Humanity needs to do more of this, and less of the short sighted nonsense that runs the world presently.
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Emerging sectors of the Indian solar industry
While serious questions have been raised about the stability and sustainability of the solar energy players in India, a few segments of this industry do offer good business opportunities
By Richa Chakravarty
Since the Indian solar market took off with close to 1.1 GW of photovoltaic (PV) projects during the fag end of 2010, it is experiencing a lull with allocations of only 350 MW under the…
Building a Solar City
“This plan will put Cincinnati on the map as a national leader for solar energy and our members who live and work in Hamilton County couldn’t be more excited. State leaders and other cities around Ohio should follow........Building a Solar City – EcoWatch: Uniting the Voice of the Grassroots Environmental Movement.
Related articles
How about it UK ?
Time to start being responsible? The daily rant
With the ever increasing costs of power there will be more and more use for services and products that monitor and feedback our usage and consumption of energy. With the fluffy first 10 years of this century, we convinced ourselves money just fell out from anywhere we demanded and expected it to come from, reality check, we now need to start being responsible for our lives. Enough of expecting others to do it for us, and relying on handouts. Perhaps people will soon realize it is OK to switch off a light, put on extra clothing, or even just stop wasting money and complaining about it.
Yes, I know there are general issues and problems out there, and many are short of money, but when you see people filling up at one petrol station, when the one across the road sells diesel at cheaper prices you have to ask yourself who is at at fault for them being short of money.
Then you get these morons that accelerate and brake repeatedly in traffic queues, and drive right behind you in icy conditions. One of these stupid idiots has just rammed my business partner in a traffic queue, she’d 6 points on her licence already, and was 26 years of age and drove a BMW. enough said. She was more about image than use of intelligence. Safe to drive?
Off the soap box, soon !
Yesterday I took Mike to the neck specialist, as he has still to get his vehicle returned following and interruption in his life by the stupid BMW driver. On the way, the sat nav took us down snowy side streets… at school leaving time.
Parents, “stop walking your young kids down the roads, getting hit by a car is more dangerous than them falling over”.
Drivers “If you want to talk on your mobile phone, please stop first, then after you’ve stopped and got out of your car to have a fag, don’t stand in the road, stand on the pavement. You just became a pedestrian when you got out of your car”
Children “Don’t run in and out of traffic, we allow all form of morons to drive, one of them will happily snap your bones” … and most likely will not be insured.
If you think I’m exaggerating, I’m not, one of my friends wives was driven into as a pedestrian and is lucky to be alive. The pointer of the car (driver seems a bit of stretch, since you are supposed to keep the car under control as a driver) will probably feel sorry for a few months, my friend’s wife will suffer for the rest of her life, because they refused to drive responsibly.
China is buying up a third of the world's solar panels
China has long been the world's supplier of low-cost solar panels, and now it's a major market for them, too. According to research firm NPD's SolarBuzz report, in the last quarter of 2012 China bought up 33 percent of the world's solar panel supply.
In contrast, two years prior China accounted for less than 10 percent of the world's solar panel sales.
Looks like there will a sun rising in the east for solar power.
Deep sea bacteria could provide breakthroughs for solar panels
Bacteria that live almost a mile under the surface of the ocean, where light is scare, have adapted biological ways to harness tiny amounts of light very efficiently, and in some cases can use photosynthesis to convert 100 percent of the light they find into electricity. In contrast a typical solar panel commonly converts around 15 percent of sunlight into electricity.
Solar starting to get into the news.
The main problems of solar energy
1. Cost - the single largest hurdle solar energy faces is that competing energy sources have always been cheaper in terms of dollars per kilowatt-hour (a standard measure). Compared to electricity from coal-fired power plants, solar is more expensive - if you don't consider the environmental costs (which typically are hard to asses a dollar amount to).
But in recent years…
The solar market place is changing. When Warren Buffet starts to invest (as he has done recently) you know that the market is going to start rising. A quick look at the way Spain is using solar will show that there is massive potential for 24 hour power from its use. Exciting times, perhaps we can dump our reliance on fossil fuels in the long term.
Cloud Forest Trees Depend on Fog
Trees in Costa Rica, as well as a number of plant species, in the tropical cloud forests quench their thirst by directly ingesting fog droplets through their leaves. These forests are in danger because of climate change, and a new study indicates that they’re even more fragile than previously thought.
Read more @ SciTechDaily
Sadly humanity will find out all these things too late.
Our garden haven
We have now lived at our present house for well over a decade.
I am a lazy gardener, my wife is a green fingered wonder.
We seem to be in a rare minority these days, everyone else is chopping their trees down, we look after all self planting newcomers. Newly accumulated self planted are 3 lilacs, a goat willow, a pear and an apple tree all in the rear garden. In the front we have a Hawthorn and a small cherry.
For about 5 years we have gradually increased our bird feeders, nuts, seed, sunflower and a few others. We now have about 20 different birds visiting the garden, many of which I’m sure have survived the winter only because we chose to supply food. Our garden is such a flutter with birds with now have a regular sparrowhawk that visits to feed.
In a world where most people are increasingly impatient and unhelpful to other humans, I wonder how many people make similar choices or simply think that material things are more important?
We have just decided to install solar panels on our roof, it is a decision that if considered over a 10 year period is just plainly good sense. Until the end of June the tariff is higher and the 25 year income is tax-free. Surprisingly the costs have declined dramatically, about 40% since we had a quote a year ago. It is another decision my good lady and I are delighted to have made.
As Dad used to say “if you get it for nought, it is usually a good deal” and with electricity rising each year the benefits will be amazing in the long-term.
Our small pond which was created from our sons sand pit, now has newts, frogs and pond skaters and always provides a good bathing place for the birds. Our original apple tree is gradually dying but is loved by woodpeckers, tree creepers and robins for all the bugs burying into the dead wood.
Life is very special, and watching our wildlife thrive in out little haven makes my life much better, but how many still appreciate these free gems of nature? Life in the fast lane quite often leads to crashes, so I gladly live my life in the slow lane. I’m often asked what I do, but I’m never asked what I add to the world. When we pass through life perhaps it is time to decide what truly matters to us. Most people when asked simply blurt out money, cars, or things, but if they received all those things tomorrow would they be any happier? As a baby boomer I was lucky enough to realise I derive my pleasure from people, relationships and those things for which I have passion.
If you have a passion for your garden please add your thoughts.
As ever, Simon
