Senate Climate Bill to Give Free Permits: Sources (Reuters)
U.S. power generating companies would get free pollution permits, at least initially, as part of a compromise climate bill being written in the Senate that also would give the coal industry $10 billion to develop "clean" technology, sources said.
Offshore Drilling Revenue Sharing Takes Hold in Senate Climate Bill (ClimateWire)
Coastal states that agree to oil and gas drilling off their shores would be offered one-quarter of the revenue, under the latest draft of the new climate bill, sources on and off the Hill say.
U.S. States Sue EPA to Stop Greenhouse Gas Rules (Reuters)
At least 15 U.S. states have sued the EPA seeking to stop it from issuing rules controlling greenhouse gas emissions until it reexamines whether the pollution harms human health.
Environmental Groups Challenge Virginia's EPA Lawsuit (AP)
Two environmental groups are challenging Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli's legal action to block federal regulation of greenhouse gases.
Canada Has Warmest and Driest Winter on Record (Green Car Congress)
Environment Canada reported that the national average temperature for the winter 2009/2010 was 7.2 °F above normal, based on preliminary data, making this the warmest winter on record since nationwide records began in 1948.
Top Climate Officials Urge Progress at Mexico Summit (AFP)
The UN IPCC has listened to and learned from recent criticism, but the threat of global warming is real and must be tackled, the group's head said Saturday.
China Huaneng Aims to Produce 35% of Power From Clean Energy (Bloomberg)
China Huaneng Group, the nation's biggest power generator, is targeting a capacity to produce about 35% of its electricity from clean energy by 2020, as the country seeks to cut pollution, President Cao Peixi said.
UK: Energy Firms Could Be Forced to Buy Low-Carbon Power (Guardian)
The UK government will next week signal a move towards the introduction of a "low-carbon obligation" that would force British Gas and other suppliers of energy to buy a percentage of their power from nuclear and so-called "clean coal" plants.
Ontario Slaps New 'Green' Tax on Electricity Bills (Toronto Star)
Ontario electricity customers will soon be slapped with an additional tax to cover $53 million of the Liberal government's new conservation and green energy program.
Japan Planning 14 Nuclear Plants: Report (AFP)
Resource-poor Japan is planning to build at least 14 nuclear power plants over the next 20 years to reduce its reliance on other countries for its energy needs, a report said Sunday.
China Speeds Up Offshore Wind Power Construction (People's Daily)
China will give top priority to developing offshore wind power projects to boost its flourishing wind power industry in 2010, according to a senior energy official.
Clean Tech Sector Thriving, Survey Finds (Green Inc.)
According to a survey released by Clean Edge, revenue for wind power, biofuels and solar PV grew in 2009 by 11.4 percent to $139 billion around the world.
IDB Set to Increase Financing for Renewable Energy Projects (Business News Americas)
The Inter-American Development Bank expects to direct as much as 80% of its loans for private sector energy projects over the next three years to renewable energy sources, IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno told a panel in Mexico.
Language of Religious Fervor Inflames Climate Change Debate (ClimateWire)
Apocalyptic visions and the language of religious fervor are invading the climate arena, replacing issues of fact with those of faith and bringing high emotion into science -- an area where it should have no place -- politicians and religious leaders complain.
Milan and Brescia Herald Italy's Electric Car Future (The Independent)
The two cities of Milan and Brescia are to be the first in Italy to boast a complete, innovative charging structure for electric vehicles with 270 EV charging points.
Artist Places Sculptures on Melting Arctic Iceberg (Reuters)
A Dutch artist arranged two large sculptures on an iceberg in Greenland on Friday to raise awareness about climate change, and people will be able to monitor it online as the ice melts.
Is this company still in business?
A quick search on google shows no place to buy the product. I've seen a billion "articles" which simply rewrite the press releases but no product. And no Material Safety Data Sheet. Does this product exist?
On a green efficiency scale
On a green efficiency scale how would you place concrete with drywall and portland cement? I have access to good equipment concrete but I don't have a clear relative image of concrete with other building materials. So after all the talk on hazards and economics, what's the conclusion?
There is no doubt that
There is no doubt that drywall is a very popular construction material but I also think it comes with some health and other construction risk hazards and I am specially referring to chinese drywall. Hopefully new generation products have overcame all the negative aspects.
Price?
My question is how much will this stuff cost? There will be a high incentive to produce it over gypsum when Cap and Trade kicks in. But contractors will go the cheap route when they can, as evidenced by using illegal aliens to install tainted Chinese drywall.
drywall installation
we must be careful on installing drywall painting cuz there are those that could affect our human system.
EcoRock Smoke and Mirrors
After reviewing the patent, the material is basically a lightened portland cement product. Serious materials uses the "By-product loophole" to get a green claim. Serious has convinced somebody to screen off the ultrafines from their portland cement (which is not missed in portland cement use) and claim it is waste. Now it still uses LOTS of energy to produce these fines, still generates TONS of greenhouse gasses, but it is labelled as as by-product. This is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
Incidentally, this material is quite caustic due to the high pH. I feel for the installers who are going to route out the wall light switches and electrical outlets. Their eyes are going to be awfully sore. Oh well, buyer beware.....
Truth sayer doesn't speak the truth
As CEO of Serious Materials, I speak for the entire company when I say we are very concerned about companies greenwashing in any way. We won't do it, and we verify all our claims with multiple third parties.
The current patents he refers to that are published from the company do not cover the EcoRock production product, but rather some other research done here. So the commenter is out of touch.
EcoRock is not made from materials that are "screened off" from portland cement. It is new material science. We don't use any "by product" loophole. The 80% post industrial waste content is just that. Waste product from manufacturing other goods. These waste streams are usually disguarded in landfills or buried in piles near the plants that produced them. The fact we can use materials like this, instead of burying them, is nothing short of a miracle. Using these to make drywall does not increase CO2 emmissions and instead decreases them by replacing gypsum processes which require substantial energy to calcine and dry.
We are devoted to addressing climate change head-on, for real, with transparency and 3rd party verification. And it is unfortunate when an anonymous poster makes up details to serve their own purpose, and not the good of humanity.
Serious Materials has 4 US plants today providing green jobs for Americans and world-class products to address climate change.
While we encourage all of our customers to provide feedback on how we can deliver better solutions, fabricating posts like "truth sayer" has don't serve anyone. Our employees, our customers, or our planet.
Kevin Surace
CEO
Serious Materials, Inc.
what transparency?
How can there be claims of transparency when the formula is said to be secret? Are you saying I can't know what materials are put into my house?
Does it outgass at room temp.?
What gases are released when this material is heated to temperatures experienced in a substantial housefire?
Is it flammable?
What chemicals are safe to expose it to?
Will volatile solvents in certain adhesives cause this material to break down?
How is this stuff going to meet thousands of local building codes? Fire codes?
How can I engineer mechanical interfaces (including penetrating interfaces) to this material? Chemical (glue and paint) interfaces?
Patents are designed to protect manufacturers while revealing important information to users, including composition and safety information. The most accurate description I've heard so far is "sheets of industrial waste". What a marketing nightmare.
Now, after the Chinese radioactive drywall scare, any secrecy is just stupid and crazy. If our patents aren't extensive enough to release a simple list of constituents, then our investors are suckers.
msds
post the MSDS sheet on this product.It like all gypsum board will have some glue mixed in with the product to help adhere the paper to the product which will eventually end up in the ground. Gypsum itself is benificial to the soil but enviromentilist hate to see any chemical glue or other like products enter the soil. I also agree it sounds good but the price will also make the difference like quiet board VERY EXPENSIVE this will most likly be priced as high only well off people can afford it. Also can you go more in detail on the natural drying process, time is money and seem less cost effective to have board laying around waiting for it to dry so it seem to have to have a baking process to cure the board mabey i am wrong. and you maybe using bi-products that would have entered the soil prior to manufacturing but the scraps after installation will go into it at the end so does the one carbon footprint off set the other.
Drywall & Plastering Contractor
Thanks for this Beautiful article about Drywall and Plaster Demaged!
Nice Concept
It's a great idea considering that making drywall accounts for 1% of US energy consumption but if it's not cost efficient, contractors will continue to buy the same old drywall.
EcoRock will make a
EcoRock will make a difference when you can find it at Home Depot at a comprable price to sheetrock. If it costs more per sheet to make than drywall it will never be more than a boutique building material, ie., not made at all.
Environmental impact costs
Environmental impact costs are not factored into so called 'cheap' products; these products cost society more but we pretend these costs don't exist because they are longer term. This short term economic only model is also what's assuring the collapse of traditional stock markets; the one legged stool cannot stand for long. Sustainability is about acknowledging the interactions among human environmental and economic goals and needs to assure these are met now and for the future.
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