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The Greatest Problem Confronting the Earth - Needs Immediate Attention.
If there were fewer than say one billion people on earth, we would not be having discussions about energy or dwindling resources such as fresh water and fisheries.
The above link is a straight forward discussion of our dilemma as a species. We are all involved and all of us suffer the consequences. If there were fewer than say one billion people on earth, we would not be having discussions about energy or dwindling resources such ... more -
12 year old Improves Solar Invention!
BEAVERTON, Ore. – A new invention could revolutionize solar energy – and it was made by a 12-year-old in Beaverton.
Despite his age, William Yuan has already studied nuclear fusion and nanotechnology, and he is on his way to solving the energy crisis.
It all started with Legos - after he learned nanotechnology to make robots take off. The seventh grader then got an idea inspired by the sun.
"Solar it seems underused, and there are only a few problems with it," Yuan said.
Encouraged by his Meadow Park Middle School science teacher, the 12-year-old developed a 3D solar cell.
"Regular solar cells are only 2D and only allow light interaction once," he said.
And his cell can absorb both visible and UV light.
"I started to realize I was actually onto something," Yuan said.
At first, he couldn't believe his calculations.
"This solar cell can't be generating this much electricity, it can't be absorbing this much extra light," he recalled thinking.
If he is right, solar panels with his 3D cells would provide 500 times more light absorption than commercially-available solar cells and nine times more than cutting-edge 3D solar cells.
"Which would make solar energy actually a viable energy source for the Pacific Northwest," Yuan said.
While college students have come up with unusual solar cars and the state of Oregon recently unveiled solar panels to power highway lights, Yuan is thinking global.
"It'll have a really positive impact on society and the environment," he said.
His next step is to get a manufacturer and market it.
Yuan is flying out to Washington D.C. on Monday to accept a $25,000 scholarship for his research. He earned the Davidson Fellow award, which is for those 18 and under. BEAVERTON, Ore. – A new invention could revolutionize solar energy – and it was made by a 12-year-old in Beaverton. ... more -
China, climate change and US dollars
Minqi Li: Renewable energy is canceled out by the growth of fossil fuels; US dollar depends on China. Part 9
"China's growth in oil consumption accounts for about one-third of the world's incremental oil consumption that's happened since 2000, and now China's oil consumption already accounts for about 10% of the world's total oil consumption. And the US accounts for 25%, but China's is growing very rapidly. And that is taking place, moreover, at the moment when we're probably at the peak, overall peak, of the global oil production or very near to that. And so you have this growing demand from China and some other emerging economies against a background of stagnating or possible declining supply of global oil production in the future. And so that definitely is a major factor behind the current global energy crisis."
Minqi Li is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah specializing in Political Economy, World Systems and the Chinese Economy. He was a political prisoner in China from 1990 to 1992. He is the author of "After Neoliberalism: Empire, Social Democracy, or Socialism?
(For the other parts, do a local search for Minqi Li) Minqi Li: Renewable energy is canceled out by the growth of fossil fuels; US dollar depends on China. Part 9 ... more -
To The Politicians and People:
$427 million. That’s what the oil and coal industries spent during the first half of 2008 on lobbying and advertising. They’re protecting their interests – and hurting ours.
This ad is running on TV right now, but we need millions more to see it. The special interests will outspend us, but we can compete head-to-head with them when we find ways to share these messages for free $427 million. That’s what the oil and coal industries spent during the first half of 2008 on lobbying and advertising. They’re protect... more -
Busting the electric car myth
No, electric cars don't suck down the same amount of energy as gas guzzlers do.
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Who will face up to the climate change crisis?
Obama and McCain both say global warming a problem, but are their proposals enough to make a difference?
The Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls put forward their respective energy and environmental platforms last week, addressing offshore drilling, coal, nuclear energy and fuel efficiency. Both John McCain and Barack Obama have said that Global warming is a problem and would make it a top priority. But would they go as far as NASA's Dr. James Hansen says is necessary before reaching what he calls the tipping point? The Real News spoke with Ben Wikler of Avaaz.org and Professor Catherine Gautier about the promises and shortfalls of the candidates' plans.
Ben Wikler is a campaign director for Avaaz.org, a global version of MoveOn.org, where he oversees efforts on climate change, global health, and other issues. Previously, he worked as press secretary for Congressman Sherrod Brown's US Senate campaign in Ohio, and was a founding producer of The Al Franken Show on Air America Radio.
Catherine Gautier is involved in educational aspects of climate change science and policy. Originally from Paris, France, Gautier directs the Institute for Computational Earth Systems Science at the University of California Santa Barbara. the book 'Facing Climate Change Together' was compiled and edited by Catherine Gautier and Jean-Louis Fellous. Obama and McCain both say global warming a problem, but are their proposals enough to make a difference? ... more -
Record-setting thief steals 2,396 bikes ... for the apocalypse?
So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the obvious: that he was planning to resell them all eventually in his used bicycle shop, to the eccentric: that he was saving them to melt them down during the next spike in scrap metal prices or was hoarding them for the eventual energy apocalypse. So what does one do with thousands of bicycles? Igor Kenk’s record-setting collection have sparked myriad theories, ranging from the o... more
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The Republican energy drill
ANP: Republicans are blaming Democrats' resistance to expanded domestic oil drilling for high gas prices.
American News Project: Energy is currently the most debated issue on Capitol Hill, and Republicans in Congress have seized the moment to stage a political coup, blaming Democratic resistance to expanded domestic oil drilling for high gas prices. Democrats have started to cave to some of the pressure. But would more drilling help anytime soon? ANP: Republicans are blaming Democrats' resistance to expanded domestic oil drilling for high gas prices. ... more -
American Ingenuity Leads to Biodiesel Breakthrough
A small group of unassuming mid-westerners has discovered what could be a complete game-changer for the global biodiesel industry. Their new system makes biodiesel in mere seconds, creates a product that costs half the price, produces no waste, and can use any animal fat or vegetable oil as a feedstock. A small group of unassuming mid-westerners has discovered what could be a complete game-changer for the global biodiesel industry. The... more
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NYC Mayor Presents Green Vision For City’s Future
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vision for the city includes wind turbines atop the Big Apple’s skyscrapers and bridges along with innovative methods of harnessing energy from the Hudson and East Rivers.
Bloomberg presented his green vision of the city’s future on Tuesday. He added that geothermal plants and rooftop solar panels are also options.
"I think it would be a thing of beauty if, when Lady Liberty looks out on the horizon, she not only welcomes new immigrants, but lights their way with a torch powered by an ocean windfarm," Bloomberg said in a copy of a speech he will give in Las Vegas at the 2008 National Clean Energy Summit.
Mayor Bloomberg’s second and final term will end in January 2010. He gave companies a September 19 deadline to submit innovative proposals toward the mayor's broad goal of making the city greener by 2030.
He faulted politicians for "treating us to a political silly season" and "pandering" to voters instead of solving the energy crisis, which he called the nation's top issue.
Bloomberg said a carbon tax would be the only “corruption free” option, adding: "Some want a cap-and-trade system, which is like taking three right turns instead of one left."
Last week marked the fifth anniversary of the black-out that deprived 50 million people in the Northeast and Canada of electricity, Bloomberg noted. The country must play "catch-up" he said, citing estimates that producing 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030 with wind power will require $60 billion of spending on transmission infrastructure.
New York City also will soon push private building owners into conserving electricity. New laws and regulations will require energy users to receive more information about the "real value" of conservation. "And they'll also require cost-effective retrofits of our existing larger buildings," he added. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s vision for the city includes wind turbines atop the Big Apple’s skyscrapers and bridges along ... more -
Google to Invest in Geothermal
Google.org, the public-spirited division of Google.com, charged with addressing “climate change, poverty and emerging disease,” is using the backdrop of the National Clean Energy Summit here in Las Vegas to announce a new round of clean energy financing.
In a nutshell, the company is investing an arguably modest sum — a little over $10 million — in the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems, or EGS. The technology differs from “traditional” geothermal in that rather than exploiting existing wells of earthbound steam and hot water, EGS drills deep — miles down — to access layers of heated granite that exist underfoot everywhere on the planet. Water can be circulated downward for heating, and then upward to drive turbines and generate electricity.
Andy deconstructed EGS in the wake of an Energy Department study last summer:
There are successful plants harvesting heat from deep hot rock in Australia, Europe and Japan, the report noted, adding that studies of the technology largely stopped in the United States after a brief burst of research during the oil crises of the 1970s.
The report’s 18 authors, from academia, government and industry, said that a public investment of less than $1 billion spread over 15 years would probably be enough to overcome technical hurdles and do initial large-scale deployment of the technology.
The generating capacity by 2050 could be 100 billion watts, about 10 percent of the country’s current generating capacity.
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More at link. Google.org, the public-spirited division of Google.com, charged with addressing “climate change, poverty and emerging disease,” is usi... more -
Shock doctrine opens way for oil drilling
Naomi Klein on disaster capitalism.
"Corporations are built to be opportunistic. That's their mission. If there's an opportunity, they must take advantage of it, and it's in the interests of their shareholders, and they shouldn't be sentimental about it. So that's what capitalism is supposed to do: take advantage of opportunities. What I'm talking about, and what I mean by disaster capitalism, is a political strategy."
Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the international and New York Times bestseller The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Klein's previous book No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies was also an international bestseller. Klein is a former Miliband Fellow at the London School of Economics and holds an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws from the University of King’s College, Nova Scotia. For more information on The Shock Doctrine visit http://www.naomiklein.org/main Naomi Klein on disaster capitalism. ... more -
Inflation Gets Right Down to the Real Nitty-Gritty
Even dirt isn't dirt-cheap anymore.
At your local garden center, the cheapest dirt, which often goes by the name of "premium topsoil," may cost $4.99 for a 40-pound bag, about a buck more than a year or two ago.
Then there's the gourmet dirt -- the scientifically exquisite potting mixtures, soil enhancers and soil amendments, crafted from special ingredients such as peat moss, bark fines (partially composted pine bark), perlite, coconut husks, and/or "spent mushroom substrate." You can buy a bag of "Bumper Crop," for example, for $14.99 at Johnson's Florist and Garden Center in the District, up two bucks from 18 months ago.
Dirt and its upmarket cousins offer a glimpse of how rising energy prices have caused inflation in the grittier corners of the consumer culture. Products that are cheap, heavy and bulky, such as bags of soil, are particularly vulnerable to rising freight costs.
Moreover, thanks to technology, globalization and changes in consumer preference, a bag of potting mix is now a highly manufactured, meticulously designed product, often containing ingredients from all over the continent and from across the planet.
Pricier dirt is what consumers want, says Bob LaGasse, executive director of the Manassas-based Mulch and Soil Council, which represents soil and mulch producers nationwide. "People have less time. So their garden projects have changed over time. Convenience, time-saving factors, less mess," he said. They want high-performance dirt, so charged with organic nutrients you could serve it as an appetizer.
"It's potting soil on steroids," said Chris Sexton, marketing manager for Fafard Inc., a major soil manufacturer in Anderson, S.C.
He said that an eight-quart bag of Fafard's premium potting mix would have retailed for less than three dollars a couple of years ago, but now is likely to cost four dollars.
"Our input costs are just going up so much," Sexton said. "The peat moss comes from Canada. It doesn't come here magically. It has to come by truck or on the train." Even dirt isn't dirt-cheap anymore. ... more -
McCain's Energy Plan
Senator John McCain speaks to a group of supporters about his energy plan in Lafayette, PA.
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Free Energy - The Moray Valve
In the early 1900's, Dr. T. Henry Moray of Salt Lake City produced his first device to tap energy from the metafrequency oscillations of empty space itself. Eventually Moray was able to produce a free energy device weighing sixty pounds and producing 50,000 watts of electricity for several hours. Ironically, although he demonstrated his device repeatedly to scientists and engineers, Moray was unable to obtain funding to develop the device further into a useable power station that would furnish electrical power on a mass scale.
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Read all about it at link and also at http://www.svpvril.com/Moray.html
To think that a hundred years ago, a simple way of obtaining free electricity in a totally clean and sustainable manner was invented. Of course, he couldn't get funding - there was no money to be made beyond manufacturing the device. In the same manner, John (JP) Pierpoint Morgan, the infamous banker, stopped funding Tesla's research for the same reason - if people can get free electricity, there's no money to be made. In the early 1900's, Dr. T. Henry Moray of Salt Lake City produced his first device to tap energy from the metafrequency oscillat... more -
Alaska Considers Volcanoes As Energy Source
Alaskan state officials have recently announced their intentions to begin funding the exploration and surveying of Alaska’s largest volcanoes in hopes of utilizing these as a source of geothermal energy which they say could provide enough energy to power thousands of households. According to some estimates these volcanoes and hot springs could supply up to 25% of the state’s energy needs. Could this be the beginning of an alternative energy revolution? Alaskan state officials have recently announced their intentions to begin funding the exploration and surveying of Alaska’s largest vo... more
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Sex, blood and baby names: U.S. mad for free gas
Some U.S. motorists sick of getting clobbered at the pump seem willing to do just about anything for free fuel, from giving up the right to name their children to stealing from day-care centers to donating blood.
In Orlando, Florida, David Partin pledged to name his son after local radio hosts to win a $100 gas card as part of a contest. Partin will collect the card in December, when his son is born, if he can produce a birth certificate proving the baby is named Dixon Willoughby Partin, after the hosts.
"(His wife said) this is his problem to explain when the child is older," Greg Stevens, WHTQ-FM program director told Reuters.
At the Shady Lady Ranch brothel in Beatty, Nevada, clients who spend $300 or more this month will receive $50 gas vouchers as part of a promotion to beat the summer slump in business.
"It's rocking along. We're doing quite well. June and July historically are not big months," said James Davis, who co-owns the ranch with his wife, Bobbi.
The first $1,000 in gas cards were given out within a week, he added. Some U.S. motorists sick of getting clobbered at the pump seem willing to do just about anything for free fuel, from giving up the rig... 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 -
UAE seeks to ditch oil for alternative energy
The previously negative attitude of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to climate change shifted in 2007, as the UAE led several members of the organisation to take a positive lead in developing alternative energies, and began investment in technologies like carbon capture and carbon storage. "Abu Dhabi is now selling an environmentally-conscious image and wants to be a leader in alternative energy,"the UAE has made a significant shift in its thinking when it ceased to be frightened of the consequences of both climate change and climate change mitigation.Up till 2007the UAE had focused on its vulnerability to climate change mitigation as world markets moved to accommodate the new measures to combat climate change.
These would impact the UAE mainly through a highly variable oil price, and possible long-term shift away from use of hydro-carbons, both damaging to the present economy of the UAE.The UAE had also has largely ignored the future impact of climate change on its national security, from the potential threats of rising temperatures, falling water resources, and potentially elevated sea levels.The old style of thinking was still present as recently as December 2007 when the UAE's address to the UN conference on climate change in Bali was mostly full of progressive thinkingexcept for the section that argued that the interests of economies based principally on fossil fuels had not been sufficiently addressed in the negotiations, and demanded that no additional obligations should be placed on developing countries that would impede their development.
In the last six months, however, the impact of the UAE's interest in alternative technologies has come to the fore, exemplified by the launch of Abu Dhabi's Masdar project earlier this year. Masdar is made up of various projects on alternative energy and carbon management, and included building a "totally green city" of 50,000 residents and 1,500 businesses by 2016. The previously negative attitude of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to climate change shifted in 2007, as the UA... more -
Saudi Arabia to host oil price summit
Saudi Arabia is set to host a meeting of oil producing and consuming nations to discuss soaring oil prices.
The US and other consumers have urged producers to boost supply, blaming lack of capacity for the recent price surge.
Top world supplier Saudi Arabia has made slight increases but says market speculation, not lack of supply, has driven prices to nearly $140 a barrel.
Several nations have faced protests as rising fuel costs have hit industries and helped push up food prices.
Energy ministers from more than 30 countries, as well as senior executives from the world's largest oil companies, are gathering for the conference in the Saudi city of Jeddah amid concerns that recent record oil prices are helping tip the US and other major economies towards recession. Saudi Arabia is set to host a meeting of oil producing and consuming nations to discuss soaring oil prices. ... more
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