The Suriname branch of the World Wildlife Fund is working thanks to a $150,000 grant awarded by the Inter American Development Bank to train small scale miners in environmentally friendly mining techniques. Miners currently seperate gold using chemicals such as mercuary, that are dumped into rivers once used. WWF is teaching miners about environmentally friendly techniques to seperate gold such as mechanical means. The program was designed to educate the affects of the miner’s behavior on the local ecosystem while providing alternative means in a hope to change social norms.
Author: Cam Proctor
Algae Isn’t All Smoke and Mirrors
I’m sure everyone is aware of the amazing properties of algae. Prepare to gain newfound respect for our small flora, they could be the next biodiesel crops. Fed a generous helping of CO2-laden emissions, lets say ……. courtesy of a power plant’s exhaust stack, the algae cleans the exhaust and grows at phenominal rates. After the CO2 is soaked up like a sponge, the algae is harvested daily. From that harvest, a combustible vegetable oil is squeezed out i.e. biodiesel for automobiles. Additionally the exhaust contains 40 percent less CO2 (a larger cut than the Kyoto treaty mandates) and another bonus, 86 percent less nitrous oxides. What a little workhorse.
Creater, Berzin of MIT calculates the biodiesel crop potential at 15,000 gallons per acre. To put that in perspective soybeans (currently the major source of biodiesel fuels) produce just 60 gallons per acre. Berzin isnt alone in the algae-to-oil race. Competiator (yes people compete over this stuff) Greenshift Corporation, a Mount Arlington, N.J., technology incubator company, licensed CO2-gobbling algae technology that uses a screen-like algal filter. It was developed by David Bayless, a researcher at Ohio University. One can only hope more competing algae will result in good things.
Human Rights for Renewables
The World Council for Renewable Energy, organised by EUROSOLAR and supported by NRW Energy Agency, UNESCO, EUFORES, International Solar Energy Society and others, have concluded that “Energy is the fundamental prerequisite of every life, and all humans have a right to renewable energy.” This comes at the heels of recent investments totalling more than 500 billion into fossil fuels and nuclear energy, more than 5o times the investment into renewables.
All human beings are born with equal rights and the availability of energy is a fundamental human right, but the established systems of energy supply based on fossil and nuclear energy “are not in a position to provide this human right to everybody,†it continues. “Due to the near depletion of conventional energy sources and their dramatic environmental and climate damages, this right cannot be provided to an ever increasing number of people. The human right for renewable energy can only be accomplished by renewable energy.â€
The Assembly welcomes the official plan of the new German government to take the initiative for creation of an International Renewable Energy Agency. It wants a Renewable Energy Proliferation Protocol to be added to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and an international university for renewables to be established under the auspices of UNESCO.
Why dont you tell someone to Flick Off!
Ever wondered what the current status of electricity in Ontario is right now? Its common knowledge that electricity is in short supply and conservation and managing demand are key to ensuring a reliable and inexpensive supply of electricity. But, to the public where, when, how, and why are questions that someone needs direct answers to, including me, in real time.
Although I can check on the IESO’s website to see what the projected electricity status is, this takes time and many people don’t have the time to check this website 2-5 times a day. Organizing this confusing mess is the Flick Off project that emails or text messages members who sign up with fun and unique messages on how and when to conserve electricity. Sign up and learn about energy and conservation while gaining information on the status of the electricity industry. Electricity prices rose to $2 per KWH this summer in Ontario while you pay 5 cents, the difference is covered by the tax payer.
Netmetering is coming to Ontario, so you might be paying the real market price soon. I’ve already told eveyone I know to Flick Off!
Green Drinks!!
Green Drinks is a phenomenom that has been sweeping the world organizing and connecting human capital from the environmental field using age old organization tactics, networking and beer! Green Drinks brings together lively mixtures of people from NGOs, academia, government and business, fostering information sharing and networking under the guise of protecing the environment. Green Drinks is open to everyone becoming an organic, self organized network. Chapters exist across Canada and in: UK, USA, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Chile and Puerto Rica.