Tag Archives: science & technology

Here’s the London Underground After Nine More Decades of Climate Change. Don’t Forget Your Goggles

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Here’s the London Underground After Nine More Decades of Climate Change. Don’t Forget Your Goggles

Image courtesy of Practical Action Ninety years from now, your London-going grandchildren may be jealous that you didn’t have to strap on a snorkel to visit Big Ben, Parliament, London Bridge, and Canary Wharf. That’s the forecast from Practical Action , the development charity behind the London Underground Map 2100 . Any area in blue is predicted to be underwater by the end of the century…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Here’s the London Underground After Nine More Decades of Climate Change. Don’t Forget Your Goggles

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Europe’s Grassland Butterfly Species In Alarming Decline

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Europe’s Grassland Butterfly Species In Alarming Decline

Photo by andy.v via Flickr Creative Commons Butterflies are one of the major pollinators and a vital component to a functioning ecosystem. We’ve seen dips in butterfly populations worldwide, and the latest report from Butterfly Conservation Europe is that 17 species of grassland butterflies are in a dramatic decline across Europe, with as much as a 70% drop in numbers over the last 20 years. The loss of butterflies means a loss of flower-rich meadows, which could have a trickle effect impacting mammals, birds and other species. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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10 Chic Ways to Flat-Pack Your Holiday with Chrismas Trees, Ornaments, and More

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on 10 Chic Ways to Flat-Pack Your Holiday with Chrismas Trees, Ornaments, and More

Photo: Lovi The carbon footprint of the holidays adds up fast — presents , food, travel — to make one scary number. But these chic, flat-pack alternatives to traditional holiday decorations — including design-savvy original trees and gorgeous wreaths and ornaments — will fill your home with seasonal cheer; save on shipping and storage space; and cut back your energy and water consumption. Even better: When you use the same tree every year, you’ll multiply how much money and how many resources you save — while creating new memori… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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10 Chic Ways to Flat-Pack Your Holiday with Chrismas Trees, Ornaments, and More

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EPEAT Gains New Partners to Meet Global Demand for IT Certifications

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on EPEAT Gains New Partners to Meet Global Demand for IT Certifications

Photo via laffy4k EPEAT, the organization that certifies electronics based on environmental criteria like recyclability, materials selection, and longevity, is growing by leaps an bounds. About a year and a half ago, the organization expanded their certifications database so that countries across the globe could access the information and make smarter purchasing decisions. Now there’s a new demand to meet for ever more p… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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EPEAT Gains New Partners to Meet Global Demand for IT Certifications

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Smart Meter Opt-Out Bill Introduced In California

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Smart Meter Opt-Out Bill Introduced In California

Photo by PGEgreenenergy via Flickr Creative Commons Several utilities in California have been installing smart meters like crazy across the state, though none with as much attention as Pacific Gas & Electric. The utility has made great strides in installations, but has at the same time drummed up a lot of discomfort and outright disdain from consumers in some communities who feel that the smart meters pose a health risk as well as a privacy concern. This concern is why Assemblymember Jared Huffman introduced a bill that would requir… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Get In Line to Test-Drive an Electric Car From Hertz

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Get In Line to Test-Drive an Electric Car From Hertz

Image: HertzEV website EV Rental Goes Mainstream Almost a year ago, I wrote about how Hertz, the largest car rental company in the United states, was going to have Nissan LEAF electric cars in its fleet . As I said then, I think it’s a great idea to give people a new way to become familiar with electric vehicles and try them for themselves (cars are expensive, so people are hesitant to spend their hard-earned cash on technologies they don’t trust — it took a while for… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Get In Line to Test-Drive an Electric Car From Hertz

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Electric Cars to be Competitive with Gas Cars in About 5 Years, Says Steven Chu

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Electric Cars to be Competitive with Gas Cars in About 5 Years, Says Steven Chu

Photos: Flickr , CC, Wikipedia , CC, Wikipedia , Public domain. Not That Far Off Dr. Steven Chu, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, has shared his informed (hard to find someone more informed than him) opinion about the future of battery electric cars at the

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Electric Cars to be Competitive with Gas Cars in About 5 Years, Says Steven Chu

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Tobacco Virus Could Be Secret to Better Batteries (Video)

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Tobacco Virus Could Be Secret to Better Batteries (Video)

Image credit University of Maryland College Park One of the first known viruses, the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), spelled disaster for tobacco crops, but it could be the secret to success for more efficient batteries and fuel cells, according to research from University of Maryland. Researchers are learning how to exploit the virus’s amazing ability to self-renew and self-assemble to improve on today’s lithium ion batteries. … Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Will Barcoding DNA Save Species on the Brink?

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Will Barcoding DNA Save Species on the Brink?

Zebras are naturally barcoded. Photo via wwarby We’ve heard of barcoding trees to prevent deforestation , and tagging animals to track them for scientific purposes is an everyday practice. But what about barcoding the DNA of all animals across the planet to protect them from illegal poaching, trapping or over-hunting? The International Barcode of Life project aims to do just that by assigning a barcode to each individual speci… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Will Barcoding DNA Save Species on the Brink?

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iPhone Skin is Really a Wind-Powered Charger

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on iPhone Skin is Really a Wind-Powered Charger

Image credit Tjeerd Veenhoven , via Gizmag One of the few complaints about the iPhone is the short battery life. Most people need to charge their phones on a nearly daily basis. The possibility for a low battery while away from a power outlet is pretty good, so off-grid charger concepts have come up often over the last few years. Most revolve around solar power, but the new iFan concept from Tjeerd Veenhoven utilizes the power of a good strong breeze. However, is it at… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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iPhone Skin is Really a Wind-Powered Charger

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