Sierra Tango Global

TELKOMSEL's Hydrogen Fueled Spiro for BTSs in Sumatra

2011-07-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

CONSISTEL announced that it has won another contract to supply Spiro hydrogen fuel cells ("Spiro") in Asia. The contract was awarded by PT. Telkomsel (Telekomunikasi Selular), a leading operator of cellular telecommunications services in Indonesia. The contract will cover the deployment of Spiro hydrogen fuel cells within the states of Sumatra.

The award reaffirms the growing trend among the service providers in opting for green backup power solutions against service impacting issues. Today's telecommunications wireless market demands quality-of-service; high reliability and availability, particularly in severe conditions. Hence, the ability for wireless networks to remain operational in adverse conditions is very critical. With an increase in service life and decrease in maintenance costs, Spiro hydrogen fuel cells provide the best cost-effective backup solution.

Sustainable green and eco-friendly initiatives are gaining importance today with many service providers opting for alternative power sources like hydrogen fuel cells to maintain a reliable network and to minimize impact to the environment. "At CONSISTEL, we see great potential in providing robust and green power solutions to our customers and we are excited to have PT. Telkomsel, another Telecommunication service provider opting for alternative energy sources as part of the green movement," said Masoud Bassiri, Chief Executive Officer of CONSISTEL Pte. Ltd. "And, we believe that with the superior reliability of Spiro, service providers can now be closer to the reality of maintaining a stable and robust network for continuous delivery of service at all times," added Masoud.

Building on decade-plus heritage in the In-building wireless industry and over 3,000 deployments worldwide, CONSISTEL's strength lies not only in its sterling reputation record in the In-building wireless industry but also in its ability in recognizing the importance in providing eco-friendly solutions that integrate with the natural environment. Spiro hydrogen fuel cell is a further affirmation of the CONSISTEL's commitment to furthering the environmental cause in the In-building wireless industry.

source :
http://www.prnewswire.com/

Indonesian Telecom Operators Go Green with Eco-Friendly BTS's

2011-07-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Several telecom providers initiated the development of eco-friendly base transceiver stations (BTS's) to cut energy costs, resorting to solar and hydrogen fuel cells.

PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications is targeting to build 1,000 units of Hydrogen-powered base transceiver stations (BTS) by 2012, expecting that the green technology can reduce its energy consumption costs. This year, the company will add 150 units, totaling 622 BTS’s. Manjot Mann, President Director of Hutchison CP, said that the company operates 472 Hydrogen-powered BTS’s in Indonesia regions such as : Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara.

Consistel is the winner for Hutchinson CP Telecommunications's contracts for supplying Spiro hydrogen fuel cells (“Spiro”) in Asia. Consistel Pte Ltd (“Consistel”) being pioneer of providing telecommunication system integrator services is also providing green and efficient energy solutions to its customers across the Asia Pacific and Middle East. As part of the green movement and adoption of alternative energy sources, PT. Hutchison CP Telecommunications (HCPT) has selected PT Consistel Indonesia as its partner to deploy 200 units of Spiro hydrogen fuel cell in Java, Sumatra and Bali region of Indonesia. With global warming issues intensifying, telecommunication providers are adopting green strategy to minimize energy consumption and improve carbon footprint. Consistel foresee significant market potential for Spiro in wireless network deployments worldwide.They are committed to support telecom operators in the green initiative and will continue to contribute and provide our services in the best possible way to make this deployment a success.They are confident that telecom operators will benefit significantly from Spiro in terms of the system reliability, modularity design, energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

The acceptance of Consistel’s Spiro by HCPT in Indonesia is an important milestone for Consistel to broader green energy deployment. Eco-friendly policy has become one of the top objectives in current telecom business. With millions of telecommunication BTS cell sites spread throughout the Asia Pacific region, telecommunication providers are now adopting alternative power sources like hydrogen fuel cells to minimize impact on our environment. The high reliability of Spiro, committed customer service support and field proven technical expertise are the success factors for Consistel to continue its expansion in green energy solution arena in Indonesia.

Wind Generators Products

2011-01-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

A wind generator or wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as a pump or grinding stones, the machine is usually called a windmill. If the mechanical energy is then converted to electricity, the machine is called a wind generator.

Wind generators are used to generate electricity from the kinetic power of the wind. Historical they were more frequently used as a mechanical device to turn machinery. There are two main kinds of wind generators, those with a vertical axis, and those with a horizontal axis. Wind turbines can be used to generate large amounts of electricity in wind farms both onshore and offshore.

Electricity produced by wind generators can be used directly, as in water pumping applications, or it can be stored in batteries for household usage. Wind generators can be used alone, or they may be used as part of a hybrid system, in which their output is combined with that of solar PV arrays and hydro generators and/or a fossil fuel generator.

Hybrid systems are especially useful where cloudy weather and windy conditions occur simultaneously.

The most important decision when considering wind power is determining whether or not your chosen site has enough wind to generate the power for your needs, whether it is available consistently, and if it is available in the season that you need it.

Wind generators vary in size from 300k to several hundred K-watts for individual or small community usage. These wind generators, if installed in groups of two or more are called wind farms.

Previously, there was criticism that wind farms were not environmentally sound because of the reported deaths of countless birds in a California wind farm. After extensive analysis it was discovered that two factors resulted in these deaths. Firstly the wind farm was situated on a migratory bird path and secondly the support for the wind generators was constructed with an open support structure and it was found that birds where nesting in these structures. both of these issues are now taken into account whenever a wind farm is constructed.

Wind generators have now become that efficient that they now generate power at the same cost as conventional coal fired power stations.

SouthWest Windpower
For 20 years, Southwest Windpower has been bringing low-cost, reliable wind energy to the world. As the world's largest producer of small wind generators, we've pioneered new technologies to make renewable energy simple.

Click Here for Detail

Skystream 3.7™
The latest development is the Skystream 3.7, which was developed jointly with the U.S. Department of Energy. It's the first compact, user-friendly, all-inclusive wind generator designed to power utility-connected homes and businesses. Quiet, inexpensive energy is closer than you think.

The Skystream 3.7™ is a new generation residential wind generator that hooks up to your your home to reduce or eliminate your monthly electrical bill. It’s the first all-inclusive wind generator (with controls and inverter built in) designed to provide quiet, clean electricity in very low winds. This makes Skystream ideal for residential homes and small businesses.

The Skystream 3.7 is a down-wind (wind hits the blades on the downwind side of the tower) direct drive (gearless or no transmission) permanent magnet wind generator. Skystream 3.7 uses an innovative 3.7m rotor and produces approximately 300 kWh per month at a typical UK 5m/s AMWS site.

A visually aesthetic shape played a key role in the design to show that a wind generator is not only a clean source of energy but pleasing to the eye.

Rated Capacity: 1.8 KW
Rotor: 12 feet (3.72 m); 50-325 RPM
Interconnection: Utility connected or battery charging
Alternator: Gearless, permanent magnet brushless
Voltage Output: 240 VAC (Optional 208 VAC)
Estimated Energy Production: 400 KWh per month at 12 MPH (5.4 m/s)
Weight: 170 pounds (77 kg)
Tower: Towers from 34-70 feet (10.4-21.3 m) are available; height is dependent by site

SKYSTREAM 3.7™ recently voted one of the "Top 10 Green Building Products 2007"

Whisper 100 900w

Click Here for Detail

Formerly the Whisper H40, the Whisper 100 has been updated for 2005 with new features and added flexibility for your renewable energy system.Now, any Whisper 100 can have its voltage changed, 12-48V DC, within a few minutes in the field. The Whisper 100 is designed to operate in a site with medium to high wind speed averages of 12 mph, 5.4 m/s, and greater.The 100 provides 100+ kWh per month, 3.4 kWh per day, in a 12 mph average wind. Worried about noise? The Whisper 100 is one of the quietest wind turbines ever tested by the National Renewable Energy Labs. Click on the link above for a copy of the noise data report.

Whisper 200 1kW

Click Here for Detail

Formerly the Whisper H80, the Whisper 200 has been updated for 2005 with new features and added flexibility for your renewable energy system. Now, any Whisper 200 can have its voltage changed, 12-48V DC, within a few minutes in the field.The Whisper 200 is designed to operate in a site with low to medium speed averages of 8 mph, 3.6 m/s, and greater. The 200 provides 200+ kWh per month, 3.4 kWh per day, in a 12 mph average wind.The Whisper 200 does produce more noise than it's 100 counterpart, but it does produce almost twice the power.

Air X Marine, 12V

Click Here for Detail

Improved energy capture in low winds. The latest evolution in small wind turbines, the AIR-X Marine uses a microprocessor to control the RPM and to provide pulse-width modulating (PWM) control for optimal battery charging. The result is a much quieter, more efficient, and a better battery charging routine. AIR-X electronics are programmed to charge the battery at different charging rates, from “bulk” charging (high amps), “taper” charging (moderate amps, high voltage) to “float” charge (low amps, moderate voltage).AIR-X's programmed charged control system is also excellent for newer boat power systems using more advanced batteries which require more sensitive charge management.The PWM control provided by the microprocessor allows battery charging to begin at 500 RPM as compared to the 850 RPM in previous AIR turbines. This enables improved energy capture in low winds (7 - 12 mph).

Charge Output: 33.3A@28mph
Min. Windspeed: 7mph
Overspeed Protection: Auto-brake protection, high wind speed mode
Output Regulation: Internal PWM microprocessor, multi-stage charging
Blade Span: 46"
Blade Material: Carbon fiber composite
Case Material: Aluminum
Case Dimensions: 26.6"L x 11.25"H
Weight: 13lb.

Source : Solar Power Indonesia

SOLAR PANELS FOR OUR HOME

2011-01-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

Solar panels as arrays of photovoltaic cells make use energy from the sun , and are a clean and environmentally friendly means of energy source gathering. Solar panels is a great investment that not only saves money and increases the value of your property, but also helps the environment. As the solar power industry has grown and matured over the last decade, the cost to put solar panels on our homes have decreased significantly over last few years.

Normally the solar panels will be installed as discreetly as possible on the roof, but they can also be erected free standing elsewhere. An unobstructed south facing roof space is the ideal setting for solar panels, but often times an east-west roof with good exposure, or even a ground mounted system even an unobstructed area can work just as well for solar panels to be installed. Wherever we have maximum sunshine and minimal shade. Just make sure that there isn't any shading at any point of the day on the surface intended to install solar panels on, because it can reduce the effectiveness of the system. For example, maximum solar energy in Australia is obtained by having the solar panels face north, and tilted upwards at an angle of 30 degrees.

There are two main types of solar power installations. The first and most common system is to connect our solar power system with the main electricity grid. This grid connection system allows us to feed energy back into the grid through our meter, and will be financially rewarded for it by energy company in some countries. The other is a 'Stand-Alone' solar power system for remote properties where main electrical grid is not available. The solar power system charges a battery bank during daylight, which in turn is used to power a house. A generator is usually kept available to back up the battery system when the battery is not enough. Installation of an average sized household solar power system generally takes less than a day. An inverter is used to convert the DC electricity generated by solar panels into 240V AC electricity suitable for use in your home. Inverters are usually smaller than a standard briefcase, and are situated close to your electrical switchboard.

Beside solar panels for generate electricity for our homes there are already common application for most people to install solar hot water panels which are just like traditional solar panels. A solar hot water made of arrays of a solar hot water heater that uses the energy from the sun to heat a fluid, which in turn is used to move heat generated in the array to a heat storage vessel. The process starts by heating a body of sanitized water and storing it in a hot water cylinder.

Solar hot water panels would be installed on the rooftop like a regular solar panels, each with a darkly-coated absorber plate complete with water circulation tubes. The tubes carry the heated water from the solar water heater to a place where it can be used or stored. A heat exchanger released heat and circulates the cooled water back to the solar hot water array to be reheated. This cycle of heating, energy utilization, and cooling is begun anew with each sunrise and lasts throughout the day for the effective life of the solar hot water heater. These arrays are especially useful for businesses that utilize large quantities of hot water, such as the pictured laundromat. Solar hot water heaters are composed of a several hot water panel units, and can be fully automated systems.

Maintenance of solar panels array is very simple since it. Simply by ensuring hat your solar panels doesn’t involve any moving parts. Simply by keeping it clean through the years a good solar system should last for 20 years or even more. What you need to do is to inspect the solar panels on a periodic basis (frequency depends on location or the manufacturer's specifications) to remove any debris and dirt and ensure all connections are tight. Panels installed in dusty areas may require more frequent inspection. Clean the surface of a solar panel with warm water and dishwashing soap to remove any accumulation of dirt and grime. Remove any bird droppings as well since they can severely reduce the panel's energy-producing capacity. Cleaning a solar panel is a must, a panel needs to be clean for it to operate at its rated capacity.

What Is Causing Damage To Eco System - Can This Be Prevented?

2010-06-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

It is vital to gain an understanding of the relationship and dependency between the living creature such as animals, planets, human beings and this atmosphere so that we can find a solution to the upheaval of the eco system. Dignitaries such as Kofi Annan, Desmund Tutu and the rest are getting together on an international platform to discuss issues of global concern.

It was also found that they have launched a scientific research on ecosystem, the current changes happening in the environment and how will it affect the future world? These will provide sufficient evidence backed with sound scientific facts which will further help us find the cause of the changes and the solution subsequently.

The next step would be towards the action people need to take in order to reduce the harmful effects and the degradation of the eco system. An international platform will provide good space for discussion and youngsters who are experts in various fields can present their research paper and together we can arrive at a common solution. Nothing can be done until the leaders raise their opinion. All those who have done some research or have some thing to contribute in the field of international business, environment, international health, eco system, political leadership, inter faith dialogue, media and environment can participate in these international seminars for a global cause. If we take action today, we can find a safe and secure world tomorrow!

Rapid changes have been evident in the past 50 years and this change has been massive. Let us not ignore them and take immediate action!

Solar Energy Facts

2010-06-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

Have you ever tried to know what the term solar power means? If not, it involves the process of converting the sun light into electricity. Indeed, this process is not limited to getting energy from the sun light. Rather, it can expand its boundary to include wind and rainfall.

What is the overlooked fact about this green energy?

Countless people think that the use of this clean power may be a new invention. However, it is actually not the truth. Without a doubt, the uses of this electricity and its worth have not been only discovered today. Instead, generating electrical energy from the sun light is an old story that started in the last century.

What are the most significant solar energy facts?

First, solar energy offers outstanding benefits compared to other forms of energy. This is especially true when it comes to decreasing the pollution.
Second, it is calculated in kilowatts per hour and one kilowatt is equal to a thousand watts.
Third, solar energy is the cause of climatic variations and ocean currents. On the other hand, clouds and polluted air can impact and be a barrier to the sun rays reaching the earth.

How to make use of solar energy?

To provide and make use of solar energy, solar electric panels are needed. They are also known as photo voltaic cells or PV cells. Mainly, solar electric panels include an array of cells that convert solar radiation to direct electricity.

Should I recommend this option for you?

Honestly, it would be a big loose for you in case you do not give this solution a serious try. Currently, almost all experts recommend switching to this kind of energy. This is because PV cells produce a high amount of power. Nevertheless, they do not cost as much as other energy alternatives.

Well, what do you know about photo voltaic solar power?

In short, it is considered as one of the best ways to generate electricity. Have you ever been informed that Japan, Germany, and the US are the three major countries that have made use of this power in the most efficient manner. Photovoltaic solar power is used in power plants in many applications, e.g. transportation, in buildings, electricity for rural areas, etc. These panels are fixed to face the sun so that they can absorb enough sunlight to produce the needed electricity. On the other hand, others have developed moving panels. This would consequently help in working more efficient as moving panels track and follow the sun rays during the day.

What would be the other nice option to use this energy at homes? Another form of applying sun power vitality at homes is through solar roof tiles. This selection is highly recommended by cash saving experts. So, what are these tiles, and how do they support us?

They are tiles, which are designed and built around the same concept from the PVs. In the reality, solar roof tiles should be fitted on the roofs of houses to absorb the sun light and convert it into electrical energy. As a result, this will assist us to reduce electricity bills and contribute towards the concept of "green environment".

That is particularly true as it is obvious that solar power electricity can be a clean 1 and it can be not harmful towards the environment. Indeed, the use of solar roofing technology may be a concept that gels perfectly using the current roof tiles supplying aesthetic value to your house.

It sounds great, but what about the needed investments? Many people make the mistake to be afraid of any new solution as they think that it must cost them a fortune to start. This leads here to the questions, how about the cost? How much will it cost an individual to get started?

In order to form a realistic impression about solar costs, one should think of several factors that significantly affect the whole cost. For example, the type of your future solar system, manufacturer, and additional labor fees are the most essential factors. That is why you must test several online offers before you decide.

What are my last words for you?

Though the great benefits behind this clean energy source, it is strongly recommended to inform your self quite well about solar energy facts. This will help you to save your time and money. In addition, it helps to avoid any undesired consequences in the future.

Australia must be held responsible on Montara oil spill case

2010-06-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australia must have felt great relief when a leak at an oil rig in its Montara field was permanently plugged but neighboring countries like Indonesia and Timor Leste may continue to bear the consequences of the sea pollution the leak caused.

In mid-January 2010, the leak following a blowout at the West Atlas rig operated by PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP) Australasia, a unit of top Thai energy company PTTEP, was finally plugged and secured permanently. But the leak had allowed hydrocarbons to spill into the Timor Sea between August and November last year.

Last year, PTTEP estimated the quantity of the leakage from the damaged wellbore at between 300 barrels and 400 barrels of oil per day, but the Australian Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism told a Senate committee in late October that it believed up to 2,000 bpd was leaking into the sea.

ABC News last January 14, 2010, quoted Martin Pritchard from Environs Kimberley, an Australian environmental pressure group, as saying the group remained concerned about the amount of oil which had leaked into the ocean.

"It`s been an awfully long time but we`re still obviously very concerned that there are

massive amounts of oil that leaked into the Timor Sea off the Kimberley coast, and that this will have an impact on sea life for many years to come," he said.

Most vulnerable to the oil spill`s impacts are fishermen in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and in the tiny state of Timor Leste. In NTT, some 7,000 traditional fishermen and more than 10,000 coastal communities rely on the Timor Sea and seaweed cultivation for a living. Following the incident, fishermen in Oesapa in the district of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, found thousands of dead fish floating in the Timor Sea. NTT`s Environmental Affairs Agency (BLHD), based on a laboratory test, also confirmed that Timor Sea waters had been contaminated with oil leaked from an explosion at the Montara oil field. The NTT authorities had reported about the impacts of the Montara oil spill to the central government after establishing a monitoring team consisting of, among others, officers from the Kupang harbor authority, the Kupang naval base, the NTT water police, and the regional environmental impact assessment agency. NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya had earlier demanded responsibility from the oil field operator PTTEP Australasia regarding the pollution.

"The Australian government, in this case the Montara oil field operator, is responsible for the problem," NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya said in Kupang last October.

Following the outcry by the NTT authorities, NGOs and fishermen, the government said that it would seek compensation from Australia for environmental damage in the Timor Sea caused by a leak at the Montara well.

"We have finished calculating our material loss due to the Timor Sea`s contamination and will ask the Australian government for compensation soon," Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said recently.

Timor Leste is also reportedly demanding compensation from the Australian government for the environmental damage. East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta said last November the spill was the responsibility of the Australian Government and the Thai company that owns the platform. Ramos-Horta called for Australian environmental groups to help assess if the spill has caused any damage to Timor Leste`s maritime area and said he would seek compensation for any negative effects to his country`s environment, according to a ABC news report. The Australian Government, however, earlier said only small patches of "weathered oil" have gone into Indonesia`s economic zone, and that was about 100 kilometres from Roti. The Indonesian foreign ministry last year also set up a national team to calculate the material losses Indonesia has suffered from pollution in the Timor Sea by an explosion at the Montara oil field.

"The minister has already set up a national team to calculate the material losses incurred by Indonesia because of the pollution in the Timor Sea," Ferdi Tanoni, chairman of the Care West Timor Foundation (YPTB) said last November.

As a result of the oil leak, a lot of coral reefs and fish in the area had been polluted, he said. He said he hoped after calculation of the loss were made Indonesia would claim compensation from the Australian government. Earlier he said that the pollution problem was not a bilateral problem between Indonesia and Australia but a trilateral problem because Timor Leste was included in the discussion of the problem. Tanoni claimed that PTTEP Australasia had compensated West Australian fishermen affected by an oil spill.

"Australasia secretly negotiated with the Western Australian fishermen, while Indonesian fishermen who were affected by the oil pollution were completely ignored," Ferdi Tanoni said in Kupang last December.

He said the YPTB had received information from Canberra that the secret negotiations were carried out by the Montara oil field operator last October after West Australian fisherman threatened to sue PTTEP Australasia. Therefore, he urged the National Oil Spill Emergency Response Team on the Timor Sea formed by the Indonesian government on November 22, to take immediate action to address the problem that had occurred in the Timor Sea. Tanoni also said the actions taken by PTTEP Australasia in compensating West Australian fishermen were discriminatory against Indonesian people on the islands of Timor and Rote Ndao.

"The question that has arisen is why should there be such a difference between West Australian and Indonesian fishermen? Is this the good neighborhood policy Australia is pursuing," he said.

Considering the existence of the stagnation, YPTB had asked the Ocean Watch Indonesia (OWI), Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM), Forum for the Environment (WALHI), the People`s Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA), and the Alliance of Timor Sea Traditional Fishermen (Antralamor) as well as some environmental and national level fisheries organizations, to give an ultimatum to the oil spill disaster recovery team.

"If nothing happens, the alliance will open a Command Post to register complaints from people in the Timor and Rote Ndao islands who feel harmed by the Montara oil pollution,

or written testimony, evidence and facts," he said.

The Australian embassy in Jakarta reacted last December by announcing that discussions were underway between the Australian and Indonesian Governments regarding monitoring of the oil spill`s impacts, if any, in Indonesian waters. According to an Australian Embassy media release made available to Antara, the Australian Government has announced a comprehensive Commission of Inquiry into the Montara oil spill underlining Australia`s commitment to ensuring this issue was dealt with in an open and transparent manner. The Inquiry is due to submit its report to the Australian Government by the end of April 2010. An Australian Government delegation visited Indonesia on November 10, 2009 to brief Indonesian officials on the oil spill including clean up operations and environmental issues associated with the spill.

"Australia will continue to act consistently with international law and our strong bilateral relationship in responding to this incident," the embassy`s press statement said.

The latest statement on the compensation demand by Indonesia came from Kupang, NTT`s provincial capital very recently.

"A laboratory test conducted by the Timor Sea oil leak examination team showed that the Timor Sea was polluted by crude oil coming from the Montara oil field. Therefore, we are preparing a request for compensation from Australia for the pollution," Pieter Fina, head of the Timor Sea Oil Pollution Mitigation Team, said in Kupang, January 20.

Fina, head of the Tenau Kupang harbor administration, made the statement after he had attended a technical meeting on the team`s result in Jakarta, last January 15. Due to the oil pollution, the incomes of fishermen operating in Timor Sea had fallen significantly and seaweed cultivations in Timor Island as well as Rote and Sabu Isle had failed completely, he said. The oil pollution has disadvantaged fishermen and seaweed farmers in NTT coastal areas, therefore Indonesia would ask for compensation, he said.

Energy Efficient Incentive Programs

2010-06-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

US corporations should start implementing energy efficient incentive programs. Incentives for energy efficient programs for enterprises have risen as the drive to reduce traditional energy use to curtail greenhouse gas emissions have increased. These government incentives are likewise useful for companies to be able to improve building efficiency, install combined heat and power systems, install on-site sources of energy, and purchase vehicles running on 'clean energy'.

Buildings which are occupied between 2006 and 2013 that would undergo steps to reduce energy costs in building envelope, heating, water heating, cooling, and lighting systems can avail of tax deduction. This energy efficient incentive has very stringent requirements and specifies that a minimum of 50% or more of the annual projected energy costs across those components must be met before tax deduction. Tax deduction will be at $1.80 per square foot. Lesser deductions will be given to building owners and operators who save on individual components as opposed to that which is combined. Companies that install a combined heat and power system until the end of 2016 will benefit from energy-efficient incentive. Upon its full operation, a 10% investment tax credit may be taken which is applicable to the first 15MW of property owned.

To avail of this incentive program for energy efficiency, there are very detailed qualifications. To be 60% efficient, the system must produce at least 20% thermal energy and 20% as electricity. Any qualifying business may take a grant within 2009 or 2010 instead of the tax credit. Companies that buy heavy-duty hybrid vehicles ranging up to $12,000 for a vehicle over 26,000 lbs will benefit from energy-efficient incentive tax credits. These incentives include passenger vehicles and commercial products.

In lieu of the investment tax credit, business owners who implement renewable generation alternatives can take a form of grant from the US Treasury within 2009 or 2010. Such is equivalent to up to 30% of the installation cost of the whole system. Such installations could include solar based, geothermal heat pump based, or wind-based. Solar systems should be capable of generating cool or heat supplied water or electricity or light up a room through the use of energy from sunlight in order to be eligible for the grant. To benefit from 30% incentive that will be deductible against tax liability, companies can install wind turbines which are not more than 100kW of 'nameplate' capacity.

Aside from those mentioned, there are more additional energy efficient incentive schemes that are available for companies. These incentives are related to the 'economic stimulus legislation' which is the initiative of the Obama administration. For the full details of the options available for your business, you may check with your tax and financial advisers.

BP buys Google ads for search term "oil spill"

2010-06-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

(Reuters) - BP Plc has bought terms such as "oil spill" from search engine providers including Google Inc to help direct Internet users to its website as it attempts to control the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

A spokesman said BP would pay fees so its own website would rank higher or even top in the list of advertisements that appear alongside search results when Internet users search on terms such as "oil spill," "volunteer" and "claims." BP did not say how much it was paying for the service but U.S. President Barack Obama has criticized the company for spending $50 million on TV advertising to bolster its image during the crisis. BP said it wanted to help people who were trying to access information on the BP website to find it more readily, rather than intending to draw away hits from other sites.

"We know people are looking for those terms on our website and we're just trying to make it easier for them to get directly to those terms," the spokesman told Reuters.

Google allows companies to bid for the search ads that appear alongside, and sometimes above, its standard search results. The specially designated "sponsored links" are distinct from Google's actual search results, such as news articles and blogs, for which Google does not permit companies to pay to influence their rank. A recent search on Google for the phrase "gulf spill" brought up an ad for BP at the top of the page, with the text "Info about the Gulf of Mexico Spill Learn More about How BP is Helping," as well as eight search ads from various organizations including the Environmental Defense Fund and the Volunteer USA Foundation.

The largely green and white BP.com website has a large red button at its center highlighting the "Gulf of Mexico Response." The right hand side of the response site has a list of buttons advertising information on claims. BP is trying to control oil spewing from a ruptured well on the seabed in the Gulf of Mexico by using a containment cap.

Perusak Lingkungan Harus Ditindak Tegas

2010-06-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

Banjarbaru, Kalsel (ANTARA) - Direktur Eksekutif Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Kalimantan Selatan, Hegar Wahyu Hidayat, mengatakan kebijakan pemerintah daerah terhadap perusakan lingkungan harus tegas. Menurut dia, ketegasan pemerintah daerah di dukung aparatur terkait sangat diperlukan sehingga mereka yang terlibat dalam perusakan dan pencemaran lingkungan mendapat ganjaran yang setimpal atas perbuatannya. Sebagai contoh, ia menyebutkan, pencemaran lingkungan akibat pertambangan batu bara yang terjadi di Kabupaten Tapin dan pencemaran akibat pertambangan biji besi di Kabupaten Kotabaru.

Semestinya, kata dia, pelaku yang dalam aktivitasnya terbukti merusak dan mencemari lingkungan dikenakan sanksi hukum sesuai aturan dan ketentuan berlaku sehingga kelestarian alam dan lingkungan tetap selalu terjaga. Di sisi lain, lanjutnya, keberpihakan pemerintah terhadap lingkungan yang membawa manfaat bagi masyarakat harus lebih diutamakan dibanding memberikan keuntungan bagi perorangan maupun perusahaan yang dalam aktivitasnya merusak dan mengganggu ekosistem lingkungan. Dikatakan, langkah strategis yang bisa ditempuh pemerintah daerah demi menjaga kelestarian alam dan lingkungan adalah melalui ketegasan tidak memberikan ijin pembukaan lahan baik untuk pertambangan batubara maupun perluasan areal perkebunan sawit yang hingga sekarang disinyalir masih terus berlangsung.

Diharapkan, di masa mendatang khususnya dibawah kepemimpinan gubernur dan wakil gubernur Kalsel yang baru terpilih, ia meminta agar keberpihakan terhadap masyarakat dan lingkungan hidup semakin meningkat sehingga kehidupan masyarakat semakin sejahtera tanpa dibayangi bencana akibat kerusakan alam.

10 Green Action To Do's (part 1)

2010-06-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

Regarding the celebration of world's Environment Day in 5th June 2010. Let's refresh our will for the surrounding environment :

1. Real Action - Not Just Word

Act of care toward the environment is not like a just a trend. Time of spending natural resources is over. Let's start saving it for future generations. Our belief taught us that God created nature is set to be forever available for human , means it is set for our future generations. Don't just spent it only for our current needs.

2. Save Electricity

Turn Off lights when you are leaving the room. Use natural lighting source. Turn of water dispenser when it is not being used, etc.

3. Regulate Usage of Air Conditioning system

Practice not to often using air conditioning. Starting to turn on Air Conditioning as short as possible. Setting the Air Conditioning less than 25 celcius ( comfortable temperature living in Jakarta is 26.7 Celcius). Choose energy saving Air Conditioning.

4. Manage Rain Water

Try as much as possible to prevent rainwater around the house is not flowing outside the yard (called Zero Run-Off). Make a drainage well because Biophores holes to fertile the soil only is not enough.

5. Be smart with your garbage

Reduce using of paper bags, Reuse water bottle to bring drinking water during your trips. Recycle your garbage so it can be used for other purpose. Self cycle them because in the garbage truck they are mixed together again, so try to make 'kompos'.

Nestle mengatakan setuju terhadap tuntutan GreenPeace

2010-05-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Para jurukampanye Greenpeace telah bertemu dengan petinggi Nestle beberapa kali untuk mendiskusikan masalah sumber minyak kelapa sawit dan produk kertas, dan perkembangannya benar-benar maju. Tetapi kita tidak menyangka mereka akan mengumumkan kebijakan âАШnol perusakan hutanâАЩ itu begitu cepat.

Senin (17/5) kemarin, Nestle mengumumkan rencana akan mengidentifikasi dan mencoret perusahaan-perusahaan suplier mereka yang terkait dengan deforestasi, termasuk Sinar Mas. Rencana ini masih harus diikuti oleh aksi, dan The Forest Trust - organisasi independen dimana Greenpeace pernah bekerja sama sebelumnya - akan secara ketat memonitor kemajuan Nestle.

Tetapi Nestle bukan satu-satunya perusahaan yang terkait dengan minyak kelapa sawit dan ketika hasil fantastis ini diraih, masih sangat banyak yang harus dlakukan untuk mencapai kondisi dimana perusakan hutan di Indonesia benar-benar berhenti. Jadi mari kita langsung memulainya. Memang membuat perusahaan makanan dan minuman terbesar di dunia mengubah kebijakannya adalah langkah awal yang besar.

Keputusan bersejarah ini terjadi berkat upaya 300.000 orang seluruh dunia yang melakukan aksi dan mendesak Nestle. Greenpeace akan terus berkampanye terhadap perusahaan yang terkait dengan perusakan hutan dan membantu Presiden Indonesia untuk memenuhi target penurunan emisi Indonesia dengan cara melakukan perlindungan lahan gambut dan hutan alam yang masih tersisa.

Hari seperti saat inilah yang mengingatkan kita semua bahwa bersama-sama kita punya kekuatan untuk membuat perubahan positif.

Two Wind Farms get Investment from Google

2010-05-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Now big companies are going green and proudly proclaiming it too from rooftops. Google Inc. has invested $38.8 million in two North Dakota wind farms. This is the first direct investment by Google in utility-scale renewable energy generation. These two wind farms produce 169.5 megawatts of power. These two wind farms can light up around 55,000 homes. These wind farms are designed by General Electric Co and created by NextEra Energy Resources. They generate power from one of the world’s richest wind resources in the North Dakota plains. There is no need to lay down extra infrastructure for the two wind farms. Current transmission facilities are able to transmit power to the nearby areas. Google’s official blog claims, “Through this $38.8 million investment, we’re aiming to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy — in a way that makes good business sense, too.”

Earlier Google Inc. has invested in companies which are developing new technologies in the area of solar, wind and geothermal power. Such companies are BrightSource Energy, eSolar and AltaRock. With North Dakota wind farms Google made an exception.

Google’s stakes in the wind farms are in the form of “tax equity” investments. This way Google will be able to avail the benefit of use federal tax credits provided by the Government. According to this incentive the investors also take over a project and use federal tax credits to offset their own taxes as a return.

According to NextEra they sold about $190 million of Class B membership interests in the two wind farms. Now Google’s stake is around 20% of the Class B shares. The companies are not talking about the other investors currently. While Google’s NextEra investment doesn’t include to help in future expansion of the company but they hope that their investment would help in establishing additional wind power projects.

The power production from the wind farms would be sold to utilities under power purchase agreements. A Google spokesman claimed that their data centers won’t be using the power generated by wind farms.

The wind farms are willing to experiment with new technologies. They want to go for the cutting edge turbine technologies and new kind of the control systems that can continuously monitor output from every turbine and always adjust individual blade angles to improve efficiency. They would also use the blades that are 15 per cent larger on the usual turbines.

Rick Needham is the green business operations manager at Google. He says, “Smart capital includes not only these early-stage company investments, but also dedicated funding for utility-scale projects. To tackle this need, we’ve been looking at investments in renewable energy projects, like the one we just signed, that can accelerate the deployment of the latest clean energy technology while providing attractive returns to Google and more capital for developers to build additional projects.”

Google has also indicated earlier this year that it may play a more direct role in the US energy market. Google Inc. has made a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that would help it to buy and sell electricity on the wholesale market. This has made green energy analysts curious about Google’s future role in clean and green energy scene.

via Alternative Energy

Sinar Mas: ‘Notorious forest destroyer’

2010-04-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sinar Mas is the largest producer of palm oil in Indonesia. It supplies many food, drink,cosmetic and biofuel companies worldwide – including Nestlé. Sinar Mas is also breaking Indonsian law by clearing protected forests for its palm oil plantations.

How Nestlé’s Use of Palm Oil is Having a Devastating Impact on Rainforest, the Climate and orang-utans – exposes the links between Nestlé and palm oil suppliers, including Sinar Mas, that are expanding their plantations into carbon-rich peatlands and rainforests. Not only are these areas key habitat for orang-utans, but also crucial carbon stores; the destruction of these areas is a major cause of Indonesia’s rocketing carbon emissions. None of this should come as a surprise to Nestlé. We have contacted them with evidence of Sinar Mas’s practices many times, most recently in December, yet Nestlé continues to use Sinar Mas palm oil in its products, including Kit Kat. Other leading companies have stopped buying from Sinar Mas as a result of its shocking environmental and social practices. Unilever canceled a $30 USD million dollar contract last year, while Kraft canceled its contract last month.

We have seen it again and again. And we know that if enough of us tell Nestlé that we’re not going to put up with any monkeying around, they will do the right thing. But we also need your help to tell them. And we need you to tell your friends to tell them. You can tell them that Indonesia has the fastest rate of deforestation of any major forested country in the world – earning it an unfortunate place in The Guinness Book of World Records. Indonesia’s rainforests deserve a break ! Ask Nestlé to stop using palm oil that comes from companies that are destroying rainforests. Ask them to cancel their contracts with the worst suppliers, like Sinar Mas, engage with the palm oil industry and Indonesian government, and call for peatland protection and an immediate end to deforestation. Tell Nestlé that when you have a break – you want it to be free from forest destruction.

via GreenPeace

A Glimpse at Google Energy

2010-04-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

Google Energy has all kinds of implications for smart grid. But until now Google has not issued any public announcements, most of the reporting has come from news sites like CNET. Google would rather keep our attention focused on Android, where we want to find them.

Pushing into energy is a much bigger leap, and when Google makes a move like this, everyone in that space takes cautious notice. Companies like Google are very good at managing entries into new markets, and the cynic in me would say that doing this just after Nexus One is a calculated way to keep a low profile for a sector we don’t normally associate them with.

There are many facets to this move, and we're just going to touch on two of them here. First, a lot of attention has focused on Google’s publicly stated goal of reducing their carbon footprint. In this regard, Google Energy puts them in a good light, especially following the Copenhagen conference last month. This can only be positive, and while their intentions are to be applauded, it seems that there are bigger forces at play.

Not only is it desirable for them to become a carbon-neutral energy user, but this is a business opportunity in its own right for Google. think about PowerMeter, which gives Google a legitimate entry point for the Smart Home market. No doubt, PowerMeter has the potential to help reduce the carbon footprints in our homes, but surely you can see how this sets the stage for Google to provide all kinds of other services and applications that have nothing to do with making the world green. But most likely, it will continue in 2010 as we think it has a large role to play in smart home.

Let's move on to the second aspect of Google Energy. At first glance, Google’s move into energy seems like an abrupt right turn. What does energy have to do with search? Or mobility? Or maps? Or browsers? Don’t they make enough money already? How can they make money in the energy business? These are all valid questions, and the answer to me is simple – vertical integration. Google may well be the ultimate Web 2.0 company, but even they have hard assets that drive their business. Just about everything Google does is software and web-based, but the real leverage comes from their massive server farms that power everything else. As the web continues to permeate every aspect of modern life, there is an exponential need for Google to expand its server capacity. Energy is a hugely important cost factor that impacts Google’s operations. Data centers are major energy users, and there are two critical variables that Google would like more control over – cheap power and reliable sources of energy.

Like any other business, Google wants as much vertical integration as possible. It’s the best way to control costs, ensure quality, and keep barriers to entry high. In this regard, Google Energy makes perfect sense. It’s too early to tell whether they will enter the retail market and try to compete head on with utilities. Rather, this entry is a strategy to ensure Google gets access to power on their terms to optimize the performance of all those servers.

Cheap, reliable power may be more important to Google than any other company in America, and their move into energy speaks to the very essence of what smart grid is about. Simply put, Google cannot rely on existing power sources to sustain their growth – the costs are too variable, and the supply is too unreliable. That’s exactly what smart grid is trying to address. Fortunately, for those of us in this space, most energy users don’t have the luxury of starting their own operation like Google has. Google will get what it needs, and the rest of us will figure it out on our own.

Renewable energy is the virtuous side to Google Energy. They have long supported and invested in renewable energy – especially solar – and the end game would goes beyond vertical integration. For both selfless and selfish reasons, Google embraces renewable energy, and it will become an important aspect of this new venture. When MIPS Technologies announced a demonstration of the first Android-based set top box, it may have nothing to do with Smart Grid, but everything to do with Smart Home. Think about the possibilities of communicating with your home media system via a mobile device, both of which run on Android. As Google deepens its reach into the home via the Android platform, it’s not hard to see how this could easily extend to energy management applications. Interesting, no? Here’s what’s even more interesting, One of the partners in this announcement is Home Jinni, a startup run by my ICP partner, Shidan Gouran. On a personal note, this news is great to hear, and for all of us, we can look forward to hearing more about how Android will impact the Smart Home first hand from Shidan as these demos become commercialized down the line.

via TMCnet

Jakarta Air is so Polluted

2010-03-31T01:38:00.000-07:00

Data from department of forestry reveal that based on World Organization Standard (WHO) standard, air pollution in Jakarta is very high. It is estimated that total carbon emission pollutant is 686864 tons annually or 48.6% the sum of 5 kind pollutant added. Mostly 80% the air pollution in Jakarta is from transportation sector and 20% coming from industrial and domestic waste. Beside that, it is also because the city lack of trees which actually can actually absorb the carbon pollutant off the airup to 50%. Air pollution in Jakarta is the worst compared to other Asian capitols such as Tokyo, Beijing , Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, and Manila. So, what are we waiting, let's start by planting a tree, save Jakarta.

Indonesia to review forest carbon laws : Indonesia has launched a review of laws governing a U.N.-backed carbon trading scheme aimed preserving rainforests, a forestry ministry official said on Friday

2010-03-21T03:19:00.000-07:00

Indonesia in 2008 became the world's first country to design a legal framework for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), a scheme that would allow rich countries to pay developing nations not to chop down their trees. Forest preservation is seen as an important step in slowing global warming because trees soak up large amounts of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, which is emitted by burning fossil fuels, such coal, oil and gas.

Deforestation and forest fires are another major source of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly when carbon-rich peat forests are cleared and drained. REDD aims to reward developing nations for protecting, restoring and sustainably managing rainforests. Projects would earn tradeable credits for the CO2 locked away by the trees -- a trade potentially worth billions of dollars a year. Local communities would share a portion of the credit sales to develop alternative livelihoods as an incentive to protect surrounding forests. The review of forestry department decrees 30, 36 and 68 is aimed at removing rules that overlap or clash and could see the creation of a new authority to monitor REDD in Indonesia, said forestry ministry official Wandojo Siswanto. "We would like to revisit all of and make them clearer and more simple for everybody to understand and to participate in REDD," Siswanto told Reuters by phone. "We would like to have a designated national authority for REDD. I hope it will be set up by the end of the year."

Siswanto said the new authority would assess proposals from would-be REDD developers and coordinate with the finance, planning, environment and mining ministries. It may also play a role in monitoring whether or not REDD projects actually conserved carbon.

CURBING EMISSIONS

The review would also update existing laws to reflect a global move toward what is known as REDD-plus, a beefed up scheme where project developers could earn carbon credits not just for carbon preservation but extra benefits such as biodiversity protection, social development and enhancing forest cover. Indonesia has more than a dozen early REDD projects and has attracted funding from the governments of Norway, Australia and the United States, as well as green groups such as The Nature Conservancy and banks such as BofA Merrill Lynch and Macquarie Group.

Indonesia, with some of the world's most complex and diverse forests, also has one of the highest deforestation rates. The government says reducing deforestation and protecting forests, particularly peat lands, is central to its goal of curbing the growth of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Decree number 36, which relates to rules on how much REDD revenue should be shared with the state or local communities, would be re-assessed as part of the review, he said.

A source in the fledgling REDD industry, who asked not to be named, said he understood the finance ministry wanted more say in the revenue sharing rules. He said more consultation with industry was needed. "We hope these changes are for the better but this needs to involve all the stakeholders to make it work," he said. ( Reuters )

Green Technology Development

2010-03-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Green Technology is practical technology application by using material or production process which is not resulting any toxic waste and is enviromentaly safe. It is expected that green technology or eco-friendly technology are innovative products application which will not damage the environment and non-poisonous to human body. Those can be grouped into below :

1. Green Energy, it is is the most critical issue in the green technology framework. It includes research of alternative energy to invent an efficient renewable technology.

2. Eco-Friendly Building Construction, it is buildings that consider to the location where it is located, the materials that is used, the construction process, and how efficient it uses energy.

3. Eco-based Consumption, many global countries are currently involved in research of end-products with less negative environmental impact .

4. Green Chemicals, as from invention, design even application of a chemical product must gradually decrease usage of dangerous material which can destroy environment or kill human.

5. Green Nanotechnology, it involving matters manipulation within nano scale. Some scientist believe that knowledge on this field of study can change how the world produce stuffs. This field is combination of green chemical and green industry.

Earth Hour 2010 - Turn out your light, show support

2010-03-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future. Pledge your support here and turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010. It’s Showtime! Show what can be done. Visit www.earthhour.org for details.

Enviromental Friendly Nuclear

2010-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

As we all know, nuclear power is dangerous and there is nowhere to put nuclear waste safely. Meet Sodium fast reactor which will burns nuclear waste and emits no CO2, we will actually end global warming root problem.Only it costs billions of dollars just to develop it. Some of biggest companies in America already spent ten years refining it under close supervision of US government, but somehow this program was shut down and abandoned in a hasty political decision in the past.

Imagine the magnitude of the problem that it probably can solve if it can actually be built : a looming series of biblical disasters global warming, mass starvation, financial collapse, and a long term energy crisis that much more desperate than most of us realize. Barring any spectacular discoveries,assuming current trends in population and economic growth prevail, all the conventional oil in the world will be gone in about forty years. We can get maybe ten more years if we suck dry oil sands and shale. We have enough natural gas to last about fifty years, enough coal to last between 150 to 300 years. But these fuels carry a heavy price. The emissions of coal plants alone carry a heavy price.The emissions of coal plants alone carry , along with massive amounts of CO2, thousands of pounds beryllium,manganese,selenium,lead,arsenic and cadmium. They are 180times more radioactive than US government permissible level of the emissions of nucler power. If we were to burn enough coal to survive , the result would be acid rain and acidifying the oceans and pollution that kills fifty thousand americans each year through diseases like asthma,bronchitis, and emphysema.

Which brings us to global warming. Most scientist now believe that tipping point for global disaster is a CO2 level of 450 parts per million. We are now just over 380ppm and could pass 500ppm in thirty years. There are skeptics, of course, some of them quite distingushed, and a legitimate debate about how bad things could get. But the bet is all or nothing and an alarming number of the"cautious" are the same people who said cigarettes don't cause cancer, seat belt are a waste of money and evolution is a hoax.

Under most scenarios, solar and wind will never provide much more than 20 percent of our energy needs. Clean coal is a fiction, cap and trade innefectual, and conservation are useless. If we cut our use of caoal 10% we will only buy ourself another four years. Hydropower provides only 2.5percents, and we've already dammed up as many rivers as we are likely to dam. There is promise in biofuels,but at this point ,all iofuels combined provides less than 2% of US energy needs and they already devoted more than a quarter of their anuual corn crop to ethanol production. And nuclear power generates deadly nuclear waste that lasts forever and impossible to be safely store.

By US government having a lot of excess nuclear weapons that have alot of plutonium, they have to figure out what to do with them, beside that used nuclear fuel that is being stored in sites that are now filling up. Then there is the problem how we can generate enough clean power to satisfy the needs of the world.The problem now becomes the solution !

So what is nuclear waste? it is still uranium, its still usable but we ve got these evil things called transuranics which is 1 percent of the total and 99 percent of the headache. Why is it evil? below will be explained how the miracle technology of sodium fast reactor actually burns nuclear waste, neatly solving the biggest problem associated with nuclear power. Think about a baseball game,the pitcher throws a very fast ball. What is the probability of the guy hitting it? bad. So if we have a fast neutron, like these transuranics, the probability of chieving fission goes down. So the reason why we slow it down in a water reactor is, it gives us a higher probability of causing a fission. That allows us to start up this kind of reactor with only 3% of the fissile material. But with fast neutrons, i get more neutrons per fission.

Transuranics are highly radioactive elements like plutonium, typically regarded not as sources of energy but for their capacity to vaporize cities. But if we build a different kind of reactor that uses liquid sodium instead of water to slow things down, we can have a higher neutron speed and that we called waster becomes a fuel. You just need to mix it in the crucible, put in the transuranics, put in some uranium,put in some zirconium, and you cast it into thin rods. That technology has been developed, it is easy to do and you can do it in a classroom space width.

The solution goes by different names : the sodium fast-reactor, the integral fast reactor , the liquid-metal-cooled reactor. It burns nuclear waste, emits no CO2 and shut itself down in an accident. We will have enough power to power the whole world for ten of thousands years. It will end global warming and even global warming is just another paranoid armageddon fantasy, it will save us from the dying ocean and starvation and resource wars that are inevitable as the world's energy supply dwindles. It will unleash new industries and revitalize the manufacturing industry.
The fast reactor concept began at the federal government's Argonne National Laboratory in 1951, when the sodium-cooled experimental Breeder Reactor No.1 powered four lightbulbs and proved that nuclear power was real thing. In 1965, Argonne put into service Experimental Breeder Reactor No.2, al demonstration project that ran successfully for thirty years. In 1971, Richard Nixon launched the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project, putting together thousands of government and industry scientist in an effort to come up with a commercial prototype , but after twelve years, mixture of technical problems , procurement scandals, and the relentless opposition of enviromentalist finally led the Senate of US to kill the programme.
Later, GE begin rethinking things. One of Clinch River problems was light-water envy. They were trying to power huge power turbines that put out 1000 megawatts. They were pretty good at making washing machines and jet engines in a factory and replicating them. Then they were thinking that it is a good idea of making a sodium-cooled reactor that's factory built, modular, with pasive safety and replicate that.
Passive safety meant that it would shut itself off automatically instead of melting down.Replicability meant that the reactor vessel couldn't be more than twenty feet in diameter, because that's the biggest you can shipdown a rail line. So they would gang reactor modules together to power a single turbine. They named it the Power Reactor, Innovative Small Module , or PRISM.
At that time it was a renegade idea. So what if PRISM could be mass produced, plopped right next to every coal plant in the world and hooked straight to their existing electric turbines just as fast as american steelworkers could crank them up? It was already so hard to get nuclear plants built, big seemed to be better. But the department of energy gave the project a green light and GE put together a team that included giant companies like Wetinghouse and Bechtel. They simplified it, made it safer, ran tests and reviews, and by 1986, proved the passive safety concept on Experimental Breeder Reactor No.2. The design posed less of a proliferation risk than a regular light-water reactors. By 1992, after spending $1 billion , the were ready to built a prototype.
The Clinton came into office and killed it. Maybe it was the lingering legacy of Three Mile Island, or Chernobyl, and the fear of proliferation. But by 2006, everything had changed. The consensus on global warming was rising , wars in the middle east exposed the vulnerability of US oil supply , influential enviromentalists like Patrick Moore and Stewart Brand began switching sides , and Republicans-who always been more friendly to nuclear power-held sway in washington. President Bush announced the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, an ambitious research effort that linked twenty-one countries to "close the nuclear fuel cycle" and solve the waste problem. Soon afterward, the department of energy gave the green light.It was time to dust off the PRISM.
Shortly after taking office, President Obama stopped work on the proposed nuclear-waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain and put the brakes on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. Of the $39billion in stimulus money given to the Department of Energy, not a single dollar went to nuclear. On the positive side, energy secretary has begun assembling a blue ribbon comission to study the energy alternatives and make a conceptual leap into the future.If only you all can see that fast reactors are the only scalable answer to global warming, the world still can be saved.
In this world full of critics, where fear and anxiety feed on ragged scraps of misinformation and nuclear power taps a mother lode of metaphysical angst, we overlook the facts. For example, at least forty one workers have died in the production of modern wind turbines, but sixty one years commercial nuclear power plant has not killed a single man or woman in the US. Even the disaster of chernobyl killed just fifty-six people, and that was completely the fault of epic communist incompetence. But much of the environmental movement continues to hate nuclear power as an article of faith, and armchair scientist point the difficulties of the fast nuclear plants in Russia and Japan, and infinite armies of inertia simply avert their eyes. PRISM isn't half as complicated as a battleships, who says we can't build it before 2040.

( source : www.esquire.com)
The straight library knocks the analogue

Geoengineering vs Apocalypse !

2010-02-06T23:56:00.000-08:00

Catasthropic climatic change hasn't happened yet but vast majority of scientist think it will be very soon unless human (yeah that's you!) stop turning up the temperature. A global increse of 2'C will be enough to set the world into nightmare where drought and rising sea level leave millions of people starving and homeless.

Scientist has come up with a big and risky plan called Geoengineering of which we will use technology to effectively take control of the planet's thermostat through cutting carbon emissions. It can be done by 2 kind of approaches. First ones are methods by taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and there are those which try to reduce solar radiation by blocking out the sun effectively.

From the first methods, one scheme is involving forrest artificial trees that look like a giant fly swats that filter carbon dioxide off the air. Another proposal sees the world oceans to be fertilised using chemicals that encourage algae to grow and soak up carbon.

To reflect the Sun radiation back into space , is a short term measure that would lower temperatures rather than doing anything about the root cause, there are also a number of options. Robot ships could spray water into the sky , the sodium content seeding new clouds that would block out the sun. Similarly, giant guns might fire aerosol into the atmosphere, mimicking the effect of volcanic erruption, which ash cloudshave been shown to lower global temperature in the past.

Methods that take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere are preferable in almost all aspects, thats because they return the earth system to something like what it was originally. But they operate very slowly, so chances are that we are going to need both methods cause we need to manage solar rays to get any short-term effect.

With not one geoengineering project safe and sure enough to be deployed tomorrow, we are forced to adapt the climate change cause current defences will not enough. Scientist in University Colorado estimates that sea level could rise by a metre or more before end of this century. Currently, some 600millions of people live in low-lying areas around the world. how will they survive?

One plan being quite literally floated in Netherlands is house that wil float over rising waves. Known as 'Aquatecture', these floating homes still rest in concrete foundations, but the concrete is hollow, making it lighter than water.Architects have begun drawing up plans for self-sufficient,floating cities, which will be ready when our coastal population centres is washed away. Drawing its power from wind,sun, and sea itself, these communities could houses thousands of climate refugees, feeding them from hydrophonic solutions in a tower block. One such megastructure looks like a giant lylipad. Another, made up honeycomb-shaped platforms that link together, was designed for new orleans after huricane Katrina.

(T3 Gadget Magazine|UK| Feb 2010).

2010-01-27T00:17:00.000-08:00

Samsung Blue Earth

Once again Samsung has found a novel solution for all those water bottles that we through away after use. The company has recycled the waste plastic to make its environment friendly phone – Samsung Blue Earth,also an attempt to help consumers be more eco-friendly. The “Blue Earth” is made of plastic waste, it is free from toxic materials like bromine-based flame retardants, PVC and phthalate esters. The phone also charges using solar energy via the solar panel that is located on the back panel.

The Samsung Blue Earth phone also hosts in some environment-friendly applications that would involve some environment friendly acts from its users. One of these is the pedometer application that tells you how many trees you have saved by choosing to walk. Other applications include Eco-Walk, Eco- Calendar and Eco-Tips. the Blue Earth offers a functional feature set, but its small touch screen hampers its usability and there was static during calls.

With its royal blue casing and clean lines, the Blue Earth has an attractive and, dare we say, soothing design. It's true it does resemble Samsung's other touch-screen phones, but you only have to look at the solar panels to know that this handset is different.The solar panels sit on the rear side below the camera lens.At 4.25 inches by 2.11 inches by 0.56 inch, the Blue Earth is on the small side, particularly for a touch-screen phone.The phone’s environmental friendliness extends to its packaging as well, which is made of a recyclable material and printed with soy ink. One interesting feature of the phone is the Eco-Mode, which is an automatic setting for energy efficiency,you can minimize battery use by adjusting the display settings ,Outside of being green Here the user can control the screen brightness, backlight duration and bluetooth at the touch of a button.

2010-01-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

Mobile phone Recycling : Recycle your old,unwanted, broken mobilphone?

Junk is an increasing problem as most people strive for the latest handsets, as well as all phone vendors encourage their users to upgrade handset every year. On average ,people had owned more than one mobile phone. mostly these is thrown away with the regular household waste, thus ending up in landfill, but nearly half just sit around at home even after use. People in 13 countries (Finland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, UK, United Arab Emirates, USA, Nigeria, India, China, Indonesia and Brazil) ,half of them didn't know it was possible to recycle their old mobile phone and Only 3% of the population recycle. If each of the three billion people globally owning mobiles brought back just one unused device we could save 240,000 tonnes of raw materials and reduce greenhouse gases to the same effect as taking 4 million cars off the road. By working together, small individual actions could add up to make a big difference.
How many times you have upgraded your mobile handset in last 3 years? What you did with old handset?
There's still a lot in an old phone Old phones might seem worthless but they still contain many usable and valuable materials. Up to 80% of any Nokia device is recyclable, according to the company, and can be used in the manufacture of a variety of other products. Latest Samsung mobile phone “Reclaim” and “Blue Earth” is made of organic materials down to the boxes and make sure the use as little energy as possible by using environmental friendly energy resource such as solar cells .
Nokia is going green by taking back old phone for recycling and has started “we : recycle” campaign and urging people to become “Planet Saver” through its “Take Back” programme. It’s requesting people to drop old phones at Nokia priority dealer or Nokia care centre and promising to recycle the metal and plastic to make useful things, resulting into no extra mining and no cutting trees. It’s also promising to plant a tree for every phone you drop. In today’s reality, recycling old phones is not such a common practice. Isn’t this a very innovative and big corporate social responsibility (CSR (News- Alert)), the size at Nokia operates is large and collecting phones from thousands of priority centre and Nokia care need huge logistics and then dismantle all these phones. Nokia has over 1 billion phones sold worldwide.
Nokia is planning to launch its “TakeBack” beta to a national level. The “TakeBack” initiative by Nokia allows the mobile users to dump their discarded mobile phones (of any manufacturer) to any of the bins located at different areas in your city and at the Priority Dealers The pilot program received a good response from the users concerned about the environment. The pilot program, tested in four cities, collected 10,000 discarded phones along with 12,000 batteries and 20,000 chargers. Nokia will be installing 5,000 bins globally including While about 65-80% of every Nokia handset is recyclable, Nokia is concerned about the poor information about the recyclablility of mobiles. Nokia’s figures suggest that if every Nokia user (3 billion of them) bring back even one device back to recycle, it would save greenhouse gases equivalent to taking off 4 million cars off road.
So, now you know that your old defective handset, charger, battery can be recycled for something good. Would you take time to go and dump that hazardous e-waste in Nokia’s Recycle Bins?

2010-01-24T00:54:00.000-08:00

Samsung Reclaim

The fact that industrial technologies creating negative impacts for our environment is inevitable. Samsung, Korean cellphone manufacturer is on among others that realize and step forward. As one of its contribution to the environment, Samsung built a cellphone using “Bio-Plastic” materials extracted from corn. This Bio-plastic material is 100% biodegradable. The Bio-Plastic materials make up 40% of the phone’s casing. This cellphone boards QWERTY pads, 3Gfeature GPS, 2 Mpix camera, also Bluetooth. Even its box is made of recycled. Samsung Reclaim is already in US market and it will be available to your nearby cellshop soon. more detail

Go Green PC !

2009-05-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

PCs and information-technology equipment contribute to global warming, so energy efficiency is vital. It's time to take your PC green. We should ' ve ve been thinking about buying a PC that's less harmful to the environment, you're not alone.

A recent survey found that more than half of PC buyers in nine countries were willing to spend more money for green machines. The survey also found that consumers believe that tech manufacturers should be held more accountable for the impact of their products on the environment.

The perfect green computer does not exist yet—and may not for some time. But if you're shopping for a new PC and want to lessen its impact on the environment, there are ways to create a greener computing experience.

A laptop consumes fives times less energy than a desktop PC. And as laptops eclipse desktops in buyer popularity, you can find models with powerful feature sets that easily stand up to those of some of their desk-bound brethren. In fact, most laptops include options for dual-core processors, and some even squeeze in two video cards in a Scalable Link Interface (SLI) configuration, perfect for those all-night fragging sessions.

If you have ruled out laptops because of their inflexible ergonomics and higher costs, consider a small-form-factor (SFF) desktop from companies such as Apple, AOpen, or Shuttle. Thanks to their petite size and reliance on energy-efficient notebook components, SFFs tend to guzzle less power than full-size towers. On the downside, SFFs offer limited expandability because many internal expansion and memory slots are omitted to save space. The development of new standards, such as AMD's DTX open standard specification for energy-efficient processors, are paving the way for a broad adoption of SFFs that consume less power, as well as generate less noise. If you find this appealing, be sure to check out our top five SFF picks.

As for the monitor, chances are you'll buy a flat-panel display since most vendors have stopped selling space-hogging CRTs. If you are tempted by a dirt-cheap CRT, however, remember that an LCD uses about one-third the power required to run a CRT. For instance, a 19-inch LCD consumes an average of 45 watts, compared with 100 watts for a 19-inch CRT, and that will yield considerable energy savings in the long run. Pick an Energy Star-rated LCD to ensure that it draws virtually no power (or 1 to 2 watts at the most) in standby mode. A non-compliant CRT could still draw up to 80 watts while standing by.

The EPA's Energy Star efficiency criteria for computers has recently been updated (for the first time in 15 years), providing more-stringent guidelines. The older criteria, which measured PC energy use only in standby mode, allowed 98 percent of today's systems to squeak past its limits. With the new specifications, which will take effect in July, the EPA estimates that only the top 25 percent of efficient PCs will qualify.

To wear the Energy Star badge, systems must meet certain consumption requirements when idle and when fully powered on. For instance, their power supplies must be able to convert 80 percent of incoming electricity for use by the PC. (Multicore and high-end graphics processors get a bit more latitude; more on that later.) Note, however, that older Energy Star-compliant computers manufactured prior to the new standards taking effect can still be sold before certain deadlines expire. To find out which electronic devices and appliances meet current and existing standards.

Designers of processors, have been working to reduce power draw for years now. The Intel Core 2 Duo desktop processor, for example, is up to 40 percent faster and more than 40 percent more energy-efficient than its single-core predecessor. It optimizes power consumption by selectively powering up processor components only when necessary.

Intel claims that its Centrino Duo laptop technology is twice as fast as previous platforms, yet consumes 28 percent less power. Also very efficient are Intel's Pentium M and Celeron M processors and AMD's Turion 64 and dual-core Turion 64 X2.

Video cards remain energy hogs, however. High-end cards easily exceed 100 watts at full load, and popular dual-card setups for gaming double that wattage. Choosing a graphics card that fits your needs is key. If you don't play advanced 3D games, go with integrated graphics for the lowest power consumption.

You'll also want to evaluate a prospective PC's overall energy consumption by finding out how much electricity it draws when idle and at full power. Look for a desktop that uses 4 watts or less when in sleep mode, and 50 watts or less when idle. For laptops, the ideal is 2 watts or less in sleep mode, and 14 to 22 watts (or even less) in idle mode, depending on the graphics configuration. (source : Computershopper.com)

Can Online Shopping Make Earth Green?

2009-05-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Its True and will happen soon in our future ! With Online shopping we don't waste time to go around the town to buy what we need or waht we are looking for. Through local online grocery e-market we only need to sit in front our PC connected to the NET and ...woila! you got everything displayed in front of you. Only one click a way we save gasoline used to fuel our car. Its maybe still a mere imagination but with the growing broadband connection across the country ... the dreams come true. With less people driving across the street, more fresh air is available for the rest of us. Maybe the change will not happens within short time but within time you are participating to make earth a better place for us. Currently, in our country still not available local e-groceries shops. So its also a good business oppurtunity for us with entrepreneur spirit. e- community surely will make the earth green.

Carbon Cycle in Relation With Sustainable Energy

2009-05-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

What is Carbon Cycle? It is nature's way of moving carbon around to support life on Earth.
Carbon dioxide is the most common vehicle for carbon, where one carbon atom is bound to two oxygen atoms. Plant photosynthesis breaks the carbon dioxide in two, keeping the carbon to form the carbohydrates that make up the plant, and putting the oxygen into the air.
When the plant dies or is burned, it gives its carbon back to the air, which is then reabsorbed by other plants. Also through the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plants captures the sun's energy by converting carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground into carbohydrates, complex compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. When these carbohydrates are burned, they turn back into carbon dioxide and water and release the sun's energy they contain.
In this way, the whole process functions as a sort of natural battery for storing solar energy. As long as it is produced sustainably—with only as much used as is grown—the battery will last indefinitely. It is the root cycle for creating sustainable energy.

What is Biomass Fuels?

2009-05-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Biomass fuel is liquid, solid, or gaseous fuel produced by conversion of biomass.They are actually organic materials produced by plants, animals, or microorganisms.Those plants animals or microorganisms can be burned directly as a heat source or they can be converted into a gaseous or liquid fuel. Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to power vehicles, heat homes, and for cooking. There are two common strategies of producing liquid and gaseous agrofuels. One is to grow crops high in sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum[3]) or starch (corn/maize), and then use yeast fermentation to produce ethyl alcohol (ethanol). The second is to grow plants that contain high amounts of vegetable oil, such as oil palm, soybean, algae, jatropha, or pongamia pinnata. When these oils are heated, their viscosity is reduced, and they can be burned directly in a diesel engine, or they can be chemically processed to produce fuels such as biodiesel.

Antartica ...

2009-02-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Washington-Antartica is getting warmer since half of a century like other part of the world. Result of a study ,which have been just released in latest journal of Nature, break the opinionn that said the region is getting cooler.
The study by US scientists was done by combining weather reports and satellite imaging of south pole region which contain 90% of world's ice.Result shows that the freezing temperature has went up by 0.5 degree celcius (o.8 degree fahrenheit) since 1950s.
The scientists concluded that eastern area of south pole, which is larger and cooler than the west part , getting warmer by 0.1 degree celcius a within a decade. Meanwhilethe temperature in the western area rise 0.17 degree celcius within a decade, faster than global average rise. Previous result shows that temperature in most of continent in the bottom of the earth isequal or a bit cooler.
For many years, south pole become the only place seems odd, as it is immune to climate change.The cooling temperature in most area of antartica beccoming a weapon of some scientist to giveargument that climate change is being exagerated.
Hence, latest research break that assumption mostly when its done at allover antartica.Scientis who still believe that antartica is effected by global warming predict that the coolong was only locally since it is caused by cold wind blowing to the south pole.(/Antara)

United Nations Climate Change Conference Poznan,Poland 1 to 12 December 2008 : Milestone to Success for Fighting Climate Change

2008-12-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Around 9000 officials and experts from around the world are drawn-gathered in Poznań, Poland 1 to 12 December 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference to discuss world’s action against climate change.Participants includes 185 parties of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and representatives. The UNCCC in Poznan is in between Bali,Indonesia Summit 2007 and the gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark which will be held in December 2009.

Indonesia is an important player in this talks though this nation is unfortunately ranked third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Its one of the largest of developing countries with vast forrested areas and it has been a much respected chair of one of the key summits on the journey to update the Kyoto treaty, a two year action plan which will be expire in 2012 . A successor of Kyoto Protocol shall be agreed during the Copenhagen Summit.

Developed country is aimed to cut emissions by 20 to 40 percents by 2020 as insisted European ministers. New climate agreement must aim to prevent world’s temperature rising by two degrees. it is advised that the growth in world greenhouses gas emissions must be stopped in the next 10 to 15 years and cut to half of 1990 levels by the year of 2050. While debate of emissions target will dominate the talks in Poznan , ministers will also need to discuss how to reduce emission from deforrestation which make up a fifth of carbon dioxide emissions, and how much aid should be spent on poorer countries trying to adapt the unavoidable climate change.

The conference is seems to be overshadowed by global financial crisis and bloody events in Mumbai where ruthless terrorists unleashed such bloody attacks. Most governments attentions for recent months are distracted to the last two events and It’s no doubt that financial crisis need to be resolved a.s.a.p. and effective ways to counter terrorism must be made but climate change will remain a problem in the years ahead. The fall-out from climate change has becoming reality, evident from more frequent occurence of drought, flooding ,and malaria cases, as well as increased incidents of hurricanes and forrest fires are example of climate change impacts. We cannot afford to allow these urgent issues to weaken our efforts to avert the perils of irreversible climate change and to halt global warming.

FW: If a tree falls in a forrest, Is biofuel is to be blamed? It's not easy being green.

2008-11-11T01:21:00.000-08:00

Biofuels are under siege from critics who say they crowd out food production. Now these fuels made from grass and grain, long touted as green, are being criticized as bad for the planet.At issue is whether oil alternatives -- such as ethanol distilled from corn and fuels made from inedible stuff like switch grass -- actually make global warming worse through their indirect impact on land use around the world.For example, if farmers in Brazil burn and clear more rainforest to grow food because farmers in the U.S. are using their land to grow grain for fuel, that could mean a net increase in emissions of carbon dioxide, the main "greenhouse gas" linked to climate change.The issue has been heating up for months in scientific, corporate and environmental circles. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency has indicated it plans to measure each biofuel's emissions based partly on the ripple effect that its production in the U.S. can have overseas, and is preparing to seek comments on a proposal. Some scientists, as well as General Motors Corp., DuPont Co., Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. and other companies with an interest in the outcome, are warning of a muddled calculus."If population grows in America and therefore ... we need to build a new Wal-Mart, are we going to debit that pregnant woman with the indirect life-cycle greenhouse-gas footprint of her decision to have that child?" says Michael Parr, a senior government affairs manager at DuPont.Environmental groups say disclosing the emissions levels associated with land-use change caused by biofuels is critical to determining which fuels will best help the U.S. reduce its dependence on oil.A study published in February in the journal Science found that U.S. production of corn-based ethanol increases emissions by 93%, compared with using gasoline, when expected world-wide land-use changes are taken into account. Applying the same methodology to biofuels made from switch grass grown on soil diverted from raising corn, the study found that greenhouse-gas emissions would rise by 50%.Previous studies have found that substituting biofuels for gasoline reduces greenhouse gases. Those studies generally didn't account for the carbon emissions that occur as farmers world-wide respond to higher food prices and convert forest and grassland to cropland.But some scientists and many biofuel proponents have challenged the Science study, saying it relied on unrealistic assumptions. And there is disagreement among scientists and economists over how to measure the impact of land-use changes in one country on land-use changes in another. When a Brazilian farmer chops down rainforest to grow a crop, for instance, how can the EPA be sure his decision wasn't influenced by local factors, such as the construction of a new highway that made it easier to bring the crop to market?DuPont, ADM, GM and representatives of the biotechnology industry have asked that the EPA hold off on quantifying the greenhouse-gas impacts of so-called indirect land-use change, and instead seek comment on the methodology the agency plans to use. The companies, along with some scientists, say that methods for measuring such indirect effects are still new, and that trying to assess emissions levels based on immature methods could lead to unwarranted conclusions that would discourage investment in biofuels.An EPA spokesman declined to speculate on "what is or isn't" going to be in the administration's proposal. The agency's efforts are driven by a 2007 energy law that says the EPA, in determining each fuel's "lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions," must consider "direct emissions and significant indirect emissions such as significant emissions from land use changes."Bruce Dale, a chemical-engineering professor at Michigan State University, says he is skeptical that policy makers can establish an accurate system for gauging the indirect effect of biofuel production on overseas land use. "All this stuff is accounting," which in turns depends on data and "assumptions you make about how the world works," he says.Nathanael Greene, director of renewable-energy policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, acknowledges the difficulty of quantifying emissions levels associated with indirect land-use change. But he says that isn't a valid reason for not trying to measure them.If anything, Mr. Greene says, biofuels producers -- particularly those that specialize in making fuels that don't come from corn -- stand to benefit from new regulations, because such standards will "inoculate" the industry against the kinds of criticisms that have buffeted food-based biofuel crops."This industry, like many other industries, relies on government subsidies," Mr. Greene says. "If public opinion turns against [advanced biofuel producers] because they're associated with clear-cutting forests and harming endangered species ... those incentives and that public support are going to evaporate.
StephenPower@wsj.com

Fwd: Barack Obama on Renewable Energy

2008-11-11T01:01:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama on Renewable Energy (http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/) November 10th, 2008

Barack Obama has been elected as the 44th President of the USA and with his election, Solar Integrated Technologies rose by 30% yesterday after increases of 22% by Renewable Energy Corporation and 16% by the wind turbine maker Vestas. Barack Obama promised to spend $150 billion over the next 10 years developing alternative energy. Promises like these leave a legacy for future generations to imitate. Clean technology and green energy stocks have registered a new high as City analysts anticipate a major boost from the incoming president. The US election result has provided a much-needed encouragement at a critical time and that too for an industry which is still in its nascent phase. And this sector is threatened by the banking crisis and emerging economic recession. Some companies had seen their share prices halve in the turmoil that began in September. Reduction of carbon level, a cushion against fluctuating oil prices and creation of more jobs in economic slowdown would be the natural offshoots of this policy.

How the green energy analysts view Obama's election to the highest office? Their mood is quite upbeat and they predict a major shift in the renewable energy policy of the USA. Earlier they were of the view that the Bush administration is not doing enough for the alternative energy. Kate Hampton, head of policy at Climate Change Capital, a UK-based investment manager, was delighted with the poll outcome and views it as a massive step forward for renewables. She opines, "We cannot overstate how divisive the Bush administration was, how far behind the US now is in the transition to the low-carbon economy and how high expectations are now that Obama is the president-elect." Dean Cooper, alternative energy analyst with Ambrian Partners in London, is also expecting widespread change in the US widespread change in the US, considering that production tax credits for wind power generation companies and industries has been increased from one year to seven years, and more push towards a greener economy.

In the era of globalization, even European markets can't remain immune to the fluctuations faced in the US market. "Since the onset of the most recent phase of the credit crisis, the European wind sector has been battered with an unweighted average decline of 45% compared to a decline of 23% for both the S&P 500 and FTSE Eurofirst 300 over the same period," said Michael McNamara, analyst at Jefferies & Co, in a research note published at the height of the sell-off. "Much of this has been linked to fears that wind power developers would see themselves cut off from access to financing due to a toxic combination of a potential global closure of the project finance market and a drying up of demand for tax equity investment in the US."

It's highly unlikely that Barack Obama will abandon his commitment to create a new energy economy although the times are tough and public financing is not thriving. Obama's energy and environmental fact sheets are chalked out well with details. In October, in an interview with Time magazine he confirmed that energy would be his number one priority if he gets elected to the highest office.

Obama and the Democrats intend to tackle the excessive carbon emission problem legislatively by floating "cap and trade" system. This legislation intends to impose a cost on harming the planet, boosting the alternatives and feeding public coffers. The president-elect also has a good investment plan to finance some of his investment program via a windfall profits levy. And he also wants to make crude obsolete in future. For instance, he proposes showering buyers of plug-in electric and other "advanced" vehicles with a $7,000 tax credit, as well as getting serious about producing ethanol from plant waste.

Alternative Energy Sources : Solar Panels

2008-11-09T01:20:00.000-08:00

What can we do to save earth? To save the earth we must all considering using renewable energy resources that would create a sustainable energy for sustainable earth for our future generations. What is our choices? Solar Power, Wind Power, Tidal power, and even power of trees (the last one is still uder debate by sciences of MIT on how to use it for our benefit)

We must all decreasing our usage and dependency on fossil fuel. Scientist around the world are working a way to efficiently develop and making inventions of new alternative energy sources.

The most common invention u will notice in houses is solar panels. This is a great invention but not every house can afford to actually use this in their house. The problem is a high production cost causing the solar panels to become very expensive for a common man. The only solution is solar panel manufacturers must reduce the costs of solar panels which can be done in many ways. They can use cheaper materials, they can reduce some ingredients used in solar panels, they can reduce the wear and tear during manufacturing or they can use lesser amount of ingredients without compromising on quality. when people start using these panels eventually the price will also decrease to a certain level and more research can be done to make the panels more efficent and stealth ( visit : http://www.energymatters.com.au/).

Solar Panels is made of Photo Voltaic cells. Photo voltaic cells convert solar light photons into electricity. Photovoltaic solar cells fulfill two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity. Solar cells are commonly used in remote locations where cost-effective access to local power grids are not possible.

Researchers at U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have set a world record in solar cell efficiency. This photovoltaic mechanism transforms 40.8 percent of the light that goes through it into energy. This is the highest confirmed efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date.

Ready to start using one of these :) ?

How to Save Energy Around your House Campaign (1)

2008-11-02T03:58:00.000-08:00

Don't Leave Things Turned On

Turn off the TV when no one is watching it. The same goes for computers, radios and stereos - if no one using it, turn it off. Some devices, like modems or other networking boxes are drawing small amounts of power all the time. Check with your folks first, but the best thing to do is turn them ALL off also. By saving energy, we are also cutting off expenses for electric bills.