Category Archives: stretching a concept

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant…What a dumb idea

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See, it’s not just that it’s a 1973 designed reactor on which construction was started in 1976 and finished in 1984, nor is it the fact that it had 4,000 safety violations, cost 2.4 billion $$$ and was finally paid off in 2004. No, it’s that it is inbetween an ocean and a bay, it’s on a fault line, and it’s in the flow path of a VOLCANO. One that is still ACTIVE.  Everything about this screams “retard alert” or “danger will robinson danger”…

But it isn’t just one volcano it’s 2 in a chain of Volcanoes. Both Natib and Pinatubo Volcanoes are within 60 miles of the site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pinatubo

285px-pinatubo_ash_plume_910612.jpg

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Natib is a whole nother booger that goes off about every 2,000 years and it has been 3,000 years since it went off..

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443497&publicationSubCategoryId=75

The 1992 Torres report

While he was still at Phivolcs, Dr. Ronnie Torres, a foremost expert regarding pyroclastic flows who is now at the University of Hawaii, warned of volcanism and faulting at the site in a 1992 report, “The vulnerability of PNPP site to the hazards of Natib volcano” (Phivolcs Observer, Vol. 8 No. 3: 1-4).Quoting Dr. Torres: “Natib volcano does not erupt very often but could still erupt.” As a rough rule of thumb, the longer a volcano is in repose, the more time it has to store eruptive energy, and thus, the stronger the eventual eruption caldera on Mt. Pinatubo.

The Sonido-Umbal 2001 Report to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

Dr. Ernesto Sonido collaborated with Mr. Jesse Umbal to submit in 2000 an exhaustive, 38-page analysis for SBMA of the geology and geohazards of the Subic Bay area. Jess Umbal is one of the brightest, most competent volcanologists and geologists I know. Working with me during the Pinatubo eruption, he earned his Masters degree at the University of Illinois in 1993. Dr. Sonido is not a volcanologist, so we can assume that Umbal wrote those aspects in the report, which adjudged Natib as “potentially active.” The report documented two Natib eruptions that formed large calderas, one with a diameter more than twice as big as that of the new caldera on Mt. Pinatubo.

The Cabato et al. study

In 1997, Ms. Joan Cabato, Dr. Fernando Siringan and I of the National Institute of Geological Sciences of UP Diliman, collaborating with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the National Power Corp., initiated a geophysical study of the marine geology of Subic Bay. The study was supported as “due diligence” hazard evaluation by then SBMA Chairman Richard J. Gordon.

From a slowly moving boat or ship, we gathered 125 kilometers of “seismic reflection” data. That method puts powerful pulses of low-frequency sound into the water. The sound passes down through the water and into the layers of sediment below the sea floor. Some of the sound is reflected back upwards from the different sediment layers, and is collected by hydrophones trailing behind the boat. Much as if we took an X-ray, electronic equipment automatically uses the returned signals to make a detailed picture of the structure underlying the sea, in our case down to a depth of about 120 meters.

After we processed the data and prepared the manuscript, it underwent rigorous scrutiny by our geological peers in the Philippines and abroad, before it was published in the international Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. I am proud to have been part of that effort, which earned a Masters degree for Joan Cabato, a very bright young woman who recently earned her doctorate from the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

Quite by accident, we discovered a massive deposit of sediment that can only be explained as originating as a large pyroclastic flow from the large Natib caldera, in an eruption that occurred sometime between 11,000 and 18,000 years ago. That date has wrongly been called Natib’s latest eruption. A systematic study of Natib itself could find evidence of even younger eruptions.

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So here is one of the BIG Questions what happens to a reactor when it washes out to sea. I have no answer but it sounds like a very bad idea. Some people would argue that it would just melt down and be encapsulated…but I got my doubts.

http://www.bataan.gov.ph/ragingpeninsula/mt.natib.trekking.html



BATAAN NATURAL PARK
Tala, Orani

Mt.Natib is the highest summit in the entire Natib Caldera System in the Bataan Natural Park, a dormant volcano with an elevation of 1,253 meters above sea level (masl). It lies between the larger Old Caldera and the smaller Pasukulan Caldera and represents the latest of the volcanic edifice to develop in the area. The slope is characterized by very steep forested slope. Mossy forest characterized by small-stunted trees occurs approaching the peak. The peak is covered by a small patch of grassland. Also found are boulders with inscribed names of American expeditionary forces that climbed the peak way back the 1930s.

Mountain climbers and nature lovers will find the mountain exciting and interesting since the forest is home to many floral and faunal species. Migratory birds are also seen in the area. A trail shelter is available for overnight trekkers to pitch their tents and enjoy a breathtaking sunrise. However local guides should escort visitors.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

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What about the Earthquakes? More tomorrow.

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Solar Power Is Ramping UP – Projects announced in New York, Australia and San Francisco in the last couple of weeks

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What has the Oil and Coal Industries freaking out? All the money they are missing out on by not sitting at the cool kid’s table. But then like Enron, and the AIG criminal frauds….they are not the smartest guys and gals in the room.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/05/18/new-york-plans-100-mw-solar-project/

May 18, 2009

New York Plans 100 MW Solar Project

solar5-09

New York Governor David Paterson has announced a 100 MW solar photovoltaic project in New York. The initiative follows on the heels of a recently announced 50 MW solar photovoltaic project. Together, these projects totaling 150 MW would position New York as the state with the second highest installed PV capacity.

The new installations will help New York reach its aggressive renewable energy goals – by 2015, the tate wants to receive 45 percent of its electricity through energy efficiency and clean renewable energy.

The New York Power Authority will issue a Request for Expressions of Interest for the purpose of exploring a public-private partnership for the installation of up to 100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems, including roof-mounted and ground-mounted PV arrays at municipal facilities, public and private schools, businesses and state agencies throughout New York. The deadline for receipt of RFEI proposals is July 7, 2009.

Specifically, NYPA is seeking proposals that would promote “potential regional economic development opportunities for local component manufacturing and assembly.”

If the RFP is issued, it would likely result in a 2010 project start date.

In an attempt to be more environmentally friend, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed that wind turbines be installed on top of the city’s skyscrapers and bridges.

The city has also issued an RFP last year for private solar developers to purchase, install, own and maintain solar panels on city-owned buildings in all five boroughs as part of PlaNYC.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/17/2572847.htm?section=business

Rudd plans ‘world’s largest’ solar project

Posted Sun May 17, 2009 1:22pm AEST
Updated Sun May 17, 2009 4:33pm AEST

Map: Liddell 2333

The Federal Government says it wants to create the largest solar energy project in the world.

It says the project will be as close as possible to the existing energy grid.

Visiting Liddell Power station in the Hunter Valley, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the Government would spend almost $1.4 billion creating the project.

The funding is part of the Government’s commitment to spend $4.5 billion on reducing carbon pollution.

The project will include up to four individual solar plants generating on average the same amount of energy as a coal-fired power station.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the most appropriate sites will be chosen through a tender process to be completed by next year.

“The location will be determined in terms of maximum access to sunlight, maximum proximity to the electricity grid to minimise costs of transmission systems, as well as a number of other technical and design factors as well,” he said.

Mr Rudd has also announced that Australia will become a full member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), which will hold its first meeting in June.

Currently the largest operating plant is in California in the United States.

The Government’s Solar Flagships program hopes to create three times as much energy as that project.

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http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/san-francisco-approves-major-solar-project/

May 8, 2009, 12:00 pm

San Francisco Approves Major Solar Project

By Nick Chambers

INSERT DESCRIPTION

Recurrent Energy San Francisco, in a deal with Recurrent Energy, plans to place a 25,000-panel photovoltaic solar array atop the city’s largest reservoir.

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has approved a plan to build what would be one of the largest solar photovoltaic arrays in California. With five megawatts of capability spread over 25,000 panels, it will, if completed, also be among the largest municipal solar projects in the United States.

(Larger nonmunicipal arrays exist, including a 14-megawatt, 70,000-panel array at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.)

San Francisco’s proposed system — which would produce roughly the amount of energy used by 1,000 households, the developers said — would bring the city’s total solar capacity to seven megawatts. It will be used to power municipal properties like schools and government offices.

“Earlier this week, San Francisco took another major step towards achieving our commitments to reduce greenhouse gases and grow our green economy,” said San Francisco’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, in an e-mail message. “With this single project, we will more than triple San Francisco’s solar energy production, build California’s largest photovoltaic system and help lead the state towards a future of clean, renewable energy.”

Under the deal, Recurrent Energy, a local solar company, will assume the initial financial responsibility for the panels, as well as pay for continuing operating and maintenance costs. In return, the city incurs no upfront expenses, but is obliged to purchase energy directly from Recurrent Energy at a cost of 23.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, plus 3 percent per year.

In years 7, 15 or 25 of operation, the city has the option to purchase the array outright at fair market value or $33 million — whichever is higher.

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Cool Surge – Another fraud just like the Amish Heater

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(jam band friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72DdlmI_Jug – Mark Bolen the original glam rocker)

What has happened to the newspaper business? Has corporate greed simply run amuck or has 30 years of deregulation simply inured us to the type of fraud you used to find in the back of comic books. You know the kind that advertises “X-Ray Glasses” – with the caveat that “you see what you imagine when you put them on”. Back then the sums of money involved were so small and the companies were so hard to find that the Feds didn’t even bother with tracking them down. Anyway they served as a valuable education tool for children – “advertising is nothing but skillful lieing”. But the Ad in the State Journal Register was a part of a national campaign that must have cost MILLIONs of $$$, was targeted at old people and as one commenter said, “could costs the lives of the elderly in a heat wave”. See for yourself:

http://www.regruntled.com/2008/06/26/cool-surge-scam/

coolsurgetower The morning paper had another of those full-page ads.  You know, the ones that look like newspaper articles but have “advertisement” in tiny print somewhere on the page.  According to the Cool Surge website:

The Cool Surge eco-friendly air cooler is a work of engineering genius from the China coast so advanced that no windows, vents or freon are required. It is as easy to use as a baby’s vaporizer and even includes the four hour extra cooling power of the glacier ice blocks. It uses the same electricity as a 60 watt light bulb, yet it blasts out ice cooled air. The hi-efficiency motor cools the air around the unit up to ten degrees so you’ll instantly feel cool and refreshed. The 3 cooling levels and auto shut off function put all the comfort controls right at your finger tips. It’s so impressive that it even comes with a full year Money Back Guarantee.

A 60-watt ventless air conditioner?  Yeah, right.  It’s a fan that blows air over “glacier ice blocks” which you have to freeze in your freezer.  The freezer uses all the electricity, not the fan.  And since the whole system (fan + refrigerator) is ventless, it makes your house WARMER, not cooler.  That is, the fan blows cool air in your face, while your refrigerator makes the kitchen warmer.  On average, the house gets warmer.

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(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFpwSTEWc34&feature=related )

So essentially what the machine does is blow air over an icepack that you freeze in your freezer. This is nothing but an attempt to bilk poor people and people on fixed incomes out of money. They hope to take advantage of the ever rising energy prices to blind people to the laughable nature of any sort of cooling claims. You can buy a cheap window fan (that at least partial vents the heat from the fan) for 30 $$$ at a hardware store  and a freeze pack or 2 at your local grocery store for under 5 $$$. They want 300 $$$ PLUS shipping for their unit. What a joke. If you have ever taken your lunch to work with an ice pack in it, you know how well your cooler has to be insulated to make it work well. Try that in a house.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUc629OcQPo&feature=related )
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/maintenance/Cool-Surge-Portable-Air-Cooler-319687-.htm

This from Ed last year:

Posted by Edwin Pawlowski on July 18, 2008, 10:01 pm

The laws of physics still win. It uses ice blocks. You remove the heat
from the block in your freezer. The freezer takes that heat and puts it
back into the room. Then you put the blocks in the unit and they absorb
heat making you feel cool right in front of it. Meantime, the block get hot
so you put them back in the freezer and remove the heat putting it back into
the room again.

It is close to a perpetual motion machine, but it has to actually add heat
along the way from the mechanical devices moving the heat energy around.

Get a real AC that removes the heat from one place and puts it into the
outdoors, not in another room of the same house.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXPz9zoAS0  )

Then there is this cute response from HeyBub:

 http://groups.google.com/group/alt.home.repair/browse_thread/thread/27d30a3abc22aabb

HeyBub

It blows air over blocks of ice which you’ve created in your fridge.
Assuming your freezer is in the same house – a closed system – you’re
creating more heat than you’re removing.
Google “cool+surge+scam” yields over three million hits.

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( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NUTS0ggJ4o )

What does it matter if some boobs get swindled? Well it does matter.

http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/holocaust.htm

Holocaust of the elderly: death toll in French heatwave rises to 10,000

By John Lichfield in Paris

The Independent, 22 August 2003 

The summer of 2003 will be remembered as the year of the holocaust of the French elderly.

France was reeling yesterday from figures that suggested some 10,000 people – mostly over the age of 75 – were killed by this month’s heatwave, double the previous estimate.

As a political storm raged over blame for the deaths, President Jacques Chirac called an emergency cabinet meeting and promised an inquiry to examine “with complete openness” the failings of the health and welfare system.

Half the victims are believed to have died in old people’s homes, many operating with fewer staff during the August holidays. Many hospitals had closed complete wards for the month and were unable to offer sophisticated, or sometimes even basic, treatment to victims. About 2,000 people are thought to have died in their homes from the effects of dehydration and other heat- related problems while neighbours and relatives were away.

Such was the death rate – described officially as a period of “surplus mortality” – that families are now having to wait for up to two weeks for a funeral because of a shortage of coffins, priests and grave-diggers.


back

 

 

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Studies show that elderly women tend to live alone more than men and their life expectancies are higher so you are talking about your grandmother or your mother. So care already!

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I leave you with the history of Glam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-YZnEomMjs

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Flexible Solar Photovoltaics – They could change your view of electrical power forever

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What would the world look like if every surface of your house generated electricity. This is a very practical issue. During the illegal rate hikes of 2007 my brother Mike who owns an all electric house figured that for him to got off the grid it would take a 10 kilowatt system. At the time using only solid solar panels he figured there was not enough space on his roof to put the power generation there. But what if every surface of his house except the windows generated power. I am sure that he has enough sun facing surfaces to generate that much power. (more on the windows later. and yes I did recommend a personal windmill but…)

First there is the flex version of a stand panel which is light enough to hang on exterior walls:

http://store.altestore.com/Solar-Panels/Flexible-Rollable-Solar-Panels/c679/

Flexible Solar Panels, Flexible Portable Solar Panels, Solar Energy Panels from

Flexible solar panels are the perfect low wattage, environmentally friendly and space efficient energy solution. If you have an appliance or gadget that requires between 5 and 20 watts of power, these versatile flexible portable solar panels will be just the right fit. Just use these solar energy panels to charge up the battery you want to use to run your basic necessities. You can roll them up to move them or store them or install them semi-permanently. These are a great solution for camping or marine excursions where you may not have sufficient room for a traditional solar panel. These flexible solar panels come in multiple sizes and can offer multiple wattage power and they all weigh less than 2 pounds.

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It can even bend around corners:

http://www.siliconsolar.com/flexible-solar-panels.html

Flexible Solar Panels: The lightest thin film flexible solar panels on today’s market are available from Silicon Solar.

Solar technology has reached its most convenient, lightweight form: the newly-engineered flexible solar panel. Silicon Solar is the proud carrier of over 50 modules of flexible solar panels, offered in a variety of sizes.

Through recent developments, Silicon Solar has provided ways of listing thin, light weight, flexible solar panels allowing for multiple applications to now be solar accessible that never were before.

Thin Film solar cells and panels now allow for several types of application to be introduced into the market including solar backpacks, solar thin film clothing and athletic apparel. We at Silicon Solar have taken these methods to the extreme and receive requests from customers who give us incentive and constructive feedback on developing new ways of utilizing this technology not only for them, but for you as well. Each flexible solar panel can be rolled up to 2 inches in diameter, making the paper thin solar cell one of the most durable and long lasting solar modules on the market.

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What about a tent that generates all the electricity you need on a camping trip? I can’t show you much of the website because it is too heavey into video but:

http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/

What’s New

Earth Care Products Using PowerFilm Technology
A stick-on solar panel to use to charge golf cart batteries while out on the course is voted the year’s best new product by the PGA.
http://www.solarenergygolfcarts.com/

PowerFilm’s USB + AA Solar Charger took second place in the Mobile CE – Fashion & Lifestyle Products competition at CTIA Wireless 2009.

Nearly 300 products were submitted for consideration for the various catagories and PowerFilm was among the few to be recognized.

Temporarily Unavailable
The RA-5 Accessory (12-Volt Deluxe Universal Battery Charger/Analyzer/Conditioner) is temporarily out of stock. Sorry for any inconvenience. Please check back soon!

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Finally what if your drapes in your windows or the couch in the bay window could be generators? Now imagine everyhouse in the United States outfitted this way.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617114723.htm

Getting Wrapped Up In Solar Textiles

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2008) — Sheila Kennedy, an expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture who is now at MIT, creates designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy.

These new materials, known as solar textiles, work like the now-familiar photovoltaic cells in solar panels. Made of semiconductor materials, they absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity.

Kennedy uses 3-D modeling software to design with solar textiles, generating membrane-like surfaces that can become energy-efficient cladding for roofs or walls. Solar textiles may also be draped like curtains.

“Surfaces that define space can also be producers of energy,” says Kennedy, a visiting lecturer in architecture. “The boundaries between traditional walls and utilities are shifting.”

Principal architect in the Boston firm, Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd., and design director of its materials research group, KVA Matx, Kennedy came to MIT this year. She was inspired, she says, by President Susan Hockfield’s plan to make MIT the “energy university” and by MIT’s interdisciplinary energy curriculum that integrates research and practice.

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http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/solar-textiles-0609.html

MIT lecturer focuses on flexible photovoltaic materials

Sarah H. Wright, News Office
June 9, 2008

This spring, Kennedy taught a new MIT architecture course, Soft Space: Sustainable Strategies for Textile Construction. She challenged the students to design architectural proposals for a new fast train station and public market in Porto, Portugal.

For Mary Hale, graduate student in architecture, Kennedy’s Soft Space course was an inspiration to pursue photovoltaic technology in her master’s thesis.

“I have always been interested in photovoltaics, but before this studio, I am not sure that I would have felt empowered to integrate them into a personal, self-propelled, project,” she says.

Kennedy, for her part, will pursue her research in pushing the envelope of energy-efficiency and architecture. A recent project, “Soft House,” exhibited at the Vitra Design Museum in Essen, Germany, illustrates what Kennedy means when she says the boundaries between walls and utilities are changing.

For Soft House, Kennedy transformed household curtains into mobile, flexible energy-harvesting surfaces with integrated solid-state lighting. Soft House curtains move to follow the sun and can generate up to 16,000 watt-hours of electricity–more than half the daily power needs of an average American household.

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Dan Piraro, Jason Love And Matthew Difee Go Live – What do 3 pretty funny guys have to do with energy

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Or even the environment or residential energy conservation? Well Actually nothing but Dan lets me post a cartoon of his periodically here when I am completely out of ideas or when he is particularly brilliant which ever comes first. So when he asked his blog readers to reach out to media moguls and poobas to see if they might air a version of it like on Showtime or HBO I could not resist but first the toon:

http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/

bz-earthday-04-22-09wb.jpg

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Now the Pitch:

COMEDY SHOW!!!

(Click the image for largerer viewage.)

A RARE COMEDY EVENT COMING TO YOUR TOWN!!!
(If your town is New York City.)

I’m doing one of my increasingly rare comedy shows in NYC for an ENTIRE WEEK next month and I can’t bear the thought of going on unless you’re going to be there. Please don’t break my already fragile heart by saying, “I can’t afford to fly all the way to New York From Seattle,” or “I wish I could be there but I’m in prison until 2019.” What is more important to you? Your precious money or my flimsy ego? (Before you answer that, consider that I will give you an autograph when you come to the show, which you can then sell on eBay to offset $3-$4 of your airfare and hotel costs.)

Seriously, this is a big show for me. I do a talk or a short set now and then, most often on the West Coast, but I’m doing fewer of these long-form comedy shows all the time and this is a full week of performances off-Broadway in NYC, so there are a lot of seats to fill. Please come. If you can’t come, send someone you know in NYC to the show and tell them to tell me you said “hi.”

After the show, you’ll be able to meet me, Jason, and Matthew as we hang out in the lobby selling books, signing breasts, and pooping out witty ripostes like a member of the Algonquin Round Table. If you’re lucky, you might even meet CHNW!

Ticket info here. Hope to see you there!

 

Posted by PIRARO at 9:30 AM 8 comments

Labels: , ,

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So if you are the Chief Executive Officer of a cable channel like say:

Matt Blank

at Showtime

or

Bill Nelson

at HBO

or

Doug Herzog

at Comedy Central

or even

John Odoner

at JTV

Give these poor guys a break and send someone to their show. Thanks again Dan!
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Alternative Energy Costs Money – All the headlines that are simply wrong

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Conserving Energy Will Bankrupt Our Economy

Energy Efficiency Is Too Expensive For Poor People

Coal Will Always Be a Part Of Our Energy Mix

The Future Is Nuclear Power

And so it goes. I will say it only one time and then repeat it for the rest of my life, YOU WILL Always SAVE Money By Saving Energy. Right now in the worst Depression since the Great Recession people are still throwing their energy $$$ out the window. People are so used to Energy as a Commodity concepts that they talk about turning the thermostats down not Turning Their Insulation up. There is nothing wrong with drying your clothes on a clothesline. How are you going to lose money planting a garden?

No greater authority than Parade Magazine posts these articles from Sunday:

http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/finding-joy-in-frugality.html

$AVINGS SURVIVAL GUIDE

Finding Joy in Frugality

by Alix Kates Shulman

published: 05/10/2009

Related Features

1. Savings Strategies

2. How To Save Smarter

3. My Haunted House

 

The author at home with her frugal finds, including flowers that she dried herself.

For decades, frugality has been despised as stinginess. But with the recent collapse of consumer culture, it is now in style again. Its return confirms that, given time, everything sensible eventually comes back into fashion—an article of faith to the thrifty, including me.

I was not always frugal. In high school I was as careless a spender as any other suburban American girl. The clothes and music I bought with my after-school earnings didn’t  begin to satisfy my longings, which I regularly laid on my parents as a fatal need for another sweater.

Then, suddenly, when I moved to New York for graduate school, I did a complete turnaround. Initially, I was motivated by the desire to spend a year abroad, which in those pre-credit-card days required saving money. But mainly, I think, living on my own for the first time, I felt free to revise my values to suit a serious-minded grad student.

I adopted a set of simple if stringent rules that still make sense today: If you don’t need it, don’t buy it; never buy a new one if your old one works; never buy an expensive one when a lower-priced one will do. I abandoned bookstores for libraries, restaurants for my kitchen, boutiques for bargains—and soon found myself enjoying a gleeful sense of liberation. By limiting my consumption and saving for what I really wanted, I felt empowered. Here was a way to beat the system and achieve control.

But frugality is one thing in a student, another in a woman of the world. As the years passed, I hung onto it, but I also knew better than to broadcast it. It became a secret strength, a guilty pleasure.

My delight in frugality took a giant step when, at age 50, I went one summer to a house on an island off the coast of Maine. It offered propane and rainwater instead of electricity and plumbing, and the island store was an hour’s walk away. Far from lamenting the lack of amenities, I felt stimulated and challenged. With nothing to buy and no one to impress, I set out to discover what mattered most. What I learned is how little one needs to be content and how much of life’s bounty is free if you open your eyes and use your imagination.

 

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This as well:

http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/how-to-save-smarter.html

$AVINGS SURVIVAL GUIDE

How To Save Smarter

by Tim Harford

published: 05/10/2009

Not very long ago, Americans were terrible savers. In 2007, the average person put aside 60 cents of every $100, or .6% per paycheck. However, the current economic downturn has shocked us into depositing more at the bank. As of February, the personal savings rate was more than 4%. That’s a big improvement, but it’s still half of 1980s levels, when Americans routinely socked away 10% of their paychecks. Why is saving so hard? And how can we be smarter savers?

Behavioral economists—researchers who mix psychology and economics—have uncovered three reasons why people find it so difficult to save. The first is temptation: Although we often later regret it, we just can’t resist spending. The second is lack of understanding: Our brains can’t quite grasp the profitability of saving. The third is optimism: We believe that everything will work out, even if we don’t save.

Fortunately, researchers have found solutions to these problems. Temptation can be countered if you make saving as much fun as spending. This isn’t such a stretch. Neuroeconomist Ben Seymour of University College, London, sits in front of a brain scanner and watches what happens in our heads when we think about financial decisions. He found that imagining a future purchase is almost as good as getting it. For example, when we daydream about buying a new car, our brains respond in much the same way as when we actually make the purchase.

We can harness this buzz to our benefit by discarding vague ideas of “saving for a rainy day” and focusing instead on particular items we need or want. “Saving is much easier when it’s for something specific,” Seymour says. Reinforce this connection in your mind by opening a different savings account devoted to each of your goals: one for a new car, one for a vacation, one for a child’s college tuition fees.

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So is a Killowatt saved a Killowatt earned? Damn Straight:

http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2009/20090023.html

March 19, 2009 – Vol.13 No.52

ENERGY FRUGALITY MAKES GOOD BUSINESS.
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News

Author, activist, statesman, inventor Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Kilowatts weren’t yet conceived in his day but the experimenter in electricity certainly would have quipped, “Kilowatts saved are pennies earned.”

Somehow I think the man who believed in frugality would have been a vocal proponent of energy efficiency.

Today, saving energy and using it more efficiently is not just virtuous, it’s good business. In an economy struggling to get traction, spending less on energy can mean the difference between business failure and staying in it. A penny spent on energy savings can shift a negative number on the balance sheet into the positive column.

For an individual a switch to a more fuel efficient car or truck will make an immediate and noticeable difference in cash outflows. But adding more efficient lighting or beefing up insulation in a home will be barely noticeable on the monthly utility bill. (Rest assured; the savings will be there and evident in the long run.)

However, for a business, energy efficiency measures of all kinds will stand out when the bill comes due. When dozens, hundreds or thousands of light fixtures are changed to more efficient ones the effect on the bottom line will be immediate. Further, calculating the dollars and cents difference between the efficiency investment and long term energy savings can give a business a long term bill of health.

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Or This:

http://ase.org/content/news/detail/5549

 

Frugality 101: Why Pay More for Energy Than You Have To?

For Further Information
Rozanne Weissman 202/530-2217 rweissman@ase.org

For Immediate Release

(Editor’s note: The news release has hypertext links as well as complete web links to meet various media, web, and blog needs.)

Washington, DC, April 2009 – Although gasoline prices are heading upward once again, they are nowhere near last summer’s average high of $4.11 a gallon, meaning that you could drive more for less. But is that smart? As a matter of fact, one of the bright spots in this turbulent economy is that it will actually cost significantly less to power your home and vehicles this year than last year.

With “frugality” being the hot buzzword in this tough economy, why pay more for energy than you have to? The Alliance to Save Energy offers extensive money-saving resources and tips to reduce your energy bills so you and your family have more money for other things:

  • Unemployed, home more, and watching your home energy bills soar? When a home is in use 24/7, more energy is used for heating or cooling, lighting, home office equipment, electronics, water, and other needs. The Alliance to Save Energy’s consumer website (www.ase.org/consumers) offers an entire section on Tips to Lower Your Energy Bills.
  • $1,500 home energy efficiency tax credit. There’s no better time than this year or next year to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Certain home energy efficiency improvements are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 through the end of 2010 as part of the February “stimulus” package. The Alliance provides all pertinent details on home and vehicle tax credits (http://ase.org/section/_audience/consumers/taxcredits). The tax credit increases the federal income tax refund you would get or lessens the money you would otherwise owe. In addition, these improvements would simultaneously reduce your monthly energy bills, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

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For much more:

www.consultenergyefficientdesign.com/2009/03/energy–frugality-makes-good-business.html

http://frugalist.instantcreditcard.com/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/5089236/Wartime-frugality-needed-to-help-fight-climate-change-says-Energy-Saving-Trust.html

http://americanenergycrisis.blogspot.com/2009/03/frugal-is-in-again.html

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Tidal Generators – Let’s harness the Moon before it drifts away

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It’s Jammin Band Friday. Not only that but I have spent so much time this week hyping the Wind Power 2009 conference/convention that I thought I should end on a surfin note:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKROlUWkbsQ

It is a little know fact that the moon is moving away from the Earth at about an inch per year. We know this because on one of the Apollo Landings (quick for those of you who don’t believe that they ever happened -CLOSE Your Eyes) they placed an aluminum block on it’s surface. Since that time and with intensifying accuracy we have been bouncing lasers off of it and this has allowed us to determine the distance to the moon (its original purpose) but the unexpected find that that distance is widening…Anyway this means that eventually the Moon will drift away into space. I think we should harvest its today power while we can. I mean in a million years or so it could be gone. Here is a huge thought problem for you…Where will it go?..Whoa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz-I2pYc4Kg

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http://www.gedwardcook.com/

We The People 

Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness:  Health Care is a RIGHT 
Solar Power  The Wave of Tomorrow!!!
The three devices  The Syphon Wave Generator , The Floating Wave Generator and The Under The Bottom Generator
could have a major effect in stopping global warming by converting ocean waves into electricity.
Click Here to see the new Syphon Wave Generator video on You Tube!!
            The Syphon Wave Generator           The Floating Wave Generator          The Under the Bottom Generator
Patent No. 7355298     04/08/2008               Patent No. US 7315092    01/01/2008          Patent Pending No. 61204580
                              The Three inventions are being developed by Green Wave Energy Corp www.GWEConline.com
Click these links for more information and videos
NEW!   WORKING SYPHON MOVIE
THE FLOATING WAVE GENERATOR
  There will soon be a new video of a working Floating Wave Generator producing Hydrogen and Real Power and The Under the Bottom Generator!!
ARE YOU READY FOR REAL CHANGE?
How about a power plant for less than $1 per watt to construct and install?
Click here for more information!
For Energy Saving Products including:
Wind Mills   Solar Collectors  and  Power Save Products
go to  GWEC    www.GWEConline.com  
 WHAT WILL THESE GENERATORS DO?
STOP GLOBAL WARMING!
These units could produce enough power to replace most oil, coal and nuclear power plants with 100% solar produced electricity.  The Syphon Wave Generators would produce enough electricity at such a low cost they would make it possible to separate the hydrogen from ocean water and  store it in power cells to use in our cars and trucks. We would also be able to convert homes now powered with heating oil to electric heat saving billions of gallons of oil per year. I estimate one square mile of Syphon Wave Generators, in good locations with average two meter waves, would produce as much power as ten nuclear reactors.  1,000,000,000 watts!
FEED THE HUNGRY!
Today we are growing more and more crops to convert into fuel to run our cars. These crops could feed every hungry person in the world.  I find this unconscionable. We could and should be using our farm land to grow food crops and use the solar power to power our world. We could do this and the Syphon Wave Generator and the Floating Wave Generator are tools to help make this happen.
Thanks for your interest
G Edward Cook
 
:}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6HQtZFxcUo

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http://blogs.tampabay.com/energy/2008/10/wave-power-gene.html

October 02, 2008

Wave power generator cranks up off Portuguese coast, and Oregon may be next

Pelamiswavepower The world’s first commercial wave power project has cranked up at last three miles off the Portuguese coast, CNN reports. The first phase is expected to generate 2.25 megawatts, enough power for 1,000 homes, according to the Guardian.

“If successful, a second phase will see energy generation rise to 21 megawatts from a further 25 machines providing electricity for 15,000 Portuguese homes,” CNN says.

The generators, made by a company called Pelamis, are three red cylindrical converters (shown here) which are partially submerged in the Atlantic Ocean. “Moving up and down on the endless waves of the open sea, they convert motion into electricity, without emitting any of the carbon dioxide that is warming the planet,” the Guardian notes.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxYbR-YyNjs

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http://www.sri.com/news/releases/080307.html

Novel Wave-Powered Generators Deployed in Sea Trials off Florida Coast

 

Technology from SRI International Offers Clean Energy Production from Ocean Waves

Wave BuoyST. PETERSBURG, FLA. – August 3, 2007 – SRI International, an independent, nonprofit research and development organization, announced today the deployment of a prototype buoy-mounted, ocean wave-powered generator off the coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay. Beginning today, SRI will test the wave-powered generator for approximately two weeks. The deployment is part of a program sponsored by HYPER DRIVE Corporation, Ltd., a Japanese company focused on development and deployment of wave-powered generators around the world.

SRI’s wave-powered generators can be deployed on existing ocean buoys that use batteries as their energy source. SRI’s new generator utilizes patented electroactive polymer artificial muscle (EPAM™) technology, and offers a renewable method to continually power ocean buoys. SRI will use instrumentation that allows remote monitoring of the generator’s output energy as well as wave height and buoy motion. Assisting the Menlo Park, California-based research team are researchers in SRI’s new Marine Technology Program, which is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. SRI is also working with Artificial Muscle, Inc., an SRI spin-off company and the exclusive licensee of EPAM, in the development of the EPAM components for the wave-powered generators.

“HYPER DRIVE is excited to work with SRI on this important application of EPAM technology,” said Shuji Yonemura, CEO, HYPER DRIVE. “We see great potential in applying this technology to wave-power generation around the world in the near future.”

“When SRI International opened its operations in St. Petersburg earlier this year, we anticipated great strides in marine research like we see today,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker. “This energy-generating technology is a perfect fit for an industry based in St. Petersburg, which was designated Florida’s first and only green city by the Florida Green Building Coalition.”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOuS04rPwj4

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http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/bouncing_buoy_w.php

wave_power_1.jpg

Proving once again that there is little new under the sun (or the waves) is this 1932 version of the wave power generators that we showed here and here. It works on the basis of an “inertia motor” where “When a wave starts to lift the hollow sphere, the massive weight inside, because of its inertia, resists the movement and exerts terrific pressure in the lower cylinder. Finally the inertia of the weight is overcome. Then it possesses momentum. When the sphere reaches the crest of a wave, the combined effort of the momentum and the recoil of the huge, semi-elliptic springs exerts an equal pressure in the upper cylinder. The tremendous pressure is applied to oil, which, in turn, operates a special turbine which runs a generator. The current is conducted to the shore by submarine cable.” ::Modern Mechanix

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Heaven Let The Light Shine Down – indeed

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

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Wind Power 2009 In Chicago – It is the last day and I thought I would at least put up something

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I checked the Tribune – nothing. I checked the Sun Times – nothing. I googled and got several up and coming Wind Power Conventions/Conferences – nothing:

Wind Power Asia

http://www.windpowerasia.com/

Wind Power Transmission

http://www.windpowertd-events.com/

Small Wind Conference

http://www.the-mrea.org/smallwind.php

This one that happened in Chicago in MARCH:

 http://www.platts.com/Events/2009/pc908/

The Oil Drum won’t load up:

http://www.theoildrum.com/

Connection Interrupted
The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.
The network link was interrupted while negotiating a connection. Please try again.

Fucking geniuses

In desperation I started reading Peak OIL. By God they came through:

http://www.peakoil.com/

Thankyou Coyote

http://www.peakoil.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=48183

Reuters too of course:

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE5457XA20090506

Some Americans clamor to try wind power at home

Wed May 6, 2009 6:30pm EDTBy Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The idea of wind turbines churning out free electricity alongside every home and office building has appeal, judging by the throngs around “community wind” purveyors at a Chicago wind power convention this week.

Darrin Russell of Southwest Windpower was inundated with questions during the Windpower 2009 convention where he explained the economics of the company’s workhorse 2.4 kilowatt Skystream turbine, which plugs into the local electrical grid.

“It’s nice watching the (electricity) meter go backward. Sometimes it gets going pretty fast when the wind blows hard” which it does often at the company’s headquarters in Flagstaff, Arizona, he said.

Russell paid practically nothing for his own turbine, which costs roughly $14,000 to buy and install, thanks to a newly enacted 30 percent federal tax credit for wind projects large and small, state tax credits and rebates of up to $9,000 from many utilities eager to promote renewable energy. The first month his electricity bill was zero.

The company sells to business, homeowners and developers.

“Some companies like to line them up outside instead of flags” to promote their green credentials, he said. “Helps keep their offices cool at least.”

Retailers can draw in environmentally conscious customers if they have a wind turbine outside, experts say.

Potential buyers from Chile, South Korea and the state of Michigan flocked around Southwest Windpower’s olive-green machine with three distinctively curved blades, designed to cut noise. Russell said the company has sold 5,000 small turbines in the past two years, and 150,000 in total.

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Chicago Media Shun The Wind Power 2009 Conference – Oh the bankrupt Tribue ran an op/ed piece about government intervention

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But you would think that a convention/conference that brings 15,000 participants, represents the future and is in a city with a mayor, Richard Daley, who wants to be the greenest governor in the US, that there would be some coverage of “The Latest In Wind Technologies” or “Where Does Chicago Fit Into The New Energy Future” or at least an address by the Mayor. NADA Zilch Nothing. Other people noticed however:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090504006376&newsLang=en

World Business Chicago Facilitates International Networking at WINDPOWER 2009 Conference

 

WINDPOWER 2009

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–World Business Chicago (WBC) and its Chairman, Mayor Richard M. Daley, in conjunction with other key public, private and non-profit partners, tonight hosted a VIP networking reception as part of the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

The reception, with more than 200 people in attendance, was presented by a collaboration of organizations including the AWEA (Organizer/Sponsor), WBC (Organizer/Sponsor), MEGA (Sponsor), the City of Chicago (Organizer), the State of Illinois (Organizer) and the Illinois Finance Authority (Organizer).

The wind power industry is a top economic development priority for WBC, based on the industry’s high growth potential, profitability, job creation/diversity, and wage levels. Chicago offers wind industry companies locational advantages including a skilled labor force, proximity to markets and supplies, natural sources of wind in Illinois and the Midwest, available real estate, access to airports, rail and highway systems and strong public sector commitments to wind industry use and production.

“The WINDPOWER Conference provides World Business Chicago with a wonderful opportunity to showcase Chicago’s position as a prime location for wind power companies,” said Rita Athas, executive director of World Business Chicago. “By hosting this event, we are facilitating dialogue between visiting and local wind power companies, Chicago area companies that may do business with them and our local leaders, in order to foster growth and new opportunities.”

The Chicago area’s locational advantages for the wind industry are evident in recent additions of notable wind power companies include:

Area Headquarters

  • Acciona N. America HQ
  • E.ON N. America Climate & Renewables HQ
  • Nordex USA Inc. HQ
  • Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation N. American HQ
  • Invenergy LLC HQ
  • Midwest Wind Energy LLC HQ
  • Trintek Energy Consulting HQ
  • Wind for Illinois HQ

Area Non-Headquarter Offices

  • Vestas America
  • Horizon Wind Energy
  • Siemens Energy & Automation
  • Winergy Drive Systems Corporation – subsidiary of Siemens

WINDPOWER 2009, the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world, takes place May 4th – 7th, 2009. The show features more than 18,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors and is expected to generate an economic impact of more than $33.3-million to Chicago, according to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (based on the initial estimated attendance of 14,000). Approximately 80 Illinois companies will exhibit at the conference.

The 2009 show was originally set for Minneapolis and moved to Chicago to accommodate a 20% increase over expected attendance, which doubles last year’s show in Houston. WINDPOWER is one of the 50 fastest-growing shows in North America according to Trade Show Weekly. Chicago hosted AWEA’s convention in 2004, when it drew 3,000 attendees.

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Everything you need to know to get there:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/events/view?id=45803

Siterra Booth 5580 at Wind Power 2009

Company: Siterra Corporation
Start date: May 4, 2009
End date: May 7, 2009
Cost: see AWEA.com
Location: McCormick Convention Center, Chicago IL
Website: Visit event website

Siterra will have a booth (5580) at the AWEA Wind Power 2009 Expo in Chicago May 4-7.

WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition is the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world featuring over 15,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibitors. Each year, wind energy professionals gather at this event to learn about the latest industry developments and technologies, review new products and services in the expansive exhibit hall, and network with leading industry decision makers. Join us for what promises to be another exciting event taking place May 4th – 7th, 2009, at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Directions:
McCormick Place Convention Center

Welcome to Chicago’s McCormick Place, a premier convention facility in North America. Located just minutes from downtown Chicago, McCormick Place is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and attracts close to 3 million visitors each year. McCormick Place is comprised of four state-of-the-art buildings: the North and South Buildings, the West Building and Lakeside Center. Together, they form what many consider to be the economic engine that powers the entire convention and tradeshow industry. McCormick Place is committed to creating a great experience for every person, every time!

For a map of McCormick Place Convention Center: http://www.mccormickplace.com/floorplans/map_index.html

For more information: http://www.mccormickplace.com/index.html

Exhibitors: For information on exhibiting in Chicago, FOCUS One utilities, and guidelines and services, visit http://www.mccormickplace.com/exhibitor/exhibitor_01.html.

Guest Services: Click here to open a .pdf document outlining some of the guest services at McCormick Place Convention Center.

Accessibility Map: Click here to open a .pdf map showing the location of all elevators for wheelchair access.
For additional disability services at the convention center, visit http://www.mccormickplace.com/facilities/disabilities.html

Meeting Room Rentals: Interested in renting a meeting room at the convention center or connected Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel? Contact Stefanie Brown at sbrown@awea.org to receive additional information and a meeting room request form.

Parking at the McCormick Place Convention Center: There are several parking lots nearby to the McCormick Place facility including, South, North and West Buildings, Lakeside Center, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, and Soldier Field South Lot. The parking rate is currently $19 per day (one time access). Or exhibitors may order a parking permit that allows for in-and-out privileges for $23.75. Click here to visit the parking & directions part of the McCormick Place website for more information. Please note – the parking information is subject to change and listed here as helpful information for conference attendees.

Driving Directions and Additional Parking Information for the McCormick Place Convention Center: http://www.mccormickplace.com/maps_direct/maps_dir.html
Contact:
Barbara Martin
barbara.martin@siterra.com
415-875-7114:}

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WindPower 2009 – Not everything in Illinois is Coal, Oil and Uranium

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I almost missed this. Tisk, Tisk Tisk…I got the lead from the UK…more Tisk Tisk or would that be Cluck Cluck

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/green-energy-experts-breeze-into-chicago-14291552.html

Green energy experts breeze into Chicago

Nine local companies are in the US this week to attend the world’s largest wind energy exhibition and conference.

They are taking part in an Invest NI trip to Windpower 2009, which runs until Thursday in Chicago. It is the first time companies from Northern Ireland have exhibited at the event, which has grown steadily since it was first run in 2001 by the American Wind Energy Association.

Around 15,000 leading industry professionals and decision makers from across the globe will come together to profile and learn about the latest developments and technologies in the sector.

Invest NI is supporting six local organisations to exhibit at the event alongside 10 other European companies, as part of a unique collaborative umbrella group Global Wind Alliance.

A further three local companies are attending the event with Invest NI assistance to explore possible new business opportunities and network with exhibiting companies.

Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI’s trade director, said: “The global wind energy market is growing rapidly as governments seek to make use of this renewable source of power. In the US alone, the target is for 20% of electricity to be generated from wind by 2030.

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I think it is pretty cool that the Windy City is the site for the Wind Power Convention BUT the Windy City don’t:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-tue-greising-wind-may05,0,1462917.column

Don’t need a law to know which way the wind blows

David Greising
May 5, 2009

 

They have come here by the thousands, to the Windy City, to soak in a belief that wind is the power of the future, and that, just in case others do not see it that way, the law should make it so.

They are the wind-power industry, and they want us. They want us as customers, for starters. So far, so good.

But they also want us to sign on to a program that would invite the federal government to get involved in a system that is working quite well on its own. Not a good idea.

It is one thing for President Barack Obama to say that 20 percent of our nation’s electricity should come from renewable sources by 2030. It is quite another to draft a federal law to make it so.

 

David Greising David Greising Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

Related links

 

The fact of the matter is, the existing system is moving with all due haste toward the goals Obama has set. A mandate requiring the U.S. to meet Obama’s goal is not necessary and would succeed only in strengthening the power and fattening the pocketbooks of the windmill builders that want the mandate.

Wind power has quietly become one of the big growth industries in the U.S. While only 1 percent of electricity today comes from the wind, some 40 percent of new electricity capacity built in the last two years is wind power.

Taking wind power from that tiny 1 percent to 20 percent would be a phenomenally expensive undertaking.

While firm numbers are hard to find, a study in February by operators of the electrical grid in the eastern U.S. estimated the cost for a buildout of transmission lines east of the Rockies at $80 billion.

The wind mills required to feed those lines would cost another $1.1 trillion to build and install, the study found.

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From the horse’s mouth:

http://www.windpowerexpo.org/

Join us for WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition taking place May 4 – 7, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.  Please note the new dates & location for WINDPOWER 2009 due to the unprecedented growth experienced in 2008!

Why Attend WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition?
WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition is the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world featuring over 15,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibitors. Each year, wind energy professionals gather at this event to learn about the latest industry developments and technologies, review new products and services in the expansive exhibit hall, and network with leading industry decision makers. Join us for what promises to be another exciting event taking place May 4th – 7th, 2009, at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Plan ahead for WINDPOWER 2009 by reviewing the OFFICIAL SHOW DIRECTORY. Make note now of who you will want to visit in the exhibit hall, and the sessions you will not want to miss.

Don’t miss Blues Traveler at the WINDPOWER Kick-Off Party and Concert Monday, May 4, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm! Click the player to watch a message from Blues Traveler.

AWEA Notice to Attendees & Exhibitors Regarding H1N1 (Swine) Flu:

(as of 5:30 pm Central Time, May 1):  Upon additional review of the latest information, the following statement still applies:

AWEA has received a number of inquiries concerning swine flu and the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference & Exhibition.  We are closely monitoring the situation and guidance from federal and international agencies concerning appropriate precautions.  We are also members of the International Association of Exhibition and Events, which has an extensive set of guidelines for this type of situation.  We are preparing to take actions as necessary and appropriate to ensure the safety of WINDPOWER attendees.  Based on the current information that we have received, we are proceeding as scheduled with WINDPOWER 2009.  We will post updated information here as it becomes available. 

From the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority:  Please be advised that all McCormick Place Fire Safety and EMS Personnel have received guidance from our MPEA Medical Consultants with regard to the current Swine Flu concern.  They will receive periodic updates from our Medical Advisers, as needed.  We will continue to remain in contact with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the MPEA Medical Advisory Group who will been provide us with updates as more information becomes available.

For the latest swine flu updates, please contact the following organizations:
– Illinois Department of Public Health – www.idph.state.il.us
– Chicago Department of Public Health – www.cityofchicago.org
– Centers for Disease Control – www.cdc.gov

Housing:
WINDPOWER 2009 Housing is now closed. For new reservations or changes to existing reservations, you must contact the hotels directly.  CLICK HERE for more information.

Social Media:
AWEA has a presence on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube, and will be sharing stories and pictures from WINDPOWER 2009 on these outlets.  Please join our Twitter conversation by including #WP09 at the end of your post.  Also, you can continue to stay up to date on wind industry developments through AWEA’s Into the Wind blog.  

New Attendee Tools Launched:
Now registered attendees can take advantage of new planning tools to get the most out of your conference experience.  Build a customized itinerary, create a color-coded tradeshow map featuring exhibitors you would like to visit, and connect with other attendees through the message center.  CLICK HERE for more details and to log in to the newly launched networking tools!

Special Events:
You cannot afford to miss the Kickoff Party & Concert Monday, May 4, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. The night begins with a special reception and a concert, this year featuring Blues Traveler. CLICK HERE for more details.

Reserve your seat today for the Conference Dinner Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 pm at historic Navy Pier. This year the dinner keynote speaker will be MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. The event will also be hosted by the comedy and improv group The Second City. CLICK HERE for more details.

Join us for the First Annual WINDPOWER Scholarship 5k Race, Thursday, May 7, 6:30 am in Grant Park. All money raised goes into the AWEA Educational Scholarship Program. To register for the 5K, CLICK HERE.

The WINDPOWER 2009 Job Fair, Tuesday, May 5 – Thursday, May 7, connects top wind energy companies with job seekers of all experience levels and also includes the Careers in Wind Seminar, with presentations by leading industry professionals about the varied career opportunities in wind energy. Job seekers are encouraged to sign up and post their resumes at www.careersinwind.com.

Additional information is available regarding the Event Schedule and the various Special Events held at the Conference.

Conference Program: 
The Welcome and Opening Session, Tuesday, May 5 from 8:30 am to 11:00 am, will bring together members of the Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition to discuss how the nation’s wind energy resources can be used to meet America’s domestic energy demands in an environmentally responsible manner. CLICK HERE for more details.

Wednesday, May 6 from 8:00am to 10:00am, be sure to attend the General Session: Securing America’s Energy Future.
In a unique conversational style, acclaimed documentary host and network news anchor Bill Kurtis will have a discussion with T. Boone Pickens about his life, his involvement in the wind industry ,and his plan for the US to harvest its renewable energy resources.  You will also hear a panel discussion focused on the wind industry’s response to this new era of global challenge–and opportunity. CLICK HERE for more details.

Supply Chain Workshop at WINDPOWER 2009
This full-day Supply Chain workshop, is the perfect way to get an introduction to the wind industry. The workshop will attract representatives from a diverse range of markets to discuss the wind industry’s need to strengthen and expand its national supply chain.More detailed conference program information is available by CLICKING HERE to see a detailed program with session descriptions and confirmed speakers & moderators. CLICK HERE for a program schedule at a glance. For information on program highlights, CLICK HERE.

Exhibitions & Sponsorship:
Time still remains to exhibit at WINDPOWER 2009. With a record-shattering number of exhibitors now at over 1,200, now is the time to act. You also still have time to participate in the AWEA 2009 Sponsorship Program which offers high visibility packages at WINDPOWER and/or at other AWEA conferences and events.

CLICK HERE to reserve your WINDPOWER booth. For more information about sponsoring CLICK HERE. For questions, email exhibition@awea.org.

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There is hope for the world yet.

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