The LuxMob Info Tags

An air filter, which is found in air purifier units, is quickly
becoming a must-have accessory among homeowners. These products
are used in every room of the house, including the living room,
bedroom and anywhere else that clean air is desired.

A HEPA air filter, which is found in most purifiers, can reduce
the amount of airborne allergens and, therefore, help to ease
the discomfort of allergy sufferers. HEPA, which stands for High
Efficiency Particle Arresting, is known to help remove mold
spores, dust mites, dust, pet dander and other allergy inflaming
particles. Even if a person does not suffer from allergies, they
will benefit from not having to breathe in such harmful
allergens. The HEPA air filter is found is in the vast majority
of small, lightweight and portable air purifiers.

Air filters provide natural air with a way for it to be pulled
in and sent through a pre-filter, which traps large air
particles. After that, the air continues to pass through
additional filters, such as HEPA or carbon, before being
released back out into the home. The result is cleaner, fresher
air for both children and adults. HEPA filters are extremely
popular among air purifier owners, in part, due to the fact that
they have been shown to remove up to 98% of airborne particles.
The result is the most efficient filtration system available. A
general rule when buying a home purifier is that the more
filtration it offers, the cleaner the air.

When browsing the home section of any store, either retail or
online, it is nearly impossible not to see air filters or
purifying units. Such products, especially those containing a
HEPA filter, can be very expensive depending on the brand and
size of the unit. Portable filtration units often range from
$30.00 up to $200.00, but a larger unit may cost more.

When purchasing an air purifier, take a moment to read the
warranty. Almost every unit will be accompanied by a warranty
card or registration information. It is a good idea to keep this
paperwork tucked away in a safe place for future reference. In
addition, retain the owner’s manual for manufacturer contact
information and required maintenance and troubleshooting with
the unit.

It is important to remember that, in order to continue working
properly, an air filter must be changed regularly. This is a
simple process that usually involves disassembling a part of the
purifier, removing the old filter and sliding a new one in it’s
place. It is important to select an air purifier that offers
replacement air filter cartridges, which can either be ordered
through the manufacturer or sold at a local department store. If
the unit that you choose is not a common, well-known brand, it
may be difficult when it comes time to replace the air filter.
When attempting to replace a filter cartridge, it is important
to follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to the details on
caring for the unit. How often should the air filter be changed?
How much assembly is involved during the process? The answers to
these questions will vary depending on the unit.

CO2, Global Warming, and Pollen-Allergies

Thomas Ogren

The benefits of added organic matter to the soil have long been known and are usually attributed to increased nitrogen, greater water-holding capacity and an increase in activity of soil earthworms and microbes. But experiments have shown that the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) release that accompanies added organic matter is certainly one of the main reasons why adding organic matter to the soil increases plant growth.
Greenhouse owners have long understood that plants consume CO2 and release oxygen. In a greenhouse packed full of plants, through the process of photosynthesis, the plants can quickly use up most of the available CO2 and then their growth slows down or stops. To compensate for this, old time growers used to place boxes or flats of fresh manure underneath their greenhouse benches. As the manure decomposed it released CO2 into the greenhouse air and the plants grew faster as a result.
In today’s modern greenhouses, especially those with concrete floors, lack of CO2 is always a concern. Most of the newer greenhouse ranges are now equipped with automatic CO2 regulators that monitor the amount of CO2 in the air inside the greenhouse and then release more as needed.
In these greenhouses with their gas growth CO2 generators the plants don’t just grow bigger– they also mature earlier.

So, what has all this to do with global warming and allergies?

As we become more and more reliant on burning petroleum products and as our global temperatures continue to rise, carbon dioxide levels in our air are rising. Before the last election we in the US had assumed, incorrectly, that no matter which candidate won the election, new controls were going to be placed on CO2 emissions.
We know better now.
The US with its huge consumption of fossil fuels, (the U.S. produces nearly 25 percent of man-made carbon dioxide emissions worldwide). also is experiencing the greatest increase in CO2. Actually, CO2 accounts for 80-85 percent of the heat trapping (greenhouse) gases contributing to global warming.
The idea that is now called the “Greening Theory” holds that all this extra CO2 is good. It will result in increased plant growth and thus in resulting increases in food supplies. There is some merit to this theory but there are numerous downsides too.

Pollen-Allergies
There are many negative effects from global warming but let’s just consider one here, pollen production and it’s affect on allergies.
Since 1959 allergies have dramatically increased in the US from 2 to 5 percent of the population affected, to a whopping 38 percent now.
Largely because of the huge horticultural “success” of the much over-simplified theory of “litter-free” landscaping we already have vast urban landscapes that are heavily loaded with wind-pollinated dioecious male cultivars (clones) of trees and shrubs. These modern landscape trees result in surrounding air with unnaturally large amounts of allergenic pollen. Because the “messy” urban female trees are now so rare, almost none of this pollen is now trapped, removed from the air and turned into seed. (Female trees produce no pollen, ever, but they do make seeds, pods, and fruit.)
We have tidy sidewalks but pollen-filled air.
Under normal carbon dioxide levels these male cloned trees will always produce abundant amounts of pollen. Under increased levels of carbon dioxide, they produce considerably more. The increase in temperature itself also results in increased pollen production, and in pollen production that starts earlier in the spring and lasts further into the fall. There is research that shows that under stress conditions male plants are able to take up more water than are females. Under stress conditions, such as drought, male trees are also able to hold onto the water they already have better than are female plants.
Where there are abundant water and soil nutrient sources the increases in carbon dioxide levels in our air will result in larger urban trees, which if they’re allergy trees, will be capable of producing ever more pollen.
Increases in carbon dioxide increase plant growth but only if there is enough available extra water and nitrogen in the soil to support this additional growth. When the supplies of water and nutrients are not adequate to support this added CO2-induced growth interesting physiological things happen in plants. Foremost, it is an added stress on the plants and stress often results in an increase in unusual reproduction factors.

A stressed lemon tree, for example, will often produce a huge crop of tiny, very seedy lemons. This is simply the lemon tree’s way of preparing for it’s own imminent demise and also it’s own legacy of possible seedlings.
Another stress example: In daily pollen collections taken by biology professor Dr. Lee Parker and his students from the top of the Fisher Science Building at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California, taken during the middle of a severe seven year drought, all-time record oak pollen count levels were recorded.
In the past twenty years in particular there has been a huge increase in this planting of male cloned street trees. These trees can not produce pollen until they mature but with the increases in CO2 levels, we can predict that they will mature earlier than expected.
Shannon L. LaDeau, a researcher at Duke University found that pine trees grown with elevated levels of CO2 produced three times the normal amount of seeds and also matured prematurely.
Lewis H Ziska, Ph.D., a USDA researcher, recently found that increased CO2 resulted in huge increases in the pollen production of ragweed and other weeds.
David Karowe, a researcher at the University of Michigan, found another interesting factor about increased CO2 levels and plants: their leaves contain fewer nutrients than normal.
Nancy Tuchman, biology professor at Loyola University in Chicago, is also researching the feed value of CO2 enhanced leaves on microorganisms and insects. She found that they all grow slower when fed these “enhanced” leaves. “If all the plants are altered on a global level, then it’s certainly going to affect all the organisms on Earth,” she said. “No one is going to escape.”
Compounding all of this is that excessive burning of fossil fuels and the resulting pollution may well be compromising our very endocrine and immune systems. Theo Colburn explored this well in the very interesting book, “Our Stolen Future.”
Great increases in the already excessively high rates of urban pollen, combined with further compromised immune systems, may well be the recipe for allergies of true epidemic proportions in the not too distant future.
Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, renowned biologist from UC Berkeley, told me recently in a phone conversation, that the planting of all these cloned male dioecious and compromised monoecious trees, “is a classic example of how they just didn’t think about the ecology involved.”
If we don’t start paying closer attention to how we landscape our cities, and we don’t start getting serious about alternative clean energy sources, rampant allergies and other pollen-related illnesses may well be the end result.

This article first appeared in New Scientist Magazine, in London.

About the Author

Thomas Ogren is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening, Ten Speed Press. Tom does consulting work on landscape and allergies for the USDA, county asthma coalitions, and the Canadian and American Lung Associations. He has appeared on HGTV and The Discovery Channel. His book, Safe Sex in the Garden, was published in 2003. In 2004 Time Warner Books published his latest book: What the Experts May NOT Tell You About: Growing the Perfect Lawn. His website: www.allergyfree-gardening.com

I have lived in Paphos for a few years now and after the
euphoria of living in the sun, going to the beach, seeing the
sea every day and watching fabulous coastal sunsets every night,
had settled to an acceptable level, I then discovered that
Paphos has so much more to offer.

Don’t get me wrong, all of the above still excite me beyond
belief and the ‘Med’ lifestyle is all it is cracked up to be,
but behind the mask of simply being a tourist attraction,
offering all that the discerning holiday maker could be looking
for, there is another face to Paphos. Not many visitors will see
or experience this face because they are taking a break from
their daily lives and looking for fabulous beaches, water
sports, great restaurants and total relaxation. But, I have
found out what is going on in the background.

Cyprus is an extremely interesting place for nature lovers.
Paphos is home to a very rare and very shy wild sheep called the
Moufflon that has magnificent curving horns. These heraldic
animals, although roaming wild, can be seen at the forestry
station in Paphos forest (Stavros tis Psokas). Another delight
is that the island has visiting Loggerhead and Green turtles
that come ashore to nest every year on the sandy beaches around
Paphos. These marine turtles are strictly protected and if you
do decide to venture further afield than the local sunbathing
beaches and seek out the areas of unspoilt wilderness, you may
come across frames on the beach which warn you of a turtle nest
and kindly ask you not to disturb. I have also found that many
University students studying marine biology spend their holiday
time here helping out with the research into these fabulous
marine creatures. What a holiday!

Cyprus is also heaven for bird watchers. The island has become a
stop over for many migratory birds on their travels from Europe
to Africa during the autumn and back again in spring. More than
300 different bird species have been seen and recorded and the
island has two endemic species which are often seen in the
coastal regions, which are the Cyprus Pied Wheatear and the
Cyprus Warbler. One of the islands larger varieties of bird is
now very much under threat and conservationists battle hard to
save it from extinction. The Griffin Vulture was once a common
sight on the island but now their numbers have dwindled to less
than 50.

So to those of you that have visited before and enjoyed your
summer holidays in Cyprus, why not try an autumn visit. Most of
the tourists have returned home and the beaches once again
become the domain of our wildlife. You will of course have to
make an effort as not all these areas are easily accessed and
the areas around Paphos, namely the Akamas Peninsula, can only
be accessed by four wheel drive. This will be a unique
experience that you will take home and treasure. Imagine walking
a beach with no sun beds, no shops, no noise apart from the surf
and often nobody else but you! Enjoy the fresh air, the scenery,
the forests and keep an eye out for the elusive Moufflon. Then,
before leaving our wonderful wilderness find yourselves a
comfortable place on the rocks or lay that blanket on the beach
and experience some of the best sunsets in the Mediterranean.
Paphos behind the mask is a memorable place!

Ignoring Global Warming risks precipitating a Global
Pan-Famine/Starvation from Africa, right into Europe, the United
States, and Canada, unless in can be stopped and reversed in a
very timely manner. Such a milieu would occur with soaring
temperatures, destoying the oceans, with corresponding record
drought conditions in agricultural lands, threatening the food
supply internationally.

There are apparently some people who think that the current
“Greenhouse Effect” will simply lead to an “evolutionary” change
in the global climate, so that climatic areas in the northern
hemisphere like Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska in the U.S.,
and Antarctica in the southern hemisphere will become like one
big tropical resort area like Tahiti, Cuba, or Jamaica. Soon
everyone will be enjoying glorious sunshine, and sipping exotic
tropical drinks in Nova Scotia, Baffin Island in the Canadian
Arctic, or around the Arctic waters of Siberia, according to
people with this apparent view. These people profess a dislike
for the cold, and they therefore welcome any change that might
eventually get rid of their abhored winter blaaaaahs.

Unfortunately for these people, such a view is not supported by
critical scientific evidence, beyond “scientific infomercials”
and propaganda pieces that have been sponsored by various
well-financed Big Business interests. Indeed, it has been the
job of the largely corporate owned mass-media in Canada, and
elsewhere, to channel viewers, readers, and listeners into
responses which will complement the elite pursuit of insatiable
commercial profit. This corporate owned mass-media does not want
to draw public attention to the dire fate which awaits the
public, if ‘the Economy’ is not rejuvenated in a manner that
minimizes social and environmental costs.

The large scale ‘owners of capital’ have structured the
prevailing capitalistic economy to principally serve their
interests in the pursuit of money, status, and power for
themselves. Like heroine or “crack” cocaine drug addicts,
‘capitalistocrats’ have become so addicted to the pursuit of a
self-absorbing materialistic lifestyle predicted on money,
status, and power, they would much rather apparently destroy our
planet, and all life along with it, than to change their ways of
drug-like abuse. Indeed, the mass-media in the prevailing
capitalistocratic systems of Canada, the United States, United
Kingdom, continental Europe, and elsewhere, are no less corrupt
than the politicians which they are supposedly “holding
accountable”.

The mass-media has apparently covered-up the fate that awaits
humanity, and the rest of our planet, if there is not an
immediate substantive response to the Global Warming threat
beyond the relatively superficial responses associated with the
extremely slow responses to fulfilling the relatively
superficial Kyoto Protocol. Indeed, failure to redress Global
Warming with great alacrity, will not mythically result in
northern hemispheres being turned into extensions of “tropical
paradises”.

The cold air masses that hover over the Arctic and Antarctic
climatic areas of the planet are absolutely vital to moderating
the temperatures of planet Earth. Global Warming by the
irresponsible activities of greed driven private enterprises
under American led “global capitalism”, are destroying these
vital climatic areas at an alarming rates. As a human species,
we have already witnessed deadly heat waves and humidity. The
accompanying worsening cancer causing ultra violet (UV) rays due
to rapid accompanying ozone depletion is already creating
experiences which almost feel like a form of radiation
poisoning. Further accompanying weather cataclysms including
more devastating hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans in late Summer 2005, and other such ”weather events”
are only a relatively small tip of the iceberg so-to-speak.

The “hellish” summer of 2005 internationally has poignantly
showed relative to the comparatively milder Summer 2004, that
changes due to the abusive activities by human beings on the
planet can be sudden, and extremely drastic. The current
quantuum advancing devastating destructive impacts of
American-led “global capitalism” are threatening to precipitate
a catastrophic global drought in vital agricultural areas
internationally that the world has never ever seen; due to
unending rising temperatures, that will make the traditional
temperature characteristics of the tropics today (that have
benefited from Arctic and Antarctic moderation) seem like
comparative ice boxes. Worsening “hellish” summers will lead
into hellish other parts of the year also, with the prospective
disappearance of the Arctic and Antarctic climatic areas. The
inevitable result of such allowed phenomenon will be an ensuing
Global Famine that so far, the world has also never seen
spreading from the United States and Canada, into Europe and the
rest of the World.

The rising temperatures of the oceans would eventually
completely destroy all vital air (oxygen) producing plankton. A
global crisis in agricultural production would be further
accompanied by the cascading rapid dying out of all species in
the ocean. The oceans would become dead polluted waters (the
Gulf of Mexico has already been basically destroyed, with other
parts of the ocean following pursuit).

In such a milieu of Global Famine, the world would be taken over
by various warring military camps threatening each other with
nuclear annihilation, and privately-run “terrorist”
organizations trying to forcibly acquire what little of the
Earth is left, for the exclusive use of elites, criminal
syndicates, and gangs, leaving “masses” to perish in a milieu of
spiralling global starvation, and poverty in a climate of
socio-economic chaos and societal upheaval. Indeed, the
mass-media has hypocritically ignored the extent to which
‘capitalism’ is actually the root cause of growing apparent
“terrorism” as more and more people are turning to violent
political extremism, in the face of environmental destruction,
related oppression, and overall declines in quality-of-living.

Having destroyed the air-producing ocean life, and rainforests
under a greed driven ethos of capitalism, soon even the Global
Air Supply would become threatened with the overall rapid decay
of vital ecosystems. Global Warming promises the convert the
whole Earth not into a tropical paradise, but rather into a
giant coffin, where all life on the planet will miserably
perish. The Earth will eventually become very similar to Mars
sooner than you think, unless the whole economic system can
rejuvenated from its self-destructive path of Global Warming and
accompanying pollution including ozone depletion. The human race
will simply become a footnote for other possible space exploring
advanced species in the universe to study in their future
scientific missions of archaeological discovery, unless humanity
changes from its current overall destructive ways.

People in their communities can either choose to play Ninetendo
games, and worry about various other materialistic lifestyle
considerations in “blissful ignorance”, in the image of the
elites who prevail over self-destructive capitalistocracies, or
alternatively, people can choose to rally their governments for
vitally needed social change. ‘Sober’ members of the diverse
public must either become actively engaged in redressing the
shortcomings of the prevailing economic system, or face the dire
consequences of their jaded attitudes. Members of the diverse
public who are concerned about their immediate
quality-of-survival cannot afford to be complacent. These
members of the diverse public must use what little that remains
of destroyed democratic systems (that have been taken-over by
the substantive operation of ‘capitalistocracy’) to challenge
corrupted government leaders.

Government leaders have allowed themselves to be seduced and
“bought-out” by self-serving greed-driven interests, that
operate against the vital affirmation of the quality-of-living
interests of the diverse public that these leaders were
supposedly elected to serve; and against the interests of
quality-of-living seeking human beings internationally. So far,
these government leaders have chosen to substantively ignore
capitalistocractic activities that precipitate Global Warming,
and accompanying pollution and worsening poverty which are being
executed by “generous donors” to their political campaigns, that
prop-up their political power. People must either turn away en
masse, from the norms of the prevailing capitalism that has
corrupted the integrity of democratic systems, or face certain
Mars-like global self-destruction.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

The Kyoto Protocol Is Not Enough!, Part I:

Replace Capitalistocracy including the GDP Index Toward a New
Political Economy of Social Justice and Environmental Protection

by Raymond Samuels II, ed.. ISBN: 1894839978, 2005

The Kyoto Protocol Is Not Enough!, Part II:

Replace Capitalistocracy including the GDP Index Toward a New
Political Economy of Social Justice and Environmental Protection

by Raymond Samuels II, ed., ISBN: 1894934342, 2005

internet site reference: http://www.agoracosmoplitan.com

Insights into China and India’s Water and Renewable Energy Market

Depletion of Natural Resources and Energy Demands Show
Increasing Need for Renewables and Water Filtration

By Fei Wang www.China-AsiaStocks.com and
www.IndiaStockMarket.com January 2006

China and India’s aggressive economic growth over the past two
decades have provided significant increases in the standard of
living for hundreds of millions of residents. This increase has
also produced environmental disasters: deforestation, flooding,
water pollution and land degradation continue to worsen. There
has been a dramatic increase in the demand for natural resources
of all kinds, especially water and energy in both these
countries, which creates opportunities for foreign investors
involved in the water and renewable energy sectors. However, due
to the differences in the composition of natural resources,
population structure, and political environment, opportunities
and challenges vary between countries. How do these differences
affect doing business in those two countries? Which country has
bigger potential for growth in these two industries?

Water Treatment

- Background

High density population in both countries, along with a move
toward urbanization and industrialization, has placed
significant pressure on their infrastructure and its natural
resources. According to the report from World Water Forum, in
China 60 million people are having difficulty getting access to
water, almost three times that number drink contaminated water
daily. 400 out of a total of 668 Chinese cities are having water
shortage problems, only 30% of which have had some wastewater
treatment. India’s water quality is the second worst in the
world. According to India Asia News Portal, only 40% to 50% of
the Indian population has enough supply of water. The publics
have to get their own water from wells (see picture 1).

- Water Industry Opportunities

Many experts believe, after the oil and natural gas market
exploded that water will be the next oil for the following 20 to
30 years representing a considerable opportunity for growth in
this arena. China is planning to build 200 to 400 more power
plants, but there is not enough water to fuel these plants.
Opportunities clearly exist. According to a recent economic
survey, nations in the Middle East will need to invest an
estimated $73 billion in water desalination plants during the
next three decades in order to meet rising demand for domestic,
industrial and agricultural water.

This trend has already appeared in the US stock market. Many
water sector stocks are showing a very strong growth trend. The
American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) announced on Aug 11th that
it has begun publishing the Palisades Water Index (Ticker
Symbol: ZWI); a new index comprised of publicly traded companies
engaged in the global water industry. The index was created by a
venture between Hydrogen Ventures, LLC and WaterTech Capital.

When it comes to the China and India water market, Steve
Hoffmann, President of WaterTech Capital said: “Between India
and China, China has, at least at this point in time, better
natural water resources than India because water systems in
China are fairly extensive. India on the other hand, does have a
variety of surface water to draw upon, but a lot of their
surface water availability comes in the form of monsoons, and
many of them are lost during flooding. Therefore, relatively
speaking, between China and India, at this point, India is more
water stressed than China. Current situation with China is they
are spending an enormous amount of money on water
infrastructure, creating visibility from Olympics and other
publicity. I think also their economic situation puts them in a
better position right now than India. Fairly, the water industry
around the world thinks China is an enormous market. ”

Renewable Energy in High Demand

- Background

Continued inflow of foreign investment and the improved standard
of living of both Chinese and Indian people have inadvertently
pushed up demand for energy. During the first half this year,
China produced 1.128 trillion KW electricity, while consumption
equaled 1.148 trillion KW, a shortage of 0.02 trillion KW.
According to a recent report by Jean Ku and Debra Lew from the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Shi Pengfei of the
China Hydropower Planning General Institute and William Wallace
of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), more than
two-thirds of its provinces suffered blackouts last year due to
a shortage of generators, problematic coal and transport links,
and water shortages.

- Opportunities in Renewable Energy

Renewable energies, especially wind and solar, represent viable
solutions to the power shortage problems. “Strengthening the
development and use of renewable energies is a must for us to
address the increasingly serious energy and environmental
issues,” China president Hu Jingtao said in a statement, “China
attaches great importance to…renewable energy and takes it as
one of the most important instruments for promoting social and
economic development,” (quoted from The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113140558502290495.html).

- Solar Energy

China’s production and application of solar energy heaters is
leading the world. A total of 52 mln square meters have been
applied in 2003, representing 40 percent of the total amount of
the world. Debra Lew, Senior Project Leader at NREL explains,
“China is the largest solar water heating market in the world.
The technology is already used extensively, but there is great
potential for them to expand use in the residential, commercial
and industrial sectors. Solar photovoltaics (PV) used to produce
electricity is also already widely used in China, especially in
rural areas to provide electricity. The government recently
installed nearly 20 MW to electrify all townships that were
previously unelectrified. Megawatt-scale projects in urban areas
are also being installed..” Lew also stated “Solar is also doing
well in India. India also has a large rural population that is
remote and difficult to electrify with conventional grid
extension. Solar has been used in India as well to provide
electricity to those remote areas.”

China is Shell’s (NYSE: RDS-A) largest solar market in the Asia
Pacific region today. In the last 10 years they have installed
more than 7 MWp of solar power in more than 50 projects.
According to Shell Solar Media Relations Officer Alexandra
Wright, “Shell Solar looks at a variety of matters when deciding
to pursue renewable projects (in China and India market),
including of course traditional business drivers such as
critical mass and regulatory regimes. Solar opportunities are
encouraging in both countries as we are looking to bring energy
to individual households, and investigating the potential for a
system that would power entire villages. Shell is now in the
second phase of the Xinjiang project which will power around 75
villages in China.”

XsunX, Inc., (OTCBB: XSNX), a company focused on Building
Integrated Photovoltaics, anticipates a significant need for
alternative energy generation technology in developing countries
such as China and India. Tom Djokovich, CEO of XsunX, Inc
stated, “For XsunX, China with about 20% of the worlds
population and India with about 17% represent one of the more
compelling opportunities for sustained growth in the utilization
of solar energy production. Additionally these two developing
countries are experiencing a significant increase in the demand
for electrical power. At the same time the developed and
developing parts of the world are competing for a finite amount
of fossil fuels to power growing demands. This has not gone
unnoticed by the governments of China and India. India’s
government is preparing to embark on the development of major
national programs to promote the development of solar energy
systems in centralized and decentralized applications. While
China has enacted a renewable energy law designed to promote,
among other things, the wide scale use of PV technologies in the
design of buildings.”

“In these developing nations the practicality and cost benefits
of deploying solar technologies in lieu of building mass
centralized fossil fuel powered generation plants, transmission,
and distribution systems can and should be viewed as an
investment in long term national energy security. At XsunX we
are working to complete the development of semi-transparent PV
thin films for use in glass building facades. The use of our
Power Glass® films as a building integrated PV technology could
find opportunities in China and India as these developing
nations work to leverage a myriad of technologies in building
energy security and independence,” concluded Mr. Djokovich.

Suntech power Co. Ltd, a Chinese based solar power company has
also Identified opportunities for renewable energy in Asia. The
Company went public on December 14th this year through an IPO
becoming a shining light of solar energy stocks. Suntech Power
rose 34 percent to $21.10 in their U.S. market debut on
Wednesday, a day after pricing at the top of a recently raised
forecast (forecast range raised from $11-$13 to $13 - $15 on
Tuesday).

- Wind Energy

“Wind power has huge potential to address some of those (power
shortage) problems”, said Lew, “India currently is out-
competing China in terms of wind power because of their
aggressive policies. With an estimated potential wind power
capacity of 250 gigawatts onshore and 750 gigawatts offshore,
China has world-class wind resource. But their installed
capacity of wind power was only 764 MW (see table 1) at the end
of 2004, far less than India, which actually has a much more
moderate wind resource. India leads the Asia market with an
installed wind capacity of 4200 MW. ”

The critical factor that has led to this difference, according
to Lew, is the government policy. “Driving the development has
been the policy not the renewable energy resource. India’s wind
resources are not as strong, but the government has been
developing its wind market much more aggressively, with
aggressive policies and financial incentives. However, China is
catching up; especially with the new renewable energy law that
comes effective January 2006. They (Chinese) have set very
aggressive targets for renewable energy to meet as a certain
percentage of power supply (10% of its power, with 20 GW of
wind, and 1 GW of solar by 2020. And in the recent Beijing
International Renewable Energy Conference the government
announced a new target of 15% RE by 2020 with no announcement of
specific breakdown). In the new law, China is going to institute
a 0.25RMB/kWh subsidy for wind energy which should help drive
development,” described.

Table 1 Quoted from: Fuelling China’s Development through Wind
Power

GE Energy is very optimistic about both China and India’s
markets. Beijing Guotou Energy Conservation Company has selected
GE Energy as the turbine supplier for two new wind farms in
Hebei and Xinjiang provinces of China, announced GE at Power-Gen
Asia 2005. “China has a vast wind resource and an increasing
need for electricity,” stated Robert Gleitz, General Manager of
GE Energy’s wind segment in their news release. GE Energy has
also supplied steam turbine generators to all major power
utilities in India, which accounts for 10% of India’s installed
thermal power generation capacity. “India offers very exciting
opportunities for the wind industry. With an untapped wind power
potential estimated at 45,000 megawatts, and strong interest in
adding renewable energy capacity, the country can be a
cornerstone for wind energy development across Asia,” states
Gleitz.

Water and Renewable Energy Market’s Future

Hoffmann believes that China’s water industry potentially has a
brighter future than India’s. He explains:” I definitely think
China has greater opportunities to mitigate their situation for
a number of reasons: as developing countries, both India and
China are very rural, although China I think they have a greater
urbanization rate than India at this point. In China, a lot of
income potentials are in the major cities and more people move
into cities. This is creating a fair amount of necessity on the
part of China at least to really evoke some large centralized
treatment and I think given that the Olympics will be there in
2008, they are certainly more visible and they will be quicker
dealing with their water situation than India may. Also, you can
see a fair amount of capital flow into China. A lot of global
water players (such as GE) are actively courting China to
partner in large centralized water treatment facilities. So I
think they are getting a flow of funds that you can say will
help them develop faster. Most importantly, from table 2, you
can see, based upon the United Nation’s Population growth
statistic, over the period 1990 to 2025, India will surpass
China relative to water stress. This is primarily depends on
current population growth, because India right now has higher
population growth rate than China. The future of both countries
will be primarily dependent upon their future population growth.
If both countries can moderate their population growth, they
will certainly be in a better position from a water stress point
of view. ”

Table 2: Quoted from WaterTech Capital

When it comes to which market will have brighter future in
renewable energy sector, Lew said, ” (In terms of natural
resources), China definitely has better wind resources, and very
excellent solar resources in the north and west, but there isn’t
a lot of demand out there, so it is hard to say how useful it
is.” However, in terms of government policy, “India really got a
jump on the policy side, and this has attracted international
wind companies who manufacture turbines and blades there.
India’s wind market is one of the top in the world now. On the
other hand, China’s new law and new subsidy in 2006 will be a
huge boon to wind to China, “explained Lew.

Fei Wang

Fei Wang holds an Honors Bachelor of Commerce from University of
British Columbia Sauder Business School, with double major in
Finance and Marketing. She has experience in investment banking
and advertising in Canada, China and Korea, with a firm academic
background. Full
article:http://www.China-AsiaStocks.com/Articles/China_India_Wate
r.asp Disclaimer: www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp
©Copyright InvestorIdeas 2006

Protecting Wisconsin Waters in the Fall - Benefits of
Composting

Wisconsin’s water is our most precious resource. And in
Wisconsin, water means more than what comes out of the tap – it
is part of our lives and heritage. Our beautiful lakes, rivers
and natural areas are the places where our families go to swim,
fish, boat, hike and just plain enjoy. One simple way to protect
our waters is to compost your fall leaves.

“This time of year leaves make up the biggest component of
landscape wastes,” Derek Scheer, Water Policy Director of Clean
Wisconsin said. “Leaves are one of the easiest landscape wastes
to compost. A simple compost pile, can protect our waters,
reduce waste in landfills and improve your plants.”

Why
Compost? There are a number of good reasons to compost.

1. It reduces the amount of algae in our lakes.

2. It reduces the amount of waste in landfills.

3. It improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and
increases the soil’s water-holding capacity. Your plants will
thank you for the compost by producing more.

Reduces Algae in our Lakes

Leaves contribute to our lakes turning green in the summer by
fertilizing lake weeds and algae. When leaf piles sit, wind and
rain carry them into storm drains and into our lakes, through
the storm sewers. Even if the leaves are piled on your lawn,
rain seeping through the piles picks up phosphorus and other
plant nutrients that flow into the storm drains.

Reduces
Waste in Landfills

Nearly 30 percent of the wastes homeowners throw away each year
can be composted. This keeps these wastes out of landfills and
creates a product that adds valuable organic matter to the lawn
and garden. Composting may be the easiest way for homeowners to
dispose of them. Instead of clogging landfills, those leaves and
fruit and vegetable peelings can be recycled as backyard
compost.

Improves Soil

Leaves, plants killed by frost, vegetable scraps and grass
clippings–all these materials can be composted. Fall is the
perfect time to start a compost pile. The composting process
will continue throughout winter and yield you rich soil for your
spring planting. Compost is one of nature’s best mulches and
soil amendments, and you can use it instead of commercial
fertilizers. They’re easy, an efficient way to use yard waste
and will kick start your spring garden. Best of all, compost is
cheap.

Setting up a Compost Pile

Composting can be as easy as digging an area in your garden, at
least a foot deep, dumping leaves in the hole and covering it
with the twelve inches of soil you dug up. You could also
purchase a compost container or build your own.

The compost pile should contain a mix of nitrogen- and
carbon-rich materials because both are essential for the
microorganisms that do the decomposing. Green, leafy wastes
usually are high in nitrogen, while woody materials tend to be
high in carbon. Also include kitchen scraps such as egg shells,
melon rinds, coffee grinds, banana peels, etc in your compost.
Placing an empty ice cream pail in the kitchen cabinet below
your sink is an easy way to collect the scraps. You should avoid
meat scraps and dairy in the compost pile. These typically
attract rodents and other pests you don’t want in your backyard.
For a great list of what can and can’t go in a compost pile see:

http://www.compostguide.com/. They have an easy to follow
chart listing common composting materials.

As long as the pile is large enough to insulate itself, it will
continue to decompose throughout the winter. When warm weather
returns in the spring, use a shovel to stir the pile (turning).
The object of turning is to rotate the material in the pile. The
pile should be turned once a week. The compost is ready to use
when the pile cools and the material is dark, crumbly and
sweet-smelling, like soil. Finished compost can be used next
spring to mulch around shrubs or flowers or as a soil enhancer
for gardens.

If composting won’t work for you, participate in your local or
municipal fall leaf collection.

• Call your local Public Works Department. Most cities, towns
and villages have leaf collections in October or citizens can
drop off yard waste at specific sites. Call for the schedule.

• If your municipality picks up leaves, place leaves for pickup
on the terrace between the sidewalk and the street. Put a tarp
over the leaves on your terrace to stop them from blowing into
the street. Bag your leaves only if your terrace is very narrow;
bags must contain only leaves and be open at the top for easy
emptying. Raking leaves into the street will carry them into
storm drains and into our lakes, through the storm sewers.
Please note that piles of leaves and bags of leaves won’t harm
your grass. By late fall, grass has stopped growing and becomes
dormant until spring.

Other options to protect Wisconsin Waters from leaves:

• Use a mulching or regular lawnmower to chop leaves into small
pieces that will breakdown easier and release ‘good’ nutrients
into your lawn.

• Rake leaves over flower beds mulched with wood chips as a
supplement to help reduce weeds. The decomposed leaves will
enhance the planting bed and save money.

• Plant a natural landscape under trees. Using native
wildflowers, ferns, and grasses will provide a natural place for
fallen leaves.

• Set up a community or neighborhoods compost pile. For example,
Eau Claire County no longer accepts yard waste at any of their
collection sites. On the
County web site , there is a yard waste directory. The list
consists of homeowners who accept yard waste to compost.

Wisconsin’s water is precious and it’s our responsibility to
keep it safe and useable. For more information on protecting our
lakes, rivers and streams call Clean Wisconsin for their poster
’30 easy ways to care for Wisconsin Water’ or visit our web site
www.cleanwisconsin.org
.

The organic movement, which started with organic food, is moving to the bedroom in a big way. “The bedroom? ” you say. Yes, my dear, the bedroom, where organic mattresses and organic bedding are becoming an important new trend in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

The organic bedroom trend is motivated by some very recent disturbing discoveries about the petroleum-based foam mattresses most of us sleep on every night. Studies of household dust have confirmed that your mattress is likely one of the most significant sources of cancer-causing chemicals in your home. The average mattress consists of petroleum-based foam covered in petroleum-based polyester fabric. During its 10-year average lifetime, a foam mattress loses up to half its weight, and the lost weight goes on your bedroom floor in the form of toxic dust and in the air in the form of formaldehyde gas which is a by-product of the foam breakdown. Those dust bunnies under your bed could be a real threat to your health, unless you use an organic mattress which does not break down into these toxic by-products.

The foam mattress story gets even more scary. The average petroleum-based foam queen-sized mattress is soaked in about a pound of fire retardant chemicals called PDBEs, which have already been banned in Europe, but not in North America. PDBEs are chemicals which are similar to the banned PCBs, and they build up in the body like DDT and PCBs. The PDBEs are used because they are the simplest and cheapest way to conform to United States mattress fire resistance codes. They are also promoted by the chemical industry, which recently sponsored tightening of the mattress fire resistance codes, which will cause even greater quantities of PDBEs to be used in the manufacture of mattresses beginning in 2006. While these new codes will save an estimated 27 lives a year from fires, these new regulations play Russian roulette with the future health of the 285 million Americans that sleep on these petroleum-based foam mattresses. Those calling for a ban on PDBEs say the greater danger is not the lives lost in fires, but the potentially millions of cases of cancer caused by exposure to these chemicals over the coming decades.

The solution to this problem is to remove petroleum-based bedding from your home, and this has spawned the burgeoning organic bedroom movement. The cornerstone of this trend is the organic mattress, which is the same kind of mattresses our ancestors used before the rise of the petrochemical industry after World War II. It is also interesting to note that current cancer rates are more than 5 times higher than before World War II, when everybody was sleeping on organic mattresses by definition, because there was no petrochemical industry during those times.

Examples of an organic mattress include:

1. Organic cotton and wool batting innerspring mattresses with an organic cotton fabric cover. Wool is naturally fire retardant and meets all US fire codes.
2. A Natural latex mattress, whose foam is made from the latex sap of the rubber tree and which require no fire retardants because natural rubber does not burn well.
3. Luxury organic mattresses which use combination of all three materials, organic cotton, wool, and latex, to produce maximum comfort mattresses that rival any non-organic mattresses.
4. All organic cotton mattresses. Although cotton does not burn well, it requires a doctor’s prescription because cotton does not meet US fire resistance codes.

Organic mattresses also have comfort advantages over traditional petroleum-based foam mattresses. They wick away moisture from the body much more thoroughly than clammy polyester and man-made foam, stopping night sweating and cutting down on problems like athlete’s foot and jock itch. Wool also regulates body temperature very well, which is important for a restful sleep. Natural latex foam and wool are resistant to dust mites, which cause allergies in many people, and organic cotton and latex foam are both hypoallergenic materials. Organic mattresses are also considered a must for people with chemical sensitivities.

Major North American manufacturers of organic mattresses include Vivetique/Crown City Mattress, located in South El Monte, California, Royal Pedic, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and Obasan, located in Ottawa, Canada. Retailers of organic mattresses include a variety of local mattress stores who carry products from these manufacturers, and nationwide web retailers, like Dax Stores, which often have the best prices for these mattresses.

About the Author

Mark Sweiger is a freelance reporter on home and garden topics and ecological news, and he can be reached via email at msweiger@NOSPAMearthlink.net . He is a definite believer in the value of using organic sheets and organic mattresses .

The scenario:

A newlywed couple moves into their new home. After a couple of
months, they realize that they have many more garbage bags than
they need. However, they have not bought any garbage bags since
they got married. Where did all of the garbage bags come from?

Your mission:

See how fast you can arrive at the correct solution by using the
following clues: 1) The garbage bags were not a wedding gift 2)
The couple did not bring any garbage bags with them when they
moved 3) The bags were not in the couple’s new home when they
arrived 4) The fact that the two people are newlyweds is
irrelevant 5) The type of home that the couple moved into is
irrelevant 6) The bags were made of plastic 7) People gave the
bags to the couple, but The bags were not any type of gift 9)
The bags are not “traditional” garbage bags 10) The bags came in
many colors.

The solution:

Have you figured out the solution yet? The garbage bags are
actually plastic bags from grocery and other types of stores!
The couple only has small garbage cans in their home, and the
plastic bags fit perfectly inside of them. Plus, the handles
make them very extremely easy to tie shut when they become full.
The trash cans need to be emptied more often than larger cans
would, but that small inconvenience is worth the savings. Yearly
garbage bag expenses: $0.00!

In addition to the monetary reasons, reusing grocery bags is a
simple way to recycle and eliminate the waste created by
throwing away the plastic bags inside of another garbage bag.
Once you have a good supply of plastic bags, consider taking an
empty canvas bag or backpack with you to the grocery store.
Check the bag with a store employee when you enter so that no
one thinks that you are shoplifting. Then, when you are done
shopping, skip getting a new bag and load your purchases into
your own reusable bag instead.

A few other super-easy ways to save money and recycle:

Save scrap paper. Save any papers that have nothing on the back
or large blank spaces. Advertising flyers, old work papers and
school papers all work well. You can cut the pages into smaller
pieces if they would be more convenient for you. Put the paper
in a stack or a box with a pen nearby, and you’ll never have to
scramble when you need to jot down something. Spots near the
base of your house phone or beside the computer are both great
locations.

Save sturdy boxes from food, electronics, mailers, etc. Cover
them with the Sunday comics or some previously-used wrapping
paper. Label each box with a marker and use as stackable storage
for recipes, comic books or just about anything else.

Save large, empty plastic soda and juice bottles. Fill them with
water, and store in your freezer. Having less open space in your
freezer will help it run more efficiently. And when you need
more room in the freezer, simply take out one of the bottles of
ice!

Save torn and worn out clothing. Tear or cut them into pieces
and use as rags for cleaning and dusting.

I was walking down the street the other day, walking around the pigeons and saying “good morning” to them when it dawned on me just how precious they are to the lives of city slickers.

How many of us have a dislike for these feathered creatures? I often see children chasing pigeons round in circles until they fly away. Once, when I was walking down a street in Oxford, I saw a very smartly dressed man, step down off the curb to chase a pigeon a few feet down the road! Why is it we have such an attitude towards these birds of nature? You don’t often see people chasing black birds or robins away.

I have come to understand pigeons as being a very precious part of urban life. In places where office blocks and apartments are replacing trees and grass, pigeons still roam. They don’t hang around the rubbish dumps or scavenge through our bins. They clean our streets of the food we clumsily drop. They tidy up the mess we leave.

No matter how many people chase them, scare them, are rude to them or even try to run them over, pigeons are still there reminding us that nature is all around. I feel our attitude as a nation is being reflected onto the pigeons of England, yet these creatures still give us respect, trust and friendship. Apparently, it is lucky to have a bird excrete on your shoulder, or so the tale goes! Why would it not be lucky unless these birds are giving us a message?

But what is this message? Well, why not ask the pigeons?! Next time you’re walking down the road and you see a pigeon, greet them and ask what it is they are trying to tell you. You may have a pleasant reply!

About the Author

Samantha Thurlby-Brooks is one of the UK’s top Crystal Therapists, and an inspirational practitioner and teacher of Reiki-Seichem.

‘Butterfly’ is a FREE monthly newsletter bursting with the latest information and inspiration in the mind-body-spirit field.

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When we hear about an oil spill that has occurred in some part
of the world we may be unaware of just how much oil has been
spilled into either the water or on land. When we are talking
about an oil spill, we are talking about a huge amount of oil
that can do serious damage to the environment in which it was
spilled.

How do Oil Spills happen?

Oil spills into rivers; bays and oceans are caused by accidents
that usually involve tankers, barges, or refineries. Usually the
oil is being transported to another part of the world for
various reasons. People who by some form or another make
mistakes or are being careless in what they are doing cause the
spills themselves. Oil spills are not always caused by human
mistake however; sometime machinery can break down which cause
oil to spill out into the surrounding environment.

What happens when oil spills occur?

If an oil spill occurs in the ocean, the oil itself will float
in salt water. It has been found that if the oil spill occurs in
fresh water there is a good chance that the oil will float on
top of the water as well. Believe it or not this is a good
thing. This means that the oil is confined to the surface of the
water, which makes containing the spill a little easier. The
problem is that in water the oil will spread out quickly over
the surface of the water. The more time the oil is left in the
water the more it will spread out to cover a wider surface area,
which can have a negative impact on the rate at which it can be
contained and corrected.

When oil spills occur in the ocean there is always a chance that
the marine life as well as birds and other animals will be
negatively affected. Some oil spills have a greater impact on
the wildlife then others, but no spill is good. Birds and other
animals that are covered in fur, the oil itself actually
destroys or breaks down the insulating ability of the fur. For
birds, if the fur is covered in oil, the water-repelling
abilities of the fur are affected. This exposed the animals to
the harsh elements of the environments in which they live. There
have been many animals killed as a result of oil spills in the
oceans around the world.

Who takes care of Oils Spills?

When an oil spill occurs, who takes care of the problem? There
are various, local and federal agencies that can be called upon
to take care of oil spills. No matter who is called to take care
of the spill the methods employed to clean up the spill are the
same. Some agencies will be better equipped to clean up bigger
spills whereas local agencies and organizations can handle the
smaller, less dangerous spills. It is a criminal offence not to
report an oil spill and failure to do so can result in jail
time.