Global Warming

Energy Island: unlocking the potential of the ocean as a renewable power source

By Kyle Sherer

15:23 January 28, 2008 PST

January 29, 2008 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the temperature difference between surface and deep-sea water to generate electricity – and though it has an efficiency of just 1-3% - researchers believe an OTEC power plant could deliver up to 250MW of clean power, equivalent to one eighth of a large nuclear power plant, or one quarter of an average fossil fuel power plant. Architect and engineer Dominic Michaelis and his son Alex, along with Trevor Cooper-Chadwick of Southampton University are developing the concept with plans of putting the theory to the test on an unprecedented scale by building a floating, hexagonal Energy Island that will harness energy from OTEC, as well as from winds, sea currents, waves, and the sun. Read More

Flexible modules could transform windows and buildings into solar panels

By Emily Clark

18:05 October 10, 2007 PDT

October 11, 2007 Traditionally, solar panels for buildings have predominantly been stand alone systems mounted to roofs in order to capture sunlight. The growing focus on "green" energy and a move away from reliance on fossil fuels is driving smarter and more integrated methods of procuring alternative energy sources such as solar, and in line with this, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has invested $4.7 million to develop technology that would allow windows and other building applications to be converted into solar panels. Read More

California winery to convert to 100% solar power

By Darren Quick

21:50 September 17, 2007 PDT

September 18, 2007 The EOS Estate Winery has announced a $3.8 million plan to convert its California Central Coast winery entirely to solar power. To be completed by April, the project will include the installation of more than two acres of ground-mounted tracking solar arrays that will provide all the electrical power needs for the winery and tasting room, while additional roof-mounted solar arrays will provide all the hot water needs. The system will be installed by SunTechnics and will contain 3,084 photovoltaic modules totalling 540 kWp and 60 solar hot water collectors. Read More

Sustainable House Day 2007

By Emily Clark

19:51 August 21, 2007 PDT

August 22, 2007 Australia will again be celebrating sustainable housing at this year's Sustainable House Day to be held on Sunday 9 September 2007. The event, organized by the Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society, is a national open house day for sustainably designed houses and will take place only in Australia this year. Read More

Solar reflective film boosts home heating efficiency

By Noel McKeegan

05:57 August 13, 2007 PDT

August 13, 2007 A rural family home built recently in Massachusetts has used, among other eco-friendly technologies and systems, insulating glass units that will significantly cut the amount of energy used in the home. The Heat Mirror insulating glass unit from Southwall Technologies is a solar reflective film applied to a window’s interior that prevents the loss of radiant heat through the window at least three times more efficiently than double-pane glass. Read More

World's first exclusively solar powered computer mouse

By Noel McKeegan

23:25 August 8, 2007 PDT

August 9, 2007 Anyone who has used a wireless mouse will know that although they don't use much power, it's enough to drain a battery quite regularly and it always decides to run out of power at the most inopportune times. Now comes news of the world's first exclusively photovoltaic-powered computer mouse currently undergoing trials in the Netherlands. Read More

SolCool’s solar powered air con: fight global warming while keeping cool

By Kyle Sherer

17:12 August 4, 2007 PDT

August 5, 2007 Any renewable energy product that can compete with traditional systems is worth applauding and SolCool’s solar powered, Millennia 4.0 HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) air conditioner falls squarely into this category. The two-ton air conditioning system uses 75 percent less energy compared with equivalent high efficiency conventional systems according to the manufacturers and with a 6 to 18 hour battery bank capability, the Millennia can run 24/7 whilst relying very little on renewable energy to deliver near zero emission climate control. Read More

High-tech sails to benefit commercial shipping

By Noel McKeegan

July 5, 2007 UPDATED IMAGES For four hundred years majestic tall ships ruled the world’s oceans carrying cargo and migrants to far corners of the globe, but the advent of steam power in the late 19th century brought the golden age of sail to an end and rendered wind-powered vessels obsolete – but did it? Recent projects in both Europe and the U.S are seeking to breathe new life into this “old technology” and once again give sail-power a viable role in commercial shipping. The new era of sail-power wont see the return of square rigged barques or clipper ships, but rather the introduction of high-tech kite sails that generate greater propulsion power than conventional sails. These can be used to supplement the propulsion systems of all kinds of cargo vessels and in the process generate economic benefit, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and deliver emission reductions in a sector that has become one of the world’s biggest polluters. Read More

The high-rise future of food production

By Noel McKeegan

June 26, 2007 Would you have ever thought it conceivable to grow vast amounts of produce in the heart of densely populated cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo or New Delhi? A new model for agriculture is proposing just that. Vertical farming is the latest concept to address the impending crisis in world food production and follows the same methodology that town planners have used for years to cope with growing populations and space limitations; build up, not out. Aiming to bring food production to the places where most of the consumption occurs, the concept envisages specially designed skyscrapers that contain multiple levels of viable farmland providing all-year-round food production in a controlled, parasite-free environment. Read More

New LEDs offer simple replacement of fluorescent tubes

By Noel McKeegan

June 22, 2007 With over half a billion fluorescent light globes disposed of each year in the U.S. alone, there is no doubting the significance of a product that allows existing fluorescent fixtures to be converted to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) by simply changing the bulb. The world's first true replacement of glass fluorescent lighting tubes, the EverLED TR from LEDdynamics utilizes the existing fluorescent ballast, while achieving the equivalent light output of the tube it replaces. Read More

Greenhouse solution: sucking the CO2 straight out of the atmosphere

By Loz Blain

May 29, 2007 Since industry is constantly proving it's unwilling to address Global Warming from an emissions standpoint, creative science is looking at attacking atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from the other side - sucking the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere. Researchers have just successfully demonstrated air extraction technology that could be employed to reduce global carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere back to the levels that Climate Change scientists say we need to aim for to prevent global catastrophe. Read More

Greenpeace rebuilding Noah's Ark as a warning on climate change

By Loz Blain

May 28, 2007 While politics and public opinion remain divided on global warming, the majority of scientific weight tells us that the major factor contributing to rising global temperatures is our own environmental carelessness. This is certainly Greenpeace's view; the well-known environmental lobby group has started construction of a replica of Noah's Ark on the top of Mt. Ararat as a warning of the bleak future the planet could be facing if strong action isn't taken. Read More

The sharpest ever satellite map of Earth

By Loz Blain

May 18, 2007 The European Space Agency's GlobCover project has unveiled the most detailed portraits ever of the Earth's land surface. Using around 40 Terabytes of images captured from the ESA's Envisat, the maps, ten times sharper than anything produced previously, the GlobCover maps will have numerous uses, including plotting worldwide land use trends, studying natural and managed ecosystems and modelling climate change extent and impacts. Read More

Climate catastrophes in the Solar System

By Mike Hanlon

April 27, 2007 Earth sits between two worlds that have been devastated by climate catastrophes. In the effort to combat global warming, our neighbours can provide valuable insights into the way climate catastrophes affect planets. From what scientists know now, it is possible that Venus and Mars started out a lot like Earth. At some point in time, each planet followed a path that changed its climate. The transition was from Earth-like to either a cloudy inferno (Venus) or a frigid desert (Mars). Data from Venus Express and Mars express is now helping scientists determine if, when and why each planet passed the point of no-return. Read More

The US$25 Million Virgin Earth Challenge

By Mike Hanlon

February 13, 2007 Sir Richard Branson’s US$25 Million Virgin Earth Challenge focuses on the biggest single problem faced by humanity today - global warming. It steps across the national boundaries which have prevented anyone a full appreciation of the damage we have done to the environment and the gravity of the consequences of messing with the planet’s ecosystem. There may not be a single effective solution to this problem but if there is, the Virgin Earth Challenge is the best chance we can see of finding it. Given that these is no effective common approach on the horizon to a potential extinction event, we applaud the initiative wholeheartedly. The Virgin Earth Challenge will award US$25 million to the individual or group who are able to demonstrate a commercially viable design which will result in the net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases each year for at least ten years without countervailing harmful effects. This removal must have long term effects and contribute materially to the stability of the Earth’s climate. Read More

How far below sea level will your home be if …

By Mike Hanlon

September 26, 2006 Last week we reported on the rapid and dramatic melting of the arctic icecap, and joked that the upside was perhaps that the property you bought with ocean views might soon become beachfront. Now some people might think it’s a good thing to plan for rising sea levels given that people have long been predicting that global warming will result in thermal expansion of the ocean and melting glaciers and ice sheets. In 1995 a report from the International Panel on Climate Change estimated that the sea will rise 50 centimeters (20 inches) with lowest range at 15 centimeters (6 inches) and high range at 95 centimeters (37 inches) by 2100, and NASA's take is supported with lots of evidence the warming is accelerating (temperature trends, sea level trends ) might come at us in a rush. If you go here, you can dial in the rise in water levels and see which properties will be waterfront if that occurs. Read More