Category Archives: state fair

Global Warming Slams The Philippines – Yes I will be the first one to say it

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Climatologists and weather people are always nattering on about how you can’t link global warming and a “particular’ WEATHER EVENT. Well I say that is super silly. This last hurricane to hit the Philippines (one of 4 already this season) was caused by global warming. I mean come on, the most powerful storm ever to strike land. When do adjectives like that add up to – caused by. Does the next biggest “ever” storm = global warming. Does a year of the “biggest” storms ever = global warming. Really when can I drop the parenthesis around all the adjectives and just say it out loud. Well I believe today is the day.

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/521536/20131112/climate-change-warsaw-global-warming-typhoon-haiyan.htm#.UoJYfOInN5r

Climate Change Talks: Philippine Representative in Tears Over Haiyan, Receives Standing Ovation

By Reissa Su | November 12, 2013 7:51 PM EST

Typhoon Haiyan has dampened the spirits of climate change negotiators in an international talk on global climate change treaty in Warsaw. Delegates from around the world quickly suggested that the monster typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Philippines was enhanced by global warming.

Typhoon Haiyan has left Vietnam and is now on its way to China at a reduced strength. The super storm has displaced over 600,000 families in the Philippines  leaving most of Tacloban City devastated.

Lead negotiator for an alliance of small island nations Olai Ngedikes said that Typhoon Haiyan should be a “stark reminder” of the lack of action among governments in the world. He said the typhoon should motivate climate change negotiators to push an agreement in Warsaw.

Philippine representative to the UN climate change talks, Naderev Sano said he would fast or refrain from eating in solidarity with typhoon victims or until a meaningful solution will be reached. Mr Sano said the effect of climate change is madness. He added they can put an end to the madness by arriving at an agreement in Warsaw.

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Go there and see the video. Go there and read. More next week.

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Yahoo Attacks The Illinois State Fair – Well not really but my Yahoo account was attacked

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The reason this Post is so late in the day is because I opened my web browser today and it showed that I had 35 messages waiting for me. Someone had unleashed a worm on my address book and it was busy sending all my friends spam. Some of it dangerous spam. I was mortified. I spent over 2 hours checking to make sure it was originating on my computer. People sent some of it back to me so I could see what the heck was spewing out of my account. Then in consultation with my computer expert Afredo I determined that just changing my email password could halt the attack…So I did and it ended. I had to blow off lunch with David Lasley, Dave Fuchs and the Sangamon County Democrats just to get to here…Damnit.

There were some things that I saw at the Illinois State Fair that I did not really care for. One of those things was the prominence of Biofuel in both of  Governor Pat Quinn’s tents. We all know that biofuel, especially ones made from foods, distract people from getting rid of the internal combustion engine. It also drives up food prices so this:

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and this:

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were NOT appreciated.

Though the latest craze in biofuels is watermellons that are farm waste:

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/26/watermelon-fuel.html

Watermelon Juice: The New Fuel?

Michael Reilly, Discovery News

Fill 'er Up

Fill ‘er Up | Discovery News Video

Aug. 26, 2009 — A staple of backyard barbecues and summer time snacks, watermelon is also a promising new source of renewable energy.

According to a new study, leftover watermelons from farms’ harvests could be converted into up to 9.4 million liters (2.5 million gallons) of clean, renewable ethanol fuel every year destined for your car, truck, or airplane’s gas tank.

Agriculturally, watermelon is a peculiar fruit — each year farmers across the country leave between 20 and 40 percent of their crop to rot on the ground. These are the ugly ducklings of the lot; though perfectly fine on the inside, the misshapen or blemished melons simply won’t sell at the grocery store.

“If a crow lands on a melon, takes two pecks at the rind, and then flies away, it’s no good,” Wayne Fish of the United States Department of Agriculture in Lane, Oklahoma said. “I had farmers telling me, ‘I’m leaving one-fifth of my melons on the land. Is there anything I can do with them?'”

Across the United States, he estimated that 360,000 tons of watermelons spoil in fields every year.

Some local growers wondered whether the waste melons could be turned into ethanol, the clean-burning fuel derived from plant sugars. In a series of new experiments published yesterday in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels, Fish and a team of researchers showed that they can.

What’s more, watermelon juice may turn out to be the perfect way to optimize industrial-scale production of ethanol from corn, molasses and sugar cane.

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Then there was this. What the hell. This causes Earth Quakes in Texas yet it makes it to the State Fair?

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Fracking is Coming to Decatur. People better get ready for it:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526233,00.html

Drilling Eyed as Possible Culprit Behind Texas Earthquakes

Sunday, June 14, 2009

CLEBURNE, Texas  —  The earth moved here on June 2. It was the first recorded earthquake in this Texas town’s 140-year history — but not the last.

There have been four small earthquakes since, none with a magnitude greater than 2.8. The most recent ones came Tuesday night, just as the City Council was meeting in an emergency session to discuss what to do about the ground moving.

The council’s solution was to hire a geology consultant to try to answer the question on everyone’s mind: Is natural gas drilling — which began in earnest here in 2001 and has brought great prosperity to Cleburne and other towns across North Texas — causing the quakes?

“I think John Q. Public thinks there is a correlation with drilling,” Mayor Ted Reynolds said. “We haven’t had a quake in recorded history, and all the sudden you drill and there are earthquakes.”

At issue is a drilling practice called “fracking,” in which water is injected into the ground at high pressure to fracture the layers of shale and release natural gas trapped in the rock.

There is no consensus among scientists about whether the practice is contributing to the quakes. But such seismic activity was once rare in Texas and seems to be increasing lately, lending support to the theory that drilling is having a destabilizing effect.

On May 16, three small quakes shook Bedford, a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. Two small earthquakes hit nearby Grand Prairie and Irving on Oct. 31, and again on Nov. 1.

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The Big State Agencies Love The Illinois State Fair As Much As I Do

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*+ On a personal note..CES is a nonprofit organization and when you click on our google ads you make a donation to us. The more you click the more we get. Thanks for being so nice+*

Illinois State Fair

They show up with a vengeance. In all fairness (HAHA) I think some of them are mandated to show up. Again I was disappointed that I did not make it to the Illinois Building for Seniors day because IDENR puts on a great energy conservation display. I also did not make it to the Conservation area so I can not run a picture of the Oil Well like I do each year, nor did I get a chance to buy a TShirt from DENR if their stand was open this year. That said…The Governor had 2 tents and they covered the gambit:

http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/index

First there was the U of I’s Sustainable Technology Center. They claim to have served Illinois since 1985. I got my doubts about that but….

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at:

www.istc.illinois.edu

Then there was the

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Illinois Community College Sustainability Network:

http://ilccsn.ectolearning.com/ecto2/partners/ilccsn/htmsite/pages/home.shtml

established in 2007 to take advantage of the Stimulus Package of 2009…

Eguimqunon was there too:

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Sorry I meant Emiquon..I never can say that name..

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/illinois/preserves/art1112.html

Plus the GREEN House:

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MEET THE GREENS: Now almost all these exhibits were for kids:

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Then again aren’t we all KIDS at Heart?

http://www.meetthegreens.org/

Did I mention the Butter Cow:

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Or the Mehan’s 75 years at the Fair?

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I know I did..

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Energy and the Illinois State Fair – Dancing inbetween the rain drops

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Cathy

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and I went to  the Illinois State Fair

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To see the Butter Cow.

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This year’s fair was really weird weather wise. It rained when Cathy and I normally go on Monday and Tuesday – Senior’s Day and Agriculture Day respectively. So by the time we made it on Friday most everything was gone. Embarrassingly we did not make it to Conservation World where all the cool kids and our friends hang out. We did make it to the Expo Building where home efficiency seemed to be the order of the day:

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We met this nice man from Energy Doctor. A business that offers to tighten your envelop and use other measures as a package to reduce your energy consumption. They started in Iowa but have 5 offices now. Please visit them at:

http://www.energydoctorinc.com/index.html

Then we saw the purdy little girl at the Anderson Windows booth:

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http://www.andersenwindows.com/

And we saw the people from Peoria Siding:

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http://www.peoriasiding.com/pages/siding.php

And  the Four Seasons solar space:

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http://www.fourseasons.com/?source=gaw09cxbrS13&kw=4+seasons&KW_ID=P161761933&creative=2879208154&type=search&keyword=4%20seasons&adid=2879208154&placement=&gclid=CMWmhMOxv5wCFQ7xDAodjGQnnw

OH I mean this Four Seasons:

http://www.fourseasonssunrooms.com/

Having exhausted ourselves we went across the street to Mehan’s food stand and got a corn dog and a lemon shake up. They are celebrating 75 years at the Illinois State Fair…Congratulations

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While I Was Gone Many Energy and Environmental Things Happened

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I was so tempted to post them but I swore that for the first time in 2 years I would take a break. Tomorrow I may even post some vacation photos (shock) and we will be going to the State Fair so there will be pictures of that too (awe). Maybe if you are lucky a picture of the Butter Cow. Anyway in a nutshell here are some of the things I missed:

http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x772302426/Dozens-show-up-for-jobs-at-former-Monterey-coal-mine

Dozens show up for jobs at former Monterey coal mine

By DEB LANDIS

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Posted Aug 14, 2009 @ 08:51 PM

Last update Aug 14, 2009 @ 11:24 PM

WILLIAMSVILLE — Ron Semplowski of Gillespie has been laid off three times in the last four years.

Friday, Semplowski and three members of his extended family who also are unemployed drove an hour to Williamsville for a jobs fair for the Shay No. 1 coal mine that will operate out of the former Monterey coal mine facilities in Macoupin County between Carlinville and Gillespie.More than 50 applicants showed up by 9 a.m., according to the company.

“We drove 65 miles, and the mine is probably two miles from my house,” Semplowski said.  Rodney Rosentreter, who is also from Gillespie, said: “None of us has experience in coal mining, but we have other job experiences.”  Such jobs, said the Semplowski and Rosentreter family members, have included work with automotive, insulation and pork-producing companies.

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http://www.sj-r.com/entertainment/x1528792918/A-E-Notebook-A-new-Lincoln-musical-and-a-documentary-on-coal
Check out ‘Coal Country’ at Brew &View

Liberty Brew & View film series will host a screening of the documentary “Coal Country” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Capital City Bar & Grill, 3149 S. Dirksen Parkway. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The film is about modern coal mining and tells the stories of miners, activists who are battling coal companies in Appalachia, coal company officials and others involved in the industry. The film addresses questions related to the nation’s energy needs and the environmental impact of coal mining.

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I have it on good authority that the cinematographer will be there to discuss his work

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http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1528792006/Ameren-to-lay-off-80-at-Illinois-power-plants

Ameren to lay off 80 at Illinois power plants

By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com)

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Posted Aug 12, 2009 @ 03:08 PM

Last update Aug 12, 2009 @ 11:17 PM

More than 80 jobs at Ameren Corp. power plants in Illinois will be eliminated by the spring of next year as the poor economy continues to drive down demand for electricity, the company announced Wednesday.The cuts include 47 jobs at the Meredosia power plant, approximately 60 miles northwest of Springfield. Wednesday’s announcement came three weeks after the company announced it would cut 55 jobs in its Illinois energy marketing operations.Laid-off workers will be offered transfers, if possible, or severance packages and job-search assistance, according to the company.

“While we regret having to take this action, the challenges we face demand a new model for our merchant generation business. We must build a leaner, more streamlined organization that can more effectively compete in today’s difficult economy where we see much lower prices for our power,” said a statement from Chuck Naslund, president and CEO of Ameren Energy Resources Co.

Naslund said the company also has cut about $1 billion worth of construction projects that had been planned from 2010 to 2013.

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http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1558733451/Wind-farm-neighbors-to-petition-for-greater-distance

Wind farm neighbors to petition for greater distance

By TIM LANDIS (tim.landis@sj-r.com)

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Posted Aug 11, 2009 @ 11:30 PM

A group of Sangamon County residents plans to file petitions this week asking that developers of a commercial wind farm be required to put greater distance between turbines and non-participating property owners.Approximately 450 signatures have been collected for submission to the county board and a county zoning appeals board, Cathy Bomke of Sangamon County Citizens for Wind Rights said Monday.The petitions ask that the current 1,200-foot setback requirement from the property of non-participating landowners be increased to a mile, although Bomke said the mile figure is open to discussion.

“One mile is where we started based on research on health, safety and property values. It’s not cut in stone. It’s a starting point for us,” Bomke said.

Bomke said a few petitions still must counted, but that the group hopes to file the request as early as Wednesday.

“What we’re asking for is a simple review of the setbacks. We’re not trying to stop anything here,” Bomke said.

American Wind Energy Management Corp. continues signing up property owns and conducting tests for the Meridian Wind Farm, a utility-scale project that in the first phase would have as many as 200 turbines in an area roughly between New Berlin and Pleasant Plains.

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 http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/renewable-energy-world-north-america/news/article/2009/08/renewable-energy-world-conference-expo-exceeded-growth-and-attendance-expectations?cmpid=rss

August 13, 2009

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo Exceeded Growth and Attendance Expectations;

Continued Strong Growth in 2010 Is Expected

March 30, 2009/Tulsa, OK

More than 4,000 renewable energy professionals from 75 different countries gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the sixth annual Renewable Energy World North America conference and expo March 10-12. With more than 225 companies exhibiting, both the exhibit and attendance numbers reflected significant increases over a year ago. Next year’s numbers are again expected to increase. A total of over 5,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors are expected at the Renewable Energy World North America conference and expo in Austin, Texas, February 23-25, 2010.

Renewable Energy World North America is owned and managed by PennWell Corporation and is the largest all-renewable conference and exhibition in the world. Conference sessions covered issues related to wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal and hydrogen technologies, projects and finance.

 

“Renewable Energy World North America has shown exceptional growth in recent years and 2009 was no exception,” said Richard Baker, senior vice president of power for PennWell. “Our association partners, corporate sponsors and growing number of exhibitors are instrumental in making this the premiere all-renewable event in the world. Our host utility, NV Energy, exceeded expectations when it came to their support and involvement.”

 

Exhibitors also reported results that exceeded expectations. “Following our successful launch to the utility industry at DistribuTech, we were excited to keep the momentum going with our debut presence at Renewable Energy World 2009 in Las Vegas,” said Therese Wells, Director of Marketing for Ice Energy. “The visibility and exposure we generated there among key influencers has been invaluable for us as we establish the importance of energy storage as a key enabling technology for the renewable industry. We are excited to be back again in 2010. From DistribuTech to PowerGen to Renewable Energy World, PennWell’s global energy conferences

are a fundamental cornerstone of our event strategy.”

 

“Renewable Energy World and Power-Gen are the premier power industry trade shows in the United States,” said Chris Huntington, Vice President of Business Development for SkyFuel. “For SkyFuel, these are the crucial venues in which to meet the customers, suppliers and developers with whom we hope to create a new paradigm in the power industry; one in which utility scale solar power is no longer a marginal alternative but a mainstream option.”

 

The Keynote Session on March 10 featured Roberto Denis, Senior Vice President of Energy Supply for NV Energy. Following his remarks he was joined on stage by the executive directors of each of the leading renewable industry trade associations for a lively roundtable discussion on the economic stimulus, federal and state policy initiatives and technological breakthroughs. Roundtable participants included Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association; Douglas Durante, Executive Director of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition; Karl Gawell, Executive Director if the Geothermal Energy Association; Linda Church-Ciocci, Executive

Director of the National Hydropower Association; Julia Hamm, Executive Director of the Solar Electric Power Association; and Rhone Resch, President & CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Edwin F. Feo, Partner in the law firm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP also took part.

 

Archived video coverage of the event is available by visiting Renewable Energy World.com, the event’s flagship media sponsor.

 

The 2010 event is scheduled for February 23-25 in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit the Renewable Energy World North America web site at www.renewableenergyworld-events.com.

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This is what we have to look forward to:

http://www.conferencealerts.com/energy.htm

August 2009

17 Preparing for a NERC Audit Chicago IL
18 United We Stand / Building A Sustainable Economy – Conference & Trade show Washington DC
18 National Renewable Energy Summit 2009 Kuching Malaysia
21 Beyond the Brain VIII: Self and Death – What Survives? Canterbury United Kingdom
24 High Voltage Transmission Conductors Conference – (?69 kV) Chicago IL
24 Oil and Gas Boot Camp™ Houston Texas
25 Utility Scale CSP–Breaking Barriers and Lowering Cost Denver CO
26 ICESE 2009 – International Conference on Electrical Systems Engineering London Other
26 CESSE 2009 – International Conference on Computer, Electrical, and Systems Science, and Engineering London Other
26 CESSE 2009 – International Conference on Computer, Electrical, and Systems Science, and Engineering Singapore Singapore
26 ICEE 2009 – International Conference on Energy and Environment Singapore Singapore
26 The 3rd International Conference on Fermentation Technology for Value Added Agricultural Products Khon Kaen Thailand
27 Australian Institute of Hotel Engineers Gold Coast Australia
28 International Workshop on Empirical Methods in Energy Economics (EMEE09) Jasper Canada
30 SYNERGY AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT in Agricultural Engineering Gödöllõ Hungary
31 The Indian Sugar Summit New Delhi India
31 Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) 2009 Aachen Germany
SET 2009 conference brings together leadingacademics and industrial partners and provides thelatest developments in sustainable technologies inthe energy, built environment, transport, waste &industry to stimulate new collaboration.

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Windows Are Just Plain Stupid – If you want to see outdoors go outside

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(it is jam band friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFzZXvivo4c )

I know, I know…during the winter you can gather all that heat and store in something like a Trombe Wall but then you get into all this summer winter trade offs. You end up having to “shut off” the windows in the summer. There is a natural lighting argument and I am sure that in a work environment there is a health factor in there too. For homes however you can supply the light with light tunnels and avoid the solar load. Again health wise, if you want to feel one with nature – Go for a walk.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2c-iMqlA_w&feature=related )
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http://www.celsias.com/article/report-energy-efficiency-could-save-us-whopping-12/

http://digg.com/science

Energy Efficiency Could Save U.S. a Whopping $1.2 Trillion

A new report finds that the low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency is the “single most promising resource” in pursuing energy affordability and security.

In addition to the tremendous savings potential for consumers and businesses, the report   (pdf), by the global consulting firm Mckinsey and Company  , finds that elevating energy efficiency to a national priority could also spur the creation of 600,000-900,000 long-term green jobs and reduce our overall energy consumption by 23 percent.

cfl

What are the implications of the above findings? Energy efficiency is an enormous (and enormously cheap) energy resource for the U.S., “but only if the nation can craft a comprehensive and innovative approach to unlock it.”

One of those barriers is seed money; the $1.2 trillion wouldn’t come for free. The investment, according to the report’s authors, would be about $522 billion over the next ten years, not including program implementation. But an investment of that scale could slash energy consumption in 2020 by 9.1 quadrillion BTUs, or 23% of projected demand, potentially avoiding up to 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Mckinsey and Company found that substantial gains in efficiency could be made by:

1. Recognizing true potential of energy efficiency and prioritizing;
2. Encouraging old as well as new approaches to efficiency at both national and regional levels;
3. Identifying ways to provide the upfront funding for energy efficiency plans and programs;
4. Building collaborative processes with utilities, regulators, government agencies, manufacturers and consumers, and;
5. Fostering innovation in the development and deployment of energy efficiency technologies to sustain ongoing productivity.

Overcoming Significant and Persistent Barriers

To unlock the potential outlined in the report, “significant and persistent barriers” need to be addressed to spur demand for energy efficiency and adopt wide-ranging energy management systems and practices. Sounds easy enough, right? Not so fast, say the report’s authors.

First off, the easiest gains in energy efficiency have already been made and much of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked. Since 1980, energy consumption per unit of floor space has decreased 11% in the residential sector, 21% in the commercial sector and 41% in the industrial sector. But while significant advancements have been made, the report strongly suggests we are not done — largely because of the persistent social, structural and institutional barriers.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5ms95iEQ8Q&feature=related

I will be on vacation for next week and I may or may not post.

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Deep Geothermal Energy – From the winds of the Jetstream to the Bowels of the earth

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I haven’t updated this particular topic area for awhile. I think this may hold the future for us all. Deep drilling for geothermal heat rates 3 pages in the New York Times Online. My. Maybe the rich and powerful are starting to get it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/energy-environment/24geotherm.html?pagewanted=1&%2359&_r=2&%2359;em&%2359;amp

 

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears

 

By JAMES GLANZ

Published: June 23, 2009

BASEL, Switzerland — Markus O. Häring, a former oilman, was a hero in this city of medieval cathedrals and intense environmental passion three years ago, all because he had drilled a hole three miles deep near the corner of Neuhaus Street and Shafer Lane.

 

 

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The Danger of Digging Deeper

 

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Christian Flieri for The New York Times

An earthquake halted Markus O. Häring’s geothermal project in Basel, Switzerland.

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He was prospecting for a vast source of clean, renewable energy that seemed straight out of a Jules Verne novel: the heat simmering within the earth’s bedrock.

All seemed to be going well — until Dec. 8, 2006, when the project set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many in a city that, as every schoolchild here learns, had been devastated exactly 650 years before by a quake that sent two steeples of the Münster Cathedral tumbling into the Rhine.

Hastily shut down, Mr. Häring’s project was soon forgotten by nearly everyone outside Switzerland. As early as this week, though, an American start-up company, AltaRock Energy, will begin using nearly the same method to drill deep into ground laced with fault lines in an area two hours’ drive north of San Francisco.

Residents of the region, which straddles Lake and Sonoma Counties, have already been protesting swarms of smaller earthquakes set off by a less geologically invasive set of energy projects there. AltaRock officials said that they chose the spot in part because the history of mostly small quakes reassured them that the risks were limited.

Like the effort in Basel, the new project will tap geothermal energy by fracturing hard rock more than two miles deep to extract its heat. AltaRock, founded by Susan Petty, a veteran geothermal researcher, has secured more than $36 million from the Energy Department, several large venture-capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Google. AltaRock maintains that it will steer clear of large faults and that it can operate safely.

But in a report on seismic impact that AltaRock was required to file, the company failed to mention that the Basel program was shut down because of the earthquake it caused. AltaRock claimed it was uncertain that the project had caused the quake, even though Swiss government seismologists and officials on the Basel project agreed that it did. Nor did AltaRock mention the thousands of smaller earthquakes induced by the Basel project that continued for months after it shut down.

The California project is the first of dozens that could be operating in the United States in the next several years, driven by a push to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases and the Obama administration’s support for renewable energy.

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IN Australia where it holds huge potential, as it does on the whole ring of fire.

http://thinkgeoenergy.com/archives/1832

Australia opens round 2 of the Geothermal Drilling Program


Enlarge ImageAustralia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program and Australia’s Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP invites geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under this round of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) program.

Written by: lxrichter
Picture: Habanero, Drilling Rig, Geodynamics (source: Geodynamics)
Reported today, Australia opens the second round of the Geothermal Drilling Program with “The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP inviting geothermal companies to submit applications for funding under Round 2 of the A$50 million (US$39.8 million) Geothermal Drilling Program, which opened today.

Round 2 funding will provide grants of up to A$7 million (US$5.6 million) on a matching-funding basis to support the drilling of deep geothermal wells and help finance geothermal proof-of-concept projects.
Geothermal energy producers pump water below ground (sometimes as deep as 5 kilometers (3.1 miles)), where it is heated by ‘hot rocks’. The heat energy is then used to generate electricity.

Ferguson said: “Geoscience Australia estimates that if just one per cent of Australia’s geothermal energy was extracted it would equate to 26,000 times Australia’s total annual energy consumption. “Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source with enormous potential in Australia; however, the Government recognizes technical development costs are high.

“The Australian Government is pleased to be able to support drilling at the first stage of development as part of its A$4.5 billion (US$3.5 billion) Clean Energy Initiative.

“Geothermal energy is important because it has the capacity to produce baseload power, diversify Australia’s energy supply and increase our energy security.

“The Australian Government has set a target for 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2020; a policy which will likely require an additional 45,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity generation from renewable sources.

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HOT Rocks Rock

Weird Cow Friday – It’s true it is the Illinois State Fair time again

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I was really disappointed in the Illinois State Fair this year. Last year there was so much energy conservation going on, both in the public and the private sector.  This year there was nothing but Conservation World. DO NOT get me wrong, as I said to the guy on the trolley as we drove by, “When I was young Conservation World was 2 guys under a tent. One guy from Ag. and one guy from DNR.” Now it takes up an entire corner of the Fair Grounds, has its own lake and the huge and energy efficient Department of Natural Resources building. It’s just that there wasn’t much going on around the rest of the fairgrounds. Yes, there were corn dogs and all the other exciting things that make the fair so cool, but I guess I got spoiled.

Anyway I go to the fair for the world famous Butter Cow. It starts out as this:

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Then they strip it down to this:

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That is a telephone by the way in its head. Then they build it back to this:

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The skunks are new!

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Juche – a simple name for a nasty idea. Kim Il Sungism

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Jodie Foster, Pregnant Man, Iran, Prince Philip, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, American Idol, Obama, China, Beyonce, Rolling Stones. (sorry for the deception but please read below)

Normally I wouldn’t bother to cover this but since it’s on the list I felt I needed to “dis” it as much as I could. I even took the time to get Buzzes top searches for the week to punch it up a bit. I even checked every category Energy Tough Love has to publicize this human indignity. The list of “Religions” that I used to start this meditation on the relationship between Religion and the Environment placed Juche well down on the list but with 18 million adherents that still alot of folks. I had never heard of it before and I even asked a couple of people if they had heard of it. Imagine my suprise when I typed it into a search engine and up popped this Prick who claimed he was god:

www.dictatorofthemonth.com

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During his lifetime he forced millions of people in North Korea to worship him. Can you imagine anything more degrading or disgusting then a man who points a loaded gun at your head and demands that you treat him like a god. You must pray to him. Oh most Divine Leader. Makes me want to puke. But then he is followed by this buffoon:

www.beconfused.com

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Now they are “worshiping” something no better than a trained monkey. If they had an ENVIRONMENTAL group in North Korea, I wish them the best of luck but I ain’t gonna publish it. I ain’t even gona type it into a search engine. If anybody ever deserved to get a nuke shoved up his poop shoot. This would be it.

Weird Bird Friday – The State Fair

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I know its totally weird that I spend so much time on the Illinois State Fair, but if I don’t get my corndog, my lemon shakeup, my french fries with the skins on doused in malt and our trip to the Chicken show at the Orr building, I can get cranky. Yes we tour the sheep barn too, but don’t expect any Weird Sheep Friday anytime soon.

Animal lovers and PETA people close your eyes because this is 2000-3000 Birds all in once place in …how can I say it…ah CAGES.

And yes John and Susan we go to the Chicken show every year…

First up the prize winning Turkey (no kidding)!

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Then the prize winning Duck (quack quack) it really is a loud building to visit.

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Showing some cute duck ass.

Mic Jagger the Chicken.

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The dancing nearly naked chicken.

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 And This BAD BOY in all his glory.

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Those little things sticking out of the water bowel – yea they are chicken straws and who would break the last one?

Finally the big question -would you eat this angry bird? No probably not. Eggs – no way!

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To the seminal question “Do chickens have lips”? Oddly the technical answer is yes! Look very very closely.