Archive for Uncategorized
June 6, 2007 at 9:08 am · Filed under Uncategorized
China announced yesterday it had made a breakthrough in excavating natural gas hydrate, the so-called “flammable ice”, which is believed to be a potential natural energy source. Zhang Hongtao, deputy director-general of China Geological Survey (CGS), said gas hydrate samples were successfully collected from the northern part of the South China Sea last month. China is the fourth country after the United States, Japan and India to make such a technological achievement. Zhang said the development was expected to ease the country’s dependence on oil and coal. Initial estimates indicate the potential volume of gas hydrates around continental slopes in the area exceeds 100 million tons of oil equivalent, Zhang said. The samples were collected from two different stations in the Shenhu (Magic Fox) continental slope on May 1 and May 15, he said. Nicknamed “flammable ice”, gas hydrates are crystalline solids, which occur when water molecules form a cage-like structure around smaller “guest molecules” of methane, ethane, carbon dioxide and other substances. Stable only at low temperatures and/or high pressures, gas hydrates are extremely fragile, and mainly exist either in the seafloor or below tundra at high latitudes. The resource has become a hotspot of international research in recent decades, as scientists believe gas hydrates are a perfect alternative fuel resource to oil and gas, writes China Daily.
February 28, 2007 at 10:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized, Links of the week
I have setup a very simple news site about alternative energy at www.energyhack.com/news. The site is build on feeds from major media organizations, and aims at giving a quick overview of today’s top stories on the same topics as this blog. You will find top stories in categories like biofuels, solar power, climate etc. Take a look here: Alternative Energy News.
February 24, 2007 at 10:49 am · Filed under Uncategorized, DIY Projects
Why pay $20,000 for a commercial link to run your television station when a $10 kitchen wok from the Warehouse is just as effective? This is exactly how North Otago’s newest television station 45 South is transmitting its signal from its studio to the top of Cape Wanbrow, in a bid to keep costs down.
45 South volunteer Ken Jones designed the wok transmitter in his spare time last year when he wanted to provide wireless broadband to his Ardgowan home.
“A group of us wanted to connect our computers to each other and then we worked out a way to get of getting the signal between two points,” he said.
He discovered satellite dishes were between $100 to $400 retail and that smaller dishes, the same size as a wok, were $80.
Mr Jones thought he could do better. Along with friend Murray Bobbette they worked out mathematical equations to prove the curved metal face of a wok would have the same effect as a small satellite dish.
“We have spent a lot of time getting it right — the first time we installed one we had it up a pole with the handle still on the end of the wok,” he said.
“We had it connected to the woolshed and initially you couldn’t get a signal the width of the paddock and now it can reach up to 20km.”
From Oamaru Mail in New Zealand, thanks Trinetizen!
February 20, 2007 at 12:32 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The International Atomic Energy Agency released a new warning symbol to supplement the elegant and traditional but meaningless trefoil radiation warning symbol. Link
December 22, 2006 at 1:58 am · Filed under Uncategorized
I will not have time to write much more this year. Merry christmas, see you next year!
December 2, 2006 at 4:50 pm · Filed under Uncategorized, Activism
The 2007 ecobabes calendar is out! You may wonder what an ecobabe is. First of all she is good-looking and somehow working to protect the environment or promote renewable energy. From the ecobabes website:
“An ecobabe is a woman working to create a better world for all of us and all our children. She is aware that she has an impact on the planet and makes choices to try to minimize her negative effects and to affect the change she wants to see in the world. ecobabes are all unique, all working on different issues, all living different lives, and all ages.”
Say hello to Ms. January Edyie:
And my two favourites Ms. May, Camila
Ms. November, Karen
The ecobabe calender is made by The Climate Protection Campaign - you can fint the entire calender and interviews with the babes at www.ecobabes.org
November 9, 2006 at 10:21 am · Filed under Uncategorized
The possible shift in Congress on energy issues may be summed up in one race: House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-Calif.), who received substantial contributions from oil and gas companies, lost his seat to Jerry McNerney, who runs a start-up company that hopes to make wind turbines. Read this story in today’s washingtonpost.
