Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Demystifying Common Myths of Wind Power
Demystifying Common Myths of Wind Power
Published on May 25th, 2010 by Josh Kennedy
Posted in Energy, Featured, Wind
ShareWith all the hoopla going around for and against wind farms going up all over the US, including here on the Great Lakes and off of Nantucket Sound, I feel it is important to weigh in with a little fact checking on “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) claims. After reading all the comments that are inevitably posted to every article involving the wind industry, I feel it is important to quash all the falsehoods associated with wind power.
I’ll start by saying that I am first and foremost pro-environment before anything else. If “evidence” is ever found during an environmental impact study that a wind farm will harm the local ecosystem, I will be the first in line to oppose it’s construction. Now let’s see some comments from these related links.
Published on May 25th, 2010 by Josh Kennedy
Posted in Energy, Featured, Wind
ShareWith all the hoopla going around for and against wind farms going up all over the US, including here on the Great Lakes and off of Nantucket Sound, I feel it is important to weigh in with a little fact checking on “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) claims. After reading all the comments that are inevitably posted to every article involving the wind industry, I feel it is important to quash all the falsehoods associated with wind power.
I’ll start by saying that I am first and foremost pro-environment before anything else. If “evidence” is ever found during an environmental impact study that a wind farm will harm the local ecosystem, I will be the first in line to oppose it’s construction. Now let’s see some comments from these related links.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Myth of Mountaintop Removal Reclamation
From: National Resources Defense Council
Published May 18, 2010 08:57 AM
The Myth of Mountaintop Removal Reclamation
WASHINGTON
(May 17, 2010) -- Roughly 1.2 million acres, including 500 mountains, have been flattened by mountaintop removal coal mining in the central Appalachian region, and only a fraction of that land has been reclaimed for so-called beneficial economic uses, according to new research by environmental groups.
A study by Appalachian Voices, which analyzed recent aerial imagery of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee, confirms for the first time the extent of mountaintop removal throughout the region; nearly half of which has taken place in Kentucky.
"The fact that coal companies can blast away the tops of 500 of the oldest and most biodiverse mountains on the continent shows an utter disrespect for the communities that have to live with the destruction of their land, air and water," said Matt Wasson, with Appalachian Voices.
The mining industry has long exploited a federal statutory provision that exempts them from restoring the land to its "approximate original contour" if there is a plan to develop the land for "equal or better economic use" such as "industrial, commercial, residential or public use." However, NRDC's analysis -- released today in its report Reclamation FAIL -- confirms that nearly 90 percent of mountaintop removal sites have not been converted to economic uses.
"Mining companies don't love mountains but they love bragging about how they restore mine sites for the benefit of local communities," says NRDC's Rob Perks. "Our study exposes Big Coal's broken promises by proving that post-mining economic prosperity is a big, flat lie."
NRDC examined 500 mountaintop removal sites in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. Of these locations, 90 were excluded from the study due to active, ongoing mining activity. Of the 410 remaining sites surveyed:
* 366 (89.3 percent) had no form of verifiable post-mining economic reclamation excluding forestry and pasture
* 26 (6.3 percent of total) yield some form of verifiable post-mining economic development
Only about four percent of mountains in Kentucky and West Virginia, where 80 percent of the mining is occurring, had any post-mining economic activity. Virginia had the highest proportion of economic activity on its reclaimed mountaintop removal sites at 20 percent. Tennessee, which has relatively little mountaintop removal compared to the other three states, had no economic activity on the six sites examined in that state. Overall, economic activity occurs on just 6 to 11 percent of all reclaimed mountaintop removal sites surveyed as part of this analysis.
Article continues: NRDC Media Center
Published May 18, 2010 08:57 AM
The Myth of Mountaintop Removal Reclamation
WASHINGTON
(May 17, 2010) -- Roughly 1.2 million acres, including 500 mountains, have been flattened by mountaintop removal coal mining in the central Appalachian region, and only a fraction of that land has been reclaimed for so-called beneficial economic uses, according to new research by environmental groups.
A study by Appalachian Voices, which analyzed recent aerial imagery of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee, confirms for the first time the extent of mountaintop removal throughout the region; nearly half of which has taken place in Kentucky.
"The fact that coal companies can blast away the tops of 500 of the oldest and most biodiverse mountains on the continent shows an utter disrespect for the communities that have to live with the destruction of their land, air and water," said Matt Wasson, with Appalachian Voices.
The mining industry has long exploited a federal statutory provision that exempts them from restoring the land to its "approximate original contour" if there is a plan to develop the land for "equal or better economic use" such as "industrial, commercial, residential or public use." However, NRDC's analysis -- released today in its report Reclamation FAIL -- confirms that nearly 90 percent of mountaintop removal sites have not been converted to economic uses.
"Mining companies don't love mountains but they love bragging about how they restore mine sites for the benefit of local communities," says NRDC's Rob Perks. "Our study exposes Big Coal's broken promises by proving that post-mining economic prosperity is a big, flat lie."
NRDC examined 500 mountaintop removal sites in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee. Of these locations, 90 were excluded from the study due to active, ongoing mining activity. Of the 410 remaining sites surveyed:
* 366 (89.3 percent) had no form of verifiable post-mining economic reclamation excluding forestry and pasture
* 26 (6.3 percent of total) yield some form of verifiable post-mining economic development
Only about four percent of mountains in Kentucky and West Virginia, where 80 percent of the mining is occurring, had any post-mining economic activity. Virginia had the highest proportion of economic activity on its reclaimed mountaintop removal sites at 20 percent. Tennessee, which has relatively little mountaintop removal compared to the other three states, had no economic activity on the six sites examined in that state. Overall, economic activity occurs on just 6 to 11 percent of all reclaimed mountaintop removal sites surveyed as part of this analysis.
Article continues: NRDC Media Center
Monday, May 17, 2010
Rare-earth metal recycling needed to power green tech
Metal recycling is the sleeper growth industry in green tech.
Specialty metals, such as lithium and indium, and rare-earth elements, such as neodymium, are required for production of many green-technology products, including batteries for hybrid cars, LED lights, fuel cells, and solar panels.
But to ensure future supply of these resources, recycling rates needed to increase substantially, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. Preliminary findings were issued Thursday, with a full report planned for later this year.
More recycling is needed to ensure supply of metals for common products, such as electronics and car batteries.
(Credit: U.N. Environment Program) The recycling rates for specialty metals are only about 1 percent, according to a U.N. panel on metals that is chaired by experts from India, Germany, and Yale University.
"Boosting end-of-life recycling rates not only offers a path to enhancing those supplies and keeping metal prices down, but can also generate new kinds of employment while ensuring the longevity of the mines and the stocks found in nature," Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said in a statement.
There are substantial environmental benefits to recycling all metals, which is between two and ten times more energy efficient than smelting metals from ores, according to the report.
The report says recycling rates of more common metals, such as copper, aluminum, lead, and tin, vary greatly. They can range from 25 percent to 75 percent and are much lower in some developing countries.
Increasingly, both specialty and common metals may be "mined" from existing products and structures, such as electronic gadgets and buildings. For every person in the U.S., there is now about 530 pounds of copper that is above ground, according to the report.
Article continues on -
Specialty metals, such as lithium and indium, and rare-earth elements, such as neodymium, are required for production of many green-technology products, including batteries for hybrid cars, LED lights, fuel cells, and solar panels.
But to ensure future supply of these resources, recycling rates needed to increase substantially, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Program. Preliminary findings were issued Thursday, with a full report planned for later this year.
More recycling is needed to ensure supply of metals for common products, such as electronics and car batteries.
(Credit: U.N. Environment Program) The recycling rates for specialty metals are only about 1 percent, according to a U.N. panel on metals that is chaired by experts from India, Germany, and Yale University.
"Boosting end-of-life recycling rates not only offers a path to enhancing those supplies and keeping metal prices down, but can also generate new kinds of employment while ensuring the longevity of the mines and the stocks found in nature," Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said in a statement.
There are substantial environmental benefits to recycling all metals, which is between two and ten times more energy efficient than smelting metals from ores, according to the report.
The report says recycling rates of more common metals, such as copper, aluminum, lead, and tin, vary greatly. They can range from 25 percent to 75 percent and are much lower in some developing countries.
Increasingly, both specialty and common metals may be "mined" from existing products and structures, such as electronic gadgets and buildings. For every person in the U.S., there is now about 530 pounds of copper that is above ground, according to the report.
Article continues on -
Friday, May 14, 2010
Small-wind turbines pick up steam (photos)
Small Wind Turbines Pick Up Speed
May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT
Windtronics, based in Muskegon, Mich., later this year plans to release a wind turbine specifically designed for low wind speeds. The products will be sold as the Honeywell Wind Turbine and made available through hardware stores, although in most cases it will need a professional installer. One important feature with this turbine is that it doesn't have gears in the rotor of the fan, instead relying on power generation through permanent magnets on the tips of the blades.
There are dozens of different types of wind turbines aimed at homeowners or commercial customers interested in on-site electricity generation. As the industry matures, experts say that there need to be better tools for assessing the available wind resource at homes, which will produce an economically viable project.
See related story: "Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin"
May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT
Windtronics, based in Muskegon, Mich., later this year plans to release a wind turbine specifically designed for low wind speeds. The products will be sold as the Honeywell Wind Turbine and made available through hardware stores, although in most cases it will need a professional installer. One important feature with this turbine is that it doesn't have gears in the rotor of the fan, instead relying on power generation through permanent magnets on the tips of the blades.
There are dozens of different types of wind turbines aimed at homeowners or commercial customers interested in on-site electricity generation. As the industry matures, experts say that there need to be better tools for assessing the available wind resource at homes, which will produce an economically viable project.
See related story: "Good data needed for small-wind turbines to spin"
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Philips Unveils World's First 60 Watt LED Bulb
PHILIPS UNVEILS WORLD’S FIRST LED REPLACEMENT FOR MOST COMMON HOUSEHOLD LIGHT BULB
Las Vegas, USA (May 12, 2010) – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today unveiled its 12 watt EnduraLED light bulb, the industry’s first LED replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. Shown for the first time here at the Lightfair International tradeshow, it marks an important breakthrough in the use of LED lighting technology in everyday applications. Consumers will now have an LED alternative to the most commonly used incandescent bulb, which will deliver up to 80% energy savings and last 25 times longer than its century-old predecessor.
The significance of developing an LED equivalent to the 60 watt has been recognized by many international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), who created the L-prize competition to spur development of this highly sought after innovation. Philips’ entry was the first, and to date remains the only submission for the L-Prize, which was used as the basis for the 12 watt EnduraLED. Exceeding the Energy Star specifications for a 60 watt bulb, the EnduraLED uses only 12 watts of power while delivering an industry benchmark of 806 lumens.
Article continues on at - http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/
Las Vegas, USA (May 12, 2010) – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today unveiled its 12 watt EnduraLED light bulb, the industry’s first LED replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light bulb. Shown for the first time here at the Lightfair International tradeshow, it marks an important breakthrough in the use of LED lighting technology in everyday applications. Consumers will now have an LED alternative to the most commonly used incandescent bulb, which will deliver up to 80% energy savings and last 25 times longer than its century-old predecessor.
The significance of developing an LED equivalent to the 60 watt has been recognized by many international organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), who created the L-prize competition to spur development of this highly sought after innovation. Philips’ entry was the first, and to date remains the only submission for the L-Prize, which was used as the basis for the 12 watt EnduraLED. Exceeding the Energy Star specifications for a 60 watt bulb, the EnduraLED uses only 12 watts of power while delivering an industry benchmark of 806 lumens.
Article continues on at - http://www.newsinfusion.com/philips/
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Senate climate bill unveiled; fate uncertain
Senate Climate Bill Unveiled
(Reuters) - A U.S. Senate compromise bill aimed at battling global warming would cut emissions of greenhouse gases 17 percent by 2020, according to a summary given to senators and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
(Reuters) - A U.S. Senate compromise bill aimed at battling global warming would cut emissions of greenhouse gases 17 percent by 2020, according to a summary given to senators and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
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