tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/alternative_energy1 alternative energy news from mongabay.com 2009-11-19T17:11:59Z tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/5143 2009-11-19T16:48:00Z 2009-11-19T17:11:59Z Blackout in Brazil: Hydropower and Our Climate Conundrum It’s everyone’s worst nightmare: being caught in an underground subway in the midst of a power outage. Yet, that is exactly what happened recently when Brazilian commuters in the city of São Paulo were trapped inside trains and literally had to be pulled out of subway cars. In addition to sparking problems in public transport, the blackout or apagão led to hospital emergencies and the shutting down of several airports. In all the power outage darkened approximately half of the South American nation, affecting sixty million people. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/5096 2009-11-06T01:34:00Z 2009-11-06T01:45:39Z Fossil fuel subsidies "bringing us closer to irreversible climate change" The Green Economy Coalition is urging G20 finance ministers to rapidly put an end to fossil fuel subsidies. In a letter to the ministers the coalition argues that these subsidies are contributing directly to climate change and making it difficult for the world to transition to a greener economy. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/5049 2009-10-22T20:28:00Z 2009-10-22T21:06:45Z The Yangtze River may have lost another inhabitant: the Chinese paddlefish In December of 2006 it was announced that the Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the baiji, had succumbed to extinction. The dolphin had survived on earth for 20 million years, but the species couldn't survive the combined onslaught of pollution, habitat loss, boat traffic, entanglement in fishing hooks, death from illegal electric fishing, and the construction of several massive dams. Now, another flagship species of the Yangtze River appears to have vanished. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4996 2009-09-21T16:27:00Z 2009-09-21T17:35:16Z US subsidies of oil and coal more than double the subsidies of renewable energy During the fiscal years of 2002-2008 the United States handed out subsidies to fossil fuel industries to a tune of 72 billion dollars, while renewable energy subsidies, during the same period, reached 29 billion dollars. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4931 2009-09-03T13:58:00Z 2009-09-03T17:23:30Z Power, profit, and pollution: dams and the uncertain future of Sarawak <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0903dams.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Sarawak, land of mystery, legend, and remote upriver tribes. Paradise of lush rainforest and colossal bat-filled caves. Home to unique and bizarre wildlife including flying lemurs, bearcats, orang-utans and rat-eating plants. Center of heavy industry and powerhouse of Southeast Asia. Come again? This jarring image could be the future of Sarawak, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, should government plans for a complex of massive hydroelectric dams comes to fruition. The plan, which calls for a network of 12 hydroelectric dams to be built across Sarawak's rainforests by 2020, is proceeding despite strong opposition from Sarawak's citizens, environmental groups, and indigenous human rights organizations. By 2037, as many as 51 dams could be constructed. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4896 2009-08-25T03:33:00Z 2009-08-26T19:44:10Z Solar powered conservation <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0825gold.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Electricity can be a difficult commodity to procure in the remote areas where conservationists often work. Typically field researchers and wildlife rangers rely on gas-powered generators, which require imported fuel, often produce noxious fumes and disruptive noise, and can be costly to maintain. A better option, especially in sun-drenched parts of the world, is solar. Clean and silent, with no need for supplemental fuel, solar seems like an ideal fit for conservation work except for one major drawback: cost. But Stephen Gold – Solar and Technology Manager for Wildlife Conservation Network has been working to overcome that obstacle. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4888 2009-08-24T05:00:00Z 2009-08-24T18:46:08Z Environmental disappointments under Obama While the President has been bogged down for the last couple months in an increasingly histrionic health-care debate-which has devolved so far into ridiculousness that one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry-environmental decisions, mostly from the President's appointees have still been coming fast and furious. However, while the administration started out pouring sunshine on the environment (after years of obfuscated drudgery under the Bush administration), they soon began to move away from truly progressive decisions on the environment and into the recognizable territory of playing it safe-and sometimes even stupid. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4889 2009-08-23T20:33:00Z 2009-08-23T21:43:22Z Little hydroelectric dams become all the rage, but do they harm the environment? Looking for a way to create energy that doesn’t contribute to climate change and avoid the usual opposition that comes with building large hydroelectric dams, many energy companies are now pursuing constructing small hydroelectric dams in the wilderness, reports the <i><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125080811184347787.html">Wall Street Journal</a></i>. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4840 2009-08-13T17:48:00Z 2009-08-13T19:35:08Z Will hydrocarbon biofuels replace gasoline and ethanol? In a Perspectives piece in <i>Science</i>, John R. Regalbuto argues that the world will soon see a revolution in biofuels, but not those made from corn. Instead Regalbuto, program director of Catalysis and Biocatalysis at the National Science Foundation, says that the future of biofuels is in substances that can be converted into hydrocarbons, such as switch grass, woody biomass, corn stover, and even algae. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4668 2009-06-22T21:47:00Z 2009-06-23T16:06:13Z Wind could power the entire world Wind power may be the key to a clean energy revolution: a new study in the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</i> finds that wind power could provide for the entire world’s current and future energy needs. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4531 2009-05-07T17:34:00Z 2009-05-12T15:52:37Z Bioelectricity bests ethanol on two fronts: land use and global warming <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0512ethanol_vs_electricity150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Yesterday the Obama Administration established a Biofuels Interagency Working Group to oversee implementation of new rules and research regarding biofuels. On the group’s first day of work they would do well to look at a new study in <i>Science Magazine</i> comparing the efficacy of ethanol versus bioelectricity. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4352 2009-03-04T20:59:00Z 2009-03-17T16:29:37Z Clean energy investment moving too slowly to avoid irreversible climate change Stalled clean energy investment due to the current recession makes severe climate change more likely, according to a new report by analysts with New Energy Finance (NEF). Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4247 2009-02-03T00:13:00Z 2009-02-03T01:21:06Z Cellulosic ethanol healthier, better for the environment, than corn ethanol <table align="left"><tr><td><img src="http://photos.mongabay.com/09/0202ethanol_costs150.jpg" align="left"/></td></tr></table>Ethanol produced from switchgrass, prairie biomass, and Miscanthus will reduce the environmental and health impacts of expanded biofuels production relative to using corn as a feedstock, report researchers writing in the journal <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4237 2009-02-01T01:14:00Z 2009-02-01T01:26:49Z Wind energy jobs now exceed coal mining jobs Wind industry jobs now outnumber those in coal mining, reports <a target=_blank href=http://greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/01/28/wind-jobs-outstrip-the-coal-industry/>CNNMoney</a>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/4 2008-12-15T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:06:00Z Corn expansion is hurting ladybugs Expansion of corn acreage to meet ethanol targets is reducing the ability of beneficial insects to control pests, a loss valued at $58 million in the four states studied (Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin), report researchers writing in the journal <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/5 2008-12-15T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:06:01Z Africa eyes geothermal power Geothermal &#8212; the tapping of steam from hot underground rocks &#8212; could provide a source of clean, renewable energy in parts of Africa where electricity is currently limited, according to an assessment by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3480 2008-11-28T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:51Z Living up to the Pope's words: the Vatican turns to solar power In his three years since being inaugurated, Pope Benedict XVI has made the environment one of his central issues, proclaiming that &quot;God entrusted man with the responsibility of creation&quot;. He has described the need to confront climate change as a &ldquo;moral obligation&rdquo; and spoken eloquently on the destruction of arable soil, forests and marine life. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3514 2008-11-13T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:56Z Limiting global warming to 2-degree rise will require $180/t carbon price says energy think tank In a report released Wednesday the International Energy Agency warned that a business-as-usual approach to energy use would result in a 6&deg;-degree rise in temperatures putting hundreds of millions at risk from reduced water supplies and diminished agricultural production. But the agency said that limiting temperature rise to 2-3&deg;-rise by the end of the century would be "possible, but very hard." Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3523 2008-11-11T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:59Z Biodiversity of rainforests should not be compared with oil palm plantations says palm oil council chief Scientists should compare the biodiversity oil palm plantations to other industrial monocultures, not the rainforests they replace, said Dr. Yusof Basiron, CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), in a post on his blog. Basiron's comments are noteworthy because until now he has maintained that oil palm plantations are "planted forests" rather than an industrial crop. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3530 2008-11-10T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:00Z First RSPO-certified ("eco-friendly") palm oil shipment to arrive in Europe The first shipment of palm oil certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is expected to arrive in Europe Tuesday, but an environmental group is already criticizing the initiative's credentials. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3537 2008-11-07T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:01Z EU's sustainable biofuels push angers Malaysia, Brazil Eight developing countries threatened to file a World Trade Organization complaint against the E.U. for its proposed legislation to require imported biofuels to meet environmental standards, reports Reuters. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3547 2008-11-04T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:16:04Z Rainforest fungus generates biodiesel, may drive energy of the future A fungus recently discovered in the Patagonian rainforest has shocked biologists and environmentalists: the fungus produces gas almost identical to diesel. In a paper announcing the discovery in Microbiology, scientists state that they believe the fungus, called <i>Gliocladium roseum</i>, could become an incredibly efficient green energy source. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3393 2008-10-22T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:34Z Green New Deal will spark global economy, create jobs A "Global Green New Deal" that focuses the world economy "towards investments in clean technologies and 'natural' infrastructure such as forests and soils is the best bet for real growth, combating climate change and triggering an employment boom," according to a new initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3403 2008-10-20T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:36Z Challenges of starting a green business While green design offers the potential to greatly improve the sustainability of new goods and services without sacrificing performance, developing and bringing such products to market is a challenge, said a panel of innovators from companies using nature as inspiration for new technologies. Speaking at the 2008 Bioneers conference in San Rafael, California, Stephen Dewar of WhalePower, Charles Hamilton of Novomer, and Jay Harman of PAX Scientific told biomimicry expert Jane Benyus that radically new approaches to solving design and engineering problems is often met with skepticism from the existing market. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3405 2008-10-20T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:36Z Financial crisis could pave way for greener economy inspired by nature Biomimicry &#8212; the use of nature to inspire design &#8212; could serve as a model for a greener economy that rises out of the ashes of the financial crisis, said experts meeting at a sustainability conference in the San Francisco Bay Area. Speaking at the three-day Bioneers conference in San Rafael, Janine Benyus, a leading voice in the emerging field of biomimicry, said that nature offers lessons that can be applied to build better and more sustainable products and services as well as economic models. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3468 2008-10-02T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:48Z U.S. needs environmental standards for biofuels The U.S. lacks criteria to ensure that cellulosic ethanol production will not harm the environment, warn scientists writing in the journal <i>Science</i>. The researchers say that with proper safeguards, cellulosic ethanol can help the U.S. meet its energy needs sustainably. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3294 2008-09-24T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:14Z U.S. Congress passes legislation to boost solar, wind, and geothermal energy Tuesday the U.S. Senate passed a bill that will extend tax credits on solar power installations through 2016. The House approved the measure Wednesday. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3325 2008-09-12T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:15:22Z Europe cuts biofuel targets to 4% in 2015, 6% in 2020 The E.U. voted to relax biofuels targets following widespread criticism of their social, economic, and environmental impacts. Thursday the European Parliament's Industry and Energy Committee said it would push a plan calling for a 5 percent share of renewables in transport fuel by 2015 and a 10 percent target by 2020, a reduction from the 20 percent target set forth in March 2007. The plan effectively cuts targets for biofuels produced from conventional feedstocks to four percent in 2015 and six percent in 2020. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3188 2008-08-27T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:49Z Biofuels 200 times more expensive than forest conservation for global warming mitigation The British government should end subsidies for biofuels and instead use the funds to slow destruction of rainforests and tropical peatlands argues a new report issued by a U.K.-based think tank. The study, titled "The Root of the Matter" and published by Policy Exchange, says that "avoided deforestation" would be a more cost-effective way to address climate change, since land use change generates more emissions than the entire global transport sector and offers ancillary benefits including important ecosystem services. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3200 2008-08-25T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:51Z How do wind turbines kill bats? Numerous studies have shown that migratory bats are undergoing large fatalities due to wind turbines. Far more bats die due to wind turbines than birds, though they generally receive less attention. Now, researchers writing in Current Biology believe they know why bats are more susceptible to wind turbine fatalities. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3214 2008-08-20T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:53Z Google, Australia give big boost to geothermal power production Geothermal energy got a big boost this week with Google and the Australian government announcing multi-million initiatives that make use of Earth's heat as a clean and renewable source of power. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3223 2008-08-15T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:55Z PG&E will build the world's largest solar power plant California electricity producer PG&E Thursday announced a plan to build two giant solar photovoltaic power plants that will cover 12.5 square miles and have a peak generating capacity of 800 megawatts. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3224 2008-08-15T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:55Z Algae could yield 30 times more biofuel than soybeans, while cleaning the environment Algae could be used as a biofuel while simultaneously cleaning up the environment, report researchers at the University of Virginia. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3108 2008-07-25T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:33Z Facing criticism, biofuels industry forms new lobby group to influence lawmakers Under attack by politicians, aid groups, and environmentalists for driving up food prices and fueling destruction of ecologically sensitive habitats, some of the world's largest agroindustrial firms have formed a lobby group to influence consumers and lawmakers to support continued subsidies for biofuel production, reports Reuters. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3121 2008-07-22T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:35Z Biofuels can reduce emissions, but not when grown in place of rainforests Biofuels meant to help alleviate greenhouse gas emissions may be in fact contributing to climate change when grown on converted tropical forest lands, warns a comprehensive study published earlier this month in the journal <i>Environmental Research Letters</i>. Analyzing the carbon debt for biofuel crops grown in ecosystems around the world, Holly Gibbs and colleagues report that "while expansion of biofuels into productive tropical ecosystems will always lead to net carbon emissions for decades to centuries... [expansion] into degraded or already cultivated land will provide almost immediate carbon savings." The results suggest that under the right conditions, biofuels could be part of the effort to reduce humanity's carbon footprint. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3128 2008-07-17T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:36Z Gore launches second campaign... for Earth In a speech Thursday, Al Gore challenged the U.S. to generate 100 percent of its electricity from zero carbon emission sources within 10 years. Speaking at Washington's Constitution Hall, Gore said America's security, environmental and economic crises are all related, and that measures to rein in greenhouse gas emissions will make the U.S. stronger, safer, and cleaner. "The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk," Gore said. "I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously." Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3152 2008-07-10T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:42Z Breakthrough in solar energy: ten times more effective solar power may be available in three years The breakthrough scientists have been waiting for to make solar power cheaper, more efficient--and therefore a more effective replacement for traditional energy sources--has been made by a group of MIT researchers. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3154 2008-07-09T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:42Z Oceans hold vast potential for wind power The North Pacific, Tasmania, New Zealand, Tierra del Fuego in South America, and the mid-latitudes of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are potential locations for wind power generation, according to new satellite data from NASA. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3161 2008-07-07T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:43Z Whale biomimicry inspires better wind turbines By studying and mimicking the characteristics of the flippers, fins and tails of whales and dolphins, engineers have devised more a efficient way to generate wind power, reports a researcher presenting at the Society for Experimental Biology's Annual Meeting in Marseille, France. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3162 2008-07-07T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:43Z Britain urges 'cautious approach' on biofuels Britain and the E.U. should exercise caution in pushing for wider use of biofuels, warns a new study commissioned by the U.K. government. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3179 2008-07-01T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:48Z Clean energy gold rush in 2007 New investment in renewables and energy efficiency surpassed $148 billion in 2007, rising 60 percent rise from 2006, according to an analysis issued Tuesday July 1 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). High oil prices drove the trend. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3178 2008-07-01T14:30:00Z 2009-07-19T14:20:53Z Louisiana signs non-corn ethanol law to produce a better biofuel Louisiana has signed into law legislation to develop an advanced biofuel industry that excludes corn as a feedstock, reports Biopact. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3015 2008-06-27T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:17Z Brazil signs sustainable ethanol deal with Sweden A group of Brazilian ethanol producers has signed the first deal to export certified sustainable ethanol, reports Reuters. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3059 2008-06-11T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:25Z 94% of Americans support solar energy development 94 percent of Americans say it's important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy, according to a new poll that found support for solar power runs across the political spectrum. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/3084 2008-06-02T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:28Z Cellulosic biofuels may be viable alternative to gas within 5 years A new institute in the San Francisco Bay Area is seeking to make cellulosic biofuel an economically viable alternative to corn ethanol and gasoline within the next five years. The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a partnership between three national laboratories and three Bay Area universities, was formed in June 2007 after the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the institute a $125 million grant to develop better methods for making liquid biofuels from the natural cellulose in trees and grasses. JBEI researchers expect cellulosic biofuels to yield more energy, produce less greenhouse gases, and have less impact on the environment than other alternatives to gasoline, such as corn ethanol. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2953 2008-05-27T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:04Z Next gen biofuels could decimate rainforests Next generation biofuels could decimate tropical forests says a leading ecologist from the University of Minnesota. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2992 2008-05-14T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:11Z Will earthquake slow dam-building spree in China? Monday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province left more than 15,000 dead, 26,000 missing, and 64,000 injured, according to state media. The quake also "seriously damaged" two hydroelectric stations in Maoxian county, leading authorities to warn that the dams could burst. More than 2,000 troops were sent to work on the Zipingku Dam, a dam said to be in "great danger" of collapse upriver from Dujiangyan, the city at the quake's epicenter. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2995 2008-05-13T14:30:39Z 2008-12-16T10:14:13Z 46% of Brazil's energy comes from renewable sources Preliminary data from Brazil's energy ministry shows that bioenergy derived from sugar cane surpassed hydroelectric power as Brazil's secondary largest source of energy in 2007, reports Biopact. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2873 2008-04-29T14:30:39Z 2008-12-29T06:48:39Z China aims for 100 gigawatts of wind power by 2020 China aims to expand its wind power generating capacity to 100,000 megawatts by 2020, more than doubling the current world's installed capacity, according to the <a target=_blank href=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200804/20080428/article_357448.htm>Shanghai Daily</a> and The Wall Street Journal's <a target=_blank href=http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/>Environmental Capital blog</a>. Rhett Butler tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/2704 2008-02-22T14:30:39Z 2008-12-29T06:48:01Z Arizona seeks to become the 'Persian Gulf' of solar energy With a Spanish company's plans to dramatically expand solar capacity in the desert southwest of Phoenix, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano said Arizona could become the "Persian Gulf of solar energy," according to the Associated Press. Rhett Butler