The project dubbed: “Bamboo as a Sustainable Biomass Energy: A suitable Alternative for Charcoal and Firewood Production in Africa,” aims at increasing the use of bamboo as a source of energy for the poor while providing a more sustainable, environmental friendly and economical option to firewood and charcoal.

The 48-month project launched in March 2009-2013, is being coordinated by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) in collaboration with the Governments of Ghana and Ethiopia.

Other partners are Rural Development and Promotion Centre (EREDPC), Ethiopia, Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency, (FeMSEDA), Ethiopia, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Ghana Bamboo and Rattan Development Programme (BARADEP), Ghana and Nanjing Forestry University, (NFU), China.

A statement issued by the EU said it was absolutely critical that the processes of the project in both Ghana and Ethiopia respect existing government policies and proactively help in promoting sector governance issues and raising awareness of environmental aspects and consequences of the project.

In this respect people should be mindful of the deforestation taking place in both countries – and must understand the causes for this and be aware that simply introducing a new energy source may not necessarily in itself solve all the problems.

Mr. Jannik Vaa, Head of Infrastructure and Sustainable Development Section, EU Delegation Ghana, said the project did offer real opportunities and “we trust that the project will engage with governments in each country to make the intervention a successful pilot for larger scale at a later stage.

This will require the full support of the governments and most likely sector reforms which need to be sustained and extended in full co-operation with sector stakeholders, be they civil society organisations, industry or other important players.”

The project, he noted was funded directly from the budget of the EU and the global intervention of EUR 450 million over four years was targeted at: “Environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy.

Mr. Henry Ford Kamal, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, said 70 per cent of Ghana’s energy was obtained from wood sources, which without proper management was a serious affront to sustainable energy development in the country.

He said charcoal would continue to play a major role in energy in Ghana therefore; the idea of an alternative to wood charcoal was welcome, stressing that Ghana would promote the development of bamboo.

Mr. Yeragal Meskir Ejjigu, Director-General of Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency (FEMSEDA) in Ethiopia, in a speech said from current demographic growth patterns and the slow transition to other forms of household energy, “it appears that the natural forests and woodlands remain the main source of fuel wood and the pressure on these forests will continue until alternative energy sources are supplied to satisfy needs”.

He stressed that the Ethiopian Government highly commended efforts currently being implemented with the support of the EU towards sustainable development of the resource as alternative energy to wood and charcoal.

Ms. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director-General of INBAR, said the project was all about developing bamboo as an alternative to wood charcoal a major cause of deforestation in Africa.

She said it was discovered at the recent UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen that one of the main causes of climate change was deforestation and degradation.

Ms Hoogendoorn said it was not only about climate but development of livelihoods, mitigation, reduction of emissions and adaptation to natural disasters.

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○ Bio gas-powered buses

Bio gas is created by gathering and refining gas given off by waste. Some 60 percent of the ingredients of gas from waste is methane, an energy source for city and natural gas. A refining process eliminates impurities such as ammonia and sulfur compounds that cause foul smells, and results in the production of bio gas 95 percent pure.

Bio gas generates 8,500 calories per square meter, slightly lower than that of natural gas (10,400 calories per square meter).

Kim Mi-seon, researcher of bio energy research at the Korea Institute of Energy Research, said, “Bio gas is so effective, it can be used to power natural gas buses and be supplied as city gas right away.”

The Environment Ministry is considering supplying bio gas by mixing it with city gas in certain regions.

In 2007, 33 facilities generated a combined 433.97 million square meters of bio gas. Of this, wastewater treatment facilities produced the largest amount of 21.96 square meters, followed by comprehensive treatment facilities for animal excrement and food waste (18.3 million square meters).

Four facilities using food waste and water from food waste generated 3.45 million square meters of bio gas.

The ministry plans to significantly increase the amount of bio gas by building 17 more such facilities, including 10 using food waste and seven using water from food waste.

The focus will be on facilities using food waste because it produces more gas. Lee Jae-deok, a ministry official in charge of energy production from waste, “One ton of sewage dregs produce about 30 square meters of gas, but the same amount of food waste generates 100 square meters. Food and waste water produce 50 square meters.”

○ Benefits of bio gas

If the new facilities begin operations, food waste will generate 73.5 million square meters of bio gas every year, 20 times the amount of bio gas produced in 2007 under the same method.

Ministry official Lee said, “The amount is equivalent to 283,000 barrels of imported oil. This will save the country 26.2 billion won (21.2 million U.S. dollars) every year.”

Bio gas generation will also help reduce garbage. The 17 facilities will process 1,598 tons of food waste and 2,540 tons of water from food waste per day. This means 11 percent of daily food waste and 56 percent of water from food waste flowing into the ocean will turn into energy.

To attain two advantages in one move, the government needs to do more, according to experts.

Lee Sang-yeop, a distinguished professor of biochemistry at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, said, “Unlike fossil fuels, waste to be used for creating energy needs to be gathered from various places and transported to gas generation facilities.”

“Therefore, logistics should be taken into consideration when choosing the locations for such facilities. To raise calories and methane concentration, more research is also needed.”

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If the same quantity of money was invested in developing alternative technology, we would not need to import so much oil, but that would mean less profits for the energy bosses too. So the average guy on the street loses out to the rich oil tycoons and people are milked for money and soldiers die on both sides.

You cannot rely on these people to help you buy less energy, it is not in their interest. The only thing you can do is take the bull by the horns and sort yourself out. Get yourself off the grid, save yourself money in the long term and help save the planet and our soldiers too.

It is often presumed that self-sufficiency in energy is only for nerds, but this is not true, it is now within the reach of every family or household. If you have lots of money, a solar or wind powered system will cost you about $45,000 and it will take about ten years to recover your investment by getting off the grid. However, you can have the same apparatus for much less than half that amount.

The fact is that technology has advanced rapidly in the realm of solar power, as it has in every other technological sphere. Scorching sunshine is no longer necessary to create a steady flow of electricity and prices have fallen. However, labour prices have risen and over-compensated for this fall. Herein lies our opportunity.

It is not difficult to construct your own solar panels and the bits and pieces are easily obtainable in even small towns. The same holds true for systems that will produce electricity from wind or water. The trick is to get a detailed plan from which to build your solar panels or other devices.

These designs are readily available online from specialist web sites and the pieces of equipment are available from DIY or hobbyist stores. Once you have made your sustainable energy resources, they are practically maintenance free, although you may have to top up the batteries with sulphuric acid or distilled water.

Living off the grid is a wonderful feeling. Knowing that you are out of the clutches of the oil tycoons brings more freedom and the next time there is a power cut or a price hike, you can just give a smile and forget about it, because you will be living off the grid.

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A plastic bag can literally take 1000 years before it breaks down so after one animal dies from eating the plastic and its body decays, the plastic is left behind and can be ingested by another animal.

Turtle Food

Approximately 40 percent of autopsies done on turtles confirm the death being due to plastic bags stuck in their intestinal tract. When plastic bags float on the water, they look very similar to jellyfish which are a favorite food source for some turtles. These deaths can be prevented if everyone would simply use reusable grocery bags every time they go to the store.

One turtle in 2007 was found to have more than 50 items in her intestinal tract including nylon rope, plastic bags, cling film, balloons and candy wrappers. The less plastic that enters into the environment, the safer the wildlife will be.

Shameful Seas
A Bryde’s whale that became stranded and died on Cairns beach in August, 2000 had an autopsy done to reveal 20 square feet of tightly packed plastic, primarily shopping bags, lodged in its stomach. So many whales like this one die in the ocean where the plastic eventually is exposed back into the water for other sea creatures to feed on, creating a viscous cycle.

It is estimated that over 100,000 marine creatures are killed each year because of plastic pollution. These animals are not dying instantly, they are suffering. Imagine not being able to digest any food and then not being able to eat because of it and literally just starving yourself to death all because of plastic bags and other plastic products. Every time consumers go to the store they make a conscious decision to either use a reusable shopping bag or not. It is not understandable why anyone would still choose to use traditional bags, knowing the harm that they are creating.

Changes Coming?

It is not uncommon to find flamingos, platypus and other animals, strangled from getting tangled in plastic bags and not being able to twist their way out. In Australia in 2008, a crocodile was found dead with 25 plastic bags in its stomach. Additionally, pelicans, seagulls and other birds are found daily with the same cause of death.

Due to these figures and other environmental concerns, many countries such as Bangladesh, Taiwan, China and Italy have either banned plastic bags completely or have issued laws to charge for them, making reusable bags the primary choice.

Sadly, in the United States, plastic industries rally hard to resist possible laws or bans, claiming that jobs will disappear. It is estimated that Americans throw away a minimum of 100 billion bags per year. Some cities, however are taking their own approach. Places like New York City are talking about imposing a six cents tax per plastic bag dispensed. Many stores already offer small incentives to consumers that bring their own Eco-friendly bags with them when doing their shopping.

Small changes are happening but you do not have to wait for city taxes or state laws to make a difference. Stop using plastic bags today to save the animals of tomorrow.

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If you examine carefully, you will find that scientists and the researchers have put their 100% effort to invent the alternative ways which will help the human society to get the energy which is far better in quality and excellent in performance. The cost will be also very comfortable and you will be able to collect this energy or fuel from the open market paying the reasonable price range. It is called renewable power or alternative energy which will minimize the cost and maximize the facilities.

Without plans and program, nothing can be made successful or other way you can’t climb up the climax of success if you are not industrious and hard worker. You must have the research mind which will compel you to spend time to invent new ways and vistas to collect the hidden energy which will be utilized with much perfection. At the same time, the role of the universities can’t be denied in reviving the alternative energy industry. The intelligentsia class has done the vast research in this field.

For instance, Florida Statue University and Shell Energy have made one step ahead by establishing Energy Crop Plantation in America. The Plantation project has been done on a 130 acre-land which has housed more than 250000 trees and saplings in the whole area. There are different kinds of trees and plants which include cottonwood, eucalyptus and soybeans.

This well known tree plantation organization has shaken the hands with other universities and research centers like Shell, the renowned and prestigious US Department of Energy and the Common Purpose Institute etc. The joint venture has been started with the sole objective of doing the vast and effective research in the field of alternative energy. These research centers have put much emphasis on the super trees which are very conducive to the production of the bioldiesel and biofuels which are indispensable parts of the renewable energy and power.

Their long term alternative project is based on power plants that include pulp of dried wood or wood fibers. Sugarcane is such a super tree which is extensively used for producing ethanol based products. Soybean is another tree which is also massively used for giving rise to biodiesel fuel. They also try to make the proper usage of energy crops.

You must also remember the name of Penn State University which has also made good effort to improve the quality of the hydrogen powered energy which is also the main source of renewable energy and power. Hydrogen is good fuel and it can be burnt without doing harm to the atmosphere if the proper care is taken.

It is also cheap and cost effective. Finally, Bush administration has declared that the government will spoon feed five Sun Grant research hubs for enhancing the research in the field of the alternative energy. Oregon State University has already got $ 20 million US dollars for doing the experiment and research in the sphere of alternative source of energy.

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To be frank, the government must be liberal and broad minded to release different sorts of grants and the financial aids for enhancing the research and other experiments in the sphere of alternative energy and development. If you take the American higher authority for an example, you will come to know that there is much scope in America for doing research in the field of Alternative energy and natural resources.

However, simultaneously, so far as my knowledge goes, the government can be more reliable and trustworthy to provide the direct and indirect financial backups to these research centers by providing different sorts of short and long terms grants or free money options, tax reductions, rebates in certain areas of concern and the direct involvement with the banking sectors to sanction loans or financial aids to the researchers to continue their projects in the field of the renewable energy and development.

You can’t deny the truth that even in 21st century, the super power holder, America is still reliant on the Gulf countries like Iran and Kuwait for getting oil and natural gasoline products. Therefore, if the American government feels it urgent to fund the alternative energy research and development centers, it will be very beneficial to the whole nation.

Both private organizations as well as the individual persons must change their mindsets in the matter of installing the energy generating devices and equipments. They should bring the changes to their lifestyle and must be competent to use the alternative energy to execute their daily activities in life.

It is my view that if the government tries to get more success in this area of the renewable energy, it must chalk out special plans and programs for accelerating the production of alternative energy.

In this connection, it will be much better if the federal and state in unison with the local administrative machinery to promote the research and development in this sphere of the renewable energy. Homes must be reconstructed for getting advantage in receiving the renewable energy.

I opine that in case the government wants the speedy progression and improvement in the sphere of the alternative energy sources, the fact is that it must make it more convenient to people for further study and research to achieve success. The American government should be much more flexible in implanting laws to help the entrepreneurs and general people for changing their own set-ups for getting the alternative energy.

The government has the resolution that by the end of 2020, it will launch new modeled hydrogen fuelled cars and hybrid vehicles which will be directly propelled by biodiesel, biomass or biofuels.

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When you start doing a survey on the present status of the fuel industry, you will find that it will be a matter of tomfoolery if you fully depend on the raw natural resources like coal, underground oil and gas for getting power and energy.

In near future, we will feel the scarcity of these natural wealth and we will have to search for the alternative ways for heating the domestic hearth or furnace for cooking food or baking bread. That’s why the researchers have done extensive probing to find the way to solution and in the long run they cheered up after getting achievement in the sphere of the alternative energy and power.

If you closely examine the modern trends, you will learn that the popularity and demand for the alternative source of energy are due to the continuous increase in the percentage of the air pollution, the massive hike in the price structures of natural oil and gas and the fear of insecurity to get the natural resources owning to the over-usage of the natural treasure for several hundred years or more..

In near future, we will face the shortage of the deposited treasure of oil, coal and gas which lie embedded beneath the earth for several million of years. Scientists are very sanguine that this wind fueled energy through the turbines and the solar energy will rule the industry and the domestic world in the near future replacing those main natural resources.

If you mug up the views of Remi Wilkinson who holds the prestigious portfolio in Carbon Free sector has stressed boldly that the recent upgradation and escalation of the production of the wind turbine propelled energy sources and the solar energy will have the massive impact on the industrial belt and other commercial and residential spheres. The society will be exempted from the carbon and other lethal gases due to the purification of the air via usage of the alternative energy and power.

Carbon Free has strongly supported the recent resolution taken by UK companies which have proved a number of times that they are very powerful in generating the geothermal energy and power in large volume. The experienced researchers are doing the vast experiment in this sphere to improve vastly.

On the other hand, it is also true that solar energy is little bit more expensive in comparison to the other alternative energy sources.

Water heating technology which is based on solar energy consumption is still very expensive and the installation process is complicated. However the wind turbines are less expensive and it will reduce the expenses to great extend. The fact is that the companies will have to bear the financial burden after the installation of the wind turbines in different places in the very beginning.

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At the Earths’ core, the temperature is 60 times greater than that of water being boiled. The tremendous heat creates pressures that exert themselves only a couple of miles below us, and these pressures contain huge amounts of energy. Superheated fluids in the form of magma, which we see the power and energy of whenever there is a volcanic eruption, await our tapping. These fluids also trickle to the surface as steam and emerge from vents. We can create our own vents, and we can create out own containment chambers for the magma and convert all of this energy into electricity to light and heat our homes. In the creation of a geothermal power plant, a well would be dug where there is a good source of magma or heated fluid. Piping would be fitted down into the source, and the fluids forced to the surface to produce the needed steam. The steam would turn a turbine engine, which would generate the electricity.

There are criticisms of geothermal energy tapping which prevent its being implemented on the large scale which it should be. Critics say that study and research to find a resourceful area is too costly and takes up too much time. Then there is more great expense needed to build a geothermal power plant, and there is no promise of the plant turning a profit. Some geothermal sites, once tapped, might be found to not produce a large enough amount of steam for the power plant to be viable or reliable. And we hear from the environmentalists who worry that bringing up magma can bring up potentially harmful materials along with it.

However, the great benefits of geothermal energy would subsume these criticisms if only we would explore it more. The fact that geothermal energy is merely the energy of the Earth herself means it does not produce any pollutants. Geothermal energy is extremely efficient—the efforts needed to channel it are minimal after a site is found and a plant is set up. Geothermal plants, furthermore, do not need to be as large as electrical plants, giant dams, or atomic energy facilities—the environment would thus be less disrupted. And, needless to say, it is an alternative form of energy—using it would mean we become that much less dependent on oil and coal. Perhaps most importantly of all—we are never, ever going to run out of geothermal energy, and it is not a commodity that would continuously become more expensive in terms of real dollars as time passes, since it is ubiquitous. Geothermal energy would be, in the end, very cheap, after investigation and power plant building costs are recouped.

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Nuclear power plants are very “clean-burning” and their efficiency is rather staggering. Nuclear power is generated at 80% efficiency, meaning that the energy produced by the fission reactions is almost equal to the energy put into producing the fission reactions in the first place. There is not a lot of waste material generated by nuclear fission—although, due to the fact that there is no such thing as creating energy without also creating some measure of waste, there is some. The concerns of people such as environmentalists with regards to using nuclear power as an alternative energy source center around this waste, which is radioactive gases which have to be contained.

The radiation from these gases lasts for an extraordinarily long time, so it can never be released once contained and stored. However, the volume of this waste gas produced by the nuclear power plants is small in comparison to how much NOx (nitrous oxide—that is, air pollution) is caused by one day’s worth of rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles. While the radiation is certainly the more deadly by far of the two waste materials, the radiation is also by far the easier of the two to contain and store. In spite of the concerns of the environmentalists, nuclear power is actually environmentally friendly alternative energy, and the risk of the contained radiation getting out is actually quite low. With a relatively low volume of waste material produced, it should not be a difficult thing at all for storage and disposal solutions for the long term to be developed as technology advances.

The splitting of an atom releases energy in the forms of both heat and light. Atomic power plants control the fission reactions so that they don’t result in the devastating explosions that are brought forth in atomic and hydrogen bombs. There is no chance of an atomic power plant exploding like a nuclear bomb, as the specialized conditions and the pure Plutonium used to unleash an atomic bomb’s vicious force simply don’t exist inside a nuclear power plant. The risk of a “meltdown” is very low. Although this latter event has happened a couple of times, when one considers that there are over 430 nuclear reactors spread out across 33 nations, and that nuclear reactors have been in use since the early 1950s, these are rare occurrences, and the events of that nature which have taken place were the fault of outdated materials which should have been properly kept up. Indeed, if nuclear energy could become a more widely accepted form of alternative energy, there would be little question of their upkeep being maintained. Currently, six states in America generate more than half of all their electrical energy needs through nuclear power, and the media are not filled with gruesome horror stories of the power plants constantly having problems.

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Consultants on alternative energy also tell us that we need multilateral, international efforts in concert with one another in the direction of getting away from the heavy—almost total—dependence on fossil fuels. They are poised to become too expensive, burning them is polluting the atmosphere, and digging for them is disrupting the natural environment. We have about 30 years left of reasonably cheap oil and gas—and consultants say that within 20 years beyond that point, we had better be at least 90% independent of them. Unfortunately, at the present time the world is mostly not acting as if this is the case. The thirst for oil is growing, not slaking, and it is growing faster now than it did even in the 1970s.

One of the major problems of transition, the consultants point out, is that higher oil and gas prices stimulate the economy (This flies in the face of what many energy so-called “experts” and many members of the public believe, but the fact is that oil and gas are found and manufactured and transported by huge corporations who employ multitudes of staff workers and contractors; and from their huge profits their stocks remain lucrative on Wall Street.). Alternative, or “green” energy has to become more marketplace friendly, more profitable to investors and would-be employers. Wall Street does not like change; so there is resistance to this much-needed economic transition. It is because of this that many consultants are saying that we need an international, governments-backed initiative put into place; we are told that we cannot expect the new economy to spring forth overnight, all clean and polished and perfected, from the black ashes of the fossil fuel economy phoenix.

It is most imperative that the wealthy, big-production nations such as the US, Japan, Western Europe, and others be the ones to spearhead the effort to get off of the fossil fuel dependence. Smaller, poorer nations are very simply never going to achieve the level of energy production through coal and oil that these nations have—for by the time they would be ready to, the cheap access to the fossil fuels will be gone, and they will never be able to sustain their newly-risen civilizations at that time as we have been able to do. The time for transition from black to green is now.

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