Save Eco Destinations

By Kevin Vogel

Solar power is a great way to use an alternative, renewable energy source to provide electricity for a home. It is cheap and plentiful, and offers a long term energy solution for the home where the consumer does not have to rely on the utility company to provide their power. Even with tax incentives and rebates, the initial cost to the consumer can be expensive, and this added cost may scare the consumer away from adopting solar power. One way in which the consumer can manage the cost is through a piecemeal adoption of solar power units to target individual appliances in the home. A hot water heating system is often great place to start with solar power because it is a standalone unit and can be modified more easily for a solar hot water heating system.

A solar heating system consists of two main parts. There is the storage tank which holds the water and the solar collectors themselves. Depending on the system they adopt, the consumer may not need to replace their existing water heater with a system that will work with solar power, but this is still much more affordable than installing an entire solar system for the household. Essentially, there are two kinds of solar water heating systems. There is an active system which consists of circulating pumps and controls. There is also a passive system which has none of this added equipment. The storage tank in these systems operates in a very simple way. It can be a standalone solar system that preheats the water before it enters a conventional water heater. Some storage systems are combined into one system, but both require good insulation and additional inlets and outlets from the solar collectors.

The operation of an active solar powered water heating system is relatively easy to understand, and this in turn comes in two types. There is a direct circulation system that uses pumps to circulate household water through the solar collectors. The collectors themselves are what provide the heating element for the water. This kind of system works great in climates that are not prone freezing since the collectors themselves will be outside. The other kind of active system is called an indirect system. In this system pumps circulate a nonfreezing heat transfer fluid through the solar collectors and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger then heats the water that flows into the home. A passive system is useful for climates that are prone to freezing.

For the passive solar powered water heating system, these systems are typically less expensive and less efficient than active systems, but they do last longer. In passive systems, the solar collector is separate from the system, and the hot water and cold water are kept separate and the storage tank is used as a backup. Because the collector tank must be kept elevated, there are some structural concerns that the consumer must keep in mind for installation.

Solar power can be a great way to providing hot water heating for a home. It can replace gas and electric hot water tanks, and provide an entry point for the consumer in adopting solar power.

Kevin Vogel writes for ecofriendly design sites. Check out http://www.exclusiv-home.de/#solarkollektor for solar power ideas for your home.

A team of scientists from various universities in Israel has been studying marine macroalgae, also known as common seaweed. The group has determined that these algae can be farmed more quickly than land-based crops used for bioethanol and harvested as fuel without taking up land that could be employed in more profitable or environmentally conscious ways.

In addition, although both seaweed biofuels and bioethanol from food crops are less environmentally destructive than burning fossil fuels, using seaweed to develop biofuels is much more environmentally beneficial than creating bioethanol from crops like corn and sugarcane, as applying such crops for this purpose instead of using them to feed people causes food prices to rocket and can lead to food shortages.

Avigdor Abelson, a professor of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Zoology and the new Renewable Energy Center, also believes that growing macroalgae for bioethanol production can take care of the problem of eutrophication along the country’s coasts.

Eutrophication is pollution in waterways caused by human waste, or sewage, and aquaculture or fish farming operations. The result is excessive amounts of nutrients including phosphates and nitrates as well as harmful algae, all elements that ultimately damage endangered coral reefs. Multiple coastal regions, such as the Red Sea in the south of Israel, have suffered from eutrophication.

The scientists created an artificial “ecosystem” which they call “Combined Aquaculture Multi-Use Systems” (CAMUS). It incorporates the effects of human activity and realistically mimics the marine environment.

According to the scientists, the excess nutrients that come from man-made fish feeders, which are considered contaminants due to their harmful effects on the marine ecosystem, could be utilised by filter feeders like oysters and other shellfish and thus turned into food by these animals to sustain the growth of more seaweed.

Moreover, the seaweed can be grown along the coast unobtrusively, Abelson said.

“By employing multiple species, CAMUS can turn waste into productive resources such as biofuel, at the same time reducing pollution’s impact on the local ecosystem,” he stated.

Another advantage is that seaweed could become a renewable energy source that does not jeopardize natural habitats, biodiversity or human food sources.

Now, the scientists are collaborating to boost the carbohydrate and sugar contents of seaweed so they can efficiently ferment it into bioethanol.

The team is confident that macroalgae will be a major source for biofuel in the future. Let’s hope so!

 

It’s summer and once again Hands Across the Sand is coming to your beach or city so you can gather with likeminded, environmentally oriented folk and peacefully show your opposition against offshore oil drilling and your support of clean energy solutions for a sustainable Earth. This Saturday will be the second annual Hands Across the Sand event held across the globe.

It goes like this: on June 25^th at 11am, wherever you are, go to the beach for 1 hour (rain or shine). Stand and hold hands with others while forming lines in the sand against oil drilling in your coastal waters. Remember to wear eco-friendly sunblock :)

According to the website, the movement is not about politics; instead, it is a push toward protecting coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fisheries from the menace of expanded offshore drilling and the accidents that can come with it, such as last year’s massively catastrophic BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, whose calamitous effects are expected to be felt for decades to come.

More you can do:

• Florida residents can sign a petition to ban oil drilling (you have to download, print, sign, and mail it to officials in Tallahassee, FL).
• Donate $5 or more by clicking on the “donate” buttons on the website.
• Follow the movement on Facebook and Twitter.
• Spread the word.

See photos from last year’s event.

The history of Hands Across the Sand

Florida surfer and restaurateur Dave Rauschkolb founded the even in October 2009 after a bill was passed in the Florida House of Representatives to end the ban on nearshore drilling. Rauschkolb got the support of sponsor organizations and rallied over 10,000 Floridians to join hands on February 13, 2010 along the state’s coastlines, to show the extent of Floridians’ opposition to nearshore drilling.

Hands Across The Sand enjoys the support of national (U.S.) and international environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Oceana, Environment America, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Alaska Wilderness League, Ocean Conservancy, Friends of the Earth, 350, Center for Biological Diversity, Audubon, and CleanEnergy.org.

By James Helliwell

With environmental concerns mounting on a daily basis, many citizens and businesses around the world are striving to become more eco-friendly. Becoming more “green” has turned into a concern in many parts of everyday life, and travel is no exception for the modern traveller.

At the same time, staying at an earthy lodge high up on the hillside with no broadband Wi-Fi can be a problem; in these instances, a mobile broadband signal often will not be available either. Now, eco-friendly and well-connected hotels are growing in number all around the world, and many of these establishments are located throughout Europe. Some of the top eco-friendly hotels can be found in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Hamburg, Germany

The Zwei Eichen Bed and Breakfast in Hamburg, Germany, is located in the “health village.” The B&B is in a quiet area full of trees and beautiful scenery. Among its eco-friendly services, this quaint establishment offers towel and sheet programs, alternative energy, bulk soap and other amenities, energy and water conservation, recycling, environmental cleaning and organic food. The bed and breakfast takes part in composting and works hard to educate guests and staff members in ways they can be “green.”

L'Ayalga Ecological Inn, La Pandiella

La Pandiella, Spain

Visitors to Spain should take a look at the L’Ayalga Ecological Inn in La Pandiella. This inn is in a prime location between the cool mountains and the warm beach, and is in an area where there are few crowds. L’Ayalga is a farmhouse that was restored using lime and wood treated with only natural oils. Solar panels provide heat for the establishment, and insulation is supplied by hemp rather than synthetic substances. Classes in the ancient arts of tai chi and chi kung (also known as qigong) are available, as are massages, mountain hikes and canoe trips.

Torino, Italy

In Torino, Italy, travellers looking for eco-friendly accommodations should check out the Aprile Bed and Breakfast. The B&B is situated in a prime location in the city, and is close to the open air market. Using only natural paints, wall finishes and wood floors, this B&B was built to leave behind only a small carbon footprint. Laundry services employ natural products and the hotel uses bulk amenities and durable service items. Recycle bins are located in guest rooms and the entire establishment takes part in energy and water conservation efforts.

Paris, France

Even Paris, France, can be experienced during a stay at a “green” hotel. The Hotel de la Porte Doree is a family-owned establishment that has undergone renovations to be more environmentally friendly. There is no carpet to cut down on problems with allergies, and the hotel participates in towel and sheet programs, energy and water conservation, recycling and more.

Hello, I am Firespin Jay. I’m into Technology, Internet Marketing, Travel, Ecology and spinning fire poi and combinations of the above! Hope you enjoy my pieces and life is good.www.firespinjay.co.uk

Australia’s looking up: a report recently showed how Australia could power itself with 100% solar and wind energy by 2020 using technology that is commercially available right now.

However, the federal government reached a deal to keep its renewable energy target at only 20% by 2020, while raising more near-term targets.

In any case, Beyond Zero Emissions — an Australian independent, not-for-profit NGO — released the report, “Zero Carbon Australia,” which contains a detailed explanation of how powering the country completely with renewable energy could be achieved in merely a decade. Beyond Zero Australia was founded in 2006 to help facilitate a quick transition to a zero carbon future.

“Zero Carbon Australia” says 40% of power can be generated with the use of wind and the rest from solar thermal installations (speaking of which, Denmark intends to source 50% of its power from wind by 2025). The report proposes managing variability in renewable power by using molten salt thermal storage (molten salt can store heat so that it can be retained for use for electricity during bad weather or at nighttime, when solar rays are not available).

The plan estimates that energy use will jump by 40% (!) up from 228 terawatt-hours/year in the present to 325 terawatt-hours/year in 2020. This will cost some USD 32.3 billion per year, by the way — but the authors find this manageable:

“The required investment of [AUD] 37 billion/year is the equivalent of 3% of GDP. The extra money spent versus Business-As-Usual to 2020 is the equivalent of $3.40 per person per day, the cost of a cup of coffee.”

Hey, that’s nothing [for most people in Australia, I assume and hope]. It’s fantastic.

The concept’s technical feasibility now needs just one bit of help:

“What is required to make this happen is leadership from policymakers and society, with firm decisions made quickly that will allow this transition to occur.”

Naturally.

So if you’re heading to Australia anytime in the next 10 years (or if you live there!), remember to support hotels and establishments that are pushing for increased renewable energy throughout the country. Stay at eco hotels, buy locally grown food, etcetera. We have the power to change the world!

You can help Beyond Zero Emissions if you wish by making a donation here.

Love your beaches

On Monday, June 10, we celebrated World Ocean Day 2010.

On June 26, you can head to your local beach and join hands to oppose offshore drilling and endorse renewable energy. Look up Hands Across the Sand events near you or email everyone in your area and start one up in your community! And don’t worry if you’re not in the U.S. — the event is taking place across the globe!

Read more about the event here.

Be sure to travel green

Remember to do your part and be eco-friendly, whether at the beach or anywhere you travel.

Going on a road trip? Read this.

And if you’re planning to get married, remember that coastal weddings are a no-no!

Further, if you’re looking for lodging, make sure you choose an eco hotel. Learn about eco hotel certifications here.

And finally –

The top 10 U.S. beaches

For the past 20 years, a coastal scholar known as Dr. Beach has compiled a list of the best beaches in the country. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is the director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.

He uses 50 criteria to evaluate the nation’s beaches, including water and sand quality, beach width and environmental management, according to CNN.

Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida.

Here’s the list:

1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York

2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida

3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California

4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina

5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York

6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii

7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina

9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii

10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida

By the way, I have been to Siesta Beach (#2) and I can attest that it is amazing! It’s got sand like flour and warm, luscious waters. Hopefully it will remain unscathed by the oil spill currently taking over the Gulf of Mexico…

If spring is coming up for you (and you’re not near the Gulf) enjoy the beach!

Bikes aplenty in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Apart from the ubiquitous bikers spotted across the city, Amsterdam may not appear to be one of the greenest cities of tomorrow (or today). But it is quickly becoming increasingly energy-efficient.

Dutch energy company Nuon, IBM and Cisco last year jointly launched a pioneering energy management scheme in 500 households that is reducing their energy usage by 14% and CO2 emissions considerably.

Thus far, also, certain Dutch banks have given money to some 700 household to purchase energy-saving appliances ranging from light bulbs to roof insulation. The city plans to lower its CO2 emissions by a hefty 40% by 2025.

Another factor making Amsterdam one of the greenest cities of tomorrow is its intent to install several hundred power hookups within the next few years to allow electric car drivers to recharge their vehicles, and to set up solar panels on townhouses. EUR 100 million will be spent each year during the next 6 years to upgrade the electric networks to smart grids that will cut energy use.

Victoria Harbor, BC, Canada

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Victoria is boosting its efforts toward green public transport and building, energy-cutting developments, recycling and decreasing overall waste. It has also set a goal to go carbon neutral by 2012! Swift action’s where it’s at—don’t give me 2025, folks, because 15 years isn’t nearly soon enough…

Insofar as city planning, it supports the creation of a Civic Green Building Policy, which will mandate that the building of all new civic facilities meet the LEED Silver standard. In other words, they must lower energy use by 31% and water use by 22%.

In terms of waste reduction, Victoria has been implementing a program for several years destined to lower and recycle organic materials on a mass scale.

More reasons why Victoria is one of the greenest cities of tomorrow:  it has introduced the first hybrid double-decker buses in all of North America. Plus, the city is covered with so many bike routes it has become known as the “Cycling Capital of Canada.”

More: Victoria’s traffic lights are now energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the lighting in its buildings now feature more energy efficient lights.

Other greenest cities of tomorrow:

Malmö, Sweden
Gothenberg, Sweden
Vancouver, Canada
Reykjavík, Iceland
Portland, OR, USA

You know how President Barack Obama recently announced in his State of the Union address that he would boost the use of biofuels and “clean coal”?

What are we, idiots?

Excuse me. There is no such thing as clean coal.

Talk about greenwashing!

And this is an issue that’s been going on for a long while – yet greenwashing has managed to keep it around and prosperous. At least some people are logical: Watch the awesome Rachel Maddow slap some sense into the idea.

Coal produces more carbon emissions than any other energy source.

It causes significant health problems for miners. It pollutes land and waterways. Stop the greenwashing already!

“Clean coal is a dirty lie,” says environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who calls President Barack Obama and other politicians who commit taxpayer money to develop it “indentured servants” of the coal industry.

And biofuels!

It takes preposterous amounts of corn, wheat, and other plants – and land (hello, deforestation and soil erosion!) – to create bioethanol. Not to mention that with crops come fertilizers, with fertilizers come runoffs, and then huge amounts of phosphates that enter waterways and cause algal bloom (a.k.a. red tide) and other environmental calamities. So greenwashing all the way, here.

And what about food? Shouldn’t we be growing food to…eat? It’s certainly more productive given our current biofuel technologies, which are so limited that the use of biofuels causes food prices to soar.

Biofuels are not green. But there sure is a lot of greenwashing about them! (Ha-ha.)

And now algal fuel is coming under attack as being worse than bioethanol (not that it’s stopping the corporations that already invested in mass producing algal fuel). Damn. Just a few months ago I blogged about its shiny new possibilities!

A truly green possibility

Vegetable oil/Biodiesel

This magic fuel is made from vegetable oil. I know people who have gone to Burger King and other “restaurants” and asked for their gross leftover, low-quality, used oil. They got it for free, and used it alone to power their vehicles. It worked, they saved a ton of money, and avoided polluting.

Now this is a neat idea.

So where are we on this, Pres?

This, of course, is a very complex and intricate topic and I barely touched on it. My point is to note the atrocity – yes, atrocity – that is the unabashed greenwashing in President Obama’s speech. Really, clean coal? We can’t let our guard down for a minute, apparently.

What are your “favorite” biofuels, if any, and why?

Any particularly notable sources on the topic? Recommend away!

A 35-acre cay off the island of Eleuthera is preparing to become private, completely eco-friendly digs to be called S.T.A.R., as in Sustainable Terrain and Resources.

The developers claim commitment “to making Star Island sustainable and earth-friendly at every level.” All energy to power the bungalows, residences, and the hotel will be harnessed from wind, sun, and water.

The cay, in its pre-S.T.A.R. existence, is currently an uncivilized (read: perfect) slab of land that developer David Sklar and a fellow developer friend decided they ought to buy and transform into a luxurious hub of ecotourism – for those who can afford it. The first building will supposedly be launched this year.

All waste will be recycled, composted, and used as fertilizer; rain water will be harvested and heated via solar power; mini wind turbines will harness energy; geothermal heat pumps will produce heating and cooling capabilities “by tapping into the stability of underground temperatures that average between 65 to 70 degrees”; and lots more. Read about the island’s green technology here.

The website’s Products page remains under construction. I wonder what will go there. Will it feature the biodegradable products they will use to upkeep the development? Organic cotton bed sheets? Maybe organic marihuana. Just kidding. Hmm. The Green Activities page also remains a mystery, but the model on the page’s photo appears to be longline fishing. Well, I guess that’s sustainable, although not eating fish at all would be the best option, of course.

Other ridiculously rich folk, such as CEOs Sir Richard Branson and Alan Worden and Leonardo DiCaprio, are also keeping busy with similar projects. You might read about them in future posts.

And, you know, I think this is really cool. The Bahamas + no pollution = awesome, right? Gorgeous. Clean. Absolutely dreamy.

Well, hang tight because soon I will post regarding why this whole deal really grinds my gears.

LiveFuels Inc, a developer of renewable algal-biofuels, is working on turning algae into biofuels in a way that is 1) scalable, 2) sustainable, and 3) faster than previously employed methods.

The Texas-based developer has just launched a new pilot program to research ways to boost algae productivity and the rates of biomass conversion into renewable oils – that is, turning the algae into biofuels. The project is taking place at LiveFuels’ new facility in Brownsville, Texas.

“By harnessing the power of natural systems, we hope to achieve what has eluded the biofuels community for decades – cost effectiveness, scalability and sustainability,” said LiveFuels CEO Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones.

The plan is to then implement the findings all along the coast of Louisiana. This will be a full-scale, commercial operation. Sounds great to me.

Red tide off the Floridian coast - photo by SeaWiFS

Red Tide

And you know how agricultural runoff teeming with phosphates and other nutrients gets into rivers and streams and causes the dreaded red tide (a.k.a. algal bloom)? LiveFuels will remove a lot of these harmful nutrients from the Mississippi River and use them as fertilizer to grow their algae.

This method will lower the amount of phosphates in the river that eventually flow out into the Gulf of Mexico and hopefully mitigate the red tide notorious for plaguing the southern coast of the U.S. every summer.

The logistics

LifeFuels cheaply grows native algae in its open saltwater ponds. Conversely, other companies have grown monocultures of algae – sometimes genetically modified – within expensive quarters. This has precluded algae-based biofuels from entering the market as a salable alternative.

Researchers then get “filter-feeding” fish to eat the algae. Once digested, the algae turns into valuable oil that is hosted within some of the fish’s organs. The fish are then killed and squeezed for the oil (yikes!). The oil will then be fed to a refinery.

The oil’s by-products, like protein, will be sold to pet food manufacturers.

“Current approaches to generating algal-biofuels are resource intensive and face fundamental science and engineering hurdles,” noted David Kingsbury, former chief program officer for the Science Program of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and chairman of the LiveFuels scientific advisory board.

“LiveFuels’ approach is ingenious in its simplicity. By turning natural food chains into productive systems, LiveFuels eliminates many of the costs and risks plaguing other approaches to using algae for biofuels,” he added.