Sheesh, I can’t seem to pry myself away from the green news blurbs today! This one sounds really interesting and I haven’t heard anything about it (until now).
TORONTO (CP) _ A site has been chosen on the Toronto waterfront for what is being billed as Canada‘s largest solar research facility.
The solar park at the Portlands Energy Centre will create between 500 kilowatts and one megawatt and harvest enough solar energy to power up to 1,000 homes.
University of Toronto students and staff at ARISE Technologies will use the facility to conduct research on renewable energy systems and technologies.
The university, ARISE and the Portlands Energy Centre are joining forces for the project, which Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan says will establish Toronto and Ontario as a “world leader in solar energy research and development.‘‘
Later this year, ARISE will issue a community based share offering that will allow residents to participate in the project.
The project is expected to be installed in late 2008 or early 2009.
SOURCE: Oilweek Magazine
Technorati Tags: solar power, toronto, ontario, canada, green energy, solar panels
Written by Bentley on January 11th, 2007 with 4 comments.
Read more articles on Green Energy.
(I drew this picture myself. Can you tell?)Sorry - I couldn’t think of a creative title for yet another post about algae biofuel. By the way, all this algae-biofuel talk as of late has me thinking seriously about starting a separate site devoted to the topic - I’ll let you know if the idea comes to fruition. It’s definitely a topic I’m really interested in, but time (or lack thereof) is an important consideration.
Speaking of time, I don’t have much more today so here is a link to the article: Biofuel bonanza may lie in algae tanks
Basically it describes some research being conducted by New Mexico State University (NMSU), exploring the potential of using various species of saltwater algae for biodiesel production.
Here are some blurbs:
The project is investigating the best ways to grow and harvest certain species of algae, which produce a much higher level of oil than more traditional crops like soybeans or canola.
“The oil produced from algae will process into biodiesel as easily as oil obtained from land-based crops,” said a news release from CEHMM. “Algae is now considered to be one of the most critical components in alleviating the need for foreign oil. This does not, however, eliminate the likelihood of other oil-based feedstocks from being investigated. CEHMM is also collaborating with the Artesia Science Center on a project focused on the potential of growing a cold-season canola crop to generate oil for biodiesel production.”
But why attempt to raise saltwater algae hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean? The tremendous reserves of brackish water, mild climate and abundant sunshine in New Mexico make good conditions for algae farmers.
“We have sunlight and space, and we have a brackish and saline water supply,” said Steve Loring, assistant director of NMSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station. He noted that the project was a focus of the Artesia center’s annual field day in August.
The next step in the algae research, Lynn said, is to establish a larger demonstration pond at the Artesia center, about one-quarter of an acre in size. Construction of the pond should be complete in March. The new pond will enable a broader focus on growing and harvesting the algae, as well as oil extraction processes.
A much larger demonstration project to be started in 2008 eventually will cover about 100 acres, Lynn said.
Thanks to Mayloveheal for the Hugg post about the article.
Technorati Tags: algae, biofuel, biodiesel, ethanol, green energy, green fuels, alternative energy
Written by Bentley on January 11th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Green Energy.
I must say I was very happy when I opened my mailbox yesterday and found that my first copy of Mother Earth News had arrived. It’s been a fairly long wait since I ordered my subscription (along with ‘Natural Home Magazine’) back at the end of October - and even involved some email exchanges with their customer support people. All griping aside, the important thing is that it’s here - whoohoo!
I was surprised by the thickness of the magazine, yet unlike some of my wife’s hefty magazines it is jam-packed with lot’s of interesting articles (ok, so maybe I’m a little biased). That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of advertisements, but the key is they don’t overshadow the rest of the content. Aside from that, I actually found myself fascinated with many of the interesting/quirky products & services being showcased on the ad pages.
The Dec/Jan issue of Mother Earth News covers a wide range of topics, such as DIY solar heating, organic gardening, energy-efficient washers and dryers, among many others. You can even read quite a few of the articles online so be sure to check out the Mother Earth News website if you are not a subscriber.
One article of particular interest to me is entitled “Our 21st Century Homestead: By working together we can produce more of our own food“, by Harvey Ussery. Unfortunately it’s not available online, but I was happy to discover that the author has his own website: The Modern Homestead. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have any photos, but there is announcement on the homepage indicating that photos will be added very soon. Cool!
The introductory paragraph of the article made me laugh a little:
“Ellen and I met at a Zen monastery in the Catskill Mountains of New York state more than two decades ago. The initial spark of interest flared into true love when we discovered a mutual passion for compost.”
[emphasis mine]
Love sparked by a mutual passion for compost? You don’t hear that every day! These are definitely people I can relate to.
The article goes on to describe the homestead that Harvey and Ellen have nurtured over the years on their 2 1/2 acre property. I haven’t actually read it all, but the first couple pages have been fascinating. One thing that certainly caught my eye was mention of their vermicomposting efforts (surprise surprise!). A series of bins (close to 300 sq. ft total) are located beneath the wooden walk-way in their greenhouse - this is a great idea, although I might opt for not using bins at all. Just dig a trench and use it as a giant in situ worm bin - this way the plants would be able to extend their roots directly into the compost as it is created. But I digress…
Judging by my enjoyment of this first issue, I have a sneaking suspicion that Mother Earth News is going to be a continuing source of inspiration on my journey towards a self-sufficient, sustainable lifestyle.
[UPDATE]: The 21st Century Homestead article is now available to read online: 21st Century Homestead
Technorati Tags: mother earth news, self sufficiency, diy, organic gardening, vermicomposting, composting, sustainable living, homestead, low impact living, self reliance, off the grid, solar power
Written by Bentley on January 11th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Interesting & Notable.
