Gliders to study whales?
Yes it is true - the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the USA has developed underwater gliders to explore the ocean and its inhabitants including the Baleen whale. Because the gliders are very quiet they can get up close to the whales.
As well as developing low powered gliders, WHOI researchers have also successfully “flown” the first environmentally powered vehicle through the ocean. It propels itself over thousands of kilometres by drawing energy from the temperature differential between warm surface waters and colder deeper layers. Surface waters warm wax filled tubes inside the engine, which expand to provide mechanical energy that is stored and used to push oil from a bladder inside the vehicle’s hull to one outside, changing its buoyancy. Cooling of the wax at depth completes the cycle.
A prototype thermal glider launched off the coast of the Virgin Islands in December 2007 travelled uninterrupted, crisscrossing the 4000m deep basin between St Thomas and St Croix more than 20 times up until March 2008.
Sourced from WME Magazine March 2008 and Articles on WHOI. For more: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/whoi-rgn020708.php
Reducing costs increasing sustainability
Case 1: Beverage industry
Sierra Nevada Brewery Company’s US$16 million ($16.6 million) investment in a co-generation plant and solar panels has cut fuel costs for the company by 40% and electricity purchases by 50%. It can now generate up to 80% of its energy needs and sell any surplus back to the utility.
Waste methane generated at Sierra Nevada’s water treatment plant partially powers four 250 KW direct fuel cell-combined heat and power units. Heat recovery units on each fuel cell produce steam that is diverted into the brewing process, decreasing demand on the boilers. A 9,000 panel solar installation, now partially complete, will ultimately boost the brewery’s power capacity by another 1.4 MW.
The investment was made after a series of blackouts in California in 2000, which forced Sierra Nevada to investigate ways to reduce its dependence on electricity from the state’s grid. Alternative sources of power were necessary to protect thousands of litres of ale that would be spoilt if continued blackouts caused disruptions to heat and refrigeration systems.
Case 2: Food manufacturing
Some manufacturers are starting to invest in anaerobic digesters – large tanks in which bacteria breaks down organic material and produces natural gas for energy. Frozen food manufacturer Bellisio Foods is one of these companies. It is currently building its second 5.25 million gallon (19.9 ML) digester at its production facility in rural Ohio.
When complete, the company estimates it will process all of its food waste each day, generating enough power to run two of the plant’s nine boilers and reducing its total greenhouse emissions. After an initial US$6 million ($6.3 million) investment, Bellisio Foods estimates it will save about US$1.3 million ($1.36 million) a year in energy, landfill and transportation costs.
Case 3: Human Resources
IT company Sun Microsystems began its “open work” program in 1995, allowing new employees to decide where they’d like to work when they negotiate their offer letter. The company, which provides open-source network solutions and services, now employs 20,000 people – 55% of its workforce – who either are based primarily at home or divide their time between a Sun office and a home office.
In 2006, Sun saved close to $68 million ($71 million) in real estate and related operating costs and increased worker productivity by 34%. Sun also reduced its corporate CO2 emissions by 29,000 tonnes because more than half of its employees don’t commute daily or put demands on office heating and cooling systems. Plastic Homes?
Cuba plans to build 14,000 plastic homes a year to help ease a national housing shortage. Set to begin in September, the program will use polyvinyl chloride from a petrochemical facility to be built with Venezuelan aid at a refinery in Cienfuegos, Prensa Latina said. "Cuba will produce more than 14,000 houses annually with polyvinyl chloride, thanks to a bi-national project with Venezuela," project director Julian Alonso told the news agency. Cuba is said to need about half a million homes to provide sufficient housing for its people. (Reuters)
Sourced from Global development Briefing www.DevelopmentEx.com Garbage, Mars Bars and gas!
Mars Snackfood will use methane gas from a Texas landfill to power two furnaces that will create steam for the plant’s confectionary making operations. The project will save the company $600,000 a year in energy costs and will reduce emissions by 10,000 tonnes of CO2e annually – the equivalent to taking 1,900 cars off the road, the EPA said. The company has become the 21st organisation in Texas to take part in the US EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). A total of 34 LMOP projects are currently in operation throughout the five-state area under the governance of the local EPA. From www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net Your Ideas, Innovations or Events?
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