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Nanotechnology for clean water: Facts and figures

Monday, 11 May 2009 06:52 Lily Wang

Nanotechnology could help give millions clean drinking water. David J. Grimshaw outlines the potential, the progress and some of the risks.
Technology has long been important in providing clean drinking water and irrigation for food crops. Indeed, people have had water technology for thousands of years — the Romans were using aqueducts as conduits for drinking wateraround 300BC. But making modern technology accessible and affordable to the global poor is a daunting task. Can nanotechnology perform better than previous technologies?

Water is a scarce resource, and for many countries — particularly those in the Middle East — supplies already fall short of demand. With the pressures of climate change and population growth, water will become even scarcer, especially in developing regions. Moreover, in these regions, what water is available is often unsafe to drink

The quest to ensure that all people have access to clean drinking water is now enshrined in the UN's Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015. According to the World Water Assessment Programme, that will mean improving water supplies for 1.5 billion people.

But how to achieve this? Economics or technology have often driven approaches to providing water for poor communities. The economics route might typically centre on the importance of regulations, institutions and open markets. The technology approach might focus on designing a water pump, filter systems or novel applications, for example, of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology's potential

Unlike other technologies, which have often sprung directly from a particular scientific discipline, nanotechnology spans a wide spectrum of science. Essentially, it is defined by the scale it operates at. Nanoscience and nanotechnology involve studying and working with matter on an ultrasmall scale. One nanometre is one-millionth of a millimetre and a single human hair is around 80,000 nanometres in width. [3] This kind of scale is difficult for us to visualise but if the distance between the Sun and the Earth were one metre then a nanometre would be the size of a football pitch.

The nanoscale deals with the smallest parts of matter that we can manipulate. Operating at the nanoscale makes assembling atoms and molecules to exact specifications easier. Rather like building a model from Lego bricks, we might envisage creating new materials or modifying existing ones. In applications like water filtration this means materials can be tailored, or tuned, to filter out heavy metals and biological toxins.

Materials at the nanoscale often have different optical or electrical properties from the same material at the micro or macroscale. For example, nano titanium oxide is a more effective catalyst than microscale titanium oxide. And it can be used in water treatment to degrade organic pollutants. But in other cases, manufactured nanoparticles' small size may make the material more toxic than normal.

The principal way nanotechnologies might help alleviate water problems is by solving the technical challenges that removing water contaminants including bacteria, viruses, arsenic, mercury, pesticides and salt pose.

Many researchers and engineers claim that nanotechnologies offer more affordable, effective, efficient and durable ways of achieving this — specifically because using nanoparticles for water treatment will allow manufacturing that is less polluting than traditional methods and requires less labour, capital, land and energy.

New technoloies in the past have made similar claims. Yet if we could develop new business models that let us use nanotechnologies sustainably to solve real problems, identified in participation with local communities, we might have cause for optimism.

The story so far

A range of water treatment devices that incorporate nanotechnology are already on the market, with others either close to market launch or in the process of being developed.

Nanofiltration membranes are already widely applied to remove dissolved salts and micro-pollutants, soften water and treat wastewater. The membranes act as a physical barrier, capturing particles and microorganisms bigger than their pores, and selectively rejecting substances. Nanotechnology is expected to further improve membrane technology and also drive down the prohibitively high costs of desalination — getting fresh water from salty water.

Researchers are developing new classes of nanoporous materials that are more effective than conventional filters. For example, a study in South Africa has shown than nanofiltration membranes can produce safe drinking water from brackish groundwater. [6] And a team of Indian and US scientists have developed carbon nanotube filters that remove bacteria and viruses more effectively than conventional membrane filters.

Naturally occurring attapulgite clays and zeolites are also used in nanofilters. These are locally available in many places around the world and have innate nanometer-size pores. A study using attapulgite clay membranes to filter wastewater from a milk factory in Algeria has shown they can economically and effectively reduce whey and other organic matter in wastewater, making it safe to drink.

Zeolites can also be fabricated. They can be used to separate harmful organics from water and to remove heavy metal ions. Researchers at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization have created a low-cost synthetic clay, hydrotalcite, that attracts arsenic, removing it from water.

They have suggested a novel packaging for this product for low-income communities — a 'teabag' that can be dipped into household water supplies for about 15 minutes before drinking. And selling the used teabags back to the authorities might increase recycling and help with waste disposal of concentrated arsenic.

Nano catalysts, magnets and detectors

Nanocatalysts and magnetic nanoparticles are other examples of how nanotechnology could make heavily polluted water fit for drinking, sanitation and irrigation. Nanocatalysts owe their better catalytic properties to their nanosize or to being modified at the nanoscale. They can chemically degrade pollutants instead of simply moving them somewhere else, including pollutants for which existing technologies are inefficient or prohibitively expensive. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, in Bangalore, have used nano titanium dioxide for this very purpose (see 'Nanoscale water treatment needs innovative engineering').

Magnetic nanoparticles have large surface areas relative to their volume and can easily bind with chemicals. In water treatment applications, they can be used to bind with contaminants — such as arsenic or oil — and then be removed using a magnet. Several companies are commercialising such technologies and researchers are frequently publishing new discoveries in this area.

For example, scientists at Rice University in the United States are using magnetic 'nanorust' to remove arsenic from drinking water.

Nanorust's large surface area means it can capture one hundred times more arsenic than larger counterparts. The team projects that 200–500 milligrams of nanorust could treat a litre of water. And it is developing a way of creating nanorust from inexpensive household items. This could significantly reduce production costs, making it a viable product for communities throughout the developing world.

As well as treating water, nanotechnology can also detect water-borne contaminants. Researchers are developing new sensor technologies that combine micro and nanofabrication to create small, portable and highly accurate sensors that can detect single cells of chemical and biochemical substances in water. Several research consortia are field testing such devices and some expect to commercialise these soon. For example, a team at Pennsylvania State University in the United States has developed a way of detecting arsenic in water by using nanowires on a silicon chip.

Nano research in the developing world

Research spending on nanotechnology in developed regions like Europe and the United States are very high as governments continue to prioritise technologies they think will underpin economic growth. And some intermediate countries, like China, are also investing heavily.

South Africa has developed important capabilities in nanotechnology through its National Nanotechnology Strategy, launched in 2006. [15] It has, for example, set up innovation centres for nanoscience in two of the country's science councils. One of these includes a focus on nanoscience for water. The thrust of research here has very much been on solving local problems. The University of Stellenbosch, for example, is researching nanomembranes for water filtration.

India too has invested heavily in nanotechnology — although figures are difficult to verify, partly because investment is often a partnership between government and the private sector.

And other developing countries are increasingly seeing a need to support nanoscience, including research into how nanotechnology can help deliver clean water. Brazil, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka all host nanoscience centres working on this issue. And the number of patents on nano-based inventions filed by developing country researchers is increasing rapidly.

Developments for the developing world

Some interesting products are now emerging from developing countries, and other products are being developed elsewhere that are highly relevant to the needs of the South (see Table 2).

Product
How it works
Importance
Developer

Nanosponge for rainwater harvesting
A combination of polymers and glass nanoparticles that can be printed onto surfaces like fabrics to soak up water
Rainwater harvesting is increasingly important to countries like China, Nepal and Thailand. The nanosponge is much more efficient than traditional mist-catching nets
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

Nanorust to remove arsenic
Magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxide suspended in water bind arsenic, which is then removed with a magnet
India, Bangladesh and other developing countries suffer thousands of cases of arsenic poisoning each year, linked to poisoned wells
Rice University, United States

Desalination membrane
A combination of polymers and nanoparticles that draws in water ions and repels dissolved salts
Already on the market, this membrane enables desalination with lower energy costs than reverse osmosis
University of California, Los Angeles and NanoH2O

Nanofiltration membrane
Membrane made up of polymers with a pore size ranging from 0.1 to 10nm
Field tested to treat drinking water in China and desalinate water in Iran, using this membrane requires less energy than reverse osmosis
Saehan Industries, Korea

Nanomesh waterstick
A straw-like filtration device that uses carbon nanotubes placed on a flexible, porous, material
The waterstick cleans as you drink. Doctors in Africa are using a prototype and the final product will be made available at an affordable cost in developing countries
Seldon Laboratories, United States

World filter
Filter using a nanofibre layer, made up of polymers, resins, ceramic and other materials, that removes contaminants
Designed specifically for household or community-level use in developing countries. The filters are effective, easy to use and require no maintenance
KX Industries, United States

Pesticide filter
Filter using nanosilver to adsorb and then degrade three pesticides commonly found in Indian water supplies
Pesticides are often found in developing country water supplies. This pesticide filter could provide a typical Indian household with 6000 litres of clean water over one year
Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, India, and Eureka Forbes Limited, India

Risks and opportunities

Any assessment of future markets for nanotechnology-based water treatments must take account of both the risks and opportunities.

Some researchers claim that investigations into the ethical, legal and social implications of nanotechnology are lagging behind the science.

They quote the low number of citations on such topics in the literature and the fact that, in the United States at least, not all available research funds are being used. For example, the US National Nanotechnology Initiative allocated US$16–28 million to research on nanotechnology's broader social implications — but spent less than half that amount.

And the generally lower scientific capacity in developing countries means it is likely that effective regulation of the ethics and risks of nanotechnologies will lag behind the developed world. Yet there are signs that the ethics of using nanotechnology for clean water are being discussed.

Some researchers have called for more research on the potential health and environmental risks of using nanotechnology for water treatment. For example, there are concerns that the enhanced reactivity of nanoparticles makes them more toxic. Their small size also means they could be hard to contain, so could more easily escape into the environment and potentially damage aquatic life. The full effects of exposure to nanomaterials — from handling them at water treatment plants or drinking them in treated water — are as yet unknown.

But we can make a distinction, in terms of risk assessment, between active and passive nanoparticles. Passive particles, such as a coating, are likely to present no more or less a risk than other manufacturing processes. But active nanoparticles that can move around the environment lead to risks associated with control and containment.

So can nanotechnologies really help solve water problems in developing countries? There are two positive signs that they will. First, water professionals and scientists are increasingly including local communities in dialogues to understand the problems with, and opportunities for, applying nanotechnology to water improvements.

Second, since the commercialisation of nanotechnology is at an early stage, we can hope that such discussions — between researchers, communities and industry — will encourage scientists and businesses to develop appropriate business models to exploit their inventions.

David J. Grimshaw is head of Practical Action's international programme in new technologies and new technologies consultant for SciDev.Net.

International Relations at the era of global warming

Thursday, 30 April 2009 07:25 Lily Wang

The concept Global warming is controversial in International Relations in which experts have different point of view about how to deal with global warming .Politicians , Businesspeople , industrialists are challenged ,but they tackle the issues different according to interests, alternative energy and the use of fossil fuels which still dominate the energy market and pollute the environment .Alternative as solutions is not ready to meet the market demand .Hence the energy need and global warming are the problems for all .

Glacial ice crashes into Alaska's Prince William Sound. Most scientists say industrial emissions of "greenhouse gases" are heating the atmosphere and eventually will melt glaciers and cause global flooding. President Bush contends his new Clear Skies Initiative would improve U.S. air quality and reduce global warming using voluntary market forces instead of regulatory mandates. AFP Photo/Steve Morgan

Global warming is at the doorstep of every country as it is the result of longtime practice of human being since the immemorial days through recent days .Humanity has been calling for global actions to tackle the common enemies that are climate change ,drought , extinction of species , poverty and pollution through international actions like Kyoto Protocols , Davos Conference and very recently UN report about climate changed on 4th May 5, 2007 in Brazil where measures have been taken to solve this dramatic chaos in the near future .Light can be seen on the side of America from the effort of former vice president ,Al Gore to enlighten American public about hideous consequences about global warming as USA is leading in global pollution .On the other hand , there is no subsequent decision is taken to associate poor countries like Africa that is victims of climate change since Africa do not have big plants to emit more greenhouse gases as the develop countries .Critics are pointing emerging countries like China , India , Brazil that need assistance to develop and update their technologies in order to fight global warming .Only a fair global cooperation at all levels that help to solve the alarming call for climate change in which the focus on this paper is supporting the use of alternative energy as solution and fund for research in order to save the Earth

"If we fail to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, deadly heat waves and droughts will become more frequent, coastal areas will be flooded, economies will be disrupted," President Clinton told Congress, reiterating his support for Kyoto in his State of the Union address on Jan.25.However , U.S lawmakers did not take any step from this speech as Republicans were majority in both the House and Congress .The President was not heard by who were supposed to implement laws to save the Earth as it is facing more and more threat from the melting of glacier from the poles .Another alarming voice can be heard from an official of Clinton administration "There is a great consensus that if the planet warms by more than two degrees C, we´ll be taking an enormous risk," Joseph Romm, Garman´s predecessor at Energy during the Clinton administration, says." Global warming is why we should be willing to consider spending a lot of money to develop a whole new energy system" this is new system is nothing else as alternative energy that is available , but improvement to meet the market demand .Initiatives are not encouraged ,nor enough fund for research in alternative sources of energy .

A milestone in bipartisan effort which is always needed in US to handle energy issues has been done by McCain and Lieberman who agree with many environmental advocates that fighting global warming has to be a major imperative of energy policy ." we must take more active role in finding a solution ," McCain said on Feb.10 as he and Lieberman reintroduced the bill and promised further proposals to spur development of the technologies to harness non-fossil energy sources . It is known in US history that democrats are greener than Republicans who support the use of fossil fuels.

The current President George Bush does not have a bipartisan action with the former President, Bill Clinton .In one of his first moves , President Bush froze 175 executive orders and regulations that Bill Clinton had issued just before leaving office in January 2001.Bush environmental policy encourage oil production ,logging woods , electric utilities and other industries .Bush also renounced the Kyoto Protocol , an international treaty calling for mandatory emission reductions designed to slow global warming . The Irony is that US is the first country that emits pollutants in the World , as a result it should have been wise if US can take a lead in reducing greenhouse gases and use her influences in the world for other countries to follow the example .On Feb.14, concerning global warming and air quality improvement the President Bush said: "This new approach will harness the power of markets [and] the creativity of entrepreneurs and draw upon the best scientific research," Bush also said concerning his Clear Skies Initiative." And it will make possible a new partnership with the developing world to meet our common environmental and economic goals."[6] The plan aims to cut by 70 percent power-plant emissions of three major air pollutants-nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury.

CAUSES OF GLABAL WARMING

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide , the principal cause of global warming , have grown by more than 25 percent since the industrial revolution .Fossil-fuel burning , forestry and agricultural practices are responsible for most man-made contribution to the gases in the atmosphere that act like a greenhouse to raise the Earth´s temperature resulting in global warming .In 1988, the World meteorological organization and United Nations Environment Program created the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , made up of scientists from many countries , to assess the threat .They concluded that human activities – chiefly the burning of fossil fuels—was likely responsible for the warming trend .

Action Against Global Warming

Great people, organizations and even some governments have been taking actions around the world to tackle global warming, but the brave actions of Earth Day, Greenpeace and around the world activists could change the mind of industrialists, businessmen and politicians who think of economic competition , economic growth which center their actions , instead of environmental issues .

On April 22, 1970, millions of concerned Americans gathered in communities and on campuses across the country to celebrate the first Earth Day – and launch the environmental movement .Oil spills , pesticide poisonings and other disasters had generated intense concern about the health of the planet Earth .

In 1985 , six years after Greenpeace activists in rubber rafts began putting themselves between whales and hunters´ harpoons , the International Whaling Commission enacted a global moratorium on commercial whaling. Pressure by Greenpeace and other organizations also led to a 1989 United Nations ban on the use of drift nets, a 50-year ban on development of Antarctica imposed in 1991 and the 1994 Basel agreement among 64 countries, the U.S among them, to ban all hazardous-waste exports from industrial to developing countries ..Japan´s attitudes to whale hunting have been long criticized by Greenpeace." Certainly one of the very biggest successes was the International Whale Commission agreement just last May to ban whaling south of the 40th parallel, Dudley says." But even as we speak, a Greenpeace ship in the area to monitor the Antarctica accord encountered the Japanese whaling fleet inside the sanctuary."

Clean Air Act

It set standards for emissions of 189 pollutants that caused smog .It also ban sulfur dioxide production from burning coal and oil by factories and also require installation of catalytic converters in all cars to reduce toxic emissions in exhaust fumes, and oil companies had to remove lead from gasoline. by 1990 after 20 years of effect the emissions particulates in the U.S. had fallen from nearly 25 million tons per year to under 10 million. Lead emissions from leaded fuel, a cause of developmental retardation in children, had been drastically reduced, from more than 200,000 tons a year to less than 10, 000. [11] The elimination of CFC in refrigerators and air conditioners in 1996 which lead to an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, calls for phased out of production and use of CFCs and other ozone –depleting chemicals by 2030.

Water Pollution Act

It took act in 1974 in USA , however in Africa and many other poor countries water remain valuable as it is not easy to get .The worst is the climate change today cause drought to many poor countries which are not prepared to fight against it .Many poor countries around the world drink water from the wells , rivers without any treatment that cause diseases in these communities .Since time immemorial, streams and rivers have been used not only as a source of food and a means of transportation but also to carry away sewage and other waste .As cities grew, this practice caused outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases .The problem was compounded by individual development, as chemicals, oil lead and other contaminants were added to the toxic brew. The worst is poor countries have no technology to check the reliability of cleanness is just a dream for many of these poor countries which envy US where water Act play an important role in the life of its citizens who don´t drink from the tap , but a clean water from super-markets . The biggest remaining threat to water quality is posed by so-called "non-point" pollution sources, which are harder to identify and combat because they cannot be traced to a single outlet.

Endangered Species

Rachel Carson American readers in 1962 by her book, Silent Spring, in which to alarm the extension of bald eagle if measure were not taken cause by agricultural and household use of DDT and other potent pesticides. But it was until 1972 that DDT and other toxic with negative effect on birth, children and environment have come under more stringent regulation. It is said by scientists more than 500 plant and animal species have ceased to exist in U.S since 1500s [19] how about in the world? Some species have drastically disappear in Africa which is the home of remaining wildlife, however, if the climate change at this pace , many more will disappear both on land and in oceans around the world .That is why saving the Oceans is in the clear language of Marcia Clemmitt in her paper ,Saving the Oceans , in which she points out :

The world´s Oceans are under extreme pressure from over fishing, pollution and coastal development , two major commissions have warned .Global fish catches have declined in recent years , despite the use of increasingly sophisticated equipment –including satellite tracking. Moreover scientists say 90 percent of the world´s large predator fish-such as swordfish and tuna – have disappeared .Scores of proposals on oceans have been introduced in Congress this year , but none has passed .While 3,600 Americans a day move to a coastal communities –bringing new development that eats up fish-breeding wetlands and increases runoff pollution from motor oil , fertilizer and lawn chemicals-no single public agency is responsible for coordinating onshore development with ocean health .Meanwhile , new fisheries-management techniques are offering hope in North America and Europe that over fished species like cod can recover .And the White House has created a new Cabinet-level committee to coordinate oceans policy .

the world need more Gaylord Nelson , U.S. D-Senator ,Wis., who is the founder of Earth Day which at garnering political support for cleaning water and other environmental causes .He just barely raised $190,000 to coordinate Earth Day , but the number of participants was overwhelming in success .It means money it is not the only thing to keep the Earth Clean , but global participation for all is needed to at each level to solve global warming and cleaning the environment ." No one could organize 20 million people, 10,000 grade schools and high schools, 2,500 colleges and 1,000 communities in three and a half months, even if he had $20 million," he says." The key to the whole thing was the grass-roots response .And that has been true every year since 1970"

Oil companies commitment are valuable resources to help reduce climate warming as two energy behemoths , the Royal Dutch / Shell Group and BP Amoco , the world´s No. 2 and No. 3 oil and gas companies ,respectively , have committed to reduce their greenhouse emissions by 10 percent over 1990 levels by 2010.this could be a measure step to help the world from warming .Shell , for example , emitted nearly 115 million tons of carbon dioxide in 1997 .One-third resulted from the practice of venting and flaring natural gas in oil fields , which the company plans to phase out by 2002. "One of the easy things for petroleum companies to do is to stop venting and flaring natural gas," says Joseph Romm , executive of a nonprofit Center for energy and Climate Solutions , which advises private companies ways to reduce greenhouse emission and save energy ." Given that Global warming is the biggest environmental problem of the next century , I suspect that there will be more pressure on most companies to adopt good business practices to reduce their contributions to the problem .´´ the problem is that many other small oil companies do not use these technologies to tackle the climate change .It is said Iraq that is the world second largest oil reserve need 30 years to recover its infrastructure that is still outdated meaning against measures to tackle global warming .

"With exception of companies undergoing rapid expansion, I believe that most businesses, even small businesses, can profitably reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, he says." If the U.S. economy reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 4 percent dollar of gross domestic product every year for the next 12 years, we would meet the terms of Kyoto .That´s a reasonable goal." Most decisions makers do not see the case in the same binoculars as for them that mean economic slow down, job lost and problems. But they forget the big problem is flood like the one that swept New Orleans and put it ten years back .

The Kyoto Protocol was a landmark in the push to develop alternative energy in Europe, Japan and other industrialized countries. Vice President Al Gore signed the international treaty to curb the emissions of green-house gas emissions in 1997, but Bush repudiate it four years later, saying it shackled U.S. economy .The agreement, which went on Feb.16,2005 effect in 141 countries , including major industrialized countries except for U.S. and Australia , requires member countries to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012 . The European Union ( EU) ,whose member nations also signed the treaty , has set an even more ambitious decrease – 8 percent –by 2012.This protocol is in the benefice for all to get win-win results if USA and Australia sign the treaty .

Environment and Alternative Energy

A) Alternative Energy by Rodman D. Griffin

Have 200 years of developing industries, creating job, fossil fuels are daily polluting our environment we love so much that call for alternative energy to replace fossil fuels, however fossil fuels remain the dominant in international energy market despite research for clean and renewable energy which is far from horizon to solve the global warming as politician and leading world pollutants, namely U.S., Australian have cold feet.

Revolution is needed to change old habit in minds and innovation in auto markets to make people control the global warming." Oil has been fueling the transportation sector for 70 years," notes Jeff Alson , assistant director of the environmental protection agency

s auto emissions lab in Ann Arbor , Mich ." It is the fuel .Every thing is designed around it." Changing that will take a revolution in thinking." It is this revolution that is needed cause great mind need to find new ground to solve the problem –dependency of oil. That is the ideas supporting in the following "The resources are unlimited and wait only upon technological progress for harvesting "said Duane Sunderman, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.It means revolution has already taken place ,but the truth is alternative energy can not meet the market need ,Unless they are given a try, they will be improved to meet the current market need. Oil wasn´t used in the transport or electricity until it was given a try to be used in our daily life.

Cutting funds for research in renewable also may hurt the prospects of the United Sates becoming more independent from imported energy and from having to import the technology to develop our own renewable-energy resources, says Garrett. Already, Japan has pulled ahead of the United States in production of photovoltaic technology , and Denmark and Germany are leaders in the production of wind generators , a field once dominated by the United States .International competitors to USA in energy efficiency are about to lead the market if subsequent measures are not taken as in " Currently , Japan and many of our International competitors are using tax and other market incentives to build their domestic renewable energy industries ," says Scott Sklar , executive director of Solar Energy Industries Association in Washington ." we´re almost at the point of no return .If we relinquish our technology lead , we will face a repeat of the VCR syndrome- by default letting international companies usurp our role in the country ." this translates changing in the police making in the two administrations in which Republicans run the office in USA , but with change in the House and Congress can bring some decisions in favor of climate change .

"Renewable will not replace fossil fuels in the foreseeable future," Swezey says." Most energy analysts believe that we need a mix of different energy sources .But renewable can certainly contribute more substantially than they do today." This eclectic approach can be wised to follow as old habits die hard.

Alternative energy as solution does not go with any critics as in this alarming notice: to be fair, no alternative energy source is environmentally cost-free. To the unsympathetic eye, sprawling wind farms on mountain ridges are eyesores – and the turbines themselves kill large numbers of birds .Geothermal energy, produced by converting subterranean hot water and steam into electricity into electricity, can adversely affect the water table. And the electric transmission lines necessary to bring many renewable on line cause electromagnetic fields with unknown health effects.[11] since we can´t live without energy so what can be done … ?

Another critic to environmentalist who thinks alternative energy is not ready to supply the market." If environmentalists wanted to argue that addressing the global warming would require us to get rid of fossil fuels, that would be an honest debate," says Jerry Taylor, director of natural resources studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank." But to argue that it won´t have major economic dislocations or dramatically change a number of aspects of our economy is silly. "The main reason we don´t use renewable energy sources today is that it´s too expensive and it´s not very useful for most purposes "

The Clinton´s administration´s environmental agenda faces even dimmer prospects in the 104th Congress .Upon gaining majorities in both houses of Congress for the first time in 40 years , Republican lawmakers are trying to gain hasty passage of last fall´s " Contract With America "

DIFFERENT KINDS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

"Wind is the renewable electric source that will move fastest into the marketplace," predicts Worldwatch´s Lessen .Technological breakthrough in wind power have re-energized the manufacturers of wind-power equipment and attracted the interest of foreign competitors .utilities are producing survey and starting pilot projects. And a new breed of wildcatter is scurrying to buy up wind rights—licenses to erect what may be oil wells of tomorrow. Tomorrow is the alternative energy that will clean skies and kick off pollution in global environment.

Despite America´s early lead in wind technology , the major markets , the major markets for wind technology are now in Europe , according to the Washington-based American Wind Energy Association .Today there is only one major American manufacturer in a position to compete against European or Japanese companies, the association says , and the European wind development effort is five to 10 times larger than the U.S. Department of Energy´s .The countries with largest wind development programs are Germany , the Netherlands and Denmark .

Wind Power Mill (Google photo image)

"Resources like wind are not only widely available in the market but are sufficiently abundant to meet all U.S. electricity, or even total energy, needs," says Amory Lovins, chief executive of the Rocky Mountain Institute. It is not only abundant for US , but also for the world as whole meaning any country can use this technology to meet global need in electricity and energy need in offices and even in industries .To meet that goal, European governments are investing heavily in alternative-energy technologies, especially wind turbines." Wind energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the world," says Thresher of NREL." In the past five years, it´s been growing by up to 30 percent a year, but most of that growth is in Europe." Germany´s more than 16,000 windmills generate 39 percent of the world´s wind energy , marking it the leading global producer .Denmark generates 20 percent of its electrical power from wind turbines , and Spain is not far behind .[20] ( European action to alternative energy )

Nuclear power which is another safe energy environmentally compare to fossil-fuels with environment pollutants emission. After peaking at 112 in 1990 , the number of nuclear power reactors now stands at 103 in 31 states , accounting about 8 percent of total energy consumption in the United States .Nuclear power´s fate appeared to be sealed after a devastating explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Russia in 1986.This show the weakness of research of reverse reaction in case of accident .Scientific research has not come out with solution to clean nuclear power accident if it occurs that make the future of this valuable energy source doubtful and harmful to both environment and living being when accident happened .However some EU states have continued to develop nuclear power despite the safety concerns. Today, France and Belgium rely on nuclear for more than half of the electricity consumption, and nuclear energy account for 6.3 percent of the world´s energy production, only slightly less than hydroelectric power (6.9 percent).

China offers help for IT sector

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 06:19 Lily Wang

China has offered assistance in modernizing Bangladesh's information technology of different sectors, including e-governance and e-commerce, under comprehensive cooperation.

They also assured providing assistance for constructing water-treatment plants, as the country faces acute shortages of safe drinking water.

The newly appointed Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Xianyi, expressed the willingness when he met with Planning Minister Air Vice-Marshal (retd) AK Khandakar at his office Wednesday.

China offers help for IT sector

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 06:19 Lily Wang

Profit from China's drive for clean water

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 03:41 Lily Wang

China has many things in abundance. People. Land. Ambition. But when it comes to the world's most precious commodity, supplies are painfully short.In the farming heartlands, rivers are drying up. The famous Yellow River shrinks a little further each summer. Near the cities, they're in full flow – but too often with pollution and waste, not water.This crisis – the result of China's huge population and breakneck growth - grows worse with every passing year. Within the next decade, the government will have to take huge steps to solve it or risk setting back everything the country has achieved in the last 20 years. That will mean enormous amounts of investment, far-reaching changes - and a very big investment opportunity…

Why does China have such a serious problems

with water?

Why does China have a water problem? For starters, it simply doesn't have enough of the stuff. Its renewable water reserves are about a quarter of the world average, as you can see below.And the pressure on those reserves is soaring. Demand as a percentage of supply had been growing steadily for years, but exploded in the late nineties as the country began to transform.Much of that increase is due to industrialisation and urbanisation, but around two-thirds of demand is still due to farming – and that's where some of the biggest problems are. Much of China's grain farming takes place on the North China Plain. Unfortunately that's a relatively dry area and needs a lot of irrigation. Making matters worse, Chinese farming is inefficient and much water is wasted. It's this that's putting huge strain on the Yellow River and other local sources.So the government is trying another of the huge engineering projects that are a hallmark of modern China: a $60bn canal to ship water from the headwaters of the Yangtze in the south up to the northern farmlands. But that project, which has already been pushed back from next year to 2014, is running into its own issues – as will many smaller schemes to move water around the country. That's because China's water is increasingly unfit for use. The worst side effect of rapid industrialisation has been a huge increase in pollution – land, air and water. As you can see below, 28% of China's water falls below Grade V – the national standard for farming use. Even worse, 79% falls below Grade II – the minimum standard for daily use, such as drinking.

China is one of the best markets for playing

the global water shortage

Cleaning up the environment is China's next big challenge. Officially, environmental protection spending has risen by around 20% a year in recent years. In reality, it's fair to say that it hasn't been the top priority – growth has led the way and scarce resources and the environment have suffered. But that's set to change. First, the water shortage will only get worse, increasingly threatening China's food security. Second, to sustain its growth China will have to rely more on internal demand in the years ahead and this sector will be a good place to direct investment (the government stimulus package contains RMB210bn ($30bn) for energy conservation and environmental protection).Finally, popular pressure will demand it. As societies become richer, people begin to care more about their environment. It's a pattern we've seen every time a country has industrialised. That will mean tighter regulations, stronger enviromental laws and much higher spending on treating and preventing emissions.Of course, China isn't the only country with water and environmental issues. This is a global problem. But it's one of the most environmentally stressed countries; tackling this issue will be crucial to its successful development; and it has the resources to do so. All of this makes it one of the best markets for investing on this theme.

The best plays on the water sector

The table below shows a selection of stocks with large water businesses. They fall into several different groups, from biotechnology to infrastructure, and I've tried to classify them, although the lines often aren't clear-cut.

Name	Market	Ticker	P/E	Yield	Sector*
Suez Environnement	France	SEV	10.87	5.49	DWW
Veolia Envionnement	France	VIE	40.50	6.19	DWW
China Everbright International	Hong Kong	257	16.94	0.86	I-China
China Water Affairs	Hong Kong	855	Neg	0	I-China
Guangdong Investment	Hong Kong	270	10.81	3.05	I-China