Tác giả: Đào Thu Hằng

I'm from Hanoi, Viet Nam. I'm an author of Dot Chuoi Non (dotchuoinon.com/author/hangbelu/), a blog on Positive thinking, founded by Dr. Tran Dinh Hoanh, an attorney in Washington DC. I'm a co-founder of Conversations on Vietnam Development - cvdvn.net, a virtual think tank. I am a co-founder of two companies in Viet Nam working on children education services. I advise companies on STEAM education, English language education for children and students in Vietnam. I'm studying the Buddha's teaching and the teaching of Jesus. I practice mindful living including meditation. I hold a PhD on Sustainable Energy Systems from University of Lisbon and Aalto University. I graduated from Hanoi University of Technology on Environmental Engineering. I obtained a Master degree of the same major from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University. My English-language blog at: hangbelu.wordpress/. I play table tennis as a hobby.

Harmonizing the Benefits of Distributed Energy Resources for the Benefit of the Grid

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

We need to set the right framework for DER integration, argues Stephanie Wang.

by Stephanie Wang, November 13, 2015
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greentechmedia – California is rethinking how to incentivize consumers to manage their energy use. In September, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said it would seek to create an integration framework to make choosing and integrating distributed energy resources easier for consumers.

The CPUC found that “harmonization” of consumer benefits and “system” (grid and societal) benefits is necessary for integrating more distributed energy resources (DERs). How can we harmonize these benefits with simple, scalable solutions that work for consumers and communities?
Equalize or align benefits

Let’s start with a fundamental question on the definition of harmonization. Does that mean equalization of benefits — ensuring that benefits to consumers and the system are roughly equal? Tiếp tục đọc “Harmonizing the Benefits of Distributed Energy Resources for the Benefit of the Grid” →

How Thailand’s Solar Power Visionary Built an Industry with a Boost from IFC

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Image

Courtesy of Solar Power Company Group
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • One of the winners of this year’s UN Momentum for Change awards has been transforming Thailand’s renewable energy capacity with utility-scale solar farms.
  • To get finance flowing for what was then a new industry in the country, she worked with the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Clean Technology Fund to access blended finance.
  • The project is increasing clean energy capacity while helping drive economic growth in one of Thailand’s most impoverished regions.

Worldbank – Thailand’s solar power market was at a standstill in 2008, with solar energy accounting for less than 2 MW of installed capacity. Technology costs were falling, though, and the government was starting incentives for renewable energy developers. Wandee Khunchornyakong, a retired solar panel manufacturing executive, saw potential. Tiếp tục đọc “How Thailand’s Solar Power Visionary Built an Industry with a Boost from IFC” →

Loss of diversity near melting coastal glaciers

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Loss of diversity near melting coastal glaciers

Sedimentation impacting an entire ecosystem on seafloor

Date:
November 13, 2015
Source:
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Summary:
Melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, impacting an entire seafloor ecosystem. This has been verified in the course of repeated research dives, the results of which were recently published by experts from Argentina, Germany and Great Britain.

Tiếp tục đọc “Loss of diversity near melting coastal glaciers” →

Will Vietnam’s communist princelings deliver?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
13 November 2015
Author: Hai Hong Nguyen, University of Queensland
eastasiaforum – The Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) is preparing a new slate of leaders to replace the old guard who are retiring at the 12th National Congress in 2016. Public attention has been drawn to the rise of young ‘princelings’ — the children of current or former leaders in communist authoritarian regimes like Vietnam and China — to local executive positions and bodies. Vietnamese and Chinese communist youths wave flags to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. (Photo: AAP)The ability of these princelings to deliver on a broad range of governance issues, beyond just high levels of economic growth, will determine the durability of the current regime. Tiếp tục đọc “Will Vietnam’s communist princelings deliver?” →

The History of Jobs In America

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

 Lloyd Alter


treehugger – Paul Kedrosky points to this very cool tool for visualizing the jobs people have done between 1850 and 2000; you click on any one or write it in the window and see how they have changed. Kedrosky writes “Too bad it ends at 2000, thus taking away the fun of watching the profusion of real estate agents and mortgage brokers.” But what about “green jobs”? Can one get a sense of what people are doing, and what the trends are?

There appear to be a lot fewer carpenters than there used to be, although again by ending in 2000 this is missing the housing boom of earlier this decade. Tiếp tục đọc “The History of Jobs In America” →

The SDGs: why should business schools care?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

This post is written by Giselle Weybrecht, advisor, speaker in the areas of sustainability and business and author of The Sustainable MBA: A Business Guide to Sustainability. A version this post first appeared on the AACSB blog

What Are the Sustainable Development Goals?

Post2015 – On September 25 this year, all 193 member states of the United Nations adopted a plan for a path to achieve a better future for all, to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet. A set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets were presented that address the most important economic, social, environmental, and governance challenges and that will help guide national priorities over the next 15 years.

Unlike its predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which expire at the end of 2015, the SDGs were developed through the largest global consultation process ever with a wide range of stakeholders, including business through the UN Global Compact as well as business schools through the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). Although progress was made on the MDGs, which started in 2001, the SDGs represent a much more complete path forward and, despite the increased complexity of having 17 goals instead of just seven, look to enjoy a much larger acceptance and push for action, in particular by business. Tiếp tục đọc “The SDGs: why should business schools care?” →

A Return to the Rule of Law in the South China Sea?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
The UNCLOS tribunal’s ruling that it has jurisdiction in the case brought by the Philippines will likely improve prospects for the rule of law in the South China Sea – and it is in China’s interest to contribute to this development.
DigitalGlobe high-resolution imagery of the Subi Reef in the South China Sea. Photo via Getty Images.DigitalGlobe high-resolution imagery of the Subi Reef in the South China Sea. Photo via Getty Images.

Chathamhouse – China has been on a diplomatic charm offensive last week to improve its relations with  neighbours who have a stake in the stability of the South China Sea (SCS), reaching out to Vietnam and Japan and  culminating in the historic meeting with Taiwan’s leader Ma Ying-jeou on 7 November. This followed on from recent setbacks for its ambitions in the SCS . First, the United States sent its warship USS Lassen within 12 nautical miles of the Chinese controlled Subi Reef to challenge China’s claim to the feature. Then, on 29 October an arbitral tribunal established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and hosted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the Hague found that it has jurisdiction to hear the claims put forward by the Philippines in a case against China concerning maritime rights in a part of the SCS claimed by both. Tiếp tục đọc “A Return to the Rule of Law in the South China Sea?” →

China must act decisively to eradicate the ivory trade

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

The continued existence of large stockpiles of legal raw ivory in the country is hampering China’s promises to save the elephant, says Li Zhang.

11 November 2015

Kin Cheung /AP/Press Association Images Criminal gangs tried to smuggle this ivory into China from Tanzania.

Nature – The fight against the illegal ivory trade had some success last month with the arrest of a Chinese woman alleged to have smuggled more than 700 elephant tusks from Tanzania. Ivory is a particular prize in China, where it has been carved into ornaments, chopsticks and jewellery for more than 3,000 years. Tiếp tục đọc “China must act decisively to eradicate the ivory trade” →

LandMark: Protecting Indigenous and Community Lands by Making Them Visible

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

WRI – Up to 65 percent of the world’s land is held by Indigenous Peoples and communities, yet only 10 percent is legally recognized as belonging to them. The rest, held under customary tenure arrangements, is largely unmapped, not formally demarcated, and therefore invisible to the world. Without strong legal protections or concrete maps delineating their territories, communities are vulnerable to losing their land to governments and investors for economic and commercial development.

That’s where LandMark comes in. Launched today, LandMark is the first online, interactive global platform to provide maps and other critical information on lands that are held and used by Indigenous Peoples and communities. The platform aims to raise awareness, engage audiences, and help these people protect their land rights. Shining a light on indigenous and community land reduces the likelihood that irregular acquisitions and expropriations go unnoticed, and helps protect the livelihoods and well-being of billions of rural people.

1) Indigenous and Community Land Is Not “Vacant” Land.

Tiếp tục đọc “LandMark: Protecting Indigenous and Community Lands by Making Them Visible” →

A Code of Conduct for Maritime Security

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

November 11, 2015

By John J. Brandon

From November 14-22, President Obama will embark on a three-stop overseas trip, beginning in Turkey to attend the G20, followed by a stop in Manila for the APEC summit, and ending in Malaysia where he will meet with Asian leaders for the 10th East Asian Summit (EAS) and U.S.-ASEAN Summit.

Maritime security

With more than 130,000 ships passing through the Straits of Malacca, Southeast Asia is a critical maritime region for commerce and resources. Photo/Flickr user salehi hassan http://bit.ly/1SjxL8H

asiafoundation – One of the biggest and most contentious issues at the EAS will no doubt be maritime security, as conflicting territorial and boundary disputes feature prominently in the region. However, none of these disputes will be resolved at the EAS and most likely not for several years to come. At last week’s ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur, leaders failed to release a joint statement amid disagreements over China’s objection over the South China Sea being mentioned in the document. Tiếp tục đọc “A Code of Conduct for Maritime Security” →

Renewables: Asean’s new energy frontier?

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

Renewable energy is rapidly becoming a mainstream source of power in Southeast Asia, accounting for more than 15 per cent of electricity generation in the region. This number will grow over the next decade and beyond, driven by climate change, energy security and economics.

Asean solar SIEW
Renewable energy can play a significant role in helping Southeast Asia address its energy security issue by ensuring a steady, sustainable stream of power, experts at an industry event said. Image: Shutterstock
Future Ready Singapore

Thursday 5 November 2015

ecobusiness – Demand for energy in Southeast Asia is set to rise a staggering 80 per cent by 2040, driven by a population boom, economic expansion and increasing urbanisation, predicts the International Energy Agency (IEA) in a report released earlier this month (Oct).
At the same time, governments of the ten-country Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bloc need to provide access to the 120 million people in the region still lacking round-the-clock electricity while capping carbon emissions that will worsen climate change. Tiếp tục đọc “Renewables: Asean’s new energy frontier?” →

The UK-China Civilian Nuclear Agreement

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
Photo courtesy of Michael Lowell from https://www.flickr.com/photos/pookieevans/849683393/in/photolist-abyFoE-abvK2R-7pSuwy-df7tX6-7T7vtd-e3ghoR-5j74ft-5j7492-5j74mF-7V4Eta-58furn-5E1hm-33bn7z-o2HeXv-9a1bGf-7YgbNu-3gTpf-aDepcL-2i5RgF-rgW7pq-ryoHvF-7CjyDW-
By Jane Nakano, Michelle Melton Oct 23, 2015

This week, Xi Jinping made his first visit to the United Kingdom as the president of the People’s Republic of China. Both governments hope that the visit will inaugurate a “golden era” of trade relations. President Xi’s visit highlights the budding cooperation between the two countries in the area of civilian nuclear energy. Among the roughly £30 billion in deals inked between the two countries was a Chinese commitment to partially fund the first nuclear plant to be built in the United Kingdom since 1995 and the first new nuclear plant in the European Union since the 2011 Fukushima accident. The announcement during Xi’s visit of an agreement to allow substantial Chinese participation in the UK civil nuclear program signifies a new era for China’s nuclear export program and perhaps for the global nuclear industry. It also provides fodder for ongoing debates about the costs and benefits of using nuclear power to address climate change and the national security implications of allowing foreign investment in critical infrastructure. We outline the scope of nuclear cooperation, explain the key factors driving the deal, and discuss the potential implications for the global nuclear industry. Tiếp tục đọc “The UK-China Civilian Nuclear Agreement” →

Myanmar’s Path to Electrification: The Role of Distributed Energy Systems

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

By Rachel Posner Ross

Power lines in Labutta, Myanmar. Source: AX's flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.

Power lines in Labutta, Myanmar. Source: AX’s flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.

CSIS – With Myanmar’s historic elections around the corner, the international community has focused its attention on this former military regime’s transformation toward democracy. But in every political scenario following the November 2015 elections, Myanmar has immense needs for investments to mitigate problems with energy access, capacity, and reliability that hinder the country’s prospects for economic development. Today, Myanmar has one of the lowest electrification rates in Asia. The recent census documented only 32 percent of households use electricity as the main energy source for lighting and 69 percent still use firewood as the primary energy source for cooking. The communities and businesses already connected to the national grid experience frequent power outages due to inadequate supplies and degraded infrastructure. As Myanmar’s rural population seeks tangible improvements to their quality of life, electrification represents an opportunity for the government to bring near-term legitimacy to the political and economic reform agenda. Tiếp tục đọc “Myanmar’s Path to Electrification: The Role of Distributed Energy Systems” →

Data Mining Reveals the Extent of China’s Ghost Cities

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này

12 COMMENTS

Emerging Technology From the arXiv

November 2, 2015

MITTechnologyreview – Overdevelopment in China has created urban regions known as ghost cities that are more or less uninhabited. Nobody knew how bad the problem was until Baidu used its Big Data Lab to find out.

In recent years, China has undergone a period of urban growth that is unprecedented in human history. The number of square kilometers devoted to urban living grew from 8,800 in 1984 to 41,000 in 2010. And that was just the start. China used more concrete between 2011 and 2013 than the U.S. used in the entire 20th century.

Some of this building has been misplaced. In various parts of China, developers have built so much housing so quickly that it has outstripped demand, even in the world’s most populous country. The result is the well-publicized phenomenon of ghost cities—entire urban areas that are more or less deserted. Tiếp tục đọc “Data Mining Reveals the Extent of China’s Ghost Cities” →

Finding the Silver Pipelining in the Keystone XL Decision

~ Đào Thu Hằng ~ Bình luận về bài viết này
  • Photo courtesy of rickz from https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickz/2113212191/in/photolist-4dJLmX-8AaSq8-4R2T6-ogvPnb-cHW8qL-9c4B2L-H8U2t-6YX1eb-6YWZVG-6YX1J7-4ZLHta-P4pxK-P3MCu-P4py8-P4ABV-P432S-P432b-P4ABR-P3Mgd-6YSZz2-axSvq-6hmrrn-P4ABK-5btKCU-BmhUs-9YT
    By Sarah Ladislaw, Frank A. Verrastro
    Nov 6, 2015
     CSIS – Today President Obama, after seven long years of study and deliberation, rejected TransCanada’s request for a Presidential Permit for its Keystone XL pipeline – a 1,179 mile pipeline designed to bring up to 830,000 barrels per day of Canadian oil to an integrated pipeline system in the United States. Despite the Obama administration’s protestations to the contrary, the decision to deny the permit is rumored to have been made for quite some time and the timing of today’s decision appears to be a calculated step to win the president and the administration additional support from the environmental community before heading off to Paris for the UN climate negotiations at the end of this month. The president asserted that approving Keystone XL would undercut the U.S. role as a climate leader, when in reality the decision likely carries more weight in domestic rather than international circles. Indeed, U.S. leadership on climate is more firmly supported by the suite of action it has taken as part of the Climate Action Plan.

    Tiếp tục đọc “Finding the Silver Pipelining in the Keystone XL Decision” →