News of Note JOHNSTON, Iowa (Reuters)- Outside the headquarters of Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc, the pavement is iced over and workers arriving for the day are bundled up against the cold. Top Stories This Christmas marked the third anniversary of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004. While reconstruction has inched forward in the affected countries, in Sri Lanka, one of the hardest-hit areas, progress remains challenging. Unlike Indonesia’s Aceh province, which in the disaster’s aftermath was able to overcome a decades-long armed conflict, Sri Lanka actually lapsed back into internal fighting a little more than a year after the waves struck. Widespread development and use of organic standards began in the 1980's to safeguard and systematize an alternative way (organic) of agriculture and handling food. Among a detailed list of prohibited substances in organic systems are chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. Because the organic system recognized from the start that it would likely remain a small component of agriculture, and that contamination would inevitably happen through background pollution such as polluted water, air and drift, it proposed a system based on a "practice standard," rather than on measuring the purity of an end product. Increasing amounts of ice mass have been lost from West Antarctica and the Antarctic peninsula over the past ten years, according to research from the University of Bristol and published online this week in Nature Geoscience. Meanwhile the ice mass in East Antarctica has been roughly stable, with neither loss nor accumulation over the past decade.WWF and the government of Abu Dhabi today launched a Sustainability Strategy to deliver the world’s greenest city. Masdar City will be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city, meeting or exceeding a set of stringent sustainability goals established under the "One Planet Living" program established by WWF and environmental consultancy BioRegional. | ENN Spotlight
More Top Stories
At the December Council, EU Fisheries Ministers determine quotas for fishing in EU waters for the following year.
Piles of trash have lined the streets of Naples since waste collection stopped before Christmas after dumps in the region were declared full. The crisis has led to protests. |  |        | ||
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| Member Press Releases By: the International Fund for Animal Welfare The International Fund of Animal Welfare (IFAW) held a landmark "Lobster Gear Summit" today in conjunction with the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen's Association (AOLA), connecting regional lobstermen groups with fishing gear manufacturers, federal and state fisheries officials and rope-recycling specialists for a day of information sharing, fact-gathering and strategic planning. The meeting was held in order to discuss what is needed for industry-wide compliance toward recent equipment mandates issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). By: the Globe Foundation of Canada A report by the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), states Canada can achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets of 20 percent by 2020 and 65 percent by 2050 by implementing a clear, consistent and certain emission price signal across the Canadian economy as soon as possible. The report, Getting to 2050: Canada's Transition to a Low-emission Future, argues the immediate introduction of market-based policy in the form of an emission tax or a cap-and-trade system or a combination of the two is economically feasible and quite likely only way of achieving the government's stated emission reduction targets. By: the Center for Biological Diversity The federal government Friday proposed protecting the black abalone as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. The action comes in response to a formal administrative petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in December 2006 that sought protection of the species. The black abalone, an intertidal mollusk historically ranging from near the California-Oregon border to Cape San Lucas, Baja California, has declined by as much as 99 percent in most of its range. By: World Land Trust On the 17th January the World Land Trust and their Patron, Sir David Attenborough, will launch Webcam in the Forest at the Linnaean Society of London, as part of its ongoing program of showing to the world at large, conservation in action. By: Earth Policy Institute "With the record for 2007 now complete, it is clear that temperatures around the world are continuing their upward climb", writes Frances Moore in a recent Earth Policy Institute release, "2007 Second Warmest Year on Record". "The global average in 2007 was 14.73 degrees Celsius (58.5 degrees Fahrenheit)-the second warmest year on record, only 0.03 degrees Celsius behind the 2005 maximum. Looking at the northern hemisphere alone, 2007 temperatures averaged 15.04 degrees Celsius (59.1 degrees Fahrenheit)-easily the hottest year in the northern half of the globe since the record began in 1880." By: the Center for Biological Diversity In response to an April 2006 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday that the Amargosa River population of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard, Uma scoparia, warrants consideration for protection as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The agency will now begin a one-year status review of the species. By: the Center for Biological Diversity On behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, the Western Environmental Law Center today filed suit in federal court in the central district of California to challenge the Department of Energy's October 2007 designation of the Southwest National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor - a sweeping, 45-million-acre area that includes seven southern California and three Arizona counties - for failing to analyze the environmental impacts of the corridor. By: Network for New Energy Choices The Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) is delighted about Governor Eliot Spitzer's support of clean energy technologies and policies in his State of the State speech. Specifically, NNEC is pleased with his mention of net metering. The Governor spoke encouragingly about New Yorker's ability to run their meters backwards with clean technologies, like solar and wind. Net metering is the billing arrangement by which customers realize savings from their renewable energy systems, where 1-kWh (kilowatt-hour) generated by the customer has the exact same value (in cents/kWh) as 1-kWh consumed by the customer. Editor's Note : 'Network News' features press releases submitted directly by organizations in ENN's member network. This content is not specifically endorsed or supported by ENN and is not subject to ENN's editorial process. | |||||
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A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies. *Update 2014: Just do it everywhere - Dan*
Monday, January 14, 2008
Earthen flooring is nothing more than what it sounds like — humble, natural earth compacted with straw or other fibers and stabilized with various natural oils to form eco-friendly high-quality flooring. These floors are easy to clean, comes in a variety of textures, colors, and materials. It can be installed over nearly any subflooring, it integrates well with radiant heat systems and it’s one of the cheapest flooring methods either conventional or green.
Brussels - EU Fisheries Ministers have gambled on the future of Europe’s fish stocks, said WWF at the conclusion of the EU Fisheries Council yesterday night in Brussels.
The recent price rally in farm commodities such as grains, oilseeds and sugar beet can be attributed partly to higher biofuel demand but their share of the blame has been exaggerated, a top official of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
An Italian couple from Naples have applied for asylum in Switzerland, saying toxic waste dumped around the city poses a health risk to their unborn child.
The New York Times | The Candidates Discover the Economy
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011408L.shtml
The editors of The New York Times write, "The presidential candidates are only beginning to recognize what many voters have already figured out through painful, personal experience: the economy is in trouble and unlikely to improve without some sensible government response." Meanwhile, Michael Barbaro and Louis Uchitelle, of The New York Times, report, "Strong evidence is emerging that consumer spending, a bulwark against recession over the last year even as energy prices surged and the housing market sputtered, has begun to slow sharply at every level of the American economy, from the working class to the wealthy."
Paul Krugman | Responding to Recession
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011408M.shtml
Paul Krugman writes for The New York Times: "Since this is an election year, the debate over how to stimulate the economy is inevitably tied up with politics. And here's a modest suggestion for political reporters. Instead of trying to divine the candidates' characters by scrutinizing their tone of voice and facial expressions, why not pay attention to what they say about economic policy?" William Greider, writing for The Nation, also weighs in on the Democratic candidates' economic plans.
Eco-Economy Indicator -- GLOBAL TEMPERATURE
January 10, 2008
Eco-Economy Indicators are the twelve trends the Earth Policy Institute tracks to measure progress in building an eco-economy. Taking the earth's temperature tells us about the relative health of the planet.
2007 SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD
Northern Hemisphere Temperature Highest Ever
Frances C. Moore
With the record for 2007 now complete, it is clear that temperatures around the world are continuing their upward climb. The global average in 2007 was 14.73 degrees Celsius (58.5 degrees Fahrenheit) -- the second warmest year on record, only 0.03 degrees Celsius behind the 2005 maximum. January 2007 was the hottest January ever measured, a full 0.23 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous record. August was also a record for that month, and September was the second warmest September recorded.
Looking at the northern hemisphere alone, 2007 temperatures averaged 15.04 degrees Celsius (59.1 degrees Fahrenheit) -- easily the hottest year in the northern half of the globe since the record began in 1880, and more than a degree warmer than the 1951–80 average...
For entire text see http://www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Temp/2008.htm
For data see http://www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Temp/2008_data.htm
For an index of Earth Policy Institute resources related to Temperature and Climate see http://www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Temp/index.htm
And for more on the effects of rising temperature and how to stabilize climate, you may be interested in Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008). Information about this book is on-line at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm.
Taking Care of Business
There's no stopping the greening of business. Two thousand eight seems to be off to a roaring start. Today, for examples, bring three significant announcements from six major companies (two of which, GM and IBM, are GreenBiz.com sponsors). The three demonstrate a range of sectors, partnerships, and approaches to the new green economy. To wit:
- General Motors this weekend announced an investment in a start-up company, Coskata, to commercialize the process of turning biomass, municipal trash, waste tires, wood chips, and other low-grade waste into ethanol -- at a price of under $1 per gallon. The plan is to build facilities that could produce 100 million gallons a year each by 2010.
- IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes, and Sony today are releasing 31 patents into the public domain, aimed at addressing a range of environmental challenges. The companies hope this Eco-Patent Commons will spur innovation and create new business opportunities.
- Clorox is announcing a partnership today with the Sierra Club, as part of its launch of a new line of environmentally friendly cleaning products, the company's first new brand in 20 years. Sierra Club will help promote the cleaners, which are 99 percent derived from coconuts and lemon oil.
All three of these announcements, while different in form and substance, demonstrate the power of partnerships and innovation in the green business arena -- a topic underscored by Worldwatch Institute in the latest edition of its annual tome, State of the World. This year's edition is dedicated to highlighting new economic opportunities and actions by governments and businesses to better the world.
Not bad, for a single week in the greening of business. Two thousand eight: So far, so good.
FEATURED BOOK
True Green at Work: 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business
by Kim Mckay and Jenny Bonnin
True Green at Work is a definitive DIY manual for the working world, covering businesses, workers and day-to-day life at the office. Its variety of tips tell everyone who holds a job, from top executives on down the ladder, how to help minimize their company's carbon footprint. Each page contains a single tip for reducing waste, making it easy for anyone in any job to take small steps toward a healthier planet.
FEATURED EVENT
Host: Plum Communications Date: April 7 - 9, 2008
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
IT360- Conference & Expo 2008 is an interactive experience for IT professionals and business executives. Faced with the challenge of shrinking budgets and limited time to test or evaluate, IT360- provides a conference of 80+ educational sessions and an informative exposition where professionals can compare applications and solutions while learning first-hand from leading companies and their experts in this immersive arena.
New on GreenBiz Radio:
The Presidential Climate Action Project aims to give the next resident of the White House a running start on addressing the climate crisis. Longtime corporate sustainability leader Ray Anderson talks to GreenBiz Radio about what the president -- and U.S. businesses -- can accomplish.
You can listen to GreenBiz Radio online, download programs to your desktop, or subscribe to the GreenBiz Radio RSS feed.
Headlines
The Latest News on Business and the Environment
IBM Leads Program to Share Clean Technologies
IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes and Sony are the first companies to join the newly launched Eco-Patents Commons, a coalition spearheaded by IBM to offer environmental technologies, processes and ideas to spur innovation around the globe.
Clorox and Sierra Club Announce Branding Partnership
The Clorox Company has formed a partnership with the Sierra Club as part of the company's launch of Green Works, a new line of natural cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients.
GM Launches Partnership with Start-up to Commercialize Biofuels
At the Detroit Motor Show, General Motors announced a partnership with Coskata to commercialize its process for creating low-cost ethanol from a wide range of feedstocks, including biomass, municipal solid waste, wood chips, even used car tires.
Banks Take Steps Addressing Climate Change but Long Road Ahead: Report
HSBC and ABN led the pack of 40 banks and financial institutions examined by Ceres on the steps undertaken to address climate change.
Scholastic Embraces FSC-Certified Paper
Children's publisher Scholastic made a commitment to boost the amount of recycled paper it uses and help educate kids about the environment through a new website.
Report: Green Investments Creating First Sustainable Economy
Worldwide Institute's latest report looks at the growth of investments in sustainable efforts while encouraging further efforts for the betterment of the world.
F.T.C. Kicks Off Green Marketing Hearings
The Federal Trade Commission is updating its green advertising guidelines a year before schedule because of the growing wave of environmental marketing claims. Its first target: carbon offsets.
GM, Ford Introducing Greener Cars, Engines
GM and Ford are using two premiere events this month to unveil their latest energy- and fuel-efficient auto technologies and concepts.
Aurora Organic Dairy Takes Aim at its Emissions
The milk and butter producer will join forces with the University of Michigan to measure and reduce its carbon footprint across the lifecycle of its product line.
Plan Aimed at Spurring E.U. Eco-Innovation
The European Commission plans to promote innovative, environmentally-focused markets with a new initiative targeting eHealth, sustainable construction, technical textiles, bio-based products, recycling and renewable energy.
China Bans Plastic Bags, Sets Tougher Fuel Standards
China banned the production of thin plastic bags Tuesday and outlawed their use in supermarkets and shops beginning June 1. Worries about pollution has also sparked the introduction of tougher fuel standards to improve air quality before the Olympics.
Archer Daniels Midland to Bury Carbon From Ethanol Plant
One million tons of carbon will be buried and monitored from 2009-2012 to test effectiveness of carbon sequestration.
Put GreenBiz news on your site for free! Learn more...
Featured Resource
A Wealth of Hands-On Help
The Eco-Patent Commons
This project, launched by IBM with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, is a first-of-its-kind effort to make patents relating to environmental processes and technologies open to innovators around the globe.
The Master ROI Table for Office and Building Products
This comprehensive chart lists the added costs, annual savings, 10 year savings, payback time and total return on investment for dozens of office and building products.
Columns and Features
Insight and Inspiration from the Experts
Pioneering a Sustainable Paper Industry
By Frank Marquardt
By adopting cutting-edge technologies and seeking to eliminate waste and increasing efficiency, Grays Harbor Paper has created a path to not only revive a struggling paper town, but one that also points the way forward for an industry that has only just begun to address its environmental impact.
Asia and The Age of Sustainability: Where The East Has an Edge
By Rick Seireeni
The Western world is in the throes of a green revolution that is slowly spreading around the globe. When the powerhouse Asian economies pick up speed, expect them to grow ever more powerful, and dramatically speed up the process of innovation to boot.
Renewable Energy Firms Strike Gold with Green Employee Benefits
By Dawn E. Dzurilla, RenewableEnergyAccess.com
Leaders of companies across industries -- but most noticeably in the clean energy field -- are providing eco-perks as a way of developing an environmentally sustainable company culture, and makes employees happier, healthier and more productive.
GreenBiz Blogs
Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward:
News Flash: 110% of Consumers Shop Green!
> More from Joel Makower
Marc Gunther on Corporate America:
Michael Jordan's "green" Sneaker
> More from Marc Gunther
David Wigder's Green Marketing Strategies:
Investing in Green Innovation
> More from David Wigder
Andy Savitz's Triple Bottom Line Blog:
The Sins of Greenwashing -- A Good Idea Pushed Too Far
> More from Andy Savitz
Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Super Soaker Inventor Aims to Cut Solar Costs in Half
The Atlanta-based independent inventor of the Super Soaker squirt gun (a true technological milestone) says he can achieve a conversion efficiency rate that tops 60 percent with a new solid-state heat engine.
Green Living
PM's Ultimate Guide to Sustainability
From trends in alternative energy to products for environmental efficiency to tons of tips you can use, the best of what's right—right now.Drive Green
Solving the Fuel Crunch
From plug-in cars to biofuels, MPG legislation to far-out test drives, check out all our coverage on the gas-saving future of cars.PLUS: 5 Electric Cars Making History Around the Globe
Alaska Opens Its First Geothermal Power Plant
Chena Hot Springs, just outside Fairbanks, is the first geothermal power plant to come online in Alaska. Announced by Chena Hot Springs/Chena Power and ...www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45789 - 34k -
PR112906 PureCycle at Chena Hot Springs
The Chena Hot Springs Resort in Alaska has the first geothermal power plant ... geothermal resource (165°F) ever used for commercial power generation in the ...www.utcpower.com/fs/com/
Around the world, scientists are risking their lives to retrieve seeds destined for a massive vault near the North Pole. Their work just might save mankind
PopSci's Best of What's New 2007
The company produces its PowerSheet solar cells with printing-press-style machines that set down a layer of solar-absorbing nano-ink onto metal sheets as ...www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/green/item_59.html
Popular Science Blog - Innovation of the Year Winner Nanosolar ...
After years of development, Nanosolar has announced today that they have shipped their first batch of inexpensive solar panels to the site of their first ...popsci.typepad.com/popsci/2007/12/innovation-of-t.html
Step 5: Switch on the Sun Lamp - Popular Science
Once the world’s largest solar-energy farm is completed, some 20000 dishes ... Stirling solar dishes can convert about 30 percent of the sun’s energy into ...www.popsci.com/popsci/energy/
How to make one of our most ubiquitous gadgets—every part of it—environmentally sound.
Energy Saving Program in Seattle Puts Consumer in Control January 11, 2008 08:57 AM - , Environmental Graffiti
Today, the New York Times reports on such a pilot experiment involving 112 homes in the Seattle area. The project by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of the Energy Department, showed that ”˜if households have digital tools to set temperature and price preferences, the peak loads on utility grids could be trimmed by up to 15 percent a year. Over a 20-year period, this could save $70 billion on spending for power plants and infrastructure, and avoid the need to build the equivalent of 30 large coal-fired plants.’
Ames Lab "Beefing" Up Magnets for Electric-Drive Cars January 10, 2008 08:55 AM - Ames Laboratory
The Ames Lab senior metallurgist and Iowa State University adjunct professor of materials science and engineering is playing a major role in advancing electric drive motor technology to meet the enormous swell in consumer demand expected over the next five years. He and his Ames Lab colleagues, Bill McCallum and Matthew Kramer, have designed a high-performance permanent magnet alloy that operates with good magnetic strength at 200 degrees Celsius, or 392 degrees Fahrenheit, to help make electric drive motors more efficient and cost-effective. The work is part of the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program to develop more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that will enable America to use less petroleum.
Australia to end plastic bags in supermarkets January 9, 2008 10:37 PM - Reuters
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has followed China in announcing it plans to end plastic bag use in supermarkets, with its new environment minister saying on Thursday he wants a phase-out to start by the end of 2008. "There are some 4 billion of these plastic bags floating around the place, getting into landfill, ending up affecting our wildlife, and showing up on our beaches while we are on holidays," Environment Minister Peter Garrett said on Thursday.
'Green' Energy Efficient Mobile Home Designed January 9, 2008 09:45 AM - Wiley-Blackwell
But "green" is exactly what Michael Berk, F.L. Crane Endowed Professor of Architecture at Mississippi State, wants mobile homes to be. He hopes to toss traditional thinking about the structures into the recycling bin, salvaging the traditional "mobile home" perception one national award at a time. Working in the Carl Small Town Center--a part of MSU's College of Architecture, Art and Design--Berk created an award-winning, next-generation factory-built unit he calls the GreenMobile. Unlike other lower-end housing, Berk's applies sound construction methods, as well as energy-saving concepts for lower utility costs.
LED Lights may light homes in less than 3 years January 9, 2008 09:29 AM - University of Glasgow
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), already used in electrical equipment such as computers and mobile phones, are several times more energy efficient than standard light-bulbs. However, because of their structure and material, much of the light in standard LEDs becomes trapped, reducing the brightness of the light and making them unsuitable as the main lighting source in the home.
Switchgrass fuel yields bountiful energy: study January 8, 2008 05:45 PM - Reuters
Switchgrass, a crop touted by venture capitalists and environmentalists alike as a next-generation ethanol feedstock, yields about five times more energy than it takes to grow it, making the plant a far more efficient fuel source than corn, a new study said. In addition, the life cycle of the switchgrass ethanol -- which includes growing the crop, making the fuel, and burning it in vehicles -- emits about 94 percent less of planet-warming carbon dioxide than the life cycle of gasoline, said the study, published on Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Beijing Introduces Strictest Fuel Standard Yet January 7, 2008 03:26 PM - , Organic Consumers Association
On January 1, China’s capital city of Beijing introduced its toughest vehicle fuel standard yet. The rule requires that gasoline and diesel sold in the city must comply with the new China IV emission standards, equivalent to the European Union’s Euro IV standards. Under the elevated standard, motor fuels are permitted to contain only 50 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur, compared with the previous China III level of 150 ppm.
Pucker Up: Industry Sees Rise in Organic Makeup January 7, 2008 03:23 PM - , Organic Consumers Association
Animal byproducts weren't something Holly Tashian wanted to smear on her face. But it was hard to get away from lanolin, a fatty substance secreted by sheep, which was in many of the cosmetics in her makeup bag. "I began to realize what I was putting on my face, and it's pretty bad stuff," says Tashian, a Nashville, Tenn., musician and a feng shui consultant. "I've just gotten turned off about what is going on in the cosmetics industry."
Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems Growing in Importance January 7, 2008 10:29 AM - , Green Lodging News
PALO ALTO, CALIF.—Energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems are becoming increasingly important in North America in light of the current drive to conserve energy, make buildings “green,” and enhance indoor air quality (IAQ). New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, “North American Energy Recovery Ventilation Market,” found that this market earned revenues of $324.6 million in 2006 and it is expected to reach $778.7 million in 2012. “ERV is a growing segment within the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) market, particularly in northern tier winter heating zones and areas with warmer and high humidity climatic conditions,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Jorge Moreno. “The focus on IAQ is another key trend benefiting ERV, as people become increasingly conscious of the importance to maintain air quality through properly designed and managed HVAC systems.”
21 Things You Didn't Know You Can Recycle January 6, 2008 09:35 AM - www.coopamerica.org
Garbage. Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less. Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle. That’s why our editors spent the summer of 2007 investigating the state of waste management in our country, putting this list togther for you, explaining how we can get serious about the three R’s — reducing, reusing, and recycling — and divert more waste away from landfills.
Welcome to the Solar Century January 4, 2008 08:42 AM - , Environmental Graffiti
New technology means solar power could one day provide all the world’s energy needs — but governments must do their bit. Until a few years ago the suggestion that solar power might provide the answer to the intertwined problems of long term energy security and climate change would have been dismissed as a pipedream. The high cost of solar cells, their inefficiency in converting the sun’s rays into electricity and the lack of state investment or assistance for renewable energy start-ups meant there was little hope.
India to provide subsidy for solar power plants January 2, 2008 04:24 AM - Reuters
India will subsidize the running of solar power plants to help develop a renewable energy infrastructure, where high costs can be prohibitive, the minister for renewable energy said on Wednesday. Renewable energy accounts for about 7.5 percent of India's installed generation capacity of 127,673 MW, a rate that compares favorably with much of the rest of the world.
China responds to global wind turbine shortage
Private company in Guangdong agrees to supply 900 MW to United States
Opening doors to the US tax credit for wind power
Innovative financing structure opens up wind market to publicly owned utilities too
Galapagos Island clean energy evolution
Three wind turbines reduce reliance on risky imports of diesel oil
Quarterly update of wind market indicators
Data and commentary on the wind sector's share price performance over the past three months, plus country-by-country wind power capacity totals. Whether looked at in terms of share price performance, new issuance of company stock, or positive news flow, the past quarter was a beauty. Some would call it "the greatest ever." ... More
Virginia Commission Approves First Wind Farm in State
December 31, 2007
Google Aims to Make Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal Power
December 5, 2007
Largest Wind Farm in Minnesota, Associated Transmission Line Completed
December 3, 2007
NREL Report Sees Near-Term Supply Shortage for Renewable Power
To help meet America's increasing energy needs while protecting our Nation's energy security and environment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working with wind industry partners to develop clean, domestic, innovative wind energy technologies that can compete with conventional fuel sources. DOE's Wind Energy Program efforts have culminated in some of industry's leading products today and have contributed to record-breaking industry growth.
In 2005, the United States installed more new wind energy capacity than any other country in the world. The new capacity, totaling 2,431 megawatts (MW), was worth more than $3 billion in generating equipment, and it brought the total national wind energy capacity to 9,149 MW. That's enough electricity to power 2.3 million average American households. In 2006, an additional 2,454 MW were installed, bringing the Nation's total installed capacity to 11,603 MW.
The following links will provide you with more information about wind energy and the Wind Energy Program's research and development efforts. Some of the documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Selected Wind Energy Topics
- Wind Energy Basics
- Low Wind Speed Turbine Technology
- Distributed Wind Energy Technology
- Wind Powering America
- Federal Wind Siting Information Center
- Systems Integration
- Wind Energy Program Multiyear Program Plan 2007 - 2012
(PDF 2.3 MB) - Wind Power Today (PDF 2.1 MB)
- Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006 (PDF 2.4 MB)
- Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006 (A presentation from Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (PDF 2.9 MB)
- Wind Energy Program 2006 Peer Review Report
(PDF 535 KB)
Regulations to Increase Energy Efficiency in New Federal Buildings by 30%
December 21, 2007
U.S. and China to Cooperate on Biomass Research and Development
December 13, 2007
DOE Invests $7.7 Million in Biomass Gasification for Biofuels
The Cheapest Way to Power Your Car
If you had the right ride, hydropower could lop 2/3 off your gas bills. 12.18.2007
Green House vs. Greenhouse
To save the environment, imitate mobile homes and go pre-fab. 11.29.2007
Solar Power, At Last?
The long-sought mechanism for a superior solar cell may now be at hand. 11.16.2007
Wave Energy
Can a mechanical snake that surfs the ocean squeeze enough watts from water? 12.02.2005
Energy
Who needs oil or coal or gas when the world is full of plain old algae? 10.24.2005
Friday, August 31, 2007
By Matthew Shaer
The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/083007EA.shtml
Go to Original
Thursday 30 August 2007
Abdoulaye Diame is on a crusade in his native Senegal to save a plant crucial to curbing floods, filtering seawater, and regulating tides.
Fayako, Senegal - First the old man traces a slow, sprawling circle in the sand. Then gingerly, like a master painter, he fills out his portrait: a dozen triangles for waves, a smattering of rectangles for buildings, and a jagged line for the shore. "A few years ago," he says, "the water was down there."
For emphasis, he turns in his chair, and points at the beach. It is an unusually hot day, and half of the 50-odd residents of this small island are huddled under a small grove of palms at the center of the island. "We lived in those buildings for a while," he says. "The tide came up, so we pulled back to here." He marks the middle of a circle.
"The mangroves were a barrier against the water," explains Abdoulaye Diame, peering down at the old man's illustration. "When the mangroves started dying, the water started rising."
Mr. Diame, a Senegalese scientist, is a liaison between Fayako and the mainland. But in this part of Senegal, he is known mostly as a tireless advocate for the mangrove tree - one of the earth's vital and unheralded natural resources. With their thick copses and interconnected roots, mangroves are essential for purifying sea water, regulating the tides, balancing underwater ecosystems, and mitigating the effects of floodwater damage. For many West Africans, they are also a source of fuel and a support to marine life.
They are regarded locally with almost spiritual reverence.
But they're disappearing rapidly. By most estimates, more than half the world's mangroves have already been destroyed. The remaining plants, which grow in tropical and subtropical zones from India to Southeast Asia, die at a rate of 1 to 2 percent a year - largely because of pollution and the increasing salinity of some coastal waters.
In Fayako, a town located deep in Senegal's verdant Sine Saloum Delta, the effects are clearly visible. As the mangroves have vanished, locals are finding fewer fish to eat and no firewood to burn. More ominously, the tide rises a bit higher each year.
So Diame is trying to halt the destruction through a combination of reforestation and grass-roots activism. Each week, he pilots a boat around the serpentine tributaries of the delta, stopping at small towns to inspect progress on planting sites and help residents manage the remaining mangroves. He harangues village elders about proper tending. He works to introduce new agricultural techniques.
If he turns out to be successful, his program could become a model for other mangrove conservation efforts around the globe.
Diame is a tall man with broad shoulders and a steely stare that reflects the deeply personal nature of his work. He maintains roots in the region, where he was born and where he graduated from high school. In 1993, he traveled to Russia to attend Moscow State University, earning degrees in physical oceanography and geography. When he returned to Senegal, he set about using his new skills to help solve some of the delta's most pressing ecological problems. Chief among them: the precipitous drop in the mangrove population, caused in part by the polluting runoff from luxury resorts in the area.
"We tried to approach it in two different ways," Diame says. "We wanted to begin replanting the mangroves, but we also wanted to teach people here about how they could help."
The first step was to establish a center in Foundiougne. By the late 1990s, Diame had secured enough funding from Western organizations to begin work on a small complex outside town. He also began working with the Mangrove Action Project (MAP), a US-based nongovernmental organization with offices around the globe. Today, Diame acts as an advisor for MAP and a coordinator for the Western African Mangrove Network, which has staff in Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
But Diame is most devoted to the Sine Saloum Delta, an area where most of his family still lives. His office, which started as a single concrete building, is now a full research facility - with conference rooms, a dining hall, and thatched bungalows for visitors. Diame keeps many local residents on retainer to help with everything from fieldwork to cooking.
"One of the really important things is getting local people involved in the process of restoration," says Alfredo Quarto, the executive director and cofounder of MAP. "They have to own it."
Mangrove preservation efforts became something of a cause célèbre in the years following the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake. The temblor triggered a deadly tsunami in Southeast Asia, and many groups began focusing on the plant's effectiveness in limiting floodwater damage. Former President Bill Clinton, for instance, has become involved with an initiative called Mangroves for the Future, and every year a host of NGOs pour money into restoration efforts.
"Mangroves have so many functions: They filter out impurities; help prevent hurricane damage; they can sequester enormous amounts of carbon in their roots," says Mr. Quarto. "It's obvious that we need to save them. But the efforts have largely been a failure."
One reason, says Roy R. Lewis III, a scientific advisor to MAP, is that many groups simply dump money into affected areas, without monitoring how it's being spent. "It's a waste," says Mr. Lewis. "We're not dealing with applied management. The funding agencies are not facilitating local education. They're not even following up."
On a warm, cloudy summer morning, Diame drives through the center of Foundiougne, stopping his jeep near the town's dock. Dozens of children dart around his legs; he jokes with them in a mixture of French and Wolof, the local tribal dialect. He chats with a store owner. When the crowd dissipates, Diame walks to the edge of the dock and points to a small grove of mangroves on the shore. A few signposts poke out of the water, each marked with a large red X.
"This is an education project," he says. "It is different from actual reforestation - these were planted to sensitize people to the mangroves. We tell them, 'You can't use these for firewood anymore. You can't trample them, or play in them. You have to take care of them.' "
This is Diame's big gambit: If he can teach people to respect the plants, he will have taught them how to save their villages. So with the help of a handful of villagers, he compliments reforestation efforts with the creation of small displays around the delta. He brings residents of Fayako to tour the replanting sites. He teaches them to find alternate sources of wood.
So far, he's been moderately successful. The destruction along the delta, he says, has leveled off, and some of the reforestation efforts have taken root. But more important, Diame has succeeded in creating a practical approach to conservation. He has raised a general awareness of the plight of the Sine Saloum Delta - an awareness that originates in the local community.
"It's a start," says Diame. "For the people here, it's a good start."
Flooding Risk From Global Warming Badly Under-Estimated: Study
Agence France-Presse
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Global warming may carry a higher risk of flooding than previously thought, according to a study released on Wednesday by the British science journal Nature.
It says efforts to calculate flooding risk from climate change do not take into account the effect that carbon dioxide (CO2) -- the principal greenhouse gas -- has on vegetation.
Plants suck water out of the ground and "breathe" out the excess through tiny pores, called stomata, in their leaves.
Stomata are highly sensitive to CO2. The higher the level of atmospheric CO2, the more the pores tighten up or open for shorter periods.
As a result, less water passes through the plant and into the air in the form of evaporation. And, in turn, this means that more water stays on the land, eventually running off into rivers when the soil becomes saturated.
In a paper published in February 2006, British scientists said the CO2-stomata link explained a long-standing anomaly.
Over the last 100 years the flow of the world's big continental rivers has increased by around four percent, even though global temperatures rose by some 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.35 degrees Fahrenheit) during this period.
Today, as a result of the unbridled burning of oil, gas and coal, levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are around a third more than in pre-industrial times in the middle of the 18th century.
The new study takes the 2006 discovery an important step further by projecting what could happen to water runoff in the future.
If CO2 levels double compared with pre-industrial concentrations -- a common scenario in climate simulations -- the effect on plants alone would lead to an increase of six percent in global runoff, it says.
Until now, scientists have generally estimated an increase in runoff of between five and 17 percent compared with the pre-industrial era.
But this is based only on one yardstick, called radiative forcing. In other words, it only measures the warming effect that greenhouse gases have on the water cycle and not the indirect impact that CO2, the biggest culprit, has on vegetation.
The "radiative forcing" yardstick also predicts that higher temperatures will increase evaporation, causing greater water stress and longer droughts.
Both forecasts are offbeam, says the new paper.
By widening the picture to include the CO2-stomata factor, the likelihood is that the risk of flooding will be worse than thought, but the risk of drought rather less so.
"The risks of rain and river flooding may increase more than has been previously anticipated, because intense precipitation events would be more likely to occur over saturated ground," it says.
"In contrast, the risks of hydrological drought may not increase as much as expected on the basis of meteorological changes alone."
Flooding is a major problem, especially in poor countries that do not have the money to upgrade drainage systems to cope with runoff from saturated soils.
Since June, nearly 3,200 people in South Asia have been killed by heavy monsoon rains and snow melt. More than 20 million people have been affected in the eastern Indian state of Bihar alone.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Google News Alert for: hydrogen,wind,power
Fitial wants CNMI to be green energy hub
Saipan Tribune - Saipan,Northern Mariana Islands,Micronesia
"This is an ambitious project that involves windmill, biodiesel, hydrogen, and geothermal energy from the volcanoes north of Saipan," Fitial said. ...
See all stories on this topic
Maine should stop burning and develop true alternate energy sources
MaineToday.com - Portland,ME,USA
These are hydropower, wind energy, solar energy, and nuclear power. Currently, all of these sources combined supply a minority of the electric energy we ...
See all stories on this topic
Google Blogs Alert for: hydrogen,wind,power
Introduction
By Ian Banerjee
Good introduction into issues of renewable energy, especially hydrogen and fuel cells. Drawings for children - very educative. http://www.hyweb.de/index-e.html. Facts about renewable energy sources: Biogas, Hydrogen, Windpower etc. ...
Growing Ideas - http://growingideas.wordpress.com/
Google News Alert for: hydrogen,wind,powerInfinite...
By Daniel(Daniel)
Wind-generated Electricity to Power Hydrogen Refueling Station One of the first United States-based hydrogen fueling stations to use electricity from wind power to produce hydrogen from water is under way in North ... SOLAR TODAY - Home ...
The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind... - http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html
Wind Power Create Hydrogen Fuel in North Dakota
By kate
Business Week reports Senator Byron Dorgan will... [[ Visit WindEnergyInvesting.com to read the full article. ]]
Wind Energy Investing - http://www.windenergyinvesting.com
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
Google News Alert for: hydrogen,wind,power
Infinite Energy
IcelandReview - Reykjavik,Iceland
Infinite. Geothermal, solar, hydrogen and wind. It's endless and as a person who reaps the benefits of renewable energy I must confess it rocks.
See all stories on this topic
Study: Emerald Coast could take on water if global warming trend ...
The Northwest Florida Daily News - Fort Walton Beach,FL,USA
Sisskin said Florida is set up perfectly to take advantage of renewable energies such as solar and wind power. With the amount of wind that comes off the ...
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Google Blogs Alert for: hydrogen,wind,power
Tourists get a glimpse of secret nuclear pastTimes...
By Daniel(Daniel)
BP Headed for Greener PasturesMotley Fool - USAThis suggests that BP's strategy to become a leader in wind power -- as evidenced by its acquisition earlier this year of Orion Energy's 1300 MW of wind ...See all stories on this topic.
The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind... - http://www.whizzyrds.com/Windblog.html
Geothermal can produce hydrogen?
By CarlR
"Hydrogen can be produced using diverse, domestic resources including fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal (with carbon sequestration); nuclear; and biomass and other renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, ...
DoItYourself.com Community Forums - http://forum.doityourself.com
Google Web Alert for: hydrogen,wind,power
Offshore Windpower
Using electricity costing 3.5 pence / kWh. from a variable source such as offshore wind power, the cost of producing hydrogen by the electrolysis of water ...
Researchers envision a hydrogen economy, fueled by wind and new ...
The cost of making hydrogen from wind is $1.12 to $3.20 per gallon of ... at the effects of converting all power plants to hydrogen fuel-cell power plants. ...
Hydrogen Storage in Wind Turbine Towers
wind turbine tower as a pressure vessel to more traditional hydrogen ..... Also, the power electronics and wind turbine control equipment normally ...
June 25, 2003: Wind Power Set to Become World's Leading Energy Source
Wind power is now a viable, robust, fast-growing industry. Cheap electricity from wind makes it economical to electrolyze water and produce hydrogen. ...
Spare wind turbine power to fuel hydrogen cars
GIANT wind turbines will be used to power a new breed of environmentally friendly cars that run on hydrogen gas under a pioneering scheme by Scots ...
Wind Hydrogen System
Large Scale Wind Hydrogen Systems. Sept, 2003. Ellen Liu. GE Global Research. g. GE Global Research. Wind Power and Large Scale Hydrogen Production ...
Wind-generated Electricity to Power Hydrogen Refueling Station
One of the first United States-based hydrogen fueling stations to use electricity from wind power to produce hydrogen from water is under way in North ...
SOLAR TODAY - Home
Producing hydrogen with wind power can improve the dispatchability of electrical power systems and balance transmission loads, the major limitations ...
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Wind Turbine Mounting Brackets and Tails - Build your own wind turbines. ... Continuous Duty Relays - 400 Amp Rated - Big relays for switching BIG power! ...
Xcel Energy
"Today we begin using our cleanest source of electricity - wind power - to create the perfect fuel: hydrogen," said Richard C. Kelly, Xcel Energy chairman, ...
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Saturday, August 11, 2007
BP Headed for Greener PasturesMotley Fool - USAThis suggests that BP's strategy to become a leader in wind power -- as evidenced by its acquisition earlier this year of Orion Energy's 1300 MW of wind ...See all stories on this topic
Friday, August 10, 2007
Rebecca D. Stanfield, Environment Illinois State Director wrote:
Hi Daniel,
I just wanted to send you a quick note to remind you about our BP Day of Action tomorrow. Here are the details for people in the Chicago area:
WHAT: Flyering at BP stations to let consumers know about BP's dumping plan.
WHEN: Tomorrow! Saturday, August 11, 2007, starting at noon
WHERE: Environment Illinois office, 407 S. Dearborn, Suite 701, Chicago, IL 60605 ph. 312-291-0696
You can meet us here in the office for a short how-to session, or just print the flyer and go to your neighborhood BP station. If you're doing the latter, please let us know when and where.
Please RSVP if you haven't yet to let us get a good count on how many people to expect:
https://www.environmentillinois.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bpdayofaction?id4=ES
If you're reading this message from beyond Illinois and can't make it to Chicago this weekend, please check out the BP Day of Action events that our sister organizations Environment Michigan and Wisconsin Environment are running:
BP Day of Action in Michigan:
https://www.environmentmichigan.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bpdayofaction?id4=ES
BP Day of Action in Wisconsin:
https://www.wisconsinenvironment.org/action/clean-water/bpdayofaction?id4=ES
If you still need to print out the flyer, you can download it here:
https://www.environmentillinois.org/action/protect-lake-michigan/bpflyer.pdf
And remember, even if you can't make it to the event this weekend, stay tuned because we're planning more events in different locations in the future.
Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Stanfield
Environment Illinois State Director
RebeccaS@environmentillinois.org
http://www.environmentillinois.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.
Monday, July 30, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
07/30/07
CONTACT: Erin Silva, (608) 890-1503, emsilva@wisc.edu; Bill Stangel, (608) 846-3761, wstangel@wisc.edu
UW ORGANIC FIELD DAY SLATED FOR AUG. 30 AT ARLINGTON STATION
MADISON - The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Arlington Agricultural Research Station will hold its first field day devoted to organic agricultural production on Aug. 30 from 3 - 7 p.m.
Field crops, processing vegetables and market vegetables will all get some attention at the event, which will include information on organic weed management, cover and companion crops, soil quality, variety selection, vegetable crop trials, and no-till organic production.
The event will begin with field tours featuring ongoing research on fertility management strategies, organic soybean variety trials, organic corn seed treatments, cover crop options, and no-till organic production using crimped rye. Following the tours, there will be additional presentations on research projects involving organic processing vegetables, organic vegetable variety selection, cover crops for organic vegetable production, and weed management strategies.
A highlight of the tour will be a discussion of research using a roller-crimper for no-till production of soybeans with a rye cover crop.
"The idea is to lodge the rye severely enough so it doesn't stand back up," explains Bill Stangel, assistant superintendent of the Arlington station, who has been working with UW-Madison agronomists Josh Posner and Dave Stoltenberg to evaluate the effectiveness of various crimping strategies.
"We use it as a weed control tool," explains Stangel. "The rye serves as a mulch. It also has an alleopathic affect - the cover crop releases a compound that reduces the vigor of germinating weeds. Rye works especially well on small seeded weeds like foxtail, pigweed and lambsquarter. It also provides crop residue to protect the soil."
The presentations won't be limited to research being conducted at Arlington. Organic production specialist Erin Silva will talk about organic vegetable variety trials that she is conducting in conjunction with cooperating farmers at several locations around the state. Those trials include varieties of organic green beans, carrots, beets, edamame, cucumbers and cantaloupes.
The Arlington Research Station is located on Hwy. 51, about 5 miles south of Arlington and 15 miles north of Madison. Dinner will be available for a moderate charge at 6 p.m. Watch for Field Day signs. For more information, contact Erin Silva at (608) 890-1503 or emsilva@wisc.edu. In the event of rain, presentations will be held inside.
###
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
http://liveearth.msn.com/artists
If you missed the Live Earth Concert, or would like to relive your favorite moment, pick the artist you want to watch.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Have you ever wondered what the face of Global Warming-induced sea level rise will look like? What the human costs could be, or who would be affected?
Well tune in to Five Disasters Waiting To Happen on the Sundance Channel tonight at 9:30pm your time and you'll get a very good look at where it's likely to start.
Who will be swimming, and who will cook? Who will be the largest group of nation-less people in Earth's recent history? Maybe ever? Could YOU be on the list?
Find out where Paradise will soon be lost in Five Disasters Waiting To Happen TONIGHT.
Dan Stafford