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Cow power could generate electricity for millions, US study shows
Cow manure could be used to generate power for millions, according to a new US study.
Scientists have calculated for the first time how much of a country's electricity needs could be provided from the manure of cattle and other livestock.
They estimate that 3 per cent of America's total electricity demand could be created from animal waste, enough to power millions of homes and businesses.
Using manure for power could also lead to a significant reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases created, they say.
The study, by scientists at the University of Texas, is published in the Institute of Physics' Environmental Research Letters journal.
Broken down and then burnt, the scientists estimate that the manure from hundreds of millions of livestock in America could produce approximately 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year.
If left to decompose naturally manure releases noxious gases into the environment, some of which warm the atmosphere at a higher rate than carbon dioxide.
Converting it to power could reduce those emissions by 99 million metric tonnes, the equivalent of approximately four per cent of America's emissions from electricity production.
Although the process would emit some carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it would do so at a lower rate than if coal was used.
Dr Michael Webber and Amanda D Cuellar, who carried out the study, claim that widespread use of manure for energy could reuse "an existing waste source and has the potential to improve the environment". Cow manure could be used to generate power for millions, according to a new US study. ... more -
First US town powered completely by wind
Rock Port, Mo., has an unusual crop: wind turbines.
The four turbines that supply electricity to the small town of 1,300 residents make it the first community in the United States to operate solely on wind power.
"That's something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this — that we're doing our part for the environment," said Jim Crawford, a natural resource engineer at the University of Missouri Extension in Columbia.
A map published by the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that northwest Missouri has the state's highest concentrations of wind resources and contains a number of locations that are potentially suitable for utility-scale wind development. The four turbines that power Rock Port are part of a larger set of 75 turbines across three counties that are used to harvest the power of wind.
"We're farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," Crawford said. "The payback on a per-acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it's as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."
And the turbines have another benefit besides produces clean energy: MU Extension specialists said that the Missouri wind farms will bring in more than $1.1 million annually in county real estate taxes, to be paid by Wind Capital Group, a wind energy developer based in St. Louis.
"This is a unique situation because in rural areas it is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues," said Jerry Baker, and MU Extension community development specialist.
Landowners can also benefit by leasing part of their property for wind turbines.
The turbines will also provide savings to rural electric companies and will provide electric service for at least 20 years, the anticipated lifetime of the turbines.
"Anybody who is currently using Rock Port utilities can expect no increase in rates for the next 15 to 20 years," Crawford said.
Baker added that the turbines could also attract tourists to the area. Rock Port, Mo., has an unusual crop: wind turbines. ... more -
Lightning: Nature's Own Electrifying Fireworks Display
The limitless power of lightning is more than a great electrical show.
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Update: Gore pushes environment with activist bloggers
Last year it was about the candidates. This year it's the climate.
Former Vice President Al Gore made a surprise appearance Saturday at the Netroots Nation conference, a gathering of nearly 2,000 left-leaning bloggers and political organizers. He urged the activists to mobilize for global climate protection by amplifying his call to generate all the nation's electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal in 10 years.
At last year's conference, formerly called YearlyKos, seven Democratic presidential candidates — including Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, now the presumptive nominee — vied for the support of the bloggers, whose political influence has grown exponentially since they emerged as a significant factor in presidential politics during former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's White House campaign five years ago.
Having locked up the Democratic nomination, Obama skipped this year's conference, but his deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, talked about the campaign's strategy to portray Obama as the leader of a new political movement rather than a traditional candidate.
Gore, who joined Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her session at the convention, praised the bloggers as being at the forefront of reclaiming American democracy.
"Thank you for the movement that you have created," Gore said. "I can't tell you how important I think it is that you continue what you are doing."
Much of Pelosi's time at the convention was spent speaking out for an end to the war and for Obama's election.
"The end could be in sight," she said to cheers. "This will not happen without the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States."
Gore said the seriousness of the climate problem is related to the economic and security crises of U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Recent Republican calls to battle rising oil prices with more drilling are "absurd" and a bit like curing a hangover with another drink, he said. Last year it was about the candidates. This year it's the climate. ... more -
10 powerful requests for today
10 powerful requests for today - by Dieter Braun (Indian in the machine)
www.indianinthemachine.com
1. I request to live in pure clean air, and to have pure clean water and
soil to grow pure clean food. Pure clean air, food, water and soil are a birthright to all.
<>
2. I desire to purify myself in a joyful and powerful manner.
3. I request the end of the bush cabal and/or any dark cabal, and the
transmutation of all darkness I experience, into Light.
4. I request the Angels of the Universe, to come even closer to planet Earth.
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5. I request that humans reaffirm their need for outside assistance at
this time, from our loving star family.
6. I desire to live on planet Earth, to experience permanent peace on planet Earth.
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7. I comprehend that all are equal in the universe, therefore may all
manmade laws reflect this immediately and Now!
8. I desire to live in a world where spiritual awareness is a priority in governance.
<>
9. I call for the end of all planetary slavery!
10. I call forth financial abundance to spread far and wide across the planet like never before!
Read more from Indian in the Machine Dieter Braun at www.indianinthemachine.com
_____________________
From TouchArt.net and OneEarthblog.blogspot.com
where we know there are many ways to understand energy.
To paraphrase Dr. King Jr., [Darkness can not overcome darkness,
only light can do that. Violence can not overcome violence,
only love can do that.]
Embody love and light up the darkness. 10 powerful requests for today - by Dieter Braun (Indian in the machine) www.indianinthemachine.com ... more -
Man electrocutes gherkin to prove power of Christianity
TOTALLY makes sense. But does it BLEND?
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Tribal Malaysian Villages Threatened by Dams
Secret plans revealed to submerge Penan villages
At least a thousand indigenous people in the Malaysian state of Sarawak may lose their homes as the company Sarawak Energy Berhad plans to build hydroelectric dams that would submerge local villages and part of a World Heritage site.
From: Survival International
A secret document accidentally posted on the internet reveals plans to build a series of massive hydroelectric dams in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, submerging the homes of at least a thousand Penan, Kelabit and Kenyah tribal people.
The document is a presentation by the managing director of the company Sarawak Energy Berhad, and gives the location of twelve proposed hydroelectric power projects to be constructed between now and 2020. Sarawak Energy Berhad controls the production and distribution of electricity within the state.
The dams would submerge several Penan, Kelabit and Kenyah villages, displacing at least a thousand people. One dam would also submerge part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mulu National Park.
The dams are projected to produce far more electricity than Sarawak uses.
The Penan have been fighting for twenty years to prevent logging companies, including the Malaysian timber giant Samling, from cutting down their forests. But the companies, with the backing of the Malaysian government, have devastated much of the tribe’s land.
The Penan are nomadic hunter-gatherers. Many have now been settled, but continue to rely very much on the forest for their existence. About 300 still live a completely nomadic life.
The Sarawak Energy Berhad presentation was posted on a Chinese website and has now been removed. Secret plans revealed to submerge Penan villages ... more -
Vandalism in the Sky - H.A.A.R.P. is Death
Youtube.com by TheRealLawnMowerMan in April, 2008
"HAARP Boils The Upper Atmosphere.HAARP will zap the upper atmosphere with a focused and steerable electromagnetic beam. It is an advanced model of an "ionospheric heater". (The ionosphere is the electrically-charged sphere surrounding Earth's upper atmosphere. It ranges between about 40- to 600 miles above Earth's surface.)
Put simply, the apparatus for HAARP is a reversal of a radio telescope; antennas send out signals instead of receiving. HAARP is the test run for a super-powerful radiowave-beaming technology that lifts areas of the ionosphere by focusing a beam and heating those areas. Electromagnetic waves then bounce back onto earth and penetrate everything -- living and dead...."
"Looking at the other patents which built on the work of a Texas' physicist named Bernard Eastlund, it becomes clearer how the military intends to use the HAARP transmitter. It also makes governmental denials less believable. The military knows how it intends to use this technology, and has made it clear in their documents. The military has deliberately misled the public, through sophisticated word games, deceit and outright disinformation.
The military says the HAARP system could:
give the military a tool to replace the electromagnetic pulse effect of atmospheric thermonuclear devices (still considered a viable option by the military through at least 1986).
replace the huge Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) submarine communication system operating in Michigan and Wisconsin with a new and more compact technology.
Be used to replace the over-the-horizon radar system that was once planned for the current location of HAARP, with a more flexible and accurate system.
provide a way to wipe out communications over an extremely large area, while keeping the military's own communications systems working.
provide a wide area earth-penetrating tomography which, if combined with the computing abilities of EMASS and Cray computers, would make it possible to verify many parts of nuclear nonproliferation and peace agreements.
be a tool for geophysical probing to find oil, gas and mineral deposits over a large area.
be used to detect incoming low-level planes and cruise missiles, making other technologies obsolete."
________________
From TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
where we know that zapping humans and the ionosphere
with a billion watts can't be good.
Youtube.com by TheRealLawnMowerMan in April, 2008 ... more -
Gas bills 'to top £1,000 a year'
Where there's expensive oil, there are soaring gas bills. According to a report for the UK's biggest domestic energy supplier, Centrica, energy bills could rise by more than 60% within the next few years.
The report states that bills could go from £600 to more than £1,000 early in the next decade.
Where there's expensive oil, there are soaring gas bills. According to a report for the UK's biggest domestic energy supplier, Centric... more -
Gore calls for carbon-free electric power
Former Vice President Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade and rely on the sun, the winds and other environmentally friendly sources of power, or risk losing their national security as well as their creature comforts.
“The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,” Mr. Gore said in a speech to an energy conference here. “The future of human civilization is at stake.”
Mr. Gore called for the kind of concerted national effort that enabled Americans to walk on the moon 39 years ago this month, just eight years after President John F. Kennedy famously embraced that goal. He said the goal of producing all of the nation’s electricity from “renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sources” within 10 years is not some farfetched vision, although he said it would require fundamental changes in political thinking and personal expectations.
“This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative,” Mr. Gore said in his remarks at the conference. “It represents a challenge to all Americans, in every walk of life — to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.”
* * * * *
Click on the link for the full article. Former Vice President Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade and r... more -
Al Gore: Energy crisis threatens U.S. survival
The United States should be making all of its electricity with renewable and carbon-free energy in 10 years, former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday.
"The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk," Gore said.
In a speech at Washington's Constitution Hall, Gore touched on an array of the nation's current woes, saying the economic, environmental and national security crises are all related.
"I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously," Gore said.
To begin to fix all the problems, Gore said, "the answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels."
Gore called on the country to produce all of its electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources in 10 years, a goal he compared to President Kennedy's challenge for the country to put a man on the moon in the 1960s. He chastised those who have proposed opening new areas for oil drilling as a solution to U.S. energy problems.
"It is only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverse logic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drilling for more oil 10 years from now," Gore said.
The United States should be making all of its electricity with renewable and carbon-free energy in 10 years, former Vice President Al ... more -
Lightning Strikes Woman As She Shoots Video
Jessica Lynch was shooting video of a rain storm and was suddenly struck by lightning, capturing it all on video. Luckily she wasn’t injured, just a bit shook up.
"From what i understand, it went through my left hand holding the camera, crossed my back and exited out of my right hand holding onto the metal railing. No entry or exit wounds, just a really good zap!" she said.
Jessica Lynch was shooting video of a rain storm and was suddenly struck by lightning, capturing it all on video. Luckily she wasn’t i... more -
Foreclose the War Not Our Homes
The NSTAR Electric Co. was the focus of an angry picket line July 3 initiated by the Women’s Fightback Network and the youth group Fight Imperialism, Stand Together.
Passing cars honked their approval<br>of protest message.
This greedy corporation, with assets of $7.8 billion, sent 100,000 Massachusetts residents electric and gas utility shutoff notices at the beginning of May. NSTAR earned $59.2 million in the first quarter of 2008 but was shutting off people owing as little as $100. The NSTAR Electric Co. was the focus of an angry picket line July 3 initiated by the Women’s Fightback Network and the youth group Fig... more -
Energy Grid of the Future
All the talk about energy independence and green energy is wonderful. The reality is that the current energy grid is not designed to handle new sources of energy flowing in--it is designed to push energy from a single source out to customers. In the new energy world, the grid will need to be able to take in energy from multiple sources, deliver energy in new ways, and manage energy resources to meet the demands of a mobile, plug-in society. Dr. Alex Huang, Progress Energy Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State University, directs the Semiconductor Power Electronics Center (SPEC), a research group on Centennial Campus that wants to boost the capacity of existing power grids and integrate them with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. All the talk about energy independence and green energy is wonderful. The reality is that the current energy grid is not designed to ... more
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Electricity comes to Peruvian towns
In what has been dubbed "Electrification Week", President Alan Garcia has gone on a tour of the Andean country, inaugurating projects that are to provide electricity for Peru's most rural regions. People celebrated as they began to see the benefits of having electricity. 10 towns in Junin, 4,000 people in Huancavelica, 34 towns in the region of Piura, 13 establishments in La Libertad and 77 towns in Cusco will all benefit from having electricity. In what has been dubbed "Electrification Week", President Alan Garcia has gone on a tour of the Andean country, inaugurating projects ... more
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Seaweed Fields Forever
Growing large seaweed fields for energy using nutrients from wastewater could be an economically-sound use for the millions of tonnes of untreated wastewater dumped daily into our seas worldwide, and the seaweed helps clean it up in the process. Check out this Op-Ed piece. Growing large seaweed fields for energy using nutrients from wastewater could be an economically-sound use for the millions of tonnes ... more
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Technology Review: TR10: Wireless Power
"Physicist Marin Soljacic is working toward a world of wireless electricity."
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Nigeria power shortage to persist
The only explanation for this problem seems to be unbelievable incompetence!
"Nigeria will not be able to generate enough electricity for its population until at least 2015, President Umaru Yar'Adua has said. Speaking live on television, the president answered critics who said he had been slow to address the problem.
Nigeria is the eighth largest exporter of oil but cannot generate enough electricity to meet the needs of its 140 million-strong population. Before his election, President Yar'Adua promised to take swift action on power. But three finished gas-fuelled power stations are unable to generate electricity because Nigeria has sold all its gas for export, the president said. These deals with international oil companies would have to be renegotiated over seven years, he added.
"It is only now that the nation realises the critical importance of gas to the national economy," the president said.
During the televised press conference with a select group of journalists he declared his intention to spend some of Nigeria's savings from oil earnings on repairing the nation's power stations and transmission grid. Under the previous administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, the government-run power company was split up so parts of it could be sold.Power stations are rotting away unfinished, and imported generator turbines are still in ports unable to be moved years after they were delivered, a parliamentary investigation found in March.
There was no way investors could be attracted to the industry as it was he said.
"Today, still, most of the companies are still publicly owned," President Yar'Adua said. "Emergency legislation" will be needed to allow the government to spend some of the billions of dollars in oil revenue it has saved in the central bank on power, he said.
For every barrel of oil sold $59 goes to the national budget. The rest is held in an account which has now swelled to $12 billion. By law this has to be shared among the state governments". The only explanation for this problem seems to be unbelievable incompetence! ... more -
Vampire Energy
From Good Magazine:
Some household appliances cost us while they sit around and collect dust. They suck energy just by being plugged in, even if they aren’t turned on. This wickedly wasteful phenomenon is commonly known as standby power, but we call it Vampire Energy.
Video By Lindsay Utz, Morgan Currie, Rowland Holmes
Illustrations By Nigel Holmes
Music By E*Rock
Other Danielle Flug
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This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/
From Good Magazine: ... more -
Technology Empowers the Poorest
This talk is TONIGHT!
Doors open 7:00pm, talk at 7:30pm lasting ~1.5 hours
Located at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center
Quadir is the now-legendary founder of GrameenPhone, which transformed his home country of Bangladesh in the 1990s and led the way for the cellphone revolution throughout the developing world. Currently Quadir heads the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT and is building Emergence BioEnergy Inc., a project to develop local electricity for the rural poor, using such devices as a fuel cell that runs on anaerobic bacteria. Linking new technology with the boundless resourcefulness of the poor drives innovation in surprising directions at surprising speed. This talk is TONIGHT! Doors open 7:00pm, talk at 7:30pm lasting ~1.5 hours Located at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center ... more
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