Mediterranean (TGW) – The level of the Mediterranean Sea is rising rapidly, according to a new report from the Spanish Oceanographic Institute.
The study showed levels have been rising since the 1970s and have been rising increasingly faster since the 1990s.
The study, entitled Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean, said the sea had risen "between 2.5mm and 10mm (0.1 and 0.4in) per year since the 1990s".
The study, entitled Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean, said the sea had risen "between 2.5mm and 10mm (0.1 and 0.4in) per year since the 1990s".
Closing price: $90.57 per barrel (steady) National gas average: $3.00 (steady)
Expect prices to rise until an economic stimulus package is revealed. Causes: 1. Weak dollar A lower dollar makes oil cheaper in countries that use other currencies. 2. Recession worries in the U.S.
Effects: Positive feedback: higher gas and oil prices could hurt the economy more.
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.”
Norway (TGW) – Norway wants to go carbon neutral by 2030, it said today.
2030 is 20 years earlier than its previous target, 2050.
The Scandinavian nation plans to cut emissions by reducing its impact at home and investing in carbon credits abroad, including plans to spend $553.1 million a year to combat deforestation in developing countries.
"The parties now think it is realistic to assume reductions in Norwegian climate gas emissions of 15-17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents by 2020 when forests are included," the government said in a statement.
To achieve the target, the country will also have to cut its emissions by two-thirds domestically.
Some environmental groups expressed skepticism, and even the Oil and Energy Minister Aaslaug Haga acknowledged: "We don't know how we will achieve the goals yet, and that is challenging."
The country has a vague plan of increased taxes on fossil fuels and increased investments in cleaner technology.
Idaho (TGW) – Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory are developing a novel way to collect energy from the sun with a technology that could potentially cost pennies a yard, be imprinted on flexible materials and still draw energy after the sun has set.
The new process uses a special manufacturing process to stamp microscopic square spirals or “nanoantennas” of conducting metal onto a sheet of plastic. These nanoantennas convert 80% of available energy, the team estimates, compared to current rates of about 20.
Though this concept is not entirely new, the team has perfected multiple aspects. For example, the nanoantennas are made cheap in the team’s process, greatly reducing costs.
The most promising potential of these antennas is that they could be used to collect power both day and night; power would be collected from the sun during the day and from the earth’s heat at night.
However, there are still some problems to be worked out.
A crucial part of this process has not yet been developed: transmitting or storing the energy collected.
"At this point, these antennas are good at capturing energy, but they're not very good at converting it," says INL engineer Dale Kotter, "but we have very promising exploratory research under way."
Spain (TGW) – Madrid will build a huge structure called an “Air Tree” or “Eco Boulevard de Vallecas”, Spain announced recently.
The Tree was created by Urban Ecosystem to be a social center and to improve the surrounding environment.
The tree produces its own energy using its many solar panels, and excess energy is sold to local power companies. The tree also produces oxygen – hence its name.
Also, the building is efficient; the materials are lightweight, recyclable, and made from recycled materials.
In more practical terms, the building is a social center where temperatures are 8-10 degrees Celsius cooler.
San Francisco (TGW) – Last year Steve Jobs promised a greener Apple.
This year we’re seeing some results.
Today Apple unveiled the MacBook Air, ‘the world’s thinnest laptop.’ Not only is it thin, it is green. Other than the laptops non-user-replaceable battery, the laptop has many green qualities: • it has a fully recyclable aluminum case • it’s Apple’s first display that is mercury-free, with arsenic-free glass • the circuit boards are BFR-free and PVC-free • and it has 50 percent less packaging than the MacBook
Part 1 in a series on extremist environmentalist groups
(Special Report) - “Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense.”
Basic Ideas The basic concept behind VHEMT is the belief that the Earth would be better off without humans, and as such, humans should refuse to breed. However, this does not mean humans should be forced to not breed. The group was founded by Les U. Knight, whose stated life work is “to phase out the human race by non-coercive means.”
Goal The goal of VHEMT is eventual human extinction, although they understand that is unlikely to happen.
Action Action is voluntary. So far, not much success, other than media attention.
Supporters VHEMT recognizes two levels of support: “Volunteers” think all of us should voluntarily refrain from reproducing further, bringing about the eventual extinction of Homo sapiens. “Supporters” think intentional creation of one more of us by any of us is unjustifiable at this time, but extinction of our species goes too far.
Northeast (TGW) - A study of weather station data from across the Northeast from 1965 through 2005 found December-March temperatures increased by 2.5 degrees and average snowfall totals dropped 8.8 inches over the period.
Also, the number of days with at least 1 inch of snow on the ground decreased by nine days on average.
"Winter is warming greater than any other season," said Elizabeth Burakowski, a researcher.
Burakowski cites two likely causes for the reduction in so-called snow-covered days: higher maximum temperatures and "snow-albedo feedback," in which less snow cover to begin with allows more sunshine warmth to be absorbed by the darker ground, making it less conducive to snow cover.
Though the research has yet appeared in a peer reviewed journal, her observations appear to be in line with meteorologists and skiers thoughts.
"We've seen some erratic winters in recent years," Parker Riehle, president of the trade association Ski Vermont, said. "The mood swings of Mother Nature, perhaps, are deeper than they used to be."
On the highway (TGW) – AFS Trinity Power Corporation revealed its XH-150 hybrid SUV today, which gets 150 miles per gallon, and goes 40 miles on electricity alone, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
Also, the eXtreme Hybrid-150 has rapid acceleration, even in full electric mode, and highway speeds of up to 87 miles per hour in either hybrid or electric mode.
The car isn’t “a small two-seater,” says CEO Edward Furia; it’s a, “medium-size family SUV designed to support a serious supermarket run or a family’s weekend recreational activities.”
The next step for the company is to license its breakthrough technology to carmakers, Furia said. “However,” he continued, “If carmakers decide not to take advantage of this offer, AFS Trinity intends to raise the funds to begin modifying existing hybrids or manufacture its own 150 mpg SUV’s and, eventually, 250 mpg sedans. We believe such production models could be available for sale in three years.”
Trinity’s new technology is expected to increase the cost of SUVs by about $8700. That means if gas prices stay around $2.85, cost savings could “repay the purchase price premium in 3.5 years.”
How it works Typically, hybrids only use electric motors at low speeds or in combination with gasoline for maximum speeds. AFS Trinity, on the other hand, took a purist position. The gasoline engine doesn’t start until the electric battery runs down.
The car also uses ultracapacitors to capture much more energy from when the driver hits the breaks.
The idea behind the AFS Trinity uses a basic rule of thumb: most drivers drive less than 40 miles a day. That allows drivers to charge up their cars at night, and if need be for the car to go long distances, they can use oil.
Wow. I was just checking Google Analytics, and wow. The number of visitors increased 20x overnight. For no apparent reason. Anyone who subscribed to the feed in the past 24 hours want to explain what sent them here, because Analytics makes it look you all just typed in http://thoughtsonglobalwarming.blogspot.com into your address bar because you wanted to. And that doesn't seem right!
Anyway, thanks for subscribing.
I won't be able to post much this weekend, and probably not at all (I've got a wedding to go). But operations will be resumed Monday!
Internet (TGW) – Using switchgrass as the source of biofuels cuts emissions 94% compared with petrol, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Also, switchgrass derived ethanol produces 540% more energy than required to collect it.
The study involved 10 farms, and is described as the largest of its kind. A report last year suggested switchgrass only produces 343% of the energy required to collect it.
"A lot of their information was based on small plot data and also estimates of what would be needed in the agronomic production of biofuels," coauthor Dr Vogel explained. "We had on-farm trials, so we had all the data from the farmers on all the inputs needed to produce the crops,” including nitrogen fertiliser, herbicides, diesel and seed production.
The process to produce ethanol from switchgrass is more complex than producing ethanol from corn, but the product, 2nd generation “cellulosic” ethanol, yields much more energy.
Burning biofuels produces greenhouse gases, but producing the plants absorbs a comparable amount. However, other factors make the fuel rarely carbon neutral. Switchgrass may be an exception.
"Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of ethanol from switchgrass, using only the displacement method, showed 88% less GHG emissions than conventional ethanol," the researchers wrote.
Many scientists, environmentalists, and politicians have expressed concern over 1st generation biofuels.
China and Australia (TGW) – Both China and Australia have announced bans on plastic bags this week, in some form or another.
China has banned ultra thin plastic bags and all free plastic bags starting in June, while Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said the government there wants to phase out free plastic bags by the end of 2008.
"There are some 4 billion of these plastic bags floating around the place, getting into landfills, ending up affecting our wildlife, and showing up on our beaches while we are on holidays," Garret said.
"Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling," the Chinese government said.
Chinese people use up to 3 billion plastic bags a day and the country has to refine 37 million barrels every year to make the bags.
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