20.11.2008

Greenpeace blocked the entrance on Thursday to a Spanish nuclear power station facing closure next year and urged the government to shut it down immediately in line with election pledges to phase out nuclear power.



The environmental group said 30 protesters were arrested outside Garona, the first of seven nuclear plants whose operating permits come up for renewal between 2009-11, within the mandate of the recently re-elected Socialist government.



Some of those arrested had chained themselves to the plant's gates and eight protesters were still inside a container which had been outside the entrance since dawn.

Read the full story here.



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Read more: Wind Power, Energy, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Vandellos II Plant, Alternative Energy, Green News, Endesa, Renewable Energy, Greenpeace, Iberdrola, Asco I Plant Radioactive Leak, Wind Parks, Nuclear Energy, Garona, Environment, Nuclear Power, Spain, Green News

20.11.2008

Dr. Bill Chameides is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. He blogs at www.thegreengrok.com.

Think of your favorite place and you're likely to conjure a picture in your mind -- a landscape not a soundscape. That's because you're not Peter Cusack, a sound artist keenly interested in the intersection of environment and sound. On a recent visit to Duke I asked him about pleasant versus positive sounds, a topic that got him riffing on sonic monoculture and why it's such a negative part of our modern culture.

Let's talk sound.

Most of us probably take sound for granted until it intrudes on our comfort zone. In a city, for instance, the screeching brakes of a bus or a man walking down the sidewalk screaming may not even penetrate our consciousness in the cacophony of other sounds. What do these sounds say about the place? Are they mere intrusions or an intricate part of the space?

Peter Cusack spends his time pondering such questions and looking at different cities around the world from an acoustic point of view. When he started out, he was dismayed to hear London noises encroach on his beloved bird songs -- he wanted to record wildlife. But then he realized those urban sounds could be an important part of his study.

Back in 1998 Cusack began a project called "Favorite Sounds." He asked Londoners -- primarily residents -- what their favorite city sound was. Rather than a generic answer like "Big Ben's clock chimes," a sound known around the world thanks to its use in BBC broadcasts, people were far more precise -- and quotidian.

"People would say," Cusack recalled, "my favorite London sound is the guy who makes the station announcements at Waterloo's South Station on the northern line. And another person would say, well, I like the woman who makes the station announcement at the Regent Park on the south-going Baker line."

It's the same sound and yet it isn't.

Back then, Cusack continued, "All those station announcements were done by real people and everyone had a different voice and a different way of doing it and people remembered that."Listen to Cusack's London sound: "Mind the Gap" »

In other words, people's acoustic references are much more than sounds themselves. They are reference points to the environment they inhabit and their interactions with it. Of the thousands of people he surveyed, much more often than not the favorite sounds were specific and quite mundane....As he spoke about his findings over his decades of study, I got to thinking about the ultimate potential application of his work. Was it to engineer soundscapes to make them better? And what constitutes a "better" soundscape? One that is more pleasant and soothing?Read the rest of the post.
Read more: Acoustic Ecology, Peter Cusack, Aspen Environment Forum, London, Soundscape, City Sounds, Sound, Environment, Green News

20.11.2008

As the ghost of GM's assassinated electric car haunts a fearful Detroit, another boogeyman is waiting in the wings: the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric car, being readied for its December release -- in China.



BYD, a company that first made its reputation as the world's largest maker of cell phone batteries, has announced it will release the F3DM hybrid sedan on December 15. And BYD says it plans to release a version of the car in the US and Europe in 2010 or 2011, just when GM plans to begin selling its own plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt.



As Mike has reported previously, the F3DM -- which can be charged using a standard electrical outlet -- can switch between a fully electric mode and a hybrid one that uses both electricity and gasoline. BYD says the car can travel as far as 60 miles (100 km) after one charge in full-electric mode, or longer when also using its small gas tank. The all-electric range of the Chevrolet Volt is only 40 miles.



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21.11.2008

Obituary: Distinguished and prolific conservation architect whose work had global significance

21.11.2008

RussiaRussia is lurching towards a major economic crisis, experts predicted yesterday, following news that the price of oil had slumped to under $50 (£33.72) a barrel. The collapse was likely to have catastrophic consequences including a possible devaluation of the rouble and a severe drop in living standards next year, they said. With oil prices tumbling and his credibility at stake, Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, yesterday insisted that the economy was still robust. The country would survive the global financial turmoil - which he blamed on the US - he told delegates from his United Russia party.But the Kremlin is aware that any loss of confidence in the Russian economy could lead to a loss of confidence in Putin and his ally Dmitry Medvedev, who took over from Putin as president in May. Putin said his administration would do everything it could to prevent a recurrence of the last oil-related crash in 1998, which saw the savings of many ordinary Russians wiped out. But the plummeting oil price leaves him little room for manoeuvre. Experts suggest Russia's economy is facing profound difficulties, despite two huge stabilisation funds accumulated during the booming oil years. The fall in oil prices from $147 this July has blown a hole in the government's budget calculations. It is now facing a $150bn shortfall in its spending plans and will have to slash expenditure in 2009. Putin sought to assure hard-up Russians that their social benefits would not be affected. "We will do everything in our power ... so that the collapses of the past years should never be repeated," he said.The oil slump, however, exacerbates Russia's already severe problems. Since May Russian markets have lost 70% of their value. Russia's central bank has spent $57.5bn trying to prop up the ailing currency. "If the trend continues, with the government supporting the rouble, oil prices falling and a slowing economy, we are going to have a major crisis," said Chris Weafer, of the Moscow brokerage Uralsib.
Luke Harding in MoscowIranIran is the second largest Opec oil producer and already feeling the pain of declining prices more than any other in the Middle East. Its "rainy day" oil stabilisation fund, used to release profits when revenues decline, is reportedly badly depleted as a result of mismanagement by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. The precise figure is a state secret, but a member of parliament revealed recently it was $7bn - just enough to cover one year of imported petrol.Ahmadinejad has seen two central bank governors resign and faces daily criticism of his policies. A strike by the powerful "bazaari" class over a new VAT tax - which would have aggravated inflation already at nearly 30% - was seen as a warning. Iran is especially vulnerable because 80% of its revenue comes from oil. The IMF calculated recently that for Iran to balance its budget, the price of crude oil must not fall below $95 a barrel. With prices now below $50 the shortfall could be staggering.The effect of declining oil prices will be felt both domestically and internationally. Ahmadinejad is expected to stand for a second presidential term next June but the lack of cash will restrict his plans to replace subsidies with direct cash payments - widely seen as a vote-buying tactic. US and UN sanctions imposed over the nuclear issue are already limiting Iran's ability to issue letters of credit and thus increasing its cost of trade.Saudi Arabia has been happy to use high Opec production levels and low prices to contain Tehran's plans for regional hegemony. US experts and lobbyists now talk openly of exploiting the drop in oil prices to make the sanctions more effective.
Ian Black, Middle East editorSaudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer and exporter, is expected to cut back on current spending and also adjust ambitious long-term development plans in the light of the slump in prices.But cautious fiscal policies will place the kingdom in a relatively strong position, with the current budget based on a price of around $45-50 a barrel. Expansion next year will require around $55-62.The worry must be that in a country with no elections, parliament, political parties or taxes, the combination of slowing development projects and a widening gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary people could be destabilising.Publicly, the message from the top has been that there is no need to panic, even as falling prices of crude oil and the global financial crisis were becoming inextricably linked and starting to wreak havoc in the Gulf economies.By mid-November, the stock exchanges of Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had declined by 62.5%, 50.4% and 29.5% respectively. Kuwait, which sits on 9% of world oil reserves, is expected to see its first budget deficit in 10 years if prices continue to fall. That will mean a long-term incentive to diversify away from oil.In Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, government-run investment funds have also suffered from heavy exposure to US and European stocks. But the UAE's Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has assets of $500bn to $1tn.Dubai, the glitziest part of the UAE, which has seen an oil-fuelled boom in property but has little oil of its own, is starting to see a slowdown. But some welcome that as a way of reducing the number of foreign expatriates and re-establishing a disappearing sense of national identity.
Ian Black, Middle East editorVenezuelaHugo Chávez has reduced Venezuela's support for foreign allies and is poised to make deeper cuts at home and abroad as plunging oil revenues hit his socialist revolution. The government has warned of austerity measures after years of high spending on social programmes, nationalisations, arms and diplomacy. South America's energy giant relies on oil for half its exports and 95% of government revenue, leaving the president's ambitions vulnerable to a crunch."Oil revenues are the weapons he has been using to fight this war. He is going to have to make big changes," said Pietro Pitts, of Latin Petroleum magazine. "He will have to cut spending, or devalue the bolivar, or both."Chávez recently said Venezuela would ride out any financial storm and that oil prices of $80 or $90 a barrel would be sufficient. This now looks optimistic. With next year's budget in tatters, and foreign investment slowing, the government made cuts even before the latest price fall. Last month it postponed construction of a $4bn refinery in Nicaragua, a key ally, and announced tougher terms for subsidising oil exports to some Caribbean countries.The state oil company slashed spending on the social programmes which have underpinned Chávez's popularity. Aid to Bolivia and Ecuador, and subsidised oil to Cuba, may be hit next. The finance minister, Alí Rodríguez, said the 2009 budget "will have significant restrictions" compared with this year's $63.9bn and officials would have to cut back on luxuries.Some analysts think Venezuela can weather the crisis with the help of rumoured $40bn reserves. But Venezuela is racked by 36% inflation, and previous governments crashed when oil crashed.
Rory Carroll in Caracas

• Oil and gas companies
• Global economy
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Iran
• Venezuela
• Credit crunch
• Energy
• Middle East
• Saudi Arabia

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21.11.2008

If you'd told me a week ago that I would spend two days listening to people talk about soil carbon sequestration (and be gripped by it!) I would have laughed in your face. But at the Soil Association conference (SA) this week it was the hot topic, partly because the SA is launching a report in a month or so which will conclude that organic farming practices mean that while the UK's soils are losing carbon at a rate of up to 1% a year, organic farmers sequester enough carbon to offset their emissions by 5-30%.
The background to this, as you may or may not know, is that our soils are one of the biggest carbon sinks on Earth: carbon is stored in them as vegetation falls and decomposes and becomes part of the soil. Carbon is then slowly released into the atmosphere from the soil partially as a result of microbial activity: unfortunately a study in 2005 found that England's soils were losing carbon at about 0.6% a year, which could equal an annual loss of 13m tonnes. Given that our annual emissions are about 650m tonnes, that's a worrying contribution. Why are our soils losing carbon? One reason could be that higher temperatures increase the levels of microbial activity and respiration, another could be modern farming practices such as intensive grazing, the use of inorganic fertilisers, or breeds with shallower root systems.Whatever the reason, Gundula Azeez, who used to be the SA's policy manager, has been looking into organic farming practices and has concluded that they could hold the answer to this problem. She found that in 34 different studies of soil carbon levels, 31 showed organic farm soils to have higher carbon levels than non-organic. Now, this isn't at all surprising, given that the use of organic fertilisers such as compost or green manure is the absolute centre of organic farming: you're basically directly putting carbon back into the soil. But does her claim that organic farms can offset 5-30% of their carbon emissions as a result of this sequestration actually stand up to scrutiny? Here's where the arguments started, because Professor Pete Smith, Royal Society Wolfson professor of soils and global change, believes firstly that this figure is just wildly optimistic. But secondly he contends that the problem can't be resolved by spreading organic fertilisers everywhere, because, basically, there just isn't enough. Many organic farms import some of their green manures (I spoke to one farmer who said he just begs, borrows and steals whatever he can get hold of) from other farms or parks: Smith contends that if you're putting it on one farm, you're not putting it on another.Smith's point was contended by Peter Segger, who has been experimenting with soil carbon levels at his Blaencamel farm in Wales for 20 years now. He points out that more than 80% of Europe's organic waste is currently incinerated: if we were composting that instead of burning it, a great rip in the carbon cycle could be repaired, and a cloud of carbon dioxide emissions saved in a second. And Thomas Hartuung put forward his own work at Barritskov, a farm in Denmark where they plan to sequester 3,000 tonnes of carbon a year for the next century. We even trooped outside to the car park to watch a demonstration of a biochar stove, the system whereby biomass is burnt in a contained space, and turns into a sort of fine charcoal rather than ash, which you then bury. You get the heat, but the carbon is not released into the atmosphere. Instead it goes into the soil; this is a really elegant piece of cycle mending. So we had two days of arguing, ding-donging away over dinner and lunch and drinks and organic flapjacks; these guys are completely obsessed. When I left, they were arguing still, and out of these kind of arguments, I hope, will come some proper answers. Gripping it was; absolutely gripping. Not something I ever expected to feel, I must say.

• Organics
• Carbon emissions
• Ethical living

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20.11.2008

Today, the Green Car Journal gave its 2009 Green Car of the Year award to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2009 Jetta TDI is a quiet-running, diesel-powered car. It beat out hybrids and mini-cars to take the title. The Jetta uses a technology called "clean diesel" which actually lives up its name pretty well. It has a very clean tailpipe, and an EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy. The diesel fuel burns 98.5% cleaner than vehicles in the 1970s, and thus produc...

20.11.2008

Today, the Green Car Journal gave its 2009 Green Car of the Year award to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2009 Jetta TDI is a quiet-running, diesel-powered car. It beat out hybrids and mini-cars to take the title. The Jetta uses a technology called "clean diesel" which actually lives up its name pretty well. It has a very clean tailpipe, and an EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy.
...

20.11.2008

As the ghost of GM's assassinated electric car haunts a fearful Detroit, another boogeyman is waiting in the wings: the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric car, being readied for its December release -- in China.

BYD, a company that first made its reputation as the world's largest maker of cell phone batteries, has announced it will release the F3DM hybrid sedan on December 15. And BYD says it plans to release a version of the car in the US and Europe in 2010 or 2011, just when GM plans to begin selling its own plug-i...