To Burn Or Not To Burn?

An article in the New York Times yesterday poses this interesting environmental question. Europe is rapidly embracing waste-to-energy technology and simultaneously reducing demand on landfills and adding (mostly) clean energy to their power grids. Countries like Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands are building them in rural, suburban and even urban areas. NIMBYism be damned in these densely populated lands...but could this be feasible here across the pond, where ample amounts of land are yearning to stink like garbage and pollute the surrounding area and its water supply?

From The NY Times:

By contrast, no new waste-to-energy plants are being planned or built in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency says — even though the federal government and 24 states now classify waste that is burned this way for energy as a renewable fuel, in many cases eligible for subsidies. There are only 87 trash-burning power plants in the United States, a country of more than 300 million people, and almost all were built at least 15 years ago.

Instead, distant landfills remain the end point for most of the nation’s trash. New York City alone sends 10,500 tons of residential waste each day to landfills in places like Ohio and South Carolina.

Yes that's right, the piece of paper or plastic you are about to toss could end up down south, a thousand miles from that Brownstone you live in or high-rise office you work at. Logically, it takes a considerable cost to make that waste transfer happen. What New York legislators (and their constituents who could possibly be living near these facilities) must see, is that this technology looks nothing like the incinerators of old and that the benefits are more than impressive.

Now of course, conservation, recycling and renewable energy like wind and solar are still a crucial part of the 21st century energy equation. Yet we still have a lot of waste to deal with and not everyone is as green with their trash as they might admit to. Additionally, studies are beginning to show that these facilities are cheaper than hauling our garbage hundreds of miles away. The Mayor's Office commented in the story that it would be near impossible to achieve but realistically speaking, adding this to PlaNYC could be feasible if we can only stop relying so much on landfills.

NY Leading The Wind Power Revolution In The U.S.

Wind power has been around for centuries, from small family farms in the Midwest to the windmills of Holland. Despite our knowledge of this clean, renewable energy source, our society still heavily relies on fossil fuels like coal and toxic nuclear material. However, things are slowly changing for the better. Even in America, with global warming deniers running rampant, change is happening. And I'm proud to say that the State of New York is leading the way.

From SET Energy:

SET’s home state of New York is moving to become a leader in offshore wind power. Both the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) have offshore wind farms they are pursuing. The NYPA project would be the first major freshwater wind farm in the world. And the LIPA project could end up as the biggest proposed offshore wind farm in the US.

New York Needs to Accelerate its Renewable Deployment

New York has one of the highest renewable shares of electricity at ~21.5%, largely due to the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls (only Washington and Oregon currently have higher renewable shares, also mainly due to hydro). New York aims to get 45% of its electricity from renewables by 2015, a goal that will take tremendous deployment to achieve. In fact, renewable capacity of ~10 GW is necessary to reach 45% at current generation levels. Achieving such a high capacity by 2015 would translate into average annual deployment of 1.5 GW.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, NY recently became one of only eight states with over 1 GW of wind power capacity. All of the existing wind capacity in NY and the rest of the country is land-based. Now, state leaders have their sites on offshore wind helping NY reach several GW capacity by 2015.

With offshore sites, brand new freshwater wind farms and the great Niagara backing the rest of the renewables up, New York is leading the way. However, merely having a great waterfall isn't going to win the day. Groups like NYPIRG have fought hard to mandate renewable energy standards and the power of dedicated people behind them has led to successes such as that 45% minimum required by 2015. It just goes to show that when people get together to create change, dedication to that cause eventually makes things happen.

Drilling For Geo-Thermal Energy

Clean energy systems are the key to our future as a 21st century (and beyond) society. I rave about wind and solar often, but thanks to Dan Jacoby I now have a new model to add to those two. Geo-thermal energy has been around a while in the form of dams but using the temperature-moderation abilities of dirt could revolutionize the way we power our homes, businesses and electric cars.

From The Albany Project:

This energy source actually derives from the fact that while the air temperature gets very hot in the summer and just as cold in the winter, just a few feet underground the temperature remains almost constant. As a result, there is often a large difference between the air temperature and the underground temperature. If the heat from the ground can be made to flow into the cold winter air, and the summer heat in the air be made to flow into the cooler ground, that heat flow can be tapped and converted into a usable energy source.

This is known as "geothermal heat exchange."

Using current technology, a geothermal heat exchange system usually involves a closed loop of plastic or copper pipe through which an antifreeze solution is pumped. In the summer, the antifreeze warms up when it is above ground and cools down when underground; in the winter, the reverse occurs.

The warmed (or cooled) liquid is then pumped into a geothermal unit. In the winter, the heat is compressed and distributed throughout the building, helping to heat it. In the summer, the cooler temperature can be used to pull heat from the house, aiding, or even replacing, conventional air conditioning systems.

Sounds simple enough, all we need are the people to build these new systems. Oh, what did you say? We've lost 3.5 million jobs in the last year? Well let's actually utilize the stimulus and put people to work so that we can diversify our nation's energy infrastructure. Instead of those new tacked-on tax cuts, we should replace them with this extremely smart idea.

Why 350 Is One Of The Most Important Numbers To Know

The level of carbon in our atmosphere is rising at an alarming rate due to our production and consumption habits. If only we did a few (or more than a few) key things to change the way we live, the number of particles in the atmosphere would be reduced and our planet could begin to balance itself out.

This Is Not The Time To Slow Wind Power Down

The "free market" aggravates me sometimes. O.K., well most of the time would be more accurate. Specifically with clean energy and our responsibility to the planet, the market is showing itself again that self-interest in making a profit isn't good enough to transform our outdated petro-economy into a healthy, green one. Coal and oil are making a comeback worldwide due to lowered prices and new wind farms in our state are running into roadblocks.

From Newsday:

The nationwide financial crisis has put the brakes on a wind farm under construction in northern New York and another developer has aborted possible projects in eastern and central New York after trouble securing land. And wind energy companies are now being asked to abide by a code of ethics by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo _ the upshot of his investigation into allegations of corrupt practices by developers.

Wind is still alive in New York and new turbines are still being planned for blustery parts of the state. But the last few tumultuous months have been tough for the industry nationwide and New York in particular.

"Obviously, it doesn't make it easy for the wind industry, like every other industry, to get financing," said Carol Murphy, executive director of Alliance for Clean Energy New York, which represents renewable energy companies. "But I have not heard of any of my members who've run into a brick wall ... There are still a lot of hedge funds and folks who are investing in green energy."

There is still certainly interest in wind power and not all projects are coming to a halt. Newsday's article goes into detail about a few, though they also note the problems with others. Demand simply hasn't been great enough to make the transformation of our economy feasible. The wind power plants are more of a token to environmentalism than true change. The market is going to go for the most cost-efficient energy and with a slumping economy, fossil fuels are making a comeback. The only problem is, the Earth doesn't care about supply and demand.

Send A Clean Energy Message To Prez-Elect Obama

From Grant Park and throughout the campaign, Barack Obama said he could not fix our problems by himself. He has always told us that we must all be the change we seek. So if a better environment is something you wish to see, watch this and sign the letter below.



Send this to President-elect Obama now:

Dear President-elect Obama,

Congratulations on your remarkable victory on Tuesday. I'm deeply inspired by your message of change and especially excited about your focus on energy and climate. We know you face tough challenges in Washington, and I just want you to know that I and millions of others are ready to support you in taking on the bold change that will be needed. We truly need to "Repower America," and end our addiction to dirty coal and foreign oil.

Signed,

You

Moving Energy Subsidies From Fossil Fuels To Renewables Could Quadruple Jobs

Right now billions in subsides are given to the oil companies from politicians who receive their campaign donations. Yet with a little long range planning, that money could be reinvested into clean energy and quadruple the jobs provided by the current pollution-driven scenario. Nothing good comes from oil, except for the continuation of our petro-economy that is slowly killing our environment and by extension, all of humanity and the biosphere too. So imagine, if you will, the possibilities of a green economy, full of green jobs.

From The NY Times:

Investing in clean energy could create four times as many jobs as investing in the oil industry, according to a report issued on Tuesday by the Sierra Club, United Steelworkers, the Blue Green Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council and Audubon New York. And clean energy investment would result in about three times the number of good-paying jobs, those that pay at least $16 an hour, according to the report, which was written by the Center for American Progress and the Political Economy Research Institute.

Clean energy, to help deter the effects of global warming, could help reduce New Yorkers’ fears of rising temperatures and receding shorelines. The report encourages investment in six areas: retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency, expanding mass transit and freight rail, constructing “smart” electrical grid transmission systems, wind power, solar power and next-generation biofuels.

Such jobs are based on the proposed investment of $100 billion over two years, through a cap-and-trade program like those sponsored last year in Congress that would “drive private investments into clean energy and raise public revenue through carbon permit auctions.” And spending $26 billion on retrofitting, for example, could save $5 billion in energy costs a year, for a net savings after five years or so, according to the report.

Of course not all jobs include going out to remote locations and building giant wind farms. A large part of this budding industry can be found close to home, whether it is by installing small wind generators or simply making current buildings more energy-efficient. Changing the way we live in deference to the future of the planet may sound hard because of the massive scale of our economy. However, there is no better option and honestly, if it pays well to help save the world job by job then that just sweetens the pot.

Voting For Democrats Gets You Things Like This

Republicans represent the status quo and when it comes to energy, that means the continuous flow of pollution into our environment. With people like Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and a new President in 2009 that has a last name that starts with an O, we'll be seeing far more bills like this....and most importantly their passage and implementation.

The Silver Lining To High Gas Prices

When a forest fire burns out of control, not only does it burn grass, shrubs and trees, it takes out cars, homes and even lives. The damage is incredible and the personal loss can be devastating. Yet from those ashes lives begin anew, the enriched soil, wet from winter rains blossoms with wildflowers and hopefully, those that build homes there do so with care, caution and respect for their environment.

The same can be said for gasoline and our global environment. The amount we consume combined with a society and economy that is addicted to oil has made prices skyrocket. We never really cut enough "brush" back from our homes in the form of clean energy (like wind and solar) and now it is hurting us in our pocketbooks. Though in this fiscal mess, there is promise on the horizon.

From The NY Times:

Some cities with long-established public transit systems, like New York and Boston, have seen increases in ridership of 5 percent or more so far this year. But the biggest surges — of 10 to 15 percent or more over last year — are occurring in many metropolitan areas in the South and West where the driving culture is strongest and bus and rail lines are more limited.

Here in Denver, for example, ridership was up 8 percent in the first three months of the year compared with last year, despite a fare increase in January and a slowing economy, which usually means fewer commuters. Several routes on the system have reached capacity, particularly at rush hour, for the first time.

“We are at a tipping point,” said Clarence W. Marsella, chief executive of the Denver Regional Transportation District, referring to gasoline prices.

That tipping point could possibly turn our national car culture into a transit society. Instead of building our homes in forests that burn every year, we might just start respecting our local, and consequently, our global environment.

The more people use mass transit, the more we win as a collective society. Instead of wasting money sitting in traffic, handing it over in fist-fulls to the oil industry and polluting our planet, we can invest in more and better transit systems. As the Times points out, people are starting to get it and if these ridiculous prices continue, we might have hope for the future.

Cars That Run On Air Coming Sooner Than You Think

Kiss gasoline goodbye, forget about ethanol and leave the hybrids at the dealership, because in two years, there will be an automobile for sale that literally runs on air. Zero Pollution Motors has set up shop in nearby New Paltz and will be selling a vehicle that can get up to a thousand miles per 1-2 hour charge and can do 96 mph to get there.

From The NY Daily News:

New Paltz, N.Y., has long been known as a bastion of progressive thinking, living and being, man. So it's no surprise the town is headquarters for a company planning to produce the world's first air-powered automobile for the U.S. by 2010. The France-based Zero Pollution Motors says it's manufacturing 10,000 vehicles in its first year and expects to sell them for about $17,800. The cars will have 75 horsepower — that's a little less than the SmartForTwo — will seat six and will produce zero emissions.

"Electricity powers an onboard compressor to compress air to 4,500 pounds per square inch into a pressure tank contained in the vehicle," ZPM communications director Kevin Haydon told the Daily News from New Paltz. "This can be done in a garage overnight and it will take 1-2 hours. The compressed air is then used to power the engine."

Interest in the car is already high and it isn't hard to see why. With gas prices continuing their fast-paced ascent, people are looking for a better way to get around. The air-powered car (or AirCar for short) will be available by 2010 an orders will be taken much sooner than that. With inventions like this, all we need know is to fix the problem of where that 1-2 hour charge comes from. Getting rid of coal, oil and nuclear based power sources and switching to wind and solar will help complete an environmentally friendly way of making our country run.

Bigger Is Sometimes Better In Texas

Texans like to pride themselves on doing things "bigger and better" in the Lone Star state. Unfortunately having bigger cars, houses and other energy hogs are not so good. If you've ever been to Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, etc. you'll definitely notice the large ranch homes and the ridiculous percentage of trucks driving on roads named after President Bush. It isn't all bad though, because it seems that the latest fad that is catching on has to do with clean, renewable energy.....the windy stuff.

From The NY Times:

Texas, once the oil capital of North America, is rapidly turning into the capital of wind power. After breakneck growth the last three years, Texas has reached the point that more than 3 percent of its electricity, enough to supply power to one million homes, comes from wind turbines.

Texans are even turning tapped-out oil fields into wind farms, and no less an oilman than Boone Pickens is getting into alternative energy.

“I have the same feelings about wind,” Mr. Pickens said in an interview, “as I had about the best oil field I ever found.” He is planning to build the biggest wind farm in the world, a $10 billion behemoth that could power a small city by itself.

That just goes to show you that the Texan spirit of trying to out do everyone can have a huge bonus for us all. The less Texas uses oil and coal power, the less we collectively use it, both nationally and globally. If only we all had that Texas spirit when it comes to wind, we might be able to change the world in a great way.

A Revolutionary Automobile

For a hundred and fifty years cars have run on gasoline to drive a combustible engine, turning the oiled pistons and making the automobile move. Many changes have been made over the years and recently the drive for cleaner technology has made the ecological performance improve. Yet until now, there has been nothing like an air car.

From RawStory:

BBC News is reporting that a French company has developed a pollution-free car which runs on compressed air. India's Tata Motors has the car under production and it may be on sale in Europe and India by the end of the year.

The air car, also known as the Mini-CAT or City Cat, can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go 200 km on a 1.5 euro fill-up -- roughly 125 miles for $3. The top speed will be almost 70 mph and the cost of the vehicle as low as $7000.

The car features a fibreglass body and a revolutionary electrical system and is completely computer-controlled. It is powered by the expansion of compressed air, using no combustion at all, and the exhaust is entirely clean and cool enough for use in the internal air conditioning system.

It is cheap, well built and emits no carbon whatsoever into the atmosphere. What are the chances that this air car will be sold in the U.S. praytell? There is nothing about a model for the states, but if you travel to Europe or India, be sure to look out for the cars that run on air.

Something From Nothing

There's no such thing as a free lunch...but what about free energy. Physicists have always said that every action must have an equal reaction, but that theory seems to be officially debunked. A new invention out of the U.K. not only defies the theory, it can save people money and the environment. Oh, and it consists of one 12 x 2 inch tube.

From The Daily Mail:

The device seems to break the fundamental physical law that energy cannot be created from nothing - but researchers believe it taps into a previously unrecognised source of energy, stored at a sub-atomic level within the hydrogen atoms in water.

The system - developed by scientists at a firm called Ecowatts in a nondescript laboratory on an industrial estate at Lancing, West Sussex - involves passing an electrical current through a mixture of water, potassium carbonate (otherwise known as potash) and a secret liquid catalyst, based on chrome.

This creates a reaction that releases an incredible amount of energy compared to that put in. If the reaction takes place in a unit surrounded by water, the liquid heats up, which could form the basis for a household heating system.

If the technology can be developed on a domestic scale, it means consumers will need much less energy for heating and hot water - creating smaller bills and fewer greenhouse gases.

Isn't science amazing? ConEd must be shitting their pants right now, heh heh.

The Infinite Power Of The Earth

Earth is an amazing place. A huge rock that hurtles through space in an orbit 93 million miles from the sun, it provides life to countless species including our own. We are the only ones that require energy to power our way of life, and for the last couple hundred years we have used unsustainable fuels that have enabled tremendous progress at a devastating price to our planet.

Lately there has been a small but determined effort to get away from fossil fuels. Wind power and to some degree solar energy has begun to light up our homes and businesses, but there is so much more out there. In the last few years Verdant Energy has sought to place turbines in the East River to capture tidal energy though expectations have not been met. Regardless, Verdant is but one example of the drive for clean energy.

From The Washington Post:

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon Iron Works has the feel of a World War II-era shipyard, with sparks flying from welders' torches and massive hydraulic presses flattening large sheets of metal. But this factory floor represents the cutting edge of American renewable-energy technology.

The plant is assembling a test buoy for Finavera Renewables, a Canadian company that hopes to harness ocean waves off the coast of Oregon to produce electricity for U.S. consumers. And Finavera is not Iron Works' only alternative-energy client: So many companies have approached it with ideas that it has created a "renewable-energy projects manager" to oversee them.

(snip)

Finavera's chief executive, Jason Bak, believes he knows how. The equipment his company designed, called AquaBuOY, aims to generate electricity from the vertical motion of waves. The buoy, anchored in an array two to three miles offshore, will convert the waves' motion into pressurized water using large, reinforced-rubber hose pumps. As the buoy goes up the peak of a wave and down into its trough, it forces a piston in the bottom of the buoy to stretch and contract the hose pumps, pushing water through. This drives a turbine that powers a generator producing electricity, which would be shipped to shore through an undersea transmission line.

More than two-thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water. Even with many shipping lanes ferrying goods around the world, there is plenty of room to harness energy from the ocean. Now of course there will be initial problems in getting these new ideas online and weaning ourselves off of oil and coal, but it is very possible. The key is to encourage companies like Finavera to do their important work by having our government and others push the market to stop the disease of oil addiction. Not only is it possible, it is essential.

Project Phin: Episode 4

Project Phin: Episode 3

Jason Biggs joins the show to show there is a way for energy independence.

Project Phin Part Two

This episode simply tells people how we can start to make a change in how we fuel our rides. Go to the website and check it out.

Project Phin's Quest To Save The World

The episode is a little bit twisted, but the point gets across that we need to do something about having more clean energy and fighting Big Oil....even if it takes celebrity appearances.

Taking Alternative Energy Too Far

I never thought I would say this but there are limits to fighting climate change. A Jersey shore man has erected a giant windmill to help power his home. Neighbors want it gone and the Long Beach Township might just enact an ordinance to take it down.

From WNBC:

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- One man's source of electric power is causing an ill wind to blow in Long Beach Township. Two of Michael Mercurio's neighbors have filed a lawsuit to stop him from using a windmill in his backyard that helps to heat and light his house. The suit contends the windmill is too noisy, creates shadows on their property and spoils their sleep.

Michael Mercurio's efforts are great for the environment, but a nuisance to the neighbors.

In response, the township's board of commissioners discussed proposing an ordinance that would ban the building of windmills higher than 12 feet, except for decorative purposes.

There's nothing wrong with solar panels on a house (which powers 75% of the property) but the turbine does create a disturbance with shadows and noise. Wind turbines are a great source of energy and I believe we should install thousands or millions more, just not in the middle of a neighborhood.

Green Ferries In NYC

With all the news on New York and the environment, things are looking way up for the city. The latest piece of good news comes from the waterways. Since the Industrial Revolution, pollution-causing boats have been in the rivers and New York harbor emitting carbon monoxide into the water. Now that might be a thing of the past. The first solar and wind powered ferry is going to make it's debut with a Circle Line logo next year.

From 1010 WINS:

The electric ferry uses a "solar sail'' covered in solar panels that collect energy from the sun and wind.

Officials said it emits almost no noise, vibration or fumes, reducing water pollution and air emissions.

The green ferry, called Miss Statue of Liberty, will be able to reach a maximum speed of 13 knots and seat up to 600 passengers.

At a cost of under 10 million, this ferry will be a great contribution to the transit system of the tri-state area and a wonderful piece of clean technology that will help improve the water quality of our waterways. I can't wait to ride it when I have to shlep my tourist friends down to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.