The effects of Industrial Revolution on environment in the last few centuries had been very drastic. Industries need to think seriously about what they can do to hinder global warming. Carbon Capture and Storage deserves more attention than what it is getting. If we can capture the carbon-dioxide that industries produce, before it enters the atmosphere, it will definitely aid in reducing green house effect.
What can we do with the captured carbon-dioxide? We can store it in abandoned mine shafts, or we can device a way to get it out of our atmosphere. These day and age we dream of building space elevators. Why can't we dream of building tall smoke stacks which will release the captured carbon-dioxide out of our atmosphere. Or better yet, develop some high altitude airplanes, which will go out of earth's gravity for a short time, release the captured carbon-dioxide out in the space and then come back. The earth is our home. Industries need to device ways to release its exhaust beyond earth's atmosphere. Just like, when we are cooking at home, we let the chimney take our exhaust out of our living space.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Urban Real Estate Trend
Trend of real estate development varies from region to region. In general, urbanization in and around existing cities is reducing arable land. Than again, as more and more people move in urban homes leaving behind villages, frees up land for farming. However, due to increase in population in the world, the net rate of decrease of arable land is quite alarming. Asian cities offer better services, higher concentration of jobs and more universities than rural areas. Also, there is the influx of folks who hope to make a living by serving the large population of the city, end up living in the slums of the cities.
US and Canadian cities have an absolutely different trend. These countries have large land mass with comparatively small population. Outsourcing of manufacturing activities is having a large impact on real estate development. Many large cities in USA and Canada were hubs of factories. But today many, if not most, of the manufactured goods come from China. Factories are either shutting down or moving away from big cities leaving behind vacant industrial cites. Many of those buildings are being converted to condominium lofts. Yet some are developed into shopping malls. It is OK if the population big enough support the transformation. But some cities were built solely on the basis of the manufacturing activities. Those cities are suffering the most in terms of declining property value. May be it is time to bring back farming in those cities. Though, large scale farming may not be possible, small to medium scale urban vegetable gardening can easily be done by sub-uniting adjacent houses.
US and Canadian cities have an absolutely different trend. These countries have large land mass with comparatively small population. Outsourcing of manufacturing activities is having a large impact on real estate development. Many large cities in USA and Canada were hubs of factories. But today many, if not most, of the manufactured goods come from China. Factories are either shutting down or moving away from big cities leaving behind vacant industrial cites. Many of those buildings are being converted to condominium lofts. Yet some are developed into shopping malls. It is OK if the population big enough support the transformation. But some cities were built solely on the basis of the manufacturing activities. Those cities are suffering the most in terms of declining property value. May be it is time to bring back farming in those cities. Though, large scale farming may not be possible, small to medium scale urban vegetable gardening can easily be done by sub-uniting adjacent houses.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Global Warming
World's temperature is rising. What can we do about it? Not a whole lot. The Second Law of thermodynamics dictates it. Anything we do in our life will cause the entropy to increase. Entropy is measure of disorder. When disorder increases in matter, the heat increases.
Climate change due to global warming is a reality, it occurring and we have to accept it. Receding glaciers, rising sea levels and drying marshes and lakes are evidences of it. But changes in earth are nothing new. Today's oil and gas fields were rain forests millions of years ago. Salt mines were vibrant seas in the distant past. Animal world and humanoids lived through continental shifts. So, we should not be surprised that a catastrophic change in earth and its atmosphere is occurring in front of of eyes. The only difference is that current changes are being caused by human activities.
Our willingness to address this problem depends on how much we want to sacrifice for our great great great grand kid whom we will never meet. Having said that, as a conscientious human being we should all try our best to leave a livable earth to our future generation.
Let us begin with trading our SUVs for small hybrid or electric cars. Or, better yet, use public transits, bicycles or even try to walk. If seven billion of earth's residents change our transit habit a bit, a significant amount of green house emission will be reduced. Secondly, we need to plant more trees. Plants produces oxygen, taking in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Urbanization, which is the current trend all over the world, is some what good for afforestation and agriculture. People move to big cities leaving behind land to grow trees and these trees produces oxygen to offset carbon emission by automobiles and industries. Rooftop and balcony gardening by urban dwellers also helps. Thirdly, we need to recycle more. Paper recycling saves trees. Metal recycling reduces carbon intensive mining activities. Less garbage means less landfills and more room for trees.
Corporations have big responsibility in this matter. The products they produce and the way they produce must have the least environmental impact. Research and development should have environment in consideration all the time.
The technique of carbon capture where carbon is captured from industrial emission is quite innovative. But storing the captured carbon in abandoned mine shafts is like sweeping dust under the rug. Accidental rupture of the containment due to earthquake will bring all the carbon back to the environment. It Is also bad for subterranean microorganism. We have to find out a inexpensive way of transporting the captured carbon outside earth's atmosphere using booster rockets or space shuttles. If we can release earth's exhaust in outer space, our problem is solved.
Government have the biggest responsibility of combating global warming. They have to come up with environmental guidelines for its citizens and companies and enforce them. Nations have to hammer out protocols which are acceptable to all nations. Above all, they have to try their level best to avoid wars. Wars are simply bad for environment.
There is a flicker of hope in all the doom and gloom of global warming. When rivers get flooded, it erodes the banks and gets wider. Then again, it creates island nears the middle of river. Usually those islands consist of very fertile soil and are excellent for agriculture. We can draw a similar analogy here. Once we loose the prime real estate of New York, London, Miami, San Fransisco and other urban and agriculture based rural sea side towns, a new batch of fertile land will arise from the now snow covered parts of the world..All we have do is set up shops in those new areas and continue the history of mankind.
Climate change due to global warming is a reality, it occurring and we have to accept it. Receding glaciers, rising sea levels and drying marshes and lakes are evidences of it. But changes in earth are nothing new. Today's oil and gas fields were rain forests millions of years ago. Salt mines were vibrant seas in the distant past. Animal world and humanoids lived through continental shifts. So, we should not be surprised that a catastrophic change in earth and its atmosphere is occurring in front of of eyes. The only difference is that current changes are being caused by human activities.
Our willingness to address this problem depends on how much we want to sacrifice for our great great great grand kid whom we will never meet. Having said that, as a conscientious human being we should all try our best to leave a livable earth to our future generation.
Let us begin with trading our SUVs for small hybrid or electric cars. Or, better yet, use public transits, bicycles or even try to walk. If seven billion of earth's residents change our transit habit a bit, a significant amount of green house emission will be reduced. Secondly, we need to plant more trees. Plants produces oxygen, taking in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Urbanization, which is the current trend all over the world, is some what good for afforestation and agriculture. People move to big cities leaving behind land to grow trees and these trees produces oxygen to offset carbon emission by automobiles and industries. Rooftop and balcony gardening by urban dwellers also helps. Thirdly, we need to recycle more. Paper recycling saves trees. Metal recycling reduces carbon intensive mining activities. Less garbage means less landfills and more room for trees.
Corporations have big responsibility in this matter. The products they produce and the way they produce must have the least environmental impact. Research and development should have environment in consideration all the time.
The technique of carbon capture where carbon is captured from industrial emission is quite innovative. But storing the captured carbon in abandoned mine shafts is like sweeping dust under the rug. Accidental rupture of the containment due to earthquake will bring all the carbon back to the environment. It Is also bad for subterranean microorganism. We have to find out a inexpensive way of transporting the captured carbon outside earth's atmosphere using booster rockets or space shuttles. If we can release earth's exhaust in outer space, our problem is solved.
Government have the biggest responsibility of combating global warming. They have to come up with environmental guidelines for its citizens and companies and enforce them. Nations have to hammer out protocols which are acceptable to all nations. Above all, they have to try their level best to avoid wars. Wars are simply bad for environment.
There is a flicker of hope in all the doom and gloom of global warming. When rivers get flooded, it erodes the banks and gets wider. Then again, it creates island nears the middle of river. Usually those islands consist of very fertile soil and are excellent for agriculture. We can draw a similar analogy here. Once we loose the prime real estate of New York, London, Miami, San Fransisco and other urban and agriculture based rural sea side towns, a new batch of fertile land will arise from the now snow covered parts of the world..All we have do is set up shops in those new areas and continue the history of mankind.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Exporting Energy
Natural gas price is so low in North America. Yet, in South Asia, consumers are paying much higher price for it because of high demand and low supply. It is time for North American gas producers to take advantage of this opportunity aggressively. Just liquefy the gas and send abroad. Liquefying plants should be built around port cities for shipments to South Asia, immediately after production. Shipbuilders need to come up with a new breed of ships to transport large volume of Liquefied Natural Gas and feed into the pipelines of importing countries.
Electricity demand is also rising rapidly in South Asia. The rate of construction of electricity generating plants simply is not enough to keep up with the demand. Building a hydro-electric plant requires massive infrastructure spending and loss of arable land which cuts into agriculture output. Coal and Natural Gas powered generating station need the fuel that many of South Asian are starving for. Wind and solar generators are really not practical solution. So we are left with nuclear energy.
Nuclear power stations need technical know how. Being concerned about nuclear proliferation, many developed countries are not willing to share the technology. How about selling electricity to the countries in need? Utility companies do often sell electricity beyond their boarders. Many North American companies have shops in foreign countries where they generate electricity and sell it to the consumers. Now it is time to go a step further. It is time to build floating power stations and generate electricity to sell it to the consumers in South Asia.
Let us stretch our imagination a little further and build some nuclear power stations aboard some giant ships. It will be quite easy to deploy those ships to the ports of any county that needs to purchase electricity from foreign source. Besides, our oceans ares vast source of energy. We can simultaneously generate electricity from wind, sun and ocean current on those ships. In terms of safety, it also safer to operate nuclear power station in a ship.If things get out of control like the Fukushima Daiichi plant, we can tug the ship to a remote location use the sea water to cool it down. If it gets totally out of hand, we can always shoot it down and sink it.
Electricity demand is also rising rapidly in South Asia. The rate of construction of electricity generating plants simply is not enough to keep up with the demand. Building a hydro-electric plant requires massive infrastructure spending and loss of arable land which cuts into agriculture output. Coal and Natural Gas powered generating station need the fuel that many of South Asian are starving for. Wind and solar generators are really not practical solution. So we are left with nuclear energy.
Nuclear power stations need technical know how. Being concerned about nuclear proliferation, many developed countries are not willing to share the technology. How about selling electricity to the countries in need? Utility companies do often sell electricity beyond their boarders. Many North American companies have shops in foreign countries where they generate electricity and sell it to the consumers. Now it is time to go a step further. It is time to build floating power stations and generate electricity to sell it to the consumers in South Asia.
Let us stretch our imagination a little further and build some nuclear power stations aboard some giant ships. It will be quite easy to deploy those ships to the ports of any county that needs to purchase electricity from foreign source. Besides, our oceans ares vast source of energy. We can simultaneously generate electricity from wind, sun and ocean current on those ships. In terms of safety, it also safer to operate nuclear power station in a ship.If things get out of control like the Fukushima Daiichi plant, we can tug the ship to a remote location use the sea water to cool it down. If it gets totally out of hand, we can always shoot it down and sink it.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Anthology of Demising Industries
Due to advancement in computer technology, many industries are becoming things of the past. For example, the neighborhood print shops. Previously, if we needed some letterheads, envelops, business cards or fliers, we would run to the local print shop. But, now we do all those things on our computer. It makes you ponder, what other industries are becoming obsolete.
Publishers are selling books in electronics formats. In ten years, book sellers will have no reason to maintain huge book stores in malls and other places. Unless, the stock up variety of other items to sell.
Public libraries are becoming like play grounds for kids and Internet hubs for adults.
Remember Blockbuster Video? In the 90's, it , along with other video stores, were the coolest stores on the block. The whole industry was whacked out of business by digital downloads.
Publishers are selling books in electronics formats. In ten years, book sellers will have no reason to maintain huge book stores in malls and other places. Unless, the stock up variety of other items to sell.
Public libraries are becoming like play grounds for kids and Internet hubs for adults.
Remember Blockbuster Video? In the 90's, it , along with other video stores, were the coolest stores on the block. The whole industry was whacked out of business by digital downloads.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Toronto Transit Tug of War
Mayors Ford's subway plan would cost $12.4 billion compared to $8.7 billion for LRT plan. The mayor is very foresighted to push the subway plan. A subway system will provide transit solution for centuries, while LRT will have to be changed every couple of decades depending on developments and traffic pattern at the vicinity of the tracks. LRTs are notoriously bad for road traffic. The mayor does not want another St. Clare Avenue West. Rightfully so. If you have driven through St. Clare Avenue West you will find out how much time and gasoline is wasted sitting in traffic jam. It also bad for the environment.
TTC should be ready for the next century. Imagine we are in the year 2112. Toronto's population is double or even triple of what it is of 2012. There are lot more high rise condos in the city. Lot more cars in the streets, mostly electric. Most buildings now have ten floors of underground parking. Lot more people walk the streets. If this is the case, it makes more sense to have lot more subway systems in the city with abundant underground shopping arcades. It not only does reduce traffic gridlocks, it also reduce pedestrian traffic above ground..
Lack of funding seems to be biggest tool mayor's opponents are using against him. Cash strapped province will not be much of a help breaking the gridlock. We should aggressively look into capital market to raise some cash for our subway system. May be, we can sell the entire subway system as units of a Real Estate Investment Trust at the TSX and call it Ford's REIT. The TTC can pay a decent rent to the unit holders for using the tunnel system.
TTC should be ready for the next century. Imagine we are in the year 2112. Toronto's population is double or even triple of what it is of 2012. There are lot more high rise condos in the city. Lot more cars in the streets, mostly electric. Most buildings now have ten floors of underground parking. Lot more people walk the streets. If this is the case, it makes more sense to have lot more subway systems in the city with abundant underground shopping arcades. It not only does reduce traffic gridlocks, it also reduce pedestrian traffic above ground..
Lack of funding seems to be biggest tool mayor's opponents are using against him. Cash strapped province will not be much of a help breaking the gridlock. We should aggressively look into capital market to raise some cash for our subway system. May be, we can sell the entire subway system as units of a Real Estate Investment Trust at the TSX and call it Ford's REIT. The TTC can pay a decent rent to the unit holders for using the tunnel system.
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