There is nothing worse than running out of juice on your cellphone or iPod when you are out walking the streets. NTT appears to have solved this problem; water-filled soles are attached to a small turbine. With every squishy step you take, the water is pumped through the turbine which runs the generator which generates 1.2 watts of electricity, ““a level sufficient to run an iPod mobile music player forever, as long as the wearer keeps walking,” said spokesman Hideomi Tenma. Japan Probe via Tokyo Mango</a

This week is Carnival of the Green # 150 and it’s being hosted by The Good Human, a website that encourages people to be better humans..whether through working to clean up the environment, being active in political issues that mean a lot to you or just being more aware of your life and surroundings.

So head on over to this week’s Carnival to find a round up of green news and events from the past week, submitted by other bloggers and green sites.

To learn more about Carnival of the Green, where it will be and …

This week I am reporting daily from Schumacher College in south west England. Here, I am taking part in a course called Biomimicry: New Directions in Sustainable Design lead by the architect Michael Pawlyn, he of the incredible Sahara Forest Project. This is my introduction to Biomimicry and in the excitement of learning something radically new I thought I should share the experience with you all. If …

The wind blew really hard here last night, the streets are covered in a carpet of leaves. It would be a good time to try out Gerard Moliné’s Nest House, originally produced by Droog Design and designed for the 2005 Neo-rural exhibition….

Architecture 2030 is at it again with their great graphs, this one showing what a minimal impact the 45 nukes proposed by McCain will make, but it is a bit deceptive……

This is a simplified version of the presentation I will be making this Tuesday morning at the ASPO 7 Conference (the full presentation should be posted on that website in a couple of days). I must admit that I have been a bit nonplussed to see that the peak oil community seems to share the oil industry’s dismissal of wind power as irrelevant and useless in the face of the currently energy challenge (maybe I am unfairly judging from a few individuals’ comments, but it’s definitely an existing undercurrent in the community).

So, in reaction, let me put up here a few arguments that suggest that wind could play a major role in solving our current energy woes - not a silver bullet, but rather more than a side show.

First, the “wind is too small to make a difference” argument: well, so was nuclear, until it got big enough. Wind is following the exact same growth trajectory:

Pure Power
EWEA, March 2008 (pdf)

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And, as the image show before, wind power has already been a large part of energy investments for a number of years now, at least in Europe (but the rest of the world is now catching up, with the USA and China booming):

Pure Power
EWEA, March 2008 (pdf)

Over the past 8 years, wind has represented around 40% of new installed capacity (which, it is true, represents a smaller fraction a new production, in MWh, which is probably closer to 25%). In terms of investment amounts, wind has actually been the biggest business for the power generation manufaturers like GE or Siemens, given that a wind MW costs about double what a gas MW costs (prices per MWh are something else, given that you still need to buy the natural gas to burn to generate using a gas turbine…).

Wind will be a core instrument for the EU to fulfill its stated objectives of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy independence.

Penetration, 2005 & 2020
Implication of Large-Scale Wind Power in Northern Europe
Klaus Skytte, Econ Poyry, presentation to EWEC 2008

So it is simply false to say that wind is too small to matter. It is the biggest power generation industry by turnover in Europe, and it is on a fast growing trend that will quickly ensure that it becomes a significant part of the installed generation base. The industry reached the level of 100 GW ofinstalled capacity this year, as well as the threshhold of being able to produce 1 exajoule per year of useful energy. In fact, wind is reaching the stage where nuclear was when it was hit by the 1973 energy shock (which lowered demand and killed new investment) and the 1979 Three Mile Island accident (which turned the public against the industry) and is unlikely to hit the same snags:

Public opinion, despite persistent anti-wind lobbying by the coal or nuke industries and a few well-funded NIMBY associations, is massively behind wind power:

Harris Interactive

More importantly, wind has a major economic quality: the more there is, the lower electricity costs:

The effect of wind power on spot market prices (pdf)
Rune Moesgaard, Poul Erik Morthorst, presentation to EWEC 2008

Under market price setting mechanisms, wind power (which has a zero marginal cost) brings wholesale prices down when it is available, by avoiding the need for more expensive coal-fired or, more usually, gas-fired power plants that would otherwise be required to balance the system.

The effect of wind power on spot market prices (pdf)
Rune Moesgaard , Poul Erik Morthorst, presentation to EWEC 2008

The overall effect (price reduction multiplied by the relevant volume) now brings savings to consumers in Denmark that are equivalent to the gross cost of feed-in tariffs, and significantly higher than the net subsidy, as wholesale prices are now pretty close to, and increasingly often higher than, the feed-in tariffs guaranteed to wind power producers.

The same is already true in Germany, despite its somewhat lower wind penetration than in Denmark (11 (ed: wrongly used the number for Spain) 7% of electricity produced, vs 25%)

Assessment of the impact of renewable electricity generation on the German electricity sector (pdf)
Mario Ragwitz, Frank Sensfuss, Fraunhofer Institute, presentation to EWEC 2008
Note again that the cost noted above for the subsidy is the gross amount of the tariff, not the difference between the tariff and the wholesale price, which would be the correct amount of the subsidy granted to wind power producers

In other words, wind subsidies demonstrably save money for eletricity consumers, ie they are smart regulation.

An another interesting point to note is that wind power costs are now also well understood: industrial-size turbines now have a 15-year track record, and availability has been consistently in the 96-98% range, as shown by this meta study on 14,000 turbines:

Availability Trends Observed at Operating Wind Farms (pdf)
Keir Harman, Andrew Garrad, Garrad Hassan, presentation to EWEC 2008

And while offshore is slightly more expensive today than onshore wind, we’re not about to run out of convenient spots at sea, away from whining onlookers, to continue the development of the industry:

photo by author
Thornton Bank, Belgium, August 2008

More stories about wind, and more discussion of other issues surrounding wind can be found on this page, of which I select a few noteworthy items:

the real cost of electricity
Alternative energies: wind power (an introduction)
My job (financing wind farms)
No technical limitation to wind power penetration (discussing the intermittency issue)
Why wind needs feed-in tariffs (and why it is not the enemy of nuclear)
Fierce price - yes it works! (first offshore wind farm to be financed is completed)
Gore sets goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2020 (how it can be done)

The conclusion is simple: wind power deserves to be taken seriously

3 Oil-Rich Countries Face a Reckoning

CARACAS, Venezuela — As the price of oil roared to ever higher levels in recent years, the leaders of Venezuela, Iran and Russia muscled their way onto the world stage, using checkbook diplomacy and, on occasion, intimidation.

Now, plummeting oil prices are raising questions about whether the countries can sustain their spending — and their bids to challenge United States hegemony.

… Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a consulting firm in Cambridge, Mass., said oil states were facing something of a reckoning. Originally, he said, they saw the economic crisis as a problem mainly for the United States — but then oil prices went into free fall.

“Now, the producers are experiencing a reverse oil shock,” Mr. Yergin said. “As revenue went up, government spending went up and expectations of a continuing windfall led to greater and greater ambitions. Now they are finding how integrated they are into this globalized world.”

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Oil above US$74 as OPEC eyes production cut

Oil prices were hovering above US$74 a barrel Tuesday as investors expected OPEC to try to halt a three-month slide in prices by cutting production quotas at least 1 million barrels a day.

At the same time, gains by the U.S. dollar against the euro were putting the brakes on any gains in oil prices.

“The general trend is still of uncertainty,” said analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.

Oil price to fall as Saudi Arabia resists cut: report

MILAN (Reuters) - The price of oil will probably keep falling as long as Saudi Arabia resists pressure from other OPEC member states to cut production, according to the country’s former oil minister.

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani told Italian daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Tuesday member states that were only interested in keeping the price high had already cut production.

“They are already under their quota, so a cut (that would make a difference to the price) must above all come from Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Asked if Iran and Venezuela were among those pushing for a cut, he said: “Also Libya, Algeria and even Nigeria.”

Iran wants OPEC cut of at least 2mln bpd

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran’s oil minister said on Tuesday that Tehran believes OPEC should cut production by between two million and 2.5 million barrels a day, and that prices could go higher than 150 dollars a barrel.

“The market should find a stable condition, and given the eight to 10 percent decrease in demand and also given the oil stockpile I think a decrease of between two and 2.5 million barrels a day can bring a stable status to the market,” Gholam Hossein Nozari said at a press conference in Tehran.

OPEC treads carefully on output cut

For OPEC, the speed of the descent revives bad memories of the 1998 price collapse when oil fell to less than $10 a barrel.

“They need to cut production fast, but they’re probably not going to be able to cut it as fast as world growth is slowing,” said Michael Lewis of Deutsche Bank.

He predicted Friday’s meeting in Vienna could reduce output by between one and 1.5 million bpd from an agreed ceiling of 28.8 million bpd and that would just be the start.

OPEC exports down 900,000 bpd to October 5 - LMIU

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - OPEC seaborne exports, excluding Ecuador, fell 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the four weeks to October 5 with Gulf producers accounting for most of the shrinkage, Lloyd’s Marine Intelligence Unit said on Tuesday.

The London-based consultancy that tracks oil tanker shipments from 12 OPEC producers, including Iraq, said exports fell to 22.766 million bpd, down from 23.666 million bpd in the four weeks previous to September 7.

Excerpt: ‘Tar Sands’, by Andrew Nikiforuk

Declaration of a Political Emergency

The world’s oil party is coming to a dramatic close, and Canada has adopted a new geodestiny: providing the United States with bitumen, a low-quality, high-cost substitute.

Northern Alberta’s bituminous sands, a national treasure, are the globe’s last great remaining oil field. This strategic boreal resource has attracted nearly 60 per cent of all global oil investments. Every major multinational and nationally owned oil company has staked a claim in the tar sands.

Neither Canada nor Alberta has a rational plan for the tar sands other than full-scale liquidation. Although the tar sands could fund Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy, government has surrendered the fate of the resource to irrational global demands. At forecast rates of production, the richest deposits of bitumen will be exhausted in forty years.

Engineers warn of imminent oil shock

Engineers are warning politicians that the lull in oil prices will be short-lived, and New Zealand is headed for sustained job losses unless it boosts energy efficiency efforts.

Senior North Shore City transport strategist Archer Davis, speaking on behalf of Engineers for Social Responsibility, said a conservative estimate of a 4 per cent annual decline in oil supply raises the prospect of a 12 per cent contraction of New Zealand’s economy over 15 years.

Pickens’ natural gas idea picking up steam

What will power your car a decade from now? Billionaire T. Boone Pickens is betting big that it will be compressed natural gas.

The former oil tycoon has put $58 million into touting his “Pickens Plan” in TV ads, YouTube videos, town hall meetings and media interviews to get people talking about boosting wind power for electricity and using the nation’s natural gas supply for the next auto fuel.

The publicity is working. After years of a relatively low profile in the alternative fuel discussion, compressed natural gas or “CNG” vehicles are now at the forefront of a national debate.

Iran sees consensus to set up “gas OPEC”

TEHRAN — Iran’s oil minister said on Tuesday there was a consensus to set up a “gas OPEC,” speaking after tripartite talks with his Qatari counterpart and the head of Russia’s Gazprom.

“We have made major decisions,” Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari told a news conference. “There is a demand to form this gas OPEC and there is a consensus to set up gas OPEC.”

Russia, Iran and Qatar are ranked the first, second and third biggest holders of natural gas reserves in the world.

Palin backs shipping Alaskan LNG to Japan

On the campaign trail, Sarah Palin says repeatedly that America must tap its own natural gas and oil reserves to become energy-independent.

But the Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate has pushed the federal government to allow a liquefied natural gas plant to continue exporting to Asia — the only such plant in the United States that sends the product overseas.

Special Euromoney Coverage: Lessons learned from Egypt’s energy leaders

Salah Hafez of NPC advises investment in economically sound sectors, which will remain vital despite the current global economic slowdown.

“People will continue eating, going out and using fuel,” he argues.

He sees the current slump in oil prices as temporary. Advocating the peak oil theory, he points out that seeing no real energy alternatives in the near future, rising demand for oil in face of dwindling reserves will drive prices up again.

Gas: NAPE calls for aggressive exploration activities

IN order for Nigeria to increase its present gas reserves from 182 Trillion cubic Feet (TcF) to 600tcf and become the fourth largest gas reserve in the world there has to be an intense and aggressive exploration for gas as there is for oil at present.

Gunmen seize Nigerian oil worker’s children in delta

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Gunmen have kidnapped two children of a Nigerian oil worker in the Niger Delta oil city of Port Harcourt, police said on Tuesday.

The children were being driven to school when they were abducted in the Abuloma area of the city and taken to an unknown location, said Rita Abbey, police spokeswoman for Rivers state, of which Port Harcourt is the capital.

“They were kidnapped this morning by gunmen who were in a black jeep. They are a boy and a girl aged between 7 and 9, children of a Nigerian Shell worker,” Abbey said.

China says kidnappings won’t affect Sudan policy

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Beijing’s close economic ties with Sudan wouldn’t be affected by last week’s kidnappings of nine Chinese oil workers in the country’s southwest.

Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Chinese authorities are working to help free the captives, who were seized Saturday by unknown assailants in Kordofan province. Sudan’s government says they were abducted by a rebel group that has demanded a greater share for locals of the region’s oil wealth.

UK: Economy, shopping styles affect small businesses

When people choose not to pay the slightly higher prices at the local store, and make the 130 mile round trip to North Platte, Valentine or Broken Bow to do their shopping, it makes cash flow difficult for Ewoldt.

“Keeping the cash flowing is difficult,” he said. “With Affiliated [Foods] we’re supposed to buy $9,000/week in order not to have to pay extra fees.”

Hawaii outlines renewable energy goals

HONOLULU – Hawaii’s largest utility has signed on to a plan to move the state away from dependence on fossil fuels for electricity and ground transportation.

The goal is to create 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy use from clean energy sources by 2030. Currently, the state gets about 10 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

Under the latest agreement, Hawaiian Electric Co. commits to not build any new coal plants, integrate up to 1,100 megawatts of renewable energy into the power grid and convert existing fossil fuel generators to biofuels using locally grown crops.

Clean coal for cars has a dirty side

If the United States tried to achieve independence from foreign oil by making gasoline from vast reserves of domestic coal, the country would probably end up increasing its carbon emissions, a new study concludes.

Catalytic converter developer honored for car contribution

“The catalytic converter has had a profound impact on our environment,” says Jim Kliesch, senior engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Advances in the catalytic converter, which rolled out on GM’s 1975 model-year cars, and computer-controlled fuel injection technology have all but eliminated tailpipe emissions, he says.

Today, that team of engineers will be honored for the first time for developing the catalytic converter, receiving the Great Moments in Engineering Award from information technology group GlobalSpec at a dinner in Detroit.

UK’s Brown says downturn will not affect green effort

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday the global economic downturn would not deflect the UK government from efforts to reduce Britain’s carbon emissions and combat global warming.

Do we need to go nuclear to stay green?

It’s the billion-dollar question. Will nuclear energy save the world from global warming? Nuclear power plants produce virtually zero carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle, but they are costly to build and environmentalists claim the money would be better spent on building renewable resources.

Is the Sun Setting on Solar Power in Spain?

This month Spain slashed the maximum capacity of solar farms that can claim subsidies from 1,200 MW to just 500 MW. Installed PV capacity has already tripled to 1,500 MW in under a year, should double again by 2010 to 3,000 MW, and more than triple to 10,000 MW by 2020. Spain also cut PV feed-in tariffs by about a third to around 33 eurocents per kilowatt hour. Solar-thermal executives fear the same fate within 24 months as new plants add solar power.

Study: California energy efficiency pays off

SAN FRANCISCO - California has saved about $56 billion in electricity costs and created 1.5 million jobs over 35 years by using energy more efficiently than other states, according to a new study.

The report released Monday by an economist at the University of California at Berkeley found that state policies that boost energy efficiency aren’t just good for the environment, they’re also good for the economy.

BBVA says to cut employee CO2 emissions 20 pct

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s BBVA will spend 19 million euros ($25.17 million) to cut its CO2 emissions per employee by 20 percent by 2012, the chairman of the bank, Francisco Gonzalez, said on Tuesday.

BBVA will introduce measures to persuade staff to cut trips by using video-conferencing, introduce energy-saving in their homes and use vehicles which burn less fossil fuel.

The plan could save the bank 1.5 million euros a year, the chairman of Spain’s second largest bank said at a presentation in Madrid.

Climate change is driving increase in tiger attacks

The number of tiger attacks on people is growing in India’s Sundarban islands as habitat loss and dwindling prey caused by climate change drives them to prowl into villages for food, conservation experts said.

Wildlife experts say endangered tigers in the world’s largest reserve are turning on humans because rising sea levels and coastal erosion are steadily shrinking the tigers’ natural habitat.

Economic woes may give planet a breather

NICOSIA (Reuters) - A slowdown in the world economy may give the planet a breather from the excessively high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions responsible for climate change, a Nobel Prize winning scientist said on Tuesday.

Atmospheric scientist Paul J Crutzen, who has in the past floated the possibility of blitzing the stratosphere with sulphur particles to cool the earth, said clouds gathering over the world economy could ease the earth’s environmental burden.

Climate change factors into conservationist buys

Climate change is prompting some conservation groups to broaden strategy in buying pristine lands, recognizing that some may be under water in 50 years or undergo other drastic changes.

For the first time, land trusts and other conservationists are factoring in evidence that global warming is altering the migration of species, reconfiguring coastlines and transforming natural habitats.

Last month we kinda roused on END Footwear for making their stripped down eco-focused trail running footwear, and not telling anyone about it. With the launch of their new website last week they’ve cleared that obstacle on the path.

Although Flash-based (boo hiss), the site does contain a bunch more info on their footwear, with its ‘bamboo infused’ linings, recycled polyester webbings and laces, recycled EVA and rubber sole combos and suchlike. You have to dig around a bit, but you’ll learn that by using the one mould across nine styles END reckon they’ve save 20 tons of stee…

The UK’s Guardian newspaper has caught our attention before with some stunning sustainability-oriented slideshows, including this challenge to Cute Overload. Their latest effort, in conjunction with TreeHugger favorites Inhabitat, is an impressive collection of some of the most dramatic and iconic images in sustainable architectue. Included are the Oakland Cathedral of Christ of Light which, appropriately enough, uses natural daylighting to maximum effect. Also featured are Dubai’s Jumeira Gardens pro…

Nau, the Eco outdoor apparel company, has had a rather tumultuous year. The year began with them continuing to garner praise from all quarters not only for their highly designed and detailed clothing made only from sustainable materials, but also for their bold environmental business practices, like 5% corporate philanthropy and innovative ‘webfront’ retail stores, where customers received a discount for having goods shipped rather taking them home! But in May the adventure drew to a sudden close when, in a foretaste of the now familiar credit crunch, their venture capital funding dri…