The News Review:
- Water-treatment plant sets pace
- Biofuels: moving beyond food crops
- asahi.comï¼ææ¥æ°è社ï¼ï¼EDITORIAL: Safety of nuclear plants – English
- George Szego; solar energy leader; 88
- Crane crash kills KC-area worker
- Chetcuti Pardo Unveil Aluminum Chair Sculpture; New Blog Will…
- resume-eschmidtiii-[yyyy]-[mm]-[dd] | GreenBiz.com
Water-treatment plant sets pace
San Diego Union Tribune – May 24, 2008
Water molecules are pulled through thin strands of submerged membranes which allow water molecules to pass through but filter out contaminants and bacteria. The authority says its plant in Twin Oaks Valley is the world's largest submerged-membrane treatment plant. It treats about 4 million gallons of water more per day than a plant of the same kind in Toronto although the Canadian one has plans to expand said Tim Suydam a senior engineer with the water authority. The plant allows the water authority to be less dependent on the Skinner filtration plant in Riverside County. Skinner operated by the Metropolitan Water District was supplying about half the county's drinking water before the new plant began operating in April. Some cities and water districts in the county have their own treatment plants and can use raw water suppled by the authority… Water molecules are pulled through thin strands of submerged membranes which allow water molecules to pass through but filter out contaminants and bacteria. The authority says its plant in Twin Oaks Valley is the world's largest submerged-membrane treatment plant. It treats about 4 million gallons of water more per day than a plant of the same kind in Toronto although the Canadian one has plans to expand said Tim Suydam a senior engineer with the water authority. The plant allows the water authority to be less dependent on the Skinner filtration plant in Riverside County. Skinner operated by the Metropolitan Water District was supplying about half the county's drinking water before the new plant began operating in April. Some cities and water districts in the county have their own treatment plants and can use raw water suppled by the authority. But smaller agencies that do not have plants must use treated water.
Biofuels: moving beyond food crops
Ars Technica – May 24, 2008
Right now generating cellulosic ethanol is fairly energy intensive. The fuel source has to be extensively processed to be made accessible to enzymes that target cellulose which need to be obtained separately from growing stocks of bacteria or fungi. The review focuses on ways that genetic engineering could make various stages of this process a bit easier. The simplest approach involves engineering the fuel plants to produce their own cellulose digesting enzymes and store them in a safe compartment inside a cell. Then the initial processing of the plant could release the enzymes needed to start the fuel production process. Other ideas discussed would improve the plants themselves. These include boosting plant growth by increasing a hormone that regulates plant height or boosting the cellulose content by adding additional copies of the genes that catalyze its synthesis… The review focuses on ways that genetic engineering could make various stages of this process a bit easier. The simplest approach involves engineering the fuel plants to produce their own cellulose digesting enzymes and store them in a safe compartment inside a cell. Then the initial processing of the plant could release the enzymes needed to start the fuel production process. Other ideas discussed would improve the plants themselves. These include boosting plant growth by increasing a hormone that regulates plant height or boosting the cellulose content by adding additional copies of the genes that catalyze its synthesis. Another approach would be to make the cellulose content easier to digest by reducing the dose of the enzymes that produce the crosslinks among cellulose fibers or adding modifications that make cellulose more soluble. A note of caution about what plants to engineer however was sounded by the Global Invasive Species Programme which published a.
asahi.comï¼ææ¥æ°è社ï¼ï¼EDITORIAL: Safety of nuclear plants – English
Asahi Shimbun – May 24, 2008
The five times greater resistance required at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa certainly stands out. This series of modifications also clarified the fact that lengthy active faults pass directly beneath the Kansai Electric Power Co. ‘s Mihama Nuclear Power Plant and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s Monju fast-breeder reactor–both located in Fukui Prefecture. In short the educated judgments of seismic intensity applied to the original construction of these and other nuclear plants have proved to be easygoing. One lesson to be learned is that seismology is a science in which new discoveries occur daily with rapid advances also continuing to be made in fault surveys and other technical fronts. The key premise therefore must be that seismic estimates will need to be updated from here on as well. Power companies and others in the industry play down the fear factor insisting that nuclear power plants are designed with proper leeway to handle earthquake activity… Power companies and others in the industry play down the fear factor insisting that nuclear power plants are designed with proper leeway to handle earthquake activity. However when the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa figures are added to the seismic estimates it is obvious that all nuclear plants in Japan are frittering away whatever such leeway they may have had. When thinking of earthquake-proof engineering it is vital to realize that new grounds for concern will continue to emerge hand in hand with progress made in research. In an earthquake-prone nation like Japan no further time should be wasted in making reinforcements to restore the leeway necessary to ensure safe and trustworthy nuclear power generation.
George Szego; solar energy leader; 88
San Diego Union Tribune – May 24, 2008
CONTENT>George Charles Szego a chemical engineer who founded a pioneering solar technology company and persuaded former President Jimmy Carter to install solar collectors on the roof of the White House died April 23 of cardiac arrest at Kent General Hospital in Dover Del. Szego “has a tendency to end up on science's most popular frontiers” The Washington Post noted in 1977. A decade earlier as America prepared to land a man on the moon he prepared studies on internal combustion engines fuel cells and space-age propulsion systems for the Institute for Defense Analyses… His company manufactured plates used in solar panels and solar-powered hot water heaters. Szego also saw promise in what would come to be called biofuel and he traveled around the world promoting the use of marginal land to grow a special breed of plant that could be used to power boilers. Szego told Energy Design Update years later that the equipment performed well. “The collectors were cranking out hot water a mile a minute” he said.
Crane crash kills KC-area worker
Columbia Daily Tribune – May 24, 2008
No identities were released. KCPL construction project director Brent Davis said there were about 1800 contractors on site and said he wasn’t sure which company employed the injured workers. French engineering company Alstom is the principle contractor on the project. The crane collapsed around 7:30 a. tipping over on its side and crumpling down into a rocky muddy construction pit. Pieces of the crane’s boom were scattered around the site and a portable restroom nearby was smashed… The crane was not bearing any load at the time of the accident. Investigators were on the scene to determine the exact cause of the collapse. The Iatan power plant remained open but the construction site was shut down after the accident. The plant is just off Highway 45 near Snow Creek about 30 miles northwest of Kansas City near the Missouri River. Construction on the new coal plant started a little over a year ago and is expected to be finished by summer 2010. KCPL officials did not expect the accident to delay the finishing date. Two workers also were killed at the plant on May 9 2007 when a 3-inch high-pressure water line ruptured.
Chetcuti Pardo Unveil Aluminum Chair Sculpture; New Blog Will…
PR Web – PR Web (press release) – May 24, 2008
“It provides a very earthy casual fun atmosphere and it brings together designers from Europe Asia North America and all over the world. ”“It’s sort of an underground view of Detroit and the industry” said Kyle Strek a designer with the athletic and sportswear company New Balance. “I was really impressed to see such a wide collection of design talent from across the planet. ” In what has become a Designer’s Night tradition Pardo and Chetcuti again collaborated on a work of industrial sculpture that was unveiled Monday night. Their 475-pound chair—dubbed the “Mercury Lounge” and constructed of gently contoured sections of solid polished aluminum—was a spotlight-stealing hit of the evening. Models party-goers and more than a few big names in automotive design—including J Mayes Chris Bangle Jack Telnack Freeman Thomas and Gilles—stopped to have their photos taken in the chair which sat on a raised podium in the center of the studio. Chetcuti and Pardo have now built several aluminum sculptures that explore and demonstrate the possibilities of fine design and modern metal fabrication technologies… Models party-goers and more than a few big names in automotive design—including J Mayes Chris Bangle Jack Telnack Freeman Thomas and Gilles—stopped to have their photos taken in the chair which sat on a raised podium in the center of the studio. Chetcuti and Pardo have now built several aluminum sculptures that explore and demonstrate the possibilities of fine design and modern metal fabrication technologies. After Pardo conceptualizes the design Chetcuti uses math data technology to work through engineering problems then has the metal fabricated at his company’s Livonia-based plant. The chair is just the first in a planned full line of “functional” sculpture including a sofa coffee table and end tables that might someday move to limited production. “For a public space such as a hotel or hospital lobby this furniture would be comfortable and certainly very durable—and would make a dramatic design statement” Chetcuti said. “This is a work of industrial sculpture that serves a very practical purpose. ”“Also it is design that in terms of its aesthetic and execution thoroughly says ‘Detroit.
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GreenBiz – May 24, 2008
ObjectivesTo become Director of Physical Plant and Operations of an institution faced with significant budgetary or operational challenges. SpecialtyEd Schmidt III800 Rich Place * Wheatland CA 95692 * 530-633-4008. comCareer ObjectiveTo become Director of Physical Plant and Operations of an institution faced with significant budgetary or operational challenges. Professional ProfileCommitment to principles of good stewardship is the foundation of my approach to facilities management… Sustainability? Initiated environmental stewardship programs in sustainability resource conservation clean and renewable energy recycling and waste management. ? Developed a comprehensive Green Cleaning program within the Custodial Department. ? Accomplished the process engineering for a solid waste composting system with the goal of reducing cafeteria waste by 85%. ? Initiated an energy audit which identified energy saving opportunities of 54% which will lead to other utility sponsored programs in lighting retrofits HVAC replacement and load shifting. ? Initiated a campus-wide recycling program that recycles 15% of solid waste and 85% of e-waste construction waste green waste and recyclable fibers. ? Conceptualized a storm water recovery system that could entirely eliminate purchased water for irrigation. ? Provided leadership in developing a future Environmental Education program utilizing Facility Department initiatives and internships.