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Underground Hydrogen Touted As ‘Significant’ Clean Energy Resource In First U.S. Hearing

Posted on March 1, 2024March 1, 2024 by dishanth

The Senate held the first congressional hearing on geologic hydrogen, a promising new form of clean energy generated naturally underground, that’s attracted growing interest and investment over the past year.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, chaired by West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin, heard testimony on Wednesday from the Energy Department’s advanced research unit, the U.S. Geological Survey and Pete Johnson, CEO of Koloma, the best-funded startup in the geologic hydrogen space. They concurred that more research is needed to identify the most abundant, promising sites and to develop techniques to amplify the natural production process, but were upbeat about the outlook.

“The potential for geologic hydrogen represents a paradigm shift in the way we think about hydrogen as an energy source,” Evelyn Wang, director of DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy told Senators. “This new source of hydrogen could lower energy costs and increase our nation’s energy security and supply chains.”

Federal scientists have begun working with universities and energy companies to find ways to map and locate potentially large pockets of hydrogen as current estimates are inadequate, said the Geological Survey’s Geoffrey Ellis. “The estimated in-place global geologic hydrogen resource ranges from 1000s to potentially billions of megatons,” he told the committee. “Given our understanding of other geologic resources, the vast majority of the in-place hydrogen is likely to be in accumulations that are either too far offshore or too small to ever be economically recovered. However, if even a small fraction of this amount could be recovered that would constitute a significant resource.”

Hydrogen is already heavily used in industry, including at oil refineries, chemical plants and as a key ingredient in ammonia for fertilizer. But nearly all of it is made by extracting hydrogen from natural gas, a dirty process that emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. Like green hydrogen — a new clean form of the element made from water and electricity, ideally from renewable power — the geologic variety is carbon-free. Scientists believe it’s generated in underground pockets of iron-rich rock in warm, moist conditions that are extremely common. Uniquely, it’s an energy source that’s just sitting there, not one that needs to be created.

“All other forms of hydrogen require more energy to produce than the hydrogen itself holds,” Koloma’s Johnson said. “This is incredibly clean energy. In multiple third-party lifecycle analyses and peer-reviewed journal articles, geologic hydrogen has been found to have a very low carbon footprint. In addition, geologic hydrogen will result in lower land use and lower water consumption than any other form of hydrogen.”

Johnson, Wang and Ellis also noted that drilling or mining for hydrogen leverages techniques used by the oil and gas industry. It’s also likely to aid domestic ammonia production.

“Hydrogen is a great feedstock and it’s used to create ammonia for fertilizer,” said Wang. “If we could really stimulate and extract this hydrogen and produce very large quantities at very low cost I think this could have significant implications to help and support farmers.”

Johnson provided no details about when Denver-based Koloma, which has raised over $300 million from investors including Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Energy Impact Partners and Amazon, would begin commercial extraction of hydrogen but is cautiously optimistic.

“This will take time, money and effort to figure out. Nobody has all the answers today,” he told the committee. “The early data looks promising and I believe that geologic hydrogen can play a very large role as we decarbonize the U.S. energy economy.”

Source Forbes

Water Based Battery Safer than Lithium

Posted on January 25, 2024 by dishanth

A novel water based battery is said to be safer than lithium at half the cost.
A Boston-area startup called Alsym Energy has introduced a rechargeable water based battery that could match lithium-ion batteries’ performance at a fraction of the price.

In addition to using inexpensive, easily accessible materials like manganese and metal oxide, the novel battery is based on water, according to an initial report from Fast Company.

Being a water based battery means it avoids some of the main drawbacks of current batteries, such as the potential for lithium-ion battery fires and the negative impact of mining on the environment. And thanks to the use of non-toxic materials, the water based battery design is simpler to recycle, which is always a bonus.

Electric vehicles are becoming more important as the world’s nations step up their efforts to decarbonize the grid. That’s because they can aid in decarbonizing both transportation and supply of electricity through reduced tailpipe emissions and offer flexibility. Naturally, many automakers are tapping into the market by producing luxurious EVs; however, the expensive price tag remains to be a problem to this day. The costs are partly due to the lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric vehicles, which are too costly to make EVs that can compete in price tag with cars that run on fossil fuels.

This is where Alsym Energy, which recently emerged from stealth and secured $32 million from investors, comes in. According to a press release, with its first partner being an automaker in India, the startup wants to make it possible for manufacturers to produce cheaper electric vehicles.

“Our motivation was to make it affordable so that it could be widely deployed as opposed to niche,” Mukesh Chatter, CEO and co-founder of the startup, told Fast Company.

The Alsym Energy water based battery is inexpensive enough that it might be used in developing countries to store off-grid solar power. This is especially crucial for individuals who do not currently have access to energy.

What Makes the Water Based Battery Special?
The water based zinc battery makes use of other affordable, easily accessible components like manganese and metal oxide. Crucially, it does not contain cobalt, an expensive critical component of lithium batteries that also contributes to supply-chain health and environmental issues due to unethical mining practices. It also doesn’t use lithium at all, which requires resource-intensive salar brine extraction methods, mainly concentrated in conflict-prone regions of South America. Avoiding lithium and cobalt reliance is incredibly important as both metals have seen extreme price increases recently amid surging EV demand.

Lithium carbonate prices have skyrocketed over 750% in the last two years. And cobalt more than doubled in cost since 2020. These unstable dynamics will likely drive up prices of lithium-ion batteries for the foreseeable future. By swapping water for expensive, ethically fraught raw materials, the aqueous zinc batter stands to radically transform the energy storage calculus in terms of affordability, local manufacturing potential, and stability of supply chains.

According to the team behind Alsym Energy, the new design has “lithium-like performance.” But unlike the latter, Alsym Energy’s batteries are not flammable. This saves money as it doesn’t require special protection to avoid fires and gives the batteries additional applications, such as use in ships, where the industry is particularly concerned about fire risk.

If all goes to plan, Alsym Energy will start beta testing with its first customers in early 2023, with high-volume production beginning as early as 2025. The novel battery design will surely make waves globally; however, the company’s priority is to first make it affordable in low-income regions.

Source Happy Eco News

How manufacturers can transition to 100% renewable electricity

Posted on January 3, 2024 by dishanth

Manufacturing and other industrial users account for around a third of the world’s energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency(1). Electricity is a central element of that. If all the power consumed by factories and industrial plants came from renewable sources, it would make a sizeable contribution to tackling climate change.

It is a tough target, but one that companies are increasingly signing up to. The RE100 initiative, for example, has seen more than 400 corporations commit to 100% renewable electricity use across their operations. How they reach that goal will depend on many factors, including what they are making and where.

Switching to renewable electricity

“Organisations with lighter electricity needs and stable finances will be best positioned to transition to renewables. Companies with high electricity demand, like furnaces for glass, smelting or other large-scale heating applications and companies with very large footprints – such as expansive warehouses and assembly operations – may have more difficulty,” says Paul Holdredge, Director for Industrials and Transport at consultancy Business for Social Responsibility (BSR).

COP28 president-designate Dr Sultan Al-Jaber told the Adipec conference in Abu Dhabi in early October(2) that heavy industries may be hard to decarbonise but added “We know that solutions exist, and all industries can and must respond.”

The prospect of switching to renewable electricity has become far easier due to recent dramatic cost reductions. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the price of solar photovoltaic power in 2010 was typically 710% higher than the cheapest fossil fuel, but by 2022 it was 29% cheaper(3). Currently electricity accounts for around 20% of final energy use in manufacturing, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and this is only expected to increase.

The manufacturing challenge

But it is not just the price of renewable energy, low as it is, that dictates a manufacturer’s ability to move to 100% renewable energy. Both the required initial capital investment and first-mover disadvantage—where it costs pioneers more than those that follow them to deploy new technologies—can significantly slow down a fully renewable transition. Not to mention the lack of availability of certain renewables in certain geographies and the fact that the appropriate infrastructure must be in place for this energy to be delivered—something no one company can do on its own.

Manufacturing requires an enormous amount of electricity in comparison to offices. In some countries or regions where the supply of renewable electricity is limited, like Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore, it is much more expensive than electricity produced by traditional means, placing a significant future cost burden on companies that purchase renewable electricity.

Epson is working to popularize the use of renewable electricity, despite the certainty of short-term cost increases. The company is advancing investment in sustainability to enrich communities and invest in future generations to create social value.

Going local

Wherever they are in the world, with whatever types of renewable energy available to them, companies need to adapt to local, national, and global circumstances. Seiko Epson, based in Japan, has done just that. Having switched to 100% renewable electricity for all its sites in Japan in 2021, it will complete the transition to 100% renewable electricity globally by the end of 2023(4). This goal has been made achievable through steady implementation of decarbonization targets and the use of renewable electricity since 2018.

In Nagano Prefecture, Japan, for example, where water sources are abundant, it relies on hydroelectric power. But in the Tohoku area, where it has a semiconductor fabrication plant, it uses hydropower and geothermal heat from the Ou mountains.

It is taking a similar approach outside Japan. In the Philippines, it taps into local geothermal and hydroelectric sources. While in Indonesia, it uses yet another renewable source—biomass power.

“We have used locally produced energy wherever possible,” says Junichi Watanabe, Managing Executive Officer General Administrative Manager, Production Planning Division, whose role encompasses the promotion of Epson’s procurement strategies in the supply chain, including the use of renewable electricity. “Rather than using energy generated in faraway countries, using a particular region’s abundant renewable resources brings many benefits, such as improving energy self-sufficiency and creating jobs.”

In addition to purchasing renewable electricity, Epson co-creates and develops other power sources through continuous renewable electricity purchases. In partnership with Nagano Prefecture and Chubu Electric Power Miraiz Company, Inc., the company began support of hydroelectric power plants in Nagano Prefecture. Two are already in operation (totalling 5,770 kilowatts) and another is scheduled to begin operation in 2024. That number is expected to increase to five by 2025.

Such targets can help a company stand out from the crowd. “Based on our research, setting a near-term goal for 100% renewable electricity use is an example of leadership and a differentiator. Some companies also have roadmaps to transition over longer time periods,” says Holdredge.

Among the practical methods companies should consider are:

• Sourcing renewable electricity from local suppliers via contracts with electricity suppliers – the ability to do this will depend on the rules in a particular country but, if it is possible, a company can be confident its electricity is only coming from renewable sources.

• Generating electricity on-site, via rooftop solar panels or, if space allows, wind turbines. Even if they do not generate all the power needed, they can still make a useful contribution.

• Develop battery storage facilities. A common concern about renewable electricity is the risk of supply being interrupted when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, but storage technology offers a viable way to address that.

When it comes to solar power generation systems, Epson’s sites also decide whether to adopt self-investment or power purchase agreement (PPA) based on the individual circumstances of each country or region. The solution will vary from company to company. But most manufacturers are likely to find a combination of these elements will go a long way to reaching their renewable electricity goals.

What’s more, many manufacturers like Epson realize that their indirect GHG emissions from their entire value chain (Scope 3) are much greater than the GHG emissions from their own electricity use (Scope 2). As such, by reducing the sector’s Scope 2 emissions using renewable energy—something the sector can do independently—is likely to have a far greater impact on society. Setting goals early and demonstrating a company’s stance toward solving climate change is the key to co-prosperity with suppliers and a sustainable society.

“For large companies the return on investment is there to make the case for investment in renewables. For smaller companies this can also be true, but it depends on the geography. Government incentives can only speed up transition which is sorely needed,” says Christy Slay, Chief Executive Officer of The Sustainability Consortium.

The future for greener manufacturing

There are big gains for humanity if climate change can be addressed, but for manufacturing companies and their shareholders the best approach could also deliver commercial gains.

Consumers and investors are increasingly likely to reward companies with greener credentials, making it an essential part of long-term market positioning. In addition, greater use of renewables and greater self-generation can make a company more resilient to volatile electricity prices on the open market.

“Reaching 100% renewable is tough but pushing to get as close as possible, as soon as possible should be every company’s focus right now,” says Slay. “Epson has managed to stay one step ahead of the industry and is setting an example not only to Japan but to the world.”

Source Reuters

These Maasai women have developed an eco-friendly way to turn invasive cacti into bio-fuel

Posted on December 13, 2023 by dishanth

In Kenya, Maasai women have found an eco-friendly solution to an invasive and hazardous plant.

Parts of the opuntia cactus are edible, but its outer layers are covered in spikes and harmful to livestock which try to graze on it.

A group of women are now transforming the prickly pear into a bio-gas and preserves.

It is bringing them a form of employment and a method of empowerment.

Kenya’s livestock threatened by invasive cactus

The wilderness of Laikipia County, near Nairobi, is home to goats and cattle that roam freely.

They are frequently attracted to grazing on prickly pears, but these are an invasive species which threaten the natural environment.

The cacti were introduced by colonialists in the early 1900s as a natural fence and have morphed into an invasive menace that outcompetes native plants.

Its seed gets widely dispersed by the wind and the animals that pass through.

The hairs which cover the fruit can cause internal obstructions when eaten by animals, posing a significant threat to livestock.

Local farmers say the cactus now competes for critical resources, jeopardising community lands, wildlife reserves and livestock ranches.

Its encroachment also hinders wildlife navigation as well as reducing grazing areas.

Naimadu Siranga, a 65-year-old herder, has witnessed the devastation of the cactus firsthand, leading to the loss of over 150 of his goats and sheep.

“I once maintained a herd of more than 100 goats. Unfortunately, a series of losses ensued when they started consuming cactus plants, which led to mouth injuries, severe diarrhoea, and ultimately, the demise of my livestock,” he says.

“These circumstances have inflicted significant financial setbacks.”

Women’s group transforms cacti into bio-fuel

Now a women’s group in Laikipia County is transforming the cacti from a problem into a new enterprise.

They harvest the prickly pear and turn it into biogas which they can use in their homes.

The Iloplei Twala Cultural Manyatta Women Group has 203 members who are now employed in converting the cactus pulp into fuel.

This approach not only eradicates the cactus but also promotes environmental conservation and offers an alternative livelihood for the women.

“We came together because in Maasai culture, women do all the domestic work and own nothing at home,” says Rosemary Nenini, a member of the group, “so we want to empower ourselves.”

The fruits from the cactus are edible for both humans and animals if separated from their sharp spines.

So the Twala women at Laikipia Permaculture are also using the fruit to create a range of products including jams, cosmetics and juices. This generates an independent income for them.

Cacti pose a danger to baby elephants

Loisaba Conservancy, a 58,000-acre wildlife habitat in northern Kenya, home to iconic species such as lions and wild dogs, also grapples with the invasive cactus.

Animals unwittingly facilitate the spread of this invasive plant. Baboons, elephants, guinea fowl, and tortoises consume the sweet fruit and disperse the seeds.

However, elephants, while skilled at extracting the fruit from the spiny thorns, sometimes suffer from digestive issues due to the fruit’s small hairs.

“If the elephant is young, the hairs of the fruit can irritate the gut lining, create diarrhoea and sometimes even irritation in the gut,” says Tom Silvester, the Conservancy’s Chief Executive.

Combatting this invasive species proves challenging, as it spreads aggressively, even on barren rock.

Traditional removal methods, like manual labour and burning, have proved ineffective.

Teams now use heavy machinery to uproot the cactus, transferring it to designated areas and burying it in deep pits to minimise carbon emissions during decomposition.

This strategy results in fertile zones where native plants can regenerate and flourish.

As of June 2023, Loisaba Conservancy successfully cleared 3,100 acres of opuntia, marking a significant step in the fight against this environmental menace.

Research scientist Winnie Nunda from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International says it’s a step towards preserving the country’s biodiversity.

Source euronews.green

Recycle Plastic Bags into Oil with New Machine

Posted on December 1, 2023 by dishanth

A Japanese inventor learned how to recycle plastic bags into oil with a new machine.

A Japanese inventor has designed an innovative machine that can recycle plastic bags into oil. 70-year old Akinori Ito created the recycling device to process hard-to-recycle plastic waste into usable fuel.

Ito’s machine shreds plastic bags into flakes and then melts them at high heat, producing an oil liquid similar to light crude. The unconventional recycling method aims to reduce waste while generating income for local communities. The machines come in a variety of sizes, from desktop-sized to community-scale.

“I don’t want this equipment to just be used by major companies. I want it to be used in small towns and villages,” Ito shared.

His compact recycling unit measures around 4.5 meters long by 2.5 meters wide with various control stations. Up to 1 kilogram of plastic bags can be loaded into the shredder per hour.

The shredded plastic is then fed into a hot furnace, melting the material at temperatures up to 430 degrees Celsius. The intense heat decomposes the hydrocarbons and will recycle plastic bags into oil.

Different grades of fuel oil can be created depending on the temperature and components used. Higher heat produces lighter oils akin to diesel or gasoline. The oil can then be sold to buyers as recycled petroleum products.

Japan generates over 9 million tons of plastic waste annually but recycles only 22% of it, government statistics report. The country imports much of its energy and previously recycled most plastics into lower-grade uses like concrete filler. The ability to recycle plastic bags into oil is something that Japan needs.

Motivated by both the waste and energy issues, Ito spent over 20 years perfecting a system to upcycle plastics into usable crude oil.

After testing various methods, the retired electronics engineer pioneered the pressurized hot furnace technique to recycle plastic bags into oil.

“I didn’t expect oil made from plastic bags would be such good quality when I first produced it,” shared Ito. “The quality of oil is high enough to be sold to consumers.”

By selling the oil produced, local groups and municipalities can fund new recycling efforts in a self-sustaining loop. “I hope more people will use the machine in their community,” said Ito.

Several Japanese municipalities have already installed Ito’s invention to process hard-to-recycle plastic films, bags, wrappings, and other waste into oil.

The city of Akita estimates they can convert several hundred kilograms of plastic waste per day into nearly $500 worth of oil. Some groups report producing over 80 liters of oil daily.

But challenges remain in scaling up the niche recycling concept. Collecting sufficient plastic volumes is difficult in smaller towns. Removing ink and labels from plastic bags is an added step. The systems also require maintenance of technical equipment.

Still, supporters believe Ito’s invention provides an important outlet to reduce unrecyclable plastics piling up in Japan and other countries. His machine offers a rare solution for polyethylene films that lack recycling markets globally.

If expanded, systems that recycle plastic bags into oil could reduce environmental and crude oil imports for countries while generating income. With further development, experts envision entire localized supply chains optimizing the plastic-to-fuel concept.

For his innovation, Ito was awarded the Medal of Honor from Japan’s Ministry of Environment in 2018. His persistence in creating a real-world solution also highlights the power of grassroots initiatives to spur change.

Said Ito: “I don’t want my technology to end up sitting on the shelf. I want it to be used practically to help communities.”

Source Happy Eco News

Renewable energy battery systems could harness eggshell proteins for electricity conduction

Posted on October 26, 2023 by dishanth

Chicken eggshells may be the answer to developing safer, sustainable and cost-effective rechargeable battery storage systems, according to new research.

Murdoch University Associate Professor Dr. Manickam Minakshi Sundaram, from the Center for Water, Energy and Waste at Harry Butler Institute, for a doctoral thesis has successfully developed a new mechanism associated with electrode materials and electrolytes, offering an alternative to the expensive and impractical power storage technologies of the past and present.

“We’ve found that chicken eggshells can be used as electrodes—a conductor of electricity—in powering batteries. Eggshells contain a high level of calcium carbonate, and when they are baked and crushed, their chemical compositions change and they become a more efficient electrode and conductor of power,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“The current lithium-ion batteries used for renewable energy storage typically use fossil fuels.

“Repurposing a bio-waste product like eggshells could add considerable value to the renewable energy market. They also offer a potentially safer option, as the current lithium battery technologies are high-cost and potentially unsafe in the event of catastrophic failure.”

As the world continues to prioritize renewable energy sources, this breakthrough marks a significant step forward, offering hope for a greener and more sustainable future.

The study, conducted by Dr. Minakshi as part of his higher doctorate thesis with Flinders University, focused on the development of sustainable electrodes in aqueous-based energy storage technology.

“The implications of this study go beyond scientific discovery,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“Chicken eggs and related products are used in large quantities in the food processing and manufacturing sectors, households, the nutrition industry and even in the pharmaceutical industry, but their shells are typically sent as solid waste to landfill.

“However, eggshell and shell membranes contain a range of active chemical compounds that can be used. The reversibility of this new approach allows for efficient energy storage and retrieval. The study demonstrates that highly conductive aqueous lithium and sodium electrolytes with varying salt concentrations have the potential to replace existing non-rechargeable primary batteries. The discovery holds the promise of high energy capacity, long cycle life and affordability in aqueous batteries.”

By incorporating suitable additives such as biodegradable redox polymers, titanium boride/sulfide (TiB2, TiS2), or bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) compounds, the electrodes can be further modified to improve their performance.

“The potential applications of this breakthrough are immense,” Dr. Minakshi said. “We could transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, reducing, reusing and recycling waste improving both sustainable development and addressing waste management.”

The studies on sustainable electrode materials have also been extended to other biowaste including chitosan derived from crustaceans, mango seed husk, and grape marc from wineries. From these biowastes, N-doped carbon was derived, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance.

Source – Tech Xplore

Generating small amounts of electricity by squeezing luffa sponges

Posted on October 3, 2023October 3, 2023 by dishanth

A team of mechanical engineers at Beihang University, Peking University and the University of Houston has found that it is possible to capture small amounts of electricity by repeatedly squeezing treated luffa sponges. In their study, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group treated sample luffa sponges and measured the electricity they generated when repeatedly squeezed.

Prior research has shown that applying force or stress to certain materials can result in an accumulation of a piezoelectric charge. Prior research has also shown that repeatedly applying and releasing the force or stress can result in the production of a flow of piezoelectricity.

Over the past several years, engineers have investigated the possibility of generating small amounts of piezoelectricity by taking advantage of footsteps, for example, or the movement of clothes as a person walks. Electricity generated and collected in such ways is seen as a possible way to charge personal devices. In this new effort, the research team looked into use of a new kind of material to generate piezoelectricity—luffa sponges.

Luffa sponges are porous shells that are left behind when the fruit of a luffa plant is left to dry. They have been prepared and sold as a commercial product, mainly as a tool for removing dead skin from the body while in the shower. In this new effort, the researchers looked at luffa as a possible tool for generating small amounts of electricity.

They first treated them with chemicals to remove hemicellulose and lignin, leaving behind a cellulose crystal shell. Then, they connected the results to an electrical circuit and began squeezing them over and over by hand. The research team found they were able to generate up to 8 nanoamps of electricity.

They acknowledge that the amount of electricity generated is so small that it likely would not be of much use, but they also suggest that artificially created luffa sponges could be created that would be more efficient. They could also be made a lot bigger to generate useable amounts of electricity.

Source Tech Xplore

Masdar: Using technology to power a sustainable future

Posted on August 19, 2023 by dishanth

Renewable energy company Masdar has been making strides towards its sustainability goals by utilising the latest technology

As a global leader in renewable energy and green hydrogen, Masdar has pioneered commercially viable solutions in clean energy, sustainable real estate and clean technology in the UAE and around the world for over a decade.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the business is currently developing large-scale renewable energy initiatives, in a bid to drive the progression of clean technologies and further grow technology in the renewable energy sector. In doing so, Masdar is focused on creating new long-term revenue streams for the UAE.

How is Masdar utilizing technology to boost sustainable energy?

Committed to advancing clean-tech innovation, Masdar utilises technology to enhance the renewable energy sector.

Masdar hosts a range of wind farms in its offshore project portfolio, including sites in London Array and the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the United Kingdom. The business has also partnered with Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm.

Additionally, Masdar deploys solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in utility-scale and off-grid solar power plants and rooftop systems, including monocrystalline silicon panels, polycrystalline silicon panels, and thin-film panels.

Depending on the solar potential, geographical location, and financial requirements of a specific solar PV project, a suitable PV system is implemented to meet the project’s needs.

Likewise, concentrated solar power (CSP) systems – which use mirrors to focus a large area of sunlight onto much smaller areas – are used to convert concentrated light into heat, to drive a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator. CSP systems have become known as a promising solar power technology for large-scale power generation.

When CSP and thermal energy storage (TES) are used together, it is capable of producing constant power for up to 24 hours a day.

Masdar’s sustainability commitments

With the aim of investing and actively supporting the development of young people, Masdar strives to help support the sustainability leaders of tomorrow through its Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S).

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi invested in the initiative, ensuring it aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to bolster the nation’s sustainability efforts.

By 2030, Y4S aims to reach up to one million youth, creating awareness of the skills needed for future jobs in sustainability.

Source Sustainability

Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan Will Become a Law Next Year

Posted on July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 by dishanth

Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan is intended to train workers for new roles in preparation for the future of a green economy. The government has presented a sustainable jobs bill that will provide the workforce needed for what is called a “just transition” to a new green economy. The country aims for a 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes the Sustainable Jobs Plan will help attract billions of dollars in investment by creating a skilled clean energy workforce. The bill, which will become law early in 2024, will publish an action plan every five years to put in place measures to invest in the net-zero emissions economy and skills of the future. From 2025, the government plans to release a new sustainable jobs plan every five years.

This new legislation has been ongoing for over two years of consultations and conversations with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, workers and unions, industry, environmental and civil society organizations and interested Canadians. Based on these conversations, the creation of the Sustainable Jobs Plan put forward ten concrete actions to advance the creation of sustainable jobs and support workers in every part of Canada. These actions include:

Establish the sustainable jobs secretariat: This will ensure federal policies and program coordination among Government departments.

Create a Sustainable Partnership Council: This council would advise the government on job creation and support workers.

Develop economic strategies through the Regional Energy and Resource Tables: These tables will work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous groups and other partners to identify a set of concrete actions and develop economic strategies.

Introduce a sustainable jobs stream under the Union Training and Innovation Program: This will provide workers with training, equipment and materials that meet industry standards and investments that support a low-carbon economy.

Advanced funding for skills development for sustainable jobs: This will be achieved by working with universities, colleges, union training centres and employer groups to help workers succeed in a net-zero economy.

Promote Indigenous-led solutions and a National Benefits-Sharing Framework: This will be achieved by continuously supporting Indigenous-owned clean energy projects across Canada.

Improve labour market data collection, tracking and analysis: These improvements will help the council provide advice and identify new measures and actions that must be taken.

Motivate investors and draw in industry leaders to support workers: The money will be used to support green infrastructure, clean technologies, climate action, and environmental protection.

Collaborate and lead on the global stage: Canada is committed to ensuring that their best practices and lessons learned are shared globally.

Establish legislation that ensures ongoing engagement and accountability: The overall goal is that all Canadians are involved in the decision-making process and that everyone adapts to new changes to help achieve our goals.

Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Plan will train people in jobs that are compatible with Canada’s path to a net-zero emissions and climate-resilient future. These include:

Clean energy: This includes jobs in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power generation, as well as energy efficiency and conservation.
Green infrastructure: This includes jobs in building and maintaining sustainable infrastructure, such as green roofs, rainwater harvesting systems, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Low-carbon transportation: This includes jobs in electric vehicle manufacturing, public transit, and active transportation (e.g., walking, biking, and rolling).
Sustainable agriculture: This includes jobs in organic farming, sustainable forestry, and aquaculture.
Recycling and waste management: This includes jobs in recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy.
Environmental monitoring and remediation: This includes jobs in monitoring air and water quality and cleaning up contaminated sites.

The Sustainable Jobs Plan will help to ensure Canada has the skilled workforce it needs to build a clean, healthy future for the country.

Think-tank Clean Energy Canada expects jobs in this sector will grow by 3.4% annually over the next decade, nearly four times faster than the Canadian average. With the commitment from the Canadian government to the Sustainable Jobs Plan, there is hope that the country can meet its environmental goals and that sustainable jobs will become the new normal across the country.

Source Happy Eco News

Creating Biochar to Sequester Carbon and Fertilize Plants

Posted on July 14, 2023 by dishanth

The slash-and-burn agriculture technique grows food whereby forested land is clear-cut, and any vegetation is burned. The resulting layer of ash from the burnt vegetation provides a newly cleared land with a nutrient-rich layer that helps fertilize crops. Traditionally, the area was left fallow and reverted to a secondary forest of bush. Cultivation would then shift to a new plot.

Unfortunately, as we’ve shifted towards a fast-past world, these techniques are deemed harmful to the environment as modern slash-and-burn techniques are a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, especially when used to initiate permanent deforestation. Moreover, many of these plots do not get replanted.

On a smaller scale, farmers are turning to create biochar to sequester carbon emissions and aid in growing their crops. Biochar is similar to slash-and-burn techniques, except it is created artificially through a process called pyrolysis. It is made when biomass, such as fallen tree branches and crop residue, is heated at 200-400°C with little or no oxygen.

Various types of biomass have been used on a commercial scale to produce biochar. This includes agricultural and forestry by-products (such as straw or tree bark), industrial by-products (such as paper sludge and pulp), animal wastes (such as chicken litter) and sewage sludge. Converting biomass to biochar offers an excellent method for reducing waste and using these by-products.

This process decomposes the organic waste into a solid residue of carbon. Farmers can apply it to the field where around 50 percent of the carbon is stored in stable forms as a soil additive to improve drainage, aeration, plant health, crop yield, and water and nutrient retention. Biochar helps process things that settle on it, such as soil’s water and nutrients that the plants can access when needed. Biochar can also absorb heavy metals, reducing the plants’ risk of accessing them.

There are a number of ways that small farmers can use biochar to sequester carbon:

Incorporate it into their soil: Biochar to sequester carbon can be added as a soil amendment. This can be done by broadcasting it on the soil’s surface or by mixing it into the soil.
Use it as a fertilizer: Biochar can be used as a fertilizer by mixing it with compost or other organic materials. This can help to improve the nutrient content of the soil and increase crop yields.
Use it to produce energy: Biochar can be used to produce energy by burning it in a stove or furnace. This can provide farmers with a renewable source of energy.

This process reduces emissions from organic waste that is burned or left to decompose, producing greenhouse gases. Studies have shown that only about 10 to 20 percent of the residue carbon is recycled into the soil when crop residue is left to decompose on its own.

Biochar increases soil fertility more than simple plant matter and reduces nutrients from leaching from the crop root zone, meaning they would have to use less chemical fertilizers to grow their crops. Using biochar to sequester carbon will also benefit farmers who cannot afford to buy fertilizers or invest in organic cultivation techniques that take a long time to establish. It also helps establish independence among smaller farmers as they would not have to depend on chemical fertilizer companies.

Creating biochar to sequester carbon is a sustainable way to fertilize plants and actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. According to the IPCC, biochar is one of the safest, most durable ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It helps create nutrient levels in the soil that are more stable and resistant to environmental degradation. This allows farmers to save money and resources, reducing their environmental impact.

Source Happy Eco News