Photovoltaics for own final consumption are exempted from licensing

The production of electricity to fuel consumption directly from a family or company will have a more affordable licensing scheme, according to the business journal. The diploma, which provides legally production to consumption, will now be subject to a public consultation, but the Secretary of State for energy, Artur Trinity, assured the Business exists "in the interests of administrative simplification".

Last year, remains the newspaper, the Government worked on a preliminary draft for the so-called "distributed generation", that is, the generation of electricity from small producers, with much lower powers to those of large power plants.

This diploma will make the framework of production for own final consumption â€" which was a legal vacuum â€" and will introduce changes in the operation of micro and miniprodução. The document has already been sent to associations of the sector, said Jorge Moreira da Silva still, Minister of the environment.

The aim of the Government is to approve the new regime in Council of Ministers by the end of July.

As regards consumption, one of the main novelties advances that facilities under this scheme will not have a share of power allocation, as was happening until today in the micro-and miniproidução. Thus, the access to this model will be free.

For installations up to 700 watts of power is only required a prior communication electronically to DGEG (Direcção-Geral de Energia e Geologia). Over 700 watts operating certificate will be required. Only the equipment with more than one megawatt (MW) of power is that they will need to have a license for exploration and production.

The diploma is still Government referred to a clause that ensures that, if the consumption market grow very quickly, the electrical system does not imbalance. If the production for own final consumption is a success, the system will lose part of consumption that normally bear the costs of the sector. If this succeeds, the legislation provides that the production facilities for consumption on pay a contribution to the system, but the equipment up to 1,000 watts will be exempt.

However, this scenario will only when 180MW are reached in consumption facilities.

Foto:  Mataparda / Creative Commons

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Antibacterial soap is damaging sewage treatment systems

Triclosan is an indiscriminate killer, bacteria will even in places where the microbial communities work hard to keep us healthy, including sewage treatment systems.

The wastewater treatment plants add often anaerobic digesters so you can reduce the amount of garbage that have to deal with. Bacteria that survive in oxygen media degrade organic waste, including sewage, and produce small molecules of ammonia, carbon dioxide and methane â€" which can be used as fuel. Thus, the amount of waste handling is much smaller, the treatment process is more effective.

However, in the presence of antibacterials in wastewater, these anaerobic bacteria cannot do its job of cleaning. Triclosan is an antibacterial agents more used and its use is becoming worrisome. In addition to being incorporated in antibacterial soaps, products for acne, this component can be found in other less obvious products, such as toothpaste, detergent for dishes, sportswear, labial balsamos and even in pencil, referred to the New Next.

A new study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology indicates that "in wastewater treatment plants, the antibacterials can sabotage the work of aerobic bacteria and promote resistance to other microbes". The solid waste resulting from the process of filtering and treatment often end up as fertilizer, and are scattered in fields and cultures, infiltrating into the soil and killing microbial life essential to the functioning of ecosystems in the subsoil.

However, the problem has a simple solution: end the use of triclosan. Several studies that investigated the use of this component and the effectiveness in reducing disease concluded that the antibacterial soaps are not more effective than the traditional soaps.

Photo: ASCOM-municipality of Votuporanga/Creative Commons

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Community funds with €44 million for environmental projects in 2014

The European Commission opened last Wednesday the nomination period for the submission of proposals for a new Community Fund, which will finance projects related to the climatic actions.

The subprogram-LIFE Climate Action â€" is equipped with €44,26 million to finance the development and implementation of innovative measures to respond to climate change in Europe.

"The new LIFE programme for Climate Action offers new funds from earlier for climatic innovative projects throughout Europe. This will help give life to more sustainable technology and maximising the climate solutions that already exist. These funds will also help to achieve the policy objectives under the climate as well as to comply with the legislation already adopted in this area, "said the European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard.

The subprogram is entered in the EU LIFE Programme 2014-2020, which will provide €864 million for climate action over the next seven years, the European Commission said in a statement.

Interested organisations should submit proposals until October 16, 2014. The second phase of submission of applications runs in the fall and is for non-profit organisations active at European level in climatic and environmental issues.

The LIFE is a program of Community funds was implemented in 1992 and already has co-funded more than 4,000 projects. The EU LIFE Programme for Environment and Climate Action 2014-2020 is divided into two periods: 2014-2017 and 2017-2020. For the first period is available a budget of €449,2 million.

Foto:  Cintia Barenho / Creative Commons

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Mega Pic-Nic: Avenida da Liberdade received 700 thousand people

Approximately 700 thousand people visited the sixth edition of the Mega Pic-Nic Continent, held on Saturday in Avenida da Liberdade, in Lisbon. The event, it should be borne in mind, it is proposed to bring the field to the city, at the same time as extols the values of traditional culture, healthy food and local economy.

"The 2014 Edition of Mega Pic-Nic provided who live in the city the possibility to learn the various teachings of the field, [combining] national production-related activities to the moments of conviviality," explained the Continent in a statement.

At the height of the World Cup, called Quinta da Selection presented a recreation of fruit and vegetables and livestock farms, which presented the "genuineness and high quality of Portuguese products", highlighting a field internship with a 2000 m 2 garden and several playful initiatives, where families might live and learn the best does in the field.

Mega Pic-Nic was attended by a delegation of the European Commission and the Secretary of State for food and Agribusiness Research, Nuno Vieira e Brito, through a visit to the venue of the event, during the morning. In fact, the European Commission was also represented for the first time in Mega Pic-Nic through recreational and educational space, with the goal to promote the program "Taking Care of Our Roots", in the framework of the common agricultural policy.

"The visit of the European Commission is a clear sign of international recognition that the Mega Pic-Nic has achieved, having already been awarded as the best European public event in 2011, and perceived as a role model for other European cities," explained the Continent in a statement.

Considered one of the most important events in the country, the Mega Pic-Nic, organized by Continent told, once again, with the support of the Municipal Chamber of Lisbon, the CAP â€" Confederation of Farmers of Portugal and Mainland Producers Club, represented by more than 40 domestic producers.

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England: ecological House will be demolished because it does not fit in the landscape

In Pembrokeshire, in England, there is a young couple who built a House inspired by the Hobbit, the Lord of the rings saga, like so many other fans around the world. The House took a year to build and only natural materials were used. However, the English county authorities say that housing has to be torn down, arguing that integrates the landscape of the region.

Charlie Hague and Megan Williams, both lovers of nature, spent more than £ 18,700 to build housing, which is located in a secluded location, on the grounds of the father of Charlie, near Fishguard.

However, the House was built without a permit and the authorities contend that the building will have to be demolished after the request, the couple eventually deliver, have been refused, the British press. The couple spent four years living in a caravan before the construction of the House began last summer.

Built from straw bales and cal, housing is valued between € 18,700 and € 25,000. The couple argues that it was the only way I can have my own place, after local housing prices have increased exponentially, primarily due to the demand of tourists.

For the finishes used wood and House was ready weeks before the couple's son was born. Currently, the couple has a self-sustaining way of life, cultivating and creating their food and animals.

"Despite the low visual impact, housing the rural nature destroys and presents an intolerable form of development", argue the authorities.  The couple launched a campaign and online petition, which was signed by approximately 90,000 people from all over the world, and is determined to continue to fight for housing.

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Chicago: lampposts will detect pollution and tell people

It is said that the walls have ears. In this case, are the Chicago lampposts that will have ears and eyes. The American city will install a new series of lighting that will have the ability to measure air quality, monitor the noise and tell pedestrians.

The new posts will be placed until the beginning of July and, in addition to the air quality and noise, will be able to monitor the luminous intensity, warmth, precipitation and wind. Pedestrian counting will be done by monitoring traffic from smartphones.

The placement of these new ' smart ' lampposts stems from an initiative of the University of Chicago and the Argonne National Laboratory and the idea is to collect precise details about what happens in the city and how people use it and its consequent impact. On the other hand, it will help to know where are the polluted and points where there are disturbances in movement of pedestrians, referred to Gizmodo.

Although the project can concern the residents and pedestrians at the level of privacy, investigating authorities shall ensure that the data will be collected and stored in anonymous form.

According to Charlie Catlett, director of the Urban Center for Computation and Data, the aim of this new system is "better understand the cities". "Part of the objective is to make these things in public utilities," explained to the Chicago Tribune.

Photo: Chicago in the years 50 1950sUnlimited/Creative Commone

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Anonymous art collective creates maze with 6,000 recycled plastic bottles

The Luzinterruptus, a collective of anonymous art, created a maze constructed from recycled plastic bottles 6,000 â€" a critique of consumer society. The urban intervention â€" Labyrinth of Plastic Waste â€" is the contribution of the group to the Katowice Sreet Art Festival in Poland.

To construct the maze, Luzinterruptus collected 6,000 bottles of a local factory and several residents who also donated bottles. In total, more than 26 metres of plastic waste were converted in a maze of plastic debris with 3.4 meters tall and a size of 7 × 5 meters.

The bottles are supported by walls made of plastic bags. During the day, sunlight reflects the colors of the plastic, which is colored. At night, the installation is illuminated by LED lamps, the maze turns into something resembling an ice sculpture.

"We wanted to demonstrate, in a poetic way, the amount of plastic waste are consumed daily, focusing attention still on the big business of bottled water, which causes serious problems in developing countries, where many people see your reservations water be privatised", explains the group, quoted by Inhabitat.

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