Genengineering Will Go Open Source

According to a judge dished out to Big Pharma, they cannot patent genes.

[Judge Robert] Sweet said he invalidated the patents because DNA's existence in an isolated form does not alter the fundamental quality of DNA as it exists in the body nor the information it encodes.

He rejected arguments that it was acceptable to grant patents on DNA sequences as long as they are claimed in the form of "isolated DNA."

"Many, however, including scientists in the fields of molecular biology and genomics, have considered this practice a `lawyer's trick' that circumvents the prohibitions on the direct patenting of the DNA in our bodies but which, in practice, reaches the same result," he said.

The judge said his findings were consistent with Supreme Court rulings that have established that purifying a product of nature does not mean it can be patented.

The ruling that could invalidate patents held on almost 20 percent of the human genome. There is a long-simmering debate within the biotech and scientific communities over whether it makes sense to patent genes. At this point, most scientists agree that patents on genes retard scientific innovation. When companies request a huge fee for somebody to develop medicines related to genes they own, it can cause real harm to people and researchers who can't afford the pharmaceutical companies' asking prices.

The AP continues:

Mary-Claire King, the University of Washington scientist who discovered the first breast cancer predisposition gene, BRCA-1, while at the University of California at Berkeley in 1990, called the ruling "very good news for women who are potential carriers" of cancer genes and their families.

"It will open the door to truly competitive testing. It will allow the science to drive the field instead of the monopolistic approach that has dominated," she said.

The technology to tinker is there, but there's no longer a reason to be proprietary about it as anyone can take the genes and tinker with them. Big Pharma needs to take a page from FOSS and ride the wave front of general innovation in the field of genetic engineering, bring products to market and benefit from the free help.

Surprises for 2010 (Part 1)

Here are some of my predictions as to what is going to surprise people and make a big splash-- let's tune in in 360+ days and check:

Air Superiority: In the battle of hydrogen vs. electric vs. gasoline, air powered vehicles will start to make inroads. Compression is at the heart of the internal combustion engine. Air compressors are very old technology: ask anyone who uses a nail gun. For the price of $200 or less you can get yourself a decent air compressor. Go to the gas station and while suckers are paying $1 per litre, you can run that air compressor for as long as you want for $1 in total. Air powered cars and motorcycles will start to debut in Europe then grudgingly in North America. The best part of air powered: zero emissions and if the compressor is powered from a hydro, wind or solar source it's totally zero emission.

Asia Will Produce The Killer App: There are too many good programmers who have cut their teeth on North American and European projects. Some of them will get together and have an Indian-only get together and buzz together something awesome and something made for their 2 billion neighbours. My vote is on a tool that combines the Mechanical Turk, Adsense and GetAFreelancer: while $5/day sucks by North American standards, it's good coin (for now) in Bangladesh.

AuRA (Augmented Reality Apps): These will run on iPhone, Google's mobile and a list of other smart motion-sensitive phones. The apps will hit phones and miss desktops and laptops because phones are now mobile computers. This year people will become disappointed with the performance of AuRA, much in the same way that people didn't like "server-push" in 1996 that eventual found life as Ajax and RSS. 2012 will be the year of AuRA with the London Olympics being as AuRA enabled as our world is wifi/Bluetooth enabled now.

Global Warming will become Global Adaptation: People are in a frenzy over whether America or China is the biggest polluter and contributor to Global Warming. Who cares. The main impact of pollution is to destroy eco systems we are near (our cities and buffer zones). We walk on trampled Earth. The impact of pollution on the human population is self-correcting-- too much lead in the water and the people are crippled: if the people want to live better lives they can resist the forces that are harming the streets they live in. In China, people who harvest valuable elements from electronics are poisoning themselves and their environs. At some point they will become too sick to continue and stop the practice. People who work in this environment will be prone to related illnesses. I think this year, we will "get it"-- that Global Climate Change has happened before and it's happening now; it's happening on other planets too. Our solution is not to fall for all of the greenwashing. Our solution is to adapt: move to higher ground; use the heat; close down the parka factories; buy stock in CNN because they get some awesome hurricane footage. We can shout at the wind; or we can fly a kite.

Climategate Doesn't Change The Reality

I finally found a decent overview on "Climategate." It only underlines my frustration with this situation: we are heading for climate change. It's myopic to think that we won't have minimums and maximums. Our recorded history is less than 20,000 years. The period with decent scientific data is shorter than 200 years. We're going to blow through temperature thresholds with each generation-- if the Earth is warming, we will keep breaking records.
Did industry and fat Americans in SUVs cause this change? Or, are we fleas on the dog's back? I think we are too small to make change on the scale we are talking about. Also, human-caused warming may explain the temperature on Earth-- but what about Mars? How is the temperature climbing on other planets if we're the cause?
All of this hand-wringing about climate change and reversing it doesn't serve the situation. We are part of the ecology. Flora and fauna lose their niche. Humanity's virus like quality of spreading everywhere means we're hard to supplant. We can be put under hardship; but we can also find opportunties-- just as English vineyards in the time of the Roman Empire grew grapes but turned to hardier crops as the temperatures dropped. We shouldn't be making people pile into hot buses to fix the planet-- we should look for places to grow food; or places to drop solar farms to power our air conditioners. Evolution-- natural selection-- is a combination of random traits and how they find favour with the conditions. If there is no change, evolution will creep along. We're here because of thousands of environmental crises-- from massive glaciers to slow mountain lions-- our environment shapes the path of our species.
If anything, the debate about whether global warming is human-caused is causing most of the problem. Making a linkage to the cause means that if the cause is incorrect it erodes the data that supports that climate change is happening. We shouldn't focus on the cause, but on our ability to adapt. When bears face a warmer climate, they can't buy thinner pelts-- some of them die off and some of them breed offspring who may be capable of surviving and breeding their own adapted offspring. Unlike the forces of nature where generations of adaptation bring about species survival and evolution, we can do it within a generation by making our technology evolve and make that adaptation spread to all of the people who need that benefit.

Ooh You're Blue-- The Hold Your Spine Game!

This from IO9.com:

Turns out some mysterious chemical additives may not be all bad. The sports drink and Popsicle color additive known as "brilliant blue" might have some serious benefits for people who suffer from spinal injuries, a new study reports.

In the days after a spinal cord injury, a lot is happening, and not all of it is good for the injured party. ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which usually acts as a power source for cells, floods into the injury site. But instead of helping cell recovery, ATP can unintentionally bind with important receptors on some immune cells. This can restrict oxygen flow to the cells and lead to some of the serious damage associated with spinal injuries

This colorizing chemical, also known as Blue No. 1, serves to prevent ATP from wreaking this havoc. When administered very soon after spinal injury in rats, the blue dye helped the rats recover faster and more fully. The results, which are being reported in the July 28th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that the blue dye could be used in humans for the same types of injuries.

The treatment seems to be pretty much side-effect free. Well, except for one unintended consequence: the dye treatment temporarily turns skin and eyes blue. But being blue for a few weeks is a small price to pay for spinal injury recovery. Even if it means blue skin, I'll gladly sign up for my Brawndo treatment.

Brilliant Blue For The Spine [via Science News]

(Photo: Takahiro Takano)

Dean Kamen and Water Purification

Dean Kamen wants to mass produce and distribute water purification systems. The net effect is to give 1.1 billion people clean drinking water. In short, it could cure half of the world's sick people: many of whom are dying from easily curable water borne diseases.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Dean Kamen
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

Dateline 2011: Intelligence is Viral

I think that the most shocking discovery of our generation will be that intelligence is viral-- a bloom turns the motor-control, blood-cooling grey mass in the skull into a calculator/camcorder/philosophical super-device. I think is why animals in captivity do things that their all-natural cousins do not. I think we're infecting them with intelligence.
Don't believe me? Here's a piece on how chimpanzees that get human love and attention score better than other chimps.

Make Solar Panels in your Pizza Oven

The reason why traditional power sources (line electric, gasoline engines, etc.) hold on is because of their cheap cost in comparison to "alternative" energy methods. Over the course of 5 years, consumption via solar-power will always be more expensive than line-power. What there were a way to bring that cost down for solar electric power? Look Down Under. An Australian scientist has developed a new method of manufacturing solar cells using nothing more than some nail polish remover, a pizza oven and a standard inkjet printer.

The iJET technique is so easy and cheap to carry out that it could revolutionize access to solar technology in the developing world.

In a recent radio interview (audio), Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year-old PhD student at the University of New South Wales, explained the process.

Firstly, she takes a standard silicon solar cell and sprays it with a substance similar to nail polish. Then, she inkjet prints something like nail polish remover onto the wafer in a set pattern in the same way that you’d print a normal photo. This enables the creation of high-resolution patterns on the cell at a very low cost. The cell is then metallized with an aluminum spray and baked at a very low temperature of around 550 fahrenheit in “something like a pizza oven.”

Kuepper went on to explain how solar cells are currently manufactured using expensive “high-tech, high-cleanliness equipment,” too costly for many countries in the developing world, adding, “we’re trying to do away with all of that so that so we can ensure that these solar cells can actually be manufactured in a developing country’s environment that you might find in say Ghana or Laos for example.”

(from Clean Technica)

Make Your Own Wind Turbine

In the 20th century people in several countries realized that the pollution of our world is getting serious. Using steam energy, atomic energy or just starting an auto engine pollutes our planet. Earth is in danger but we can give some time to our planet to regenerate! Using wind or sun power is just the first step to a cleaner, eco friendly living space to our children.

After several years scientists and inventors found the way to use clean, natural energy. Our Sun is the best power source we have, but the wind and water elements are important too! The most common answers to energy problems are the sun and the wind. These two elements can be found everywhere on Earth and building power plants based on these renewable energy sources is quite easy. Building a wind turbine is the easiest way to produce energy without any cost. If you want to build a turbine for your home, you will need these things: a generator, minimum 3 blades, a mounting (that keeps the wind's direction), a tower to get it into the way of the wind and some electronic things like batteries and control systems. At the start, you will need a DC motor to produce electricity. When you choose a model you must choose a low RPM model which can produce 12 volts with 2-300 RPM's. After you find your motor, you can start the building. You can made blades from an iron barrel or some half cut iron pipe. Just cut a blade from it and lock it symmetrical on the front of the motor. After this, use something thin and massive iron object to mount the structure in the best way of the wind.

Now build the tower to place the motor on the top of it. You can use a massive tree-stump or just weld a massive structure from some iron stick. After you locked the tower on the ground and placed the motor on the top, use the batteries to store the electricity and save the planet for our children!

This is a rough explanation, but you can find a very detailed, step-by-step guide at our website! Visit EcoTaz for this information and other interesting articles on the subject!

I know they're going to invent invisible keys to piss me off

Scientists say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people and objects invisible.

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. Previously, they only have been able to cloak very thin two-dimensional objects.

The findings, by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, led by Xiang Zhang, are to be released later this week in the journals Nature and Science.

The new work moves scientists a step closer to hiding people and objects from visible light, which could have broad applications, including military ones.

People can see objects because they scatter the light that strikes them, reflecting some of it back to the eye. Cloaking uses materials, known as metamaterials, to deflect radar, light or other waves around an object, like water flowing around a smooth rock in a stream.

Metamaterials are mixtures of metal and circuit board materials such as ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite. They are designed to bend visible light in a way that ordinary materials don't. Scientists are trying to use them to bend light around objects so they don't create reflections or shadows.

It differs from stealth technology, which does not make an aircraft invisible but reduces the cross-section available to radar, making it hard to track.

The research was funded in part by the U.S. Army Research Office and the National Science Foundation's Nano-Scale Science and Engineering Center.

Eco-friendly chargers

Solar Power Chargers are an excellent and very simple means of charging up your batteries and have been widely and critically acclaimed thanks to their innovative and eco-friendly design and function. Traditionally, chemical based batteries had, at best, a highly limited life span and a life that ended in the same sad conclusion: the batteries when no longer useful had to be disposed off and new ones purchased.

The major problem with this was the high levels of waste involved, with such limited lifespan, and more and more people needing batteries, a solution had to be reached, and soon. As time went by, new improvements to the technology of batteries steadily improved, and so batteries lasted for longer. The major breakthrough for the batteries was that they soon became fully rechargeable after use, thus prolonging their useful lifespan exponentially.

While a major improvement from the original models of batteries, which n comparison were positively prehistoric in their design, rechargeable batteries were still wasteful. Whilst a major amount of wastage involved had been effectively reduced, a major bone of contention was that the batteries still had to use energy to be actually recharged, and the amount of energy expended in recharging the batteries was grossly disproportionate.

The latest breakthrough then for power chargers has been the greater use and implementation of solar powered components. These solar powered battery charges work in the same way as traditional models. With the crucial difference being that, thanks to the presence of photo sensitive cells within the unit, the power charger converts the energy from the sun into electrical energy to charge the batteries.

There are a number of different types of solar powered battery chargers, some chargers are effective than others due to their size, or because of the type of solar panels actually used. The amount of power actually generated by the various solar panels will be directly affected by the size of the individual panels. It should be noted that the solar battery charger is used to charge up the batteries rather than the actual devices themselves, and this at first glance seems a rather convoluted way of fixing the problem.

Logically, if a device was only powered by means of solar power, then in cases of indoor use, rainy weather etc, the device would be rendered all but useless. The amount of energy required to be converted into electrical energy to then power the electronic device is simply too high, and not a sustainable option.

The alternative to this would be to have the device directly outside in the sunlight, which is as foolish as it is impracticable. Not only would performance of the device be sporadic at best, entirely based on sun visibility, the heat generated by the sun would most likely cause severe damage to the delicate components of the electronic appliance in question. The sun is not the only issue, if it starts to rain, or the weather becomes windy, these conditions will further place the device at risk.

For purchase information on solar powered battery chargers and other cool gifts, visit us at Giftgadgetgateway.com

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Doing Your Part

Have I mentioned that I like the 1-2 punch of using solar power to take the edge of Global Warming?

Environmental campaigners have been trying to change the way we think for a long time. As yet I don’t think they have really succeeded. Now there is another appeal to saving the planet, it might be cheaper than letting it all go to pot! The cost of energy has been increasing for a long time and we have all simply adjusted our mindset to accept this. But there is another way. Solar power.

Solar power used to be unobtainable for most people as it was expensive to install and no one really made it seem appealing. Now it is a different story. With a little bit of research you can find amazing ways of saving money using solar power.

Getting Solar Power Installed

All the investment in solar power is up front, or so it used to be. You used to have to buy all the equipment and then pay a company to come and install it and also pay for any maintenance it needed. Now you can go about this in a different way. Some companies will actually lease you the equipment. For this you pay a deposit and then you pay a monthly amount to the company. So as long as your monthly lease is less than your current energy bills you are saving money. Another option is a grant. You will need to check the availability of grants in your area. These are basically issued to help with the initial set up costs.

Where To Start

First you need to review your energy requirements. Some areas will be easy and obvious to change. For example, are you heating a swimming pool? This is very expensive to heat traditionally and is also very simple and cheap to change to solar. If you are looking to convert you whole home then it is worth consulting one of the companies who specialize in this. They will come and see your house and will be able to advise you how to change and they can even divide the project up so that you can do it over a period of time depending on grants and personal funding.

How Does Solar Power Work.

There are two ways in which we can use the sun to reduce our energy bills. Either the heat can be used to heat water and reduce the costs of heating your home, or your can use photovoltaic panels to convert the suns light into energy. This energy can then be stored in batteries, so your home will not stop functioning when the sun goes down. If you are looking at installing photovoltaic panels you must carefully consider their location as you want them to be as efficient as possible. The best location is on a pitched roof. This tilt means that they will be able to ‘catch’ more sunlight than if they were on a flat roof. If you know the place where you want to place the panels then you can contact one of the companies who sell them and they will also be able to advise you how much energy you will be able to swap from traditional sources to solar power.

So Why Should You Be Swapping Over To Solar Power?

Well, before hand you may have thought it was all impractical, now you know that the advice, and in some cases the funding is waiting for you. With a possible global recession on its way, now it a good time to start reviewing your outgoings, and if a little investment is going to save a lot of money it has got to be worth researching. Secondly, it will only add to the value of your real estate, so your investment will be safe. Finally, you are doing your bit for the future generations.

Jon Kelly is a published author who writes articles and reviews on solar power and its applications. If you would like to find out about solar power and learn more about solar panels.please visit: http://www.worldsolarpanels.com

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Watching Your Pot of Cash Boil

Are you considering a new water heater? Maybe you want to replace your existing water heater with a gas or electrical water heater. There are several options you can have; the standard water heaters or a tankless system. Another option is a solar water heating system. Not only is it the most efficient of the options available to you but solar water heaters are cost-effective and are an environmentally responsible alternative to conventional methods of producing domestic hot water. If you made energy saving improvements to your home located in the United States in 2007 or are making them in 2008 you may qualify for the residential energy efficient property credit.

In 2005, the United States government enacted the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) which gave homeowners a 30% Federal tax credit on all solar systems installed between January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. Initially scheduled to expire at the end of 2007, the tax credits have been extended to December, 31 2008. For residential installations, there is a $2,000 cap.

A tax credit is generally more valuable than an equivalent tax deduction because a tax credit reduces tax dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction only removes a percentage of the tax that is owed. If you purchase a solar water heater, you can itemize the purchase on your federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax you owe the government.

Per the IRS, qualified solar water heating property costs are costs for property to heat water for use in a home located in the United States and used as your home if at least half of the energy used by the solar water heating property for such purpose is derived from the sun. This includes costs relating to a solar panel or other property installed as a roof or a portion of a roof. To qualify for the credit, the property must be certified by the nonprofit Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed. The home does not have to be your main home.

To be eligible for the credit, a system must be "placed in service" or activated on or after January 1, 2006, and on or before December 31, 2008. Expenditures with respect to the equipment are treated as made when the installation is completed. If the installation is on a new home, the "placed in service" date is the date of occupancy by the homeowner.

The federal tax credit will pay as much as one-third of the cost upfront, but in many states such as California and New Jersey, there are other incentives available that pay as much as 60%. For example, in Southern California, the maximum incentive is a $1,500 rebate.

Excess credit may be carried forward to succeeding taxable year and added to the credit allowable for the succeeding taxable year. Be aware: any system producing hot water for a pool, spa or hot tub does not qualify for the 2007-2008 federal tax credit.

To learn more about tax information related to solar power, visit www.real-estate-owner.com/solar-tax-information.html

To learn more about tax information related to solar power, visit www.real-estate-owner.com/solar-tax-information.html

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Where is all of the Renewal Energy Hiding?

It is, or should be, common knowledge that sources of electricity, gas and coal are all resources which will eventually run out. Unfortunately, these are all non-renewable sources which are heavily relied on today and actually considered vital for day to day living. We use them for many things such as heating our homes, power for every electrical product, cooking, cleaning, in fact there will not be a day which goes by that you don't use these resources. So, what happens when these resources run out? How can we manage without them? It's so handy to be able to simply flip a switch and there is light or turn a dial and you have heat. Every modern gadget is powered by one of these resources. If nothing is done soon, we will go back to what may seem like the dark ages and have to work for our power.

It is time that we started to rely on renewable resources. These can be found in abundance and will never run out. We can use them again and again and what's best is that they are all natural and free of charge! Renewable resources include: biomass, geothermal, hydrogen, hydropower, ocean solar and wind. This article will describe the basics of each power resource so that you gain a better understanding of what they are and how they work.

Solar refers to the solar energy which comes from the sun - either directly or indirectly. This type of energy can be used for many things; for example: heating homes, schools, businesses, or buildings; heating water; cooling and ventilation.

Wind helps to channel the sun's rays to Earth. If wind combines with the sun's heat, it causes evaporation. When this evaporation turns into precipitation, it produces energy which is known as hydropower.

Hydropower uses the energy found in free-flowing water and turns it into electricity. It is a very complicated process which needs complicated modern technology in order for it to work effectively.

Biomass is an actually an organic substance which is often used to produce electricity as well as transporting chemicals.

Hydrogen can be found in abundance although it is usually found mixed in with other elements. If hydrogen can be found on its own, it can be turned or turned into energy.

Geothermal searches inner earth for sources of heat and this can in turn be used for power, heating and cooking.

The oceans produce thermal energy which uses heat from the sun. It can also take advantage of mechanical energy from the tide.

Just from these basic descriptions, you should begin to see that there are many sources of alternative energy around, all of which are renewable. There are so many benefits to using renewable energy sources but we need to start taking advantage of them before it is too late.

Yuan-Chih Chao offers interesting resources about Definition of Solar Power, or History of Solar Power on the site --> http://www.digitalexcellent.com

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Don't Pollute The Neighbours: Be A Green Traveller

The term 'Green Travel' probably makes you think of unshaven men in bad tracksuit pants taking a month long holiday in a treehouse. But green travel is nothing that drastic, in fact it doesnt even involve much in the way of sacrifice- all it is is a bit of effort into preserving the environment around you when you travel. And with one billion tourists gallivanting around the globe each year, its becoming imperative that as the individual we go the little extra distance to contributing positively to slowing down climate change. Green travel is also about tuning yourself into the local culture of your holiday destination, respecting the way of life there and positively inputting into the community. So what have we got to do to be a green traveller? Well Ive scoured the net and put together a few ideas- you'll be surprised at how easy it is. Lets make 'Green Travel' more than just the latest buzz word.

1.Firstly, when you fly anywhere make sure you offset the carbon emissions of your flight. This is done by paying a minimal amount to a carbon offset company, normally less than fifty bucks.

2.Most carbon is emitted when planes take off and land. Take a 'no flight holiday', or reduce your stopovers.

3.Pack as light as you can - the lower the weight of the plane, the lower the energy it requires.

4.Ensure you have shut down all the appliances in your house that use electricity, such as the central heating.

5.Try to reduce the amount of driving you do. Catch public transport to the airport. When you hire a car, choose the smallest engine possible or a hybrid if available. Walk or cycle where you can!

6.When choosing a hotel, check out their water treatment system- avoid ones that pump their effluent out to sea.

7.Also try and choose a hotel that is locally owned and run. Make sure the staff employed are from the local community, and not foreigners. There should be some element of 'giving back' to the local community.

8.There are eco-friendly hotels out there, you just need to find them. look for energy efficient lighting, solar power units, and toilets and showers with flow restrictions.

9.Go easy on the air con! Only use it if really necessary, and turn it off when you go out. Try save water too- short showers, no baths, turning taps off.

10.Dont get room service- head out to a local restaurant. This way you sample the local culture, support the local economy and take the pressure off the hotel resources.

11.Dont make coffee in your hotel room. This leaves waste in the form of sugar packets, plastic milk containers, plastic teaspoons etc. Head out to the local coffee shop instead!

12.If given the choice, use glass cups or mugs and not plastic ones. Less waste.

13.Unless you ask them not to, your sheets and towels will be washed every day. This isnt really necessary and is a waste of resources, so leave that 'do not disturb' sign up.

14.Turn off any unused lights!

15.Bring your own toiletries instead of using the little plastic, packaged ones in the hotel. If you do use them, take them home and re use them.

16.If you are going on a tour, choose smaller ones because their impact on the environment is not so severe.

17.Make sure your tour guide is local, and find out how the tour gives back to the community.

18.If its a hiking tour youre on, dont veer off the marked trails and disrupt as little vegetation as possible. Give the local wildlife its space.

19.When snorkelling or scuba diving dont touch the coral, or try and interfere with the marine life.

20.Do a bit of homework about the traditions and cultures of the local people in the area you are visiting. Be sensitive to dress and behaviour codes. For instance skirts of a certain length may be acceptable in some parts of the world, but in others they would be considered too short.

21.Learn a few words of the local language. This helps you bond with the people you interact with and is always appreciated by locals.

So there you have it - travelling green isnt going to kill you. Every little bit helps, so even if we can remember to do just a few of the things on this list we are going some way to benefiting the planet. So take it all on board and enjoy your green holiday!

Gavin Wyatt is a journalist with a passion for travel. originally from Zambia he has traveled around the world to end up on the sunny shores of Australia. For more of his articles visit Australian Car Hire

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Don't Pollute The Neighbours: Be A Green Traveller

The term 'Green Travel' probably makes you think of unshaven men in bad tracksuit pants taking a month long holiday in a treehouse. But green travel is nothing that drastic, in fact it doesnt even involve much in the way of sacrifice- all it is is a bit of effort into preserving the environment around you when you travel. And with one billion tourists gallivanting around the globe each year, its becoming imperative that as the individual we go the little extra distance to contributing positively to slowing down climate change. Green travel is also about tuning yourself into the local culture of your holiday destination, respecting the way of life there and positively inputting into the community. So what have we got to do to be a green traveller? Well Ive scoured the net and put together a few ideas- you'll be surprised at how easy it is. Lets make 'Green Travel' more than just the latest buzz word.

1.Firstly, when you fly anywhere make sure you offset the carbon emissions of your flight. This is done by paying a minimal amount to a carbon offset company, normally less than fifty bucks.

2.Most carbon is emitted when planes take off and land. Take a 'no flight holiday', or reduce your stopovers.

3.Pack as light as you can - the lower the weight of the plane, the lower the energy it requires.

4.Ensure you have shut down all the appliances in your house that use electricity, such as the central heating.

5.Try to reduce the amount of driving you do. Catch public transport to the airport. When you hire a car, choose the smallest engine possible or a hybrid if available. Walk or cycle where you can!

6.When choosing a hotel, check out their water treatment system- avoid ones that pump their effluent out to sea.

7.Also try and choose a hotel that is locally owned and run. Make sure the staff employed are from the local community, and not foreigners. There should be some element of 'giving back' to the local community.

8.There are eco-friendly hotels out there, you just need to find them. look for energy efficient lighting, solar power units, and toilets and showers with flow restrictions.

9.Go easy on the air con! Only use it if really necessary, and turn it off when you go out. Try save water too- short showers, no baths, turning taps off.

10.Dont get room service- head out to a local restaurant. This way you sample the local culture, support the local economy and take the pressure off the hotel resources.

11.Dont make coffee in your hotel room. This leaves waste in the form of sugar packets, plastic milk containers, plastic teaspoons etc. Head out to the local coffee shop instead!

12.If given the choice, use glass cups or mugs and not plastic ones. Less waste.

13.Unless you ask them not to, your sheets and towels will be washed every day. This isnt really necessary and is a waste of resources, so leave that 'do not disturb' sign up.

14.Turn off any unused lights!

15.Bring your own toiletries instead of using the little plastic, packaged ones in the hotel. If you do use them, take them home and re use them.

16.If you are going on a tour, choose smaller ones because their impact on the environment is not so severe.

17.Make sure your tour guide is local, and find out how the tour gives back to the community.

18.If its a hiking tour youre on, dont veer off the marked trails and disrupt as little vegetation as possible. Give the local wildlife its space.

19.When snorkelling or scuba diving dont touch the coral, or try and interfere with the marine life.

20.Do a bit of homework about the traditions and cultures of the local people in the area you are visiting. Be sensitive to dress and behaviour codes. For instance skirts of a certain length may be acceptable in some parts of the world, but in others they would be considered too short.

21.Learn a few words of the local language. This helps you bond with the people you interact with and is always appreciated by locals.

So there you have it - travelling green isnt going to kill you. Every little bit helps, so even if we can remember to do just a few of the things on this list we are going some way to benefiting the planet. So take it all on board and enjoy your green holiday!

Gavin Wyatt is a journalist with a passion for travel. originally from Zambia he has traveled around the world to end up on the sunny shores of Australia. For more of his articles visit Australian Car Hire

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Making Due with the $5 Gallon

Over the last 7 years the price of gas has been in an ever increasing spiral. As the value of the dollar falls (relative to other currencies) and global demand for oil based products increases, the law of supply and demand has propelled the price of a barrel of oil to record highs. So my question is: what can we (the consumer) do about it?

Here are a few ideas to get the discussion started…feel free to add your own

• Should we peg the price of the oil barrel to the Euro instead of the dollar?

• Is the problem that there aren't enough refineries and we should make sure that more are built?

• Can we, convince our governments to subsidize the cost of hybrid cars and research into alternate fuel sources.

• What if we convinced China to move towards Hydrogen powered vehicles instead of gasoline (think of it, China's fuel distribution infrastructure is still young and could probably be adapted to hydrogen more easily than the older European or American structures)

• What about alternate sources of energy (bio fuel, electric engines etc…) any interesting possibilities there?

• Oil companies having been making record profits (Exxon alone made $40,000,000,000 in profit last year) and in the end, those profits are coming out of our pocket… should we petition for a law limiting the profits an oil company can make on each barrel it buys and sells?

• What if we were to target one oil company for a whole year or until they dropped their prices by 10% would that make a difference?

• What about solar power, I know you can't power a car using solar power directly but you can use it to charge batteries that you use the next day…

• More bike lanes…don't knock it, most of us could use a little more exercise and even if we only used them 1% of the time, that translates to a saving of 3.8 million gallons of gas per day in the US alone.

• How about State and Federal taxes, should we do anything about those?

I'm starting a discussion on YakYourIssues.com Yak Number 147 feel free to post your replies / comments there and maybe together we can figure out what to do about this.

Article Source: The High Price of Gas and what we can do about it

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Algae -- the new Corn

This from CNET:

Sapphire Energy has come out stealth mode, saying it's producing the chemical equivalent of gasoline from algae.

The San Diego, Calif.-based company also disclosed that it has raised $50 million from Arch Venture Partners, Venrock, and the Wellcome Trust.

From green scum to black gold?

(Credit: Sapphire Energy)

Formally launched last May, Sapphire said Wednesday that it has hired Brian Goodall, who led a team of engineers responsible for a cross-Atlantic flight that used algae-based fuel earlier this year.

Sapphire's "green crude" has been certified with a 91-octane rating, but the company disclosed few details about its technology.

Its process can grow algae using wastewater, and the executive team said it is confident that the technology can scale up to produce gasoline on a commercial scale. Algae is touted as the feedstock with perhaps the most promise for growing fuels; a number of companies are developing algae farming technologies.

Sapphire said that it developed an algae process to avoid the controversy over using land for fuel crops instead of food crops. But at this point, algae fuels are largely experimental and no company is making fuel on a commercial scale.

GreenFuel Technologies, which had to scale back a pilot site, said that it has landed a large European customer to make fuel from algae but has not shared any more information. Sapphire is not the only company creating technology to make hydrocarbons from plants. Others include LS9, Amyris Biotechnologies, Codexis, and J. Craig Venter-founded Synthetic Genomics.

The advantage of this approach is that the fuels can be integrated into existing transmission infrastructure and can run in cars or planes without modification.

Solar Energy Ideas for your Home

If you’d like to save money on your fuel bills at the same time as doing something to help the environment, switching your home over to solar energy may be the solution. But how should you go about it? Aren’t solar panels expensive and difficult to install? What if you live in a rented property? What if you live somewhere where the sky is always grey?

The good news is that, with the range of available products continually expanding, there are now solar energy solutions suitable for almost everybody. The cost of using solar energy has dropped considerably as devices which used to be a specialist concern have gone into mass production. With a seismic shift in public attitudes toward solar energy, everything is changing. Big business is aware of the demand for solar energy options by people like you.

Government solar energy initiatives are also helping. If you own your own home, you may be able to get a grant or loan to install solar panels and reduce your carbon footprint. Some jurisdictions will allow you to write off the cost of installing solar energy devices against tax. Installing these devices is much easier than it used to be, with easy home kits available, so in most cases you should be able to do it yourself.

If you live in a rented home, you can alert your landlord to the financial incentives available for installing solar energy devices. Alternatively, you can obtain lightweight solar panels which are designed to be fixed to roofs on a temporary basis. You can even get solar panels which you can attach to windowsills so that they hang beneath your apartment windows generating solar energy for your use.

The improved efficiency of modern solar energy devices means that they can now be effective even in cloudy environments where direct sunlight is rarely available. Solar energy has become so easy to access that it’s mazing more people don’t realize how they can take advantage of this great source of free power. Get ahead of the rush and convert your home to solar energy now. You’ll be doing the planet a favor - and you’ll be doing yourself a favor, too.

Sunny Ray is a staff writer for Sunjuiced Solar Products. Sunny authors exclusive articles about solar power and solar products for Sunjuiced.Com. Learn more about the new energy saving solar products and technologies by visiting Sunjuiced.Com. Sunjuiced Solar is a resource for all things solar, from solar lighting to portable power options.

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To Swiftly Go

This is cool: an alternative to both gasoline and regular ethanol. Gasoline is bad: it pads the pockets of Bush/Cheney/Terrorists; it's expense and it's finite. Ethanol is bad: it uses food crops that people would rather eat; it produces a low octane; it will cause valve wear in a manner inferior to regular gasoline. What if there were something that could power internal combustion engines and not fund planes crashing into buildings?

Enter Swift Fuels.

Swift Fuel is created as a replacement for aircraft fuel. Through a patented process, Swift Fuel is converted enthanol that does not create engine wear like ethanol; and it has a high enough octane to keep planes in the air. The current fuel used in piston fired aircraft is 100 Low Lead (100LL). The United States and Europe have banned the use of 100LL due to tetraethyl lead which is needed to bring the octane number to 100. There currently is a moratorium on this ban until 2010. Swift has this solution.

Unlike the current process of refining crude oil to arrive at a final fuel, we synthetically create hydrocarbons from bio-mass. This creation method is superior to the existing refining method because we maintain control over the entire process giving us the flexibility to meet or exceed current ASTM specifications.

The advantages of Swift Bio-Synthetic Fuel are:

• Seamless replacement of 100LL (no engine modifications)
• 15-25% increase in range over 100LL (no oxygenates)
• 20% drop in pollutants over the current 100LL fuel
• 15% more volumetric energy than 100LL
• No need for stabilizers or additives

Europe's New Windmills

Europe is one of the highest rated countries concerning the use of wind turbines. Wind turbines generate more electricity for Europe as an alternative source of energy than the United States.

European Wind turbine manufacturers work diligently to make improvements. By letting consumers have a better understanding of the wind turbine and how it works. As well as how many wind turbines are already supplying an alternate source of energy for Europe.

European agencies believe that wind turbines not only have the potential to satisfy a much needed energy demand, but also have a significant and vital role in households and the economy. The energy battle will be won by those countries of the world that embrace a strategy of developing, deploying and exporting alternative energy solutions. The wind turbine is that solution, to a world that cannot afford to live without energy.

In fact, in Europe Wind farms are more correctly called wind power plants. More than ten percent of Europe today has this alternative energy source, the wind turbine. Most small homes and businesses are encouraged to invest in this alternative in an effort to conserve energy resources.

Europe contains the largest concentration of wind turbines. With nearly one percent of the nation's 5 million inhabitants owning a wind turbine or have a share in a wind turbine. Europeans excel over many of the smaller places that are just realizing the use of wind turbines, and the benefits of the machines.

After years of playing second fiddle to mainstream power sources, Europe's renewable energy sector is now going from strength to strength, outnumbering wind turbines in the United States. Europe is setting the example. By the means of wind turbine plants being set into action all over the country of Europe.

According to statistics, 40% of the world's wind farms over the next eight years will be controlled by Europe. As 13 of the 20 largest wind power markets are already located in Europe. Wind turbine power is essentially the same for creating electricity in Europe as it is in the United States; however Europe uses this alternate energy resource more.

Manufacturers in Europe operate much like those found in the United States. The same technology and performance of the wind turbine is basically the foundation for these companies too. The Wind turbine does differ in Europe in some ways, according to the wind indifference and gusts. But, Eastern Europe is pegged to grow by 33% annually in the wind turbine industry.

Many home owners in Europe consider buying a windmill for their home an investment, much like buying a car or anything else. Wind turbines are as common to them as cars. Yet in the United States it is a slower process. Europeans use the vertical axis windmill without even giving it a second thought. They already know the benefits of using the machine and the lower cost of living it enhances by saving on electrical expenses.

Wind turbines in Europe are beneficial to their economy as well as to the environment. This they take very seriously, according to the percentage of those wind turbines currently in Europe. Giving a better understanding of the statistics and resources of what the wind Turbine includes.

Energy is so expensive these days wouldn’t it be nice to stop receiving high electric bills? To find out if windmill power is right for you visit http://residential-windmills.com

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