October 25, 2016

"I Used to Work as a Scientist with GMOs...

—Now I'm Having Serious Second Thoughts About The Risks

I believe that GMO crops still run far ahead of our understanding of their risks.

By Jonathan Latham, PhD / CounterPunch

By training, I am a plant biologist. In the early 1990s I was busy making genetically modified plants (often called GMOs for Genetically Modified Organisms) as part of the research that led to my PhD. Into these plants we were putting DNA from various foreign organisms, such as viruses and bacteria.

I was not, at the outset, concerned about the possible effects of GM plants on human health or the environment. One reason for this lack of concern was that I was still a very young scientist, feeling my way in the complex world of biology and of scientific research. Another reason was that we hardly imagined that GMOs like ours would be grown or eaten. So far as I was concerned, all GMOs were for research purposes only.

Gradually, however, it became clear that certain companies thought differently. Some of my older colleagues shared their skepticism with me that commercial interests were running far ahead of scientific knowledge. I listened carefully and I didn’t disagree. Today, over twenty years later, GMO crops, especially soybeans, corn, papaya, canola and cotton, are commercially grown in numerous parts of the world.

Depending on which country you live in, GMOs may be unlabeled and therefore unknowingly abundant in your diet. Processed foods (e.g. chips, breakfast cereals, sodas) are likely to contain ingredients from GMO crops, because they are often made from corn or soy. Most agricultural crops, however, are still non-GMO, including rice, wheat, barley, oats, tomatoes, grapes and beans....snip
Full: http://www.alternet.org/food/i-used-work-scientist-gmos-now-im-having-serious-second-thoughts-about-risks



Altered Genes, Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public

"GMO's- the biggest scientific fraud of our time"

“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth is very readable, thorough, logical and thought-provoking. Steven Druker exposes shenanigans employed to promote genetic engineering that will surprise even those who have followed the ag-biotech industry closely for years. I strongly recommend his book.”--Belinda Martineau, Ph.D., a co-developer of the first genetically engineered whole food and author of First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr™ Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Foods

https://www.amazon.com/Altered-Genes-Twisted-Truth-Systematically/dp/0985616903

Trying to clean GMO's out of my kitchen entirely, and just learned that anything in Trader Joes with the Trader Joe label is GMO FREE! Good prices for what costs double at Whole Paycheck Foods. My kitchen is now GMO FREE and it's going to stay that way.

October 25, 2016

Guardian: Hydrogen entrepreneurs at the forefront of the clean car revolution

The world needs low emission vehicles and governments are investing in them. We speak to businesses that are helping to create a greener future

The Guardian by Jon Card
Tuesday 25 October 2016

Hydrogen is regarded by many as the fuel of the future. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are emissions free, can match the performance of regular cars and are set to become increasingly available to consumers. Nonetheless, they have their critics...snip

...But the world is crying out for cleaner transport and British entrepreneurs are making strides in this nascent industry...


The Rasa, created by Welsh carmaker Riversimple

...One UK company which believes it has overcome these issues is Sheffield-based ITM Power. The business, founded in 2001, has built three hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK and exports to California, France, Norway and Germany. ITM’s stations perform electrolysis at the forecourt, avoiding transportation problems.

vimeo.com/159917371

Furthermore, it avoids high energy bills by taking the excess energy produced from renewable sources. CEO Graham Cooley says that because renewable energy sources tend to outstrip supply (on very windy or sunny days), producers are left with surplus energy. “Renewable energy supplies are regularly turned off when they exceed demand, it’s called ‘curtailment’. But ITM’s systems can harness and fully utilise this surplus renewable energy to create hydrogen,” says Cooley. “This can be done anywhere there is an electricity and water supply, eliminating the need for deliveries by road and using electricity at times when the price is lowest.”


ITM Power CEO confident of more hydrogen fuel deals as acceptance grows

Cooley says hydrogen is poised for take-off as the major problems have been overcome. FCEVs can match the performance of petrol-powered cars and can be refuelled in three minutes at the pump. Much of the engineering of FCEVs is the same as other hybrid and electric cars. Cooley says drivers can therefore expect an experience comparable to what they’re used to, with the big exception being that FCEVs emit only water vapour from their exhausts...snip

...However, she admits there are a lot of risks to investing in hydrogen, as it is a “disruptive technology”, attempting to unseat “an entrenched, powerful, incumbent industry” in the form of the oil industry. The UK market has been slow so far, and the company is more likely to make deals in overseas markets. “We are very close to a deal in North America that could result in hundreds of very large trucks being powered by hydrogen. Other countries are doing a lot more to get at the opportunity of hydrogen,” she says...snip
Read More: https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/oct/25/hydrogen-entrepreneurs-at-the-forefront-of-the-clean-car-revolution

Related: Nikola Motors ditches battery-powered semi, looks to hydrogen
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/08/30/nikola-motors-ditches-battery-powered-semi-looks-to-hydrogen/

Hydrogen = Jobs and green power

October 23, 2016

Toyota reveals fuel cell bus for 2017, can serve as emergency generator

Slash Gear, Adam Westlake - Oct 23, 2016

Toyota unveiled its newest hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle in Japan this week, but it’s not a four-door sedan or crossover SUV; it’s a bus intended for public transportation. The zero-emission bus uses the same technology as Toyota’s new Mirai fuel cell sedan, and the plan is to have a fleet of 100 or so running in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.



The fuel cell bus it outfitted with up to 10 tanks that can store 600 liters of highly pressurized H2, in turn allowing it to produce 235 kWh of power, or roughly three times what the battery from Tesla’s Model S outputs. This means the vehicles can basically act as giant, roaming power sources, which is exactly what Toyota had in mind when designing them.

In the event of an emergency situation, Toyota explains, the bus can act as a giant external power generator, powering things like evacuations sites in the aftermath of an earthquake, or supplying electricity for home appliances during widespread power outages.

The buses will first go on sale starting next year, and are part of Toyota’s overall push into the use of hydrogen, which the company “considers to be a powerful source of energy for the future.” snip
Full Article: http://www.slashgear.com/toyota-reveals-fuel-cell-bus-for-2017-can-serve-as-emergency-generator-23461222/



Toyota to Start Sales of Fuel Cell Buses under the Toyota Brand from Early 2017

Toyota City, Japan, October 20, 2016―Toyota Motor Corporation will begin to sell fuel cell buses (FC buses) under the Toyota brand from early 2017. Having already undergone repeated field tests for practical use, the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to utilize two of these FC buses (model name: Toyota FC Bus) as fixed-route buses.



Toyota plans to introduce over 100 FC buses mainly in the Tokyo area, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In view of this, the FC buses will be sold for the first time in Japan in early 2017, so as to help increase the level of understanding by the general public of the utilization of FC buses as a form of public transportation.

Moreover, in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the number of FC buses being introduced will increase steadily going forward. Together with this, Toyota aims to engage continuously in the diligent development targeted at the expansion of the introduction of the new FC buses from 2018 so as to contribute to the realization of a hydrogen-based society.
Toyota Press Release: http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/13965745/

Toyota fuel cell vehicles are Power Producers. Emergency? Plug your house into your Mirai, or a crisis centre into a Toyota FC bus.

トヨタでは、水素がナンバー1であります

October 21, 2016

Black Mirror Series 3 out now, Netflix offering one month free

Watch Series 3 Now
https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888

This sci-fi anthology series explores a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity's greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.



Black Mirror season 3 on Netflix: How to watch the six new sinister episodes

Black Mirror makes the jump from Channel 4 to Netflix today (21 October) with six new episodes from Charlie Brooker and, this time, a host of Hollywood acting and directing talent.

We've seen all six and can safely say you're in for a treat, with each new story being dramatic and engrossing and yet still believable. They all centre on futuristic scenarios you may have briefly thought about, but take them to places you never considered.

Released in one go, which is good news for your weekend but arguably not for the show's longevity, the episodes are streaming worldwide for Netflix subscribers now.

Episode details:

1. 'Nosedive'

Insecure office worker Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) lives in a happy, smiley, status-obsessed nightmare world. Her old friend Naomi (Alice Eve) is one of society’s elites -- and Lacie may have found a way to join her…

Cast includes: Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) plays Leigh, Alice Eve (Star Trek: Into Darkness) plays Naomi. Also starring James Norton (Happy Valley) and Cherry Jones (Awake)....snip
Read More: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/black-mirror-season-3-on-netflix-release-date-episode-synopsis-plot-how-to-watch-the-six-sinister-a7372141.html

Creator Charlie Brooker Explains…



"The Future is Broken"

October 18, 2016

Prototype uses solar energy to produce hydrogen and clean water from polluted water

Derek Markham, Treehugger October 17, 2016

Solar and nanoparticles and hydrogen, oh my!

...Although this element is one of the most abundant in the universe, and the third most abundant on Earth, it's also the lightest, which makes it rare in our atmosphere (meaning we can't just hoover it up from the air).

[center][/center]

Hydrogen isn't exactly known for its energy-density, but it is one potential storage solution for building a more sustainable energy system, if it can be produced efficiently with renewable energy, and then stored and distributed efficiently, as opposed to the current major source of hydrogen, which is steam-reformed natural gas.

Those are some big 'ifs' that won't be solved overnight in the clean hydrogen quest, but HyperSolar believes it has the next step for producing low-cost, scalable, renewable hydrogen, with the source being polluted or dirty water, and the energy from the sun. Instead of using electricity from a separate solar array to power an electrolyzer, this prototype has its solar energy component directly submerged in the water, with its "Self-contained Photoelectrochemical Nanosystem" technology that is "designed to mimic photosynthesis."

According to the company, this nanoparticle-based system enables a much more efficient electrolysis process than one powered by a separate solar input, which would have higher losses of transmission between the sun and the actual hydrogen production, and it says its system could "significantly" lower the cost of hydrogen electrolysis...snip

This video is a quick look at the system, which uses water from the Salton Sea as the input (not purified water as conventional electrolysis systems do), and makes a great point about the potential for this technology to reclaim water using 100% renewable energy:

Read More: http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/prototype-generates-solar-hydrogen-and-clean-water-polluted-water-solar-energy.html


http://hypersolar.com/



H2=Jobs

October 13, 2016

Solar Hydrogen Electric vehicle refuelling station opens in East London

FTR: London = 51 Degrees North Latitude, that's above Washington State BTW for those that say this couldn't work in the US

airqualitynews.com 13.10.2016

Energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power has opened its third public access hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) in Rainham, East London, for recharging electric vehicles.

The second HRS in London, the facility is located at the Centre of Engineering Manufacturing Excellence (CEME), providing publicly accessible refuelling infrastructure on the A13 to East London.



The station uses solar energy from a solar photovoltaic array at CEME to make renewable hydrogen on-site and is now available for public and private fleets operating fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to recharge.

It is the second of three UK stations to be deployed as part of the pan European HyFive project, which raises awareness and uptake of zero-emission hydrogen-powered vehicles through a £31 million project involving leading motor manufacturers, hydrogen fuel suppliers, the Mayor of London’s Office and energy consultancies...snip
Read More: http://www.airqualitynews.com/2016/10/13/electric-vehicle-refuelling-station-opens-east-london/

ITM: The company that built this Wind Powered H2 station in Yorkshire

London: Renewable H2 = #1

October 9, 2016

Black Mirror Official Trailer - Season 3 Starting October 21, Netflix

Black Mirror- the Twilight Zone for the 21st century

Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that features speculative fiction with dark and sometimes satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies.

In November 2012, Black Mirror won Best TV Movie/Miniseries at the International Emmy Awards. International Emmys are for TV series "produced and initially aired outside the US."



"The Future is Broken"

Only 12 more days...

October 7, 2016

Saturday 10.08 is National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day

2nd Annual National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day October 8, 2016

National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day was created to help raise awareness of a clean energy technology that is here now. October 8th (10.08) was chosen in reference to the atomic weight of hydrogen (1.008)

Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), its members, industry organizations, and state and federal governments are commemorating National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day with a variety of activities and events across the country.



See the latest developments below:

Fuel Cell And Hydrogen Energy Association Partners With Toyota To Bring Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle To Taste Of D.C. http://thetasteofdc.org/

Fuel Cell Vehicle Ride And Drive At San Francisco Fleet Week

FCHEA Thunderclap For National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day Reaches Its Goal

NREL's Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research: Year In Review

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Drivers Accumulate More Than One And One-Half Million Zero-Emission Miles In Celebration Of Second Annual National Hydrogen Day, October 8th



3 Questions With A ‘Founding Father’ Of Hydrogen And Fuel Cells: Byron McCormick

Nuvera Demonstrates Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor For Premiere Fueling Event

Air Products To Display Hydrogen Fuel Vehicle At Da Vinci Science Center On October 8 To Observe National Hydrogen And Fuel Cell Day

U.S Senate Passes S.Res 573, Declaring Oct 8, 2016 National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day LINK

MORE: http://hydrogenandfuelcellday.org/

Get the latest news and updates:

#HydrogenNow

#FuelCellsNow

FCHEA is the trade association dedicated to the commercialization of fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies. Fuel cells deliver clean, reliable power to leading edge corporate, academic and public sector users. For more information, visit http://www.fchea.org.





Wasserstoff und Brennstoffzellen = Jobs

October 6, 2016

Hydrogen-powered passenger ferry in San Francisco Bay is possible, study says

Phys.org, 10/6/16

Nearly two years ago, Sandia National Laboratories researchers Joe Pratt and Lennie Klebanoff set out to answer one not-so-simple question: Is it feasible to build and operate a high-speed passenger ferry solely powered by hydrogen fuel cells? The answer is yes.


An artistic rendering of the proposed San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions (SF-BREEZE). A Sandia National Laboratories-led study found that a high-speed, hydrogen-fueled passenger ferry is feasible. Credit: Sandia National Laboratories

The details behind that answer are in a recent report, "Feasibility of the SF-BREEZE: a Zero Emission, Hydrogen Fuel Cell High Speed Passenger Ferry." SF-BREEZE stands for San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions.

"The study found that it is technically possible to build a high-speed, zero-emission hydrogen-powered ferry. We also believe this can be done with full regulatory acceptance," said Pratt.

"In the course of the study, we examined over 10 major issues where feasibility was initially unknown. SF-BREEZE sailed through them all," added Klebanoff...snip

..."This is a game changer. We can eliminate environmental pollution from ships," he said. "This could have a major impact on every shipyard in the country."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-10-hydrogen-powered-passenger-ferry-san-francisco.html

Brennstoffzellen sind die Zukunft