August 2008 Archives

By Alexander Villafania INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines -- After months of delays, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has finally opened the country's first vehicle research and testing laboratory equipped with a chassis dynamometer and emission analyzer used to assess viability of different alternative fuels. The facility is located at the Melchor Hall of the University of the Philippines, where the DOST's academic partner institution, the UP Department of Mechanical Engineering is located. DOST is also represented by its sub-agency the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD). The facility is created under the requirements of Republic Act 9637 or the Biofuels Act to provide infrastructure support for assessment, validation, and performance testing of biofuels . The facility will also develop test protocols, standards and regulations including the use fuel-saving emission and control devices. In an interview, PCIERD Deputy Director Raul Sabularse said the vehicle research and testing laboratory's chassis dynamometer system can do performance testing of commercially available alternative vehicular fuel sources and their effects on vehicles. It can monitor power, torque, speed, fuel economy and emissions for each of the different alternative fuel sources. The goal of the facility is also to inform the public about different sources and resulting usage of alternative fuels, particularly on the right formulation. Among the available fuel sources are coco-methyl ester, bio-ethanol, compressed natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas. Sabularse said the facility already cost P150 million, with P50 million spent on the chassis dynamometer. The cost of the entire facility is shouldered by the DOST, the University of the Philippines, the Department of Energy and the Philippine National Oil Company. Sabularse said the DOST will be adding new equipment, such as more accurate emission analyzer that can see particulate matters. "This one should be more accurate because it can check for unburned fuel and materials not shown by just an ordinary emission analyzer,” he said.

MANILA, Philippines – Key United Nations (UN) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) officials will speak in a food, energy and climate summit seeking to raise public awareness on these three interconnected issues in the Philippines next week. Stephen Anderson, UN country director and representative to the Philippines for its World Food Program and Xianbin Yao, ADB acting director general for regional sustainable development, will speak at the said summit organized by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The summit aims to discuss these issues and find ways to mitigate adverse effects of climate changes to food and energy and vice versa. UN experts have warned that rising food prices could spark worldwide unrest and threaten political stability, according to AIM. A recent World Bank report revealed that at least 33 countries are facing political and social unrest due to rising food and energy prices. The report already noted riots and unrest have erupted in 22 of these countries. Meanwhile, the International Alert (IA), a London-based peace-building organization, released its own report in November 2007 highlighting the "risks of conflict and instability as a consequence of nations' inability to adapt to climate change". The said report identified 46 countries facing a high risk of armed conflict as a "knock-on" consequence of climate change. IA's list includes the Philippines as well as India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, all of which have a history of armed conflict. Foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo and Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap will also be delivering keynote presentations in the summit which happens August 27 at the Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.

By Agence France-Presse NEW York -- A fourth of the fish for sale in New York City markets and sushi restaurants is mislabeled, a study launched by two high school students has found. Cheap fish masquerading as fancy and endangered species disguised as eco-friendly have both been busted by the enterprising young scientists and a new technique called DNA bar coding, the New York Times said Friday. Kate Stoeckle, 19, and Louisa Strauss, 18, collected 60 samples of seafood from four restaurants and 10 stores in Manhattan, preserved them in alcohol and sent them to the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada for genetic analysis. Stoeckle's father Mark Stoeckle is an expert on birds and a proponent of DNA bar coding, a field developed since 2003, in which scientists use a single gene to identify a species rather than the entire genome, the daily said. One evening, over dinner at a sushi restaurant, Stoeckle asked her father if the technique could be used on sushi, and a high school science project was born. In Canada, Guelph graduate student Eugene Wong compared the DNA of the samples the young women sent him to a global library of 30,562 "bar codes" representing nearly 5,500 fish species, the Times said. The DNA revealed that two of the four restaurants and six of the 10 grocery stores mislabelled their fish, the Times said. Wong and biology professor Robert Hanner collected another 40 samples in Toronto and in Guelph. "This not only raises concerns of consumer fraud, but also public health," said Hanner, also associate director for the Canadian Barcode of Life Network, in a statement on the University of Guelph website. "A person could have allergies to a certain species and if it's mislabelled that could have dangerous consequences," Hanner said. Among the findings was Mozambique tilapia, a cheap fish that is usually farm-raised, sold as pricey white tuna. Flying fish roe actually came from the humble smelt, and seven out of nine fish labelled "red snapper" were not. Atlantic Halibut, classified as endangered in the wild, was labelled and sold as Pacific Halibut, a species labelled a "best choice" for human consumption by environmentalists, the University of Guelph statement said. "Consumers may think they are doing the right thing for the environment by buying a certain type of fish that is eco-friendly when really they could actually still be buying exploited species," Hanner stressed. Researchers have been working to identify and catalogue species from around the world using barcode technology and so far, more than 5,000 of the approximate 30,000 species of fish have been barcoded, the statement said. The study will be published next week in the journal of Food Research International, the University of Guelph statement said.

By Lawrence Casiraya INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is urging car manufacturers to bring in more hybrid models into the country while calling on the adoption of fuel-efficiency and renewable energy measures. "We await the arrival of the hybrid models that can shift from gas to electricity," Arroyo said in her opening address at the Philipine International Motor Show, organized by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI). The President took note of the presence of 15 major car manufacturers in this year's show. But a significant portion of her speech was spent calling on "clean and green measures." She called on the Senate to pass a renewable energy bill, which was already approved by House of Representatives. "We need the will of the people and the help of private sector groups like CAMPI to push lawmakers to adopt clean and green measures," she said. Arroyo also noted that local government units have been mandated to cut fuel consumption by at least 10 percent. "I've also asked municipal governments to convert their vehicles to LPG (liquified petroleum gas)," she added. "I am also calling on businesses to provide transportation for their workers until fuel prices somehow go back down," she said. CAMPI reported an estimated P90 billion of total investments in the local automotive industry, generating around 74,000 jobs in the country. It also reported nearly $2.8 billion in industry revenues since 2003 from locally-sourced parts and materials. CAMPI also noted the vehicle sales have been growing more than 14 percent annually due to remittances from the overseas Filipinoworkers and more entrepreneurs in the country.

By Alexander Villafania

INQUIRER.net

The effect of the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries can be likened to the effect of the information technology revolution today. It created new industries and new skills that changed the way people lived. Yet, both periods in history also had their share of negative impact: pollution.

The industrial revolution saw an increase in use of petroleum products and chemical compounds that seeped into the ground, polluting water and soil. IT industries, with the constant replacement of old equipment for better ones, is also causing a new generation of garbage and it could get worse as the demand for IT products continues growing.

Some companies have already taken steps to alleviate the problem of electronic waste. At the recently held IBM Service Management Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Big Blue showcased one aspect where the company could help reduce problems caused by the IT industry. Although it was not widely promoted, the company released its "green strategy" paper aimed at its clients that are building their IT infrastructure. The paper is about 15 pages long and suggested several implementation strategies that clients and partners can take to tackle potential environmental solutions. The paper, ostensibly entitled "IBM Software: A Green Strategy for Your Entire Organization," was created in June 2008 as part of the company's campaign for its Tivoli software.

Some of the solutions provided are simple, manpower-related environmental austerity measures, which includes reducing commuting through increased online collaboration (IBM once preached about the effectiveness of having mobile workers), turning off lights when not in use, and reduction of paper consumption by using electronic forms instead. Other practices on an infrastructure scale that IBM is suggesting include optimization of hardware power consumption, shifting workloads from over-utilized servers to underutilized ones, proper cooling systems depending on the machine (some equipment fail when they come to their overheating points), and even properly managing digital data to enable quick access and reducing heat.

IBM also stressed in the paper several reasons why it is important for companies, from the smallest mom-and-pop shop to the largest conglomerates, to have a steady and focused environmental strategy. One particular issue of note is increased power consumption by IT equipment, and with the realization that prices of oil will continue to go higher, IBM stressed that their customers must take measures to reduce power consumption while running at full operational capacity.

John Frech, director for IBM Tivoli Worldwide sales strategy, said that having an environmental strategy to follow will have a positive impact not just on the environment but also on the company's operational capacity. He said their software products have been tested to allow for some energy-efficient operations, as well as maximizing the life of their equipment. He added that by giving office administrators all the tools they need to ensure full operational capacity, the company is saving on energy consumption and thus, the environment.

IBM also dedicated a website specifically for their IT strategy. Other companies also have similar projects, among which includes Microsoft's Environmental Solutions, HP's Eco Solutions and Intel. This already shows how IT companies are taking responsibility for the potential impact of the IT industry on the environment and how companies like them can become leaders in saving the environment.

By Alexander Villafania INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines -- Electronic device purchases in the Philippines are increasing despite the dire economic situation. People are buying more computers, mobile phones and electric appliances, as prices are going down and performance improving. However, few are aware of the dangers of electronic waste. According to environmental group Greenpeace, electronic waste or e-waste produces among the highest concentrations of heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, nickel, lithium and beryllium. The e-waste problem is also compounded by the growth of the information technology industry. The European Union (EU) has already foreseen the impact of the IT industry on the production of e-waste. The EU has signed into law the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive” that requires manufacturers, private firms and individuals to properly dispose obsolete electronic equipment. Different states in the United States have implemented their own e-waste disposal directives with others totally banning electronic devices being thrown in landfills. Such specific law on e-waste is not available in the Philippines. Even the National Solid Waste Management Commission generally designates electronic garbage as one of the "special garbage" based on the definition of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the only law the mentions electronic devices. There is also no long-term study made about e-waste in the Philippines. Despite the looming problem, one company has already taken steps in helping reduce electronic waste in the country. Unknown to most, the popular electronic surplus retail shop HMR in Pioneer Street Mandaluyong City has an affiliate firm that disposes electronic waste, called Envirocycle. Watch this video interview with Envirocycle. The e-waste disposal firm is under the HMR Group of Companies operated by Australian businessman Randell Carman. The company recently invited Inquirer.net to visit their site in Sta. Rosa Industrial Park, Laguna, where they deposit tons of discarded electronic devices for processing. desktop computers, servers, mobile phones, home appliances, anything that can be plugged into a power socket, are processed here. David Thomas Carman, Envirocycle business development officer, explained that the company is part of a holistic equipment management service offered by the HMR Group of Companies. The principle is that as companies purchase their electronic equipment and manage them until they get replaced or discarded. Carman said the company provides just about every aspect of equipment lifecycle management from tagging individual devices, end-of-life monitoring, refurbishing, recycling, auctioning and disposal. "Companies aren't familiar with the methods of disposing their equipment. Some of these are either simply stored or thrown away," Carman said. Carman explained that Envirocycle's main purpose is refurbishing and recycling obsolete equipment. If parts cannot be restored, these are stripped down and separated into different reusable materials from plastics, glass, and other metallic components. Each type of material is then sold to different recycling plants. In a day, the Envirocycle plant processes 5,500 kilos of equipment per day. "Nothing is wasted,” Carman added. In terms of volume, the most discarded electronic equipment are cathode ray tubes (CRT) of old computer monitors and TVs. The volume of discarded CRTs is largely due to sudden surge in purchases of low-cost, low-power liquid crystal displays. CRTs are slowly becoming obsolete and these also pose health and environmental hazards because of the toxic materials present in nearly every part, which makes them hazardous for manual handling. For this, the company developed its own CRT processing plant that is about the size of a truck container. The machine has a conveyor belt extending down to where handlers wearing protective eyewear, gloves, and masks are putting in the CRTs. These go up to the feeder, which is the main compartment. When in operation, the sound of breaking glass and clanking metal can be heard from inside. Using high powered magnets various parts are separated and moved into tubes that feed boxes with the separated parts. Plastics go on one tube while broken glass goes to another. One more box contains metal components. A special tube contains mercury in its powdered form. Carman said that they process about two tons of CRTs per day. Envirocycle also has branches in the US and Malaysia and each has their own CRT processing machine. Carman said that the company has already worked with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for an early-stage e-waste disposal initiative, which had shopping malls putting up trash bins specifically for disposal of mobile phones and their batteries. He said the project was proven successful that some of the malls have conducted their own initiative. Carman also said they have also worked with the Ayala Foundation for project GILAS (Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students), which provides refurbished computers to various high schools. Other private firms have already become clients of Envirocycle in the refurbishing and disposal of their equipment. However, Carman said the familiarity in disposing e-waste is still low. But he expects it to grow eventually as more companies become aware of the dangers of e-waste, while multinational companies act to conform to international laws against e-waste. "Everyone can be affected by e-waste but if we start now we'll be able to reduce the impact,” said Carman.

By Agence France-Presse PARIS--The age-old fantasy of rendering objects invisible took a sharp step toward reality Sunday when scientists said they had created a material that can bend visible light in three dimensions. For now the vanishing act takes place on a nanoscale, measured in billionths of a meter. But there is no fundamental reason why the same principles cannot be scaled up one day to make invisibility cloaks big enough to hide a person, a tank or even a tanker, the scientists say. The groundbreaking experiments, led by Xiang Zhang at the University of California at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, were reported simultaneously in the British journal Nature and the US-based journal Science. Recent advances have created other so-called metamaterials, artificially engineered structures with optical properties that bend light in unnatural ways. But previous attempts had two severe limitations. One was that they only worked on the microwave range of the light spectrum, bending wavelengths much too long to be visible to the human eye. The second was that -- up to now -- it only worked on thin, two-dimensional systems. The new material, by contrast, produces what is known as the "negative refractive index" needed to make an invisibility cloak within a visible light spectrum and in three dimensions. Negative refraction -- or "left-handed" -- materials deflect light in a way which is contrary to the normal "right-handed" rules of electromagnetism. The light travels in the opposite direction that it normally would when passing from one material to another, such as from air through water or glass. One possible application would be the construction of special lenses for optical microscopes that could focus on things as tiny as molecules. But the holy grail of metamaterials has become the kind of invisibility shield that has fired human imagination from H.G. Wells' "Invisible Man" to the adventures of Harry Potter. The military, which funded the research, is especially keen to develop materials that could usher in an entire new generation of stealth technology. The metamaterial developed by Zhang and his colleagues has a multi-layered fishnet structure composed of alternating layers of silver and magnesium fluoride, which is transparent over an extremely wide range of light wavelengths. "In the case of invisibility cloaks or shields, the material would need to curve light waves completely around the object like a river flowing around a rock," Zhang said, according to the Sunday Times. "An observer looking at the cloaked object would then see light from behind it, making it seem to disappear," Zhang added.

By Izah Morales INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines – Can you imagine how many feathers are accumulated when chickens you eventually feast on are slaughtered? While watching the slaughter of chickens, Filipino scientist Menandro Acda was likely thinking of this when he realized the potential use of chicken feathers that are often considered waste in the poultry industry. Chicken feathers are often incinerated. But the burning can cause environmental problems, according to Acda “Millions of kilos of waste feathers are generated each year by commercial poultry processing plants resulting in serious solid waste problem,” added Acda who is a professor from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. Faced with the abovementioned environmental problem, Acda began his study, dubbed “Recycling chicken waste feathers for low-cost building material,” in 2007. He experimented on mixing cement with eight to ten sacks of waste feathers, which he collected from a food company, and consolidated them using a hydraulic press to create 10” x 10” panel boards. Designed for non-structural application, the panel board can be used for insulation in low-cost housing and warehouses, Acda said. The composite panel boards (feather fiber and cement) are decay-resistant, unlike commercial panel boards (wood fiber and cement) that are often susceptible to termites. He explained that the feather contains keratin, which the termites cannot digest. Acda said his study is currently looking into “optimizing” and increasing the strength of the composite panel board. Acda's study, which is geared towards helping the poultry industry and the construction industry by reducing wastes and creating new material, earned him a financial grant from Ford's Ecogrants Program last year. “Our participation does not end at financial support. We actively involve ourselves in ensuring the success of these worthy projects,” said Ford Group Philippines president Rick Baker. Here is my video interview with Dr. Acda.