Green Technology

This wife-and-husband, designer-and-builder team created their own modern tiny home to realize the dream of simplifying their lives, while saving money.

News of the future was, in my youth, something that one found by crossing the palm of a lady in a dark tent with a piece or two of silver (or the modern equivalent) at one of the fairs that came to town. Such opportunities still exist, with all the caveats that existed back then likely still being in force. However, projecting the future, whether of the weather, the likely corn crop this year in the United States, or the production of crude oil by the nations of the world has become a much bigger business with copious tables, graphs and theories replacing the rather worn pack of cards or crystal ball of my youthful experience. Our part of the world underwent a drought last year severe enough to kill several trees in our yard, for example, as well as hurting the corn crop. This year, corn plantings have been severely impacted by the heavy rains and cold weather, so that decisions on crop plantings have become more complicated and delayed, with follow-on impacts on the ultimate yield in a number of Midwestern states. Corn yield apparently falls at an average rate of 2.3 bushels per acre per day of delay in northern Wisconsin. These changing conditions make it difficult to assess how much ethanol, for example, will be available to meet demand, although the latest EIA TWIP holds out some optimism for this year. The impact of the drought on corn prices, and the consequent fall in ethanol production, as production costs rose, are directly visible from their plot of the two over the last year. Figure 1. A comparison of corn prices and ethanol production in the USA (EIA TWIP ) However, with the weather impacts still being assessed, it is already being concluded that the US corn crop is unlikely to reach the record level of close to 14.6 billion bushels that were earlier projected. It still, however, has the potential to reach around 12.3 billion bushels, which would satisfy the just under 5 billion bushel need for ethanol, as well as other demands of the market. By May 12 only 28% of this year's expected crop had been planted, in contrast with a normal year where 65% would be in the ground. Thus, even the relatively short-term projections of the EIA could yet be in trouble for this year. Moving to the slightly longer-term, the nations that form OPEC must try to estimate global demand for their products and the amount that other non-OPEC nations will produce, so that they can balance supply and demand at such a level that will sustain prices they are comfortable with. Their estimates come out as Monthly Oil Market Reports and in the latest (May) version they continue to expect global demand to increase by 0.8 mbd over 2013, but are beginning to hedge that bet as the global economy continues to appear anemic, with Russian and Asian economies slowing. Yet by the fourth quarter of the year, they anticipate that global demand will reach 90.9 mbd. Figure 2. Global oil demand by region (OPEC MOMR) OPEC anticipates that with the major increase coming from the Americas, that non-OPEC oil production will increase by just under 1 mbd to reach an a level of 54.41 mbd in the fourth quarter of the year. The majority of that growth (some 0.59 mbd) will come from the United States, with the Permian, Bakken and Eagle Ford being cited as the anticipated source of these gains. OPEC, having looked at current rig counts, project that these numbers may be revised upwards over the course of the year. And yet it is worth noting this: On a quarterly basis, US oil supply is seen to average 10.62 mb/d, 10.67 mb/d, 10.62 mb/d and 10.61 mb/d respectively. The sustained gain in North American production comes about because: On a quarterly basis, Canada’s production is anticipated to average 4.02mb/d, 3.97 mb/d, 4.02 mb/d and 4.12 mb/d respectively. Russia is expected to continue to lead in oil production over the course of the year, although it is not longer expected to increase production above current levels. On a quarterly basis, Rus

This small-but-dynamic, renovated apartment in Barcelona takes its design cues from boat design and hides some delightful surprises.

Energy Department approves expanded LNG exports The Energy Department gave a terminal near Freeport, Tex., permission Friday to ship liquefied natural gas to Japan, providing a new outlet for rising U.S. production of shale gas despite qualms of environmentalists and many domestic manufacturers. The permit marks another step in the sudden reversal of fortune in the natural gas business. Less than five years ago, anticipating a worsening shortfall in domestic supplies of natural gas, the Freeport terminal on Quintana Island began operations as an import facility. But advances in hydraulic fracturing techniques have unlocked new supplies of natural gas from shale rock. Freeport, like other import terminals, now wants to spend $10 billion to retool the terminal so it can send gas abroad in liquefied form. US DOE Approves Second US LNG Export Project to Non-FTA Countries The US Department of Energy has authorized Freeport LNG Expansion, L.P. and FLNG Liquefaction, LLC (Freeport) to export LNG to so called non-Free Trade Agreement (non-FTA) countries. Subject to environmental review and final regulatory approval, Freeport is conditionally authorized to export up to 1.4 (Bcf/d) for a period of 20 years. Despite lacking FTA, Japan to get U.S. LNG NEW YORK – The United States said Friday it will allow exports of domestically produced liquefied natural gas to Japan and other countries to which it is not bound by free-trade agreements, authorizing a plan to deliver shale and other gases from Texas. WTI Crude Rises on Speculation Growth Will Boost Demand West Texas Intermediate crude advanced to a one-week high on signals that global economic growth will accelerate, bolstering fuel consumption. Futures increased 0.9 percent as the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment rose to 83.7 in May, higher than any projection in a Bloomberg survey. A government report yesterday showed Japanese gross domestic product grew 3.5 percent at an annualized pace, the most in a year. Soaring gasoline prices hurt Oklahoma City area retailers Ballard owns the Varsity Valero and Guzzlers convenience stores in Purcell. Two years ago, he spent $500 to upgrade his signs so they can display prices above $4. He said he hopes he doesn't have to use them. But with wholesale prices soaring as much as 70 cents a gallon in the past five weeks, there seems to be no end in sight. Convenience store owners throughout the state are facing the same challenge. Pemex Makes Third Ultra-Deep Find at Mexico Gulf Maximino Field Petroleos Mexicanos, the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, made its third ultra-deepwater discovery on the Mexican side of the Perdido basin in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests at the Maximino field where the crude was found are still being made and volumes are being assessed, Luis Ramos, a strategic planning manager at the Mexican state-owned oil producer’s exploration unit, told reporters in Rio de Janeiro today, declining to give any estimate. Afghanistan to begin first commercial oil production Afghanistan expects to begin the first commercial oil production in its history in a little under two months. The country's mining minister, Wahidullah Shahrani, has told the ABC processing will start at the Amu Darya basin in Afghanistan's north in July. The project is operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation and is expected to eventually supply Afghanistan with its domestic energy needs so it can stop importing oil. Afghanistan turns to Australia for mining expertise Australia could help Afghanistan develop its fledgling mining industry and tap into mineral and energy reserves estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. The country is eager to find a new source of revenue when international aid starts to decline and foreign forces withdraw next year. Liberia's Johnson-Sirleaf defends governance record Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and

Richard Ha writes:  Incidents of Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) have been increasing in this past year. Fortunately, the Department of Agriculture has filled the slot that became open when Kyle Onuma retired. Kyle did an incredible job with the resources he had. Now Kamran Fujimoto has been placed in Kyle’s slot. He is good! It’s been just a few weeks since Kamran came on board, and he’s already treated 14 BBTV sites in the Hilo area, consisting of 38 banana clumps and 167 infected plants. This video describes the disease, and the method of control. "Three Minutes on Banana Bunch Top Virus: What You Need to Know" Once the Hilo area is done, Kamran will turn his attention to the Kea‘au/Puna area. The BIBGA will help Kamran do a survey of the subdivisions. We will be sure to notify the community associations to coordinate. Also, the Big Island Banana Growers is planning an education program about the virus. It will consist of printed materials, social media, County Fair info and working with people who supply or sell banana plants. If you see an infected plant, call the Department of Agriculture at 974-4145. People seeking banana keiki should make sure that the source is not infected. Be especially careful when sourcing from the Kea‘au/Puna area. We are finding that many new infected plantings are originating from there. Our approach is a collaborative one, and we are very grateful to homeowners who have been willing to help us. This is not only beneficial to commercial growers – if we work hard at eradication, homeowners will be able to continue raising bananas. If not, bananas will become very hard to grow at home. O‘ahu is a good example of runaway BBTV in neighborhoods. Commercial growers are still growing bananas there, but for some homeowners, growing their own bananas is becoming only a memory. This video, “Bananas at Risk in Kea‘au, Hawai‘i,” was taken just a short time ago, but the land has been bulldozed since.  The plants there must be eradicated, though, or the land will continue to serve as a reservoir from which BBTV can be spread.

Armani has some explaining to do. But she is, of course, an anteater, and they're notoriously tight-lipped.

Hydroelectricity generation exploits the tremendous height differential that occurs naturally at waterfalls or artificially at dams as water flows through the system. Now, efforts are underway to harness a differential of another sort for both energy storage and generation: the pressure under the sea. A Norwegian company called Subhydro is making forays into underwater hydroelectrical power plants, and Canadian company Hydrostor is creating an underwater grid storage system. Think of water rushing in through the open hatch of a submarine, and you get an idea of the forces at work underwater. Atmospheric pressure and the weight of the water combine to create pressures that compound with increasing depth. At a depth of 400 meters (almost a quarter mile), for example, the pressure is that of 40 atmospheres, one atmosphere being the pressure we experience at sea level. Subhydro envisions installing large concrete tanks at depths of 400-800 meters, and the deeper the better for maximizing energy generation. When the “hatch” is opened, water is allowed to flow into the tanks through a turbine that drives an electric generator. The more and larger the tanks, the longer the generation can go on. When the tanks are filled, the turbine can be reversed to pump out the water, a process that draws on the power grid and consumes energy. In this way, the pumped storage plant functions like an underwater battery that can be re-charged, much like a hydroelectric plant on dry land pumps water into an upper reservoir after it has passed through a turbine. According to Subhydro, the efficiency of the underwater plant is about 80 percent, comparable to efficiencies achieved at conventional plants. Integrating the pumped storage plant with wind or solar farms could create a grid storage system that harnesses excess renewable energy generation to pump out the tanks and flood them during peak hours of production. Another approach to underwater grid storage is in the works at a depth of 80 meters in Lake Ontario, just off shore of Toronto. There, Hydrostor will begin building underwater tanks that will hold compressed air. Surplus energy from renewables (wind, solar) will provide the energy to compress air from the atmosphere and pump it in to the tanks. To put energy back into the grid, the air is allowed to surface, driving generators as it expands back into the atmosphere. Hydrostor is partnering with Toronto Hydro to build the 1MW/4MWh compressed air energy storage demonstration facility. The system will run at 70 percent efficiency, according to Hydrostor. Earlier this month MaRS Cleantech Fund announced an investment in Hydrostor’s tech. Clearly, there are still some hurdles to overcome before energy companies everywhere take the plunge. The environmental impact of offshore submerged facilities will need to be considered, as will the building materials themselves. To withstand the underwater pressure, Subhydro is working with research partners to develop thin concrete reinforced with steel fibers, while Hydrostor’s system will use inflatable polyester bags to hold compressed air. Building underwater facilities is itself energy-intensive, so whether the process can be made cost and energy-effective will determine whether cleantech is ready to get its feet wet. Image via Knut Gangåssæter/Doghouse Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.The next generation of battery technologyHow the Energy Storage Market Could Pay Itself OffAEP: Deploying the Future of Backyard Batteries

I recently discovered there’s a bucket list for childhood - 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾. The list of 50 outdoor activities aims to “encourage kids to get mucky, discover their wild side and most of all enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer”. It includes essential childhood activities like climb a tree, roll down a really big hill, make a mud pie, and cook on a campfire. I think there’s another list – Minor accidents every child should encounter before departing childhood Perhaps it would look something like this: fall out of a tree stack your bike cut your foot on an oyster shell get stung by a blue-bottle get dumped by a wave burn your mouth on a toasted marshmallow step on a bindi-eye I experienced each of these minor accidents during my childhood – along with a couple of broken bones. I consider these accidents a badge of a joyful childhood. They also provided an invaluable learning opportunity. Through these accidents I learnt to judge risk, tested my physical limits and learnt new skills. I improved my balance, learnt to enjoy the surf without being afraid and discovered what I could and couldn’t do on a bike. I also learnt that you can’t climb a really big tree, hang a hessian bag over a branch, then climb into it and expect to be able to hold your own weight. That accident resulted in a broken arm - and hopefully I earned a good dose of common sense a long with it. The impact of our risk adverse society on my daughter and her peers has been on my mind. "small risks taken early (and the natural world is good place to take those risks) can prepare children to avoid more onerous risks later in life" Richard Louv.  I’m keen to find a balance between reducing the risks of serious injury and allowing her to engage in creative, challenging, exciting and slightly risky play. I’m determined to quieten my paranoid coddling mum tendencies and provide ample opportunity for her to engage in independent outdoor play. I’ll be cheering her on when she races her bike down hills, climbs high up a tree, and learns to dive under a wave – despite the mum in me wanting to yell out “slow down”, “don’t climb so high” and “the waves are too big”. Because there’s some lessons that just have to be learnt sooner or later. [Originally published in the The Newcastle Herald 18th May 2013] Do you worry too that we are wrapping our kids in cotton wool and preventing them from finding their own boundaries? Further reading on the topic:  The end of zero risk in childhood? Outdoor play: Does avoiding the risks reduce the benefits? The Criminalization of Natural Play edited: I’ve popped back to leave a note on this scheduled post after learning of the heartbreaking loss of Kathreen Ricketson and her partner Rob. Kathreen was an inspiration to me, particularly through her Action Pack Magazine for Kids. Little Eco and I have spent many hours enjoying activities inspired by her work and will continue to do so for many years. I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Kathreen in real life, but the sadness I feel at her loss has made me realise just how powerful this online world is. I contemplated deleting this post after learning of their tragic accident while swimming – because it seems a little heartless to write about risk. But given that Kathreen was passionate about childhood exploration and helping children connect with nature, I feel OK about leaving it as is. May her work continue to inspire children to create, explore, learn and connect with nature for many years to come. 

We often forget that great bike cities were not always so. They all had to start somewhere, work hard at it, and build up the infrastructure and bike culture, sometimes from a very low base.

I'm no expert on hog farming, but it seems to me that when whatever you're doing is creating explosive poop foam that has destroyed barns and killed thousands of hogs you might be doing something wrong.