Archived material from historical editions of The Generator
Research institute, Integrated Sustainability Analysis, at Sydney University has developed a software tool for calculating the ecological footprint of any organisation. The reports on Australia’s ecological footprint, Balancing Act, that was released last May in conjunction with the CSIRO used the same methods employed in the new software. The user-friendly software, known as the Footprint Continue Reading →
Building developers carving new suburbs out of semi-rural environments will spend $37billion on energy infrastructure in the next fifteen years, according to environment business magazine, WME. They can reduce this investment by generating electricity on site, using natural gas or alternate energy, the magazine reports. Australian company, GridX has developed a system that provides heating Continue Reading →
Queensland’s average electricity demand was highest in three summer months and up in all 12 months of 2005. SA average demand was down in 10 of 12 months in 2005, with two winter months and one summer month in three highest demand range. The three winter months continue to have highest average demand in NSW, Continue Reading →
Wind companies were expected to spend close to $3 billion in the United
States in 2005 installing 2500 megawatts (MW) of new capacity, reported
Evelyn Iritani of The Los Angeles Times.
40 per cent rise in installations: The report said rising
natural gas prices had made wind technology another increasingly
attractive option. Installation in 2005 would be 40 per cent more than
in 2004, said Patrick Caramante, vice president of US operations for
British-based Garrad Hassan, one of the world’s leading wind energy
research firms.
US market “comes to lifeâ€Â: Jim Dehlsen, founder of Clipper
Technology, said: “The US market has come to life,” now that wind
turbines can produce a kilowatt of electricity for 4.5 to 5 cents,
compared with 9 to 9.5 cents for a new natural gas turbine project.
Painting all the Earth’s roofs white could lead to a drop in global
temperature of up to 1ºC, almost exactly cancelling out environmental
effects of industrial revolution.
White roofs would reflect more sunlight and it might also compensate for global warming, according to an article in New Scientist (26 November 2005).
Something worth reflecting on: The Global Rural Urban Mapping
Project (GRUMP), undertaken by the Earth Institute at Columbia
University in New York, shows that roughly 3 per cent of the Earth’s
land surface is covered with buildings. The Earth has an albedo of
0.29, meaning that it reflects 29 per cent of the sunlight that falls
upon it. With an affiedo of 0.1, towns absorb more sunlight than the
global average. Painting all roofs white could nudge the Earth’s albedo
from 0.29 towards 0.30.
Global temp drop possible: According to a very simple
“zero-dimensional” model of the Earth, this would lead to a drop in
global temperature of up to 1ºC, almost exactly cancelling out the
global warming that has taken place since the start of the industrial
revolution.
More than 130 years after French science-fiction writer Jules Verne
predicted in 1874 that “water will be the coal of the future” Dutch and
Norwegian researchers believe they will make his prophecy come true.
Two groups invent devices: The Dutch Centre for Sustainable
Water Technology , or Wetsus, and Norway’s independent research
organisation SINTEF, working with power company Statkraft, had invented
devices that generated electricity by mixing sea and river water,
reported Reuters News Service.
Devices based on natural process: Their new devices were based
on a natural process – when a river ran into the ocean, a huge amount
of energy was unleashed because of the difference in salt
concentration.