Coal-eating bugs may solve energy crisis
Insects Found A Mile Underground Posess Ability To Break Down Coal, Releasing Methane
Craig Venter, the controversial American scientist who helped decode the human genome, has announced the discovery of ancient bacteria that can turn coal into methane, suggesting they may help to solve the worlds energy crisis.
The bugs, discovered a mile underground by one of Venters microbial prospecting teams, are said to have unique enzymes that can break down coal. Venter said he was already working with BP on how to exploit the find.
Venter even suggested the discovery could open up the worlds coalfields to an entirely new form of mining, where coal is infected with the bacteria, allowing methane to be harvested without even digging up the coal .
Venter, speaking at the recent La Jolla research and innovation summit, in La Jolla, California, told an audience of researchers and technology investors how he had harvested 20 million new genes by analysing the DNA of micro-organisms collected underwater or deep underground.
He said: We have found a huge number of microbes a mile or so deep in the earth. In fact, there is more diversity under the surface of the earth than in the ocean. It is absolutely stunning. Some of these underground water sources have been isolated for 50 million to 135 million years and we have found totally unique organisms.
Venter flashed up a black-andwhite image of a piece of coal that appeared to be carpeted with a mossy substance. He said: We have a large number that eat coal and break it down into organic acids, hydrogen, CO2 and so on. Then we have other organisms with enzymes that can take those organic acids, hydrogen and CO2 and make methane.
Venter added: We have a deal with BP to look at the biological conversion of coal into natural gas, where microbes colonise coal particles and produce methane.
He added: We and BP think we can scale this up substantially to provide a huge increase in the amount of natural gas available without even digging up the coal.
If it worked, the potential would be huge. Coal is the worlds most important fossil fuel with 6.5 billion tons used each year. This is slated to rise by 60% by 2030. This has serious environmental implications as coal is highly polluting, generating more CO2 per ton than any other major fossil fuel. Methane , by contrast, is much less polluting. SUNDAY TIMES, LONDON
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
SOUTH ASIAN GRID
India-Lanka undersea power cable pact soon
Sanjay Dutta | TNN
New Delhi: India and Sri Lanka are set to energise their relations. Literally. The two neighbours will soon sign an MoU to study the feasibility of laying an undersea cable which will be one-ofits-kind in Asia when completed to connect their power networks. Sources said the MEA has approved the draft agreement which is to be signed shortly.
An interlink between India and Sri Lanka will also firm up the idea of establishing a South Asian energy grid being discussed by the Saarc grouping. India already has a heavy-duty power link with Bhutan and connecting Bangladesh and Pakistan will not pose much of a technical problem. Final touches are being given to a study on the South Asian grid.
An undersea link will allow both countries to manage peak demand or at times when hydel capacities in their respective areas run low just as it is doing now in India . The link will help Sri Lanka reduce use of expensive fuels and import cheaper power from Indias surplus. For India, the link will open up a new market for its projected surplus.
An initial report prepared by the stateowned transmission utility PowerGrid, which will be the implementing agency from India for the subsea link, has pegged the cost at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals.
The report said the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500 mw of electricity in the short term.
Once the two sides settle down with this quantity, power flow can be ramped up to 1,000 mw, roughly one-fourth of Delhis peak consumption, by 2015-16 . These are the time frames when the generation capacities in both countries are projected to improve, with surplus in the Indian southern grid.
PowerGrid and Ceylon Electricity Board will be looking at laying a cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on the left flank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, the cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lankan side, the underwater cable will be linked to that countrys network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line.
The undersea link will be laid on the seabed just as telecom and Internet cables run across ocean beds around the world. It will have safeguards on both sides against electrocution in case of damage from ship anchors or sharks. An optic-fibre cable will also run alongside the main power cable to keep an eye on the link and also provide extra telecom capacity between the two countries.
At present, India is facing a 16% electricity shortage, with a peak demand of 107,000 mw. The government plans to add 78,500 mw capacity by 2012, with more envisaged in the captive and merchant segments by private investors. Many other proposals are in the pipeline, which, after taking into account the projected growth in load, suggests that there will be surplus of 6,000 mw during peak hours and 12,300 mw during lean periods.
Sanjay Dutta | TNN
New Delhi: India and Sri Lanka are set to energise their relations. Literally. The two neighbours will soon sign an MoU to study the feasibility of laying an undersea cable which will be one-ofits-kind in Asia when completed to connect their power networks. Sources said the MEA has approved the draft agreement which is to be signed shortly.
An interlink between India and Sri Lanka will also firm up the idea of establishing a South Asian energy grid being discussed by the Saarc grouping. India already has a heavy-duty power link with Bhutan and connecting Bangladesh and Pakistan will not pose much of a technical problem. Final touches are being given to a study on the South Asian grid.
An undersea link will allow both countries to manage peak demand or at times when hydel capacities in their respective areas run low just as it is doing now in India . The link will help Sri Lanka reduce use of expensive fuels and import cheaper power from Indias surplus. For India, the link will open up a new market for its projected surplus.
An initial report prepared by the stateowned transmission utility PowerGrid, which will be the implementing agency from India for the subsea link, has pegged the cost at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals.
The report said the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500 mw of electricity in the short term.
Once the two sides settle down with this quantity, power flow can be ramped up to 1,000 mw, roughly one-fourth of Delhis peak consumption, by 2015-16 . These are the time frames when the generation capacities in both countries are projected to improve, with surplus in the Indian southern grid.
PowerGrid and Ceylon Electricity Board will be looking at laying a cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on the left flank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, the cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lankan side, the underwater cable will be linked to that countrys network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line.
The undersea link will be laid on the seabed just as telecom and Internet cables run across ocean beds around the world. It will have safeguards on both sides against electrocution in case of damage from ship anchors or sharks. An optic-fibre cable will also run alongside the main power cable to keep an eye on the link and also provide extra telecom capacity between the two countries.
At present, India is facing a 16% electricity shortage, with a peak demand of 107,000 mw. The government plans to add 78,500 mw capacity by 2012, with more envisaged in the captive and merchant segments by private investors. Many other proposals are in the pipeline, which, after taking into account the projected growth in load, suggests that there will be surplus of 6,000 mw during peak hours and 12,300 mw during lean periods.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Brazilian town turns human waste into clean energy
Brazilian town turns human waste into clean energy
Petropolis: High in the cool hills of eastern Brazil, this tourist hot spot also known as the Imperial City is attracting worldwide attention thanks an innovative scheme to recycle human sewage.
It has fostered a relatively simple idea now gaining traction in other parts of Latin America, as nations struggle with the impact of burgeoning populations compounded by dwindling supplies of fuel and water. Here bio-digesters specially designed organic enzymes and bacteria are used to break down waste water and turn it into an alternative energy sources such as gas.
During three fermentation processes, the bio-digesters are unleashed on human effluent and as they break it down they produce a bio-gas , a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can then be piped into homes for use in heating or cooking. In fact this is a greenhouse gas, which is harmful to the atmosphere when it is unleashed, but can be collected to be useful, said Jorge Gaiofato, technical director at the Environmental Institute, the NGO behind the scheme. Today there are more than 80 such bio-digesting ponds in Petropolis, a town some 65km from Rio de Janeiro. AFP
Petropolis: High in the cool hills of eastern Brazil, this tourist hot spot also known as the Imperial City is attracting worldwide attention thanks an innovative scheme to recycle human sewage.
It has fostered a relatively simple idea now gaining traction in other parts of Latin America, as nations struggle with the impact of burgeoning populations compounded by dwindling supplies of fuel and water. Here bio-digesters specially designed organic enzymes and bacteria are used to break down waste water and turn it into an alternative energy sources such as gas.
During three fermentation processes, the bio-digesters are unleashed on human effluent and as they break it down they produce a bio-gas , a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can then be piped into homes for use in heating or cooking. In fact this is a greenhouse gas, which is harmful to the atmosphere when it is unleashed, but can be collected to be useful, said Jorge Gaiofato, technical director at the Environmental Institute, the NGO behind the scheme. Today there are more than 80 such bio-digesting ponds in Petropolis, a town some 65km from Rio de Janeiro. AFP
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
Bangladesh joins league of nations that work on Daylight Saving Time
TIMES VIEW
We should follow suit
Our neighbour, Bangladesh, has just bought some more time. In an effort to make the most of summer sunshine, Bangladesh advanced its clocks by an hour last week. In doing so, it has joined a whole host of countries that squeeze in an extra hour or more during summer. Its an example that India could consider emulating.
The concept of Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not entirely a modern one. Ancient civilisations are known to have adjusted their daily schedules to the changing course of the sun through seasons . It was a flexible system that was revised as and when necessary . The Roman water clock is a good example of this practical arrangement. In the early 20th century, the concept gained wide acceptance, and more countries especially those starved of sunshine adopted it. Today, most developed countries operate on two clocks.
The basic idea behind advancing clocks in spring and summer is to elongate the day, thus enhancing productivity, and allowing for people to soak in the sun after hours. In the days of yore it meant that farmers had more hours to till their fields. In the modern, industrialised world, the stakes are higher. The current climate change threat has brought home the need to conserve energy like never before . The amount of energy that goes into sustaining operations in an organisations workday air conditioning and lighting, for instance is mindboggling . By adopting DST, organisations are well placed to cut energy costs.
Critics would argue that in a country like India, where sunshine is abundant, adopting DST is a pointless exercise. But precisely because sunshine is abundant, we should make the most of it. If all it takes to being eco-friendly and maximising our productivity while being in tune with nature is to reset our clocks by one hour with changing seasons, theres no reason not to do it. Change is always viewed with scepticism initially. But its the only constant in evolution.
COUNTER VIEW
Its just tokenism
Ratna Goswami
Bangladeshis are expected to start and end their day an hour earlier everyday, thanks to their countrys switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST) as a summertime powersaving measure. Its estimated that advancing the clock will help save electricity, said to fall woefully short of peak hour demand. Now, good intentions are one thing, getting results quite another when policymakers resort to tokenism in the name of energy conservation . So, India neednt ape its neighbour. The idea makes sense in countries in the northern hemisphere where sunlight is at a premium and the seasons can be told apart. Sunshine isnt exactly a scarce commodity in tropical countries. Theres enough of it year round in India to not warrant giving time a tweak.
India being a geographical behemoth, adopting DST will mean creating two time zones. Not only would more than a billion confused people have to adapt to a system whose utility isnt a given, it would also be costly in terms of the changes forced on businesses . Whether its transportation, IT-BPO , media or the medical profession, strategies and schedules will need reworking, adding to the general chaos. Taking all this trouble wont make sense when India has a system that functions pretty well as it is. More, when experts estimate the energy-saving dividends to be modest.
Again, lifestyles cant be altered by fiat. Take the problematic idea of getting people to shop during the day. In societies the world over, increasing numbers of men and women work. After-sunset shopping is a growing trend in India not because its a fad but because its sprung organically from the rhythms of modern life. Complaints of inconvenience to the public and traders are already audible in post-DST Bangladesh. Finally, the effective way to promote energy conservation is to have the political will to push green technologies . For example, building designs arent always energy-efficient , resulting in daylong use of artificial lights in countless offices. Switching to DST wont address such a problem ; switching to green buildings will.
TIMES VIEW
We should follow suit
Our neighbour, Bangladesh, has just bought some more time. In an effort to make the most of summer sunshine, Bangladesh advanced its clocks by an hour last week. In doing so, it has joined a whole host of countries that squeeze in an extra hour or more during summer. Its an example that India could consider emulating.
The concept of Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not entirely a modern one. Ancient civilisations are known to have adjusted their daily schedules to the changing course of the sun through seasons . It was a flexible system that was revised as and when necessary . The Roman water clock is a good example of this practical arrangement. In the early 20th century, the concept gained wide acceptance, and more countries especially those starved of sunshine adopted it. Today, most developed countries operate on two clocks.
The basic idea behind advancing clocks in spring and summer is to elongate the day, thus enhancing productivity, and allowing for people to soak in the sun after hours. In the days of yore it meant that farmers had more hours to till their fields. In the modern, industrialised world, the stakes are higher. The current climate change threat has brought home the need to conserve energy like never before . The amount of energy that goes into sustaining operations in an organisations workday air conditioning and lighting, for instance is mindboggling . By adopting DST, organisations are well placed to cut energy costs.
Critics would argue that in a country like India, where sunshine is abundant, adopting DST is a pointless exercise. But precisely because sunshine is abundant, we should make the most of it. If all it takes to being eco-friendly and maximising our productivity while being in tune with nature is to reset our clocks by one hour with changing seasons, theres no reason not to do it. Change is always viewed with scepticism initially. But its the only constant in evolution.
COUNTER VIEW
Its just tokenism
Ratna Goswami
Bangladeshis are expected to start and end their day an hour earlier everyday, thanks to their countrys switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST) as a summertime powersaving measure. Its estimated that advancing the clock will help save electricity, said to fall woefully short of peak hour demand. Now, good intentions are one thing, getting results quite another when policymakers resort to tokenism in the name of energy conservation . So, India neednt ape its neighbour. The idea makes sense in countries in the northern hemisphere where sunlight is at a premium and the seasons can be told apart. Sunshine isnt exactly a scarce commodity in tropical countries. Theres enough of it year round in India to not warrant giving time a tweak.
India being a geographical behemoth, adopting DST will mean creating two time zones. Not only would more than a billion confused people have to adapt to a system whose utility isnt a given, it would also be costly in terms of the changes forced on businesses . Whether its transportation, IT-BPO , media or the medical profession, strategies and schedules will need reworking, adding to the general chaos. Taking all this trouble wont make sense when India has a system that functions pretty well as it is. More, when experts estimate the energy-saving dividends to be modest.
Again, lifestyles cant be altered by fiat. Take the problematic idea of getting people to shop during the day. In societies the world over, increasing numbers of men and women work. After-sunset shopping is a growing trend in India not because its a fad but because its sprung organically from the rhythms of modern life. Complaints of inconvenience to the public and traders are already audible in post-DST Bangladesh. Finally, the effective way to promote energy conservation is to have the political will to push green technologies . For example, building designs arent always energy-efficient , resulting in daylong use of artificial lights in countless offices. Switching to DST wont address such a problem ; switching to green buildings will.
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