Converting Ocean Waves, Tides and Currents to Electricity
“Today in San Francisco, we’re not just talking about ocean power, we are advancing its actual implementation. We have submitted an application to the federal government to develop an underwater wave project off San Francisco’s Ocean Beach that could generate between 30MW and 100MW of power. And we are actively working to develop a tidal power demonstration project in the San Francisco Bay that demonstrates the promise of technologies that capture tides.” – San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom
Soot From Third-World Stoves and Climate Change
“Black grime coats the undersides of thatched roofs. At dawn, a brown cloud stretches over the landscape like a diaphanous dirty blanket.”
Soot from tens of thousands of villages in developing countries is emerging as a major and previously unappreciated source of global climate change, reports the NY Times.
“Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers in the atmosphere for years, soot stays there for a few weeks. Converting to low-soot cookstoves would remove the warming effects of black carbon quickly, while shutting a coal plant takes years to substantially reduce global CO2 concentrations.”
“The invention was inspired by the 240-year-old “hot box,” a heat catcher by Swiss inventor Horace de Sausseur, and it could solve problems plaguing rural areas of developing countries.”
The “The Kyoto Box,” winner of the $75,000 FT Climate Change Challenge, captures enough heat from the sun to boil water and bake, albeit slowly.
1,500 Farmers Commit Mass Suicide in India
The Independent reports that more than 1,500 farmers in India committed suicide after falling into debt after their crops failed due to falling water levels in the Chattisgarh region.
Japan’s Antarctic Whale Catch Comes Up Short
“Japan’s controversial whaling fleet returns to port this week with a smaller-than-expected haul, blaming harassment from militant activists in the Antarctic, the fisheries agency said.”
Consumption or Population — Which is the Greater Environmental Threat?
Fred Pearce at enviornment360 makes the case that it’s consumption: “the world’s richest half-billion people are responsible for 50 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.”
$199.5 Million Spent On Energy Ads Since Obama’s Inauguration
“According to an analysis by the Campaign Media Analysis Group, $199.5 million was directed from January 20th to March 31st to television issue ads on energy, the environment, and climate. $54.5 million of the ads were about oil and gas alone,” reports Think Progress.
“When we walk we take our place in nature. We untie our minds and improve thought. We restore our humanity. So, walk. After all, it’s what we were designed to do. “
