A Renewable That Could Pollute More Than Non - Renewables

Every green lover (sometimes non green lovers too) will feel enthusiastic when some one show a new method for producing Electricity from waste. They won't even fail to praise (even I won't) those innovative ideas of generating Electricity from waste and unfortunately they forgets to analyze how the Electricity is generated. Some times this waste to energy conversion may be harmful than that of some other methods of generating Electricity, like from coal.

Waste To Electricity Conversion. Image Credit : tx.us

Recently, I went to a college exhibition where they placed a miniaturized (not so small) model of Waste to Energy converter. Like the most of the existing converters, they too employed the method of burning the waste and then converting the heat generated into electricity. When I asked the student who gave the demo of that converter, "don't you think it could still pollute our environment?". He saw me like an unresolved quest and asked me "how?".

This is because, most of the people's forget to talk about the by-products generated through this burning of waste. Although the by-products generated varies according to the type of wastes that we burn, but they mostly were plastic and electronic wastes. When we burn these type of wastes, they not only increase the carbon footprint but also pollute the environment through harmful mercury, lead, ash and other polluting gases. They were strong enough to bring in the acid rains to your city and cause some severe damages to human health.

Image Credit : Green Building Press (UK)

I do support the waste to energy conversion, than any one else, just because they solve two of our problems. First by clearing the tonnes and tonnes of wastage that were keept on stealing more space in our earth and then by generating Electricity, that runs our present world. But, how do they do it also an important thing to be considered. It should be in a way, without polluting our environment. Next time when some one tell/show you a method for generating Electricity from waste, don't forget to ask them, "how do they do it?".

Low Cost, Green Electricity From Japan's New Wind Technology

Japanese people were always being good at doing some great things silent. The latest invention from the Japan was a new aerodynamic design of wind turbine. This newly designed turbines called 'Wind Lens' were capable of producing triple the power currently produced by the existing turbines from the same wind power. Already with the current turbines, we can produce electricity for low-cost compared to electricity produced from coal (when the wind system was operated under efficient condition).

WIND LENS - a new wind turbine design

No one can do forget easily the nuclear disaster happened in japan recently because of a bone crunching earth quake. Still, the rumors (may be true) are out there saying that this disaster contaminated a large volume of sea water and the radioactive containing water was found around the seas in Japan. "Why am I need to talk about this right now?". Sure, I have to mention this incident before saying that this newly designed aerodynamic system can generate electricity from wind power at a less cost compared to electricity generated from atomic power.

This innovation is not only quite a relief for Japan from atomic power plant problems, but also to the whole world which is seeking for a low cost power generating method in a green way. Particularly, for a nation like India, which is trying to build more nuclear power plants to meet the growing demand of electricity in the nation. This new design could be a solution to go in a green way without worrying about the future disasters.

Source: mnn