Planetary Ruin

LONDON (Reuters) – Just two countries have so far met a deadline on Thursday to give their industry permits to emit carbon dioxide, the European Union’s executive Commission said, likely delaying a 2008 carbon spot market.

Thirteen countries have submitted the necessary information to the Commission to be able to allocate EUAs, and of these, five have received Commission approval to issue.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – China heightened pressure on polluters on Thursday, passing legislation that allows for stiff fines against heads of companies that foul its scarce water resources.

The Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law which was passed ahead of the annual full session of China’s parliament, or National People’s Congress, which opens next week, will take effect on June 1, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

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While we have fixated on our little local worries over the past week, the biggest news story of the year passed unnoticed in the night. The Brazilian government was forced to admit that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has returned to ecocidal levels. An area the size of Belgium, taking thousands of years to evolve, was destroyed in the past year alone. Some 20 per cent of the forest has now been trashed, with a further 40 per cent set to be slashed in my lifetime. This is steadily happening to all the rainforests on earth.

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While liquid hydrogen is denser and takes up less space, it is very expensive and difficult to produce. It also reduces the environmental benefits of hydrogen vehicles. Widespread commercial acceptance of these vehicles will require finding the right material that can store hydrogen gas at high volumetric and gravimetric densities in reasonably sized light-weight fuel tanks.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – A spill on the Hanjiang River, in central China’s Hubei Province, has affected water supply for 200,000 people living along three tributaries since Sunday, the Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday, citing local media.

The water became “red with large amounts of bubbles,” Xinhua said, citing Gao Qijin, head of Xingou Township Tap Water Company in Jianli County, which is along the Dongjing River, one of the affected tributaries.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s largest plastic bag maker has closed following a state-led environmental campaign discouraging plastics use, Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.

China launched a surprise crackdown on plastic bags in January, banning production of ultra-thin bags and forbidding its supermarkets and shops from handing out free carrier bags from June 1.

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A new coating for solar panels could lead to more efficient solar collection.

The energy from sunlight falling on only 9 percent of California’s Mojave Desert could power all of the United States’ electricity needs if the energy could be efficiently harvested, according to some estimates. Unfortunately, current-generation solar cell technologies are too expensive and inefficient for wide-scale commercial applications.

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Professor Mike Rowe’s long term research interest at the Cardiff School of Engineering has been in thermoelectric generation – employing thermocouples to convert heat into electricity. The conversion technology is used in everyday applications such as controlling the central heating system or refrigerator temperature.

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A new coating for solar panels could lead to more efficient solar collection.

The energy from sunlight falling on only 9 percent of California’s Mojave Desert could power all of the United States’ electricity needs if the energy could be efficiently harvested, according to some estimates. Unfortunately, current-generation solar cell technologies are too expensive and inefficient for wide-scale commercial applications.

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BEIJING (Reuters) – Beijing has launched a “green securities” scheme aimed at making it harder for polluters to raise capital and requiring listed firms to disclose more information about their environmental record.

The initiative is part of a drive by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) to enlist other government agencies to give financial and economic policies a green hue.

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