The Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Energy

It is ones individual discretion about any energy source they want to make use of but taking into account the various advantages and disadvantages into account.

It is a known act that one can become environmentally friendly by making use of the alternative energy resources and save the entire world from wasting the natural resources. A lot of the countries have proved that making use of the renewable energy resources have lead them to having umpteen work opportunities for their people.

One has to look at all the pros and cons of the alternative energy sources. As only the electricity can be stored when compared to the renewable energy which has the maximum impact of running. One cannot be able to store the alternative energy source nor consume in large quantities. Anyone making use of the alternative energy must have sufficient knowledge of what they are using and how to maintain it. Most people don't know much about alternative energy, only those that specialize in it, which is a huge disadvantage for most people.

Solar Energy
Solar power works wonderfully and would save us lots of electricity. One of the greatest benefits of this is that sun-power is always free and abundant. Depending on what part of the world an individual lives in will determine whether they can depend on solar power alone can take the place of electricity. Those people who are living in higher planes cannot make use of the solar energy as it cannot be made available in these areas despite their need to have it. Solar energy is the best alternative energy for homes.

Wind Energy
In order for wind to work as an energy alternative, there would need to be lots of it. This alternative source of energy will be best generated in places having maximum content of water. In order to have the air capture properly one needs to have a lot of space where the windmills can be constructed. This alternative source of energy cannot be created by those regions having lesser air.

Tidal Energy
The ocean's tides are used for natural power of generating plants to make energy. This kind of energy is quite erratic as it depends on the movement of the tides varying on so many factors. Tidal energy may be hazardous for the safety of the animals and birds as well.

Hydroelectric Energy
This is energy that is basically used for dam operations. The water from the ocean is what is used to keep the dam operating. By this method energy gets utilized to the optimum. The prime disadvantage of this is that it is not possible to construct dams at all places and that too with so much of money required.

Contamination with Aluminium

Previously we have seen the damage they cause heavy metals to different ecosystems with so-called toxic Heavy Metals and metal in general, who come not only from the Mining pollutant, but also from other industrial activities, and less cases of "Pollution Natural "as in the Volcanic Eruptions where they are encouraged by the hand of man.

This time, we will look to other metal contaminants that often occur in nature but whose concentration increases sharply with the actions of man, can cause not only the modification of a particular ecosystem, but also serious disruption to the health of people.Uses of AluminumIn nature you can find aluminum, reaching the earth's surface at a rate not exceeding 8%, the third of the elements of the earth's crust, and is quite relative abundance with respect to general metal forming part of the chemical structure of the Alumino-silicates which are present in most rocks and minerals.Due to its high malleability, their abundance and their physicochemical properties that favor its widespread use, this metal is the product of a high level of industrialization, as part of materials such as alumina, one of the components used in wire and Abrasive processing, although its best known application is the creation of Cookware and tools varied cuisine.These elements in the time of disposal are disposed of without treatment, without knowing that may arise Toxic Effects in the future, because as we shall see, no physiological functions in the body, but rather the opposite.

 

Toxic aluminumCurrently there are no deep analysis about the minimum and maximum tolerable to this substance, because it is a bioaccumulative toxic, ie it has no acute toxic effects and sudden, but will accumulate in the affected organs as joins the body, mainly by food intake.When incorporated in the body largely eliminated via the kidney, but is noisy for proper absorption of other substances such as phosphorus, iron and calcium by the body, which in the long term tends to affect other organs like the liver The Heart and the Brain, also accumulate in the bones and the bone marrow.While it is estimated an average of 9 mg% in an adult, this concentration is increased much more in cases of occupational exposure in the case of individuals who work with metal manufacture, printing, automotive factories and further Mining Activities, which is absorbed primarily dermal and respiratory rates, as it is often transported in small particles through the air.

Texas Getting Fast-Charging EV Stations

 

NRG Energy has grown its network of charging stations to include Freedom Stations, a fast-charging option for EV motorists in the Houston and Dallas/Ft. Worth areas in Texas. Freedom Stations give those EV owners who have subscribed to the eVgo network the freedom to charge wherever they find an NRG Energy’s eVgo EV Charging station. 

 

 The fast-charge stations, which feature 480V DC, can recharge 80 percent of EVs in under 30 minutes. NRG plans on having 35 Freedom Station sites in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and 25 sites in Houston.

Founded by NRG in 2010, eVgo is the country’s first privately-funded charging network, and is the only EV network in the nation offering this fast-charging option. Two types of stations will be available. The eVgo convenience stations will offer Level 2 charging (and yummy snacks) and remain open according to the retailer’s business hours.

 

 The eVgo Freedom Stations will include Level 2 and DC charging areas, and will be accessible 24 hours a day. The stations offer charging docks for two cars at a time, and are compatible with any EV (hopefully even this mobile BBQ, if it comes to the US!), according to Tianna Robinson, a sales rep at Reliant Energy (NRG Energy is its parent company). Anyone with an interest can sign up to become a member and charge at all eVgo Network charging stations.

How quickly can you charge the battery on the EV?

According to the eVgo Network site:

     ”If your car is equipped to accept a DC charge, then a 480-volt quick-charge station can deliver approximately 160 miles per hour of charging. 220/240V (depending on amperage) can deliver up to 24 miles per hour and 110/120V provides approximately 6 miles of range for each hour of charging.”

One charge at the fast-charging station could take you up to 160 miles (more than enough!), depending on the car you drive, and other typical variables, such as road conditions, style of driving, etc… Ms. Robinson noted that a larger EV, something like Ford’s little plug-in project,  might not enjoy the same range. Keep in mind, also, that those 480V are available only at the fast-charge station

The Less than Exotic Free Energy Technologies of Nanoholdings

Nanoholdings is a company that has developed multiple technologies that incorporate nano-materials. Their CEO, Justin Hall, recently gave a TED talk discussing their discoveries. It seems when it comes to energy technology, they are still thinking too far "inside of the box" -- ignoring more exotic, and more robust solutions.

by Hank Mills
Pure Energy Systems News

TED stands for, "technology, entertainment, and design." The organization holds conferences in which they encourage individuals with "ideas worth spreading" to give talks. The CEO of Nanoholdings, Justin Hall, gave such a talk in which he described his company's research and discoveries, which has created some buzz among free energy connoisseurs since he alluded to energy coming from the surroundings, available wirelessly, anywhere. As we inquired further, though he certainly did revealed some interesting technologies, it seems when it comes to energy, his company is still working with fairly mundane ways of producing power -- such as harnessing energy from the sun.



To start off the talk, Justin describes how six and a half years ago he searched the world for the best and brightest minds in the academic world. He found many researchers who were focused on nanotechnologies. He brought them into Nanoholdings, and now has 180 researchers. They are focused on utilizing the potential of nanotechnology to come up with breakthroughs that could improve the human condition on this planet.

Although his company is developing a number of different technologies (such as concrete from fly ash and nano-composite materials), the focus of this talk was about energy production. More specifically, he described how nanotechnology allows scientists to manipulate the electron, which is a fundamental building block of energy.

The first technology he discusses is a form of transparent carbon. The material is also lightweight, very thin, flexible, and is composed of carbon nanotubes. It was created by vaporizing graphite and allowing it to condense back into a solid. During the condensation process, it changes form into a nano-material. He goes on to say these nano-tubes conduct electricity one thousand times more efficiently than copper.
What is interesting and potentially useful about this material is that when combined with a polymer, a small, brief voltage (two millivolts) can change it from being transparent, to being shaded. This could be useful in either letting light into a home in winter (to warm it up), or keeping light out of a home in summer (to prevent it from heating up). By only letting light into a home or business when it is wanted, energy could be saved. Less electricity would need to be used for heating or cooling. This falls under the category of energy conservation.

The second technology he described was a pretty impressive night vision technology. Instead of bulky, power hungry goggles, his system utilizes a transparent thin film that captures infrared light and transforms it into electricity. The electricity produced by this thin film -- basically a form of solar panel -- then interacts with a second thin film, which is the display. It is supposed to be more sensitive than current night vision systems, much more compact (the overall thickness is just two micrometers), and it uses forty times less power than conventional night vision systems.

This night vision technology is named NIRVision, and is expected to be used in many applications. It could be applied to vehicle windshields, or to ordinary glasses. During the day time when the night vision aspect would not be in use, it would be totally invisible. In fact, the company suggests that with this technology street lighting could be reduced or eliminated, conserving even more energy.

The third technology discussed during the talk is really a combination of the first two. The result would be a thin film of transparent carbon nanotubes that could change color on demand (letting light in or keeping it out), but that would also have the ability to convert infrared light into electricity. Such a technology could allow for electricity to be produced twenty four hours a day, even during night time hours. This is because even when everything seems dark to a human, infrared light is being emitted from every object. We just cannot see light in that part of the spectrum.

Despite the fact combining these two technologies would be useful, the combination of these two technologies does not excite me a lot. One reason I was not impressed, is that there are much more exotic and powerful energy technologies being developed, than a new twist on solar power. Cold fusion technologies such as the E-Cat, magnetic systems such as Steorn's Orbo, the harnessing of electricity from electrets, PlasmERG engines, and other emerging exotic technologies all offer much more potential. Also, other companies have built solar cells that can harness infrared light, and their efficiency may be higher than Nanoholdings.

I am not saying that the combination of these two technologies would not be useful. Having windows you can turn on and off, that also generate electricity would be pretty neat to have. I would not mind having them installed in my home. It's just that it does not really seem like a solution to the energy crisis, in my opinion. It seems more like a stop-gap measure -- like bio-fuels or hydrogen boosters for vehicles.
The fourth technology discussed was the E-Box, which is an energy storage system. It uses nano-materials that store electrons on their surface, hold them, and can then release them when needed. No power density figures or storage capacities were given. I wonder if this is just another super-capacitor technology using nano-tubes for the electrodes. If so, it is really not much different than many other such technologies entering the marketplace. Also, this technology does nothing to generate energy. With technologies like cold fusion that produce huge amounts of energy, storage technologies may not be needed, or not to as great of an extent as with solar power.

One aspect of the technology he did not elaborate on to a great extent, was how the E-Box could beam power from one home to another, in the form of light. He mentioned how this technology would eliminate the need for a power grid. According to him, the grid of the future would be no grid at all. I am all for the elimination of the power grid, but I don't think it is going to happen due to solar technology, and energy conservation.

Near the end of the talk, Justin showed a picture of a little girl dying of thirst in the Sudan. He began to talk about how all humans need eight glasses of water a day to stay alive, and how it will take huge amounts of energy to desalinate all the water humans will need. The answer according to him is nanotechnology, and "free" energy. However, the free energy technology he is talking about is not the same type of energy that we report about on PESN. Instead of promoting cutting edge, exotic energy technologies that are outside of the box, his company's research is focusing on mostly "inside of the box" technologies. Although mainstream alternative energy technologies like solar power could help produce the energy the world needs to desalinate huge amounts water, it will take truly paradigm shifting technologies to get the job done.

Nanoholdings Should Pursue Exotic Free Energy
I would urge Nanoholdings to start pursuing more radical energy technologies. Here is an example of what they could accomplish if they started thinking truly outside of the box. With the money, researchers, and equipment their company has, they could probably produce a cold fusion technology (that might even be competitive with Andrea Rossi's) in a short period of time.

Sterling Allan points out that they could also probably greatly facilitate the hydroxy or water-fuel field. Some models describe zero point energy showing up in the process of creating Brown's gas, and this is why more energy can be produced in some of these set-ups than what is put into the systems. Since these phenomena most likely happen on the nano scale, nano-technology is likely to provide a boon to this industry.

Imagine what they could do with piezoelectric effects if they could manipulate them on the nano or atomic scale -- harvesting the very power of atomic motion which is replenished by the wheelwork of nature.
In only a few hours of browsing PESN, Nanoholdings could probably get many ideas for research topics that could lead to truly game changing technologies. However, my guess is that most of their scientists are probably very "mainstream" and part of the cult of the academic establishment. I would bet most of them would be terrified of having their reputation "tarnished" by conducting a cold fusion experiment.

Personally, unless Nano-holdings is going to start researching more cutting edge energy technologies, I think they should focus on their non-energy related discoveries. For example, making cement from fly ash (the by product of power plants that use coal as fuel).


Now back to investigating some truly exotic technologies..... 

Nest Thermostat Now Available on Amazon

The Nest Learning Thermostat has been all the rage since it’s introduction late in 2011, thanks to its apparent ease of installation, flashy design, and usefulness. Now, you can get your very own Nest Thermostat at Amazon.com.

Nest announced on June 7 that the Nest thermostat is now selling on the popular online superstore.

We’ve covered the Nest Learning Thermostat many times at CT, so check out more on the innovative product:


We didn't think thermostats mattered either.

Until we learned they control about 50% of our home's energy bill. That's as much as the refrigerator, lighting, TVs, stereos and computers combined.

Traditional thermostats tend to waste a lot of energy, mainly heating & cooling your home when no one's there.
We designed Nest to learn from you. As a result, 99% of Nests have schedules that work with your life. And when life doesn't go according to schedule, Nest can help:

• Forgot to turn down the thermostat before you left the house? Auto-Away will automatically do it for you.
• Dreading the summer heat? Airwave cuts down on your cooling costs automatically.
• Coming home early from a weekend away? Use your phone to turn down the temp on your way.

Nest Thermostat Product Features

• Auto-Schedule-Nest remembers the temperatures you like and programs itself
• Auto-Away-Nest saves energy by automatically turning itself down when you're away
• Airwave - Automatically cuts up to 30% of your AC's runtime if your home isn't too humid
• Remote control - Connect Nest to Wi-Fi to control it from your smartphone, laptop or tablet
• Simple to use - Most homeowners install Nest themselves in less than 30 minutes. After that, it's just a matter of changing the temperature

It's simple:
You'll spend on average $30,000 heating and cooling your home over the 20-year life of your system. In that time, the Nest Learning Thermostat, which takes 30 minutes to install and programs itself in a week, can save you $6,000.


>>> Nest Thermostat Now Available on Amazon <<<

New Method Significantly Reduces Production Costs of fuel cells

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a new and significantly cheaper method of manufacturing fuel cells. A noble metal nanoparticle catalyst for fuel cells is prepared using atomic layer deposition (ALD).

This ALD method for manufacturing fuel cells requires 60 per cent less of the costly catalyst than current methods.

"This is a significant discovery, because researchers have not been able to achieve savings of this magnitude before with materials that are commercially available," says Docent Tanja Kallio of Aalto University.


Fuel cells could replace polluting combustion engines that are presently in use. However, in a fuel cell, chemical processes must be sped up by using a catalyst. The high price of catalysts is one of the biggest hurdles to the wide adoption of fuel cells at the moment.

The most commonly used fuel cells cover anode with expensive noble metal powder which reacts well with the fuel. By using the Aalto University researchers' ALD method, this cover can be much thinner and more even than before which lowers costs and increases quality.

With this study, researchers are developing better alcohol fuel cells using methanol or ethanol as their fuel. It is easier to handle and store alcohols than commonly used hydrogen. In alcohol fuel cells, it is also possible to use palladium as a catalyst.

The most common catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells is platinum, which is twice as expensive as palladium. This means that alcohol fuel cells and palladium will bring a more economical product to the market.

Fuel cells can create electricity that produces very little or even no pollution. They are highly efficient, making more energy and requiring less fuel than other devices of equal size. They are also quiet and require low maintenance, because there are no moving parts.

In the future, when production costs can be lowered, fuel cells are expected to power electric vehicles and replace batteries, among other things. Despite their high price, fuel cells have already been used for a long time to produce energy in isolated environments, such as space crafts. These results are based on preliminary testing with fuel cell anodes using a palladium catalyst. Commercial production could start in 5-10 years.

This study was published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C. The research has been funded by Aalto University's MIDE research program and the Academy of Finland.

European Union: Generation Awake

Each of the decisions you make are important and it is time that you begin to appreciate each one of them because they have a greater impact than you can imagine, it is time to consider before buying a product.

The Generation Awake promotes consumers to think before you buy, not only by society today if not for future generations, it is a thinking about the future today, take care of our own and those yet to come.

If each of us to take conscience that the products we choose to speak of our future and of all generations, pararíamos to reflect each of our decisions because our resources are dependent on what you do today.

Now we tend to forget natural resources such as water, fertile soils, the fresh air or biodiversity by our desire to improve our standard of living, but this has a price because resources are beginning to dwindle and it endangers our near and distant future wellbeing.

What is before us today is not stop consuming the level to which we are accustomed, if not learn to consume efficiently and different, where respect for what gives us the Earth, saving money and reducing the impact exerted on the environment.

Today we present you a very funny video that tells us about the Awake Generation of the European Union with a catchy song and a few exceptional players: paper bags.

Your choices is to make the world different.

Investment in Renewable Energy Gets a Positive Go Ahead

 Research in energy education has given several positive implications that the future lies in the hands of renewable energy resources. Moreover, the prices of wind, thermal and solar power are estimated to fall as more alternative power sources are switched into the energy grid. CEES provides courses in energy grid education as part of its various academic courses.

Investing in Renewable Energy makes a good economic sense according to the researchers, as the cost of most of the renewable sources is dropping down. Solar energy is one of the strongest means of energies and over the next 5-10 years, fossil fuels will have a very close competition with solar technologies.

A high demand for Alternative energy:
Alternative energy resources are mostly renewable; they ensure a steady supply of energy to meet the present and future needs of people. Thus, these renewable resources turn out to be cheaper than traditional ones, which are expensive because of their limited availability and fast depleting reserves.

Massive slashes in power bills are recorded on account of renewable energy consumption-sun, wind, tides, biomass etc. Since they produce clean energy sans pollution, using such resources is an ideal way to go green and reduce the carbon footprint.

Advantages of Alternative sources:
Renewable sources are present in abundance and hence there isn't any danger of them getting depleted unlike oil or fossil fuels. Besides, they maintain a constant price and do not have a fluctuating price range like the oil and natural gas prices. Alternative energy is a clean energy form as it can be recycled, processed and reused.

Power is harnessed by renewable energy resources (sun, wind, tides) thus dependency on imports of fossil fuels is alleviated and high cost of power transportation is reduced.

Green house gases pollute the air, thus resulting into respiratory illnesses and other health hazards. Hence, alternative energy is imperative as it promises a healthy and a clean world.

Energy Education is a Pathway to Better Future

Clean energy jobs are the leading and most upcoming career options today. As we all know, a lot needs to be worked out and implemented in the energy education sector, but for that we need efficient government backing because there are already many individuals driven towards this field, a stronger impetus can keep the energy sector moving.

Recently, US President Obama was of the opinion that sciences and more precisely energy education can help in the betterment of the future. He laid emphasis on training 10,000 new American Engineers every year, who would work in the clean energy sector. The president stated that Clean Energy Education has the potential to create untold numbers of new jobs.

Many nations are warming up to the idea of energy efficiency and energy related jobs and they wonder what it can do to the economy of the country. Energy education leads to efficient energy use and can result into global progress by bringing about reduction as well as more or less uniformity in the product prices. Besides, energy education can regulate the pollution meter, by adding to the environmental benefits by mitigating green house gas emissions. Low scale economies recover from financial depressions and the use of renewable energy also accelerates, which secures the exhaustible sources from further depletion.

Investing in energy education is important because of its rising demand and availability of clean energy courses globally; also, it is the next emerging sector for green collar jobs. CEES takes the initiative in explaining that energy education is the need of the hour through its myriad range of energy courses. Energy Education is vital for a safe and a secured socio-economic living.

Considering the present picture of Energy Education, does it have the potential to sustain the future needs?

2. Most Important Advances in ModernTimes of Alternative Energies!

Alternative energy it is becoming increasingly attractive as energy costs and increase of environmental concerns.  Two of the most interesting advances in alternative energy sources are the solar and wind power.

Solar energy is exploited by placing solar panels that can absorb the sunlight more and turn the heat into electricity. Wind energy is the energy of the wind is used to activate a turbine that is connected to a generator, once again to produce electricity.

As the rise in the costs of power lines and power, alternative energy is fast becoming more affordable and more reliable than ever.  However, despite what some might say, alternative energy isn't necessarily a "zero carbon emitting" but they come close and is generally sustainable.

When you factor in the ecological impacts of power generated fossil and nuclear fuel alternative energy is certainly less impact.  The time for alternative energy is now, thus the electricity companies and electricians in a great position to capitalize on this business booming.

The most common ways that we consider as an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels are the solar and wind power.  Solar energy is our oldest energy source, humans have always used the Sun's energy directly (e.g., for drying of clothes, heating air or water and drying of food), as well as indirectly to power some of agricultural equipment that provides us with food.  We can all use this solar energy directly, simply through the capture of sunlight...

Solar systems are a reliable and cost-effective method to harness the energy of the Sun with many benefits.  Solar energy sector is growing fast in the alternative energy industry.

This century we have begun to make more effective use of solar energy and it is exploring how we can increase its use in the future.  The great feature of solar energy is the fact that continue to exist so far in the future we can think of it as endless.

In addition, unlike fossil fuels, using solar energy does not cause pollution or involve damaging the surface of land.

Farmers across America are discovering that they can control the impact of rising fuel cost effective thermal and electrical systems solar.  They are slashing up to 70% of their energy costs through the use of alternative plots for:

1 Water and air heating for dairies

2 Heating and control of temperature for greenhouses

3 Heating and lighting for homes of meat bird LED

4 Crop drying

5. The water and the air of combustion heating for food processing

6 Pumping of water from remote area

7 Lighting

8 Electrical fences.

These days many Governments provide subsidies to encourage people to convert to solar power for home systems.  For systems installed before 2009, a federal solar tax credit returns 30% of the cost of a solar system first to you in the first year.  In addition, up to 65% of the cost of installation of the solar system can be recovered by focus on incentives of energy discount and credits of federal taxes that drastically reduce the time it takes the system to pay for itself.

As well as help the environment, becoming a domestic solar energy system also helps the health of your finances and adds value to your home.  But, if you are a practical sort of person can generate their own solar energy and small wind turbines systems yourself.  Creating your own wind turbine and solar generator powered can save you money to set up green energy systems.

Wind energy has taken on Earth since the first windmill was developed by the ancient Persian in the seventh century a.d.  Wind continued to collect in the following centuries, first windmills were used to feed grinding, pumps and forges.

Wind energy is a resource that is easily accessible and abundant in most parts of the world.  Wind energy, a renewable source of electricity, is the world's fastest-growing source of energy.  Wind energy or energy is the most recent way of generating energy without implementation of an electric bill.

It is available all year round and is a more permanent type of energy, wind energy can be used for practical purposes as electricity generation, load the batteries, pumping water or grinding grain.

Wind energy systems offer an affordable clean alternative to fossil fuels that generate electricity.  They are among the most technologically advanced and cost-effective renewable sources available today and are installed easily using minimal space.

Wind energy is a clean and cost-effective option for a plentiful, internal resource and can be converted into electrical energy through the use of an electrical generator.  As low as 10 mph winds are all that's needed to produce useful electricity.

Advantages of power on the traditional methods of creating energy from the wind, arise from the fact that as you get cheaper and cheaper to produce, would soon be the cheapest way of producing energy on a large scale.

Wind farms are emerging everywhere to take advantage of wind energy to our communities through the main electric energy networks. Since the winds are stronger top to the ground, wind turbine towers are approximately 30 metres in height to allow the rotor to catch more wind.

Design improvements such as more efficient blades combined with an increase in the number of installed wind turbines, have helped increase energy worlds wind generating capacity by almost 150 percent since 1990.  Every hour of megawatts of wind energy that is generated now avoids the generation, on average, one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions.

Alternative energy is the cleanest fossil fuel energy is renewable, gives you independence from foreign oil, helps to control the rise in electricity bills and allows the development of new venues in more areas.

The other thing is that fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) are not a renewable and resource, aside from the negative effects on our environment, is exhausting and will eventually be completely exhausted.

In United States, the accounts of wind power for less than one percent of the electricity generated, but installed capacity has expanded at an annual average rate of more than 20 per cent, there are a number of devices of small wind energy that can be used to generate energy and most of them is very profitable to provide a considerable level of electricity.

The Planet is in Danger - Alternative Energy is Our Only Choice

When we talk about Alternative Energy, we are referring to alternatives to Fossil Fuels. Ideally Alternative Energy Sources would be renewable for an indefinite time. The Environment is being constantly damaged by the use of Fossil Fuels and the future harm, which includes the massive increase in Greenhouse Gasses, is something we all need to be made aware of. Alternative Energy Sources would not harm the environment in any way, making them safer for the Planet, and making a much, much cleaner option.

Alternative Energy would be self sustaining, never run out, never become expensive and be readily available for everyone. It is only a matter of time before the large Energy Companies adopt a more environmentally friendly position and actively become involved in the search for Alternative Energy Sources.

The options being examined today are Wind Power, Solar Power, Water Power, Biomass Power, Geothermal Power and even Tidal Power. Whilst some of theses options have a visible impact on the environment, the overall impact is a negative one as there will be no damage to the environment.

Many of these options have been used, on small scales, for many years. Wind Power in Holland to drive Windmills. Water Power to drive Water Mills to produce such things as flour, and more.

Today we are used to seeing Solar Power panels taking light from the sun and converting it into energy that will heat our houses, produce hot water and more. Solar Power is also used in places such as swimming pools. This Alternative Energy source is harnessed by covers over the pool that collect the light, convert it and help keep the water warm.

In many parts of the world Geothermal Energy is is used to heat homes. In Greenland most homes are heated by Geothermal Power. Though most Geothermal sites are located near Volcanic regions, some are not. This Alternative Energy source is totally renewable and cheap to produce.

Another source is Tidal Power. I use this title to cover Tides, Rivers and Dams. Dams have a one-way system. Water is, basically, stored behind its huge walls and allowed to run through its systems driving huge turbines that produce massive amounts of renewable electricity we all use daily. Tidal Power is mostly two-way. Building a Dam across a River or Estuary, turbines or dynamos are built into the design. They produce power when the tide goes out, and produces power when the tide comes in. There is a lack of power production at both bottom and top tides , called slack tide , but this Alternative Energy Source is already in successful use in many Countries around the World, and a proposed Severn Estuary Barrier is soon to be built near my home in Barry in South Wales UK., producing enough Alternative Energy to power a city entirely, day in - day out, forever whilst the tides run.

These are just a few of the many sources being examined today. All these Alternative Energy options must be looked at and perfected and put into use very, very shortly or we will do, if we haven't already done, irreparable damage to the Environment. I do wonder what my children, and their children, will think of us in the near-future. Will they curse us or bless us? Its up to us. Its up to us today.

The Island of Trash in the Pacific

A "soup of plastic" (plastic soup, as called in English) of floating waste is growing at an alarming rate in the Pacific Ocean. The total area is really impressive: twice the size of the continental part of United States!

The vast expanse of waste - is indeed the landfill of the world's largest garbage - stays instead spinning due to the underwater currents. It begins about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California and across the North Pacific, reaching beyond Hawaii and even near the coast of Japan.

The "island of garbage" is actually not one, but two. I.e., two areas linked to both sides of the islands of Hawaii, known as Western garbage Island and the island of Eastern garbage.

Charles Moore, American oceanographer who discovered the "great Pacific garbage spot" or "trash Vortex" (another name), are about 100 million tons of flotsam that circulate in the region. He is not a solid surface (such as you would indicate the end of "island") but rather of small plastic particles that may be very small, even microscopic. This occurs because the polymers that make up the plastic materials are disintegrating (separating into smaller elements) but never disappear because the plastic is not biodegradable.

Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer prestigious, compares the vortex of garbage as a living being, is - according to-as a large animal without strap. When the animal is approaching the Earth (as does it in the archipelago of Hawaii) results are dramatic, since it leaves the beaches covered this "confetti" of plastic.

Garbage comes mainly (80% estimated) off the coast of United States and Japan.  Around of a fifth of the garbage you launch of ships or oil platforms. And according to report those who have traveled the area, the trash includes everything from footballs and kayaks to Lego blocks and shopping bags.
Since the garbage patch is transparent and is located just below the surface of the water, it is not detectable in satellite photographs. Only seen from the bow of the boat.

Activists fighting for the protection of the environment warned that unless consumers reduce the use of disposable plastic, the soup of plastic would double in size over the next decade.

According to the United Nations programme, plastic waste causes the death of an enormous amount of animals: more than one million seabirds each year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. Syringes, cigarette lighters and toothbrushes have been found inside the stomach of dead seabirds, because they confuse them with food.

Renewable energy in your respiration!

The search for renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly more intense, with many discoveries that offer hope for future generations. Many innovative inventions have entered the market, which give us hope that in the future (hopefully, not too distant future) the world will stop relying on non-renewable energy.

Like other flagrant imagination devices, air is showing great potential. It is a mask that converts the energy of the wind into electricity. The carrier should only adjust the mask and breathe normally. Only in this way, the electricity generated is sufficient for recharging small electronic devices. And it has in its favour to be used in virtually any situation, indoors or outdoors.

The gadgets are modern man's new best friends. Generally speaking, a person has more than one electronic device that performs specific functions or others that have numerous uses in their daily lives. But despite how useful that they can become this almost infinite number of devices, is an undeniable fact that consume much electricity.

You guys know you well, users of gadgets need every day ensure that the energy bar lines are complete to make the device work properly and the time needed before daring to leave the House with him, otherwise is essential to load them.

ERGO, to the extent that these electronic devices are mostly driven by non-renewable energy, as a whole represents a significant burden on our energy resources.

Daily human activities are likely to be used for the production of energy, for example, riding a bike, running at the gym or simply give a footprint. So you can give energy to that same MP3 player thanks to which we can listen to our favorite music while we do this.

This type of alternative energy (like any other renewable) will help to reduce pollution, save resources and reduce the impact of man on the environment.

Air... or how to convert your breath into electricity

Air is an optimal solution to solve some of our needs in the field of energy. The mask , which you can see in the pictures that accompany this article - is a design that still at the stage of "concept".  It is an electronic device capable of converting the breathing of the user, which is actually wind energyinto electrical energy.

The mask has been equipped with tiny wind turbines that are responsible for this conversion. Then, through a cable that is connected to the mask, transfers the energy generated to storage that is connected at the other end device.

Air is fully functional both indoors and outdoors, when you are asleep or awake, walking or running, etc. In addition, the device generates physical activity, because so you can speed up the batteries charging.

Though it seems be something massively people would be ready to use now, must be recognized that it is a simple, creative and efficient way to get energy free, available any day and at any time.

Indias solar panels get a green signal

Many companies can start off with their work of developing the solar panels in a big way, as there would neither be interference nor intervention, as the solar panel constructions are now exempted from the environmental licensing.

Land clearances for construction of large solar-thermal power plants, will not be an issue of the past any longer. Some of the major Indian companies - Reliance Power Ltd. (RPWR) and Lanco Infratech Ltd. (LANCI) are now free to construct the solar-thermal power plants, as there are no more environmental-permit scrutinies.

India?s investment in solar projects will assure economic growth, as the conventional forms of energy- fossil fuels, firewood will be replaced by the renewable forms, ensuing the protection of the conventional energy forms for a longer duration. Besides, the government is also putting in consistent efforts to empower the rural areas by means of supplying cost-effective solar energy to generate electricity.

Solar energy is one of the most incredible sources of energy, used on a large scale to power various resources. Solar furnaces, water heating, solar cells are some of the prime solar generated working models. Construction of solar panels requires extensive area, about (309 acres) of land. Photovoltaic plants make use of solar panels that absorb the energy from the sun and directly supply power; thermal stations draw in sunlight to heat liquids that produce steam for generators.

Considering the exemption from environmental licensing, solar panel projects will now see a rise, resulting in growth of renewable energy.

Money Talks and Solar Walks in Our Quest For Cheap Alternative Energy

Solar energy or power is the focus of the search for cheap alternative energy as we try to reduce our dependence on, and reduce the effects of, fossil fuels. Using solar power as a means of creating a cheaper alternative to our current energy sources is based upon the following principles.

1. Unlike our finite resources of fossil fuels, solar energy is an infinite and renewable energy source.
2. There are no harmful emissions.
3. The harnessing of solar energy greatly reduces the very significant usage of water that is typical of using coal, nuclear and combined energy sources.
4. After the initial expenditure involved with the installation of a solar powered source of energy, plus some maintenance costs, it is to all intents and purposes free.

Advocates of using solar energy have always faced two major difficulties with promoting this possible form of cheap alternative energy. Currently it is not in real terms a cheap alternative. Inefficiencies and the expenditure involved in the initial set up costs means that solar energy is still viewed by the majority as a fringe source of energy.

However great strides have been made in the search for greater efficiencies in the use of solar power. Recently a group of U.S. scientists set a world record in solar cell efficiency by transforming almost 41% of captured light into energy.

Whilst this is obviously good news in the long term it is not enough to see solar power gain worldwide acceptance as being a viable alternative energy source. The determining factor as always will be costs. Until the stage is reached where this form of energy is accessible to the majority of people it is never going to be an alternative energy let alone our main source.

It all boils down to finances and in a world of financial turmoil it is nearly always research and development that feels the swiftest and sharpest financial cutbacks. Research and development is the only way that solar energy is ever going to reach the stage that it is available to the masses. The masses will only be able to avail of it if it is a cheap alternative.

This is the vicious circle that solar energy and its proponents are caught in. Until the stage is reached where we achieve greater efficiencies in the use of this energy and the production of the units' solar power will not be a cheap alternative.
In recent times of economic boom the emphasis shifted from looking at cheap alternatives and fossil fuels strengthened their position of dominance. If sufficient strides and financing did not occur during times of prosperity it is highly unlikely to occur during an economic slump.

Local and national support for promoting solar energy as a cheap alternative energy source is unlikely to be enough to see this idea lighting up our world. If this form of energy is ever going to reach the stage of being a cheap alternative it needs worldwide collaboration and a long term strategy. Have we seen the light?

Clean Tech Has Reached the Mass Deployment Stage (Investors See That)

A new debate is picking up within the clean energy industry: Is the sector facing a crisis? Or is it still on an upward curve?

The bankruptcy of Solyndra and the political wrangling over the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program have heightened the debate, causing people to ask if there are deeper troubles below the surface. That, combined with a shift in the venture capital community away from early-stage investments, is raising concerns.

Are they founded? Yes and no. But it would a stretch to call this a crisis.

Earlier this week, the think tank Third Way released a report called “Nothing Ventured: The Crisis in Clean Tech Investment,” which calls the shift away from early-stage VC investments a “quiet but severe crisis” that “suggest stark consequences” for the future of the industry.

The report’s goal — to raise awareness about the need for VCs to make bolder moves in cleantech — is certainly an important one. But right after it was released, the latest figures for venture investments in clean energy showed a 73% jump in Q3 over last year’s figures, which showed that “confidence in cleantech continues,” according to Ernst and Young, the firm tracking the figures.

Yes, a lot of that money is going into later stage rounds for more mature companies. But as Ernst and Young Cleantech Director Jay Spencer explains, that’s because “cleantech has reached its deployment phase,” making new sets of investments far more capital intensive than in the past. In the energy market, you don’t make a dent until you get to the billion and trillion dollar scale.

“VC Money does not indicate the success of this industry,” said Jigar Shah, CEO of the Carbon War Room, in an interview with Climate Progress. “There is a huge pipeline of projects and technologies that are now scaling and will continue to drive down costs in the next decade. We are already approaching $2 a watt installed for solar PV — when you get there, you’ll be able to supply up to 30% of global electricity needs cost-competitively.” (For a detailed talk with Shah on deployment strategies, listen to our interview on the Climate Progress podcast.)

Third Way sees things quite differently:

If a sector that helps drive American economic growth loses 26% of its value — $22 billion — and sees a 26% decline in new companies in just three years, would it be a crisis?

It should be. Unfortunately, this decline is happening today to U.S. venture capital, the sector that financed the creation of such iconic American companies as Intel, FedEx, Apple and Google.

The collapse has hit the emerging clean energy sector particularly hard, with investments spiraling down 44% in the last year alone. And it’s happening at a time when the U.S. is locked in an intense competition with China and Europe to win the $2.3 trillion global clean energy market. Yet almost no one in the nation’s capital is ringing alarm bells about venture’s demise.

Yet in the real world, it’s hard to see this collapse.  Further proving strong interest from the venture community, famed venture capitalist Vinod Khosla recently announced that his firm, Khosla Ventures, had raised a $1.05 billion fund, with half of that money going into a broad range of early and late-stage cleantech companies. When the news broke, Khosla Ventures issued a statement explaining that the firm “does not anticipate any change in strategy.”

However, as someone who touts a “Black Swan” approach to investing, Khosla believes that radical innovation is needed to change the energy sector: “What matters are exponential innovations,” he said in a recent speech. “The only way to get there is radical innovation. There is no question you can compete with fossil fuels with renewables and be cheaper.”

According to the Third Way report, the drop in early stage venture investments will severely hamper our ability to achieve exponential innovations:

In 2010 there were more late-stage deals than early-stage deals in clean tech—by a margin of 2 to 1—for the first time since 1999…. Investments in early stages of new technologies are particularly important. This is the point when companies have proven concepts and perhaps a small handful of customers, but they are not yet making a profit. Starved for cash, they cannot implement a business plan that reaches profitability without outside investment.

But calling this a “crisis” assumes that that only exponential technologies will transform the energy system. In fact, experience shows that only technologies with decades of experience in the field attract the type of asset financing needed for large-scale project deployment. With renewables representing roughly 50% of all global electricity capacity additions last year, the deployment data suggests that we are in anything but a crisis.

Shah recently called for the repeal of $380 billion in energy subsidies across both the renewable and fossil energy sectors, a move that he says would level the playing field and cut unneeded expenditures. And he believes that after 2016, the tax credits for solar and some other technologies may no longer be needed due to continued drops in the cost of developing projects:

I think that VC investments are an important thing. But all this nonsense about a crisis is based on the false assumption that we need these dramatic improvements to make an impact. The facts on the ground don’t back that up. We have this huge pipeline of projects coming down the pike.

Of course, many people are concerned that the bankruptcy of Solyndra and Beacon Power are symptomatic of the health of the industry. While much legitimate criticism can be made about the DOE’s management of the loan guarantee program, the reality is that some bankruptcies were expected and budgeted for. And we probably haven’t seen the last of the failures from the loan guarantee program, or elsewhere.

However, the bankruptcies of individual companies don’t prove a “crisis” in the slightest. For every company that fails, many more are thriving throughout the clean energy supply chain — selling products, shipping materials, raising private financing, and deploying projects.

Dismissing the importance of R&D and early-stage VC investments would be dangerous. And we can’t ignore the political backlash on the federal level that is causing market uncertainty. But the environmental and economic macro-trends pushing this industry forward haven’t changed.

The path to wide-scale clean energy deployment is neither easy nor linear — saying that the clean energy industry is facing a crisis isn’t accurate.

Iceland Bets on Green Data Centers

It’s always interesting to see a project you’ve been tracking for some time come to fruition. I’ve been following Verne Global, and its plans for a data center campus in Iceland, for almost two years, so it was rewarding to see its progress first-hand at the official launch event last month.

The Verne Global data center is based on a former NATO facility west of Reykjavik, near Keflavik International Airport. Iceland’s advantages as a staging post between North America and Europe are important, but it’s the availability of a dual-sourced renewable energy supply that makes the project unique. Iceland’s electricity is provided 100 percent by hydropower and geothermal energy. In addition, Iceland’s temperate climate enables year round free air cooling without the need for chillers, helping the site to operate at a power usage effectiveness (PUE, a measure of how efficiently a data center uses energy) of around 1.2.

The data center’s location provides strong green credentials, but it also offers important commercial advantages. Iceland’s renewable energy resources mean a stable and cheap source of electricity for data center operators and other businesses. Landsvirkjun, the local utility, is able to offer up to 20-year terms for electricity rates and has, for example, been offering a public rate of $43 per megawatt for 12 years. This allows Verne Global to claim that the total TCO for its customers could be 60 percent lower than a similar deployment in London.

The choice of location has been combined with an innovative approach to data center development through a close partnership with Colt. I’ve written previously about Colt’s approach to modular data center design, and the Keflavik data center is its first public showcase, though it has since announced another data center customer in UK luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover. The partnership with Verne Global also involves Colt installing a new point-of-presence (POP) for its Pan-European communications network within the facility. Having had a chance to see the actual data center and talk to Colt’s engineering and management team, I understand more clearly how far its offering differs from containerized approaches to modular design.

“Pre-fabricated data centers” is perhaps a better term for what Colt is doing, building the components at its factory in the north of England and shipping them for rapid installation on-site. Colt’s approach is also modular in that it supports an incremental build-out of the data center in 500 square-meter units, which is also helping Verne Global manage its capital investment.

Another key stakeholder in this venture is the Icelandic government. During the launch, the local mayor and an Icelandic government minister gave speeches that showed their clear enthusiasm for the project. Iceland is keen to exploit its natural advantages to develop a large-scale data center industry and has been clearing away regulatory and tax issues that might hamper expansion of the sector.

 Iceland, of course, was one of the countries most badly hit by the banking crisis and it is now betting on data centers as a more stable basis for the future growth. The availability of the new Emerald Express Trans-Atlantic Cable System, a 5,200 km ultra-high bandwidth link between the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Iceland, planned for late 2012, will help Iceland and Verne Global better target U.S. data center business.

Today, Iceland’s energy surplus supports a power-hungry aluminum smelting industry. The government hopes that in future, processing bits may be equally important to the island’s economy.

Meygen Marine Tidal Power Environmental Impact Assessment Moves Forward

 Sponsor and developer of the world’s largest marine tidal power project announced to date, Meygen’s contracted Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime (KM) to carry out underwater noise studies for its 400-MW project in Scotland’s Pentland Firth. KM will measure and monitor noise levels from prototype Meygen tidal turbines at a European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) site to assess their effect on marine life before they are approved for installation at the project site.

KM’s also helping MeyGen monitor progress of turbine suppliers’ trials at EMEC in Orkney. “The results of the underwater noise impact studies being carried out by Kongsberg Maritime at Emec will affect how the devices are positioned on the seabed [at the MeyGen project site] to deliver optimum power while having minimal impact on marine life,” Recharge News quoted KM’s general manager for offshore, David Shand.
“Crown Jewel” of Scotland’s Marine Tidal Resource Base

MeyGen is aiming to install marine tidal turbines at depths between 20-40 meters over a 3.5-square kilometer area of the Pentland Firth between Scotland’s northern coast and the island of Stroma, an area considered the “crown jewel” of Scotland’s rich marine tidal resource base. Currents there average 4 meters/second, according to Recharge News’ report.

A joint venture between investment bank Morgan Stanley, independent power company International Power and marine tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources, Meygen’s moving forward with plans to install a 20-MW pilot installation of marine tidal turbines from Atlantis Resources and Rolls-Royce-TGL (Tidal Generation Ltd.) at the Pentland Firth site. Overall project completion is slated for 2020.

The underwater noise studies are a big part of the Meygen project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) and consenting processes. The project’s EIA will span the entire project development process, spanning the environmental impacts of the marine tidal power generation array to the substation connections to the UK national electricity grid.

MeyGen’s produced an EIA scoping document as per Scottish regulations for Phase I of the project. The EIA scoping document is meant to ensure Meygen’s EIA process is comprehensive and conforms with Scottish environmental protection regulations.

In it, Meygen states it will “conduct a preliminary review of the environmental baseline and risks which require more detailed assessment and provide a framework for consultation and identify the relevant regulatory bodies and statutory and non-statutory stakeholders.”

Educate the Public on Alternative Energy

One of the most effective ways through which young people can learn about alternatives might use kits, books, or even PicoTurbine projects. This company, called PicoTurbine, is the main promoter of alternative energies, a company that has created awareness worldwide of the numerous advantages of using large scale of these energies. The environment must be protected and alternative energy sources definitely take into account this aspect. Therefore, if mankind is to benefit in the future environment, active measures of protection must apply.

PicoTurbine devices operate on several concepts; for example, that actively incorporate knowledge about alternative energy sources and make sure that people are remembered from time to time, this approach. The company receives a lot of customer feedback, thus modifying their solutions to traditional energy sources in a way young seem to find the setting. Therefore young people come to get their hands directly on the real life situation and make a change. The company has received suggested carrying out experiments on the production of wind power, using the image cable known common need for heating elements.

 PicoTurbines has also pointed out that when people think about wind energy, usually conjure the image of energy cold and therefore are surprised to actually see the benefits of this technology. A suggestion for the projects was to give you the opportunity to young people to participate in group projects and therefore make their own discoveries and pose your own questions to the creation of his own, power plant, capable of producing energy in real time. Groups, then, will be able to see if the experiments were efficient and one of them was able to produce the greatest amount of electricity or the least amount of electricity. They could then modify the draft once more and versions revised from what you are working in.

PicoTurbine has even been implemented in the school curricula; teachers are now starting to instill in the senses for their students appreciation for environmental protection and awareness of alternative energy sources. Teach alternative means children solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and biomass energies which can produce significant amounts of electricity under given conditions …cuando combining alternative energies which we are diminishing the dependence of the countries our traditional energy derived from fossil fuels. Foreign oil supplies are more expensive by the day, so it would be much less costly produce the importer in the country and if it is possible, then become importer of energy. Judging from the effects of long-term, alternative energy sources are certainly less expensive than fossil fuels.

The company has also promoted sales of wind farms, as well as solar panels; These products are entering the market in growth rates and are already becoming best-sellers. To give an example of how time has helped to reduce the total cost for certain things, story photo voltaic cells. Twenty years ago, they were assessed in thousand dollars for each cell; Now, each of these cells costs only $4.

Therefore, economists and specialists in alternative energies have trumped that it is possible to have the kilowatt sold for one dollar, in 2015. Therefore, there is to imagine the impact extraordinary that alternative energy sources would have around the world. Fossil fuels are beginning to use his popularity, mainly because they greatly hurt the environment and the air we're breathing. Thus, it has been reported recently many cases of asthma attacks and pneumonias and the risk of developing allergies is extremely high. Such long-term effects may even lead to cancer, therefore it is advisable to switch to the alternative because this would mean no pollution, more protection for the environment and less money spent on energy costs.

DIA de Reyes, No Child Without a mile

Today we briefly change focus to speak of those who are our most important resource, our most valuable reality and promise: the children. So today we briefly tell the story of a group of young Spaniards that transformed, through its action, a small great gesture: the face of a sad child into one with a huge smile.

He is "any child without smile" who is a self-styled group of of young volunteers who chose to take hands to work to try to child continued life due to them despite the crisis for which Europe is currently happening.
Volunteers are placed on campaign especially for the dates of Christmas and Reyes collecting second-hand toys or which companies cannot sell by having a defect. They restored, so clean and prepare so that they could become a perfect gift of Kings for those families in disadvantaged situation that can not give a present to their children.

How is the procedure for those families access to the gift wanted for their children is really simple: families only have to fill out a short form with the following information: name, age and sex of the child and that is what you would like that they regalasen. Filling this form volunteers then seek the toy that is best suited to the request and so prepare a package to be delivered to the family in question.

Another way is that the same child complete the letter to the Kings by making arrive the letter via e-mail of the organization or sending it directly by mail directed to the entity Any child without smile.

Nuclear energy like a fantastic vaccine?

In the 1950s, “too cheap to meter” was the tag line for then-nascent atomic energy. That promise, which Bill Gates now calls a “fantastic vaccine,” has thus far been more of an intractable virus.

Last week Mr. Gates revived the “nuclear is cheap” message to promote his TerraPower nuke startup venture. He also came off decidedly pessimistic about the world’s prospects for combating climate change.
The nuclear industry has long touted “cheap” alongside “clean” in its bid against renewable energy to supply electricity to a power-hungry world. It has also argued loudly against subsidies for renewables, and claimed that nuclear is the only way to slow global warming.

Gates has joined that chorus, stating that he’s skeptical that the world can dramatically cut greenhouse-gas emissions in less than 75 years, and suggesting that wind and solar subsidies should be conditional upon commercializing energy storage technologies first.

To make the “cheap and clean” argument, you have to ignore some significant externalities. A big problem with “cheap” nuclear power has been the cost — construction budget overruns, bailouts, storing spent rods, site clean-up, and human lives. The caveat with “clean” (low-carbon) nuclear power is its multigenerational legacy of radioactive waste.

The traveling wave reactor technology revealed in 2008 as the core of TerraPower’s development is a half-century-old breeder-reactor technology that could run on some of the waste stream from nuclear fuel production. A TWR has been computer-modeled, but never built.

If Gates and his TerraPower partner Nathan Myhrvold want to change the world with nuclear energy, they need to overcome several major issues, and quickly, before the widely imagined nuclear renaissance completely loses steam:

Developed nations, the ones the world is most comfortable with having radioactive materials, have for the most part stopped building nuclear power plants. Emerging nations, even if they can afford to experiment with this new technology, will need to handle the radioactive fuel and waste, including the eventual decommissioning of plants themselves. Convincing populations of a TWR plant’s safety will be a significant hurdle.

Even before Fukushima, John Rowe, chief executive of nuclear power heavyweight Exelon, said in a Politico interview that “except with massive subsidies, there’s really nothing one can do to make a whole lot of nuclear plants economic right now.” The company bought a major renewable energy firm and started moving into wind power.

Nuclear Power Going Down — More Facts (& VIDEO)

Piggy-backing on the news that Japan has just shut down its second-to-last nuclear reactor and that France still subsidies nuclear power to get it down to the price of consumer electricity, here are some rather interesting nuclear versus renewable facts (shared by a reader):

“… between 2004 and 2011, more nuclear-power capacity was decommissioned worldwide than was installed. Last year alone, the world installed 50 percent more new wind-power capacity (41.2 gigawatts) than all new nuclear capacity installed from 2002 to 2011 (27.3 GW). In terms of electricity production, the wind-power industry has installed the equivalent of 1.3 nuclear reactors per month over the past three years.” (emphasis added)

The European Commission projects that only 3% of all new power capacity installed from 2011 to 2020 will be from nuclear power, while it projects 71% will be from renewable energy sources.
Here are some more staggering facts (emphasis added):

In October 2011, former UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said that two-thirds of the budget for the government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, or €2.4bn a year, is spent on nuclear power. But that is a drop in the ocean compared to decommissioning costs. According to Huhne, “the provisions for nuclear decommissioning costs in total were £2m in 1970, £472m in 1980, £9.5bn in 1990, £22.5bn in 2000, and now, £53.7bn. When nuclear power was held up to the cold, hard light of the market, it proved to be uneconomic.”

Wind power has received a fraction of the financial support that nuclear energy has received – and yet wind can provide electricity at less than half the cost of new nuclear-power plants. According to the European Environment Agency, 80 percent of the total energy subsidies in the European Union is paid to fossil fuels and nuclear energy, while 19 percent goes to renewables.

Moreover, wind energy has zero fuel costs, minimal waste-disposal and decommissioning costs, and a tiny fraction of nuclear power’s risk to human health or the environment.

Factories and buildings with greenhouse gas emissions

EPA, the U.S. environmental protection agency has a website which has an interactive map where simply by entering the website epa.gov can visualize where there are toxic dumping, radiation or garbage dumps, etc.

The latest addition to EPA was mainstream sites with higher emissions of greenhouse gases. In this article we will tell how were the impact of this measure, as we have them from the same United States in Treehugger, a very interesting website dedicated to the environment.

Interactive EPA's map shows the location of the major emitters of greenhouse gases in the United States .U.S. Most pollutants among university hospitals, and power generation plants.

In hospitals, a good part of that is due to the use of refrigerants as something old that they have a high incidence in the global warming, which are common in this type of buildings, because here is where it is needed permanently use air conditioning.

Using the website of EPA, and allowing free access to these data in the public domain, institutional investors are already working on the development of statistical patterns. The objective is to incorporate this new information on polluting emissions from industries with its traditional statistics and mathematical models that use of support when deciding what to bet and what does not.

Once develops and has accepted a model in particular, investors will have an indirect indicator which put in evidence industrial processes and/or taking inefficient administrative decisions in companies. And this will have, with great security, its impact on Wall Street.

The good news is that the carbon is in his mira…, and we already know from where the threads of the economy moving. ERGO, the side effect will be greater interest of the companies (some of them, at least) in caring for their emissions and their environmental impact.

Awareness of how the greenhouse gas emissions impact on the financial situation of the undertakings contained in this map is one of the more compelling reasons for the political opposition (not openly declared) against these inventories of emissions of greenhouse gases.

Now that the map of the EPA is already online, large emitters of greenhouse gases represented therein, with any logic they come to attack the Messenger, trying to discredit both the Agency of environmental protection to the methods used to make the inventory.

The New York Times to give coverage to the news of the EPA's map offers an example of this:

"... the inventory of emissions not captures information about the efficiency of thesource." "New York University, for example, it may appear as a large issuer of New York, but a year ago opened a cogeneration plant which produces electricity and uses waste heat to heat and cool buildings, thus doing more work per pound of emitted carbon dioxide than most other sources of these gases".

Source:

TreeHugger

Images:

1.Wikipedia

2 treehugger

Video:

EfE on youtube

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