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2008
Posted on December 22, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese
- Sails power boats by wind, but Japan has launched the first solar-powered cargo ship. It can carry 6,400 cars and is outfitted with 328 solar panels, costing $1.68 million dollars. This power system with generate 40 kilowatts and covers 0.2% of the boats energy needs; the AFP reports.
- Speaking of chilly temps, the United States wants to protect 7 species of penguins. The list includes 6 varieties classified as threatened and the African penguin that is an endangered species. But the penguins also live beyond the U.S., so protection could be limited; from MSNBC.
Posted on December 9, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese
- Experts worry that converting food crops into fuel crops will inflate world food prices. So now biologists recommend converting saltwater plants into worry-free biomass. This would also open up large expanses of land not previously suitable for agriculture; Wired Science reports.
- The term “clean coal” is all the rage. But an environmental group, backed by Al Gore, is launching a campaign against clean coal, claiming there is no such thing as clean coal and no coal-burning plant in the U.S. captures its global warming pollution; The Washington Post investigates.
Posted on December 3, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese
- Wind power might change the weather. Using a computer model, scientists determined a mega wind-farm from Texas to central Canada and the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains, on the average, lowered wind speeds by 2-3 meters per second; Discovery News investigates.
- Our energy demands show no signs of slowing down. Leading researchers to believe that even if we switch to clean power, all the heat generated from our energy needs might still cause the planet to warm up, despite the reduction in greenhouse gases; NewScientist reports.
- Rainforests soak up carbon emissions. But they’re being chopped down in order to grow biofuels. Here’s the problem, a new study has determined the benefit of using this land for biofuel wouldn’t show up for 75 years. Meaning forest conservation is more eco-friendly; TreeHugger explains.
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