Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Jesse James successfully sets new hydrogen land-speed record
Earlier this month, we caught wind of Jesse James' plan to set a new land-speed record in a hydrogen-powered vehicle. According to a press release issued by Spike TV, the daredevil motorcycle enthusiast was successful in his quest, hitting a top speed of 199.7 miles per hour on a run in the El Mirage dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert in California.Though ultimately successful, the run didn't go off without a hitch. Apparently, the car needed three passes before the crew was able to keep enough blowing dust out of the cockpit and feed enough air into the monster 740-horsepower hydrogen-fueled 572 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine.The previous mark for a hydrogen-burning car was set by BMW in Germany a few years back with its H2H race car. James seems pleased with his accomplishment, saying, "This, I honestly believe, is world-changing. We can't rely on gasoline forever. I'm paying it forward." Modest, isn't he?Want to see the whole thing go down? Tune in to Spike TV to watch Jesse James is a Dead Man on Sunday, August 9th at 10 pm Eastern. Spoiler Alert: Jesse James does not die in this episode.
Eco Tech: Green Roadway – Converting endless highways into renewable energy generators
Solar and wind generators mounted on highways could be a new way to generate green power.
With the ever increasing demand of green energy, inventors and scientists are working on ways that can by no means be termed conventional. Gene Fein and Ed Merritt are two such inventors who want the endless highways, which we use daily to commute to our places of work, be converted into renewable energy generators, which could one day power our cities with clean energy and can also offer electricity for roadside charging of electric vehicles.
The Green Roadway Project, as the plan has been named, makes use of strings of solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal devices that can convert these natural resources into precious electricity. The technology which would be used in these roads has been patented by the inventors, who hope to capitalize on government economic- stimulus money and tax breaks for clean energy projects by auctioning off rights to use their inventions in each of the 50 states in the U.S.
The proponents believe that a 10-mile stretch of the technology can power more than 2,000 homes with clean energy, for which most people will readily pay more. Talking about the feasibility of the system, the inventors claim that unlike horizontal axis wind turbines, which have been regularly criticized for their unsightly looks, their system would be based on better turbines, which will be no more than 25 feet high and will be placed 500 feet back from the pavement.
With the ever increasing demand of green energy, inventors and scientists are working on ways that can by no means be termed conventional. Gene Fein and Ed Merritt are two such inventors who want the endless highways, which we use daily to commute to our places of work, be converted into renewable energy generators, which could one day power our cities with clean energy and can also offer electricity for roadside charging of electric vehicles.
The Green Roadway Project, as the plan has been named, makes use of strings of solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal devices that can convert these natural resources into precious electricity. The technology which would be used in these roads has been patented by the inventors, who hope to capitalize on government economic- stimulus money and tax breaks for clean energy projects by auctioning off rights to use their inventions in each of the 50 states in the U.S.
The proponents believe that a 10-mile stretch of the technology can power more than 2,000 homes with clean energy, for which most people will readily pay more. Talking about the feasibility of the system, the inventors claim that unlike horizontal axis wind turbines, which have been regularly criticized for their unsightly looks, their system would be based on better turbines, which will be no more than 25 feet high and will be placed 500 feet back from the pavement.
Eco Tech: Energy starved New York could soon get powered by jet stream winds
High-flying kites could generate enough wind energy to power New York.
The energy starved world of today is looking for possible ways using which the maximum amount of renewable energy could be generated that could not just power a city block or a small town but the largest cities in the world and probably the entire world as well. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution and California State University have identified New York as one of the prime locations where high-flying kites can be used to convert high-altitude winds into energy.
Unlike winds close to the surface of earth, winds in the upper regions of the atmosphere preferably those which make the jet streams can be harnessed to produce tens of times of output than conventional wind turbines that are used on the surface. Ideally, the turbines, which would be high-altitude flying kites tethered to the surface, would have be placed at a height of around 30,000 feet.
Jet stream winds are generally 10 times faster than winds near the ground and most importantly they’re steady as well. More wind speed means more energy, which made scientists at these universities believe that they can power entire cities by flying these kites, a process which looks simple on paper but might get complicated if actually planned. These scientists predict up to 40MW of electricity can be generated by the current designs and transmitted to the ground via the tether, which is about four times the output of current designs used on the surface.
The energy starved world of today is looking for possible ways using which the maximum amount of renewable energy could be generated that could not just power a city block or a small town but the largest cities in the world and probably the entire world as well. Scientists at the Carnegie Institution and California State University have identified New York as one of the prime locations where high-flying kites can be used to convert high-altitude winds into energy.
Unlike winds close to the surface of earth, winds in the upper regions of the atmosphere preferably those which make the jet streams can be harnessed to produce tens of times of output than conventional wind turbines that are used on the surface. Ideally, the turbines, which would be high-altitude flying kites tethered to the surface, would have be placed at a height of around 30,000 feet.
Jet stream winds are generally 10 times faster than winds near the ground and most importantly they’re steady as well. More wind speed means more energy, which made scientists at these universities believe that they can power entire cities by flying these kites, a process which looks simple on paper but might get complicated if actually planned. These scientists predict up to 40MW of electricity can be generated by the current designs and transmitted to the ground via the tether, which is about four times the output of current designs used on the surface.
Mazda Painting its Cars Greener
The Mazda Motor Corporation continues to find ways to be a better global citizen with a car painting system that it says has the lowest environmental impact in the world. The new “Aqua-Tech Paint System” reduces the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 57% and, happily, improves the paint job.“Aqua-Tech” maintains the same world-class low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as Mazda’s existing “Three Layer Wet Paint” system but further reduces VOC emissions to just 15 grams per square meter of body surface.While water-based paints are naturally lower in VOC emissions than solvent-based paint, drying them uses much more energy and, thus, increases CO2. Mazda have overcome this with a combination of improved paint technology and a more efficient evaporative drying system.Mazda has successfully launched the Aqua-tech Paint System for vehicle body painting at its Ujina Plant No.1 in Japan.
Europe's Solar Power Will Be Competitive From 2010
Photovoltaic solar electricity is poised to become a significant and competitive supplier to the European electricity market, concludes a comprehensive study conducted by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) with the strategic management consultancy A.T. Kearney.
The SET For 2020 study explores different deployment scenarios: Under business-as-usual conditions, photovoltaic power should supply between 4% and 6% of Europeans’ electricity needs by 2020. However, photovoltaic power could supply as much as 12% of EU electricity demand by 2020 - up from less than 1% at present - if more favourable conditions are established by European policy makers, regulators and the energy sector at large.
"Photovoltaic electricity generation will already be competitive in parts of southern Europe by next year," said Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, EPIA president. "The study shows that under the 12% scenario, photovoltaic electricity will be competitive with other power sources in as much as 75% of the EU electricity market by 2020, without any form of external price support or subsidy."
Providing a unique combination of facts, figures and analysis, the study shows that boosting the share of photovoltaic electricity will yield huge benefits to European society and its economy.
Europe now needs to recognise the important role photovoltaic power can play in meeting its energy sustainability goals," said Adel El Gammal, EPIA secretary general.
"The photovoltaic industry is committed to delivering energy technology that is sustainable and competitive on a large scale. We are calling on political and regulatory decision makers and on the energy sector to support photovoltaic deployment without delay."
The SET For 2020 study explores different deployment scenarios: Under business-as-usual conditions, photovoltaic power should supply between 4% and 6% of Europeans’ electricity needs by 2020. However, photovoltaic power could supply as much as 12% of EU electricity demand by 2020 - up from less than 1% at present - if more favourable conditions are established by European policy makers, regulators and the energy sector at large.
"Photovoltaic electricity generation will already be competitive in parts of southern Europe by next year," said Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, EPIA president. "The study shows that under the 12% scenario, photovoltaic electricity will be competitive with other power sources in as much as 75% of the EU electricity market by 2020, without any form of external price support or subsidy."
Providing a unique combination of facts, figures and analysis, the study shows that boosting the share of photovoltaic electricity will yield huge benefits to European society and its economy.
Europe now needs to recognise the important role photovoltaic power can play in meeting its energy sustainability goals," said Adel El Gammal, EPIA secretary general.
"The photovoltaic industry is committed to delivering energy technology that is sustainable and competitive on a large scale. We are calling on political and regulatory decision makers and on the energy sector to support photovoltaic deployment without delay."
Mine may dump waste in lake, justices rule
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a U.S. government permit to dump rock waste from a gold mine in Alaska into a nearby lake, even though all its fish would be killed.
By a 6-3 vote, the justices said a federal appeals court wrongly blocked the permit on environmental grounds.
Environmentalists fear that the ruling could set a precedent for how mining waste is disposed in American lakes, streams and rivers.If a mining company can turn Lower Slate Lake in Alaska into a lifeless waste dump, other polluters with solids in their wastewater can potentially do the same to any water body in America," said Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said in a statement.
The Army Corps of Engineers in 2005 issued Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. a permit to put 4.5 million tons of mine tailings into the lake over a decade. The proposed Kensington mine would be north of Juneau, the state capital.
Under the plan, tailings — waste left after metals are extracted from ore — would be dumped into Lower Slate Lake.
Environmentalists sued to halt the practice, saying dumping the mine tailings in the lake would kill fish. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked the permit, saying the dumping is barred by stringent Environmental Protection Agency requirements under the Clean Water Act of 1972.
Inside Tongass National ForestThe Corps of Engineers, not the federal Environmental Protection Agency, has the authority to permit the slurry discharge, and the Corps acted in accordance with the law in issuing the discharge permit to Coeur, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the Supreme Court majority.
The deposits would have raised the height of 23-acre Lower Slate Lake by 50 feet, so the company proposed building a 90-foot-high dam at the site in the scenic Tongass National Forest.
Idaho-based Coeur, one of the world's largest silver producers, argued that depositing tailings in the lake was the most practical and environmentally sound option. It has said it hopes the mine will produce 100,000 ounces of gold a year.
Both Coeur and the state of Alaska appealed to the Supreme Court. The federal government supported their appeals.
Environmentalists argued that modern mines have never been allowed to dump tailings into lakes, and the appeals court ruling confirmed a rule of law in place for more than 30 years.
Writing for the six-member court majority, Kennedy said deference must be given to the reasonable decision by the Corps of Engineers.
Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented.
Activists now hope that President Barack Obama or Congress will repeal a Bush-era rule that they say allowed weakened the Clean Water Act and allowed the Corps to issue the permit.
By a 6-3 vote, the justices said a federal appeals court wrongly blocked the permit on environmental grounds.
Environmentalists fear that the ruling could set a precedent for how mining waste is disposed in American lakes, streams and rivers.If a mining company can turn Lower Slate Lake in Alaska into a lifeless waste dump, other polluters with solids in their wastewater can potentially do the same to any water body in America," said Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said in a statement.
The Army Corps of Engineers in 2005 issued Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. a permit to put 4.5 million tons of mine tailings into the lake over a decade. The proposed Kensington mine would be north of Juneau, the state capital.
Under the plan, tailings — waste left after metals are extracted from ore — would be dumped into Lower Slate Lake.
Environmentalists sued to halt the practice, saying dumping the mine tailings in the lake would kill fish. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked the permit, saying the dumping is barred by stringent Environmental Protection Agency requirements under the Clean Water Act of 1972.
Inside Tongass National ForestThe Corps of Engineers, not the federal Environmental Protection Agency, has the authority to permit the slurry discharge, and the Corps acted in accordance with the law in issuing the discharge permit to Coeur, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the Supreme Court majority.
The deposits would have raised the height of 23-acre Lower Slate Lake by 50 feet, so the company proposed building a 90-foot-high dam at the site in the scenic Tongass National Forest.
Idaho-based Coeur, one of the world's largest silver producers, argued that depositing tailings in the lake was the most practical and environmentally sound option. It has said it hopes the mine will produce 100,000 ounces of gold a year.
Both Coeur and the state of Alaska appealed to the Supreme Court. The federal government supported their appeals.
Environmentalists argued that modern mines have never been allowed to dump tailings into lakes, and the appeals court ruling confirmed a rule of law in place for more than 30 years.
Writing for the six-member court majority, Kennedy said deference must be given to the reasonable decision by the Corps of Engineers.
Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented.
Activists now hope that President Barack Obama or Congress will repeal a Bush-era rule that they say allowed weakened the Clean Water Act and allowed the Corps to issue the permit.
Monday, June 22, 2009
US EPA Issues Clean Energy Action Guide for States
The US EPA issued a report that outlines a strategy to deliver clean, low-cost, and reliable energy to state residents through the use of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean distributed generation. The intent is to provide states with the information they need to determine what energy options would be the most beneficial, practical, and cost-effective.
The potential energy savings achievable through state actions is significant. EPA estimates that if each state were to implement cost-effective clean energy-environment policies, the expected growth in demand for electricity could be cut in half by 2025, and more demand could be met through cleaner energy supply.
This would mean annual savings of more than 900 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) and $70 billion in energy costs by 2025, while preventing the need for more than 300 power plants
and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to emissions from 80 million of today’s vehicles.
Opportunities for State Action State governments are increasingly developing policies and programs that address their energy challenges and spur greater investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean distributed resources. For example, states are: ”? Leading by example by establishing programs that achieve substantial energy cost savings within their own state facilities, fleets, and operations and encouraging the broader adoption of clean energy by the public and private sectors. State governments across the country are collaborating with state agencies, local governments, and schools to identify and capture energy savings within their facilities and operations, purchase or generate renewable energy, and use clean DG/CHP in their facilities.”? Establishing ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs (e.g., public benefits funds) to help over come a variety of first-cost, informational, split-incentive, and other market barriers that limit greater reliance on energy efficiency. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C. have adopted public benefits funds (PBFs) for energy efficiency, and 16 states have developed PBFs for clean energy supply.”? Adopting state minimum appliance efficiency standards for products not covered by the federal government that yield net cost savings to businesses and consumers. Ten states have adopted appliance standards covering 36 types of appliances (Delaski 2005, Nadel et al. 2005).
”? Establishing renewable portfolio standards (RPS) that direct electric utilities and other retail electric providers to supply a specified minimum percent age (or absolute amount) of customer load with eligible sources of renewable electricity. Twenty-one states and Washington, D.C. have adopted RPS requirements, which are expected to generate more than 26,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity by 2015 (Navigant 2005).
”? Reviewing utility incentives and planning processes and designing policies that accurately value energy efficiency, renewables, and distributed resources in a way that "levels the playing field" so public utility commissions and consumers can make fair, economically based comparisons between clean energy and other resources. More than 12 states have developed approaches that remove disincentives for utilities to invest in demand-side resources
The potential energy savings achievable through state actions is significant. EPA estimates that if each state were to implement cost-effective clean energy-environment policies, the expected growth in demand for electricity could be cut in half by 2025, and more demand could be met through cleaner energy supply.
This would mean annual savings of more than 900 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) and $70 billion in energy costs by 2025, while preventing the need for more than 300 power plants
and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to emissions from 80 million of today’s vehicles.
Opportunities for State Action State governments are increasingly developing policies and programs that address their energy challenges and spur greater investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean distributed resources. For example, states are: ”? Leading by example by establishing programs that achieve substantial energy cost savings within their own state facilities, fleets, and operations and encouraging the broader adoption of clean energy by the public and private sectors. State governments across the country are collaborating with state agencies, local governments, and schools to identify and capture energy savings within their facilities and operations, purchase or generate renewable energy, and use clean DG/CHP in their facilities.”? Establishing ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs (e.g., public benefits funds) to help over come a variety of first-cost, informational, split-incentive, and other market barriers that limit greater reliance on energy efficiency. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C. have adopted public benefits funds (PBFs) for energy efficiency, and 16 states have developed PBFs for clean energy supply.”? Adopting state minimum appliance efficiency standards for products not covered by the federal government that yield net cost savings to businesses and consumers. Ten states have adopted appliance standards covering 36 types of appliances (Delaski 2005, Nadel et al. 2005).
”? Establishing renewable portfolio standards (RPS) that direct electric utilities and other retail electric providers to supply a specified minimum percent age (or absolute amount) of customer load with eligible sources of renewable electricity. Twenty-one states and Washington, D.C. have adopted RPS requirements, which are expected to generate more than 26,000 MW of new renewable energy capacity by 2015 (Navigant 2005).
”? Reviewing utility incentives and planning processes and designing policies that accurately value energy efficiency, renewables, and distributed resources in a way that "levels the playing field" so public utility commissions and consumers can make fair, economically based comparisons between clean energy and other resources. More than 12 states have developed approaches that remove disincentives for utilities to invest in demand-side resources
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