Monday 28 December 2009

On Nature's carbon capture

One of the currently most popular research topics is Carbon Capture and Storage (technology to remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and storage it for long term). Most reviews on the topic (eg, Annual Review of Environment and Resources 2004, Technology Review 2007, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 2007,
The Economist 2009) fail to include among these techniques the oldest and so far most efficient means to do so. I happened to be in front of one such device; it is about 60 cm tall, shining green and hardly moves. It is a plant!. Carbon dioxide gas is naturally removed from the atmosphere and converted into solid biomass matter by plants during photosynthesis.

In order to avoid the later release of this carbon when the plant dies or is destroyed, biochar technology could be used. Biochar (stable, solid and rich-in-carbon-content char created by pyrolysis of biomass) helps to lock carbon in the solid state for long periods of time. Done right, experts say, biochar produced and used appropriately, could contribute to the removal of carbon in combination with the millennia old technology of plant photosynthesis.

Presence in English-speaking media of my comments on the peat fire in Daimiel (Updated)

Some of my comments on the peat fire in Daimiel have started to appear in media publishing in the English language:
( Presence in Spanish-speaking media is here)

10/1/2010: "Spain begins to flood park with peat fire", original from Associated Press, published also in New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes, BusinessWeek, SFGate, USAtoday, ABCNews, CBSNews, DenverPost, StarTribune,Yahoo, AOL, RedOrbit, wbtv, wtop, ktnvEngineering News, AirAmerica and ZeeNews. Also translated to Hungarian Greenfo


10/1/2010: "Minister announces peat fire threatening Spanish national park is out", typicallyspanish.

26/11/2009: "Only total flooding will solve the problem", Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Sunday 27 December 2009

Apariciones en Periódicos Nacionales (actualizado)

Apariciones mías en medios españoles a cuenta del incendio soterrado de Las Tablas de Daimiel:
( for English-speaking media see here)

10/1/2010: "Un experto dice que es prematuro dar por extinguido el incendio de Daimiel", Original de EFE, publicado también en ABC, yahoo, Diario de Castilla la Mancha, Diario Montañes, El Digital Castilla la Mancha, La Tribuna de Ciudad Real, Lanza, Terra, Mi Ciudad Real. .

9/1/2010: "Los expertos corrigen a Espinosa y niegan que el fuego de Daimiel esté extinguido", El Pais.

30/12/2009: "Las lluvias contribuirán a preparar el terreno en Las Tablas", Lanza.

27/12/2009: "Un experto en fuego dice que la lluvia y el frío no solucionan el incendio de las Tablas de Daimiel", Original de EFE, publicado en Publico, EcoDiario, Yahoo, ADN, EPA, La Voz Digital, El Diario Montañes, Terra, Las Provincias, Ideal, CR Diario, Diario.com, La Voz Libre, Lanza Digital, Telecinco, Diario Vasco, Diario Suecia, El Dia de Ciudad Real, Diario de Castilla de Mancha, El Digital Castilla La Mancha, Orange, Norte Castilla, MundoBiología.



05/12/2009: "El fuego subterráneo de la zona del preparque de Las Tablas de Daimiel empieza a remitir", La Tribuna de Ciudad Real.


26/11/2009: "Un experto en fuego alaba el trabajo para apagar las turberas", Original de EFE publicado en ABC, ADN y Lanza.

26/11/2009: "Sólo la inundación total del parque resolverá el fuego soterrado de Las Tablas de Daimiel", Universidad Pontificia Comillas.


Foto: Momento de la charla que di en ICAI sobre "Anatomía de la Combustión Latente y los Incendios Soterrados"


26/11/2009: "El incendio de Las Tablas ha podido emitir entre 10 y 40 toneladas de CO2 al día",
Original de EFE publicado en CR Diario, Lanza y El Dia.

26/11/2009: "El riesgo de nuevos fuegos subterráneos permanecerá mientras haya turbas secas", La Tribuna de Ciudad Real.

14/10/2009: "El fuego tiene combustible para arder durante años", El Pais.

Saturday 5 December 2009

El incedio de Daimiel no se podrá dar por extinguido sin inundación total



Foto tomada el día 25 de Noviembre de 2009 en la zona del preparque cerca del molino del Molimocho.



El diario La Tribuna de Ciudad Real (LTCR) publica el artículo: "El fuego subterráneo de la zona del preparque de Las Tablas de Daimiel empieza a remitir" [*]. Este habla de las labores de extinción y compartimentación de las que ya hablé la semana pasada.

El artículo en LTCR dice "La Junta espera que «antes de que se termine el año esté prácticamente apagado el fuego de turbas de la zona que está fuera del parque". Pudiera parecer que se quiere cantar victoria antes de tiempo. Si bien en cierto que el incendio está dando señales de menor actividad, no se podrá dar por extinguido hasta que venga la inundación total.

He visto fotos tomadas ayer mismo en el preparque. Las fotos muestran actividad significativa del fuego latente. Teniendo en cuenta las lluvias de la ultima semana y la bajada de temperaturas... esa actividad del fuego es síntoma de que desgraciadamente goza de relativa "buena salud" unos metros más abajo de la superficie. Como ya dije, el factor mas importante es la sequedad. Si la turba está seca (por debajo de 55% de agua en peso), se quemará.

A pesar de lo las labores de extinción empleadas hasta la fecha, dentro y fuera del Parque, son las adecuadas y poco más se puede hacer a corto plazo, eso no garantiza que el incendio se pueda extinguir totalmente. Solo la inundación total puede apagar el incendio de una vez por todas.

El Parque se puede inundar, y solo cuando se inunde totalmente, el problema del fuego desaparecerá del Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel.

El preparque quizá no se puede o no se está planeando inundar. Eso significaría que hay serias posibilidades de que el fuego dure ahí mucho tiempo... ?años?. Quizá dure hasta que la turba sea consumida totalmente. Dado que este tiene menor valor ecológico que el Parque, los manchegos deberían empezar a pensar en la posibilidad de perder la turba que ahí fuera del parque.


[*] El artículo de LTCR contiene dos errores; mi apellido es Rein (Rein Soto-Yarritu para mas señas) y no "Rien" como dice ahí. Además, no soy investigador de la NASA si no de la Universidad de Edimburgo y trabajé con la NASA en el 2001-2005 ?Alguien conoce al periodista para ver si pueden corregir las erratas?

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Manifesto on the rights of Internet users


(Drawing by Eneko/20minutos.es)

[from Spanish activists issue manifesto on the rights of Internet users and Manifiesto “En defensa de los derechos fundamentales en internet”].

A group of journalists, bloggers, professionals and creators want to express their firm opposition to the inclusion in a Draft Law of some changes to Spanish laws restricting the freedoms of expression, information and access to culture on the Internet. We also declare that:

1 .- Copyright should not be placed above citizens' fundamental rights to privacy, security, presumption of innocence, effective judicial protection and freedom of expression.

2 .- Suspension of fundamental rights is and must remain an exclusive competence of judges. This blueprint, contrary to the provisions of Article 20.5 of the Spanish Constitution, places in the hands of the executive the power to keep Spanish citizens from accessing certain websites.

3 .- The proposed laws would create legal uncertainty across Spanish IT companies, damaging one of the few areas of development and future of our economy, hindering the creation of startups, introducing barriers to competition and slowing down its international projection.

4 .- The proposed laws threaten creativity and hinder cultural development. The Internet and new technologies have democratized the creation and publication of all types of content, which no longer depends on an old small industry but on multiple and different sources.

5 .- Authors, like all workers, are entitled to live out of their creative ideas, business models and activities linked to their creations. Trying to hold an obsolete industry with legislative changes is neither fair nor realistic. If their business model was based on controlling copies of any creation and this is not possible any more on the Internet, they should look for a new business model.

6 .- We believe that cultural industries need modern, effective, credible and affordable alternatives to survive. They also need to adapt to new social practices.

7 .- The Internet should be free and not have any interference from groups that seek to perpetuate obsolete business models and stop the free flow of human knowledge.

8 .- We ask the Government to guarantee net neutrality in Spain, as it will act as a framework in which a sustainable economy may develop.

9 .- We propose a real reform of intellectual property rights in order to ensure a society of knowledge, promote the public domain and limit abuses from copyright organizations.

10 .- In a democracy, laws and their amendments should only be adopted after a timely public debate and consultation with all involved parties. Legislative changes affecting fundamental rights can only be made in a Constitutional law.

Saturday 28 November 2009

Ongoing smouldering peat fire in Las Tablas de Daimiel / Incendio latente de turba en Las Tablas de Daimiel



Photo taken on November 25, 2009 in the area adjacent to the National Park, near Molimocho. The peat, very dry (water content bellow 20% dry weight), is smouldering in the photo over an area of a few square meters. Visually, only the weak plumes of smoke can be appreciated. The total fire surface area in the Park and nearby zones continuously burning in the last three months is near 5 ha inside the Park and ~40 h outside.


Foto tomada el día 25 de Noviembre de 2009 en la zona del preparque cerca del molino del Molimocho. La turba, muy seca (contenido de agua por debajo del 20% en peso seco), se esta quemando en una extensión de varios metros cuadrados. Visualmente, tan solo se puede apreciar las fumarelas.El área total que se ha estado quemando de forma continuada en los últimos tres meses ronda las 5 ha dentro del Parque y de unas 40 ha en el preparque.



Versión en inglés (la versión en Español esta más abajo):


On the 25th of November 2009 I visited Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park in Cuidad Real with the Director of the Park Carlos Ruiz, Luis Moreno from IGME and the Fire Service Chief Officer in Castilla la Mancha.

The on going suppression, prevention and compartmentation tasks are very good and effective. Note that peat fires are extremely difficult to tackle and the nightmare of fire fighters. Indeed, little more can be done until the final solution of the global flooding (not partial) of the Park arrives in January 2010.

I was specially impressed by the extent of the peat fire in the area adjacent to the Park and the novel large-scale prevention work compacting of the soil and local flooding from the surface. About 30 ha has been treated like this down to a depth of ~3 m to prevent the fire spreading. Nothing similar has been done before in Borneo, Alaska, Canada or Siberia ....

The day after, I gave a talk on Smouldering Fires at the ICAI School of Engineering. Then slides are accessible here. I was interviewed by Agencia EFE and some of it has been published by the Spanish media in ABC and CRDiario (for English, try this and this funny translations by Google).


Spanish version:

El día 25 de Noviembre estuve en el Parque Nacional de Las Tablas Daimiel con Carlos Ruiz director del parque, Luis Moreno del IGME y los bomberos de la Comunidad de Castilla la Mancha.

Las labores de extinción, prevención y compartimentación que se están realizando son muy acertadas y efectivas en la medida de lo posible. No se puede olvidar que la extinción de un incendio de turba es algo muy difícil y la pesadilla de todo bombero. Realmente, humana y técnicamente poco más se puede hacer hasta que la solución final de la inundación global (y no parcial) del parque llegue.


Quede especialmente impresionado por magnitud del incendio en el área del preparque y por la labores de compactación preventiva a gran escala. La iniciativa, que ha sido ya aplicada a un área de 30 ha y hasta una profundidad de ~3m, es única a nivel internacional. Nada similar se ha hecho antes en Borneo, Alaska, Canadá o Siberia....

Al día siguiente, di una charla sobre Incendios Latentes en al Escuela de Ingenieros del ICAI que esta accesible aquí. La agencia EFE me entrevisto y algunos de mis comentarios y cálculos han salido publicados en ABC y CRDiario.

Friday 23 October 2009

"El fuego tiene combustible para arder durante años" · ELPAÍS.com


The Spanish Newspaper El Pais publishes a sort interview with me about the ongoing peat fire in Las Tablas de Daimiel.

"El fuego tiene combustible para arder durante años" · ELPAÍS.com. If you are struggling with the Spanish text, try the funny Google translation here.

NOTE: the fire is now being covered by the international media: "Spanish wetland facing destruction as farming starves it of water" (The Guardian, Oct 22 2009)

Monday 28 September 2009

Personal Remarks about Academic Profession (I)



Seven personal views on some myths about academics (I am an academic indeed!):

I) I do not have 3 month of holidays. Indeed, last year I only took 3 weeks off.

II) I will not be teaching the same courses for 30 years. No. Indeed, I hope to change courses every three or four years to promote the development of new ideas and enrich my knowledge and thus enrich student learning experience.

III) I do not only teach. I am a researcher at heart and that is why I am in the university. It happens that teaching is a very rewarding activity for me too but it is less then half of my motivation and only takes 30% of my time (but that is because I work after hours too much).

IV) I am not stuck in the campus. I travel regularly (once or twice a month) to international destinations for meetings, conferences and presentations. Academia is no longer a lecture-based job and more frequent international mobility is required to succeed in research.

V) I am not, at least not all the time, in an ivory tower. I do solve real life problem. About 5 to 10% of my time is devoted to consultancy job to solve industry problems that come to us for expert advise. 50% of my research time is to solve problems that are taking place right now for which a solution is needed in the medium time. 70% of my sponsoring funds come from industry.

VI) I do care about progress. Research produces the knowledge that is required for tomorrow's technology; as someone said "some of my clients have not been born yet". As a scientist, I believe in the longer term investment for solutions, as an engineer I believe in the short to medium term.

VII) I do not like and I do not support professional endogamy in academic departments. Only the best should be hired. Endogamy is the enemy of long term progress and hinders excellence, at home and abroad. At a few very particular times of crisis and lack of stability, it could be somehow beneficial in the short term. Rarely useful, frequently abused.

extra) To be an academic, apparently, you need a big ego (this results from a survey to the statistically meaningful sample of my colleagues and I)

More later...

Cheers!
G.

PD: I posted this text in my blog at the Institute of Physics, but then realized that it is only open to IoP members!...