August 2009 Archives

MACKENZIE RIVER DELTA, Northwest Territories -- Only a squawk from a sandhill crane broke the Arctic silence -- and a low gurgle of bubbles, a watery whisper of trouble repeated in countless spots around the polar world.

"On a calm day, you can see 20 or more 'seeps' out across this lake," said Canadian researcher Rob Bowen, sidling his small rubber boat up beside one of them. A tossed match would have set it ablaze.

"It's essentially pure methane."

COW dung could provide a new source of income for Flintshire farmers - and help save the planet at the same time!

That's the message from the rural development agency, Cadwyn Clwyd, which has launched a new scheme to encourage the county's farmers to cash in on the potential of creating renewable energy.

Cadwyn's Flintshire Agricultural Diversification Project has secured £100,000 in funding to pay for some pilot projects.

The money is coming from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Assembly Government's Rural Development Plan.

The idea is set to become even more attractive because the Government has plans to increase the subsidy for renewable energy.

A RUNCORN fuel cell firm has passed a major energy production milestone.

Acal Energy, based at the Heath Business and Technical Park, said its patented FlowCath fuel cell now generates one kilowatt of energy.

An Acal spokesman said scientists are confident the full system will soon produce more than one- and-a-half kilowatts, and could provide clean, affordable energy.

The race for the world's most efficient solar power cell is forever played out in fractions of percentages.

The latest victory comes from scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia, who have concocted a multi-cell combination that converts 43% of sunlight into electricity, besting the previous record of 42.7%.

Ministers from 10 African countries have met in Ethiopia to try to agree a common position on climate change, months before a crucial UN meeting.

They were expected to renew demands for billions of dollars in compensation for Africa because of damage caused by global warming.

And they are likely to ask rich nations to cut emissions by 40% by 2012.

The current lifespan of a boiler is around 15 years so choosing the correct heating system with a condensing boiler and correct heating controls can make a huge difference over time. With energy prices now higher than ever, you'll certainly feel the difference in your pocket.

How they work
Condensing boilers are the most efficient available as they waste the least amount of energy. They convert much more of the fuel they use into useful heat compared to old conventional boilers.

By law, new gas boilers fitted in England and Wales must (with a few exceptions) be condensing ones, Make sure your installer is Gas Safe registered* and ask about condensing boilers. They will be able to tell you which one would best suit your home.
*(Gas Safe replaced CORGI as of April 2009)

Warming oceans could cause Earth's axis to tilt in the coming century, a new study suggests.

The effect was previously thought to be negligible, but researchers now say the shift will be large enough that it should be taken into account when interpreting how the Earth wobbles.

The Earth spins on an axis that is tilted some 23.5° from the vertical. But this position is far from constant - the planet's axis is constantly shifting in response to changes in the distribution of mass around the Earth.

"The Earth is like a spinning top, and if you put more mass on one side or other, the axis of rotation is going to shift slightly," says Felix Landerer of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The new Cheshire West and Chester Council is working hard to further improve its successful recycling scheme, says the man in charge. David Norbury reports.

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CHESTER'S new multi million pound waste recycling and collection service will "comfortably" hit its first year recycling target of 40%, says Cllr Neil Ritchie (Con).

Cllr Ritchie, environment portfolio holder at Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council, says over 100,000 collections are now made every week "the vast majority - over 99% - successfully".

The overall recycling and composting rate for the first four weeks was 55%, compared to 40% during the same period last year.

There has also been a significant drop in the amount of waste going to landfill.
Overall, the amount of garden waste collected has doubled and other waste which can be recycled has increased by 40%.

FLINTSHIRE households wanting to install solar panels are to save £166 when planning fees are scrapped from September.

Planning charges for other micro-generating equipment for domestic use are also ending.

The Assembly Government's environment minister, Jane Davison, hopes the rule changes will make it a more attractive option.

Equipment coming under the new rules includes ground source heat pumps and biomass flues.

Mrs Davison says micro-generation could help remove people from fuel poverty in Flintshire.

She said: "Micro-generation has a major role to play in decarbonising energy supply and helping tackle climate change.

PAPER-BASED food and drink cartons can now be recycled more efficiently across the county.

Containers for recycling Tetra Pak and other cartons will be appearing across Shropshire this month.

Recycling banks for cartons have been in place across the county for more than a year, but they will be replaced by Recresco, which works in partnership with Shropshire Council and the council's waste contractor, Veolia Environmental Services.

Recresco will collect the cartons from the new banks using an innovative vacuum technology to 'suck' them out.