Clipmarks | JICWyllie's 'i-opportunity' clips

The Vanadium Battery: The Ultimate Energy Storage Solution

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:30:15 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

A new mass energy storage technology is on the cusp of entering mainstream society. The Japanese are currently using it on a grand scale, the Canadians have comprehensively evaluated it and soon Australians will have the opportunity to replace their old lead-acid batteries with a Vanadium Redox Battery alternative.

There are no emissions, no disposal issues, no loss of charge, the construction materials are 'green' and the battery can be charged and discharged simultaneously.

The potential of this system can be easily summed up in one word: 100% recharge/discharge.

As Japan is demonstrating, the amount of energy that their power stations produce can be cut by 1/3 simply by storing their previously dumped excess nightly energy into huge Vanadium Batteries. This form of load-levelling can be utilised by every power station throughout the world.

perhaps your next car might be using charged Vanadium as fuel, which has been the case for a few University of New South Wales professors

Tags: energy, electricity, i-storage, i-breakthrough

Speech of the Week - Gore's Energy Challenge: 'The Future of Human Civilization Is at Stake'

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:36:01 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

"Al Gore took a big risk when he called on us to get 100% of our electricity from cheap, clean sources within 10 years.

It's an achievable goal, but it's already under attack from the oil and coal companies. They're calling his plan unrealistic, impossible, and crazy. We're in a crisis. If this is the fate of any new idea to get us out of this crisis alive, we're toast. Gore's challenge will live or die on the reaction of people like us.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says "it is absolutely possible" that Congress will accept Gore's challenge. But to make it happen, we'll need to show Congress just how many people want bold action.

In Gore's words: "We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change.

Crisis brings opportunity.

Tags: energy, oil, renewables, i-policy, i-initiative

Will "Dirt Energy" Power the Future of Africa? A 'Galaxy' Exclusive

Wed, 28 May 2008 12:55:01 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: And you can make compost at the same time. Thanks to silkweaver for the original clip

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

“dirt energy” will soon be powering 10 households in Tanzania. If the pilot program succeeds, dirt energy tech will be distributed across the country.

They are developing a series of dirt-based fuel cells that are capable of lighting high efficiency LED lamps.

Dirt based microbial fuel cells can power electricity conducting polymers, or PLEDs. Microbial fuel cells (developed originally by Peter Girguis) tap the energy that microbes generate as they break down organic matter. All you have to do is dig a hole in the ground, then fill it with animal and plant waste. An anode and a cathode are then linked to a circuit board and presto; you’ve got power. Once all of the components are put into a solid container the owner has his or her own soil-based power generator.

You need about one cubic meter of organic matter to power one LED light.

Tags: energy, renewables, i-innovation, i-opportunity

After 'peak oil', world now faces 'peak water'

Tue, 27 May 2008 15:32:21 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.euractiv.com

The challenge posed by current high oil prices is nothing compared to what lies ahead amid dwindling supply and growing demand for a far more basic commodity - water, warns a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor.

Slaughter argues that as awareness of the vulnerability of water systems increases together with concerns over climate change, "public utilities are discussing how to restructure water rates to better reflect true costs without causing public harm". Meanwhile, the price of water is increasing.

The solution to the looming water crisis could, according to her, be provided by innovative companies who seize water as "the next opportunity for smart innovation". She cited a particular ultraviolet treatment technology already being used to deliver clean drinking water to various communities.

As for the EU, water crept up the bloc's political agenda last summer following the serious drought that swept across Europe.

Tags: environment, fresh water, i-supply, i-decrease, i-forecast

The Politics of Food is Politics

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:52:27 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: Worth reading the whole article.

Clip Source: www.counterpunch.org

we are seeing the outlines of "an historic opportunity to change the terms of theory and practice for a politics of resistance." In a real sense, however, we are suggesting a return to a perennial politics of resistance: the defense of "peasant" (smallholder, local) agriculture against imperial profit-takers.

material "contractions" in the economy have transformed the "reserve army of labor" into "surplus people"... a darwinian nightmare leaving us nearly 7 billion souls at extreme risk.

F. H. King's Farmers of Forty Centuries documents practices which permitted Asian peasant farmers to plant and harvest on the same land for 4 millennia without exhausting the soil; North American topsoil 21 inches deep or more prior to European colonization is now down to 6 inches or less in many areas after only 200 years.

So one pound of worms can sustain 12 square surface-feet of garden throughout the year for the highest levels of productivity.

Tags: politics, food, i-peak oil, economy, i-capitalism, i-crisis, i-starvation, i-resistance, i-gardening

Let them eat spuds: the world's new staple

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:57:48 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: Anybody can grow them in their garden. They are much prettier than grass and the loosen up the soil for the next crop. And with 5,000 varieties, they should be out of reach of the biotech industry. Indeed, they are the perfect recession / depression crop. Also, once you start growing potatoes, you start growing other food, too.

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

With world food prices soaring and with riots breaking out everywhere from Egypt to Indonesia, experts believe that increased use of potatoes could provide at least part of the solution. Easy to grow, quick to mature, requiring little water and with yields two to four times greater than that of wheat or rice, the potato is being cultivated more in an effort to ensure food security,

"It is ideally suited to places where land is limited and labour is abundant, conditions that characterise much of the developing world. The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop."

In Peru, where the potato was first cultivated, a doubling in the price of wheat in the past year has led to the launch of a government programme to encourage bakers to use potato flour rather than wheat flour to make bread.

It is a source of complex carbohydrates which release their energy slowly and have just 5 per cent of the fat content of wheat

Tags: economy, business, farming, food, i-supply, i-increase, i-opportunity

In Lean Times, Biotech Grains Are Less Taboo

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:38:50 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie
clipper's remarks: See how the media misguide. Biotechnology reduces yields, it does not increase them. Go to yesterday's clip on the subject which proves that the biotech companies have no case when it comes to increasing agricultural productivity. The only case is for increasing their profits. Go to -
http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/C8609958-71E0-45E0-BCDA-4F38C4B70305/

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Soaring food prices and global grain shortages are bringing new pressures on governments, food companies and consumers to relax their longstanding resistance to genetically engineered crops.

In Japan and South Korea, some manufacturers for the first time have begun buying genetically engineered corn

In the United States, wheat growers and marketers, once hesitant about adopting biotechnology because they feared losing export sales, are now warming to it as a way to bolster supplies.

In Britain, the National Beef Association, which represents cattle farmers, issued a statement this month demanding that “all resistance” to such crops “be abandoned immediately in response to shifts in world demand for food,

With food riots in some countries focusing attention on how the world will feed itself, biotechnology proponents see their chance.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Opponents of biotechnology say they see not so much an opportunity as opportunism by its proponents to exploit the food crisis.

Tags: business, farming, food, i-genetic modification, i-hunger, i-opportunity

European banks lead stock rally

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:32:17 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.ft.com

European banks rallied strongly on speculation the sector was increasing efforts to shore up balance sheets after Citigroup in the US announced huge costs cuts, while Britain’s RBS was expected to announce a rights issue.

Citigroup reported a first-quarter loss of $5.1bn thanks to writedowns on leveraged loans. Although the numbers missed most Wall Street forecasts, US equity futures rose, indicating investors were pleased the results were not worse.

In the UK, Royal Bank of Scotland shares were up nearly 5 per cent, as investors welcomed news of a possible capital raising. Such a move would help rebuild RBS’s capital reserves after the purchase last year of a third of Dutch rival ABN Amro.

Tags: economy, financial markets, i-investment, i-opportunity

Low-carbon living takes off in the US

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:45:53 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.ucl.ac.uk

Residents are also forming their own cohousing communities in existing neighbourhoods, by taking down fences, creating communal facilities and taking on the responsibility for general management and maintenance.

Re-sale values for properties in cohousing communities are higher than the market average, suggesting they are now desirable places to live.

Cohousing offers a low-carbon lifestyle, and developers are poised for a market that could soon burgeon in the US, according to a new study. Until now, cohousing has occupied a niche market in the US,

Cohousing not only helps to halve energy use, it offers health and social benefits for families and older people seeking secure and affordable homes.

Cohousing in the US typically comprises private living units (houses or flats) with shared spaces such as a gym, office space, workshops, laundry facilities and a cafe. Those living in cohousing consume nearly 60 per cent less energy in the home,

Tags: economy, consumers, housing, i-behavour change, i-opportunity

Economy Hammered by Toxic Blend of Ailments

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:10:08 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Almost everything seems to be going wrong for the American economy at once.

The housing and mortgage markets will pick up once home prices have fallen far enough to attract buyers. The dollar will keep falling until the weaker exchange rate increases American exports and, in turn, the broader economy.

“Where do investors go? Obviously, they are fleeing the dollar and seeking out hard assets like commodities. And that’s pushing up oil prices.”

Tags: economy, i-recovery, i-opportunity

Merchants of Misery: Debt collection is one of the UK's fastest-growing industries

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:20:50 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Agencies pursue 20 million cases a year and resort to underhand (yet often legal) tactics. Now, a change to the law will make their business even easier.

A growing army of thousands of "debt chasers" is making millions from the misery of Britons who have spent years spending above their means, in what campaigners have slammed as "legalised profiteering".

Personal debt is at a record high of £1.4 trillion, averaging £29,684 for every adult in the country.

More than eight million Britons are in serious debt – a quarter of whom are struggling to make their repayments. Major lenders are taking legal action against people's assets

the big lenders are selling their debt to collection agents.

the powers of this controversial profession are to be widened.

up to two-thirds of bailiffs could be guilty of harassment and intimidation, with 40 per cent accused of misleading people about their powers of entry.

Tags: economy, consumers, i-debt, i-increase, business, i-opportunity

Elliott Homes Reports Sales Success In Down Market

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:42:31 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.solardaily.com

In a real estate market that has been filled with bad news, Elliott Homes is proud to report an incredible homebuyer response at their first all-solar community in Roseville-which includes solar as a standard feature. The builder's brand-new neighborhood, Terra Vista at Stone Ridge, opened just two months ago and has already sold out its first phase of homes.

OCR Solar and Roofing, BP Solar's exclusive new home partner for its tile roof-integrated solar modules in Northern California, will install 2.5 kilowatts (kW) of BP Solar EnergyTile solar electric systems on all new home residences within the eco-conscious community.

The Elliott Homes community also boasts hillside views, access to hiking and biking trails and expansive nature preserves.

Tags: economy, business, i-opportunity, energy, i-solar, i-demand, i-increase

Trees And Grass May Be Able To Produce Ethanol Without Poisoning The Oceans

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:08:08 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.energy-daily.com

Within five to seven years fast growing trees and grasses might become economically viable alternatives to corn as a source of renewable fuel ethanol, reducing the need for pollutants that now cause a massive "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Trees are cheaper to raise than corn, have a competitive yield and they don't need as much of the fertilizers that are causing all of the problems in the Gulf.

"These trees also offer the U.S. a realistic option for producing enough renewable energy to make a meaningful dent in fossil fuel imports."

"For one thing, there are some trees like poplar and aspen, where you could get a harvest every five or six years but you would only have to plant once every 30 to 40 years because they grow back from the roots. That is a significant cost savings, if only for the fuel used for planting and harvesting every year.

The biggest bottleneck is developing a cost-effective process to convert wood pulp into sugars.

Tags: energy, biofuels, environment, forests, i-opportunity

Coal: Bleak outlook for the black stuff (2)

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:27:07 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: environment.newscientist.com

The silver lining to this gloomy scenario is coal's effect on climate. Forecasts by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assume more or less infinite replenishment of coal reserves, in line with traditional economic theory. Less coal means less carbon dioxide, so the impact on emissions could be enormous. Using one of the IPCC's simpler climate models, Rutledge forecasts that total CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel will be lower than any of the IPCC scenarios. He found that atmospheric concentration of CO₂ will peak in 2070 at 460 parts per million, fractionally above what many scientists believe is the threshold for runaway climate change.

findings worry many climate scientists, including Pushker Kharecha at the NASA Goddard Institute

He agrees that coal reserves are probably overstated, but insists that curtailment of coal emissions is still essential to combat climate change. He gives a simple reason for this view: "What are the risks if the low-coal people are wrong?"

Tags: energy, coal, i-peak coal, i-opportunity, environment, i-climate change, i-decrease

Why sterling is the next dollar

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:50:56 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.ft.com

Yet, in many respects, the UK position is worse than that of the US. The run-up in UK house prices, for example, was much bigger than in the US. On almost any measure, housing valuations and household indebtedness are still more extreme.

Moreover, the UK’s current account deficit, at 5.7 per cent of GDP in the third quarter of 2007, was bigger than that of the US. Indeed, it was bigger even than it seems. As Andrew Smithers of London-based research company Smithers & Co argues, the deficit is significantly understated by current statistical conventions*.

if the UK had been in the eurozone and so experienced even lower interest rates, the credit boom would have been even bigger and the adjustment ahead even more painful.

The external adjustment is most unlikely to be big enough or fast enough to offset the slowdown in domestic demand, particularly given the constraints on fiscal action. So be it: unbalanced growth cannot last forever.

Tags: economy, currencies, i-devlauation, i-opportunity