- California Caps SF6 Emissions for Utilities
The California Air Resources Board recently announced that they will begin monitoring and limiting the emissions of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in high-voltage electrical equipment starting in 2011. SF6 is the most potent of all greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.
SF6 is approximately 23,900 times as potent as carbon dioxide, the world’s most prevalent greenhouse gas, at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
- Deep-sea volcanoes play key climate role
A vast network of under-sea volcanoes pumping out nutrient-rich water in the Southern Ocean plays a key role in soaking up large amounts of carbon dioxide, acting as a brake on climate change, scientists say.
A group of Australian and French scientists have shown for the first time that the volcanoes are a major source of iron that single-celled plants called phytoplankton need to bloom and in the process soak up CO2, the main greenhouse gas.
- Wind Turbines might actually add to warming
A new paper suggests that wind turbines, installed broadly, might actually change the climate themselves just by disrupting the normal flow of the wind:
In a paper published online Feb. 22 in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, [the MIT researchers] Wang and Prinn suggest that using wind turbines to meet 10 percent of global energy demand in 2100 could cause temperatures to rise by one degree Celsius in the regions on land where the wind farms are installed, including a smaller increase in areas beyond those regions.
Read more: http://www.good.is/post/could-wind-turbines-actually-warm-the-globe#ixzz0i9u2kXfD
- suki, inc.
this spotlight illustrates the success of one small, ethical company that is making a name for itself by formulating & manufacturing effective, high quality, clinically proven personal care that is completely synthetic free.
suki® clinically proven natural solutions™, is steeped in a foundation of hard science while at the same time being truly pure & containing substantive amounts of organic, fair trade & food grade ingredients & of course, never testing any products on animals, are what president / formulator / owner Suki Kramer calls "the inevitable evolution of skincare." the only brand of its kind that conducts clinical trials, suki® puts their money where their mouth is & backs up their claims of highest efficacy in the brand's technologically advanced, yet synthetic-free product line. these formulas combine advances of science & the powers nature in focused, targeted skin care treatments.
Kramer dedicates herself to skin care, research, the science of formulation, chemistry & to constantly increasing her own ingredient knowledge to share with an increasingly confused public. she is constantly striving to educate her growing fan base about what is really in the cosmetics they use, how to read product labels, what the growing list of new "organic" & "natural" seals mean, the body's internal processing of external influences, such as environmental stressors & toxins, & the ingredients we put into & onto our bodies, & many other things on her blog, www.sukiscoop.com.
- Cooling Towers for NY Power Plants?
New York environmental regulators this week released a plan to protect aquatic life in the state's rivers that could cost power generators billions to upgrade their facilities.
The plan, which still needs final approval, would affect most of the state's six nuclear power plants and several facilities powered by fossil fuels that use water for cooling. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wants the facilities to recycle and reuse the water in a closed-cycle cooling system rather than discharging the heated water into rivers.
- Where Has the Oil Gone?
Oil supply is not infinite. Sooner or later it will run out. The interesting speculation is when that will happen.
In a recent publication (ACS Energy and Fuels), several Kuwait scientists have studied this matter with a multicycle Hubbert model. The original Hubbert model in 1956, accurately predicted that oil production would peak in the United States around 1970. The model has since gained in popularity and has been used to forecast oil production worldwide. However, recent studies show that the model does not take into account more complex oil production cycles of some countries. Those cycles can be heavily influenced by technology changes, politics, social upheavals, and other factors.
- Green Cleaning Supplies
When we get out the rags and the wash buckets, we have the best of intentions. Cleanliness is a virtue, right? And healthy too! Well, if you use conventional cleaning products, perhaps not. Have you ever cleaned your shower or oven and then had teary eyes, burning nasal tissues, an itchy throat, a headache, or dizziness? Guess what? All of these symptoms and more could have been caused by chemicals commonly found in household cleaners.
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