Green 
Archive
Africa out of Balance 
Last
A World Without Water Water
Terrorism
Boctok Animation Data Note
Climate Design Wizard Aerius
Ecofont Daily
Green Dragonfly
Laptop Settings Utility
Scale
Natural Gas Nightmare
Polar Epsilon Data Note Polar
Breeze
Powering the Planet Sustainable
Development
SPIN Farming Landshare Note
Alternative
energy is typically defined as coming from sources
that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment.
Wind power is a typical example. The term alternative
is used to contrast with fossil fuels according to some sources. Renewable
energy differs from alternative energy
in that it may have significant environmental impact,
as is the case for most hydroelectric dams.
Related
Sea
Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis »
Source: CBC Radio/Maritime Noon »
Image: Marine Coccolith Shell » Info More
Oceana » Space
Blue Planet » More
NASA
has just wasted a huge sum of money on its new
space telescope. Of course it has a nefarious tasking capability but the 'official'
purpose of this mission is to look far out into space for earth
like planets. Of course we could never reach these planets without warping space.
These missions and launches are a huge drain of resources.
They are a huge waste of $'s, provide a conduit for hiding money and open the
door to embezzlement and corruption by faceless bureaucrats and politicians. All
this while OUR global ocean is experiencing drastic
changes TODAY; like dropping pH
levels/rise in acidity. NASA turn that high powered perception
inward.
Video
Environmental Documentaries
Biofuel Energy
Biofuel is defined as solid, liquid or gas fuel
derived from recently dead biological material and is distinguished from fossil
fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, biofuels
can be produced from any (biological) carbon source; although, the most common
sources are photosynthetic plants. Various plants and plant-derived materials
are used for biofuel manufacturing. Globally,
biofuels are most commonly used to power vehicles and cooking stoves.
Algae
fuel, also called algal fuel, oilgae, algaeoleum or third generation biofuel,
is a biofuel from algae. Compared with second generation biofuels, algae are high-yield
high-cost (30 times more energy per acre than terrestrial crops) feedstocks to
produce biofuels. Since the whole organism converts sunlight into oil, algae can
produce more oil in an area the size of a two-car garage than an entire football
field of soybeans. Everyday alternative energy scene is garnering bigger and important
space in newspapers and industrial lives. People are feeling the need for greener
energy and cleaner environment.
Some researchers are focusing their attention
on one of the ancient
living organisms, the cyanobacteria.
The process of photosynthesis
occurred in cyanobacteria 3.7 billion years ago. This light harvesting
system imparted the cyanobacteria with blue (cyan) color. The bacteria used water
molecules to transport energy. They derived this energy from sunlight, while converting
carbon dioxide into oxygen. We all know how this activity proved helpful for the
plant and animal kingdom. Plants evolved by using bacteria to provide their photosynthetic
engines. Animals got oxygen to breathe. But here scientists are trying to breakdown
each and every mechanism of photosynthesis of cyanobacteria to produce fuels like
hydrogen, hydrocarbons or alcohols. [See: Bacteria
could power the future] Algae fix the sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy
and that too very fast. Scientists want to utilize this quality for alternative
fuels. And when it comes to greener alternatives to fossil fuel what could be
greener than pond scum?
Geothermal Energy
Typical geothermal power plants require high-temperature
wells that are above 100 °C (212 °F). Dry
Steam or Flash
Steam power plants can easily take advantage of these high temperatures by
using steam to drive a turbine. This technology holds exciting prospects, as recently
the US
Geological Survey identified over 120,000 MW of untapped low temperature geothermal
resources in the US. We can now have new generators online very quickly compared
to the construction of a new coal or nuclear plant.
Solar Energy
Solar energy refers to the utilization of the radiant
energy from the Sun. Solar power is used interchangeably with solar energy,
but refers more specifically to the conversion of sunlight into electricity by
photovoltaics, concentrating solar
thermal devices, or by an experimental technology such as a solar chimney or solar
pond. Solar energy and shading are important considerations in building design.
Thermal mass is used to conserve the heat that sunshine delivers to all buildings.
Daylighting techniques optimize
the use of light in buildings. Solar water heaters heat swimming pools and provide
domestic hot water.
In agriculture, greenhouses expand growing seasons
and pumps powered by solar
cells (known as photovoltaics) provide water for grazing animals. Evaporation
ponds are used to harvest salt and clean waste streams of contaminants. Solar
distillation and disinfecting techniques produce potable water for millions of
people worldwide. Simple applications include clotheslines and solar cookers which
concentrate
sunlight for cooking, drying and pasteurization. More sophisticated technologies
concentrate sunlight for high-temperature material testing, metal smelting and
industrial chemical production. A range of experimental solar vehicles provide
ground, air and sea transportation.
Wave Energy
Wave power refers to the energy of ocean surface waves and
the capture of that energy to do useful work — including electricity generation,
desalination, and the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Wave
power is a form of renewable energy. Though often co-mingled, wave power is distinct
from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents. Wave
power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology although
there have been attempts at using it since at least 1890.
We’ve been following
(and fascinated by) developments in wave power technology, from Portugal’s wave
farm to Finavera’s AquaBuoy 2.0. And now we are thrilled to announce that San
Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co (PG&E)
has entered into a long-term commercial wave energy power purchasing agreement
(PPA) to use this innovative
technology. PG&E is the first US utility company to commit to wave power and expects
to start delivering wave-powered electricity into the grid by 2010.
Wave
energy
is produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean.
The energy provided is most often used in desalination plants, power plants and
water pumps. Energy output
is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. To date
there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around
the world.
Wind Energy
Wind power is the conversion
of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. At
the end of 2007, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 94.1 gigawatts.
Although wind produces about 1% of worldwide electricity use, it accounts for
approximately 19% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain and Portugal,
and 6% in Germany and the Republic of Ireland (2007 data). Globally, wind power
generation increased more than fivefold between 2000 and 2007. The principle application
of wind power is to generate electricity. Large scale wind farms are connected
to electrical grids. Individual turbines can provide electricity to isolated locations.
In the case of windmills, wind energy is used directly as mechanical energy for
pumping water or grinding grain.
Wind
energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and reduces greenhouse
gas emissions when it displaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. Therefore, it
is considered by experts to be more environmentally friendly than many other energy
sources. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems when using wind power
to supply a low proportion of total demand. Where wind is to be used for a moderate
fraction of demand, additional costs for compensation of intermittency are considered
to be modest.
Wind power is coming of age. In 2007, some 20,000 megawatts
of wind were installed globally, enough to power 6 million homes. Sadly, most
wind power manufacturers are no longer American, thanks to decades of funding
cuts by conservatives. Still, new
wind is poised to be a bigger contributor to US (and global) electricity generation
than new nuclear power in the coming decades. Concentrated solar power could be
an even bigger power source, and it can even share power lines with wind.
Wind
energy is clean energy but not without its usual baggage. Their noise
disturbs those who reside in the close proximity with a wind farm. Many a time
wind turbines are forced to operate under partial load so that residents and wind
farms can exist in peaceful coexistence. But operating under partial load means
lower energy production. Even high winds go un-utilized in residential areas.
The sources of the noises are many.
Over the past few years wind
energy converters were not performing optimally. The most important difficulty
is how wind generators will behave during voltage dips. A voltage dip is an unexpected
cutback in the potential in the electric grid followed by a rapid return to its
normal value. Voltage dips
can be caused by lightening, falling of trees on power cables or any commercial
unit consuming a huge power chunk suddenly. This voltage drop lasts for a few
milliseconds. But these few milliseconds are very crucial for a machine. In fact,
an interruption of half a second in a productive process can cause the whole process
to block and it may have to be reinitiated.
