The World Day for Recycling

On May 17th is World Day for Recycling.

The Recycling in schools blog shows the work done by children and their teacher in a rural school of Asturias.
I recommend it especially, because there you will find small recyclers who have made wonders that will leave you open-mouthed.
There you will find all kind of ideas to recycle cardboard debris, broken toys, plastic parts, caps, foil, metal parts, and many other things. The results are very lovely, you'll see it by yourself :

http://reciclandoenlaescuela.blogspot.com.es/

It is good to remember The waste hierarchy refers to the three Rs of reduce, reuse, recycle.

Reduce : the most important thing is to consume less, so as to generate less waste. And to choose what we buy recyclable or biodegradable materials.

Reuse : Give an object a second useful life. All the materials can have more than one useful life by repairing for the same use or giving it a different use with imagination.
Examples: To make bags with old jeans.

Recycling : To alter a product already used by a physical, chemical,  mechanic  treatment to obtain  a new product. The glass, the paper and the majority of plastic can be recycled.

Seeking for the city which generates more dancing energy

Dutch invention "Sustainable Dance Floor" (SDF) supplies Spanish clubs with green energy during 40 Hot Mix Tour.
Thanks to this energy are illuminated both the dancing floor and the mixing desk of the DJ.
The "Sustainable Dance Floor", is present in all 30 events of the 40 Hot Mix Tour . The SDF is the first and most effective energy-generating floor, which can convert the energy produced by dancing into electricity. A dance floor of 64 energy-generating modules is being installed in all clubs of the tour, and cities take part in a competition during which they battle to generate most energy during the night.



In September 2008, Club WATT in Rotterdam was opened as the first Sustainable Dance Club showing the first model of the sustainable dance floor.

                 

                                 


                                                         THE KINETIC ENERGY 

The technology converts the kinetic energy to electricity which can be stored and used for a variety of applications.
The main applications include powering street lighting, displays, and signals. The system is particularly useful where the are no electrical power acces .
It is a clean and no polluting source of energy.

The ideal sites for kinetic energy include busy streets, transport hubs, offices, events, schools and shopping centres. 

Mini hydropower plants

When talking about large-scale alternative energy, hydropower plants are nowadays the most common ones. They give more than 80% of renewable energy in the world.
The hydroelectric energy is cleaner and more efficient than the one generated by fossil fuels. But it has some disadvantages like the environment disruption, the threat of dams breakage, the greenhouse gases emissions or the high cost of facilities...

The hydroelectric energy small system overcomes many of these disadvantages. Small hydroelectric projects are increasingly popular.
"Mini-hydroelectric" or "micro-hydroelectric" is the term to describe a hydroelectric energy system with a capacity of 100 kw or less.
Than can mean an excellent alternative energy source for residential use, affordable and efficient.
It´s needed a near water source that flows at least 2 L / min  from a high altitude.
The facilities are not very expensive (between 1.500-10.000 euros).

Besides, these micro-hydroelectric projects are used in many developing countries to carry electricity to remote places and improve their inhabitants quality of life.


The NGO "Practical Solutions- ITDG" helps to  bring energy to rural Peru thanks to "micro hydroelectric plants ":

 

Gone with the Wind ...

Wind storms that hit Spain during last Wednesday 18th April had his friendly face being responsible for the record of daily electricity production from wind energy.

According to Red Electrica of Spain website, the electricity production from wind power reached the highest records in instant, hourly and daily energy.

The maximum instant power was recorded at 16:41 hours on 16636 MW.

We must stress that not only the wind storms have responsibility in this record production of electricity  but the continued growth and expansion of wind farms,it is also responsible for these new production records 

http://www.cazatormentas.net/index.php/noticias-de-meteorologia-mainmenu-2/1-timas/2594-record-de-produccion-de-energia-eolica-debido-al-temporal-de-vientos.html

Wind energy is a free, renewable, clean and non-polluting source of energy.

Unlike conventional power plants, wind plants emit no air pollutants or greenhouse gases.

Even though the cost of wind power has decreased  in the past 10 years, the technology requires a high initial investment .

However, the operating costs are really low.

Although wind plants have relatively little impact on the environment, there is some preoccupation over the noise produced by the rotor lates. Some birds and bats have been killed when they were flying into the rotors.

However, the wind is intermitent and doesn't always blow when electricity is needed. Wind can not be stored. Further, good wind sites are often located in remote locations far from areas of electric power demand.

These problems can be solved with technological development. The wind turbines can be located on lands that are also used for farming. So these lands might be more profitable.

  

 

The fuel cells

 
What are the fuel cells ?
Fuel cells generate electricity in a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which yields only pure water vapor. This water vapor provides enough energy to drive.
Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have the potential to significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower harmful emissions that cause climate change.

Advantages of the fuel cell over the electric car :

• The electric car needs an Electric- power transmission that depends on different generators : wind turbines, hydropower plants, solar panels...
  They have a low production and they are not enough to provide energy for our cars, homes, factories...
  The fuel cell reduces the dependence on these generators or on the foreign oil since hydrogen can be derived from  water ( including seawater) 
•  Less  greenhouse gas emissions
•  Less pollution of the environment 
  
  

The highest disadvantage is the opposition of the big economic superpowers to change the oil by the water. But some international companies like Mercedes Benz are starting to take steps in this project.

 

TWIZY

Do you remember this little and "green" car ?
This is the Twizy's market launch ...

Answer your problems with hydropower !

Defending the hydropower as a form of renewable energy, I share this information about its increasement in global use.
There are some negative aspects associated with hydropower, but there are a lot of advantages too :
- Its cost is relatively low and competitive.
- It's flexible and adapted to demand.
- Reduction of greenhouse effect.
- Reduction of the reliance on oil. 
- Without environmental cost and risk.
The biggest disadvantage is the impact in the landscape because it requires to build large dams and reservoirs. But we have an answer for that : the micro-hydropower plants. They are a good solution to give energy to the most distant places.

 http://quenergia.com/energias-renovables/la-energia-hidroelectrica-global-se-incrementa/