Farmers across the tropics might raze forests to plant biofuel crops, according to new research. "If we run our cars on biofuels produced in the tropics, chances will be good that we are effectively burning rainforests in our gas tanks," she warned.[...]
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Chemists Offer New Hydrogen Purification Method
One of the hydrogen economy's roadblocks to success is the hydrogen itself. Hydrogen needs to be purified before it can be used as fuel for fuel cells, but current methods are not very clean or efficient. Researchers have developed a class of new porous materials, structured like honeycomb, that is very effective at separating hydrogen from complex gas mixtures. The materials exhibit the best selectivity in separating hydrogen from carbon dioxide and methane.[...]
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Scientists to tap river currents to create clean energy
Scientists to tap river currents to create clean energy
In the eerie green glow of flashing lasers in a darkened University of Michigan lab, a cylinder on springs moves methodically up and down in a giant tank as water flows over it, simulating a stream.
Wind energy gathers steam, US biggest market: survey
Wind energy gathers steam, US biggest market: survey
Global wind energy capacity surged by 28.8 percent in 2008, as the United States became the world's leading market, an industry survey showed Monday.
SNL study: Biofuels can provide viable, sustainable solution to reducing petroleum dependence
SNL study: Biofuels can provide viable, sustainable solution to reducing petroleum dependence
(PhysOrg.com) -- An in-depth study by Sandia National Laboratories and General Motors Corp. has found that plant and forestry waste and dedicated energy crops could sustainably replace nearly a third of gasoline use by the year 2030.
Paris digs deep to harness Earth's green energy
Paris digs deep to harness Earth's green energy
A major new project is under way in Paris to provide ecologically clean heating for an entire district by extracting piping hot water from nearly two kilometres under the earth.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Nuclear Power A Viable Alternative
Nuclear Power A Viable Alternative by Dk-Publishers
Widespread use of nuclear energy will eradicate a large portion of fossil fuel use. A nuclear fission reaction produces massive quantities of power which pushes scientists to develop technology with which to harness this energy.
Nuclear power plants are amazingly efficient and produce relatively small amounts of waste. A nuclear power plant generates electricity with an efficiency rating of 80 of the power used to produce the fission reaction. When measured against the efficiency of an oil-fired plant, 38, it is astounding, indeed. Nuclear fission produces small amounts of waste material. The controversy over the use of nuclear power stems from the conundrum of what to do with the waste produced by the nuclear power plants. The waste is in the form of radioactive gas.
After containing the gases, they must be sealed and permanently stored because the radiation in these gases remains active and deadly for thousands of years. The hazard of contained nuclear waste being released is very low. When contrasted with the volume of carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere daily by the millions of cars on the earth, this is amount seems to dwindle. Radiation is certainly more deadly than carbon monoxide, however, it is also far easier to contain and store. Nuclear power is, in fact, an environmentally friendly form of renewable energy; despite the reservations of the environmentalists. The volume of waste material is comparatively small and secure storage and technologies for the long term disposal of these wastes are being developed.
Splitting atoms releases energy in the form of heat and light. The design of nuclear power plants is such that the enormous amounts of power released is harnessed to generate electricity. The possibility of a nuclear power plant exploding like a nuclear bomb is nonexistent. This is due to the fact the specialized conditions and enriched plutonium requisite do not exist inside a nuclear power plant. Nuclear meltdown has occurred in the past, most notably the Chernobyl incident, yet the risks are also very low. Nuclear power has been in use since the 1950’s and there are more than 430 nuclear reactors in 33 around the world. When seen in the light of these facts, nuclear meltdown is, indeed, a rare occurrence. Neglect has been ascertained to be the main cause of most nuclear accidents. At this time, six states in America generate over half of their electrical energy demands through nuclear power.
Nuclear power can be a boon in the suppression of fossil fuel use; but only if we allow it to.
Nuclear Power A Viable Alternative
For more information on alternative energy and various other subjects, please check our site at:http://www.dk-publishers.com/
Article Source: ArticleRich.com
Keywords:renewable resources, alternative energy, solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, geo-thermal energy,bio mass, bio-mass, bio-fuel
Widespread use of nuclear energy will eradicate a large portion of fossil fuel use. A nuclear fission reaction produces massive quantities of power which pushes scientists to develop technology with which to harness this energy.
Nuclear power plants are amazingly efficient and produce relatively small amounts of waste. A nuclear power plant generates electricity with an efficiency rating of 80 of the power used to produce the fission reaction. When measured against the efficiency of an oil-fired plant, 38, it is astounding, indeed. Nuclear fission produces small amounts of waste material. The controversy over the use of nuclear power stems from the conundrum of what to do with the waste produced by the nuclear power plants. The waste is in the form of radioactive gas.
After containing the gases, they must be sealed and permanently stored because the radiation in these gases remains active and deadly for thousands of years. The hazard of contained nuclear waste being released is very low. When contrasted with the volume of carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere daily by the millions of cars on the earth, this is amount seems to dwindle. Radiation is certainly more deadly than carbon monoxide, however, it is also far easier to contain and store. Nuclear power is, in fact, an environmentally friendly form of renewable energy; despite the reservations of the environmentalists. The volume of waste material is comparatively small and secure storage and technologies for the long term disposal of these wastes are being developed.
Splitting atoms releases energy in the form of heat and light. The design of nuclear power plants is such that the enormous amounts of power released is harnessed to generate electricity. The possibility of a nuclear power plant exploding like a nuclear bomb is nonexistent. This is due to the fact the specialized conditions and enriched plutonium requisite do not exist inside a nuclear power plant. Nuclear meltdown has occurred in the past, most notably the Chernobyl incident, yet the risks are also very low. Nuclear power has been in use since the 1950’s and there are more than 430 nuclear reactors in 33 around the world. When seen in the light of these facts, nuclear meltdown is, indeed, a rare occurrence. Neglect has been ascertained to be the main cause of most nuclear accidents. At this time, six states in America generate over half of their electrical energy demands through nuclear power.
Nuclear power can be a boon in the suppression of fossil fuel use; but only if we allow it to.
Nuclear Power A Viable Alternative
For more information on alternative energy and various other subjects, please check our site at:http://www.dk-publishers.com/
Article Source: ArticleRich.com
Keywords:renewable resources, alternative energy, solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, geo-thermal energy,bio mass, bio-mass, bio-fuel
Is Nuclear Power Safe ? by Denise Palmer
Is Nuclear Power Safe? by Denise Palmer
The Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan discharged approximately 350 gallons of radioactive water into the sea today after an earthquake shook the Japanese town, which is 160 miles northwest of Tokyo.
Fortunately, the radioactive contamination levels fell well below legal limits. The power plant is the one largest nuclear facility's in the world and just one of fifty-five nuclear reactors in Japan. The incident, in light of the recent swarm of headlines regarding alternative energy use and the possible re-emergence of nuclear power as a primary alternative energy source, leaves many to wonder, is nuclear power safe?
Nuclear energy has both good and bad points. It creates a huge amount of energy without using valuable fossil fuels, but it also produces radioactive materials that can be extremely harmful to the environment. Consequently, nuclear safety includes actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences.
Workers at nuclear plants, and the larger environment, run a risk due to this radioactive material. Nuclear power plants must be run very carefully to ensure that there are no mistakes, which is why nuclear power plant operators promote a safety culture. The term "safety culture" is a term introduced by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group in a report published on the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines safety culture as "an assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals, which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance." Safety culture is about improving safety attitudes in people, but it is also about good safety management established by organizations with a holistic, whole community, whole of life approach. A good safety culture implies a constant assessment of the safety significance of events, such as earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Additionally, nuclear power plants possess both active and passive safety systems. Active safety systems are systems activated by a human operator, an automatic computer driven system, or even a mechanical system to respond to dangerous events in an appropriate manner. Passive safety systems rely on the laws of nature to ensure a reactor responds in an appropriate manner during potentially dangerous events. The laws of nature include for instance, incorporating the law of physics in engineered components of nuclear power plants whereby a nuclear reaction would slow versus accelerate during potentially dangerous situations or events.
Nuclear power plants also possess structural safety systems. Surrounding a nuclear reactor are certain containment structures, such as the fuel ceramic, metal fuel cladding tubes and the reactor vessel and coolant system. Finally, nuclear reactors are housed in containment buildings. Containment buildings, which are made of steel or concrete, enclose nuclear reactors to contain the escape of radiation.
Ultimately, human exposure to radiation, the primary contamination of concern at nuclear power plants, is more likely to come from exposure natural background radiation and from some medical procedures. In fact, studies exist finding no evidence of increased risk of exposure to radiation or occurrences of cancer in individuals living near nuclear facilities. For instance, in 1990 a study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health, which surveyed over 900,000 cancer deaths in counties near nuclear facilities, found no increased incidence of cancer mortality in people living near 62 different nuclear facilities in the United States.
Regardless of the safety systems in place, which promote a culture of safety in nuclear power plant operations, no industrial activity is risk-free. Occurrences take place, which are completely outside our control, as evidenced by the earthquake, which impacted the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power. Any malfunction, accident or natural disaster at or near a nuclear power plant presents potentially devastating, long-term impacts to the surrounding community and environment.
About the Publisher: This report is published by Energy Business Reports, an energy industry think tank and leading source for energy industry information and research products.
To read more about this topic, see 'Global Nuclear Power Outlook and Opportunities 2007'
Article Source: ArticleRich.com
Keywords:fossil fuels, Japan, Kashiwazaki Kariwa, nuclear power, nuclear reaction
The Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan discharged approximately 350 gallons of radioactive water into the sea today after an earthquake shook the Japanese town, which is 160 miles northwest of Tokyo.
Fortunately, the radioactive contamination levels fell well below legal limits. The power plant is the one largest nuclear facility's in the world and just one of fifty-five nuclear reactors in Japan. The incident, in light of the recent swarm of headlines regarding alternative energy use and the possible re-emergence of nuclear power as a primary alternative energy source, leaves many to wonder, is nuclear power safe?
Nuclear energy has both good and bad points. It creates a huge amount of energy without using valuable fossil fuels, but it also produces radioactive materials that can be extremely harmful to the environment. Consequently, nuclear safety includes actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences.
Workers at nuclear plants, and the larger environment, run a risk due to this radioactive material. Nuclear power plants must be run very carefully to ensure that there are no mistakes, which is why nuclear power plant operators promote a safety culture. The term "safety culture" is a term introduced by the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group in a report published on the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines safety culture as "an assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals, which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance." Safety culture is about improving safety attitudes in people, but it is also about good safety management established by organizations with a holistic, whole community, whole of life approach. A good safety culture implies a constant assessment of the safety significance of events, such as earthquakes or other natural disasters.
Additionally, nuclear power plants possess both active and passive safety systems. Active safety systems are systems activated by a human operator, an automatic computer driven system, or even a mechanical system to respond to dangerous events in an appropriate manner. Passive safety systems rely on the laws of nature to ensure a reactor responds in an appropriate manner during potentially dangerous events. The laws of nature include for instance, incorporating the law of physics in engineered components of nuclear power plants whereby a nuclear reaction would slow versus accelerate during potentially dangerous situations or events.
Nuclear power plants also possess structural safety systems. Surrounding a nuclear reactor are certain containment structures, such as the fuel ceramic, metal fuel cladding tubes and the reactor vessel and coolant system. Finally, nuclear reactors are housed in containment buildings. Containment buildings, which are made of steel or concrete, enclose nuclear reactors to contain the escape of radiation.
Ultimately, human exposure to radiation, the primary contamination of concern at nuclear power plants, is more likely to come from exposure natural background radiation and from some medical procedures. In fact, studies exist finding no evidence of increased risk of exposure to radiation or occurrences of cancer in individuals living near nuclear facilities. For instance, in 1990 a study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health, which surveyed over 900,000 cancer deaths in counties near nuclear facilities, found no increased incidence of cancer mortality in people living near 62 different nuclear facilities in the United States.
Regardless of the safety systems in place, which promote a culture of safety in nuclear power plant operations, no industrial activity is risk-free. Occurrences take place, which are completely outside our control, as evidenced by the earthquake, which impacted the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power. Any malfunction, accident or natural disaster at or near a nuclear power plant presents potentially devastating, long-term impacts to the surrounding community and environment.
About the Publisher: This report is published by Energy Business Reports, an energy industry think tank and leading source for energy industry information and research products.
To read more about this topic, see 'Global Nuclear Power Outlook and Opportunities 2007'
Article Source: ArticleRich.com
Keywords:fossil fuels, Japan, Kashiwazaki Kariwa, nuclear power, nuclear reaction
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Measurement and verification strategies for energy savings certificates: meeting the challenges of an uncertain world
Abstract: End-use energy efficiency is a cost-effective and rapidly deployable strategy for significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy costs. Energy savings certificates (ESCs)—instruments assigning the property rights to energy savings or attributes of those savings—are becoming an effective tool for meeting energy savings and GHG targets. The efficacy of ESCs will depend on the market’s ability to (1) verify the amount of savings that they certify along with the uncertainty of those savings (i.e., quantify their value), (2) clearly assign ownership rights to that value (i.e., state exactly who owns what) and (3) efficiently buy and sell those rights between interested parties (i.e., conduct simple transactions). The measurement and verification (M&V) system governing ESCs will critically impact whether these three criteria are satisfied. An M&V system for ESCs requires the fundamental elements of an M&V system for any regulated energy-efficiency program, but must also address more explicitly the above-mentioned criteria. In this paper, the authors discuss the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) and specific elements of an M&V system that address components of an ESC system.
Keywords: Measurement and verification - Energy savings certificates - White credits - Energy efficiency - Transaction costs
Authors:Steven Meyers1 and Steve Kromer2
(1) Rational Energy Network, 4305 Palladio Drive, Austin, TX 78731, USA
(2) 3110 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
References:
Keywords: Measurement and verification - Energy savings certificates - White credits - Energy efficiency - Transaction costs
Authors:Steven Meyers1 and Steve Kromer2
(1) Rational Energy Network, 4305 Palladio Drive, Austin, TX 78731, USA
(2) 3110 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA
References:
- Journal Energy Efficiency Publisher Springer Netherlands ISSN 1570-646X (Print) 1570-6478 (Online) Issue Volume 1, Number 4 / November, 2008 DOI 10.1007/s12053-008-9019-5 Pages 313-321 Subject Collection Earth and Environmental Science SpringerLink Date Tuesday, August 19, 2008 [...]
Incentives for energy efficiency in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Abstract:This paper explores the incentives for energy efficiency induced by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for installations in the energy and industry sectors. Our analysis of the National Allocation Plans for 27 EU Member States for phase 2 of the EU ETS (2008–2012) suggests that the price and cost effects for improvements in carbon and energy efficiency in the energy and industry sectors will be stronger than in phase 1 (2005–2007), but only because the European Commission has substantially reduced the number of allowances to be allocated by the Member States. To the extent that companies from these sectors (notably power producers) pass through the extra costs for carbon, higher prices for allowances translate into stronger incentives for the demand-side energy efficiency. With the cuts in allocation to energy and industry sectors, these will be forced to greater reductions; thus, the non-ET sectors like household, tertiary, and transport will have to reduce less, which is more in line with the cost-efficient share of emission reductions. The findings also imply that domestic efficiency improvements in the energy and industry sectors may remain limited since companies can make substantial use of credits from the Kyoto Mechanisms. The analysis of the rules for existing installations, new projects, and closures suggests that incentives for energy efficiency are higher in phase 2 than in phase 1 because of the increased application of benchmarking to new and existing installations and because a lower share of allowances will be allocated for free. Nevertheless, there is still ample scope to further improve the EU ETS so that the full potential for energy efficiency can be realized.
Keywords: Climate policy , Emission trading, Energy efficiency , Innovation
Authors: Joachim Schleich1, 2, 3 , Karoline Rogge1, 4 and Regina Betz5(1) Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany (2) Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany (3) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA (4) Group for Sustainability and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland (5) Center for Energy and Environmental Markets, School of Economics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Joachim Schleich Email: joachim.schleich@isi.fraunhofer.de
Referecnces:
- Journal Energy Efficiency Publisher Springer Netherlands ISSN 1570-646X (Print) 1570-6478 (Online) Issue Volume 2, Number 1 / February, 2009 DOI 10.1007/s12053-008-9029-3 Pages 37-67 Subject Collection Earth and Environmental Science SpringerLink Date Thursday, September 11, 2008 [...]
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wave Energy and Wave Power: a small review
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example for electricity generation, desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Wave power is a renewable energy source.Though often co-mingled, wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents. Wave power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology although there have been attempts at using it since at least 1890. The world's first commercial wave farm is based in Portugal,at the Aguçadora Wave Park, which consists of three 750 kilowatt Pelamis devices.[...]Recent developments on Wave Energy:
- Wave Energy: New System Captures Significantly More Wave Energy Than Existing Systems: Scientists have designed a pilot-scale device that will capture significantly more of the energy in ocean waves than existing systems, and have used it to power an electricity-generating turbine.[1]
- Wave Power Facility Successful in Sweden: A wave energy plant located in the sea outside Lysekil, Sweden has been quite successful. For nearly three years, a wave power plant has stood on the bottom of the ocean a couple of kilometers off the west coast of Sweden, near Lysekil. The station is uniquely durable and maintenance-free because of its simple mechanical construction.[2]
- Wave Energy Potential Warrants Further Research And Development, Says EPRI: A new report from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) suggests that generation of electricity from wave energy may be economically feasible in the near future. The study was carried out by EPRI in collaboration with the DOE. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and energy agencies and utilities from six states.[3]
- Oregon May Lead Future Of Wave Energy: Significant advances in university research and other studies in the past two years are pointing toward Oregon as the possible epicenter of wave energy development in the United States. This may lead to a major initiative to expand a technology that is now in its engineering infancy, and tap the constant heave of the oceans for a new era of clean, affordable and renewable electrical power.[4]
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