Lite Initiatives

Archive for April, 2011

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Homes and businesses are not the only establishments upon which to apply the technologies of alternative energy. The environment can also benefit through the use of renewable energy in vehicles, most often in the form of biofuels. Australia has studied the advantages of biofuels and the impact the industry has on the country.

Currently, there is a general consensus amongst the public that there is a deficient supply of vehicles compatible with E10 fuel. E10 refers to blends of fuels containing 90% unleaded petrol and 10% ethanol. According to Heather Brodie, CEO of the Biofuels Association of Australia, the misconception by many citizens in Australia that too few cars exist which are compatible with E10 is that they are unaware that the most of the vehicles manufactured in Australia are compatible with E10 fuel and the majority of imported vehicles are as well.

It is possible that the public is unaware of this due to Australia’s somewhat slow start in embracing other forms of renewable energy. Biofuels have been used for a number of years in places such as the US, Europe, and Asia, so the technology is proven. Australia has been on board with biofuels for awhile now, but the citizens still remember the times when it was not readily available and the compatible vehicles were in the developmental stages. Ms. Brodie compares the reluctance to accept biofuels as a viable energy source to a time when unleaded petroleum fuels were shunned in favor of super blends. She claims that it is just a matter of getting used to a new method of powering our vehicles.

Australia currently maintains three commercial ethanol plants. All of them are located on the east coast of the country. Although biofuel technology has been utilized for decades, there are still growing pains as far as public perception and expansion of use; therefore, E10 is most readily available near its points of production. In order to encourage biofuel production to spread to other areas of Australia, Federal Government exempts domestically produced ethanol from excise tax until July of 2011. Additionally, Premiers in New South Wales and Queensland have debated the requirement that all petrol fuel be blended with ethanol in these states.

As with any renewable energy source, there will be skepticism toward biofuel because it is a relatively new technology. People tend to fear change, but biofuels are a change for the better, in Australia and the rest of the world.

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There is a growing concern these days for the environment, and several countries have taken the initiative to promote the use of renewable energy to lessen humanity’s impact on the planet.  Canada is one such country taking the lead in green technologies, and using biofuels is one of the steps they have taken in becoming one of the world’s leaders in the consumption of environmentally friendly fuels.

Biofuels are simply liquid fuels manufactured from plant and animal materials.  Because this matter is biodegradable, it is not only capable of powering vehicles and heating homes, but the waste is then absorbed once again into the earth, nurturing new life able to provide future renewable energy sources.

Bioethanol, commonly referred to as just ethanol, is the most common biofuel currently in production.  Canada’s federal government has taken note of ethanol’s potential as an alternative renewable energy and created a plan requiring gasoline to contain 5% ethanol by the end of this year.  The plan would also require diesel fuels to contain at least 2% ethanol by the end of 2012.  As a matter of fact, the provincial government of Manitoba has taken a leadership role in the biodiesel industry by creating mandates requiring similar percentages as those devised by the federal government that will go into effect in 2010.  This precedes the federal mandate by two years.  Manitoba is known for its prairie lands, the crops that grow there, and the animals that graze upon these crops.  The amount of plant and animal materials available for the production of biofuels is great.  Manitoba has inspired the provincial government of British Columbia to adopt similar strategies.

The corporation of Raven Biofuels Limited was established to research and develop technologies conducive to efficient and prolific use of biofuels throughout Canada, and they have identified British Columbia as a starting point.  Joining Raven Biofuels International Corporation (RBIC), their goal is to pay RBIC a fee providing them exclusive rights to biofuel development in Canada.  Their intent is to build the first commercial biorefinery and place it in Kamloops, British Columbia.  Though it may seem as though a monopoly or trust would emerge from this partnership, the goal is to set an example and to provide guidance to other potential commercial endeavors.  Municipalities have partnered with British Columbia’s provincial government to create the BC Bioenergy Strategy, which has already garnered million to fund a Biofuel Network focused on furthering biofuel energy technology not just in British Columbia, but throughout Canada.

A study of more than 11.5 million Medicare patients aged over 65 has concluded that even short-term exposure to fine particle air pollution significantly increases the risk of contracting cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The study was conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, itself a department within the National Institute of Health.

This is the largest study ever conducted of the effect of fine particle air pollution and heart and lung disease, not only in the country but in the world. Fine particle air pollution is typically caused through power plant emissions or fuel exhaust emissions. These microscopic particles the size of dust or soot particles and around 30 times less than the thickness of a human hair, are able to lodge and accumulate deep within the respiratory system. Over time, lung function decreases while pre-existing conditions such as asthma are inflamed and aggravated.

It is not surprising that counties on the heavily industrialized Eastern seaboard have the highest rates of fine particle air pollution and so, the highest rates of lung and heart disease. Any location where there is heavy use of fossil fuels reports a substantial increase in the number of patients suffering from heart and lung conditions.

The extensive study delivered the proof that even small increases in the levels of fine particle air pollutants gave rise to a significantly higher level of hospital admissions for heart failure, heart and vascular conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and infections of the respiratory system. Patients over the age of 75 years of age are particularly vulnerable and experience significantly higher rates of admissions for these conditions than the rest of the population.

Funding for this huge research study was provided by the U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The research was conducted by a team at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the results were finally published in March, 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The EPA’s Aerometric Information Retrieval Service provides a nationwide network of data collection locations. This retrieval network was used to collect the data on fine air particle concentrations from over 200 counties scattered across the country and provided data over a three-year period.

The EPA is involved because it has a primary function of controlling environmental pollution through the setting of standards and guidelines. The study demonstrates that there is a strong need for the establishment of air quality guidelines, particularly to safeguard the health of the elderly. The study particularly demonstrates that even minor fine air pollution levels, well below those of the existing national standards, are causing significant health implications for patients.

The question as to whether fine air pollution causes increased incidence of heart and lung diseases is now clearly established, however why are such minor levels of fine air pollution causing such high levels of disease? This in turn will lead to what can be done to counter the harmful effects of fine particle air pollution.

Involvement in the algae biofuels industry shot up by companies 550% between 2005 and 2007, driven by environmental concerns and high crude oil prices. However, oil prices have since declined, and the recent global financial crisis stymied many industries. Currently there seems to be continued interest in algae biofuels, but the industry is also plagued by excessive hype… So what is the near-term outlook for the algae biofuels production technologies market? 

One of the great benefits of algae as a feedstock is that it can be used to produce an array of biofuels: algal oil, biodiesel, renewable diesel, aviation biofuel, renewable jet fuel, biogasoline, ethanol, butanol, biomethane, and even hydrogen. Algae biofuels production also involves a wide array of technologies, from genetically engineered diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria; to open ponds or photobioreactors for cultivation; centrifuges and presses for extraction; and refineries, fermenters, and digesters for processing into fuels. 

Because the market for algae biofuels production technologies is diverse, it is helpful to break it down according to subsets of production technologies: cultivation technologies, harvesting and extraction technologies, and algae biofuels production facilities. Through 2015, cultivation technology sales are expected to hold most of the total algae biofuels production technologies market. The remaining market segments will be held by a combination of harvesting and extraction and fuels production facilities, for a total projected market value of over .6 billion in 2015. Starting at an estimated 1 million market size for 2010, this increase is significant and underscores that this is a quickly changing and evolving industry, expected to show an annual growth rate of nearly 43 percent. 

Algae biofuels production technologies are currently undergoing substantial development and scaled testing. As demonstration and commercial implementation move forward, emerging algae biofuels production technologies will garner up to about a third of the total market by 2015, as some current technologies are rendered obsolete or underperforming in terms of cost and production efficiency.

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In a rather “environmentally concerned” approach to cut down on the carbon emission from flights, Lufthansa airlines has announced that they will start commercial biofuel flights daily between Hamburg and Frankfurt in a six-month trial from April 2011. The move to operate an aircraft engine with biofuel over a long stretch of six months, is first of its kind in the world.

Energy security issues, hike in petrol prices and climate change from greenhouse gases emitted by airplanes have been troubling the airline industry for quite some time. Virgin Atlantic Airlines, British Airways and Continental Airline have have already tested on biofuel flights in the last two years. However, environmentalists have been constantly warning that production of biofuels can also have adverse effects on environment.

Utilizing biofuel in flight operations can save around 1,500 tonnes (15,00,000 kg) of Carbon dioxide emissions. However, as the airline industry worldwide is calling for an alternative source of energy, there’s a need to check for the sustainability of biofuels against fossil fuels and their effect on aircraft’s engine over a longer term. Plus, environmental concerns are another big issue related to production of biofuels.

According to a report by UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, biofuel plantations are destroying ecosystem of various regions in the world. Palm oil plantations set up for biofuel production in Indonesia and Malaysia, have led to deforestation resulting in more emission of greenhouse gases as the worst consequence.

In such a situation, a sustainable and environment-friendly way to produce biofuels is the need of the hour.

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The US Environmental Protection Agency consistently works on new strategies aimed at providing a clearer strategy for industrial investment in air pollution controls. The tightening and widening of environmental legislations is one of the prime drivers of the air pollution control market. This market was created and is primarily driven by the mandates embodied in such regulations, since they call for reductions in hazardous air pollutants emitted from coal-fired power plants.

Regulations for the control of pollutants such as mercury are currently being formulated. This calls for technology advancement and the integration of new technology into the existing infrastructure and subsequently results in market growth with the rise in demand.

The Canadian government usually practices coordinating its emission reduction targets in line with US moves. Canada has 51 coal-fired plants producing 19% of the country’s electricity and 13% of its greenhouse gas emissions. However, 33 of these plants are expected to shutdown by 2025 unless the operators make substantial investments to cut emissions from these aging facilities. The regulations planned for the future are much stringent than he current ones for coal-fired power in the U S. The mandates require power plants to comply through different deadlines.

The Asia–Pacific region is witnessing significant growth in its air pollution control market on the back of its increasing coal-fired power capacity. This increasing capacity directly demands higher production of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) and particulate matter removal equipment. Nitrous Oxide (NOX) removal is also expecting a promising future with upcoming regulations in certain Asia–Pacific countries.

GBI Research, a leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research, “Air Pollution Control Market for Coal Fired Power Plants to 2020 – Increasing Plant Capacity to Present Growth Opportunities”. The report gives an in-depth analysis of the global Air Pollution Control Equipment (APCE) market for coal-fired power plants, covering four major regions – North America (USA and Canada), Europe, Asia–Pacific and the Rest of the World (South and Central America, the Middle East and Africa). The research analyzes the regulatory framework in the three most significant regions – North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and the impact of regulations on the air pollution control market for coal-fired power plants. The report covers market revenue forecasts for the air pollution control market for all the regions mentioned, and it also provides a detailed forecast of the market’s revenues by product type – Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD), Nitrous Oxides (NOx), Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) and Fabric Filters up to 2020. The report also includes geographic and cost analysis data for each product type. This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis by GBI Research’s team of industry experts.

For further details, please click or add the below link to your browser:

http://www.gbiresearch.com/Report.aspx?ID=Air-Pollution-Control-Market-for-Coal-Fired-Power-Plants-to-2020-Increasing-Plant-Capacity-to-Present-Growth-Opportunities&ReportType=Industry_Report&coreindustry=ALL&Title=Power_~_Alternative_Energy

Visit our report store: http://www.gbiresearch.com

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pressreleases@gbiresearch.com

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Carbon credits are like certificates that represent a reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They are fully fungible financial instruments, and are measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tons CO2e). Carbon sequestration credits or offsets are calculated by the amount of carbon emissions that would have been emitted if a diesel or other traditional polluting electric generator was used to produce the same amount of electricity. Companies and electric utilities in countries can buy these emission reduction carbon credits to replace the emissions from their coal burning electric power plants to meet regulatory requirements. Purchasing carbon credits means making an investment in carbon reduction projects. So, how to buy carbon credits?

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The first step you have to do is to calculate your carbon footprint. This number determines how many carbon credits you need to buy to offset your carbon-producing activity. Then, check with your utility company to see if they have a carbon offsetting program. Think it over and make a decision as to what type of projects you want your carbon credit purchase to support. It could be a tree-planting project to recreate natural forests and to prevent deforestation, a renewable energy project, or an energy conservation project.

After deciding on a project, research on carbon credit providers. Then, purchase your carbon credits from your chosen provider. Usually, you can purchase a carbon credit for between five dollars and fifty dollars for every ton of carbon dioxide you emit into the air. The price varies with each carbon credit provider, and so researching on your provider carefully is a smart step to take.

The benefits of carbon credits are many. Carbon credits reduce poverty, provide off-grid electricity, provide employment for carbon sequestration, and boost economic development in rural communities. Remember, though, that they are not free tickets to pollute.

Learn how to buy carbon credits now!

Click Here For Carbon Effort Instant Access Now!

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A new study has demonstrated the strong correlation between air pollution and air quality and the level of costs incurred in by elderly patients seeking medical attention. The study took in millions of Medicare records of both in- and out-patients between 1989 and 1991 all the patients were white and aged between 65 and 84 years.

The study was conducted by Professor Victor Fuchs, professor emeritus at Stanford University and assisted by Sarah Franks, a doctoral student at Berkeley, University of California. The study results were published in the November/December issue of Health Affairs, and the conclusive results demonstrate a direct linkage between air pollution and the level of health, particularly respiratory health in elderly patients. More than this, the study demonstrates that investment in improving air quality and reducing pollution leads to direct cost savings which are substantial.

At a time when there is a great debate centered around healthcare, and especially who will be footing the bill, the report clearly demonstrates that pollution control provides an excellent opportunity for improving the nation’s health, reducing the cost of healthcare and provides opportunities to improve the quality of life for the elderly.

Factors taken into consideration in the study, which took in 183 metropolitan areas, included regional geographical variations, per capita income, educational achievement, ethnic breakdown of the sample location, weight levels (particularly obesity levels) and cigarette usage.

There are clear differences between urban and rural areas within the study samples; metropolitan areas also varied widely in the quality of the air and pollution levels the study demonstrates that there is only a small difference in rates of surgery between high and low pollution sample locations, however this picture radically changes when medical intervention short of surgery is assessed.

Outpatient care has a 7% difference between high and low air pollution locations, but when we look at inpatient care the difference increases dramatically to 19% more people seeking treatment in the more highly polluted sample locations.

Population size and density has a very significant impact on air quality Florida and Blue Sky country (centered upon Montana) has the cleanest air but Florida had twice the outpatient treatment rate (this being a factor of the higher population size and density). Hospital admissions were found to be at their highest in the Deep South and South Western areas of the country.

Overall, differences in admissions to hospital for respiratory conditions between low and high air pollution locations are relatively low; the data must be interpreted with care because of the small difference. Nevertheless, there is a clear relationship between air pollution and the need for increased medical intervention for the elderly. As the authors state in the conclusion of the report, the results do not provide, “absolute proof” that high pollution areas result in higher spending on medical care, however the data results are highly persuasive.

Irrespective of whether the study constitutes “absolute proof” or not, there is a clear need for greater outpatient medical treatment for those living in highly populated and highly polluted areas. The correlation between high pollution levels and population levels also demonstrates just who is actually responsible for creating the problem with air quality in the first instance.