Electronic copies of the 3 volumes of the 4th edition of the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR4) is now available for download at the UNSECO web page at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr4-2012/. Publication information about the report describes the WWDR4 as a milestone in the World Water Development Report (WWDR) series. “While providing a comprehensive assessment of the world’s water resources it also introduces a strong thematic element. Building on the WWDR3 in the recognition of the externalities, the WWDR4 elaborates on the interactions between water and the drivers of change. The WWDR4 describes the major changes, uncertainties, and risks taking place in the world and their links to water resources. It gives account of the status and the trends related to water supplies, uses, management, institutions and financing; highlights regional hotspots, and addresses issues such as gender equality, water-related disasters, health and the role of ecosystems.”

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The “Parasitometer” can detect contaminants in treated water in just one hour. A scientist* from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has invented an innovative device that can identify and detect contaminants in treated water, such as water-borne bacteria, in just one hour, down from the current two days. The breakthrough laser technology, used in the device, has been published in the world-famous scientific magazine Nature Communications, a publication known for highlighting global innovations and important groundbreaking research. [From NTU news hub]

*Prof Liu Ai Qun is from NTU’s School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Datamonitor 360 database “Country Statistics” provides macro/socio-economic and demographic data for 215 countries worldwide; both historically and forecasted. Some of this data also includes time series environmental indicators such as Pollution > Air pollution > CO2 emissions and Greenhouse gas emissions, Weather > Annual Rainfall and Temperature. Datasets are not available for all countries e.g. for Asia Pacific, Greehouse gas emission data are available only for Japan and Hong Kong.  However the data is exportable into formats like Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint and Word from its database “Country Statistics” and is a simple way to quickly generate analytics for datasets.

Title: Introduction to renewable energy Author: Nelson Vaughn Call number: TJ808 N424 Availability: Click here

Synopsis:
As the world population grows and places more demand on limited fossil fuels, renewable energy becomes more relevant as part of the solution to the impending energy dilemma. Renewable energy is now included in national policies, with goals for it to be a significant percentage of generated energy within the coming decades. A comprehensive overview, Introduction to Renewable Energy explores how we can use the sun, wind, biomass, geothermal resources, and water to generate more sustainable energy. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the book integrates economic, social, environmental, policy, and engineering issues related to renewable energy. It explains the fundamentals of energy, including the transfer of energy, as well as the limitations of natural resources. Starting with solar power, the text illustrates how energy from the sun is transferred and stored; used for heating, cooling, and lighting; collected and concentrated; and converted into electricity. A chapter describes residential power usage—including underground and off-grid homes—and houses that are designed to use energy more efficiently or to be completely self-sufficient. Other chapters cover wind power; bioenergy, including biofuel; and geothermal heat pumps; as well as hydro, tidal, and ocean energy. [Extracted from book cover]

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When completed in 2013, the project discussed in this video will represent the largest solar tower power plant in the world. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will produce 392 MW from over 170,000 heliostats focused onto a 450 ft (137 m) tall tower in California’s Mojave Desert. The system is expected to double solar thermal power production in the U.S.