Some Good News On Global Warming Initiatives

Alternative Energy Sources Newsletter

Well… I’ve been neglecting you! I AM sorry.

Being busy and dealing with some health problems have meant not getting issue number three of this AES Newsletter together.

But, here it is. Containing some good news.

Of course you keep seeing the daily reports too:

• The highest earth temperatures in 12,000 years
• Droughts
• Higher probabilities and incidence of forest and bush fires
• Arctic ice melting at faster-than-predicted rates
• Mountain rockfall
• Species extinction

Disturbing indeed. But at last it seems that the obvious effects of global warming are spurring some people – influential people – into action.

There’s no stimulus like feeling that wall pressing into your back!

Lets have a look at some movers and shakers:

Richard Branson donated US $3Billion over the next ten years to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to fund research into alternative energy sources.

Billionaire Richard heads Virgin Airlines and a raft of other transport businesses. He said that this money would come from the profits of his trains and airline companies – 100% of these profits. CGI will use the funds to find renewable, sustainable energy sources – so that we may kick our in an effort oil and coal habit.

Al Gore is making waves with his documentary movie "An Inconvenient Truth", exposing the danger the Earth, and its inhabitants are in presented by global warming.

Go and see it in a cinema near you. You can see the movie trailer here: Australian businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court is helping to create an eco-friendly town in Ella Bay, on the North Queensland Coast, 90 km south of Cairns. Electric buggies will be used there instead of cars. "Water recycling, rainwater tanks, solar power and design covenants for sustainable housing are all being put in place..." (The Australian, 23-24/09/06).

Of course you can make a contribution in your town NOW by driving your hybrid car , or perhaps an electric scooter!
Eco villages in China. Even though the concept is not yet being taken up by some Chinese residents, this initiative is a very positive step in this country where economic growth has meant much environmental devastation, air and water pollution, and loss of topsoil. An eco city – an “Ecopolis” - is also planned. Surely this is a concept that will – must – flourish.

Putting renewable energy on the map. Renewable energy is moving. The Renewable Energy Association has a very comprehensive database of renewable energy plants in the UK. Check it out. You may be surprised at the numbers.

Biodiesel – It’s taking off!

"Mermaid" Daryl Hannah does it. See the video here. And "Bio Willie" Nelson does it. Now some big Aussie trucking companies are getting into it. And the Europeans... Well, they are big on using diesel in personal vehicles, so they do it too.

That is, they have seriously been doing longer than anybody, even Daryl and Bio Willie! The European Union has produced biodiesel since 1992, on an industrial scale. About 120 biodiesel plants exist in the EU, producing around 6,100,000 tonnes of biodiesel annually. This industry is regulated through legislation and strict guidelines.

Of course there are down sides, not least that vast tracts of arable land are taken up by fuel crops rather than for food production. However, studies show that using 1 kg of biodiesel leads to reduction of CO2 by some 3kg.

In a pump near you soon? Don’t know – but you can certainly also make your own for peanuts… Or is that from peanuts?

It’s getting close. Christmas will be here before we can say "Greenland’s-ice-is-melting-at-faster=rates-than-previously-thought-and we-could be –up-to-our-necks-(well, if evolution provides us with seven metre necks)-in-sea-water-in-less-than-a-thousand-years-time."

Give a durable and quality gift, something that does not cost the earth. Something from "clean and green" down under to Down Under: New Zealand. Products From New Zealand have unique range of high quality, typically handmade in New Zealand, gifts and products. And - Please check out my new pages, such as "Ways to save energy."

As ever, if you have any comment or ideas for Alternate Energy Sources.com go here, find my contact page and sock it to me!

Talk to you again soon.

Cheers!