With the current global energy crisis, it’s little wonder research into alternative sources is being talked of with more urgency. Below is an example of a water powered car…Capable of running a car for one hour on 1 litre of H2o, for a distance of 80KM.

With oil prices hitting record highs, and showing no signs of weakening, global consumers are feeling the heat, not to say pain.

So what’s fueling (no pun intended) oil price rises, when analysts are already saying fundamentals do not justify current price levels?

It is thought to be fear of global shortage which is causing speculators to gamble on heavy investment. Political responses? United Kingdom; Wait and see in six months time whether to cancel proposed 2p per litre INCREASE in fuel tax! USA; President Bush is calling for offshore drilling restrictions to be lifted, calling them “outdated”. Which sounds sensible enough, until you factor in trying to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted.

So many things we pay for is determined by oil; Milk and all farm produce, because of wheat and grain, tractors use petrol. Many bathroom related purchases are related to oil, from shower gel to hair sprays. Also domestic energy is severely affected, with many of my clients now saying they cannot afford to heat water in the summer, because summer usage limitations has to effectively enable greater winter consumption. So, we are nations who can go to war in the middle east at the drop of a hat, yet we are prepared to allow people to do their washing up in tepid water…

I tend to think of the younger generation…. How much will today’s school children be expected to pay for petrol? £5 per litre? Ridiculous? Well, can someone explain to me why we will NOT get to that point please? Perhaps though, the young are the lucky ones, simply because they will never know any different, perhaps some will be too young to remember the ice glaciers before they melt away in the heat of consumer driven smog.

Clearly, with one nation presidents like Bush at the helm, with self interest being taken to the point of obsession, and weak minded puppets like Brown and Blair of UK, there appears little chance of quick recovery. Reasons for optimism? Well, Bush is outgoing, and someone might well think seriously about shooting Gordon Brown and his energy minister….With every boom there is also bust, just look at the housing market predictions…So there is another one on the horizon with oil. But exactly when is the key question, how much further will we have to go…

Tags: oil prices, enviromant, global inflation

The world is having to face up to a major crisis, as oil prices surge, inflation skyrockets, house prices plummet, and consumer credit squeezing. It may sound like a small crumb of comfort right now, but more and more is being invested in renewable energy sources.

Even so, United Kingdom is set to miss it’s target on clean technology investment. Here is the news source from The Guardian;

Britain could invest more than £100bn in renewable energy over the next decade and still fail to meet an EU target on clean technology, the government’s own renewables advisers have warned.

The Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), made up of senior figures from across the industry, says the best the UK could realistically hope for is to generate 14% of its energy from sustainable sources by 2020. The EU has set Britain a target of 15% renewable energy generation by then.

The government will next week publish a consultation on how it aims to meet the EU target - which is expected to outline measures to speed the installation of wind turbines and boost the take-up of domestic-scale renewable technologies such as solar panels.

But the industry analysis says even significant policy changes and massive new investment will not be enough. Government insiders admit they are unlikely to hit the 15% figure, and officials are already pushing for Britain to be allowed to offset some of the target by investing in clean energy schemes abroad.

In a report on the issue the RAB says 14% renewable energy could be achieved by 2020 through “significant but achievable policy changes”.

It says: “If the 15% target is to be approached we need to establish a different energy world with new policy, economic and social drivers. Many of these changes will need to be radical and will require, above all else, political leadership and a determination to succeed.”

Current policies will produce just 6% renewable energy by 2020, it says.

The bulk of the changes will fall upon the electricity industry. The EU target applies to all energy sources, but experts say there is little scope for rapid take-up of green technology in the transport and heat-generation sectors. That means up to 40% of Britain’s electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020 - eight times the current level - to stand a chance of hitting the overall target.

Brian Mark, director of sustainability at Fulcrum Consulting, who sits on the advisory board, said: “The figures on electricity show the extent of the challenge. This [report] was a true attempt to give a figure which is achievable with further measures.”

To reach the 14% figure, the report assumes huge increases in the use of wind, biomass and energy from waste. The amount of electricity generated by onshore wind farms needs to jump from 1,850MW at the moment to 13,000MW by 2020. Offshore wind capacity needs to be 18,000MW by 2020, up from 394MW operational now.

On domestic renewables, the analysis says one home in every 20 would need to be fitted with solar panels to heat water, and one in 38 would need photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate electricity by 2020. “The UK is starting from a very low base in this sector,” the report noted. Last year Germany installed 130,000 PV panels, while the UK fitted 270.

The final bill for Britain’s required renewables revolution, the report notes, would be “expected to exceed £100bn”. It is not clear how the money would be found, but a large proportion of the investment could be passed on to consumers as higher energy bills.

The RAB says there is now an “urgent” need for studies on how to extend and reinforce the National Grid to make it suitable for large-scale renewables generation. “Arguably, we are already too late [to do these],” it says. Industry experts say the UK will need 34,000MW of new transmission infrastructure to channel the power from new renewable projects. Completed wind farms in Scotland are already standing idle because they have not yet been connected.

The report also highlights the recent spate of objections to wind farms by the Ministry of Defence due to concerns over interference with radar systems as “precisely the form of policy instability which seriously undermines investor confidence”.

Britain could still conceivably reach the 15% target but only through options such as a contribution from a proposed new tidal barrage across the Severn estuary. Privately, some industry sources say the target is unrealistic, and that Britain could struggle to reach even 10% renewable energy by 2020.

Any weakening of Britain’s targets on transport biofuels in the face of concerns over sustainability would also make the target harder to reach.

Britain’s energy policy also comes under fire today from a parliamentary committee, which says a lack of urgency from government and the electricity industry threatens UK efforts to tackle climate change.

Phil Willis, chairman of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills select committee, which produced the report, said: “Unless the government starts to address some of these concerns then all these targets are pie in the sky.”

Robin Webster, of Friends of the Earth, said: “The government must deliver a strong green energy strategy instead of trying to wriggle out of EU renewable energy targets. Next week’s renewable energy consultation must set out a blueprint for a greener future.

“Britain’s abundant wind and wave power could create a new industry worth millions of pounds and thousands of jobs, cut carbon dioxide emissions and wean us off our increasingly expensive fossil fuel dependency.”

EU target for UK’s renewable energy - such as solar power for office buildings - above generation by 2020.

David Adam.

If you’re thinking of starting an online empire, or entering into the ever expanding world of blogging, or simply want to share with the world your creations, services  you are going to need, in order are;

• Domain Name
• Host, in order to host the site
• Payment plan, if your aim is paid webhosting

I found from my own experience it’s useless to start off on the wrong foot. Start from the bottom, making sure you have the domain name which best suits you or your intended website content. You don’t get much for free, so ignore the free websites you can get, if you are serious about the subject. For example, if you want to blog about Sports, what’s the use of a free host which gives you the url something like; geocities dot com/user/1000567832/blogswitch ect…If it’s business, and client will hardly be impressed with that kind of name for your website on any business card, so even more important to get a relevent domain name.

It might help to get a domain name and hosting service all into one package. So, register a domain name is one example. When you first log on, you get the chance to check if the domain name you are interested in is available, in various forms, like .com, .co.uk ect. If not, you can search for another.

Once your domain is verified, you can purchase it, then register it. This site gives you the option of managing multiple domains, under one account. This, together with domain transfer, url forwarding, and many other domain options. The site also offers web hosting services, so you can choose your host easily.

There is also the facility of looking up names of current domain owners, in whois, if you find that useful or of interest. In essence, the complete domain service, under one website.

I’ve been using Wordpress for a while now, and I’m always looking for new themes and design.

Kaushal Sheth has a blog on the subject of wordpress, and Blogger, which offer everything from wordpress and Blogger news, templates, updates, and looks to be a fine resource, whether you use Wordpress, or Blogger software.

The March 8th entry was on the crucial subject of Guide To Web Hosting Because after you choose and purchase your unique domain name, you will need to find a web host, to actually display your website to the world. It can be a minefield, but here Kaushal lists his web host suggestions.

Blogging has evolved from it’s original conception of being an online diary, into serious home based business for many people. Popular subject remain search engine optimisation, online marketing, web design branding, and often these type of blogs blogs are read by many fellow bloggers, because we are always interested in new developments, and webmaster resources.

It’s always of major importance though to get the basic foundations right, and set your site up the way you want it, best optimised for whatever your blogging requirements are. Therefore, it’s good advice to consider very carefully who your web host will be, and read as many articles and reviews on that as you can.

Tags: Web Hosting, Wordpress, Blogger

Image by Pink Dispatcher of Flickr

Sorry I’ve been a little lax with site updates recently. I note the games section of this site is receiving most attention, so I’m considering expanding that part, or even create a forum. Any thoughts on that issue, please let me know.

 In the Technology news recently, it looks News Corporation, owners of MySpace, might enter into the bidding war for Yahoo, to rival Microsofts earlier bid.

Other news, Richard Branson has called for an “envoromental war room” to combate climate change. Full story.

Finally, the official GTA4 website has opened. Soon a full preview will be coming this way…

Microsoft’s audacious $42 Billion offer for struggling internet giant Yahoo show how much they are getting worried about being left in the shadow of Google. Yahoo announced a gloomy outlook only last week, and saw it’s stock price plunge 10%. Microsoft’s own stock has been under performing for years now. In brief, Google threatens Microsoft’s grip on how people interact with computers.

For Yahoo, the bid underlines their own missed opportunities for strengthening their own brand, and allowing Google to become the internet’s main gateway. But it seems Microsoft will be under more pressure than even Yahoo to complete the proposed deal. The companies position might well become more precarious unless it can cultivate a more loyal Internet audience and generate more online ad revenue to subsidize the free services taken for granted on the Internet.

However, there is sure to be oppopsition to such a merger. It will need approval from antitrust regulators in the United States and Europe to succeed, and Google are already ready to object. David Drummond, senior VP of corporate development, worries the acquisition of the internet portal by a company that has “frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies” could “extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the internet.”

To counter, Microsoft argue Google already have “far more marketshare when it comes to internet searching than a combined Microsoft and Yahoo! possibly could”, then stating their company is “committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy.”

The proposed offer, when announced late last week, excited the finance markets, just when they most needed stimulus, little doubt it will lead to investors betting who will be the next internet merger. It appears Microsoft are getting increasingly worried by Google. Yahoo are struggling to compete. And Google themselves busy watching their backs. Meanwhile, for internet users, life will carry on. The worry for us will be if a too dominant power emerges. So who needs internet consolidation the most? Or is it the least?

I found out at the weekend this site has jumped from Google page rank 0 to 4, in the first two months since it began. Many thanks to all my readers for your support. It’s my intention to continue to bring articles to the site on technology related issues, and the impact on our enviroment. As well as the best computer games and software releases.

They are subjects close to my heart Talking of which, if anyone has not checked out my new website, dedicated to fiction, in particular, the serialisation of my Father’s novel, A Bugle For The New Day, you can find the link on my main page. The uploads of the novel will be a work in progress, a chance to bring my late Father’s words to a wider audience. If you pay the site a visit, I will appreciate very much, thanks!

My most warmest wishes for the New Year.

Mark

If you’re looking for a high quality surround system at an affordable price, look no further than the Onko TX-SR605. This AV reciever encompasses media such as Blue-Ray Disc and HD DVD.

Audio Features;

Audio Features
• 140 W/Ch Minimum into 6 O, 1 kHz, IEC (1 Channel Driven)
• DTS®-ES™ Discrete/Matrix, DTS® Neo:6, DTS® 96/24, Dolby® Digital EX™, Dolby® Pro Logic IIx
• H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply) Massive High Power Transformer
• 192 kHz/24-Bit DACs for All Channels
• WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)
• Advanced 32-Bit Processing DSP Chip
• 5 Digital Inputs (3 Optical/2 Coaxial)
• Subwoofer Pre Out
• CinemaFILTER™
• A-Form Listening Mode Memory
• Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
• Non-Scaling Configuration
• Tone Control (Bass/Treble) for Front L/R Channels
• Color-Coded 7.1-Multichannel Inputs
• Independent Crossover Adjustment for F/C/S/SB (40/50/60/80/100/120/150/200 Hz)
• Double Bass Function

Video features such as;

• 5 S-Video Inputs and 2 Outputs
• 5 Composite Video Inputs and 2 Outputs
• Front Panel Auxiliary Input (for Camcorders, Game Consoles, etc.)

Remote control included, this unit enables full HD Audio and Video integration.

USA buy; Circuitcity Europe buy: Idealo UK Buy; Idealo

Tags: Home Cinema, Surround sound, HD audio Video

Travel reality TV show Worldiki  are embarking on a working around the world trip, starting on January 2008. They are running a travel blog, and at the moment are climbing Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo, a mysterious part of the world. They also announced a competition they are running, and the prize is a Sony  Photo Printer

To enter, just blog about it or subscribe to their travel blog. The site has some great images of exotic locations, as well as video.