"Earth Hour" goes global

LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Sydney Opera House to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge went dark as people switched off lights in their homes and skylines dimmed around the world on Saturday to show concern with global warming. More, http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSSP28389220080330?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

Solar Electric Light Fund Tackles Benin's Arid Land

Western Africa's dry season wreaks havoc on the lives of millions of people year after year. The 104,000 people living in Benin's Kalale District are particularly hard hit: 95% of them rely on subsistence farming as their primary means of survival. For most, farming is limited to the rainy season due the lack of accessible water for irrigation during the dry season. More here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51912

100 Years of Improvement?

Back in 1908, Ford introduced its groundbreaking Model T - the world’s first affordable motorized vehicle and, for all intents and purposes, the basis of America’s love affair with its cars. It also averaged 17 miles per gallon. Read here, http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/miscellaneous/100-years-of-improvement/

Top Five Micro Wind Turbines

They have been around for centuries, but they are quickly becoming the darlings of the eco-friendlies and clean energy nuts. Windmills, or in this case, wind energy generators, come in all shapes and sizes. But, how feasible and cost-effective would it be for you to integrate a small wind system at your home, cabin, or camp? It might actually be easier than you might think. See the list here, http://cleantechnica.com/2008/03/21/the-five-best-micro-wind-turbines/

Combining Preservation and Sustainability in the Big Easy

Rebuilding projects are taking place all over New Orleans with builders, developers, homeowners and residents working together to restore communities and neighborhoods to what they were before Hurricane Katrina struck in August of 2005. One such project, however, is doing more than just rebuilding. In the Holy Cross Neighborhood of the city's Lower Ninth Ward, the Historic Green project is helping a New Orleans neighborhood become the nation's first zero-carbon community. Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51894

Giant ice chunk falls into ocean

WASHINGTON (AP) – A chunk of Antarctic ice about the size of Manhattan suddenly collapsed, putting an even greater portion of glacial ice at risk, scientists said today.

Satellite images show the runaway disintegration of a 414-square-kilometre chunk in western Antarctica, which started Feb. 28. It was the edge of the Wilkins ice shelf and has been there for hundreds, maybe 1,500 years.
This is the result of global warming, said British Antarctic Survey scientist David Vaughan.
Because scientists noticed satellite images within hours, they diverted satellite cameras and even flew an airplane over the ongoing collapse for rare pictures and video.
"It's an event we don't get to see very often," said Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. "The cracks fill with water and slice off and topple... That gets to be a runaway situation."
While icebergs naturally break away from the mainland, collapses like this are unusual but are happening more frequently in recent decades, Vaughan said. The collapse is similar to what happens to hardened glass when it is smashed with a hammer, he said.
The rest of the Wilkins ice shelf, which is about twice the size of Prince Edward Island, is holding on by a narrow beam of thin ice. Scientists worry that it too may collapse. Larger, more dramatic ice collapses occurred in 2002 and 1995.
Vaughan had predicted the Wilkins shelf would collapse about 15 years from now. The part that recently gave way makes up about four per cent of the overall shelf, but it is an important part that can trigger further collapse.
There is still a chance the rest of the ice shelf will survive until next year because this is the end of the Antarctic summer and colder weather is setting in, Vaughan said.
Scientists said they are not concerned about a rise in sea level from the latest event, but say it is a sign of worsening global warming.
Such occurrences are "more indicative of a tipping point or trigger in the climate system," said Sarah Das, a scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
"These are things that are not re-forming," Das said. "So once they're gone, they're gone."
Climate in Antarctica is complicated and more isolated from the rest of the world.
Much of the continent is not warming and some parts are even cooling, Vaughan said. However, the western peninsula, which includes the Wilkins ice shelf, juts out into the ocean and is warming. This is the part of the continent where scientists are most concern about ice-melt triggering sea level rise.

100 MPGe Automotive X Prize Offers $10 Million Purse

Teams from around the world are gearing up for the Automotive X Prize, a competition that will award part of $10 million to the team that builds the cleanest production-ready 100 MPGe (mile per gallon equivalent) vehicle. More here, http://gas2.org/2008/03/24/100-mpge-automotive-x-prize-offers-10-million-purse/

U.S. on the Verge of a Small Hydro Boom?

While the U.S. has seen a slight decline in total energy production from hydro resources over the last two decades, the industry is gearing up to reverse that trend and ride the wave of growth seen throughout the other renewable energy industries. Read more, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51858

Low-cost Solar Thermal Plants at Heart of Algerian-German Research Push

The development of a new generation of large-scale, low-cost solar thermal power plants is the focus of a joint research agreement signed between Algeria and Germany. Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51889

World's Largest Tidal Power Station to be Built in South Korea, will Power 200,000 homes

South Korea (TGW) – British tidal power company Lunar Energy has agreed to build the world’s largest tidal power system in South Korea. Read here, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/03/16/eatidal116.xml

Plug in Hybrids and Electric Cars Could Triple Demand for Water, Study Reports

The road (TGW) – A new study concludes that producing enough energy for plug in hybrids and all electric vehicles could triple demand for water consumption.
Each mile driven with electricity consumes about three times more water (0.32 versus 0.07-0.14 gallons per mile) than with gasoline, the study found. Read the press release here, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310094555.htm

Kite-Driven Beluga Skysail Completes 12,000 Mile Journey and Proves Concept

Thus is the verdict from MV Beluga Skysails captain Lutz Heldt upon completion of the vessel’s 12,000 mile round-trip maiden voyage. The crew and vessel were at sea for nearly two months, giving the "skysail" concept ample opportunity for testing and tweaking. More here, http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/kitedriven-beluga-skysail-comp-002956.php

New Solar Cell can be Printed Out of an Inkjet Printer

Your printer (TGW) - Konarka Technologies has successfully conducted the first ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by highly efficient inkjet printing.
This method of printing solar cells is extremely cheap because it relies on existing inkjet printer technology. Read the press release here, http://www.konarka.com/news_and_events/press_releases/2008/3_march/0304_ink.php

PV You Can Drive On: Promising Technology in Solar Roads

The concept of using road surfaces to generate clean solar power is moving beyond the idea stage. Roads absorb heat from the sun every day and are usually free of sightline obstructions that could otherwise block the transmission of light rays. And if the roads built for cars and driving are partly to blame for global warming, why not make them part of the solution too? Continue here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51755

Study Debunks Supposed Scientist Consensus Over Global Cooling

U.S. (TGW) – A new study conducted by the National Climatic Data Center concludes that the supposed "global cooling" consensus among scientists in the 1970s is a myth.
A bit more here, http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-02-20-global-cooling_N.htm

Nanowire-Embedded Fabrics Generate Electricity from Motion

Nanotechnology researchers are developing the perfect complement to the power tie: a "power shirt" able to generate electricity to power small electronic devices for soldiers in the field, hikers and others whose physical motion could be harnessed and converted to electrical energy. Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51475

New Climate Political Action Committee Launched in New York

New York (TGW) – The New York League of Conservation Voters, the nonpartisan voice for New York’s environmental community, today announced the launch of a new political action committee that will support candidates who pursue comprehensive climate change policies and legislation in New York state. Read here, http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-climate-political-action-committee.html

Or you can sign up here, http://whatisnewyorkwaitingfor.com/

Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle have established the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a long-term partnership designed to accelerate the transformation of Hawaii into one of the world's first economies based primarily on clean energy resources. Read more, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51375

The Great Lakes May Soon be Home to Offshore Wind

The waters of the Great Lakes, near the shores of Canada, may soon be home to offshore wind power. The Province of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources has lifted a deferral on applications to produce offshore wind power in the province's waters. Read more, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51365

Dyed Solar Cells May Offer Unique Installation Opportunities

Designs decorating the huge windows of corporate buildings may soon be able to provide more than just advertising. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have developed a new solar module that uses organic dyes in combination with nanoparticles to produce electricity.
Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51316

Research Project Compares Two Solar Hot Water Systems

Bringing together two types of solar hot water systems, state-of-the-art meteorology technology, donated and surplus military equipment, and a non-traditional collaborative team, D-Acres, a non-profit organic farm and educational homestead in New Hampshire is currently hosting an innovative solar research project. Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51278

Switzerland the Greenest Country in the World

Earth (TGW) – The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranking released today by experts at Yale and Columbia universities lists Switzerland as the greenest country in the world, followed by the Scandinavian bloc (Sweden, Norway, Finland) and then Costa Rica.
Read here, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22802081/

Clever Global Warming Ad

Naga DDB Malaysia painted the poster for this Regional Environmental Awareness straight on the tiles of pool.
"Don’t let this be our future. Save our rainforest, stop global warming."

Chinese Emissions to Overtake Emissions Saved by Kyoto by 2010

China (TGW) – By 2010, the amount of greenhouse gases that have been emitted by China will be larger than the amount of greenhouse gases not emitted because of the Kyoto Protocol. Read here, http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn13447-china-emissions-to-swamp-kyoto-reductions-by-2010.html?feedId=earth_rss20

Los Alamos to Create Energy from CO2 in the Air - Green Freedom

Los Alamos (TGW) – Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a concept known as "Green Freedom", for production of a carbon neutral fuel made from carbon dioxide in the air. Read here, http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com/2008/02/los-alamos-to-create-energy-from-co2-in.html
Or see the Press Release, http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/home.story/story_id/12554

New Record for Solar-to-Grid Conversion Efficiency

U.S. (TGW) - Sandia National Laboratories and Stirling Energy Systems (SES) set a new solar-to-grid system conversion efficiency record by besting the 1984 record of 29.4% and achieving 31.25 percent net efficiency rate. Read the rest of the story here, http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-record-for-solar-to-grid-conversion.html
Or check out their press release, http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2008/solargrid.html

Going Off Grid with Chris Anderson and Borrego Solar

When Chris Anderson, COO of Borrego Solar, moved across the country in 2007 to open Borrego Solar East, he needed a place to live and he chose Peterborough, NH. Anderson decided to build his own, entirely off-grid, home. Read more here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51518

Foldable Electric Car Could Help Solve Congestion, Pollution

Boston (TGW) – Researchers at MIT are working on a prototype of a lightweight, stackable, foldable, electric car. Read here, http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com/2008/03/foldable-electric-car-could-help-solve.html

How to Not to Lose that Wind Power Feelin’

This is exciting stuff: Xcel Energy is going to test 80-ton batteries the size of two semi-trailers to capture the power generated from its wind turbines. Read here, http://sustainablog.org/2008/03/05/how-to-not-to-lose-that-wind-power-feelin/

Green Britain Gears Up for Climate Change Battle

The goal is ambitious: to install 33 gigawatts (GW) of wind power capacity in the next ten years to supply electricity to 25 million homes.
Read more, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51658

Scaling Up Solar in India

At the moment India has an installed capacity of only about 3 megawatts (MW) of grid-tied solar electricity, but Moser Baer PV (MBPV) has plans to change that.
Read here, http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51685

Motorsports and the Environment

Well, after months of soul searching, I have decided to give up my support of motorsports in favour of the environment.
There are more reasons to end my support of racing than the fuel issue alone.
A lot of other chemicals are used in the construction, maintenance and running the whole team.
Team transportation by truck and planes around country or world depending on the series.
Teams can use 20 sets of tires over a weekend.
Then there are the venues. Miles of pavement. Gas, oil and chemicals leaching into the ground.
Plastic and styrofoam from the concessions and the transportation of the fans.
It all adds up so I've taken the last checkered flag.