Ontario's Environmental Registry does not list all environment projects, such as those involving provincial infrastructure (including roads, power structures and landfill sites). These are handled by the Environmental Assessment (EA) process which has its own set of standards and guidelines.
No common registry or search engine is available or planned - Environmental Assessment has its own search engine. I was able to find a wealth of information about the Durham waste-to-energy proposal that generated considerable local interest, since one of the proposed sites was nearby.
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Link: Not a Watt to Be Wasted
The March 17/2008 TIME Magazine explored scavenging 'free energy', from sources such as:
- the leg brace invented by Max Donelan and Arthur Kuo
- vibration of bridges, dance floors and even the human heart
- energy from raindrops or motion of fabrics
- waste heat from power plants, internal combustion engines and other sources.
Scavenging thermal energy can deliver more power, but only from high quality waste heat. The amount of work that can be done depends on the temperature difference between the heat source and the surrounding environment. The high temperature exhaust of internal combustion engines is a good example and can be tapped using processes such as the BMW turbosteamer concept or converted directly to electricity using the thermoelectric effect. On the other hand, thermocouples are still relatively expensive - another approach may be to redesign the underlying processes to be more efficient and generate less waste heat.
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Link: Promote Green Buildings for Biggest, Easiest Cuts in North American CO2 Emissions
A report announced in Vancouver by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation states that "Promoting the green design, construction, renovation and operation of buildings could cut North American greenhouse gas emissions that are fuelling climate change more deeply, quickly and cheaply than any other available measure."
Currently, North American buildings directly or indirectly result in the release of 2.2B tons of CO2. Rapid implementation of green building technologies could result in savings of 1.7B tons by 2030, roughly equal to the US transportation sector in 2000. A review by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development quotes John Westeinde, a partner in the Windmill Development Group in Ottawa and chairman of an advisory group that guided the report.
"The investments made for climate change benefit in buildings have direct payback, generally from the point of view of reduced energy costs and water costs as well the indoor health environment and increased productivity of the inhabitants of those buildings."
Barriers to rapid adoption include:
- limited application of lifecycle costing, often because capital and operating budgets are separately managed
- green building technologies often do not benefit the developer who pays for them
- higher perceived or actual costs
- higher perceived risk
- lack of expertise
- inconsistent government policies
- lack of investment in research
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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is running a campaign to influence the debate in Congress on global warming legislation. They are looking for scientists, economists and the public to make their voices heard before March 28th.
"This is a call to action to our nation's leaders and will be delivered to all members of congress, state policy makers, presidential candidates, and the media. This call to action provides sound scientific and economic guidance to our elected officials as they wrestle with the urgent need to reduce global warming pollution. And it demonstrates that strong action today can save consumers and industry money and create jobs all while improving air quality, energy security, and public health.
You can help our efforts today by adding your name to this urgent call to action. If you are a Ph.D. or doctoral candidate professional with expertise relevant to our understanding of the scientific and economic dimensions of climate change, its impacts, and solutions—please sign the Scientists and Economists' Call for Action.
If you’re not a scientist or economist—we also need your help! Click here to add your name to our global warming call to action."
UCS is a valuable source of well-balanced and thoughtful information on a broad range of topics, and also provides an opportunity to get our voices heard over the lobbyists.
Link: Ideas: How to Think About Science (CBC Radio 1)
CBC Radio 1 is doing a series exploring " fundamental questions about how the institution of science is structured and how it knows what it knows." The link above includes abstracts of each interview and a recording RealPlayer streaming audio. Downloadable MP3 files can also be found on the CBC Podcasting site. Episode 13 is David Cayley's interview of Dean Bavington, an environmental philosopher who has studied the Atlantic fishery, particularly involving the northern cod. Although I thought that scientific management of the cod fishery began after the first decline in cod stocks in the 1960s, Bavington argues that scientific management predated this event, and was a major cause of the decline.
In-shore fishery for cod used baited hooks, which limited the fishing season to the times when cod were biting. Cod fishing was an inherently unpredictable affair, depending on when capelin ran and also which bays the cod entered. This unpredictability was not consistent with making fisheries a major driver of the Newfoundland economy. The Department of Fisheries was formed to bring greater consistency and allow establishment of an industrial fishery that supported a range of stakeholders from processing plants to investors. A key element was the development of population models and the concept of carrying capacity, which was used to establish how much cod could be harvested in a sustainable manner.
At the same time, the technology of fishing cod evolved, from 'jiggers' that would catch cod even if they were not biting to trawlers that would scoop up the cod from the bottom (these new fishing practices were condemned by many fisherman). An offshore fishery industry was established, again to support a more predictable fishery. However, the scientific models did not capture all of the complexity of the cod lifecycle. Key assumptions about the timing of spawning, whether cod stocks represented a single or multiple populations, and the breeding patterns of cod proved to be incorrect. For example, the models assumed that it was safe to catch any cod that had bred at least once - later research showed that the older male and female cod were the most prolific breeders. Netting of fish over a certain size even appears to have pushed back the age and size at which cod started to reproduce, further impacting breeding.
In spite of early warning signs reported by the in-shore fisherman (ignored by the scientific community as 'anecdotal'), offshore fisheries resumed after a short pause and appeared to be healthy. However, Atlantic cod stocks crashed again in the early 1990s. In spite of a moratorium in 1992, the cod stocks have not recovered to this day. Bavington argues that the more we learn about cod, the less we are able to determine what level of harvesting is sustainable. In this case, the original practice of 'fish lightly when you can, adapt when you cannot' appears to be the best way.
The other interviews in the series look equally intriguing. Once again, I am amazed at the quality of CBC programming. CBC is also diligent at archiving and making programming available, definitely a step above what the BBC has done in the past.
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Link: Gravia: LED Lamp Lit by Gravity Lasts 200 Years, Never Plugs In
The Gravia lamp won second prize at the Greener Gadgets design competition. The design is seductive: the user raises a set of weights, which then fall over a period of time to generate light using high-efficiency LEDs. The analogy with grandfather clocks reminds us of a simpler age. The Gravia also engages the user and directly connects the user with the act of producing light.
In fairness, the competition was intended to encourage conceptual ideas. The designer deserves credit for providing specifications. The lamp was intended to produce 600-800 lumens (roughly equivalent to a 40W incandescent bulb) for four hours. The weights fall a distance of 48" (1.2 meters). Although not stated in the design description, other posts indicate the weights totaled 50 lbs (23 kg).
Commercially available LEDs get about 100 lumens and therefore the lamp draws about 5 watts. Various people have calculated that energy output of the falling weight is roughly 200 times less than the lamp power draw, even without taking into account friction and energy conversion losses. The designer has conceded that his estimates were incorrect, although suggests that increased lighting and generator efficiency might still make the design viable. Given that LEDs are about a 10x improvement over incandescent lights, it is hard to see what technology would deliver another 200x increase in light per watt. Generator efficiency is not relevant, since the 'back of the envelop' calculations assumed 100% energy conversion efficiency.
What is disconcerting is that this design sailed through the competition without anyone questioning whether the numbers made sense. Ironically, the video of the judging suggests that one of the judges wondered about the viability of another light powered by a crank. With increasing demand for 'green' solutions, it is incumbent on all of us to neither make problems appear worse than they are, nor solutions easier than is possible. The first path leads to paralysis and apathy, the second can prevent us from making difficult decisions while we wait for more 'green gadgets'.
The Gravia lamp also points out the limitations of human energy. The Human Power Plant suggests a "healthy man" can generate up to 300 watts power while cycling for 5 minutes and 200 watts for 60 minutes (output drops off rapidly at longer durations). Again assuming no energy conversion losses, 4 minutes of 'flat-out' cycling is required to generate and store enough energy to power the Gravia lamp for 4 hours. 200 watts is roughly equivalent to 1/4 horsepower - my 90 horsepower diesel Jetta generates almost 400x more power. It is amazing what a pair of legs can accomplish, if the distance to the store is reasonable. Or, according to Pedal Powered Washing Machine Tests, you can almost pedal your way through a load of laundry! Perhaps there is an opportunity for a laundro-gym franchise.
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Link: The Suntory Mermaid II Wave-Powered Boat
Designed with the help of Professor Yutaka Terao (Tokai University), this 9.5 meter long, three-ton twin-hulled boat is propelled by wave action at speeds of up to 5 knots. The boat will leave Hawaii mid-May for a 6,000km journey to Japan that is expected to take from two to three months.
The boat has two fins that capture wave energy and also transform that energy into forward motion using "dolphin-like kicks" Although the article places these fins at the rear of the boat, the picture shows them at the front. The pictures and diagram suggest a relatively simple mechanism. Although a 'drive shaft' is shown, it appears to control the motion of the fins, such that vertical motion becomes horizontal thrust. Waves cause boats to 'pitch' - by absorbing some of this energy, the fins also reduce pitching and improve stability.
It is not clear how well this system would scale nor how complementary it is with sail-power. Although the slow speed is a challenge, the system might reduce the energy consumption of ships, similar to German ship fights climate change with high-tech kite.
Thanks for EcoGeek for the pointer!
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