China's consumer prices rise to a three-year high in June as food prices soar 14.4 percent
People across China continue [zh] to announce their candidacy in local district level People’s Congress elections, but how far this new surge in civic consciousness can go remains uncertain. The case of Liu Ping in Jiangxi province has drawn greater attention recently after Liu and fellow candidates Li Sihua and Wei Zhongping were prevented, […]
Power generation from renewables surpasses nuclear
By Thomas Schueneman, Global Warming is Real The latest issue of the Monthly Energy Review published by the US Energy Information Administration, electric power generation from renewable sources has surpassed production from nuclear sources, and is now “closing in on oil,” says Ken Bossong, executive director of the Sun Day Campaign. In the first quarter […]
Huge rare earth deposits found in Pacific
Reuters Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and can be readily extracted, Japanese scientists said on Monday. “The deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just one square kilometer (0.4 square mile) of deposits will be able to […]
Britain's richest man to build giant Arctic iron ore mine
By Terry Macalister, guardian.co.uk Britain’s richest man is planning a giant new opencast mine 300 miles inside the Arctic Circle in a bid to extract a potential $23bn (£14bn) worth of iron ore. The “mega-mine” – which includes a 150km railway line and two new ports – is believed to be the largest mineral extraction […]
New microchip could prevent 'standby' energy loss
By Michael Fitzpatrick, guardian.co.uk Japanese scientists have developed a new micro-processing chip which they claim could do away with the energy loss caused by appliances while on “standby”. Existing chips in electronics that eat up energy when a device is switched off but plugged in could be replaced by the new microchip by 2015, claims […]
Solar power's coming of age in the US
By Suzanne Goldenberg, guardian.co.uk Sierra SunTower, the only commercial CSP tower facility in north America – just one sign of solar power’s coming of age in the US. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Two of America’s solar power executives are on a road show to make the case that the industry has grown up and is […]
'Renewables' now required in diesel fuel, heating oil
Diesel fuel and heating oil will now require two per cent renewable content, the federal government announced this week in Saskatoon. Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent said the requirement will strengthen the market for renewable fuels, meaning an increased demand for feed stocks like canola, ensuring a stronger bottom line for farmers. The regulatory amendment […]
Manure as clean renewable energy? That's a load of cow droppings
This is a toot in the right direction. B.C.’s first small-scale on-farm anaerobic digester will be built at Abbotsford’s Bakerview EcoDairy, converting cow manure into clean renewable energy — and then connecting to B.C.’s electricity grid. The anaerobic digester will generate up to 60,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually – enough to power 20 electric […]
Why the insurance industry gets climate change
By Jules Boykoff, guardian.co.uk When it comes to climate change, the US Congress is a hornets’ nest of political dysfunction. Last month, President Barack Obama nominated energy executive John Bryson to lead the commerce department. From the response of congressional Republicans, you might have thought Obama had nominated Ed Abbey and Rachel Carson’s imaginary love […]
New York legalizes same-sex marriage
The New York State Legislature passed a bill Friday that legalizes same-sex marriage in the state. It was signed into law by Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo. New York now becomes the sixth and largest U.S. state with legalized same-sex marriage. The practice is legal in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire,...
