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Rabu, 29 Juni 2016

The Effects of Astaxanthin Type 2 Diabetes

 

Draining the World Wealth


Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic that is critically linked to prevalence of obesity. More than 220 million people have diabetes and by the year 2030 the figures are expected to grow to 360 million. The diabetes is aggressively growing in both emerging and developed country. According to WHO, the Asian continent has over 90 million people suffering from diabetes – India (40 million) China (29 million); Indonesia (13 million) and Japan (7 million). The prevalence of diabetic patients remains pervasive in USA (22 million), Brazil (6 million), Pakistan (8 million); Russia (6 million); Italy (5 million) and Turkey (4 million). Even in the African region over 10 million people suffer from diabetes, especially in Nigeria where it is expected to reach 5 million within the year 2030.
Diabetic complications lead to heart disease (approximately 65% of death amongst diabetics), blindness, kidney failure and amputations. As a result, the indirect and direct medical expenditure of diabetics represent almost 5 times that of a non-diabetic.

Type 2 Diabetes: A Preventable Disease

High Blood Sugar 

In most cases, diabetes is treated with medication, although about 20% of diabetics may be managed by lifestyle changes. This means that even if we cannot change the genetic influences, fortunately, for most of us diabetes is preventable; for example, making dietary changes, taking nutritional supplements and exercising. To highlight this, people in high risk groups who achieve a 5-7% cut in body weight will reduce risk of developing diabetes approximately 58% across all age and ethnic groups.
While the debate between the contributory effects of carbohydrate and fat intake continues unabated, research reveals a strong link between foods with high glycemic index and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Excess blood glucose needs to be converted by insulin (produced by the pancreas ß-cells) into glycogen stores, however, when glycogen stores are full, glucose is converted into fat. Over time, the body’s cells may eventually become desensitized to insulin making it necessary to produce more insulin to achieve the same affect. It is this process that would eventually lead to a state known as hyperinsulinaemic state. As a result, the body looses its ability to control high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) that could result in toxic conditions and promote further complications such as kidney failure.

New Evidences Emerging from Human Studies

In an anti-aging study conducted by Iwabayashi et al., (2009), 20 female volunteers with increased oxidative stress burden ingested 12 mg/day of astaxanthin for 8 weeks. Results evidenced a significant decrease of diabetes-related parameters that collectively predict trends in diabetes development. Firstly, astaxanthin reduced cortisol by 23 percent.

Astaxanthin Retards Glucose Toxicity and Kidney Damage

Astaxanthin displayed positive effects in a type 2 diabetic mouse model in that it reduced the disease progression by retarding glucose toxicity and kidney damage. This has profound implications for people who belong to high risk groups, display pre-diabetic conditions (impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance) or want to manage advanced diabetic kidney problems (nephropathy).
Studies suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by hyperglycemia contributes to the onset of Diabetes mellitus and its complications. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins and mitochondria, prevalent in diabetic conditions, is a major source of ROS. For example, pancreatic ß-cells kept in high glucose concentrations show presence of advanced glycosylation products, a source of ROS, which cause the following: i) reduction of insulin expression and ii) induction of cell death (apoptosis). ß–cells are especially vulnerable to ROS because these cells are inherently low in antioxidant status and therefore, requires long term protection. A recent study demonstrated that antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, vitamins C and E) exerted beneficial effects in diabetic conditions such as preservation of ß-cell function, so it is likely that a more potent antioxidant such as astaxanthin can do the same or better.
In another study conducted by Preuss et al. (2009), 12 rats fed with 25mg/kg of astaxanthin show a significant decrease in insulin resistance by 13.5%.

Modulation of Glucose Toxicity

Uchiyama et al., 2002 demonstrated in obese diabetes type 2 mouse model that astaxanthin preserved pancreatic ß -cell dysfunction against oxidative damage. Treated mice received 1 mg astaxanthin/day at 6 weeks of age and then tests performed at 6, 12 and 18 weeks. Observations of astaxanthin treated mice (N=8) included: i) significantly reduced fasting glucose sugar levels at 12.



Figure 1. Astaxanthin improved the glucose levels in the Intraperitoneally Glucose Tolerance Test (IPGT) in diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama et al., 2002) Figure 1. Astaxanthin improved the glucose levels in the Intraperitoneally Glucose Tolerance Test (IPGT) in diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama <em>et al.</em>, 2002)
Figure 2. Astaxanthin preserved insulin sensitivity in the diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama et al., 2002) Figure 2. Astaxanthin preserved insulin sensitivity in the diabetic mouse model (Uchiyama <em>et al.</em>, 2002)
Figure 3. Astaxanthin protected kidney function measured by urinary albumin protein loss (Naito et al., 2004) 
 Figure 3. Astaxanthin protected kidney function measured by urinary albumin protein loss (Naito <em>et al.</em>, 2004)

Prevention of Diabetic Nephropathy

As well as substantiating observations by Uchiyama et al., Naito demonstrated that astaxanthin treated type 2 diabetic mice which normally shows renal insufficiency at 16 weeks of age in fact exhibited 67% less urinary albumin loss.

Figure 4. Astaxanthin reduced the amount of DNA damage indicated by urinary 8-OHdG levels (Naito et al., 2004) 
 Figure 4. Astaxanthin reduced the amount of DNA damage indicated by urinary 8-OHdG levels (Naito <em>et al.</em>, 2004)
Figure 5. Astaxanthin preserved the relative mesangial area.

 Figure 5. Astaxanthin preserved the relative mesangial area. +p<0.05 vs positive control (Naito <em>et al.</em>, 2004)
Earlier it was unclear how astaxanthin could ameliorate the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but new evidence revealed additional information in the mechanism of action. Naito et al., (2006) examined changes in the gene expression profile of glomerular cells in diabetic mouse model during the early phase of diabetic nephropathy. The mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway was most significantly affected by high-glucose concentration (mediated via reactive oxygen species). Long term treatment with astaxanthin significantly modulated genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress and the TGF-ß-collagen synthesis system.

Manabe et al., 2007 went further and analyzed normal human mesangial cells (NHMC) exposed to high glucose concentrations. In the presence of astaxanthin, it significantly suppressed ROS production (Figure 6) and inhibited nuclear translocation and activation of NF-?B (Figure 7) in the mitochondria of NHMC. Furthermore, this was the first time to detect astaxanthin in the mitochondrial membrane (Table 1) and its presence also suppressed ROS attack on membrane proteins.


Figure 6. Astaxanthin reduced ROS production in NHMC-mitochondria exposed to high glucose (Manabe et al., 2007) 
 Figure 6. Astaxanthin reduced ROS production in NHMC-mitochondria exposed to high glucose (Manabe <em>et al.</em>, 2007)  
Top left panel: mitochondria as green fluorescence, Top right panel: ROS as red fluorescence; Bottom right panel: Merged picture as yellow fluorescence.
Figure 7. Astaxanthin suppressed high-glucose induced nuclear translocation and activation of NF-?B (Manabe et al., 2007) 
 Figure 7. Astaxanthin suppressed high-glucose induced nuclear translocation and activation of NF-?B (Manabe <em>et al.</em>, 2007)
Table 1. Astaxanthin content in NHMC mitochondria expressed as percentage of total astaxanthin added. 
Mean of 3 samples. (Manabe et al., 2007) Table 1. Astaxanthin content in NHMC mitochondria expressed as percentage of total astaxanthin added. Mean of 3 samples. (Manabe <em>et al.</em>, 2007)

Outlook

Although clinical trials involving antioxidants in humans have only recently begun, these preliminary results concluded that strong antioxidant supplementation may improve type 2 diabetic control and inhibit progressive renal damage by circumventing the effects of glycation-mediated ROS under hyperglycemic conditions. Astaxanthin improved pancreas function, insulin sensitivity, reduced kidney damage and glucose toxicity in diabetic mouse models. New techniques by gene chip analysis and fluorescence imaging revealed further details of mechanism and site of protection by astaxanthin. Further research and clinical studies are still required. However, it is reasonable to suggest that astaxanthin may be useful as part of a nutrigenomic strategy for type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.

References

  1. Forefront (Summer/Fall) 2005, American Diabetes Association.
  2. Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals June 2004. "The dietary solution to diabetes."
  3. HSR Health Supplement Retailer July 2004. "Fighting Diabetes the natural way."
  4. Iwabayashi M, Fujioka N, Nomoto K, Miyazaki R, Takahashi H, Hibino S, Takahashi Y, Nishikawa K, Nishida M, Yonei Y. (2009). Efficacy and safety of eight-week treatment with astaxanthin in individuals screened for increased oxidative stress burden. J. Anti Aging Med., 6 (4):15-21.
  5. Manabe E, Handa O, Naito Y, Mizushima K, Akagiri S, Adachi S, Takagi T, Kokura S, Maoka T, Yoshikawa T. (2008). Astaxanthin protects mesangial cells from hyperglycemia-induced oxidative signaling. J. Cellular Biochem. 103 (6):1925-37.
  6. Naito Y, Uchiyama K, Aoi W, Hasegawa G, Nakamura N, Yoshida N, Maoka T, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2004) Prevention of diabetic nephropathy by treatment with astaxanthin in diabetic db/db mice. BioFactors 20:49-59. Nutritional Outlook April. "Fighting Diabetes"
  7. Naito Y, Uchiyama K, Mizushima K, Kuroda M, Akagiri S, Takagi T, Handa O, Kokura S, Yoshida N, Ichikawa H, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2006). Microarray profiling of gene expression patterns in glomerular cells of astaxanthin-treated diabetic mice: a nutrigenomic approach. Int. J. Mol. Med.,18:685-695.
  8. Preuss H, Echard B, Bagchi D, Perricone VN, Yamashita E. (2009). Astaxanthin lowers blood pressure and lessens the activity of the renin-angiotensin system in Zucker Fatty Rats. J. Funct. Foods, I:13-22.
  9. The Global Diabetes Community. http://www.diabetes.co.uk. Article retrieved on June 8th, 2010.
  10. Uchiyama K, Naito Y, Hasegawa G, Nakamura N, Takahashi J, Yoshikawa T. (2002). Astaxanthin Protects ?–cells against glucose toxicity in diabetic db/db mice. Redox Rep., 7(5):290-293.

CCRES special thanks to 


 Mr. Mitsunori Nishida, 


 
President of Corporate Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) 
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Selasa, 28 Juni 2016

Sustainable But really !

For the last year Ive become increasingly cross with hearing the word sustainable used in ways that really dont make sense. So after a little bit of thought, and the knowledge that its New Years Day and Im always promising myself Ill blog more here, I thought Id write a bit about what I think sustainable really means.
And maybe I need to explain what leads me to live what I hope is a fairly sustainable life and why.
In 1976, in the middle of that dreadful summer of drought, my mother said to me
"Youll be alive when the oil runs out".
I was 6. I didnt know what that meant but I knew I needed to find out, and so find out I did.
And in my mind that meant, at that age, no cars, no electricity and the need to find alternatives. I remember talking about solar power and wind and water being things that could be used to create power. And I remember thinking that resources were precious, whatever they were, and realising at that early age that Earth wasnt a finite resource if we carried on the way we were.
And then the 1980s happened. The world forgot about the problems and consumerism hit. Thát hard, cold consumerism which seemed so exciting but in actual fact set us on a completely ridiculous road.
Anyway, enough of me. Except to say that all of the above has led me to lead a life where Ive constantly had that tiny phrase in the back of my head, in every thing Ive ever done.
"Youll be alive when the oil runs out".

So what is sustainable?
And actually what is sustainability?
Are they the same?

For me they have to be. A sustainable life is one where you consider your every action, your every purchase. 

Food that travels half way around the world so we can have strawberries at Christmas.
Food distribution systems that mean food grown in the south of the UK, often travels to the Midlands or further, and back, before it lands in stores.
50% of fresh foods ending up in the bin before they even hit the shops.
Cheap clothing being made in sweat shops so we can have more.
Cotton being the crop that worldwide uses the most chemicals than any other.
Continual use of chemicals that have an adverse effect on our pollinators because the companies that make them claim theyre safe.
Monoculture.
Soil degradation

I could go on. 
The point is that none of these things are sustainable. And yet we carry on and ignore the issues. Its just the way it is.
Or is it? Is there another way? 

Well of course there is. And it doesnt have to be about becoming a yoghurt weaver!! 
Its about personal responsibilty and not being afraid to speak up for whats fair and right. Its about having a set of ethics and sticking to them, even when people think youre a bit odd.
But mainly its about having respect not just for the human species but for all the species on the earth and for the earth itself. Its about seeing worth in both people and things and being prepared to pay for that worth. Its about seeing things through, and not just seeing things as a project that probably wont last, but about making sure everything we do has legacy and makes a change. And, and heres the one most people squirm at, its about making sure we all are paid our worth in whatever we do, and not being afraid to state our worth.
And there I will stop.

Happy New Year to you all. And remember, together we can all make a change.
 
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Israel Bio Fuel from Algae



Israeli scientists grow microalgae strains from the Red Sea in bioreactor fields in the desert near Jordan, for astaxanthin used to create cosmetics, colorants and food supplements…


CCRES AQUAPONICS
Project of NGO
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)
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An open letter to Amateur Gardening magazine

Today it has been brought to my attention that Amateur Gardening magazine are about to publish a piece about my previous blog post, #shoutyhalfhour. Although I am pleased that the post is out there in the public eye and that people are obviously reading it and it is a talking point, the piece is possibly the laziest piece of journalism I have seen in a while. Firstly I need to point out that they have done nothing illegal by using quotes from the piece but what they have done is remove it from its context and so it looks as though all I am doing is criticizing when in fact the point of the post was to explain why and how the #shoutyhalfhour hashtag came about in the first place and why it has carried on.
I am not going to bang on about the piece, but I do wish to make some things clear. Yes I am a self confessed plant nut, but I am also a horticultural professional with many years experience as a nurserywoman, working on many wonderful projects which, I am lucky to say, have involved growing gardens for designers at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court as well as many large, well known projects, including providing the plants for the Royal Wedding.
Equally yes, I am a Garden Blogger, but one from a professional horticultural background, and with concern for the industry that I am writing from within. An industry that is struggling to survive and to recruit young people into it, and one which deserves recognition and help from the garden media rather than reading sensationalisation of a blog post. I wonder how many Amateur Gardening readers are aware of the struggle of the trade and the fight many nursery people have every year to keep themselves afloat, whilst passionately believing in what they do. Or are aware of the quantity of plants that are bought in every year from abroad by the DIY superstores, whos pile them high and sell them cheap policies are killing anyone who has been a bedding specialist.
And finally, the post is not a scathing attack as Amateur Gardening have said in their piece, but is a well thought out piece of writing and if Amateur Gardening magazine had really done their homework they would have seen that Monty Don has posted a comment on the blog, in which he argues several points but says it is written "elegantly and with perceptive wit". Im pretty sure the presenter would not have commented if it had just been a rant, or aimed at him.
If Amateur Gardening Magazine have anything further to add to this, my email address is on my website, which is www.thephysicgarden.co.uk, rather than here, my blog, and I look forward to hearing from them. Sadly I assume that is unlikely.
Finally a word to all garden writers out there. Whether a professional or an amateur, writing should be excited, passionate and inspiring, whatever it is you are writing about. Writing should be from the heart and every time you post or publish something you should feel that you are putting yourself out there. Never hold back because it is that kind of passionate writing, be it in blog, book or magazine form, that the horticultural industry in this country needs from you and will inspire new and old gardeners alike to rethink their own passion for gardening and plants and why they feel that way about what they do.



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Aquaponics Projects




CCRES AQUAPONICS

promotes

Aquaponics Projects

Hawaii Aquaponics Workforce Maui

Nelson and Pade, Inc has been contracted to build multiple aquaponics systems, provide training and support for a workforce development project at the University of Hawaii, Maui and other locations. John and Rebecca travelled to Maui in September to intiate the project and start the training. The systems will be built and shipped during the fall of 2011.
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Aquaponics in a Survival Condo

Nelson and Pade, Inc. has been contracted to design the aquaponic system for a surviival condo in a missile silo. www.survivalcondo.com  We visited the faclity and met project manager, Larry Hall, in October.  During this visit, we took part in the filming of a documentary on the project for National Geographic Channel.
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Las Lomas, Trinidad, Eco-Resort and Aquaponics

Nelson and Pade, Inc. is has designed and is building an aquaponic system for the Las Lomas Legacy Project in the island country of Trinidad, sponsored by the First Church of the Open Bible. The project, located on 72 beautiful acres,  will be an eco-resort, featuring the heritage of various Caribbean islands. The aquaponic system will be the first component to be installed.
Sian and Orville, from Trinidad, and Richard, from Jamaica, are currently doing training at Nelson and Pade, Inc. for this project. The greenhouse and Clear Flow Aquaponic System will be shipped to Trinidad in October. Nelson and Pade, Inc. will continue to provide tech support and periodic onsite training.

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H.O.P.E, Pueblo Tribe, New Mexico

Nelson and Pade, Inc. is assisting H.O.P.E. (Honor Our Pueblo Existence), a Pueblo organization in New Mexico, in the planning of an aquaponic project for the Santa Clara Pueblo.  The initial project will be for the purpose of demonstrating aquaponic technology to the tribal community. The long term goal is to use aquaponics to provide fresh fish and vegetables to the community as well as be a profitable venture.  The Santa Clara tribe lives in the shadow of the Las Alamos nuclear lab and waterways, soil and irrigations systems have been contaminated.  Aquaponics will allow them to grow fresh fish and vegetables without relying on the soil.
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New Aquaponics Demonstration Greenhouse

 Nelson and Pade, Inc. has competed the construction of their new 5,000 square foot aquaponics greenhouse.  The new research and demonstration facility showcases the latest in Clear Flow Aquaponic SystemsTM and controlled environment agriculture.    
A variety of crops ranging from fancy lettuces and herbs to tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are grown in aquaponics, where the fish waste provides the fertilizer for the plants. 
The greenhouse demonstrates energy efficiency, natural ventilation, a variety of heating techniques, greenhouse coverings and grow lights.   
The new greenhouse provides the backdrop for Nelson Pade, Inc.’s successful aquaponics training workshops, a new tour program and an on-site farm stand.
Tour info:  https://www.aquaponics.com/see/tourourfacility.php
Workshop Info:  https://www.aquaponics.com/workshops.php

Kansas City Aquaponics Project

Kansas City’s Green Acres Community Garden has partnered with the City, the school district and other organizations to put this plan into action. The project will utilize abandoned (but very nice) greenhouses at East High School to launch an aquaponics program and initiative that will provide fresh food to the community, education and hands-on learning for students and jobs and job training for local youth.
Nelson and Pade, Inc. is supplying the systems, training, technology curriculum and support.
Through common goals, partnerships and innovative thinking, Ms. Coe and all involved in this effort are chipping away at the problems of urban food desserts, compromised educational systems, crime and a lack of jobs. This project will feed people while nurturing the soul through a new connection to food, agriculture and aquaponics. I applaud this group for their foresight and motivation!

Aquaponics Goes to Hollywood

Nelson and Pade, Inc. is working with a group of young celebrities to bring aquaponics and fresh nutritious food to Hollywood.
This project will include aquaponic food production in a controlled environment greenhouse, plus a retail, education and agri-tourism center.
This facility will be a destination to purchase fresh fish and veggies and learn about aquaponics, all in a 1/2 acre aquaponic greenhouse.
More details to come.

"Living Food BankTM" Aquaponic System in Haiti

Nelson and Pade, Inc. has begun construction on a Living Food BankTM aquaponic system at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. The system is complete with a tropical greenhouse and stand-alone energy system. The aquaponic system is designed to grow tilapia, a fresh water fish and a variety of vegetables. This is the first phase of a large-scale project. The Phase One system is intended to demonstrate the technology and allow NWHCM staff and volunteers to get familiar with the daily operation of an aquaponic system. The aquaponic system will be housed in a tropical greenhouse for crop protection. The Phase One greenhouse will cover approximately 4144 sq. ft. and is capable of annually producing 3500 lbs of fish and 27,500 heads of lettuce. Other vegetables crops, such and beans, peas and tomatoes can be grown in the system as well.
Phase Two will be on a much larger scale and is intended to provide fresh fish and vegetables to thousands of people in North West Haiti.
John Pade and Rebecca Nelson travelled to Haiti October, 2010 to assist with the installation and training.
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Greens & Gills, LLC.

Nelson and Pade, Inc. is working on the design and project plan for Greens & Gills, LLC, an innovative new aquaponics company that plans to build a 2 acre aquaponic facility in the Chicago area. David Ellis, CEO, shares, “Green & Gills, LLC is focused on positively impacting our food system by providing affordable, locally grown, herbicide-free and pesticide-free produce and also naturally raised fish to large urban markets across the United States.
Stay tuned at www.greensandgills.com

KP Simply Fresh 5000 sq. ft Aquaponic Greenhouse near Baraboo, Wisconsin

Nelson and Pade, Inc. assisted the Meunier Family of KP Simply Fresh on the establishment of their new aquaponic greenhouse. Nelson and Pade, Inc. provided the technology and equipment and continues to provide ongoing support and guidance. Located near Baraboo, Wisconsin, the Meunier’s are raising fancy lettuce and tilapia in their new aquaponic greenhouse. KP Simply Fresh has established accounts for their beautiful lettuces and fresh tilapia.
Consumers in the Baraboo area are encouraged to seek out fresh produce and fish from KP Simply Fresh. The Meunier’s are sustainably growing safe, fresh, nutritious food. Wisconsinites, be sure to “buy local” and support KP Simply Fresh. You will be happy you did.
See more photos at:  https://www.aquaponics.com/see/aquaponicsinaction.php

Installation of Aquaponic System at University of the Virgin Islands

In March, 2009, Nelson and Pade, Inc installed their 4-250-2-8x22 Raft Aquaponic System at the Agriculture Experiment Station at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). It will be used for demonstration and crop trials by Dr. James Rakocy and the research scientists at UVI.
Information and updates will be published in the Aquaponics Journal.
In the photo on the right, from left to right: Don Bailey, Jason Danaher, R Charlie Shultz, Frankie, John Pade, Rebecca Nelson and Dr. James Rakocy.
The system is located just outside the UVI Farm store so visitors, islanders and UVI students can learn about aquaponics and see a system in action.

CCRES AQUAPONICS
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How to Choose Plants for Container Gardening

Though you can grow any type of plant in containers (provided you have given the proper growing condition), it is always a good idea to start with the container friendly varieties. While choosing transplants ask for those which are container friendly. If you are growing from seeds; look out for words like bush type, dwarf, container friendly etc. In the seed packet.

Before choosing any plant you need to consider the placements of those containers. If you have planned it for indoor gardening then not all plants would be ideal. Here is a list of top indoor gardening plants which you might wanna try. Whereas if you are putting those in a place where they will receive ample sunlight the range is much broader. Here are some of the options which generally goes pretty well with the containers:

Growing vegetables is probably the most popular form of container gardening. It gives you fruits and veggies at your convenience. Veggies such as Tomato, Okra, Spinach or Onion can grow really well.

Herbs is a very good choice for planting in containers. They are good aesthetically and also easy to grow and can be a great substitute for vegetables. You can definitely try your hands on Oregano, Thyme, Cilantro etc.

The next choice can be Perennials. There are many reason to grow perennials in the first place. They can be like herbs or fruit bearing or can be just simply woody.

Last but not the least you can try your hands on bulbs and rhizomes like ginger.

Type of containers:
Depending upon your plants variety you need to choose the containers accordingly. For instance plants which are perennials or shrubs or some big plants like tomatoes you need to choose larger pots. There are various types of pots available in the market. A rule of thumb is that the container should not be less than 12 inch depth and 8 inch wide. Sometimes you have to switch to larger pots.
Make sure the containers have drainage hole at the bottom.

Potting mix:
You can buy them from any nursery store nearby or you can make your own. Here is a list of different growth media which you can try. It is always beneficial to add compost with the potting mix.

Type of compost: 
You can choose to prepare it by yourself or you can also opt for the commercial one. Once you have decided on the type one option is to mix a good amount of it with the soil mix at the time of planting or you can also plan to fertilize it once it starts growing rapidly.

Taking care of your plants:
you need to add slow-release fertilizer from time to time depending on the the type of plant you have planted. Fruit bearing plants require a lot more nutrients and water than the rest of the plants. So take that into consideration.


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Senin, 27 Juni 2016

Mrs Seven Storeys Up

Recently their was a conversation on Anne Warehams ThinkinGardens site, about community gardens and why we do or dont get involved with them etc If youd like to read the thread it is here and its worth a look at. In my comment I mention a lady who I call Mrs Seven Storeys Up, mainly because that was my overriding memory of my first meeting with her.
Me "hello"
Mrs SSU "No point me being here I live seven storeys up"
Me "Well Im glad to see you. Shall we see what we might get doing today?"
Mrs SSU "We can but theres no point, I live seven storeys up"
And so the morning went on. Tea was drunk, cake was consumed, overwintered crops removed and the soil prepared and if Im honest, I never expected to see that lady at a gardening group again.

So the following week when Mrs Seven Storeys Up arrived again I decided to see how I could engage and find out a bit more about her, other than the fact she lived seven storeys up. So we disappeared into the potting shed whilst the rest of the community group did other tasks and we talked about what she might like to grow.
"Potatoes?" I asked
"Yes please-its a pain having to drag them to the seventh floor when you need enough for 6 people. At least the garden is closer than the supermarket"

6 people? So out the reality came. 5 kids, seven storeys up, from the age of 3 to 14. 4 boys, 1 girl. No outdoor space for any of them to run around in and no Dad to be seen for miles around. Little or no chance of moving without uprooting all the kids from schools and no money to move and do up a property anyway. Seemingly no way that life could change.

And yet every week Mrs Seven Storeys Up arrived at our little community group and got really stuck in. She bought a notebook and recorded everything we did. She asked pertinent questions about all sorrts of stuff that made me realise there was a lot of homework going on.
"Ive got a teeny balcony I never use as Im terrified the kids might fall off it but I could grow pots of blueberries-where do I get ericaceous soil from?"
"Those patio nectarines-do they really stay that small?"
"How do I get an allotment?"

The last one definitely got my attention in a way that made me start to wonder just how much this was actually life changing. So I took Mrs Seven Storeys Up through getting an allotment. And we got her one. And the community group went along and helped her clear it whilst we cleaned out her shed and collected a second hand polytunnel for her that was free on Gumtree.

And Mrs Seven Storeys Up started to grow. And not only started but just didnt stop. Constant texts asking if it was ok to sow this now, would it be wise to wait to sow that, could this go straight in the ground....... It was incredible. And not only that but her entire family started to work on the plot, from the tinies to the older kids, and her parents, all growing food and spending time together productively and more importantly happily as a cohesive unit.

Now some might say this all sounds a tad patronising and a bit oh my hasnt she done well. In reality what has actually happened is that the empowerment of growing food has changed this familys life in a way that is outstanding. When Mrs Seven Storeys Up first arrived at our community group she had been asked to come along by her GP who was treating her for depression following the horrors of post natal depression, and she was at the point of not being able to cope. For weeks the children went to grandparents at the weekend to give her a break from what must have been the monotony of every day life, coping alone in a city with 5 kids and very little support. In her mind there was no way out and this was just how it was going to be for ever.

When I wrote the piece on ThinkinGardens I rang Mrs Seven Storeys Up and said what I had written and asked if it was ok. To which the answer was "Yes, of course. It might make someone else do the same. You should write summat on that blog thing you do. You should do that more." And more general nagging.....
"So what," I asked, "has gardening done that has changed your life?"
"Its made me realise if I can grow a carrot in this bleedin clay, I can rule the world if I want to"
"Really?" I asked, slightly tearfully
"Yes. If I can feed my kids without having to buy rubbish veg and fruit from the supermarket, and look after chickens and have a part share in a pig( of which I knew nothing until this conversation so we may have veered off point for a moment) I can do anything. Oh and by the way Ive taken on the allotment next door that was empty and Im having a jam and chutney stand next week at the school-I bet I can make some money out of this you know"
Little known to me until recently but there is also an RHS course being taken, ("can I borrow your RHS 2 notes?") and a food hygiene certificate been taken in order that chutney and jam begin to be a viable option.

So to all the doubters about community gardens and their worth, remember Mrs Seven Storeys Up. She and many like her, up and down the country, are changing their lives by growing food and empowering themselves to change their lives.  Community gardens are extraordinary places where extraordinary things happen.


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Farm Market Update

We will unfortunately miss the last two weekends of the West Bend Farm Market due to other commitments. But fret not, our hungry friends: we will still have on-farm hours each Tuesday! And as always, give us a holler if youd like to stop out another day of the week.

And dont forget, we continue to grow all 12 months of the year so you dont need to go back to the tasteless greens at the grocery store just because the farm market ends.

Hope to see you soon!
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Minggu, 26 Juni 2016

Keeping the Black Dog at Bay with RonsToms

I woke up this morning with a small sense of impending doom. A bit anxious and a bit fidgety. Wanting to get out of bed and yet really wanting to stay under the duvet and hide.
Completely overwhelmed but not sure by what.
I got out of bed and got back in again.
Eventually the need for tea was too much and I got up but ended up under a blanket on the sofa, just with tea in my hand.
I quite often have days like this, but usually have to ride rough shod over them in order to get to something but today there was nowhere to go. Nothing to hide behind.
So I did a load of work. I updated the events section of the Incredible Edible Bristol website, scheduled Facebook posts and Twitter updates, firmed up my diary for the week ahead. After around 3 hours I was still anxious, and had nothing left to do in terms of work, so I forced myself to look at what the problem was........
Sometimes when the black dog is around I really want to do something but I cant. Physically it is as if my body and brain work against me to persuade me that I must do a zillion other things rather than actually do the thing that will make me feel better, more in control.
So I took myself off to a local garden centre, thinking that a bit of plant therapy might help, but however hard I kept thinking about what I might need for the garden it was impossible to make a decision. I bought potatoes for one of the beds we are working on in the city centre and came home.
And then I remembered some seeds that I had. Last summer I was sent some American heirloom tomato seeds from Ron Finley in LA in a package along with a t-shirt. I had kept those seeds safe since then and through our move thinking that they would be grown on the allotment this year, probably in the greenhouse and then it occured to me that actually my issue for the day had mainly been that I was panicking about not having an allotment. Not the kind of earth shattering all consuming panic that can knock you off your feet, but that slow, niggling panic that really makes you have to work out the issue which will often hide behind other things and catch you out.
Of course I have a new garden and I have a greenhouse in it, but having had an allotment for the best part of 20 years I realise now that the plot sized space in my life is huge and gaping right now. Us allotmenteers have the seasons embedded within us and this is the time of year when usually Id be barrowing large amounts of muck around the plot to keep warm, beginning things off in the greenhouse and making plans for the growing year ahead whilst drinking copious amounts of tea in my shed and the black dog, in its usual cheeky way, has jumped on the fact that there is a gap in my usual schedule and jumped into it.

So I found those seeds, along with a few others and sowed them. Popped them into pots of soft, seived seed sowing compost, popped their labels in and watered them whilst whispering "grow you buggers, grow," as taught to me by Alan Titchmarsh whilst watching him plant a tree on one of his shows. I never plant or sow anything without that phrase.
And immediately I felt that black dog start to disappear. So I sowed some crimson flowered broad beans too and popped a mashua root into some compost too whilst I was outside and playing with soil. And then, in a way I have never done before, I popped my seed potatoes into egg boxes and put them on the kitchen windowsill to chit so that they are ready for the potato sacks I am going to grow them in. I sorted out my seeds and looked at what I can grow in the garden, and what I could grow in containers and had a long think about what and why I was going to grow if I dont get an allotment this year, which is very definitely possible. I havent quite made a strategy but I have decided I am going to look at growing mainly heirloom varieties and there will be a blog about that at some point in the fairly near future.
And then I felt better and again it occured to me how fortunate I am to have gardening in my life. not just professionally, but as a human being who needs that connection with soil, with the earth and with nature. If there is one thing I am determined to do this year it is work with others who have yet to be able to access the therapy that growing plants, be they edible or ornamental, is. There will be more on that soon too, but in the meantime Im glad I made myself have an honest conversation with myself today because I have sent that black dog packing and that makes today a good day!!

If anyone might like to know, the tomato seeds are all cherry varieties from a selection of US nurseries. They are T. Red Pear, T. Isis Candy and T. Black Cherry and if you want to follow how they grow I will be documenting here and also on Twitter with the hashtag #RonsToms which was coined by Alison Levey of The Blackberry Garden blog fame!!
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CO2 Capture and Storage CCS


  
 
Everything you wanted to know about
CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS),
but had no one to ask .
 
 
1. What is CCS?

CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) describes a technological process by which the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by large stationary sources - such as coal- fired power plants, steel plants and oil refineries - is prevented from entering the atmosphere.

That’s because it enables at least 90% of these CO2 emissions to be captured, then stored in geological formations – safely and permanently – deep underground (at least 800m). In fact, it uses the same natural trapping mechanisms which have already kept huge volumes of oil, gas and CO2 underground for millions of years.

Currently, all of the CO2 produced by these large stationary sources is released into the atmosphere – directly contributing to global warming.

2. Why is it a critical technology for combating climate change?

CCS is the single biggest lever to combat climate change (compared to, for example, energy efficiency which requires many different actions). In fact, CCS has the potential to address almost half of the world’s current CO2 emissions.

Experts estimate that by 2050, CCS could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 0.6 to 1.7 billion tonnes in the EU and by 9 to 16 billion tonnes worldwide. The upper end of this range would require its application to all fossil fuel power plants and to almost all other large industrial emitters – with the large volumes of hydrogen produced used for transport fuel.

3. What other benefits will CCS provide?

In addition to its potential to reduce CO2 emissions on a massive scale, CCS will also provide greater energy security – by making the burning of Europe’s abundant coal reserves more environmentally acceptable and reducing its dependency on imported natural gas. CCS could also facilitate the transition to a hydrogen economy through the production of large volumes of clean hydrogen which that could be used for electricity or transport fuel.

EU demonstration efforts on CCS will not only demonstrate the EU’s commitment to delivering on its own CO2 reduction targets, but spur other countries to do the same – especially large CO2 emitters, such as China, India and the US. As a global solution to combating climate change, CCS could therefore also give a major boost to the European economy – promoting technology leadership, European competitiveness and creating jobs.

4. How does CCS work?

CCS consists of three stages:
i. Capture: CO2 is captured and compressed at the emissions site.
ii. Transport: The CO2 is then transported to a storage location.
iii. Storage: The CO2 is permanently stored in geological formations, deep underground.

Each of these stages – capture, transport and storage – can be accomplished in different ways.

i. Capture processes:

    Post-combustion: CO2 is removed from the exhaust gas through absorption by selective solvents.
    Pre-combustion: The fuel is pre- treated and converted into a mix of CO2 and hydrogen, from which the CO2 is separated. The hydrogen is then used as fuel, or burnt to produce electricity.
    Oxy-fuel combustion: The fuel is burned with oxygen instead of air, producing a flue stream of CO2 and water vapour without nitrogen; the CO2 is relatively easily removed from this stream.

ii. Transport options:
Pipelines are the main option for large-scale CO2 transportation, but shipping and road transport are also possibilities.

iii. Storage options:

    Deep saline aquifers (saltwater-bearing rocks unsuitable for human consumption)
    Depleted oil and gas fields (with the potential for Enhanced Oil Recovery)

5. How long has CCS been in existence?

Although there are currently no fully integrated, commercial-scale CCS projects for power plants in operation, many of the technologies that make up CCS have been around for decades:

    CO2 capture is already practised on a small scale, based on technology that has been used in the chemical and refining industries for decades.
    Transportation is also well understood: it has been shipped regionally for over 17 years, while a 5,000km network has been operating in the USA for over 30 years for Enhanced Oil Recovery.
    Small-scale CO2 storage projects have been operating successfully for over a decade, e.g. at Sleipner (Norway), Weyburn (Canada) and In Salah (Algeria). The industry can also build on knowledge obtained through the geological storage of natural gas, which has also been practised for decades.

6. What’s the next step?

CCS technology now needs to be scaled up – including full process integration and optimisation – with demonstration projects of a size large enough to allow subsequent projects to be at commercial scale. This will also build public confidence in CCS as more and more people see that CO2 storage is safe and reliable.

7. Why should we use CCS, given its link to fossil fuels?

Scientists have confirmed that unless we stabilise CO2- equivalent concentrations at their current level of 450 parts per million (ppm), average global temperature is likely to rise by 2.4ºC to 6.4ºC by 2100. If we fail to keep below 2ºC, devastating – and irreversible – climate changes will occur.

This means reducing CO2-equivalent emissions by 50% by 2030. But with world energy demand expected to double by 2030 and renewable energies to make up ~30% of the energy mix by this date, only a portfolio of solutions will achieve this goal. This includes energy efficiency, a vast increase in renewable energy – and CCS.

Around 750 new coal power plants are already planned for the period 2005–2018, totaling more than 350 Gigawatt (GW), of which 50 will be in Europe, almost 300 in China, 200 in India and 50 in the US.

8. Why is it so important to deploy CCS as soon as possible?

Time is of the essence. Any delay in the roll-out of CCS could not only lead to unnecessary CO2 emissions but additional costs, as instead of being able to apply it to the current pipeline of coal plants, a retrofit would be required, increasing the cost of achieving the same emissions reduction. With decisions on the building of new power plants being made now in Europe, it is vital that we are not locked into an infrastructure that is not optimised for CCS.

Indeed, every year that CCS is delayed is a missed opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions. Today, we have ~450 parts per million (ppm) CO2 equivalent in the atmosphere, with concentration rising at over 2 ppm per annum. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that if we are to avoid major climate change effects, we must not exceed this 450 ppm. Delaying the implementation of CCS by just 6 years would mean CO2 concentrations increasing by around 10 ppm by 2020.

9. If we are at such a critical phase, why isn’t it already being deployed?

The incremental costs of the first large-scale CCS demonstration projects will be exceptionally high – too high to be fully justifiable to company shareholders.

That’s because all ‘First Movers’ will incur:

    Unrecoverable costs from making accelerated investments in scaling up the technology.
    Market risk due to uncertainty over:
    a) which CCS technologies will prove the most successful
    b) the future CO2 price and
    c) construction and operational costs.

Based on an independent study recently undertaken by McKinsey and Company, it is estimated that the total incremental costs of 10-12 CCS demonstration projects would be €7 billion - €12 billion.

Industry has already declared its willingness to cover both the base costs of the power plant (without CCS) and a major portion of the risks of implementing these CCS demonstration activities. Given that it will bring incalculable benefits to both the public and European industry and that these projects are inherently loss-making, public funding has therefore been provided to support 12 industrial-scale CCS projects. Without this, commercialisation will be severely delayed – until at least 2030 in Europe.

10. Why are public funds needed for CCS demonstration projects?

Currently, a CCS demonstration project would be a loss-making enterprise for industry, given the current price of implementing and using the technology; the current price of carbon; and uncertainty surrounding long-term viability and profitability. No shareholder can therefore be expected to fund it fully at this stage.

The typical cost of a demonstration project is likely to be in the range €60-90 per tonne of CO2 abated. Recent analyst estimates for Phase II of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) range from €30 to €48 per tonne of CO2 and, at this stage, similar levels are assumed beyond Phase II (up to 2030). In this range, the carbon price is insufficient for demonstration projects to be “stand-alone”, commercially viable.

Assuming that CCS demonstration projects would cost between €60 and €90 per tonne of CO2, and projecting a median carbon price of €35 per tonne of CO2, there is an “economic gap” of €25-€55 per tonne of CO2 per project. This corresponds to around €500 million - €1.1 billion, expressed as a Net Present Value (NPV) over the lifespan of a 300MW size power plant. The range depends on variations in specific project variables, such as capture technology and capex, transport distance and storage solutions.

11. The UK and the Netherlands are well on their way to implementing CCS demonstration projects – won’t these be enough to make the technology commercially viable?

As it is not yet known which CCS technologies will prove the most successful, it is vital that the full range is tested – including higher-risk technologies – optimised across projects and locations. As each region has its own challenges, local demonstration is also important in order to maximise public and political support.

As importantly, EU CCS demonstration efforts will ensure that cross-border projects – where CO2 is stored in a different country or region to where it is captured – are not excluded. As capture and storage locations are unevenly distributed throughout Europe, cross-border pipelines will play a crucial role in the wide-scale deployment of CCS and the development of clusters in major industrial areas as the next key step.

12. How much will it cost to retrofit CCS technology to existing power plants?

In general, retrofitting an existing power plant would lead to a higher cost for CCS, but these are highly dependent on specific site characteristics, including plant specifications, remaining economic life and overall site layout. For this reason, no generalisation or “reference case” would be meaningful.

There are four main factors likely to drive the cost increase for retrofits:

    The higher capex (capital costs) of the capture facility: the existing plant configuration and space constraints could make adaption to CCS more difficult than for a new build.
    The installation’s shorter lifespan: the power plant is already operating so where (for example) a new plant with CCS may run for 40 years, the capture facility of a 20 year-old plant is likely to have only a 20 year life, reducing the “efficiency” of the initial capex.
    There is a higher efficiency penalty, leading to a higher fuel cost when compared to a fully integrated, newly-built CCS plant.
    There is the “opportunity cost” of lost generating time, because the plant would be taken out of operation for a period to install the capture facility.

13. How can we accelerate the building of CCS projects?

Building a CCS project is a lengthy process: a fully integrated project can take 6.5-10 years before it becomes operational. However, Final Investment Decision can only be made once permits have been awarded across the entire value chain. In the case of CO2 storage, this can take as long as 6.5 years. In such a scenario, even a commercial project started as early as 2016 would not itself become operational until 2024.

Ideally, 10-12 CCS demonstration projects should be operational by 2015. The first early commercial projects should be operational by 2020, with the remaining demonstration projects sufficiently advanced for early commercial projects to be ordered from 2020 onwards. Some 80-120 large- scale CCS projects could therefore be operational in Europe by 2030.

There are several ways we can fast-track the building of CCS projects:

    Starting a commercial project as early as possible during the building of the demonstration project so that – for example – build can start after just one year of the demo being in operation.
    Accelerating feasibility studies etc.
    Making faster investment decisions
    Shortening the tender process
    Introducing special measures to shorten the permitting process.

Some projects, by their very nature, will of course be quicker to build than others, e.g. retrofitting existing power plants with CCS; using well-known oil and gas fields with infrastructure and seismic data already available; those with only a short distance from the power plant to the storage site, etc.

14. How much CO2 can be captured using CCS?

One 900 MW CCS coal-fired power plant can abate around 5 million tonnes of CO2 a year. If, as projected, 80-120 commercial CCS projects are operating in Europe by 2030, they would abate some 400 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

By 2050, CCS could reduce annual CO2 emissions by 0.6 to 1.7 billion tonnes in the EU and by 9 to 16 billion tonnes worldwide. The upper end of this range would require its application to all fossil fuel power plants and to almost all other large industrial emitters – with the large volumes of hydrogen produced used for transport fuel.

15. Isn’t more energy utilised where CCS is implemented?

The absolute efficiency penalty, estimated at around 10% for the reference case (meaning plant efficiency drops from 50% to around 40%), drives an increase in fuel consumption and does require an over- sizing of the plant to ensure the same net electricity output.

However, next-generation technology - such as ultra-supercritical 700°C technology for boilers, coupled with drying in the case of lignite - will achieve a 50% level of overall plant efficiency. While this technology is not currently available, it is expected to be when early commercial CCS projects are built around 2020.

16. Where will CO2 be stored?

The regional distribution and cost of storage in Europe will play an important role in any roll-out of CCS. Most experts agree that depleted oil and gas fields and deep saline aquifers have the largest storage potential.

Depleted oil and gas fields
Depleted oil and gas fields are well understood and around a third of total oil and gas field capacity in Europe is estimated to be economically useable for CO2 storage. With an estimated capacity for 10 to 15 billion tonnes of CO2, this is sufficient for the lifetime of around 50 to 60 CCS projects. However, most of these fields are located offshore in northern Europe and the transportation to and storage of CO2 in these fields (excluding capture) is around twice as costly as onshore fields.

Deep saline aquifers
While much less work has been done to map and define deep saline aquifers, most sources indicate that their capacity should be sufficient for European needs overall. Preliminary conservative estimates by EU GeoCapacity indicate that Europe can store some 136 billion tonnes of CO2 - equivalent to around 70 years of current CO2 emissions from the EU’s power plants and heavy industry. At the higher end of these estimations, EU GeoCapacity estimates some 380 billion tonnes of CO2 could be stored in Europe alone.

17. Storing enormous quantities of CO2 underground must present some risk?

The geological formations that would be used to store CO2 diffuse it, making massive releases extremely unlikely. Indeed, because the CO2 becomes trapped in the tiny pores of rocks, any leakage through the geological layers would be extremely slow, allowing plenty of time for it to be detected and dealt with. In fact, it would not raise local CO2 concentrations much above normal atmospheric levels.

Higher concentration leaks could come from man-made wells, but the oil and gas industry already has decades of experience in monitoring wells and keeping them secure. Storage sites will not, of course, be located in volcanic areas.

18. But won’t CO2 storage increase the likelihood of seismic activity?

A detailed survey takes place to identify any potential leakage pathways before a CO2 storage site is selected. If these are discovered, then the site will not be selected. In areas where some natural seismic activity is already taking place, we can ensure that the pressure on the CO2 does not exceed the strength of the rock by making the volume of CO2 stored relative to that of the storage site. CO2 storage has even proved to be robust in volcanic areas: in 2004, a storage site in Japan endured a 6.8 magnitude earthquake with no damage to its boreholes and no CO2 leakage. But then CO2 has remained undisturbed underground for millions of years – despite thousands of earthquakes.

19. How will we know if the CO2 is leaking?

Before a CO2 storage site is chosen, a detailed survey takes place to identify any potential leakage pathways. If these are found to exist then the site will not be selected. In Europe, underground gas storage (natural gas and hydrogen) has an excellent safety record, with sophisticated monitoring techniques that are easily adaptable to CCS. On the surface, air and soil sampling can be used to detect potential CO2 leakage, whilst changes underground can be monitored by detecting sound (seismic), electromagnetic, gravity or density changes within the geological formations.

The risk of leakage through man-made wells is expected to be minimal because they can easily be monitored and fixed, while CO2 leaking through faults or fractures would be localised and simply withdrawn; and, if necessary, the well closed.

20. Who will be liable for CO2 storage sites over the long-term?

As the CO2 will remain stored underground indefinitely, long-term liability will follow the example set by the petroleum industry, whereby the state assumes liability after a regulated abandonment process. Indeed, EU law governing the safe and permanent storage of CO2 has already been approved and is currently being implemented at national level.

21. Large stationary emitters of CO2 also include refineries, steel and cement plants - how are they linked into what the EC is doing?

The EC encourages the deployment of CCS in other sectors, as 25% of all European CO2 emissions addressable by CCS come from refineries and the cement, iron and steel industries.

 

The European CCS Demonstration Project Network


The EC has established a Network of CCS demonstration projects to generate early benefits from a coordinated European action.
CCS demonstration projects fulfilling minimum qualification criteria are invited to join the Network and benefit from its operations.
The Network allows early-movers to exchange information and experience from large-size industrial demonstration of the use of CCS technologies, to maximise their impact on further R&D and policy making, and optimise costs through shared collective actions.
It is envisaged that, as the Network evolves, its EU-wide, integrating and binding role may be reinforced and complemented by other measures in support of further development of CCS technologies, building towards the establishment of a European Industrial Initiative.

To help fulfil the potential of CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS), the European Commission is sponsoring and coordinating the world’s first network of demonstration projects, all of which are aiming to be operational by 2015. The goal is to create a prominent community of projects united in the goal of achieving commercially viable CCS by 2020.
The CCS Project Network fosters knowledge sharing amongst the demonstration projects and leverage this new body of knowledge to raise public understanding of the potential of CCS. This accelerates learning and ensures that we can assist CCS to safely fulfil its potential, both in the EU and in cooperation with global partners.

CCS Project Network Advisory Forum

To guarantee that the Network is valuable to the wider energy community in Europe, an annual Advisory Forum has been established to review progress and specify the knowledge that can most usefully be generated by the CCS Project Network.
  • The first Advisory Forum meeting was held in Brussels on 17 September 2010.
    Read more..
  • The second Advisory Forum Meeting was held on 16 June 2011 in Brussels. Read more..

CCS World News

  • 2012-07-18 - Carbon capture would create substantial challenges, witnesses say at energy ...
  • 2012-07-18 - Opinions Divided on Climate Change and CCS in Saskatchewan
  • 2012-07-18 - Planned Tees CCS project could be in line for EU cash
  • 2012-07-13 - Yorkshire leads race for €1.5bn EU carbon capture funding
  • 2012-07-16 - Codexis releases enzyme CO2 capture results
  • 2012-07-16 - U.S. DOE advancing Hydrogen Energy plant in California
  • 2012-07-16 - Yorkshire leads race for €1.5bn EU carbon capture funding ...
  • 2012-07-15 - UK Don Valley project leads EU funding bid
  • 2012-07-15 - Alberta projects get funding boost
  • 2012-07-13 - Don Valley leads UK CCS charge for €1.5bn EU funds
  • 2012-07-13 - EU says up to 1.5 billion euros ready for low-carbon investment
  • 2012-07-12 - Anglo mines to become carbon neutral, CCS-aware by 2030
  • 2012-07-12 - Clean coal tech is ready, but theres a catch

Membership of the CCS Project Network is open to all European projects that are at a sufficient scale and level of maturity that will generate valuable output and knowledge about industrial-scale CCS demonstration.
The application process for membership of the Network is designed to be as simple and transparent as practicable, but sufficiently robust to ensure that all members are large-scale demonstration projects at a similar level of maturity.
Project developers may submit applications at any time to demonstrate that they fulfil the eligibility criteria, can provide evidence of the maturity of the project, commit to knowledge sharing and agree to the Network organisation and procedures. The qualification criteria and application process are described in the Qualification Criteria document. The Network is open to all qualifying projects and will not distinguish between EU-funded and non-EU funded projects.

Eligibility Criteria

Projects in the Network shall have sound plans to demonstrate the full CCS value chain by 2015 and shall fulfil the following technical criteria:
  • The CCS project shall for a fossil fuel-fired power plant have a minimum gross production of 250MWe before CO2 capture and compression
  • The CCS project shall for an industrial plant realise a minimum of 500kt per year of stored CO2
  • The CO2 capture rate shall not be less than 85% of the treated flue gas stream
  • The project, i.e. the plant to which CCS is applied, shall be located within the European Economic Area (EEA)

Knowledge Sharing

Projects in the Network are committed to knowledge sharing with similar projects and other stakeholders in order to help accelerate CCS deployment and raise public engagement, as described in the Knowledge Sharing Protocol document.

Key documents

European CCS Demonstration Project Network Qualification Criteria
European CCS Demonstration Project Network Knowledge Sharing Protocol

Learn more about CCS

To learn more about CCS, please have a look at the following videos, kindly provided by ZEP:

http://www.ccsnetwork.eu/index.php?p=videos

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)
special tanks to

Daniel Rennie
Global CCS Institute
Actualis, Level 2
21 & 23 Boulevard Haussmann
PARIS 75009 France

Jose Manuel Hernandez
Programme Manager - EU Policies
European Commission

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)
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Compost Ingredients What To Put Inside A Compost Pile


I have mentioned in my earlier article about a basic idea on the term Composting. Now to dig a little deeper this article gives an idea about various ingredients of a Compost. There are main three factors of preparing a good compost pile viz. Air, Water and Food. While managing Air and water can be relatively easier, the main struggle people seems to feel with the food, i.e, what to provide in the compost pile. This blog focuses on that part of the compost.

How to make compost

Experts say you can literally put anything(which can be decomposed) into the compost pile. Though there is no right or wrong way of composting, it is better to know some basic points which will create a very high quality compost.  One of the such important point is to make a note on the Carbon Nitrogen ratio(C/N ratio) while you prepare the compost pile.
Compost Ingredients

Depending on the amount of carbon and Nitrogen the ingredients of a compost can be classified into two categories Brown and Green.

Brown items includes dry leaves, straw or hey, eggshells, wood, pine needles, saw dust etc. These materials contains higher amount of carbon and lesser amount of Nitrogen. Green items includes kitchen scraps, grass clippings, fresh manure, vegetable peelings etc. Green materials contains a higher amount of Nitrogen than than brown materials.

The success of preparing a good compost depends on the proper ratio of green and brown materials. It heats up faster, decomposes quickly, does not smell and easy to maintain. Followings are some of the ingredients which you can use to prepare your compost:

Leaves:
These are one of the most commonly used composting ingredient. Be sure which type(dry or green) of leaves you are choosing. Dry leaves can add to your brown elements where as green leaves are more of a green element. Autumn leaves are very good source of carbon. For better compost make the leaves shredded. It will help to decompose faster. The C/N ratio of leaves can vary from 60-80:1.

Straw/Hay:
In case you are having a heavy clay type soil, adding straw or hay into the compost can be very helpful. Straw/Hay decomposes very slowly, so the particles can actually help in opening soil pores. These ingredients contain very low amount of nitrogen but the carbon content is very high.

Eggshells:
As we all know eggshells contain high deposits of calcium. Adding those into your pile can definitely add the nutrients to the compost. Just don’t forget to crush those shells before adding it to the compost and never add whole eggs to the compost only the shells.

Wood ash:
It is a very good source of calcium and potassium besides carbon. It is very alkaline in nature so you can use it to increase the pH of your soil.

Pine needles:
These are very high in carbon content but very slow to decompose. Add only few in the compost. You can use the rest of them into the preparing mulch.
Beside those brown ingredients newspapers can also be used as composting ingredient. Just avoid glossy and colorful papers as these contains chemical which will hamper your organic gardening benefits.

Kitchen Scraps/vegetable peelings:
It is the most preferred green ingredient. It can be found in abundance in every house. Fruits and vegetable peels and other wastes which can be found in the kitchen. Just avoid cooked ones. The oil used in cooking slows down the decomposition. It also attracts different pest such as rodents.

Grass Clippings:
It is a great source for nitrogen. While applying the clippings make sure to use it in very thin layers between the brown materials. A thick layer of clipping can prevent the air flow into the compost pile. It will result in excess nitrogen and smell of ammonia.

Manure:
You can add manure from cows, horse, chickens, bats(guano) etc. but don’t add human feces, or droppings from dogs, cats or pigs. These contains parasites which will result in diseases in your family. Fresh manure is a very good source of Nitrogen.

You can also add coffee grounds or seaweeds depending on the availability. The nitrogen content is higher in green ingredients compared to the brown ones. Nitrogen helps in forming amino acids and protein. So these are a vital food source for the microbes which decomposes the ingredients and make compost for you.



I hope the next time you go to prepare the compost for your garden you will definitely keep those points in mind which are discussed above. Share your thoughts and past experiences of composting with us.
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