Carbon neutral city breaks ground in Abu Dhabi
September 25th, 2008
EnerTech Environmental, Inc. announced today that it has signed an Expression of Interest to build a SlurryCarb demonstration facility at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. Masdar City will be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city, completely powered by renewable energy.
EnerTech’s SlurryCarb demonstration facility will process biosolids (sewage sludge) produced from the permanent buildings erected during Masdar City’s first phase as well as from the accommodation for the several thousand workers building Masdar City between 2008 and 2016. Biosolids from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the workers’ accommodation, and the headquarters of Masdar will be converted into renewable E-fuel, a fossil fuel replacement. The demonstration facility is the first step towards installing a permanent SlurryCarb facility in the city.
“This is an opportunity to showcase the SlurryCarb process to the Middle East and work with the international community to build a city that truly embodies sustainable living and working,” said Kevin Bolin, EnerTech CEO. “It showcases the SlurryCarb process as the best available biosolids technology when it comes to sustainability, renewable energy, and the reduction of greenhouse gases.”
Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar investment in the development and commercialization of advanced and innovative technologies in renewable, alternative and sustainable energies as well as green design. By applying scale and leveraging Abu Dhabi’s low-cost, tax-free manufacturing base, businesses will enjoy significant competitive advantages, allowing them to compete internationally and provide significant diversification to the Abu Dhabi economy. On February 9, 2008, Masdar broke ground for Masdar City.
Caroma Dual Flush Toilet
August 23rd, 2008
If you purchased your toilet before 1994, you might want to begin your quest for sustainable living with a greener latrine. Thirteen years ago, before 1.6 gallon-flush toilets became mandatory, toilets used between three and seven gallons per flush (GPF). Today there are innovations in the toilet industry which put the 1.6 models to shame.
Australian-based Caroma sells an inventive dual flush toilet, which offers two different flushes for liquid or solid waste. (Flush number one takes only 0.8 gallons, while flush number two uses 1.6.) According to the EPA, the average family uses 280 gallons of water a day, and toilets account for about 27 percent of that. Even if you already have a 1.6 GPF toilet, switching to a dual flush will save you 28 gallons a day, adding up to 10,000 gallons a year! Caroma’s Dual Flush costs slightly more than a standard toilet, but you’ll make your money back over a few years in reduced water bills.
