Japan’s Hybrid Train Does Its Tiny Part to Fight Global Warming With Diesel, Battery Power
July 29 SAKU, Japan (AP) — Winding past rice paddies and lazily blowing its whistle along bubbly creeks, this two-car train in rural northern Japan is the latest entrant in the battle against global warming.
Following its runaway success with hybrid cars, [...]
Archive for July, 2007
Japan Hybrid Train Fights Global Warming
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Hybrid, Japan, Transportation on July 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Ferries Seek Solar Salvation
Posted in Australia, Solar, Transportation on July 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
July 29 (The Sun-Herald) – SYDNEY Ferries is looking at solar-powered vessels in the upgrade of its ageing fleet.
Dr Robert Dane, chief executive of Chatswood-based Solar Sailor, said he had met with Sydney Ferries CEO Geoff Smith and successfully trialled a vessel on the Parramatta River route.
Solar Sailor, which is chaired by former prime minister [...]
Foam Targets Heavy Metal Clean-up
Posted in Remediation on July 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
A type of porous foam can be used to soak up heavy metals from water, a team has reported in the journal Science.
July 26 (BBC News) – The rigid material could be used for environmental clean-ups and other jobs that require so-called “molecular sieves” that can trap heavy metals.
Previously, materials called oxides have been used [...]
Thin Film’s Time in the Sun
Posted in Renewable Energy, Solar on July 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
First Solar’s thin-film technology is now challenging silicon panels at large-scale solar-power facilities.
July 27 (Technology Review) – The low manufacturing cost of photovoltaics that employ thin films of cadmium-telluride semiconductor have long been seen as having the potential for lifting solar power from its niche status as a very expensive power source, delivering less than [...]
Pond Bacterium Converts Light to Energy
Posted in Renewable Energy on July 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
WASHINGTON (AP) – The wonderland known as Yellowstone National Park has yielded a new marvel — an unusual bacterium that converts light to energy.
The discovery was made in a hot [...]
Jatropha Downs 20 Pupils in Philippines
Posted in Biofuels, Philippines on July 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
July 26 (GMANews.tv) At least 20 students in an elementary school in Bohol were rushed Wednesday afternoon to a local hospital after being poisoned by jathropha or tuba-tuba fruit.
Radio station dzMM reported Thursday that the victims were Grade 1 and Grade 2 students from the Batasan Elementary School in Batasan Island, Tubigon town.
Jerick Edel, one [...]
Climate Engineering is Doable?
Posted in Climate Change, Emissions Reduction on July 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
July 25 (WIRED) – New research indicates that hacking the atmosphere — pumping microscopic particles into the stratosphere or clouds to block sunlight and offset global warming caused by greenhouse gases — is imminently possible. The problem is we could never, ever stop doing it.
Read full article…
Flying High on Pond Scum
Posted in Algae, Biofuels on July 26, 2007 | 3 Comments »
July 18 (Independent Financial Review) – Air New Zealand and airliner manufacturer Boeing are secretly working with Blenheim-based biofuel developer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation to create the world’s first environmentally friendly aviation fuel, made of wild algae.
If the project pans out the small and relatively new New Zealand company could lead the world in environmentally [...]
China Accelerating Use of Natural Gas Vehicles
Posted in CNG, China on July 26, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
James Finch submits: In a recent television interview, Boone Pickens told a reporter he was surprised to discover there were 9,000 buses in China running on natural gas. We were excited that someone else finally brought it up.
In an era of worrisome global warming events, it’s hard to argue with a transportation system that has [...]
Bank of America in Carbon Exchange Joint Venture
Posted in Carbon Credits, Emissions Reduction on July 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) – Bank of America (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said it has formed a joint venture to obtain shares in Climate Exchange PLC (CLE) in return for buying carbon emissions permits issued under the Chicago Climate Exchange, owned by CLE. BofA will get up to $25 million worth of shares in [...]
