Siberian Permafrost Meltdown Set to Accelerate Global Overheating
Posted August 23/2005. New Scientist magazine has reported that billions of tonnes of methane are beginning to erupt into the atmosphere, because millions of hectares of frozen Siberian bog are unfreezing at an alarming rate. That will accelerate global overheating. Those who like to say that Siberia will become a very pleasant place because of what they euphemistically call 'global warming' may have to sit down and think about that.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg18725124.500
To call it 'global warming' is dangerous, because we all like to be warm, and what is actually happening is that the planet is being moved out of its comfort zone, not into one. But the term is a scientific misnomer. It is not global warming, because the planet has been warm for 10,000 years--it has been the optimum temperature for human existence. Now it is overheating.
If the most optimistic forecast from computer modelling is correct, and New Zealand's average temperature rises only 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, it will be as if the whole country was moved about 700km north--somewhere between Brisbane and Sydney. But the most pessimistic forecast is for a rise of 10-12 degrees globally. That 2-degree prediction for New Zealand is based on taking the middle line through the computer predictions, but at the moment the actual readings globally are tracking along the top edge of the model--so we are heading towards the worst case. The computer modelling has been checked by running it back to 1860 when readings began, and it matches extremely well--but only if man-made sources of carbon-dioxide are factored in, thus proving that the mess we are in is the mess we made. We have been using the sky as an open sewer for 150 years. What goes up must come down. Now, to mix metaphors thoroughly, all our vultures are coming home to roost.
Posted August 23/2005. New Scientist magazine has reported that billions of tonnes of methane are beginning to erupt into the atmosphere, because millions of hectares of frozen Siberian bog are unfreezing at an alarming rate. That will accelerate global overheating. Those who like to say that Siberia will become a very pleasant place because of what they euphemistically call 'global warming' may have to sit down and think about that.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg18725124.500
To call it 'global warming' is dangerous, because we all like to be warm, and what is actually happening is that the planet is being moved out of its comfort zone, not into one. But the term is a scientific misnomer. It is not global warming, because the planet has been warm for 10,000 years--it has been the optimum temperature for human existence. Now it is overheating.
If the most optimistic forecast from computer modelling is correct, and New Zealand's average temperature rises only 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, it will be as if the whole country was moved about 700km north--somewhere between Brisbane and Sydney. But the most pessimistic forecast is for a rise of 10-12 degrees globally. That 2-degree prediction for New Zealand is based on taking the middle line through the computer predictions, but at the moment the actual readings globally are tracking along the top edge of the model--so we are heading towards the worst case. The computer modelling has been checked by running it back to 1860 when readings began, and it matches extremely well--but only if man-made sources of carbon-dioxide are factored in, thus proving that the mess we are in is the mess we made. We have been using the sky as an open sewer for 150 years. What goes up must come down. Now, to mix metaphors thoroughly, all our vultures are coming home to roost.
Global Overheating Still Galloping Along
Posted August 22/2005. The latest NOAA/NCDC satellite data, for June, continues to show that alarming trends in global overheating are continuing and getting worse. Globally, land temperatures were the warmest on record, ocean temperatures the second warmest, combined they were the second warmest. In the northern hemisphere all three readings were the warmest on record. The southern hemisphere had the fourth warmest temperatures for land, the seventh warmest for the ocean and the fifth warmest for both combined. The worrying rashes of red dots in Greenland and the Arctic continue, as do the markedly warmer areas in the oceans off the coast of Greenland and Alaska, which are causing ice to melt at a rapid clip. The stratosphere continues to cool as the troposphere warms, which further raises the terrible possibility that the ozone hole may one day cover the whole planet, because the cooler the stratosphere the more efficiently CFCs destroy ozone. Click for the full details of NOAA/NCDC data:
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/jun/global.html
Posted August 22/2005. The latest NOAA/NCDC satellite data, for June, continues to show that alarming trends in global overheating are continuing and getting worse. Globally, land temperatures were the warmest on record, ocean temperatures the second warmest, combined they were the second warmest. In the northern hemisphere all three readings were the warmest on record. The southern hemisphere had the fourth warmest temperatures for land, the seventh warmest for the ocean and the fifth warmest for both combined. The worrying rashes of red dots in Greenland and the Arctic continue, as do the markedly warmer areas in the oceans off the coast of Greenland and Alaska, which are causing ice to melt at a rapid clip. The stratosphere continues to cool as the troposphere warms, which further raises the terrible possibility that the ozone hole may one day cover the whole planet, because the cooler the stratosphere the more efficiently CFCs destroy ozone. Click for the full details of NOAA/NCDC data:
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/jun/global.html
EStarFuture Starts Its Own Blog--'estar'
Posted 24 August/2005. The heading says it all. Click here: www.estarfuturecorp.com/blog/estarblog.html
Posted 24 August/2005. The heading says it all. Click here: www.estarfuturecorp.com/blog/estarblog.html
New Zealand's Electricity Mandarins Spurn Hydrogen
Posted October 3/2005. Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, is facing a shortage of electricity at peak periods and a general shortfall in a few years' time. The traditional, backward-looking solution is to build more transmission lines into the city so that more power can be brought in. That is what the energy mandarins propose to do--for an estimated $500 million: deface 200km of New Zealand countryside with giant pylons and high-tension cables.
A forward-looking solution is to have more power already in the city, by using the existing lines to bring it in at off-peak times, storing as hydrogen it till needed then generating power through fuel-cell arrays all over the city. That way the $500 million earmarked for new transmission lines would also build a solid foundation for the hydrogen economy. Below is the letter sent to Transpower and copied to the Electricity Commission and relevant ministers, followed by Transpower's pathetic response. What was its reason for rejecting the plan? It has no knowledge or expertise! With a small chunk of that $500 million it could buy all the knowledge and expertise in the world. The essence of its reply is that it is still 1940--we must still do things the way we have always done them.
After all, the electrolysis of water was discovered so recently, in 1800, and fuel-cell technology was only discovered in 1839, and there are only 12,000 fuel cells in the world (some a mere 250kW), and the International Space Station has been running on that technology for years--and basic chemistry and physics have yet to be proved...
Transpower also fails to see that the proposal is not for 'large-scale' implementation. It is for myriad small-scale implementations. Many a little makes a lot. The idea is not Big Iron. It is for multiple Little Iron. Not all the eggs in one big basket. Many eggs in many little baskets. It is like replacing a big computer mainframe with thousands of PCs. Far, far more reliable. Certainly far more reliable than a single row of pylons.
Transpower is assuming a risk that does not exist. It is saying, in effect, 'We don't know. Therefore there must be a risk. We must not risk.' The risk is only in its imagination.
Find out, Transpower. Learn.
EStarFuture's Letter to Transpower:
-------------------------------------
Dr Ralph Craven,
Chief Executive Officer,
Transpower New Zealand Limited,
Level 7, Transpower House, 96 The Terrace,
P O Box 1021,
Wellington.
27th August 2005.
Dear Sir,
I suggest a radical, but eminently cost-effective solution to the problem of getting a secure supply of electricity in Auckland. Instead of disfiguring the environment and thus buying a fight with thousands of protesters of all shapes and colours, this solution would make Transpower countless friends. It would also put it in a strong, foundational position in what will become the world's biggest area of economic activity. It would thus eliminate many nasty negatives and create a large and lucrative positive.
Instead of building 200km of power-pylons at a reported cost of $500 million so that more power can be brought into Auckland at times of peak load, we suggest that you instead bring it in on the existing transmission lines at off-peak times, and thus at cheaper rates, and store it as hydrogen. The hydrogen would be produced by splitting rain-water, i.e., by passing that off-peak power through electrolyser arrays, either large arrays on Transpower's premises or small units distributed across strategically-selected business and domestic premises. Then at times of peak load the hydrogen would be used to generate electricity via fuel-cells, again either in Transpower arrays or distributed systems. The oxygen by-product from electrolysis would be sold here and overseas to health and industry, or used to boost the output of the fuel-cells. For a household, 5kW would be an ideal size for an electrolyser and 10-15kW for a fuel-cell, and the economies of scale achievable with such a large order would make it possible to fit out tens of thousands of households. The economies of scale gained would also make possible parallel projects in New Zealand, and the world beyond, thus moving us far more quickly from global-warming oil-dependence to the vitally necessary hydrogen economy.
Storage of hydrogen is now easily achieved in inexpensive carbon-composite bottles (the type that have long been used by firefighters). Such a system would also mean that much latent energy from dams would be stored where evaporation cannot deplete it and natural disasters cannot affect it.
Preliminary calculations indicate that for $500 million you could install up to 1GW of fuel-cell generation in Auckland.
If you were to implement this solution you would also be laying a solid foundation for the hydrogen economy in New Zealand, and thus adding a very lucrative income-stream to your operation. If the installations were distributed instead of being big arrays on your own premises, that foundation could also supply energy for transportation--i.e., fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen-combustion engines--which would generate huge Kyoto credits.
As you are doubtless aware, it is imperative that the world stops burning hydrocarbon fuels and shifts to hydrogen because we are ruining the planet. We are also running out of fossil forms of hydocarbons because it takes 300 million years to form them and seconds to burn them. Hydrogen can be made in seconds from rainwater. Internal combustions engines and jet engines can be modified easily to run on hydrogen; fuel-cell vehicles are already a reality. The market for hydrogen is therefore assured.
This solution to Auckland's energy needs would be good for Transpower, good for the environment, good for New Zealand and good for the planet. Truly a win-win-win-win situation. Only the oil and coal companies would have tears before bedtime.
Please see www.estarfuturecorp.com for more information.
Yours faithfully,
Nobilangelo Ceramalus.
Managing Director,
EStarFuture Corporation Limited.
----------------------------------
cc:
The Minister of Finance,
Hon. Dr Michael Cullen.
The Minister for State-Owned Enterprises,
Hon. Mark Burton.
Minister of Energy,
Hon. Trevor Mallard.
Mr Roy Hemmingway,
Chair of the Electricity Commission.
........................................................................................................................................................................
Transpower's response in full, dated the 15th of September 2005:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for you letter dated 27 August 2005 concerning your proposal to convert off-peak power to hydrogen for use in fuel-cells, as a means of replacing the need for the proposed 400kV tranmission line between Whakamaru and Otahuhu.
Transpower is unaware of any large-scale commercial application of the hydrogen conversion technology suggested, and clearly as a responsible transmission provider we can not risk the security of the upper North Island's power supply on untested technology. Similarly, our expertise is in the transmission of electricity not generation through fuel cells, and so we are not best placed to assess your proposal in any event.
If you do consider it to be a viable option, we recommend that you approach the Electricity Commission directly who are currently considering alternatives to Transpower's proposal.
If you would like more information about the North Island 400kV project, please feel free to visit the project website at http://www.gridupgrade.co.nz or contact Transpower on 0800 33 88 66.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ralph Craven,
Chief Executive,
Transpower New Zealand Limited.
.......................................................................................................................................................................
The responses from the other parties to whom the letter was copied were also dismissive, either taking a couple of pages to echo Sergeant Shultz in Hogan's Heroes ('I know nothing. I see nothing'), or taking a lot of equally useless paper to shunt the problem to some other do-nothing desk, or both.
Posted October 3/2005. Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, is facing a shortage of electricity at peak periods and a general shortfall in a few years' time. The traditional, backward-looking solution is to build more transmission lines into the city so that more power can be brought in. That is what the energy mandarins propose to do--for an estimated $500 million: deface 200km of New Zealand countryside with giant pylons and high-tension cables.
A forward-looking solution is to have more power already in the city, by using the existing lines to bring it in at off-peak times, storing as hydrogen it till needed then generating power through fuel-cell arrays all over the city. That way the $500 million earmarked for new transmission lines would also build a solid foundation for the hydrogen economy. Below is the letter sent to Transpower and copied to the Electricity Commission and relevant ministers, followed by Transpower's pathetic response. What was its reason for rejecting the plan? It has no knowledge or expertise! With a small chunk of that $500 million it could buy all the knowledge and expertise in the world. The essence of its reply is that it is still 1940--we must still do things the way we have always done them.
After all, the electrolysis of water was discovered so recently, in 1800, and fuel-cell technology was only discovered in 1839, and there are only 12,000 fuel cells in the world (some a mere 250kW), and the International Space Station has been running on that technology for years--and basic chemistry and physics have yet to be proved...
Transpower also fails to see that the proposal is not for 'large-scale' implementation. It is for myriad small-scale implementations. Many a little makes a lot. The idea is not Big Iron. It is for multiple Little Iron. Not all the eggs in one big basket. Many eggs in many little baskets. It is like replacing a big computer mainframe with thousands of PCs. Far, far more reliable. Certainly far more reliable than a single row of pylons.
Transpower is assuming a risk that does not exist. It is saying, in effect, 'We don't know. Therefore there must be a risk. We must not risk.' The risk is only in its imagination.
Find out, Transpower. Learn.
EStarFuture's Letter to Transpower:
-------------------------------------
Dr Ralph Craven,
Chief Executive Officer,
Transpower New Zealand Limited,
Level 7, Transpower House, 96 The Terrace,
P O Box 1021,
Wellington.
27th August 2005.
Dear Sir,
I suggest a radical, but eminently cost-effective solution to the problem of getting a secure supply of electricity in Auckland. Instead of disfiguring the environment and thus buying a fight with thousands of protesters of all shapes and colours, this solution would make Transpower countless friends. It would also put it in a strong, foundational position in what will become the world's biggest area of economic activity. It would thus eliminate many nasty negatives and create a large and lucrative positive.
Instead of building 200km of power-pylons at a reported cost of $500 million so that more power can be brought into Auckland at times of peak load, we suggest that you instead bring it in on the existing transmission lines at off-peak times, and thus at cheaper rates, and store it as hydrogen. The hydrogen would be produced by splitting rain-water, i.e., by passing that off-peak power through electrolyser arrays, either large arrays on Transpower's premises or small units distributed across strategically-selected business and domestic premises. Then at times of peak load the hydrogen would be used to generate electricity via fuel-cells, again either in Transpower arrays or distributed systems. The oxygen by-product from electrolysis would be sold here and overseas to health and industry, or used to boost the output of the fuel-cells. For a household, 5kW would be an ideal size for an electrolyser and 10-15kW for a fuel-cell, and the economies of scale achievable with such a large order would make it possible to fit out tens of thousands of households. The economies of scale gained would also make possible parallel projects in New Zealand, and the world beyond, thus moving us far more quickly from global-warming oil-dependence to the vitally necessary hydrogen economy.
Storage of hydrogen is now easily achieved in inexpensive carbon-composite bottles (the type that have long been used by firefighters). Such a system would also mean that much latent energy from dams would be stored where evaporation cannot deplete it and natural disasters cannot affect it.
Preliminary calculations indicate that for $500 million you could install up to 1GW of fuel-cell generation in Auckland.
If you were to implement this solution you would also be laying a solid foundation for the hydrogen economy in New Zealand, and thus adding a very lucrative income-stream to your operation. If the installations were distributed instead of being big arrays on your own premises, that foundation could also supply energy for transportation--i.e., fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen-combustion engines--which would generate huge Kyoto credits.
As you are doubtless aware, it is imperative that the world stops burning hydrocarbon fuels and shifts to hydrogen because we are ruining the planet. We are also running out of fossil forms of hydocarbons because it takes 300 million years to form them and seconds to burn them. Hydrogen can be made in seconds from rainwater. Internal combustions engines and jet engines can be modified easily to run on hydrogen; fuel-cell vehicles are already a reality. The market for hydrogen is therefore assured.
This solution to Auckland's energy needs would be good for Transpower, good for the environment, good for New Zealand and good for the planet. Truly a win-win-win-win situation. Only the oil and coal companies would have tears before bedtime.
Please see www.estarfuturecorp.com for more information.
Yours faithfully,
Nobilangelo Ceramalus.
Managing Director,
EStarFuture Corporation Limited.
----------------------------------
cc:
The Minister of Finance,
Hon. Dr Michael Cullen.
The Minister for State-Owned Enterprises,
Hon. Mark Burton.
Minister of Energy,
Hon. Trevor Mallard.
Mr Roy Hemmingway,
Chair of the Electricity Commission.
........................................................................................................................................................................
Transpower's response in full, dated the 15th of September 2005:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for you letter dated 27 August 2005 concerning your proposal to convert off-peak power to hydrogen for use in fuel-cells, as a means of replacing the need for the proposed 400kV tranmission line between Whakamaru and Otahuhu.
Transpower is unaware of any large-scale commercial application of the hydrogen conversion technology suggested, and clearly as a responsible transmission provider we can not risk the security of the upper North Island's power supply on untested technology. Similarly, our expertise is in the transmission of electricity not generation through fuel cells, and so we are not best placed to assess your proposal in any event.
If you do consider it to be a viable option, we recommend that you approach the Electricity Commission directly who are currently considering alternatives to Transpower's proposal.
If you would like more information about the North Island 400kV project, please feel free to visit the project website at http://www.gridupgrade.co.nz or contact Transpower on 0800 33 88 66.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Ralph Craven,
Chief Executive,
Transpower New Zealand Limited.
.......................................................................................................................................................................
The responses from the other parties to whom the letter was copied were also dismissive, either taking a couple of pages to echo Sergeant Shultz in Hogan's Heroes ('I know nothing. I see nothing'), or taking a lot of equally useless paper to shunt the problem to some other do-nothing desk, or both.
Arctic Icecap Melting Quick
Posted October 1/2005. Just when the head-in-the-sand brigade were coming out of their Force 5 Hurricane Shelters and thinking about getting back to 'normal', what do they read? It's enough make any 'global-warming sceptic' sick to the stomach. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4290340.stm
Posted October 1/2005. Just when the head-in-the-sand brigade were coming out of their Force 5 Hurricane Shelters and thinking about getting back to 'normal', what do they read? It's enough make any 'global-warming sceptic' sick to the stomach. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4290340.stm
Yet Another Threat to Birds and Animals. Fuel-cells Get a Mention.
Posted October 7/2005. The threat to the planet's animal population because we are overheating it is again the subject of a study, this focusing on migratory species: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313726.stm
At least there are some people are telling governments to push fuel-cells hard. But these things take time. After all, they are new technology. Sir William Grove only invented them in 1839, and it was only in 1874 that Jules Verne predicted their universal use. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4309686.stm We obviously prefer to use technologies that fill the air we breathe with planet-trashing, poisonous gases than use one that emits nothing but pure water.
Posted October 7/2005. The threat to the planet's animal population because we are overheating it is again the subject of a study, this focusing on migratory species: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313726.stm
At least there are some people are telling governments to push fuel-cells hard. But these things take time. After all, they are new technology. Sir William Grove only invented them in 1839, and it was only in 1874 that Jules Verne predicted their universal use. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4309686.stm We obviously prefer to use technologies that fill the air we breathe with planet-trashing, poisonous gases than use one that emits nothing but pure water.
Solar-Product Ideas Called For
October 20/2005. EStarFuture's South Korean supplier of solar-light tiles and other solar products is about to start planning new products for next year. So if you have any brilliant solar ideas that you want to put forward to help the planet out, please email them in (preferably accompanied by sketches in JPEG or PNG format).
Business Sponsorships For Solar-Hydrogen Technology In Schools
October 20/2005. EStarFuture's South Korean supplier of solar-light tiles and other solar products is about to start planning new products for next year. So if you have any brilliant solar ideas that you want to put forward to help the planet out, please email them in (preferably accompanied by sketches in JPEG or PNG format).
Business Sponsorships For Solar-Hydrogen Technology In Schools
Warmest September
Posted October 15/2005. Last month (that was September 2005 in case you are an archeologist of the 23rd century digging through the bones of the 21st) was the warmest September on record for land and ocean combined, making the global map almost entirely red dots: http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/sep/global.html
Posted October 15/2005. Last month (that was September 2005 in case you are an archeologist of the 23rd century digging through the bones of the 21st) was the warmest September on record for land and ocean combined, making the global map almost entirely red dots: http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2005/sep/global.html
October 19/2005. For schools to know they should be teaching its students about the energy technologies that will power their lives, and want to do it, is not enough. Money, in these days of thin budgets, must be found.
In recognition of that obstacle, EStarFuture Corporation has launched a sponsorship scheme so that businesses can provide the equipment and by that means invest in New Zealand's future--and the planet's. Sponsorships start at the modest $1000 Bronze Package, which will purchase a basic amount of equipment, so sharing will be needed in class, but it will give teachers and students a solid base on which to study and experiment and learn. The bigger packages, which range up to the $10,000 Star Package, differ from the small ones only in the quantity of equipment. There is no difference in quality. For more details click here www.estarfuturecorp.com/h-tec03sponsor01.html
In recognition of that obstacle, EStarFuture Corporation has launched a sponsorship scheme so that businesses can provide the equipment and by that means invest in New Zealand's future--and the planet's. Sponsorships start at the modest $1000 Bronze Package, which will purchase a basic amount of equipment, so sharing will be needed in class, but it will give teachers and students a solid base on which to study and experiment and learn. The bigger packages, which range up to the $10,000 Star Package, differ from the small ones only in the quantity of equipment. There is no difference in quality. For more details click here www.estarfuturecorp.com/h-tec03sponsor01.html
Antarctic Worse Than Modelled. Pollution Reduces Male Population.
October 22/2005. Bad news down under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4356422.stm
Air pollution is bumping off unborn boys: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4359898.stm
October 22/2005. Bad news down under: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4356422.stm
Air pollution is bumping off unborn boys: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4359898.stm
EStarFuture Introduces h-tec Industrial's PEM Fuel-cells and Electrolysers
November 4/2005. h-tec, which has for years made an extensive range of high-quality micro fuel-cell/solar-cell energy systems, later built on that knowledge and experience to launch a cost-effective range of PEM fuel-cells, electrolysers and oxygen generators for industrial, commercial and scientific applications. E*Future has now introduced them to the New Zealand market. Click here for details.
November 4/2005. h-tec, which has for years made an extensive range of high-quality micro fuel-cell/solar-cell energy systems, later built on that knowledge and experience to launch a cost-effective range of PEM fuel-cells, electrolysers and oxygen generators for industrial, commercial and scientific applications. E*Future has now introduced them to the New Zealand market. Click here for details.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions 'To Rise By 52%'
November 8/2005. The BBC reports the International Energy Agency (IEA) as saying that greenhouse gas emission will rise 52% by 2030 unless the world gets itself on to a 'sustainable energy path.' But, paradoxically, it also says that far more investment is needed in the oil industry. (!!!)
November 8/2005. The BBC reports the International Energy Agency (IEA) as saying that greenhouse gas emission will rise 52% by 2030 unless the world gets itself on to a 'sustainable energy path.' But, paradoxically, it also says that far more investment is needed in the oil industry. (!!!)
EStarFuture Offers NZ Schools Up to Eight Chances To Win Fuel-Cell Cars!
Click for a free poster
Click for the educational science entry-page
November 9/2005. From the 11th of November to 5pm on the 25th (except for a few early birds who might beat the gun), EStarFuture will be counting qualifying schools and dollars. For every fifty schools that make orders of its micro solar-hydrogen education systems worth $250 or more (ex GST), there will be a draw for two schools to win a free micro fuel-cell vehicle (FCV), the HySpeedster car (catalogue number 2051), normally $400 (ex GST). Click on the orange EdScience icon to the right to browse the educational science products starting from the main page.
But the offer does not stop there. For every fifty schools that spend $500+, four schools will go into the draw for four free HySpeedster FCVs. And for every fifty schools that spend $750+, six free HySpeedster FCVs will be drawn and given to six schools. And for every fifty schools that spend $1000+, eight free HySpeedster FCVs will be drawn and given to eight schools. All totals exclude GST.
And any school that spends more than $4000 (excluding GST) will get a free $400 HySpeedster added to its order, compliments of EStarFuture.
Winners of the free cars will be advised by email at the end of November. The numbers of schools in each order-category will be posted at the top of the homepage between the 11th and the 25th.
'Spread the email word,' the company says. 'Get lots of other schools on board, reach for a credit card, get in before the exhange-rate gets even worse--and call EStarFuture with an order soon.' (372-7001 in the Auckland free-calling area, and 0800-338-887 for the rest of the country.)
The planet needs a clean-energy future. Students need one. EStarFuture wants to help make that happen.
EStarFuture Corporation Features In The New Zealand Herald
November 12/2005. New Zealand's leading newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, published a major feature story in its Saturday edition (click on the address below), in which it laid out alternative proposals to Transpower's plan to deface 200km of countryside with giant pylons at a cost of $500 million in order to provide more transmission capacity into Auckland at peak hours on the coldest winter days. $500 million of public money for an extra extension-lead to the South Island, which would stand idle most of the time looking hideous and demanding maintenance.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10354794
The article was dominated by EStarFuture's proposal that instead the existing lines be used more efficiently, by using the off-peak segment from 2330 to 0730 to bring more power into the city than is being consumed, then store in the form of hydrogen till needed. Then, whenver peaks occurred that the existing lines cannot not handle the hydrogen would be passed through fuel-cells to boost the amount of power on the local grid.
In other words, instead of saying that the problem of peak shortfalls poses the question, 'How to get enough power into Auckland at peaks?' EStarFuture says it is asking, 'How to we get enough power in Auckland at all times?' It is an availability problem not a transmission problem. EStarFuture says bring it in in advance and store it, instead of trying to get it in only when demand hits.
Such a scheme would also have benefits the year round, instead of just at certain winter peaks, because the hydrogen-production could be used to lay the foundation of FCV (fuel-cell vehicle) transportation. Transpower would thus no longer stand just for the transmission of power, it would also stand for transportation power.
Other proposals worthy of mention in the article included using tidal generation, but the hours that that works cannot be guaranteed to coincide with peaks. It could add more generation-capacity to the national mix, but could not solve the peaks problem. Also proposed was using the drinking-water lakes in the Waitakeres, by pumping water from a lower one to a higher one using off-peak power and letting it flow back down through generators at peaks. But that has a capacity limited by drought, Auckland's thirst and the ceiling imposed by the maximum storage of the lakes. EStarFuture's proposal has no practical limit to capacity, and its dual-purpose nature makes it valuable for far more than cold winter days.
The micro fuel-cell car shown in the story is the technology that should be in every school, so that NZ's next generation can get up to speed on it ASAP. The politicians are doing nothing, so the generation that will cop the consequences of their inaction needs to be armed with the knowledge to make a difference. And to start making it right now.
November 12/2005. New Zealand's leading newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, published a major feature story in its Saturday edition (click on the address below), in which it laid out alternative proposals to Transpower's plan to deface 200km of countryside with giant pylons at a cost of $500 million in order to provide more transmission capacity into Auckland at peak hours on the coldest winter days. $500 million of public money for an extra extension-lead to the South Island, which would stand idle most of the time looking hideous and demanding maintenance.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10354794
The article was dominated by EStarFuture's proposal that instead the existing lines be used more efficiently, by using the off-peak segment from 2330 to 0730 to bring more power into the city than is being consumed, then store in the form of hydrogen till needed. Then, whenver peaks occurred that the existing lines cannot not handle the hydrogen would be passed through fuel-cells to boost the amount of power on the local grid.
In other words, instead of saying that the problem of peak shortfalls poses the question, 'How to get enough power into Auckland at peaks?' EStarFuture says it is asking, 'How to we get enough power in Auckland at all times?' It is an availability problem not a transmission problem. EStarFuture says bring it in in advance and store it, instead of trying to get it in only when demand hits.
Such a scheme would also have benefits the year round, instead of just at certain winter peaks, because the hydrogen-production could be used to lay the foundation of FCV (fuel-cell vehicle) transportation. Transpower would thus no longer stand just for the transmission of power, it would also stand for transportation power.
Other proposals worthy of mention in the article included using tidal generation, but the hours that that works cannot be guaranteed to coincide with peaks. It could add more generation-capacity to the national mix, but could not solve the peaks problem. Also proposed was using the drinking-water lakes in the Waitakeres, by pumping water from a lower one to a higher one using off-peak power and letting it flow back down through generators at peaks. But that has a capacity limited by drought, Auckland's thirst and the ceiling imposed by the maximum storage of the lakes. EStarFuture's proposal has no practical limit to capacity, and its dual-purpose nature makes it valuable for far more than cold winter days.
The micro fuel-cell car shown in the story is the technology that should be in every school, so that NZ's next generation can get up to speed on it ASAP. The politicians are doing nothing, so the generation that will cop the consequences of their inaction needs to be armed with the knowledge to make a difference. And to start making it right now.
Global Overheating Will Shrink Key Water-Supplies
November 21/2005. Global overheating will reduce glaciers and storage packs of snow in regions around the world, causing water shortages and other problems that will impact millions of people. That is the conclusion of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington in a review paper published in the November 17 issue of the journal Nature.
In analysing several scenarios, Scripps Institution's Tim Barnett, and Jennifer Adam and Dennis Lettenmaier of the University of Washington, show that human-produced greenhouse gases, and the resulting warmer climates they produce, will have a significant influence on ice- and snow-dependent regions and will result in costly disruptions to water supply and resource management systems.
The authors say that their predictions and observations 'portend important issues for the water resources of a substantial fraction of the world's population.'
The analysis first describes how water-resource levels will change under the influence of global overheating then depicts impacts on regions in the western United States, Europe, Canada, Asia and South America.
According to the authors, the forces driving these changes 'described as "greenhouse physics" ' show that in a warming climate more water will fall as rain rather than snow, filling reservoirs to capacity earlier than normal. A warming climate will also cause snow to melt earlier in the year than in previous decades, disrupting the traditional timing of water available from snow runoff streams. They say that together these changes mean less snow accumulation in the winter and earlier snow-derived water runoff in the spring, challenging the capacities of existing water reservoirs. According to Barnett, water shortages will occur in areas where reservoir capacity cannot hold the annual cycle of rain/snow.
'California, and in particular the Columbia Basin, doesn't have enough dam capacity to hold a seasonal cycle of water,' said Barnett. 'When you change the seasonality of how rivers flow you are essentially putting the water runoff all into spring rather than being able to draw it out through summer. Mother Nature is not going to act like a reservoir as it has in the past and when the water comes out all at once there isn't enough capacity to contain it.'
For Canada, the authors say earlier spring water runoff will threaten agricultural production in the Canadian Prairies. In Europe, hydrological simulations show that climate warming in the Rhine River Basin may reduce peak-demand water availability for industrial applications, agriculture and household uses. Ship transportation, flood protection, hydropower generation and revenue from skiing all could be threatened as a result.
In 2001, Barnett and other scientists with the Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative estimated that vital water resources derived from the Sierra Nevada may suffer a 15- to 30-percent reduction in the 21st century as a result of changes in snowpack runoff.
The authors of the new study extended these ideas to regions that depend heavily on glacier-derived water for their main dry season water supply. Such regions contrast with those that depend on water derived from snowpack, such as the western U.S., where water supplies are replenished each year. Thus, the researchers warn that 'even more serious problems may occur' in glacier dependent regions 'because once the glaciers have melted in a warmer world, there will be no replacement for the water they now provide.'
Barnett, Adam and Lettenmaier say the most vulnerable region where vanishing glaciers will impact water supplies in the coming decades is China, India and other parts of Asia because of their potential to affect vast populations throughout this region. The ice mass in the mountainous area of this region is the third largest on Earth following Arctic-
Greenland and Antarctica.
In South America, a significant fraction of the population west of the Andes Mountains similarly could be at risk due to shrinking supplies of glacier-derived river water. Glacier-covered areas in Peru, for instance, have experienced a 25 percent reduction in the past three decades, the authors note, and 'at current rates some of the glaciers may disappear in a few decades, if not sooner.' Here again they warn that fossil water lost through glacial melting will not be replaced in the foreseeable future.
Adding to the complexity of these scenarios is determining the role of tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols. Such particles are believed to cool the planet's surface and alter cloud processes. But while common aerosols such as black carbon are found in many regions around the world, their influence is not likely to reverse or even neutralise greenhouse warming, the authors say.
'Climate warming is a certainty in our future and the bottom line in this analysis is that we looked at the impact of the warming and the long-term prognosis is clear and very dire,' said Barnett. 'It's especially clear that regions in Asia and South America are headed for a water supply crisis because once that fossil water is gone, it's gone.'
The research described in the paper in Nature is a contribution from the International Detection and Attribution Group, jointly supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Department of Energy. The gross domestic product data set was developed by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University in Palisades, New York, with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Source: University of California, San Diego.
Ranks of 'Environmental Refugees' Will Soar
November 21/ 2005. Amid predictions that by 2010 the world will have to cope with up to 50 million people escaping the effects of creeping environmental deterioration, United Nations University experts say the international community urgently needs to define, recognize and extend support to this new category of 'refugee'. Full story: http://www.physorg.com/news8213.html
November 21/2005. Global overheating will reduce glaciers and storage packs of snow in regions around the world, causing water shortages and other problems that will impact millions of people. That is the conclusion of researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington in a review paper published in the November 17 issue of the journal Nature.
In analysing several scenarios, Scripps Institution's Tim Barnett, and Jennifer Adam and Dennis Lettenmaier of the University of Washington, show that human-produced greenhouse gases, and the resulting warmer climates they produce, will have a significant influence on ice- and snow-dependent regions and will result in costly disruptions to water supply and resource management systems.
The authors say that their predictions and observations 'portend important issues for the water resources of a substantial fraction of the world's population.'
The analysis first describes how water-resource levels will change under the influence of global overheating then depicts impacts on regions in the western United States, Europe, Canada, Asia and South America.
According to the authors, the forces driving these changes 'described as "greenhouse physics" ' show that in a warming climate more water will fall as rain rather than snow, filling reservoirs to capacity earlier than normal. A warming climate will also cause snow to melt earlier in the year than in previous decades, disrupting the traditional timing of water available from snow runoff streams. They say that together these changes mean less snow accumulation in the winter and earlier snow-derived water runoff in the spring, challenging the capacities of existing water reservoirs. According to Barnett, water shortages will occur in areas where reservoir capacity cannot hold the annual cycle of rain/snow.
'California, and in particular the Columbia Basin, doesn't have enough dam capacity to hold a seasonal cycle of water,' said Barnett. 'When you change the seasonality of how rivers flow you are essentially putting the water runoff all into spring rather than being able to draw it out through summer. Mother Nature is not going to act like a reservoir as it has in the past and when the water comes out all at once there isn't enough capacity to contain it.'
For Canada, the authors say earlier spring water runoff will threaten agricultural production in the Canadian Prairies. In Europe, hydrological simulations show that climate warming in the Rhine River Basin may reduce peak-demand water availability for industrial applications, agriculture and household uses. Ship transportation, flood protection, hydropower generation and revenue from skiing all could be threatened as a result.
In 2001, Barnett and other scientists with the Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative estimated that vital water resources derived from the Sierra Nevada may suffer a 15- to 30-percent reduction in the 21st century as a result of changes in snowpack runoff.
The authors of the new study extended these ideas to regions that depend heavily on glacier-derived water for their main dry season water supply. Such regions contrast with those that depend on water derived from snowpack, such as the western U.S., where water supplies are replenished each year. Thus, the researchers warn that 'even more serious problems may occur' in glacier dependent regions 'because once the glaciers have melted in a warmer world, there will be no replacement for the water they now provide.'
Barnett, Adam and Lettenmaier say the most vulnerable region where vanishing glaciers will impact water supplies in the coming decades is China, India and other parts of Asia because of their potential to affect vast populations throughout this region. The ice mass in the mountainous area of this region is the third largest on Earth following Arctic-
Greenland and Antarctica.
In South America, a significant fraction of the population west of the Andes Mountains similarly could be at risk due to shrinking supplies of glacier-derived river water. Glacier-covered areas in Peru, for instance, have experienced a 25 percent reduction in the past three decades, the authors note, and 'at current rates some of the glaciers may disappear in a few decades, if not sooner.' Here again they warn that fossil water lost through glacial melting will not be replaced in the foreseeable future.
Adding to the complexity of these scenarios is determining the role of tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols. Such particles are believed to cool the planet's surface and alter cloud processes. But while common aerosols such as black carbon are found in many regions around the world, their influence is not likely to reverse or even neutralise greenhouse warming, the authors say.
'Climate warming is a certainty in our future and the bottom line in this analysis is that we looked at the impact of the warming and the long-term prognosis is clear and very dire,' said Barnett. 'It's especially clear that regions in Asia and South America are headed for a water supply crisis because once that fossil water is gone, it's gone.'
The research described in the paper in Nature is a contribution from the International Detection and Attribution Group, jointly supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Department of Energy. The gross domestic product data set was developed by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University in Palisades, New York, with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Source: University of California, San Diego.
Ranks of 'Environmental Refugees' Will Soar
November 21/ 2005. Amid predictions that by 2010 the world will have to cope with up to 50 million people escaping the effects of creeping environmental deterioration, United Nations University experts say the international community urgently needs to define, recognize and extend support to this new category of 'refugee'. Full story: http://www.physorg.com/news8213.html
Carbon-dioxide Level Highest in 650,000 Years
November 25/2005. Research on atmospheric concentrations of carbon-dioxide and methane taken from ice-cores drilled in the Antarctic shows that the present level of carbon-dioxide is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. And the sea has been rising faster in the past 150 years than at any time in previous centuries. The rate is now 2mm a year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4467420.stm
The Level of Carbon-dioxide Affects Pathogenic Activity
November 25/2005. Researchers at Duke University Medical Centre, Duke University and Cornell University have shown that the level of carbon-dioxide is a trigger for pathogenic activity in some fungi.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051123080442.htm
That indicates that increases in atmospheric carbon-dioxide caused by human folly will alter our disease-landscape for the worse. Another thing to look forward to as global overheating bites ever harder.
November 25/2005. Research on atmospheric concentrations of carbon-dioxide and methane taken from ice-cores drilled in the Antarctic shows that the present level of carbon-dioxide is higher than at any time in the last 650,000 years. And the sea has been rising faster in the past 150 years than at any time in previous centuries. The rate is now 2mm a year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4467420.stm
The Level of Carbon-dioxide Affects Pathogenic Activity
November 25/2005. Researchers at Duke University Medical Centre, Duke University and Cornell University have shown that the level of carbon-dioxide is a trigger for pathogenic activity in some fungi.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051123080442.htm
That indicates that increases in atmospheric carbon-dioxide caused by human folly will alter our disease-landscape for the worse. Another thing to look forward to as global overheating bites ever harder.
People-Power and People-Pennies for a Very Planet-Friendly Car
A call for a technological 'Orange Revolution'--but Green
November 28/2005 [copy of a global press-release]: EStarFuture Corporation (www.estarfuturecorp.com), a small New Zealand company passionate about the planet, is taking a novel approach in its bid to develop its advanced electric vehicle as soon as possible--it is appealing for 'pennies' to the people of the planet.
EStarFuture's managing director Nobilangelo Ceramalus (pronounced noble-arn-jillo kerra-mar-liss), a native-born NZer, the scientist and mechanical engineer heading the EStarCar Project, says the predicament the Earth is in from our addiction to vehicles running on 'Black Stuff' makes the development of a truly green replacement a matter of urgency--'The monthly data from earth-watching satellites and from a myriad of scientific studies shows how dire things are getting.'
'It is imperative that we end the reign of the oil-barons and set about cleansing the world of their black stain,' he says. 'We cannot wait for the self-serving, oil-addicted carmakers whose promises of electric vehicles have a constantly receding horizon, except for a few outrageously-expensive, handmade prototypes to keep the California Air Resources Board off their backs. They are just "greenwashing" while they carry on manufacturing the same old highly profitable, planet-wrecking devices.'
He pours scorn on their pretence that decades of time and billions of dollars in R&D are needed before mass-production of FCVs (fuel-cell vehicles) can begin.
'People-power and people-pennies can cut through all that nonsense,' he says. 'Traditional methods of raising capital are too uncertain, and too slow, and they are driven, and therefore distorted, by short-term financial greed instead focusing on the true bottom line, which is life and the quality of life--both critically dependent on the planet we live on and the sky we live in.'
The EStarCar does not just begin with people-power. That is also how it carries on. It is designed to be manufactured by small teams all over the planet rather than huge plants. Ceramalus says traditional vehicles--'powered by serial Molotov Cocktails'--have an inherent need for massive manufacturing infrastructures because of their complexity, but an electric vehicle is far simpler, so its manufacture can and should have a fundamentally different approach.
He points to the parallel in the computing industry. When personal computers replaced the mainframe (and he notes that they were not invented by mainframe-makers), manufacturing and support moved from a few massive monopolies to a horde of small companies and individuals, and from massive costs to small ones. He thinks the 'Big Iron' carmakers realise that their enormous power and wealth will be destroyed by the electric vehicle, and that that is the real reason why they are putting off mass-production. They naturally want to keep making vehicles that they, and only they, can make. They are like the corrupt governments who cling to their selfish ways--until people-power topples them.
'The EStarCar Project is a people-power Green Revolution to end the poisonous reign of the Black Stuff,' he says.
The design of the EStarCar (outlined at www.estarfuturecorp.com/estarcar.html) has been kept simple to minimise the cost and complexity of development and manufacture, but the fact that it gathers nine off-the-shelf sources of power into one vehicle, with a tenth being considered, underscores its advanced nature. Ceramalus says there is no legacy thinking in it. 'It began with a bare patch of road.' He criticises the EV efforts of the Big Iron carmakers, 'who just adapt what they have always done, instead of recognising that an EV is fundamentally different to an ICV (internal-combustion vehicle) and therefore must be entirely rethought.'
'Vehicles are first and foremost for people and the planet,' he says, 'not for carmakers. The lives of the driver and passengers must be of paramount importance, but that does not just mean keeping them safe by careful ergonomic design and good engineering while they are on the road. It means protecting at all times their planet and their sky--unlike present cars, which have airbags for the occasional crash, but pollute every breath we all take.'
'The EStarCar is very definitely for the planet and the people of the planet, so it is logical and appropriate that people-
pennies should fund its development,' says Ceramalus. 'The return will be a better world.'
The remaining development of the EStarCar is expected to take one to two years. Ceramalus says it might be possible to do it in one but he dislikes predictions that may prove uncomfortable. Development is costed at $US500,000, using off-
the-shelf or easily-machined parts and straightforward software. Ceramalus says the modest cost and two-year maximum timeframe prove how much the Big Iron carmakers have hoodwinked us into believing that billions and decades are needed.
He points out that to put the EStarCar on the road 'people-pennies', needs only $US100 from 5000 people, $50 from 10,000, $20 from 25,000, or $10 from 50,000. He quotes an old saying, 'Many a little makes a lot.' And adds, 'In this case, a lot for the planet.' [Click for a comparison between the EStarCar and the Prius]
A call for a technological 'Orange Revolution'--but Green
November 28/2005 [copy of a global press-release]: EStarFuture Corporation (www.estarfuturecorp.com), a small New Zealand company passionate about the planet, is taking a novel approach in its bid to develop its advanced electric vehicle as soon as possible--it is appealing for 'pennies' to the people of the planet.
EStarFuture's managing director Nobilangelo Ceramalus (pronounced noble-arn-jillo kerra-mar-liss), a native-born NZer, the scientist and mechanical engineer heading the EStarCar Project, says the predicament the Earth is in from our addiction to vehicles running on 'Black Stuff' makes the development of a truly green replacement a matter of urgency--'The monthly data from earth-watching satellites and from a myriad of scientific studies shows how dire things are getting.'
'It is imperative that we end the reign of the oil-barons and set about cleansing the world of their black stain,' he says. 'We cannot wait for the self-serving, oil-addicted carmakers whose promises of electric vehicles have a constantly receding horizon, except for a few outrageously-expensive, handmade prototypes to keep the California Air Resources Board off their backs. They are just "greenwashing" while they carry on manufacturing the same old highly profitable, planet-wrecking devices.'
He pours scorn on their pretence that decades of time and billions of dollars in R&D are needed before mass-production of FCVs (fuel-cell vehicles) can begin.
'People-power and people-pennies can cut through all that nonsense,' he says. 'Traditional methods of raising capital are too uncertain, and too slow, and they are driven, and therefore distorted, by short-term financial greed instead focusing on the true bottom line, which is life and the quality of life--both critically dependent on the planet we live on and the sky we live in.'
The EStarCar does not just begin with people-power. That is also how it carries on. It is designed to be manufactured by small teams all over the planet rather than huge plants. Ceramalus says traditional vehicles--'powered by serial Molotov Cocktails'--have an inherent need for massive manufacturing infrastructures because of their complexity, but an electric vehicle is far simpler, so its manufacture can and should have a fundamentally different approach.
He points to the parallel in the computing industry. When personal computers replaced the mainframe (and he notes that they were not invented by mainframe-makers), manufacturing and support moved from a few massive monopolies to a horde of small companies and individuals, and from massive costs to small ones. He thinks the 'Big Iron' carmakers realise that their enormous power and wealth will be destroyed by the electric vehicle, and that that is the real reason why they are putting off mass-production. They naturally want to keep making vehicles that they, and only they, can make. They are like the corrupt governments who cling to their selfish ways--until people-power topples them.
'The EStarCar Project is a people-power Green Revolution to end the poisonous reign of the Black Stuff,' he says.
The design of the EStarCar (outlined at www.estarfuturecorp.com/estarcar.html) has been kept simple to minimise the cost and complexity of development and manufacture, but the fact that it gathers nine off-the-shelf sources of power into one vehicle, with a tenth being considered, underscores its advanced nature. Ceramalus says there is no legacy thinking in it. 'It began with a bare patch of road.' He criticises the EV efforts of the Big Iron carmakers, 'who just adapt what they have always done, instead of recognising that an EV is fundamentally different to an ICV (internal-combustion vehicle) and therefore must be entirely rethought.'
'Vehicles are first and foremost for people and the planet,' he says, 'not for carmakers. The lives of the driver and passengers must be of paramount importance, but that does not just mean keeping them safe by careful ergonomic design and good engineering while they are on the road. It means protecting at all times their planet and their sky--unlike present cars, which have airbags for the occasional crash, but pollute every breath we all take.'
'The EStarCar is very definitely for the planet and the people of the planet, so it is logical and appropriate that people-
pennies should fund its development,' says Ceramalus. 'The return will be a better world.'
The remaining development of the EStarCar is expected to take one to two years. Ceramalus says it might be possible to do it in one but he dislikes predictions that may prove uncomfortable. Development is costed at $US500,000, using off-
the-shelf or easily-machined parts and straightforward software. Ceramalus says the modest cost and two-year maximum timeframe prove how much the Big Iron carmakers have hoodwinked us into believing that billions and decades are needed.
He points out that to put the EStarCar on the road 'people-pennies', needs only $US100 from 5000 people, $50 from 10,000, $20 from 25,000, or $10 from 50,000. He quotes an old saying, 'Many a little makes a lot.' And adds, 'In this case, a lot for the planet.' [Click for a comparison between the EStarCar and the Prius]
Solved: Mass Killing 250 Million Years Ago--The Volcanoes Gassed Them.
December 6/2005. An international research team says it has found out what caused the mass-extinctions 250 million years ago--volcanic gases. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4499722.stm
Since then the method has been refined. Instead of waiting for unpredictable volcanoes, we now use ICVs--775 million internal-combustion vehicles belching out poisonous gases every day and all day all over the planet.
Computer modelling shows that the result will be the same. A study published in the journal Nature, reported by the BBC on the 4th of July 2004, showed that a million species are could have been driven to extinction by 2050--a ninth of the species on earth. That is an average of one extinction every 25 minutes. 37% of land-species will be on the way out.
Already 23% of mammals and 32% of amphibians are heading towards extinction.
December 6/2005. An international research team says it has found out what caused the mass-extinctions 250 million years ago--volcanic gases. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4499722.stm
Since then the method has been refined. Instead of waiting for unpredictable volcanoes, we now use ICVs--775 million internal-combustion vehicles belching out poisonous gases every day and all day all over the planet.
Computer modelling shows that the result will be the same. A study published in the journal Nature, reported by the BBC on the 4th of July 2004, showed that a million species are could have been driven to extinction by 2050--a ninth of the species on earth. That is an average of one extinction every 25 minutes. 37% of land-species will be on the way out.
Already 23% of mammals and 32% of amphibians are heading towards extinction.
EStarCar Beats Toyota's Second-Generation Prius by a Country of Country Miles
December 10/2005. The second-generation Prius generates peaks of 111Nm of torque from its petrol engine and 400Nm at 1200rpm from its electric motor (82 foot-pounds and 295 foot-pounds). The EStarCar generates more than twice that, a massive 968Nm peak, and 168Nm continuous (714ft-lb and 123ft-lb). Even at zero rpm it develops 113Nm (83ft-lb).
Prius consumes 4.0 litres of petrol per 100Km in the city and 4.2 litres per 100km in the country. The EStarCar consumes nothing--no petrol, no diesel, no 'bio-fuel'. It is 100% electric. It uses nothing but its nine sources of power (primarily its fuel-cell, ultracapacitor array, etc., with six secondary sources, such as regenerative braking).
Prius has lower emissions than usual for petrol cars. The EStarCar has zero emissions. Click for earlier news.
December 10/2005. The second-generation Prius generates peaks of 111Nm of torque from its petrol engine and 400Nm at 1200rpm from its electric motor (82 foot-pounds and 295 foot-pounds). The EStarCar generates more than twice that, a massive 968Nm peak, and 168Nm continuous (714ft-lb and 123ft-lb). Even at zero rpm it develops 113Nm (83ft-lb).
Prius consumes 4.0 litres of petrol per 100Km in the city and 4.2 litres per 100km in the country. The EStarCar consumes nothing--no petrol, no diesel, no 'bio-fuel'. It is 100% electric. It uses nothing but its nine sources of power (primarily its fuel-cell, ultracapacitor array, etc., with six secondary sources, such as regenerative braking).
Prius has lower emissions than usual for petrol cars. The EStarCar has zero emissions. Click for earlier news.
Happy Birthday Ludwig: 2005 Was The Warmest Northern Year on Record
December 16/2005. The BBC reports at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4532344.stmthat that this year is the warmest year the northern hemisphere has experienced since records began in 1860. It was the second warmest for the whole planet, second only the 1998 extreme. Globally, eight of the ten warmest years have occurred during the last decade; in the north there has been a 0.4 degrees Celsius warming in that period. But the head-in-the-oil-sand sceptics still say nothing is happening...
In case you want to light 235 candles on a big symphonic cake, it is Beethoven's birthday today (1770-1827).
December 16/2005. The BBC reports at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4532344.stmthat that this year is the warmest year the northern hemisphere has experienced since records began in 1860. It was the second warmest for the whole planet, second only the 1998 extreme. Globally, eight of the ten warmest years have occurred during the last decade; in the north there has been a 0.4 degrees Celsius warming in that period. But the head-in-the-oil-sand sceptics still say nothing is happening...
In case you want to light 235 candles on a big symphonic cake, it is Beethoven's birthday today (1770-1827).
2005