Virgin Group Founder Says Fossil Fuel Addiction Will Lead To Unprecedented Global Recession

Sir Richard Branson, the founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group, has said that the world faces “the mother of all recessions” unless much more is done to encourage the development of renewable energy.

Addressing delegates at the third annual Six Senses SLOW LIFE Symposium at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, Sir Richard said that governments had to provide additional incentives to support the adoption of alternative fuel sources.

He said: “If we don’t have alternative fuels we are going to have the mother of all recessions. The way to kick-start the revolution is to have no tax on all clean energy while slowly increasing tax on dirty energy.”

“We have been diverting our profit from airlines into developing fuel for aircraft that won’t damage the environment.”

Sir Richard called on European aviation authorities and airports to do more to reduce the aviation industry’s energy emissions and said that the climate change battle is the “biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of our lifetime”.

He added: “Every single ecosystem is in decline. We must revalue how we value our natural assets and how we reduce our consumption patterns.  But it is important for all of us to stay positive. Martin Luther King did not get his message across by saying “I have a nightmare”.

Other speakers at the Six Senses SLOW LIFE Symposium include President Nasheed of the Maldives and Hollywood actors and renowned environmental campaigners Edward Norton and Daryl Hannah.

Mark Lynas, the Climate Change Advisor to President Nasheed of the Maldives, said that the island state is the perfect test-bed for cutting edge environmental technologies.

Addressing delegates at the Symposium, Mr Lynas said that the country was now perfectly placed to lead the world to a low carbon future.

He said that companies from all over the world are coming to the Maldives to test renewable technologies.

“What has really struck me is that this is a country that intends to be master of its own destiny.  The phrase is “victim to victor”,” he said.

“What the Maldives has managed to do is to say that going carbon neutral is good for the economy – it is the engine for growth.”

It was a theme picked up by Jakob von Uexkull of the World Future Council.

He said: “Climate change is the only threat that the media downplays rather than exaggerates. Natural laws can not be changed. Nature provides no bail out packages and you can’t negotiate with melting glaciers.”

Sonu Shivdasani, the Chief Executive and Founder of Six Senses, who is hosting the event, said: “Environmental solutions that were devised at the Symposium have already come into being.  For example, the UNESCO Baa Atoll marine conservation project, which has been partly funded by Six Senses, was something that was first discussed at the Symposium.”

Soneva Fushi will be decarbonising by 2013, with the remaining Six Senses resorts following by 2020.

ENDS

Hosting SAARC Summit will Put Addu on the World Map – says the President

President Mohamed Nasheed today laid the foundation stone of Addu Convention Centre to be built in Hithadhoo to hold SAARC Summit.

Last year the government announced that the this year’s heads of state and government meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, to be hosted by the Maldives, will be held in Addu.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Addu Convention Centre, President Nasheed said the government’s aim of hosting SAARC Summit in Addu was to put the atoll on the world map. He said SAARC Summit will mark Addu’s position on the map and ensure that everyone who crosses the Indian Ocean recognized the potential in the geography of Addu Atoll.

Noting that SAARC Summit to be held in Addu would be the first Summit to be held in Southern hemisphere, he said the work that began today with the construction of Addu Convention Centre marked the beginning of a defining chapter in the country’s history.

The President said the Maldives was located in a strategic position in the Indian Ocean and there were many avenues to maximise the advantages it obtained from its strategic geographic position.

He said there were many island nations around the Maldives and very close to Addu Atoll, that would want to develop with the Maldives and benefit from the development of the Maldives.

He said building the convention centre in Hithadhoo would not only benefit the people of Hithadhoo or Addu, but the whole country. The President said Addu Convention Centre would be national pride as it would be one of the most state-of-the-art convention centers in South Asia.

The President said the government aims to develop and maintain Addu Convention Centre as a venue to hold conferences and conventions after the SAARC Summit.

After laying the foundation stone of Addu Convention Centre, the President also inaugurated the SAARC Unit established in Hithadhoo to oversee and coordinate the preparations being made for this year’s SAARC Summit.

Earlier in the afternoon, the President visited Hithadhoo Port, and officially handed over the operation of Hithadhoo Port to Hithadhoo Port Limited.

NEW TOURISM AMBASSADORS FOR THE MALDIVES

The death metal band “Nothnegal” is one of the newest exports of The Maldives having just returned from a hugely successful European tour involving 14 countries and 24 cities. They admit that their style of music is not everyone’s cup of tea but the facts are they have an enormous fan base, they have signed a major record contract with “Season of Mist / EMI” (one of the largest in the business) and they even have their own entry in Wikipedia!

“As young Maldivians travelling abroad, we believe that it is the duty and responsibility to be an ambassador for your country. It is not just the role of our tourism board, businessmen and President to promote our country abroad, we should unite and all play our part” said lead singer Avo. “Whether we are addressing our concert audience, a team of businessmen in a management meeting or socilaising with fans in a café we never missed an opportunity to educate people about The Maldives” added Hilarl the lead guitarist.

Q? How did Nothnegal get to be invited on such a major European tour?

Nothnegal = “Our music and performances had been eagerly followed on the internet gaining a significant following on sites such as YouTube and MySpace since 2009. This allowed us to be invited to participate but more importantly the media platform allowed us to be viewed and heard by organizers in advance”.

Q? What was the reaction when you told people you came from The Maldives?

Nothnegal = “This varied from country to country. In the core traditional markets such as France, UK, Germany, Italy and Switzerland they were aware of The Maldives and were pleasantly surprised that we had come so far to perform. In emerging markets such as Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Holland and Austria they were totally unaware of The Maldives”.

Q? How did you react to this?

Nothnegal = “We wasted no time to hand out brochures and promotional material. This was gratefully received. Unquestionably our memory will be their reaction when they saw photos of our beaches, water, islands and facilities for the first time. Most commented that they thought the photos had been artificially enhanced such was the beauty – of course we explained this was not the case. Amusingly, we had hundreds of offers for seasonal house swapping – literally every-one we met said they were determined to visit The Maldives as soon as possible”.

Q What did you learn about The Maldives as a tourism destination whilst on tour?

Nothnegal = “That we live in a fantastic country and we are very lucky to call it home. To Europeans, any tropical paradise destination is always appealing. However, what we realized is that The Maldives is no ordinary tropical destination. It has an unrivalled unique natural pristine beauty and has to be one of the most sort after destinations to visit in the world”.

Q Was there any other aspects of The Maldives you shared with the people you met?

Nothnegal = “Yes, explained that we were not just a beach and relaxation destination. The Maldives is a country of distinct culture, history and identity. The people too are like no other and we even have our own sense of humour (although we discovered that it was very close to that of the Irish). We also explained that we are a nation of great fisherman and we have also pledged to be carbon neutral by 2020. This was very warmly received”.

Q What next for Nothnegal?

Nothnegal = We are currently working on finishing our next international album, “Decadence” which is due out in the early part of this year. This has been the culmination of a lot of hard work and also keen support from fellow Maldivian sponsors such as Le Cute and Dhiraagu. Again, an example that when Maldivians unite and support each other, any-thing is possible.

You can follow Nothnegal on Twitter and Facebook.

Source: VisitMaldives

Workshop on Carbon Audit of the Maldives held

A two day workshop was held at the Ministry of Housing and Environment to share the findings and information of the Carbon Audit of the Maldives 2009.

This workshop was conducted by the experts from BeCitizen and French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning. In this workshop, the experts of BeCitizen presented the results of the Maldives National Greenhouse Gas Inventory with breakdown by emission types, by sector and geography, methodologies, assumptions and projections.

The Policy Advisor for Greenhouse gas inventory, projections and methodologies, Dr. Frédérique Millard spoke about the technical and institutional aspects of emissions in France such as policies, data collection and management methodologies and barriers, transparency, confidentiality, calculations and quality control.

The workshop was concluded yesterday with sharing of experience from the French experts and official with recommendations for the Maldives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The workshop was attended by various government agencies, utility companies and some private companies involved in the renewable energy sector.

Source: Miadhu

Cabinet Discusses Policies to Promote Environmentally Friendly Vehicles

The Cabinet, in its meeting today, discussed possible policies that could encourage introduction of environmentally friendly vehicles in the country.

The Cabinet specifically discussed possible policies like reducing import duty on or giving a subsidy for environmentally friendly vehicles imported in to the Maldives.

The Cabinet decided to study the impacts such policies could have on government budget before setting out specific policies.

The Cabinet members also underscored that such policies would help realise government’s carbon neutral plan and lessen dependency on fossil fuel.

President Sends Well Wishes to the Saudi King Following Successful Surgery

President Mohamed Nasheed has sent a message to King Abdulla of Saudi Arabia wishing him well and good health following the successful surgery he underwent.

The President’s message reads as follows.

Quote:
I am immensely relieved to know about Your Majesty’s successful surgery, and I send my well wishes for a full and speedy recovery. I pray to Almighty Allah to grant Your Majesty continued good health and well-being.
Unquote.

Maldives warns on travelling to Sri Lanka after swine flu claims 22 lives

MALE, December 27 (HNS) – Maldives Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) has advised Maldivians to reduce travelling to neighbouring Sri Lanka after swine flu killed 22 people and infected more than 300 over the past two months.

The centre asks pregnant women, children, and elderly people to be cautious of travelling to the country. The centre advises people coming to the Maldives who show symptoms of flu to consult a doctor.

A Sri Lankan government official told AFP that the heavy rains and the cold weather helped spread the virus. The Health Ministry urged people to avoid crowded places and ordered those managing public phone booths to disinfect them at least eight times daily.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared swine flu pandemic over in August, more than a year after the new virus spread around the world, sparking panic and killing thousands before fizzling out.

Source: Haveeru

President Meets Italian Ophthalmologist Dr Roberto Pinelli

President Mohamed Nasheed today met with Dr Roberto Pinelli, the founder of ILMO Institute, a private healthcare centre specialising in diagnosis, research and treatment of eyesight defects and eye diseases. At the meeting, the President and Dr Pinelli discussed possibility of the institute’s engagements in the Maldives.

Dr. Pinelli has carried out pioneering work in Italy and internationally in the field of refractive surgery and vision.

Brook, Cipriani ‘fly out to Maldives together’

Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani have flown out to the Maldives for a Christmas holiday, it has been reported.

The former couple – who ended their two-year relationship in June – were apparently seen looking “cosy” together as they got on a plane in Dubai.

An onlooker told The Sun: “Kelly boarded a plane with Danny and a blonde female friend. They were obviously looking forward to spending some Christmassy time together in the sun.

“Hardly anyone recognised them but they looked really cosy. They were laughing and joking and seemed very happy.”

An agent for the pair confirmed that they are currently holidaying in one of the remote islands of the Maldives with a small group of friends.

Last month, Brook was reported to have flown out to see Cipriani in Australia after he complained of loneliness.

President Welcomes Aung San Suu Kyi´s Release

President Nasheed has welcomed the Burmese authorities´ decision to release Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

The President hailed the decision as an “historic step forward for freedom and democracy in Burma.”

Ms. Suu Kyi was released from the confines of her home in Rangoon on Saturday.

“Aung San Suu Kyi shines as a beacon of hope across Burma and the world,” the President said.

“Many people, myself included, have drawn strength from her courageous and tireless work for human rights and democracy,” he added.

“The Maldives will continue to work for Ms. Suu Kyi´s complete freedom and we look forward to her being able to play a full and active role in Burmese politics,” the President stated.

Ms. Suu Kyi has been held in detention for 15 of the past 21 years.

In 1990, her National League for Democracy won a landslide general election victory but the Burmese military junta refused to cede defeat.

Last week, the Burmese junta held another national election, which has been marred by allegations of vote rigging and dismissed by independent observers as a sham.