The Libyan rebels that helped overthrow Qadaffi's regime may not have had the most advanced weaponry at their disposal. But they were resourceful and used what they had available, including converting a bulldozer into a rolling, bulletproof battleship. More »
About three-quarters of the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere during the past 20 years have been due to fossil-fuel burning. Activities consuming fossil fuels include power generation, industrial/manufacturing processes, transport. The rest of carbon dioxide emissions are predominantly due to land-use change, especially deforestation.
The main drawback of fossil fuels is pollution. Burning any fossil fuel mainly produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to the “greenhouse effect”, warming the Earth. It produces more carbon dioxide than burning oil or gas. It also produces sulphur dioxide, a gas that contributes to acid rain. We can reduce this before releasing the waste gases into the atmosphere. It is a leading cause of smog, global warming, and air toxics.
Coal is particularly nasty. The attraction to coal is powerful and obvious. According to the World Coal Association, it has been estimated that there are over 847 billion tonnes of proven coal reserves worldwide. This means that there is enough coal to last us around 118 years at current rates of production. In contrast, proven oil and gas reserves are equivalent to around 46 and 59 years at current production levels. Unverified sources have claimed Pakistan has one of the largest coal (lignite) deposits in the world, consisting of 184,123 billion tons, which can produce 1,000,000 MW of electricity for next three hundred years.
Microscopic particles like sulphates and carbon released from coal-burning power plants and automobiles can reflect sunlight back into space, producing a cooling effect. This can in turn influence global wind circulation patterns that underlie the monsoon system.
One 500 MW power plant generates about 3 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. Other toxic byproducts include fine particulate matter, heavy metals like mercury, lead, chromium and nickel, trace elements such as arsenic and selenium, and various organics like dichloroethane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and trichloroethylene.
Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are common pollutants from coal, and are found at higher levels in anthracite than in bituminous coal.
Coal mining produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Methane is the naturally occurring product of the decay of organic matter as coal deposits are formed with increasing depths of burial, rising temperatures, and rising pressures over geological time. A portion of the methane produced is absorbed by the coal and later released from the coal seam and surrounding disturbed strata during the mining process.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane has a global warming potential 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide on a 100 year time line. While burning coal in power plants is most harmful to air quality, due to the emission of dangerous gases, the process of mining can release pockets of hazardous gases.
The World Health Organization estimates more than 2 million people die every year from breathing in tiny particles present in indoor and outdoor air pollution. PM10 particles, which are particles of 10 micrometers or less, can penetrate into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream, can cause heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and acute lower respiratory infections.
The WHO air quality guidelines for PM10 is 20 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) as an annual average, but the data released today shows that average PM10 in some cities has reached up to 300 µg/m3.
The Ozone Layer, which is so essential for life on earth, is unfortunately being depleted due to different kinds of pollutions. The global community, especially the developing countries are now facing the challenge of the elimination of Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) in the foam and refrigeration industry. It is a second kind of Ozone Depleting Chemical Substance which has low Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP), yet possesses high Global Warming Potential (GWP).
The true cost of coal power is evident in the known health consequences of this toxic brew of air and water pollution. They contribution to health conditions are many, and include nervous system problems in infants and children, asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, a suite of cardiovascular problems and kidney disease. The environmental impacts are well documented, and are not pretty either.
Pollution from coal mining may have a negative impact on public health in mining communities, according to data analyzed in a West Virginia University research study. Miners in coal companies are on higher risk rather than people living away from mining areas. According to Hendryx, main researcher, the data show that people in coal mining communities:
October is Children’s Health Month, and it’s a good time to focus our attention on cleaning up hazards that affect kids as they grow and develop.
Photo Credit: Asia Society
Photo Credit: World Coal Association
Written by Naseem Sheikh
The U.S. version of Nintendo's reward program, Club Nintendo, never seems to have quite the same caliber of awesome schwag as the original Japanese version. Items like the Wiimote TV remote that was never available here, and now this pixelated 8-bit Super Mario throw cushion. More »
After market for F650 2004 Cat 7.2 Litter looking for an exhust pipe after tubo also a starter for same Truck
Looking at his work it seems like Kim Keever always has his camera in the right place at the right time for capturing stunning landscape photos. But unlike that debacle over the shot of the wolf jumping over the fence, Keever readily admits his shots are fake, created in a very controlled studio environment. More »
We may have all survived the less than graceful return of NASA's UARS satellite a month ago, but you'll want to keep your eyes on the skies this weekend since we're not out of the clear yet. More »
NASA Is Considering Fuel Depots in the Skies, NY Times
"At a Congressional hearing in July, Representative Dana Rohrabacher, Republican of California, asked Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr., the NASA administrator, about the possibility of depots as an alternative to the Space Launch System. General Bolden said that he did not know details about any propellant depot study, but that his agency had looked at alternatives to building a heavy-lift. "It turned out that was not as economical, nor as reliable," he said. Although General Bolden promised to provide the information, Mr. Rohrabacher said he had obtained the study about propellant depots only through unofficial channels. "I'm shocked that the leadership in NASA would try to keep a report as significant as this away from decision makers of the legislative branch," Mr. Rohrabacher said, adding that the study gave him "the ammunition to make a case" to revisit NASA's plans for human spaceflight."
- NASA Studies Show Cheaper Alternatives to SLS, earlier post
- Fuel Depots and Congress, earlier post
- In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Demonstration Mission Concept Studies, 2011, NASA GRC, earlier post
- Using Commercial Launchers and Fuel Depots Instead of HLVs, earlier post
- The HLV Cost Information NASA Decided Not To Give To Congress, earlier post
Those of you waiting on the edge of your seats for Samsung to reveal when their Honeycomb powered Galaxy Tab 7 Plus tablet would hit U.S. shores can finally chill out. More »
Lucky Charms would be one of the finest foods ever created—if only the actual cereal bits weren't pooping on marshmallows' tasty parade. Thankfully, Thingiverse user Tom Lombardi invented a solution for this age old problem. Enter the Lucky Charms Sifter. More »
WHAT a day for Grey Phalaropes on the Farnes 
'Neil the Seal' sticking his tongue out (Ciaran Hatsell)
That's better, Neil doing well (Ciaran Hatsell)
The boys enjoying the seawatching and Grey Phalarope spectacular
That trendy unshaven look usually requires a careful amount of shaving in the morning. So Remington has upgraded their beard and stubble trimmer with a slick touchscreen and an electronically controlled cutting blade that can be electronically adjusted for a precise amount of ruggedness. More »
I've been given a few 1/3" monochrome board cameras with the CCD sensors (RS stock No. 185-3158) I've been searching on the web for a way to get this camera to produce it's image on my computer! It has 4 connections which are:-
1.+9v
2. 0v
3. video output
4. video ground
On the leaflet, it give
Dear all expert
I am confused with the word serial link, hard wired, UCP
let say
1. the instrument transmitter is using 4-20 ma HART, this is serial link or hard wired?
2. If the transmitter is using Foundation Field bus, it is serial link or hard wired?
3. Signal for a level switch to DCS is s
Dear all Expert
I am mechanical engineer consultant for offshore oil and gas platform, please find my doubt below
1. Usually Local control panel and remote control panel for emergency generator is under instrumentation discipline scope or electrical discipline scope?
2. The Emergency generator is
It will probably make the memos in the break room about stealing lunches considerably harder to read, but this unique font made from model railroad layouts is still far more pleasing to the eye than Comic Sans. More »
And on the same day LSU beats Auburn 45 to 10!
From Cliff Thies:
Down in Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal was re-elected in a landslide on Saturday, pulling 66 percent of the as of yet incomplete vote.
Republicans swept all seven statewide offices and both chambers of the state legislature. And as if an omen from a higher authority for his next four years in office, on the very same day, Louisiana State beat Auburn 45 to 10.
From the AP via USAToday "La. Gov. Bobby Jindal wins re-election":
Bobby Jindal on Saturday easily coasted to a second term, winning in a landslide election... The 40-year-old Republican overwhelmed nine competitors in the open primary, where a candidate wins the race outright if he or she receives more than 50 percent of the vote. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Jindal had received about 66 percent of the total vote.
His closest competitor, Tara Hollis, a Democrat from north Louisiana, garnered nearly 18 percent of the total vote. All of the other candidates were in single digits.
A "virtual collapse" of the Democrat Party in Louisiana
Continuing from USAToday piece:
"I will use every day, every hour of these next four years to make Louisiana the very best that we can be. I don't believe in resting on our past accomplishments. I don't believe in taking time off," Jindal told a packed hotel ballroom of supporters in Baton Rouge.
His win comes amid the virtual collapse of the Democratic Party's clout in the state. In the current term, Republicans have gained control of all seven statewide elected posts and both chambers of the legislature...
his brand of conservatism and refusal to raise taxes has resonated outside the state.
Note from the Editor - We here at LR supported Jindal way back in '07 when nobody knew who he was. We couldn't resisit adding this golden oldie video from 2008 - NoBama Merci Beaucoup - to celebrate Bobby's big win. Let it be a theme song for GOP Victory 2012. Enjoy!
It hasn't even hit store shelves yet, but the juiciest tidbits from Steve Jobs' upcoming biography are steadily being leaked by those with advance copies of the book. The latest pertains to Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, and the man who many believe to be the most integral part of the company's future. More »
Rainbow flag-waving "social libertarian" Republicans for Rochester
From Rochester Democrat-Chronicle "Yes Virginia, there are still Republicans in the city" Oct. 22:
Rich Tyson says he has spent a fair amount of time trying to convince city voters that he is not Dick Cheney.
Such is the life of a Republican running for office in Rochester, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans five to one and being likened to Cheney is, put mildly, not a compliment.
Andreas Rau is the other Republican City Council candidate in a city where a Republican hasn't held office since 1988. The two have been going door-to-door in their districts trying to convince voters that 2011 is their year.
Tyson is a member of the Roc City Skate Park board and describes himself as a fiscal conservative and a social libertarian. Rau flies a rainbow flag in his yard, along with six American flags.
Rochester Republican Committee rochestergop.com
As a video gaming and movie addict, I’ve always followed the latest trends and news in these two areas. Because there always seems to be some “breaking news” every day due to technology advancing so rapidly, sometimes it’s tough to keep up.
In gaming, I remember it all started for me back when my parents decided to buy me the first Nintendo console. Pointing that light sensor gun at unsuspecting ducks and watching them fall was all the rage … It marked a big step in the evolution of home gaming. What initially seemed like a good investment to keep me out of trouble soon turned into a headache for my parents. I frequently begged for more games, and they were not cheap. Look at how much new video games cost these days, and you’ll see that not much has changed in that regard. The fire to play all the latest games was never extinguished, so a chunk of my income was always earmarked for the next amazing game I needed.
As for movies, I also found myself collecting as many as possible to rewatch whenever I choose. While each individual movie didn’t cost as much as a video game, the aggregate costs definitely built up over time. My family and friends warned me that my “extravagant lifestyle” is reserved for the rich and would only lead me to financial ruin.
Fast forward to today, and I can say that I’ve learned a lot and found ways to sustainably feed my addiction without driving myself to financial ruin. How is it possible that I am able to live like a king without breaking the bank? It’s all thanks to content streaming, made possible by the Internet. I no longer have to buy every single game to have the ability to play whenever I feel like it with services like OnLive that actually streams numerous games to my TV (and a few other supported devices). Beyond the fact that I save money by not buying the game, I don’t even need the latest computer hardware to play the more graphics-intensive games like Crysis:
You might not be familiar with OnLive just yet, but most people know about content steaming from companies like Netflix and Amazon. You can stream countless movies to your devices to watch movies on demand for a monthly fee or on a per-movie basis. With these services readily available, it’s possible for just about anyone have the “kid in the candy store” experience of pulling up essentially any content whenever we want to watch or play.
If either form of entertainment appeals to you, you can agree that our quality of life has improved over time significantly. The streaming services provided by companies like Netflix and OnLive have really taken advantage of the technological capabilities offered by high speed Internet, which also reminds us of the significance of web hosting. To offer customers complete satisfaction, deciding which web hosting company to go with for a business is often a very difficult decision, especially since there are so many out there. It would make complete business sense to find an extremely reliable company to ensure the success of such services and having worked in the industry, and I can assure you with much pride that SoftLayer certainly shines in this area.
As an employee, I see how we’re building our network to provide the best experience around the world, and if there’s ever a problem, we treat all outages with extreme urgency. Customers get better turnaround times, and they can provide better service for their customers. If some content streaming were to become unavailable, it wouldn’t be long before it became available again.
It’s pretty safe to say that the Internet has spoiled me … Now all I need is a crown.
-Danny
