An American startup company has taken new thin film photo-voltaics solar energy technology to a new level. Using tube like collectors, similar visually to the now common vacuum tube solar water heating panels, the new tubular PV panels can collect more sunlight. For many flat roof buildings the fact that these PV panels can be laid flat means that the installation costs can be reduced. The panels are ideal for large commercial buildings with flat or flatish roofs.
Solyndra New York Times Renewable Energy World Forbes
As well as the de-regulated banking sector getting a major tax payer hand out whilst the ethical banking sector continues making profits without help. It seems the car manufacturers across the world are also getting government hand outs using tax payers money (Have any cycle manufacturers got tax payer help recently?).
It seems that when things go bad, the big polluters and financers go running to us tax payers to help them out.
Last month in the US, the House of Representatives voted to bail out the car industry to the tune of a $25 billion loan, whilst yesterday the European car manufacturers demanded some $54 billion to match the US. They claim it is to help them make cars greener. But given that car sales are plumetting, one wonders whether in reality it is just money to replace the lost profits on car sales?
There are many green industries around now, started by entrepeneurs with real commitments and they seem to be able to develop new innovative clean tech products without the aid of huge amounts of tax payers money (certainly not billions!). In fact the ethical banking sector are big supporters of these green companies.
Have the begging car manufacturers considered the possibility that fewer cars on the road would achieve similar or better emissions reductions than more efficient cars? I doubt it! The ACEA want cash to scrap old cars so that they can sell plenty of greener cars. Their motive is to continue selling and producing.
Research at the University of Exeter shows that many environmentally conscious Brits love to recycle and change their light bulbs, but only to reduce their guilt of driving and flying. Apparently for many eco-hypocrites (the term used in the Exeter Uni News article), taking action on some green issues can 'trade off' far worse environmentally damaging things.
One thing is certain for the future and that is sea levels are going to rise. Fundamental laws of physics that Newton and others would be proud of make this a certainty.
However how much will it be?
Recent calculations by researchers at the University of Colorado predict sea level rises of about 3ft this century, they say that the large predictions in sea level rises would not happen because ice and water do not travel fast enough.
Which is interesting, because a team of researchers at Universität Hamburg earlier this year were reporting that the slowness of water to move around the world could cause a 'bulge' in the Atlantic for a number of decades, making sea level rises there to be some 6 to 30 times higher.
Maybe when all this research is integrated, we will get a better picture of future events.
Portsmouth Diocese, Traidcraft and the Mothers Union have organised an ethical living event for Saturday 25th October. The theme is 'A Christian Perspective on Ethical Living' and the event starts at 10am, St Georges Church, Portsea. The morning session is titled 'Sustain and Renew the life of the earth' the afternoon session is titled 'Fair Trade'.
There are good bus and train services to the nearby Portsmouth Harbour and The Hard bus station, so low carbon travelling are possible! I believe there is a £2 entrance fee and a packed lunch is recomended.
Vicky Pope has written in the Guardian about new climate projections based on the level and rate of carbon emissions cuts that might be achieved over a number of decades, including scenarios with no cuts or even continued increases.
The results are frankly depressing, the only option that appears to work is rapid and significant cuts in CO2 emissions as soon as possible. The other options seem to be disasterous. Check the following links to read the full media reports:
