Resilience

Life may not come with a map, but everyone will experience twists and turns, from everyday challenges to traumatic events with more lasting impact, like the death of a loved one, a life-altering accident or a serious illness. Each change affects people differently, bringing a unique flood of thoughts, strong emotions and uncertainty. Yet people generally adapt well over time to life-changing situations and stressful situations — in part thanks to resilience.

“We have known for a long time that agroforestry can enhance resilience,” says Zeljko Serdar, from the CCRES team. “For example, trees in livestock-keeping and cropping systems provide people with diversified incomes, with food and fodder when crops fail, and they can help improve soil health.”

“This type of resilience is absolutely critical in areas such as the drylands of East Croatia where communities are struggling to cope with more frequent droughts and flash floods.”

Until recently, the exact contribution of trees to resilience in this region had been poorly explored, but in 2017 the assessment report, was published. (https://solarserdar.blogspot.com/2017/09/agroforestry-in-croatia.html ) 
It compiles what experts in research, academia, government, farmers and development practitioners already know about the links between trees and resilience in East Croatia drylands.

Studies at CCRES have shown that a 100 hectare agroforestry farm produces as much as a traditional farm of 130 to 160 hectares where trees and crops are grown separately. This finding has also led to modification of the European Common Agriculture Policy towards agroforestry.


Research on carbon sequestration, water quality protection and biodiversity at CCRES will be discussed during the session in addition to what policies and governance mechanisms are required to support agroforestry and other measures that maintain and improve environmental services.

Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. As much as resilience involves "bouncing back" from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.

While these adverse events, much like rough river waters, are certainly painful and difficult, they don’t have to determine the outcome of your life. There are many aspects of your life you can control, modify and grow with. That’s the role of resilience. Becoming more resilient not only helps you get through difficult circumstances, it also empowers you to grow and even improve your life along the way.

What resilience isn’t
Being resilient doesn’t mean that a person won’t experience difficulty or distress. People who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives commonly experience emotional pain and stress. In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress.

While certain factors might make some individuals more resilient than others, resilience isn’t necessarily a personality trait that only some people possess. On the contrary, resilience involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that anyone can learn and develop. The ability to learn resilience is one reason research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. One example is the response of many Americans to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and individuals' efforts to rebuild their lives after tragedy.

Like building a muscle, increasing your resilience takes time and intentionality. Focusing on four core components — connection, wellness, healthy thinking and meaning — can empower you to withstand and learn from difficult and traumatic experiences. To increase your capacity for resilience to weather — and grow from — the difficulties, use these strategies.

Build your connections
Prioritize relationships. Connecting with empathetic and understanding people can remind you that you’re not alone in the midst of difficulties. Focus on finding trustworthy and compassionate individuals who validate your feelings, which will support the skill of resilience.

The pain of traumatic events can lead some people to isolate themselves, but it’s important to accept help and support from those who care about you. Whether you go on a weekly date night with your spouse or plan a lunch out with a friend, try to prioritize genuinely connecting with people who care about you.

Join a group like CCRES. Along with one-on-one relationships, some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based communities, or other local organizations provides social support and can help you reclaim hope. Research groups in your area that could offer you support and a sense of purpose or joy when you need it.

Foster wellness
Take care of your body. Self-care may be a popular buzzword, but it’s also a legitimate practice for mental health and building resilience. That’s because stress is just as much physical as it is emotional. Promoting positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, ample sleep, hydration and regular exercise can strengthen your body to adapt to stress and reduce the toll of emotions like anxiety or depression.

Practice mindfulness. Mindful journaling, yoga, and other spiritual practices like prayer or meditation can also help people build connections and restore hope, which can prime them to deal with situations that require resilience. When you journal, meditate, or pray, ruminate on positive aspects of your life and recall the things you’re grateful for, even during personal trials.

Avoid negative outlets. It may be tempting to mask your pain with alcohol, drugs or other substances, but that’s like putting a bandage on a deep wound. Focus instead on giving your body resources to manage stress, rather than seeking to eliminate the feeling of stress altogether.

Find purpose
Help others. Whether you volunteer with a local homeless shelter or simply support a friend in their own time of need, you can garner a sense of purpose, foster self-worth, connect with other people and tangibly help others, all of which can empower you to grow in resilience.

Be proactive. It’s helpful to acknowledge and accept your emotions during hard times, but it’s also important to help you foster self-discovery by asking yourself, “What can I do about a problem in my life?” If the problems seem too big to tackle, break them down into manageable pieces.

For example, if you got laid off at work, you may not be able to convince your boss it was a mistake to let you go. But you can spend an hour each day developing your top strengths or working on your resume. Taking initiative will remind you that you can muster motivation and purpose even during stressful periods of your life, increasing the likelihood that you’ll rise up during painful times again.

Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals and do something regularly — even if it seems like a small accomplishment — that enables you to move toward the things you want to accomplish. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?" For example, if you’re struggling with the loss of a loved one and you want to move forward, you could join a grief support group in your area.

Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often find that they have grown in some respect as a result of a struggle. For example, after a tragedy or hardship, people have reported better relationships and a greater sense of strength, even while feeling vulnerable. That can increase their sense of self-worth and heighten their appreciation for life.

Embrace healthy thoughts
Keep things in perspective. How you think can play a significant part in how you feel — and how resilient you are when faced with obstacles. Try to identify areas of irrational thinking, such as a tendency to catastrophize difficulties or assume the world is out to get you, and adopt a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern. For instance, if you feel overwhelmed by a challenge, remind yourself that what happened to you isn’t an indicator of how your future will go, and that you’re not helpless. You may not be able to change a highly stressful event, but you can change how you interpret and respond to it.

Accept change. Accept that change is a part of life. Certain goals or ideals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations in your life. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.

Maintain a hopeful outlook. It’s hard to be positive when life isn’t going your way. An optimistic outlook empowers you to expect that good things will happen to you. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Along the way, note any subtle ways in which you start to feel better as you deal with difficult situations.

Learn from your past. By looking back at who or what was helpful in previous times of distress, you may discover how you can respond effectively to new difficult situations. Remind yourself of where you’ve been able to find strength and ask yourself what you’ve learned from those experiences.

Seeking help
Getting help when you need it is crucial in building your resilience.

Why invest in resilience?
There’s no denying it: social, economic, climatic and environmental indicators warn of uncertain times ahead. But while some advisors may recommend investments far afield, here at CCRES we offer practical solutions close to home.

We believe that high-performance properties that merge shelter, water, renewable energy, and food with revenue generation, community development, and ecosystem and wildlife habitat restoration, provide a secure and lasting source of land-based wealth. Tangible wealth that employs and restores nature’s healthy local abundance rather than relying upon fluctuating markets and currencies.

Properly managed, this natural capital can become the living heart of your investment portfolio. A dynamic, self-sustaining and diversified asset firmly ensures your personal autonomy and resilience, enabling you to thrive no matter what.
For many people, using their own resources and the kinds of strategies listed above may be enough for building their resilience. But at times, an individual might get stuck or have difficulty making progress on the road to resilience.

Turkmenistan renewable energy 2020

The renewable energy sector has shown an exceptional growth over the past two decades. Today, renewable energy is seen as a cheap and clean source of power as opposed to being costly and unreliable earlier. 

The world today is faced with an ever growing need for power. Rapid increase in population, along with growing industrialization and urbanization, has kept the world’s energy need on a growth trajectory. The growing energy need cannot be fully satisfied by conventional power generation methods, and this will therefore serve as a major factor enabling the growth of the renewables industry. Another factor that is aiding the renewable industry is the efficient collaboration between the governments, and the private sector. This collaboration, characterised by public policies and industrial investments, has seen innovations in renewable energy technology, ranging from wind to solar. This has resulted in a steep fall in the cost of renewable energy technologies, thereby making it affordable for applications, including small rooftop installations. The growing concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants that lead to consequences like environmental damage and global warming, are prompting governments to look for cleaner power generation options. This is again proving to be beneficial to the renewables industry.

There are various factors restraining the renewables industry today. One of the major factors is the dependence of renewable energy generation on factors like the weather, which makes it unreliable. Solar and wind energy plants are most affected by these factors. In spite of this, wind and solar are the most popular sources of renewable energy today. The large space requirement of renewable energy plants also makes them an unviable option in some cases. Growing investments and technological advancements are however helping in overcoming some, if not all, of these restraints. There has been a growth in small-scale renewable energy generation in the form of rooftop solar installations, advancement in power storage technologies, and development of smart grids that enable selling additional power back to the grid. These will help overcome the major restraints that the renewable energy industry faces today, thereby boost the growth of the market.

Turkmenistan renewable energy market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the market for wind, solar, hydro and other renewable energy sources. This report also includes key project information of both pipeline and upcoming projects. Key drivers and restraints that are effecting the growth of this market are discussed in detail. The study also elucidates on competitive landscape and key market players (both domestic and international) across various types of renewable energy sources.

On July 9, 2020, the first meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the working out the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on the Development of Renewable Energy with the participation of international organizations was held in a video conference format.

The meeting was attended by the heads and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance and Economics, Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan, state concerns "Türkmengaz", "Türkmennebit". The meeting was also attended by the Director of the Country Support and Partnership Department of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Gurbuz Gonul, the Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, Ambassador Natalya Drozd and UNDP representatives.

During the meeting, the participants spoke on the topics: “Global trends and prospects for the use of renewable energy sources in Turkmenistan”, “Ways of developing renewable energy in Turkmenistan”, “Implementation of scientific projects based on renewable energy sources”, “Using international experience to develop the National Strategy of Turkmenistan on the development of renewable energy".

There was also a presentation on the activities of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat in providing support in the field of renewable energy development, and a presentation on the prospects of cooperation between the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan and UNDP on the development of renewable energy. During the discussion of the draft content of the National Strategy, the participants exchanged views on global trends and on the current state of renewable energy development.

Summary

The modern history of Turkmenistan. 
"We will perform deep processing of hydrocarbon resources based on modern technologies and make high quality production which is on high demand in the world, for example gasoline, polypropylene, polyethylene and liquefied gas". - President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov

For the past period, the industrial infrastructure of the country has been supplemented by such petrochemical giants as polymeric plant in seaside Kiyanly and carbamide plant in Garaboz, Balkan Velayat, first in the world plant for production of gasoline from natural gas in Ahal Velayat. Deep processing of natural gas and making of production, which meets the world quality standards, are carried out at these innovative facilities based on modern technologies.

According to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the opening of similar facilities is one of the main factors of further development of the economy of the country, improvement of its technological safety, expansion and diversification of sales markets of production with high added value, stimulation of development of all branches of national economy.
In this context, the great importance of the project of construction of Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India gas line, which in addition to the attraction of big dividends to the country would bring the light and warmth to homes of neighboring nations, has been noted.
Today, the works for the implementation of the project of this transnational corridor are actively carried out according to the schedule. Together with the beginning of construction of Afghan part of TAPI in February 2018, laying of power and fiber optic lines along Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan (TAP) route has been held. At the same time, Serhetabat - Turgundy railroad, which was built at the request of the Head of the State, has been put into operation.

Implementation of the TAPI gas line project, which starts from the Galkynysh Deposit, which is the first in world inland gas reserves, will support strengthening of peace and sustainable development in addition to solving current social issues in the region. Opportunity to open 5,000 new working places will appear.

Turkmenistan has not only rich reserves of hydrocarbon resources. The subsoils of the country have ore deposits of almost all metals of the periodic table. Their development, production and processing are the main directions of economic policy of the President.

"We will continue to work on the successful realization of huge economic and natural potential for the sake of current and future generations of our people", - the Head of the state said at the inauguration ceremony.

Large-scale construction expanded all over the country under realization of integrated social and economic programs provided growing demands in quality construction materials, having given impetus to rapid development of their production from local resources. Glass production facility Türkmen aýna önümleri, which was put into operation with the participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the middle of February 2018, has become an example of a wise approach to the solution of objective of expansion of export.

There were earlier projects and some progress in the sense that Turkmenistan, rich in oil and gas resources, is heading for the development of renewable energy. But now, this has been immediately supported by three Decrees issued by President Berdimuhamedov at a Cabinet meeting via a video link.
The first document provides for the establishment of an Interdepartmental Working Group for Developing a National Renewable Energy Development Strategy to ensure power stability in the country.
The second document authorizes the Foreign Ministry to engage international organizations and other international establishments in the preparation of a Draft National Renewable Energy Development Strategy in Turkmenistan.
And finally, by the third Decree of the head of state, Turkmen Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi) Serdarmammet Garajaev was appointed Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

$53.4 Million in Small Business Research and Development

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will fund 49 new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development projects across 23 states, totaling nearly $53.4 million in funding.

Small businesses receive Phase II Release 2 grants for principal research and development efforts based on the technical feasibility demonstrated in Phase I projects. Phase II awards range up to $1,500,000 for two years.

Nine EERE Technology Offices (Advanced Manufacturing, Bioenergy, Buildings, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Solar, Vehicles, Water, and Wind) will fund these awards. The following are examples of EERE-funded Phase II projects:

• Quantum Ventura, Inc. of San Jose, CA, is building a 7kg/day E-RECOV prototype plant to extract precious metals and rare earths from waste electronics, such as cell phones and hard disks. E-RECOV technology reduces chemical reagent use and lessens the toxicity of remaining materials. E-RECOV is 30% cheaper than conventional recovery technologies and extracts valuable precious metals. Salvaging these critical rare-earth metals, which have a limited supply within the U.S., reduces the chance of supply-chain disruptions.
• Algenesis Materials of Cardiff, CA, is developing biodegradable polymers made from algae. They will produce products that meet commercial specifications and are able to degrade at a controlled rate in a variety of environments, reducing the bioaccumulation of waste.
• Vacuum glass, a flat thermos bottle for windows, can reduce total U.S. energy use by 1% by 2030, but is far too expensive for the market. V-Glass, LLC of Pewaukee, WI, is working on a project that will eliminate this cost premium, securing the U.S. a leading position in a global market totaling more than $40 billion per year.
• Geothermal heat pump systems represent a significant energy savings opportunity for the United States, but their high installation cost is preventing widespread implementation. Melink Corporation of Milford, OH, is researching how materials with high thermal storage capacities, known as “phase-change materials,” can be used to reduce their installation cost.
• TDA Research, Inc. of Wheat Ridge, CO, is developing advanced tools for monitoring high-tech hydrogen fuel cell components, such as carbon-fiber-reinforced pressure vessels that store the hydrogen fuel, to support widespread commercial adoption of these technologies.
• Tectonicus Constructs, LLC of Bisbee, AZ, is developing a solar racking system to cover and power irrigation canals, giving landowners secondary revenue, reducing evaporation and irrigation costs, and providing new energy jobs to agricultural communities.
• TexPower of Austin, TX, aims to commercialize the first cobalt-free, high-energy lithium-ion battery cathodes that replace current cathodes without changes to other components. TexPower’s battery cathodes use only abundant metals, manufactured by standard industrial processes.
• Current floating offshore wind anchoring and mooring solutions are expensive and not economical at quantity for a wind farm. Triton Systems, Inc. of Chelmsford, MA, is developing a new anchoring technology that will reduce the fabrication and installation costs of offshore wind farms and provide permitting benefits over current market solutions.
• Pliant Energy Systems, LLC of Brooklyn, NY, is developing a pump that draws both water and energy from a flowing water source for irrigation. This technology would be used for both desalination and the generation of electricity.

Small businesses play a major role in spurring innovation and creating jobs in the U.S. economy. Congress created the SBIR and STTR programs to leverage small businesses to advance innovation at federal agencies. Information on the DOE SBIR and STTR programs is available on the Office of Science SBIR website. Additional information can be found on the EERE SBIR/STTR website.

SkyCell temperature-controlled container solutions

http://www.skycell.ch/

CCRES proudly present to you SkyCell 

SkyCell is a Swiss-based, award-winning provider of temperature-controlled container solutions with an overriding goal – eliminating temperature excursions. Their containers are used to transport some of the most temperature-sensitive and high-value healthcare products in the world.

SkyCell poured more than 50 man-years of research and development in its container development and uses a portfolio of more than 100 intellectual property rights.

Twelve of the top 20 pharma companies improved their supply chain significantly with SkyCell’s outstanding performance with less than 0.1% temperature deviations. This is achieved through SkyCell’s unique combination of hardware, software and service.

All containers are made of highly innovative and recyclable material and equipped with IoT sensors. The efficient insulation and cutting-edge cooling technology means SkyCell containers can maintain their temperature for up to 160h. The efficient design makes SkyCell containers up to 20% lighter at maximum loading capacity.

With a strong focus on sustainability, SkyCells containers are 100% recyclable and help reduce a shipment’s carbon footprint by up to 50%.


In the future SkyCell plans to launch more container sizes and is also working to meet the increasing demand for direct-to-patient deliveries.

With aircraft, shipping, and road haulage responsible for much of the air pollution, and with plastic contaminating our marine habitats, we must scrutinise more closely how the supply chain affects the environment.

http://www.skycell.ch/

Waste in transit
Packaging is a huge expense for businesses that ship products in large volume. Making sure that the packaging is appropriate for protecting the item but also for protecting the environment is very important to consumers. Notable examples of companies that have come under fire for over packaging include Amazon, as well as many supermarkets who regularly over-package products.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that five million tonnes of plastic is used every year, nearly half of which is packaging. Calls from consumers, as well as the industry, to reduce the amount of packaging are growing and businesses are taking action. But the transportation of these products that are consistently over packaged increases the environmental impact of the supply chain.

That isn’t to say that products do not require packaging. Certain products do require packaging to ensure they don’t spoil in transit. Whether they are pharmaceuticals or food, products need to be stored to ensure they reach their destination intact.

Preventing goods spoiling is another way in which the supply chain can address waste. The main cause of any perishable goods spoiling is exposure to varying temperatures. Researchers have shown that in certain conditions, one single bacterium multiplies every 20 minutes. They have in fact identified the range between 5⁰C and 57⁰C as the danger zone for spoilage; temperatures regularly seen in transit.

Preventing empty air miles through the correct storage of perishable goods is key to improving the sustainability of supply chains of a variety of products. Ensuring that products are transported on time and under the correct conditions is a vital responsibility of logistics companies and something manufacturers need to be aware of when designing transport solutions to improve the sustainability of supply chains.

Optimising sustainability from the start
Optimising sustainability from the outset, even at the product design stage helps to manage emissions and improve the sustainability of the supply chain. This is the very beginning of the supply chain and has a huge impact on the total emissions of products. Additionally, where products are produced and what they are produced from often impacts consumer buying habits.

A great example of this are the recent revelations from the electric vehicle manufacturers that much of the lithium and copper in the batteries is affecting Chile’s Atacama desert and the surrounding ecosystem. Mining the lithium and copper to supply the battery boom and fight climate change might destroy precious Chilean ecosystems. It doesn’t add up.

Putting more electric cars on the road is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the effects of climate change, reducing the 15.6% of global carbon emissions that come from transportation. But extracting Chile’s lithium means pumping large amounts of water and churning up salty mud known as brine – and that’s having an irreversible impact on the local environment. So is it worth the trade? For many the answer is yes, but for the people and animals that live in the region it may not be. However, the trade doesn’t have to be so stark and companies are building themselves to be both profitable but also sustainable.

Designing products to be entirely sustainable is the key for modern companies. The California-based vegetarian “meat” producer, Impossible Foods Inc. has raised $387.5m in funding to date and has designed their supply chain to be more sustainable. As it requires less land and water than cattle, the production of the “meat” produces fewer emissions than traditional meat production. The company was based on the premise of being good for the environment by also satisfying the growing trend of vegetarianism and veganism.

Having started in 2011, the company was able to see the commercial move towards sustainability and built it in from the start. New companies looking to introduce a new product to market should look to build in sustainability from the product design through to the way the product will be distributed to customers. By modelling the full supply chain and optimising the product’s life cycle to minimise disruption, companies can ensure their supply chain is sustainable.

Reducing emissions
Emissions are a hot-button issue and have been for a number of years now. The emphasis of toxic air and smog in cities and large towns across Europe and the world have been well documented. Turin and London have both recently reported poor air quality and are aiming to reduce access of vehicles to city centres. Air travel has also come under the microscope. When transporting goods it is important that manufacturers consider how these items are transported. Reducing the weight of packaging and the goods themselves all contributes to reducing emissions in the supply chain.

Maximising distribution through weight reduction and general day-to-day activities is a great way for businesses to start optimising the supply chain for sustainability goals. There have been many examples of companies reducing weight to reduce emissions of their freight. One of the most notable is Microsoft who are aiming to reduce package weight by an average of 20% year-on-year. This is being done by a combination of correct sizing and lighter weight materials. Reducing the excess weight of packaging means vehicles use less fuel to transport the goods and therefore lowers carbon emissions across the supply chain.

Working with suppliers to ensure the whole supply chain of a product is more sustainable, from the way packaging is produced to how a company purchases power and where that comes from. In managing suppliers, companies must ensure that inputs from suppliers are of high quality, and the use of water and energy is minimised leading to less pollution, defects and over production. They also should also look at auditing their supplier base and make sure that they are improving the supply chain metrics.

http://www.skycell.ch/

What is SkyCell doing?
SkyCell is a company born with sustainability at its core. A pharmaceutical logistics company, it has been optimised for sustainability whilst maintaining the very highest quality of pharmaceutical containers.

This has been done by producing transport containers that not only control the temperature of the goods, but are also made entirely from recyclable materials. By having sustainability at the heart of the business, the product development, procurement and manufacturing plans are all aligned and the entire supply chain is optimised towards being sustainable.

SkyCell has also considered how its containers can reduce emissions whilst in use. The hybrid containers when tested against industry standards not only reduce the total cost by up to 20% but also reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50%. These reductions have a huge impact on the supply chain’s environmental impact. One of our clients – a leading vaccine manufacturer – has saved over 45 million kilograms of CO2 alone in 2019. This is equivalent to electricity use of 7,225 UK homes for one year.

All of the sustainability measures that SkyCell has introduced do not take away from the effectiveness of the service. In supply chain management it is important that the solutions also solve the problem, and in pharmaceutical logistics this is even more important. Being environmentally sustainable whilst offering efficient solutions is at the crux of what SkyCell is doing and built in to how the business works.

Sustainability plays a part in how businesses operate and the supply chain is a huge part of how a business can tackle emissions and other sustainability issues. By integrating solutions as early as possible in the life cycle of a product, businesses can better design the supply chain to reflect a more sustainable way of working. SkyCell is already doing a lot to align the business and the products with its environmental targets. 2020 represents a watershed moment in the climate emergency and by managing supply chains more sustainably business can do their bit to help reduce humanities effect on the environment.

Further information:

www.skycell.ch