The Art of Wind Energy

Innovation is a beautiful thing- but it isn’t always pretty. Advances in energy production and distribution can provide added convenience and comfort to our lives, but the assemblies can be eyesores upon the landscape. The wind turbine for example can appear garish upon a tranquil landscape. A new wind energy concept, the Windstalk, attempts to create an energy source that is not only renewable but beautiful. Establishing a connection between technology and nature, the Windstalk transforms energy production into a work of art.

The Windstalk was initiated by the New York design firm Atelier DNA for an international competition held by the Land Art Generator Initiative, an organization that promotes the construction of installations that serve not only as sources of large scale renewable energy but also as public art displays.

The designs were to be created for one of three possible tourist destinations that would draw people from around the world to experience the installations: in Dubai, adjacent to Ras Al Khor Wildlife Santuary, in Abu Dhabi between Yas and Saadiyat Islands, or on the airport road near the Masdar City site in Abu Dhabi, the site chosen for the Windstalk. Designs were to be three-dimensional, have a sense of beauty, utilize energy from nature, create no emissions, be safe to viewers, and be feasible in their construction and technology.

The Windstalk concept takes queues from nature itself, designed to imitate the motions created in nature by the very element it uses to produce energy- the wind. An array of tall, slender stalks, sway in the wind like a field of wheat. Kinetic energy from this swaying is converted into electrical energy by generators in each stalk base.

How does this new design work? The team from Altelier DNA explains: “Within each hollow pole is a stack of piezoelectric ceramic discs. Between the ceramic disks are electrodes. Every other electrode is connected to each other by a cable that reaches from top to bottom of each pole. One cable connects the even electrodes, and another cable connects the odd ones. When the wind sways the poles, the stack of piezoelectric disks is forced into compression, thus generating a current through the electrodes.”

The creators estimate the Windstalks could create a comparable amount of energy to that of a traditional wind farm. Although each stalk will produce less energy than a single turbine, more Windstalks will fit into a given area. The Windstalk would be one of the first tests of piezoelectrics used at this large of a scale.

Windstalk is composed of 1203 stalks, approximately 180 feet high, with circular bases ranging from 32 to 66 feet in diameter. The stalks are just under a foot in diameter at the base, slimming to two inches at the top. 20 inches at the top of the stalk are lit with LED lamps that glow as the stalks sway with the wind and go dark when the stalks are still.

As a public art installation, the Windstalks become much like a park since visitors can walk from one stalk base to the next and explore the installation. As the circular bases of each stalk are sloped, visitors can comfortably sit or lie upon them, watching the Windstalks sway in the wind. The Windstalk concept illustrates how advances in technology do not have to compromise the beauty of our environment, and that the best solutions to keeping our world sustainable are often the most appealing choices.

Written by :

Samantha Longshore

Green Life Store - Wind Turbines

The Future We Want Is Already Here, It's Just Unevenly Distributed by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Jonathan Hiskes at Grist describes The Future We Want, a multimedia exhibition, website and IMAX movie that projects a positive, uplifting view of a "clean energy economy that creates jobs, protects the environment and provides a secure and prosperous world for our children." Hiskes focuses on a short video showing the impact of a light rail system being installed in Kansas City, shown above.



To be fair to the Future We Want project, the video is not part of the project, although it was prepared by one of the partners in it, Jonathan Arnold of Arnold Imaging. And one has to agree that a positive vision of the future would be a nice change from the usual dystopian stuff. But Arnold's view of Kansas City has lovely new buildings and light rail, and no cars and few people. The present doesn't and the future won't look like that.

In fact, I'm not certain that we need to do computer imaging of a future we want; it already exists.


Wikipedia Commons

There are many good examples of light rail, but to be realistic, they also have to show lots of cars, because the rail actually displaces them when it is a dedicated right of way, or slows them down in a shared street. That's why the new Mayor of Toronto wants to rip them out and replace them with buses. People take transit when roads are full and driving is less comfortable; Empty streets means empty streetcars. A future we want will have crowded streets.


Image Credit Lloyd Alter

We have a future we want in cities like Paris where streets are walkable,


Image credit Mikael at Copenhagen Cycle Chic

Or in wind-powered, dense, cycle crazy Copenhagen;



Or in car-free, solar powered Freiburg.

As William Gibson said, The future is already here, It's just unevenly distributed.

More in The Future We Want

More Visions of the future:


From the Past: Cities of the Future

GPS Devices Installed in African Rhinos' Horns

Original photo: Jim Epler / CC
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil

In addition to their thick, leathery hide and imposing stature, now a group of African rhinos have one more tool to help protect them against poachers -- GPS locating devices embedded directly into their horns. Five such animals in South Africa's Mafikeng Game Reserve were recently equipped with the small tracking chips which will help park officials monitor their movements and alert them to any possible threats from illegal hunting. Conservationists hope that by upgrading the animals with technology of the 21st century it may help ensure this endangered species will still be around at the end of it.

According to a report from the BBC, after initial testing earlier this, five rhinos on the reserve were equipped with the GPS chips. Park veterinarians were able to add the tracking devices with very little discomfort to the animal, by placing it in hole drilled into a 'dead' portion of the animals' horns.

The satellite locating device can be monitored by cell phone, allowing officials to know the rhinos' whereabouts and to be alerted to any suspicious movements within the park -- or a concerning lack of movement.

Lead security officer of the park, Rusty Hustler, explains to the BBC how the GPS chips will help officials protect the animals from threats from poachers when an alarm sounds indicating unusual activity:

There are a number of alarms that can be programmed: one for excessive movement, so if the rhino starts running, and another that goes off if the rhino sleeps for longer than six hours, which is abnormal.
Not only will the tracking devices help keep the rhinos alive, says Hustler, but it also could be used to track down any poachers who manage to hack off the chipped horns and elude the authorities. And given the likely success of the program, soon more rhinos may be similarly tagged in the future and in other wildlife reserves throughout the region.

A bit of extra protection couldn't come any sooner for the Africa's endangered rhino population. In recent years the animals have been under increasing threat from the onslaught of poachers who can make a small fortune selling their prized horns in the illegal wildlife trade. Some cultures believe that rhino horns have medicinal qualities -- though they're composed primarily of keratin, like fingernails.

But perhaps, where logic and stepped-up enforcement have failed thus far in adequately protecting one of the world's most majestic and endangered species, this technical upgrade could actually be the thing that helps save them. And, with any luck, we can return to Rhino Beta before too long.

Why the World Must Not Consider Nature 'Priceless'

If Mother Nature had a bank account, she would be one wealthy lady -- at least that's according to a report released today on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). In hopes of countering the notion that environmental systems are literally priceless -- that is to say, without an agreed upon monetary value -- the 10th UN conference for the Convention on Biodiversity aims to quantify nature in economic terms. It is only when the environment is considered a financial asset, claims the report, that the most devastating of human activities will be truly robbed of an economic incentive.

The lead-author of the TEEB report, Pavan Sukhdev, draws a direct parallel between harmful human-caused problems like pollution and habitat loss, and the lack of economic value to placed upon the world's ecosystems:

We argue that the economic invisibility of nature is one of the main drivers for the loss of biodiversity and the ongoing degradation of ecosystem.
In a previous report from TEEB, the convention estimated the value of devastated environmental assets to be at least $2 trillion dollars a year. Now, the group is trying to find a way to enact their assessments in a meaningful way that governments will agree upon globally. The Convention on Biodiversity hopes their latest report will help establish a new international goal for curbing the loss of biodiversity by 2020.

One such example of nature's service that has yet to be measured monetarily is the tireless work of pollinating insects which makes agriculture possible. "A bee doesn't send you and invoice," says Sukhdev, indicating the importance of determining the value of its labor, lest it be exploited or placed in jeopardy.

Reports have placed the value of insects that pollinate human crops at over $211 billion.

Other examples of the economics of nature are as follows, taken from a 2005 report from TEEB, via Time.

US$ 50 billion
The annual loss of opportunity due to the current over-exploitation of global fisheries. Competition between highly subsidized industrial fishing fleets coupled with poor regulation and weak enforcement of existing rules has led to over-exploitation of most commercially valuable fish stocks, reducing the income from global marine fisheries by US$50 billion annually, compared to a more sustainable fishing scenario (World Bank and FAO 2009).

US$30 billion - US$172 billion

The annual value of human welfare benefits provided by coral reefs. Although just covering 1.2% of the world's continent shelves, coral reefs are home to an estimated 1-3 million species including more than a quarter of all marine fish species. (Allsopp et al. 2009). Some 30 million people in coastal and island communities are totally reliant on reef-based resources as their primary means of food production, income and livelihood. (Gomez et al. 1994, Wilkinson 2004) Estimates of the value of human welfare benefits provided by coral reefs range from US$30 billion (Cesar et al. 2003) to US$172 billion annually (Martinez et al. 2007)

While it might be hard to argue with the importance of giving nature the monetary value she's due, getting governments and corporations to acknowledge it will be an up-hill battle. "It could happen, but not in today's environment," Patrick Michaels of the Cato Institute told the New York Times. "Right now, people -- and not just in the US -- people are worried about the economic contractions more than they are about environmental protection."

But monetizing nature, if you will, would not necessarily create a new financial burden to a world in troubled economic times. The NY Times cites a situation in which farmers in New York were given a $1 billion incentive to reduce water pollution caused by runoff. In the long run, the state saved $8 billion dollars by not having to build a wastewater treatment plant that would have been needed to combat the problem without better agricultural management.

So far, developing nations like Brazil and India have stepped forward in support of the TEEB report's findings, and they aren't alone. The EU has also voiced their willingness to comply with creating a system by which the environment would be placed into the marketplace along with other global assets.

Sukhdev says he hopes that, despite however long it may take to achieve a international consensus on the TEEB report, it will only be a matter of time before the United States signs on as well. "We are at a state now where the rate of loss of ecosystem services and the rate of loss of biodiversity is so severe we cannot treat them as mere externalities of economics," he said.

It only makes sense that Mother Nature be valued appropriately in a world that runs on money -- after all, if she continues to be exploited without consequence, perhaps one day our currencies may only be valuable for kindling.

Solar blast heading toward Earth - 3 August 2010

Massive sun flares which have sent a wave of solar supercharged gas toward Earth are expected to reach New Zealand later today, NASA warns.

The first visual effects could be on display tonight with a display of aurora australis or southern polar lights.


NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory says Earth's natural magnetic shield will protect the planet but warn of spectacular displays of the aurora or northern and southern lights.

Aurora australis, or the "Southern Lights", are common in the southern hemisphere and included a spectacular display across parts of New Zealand in April, 2001. The sky over the South Island also treated stargazers and photographers to a magical display of aurora australis in April this year.

Auroral activity results from atomic particles spiralling into the earth's north and south polar atmosphere along magnetic field lines and then colliding with atmospheric molecules, resulting in the emission of energy in different forms including light.

Scientists have warned that a really big solar eruption could wreck satellites, power and communications grids.



BRIGHT LIGHTS: Aurora Australis, or the "Southern Lights", glow in the sky over the town of Glen Oroua near Palmerston North, on April 1, 2001, in the area's most dramatic display since 1989.

Earth's Upper Atmosphere Suffers Record Breaking Collapse

by Jerry James Stone, San Francisco, CA on 07.17.10
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The collapse occurred during a period of low solar activity known as a "solar minimum." During a solar minimum, sunspots and solar flare activity heavily diminish. Since the date range of a solar minimum expands over a 12-month period, it can take up to 6 months to identify one.

This collapse occurred during the 2008-2009 solar minimum. While these minimums are known to cool and contract the thermosphere, this collapse was 3-times greater than low solar activity could explain.

"This is the biggest contraction of the thermosphere in at least 43 years," said John Emmert of the Naval Research Lab, lead author of a paper announcing the finding in the June 19 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "It's a Space Age record. Something is going on that we do not understand."

Earth's thermosphere ranges in altitude from 55 miles to 370 miles above ground, so it is heavily affected by solar activity. This layer is responsible for intercepting extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) before it hits the Earth's surface.
When solar activity is high--known as a solar maximum--solar EUV warms the thermosphere causing it to expand--a lot! It's like sticking a marshmallow peep in the microwave. When it is low, the opposite happens. While the 2008-2009 solar minimum was an extreme low for solar activity, the collapse was bigger than the sun's activity alone could explain.

It's worth noting that during a solar maximum, power outages, satellite function and communication disruption, and GPS malfunctions are all very common. For solar maximums and minimums are the two extremes of the sun's 11-year cycle.

Emmert suggests high carbon dioxide (CO2) levels might play a role. As you know, CO2 acts as a coolant, shedding heat through infrared radiation. He speculates that the CO2 could magnify the cooling period during a solar minimum.

But if it is CO2, wouldn't solar maximums also be affected?

"But the numbers don't quite add up," notes Emmert. "Even when we take CO2 into account using our best understanding of how it operates as a coolant, we cannot fully explain the thermosphere's collapse."

Finally, BP Stopped the flow of oil...

(Reuters) - BP Plc said on Thursday it stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico from its deep-sea well for the first time since it ruptured in April, prompting hope that the leak can be plugged for good.

BP conducted a test in which it closed valves and vents on a tight-sealing containment cap installed atop its the well earlier this week. BP said results early in the test showed the cap had completely contained the flow of oil.

"It's a great sight but it's far from the finish line," Doug Suttles, a senior BP executive, told reporters.

President Barack Obama, who has seen his U.S. public approval ratings drop as the crisis dragged on, called it a "positive sign" but noted that the latest effort was still in the testing phase. BP's huge oil spill has caused an economic and environmental disaster along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The British energy giant's U.S. shares initially jumped 10 percent on the news and posted strong gains for the day.

The Coast Guard said BP likely will release the flow of oil again after the test is done -- siphoning it to ships on the ocean surface in an improved system able to handle up to 80,000 barrels a day until a relief well seals the well permanently.

As the company pushed ahead on the spill-control effort, U.S. energy company Apache Corp was moving forward on a possible $10 billion deal for some BP properties, including major assets in Alaska, CNBC reported.

After a delay to fix a leak, BP began the test on Thursday afternoon on the cap that could stop all or most of the flow of crude that has been polluting the ocean and coastline since April 20 in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.

The test, which could last up to 48 hours, gauges pressure in the well -- which extends 2.5 miles under the seabed -- to assess its condition. Officials said it will show whether the cap can safely shut off the flow from the well if oil-capture vessels at the surface must disconnect.

The Coast Guard calls the containment cap at best a temporary fix to the leak while BP finishes two relief wells it is drilling. BP intends for a relief well to intersect the blown-out well and permanently seal it next month.

The test is intended to determine whether the structure of the lengthy well is damaged or intact. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the U.S. government's point man on the spill, compared the test to placing one's thumb over the end of a garden hose -- if the pressure does not increase that means there is a leak somewhere.

Regarding the BP well, a build-up of pressure would signal that the well is intact, which would make it easier to seal it with the relief wells.

The cap is a crucial step toward a multi-vessel oil-capture system that is hurricane-ready and can collect up to 80,000 barrels per day.

That should be more than enough to capture the whole well output, as estimates put the spill rate between 35,000 barrels (1.47 million gallons/5.56 million liters) and 60,000 barrels (2.5 million gallons/9.5 million liters) a day.

There appeared to be fresh hope in Gulf Coast communities reeling from the spill. "It's a great thing, it's a wonderful thing," said Jerome DeGree in Larose, Louisiana when he heard that BP had at least temporarily stopped the flow.

"This has been hurting this whole area," the shallow-water oil driller said. "I couldn't buy my shrimp, I couldn't buy my oysters, I couldn't take my boat out."

BP STOCK

Reports that Apache was seeking $6 billion to $7 billion for the purchase helped boost BP's U.S. shares from midday. The shares then rose further on the initial test results and ended up 7.6 percent at $38.92.

"It's been one of those headline things we've heard for 87 days, lots of people waiting for some good news," said John Massey, portfolio manager at Sunamerica Asset Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Analysts surveyed by Reuters Insider predict that BP will spend between $63 billion to $100 billion over the next 15 years in fines, cleanup costs and legal costs.

BP's shares have been ravaged since the well rupture, with $100 billion in market value being knocked off at one stage, before a three-week rally sparked by takeover talk, speculation about investment by a sovereign wealth fund and hopes that the well would be capped.

The news that BP had finally stopped the leak -- at least during the test -- was a bit of good news for the British company, which has seen its share value plummet and reputation battered since the April rig explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the spill of millions of gallons of oil.

BP also faced new measures in the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers are mulling a range of new laws that could require tougher safety regulations on offshore drilling or bar companies like BP from new offshore exploration leases.

The U.S. government, which has vowed to make BP pay for fixing the well and all cleanup efforts, told the oil giant that it was responsible for paying all royalties on the oil it is collecting from the ruptured well.

Currently, energy companies pay the government a royalty rate of up to 18.75 percent of the value of the oil and gas drilled in offshore tracts.

Through its containment systems, BP has collected or burned more than 800,000 barrels of oil.

The Gulf spill has soiled hundreds of miles (km) of shoreline, shut down about a third of Gulf fisheries and hurt tourism and fishing in all five U.S. Gulf states. It has also created problems for Obama as the government works to respond to the crisis while area residents struggle financially.

In an issue unrelated to the spill, but illustrating the pressure BP faces in the United States, the company confirmed on Thursday that it had lobbied the British government to speed up a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya in late 2007.

In August 2009, Britain released a Libyan convicted of blowing up a U.S. plane, angering the United States. Many of the 270 dead in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing were American.