plant and animal fat to produce oil from seaweed, which would then serve as a basis for fuel. The new type of biological fuel, called iso-diesel, uses fat that remains as surplus from meat processing, and a wide variety of oils from plants. Says Professor Moti Hershkowitz, "What is unique about our product is that as opposed to other biological fuels, which at present cannot be placed directly into an engine and have to be mixed with other components, we have developed a diesel fuel that can be used directly in vehicles.? The scientists have succeeded in removing the oxygen from the oils and creating fuel that is similar to the diesel that is presently used in vehicles. The difference is that iso-diesel is derived from a plant source and burns cleaner with less harmful emissions. The emission of greenhouse gases from vehicles will not be reduced, because carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, will still be discharged. But the plants from which the biofuel is made from serve as a means of absorbing carbon dioxide. According to Dr. Isaac Berzin, an Israeli scientist who worked for years in the U.S. and who has recently returned to Israel, seaweed is likely to provide a significant percentage of energy needs and reduce greenhouse gases. "The idea is to take the gases discharged from the chimneys of power stations and to transfer them to a system where seaweed is found in brackish water. Sun, fertilizer and carbon from the chimneys help them to multiply in large quantities. About one quarter of their weight is vegetable oil, from which biological fuel can be produced.? Berzin says that if they reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in the power stations of the U.S. by a fifth [and decide to] raise seaweed, it will be possible to produce biological fuel that will save about one-fifth of the country's import of quarry fuel (coal, gas and oil). wind EnErGy whEn you want it One problem with wind energy is that it's not always where you need it. The prospects for wind power could be greatly enhanced if cost-effective storage could be implemented. In the UK, Nottingham University professor, Seamus Garvey thinks he might have found a solution - storing energy in flexible containers on the ocean floor. Professor Garvey's idea of using Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) isn't a new one, but his methods are.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
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Traditionally, CAES stores energy in a vast underground reservoir. During peak energy hours, air is released powering a turbine, which in turn produces electricity. There are currently only two CAES sites in the world - in Huntorf, Germany and in McIntosh, Alabama. Garvey came up with the concept after giving some thought about how textile composites and textile structures might be relevant in the context of renewable energy. He realized that air could be compressed using a wind turbine or a wave-powered device. "Drawing a mass down within the blade of the piston itself compresses the air,? he said. The prospects for his energy storage idea with tidal power are perhaps even better. "With tidal power you can use a hydraulic ram. This can take a large flow of water at a low pressure. Out of that it can then give you a small flow of water at a high pressure,? he explained. Storing vast amounts of air requires vast amounts of storage. Professor Garvey envisages a cone-like structure stretching 50 metres wide at the top to around 80 metres across at the base. The bags are made of a combination of plastics. "A polyester reinforcement at the core with probably a polythene layer around that,? he adds. At a depth of around 600 metres, Professor Garvey calculates that the bags would be able to store 25 megajoules of energy for every metre cubed. However, he adds that only in deep water, where the pressure is greatest, are the bags a good economic proposition. Research into floating turbines is underway and, as Professor Garvey points out, there are steep ocean shelves off the west coast of France and Portugal and around the entire periphery of the Mediterranean. "You could put wind turbines on these shelves and within a few hundred metres, or kilometres you could be in 600-metre deep water,? he said. n August 2008 www.resourceworld.com 53natural fancy coloured diamonds www.torchriver.ca3bolero resources featuresmining newsbuying opportunities in junior mining stocks the world needs it we've got it910111213diamond exploration & mining15161 888 242 3234 1819- a field visit yukon mining exploration is booming, much more than in the rest of canada. it has increased from $22 million in 2004 to an estimated $132 million for 2008 - a 600% increase. while for this same period mining exploration in canada increased from $1.17 billion to $2.76 billion, a 235 % jump.2223ad design by25big nic, hope bcartha resources exploring wyoming uranium prospectsgive me a stage where this bull can ragesouth africa and precious metalsmolybdenum, uranium & goldmarc natural fancy coloured diamondsin 2005, only 616 carats of investment-grade natural fancy diamonds were recovered, compared with 123.29 million carats of colourless diamonds.leadership development goes deeper at goldcorp35endeavour silver intersects mexican high-grade silvercrescent gold spins off uranium assets to focus on goldmininghard creek nickel increases turnagain resourcesapollo gold plans black fox gold production41riverstone drills karma project, burkina faso, west africaglass earth gold ltd. exploring new zealandpremier gold active on several frontsride the ups & downs encana using co oiloilwww.cambridgehouse.combc's horn river gas playwhen where who how developments in alternative energy alternative energyin the newsnaikun wind energy advancing bc offshore wind projectfacts and newsfacts and newscoming events59directoryprofessional directorysummer doldrums for many junior miners6364