Cement, Energy and Environment July-Sep 2002

.. Slll\1;\liT DOES NOT HAVE GLOBAL WARMING ON \GENOA Times News Network Ten years after nations agreed to unitedly fight global warming the issue isn't eve n on the formal agenda forthe second Earth Summit - the World Summit on Sustainable Development - starting August 26 in South Africa. And, with US President George Bush and several other leaders deciding to stay home, the External Affairs Mini stry is skeptical about the viability of the summit, even though it confirmed that Env ironment Minister T. R. Baalu would be going. The Centre for Science and Environment director Sunita Narain, however, said, "This largest cooperative human enterprise isn't there because the US said it should not be." Over the past decade, emissions of the greenhouse gases have only increased. According to official figures, the Canadians are up 3 I per cent over the 1990 figures, Spain is up 22 per cent, France is up 13 per cent, Australia and New Zealand are up nine per cent each. According to 1990 figures, the US contributed 36 per cent of emissions by the developed countries - this, too, has been going up. Kirit Parikh of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Resea rch sa id a 2.5-4 .9 degrees Celsius rise in temperatures could cut rice yields by between 15 and 42 per cent. and wheat production by between 25 and 42 per cent. In 1992, it was agreed upon that since the developed countries had created the problem, they would take the first steps to solve it - by cuttinu down emissions. As matters stand now. with India preparing to host the eighth Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Cha nge in October, 76 countries have ratified the Kyo to Protocol which sets speci fi c emi ssion reduction targets for developed countries. India is expected to do so before the New Delhi rneeti ng. This isn't enough, however, to bring the Protocol into force. It's imperative for the biggest emitters to ratify it. But, with the US walki ng out and refusing to make cuts, it leaves on ly Russia, which is trying to dri ve the best bargain possible. Courtesy : Times ofIndia, New Delhi Aug. 03,2002 \\ 1 ASTE TO HEALTH PUTTING SOLAR TO WORK, USING SOLAR HEAT IN AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Brian Norton, (Renewable Energy World, Sept.- Oct. 20QO, pp. 92-101) Solar thermal technology can offer so much more than just domestic hot water - it can provide process heat for many industrial and agricultural requirements, can dry crops, extract potable water from brackish or saline supplies, destroy hazardous contaminants an~ be used in the manufacture of adva nced materials. So lar process heat sys tems are now mature technologies, economically viable in many instances. Solar detoxification and advanc ed so la r-powered manufacturing processes are the subj ect of ongoing research . The goa l ofmuch ofthe present research is to reduce costs, through technical refi nement and use of new materials. Courte.1y: Water & Energy Abstracts, CBI !', .la11. -tlfar.(J2. P 16 Fax: 9!-II-6//63F £mail: chiprij} ,nda.vsnl.net.in /Vch: ll'll'll' .chip.org TURNING SEWAGE W ASTF: INTO POWER The 1/indu, 30 Alay 2002 Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Process Technology Group have devised a process that turns wet waste from sewage farms and paper mills into a source of power. Un ive rs ity of Warwick researcher Dr. J\ shok Bhatt acharya and hi s team have c racked the problem of how to extract very pure levels of hydrogen from wet bio-matter, such as sewage or paper mill waste. This very pure hydrogen can then be used in 'fuel cells' to power homes, factories and :ars. Eventually the research team's plated membrane reactors' could be bui It as small industrial units. no bigger than a large room in some cases, and added directly to the sites ofsewage plants or paper mills. First the waste biomass is gasified breaking it down into methane, water, carbon monoxid e, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. All these gases are then fed into a reactor, which uses th em in a chem ical react ion, which extracts th e hydrogen from both methane and water. Courtesy · Teri Newswire, 16-31 May 02, P 2 7 Fax: ./682/4.1 Email: outreacht@teri.res . in Web: www.teriin.01g IIONOLULlJ PROGRAMME OF WASTE ENERGY RECOVERY WI fO.KOBEREPORT Modern municipal solid wastes disposal requires a careful and well-balanced approach. Any disposa l programme must meet minimum environmental criteria, must be cost-effective and must provide a service for the community that meets the expectations of its citizens. Land in Hawaii is expensive. Because of the need to protect Oahu 's underground water source from contamination, kmd fi lis must be located a round the perimeter of the island on what is