Sustain the World's Environment

Environmental Sustainability is the Key Strategy for our collective future

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Noun
environs - the area in which something exists or lives; "the country--the flat agricultural surround"

environs - an outer adjacent area of any place

We all need somewhere to live, we all need the environment - the area where we live put simply. Collectively, this is the world and together, and only together, can we ensure its sustainability, for our lives now and our children's futures.

This blog will be all about those things that affect this issue.

Funding flows to flagship Welsh tidal power project - 21 Jul 2011 - News from BusinessGreen

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:24:00 +0000

£11m in new funding has been secured for a Welsh tidal power project. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones announced the funding recently for the 1.2MW DeltaStream device next year at a location off the coast of Pembrokeshire in south-western Wales.

£6.4m came from the European Regional Development Fund, with the rest from the investors of Eco2 Ltd. Cranfield University will monitor the project and independently assess the performance of the demonstration device. If the trial is successful, the company intends to deploy eight further devices with up to 10MW capacity from 2015.

The potential of tidal power from Britain's coastline is huge, with studies showing that tidal power could provide 15 to 20 per cent UK's electricity by 2050.

Funding flows to flagship Welsh tidal power project - 21 Jul 2011 - News from BusinessGreen

e-Books | the Greener Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Home Energy Audits by Wellhome.com

Underwater Kites offer green energy from tidal power

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:18:00 +0000

Check out this video showing how one company is harnessing tidal power using underwater kites. As water is 800 times more dense than air it offers greater potential than wind turbines and unlike the wind, tides never stop.

House that creates more energy than it uses!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:07:00 +0000

Check out the video about this house built using a combination of traditional and modern methods. The house is built in the Adobe style (nothing to do with Photoshop!) and produces more energy than it uses.

Solar PV Calculator

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:18:00 +0000

Arab World Faces Environmental Catastrophe

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaThe eyes of the world are currently focussed on the political and social upheaval that is ongoing in the Arab world. The events in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria have dominated the news for weeks now. However, what lies ahead may prove to be more significant than anything we have seen yet. I am not talking about war or political change here. No, I am talking about the environment. Not in abstract terms either. We are not talking about something that may happen in 50 or 100 years. No, we are talking about environmental catastrophe in a decade or so.

What kind of catastrophe are we looking at? Well, according to Lester Brown in The Guardian, we are looking at widespread drought on a biblical scale and consequent food shortages of epic proportions. For instance, Yemen and Saudia Arabia are facing severe depletion of natural aquifers, meaning that water shortages are increasing on a scale we in the West can only imagine in our nightmares.

He gives the example of Saudia Arabia once being self-sufficient in wheat through the widespread introduction of irrigation and now facing total loss of all production due to the exhaustion of fossil aquifers. That means they have to look elsewhere to feed their almost 30 million population.

He points out that Yemen, once blessed with renewable aquifers now facing exhaustion of these too, with water tables falling around 2 meters every year. Yemen now imports 80% of its grain and with a rising population it faces ever more food shortages.

All this bodes ill for the future. Even if democracy comes to the Arab world those fledgling democracies will face uncertain futures with social disintegration an increasing problem. The next Middle East war is likely to be due, in large part, to arguments over water and it exploitation. Already, Israel has been in dispute for years with its neighbours and the Palestinian State over water. Some say that even the 1967 war was started over water. What is certain is that water and control of it will be at the heart of any future conflict.

Happy Earth Say!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:38:00 +0000

Believe it or not, Earth Day has been celebrated on 22 April for 41 years now! Question is, shouldn't every day be one in which we act responsibly and do our utmost for the good of the earth? Today happens to be Good Friday and for Christians its a day to think about the Cross. However, Christians (and indeed those of other faiths) are increasingly seeing that we all have a responsibility to look after the earth.

If we truly believe in a Creator God (and despite the Richard Dawkins of this world billions of us do) then we ought to respect Creation and be responsible stewards of what has been given into our care. So, whether you are a believer or not, make today the start of a new determination to look after the Earth and everyone in it. Have a Happy Earth Day and to all those who believe, have a Happy and Joyful Easter!

Michigan Technological University students invent CO2 scrubber

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:11:00 +0000

Michigan Technological University students have invented their own mini-smokestack scrubbing carbon dioxide from emissions. as an end product it creates a solid material that could have applications as a material useful in construction.

On the university site, the announcement states:

"An 11-foot bench-model smokestack packed with glass beads is percolating away in a lab. Near the top, a proprietary liquid dribbles down. From below, carbon dioxide bubbles up. By the time the gas reaches the top, fully half of the CO2 has been gobbled up by the liquid. The process not only captures carbon, it binds it in a solid form, making an undisclosed product that can be used as a construction material. The liquid itself can be recovered and used again. The group has applied for a patent and hopes to build a pilot plant in cooperation with an industry partner, Carbontec Energy Corp."

The students are planning to improve on their invention so as to capture even more CO2. Hopefully, they will end up with something that will have commercial applications and will help reduce the impact of carbon emissions.

You can read more on the story at http://www.mtu.edu/news/stories/2011/february/story37052.html

Glacial Meltdown!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Glaciers are melting 100 times faster than the long-term average, according to scientists. A team from Aberystwyth University, the University of Exeter and Stockholm University studied 270 of the largest ‘outlet glaciers’ - the kind that form slow moving 'rivers' of ice that flow into the sea - in Patagonia, at the southern tip of South America.

What they found was that over the past 30 years the rate of melting has been much higher than previously suspected, up to 100 times faster than the long-term average rate. Past studies have used satellite imaging which the scientists have said limited previous studies to the past few decades and that only when they looked back over the past 350 years did they note the rapid increase compared to earlier decades.

However, their report has been criticised by some as being misleading, with claims that there is no evidence of rising sea levels and that many glaciers are actually growing, including some in Patagonia.

Whatever the implications are of this report, it certainly raises as many questions as it provides answers and highlights the need for further research.

Sustainable Social Housing | Best Practice Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:51:00 +0000

The Sustainable Social Housing | Best Practice Conference is taking place 13 & 14 April 2011 at Dexter House, Tower Hill, London. The two day conference will look at various themes:

What's the most practical and cost-effective way to retrofit existing homes?
How do you make new properties ht green targets while staying on budget?
What are the best materials and technologies to use in various environments?
What will the Green Deal mean for the social housing sector?

The cost is £249 plus VAT for one day or £399 plus VAT for the two days. The conference should be of interest to RSL professionals, project managers in the social housing sector and indeed anyone wantong to learn the latest techniques and strategies as wella s look in depth at some of the latest case studies in the sector.

Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant crisis underlines need for green energy

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Everyone can only sympathise with the people of Japan at this time following the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the country the other day. We can only hope that when the death toll is known that it will be as low as possible and especially right now that the current crisis at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant can be quickly brought under control.

What all of this underlines is how precarious nuclear plants are, especially in the so-called 'Ring of Fire', the most active region in the world as far as seismic activity goes. Currently Japan has 56 nuclear plants but its not the only country in the Pacific basin to have them. China has 13 (with more planned), all of them on the Pacific coast (or not far from the coast).

Here is a map showing nuclear reactors in the region:

We can't be sure that in future, even if we escape disaster in this case, that future earthquakes won't lead to severe radiation leaks into the environment. All this underlines how important it is that the world wakes up to the inherent risks of nuclear power and invests instead in renewable energy. With all the potential tidal, solar, hydro-electric, geo-thermal and wind power available there is absolutely no sane reason to go with nuclear.

In addition to the risks posed by earthquakes, there are also the risks from terrorism, industrial accidents (due to human error or incompetence, technical faults in production or software errors) and the long-term issues of disposing of nuclear waste.

When you take into consideration the rapid improvements in renewable technology (such as ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, Solar PV and wind turbines) there are plenty of options other than going down the dead-end that is nuclear power. With massive investment (but still less than that required by nuclear) in renewable technology and energy-saving measures (such as insulation, building greener homes and using more efficient appliances) we can do this, without increasing our risk of further nuclear disasters.

Teenager beats the auto companies at their own game!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Ashton Stark is only 14 but he has converted his grandfather's old VW Beetle into an electric vehicle at the cost of just $4,000. The Canadian youth isn't even old enough to drive his handiwork! After researching the technology behind electric vehicles and after a year of labour, he completed his project and now has a fully functional electric car that can travel up to 50 miles on a full charge, at speeds up to 45 mph and all for less than 10 cents a day!

“It is my grandpa’s 72 Super Beetle,” he said. “I think he would love it and be incredibly proud of it.” He used 9 separate 8 volt golf cart batteries, with 5 in the rear and 4 in the front of the vehicle. The vehicle is driven by a single cylindrical drive shaft which is connected to the original shaft of the Volkswagens transmission.

Noel Stark, Ashton’s father, said he has driven the vehicle many times, and he believes it is not only green conscious, it is also inexpensive and practical to operate.

For more on the story, visit http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2EfYGF/www.good.is/post/teen-breathes-new-electric-powered-life-into-1972-beetle/

Green Supermarkets?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:18:00 +0000

The Co-op and Marks & Spencer were recently named as the UK's 'greenest supermarkets'. The survey by the Ethical Consumer magazine urges shoppers to shop with the better performing retailers in order to make an impact when shopping and influence retailers to improve their green credentials.

In the survey of 19 retailers the Co-op and Marks & Spencer were significantly ahead of the remaining 17, with retailers such as Tesco, Asda and Netto being rated as the three worst performers. In particular, note was made of the Co-op sourcing 98% of electricity from renewable sources for its 5,500 sites in the UK. Marks & Spencer came in for praise for its sustainable fish policy and its policy on palm oil.

Still, with the rest of the bunch performing so badly in comparison and even the Co-op and Marks and Spencer admitting they still have a long way to go, we are some way form being able to shop at any supermarket chain with a totally clear conscience. Let's hope 2011 brings even more progress and a better report for all the retailers in the survey. In the meantime, shopping local and buying locally sourced goods as much as possible is still the best way to be as green as possible... oh, and by shopping less too.

Climate conference result - could do better?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 08:50:00 +0000

Image by newbeltane via Flickr

If I were a teacher giving a school report on the performance of our leaders in Mexico I think it would go something like.... "good effort but could do better". Yes, there was agreement reached on tackling climate change but is it too little, too late?

In Mexico yesterday, Ministers and officials from nearly 200 countries reached an agreement that all nations (not just the richest and biggest producers of CO2 emissions) set goals to cut their emissions of the greenhouse gases that are causing the atmosphere to warm. This is good news, don't get me wrong. However, the devil is in the detail, as they say. So, what exactly did everyone sign up to?

One thing they did agree to is a new international regime of monitoring of every country's emission-cutting efforts, something China – now the world's biggest CO2 emitter - previously resisted. However, it's not yet clear how monitoring will be carried out, by whom and what sanctions can be imposed on those failing to toe the line.

A second part of the agreement was to establish a Green Fund from next year possibly reaching $200 billion by 2020. The aim of the fund is to help smaller countries tackle climate change. Again, detail is somewhat lacking about who will contribute and how much exactly they will give and by when. The idea is a laudable one but past performance (think tackling poverty) is not encouraging as rich countries have been slow to meet previous commitments.

Finally, the third major plank of the agreement is to tackle deforestation, a major cause of global warming. The forest agreement, which is known as REDD+ – the acronym stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. It aim to make the great rain forests of countries such as Brazil, Congo and Indonesia pay, with the host nations receiving funding for not cutting them down and so releasing CO2. How exactly this will all work is yet to be confirmed.

So, overall, a positive step has been taken to restore the impetus to the fight against climate change, something that was crucial after the debacle of Copenhagen. Let's hope that everyone, but especially the rich countries, will continue to make the effort and indeed, when the final results are out, that they did indeed 'do better'.

Fortunate escape from death by fire!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:58:00 +0000

Image by VeloBusDriver via Flickr

It's been bitter cold here in Colchester this week with about 10 inches of snow over three days or so. Just the time when you really want your boiler to fail! That's just what ours decided to do yesterday so we spent the past two days almost with no heating and no hot water. Our usual friendly plumber was unable to come out so we rang a local plumber (or heating engineer as they prefer!). Trouble was it would be almost 24 hours before he could come round so it was case of borrowing some electric heaters from a neighbour (we have great neighbours - thank you Madge and Dewey!). No hot showers - my kids were mortified - practically the Dark Ages!

Finally this evening he arrived and we had a certain deja vu - he actually installed the boiler about 12 years ago! So, he was familiar with the boiler and he set to work right away. Eventually he found the problem and the shocking news was that a PCB had over-heated and actually melted the plastic casing. How it had not burst into flames - we are fortunate that it didn't and didn't happen whilst we were asleep. A fuse had blown before it got any worse and probably saved our lives, so thank you Lord!

Now for the green bit. Our boiler has served us well these past 12 years without major mishap but it's time we replaced it. After all, it's not very green and a new one would almost cut our gas consumption by half as it would be 94-98% efficient, whereas out existing one is only @ 50% efficient. As we spend several hundreds of pounds each year on gas and have no other gas appliances, we could save a lot of money and it would probably pay for itself in a few years.

Makes a lot of sense. The only thing now is to think of somewhere to get the money to pay for it from?

Is it conscientious for the UK to continue to import Botswana’s beef?

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:42:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

I spend a lot of time online and come across many great articles on lots of different topics. Of course, when writing your own blog one is always on the look out for excellent material share. I recently came across a networking site for businesses in the UK and what's great about the net is that serendipity means you can discover the most interesting things in the most unlikely of place. So it was that whilst browsing the forums on http://www.4networking.biz/ I came across this article...

"Hi....
I will say here upfront, that I am a trustee of a charity called LION AID. The African Lion is facing extinction in the wild. We have lost 90% of the world's lions in the past 50 years. From over 200,000 in the 1960's, the population is now down to under 20,000.

So for all of you who don't know the choices we are making when we eat cheap beef in our chain restaurants and carveries, read on.......

Apart from South Africa, the UK is the biggest importer of Botswana beef in the world. Such beef is heavily subsidized by the Botswana government, the UK, and the EU. Beef exports contribute a very small percentage of Botswana’s GDP, profit but a few cattle barons, and takes a considerable toll on the environment and wildlife. Is it conscientious for the UK to continue to import Botswana’s beef?"

To read the article in full (and its worth it as it has plenty of detail and is very informative) visit http://www.4networking.biz/forum/6/63158.htm

I never realised that the African Lion was so at risk.

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:07:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The next UN ‘Green New Deal’ event will be held at the Heriot-Watt University's conference centre in January 2011, addressing the Scottish Government’s desire to collaborate with international bodies in furthering the green revolution.

An annual event, it is run by the United Nations Environment Program and the European Energy Centre (EEC). It will be attended by several high-profile delegates and speakers from around the world. They will be there to discuss the opportunities that lie in the future of renewable energy.

In particular, discussions will take place to explore opportunities for companies involved in the market for renewable energy, as well as examining requirements on companies to cut carbon emissions.

Speaking about the conference, Lynne Geary, commercial operations manager at HWU’s conference centre, said: “This event includes speakers from Heriot-Watt University on the subject of the environment and renewable energy. Scotland is already making significant strides in embracing renewable energy and developing new technologies to do so. It is fitting that such a prestigious conference is coming to Scotland and we are delighted to be hosting it.”

Several affiliates of HWU will be participating in the conference. Professor John Wilson will be speaking on alternative energy sources while Dr Peter Kew will be discussing government subsidies and European regulations on green energy.

Architectural engineering lecturer, Professor Susan Roaf, who will be talking about low-carbon building technologies, told The Journal: “We’re delighted to be hosting the conference because it’s a combination of two directions. We need big international agreements so obviously anything with the UN cache is extremely important. It gives a high-level policy angle to what we do at Heriot-Watt University.

“We’re also looking for bottoms-up solutions, which the professions represented at the conference will start to develop together.

"At HWU we are very keen to help Scotland lead the carbon enlightenment. This gives us an opportunity to stand up on a world stage and say this is where you are, and this is what we’re doing.”
Academics from both Edinburgh Napier and the University of Edinburgh will also be speaking at the conference.

Camden Council is hosting it's second Green Summit in Jan 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:58:00 +0000

Image by iknow-uk via Flickr

Date: 2/12/10
After the success of the first green summit in July 2010, Camden Council is hosting a second event in January 2011. Residents, organisations and community groups are invited to the second Camden green summit to hear about the Council’s new draft plan for a greener, sustainable Camden (2011-2020).

Over 100 people came together to share ideas for a greener Camden at the first summit, and due to demand, places at the second event on 29 January 2011 can be booked from 1 December 2010.

The second event will also allow participants to contribute to the Camden transport strategy together with stalls providing information about Camden’s green services, and others run by groups and organisations including Fairtrade.

Attendees will be able to hear about the progress being made by the twenty seven community groups allocated funding from the Camden communities green fund.

The projects being delivered by the funded groups focus on:

- promotion of recycling and waste minimisation;
- tackling climate change by encouraging communities to reduce their carbon emissions;
- establishing food growing and gardening projects;
- encouraging more people to adopt green behaviours;
- delivering training and support for minority communities.

Councillor Angela Mason, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainability, Camden Council, said:

“As a council, we recognise that we cannot tackle climate change alone. It is vital that we encourage local people and community groups to take action themselves and work together to share ideas and develop plans to deal with this challenge head on”.

“Our first summit took place in the north of the borough at Parliament Hill School, and our second summit will be held in the south at Maria Fidelis School to give as many people as possible an opportunity to share their ideas for a greener Camden”.

“I would like to congratulate those groups that have been successful in their application for green funding. Their work will play a key role in our efforts to lower Camden’s carbon footprint.”

As the second summit could prove just as popular as the first, local community groups, organisations and residents are encouraged to book their place early at www.camden.gov.uk/greensummit or by calling 020 7974 6981.

Scotland dreams of 100% renewable energy sources

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:10:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has claimed that the country will be able to produce "at least 100 per cent" of its electricity through green initiatives by 2025. This is certainly a tall order but Scotland has the geography and natural resources to achieve this. The question is, is the will do so there? Cynics would say that Alex Salmond is making a political gesture and that the cost of such a move would be too much. However, no-one has yet come up with the figures to show how it might be possible or, indeed, how it might prove too expensive.
The Scottish Parliament has a target to generate 80% of its energy needs by 2020 from renewable sources so they are certainly serious about green energy. Let's hope they not only make the 2020 target but also the 2025 one. If they do, they could well be net exporters of energy around the time oil and gas start to seriously decline.

Botanists find many more plant species

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:13:00 +0000

Last year UK botanists identified nearly than 300 new species of plants in over 100 countries around the world. The botanists were researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Now for the bad news... more than a third are under threat of extinction, according to the scientists.

"These new discoveries highlight the fact that there is so much of the plant world yet to be discovered and documented," said Stephen Hopper, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
"Without knowing what's out there and where it occurs, we have no scientific basis for effective conservation."

Amongst the new finds was a previously unknown giant of Cameroon's rainforest, stretching more than 42m (138ft) into the canopy of the Korup National Park.

The Berlinia korupensis pods explode, spreading seeds over a wide area

The Berlinia korupensis - a member of the pea family - has a one-metre-wide buttressed trunk, and produces white flowers that then give rise to massive seed pods, which can reach 30cm (1ft) in length.

When fully ripened, the pods explode, sending the seeds flying away from the tree, ensuring the best possible chance of survival.
"We found just 17 trees in our survey," explained Xander van der Burgt, who led the team that found the tree.

"Even though the Korup (National Park) is protected, Berlinia korupensis is critically endangered due to human pressures on the park," he added.

More information is available on the Royal Botanical Gardens site at http://www.kew.org/news/kew-new-discoveries.htm

Electric Ford Focus to use liquid cooled battery

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Image by Kevin Krejci via Flickr

When a company the size of Ford starts taking an interest in electric cars then it means that the idea of electric cars has become mainstream. The Ford Focus is one of the most popular small family cars on the market. Since its introduction in 1998, almost 10 million have been sold worldwide. Thus year will see the third generation of the model. However, the electric version was demonstrated in 2008 and Ford plans to have it launched later this year in the USA. It will launch in Europe in 2012.
Like other electric cars this will have a lithium-ion battery - though with a difference. Ford have announced that it will be liquid cooled battery and its hoped this will increase battery life and increase the range the car can travel before requiring recharging.
Another innovation is that when the battery is being recharged, the battery will be brought to an optimal temperature before recharging starts. This is meant to maximise the performance of the battery and prolong its life.

Cut emissions simply with the flick of a switch

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:45:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Cutting the UK's emissions by as much as a third could be as simple as switching off appliances as the mains when not in use and by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs. That's the verdict of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change. The highly respected Institute is a part of Imperial College London and so is seen as something of an expert of the subject.

They imply that there has been a significant under-estimation of the impact of simple energy-saving measures and that if implemented the measures could result in the equivalent of 10 gas-fired power stations being de-commissioned. This error in estimating the impact of such simple and cheap measures lies in mistakes made by the Government in calculating the CO2 output of different power stations. It seems that average emission rates were used in the calculations but when demand peaks it's the case that demand is met by coal and gas power stations as they can react quickest to fluctuations in demand. By cutting the requirement for energy there would fewer fluctuations requiring a quick rise in energy generation and so the CO2 output of gas and coal stations should be used in calculating reductions in CO2 emissions.

When you consider that the Government has recently admitted it will fail to meet it's target for 2010 by a wide margin, its crucial that the public is encouraged to take more responsibility for reducing energy consumption. This also gives a further boost to the moves to introduce smart meters so consumers can monitor their use of electricity more effectively and to engage them more in the drive to reduce consumption.

You can read more on this topic at http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/waste-britain-uks-emissions-could-be-cut-at-flick-of-a-switch-2029416.html

Norwegian Company develops solar cell film that could turn wndows into solar panels!

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:34:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

EnSol AS is situated in Bergen and together with he University of Leicester (UK) it is developing a thin film deposition system with nanocrystal source which will hopefully help it turn its patented nanotechnology into a working product. Their aim is to refine their PV cell technology so that it can achieve a cell efficiency of 20% or greater.

If they succeed, this will be a significant leap forward in PV technology and could revolutionise the industry. Claiming cost effective production via standard “spray on” magnetron techniques, it claims that this technology can realistically compete with existing established PV cell technology, a claim that isn't that far-fetched.

EnSol is aiming to construct a world class thin film deposition facility in Norway, based on experience gained working in collaboration with the Condensed Matter Physics group at the University of
Leicester (UK).

China now the biggest consumer of energy in the World

noreply@blogger.com (Steven Dale) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:48:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

According to the respected International Energy Agency, China's use of coal, oil, wind and other sources of power more than doubled in the past decade to reach the equivalent of 2.26bn tonnes of oil in 2009, creeping past the US total of 2.17bn tonnes.

This fact is no doubt linked to China's economic growth of almost 9% in GDP last year. Its also the reason why its carbon emissions is growing by around the same amount, at a time when most other nations was static or falling.

As to what's driving China's energy use up, well its the same thing that drove up that of the US, UK, Japan and Germany etc. Consumption. More cars, more air conditioning, more electronic consumer products (TV's, Hi-Fi, computers and the like). China's population has a long way to go in order to catch up to the lifestyles that we have enjoyed in the West for so long, but with 1.3 Billion people aiming for the same standard of living, its a worrying thought that as many countries cut their energy use and carbon emissions, the biggest nation on earth is increasing theirs at around 9% annually.

Sustain the World's Environment

Environmental Sustainability is the Key Strategy for our collective future

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Solar PV Calculator

Calculate your return on investment using PV Solar Panels and the Feed In Tariff Scheme (UK only). You can use the calculator on the SolarGuide website.

It has a wide range of solutions in its database and you tweak the default figures if you have the data.

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