Navtej Kohli Blog brings another topic worth mulling over!

One of the biggest challenges the human race faces today is finding and using alternative energy sources. The push for means of generating electricity has been around for over 100 years, but when oil and coal-fired generators produced power inexpensively, the world put the search for alternative energy sources on the back burner for a number of years.

Finding and using alternative energy sources is one of the biggest challenges for us today. As, our coal and oil reservoirs are depleting, it time to pull our socks and get going in search of some alternate energy source.

I have repeated this thing over and over again in my blog. We cannot procrastinate any longer now!

Since years we have been hearing claims of converting wind, water and sun into renewable energy sources that will replace oil or natural gas. Nothing really promising, however, can be seen till date. Researchers have also seen potential in geothermal energy, but nothing concrete has come up as yet.

For many people the switch to alternative energy sources is a matter of finding the type of alternative power that works the best in their particular geographical location. Persons who live in areas that have limited exposure to the sun for example, may not be too excited about using solar panels to supply power. When the sun goes down for an extended number of days, the town can go dark.

In some of those areas, wind is not a problem as it seems to blow nearly every day. Using wind power to turn turbines to generate electricity can work there, but may not work in other areas that experience less windy conditions. Another of the alternative energy sources, hydropower uses the power of rivers to turn generators, but the cost of the infrastructure to get power to the people from the generator may still be high for long range use.

With the three major alternative energy sources continuing to be researched and advanced, the need for an answer to out problem becomes more evident every time a person receives their electric bill, or fills their car with gas.

The resources that we have left on the planet are running out. Do your part to keep educated on the latest changes in technology and any up to date with the issues at hand to learn what you can do to help solve the energy crisis.

MORE than three million Australian jobs are under threat from efforts to tackle climate change ( CSIRO findings). Navtej Kohli Blog brings an broader insight:

CSIRO says that workers will find new “green-collar” jobs as net employment surges in the long-term.
The report’s findings show that despite the introduction of an emissions trading scheme in 2010, employment will grow by between 2.6 and 3.3 million jobs by 2025.
“Jobs continue to grow strongly,” the report found.
Employment is tipped to drop in some sectors after the introduction of the trading scheme, but is forecast to recover from 2017, and to increase in the long-term to higher levels than the present.
Net job growth was predicted in mining, energy, industry and farming.
New green-collar jobs will be created in renewable energy, constructing green buildings and appliances, and developing alternative transport.
The report urges governments and training providers to develop strategies for skilling green-collar workers.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the report showed millions of green jobs could be created - and they would be good jobs too.
Workers would feel good about their new green jobs and about helping to save the planet.

The green jobs would be better for workers’ health, their incomes, and their “spirit”.
However, federal and state governments would have to develop strategies to help create green jobs.

Welcome to Navtej Kohli Blog. The onus of our today’s post is how to live well with looming global Warming threat. Navtej Kohli gives some tips:

As glaciers and polar ice are melting, problems like rising ocean levels, too hot/dry weather, huge forest fires, water restrictions, crop failure are becoming more apparent.

Almost all of us have encountered one or the other of these problems every so often. Global warming and climate change are reality now. We are living with it every moment of our life.

It is as huge problem. Now how do you expect to cure a problem, which has gone beyond your control?

It is foolish on you part if you’re expecting some miraculous scientific break-through so they ever-responsible ‘They’ will fix the Earth. Don’t dwell into delusions.

It’s a wake up call; get up before it’s too late.
Our planet is at stake, so are we!
It’s a serious matter, really really serious.

So, is our dream of a healthy planet fading?

Ummm…Maybe, maybe not.

Our planet is changing rapidly. We have great challenges ahead, as now it is too late to stop global warming. Earth has undergone an irreversible change and unfortunately for the worse.

But, there is something that can still be done. We can change the world, united or divided howsoever. Confused? Let me explain…
Remember Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” Theory
I think you do
Get Real guys! There is just one way to get out of this mess i.e. Alternative Energy

Yes, you heard it right! We desperately do need to switch to renewable energy sources.

It’s simple and it’s hard work. No way out of that.

Hate it or love it, there is no middle ground.

So better start learning now:

Engage with others to build positive relationship, where you live, work and play

Pay attention to other’s needs and that of the environment

Take responsibility for the situation you’re in

Care for others and the environment competently

Be assertive and use your humour and creativity

Use the ‘regular’ renewable alternate energy sources, and recycle too.

Nothing is under our control, true. But remember, efforts never know waste. At least try before you surrender the fort.

If you want to know the latest news in oil sector and also wish to keep track of the wavering oil prices, Navtej Kohli wordpress blog is your one stop destination.

After two days of decline, prices jump $6 in early trading. Refiners have resisted buying more oil during the latest price run-up, leading to an unexpectedly large drop in U.S. supplies.

Oil prices jumped more than $6 in early trading today after the government reported an unexpectedly large drop in crude stocks over the last week.

Traders reacted quickly, sending the cost of light, sweet crude for July delivery as high as $138.30 a barrel, reversing course in dramatic fashion after two days of retreat. The oil contract backed off to settle at $136.42, up $5.11 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, short of Friday’s record close of $138.54.

That means more pain for drivers, who have been hit with a steady string of fresh price records for gasoline and diesel at the pump.

The average cost of self-serve regular gasoline rose today to $4.052 a gallon nationwide and $4.496 in California, according to AAA’s daily price survey. The average cost of diesel increased to $4.792 a gallon nationwide, and to $5.128 a gallon in California.

Now, when Oil is at record prices, its time to scout some alternate sources. Water Fuel Technology looks promising. Navtej Kohli looks into all the practicalities of this new concept.

The interest in harvesting fuel from water has increased of late with oil and gasoline prices reaching record levels. Water fuel technology is not a new concept. Evidences of running internal combustion engine from hydrogen can be traced back from early 19th century.

Runnig your car on water is a safe and economic alternative to using expensive gasoline. You won’t be able to run your car on water alone. However, by installing a simple do it yourself conversion kit to your car you will be able to use water as a catalyst, or booster to the gasoline you burn.
Sounds impossible? Well it’s true…

The conversion kit you will install takes a small amount of electricity from your car battery and a small amount of water. When mixed in adequate proportions they form a gas call HHO - two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. This HHO, also called Brown’s gas, when introduced into your car’s engine will help split the gasoline/air mixture droplets into a finer mist. This will cause it to burn more efficiently and more completely.

The water is being split into hydrogen and oxygen with the simple homemade device you install yourself. It is fed into the unconverted engine…same gasoline system, same computer, etc., etc. You are not running your car on hydrogen. You will not actually run your car on water. Your car will still run on gasoline. You are simply using the HHO as a booster.

Another of the important facts about water fuel technology is that the cost for converting your car to run on water is reasonable. You will absolutely need guidance, or plans and blueprints. They will cost you anywhere from around $50 to upwards of $200. Pick a plan that offers good technical support and you can expect to pay somewhere in the middle of that price range. Parts for the actual kit will run between $20 and $60. They will be available at any hardware or auto parts store.

You can feel safe adding one of these conversion kits to your car. They will not void your warranty. The IRS even offers some tax incentives to you for using green technology.

The above-mentioned facts should help you make a decision about whether or not you agree that it is time to run your on water. Knowing that these systems will increase fuel mileage by up to 50% makes it almost necessary to learn how to use water as fuel.

Navtej Kohli is constantly worried about the searing oil prices. Oil prices, if continue to rise, will soon bring the entire world to a standstill. “Despite of such massive scale explorations, we are still in dearth of oil”  says Navtej Kohli.

However, Wednesday brought a respite with crude oil prices dropping more than $160 per barrel.

Crude oil prices dropped more than $160 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said crude oil and gasoline inventories dropped on the week, but oil prices lowered, an indication that domestic oil demand is waning.

On the exchange, crude oil prices fell $1.61 Wednesday to $122.21 per barrel. Heating oil prices rose 0.0055 cents in late trading to $3.5513 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline prices fell 0.0076 cents to $3.1875 per gallon. Natural gas prices rose 0.207 cents to $12.428 per million British thermal units.

At the pump, the national average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline reached $3.983, up from Tuesday’s price of $3.978.

Source: UPI

Navtej Kohli is back once again with more enlightening stuff for Energy sector aspirants. The energy industry offers much potential for recent university graduates. The liberalization of the market in Germany and Europe has provided significant openings at all levels for technical and high level personnel. The reorganization of the industry is still ongoing and with the renewable energies sector booming, university graduates are in high demand.

In contrast with earlier times the energy companies are looking for much more than just qualified technicians. Engineers with business experience and salespersons with technical knowledge are the new types of employees sought by companies in the energy sector.

Major power suppliers realize that simply producing energy is not enough. In a new competitive climate, energy must also be sold. The consequence is a realignment of the company structure from strictly technical specialists to candidates with more academic training, particularly in the fields of business and marketing.
Also worth looking are the competitive niches of nuclear power and renewable energy. Both branches are booming as never before and offer immense job possibilities for university graduates. Since the Federal Government is granting incentives to companies willing to invest in renewables, the segments of wind, solar, and bio energy have soared. In this sector smaller and medium-sized companies are offering the most employment opportunities.

Navtej Kohli shares some facts about alternative energy, its viability, and how well it can substitute for depleting non-renewable sources of energy.

Below is what Navtej Kohli says:

The alternative energies that most money has been invested in so far are solar and wind energy. One of the reasons that these energy sources are so popular is because of the availability of the fuels and the amount of research already conducted into their viability and possible uses. Solar power is probably the most effective and available energy that homeowners can use to help do their bit for the renewable energy cause. Photovoltaic tiles are easily and quickly installed on the roof, in the garden, on the shed or just about anywhere that you have a little spare room; and they aren’t the eye sores that they once were. Solar panels can be used to heat water, your house or your pool or for providing your entire house with electricity. They are without doubt the easiest way for you to help protect the environment.
In Alternative Energies, solar and wind energy are perhaps the most viable and abundantly available source hitherto. Using these energies enable people to contribute their bit for the energy saving cause. Availability of photovoltaic tiles has further made solar energy an easy way to heat water, cook food and even providing electricity.
Nearly 80% of the fossil fuel reserves in the world are coal, but coal mining is decreasing day by day, and not because of a lack of resource but because of the cost of extraction. These fossil fuels only form naturally and they take millions and millions of years to reform; this means that when we’ve run out of fossil fuels we can’t just wait for more to appear. Now, is the time to find sustainable, ecologically friendly renewable energy sources.
Even if we were to find a sustainable amount of fossil fuels it still has diverse effects on the world we live in. The burning of fossil fuels has been proven to be directly responsible for the phenomenon of global warming, which scientists believe will eventually kill all vegetation on this planet. However, there are new technologies being developed that enable us to remove 99% of the side effects associated with burning fossil fuels and safely turning them into power. Regrettably though, this simply isn’t an option.
The fact remains, whether or not we safely produce energy using fossil fuels, it simply isn’t going to be an option for much longer. Future generations aren’t going to be offered the luxury of debating this issue, because without research now it is highly probably that the world will run out of fossil fuels long before we come up with a workable alternative.

Navtej Kohli comes again with another recent development in Oil Exploration arena.

Oil exploration in the vast frontiers of the Bight Basin could be set for a revival following some important finds by Geoscience Australia.

Seabed samples dredged during a three-week marine survey last year has provided the strongest evidence of petroleum source rocks in the basin.

One sample contained 6.2 per cent total organic carbon, rich enough to classify the rock as an oil shale subject to further analysis proving a marine origin.

Geoscience Australia petroleum and marine division chief Dr Clinton Foster said the new dredging results would attract a lot of attention and drive up exploration interest in the Bight Basin.

He also said geochemistry had tied the new petroleum source rocks to bitumen washed up on the Bight coastline.

“All these things indicate that a working petroleum system is in place,” Mr Foster said.

The Geoscience Australia discoveries could not come at a better time. The Bight Basin is one of the world’s largest offshore frontier basins and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s best hopes for reversing the decline in oil self-sufficiency.

The Bight remains remote and expensive to explore, but the new evidence of a hydrocarbon system represents a significant lowering of risk. Coupled with the very large potential rewards of giant oil accumulations, this may be enough to draw cashed-up explorers back to the basin.

And as big oil frontiers become increasingly scarce around the world, the Bight may even show up on the oil majors’ radars. At last month’s announcement of the 2008 offshore acreage release, Geoscience Australia reported that international requests for its pre-competitive survey and well data now represented more than 50 per cent of all the requests it received, up from only 13 per cent in 2005.

Additional resources: Navtej Kohli

Biomass energy can be used in Several ways. Some of the most typical categories are biofuels, biopower, bioproducts, and space heating and cooling. Navtej Kohli Blog brings an in depth overview.

Biofuels

The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. The most commonly used form of ethanol is made from the corn grain starch. it is then added into petroleum-based fuels to reduce toxic air emissions and increase octane. It is also available as an alternative fuel known as E-85. This type of fuel contains 83% ethanol during the summer and 70% in the winter.

Biodiesel, on the other hand, is made from soybean oil. Though not as popular as its ethanol counterpart, it has significant benefits to air quality. Biodiesel is usually mixed at 20% with petroleum diesel, and it is called B-20. The same process that is used to create biofuels can also be used to create antifreeze, plastics, glues, artificial sweeteners and toothpaste gels.

Biopower

The only renewable electrical generation that is used more than biopower is hydropower. Biomass is created using direct combustion using conventional boilers that burn waste wood products. Steam is produced by this combustion, which, in turn, spins a turbine, activating a generator that creates electricity.

When biomass is turned to gas prior to this combustion, toxic materials are removed from the process. These systems are useful for powering isolated communities with electricity. There are significant amounts of biomass resources in the eastern half of the United States.

Bioproducts

Bioproducts are products that can be made from fossil fuels. These products general require a reduced amount of energy to create than petroleum-based products. If oxygen is present when heating biomass, more of the two gases produced. This process is called biosynthesis, and it can be utilized to create plastics and acids. These, in turn, can be used to create photographic films, textiles, and synthetic fabrics.

On the other hand, when biomass is heated without oxygen, pyrolysis oil is formed and phenol can be extracted from this formation. Wood adhesives, molded plastics, and foam insulation can then be created from phenol.

Space Heating and Cooling

“Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical US home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes.” Because there are many options available in regards to heating and cooling, it is important to research the most efficient ways to utilize renewable energy. Whether you are installing the systems into a new home, or replacing the systems in an existing home, numerous choices are at your disposal.