Weekly Newsletter | | Other topics

News articles on Energy

---

Mongabay.com news articles on energy in blog format. Updated regularly.

Five million tons of carbon dioxide successfully buried, DOE eyes Kyoto
(11/16/2005) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE)-funded "Weyburn Project" successfully sequestered five million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Weyburn Oilfield in Saskatchewan, Canada, while doubling the field's oil recovery rate. If the methodology used in the Weyburn Project was successfully applied on a worldwide scale, one-third to one-half of CO2 emissions could be eliminated in the next 100 years and billions of barrels of oil could be recovered.


Photovoltaic solar energy conversion can be cost-competitive by 2030
(11/16/2005) Professor Andrew Blakers from The Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems at the Australian National University will today report to the Greenhouse 2000 Conference in Melbourne that photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion can be cost-competitive with any low-emission electricity generation technology by 2030.


Britain has best wind power potential in Europe
(11/14/2005) A survey of wind power in Britain says the island nation has the best wind in Europe because it blowsyear round and peaks when there is greatest demand for electricity. Further, the study found that there has never been a time over the past 35 years when the entire country has experienced a period of no wind.


Greenhouse gas emissions will rise by 52% by 2030 warns EIA
(11/7/2005) The International Energy Agency (EIA) today released a report projecting that global greenhouse gas emissions will rise by 52% by 2030, unless the world takes action to reduce energy consumption. Further, the IEA says that oil prices will rise "substantially" unless there is extra investment -- $20.3 trillion in fresh facilities by 2030 -- in oil facilities.


Renewable energy supplier becomes first to win EPA and DOE awards
(10/31/2005) Using innovation to drive market demand for renewable energy, 3 Phases Energy proved its leadership in the renewable energy industry at the 10th National Green Power Marketing Conference in Austin, TX held October 24-26. The Industry recognized 3 Phases Energy with two awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy: Renewable Energy Technology Supplier of the Year for general excellence supplying renewable energy, and Green Power Beacon, for the company's ability to originate business sector interest in renewable energy. In the history of the awards, no single renewable energy supplier has been recognized with two awards in the same year.


Deforestation does not cause flooding says new study
(10/12/2005) Deforestation and logging do not increase the risk of major floods according to a new report from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Center for International forestry Research (CIFOR). The study, citing evidence showing that the frequency and extent of major floods has not changed over the last century despite significant reductions in forest cover, challenges the conventional belief that forest loss causes floods. Instead, FAO and CIFOR say that deforestation does have a role in small floods and topsoil erosion. Further, the report accuses Asian governments of using deforestation as an excuse to deflect criticism over their poor handling of human settlement in areas unsuitable for habitation.


Organic solar cells will help spur viability of alternative energy
(10/10/2005) Organic solar cells being developed by a team of scientists from New Mexico State University and Wake Forest University could help spur viability of alternative energy. Unlike existing solar panels made of brittle silicon, these cells are made of plastic that can be wrapped around structures or even applied like paint. This flexibility could revolutionize the solar market.


Harvesting tornados as power plants; renewable wind vortex energy
(10/9/2005) Engineers are working to use artificial tornados as a renewable energy source according to an article in last week's The Economist. Storms release a tremendous amount of energy. Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 hurricane, released enough energy to supply the world's power needs for a year, while the typical tornado produces as much power as a large power station.


SUV sales plummet, high gas prices cited
(10/4/2005) High gas prices caused American consumers to spurn sport-utility vehicles in September. Further, resale values for SUVs are falling as demand for the gas-guzzling vehicles softens while interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient models soars.


conservation agriculture holds promise for food production in Africa
(10/4/2005) conservation agriculture holds considerable promise for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa because it can control soil erosion, reverse land degradation, give more stable yields and reduce labour and fuel needs, FAO said today on the eve of the Third World Congress on conservation Agriculture in Nairobi .


Biofuels threaten rainforests as important European Commission decision lies ahead
(10/1/2005) To meet Kyoto protocol commitments, various European and other governments are encouraging the use of biomass as fuel (biofuel) in transport and electricity. Biofuels are mostly carbon neutral, and switching from fossil fuels to biodiesel is promoted as a solution to climate change.


Sun's role in global warming may be underestimated says Duke researchers
(10/1/2005) The physicists said that their findings indicate that climate models of global warming need to be corrected for the effects of changes in solar activity. However, they emphasized that their findings do not argue against the basic theory that significant global warming is occurring because of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases.


Madagascar announces oil discovery; island nation to start producing crude in 3-4 years
(9/30/2005) Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, announced the discovery of several oil blocks on land and offshore. The Indian island nation expects to start producing crude oil for the first time within the next 3-4 years, according to a report from Reuters.


Bird sanctuary in Malaysia damaged by illegal logging and forest clearing
(9/26/2005) According to the New Straits Times, loggers are illegally clearing the protected forest of Gunung Panti to plant oil palm.


Malaysia to build palm oil biodiesel plants to counter high oil price
(9/26/2005) According to the AFP, Malaysia announced that it will build three plants to produce biodiesel from palm oil, as part of efforts to reduce its dependency on foreign oil and increase demand for domestically produced palm oil.


Supernova could be responsible for extinction of the mammoth
(9/24/2005) A distant supernova that exploded 41,000 years ago may have led to the extinction of the mammoth, according to research that will be presented tomorrow (Sept. 24) by nuclear scientist Richard Firestone of the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).


Palm oil plantations decimating orang-utans says report
(9/23/2005) UK company demand for palm oil, a vegetable oil found in one in ten products on supermarket shelves, is driving the orang-utan towards extinction, new research reveals. The `Oil for Ape Scandal', published today by Friends of the Earth and the world's leading orang-utan conservation groups, concludes that without urgent intervention the palm oil trade could cause the extinction of Asia's only great ape within 12 years.


Danish researchers develop hydrogen tablet that stores hydrogen in inexpensive and safe material
(9/21/2005) Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark have invented a technology which may be an important step towards the hydrogen economy: a hydrogen tablet that effectively stores hydrogen in an inexpensive and safe material. With the new hydrogen tablet, it becomes much simpler to use the environmentally-friendly energy of hydrogen. Hydrogen is a non-polluting fuel, but since it is a light gas it occupies too much volume, and it is flammable. Consequently, effective and safe storage of hydrogen has challenged researchers world-wide for almost three decades. At the Technical University of Denmark, DTU, an interdisciplinary team has developed a hydrogen tablet which enables storage and transport of hydrogen in solid form.


Airline passengers urged to fight global warming via green tax
(9/12/2005) Starting today, British Airways passengers will be asked to make a donation towards green energy efforts whenever they fly. The airline is introducing the "green fee" to persuade the government that it takes the issue of pollution seriously and that policymakers need not adopt a European proposal for environmental taxes on flights. The EU is considering such a proposal as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which are strictly limited under the Kyoto Protocol.


High oil prices make Asia pursue green energy
(9/9/2005) For energy-hungry Asian governments, the answer could literally be blowing in the wind. Across the region, renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal power is gaining ever greater credence as a way to curb the region's appetite for oil and cut runaway import bills.


Vegetation growth in Arctic could add to global warming
(9/8/2005) Warming in the Arctic is stimulating the growth of vegetation and could affect the delicate energy balance there, causing an additional climate warming of several degrees over the next few decades. A new study indicates that as the number of dark-colored shrubs in the otherwise stark Arctic tundra rises, the amount of solar energy absorbed could increase winter heating by up to 70 percent. The research will be published 7 September in the first issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, published by the American Geophysical Union.


Climbing and yoga firm to use renewable energy
(9/6/2005) In a move that underscores the company's commitment to being part of the solution, prAna announces the prAna Natural Power Initiative, which will provide renewable wind energy to 100 of its retailers across the nation.


Cockroaches and rats used as batteries?
(8/24/2005) An article in today's Manilla Times highlights some local research into using common household pests as energy sources.


Poor need renewable energy sources says Annan
(8/23/2005) In a new report, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says energy poverty is seriously impeding socio-economic development in the world's poorest countries. Noting that in the developing countries some 1.6 billion people still lack access to electricity and about 2.4 billion continue to rely on traditional biomass like fuelwood for cooking and heating, Annan calls for intensified efforts to promote renewable energy sources for the poor.


China funds massive palm oil plantation in rainforest of Borneo
(8/12/2005) Plans to create the world's largest palm oil plantation along Indonesia's mountainous border with Malaysia could have a devastating impact on the forests, wildlife and indigenous people of Borneo, warns World Wildlife Fund.


Cow manure + sunlight + metal ore = hydrogen fuel?
(8/11/2005) Researchers led by Michael Epstein at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel think they may have an energy efficient way of collecting solar energy to generate hydrogen, a key input for fuel cells.


Renewable energy in China, a strategic future?
(8/2/2005) China's failed bid for American petroleum firm Unocal may prompt it to further focus on its development of alternative energy sources.


China announces wave power station changes
(7/27/2005) China announced that it has developed typhoon-resistant technologies for the world's first experimental wave power station. The announcement comes two months after a Norwegian firm signed an agreement to construct a commercial wave farm to harvest electricity from sea swells off the coast of Scottland.


How might I buy invest in green energy projects?
(7/20/2005) On June 17, Associate Press reported that Zilhka Renewable Energy hopes to complete a $100 million wind farm in eastern Oregon by December 2006. The article said the company owned wind farms in eleven states. For many investors, green or otherwise, this would seem like a great company in which to own stock. Whether or not the numbers would bear that out, a savvy investor would first want to know, "How might I buy a piece of Zilhka or invest in their projects?"


Shareholders ask ExxonMobil to produce report on risks of oil drilling in sensitive areas
(5/25/2005) According Strong support demonstrates that investors believe that drilling in protected areas like the Arctic Refuge is bad for business and bad for the environment.


Renewable surf energy; Wave farm to harvest electricity from sea swells
(5/21/2005) A new wave farm will be used to generate electricity from sea swells.


For What It's Worth: Ecological Services and conservation
(5/4/2005) For a long time, preserving natural spaces was considered to be a favor to the environment without a true, measurable benefit to businesses, industrial production and productivity. In recent years however, scientists are increasingly producing substantial evidence to support the notion that the natural environment supplies a diverse range of renewable economic benefits beyond timber and fish. These benefits are termed “ecological services” and provide such valuable functions as water treatment, pollination and sediment capture, simply by remaining intact.


Human Threats to Rainforests - Consumption, Conclusion
(3/1/2005) Misdirected consumption in wealthier countries contributes to rainforest destruction in tropical countries. For example, during the 1970s and 1980s American demand for cheap beef triggered the clearing of vast stretches of rainforest in Central America and Brazil. Similarly demand for certain forest products like tropical hardwoods and inexpensive particle board gives impetus for companies to exploit forest stocks. Japan converts thousands of acres of tropical rainforest every year into wood framing for cement blocks (discarded after the cement dries) and chopsticks. The cultivation of cassava in Thailand for European cattle feed increased more than ten-fold from 1965 to the mid-1980s, causing extensive deforestation in northeastern Thailand.



Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7

home | archives | news | XML / RSS feeds


XML / RSS / Syndication options

mongabay.com features more than 250 RSS feeds to meet your specific area of interest

All mongabay.com news
Only rainforest news
Only Brazil news
Only Biodiversity news
Only Climate Change news
Only Madagascar news

more XML feeds