Nuclear power plants in Germany are on their way to an extended life, surmounting the huge obstacles in their path. There is a vehement opposition to nuclear power plants in Germany, and most of the population believes that the country should let go of nuclear power plants. The new policy aims at keeping the old plants running to ultimately have greener energy take over the existing system, but it may also pave the way for new nuclear plants.

The government managed to get the plan through by making big promises, like utilizing a huge chunk of nuclear earnings for public use. It was also assured that renewable power would get preference over nuclear power when fed to the distribution grid.

Earnings from these plants can be huge, going to the magnitude of nearly 20 million euros can come from a life extension of 20 years for plants operated by four major energy companies, whose plants produce almost a quarter of German electricity. The policy will give a new lease of life to 17 nuclear power plants, which faced closure in the next decade.

Source: Reuters

These solar panel clad racecars aren’t simply racecars, they also function as hallmarks of solar and electric vehicle technology, and also help spreading environmental awareness. Moreover, the technology developed could also find use in mainstream vehicles. The best example here would be the Chevrolet Volt, which benefited from the technology used in the Sunraycer from the 1987 World Solar Challenge.

Source: Inhabitat

A study by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has found that ethanol can be a viable alternative to gasoline for vehicles, and at the same time, its use can effectively reduce emissions. Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of sugarcane, and cane-based ethanol. Researchers found that the ethanol provides nearly eight times the energy used to create it, and that number could increase further with the introduction of new technologies and plant varieties.

The study considered that cane plantation would not involve felling any native forests, and without any deforestation involved, cane ethanol could help Brazil achieve its reduced emission targets. By 2020, Brazil plans to reduce emissions in the transport sector by 43 percent, and 18 percent for overall emissions, not factoring emissions by deforestation.

Since Brazil has a fairly large quantity of the raw material (sugarcane) required for the ethanol, and the country has already taken concrete steps in the right direction, it seems very much possible that Brazil will achieve its targets.

Source: Reuters

Another issue is that materials required for electric cars are tougher to produce. Environmental costs of producing electric cars can be nearly 20% higher than electric cars. In 2005, electric vehicles cost the environment 0.20 cents to 15 cents per vehicle mile traveled, while conventional vehicles fared better with 0.34 cents to 5.04 cents per vehicle mile traveled. Unless manufacturing efficiencies become much greater, the problem will continue to persist. The report found that gasoline-electric hybrids with systems like regenerative braking were better compared to all-electric vehicles, and conventional vehicles.

Source: Reuters

The bizarre story of a Colorado family’s runaway balloon aircraft this afternoon got me to thinking:

How many helium-filled balloons are required to lift a human off the ground?

Here’s a YouTube video that offers some insight into that question. Enjoy!

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

In fact, Chicago 2016 organizers even call their concept of the Olympics the “Blue-Green Games.”

Blue for clean air and water. And, green for parks and nature. Together, the blue and green combine to create the ideal conditions necessary for optimal athletic performance.

What’s more, Chicago 2016 organizers have developed a comprehensive plan that will deliver the most eco-friendly games in modern history.

Here are just a few of the green highlights from the Chicago 2016 bid:

• All electricity for Games operations will come from renewable energy sources.

• All generators supplied for the Games will run on biofuel.

• For the first time ever, athlete and spectator travel emissions will be offset in partnership with the Chicago Climate Exchange.

• Venues will reduce water consumption by 20% from baseline levels through design, technology and equipment, such as low-flow fixtures and smart irrigation.

• Waste will be minimized by reusing or recycling 85% of the materials used for the Games.

• Existing structures and parklands will be utilized whenever possible to minimize the carbon emissions associated with construction. Design and construction of all new and temporary venues will be conducted in accordance with best practices for sustainability.

“Blue and green reflect the natural landscape that all Chicagoans enjoy—the blue of Lake Michigan, and the green of our parks,” says Bob Accarino, the Director of Environment for Chicago 2016. “The name highlights these features and our Games plan further enforces it, with the majority of venues located along the lakeshore in our historic parks. From an environmental perspective, the concept of a Blue-Green Games emphasizes the importance of promoting clean water in addition to clean air.”

You can read the complete 31-page Blue-Green Games Commitment document here.

Photo of Chicago’s Grant Park from David Paul Ohmer.

Green Speed Air Powered Motorcycle by designer Edwin Yi Yuan

Edwin Yi Yuan has succeeded in designing a concept air-fueled bike dubbed the Green Speed Air Powered Motorcycle. It is not an utterly novel concept for we have heard of compressed air powered vehicles before, but this motorcycle has overcome a couple of problems faced by previous concepts — short range and low speed.

Edwin combined with his lecturer and a team of design students to give it a form. He chucked the guts of a Suzuki GP100 from the 1970s into the bin and just used its frame, wheels and brakes.

The engine used to grind this machine is an invention of a Melbourne based engineer, Angelo Di Pietro. It is lightweight and runs on air compressed from two compressed air tanks on the bike. It revs up 10,000 RPM thereby eliminating the need of a gearbox, bringing only a single gear (sprocket bolted directly to the axis of the engine and chained to the rear wheel) into use.

The mass produced units of the Green Speed Air bike would also use solar panels to compress the air. With zero-carbon emissions and a very inexpensive fuel option,  it definitely looks like the bike of the future. One that we’d love to hop on for a quick spin.

[Via Ecofriend]

There are. Here are 12 of them …

1. Wind power – is a converted form of solar energy. The atmosphere warms differently. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind.
2. Solar power – concentrating solar power systems, passive solar heating and daylighting, photovoltaic systems, solar hot water, and solar process heat and space heating and cooling.
3. Tidal power – Energy produced by tidal waves
4. Geothermal power – heat from the Earth
5. Hydropower – dams – the only one competitive enough to fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
6. Biomass – made from any organic material from plants or animals.
7. Ethanol fuel – primary feedstock of ethanol is corn.
8. Hydrogen – the simplest element and most plentiful gas in the universe.
9. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) – the cleanest and greenest and only carbon negative energy fuel
10. Bio Fuel – made by a simple chemical reaction that removes the glycerin molecule from vegetable oils, fats, and cooking greases.
11. Nuclear – accounts for about 19 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States
12. Coal – More than half of the electricity generated in the world is by using coal as the primary fuel.

What am I missing? Why do you think it belongs on the list?

Image courtesy of jfabra

Do you methanol?

The Syngas (steamed reformed methane) that gets converted into liquid hydrocarbons is the potential substitute provided fossil fuels are not brought into use in the formation.

Chemist Scott Barnett at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, has suggested that solid oxide electrolysis cells– normally used to split water, could be that green option.

The conversion using the suggested option at peak conditions of 800 °C and 1.3 volts is capable of producing 7 standard cubic centimeters of Syngas per minute for each square cm of the electrolysis cell’s surface.

Interestingly, both hydrogen generation and the aforesaid process requires a gas-capturing technique that hinders cost effectiveness. The only difference lies in the fact that methanol would require lesser carting around of water.

The drawbacks are that methanol is an energy store and not a form of energy unlike hydrogen, but liquid methanol beats the efficiency of hydrogen for storage and transportation. So I guess the confusion about a better alternative fuel, still prevails …

[via NewScientist] Image by dhepburn