Infrastructure US

Could nuclear weapons power homes?

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Nuclear weapons - weapon of mass destruction, political deternet and, according to Newsweek, a way to power homes.

I think it's fair to say that on the whole everyone is for nuclear disarmament, but there always lies the problem with what to do with the bomb material. Traditionally, explosive cores of nuclear warheads are something that you simply throw out with the trash and as such the US military has had to carefully decommission thousands of nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War.

This is generally done by putting them in storage (without the nuclear material due to the obvious security risks) as most disposal methods are deemed to be rather risk both to mankind and the environment at large.

But what if they were used to fuel nuclear power plants?

Nuke powered lights

This is the idea from The Department of Energy, to process the material in a warhead into fuel used in commercial reactors.

The DoE has therefore greenlit a plan to build a South Carolina–based plant that can convert America's plutonium stockpile into fuel. The Tennesse Valley Authority has endorsed the plan by agreeing to test the fuel for use in their reactors near Chattanooga and Athens.

Last year, it was actually revealed by The New York Times that 10 percent of electricity in the United States has been generated from material gathered via nuclear disarmament. Salvaged bomb material now generates about 10 percent of electricity in the United States — by comparison, hydropower generates about 6 percent and solar, biomass, wind and geothermal together account for 3 percent.

So should the day come when th nuclear powers of the world decide they no longer need a nuclear deterent, the atomic arsenal of the world could be used to power homes all over the globe.

Truly a 21st equivalent of beating swords into ploughshares.

Relevant articles:

Protection from cyber-warfare outlined | Obama on nuclear: Confused or concise? | Crazy military ideas

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

Skyscraper designs of the future

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:47:00 +0000

The eVolo Magazine 2010 Skyscraper Competition, which "recognizes outstanding ideas that redefine skyscraper design through the use of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organization" has ended, and whilst the winner was an unique concept for a 'vertical prison', the contest has seen designers from all over the world submit mind-blowing designs for skyscrapers in the future. Here are a few of our favorites.

Skyscraper eco-system in Manhatten

Designed by Axel Cailteux, Céline Hautfenne, Julie Neuwels, Delphine Termote of Belgium, this design completely redefines what a city could look like, considering it as a true ecosystem, able to manage its self-sufficiency and its self-generation.

With an 'upper city' power by self-sufficiency generators, the lower city essentially parasites off it allowing renewable energy and a zero ground occupation to compensate the deficiencies.

The self-sufficiency generators feature photovoltaic skin and wind turbines for the electricity production, lagooning for the waste water purification and recycling area for the organic and paper waste recycling and production of recycled paper, compost and gas by methanization.

The Water-Scraper

We are a big fan of underwater skyscrapers at US Infrastructure and this concept by Sarly Adre Bin Sarkum of Malyasia only compounds this.

Assuming that mankind's wanton disregard for the environment has given us an 'ecologically bleak future', these water-scrapers provide a "autonomous floating unit of livable, functional and self sustaining space which will function, in a collective manner, as a floating city."

"It is self sufficient as it generates its own power through wave, wind, current, solar, bio etc. and it generates its own food through farming, aquaculture, hydroponics etc. It carries with its own small forest on top its back and supports places for users to live and works in its depths. Its bioluminescent tentacles provide sea fauna a place to live and congregate while collecting energy through its kinetic movements."

Brilliant eh? Plus it's as big as the Empire State Building!

The Structural Cell Skyscraper

Resembling some sort of alien habitat, this concept from Hong Wong and SheungHok Lim attempts to re-organise the traditional skyscraper design which has been dominated "by the structural and cost efficient of extrusion of floor plates and the definition of space by planes- floor plates, walls and ceilings."

As such, their 'striated spatial definition and its arrangements' caters for a world that will see more people living in cities and urban areas that will have to house more and more people.

In the designer's own words, they "are exploring the opportunities that individual space be composed from a unique cell-structural system, where like a cell could be split, replicated and combined – to form different spatial opportunities."

The Wind Tower

After solar power, wind power is regarded as one of the most promising renewable energies. As such this design sees vertical-axis wind turbines all over the building, using rotors that run vertically to create a clean and sustainable fuel source that does not run out and brings no harm to environment.

Compared to widely-spread horizontal-axis wind turbines, vertical-axis turbines can continue to produce power even in high wind conditions without risk of getting damaged and they do not need to be pointed into the wind to be effective.

This 450m tall skyscraper, designed for Moscow, would utilise the power to make it a fully sustainable medical and science institution.

The vertical-axis wind module can also be regarded as a decoration element that provides an exclusive appearance to any construction and reaches the most effective measure of energy at any height of the building.

The SkyTable

A city within a city, this design sees the creation of a large public space where designer Ayrat Khusnutdinov hopes people can come together.

The SkyTable would see a large public area suspended over the city by two load bearing constructions. These bearings, as well as the perimeter of the platform level could also house offices, commercial spaces vertical communications lifts and stairs.

It would also create gas from rotting waste productions in the building's vital functions as well as harnessing the wind by making it stream in certain directions.

Also, it would reduce energy consumption with an unusual way of using solar energy. The proposal is to use solar energy as rain water is collected: numerous quantities of lenses are used as devices for light gathering. Then the collected light rays lead to users via glass optical fiber, delivering sun rays into the centre of the building where is no way of natural lightning otherwise.

It would definitely look amazing.

So what do you think? Were any of the above designs robbed of first place? What would work? What wouldn't? What was your favorite design?

To see other designs submitted to the competition, click here.

Relevant articles:

Could Miapolis steal Burj Khalifa's crown? | Would you live on a underwater skyscraper? | Boston's floating city of the future

Timon Singh

Did 'Big Oil' cause Hurricane Katrina?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

In what can only be described as one of the most tenuous lawsuits ever to hit US courts, victims of Hurricane Katrina have filed a law suit against large oil companies claiming that their "operation of energy, fossil fuels, and chemical industries in the US caused the emission of greenhouse gasses that contributed to global warming".

According to The Infrastructurist, the legal action has been brought by residents from southern Mississippi, which was ravaged by the Hurricane in 2005. The lawsuit was first filed merely weeks after the storm hit.

The documents state that "the plaintiffs allege that defendants' operation of energy, fossil fuels, and chemical industries in the United States caused the emission of greenhouse gasses that contributed to global warming."

"The increase in global surface air and water temperatures in turn caused a rise in sea levels and added to the ferocity of Hurricane Katrina, which combined to destroy the plaintiffs' private property, as well as public property useful to them."

Global warming in court

You may think that the plaintiffs have a point, or you may think that they are simply desperate people looking for a pay day from lucrative companies such as Shell, ExxonMobile, BP and Chevron, but it is an interesting precedent - companies being sued for causing 'natural disasters' due to their 'contributions' to global warming.

In 2005, the court threw out the case saying that such a debate had no place in the court. But three federal appeals court judges, held in October of 2009, have stated that the case should be heard, but now the court is demanding a new hearing, this time with nine judges.

While the court thinks they may have a case, from the point of view of this writer they are going to have a hard time proving that particular oil companies are directly responsible for Hurricane Katrina.

According to Melissa Lafsky, editor of The Infrastructurist, the plaintiffs would have to show a direct link between the damage caused and the actions of the oil companies. As one would expect, this would involve proving that the oil firms were responsible for a host of variable actions such as;

1) Proving that the storm was caused/exacerbated by global warming;

2) Proving that the damage was a direct result of this increase in the storm’s severity, and not the negligence of city, state, and federal officials who failed to build and maintain adequate infrastructure;

3) Proving that, if the storm WAS caused by global warming, Big Oil’s actions were a primary cause of said warming, as opposed to the myriad other causes of carbon emissions.

Right away, you can see that this looks more like a debate of scientists and environmentalists rather than a law court, but the suit has passed several legal hurdles already.

What is clear is that when the case hits the courtroom, many people will be watching especially if the plaintiffs win. Could we see a host of natural disaster victims suing energy companies for "unreasonably endangering the environment, public health, public and private property"?

Relevant articles:

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Timon Singh

IBM's 'smart transportation, smart planet' scheme

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:46:00 +0000

Computer corporation, technology innovator, eco-warrior? Apparently so, because IBM have said they are to focus on 'Smarter Planet' initiatives that aim to focus on the problems of ever growing cities and the challenges that go with them.

One of the main focuses of IBM’s “Smarter Planet” is looking at traffic, congestion and what’s known as Intelligent Transportation Systems and finding ways to deal with the fact that for the first time in history, the majority of humanity lives in cities.

As such, IBM has been organising events to discuss this on-going problems and last week a forum was held in Washington DC, focused on improving transportation systems through technology as done by certain European countries.

Speaking at the forum, entitled “A Smarter Transportation System for the 21st Century", were Dr. Leo Kroon of Netherlands Railway and Gunnar Soderholm of Stockholm, Sweden.

Fossil fuel free

In the Netherlands, the rail service is of great importance. As Kroon said at the forum, "16 million people make it extremely dense" and as such, rail market share between some Dutch cities reaches 50 percent, an amount that would be unheard of in the United States.

To get people to give up their cars for rail, Kroon says the Netherlands Railways “seduces” them instead, through continued technological improvement that makes travel convenient and a commitment to reliability and affordability.

For instance, Netherlands Railway has introduced a SmartCard system and is improving its monitoring systems to pinpoint its flow of passengers and accommodate them as efficiently as possible.

Sweden have gone even further. According to Gunnar Soderholm, head of the city’s Environmental and Health division, the country's decision to implement a congestion charging scheme was seen as the “biggest political suicide ever in Sweden." However, since it was implemented, charging drivers for bringing autos into the business district during peak hours, it has been embraced by all parties.

“It was free flow all the time,” he said. Stockholm saw a 20 percent reduction in traffic, a 30-50 percent reduction in travel time and a 10-14 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Many more Stockholm residents are combining auto use with more walking and bicycling. Revenues from the charge are directed toward transportation infrastructure. As such, Stockholm aims to be fossil fuel free by 2050.

Can America learn from the EU, and will IBM be able to push such innovative ideas in the US?

Relevant articles:

How a city changes in two centuries | GE CEO: Smartgrid essential for US | Megacities: Benefits or burdens?

Timon Singh

Breakthroughs and concerns for smartgrid

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:22:00 +0000

Smartgrid was the "buzz term" of 2009 for the US power and energy industry and 2010 looks set to be no different.

Upgrading America's electrical distribution system will allow it to accommodate more renewable and intermittent sources of energy. The goal is to build a grid that is smart enough to store and transmit more variable sources of energy for the times when the sun doesn't shine or wind doesn't blow.

By combining high-speed broadband internet with the electrical grid, utilities and providers will be able to send information to buildings and vise-verse, thus allowing buildings to control the amounts of energy the use making the entire system way more efficient.

This means developing smart appliances that can communicate with the grid, which in turn means developing the technology that can support these demanding smartgrid applications.

Monitoring energy consumption

In what was seen as a significant breakthrough for the industry last month saw the launch of IBM's POWER7. IBM have built POWER7 around the venerable UNIX platform and includes the latest advancements in virtualization technology and other efficiencies.

Smart grid deployments require a constant stream of data to allow for the most efficient transmission of electric power in real time at the utility end. Customers must also be provided with information in real time that allows them to monitor their energy consumption and make informed decisions based upon the current price of energy for a smart grid deployment to be successful.

POWER7 makes this whole process much easier as it is able to handle, process, analyze and present enormous volumes of data.

Another breakthrough came from ComEd, who have launched a year-long project that is the largest of its kind in the United States that is designed to study how consumers change their behavior according to pricing signals. Distributed solar energy - available from solar panels installed at 100 homes - will be made available that will turn the homes into "mini utilities" that act as power generators, as reported by Smartmeters.com.

$100 billion to $2 trillion

However, the steps forward in smartgrid technology are being countered by gathering concerns. People are worried about the enormous cost associated with smartening up America's electrical grid, but as yet there aren't many estimates of what it would cost, but the estimates that do exist can range from $100 billion to $2 trillion.

Pacific Gas & Electric alone has already spent $2.2 billion installing 4.6 million smart meters, and the supporting infrastructure, in financially unstable California.

People are worried because it's often the case that when so much money is spent on one government policy, another misses out.

There have also been whispers of smart meters running "too fast". In Texas consumers have complained that their electricity bills have actually increased since seeing the installation of smart meter, with some reported to have doubled or even tripled in cost. The Texas Public Utility Commission has agreed to investigate.

Long-term investments

But smart meters are in their early generations and the very, very few that may give incorrect readings will soon be phased out by improved technology. It's early days and teething problems are to be expected, however with so much public cash being pumped into the smartgrid consumers will not remain patient for long.

In regards to cost, a massive outlay over the next couple of decades will help electricity consumption become far more cost effective in the future, the America government is investing in our long-term energy future that will eventually save millions upon millions of dollars.

Related Articles:

Are smartgrids safe? | GE CEO: Smart grid "essential" for US | IEC award smartgrid innovations

Daniel Jones

Daniel is a Politics and Philosophy graduate from Cardiff University where he also worked as a section editor on the award winning student newspaper. After university he joined an IT support company where he was a B2B online writer. He loves anything to do with sport and joined GDS in July 2009.

How a city changes in two centuries

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Cities change and grow all the time, and while we may notice the odd construction project, we don't really see how a city is constantly evolving.

However, visual artist Rob Carter has developed a unique and entertaining way of showing the 200 year history of a city on video, using uses stop-motion animation, time-lapse video and large format photographs... in nine minutes.

Using the city of Charlotte, North Carolina as an exammaple, he, in his short film Metropolis, charts its growth starting with the city's first house in the 1700s.

According to Carter, the city is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the U.S., mostly due to a massive influx of major banks that led to a mass architectural and population expansion - one that shows no sign of slowing post-financial crisis.

Metropolis by Rob Carter - Last 3 minutes from Rob Carter on Vimeo.

In his words, "Metropolis is a quirky and very abridged narrative history of the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It uses stop motion video animation to physically manipulate aerial still images of the city (both real and fictional), creating a landscape in constant motion. Starting around 1755 on a Native American trading path, the viewer is presented with the building of the first house in Charlotte. From there we see the town develop through the historic dismissal of the English, to the prosperity made by the discovery of gold and the subsequent roots of the building of the multitude of churches that the city is famous for. Now the landscape turns white with cotton, and the modern city is ‘born', with a more detailed re-creation of the economic boom and surprising architectural transformation that has occurred in the past 20 years."

"Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, primarily due to the continuing influx of the banking community, resulting in an unusually fast architectural and population expansion that shows no sign of faltering despite the current economic climate. However, this new downtown Metropolis is therefore subject to the whim of the market and the interest of the giant corporations that choose to do business there. Made entirely from images printed on paper, the animation literally represents this sped up urban planners dream, but suggests the frailty of that dream, however concrete it may feel on the ground today. Ultimately the video continues the city development into an imagined hubristic future, of more and more skyscrapers and sports arenas and into a bleak environmental future. It is an extreme representation of the already serious water shortages that face many expanding American cities today; but this is less a warning, as much as a statement of our paper thin significance no matter how many monuments of steel, glass and concrete we build."

Click here to see more of Rob Carter's work.

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Timon Singh

NY jets "directed" by child

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:05:00 +0000

At one of the US's busiest airports, officials are investigating how a child apparently directed planes preparing for take-off last month. The investigation follows the release of an audiotape which caught a child's voice broadcasting to pilots from an air traffic control tower.

In one exchange, the audiotape captured the boy saying, "Jetblue 171 contact departure," with the pilot responding, "Over to departure Jetblue 171, awesome job."

While the real essence of this story is best summed up by the fact that the boy on the recording was there with his father - a certified air traffic controller - and was off school, the issue has raised significant questions about airport security levels. At one point on the recording an adult voice - presumably that of the the boy's father - tells pilots, "That's what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school."

And while some might argue that the incident is nothing but harmless fun for a young boy spending the day at his dad's place of work - New York's JFK airport - others are taking it far more seriously.

Professionalism

For one, the pilots on the tape appear to be unconcerned that a child is giving them instructions and the incident, which seems to have happened on 17 February, when many New York pupils were on a week-long break, is causing a real stir for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In a statement yesterday the FAA said that "pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic.

"This behaviour is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees."

Meanwhile, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said the incident was "not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety."

Protection from cyber-warfare outlined

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:17:00 +0000

Liken to a nuclear attack, a serious cyber-attack on the US has the potential to bring the country to a grinding halt as stock markets, transport links, emergency services and everything else are thrown into chaos. In order to prevent such an attack, the US government has outlined its plan to protect the nation's computer networks from potential cyber-warfare.

Announced at the world's biggest security event in San Francisco, cyber-security tsar Howard Schmidt outlined the government's Comprehensive National Cyber-security Initiative (CNCI) that was introduced in 2008 by then-President George W Bush.

Cyber-line of defence

According to Schmidt, there are 12 parts to the CNCI, including cyber-counterintelligence and deterrence strategies.

"We have to fully recognise the importance cyber-security has in our lives," he said. "We must continue to seek out innovative new partnerships - not only within government, but also among industry, government and the American public,

As such, the aim of the program has three main points;

to establish a front line of defence against today's immediate threats
to defend against the full spectrum of threats
to strengthen the future cyber-security environment

Unsurprisingly, one of the key areas of the CNCI is protecting and securing the network operating under the dot.gov domain, as well as detecting attempts to access those systems, in order to protect government servers.

Previous attempts by the American government and Homeland Security to prevent cyber-crime have had limited success, and Schmidt acknowledged this. However he did say the US has "a workable strategy for protecting the nation's computer systems in the event of a cyber-attack. "

He, of course, did not detail if the country had any 'offensive plans' however considering the recent 'cyber-scandals' with China, no one would be surprised if they did.

Since President Obama took office, a number of measures have been taken to ensure a rapid response in a 'cyber-emergency'.

Last year, a Senate Bill was passed giving the President the power to close down the internet if such a situation occurred. In such a situation, a group of IT professionals certified by the federal government would initiate a shut-down if a virus or cyber-attack was launched against the United States.

However, there have been criticisms, that the US's online measures are nowhere near good enough. Michael Chertoff, a former secretary at the US Department of Homeland Security, said to The Guardian that current cyber-security policies were a "recipe for disaster" that could inadvertently encourage a virtual attack equivalent to "the next Pearl Harbour".

What do you think? Is the US ready for cyber-attacks or should The Pentagon start trawling college campuses for the best hackers to counter foreign attacks?

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Timon Singh

GE CEO: Smartgrid essential for US

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:59:00 +0000

GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt has said in a speech that the redirection of energy demand towards the developing world could leave the United States lagging behind in global energy technology development unless the country invests in technical innovations with large-scale deployments, such as a larger, smarter, federally-run national electricity grid that could spark future innovation.

Speaking at the ARPA-E Summit in National Harbor, Md., Immelt said energy demand gravitating toward the developing world and the bulk of new clean-energy business risks going along with it, and unclear policies and low levels of research and development spending could hinder US progress moving forward - despite new technologies in the pipeline.

"Unless we have a broad perspective on job creation, innovation, and technology growth, we are going to fall behind as a country," he said. "We need growth as a country and globally we play in a much more competitive arena than any other time in our lifetimes."

A steep hill to climb

The US has historically been a world leader in developing new technology, but conflicting policies across two administrations and the significant development in energy policies in emerging markets has left America with a rather steep hill to climb.

Immelt said current trends indicate that Asian countries will demand energy products at a higher rate than the US or Europe - drawing businesses, innovation and supply chain strength to those countries. For example by 2020, the number of cars sold in China and India will be more than twice the number sold in the US, reports CNET.

By then the auto industry in those two countries will consume all of the oil output of Saudi Arabia, he said.

Progress impossible without smartgrid

China in particular have focused policies on energy development and thus the creation of new jobs, yet Washington has often appear unclear on renewable energy mandates and regulations to cut emissions. The melee over the cap-and-trade bill is a good example of this.

During his speech Immelt said: "Nobody in this room should get at all complacent about where we are. We all need to get to work if we want a productive country in this space. We can address energy security, job creation, and reduction of global warming all at the same time. Technology is the answer, but we can't stand still."

Innovations and developments in the smart grid will be absolutely vital to ensuring America keep pace with rest of the world, and Immelt's comments compound the fact that any progress is impossible without it.

Related Articles:

Obama on nuclear | IEC smartgrid awards | How secure are smartgrids?

Daniel Jones

The Expiration of Federal Surface Transportation Programs

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:21:00 +0000

With Washington becoming increasingly polarised in recent months, the many issues being debated were always going to see programs fall by the wayside as casualties of political infighting. This week, thanks to an objection (and a filibuster) by Republican Senator Jim Bunning (of Kentucky), the new month began without any rules in place to govern federal transportation programs, not to mention no benefits for a large portion of the population for 30 days

So what does this mean for Department of Transport employees and the federal programs currently underway?

According to the DC.Streets.Blog, the delay in establishing new rules of the sector could see "forced furloughs for nearly 2,000 US DOT employees" as well as "a shutdown of federal funding for road, bridge, bike-ped, and transit projects." The processing of money for stimulus construction work and state-based road safety groups will also see an interruption.

So why did Bunning do something so catastrophic? Well, he argued that the government needed to add a provision stipulating how it would pay the $10 billion hence the 'enforced leave' for DOT workers. It is expected that most of the job cuts will come from the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

Of course, all of this will affect the private sector, something Senator Bunning probably didn't think about, as construction firms lay down tools on projects that suddenly have no federal inspectors there.

Speaking to the Infrastructurist, Larry Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation put it, “If you do the math, we’re talking about more than $153 million a day in lost reimbursement payments for highway projects to the states."

Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, concurred saying: "The timing could not be worse….States need every dollar they can get to improve our aging roads and bridges and put people to work. My home state of Nevada has the nation’s seventh-highest unemployment rate at 10.4 percent.

"We should be awarding contracts for spring construction right now, but instead many states are forced to delay, and in some cases cancel, projects."

Everything's not lost?

There is hope though, House transportation committee chairman Jim Oberstar has secured a promise that future Senate legislation will temper his panel's frustration with a provision in the pending jobs bill that would apply 2009 earmarks to $932 million in 2010 transportation grants.

That agreement would help pave the way for the Senate jobs bill, if both chambers can agree quickly on it. If so, the flow of federal funding for local projects would likely be turned back on.

To highlight what is at risk, Oberstar's committee has released a rundown of how the imperiled extension would affect U.S. infrastructure programs:- Click here

When politicians are making the country's infrastructure and transportation a battlefield, you know things are getting bad.

Update

The US Senate has today (03/03/2009) passed stopgap legislation to keep benefits flowing for the long-term jobless and funding for road building. Huzzah!

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Timon Singh

Could Miapolis steal Burj Khalifa's crown?

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:12:00 +0000

Here at Infrastructure US, we love things that are colossal, over-sized achievements of architecture. Of course, if they are eco-friendly, that is an enormous bonus. It is therefore with great excitement that we cast our eyes over plans to build a super-skyscraper in Miami, that would not only be 183 metres taller than the Burj Khalifa, but the largest LEED-certified structure at any rating level in the United States.

Miapolis, as it is called, is world's tallest proposed building and if built, would stand at 3,200ft high. Situated on Miami's Watson Island, it is hoping to rejuvenate the area turning the Florida city into an international financial center as well as a tourist destination for those seeking sun and sand.

"City within a city"

However, Miapolis wouldn't just be 'another super-skyscraper' with office space and some luxurious apartments, it has been designed to be a literal “city within a city.” It would house an amusement park, observatory, restaurants, 1.96 million sq ft of shops, over 1000 apartments, 1 million sq ft office space and a 792 room hotel.

What is even more impressive is that the city would be run using state-of-the-art sustainable systems, making the structure 'platinum green' in terms of environmental friendliness. Eco-systems would include powering 60 percent of products by wind energy, a modular green roof, greenhouse gas management, water desalinization, storm and waste-water management, solid waste management, electric trolleys, carbon emissions offsets, and carbon sequestration.

Not just that, but if it gets the go-ahead Miapolis will create 35,000 permanent jobs, pay off $39 million debt owed to the City and inject $2.5 billion annually into the local economy.

According to the super-city's website, "Miapolis is about innovation and creativity. (It is also) an economic engine, and a sensible and rational solution for the local economy by resolving the Jungle Island debts while producing $942 million annually in tax revenues, and no taxpayer funds required.

"Miapolis would provide constant and free worldwide exposure of Miami, increasing tourism, international trade, passengers and cargo for the airlines, MIA and the Port of Miami, and will benefit all of Downtown by attracting millions of visitors annually."

While the skyscraper's height needs to be approved by the MIA/FAA, fund raising is currently underway so if you are interested in a "low five figure investment with a preferred return and an equity participation", go to the above link. For us, we'll just marvel at the impressive design and architect's unwavering desire to build things big.

Oh and it's rumoured to cost $22 billion!

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Timon Singh

Walmart's eco-ambitions

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Walmart, the world's biggest chain of supermarkets, has pledged to eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from their global supply chain by the end of 2015.

In the webcast from Walmart, moderated by Treehugger.com, the company states that their target "is 150 percent of our company's estimated global carbon footprint growth over the next 5 years."

It has said it will do this by working with the Environmental Defense Fund, and with ClearCarbon Inc., the Carbon Disclosure Project, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the University of Arkansas' Applied Sustainability Center to verify GHG reduction claims.

Solar energy?

Walmart has made such claims before; last year, the company announced that they would boost their use of solar energy by installing solar energy panels on the roofs of all its stores.

At the time, in August last year, the company said they would trial the scheme on a few of their stores. However, as the world's biggest retailer, if they were to implement this as a stand practice, it is estimated that they would have a staggering 35 square miles of solar power producing surface area.

If one averages that the average square foot will produce 3 watts, that's still a massive 3 gigawatts of power and would make the world's biggest retailer also one of the country's lead power producers.

Those numbers would increase if panels are added to the roofs of warehouses, smaller stores and other Walmart buildings.

Despite the potential, Walmart have yet to implement such a scheme, instead it looks like they'll be focusing on carbon.

Carbon cutting

Walmart SVP of Sustainability Matt Kistler said, speaking to TreeHugger, that, "Over the next five years we're going to be focusing on certain categories, certain businesses where the biggest opportunity exists, where it's the most efficient, and most cost-effective to remove that greenhouse gas from that supply chain.

"Whether it be in apparel, whether it be in food, whether it be in home line products, we're looking at the category of products where there's great opportunity, but where its at a low cost to remove."

"Carbon is a cost," he added. "If we can remove carbon from a supply chain, ultimately they become more competitive. If they can use less energy in the manufacturing of the product, or if the consumer uses less energy, they are certainly reducing their costs or putting dollars in the pockets of their customer."

It is a feeling shared by Walmart president and CEO Mike Duke who has said, "Reducing carbon in the life-cycle of out products will often mean reducing energy use. That will mean greater efficiency and, with the rising cost of energy, lower costs, making our business stronger and more competitive. And, as we help our suppliers reduce their energy use, costs and carbon footprint, we'll be helping our customers do that same thing."

One thing is clear; if Walmart makes such changes then the chances other retailers in the country will follow suit is much higher. If Walmart can cut costs, while cutting emissions, then it will definitely be an attractive proposition for others.

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IEC award smartgrid innovations

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:08:00 +0000

The development of the much anticipated US smartgrid is gathering pace as President Obama seems increasingly eager to invest. The need for a smart national electricity grid has never been disputed, but there have been concerns that its development has been held back in recent years due to government inaction.

However the International Engineering Consortium (IEC) recently announced a program to honor innovations in smartgrid technology, helping to confirm its place in today's electronic power industry.

The IEC have announced the winners of the first GridVision Awards program, which celebrate outstanding contributions within sector. The awards recognize products and services that represent significant advances towards the goals of a smarter, more efficient and more reliable electric power grid.

'Decarbonizing' the energy system

The last 12 months have seen significant progress in the deployment of smartgrid and smart meter technologies, topped off by the $3.4 billion of investment as a result of Obama's economic stimulus fund. This total was then pushed up to $8 billion as a result of industry cash and private investment.

Despite this significant investment some have remained critical of the government's handling of the smartgrid, accusing Washington of being too hesitant and a new report insists the government is not pushed hard enough over the nationwide roll out of the smartgrid.

The Obama administration has been advised to make renewables a high priority in the electricity sector so the energy system can be 'decarbonised'.

Smartgrids are absolutely key to securing energy supplies for the future and fully capitalizing on recent developments in the wind and solar industries, both in need of a grid that can further share the network access between renewable and conventional generators.

That's why these awards are so important.

"Smarter, more efficient, more reliable grid"

"The GridVision awards honor the services that represent significant advances towards the goals of a smarter, more efficient and more reliable electric power grid," commented IEC President John R. Janowiak.

The awards are part of the larger Grid ComForum, a conference that provides a venue for grid operators and technology suppliers to discuss the business and technology management issues that must be addressed to create the next-generation power grid and realize its benefits.

The inaugural group of GridVision Award honorees were chosen by a panel of industry experts because they exemplified the most innovative and effective applications of these technologies.

Key winners included PG&E, for its pioneering deployment of next-generation grid infrastructure with the SmartMeter program and Verizon Wireless, continuously aggressive in the smartgrid field looking to partner with utilities and exploring ways to include remote energy management through its IPTV or broadband packages.

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Daniel Jones

Obama stimulus DID create jobs

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:41:00 +0000

We've been saying it for ages, and how could a $862 billion stimulus not create jobs, but the controversy surrounding President Obama's stimulus package has never gone away.

In early January, an Associated Press article claimed that the stimulus spending on transportation infrastructure “had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry.”

However, while that story was countered by the Transportation Equity Network who said it was a "misguided, apples-to-oranges comparison".

In their official rebuke, TEN said, "Highway and road construction represents only a small percentage of the construction industry as a whole, and only a tiny percentage of the total national work force—0.2 percent—meaning that it cannot, on its own, be expected to transform unemployment trends."

Second, the story ignores decades of hard evidence about the jobs that transportation infrastructure spending creates—and fails even to mention the number of transportation-related jobs the stimulus has created or sustained: more than 210,000 direct, on-project jobs, plus another 420,000 indirect or induced jobs as of Oct. 31, 2009, according to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

To the AP and its “independent economists at five universities,” this may be a drop in the bucket, "To those of us on the front lines every one of those job hours is a chance to pull a family back from the brink of disaster. At member congregations we work with across the country, newly jobless parents are approaching their pastors every week, asking for food pantry supplies or tuition assistance because they can no longer provide for their children."

The stimulus is working

However today, our friends at The Infrastructurist have today published an article saying that the stimulus package, including the US$35.6 billion committed by the DOT, has indeed created jobs - up to 2.5 million in the long run.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is unsurprisingly happy at the news, posting on his blog,

"I want to talk about some good news I shared with the National Governors Association on Sunday. And I don't mean good news for the Obama Administration; I mean good news for the American people, good news for the two million people who would not be working were it not for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the Recovery Act. I mentioned it here, but we were so busy announcing our TIGER grant awards that I didn't give it the attention it deserves.

"Luckily, America's economists and news media stepped in. They have combed through the Recovery Act data, done their due diligence, and concluded--as I have--that the stimulus is working.

"It is employing good people across the country who would otherwise be out of work. And it is getting our nation's infrastructure back into the condition it ought to be in.

And it shows that sometimes this great Federal government of ours--despite its critics--gets it right.

Now who is saying the Recovery Act is working? Who is citing the two million direct jobs or the 41,000 transportation jobs created by the $35.6 billion DOT has committed so far to 13,300 different projects?"

Even some Republicans are concurring with the figures; Governor Schwarznegger told ABC he believed the stimulus had created jobs and scorned those who didn't. Speaking to ABC News, he said,

"I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on stimulus money and saying this doesn’t create any new jobs, and then they go out and do photo-ops and they’re posing with the big check and they say, “Isn’t this great! Look the kind of money I provide here for the state! And this is great money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, and this has created 20,000 new jobs.” It doesn’t match up."

If the Governator is on board, then the Obama administration must be doing something right.

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Timon Singh

Water wars

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:50:00 +0000

In the 20th century, the world's wars were predominately defined by political conflicts and clashes over ideology. However, in the 21st century, something else threatens to define our struggles - resources. While one can argue the first decade of the 21st century was defined by combating terrorism and controlling oil supplies, there is something far more important to the survival of mankind that could be the cause of the next major global conflict, something that is actually surpassing oil as the world's scarcest critical resource - water.

The world's supply of fresh water is running out, accounting for only 2.5 percent of the planet's entire water supply. An explosion in global population growth has put a huge strain on resources of usable water, and already one person in five has no access to safe drinking water.

Astonishingly, over the past century world water use has increased twice as fast as the global population. Hydration is perhaps the most important use for water, but it is by far the only use. It is the lifeblood of all society with the agricultural and infrastructure industries all relying on water to operate.

"Water could trigger or exacerbate conflict"

On September 15 last year, the UK's Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth delivered a speech at King's College London. His speech focused on defence strategies of the future and some of the major challenges facing British defence in the face of conflicts around the globe.

In what came as a surprise to many attending this speech, this is what he said:

"We can conclude that current trends of resource use are unsustainable particularly in the context of the growth of global population and growing social aspirations. Competition for resources such as water, arable land and strategic minerals may trigger or exacerbate conflict."

Also, little over a year and a half ago at the Goldman Sachs "Top Five Risks" conference in June 2008, global experts also insisted that a catastrophic water shortage could prove an even bigger threat to mankind this century than soaring food prices and the relentless exhaustion of energy reserves.

Aquifers could run dry

At the conference they warned that, on the economics of climate change, underground aquifers could run dry at the same time as melting glaciers, playing havoc with fresh supplies of usable water.

As fresh water reserves start to dwindle, a frightening amount of power will fall into the hands of a very small number of people, and the opportunities for water companies across the globe are obvious. Analysts and experts argue that governments have handed too much power over to private water companies, with some even suggesting these firms want to create a "water cartel".

A history of underinvestment across the globe means that a huge windfall is on its way for water companies. In the US alone, the shortfall between actual investment and the industry's real needs is estimated to be $122 billion for waste water treatment and $100 billion for drinking water over the next 12 years, according to Michael Dean of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Considering the dangers

There is a real danger that one day, every single drop of fresh water left in the world will be privately owned and controlled. The potential for conflict is clear.

If we reach a time where the world is divided into water haves and have-nots, desperation could spawn drastic reaction. China, India and Pakistan are just three countries facing critical water issues in the 21st century, failing to mention almost the entire continent of Africa.

Consider the dangers of water-distressed, over-populated, nuclear-armed nations with a history of terrorist activity who are left with an ultimatum - gain access to water any way they can or let their population become ravaged by starvation and dehydration.

This could become a genuine problem for world leaders to deal with in the 21st century.

Curbing water use

However there are steps governments can take to stave off this most devastating of shortages. The United States has made significant progress in curbing its water use, thanks to market forces and legislation such as the Clean Water Act. Technology for desalination and recycling must also come in to play an increasing role in the industry.

Banks around the world need to become more creative in matching the financing of capital outlays in the industry with the long lives of water treatment facilities.

Even focusing on the more mundane tasks of controlling leaking pipes can make a huge difference on a global scale. Either way, something simply must be done if we are to prevent these wars over water.

There are ways we can live without crude oil, it would be difficult, but populations would survive. Without water there is no argument, societies cannot survive and a severe global shortage will make conflict inevitable.

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Daniel Jones

Obama jump starts the smartgrid

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:58:00 +0000

It's well known that America's national electricity grid, once the greatest machine ever built, is now old, antiquated and in desperate need of an upgrade.

The next generation of power consumption will lead us to the smartgrid, a clever, cleaner way of transmitting our electricity that will increasingly come from renewable sources. However the smartgrid will also be extremely expensive.

Therefore it was music to the ears of many utilities and environmentalists alike when Obama announced investments that promised to "jump start" America's smart electricity future.

As part of the infamous American Reinvestment and Recovery Act Obama smartly set aside $3.4 billion to invest in smart grid technology during 2010 and beyond. However just as important was the industry money and private investment, totalling over $8 billion. The cash will be used for everything from installation of smart meters to funding for manufacturing processes.

Education consumers

The initial phase of funding will help various 'foundation projects' such as the installation of 18 million smart meters in around 13 percent of Americas homes. The aim here is for utilities to use the information gathered by the smart meter technology as 'educational tools' to teach consumers how effectively and efficiently monitor their power usage. They will also need to be educated on how to use smart appliances at times when the grid is not at peak use, one of the key elements of a smartgrid.

This will help to take responsibility out of the hands of utilities who often rely on coal-powered 'stand-by' power plants.

The cash will also be used to roll out broadband technology across the country to allow the entire grid system to communicate and pull power to where its needed, and again being able to correctly distribute power will help to make America more energy efficient.

Power Grid 2.0

The broadband technology will also allow power from traditional, polluting plants to be turned down when there is sufficient power being generated from a clean source in another location. So, for example, when there is a very windy day in Texas creating a great deal of power, this energy is not wasted and can take the place of power generated by a coal-fired plant in Pennsylvania. At the moment we have no truly efficient way of harnessing all of the clean power America produces.

A great deal of money will need to be spent to ensure power can indeed travel great distances across different states to where it is needed. Installing smart meters, syncrophasors, automated substations, and smart transformers will help to make this happen.

Electric vehicles, smart appliances and assisting the progress of cleantech R&D will also receive stimulus attention, and this in turn will help the economy in general as new jobs are created and enterprise encouraged.

Bring on Power Grid 2.0.

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Daniel Jones

Travelling to work in the US

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:56:00 +0000

Although America is primarily a car culture, in certain cities using public transport is generally the only way you're going to get to work in the same season you set off. As such, New York and Washington have ever-growing and popular public-transport systems with a large percentage of commuters opting to cycle or walk, but what about cities where having a car is a necessity?

Take Los Angeles for example. The sprawling city is spread out over almost 500 square miles, making freeways the most commonly used form of transport. Car-ownership is the norm and to dream of cycling to work is not just an enormously difficult feat, it's incredibly dangerous.

Los Angeles has too few bike lanes to make cycling to work a viable option, but a group in the city, The LA Bike Working Group are proposing a re-think in how commuters get to work. Their proposal, an interconnected bicycle freeway called the Backbone Bikeway Network, would create a series of bike paths and signals along major thoroughfares making cycling around the city much safer and easier.

Of course, the plan has drawn criticism from many saying the plan lacks substance or the necessary vision to bring about change, but it is interesting how public opinions are creating new 'metro systems' to provide alternative options to drive. With rising fuel costs as well as the shadow of the recession still looming large, many Americans are becoming more reluctant to use their vehicles unless completely necessary.

Figures from the US Census Bureau support the idea that states with less sprawling cities and better public transport see their population use a greater percentage of alternative transports to cars. The states of New York and the District of Columbia have, as expected, far greater numbers of people taking public transport and alternative forms of travel than states such as Alabama and Missouri.

On the other hand, the likes of Massachusetts with cities like Boston also have a large walking and 'alternate' transport percentage.

How does your state compare?

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Timon Singh

Obama on nuclear: Confused or concise?

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:58:00 +0000

President Barack Obama last week announced $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees for the construction of two nuclear reactors in Burke County, Georgia.

For some this was good news with many people still of the opinion that investments in controversial power sources such as nuclear are vital to immediately start cutting carbon emissions, while the renewable energy sector continues to grow. In total Congress has authorized $18.5 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear energy projects under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which also provided other subsidies for nuclear power to help mitigate the effect of decades of regulatory risk for approximately the first six nuclear reactors built in the US.

As Obama said himself, "nuclear power plants offer one of the best alternatives for providing a clean source of electricity to meet the rising demand," I paraphrase slightly but that was the general point he was eager to make.

Concerns remain

However concerns remain over his overall policy on nuclear power. For example how can one fail to be left confused when, after championing the development of new nuclear power plants, the Obama administration also moved to shut down the nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain, Nev.

Now, it would perhaps be naive to suggest that the sudden focus on nuclear power is an effort to win over Republicans, but that is certainly the opinion of some worried Democrats. But when you consider how unpopular Obama's version of the cap-and-trade bill was, one wouldn't be to surprised to see him on the look out for new friends.

So often in environmentalists' good books during his election campaign, Obama seemed genuinely reluctant to pursue an energy policy that would leave more radioactive waste in America soil for thousands of years. But now that he's in office he appears to have had his head turned, and much like his inconsistent stand on offshore drilling this leads to mixed messages which in turn breeds bad policies.

Scaled-down nuclear power

But it looks as if nuclear power has a future in the US, and recently the Wall Street Journal even reported on a scaled-down version of nuclear power generation.

The new type of nuclear reaction described by the WSJ as "smaller than a rail car" and one-tenth the cost of a big plant. The Tennessee Valley Authority, First Energy Corp. and Oglethorpe Power Corp. have apparently signed an agreement to seek federal approval for the new reactor. Officials say the reactor would cost about $750 million, compared to a large reactor that could cost between $5 billion and $10 billion and can be retro-fitted to existing plants.

Obama needs to stop giving to the nuclear sector with one hand and taking with the other. He either needs to fully commit to a nuclear policy or show some serious faith in alternative fuels and invest federal cash elsewhere.

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Daniel Jones

Google hackers: US closing in

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:45:00 +0000

It was a major blow to US online security, not to mention a cyber attack on one of the web's biggest sites, as well as a number of other companies, but US officials have said they are close to finding the elusive 'Google hackers'.

The investigation came about after a "highly sophisticated" attack, allegedly originating from China, attacked the Google site, infiltrating its software coding and the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

The attack led to Google threatening to pull out of China amid complaints about the cyber attacks on its systems and the country's censorship laws. At the time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the US should "respect the facts" and stop making "groundless accusations against China" but reports are now coming it that the authorities have tracked down the author of the code behind the attacks.

Freelance hacker or government op?

The Financial Times has said US officials are after a hacker who is a Chinese "freelance security consultant in his 30s". The 'mastermind' had apparently published extracts of the attack code on a hacker forum, that Chinese officials had special access to.

The paper has quoted a single, unnamed government researcher as saying, "If he wants to do the research he's good at, he has to toe the line now and again." The article also stated that the hacker was working as a freelancer and would have preferred not to have contributed to the attack, but felt pressure from Chinese officials.

"He would rather not have uniformed guys looking over his shoulder, but there is no way anyone of his skill level can get away from that kind of thing," the source said. "The state has privileged access to these researchers' work."

Previously, the cyber attacks have been linked to pupils at two Chinese colleges - the prestigious Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang vocational school. The schools have denied these allegations, despite the fact it has the world's biggest computer library it primarily trains hairdressers, chefs and car mechanics.

However despite a professor at Jiaotong saying, "Students hacking into foreign websites is quite normal" no official charges have been made against the institution. For now, it looks like there was a single hacker behind it, though expect the US allegations against China to continue.

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Timon Singh

Is San Francisco leading the 'electric revolution'?

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Electric cars have long been rumoured to be the future of urban transport in America, but while their arrival might be slightly delayed due to the recent Toyota recalls, US cities are preparing for their arrival with San Francisco leading the way.

The city has recently revised its building code requiring that all new structures have to be wired for EV (electric vehicles) chargers, enabling the 'refueling' of electric cars. And the city's leaders are leading by example with a charging stations installed across the street from City Hall.

However, it's just not the environmental concerns of the local council that are fueling the electric car revolution, the city's location has also helped.

San Francisco's Silicon Valley is home to a whole host of EV companies including Coulomb Technologies, Better Place and Tesla Motors. As such, green cars have done well in the city, with 1 in 5 cars being sold in some parts of the city being a Prius.

It also helps that the headquarters of Pacific Gas and Electric are in the city, and executives are already looking at 'heat maps' of the neighborhoods in case of overloads. As such, the company are looking at scheduling a 'smart charging project' which would see 200 EVs connected to charging stations to control electrical demand.
By making a smart charging grid, it will ensure power outages don't occur should a large number of EV users try to charge their cars at the same time (on the way to and from work for example).

Huge momentum

It's not just San Francisco however, Portland and San Diego are also getting on the EV bandwagon, showing enthusiasm for both new technology and green business.

Car companies are also racing to meet potential demand. While Toyota are currently undergoing crisis management, Nissan is about to unveil The Leaf, a five-passenger electric car that will have a range of 100 miles on a fully charged battery and be priced for middle-class families.

Speaking to the New York Times, Carlos Ghosm, Nissan's President, was excited about the company's future prospects. “This is the game-changer for our industry,” he said, predicting that 10 percent of the cars sold would be electric vehicles by 2020.

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Timon Singh