Solar Panels Reach 40% Efficiency

(CARROT!)

Heralding a sea-change in power generation, the highest yet recorded efficiency from a solar panel was set recently at more than double, and almost triple current industrial standards. It's only a matter of time before this method of clean energy production breaks into the broad mainstream.
Read about it here at the U.S Dept of Energy.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio To Co-Develop Green Reality Show

From MSNBC News:

Leonardo DiCaprio is helping to develop a reality TV series focusing on the environment.

“E-topia” will chronicle the eco-friendly reconstruction of an American town as it is transformed into a “‘green’ utopia of tomorrow.”

In addition, each episode is designed to have a “call to action,” directing viewers to a Web site where they can learn more about ecology and find out how to participate in environmental initiatives.

Wild Seafood To Collapse Within 50 Years

From the Stanford Report:

All species of wild seafood will collapse within 50 years, according to a new study by an international team of ecologists and economists. Writing in the Nov. 3 issue of the journal Science, the researchers conclude that the loss of marine biodiversity worldwide is profoundly reducing the ocean's ability to produce seafood, resist diseases, filter pollutants and rebound from stresses, such as climate change and overfishing.

"Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the ocean species together as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood," said study co-author Stephen Palumbi, professor of biological sciences at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station.

"The data show us it's not too late," Worm said. "We can turn this around. But less than 1 percent of the global ocean is effectively protected right now. We won't see complete recovery in one year, but in many cases species come back more quickly than people anticipated—in three to five to 10 years. And where this has been done we see immediate economic benefits."

"This isn't predicted to happen, this is happening now," said co-author Nicola Beaumont, an ecological economist with the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. "If biodiversity continues to decline, the marine environment will not be able to sustain our way of life. Indeed, it may not be able to sustain our lives at all."

The Government Has To Be Behind It

From Popular Mechanics:

"Companies are not willing to invest if they don't think there's going to be a market," says Daniel Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis. "The government has to be behind it. There has to be leadership."

There's reason to hope the technology will advance even without much government involvement. Hydrogen fuel cells already replace batteries in niche equipment, such as TV cameras and forklifts, and provide power at remote locations, such as at cellphone towers. They even power the police station in New York's Central Park. As these applications continue to develop, they will force advances in technology that will make hydrogen vehicles more feasible. Even then, hydrogen might make the most sense for fleet vehicles that don't require widespread infrastructure for service and refueling.

Ultimately, hydrogen may be just one part of a whole suite of energy alternatives. Any one of them will involve investing heavily in new infrastructure. Though the price tag will be steep, we can't afford oil's environmental, economic and political drawbacks any longer.

Electricity demand distinct from generation source

Solar Power, while comparatively expensive to set up yourself, is clearly becoming more available. Much like traditional electricity generation, its large infrastructure costs are being decoupled from customers' demand for electricity. Companies such as DEERS and SunEdison are building out the solar infrastructure themselves, and selling the electricity to large corporate buyers, who actually enjoy the idea that it's a sustainable technology - not to mention the discounts. Read here in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Climate Change Wiping Out Frog Population

From The Imperial College London:

The researchers, from Imperial College London and two Madrid institutions, found a correlation between significant warming of the local climate in Spain between 1976 and 2002 and the emergence of the fungal disease Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BD) in the area.

The fungus infects amphibians' skin and is believed to cause disease by interfering with the skin’s ability to absorb water. As a result of BD, the common midwife toad is now virtually extinct in the area of Spain studied by the researchers, the Penalara Natural Park, where it was once thriving.

The researchers suggest it is likely that increases in the number of BD-related mass mortalities are due to a combination of factors relating to climate change.

"This is a wake up call that we are losing biodiversity fast. Climate change appears to be changing patterns of disease and previously resistant species are becoming highly infected and even, in a number of cases, becoming extinct," he added.

Big Car, Big Fee

From The New Zealand Herald:

A London council is planning to charge residents who drive gas-guzzling cars significantly more for permits to park outside their homes in a bid to tackle pollution.

"If you've got an electric car you'll pay nothing, if you've got a small car you might go down by 50 per cent, if you have an average car your charge will probably go down a bit or up a bit," council leader Serge Lourie said.

"But if you've got a large car we'll be charging you significantly more. And if you've got a large Jag, for example, you'll be paying 200 per cent more."

Tilling The Green Soil

As reported in The Boston Herald:

Gary Larsen, who grows corn and soybeans in western Iowa, is among a growing number of farmers who are concerned about the potential effects of global warming.

“We don’t know how the world could actually turn out, but doing absolutely nothing and sticking your head in the sand is not an option,” said Larsen, a 63-year-old grandfather who lives near Elk Horn.

William Niebur, vice president of DuPont Crop Genetics Research and Development, said the evidence of climate change includes the migration of successful corn production north 100 miles over the past three decades.

Improved soil management methods are reducing greenhouse gases. No-till farming, for example, where farmers plant crops without using machines to plow or turn over the soil, cuts down on energy use and keeps carbon in the ground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Farmers also are planting crops that require less fertilizer and herbicides; using alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel; capturing methane gas from livestock for energy production; and harnessing wind power.