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I was lucky enough to get some below this price too. Am looking forward to what Mantra can do in 2009!
We need to step it up as soon as possible.
Clean tech needs to be practiced in
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Clean tech needs to be practiced in all countries!
For the holiday weeks it has looked strong!
Instead of just over half of the country offering green power programs, we need the entire country offering programs.
Looking forward to 2009 & and upward trend!
Alternative energy is a must, so Mantra does have a chance to lead the way.
Close at .37 would be great for the holiday weekend.
Close at .37 would bre great for the holiday weekend.
Soounds like a good system, especilly with the help of the govt.
When I went back to Iowa last summer I saw miles of these windmills.
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Basics
A fuel cell uses the chemical energy of hydrogen to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity, with water and heat as by products. (How much water?) Fuel cells are unique in terms of the variety of their potential applications; they can provide energy for systems as large as a utility power station and as small as a laptop computer.
Fuel cells have several benefits over conventional combustion-based technologies currently used in many power plants and passenger vehicles. They produce much smaller quantities of greenhouse gases and none of the air pollutants that create smog and cause health problems. If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, fuel cells emit only heat and water as a byproduct.
Formic acid makes airport runways safe for winter take-offs and landings
Formic acid makes airport runways safe for winter take-offs and landings
Ice and snow on airport runways represent a considerable risk. De-icing salts fail to meet expectations. To be sure, they melt ice, but due to their corrosiveness they also pose a hazard to sensitive, highly-stressed landing gears. In the long-run de-icing salts imperil safe operation of the plane.
So that planes can take off and land safely airports spray de-icing agents containing formic acid salts on runways, so-called formiates. Such de-icing agents not only melt ice and snow very effectively, but also sustain its melting effect longer than other agents. Besides they allow airplanes tires better traction on runway surfaces. It is also a vital consideration that formiates, unlike de-icing salts, have practically no corrosive effect on sensitive landing gears. Another advantage is that the acid is bio-degradable which is why formiates increasingly have the edge over other de-icing agents, such as acetates, for example.
This year BASF, the world’s largest producer of formic acid, inaugurated the operation of a formic acid plant at Nanjing, its new, integrated production site in China. Together with another production facility at BASF’s manufacturing complex in Ludwigshafen, Germany, the company can now produce up to 230,000 metric tons of formic acid annually.
The product is one of BASF’s “evergreens”. The company started looking into formic acid in the early twenties. Today it makes the acid out of carbon monoxide which combined with methanol forms methyl formate. In a second step the latter is split by means of water into methanol and formic acid.
Formic acid has many uses. It helps, for instance, to keep certain feeds fresh and free of salmonellae, removes paints and rust from metallic surfaces and scale from kettles and boilers. In breweries and wineries it disinfects kegs, casks and barrels, applied as an auxiliary in the pharmaceutical and crop protection industry it regulates pH values, in cleaning it acts as dirt remover and disinfectant.
Currently researchers are working on making formic acid a source of energy for mobile phones and other portable electronic products equipped with micro fuel cells. Formic acid will provide a considerably longer battery life than conventional storage media. They will also no longer have to rely on being plugged into an electric outlet.
Something has to be done,so it's up to the next administration to do it!
The lack of low-cost and light-weight storage and commercially-available and cost-competitive fuel cells interferes with the development of a hydrogen economy. For the hydrogen economy to evolve, consumers will need to have convenient access to hydrogen, and storage will be one of the keys. Better hydrogen storage systems will enable users to have easy access to hydrogen for vehicles and distributed energy facilities. Hydrogen storage will also enhance the value and potential market share of renewable electricity generation.
Fuel cells are clean, compact, and modular energy generation devices that have the potential to revolutionize the production of electricity and thermal energy, for both stationary and mobile applications. There are several different types of fuel cells; each has advantages and disadvantages. Design and manufacturing breakthroughs are needed to lower costs and enhance reliability and performance. The marketplace will determine which of the several fuel cell options will offer users the most favorable advantages.
Hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles are being demonstrated and are nearer term than fuel cell vehicles. They offer nearly as many benefits, although they are not strictly zero emissions vehicles.
14
Green Technology
Green technology, also known as environmentally friendly technology uses science to safeguard the natural environment and resources as well as reducing the human impact on the Earth.
Some of the more commonly known green technologies are recycling, water purification, renewable energy and solid waste management.
Most cities in the United States and the United Kingdom have recycling programs available; many with curb side pick up.
Water purification and sewage treatment is a common and older technology to help conserve and treat the water used in the homes as well as industries.
Solar and geothermal power is being used today and with the threat of global warming the market is growing.
Currently the largest solar thermal power station is located in the Mojave Desert and the largest geothermal power station is located in California.
Renewable energy is becoming more widely sought and homes can often be found with solar panels and energy efficient appliances; businesses are playing a larger role in renewable energy with the use of water and air to assist in the power supplies.
Solid waste management is enforcing regulation on the landfills encouraging recycling and landfill gasses have even been used for power sources and the sites have been leveled for parks.
Recycling is a type of green technology that uses old materials to make new products. Old used tires are being recycled to create playground flooring in parks and provide a soft surface that increases the safety of the children playing there.
Post consumer recycled paper is being used in products such as computer paper, books, paper plates, paper towel, toilet paper and packaging materials to name just a few. Recycling saves not only energy and raw materials but also space used in landfills.
Water purification is the process of turning raw and or contaminated water into useful water for drinking, medical and industrial uses. Water is purified by means of filtration, treatment with ultraviolet light, softening and reverse osmosis as well as other treatment processes.
Technology is even being developed that can remove the salt from sea water to make it into drinking water.
Currently the government controls the water purification and safety standards of minimum and maximum allowed contaminates for drinking water.
The current sources for drinking water is groundwater and lakes, rivers and reservoirs; however, there is new technology being developed to utilize water from fog collection, rain collection and even atmospheric water generation.
Renewable energy uses our natural resources such as wind, water and sunlight for the power needed in homes and industries.
Renewable fuel sources are a growing development with ethanol made from corn in the United States and sugar cane in Brazil.
Wind and Water power is being utilized with water leading the way in technology.
Since water is much denser than air even the slowest water current can produce power sources.
Technology is being created to use the tides with large turbines that are much like the wind turbines that are used for air.
By utilizing the solar, wind, water and other natural renewable sources for power we can protect the earth and its non renewable sources such as oil and stop the clear cutting of the rain forests.
Solid waste management includes the transportation, processing, recycling and disposal of our waste materials. We live in a disposable world in many ways with the modernization and convenience of our world we have cluttered it with our refuse.
As people begin to become aware of our impact on the Earth we are learning to become less self consumed in our efforts to protect it. Many people are choosing to use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers which go into the landfill.
The average baby goes through approximately 5000 diapers before being potty trained. As of 2007 the figured world wide birth rate was approximately 134 billion babies born each year, multiply that by 5000 and you have 670,000 diapers in the landfill if everyone used disposable diapers.
Landfills are filling up with our abundance; clothing, toys, diapers, electronics and packaging. We have been familiarized with the waste hierarchy of reduce, reuse and recycles but do we really take this into consideration before we just toss out our unwanted items?
Reduce the amount of packaging by buying in bulk, using cloth or reusable bags at the grocery store and analyzing if we really need something before buying it.
Reusing items instead of throwing them out also cuts down on the waste we produce.
Look for ways to use what you already have before purchasing new items.
Recycle! Instead of taking items to the dump take them to a resale shop and buy clothes and items that others are replacing.
In this way we reduce the amount of raw materials that are used and the end result is we have something new to us and that is also environmentally sound and responsible.
Technology companies these days are now focusing on green technology, energy conservation.
Creating systems that are multi functional, instead of having a separate fax, printer and photocopier companies are using multifunctional systems, one piece of technology for all three uses. When an office closes the screens are left on which consumes energy.
Leading technology companies are creating computer screens which when they go to sleep mo power is used.
Data centres are now thinking of moving or opening up nearer to renewable energy sources such as hydro electricity or wind power sites.
Most companies are thinking long and hard about what happens to all their technology when it needs to be disposed of and recycling where ever possible. try to pass on the world of recycling and the environment.
Good Morning.quess we have all went batty....
well it certainy cannot come fast enough for the good of the planet...
It looks like eveerything is going in the right direction for the nextadministration.
We can hope the next administratiion does more for the environment.
Someone has to do something to preserve our planet!
Only good can come from the media exposure.
Think positive! UP UP!
The exposure and education of the public will be great for Mantra!
Everything should be thought of positively, even CO2.
Hopefully, the next administration will do something positive for the environment!
Sounds like you are a busy guy!
Looking forward to the new year, also.
You are here: Home / Science News / Study: CO2 can cause air pollution deaths
Science NewsView archive | RSS Feed Study: CO2 can cause air pollution deaths
Published: Feb. 27, 2008 at 1:19 PMOrder reprints | Feedback
STANFORD, Calif., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests rising carbon dioxide levels in the Earth's atmosphere, although not considered a classic air pollutant, can cause respiratory failure.
CO2 pollution from burning fossil fuels has been linked to sea level changes, snowmelt, disease, heat stress, severe weather and ocean acidification. But it hasn't been identified as the cause of significant numbers of deaths.
Noting that increasing levels of CO2 cause temperature and water vapor content to rise, Mark Jacobson and colleagues at Stanford University used photochemistry to determine if such CO2 increases also cause increases in ground-level ozone concentrations that can harm lung function.
Jacobson found each 1-degree Celsius rise in temperature can increase U.S. annual air pollution deaths by about 1,000, with approximately 40 percent of such deaths resulting from elevated ground-level ozone concentrations. The rest are likely from particles, which would increase due to CO2-enhanced stability, humidity and biogenic feedbacks, he said.
The researchers said many of the deaths would occur in urban populations subject to smog, such as some areas of California.
Extrapolating U.S. deaths to global population yields about 22,000 excess deaths expected worldwide each year.
The research is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
good tgif to all!!!!
thanks mvtg,should be a big winner in 09
Everyone is going to have to support the Green stocks for our planet to survive.
Being from Iowa also, I noticed last summer when I was back the increase in wind power structures.
At least maybe something can be done for the next generation.
Northwind and Mantra sound like a good pair.
Mantra
Harnessing the power of the wind and the sun.
Investment in the renewable energy market is rising rapidly. A report in 2007 from Solarbuzz, a Solar Energy consultancy, states that the photovoltaic (PV) industry generated $17.2 billion in global revenues in 2007.
Worldwide solar installations have a reached a high of 2,826MW, representing a 62% growth over 2006.
As far as wind power is concerned, in 2007, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW), expanding the nation’s total wind power Generating Capacity by 45% over 2006 and injecting an investment of over $9 billion into the economy.
It is not unlikely that the U.S. will see an increase of 16,000 wind turbines per year with a value of approximately $22 billion.
applications... for example; fuel additives
Diesel manufacturers in Europe and Japan are concerned with NOx emissions from diesel trucks and cars. A new fuel additive – ammonium formate – shows great promise and is being tested. It is likely to be adopted and would be a large market worldwide.
The ERC process can be adapted to produce ammonium formate
The market for formic acid in steel making
ERC’s primary purpose is to convert CO2, a waste product of burning fossil fuels and an environmental problem, into a valuable product, formic acid. But if the ERC process is both economic and successful it is likely to be widely accepted as a way for industry to deal with exhaust gas from power production; there then arises the danger of overproduction of formic acid, that is, in excess of market demand. This would limit the value of the product and might act as a barrier to the wider spread of an otherwise valuable technology. So it is useful to anticipate the issue and look beyond the current market to ask if there are future applications that can take up a much larger volume of formic acid. This question quickly becomes: can the strongest of the organic acids (formic acid) replace the use of strong acids like hydrochloric (HCl acid) and sulfuric. Formic acid is much more environmental friendly.
The market discovered:
On MVTG investigation, there is an application in hot-rolled steel pickling (cleaning the oxidized surface of hot-rolled steel during the manufacturing process in a steel plant), this is one of the largest uses today of HCl acid 2. Formic acid can directly replace hydrochloric acid in the steel pickling process and pulp and paper industry. The market for hydrochloric acid is in the hundreds of millions of tons annually. Formic acid is potentially more attractive in this application than HCl because:
1. It gives a better surface quality (HCl is an aggressive acid and can pit the steel)
2. Less iron is lost from the steel surface
3. Less rinse water is needed after pickling
4. A caustic rinse is necessary to neutralize the HCl; no neutralizing rinse is required with formic acid
5. Corrosion inhibitors are not required to reduce the amount of steel etching
6. HCl is so aggressive that plant equipment gets corroded quickly; formic acid results in a longer plant life
7. Formic acid is bio-degradable
8. Formic acid can be reconcentrated and reused from the aqueous spent solution, not HCl
9. Precipitated iron formate can be recycled back into the blast furnace to recover iron that was lost
10. Process water can be recycled more easily.
ERC also produces O2 as a byproduct: the oxygen goes to the blast furnace where it will improve combustion. There are other large scale industrial applications of formic acid that are being considered and investigated by Mantra.