May 2008
the world’s first renewable gasoline, from sunlight and CO2
31/05/08 08:00 Filed in: Energy
Sapphire Energy has built a revolutionary platform that uses photosynthetic microorganisms to produce a renewable, high-value replacement for fossil fuel petroleum. This domestic crude oil requires only sunlight, CO2 and non-potable water – and can be produced at massive scale on non-arable land.
Sapphire’s technology and team of renowned experts give the company the unique ability to scale biological systems and produce transportation fuels, including high-octane gasoline, to ASTM certification standards.
The company’s final products will have the same chemical composition as gasoline and will be completely compatible with the existing refining, distribution and fleet infrastructure.
Not ethanol, not biodiesel. Renewable gasoline.
Full Article http://www.sapphireenergy.com
LED street lights. Replacing gas lamps with LEDs
28/05/08 22:33 Filed in: Energy
DUSSELDORF is not well-endowed with nostalgic charm, and soon may be shorter of it still. The 17,000 or so gas lamps that still bathe the streets of the old centre in their glow are on their way out. The German city's municipal power utility plans to replace about 10,000 of them with a technology that is cheaper to operate but so modern that only a handful of cities have begun to use it: light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
So far, only two dozen experimental LED street lamps have been put up in Dusseldorf. Although LEDs can initially be more expensive, they are a lot more reliable and they can last longer than conventional light bulbs.
Read Full Article: The Economist
Solar LCD Powered iPods, iPhones and Laptops?
26/05/08 21:08 Filed in: Energy
A recently published patent application discovered by MacRumors reveals that Apple is investigating the use of solar power in versions of their mobile devices -- both handheld devices and portable computers. Integrating solar power into a mobile device holds the enormous potential of extending battery life significantly. However, successfully integrating solar panels into these small devices is not without its challenges.
The major issues described are the limited area available to solar panels, durability, and the "wasting" of space on a portable device. It is due to these problems that solar power has not found its way into mobile devices, not just from Apple, but from all manufacturers.
Read full article: http://www.macrumors.com
SeaGen completed: world's first megawatt-scale tidal turbine installed
20/05/08 19:10 Filed in: Energy
Marine Current Turbines Ltd, the global leader in tidal stream technology, has successfully completed the installation of its 1.2MW SeaGen tidal energy system in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland.There will now be a 12-week period of commissioning and testing before it starts regularly feeding power into the Northern Ireland grid.
After being carefully positioned by the heavy-lift crane-barge "Rambiz" in the early hours of 3 April there has been a six-week operation to secure the 1000 tonne structure to the seabed and link up SeaGen's grid connection to the electricity sub-station on the southern shore of Strangford Lough.
Read Full Article: http://www.marineturbines.com
Time lapse of one of the PYCO 1 Megawatt Wind Turbines
20/05/08 16:45 Filed in: Energy
Time lapse of one of the PYCO 1 Megawatt Wind Turbines. The construction of this turbine took place from March 31st 2008 to April 4th 2008 in Lubbock Texas.
Harpooned: Greenpeace exposes scandal at heart of whaling
15/05/08 16:07 Filed in: Enviroment
How Green are Biofuels?
11/05/08 09:03 Filed in: Enviroment
U.S. wind industry on pace for record 2008
08/05/08 18:17 Filed in: Energy
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. wind power industry remains on track to continue its record run in 2008 after the sector installed 1,400 megawatts of new generating capacity in the three months ended March 21, according to figures released Wednesday.
If the pace continues, a total of 5,600 megawatts of generating power will be installed in 2008, eclipsing the record of 5,300 megawatts, according to figures from the American Wind Energy Association.
The new wind power plans installed in the first quarter of this year produce enough electricity to serve the equivalent of 400,000 homes.
AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher said he expects a big swell of projects to go on line by the fourth quarter as utilities and others hedge against the possibility that the production tax credit expires by the end of the year with no renewal from a divided Congress.
The AWEA maintains that 76,000 jobs and more than $11.5 billion in investment could be at risk if the measure doesn't pass.
Full Article: http://www.marketwatch.com/
50 way to help the planet
07/05/08 21:26 Filed in: Enviroment
SHARE! Take what you've learned, and pass the knowledge on to others. If every person you know could take one small step toward being greener, the collective effort could be phenomenal.
http://www.wireandtwine.com
Crackdown on plastic bags in China
06/05/08 18:53 Filed in: Enviroment
China's tax hikes on plastic bag production is good news for China's blossoming cloth bag industry.
As plastic bags litter China's countryside the government is putting the pressure on the manufacturers, good news for China's cloth bag industry.
Take Action against the 11 Fast Food Junkies
05/05/08 07:22 Filed in: Enviroment
The 11 Fast Food Junkies are the biggest and baddest fast food companies responsible for this waste. Their piles of packaging have more to do with branding, marketing, and sales than the essential functions of protecting and transporting goods. And Southern U.S. forests account for approximately 60% of the wood and paper products produced in the US and 15% of the paper products produced worldwide.
These vital forests and their biodiversity are in danger! Act today!
Encourage Fast food Dirty Dozen to fix the Paper Packaging Problem
Packaging symbolizes the disposable society we have become. More than half of all paper produced in the United States is used in paper packaging.
Every year millions of pounds of food packaging waste litter our roadways, clog our landfills, and spoil our quality of life. Over half of landfill waste is paper and wood products.
Fast Food Industry giants are big buyers of paper packaging from the forests of the Southern US. With nearly 100 packaging mills in the South, the packaging decisions of these corporations have a tremendous impact on our forests.
Southern forests are being destroyed to bring you fried chicken, burgers and fries, and super-sized convenience in a glut of wrappers, boxes and cups.
Fast food packaging makes up 20 percent of all litter
Food packaging takes up 15 percent of landfills
3/4 of all food and drink packages come from forests
Over half of landfill waste is paper and wood products
Take Action! Send an email to CEO?s. Ask them to reduce the company's packaging, stop using paper from endangered Southern forests and use more recycled paper!
The 11 Fast Food Junkies are: KFC, Long John Silver, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W, (all of those owned by Yum! Brands), McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Arbies, Wendy's, Bojangles and Quiznos.
These vital forests and their biodiversity are in danger! Act today!
Encourage Fast food Dirty Dozen to fix the Paper Packaging Problem
Packaging symbolizes the disposable society we have become. More than half of all paper produced in the United States is used in paper packaging.
Every year millions of pounds of food packaging waste litter our roadways, clog our landfills, and spoil our quality of life. Over half of landfill waste is paper and wood products.
Fast Food Industry giants are big buyers of paper packaging from the forests of the Southern US. With nearly 100 packaging mills in the South, the packaging decisions of these corporations have a tremendous impact on our forests.
Southern forests are being destroyed to bring you fried chicken, burgers and fries, and super-sized convenience in a glut of wrappers, boxes and cups.
Fast food packaging makes up 20 percent of all litter
Food packaging takes up 15 percent of landfills
3/4 of all food and drink packages come from forests
Over half of landfill waste is paper and wood products
Take Action! Send an email to CEO?s. Ask them to reduce the company's packaging, stop using paper from endangered Southern forests and use more recycled paper!
The 11 Fast Food Junkies are: KFC, Long John Silver, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, A&W, (all of those owned by Yum! Brands), McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Arbies, Wendy's, Bojangles and Quiznos.