Monthly Archives: April 2013

The Key to Running the World on Solar and Wind Power

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of solar and wind power is their intermittency. In locations like Hawaii, where I live, wind and solar power are already competitive on price. My fossil-fuel supplied electricity typically costs above 40 cents a kilowatt-hour, and wind and solar power can compete with that. But since […] Read the original post […]

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Conservative shoppers turned off by eco bulbs

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Guardian: Eco-friendly labels on energy-saving bulbs are a turn-off for conservative shoppers, a new study has found. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that it could be counterproductive to advertise the environmental benefits of efficient bulbs in the US. This could make […] Read the original […]

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Climate change causes prostitution? Rep. Barbara Lee explains

By | Published: April 30, 2013

LA Times: Climate change is causing glaciers to melt, heat waves to become more intense, species to become extinct and low-lying island nations like Tuvalu to disappear altogether. To this list of calamities, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has added another: Climate change could force more women to become prostitutes. That warning […] Read the original […]

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USGS: 7.4B barrels of oil possible in ND, Mont

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Associated Press: Government data released Tuesday show that 7.4 billion barrels of oil could be recovered from two massive shale formations spanning parts of the Dakotas and Montana, nearly double the amount previously estimated for the region. The new number from the U.S. Geological Survey is based on data largely from […] Read the original […]

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United Kingdom: Met department explains ‘unusual’ rains in Zimbabwe

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Herald: The heavy rains and violent storms last week have confounded meteorological experts who have described them as abnormal. Meteorological Services Department senior meteorologist Mr Elisha Moyo said on Friday that it was unusual that the rains and the storms come at the end of April as they usually occur in […] Read the original […]

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400 ppm atmospheric CO2 levels soon to be surpassed, scientists report

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Huffington Post: Scientists monitoring global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations report that, for the first time in human history, CO2 levels could soon rise above 400 parts per million for a sustained period of time in much of the Northern Hemisphere. Hourly readings have surpassed 400 ppm in the past week, but […] Read the original […]

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China leads in climate change’s ‘critical decade’

By | Published: April 30, 2013

New Scientist: China is fast becoming a world leader in the fight against climate change. In the past year, it has halved the growth in electricity demand, continued to increase its wind and solar energy production, and is in the process of developing emissions trading schemes to cover a quarter of […] Read the original […]

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Verizon to invest $100 million in solar, fuel cell technology

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Reuters: Verizon said on Tuesday it plans to invest $100 million in solar power and fuel cells at 19 facilities in seven U.S. states to cut its carbon footprint and make its operations more resilient to storms and other disasters. The energy project should be complete by next year, with installations […] Read the original […]

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US doubles oil reserve estimates at Bakken, Three Forks shale

By | Published: April 30, 2013

Reuters: An oil-rich region of the north-central United States holds more than twice the recoverable crude supplies estimated just five years ago, according to a government study that highlights the nation’s march toward energy self-sufficiency. The Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation, which spans parts of Montana, North Dakota and South […] Read the original […]

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United Kingdom: Burning for grouse alters upland stream ecology

By | Published: April 30, 2013

PlanetEarth: Burning patches of peatland to encourage grouse alters the UK’s upland stream ecosystems, scientists say. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, says an influx of material from burnt peatlands affects water quality in some upland streams which, in turn, affects their biodiversity. ‘In streams where burning has taken […] Read the […]

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