Nano-foam could plug underground CO2 leaks - environment - 11 June 2011 BURYING carbon dioxide deep underground is an attractive solution to climate change, but keeping the gas from bubbling to the surface may prove difficult. Injecting nanoparticles into underground reservoirs before they are filled with CO2 could make any leaks self-sealing. When CO2 rises quickly through cracks in the bedrock, the highly pressurised gas behaves like a liquid and shears into droplets. In lab tests, he used n-octane, a liquid that behaves like supercritical CO2, to show that the foam forms and clogs cracks in rock. Donald DePaolo of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California says the idea has promise but may be prohibitively expensive. New Scientist Not just a website! More From New Scientist Human sex from the inside out (New Scientist) Don't let vaping, obesity and boozing become norms (New Scientist) Europe's home-grown space shuttle gears up for launch (New Scientist) Invisible: What your brain refuses to see (New Scientist) More from the web (YouTube)
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Réduire l’impact carbone de l’industrie : au-delà de la seule efficacité énergétique Sur la scène internationale, notamment suite à leur refus de ratifier le Protocole de Kyoto sous l’administration Bush, les États-Unis ont souvent hérité du rôle de « mauvais élève ». Pourtant localement de nombreux États se sont engagés à réduire leurs émissions, et des règlementations commencent à apparaitre au niveau fédéral (1). Vingt-trois États américains ont déjà une loi en vigueur imposant un objectif de réduction des émissions de GES avant une certaine date. En Californie, la loi Assembly Bill 32 impose par exemple d’atteindre en 2020 le niveau d’émissions de 1990. Dans les secteurs résidentiel et tertiaire (respectivement 21% et 18% des émissions de CO2 aux Etats-Unis), les améliorations s’appuient sur des technologies connues et des méthodes éprouvées depuis plusieurs années à travers des labels « environnementaux » du type LEED (2), et qui ont permis la mise en place de code de construction rigoureux et obligatoire (3). Sept leviers pour s’approcher de la neutralité carbone
Meaning Maps [I-Open ] : Strategy-Nets Practices and Tools for Open Source Economic Development Please contact info@i-open.org with any questions. The Institute for Open E conomic Networks (I-Open) is dedicated to educating the public about Open Source Economic Development in order to promote community renewal. To fulfill its purpose, I-Open conducts programs, which may include, for example: community forums and seminars on Open Source Economic Development; discussions in economic development; and student internships. From Twitter: "rotkapchen @betseymerkel What's not to like? Learn how I-Open develops and deploys new practices and tools for Open Source Economic Development: I-Open designs and delivers civic experiences that teach people how to connect, how to communicate, and how to collaborate. I-Open accelerates innovation, builds networks and community to generate enterprise. I-Open discovers and connects leaders in education, economic, and workforce development. Copyright 2010 I-Open.
CEE, un outil clé pour atteindre les objectifs européens d’économies d’énergie Frédéric Utzmann est Président de l’entreprise de conseil CertiNergy, spécialisée dans le dispositif des certificats d’économies d’énergie (CEE). Dans une Tribune, il revient sur les actuels débats législatifs portant sur la mise en place d’un modèle européen de CEE. ——————————————————————————————————————— Frédéric Utzmann La Commission européenne vient de présenter, le 22 juin, une proposition de directive sur l’efficacité énergétique. Une reconnaissance communautaire des mécanismes des CEE Cette proposition de directive est une véritable reconnaissance des CEE. Un outil pour atteindre les objectifs d’efficacité énergétique de l’union La Commission européenne dresse un constat d’insuffisance des dispositifs classiques face aux objectifs d’efficacité énergétique qu’elle s’était fixés, et confirme que la transposition du dispositif des CEE dans le droit communautaire permettrait d’impulser des actions efficaces d’économies d’énergie. Un projet de directive assoupli à la dernière minute
Systems thinking and the visual mapper Philippe Boukobza and Wallace Tait Systems thinking, what is it? Well, a quick web search and you'll be offered all kinds of links to systems and information management sites. Our definition of systems thinking at the core level: “Systems thinking is a consideration of data, information and knowledge as independent yet interdependent processes”. Systems thinking is, in our experience, realized when one starts to use the tools, methods and mindset of Visual mapping to map out processes, and at the same time see the bigger systems picture. Think of systems thinking as you would view our planetary system our system is made up of a sun, planets and moons. Now look again at system as a mind map; do you see independence yet interdependence of the elements of this system? How can we correlate Systems thinking with Visual Mapping? Creating a visual map is like constructing a model that shows those interactions between the different elements. The PDSA process: PLAN, DO, STUDY, ACT.
Australia is first nation to put a price on carbon - environment - 11 July 2011 Australia's 500 biggest polluters will pay A$23 (US$24.6) per tonne of carbon emitted into the atmosphere from July next year. The country has one of the highest rates of greenhouse gas emissions per head of population in the developed world. The population of 22.6 million is responsible for around 1.3 per cent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. By 2020, the new carbon tax plan should cut Australia's carbon emissions by 5 per cent, relative to 2000 levels. The scheme was announced by Australia's prime minister Julia Gilliard in an address to the nation on Sunday. The price of carbon, initially fixed at A$23 per tonne, will rise by 2.5 per cent each year in real terms until July 2015. A$10 billion of the expected revenue from the package will go towards funding low pollution measures, energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy technologies including solar, wind and geothermal power. Share on emailShare on gmailShare on stumbleupon More From New Scientist More from the web
Australia's shiny new carbon tax is an empty promise - environment - 11 July 2011 Australia's shiny new carbon tax, announced on Sunday, is unlikely to change the country's status as the largest per-capita emitter of greenhouse gases in the developed world. Loopholes threaten to undermine its modest promise to cut emissions by 5 per cent by 2020. First, emissions from forestry, farming and cars are exempt from the tax. These are a significant omission. Some years, deforestation is responsible for as much as a quarter of Australia's emissions. Second, the biggest emitters are being protected. Australia's climate policies have a long history of being confused and contradictory. Kyoto targets Since 1990, the baseline year for the Kyoto targets, its emissions from burning fossil fuels have in fact risen by around 30 per cent – more, even, than US emissions. Gillard reports that emissions are growing by 2 per cent a year, but says her carbon taxes would set the country on course for a 5 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020 relative to levels in 2000. Industry cries foul