Can sound waves move your hair?

Hi
We learn in elementary physics that sound waves are vibrating air molecules and wind is air molecules in motion.

This fantastic video which demonstrates these two concepts.



Cheers

The earth is all we have

Hi,

On June 3, I was at Commonwealth Secondary School for the "Just One Earth Environmental Seminar 2009".

The first half of the seminar consisted of presentation by various speakers on importance of maintaining a green environment and sustainability of our resources. the second half of the seminar consisted of visits to various places related to the sustainable energy and waste management. I chose to visit the Poh Ern Shih Buddhist Temple for the excursion.

Mr Derrick Ho from MEWR (Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources) spoke on Sustainable Development Blueprint for Singapore and its Implications for Schools. It can be viewed in detail by clicking this link. Here is a more direct link to a list of actions that individuals can take in support of sustainable development.

You can see the pictures I took below.

Mr Edwin Khew, CEO of IUT Global Pte Ltd, a global environmental waste technology company taking us through how organic wastes are treated in his Tuas Factory, methane gas is collected, and the then the wastes are incinerated into ash and sent to Pulau Semakau for landfill	Sec. One students of Commonwealth Sec. Sch. explain their project on sustainability
Cattails, sedge, reeds, bladderwort growing in clean water from the school's washbasins	Pandanus growing luxuriantly in the marsh garden created with waste water from the school toilets

At the Poh Ern Shih Buddhist Temple,you can meet volunteer Mr Lee Boon Siong. He is very committed to greening the temple. Many of his technologies are applicable to residential buildings too. You may want to read about the temple at the Poh Ern Shih Buddhist Temple website before visiting it yourself.

Cheers

Poh Ern Shih Buddhist Temple, off Pasir Panjang Road, is the "temple of the future". It is designed to harness solar, hydro and wind energy for its energy needs	Mr Lee Boon Siong, a volunteer at Poh Ern Shih Buddhist Temple, explaining how even diffused light in the shade can be directed with a series of mirrors in a tunnel to light up the floor below
Diffused light is captured in the shade of the temple to direct to the lower floors	This skylight channels daylight through a winding tube using internal mirrors to deliver light to the temple interior
The hall is lighted by the sunlight coming from the atrium and ventilated by the mesh-like design of the walls	Solar panels come in this size. Mr Lee experiments with different types of panel. He found the "amorphous panels" to be the best for Singapore's cloudy skies.
Harvesting wind power is not so effective as Singapore is not windy enough.	There are more than 3 types of solar panels being experimented with by Mr Lee. There is much R&D in this field of technology.
Solar power is harvested to heat up water for the temple's use.	Look at the panel. Today 23 KWH has been harvested from the sunlight
Table cum bed cum cupboard at the temple is made of bamboo, a fast growing, sustainable alternative to the usual hard wood used in making furniture

To listen to some songs on the environment by Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil, click on the link below:

http://asal-sakti.blogspot.com/search/label/Peter%20Garrett

Cheers

More on exciting new clean energy in our own backyards

Hi,

I have not gotten over the Ubin Island yet. It is like NeWater technology all over again

Please see the following links:

Map of Ubin Island showing how it is to be transformed into a test site for renewable energy technologies: http://www.asiaone.com/static/news/gallery/infographics_energy.pdf

The main article is on: http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com/2008/11/ubin-clean-energy-island.html

The different technologies explored include:

1. small wind turbines and solar panels to provide electricity


2. concentrated solar power to produce hydrogen from water


3. hydrogen fuel cell plant with facilities for hydrogen storage(the biggest impediment in this form of energy)


4. recycling of biomass waste to produce energy—plant and animal wastes from agriculture, farm, food and crop processing industries.


5. turbines which harvest energy from sea currents—wind, waves and tides


6. roof top solar systems

These need the support services of :

1. integrating energy storage for (backup)


2. power grid to integrate the different energy sources (solar energy will only be produced during the daylight hours and wind power only when the wind is blowing etc.)

Can you imagine the islanders will live in Utopia where they would have non-polluting power. At the moment they depend on generators, noisy, prone to breakdowns and polluting. Ubin project is one of Singapore's many programmes to transform Singapore into a global centre for clean energy.

1. In September 2008, there was an announcement that Semakau, another island to the south of main island which has been used as landfill for the past few years being converted into a test site cum eco-park. We can keep this place in mind when we are looking for a special nature walk. The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research of NUS and The Nature Society of Singapore have written a wonderful article which you can read: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/workshop/semakau_workshop.php


2. Look out for the business park in Jalan Bahar where a business park will house companies that specialize in clean technologies and products. To be ready by 2010.

Cheers,
Have a nice day.