The Greening Continues — The most eclectic of what we read

Credits: Most of these items, with minor editing, were located in the newsletter NewsBridge of ‘articles of interest’ to the libraries users. It is electronically published by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, in Richland WA.

This new column contains a mini-summary with links to articles I found interesting. Send us your favorites (no more than 2-3 sentences long) and we’ll share them with our readers.

Next month our Editor-In-Chief Robert L. Pritchett will join me in sharing the wealth.

Much of what we will share comes fro the various weekly newsletters we receive. Their selections are obviously, and intentionally biased by our views. But if you have favorites, we’ll share them if they are “polite and seem factual. No science fiction please.”

Doc_Babad A RANT: In case you folks are wondering Nuclear Energy is a Green Technology. Despite propaganda and fear mongering to the contrary, it is safe. Even waster disposal is solvable, if the political NIMBY-ites get their brainwashed paradigms out of the way. Although it will never happen, I would welcome applying the new smart grid technology to be tuned to cut off 20% of the power received by every anti-nuclear advocate. Even Greenpeace and NRDC leaders and other dyed in the wool environmentalist have gotten on board.

This is a Democracy {Editor: No, this is a Republic, or was}, no one should be forced to use nuclear power! It’s a part of the base load your homes use. To be fair, the economics of nuclear power in the US is shaky since we are the only country in the world where the government does not strongly protect against loss by interveners (you folks) the long construction cycle and related upfront investments. Lose your Radiophobia, support mandated energy efficiency and if you like find a copy of my textbooks and read them. The first is being distributed free by the EnergySolutions Foundation, as will the second, which becomes available in early March.

Now, As Usual in No Particular Order, Our Tidbits

The Office Kitchen: How to Enjoy Your Lunch Safely

The workplace kitchen faces challenges on a different scale than a home kitchen. There are usually more people using the kitchen, and fewer people maintaining it, although the needs remain the same. Food needs to be stored properly, dishes and surfaces need to be washed regularly, the microwave needs to be cleaned often, and the refrigerator needs to be purged and washed on a regular schedule. In additions, other articles continue to advise us to wash our hands more often then we presently do. Why? Every day we are exposed to bacteria and viruses at businesses and public facilities. Hand washing is one of the most effective things people can do to prevent the spread of germs to your family, customers, coworkers or patients.

Exchange Morning Post (Canada) 04 Dec 2008 (In part)

Does Daylight Saving Time Save Electricity?

Daylight saving time, designed for energy conservation purposes, is among the most widespread regulations on the planet. Surprisingly little evidence exists that it actually saves energy. This article, using a natural experiment, concludes that "saving" daylight has cost electricity.

The Resource Investor (VA) 06 Dec 2008

Three Ways Internet Crime Has Changed

Gone are the days when most hackers were looking for fame with a splashy, large-scale attack on a network that made headlines. Today's cyber criminals are quietly taking over vulnerable web sites as part of an elaborate process in the underground economy.

PC World.ca (Canada) 01 Dec 2008

Battery Maker Bets on Silver-Zinc for Laptops

ZPower, a company based in Camarillo, Calif., is developing a new kind of battery for consumer electronics that it says will be more powerful than lithium-ion, safer, and potentially more earth-friendly as well. The technology ZPower is banking on is called silver-zinc, which it says will provide up to 40 percent more power than a lithium-ion battery of the same size.

The New York Times 02 Dec 2008

Experts Working To Create a New International Standard for Energy Management

Energy and sustainability experts at the Georgia Institute of Technology have taken a leadership role in the U.S. contribution to a 36-nation effort aimed at developing an international standard that would bring consistency to energy management systems worldwide. ... The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting the effort. This is important because using a unified energy management system standard establishes a culture of continual improvement to sustain the gains made, placing the organization in a position to realize even greater energy efficiencies and further savings.

RenewableENERGYWorld.com 03 Dec 2008

Noisy oceans 'threaten sea life'

Increasing noise pollution in the world's oceans is threatening the survival of whales and dolphins, a UN-backed conference has heard. Experts say the noises sea creatures use to communicate are being drowned out by noises from commercial shipping, new military sonar and climate change.

BBC News 03 Dec 2008

Solar taxi' goes round the world

A solar-powered car has arrived at the UN climate change talks in the Polish city of Poznan after a round-the-world trip covering almost 40 countries. At the wheel of the "solar taxi" was Swiss teacher Louis Palmer who made the 52,000 km (32,000 mile) 17-month trip. He said the feat proved solar power was a viable alternative to oil-based fuels and could help fight global warming. But he said the prototype would need serious modification before it could be mass-produced. Click to watch the video.

BBC News 05 Dec 2008

Office Cleaning Tips to Boost Your Performance

Practice Good Hygiene: You can easily catch a bug or the flu from other people who handle your telephone, computer and other items on your desk. Keep your workplace germ and dust-free and maintain good hygiene by using a spray and soft cloth to sanitize surfaces regularly. Food borne illnesses occur when a person consumes food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, viruses or parasites. Listeria, for example, is found in soil, vegetables, and meat.

American Chronicle (CA) 04 Dec 2008

Boeing brews up algae, a promising fuel of the future

The Boeing Co. and other aerospace companies and airlines are betting that algae, a simple organism that comes in hundreds of strains that can be genetically modified, will prove a green fuel to power jet planes. It also could be blended into diesel and gasoline and, perhaps one day, it could actually replace petroleum-based diesel and gasoline. As the infant industry organizes, algae proponents need to make their case for the same tax breaks, market incentives, loans and research and development backing that other biofuel sectors already have. Though corn and soybean growers have long lobbied in Washington, D.C., the Algal Biomass Organization is a new kid on the block.

thenewstribune.com (WA) 07 Dec 2008

Can Offshore Grids Solve Our Wind Power Woes?

The U.S. Department of Energy says that offshore wind power could account for up to 20 percent of America's electricity generation by 2030. But while the United States scrambles to construct its first offshore wind farm, Europe has over two-dozen farms already, and is considering implementing huge interconnected offshore power systems. The European Commission met last month to discuss linking all the European Union countries together in a continental super-grid. No, they're not planning to the spend millions (perhaps even billions) of Euros it would cost to install power lines across land borders. Europeans are looking offshore—to connect their growing supply of offshore wind power with a grid spanning the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Europe is well on the way to its goal of drawing 20 percent of its total energy from renewable sources by 2020. Twenty-five offshore wind farms spread between Ireland, the U.K., Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands already produce 1100 megawatts of power, and more than 20 new projects have been approved in Germany.

Popular Mechanics 11 Dec 2008

Ice-Tossing Turbines: Myth or Hazard?

How do wind turbines fare in winter weather? ... The wind industry concedes that, as with all tall things (buildings, for example, or trees), ice and snow can build up and, eventually, fall down, creating a hazard to people and structures below. But the industry denies that "ice-throwing" - another concern surrounding wind power - is a problem. As an example… Not so well, according to one little town in England. The Wisbech Standard reports a harrowing tale in which “lumps of ice three or four feet long flew through the air” and smashed into a carpet showroom and a parking lot.

They apparently came off the spinning blades of a 410-foot-tall wind turbine. Also, A Swiss report last year, titled “Wind Turbine Ice Throw Studies in the Swiss Alps,” focused on a turbine near a ski area. That report found ice throw to be a “significant safety risk.” The most dangerous place for ice was underneath the turbine, but about 5 percent of fragments landed more than 80 meters — or 260 feet — from the turbine.

Doc Sez: stay tuned, no energy solution is perfect - we need to use them all.

The New York Times 09 Dec 2008

Last but not least … and just for fun!

VolunteerMatch Offers Tongue-in-Cheek Alternative to 12 Days of Giving

SAN FRANCISCO - With a recession eating holes in everyone's pockets, this Christmas is a critical time to make volunteering a priority - and VolunteerMatch is your resource for making change, helping others, and spreading good cheer.

AScribe Newswire 11 Dec 2008