Clean energy isn´t flawless

Clean energy requires an environmental cost during production of the technology. China is one of the countries suffering most, being a major exporter resources, material and parts used in renewable energy technology for extracting wind, hydro and solar power. I was not so happy after reading an article about this issue on dailymail.com....

Conference coming up!

I have been selected as a delegate for the International Youth Forum in Russia! The event is a nine days long conference in Seliger, half way between Moscow and St Petersburg. I am a first-time visitor, so I´m thrilled at the thought of going to Russia!

The theme I chose from the conference is innovation and enterprise, with focus on sustainability and renewable energy. World politics, Civil and Social Development and Mass Media were other options.

There will be 700 students gathered from all over the world. Thanks to Facebook, we already have a discussion going. It´ll be great to meet peers with resourceful minds and ambitions for making positive change!

Visit Seliger´s website here.

The Sahara Forest Project

I read a very interesting article about the collaboration between Norway and Jordan through the Sahara Forest recently. This is an example of why I have so strong belief in international collaboration!

The Bellona Foundation, an international environmental NGO based in Norway, is involved in the project run by solar energy from the Sahara desert. The location is by the Red Sea in Aqaba, Jordan.

The target is revegetation (planting trees and greenery), water and clean electricity production. The network of natural windstoppers and roots from the plants will stop erosion and uncontrolled spreading of the desert. Simultaneously the Sahara Forest Project will produce fresh water using seawater greenhouses for destillation. The combination of concentrated solar energy and water production will provide a sustainable alternative for agriculture and biomass production.

The test- and demonstration centre is planned to be finished by 2012, and a large scale production site will be ready by 2015.

It's a very fascinating project, and a good indicator of how a green economy can be built. Industrial processes can make large-scale projects come to life in a shift towards sustainable solutions!


For more information you can click here to read Bellona's article, or visit the Sahara Forest Project's website here.

A greener everyday life

Many people ask me how to live a greener everyday life. I feel confused sometimes myself, as there's a jungle of different opinions and more or less acknowledged truths out there. What is right today might turn out to be false tomorrow, but there are some common features you can look out for and implement for a greener everyday life. Remember that the simple solutions are often the best! So this is my top five list:

1) Choose renewable energy, recycle and re-use.

- You know why. The greenest energy is the energy we don't use!

2) Travel green

- Make something useful out of your traveling. Networking and linking sustainability to traveling makes the experience so much more meaningful!
- Make international communication become global cooperation!
- Use trains, subway, local buses, environmentally certified hotels.
- Be an eco- tourist. Full time or as much as possible. Try hiking in the forests or mountains!

3) Eat green

- Vegetables, chicken and fish leave a considerably smaller ecological footprint than meat, palm oil etc. Homemade food with pure ingredients is great both for you and the environment. Want to try delicious vegetarian dishes? Try Indian or Moroccan recipes!
- Try using ecological, and/ or short- traveled food. Or maybe cultivate your own?

4) Support environmental organizations.

- I am a Rainforest Guard for instance, giving a set amount each month for preserving rainforests through the Rainforest Foundation.

5) Be creative!

- Common sense usually works. Any product, activity, or means of transport that requires energy leaves an ecological footprint. The more complex and grand, the more resources are used. Go for the simple solutions!
- Use ordinary (or organic) cooking oil mixed with lemon juice (30:1) for maintaining the
veranda, furniture etc instead of the toxic versions you can buy in stores. I tried, and it works!
- Support, live and share attitudes. Involvment is everything!

If you look at the list, notice how often an environmental approach can lead to good health and better economy. We get a tripple win situation, as everything is interlinked!

Development accelerates for Electric Vehicles

The Danish magazine "Engineer" recently announced that charging an Electric Vehicle (EV) could take only five minutes in close future. A new production method makes it possible to manufacture battery electrodes that recharges several hundred times faster than today. This makes EVs a competitive alternative to today´s refilling of gas or diesel. Development is definitely in fast progress!

Researchers in Illinois, USA, recently published an article in Nature Nanotechnology. They have discovered a new manufacturing process that allows recharging 400-1000 times faster than today. 90 % full batteries would thereby take two minutes. If this technology is integrated in the commercial market, the competitiveness of the EVs have reached a new level.

I think the battle of vehicles run by hydrogen vs electricity will stand or fall on the capacity of the batteries, how quick they can recharge and the availability of raw material. I´m looking forward to seeing the progress over the next few years!

Both the Electric Vehicles I have tried are brilliant in their respective ways. Buddy (up left) is a Norwegain Electric Urban Vehicle (EUV), meaning it´s compact, energy efficient and very practical for use in cities. Tesla Roadster (right) is an EV suitable for long distance driving as well, with a range up to 340 kilometers. It originates from California, USA. The esthetic sports car is one of the world´s fastest accelerating cars, going from 0-100 km/h in 3,7 seconds. A little like sitting in a jet airplane....

Read more about the development in Nature Nanotechnology here. If you want to go deeper, you can read the story behind some central researchers here.

Solar energy power plants

Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable resources available. The potential is enormous, exceeding any other energy resource by far, including fossil fuels. The challenge is finding a way to utilize the energy to a greater extent; today, the efficiency is only 20- 25 % of the potential. I think nano technology will contribute for new and better ways to utilize the energy from photons. Both through dust- repelling films to cover the mirrors or solar panels, and more advanced technology changes within the materials.

For quick development, it´s evident that investments in solar energy is necessary: both within research, technology test sites, production and power plants. Several countries are doing a great job to make progress. Among them are Spain and Germany, having done a great job when it comes to governmental strategies for increasing solar energy utilization. For instance the project on the image; the world´s second largest photovoltaic solar power plant. It is situated

in a former military base in Germany and was completed in 2009.

With a price tag exceeding 180 million dollars, the need of governmental subsidies are self-explanatory. However, the enormous advantages more than pay back the investments: clean energy meets the electricity needs of 10,000 households annually. The ecological footprint is low, and doesn´t increase over the decades of energy production.

Read more about the power plant here.

If anyone would like to visit Norway this summer, I can give you some "get started" advice. First of all: I recommend you to come! Whether you are Norwegian or a foreigner, Norway is a great place for summer holidays. Our country is known for spectacular nature, and the possibilities for eco- traveling are getting better every year.

Traveling in Norway is expensive, but not too bad if you plan ahead. Therefore, I´ll make this post now so you can plan towards the summer!

I recommend you to visit Visitnorway´s website here to start navigating. I think the best part is a recently launched navigation tool called "Green Travel". Here you can find all needed information for traveling, accommodation and relevant environmentally certified companies. Visit the Green Travel gate here!

There are many places to go, but among the most memorable experiences I´ve had is the Pulpit Rock. If you get the chance, I recommend you to go! It is located not too far from Stavanger in the Western part of Norway. To the left you can see me from last summer, peaking over the edge at the fjord, which lies six hundred meters further down... Whoa.