Go India Green

Renewable energy expo in INDIA

2008-06-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

India’s quest for energy security and sustainable development rests a great deal on our ability to tap energy from renewable sources, and to use it extensively to meet our growing and diverse needs. With faster economic growth, the demand for energy will rise further, and we will need to supplement our energy requirements by harnessing renewable sources of energy. The threat of global warming and climate change due to excessive use of fossil fuels increases the urgency of finding environmentally benign ways of generating energy.

India is blessed with an abundance of non-depleting and environment friendly renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydro.

The Indian scientific community is mandated to accord the highest priority to exploring and harnessing the tremendous potential of renewable and clean resources of energy. India is implementing a large programme for the deployment of renewable energy products and systems, and is the only country in the world to have a dedicated Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Renewable Energy India 2008 Expo is the melting pot for global technologies. It is a platform to provide value for the domestic industry and showcase opportunities in the Indian market for global players. It is a forum to nurture business contacts, imbibe the latest technology trends, cultivate business relations and prepare for the exponential growth of renewables in India.


Renewable Energy India 2008 Expo will feature the following sectoral events :

Supported by	Knowledge Partner	Organised by
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Government of India		Exhibitions India Pvt. Ltd. (An ISO 9001:2000 Certified Company)

wake up or be prepared to pay

2008-06-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

A `green` tax in India!

BS Reporter / New Delhi June 5, 2008, 0:26 IST

A "green" tax aimed at discouraging high consumption of petroleum products may be in the offing, a government official said today. The tax, perhaps in the form of a cess on consumption, would also check vehicular pollution to some extent and also help in controlling the high oil subsidy burden.

Over the years, the central government and some states have granted excise, Customs duty and sales tax exemptions on a host of non-conventional energy resources like wind turbines, among others. The aim is to promote the use of renewable energy. However, there are no measures in place to discourage and reduce the use of polluting fuels.

With no sign of moderation in demand for petroleum products, government officials feel a "green" tax should be levied on automobiles, on the lines of similar taxes in the United Kingdom. Some tax experts also agree with this view. However, given the ramifications of such a move and a possible consumer backlash in the run-up to next year's general election, the government is unlikely to introduce the tax soon.

"Many developed countries have green taxes. Sooner than later, India may also introduce such a tax," another expert said.

HOW TO HARVEST SOLAR POWER

2008-06-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat, one of the most prosperous states in India, thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best.

Massive solar satellites would beam power back to ground-based receivers on Earth.

more photos »

"We need to empower these villages, and for empowerment, energy is a must," Mehta said. "Rural India is suffering a lot because of a lack of energy."

By 2030, India's Planning Commission estimates that the country will have to generate at least 700,000 megawatts of additional power to meet the demands of its expanding economy and growing population.

Much of that electricity will come from coal-fired power plants, like the $4 billion so-called ultra mega complex scheduled to be built south of Tunda Wand, a tiny village near the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea on India's west coast. Dozens of other such projects are already or soon will be under way.

Yet Mehta has another solution for India's chronic electricity shortage, one that does not involve power plants on the ground but instead massive sun-gathering satellites in geosynchronous orbits 22,000 miles in the sky.

The satellites would electromagnetically beam gigawatts of solar energy back to ground-based receivers, where it would then be converted to electricity and transferred to power grids. And because in high Earth orbit, satellites are unaffected by the earth's shadow virtually 365 days a year, the floating power plants could provide round-the-clock clean, renewable electricity.

Don't Miss

"This will be kind of a leap frog action instead of just crawling," said Mehta, who is the director of India operations for Space Island Group, a California-based company working to develop solar satellites. "It is a win-win situation."

American scientist Peter Glaser introduced the idea of space solar power in 1968.

NASA and the United States Department of Energy studied the concept throughout the 1970s, concluding that although the technology was feasible, the price of putting it all together and sending it to outer space was not.

"The estimated cost of all of the infrastructure to build them in space was about $1 trillion," said John Mankins, a former NASA technologist and president of the Space Power Association. "It was an unimaginable amount of money."

NASA revisited space solar power with a so-called "Fresh Look" study in the mid-90s but the research lost momentum when the space agency decided it did not want to further pursue the technology, Mankins told CNN. By around 2002 the project was indefinitely shelved -- or so it seemed.

"The conditions are ripe for something to happen on space solar power," said Charles Miller, a director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group promoting public access to space. "The environment is perfect for a new start."

Skyrocketing oil prices, a heightened awareness of climate change and worries about natural resource depletion have recently prompted a renewed interest in beaming extraterrestrial energy back to Earth, Miller explained.

And so has a 2007 report released by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office, encouraging the U.S. government to spearhead the development of space power systems.

"A single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today," the report said.

The study also concluded that solar energy from satellites could provide power for global U.S. military operations and deliver energy to disaster areas and developing nations.

"The country that takes the lead on space solar power will be the energy-exporting country for the entire planet for the next few hundred years," Miller said.

Russia, China, the European Union and India, according to the Pentagon report, are interested in the concept. And Japan, which has been pouring millions of dollars into space power studies for decades, is working toward testing a small-scale demonstration in the near future.

But a number of obstacles still remain before solar satellites actually get off the ground, said Jeff Keuter, president of the George C. Marshall Institute, a Washington-based research organization. "Like any activity in space, there are enormous engineering challenges," he said.

One major barrier is a lack of cheap and reliable access to space, a necessity for launching hundreds of components to build what will be miles-long platforms. Developing robotic technology to piece the structures together high above Earth will also be a challenge. Then there is the issue of finding someone to foot what will be at least a billion-dollar bill.

"It will take a great deal of effort, a great deal of thought and unfortunately a great deal of money," Keutersaid. "But it is certainly possible."

And Miller, of the Space Frontier Foundation, said he thinks it will be possible in the next 10 years.

"We could see the first operational power satellite in about the 2020 time frame if we act now," he said.

GLOBAL CARBON

2008-06-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

COURTESY:

2008-05-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Solar Roof Kit for Prius (Escape, Highlander, RAV4 EV, and more)	3 Comments
By Steve Balogh in Energy, Green Products, Hybrids, Solar, Tech Innovations, Transportation \| May 21, 2008

Via Greenthinkers (via Jalopnik):

This SEV solar module for the 2004 through 2006 Toyota Prius generates 215 watts of renewable energy and is the first compound convex solar module to be commercially produced
The SEV system provides up to 20 miles per day of electric mode driving range and increased fuel economy by up to 29%.

But more than that it looks schweet.

pics of the Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and RAV4 EV kits below

Ford Escape:

Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

Earn money while you go green

2008-05-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's Lucrative Being Green

5 Hot Green-Collar Jobs

by Christina Couch, ClassesUSA

When architectural intern Jennifer Downey moved from Richmond, Virginia, to New York City last year, it took more than a college degree to land her current job with the design firm Marble Fairbanks.

Prior to moving, Jennifer obtained her Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, accreditation, a credential issued by the U.S. Green Building Council for architects specializing in environmentally conscious building practices. She attributes her current professional success to her knowledge of both architecture and the Earth.

"It's not enough to be an architect anymore," Downey says. "You've got to know how to do it in the most responsible way possible."

Architects aren't the only builders required to go green these days. The American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit organization set on increasing the use of sustainable technologies, reports that 8.5 million Americans currently hold "green collar" jobs in renewable energy or energy efficient industries; however, that number could grow to up to 40 million by 2030 due to increased demand in alternative energy sources. To get a slice of the pie, here are five of the hottest earth-friendly fields.

Wind/Turbine Technician

Though wind energy currently accounts for just one percent of all energy used in the United States, the American Wind Energy Association reports that the wind industry grew by 45 percent last year alone. Those with a background in turbine manufacturing, operation, and repair will easily find work in states like California and New Mexico that have vowed to pull 20 percent of their energy expenditure from renewable sources by 2020. While renewable energy degree programs are offered on the bachelor's degree level, those with traditional manufacturing experience also can give their career a greener slant by taking a one- to two-year wind technology degree program at a community college.

Auto Retrofitters

The switch from gas-guzzling SUVs to energy-efficient alternative vehicles will require some serious manpower. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the automotive technician industry will expand just 14 percent by 2016, Green For All, an Oakland, California-based nonprofit specializing in green collar workforce training, says there will be a crucial need for workers who can upgrade existing vehicles to new environmental standards. As the bio fuel industry grows an astounding 50 percent per year, according to one study, technicians who can replace traditional engines with flex-fuel and diesel engines will have an advantage to finding work. Mechanics with a soft spot for Mother Earth can learn engine conversion at their local community college.

Sustainable Architects

With New York, California, and Wisconsin mandating that all new public construction be LEED-certified and other states soon to follow, the need for environmentally-minded architects will inevitably increase. The U.S. Green Building Council reports that the domestic green building industry increased net sales by more than $5 billion dollars in the last two years and currently sits at a walloping $12 billion. In addition to a four- or five-year degree in architecture, sustainable designers may also choose to take an additional one to two-day preparation course to get ready for the LEED Accredited Professional Exam.

Energy Systems Manager

Building new earth-friendly structures is only part of the battle. Greening up existing ones is the other. According to Green For All, between 1990 and 2003, U.S. energy companies spent $12 to $16 billion retrofitting municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals to be less wasteful. Dedicated to insuring indoor air quality and creating energy reduction initiatives, future energy systems managers can start their career at either the two- or four-year college level.

Environmental Engineer

With increased attention on bio fuels, solar-paneled buildings, electric vehicles, and geothermal electronics, the need for environmental engineers is greater than ever. The BLS estimates environmental engineers will see 7-25 percent more jobs added to their field between now and 2016. While the highest 10 percent of salary for an environmental engineer currently tops $100,000 annually, expect to invest some of that money first. A bachelor's -- and often master's -- degree is required to land a job in the field; however, students can find environmental engineering programs in nearly every corner of the United States.

WHY NOT????Learn from other's mistake

2008-05-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in India

Ongoing research project

INVESTIGATORS
Lawrence H. Goulder (Principal Investigator)

According to the US EIA, in 2001, India ranked 5th in the world in terms of carbon emissions at 251 million metric tons of carbon. India's carbon emissions are expected to triple by 2020, due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, higher standard of living, and shift from non-commercial to commercial fuels. Although India accounts for only 5 percent of global carbon emissions, its contribution to the incremental increase in global carbon emissions over the next twenty years will be significant. However, as a developing nation, India is not a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, and is not bound to control its carbon emissions growth.

India's exclusion from Kyoto has therefore been a point of political controversy. However, with a third of the country's population living below the poverty line, the Indian government's priorities are economic growth and development. Therefore, it is likely that any successful greenhouse gas mitigation program in India must necessarily be consistent with the country's objectives of improvements in standard of living and per capita income. Fortunately, experience has shown that such "win-win" opportunities do exist; India's mega cities are among the most polluted in the world and there is considerable citizen pressure on the government to address the issue. E.g. in New Delhi, a citizen-suit resulted in a Supreme Court ruling mandating the conversion of all 84,000 public vehicles in the city to compressed natural gas, resulting in a considerably cleaner urban environment and a significant decrease in GHG emissions.

The proposed study will review existing estimates of carbon emissions from the energy sector. Existing and proposed interventions by international aid agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, industry initiatives, etc. will be catalogued and reviewed to estimate the avoided emissions from these activities. Finally, gaps in existing GHG mitigation strategies by various agencies, approaches to complement or strengthen existing activities, will be identified. The study will also analyze reasons for failed implementation and inability to scale-up pilot projects, to present a comprehensive view of GHG mitigation strategy in India.

CONTACT	FUNDING PROVIDED BY
Lawrence H. Goulder	The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Greenhouse gas emission

2008-05-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

China and India playing greater role in greenhouse gas emission
In ten years mainland China increased carbon dioxide emissions by 33 per cent; India, by 57 per cent; the world average is 15 per cent.

New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which cause global warming, are still growing. In its annual Little Green Data Book, the World Bank said industrialised nations led by the US continue to be the worst offenders for emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). But developing nations, particularly China and India, are producing an ever-greater share of CO2 emissions, contributing to the trapping of heat-retaining gases (greenhouse effect) in the Earth's atmosphere.

The report, launched at a meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, said CO2 emissions worldwide topped 24 billion tonnes in 2002, the latest year for which data was available. That is an increase of 15 per cent compared to the levels in 1992.

China, which is already the second-largest polluter behind the US, increased its emissions by 33 per cent between 1992 and 2002. India's emissions grew 57 per cent in the same period.

The United States contributed 24 per cent of total emissions and the 12 nations of Europe's euro zone emitted 10 per cent.

"This reality shows us that we need to find creative ways to engage all major economies of the world to solve a global problem such as climate change," said acting World Bank vice-president Steen Jorgensen.

"All countries are vulnerable to climate change," said Warren Evans, the World Bank's environment director. "But the poorest countries are the most exposed and have the least means to adapt to it. Climate change may hamper efforts to reduce poverty in agriculture-dependent countries in Africa and low-lying coastal areas. Climate-proofing development initiatives are an urgent need to avoid human disasters."

With data for 48 indicators in 222 countries, territories and regions, the World Bank study is one of the most comprehensive to look at environmental change.

Courtesy :http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=6144

Second Green Revolution

2008-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

“Need for a second green revolution”

Staff Reporter

We are striving hard for food security: Pratibha

JAMMU: A second green revolution must be undertaken to enhance agriculture productivity, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said.

“The world today is faced with a situation of increased demand and a shortage in the supply of foodgrains, resulting in a spiralling of foodgrain prices and also possibly a difficult global food situation, the President said. “This is an urgent challenge of our times and a second green revolution that will enhance agricultural productivity as also adopt new technologies for the optimum utilisation of agricultural produce must be undertaken.” She was addressing the second convocation of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Jammu, at the University of Jammu on Monday.

Quoting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, she said, “Everything can wait, but not agriculture.” This was of special relevance globally as the country was at a critical juncture striving hard to achieve food security and eradicate hunger and poverty.

Attributing huge losses of agricultural produce to the lack of post-harvest technology, infrastructure and storage facilities, she said, “In India, we are wasting more than what many other countries are able to produce. Therefore the universities should engage themselves in evolving new scientific methods for post-harvest operations, creating proper storage facilities and and food processing units close to production centres in rural areas.”

Adapted from: The Hindu, India's National Newspaper

ROI on green products

2008-05-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

There is no global perspective but many business managers expect to pay a premium for green, especially if increased ROI can be shown. It often depends on the geographical location and culture: For instance, business managers in rapidly developing India place high importance on products from brands perceived as green. Not only do these Indian technology influencers (buyers and sellers) prefer eco-friendly brands but they anticipate paying a premium for such products. In India, nearly 60 percent of its business managers would definitely buy green if the ROI was proven, while almost the same amount expected to pay at least a 5 percent premium.

The Bottom Line

Greening technology brands is a delicate balancing act. In charting a green course, it is important to understand where a company's brand is internationally, what market a company wants to target, and how much of a premium that market expects to pay as a "green tax" for adoption.

Having a great green product offering that nobody knows about or believes in can end up creating waste rather than reducing it. Yet, having a proposition with no weight behind it, especially a brand that is expected to deliver green but does not, can compromise brands in the long run.

The greening of technology brands requires skillful mapping and foresight, but judging from the success of brands like HP and Dell, it is a road that can be successfully navigated by strategic thinking.

By:Anna Clark, Greener Computing.com

Anna Clark is president of EarthPeople, a consulting firm that helps companies of all sizes save money and bolster their brand through the leading-edge principle of sustainability.

Save on paper

2008-05-27T12:40:00.002-07:00

Use both the sides of paper.
Unsubscribe to mails that you don't read
Don't print your photos, instead build a web album or save it in you computer.
Burn on a rewritable CD only and use to the maximum capacity of a CD.
Use paper bags and always reuse them.
Try to read news online or share you newspaper with you neighbours.
Reuse the cardboard your kids use at school projects.
Send a e-card on your friend's birthday or marriage anniversary.
Go paperless on your bank statements.
Save the decoration for the next christmas or upcoming birthday party.

Teach your children

2008-05-27T12:15:00.001-07:00

Your children are the future and they are the ones who will be facing most of the problems that we have created during our life-cycle. If we don't check our daily carbon footprint, we are adding up to the problems that our kids will face in the future. While we are checking our own footprints, we need to educate our children, we need to imbibe in them the basics of going green as we build their strong base to face the world.

We are the ones that teach them the daily etiquette and now is the time that we need to teach them how important it is in their life to save all the basic resources.So here are some tips that will help to educate your child as well as be fun for him/her.

Ask you kids to get together with their friends and play more traditional games that can be played outdoor, rather than those that require a power outlet to run.
Guide your kids to do gardening, plant a tree, go berry picking and let them water the plants.
Get you kid a new bike, skates and skateboard.
Let the kids play with clay toys, get them clay to work with and toys that require only mechanical energy to run.
Educate your kids, give them appreciation once they do something good.
Get together with you social and plan on events where you honour kids who put efforts to go greener. Give them a medal or a cetificate.
Take your kids to gardens and send them to school in a school bus rather than driving them to school.
Teach them to use less water while they bathe.
Let you kids help you with household stuff and let them give you a hand while you go shopping, so that you can walk to the store rather than driving.
Most important, you need to follow the rules and then they will obey.

IT'S TIME TO BE SELFISH

2008-05-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, GoodMorning India,

Yes, it is the time to be selfish. It is the time to put your own efforts and to save the earth. If you dont think about yourself now, the world is going to come to a disaster where you will be left all alone with no gas and a big bundle of pollution. Its now that is the time to change your own life style. You need to adapt to the changes in the environment, You know very well and might have learned in your school SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. You need to go green, decrease you carbon footprint and to make your family and friends aware of the problems awaiting for us in the near future. The only thing that can help you survive is to look at all the alternatives that can help decrease the amount of carbondioxide (CO2) in the air, to decrease the use of fossil fuels, to use the reneweable sources of energy.

Here are some of the things that will not make much difference in you life , but is sure to make a lot of difference for your future, for your children's future. For you to breathe a fresh air and live a normal life as you are living now, just try to implement this few ideas in your routine and make yourself proud and satisfied.

Plant a tree in your garden or on your street.
Grow vegetables at home and spice you kitchen with homegrown herbs. Gardening will be fun for your kids.
Use solar cookers and solar heater.
Air dry your clothes and utensils.
Share a ride.
Use a two wheeler instead of your car whereever possible, it consumes less fuel. Try to use a hybrid car.
Carry your own bags while you go for shopping.
Recycle your used electronic device, cans and paper.
Instead of vaccum cleaner, use hand duster . It saves you electricity
Educate your childrens to go green. Make you neighbours aware and help to make a change.

EVERY TINY EFFORT COUNTS......

Keep your Kitchen Green

2008-05-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to save energy, water, and money this spring, a good place to start is your kitchen. By some estimates, kitchen appliances account for 26 percent of an average household's electricity use. And dishwashing is one of the more water-intensive activities in your home.

Here's a list of easy habits you can adopt to use your kitchen appliances more efficiently:

Oven

Don't open the oven door to check on a dish — use the oven light instead (20 percent of the heat can be lost each time you open the oven door).
Keep preheating to a minimum.
Turn the oven off before cooking is complete (depending on the dish, up to 15 minutes). The heat in the oven will continue to cook the dish until finished.
If you need to self-clean the oven, plan to do it after cooking a meal while the oven is already hot, requiring less energy to raise the temperature to a higher level.

Stovetop

Match the pan size to the element size.
Use the least amount of water and the smallest size pan possible. Otherwise you're wasting energy to heat up excess metal or excess water.

Refrigerator

Let hot foods cool to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. Otherwise the fridge works even harder to bring the temperature down.
Keep the freezer full. The more air you displace with food and beverages, the less cold air you lose when you open the freezer door.

Dishwasher

Run the dishwasher when full; it requires the same amount of energy for a full load as it does for a half load.
Use the "no heat" drying option.
Don't wash dishes twice. Although it depends upon the age of your dishwasher, most dishwashers can get your dishes clean without rinsing them first by hand.

Other appliances

Plug countertop appliances into a power strip that can be turned off after use, saving the energy that would be used by the appliances when in "standby mode." (Depending upon how often you use your microwave, the microwave's digital clock could use more energy than the microwave oven itself.)
You can also simply unplug appliances when you're done using them.

Virginia Lacy is a Consultant with the Energy & Resources Team at Rocky Mountain Institute .

By Virginia Lacy

It's the most happening device (iPhone) going green

2008-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's possible that Apple's future just got sunnier.

Employees at computer, phone and software company Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) have filed a patent to place solar cells on portable devices, Trade the News reported Monday.

Outfitted with such technology, Apple’s devices, like the iPhone, could have photovoltaic cells stacked underneath LCD touch screens, thus maximizing the area available for harnessing the sun.

The filing said that information regarding the performance of a device’s solar cells could be displayed on the main screen next to info for battery power, text message alerts and time of day. Or this information could also appear on top of the solar cells themselves, which are likely to display some version of the Apple logo.

In any case, Apple's new technology could herald the next generation of wireless mobility. Without the need to electrically charge devices--either via outlets or USB cables--users could at last start to break free from on-the-grid power connections.

Apple is certainly not the one in this field field. Mobile product manufacturers have looked at solar energy for some time, as consumers demand more battery power from portable devices.

One related product is the 6.4-ounce Solio Mg, $200, from Better Energy Systems. Its three magnesium blades fan out to reveal solar panels, which can store enough power to charge most phones and PDAs twice; an hour of clear sun will give most cell phones 25 minutes of talk time or an iPod an hour of playing time. It takes ten hours of direct sun to fully juice the device. (See Off The Grid But In The Game)

Also, the world’s first solar bag--the Voltaic Systems’ Generator laptop bag--is covered in solar cells and can charge a laptop. It generates up to 14.7 watts after a day of direct sunlight, can carry a 17-inch Apple Powerbook and comes with adapters that allow other electronics, such as cell phones, to be charged. (See Gadgets That Make Business Travel A Snap)

2008-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

Off the coast of Ireland, history was just made. While windpower is taking off and could soon produce as much as 20% of America's power, harnessing energy from the ocean is still in it's infancy.

But recently, Marine Current Turbines successfully completed the installation of the world's first megawatt-scale tidal turbine. And now we've got the first images of the turbine installed to prove it.

The 1,000-ton SeaGen tidal turbine was secured to the seabed and linked with Northern Ireland's electric grid. MCT will now spend about 12 weeks testing the capabilities of the turbine before regularly feeding power into the grid.

Tidal power has several advantages over wind. The power generation is more predictable (since you always know when the tide will turn), and it is believed that these turbines will have fewer ecological impacts because roads do not need to be built to them. There hasn't been enough data yet to determine what affects they will have on marine life.

Courtesy: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/ecogeek/523/pictures-of-world-s-largest-tidal-turbine.html;_ylt=ApwGBGlhiLOkgbvOzqY0leWsV8cX

RECYCLE....

2008-05-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Reuse groups near india

1Bangalore Freecycle
323 members
2Mumbai Freecycle
215 members

3Jaipur Freecycle
6 members
4Vijayawada Freecycle
5 members

5Chennai Freecycle
69 members
6Delhi Freecycle
171 members

INDIA's Contribution towards the green earth

2008-05-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Air car ready for production

By Bob Ewing Posted Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:07am PM on Yahoo!Green

The world's first commercial compressed air-powered vehicle is rolling towards the production line. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre, will be built by India's largest automaker, Tata Motors.

The Air Car uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons. It is anticipated that approximately 6000 Air Cars will be cruising the streets of India by 2008. If the manufacturers have no surprises up their exhaust pipes the car will be practical and reasonably priced. The CityCat model will clock out at 68 mph with a driving range of 125 miles.

Refueling is simple and will only take a few minutes. That is, if you live nearby a gas station with custom air compressor units. The cost of a fill up is approximately $2.00. If a driver doesn't have access to a compressor station, they will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car's built-in compressor to refill the tank in about 4 hours.

The compressed air technology is basically just a way of storing electrical energy without the need for costly, heavy, and occasionally toxic batteries. So, in a sense, this is an electric car. It just doesn't have an electric motor.

But don't let anyone tell you this is an "emissions free" vehicle. Sure, the only thing coming out of the tailpipe is air. But, chances are, fossil fuels were burned to create the electricity. In India, that mostly means coal. But the carbon emissions per mile of these things still far outdoes any gasoline car on the market.

Unfortunately, the streets of North America may never see the Air Car, though; it's light-weight, glued-together fiberglass construction might not do so well in our crash tests. However, that does not mean the Air car is confined to the sub-continent. Nègre has signed deals to bring its design to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.

And this isn't the last we'll hear of the technology. The folks making the Air Car are already working on a hybrid version that would use an on-board, gasoline-powered compressor to refill the air tanks when they run low. Negre says that technology could easily squeeze a cross country trip out of one tank of gasoline.

A variety of videos (of varying quality) on this technology can be found on YouTube, or after the jump.

Via: Popular Mechanics

2008-05-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Solving Global Warming

The Tipping Point

The time to put global warming solutions into place is now.

We can't wait any longer. Scientists say we need to turn the corner on global warming within 10 years to prevent very dangerous impacts from becoming inevitable. Each year that passes without tackling global warming head-on makes the problem more difficult and expensive to solve.

But at the same time, global warming has finally gotten our attention -- Americans are increasingly aware that a warming climate is a real threat to our way of life, and that we have a choice about how bad it will get.

The choice lies here: $16 trillion dollars will be invested in energy development over the next two decades. Will it be poured into polluting, obsolescent technologies that will bring on the worst of global warming? Or will these investments be shifted into to advanced, low-polluting technologies that will create the new energy economy that's needed to shut down global warming?

It's up to all of us to increase the heat on our elected officials: we need the right policies -- and we need them now -- to ensure that the technologies described here are deployed on the scale and timeframe that is needed to achieve deep reductions in global warming pollution by mid-century.

1. Boost Energy Efficiency

The cheapest and fastest way to cut global warming pollution is to make things that use electricity -- like appliances, industrial equipment and buildings -- more energy-efficient. We know this works -- most of us have bought an Energy Star appliance or two, and have seen firsthand how much money and energy they can save. But there's still much room for improvement, and we must continue to push for products that waste less energy. Likewise, "green building" design and construction can dramatically reduce the enormous amounts of energy that buildings consume in heating, cooling, lighting and water use.

2. Better Cars and Smart Growth

Our gasoline-burning cars are the second-largest source of U.S. global warming pollution. But Americans will put more than 300 million new cars on the road over the next 20 years -- if these cars are the best, most efficient vehicles Detroit can make, we'll take a big step toward solving global warming.

Using hybrid engines and other ready-to-go technologies in today's cars could nearly double the mileage they'd get from a gallon of gas, saving a lot of money at the pump. By 2050, fuel-cell technologies and other advancements could boost efficiency to 54 miles per gallon.

We can curb our appetite for oil even further by adopting "smart growth" principles in our cities and towns, encouraging developers to build compact, walkable communities that allow people to spend less time behind the wheel.

3. Biofuels and Renewable Energy

Business-friendly, cost-competitive and ready to meet a significant portion of America's energy needs, renewable energy has gone mainstream. Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent. Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. And clean-burning biofuels made from plants show great promise as a replacement for gasoline -- ethanol producers already make 4 billion gallons of fuel a year, and new methods for making ethanol from farm wastes or energy crops could compete with oil on a very large scale in addition to providing extra income for farmers. By 2050, renewable energy and biofuels could meet a significant chunk of our energy needs.

4. Return Carbon to the Ground

Coal is the most carbon-intense of fossil fuels. Reducing use of coal through energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution to global warming, but the plain truth is that hundreds of new coal-fired power plants will probably be constructed around the world in coming years. Coal generates more than half of the electricity we use today, and it is in plentiful supply in such countries as China, India and the United States.

A critical choice remains. Power plants have a long lifespan -- build the new coal plants with dirty, 19th-century technologies and we lock ourselves into high levels of global warming pollution for decades. We can instead choose a 21st-century alternative: Using existing technologies -- each in commercial operation today -- we can convert coal into a clean-burning gas and capture and dispose of the carbon dioxide deep underground, dramatically reducing air pollution from this dirtiest of fuels. If the United States doesn't invest in this technology, neither will China, India and other countries with large coal supplies.

From:http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/nrdc-42/solving-global-warming.html;_ylt=AshGFP4Qr7cfxSd7XpRaw9SJV8cX

How to Green Your Lighting

2008-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

1. CFL: The better bulb

Compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) are those swirley little guys that look like soft-serve ice cream cones. Actually, they come in a myriad of different shapes, sizes, and colors of light. Economically speaking, they’re a great deal, too. CFLs cost a bit more than an incandescent, but use about a quarter as much energy and last many times longer (usually around 10,000 hours). It is estimated that a CFL pays for its higher price after about 500 hours of use. After that, it’s money in your pocket.

Also, because CFLs release less heat, not only are they safer, but your cooling load is less in the summer.

2. Get the LEDs out

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are a technology that allows for extremely energy efficient and extremely long-lasting light bulbs. LEDs are just starting to hit the consumer market in a big (read affordable) way and still cost quite a bit more than even CFLs, but use even less energy and last even longer.

An LED light bulb can reduce energy consumption by 80-90% and last around 100,000 hours. They even light up faster than regular bulbs (which could save your life it there are LEDs in the brake lights of your car). They are almost always more expensive presently, but we have seen the cost go down steadily. It’s no coincidence that the Millennium Technology Prize went to the inventor of the LED.

Most LED lamps on the market have the bulbs built into them, so you buy the whole unit. For screw-in bulbs, check out Ledtronics, Mule, and Enlux. For desk lamps, check out a few affordable ones from Sylvania andKoncept. For more designer models, look at LEDs from Herman Miller and Knoll. Vessel rechargeable accent lamps represent some of the interesting new things LEDs can do as well.

3. Materials
Light isn’t all about the bulbs, though. Having eco-friendly lamps and light fixtures is key to greening your lighting. When scouting for new gear, keep your eyes out for lamps made with natural, recycled, or reused materials. Lights made from recycled materials include metal, glass, or plastic, and natural materials can include felt, cloth or wood. Interesting lamps that use reclaimed materials include these made from traffic signal lenses, and these made from wine bottles. Also, don’t be shy about borrowing ideas for reuse in your own projects (see DIY).

4. Disposabulb
Fluorescents last a long time, but when they’re dead, they have to be properly disposed of. CFLs, like all florescent bulbs, do contain a small amount of mercury, which means they definitely can’t be thrown in the trash. Every city has different services for recycling, so you’ll need to see what’s offered in your area. LEDs, to our knowledge, do not contain mercury, but the jury may still be out on how to best recycle them.

5. Wall warts
Power adaptors, or “wall warts” as they’re affectionately called, are those clunky things you find on many electrical cords, including those attached to lamps and some light fixtures. You’ll notice that they stay warm even when their device is turned off. This is because they in fact draw energy from the wall all the time. One way to green your lighting is to unplug their wall warts when not in use, attached lights to a power strip and turn off the whole switch when not in use, or get your hands on a “smart” power strip that knows when the devise is off.

6. Day-lighting
By far, the best source of light we know is (yes, you guessed it) the sun, which gives off free, full-spectrum light all day. Make the most of daylight by keeping your blinds open (sounds obvious but you might be surprised). If you want to go a little farther, put in some skylights, or, of you are designing a home or doing a renovation, put as many windows on the south-facing side of the house as possible (or north-facing if you live in the southern hemisphere). To take it even further, sunlight can be “piped” inside via fiber optics and other light channeling technologies.

7. Good habits
As efficient as your lighting equipment might be, it doesn’t make sense to have lights on when no one’s around. Turn out lights in rooms or parts of the house where no one is. Teach your family and friends about it too and it will become second nature. If you want to get a little more exact, follow these rules:
Standard incandescent: turn off even if you leave the room for just seconds. Compact fluorescent: turn off if you leave the room for 3 minutes. Standard fluorescent: turn off if you leave the room for 15 minutes.

8. Do it yourself
We’re always encouraging people to take matters into their own hands. So much great eco-innovation comes when people create the things they can’t find elsewhere. Lighting is an especially accessible and rewarding thing to tackle. For some inspiration, check out the Cholesterol lamp made from cast-off plastic egg cartons, and the recycled Tube Light. Strawbale building pioneer Glen Hunter made some LED fixtures when he couldn’t find any he liked on the market. Eurolite, the company from which he bought the lighting components, liked his designs so much they decided to sell them.

9. Dimmers and motion sensors
Motion sensors can be a good way to keep lights turned off when they’re not needed, and dimmers can give you just the right amount of life, and timers can be set to turn things on and off when needed.

10. Get green power
A great way to green your lighting is to buy green power. More and more electric utilities are offering customers a green power option on their bill. Signing up for green power usually means paying a few more dollars a month to support energy in the grid that comes from renewable sources like wind, solar, or biogas.

information from:http://green.yahoo.com/global-warming/treehugger-142/how-to-green-your-lighting.html;_ylt=AjGe0yRbc4T5XTVBr1IfMbGJV8cX

Little things that count

2008-05-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

1. Install Compact Fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when you got to buy a new bulb for your house or office.

2. Walk or use you bicycle to go to a Grocery Store.

3. Try to Air dry your clothes and make sure you keep your clothes soaked in soap water atleast for half an hour before you wash them so that you use less water.

4. Instead of a tread-mill, do more yoga and walk or drive a bicycle.

5. Do not drink bottled water, Carry your own bottle so that you decrease plastic on earth.

6. Don't be a shopaholic, think before you buy.

7. Ask your neighbours to share a ride when you go for grocery or shopping or to drop kids to school.

8. Prefer Public transport.

9. Recycle your cell phones, batteries and other electronic equipments.

10. Unplug your charger and cords when not in use and turn the lights off once you leave the room.

AND ALL OF US KNOW::::PLANT TREES....THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL HELP US SURVIVE