KELTIC NEWS
Keltic Earth Weekly |
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LED Bulbs Last Longer, Use Less Energy, And Emit Less CO2 Than CFL Bulbs
The Pharox bulb uses only four watts of energy compared to seven watts used by a CFL bulb. |
LED applications were previously available only for industrial and office use such as traffic lights, office building lighting, and colour panels at high prices. Now screw-in bulbs that fit into standard fittings have recently become available to the consumer for use in residential and professional settings. The newly-introduced Pharox bulb from Lemnis Lighting uses only four watts of energy compared to seven watts used by a CFL bulb, and emits 2.69 kg of CO2 compared to 4.70 kg emitted by a CFL bulb. The Pharox bulb contains no mercury so it is entirely recyclable, lasts for 35 years (at 4 hours a day) or 50,000 hours, does not get hot, and emits a soft warm glow. In contrast, CFL bulbs have a relatively short life span of only 8,000 hours and are not recyclable because they contain mercury that is harmful to the environment. While better than incandescent bulbs, CFLs are no longer the greenest option for residential and professional lighting. "The Pharox brings new technology to LED lighting, including one chip, high lumens and good heat dissipation, which results in our ultra-efficient, warm white light with no flicker or delayed start up time," said Frans Otten, chairman of Lemnis Lighting. If one percent of the earth's population were to replace just two incandescent bulbs to Pharox bulbs each, then we would save about: - 6.3 billion KWh of energy - 100 million tons in CO2 emissions - $35 billion in usage/replacement costs.
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Boeing Tests HALE Hydrogen Propulsion System Using Ford-Developed Engine Boeing recently completed a test of a propulsion system for its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft (shown here in an artist's rendering) using a Ford Motor Company-developed engine. The test simulated conditions at 65,000 feet for a total of three days. During the test, the engine earned better than expected fuel economy while demonstrating the technical readiness of the hydrogen system. Photo Credit: Boeing Illustration - Chuck Schroeder. |
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| Is this a true breakthrough or is this simply spin- and although this article really pushes the bounderies for innovation and sustainable transport solutions -what is concerning is that the technology is based on military use- When oh when are our social leaders going to grasp common NEED of the PEOPLE !!!!! the communities who wish for nothing but to live at one with our planet after all this is home - We should be developing these types of technologies to support the global movement towards sustainable lifestlyes and restricting our impact upon other species - so great 1 1 1 hydrogen propulsion is the way to go - but the Celtic Heritage Trust will state that the principles to the way we are examining and developing the technologies to get there that is highly questionable! Boeing, using a Ford Motor Company-developed hydrogen engine, has successfully tested the hydrogen propulsion system of its High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft. "This test demonstrates the technical readiness of the hydrogen engine system and confirms the capability breakthrough in flight endurance and altitude that could be realized by a variety of military and commercial customers," said Darryl Davis, vice president and general manager, Boeing Advanced Precision Engagement and Mobility Systems. During the test, the engine ran for nearly four days in a controlled chamber at Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Va., including a total of three days that simulated conditions at 65,000 feet. The propulsion system included a multi-stage turbocharged internal combustion engine and its associated subsystems. The Ford engine earned better than expected fuel economy while demonstrating complete airflow and torque control across the engine's operating range. "This simulated flight allows us to showcase the capabilities of Ford's proprietary hydrogen engine technology and the durability of our four-cylinder engines," said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. "We are very pleased with the results. The gasoline version of this same engine can be found in our Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrid vehicles." The Boeing HALE aircraft is designed to economically maintain persistent presence over a specific ground location from stratospheric altitudes, providing tremendous potential for surveillance and communications applications. The test marked a key step toward proving the essential technical elements are in place for full-scale development. "This test could help convince potential customers that hydrogen-powered aircraft are viable in the near-term," said Boeing Advanced Systems President George Muellner. "This is a substantial step toward providing the persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities our customers desire." Boeing, as HALE's system designer and integrator, is working closely with Aurora Flight Sciences and Ford to develop the aircraft's propulsion system. HALE is designed to stay aloft for more than seven days and carry payloads weighing up to 2,000 pounds. Potential applications include battlefield persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, border observation, port security and telecommunications. The long endurance autonomous aircraft will be a propeller-driven, lightweight structure with a high-aspect-ratio-wing. |
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Acid Oceans Warning!!! |
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| The world's oceans are becoming more acid, with potentially devastating consequences for corals and the marine organisms that build reefs and provide much of the Earth's breathable oxygen. The acidity is caused by the gradual buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, dissolving into the oceans. Scientists fear it could be lethal for animals with chalky skeletons which make up more than a third of the planet's marine life. Acid oceans will be among the issues explored by Australia's leading coral scientists at a national public forum at the Shine Dome in Canberra tomorrow. The Coral Reef Futures 07 Forum is on October 18-19, 2007 and is hosted by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS). |
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"Recent research into corals using boron isotopes indicates the ocean has become about one third of a pH unit more acid over the past fifty years. This is still early days for the research, and the trend is not uniform, but it certainly looks as if marine acidity is building up," says Professor Malcolm McCulloch of CoECRS and the Australian National University. "It appears this acidification is now taking place over decades, rather than centuries as originally predicted. It is happening even faster in the cooler waters of the Southern Ocean than in the tropics. It is starting to look like a very serious issue." Corals and plankton with chalky skeletons are at the base of the marine food web. They rely on sea water saturated with calcium carbonate to form their skeletons. However, as acidity intensifies, the saturation declines, making it harder for the animals to form their skeletal structures (calcify). "Analysis of coral cores shows a steady drop in calcification over the last 20 years," says Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of CoECRS and the University of Queensland. "There's not much debate about how it happens: put more CO2 into the air above and it dissolves into the oceans. "When CO2 levels in the atmosphere reach about 500 parts per million, you put calcification out of business in the oceans." (Atmospheric CO2 levels are presently 385 ppm, up from 305 in 1960.) "It isn't just the coral reefs which are affected - a large part of the plankton in the Southern Ocean, the coccolithophorids, are also affected. These drive ocean productivity and are the base of the food web which supports krill, whales, tuna and our fisheries. They also play a vital role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which could break down." Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said an experiment at Heron Island, in which CO2 levels were increased in the air of tanks containing corals, had showed it caused some corals to cease forming skeletons. More alarmingly, red calcareous algae - the 'glue' that holds the edges of coral reefs together in turbulent water - actually began to dissolve. "The risk is that this may begin to erode the Barrier of the Great Barrier Reef at a grand scale," he says. "As an issue it's a bit of a sleeper. Global warming is incredibly serious, but ocean acidification could be even more so." Other issues at the forum include: - the latest science on coral bleaching The forum will feature a public discussion hosted by ABC Science Show host Dr Robyn Williams on the future of Australia's coral reefs, at 6 PM on Thursday, October 18, at the Shine Dome, Canberra. Australia's coral reefs, particularly the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Lord Howe Island World Heritage Area are national icons, of great economic, social, and aesthetic value. Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef alone contributes approximately $5 billion annually to the nation's economy. Income from recreational and commercial fishing on Australia's tropical reefs contributes a further $400 million annually. Consequently, science-based management of coral reefs is a national priority. Globally, the welfare of 500 million people is closely linked to the goods and services provided by coral reef biodiversity. Uniquely among tropical and sub-tropical nations, Australia has extensive coral reefs, a small population of relatively wealthy and well-educated citizens, and well developed infrastructure. Coral reef research is one area where Australia has the capability, indeed the obligation, to claim world-leadership. |
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| 2007 Ozone Hole Smaller Than Usual
The thinning of the ozone is caused by the presence of ozone destructing gases in the atmosphere such as chlorine and bromine, originating from man-made products like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have still not vanished from the air but are on the decline as they are banned under the Montreal Protocol, which was signed on 16 September 1987
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The ozone hole over Antarctica has shrunk 30 percent as compared to last year's record size. According to measurements made by ESA's Envisat satellite, this year's ozone loss peaked at 27.7 million tonnes, compared to the 2006 record ozone loss of 40 million tonnes.
Ozone loss is derived by measuring the area and the depth of the ozone hole. The area of this year's ozone hole - where the ozone measures less than 220 Dobson Units - is 24.7 million sq km, roughly the size of North America, and the minimum value of the ozone layer is around 120 Dobson Units. A Dobson Unit is a unit of measurement that describes the thickness of the ozone layer in a column directly above the location being measured. For instance, if an ozone column of 300 Dobson Units is compressed to 0 C and 1 atmosphere (the pressure at the Earth's surface) and spread out evenly over the area, it would form a slab of ozone approximately 3mm thick. Scientists say this year's smaller hole - a thinning in the ozone layer over the South Pole - is due to natural variations in temperature and atmospheric dynamics (illustrated in the time series to the right) and is not indicative of a long-term trend. "Although the hole is somewhat smaller than usual, we cannot conclude from this that the ozone layer is recovering already," Ronald van der A, a senior project scientist at Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI), said. "This year's ozone hole was less centred on the South Pole as in other years, which allowed it to mix with warmer air, reducing the growth of the hole because ozone is depleted at temperatures less than -78 degrees Celsius." During the southern hemisphere winter, the atmospheric mass above the Antarctic continent is kept cut off from exchanges with mid-latitude air by prevailing winds known as the polar vortex. This leads to very low temperatures, and in the cold and continuous darkness of this season, polar stratospheric clouds are formed that contain chlorine. As the polar spring arrives, the combination of returning sunlight and the presence of polar stratospheric clouds leads to splitting of chlorine compounds into highly ozone-reactive radicals that break ozone down into individual oxygen molecules. A single molecule of chlorine has the potential to break down thousands of molecules of ozone. Ozone is a protective layer found about 25 km above us mostly in the stratospheric stratum of the atmosphere that acts as a sunlight filter shielding life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. Over the last decade the ozone layer has thinned by about 0.3% per year on a global scale, increasing the risk of skin cancer, cataracts and harm to marine life. The thinning of the ozone is caused by the presence of ozone destructing gases in the atmosphere such as chlorine and bromine, originating from man-made products like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have still not vanished from the air but are on the decline as they are banned under the Montreal Protocol, which was signed on 16 September 1987. |
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