Hi Product brochure: Land Instruments' coal pile fire monitor — fixed thermal-imaging systems.

Hi Product brochure: Land Instruments' coal pile fire monitor — fixed thermal-imaging systems.

Coal pile fire monitor: fixed thermal-imaging systems brochure;

The storage of coal in large piles carries with it a risk of spontaneous combustion. Increased demand on coal reserves has led to alternative, more volatile, types of coal being used more frequently. There are many industry guidelines for safe storage of coal in piles, including recommendations for pile angles, compression and surface smoothing. Even strict adherence to these guidelines may, in some circumstances, not be enough. An early warning system to prevent the onset of fire remains the best and most reliable solution. In the case of large or remote storage areas, a continuous and fully automated monitoring system is the only option. A coal pile fire monitor located at a suitable viewing point can successfully provide an effective solution to these requirements.

!!!THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIEWING!!!

In[visible] Pollution:

In[visible] Pollution:

We spend a lot of time on talking about pollution, but it's not just us, it's the entire media, and it has been that way for more than a decade. 

So if you're truly sick of hearing/reading/seeing about how damaging we as a species are to the Earth, perhaps you should click the back button.

But before you do, let me tell you this isn't about ozone layers, or global warming, or toxic materials storage. 

This is about a pollution source that goes ridiculously underreported, and despite its highly visible presence, researchers are just beginning to understand its effects.

It might be weird to consider light a contaminant, but that's exactly what it is (artificial light, that is). 

We all know the cyclic patterns of the sun are entirely responsible for life on Earth anyway, but humans' lack of night vision has birthed trillions of incandescent, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge and LED bulbs since commercial light bulbs were first available in the late 1870s.

Light Pollution Effects:

Of course, not all artificial light sources pollute equally. 

Indoor lights are quite necessary. 

They have provided us with more time to finish tasks or spend on recreation, and are absolutely necessary in higher latitudes, when daylight can be reduced to just a few hours per day. 

There is no telling how many "cow kicked over the candle" fires that artificial lighting has spared. Indoor light is also largely held in check by the building it illuminates.

Outdoor lighting receives the most scrutiny when considering light pollution. 

First, many overnight lights are left on continuously, and in an age of resource sustainability this type of energy waste is being carefully reconsidered. 

While streetlights may make shady street corners or back streets more safe, they're also an enormous energy burden in big and small cities alike. 

Also, as energy savings from more efficient lights are realized, it might prompt engineers to begin placing more lights. 

Studies have also indicated that excessive light during nighttime can lead to headaches, fatigues, stress, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and poor temperament.

Light pollution can also disrupt ecosystems-everything from diurnal animals, to moths attracted to lights, to birds who are disoriented by excessive light pollution, and amphibians and reptiles who function on a "light compass." 

It also prevents observation of the night sky by both professional and amateur astronomers, as light from a single location scatters and impairs viewing conditions even dozens of miles away.

Solutions? None, really:

Really, what can we do? Humans never evolved the same inherent night vision as many other mammals, and therefore developed technology to combat this inferiority. .

To truly cut back on light pollution, several techniques are recognized. First, full cutoff fixtures have been implemented in many cities and towns, sometimes by ordinance. 

These lighting devices use a flat lens to ensure all light is pointed downward, and the light housing reduces extra glare but also minimizes the light's efficiency. 

Also, spacing lights appropriately according to their wattage often results in fewer lights being used overall.

There have been attempts to develop methods that minimize light trespass using scientific guidelines. 

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed software that allows lighting engineers to quantify the performance of lighting designs by analyzing glow and trespass, while comparing different lighting alternatives for the same space. 

Another system, the Unified System of Photometry, establishes a measurement of what type of street lights belong where, based on an algorithm of visibility, energy consumption and security. 

It commonly recommends replacing yellow/orange-ish street lights with white 'cool' lighting, which can reduce power drawn and light pollution without affecting visibility.

The problem with these solutions is that they only minimize extraneous light proliferation, and do nothing to ultimately stop light pollution.

Forgive my pun, but light pollution isn't a black-or-white, day-or-night issue. 

There is always going to be a need for a competitive balance between the two, but consider that, as a whole, illumination technology is still quite immature. 

There could be a day when engineers are able to reliably illuminate our nighttime environments without negatively affecting so many of the ecological processes around us. 

Until then, personal responsibility of light pollution is the only real means to moderate light pollution. 

It's like the Keep America Beautiful advertising campaign from the 1960s: be responsible for yourself, because there aren't any other alternatives.

Hi' Ah-ram Online Reader: Renewable energy is Egypt's raft out of crisis: Experts.

Hi' Ah-ram Online Reader: Renewable energy is Egypt's raft out of crisis: Experts.

Power-generating windmill turbines of The Zafarana project, Egypt (Photo: Al-ah-ram).

"The solutions are known, but the will to implement them is absent, say energy experts discussing Egypt's energy crisis";

Scarcity of financial resources and the lack of a solid plan are the main reasons behind the perpetuation of Egypt's energy crisis, according to experts who attended the Cairo Energy Conference.

"The energy problem is well known. Its solutions are also well known, but there is no will to solve it," says Mohamed Shoeb, former president of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.

Shoeb and other experts, some of which are former officials, believe an advance can be achieved if the government thinks out of the box.

Many believe solar energy is a viable option for Egypt. "Some countries, like Germany, have a plan to generate all their electricity needs from renewable energy by 2050, and so should we," says Gala Othman, president of the Association of Wind Energy.

"Solar energy is no longer expensive. The cost of it has decreased by almost 90 percent during the last 10 years," says Shoeb.

Many experts say smart electricity meters that can reduce consumption in peak hours can help reduce electricity cuts. Instead of cutting off power, the government can reduce the consumption of households who have several air conditioners or power-hungry electrical devices in operation in peak hours.

Experts add that energy saving LED lightbulbs can reduce power consumption by 20 percent and would cost less to widely distribute than fuel imports.

"There are several ideas that can be studied and implemented, but we have been very slow," says Mohamed Moussa Omran, undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity.

"We were the first in the region to start using solar energy, but were left behind. Countries like Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are introducing smart meters," he said.

"Transparency is missing, and that is a problem that needs to be solved. The government thinks the people are not capable of understanding the problem," says Shoeb.

Different parts of the government do not speak frankly to each other about the issue, he adds. 

"The discourse inside a governmental administration would most probably change if they interact with another one in a different ministry," he said.

Differences between the Ministry of Electricity and the Ministry of Petroleum over the issue have led to an exchange of accusations between previous ministers.

In a speech Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said that the production and distribution of electricity were not developed to catch up with consumption.

He estimated that Egypt needs 2,500 Megawatts annually for the upcoming five years to meet rising demand, at a cost of $2.5 billion a year.

In addition to funds needed to build power stations, El-Sisi said that fuel needs would amount to $700 million per station per year.

He invited private investors to develop power stations as well as the power grid.

Power cuts have become frequent since August 2008, but were generally confined to summer months when air conditioning use increases the demand for power. In winter 2012/13, blackouts became common.

Close to 80 percent of Egypt's electricity is generated by natural gas, the production of which has lagged behind in recent years as political unrest and mounting government debts have discouraged foreign energy firms from developing new gas fields.

Hi Regional Focus "Middle East - Egypt Report":

Hi Regional Focus "Middle East - Egypt Report":

* Egypt GHG emissions, reduction strategy: 

*Content:


▪ Overall country perspective
▪ Industry overview
▪ Deep dive on selected sectors


Click Here To Download the Full Report

*Executive Summary:

Approach:

Emission baseline and abatement potential have been estimated on a macro sector basis (with a focus on 5 key sectors Power, Building, Cement, Road transport, Agriculture).

▪ Data has been collected from available public sources (local and international), syndicated by interviews with local experts and using values from comparable countries.

▪ Greenhouse Gas (GHG) abatement analysis has been developed with the objective of providing an 

integrated perspective on emissions reductions and cost. It cannot be used to forecast exact CO2 prices/ CO2 regulation or forecast individual technologies. 

Overall Business as Usual (BAU):

Emissions in 2005 are in the range of 220 Mt CO2 e and are expected to grow up to ~550 Mt CO2 e by 2030 contributing to ~0.9% of world emissions.

▪ In 2005 emissions per capita versus GDP per capita in Egypt are in line with other developing regions 

(such as India, Latin America and  Middle East), and throughout 2030 are expected to follow a typical 

growth pattern of a developing country.

▪ The 5 main sectors (Power, Building, Cement, Road transport, Agriculture) account for ∼75% of total emissions in 2005  and are expected to slightly increase their relative importance by 2030 (∼77% of total emissions). 

▪ Overall industry related emissions account for ∼29% of the total emissions in 2005 and are expected to increase their relative share to ∼36% by 2030.

Potential abatement:


Overall abatement potential is in the range of ∼200 Mt CO2e, equivalent to ∼36% of BAU at 2030.
▪ The overall potential is slightly lower than comparable developing regions mainly due to lower potential from the power sector (absence of coal plants, in BAU most of the total power production is already generated by relatively low gas plants).
▪ Total abatement potential of ~200 MtCO2e is fragmented into multiple levers and can be partially
implemented with economic benefits.
▪ Most of the abatement potential comes from the 5 key sectors  (Power, Transport, Cement, Building,
Agriculture) which account for ~80% of the total abatement.

*A specific methodological approach has been followed..