Belo Monte is a controversial mega dam being built in the Amazon on Indigenous land. The old project conceived during the military dictatorship (1964-1985), and which was revived by the Lula government, is the bête noire of Brazilian environmentalists due to the damage it will cause to a pristine region in the Amazon. It will pave the way to tens of other dams in the region.

The latest installment of the saga has been the expulsion of journalists from the site where they would cover the latest protest by indigenous activists who have brought the building of the dam to a halt.

According to Portal da Imprensa, a website dedicate to journalism news, earlier in May three reporters were barred from covering the occupation of Belo Monte’s building site in the state of Pará. Two of them were removed by around 100 policemen and a third one received a R$100 fine (US$50) and expelled from the site.

150 indigenous representatives of the affected nations affected by the dams being built on the rivers Xingu, Tapajós e Teles Pires occupied Sítio Belo Monte, the main site and demanded the works to be halted until they were heard by the federal government.

Human rights experts say the expulsion of the journalists does not make sense and is technically incoherent. They say the legal system is a pawn in the political game played by the consortium leading the construction of the dam.

The protesters left the site when a week ago a court order authorized the police to use force to evict them.

Besides all the human rights and ecological controversy, a new study by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that if deforestation continues at the same rate as in the present, the power output of Belo Monte could be reduced to a mere 25 percent of the projected generation capacity.

Source: Portal da Imprensa

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Alarming news on the climate change front this Friday. Scientific measurements show that the heat-trapping gas has now reached an average daily level above 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in three million years. This raises the prospects of drastic climatic shifts and higher sea levels.

The milestone was reached on May 9. Measurements, which began in 1958, are taken in the atmosphere of Mauna Loa, Hawaii (top left photo). Independent measurements made by both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been approaching this level during the past week. Mauna Loa is the oldest continuous carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement station in the world, and is the primary global benchmark site for monitoring the increase of greenhouse gas.

The concentration of carbon dioxide has increased every year since scientists started making measurements on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano more than five decades ago. The rate of increase has accelerated since the measurements started, from about 0.7 ppm per year in the late 1950s to 2.1 ppm per year during the last 10 years.

“That increase is not a surprise to scientists,” said NOAA senior scientist Pieter Tans, with the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.

Driving the increase in carbon dioxide concentration is our reliance on fossil fuels. “The evidence is conclusive that the strong growth of global CO2 emissions from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas is driving the acceleration,” he added.

Before the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, global average CO2 was about 280 ppm. During the last 800,000 years, CO2 fluctuated between about 180 ppm during ice ages and 280 ppm during interglacial warm periods. Today’s rate of increase is more than 100 times faster than the increase that occurred when the last ice age ended.

It was researcher Charles David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, who began measuring carbon dioxide at Mauna Loain 1958, initiating now what is known as the “Keeling Curve.” His son, Ralph Keeling, also a geochemist at Scripps, has continued the Scripps measurement record since his father’s death in 2005.

Once emitted, CO2 added to the atmosphere and oceans remains for thousands of years. Thus, climate changes forced by CO2 depend primarily on cumulative emissions, making it progressively more and more difficult to avoid further substantial climate change.

The new data gives us a pause for thought about expansionist economic models and the source of energy that powers the world’s economy. Alternative energy is part of the mix of solutions we should be pursuing to create a sustainable future. They are cleaner, renewable and decentralized, but at this stage they need stronger official policies to reach economic sustainability.

Source: NOAA

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Verizon has announced it will invest $100 million in a solar and fuel-cell energy project that will help power 19 of its facilities in seven states across the country. The company estimates the completed project will generate more than 70 million kilowatt of clean energy, which would be enough to power more than 6,000 single-family homes a year. This amount of clean, solar power prevents the emission of more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is enough to offset the annual CO2 emissions from more than 1 million gallons of gas.

The fuel cell and solar products will be installed at several Verizon buildings, including corporate offices, call centers, data centers and central offices. The project is part of the company’s plan to cut in half by 2020 its carbon intensity, that is, carbon emissions produced per terabyte of data flowing through its networks.

“This is a natural evolution of our sustainability efforts and of our use of alternative energy to power a variety of our facilities,” said James Gowen, Verizon’s chief sustainability officer. These projects will reduce our carbon footprint, relieve demand on the electrical grid and enhance the resiliency of our proven service continuity – even during outages.”

Verizon will work with ClearEdge Power, a manufacturer of scalable, distributed power systems, to install PureCell Model 400 fuel cell systems at its sites in California, New Jersey and New York. The installation work, ClearEdge’s largest single-user project to date, will begin soon and continue throughout the year.

Verizon has also signed a multiyear agreement with SunPower and is negotiating the deployment of high-efficiency rooftop- and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems as well as solar parking canopies at Verizon facilities in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Arizona and North Carolina. The systems, which will generate approximately 8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, are expected to be completed this year and to reduce Verizon’s annual carbon footprint by more than 5,000 metric tons of CO2.

An early adopter of fuel cell technologies, Verizon currently operates one of the largest fuel cell sites of its kind to power a call-switching center and office building in Garden City (NY). The company also uses 26 solar-assisted cell sites in remote areas in the western United States to help power the portion of the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network serving those areas.

How fuel cells work:

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Photo credit: GEGeneral Electric recently announced it had started testing the prototype of what it calls the world’s most efficient high-output wind turbine. The new 2.5-120 is being tested in Wieringermeer, Netherlands.

The 2.5-120 harnesses the power of the Industrial Internet to analyze tens of thousands of data points every second allowing for management of variable wind sources to provide smooth, predictable power. The turbine integrates energy storage and advanced forecasting algorithms while communicating seamlessly with neighboring turbines, service technicians and operators.

Combining efficiency and power output at low-wind-speed sites, the2.5-120 captures a 25 percent increase in efficiency and a 15 percent increase in power output compared to GE’s current model. GE says wind farm operators at low-winds-speed sites can benefit from its efficiency and output, thanks to its advanced controls and 120-meter rotor which enable increased energy capture and greater power output in low-wind areas. The taller tower, which has a maximum hub height of 139 meters, makes it ideal for heavily forested regions in places like Europe and Canada.

GE has worked with ECN, a Dutch independent research institute for renewable energy, for the past decade to validate its newest technologies. The 2.5-120 prototype will be tested and validated in accordance with the highest GE and industry standards through fall 2013.

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Hawaii is one of the American states cracking ahead to make a switch to clean, solar power. We have reported several achievements Hawaiian Electric Co. reaching 20 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy on the island of Oahu.

As usual, government incentives plays key part in promoting a switch to renewable power. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is a good place get started, but if you want to make your life a tad easier, check out the infograph that AlternateEnergy has put together so consumers can learn about the gist of what’s on offer in that State.

The graph breaks down all the major tax credits and incentives available to Hawaii residents for photovoltaic solar electric systems, solar hot water systems, and solar attic fans, as well as some statistics on the current state of electricity in Hawaii.

The graphic reflects the recent November 2012 changes to the state solar tax rules for how a system is calculated.

Hawaii’s Solar Tax Credits & Incentives presented by Alternate Energy, Inc.

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It looks great and it’s also greener. Designed by Elie Ahovi, “Lit” combines LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) with optical fiber technology.

This means that the bulb will last much longer, besides offering dimmable light quality. It is a much more eco-friendly option to incandescent lights and an alternative to CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights).

The design is inspired by old incandescent bulbs, so it should be please retro bulb fans, and it can be adapted to a range of lighting fixtures.

Visit the designer’s page on “Lit” to find out more.

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As I posted a few days earlier, we have been shortlisted for the UNEP’s World Environment Day blogging competition. This year’s theme is food waste and the celebrations will take place in Mongolia on June 05th.

In order to get the prize, we need your vote, so please take a look at our article and vote for us.

Voting is open until April 14th. Vote, spread the word and contribute to the debate on sustainability.

Thank you very much!

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Here at Energy Refuge are over the moon for having been shortlisted for the UNEP’s 2013 World Environment Day blogging competition. This year’s theme is food waste, and this is our entry on the theme.

Now we need your vote! The second round of the competition involved writing a new blog post, so here’s our entry. The Vote button at the bottom of the article and voting is open until April 14th. The winner will be flown over to Mongolia, this year’s WED’s host country, to blog about the event.

The topic we’ve chosen to write about was: How can this generation as a whole make the shift from conspicuous to conscious consumption? We focused on how technology such as alternative energy can help, but we also highlighted the need to fundamentally change the way we deal with the planet and approach life in order to build a new, sustainable civilization model.

Thanks for supporting us!

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Just under two years ago, Energy Refuge went to Ontario for a conference on water technology. At the time, we visited the site of the Niagara Tunnel Project, when a hard-rock tunnel boring machine had finally broken through the other side.

Now, the Ontario government has just finished the project, which is estimated to provide clean power for 100 years. The new tunnel is more than six miles long (10 km) and channels additional water from the Niagara River to flow to the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station at a rate of 500 cubic metres (132,086 gallons) per second. This will supply Ontario with enough clean, renewable electricity to power 160,000 homes.

The largest hydroelectric project to come into service in Ontario for the past 50 years, the Niagara Tunnel Project is a significant provincial achievement. Building a clean, reliable energy system is part of Ontario’s plan to ensure we have the electricity we need to power the province’s homes, schools, hospitals and economy.

“This project is a source of pride as an engineering feat and as a practical solution for meeting Ontario’s energy needs through clean sources. The completion of this project will provide Ontario with a source of clean energy for the next 100 years,” said Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Energy.

The height of the tunnel equals to that of a four-storey building. 653,000 cubic yards of concrete were used to line it, which would be enough for building a 1,000 kilometer (600 miles) sidewalk.

Since 2003, more than 360 megawatts of new, upgraded and refurbished waterpower projects have come online in Ontario, enough to power an estimated 240,000 households.

OPG says the new project remains one of the best value renewable energy initiatives in Ontario. OPG and contractor STRABAG agreed to a revised schedule in early 2009 due to difficult rock conditions, and have stayed true to both the schedule and budget. In fact, the project cost will be $100 million lower than the revised $1.6 billion cost, and the in-service date, March 9, is nine months sooner than projected in 2009.

Hydropower is a clean source of energy when it doesn’t require damming rivers and flooding over forests, which will then release carbon as they rot underwater. This project taps into the natural topography of Niagara Falls to produce power.

Source: Ontario Power Generation

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Technorati Tags: Hydropower, Niagara, Niagara Tunnel Project

Portable solar power light solutions are the way to go, especially for people living in areas without a grid connection. That’s why we love Luci, the solar light.

Created by Micro Power Design, a self-proclaimed “technology incubator, accelerator and manufacturer providing lifestyle innovations to those who need it most”, Luci is a low cost, lighting solution that offer durability and longevity. Besides its application in off-the-grid zones, it’s also great for emergency situations and disasters.

We have covered other solar lights before, so what makes Luci different? According to Micro Power design, Luci is unique because it combines the functions of a task light, flash light and diffused lantern. It weighs only 4.5 ounces making it compact, lightweight and collapsible for travel, is durable and reliable in extreme weather conditions and can easily be attached to a wall or ceiling. Power is stored in a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Check out the complete list of product specs below.

 Charge time of 8 hours yields a minimum of 6-12 hours of light
 Luci charges under direct sunlight and even under incandescent light
 Maintains a single charge for 3 months
 Ten white Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) with 4000 mcd light source
 Two brightness levels to conserve battery life
 Flashing-light setting for emergency situations
 Delivers up to 80 lumens providing 15 sq ft of light
 The rechargeable lithium polymer battery pack can be charged while collapsed or expanded
 300 – 500 cycle life
 Over charge/discharge protection
 Over current and short circuit protection
 Waterproof PVC enclosure
 Minimum lifespan of 2 years

Technical Specifications
Weight
 4.5 Ounces
Size
 5″ Diameter
 1″ Height Collapsed
 4″ Height Open
 Open Panel Dimension – 3.35″x3.35″
Power
 Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) 4.3V
 Optimum Operating Voltage (Vmp) 2.6V
 Short Circuit Current (Isc) 3.5A
 Optimum Operating Current (Imp) 220mA
 Rated Watts 0.6W
 Voltage DC
 Amps 200mA
 Output Voltage of the Battery 3.7V
 Working Voltage of LED Need ≥2.6V
 Storage Temperature: -20°C~28°C, not to exceed 60°C

The company is taking orders and guess what? For every Luci purchase, another one will be donated to a recipient in need. Check it out here.

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Technorati Tags: Luci solar light, portable solar lights, Solar power