rise below
2C above the pre-industrial average; this was re- MEDIA AND EDUCATION
adopted in the recently concluded Paris Agreement, Why in the Anglo-Saxon world particularly? Two
with an additional proviso that countries should be reasons come to mind: first and foremost is the
pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to increasing corporate ownership of main print, radio
1.5C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that and television media by a few wealthy individuals
this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts whose wealth is at least in part due to the fossil
of climate change. So why all the hullaballoo? fuel industry. The classic example is the cranky old
Why are we continually subjected to this denialist Australian climate sceptic Rupert Murdoch, who
rhetoric which is for the most part utter nonsense not only controls a large portion of the Australian
spewed over the airways and even worse on social press, but also everything Fox in the US, Dow Jones
media; including most recently by the newly elected (including the Wall Street Journal, the last major
President of the United States and most of his newspaper in the world to have a climate-sceptic
cabinet? editorial stance); and the Times and The Sun in
the UK, along with BSkyB broadcasting . While he
The answer to these questions are the subject of a is certainly not the only one, he may be the most
great number of academic papers, polling, studies influential, and you can see that influence reflected
and other interpretations. For me, there are three in the chart below:
main reasons:
To what extent do you agree or disagree? The climate change we are currently seeing
is largely the result of human activity

fight it can be disorienting and upsetting. So when
Secondly, the quality of education, science education a web page or a blog comes along and presents a
in particular, has been slipping in the Anglo-Saxon view that its nothing really to worry about, it can be
world for some time, most notably in the United easily adopted and the threat put to one side.
States; which also has a history of turning scientific Unfortunately this is not reality, as we are seeing
advances into political/religious/ideological debates, increasingly clearly, as 2016 has just been recorded
dating back to the so-called Scopes Monkey Trial as the warmest year on record, beating 2015s
in 1925 when a Tennessee high school teacher record; which itself beat 2014s record. And so it
was put on trial for teaching evolution in the school goes...
which had been specifically prohibited by the
State Legislature. He was convicted, and strongly Fortunately, given that most of the world is
supported by three time Presidential candidate and responding in some way to the climate issue, we
later Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, who now have the technology to solve most of the
ran anti-evolution campaigns across the country for problem, led by the rapid advances in wind, solar
much of his career. and energy efficiency technology, which are now
not only getting to be very large scale, but very
So the intrusion of ideological/theological arguments competitive as well. As a result of their rapid uptake,
into the public arena in the US is nothing new, and emissions seem to have plateaued in the past couple
is reflected in the decreasing global rank of the US in of years.
terms of quality of education in recent years , as well
as the new Administration in Washington erasing But the political/ideological/theological debate
climate change from its web pages within hours of continues to sap energy from our efforts. To have
taking office. any hope to meet the targets set out in the Paris
Agreement, emissions need to peak now and begin
FEAR OF CHANGE to decline rapidly for the rest of the decade and
As the rate of change in the world continues beyond.
to increase, long held beliefs are continuously
challenged, and, especially when theyre Let us hope that science and good sense prevail.
inconvenient, can be easily ignored or set aside. Otherwise, the climate change issue will be taken
This is especially true in the case of climate, as out of the hands of elected politicians and into the
the threat of climate change can be overwhelming hands of the emergency services and ultimately the
indeed, and the scale and rate of change required to military. Let us hope it doesnt come to that.

Global Investments On Renewables and
Clean Energy Totaled To $329 Billion
Last year was a record for a whopping $329 billion global investment
for clean energy, to expect for a better yield.
By Robert Bagatsing
A
ccording to Bloomberg New Energy Finance
(BNEF), the total investment on clean energy
hit $329 billion accounting 50 percent of
investment from the Asia-Pacific Region.
BNEF Chairman of Advisory Board Michael

Liebreich said that the figures are a stunning riposte
to all those who expected sustainable energy
investment to stall on failing oil and gas prices.
He even added that they highlight the improving BNEF Chairman of Advisory Board Michael Liebreich
cost-competitiveness of solar and wind power, (Screencap from Youtube)
driven in part by the move by many countries to
reverse-auction new capacity rather than providing
advantageous tariffs, a shift that has put producers
under continuing price pressure.
China was said to remain the largest clean energy

investor amounting to $111 billion with solar energy
as its largest funding. China is likely to propel
towards less pollution actions and less coal powered
energy sources as a part of its 13th five year plan
(2016-2020) to be implemented in March 2016.
Its National Carbon Emission Trading Program, the Source: Pinterest
worlds largest carbon emission control project,
will cover 10,000 companies emitting 3-4 billion
tons of CO2. Also, Solar and Wind tariffs for new
plants were reduced starting on January 1, 2016,
according to BNEF. Iran was also noted to develop
high-growth in the renewables as it has already a
feed-in tariff programme and line-up of projects on
solar, wind and non-hyrdo renewables.
The European Investment Bank also allowed lending

all over 100 billion for climate action for the next
five years.
Source: Pinterest
China National Building Materials recently signed
a 1.6 billion agreement with Hong Kong-based Meanwhile in South Korea, LG Electronics plans to
Welink Global in the United Kingdom for solar power invest $435 million in building solar manufacturing
projects and energy saving housing in the United plants. Yingli Green Energy was also said to build
Kingdom. The European Bank for Reconstruction its first overseas factory in Thailand aside from its
and Development and the Clean Technology Fund clean projects in China. With continuous growth
formed a programme to lend $125 million in of awareness in environmental conservation and
developing geothermal in Turkey. The plan consists sustainability, it is expected that these investments
of constructing five geothermal power plants. In would yield positive results in addressing global
Japan, the Development Bank of Japan and Japan issues on pollution and energy sources. From a well
Wind Development implemented the creation of the invested year, may 2017 be a better year for all
countrys first wind power funding at $423 million. nations.

Source: Pinterest
HOW TO MAKE
THE WORLD SHIFT TO
CLEAN ENERGY
While there are countries who uses solar and
wind energies as their source, the world as a
whole is still far from embracing it.
W
ho wants clean energy for everyone? While renewable clean energy is supposed
We all do! Who in their right minds to be cheap, what makes it expensive is
wouldnt want renewable energy the infrastructure spending. Solar panels
thats good for the environment and cheaper and wind mills are expensive to install but
for our consumption? With climate change once its there, life should be a breeze (so to
taking over our lives, governments and speak).
private companies have invested billions
of dollars in order to shift from fossil fuels Thats where institutions like the World Bank,
into clean renewable sources of energy. Asian Development Bank and European Bank
According to Bloomberg New Energy for Reconstruction and Development, play a
Finance, everybody invested a whopping crucial role in our energy shift. According to
Source: Carnegie
$329 billion last year. Unfortunately, that representatives from New Climate Economy:
amount is not enough for total clean
energy consumption. Ceres, a sustainability Development banks can take on the risks
advocacy group, says that the world needs that no other actors are willing to take.
$1 trillion in new investments every year! For every $1 [development banks] invest,
they can leverage up to $20 in private
Where in the world can we get $1 trillion? finance The markets are working. The
Dont forget thats $1 trillion for new cost of renewables are dropping. People are
investments. We also need money to sustain seeing the promise to energy efficiency.
the amount we pay for shifting our energy
from non-renewable to renewable sources of If governments and major key players
energy! in renewable energy start focusing on
implementing clean energy in our daily lives,
One way to get that money is to have it will give us a huge relief when we see our
institutions like the World Bank to invest on bills and we get to save the planet, too!
renewable energy.

A Call to Engage with Government
on Climate Change
C
ommunication is an essential, yet often fact-based information and solutions to legislators
overlooked, aspect of confronting the and staff in the U. S. federal government
challenge of global climate change. One through briefings, white papers, and outreach.
obstacle is the sheer scope of the problem, in I work to distill issues, including climate
that greenhouse gases and their impacts are not change and renewable energy development,
constrained by geographical borders and they into straightforward policy recommendations
certainly do not recognize political affiliations. that hopefully lead to thoughtful and effective
Climate change is a threat to everyone on legislation.
the planet, but because it impacts all of us in
different ways, its effects are not always easily I also frequently defend existing programs and
understood. Engineers, scientists, and other savvy regulations by highlighting their benefits across
professionals are a vital resource to help ensure industries and locales in an effort to build broad
policymakers and the general public see the big coalitions of support. Unfortunately, the issue
picture on climate. of climate change and how best to address it
has become a lightning rod in certain countries,
Strong, knowledgeable voices are needed to especially at the national level in the United
convey the consequences of apathy and the need States. While this trend has made my job as a
for innovation in the fields of climate mitigation communicator of climate and energy concepts
and adaptation. Some may argue engineers more arduous, it has also forced me to adjust my
and scientists should stay far away from todays approach to better understand and connect with a
political discourse, but in order to promote more diverse audience.
fact-based decision making and facilitate the
breakthroughs needed to achieve a sustainable Today, many elected officials seem to be too
future, an open dialogue between those who wedded to their political partys ideology and are
design climate solutions and those who implement failing to grasp the long-term vision required when
them through government institutions is essential. considering climate mitigation and adaptation
As a policy associate at the Environmental and measures that could be extremely important
Energy Study Institute (EESI) in Washington, DC, to their constituents. Even with the growing
I engage in these types of discussions every deployment of clean energy resources around the
day, playing the role of translator for a varied globe and diplomatic milestones like the Paris
audience in the public and private sectors. Climate Agreement, bold action is still needed to
Part of EESIs mission is to deliver non-partisan, blunt the worst effects of a warming world.

Engineers and scientists are going to be crucial The simple act of contacting an elected
players in devising and implementing solutions to representative or writing an editorial can be
help humanity overcome the threat and impacts of powerful first steps. Oftentimes, public officials
climate change, from improving energy efficiency to are not fully aware they have the political backing
ensuring cities are able to cope with sea level rise. to tackle a complex issue until a critical mass of
their constituents makes it impossible for them to
Yet, even if these groundbreaking technologies ignore.
and systems come to pass, they will still require
funding, permits, incentives to drive adoption, and Taking to the street in protest may draw visibility to
other forms of support that will require government climate issues and can be effective in jumpstarting
resources and political will to scale up. the process, but private conversations to educate
decision makers can yield more powerful results
Going forward, it will be increasingly important in the long-run. Striving to better understand the
for engineering and science practitioners to build perspective of those seemingly opposed to climate
bridges between their communities and the policy can open doors and illuminate a potential
government. Knowledgeable, respected voices are middle ground to enact positive change through
needed more than ever to cut through the political technology and governance.
noise obscuring the dire reality that climate change
is happening and every nation must take collective Whether as a citizen lobbyist or as a representative
action to address their own historical liability and of a professional society, making your voice heard
assist those who are most vulnerable to climate and presenting compelling cases for progress
impacts. There are many ways to get involved in to those in power can construct much-needed
efforts to convince skeptics that combating climate bridges between engineering and science
change should be a priority and that the world has practitioners and policymakers.
the tools to do so.

The International Solar Energy Society (ISES) supports
100% RENEWABLE ENERGY TO

MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE
T
he Paris Climate Agreement accord of This is despite the ever-increasing demands
2015 includes commitments by signatory these technologies place on the quality of our
countries to reduce carbon emissions to energy supply, and the variable nature of our
specified targets, known as INDCs (Intended more prominent renewable energy technologies.
Nationally Determined Contributions). Based on Advances in energy storage capacity, improved
current projections, if all INDCs were adopted efficiency of end-use energy devices, and grid
as specified, global temperature warming would management strategies all lead to the prospect
be limited to 2.7 to 3.0 C above pre-industrial that 100% of our electricity supply could come
levels (currently global warming is approximately from renewable energy sources well before the
1 C above preindustrial levels). Without the end of this century.
INDCs, warming could be expected to be as
much as 4.5 to 6 0C by the end of this century, Despite the continued growth of the electricity
which could have catastrophic impacts on our sector as our preferred energy source, more
society. Even the current targets established by than half of our end-use energy consumption,
the submitted INDCs leave us well above the including the transportation, industrial, and
desired UNFCCC (United Nations Framework residential sectors, comes from non-electricity
Convention on Climate Change) goal of limiting sources. This means that for a future energy
global warming to 1.5 to 2 C. As shown by the supply to be totally 100%, the energy consumed
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in in these non-electric sectors must also come
order to cap global warming to 2 C by the end from renewables rather than traditional sources.
of this century, greenhouse gas emissions must Much of the process heat required by the
peak within the next 10 to 20 years, then drop industrial sector, as well as residential heating
to near zero well before 2100. Achieving these and cooling, can be met by solar heating and
reductions will require a substantial increase in cooling technologies, along with second-
the use of renewable energy technologies. generation biomass and geothermal sources.
The International Solar Energy Society supports Future transportation systems can be driven
how the ongoing energy transformation can entirely by a combination of electricity and
and should lead to an energy system supplied biofuels. Even so, energy efficiency and storage
100% by renewable technologies. Reports technologies will continue to gain in importance
from research institutions and actual real-world to achieve a 100% renewable energy supply.
case studies indicate more and more that the
technological challenges towards achieving Overcoming the technology barriers will not
100% renewable energy can be addressed. For necessarily guarantee a 100% renewable energy
example, within the power sector, it has already future. Mobilizing the financial capital to achieve
been demonstrated in communities and regions these goals is perhaps among the most important
that a 100% renewable-driven electricity sector constraint that must be addressed both by
is feasible (for further information, see http:// national governments providing public finance
www.go100percent.org/cms/index.php?id=17). and by the private capital markets themselves.

Here the public and private sectors need to work The fossil fuel interests are mobilizing their base
together to stimulate the private capital flows to thwart or at least delay the transformation,
required to finance the energy transformation. arguing (falsely) that the transformation is
Programs such as the Green Climate Fund, a creating global financial chaos and disruption.
pool of public capital made available through ISES is playing a key role to ensure that the
recent climate agreements, if used properly, can renewable energy transformation is not derailed
stimulate this flow of private capital by helping by fossil fuel interests, or by reluctance of
create enabling environments for renewable national governments to create favorable policies.
energy business growth, especially with small
and medium enterprises. Recent estimates show This role is to continue to advocate for and
that current investment in renewable energy, report on ongoing and growing support in critical
although exceeding USD $300B, must double by R&D to advance clean energy technologies
the year 2020 and reach $900B/year within ten from the laboratory to the marketplace, and to
years just to keep up with the climate mitigation communicate the viability of a 100% renewable
goals that were established at the COP21 in energy future broadly in ways that stimulate
Paris in December 2015. favorable policies and attract low-cost private
capital.
Most of this financing will be covered by private
capital. Governments, however, play a key role, COP22: RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
not only in supporting the high-risk R&D that READY TO DELIVER ON THE PARIS AGREEMENT
is still required to further reduce the costs and AT ALL LEVELS OF DEPLOYMENT
improve the reliability of renewable energy The REN Alliance, a coalition of five renewable
systems. energy associations, joined forces at COP22
in Marrakech to demonstrate how renewable
An energy transformation to a low-carbon technologies working together can meet energy
economy is now underway, and the Paris accord needs at island, rural, city, regional and national
is a signal for national governments to create levels.
policies to accelerate this transformation. The
three legs of the energy transformation stool: Among the most significant challenges facing
technology innovations, mobilization of private society today is the impacts that global climate
capital, and the establishment of enabling change can have on our economies, livelihoods,
policies, are all coming together, but more work and lifestyles. The COP21 Agreement coming
and many challenges still stand in the way of a out of Paris in 2015 calls for all countries to
realization towards a 100% renewable energy work together towards greenhouse gas reduction
future. The political will is not always there, and commitments that ultimately result in no more
governments do not always sustain the kind than 2 C, and ideally 1.5 C warming above
of critical R&D necessary to move innovation preindustrial levels by the end of this century.
technology into the marketplace.

REN Alliance partners hold a side event at COP22 in Marrakech entitled
Renewable Working Together, December 2016.
The REN Alliance partners at COP22 in Marrakech, December 2016
A decarbonized energy sector must be achieved THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR

within the next few decades in order to meet this ENERGY SOCIETY (ISES)
climate challenge. ISES is a leader in the transformation to a
100% renewable energy future through its
The REN Alliance underlines that a renewable events, webinars, publications and collaboration
energy supply is not only good for the climate, with global partners. The ISES Solar World
but offers manifold economic and social Congresses, held biennially since the 1950s,
benefits, for developing and for industrialized as well as regional events such as the EuroSun,
countries alike. Renewable energy technologies embody the spirit of international renewable
are todays cheapest options when comparing energy networking and exchange of ideas
new investment this has been stated by advanced by the Society.
independent organizations like IRENA. Hence the
global transition to a renewable energy future is Its objective is to maintain communication
not any more a financial burden but will enhance between the research community, industrial and
economic growth and prosperity in addition to political players.
mitigation of climate change.
The next ISES Solar World Congress takes place from 29 October to 02 November 2017 in Abu
Dhabi. The theme of the congress is Innovation for the 100% renewable energy transformation.
The call for papers is now open! Submit your abstract online at www.swc2017.org.

Article Source: Hufftington Post
10 Tips To Keep The Millennial Engineer

Motivated to Work
Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angelou
by Cielo Santos
I bet every millennial has had this feeling. Its not unmotivated days. Running at a slower pace is
just a simple feeling wherein you dont want to fine, as long as you get your job done properly.
go to work, its the kind wherein you feel partly
depressed, and mostly unmotivated to go to work
anymore due to a number of circumstances. Thats
why some of us need that occasional vacation
6 Fly under the radar. If youre in your low
motivation days, it isnt the best time to be
having long interactions with your boss or team.
leave so we can charge ourselves up and go back Do everything you can to limit interactions. Keep
to work refreshed and recharged. But what if you your interactions brief and cordial so your day will
dont have any leaves left, and youve called in be more manageable.
sick too many times. Here are some things you
can do.
7 Do the work that is easiest for you. Maybe
today isnt the day youre going to finish big
1 Treat yourself. Go buy yourself you favorite

coffee on your way to work. Schedule lunch
plans with friends or even alone if you prefer to,
project, but keep in mind, doing just a bitno
matter how small is better than staying at home
and calling in sick. Remember, baby steps.
like a workout, a get-together with friends, movie
time at home. Remind yourself that these things
are better than being guilty because you called in
sick, and giving awkward excuses in the process.
8 Be of service to somebody else. When youre
in the dumps, it sometimes helps to help other
people. Like helping a colleague who cant figure
out that excel formula, or maybe giving your team
2 Use a mantra. Choose a mantra that you can

continuously repeat to yourself when youre in
a pinch, like I can do this! or Dorys Just keep
some tips to make their job easier. Itll keep your
woes away from your head, even just for a bit. By
helping other people, you will feel that you have a
swimming from Finding Nemo. purpose and will feel more motivated.
3 Take it one step at a time. Dont rush things.

Take baby steps. Wake up, get out of bed, go
take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, get
9 Practice gratitude. Usually, we focus on the
reasons why we dont want to go to work. So
its better if we focus on the good parts. Think
out of the door, etc. When you do the little little positive. Be thankful that you are alive, that you
things that move you forward, you will slowly gain have a job, that you arent actually sick. Gratitude
momentum for the day. attracts good energy.
4 Make things easier for yourself. Go get a cab

instead of the bus, wear something youre
comfortable with, lighten your load by crossing
10 Practice self-care. Every morning and before
you go to bed, do a few minutes of deep
breathing or meditation to revitalize yourself. If you
things off your To Do List. Ask help from your can, take breaks whenever you can at work. Clear
partner, friends and family. your mind by walking around the block at work.
Eat healthy, and exercise. If your budget allows
5 Shift into cruise control. We cant be 100%

productive all the time. There will be those
days wherein you just cant give it your best even
you, go get a massage, manicure or pedicure. If
youre into reading, go read a good book, prepare
a relaxing bubble bath or do some yoga. Refuel
if you want to. So, at times like these, remember yourself, so youll be prepared to take on the next
that its alright to give what you can during these day.

The Latest Mining
Industry Trends:
An Analysis for 2017
Mining will not recover; it will evolve
B
eing cyclical, the revival of the mining PART 1: STREAMLINING OPERATIONS
industry was never a question of if, but Going lean has now become one of the central
rather of when and, more importantly, of trends in the industry, as mining companies seek
what. When will the industry emerge from the to concurrently reduce manpower, capital and
downturn in the face of lengthening cycle times? energy intensity; exploit growth opportunities
What kind of mining industry will resurface and maximize the value of their products and
from the ruins of the recession? In an exclusive services. In a highly volatile market, says Majid
interview, Majid Zahid, Chief Commercial Officer Zahid, Chief Commercial Officer at Altaaqa Global
of Altaaqa Global, discusses the crucial role that Caterpillar Rental Power, a global provider of
electricity and technology played in the industrys multi-megawatt temporary power solutions, it is
observed gradual resurgence. This is mining essential for mining companies to strike a balance
industry trends 2017. between controlling costs and capitalizing on
growth prospects and profitable opportunities. It
The mining industry is enduring a period of great is, therefore, imperative for them to ensure the
uncertainty. In the face of extreme market volatility, efficient utilization of their working capital.
stagnant commodity prices, weak demand for
products, and suppressed levels of economic Zahid is of the view that power generation
growth in established markets, many mining and supply represents an area where mining
companies around the world are striving to remain operations can make significant adjustments
buoyant. In their quest to victoriously emerge from to their capital expenditure. Electricity, he
the recession, many miners have implemented says, remains to be the life-blood of mine sites
cost-cutting initiatives aimed at maximizing anywhere in the world. However, with the present
customer value with fewer resources. Others have economic situation, mine operators cannot afford
chosen to be cautiously proactive and embarked to devote, rather strap, a large portion of their
on exploration programs in a bid to boost long- scarce capital to a major expenditure, like a
term profitability. Some have turned to technology permanent power plant. Considering this, mine
to optimize processes and facilitate existing operators can instead choose to hire multi-
methods. megawatt temporary power solutions.

It is essential for mining
companies to strike a
balance between controlling
costs and capitalizing on
growth prospects
Source: Agnico Eagle Finland Source: Washington TImes
A consistent, dependable and sufficient supply Temporary power plants can also assist in
of electricity is vital throughout the life-cycle of a reducing the energy intensity of mine operations.
mine operation. Temporary power plants, says Hiring power plants will preclude the chances
Zahid, can adequately provide for the electricity of generators being under-utilized, because the
needs of a mine site. They can power camp sites capacity of rental power generation equipment
during pre-feasibility, feasibility and exploratory can be increased or decreased with respect to
stages, and support the establishment of the the demand of specific mine processes. Zahid
mine operation after a successful exploration. says that as conventional power plants are usually
They can provide power to the machinery and the specified to meet the peak demand of a particular
processing plants, and also to the temperature- site, they are left under-utilised when the power
control equipment. Obviously, they can also requirement decreases. When a power plant
provide the necessary power for expansion. is running at part-load, it consumes fuel less
efficiently. This will no longer be the case with
Multi-megawatt temporary power plants could rental power plants on board, thanks to their
not be more relevant to the mining industry than flexibility and scalability.
in these times, says Zahid, and adds that renting
power is a logical decision for any miner looking to PART 2: REFOCUSING ON EXPLORATION
effectively streamline its operations. At the peak of the industry recession, many mining
companies dramatically slashed their exploration
For instance, in this economic climate, one budgets in the interest of making quick cost
cannot overstate the importance of precise savings. SNL Metals and Mining, a global provider
allocation of funds and of better management of mining information and analysis, supports this
of financial resources. A key benefit of renting observation as it reports that global exploration
power is that payment schedules are fixed and spend declined by 26% in 2014, while exploration
regular over a contracted term. This can help mine budgets nosedived to USD 11.4 billion from USD
operators formulate accurate financial forecasts. 22 billion in 2012.
Along this line, mining companies should also However, industry insiders, like Deloitte, a global
be mindful of associated costs that come with provider of financial advisory services, caution that
building or purchasing a permanent power plant. huge cuts in growth capex and exploration budgets
He calls to mind the cost of spare parts and may have extensive adverse consequences for
ancillary, which, he says, are indispensable to the miners and the industry at large. Sustained
the continuous operation of a permanent power exploration, they say, position mining companies
plants. When a mine operator goes for the rental for growth once the market turns. Thus, they
option, all spares and ancillary will be provided by warn that foregoing the opportunity to stake early
the temporary power company. Zahid says that claims may be counter-productive to long-term
renting multi-megawatt power plants can also profitability. And the industry appears to have
prove beneficial for mining companies seeking heeded their advice, as mining companies and
to optimize their manpower resources. Mine governments have gradually re-focused on
operators will be happy to know that in hiring exploration activities and identification of new
power plants, they will no longer need to employ potential assets. Exploration, says Zahid, is the
new operators or allocate or re-train existing growth stimulus of the resources sector. Hence,
staff members to manage the plant. Temporary having sufficient power to sustain this crucial
power providers will provide the necessary expert activity is fundamental. Zahid says that renting
engineering services to ensure the faultless power during the exploration stage of a mining
operation of the power station. operation yields myriad advantages.

Source: Workers 101
By hiring temporary power plants, mining optimisation of established processes, primarily in

companies will have the freedom to start with a response to the industrys need to reduce costs
small power plant, and then grow as operations and ramp up operational efficiency. And while
expand. When the long-term prospect of a project some mining companies have opted to remain
is still uncertain, it may not make sense to invest conservative in terms of uptake, many miners are
in permanent facilities. Renting power, therefore, gradually embracing the available technologies in
protects companies from the unsecure future of a bid to future-proof their operations.
mining projects at the exploration stage. In a recent exclusive interview with GineersNow,
a global engineering magazine, Jean Savage,
He also speaks about the latest temporary power Chief Technology Officer and Vice President
technologies which make rental power plants for Innovation and Technology Development at
operable anywhere in the world. Rental power Caterpillar, affirms the crucial role that equipment
plants are highly suitable for exploration activities manufacturers play in shaping the future of mining
in remote areas, because they are containerized operations: Caterpillar has spent over 90 years
and modular, so they are easily transported committed to innovation and technology that help
and installed. The latest-generation temporary our customers succeed. Most of this innovation
power plants have state-of-the-art switching and has been in the iron. Now, our focus has to be
transformation systems that give them the ability on making the iron smart.
to connect to any locations grid, regardless of
its age, quality or condition. This is possible even Making the iron smart means bringing digital
without a sub-station, as the same systems allow solutions designed to improve productivity,
the power plants to assume the role of a sub- efficiency, safety and profitability to our customers.
station and connect to available overhead lines or This is not technology for technologys sake. It is
transformers. technology thats focused on solving, and even
anticipating, customer problems.
Temporary power plants also have cutting-edge We are taking the machines, locomotives, engines
electric power control and protection systems, and parts were so well known for and making
which allow them to switch operational mode, from them smarter, while also equipping the people who
grid, to island, to base load or to standby at a push operate them with data that makes them more
of a button in mere minutes. This is particularly productive, enhances their safety and improves
useful for mining companies whose exploration sustainability. Zahid concurs: Caterpillar believes
activities take place in areas unconnected to the that be an innovator, a company must be working
grid. directly in the service of its customers. As part
of the Caterpillar family, we at Altaaqa Global are
PART 3: EMBRACING INNOVATION proud to be well positioned to offer our clients
In recent years, the mining industry has seen a in the mining industry the latest technologies in
slew of technological innovations. Technologies temporary power generation.
once regarded as tangential to the industry are
now being tailored to respond to the needs of For example, it is now possible for our engineers
mining companies. Many of these innovations to monitor the status and performance of our
revolve around automation and the technological engines from any location through Cat Connect.

Source: Solidariteit Wreld
This gives us temporary power providers relevant

insights on the go, so we can better manage our
equipment, optimize their performance or perform
preventive maintenance, if necessary. There is
also the Cat MicroGrid Solutions, which now allows
renewable solar and wind power systems of any ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
size to be delivered to and installed in literally any Majid Zahid is the President of the Energy Group
location on earth. In tandem with our temporary of the Saudi-conglomerate Zahid Group, and the
power plants, the solution guarantees a reliable, Chief Commercial Officer of global multi-megawatt
sufficient and sustainable power supply to any temporary power provider Altaaqa Global
mining operation anywhere in the world. Caterpillar Rental Power. Majid holds an MBA from
the European Business School in London, and
There are also allied technologies gaining traction has attended prestigious educational institutions,
within the industry. Among these are drones, including INSEAD in Paris, the Art Institute of
which can now be used to survey mining sites
before breaking ground; 3-D printers, which can
now print replacement parts; and augmented THE BIGGER PICTURE
reality, which can now be used by technicians Just as the industry went tumbling down on
to simulate repair cycles. As these technologies the heels of the boom, industry insiders believe
are developed in the coming years, we at Altaaqa that it is poised for a gradual recovery in the
Global will definitely look into possible ways of coming months. The green shoots are emerging:
integrating them into our systems and processes Commodity prices are strengthening across
to further improve our products and enhance the the board, commodities has returned to a bull
service we deliver to our customers. market, and many mining companies are seeing
a consistent recovery in value. While the market
The list of technologies on offer goes on. And as remains cautious, it welcomes the early signs of
equipment manufacturers and service providers the industrys revival.
continue to closely work with their customers
to learn more about what they need to drive But perhaps, recovery does not aptly define
the growth of their businesses, the number of minings next cycle. The recent downturn pushed
available technologies will continuously increase. the industry to redefine itself. In the face of
The Bigger Picture Just as the industry went adversity, many mining companies adopted a fresh
tumbling down on the heels of the boom, industry take on how they operate, allocate resources,
insiders believe that it is poised for a gradual engage with technology and seize growth
recovery in the coming months. The green shoots opportunities. What were originally corporate
are emerging: Commodity prices are strengthening strategies implemented to survive the so-called
across the board, commodities has returned to winter have disrupted the industry and, to a large
a bull market, and many mining companies are extent catalyzed its transformation. With miners
seeing a consistent recovery in value. While the rising from the downturn stronger and smarter, the
market remains cautious, it welcomes the early next cycle of the mining industry will not only be a
signs of the industrys revival. recovery it will be an evolution.

How Humans Became The Leading
Cause of Climate Change
by Bharadwaj Kummamuru, Project Officer, World Bioenergy Association
INTRODUCTION releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere while
T
he question Is climate change real? is the oceans and vegetation take in carbon dioxide
misleading. The planet has been undergoing from the atmosphere. The carbon balance has
varying degrees of climate change remained stable. Fossil emissions disturbed
predominantly due to natural causes. However, this fine carbon balance. The rate at which the
there is one major factor in comparison to emissions are released to the atmosphere is
previous climate changes. In contrast to those not compensated by the rate of absorption by
previous changes millions of years ago, currently, vegetation and oceans thereby increasing the
humans have upset the delicate climate balance. concentrations in the atmosphere.
Hence, the question should be How and why are
humans the leading cause of climate change and CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS
what can we do to stop it? The rise in global warming has an adverse effect
on the climate. The increase in temperatures
CLIMATE CHANGE is already leading to loss of sea ice. The extent
The leading cause of climate change is of the arctic sea ice is the lowest in recorded
increasing concentrations of Greenhouse Gases history (Source). The melting of ice is leading to
(GHG) in the atmosphere predominantly carbon rising sea levels. Recently, it was reported that
dioxide (CO2). There is a direct correlation some islands disappeared due to the rising sea
between rise in carbon dioxide concentrations levels (Source). However, the melting polar ice
in the atmosphere and the increase in caps is only one of the problems. Climate change
average temperatures globally. The past few is leading to increased instances of devastating
decades witnessed an unnatural increase in weather increasing intensity of hurricanes,
concentrations predominantly due to burning increasing drought conditions and species
of fossil fuels coal, oil and gas. Recently, becoming extinct (Source).
for the first time ever, the atmospheric CO2
concentrations crossed 400 ppm (Source). ROLE OF FOSSIL FUELS
This has already increased the global Climate change is the most important challenge
temperatures by approx. 1C. There is a of this century. The next decades will decide
consensus among climate scientists that the whether we can stop or even reduce the effects
temperatures have to be limited to well below of global warming. The main culprit is the use of
2C to prevent catastrophic climate change fossil fuels coal, oil and gas. The use of fossil
effects. fuels from extraction to utilization contributes
76% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally
CARBON CYCLE (Source). Fossil fuels share in the global energy
It is clear that rising emissions lead to increasing mix is more than 85% and it has remained stable
temperatures. However, the earth has an inbuilt for the past few decades. The current energy mix
natural carbon cycle which has remained stable is unsustainable and a rapid transformation of
for many millennia. The earths ecosystem the energy sector is imperative.

PARIS AGREEMENT sustainable way and to support the business
A silver lining among all the gloom is the Paris environment for bioenergy. Our work has put
Agreement. The Paris agreement came into legal bioenergy on the global map. Our presence
force on 04th November 2016. All countries increased awareness about opportunities in
agreed to reduce emissions (fossil fuel use), biomass as a renewable fuel for replacing fossil
increase energy efficiency and increase the fuels and combating climate change. One of
share of renewables. Renewables (solar, wind, the core activities of WBA is statistics: accurate,
geothermal, hydro, bioenergy) are getting reliable and updated data on the global supply
economically feasible and are the most cost and use of biomass to bioenergy. The WBA Global
effective way in the energy transition of the Bioenergy Statistics reports helps to inform
future. Production and use of renewables does governments, companies, investors and other
not add emissions or disturb the carbon balance. stakeholders of the importance of bioenergy in
This has gained support among governments, the fight against climate change (Source).
institutions, companies, investors, researchers
and the general public. Using a network of experts, WBA informs policy
makers by preparing position papers. Recently,
BIOENERGY WBA promoted a Fossil Exit Strategy (FES).
Currently, the largest renewable energy source FES calls for a step by step and year by year
is bioenergy. Bioenergy is energy from organic reduction of fossil fuel use globally and nationally
matter (biomass), i.e. all materials of biological (Source). It is not enough to just increase the
origin that is not embedded in geological share of renewables when at the same time,
formations (fossilized). Biomass can be used in fossil fuel use is increasing. Also, WBA opinion is
its original form as fuel, or be refined to different that the key instrument for such a transition is a
kinds of solid, gaseous or liquid biofuels. These carbon tax (Source) a simple and efficient way
fuels can be used in all sectors of society, for to reduce the use of fossil fuels, improve energy
production of electricity, for transport, for heating efficiency, and make renewables competitive.
and cooling, and for industrial processes. One
of the actors promoting bioenergy in the global Another important activity is capacity building.
scenario is World Bioenergy Association (WBA). WBA is dedicated to starting and developing
national biomass associations. These national
WBA bodies are ideal in gauging the ground reality
WBA is a global organization dedicated to of each community, region and country. They
supporting various actors in the bioenergy provide a basis for improving the national
sector. WBA is a member driven organization energy policies, remove barriers and create
representing companies, associations and opportunities. In this regard, WBA developed
individuals with a mission to promote the a guidebook on starting biomass associations
increasing utilization of bioenergy globally in a (Source).

The most significant activity of WBA is knowledge CONCLUSION
transfer via publishing factsheets. The objective Each nation and region has a specific
is to increase the knowledge and understanding responsibility to lead the way into a fossil fuel
of how sustainable bioenergy benefit regions free society in the fight against climate change.
where opportunities exist (Source). The objective Technologies, experience, finance and public
of drafting and publishing factsheets is to bring acceptance is available globally. There are
rational arguments in the public discussion to numerous success stories around the world.
support the development of bioenergy.
A successful global climate agreement coupled
In the area of technology transfer, WBA started with ambitious national climate plans is the best
an initiative called bioenergy equipment directory solution to control the rapid increase in global
(Source). The objective is to develop a website as warming. Coming back to the question:
a premier resource site to facilitate companies
and clients to find and share information about Is climate change real Yes, and we need to stop
biomass equipment and support leading to it by reducing fossil fuel use, increasing energy
bioenergy development worldwide. To facilitate efficiency and getting all renewables to work
global knowledge transfer among renewables, together for a 100% renewable energy society.
WBA joined a Renewable Energy Alliance (REN
Alliance) and is also a founding partner of
Go100% campaign aimed at 100% renewable
energy society.

Vertu Introduces Constellation,
A Luxury Performance Smartphone
For The International Traveller
Vertu introduces Constellation, which will be exclusively sold in the US, Europe, Singapore and Russia.
W
hen you think of luxury mobile It also provides support for 34 international
phones, theres only one brand bands and protocols for a global
that comes into mind. Known connectivity. Expect high quality photos
for developing cutting-edge technology as well! Featuring a 12 MP camera with
using exquisite materials, Vertu has put its light sensitivity maximized via a large
itself in the number one stop on the map 1.55 micro pixels, one can show off their
for its high-end mobile phones that gave pictures on social media.
an emphasis on style, craftsmanship and
service. It also has a high resolution 5.5 WOHD
AMOLED display with over 3.6 million
This February, Vertu is releasing a pixels. The Constellation will give you
new premium phone designed for the extraordinary color and detail, which is
international traveller! protected by a 6th Generation sapphire
crystal screen. You can choose from three
Vertu introduces Constellation, which will different leather colors: Walnut, Octane
be exclusively sold in the US, Europe, and Berry. It will be available in stores this
Singapore and Russia. Offering the public February.
only the best of English design and market-
leading technology, the Constellation is For a price of 4100 euros, expect a high
exactly what the classy traveller needs. Its quality phone wit Vertus Constellation!
features include a dual SIM functionality, Want to learn more about Vertu? Read our
anyone can easily switch networks exclusive interview with the company here!
whenever one wants to.

How Nations Are
Rising Up To The
Climate Change
Challenge
by Diane Moss, Founding Director, Renewables 100
Policy Institute, and Angelina Galiteva, Founding Board
Chair, Renewables 100 Policy Institute
R
ising to the climate change challenge Meanwhile, industry analysts widely agree that
requires us to rapidly transition to renewable coals decline is global, long-term and irreversible.
resources to meet our energy demands. The Renewable energy jobs are also outpacing those
opportunities for leadership in this new energy in the conventional energy industries in the United
transformation are not just for the privileged, but States and Europe.
can and should be for everyone. With policies,
market structures and financing mechanisms that This kind of momentum can and should bring the
support distributed renewable energy and local benefits of renewables beyond the industrially
ownership and control, renewables truly can bring advantaged and allow all, including developing
power to the people. countries that are building up their power sectors,
to increasingly turn to renewables for a significant
Massive changes to our energy system are already portion of electricity generated right from the start.
underway. Renewable energy is consistently
surpassing conventional energy as a new source of As we saw in the telecommunications sector with
power across the globe. Furthermore, government cell phones, there is an opportunity in the energy
bodies representing hundreds of millions of people sector for developing regions to step directly into
around the world, along with numerous global the renewable energy industry.
corporations, institutions, and other businesses are
committed to reaching 100% renewable energy At the COP 22 last November, developing nations
in at least the electricity sector over the next few marked a milestone in their prominence as drivers
decades, and more are regularly joining this list. of the energy transition, when forty-eight of them,
most for the first time, pledged to transition
While policies will continue to impact the pace of to 100% local renewable sources for all their
this trend, the fact is that economics is becoming electricity and to adopt clean technologies for
a primary driver. In 2016, according to Bloomberg transportation and other industry.
New Energy Finance, solar became the cheapest
source of new power on a global level. Even if coal Although these countries emit smaller amounts
and gas prices remain low, they report that this of greenhouse gases per capita than developed
will fail to prevent a fundamental transformation of nations, they have stepped up to the challenge of
the world electricity system over coming decades leadership. In the face of being the most vulnerable
towards renewable sources such as wind and solar, to climate change impacts, they are setting an
and towards balancing options such as batteries. example.

A significant number of those who signed the more than a billion people and more than a
pledge are island nations, which are especially trillion dollars in GDP. Among them is the state
exposed to the threats of sea level rise caused of Pernambuco, who is now partnering with
by the changing climate, as well as to high California on helping Fernando de Noronha become
prices of fossil fuel imports. Underscoring the completely renewable energy reliant.
importance of island regions in the global transition
to renewables, UNESCO chose the island of El This project, which is being led by the Renewables
Hierro off the coast of Spain as the site to issue its 100 Policy Institute, will formally begin in April
formal RENISLA declaration in 2014 that 100% with a gathering of U.S. and Brazilian experts who
renewable energy is a prerequisite for successful will establish a program and practical steps to
greenhouse gas mitigation and empowering local accomplish a 100% renewable energy supply on
communities. El Hierro is one of the global pioneers the island of Fernando de Noronha. If successful,
in transitioning to 100% renewable electricity. the initiative will showcase collaboration between
the U.S. and Brazil on renewable energy solutions,
Also highlighting the visionary initiative of island combine Californias and Brazils ingenuity on clean
regions is the fact that the first state in the U.S. energy technologies, and transfer lessons learned
to mandate a 100% renewable portfolio standard on Fernando de Noronha to the mainland of Brazil
for electric utilities was Hawaii, which is on track and beyond, including to those island nations who
to achieve its goal by, or possibly even before, its pledged to go 100% renewable at COP22.
2045 deadline.
Such sharing of technologies, expertise, and
In keeping with this trend, among the first formal institutional knowledge across the globe, between
bilateral collaborations to result from perhaps the both developed and developing regions, to
most prominent subnational initiative coming out of create location-specific practical solutions will be
COP 21 will also focus on transforming an island essential to accelerating the scale up of renewable
in a developing region to 100% renewable energy energy, as well as complimentary technologies
for their electricity generation, transportation, like energy storage and zero emissions vehicles.
and other energy needs. The island of Fernando The more successful test cases there are, and the
de Noronha, a UNESCO World Heritage site off more widespread the environmental benefits and
the coast of Pernambuco, Brazil, is on its way to economic opportunities, the faster we will make
becoming a learning laboratory for transitioning progress and the more likely we will be to prevent
to 100% renewable as part of the Under2MOU, a the worst case scenarios of climate change. This
subnational climate and clean energy agreement is imperative because while national politics on
that the Renewables 100 Policy Institute initiated climate may be fickle, the fundamental science is
and which the states of California in the U.S. and not.
Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany led in advance
of COP21. This agreement commits subnational The Renewables 100 Policy Institute is a 501(c)3
e.g. state and municipal - signatories to reducing non-profit organization founded in 2007 with
their greenhouse gas emissions 80-95% below a mission to study and accelerate the global
1990 levels or two tonnes per capita by 2050 transition to 100% renewable energy in ways that
using a range of clean energy programs. 167 are most efficient, sustainable, and economically
jurisdictions have so far signed on and represent beneficial to the most people.

THE COMING STORM OVER
BANGLADESH by Nancy Wimmer photos by Subrin Al Azad
L
ooking down from a plane flying high over Fact is the country once dubbed as a basket
Bangladesh you will see a vast floodplain case is on its way to becoming a middle income
stretching between the Himalayas and the economy by its 50th birthday in 2021. The reality
Bay of Bengal. That shimming green expanse is is that the average Bangladeshi lives longer, girls
the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta - the largest river education has soared, per capita food intake has
delta on the planet. The delta is huge because increased and poverty has dropped by nearly a
almost all water running off the highest mountain third during the last decade. Bangladesh is one of
range on earth has to pass through it. It has more the few low-income countries on target to achieve
waterways than roads and is transformed into a its Millennium Development Goals. Roads have
fertile plain when its great rivers overflow their been much improved and telecommunications
banks and replenish the delta with rich alluvial soil. have undergone a mobile-phone revolution.
On the fertile delta rice can be grown three times Bangladesh is the renowned founder of
a year, making Bangladesh the fourth largest rice microfinance, which created a worldwide
producing country in the world. Just before the movement. Hundreds of MFIs provide microcredit,
harvest the rice fields turn to a brilliant yellow insurance and health services to the poor more
covering the countryside like a carpet of gold. than in any country in the world. Now many are
Amar Sonar Bangla, My Golden Bangladesh bringing solar electricity to the villages and have
begins the national anthem. made Bangladesh the largest off-grid solar home
system provider in the world.
But vast stretches of golden rice fields are not
usually what come to mind when you think of No other developing country has achieved this on
Bangladesh. Instead hunger, poverty and 160 a national scale. Over four million solar systems
million people crammed into a silted delta swept light up the villages, reducing carbon dioxide
by cyclones and devastating floods dominate the (CO) emissions by more than 500,000 metric
scene. And this is in part reality in the country of tons per year.
Bengal. But there is more.

But the reality is that with two-thirds of its land at Already, signs of erosion are everywhere on the
less than five meters above sea level, Bangladesh delta. Palm trees grow out of rivers, cattle graze on
is the country most vulnerable to climate change. slowly disappearing land, parched soil, fields near
The World Banks Turn Down the Heat report the Bay of Bengal are dusted white with salt.
reveals long-term implications for Bangladesh and
its people from probable catastrophic impacts of Estimates state that rising sea levels alone will
climate change. It paints a very dismal scenario of displace 18 million Bangladeshis within the next
the deltas future as climate change continues to 40 years. But surveys also show that residents of
take its toll - causing flash floods, cyclones, storm the delta do not want to migrate to other countries,
surges, extreme temperatures and drought. but rather to the already crowded cities: as many
as 1.5 million of the five million slum inhabitants
True, river deltas around the globe are particularly in Dhaka, the capital, moved from villages near the
vulnerable to the effects of rising seas, and Bay of Bengal.
wealthier cities like London, Venice and New
Orleans also face uncertain futures. But they Climate change is reality in Bangladesh. Its
cant compare with the Ganges Delta made up of already happening. And the people of Bangladesh
230 major rivers and streams where 160 million cannot slow it down alone.
people live in a place the size of England and Wales
combined.

The Future of Construction is Here:
Inflatable Concrete
The Vienna University of Technology has developed a new construction method
that doesnt require any timber structures at all!
Have you ever wondered why large shell-shaped Once the slab hardens, and air cushion below is
structures are rarely built? Its because the inflated. The cushion is made up of two plastic
construction of such structures require large sheets that are welded together. At the same
and expensive supporting structures. This is time, a steel cable is tightened around the
what The Vienna University of Technology has concrete segments so that the concrete will be
been working on. They have developed a new lifted up at the center, and pushed together from
construction method that doesnt require any the outside. To make sure that all the concrete
timber structures at all! An overview of this segments are moving synchronously, they are
method is as follows: First, a flat concrete slab connected with metal beams.
will be allowed to harden on the ground, then an
air cushion below the plate will be inflated, and In the experiment, the whole process was
therefore bending the concrete and completely finished after two hours and the final height of
forming a sustainable shell. Even large event the concrete structure was 2.9 meters. When
halls can be built using this method. In Vienna, a the concrete is bent, there are many tiny cracks
first experimental structure has now been built by that appear, but this isnt a problem for the
using this method. stability of the structure. We can see that in old
stone arches, Johann Kollegger said. If the
The Pneumatic Wedge Method First, a flat slab shape is right, each stone holds the others in
will be created using standard concrete, while place and the construction is stable. At the end
making sure to get the geometic shape exactly of the process, the structure can be plastered
right. The slab will consist of several segments. and will have just the same properties as stable
Wedge-shaped spaces will be left between these as a concrete shell that is constructed the
segments, so that they will fit together perfectly conventional way.
once the structure is bent.
Source: Science Daily / TU Wein

This Engineer is
Among the
Miss Universe 2016
Contestants
When she is not wearing heels in beauty pageants,
the 21-year-old beauty queen wears boots with
steel toes in farms doing her engineering job.
By Dion Greg Reyes
W
hen watching the worlds most When she is not wearing heels in beauty
prestigious beauty pageant, one pageants, the 21-year-old beauty queen
would never think that any of the wears boots with steel toes in farms doing
gorgeous contestants owning the stage can her job. There, she feeds farm animals like Those responsibilities made
be an engineer. One would normally regard pigs, cows and fishes, and uses Machete, me value the work of many
them as fashion models, or any job related pickaxes and other tools that often make women around the world
to glamour for that matter, because of the her hands bleed. that with their strong hands
damn sexy bodies they flaunt. But perhaps
that thinking should already perish in this Those responsibilities made me value the produce food for their family
century. Women are becoming engaged in work of many women around the world that and [the] world,
science and engineering fields more than with their strong hands produce food for
ever, while still keeping their interests in their family and [the] world, she says.
contests like Miss Universe.
Behind the long gowns and swim suits she
The beauty and brains formula has wears on stage, Connie believes that her
become common that it should no longer being an engineer is an edge for she fights
surprise pageant followers. In the 65th to break stereotypes. She feels that this
Miss Universe pageant held in Manila, quality makes her winnable.
Philippines, there is one engineer among
the 86 beautiful contestants who proudly It shows I can become [whoever] I
represented their nations. Although she want, citing that she is a strong
did not win the crown, her participation in woman with a mans profession, and
the worlds most celebrated beauty contest even able to lead an agribusiness
is enough to prove something on behalf company. Miss Ecuador had
of engineers. She is Connie Jimnez, great following in the pageant
Miss Universe Ecuador 2016 and an considering her exceptional beauty.
agribusiness engineer. Too bad the judges havent seen
that and the fact that shes placing
Connie, born in Ventanas, Los Rios, has a the name of engineers on a different
one-of-a-kind engineering job. Also known pedestal. If she could have won, she
as an engineer agronomist, an agribusiness tells the Miss Universe Organization
engineer is a challenging work especially that among her advocacies is to work on
Source: Miss Universe
for women, Connie tells over a Missosology projects that teach people how to keep
interview. producing food in an eco-friendly way.
Article Source: Missosology

AFRICAS 8 MOST
MINERAL-RICH COUNTRIES
by Dion Greg Reyes
If there is only one word that is to be associated with Africa, it has got to be
minerals. Its soils are so rich in mineral deposits spanning the entire continent.
But which countries have the most abundant mineral resources?
Here are the top 8 countries:
BOTSWANA
Being the worlds leading producer of ZAMBIA
diamonds by value, Botswana holds Holding about 65 to 77 % of Africas
35% of Africas diamonds majority copper supply, Zambia holds the title
of which are gem quality. Diamonds of being the leading copper producer
count as the countrys main industry in the continent. This material is
and hold the huge chunk of its gross often used in the area for electrical
domestic product. But other than wiring in the building and construction
diamonds, Botswana also has bounty industries.
Source: Chege Publishing of copper, gold, nickel, and soda ash. Source: Mine Web
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

GHANA
Congo, or the Democratic Republic
Second to South Africa, Ghana is also
of Congo, produces 34% and 13%
one of the largest producer of gold in
of the Africas diamond and copper
South Africa. Of the countrys mineral
respectively. It is estimated to have
exports, gold contributes more than
more than $24 trillion worth of
90% and 37% in total exports.
untapped raw mineral ore deposits.
Source: CNBC Source: Mining
SOUTH AFRICA
Among the many countries comprising
Africa, this one from the south is hailed the
NIGER
richest economy in the continent thanks
Niger has about 44% of Africas
mostly to its mining industry. South Africa
uranium supply. But other than that
is home to many minerals like diamonds
mineral, it also mines for cement, coal,
and gold, while being the worlds largest
goal, gypsum, limestone, salt, silver,
producer of chrome, manganese, platinum,
and tin.
vanadium, and vermiculite, and worlds
second largest when it comes to ilmenite,
Source: Market Watch Source: Clean Technica
palladium, rutile, and zirconium.
NAMIBIA GUINEA
Namibia has an economy dependent This has the most unique mineral
on uranium, which accounts to nearly a deposits: bauxite and alumina. Guinea
quarter of the countrys annual income. holds more than 95% of Africas
Thats because its so rich in uranium bauxite production while it is the only
that 46% of the continents deposit African produce of alumina.
can be found there.
Source: World Atlas Source: Ramu Mine

BACK
COVER
www.GineersNow.com

GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 012, Leonardo DiCaprio, Climate Change

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 012, Leonardo DiCaprio, Climate Change

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WORLDS FIRST ENGINEERING NEWS

FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS

FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE NO. 012

CLIMATE LEONARDO SPECIAL FEATURE

CHANGE DICAPRIO: ARTICLES BY:

IS REAL Hope in Fighting

4 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 5

Veolia Photo Library

6 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

This harmful phenomenon is happening right now. It has already affected

Engr. Alice Hernandez

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 7

John Vauden Charity Bagatsing Raymond Gerard del Valle

8 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

11 Future Engineers: Guide On How To

14 Mechanical Engineering Sector Suffers

15 The Engineering Skills Gap Is Still

16 AnWorkEngineers Guide On Spotting Toxic

17 How To Find Out If Youre An Underpaid

18 How Do You Help An Unmotivated

19 How To Deal With Engineering Manager

20 China To Invest $100B In Wind Power

21 Middle East Electricity And Solar Middle

22 Global Warming: From Scientific Finding

25 Why Should Civil Engineers Be So

28 Leonardo Dicaprio: Hollywoods Biggest

32 Meeting Climate Change Head-On:

Heres Why You Didnt Get

10 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Future Engineers: Guide

This report, authored by Commonwealth Transitions within the workplace due to

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 11

and weaknesses are. So our advice is to be

2 YOU KNOW YOUR ENGINEERING

employers would want to know what problems

12 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

5YOU LIKE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

6 YOU ARE ACTIVE IN YOUR WORK

help with other tasks. If you end up as the perky

7 YOU CAN WORK WELL WITH YOUR

10 YOU HAVE AN AMBITION

So if youre the type who can easily work well with

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 13

Mechanical Engineering Sector Suffers

14 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND SKILLS GAPS

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 15

16 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 17

HOW DO YOU HELP AN

18 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

How To Deal with Engineering Manager

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 19

#3 Policies and the market environment to support

20 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Middle East Electricity and Solar

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 21

22 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 23

24 Climate Change Revolution February 2017

Climate Change Revolution February 2017 25

26 Climate Change Revolution February 2017