News: Archive for October, 2011
‘KORIYAMA, Japan—Nearly eight months after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident scattered radioactive material over surrounding communities, Japan still is struggling to figure out how to clean up the mess, exacerbating fears about health risks and fanning mistrust of the government.’
via Cleanup of Fukushima Radiation Confounds Japan – WSJ.com.
‘…California’s Solar Gold Rush is under way, fueled by billions of dollars of federal stimulus funding and a new state law that requires utilities to buy a third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. While the collapse of Fremont, Calif., solar manufacturer Solyndra Inc. has dominated the news in recent weeks because it received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, several other solar companies that got loan guarantees appear to be thriving.’
via Solar firms’ flight to Mojave Desert sparks environmental friction | McClatchy.
‘It took only a dozen years for humanity to add another billion people to the planet, reaching the milestone of 7 billion Monday — give or take a few months.’
via World population hits 7 billion on Oct. 31, or thereabouts – latimes.com.
‘In an attempt to take note of a historic milestone over which it has about as much control as world peace, the United Nations declared Monday, Oct. 31, the day that the world’s population officially surpasses 7 billion.’
via 7 billion and counting: Earth’s population odometer turns over Monday – San Jose Mercury News.
‘(Reuters) – Beacon Power Corp filed for bankruptcy on Sunday, just a year after the energy storage company received a $43 million loan guarantee from a controversial Department of Energy program.’
via Beacon Power bankrupt; had U.S. backing like Solyndra | Reuters.
‘After five years of preparation, China has officially opened a clean-energy research centre that will spearhead the country’s efforts to develop new ways to reduce its carbon emissions.’
‘A group of University of Kentucky students and Lexington residents has asked the UK Board of Trustees to consider getting rid of two coal-fired boilers that provide heat to much of campus. Student Patrick Johnson asked the board to conduct a feasibility study on moving UK toward geothermal and solar energy, two sustainable forms of energy that don’t pollute the atmosphere.’
via Students ask University of Kentucky to stop using coal on campus | McClatchy.
‘LOS ANGELES — The Obama administration on Thursday announced its plan for solar energy development, directing large-scale industrial projects to 285,000 acres of desert in the Western U.S. while opening 20 million acres of the Mojave for development.’
‘The Obama administration moved closer to adopting a 20-year ban on new mining claims on 1 million acres of land around the Grand Canyon by issuing the final environmental impact statement analyzing potential consequences of the prohibition.’
‘…According to the lawsuit, Balance and AquaMantra plastic water bottles, marketed by ENSO Plastics in Mesa, Ariz., falsely claim the bottles are both biodegradable and recyclable. The labeling states the bottles contain a microbial additive that helps them break down in less than five years. The lawsuit says the microbial additive doesn’t accelerate the breakdown process and also compromises the bottles’ recyclability because the microbial additive is considered a “destructive contaminant” by the Assn. of Post Consumer Plastic Recyclers.’
via Plastic water bottle-makers sued by California over green claims – latimes.com.