Green World Now

Ambitious European initiative will bring solar energy from Sahara

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:29:00 +0000

Investing in the desert!

A consortium of European companies, mainly from Germany, starts an ambitious 400 billion plan to build giant power plants in the Sahara and the Middle East, which will cover 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050.

The draft Industrial Desertec Initiative will cover a total area of 9000 square kilometers-about-Crete as in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The collection of solar energy will occupy 2,500 square kilometers, while the rest are in an advanced distribution network.

Approximately 80% of energy supplies will be producing countries, while the remainder will be distributed in Europe.

H Desertec initiative says the French News Agency, was officially launched Monday in Munich with the signing of an agreement among 12 companies, most based in Germany. Support project also companies from Algeria and Spain, and officials in Egypt and Jordan.

It also welcomed the initiative by Greenpeace, which found that «a quarter of global electricity production could come from solar energy in deserts.

Sunshine

«In the Sahara, the duration of sunshine reaching the 4,800 hours a year [...] solar units will cover an area of 90,000 square kilometers could meet the energy needs of the world» appreciates the energy sector of Siemens, which involved in Desertec with solar and wind technologies and power systems.

The initiative is based on the technology of photovoltaics, which convert sunshine directly into electricity.

The design is based on thermal plants, which consist of arrays of mirrors that reflect radiation in a central focal point. From there the heat is transported through pipes to a liquid filled atmoilektriki generator that produces electricity.

The plan also provides for the construction of wind farms and desalination plants for producing countries.

Transnational action

A study completed jointly by the Desertec, Greenpeace and the environmental research institute of Voupertal estimates the project will generate around two million jobs.

It will also significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, both in Europe and countries of production, and support the economies of North Africa, perhaps limiting the wave of immigration from Europe.

Obstruction in the overall project could be the huge cost of 400 billion, although the Desertec estimates that 10 billion is enough for the first phase of the project.

The cost of energy production could also be prohibitively expensive for poor countries' production and therefore the Greenpeace calls to subsidize the purchase cost.

Potential obstacle is the political instability in the region, which Desertec hopes to avoid increasing the number of participating countries and supporting their economic development.

Reservations for the initiative was the German financial newspaper Handelsblatt, which described the project «eco-colonialism».

Revolutionary lithium battery is charging instantly!!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:59:00 +0000

A «ntoped» lithium battery developed by researchers at MIT promises to lead a few years in mobile phones loaded in seconds, laptop computers «fill» a minute and electric cars have to stay in the outlet just five minutes.

The new battery, which is presented in leading British journal Nature, is constructed from materials that are already in mass production of battery-this means that new technology could be exploited commercially within two to three years.

Speeding

The lithium ion batteries currently used in a huge range of electrical appliances, from mobile phones to hybrid vehicles. Although capable of storing large amounts of energy per unit weight, have the disadvantage of slow be recharged.

The problem is due to the low rate at which lithium ions move through the device.

The lithium batteries «essentially devices that move lithium ions between two electrodes» explains on the website of the Nature o Gkermprant Senter Massachusetts Institute of Technology, headed the study.

Batteries generate electricity when the ions released from the anode electrode, pass through an electrolyte, and ultimately bound by the opposite electrode descent. To recharge the battery, the process is simply reversed.

The researchers were able to dramatically accelerate the process with a small modification to the equipment already used in the cathode electrode of lithium batteries (lithium-iron phosphate).

The coating of the electrode with a thin layer of lithium phosphate facilitates the entry of ions in microscopic tunnels that are in the crystalline structure of the material and thus drastically reduces the recharge time.

Using this new technique, researchers have created prototype battery to fully charged within 9 to 20 seconds.

Since they did not use «exotic» materials, say confident that the technique could easily be adapted for commercial use. Manufacturers of batteries «could do a few years,» said Senter to Reuters.

The only problem, the researcher noted, is that the wiring used for recharging should be strengthened to withstand the extra power.

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Will Jatropha save the biofuel revolution?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:51:00 +0000

The fruit pods plucked from Jatropha trees have seeds that produce burning diesel fuel (clean). And doesn't compete with food crops for arable land. It grows like weeds even in the worst of soil!
Jatropha and algae can revive the biofusel movement acused to divert too much crops from too many mouths.
Only India set aside 100.000.000 acres for jatropha cultivation and expects that oil produced will be 20% of its diesel consumption just by 2011!Also Australia, Brazil, Cina and Kenya are interested on it. A boing 747 was successfuly tested by Air New Zealand using a 50-50 blend of Jatropha and normal aviation fuel!!
The trees are native to the Caribbean (jatrophas curcas) and were taken to India by portugese sailors in the 1600s who used the seed for long burning lamp oil.
The fuel emits very little green house gases and the trees can capture 9 tons of CO2 per hectare, so that growers can ask carbon credits on the global markets.

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The largest photovoltaic power station in Greece is operating

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:22:00 +0000

The station became operational in a critical period of high demand
Power 944 KW already in the grid of the country fotovoltaikos station company Sunergy in Pontoirakleia of Kilkis.

It is the largest installation of solar energy in Greece to be put into operation an even greater station in Dei Megalopolis in 2009.

The unit of Synergy, which will be inaugurated officially in September, built by the German Phoenix Solar, with headquarters in Munich, which is a market leader in photovoltaic systems technology and is also active in Spain, Italy, Singapore and Australia.

The station became operational in a critical period, as demand in the summer months is high, but stocks in the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants are very low.

The Sunergy SA, based in Thessaloniki, is among the first in Greece have submitted applications for the construction of photovoltaic parks on a large scale, with a total force of more than 5.700 KW.

Ongoing talks are the Sunergy with investors for the construction of new parks total photovoltaic effect 15.000 KW.

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Regional Turboprops Make a Comeback and cut airlines fuel costs!!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:04:00 +0000

As fuel prices soar to record highs and airlines struggle to maintain profitability, the unglamorous but fuel-efficient turboprop regional airliner is making a remarkable comeback.

The revival of the propeller-driven planes — which typically consume a quarter to a third less fuel than equivalent jets — marks a significant new trend in the industry. Until recently, many commuter airlines had been determined to consign the planes to history and convert to all-jet fleets, which offer greater passenger comfort.

Although the latest generation of turboprops has addressed some of the comfort issues by flying above turbulence and providing quieter cabins, analysts say the airlines' money worries about their bottom line now outweigh any passenger preferences.

With jet fuel prices 60 percent to 70 percent higher than a year ago, regional jets no longer offer good economics for short-haul flights, said Michael Dyment, an aviation analyst at Nexa Capital Partners, a Washington, D.C., corporate finance group.

"Nowadays, operating efficiency trumps any passenger considerations," Dyment said.

The world's remaining manufacturers of turboprops for commuter airlines, Canada's Bombardier and France's ATR, have ramped up production to 140 of the planes this year, after making 100 deliveries in 2007. This compares with only 26 in 2002.

Reversal of anti-turboprop trend

"There has been a clear reversal of trends in the regional airline business over the past three to four years," said Richard Maslem, an editor of Airliner World, a British trade magazine. "Airlines that only a short time ago were championing the cause for the regional jet and suggesting the end of the line for turboprop models are now having to eat their words."

The regional sector as a whole experienced something of a boom, with traffic growth estimated at almost 8 percent in 2007, ranging from 3.1 percent in the U.S. to more than 9 percent in China.

While jets such as the Embraer E-series still topped the delivery list, the upsurge was led by turboprops, which accumulated 210 orders from clients worldwide.

The 1950s-era Fokker 27 was typical of the first generation of short-haul airliners with gas turbine engines driving propellers, which acquired a reputation for fuel economy and ruggedness.

Passengers, however, hated the propeller noise, vibrating cabins and susceptibility to turbulence at low altitudes.

As the next generation was entering service in the 1980s, many feeder airlines favored speedier and quieter 30- to 70-seat jets, such as those produced by Brazil's Embraer. This sparked predictions that they would eventually replace the turboprops.

By the beginning of the millennium, several turboprop manufacturers — including Fokker and Saab — had either declared bankruptcy or abandoned production of turboprops, leaving Bombardier ATR as the only major turboprop manufacturer.

The need to cut costs

But tight economic times have revived demand for the propeller craft over the past couple of years. A recent report by the market research firm Forecast International attributed this to the need by regional airlines to cut costs and reduce fares in the face of competition from low-fare carriers.

Jet fuel now averages US$3.70 (euro2.40) a gallon (for 3.8 liters) in the U.S. — nearly double the price a year ago. Local airlines, which generally are run on very slim margins, already routinely resort to fuel-saving measures such as taxiing out on a single engine and coasting to landings by idling the engines.

With market interest growing, Bombardier is evaluating lengthening its existing 78-seat Q-400 to 90 seats, and its French rival is considering launching a totally new aircraft rather than extend its existing 70-seat ATR-72.

The new models would also have advanced noise and vibration suppression systems and would fly at higher cruising altitudes than their forerunners, offering in-flight comfort levels comparable to jets.

The stakes are high for both companies, because analysts predict a requirement of nearly 1,500 regional aircraft from 2007 through 2016 to keep up with projected demand.

Comfort and cost-efficiency

"What has happened with new-generation turboprops is on short flights and with a smaller capacity they can open up or sustain markets that jets cannot. So you get the best of both worlds — comfort for passengers and financial viability for the airline operator because of the 30 percent lower per seat costs," said John Strickland, director of JLS Consulting, a London-based aviation consultancy firm.

Strickland also pointed to the widening use of turboprops among partner subsidiaries of such companies as Lufthansa, Alaska Air, Air France and Quantas, where they feed traffic to the carriers' jet routes.

Luxembourg's airline Luxair typifies the turnaround.

In 2000, the carrier decided to discontinue the turboprop fleet it had operated since the 1950s and replace it with commuter jets. But as fuel prices skyrocketed, the airline turned to the more economical propeller models, and placed orders in 2006 for a fleet of new Q-400s.

Among other orders in recent weeks:

* Seattle-based Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group Inc., ordered 15 of the Q-400 turboprops from Bombardier, with options for 20 more, in a deal worth nearly US$400 million.
* SAS, the joint flag carrier of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, reversed its decision to discard its fleet of Q-400s after a series of landing gear incidents. Instead, it reached a compensation agreement with the planemaker that included orders for 27 new aircraft of an improved model with options for 24 more — a potential value of US$1.75 billion.

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In Megalopolis, the second largest solar park in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:36:00 +0000

With energy from the sun will cover from the summer of 2009 their needs in electrical 7,000 households in Arcadia. It is in accordance with the DEI, the first of the 28 thousand households will be powered by solar energy through photovoltaic park Megalopolis.

As write News on Monday, the park force 50 M W aspires to be the second largest in Europe and the company DEI Renewable, a subsidiary of DEI, will launch the relevant competition in the autumn so no later than early 2009 to begin the placement of the first panel.

If all goes well, until next summer will have been installed, according to estimates of DEI, a total of 10-11 M W, power able to cover first phase needs 7,000 local customers.

The park will be at least 400 meters beyond the city draft of Megalopolis, which has raised reactions from residents and agencies portion of the region, who fear an increase both visual nuisance and radiation because of mirroring of the panel.

As, however, supports the PPC, there will be no line of sight of residents with a location of the park, because of topography, and is at elevation difference of 30 metres from the city and separated by park 300 acres.

The already-developed trees in the park, but also a new battery that will planted in the northern limit of the establishment of the park, will make it, always at DEI, it impossible to contact the city of Megalopolis.

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Green Project (GP)

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:39:00 +0000

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A voluntary initiative to raise environmental awareness through artistic creation undertake to carry out 73 artists and scientists. The team of Green Project (GP) will start from Athens to reach Beijing.

The initiative called «Green Project: Athens 2008-Beijing from the streets of silk on the streets of energy» and relates to a green pilgrimage 73 scientists and artists 11,121 kilometres.

To address the gap Athens-Beijing will use technology vehicles limiting emissions of carbon dioxide.

In the traces of «Silk Road» crew GP will look for the symbolic path bounded today by the trade of energy aiming to highlight bioclimatic architecture and development of renewable energy, building on the art of photography, painting, architecture , Video art, documentaries.

The initiative under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Athens, and has the support of the Office of the European Parliament in Greece, the chairman of the House and the Energy Regulatory Authority of Greece.

New ways to increase attribution of current photovoltaic systems!!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:43:00 +0000

Researchers of MIT developed a line of transparent plastic filters that can double the attribution of current photovoltaic systems, or be placed on windows for the production of electric energy.
The filters, that are presented Friday in periodical Science, contain colouring substances that absorb light and send it to utmost the plastic leaf, round which they are found placed by photovoltaic elements.
The new technology could become commercial available in three years. The researchers appreciate in deed that the filters could [epistrothoyn] in big glass buildings and change him thus in stations of production of energy.
Colouring the filters they leave the 10% of solar radiation to pass, so that are litted up the internal spaces of buildings, while the rest is absorbed by photovoltaic elements in the frames of glass panes.
The organic molecules colouring absorb the photons of solar radiation and emit again him in different length of wave. These photons are moved afterwards in the interior of plastic and reach up to utmost his.
Apart from the windows, the new system could be placed above the solar collectors so that it develops the photons that are lost. This approach would increase the output of current photovoltaic systems at 90%, appreciates the team of Dr Marc Baldo.
The idea had been proposed initially the decade 1970, later however was abandoned because big part of energy of photons was lost as heat front it reaches in utmost the plastic leaves.

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Is Electric car a reality?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:38:00 +0000

Nissan and Renault unveiled a prototype for an all-electric car in israel (may 11). Also Nissan declared thatwould mass-market a similar model in the U.S. and Japan by 20010.
Gm will complete its' gas-electric hybrid, called Chevrolet Volt, by 2012..

Are we really near to a major step in cars??

Some problems remain..

The cost of batteries is still high and it seems they aren't fit for long commutes. But this last one could be resolved by rethinking the "refueling" procedure..
Also we must think the electricity for charging where it comes from..nuclear? Coal? This could just move the problem..
But one country thought of a solution! Denmark, which is working with Nissan and Renault to market electric vehicles, plans to use its wind turbines to fuel its transportation revolution!!

Do you think this could actually work? Lets see what will happen ;)

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Save the Cretan Landscape: Stop Golf Development on Cavo Sidero

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:33:00 +0000

A petition i found on the net...very important i believe!!

read more on this blog, click here

Zero carbon emission city

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:12:00 +0000

Do you immagine a city with no carbon emission? Where citizens will move using automated means of transport? With low buildings and renewable sources of energy? They immagined it and sterted to create it at the United Arab Emirates...

Building Mansar City is starting today and the plan will be completed at 2015. It will cost 22 billinos us dollars circa. The design was made from Foster & Parten

Its 50 thousand citizens will use tram trasportation and othe automated means of transport. Instead of skyscrapers of Abu Dabi, Mansar city will have low buildings with solar panels on the roofs.

Desert offers optimal contitions but in the Emirates only parkmeters use solar energy.

The city will be built near the sea and a wall will protect her from warm wind coming from the sesert and the airport landstrip from Abu Dabi.

Emirates have petrol for at least 150 years more, but instead acting like other countries producing it, emirates seek to modify their economy so to reduce their depency from petrol.

Mansar City is a part of an ambitious plan of the government that started on 2006.

Let's see if someone else follows theis path ^_^'

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New fuel for airplanes??

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:48:00 +0000

An Airbus 380, bigest civilian aircraft, did an experimental flight from Britain to france using a sinthetic fuel that is being produced from natural gas and it is considered more "clean" from conventional fuel!!

This Airbus had the sign " more green, more clean, more quiet, more clever" and did the flight from bristol to tuluze, where the main factory is.

Three of the engines where using conventional fuel and the fourth used GLT (Gas to Liquid) which is a sinthetic fuel from shell.

The test was made after agreement from Shell, Airbus, Rolls Royce and Qatar Airways. Qatar in fact is preparing a site that will produce GLT and Qatar Airways is hoping to became the first airline to use this fuel.

Airbus plans incude some testing using biofuels until 2009.

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Are lowcost airlines affecting the climate?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 08:58:00 +0000

It seems that flying lowcost has increased the percentage of gas emissions in europe!!

Travelling with just 50 euros across europe is a great thing confronting with prices of traditional airlines...but there's a catch.
All these flight have impact, a big one in our skies. The success of low-cost airlines threatens to ruin all European efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, the call for an EU-wide tax on aeroplane fuel is getting louder. Probably this isn't a great solution...
People will and must continue to travel across this continent so just putting a tax to collect money or to "advise" not to travel isn'r so great, instead of searching other solutions, like other fuels or easier other means of trasportation..

Low-cost airlines are conquering the European travel market with cut-throat prices, and the aeroplane is fast becoming an everyday means of transport. But this has dramatic consequences for the environment as no other form of transport has such a damaging ecological effect as the aeroplane. A single flight can use up to five times as much fuel as a train journey of the same distance. Even the car, with a similar fuel consumption per head, is better in comparison. But most important...........at such high altitude, the combustion of fuel contributes to the greenhouse effect to a far greater extent than on land.

So, can flight become more greener, more ecological friendly?
I admit myself used several times lowcost flight, paid little and had fun, but....what is the real price actually?

Also...the airlines woo customers away from alternative forms of transport – according to one survey, a third of Ryanair’s customers (the biggest low-cost airline) have switched from car or train because of the low prices. The budget airlines have created a completely new mass market. A two day shopping trip to London and a relaxing weekend in Mallorca would remain a luxury few could afford without Ryanair and Co.

Clean Air Cars!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 20:47:00 +0000

Let's see a not so fresh news: This agreement was signed of february 2007! Tata Motors, in keeping with its role as the leading company in India for automotive R&D, has signed an agreement, in yet another exciting engineering and development effort, with MDI of France for application in India of MDI’s path-breaking technology for engines powered by air. The MDI Group is headed by Mr. Guy Negre, who founded the company in the 1990s in pursuit of his dream to pioneer an engine using just compressed air as fuel – which may be the ultimate environment-friendly engine yet. Besides, the engine is efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and capable of other applications like power generation. The agreement between Tata Motors and MDI envisages Tata’s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India. Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Guy Negre has said, “MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority.” - About MDI MDI is a small, family-controlled company located at Carros, near Nice (Southern France) where Mr. Guy Negre and Mr. Cyril Nègre, together with their technical team, have developed a new engine technology with the purpose of economising energy and respect severe ecological requirements – at competitive costs. - About Tata Motors Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 5.5 billion in 2005-06. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world's fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia and in Australia. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto have announced the formation of an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets. Tata Motors already distributes Fiat-branded cars in India. The company’s international footprint include Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. in South Korea; Hispano Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer of Spain in which the company has a 21% stake; a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazil-based body-builder of buses and coaches; and a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market pickup vehicles in Thailand. Tata Motors has research centres in India, the UK, and in its subsidiary and associate companies in South Korea and Spain. you can check MDI website here:
Angelo Di Pietro site here: There also another story about another air compressed motor made from an italian living and working in Australia!! Angelo Di Pietro created a revolutionary engine different from the french one, that kept using tradition engine piston use! This engine looks even smaller and integrated, as the previous one, with an air compressor we can continue travel as much as we want. In my opinio its small size makes it ideal for scooters or motorcycles ^_^ Lets check a video with both solutions!!

Reduce gasoline consuption

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 11:11:00 +0000

Why do this? well , not only for the ambient...right now petrol prices are the highest ever.. (of course there are some concerns if that price is direct connected with the gasoline one..but this will be another post :) )

We have a lot of way doing that now with current technology. Like use mass trasport if possible, buy a hybrid car or electric scooter!!! Start walking ;) I saw an episode where Homer sipson would use the car to go almost everywhere...meybe not in the bathroom :) so probably most of us do pretty much the same! Think about this twice...think about the ambient you live and your wallet also!

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Alternative transport

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 23:07:00 +0000

A Great idea for Genova city in Italy...

Electric Motor-Scooters and Motorcycles - Electric-Bikes.com... Electric Vehicle Transportation (EVT)

The implementation of the 48 Volt, Direct Drive Hub Motor in conjunction with The Intelligent System Controller has allowed the construction of a Totally Electric Scooter (The EVT- 4000e pictured here) that obtained first place in the category of "Electric Scooters" in the German Solar Vehicle Championship Year 2000 and Year 2001, sponsored by the Solar-Vehicle Federation of Germany. Likewise, The Taiwan Electric Vehicle Association on February 25, 2000, awarded The EVT-4000e with the first place in the "Eyewitness For the Electric Scooter Cruising Range Race" when it outperformed all other electric scooters by cruising for 81 kilometers (50 miles). In fact, the EVT Electric Scooters won first, second and third places in this long-range distance competition. Rides and handles like a Vespa type scooter, and will (reportedly) top out at 42 MPH with a 130 pound rider. Handling is very solid due to full suspension system, disk brakes at the rear and drum up front. The power rating of the hub motor is 1500 watts, same as the Voloci.

A new future!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:54:00 +0000

Remeber this acronym: EVI

It stands for EcoVillage at Ithaca....and its exacly what the name suggests.

Living a viable healthier life, alternative from the standard american one, this village, and many more on the Global Ecovillage network, are here to teach us something.

For example how shared cars, organic food and composite toilets, along with the more classic fotovoltaic panels, high insulated walls and multipanel fiberglass windows can save energy usually wasted through the freezing winter!
Such green strategies help reduce the ecological impact of 40% circa confront a standard community.

This is an example for all......for what a group of people, us for example, can achieve if want too, or are just nature sensible...don't you think?

It seems that the word is spreading and more are created! But the important thing is that they aren't isolated communities of hippies from the 70's...and it seems that people care actually for their neighbors and help each other. :) seems like small paradises are created in this cold world ;)

Blog Action Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:59:00 +0000

On the 15 of october we celebrate the Blog Action Day. This blog will participate like 7000 ones in the whole globe. You can use your own blog to post something about the ambient...

PARTECIPATE!!!

Live earth 7/7/2007

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:22:00 +0000

Another big event about climate change and action needed....

I'll be honest. I don't know how much these kinds of events will eventually help climate...actually i'm sure nothing will happen...unless WE, everyone, starts from small things! Don't expect your local government do everything... If i choose to recycle i'll do it for me and my children also. But it's just me...a unit. If many start throwing plastic in the recycle bin is translated in an immediate action...not promises, not just empy hopes...

Thinks about what YOU can do to save yourself, not only the planet ;)

Recycle pc parts made easy!

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:41:00 +0000

Environmental behaviour isn't just turning off monitor during stand by. What about when that part or other pc parts brake and youhave to throw them? The energy intensive proccess of refining and molding plastic means that your computer monitor alone is responsable for emissions! If you eventually toss that monitor away on the scrap pile it will take years to brake down and will likely leak a pool of chemical compounds into the ground...this isn't so good, right?
There is a company that offering a line of flat screen monitors mouse and keyboards housed in bamboo shells. Unlike plastic this is an ecofriendly material. It biodegrades easily and doesn't release any evil compound when it's decompousing. All the bamboo is dried and treated for bugs and infestation. The price isn't so hot actually: monitor from 330$, mice from 20$ and keyboard from 30$. The name of this company is PlayEngine.

First post on Hybrid cars...

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:18:00 +0000

Let see the future...actually lets see the present! One of the most best selling hybrid cars for now is the well famous Toyota Prius. It's almost 10 years since the birth of a car that runs on a petrol engine and an electric motor. The first mass produced hybrid automobile.
The combination of these 2 motor would be readily accepted by the public in terms of familiar technology. Today the second generation Prius provides both advanced environmental performance and a smooth powerful acceleration.
The combination of energy sources is not simply limited to that of a petrol engine with an electric motor. Lets think again long term :) Toyota also aims to maximize the utilization of energy sources acceptable to society like hydrogen fuel cell, biofuel or clean diesel.
But lets see how it works:

The electric motor is used primarly and power stored in the battery is used to turn the motor
During normal driving mode the management system monitors the driving conditions and intelligently controls the petrol engine and electric motor for optimum fuel efficiency. At the same time surplus energy is stored in the battery.
When you accelerate power is also provided from the battery to the electric motor combined with petrol engine.
Need to decelerate? The electric motor functions as a generator during deceleration and braking. Regenerated energy is used to recharge the battery (very clever idea)
Braking to a stop at a trafic light the petrol engine is first cut off and the electric motor bringsthe car gently to a stop. The system automatically avoids wasteful idding to conserve fuel and stop carbon emission!

Seems that more car producers start producing and selling hybrid cars. This is not just a fashion or maybe an increase to our environmental morale. Gasoline now costs so much that it's clear everyone tries to save his wallet...
Aren't all these enough reasons???

Is "friendly" trashcan the future?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:02:00 +0000

Why hawl away garbage when you can store them and pick them later easily in a 18kg compact bags? Forget the stinky overflowing trash cans found in urban corners. The successor is called BigBelly with the looks of a large newspaper vending machine that collects trash rather to distribute. The unit can hold at least 4 times as much as a standard can and so trash need to be collected less often and that means less trucks on the streets!
Large and greenit's the inside mechanics that makes the trash compactor so distinctive. It is equipped with a 40 watt solar panel connected to a 12 volt battery which runs the motor under rain or shine. When the bin is full sensors trigger gears that then compact 680lt of waste into 18kg bags. A LED display indicates that the trash is ready to picked up.
Unfortunately the unit costs, for now, almost 4000$, about 10 times the price of a conventional garbage can, but just think long term...
Jim Poss, head of the Seahorse power company has plans for the LED system to be replaced by a wireless on that will signal when the can is full.

How to reduce cooling costs..

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 10:12:00 +0000

Many of the steps you can take to reduce heating costs, such as insulating and sealing your home, will also reduce air conditioning costs.
Use fans instead of air conditioning (Fans make the air feel about 4 degrees cooler).
Turn fans off when no one is directly in the air stream of the fan. Fans do not actually cool the air; they help your skin to evaporate water more quickly, which cools you.
If you have more than two window air conditioners, it is usually more energy-efficient to install a central air conditioner.
Pay attention to efficiency ratings when looking for a new air conditioner.
Size your system properly. Calculate the heat loads.

If you have a portable air conditioners, be sure that it is vented outside. If it is vented inside, you are actually heating your home.
In geographic areas where summer nighttime temperatures fall below 75 F, open windows and use window fans to pull cool outside air into your home. Depending on the layout of your home, it may be best to only open certain windows and position fans so outside air is pulled in on one side of the house and interior air is pushed out on the other side of the house. It may be a wise choice to install a whole-house fan, which pulls air through your home and pushes it out through your attic.
Install awnings over windows and close window blinds or curtains to keep direct sunlight out.
Plant trees near your home. Choose locations that will shade your house during the afternoon. Even trees not directly shading your home will reduce local air temperatures.
Drink plenty of fluids to help your body cool itself.
Keep closets doors closed. This can save you up to 5% in heating/cooling and air costs alone.

How to reduce heating costs..

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 09:52:00 +0000

Operate your furnace efficiently:
- Install a programmable thermostat and set it so your home will not be heated as much when you are away or asleep.
- Check your furnace's air filter monthly - replace/clean as required. (more often if there is a lot of dust or pet dander in your home's air).
- Get furnace serviced annually, check for slow gas line leaks- especially at the meter and pipe junctions
- Do not obstruct or close heating or air-return vents by placing furniture or other items in front or on top of them.
Insulate and weatherize your home effectively:
- Ask your local utility to inspect your home to ensure that you have adequate insulation installed. Some may provide incentives for this checkup.
- Seal off rooms that are not in regular use and close heating vents.
- Carefully hold a smoking combustible material (such as an incense stick) near the frames of exterior doors and windows. If the smoke moves toward or away from the window, an air leak is likely. A thin shred of paper or string may also be used if a combustible smoking material is not available, though it may not work as well.
- Replace old, leaky windows (especially single-pane glass) with newer double or triple pane, gas filled, low E windows.
- Install heavy curtains over windows. Use them at night, let the sun in during the day.
- If you have basement windows that are never opened, consider replacing them with glass block, which is more insulating than a window. Keep at least two basement windows in place, however, so you can vent the basement if needed.
"Reuse" heat:
- Leave hot water in the bathtub or in cooking pots instead of draining it immediately. This allows the water's stored heat to dissipate into your home rather than being lost down the drain. You can also leave a hot oven slightly open after it's use to heat the home.
- If you have an electric dryer, you may vent it inside occasionally. The vented air will be very moist, so track humidity levels; if the humidity is high for extended periods you may encourage mold and mildew growth. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU VENT GAS DRYERS INDOORS due to carbon monoxide present in the exhaust.
Use thick blankets so you can keep your home's air temperature lower at night. Wearing a cap on your head at night can enable much lower temperatures.
Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120°F and drain the silt occasionally with a water hose. Be sure to check and replace the anode rods periodically as well.
Replace your water heater with a gas tankless water heater, which heats water on demand rather than storing heated water. Solar hot water heating also has tax credits available.
Wear several layers of clothing.
If you live alone and/or in a large home, it may be more efficient to keep your overall house temperature low (55 to 65°F) and use an electric space heater to heat the areas you use most often. For example, if you work from home, keep a heater near your desk. You could even carefully use a hair-dryer to preheat your bed in seconds. You can utilize the concepts of personal heat.
Purchase a radiant-type glowing heater to heat only yourself in the bathroom in the morning to eliminate morning whole-house heating time.
Protect your home from cold winds using windbreaks or other energy-efficient landscaping methods.
Choosing a smaller home and eschewing unnecessarily high ceilings reduces the amount of space your heating system will have to heat.
Choose an apartment or condominium rather than a free-standing house. These dwellings share walls and therefore have fewer exterior walls.

What if your A4 paper could be a battery also?

noreply@blogger.com (Karl) — Thu, 31 May 2007 08:10:00 +0000

Well this could be the future but for now this are...a little bit smaller ;)

Our battery doesn't go to the battery recycle bin. It's disposable as household waste.

A Finnish company, Enfucell, has a battery that can help people cut down on all the metal, lithium and alkaline that leaks from conventional cells.
These batteries are made of paper. It works much the same as ordinary button batteries and AA ones. Ions travel from an anode, pass through a solution called electrolyte to a cathode and emerge as an electrical charge. Instead of running ions through metal casings full of toxic and corrosive substances like lithium and alkaline the company uses a thin paper sheet as a conduit. It pastes one side with zinc and the other with manganese dioxide. Ions flow through an electrolyte solution of water and zinc cloride within the paper.
The batteries have a very strong advantage...money. Today's button ones sell in bulk for 0.20$ each. Because the 0.4mm thin SoftBattery is made from paper Enfucell can make sheets of the stuff and size the to specific applications with the tiny cost of a penny each once they hitt mass production!
For now these batteries won't power cameras or watchs. Even if they are 1.5Volts they don't last long enough to do so. The first applications could be RFID (radio frequency identification) tags which don't fraw constant power. The tags are tiny chips replacing bar codes. Other producs can be musical greeting cards, LED adorned marketing brochures and cosmetic and medical patches.