Archive for the 'Energy' Category
‘There are no technological or economic barriers to converting the entire world to clean, renewable energy sources’
September 15th, 2012“Fifteen years ago I thought solar power was impractical because I thought nuclear power was the answer. But I spent some time on an advisory committee on waste disposal to the Atomic Energy Commission. After that, I began to be very, very skeptical because of the hazards. That’s when I began to study solar power. […]
Russian Nuclear-Powered Ice-Breakers
September 12th, 2012Via: Scientific American: Russia’s dream to dominate the Arctic will soon get a boost with a nuclear-powered icebreaker designed to navigate both shallow rivers and the freezing depths of the Northern Sea. Last month Rosatomflot, Russia’s atomic fleet, inked a deal to begin construction of a massive new vessel 170 meters long and 34 meters […]
Even Government Admits Fracking Mess in Wyoming
September 10th, 2012“The one—and only—place in the nation where fracking is causing water contamination…” Mmm hmm. Via: Bloomberg: Louis Meeks, a hay farmer in Pavillion, Wyo., holds a mason jar under a faucet in his house and turns on the water. It’s a demonstration he’s given to a slew of neighbors and government officials. The water, drawn […]
Russians Dumped Old Nuclear Reactors and Radioactive Waste Into Sea
August 30th, 2012Via: Bellona Foundation: Enormous quantities of decommissioned Russian nuclear reactors and radioactive waste were dumped into the Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia over a course of decades, according to documents given to Norwegian officials by Russian authorities and published in Norwegian media. Bellona had received in 2011 a draft of a […]
Venezuela Ramps up China Oil Exports
August 27th, 2012Via: OilPrice.com: The biggest geostrategic change of the past decade overlooked by Washington policy wonks in their fixation on their self-proclaimed “war on terror” is that Latin America has been throwing off the shackles of the Monroe Doctrine. These ignored developments may well soon refocus Washington’s attention on the Southern Hemisphere, as Venezuela’s President Hugo […]
The Solar Charging Kit for Africa You Want for Your Own Home
August 23rd, 2012Via: Good: Mike Lin and Brian Warshawsky find themselves in the unusual but enviable position of having stumbled on an unexpected business hit. The pair set out with a social goal and built a product for poor Ugandans. But this week, the gadget the pair built to help poor Africans without electricity start micro businesses […]
Private Crypto Key in Mission-Critical Hardware
August 23rd, 2012Via: Ars Technica: A private encryption key embedded into widely used mission-critical routers could be exploited by hackers to attack electric substations, railroad switches, and other critical infrastructure, security researchers have warned. The flaw, uncovered in devices made by Siemens subsidiary RuggedCom of Ontario, Canada, is the second this year to affect its Rugged Operating […]
Water Shortages Hit U.S. Power Supply
August 19th, 2012Via: New Scientist: As the United States’ extended heat wave and drought threaten to raise global food prices, energy production is also feeling the pressure. Across the nation, power plants are becoming overheated and shutting down or running at lower capacity; drilling operations struggle to get the water they need, and crops that would become […]
Saudi Arabia’s National Oil Company Kills Network After Cyber Attack
August 16th, 2012Via: Security Week: Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil company and the largest in the world, has confirmed that is has been hit by a cyber attack that resulted in malware infecting user workstations, but did not affect other parts of its network. “On Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, an official at Saudi Aramco confirmed that […]
‘Study Predicts Imminent Irreversible Planetary Collapse’
August 14th, 2012Via: Simon Fraser University: The authors recommend governments undertake five actions immediately if we are to have any hope of delaying or minimizing a planetary-state-shift. Arne Mooers, an SFU biodiversity professor and a co-author of this study, summarizes them as follows. “Society globally has to collectively decide that we need to drastically lower our population […]
