Climate monitoring is vital to further advance our understanding of the complexity of the climate system and its predictability. The data and associated climate information that are collected and disseminated to users, keep all stakeholders informed of the state of the climate and the natural environment.

Climate is sometimes referred to as “average” weather for a given area. The National Weather Service uses data such as temperature highs and lows and precipitation rates for the past thirty years to compile an area’s “average” weather. Climate.org seeks to provide reliable information on climate change, energy and the environment. The site is regularly updated with recent news and articles.

Climate change is with us. A decade ago, it was conjecture. Climate change and the energy hunger of the developed world and newly emerging economies like China and India are driving forces behind higher food prices, which directly affect the poor in a country like Egypt.

As the First Lady has stated it in her Opening Address on Saturday, the rich subsidize the transformation of food into biofuels, thus subsidizing the burning of food of the poor to drive the cars of the rich! Climate is the atmospheric condition in a certain location near the surface of the Earth. Is there such a thing as a global climate ?

Climate change and related impacts are becoming increasingly relevant to environmental, economic and security issues. This raises convergent points of interest and thematic platforms for those interested in confronting this global challenge from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today. Rising global temperatures will bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather. Climate change is the single biggest environmental threat facing our planet. Burning too much coal, oil and gas pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases that heat up the planet.

Temperature, humidity, and rainfall, which are discussed hereunder, are the most important elements of the country’s weather and climate. Temperatures range between 70F and 90F (20C to 33C).

Climate simulations at NCAR have shown that changes in the Sun’s intensity explain less than a third of the global warm-up during the last century. The most likely explanation for a warming Earth is the greenhouse gases emitted when fossil fuels are burned. Climate data are used extensively in airport design and aeronautical engineering.

Wind direction and speed, visibility, air pressure, temperature, icing frequency, cloud cover, humidity, the character of the air (fog, haze, smoke, and dust storms for example), and other elements are significant. Climate is the average daily and seasonal weather for a region; including temperature, precipitation, wind, and sunshine. Observations are compiled over several decades and are classified into climate zones.

Climate change can be caused by internal and external forces like the Earth?s orbit, solar radiation and greenhouse gas concentrations. The ice age is an example of climate change. Climate is the average weather usually taken over a 30-year time period for a particular region and time period. Climate is not the same as weather, but rather, it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region.

Climates change rapidly on mountains, becoming colder the higher the altitude gets. The climate of a highland area is closely related to the climate of the surrounding biome.

The first half of 21st century will see the demise of the cheap oil regime. While oil has been in enabling high growth which the developed economies have witnessed in the post second world war era, it has also created a global eco-system feeding on oil for its sustenance & prosperity. It has done irreparable damage to the climate by dramatic rise in carbon dioxide emissions and hence the temperature of earth resulting in catastrophic consequences for future of human civilization on our planet.

In a few days, leaders of the new world will convene in Copenhagen on the eve of United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 to show their commitment to prevent climate change and secure the future of earth’s ecosystem. If we miss this opportunity to universally agree on deliberate policies restraining ourselves on the usage of fossil fuels going forward, we will inflict irreversible damage to earth’s geo ecosystem and throw ourselves at a guaranteed disaster. If history is any indicator, it would be foolish to pin any hopes on outcome of this summit. Similar discussions in the past have yielded limited to no results. Issue of carbon emission and climate conservation have been perceived as a social responsibility with little significance in the face of domestic economic challenges by both developed and developing nations. It may however be different this time.

Never in the past had the agenda around climate change been supported by economics imperatives. However the senseless consumption of oil over the last five decades has resulted in exhaustion of this commodity at an astonishing pace and this phenomenon may present a solution to this problem. The price of oil continues to climb and we will reach peak global oil in the next few decades if we are not already there. From the mid-1980s to September 2003, the inflation-adjusted price of a barrel of crude oil was generally under $25/barrel. During 2003, the price rose above $30, reached $60 by mid 2005, and peaked at around $150 in July 2008. As we approach peak oil, the demand will drive price to dizzy heights and can see the price go well over the dreaded $200/barrel. At this price, Oil will lose its power to be the economic growth agent due to its affordability and availability to support the growth rates of developing countries such as China and India.

There is very little disagreement globally over the need to contain the carbon emission immediately if we have to avoid causing irreparable damage to earth’s climate. The benefit of acting strong and early far outweighs the cost of not acting. Using the results from formal economic models, the Stern Review Report on the Economics of Climate Change estimates that if we don’t act, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5% of global GDP each year, now and forever. If a wider range of risks and impacts is taken into account, the estimates of damage could rise to 20% of GDP or more. There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now.

At the same time, more than half of the world’s population lives in poverty and a solution to climate change which curbs economic growth in developing countries or results in a major drop in lifestyle in developed countries will be politically. A recent McKinsey study says that to achieve both the objectives of stabilizing GHG emission while maintaining economic growth will require 10-fold increase in “carbon productivity” – ie the amount of GDP produced per unit of carbon equivalent (CO2e) emitted. The carbon revolution that is necessary to increase the carbon productivity of such an extent is comparable to the labor productivity increases of the Industrial revolution but will have to be achieved in one-third of the time if the world is to maintain the current economic growth levels. It is therefore virtually impossible to achieve this feat without reducing the reliance on fossil fuels.

As a result three things will happen. 1) Renewable energy, which has traditionally played a second fiddle to the fossil fuels, will take centre-stage and replace the carbon based energy source as the primary driver of global economic growth. While oil and coal will continue to be a substantial source of energy well into the second half of 21st century, its use will be highly governed and regulated as we now understand the full costs of using fossil fuels on the economy as well as the climate 2) As we transition from the Second to the Third Industrial Revolution, manufacturing activities will start concentrating in regions with clean, sustainable, reliable energy source creating millions of new jobs. Any solution which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions would reduce the number of jobs in industries that produce carbon-based energy, use energy in their production process, or produce products whose use involves energy consumption, because those industries would experience the greatest increases in costs and declines in sales. 3) Nations who use this opportunity to force out the fossil fuel from its ecosystem and lay the foundation for the post carbon Third Industrial Revolution will have gain unparalleled competitive advantage and emerge as the dominant economic power in the second half of the 21st century.

As in the previous era, the advent of coal powered steam technology and printing press gave birth to the first industrial revolution, today the technology exists in form of intelligent utility network to not only produce renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro and biomass) but also distribute in an granular fashion with cost economics comparable to the economics of the traditional fossil fuel energy eco-system. The investment that takes place in the next 10-20 years will have a profound effect

on the climate in the second half of this century and in the next. Early signs of investment in renewable energy are encouraging but needs to increase significantly. Global investment in renewable energies topped $148 billion in 2007, a 60 percent increase from 2006. By conservative estimates, global investments in renewable energies are expected to leap to €250 billion by 2020 and €460 billion by 2030.

According to a study conducted by University of California, adopting comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation could create up to 1.9 million jobs in the U.S. The analysis shows conclusively that climate policy will strengthen the U.S. economy as a whole. Full adoption of the ACES package of pollution reduction and energy efficiency measures would create between 918,000 and 1.9 million new jobs, increase annual household income by $487-$1,175 per year and boost GDP by $39 billion-$111 billion. The findings are consistent with previous analyses that have similarly demonstrated that clean energy investments create more jobs, across a wider variety of skill and education levels, than comparable investments in fossil-fuel energy sources.

A new renewable energy economy will be less polluting, more efficient, more competitive, and provide more jobs. In Germany, alone, the renewable energy industry boasted an annual turnover of €21.6 billion and 214,000 workers in 2006.

Selected global indicators

2006

2007

2008

Investment in new renewable capacity (annual)

63

104

$120 Billion

Existing renewable power capacity,
excluding large hydro

207

240

280 GW

Wind power capacity (existing)

74

94

121 GW

Solar (PV) power capacity (grid connected)

5.1

7.5

13 GW

Ethanol production (annual)

39

50

67 Billion Litres

EU has been in forefront of the Third Industrial Revolution. It is the first regional bloc to take the leadership in committing to a target of 20% renewable energy and a likewise reduction of emission by 2020. Various initiatives at a country and regional level have been invested in over the last several years and will start showing results as early as 2015. By 2050, renewable energy is projected to provide nearly half the primary energy, and 70 percent of the electricity produced within the EU, and account for several million new jobs.

For instance one of the noteworthy initiatives “The Desertec Industrial Initiative” aims to supply Europe with 15% of its energy needs by 2050. Desertec Industrial Initiative aims to produce solar-generated electricity with a vast network of power plants and transmission grids across North Africa and the Middle East. The first stage will be to build massive solar energy fields across North Africa’s Sahara desert, utilising concentrated solar power technology (CPS), which uses parabolic mirrors to focus the Sun’s rays on containers of water. The electricity will then be transported great distances to Europe, using hi-tech cables that suffer little conductive loss of power. The move is critical in the transition of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East to sustainable energy supplies.

In 2008, the European Commission also announced a Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), an ambitious public/private partnership, to speed the commercial introduction of a hydrogen economy in the 27 member states of the EU, with the primary focus on producing hydrogen from renewable sources of energy.

A lot of precious time has already been wasted in meaningless and narrow tunnelled debate between the US and developing countries such as China and India over the subject of who has the right to burn more fossil fuel in future. However, the new economic imperatives of renewable energy should replace the debate from the subject of economic concerns to economic opportunities and urge the world leaders of developing nations to instead broker an agreement for speedy technology transfer of renewable energy which will help them preserve the much needed manufacturing jobs, maintain economic growth without causing damage to the climate. The cost of not acting for developing nations will be far higher than for developed economies even though they have contributed the least to the cause of climate change.

Cheap labour will no longer be sufficient to attract manufacturing activities. Nations will have to demonstrate energy security of the clean kind to create and retain manufacturing jobs much needed for greater prosperity through economic growth. The transition from carbon to renewable economy will have dramatic influence on the globalization process in the second half of 21st century. The transition will require substantial transformation of energy infrastructure, reconfiguring of industries, retraining of workers and realignment of global power hubs. Early adopter will have an advantage of being ready to embrace this wholesale change while laggards will witness bleak economic growth in the second half of this century.  Each country have to now choose to either be a laggard or in the forefront of this game changing revolution.

This economy has been tough on the real estate market to say the least. And many real estate companies have had to change the way they do business, especially when it comes time to finding new clients.

What about the rental management industry? We would think the rental market would be doing well, since so many homeowners are now being forced to become tenants, that landlords or property manager phones would be ringing off the hook. And that these new tenants would be flocking to their offices looking for a place to live. Maybe some are getting extra business, but the rental climate and type of tenants in todays market are quite different then pre-economic woes.

In today environment the prospective tenant has more options than ever could be imagined. The inventory of available rental properties is enormous, lease with option to buy are becoming the norm as well as the desperate landlord that has no choice but to reduced his rental rate to unrealistic levels so as to bring some type of income in or face foreclosure.

Today rental market is a tenants dream scenario and a landlords nightmare that unfortunately has few winners.

Even though rental rates are at record lows, tenants are still finding it difficult to qualify for a lease for the following reasons:

1- Many new tenants are previous homeowners that have poor credit due to a recent foreclosure which makes it difficult to qualify
2- Many new tenants recently lost a job and can not show steady employment
3- Many new tenants are looking for short term leases due to unstable jobs
4- Many new tenants household incomes have been cut in half making it impossible to qualify
5- Many new tenants can not come up with the required security deposit or other monies to secure a property

For the Landlord or property manager many new challenges have become apparent:

1- You are competing amongst not only the current pool of rental properties, but now all the homeowners who can not sell so will rent their property instead.
2- Its very difficult to find a qualified tenant and if you do chances are you better give them a offer they cannot refuse, cause the next landlord will.
3- You may have to loosen the reigns when it comes time to your screening
4- You may have to loosen the reigns when it comes time to asking for full security deposits upfront
5- You may have to change your per policy and start accepting pets if you did not before

If you have a property management company helping you to secure a tenant, they should be doing things different. They can not wait in the office for the phone to ring anymore.

They must be more aggressive in they advertising, showing properties even if this means after hours, move-in incentives, freebies…you get the picture.

Times are tough and this means making tough decisions. There no winners, but hopefully by making some changes we will be the one that are still standing after its all said and done.

Since Russia is a large country, it has a continental climate. Russia is not protected from the Arctic and North Atlantic influence and it has mountains that block the moderating temperatures from Pacific and Indian oceans. Large areas of the country are covered by snow for six months. So before you go to Russia on a holiday, make sure you get your timing right. No matter what time you go, there is always something to do but if you are specific about what you want to do, you will have to keep an eye on the climatic changes.

Russia has two main seasons, winter and summer. The winters are extremely cold and long with only about six hours of daylight. In Moscow, it is only in the mid summer which is July and August that the temperature is pleasantly warm. It gets little rainfall as most of the precipitation comes in the form of snow. November is the time when the season changes to winter and this time is quite unpleasant.

The most popular travel destinations of Russia are Moscow and St. Petersburg. A good time to visit the two cities would be May and June. Both the cities will be vibrant with a lot of carnivals, concerts and such other special events. The warn season lasts for about four months and the people of Russia will be rushing around to make the most of the summer. If you want to come during winter season, you can go snow boarding in Khibiny Mountains in January and February.

Around the beginning of July, St. Petersburg will experience daylight all day long. These White Nights are special and are worth experiencing. Autumn in Russia is beautiful with the bright trees and sunny weather. People are out to make the most of the time before snow comes in and the winter begins. This is a nice time to be visit Russia.

Siberia is another destination of visitors on holiday who visit Rusia. The unique landscape, the Baikal Lake and the Altai mountain make Siberia a must visit place for a few days. This area is very remote. If you want to get away from society for a little while this is the place to go. Because it is so remote it gives a feeling of being disconnected from the world. The climate change in Siberia is also quite remarkable, you may want to fix the time of visit depending on what you wish to do in Russia. Krasnoyarsk located along the river is a beautiful place if you are in Russia for sightseeing.

The only time you should not visit Russia is November. It is usually rainy and cold and not at all fun. September and December is party time in Russia and you will have loads of fun if you plan your visit around this time. In September you may get to hear Russian and foreign musicians play.

From mid- October to mid- April, it will be too cold to camp outside so skip this time if you are looking for outdoor activities, except snow boarding of course. Careful planning of your activities will make sure that no unpleasant surprises are sprung on you by Mother Nature.

India is a country that is considered as a subcontinent. Due to its large geographical area India enjoys diversification in the geography of different places. As a result of this diversification Indian climate is not constant throughout. If we move from south to north we can experience a remarkable change in the climatic condition. Generally southern India is warm region and northern India is very cold. Various extremes of climate can also be experienced in India with changing whether and seasons along with the geography of the country.

To understand the vast Indian climate conditions we can divide different regions as tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid and montane. The different geographical regions led to the vast climatic conditions. These regions have different climates and can be studied mainly by dividing four climatic zones namely Alpine, Subtropical, Tropical and Arid.

Alpine zone can be experienced in the high altitudes of Himalayas. In this region there are high climatic conditions are changed regularly due to steep altitude variations. Sub Tropical zone is experienced in most of the northern part of India. Rainfall is common in summer season whereas winters are cold and dry. Tropical zone of Indian climate has characteristics where regions experience either wet monsoon or dry and cold monsoon. Tropical wet monsoon regions are accompanied by rainfalls with average common temperature while dry monsoon are accompanied by lower temperatures with no rainfalls. Arid is the zone of high temperature and low rainfall. It is experienced in western part of the country and includes large part of Rajasthan. The temperature in this zone may rise up to as high as 50 degree Celsius in summer.

Indian climate is divided mainly in 4 traditional seasons although every region suffers from different climatic conditions in a particular season. The four seasons are winter, summer, advancing monsoon and retreating monsoon.

India enjoys various types of climates and 4 seasons. These seasons have a great impact on the geography of India. Indian climate change can be felt with change in seasons.

The two golden rules of travel can be summarised by the following mantra: work out how much money you think you will need then double it, and work out how much stuff to take and halve it. And to an extent this is true; holidays invariably end up costing much more than planned, and sometimes an entire suitcase of clothes can go unworn, in favour of that one top that just looks oh-so-good.

But for a lot of people, holidays are for kicking back and letting loose so why shouldn’t they pack an entire wardrobe, because “you never know”? The old cliche about taking thirteen pairs of shoes on a 4-day break may cause a lot of mirth for the more compact traveller, but “holidaying heavy” can have a more serious consequence for the environment.

Most airlines have a standard baggage allowance and anything over that amount is charged back to the customer. However, some airlines now charge for any checked luggage, citing environmental reasons; more luggage means more fuel and more fuel means more carbon emissions and subsequently less ice at the two poles. So, travelling light might actually be a good idea after all, not only for the environment but for the wallet too.

Holidaymakers can also take other small steps to help combat climate change. For example, whilst on holiday, consider whether it is really necessary to hire a car. Maybe the public transport system is perfectly adequate to meet most people’s needs. Even when travelling to the airport before departure, it’s worth considering the bus or train as an option first, saving on the cost of parking and reducing the impact on the environment at the same time.

This is particularly relevant for early morning flights at provincial airports, where public transport may be a little more restricted, especially in the small hours. Rather than getting up at four or five am, it may be wiser to travel the day before at a leisurely pace and stay at an airport hotel, meaning more sleep and less stress when getting that flight, and it also allows more time to eat a proper breakfast and even shop for flight essentials such as magazines and refreshments. Ultimately, it also means more time to enjoy the holiday without feeling jaded or jet-lagged on arrival.

Never has the environment and climate change been so much at the forefront of people’s psyche. Small changes to individual travel habits can have a massive impact if everybody is involved, and the changes can actually enhance the whole holiday experience. So kick back, let loose and lose some shoes. Three pairs is more than enough!

There are a number of reasons why shopping around for the best car insurance quotes makes sense, not least the money people will save by doing so. Many drivers could be paying more than they need too for their cover without even realising it but can reduce these costs without having to reduce their coverage.

Any change in a person’s circumstance is likely to affect their car insurance costs and this is something that should be checked regularly.  

Retirement is a good time for people to review their car insurance as many insurers offer discounts to people under the age of 55 years old. This is because it is thought that they will not be on the roads as much and especially not during the busy rush hour times when many accidents occur. A change of job could also see a reduction in cover costs, which is why it is so important for people to look around for the best deals to suit their individual needs.         

For those who have recently got married, some companies offer-discounted premiums to couples who insure more than one vehicle on the same policy.

If people are moving home, the area in which they are moving too could have a positive effect on the cost of their car insurance too. Insuring your car in an area with a low crime rate will generally see costs of insurance reduced. In addition, moving to a house with a garage or some form of secured parking will also affect premiums for the better.

A recent survey in the UK revealed that the average motorist now spends around two hours searching online for a motor insurance.

The poll of 1,000 drivers showed that people are willing to spend more time looking through the internet for the best and cheapest insurance offers. Over recent years, the amount of time people have spent looking for car insurance quotes online had dropped significantly, commonly at a rate of between five and fifteen minutes each year. However, this is the first time in five years that the trend has changed and this shift in motorists approach has been put down to the current financial climate with people trying desperately to save money wherever they can.

An insurance expert said, “The increased use and availability of the internet has had a massive impact on the car insurance industry. Motorists can now get a quote anytime, anywhere and in a short amount of time.”

Due to “global warming” and the so-called “greenhouse effect”, sudden climate changes are experienced in all parts of the world. Climate changes produce a variation in the Earth’s atmosphere that is felt in other parts of the globe like the ice caps and oceans.

The Earth is always experiencing climate variability according to several climate specialists. In general, climate is identified by a long-term pattern of weather conditions. Climate is not similar to weather since the latter refers to short-term variations such as the development and movement of the weather system.

The climate’s variability and predictability is defined as the often cyclic, natural and regularly high variation in terms of climate or weather. In fact, climate change can be human-induced or natural. It can also show longer-term trends. The longer-term variation in climate is frequently well preserved in aquifers.

The effect of “global warming” that goes hand in hand with the greenhouse effect produces unexpected climate variations in different parts of the world. Tropical countries are now hotter during summer with a range of 37- 40 degrees Celsius. Icebergs of cold countries are now melting, and this causes floods and other disasters.

Types of Programs and Groups that Study Climate change and Variability

? ESRL or Earth System Research Laboratory Group – This system contains a lot of chemical, biological, and physical processes required to be dynamically combined to predict their performance over the scale level from local to global standards. The ESRL or Earth System Research Laboratory officials are working together towards the greater surveillance of the Earth through a number of studies to understand the changes and processes of the Earth’s system.

? CVWG or Climate Variability Working Group – This organization was developed to study both induced and natural patterns of climate variability when it comes to CCSM or its component models. It also observes various weather conditions with the CCSM component model.

? Managing Climate Variability Group – This group created a somewhat subprogram called “Managing Climate Variability Sub-program”. The program focuses on adaptation of obtainable information significant to climate science research. They also have a goal to produce improved and effective decisions concerning weather forecasts.

? USGS Researcher Group – This research group synthesize, compile, and analyze climate change in the United States. It also provides a basis of understanding the specific effects of yearly climate variability including the discharge and recharge of climate change.

? KNMI Researcher Group – This group of researchers operate 24 hours a day just to inform the public about their main focus which is weather change and seismology. In the international level, this group works with the other research institutes that are established in Europe, Brazil and London.

? Climate Dynamic Group – The objective of this group is to use the climate model in order to develop an understanding of climate variability, change and predictability. This group also aims to develop the performance of the climate model through diagnostic and evaluation studies. The group is still participating in international model experiments such as Couple Model Intercomparison Project, the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project, the Climate of 20th Century Project and the Cloud Model Intercomparison Project.

? UBS Climate Prediction Group – They are dedicated primarily to studying short-term climate prediction and variability. The UBC group develops the neural networks and the other machine learning process for nonlinear multivariate.

? Climate Variations Diagnostic Group – This group studies the mechanisms of the normal variability in the ocean as well as the atmospheric system. This is done in order to let the public know. Furthermore, they perform common circulation model experiments to elucidate the mechanisms of quick atmospheric response to the anomalies in the mind.

? Climate Impact Group – They study the impact of global climate change and natural climate variability on the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The climate impact group focuses on the association of climate science and fundamental research on climate impact.

? Climate variability affects almost all the human activities and natural systems. The direct impact of climate includes the following: water quantity, agriculture, human health and ecosystems. Actually, predicting and understanding climate change is vital to the public and this necessitates a broad array of decision makers. The goals of all climate researchers and groups are listed below.

? Describe and detect the climate variations

? Understand the functions of clouds in climate and radiative forcing

? Attribute and diagnose the causes of man-made forcing or climate variations to natural

? Predict and forecast the climate events

? Provide improved certainty of chaotic systems

? Improve predictive climate model

? Cryosphere and climate interactions

? Detect and describe the atmospheric ozone

? Measure the stratospheric aerosol of volcanic eruption, flashflood and much more

? Improve the information that they give to the public about climate changes.

One of the best ways to improve energy efficiencies in buildings is to change the way we use them.

But before we start, let’s measure the energy use in the building so we have a starting point to see the improvements. The recently introduced Display Energy Certificates (DECs) or Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) can be used for this purpose. They offer a simplified indication of energy use, rating the building from A (highest efficiency rating) to G (lowest efficiency rating), in the same way white goods are now rated.

The difference between energy ratings on white goods and the DECs and EPCs is that the DECs and EPCs show real time energy use and as a result this can be improved by changing the way we use our buildings.

DEC’s are used for buildings with a total useful floor area over 1,000m2 that are occupied in whole or part by public authorities and by institutions providing public services to a large number of persons and therefore frequently visited by those persons. Examples of these are schools, council offices and hospitals.

EPCs have been introduced into the private sector for commercial buildings for sale or rent and all newly constructed buildings.

It won’t be long before they are introduced to all commercial properties and work places, so why not prepare now and get your building energy use down. Get your building checked first and receive your own certificate and see what improvements you can make.

What is the main benefit will you get from this? Simple, reduced operating costs, which are needed now more than any other time, so don’t delay, start now.

Three Simple Steps to Improve Energy Efficiency

1. Change your thermostat settings

We are now in the summer season and many air conditioning systems are now set in cooling mode. One of the main complaints we face is that the temperatures are too cold during these times, the external ambient temperatures rise up to 30 deg C, but still the set point remains at 21 deg C, creating a 9 deg C difference in temperatures.  Studies have shown that a more comfortable temperature of 23 deg C can be used and by increasing the room temperature by 2 deg C, you could make an instant 20% saving on running costs.

The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers now advocate the use of higher internal temperatures to reduce energy use. By using higher internal temperatures, sustainable technologies can be used to cool office spaces including natural ventilation and free cooling from chilled water plant.

Don’t stop there! Why do we persist in setting the thermostat to 23 deg C in winter. Why not reverse the setting and set the room to 21 deg in the heating season.

Which ever season we are in, do your bit, use your own climate control, too warm, wear a short sleeve shirt, too cold, put on a jumper.

By changing our habits we can make considerable savings in running costs whilst reducing our carbon footprint.

2. Turn off your Air Conditioning

As a designer of air conditioning systems, you have to design the system to cope with the coldest and warmest days, which for the majority of the year the equipment is oversized compared to the cooling / heating loads.

Modern inverter systems allow a lot more flexibility as the compressor slows and speeds up to cope with the internal loads. These have only been common for the past 5 years, so what about older systems out there.

From Spring to Autumn, most of the days rarely reach 22 deg C or above. If we are now looking at maintaining an internal temperature of 23 deg C, only you and your computer is creating heat that needs air conditioning. Do you have a window, can you open it and use fresh air to cool your room? It does not have to be open wide, just enough to let a passage of air through.

Ask a colleague to open their window as this will help create a natural air path through the office. Try it out and see if it works. If it suits you and your colleagues, then you can make more savings.

If you do open your windows, make sure your air conditioning units are switched off, otherwise you may find that you end up cooling not only your office but the outside air as well.

3. Service your air conditioner

The importance of maintaining your air conditioner is often overlooked and in some cases seen as a cost saving exercise. This unfortunately is false economy as a poorly maintained air conditioner can cost up to 50% more to run, compared to a system that is regularly checked.

Blocked filters restricting airflow or loss of refrigerants are common causes of increased energy use and if not remedied, these issues can cause equipment failure, resulting in even higher operational costs.

A small fixed speed 7KW air conditioning unit can cost 24p an hour to run. Based on 1o hrs operation, 5 days a week, 51 weeks a year (allow for Christmas shut down) this would cost £612.00 per year to run.

If it isn’t maintained, it could be easily estimated that an additional £300 is added to the above cost as a result of higher energy use. With a typical maintenance cost being £250, lower if added to other systems in the same building, there would be a saving of at least £50 a year, per system. Add to this the improved working environment and reduced risk of failure and loss of business a preventative maintenance contract can offer and the overall bottom line savings and clear to see.

By taking these simple steps, you can make considerable savings on the running costs of your air conditioning.

For more information on all aspects of energy savings please see www.temperaturecontrol.squarespace.com

“PULL HIM/HER DOWN-We Have No Enemies as GOD`s Children in this World; We are Our Own Enemy! Yes, We are Own Enemy. When a Man or Woman decides that all He or She will do, is to PULL OTHERS DOWN and Consistently present Himself or Herself out with treachery as the best thing that has happened to Creation, will be His or Her Own Enemy a Candidate for Self Destruction…”

Many thinkers, ranging from as far back as Plato and Aristotle to as recent as Hannah Arendt, spent inordinate amounts of time trying to make sense of the world we live in. With similar intensity and dedication, pioneering psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget devoted significant energies in an effort to understand the processes of human development. Recent literature on these issues has attempted to improve the earlier thinking, culminating in the so-called neo-Freudians and neo-Piagetians.

In essence, neo-Piagetians are turning Freud’s dictum that “it is the infant who is a father to the man” on its head by arguing that though the early years are salient many other encounters in life as we grow also significantly shape who we become. The fundamental ground of personality development lies a continuous assimilation and accommodation in our lives — as part of the evolution of self, relating to our “world”, making sense of it and responding to real-life events.

I guess, I maybe attempting to tackle what would come across as an esoteric subject to many, given that an attempt to characterise a contemporary Sierra Leonean (African) behaviour is a relatively abstract intellectual project. In my quest to deliberate on the very important topical issue threatening our daily progress and survival, I am drawing strength from the late James Baldwin’s argument that “not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced”. Therefore, talking about the Attitudinal dynamics in our beloved country is, in my view, a critical component of confronting the surmounting growing challenges, mental and social problems and post mortem questions and possibly tackling what could be herculean Attitudinal Change Project initiated by President Ernest B Koroma.

“Sierra Leoneans (Africans) go out of their way to sabotage the constructive actions of other Sierra Leoneans (Africans) to make them fail”. Taking pride in developing over time a culture of PULL HIM/HER DOWN syndrome as part of a way of life. If I cannot be like you, you must be like me.
This brings us to asking ourselves a daily question. Why should people pull one another down? Is it because of some negative forces emanating from within their culture, home or environment because they are weak, because they see things in negative realms, because they are mistrustful, because they are self-destruct, and because they are negative, deceitful, treacherous and wicked. That the Pull Him Down set of symptoms is largely responsible for Sierra Leone`s and Africa’s despicable and “primitive” backward behaviour self is unarguable and indefensible by any standards. The Pull Him Down condition is so entrenched, chronic and deadly that it has stifled progress, development and the supposedly positive functions of the once highly discipline spiritual and orthodox churches and mosques, even shrines and oracles are all affected. For how can a country so immersed in such terribly vibrant religious activities be simultaneously entrapped in the vicious Pull Him Down disease, an indication of spiritual curse or crises?

The weakening of the value system and the increase in poverty ratio in our society has put a significant premium on how we relate with each other as Sierra Leoneans or even how we see each other as citizens, neighbours, friends and generally Africans. There are material questions that relate to the challenges of inequality, poverty, underdevelopment and so forth that are straining our social fabric. However, it appears that the ill-feelings in our society are a generalised phenomenon: some elites or very well-off folks treat each other with no respect and/or with envy that is hard to explain. Some argue that the way we treat each other and the terrible things we do to each other are a function of our ugly past. We saw how this syndrome evolve into a full scale war engulfing the length and breath of the country from 1990 turning against each other in a very serious and futile way. The positive legacies from our past which has in my view, carried through to the present democratic order until recent occurrences begins to reveal cracks in the social system threatening our respect for the sanctity and dignity of human life and property affecting the peaceful co-existence prevailing after the war.

I have argued in other writings and articles in the past that Sierra Leoneans including our other African brothers and sisters on average do not have a problem of self-confidence, of pride, of patriotism. It is the issue of PULL HIM/HER DOWN SYNDROME to the extent of taking the country down as well that worry me about us, the present and the future. I have also argued many times over that in general, we seem to have a psychological problem bordering on our ethics and values, and the injustices we visit on each other are a symptom of a bigger underlying psychosocial problem that we know much about or pay attention to. I tentatively believe that the psychosocial challenges we are faced with may simply be contradictions of life stemming from mediocrity and complacency, greed and poverty, tribalism and opportunism.

Among the main challenges that I believe we have to confront in our society is prejudice which I am convinced is another problem. It is defines (prejudice) as a “preconceived judgement or opinion, usually based on limited information”. I agree, that we all have prejudices and that some people are more prejudiced than others, actively embracing and perpetuating negative and hateful images and character assassinations and vilifications to the highest level in society through misinformation. It has also become an integral part of our socialisation. To say that it is not our fault does not relieve us of the responsibility or repercussions… each and everyone of us needs to take a look at our own behaviour.

Another main Attitudinal challenge issue we must confront is poor ethics. The word ethics has its roots in the Greek word ethos, implying particular “conduct” or “character”. In a nutshell, “ethics is concerned with the kinds of values and morals an individual or society finds desirable or appropriate”. The challenge of ethics in Sierra Leone is swelling unabated, in everyone’s view especially internationally in assessments and criteria for benchmarks. Most public servants are not doing what they are employed to do; most members of communities keep a blind eye to dreadful social injustices, and so on. The reality of our poor ethics is leading to non-accountability, lack of caring for one another, carelessness, and so on. Ours is becoming a fragile zone of inexplicable and despicable bitterness and envy superseding the common sense and common interest values!

Undoubtedly, we really need to take a look at what is going on. We need to think about what has happened and/or is happening. It would seem that this is one of those issues that require each and every Sierra Leonean on board — No Blame Game and No Blame Shift. There are many perspectives about why this is happening to us and/or why we are doing such to each other. Some argue that it is because of the state of our economy and politics. Some argue that it is primarily a weakening in our value system and a breakdown of family values, ethics and associated consequences such as community disintegration and fragile national unity. All arguments on our Attitudinal challenges suggest that we are in for a long haul. The global economy is projected to get worse before it gets better. Politics and its players is anticipated to further unravel social cleavages. Community life is deteriorating. National unity remains precarious.

However, this does not mean that there are no good things happening in our nation. The question is: what should each one of us do to attain the society we envisaged in our supreme laws of the land as the Sierra Leone Constitution compels and binds us to appreciates? This is the big and moral question ever citizen needs to ask him or herself.

As a starter tool at minimum, lets honour basic courtesies and etiquettes towards each other and most importantly take care of those in need rather than exploit what is meant for the weak and helpless. Immanuel Kant, one of the most influential thinkers of the 18th century, argued that it is our duty to treat others with respect. He is quoted to having said that “it is our duty to tell truth, keep promises and treat others as an end not a means to an end”. Why is it so difficult for us to fulfil this appealing natural duty in Sierra Leone? We must start living with everyday peace building actions and positive incentive building formulas like acknowledgement, greeting, respect, helpfulness, empathy to name a few which can serve as an antidote to the evolving formation of the enemy images we build unnecessary in our minds eye of each other as we wake up every other day.

Most of us are privileged to be educated to be servants, and because of this aspect of nature, Sierra Leoneans, Europeans and Africans can never escape their condition of servitude as an obligation owed to humanity. A higher education simply means we are just educated servants, nothing more, nothing less. People or nation who are not historical, or have little knowledge of their history, are people who are more gullible and doom to fail. Knowledge of our history both local and international can become a basis for self criticism, a basis for self understanding, and more importantly, the basis for the understanding of the motives and the psychology of others in their thoughts, words and deeds. If you forget your past, you will not understand the present nor the future. Past, present and future are one, and that proposition is at the centre of a new Sierra Leonean approach to solving our problems by home grown concepts and solutions in perspective. This will also help us to clearly, simply and cogently offer solutions to our beleaguered people and nation, than just high flown analysis attempting to sound intellectual, promoting elitism as usual barren in fruitfulness to the national cause and agendas.

In my opinion it is this kind of incoherent intellectualizing that leads to non action, complacency and mediocrity. It is time to face the facts, that our leadership cadre has to make a fundamental “gear change” in respect of ethics and morality and do what leaders do, that is to create a positive psychological climate for good things to flourish. Unfortunately our leaders hide behind, convoluted arguments, spins and less than truthful communications to justify and protect their positions.

The day we realize that leadership is not a position but an attitude and privilege things will change for the better. Again unless as individuals we make an effort to rekindle our humanity along with the responsibilities that accompany the role, we will deteriorate into a state of existence much akin to beasts in the animal kingdom, despite being dressed in Armani suits and transported in luxury German and American vehicles. We are rapidly forgetting how to be humane and human, and its consequences are being felt around the world which is a global cause for alarm everywhere, in every society, its people, organisations and cultures.

IN CONCLUSION – THE MAGIC OF REASONING

I love reading, but that is not what produces the magic of reasoning….it is how we embrace humility and respect for others less privilege than we are in our magnanimity and generosity, we then tapped into the reservoir of knowledge of existence to better understanding what life is all about like a story book… That is when God bestowed his mercy and grace on us which regulates our wisdom to communicate with the world.

Education is not all about classrooms and universities restricted within the corner of four walls. Real education starts after the basics empowerment by privilege to limited knowledge, a journey in search of the greater knowledge of the science of our universe.

Not really, terminology is only a layer of communication we must be able to handle in variation according to the circumstances we find ourselves in. You use it when necessary, and dump it when not. It is only a tool but should not be habitual like many who uses grammar to prove to themselves and others that they are educated. Wisdom comes in simplicity to an open mind with the fear of GOD as the foundation stone. Yes he puts the wisdom in you and through your effort it manifest into realities. We are zealous in doing many things which comes by divine inspiration rather than from self determination.

That is your truth, your whole truth and nothing but your hearts truth. So may GOD help us in our HONESTY. One do not need to fight and argue over what is right and what is wrong. Just do what is right, that is all our Lord ask from each and everyone of us. We are all sinners and not perfect in our thoughts and actions. We live to learn by the day. No knowledge acquired is too little in the making of a wise man, woman or a nation. As they say, a penny for your thought can make a lot of difference when we are day dreaming.