The 40th Earth Day Celebration
Today is Earth Day! We've posted some ideas you could do to support the need to protect our fragile planet.
Gary Fahy’s review of household heaters
Dear friends, This month I have investigated a variety of common household heaters in an attempt to evaluate the costs, and more importantly, the resulting CO2 emissions associated with their use. This might have come a little late in the year, with spring on our doorstep, however the same information will apply next winter. First [...]
Gary Fahy’s tip to save water and electricity: fit a water-saving showerhead!
Dear friends, Considering the detrimental effect of pollution on our environment due to electricity production from fossil fuels, as well as the limited supply of fresh water, a device which reduces electricity consumption and water use is an attractive prospect. Water-saving shower and tap fixtures are not a new concept, but for various reasons they [...]
Eric Mair’s Energy 101: Part 9
Part 9 of Eric Mair's Energy 101 Series, exploring building planning and design, using sustainable materials.
Demystifying Renewable Energy: Eric Mair
Dear friends, Eric Mair, from Capstone Renewables, will be hosting a Demystifying Renewable Energy presentation on the 8th of August 2009. This is a 90 minute presentation on what can be and, indeed, is being achieved both in the domestic and utility scale markets with renewable energy resources and technology available today. It is an [...]
Climate Champions: Michaelhouse School, KZN
Two students at Michaelhouse private school in the Midlands, KZN have started their own small scale biogas system. Read their story of what they did, what worked and the successes they've had. Hopefully this project can the foundation a school wide biogas generation project.
Costing a 2020 target for 15% renewable electricity in South Africa
"Reaching a 15% renewable target by 2020 will not cost the earth..." This is one of the key findings in a recent study by Dr Andrew Marquard, Bruno Merven and Emily Tyler from the Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town. Commissioned by the Climate Change Programme of WWF South Africa, the study explores the [...]
The largest solar tower in the world tested successfully!
Abengoa Solar of Spain on Monday reported successful tests of its second solar tower in operation, in which the sun's heat is used to make electricity. The 531-foot solar tower, located near Seville, Spain, features a number of improvements on the first design and has exceeded the anticipated output. Called PS20, the installation is the [...]
Maldives: 1st Country to go carbon-neutral!
Dear Friends, We recently stumbled upon this very inspiring news from the Maldives Islands, or rather the Republic of Maldives, also referred to as The Maldives. The Maldives, southwest of India, is made up of a chain of 1192 small coral islands that are grouped into clusters of atolls. It has a total area of [...]
Book Review: Going green – 365 ways to change our world
Dear friends, A current inspiration at our office is a new book by author and weatherman Simon Gear titled: Going Green, 365 ways to change our world, published by Penguin Books. Brenda Martin, our Director, recently penned this review in our March 2009 newsletter (to receive our monthly newsletter, send us an email with your [...]