Toy Story: Toys made of liquid wood
Science Daily reports that as most plastics are based on petroleum, a bio-plastic that consists of one hundred percent renewable raw materials would help to conserve this resource. Researchers have now optimized this renewable plastic in such a way that it is even suitable for products such as Nativity figurines.
Toys have to put up with a lot of rough treatment: They are sucked by small children, bitten with milk teeth, dragged along behind bobby cars, and every now and then they have to survive a rainy night outdoors. Whatever happens, it is vital that the material does not release any softeners or heavy metals that could endanger children.
Toys can be made of liquid wood in the future. The advantage is that this bio-plastic, known as ARBOFORM®, is made of one hundred percent renewable raw materials and is therefore not reliant on petroleum. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal and the Fraunhofer spin-off TECNARO GmbH have developed the material. But what exactly is liquid wood?
To read the full article, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202115326.htm
This story was sourced from the resource recovery forum: www.resourcesnotwaste.org
Is it the Silly Season? Pig Story 1: This little piggy going to market?
Researchers at a Canadian university genetically engineered a group of 21 pigs to make the animal’s manure less polluting. The animals have not yet been slaughtered for their meat, but the scientists at the University of Guelph say the Enviropigs should “taste like any other pig”, the Detroit Free Press reported. The Canadian scientists say the pigs produce an enzyme in their saliva that can digest the phosphorus in their feed, meaning less phosphorus ends up in the pigs’ manure and flowing down into rivers and waterways.
They “look like regular pigs, they act like other pigs, and they regrettably smell like other pigs,” said Cecil Forsberg, one of the Guelph scientists. The US food and drug administration is still considering an application from the university to allow the genetically modified pork to be allowed out of the labs and into the market, the report said.
Pig Story 2: Dirty gases given an oiling at pig farm
A study by Purdue University and the University of Missouri found spraying oil – vegetable oil sprinkling, essential oil misting, and misting of essential oil with water – over barns housing pigs reduced methane by about a fifth and CO2 emissions by an average of 19%. Emissions from farm manure and the CO2 exhaled by the pigs formed the basis of the study on ways to reduce pollution from animal buildings.
Researchers found average emissions of 32.5g methane and 15.8g carbon dioxide per day per animal unit (500kg animal live weight) from two barns in northern Missouri in the US. Research on emissions from animal barns of different animal species is ongoing at Purdue University in collaboration with other universities. The researchers said further study on oil spray in animal barns is needed to optimise its application method for better effects on reducing greenhouse emissions, particulate matter and odour.
www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net
I&I comment: We haven’t seen anything about porkys flying – yet!
Now on a more serious note – Planning for your business
With concerns about where the economy may be heading in 2009, January is an excellent time to review business plans to determine the direction and tasks to undertake in 2009. To help with planning, browse these free online tools and resources:
• For a list of planning guides, templates and tools visit the business planning webpage on www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au or www.business.gov.au, particularly the "Thinking of starting a business" and/or "marketing plan guides" sections.
• Contact a Business Enterprise Centre by visiting www.beca.org.au or Business Advisory service here for free advice and support.
Check out the events calendar at www.business.gov.au and www.business.nsw.gov.au and events (what's on) at www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au for a list of business and other planning seminars and events.
Japan seeing power by the people; Victoria also
The Japanese people are taking power into their own hands, through communities across the country that are investing in projects like installing solar panels on public buildings or wind turbines to raise the country’s renewable power generation capacity – given what they see as the failure of the country’s laws to sufficiently stimulate the clean energy market.
As of January 2008, 11 “citizens’ wind turbines” were in operation in Japan, annually generating some 400 GWh – enough to serve 10,700 households – and people in various cities and municipalities were collaborating to install solar power systems. The projects are funded through private and individual investments, donations, loans from the eco-friendly non-profit ap bank and government subsidies, according to the Japan for Sustainability website said.
Japan’s power generation in 2006 totalled about 1,000 TWh, 60% of it generated from fossil fuels, 30% from nuclear power, 9% from hydropower and just 1% from “new energy” – a category used by the Japanese government to describe electricity generated from waste, fuel cells, solar, wind, hydropower with the capacity of 1MW or less, geothermal and biomass.
The first wind power generation system built with citizen funding, Hamakaze-chan, was installed in Hokkaido in 2001. The funding came from an NGO called the Hokkaido Green Fund, which developed a “green electricity rates” system in 1999 – members of the fund paid an extra 5% on their power bills and the accumulated amount was used to cover the installation costs of the wind turbine. Non-fund members and other customers of the local utility could choose to donate toward the cause.
About 80% of the project costs for Hamakaze-chan came from citizens’ investments. Since the first facility in Hokkaido, wind turbines funded by the people have sprung up in four other Japanese prefectures.
Other projects include a “Citizens’ Joint Solar Power System” in Kawasaki city, where prohibitive cost and location difficulties to install personal solar power systems brought the community together to put one up in a public building in their area, and an NGO in the city of Iida leading the installation of solar panels in kindergartens, community centres and other facilities.
The system was expanded and extended in 2003 through the establishment of a company called the Japan Green Fund Co. People from anywhere in the country can invest in it. The company is run by representatives from citizen-funded renewable energy projects in different parts of Japan and it built both a nationwide network and a system to monitor the use of citizens' funds.
Similar efforts have taken place in Australia, since early 2007 in Hepburn (http://www.environmentalmanagementnews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=94623§ionsource=s0) and Maribyrnong in Victoria (http://www.environmentalmanagementnews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=120015§ionsource=s0 )
Californian’s muscle in on WA Rays
An American maker of high-efficiency solar energy systems has won the contract to build Australia’s largest solar power tracking system, a 505kW installation for WA’s state-owned Horizon Power, which provides power to remote and regional communities and resource operations. The ground-mounted installation will be located on two sites in Marble Bar and Nullagine, in the east Pilbara region of WA.
“Horizon Power is excited to be driving a project that will set a new standard in large-scale renewable energy technology in Australia,” said Horizon Power (www.horizonpower.com.au) MD Rod Hayes. “Horizon Power vigorously pursues renewable energy options for power generation and is pleased that regional Western Australians will be able to experience the benefits of leading-edge, large-scale renewable energy technology as a result of our partnership with SunPower.”
SunPower (www.sunpowercorp.com ) is based in California’s Silicon Valley but entered the emerging Australian market earlier this year through the acquisition of Solar Sales, a veteran of the local renewable energy industry that was founded in 1983. The two companies had a distribution partnership for several years prior to the merger.
"WA is one of the best locations on Earth to capture the power of the sun," said Bob Blakiston, MD of SunPower Australia and former owner of Solar Sales. “The SunPower systems that we build on these sites will maximise the clean, renewable solar power generated for Horizon Power and the communities the company serves.”
The company claims it has the “highest efficiency solar panels on the market today”, generating “up to 50% more power than conventional solar technologies” and having a “uniquely attractive, all-black appearance”. It says its sun-tracking technology will “maximise the solar plant's energy delivery, while optimising land use and reducing related costs”.
Construction is expected to be complete by September 2009.
Last month SunPower announced it is also building a 305kW rooftop solar power system for the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Alice Springs. Story sourced from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net
Latest Research news from UOW
For latest research news and recent University/Industry grants and projects go to: http://www.uow.edu.au/research/newsletter/index.html
Greetings
All the best to all our readers for Christmas and may 2009 turn out to be better for you and your organisations than some are expecting.
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