The Threat Of IMPACT - A Special Report on NEOs.

If you are a member of the National Space Society you probably just got the latest issue of adAstra -
The Magazine Of The National Space Society.
The cover has the above title on it and several articles about NEOs.
Here is the link to the table of contents even though the article is not linked.
http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume20/v20n4.html

Since we have recently been buzzed by nearby passing asteroids I took time to read the articles.

There is an upcoming conference in Spain in April on Planetary Defense which goes along with previous questions about how would you go about getting to these NEOs, both for defense or possibly for commercial interests.
- LRK -

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http://www.congrex.nl/09c04/
1st IAA Planetary Defense Conference:
Protecting Earth from Asteroids
27 - 30 April 2009
Granada, Spain

The International Academy of Astronautics will hold its first conference on protecting our planet from impacts by asteroids and comets the week of April 27, 2009 in Granada, Spain. The 1st IAA Planetary Defense Conference: Protecting Earth from Asteroids, co-sponsored by the European Space Agency and The Aerospace Corporation, is the follow-on to two previous planetary defense conferences held in 2004 in Los Angeles and 2007 in Washington, D.C. Details on the 2004 and 2007 conferences are at www.planetarydefense.info
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Sometimes in our looking up for incoming hazards we fail to look at what we are doing right at our feet.
We live here and throw our trash away and we are thinking of going to space where we throw more trash away.
Today in my email was a notice of the latest TED Talks postings and one of the videos is by Charles Moore and his sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks

If you have the bandwidth you might like to listen to the talk.
One of those commenting on the talk said he is not the most engaging speaker and a video of some students sailing with him might be more informative.
The language used is a bit more explicative and the ads on the side bars a bit racy, but you might be startled at the amount of plastic floating around on our high seas and making it to our beaches.
- LRK -

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http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html
Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch --
an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.
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Stephen Jersak – March 4 2009
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VBS.tv did a splendid documentary, titled Toxic Garbage Island, not too long ago on this phenomenon. Unfortunately,
Charles Moore is not the most engaging speaker. The kids at Vice however, are able to present a thoroughly crushing
picture from the centre of the garbage patch.It's available online at
http://www.vbs.tv/shows.php?show=1154
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I hope we take into consideration the making of our technology from birth to death.
Many a city in the past has been built upon the garbage dumps of earlier inhabitants
and I see business buildings rising up from the landfill in Silicon Valley today.

Listen to a concert in the park and burn your behind on methane gas escaping from the clay cap.
http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=884

Play a game of gulf on the local landfill gulf course.
http://www.brownfieldgolf.com/history.htm
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=35540.0

Put your next business in the building rising up from the latest landfill.
http://sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/yodeler/html/2008/05/feature6.htm

Light your baseball park lights from the energy made from steam turbines fueled by landfill methane captured gas.
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/agenda/2_19_02docs/7.2.htm

Start thinking about how you are going to use the local resources and the expendables you brought with you.
It would be nice if manufactures considered the life of their products from birth to death.
- LRK -

If you have read the Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars, series by Kim Stanley Robinson, you will recognize why we may go to Mars and what happens when the resources on Earth have been used up and the habitable places reduced by pollution. Sounds like a lot of the politics of today.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
==============================================================
http://www.congrex.nl/09c04/
1st IAA Planetary Defense Conference:
Protecting Earth from Asteroids
27 - 30 April 2009
Granada, Spain

The International Academy of Astronautics will hold its first conference on protecting our planet from impacts by asteroids and comets the week of April 27, 2009 in Granada, Spain. The 1st IAA Planetary Defense Conference: Protecting Earth from Asteroids, co-sponsored by the European Space Agency and The Aerospace Corporation, is the follow-on to two previous planetary defense conferences held in 2004 in Los Angeles and 2007 in Washington, D.C. Details on the 2004 and 2007 conferences are at www.planetarydefense.info

The 2009 conference will bring together worldwide experts to discuss:

* Detecting and tracking asteroids and comets that might be
hazardous to our planet,
* Characteristics of these objects,
* Deflecting a threatening object should one be detected,
* The nature of impact disasters, and
* Political, legal and policy issues that must be considered as part
of an overall mitigation strategy.

At present, there are over 900 asteroids and comets that are designated Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs), objects larger than about 140 meters that could eventually threaten Earth. Ground-based observations are currently increasing this number by more than 80 per year. Experts believe that the total population of PHOs could number 4000 or more.

A particular focus of the conference will be Apophis, a 270-meter asteroid discovered in 2004 that is predicted to pass very close to Earth, below the altitude of our geosynchronous satellites, in April 2029 and has a current probability of impacting our planet in 2036 of 1 in 45000. The most recent significant impact occurred in Siberia, Russia, in 1908 when an object estimated to be between 30 and 50 meters in diameter entered the atmosphere and exploded. The blast leveled over 2000 square kilometers of forest—an area larger than Washington, D.C.
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http://www.universetoday.com/2009/03/02/asteroid-2009-dd45-just-buzzed-by-earth/
Asteroid 2009 DD45 Just Buzzed by Earth
As I'm writing this (13:40 UT) a newly-discovered asteroid, 2009 DD45, is flying past Earth at only 74,800 km (46,478.5 miles or 0.000482 AU) away. That's only about twice the height of a typical geostationary communications satellite, and well inside the moon's orbit. According to Spaceweather.com, the 30- to 40-meter wide space rock is similar in size to the Tunguska impactor of 1908, but this time there is no danger of a collision. At closest approach on March 2nd, (which just occurred) 2009 DD45 will speed through the constellation Virgo shining as brightly as an 11th magnitude star. So if you're in the Pacific region like Hawaii or Tahiti, go out and take a look! But this rock is moving fairly fast, and by tonight, it will only be 13th magnitude, and fading fast.

UPDATE: Below see video of 2009 DD45 as seen from Australia:
(thanks to Aaron Slack <http://www.caffeinatedastronomy.com/> for the heads up on the video)
http://www.caffeinatedastronomy.com/
[The video on his web site is a larger format than the one copied on UniverseToday. - LRK -]
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http://planetary.org/news/2009/0302_Space_Rock_Swoops_by_Earth.html
Planetary News: Near Earth Objects (2009)
Space Rock Swoops by Earth
March 2, 2009
A Near Earth Object designated 2009 DD45 buzzed the Earth early this morning (Pacific Time), passing within 70,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of the Earth's surface. To give an idea of just how close a shave this was, consider this: 70,000 kilometers is just one fifth of the distance from the Earth to the moon, and only twice the distance at which geostationary telecommunications satellites orbit.
The space rock was discovered only two days ago by Rob McNaught at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, when it was a dim speck about 1.5 million kilometers away. It became brightest when it passed closest to Earth at 13:44 Universal Time, which is 5:44am Pacific Time, and has been getting dimmer ever since. At the point of closest approach 2009 DD45 was over the Pacific Ocean near Tahiti, which means it could be observed from Australia, Japan, and China, but not from North America or Europe.
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http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/
NEO Earth Close Approaches
*Close-Approach Tables* <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ca>

Custom tables (*updated daily*) showing future and past NEO close-approach data, including uncertainties, are available at the link above <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/neo_ca>. More information about the uncertainties used in these tables is available <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/neo_ca_info.html>.

Also, a list of historic comet close approaches prior to 2006 is available here <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/historic_comets.html>.

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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The Prophet of Garbage - Solid Waste Managent

What to do when your landfills are full?

What to do when you haven't started a landfill and you are on the Moon?

What, you want to go camping and you forgot that roll of paper.

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http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
The Prophet of Garbage
Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy—and promises to make a relic of the landfill

By Michael Behar | March 2007
It sounds as if someone just dropped a tricycle into a meat grinder.

Snip
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Same as above, but from a blog in Panama where the technology is being used. Format a bit easier to read. - LRK-
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http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20070223212011318
Plasma Converter turns garbage into energy Friday, February 23 2007 @ 09:20 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner

By Michael Behar - It sounds as if someone just dropped a tricycle into a meat grinder.
Snip
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Going to the Moon will need creative minds to come up with new ideas to handle the everyday needs, and engineers to make it happen.

Just make sure you do a patent search to make sure someone has not already thought of YOUR idea.

Be prepared to spend a few years perfecting the product.

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

==============================================================
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
The Prophet of Garbage
Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy—and promises to make a relic of the landfill

By Michael Behar | March 2007

It sounds as if someone just dropped a tricycle into a meat grinder. I’m sitting inside a narrow conference room at a research facility in Bristol, Connecticut, chatting with Joseph Longo, the founder and CEO of Startech Environmental Corporation. As we munch on takeout Subway sandwiches, a plate-glass window is the only thing separating us from the adjacent lab, which contains a glowing caldera of “plasma” three times as hot as the surface of the sun. Every few minutes there’s a horrific clanking noise—grinding followed by a thunderous voomp, like the sound a gas barbecue makes when it first ignites.

“Is it supposed to do that?” I ask Longo nervously. “Yup,” he says. “That’s normal.”

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There are mandates in many places to reduce the amount of items going to landfill.
Buckminster Fuller had a lot of ideas, which he patented even if you could not accomplish the idea at the time.

He then made a living collecting royalties when someone else put the idea to work.

I suppose someone will have to pay to use the idea of a dry toilet on the Moon.
- LRK -
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller
http://www.buckminster.info/Ideas/07-IcosHouseToiletScientific.htm

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http://recoveredenergy.com/
TECHNOLOGY Recovered Energy, Inc. is an independent engineering and consulting firm dedicated to the promotion of the most current technologies for the recovery of energy from waste. In our opinion, the waste "problem" is the solution to our energy needs. We like to think of waste as an asset rather than a liability. Current technologies using plasma gasification and pyrolysis processes can convert almost any waste material into usable products such as electricity, ethanol, vitrified glass and other salable products. This is a true waste to energy system that goes way beyond the traditional incinerator and beyond standard gasification processes. We promote technology that allows for 100% conversion of waste to energy in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. green electricity. Plasma gasification and pyrolysis processes allow for the virtual elimination of landfills, recycling without sorting, the complete thermal conversion of all types of waste to energy in the form of green electricity or ethanol.

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- LRK - 241 pages.
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http://www.recycle.ab.ca/Download/MSW_Options_Report.pdf
Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW) Options:
Integrating Organics Management
and Residual Treatment/Disposal
April 2006

Snip
p. 162
7.2.3.4 Plasma Technology

Industrial applications of plasma arc technologies are well established and include electric arc furnaces used in the steel industry, and arc welding units used in the construction industry. Plasma technology is also used for treating hazardous waste. The technology involves relatively high capital and operating costs, but may offer some environmental advantages in certain applications. The environmental advantages include the ‘ultimate destruction’ of highly problematic hazardous materials such as PCBs and complex stable volatile organic compounds, due to the application of extremely high operating temperatures, and the resultant production of a vitrified inert ash.

Plasma arc processes use extremely high temperatures in an oxygen-starved environment to pyrolyze waste into simple molecules. A thermal plasma field is created by directing an electric current through a low pressure gas stream, thereby creating a stream of plasma at temperatures of 5,000 to 15,000°C. The by-products of the process are slags and combustible gases. The combustible gases are subsequently either combusted in an afterburner or treated by catalytic conversion.

Plasma may be either a net energy user or producer, depending on factors such as the nature of the waste, feedstock and scale of operation. In theory the sythetic gas produced by plasma technologies can be used in many applications, including fuel cells.

Two examples of companies offering plasma arc systems are “Pyrogenesis Inc.” and “Plasco Energy Group” (formerly RCL Plasma Inc.). Both companies claim to be able to treat processed MSW using plasma generators which create extreme heat and convert the waste into a synthetic gas, heat and an inert slag. The process forms a 1,000°C syngas composed of simple molecules such as H2, N2, CO, CO2, etc. This gas is then cleaned and combusted in an engine or turbine for energy recovery.

“Plasco” has been developing their patented Plasma Gasification Process (PGP) since 1973. According to the company, the gasification process itself has no air emissions, and the emissions from gas combustion in a Jenbacher engine fall well below the stringent CCME and Ontario A-7 guidelines. The City of Ottawa is considering the installation of a 75 tonne per day plant near its Trail Road landfill, to be owned and operated by “Plasco”. A Spanish waste management firm, “Hera”, has contracted for a 200 tonne per day “Plasco” facility in Barcelona, with an 85 tonne phase 1, and 115 tonne phase 2.

“Pyrogenesis” has operated their demonstration Plasma Resources Recovery System (PRRS) in Montreal since 2002, treating 25 to 100 kg/h. The units run for periods of several hours and not on a continuous basis. The unit has been tested on various Municipal Waste Integration Network / Recycling Council of Alberta Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Options: Integrating Organics Management and Residual Treatment/Disposal wastes including MSW, automobile shredder residue, tires, and hazardous waste. The information from the operation of this pilot unit has been used to scale up the design from 5 up to 200 tonnes per day. They are currently looking for a demonstration site for the technology, to scale the operation up to 20 tonnes/day. They also manufacture compact plasma gasification units, which can process over 5 tonnes per day of dry waste – plastic and paper. These units were developed under a contract from the US Navy, and one was installed on a “Carnival” cruise ship in 2003. These systems are scheduled for more cruise ships and possibly an aircraft carrier by 2007.

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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