Energy

Renewable Energy Gaining Capital

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

The renewable energy sector is attracting a lot of investment recently, which is great to hear. This is good news because the forces of capitalism are working in favour of our environment. Here’s some great examples of all this renewed interest in renewable energy.

Great new technological development in solar power:

“CA-based Nanosolar had raised $100 million to finance a new solar-cell factory based on an inexpensive process, similar to that used to print newspapers, and that it will make enough cells to produce 430 megawatts of power annually, is just one sign that new types of solar power are emerging as a viable alternative energy source.”

Wind power is generating interest:

“The report says wind power is the world’s fastest-growing energy source with an average annual growth rate of 29 percent over the last ten years. In contrast, over the same time period, coal use has grown by 2.5 percent per year, nuclear power by 1.8 percent, natural gas by 2.5 percent, and oil by 1.7 percent. ”

There is more evidence that switching from non-renwable energy to renewable energy will help create jobs:

Tackling the green challenge can create Welsh jobs

2006 is looking to be a great year for improved energy technologies.

Blending With Your Feet

- Adam Clare

The Make blog has some neat ways to blend almost anything using pedal power. The idea to make all these pedal powered blenders came from a Starbucks where customers blended their own drinks by pedaling.

Greener Chip Manufacturing Process

- Benny Powers

In a story that is making it’s way around the web, researchers at the University College London have devised a new way to produce computer chips.

computer chip

The production of computer chips currently takes a vast amount of energy to heat furnaces to 1000 degrees Celsius. The heat transforms silicon to silicon dioxide, a key ingredient of computer chips. The new process encourages this reaction using cool ultraviolet light instead of intense heat.

Computer manufacture is one of the most polluting industries out there. This is one step towards reversing that trend.

Fun GM Hy-wire Video

- Adam Clare

The GM Hy-wire is a leap forward for a car manufacture insofar that it is a total rethink of the automobile. The main factor is that the engine is non internal combustion and can power half a block of houses with its hydrogen engine.

Here’s a video of the fun auto show Top Gear describing the neatness of the car (fast forward to the 1 min mark).

Kyoto Still Supported by Canadian Municipalities

- Vanessa King

Although the new Conservative Federal government in Canada is shying away from the Kyoto Protocol, that isn’t stopping Canada’s mayors and some provinces from taking action anyway! Two weeks ago an annual meeting was held by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, representing 1,400 municipal leaders across Canada. At that meeting a policy statement was adopted that supports Canada’s ratification of Kyoto.

“Municipal governments commit themselves…to implementing policies and operational changes that will achieve a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050, based on 1990 levels,” the statement reads.

Municipal governments realize that they have the power to make a difference in Canada’s greenhouse gas emmisions, since they have a say in things such as transit and landfill regulations.
“In Canada, close to 55 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions can be influenced by decisions made by municipal governments,” the statement says.

Combine this with the latest news of, Quebec’s Provincial Government aiming to become the first province to levy a “carbon tax” in the fight against global warming, and it’s hard not to wonder…….who really needs the Feds anyway???

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