The Greening Continues— The most eclectic of what we
read.
macC
March 2009
By
Harry Babad and Robert Pritchett © 2009
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. 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.”
Now, As Usual in No Particular Order, Our
Tidbits
Europe
Trying to Fight Global Warming
BBC
News reports that the European Union leaders have reached a deal on a package
of measures to fight global warming. The plan, agreed at a Brussels summit, sets
out how 27 member-countries will cut carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, compared
with 1990 levels. Now where is America going to hide?
{Editor’s
Note} Vegetation loves CO2. In fact, it dies without it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7778787.stm
Cities
May Sprout Vertical Farms
Proposed high-rise greenhouses could help
solve a looming food crisis, professor says. If any of this comes true, you can
no consider you dream of becoming a farmer without leaving you favorite urban
amenities arming would seem to be a horizontal occupation. Iowa corn or Kansas
wheat pokes up from flat fields that stretch to the horizon.
That’s
why the idea of “vertical farms” seems ripe for humor. When its biggest advocate
appeared on the faux news show “The Colbert Report” earlier this year, comedian
Stephen Colbert prefaced the interview by guessing it would have something to
do with corn that grows sideways or perhaps “Chia blimps” that float overhead.
Such teasing hasn’t deterred Dickson Despommier, the Columbia University
professor of public health. He sees putting crops into skyscrapers as a better
way to feed a hungry world. Professor Despommier’s website, verticalfarm.com, features architectural concepts of
high-rise buildings that could grow fresh produce in urban areas while at the
same time being much more environmentally sustainable than conventional
agriculture.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/24/cities-may-sprout-vertical-farms/
Changes
to the Earth’s Weather Patterns Weather 'amplify arctic warming'
Scientists
say they now have unambiguous evidence that the warming in the Arctic is
accelerating. Computer models have long predicted that decreasing sea ice
should amplify temperature changes in the northern polar region.
Julienne
Stroeve, from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, told a meeting of the
American Geophysical Union that this process was under way. Arctic ice cover in
summer has seen rapid retreat in recent years. The minimum extents reached in 2007 and 2008 were the smallest
recorded in the satellite age.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7786910.stm
{Editor
Note} Please read the "Trends" links in the Global Cooling page
Robert Pritchett created – http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Global_Cooling
There
are not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of volcanoes under the earth's
oceans. There have been surface boiling recorded at 400 degrees in the Arctic
from undersea volcanic activity –
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/06/arctic_ice_melt_mat_be_due_to.html
This
year is coolest since 2000
The
world in 2008 has been cooler than at any time since the turn of the century,
scientists say. Cooling La Nina conditions in the Pacific brought temperatures
down to levels last seen in the year 2000. The World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) notes that temperatures remained about 0.3C above the
1961-1990 average. Computer models suggest that natural cycles may cool the
Earth's surface in the next few years, masking the warming impact of rising
greenhouse gas levels. One recent analysis suggested there might be no warming
for about the next decade, though other scientists dispute the conclusion.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7786060.stm
Sources
of Rising Carbon Dioxide
Every time we get into our car, turn the
key and drive somewhere, we burn gasoline, a fossil fuel derived from crude
oil. The burning of the organic materials in fossil fuels produces energy and
releases carbon dioxide and other compounds into Earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse
gases such as carbon dioxide trap heat in our atmosphere, warming it and
disturbing Earth's climate.
Scientists
agree that human activities have been the primary source for the observed rise
in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the beginning of the fossil fuel era in the
1860s. Eighty-five percent of all human-produced carbon dioxide emissions come
from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil, including
gasoline. The remainder results from the clearing of forests and other land
use, as well as some industrial processes such as cement manufacturing. The use
of fossil fuels has grown rapidly, especially since the end of World War II and
continues to increase exponentially. In fact, more than half of all fossil
fuels ever used by humans have been consumed in just the last 20 years.
Human
activities add a worldwide average of almost 1.4 metric tons of carbon per
person per year to the atmosphere. Before industrialization, the concentration
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was about 280 parts per million. By 1958,
the concentration of carbon dioxide had increased to around 315 parts per
million, and by 2007, it had risen to about 383 parts per million. These
increases were due almost entirely to human activity.
http://www.physorg.com/news151166361.html
{Editor}
The Amazon forest is thriving! (Robert helped replace the clear cuts in WA
State 30-some years ago. You can't tell we ever harvested there today.)
(Look
at the date of the article.)
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=17543
Can
Offshore Grids Solve Our Wind Power Woes?
As
reported in Popular Mechanics, 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. Many of
America’s wind farm in the plains of the Midwest, are located far away from the
grid and the power’s ultimate users, coastal city dwellers.
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, equivalent to one nuclear reactor, and
more than 20 new projects have been approved in Germany.
While
winds are stronger and more consistent at sea, they're still not foolproof. If
a breeze fails, a local grid can turn to other energy sources to bridge the
gap. That won't work if a country draws a large proportion of its power from
renewables, says Frauke Thies of Greenpeace's European Unit. Linking wind farms
along the coast could solve this problem by offering some insurance against the
vagaries of Mother Nature: Odds are good that, if wind stops blowing in one
region, it will be windy somewhere along Europe's ample coastlines.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4295504.html
Debate
— I want renewable power, but we are to NIMBY on the grid that must be
built to deliver it to me — STUPID!
Reporting from Sacramento and Calipatria,
Calif. -- In the rural, arid flatlands near the Salton Sea, CalEnergy
Generation is sitting on what California needs. The Imperial County Company
taps {geothermal} steam heat from deep within the Earth's crust to generate
clean electricity, enough to light 238,000 homes.
There's
more where that came from. But whether further development of renewable energy
ever happens at this Calipatria operation and dozens of proposed projects in
California's hinterlands may depend on what goes on in San Francisco, maybe as
soon as today.
The
California Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on a controversial
transmission project known as the Sunrise Powerlink. The $1.9-billion
high-voltage line would stretch more than 100 miles from Imperial County to San
Diego, linking power plants in the desert to coastal cities hungry for their
energy. Billed by its developer, San Diego Gas & Electric Co., as a
superhighway for green electricity, the project has drawn fierce opposition
from environmental and community groups that don't want Godzilla-sized power
towers marring the region's scenic wild areas.
The
bruising four-year battle has exposed one of the dirty little secrets of clean
energy: A lot of this new-age power requires old-school infrastructure to get
to people's homes. "You can't love renewables and hate transmission. They
go together," said Jonathan Weisgall, a vice president of MidAmerican
Energy Holdings Co., which owns CalEnergy.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-sunrise18-2008dec18,1,2961743.story
PS: If I were more powerful or
influential, anyone not wanting to use nuclear or any other energy the found to
be unclean would not need to do so. However, in Robert Heinlein’s word “Ain’t
No Free Lunch”. These folks could sign up to have their electric bills raised
to the amount it would cost if the nearest unclean facility were taken off the
grid. [After all we buy hybrids, which are not yet cost effective and organic
food that has not been proven to statistically improve health.]
In
a similar manner, if you oppose the gird, you could be charged an add-on to
your power bill to account for the less efficient costs of getting your power.
Let but our money where our mouth’s are — nothing is perfect, but be
prepared to pay the piper if you raise costs; Doc.
Ten
Steps to a Top Notch Immune System (NaturalNews)
This
is the time of year when people want a fully functioning immune system to keep
away colds and flu and see them through the winter in good health. How they go
about achieving this goal can determine whether it becomes a reality. There are
so many products on the market that claim they can protect people from germs
that consumers wonder which magic bullet to choose. But the reality is that having
a healthy immune system doesn't mean just buying products. It means having a
healthy body. Immune health and overall health go hand in hand. Read about what
you can do to keep your immune system and yourself strong and healthy.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025114.html
The International Atomic Energy Agency
[IAEA] Celebrates Half a Century of Nuclear Safety
The
IAEA´s contribution to nuclear safety worldwide is marking a significant
milestone this December with the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the
Agency’s safety standards. The IAEA safety standards are a collection of
fundamental principles, requirements and guidance that serves as a global
reference for ensuring safety in all facets of the nuclear sector. They reflect
international consensus on what constitutes a high level of safety for
protecting people and the environment, and as such are a cornerstone of the
global nuclear safety regime.
A
big part of the IAEA´s statutory mandate is the establishment and promotion of
international standards and guides," says Manfred Boemeke, Head of the
IAEA´s Publishing Section. The first IAEA safety series publication, entitled Safe
Handling of Radioisotopes, was issued in December 1958. Since then
more than 200 safety standards have been published. They cover nuclear safety,
radiation protection, radioactive waste management, the transport of
radioactive materials, the safety of nuclear fuel cycle facilities and quality
assurance.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/sstandards.html
The
10 Biggest Cleantech Disappointments of 2008
By
KATIE FEHRENBACHER, GigaOm
There
was a lot to cheer about in the cleantech sector in 2008: record investment
levels, a U.S. president-elect that supports clean power, and the extension of
tax credits for renewables.
But
there were a lot of missed opportunities this year, too, as markets crashed,
project funds were delayed and technologies hit hurdles. Below, the biggest
cleantech disappointments of 2008 (next up, The 10 Biggest Cleantech Wins in 2008):
The disappointments discussed in the article include:” Tesla (Electric Cars), EEStor
(Energy Storage); Wave Power; Clean coal lobby plays dirty; and UK Wind Plans
get blown away. Check them out.
http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2008/12/26/26gigaom-the-10-biggest-cleantech-disappointments-of-2008-18606.html
The Carbon Cost of a Google Search
Revealed
Recent
research found a Google search produced a mere 7g of carbon dioxide per average
search. The numbers below vary according to their source, but all are within an
order of magnitude.
Two
search requests on the Internet website Google, produces "as much carbon
dioxide as boiling a kettle", according to a Harvard University academic.
US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross claims that a typical Google search on a
desktop computer produces about 7g CO2.
However,
these figures were disputed by Google, who say a typical search produced only
0.2g of carbon dioxide. A recent study by American research firm Gartner
suggested that IT now causes two percent of global emissions. Dr
Wissner-Gross's study claims that two Google searches on a desktop computer
produces 14g of CO2, which is the roughly the equivalent of boiling an electric
kettle.
The
Harvard academic argues that this carbon emissions stem from the electricity
used by the computer terminal and by the power consumed by the large data
centers operated by Google around the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7823387.stm
{Editor
Note} Some people have way too much idle time on their hands to be worrying
about such trivial nonsense. Must have been another slow news day. What does it
cost to drive to the library and how much is your time worth to do a catalog
search there? Usually, you are in the wrong library or the book you need is
checked out by somebody else. Many times the effort is fruitless and
frustrating. I champion online searching. In fact, I base my career on it. By
working online, I have saved millions of miles and wear and tear on vehicles
and countless hours of time I’ve not wasted. What is that worth? An incalculable amount! And think of
the trees saved by electronic information transfers. Calculating that is also
"academic".
More
green tidbits next month.
Doc!
