The Dutch are famous for being creative and creating their unique brand of everything. From the Orange Army that floods everywhere they go to the style of ‘Total Football’ that they have adopted. They are all about doing things in a grand different way and apparently their idea if recycling Chicken poop is also pretty huge. The Dutch have opened the world’s largest biomass power plant running exclusively on chicken manure. The $225 million project is owned and operated by multi-utility company Delta. The facility will deliver renewable electricity to 90,000 households.

The unique plant actually solves a very serious problem that has been plaguing the Dutch since long. For decades now the Dutch have been processing chicken manure at a very high cost and have had a tough time dealing with it. Now they ca just put it all in their brand new plant and make energy out of it. In that sense, this is both an ecological and economic investment for the nation.

The biomass power plant will utilize approximately 440,000 tons of chicken manure, roughly one third of the total amount produced each year in the Netherlands. The biomass power plant is more than merely “carbon neutral”. If the chicken manure were to be spread out over farm land, it would release not only CO2, but also methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. By using the manure for power generation, the release of methane is avoided. With a capacity of more than 270 million kWh of electricity per year, it will solve two problems in one go.

Via Nextenergynews

It is almost always assumed that everything green is always priced at the high-end of the shopping cart and in most cases it is indeed true. One of the major hindrances to green technology is that it just is not always economically feasible in a large scale. But with more money and time going into the research of green products and eco-friendly gadgets, it only is going to get better with the prices. Most of the green cars and vehicles are generally far more expensive than their fuel-guzzling and Carbon fuming cousins. But with Ibiza of SEAT the convention is all set to change.

The new vehicle has been dubbed the ‘Ibiza Ecomotive’ and comes in either a 5 door hatchback or a 3 door Sport Coupe. Powering both the 5 and 3 doors versions is Volkswagen’s 1.4 liter 3-cylinder TDI turbo diesel engine which makes 80 horsepower at the wheels.

The new Ecomotive features a very low CO2 emissions figure while also providing very low consumption. Though the Spanish car makers have not yet released any official fuel mileage figures, it seems that the vehicle is pretty green compared to others in the same category.

The aerodynamic simplicity of the car along with its light body work makes it further reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. So how good a buy is the car in pure economic sense? At $ 19, 120 the Ibiza is an excellent buy to say the least.

Via Inventorspot

Global warming is probably the single-most famous term that does round in the eco-world and even outside it. Thanks to the efforts of high profile men like Al Gore, you have the whole world sitting up and taking notice. One of the most important ways of solving this impending catastrophe is by reducing and if possible eliminating Carbon emissions. While it is easier said than done, it seems that many architects and firms across the planet are putting in some serious efforts in that direction.

Sony Bank has become Japan’s first carbon-neutral bank, thanks to its purchase of renewable-energy credits. Issued by the Japan Natural Energy Company, the Green Power Certificate equals 1.1 million kilowatt hours. That power is sufficient for the bank to run Carbon-Neutral for a year. The initiative saves the equivalent of 400 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions.

In addition, for clients who own funds that exceed a certain amount, Sony Bank will use part of their service charges to purchase emissions credits, which it will then donate to the Japanese government. While Sony Bank becomes the first Carbon Neutral Bank in Japan, there are many emission-free homes and communities taking shape across the planet which will hopefully lead us towards a future that is safe for us and for the coming generations.

Via Treehugger

A newly set up innovative appliance in Nicaragua serving twofold benefits gravely deserves our consideration as this exceptional eco device while curbing global warming surely cuts down one’s disbursement level as well. Originally invented by researchers from the Agrarian University of Nicaragua and Spain’s University of Lérida this machine is presently accommodated in the Agrarian University of Nicaragua’s Department of Animal Sciences.

It is nothing but a freshly installed milk pasteurizing machine that could be powered purely by sunlight charged panels. Earlier people who used to boil unpasteurized milk would promptly hit upon this machine to get rid of superfluous parasites while meeting international health standards. Here in this application, the milk is warmed up to a temperature of 185° Fahrenheit or we can say 85° Centigrade by means of a mechanical system which gets powered from solar panels. Nowadays, the machine is being utilized to prepare cheese and many other dairy products.

One remarkable point regarding this mechanism is that via the design techniques available on internet, we could be able to make up this piece of equipment our own way. This venture costing around 40,000 dollars which was accomplished largely over internet got supported by Center on International Cooperation.
This green technology could also bring out profitable export business probabilities for milk products. As by evaluation, it is proved that 12 to 14% of greenhouse gases come out of milk production process, consequently this ecofriendly concept would help diminish the carbon emissions produced through milk pasteurizing. Accordingly, this expertise appears to be an exclusive power economical and emission less solution for milk decontamination.

This model producing 240 liters of milk in just six hours is likely to be a winner in approaching point in time and would undeniably rule worldwide.

Via EcoWordly

Scientists and environmentalists from world over have expressed their concerns over the far-reaching devastating effects of rapid destruction and drying of wetlands.
Gathered at the 8th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference (Cuiaba, Brazil), some 700 experts from 28 nations believe that quickly drying up wetlands invariably lead to climate change via global warming.
Wetlands store a vast amount of carbon (in form of CO2). Their complete destruction will lead to massive release of this stored up CO2 into atmosphere, thereby heating it up. Besides, carbon dioxide other greenhouse gases like methane (more potent than the former) will also be released which will further strain our Earth’s atmosphere.

It is interesting to note that, wetlands (including peat bogs, swamps, river deltas, marshes, mangroves, tundra, lagoons and river floodplains cover only 6% of Earth’s land surface. But, they store upto 20% of its terrestrial carbon! According to an estimate these waterlogged areas contain nearly 771 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases (this is equivalent to present-day carbon levels found in atmosphere).

To understand the graveness of the concerns voiced by these scientists it is very important that we all should know how wetlands play an important part in maintaining ecological balance on our planet. The peat bogs of Siberia, North America and Scandinavia contain a third of all carbon in the world’s soils.
Besides soaking up carbon,

• Wetlands slow the decay of organic material trapped and locked away over the ages in low oxygen conditions.
• They support biodiversity in form of unique water ecosystems.
• Wetlands act as reservoirs of water supply.
• They can soak-up flood water.
• Wetlands filter nitrate and phosphate runoff from surrounding land.

Studies reveal that 60% of wetlands worldwide and up to 90% in Europe have been destroyed in the past 100 years by human activities like drainage for agriculture, construction of dams& canals, groundwater pumping, urban development, peat extraction and other activities that are polluting by nature.

At this international gathering of scientist, this grave situation will be dealt with in terms of solution-generation that can be suitably adapted by the governing bodies of the world in order to stabilize the condition of wetland decay. Wetland preservation and their rehabilitation represent viable measures, which should be immediately applied to check the rampant destruction and drying up of world’s swamps.

Source: sciencedaily

The German giant Mercedes Benz is determined to kick diesel out of it way and produce cars that are run by greener technologies. The company envisions a line up hybrid and green cars by 2015. In its efforts to minimalize the harmful effects of petrol and diesel combustion products on nature, Mercedes is already working on technologies that are utilized by the hybrid cars of this age. It plans to incorporate highly efficient internal combustion engines in its future models. Such engines can feed upon biofuels like bioethanol. The latter is made from grains and as per the studies conducted by UK government agency Central Science Laboratory; it produces 65% fewer greenhouse gases. Battery operated electrically run cars are will also be introduced in the market in coming years as per Merc’s plans. Another option taken up by the company is that of natural gas, which is now, mush preferred over gasoline, diesel and petrol in Europe. Next year, Mercedes-Benz B-Series will be seen running on roads using this alternative fuel.

Although, the company may be able to phase out all its diesel-based models from Europe in coming decade, what remains to be seen is the widespread availability of such cars in overseas markets.

Via AutoBlogGreen