Green Notes - 17 Feb 08
By Chinthana ⋅ February 17, 2008 ⋅ 
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- Bank of America also puts a price on Carbon Emissions. The bank has started factoring a cost of CO2 emissions when deciding whether to underwrite debt for new coal power plants. This decision comes about a week after several other banks announced their own policies. The move comes in anticipation of a Federal Cap on CO2 emissions from coal power plants. In a related story: Is taxing carbon the best way to reduce emissions?
- Using the Urban Turbine: A quiet, bird-safe, vibration free turbine that can be installed on existing rooftops as well as designed in to new buildings, the Aeroturbine is a way of generating clean renewable electricity. A host of modern features including its ability to change and regulate according to the wind speeds and utilize multi directional gusting breezes will be key for urban planners who see a greener future.
- World’s largest solar farm comes on, hoping to provide over 20,000 homes with it’s clean power. The plant is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 42,000 tons per year while generating an annual income of US $ 28 million.
- Cleaning up easter: Cadbury Schweppes, responsible for half of UK’s easter eggs is planning on trialling an un-boxed ‘eco-egg’ as part of it’s campaign to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020. These eco-eggs will be wrapped in foil in order to make them more eco-friendly.
ENDGAME: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co7aIx85rWg&eurl=http://apps.facebook.com/superwall/view.php?newsfeed=1&id=803504461&owner_id=844780251
Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says
Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet’s recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human-induced—cause, according to one scientist’s controversial theory.
Earth is currently experiencing rapid warming, which the vast majority of climate scientists says is due to humans pumping huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. (Get an overview: “Global Warming Fast Facts”.)
Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.
In 2005 data from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide “ice caps” near Mars’s south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.
“The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars,” he said.
Solar Cycles
Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun’s heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.
Mars and Earth, for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories.
“Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,” Abdussamatov said.
By studying fluctuations in the warmth of the sun, Abdussamatov believes he can see a pattern that fits with the ups and downs in climate we see on Earth and Mars.
Abdussamatov’s work, however, has not been well received by other climate scientists.
The temprature on the other planets are rising and if you thought that it is casued by humans then you are a bigger fool for those who are taking you for a ride. In the third world the general public are paid for recycling and in the WEST they are stealing our money and are also going to charge us for a TRASH! How stupid are we getting?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html
Posted by hashir | February 18, 2008, 9:26 am