Global Update

KENYA

PLANETARY GAME PLAN

The United Nations is bringing a message on the importance of the ozone layer to the gaming and animation world.

Developed by the Nairobi-based UN Ozone Secretariat, Reset Earth is the name of a mobile game and animation film designed to educate adolescents about the fundamental role of the ozone layer in protecting the planet.

Featuring hand-drawn graphics, the single-player mobile game challenges players to solve puzzles about environmental history and the science of protecting the planet.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world circa 2084, where the ozone layer has been damaged, the film follows the mission of three time-traveling teenagers to save the planet from an unstoppable virus. To save the ozone layer, they must ensure the signing of the Montreal Protocol agreement.

Both the game and film are part of the Reset Earth educational platform that launched on World Education Day (January 24). ■

CANADA

SAVINGS FROM WASTEWATER

A Moncton-area utility is rolling out plans to heat buildings using the sewage and wastewater it treats.

TransAqua’s existing wastewater treatment process involves blowing warm air into the water to help break down organic material, raising its temperature to 10°C.

In an effort to cut power consumption and greenhouse emissions, the utility wants to tap into the material’s thermal energy via a heat recovery system.

“We need to think outside the box and say, how can we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions even more?” says TransAqua’s general manager Kevin Rice. According to Rice, the new system is expected to reduce the facility’s net greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 22 per cent. “Instead of using our expensive air conditioning systems and expensive heat systems,” he says, “the amount of temperature that’s drawn from the wastewater would be able to reduce costs significantly.” ■

USA

ROAD TO KIGALI

US President Joe Biden has set the wheels in motion for his country to ratify the Kigali Amendment for the phasing down of HFCs. It was announced among a raft of measures aimed at addressing climate change.

Biden directed his administration to prepare to send the Kigali Amendment to the Senate for its advice and consent to US ratification. It was just one of the orders signed on “Climate Day” at the White House, which together signal a radically different approach to environmental issues to the outgoing administration.

“We have already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis, we can’t wait any longer,” said Biden. If the US does ratify, it may prompt China and India to follow suit. Although both countries have developed domestic phase-down plans, they are conspicuously absent from the list of ratifying countries, which now numbers more than 110. ■

INDIA

EYES ON THE PRIZE

The teams competing in the Global Cooling Prize have completed the field test portion of the prize, and have now started lab testing at CEPT University. Following delays caused by the pandemic, field testing began last October at the Tata New Haven site in Bahadurgarh. Due to COVID-19, the units were installed and virtually commissioned via livestream to the finalists. In November 2019, eight finalists were chosen and each awarded US$200,000 to develop and ship their prototypes to India for testing. The prototypes are now undergoing a test of simulated full-year operation at the CEPT University lab. The innovation competition seeks to incentivise development of a residential cooling solution with at least five times less climate impact than existing standard room ACs. Participants include major manufacturers, start-ups and corporations, and one university. Winners will be announced at a virtual award ceremony in April 2021. ■

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