Green Options » iran

Iranian Students Design Plug-In EV In 14 Months

Christopher DeMorro — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:27:37 +0000

If you’re looking for alternative fuel vehicles, the Middle East is likely the last place you’ll look. The place is just about swimming in crude oil. But a team of Iranian students and graduates have designed the plug-in EV you see here, called “Qasedak-e Nasir” or Dandelion of Nasir.

While it is hardly a game changer, this quirky little EV could mean big things for a country where there are about 15 people per 1 car.

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Obama Tested BY US-UAE Nuke Deal

Joe Walsh — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:44:57 +0000

In her hour-long appearance on Meet The Press last weekend, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made much of the threat that North Korea poses not only as a potentially unpredictable nuclear weapons deployment state, but also as a proliferation agent. Similarly, the question of possible repurposing of civil nuclear technology has been a talking point in US policy on Iran, and that question specifically has been a bone of contention in the triangular posturing between the US, Iran and Russia.

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Global Wheat Crop Threatened by Rust Fungus - African Seeds May Offer Hope

Michael Ricciardi — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:45:40 +0000

You may not have heard of Ug99 yet, but, if its rapid spread continues unchecked, chances are you will not only be hearing about it, but you’ll be paying for it too. That’s because this fast-spreading strain of the fungus that causes stem rust–a seemingly unstoppable plant disease–and is now spreading around the globe and threatening to devastate the world’s wheat harvest.

One hopeful remedy may in fact lay in certain native, durum wheat species (”landraces”) found only in certain African nations–in particular, Ethiopia–which are believed to possess “slow rusting” genes. These native durum wheats are stronger (durum is Latin for “hard”) than7 other strains and originally evolved under much different environmental conditions than European and Western Hemisphere varieties. These durum landraces have most likely evolved slight gene variations as a result. These variations in gene sequences (and/or their expression in the wild), it is believed, can confer survival advantages to the plants when transplanted in a different locale.

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“Stand by Me” in Farsi for the People of Iran

Rhonda Winter — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:34:24 +0000

Worldwide there has been a growing solidarity with the people of Iran, and their brave local activism protesting against their increasingly repressive government. Their grassroots movement is gaining support as millions of us across the globe follow their struggles to be heard. This photographic tribute to the Iranian people is accompanied by a partly Farsi cover of the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me“, which was recorded by Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

“Stand by Me” in Farsi for the People of Iran

Rhonda Winter — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:40:05 +0000

Worldwide there has been a growing solidarity with the people of Iran, and their brave local activism protesting against their increasingly repressive government. This photographic tribute to the Iranian people is accompanied by a partly Farsi cover of the Ben E. King classic “Stand by Me“, which was recorded by Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

First Solar Energy Plant Completed in Iran

Gavin Hudson — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:00:42 +0000

Iran inaugurated its first solar energy power plant this week, adding 250 KW of solar energy to the country’s grid.

The Shiraz solar power plant boasts a modest 250 KW energy production capacity. It’s a solar thermal plant that uses parabolic mirrored troughs to gather sunlight. The mirrors focus the sunlight in an intense ray on a tube that runs the length of the array of mirrors. Inside the tube, a liquid insulated by a vacuum transfers the heat of the mirrors to a traditional generator, where it’s used to produce steam and generate electricity.

Placing an economic value on renewable resources makes sunny Iran rich in solar energy potential. Iran took its first step toward the large scale realization of that potential this week with the inauguration of its first solar energy plant. The plant was constructed with domestic materials and labour in Shiraz, the Fars province.

This solar thermal plant joins some 4,075 small scale solar thermal installations throughout Iran–3,781 residential solar water heaters and 294 public baths heated with solar thermal energy. Iran makes less use of photovoltaic energy, but the Ministry of Energy News Agency mentions a 40 house solar village supplied with photovoltaic energy.

The Iran Daily reports that Iranian energy minister Parviz Fattah sees the Shiraz plant as a first step in Iran’s commitment to solar energy technology, which will increase in Iran along with greater government investment.

“The country backs the use of alternative and renewable energy sources,” said Fattah. “In future alternative energy sources will be greatly developed in the country. The growth of investments in this sphere is expected.”

English information about the Shiraz plant is hard to come by, but more photos of the plant and information in Farsi is available via the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran. Another source, an article in the Tehran Times (no longer available in the paper’s archives, but republished here by a reader) suggests that the completion of the solar plant was several years behind schedule, having been initially slated for the Iranian year 1383 rather than the current year 1387.

Regardless, kudos to Iran on their first solar power plant.

Additional sources: First Solar Power Station built in Iran (Trend News via CleanTechnica); Renewable energy evolution under subsidized fossil fuel prices in Iran
by Niloofar Sharbafian and M. Mazraati of the Technology University of Vienna [PPT Slideshow]

Image Credit: Renewable Energy Organization of Iran

Iran Opens its First Solar Power Plant

Andrew Williams — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:40:23 +0000

Iran has announced the opening of its first ever solar power plant in the town of Shiraz in the Southwest of the country.

Energy Minister Parviz Fattah told reporters that the facility was constructed using Iranian materials and expertise. Speaking to the Iranian News Agency he said, “The country backs the use of alternative and renewable energy sources. In future alternative energy sources will be greatly developed in the country. The growth of investments in this sphere is expected.”

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Iranians Create World’s Largest Sand Carpet “Persian Gulf”

Jennifer Lance — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:53:54 +0000

Using colorful sand from the Iranian southern island of Hormuz, 25 artists have created the world’s largest sand carpet. This 12000-square-meter carpet consists of 70 different colored sands and is truly amazing!

Via: payvand

Images: Iranian Students’ News Agency

Iran Running Out of Oil, Wants to Build More Nuclear Power Plants

Amiel Blajchman — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:35:29 +0000

Just the announcement that President-elect Obama wants to hear: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikholeslam wants Iran to build more nuclear power plants to provide electricity needs, rather than using oil and natural gas.

Iran will have oil for over 100 years but once its energy resources is depleted, nuclear energy will be the only logical substitute

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Much of Iran is Sinking Due to Drained Aquifers

Alex Felsinger — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:07:10 +0000

American missiles are not the only threat to Iran’s physical stability. A geological study has found that the nation’s groundwater is running so low from decades of over-use that many parts of the country have sunk dramatically, causing damage in both agricultural and urban areas.

Fifty percent of the country’s water is sourced from the wells and only ten percent of the population is able to survive on rainwater alone. The groundwater level has decreased by 1.5 feet annually for the past 15 years, and with little rain and increased water use for Iran’s growing population, the aquifers have had no chance to refill. As a result, some areas have been sinking up to 20 inches a year.

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Iran Being Supported by Shell Oil, OMV and Many Others…

Heidi Suydam — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:15:25 +0000

Two major global energy companies are supporting and promoting Iran by sponsoring a conference being held in Tehran. The goal of the conference is to promote “gas export opportunities and potentials of the Islamic Republic of Iran“. The conference is being held under the backing of The National Iranian Gas Export Company and is scheduled for October 4th through 5th.

Multi-National company Shell Oil, and Austrian based OMV, are sponsoring the event. Stop the Bomb, an Austrian non-partisan activist coalition and the U.S. Anti-Defamation League are gaining international coverage for their strong stance against these major energy companies participating in this event.

There has been a world wide effort to “isolate Iran” due to their being the “leading state-sponsor of terrorism and human rights violations”. The EU and UN have both planned to cut back business ties with Iran. The Austrian government owns 31.5 percent of the OMV company and Stop the Bomb is furious about OMV’s involvment in this Iranian event. As an EU member state and a UN member nation, Austria is undermining the effort of the EU and UN in regards to Iran.

Both OMV and Shell have corporate human rights pledges (OMV, Shell). Neither company will comment when asked if supporting Iran through this event violates their prospective human rights pledges. Haaretz reports the OMV deal was signed in April 2007, and was met with criticism from Austria.

But Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer, asked by the Austrian daily Die Presse how the deal squares with his Social Democratic Party’s tradition of “human rights before business,” responded: “The tradition never held true.”

The Iranian company that is holding the event is state owned making this event and participation in it direct support of the the state of Iran, not merely an economic or energy event.

A Far News Agency report states that China, Italy, France and Spain are all involved with Iran and the exploration for oil and gas. Shell and OMV are currently in the spotlight however there are many other countries and companies making plans to work with Iran regarding oil and gas exploration. How far will this go? Empowering Iran for the purposes of obtaining oil.

As we prepare to elect a new president here in the U.S., an important issue is our own dependence on foreign oil and our pursuit for energy independence. As we watch countries and companies defy their own agreements regarding human rights and pursue relationship with Iran, we can turn our thoughts to our own situation. Will we remain at a stand still arguing over oil or will we embrace a balanced approach to pursue our own resources in combination with alternative energy options? I believe we have the ingenuity and competence as a country to responsibly pursue energy independence.

Photo Credit: Hamed Saber via Flickr Creative Commons License

Alternative Energy, the Solution to Terrorism - Peres

Max Lindberg — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:40:08 +0000

It may sound simplistic, but Israeli President Shimon Peres makes a good point; “The problem itself (terror and Iran), is like a swamp with mosquitos. It’s preferable to dry out the swamp than try to kill every single mosquito.”

While meeting with representatives of the students’ village in the town of Dimona, Peres said;

“When the price of oil rises, the terrorist organizations feel better; the feeling needs to be brought back down. The way to bring Iran, Venezuela and even Russia in some respects down, is to lower the price of oil. Attacking oil fields is foolish. We can attack with energy, meaning create alternative energy.”

Peres made the statement during a celebration of his 85th birthday Dimona, Israel, a town he described as, “one of the most beautiful towns in Israel, a town that is number one in education and urban development.” He said residents of the community have excelled in turning the desert wilderness into a “beautiful and wonderful town unparalleled in Jewish history.”

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Image: ynet news.com

A US Blockade of Iran Would Cause an Energy Crisis

Jennifer Lance — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:28:15 +0000

As Russia is focused on Georgia, and China is focused on the Olympics (two countries that might oppose further sanctions against Iran), the US is amassing its largest naval buildup in the Persian/Arabian Gulf since the 1991 Gulf War. This deployment comes on the heels of both House and Senate resolutions calling on the President to take action against Iran, which could only be accomplished through a naval blockade, an act of war under international law. Such a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would cause oil prices to skyrocket and cause an energy crisis greater than we are experiencing currently.

House Resolution 362:

(3)demands that the President initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran’s nuclear program;
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Ancient Persian Eco Home Building

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:43:20 +0000

These homes in the ancient city of Maymand, Shahr-e Babak, Kerman-Iran were carved into living rocks 12,000 years ago, representing the peaceful coexistence of man and nature. The underground homes protect inhabitants from extreme cold or heat in the desert.

See more photos: Fars News Agency

Micheal Klare on New World Order based on Oil

The Dave Room — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:47:07 +0000

Yesterday evening I went to hear a sobering talk in Berkeley by Five Colleges professor of Peace and World Security Studies, Michael Klare. Klare suggests in his newest book, Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet, that we are now facing a new world order in which power transfers to net energy exporters (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kazakhstan) from net energy importers (e.g., the United States). He believes oil will peak between 2012 and 2015 at somewhere around 95-100 million barrels/day. Regardless of whether oil peaks then, he says supply will not be able to keep up with demand much longer.

From http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=76003

Klare points out that China will soon have the world’s largest fleet of automobiles - in decade or so - as they are following our model of auto-centric development. He had hoped that China would leapfrog oil to more sustainable mobility solutions but that is not happening.

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