The micro-world of technology is everywhere – it’s a fact. Gizmos and gadgets are getting smaller and smaller, more compact, and, thank goodness, more energy efficient. Once upon a time, if you wanted to take your mobile phone out-and-about on business, then a week spent at the gym buffing-up the strength needed to carry its battery holdall would seem a necessary preliminary. Nowadays its all a little bit more futuristic: there are mobile phones which can fit around your ear, personal planners that will peek out your top pocket, and now there’s a very modern, waste-conscious laptop that can fit in the palm of your hands!

Fit-PC 2 has declared to the technological world that it is ‘the first ultra-low power, full-function computer, with the performance of a standard desktop PC but requiring just 10W max to power it’. This, on average, equates to an energy saving of around 90% when compared to traditional operative laptops. It is no surprise then to see that the product has already received an energy star rating.

The PC unit itself is no bigger than the mouse you need so you can navigate your way across the few inches worth of visual screen. However, the fit-PC 2′s size is the largest factor for its energy saving secret. The entire unit measures in at 10 x 11 x 3cm, which is about the size of a floppy disk or an overly confident drinks coaster. But it is thanks to this ‘revolutionary’ economy of scale that, plain and simple, your new fit-PC can be powered using less energy than an energy-saving light bulb. Which is no small detail!

What is most reassuring about this little laptop is that it still can stand tall with the big kids. The unit is fitted with an Ultra-Low Power Intel Atom Z510/530 Processor, with 1Gb of DDR2 RAM. The unit runs 4 USB ports as well as a mini SD card slot, so uploading photos will be a doddle. And, best of all, if you’re worried about straining your eyes from squinting at the small screen all day long, you can use the line in/line out audio and DVI port to plug it into a larger monitor and run it alongside a wireless keyboard.

Perhaps the only real thing to modify with the fit-PC 2 is how we can see it fitting in with our daily lifestyle. Since the launch of the notepad and then its ever-active sister, the netpad, there have been increasing numbers of tiny laptops popping up in most public spaces – on trains, taxis, coffee house, parks – their versatile applications, small and lightweight size, and practicability edges them above the rest.

The fit-PC 2 has gone that step further. What we can expect to see now are crisp packet sized laptop cases being toted by media professionals throughout the city, and an over excited market, eager to cut their energy waste in order to be the lowest, most eco-friendly laptop out on the market. And right now, the title of Greenest laptop also belongs to the Smallest – introducing the fit-PC 2.

Source: www.fit-pc.co.uk

Posted under Articles, Computer & Internet, Eco Reviews

it has been said of the next year’s general election that it is the most open in years; New Labour, it has been argued, have thrown away any chance of retaining power, but support for the Conservatives is based mainly on a desire to remove Labour; David Cameron, though popular in the polls, is faced with a public less sympathetic towards his party as a whole.

Such an election, then, is a time to shine as far as the Liberal Democrats are concerned. Leader Nick Clegg, no doubt aware of that fact, is – like his rivals – publicising and clarifying policy on a number of issues, including the environment.

What is the position of the Liberal Democrats on environmental issues, then? Speaking to The Independent, Clegg said that:

“In three months’ time, the world’s nations will come together in Copenhagen to agree a replacement to the Kyoto protocol. Within the next 10 months, the British people will go to the polls in the General Election; the Parliament they choose will have the last real chance to set Britain’s energy use on the right track if we are going to play our part in avoiding catastrophic and irreversible climate change.

Never has it been so important for all the UK’s major political parties to put plans to curb harmful emissions and protect our environment at the heart of their agenda“.

Clegg took great steps to make sure that the Liberal Democrats were a party seen to be putting the environment at the heart of their agenda, and continued as follows:

“We will be adding to our already detailed plans and agreeing our commitment to a new global deal on emissions in which Britain is a key player. Led by science rather than politics, we understand that global emissions must not peak later than 2015. And we believe that the wealthier, developed countries must accept historic responsibility for the damage that has already been done, and the cost of dealing with the consequences, which we know will otherwise fall most heavily on poorer nations“.

It seems that the Liberal Democrat environmental policy, then, is to support its social policy.

Source: The Independent

Posted under Articles, Environmental News

With the carbon age arguably coming to a close – or at least, alternatives being sought – land acquisition is changing; land that was once undesirable can become desirable. With agricultural land also a potential place for growth, some seemingly undeveloped nations are home to fertile and desirable land.

As one example, look to plans for a vast solar plant, to be built in North Africa, which will feed into and power, the nations of Europe. North African nations, who do not own that land even though it is within their borders, will of course receive no benefits from the build.

Some have argued that this process, a process that is growing across the world,is colonialism in a new form, with rich countries cornering developing nations and exploiting them on their own soil.

Mark Weston, a policy consultant on agriculture, explained what he saw as a problem of corruption, with an analogy that hit home. He said,

Imagine if China, following a brief negotiation with a British government desperate for foreign cash after the collapse of the economy, bought up the whole of Wales, replaced most of its inhabitants with Chinese workers, turned the entire country into an enormous rice field, and sent all the rice produced there for the next 99 years back to China…Imagine that neither the evicted Welsh nor the rest of the British public knew what they were getting in return for this, having to content themselves with vague promises that the new landlords would upgrade a few ports and roads and create jobs for local people.

In setting out this imaginary scenario, Weston outlined the situation in Madagascar, in which protesters surrounded the presidential palace, angry over the use of their land by foreign companies. And, in continuing the analogy, Weston explains the very real future threats of this colonialism:

Then, imagine that, after a few years – and bearing in mind that recession and the plummeting pound have already made it difficult for Britain to buy food from abroad – an oil-price spike or an environmental disaster in one of the world’s big grain-producing nations drives global food prices sharply upwards, and beyond the reach of many Britons. While the Chinese next door in Wales continue sending rice back to China, the starving British look helplessly on, ruing the day their government sold off half their arable land.

A narrative of fiction outlining something very real in less fortunate countries.

Source: The Independent

Posted under Articles, Environmental News

There is no escape from paying bills. The continuous rise in gas and electricity prices does not ease the situation either. But fortunately, you can change your lifestyle habits which will not only cause a drastic reduction in your bills, but will also save energy and the planet too.

Save Energy and Start Paying your Bills With A Smile:

1. Switch off every light when you leave the room

2. For background sound, favour the radio over the TV

3. Unplug your devices after the battery is charged. For example, mobiles

4. Use a washing line or drying racks, rather than an electric drier

5. Avoid keeping your room thermostat more than 21C

6. Keep the water thermostat less than 60C

7. Boil your kettle with only the amount of water needed

8. Use the water once the kettle is boiled to avoid reheating

9.      Remove washed clothes from washing machine within 2 hours to avoid rewashing

10. Hang your clothes after ironing to avoid another ironing session due to creasing

11. Utilise the eco setting on your washing machine and/or dishwasher

12.    Keep your fridge running properly by defrosting it regularly

13. Turn off the dishwasher prematurely to allow the heat inside complete the job

14. If you have a heater, programme it to drop by half or off after an hour

15. During the day draw the curtains to allow free light to penetrate

16. At dusk close your curtains to retain the heat

17. Keep the back of your fridge clean to boost its efficiency

18.    Switch to a green energy provider such as Good Energy or EcoTricity

Save Water As It Saves Life:

1. Use baths sparingly

2.      Utilise a (non power) shower

3. Use a bucket of water for car washing rather than a hose

4.      Use a watering jug for plants

5.      Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth

6. When washing by hand, use a bowl to soap dishes and avoid running water

7.      When rinsing, use warm water to speed up washing.

8. Use hot water from the kettle to degrease the sink rather than bleach

9. Favour the plunger over the toxic unblocking solution

10. Make sure that you turn off all taps properly after use

11. Check that there are no leaks in the water pipe system

Be Green and Wise in the Kitchen:

1. Use a toaster to make toast instead of a grill as the toaster is more energy efficient

2. Boil water in a kettle to use for cooking

3. Remove contents from the fridge to cool to room temperature before cooking

4. Maximise the efficiency of your fridge by keeping it full

5. Use a pan matching the amount of food to be cooked

6. Use the smallest pan as far as you can

7. Use a pan that matches the size of the burner, not smaller, to avoid 30% of heat loss

8. Cover the pan with a lid to avoid the loss of heat

9. Keep the oven window clean to avoid opening the oven during cooking time

10. Use the right lid for the right pan to avoid loss of heat through the peeps

11.    Turn off the heater prematurely to allow the steam to complete the cooking

12. Use less fat and liquid to cook at a quicker pace

13. Plan your cooking and make extra to freeze and reuse

14. Leftovers take less time to be reheated. Use them as quick ‘fast food’

15. Pressure cooker and microwave are more energy efficient compared to the oven

Waste can be Recycled

1. Turn your wasted vegetable and fruit peelings into compost

2. Use the compost to plant your own vegetables, fruits, herbs or flowers

3. Do not buy excessively to avoid wastage

4. Reuse aluminium foil for packing food

5.      Where possible, buy loose fruit and vegetables without the wasteful packaging

6. Donate your clothes which you do not use anymore

7. Reuse plastic objects for other purposes

8. Use plastic food containers to plant herbs

9. Use shoe boxes to store items

10. Use food before they expire to avoid wastage. If expired, convert them into compost

11. Recycle cans, paper, plastic, etc…

12. Reuse newspaper for cleaning windows, for instance

13. Think twice before buying

14. Take your Recyclable bag or Bag for life to the shop

15. Reuse old T-shirts to sleep in or when doing messy work such as painting

Good Luck!

Posted under Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion, Money & Finance

After the nuclear company British Energy announced it was considering takeover approaches earlier this year, and subsequently held talks with EDF of France, E.ON and RWE of Germany, and Iberdrola of Spain. It is the French power house that has emerged as the only formal bidder for the takeover and is now days away from clinching the £12 billion deal.

EDF has been one of the leading contenders to buy British Energy since the British Government effectively put the company up for sale by announcing it wanted to sell its 35% stake in the nuclear operator.

According to the BBC, EDF is now prepared to pay as much as 775p per share, after British Energy released that none of the potential deals took into account soaring wholesale electricity costs and the prospective role of its sites in the development of Britain’s nuclear power supply.

Shares in British Energy, which is capable of producing one-sixth of the UK’s energy needs, rose almost 6% following the report as the renewed speculation of an imminent deal excited investors. British Energy’s eight nuclear power stations are Dungeness B in Kent, Hartlepool, Heysham 1 and 2 in Lancashire, Hinkley Point B in Somerset, Hunterston B in Ayrshire, Sizewell B in Suffolk and Torness in East Lothian. The group, which has around 6,000 staff, also owns a coal-fired power station at Eggborough, East Yorkshire.

EDF executives now hope to be able to announce a deal imminently. Centrica, the British power company, is also involved in negotiations with EDF, seeking to secure a deal that would see it acquire 25% of British Energy.

The decisive takeover price for British Energy is still under last-minute discussions, but could go above the 750p share mark, valuing it at between £11bn and £12bn. That would secure the Government as much as £4bn. However, the net cash has already been marked for the decommission costs that are connected with dismantling nuclear power stations, nearing the end of their lives.

Despite Centrica refusing to comment on its involvement in the deal, it is understood that its executives are also working busily with EDF. The British company’s involvement in the deal would appease critics of the sale of the UK’s only major nuclear operator to a French company.

Since Gordon Brown committed the UK to developing a new generation of nuclear power plants, Malcolm Wicks, the Energy minister, has commented that while the Government is not opposed to British Energy being taken over by a foreign buyer, they are alert to the sensitivities of the issue.

The Government will also have to consider how a deal with the French power house EDF would affect other potential operators in view of a monopolising of nuclear power by the French company, given that British Energy’s existing sites are likely to be the favoured locations for future constructions.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Environmental News

It may be commonplace to think that a green dishwasher is a dirty dishwasher. Wrong. There are ways in which you can save gallons of water and hundreds of pounds, just by making a few changes to your current kitchen habits. And because dishwashing machines are a part of life for the majority of people, these tips and guidelines can help underscore that – if used properly – a dishwasher can be more eco friendly than hand washing.

The right size is fitting
by picking the size model that suits your needs; you can have a more economic use of a dishwasher that fits your home. A large model may be less efficient than a compact one.

Load it up
before putting a load in to wash, wait until the dishwasher is totally full. This will result in a better use of the energy and water that the machine will use. Using a fully-loaded dishwasher, without pre-rinsing, uses on average 35% less water than hand-washing all of those dirty dishes.

After hours
by using the timer on your dishwasher to delay the start of a wash, you can ensure that each cycle will begin only on off-peak utility hours – which will save you money in the long run.

What’s your washer
Make sure you are using a dishwasher that has been marked for energy and water efficiency. After all 80% of the energy used by dishwashers goes to heating the water. By replacing an older dishwasher with a current module it can save in energy costs and 1,000 gallons of water annually.

Separate your whites
keep those large kitchen appliances away from each other. Putting your dishwasher next to your refrigerator will make the fridge and freezer have to work harder due to the heat coming off the washer.

What are you washing with
There are dishwashing liquids and powders available that are biodegradable, natural, and free of petroleum and phosphates. And if you want to go that step further, look for products sold in bulk to save on packaging and choose powdered detergents, which are altogether lighter and so require less energy to ship.

No need to pre-rinse
Today dishwashers are powerful enough to get all the dirt off, so any pre-rinsing by hand is often a waste of water, and a habit you can do without. By loading your dishwasher full, without pre-rinsing, could save up to 400 gallons a month.

Turn to 120
these days modern dishwashers have additional booster heaters to heat the water that comes from your home’s water tank. By turning the water tank’s thermostat down to 120 degrees, you will make further energy savings without conceding your cleanliness.

Air Time
when your wash is finished the machine will use an electric heater or a fan to dry the dishes – you can avoid this by just opening the door at the end of the cycle and letting the air dry those dishes off. Here’s a tip – leave the dishes to dry overnight and they’ll be ready by the time you’ve woken up.

Cutting down
It sounds simple, but it is possible one of the most common dishwashing misdemeanours. Using fewer dishes and utensils over the course of the day means doing fewer loads in the dishwasher – saving energy, water, and detergent.

For extra marks
using a passive solar heating system can provide the hot water you need for your dishwasher. And if your dishwasher is more than ten years old, replace it in favour of a modern, more efficient model – today’s machines are tested and accredited, as they use far less water and energy than older models.

Posted under Articles, How To's & Guides

In many developing countries there is an important need for clean, pure drinking water. Often the water sources contain dissolved salts or harmful bacteria and therefore cannot be used for drinking. This means that there are many coastal locations with a lot of water that is unfortunately un-available. Pure water is also useful for batteries and in hospitals and schools.
How can we over come this obstacle you ask? Well one way of doing this is distillation. It is one of many processes that can be used for water purification. This method requires an energy in-put. Heat, from solar radiation can be this source of energy. This process involves the water being evaporated; this separates the water vapours from dissolved matter, which condenses as pure water.
Solar water distillation is a very old technology, with a very long history. Installations were built over 2000 years ago; however they were used to produce salt rather than drinking water. Evidence of the use of stills dates back to the sixteenth century, and in 1872 a large scale solar still was built to supply a mining community in Chile with drinking water. Mass production happened for the first time during the Second World War when 200,000 inflatable plastic stills were made to be kept in life-crafts for the US Navy.
There are quite a lot of other approaches to water purification, such as desalination, such as photovoltaic powered reverse-osmosis.
Energy requirements for water distillation
The energy required to evaporate water is the latent heat of vaporisation of water. This has a value of 2260 kilojoules per kilogram (kJ/kg). This means that to produce 1 litre (i.e. 1kg since the density of water is 1kg/litre) of pure water by distilling brackish water requires a heat input of 2260kJ. This does not allow for the efficiency of the heating method, which will be less than 100%, or for any recovery of latent heat that is rejected when the water vapour is condensed.
It should be noted that, although 2260kJ/kg is required to evaporate water, to pump a kg of water through 20m head requires only 0.2kJ/kg. Distillation is therefore normally considered only where there is no local source of fresh water that can be easily pumped or lifted.
How a simple solar still works.
The main features of operation are the same for all solar stills. The solar radiation is transmitted through the glass cover and is absorbed as heat by a black surface in contact with the water to be distilled. The water is then heated and gives off water vapour. The water vapour condenses on the glass and runs down into a gutter from where it is fed into a storage tank.
Design objectives for an efficient solar still for high efficiency the solar still should maintain:
A high feed (undistilled) water temperature
A large temperature difference between feed water and condensing surface
Low vapour leakage.
A high feed water temperature can be achieved if:
A high proportion of incoming radiation is absorbed by the feed water as heat. Hence low absorption glazing and a good radiation absorbing surface are required
heat losses from the floor and walls are kept low
the water is shallow so there is not so much to heat.

A large temperature difference can be achieved if:
the condensing surface absorbs little or none of the incoming radiation
condensing water dissipates heat which must be removed rapidly from the condensing surface by, for example, a second flow of water or air, or by condensing at night.

Posted under Climate, How To's & Guides, Renewable Energy