Homeland Security Requires New Wind Turbine Fields to Be Radar-Friendly Posted by Paul M → February 21, 2011 at 8:31 PM under Environment News and Events You just can’t mess with Homeland Security and their radars, even if you’re a state-of-the-art renewable energy entrepreneur who builds huge wind turbine fields for a living. It looks like national security can be affected by badly-posted wind turbines, since they can interfere with radars through the doppler effect they create. But because every issue has its solutions, Analytic Graphics Inc. (AGI), software designer for space, defense and intelligence systems, is teaming with Raytheon Network Centric Systems and Remcom, performing electromagnetic simulations, will approach this one and create improved wind turbine fields. “We are pleased that Raytheon has selected AGI’s precision geometry engine to aid the important mission of allowing our wind farms and radar systems to coexist without hindering national security,” says Peter Sardella, AGI vice president of Services. “Raytheon’s 60-year legacy in the design and manufacture of radar systems strongly qualifies us to provide an innovative solution to the problem,” said Andy Zogg, Raytheon Network Centric Systems vice president of Command and Control Systems. “With the introduction of our highly reliable tool, (Homeland Security) will be able to better manage approvals of wind farm applications, allowing for clean and renewable wind energy resources.” All of the new applicants who will want to place their wind turbine field one place or another will have to pass this kind of approval in the future, so their plan does not interfere with the U.S. national security standards. 0 Comments
Winter clothes drying tips Posted by Jeanette M → February 20, 2011 at 8:25 PM under Environment Are you having trouble getting your laundry dry ? Here is a great solution for you to consider. QUIKcloset fold away airer Why not try an indoor airer or clothesline? There are many different designs to suit any situation. An airer will help cut your power bills as you don’t need to use your clothes dryer all the time. Click on the link to find the best one for your home. http://www.urbanclotheslines.com/indoor-airers-and-indoor-clothes-line 0 Comments
No drying space? Try this! Posted by Nicholas G → February 19, 2011 at 8:13 PM under Environment If you are having trouble finding a place to dry your laundry why not try a fold down clothesline? Once your clothes are dry simply fold it down and use the space for other activities. Out of sight out of mind! Using vertical space with a Hills Supa Fold! Click on the link to find the one that’s best for you. Drying this way is easy and just think of the savings when you stop using the clothes dryer all the time. 0 Comments
Sunlight converted to Hydrogen using Spinach Posted by Graeme D → February 18, 2011 at 7:23 PM under Alternative Energy Environment A system that converts the energy of sunlight directly into hydrogen has been discovered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Scientists there have managed to design what they call a “biohybrid photoconversion system,” which consists in the interaction of plant proteins responsible with photosynthesis and a synthetic polymer they created. The Light Harvesting Complex II proteins (LHC-II) in a spinach plant have been determined of being able to self-assemble with polymers in a synthetic membrane structure which can produce hydrogen from water in the presence of sunlight. The researchers used a technique called “small angle neutron scattering” at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor. “Making a self-repairing msynthetic photoconversion syste is a pretty tall order. The ability to control structure and order in these materials for self-repair is of interest because, as the system degrades, it loses its effectiveness,” ORNL researcher Hugh O’Neill, of the lab’s Center for Structural Molecular Biology, said. The discovery is not new – ORNL researchers had previously determined the light conversion properties of platinized photosystem I complexes and based their present achievements on this data. “We’re building on the photosynthesis research to explore the development of self-assembly in biohybrid systems. The neutron studies give us direct evidence that this is occurring,” O’Neill said. Eventually, hydrogen will get transformed into electricity through fuel cells and used to power electric motors. This is yet another points where energy is lost through inefficiency, but I tend to think it’s better to directly generate the gas than generate electricity through solar cells, then turn it into hydrogen and then into electricity again. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? 0 Comments
Wash full loads to avoid waste Posted by Jean S → February 17, 2011 at 6:38 PM under Environment Here are some great ideas to save you time and money. Wait until you have a machine full of clothes before you wash a load. Don’t wash a load of clothes just because you want to wear the same pair of pants the next day! When washing your clothes be sure to use the economy mode and this will save you both water and electricity! This goes for dishwashers, too. Load the dishwasher but don’t overload it. Once your clothes are washed consider drying them on a clothesline either outdoors or indoors if it is too wet. This will save electricity and your laundry will smell fresh. 0 Comments
Saving Water starts with you! Posted by Nicholas G → February 16, 2011 at 6:19 PM under Environment News and Events There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water. Some refrigerators, air conditioners and ice-makers are cooled with wasted flows of water. Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street. Choose shrubs and groundcovers instead of turf for hard-to-water areas such as steep slopes and isolated strips. Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time. Plant in the fall when conditions are cooler and rainfall is more plentiful. 0 Comments
Biofuel and Booze from same plant! Posted by Nigel M → February 15, 2011 at 8:17 PM under Environment Home Living Tips News and Events This may be the way of the future for fuel. Researchers at the University of Illinois claim that the Agave plant (used in making tequila) could be a great source of biofuel. According to some articles published in the journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, two Agave species greatly exceeded the yields of other biofuel feedstocks such as sorghum, corn, soybean and wheat. “We need bioenergy crops that have a low risk of unintended land use change. Biomass from Agave can be harvested as a co-product of tequila production without additional land demands,” said Sarah Davis, a bioenergy analyst. In different locations from Mexico and Africa there are a few abandoned Agave plantations (that had been used to support the natural fiber market) that could be reclaimed as bioenergy croplands. “More research on Agave species is warranted to determine the tolerance ranges of the highest yielding varieties that would be most viable for bioenergy production in semi-arid regions of the world,” she added. As the scientists said, Agace is the perfect source of biofuel, having the possibility to be cultivated in Australia, Mexico and Africa. Read more: http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2011/02/04/agave-plant-biofuel/#ixzz1DK81oARH 0 Comments
Obama wants more electric cars by 2015 Posted by Victor M → February 13, 2011 at 7:42 PM under Alternative Energy Environment It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Will the large oil companies block this initiative? Eight years ago, President George W. Bush proposed a $1.2 billion program to help develop fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen storage systems. Now, in 2011, the U.S. still has no hydrogen fuel cell cars in commercial production. At the State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama stated that his goal is to make the United States the first country with one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. According to Michael Omotoso, director of global powertrain forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates in Troy, Mich., the limited market for short-range compact cars and the high cost of batteries could be real obstacles to reaching Obama’s goal. The first vehicles planned to be on the road will be the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. General Motors wants to expand its production to 120,000 Volt units by 2012. So far, a total of 19 Leafs and 326 Volts have been sold in the U.S. As the Energy Information Administration claims, automakers will sell about 281,000 light trucks and electric vehicles from 2011 through 2015. 0 Comments
Stay safe in the Big Freeze! Posted by Gary Nickless → February 09, 2011 at 5:26 PM under Environment STAY SAFE IN THE BIG FREEZE! Tips for Staying Warm •Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head. •Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth. •Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside. •Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it. For Motorists: If you must drive a vehicle, monitor weather and traffic reports for the latest road conditions. Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible as these roadways will be cleared first. Drive slowly. Vehicles, including those with 4-wheel drive, take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement. Keep the name and phone number of at least one local towing service in your car in case you break down or become stuck in the snow. If you get stuck on the road stay with your car and contact a towing company. For Pedestrians: Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces. Wear layers including a hat, gloves and scarf to stay protected from the cold. And, keep clothes and shoes dry. Have heightened awareness of cars, particularly when approaching or crossing intersections. 0 Comments
Climate change and Brazil Posted by Gary H → February 07, 2011 at 10:31 PM under Environment This is an interesting article: At a time when economic growth remains elusive for the United States and many other major world economies, Brazil is attracting attention from the global business community because of its strong growth prospects. The Brazilian economy, the largest in Latin America, is expected to grow by 5% in 2010, according to the country’s central bank. That is almost twice the rate expected in the United States — estimated at 2.6% for 2010 and 2011 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). One of the issues companies will need to consider before making any major investments in Brazil, however, is the impact of climate change on future operations. For full article, visit: http://www.rmmag.com/MGTemplate.cfm?Section=RMMagazine&NavMenuID= 128&template=/Magazine/DisplayMagazines.cfm&IssueID=351&AID=4225&Volume=57&ShowArticle=1 0 Comments
