Lake Bafa (left) is getting cleaned up, but power-plant construction threatens other parts of Turkey. Photos by Duru… (left) and Bill Ward’s Brickpile (right) via Flickr. Istanbul residents came out loud and strong this month as part of the International Day of Climate Action , but local environmentalists have been seeing advances (and disappointments) on other fron… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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October Eco-Tidbits from Turkey
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–A group of academics on Friday considered the ultimate engineering challenge: building machines to stabilize the earth’s climate. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology convened a symposium here to discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of geoengineering , also called climate engineering. Everything from shooting light-blocking particles into the …
photo: W.B. Karesh Modern technology came in handy for several scientists tracking the marathon migration of pronghorn antelopes. Using GPS collars, the scientists were able to follow the species in what is being called the longest migration of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Pronghorn Antelopes Are the True Marathoners of the American West
Credit: GLERL . Once upon a time, a president named George W. Bush called the Great Lakes ” a national treasure, ” formed a group to come up with a restoration plan, and did nothing. That was in May 2004. The regional group he formed later came up with a $20 billion plan to clean up the lakes . This year, 2009, Part 1 of that regional strategy is about to kick off, to address th… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Great Lakes, great problems, and pretty good restoration plan, finally
In the see saw of that the international climate negotiations is the balance has now shifted towards the developing countries. The developed and developing countries argued vigorously over the one last year and both the parties have moved back and forth several times on their negotiation positions. The United States under the leadership of President Barack Obama pursued a highly aggressive diplomatic effort which resulted in China agreeing to various mitigation measures including improvement in energy intensity. Taking cue from China various other developing countries too announced ambitious mitigation and clean energy initiatives. The United States successfully planted seeds of division in the developing countries’ camp by singling out China for concentrated talks but what happened transpired throughout the developing world after that was completely unexpected. India, in addition to other developing countries announced several short and long term initiatives as an answer to the increasing international pressure to act on the rising carbon emissions. Read more of this story »
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Developing Countries Gain Leverage Over Developed Nations Ahead of Copenhagen Talks
It’s Halloween, the day all the monsters come out of the woodwork – but don’t forget, your house is already full of vampires. Energy-sucking vampire electronics, to be precise. Not only do they pack unnecessary dollars onto your electric bill every month, they also waste tons of energy, forcing those polluting factories to work overtime. It’s time to hunt them down and kill them – with this guide by Delta Carbon Offsets . Here’s what you can do. Make it a family exercise. Have the kids look in every nook and cranny – in each room, in the basement, in the garage, and make a list of every vampire module. Then determine what to do with each of them. Some need to stay plugged in. In certain cases, such as perhaps an alarm clock or clock radio, the appliance needs the power all the time. The power module is supplying the juice to allow the clock to run, or to keep its memory. Some only need to be plugged in when you’re using them. A lot of appliances only draw power from the module when they’re doing their assigned task, like audio components, stereo systems and certain small lamps, etc. These vampires can be contained easily. You can simply unplug them when you’re finished with them, or better yet, plug them into an outlet strip with a power switch, like this one. Read the rest at Delta Carbon Offsets . Happy Halloween! Link [ DeltaCarbon.org ]
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Slay Your Energy Vampires!
Eco Factor: World’s largest cruise ship designed to minimize waste and consume 25% less power. After two and a half years of construction and environmental consideration, the world’s largest cruise ship commissioned by Royal Caribbean International has set sail. Dubbed Oasis of the Seas , the mammoth cruise liner began its maiden voyage to Florida after gliding out from a shipyard in Finland. The 16-deck ship spans 1200 feet and can accommodate 6300 passengers and 2100 crew members. Costing around $1.5 billion, the cruise liner has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts and a youth zone with theme parks. The designers claim that environmental considerations played an important part when planning the vessel. The Ocean of the Seas is also being touted as the most environmentally friendly cruise ship to date, as it doesn’t dump sewage into the sea, reuses wastewater and consumes 25% less power than similar, but smaller, cruise liners. The liner was due to make its U.S. debut on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida and will be officially named on Nov. 30. Via: CBSNews
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Eco Ships: World’s largest cruise ship flaunts green credentials
Eco Factor: Solar-powered lighting system. Designed by Mu-kai Shen, the Solar Table is prototype furniture that uses a solar panel as the tabletop. On exposure to sunlight, the solar panel produces electricity, which is then stored in an onboard battery. The harnessed energy is then used to power a set of lights for nighttime illumination. The bending wood design and the leaf-like pattern are made to mimic a tree. Via: Coroflot
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Eco Gadgets: Solar Table is a sustainable way to illuminate your home
Eco Factor: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado inspired bicycle showcased at Toronto Cycle Show. We’ve regularly reported on the latest ways to do your bit for the environment by riding a bicycle. The creations included everything from folding bicycles to concept designs that you can carry in a backpack. Here is another way you can keep your love for cars buzzing, even when you’re riding a zero-emission bicycle. The Cadillac-shaped bike was built as a one-off creation for the Toronto Cycle show, but has since promoted interest from cyclists and car lovers alike. The car/bike hybrid is based on a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado and carries a steering wheel instead of a handlebar. Via: ETA
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Eco Bikes: Cadillac bicycle gets half the looks of a car and full bicycle functions
Eco Factor: Building designed to grow food hydroponically on frame structures. Many architects and researchers believe that with the land available for farming decreasing continuously, the future of farming rests in skyscrapers that are designed specifically for growing food. Designers at VEIL believe that growing food indoors using conventional technology won’t be feasible. VEIL (Victorian Eco Innovation Lab) has come up with an improved design for a vertical farm that grows food hydroponically on frame structures. The building consists of large floor plates which are two stories high. With few internal floor-to-wall structures, the internal floors are kept open to allow maximum daylight and air to filter through, which will reduce the building’s dependence on artificial lighting and temperature regulation. The vertical farm will primarily make use of stairs and the use of elevator will be confined to just one tower. The design also includes an office station, research center, café and a bio-recycling area. Via: VEIL
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Eco Architecture: Sustainable vertical farm concept grows food hydroponically