Hydrogen power looks to harness the energy of the Corsican sun

An experimental facility could provide the island with an independent, renewable energy source

Guardian Weekly, Pierre Le Hir, Tuesday 28 February 2012

Island idyll ... stored energy from renewable sources would decrease
Corisca's reliance on oil-fuelled power. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod

As night falls on the Gulf of Ajaccio, Corsica, the Iles Sanguinaires turn red in the dying light of the sun. But it never really sets on the solar plant on the hillside overlooking the Mediterranean.

Thanks to the use of hydrogen, the electricity generated during the hours of sunlight can be stored and injected into the power grid at any time of the day or night. Though the Renewable Hydrogen for Grid Integration (Myrte) facility is still experimental, it is already the largest of its kind in the world.

"The problem of renewable-energy intermittence is particularly acute on islands," said Philippe Poggi, a lecturer at Corsica University and one of the driving forces behind the project, which also involves France's Atomic and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) and Helion, a subsidiary of Areva, the nuclear power conglomerate, which specialises in hydrogen processes.

In Corsica the 600 megawatts of installed power capacity are largely dependent on oil-fuelled power stations, backed up by a hydroelectric plant and a power line running across the seabed to Sardinia.

Solar and wind power play a marginal part, but the island is keen to develop alternative energy sources. However, as is the case for French overseas territories, a ministerial decree caps the share of intermittent renewables in the overall electricity supply at 30%. This precaution is designed to avoid the risk of an outage caused by cloudy skies or a lull in the wind.

"The only way round this limitation is to store solar energy," said Poggi. This makes it possible to even out fluctuations in output and cope with sudden spikes in demand.

The farm, set in a hollow and partly grassed over, looks very much like a conventional solar power facility, with a 3,700sqm array of photovoltaic panels. The novel feature is an unobtrusive hydrogen plant, which contains all the smart bits.

Powered by the current generated by the solar panels, an electrolyser splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, which is stored in tanks at a pressure of 35 bar. When required a fuel cell reunites the two elements in a reaction, generating electricity that can be fed into the grid.

No single step in this process is revolutionary. The difficult part is optimising the whole process. For example, operation of the electrolyser must be adapted to an intermittent power source. Similarly the fuel cell has to cope with the grid's fluctuating demand. "The challenge is to find a mix that optimises all the components," according to Poggi.

Corsica sees itself as "a laboratory", setting an example of how the mainland could follow once the system is fully operational.

Work on Myrte started in 2006, with a €21m ($27m) budget funded by the regional council, central government and the European Union. It has been up and running for a few months and is still only at the stage of a small-scale test plant. If it lives up to expectations, an industrial-scale unit will come online in 2014-15.

This article originally appeared in Le Monde

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Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan

http://theenergylie.weebly.com/

Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.

The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.

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It’s Not a Fairytale: Seattle to Build Nation’s First Food Forest

Forget meadows. The city’s new park will be filled with edible plants, and everything from pears to herbs will be free for the taking. 

Take Part, by Clare Leschin-Hoar, February 21, 2012

Hungry? Just head over to the park. Seattle's new food forest aims to be
an edible wilderness. (Photo: Buena Vista Images/Getty Images)

Seattle’s vision of an urban food oasis is going forward. A seven-acre plot of land in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood will be planted with hundreds of different kinds of edibles: walnut and chestnut trees; blueberry and raspberry bushes; fruit trees, including apples and pears; exotics like pineapple, yuzu citrus, guava, persimmons, honeyberries, and lingonberries; herbs; and more. All will be available for public plucking to anyone who wanders into the city’s first food forest.

“This is totally innovative, and has never been done before in a public park,” Margarett Harrison, lead landscape architect for the Beacon Food Forest project, tells TakePart. Harrison is working on construction and permit drawings now and expects to break ground this summer.

The concept of a food forest certainly pushes the envelope on urban agriculture and is grounded in the concept of permaculture, which means it will be perennial and self-sustaining, like a forest is in the wild. Not only is this forest Seattle’s first large-scale permaculture project, but it’s also believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.

“The concept means we consider the soils, companion plants, insects, bugs—everything will be mutually beneficial to each other,” says Harrison.

That the plan came together at all is remarkable on its own. What started as a group project for a permaculture design course ended up as a textbook example of community outreach gone right.

“Friends of the Food Forest undertook heroic outreach efforts to secure neighborhood support. The team mailed over 6,000 postcards in five different languages, tabled at events and fairs, and posted fliers,” writes Robert Mellinger for Crosscut.

Neighborhood input was so valued by the organizers, they even used translators to help Chinese residents have a voice in the planning.

So just who gets to harvest all that low-hanging fruit when the time comes?

“Anyone and everyone,” says Harrison. “There was major discussion about it. People worried, ‘What if someone comes and takes all the blueberries?’ That could very well happen, but maybe someone needed those blueberries. We look at it this way—if we have none at the end of blueberry season, then it means we’re successful.”

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Top 5 Free Energy Technologies Unfolding Now

Off the radar of the mainstream media, many futuristic energy technologies are positioning themselves to change the course of human civilization. These breakthroughs herald a fantastic future in which energy scarcity is a thing of the past.

PESN.com, by Hank Mills, Pure Energy Systems News, January 21, 2012

See also

• Cheat Sheet for January 21, 2012 Coast to Coast Show (PESN; January 22, 2012)
• Review of Sterling Allan's Coast to Coast Interview [Recording links] - (PESN; January 24, 2012)

An age of free energy is rapidly approaching. As we speak, multiple companies are preparing the technologies that will make energy abundant, cheap, and extremely low cost. The most exotic of these technologies are poised to bring an end to the age of fossil fuels, by allowing energy to be produced in radically novel ways. All of this is taking place with very little, or even no coverage by the mainstream media. They are sneaking up on the world, with relatively very few people paying attention.

For the past decade, we at PESN have been tracking these game-changing innovations as they develop, and report on them as they move closer to the market place. We have made a "Top 5" list of the most promising of these technologies, and have paid especially close attention to them. Tonight, January 21, 2011, Sterling Allan (the founder of Pure Energy Systems Network) will present the latest updates on these technologies to millions of listeners on the Coast to Coast AM radio program.

Of all the emerging technologies the public should be aware of, the following are the "creme de la creme" that deserve special recognition. From our vantage point, these are the ones with the most potential to make a strong and lasting impact on our civilization. In the remainder of this article, we will describe these technologies, and explain why everyone eager for an energy revolution should follow their progress towards the market place.

1 - Andrea Rossi's E-Cat (Energy Catalyzer)

Andrea Rossi

Perhaps the most relatively well known technology of the top five list is Andrea Rossi's E-Cat or "Energy Catalyzer." This technology could be described as utilizing "cold fusion" or "low energy nuclear reactions" (LENR). It allows for massive amounts of heat to be released from novel nuclear processes, between ordinary nickel powder and hydrogen gas.

An E-Cat system is small, but produces a robust amount of energy. Typically, a system is composed of a small metal tube (although other shapes have been used) that serves as the reactor core. Specially processed nickel powder, hydrogen gas, and a proprietary catalyst is placed inside of this sealed tube. When subjected to a combination of heat and pressure, excess thermal energy is produced. A volume of water or other liquid coolant flows around this reactor core and extracts the heat -- while cooling the core in the process.

From a very small system that can fit on a table top, many kilowatts of thermal energy can be generated. In controlled laboratory tests, it is asserted a reactor core the size of a D-Cell battery can produce a maximum safe output of 10 kilowatts of heat. This thermal energy is produced while using no radioactive materials, producing no nuclear waste, emitting no radiation into the environment, and releasing zero pollution into the environment.

Basically, this technology represents a safe and clean form of nuclear energy, without any of the drawbacks of conventional fission based nuclear power. Even in a worst case scenerio such as a natural disaster, an E-Cat cannot "melt down" and produce a dangerous situation. If an E-Cat starts to overheat due to physical damage or coolant leak, the nickel powder will simply melt into a solid lump, and the nuclear processes will cease.

On Oct. 28th Andrea Rossi allowed his first customer to test a one megawatt plant in Bologna, Italy. The test was a success. In fact, for a period of five and a half hours the E-Cat system produced a constant output of just under half a megawatt of heat, with near zero input power. The customer signed off on the system, and purchased it. Currently, Rossi is working with the first customer -- along with the well known company National Instruments -- to develop more sophisticated control electronics for his systems. Although the plant still resides in Bologna, it is expected to be in the hands of the customer within a couple months.

Recently, Andrea Rossi announced that he is working towards producing a quantity of one million, ten kilowatt E-Cat units for domestic use. These units will both provide heating for the home, and be capable of producing hot water. To efficiently produce the one million units at the lowest price possible, he is engineering an automated plant that utilizes robotics technology. He hopes to start offering the units by the end of 2012 or perhaps early 2013, at a retail cost of around $500 dollars each. Eventually, he hopes to offer kits that will allow these systems to be retrofitted to produce electricity, in addition to heat.

When widely proliferated, the E-Cat technology holds the potential to tremendously reduce, and eventually eliminate the need for fossil fuels. Its huge potential along with its emergence into the market with the 1MW size has earned it the number one spot on our list of the top five technologies.

2 - Solid State Generator or the "Endless Electric Field Generator."

Our number two technology can be described as a "solid state generator", or can be referred to by the nick name we gave it, the "Endless Electric Field Generator." It is being developed by a small company that does not want to be identified at this time. This company has developed a number of technologies, and has acquired a significant patent portfolio.

This technology works by producing a permanent electric field (the opposite of a permanent magnetic field in a permanent magnet) that does not break down. From this permanent electric field, a constant flow of electricity can be produced. Currently, the output of their prototypes is modest, only capable of powering small lights or other loads. However, they are working towards incorporating methods of increasing the surface area of the device, which will boost the current to a higher level (the voltage is already there). A trusted associate, Mark Dansie, visited the company, and has concluded the technology is indeed real, and works.

The future potential of this technology is stunning. According to the company, once the technology is further developed, a device the size of a postage stamp could produce approximately one watt of constant electrical power -- enough to power a cell phone. It would continue producing this power for a minimum of twenty years (perhaps much longer) while consuming no fuel of any kind. Additionally, these devices are produced from non-toxic materials, and would not be harmful even if swallowed.

Eventually, the technology could be scaled up to provide electricity for any application -- mobile phones, computers, electric cars, homes, etc.

Research on the technology continues, and in the future we hope to provide additional updates about its development. Once this hits the market in maybe 18-24 months, it will probably move to #1 in our list.

3 - PlasmERG's Noble Gas Engine

PlasmERG is a company that is building a revolutionary engine that utilizes small charges of inert, noble gases as fuel. John Rohner, the founder of the company, alleges that the engine will be capable of producing a constant output of hundreds of horse power, and hundreds of foot pounds of torque. It will be capable of producing this level of output for months or longer, utilizing only a few dollars worth of fuel.

In addition to utilizing very little fuel, the engine is claimed to emit zero pollution into the environment, run very quietly, and require no cooling system. It can be used to power automobiles, and to turn generators to produce electricity. Also, it said to be capable of replacing electric motors in many applications. Due to its simplicity, it has far fewer components than an internal combustion engine, and should need less maintenance. With this engine in a vehicle, oil changes, radiator flushes, and fuel filter replacements will be a thing of the past -- along with fill ups of fossil fuel!

The inspiration for their "Plasmic Transition Process" engine comes from the "Papp Engine." Joseph Papp, the inventor of the "Papp Engine", was an immigrant who repeatedly tried to commercialize his noble gas engine. The saga spanned several decades and was filled with drama. Although Papp was never successful and died without seeing his technology enter the market place, it now seems PlasmERG (and their partner company Inteligentry) will be launching a much improved version of the engine in the not too distant future -- probably within the first quarter of this year.

Once the engine -- composed of mostly custom made parts -- is tested and proven to perform as claimed, it may move up to #1 on the list of the top five technologies.

4 - Power from CO2 and Fly Ash

The technologies offered by MP BioMass could be considered as slightly less "overtly" exotic than the others on our list. However, they are extremely significant technologies that could benefit our world in many ways. Their technologies hold the potential to manage the waste produced by burning coal, capture CO2 emissions, and in the process produce fuel and energy.

One technological solution that MP Biomass offers is a method of capturing the carbon dioxide from flue gases, to totally eliminate CO2 emissions. This is accomplished via a world-wide patented system that they assert mimics a form of artificial photosynthesis.

Their "nano-membrane pyro-gasification process" not only extracts CO2 from flue gases, but prevents other pollutants from escaping into the atmosphere. The process also captures oxygen (grade 5), and isolates hydrogen from the flue gases. This allows for the production of methanol and electricity, of which a small portion are used to keep the process going. The amount of methanol produced seems impressive, with 551 gallons being produced from each ton of carbon dioxide captured.

The methanol produced by MP BioMass's process is asserted to have a cetane rating of sixty or higher, which equates to high grade, premium fuel, able to run in an automobile without modification.

Another solution offered by MP BioMass is the ability to better manage the huge amounts of fly ash produced by coal burning power plants. They are able to extract the remaining energy content from the fly ash, along with valuable ferrous and non ferrous metals. The process also detoxifies the ash, and would dramatically reduce the quantity of fly ash put into landfills.

The technology of MP BioMass is also proven, and currently in use. It is beyond the prototype stage. Millions and millions of dollars have already been spent developing the technology, and a plant has been operating in Serbia since 2003. The company also has three smaller plants in Italy, which utilize their technology. A ten megawatt plant is planned for upstate New York, and a huge two gigawatt plant has been purchased, which will be built in Saudi Arabia. It is expected to be completed in 2015.

Although MP BioMass may not be offering a technology that will shatter the laws of physics or eliminate the need for fossil fuels, it is capable of providing many clear benefits. I think their technology could help allow for civilization to continue, while we wait for the most truly exotic technologies to emerge.

Many coal power plants facing shut-down because they can't afford the modifications required to be compliant with new emissions standards, could not only stay open, but actually make a profit from those emissions, while cleaning up the environment.

5 - Defkalion

Defkalion is the Greek company that used to be partnered with Andrea Rossi, before he terminated his relationship with them during the middle of 2011. They had hoped to develop and market his revolutionary cold fusion technology around the world, except for the Americas. Now, the company claims to have developed their own nickel-hydrogen technology that is alleged not to utilize Rossi's proprietary industrial secrets.

Unlike Andrea Rossi's technology that has been tested repeatedly -- consistently showing massive excess energy production -- they have never allowed a public test of their technology. For now, they are keeping such things confidential.

If they can provide evidence that they have a working, robust Ni-H technology, they may move higher on the list of the top five technologies. Although they would be competing with Rossi, there is plenty of room on the market for a number of different cold fusion technologies. Simply put, both Defkalion and Rossi could manufacture cold fusion devices for many years, and not meet the demand that will exist.

The main claim they make is that their "Hyperion" technology is superior to the E-Cat technology. This may or may not be the case, and only time will tell if they can back up their statements with evidence. Those who have visited Defkalion (although not seeing proof of working systems) report a top notch lab, professional engineers, and lots of expensive equipment.

One point of concern for some is the possibility (unconfirmed) that they may be utilizing portions of Rossi's technology without his permission. We don't know whether or not this is the case, so for now we have no choice but to hope they are being completely honest. However, if they could provide an explanation of how their technology (for example the catalysts used) is truly different from Rossi's, it would be very reassuring.

Let's hope all of the company's claims turn out to be true. A world with two robust cold fusion technologies would be better than a world with only one.

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Hydropower has big potential; many detractors

Deutsche Welle, 20 February 2012

Hydroelectric power is climate friendly, but it remains a disputed energy source. It's not always the case that renewable energy has a positive impact on the environment, as some major dam projects have proven.

Humans have used water-generated energy sources for over 2,000 years. Today, power produced from water accounts for 15 percent of worldwide electricity production - more than nuclear energy. Other renewable forms of energy, such as wind and solar, account for just 4 percent.

Water's potential, however, is far from exhausted, and it is an attractive alternative to energies that contribute to carbon dioxide levels.

Studies show that hydroelectric power could meet nearly all of the planet's energy needs. But that is not likely to happen.

"The cost-benefit ratio just does not work out," according to Andre Böhling of Greenpeace Germany. "Water as a renewable energy has to be considered in a differentiated way - on a case-by-case basis."

The varying outcomes of large-scale dam projects illustrate Böhling's point.

Old dam, new energy 

Harvesting power from water
has a long tradition

One such project in Honduras called the Esperanza Hydroelectric Facility offers an example of how water can be used ideally and effectively. The facility draws on existing dam structures, occupies a minimal amount of space, and the positive effects of its constant energy production are apparent.

Canadian entrepreneur Ron Turner heads the project which has been nominated for the World Clean Energy Award. The facility is the first project in the world to sell its carbon offsets in accordance with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

But many big dam projects develop into ecological, economic and social disasters, becoming far too intrusive on nature and society.

The Indian Sardar Sarovar Dam and the Three Gorges Dam in China symbolize environmental destruction and disregard for human rights rather than environmental progress.

Dams that result in the flooding of forest areas are especially problematic. Over the course of years, the rotting plants they leave behind release large quantities of methane - a gas that has an even worse impact on the climate than carbon dioxide.

Despite their questionable record, large-scale dams continue to be built in India, China and South America.

Discussions at an end 

Brazil's Itaipu Dam is the world's
 second-largest hydroelectric power
producer

In much of the West, such projects are no longer conceivable.

"The discussion about big new projects in Germany is over," said Harald Uphoff of Germany's National Association of Hydroelectric Plants.

The growth opportunities that remain will likely come by way of new methods and technology. Experts are currently testing special buoys that can be hung in rivers with little ecological impact.

Another priority is modernizing the often more than 50-year-old plants in order to generate more electricity, and the project in Honduras offered one example of how that can work.

Potential for Germany?

Accounting for 3.5 percent of Germany's electricity output, hydroelectric power is the country's second biggest form of renewable energy after wind. But the economic and ecological sense of creating more water power facilities is a divisive issue.

"In the long term, people should not expect significant increases in water power production," said Andre Böhling.

Others disagree, like Uphoff, who argues that "such attitudes lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy." 

The Heimbach power plant in Germany
has generated electricity since 1904

Representatives from the hydroelectric power industry argue that water could provide at least a third more electricity in Germany. Their hopes lie largely with miniature plants - small, decentralized facilities with outputs up to five megawatts. They currently are responsible for 20 percent of Germany's hydropower.

"Such facilities are often enough to provide energy for small communities," Uphoff said.

15,000 unused sites

The federal government sponsored a 2008 study of German rivers and streams discovering 15,000 embankments and barrages not yet used for generating power. Industry representatives would like to see hydro facilities account for as much energy production as nuclear power plants, but environmental objections stand in their way.

German legislators passed a 2009 bill with incentives to produce electricity in environmentally-friendly ways. Those who equip their small-scale hydro facilities with ecologically-sound measures, like fish ladders, will receive more money for each watt they contribute to the power supply.

Author: Oliver Samson / gsw

Editor: Gregg Benzow

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Climate science attack machine took donations from Microsoft and GM

Much of Heartland Institute's work funded by one anonymous donor, but some corporations also gave cash, documents show 

guardian.co.uk,Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington and Dominic Rushe in New York, Wednesday 15 February 2012

Microsoft, which says it is committed to acting on climate change,
said the $59,908 donation was to provide free software licences to
non-profits. Photograph: Michael Yang/Rex Features 

A libertarian thinktank devoted to discrediting climate change received funds from corporations such as Microsoft and General Motors that are publicly committed to social responsibility, leaked documents reveal.

The inner workings of the Heartland Institute were laid bare on Tuesday night when an "insider" emailed confidential documents detailing its strategy and fundraising network to DeSmogBlog, which monitors industry efforts to discredit climate science.

Much of Heartland's work to discredit climate change is funded by a single anonymous donor, the papers reveal. However, a 2012 fundraising plan also indicated that Heartland has in the past received funds from a host of major corporations for other projects – including companies that publicly support action on climate change.

Along with tobacco giants Altria and Reynolds America, and drug firms GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Eli Lilley, major corporations have given over $1.1m in the past two years to the institute, and are planning to give another $705,000 this year.

Some of the companies included on Heartland's list of donors were surprising. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has vigorously promoted clean energy in a number of speeches, and his charitable foundation works on helping farmers in the developing world, who will be badly affected by climate change.

But Microsoft donated $59,908 to Heartland to run a telecommunications newsletter in 2011. It is expected, however, to donate only $10,000 this year, the fundraising document shows.

Microsoft said the donation to Heartland was part of a global programme to provide free software licences to non-profits. "As part of that programme, the organisation requested free software licenses, and Microsoft provided them, just like we do for thousands of other eligible non-profits every year," Katie Stainer, a spokeswoman for Microsoft said in a statement.

"Microsoft's position on climate change remains unchanged. Microsoft believes climate change is a serious issue that demands immediate, worldwide attention and we are acting accordingly. We are pursuing strategies and taking actions that are consistent with a strong commitment to reducing our own impact as well as the impact of our products.

"In addition, Microsoft has adopted a broad policy statement on climate change that expresses support for government action to create market-based mechanisms to address climate change."

A spokeswoman for GSK said the $50,000 the company donated in the last two years was for a healthcare initiative. She could not comment on whether GSK would be working with Heartland in the future.

She said: "GSK absolutely does not endorse or support the Heartland Institute's views on the environment and climate change. We have in the past provided a small amount of funding to support the Institute's healthcare newsletter and a meeting."

General Motors Foundation, which is committed to social responsibility, has also made modest donations to Heartland, contributing $15,000 in 2010 and 2011, though for projects other than climate science.

There was no immediate response from the foundation, but GM itself defended its $30,000 donation. Greg Martin, GM's director of policy and Washington communications, said: "We support a variety or organisations that give careful and considerate thought to complex policy issues and Heartland is one of them."

He said GM's cash was not donated for a specific programme.

Diageo, the drinks company which owns Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Baileys, said its funding of Heartland was not under review. It gave $10,000 over the last two years, according to the leaked papers, and was projected to give another $10,000 this year.

A spokeswoman said the money had been given for a project on excise duty and the company did not agree with Heartland's views on climate change.

The leaked documents provide an intriguing view of the inner workings of an organisation that has been at the forefront of undermining climate change, and suggest Heartland is on the cusp of a fundraising blitz.

The plan proposes raising revenues by a staggering 170% this year, to $7.7m. Heartland proposes to do this in part by hiring a direct mail firm that has been prominent in Republican election campaigns. The firm Griswold & Griswold Inc promised to expand Heartland's donor list tenfold from 1,800 to 18,000 within the year.

But the cache raises an equal number of questions – such as the identity of an anonymous donor that has been a mainstay of Heartland. The unnamed donor, who contributed $4.6m in 2008, has since scaled back contributions. Even so, the donor's $979,000 contribution in 2011 accounted for 20% of Heartland's overall budget, the fundraising plan says

According to the fundraising document, Heartland hopes to bump that up to $1.25m in 2012.

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GLOBAL WARMING / CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE (THRU CHANNELING)

7. Let us give you another prime example of duality, the controversial issue you call global warming. Those who believe this is a natural occurrence cite Earth’s ice ages as proof that humankind has no hand in today’s record temperatures, the melting of glaciers and the harsh climate anomalies. They believe that there is no need to change manufacturing operations or turn to alternative energy sources because doing so would be cost-prohibitive. Then there are those who believe that science proves climate change is manmade. They point to industrial pollution and the use of biofuels as the cause, and they maintain that unless action is taken to end those practices, the cost will be total destruction of the environment. With the two sides at loggerheads, no large scale efforts are underway to change business as usual.

8. The truth is, both sides have validity even though neither knows that Earth herself is in the process of restoring the moderate climate of Eden times, when her body was pristine and healthy. And pollution, a product of humanity, must stop because it is harming the planet and all of its life forms. Eventually the two sides of the global warming issue will realize that protecting and repairing the environment is essential, and formerly extreme views will be reconciled into effective methods to remedy the present critical state. Read more ..... (Q&A - November 2010 (Matthew Channeling))

Experts Said it Wouldn’t Work, But Rescue Dog and Dying 4-yr-old Proved Them Wrong

The 2012 Scenario, BZ Riger, February 11, 2012

Michelle Leifer, Vetstreet.com Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Experts Said it Wouldn’t Work, But Rescue Dog and Dying 4-yr-old Proved Them Wrong 

As nearly anyone who has adopted a pet from a shelter can attest, there’s something special about a rescued animal; it’s as if they can sense they’ve been given a second chance at life. That’s certainly the case with Juno, a Belgian Malinois who was adopted just days before she was to be euthanized. But since coming to live with her family in Alcoa, Tenn., she now has taken on the role of rescuer to a dying boy whom experts believed was not suited for any service dog.

Four-year-old Lucas Hembree suffers from Sanfilippo syndrome, an inherited, metabolic disease that causes children to lose the ability to speak, walk and eat. The disease also causes severe neurological damage that leads to aggressive behavior, hyperactivity and seizures.

With no cure or treatment currently available, Lucas isn’t expected to live past the age of 15 and may be in a vegetative state by the time he is eight. Realizing that every moment is extra precious, Chester and his wife, Jennifer, wanted their son to experience as much as he could while still having the capacity to enjoy life.

A Faith-filled Shelter Visit

When the disease started to take a toll on Lucas’ joints, Chester looked into getting a service dog to keep Lucas steady when he walked.

“I was told that a service dog would cost at least $15,000, and that Lucas wasn’t a good candidate because of his deteriorating abilities and his behavior,” Chester says. “I refused to accept this answer.”

A combination of prayer and persistence led Chester to Juno. “I came across a posting about her on a rescue group’s website,” he says. “I had the feeling in my gut that I had to go see this dog.”

The whole family made the two-hour trip to meet Juno, who was being held at an east Tennessee shelter. “She was emaciated, and was days away from being euthanized,” Chester says. “She had been surrendered to the shelter because her previous owners didn’t understand the breed.”

Fortunately, Chester did. He’d gotten to know and love the Belgian Malinois while working as a law enforcement officer years earlier.

“I used to help with the training of police K-9s, and our dogs were Belgian Malinoises,” he says. “I loved their desire to work and their ‘never quit’ attitude.”  In addition to being a popular choice for police dogs, the breed is often used in combat. In fact, it’s believed that the dog which helped Navy SEALs take down Osama bin Laden was a Belgian Malinois.

Juno Proved a Winner

But while the breed has proven its prowess on patrol and in combat, Chester needed to be sure Juno would be a suitable service dog for his little boy. “I put her on a loose leash and she walked with me and never pulled,” Chester says. “Next came the Lucas test. They took to each other immediately, like kindred spirits.”

The Hembrees brought Juno home and showered her with love and affection.

“I wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to adjust to the family before I started the formal training,” Chester says. Yet, from the beginning there seemed to be something instinctive about their relationship. One day, Chester noticed Juno circling Lucas while he was in his wheelchair. “She was whining and nudging him with her nose,” Chester says. “I checked his oxygen levels and they were very low.” After giving him oxygen, Lucas returned to normal and Juno greeted him with licks and affection.

“That’s when I knew she had the ability to pick up on his neurological changes,” Chester says. “Now she alerts us when Lucas is about to have a seizure or if his oxygen levels drop really low. She has saved him several times.”

Juno has become a literal shoulder for Lucas to lean on when walking, and a calming influence when he became agitated. And while Chester makes sure that Juno gets time off, he says that it’s hard to get Juno to leave Lucas’ side. “You don’t see one without the other close by,” he says. “It really feels like it was meant to be.”

To learn more about Lucas you can go to the Facebook page his dad writes about Lucas.

Vetstreet.com is a pet website written by top veterinarians, pet health experts and professional journalists dedicated to giving you the most accurate information possible, so you can keep your dogs and cats healthy. The key is a well-informed owner and an expert veterinary care team.

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