The countries of the Gulf Operation Council may start using solar energy for the desalination of water. The plants used until now, required a lot of energy and they weren’t very efficient. The old systems will last for only about 30 years, so the people of this region have to think about an efficient replacement.

(photo credit: www.thenational.ae)

A step into the future

According to the officials, the money saved by these countries while using solar energy should be invested in switching from the old desalinization equipments to solar powered ones. At the moment in the United Arab Emirates desalination works by thermal and reverse osmosis. These require a lot of energy produced with the help of oil.

The oil used is not exactly the most sustainable energy source and so the Gulf nations may consider that they will encounter a problem pretty soon if they don’t make the transition. In case the plants will start to use sunlight, the solar power will be used to drive the pumps. During this solar powered process, the marine water will have to go through membranes that will remove the salt from it.

Huge impact on the financial scale

According to the official information, the methods used today are very expensive and they aren’t as efficient as they should be. Although the current plants are less expensive to build, the cost of water production is very high.

The plants in the UAE are the third behind the ones from the U. S. and Saudi Arabia. If the country wants to maintain its position, a transition towards the new technology becomes mandatory. People say that even Qatar is making efforts to use solar power and the UAE should do the same.

Desalinization plants and perspective

In the last 5 years the number of new plants used in Abu Dhabi has increased. Although we are referring to 22 new plants, you should know that these are only small-scale ones.

The country has expressed the intention to build 8 other, larger plants that would offer 11,000 cubic meters of water on a yearly basis. At the moment UAE is producing a larger water quantity but at a significant higher costs. The perspective of price reduction for water supply production becomes this way a very good reason for this country to make the transition to solar energy.

Just as in any other case the beginning is difficult and it will cost a lot to build the new plants. Nonetheless there will be a lot of money saved starting with the moment when the plants will initiate the production of desalinated water at lower price.

As a result the desalinization plants will become more cost efficient and in the same time the water production will become greener due to the use of sustainable solar energy.

Some recent scientific discoveries started to promote the metamorphose of cities into sunlight reflectors to fight global warming.

From theory to actual result

If people would start replacing the surface regular rooftops and roads with lighter materials, they could make a change in the level of carbon-monoxide emissions. Still, the idea was received with skepticism from the other scientists.

(photo credit: www.mnn.com)

Evaluating the impact

According to the researches, the decrease of these emissions could be equal to the sum of car emission generated by the standard city traffic. This is because the light colored materials reflect the sunlight. The darker materials absorb the sunrays and turn them into heat.

About 60% of the urban surfaces are represented by rooftops and pavements. These trap the energy of the sun so they can become heat islands. Thus the cities and towns become the so-called hotspots. Such heat islands need more energy for air conditioning and are responsible for generating the infamous city smog.

Costs vs. result

The scientists researching the matter also added that the costs of the changes aren’t as high as others may think. This is because the pavements and rooftops need to be changed anyway from time to time.

This means that when they need to be changed, people would simply switch them for another material.

It is true, that some of the materials could get more expensive. Still the savings that people would make are greater than the price difference.

Main issues to face

On the other hand there are some scientists who believe that even though the rooftops would be painted in white, it would only have a localized effect. This means that, although the effects could be seen in the urban areas, the changes wouldn’t have any effects in the remote areas, so the impact would be low on a global scale.

Human factor

Another problem of this vision is that people would need to be really proactive to make it happen on a large scale. In the majority of the cases the houses and buildings are built by the owners themselves and the right to ownership is a big factor in this case.

How could scientists make them adopt the idea?

Usually the choice regarding the materials for the roof is determined by availability and affordability. The scientists also added that the rooftops represent only 0.05% of the total surface of the earth. This means that the project couldn’t have a significant impact.

The bottom line

The total costs of the project would be of about $300 billion per year. Because of this it may be one of the most expensive and least effective projects of them all. Still it is something that could work in the future.

A lot of people may wonder why the government would invest that much money in the development and deployment of lightweight materials.

The main point is that this way the vehicles would need less fuel so the dependence of the U.S. on foreign oil would be reduced. At the same time, the drivers would be able to save money and the carbon emissions would also be reduced.

According to official information, with the help of such new materials the manufacturers could make the vehicles more fuel efficient, and so the companies could stay on the top of the global auto industry. If the vehicles are made of stronger and lighter materials, their performance can improve and people can make economies.

(photo credit: www.ecofriend.com)

In the past, the vehicles were made of cast iron and steel. These could be replaced by high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium and polymer composites.

This way the manufacturers would be able to add new safety features, equipment for emissions control and integrated electronic systems; and all this wouldn’t affect the weight of the vehicle.

In the same time, it would be possible to reduce the fuel consumption. For instance if the weight of a vehicle decreases by 10%, the fuel economy could increase by 6%-8%.

These funds will be administered by the Energy Department and this sum will be divided among three major areas of research.

These areas cover the development of modeling tools that could create carbon fiber with a higher performance and finding of high strength and low weight alloys to produce the engines of vehicles.

Carbon fiber

The most important thing about the carbon fiber composites is that they could decrease the weight of a vehicle by 50% compared to the vehicles that we are using today.

The projects in this field have, as their main purpose, to create new tools to work with carbon fiber that would make the material more cost effective and increase the performance of the material.

Advanced steels

If the manufactures use this material, the weight of the vehicles could decrease by 25%. Just as in the previous case, the main purpose of the projects is to develop new tools to optimize the cost effectiveness and performance of the advanced tools.

Alloy development

It is important to have strong alloys when building the heavy-duty engines. This is becoming more and more important since the engines need to have higher performances.

Photosynthesis is known as a process performed by plants, through which they can turn the solar energy into fuel and food. Nonetheless it is also known that the process isn’t a really efficient one; its efficiency being of only one percent.

This is why the specialists have been working on creating an ‘artificial leaf’ that could really turn solar power into liquid energy. One of the specialists working in this field is Roger Cogdell from the University of Glasgow.

According to the professor the sun offers us this possibility, but we have to keep in mind that it is quite difficult to make use of it at its full potential.

Naturally there are the solar panels that we could be using, but their use is quite limited.

This is why the specialists are trying to come up with a way to trap the energy of the sun and to store it so it could be used when people need it.

The researchers are working on a chemical reaction that is something like photosynthesis but it takes place in an artificial setting. The plants are using the energy of the sun to split water into oxygen and hydrogen.

They release the oxygen and turn hydrogen into fuel. This is the process that the researchers are trying to replicate.

The professor said that the researchers are working on a large chemical system that could be performing the same process on a large scale. Unlike the solar panels that are producing electricity, this system would produce fuel.

This new system could make the most of the solar energy. If we go back to the basic reactions of photosynthesis, researchers could find ways to convert energy at higher levels. In case they succeed, as a result we could have a more sustainable economy based on this process.

Since the fossil fuel burning would be decreased, there would be less carbon-dioxide released into the atmosphere.

Howard Griffiths, a professor at the University of Cambridge has the same goal. Still he has a different approach; he is focusing more on the enzyme known as RuBisCo. This is a vital enzyme regarding photosynthesis. It makes it possible for the plants to use carbon-dioxide and turn it into different molecules, such as sugar.

The truth is that there is still a long way ahead to finalize the ‘artificial leaf’, but the results are worth the effort.

We are all looking for ways to better our environment and our financial situations, and many to turn their homes for solutions. Our homes can run up high energy costs which increase our carbon footprint while decreasing our monthly checking accounts. To reduce energy consumption, many household are choosing solar or geothermal technologies while others are making simple updates such as new windows or proper insulation.

While all these green improvements can greatly reduce your energy consumption, they also come at a high initial price which not all households can afford. Paying $30,000 for a solar panel system isn’t easy to do, even with additional government grants, and finding a company to install a geothermal system is difficult as many are still in there developmental phases.

There are other more inexpensive ways to reduce your home’s energy consumption, such as weather stripping and switching light bulbs, however, helping your environment can be as easy as switching your electricity provider.

Certain energy providers, such as Energy Plus Company , invest in more green technologies like solar and wind to help provide more consumers with cleaner energy sources.

Companies like these believe in the value of renewable energy sources, and use their clients’ dollars to help fund promising future green technologies as part of every utility bill goes towards funding these energies.

In addition to promoting more sustainable energies, Energy Plus Company rewards customers for doing something they already do monthly: paying their bills. Every time a client pays their monthly bill on time, they are able to receive rewards such as cash back, airline points, or educational rewards.

So not only are you going more green, but you are saving some too.

As everyone strives to become more sustainable in their actions and thinking, companies will continue to offer stronger incentives for consumers to invest in their green technologies. Electric and Hybrid cars are already seeing a hike in ownership, and thousands of urban dwellers are starting to enjoy urban or community gardening.

Going green doesn’t have to cost you thousands of dollars in up front costs. Performing tasks such as switching a light bulb or your electricity provider can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint and your monthly spending all with very little effort.

There are numerous important people in the world, like celebrities, politicians, and so on, but we shouldn’t forget about the people representing the Church, like the Pope. He has always been a role model and this is why it is an important step that he is going to get a green car.

Mercedes-Benz is creating a greener hybrid car for him, known as the Popemobile. There have been some speculations saying that it would be ready by his visit to his native country, Germany this September but the official spokesperson has denied these rumors.

The reports are saying that the new car will be based on the four-wheel drive M Class Mercedes, having a hybrid electric-petrol motor.

The Popemobile will be equipped with a lithium-ion battery that is rechargeable and this will make it possible for the vehicle to go about 30 km without causing any pollution.

The reason for which the car won’t be entirely green is that there is need for a motor with a bigger capacity, so that in cases of emergency it would be able to take off.

According to the company there will be no more information given on private clients, because of confidentiality issues.

Mercedes has been offering custom made cars for Popes starting with the 1980s. All of them had big windows made of reinforced glass to allow viewing but in the same time providing maximum security.

The first hints regarding the creation of an electric car have been given in December 2010 saying that the Pope would accept to use an electric car as long as it would be reliable and efficient.

Pope Benedict XVI is known as the ‘green Pope’ by the Italian press and he believes that ‘God’s works’ need to be protected and so there is more and more need for environment friendly products. He has been known for a long time to be really supportive regarding the new, environment friendly technologies.

According to official information the car won’t be ready until the end of the year. Some might say that it was about time for the papacy to make such a step. There are more and more environment conscious people who are willing to pay more to get a hybrid car and make sure that they do not contribute to the pollution of the environment.

We actually saw numerous celebrities and politicians making the same step. Whether they are for real or not…remains to be seen.

We would all think that the gold fever is a thing of the past, but as we know, history has the tendency of repeating itself. It seems like this time the miners of Peru have been hit by this ‘disease’ because of the rising price of gold. Massive deforestation is going on around certain parts of the Amazon in the south-eastern region of the country.

Mercury is known to be used for the extraction of precious metals, and now this dangerous substance is flowing into the rivers and oceans. Although at the moment it might help to get the miners the fortune that they are seeking, it also has long-lasting effects especially in case of the marine life that is already endangered.

In case of the Madre de Dios region there have been people looking for gold since the time of the Incas. In the last period of time there have been more and more amateur miners arriving to the region.

This represents a major threat to the ecosystem that is already considered to be fragile.

The impact of the gold miners on the region has been measured through the use of satellite images of the region provided by NASA and also economic data.

It is true that there is gold accumulated in thick gravel and sand bands around the banks of the rivers, and this is the place to find the miners too. In order to get their hands on the gold, the miners are blasting away the river banks.

Between 2003 and 2009 there have been about 15,000 acres of forest cleared out. In the last three years the speed of destruction has increased and it is clear that there is a strong connection to the price of gold that has risen considerably in the last period of time.

As a conclusion, the most dreadful threats of the Peruvian gold rush are deforestation and mercury pollution. The people working with this substance know very little about the impact that they have on the environment and also on their own health. Mercury poisoning has effects on the nervous system and also on the development of human brain.

The majority of mercury used for this purpose is imported to Peru, and in case the import would be restricted, there would be no way for the poor miners to go on looking for gold and extracting it in this manner, thus putting an end to pollution.

The effects of global warming can be seen on a daily basis. For example there are the great floods that occurred in 2008 and 2009 in the UK. These point to the fact that the sewer systems are old and they cannot handle the new situations anymore.

Useful alternatives for the old systems are the sustainable drainage systems (SUDS). These do a lot more than just mitigating flooding, they also improve the quality of water, cooling and greening the city regions this way reducing the high temperatures in the urban area and improving the general health of the population.

In the majority of the cases the old sewage systems gather all the water from impervious streets and pavements in the storm sewage systems pass through pipes, gully pots and water treatment facilities.

The difference between these and SUDS is that the later offers treatment to the water right on site.

While in the first case water is considered to be an hazard, in the second case it is seen as an asset and valued as such.

The ‘urban heat island effect’ has been known since 1919 and it is caused mainly by the lack of vegetation in the urban areas. SUDS devices have been used to create green roofs that have the great advantage that they can be fitted to existing constructions and so they don’t need any extra space.

According to a study, in case 50% of New York’s flat roofs would be greened, the effect would be reduced by 0.88C.

From the land take’s point of view it is true that the developers make a lot less money from having a detention pond than having an extra house. Nonetheless in case the house has SUDS, like ponds and wetlands, these could make up for the loss of land.

Just as any other kind of system, they would need some maintenance to make sure that they perform their duty accordingly. In case people don’t manage to sort out the ownership, nobody will be responsible for the costs of maintenance.

Although all this seems to be great in theory, there are a lot of people claiming that there is no long term evidence that the SUDS systems are really working.

At the moment the production costs of the SUDS are quite high, but the same thing was true for PCs. Hopefully with the increase of the production the price will decline gradually.

The UN general assembly has declared 2011 the International Year of the Forests. The campaign comes with an impressive logo focused on showing the importance of each essential element we take advantage of from the international ecosystem.

The campaign logo covers everything from the air purifying effect of the forests to the healing powers of the forest plants. It is proving that the title of this worldwide campaign is simply related to how we can improve the health of the forests that are covering 31% of the Earth’s land surface.

The International Year of the Forests made its debut on 24 January with a New York forum under the patronage of UN.

According to IUCN, the forest protection would help humanity to achieve some of the most ambitious plans, reducing the poverty, stopping the global warming and encouraging sustainable growth.

We all know that the forests of the world are the air we breathe, the medicines we use for healing, their biodiversity being strictly related to our way of life. The global climate is degenerating because the forests are becoming smaller and smaller every year and the purpose of the 2011 campaign is to do something about it.

Currently the forests of the World host over 80% of the genes, species and ecosystems, which define the concept of life on Earth. The forests of the planet offer the means for survival to over 1. 6 billion people which stand for a quarter of the human kind.

The forests are the climate anchors and because they now cover only 31% of the Earth’s surface, the climate changes become more obvious every day. In the last year the growth of the surfaces used for agriculture led to the deforestation of 13 million acres of which almost 60% were part of the tropical forests. At this rate the forests will be extinct in the next 100 years.

According to WWF, the deforestation is responsible for 15% of the total greenhouse effect we are currently experiencing and the percentage increases with every tree that is cut.

Along with making people aware of the importance of the forests, the 2011 International Year of the Forests event has also very concrete objectives. To celebrate this event, countries like Ethiopia, Georgia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Poland and Korea proposed to conduct massive forest planting campaigns.

Let’s hope this will be the start for a forest green land, better air to breathe and a healthier world to live in.

When Einstein launched the theory that from the moment the honey bees will disappear the human species has only four years before becoming extinct, the world laughed. Nowadays the UN is sounding the alarm concerned about this exact problem.

The smaller and smaller number of bees already threatens to aggravate the world food crisis considering that over a third of the world’s food sources are based on bee pollination.

The food obtained by bee pollination ensures 35% of the calories we consume as well as the large majority of minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

In spite of their large food source the bees die at an alarming rate that created the fear of mass extinction.

So far the bee crisis was treated as a secondary subject but lately the matter becomes even more pressing. This happens because the price of the food from the UN index
has reached the highest peak in history and the grain deficit causes riots in the Middle East.

This is how the problem has become one of maximum emergency, being mandatory to be solved before the world food security becomes an issue aggravating the already complicated situation created by the recession.

The US Rabobank declared that the number of bee colonies dying in US has grown from 30% to 35 % in the last year, after many years during which it remained constant at 10%. The bees death toll is over 20% in Europe and almost equally bad in Asia and Latin America.

According to Rabobank , Einstein’s apocalyptic scenario is slightly exaggerated because the large cultures of grain all over the world are pollinated by the wind.

However, the bees are a key factor in pollinating the fruit trees and vegetables all over the world as well as in ensuring the crops of coffee and cocoa.

The worst situation is in US where the unbalance is becoming more and more obvious since 1961. Nowadays, the agriculture manages to ensure pollination with only 10% of the bees that did the same thing a decade ago.

UN calls for a drastic reduction in pesticides use proposing high fines to be applied for the pesticide propagation in the bee risk areas.

The measures could not have come sooner especially because the small bee colonies can barely keep up with the climate changes going on in the world.