Japan’s Nuclear Contamination Is Spreading All Over The Island

Literally. They are finding “hot particles” in places away from even the evacuation and controlled zones. This thing looks like it could get out of hand. I am convinced that it will stay a local event. And I am convinced that when people report that the entire Island could become uninhabitable they are mistranslating things Japanese Officials are saying. Still, something that I thought would be over by August or September is going to be around until next year.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032751_Fukushima_strontium.html

Fukushima: Strontium levels up to 240 times over legal limit near plant, uninhabitable land area now the size of 17 Manhattans

Sunday, June 19, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Representing the first time the substance has been detected at the crippled plant, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported on Sunday that seawater and groundwater samples taken near the ravaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility in Japan have tested positive for radioactive strontium. And according to a recent report in The Japan Times, levels of strontium detected were up to 240 times over the legal limit, indicating a serious environmental and health threat.

Radioactive strontium, which is known to accumulate in bones and eventually lead to diseases like cancer and leukemia, is one of at least three “hot particles” being continually released by the damaged plant, according to experts. The others include radioactive cesium and plutonium, both of which are implicated in causing birth defects, cancer, and death.

“We are discovering hot particles everywhere in Japan, even in Tokyo,” said Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president with 39 years of nuclear engineering experience, to Al Jazeera. “Scientists are finding these everywhere. Over the last 90 days these hot particles have continued to fall and are being deposited in high concentrations. A lot of people are picking these up in car engine air filters.”

TEPCO has allegedly installed a new water decontamination system that it claims will eventually help filter dangerous radioactive isotopes from polluted water, and thus limit environmental and human exposure to the poisons. But that system has already run into several problems as flow rates have been lower than intended.

“Fukushima has three nuclear reactors exposed and four fuel cores exposed,” added Gundersen. “You probably have the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactor cores because of the fuel cores, and they are all in desperate need of being cooled, and there is no means to cool them effectively.”

Al Jazeera also reports that a nuclear waste advisor to the Japanese government recently explained that roughly 966 square kilometers (km), or 600 square miles, around Fukushima are now uninhabitable due to the unfolding disaster. This massive dead zone area is the equivalent size of 17 Manhattans placed next to each other.

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More bad nukes tomorrow. :}

Russian Nuclear Power Plants Are Old And Dangerous

Just when you thought there could be no more Chernobyls, this report caused the reindeer to stampede.

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Russian+officials+numerous+shortcomings+at+nuclear+plants+near+Finland/1135267043718

Russian officials: numerous shortcomings at nuclear plants near Finland

Inspection report leaked to Norwegian newspaper

Inspections of Russian nuclear power plants have revealed serious shortcomings in the safety of the plants – particularly in the preparations for earthquakes and other natural disasters.
The difficulties emerge in a report by the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, which was acquired by the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
The paper wrote on Sunday that many of the problems apply to Russian nuclear installations in general. However, the greatest risks are in old reactors located in areas near Finland and Norway – on the Kola Peninsula and the St. Petersburg region. 

In several countries, including Russia, nuclear power plants have undergone “stress tests” following the nuclear accident which occurred at the Japanese plant in Fukushima in March.
Keijo Valtonen, an official at the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority Finland (STUK), expects that the results of the inspections conducted in Russia will be available in Finland soon.

Russian officials: numerous shortcomings at nuclear plants near Finland
Russian officials: numerous shortcomings at nuclear plants near Finland
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In addition to the earthquake risk the Rosatom report warns of inadequate reserve cooling systems in Russian plants. Nuclear fuel storage facilities were also shown to be inadequate in some places, and there is a shortage of trained maintenance personnel and inspectors in Russia.
The report lists a total of 31 shortcomings.
According to Valtonen, judging from the deficiencies that were listed, the Russians have made an open assessment of the problems. Norwegian experts also feel that the assessments are reliable.

The report also mentions the Sosnovy Bor nuclear power plant near St. Petersburg, which has been a cause for concern in Finland for some time.
The Sosnovy Bor plant uses the same reactor technology as what was used in Chernobyl, where the world’s worst nuclear accident took place in 1986. A mitigating factor in the matter is that the area is not especially prone to earthquakes.
Nuclear safety has also been assessed in Finland, in the wake of Fukushima. According to Valtonen, the risk reports made at the national level are to be given over to international assessment. “If shortcomings are noticed, drawing conclusions is a matter for each individual country.”

Previously in HS International Edition:
Finnish nuclear industry says Japan scenario unlikely in Finland (14.3.2011)
Steam leak brings Unit 1 of Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant to controlled shutdown (21.2.2011)
Finnish nuclear authority investigates problems in online reporting on Japan (15.3.2011)

See also:
People in Sosnovyi Bor discuss constructing new nuclear reactors (8.2.2007)

Links:
Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority Finland (STUK)

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Unfortunately more Tomorrow.

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A Bicycle’s Best Friend – What happens when we quite using hydrocarbons

The secession of the use of hydrocarbons for fuels could be sudden. The President could order it. He could order all American troops home. He could order them to convert anything nonessential like “factories making crap” to make solar panels of the water and electrical kind. He could order larger factories to convert to wind turbine manufacturing. He could order the closing of all coal mines and the opening of Yucca Mountain. He could prohibit the importation of liquid fuels beginning with oil and eventually including natural gas. As the coal runs out the coal plants would have to convert to natural gas. Or it could happen gradually as the planet warms and people  die. Either way the bicycle is gona be a big part of it. People can go 10 miles on a bike easy.

http://www.bicycle-riding-for-boomers.com/

Boomers Are Discovering The Fun Path
To Fitness Through Bicycle Riding

Bicycle riding for boomers offers a boomers perspective on the sport of bicycling that is almost never seen in the cycling world. It is a compilation of lessons learned over more than 15 years, on three continents and several islands, years of research, and the unveiling of new boomer-friendly cycling products.

 

There is an exciting re-awakening in the world of bicycle riding driven by boomer aged riders looking for fun and fitness. Old line bike manufacturers are producing more products for mature riders and new manufacturers are appearing frequently.

When riding a bicycle you notice the sights and sounds that you, almost always, miss when driving or riding in a car and you get a whole new perspective on your environment. It gives you a chance to leave the rat race behind and lets you stop and smell the roses. Or, if you are a more active type, you can step it up and get all the action you want.

 

The days of bicycles being just toys for the young are long gone. Older folks are finding new bikes that are boomer friendly and new ways to enjoy them. New bike paths, clubs, and organized rides are becoming more available then ever and the numbers are growing every day. And, it can be as solitary or social as you want it to be.

Remember how much fun bike riding was as a kid? Guess what. It can be more fun now and you don’t have to be home by dinner time. It is an awesome way to attain fitness and how many fitness programs are really fun? Yet, if you are having fun you are much more likely to stay with it and reap the many health benefits that it gives you.

 

Just about any sport, or fitness program, has on-going expenses like greens fees, membership fees, etc. But, a very modest investment in cycling gear will last for years and your on-going expense is almost zero.

The good news is there is a bicycle, or tricycle, for anybody that wants to ride, at any skill level. So, if you want to ride there is one for you.

Some of the articles and products shown here will be amazing to people that have not ridden for years but they are here now for us to enjoy. Bicycle riding is more attractive than ever to boomers and seniors.

An estimated 80% of the average persons travel is, driver only, and within 10 miles of home. Imagine how much money bicycle riding can save you!

I promise I won’t get too hi-tech. Unless you intend to ride competitively it isn’t necessary. ( I’ll leave that for the Lance Armstrong wannabes) It’s just us folks and it’s all down to earth stuff so……..

JUST RELAX AND ENJOY THE RIDE.

 

Daily news update on ..

Cycling

Boomer interests

Safe cycling

bicycle trails

boomer health

Boomer fitness

Electric bicycles

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More tomorrow.

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Gwinnett – An Education Company That Practices What It Preaches

I have fun with google everyonce in awhile. I will pick an odd phrase, like today I typed in “beautiful energy conservation”.  As always Procter and Gamble, Siemens and Johnson Controls greenwash pages popup first. Google is such a money hog. But this site was #4 so I thought what the heck. What a pleasant surprise.

http://www.gwinnettcb.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=16&Itemid=58

Recycling Bank of Gwinnett
The Recycling Bank of Gwinnett, located at 4300 Satellite Blvd in Duluth, is open to the public for donations 24 hours a day, seven day a week.  Commercial haulers are served from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  There is no cost to consumers or businesses to drop off recyclables.
For safety reasons, the public is NOT allowed to remove newspapers or other recyclables from our facility.
The Recycling Bank of Gwinnett will accept 35 types of recyclables:

 

 

Newspapers and Inserts                School Papers

Cardboard Boxes                          Kraft Paper

Soda & Beer Cartons                    Cereal Boxes

Paperboard                                   Tissue Boxes

Paper Grocery Bags                      Shoe Boxes

Paper Shopping/Lunch Bags          Pizza Boxes

Magazines                                   Paper Towel Cores

Shopping Catalogues                    Tissue Paper Cores

Old Phone Directories                   Aluminum Beverage Containers

Discarded Mail                              Aluminum Food Containers

Greeting Cards                             Steel Food Containers & Lids

Envelopes                                    Empty Aerosol Cans

Carbonless Paper Forms               Plastic Soda & Water Bottles

Computer Paper                            Milk Jugs

Calendars                                     Plastic Detergent Bottles

Plastic Bottles #3-7                       Glass Bottles & Jars

Aluminum Baking Tins                   Books

Clean Metallic Lids

For other items you are interested in recycling, please use our Searchable Recycling Database to find a location near you to take your recyclables.

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More tomorrow.

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Beautiful Green Awards – Let us know who your favorite green businesses are

Steve Blessman forwarded this to me and I am forwarding it to you. I did not know about these awards but they seem pretty cool.

From: Stephen Blessman <blessmans@yahoo.com>
Subject: Green Jobs Awards Application
To: “Steve Blessman” <blessmans@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011, 12:09 PM

Apply now for the 2011 Green Jobs Award!

TEXT/E-MAIL


Green Jobs Award Deadline June 15

Apply now or forward to a prospect
Don’t miss your opportunity to be recognized and celebrated as a leader who is creating great green jobs! Apply for a 2011 Green Jobs Award by June 15! The Green Jobs Award program is produced by SJF Institute and Clean Edge with support from the Citi Foundation. Innovative companies with a business model that preserves or enhances environmental quality and at least ten employees and over $500,000 in revenue are eligible. Winners will receive recognition, media exposure and a package of pro bono business services provided by Certified B Corporations.

The ten 2010 winners from across the country represented diverse industries from renewable energy and energy efficiency to consumer products, manufacturing and engineering. They included the latest in clean technology as well as green innovations in traditional industries. Together, they represented over $150 million in revenue and created over 1,300 great, green jobs.

Help us accelerate the growth of innovative green job creators and demonstrate the potential of the green economy for all communities. Apply now! The application deadline is June 15. Visit www.greenjobsaward.org to learn more.

 

 

TWITTER

  • Apply by June 15 for a Green Jobs Award #GJA2011 and be recognized as an innovative company creating good green jobs http://bit.ly/cjdc1R

 

  • Is your company innovating a traditional industry & creating green jobs? Apply by June 15 for a national award #GJA2011 http://bit.ly/cjdc1R

 

·         Are you enabling others to benefit from going green through your company’s products/services? #GJA2011 Green Jobs Award http://bit.ly/cjdc1R

 

  • Is your company creating great green jobs #GJA2011? Apply by June 15 for the nationally recognized Green Jobs Award http://bit.ly/cjdc1R

·

 

FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN GROUPS/PROFILE

  • Does your innovative company preserve or enhance environmental quality while creating great green jobs? Apply by June 15 for the nationally recognized Green Jobs Award. Go to www.greenjobsaward.org for more information and the application.
  • Don’t miss your chance to be recognized as an innovative company creating good, green jobs! Apply by June 15 for the nationally recognized Green Jobs Award. Go to www.greenjobsaward.org/apply to download your application.

http://www.greenjobsaward.org/apply

2011 Green Jobs Award Application

We are currently accepting  applications for the 2011 Green Jobs Awards!

Eligibility

Private, for-profit companies located in the United States with at least 10 employees and $500,000 in annual revenue in the last calendar or fiscal year are eligible to apply.

Apply

Is your company  creating great green jobs? We invite you to submit the Stage 1 Application here. Application Deadline is June 15.

 

SJF_GJA-button_120x60-apply_2011

Application Process

1. Review Eligibility
2. Use a PC operating system and Adobe Reader 8.0 or higher, to view and complete the application. Click here for a free download the newest version of Adobe Reader 10.0.
3. Download, review, complete and save a copy to your computer, then submit the Stage 1 Application by June 15. Click here to download the application.
4. Semi-finalists will be notified by July 1, and will be provided with the Stage 2 application to complete.
5. Semi-finalists complete and submit the Stage 2 application by August 1.
6. Winners announced at a Green Jobs Convening and Award reception in October 2011.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on:

  • Business model’s viability and positive environmental impact
  • Creation of quality jobs (living wages, benefits, training, career track)
  • Diversity of employment opportunities
  • Positive workplace culture and level of community engagement

Winners will receive recognition, media exposure, executive mentorship opportunities,  as well as a package of pro bono business services provided by Certified B Corporations. Winners will also receive an all expense paid trip to the Award Reception in October 2011.

Send an email to greenjobsaward@sjfinstitute.org if you have any questions.

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More next week.

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Hydropower In A Small Beautiful Package – New Development

Beautiful power generation is the theme of this meditation. This grows out of a comment by a friend. We were talking about wind farms and all the silly criticism of them, the worst of which is that they are ugly. I said I found them elegant and he said he found them beautiful. Thus the theme. Here is a post about small hydro. The article includes a build up about large hydrodams and the negative impact on the environment as well as data about Germany where these dams were developed. I have only included the info about the new type dam itself but please feel free to read the rest.

Small Is Beautiful in Hydroelectric Power Plant Design: Invention Could Enable Renewable Power Generation at Thousands of Unused Sites

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2010)

dot dot dot as they say…

A solution to all of these problems has now been demonstrated, in the small-scale hydroelectric power plant developed as a model by a team headed by Prof. Peter Rutschmann and Dipl.-Ing. Albert Sepp at the Oskar von Miller-Institut, the TUM research institution for hydraulic and water resources engineering. Their approach incurs very little impact on the landscape. Only a small transformer station is visible on the banks of the river. In place of a large power station building on the riverside, a shaft dug into the riverbed in front of the dam conceals most of the power generation system. The water flows into a box-shaped construction, drives the turbine, and is guided back into the river underneath the dam. This solution has become practical due to the fact that several manufacturers have developed generators that are capable of underwater operation — thereby dispensing with the need for a riverbank power house.

The TUM researchers still had additional problems to solve: how to prevent undesirable vortex formation where water suddenly flows downward; and how to best protect the fish. Rutschmann and Sepp solved two problems with a single solution — by providing a gate in the dam above the power plant shaft. In this way, enough water flows through to enable fish to pass. At the same time, the flow inhibits vortex formation that would reduce the plant’s efficiency and increase wear and tear on the turbine.

The core of the concept is not optimizing efficiency, however, but optimizing cost: Standardized pre-fabricated modules should make it possible to order a “power plant kit” just like ordering from a catalog. “We assume that the costs are between 30 and 50 percent lower by comparison with a bay-type hydropower plant,” Peter Rutschmann says. The shaft power plant is capable of operating economically given a low “head” of water of only one to two meters, while a bay-type power plant requires at least twice this head of water. Series production could offer an additional advantage: In the case of wider bodies of water, several shafts could be dug next to each other — also at different points in time, as determined by demand and available financing.

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More tomorrow.

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Nuclear Power Is Massively Impractical – Indeed small is beautiful

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/nuclear-reaction/2009/02/energy_generation_small_is_bea.html

Energy generation: small is beautiful

t’s difficult to get your head around the sheer massive size of nuclear reactors. The things are absolutely huge. Just to give you a flavour, in Flamanville, France, where EDF are building a ‘state of the art’ EPR reactor, the roads aren’t wide enough to transport the large reactor components to the construction site.

People sometimes forget that nuclear reactors are just kettles. Great big kettles. The hot nuclear fuel inside the reactor boils water which turns into steam which turns the turbines which generate electricity. Those turbines, as you can imagine, are also huge.

Being so large and heavy, they can’t be transported in any conventional way. Often they’re shipped on giant barges. They’re shipped very slowly and very carefully. Sometimes not slowly and carefully enough. You know where two $10-million 107-tonne turbines destined for the Canada’s Point Lepreau nuclear power station found themselves last October? Spending five days on the bottom of Saint John Harbour.

And that’s another of the major problems with nuclear power and why a so-called nuclear ‘renaissance’ will be impossible to achieve: the nuclear industry has no economies of scale. You cannot increase production of nuclear power stations anywhere near quickly enough to fulfil the promises made by the industry and save us from the worst of global climate change.

Wind turbines and solar energy couldn’t be more different. You can build a working wind turbine in two weeks. The renewable energy industry is a hugely scaleable one. Smaller and more readily available components make it far, far easier to expand production. Want a hundred kilometres of solar cells produced in a day? Mass-produced printable solar cells are already being trialled. The renewable energy technologies are ever improving.

The components of nuclear reactors are too large and complex to mass produce or produce quickly in the same way. Japan Steel Works, the only company in the world currently making specialised steel containers for reactor cores, already has a three year backlog. All those countries boasting of building new reactors in the near future are going to have to join a very slow-moving queue.

 

Posted by Justin on February 20, 2009 3:03 PM | Permalink

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More tomorrow

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A Solar Farm That Is Beautiful – How not to waste energy

I am going to be posting things I LIKE this week. It is my summer fun. This is a great site. Please RSS.

http://www.good.is/post/behold-the-gorgeous-solar-farms-of-le-mees-france/

Behold the Gorgeous Solar Farms of Le

Mées, France

  • May 27, 2011 • 12:10 pm PDT

The energy company Efinity opened two new solar-power farms in Le Mées in north-central France this month. They’re huge. Together they occupy 89 acres, generating enough electricity for 9,000 families. They were also designed with the landscape in mind. The panels were installed without concrete foundations, which means when their 20-year lifespan is over and they’re removed, there will be healthy land left behind, and grasses are being planted so sheep can graze among them.

But what’s most remarkable about these solar farms is that they’re really aesthetically pleasing. Set on the rolling hills, they look like some sort of Frank Gehry installation. Carbon aside, they’re just much nicer to look at than a coal plant.


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More fun tomorrow.

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Americans Waste Energy Just Getting Out Of Bed – Even while they sleep

This is a great blog post. I will only quote part of it because its point is that we must decentralized our energy sources to avoid losses. But I just want to focus on the losses part. Next week we start another meditation. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. (I realize you can not  see the entire graphic below. More reason to go read the source.)

http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2011/04/us-wastes-more-energy-than-it-uses.html

Thursday, April 21, 2011

It’s Not Just Alternative Energy Versus Fossil Fuels or Nuclear – Energy Has to Become DECENTRALIZE

dot dot dot

This basic trend can be seen around the globe with many energy sources. We’ve most likely already found and tapped the biggest, most accessible and highest-E.R.O.I. oil and gas fields, just as we’ve already exploited the best rivers for hydropower. Now, as we’re extracting new oil and gas in more extreme environments – in deep water far offshore, for example – and as we’re turning to energy alternatives like nuclear power and converting tar sands to gasoline, we’re spending steadily more energy to get energy.

For example, the tar sands of Alberta, likely to be a prime energy source for the United States in the future, have an E.R.O.I. of around 4 to 1, because a huge amount of energy (mainly from natural gas) is needed to convert the sands’ raw bitumen into useable oil.

Professor Charles Hall of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry provides the following graphic to illustrate the point:

 

“Balloon graph” representing quality (y graph) and quantity (x graph) of the United States economy for various fuels at various times. Arrows connect fuels from various times (i.e. domestic oil in 1930, 1970, 2005), and the size of the “balloon” represents part
of the uncertainty associated with EROI estimates.

(Source: US EIA, Cutler Cleveland and C. Hall’s own EROI work in preparation)Click to Enlarge.

(click for larger image.)

The take away message from the graph is that the energy return on investment was very high for oil in 1930, but it is very low today, since the cheap, easy-to-get-to (and less dangerous) oil is gone.

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dot dot dot

America uses 39.97 quads of energy, while it wastes 54.64 quads (i.e. “rejected energy”).

As CNET noted in 2007:

Sixty-two percent of the energy consumed in America today is lost through transmission and general inefficiency. In other words, it doesn’t go toward running your car or keeping your lights on.

Put another way:

  • We waste 650% more energy than all of our nuclear power plants produce
  • We waste 280% more energy than we produce by coal
  • We waste 235% more energy than we produce by natural gas (using deadly fracking)
  • We waste 150% more energy than we generate with other petroleum products

The Department of Energy notes:

Only about 15% of the energy from the fuel you put in your tank gets used to move your car down the road or run useful accessories, such as air conditioning. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and driveline inefficiencies and idling. Therefore, the potential to improve fuel efficiency with advanced technologies is enormous.

According to the DOE, California lost 6.8% of the total amount of electricity used in the state in 2008 through transmission line inefficiencies and losses.

The National Academies Press notes:

By the time energy is delivered to us in a usable form, it has typically undergone several conversions. Every time energy changes forms, some portion is “lost.” It doesn’t disappear, of course. In nature, energy is always conserved. That is, there is exactly as much of it around after something happens as there was before. But with each change, some amount of the original energy turns into forms we don’t want or can’t use, typically as so-called waste heat that is so diffuse it can’t be captured.

Reducing the amount lost – also known as increasing efficiency – is as important to our energy future as finding new sources because gigantic amounts of energy are lost every minute of every day in conversions. Electricity is a good example. By the time the energy content of electric power reaches the end user, it has taken many forms. Most commonly, the process begins when coal is burned in a power station. The chemical energy stored in the coal is liberated in combustion, generating heat that is used to produce steam. The steam turns a turbine, and that mechanical energy is used to turn a generator to produce the electricity.

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The main point being we waste energy to make energy. There is something wrong with that. It really means that resources are not free. But that is another post. More Tuesday.

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Militaries Waste Huge Amounts Of Money – In everything they do

Let us put aside the fact militaries themselves are a huge waste of money. It is estimated that for every 1 $$$ the US for instance spends on a bullet they get 75 cents in return. That is just if it sits on the shelf. If it is used of course it is worth nothing. Not to mention that lavishing spending on militaries brought Empires from the Egypt to the Soviet Union’s down. But the USA’s Military wastes energy like there is no tomorrow. The worst offenders of course are the Airforce and the Navy. The Airforce in particular spews kerosene byproducts into the upper atmosphere where they do the most harm and the Navy because they burn warm asphalt at sea. Not to mention the nuclear issues both as weapons and power sources. But think about our main battle tank. It is as big as a modest 2 story house and it runs on diesel. So the idea that they want to go to zero energy use is great. But I got my doubts.

http://globalgreenworld.org/?p=736

U.S. Army Launches Plan to Make All Military Bases Net Zero

Posted by Ggw Admin on Apr 19, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

Army Vision for Net Zero, Fort Bliss, net zero, renewable energy, U.S. Army, U.S. Military, Waste Reduction, water conservation

Over the past couple of years, the U.S. Army has announced several initiatives ranging from solar-powered tents for troops to hydrogen-powered tanks, however this is their most ambitious program yet. With the help of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. Army is aiming to have all Army installations across the country be net zero.


Army Vision for Net Zero, Fort Bliss, net zero, renewable energy, U.S. Army, U.S. Military, Waste Reduction, water conservation

With funds from the DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the “Army Vision for Net Zero” program will aim to meet mandates to reduce energy as a result of Executive Order 13514. The order calls for all new buildings to be net zero energy by 2030, and it dictates a 30 percent reduction in water use and a 50 percent reduction in waste that goes to landfills. On top of that, the National Defense Authorization Act also mandates that the Army produce or acquire 25 percent of its energy from renewables by 2025.

“The first priority is less,” Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy Environment Katherine Hammack said. “If you use less energy, you don’t have to buy as much – or you don’t have to make as much from alternative energy sources or renewable energy sources. So if you look at energy, that is a focus on energy efficiency. If you’re talking about water, then that’s water conservation. Or even if you’re talking about waste, that’s reducing the amount of waste we have in the steam.”

The program already has a poster child in the form of Fort Bliss. The military base boasts solar daylighting in the dining facility, warehouse and gym, energy-efficient windows, utility monitoring and control for heating and air-conditioning systems in approximately 70 buildings, and plans to increase the on-site hybrid waste-to-energy/concentrating solar power plant from 90 to 140 megawatts. The City of El Paso has committed to provide 1 million tons per year of municipal solid waste, which will be transformed into energy by the base.

“The Army’s net zero vision is a holistic approach to addressing energy, water, and waste at Army installations,” Kingery said. “We look at net zero as a force multiplier for the Army that will help us steward our resources and manage our costs.”

Considering that defense is a massive cause of national debt, the plan serves two purposes – reduced spending and “greening” national security. If the military can get on board with renewable energy, it makes you wonder why other areas of government are having such trouble.

+ U.S Army

Images © US Army

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More tomorrow

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