Energy

Whatever concerns energy and the ways to produce it goes here

Green lifestyle tips from our grandparents

To the Mother Nature Network : ” Our grandparents (or great-grandparents) — children of the Great Depression — could teach us a thing or two about going green on a budget. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without, (…) “ Their carbon footprint was uber-small — they used less water, less fuel, […]

Green lifestyle tips from our grandparents Read More »

Recycling by the numbers

The New Ecologist proposes a series of interesting figures on recycling. Here are some of them : The recycling industry is worth $160 billion and employs globally 15 million people. Recycling aluminium needs only five percent of the energy needed to mine and refine the same quantity of new aluminium. The top 5 recycling countries

Recycling by the numbers Read More »

90% more efficient air conditioning

As the world is heating up because of global warming we need more air conditioning systems. This is why the latest invention from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory may change the world. Indeed, to the MIT Technology Review, the NREL have created ” a new air-conditioner design that (…) will dramatically increase efficiency and eliminate

90% more efficient air conditioning Read More »

Siemens’ European Green City Index

Europe is often considered at the forefront of the environmental scene as the EU keeps working on energy efficiency, renewables, biodiversity and other related issues. However not all countries are equal and so are their capital cities. Siemens published a study – the European Green City Index – which “measures and rates the environmental performance

Siemens’ European Green City Index Read More »

10 GW of solar PV capacity installed in 2010

This year will remain as an important milestone in the history of solar power. Indeed to GreenTech Media : ” In 2010, we will cross the threshold of 10 gigawatts of photovoltaic solar installed globally in a single year.” This is indeed amazing as in 2000 only 170 megawatts were installed. This is 58 times

10 GW of solar PV capacity installed in 2010 Read More »

The much lesser known Amazon oil spill

The French daily Le Figaro publishes a translation of the best New York Times articles each Friday. This enabled me to come accross another huge oil spill, this time located in Ecuador, South America. During three decades Texaco operated more than 300 oil wells without taking any notice of environmental issues. As a result the company

The much lesser known Amazon oil spill Read More »

Offshore WIND, not OIL

After the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the huge environmental catastrophe it is leading to, more and more voices are now demanding offshore wind as a paliative. This sounds like a good idea as the important offshore wind potential is still completely untapped in the United States. Meanwhile, the European Union

Offshore WIND, not OIL Read More »

Can Obama really cut oil companies’ tax breaks ?

To the Huffington Post quoting Associated Press : ” President Barack Obama says it’s time to roll back “billions of dollars in tax breaks” for oil companies and use the money for clean energy research and development. “ We have seen it here in numerous occasions : fossil fuel companies are receiving each years billions to

Can Obama really cut oil companies’ tax breaks ? Read More »

A huge solar farm on the Moon ?

Even if Japan has a sensible energy policy with energy efficiency and low carbon solutions, some of its companies have original ideas. Indeed after space-based solar, some are studying installing panels on the moon. The Shimizu Corporation is willing to put a 11,000 kilometers (6,800 miles) belt of solar panels to form the Luna Ring.

A huge solar farm on the Moon ? Read More »

The top 10 coal-burning countries

We all know it : coal is by far the most greenhouse gases emitting energy source. It is also a major air pollutant. For these two reasons it is the environmental enemy #1. (cf The Economist’s cover, back to 2002) However, many countries like China, India, Germany or the United States are still relying importantly

The top 10 coal-burning countries Read More »