Especially when I really don't think there is any cleaner burning natural gas.
THIS IS AN OWNER OF AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BLOG!
Global Warming and the Future of Energy |
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Why does my Skype feel the urge to advertise natural gas to me?
Especially when I really don't think there is any cleaner burning natural gas. THIS IS AN OWNER OF AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BLOG!
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So, remember the EcoCapsule from Nice Architects? This cute little portable house that is completely run off of alternative energy is finally on sale. Unfortunately, for any of you looking to buy yourself an ecofriendly pod to live in, the first round of ones for sale is going quickly. They only produced 50 for the first production. Just to remind you all about what this little pod can do, it only has 8.2 square meters of floor space, but can be off the grid, house two people, have a composting toilet, a small kitchen (with a stove), a double bed, and clean wood flooring. It has solar panels on it's roof and an extendable wind turbine attached to the side. All of the lights can be controlled remotely, by smart phone. There is an ample amount of water storage as well. It can be lifted by a crane and pulled by a car. Right now, the early birds can get their EcoCapsule for 79,000 Euros. They are customizable as well. These 50 pre-ordered pods will ship to the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Australia. There is good news though, if you miss out on this small shipment. You can buy your own EcoCapsule again after the pre-ordered ones arrive. In 2017. It may be a ways to wait, but for ecofriendly people like us, it may be worth it. Also, here's a link to the newest video on the EcoCapsule. In case you hadn't seen our first story on the EcoCapsule, please feel free to visit it here!
So of all ridiculous things, this is a great thing to restart this blog on. Get this. A North Carolina town has rejected plans for a solar farm because the town council believes the project will “suck up all the energy from the sun.” The Woodland town council, upon hearing concerns from the public about a possible solar farm being built nearby, got together to listen to their neighbors’ concerns. These people obviously don’t know what they are talking about because they are concerned that a solar power farm will affect:
Bobby Mann warns that “all the young people are going to move out.” He also believes that the panels will suck up all of the sun’s energy. Another resident, (who doesn’t seem to know where she actually lives) Mary Hobbs, says the solar panels that are already around her house have decreased her property’s value. However, when you look at her house via satellite, her house is surrounded by forests. The representatives from Strata Solar Company have spent some time trying to convince the residents that the solar farm cannot affect them in the ways they have predicted. But, the council has voted 3 to 1 against the solar farm, and against any future ones. At least these North Carolinian solar panels won’t be causing the apocalypse anytime soon... What most of the area looks like already What will the North Carolinians do next? Reject wind power because they are afraid they will use up the wind supply?
Gogoro’s batter-swapping scooter has already been a huge hit in Taipei, selling 2,000 electric Smartscooters and have installed 90 battery-swapping GoStations. GoStations allow riders to easily power up their scooters without waiting for the battery to recharge. This takes all of six seconds. They sell 9 out of every 10 scooters that they make in Taipei (a 94% market shrae.) The GoStations sometimes even outnumber gas stations in certain areas. Despite these big moves, Gogoro is going even bigger. The company announced a plan to take its all electric scooters and their energy network to Europe in the coming year. Amsterdam is the first city to take this on. To fund this scooter plan, the company raised $130 million in funding from many investors, including Taiwan’s National Development Fund and the technology giant, Panasonic (who last invested in Tesla motors.) This money will fuel the European expansion, starting mainly with the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s Chief Technology Officer, Ger Baron, says, “Amsterdam is widely considered a forward thinking global leader in smart city innovation and we are excited to be welcoming Gogoro to Amsterdam as a participant in Amsterdam’s Smart City Experience Lab and as Gogoro’s first European market.” In other words, Amsterdam is welcoming Gogoro with open arms. Yes, Amsterdam is widely considered a forward thinking global leader in smart city innovations, just as Baron says. They are known for having more bicycles than people, or one person having more than one bike. Sometimes, however, pedal bikes don’t suit all of the residents of Amsterdam. But, even though cars are always an option for them, the city is short on parking already. These scooters are here to fill the gaps. Before actually setting the scooter system loose in Amsterdam, it is scheduled to be showcased at Amsterdam’s Smart City Innovation Lab. Until it is fully accessible to the public, the company will also set up a Gogoro Experience center. This will make it easier for customers get just the right model to suit their needs, as they will be able to test the scooters there. But the final question is, after this is a successful event in Amsterdam, where will Gogoro go next? The European Wind Energy Association, despite the dreadful attacks in Paris on Friday, still gave the go ahead for their wind energy event to occur there tomorrow. Because of their extended planning and discussion with local authorities, the EWEA believes that it is safe enough to continue to hold the event. Luckily, the have hired the proper security and have taken good enough measures to “ensure the utmost safety.” The German energy minister, European Commission’s vice president for the energy union, and the Belgian energy minister have confirmed their attendance. These are three of the four keynote speakers that were asked to attend the expo. As for the events in Paris on Friday, the chief executive officer of the EWEA, Giles Dickson, says “The European Wind Energy Association expresses its sincere condolences and sympathies to all those touched by the tragic events that unfolded in Paris on Friday 13 November. Our hearts and thoughts go out to them and the people of France at this very difficult time.” For more information on the event, their website updates with any news on the event. It can be visited at http://www.ewea.org/annual2015/information/realtime-updates . You can also call them at +32 3 213 1866. The event is still taking place at Paris Expo – Porte de Versailles, Pavilion 1, Paris, France. A Digital Set Up of Siemens' Booth at the Event Tomorrow As a side note, to relate to this, I (the author of the website) would like to send all of the people who were affected by the events on Friday my prayers and hopes that they recover well.
In Switzerland, the company Climeworks is developing what could fix the problem of the world’s mass CO2 output. They hope to use carbon dioxide as a usable byproduct and make our atmosphere cleaner. They also believe it will become a profitable industry. But what is this thing that could fix these problems? It’s called a Direct Air Capture Carbon Plant, and the company hopes to open the first one in the world next year. The way carbon dioxide will be changed into useable fuel will occur by capturing air and then binding carbon dioxide to a filter. There, it will be heated, as well as the filter, to 100 degrees Celsius. This creates a pure gaseous carbon dioxide that can be used for many purposes around the world. This is the kind of CO2 that is used to make synthetic fuels and growing plants in greenhouses. Not only can this help to bring down the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, the company plans on using as little energy as possible to produce it. They would like to use waste heat from other industries to convert the carbon dioxide. Climeworks knows their environmental responsibility, which is shown through their new idea. They also see how the plant could help other industries profit. One of their warnings is, yes this will reduce the carbon dioxide in our air, but no, it should not be used to completely take over our current carbon dioxide reduction practices. Climeworks' Work In Progress
Apple, adding to its already forward thinking, is making an effort to be run completely off of green energy. It already owns around 60 megawatts of solar energy, and has 848 million dollars of solar energy on order for the next 25 years. Now, they are committing to building 2 gigawatts (or enough energy to power around 328,000 average US homes) of green energy in China. If this gets completed, Apple would have the largest network of supply chain renewable energy in the world.
This plan to go green was announced on Wednesday, October 21. 40 of the 200 megawatts in the plan have already been installed, which gives them a good start to their plan. These megawatts are mainly to be in solar panels provided by SunPower and Foxconn and will supply energy to Apple facilities in China. These green megawatts are part of an Apple long term strategy. They have already begun to make solar power a staple for the company, and wish to continue to do so. This is to help them be able to predict energy costs easier so they can budget without worrying about a change in price of their energy source. It also makes it so they don’t have to worry about going green when the time really comes to need to. The sounds of walking in a forest are some of the best sounds you can hear, because it can show that there is still greenness and parts of the world that still care about the health of the earth. Some students from Estonia are the perfect example of the kinds of people who care about the wellbeing of Mother Nature. These students made giant wooden megaphones and placed them in a forest nearby. They amplify the sounds of nature that the forest makes naturally. They are located in the Pahni Nature Centre in Estonia. This nature reserve is known for their study trails that allow people to use the forest as a classroom. Students from the Estonian Academy of Arts and members of the Interior Architecture Department worked on these three large megaphones. They are three meters in diameter, so they are large enough to sit in. Inside the megaphones, you could say it is a completely different world, the acoustics amplify the sounds so well. Many people have begun to book flights to Estonia to see these beautiful megaphones that give Mother Nature a bigger voice than she already has. The installation is likely to be only temporary, in a good way for the environment. As rain and other natural elements wear down on the megaphones, they will be reabsorbed back into the earth. The megaphones are nestled in the forest. It's a nice place to settle down for a nap. Or just a nice place to feel calm and be at peace with nature. Here's a little bit of the sound and an interview on the inspiration of the creator.
Toyota is having a look into the future with a new concept for a hydrogen car. As we know, there are just some car makers who don’t believe in the electric car idea. And Toyota is one of those brands. Coming soon, Toyota’s first fuel cell car is planned to arrive as the Mirai. Toyota doesn’t plan to stop there. They know it’s important to look into the future of alternatively fueled vehicles, and they are doing so with the fuel cell powered cars. The concept for another FCV is planned to be debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show, later this month. Now, this car is obviously not going to be road ready when it is debuted, as they haven’t begun to actually test or make the car. But, it does show their vision of a futuristically shaped car, through the few pictures they have already released. There’s going to be more room inside the car, because the cell for fuel is going to be kept outside the car, between the front wheels. The dashboard on the inside will have all the vehicles vital statistics displayed clearly for the driver to see. They haven’t released any information on when they plan to start producing the car, but it is hoped that this idea for hydrogen fuel cells will begin to take off into the alternative fuel community. The concept car from up front The concept car from the back. Notice the wheel covers. Also. I'm not too sure as to how to get into the trunk... The concept car from the side. I am yet to find any doors on the vehicle. Maybe they are still being designed.
Hey all you alternative energy loving people! If you've been visiting this site for a while, when you opened it today, you probably got a little bit of a shock. YES! I changed and updated the theme. I felt like it needed a better suiting theme than it had, and I found a lovely theme actually titled "GoGreen." We changed many of the banners on the top to nice new images, except a few that just fit the section like a glove. So we now have a sparkly new page for you all to visit, and hopefully we will have new features soon! If you all can think of anything we should add, go ahead and leave a comment below.
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