Green Energy News Items-02/17/2008
Leading Wall St. Banks Establish The Carbon Principle
Are financial institutions going green, or are they just worried about the bottom line? It would appear that both concern for the environment and for their investors’ portfolios has led to an unusual dialogue between banks, utility companies and environmental groups. For the first time, these three groups have consulted each other in order to come up with a model to help lenders evaluate the potential risks involved in investing in coal plants.
One of the participants in the conference, David Crane, President and CEO of NRG Enerby Inc. said this about The Carbon Principles, “To move the needle on global warming, clean energy technologies need to be developed, demonstrated and deployed as quickly as possible. Given the capital intensive nature of this challenge, we welcome these carbon principles as a sign that America’s leading financial institutions are ready to support a massive increase of investment in clean energy solutions…” Read More
Fuel Cell-Powered Cell Phones Materializing
Conventional cell phone batteries may be a thing of the past, if several of the emerging technologies designed to power the ubiquitous communication devices can show that they’re safe and practical. Ethanol, methanol and hydrogen are three of the technologies that have been on display at recent trade shows or are being perfected in labs.
Will your cell be powered by biofuel or hydrogen in the near future? Will consumers accept the idea of holding a hydrogen-fueled cell phone next to their faces? According to more than one company, we’ll be finding the answer to that question very soon.
Is There a Plan for Life After Peak Oil?
Yes, but it involves a new generation of biofuels that are an environmental disaster.
In, The Last Straw, George Monbiot says, “Now they might start sitting up. They wouldn’t listen to the environmentalists or even the geologists. Can governments ignore the capitalists? A report published last week by Citibank, and so far unremarked by the media, proposes “genuine difficulties” in increasing the production of crude oil, “particularly after 2012.” Though 175 big drilling projects will start in the next four years, “the fear remains that most of this supply will be offset by high levels of decline”.
While controversial, the theory that oil production has peaked and/or is declining has many backers, who believe that we need a plan to replace fossil fuels sooner rather than later. The US has no plan, but the plan that European governments have may be worse, because it relies on biofuels.
Xynergy Plans to Open Restaurant Powered by its New Type of Hydrogen Generator Which Runs on Water
The company has announced that it will open its first restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, home to many eco-conscious eateries and eco-citizens. The restaurant will be “green-themed” and will be centered around Xynergy’s still secret hydrogen generator which runs on water.
Xynergy also intends to showcase a new refrigeration method at the restaurants and claims to have the “only technology in the world that can turn water into power in a cost efficient manner,” according to this article in Marketwire.
This “Boxed Set” Could Have a Big Effect On Your Personal Environment
It’s 31″X 47″ and can be carried by two people. Open it up and furnish your apartment. Honest! Although you can’t buy this Casulo modular set-up yet, it will soon be available in Europe. As these photos show, it holds an armoire, a desk, a height-adjustable stool, two more stools, a six-shelf bookcase, and a bed with a mattress.
As many people shift from rampant consumerism to a more frugal and simple lifestyle, furnishings may well trend toward environmentally thrifty items that don’t use as much of the earth’s resources. Well-suited to students and apartment dwellers, best of all, with the Casulo box, you wouldn’t have to borrow your friend’s gas-guzzling pickup truck to move.