Offshore wind, wave and tidal energy together could technically provide all of Europe’s future electricity demand. This vision is being developed by a group of industry experts and scientists under the EU ORECCA project. The group will come together later this week for a two day workshop organised by Siemens and Ecofys in the Netherlands.
Increasing depth and distance
Today offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of around 2.8 GW, are feeding energy into the European grids. Most of the wind farms are installed less than 20 km from the coast and in relatively shallow water depths up to 20 m. New offshore wind farms are being developed at distances around 40 km from the coast and in 40 m depths. These numbers will increase further in the coming years.
Offshore wind and ocean energy combination can fulfil Europe’s electricity demand | Tomorrow is greener
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Google-backed satellite provider O3b raises $1.2B to bring the world online
Google-backed Internet satellite company O3b Networks has raised $1.2 billion in what is says is its final funding round before it launches its “constellation” of fiber-quality satellites to bring the developing world online.
The Channel Island-based company’s name comes from “the other three billion,” referring to the number of people in the world who currently do not have regular Internet access.
The three-year-old startup has thus far been focused on building easy-to-use global satellite-based Internet technology for Internet service providers and telecom companies attempting to push into rapidly emerging markets.
It will theoretically be able to reach these markets when others couldn’t because O3b’s satellites will be placed in orbit 8,000 kilometers from the Earth, four times closer to the planet than regular geostationary satellites.
Google-backed satellite provider O3b raises $1.2B to bring the world online | VentureBeat
The Channel Island-based company’s name comes from “the other three billion,” referring to the number of people in the world who currently do not have regular Internet access.
The three-year-old startup has thus far been focused on building easy-to-use global satellite-based Internet technology for Internet service providers and telecom companies attempting to push into rapidly emerging markets.
It will theoretically be able to reach these markets when others couldn’t because O3b’s satellites will be placed in orbit 8,000 kilometers from the Earth, four times closer to the planet than regular geostationary satellites.
Google-backed satellite provider O3b raises $1.2B to bring the world online | VentureBeat
Our World 2.0 Trailer
Solutions to the global challenges of climate change, food security, peak oil and biodiversity loss are within our reach. Facilitated by the United Nations University, a think tank of the UN, the Our World 2.0 web magazine shares the research, ideas and actions of global citizens who are transforming our lives for the better.
This award-winning web magazine exchanges insight on these pressing topics through videobriefs, articles, debates, photo essays and public events. Our World 2.0 web magazine reaches a broad cross-section of public, private, and academic audiences. Our key community consists of "influential leaders of the future", predominantly 25- to 45-year-olds, from both developing and developed countries.
This award-winning web magazine exchanges insight on these pressing topics through videobriefs, articles, debates, photo essays and public events. Our World 2.0 web magazine reaches a broad cross-section of public, private, and academic audiences. Our key community consists of "influential leaders of the future", predominantly 25- to 45-year-olds, from both developing and developed countries.
Canada Wins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Fossil Award
Canada wins first, second, and third place Fossil of the Day Award in Cancun today. The award is given to the country who has done the most to disrupt and undermine negotiations and diplomatically akin to the elementary school dunce cap: dramatic and unpleasant for the targeted country.
Our first place award was granted for killing the Climate Change Accountability Act. Second place award goes for Federal efforts to gut climate change programs, including:
- The only major federal support program for renewable energyprogram funding energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners
- funding for Canada’s climate science foundation
- clean fuels policies in other countries. Internal government documents released today reveal that Canada worked to “kill” a US federal clean fuels policy to protect its tar sands, working with allies like the Bush administration and Exxon.
Your tracker helps Canada receive its award
And third place award goes for a general commitment to regain title of “colossal fossil” as the country making the least constructive contribution to the negotiations.
Canada Wins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Fossil Award | adoptanegotiator.org
Our first place award was granted for killing the Climate Change Accountability Act. Second place award goes for Federal efforts to gut climate change programs, including:
- The only major federal support program for renewable energyprogram funding energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners
- funding for Canada’s climate science foundation
- clean fuels policies in other countries. Internal government documents released today reveal that Canada worked to “kill” a US federal clean fuels policy to protect its tar sands, working with allies like the Bush administration and Exxon.
Your tracker helps Canada receive its award
And third place award goes for a general commitment to regain title of “colossal fossil” as the country making the least constructive contribution to the negotiations.
Canada Wins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Fossil Award | adoptanegotiator.org
Steven Chu on Renewables and Climate Change
On November 29, 2010, Steven Chu, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, and US Secretary of Energy, spoke to the National Press Club in Washington DC,on America's declining competive edge in critical new technologies, including those that will power the industrial revolution of the new century, - Energy efficiency, and Renewable, low carbon energy production.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Road Ready Leather Jackets Made From Reclaimed Car Upholstery | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
The leather jacket is certainly a mark of all things cool, rock and retro, and the motorheads at Oakland-based Platinum Dirt have aptly figured out a way to embody this way of being in their new line of road-ready leather jackets. Made from the reclaimed upholstery of vintage Lincolns, Jaguars and Cadilacs, every luxurious piece in the “VIN” collection comes stamped with the seal of the original manufacturer, as well as the vehicle identification number of the auto from which it was sourced.
Road Ready Leather Jackets Made From Reclaimed Car Upholstery | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
Road Ready Leather Jackets Made From Reclaimed Car Upholstery | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
Sydney Theatre Company's Rooftop Solar Farm Switched On
The 384kW Suntech solar panel based rooftop array atop The Wharf, home of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), was switched on last Friday at an event hosted by STC Artistic Directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton.
The project was financed by a $2 million donation from a foundation established by Suntech's CEO, Dr. Zhengrong Shi
The 1,906 Suntech Pluto solar panel installation is one of the largest capacity rooftop solar arrays in Australia. Suntech Pluto monocrystalline cells have achieved over 19% conversion efficiency in commercial production, and the advanced cell technology set two new world records for module conversion efficiency.
Sydney Theatre Company's Rooftop Solar Farm Switched On : Renewable Energy News :
The project was financed by a $2 million donation from a foundation established by Suntech's CEO, Dr. Zhengrong Shi
The 1,906 Suntech Pluto solar panel installation is one of the largest capacity rooftop solar arrays in Australia. Suntech Pluto monocrystalline cells have achieved over 19% conversion efficiency in commercial production, and the advanced cell technology set two new world records for module conversion efficiency.
Sydney Theatre Company's Rooftop Solar Farm Switched On : Renewable Energy News :
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Europe's Largest PV Solar Farm Opens in Italy
For billions of years the sun has been shining on a field in Rovigo, Italty -- but, thanks to a new PV solar farm built on that spot, that energy will now be put to some good use. Just nine short months after being given the green-light from the government, the US based SunEdison has officially inaugurated Europe's largest single-site solar farm, producing enough clean-energy to power around 17,000 homes.
The 70 megawatt facility, located in the city between Bologna and Venice, isn't only impressive for it's size, but for how the various parties involved in its construction were able to build it so quickly. A report from CNET explains what factors made it possible for such a massive plant to begin operating in less than a year:
Europe's Largest PV Solar Farm Opens in Italy : TreeHugger
The 70 megawatt facility, located in the city between Bologna and Venice, isn't only impressive for it's size, but for how the various parties involved in its construction were able to build it so quickly. A report from CNET explains what factors made it possible for such a massive plant to begin operating in less than a year:
Europe's Largest PV Solar Farm Opens in Italy : TreeHugger
As Arctic temperatures rise, tundra fires increase, researchers find
In September, 2007, the Anaktuvuk River Fire burned more than 1,000 square kilometers of tundra on Alaska's North Slope, doubling the area burned in that region since record keeping began in 1950. A new analysis of sediment cores from the burned area revealed that this was the most destructive tundra fire at that site for at least 5,000 years. Models built on 60 years of climate and fire data found that even moderate increases in warm-season temperatures in the region dramatically increase the likelihood of such fires.
The study was published this October in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
After the Anaktuvuk fire, University of Illinois plant biology professor Feng Sheng Hu sought to answer a simple question: Was this seemingly historic fire an anomaly, or were large fires a regular occurrence in the region?
"If such fires occur every 200 years or every 500 years, it's a natural event," Hu said. "But another possibility is that these are truly unprecedented events caused by, say, greenhouse warming."
On a trip to Alaska in 2008, Hu chartered a helicopter to the region of the Anaktuvuk fire and collected sediment cores from two affected lakes. He and his colleagues analyzed the distribution of charcoal particles in these cores and used established techniques to determine the approximate ages of different sediment layers.
The team found no evidence of a fire of similar scale and intensity in sediments representing roughly 5,000 years at that locale.
As Arctic temperatures rise, tundra fires increase, researchers find
The study was published this October in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
After the Anaktuvuk fire, University of Illinois plant biology professor Feng Sheng Hu sought to answer a simple question: Was this seemingly historic fire an anomaly, or were large fires a regular occurrence in the region?
"If such fires occur every 200 years or every 500 years, it's a natural event," Hu said. "But another possibility is that these are truly unprecedented events caused by, say, greenhouse warming."
On a trip to Alaska in 2008, Hu chartered a helicopter to the region of the Anaktuvuk fire and collected sediment cores from two affected lakes. He and his colleagues analyzed the distribution of charcoal particles in these cores and used established techniques to determine the approximate ages of different sediment layers.
The team found no evidence of a fire of similar scale and intensity in sediments representing roughly 5,000 years at that locale.
As Arctic temperatures rise, tundra fires increase, researchers find
Study: Asia-Pacific plug-in vehicle market to exceed 1.2M by 2015
Led by strong demand from consumers in China, Japan and Korea, and influenced by national-level initiative programs, the Asia-Pacific region, according to Pike Research, is expected to become the world's largest market for plug-in vehicles by 2015. Sales of electrified vehicles in Asia-Pacific are expected to top 1.2 million in five year's time, with China leading the way with an impressive 554,114 plug-in on its roads.
Pike Research estimates that charging stations sales in Asia-Pacific, which are expected to generate revenue of more than $865 million for the area by 2015, will exceed 860,000 units by then. In addition, supplying the region's demand for plug-in vehicles will require nearly 8.8 million kWh worth of lithium-ion battery capacity.
Study: Asia-Pacific plug-in vehicle market to exceed 1.2M by 2015 — Autoblog Green
Pike Research estimates that charging stations sales in Asia-Pacific, which are expected to generate revenue of more than $865 million for the area by 2015, will exceed 860,000 units by then. In addition, supplying the region's demand for plug-in vehicles will require nearly 8.8 million kWh worth of lithium-ion battery capacity.
Study: Asia-Pacific plug-in vehicle market to exceed 1.2M by 2015 — Autoblog Green
Land Reclamation at Rotterdam : Image of the Day by NASA
In between Germany and France sit the Low Countries, where a much of the land surface lies near or even below sea level. This is the case with a quarter of the land in the Netherlands, where the low elevation leaves the land vulnerable to floods. For the past 2,000 years, the Dutch have employed ever-increasing ingenuity to not only hold back the sea, but to annex land from the North Sea. By the thirteenth century, the Dutch were regularly using windmills to pump water off reclaimed areas known as polders. The Netherlands’ polders have been used for crops, settlements, and ports.
A large-scale application of land reclamation has occurred at Rotterdam. Originating as a fourteenth-century settlement along a small peat river, Rotterdam eventually grew into Europe’s largest seaport. By 2009, 400 million tons of cargo traveled through the port, but Rotterdam was nearing its capacity. To keep the port competitive, authorities undertook an ambitious project aimed at tripling the port’s capacity. The Landsat 5 satellite observed the port’s expansion on July 16, 2006 (top), July 1, 2009 (middle), and July 4, 2010 (bottom).
The aim of the Rotterdam project, known as Maasvlakte 2, is to add 5,000 acres of new land while keeping the port fully functional. Using the same fleet of dredging ships that built Dubai’s Palm Islands, construction workers steadily acquired new land from the sea floor. The process involved sucking sand from the bottom of the ocean and spraying that sand onto designated areas to build up their height. With the sand in place, the next step would involve paving the reclaimed land with some 20,000 massive stone blocks to prevent the reclaimed areas from washing away.
The primary aim for the new land is to serve as container terminals. Raw materials and finished goods shipped over the globe today usually travel in uniformly sized containers that can be transferred between trucks, trains, and ships. By increasing Rotterdam’s container capacity, the Maasvlakte 2 can prevent the port from becoming a trade bottleneck.
Land Reclamation at Rotterdam : Image of the Day
A large-scale application of land reclamation has occurred at Rotterdam. Originating as a fourteenth-century settlement along a small peat river, Rotterdam eventually grew into Europe’s largest seaport. By 2009, 400 million tons of cargo traveled through the port, but Rotterdam was nearing its capacity. To keep the port competitive, authorities undertook an ambitious project aimed at tripling the port’s capacity. The Landsat 5 satellite observed the port’s expansion on July 16, 2006 (top), July 1, 2009 (middle), and July 4, 2010 (bottom).
The aim of the Rotterdam project, known as Maasvlakte 2, is to add 5,000 acres of new land while keeping the port fully functional. Using the same fleet of dredging ships that built Dubai’s Palm Islands, construction workers steadily acquired new land from the sea floor. The process involved sucking sand from the bottom of the ocean and spraying that sand onto designated areas to build up their height. With the sand in place, the next step would involve paving the reclaimed land with some 20,000 massive stone blocks to prevent the reclaimed areas from washing away.
The primary aim for the new land is to serve as container terminals. Raw materials and finished goods shipped over the globe today usually travel in uniformly sized containers that can be transferred between trucks, trains, and ships. By increasing Rotterdam’s container capacity, the Maasvlakte 2 can prevent the port from becoming a trade bottleneck.
Land Reclamation at Rotterdam : Image of the Day
Saturday, November 27, 2010
UK museum generates income with solar PV
The National Trust's carriage museum at Arlington Court is now generating its own income following the installation of one of the UK's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on a historic building.
The 113m2 solar PV installation near Barnstaple, Devon, will generate up to 6.3 MWh of energy each year, saving the museum about £600 from its electricity bill and generating income of around £2270 per year by feeding solar PV energy back into the grid as part of the new feed-in tariff scheme.
Renewable Energy Focus - UK museum generates income with solar PV
The 113m2 solar PV installation near Barnstaple, Devon, will generate up to 6.3 MWh of energy each year, saving the museum about £600 from its electricity bill and generating income of around £2270 per year by feeding solar PV energy back into the grid as part of the new feed-in tariff scheme.
Renewable Energy Focus - UK museum generates income with solar PV
Solar inverter shipments hit 7.3 GW in Q3 2010
Solar inverter shipments grew by 50% in the third quarter (Q3) 2010 to reach 7.3 GW, another record quarter for the industry, says IMS Research.
The record beats the 5 GW of solar inverter shipment record set in Q2.
Renewable Energy Focus - Solar inverter shipments hit 7.3 GW in Q3 2010
The record beats the 5 GW of solar inverter shipment record set in Q2.
Renewable Energy Focus - Solar inverter shipments hit 7.3 GW in Q3 2010
Australian EV to sell for under $10,000
AN AUSTRALIAN-DESIGNED electric car, to be built in China, plans to take on the world with a price under $10,000, an iPad-like dash capable of downloading apps and the promise of never needing liquid fuel.
The Noddy-like EDay hatch, set to debut at July's Melbourne motor show, will arrive next year as 100 lease vehicles, before going on sale in 2012 from $9990 (plus on-road costs). This undercuts petrol-powered competitors by thousands of dollars and is about 14 per cent of the price of the only mass-produced electric car on sale today, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV.
The car, able to travel up to 160 kilometres between charges, has a top speed of just 80km/h and weighs 450 kilograms. It will be the slowest and lightest new car on the market - and the cheapest, something sure to cement its appeal in a segment where shaving a few hundred dollars can boost sales.
The top-secret project is being run by EDay Life, a small Australian company run by former Holden director of innovation and advanced engineering Laurie Sparke and car dealer Robert Lane.
Australian EV to sell for under $10,000 | Electric Vehicle News
The Noddy-like EDay hatch, set to debut at July's Melbourne motor show, will arrive next year as 100 lease vehicles, before going on sale in 2012 from $9990 (plus on-road costs). This undercuts petrol-powered competitors by thousands of dollars and is about 14 per cent of the price of the only mass-produced electric car on sale today, Mitsubishi's i-MiEV.
The car, able to travel up to 160 kilometres between charges, has a top speed of just 80km/h and weighs 450 kilograms. It will be the slowest and lightest new car on the market - and the cheapest, something sure to cement its appeal in a segment where shaving a few hundred dollars can boost sales.
The top-secret project is being run by EDay Life, a small Australian company run by former Holden director of innovation and advanced engineering Laurie Sparke and car dealer Robert Lane.
Australian EV to sell for under $10,000 | Electric Vehicle News
Converteam Powers World’s First 5MW Permanent Magnet Direct Drive Offshore Wind Generator in China
Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Corporation Ltd (XEMC) has recently unveiled the world’s first 5MW permanent magnet direct-drive offshore-specific wind turbine. The achievement was marked by a 21st October ceremony in Xiangtan which was attended by leading officials representing regional and national government including the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology Cao Jianlin.
The announcement follows successful completion of full load, back to back, testing of the turbine in which Converteam participated with its class leading Medium Voltage “MV7000” power converter. The tests, undertaken at XEMC’s generator test facility in Xiangtan in China’s Hunan province, verified critical design parameters of performance and safety as well as overall effectiveness of the new turbine.
Converteam Powers World’s First 5MW Permanent Magnet Direct Drive Offshore Wind Generator in China >> Offshore Wind
The announcement follows successful completion of full load, back to back, testing of the turbine in which Converteam participated with its class leading Medium Voltage “MV7000” power converter. The tests, undertaken at XEMC’s generator test facility in Xiangtan in China’s Hunan province, verified critical design parameters of performance and safety as well as overall effectiveness of the new turbine.
Converteam Powers World’s First 5MW Permanent Magnet Direct Drive Offshore Wind Generator in China >> Offshore Wind
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
'The World in 2050' : The Arctic and everything below
Everyone wants to predict the future, but Laurence Smith actually does so in his new book, “The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Our Civilization’s Northern Future” (Dutton, 2010).
Smith, a UCLA professor and geographer, traveled the Arctic region after receiving a Guggenheim fellowship in 2006. In Russia, Canada and the northern regions of Europe, he visited remote aboriginal villages, and studied both permafrost and demography.
He concludes that the future is a mixed bag of positive and negative: People will urbanize further; the global population will age; and aboriginal groups of the far north will gain a voice in how we spend our natural resources. It’s not how many people live on Earth, but rather how we live that will affect outcomes.
'The World in 2050' : The Arctic and everything below | Greenspace | Los Angeles Times
Smith, a UCLA professor and geographer, traveled the Arctic region after receiving a Guggenheim fellowship in 2006. In Russia, Canada and the northern regions of Europe, he visited remote aboriginal villages, and studied both permafrost and demography.
He concludes that the future is a mixed bag of positive and negative: People will urbanize further; the global population will age; and aboriginal groups of the far north will gain a voice in how we spend our natural resources. It’s not how many people live on Earth, but rather how we live that will affect outcomes.
'The World in 2050' : The Arctic and everything below | Greenspace | Los Angeles Times
GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Awesome Eco-Friendly Gifts for Boys
Everyone knows boys love presents but coming up with ideas on the coolest (and simultaneously eco-friendly) ones to get for them isn’t always child’s play. So why not take the guesswork out of it with our guide packed full of the most coveted green toys, games and more for boys? From transforming solar robots to recycled tire dinosaur swings to old fashioned wooden scooters, check out our colorful guide for all the best ideas!
GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Awesome Eco-Friendly Gifts for Boys | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Awesome Eco-Friendly Gifts for Boys | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
Pollution by Travel Mode: The Thanksgiving Edition
In case you missed it yesterday, my colleague Daniel linked to this excellent graphic posted by Matthew Yglesias over at Think Progress. The image was created from a table in the “Vision for High-Speed Rail in America” plan originally presented in April 2009. Of course, the country’s bullet train network has become just a bit more politicized since then. But on a day when nearly everyone in the United States travels somewhere, somehow, it seems appropriate to compare transportation methods.
Yglesias makes a rational economic argument in favor of bullet lines: If airfares were adjusted to include the cost of pollution (say, through a greenhouse gas tax), then high-speed rail becomes a much more competitive alternative to flying:
Pollution by Travel Mode: The Thanksgiving Edition » INFRASTRUCTURIST
Yglesias makes a rational economic argument in favor of bullet lines: If airfares were adjusted to include the cost of pollution (say, through a greenhouse gas tax), then high-speed rail becomes a much more competitive alternative to flying:
Pollution by Travel Mode: The Thanksgiving Edition » INFRASTRUCTURIST
World’s Largest Solar Power Plant a Significant Catalyst to Clean Energy Supply Chain, Creating Thousands of Jobs
Largest Solar Power Facility in the World to Create Over 7,500 Jobs
Solar Trust of America, LLC (Solar Trust), a leading U.S. integrated solar solutions company, today announced that its development subsidiary, Solar Millennium, LLC, has received a draft term sheet for a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Blythe Solar Power Project (Blythe) in California under its 1705 program for Innovative Technologies. The draft term sheet is an important financial milestone in the realization of what will be the world’s largest solar facility and a significant catalyst to the development of a manufacturing supply chain for solar thermal technology in the U.S.
World’s Largest Solar Power Plant a Significant Catalyst to Clean Energy Supply Chain, Creating Thousands of Jobs « Solar Thermal Magazine
Solar Trust of America, LLC (Solar Trust), a leading U.S. integrated solar solutions company, today announced that its development subsidiary, Solar Millennium, LLC, has received a draft term sheet for a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Blythe Solar Power Project (Blythe) in California under its 1705 program for Innovative Technologies. The draft term sheet is an important financial milestone in the realization of what will be the world’s largest solar facility and a significant catalyst to the development of a manufacturing supply chain for solar thermal technology in the U.S.
World’s Largest Solar Power Plant a Significant Catalyst to Clean Energy Supply Chain, Creating Thousands of Jobs « Solar Thermal Magazine
Energy Matters Video News - Episode 19- November 25, 2010
In this episode, Virginia covers solar power, coal and land use, the Clean Energy Council backs Brumby, 5.7 million dollars in funding for Queensland solar farm and the Victorian Greens pledge to divert funds from coal to renewable energy.
Launch of a professional photographers competition to showcase African beauty
Professional photographers from across Africa are invited to share their visions of beauty on the continent through a photo competition. This competition will culminate with a photo exhibition organised on the margins of the 16th African Union Summit scheduled for 24-31 January 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Launch of a professional photographers competition to showcase African beauty | Africa EU
Launch of a professional photographers competition to showcase African beauty | Africa EU
Ontario's Renewable Energy Revolution - Coal Free By 2014
When it comes to progressive renewable energy policies and climate change initiatives, most people look to European nations with their lucrative feed-in tariffs, vast numbers of wind turbines, and fields bristling with solar panels.
But right now the real climate action hot spot is Ontario, Canada. Ontario is currently undergoing a clean energy revolution that should make the rest of us sit up and take notice.
Under the government’s Long Term Energy Plan, the Canada’s most populous province will decommission all its coal-fired power stations and become totally coal free by 2014. By 2030, 92 per cent of Ontario’s electricity mix will come from combined renewable/nuclear-generated sources.
The Plan sets a 2018 renewable energy target of 10,700 MW from solar, wind and biomass sources, 13 percent of energy share, which will be supported by an expansion of the current feed-in tariff program. The Ontario Energy Ministry says 50,000 new jobs will be created.
Ontario's Renewable Energy Revolution - Coal Free By 2014 : Renewable Energy News :
But right now the real climate action hot spot is Ontario, Canada. Ontario is currently undergoing a clean energy revolution that should make the rest of us sit up and take notice.
Under the government’s Long Term Energy Plan, the Canada’s most populous province will decommission all its coal-fired power stations and become totally coal free by 2014. By 2030, 92 per cent of Ontario’s electricity mix will come from combined renewable/nuclear-generated sources.
The Plan sets a 2018 renewable energy target of 10,700 MW from solar, wind and biomass sources, 13 percent of energy share, which will be supported by an expansion of the current feed-in tariff program. The Ontario Energy Ministry says 50,000 new jobs will be created.
Ontario's Renewable Energy Revolution - Coal Free By 2014 : Renewable Energy News :
57.9 Million Smart Meters For The USA
According to a report from Pike Research, 57.9 million smart meters are slated to be installed by 90 electricity companies in the USA.
Current "non-smart" metering systems are based on technology that is 100 years old. Smart meters are electricity consumption metering devices that can be read automatically over the network and can include a display that tells people about their current rate of electricity use and its cost, updated every 30 minutes. The devices are a crucial element of a "smart grid" system that will lead to greater efficiency and control over energy use, plus better support for renewable energy inputs.
Pike Research says that 21 million of the devices will be installed in the USA by the end of this year. The firm reports Landis+Gyr is currently the market leader in terms of smart meter devices installed in the USA, accounting for 26% market share; with Itron holding 24%, Sensus 21%, GE Energy with 20%, Elster with 5% and Echelon with 3%.
57.9 Million Smart Meters For The USA : Renewable Energy News :
Current "non-smart" metering systems are based on technology that is 100 years old. Smart meters are electricity consumption metering devices that can be read automatically over the network and can include a display that tells people about their current rate of electricity use and its cost, updated every 30 minutes. The devices are a crucial element of a "smart grid" system that will lead to greater efficiency and control over energy use, plus better support for renewable energy inputs.
Pike Research says that 21 million of the devices will be installed in the USA by the end of this year. The firm reports Landis+Gyr is currently the market leader in terms of smart meter devices installed in the USA, accounting for 26% market share; with Itron holding 24%, Sensus 21%, GE Energy with 20%, Elster with 5% and Echelon with 3%.
57.9 Million Smart Meters For The USA : Renewable Energy News :
Floating tidal power plant opened in Norway
Hydra Tidal’s floating tidal power plant, Morild II, has been officially opened in Gimsøystraumen in Lofoten, Northern Norway.
The opening of the 1.5 MW tidal power plant marks the start of the planned two-year trial period for testing and verification of Morild II and the technology.
The tidal turbine blades are made of laminated wood with a diameter of 23 m.
“We know of no comparable floating tidal power plants in the world. There are smaller scale models that have been installed, but Morild II is a full-scale plant. The largest known turbine diameter of other power plants is 18 meters, and the largest installed power known to us is 1 MW. Thus we can imply with a fair amount of certainty that Morild II is the largest tidal power plant of its kind,” says the CEO of Hydra Tidal, Eivind Nydal.
Morild II is expected to supply power to the grid by the end of 2010.
Renewable Energy Focus - Floating tidal power plant opened in Norway
The opening of the 1.5 MW tidal power plant marks the start of the planned two-year trial period for testing and verification of Morild II and the technology.
The tidal turbine blades are made of laminated wood with a diameter of 23 m.
“We know of no comparable floating tidal power plants in the world. There are smaller scale models that have been installed, but Morild II is a full-scale plant. The largest known turbine diameter of other power plants is 18 meters, and the largest installed power known to us is 1 MW. Thus we can imply with a fair amount of certainty that Morild II is the largest tidal power plant of its kind,” says the CEO of Hydra Tidal, Eivind Nydal.
Morild II is expected to supply power to the grid by the end of 2010.
Renewable Energy Focus - Floating tidal power plant opened in Norway
Thanksgiving 2010 Myths and Facts
Before the big dinner, debunk the myths—for starters, the first "real" U.S. Thanksgiving wasn't until the 1800s—and get to the roots of Thanksgiving 2010.
Thanksgiving Dinner: Recipe for Food Coma? Key to any Thanksgiving Day menu are a fat turkey and cranberry sauce.
Some 242 million turkeys were raised in the U.S. in 2010 for slaughter, down 2 percent from 2009's total, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Last year's birds were worth about U.S. $3.6 billion.
About 46 million turkeys will end up on U.S. dinner tables this Thanksgiving—or about 736 million pounds (334 million kilograms) of turkey meat, according to estimates from the National Turkey Federation.
Thanksgiving 2010 Myths and Facts
Thanksgiving Dinner: Recipe for Food Coma? Key to any Thanksgiving Day menu are a fat turkey and cranberry sauce.
Some 242 million turkeys were raised in the U.S. in 2010 for slaughter, down 2 percent from 2009's total, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Last year's birds were worth about U.S. $3.6 billion.
About 46 million turkeys will end up on U.S. dinner tables this Thanksgiving—or about 736 million pounds (334 million kilograms) of turkey meat, according to estimates from the National Turkey Federation.
Thanksgiving 2010 Myths and Facts
A Warning by Key Researcher On Risks of BPA in Our Lives by Elizabeth Kolbert
The synthetic chemical, BPA — found in everything from plastic bottles to cash register receipts — is a potent, estrogen-mimicking compound. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, biologist Frederick vom Saal harshly criticizes U.S. corporations and government regulators for covering up — or ignoring — the many health risks of BPA.
A Warning by Key Researcher On Risks of BPA in Our Lives by Elizabeth Kolbert: Yale Environment 360
A Warning by Key Researcher On Risks of BPA in Our Lives by Elizabeth Kolbert: Yale Environment 360
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
2010 Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2010
More than 100 of the best images from the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards can be seen at the National Theatre in London from 22 November until 16 January – admission free. Tickets for talks & tours at the exhibition by Awards founder & landscape photographer, Charlie Waite, are also on sale. The book, Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 4 by AA Publishing, showcases 175 winning & commended entries and will be published on 1st November. The Awards are held in association with Network Rail and Natural England. More information can be found at www.take-a-view.co.uk
2010 Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2010 | Environment | guardian.co.uk
2010 Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards 2010 | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Bavaria builds 10 MW geothermal power plant
A 10 MW geothermal power plant is being built in Kirchweidach, Bavaria, Germany, by GEOenergie Kirchweidach GmbH.
The geothermal plant will provide both electricity and district heating.
The drilling of the 4 km deep well has already started, and GEOenergie expects the power plant to be fully operational in 2012.
The €50 million geothermal project has been financed through SAM Management Group AG and private investors.
Renewable Energy Focus - Bavaria builds 10 MW geothermal power plant
The geothermal plant will provide both electricity and district heating.
The drilling of the 4 km deep well has already started, and GEOenergie expects the power plant to be fully operational in 2012.
The €50 million geothermal project has been financed through SAM Management Group AG and private investors.
Renewable Energy Focus - Bavaria builds 10 MW geothermal power plant
Tata invests €806.7m in wind
Indian Tata Power is investing €806.7 million win wind power, as it aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its portfolio.
Tata aims to source 25%, or around 8 GW, from renewable energy sources by 2017 – including wind, solar, hydro and geothermal.
Renewable Energy Focus - Tata invests €806.7m in wind
Tata aims to source 25%, or around 8 GW, from renewable energy sources by 2017 – including wind, solar, hydro and geothermal.
Renewable Energy Focus - Tata invests €806.7m in wind
Boeing Announces Mass Production Of 39.2% Efficient Solar Cell
The Boeing Company has announced it is commencing mass production of its high efficiency solar cell, the C3MJ+. Boeing claims a conversion efficiency of 39.2 percent, the industry’s highest-efficiency cell.
Don't expect to see these solar cells in regular solar panels though - the C3MJ+ is a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell. CPV systems focus sunlight onto a small area of solar photovoltaic materials to generate electricity and are most commonly used in utility scale solar farms.
Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, drew on its 50-year history of manufacturing solar cells for space and terrestrial applications to develop the cell. The company set a new world record for efficiency last year with a test solar cell with a peak conversion efficiency of 41.6 percent.
Boeing Announces Mass Production Of 39.2% Efficient Solar Cell : Renewable Energy News :
Don't expect to see these solar cells in regular solar panels though - the C3MJ+ is a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell. CPV systems focus sunlight onto a small area of solar photovoltaic materials to generate electricity and are most commonly used in utility scale solar farms.
Spectrolab, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, drew on its 50-year history of manufacturing solar cells for space and terrestrial applications to develop the cell. The company set a new world record for efficiency last year with a test solar cell with a peak conversion efficiency of 41.6 percent.
Boeing Announces Mass Production Of 39.2% Efficient Solar Cell : Renewable Energy News :
Cancun's vanishing mangroves hold climate promise
This famous beach resort, which will next week host international climate change talks, was itself born from the destruction of a potent resource to fight global warming.
Thick mangrove forests lined the canals and waterways here before developers dredged the land to make way for the upscale hotels that now draw several million tourists every year.
In the 40 years since Cancun was founded, countless acres of mangrove forests up and down Mexico's Caribbean Coast have been lost -- and the destruction continues.
Now many scientists say that mangrove forests can help slow climate change, and are desperate to save them.
FEATURE-Cancun's vanishing mangroves hold climate promise | Energy & Oil | Reuters
Thick mangrove forests lined the canals and waterways here before developers dredged the land to make way for the upscale hotels that now draw several million tourists every year.
In the 40 years since Cancun was founded, countless acres of mangrove forests up and down Mexico's Caribbean Coast have been lost -- and the destruction continues.
Now many scientists say that mangrove forests can help slow climate change, and are desperate to save them.
FEATURE-Cancun's vanishing mangroves hold climate promise | Energy & Oil | Reuters
Murdoch, Lord Rothschild invest in Israeli shale oil
Lord Jacob Rothschild and Rupert Murdoch have invested in an Israeli venture to produce oil from bituminous-bearing rock (shale) in the Elah Valley in the Judean foothills. Last week, they acquired 11% in equal shares of Genie Energy Corporation unit Genie Oil and Gas Inc. for a total of $11 million.
Genie Energy, a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), is the parent company (89%) of Israel Energy Initiatives Ltd. (IEI), which holds an exclusive shale oil exploration and production license covering 238 square miles in the Adulam district, which is between Beit Shemesh and Beit Guvrin. The company believes that its shale oil cracking technology can free the world from dependence on Arab oil and turn Israel into an energy powerhouse able to produce 300 billion barrels of non-conventional oil at a cost of up to $40 per barrel.
Genie Energy comprises IDT Energy,which resells electricity and natural gas to customers in New York, and Genie Oil and Gas Inc. Genie Oil and Gas Inc., which received the $11 million investment, consists of American Shale Oil Corporation, and the 89% stake in Israel Energy Initiatives.
Negotiations with Lord Jacob Rothschild and Murdoch began six months ago, and Lord Rothschild visited Israel during that time. Genie is involved in similar projects in Colorado and Mongolia. IEI president Effie Eitam, who served as minister of national infrastructures in the Sharon government, told "Globes" that IEI hopes to obtain a permit from the regional planning and building commission within days to carry out a pilot shale oil project on a six-dunam (1.5-acre) site in the Elah Valley.
Local residents strongly oppose IEI's venture. They fear possible environmental damage from the drilling. Residents claim that the drilling will harm the Adulam District's vistas and nature, as well as its vineyards, which have been called the Israeli Provence.
Murdoch, Lord Rothschild invest in Israeli shale oil - Globes
Genie Energy, a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), is the parent company (89%) of Israel Energy Initiatives Ltd. (IEI), which holds an exclusive shale oil exploration and production license covering 238 square miles in the Adulam district, which is between Beit Shemesh and Beit Guvrin. The company believes that its shale oil cracking technology can free the world from dependence on Arab oil and turn Israel into an energy powerhouse able to produce 300 billion barrels of non-conventional oil at a cost of up to $40 per barrel.
Genie Energy comprises IDT Energy,which resells electricity and natural gas to customers in New York, and Genie Oil and Gas Inc. Genie Oil and Gas Inc., which received the $11 million investment, consists of American Shale Oil Corporation, and the 89% stake in Israel Energy Initiatives.
Negotiations with Lord Jacob Rothschild and Murdoch began six months ago, and Lord Rothschild visited Israel during that time. Genie is involved in similar projects in Colorado and Mongolia. IEI president Effie Eitam, who served as minister of national infrastructures in the Sharon government, told "Globes" that IEI hopes to obtain a permit from the regional planning and building commission within days to carry out a pilot shale oil project on a six-dunam (1.5-acre) site in the Elah Valley.
Local residents strongly oppose IEI's venture. They fear possible environmental damage from the drilling. Residents claim that the drilling will harm the Adulam District's vistas and nature, as well as its vineyards, which have been called the Israeli Provence.
Murdoch, Lord Rothschild invest in Israeli shale oil - Globes
Buy Nothing Day + Carnivalesque Rebellion | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters
A few people start breaking their old patterns, embracing what they love (and in the process discovering what they hate), daydreaming, questioning, rebelling. What happens naturally then, according to the revolutionary past, is a groundswell of support for this new way of being, with more and more people empowered to perform new gestures unencumbered by history.
Think of it as an adventure, as therapy – a week of pieing and pranks, of talking back at your profs and speaking truth to power. Some of us will put up posters in our schools and neighborhoods and just break our daily routines for a week. Others will chant, spark mayhem in big box stores and provoke mass cognitive dissonance. Others still will engage in the most visceral kind of civil disobedience. And on November 26 from sunrise to sunset we will abstain en masse – not only from holiday shopping, but from all the temptations of our five-planet lifestyles.
Buy Nothing Day + Carnivalesque Rebellion | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters
Think of it as an adventure, as therapy – a week of pieing and pranks, of talking back at your profs and speaking truth to power. Some of us will put up posters in our schools and neighborhoods and just break our daily routines for a week. Others will chant, spark mayhem in big box stores and provoke mass cognitive dissonance. Others still will engage in the most visceral kind of civil disobedience. And on November 26 from sunrise to sunset we will abstain en masse – not only from holiday shopping, but from all the temptations of our five-planet lifestyles.
Buy Nothing Day + Carnivalesque Rebellion | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters
Secretary Salazar Outlines Plan to Streamline Offshore Wind Project Permitting Process
The Associated Press (via ABCNews.com) reports that U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today outlined the "Smart from the Start" initiative designed to streamline the permitting process for offshore wind projects on the Atlantic continental shelf. Speaking in Baltimore, he and other federal officials pledged to work with state leaders to select promising sites along the Atlantic seaboard for wind energy production. According to a DOI fact sheet describing the program, the “Smart from the Start” initiative will identify "Wind Energy Areas" offshore Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts within sixty days of this announcement. Secretary Salazar also noted that offshore wind leases could be approved under this new arrangement as early as late-2011 or early-2012.
Secretary Salazar Outlines Plan to Streamline Offshore Wind Project Permitting Process - Offshore Energy Law Blog
Secretary Salazar Outlines Plan to Streamline Offshore Wind Project Permitting Process - Offshore Energy Law Blog
Massachusetts OKs Cape Wind Deal with National Grid
Cape Wind, the first offshore wind farm ever approved in the U.S., today passed another major milestone with the approval by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities of a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement with the utility, National Grid, to buy Cape Wind's energy, capacity and renewable energy credits.
Massachusetts OKs Cape Wind Deal with National Grid | Reuters
Massachusetts OKs Cape Wind Deal with National Grid | Reuters
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
DeLorean goes electric for 25th anniversary of 'Back to the Future'
When it comes to conjuring up memories of the classic time-traveling film "Back to the Future," nothing does it like seeing a DeLorean DMC-12.
Originally manufactured for the American market in 1981-82, only 6,500 of the original 9,000 are believed to exist. The car is most remembered for being the instrument of time travel used by the character Doc Brown.
"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style," he famously says in the 1985 film.
While the original vehicle ran on gasoline (with some help from plutonium to knock it back and forth through time), the folks over at Wired Italy thought it would be cool to add some future tech to the DeLorean. So, to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, they took a DMC-12 and gave it an electric makeover.
"This is all real future, not back to the future," said Wired Italy Features Editor Massimiliano Ferramondo.
The team documented the project as a feature on its website (www.electricrace.it), as the 90-kilowatt engine and custom-designed lithium-ion batteries (silently) roared to life this month. Afterward, the lucky editors left Wired's offices in Milan and traveled back roads as they snaked their way across the Italian countryside toward the Rome Film Festival, which started Thursday and runs through Nov. 5. Along the way, they stopped in towns where Universal Pictures planned to show a digitally remastered version of "Back to the Future."
DeLorean goes electric for 25th anniversary of 'Back to the Future' - San Jose Mercury News
Originally manufactured for the American market in 1981-82, only 6,500 of the original 9,000 are believed to exist. The car is most remembered for being the instrument of time travel used by the character Doc Brown.
"The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style," he famously says in the 1985 film.
While the original vehicle ran on gasoline (with some help from plutonium to knock it back and forth through time), the folks over at Wired Italy thought it would be cool to add some future tech to the DeLorean. So, to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, they took a DMC-12 and gave it an electric makeover.
"This is all real future, not back to the future," said Wired Italy Features Editor Massimiliano Ferramondo.
The team documented the project as a feature on its website (www.electricrace.it), as the 90-kilowatt engine and custom-designed lithium-ion batteries (silently) roared to life this month. Afterward, the lucky editors left Wired's offices in Milan and traveled back roads as they snaked their way across the Italian countryside toward the Rome Film Festival, which started Thursday and runs through Nov. 5. Along the way, they stopped in towns where Universal Pictures planned to show a digitally remastered version of "Back to the Future."
DeLorean goes electric for 25th anniversary of 'Back to the Future' - San Jose Mercury News
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky
When you say the word skyscraper, do you always think of a tall rectangle? Is it freestanding? Is there one main entrance? Australian architecture student Josephine Turner takes issue with these, and other assumptions about what skyscrapers are, what they should be, and how they can function individually, within a system of other buildings and for the city as a whole.
In designing a skyscraper complex, Turner has proposed a network of “skylinks that connect elevated urban plazas” for the Bangaroo district of Sydney, Australia. Her design, the “Bangaroo Sky Village,” incorporates the elements of the skyscraper that Turner would like the public to rethink; for example, her towers are designed as stacked triangle shapes instead of rectangles, and they are rotated to give help soften the sharp geometrical look of the buildings. Using triangles to construct a massive building, she says, is exceedingly efficient when distributing weight, and therefore can allow for a more creative layout within the building.
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
In designing a skyscraper complex, Turner has proposed a network of “skylinks that connect elevated urban plazas” for the Bangaroo district of Sydney, Australia. Her design, the “Bangaroo Sky Village,” incorporates the elements of the skyscraper that Turner would like the public to rethink; for example, her towers are designed as stacked triangle shapes instead of rectangles, and they are rotated to give help soften the sharp geometrical look of the buildings. Using triangles to construct a massive building, she says, is exceedingly efficient when distributing weight, and therefore can allow for a more creative layout within the building.
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
Bright New Mecca Train Ferries Hajj Pilgrims
One of the new Mashair Railway light-rail trains runs in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, the holiest city of Islam, in early November. The 11-mile (18-kilometer) railway will transport some of the millions of pilgrims who travel to Islamic holy sites during the annual four-day hajj.
Pictures: Bright New Mecca Train Ferries Hajj Pilgrims
Pictures: Bright New Mecca Train Ferries Hajj Pilgrims
5 Gigatonnes - the gap between climate science and current climate cuts after Copenhagen?
Nations have the chance to deliver almost 60 per cent of the emissions reductions needed to keep global temperatures under a 2 degrees Celsius rise.
But only if the pledges made last year in Copenhagen are fully met.
These are among the findings of a new report compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and jointly authored by over 30 leading scientists from numerous international research institutes.
The report was convened in conjunction with the European Climate Foundation and the National Institute of Ecology-SEMARNAT, Mexico.
The findings, launched in advance of the UN climate convention meeting in Cancun, Mexico, spotlight the size of the 'emissions gap' between where nations might be in 2020 versus where the science indicates they need to be.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said, "I encourage all Parties to make good on their national mitigation pledges, and to further progress within the negotiations as well as through strengthened efforts on the ground to curb emissions. There is no time to waste. By closing the gap between the science and current ambition levels, we can seize the opportunity to usher in a new era of low-carbon prosperity and sustainable development for all."
-- Press Releases November 2010 - 5 Gigatonnes - the gap between climate science and current climate cuts after Copenhagen? - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) --
But only if the pledges made last year in Copenhagen are fully met.
These are among the findings of a new report compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and jointly authored by over 30 leading scientists from numerous international research institutes.
The report was convened in conjunction with the European Climate Foundation and the National Institute of Ecology-SEMARNAT, Mexico.
The findings, launched in advance of the UN climate convention meeting in Cancun, Mexico, spotlight the size of the 'emissions gap' between where nations might be in 2020 versus where the science indicates they need to be.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said, "I encourage all Parties to make good on their national mitigation pledges, and to further progress within the negotiations as well as through strengthened efforts on the ground to curb emissions. There is no time to waste. By closing the gap between the science and current ambition levels, we can seize the opportunity to usher in a new era of low-carbon prosperity and sustainable development for all."
-- Press Releases November 2010 - 5 Gigatonnes - the gap between climate science and current climate cuts after Copenhagen? - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) --
President Barack Obama at U.S. - European Union Summit
President Obama and and European leaders discuss job creation, sustaining global economic recovery, protecting citizens, preventing nuclear proliferation, increasing trade and investment, Iran's nuclear program, and clean energy technologies. November 20, 2010.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky
When you say the word skyscraper, do you always think of a tall rectangle? Is it freestanding? Is there one main entrance? Australian architecture student Josephine Turner takes issue with these, and other assumptions about what skyscrapers are, what they should be, and how they can function individually, within a system of other buildings and for the city as a whole.
In designing a skyscraper complex, Turner has proposed a network of “skylinks that connect elevated urban plazas” for the Bangaroo district of Sydney, Australia. Her design, the “Bangaroo Sky Village,” incorporates the elements of the skyscraper that Turner would like the public to rethink; for example, her towers are designed as stacked triangle shapes instead of rectangles, and they are rotated to give help soften the sharp geometrical look of the buildings. Using triangles to construct a massive building, she says, is exceedingly efficient when distributing weight, and therefore can allow for a more creative layout within the building.
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
In designing a skyscraper complex, Turner has proposed a network of “skylinks that connect elevated urban plazas” for the Bangaroo district of Sydney, Australia. Her design, the “Bangaroo Sky Village,” incorporates the elements of the skyscraper that Turner would like the public to rethink; for example, her towers are designed as stacked triangle shapes instead of rectangles, and they are rotated to give help soften the sharp geometrical look of the buildings. Using triangles to construct a massive building, she says, is exceedingly efficient when distributing weight, and therefore can allow for a more creative layout within the building.
Bangaroo Sky Village Rethinks Living High in the Sydney Sky - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
China feels heat of climate change rifts
Coaxing China into a global grand bargain to fight climate change that also satisfies the United States and other rich nations threatens to be even more daunting and elusive than fixing the economic rifts dividing them.
China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases from human activity stoking global warming, having outstripped the United States. Those two powers will play a big part in determining whether climate pact talks in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 can make progress toward a comprehensive deal.
China feels heat of climate change rifts | Reuters
China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases from human activity stoking global warming, having outstripped the United States. Those two powers will play a big part in determining whether climate pact talks in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 can make progress toward a comprehensive deal.
China feels heat of climate change rifts | Reuters
Energy Matters Video News - Episode 17 - November 21, 2010
Presented by Energy Matters team member Virginia, twice a week we cover some of the stories from Australia and around the world recently added to our renewable energy news section.
In this episode, Virginia covers solar power grid parity on the horizon, a solar scientist shoots for payback, REC group celebrates 1 million solar panels produced at its Singapore plant, a US/Australia solar collaboration and Sanyo's solar powered golf buggy trial..
In this episode, Virginia covers solar power grid parity on the horizon, a solar scientist shoots for payback, REC group celebrates 1 million solar panels produced at its Singapore plant, a US/Australia solar collaboration and Sanyo's solar powered golf buggy trial..
New York Moves on With Offshore Renewables (USA)
New York’s plans for offshore renewable energy are moving along. Yesterday, BOEMRE held its first offshore renewable energy task force meeting in partnership with New York’s Office of the Governor.
The task force was established to facilitate communication between BOEMRE and state, local, tribal and federal stakeholders concerning commercial renewable energy leasing and development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of New York. The task force includes state government officials designated by Governor David Paterson, officials from affected federal agencies, elected local government officials and tribal leaders.
“BOEMRE created this task force to facilitate the efficient and effective review of proposed renewable energy projects on the OCS offshore New York,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “We will continue to work together to initiate the commercial leasing process that will enable New York to meet its renewable energy development goals and expand our nation’s energy resource portfolio.”
New York Moves on With Offshore Renewables (USA) >> Offshore Wind
The task force was established to facilitate communication between BOEMRE and state, local, tribal and federal stakeholders concerning commercial renewable energy leasing and development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of New York. The task force includes state government officials designated by Governor David Paterson, officials from affected federal agencies, elected local government officials and tribal leaders.
“BOEMRE created this task force to facilitate the efficient and effective review of proposed renewable energy projects on the OCS offshore New York,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “We will continue to work together to initiate the commercial leasing process that will enable New York to meet its renewable energy development goals and expand our nation’s energy resource portfolio.”
New York Moves on With Offshore Renewables (USA) >> Offshore Wind
Put Away Your Snowboard. Lebanon’s Slopes Are Melting
Climate change ruins all the fun. Higher temperatures have cut the skiing season in half.
Put Away Your Snowboard. Lebanon’s Slopes Are Melting | Green Prophet
Put Away Your Snowboard. Lebanon’s Slopes Are Melting | Green Prophet
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Some Heat Waves Can Be More Harmful Than Others, Study Says
Heading into this last week of November, when the air is cool and the daylight hours are growing shorter, the idea of a heat wave might sound like a pretty good thing. But it was only a few months ago, back in July and August, that many parts of the country sought relief from long spells of abnormally hot weather. And the heat waves that hit the entire Atlantic coast were relatively mild compared to record-breaking temperatures felt elsewhere around the world this past summer.
Some Heat Waves Can Be More Harmful Than Others, Study Says : Blog : Breaking : Climate Central
Some Heat Waves Can Be More Harmful Than Others, Study Says : Blog : Breaking : Climate Central
Vice President Biden launches home energy scoring program
Vice President Biden joined U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today to announce the launch of the Home Energy Score pilot program. The Home Energy Score will offer homeowners straightforward, reliable information about their homes’ energy efficiency. A report provides consumers with a home energy score between 1 and 10, and shows them how their home compares to others in their region. The report also includes customized, cost-effective recommendations that will help to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes. DOE today also released the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades, a comprehensive set of guidelines for workers in the residential energy efficiency industry. The guidelines will help develop and expand the skills of the workforce, ensuring the quality of the work performed, while laying the foundation for a more robust worker certification and training program nationwide. Vice President Biden made the announcements today at a Middle Class Task Force event, highlighting the progress that has been made on implementing the recommendations of last year’s Recovery through Retrofit report.
“The initiatives announced today are putting the Recovery Through Retrofit report’s recommendations into action - giving American families the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades.” said Vice President Biden. “Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle class families save money and energy.”
Vice President Biden launches home energy scoring program | Tomorrow is greener
“The initiatives announced today are putting the Recovery Through Retrofit report’s recommendations into action - giving American families the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades.” said Vice President Biden. “Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle class families save money and energy.”
Vice President Biden launches home energy scoring program | Tomorrow is greener
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Koch Industries Facts - 2010's Dirtiest Opponent of Clean Energy
To help raise awareness of Koch Industries and its leadership in the climate denial movement, Repower America launched a new website last week called KochIndustriesFacts.com. I’ve learned some startling facts while browsing the site.
For example:
“Koch is responsible for over 300 oil spills in the U.S. and has leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into fisheries and drinking waters.”
Koch Industries Facts - 2010's Dirtiest Opponent of Clean Energy
For example:
“Koch is responsible for over 300 oil spills in the U.S. and has leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into fisheries and drinking waters.”
Koch Industries Facts - 2010's Dirtiest Opponent of Clean Energy
Cheap Renewable Power Key to BMW’s Electric Megacity
Carbon fiber has long been seen as a potentially powerful weapon in automakers' arsenal for designing more efficient vehicles. But the lightweight, super-strong material does not come cheap—at least, not yet. BMW plans to use carbon fiber for its upcoming Megacity electric vehicle, and at the Los Angeles Auto Show the company detailed its strategy for slashing production costs for the material.
Richard Steinberg, BMW's manager of electric vehicle operations and strategy for North America, said on Wednesday that the automaker plans to use hydropower for the energy-intensive manufacturing of carbon fiber.
With plans initially to invest $100 million, a joint venture between BMW and Germany’s SGL Group began building a new plant this summer in Washington—a state that has become a hot spot for energy-guzzling data centers due to the abundance of cheap hydropower generated there. Thanks to the giant Grand Coulee Dam and other hydroelectric stations on the Columbia River, Washington State has the lowest electricity rates in the United States—about four cents per kilowatt-hour for industrial customers, or 40 percent below the national average.
Cheap Renewable Power Key to BMW’s Electric Megacity
Richard Steinberg, BMW's manager of electric vehicle operations and strategy for North America, said on Wednesday that the automaker plans to use hydropower for the energy-intensive manufacturing of carbon fiber.
With plans initially to invest $100 million, a joint venture between BMW and Germany’s SGL Group began building a new plant this summer in Washington—a state that has become a hot spot for energy-guzzling data centers due to the abundance of cheap hydropower generated there. Thanks to the giant Grand Coulee Dam and other hydroelectric stations on the Columbia River, Washington State has the lowest electricity rates in the United States—about four cents per kilowatt-hour for industrial customers, or 40 percent below the national average.
Cheap Renewable Power Key to BMW’s Electric Megacity
weatherathome | Climateprediction.net
What is "weatherathome"?
You’ve heard of climate change, but what does that actually mean for the weather in the region where you live? Could it be that you are going to see an increase in the number of damaging weather events? Or could the weather actually be getting nicer? You now have the opportunity to help scientists find the answers to questions like these, by taking part in the climateprediction.net “weatherathome” experiment.
weatherathome | Climateprediction.net
You’ve heard of climate change, but what does that actually mean for the weather in the region where you live? Could it be that you are going to see an increase in the number of damaging weather events? Or could the weather actually be getting nicer? You now have the opportunity to help scientists find the answers to questions like these, by taking part in the climateprediction.net “weatherathome” experiment.
weatherathome | Climateprediction.net
Congress urged to end ethanol tax credit
Friends of the Earth launched an online ad campaign today to mobilize Americans to contact their members of Congress and demand that they end a tax credit that funnels billions of taxpayer dollars to corporate corn ethanol interests. The campaign, titled “Yellow Is Not Green,” encourages the public to help “save tax dollars-and the planet” by pushing Congress to let the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) expire at the end of this year’s lame duck legislative session. “This is a wasteful subsidy that benefits Big Oil at the expense of taxpayers and the environment. Congress must end it this year,” said Kate McMahon, biofuels campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth. “There’s nothing ‘green’ about corn ethanol beyond the color of the tax dollars Congress hands out to corporations producing and blending it. This lame duck should not lay the rotten egg of another big, wasteful handout to industry by extending the corn ethanol subsidy.” The VEETC has long been opposed by Friends of the Earth and a diverse coalition of groups. It gives billions of tax dollars each year to gasoline companies like BP, ExxonMobil, and Shell for blending ethanol into consumer-level fuel-despite a federal mandate that already requires them to do so. This year alone, the subsidy cost taxpayers $5.4 billion dollars, and the amount is set to increase if the credit does not expire on December 31
Congress urged to end ethanol tax credit | Tomorrow is greener
Congress urged to end ethanol tax credit | Tomorrow is greener
LED pilot launched in Kolkata to save costs and emissions in India’s largest ever city installation of LED streetlights
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), international NGO The Climate Group and HSBC this week announced the launch of India's largest Light Emitting Diode (LED) streetlighting pilot program in Kolkata. The ground-breaking LED pilot project will undertake a comprehensive trial of over 270 lights installed on several of the city's arterial roads. The project will help the KMC understand practical ways it could make substantial cuts in urban emissions and savings on energy-related costs from street lighting over the next few years. The insight gained will not only be shared with other Indian cities but internationally.
The project is carried out by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in joint collaboration with the Government of India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL), and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), with overall facilitation of The Climate Group. The project cost is equally shared between Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
The Kolkata initiative is part of The Climate Group's international LightSavers program supported by HSBC and joins 10 other pilots world cities including Hong Kong, New York, London, Sydney, Tianjin (China), and Toronto.
LEDs use substantially less power than conventional light bulbs and pilot projects internationally have so far shown a reduction of 40-50 % in electricity use when LEDs replace traditional sodium vapour lamps, and savings of up to 70 per cent when LEDS are used with smart controls. Globally lighting accounts for 6% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
Mr Arnab Roy, KMC Municipal Commissioner, says: “Kolkata has 180,000 street lights, so the potential to scale up this clean technology is considerable. We look forward to working alongside The Climate Group and its members to better understand the wide-ranging benefits of this clean technology including energy and carbon savings.”
The Climate Group
The project is carried out by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in joint collaboration with the Government of India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL), and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), with overall facilitation of The Climate Group. The project cost is equally shared between Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
The Kolkata initiative is part of The Climate Group's international LightSavers program supported by HSBC and joins 10 other pilots world cities including Hong Kong, New York, London, Sydney, Tianjin (China), and Toronto.
LEDs use substantially less power than conventional light bulbs and pilot projects internationally have so far shown a reduction of 40-50 % in electricity use when LEDs replace traditional sodium vapour lamps, and savings of up to 70 per cent when LEDS are used with smart controls. Globally lighting accounts for 6% of worldwide CO2 emissions.
Mr Arnab Roy, KMC Municipal Commissioner, says: “Kolkata has 180,000 street lights, so the potential to scale up this clean technology is considerable. We look forward to working alongside The Climate Group and its members to better understand the wide-ranging benefits of this clean technology including energy and carbon savings.”
The Climate Group
Civic Ventures Announces The Purpose Prize Winners: 10 Over 60 Making an Extraordinary Impact in their Encore Careers
Civic Ventures has announced the 2010 winners of its Purpose Prize. Five $100,000 and five $50,000 prizes will go to social entrepreneurs over 60 who, in their encore careers, are using their experience and passion to make an extraordinary impact on society’s biggest challenges. Now in its fifth year, the six-year, $17 million program is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life.
Civic Ventures Announces The Purpose Prize Winners: 10 Over 60 Making an Extraordinary Impact in their Encore Careers « Skoll Foundation
Civic Ventures Announces The Purpose Prize Winners: 10 Over 60 Making an Extraordinary Impact in their Encore Careers « Skoll Foundation
Investors Call for U.S. International Action on Climate Change
Investors Say Weak U.S. Policies Causing Private Capital To Go Overseas; Strong Policies Needed to Close Widening Climate Investment Gap
The world's largest global investors have a powerful message for climate negotiators in Cancun and the new U.S. Congress: take action now in the fight against global warming or risk economic disruptions far more severe than the recent financial crisis.
Citing potential climate-related GDP losses of up to 20 percent by 2050 and the economic benefits of shifting to low-carbon and resource-efficient economies, investors released a major statement today calling for national and international policies that will spur private investment into low-carbon technologies.
The statement was signed by 259 investors from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Africa with collective assets totaling more than $15 trillion—more than one-quarter of global capitalization. Signatories included Allianz, HSBC, APG and a dozen U.S. public pension funds and state treasurers. It is the largest-ever group of investors to call for government action on climate change.
REN21 - Investors Call for U.S. International Action on Climate Change
The world's largest global investors have a powerful message for climate negotiators in Cancun and the new U.S. Congress: take action now in the fight against global warming or risk economic disruptions far more severe than the recent financial crisis.
Citing potential climate-related GDP losses of up to 20 percent by 2050 and the economic benefits of shifting to low-carbon and resource-efficient economies, investors released a major statement today calling for national and international policies that will spur private investment into low-carbon technologies.
The statement was signed by 259 investors from North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and Africa with collective assets totaling more than $15 trillion—more than one-quarter of global capitalization. Signatories included Allianz, HSBC, APG and a dozen U.S. public pension funds and state treasurers. It is the largest-ever group of investors to call for government action on climate change.
REN21 - Investors Call for U.S. International Action on Climate Change
Chevrolet Investing $40 Million to in Clean Energy in 2011
While GM has enjoyed a wealth of goodwill lately from the Chevrolet Volt and today’s IPO (which closed at $34.19). Today they announced that they will take $40 million from Chevy’s marketing budget and invest it in clean energy.
The goal of this $40 million investment, which comes right out of Chevrolet’s advertising budget, is to reduce carbon emissions by 8 million metric tons through 2011. That would be the equivalent of taking about 1.9 million cars off the road, or the emissions from over 970,000 U.S. homes.
Chevrolet Investing $40 Million to in Clean Energy in 2011 – Gas 2.0
The goal of this $40 million investment, which comes right out of Chevrolet’s advertising budget, is to reduce carbon emissions by 8 million metric tons through 2011. That would be the equivalent of taking about 1.9 million cars off the road, or the emissions from over 970,000 U.S. homes.
Chevrolet Investing $40 Million to in Clean Energy in 2011 – Gas 2.0
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The strange case of Lord James and 'Foundation X'
Lord James has claimed a mysterious gold bullion-backed body wants to invest £5bn in the UK – so what's the catch?
The strange case of Lord James and 'Foundation X' | Hopi Sen | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
The strange case of Lord James and 'Foundation X' | Hopi Sen | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Never to be Finished Skyscraper is a Flexible Neighborhood
The flexible character of Additional Hope’s plan is based on the use of original neighborhood’s building blocks, which determine the buildings’ orientation and demarcate the green spaces around them. This prototype project defines the towers as additions to existing buildings in any city around the world. The gigantic frames created by the buildings will contain sun sails, various-sized wind turbines, dew traps and a plethora of vegetation. In addition to framing the sea and the mountain, they will also harness natural elements — water, light and wind — in the service of man, while calling man’s attention to natural elements and raising awareness to ecological concerns.
Never to be Finished Skyscraper is a Flexible Neighborhood / Geotectura Studio - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
Never to be Finished Skyscraper is a Flexible Neighborhood / Geotectura Studio - eVolo | Architecture Magazine
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Fruits of Obama Far East trip include $300 million clean energy investment fund
President Barack Obama may not have achieved all of his objectives during his 10-day trip to the Far East this past week, but he did have some good news for renewable energy advocates – the creation of a $300 million Clean Energy Investment Fund design to deepen America’s ties to India and foster development of low-carbon economies throughout South Asia.
Renewable Energy Magazine: Latest news - your source for renewable energy news– solar, wind, biomass, biofuel, hydro, CO2, solar thermal, hydro power, climate change, carbon trading..
Renewable Energy Magazine: Latest news - your source for renewable energy news– solar, wind, biomass, biofuel, hydro, CO2, solar thermal, hydro power, climate change, carbon trading..
Cogenra Mixes Solar PV and Hot Water
Khosla Ventures-backed Cogenra Solar made big news this month when it celebrated the unveiling of an impressive 272-kW solar cogeneration installation at Sonoma Wine Company in Graton, California. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the event to flip the switch on 15 Cogenra SunBase modules that generate both electricity and hot water for the winery.
Cogenra Mixes Solar PV and Hot Water
Cogenra Mixes Solar PV and Hot Water
$5.7 Million In Funding For Queensland Solar Farm
The Bligh Government announced yesterday is will invest up to $5.7 million in a solar farm to be located in Cloncurry.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said the Queensland Government would issue a tender for expressions of interest early next year.
"Cloncurry is blessed with some of the best solar resources in Queensland and an ideal location for a photovoltaic (PV) solar farm," he said.
The solar farm will be solar panel based and electricity produced by the facility will be exported to the Ergon Energy Mount Isa-Cloncurry electricity network that supplies Cloncurry.
$5.7 Million In Funding For Queensland Solar Farm : Renewable Energy News :
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson said the Queensland Government would issue a tender for expressions of interest early next year.
"Cloncurry is blessed with some of the best solar resources in Queensland and an ideal location for a photovoltaic (PV) solar farm," he said.
The solar farm will be solar panel based and electricity produced by the facility will be exported to the Ergon Energy Mount Isa-Cloncurry electricity network that supplies Cloncurry.
$5.7 Million In Funding For Queensland Solar Farm : Renewable Energy News :
First Major Solar Farm For South America Announced
In South America, a continent rich in abundant natural resources yet beset by civil and economic woes, renewable energy has the potential to help lift industrial capacity and provide much need employment.
Solar energy development company, Solarpack, and Codelco (Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile) have teamed up to build the first utility scale solar farm in South America.
The project involves the construction and operation of a photovoltaic plant of 1 MW of installed capacity (equivalent to the consumption of 5,000 households), which will supply electricity to Chuquicamata copper mine in northern Chile.
Solar pack says it will be the first solar panel-based installation in the world that is built without any subsidies to support it. This is a testament to the success of global solar energy uptake and its subsequent reduction in price. Codelco will purchase electricity generated by the solar plant.
The plant will occupy an area of 6.25 hectares. The 4080 solar modules will be mounted on a high precision solar tracking system to follow the path of the sun and increase electricity production.
First Major Solar Farm For South America Announced : Renewable Energy News :
Solar energy development company, Solarpack, and Codelco (Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile) have teamed up to build the first utility scale solar farm in South America.
The project involves the construction and operation of a photovoltaic plant of 1 MW of installed capacity (equivalent to the consumption of 5,000 households), which will supply electricity to Chuquicamata copper mine in northern Chile.
Solar pack says it will be the first solar panel-based installation in the world that is built without any subsidies to support it. This is a testament to the success of global solar energy uptake and its subsequent reduction in price. Codelco will purchase electricity generated by the solar plant.
The plant will occupy an area of 6.25 hectares. The 4080 solar modules will be mounted on a high precision solar tracking system to follow the path of the sun and increase electricity production.
First Major Solar Farm For South America Announced : Renewable Energy News :
Langlee Wave Power builds wave energy plants in Turkey
Langlee Wave Power AS and Turksih Ünmaksan have agreed to build five wave power systems totalling 600 kW in Turkey.
Managing Director at Langlee, Julius Espeland, says: “This will be a test park that will be built over two years, and the plan going forward is to build two parks with a total capacity of 52 MW.
“Unlike other wave power technologies that rely on a certain wave height to function, our technology’s efficiency is determined by wave length. In these areas (Turkey) the wave length is very stable and gives good efficiency throughout the year,” Espeland adds.
Renewable Energy Focus - Langlee Wave Power builds wave energy plants in Turkey
Managing Director at Langlee, Julius Espeland, says: “This will be a test park that will be built over two years, and the plan going forward is to build two parks with a total capacity of 52 MW.
“Unlike other wave power technologies that rely on a certain wave height to function, our technology’s efficiency is determined by wave length. In these areas (Turkey) the wave length is very stable and gives good efficiency throughout the year,” Espeland adds.
Renewable Energy Focus - Langlee Wave Power builds wave energy plants in Turkey
Donors failing to deliver aid for climate adaptation - report
A promised $30 billion in "fast-start" climate change aid will go largely to emissions-curbing projects rather than efforts to help vulnerable nations adapt to more extreme weather and rising seas, new research suggests.
Only between 11 and 16 percent of the money promised so far by wealthy countries will go to support climate adaptation actions such as building sea walls and promoting new farming practices, according to a report published on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
Just $3 billion of the $30 billion pledged for the period 2010 to 2012 at last December's Copenhagen climate negotiations has been clearly allocated for adaptation projects in the world's poorest countries, and some of the commitments are in the form of loans rather than grants, the report said. It noted that this estimate was "very rough and perhaps low", partly due to a lack of information from donors.
Reuters AlertNet - Donors failing to deliver aid for climate adaptation - report
Only between 11 and 16 percent of the money promised so far by wealthy countries will go to support climate adaptation actions such as building sea walls and promoting new farming practices, according to a report published on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
Just $3 billion of the $30 billion pledged for the period 2010 to 2012 at last December's Copenhagen climate negotiations has been clearly allocated for adaptation projects in the world's poorest countries, and some of the commitments are in the form of loans rather than grants, the report said. It noted that this estimate was "very rough and perhaps low", partly due to a lack of information from donors.
Reuters AlertNet - Donors failing to deliver aid for climate adaptation - report
Samsung Makes 19-inch OLED TV by Using Printing Method
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd exhibited a prototype of a 19-inch TV equipped with an OLED panel made by using a printing method.
The TV features an active matrix OLED panel that the company claims is made by using an "inkjet method." Its pixel count is 960 x 540, which is about quarter that of full HD.
The resolution and luminance of the panel are 58ppi and 200cd/m2, respectively. It can display 16.77 million colors with an 8-bit color scale. And it has a 62% color gamut.
[FPDI/GD] Samsung Makes 19-inch OLED TV by Using Printing Method -- Tech-On!
The TV features an active matrix OLED panel that the company claims is made by using an "inkjet method." Its pixel count is 960 x 540, which is about quarter that of full HD.
The resolution and luminance of the panel are 58ppi and 200cd/m2, respectively. It can display 16.77 million colors with an 8-bit color scale. And it has a 62% color gamut.
[FPDI/GD] Samsung Makes 19-inch OLED TV by Using Printing Method -- Tech-On!
New transparent, light-harvesting material could lead to power generating windows
While rooftops are the obvious place to put solar cells to generate clean electricity for the home, we’ve seen a number of technologies aimed at expanding the potential solar collecting area to include windows using transparent solar cells. These include Octillion Corp’s NanoPower Window technology, RSi’s semi-transparent photovoltaic glass windows, and EnSol’s transparent thin film. In this latest development, U.S. scientists have fabricated a new type of self-assembling transparent thin film material that could boost the cost effectiveness and scalability of solar window production.
The material, developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, consists of a semiconducting polymer doped with carbon-rich fullerenes – soccer-ball-shaped, cage-like molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms. When applied to a surface under carefully controlled conditions, the material self-assembles in a repeating pattern of micron-sized hexagonal-shaped cells resembling a honeycomb over a relatively large area (up to several millimeters).
The material is largely transparent because the polymer chains pack together only at the edges of the hexagons, remaining loosely packed and spread relatively thin across the centers. The densely packed edges strongly absorb light and could facilitate electrical conductivity, while the centers don’t absorb much light and are relatively transparent, according to the researchers.
New transparent, light-harvesting material could lead to power generating windows
The material, developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, consists of a semiconducting polymer doped with carbon-rich fullerenes – soccer-ball-shaped, cage-like molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms. When applied to a surface under carefully controlled conditions, the material self-assembles in a repeating pattern of micron-sized hexagonal-shaped cells resembling a honeycomb over a relatively large area (up to several millimeters).
The material is largely transparent because the polymer chains pack together only at the edges of the hexagons, remaining loosely packed and spread relatively thin across the centers. The densely packed edges strongly absorb light and could facilitate electrical conductivity, while the centers don’t absorb much light and are relatively transparent, according to the researchers.
New transparent, light-harvesting material could lead to power generating windows
WHO Pins BPA Exposure on Food
The primary way humans are exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) is though food, said a panel convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), which also stated that any "public health measures" are premature.
More than 30 international experts were brought together for the meeting organized by the WHO earlier this month to review BPA, a chemical that mimics estrogen and has been linked to a range of development and reproductive problems, diabetes and other health issues.
The WHO said the panel concluded that BPA is getting into humans mainly through food and drinks, meaning the chemical is passing from packaging like certain hard plastics and epoxy can liners into food they're in contact with. Other exposure sources, like thermal receipt paper and dental sealants, are less important, the WHO said.
Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/11/15/who-pins-bpa-exposure-food#ixzz15WmayXBlWHO Pins BPA Exposure on Food | Design | GreenBiz.com
More than 30 international experts were brought together for the meeting organized by the WHO earlier this month to review BPA, a chemical that mimics estrogen and has been linked to a range of development and reproductive problems, diabetes and other health issues.
The WHO said the panel concluded that BPA is getting into humans mainly through food and drinks, meaning the chemical is passing from packaging like certain hard plastics and epoxy can liners into food they're in contact with. Other exposure sources, like thermal receipt paper and dental sealants, are less important, the WHO said.
Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/11/15/who-pins-bpa-exposure-food#ixzz15WmayXBlWHO Pins BPA Exposure on Food | Design | GreenBiz.com
India Steers Full Speed towards Low Carbon Transport
India has embarked on a new pathway towards developing a low-carbon transport system, days before the convening of the UN climate change convention in Cancun.
Launched in New Delhi, Thursday, a new 2.49 million Euros three-year project - funded by the German International Climate Initiative and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - will support the Indian Government's efforts to align transport growth with the country's climate change agenda and national development plan.
Boasting the world's second largest population, India's per capita emissions remain below the world average. But population growth in the last two decades has been coupled with a rapid increase of private vehicles and a switch from rail to road transport across the freight and passenger sectors.
-- Press Releases November 2010 - India Steers Full Speed towards Low Carbon Transport - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) --
Launched in New Delhi, Thursday, a new 2.49 million Euros three-year project - funded by the German International Climate Initiative and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - will support the Indian Government's efforts to align transport growth with the country's climate change agenda and national development plan.
Boasting the world's second largest population, India's per capita emissions remain below the world average. But population growth in the last two decades has been coupled with a rapid increase of private vehicles and a switch from rail to road transport across the freight and passenger sectors.
-- Press Releases November 2010 - India Steers Full Speed towards Low Carbon Transport - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) --
Iceland and Green Roofs
“The Icelandic turf house was the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone. And the relative difficulty in obtaining other construction materials in sufficient quantities.
Iceland had few forested areas when it was settled, and what forests there were was often largely birch trees. Birch timber is not well suited to large and complex structures, but nonetheless a frame could be made with it. This also meant that it was difficult for ships to be built, this culminated with a lack of vessels that could transport large cargos (Iceland’s harsh winters added to the problem by increasing ship maintenance and occasionally destroying them). Due to the lack of transport and Iceland’s remoteness, importing foreign timber was not very common and was mostly reserved for ship and church building. However, Iceland did have a large amount of turf that was suitable for construction.”
Iceland and Green Roofs | Greenfab News and Media
Iceland had few forested areas when it was settled, and what forests there were was often largely birch trees. Birch timber is not well suited to large and complex structures, but nonetheless a frame could be made with it. This also meant that it was difficult for ships to be built, this culminated with a lack of vessels that could transport large cargos (Iceland’s harsh winters added to the problem by increasing ship maintenance and occasionally destroying them). Due to the lack of transport and Iceland’s remoteness, importing foreign timber was not very common and was mostly reserved for ship and church building. However, Iceland did have a large amount of turf that was suitable for construction.”
Iceland and Green Roofs | Greenfab News and Media
Vice President Biden Launches Home Energy Scoring Program
Vice President Biden joined U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today to announce the launch of the Home Energy Score pilot program. The Home Energy Score will offer homeowners straightforward, reliable information about their homes' energy efficiency. A report provides consumers with a home energy score between 1 and 10, and shows them how their home compares to others in their region. The report also includes customized, cost-effective recommendations that will help to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes.
DOE today also released the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades, a comprehensive set of guidelines for workers in the residential energy efficiency industry. The guidelines will help develop and expand the skills of the workforce, ensuring the quality of the work performed, while laying the foundation for a more robust worker certification and training program nationwide. Vice President Biden made the announcements today at a Middle Class Task Force event, highlighting the progress that has been made on implementing the recommendations of last year's Recovery through Retrofit report.
"The initiatives announced today are putting the Recovery Through Retrofit report's recommendations into action - giving American families the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades." said Vice President Biden. "Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle class families save money and energy."
"The Home Energy Score will help make energy efficiency easy and accessible to America's families by providing them with straightforward and reliable information about their homes' energy performance and specific, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements that will save them money on their monthly energy bills," said Secretary Chu.
Department of Energy - Vice President Biden Launches Home Energy Scoring Program
DOE today also released the Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades, a comprehensive set of guidelines for workers in the residential energy efficiency industry. The guidelines will help develop and expand the skills of the workforce, ensuring the quality of the work performed, while laying the foundation for a more robust worker certification and training program nationwide. Vice President Biden made the announcements today at a Middle Class Task Force event, highlighting the progress that has been made on implementing the recommendations of last year's Recovery through Retrofit report.
"The initiatives announced today are putting the Recovery Through Retrofit report's recommendations into action - giving American families the tools they need to invest in home energy upgrades." said Vice President Biden. "Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle class families save money and energy."
"The Home Energy Score will help make energy efficiency easy and accessible to America's families by providing them with straightforward and reliable information about their homes' energy performance and specific, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements that will save them money on their monthly energy bills," said Secretary Chu.
Department of Energy - Vice President Biden Launches Home Energy Scoring Program
Troposphere is warming too, decades of data show
Not only is Earth's surface warming, but the troposphere -- the lowest level of the atmosphere, where weather occurs -- is heating up too, U.S. and British meteorologists reported on Monday.
In a review of four decades of data on troposphere temperatures, the scientists found that warming in this key atmospheric layer was occurring, just as many researchers expected it would as more greenhouse gases built up and trapped heat close to the Earth.
This study aims to put to rest a controversy that began 20 years ago, when a 1990 scientific report based on satellite observations raised questions about whether the troposphere was warming, even as Earth's surface temperatures climbed.
Read more: Troposphere is warming too, decades of data show - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Troposphere-is-warming-too-decades-of-data-show/articleshow/6936498.cms#ixzz15VdenURWTroposphere is warming too, decades of data show - The Times of India
In a review of four decades of data on troposphere temperatures, the scientists found that warming in this key atmospheric layer was occurring, just as many researchers expected it would as more greenhouse gases built up and trapped heat close to the Earth.
This study aims to put to rest a controversy that began 20 years ago, when a 1990 scientific report based on satellite observations raised questions about whether the troposphere was warming, even as Earth's surface temperatures climbed.
Read more: Troposphere is warming too, decades of data show - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Troposphere-is-warming-too-decades-of-data-show/articleshow/6936498.cms#ixzz15VdenURWTroposphere is warming too, decades of data show - The Times of India
The apparent birth of a black hole: NASA's Chandra Finds Youngest Nearby Black Hole
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found evidence of the youngest black hole known to exist in our cosmic neighborhood. The 30-year-old black hole provides a unique opportunity to watch this type of object develop from infancy.
The black hole could help scientists better understand how massive stars explode, which ones leave behind black holes or neutron stars, and the number of black holes in our galaxy and others.
The 30-year-old object is a remnant of SN 1979C, a supernova in the galaxy M100 approximately 50 million light years from Earth. Data from Chandra, NASA's Swift satellite, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and the German ROSAT observatory revealed a bright source of X-rays that has remained steady during observation from 1995 to 2007. This suggests the object is a black hole being fed either by material falling into it from the supernova or a binary companion.
NASA - NASA's Chandra Finds Youngest Nearby Black Hole
The black hole could help scientists better understand how massive stars explode, which ones leave behind black holes or neutron stars, and the number of black holes in our galaxy and others.
The 30-year-old object is a remnant of SN 1979C, a supernova in the galaxy M100 approximately 50 million light years from Earth. Data from Chandra, NASA's Swift satellite, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and the German ROSAT observatory revealed a bright source of X-rays that has remained steady during observation from 1995 to 2007. This suggests the object is a black hole being fed either by material falling into it from the supernova or a binary companion.
NASA - NASA's Chandra Finds Youngest Nearby Black Hole
HSBC sizes the climate economy
2010 has been a tough year for the global climate agenda. Policy pessimism after Copenhagen has been compounded by (largely unfounded) doubts over climate science along with governments backtracking on commitments in key countries. But looking through the fog of the carbon war, a new climate economy is starting to emerge, driven as much by resource scarcity and industrial innovation as by the raw realities of global warming.
According to the US National Academy of Sciences, it is now a "settled fact" that warming is taking place and that humans are largely responsible. This year’s extreme weather events – fires in Russia and floods in Pakistan and China – have reminded everyone that climate change is a threat that should not be ignored. Beyond this, it is self-evident that mounting pressures on energy, land and water resources require a step-change in economic behaviour, offering growth, employment and trade benefits for those countries that take a lead in climate business.
HSBC sizes the climate economy
According to the US National Academy of Sciences, it is now a "settled fact" that warming is taking place and that humans are largely responsible. This year’s extreme weather events – fires in Russia and floods in Pakistan and China – have reminded everyone that climate change is a threat that should not be ignored. Beyond this, it is self-evident that mounting pressures on energy, land and water resources require a step-change in economic behaviour, offering growth, employment and trade benefits for those countries that take a lead in climate business.
HSBC sizes the climate economy
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Home: DEWEK 2010
DEWI organises for the tenth time the biennial German Wind Energy Conference in Bremen from 17 to 18 November 2010. The very successful DEWEK conferences, the last one was visited by more than 640 engineers and scientists from 32 countries, are known as the most important mirror of the leading German science and technology development in wind energy. Since the last conference in 2008 the boom of the global wind energy markets has continued and more and more countries are joining in. Also, offshore wind energy in Germany finally became reality last year with the installation of the offshore test site "alpha ventus". All
the new players will certainly visit the DEWEK 2010 to use the opportunity to network with their international colleagues and to see one or the other wind turbine of the 5/6 MW class.
Together with the exhibition of manufacturers, suppliers, universities and engineering companies the DEWEK 2010 will again be the real technical/ scientific market place for the on- and offshore wind energy development. The conference topics will focus on multi-megawatt wind turbines and the challenge of the very specific German far-offshore wind energy application, supplemented by the technical optimisation, necessary to increase
Home: DEWEK 2010
the new players will certainly visit the DEWEK 2010 to use the opportunity to network with their international colleagues and to see one or the other wind turbine of the 5/6 MW class.
Together with the exhibition of manufacturers, suppliers, universities and engineering companies the DEWEK 2010 will again be the real technical/ scientific market place for the on- and offshore wind energy development. The conference topics will focus on multi-megawatt wind turbines and the challenge of the very specific German far-offshore wind energy application, supplemented by the technical optimisation, necessary to increase
Home: DEWEK 2010
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy
Sometime you just cannot make sense of the madness.
In its desire to rid itself of the ravages of foreign oil addiction, the US is subsidizing domestic ethanol production.
The success of this programme means that nearly four out of ten bushels of this year’s corn crop will be made into fuel for your car.
But here’s the rub – aside from the blatently obvious fact that this food to fuel policy is forcing up food prices – This ethanol is now being exported in record quantities.
Recent US government data showed that 251m gallons in fuel ethanol were exported in the nine months to September 30, more than double the 2009 total.
So on the one had the US is subisidising ethanol production to wean itself of foreign oil, but that oil is now being exported to foreigners.
Does it make sense? Of course not.
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy | The Price of Oil
In its desire to rid itself of the ravages of foreign oil addiction, the US is subsidizing domestic ethanol production.
The success of this programme means that nearly four out of ten bushels of this year’s corn crop will be made into fuel for your car.
But here’s the rub – aside from the blatently obvious fact that this food to fuel policy is forcing up food prices – This ethanol is now being exported in record quantities.
Recent US government data showed that 251m gallons in fuel ethanol were exported in the nine months to September 30, more than double the 2009 total.
So on the one had the US is subisidising ethanol production to wean itself of foreign oil, but that oil is now being exported to foreigners.
Does it make sense? Of course not.
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy | The Price of Oil
Arnold Schwarzenegger demands action at final climate summit
Arnold Schwarzenegger used one of his last big moments as California's governor to rally regional and business leaders on climate change today, saying that together they had the muscle to force national governments to act.
At the opening of his third and last climate summit, Schwarzenegger said leaders could learn from California's example as an environmental pioneer.
"I know that together we can usher in a new era and build a cleaner and brighter, more prosperous future, so I say: let's do it," Schwarzengger told the summit at the University of California at Davis.
Arnold Schwarzenegger demands action at final climate summit | Environment | The Guardian
At the opening of his third and last climate summit, Schwarzenegger said leaders could learn from California's example as an environmental pioneer.
"I know that together we can usher in a new era and build a cleaner and brighter, more prosperous future, so I say: let's do it," Schwarzengger told the summit at the University of California at Davis.
Arnold Schwarzenegger demands action at final climate summit | Environment | The Guardian
Xerox employees' green ideas save company $10.2 Million
One way to dismiss sustainability and any smidgen of corporate social responsibility is to shout the antiquated argument that we only have a choice between the economy and the environment. Xerox has shown that is not the case. Last year the company made clear it was working on carbon neutrality; to that end, in the push to make the company more "green," Xerox encouraged its employees to share ideas on how the organization could become more efficient. Green can be lean, and the environment can lend itself to economy, to tweak the word a tad.
The results from employees' rethinking: Xerox has saved US$10.2 million this year while it eliminated 2.6 million pounds of waste. Employees at facilities around the world were engaged in a corporate wide "Earth Awards" program that challenged them to leverage innovation as a means to saving the company resources. Some may sniff that $10 million is small potatoes for a $15 billion dollar company, but a cursory look through Xerox's financials reveals that net income after tax was $475 million last year. Hence the documents systems and services icon has taken an impressive step. Xerox's company-wide competition narrowed down to 30 nominations, and from there, 13 winners were chosen.
Xerox employees' green ideas save company $10.2 Million | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk
The results from employees' rethinking: Xerox has saved US$10.2 million this year while it eliminated 2.6 million pounds of waste. Employees at facilities around the world were engaged in a corporate wide "Earth Awards" program that challenged them to leverage innovation as a means to saving the company resources. Some may sniff that $10 million is small potatoes for a $15 billion dollar company, but a cursory look through Xerox's financials reveals that net income after tax was $475 million last year. Hence the documents systems and services icon has taken an impressive step. Xerox's company-wide competition narrowed down to 30 nominations, and from there, 13 winners were chosen.
Xerox employees' green ideas save company $10.2 Million | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk
Almost 1 in 3 pregnant women in South Africa has HIV: new report
The Health Department has released the results of the National Antenatal Sentinel HIV & Syphilis Prevalence Survey in record time this year, a sign of their new commitment to use scientific evidence to reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The survey was conducted among more than 33 000 pregnant women aged 15-49 years old in some 1500 public health clinics in October last year.
The HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women in 2009 was estimated to be virtually the same as 2008: 29.4% compared to 29.3% the previous year.
Major findings of the report include:
* Pregnant women 30-34 years have the highest HIV prevalence at 41%;
* HIV rates have risen the most in women aged 35-39, from 29% in 2006 to 35% in 2009;
* Kwazulu-Natal is still the province with the highest prevalence, estimated at 39%; and
* Syphilis prevalence remains unchanged at 1.9%.
Almost 1 in 3 pregnant women in South Africa has HIV: new report | Tracking HIV
The survey was conducted among more than 33 000 pregnant women aged 15-49 years old in some 1500 public health clinics in October last year.
The HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women in 2009 was estimated to be virtually the same as 2008: 29.4% compared to 29.3% the previous year.
Major findings of the report include:
* Pregnant women 30-34 years have the highest HIV prevalence at 41%;
* HIV rates have risen the most in women aged 35-39, from 29% in 2006 to 35% in 2009;
* Kwazulu-Natal is still the province with the highest prevalence, estimated at 39%; and
* Syphilis prevalence remains unchanged at 1.9%.
Almost 1 in 3 pregnant women in South Africa has HIV: new report | Tracking HIV
Graphene, the New “Miracle Material,” Can be Made from Plain Sugar
Table sugar, that bane of nutritionists everywhere, may be on the verge of redeeming itself. A team of researchers at Rice University has found that ordinary table sugar can be manipulated to form sheets of graphene. Something of a new miracle material, graphene could be used to create a new generation of electronic devices that use far less energy and take up far less space, too. If the sugar-to-graphene process proves commercially viable, that would give sugar a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving resources in our increasingly electronics-reliant world.
Graphene, the New “Miracle Material,” Can be Made from Plain Sugar – CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views
Graphene, the New “Miracle Material,” Can be Made from Plain Sugar – CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views
Italy Goes Solar With First Sun-Powered Road
Most people will be surprised, but Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways. In fact, the A8 “Milano-Laghi” motorway (“Milan-Lakes”, as it connects the city of Milan to Lake Como and Maggiore) was completed in 1926. Time has passed and all developed nations now boast wide motorway networks, a strategic infrastructure that helps interconnecting people, places and is ultimately essential to economic growth. But Italy will soon be able to claim a new “first”: the A18 Catania-Siracusa motorway, a 30km addition to Sicily’s 600km motorway network, will be a fully solar-powered motorway, the first in its kind.
Italy Goes Solar With First Sun-Powered Road
Italy Goes Solar With First Sun-Powered Road
Source London to launch in Spring 2011, install 1,300 charging stations citywide by end of 2013
Just days after reporting that London's mayor, Boris Johnson, may seek to slash funding for the city's electric vehicle (EV) program. London's city-wide EV charging network, Source London, will launch in Spring 2011 and install 1,300 public-use chargers across the sprawling city by the end of 2013. The Source London network allows EV owners to power up their rides at any one of the city's soon-to-be installed public charging points, provided they register and cough up an estimated £100 ($161 U.S. at the current exchange rate) in annual membership fees.
Here's some interesting info that's sure to make you wonder whether or not London actually needs 1,300 charging stations. At present, the city has 250-plus charging stations. Additionally, 16,729 electric cars and hybrids are registered in London. Of that number, approximately 2,100 are of the plug-in type. Finally, consider this: with 1,300 chargers installed, Londoners will have higher odds of stumbling across a charge point than a gas station. Interested in learning more about the Source London program? If so, simply click here and you'll be whisked away to the program's website.
Source London to launch in Spring 2011, install 1,300 charging stations citywide by end of 2013 — Autoblog Green
Here's some interesting info that's sure to make you wonder whether or not London actually needs 1,300 charging stations. At present, the city has 250-plus charging stations. Additionally, 16,729 electric cars and hybrids are registered in London. Of that number, approximately 2,100 are of the plug-in type. Finally, consider this: with 1,300 chargers installed, Londoners will have higher odds of stumbling across a charge point than a gas station. Interested in learning more about the Source London program? If so, simply click here and you'll be whisked away to the program's website.
Source London to launch in Spring 2011, install 1,300 charging stations citywide by end of 2013 — Autoblog Green
Q+A - Who's winning the climate science vs sceptics battle?
In the battle between climate change scientists and sceptics who question the connection between human activities and global warming, location matters.
While signs of a warming world has been truly global in 2010, from fast-melting Arctic ice to floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia, attitudes about whether this can be blamed on human-generated greenhouse gas emissions differ widely.
In China and the United States, the top two emitters of climate-warming carbon dioxide, residents aren't terribly troubled about the challenge of climate change, while those in most other countries see it as a serious problem.
Q+A - Who's winning the climate science vs sceptics battle? - Yahoo! News
While signs of a warming world has been truly global in 2010, from fast-melting Arctic ice to floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia, attitudes about whether this can be blamed on human-generated greenhouse gas emissions differ widely.
In China and the United States, the top two emitters of climate-warming carbon dioxide, residents aren't terribly troubled about the challenge of climate change, while those in most other countries see it as a serious problem.
Q+A - Who's winning the climate science vs sceptics battle? - Yahoo! News
IEA urges G20 to end fossil-fuel subsidies
The International Energy Agency wants to wean the world off fossil-fuel subsidies that it says artificially inflate global energy demand. The agency is urging Group of 20 nations to slash their estimated $312-billion (U.S.) in annual support.
G20 leaders, who will be meeting in South Korea this week, have committed in the past to phase out subsidies, but governments find it difficult to meet that pledge when it results in higher fuel prices or reduced economic activity.
IEA urges G20 to end fossil-fuel subsidies - The Globe and Mail
G20 leaders, who will be meeting in South Korea this week, have committed in the past to phase out subsidies, but governments find it difficult to meet that pledge when it results in higher fuel prices or reduced economic activity.
IEA urges G20 to end fossil-fuel subsidies - The Globe and Mail
Monday, November 15, 2010
Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle: Dialysis Goes Solar Down Under
Nearly fifty years after the advent of chronic hemodialysis, a simple experiment in Australia stands to substantially reduce the cost of hemodialysis through applied solar technology. Dr. John Agar of Geelong Australia began the first home based nocturnal dialysis (NHHD) program in 2000 modeled after the Toronto protocol of Pierratos and Uldall. A recent cost analysis of home self-management revealed annual expenditures were $24,000/pt/year compared to $52,000/pt/year for incenter.
Nevertheless, one of the major barriers for patients utilizing NHHD is water usage and energy usage. Dr. Agar implemented a water conservation program resulting in up to 80% reduction in water bills for the average home patient. In addition, electricity usage remains high especially when applied to more frequent and longer duration dialysis sessions of NHHD. Dr. Agar proposed a pilot study funded by Fresenius Medical Care by applying proven solar technology to further reduce the financial burden of extended hemodialysis and the early results are very promising.
Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle: Dialysis Goes Solar Down Under
Nevertheless, one of the major barriers for patients utilizing NHHD is water usage and energy usage. Dr. Agar implemented a water conservation program resulting in up to 80% reduction in water bills for the average home patient. In addition, electricity usage remains high especially when applied to more frequent and longer duration dialysis sessions of NHHD. Dr. Agar proposed a pilot study funded by Fresenius Medical Care by applying proven solar technology to further reduce the financial burden of extended hemodialysis and the early results are very promising.
Dialysis from the sharp end of the needle: Dialysis Goes Solar Down Under
Unilever, Apple build new engagement models
Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Apple are among the companies succeeding in the "third generation of customer engagement", a study has argued.
Capgemini, the consultancy, estimated that consumer goods manufacturers generally allocate just 2% of their marketing budgets to digital.
Although this figure could reach 4% by 2014, it will still be inadequate given the potential opportunities.
One motivating factor behind such a shift is that Americans currently spend 20.8% more time online than in 2008, during which period TV only posted a 1.8% uptick.
The typical netizen also devotes 25 minutes to both social networks and email per week, while the web video audience expanded by 337% between 2003 and 2009.
Equally, the number of individuals accessing virtual coupons rose 92% in 2009, and the redemption rate for these vouchers hit 20%, measured against less than 1% regarding paper alternatives.
Unilever, Apple build new engagement models - Warc News - Warc
Capgemini, the consultancy, estimated that consumer goods manufacturers generally allocate just 2% of their marketing budgets to digital.
Although this figure could reach 4% by 2014, it will still be inadequate given the potential opportunities.
One motivating factor behind such a shift is that Americans currently spend 20.8% more time online than in 2008, during which period TV only posted a 1.8% uptick.
The typical netizen also devotes 25 minutes to both social networks and email per week, while the web video audience expanded by 337% between 2003 and 2009.
Equally, the number of individuals accessing virtual coupons rose 92% in 2009, and the redemption rate for these vouchers hit 20%, measured against less than 1% regarding paper alternatives.
Unilever, Apple build new engagement models - Warc News - Warc
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
“Unacceptable Consequences” of Arctic Oil Drilling
Following on from an earlier blog this week, we know now from Tony Hayward that BP was woefully unprepared for the Deepwater oil spill.
So if BP was not prepared in the warm accessable waters of the Gulf of Mexico, what about the cold remote and inhosbitable waters of the Arctic where oil could take years to break down?
A new report from the Pew Environment Group, published this week, makes grim reading.
It argues that darkness, extreme weather and shifting sea ice could delay efforts to stop an oil well blowout in the U.S. Arctic Ocean for six months or more, trapping spewed oil in ice for up to a decade.
“Unacceptable Consequences” of Arctic Oil Drilling | The Price of Oil
So if BP was not prepared in the warm accessable waters of the Gulf of Mexico, what about the cold remote and inhosbitable waters of the Arctic where oil could take years to break down?
A new report from the Pew Environment Group, published this week, makes grim reading.
It argues that darkness, extreme weather and shifting sea ice could delay efforts to stop an oil well blowout in the U.S. Arctic Ocean for six months or more, trapping spewed oil in ice for up to a decade.
“Unacceptable Consequences” of Arctic Oil Drilling | The Price of Oil
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