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Facebook under fire for using coal-powered electricity

Facebook faces campaign to switch to renewable energy Social networking site under fire over intention to run giant new data centre mainly on coal-powered electricity   John Vidal,  guardian.co.uk,   1 September 2010 Social networking website Facebook is coming under unprecedented pressure from its users to switch to renewable energy. Continue reading

September 2, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, climate change | , , , | Leave a comment

Moving into wind energy – away from nuclear power?

the decision left the country’s largest nuclear operator without a direct role in what the nuclear industry hopes is a renaissance…

Exelon withdrew its application for a construction and operating license for a twin-unit nuclear plant in Victoria County, Tex.,….

A Nuclear Giant Moves Into Wind, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, August 31, 2010, John Rowe, chief executive of Exelon.Exelon Corporation John Rowe, chief executive of Exelon.Exelon, a nuclear giant that recently backed away from building new nuclear plants, is moving into wind. Continue reading

September 1, 2010 Posted by | renewable, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA using less fossil fuels, and more renewables

Hey kids, we used less energy and more renewable tech in 2009! | ZDNet, By Heather Clancy | August 30, 2010, Well, here’s a refreshing bit of news for a Monday afternoon: A new data set released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reports that we used a lot less coal and petroleum last year, compared with 2008. Meanwhile, there were demonstrable increases in the use of renewable energy sources, especially generation systems based on wind technologies.
The researchers attribute the decrease in coal and petroleum use to lower electricity demand, a shift to natural gas as a fuel source, and wind power production offsets……Hey kids, we used less energy and more renewable tech in 2009! | ZDNet

August 31, 2010 Posted by | renewable, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

USA’s grand solar opportunity depends on USA Senate

One factor could snarl that time line: the expiration of federal incentives, specifically the Treasury Dept.’s cash grant program, which currently covers 30% of a project’s costs, as long as construction has begun by the end of 2010. SEIA and other groups are pushing to have the qualifying construction start date extended by two years, to the end of 2012…….

Members of the US Senate Finance Committee didn’t return calls asking when they would vote on extending the program…….

Solar power: Brighter long-term investment outlook, The Economic Times, 29 Aug 2010, With utilities adopting standards to increase the amount of solargenerated electricity in coming years, the US could bolster its presence in the global solar-power market. The quickening growth pace could present attractive opportunities for investors, Continue reading

August 30, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Thousands of jobs in Renewable Energy flow from Feed-In Tariff

If we look to those places where renewable energy JOBS are already employing tens of thousands of people, places such as nearly all of Europe and most of Asia; and did I mention Wisconsin?  Yes, Wisconsin! -…..That is the Feed-In Tariff.  It is the one item that is proven to make it all work.

Renewable energy can be the source of JOBS,  Review Messenger, By Richard Carter. 24 Aug 2010, It’s certainly no secret, the economy needs JOBS, especially in rural Minnesota.There is a source of jobs which could help. Those JOBS come from renewable energy: solar electric, solar hot water, solar hot air, and wind. Continue reading

August 24, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Desert solar farms could use self-cleaning solar panels

The researchers found that 90 percent of deposited dust can be removed by the transparent screen in fewer than 60 seconds.

Self-cleaning solar panels could find use in the dusty environs of Arizona, the Middle East or Mars, Scientific American, By Larry Greenemeier, Aug 22, 2010, The best places to collect solar energy are also some of the dustiest on Earth and beyond, a quandary that leads to inefficiencies in how well the cells are able to convert strong sunlight into renewable electricity. The solution, according to new research, is to coat solar cells with material that enables them to chase away dirt particles on their own with the help of dust-repelling electrical charges. Continue reading

August 23, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | , , , , , | 1 Comment

Renewable energy growth outpaces coal, gas and nuclear

Both the US and Europe added more renewable power capacity in 2009 than they added coal, gas, and nuclear capacity. Globally, 80,000 megawatts of renewable capacity was added, with China adding nearly half the total

Renewable Energy Investment is Growing – 24/7 Wall St., Paul Ausick, 21 Aug 2010, An international policy network called the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, or REN21, has released its global status report for 2010. Continue reading

August 21, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Huge tidal energy project successfully started

Tidal energy has the potential to be a billion dollar industry in Maine within the next seven to ten years, creating hundreds of jobs.

Largest Ocean Energy Device Ever Installed In U.S. Waters Generates Electricity at Design Capacity Advanced Technology Revolutionizes the U.S. Ocean Energy Industry Renewable Energy World, August 18, 2010, PORTLAND, ME,  Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), an industry leader in tidal, river and deep-water ocean current energy technology and projects, announced today that its Beta Power System, the largest ocean energy “power plant” ever installed in U.S. waters, has successfully generated grid-compatible power from tidal currents at its Cobscook Bay site in Eastport, Maine…….. Continue reading

August 19, 2010 Posted by | renewable, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Push for renewable energy, not nuclear, in South Africa

Greenpeace pushes for renewable energy in SAfrica, Google hosted news, By MIA SNYMAN (AP) – 19 Aug, 2010, JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has renewable resources that can provide solutions to the country’s energy problems and create jobs — while fighting global warming, Greenpeace officials said Wednesday.”Greenpeace’s estimate that 78,000 green jobs could be created is conservative,” Glen Mpufane, who heads a development group, who joined a Greenpeace forum on green jobs on Wednesday…..
Environmental groups in South Africa are campaigning for a major move toward renewable energy rather than nuclear and coal energy……

The Associated Press: Greenpeace pushes for renewable energy in SAfrica

August 19, 2010 Posted by | renewable, South Africa | , , , , | Leave a comment

Domini Social Investments will invest in energy, but not nuclear

Before nuclear power can be seriously considered to be an effective answer to climate change, we need to solve the nuclear waste problem and we need to address the link between nuclear power and nuclear weapons proliferation.

To date there is no way to distinguish between the uranium enrichment process that is necessary to fuel a nuclear power plant and the enrichment of uranium for use in a nuclear bomb.

Domini does believe that companies with stronger social and environmental profiles should perform better in the long term, and that the use of social and environmental factors can help manage certain types of investment risk.

Social funds: BP, the 1960s, and greed | The Energy Collective, August 16, 2010 by Marc Gunther“.…..I heard from Adam Kanzer, who is managing director and general counsel at Domini Social Investments.….. Continue reading

August 18, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scotland goes for tidal energy in a big way

“We are at the start of a new industrial boom, akin to the development of the North Sea oil and gas fields,” said Cornelius. “If we receive the same support from all levels of government that the oil and gas industry received to make the North Sea the success that it is, then the future is very bright for marine power and even brighter for Scotland.”

World’s largest tidal turbine unveiledNew 1MW marine energy system by Atlantis to be deployed later this summer  guardian.co.uk,  Rachel Fielding  Friday 13 August 2010 The world’s largest tidal turbine was yesterday unveiled at a facility in Invergordon, Scotland, marking the culmination of a decade of development activity and moving tidal power one step closer to commercial viability. Continue reading

August 14, 2010 Posted by | renewable, UK | , , | Leave a comment

Pacific Forum call for investment in renewable energy

Pacific Islands Forum calls for foreign investment in the region, Radio Australia, 13 Aug 2010, “………………Climate change is dangerous but it is also throwing up opportunities. We have already mentioned the possibility of green energy developments. Now as you know all, without exceptions, all pacific island economies have absolute dependence on the importation of fossil fuels.

We need to accelerate work on renewable energy sources. (There is) plenty of sun out there, plenty of sun energy, but we don’t know how to use it in the most efficient way and this is where we need the new investors with the technology, the sense of efficiency and I think this is the moment we should capture, not to wait around for developments, but right now. – Tuiloma Slade Neroni Slade, the Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general;

Radio Australia:Pacific Beat:Story:Pacific Islands Forum calls for foreign investment in the region

August 13, 2010 Posted by | general | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Facebook members can promote renewable energy

We want facebook to use 100% renewable energy We need your help to get Facebook.com running on 100% renewable energy.  Please join this group and invite your friends to spread the message throughout the site! How the internet is powered is an issue not just for Facebook but for the entire IT industry.

The industry holds many of the keys to reaching our climate goals by innovating internet based solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. Technologies that enable smart grids, zero emissions buildings, and more efficient transport systems are central to efforts to combat climate change……  We want facebook to use 100% renewable energy | Facebook

August 12, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, ACTION | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Facebook should be booming – but with Renewable Energy

big electricity consumers like Facebook can also play an important role by using its influence to demand policies that dramatically increase the supply of renewable electricity being put on the grid,

Facebook update: Switch to renewable energy now Facebook update: Switch to renewable energy now | Greenpeace International Greening Facebook from within   Facebook recently announced it will build a massive data centre in Oregon, U.S., packed full of the latest energy efficient computers to serve the hundreds of millions of friends connecting on their near-addictive social networking website. But the company plans to run the place on electricity made by burning coal–Yes, the dirtiest source of energy and largest single source of global warming pollution in the world. Continue reading

August 12, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, renewable | , , , , | Leave a comment

How the Whitehouse’s solar panels were quietly removed

.In 1986 the Reagan administration quietly dismantled the White House solar panel installation

Where Did the Carter White House’s Solar Panels Go?, Scientific American, By David Biello, August 6, 2010, “…… The White House itself once harvested the power of the sun. On June 30, 1979, the Carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun’s rays and use them to heat water. Continue reading

August 7, 2010 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment