There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Alternative Energy
From: "NEGS"
2. Reports see 3-foot sea-level increase
From: "janson2997"
3. Ice Sheets Melting at a Worrisome Rate
From: "janson2997"
4. STANFORD: Energy & Environment Public Lecture Series: The End of Oil?
From: "janson2997"
5. Purdue Energy Center Symposium Touts Benefits of Hydrogen Fuel
From: "janson2997"
6. 'Glacial earthquakes' warn of global warming
From: "janson2997"
7. GE Outlines Plan for Renewable Energy in India's Rural Electrification Program
From: "janson2997"
8. MTU Fuel Cell System to Power Hamburgs HafenCity (2)
From: "janson2997"
9. Energy insecurity
From: "janson2997"
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 23:54:01 -0500
From: "NEGS"
Subject: Re: Alternative Energy
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the content of this post (therefore,
I deleted it from this response), and EVERYTHING to do with the subject line
of this post.
Suitable that it came in this form; perhaps; err, I mean, yes!: Suitable!
Anyways: Alternative Energy! That's it!!!
All those items that kinda sit on the fringe? You know, the bio diesel, and
the alcohol, and the wood chip burners, and the ethanol stuff? Those items
that, if, say, we switched to wood overnight as a substitute for fossil
heat, that there wood be no more would: in no time at all?
Well...
...those items that omit GHGs, but don't come from fossils, well, they ALL
need to be called "ALTERNATIVE ENERGY"; all of those items in the line above
that replace fossils in function (and form). That way, we can differentiate
between non-GHG producing energy, and GHG producing energy.
We will simply call some :"RENEWABLE ENERGY" and others: "ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY".
What'd'ya think?
Renewable = self feeding augers
and
Alternative = man fed augers
???
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:19:32 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: Reports see 3-foot sea-level increase
Reports see 3-foot sea-level increase
They forecast the rise by 2100 as global warming melts polar ice. Low-
lying communities could flood.
By Randolph E. Schmid
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Low-lying communities such as New Orleans and Miami
could face increasing peril as melting polar ice raises the ocean to
levels not seen in thousands of years.
By the end of this century, Arctic temperatures could reach as high
as they were 130,000 years ago, when the oceans were from 13 to 20
feet higher than now, according to research appearing in today's
issue of the journal Science.
That does not mean the water would rise that much by 2100 - more
likely three feet or so, the researchers say. But it would launch a
process that would continue for long after, and even three feet could
affect populated areas around the planet and increase the potential
damage from storms.
The principal findings:
At the current warming rate, Earth's temperature by 2100 will
probably be at least 4 degrees warmer than now, with the Arctic at
least as warm as it was 130,000 years ago, according to a research
group led by Jonathan T. Overpeck of the University of Arizona.
Computer models indicate that warming could raise the average
temperature in parts of Greenland above freezing for multiple months,
and could have a substantial impact on melting of the polar ice
sheets, according to a second paper by researchers led by Bette Otto-
Bliesner of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Melting
could raise sea level one to three feet over the next 100 to 150
years, she said.
And a team led by Goeran Ekstroem of Harvard University reported an
increase in "glacial earthquakes," which occur when giant rivers of
ice - some as big as Manhattan - move suddenly as meltwater eases
their path. That sudden movement causes the ground to tremble.
Otto-Bliesner and Overpeck wrote separate papers, and also worked
together, studying ancient climate and whether modern computer
climate models correctly reflect those earlier times.
That allowed them to use the models to look at possible future
conditions.
The researchers studied ancient coral reefs, ice cores, and other
natural climate records.
"Although the focus of our work is polar, the implications are
global," Otto-Bliesner said.
According to the studies, which are in the journal Science
(http://www.sciencemag.org), increases in greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere over the next century could raise Arctic temperatures as
much as 5 to 8 degrees.
The warming could raise global sea levels by up to three feet this
century through a combination of thermal expansion of the water and
melting of polar ice, Overpeck and Otto-Bliesner said.
Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University, who was not part of the
research teams, said: "One point stands out above all others, and
that is that a modest global warming may put Earth in the danger zone
for a major sea-level rise."
Ekstroem and colleagues reported that glacial earthquakes in
Greenland occur most often in July and August, and have more than
doubled since 2002.
ONLINE EXTRA
See NASA photos on the Arctic's dwindling ice via http://go.philly.
com/melting
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/health/14172674.htm?
template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
http://tinyurl.com/fwnhd
j2997
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:29:02 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: Ice Sheets Melting at a Worrisome Rate
Ice Sheets Melting at a Worrisome Rate
By Dennis O'Brien
Baltimore Sun
March 24, 2006
BALTIMORE — Polar ice sheets are melting faster than authorities
realize and could eventually submerge coastal communities worldwide,
according to two studies released today.
Researchers from the University of Arizona and the National Center
for Atmospheric Research noted that sea levels rose 20 feet during a
warming period 129,000 years ago and said the waters could rise just
as high sometime after 2100 if global temperatures continue to climb.
Scientists have warned for decades that carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases from power plants and vehicle exhaust are warming
the planet and raising the seas. They say the best way to minimize
the damage is to significantly reduce smokestack and tailpipe
emissions.
Although some researchers dispute specific aspects of global warming,
more than 2,000 scientists from 100 countries who served on the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in 1995 and 2001
that global warming was real and that carbon dioxide produced by
humans was largely to blame.
The two studies published today in the journal Science argue that the
impact of melting from Antarctica's ice sheets has been
underestimated.
The studies, funded by the National Science Foundation, are among
several recent reports that used satellite imagery, ice cores and
geological records to measure the effects of warming on glaciers and
ice sheets.
A study last month by NASA showed substantial melting of Greenland's
glaciers, and a University of Colorado study published earlier this
month found substantial melting in Antarctica.
The Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York released a report
in January showing that 2005 was the warmest year on record. A NASA
study released in September showed less sea ice floating in the
Arctic Ocean than at any time in the last century.
The Bush administration, which has often been criticized for not
taking steps to combat warming, declined to discuss the latest
studies.
No one is sure of the extent of the melting or the timing of its
effects.
But the researchers say that with the warming climate, melting ice
sheets in Greenland, the Arctic and Antarctica could inundate coastal
areas around the world.
Maps released with the studies show extensive coastal areas in
Florida, New Orleans and Cape Cod, Mass., that the researchers say
might one day be submerged.
"As [Hurricane] Katrina pointed out, we only need a meter of sea
level rise to make much of New Orleans unlivable. The same goes for a
number of coastal areas," said Jonathan T. Overpeck, a geosciences
professor at the University of Arizona and lead author of one study.
Ice cores and ancient sediments show a 20-foot rise in sea levels
during the warm stretch 129,000 years ago, known as the Last
Interglaciation.
The seas rose because of melting ice in Greenland and in the Arctic,
as well as the melting of two Antarctic ice sheets.
The impact of the Antarctic ice sheets has been underrated, the
researchers say.
"I was really surprised at the amount of sea level rise and how
little warming you need to get to it," Overpeck said.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-
warming24mar24,1,863908,print.story?coll=la-news-a_section
http://tinyurl.com/f2kzd
j2997
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:49:31 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: STANFORD: Energy & Environment Public Lecture Series: The End of Oil?
Energy & Environment Public Lecture Series: The End of Oil?
This three-lecture series was convened in November 2005 with the
presentation of two contrasting views about just how much oil is
left. The series continued with presentations on February 2006 on
modeling techniques to predict further climate changes and the impact
these are likely to have on the environment and on populations
worldwide, and concluded in March 2006 with a discussion about the
transition to non-carbon forms of energy.
The following links provide the presentations that the speakers used
during the talks. These are Adobe Acrobat PDF files.
The last two lectures are available in streaming Quicktime video. You
must be on a DSL 384 kbps connection or better to properly watch
these videos.
Part 1: The End of Oil?
What You Need to Know About Oil - Prof. Stephan Graham
Prof. Graham describes the formation of oil, explains different
kinds of petroleum, and characterizes the distribution of known oil
and gas provinces.
Slides as PDF (37 Mb) Oil Migration (QT movie - 5 Mb)
Oil & War: Revisiting M.K. Hubbert - Prof. Amos Nur
Prof. Nur discusses declining conventional petroleum resources and
how the concentration of oil in countries of the Middle East and in
Russia portend a future of geopoltical skirmishes among the countries
who need oil and gas.
Slides as PDF (1.5 Mb)
The Oil Depletion Myth - Prof. Steven Gorelick
Prof. Gorelick proposes that the fear of running out of oil is
based on a number of fallacies, and suggests that new technologies,
non-conventional forms of oil, and energy substitutions collectively
will ensure ample supplies of oil for at least the next 50 years.
Slides as PDF (1 Mb)
Part 2: Carbon, Climate, and Consequences
Introduction - Prof. Pamela Matson
Streaming QT Movie
The Atmosphere & Greenhouse Gases - Prof. Azadeh Tabazadeh
Prof. Tabazadeh explains how solar radiation is captured in the
atmosphere by a variety of greenhouse gases (GHG) and some aresols
and illustrates that GHGs have long residence times in the
atmosphere.
Slides as PDF (14 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Climate Change is for Real - Prof. Rob Dunbar
Prof. Dunbar illustrates how the concentration of GHGs has been
increasing since the early 1800s and how this is directly responsible
for the warming of the Earth.
Slides as PDF (12.7 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Forecasting Future Climates - Dr. Michael Mastrandrea
Dr. Mastrandrea uses climate models to suggest that the global mean
temperature will rise between two and six degrees C by the end of
this century; the higher the rise in temperature, the greater the
risk to humans.
Slides as PDF (24 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Question & Answer Period
Streaming QT Movie
Part 3: Moving Toward Alternatives
Introduction - Prof. Pamela Matson
Streaming QT Movie
Changing the World's Energy System - Prof. Lynn Orr
Prof. Orr suggests that the key to a carbon free energy system is
developing a host of new technologies that reduce demand, enhance
energy efficiencies, and provide new forms of energy.
Slides as PDF (21 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Buildings, Cars, Climate & Oil - Prof. Gil Masters
Prof. Masters describes how buildings and cars are the two greatest
consumers of energy; energy efficient buildings and plug-in hybrid
electric cars are two ways to quickly reduce the consumption of
fossil fuels.
Slides as PDF (50 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Banking on Alternative Energy? - Prof. Margot Gerritsen
Prof. Gerritsen discusses how windmills, photovoltaic cells,
biomass conversion to fuels, and geothermal systems collectively
should grow to five to ten percent of US energy production.
Slides as PDF (1 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
The Policy Challenge - Prof. Jim Sweeney
Prof. Sweeney discusses how higher energy prices, cap and trade
markets for carbon dioxide, and other prudent energy policies will
allow the US to reduce its dependency on sources of foreign oil.
Slides as PDF (.25 Mb) Streaming QT Movie
Question & Answer Period
Streaming QT Movie
TO ORIGINAL WITH LINKS:
http://pangea.stanford.edu/outreach/programs/resources_lectures.html
j2997
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 08:51:57 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: Purdue Energy Center Symposium Touts Benefits of Hydrogen Fuel
Purdue Energy Center Symposium Touts Benefits of Hydrogen Fuel
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., March 23 (AScribe Newswire) -- With oil
and gasoline prices still at their highest levels in 15 years and
demand for fossil-fuel energy surging in emerging countries like
India and China, Purdue researchers are looking at how a fuel based
on hydrogen can help cure this nation's energy woes.
That prospect will be showcased on April 5-6 during the
inaugural Hydrogen Initiative Symposium, sponsored by Purdue's Energy
Center at Discovery Park.
"Purdue is considered a global leader in hydrogen research. We
are a one of a kind in the world," said P.V. Ramachandran, an
associate professor in the Department of Chemistry who coordinates
the Energy Center's Hydrogen Initiative.
"People have to be educated about the fact that hydrogen fuel
is as safe as gasoline for an industrial combustible engine. We have
to engage the public in Indiana and across the nation about that
fact."
The international conference will include lectures, oral
presentations and a poster session dealing with the various aspects
of hydrogen generation, storage and utilization. Technical
contributions will be peer-reviewed by a scientific committee.
Participants will include government policy-makers and
international scientists working on the energy applications of
hydrogen as well as scientists from research institutes and
industrial laboratories. Topics will range from nanotechnology to
findings in environmental sciences and societal impacts.
The symposium is in the Burton Morgan Entrepreneurship Center
in Discovery Park on April 5 and in Stewart Center, Room 218 A-D, on
April 6.
The winner of the annual Herbert C. Brown Award for
Innovations in Hydrogen Research, which comes with a $5,000 cash
prize, will be announced. An international committee will pick the
winner, who also will be the speaker during the symposium's banquet.
On April 6, a poster session is planned in Stewart Center,
Room 202. The welcome, keynote and plenary sessions are in Stewart
Center, Room 218. Other lectures that day are in Stewart Center, room
202 and 310.
Registration fee ($150 and $50 for students) covers the cost
of the symposium abstracts, the banquet, lunch and coffee breaks. The
guest registration fee ($50) covers the cost of the symposium
banquet, lunch and coffee breaks.
Representatives from the private sector participating in the
symposium include General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Corp., General
Atomics, U.S. Borax Inc., Millennium Cell Inc., Air Products and
Chemicals Inc., Shell Hydrogen, BOC Gases and United Technologies.
Researchers from Penn State University, University of Hawaii
and University of Connecticut, as well as NASA, the U.S. Department
of Energy and the Argonne, Los Alamos, Idaho, Oak Ridge, Pacific
Northwest, Sandia and Savannah River national laboratories also will
attend.
"Through this symposium, we believe we can take a leadership
role in hydrogen research in Indiana and the Midwest," said
Ramachandran, an expert in organic synthesis and energy research who
joined Purdue in 1984 as a postdoctoral research associate with the
late professor and Nobel laureate Herbert C. Brown.
Hydrogen is an extremely light gas, so it poses serious
challenges for practical use. Because its molecular weight is only 2 -
compared with heavier gases, such as methane, which has a molecular
weight of 16 - less hydrogen is contained in the same space as
heavier gases, making its transport much more expensive.
Shripad Revankar, an associate professor of nuclear
engineering at Purdue who is chairman of the symposium's scientific
committee, said the event will focus on hydrogen generation
technology and research on how to effectively and less expensively
store and utilize hydrogen.
Government officials, corporate executives and energy
researchers also will discuss policies at the U.S. and global level
that are designed to encourage research and development of hydrogen
as a viable alternative energy source.
"Storage is the major issue regarding hydrogen research,"
Revankar said. "We hope to showcase what Purdue is doing to improve
this technology and help make it more affordable so it can be widely
used by the automotive and other industries."
During his State of the Union address on Jan. 31, President
Bush outlined an ambitious plan in which people born today would be
able to stop at hydrogen stations and fill their fuel-cell cars with
the pollution-free fuel by the year 2020.
His $1.2 billion hydrogen fuel initiative is designed to
reverse the nation's growing dependence on foreign oil by developing
the technology for commercially viable hydrogen-powered fuel cells to
power cars, trucks, homes and businesses with no pollution or
greenhouse gases.
The initiative includes $720 million in new funding over the
next five years to develop the technologies and infrastructure to
produce, store and distribute hydrogen for use in fuel-cell vehicles
and in electricity generation. That particular effort is a part of
the government's FreedomCAR (Cooperative Automotive Research)
initiative.
Automakers and environmentalists are excited about the
prospect of fuel cells, which would run on hydrogen that would only
emit water instead of gas fumes. But fuel cell vehicles remain
extremely expensive to produce and lack an infrastructure of fueling
stations to make them viable.
A fuel cell works by using a catalyst, such as platinum, to
split hydrogen molecules, which contain two hydrogen atoms in a
dumbbell shape. Breaking apart the dumbbell gives off electrons,
which generate a current that can be used to run an electric motor.
Because each hydrogen atom's single electron is removed, the
hydrogen atoms become positively charged. The positively charged
hydrogen atoms pass through a special "proton-exchange membrane,"
entering another part of the fuel cell, where they are exposed to
oxygen from the air. When hydrogen and oxygen combine, they produce
water, making fuel cells a clean power source.
Engineers at Purdue have developed a new way to produce
hydrogen for fuel cells to automatically recharge batteries in
portable electronics, such as notebook computers, and eliminate the
need to use a wall outlet.
Researchers envision a future system in which pellets of
hydrogen-releasing material would be contained in disposable credit-
card-size cartridges. Once the pellets were used up, a new cartridge
would be inserted into devices such as cell phones, personal digital
assistants, notebook computers, digital cameras, handheld medical
diagnostic devices and defibrillators.
The method also could have military applications in portable
electronics for soldiers and for equipment in spacecraft and
submarines, said Arvind Varma, the R. Games Slayter Distinguished
Professor of Chemical Engineering and head of Purdue's School of
Chemical Engineering who will give a presentation at the hydrogen
symposium.
Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue's Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished
Professor of Chemical Engineering, co-authored an article in 2005
that outlined the daunting technical challenges standing in the way
of the mass production and use of hydrogen fuel-cell cars.
The article, titled "The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities,
Costs, Barriers and R&D Needs," was the cover story in the AIChE
Journal, a publication of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers.
According to Agrawal, today's fuel cells generate power at a
cost of greater than $2,000 per kilowatt, compared with $35 per
kilowatt for the internal combustion engine, so they are more than 50
times more expensive than conventional automotive technology.
At the same time, fuel cells have an operating lifetime for
cars of less than 1,000 hours of driving time, compared with at least
5,000 hours of driving time for an internal combustion engine.
"That means fuel cells wear out at least five times faster
than internal combustion engines," Agrawal said. "If I buy a new car,
I expect it to last, say, 10 years, which equates to about 3,000
hours of driving time. If my fuel cell only lasts 1,000 hours, you
can see that's not very practical."
To bring down the cost of fuel cells, less expensive catalysts
and membrane materials are needed, said Agrawal, who also noted that
a fuel-cell car built with today's storage and transportation
technology would cost about $250,000.
Created with seed money from the Lilly Endowment, Purdue's
Energy Center is working with similar centers in Illinois and
Kentucky to focus on developing economical and environmentally sound
energy alternatives and to help change policies and perceptions about
energy consumption.
Purdue's Energy Center, which was launched last July, is led
by interim director Jay Gore, who is the Vincent P. Reilly Professor
in Mechanical Engineering.
Bringing together more than 75 Purdue experts, the Energy
Center initially is focused on biofuels and clean coal research
because Indiana provides an abundance of these natural resources.
The center also is designed to bolster Purdue's expertise in
storage technologies, such as those involving hydrogen, batteries,
power electronics and renewable energy devices like solar cells.
Researchers also are studying how to harness the wind and make
nuclear energy safer.
- - - -
CONTACTS:
P.V. Ramachandran, 765-494-5303, chandran@purdue.edu
Shripad Revankar, 765-496-1782, shripad@purdue.edu
Rakesh Agrawal, agrawalr@purdue.edu
Arvind Varma, 765-494-4075, avarma@purdue.edu
Jay Gore, 765-494-2122, gore@purdue.edu
Phillip Fiorini, Purdue News Service, 765-496-3133,
pfiorini@purdue.edu
RELATED WEB SITES:
Energy Center: http://web.e-
enterprise.purdue.edu/wps/portal/Energy
Discovery Park: http://web.e-enterprise.purdue.edu/wps/portal
AUDIO, PHOTOS: Broadcast-quality audio clips and publication-
quality photos are available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html4ever/
2006/060323.Ramachandran.hydro.html
PHOTO CAPTION: P.V. Ramachandran, an associate professor in
Purdue's Department of Chemistry, works with researcher B.C. Raju on
a hydrogen experiment in his lab in the Chemistry Building.
Ramachandran hopes next month's inaugural Hydrogen Initiative
Symposium, sponsored by Purdue's Energy Center at Discovery Park,
helps put the spotlight on the university's research in using
hydrogen as an alternative energy source. (Purdue News Service
photo/David Umberger)
Media Contact: Phillip Fiorini, 765-496-3133,
pfiorini@purdue.edu
http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?
ascribeid=20060323.134549&time=15%2012%20PST&year=2006&public=0
http://tinyurl.com/jog8y
j2997
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:08:13 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: 'Glacial earthquakes' warn of global warming
'Glacial earthquakes' warn of global warming
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Published: 24 March 2006
Dramatic new evidence has emerged of the speed of climate change in
the polar regions which scientists fear is causing huge volumes of
ice to melt far faster than predicted.
Scientists have recorded a significant and unexpected increase in the
number of "glacial earthquakes" caused by the sudden movement of
Manhattan-sized blocks of ice in Greenland.
A second study has found that higher temperatures caused by global
warming could melt the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets much sooner
than previously thought, with a corresponding rise in sea levels.
Both studies - along with a series of findings from other scientists
over the past year - point to a disturbing change in the polar
climate which is causing the disappearance of glaciers, ice sheets
and floating sea ice.
The rise in the number of glacial earthquakes over the past four
years lends further weight to the idea that Greenland's glaciers and
its ice sheet are beginning to move and melt on a scale not seen for
perhaps thousands of years.
The annual number of glacial earthquakes recorded in Greenland
between 1993 and 2002 was between six and 15. In 2003 seismologists
recorded 20 glacial earthquakes. In 2004 they monitored 24 and for
the first 10 months of 2005 they recorded 32.
The latest seismic study, published today in the journal Science,
found that in a single area of north-western Greenland scientists
recorded just one quake between 1993 and 1999. But they monitored
more than two dozen quakes between 2000 and 2005.
"People often think of glaciers as inert and slow-moving, but in fact
they can also move rather quickly," said Goran Ekstrom, professor of
geology and geophysics at Harvard University, who led the study.
"Some of Greenland's glaciers - as large as Manhattan and as tall as
the Empire State Building - can move 10 metres in less than a minute,
a jolt that is sufficient to generate moderate seismic waves,"
Professor Ekstrom said.
Average temperatures in the Arctic have risen far faster than in
other parts of the world over the past few decades, resulting in the
rapid acceleration in polar melting.
As the glacial meltwater seeps down it lubricates the bases of
the "outlet" glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet, causing them to
slip down surrounding valleys towards the sea, explained Meredith
Nettles of Columbia University.
"Our results suggest that these major outlet glaciers can respond to
changes in climate conditions much more quickly than we had thought,"
Dr Nettles said.
"Greenland's glaciers deliver large quantities of freshwater to the
oceans, so the implications for climate change are serious. We
believe that further warming of the climate is likely to accelerate
the behaviour we've documented," she said.
The seismologists also found that the glacial earthquakes of
Greenland occurred mainly during the summer months, indicating that
the movements were indeed associated with rapidly melting ice -
normal "tectonic" earthquakes show no such seasonality. Of the 136
glacial quakes analysed by the scientists, more than a third occurred
during July and August.
Dramatic new evidence has emerged of the speed of climate change in
the polar regions which scientists fear is causing huge volumes of
ice to melt far faster than predicted.
Scientists have recorded a significant and unexpected increase in the
number of "glacial earthquakes" caused by the sudden movement of
Manhattan-sized blocks of ice in Greenland.
A second study has found that higher temperatures caused by global
warming could melt the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets much sooner
than previously thought, with a corresponding rise in sea levels.
Both studies - along with a series of findings from other scientists
over the past year - point to a disturbing change in the polar
climate which is causing the disappearance of glaciers, ice sheets
and floating sea ice.
The rise in the number of glacial earthquakes over the past four
years lends further weight to the idea that Greenland's glaciers and
its ice sheet are beginning to move and melt on a scale not seen for
perhaps thousands of years.
The annual number of glacial earthquakes recorded in Greenland
between 1993 and 2002 was between six and 15. In 2003 seismologists
recorded 20 glacial earthquakes. In 2004 they monitored 24 and for
the first 10 months of 2005 they recorded 32.
The latest seismic study, published today in the journal Science,
found that in a single area of north-western Greenland scientists
recorded just one quake between 1993 and 1999. But they monitored
more than two dozen quakes between 2000 and 2005.
"People often think of glaciers as inert and slow-moving, but in fact
they can also move rather quickly," said Goran Ekstrom, professor of
geology and geophysics at Harvard University, who led the study.
"Some of Greenland's glaciers - as large as Manhattan and as tall as
the Empire State Building - can move 10 metres in less than a minute,
a jolt that is sufficient to generate moderate seismic waves,"
Professor Ekstrom said.
Average temperatures in the Arctic have risen far faster than in
other parts of the world over the past few decades, resulting in the
rapid acceleration in polar melting.
As the glacial meltwater seeps down it lubricates the bases of
the "outlet" glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet, causing them to
slip down surrounding valleys towards the sea, explained Meredith
Nettles of Columbia University.
"Our results suggest that these major outlet glaciers can respond to
changes in climate conditions much more quickly than we had thought,"
Dr Nettles said.
"Greenland's glaciers deliver large quantities of freshwater to the
oceans, so the implications for climate change are serious. We
believe that further warming of the climate is likely to accelerate
the behaviour we've documented," she said.
The seismologists also found that the glacial earthquakes of
Greenland occurred mainly during the summer months, indicating that
the movements were indeed associated with rapidly melting ice -
normal "tectonic" earthquakes show no such seasonality. Of the 136
glacial quakes analysed by the scientists, more than a third occurred
during July and August.
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article353302.ece
j2997
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:13:03 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: GE Outlines Plan for Renewable Energy in India's Rural Electrification Program
GE Outlines Plan for Renewable Energy in India's Rural
Electrification Program
March 24, 2006
Source: Clean Edge News
Reconfirming its commitment to help bring electricity to thousands of
people in rural India, GE officially launched its rural
electrification program for India with a ceremony held in New Delhi.
Earlier this year, USAID and GE announced a partnership to increase
access to cleaner and more affordable energy services in rural India.
USAID plans to contribute $600,000 to this program, while GE and its
worldwide network of experts, technology centers and partners will
invest up to $2.7 million in direct and indirect funding.
In addition to the joint program with USAID, GE has pledged to
support the "Power to All by 2012" and "Rural Electrification/Rural
Business Hub" initiatives that have been launched by the Indian
government. Currently, 56 percent of India's 700 million rural
residents lack adequate and/or reliable power supplies.
The GE rural electrification program for India will incorporate a
number of renewable energy technologies from GE Energy's
ecomagination portfolio. Ecomagination encompasses products that
generate electricity through the use of renewable, biogas or waste
gas technologies, as well as high-efficiency, low-emissions gas
turbines and engines.
The rural electrification program has been designed around renewable
and waste stream technologies that can help to reduce or eliminate a
community's dependence on transported fuels. Providing access to more
reliable power will serve as the foundation for other improvements,
such as expanded health care services, enhanced agricultural
productivity, increased access to clean water, skill development and
economic empowerment for the people of India. It demonstrates a
paradigm shift from electrical connectivity to economic connectivity.
GE Energy will deploy a variety of power generation technologies to
support the India rural electrification effort. While GE's primary
focus in India in the past has been on gas turbines and gas engines,
the company also believes there is tremendous potential within this
program for furthering energy independence of communities through the
use of solar and wind power. For the rural electrification program,
the GE Global Research Center in Bangalore has developed an
integrated hybrid technology model, which combines various forms of
renewable energy and provides customized power solutions based on
availability of local fuel resources.
According to government officials, these projects can be a catalyst
in helping India meet almost 50% of its rural electrification needs
by using renewable energy.
http://www.cleanedge.com/story.php?nID=4025
j2997
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:17:26 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: MTU Fuel Cell System to Power Hamburgs HafenCity (2)
MTU Fuel Cell System to Power Hamburgs HafenCity
24 March 2006
Author:
Provider: Fuel Cell Works
In a few weeks' time, a HotModule, the fuel cell system from MTU CFC
Solutions GmbH, will commence operation in HafenCity in Hamburg's
docklands. HafenCity is the name of the new quarter which is growing
up to the south of the historic Speicherstadt. Currently Europe's
biggest inner-city development project, it aims to set international
standards not only in architecture and town planning, but also in the
field of energy supply.
The energy plan was developed by ARGE HafenCity whose major partners
are Vattenfall Europe Hamburg, Heat Division and Vattenfall Europe
Contracting. ARGE has put its weight behind a future-oriented
ecological heat supply which brings together local area heating,
engine-driven combined heat and power (CHP) plants, solar heat
installations and the HotModule. It's a tribute to this blend of
technologies that, in HafenCity, a kilowatt-hour of heat energy
releases only 160 grams of carbon dioxide – about 20 per cent lower
than the level specified by the client, HCH HafenCity Hamburg GmbH.
HafenCity's heating requirements will chiefly be met by Vattenfall's
Tiefstack and Wedel heat plants, plus the HafenCity district heating
station and the Borsigstraße refuse recycling plant. These mostly
generate electric power and heat as CHP systems – as do the planned
cogeneration plants with their gas engines and fuel cell. The
HotModule in HafenCity's district heating station is Vattenfall's
first in Europe. Its location on the power station site will give
Vattenfall staff the chance to gain experience in operating the fuel
cell. It will provide up to 245kW of electric power and 170kW of
thermal power.
"Our HotModule fits perfectly into this innovative urban construction
project," says Michael Bode, Managing Director of MTU CFC Solutions
GmbH. "Because the construction and infrastructure are being matched
to complement each other, this future-oriented energy technology can
reach its full potential here." The MTU CFC Solutions high-
temperature fuel cell will operate as a pilot within the project for
the time being. "If the HotModule is fully market-ready by the time
the planned cogeneration plant is due to be built in 2009, we can
foresee an opportunity to install fuel cells instead of the gas
engines that are currently planned," explains Jesko Mohr of
Vattenfall Europe who is in overall charge of the project.
>From the technical point of view, the HotModule is already a mature
product which, for example, is reliably powering a local heating
system in Krefeld. Compared with conventional technologies, HotModule
boasts an electricity yield of 47 per cent at an overall efficiency
of 90 per cent. In terms of noise emissions, the fuel cell has a
clear advantage over engines and turbines because the electrochemical
process produces virtually no noise and the auxiliary machinery
operates very quietly. The HotModule is therefore predestined for
inner-city applications and is even suitable for direct installation
within a building where heat is needed. Installation of miniature
power stations close to the end user has the effect of reducing
transport losses in the power and heat network, which makes a further
contribution to energy efficiency.
"This innovative technology allows new avenues in energy supply to be
opened up because decentralized energy supply will have an ever
greater part to play in the future," says Bode, emphasizing the role
of the HotModule. Because the molten carbonate fuel cell can operate
on biogas and sewage gas as well as natural gas (as planned in
Hamburg for the immediate future), there is even an opportunity for
carbon neutral energy provision.
Operation of the HotModule
HotModule is a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) consisting of a
cylindrical steel container with a horizontally arranged fuel cell
stack, starting equipment, catalytic burner and mixing chamber. Then
there is the media supply module with fuel and water treatment, and
an inverter which converts the direct current generated in the plant
ready to be fed into the AC grid. A further element in the plant
takes care of heat extraction.
Suitable fuels include gases with high methane content such as
natural gas, biogas and sewage gas, but also liquid fuels like
methanol. As in all fuel cells, the electrochemical process is based
on a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen which liberates electric
power and heat. Methane (e.g. natural or biogas) and water vapor are
fed to the anode. Here a catalytic reaction produces hydrogen. This
then reacts with the carbonate ions in the electrolyte to form water
and carbon dioxide. During this process, electrons are liberated at
the anode and flow via a consumer (in this case the grid) to the
cathode. On the cathode side, carbon dioxide and atmospheric oxygen
react with the electrons liberated in the anodic reaction to form
carbonate ions. Finally these migrate through the electrolyte to the
anode concluding the electrochemical cycle.
Exhaust air from the fuel cell contains water vapour and carbon
dioxide. Pollutant emissions are negligible; in particular no traces
of either SO2 or NOx are detectible.
The molten carbonate fuel cell is suitable for continuous supply of
electric power and heat. The elevated supply temperature also enables
efficient year-round operation of absorption refrigeration equipment
(cooling-heating-power system).
http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/FuelCellToday/IndustryInformation/Industr
yInformationExternal/NewsDisplayArticle/0,1602,7450,00.html
http://tinyurl.com/eefur
j2997
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:27:08 -0000
From: "janson2997"
Subject: Energy insecurity
Energy insecurity
By J. Robinson West
Published March 24, 2006
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
Advertisement
Since the State of Union address, President Bush has continued to
echo his message of reducing our dependence on oil through technology
and alternative sources. Since the speech, events across the globe
have only confirmed that the U.S. faces some serious energy supply
challenges.
The programs the president outlined were significant in their new
direction, though very modest in size. With goals of 6 to 16 years,
however, they do nothing to solve the very serious problems we
confront today.
The challenge is energy security-reliable supplies at reasonable
cost. At more than $60 per barrel, the markets are already nervous --
jumpy at the potential of an Iranian embargo that could send prices
through the roof.
Even before Iran, crude oil markets were already tight, with very
little spare capacity to meet growing demand in the U.S. and Asia.
This is driven by a radical change in industry structure that bodes
ill for the future of supply.
More than 80 percent of oil reserves are controlled by National
Oil Companies (NOCs), state enterprises that hold and operate
petroleum sector for a country. International Oil Companies (IOCs)
control only 8 percent but offer technical, financial and operating
strength. The problem for the petroleum industry and the world
economy is that some critical NOCs that control huge reserves are in
a state of flux, if not chaos.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin is consolidating his control
over the oil sector, squeezing out the oligarchs (many of whom were
deeply corrupt) and replacing them with two massive state-run
enterprises -- Gazprom and Rosneft. Mr. Putin is within his rights to
do so. However, the operation of this sector must be efficient.
Unfortunately, given high oil prices, there is rampant corruption
with little management accountability.
As a result Russia's production lags earlier projections.
Furthermore, Russia straddles the Eurasian land mass, thus
controlling pipeline routes. Russia seems to be expanding its power,
not providing more energy. For example, Russia is blocking expansion
of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which would bring another 800,000
barrels per day to the market from Kazakhstan.
Energy security will be at the top of the agenda for upcoming G-8
Summit, which Mr. Putin will host in St. Petersburg in July. Given
this opportunity, Russia must demonstrate it is part of the solution,
providing reliable supply at reasonable cost to the world economy.
Unless this can be done persuasively, Russia runs the risk of deep
embarrassment on the world stage.
Excoriated by Washington as a stooge of Fidel Castro, Venezuela,
with more oil reserves than Russia, offers another challenge.
Petroleos de Venezuela (PdVSA), Venezuela's NOC, is changing its
contracts with the IOCs to collect a larger share and have greater
control. It wants to expand its own production and diversify away
from its reliance on U.S. markets. Furthermore, policy often is
driven by well-meaning but inexperienced ideologues, and corruption
is rampant. The result is instability. Venezuela has tried to be a
reliable energy partner to the U.S., while also a political rival.
For example, PdVSA increased its exports to the U.S. after Hurricane
Katrina but the U.S. energy secretary has been barred from meeting
with his Venezuelan counterpart.
Washington should seek to work with PdVSA where we have mutual
interests, while challenging President Chavez where we disagree on
his political program.
Iraq is another nation with huge reserves but falling production.
Iraqi fields are in worse condition than when Saddam fell. The
petroleum sector is divided by politics, corruption and security
issues. Though it has some excellent professionals, it lacks a clear
national mandate as well as the financial and technical resources to
restore production and open new fields.
The greatest danger for the Iraqi oil sector is fragmentation
along regional lines, complicating development and possibly leading
to civil war. This cannot be permitted.
Once the fundamental structure is in place, two steps should be
taken quickly:
(1) All international companies should agree not to retain agents
or pay bribes, and to publish all payments to the government. The
petroleum sector must be transparent, since the potential for
corruption of Iraq is enormous, particularly from aggressive Russian,
Indian and Chinese companies.
(2) It may take years to write a new petroleum law, but the IOCs
should be brought in soon on terms acceptable to the Iraqis. It is
Iraqi oil, and sovereignty must be respected. A solution is short-
term service contracts guaranteed by export credit agencies, quickly
established so IOCs could undertake specific projects for a limited
period, perhaps three years. This approach would stimulate production
while a new, long term petroleum law is drafted.
Energy insecurity -- unreliable supply at an unreasonable cost --
took years to create. Solutions will take years as well.
In the meantime, working with the international community,
Washington must develop better knowledge, more tools and greater will
to effectively address international petroleum supply issues in
foreign and economic policy.
Focused activities, skillfully executed, in producing countries
could bring millions of barrels more to world markets. We would then
have less to fear from Iran or other threats.
The U.S. must certainly move to alternative fuels and greater
efficiency in the future, but for now, we must learn to deal
competently with unpleasant realities such as Iran.
J. Robinson West is chairman and founder of PFC Energy. He was
assistant interior secretary in the Reagan administration with
responsibility for offshore oil policy.
http://washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060323-
083952-6561r
http://tinyurl.com/nm7zu
j2997
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Friday, March 24, 2006
[fuelcell-energy] Digest Number 1419
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