US-based researchers are set to use military-style aircraft technology to assess the best sites for future wind farms.

By flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) - pilotless drones used by the armed forces for various roles including reconnaissance and combat missions - they'll be able to study the air conditions at various offshore locations including, first-off, Lake Erie.

The work's being undertaken by a team from the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department at Massachusetts' Clarkson University and its results could have wide implications for future wind power generation. It's drawing on the university's own RAVEN (Research Aerial Vehicle for Experimental Needs) UAV, which was developed through a $700,000 grant supplied by the US Department of Energy and which is soon set to be flown over Lake Erie.

UAV Wind Turbine Research

The UAV wind turbine research will allow those involved to plot offshore wind fields, gaining insight into wind variations at different elevations.

Ultimately, they'll have the tools to be able to place wind turbines where they can work best and that, in turn, will make future installed turbine arrays as efficient as local conditions allow.

The DoE's award was among no less than 41 similar grants recently given out, all of them presented to projects concerned with wind power research and development programmes. The hope is that, equipped with these funds, the organisations on the receiving end will be able to rapidly bring to life new wind power innovations, reduce costs and get new offshore wind turbine arrays deployed within faster time periods.

UAV Turbine Research Programme

Clarkson University's UAV turbine research programme also involves other parties including Horizon Wind Energy and Indiana University.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to work with colleagues from IU and other institutions and with private industry in leading the way for wind resource estimation and offshore wind energy studies in the US and overseas" Professor Pier Marzocca - one of the lead researchers - explained in a Clarkson University press release.

"The consortium of public and private partners is proposing a strategy for lowering the cost and improving the accuracy of offshore wind energy assessments using a range of measurement technologies, including optical remote sensing, satellite imagery, and our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We expect to develop techniques that will become standard for assessing wind resources prior to developing new offshore wind farms."

Image copyright US Army Corps of Engineers

See also:

Military UAV Flights Obtain Arctic Ice Images

A researcher at Boston's MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is working on a technique that would allow domestic grass cuttings to power mobile phones.

Harnessing their stored solar energy, the process could allow anyone with a garden and a lawnmower to recharge small electronic devices.

According to Doctor Andreas Mershin, naturally-formed solar panels could be produced through a three-stage method that, in theory, anyone could follow. First, the proteins in the grass cuttings would need to be isolated, next mixed with a stabiliser and then, finally, spread onto a surface like metal or glass.

Grass-Based Solar Cells

"Leaves and plants are nature's solar panels", Mershin explained, in comments on the grass -based solar cells work quoted by Gizmag. He continued: "The first step in photosynthesis is to change sunlight into a little bit of electricity that then gets converted into the processes of life.

"If we manage to somehow hijack the molecules that are responsible for photosynthesis in plants and other photosynthetic organisms, and use them to generate electricity for our own needs, this would represent a fantastic and disruptive new step in the way that we generate solar power or electricity in general."

Cut Grass Solar Cell

The technology so far assembled by Mershin and colleagues takes the form of so-called zinc oxide nanowire ‘forests', with titanium dioxide material packed in between. The application of the green protein creates a workable cut grass solar cell although, right now, the efficiency conversion rate is a mere 0.1 per cent.

It's anticipated, however, that this level can be boosted to two per cent or more once additional research has taken place.

"You can use anything green, even grass clippings", Mershin said in further comments, this time in an MIT-published piece. "It can be very dirty and it still works, because of the way nature has designed it. Nature works in dirty environments - it's the result of billions of experiments over billions of years."

Details of the MIT grass-based solar cells work appear in the current Nature publication.

China won't allow any of its passenger airlines to join the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which came into force at the start of 2012.

Previously, the China Air Transport Association had spoken out against the charges faced by customers as a result of the initiative's introduction. Now, it seems that China - one of the world's heaviest-polluting countries - won't sit alongside other nations within the EU's initiative, which is designed to lower CO2 emissions related to air travel.

Under the terms of the Emissions Trading Scheme, adopted on 1 January, airlines with flights operating within EU airspace are charged on the emissions released, unless they implement emissions reduction measures or purchase carbon credits.

Airline Emissions Trading Scheme

China is one of a host of countries against the airline Emissions Trading Scheme principle - others include Canada and the US - and estimates that its carriers, combined, could lose almost 100m Euros a year if they were a part of it.

"China hopes Europe will act in the light of the broader issues of responding to global climate change, the sustainable development of international aviation and Sino-European ties, strengthening communication and coordination to find an appropriate solution acceptable to both sides", a Chinese civil aviation authority (CAAC) representative explained in a statement.

"As well, the Chinese side will also consider taking necessary measures to protect the interest of the Chinese public and businesses based on developments."

Chinese ETS Ban

Some analysts believe that the Chinese ETS ban could see fines come the country's way, alongside possible limitations on the European airports Chinese airlines could use. Others, however, believe the situation has an answer-in-waiting.

"I believe all sides will negotiate again and find a solution", the China Air Transport Association's deputy secretary, Chai Haibo, told news agency Bloomberg, adding: "I can't imagine that the worst case, such as the EU grounding Chinese flights, could happen."

His words were echoed by Markus Ederer - the EU Ambassador to China - in comments made to press representatives gathered in Beijing. "There are a number of avenues to be pursued - bilateral, multilateral and possibly legal", Ederer said. "The EU would like to have an international solution to this...the way forward, hopefully through negotiations, [is to] find an agreement between all stakeholders."

Enviro News will revisit the Emissions Trading Scheme in future News coverage.

Image copyright ‘CCY18999' - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The latest US research has revealed that India now has the world's most polluted air, ahead of China.

The EPI (Environmental Performance Index) puts India in 132nd place and, according to the researchers who prepared it, the nation's fine particulate matter concentrations are five times over safe levels.

Released every two years, the EPI looks at how human health suffers as a result of polluted air and the 2012 edition was unveiled at the recent World Economic Forum, which was held in Switzerland between 25-29 January. In fact, much of Asia performed poorly, with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal all in the bottom five, but India was the worst of all.

In a scoring system where the maximum points achievable were 100, India was given just 3.73 - almost ten points less than the second-worst country for polluted air, Bangladesh.

2012 EPI

Other subjects looked at in the 2012 EPI that sealed India's fate were its environmental burden of disease, its water quality, the state of its agriculture, forests and fisheries and its water resources.

The 2012 Environmental Performance Index was prepared by Columbia and Yale universities and, published online, features an interactive air pollution map.

Particulate matter is a prime trigger for cancer, acute lower respiratory infections and other human conditions. Indeed, according to data published by the World Health Organization, respiratory infections are high on the list of diseases responsible for deaths in childhood, particularly those involving children aged five and below.

Indian Air Pollution

In comments quoted by the New York Times, however, one Indian scientist suggested the Indian air pollution data was flawed.

"We should not compare our country with others", explained Doctor Saha, who works at the Indian Central Pollution Control Board, since "India has a different terrain." He added: "The diseases mentioned in the report are caused by many factors not just particulate matter - we are raising undue alarm" and concluded: "It is a non-issue - we have other pressing problems, like poverty...[lets] focus on them."

Image copyright Wili Hybrid - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

See also:

Iceland Tops Global Environmental Performance Stats

Innovative 'smart recycling bins' have been installed in London's financial square mile. The bins are being introduced as part of a new 21-year scheme to stop littering by free London newspapers. The smart bins feature wireless technology and integrated LCD displays to provide real-time information on everything from transport links to culture, weather and financial news.

Smart Recycling Bins

The smart recycling bins have been developed by Renew, a green-minded company whose screens feature adaptive brightness technology, lowering their power requirements by forty percent. Renew have partnered with the WWF, and one percent of all their profit is donated to sustainable power projects around the world. They are highly conscious of their carbon footprint, avoiding ink, paper, trucks and wastage in all their operations.

Renew's network of over 200 screens are viewed by an estimated 750,000 people every day, which is expected to rise to more than three million by the time of the London Olympics. Renew's website reports a 'footfall per screen' of between 10,000 and more than 30,000 a day, and says professionals in the area will engage with the screens an average of between six and eight times every day.

Bins with LCD Screens

The company support a dedicated editorial department, and partner with a network of leading companies to distribute their latest up-to-the-minute content and information. The range of information displayed on the bins is hailed to include corporate and financial news, fashion, art, sport and entertainment news together with weather and headlines.

Renew have embraced the concept of non-invasive "pervasive branding", explaining: "you don't have to shout when people want to listen". The screens will be a valuable resource for professionals on the move, helping to keep them connected and informed.

The attractive recycing bins with LCD screens will encourage Londoners to recycle, providing a valuable marketing tool for partner companies, along with relevant, up-to-date information for the people on the street. The bomb-protective bins will also have the ability to display emergency safety information, helping to keep people away from danger.

(image courtesy of Renew)

Efforts to contain a major toxic metal leak in China have had some success but, even so, more than a million residents are potentially at risk of exposure.

It was earlier this month that the cadmium - a soft metal - was discharged by one or more local firms, contaminating two significant Chinese rivers. While the situation isn't as crucial as first feared, Chinese state media have told the residents of Liuzhou city to not drink from the Liu River at any cost.

A massive cadmium spill response programme currently involves thousands of Chinese soldiers, police officers and firemen, while bottled water sales have dramatically spiked.

Sixty kilometres away, at the site of the Nuomintan dam, concentrations of cadmium are present at eight times higher than the recommended level.

Cadmium River Leak

Cadmium is a known carcinogen and at its most lethal when inhaled in the form of dust. An infamous cadmium river leak occurred in 1930s Japan, in circumstances similar to this new episode: a mining firm was the source and the Jinzu River ended up contaminated, with the cadmium then able to gather in the local rice fields.

Part of the response efforts involves a daily supply of caustic soda and polyaluminium chloride into the Liu River as authorities try to bind together the cadmium and, so, aid its removal. No one cadmium leak origin has yet been identified but no less than six metal plants are being investigated, along with a single mine.

All have been closed for the time being while the investigation continues.

Chinese Cadmium Exposure

Also affected is Hechi - another important city with a population of approximately four million people - where, again, the Chinese cadmium exposure risk has been raised.

"It is a critical time right now as the downstream drinking water safety is in jeopardy, so we will take every measure possible and optimize our strategies to bring down cadmium concentration levels", the city's mayor, He Xinxing, explained in comments quoted by China's Xinhua news agency.

Image copyright YubYub41 - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

See also:

Explosive Chemicals Wash Into Chinese River

A wealth of new UK woodland is set to spring up in connection with the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Jubilee Woods programme is being organised by the Woodland Trust group and aims, next month, to get no less than one million trees planted in honour of the Queen. Any group wanting to be involved in this project is invited to obtain tree-planting packs via the Woodland Trust's website and, in all, it's planned for six million trees to go up all across the UK.

That's 100,000 trees for every year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, which began in 1952.

Jubilee Woods

There will be 60 iconic Diamond Woods - all at least 60 acres in size - a central Diamond Park and a huge number of smaller Jubilee Woods, both helping to perpetuate the Queen's Jubilee celebrations for years to come and, at the same time, adding to the UK's woodland areas.

This isn't the first time that trees have been planted en masse to mark a Royal event: in the early 20th century, a similar process occurred to recognise the coronation of King George VI and was subsequently recorded in The Royal Record of Tree Planting. This document is now online and available to view on the Woodland Trust's website - included is a search facility that can highlight to UK residents where their nearest Royal tree lies.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee

"From helping to create 60 new Diamond Woods, planting new woodland with communities, donating funds to help plant trees, to planting trees in school grounds or a single tree in your garden or pot, it's easy to plant trees for the Jubilee and help us reach a million trees in a month", Georgina McLeod, who's leading the Queen's Diamond Jubilee planting programme, explained in a statement quoted by the BBC.

The actual Diamond Jubilee anniversary date is 8 Feb and, on this date, Queen Elizabeth II will become only the second British Queen to have reigned for sixty years, alongside Queen Victoria.

The celebrations include a one-off extra public holiday for British workers on 5 June 2012.

A new environmentally-friendly car design has made its public debut in the Basque Country, one year ahead of its planned deployment across Europe.

Produced by the Hiriko Driving Mobility consortium - which involves seven local firms - the electric-powered Hiriko design is a tiny, collapsible car. It folds up in much the same way as a pram for ease of parking or storage but, when on the roads, can travel 120 kilometres off a single electric charge.

Designed for city use, the Hiriko doesn't have masses of acceleration and only possesses a minimal top speed but that's not the point: it's a hi-tech solution to the issue of city emissions and, for the driver, offers the potential of a relaxed style of motoring free of the space and parking limitations associated with larger cars.

Hiriko Fold-Up Car

The Hiriko fold-up car has no traditional doors as such - instead, driver and passenger enter and exit through a single structure located at the front.

Discussions are now in progress between Hiriko Driving Mobility and officials in cities across Europe that should see this novel little car trialled in coming months. Plans are also in place for the car to not only be offered to private motorists (at a forecast rrp of approximately 12,500 Euros) but to be hired out, too.

Cities said to be considering the Hiriko include Barcelona and Berlin, while talks have been initiated with Brussels, London and Paris, among others.

Hiriko Electric City Car

According to Hiriko Driving Mobility, the Hiriko electric city car ‘...only uses two-thirds of the footprint of a smart car and the aim of the project is to free up the many miles of car parking space that inhabits cities'.

Although adopted by European manufacturers, the Hiriko was the vision of US scientists working at the world-renowned MIT research facility in Boston, Massachusetts.

"I call this mobility on demand", MIT's Ryan Chin stated in comments quoted by The Telegraph. "Hiriko's technology and green footprint is five times better than you find in today's Smart cars."

Image copyright Hiriko Driving Mobility

A first-of-its kind soap design has potential environmental applications including aiding oil spill clean-up efforts, its developers have reported.

Pioneered by UK-based scientists, the magnetically-responsive soap is a world-first. It's made up of an iron-rich salt solution that, when placed in water, exhibits a magnetic field response. That allows both the soap and the materials dissolved by it to be separated from water.

Key to this soap's abilities is that, in the event of an oil spill, the soap's removal could take place after the event. That should allay environments' concerns over surfactants being deployed during clean-ups.

Oil Spill Clean-Up Soap

The oil spill clean-up soap's been pioneered by a team at the University of Bristol, which has previously unveiled other hi-tech soap variations including light- and temperature-sensitive products.

With Bristol university's Professor Julian Eastoe at their helm, the team came up with this soap by using a variety of surfactants as a base to dissolve iron. The resulting soap particles, with metallic cores, were trialled and showed that they could bypass the effects of gravity and ascend to a magnet's grip. Control over the reaction would be achieved through activating or deactivating the magnetic field.

Magnetic Soap

"As most magnets are metals, from a purely scientific point of view these ionic liquid surfactants are highly unusual, making them a particularly interesting discovery", Professor Eastoe said, in a statement on the magnetic soap released by the University of Bristol.

"While these exact liquids aren't yet ready to appear in any household product, proving that magnetic soaps can be developed means that future work can reproduce the same phenomenon in more commercially viable liquids for a range of applications from water treatment to industrial cleaning products", he added.

"Any systems which act only when responding to an outside stimulus that has no effect on its composition is a major breakthrough as you can create products which only work when they are needed to", industrial chemist Peter Dowding explained in the same document. "Also, the ability to remove the surfactant after it has been added widens the potential applications to environmentally sensitive areas like oil spill clean ups where in the past concerns have been raised."

Image copyright US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

See also:

Companies supplying Spill Control and Clean-Up Services

A new NASA study has seen 14 measures named that, by curbing air pollution levels, could slow down the global warming process.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration says these approaches, if adopted, could bring about a drop in the expected global temperature rise over the coming 30 years of almost one degree.

The 14 listed climate change adaption measures all have one thing in common: they're intended to put the brakes on black carbon and methane emissions.

Anti-Global Warming Measures

According to the US body, Middle Eastern and Asian nations would reap the most benefits from these anti-global warming measures and, while climate change would slow, it's possible there could be up to 135 million more metric tons of crops produced a year.

Specifically, southern Asia would see its rainfall patterns change in a positive way, while Jordan, Iran and Pakistan would yield the agricultural benefits. Additionally, Tajikistan, Russian and Kyrgyzstan - all nations with significant ice levels - would be more protected against the effects of global warming than other countries.

New NASA Global Warming Study

"Protecting public health and food supplies may take precedence over avoiding climate change in most countries", lead researcher Drew Shindell - from the administration's New York City-based Goddard Institute for Space Studies - explained in a statement on the new NASA global warming study.

"Knowing that these measures also mitigate climate change may help motivate policies to put them into practice."

The NASA study aims to highlight that, while the likes of carbon dioxide (CO2) often take the lion's share of the greenhouse gas headlines, there are other gases out there and ones that, compared to CO2, are potentially easier to control.

"We've shown that implementing specific practical emissions reductions chosen to maximize climate benefits would also have important 'win-win' benefits for human health and agriculture", Shindell added.

In brief, NASA recommends the following methane reduction measures:

• Implementing coal mine gas capture technologies
• Implementing oil facility gas capture technologies
• Implementing natural gas plant gas capture technologies
• Bringing about pipeline leak reductions
• Clamping down on landfill emissions
• Bringing water treatment facilities up to date
• Putting in place regular rice paddy drainage processes
• Reducing farm manure emissions

For black carbon emissions, meanwhile, it suggests:

• Equipping diesel-powered vehicles with extra filters
• Substituting old cookers with clean-burning stoves
• Deploying more efficient coke ovens, brick kilns and boilers
• Eliminating topical farmland burning processes