A Zeppelin’s-Eye View on Climate Change in the Bay

By using a tourist, sight-seeing Zeppelin airship to study halophilic, extremophile organisms in the San Francisco bay salt ponds, scientists are looking for clues that could indicate the consequences of climate change through modeling ecosystem change.

The SETI Institute and NASA have teamed up with Airship Ventures, Inc. to use the only Zeppelin in the United States to track how reverting a hypersaline ecosystem (salt pond) back to its original state as a wetland can be used to develop a dynamic predictive model of microbial ecosystem change.
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Tags: climate change, ecosystem, organisms, salt ponds, san francisco, seti, zeppelin

Eilat Conference to Introduce Model for Overcoming World Energy Crisis

The Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference (www.eilatenergy.com), announced today that at its upcoming conference in February, it will unveil a model for overcoming the world’s energy crisis that it expects will be adopted by governments and regions around the world. The conference will be held in Eilat , Israel from February 16-18.

The Conference is an international forum encouraging discussion and debate of policies, technology, business and investment practices to lead to cost effective, doable solutions. Conference participants include leading researchers in alternative energy, government officials and policy-makers, internationally-recognized alternative energy companies and world-renowned speakers from business and academia. Over 1,000 attendees and dozens of journalists are expected to be in attendance. Some of the topics to be explored at the conference include: Renewable development in Israel , solar power, policies and regulations, and renewable energy technology. The conference is organized in partnership between the Eilat Eilot Renewable Energy Authority and the Technologies Company.
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Tags: conference, eliat, Energy, energy crisis, hydro, israel, renewable energy, solar, wind

Scientists Say New Observations in the Arctic Make Higher Sea-level Rise a More Urgent Concern for Miami

One of the world’s leading experts on the ice melting in the Arctic came to Miami today to tell what he’s seen, and to demonstrate the implications for the region. He brought with him the most detailed maps and video animations yet of exactly what could go underwater this century in this area.

According to Dr. Gordon Hamilton, a research professor at The University of Maine, the old estimates for rising seas due to global warming were overly optimistic. Fresh data from the poles now indicates between three and four feet or more of rise by the year 2100 or sooner, which will have much more of an impact on Miami and the nation, he said. The scientists also provided a graphic demonstration of how high the water could get in just a few decades.
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Tags: artic, climate change, greenland ice sheet, melting, miami, rising sea levels, sea level

Clean Diesel Program Protects Health and the Environment

The U.S. EPA today released a report to Congress detailing the health, environmental and economic benefits of the agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Program. The program, funded at $50 million last year, allowed EPA to fund the purchase or retrofitting of 14,000 diesel-powered vehicles and pieces of equipment, preventing respiratory illnesses and saving money in communities nationwide.
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Tags: clean diesel, emissions, environment, epa, healt, nitrogen oxide, smartway

Africa’s Demand on Nature Approaching Critical Limits

If current population and consumption trends continue, Africa’s Ecological Footprint (a measure of its demand on nature) will exceed its biocapacity within the next twenty years, according to a publication to be released by Global Footprint Network on Tuesday, October 20. A number of countries, including Senegal, Kenya and Tanzania, are set to reach that threshold in less than five years.

The Africa Factbook 2009 reveals that while Africa’s population grew from 287 million to 902 million people between 1961 and 2005, the amount of biocapacity (resources that are available on a renewable basis) per person decreased by 67 percent during this same time span. Though this is reflective of a global trend, it is particularly alarming for Africa, a region where ecological deficits can translate most directly into resource conflicts and shortages of food, fuel and other basic necessities for survival.
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Tags: africa, ecological, food, footprint, fuel, global footprint, population, shortages, sustainable, water

Models Take It Off For Climate Change

The title says it all, Models Rachel Alexander, Dorothea Barth-Jorgensen, Shannan Click, Olya Ivanisevic, Alla Kostromicheva, Heidi Mount, Crystal Renn, Cameron Russell, Rianne Ten, Haken Nicole, Trunfio Hanne & Gaby Odiele reveal almost all in a video (after the break) to highlight the organisation 350.
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Tags: 350, Alla Kostromicheva, Cameron Russell, climate change, clothes, Crystal Renn, Dorothea Barth-Jorgensen, Gaby Odiele, Haken Nicole, Heidi Mount, Models Take It Off For Climate Change, obama, Olya Ivanisevic, Rachel Alexander, Rianne Ten, Shannan Click, strip, Trunfio Hanne, world action day

Home-Grown Electric Vehicle mycar Makes its First Journey in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and EuAuto Technology Limited (EuAuto) today jointly announced the official launch of their home-grown electric vehicle mycar in Hong Kong. The launching ceremony was held at PolyU campus with Mr John Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, Prof. Timothy W. Tong, President of PolyU, and Mr Peter Sun, Chairman of EuAuto Technology Limited as the officiating guests.

With its body designed by internationally renowned Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, mycar has obtained the World Manufacturer Identification (WMI) Code earlier this year and it went on sales in many European countries including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria and Denmark.

It is the first Hong Kong-developed vehicle which fully complied with European standards, and also the first home-grown vehicle to hit the international market.
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Tags: electric car, euauto, hong kong, lithium battery, mycar, polyu, vehicle

Rubbish-Powered Bus Reaches Asia

Adventurer Andy Pag (34 London) reached Asia last night, after leaving London in a recycled scrap yard bus powered only by chip fat. The veteran overland traveller is attempting to travel around the world using only rubbish to fuel his journey.

On Friday he crossed from the European side of the Istanbul Straits to the Asian side. “Crossing the Bosphorus is a real milestone. I’m actually quite relieved to have made it this far, but it’s only going to get tougher to find used cooking oil to fuel the bus from here on.” said Pag last night.
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Tags: andy pag, bus, chip fat, powered, recycled scrap yard bus, rubbish

Citrica Takes a Swipe at Swine Flu with Selgiene Ultra

Citrica, the first commercial cleaning company to gain the Carbon Trust Standard and to be recognised as Carbon Clear has extended its green range of consumable with the introduction of the Swine Flu and MRSA cleaning product Selgiene Ultra. Citrica is continuing the company’s audit of its recommended consumables and this new product provides its customers with many benefits. Selgiene Ultra offers the capabilities to sanitise and destroy harmful bacteria including H1N1 Influenza virus, Clostridium difficile, MRSA and more common food poisoning germs, such as Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
The bleach-free, non-hazardous and non-toxic formula means it is safe to use on all common water washable surfaces. This allows it to be used to sanitise frequently touched items such as door handles, tables and banisters, as well as providing very high hygiene levels on damp mopping floors.
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Tags: carbon clear, citrica, cleaning, green apple environment, mrsa, products, swine flu

Supermodel Lily Cole launches Sky rainforest rescue

Sky today launched a three-year campaign with WWF to help save one billion trees in the Amazon.

The campaign, Sky Rainforest Rescue, aims to protect rainforest covering over three million hectares in the state of Acre, Brazil to help combat climate change and preserve the unique habitat and species of the Amazon.

The world’s rainforests are a crucial resource needed to avoid dangerous climate change. But today in the Amazon alone an area the size of three football pitches is destroyed every minute. If current rates of deforestation continue, over half of all our rainforests will disappear by 2030.
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Tags: amazon, gas, greenhouse, lily cole, rainforest, sky, sky television, species, sports, trees, tv, world wildlife fund, wwf