MarcoPolo, a politically conservative reader from Australia, writes:
Solar power will continue to grow in importance as part of every developed nation’s energy dynamic. With growing popularity, it will provide problems for the older distribution power utilities, that must not only generate electricity, but maintain very expensive distribution infrastructure.
(more…)
We read constantly about the subsidies for fossil fuels, but we note how hard it is to pinpoint exactly how large they are. For one, what exactly should be counted and what should be excluded? No one doubts that we fight wars over oil; how about all the military spending, not to mention the deaths, injuries, and other forms of suffering? (more…)
In response to my piece “Heard It At the Low Carbon Investors Conference, frequent commenter “MarcoPolo” writes:
Nobody is saying that research and investment into alternate energy technologies, is dead. Nor would any reasonable person suggest that alternate energy technologies, especially solar, won’t improve and secure a significant role in the energy dynamic, over future decades, especially with better storage devices. But what I’m saying, is that this will be a long process of ‘evolution’, not an apocalyptic ‘revolution.’ (more…)
Readers looking for a quick history lesson about the introduction of the automobile to the American lifestyle in 1908 will enjoy this short and extremely informative video. Shown to the left is a 1921 Model T Ford; it’s extremely similar in every way to the first one that rolled off the assembly line 13 years before.
No one could have foreseen the macro trends that would affect all this over the ensuing 107 years, which I would summarize as follows:
• Development of great automotive styling in the 1930s
• The cessation of manufacturing (in favor of aircraft) in World War II (more…)
A reader with terrific environmental sensibilities notes:
My house is made of used 2x4s and used fibreglas batts, and consumes about 25% of the energy of my neighbours’ conventionally built/operated homes. I have this amazing light (called a JOI) which can light a room enough to visit, play music, read, etc. for four hours from one tea light (which I can make from wax from a neighbour’s beehives). (more…)
In the West Indian state of Rajasthan, members of the Piplantri village celebrate the birth of every new female by planting 111 trees. The impact that these trees have on this community is enormous. Not only are these trees a constant reminder of new life in the village, they are also great for the environment and provide shade from the hot summers of India. (more…)
Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal, has been used for purification since antiquity. There are references to its use in both ancient Egypt and ancient India dating to at least 1500 BC. In more modern times, it was introduced to the European sugar refining industry in the early 19th century, and its use quickly spread to removing noxious tastes from water. Today, its unique ability to attract and trap chemicals gives activated carbon an important role in protecting the environment in a variety of ways.
What is activated carbon?
Activated carbon begins with organic material that has a high carbon content, such as coal or wood. The material is slowly heated in a high-temperature, low-oxygen environment that does not permit it to burn. Instead, the material dries out, releasing impurities as well as water. The resulting product is known as char.
Next, the char undergoes a variety of chemical and physical processes that vastly increase its surface area and create a network of submicroscopic pores. Carbon molecules naturally attract and bind with a wide array of chemical compounds, and the massive surface area (roughly six football fields in one pound of activated charcoal) provides plenty of sites for molecules to bind.
Depending on the application, activated charcoal can be used alone or impregnated with chemicals that enhance its ability to bind with targeted compounds. Impregnation can help to improve its effectiveness against an even wider variety of impurities and toxic substances.
Water purification
Activated carbon is used at multiple levels in the water treatment process. It is used to filter potable drinking water at both the home consumer and municipal levels, removing such contaminants as organics, pesticides and herbicides.
Carbon also plays an important role in treating the wastewater from industrial processing.
In this application, activated carbon removes dangerous organic and noxious odor-producing substances, returning the wastewater to a safe state before disposal or reuse. It is often part of a multi-treatment approach that ensures the protection of groundwater.
Air purification
Activated carbon is used to purify air in many important ways. One example of an industrial use is to cleanse biogases, which are byproducts of the natural decomposition process. They tend to collect around, landfills, cow pastures, and similar locales, and are filled with toxic VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other by-products such as those released in the degradation of shampoo products in landfills.
In the home, activated carbon can combat the VOCs that are released from paint, cleaning products, refrigerants, and other household products, as well as irritants produced by cooking fumes. Activated carbon air filters are particularly useful for those suffering from allergies and asthma, as they can remove many of the common environmental triggers.
Activated carbon can even help to maintain air quality in clean rooms where sterility is extremely important. For example, museums sometimes use it to help preserve artifacts that could be damaged by pollutants.
Mercury scrubbing
Mercury is a common byproduct of medical waste and hazardous material incineration, as well as coal power plants. It is also found in many natural gas reserves. The vast quantities of released mercury pose one of today’s biggest environmental challenges, but activated carbon can help. It traps the mercury, removing it from the emitted gas streams for safe disposal.
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Are you interested in purchasing activated carbon for a specific application? Do you require expert guidance in choosing the right impregnation for your needs? Oxbow Activated Carbon is proud to provide a diverse line of activated carbon products, including both standard and custom impregnations, along with spent carbon disposal and reactivation, and numerous other specialized services. We pride ourselves on our individualized customer service, and we look forward to becoming your one-stop shop for all your activated carbon needs.
Some businesses have been very slow to implement environmentally friendly changes into the running of their enterprise. Partly this may be down to fear that taking green initiatives will be expensive and partly it may be that they don’t recognise the many benefits available. This guide to environmental advice for businesses from Macair is a great resource for those who are at the start of their journey, to help them understand just some of the benefits going green can bring. (more…)
Here’s an article by a contributing author to Forbes who writes about OTECorp, the leader in ocean thermal energy conversion. This technology has been around a century, but has only recent become of interest. As CEO Jeremy Feakins says, “(We) currently can offer power at a tremendous savings to the countries where (we) it operate. Electrical costs in island countries where fuel must be imported can range from 30 to 50 cents per kilowatt hour whereas (we) can produce power at roughly half the cost.”
I believe that OTECorp investors (of whom I’m one) are going to do very well with this. And there is a side-benefit to those of us with lungs, or children, or both: displacing energy from bunker diesel generators is a huge boon to the environment.
A reader with a business plan for a wave energy device asks: In all honesty, do you think that my language is ”too slippery” and as such may creates more trouble than it’s worth in trying to convey?
Good question. I’ve always believed that business plans that go on at length about the problem, while offering vague language on the solution (“we’ll capture a part of the sun’s power,” or what-not) tend to insult the intelligence and knowledge level of the serious reader. (more…)
