Many dams in Southwest China sustained significant damage after the recent massive earthquake. The Min River and its tributaries have 30 dams upstream from Dujiangyan and 16 incurred significant damage from the recent earthquake. The Zipingpu dam is an example where a dam failure could have disastrous consequences. Zipingpu dam … [continued]
Big news for the wind industry, big implications for water. First, the Department of Energy released a report that confirmed what the wind industry has already claimed: wind could power 20% of the United State’s energy needs by 2030. Even with growing energy demands, our ample wind resources could meet … [continued]
Aesthetic. Original. Functional. Who knew solar panels could make a statement? Apparently Peter Richardson knew when he submitted a winning solar design to the International Design Awards. His idea is to turn disused water ways into functional space by populating them with solar panels shaped like water lilies. Aiming to … [continued]
[social_buttons] With rising sea levels and more extreme weather events on the horizon, the Dutch are building houses modeled after arks. These houses become buoyant during floods. There is a string of 37 houses located along the Maas River in Holland that were designed and built by Dura Vermeer. Such … [continued]
They’re not sexy, and the Department of Energy estimates 13% of your home energy consumption goes into a big tank of hot water. I’ve seen other estimates that go higher, and a larger or older tank will burn more energy. So your water heater may be one of the more … [continued]
Water shortages are on the rise, from Mexico to the Andes, northern China to southern India, and Spain to Pakistan. Drought, soaring populations and population densities, changing diets, and increasing living standards are all factors. Is this an issue that technology can fix? Judging by investors’ responses, the answer seems … [continued]
There’s been a lot of focus on renewable energy on Cleantechnia recently but energy is not the only “clean” tech out there. What about recycling wastes? What about recycling… human wastes? What’s the difference between traditional wastewater treatment and sewage purification (also known as ‘indirect potable water reuse”)? Is it … [continued]
After concluding last week’s post with water conservation tips, I was motivated to look deeper into more steps homeowners can take to conserve water, as well as the new technology surrounding this issue. I found all I needed (and MUCH more) at www.h2ouse.org. The website was created by the California … [continued]
As populations grow and the amount of clean, fresh water decreases, we are increasingly motivated to find new ways of creating/capturing and using fresh water. Of course, we could all begin by using less water (see footnote). According to the United Nations Development Program in a chart I found on … [continued]
