Currently viewing the tag: "Beach"
Janet Cotter, from Greenpeace’s Science Unit is currently on board the Esperanza on Leg 1 of the Arctic Under Pressure expedition. The ship is currently in Ny-Ålesund, in the Arctic, where Janet has been helping seagulls from ‘contributing’ to ocean acidification research.In my day job, I work as a scientist as Greenpeace’s Research Laboratories in Exeter, in the UK, which is part of the Greenpeace International’s Science Unit (see www.greenpeace.to). We might not get do the banner hanging from bridges and all of the other dramatic stuff that other Greenpeace activists do, but we have an important role in the organisation. We analyse of samples from around the world in our laboratories, often looking for toxic contamination of soils, rivers and seas or sampling foodstuffs for GM contamination. Alongside writing papers, reports and briefings, we attend UN and other international environmental meetings to impress on politicians the importance of the scientific evidence so that international agreements that provide real protection for the environment are reached. For example, our recent work on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation has stressed the scientific importance of conserving natural forests to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Otherwise, the decisions made in the climate negotiations risked encouraging the conversion of natural forests to plantations (e.g. for palm oil).
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Deploying mescosms @ 79°N
Willie – one of our oceans campaigner – writes from the Mediterranean Sea. At lengths upwards of three metres, a bluefin tuna is one of the giants in the world of fish. It’s about as long as a small sports car, but it can accelerate even faster. Its body is a shimmering example of perfection in hydrodynamics, so streamlined that the front fins even tuck into grooves in the body shape to cut down resistance.
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Bluefin: an endangered icon
How do we protect public health in the aftermath of major disasters? CAP’s Lesley Russell and Ellen-Marie Whelan have the answer. The tragic BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has taken 11 lives. The immediate economic and environmental damages are still unfolding as the 7,500 square mile oil slick oozes toward the Atlantic Ocean. But Louisiana’s vibrant fishing and seafood industries have been shut down in anticipation of oil contamination.
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The BP oil disaster is a health disaster, too
Such a place exists in the United States. Presidio (Texas) is a city just near the US-Mexican border and its only claim to fame could be that it was once a backdrop for a Marlon Brando – Liz Taylor starrer. But its claim to “infamy†is more potent. There is just a single umbilical power cord which connects the city of Presidio to the rest of the US power grid and that stretches 60 miles from Marfa in the high desert to the banks of the Rio Grande. Consider this…Presidio is one of the hottest places in the United States. And this sweltering cauldron is plagued by chronic power outages and fluctuations. Presidio lies within a zone where frequent electrical storms are the norm. Electrical storms disrupt not only regular supply but also affect everything that runs on electricity. From computers to ovens, it’s not only an annoyance in homes but also a constant worry for authorities, being a border town. The citizens of this city have the only option in the form of a single, decrepit power line that could breakdown anytime. Calvin Crowder, president of Electric Transmission Texas, LLC, a joint venture between subsidiaries of American Electric Power and Warren Buffett’s electricity company, Berkshire Hathaway’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings, observes … “The area is a significant border crossing and for them to lose computers was not a good option.†Part of the quick fix lies in a battery. A very large battery which is a major part of a $25 million system and on its launch would be the largest use of this type of energy storage technology in the United States. The four-megawatt sodium-sulfur (NaS) battery system has 80 modules, 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) each. Constructed by the Japanese firm NGK-Locke, they were shipped to Long Beach, California, in December and transported to Texas aboard 24 trucks. The building that will house the battery costs $10 million alone. The battery system will have a fast response time to tide over voltage fluctuations and momentary outages. And it is designed to supply uninterrupted power for up to eight hours. The NaS battery could work in Presidio given its chronic power shortages. Even when a 2012 slated power modernization plan kicks in, the battery could prove to be the bulwark against outages caused by electrical storms. Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Donald Sadoway, who has experience with this type of technology, says, “I’m excited that people are embracing battery storage at this scale. Once utilities get experience at what a large storage facility can do for them, eventually we will come up with technology that is cost-effective and a benefit for all.†Image: Wikipedia
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A City in The United States That’s Powered by a Giant Battery
If you enjoy beach vacations you are not alone. There are many reasons to take a trip to the beach including the sun, ocean, water sports, and much more. But at the same time you don’t want to do anything that will harm the planet. This is why eco friendly beaches are becoming more and more popular. If you find a great eco friendly beach you might as well visit the next time you are heading on vacation. Believe it or not, an eco friendly beach is pretty much the same as one that you will have at any other type of beach. The only difference is that the environment is thought about first and foremost.
Do you know what eco friendly beach you want to visit? If you do not have anything in mind, you will have to do some research. Fortunately, with more options becoming available you should be able to find something in the part of the world that interests you the most. Some of the most popular eco friendly beach resorts are located in the Caribbean, Fiji, and of course, the United States. It would be in your best interest to find a list of eco friendly beaches, and from there determine what you can afford and which one is going to be best suited to your personality, wants, and needs.
Why go to a beach that is not eco friendly beach? If you can do your part in keeping up the planet you should definitely do so; even while on vacation.