Sustain the World's Environment

Michigan Technological University students have invented their own mini- smokestack scrubbing carbon dioxide from emissions. as an end product it creates a solid material that could have applications as a material useful in construction. On the university site, the announcement states: "An 11-foot bench-model smokestack packed with glass beads is percolating away in a lab. Near the top, a proprietary liquid dribbles down. From below, carbon dioxide bubbles up. By the time the gas reaches the top, fully half of the CO2 has been gobbled up by the liquid. The process not only captures carbon , it binds it in a solid form, making an undisclosed product that can be used as a construction material . The liquid itself can be recovered and used again. The group has applied for a patent and hopes to build a pilot plant in cooperation with an industry partner, Carbontec Energy Corp." The students are planning to improve on their invention so as to capture even more CO2. Hope

Everyone can only sympathise with the people of Japan at this time following the massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the country the other day. We can only hope that when the death toll is known that it will be as low as possible and especially right now that the current crisis at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant can be quickly brought under control. What all of this underlines is how precarious nuclear plants are, especially in the so-called 'Ring of Fire', the most active region in the world as far as seismic activity goes. Currently Japan has 56 nuclear plants but its not the only country in the Pacific basin to have them. China has 13 (with more planned), all of them on the Pacific coast (or not far from the coast). Here is a map showing nuclear reactors in the region: We can't be sure that in future, even if we escape disaster in this case, that future earthquakes won't lead to severe radiation leaks into the environment. All this underlin

Sustainability is the key to our futures. The construction industry, as one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, is a key player in helping to forge a safe and secure future environmentally for all of us. Greenbuild Expo takes place at Manchester Central on 17th & 18th June this year and will promote to the industry new building methods and materials, showcase the latest technologies and innovations and promote discussion on the challenges facing the industry. Highlights include: Expert advice - seminars run b y experts in the industry Get Britain Building - the trade launch of the Get Britain Building campaign Public Sector Village - dedicated to local authorities, housing associations and other key public sector organisations Workshops - including solar thermal systems, air source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and insulated concrete formwork For more information visit the Greenbuild Expo site.