Top Stories
China Tries a New Tack to Go Solar.—reliability
high.
Already leading in PV and wind power, and moving fast in nuclear, China
is trying to catch up in concentrating thermal solar energy technology.
"The technology, which is potentially cheaper than most types of
renewable power, has captivated many engineers and financiers in the
last two years, with an abrupt surge in new patents and plans for large
power operations in Europe and the United States. This year may be
China’s turn." But not all agree. "Concentrating solar power 'is not
very suitable for China,' wrote Li Junfeng, a senior government energy
policy maker, in a detailed e-mail reply to questions this week. Yet
the private sector in China is racing to embrace the technology
anyway." Mentions eSolar/Penglai Electric deal. From
The New York Times.
McDonald's seeks to cut cows' methane
emissions.—reliability high.
McDonald's "which uses beef from 350,000 cattle a year for its burger
meat, is to conduct a three-year study into methane emissions from
cattle on 350 farms across Britain. . . . The initiative will be the
first of its kind to provide accurate data from working farms and is
being run by the E-CO2 Project, an independent rural consultancy and
energy-auditing company. A sophisticated greenhouse gas calculator
accredited by the Carbon Trust will measure results over a three-year
period. The first readings are due in April and specialist consultants
will advise farmers on the best ways to reduce emissions and increase
efficiency. If successful, the initiative will be extended to
McDonald's in Europe. . . . The scheme is part of a broader attempt by
Easterbrook to rebrand McDonald's in the UK as a more socially aware
and environmentally friendly organisation." From
The Guardian. [See
our blog post on the subject here.]
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Solar and Biomass Plants to Work in Tandem in
China.—reliability medium.
"China’s plans to build 2,000 megawatts of solar thermal power using
technology from a California company, eSolar, will also include the
construction of biomass power plants to generate electricity when the
sun sets. The solar and biomass plants will share turbines and other
infrastructure, reducing the projects’ cost and allowing
around-the-clock electricity production" "Under terms of the deal
announced Saturday in Beijing, eSolar will license its 'power tower'
technology to Penglai Electric, which will manage the construction of
the power plants over the next decade." See
New York Times Green Inc. blog.
Budget airlines have lower carbon footprint.—reliability
high.
"Analysis from the travel search engine Liligo.co.uk has shown that
low-cost airlines offer a lower carbon footprint to travellers due to a
number of factors" including more seats/more passengers per plane and
newer planes. "the average economy class passenger could reduce their
carbon footprint around 20% by flying easyJet over British Airways in
Europe." See
1888PressRelease.
Watchdog bans Finnair's 'eco-smart' ad claim.—reliability
high.
"The offending poster showed an Airbus flying over the Finnish
coastline with text stating: 'Be eco-smart. Choose Finnair's brand new
fleet'. It attracted two complaints, which argued that the term
'eco-smart' implied that flying was environmentally friendly, and that
Finnair had not proven that its planes were greener than other fleets."
From
BusinessGreen.
LEED awards show why 'green' criteria need
reform.—reliability medium.
Points out that U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification does
not necessarily result in buildings with the best environmental
profile. "The organization’s 2009 LEED for Homes award winners – the
very best of the best, in USGBC’s judgment – prove that its reputation
for stressing technology over other factors is well-deserved. Of
the six non-military winners, only one is in what the popular rating
service Walk Score considers to be a walkable environment. Only
one (the same) shows up on Google Earth as richly served by public
transportation. The rest are in locations best described as
varying degrees of automobile-dependence and sprawl." Lists the winners
and shows how car-dependent some of them are. From
NRDC blog. [Post
comments that "Perhaps this is not surprising given that the
organization’s membership, board and committees are overwhelmingly
populated by representatives of the building industry, their
architects, and their consultants." Not heavy on environmental impact
or urban planning experts.]
33% of Water Utilities Adopting Smart Meters.—reliability
high.
"About a third of water utility managers say they are in the early
stages of adopting smart meters, despite the fact that 71 percent of
water users say that having more detailed information on their water
consumption would promote better water conservation, according to a
report from Oracle." More highlights from report. See
Environmental Leader. Access report here
(registration required).
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
