Planetsave

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April 26 marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Slavutych, Ukraine. That one incident resulted in hundreds and possibly thousands of deaths, lingering health issues, radioactive contamination of a wide swath of land, property losses and on-going clean-up costs totaling billions of dollars.The Ukranian-American Environmental Association sent out a release reminding everyon of the risks of nuclear power.

I spoke with Kenneth Bossong, co-director of UAEA, about the anniversary, and asked him to tell us more about his organization.

bossong-final.mp3

National Geographic Photo

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has introduced legislation to withdraw approximately one million acres near the Grand Canyon from mineral exploration under the 1872 Mining Act.

In a news release, the Congressman was quoted as saying:

“I was pleased to introduce this legislation which will forever protect the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and the people who live near and in the Canyon from damaging uranium mining,” said Rep. Grijalva. “The federal government and mining companies still have not adequately dealt with the clean up of old uranium mine sites on the Navajo Nation and other areas that are causing ongoing health problems. Until these issues are resolved, we should not move forward with new mines, especially next to the crown jewel of our National Park System.”

The legislation came on the heels of a news story regarding exploratory drilling for uranium within a few miles of the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, a popular tourist destination.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has requested the Bush administration to use it’s executive powers to withdraw areas in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon from mining.

The bill calls for protection of 628,000 acres in the Kanab Creek area, 112,655 in House Rock Valley and 327,886 acres in the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National forest south of the canyon.

A Congressional field hearing will be held on March 28th in the Flagstaff, AZ City Hall. Local elected officials, Tribal representatives, Grand Canyon area business and environmental representatives and uranium experts are expected to attend the hearing.

The legislation, The Grand Canyon Watersheds Protection Act of 2008 (H.R. 5583) has been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. Congressman Grijalva serves on that committee.

The headlines are out, 1966 was the last time North America and much of Siberia have seen so much snow.

An article in Canada’s National Post summarized weather around the northern hemisphere and concluded that arctic ice is back, heavier than ever in some areas, and China is reeling from its worst winter in a century.

Of course, it doesn’t mean global warming is a non-entity, nor does it mean we’re headed for a mini ice-age. The author, Lorne Gunter, took a swipe at environmentalists this way:

“Ok, so one winter does not a climate make. It would be premature to claim an Ice Age is looming just because we have had one of our most brutal winters in decades.

But if environmentalists and environment reporters can run around shrieking about the manmade destruction of the natural order every time a robin shows up on Geeorgian Bay two weeks early, then it is at least fair game to use this winter’s weather stories to wonder whether the alarmist are being a tad premature.”

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It’s been over a hundred years, but soon a three-masted, 19th century barque will transport 60,000 bottles of French wine from Bordeaux to Dublin. And this is just the beginning for vintners in the Languedoc region.

The 170 foot Belem, launched in 1896, spent many years transporting choclate from South America, and gets it’s name from a Brazilian port. It will be the first of seven three-masted vessels planned to be in service by 2013, all apparently slated to transport French wines as far as Canada.

Frederic Albert, owner of the ship, is quoted by The Guardian as saying, “My idea was to do something for the planet and something for the wines of Languedoc. One of my grandfathers was a wine-maker and one was a sailor”.

The delivery by ship will take longer than a flight, but Albert says it will save 18,375lb of carbon.

Each bottle transported by the Belem will be labelled: “Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet”.

Venture capital investments in clean technology reached an impressive $5.18 billion last year in North America and Europe. North American-based companies received three times the investments of the European-based companies. Not surprisingly, energy generation was responsible for $2.75 billion in investments, with solar energy shining.

“In 2007, solar emerged as a significant investment theme, and it was notable to us that of the top five solar deals of the year, three of the largest were solar investments in China and India,” said Cleantech Group Managing Director of Global Marketing Kristina Messdaghi.

Emerging solar technologies appear to be very promising, potentially dropping the cost of solar energy considerably. Nanosolar coating for example may lower the cost of solar energy to $1 a watt and does not require silicon. Over the last few years, this technology has received significant investment from venture capitalists.

Solar manufacturing capacity has been increasing considerably. Sharp Solar announced early last year that they will double production in Europe from 110 to 240 MW annually. Sharp increased production in Japan in 2006 to a staggering 600 MW. The Nanosolar plant in San Jose, California plans to produce 250 MW in 2008 and 430 NW in 2009.

Policy has helped fuel this increase in demand for solar energy. 20 countries in Europe now have electricity buy-back guarantee programs. 40 states in the U.S. have net-metering programs, with New Jersey, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Maryland having highly regarded programs. Net-metering requires the utility companies to purchase surplus electricity generated from small-scale wind and solar systems, thus giving an incentive to system owners. Such programs also reduce the cost of residential solar and wind systems because they eliminate the need for batteries, while boosting the efficiency of the solar system.

Cleantech has certainly gained recognition by many venture capitalists and is seen by many as a lucrative opportunity. Many investment opportunities are also springing up for more casual investors with renewable energy mutual funds and exchange traded funds.

The US has blocked what is being labeled a landmark assessment of oil and gas activity in the high north polar regions. Not surprisingly, this comes at the same time that they are trying to sell off drilling-exploration licenses to the highest bidder for the Chukchi Sea off Alaska.

Sadly, this is also one of the last major habitats of the polar bear, an animal that is already struggling to deal with climate changes.

The long-awaited assessment was derailed by the US prior to its release in Norway, leaving the authors with “huge frustration.” “They [the US] have blocked it,” said one of the lead authors, who requested to go nameless. “We have no executive summary and no plain language conclusions.”

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Here’s the scenario. You’re a young boy living in southern Utah, not far from Nevada’s atomic testing grounds. The mushroom clouds that rose in the sky were fascinating to see, as was the greenish tint that hung in the western sky for weeks. As your family drives from your home along the road to Zion National Park, you notice state troopers warning drivers to roll up their car windows, even when it was quite warm, and you wondered why.

Audio Here: utah-nuclear.mp3

Years later, your father dies of lymphoma, and you realize it may have been the result of breathing that green air from the atomic testing range. And you finally understand why the state troopers warned motorists about the dirty air. Read the rest of this entry »

The last few years have been a time of amazing growth in the renewable energy industry and the renewable energy potential of many regions is increasingly being utilized. Tidal energy is becoming a hot topic, with many companies and locales looking to harness this energy source. Currently, Nova Scotia is considering the construction of the first in-stream tidal demonstration facility in North America in the Bay of Fundy. With some of the best tidal energy resources in the continent and new technology advances for tidal turbines, there is a tremendous opportunity to utilize this renewable energy resource.

The Electrical Power Research Institute calculates that this in-stream tidal energy facility could generate 300 MW of electricity and has many social and environmental benefits. The facility is expected to produce energy that is stable in cost and is not susceptible to the increasing prices and shortages of fossil fuels, thus benefiting the local economy. Air quality will not be compromised, nor will greenhouse gases be generate.

Nova Scotia is in the process of selecting the technology to be utilized at the facility and has narrowed down the options to three candidates. The finalist are Clean Current of Vancouver, Openhydro of Ireland, and Minas Basin Pulp and Power of Nova Scotia partnered with UEK Hydrokinetic Turbine.

“We are grateful for the shared desire today to help create a brand new industry,” said Energy Minister Richard Hurlburt. “And we are pleased to welcome some of the world’s most promising technology to our province. If we combine that technology with Nova Scotia’s offshore expertise, research capacity and enormous tidal resource, this can become a truly outstanding center of excellence.”

In-stream tidal technology utilizes energy of rising and falling tides. The source of this energy is actually the moon, unlike any other form of energy. Moving water currents produce kinetic energy, which can then be converted to electricity with turbines. Ideal sites have a concentration of tidal energy, such as bays or are located between land masses, making it easier to harness energy.

Currently, there are no commercial tidal energy projects in operation globally, but the race is on to harness this source of energy. The next few years will be interesting ones for the advancement of renewable energy technologies globally, in the race for energy solutions.

An Atlanta-based company is betting on a sustainable, unending supply of raw material as feed stock, to create a renewable energy source. Human and industrial wastes will soon be processed into a solid, called “E-Fuel”, a replacement for coal or other fossil fuels.

The company, EnerTech Environmental, says it has received $42 million in funding to continue engineering and completion of a commercial-size plant in Rialto, CA, shown in the picture. Four more plants are in the planning stage as funding for the projects is received. The company says it now has $57 million in venture capital. Read the rest of this entry »

A Canadian company has used the current presidential race to plug it’s coal-to-liquid process. Citing positive statements by presidential hopefuls, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee, Silverado Green Fuel has posted a video on it’s front page, explaining the process of turning low-grade coal into a clean-burning, non-polluting product.

The Vancouver, BC firm claims their initial production costs will come in at $15 per barrel, on an oil equivalent energy basis. Not bad, they say, considering oil is hanging in there at $90 plus a barrel. Read the rest of this entry »