Digg | River -

Home » Science » Environment

Green Energy Thwarted by Winter (307 diggs) Winter's bitter cold can stall wind turbine blades, congeal biodiesel and render solar panels useless, say U.S. power developers.

Picture Perfect Storm: Photographs Capture Terrifying Clouds (529 diggs) These incredible photographs look more like a scene from the end of the world than a winter sunrise. The dramatic pictures were taken in Northwest Greenland by British Arctic photographers Bryan and Cherry Alexander and show a storm brewing over an Inuit community.

Trees won't stop tsunamis, scientists warn (307 diggs) There are many reasons for preserving the world's dwindling stocks of mangroves, but protecting people from tsunamis is not one of them, they say.

Himalayan villagers on global warming frontline (307 diggs) Temperatures in the Himalayas are rising by around 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.108 Fahrenheit) annually, according to a long-term study by the Nepalese department of hydrology. The rate is far above the global average given last year by the UN's senior scientists.

1st U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Gets Approval in Massachusetts (762 diggs) The project would power 75% of the electricity that Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island use under average wind levels. This would displace electricity from the controversial Cape Power Plant, which runs off of oil and natural gas. Developers of the project are still waiting on a composite state and local permit, as well as federal...

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Disappointments of 2008 (301 diggs) There was a lot to cheer about in the cleantech sector in 2008: record investment levels, a U.S. president-elect that supports clean power, and the extension of tax credits for renewables. But there were a lot of missed opportunities this year, too, as markets crashed, fundings were delayed and technologies hit hurdles.

US faces possibility of much more rapid climate change (469 diggs) The United States faces the possibility of much more rapid climate change by the end of the century than previous studies have suggested, according to a new report led by the U.S. Geological Survey. We have to act very fast, by understanding better and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it's a large-scale experiment that can get out of hand...

Lost World discovered (877 diggs) Lost World discovered

High Speed Rail Gains Momentum in Texas (488 diggs) Could high-speed trains be back in Texas' future? Talk of such passenger rail service, once thought of as forever dead in Texas, is back in vogue, both in Washington and Austin.

Penguins Gather In Antarctica (347 diggs) Huddling together in subzero temperatures, these playful emperor penguin chicks face a fight for survival in their Antarctic home with temperatures plunging to -76F (-60C) and winds over 100mph.

White Christmas In Antarctica (330 diggs) The idea of a white Christmas may seem magical for many of us, but spare a thought for a team of scientists forgoing the festive season to take part in a novel campaign being carried out in one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth to support ESA's CryoSat mission.

How kangaroo burgers could save the planet (604 diggs) Cows, sheep and goats may seem like innocent victims of humanity's appetite for meat, but when it comes to climate change they have a dark secret. . .

Full of powerful wind? Bury it in the ground for later (558 diggs) Compressing air into former mines and other chambers could allow wind generation plants to store their off-peak power for later extraction.

Polar Bear Bubbles (PIC) (860 diggs)

UK's Government Buildings Emit More CO2 Than All of Kenya (440 diggs) Public buildings in England and Wales are pumping out 11m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, more than Kenya's entire carbon footprint, according to reports.

Panda Bear Hugs (PIC) (1,718 diggs)

Obama's Energy Nominee Is No Fan of Fossil Fuel-Based Energy (647 diggs) With the announcement of his energy-environmental team last week, Barack Obama has signaled a clear intention of pursuing policies that differ sharply from those of his predecessor. At this point, one thing appears certain - His choice for secretary of energy, the highly respected Nobel laureate Steven Chu, is definitely NOT a fan of fossil fuels.

Breaking Video: 500 mil. gallon toxic coal waste spill in TN (2,984 diggs) Watch aerial footage of the 500 million gallons of toxic coal waste spill in the Tennessee River. On Sunday night, 4 to 6 feet of ice cold toxic coal ash and slurry burst out of a Tennessee Valley Authority holding pond for power plant waste and buried 12 homes, 400 acres, and wrecked a train. Coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste.

Nation's First 'Underwater Wind Turbine' Installed (955 diggs) The nation's first commercial hydrokinetic turbine, which harnesses the power from moving water without the construction of a dam, has splashed into the waters of the Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota.

Is Clean Coal Technology China's Energy Future? (393 diggs) Dr. Geoff Raby discusses China's stance on pollution & global warming. He explains that China is interested in reducing its emissions, but the solution will have to come from clean coal technology due to its heavy dependence on the fossil fuel.

Push Up Pandas (PIC) (3,084 diggs)

Giant woodlice arrive in Britain for first time (487 diggs) Giant sea woodlice have arrived on British shores.

The Final Leap (772 diggs)

Schwarzenegger to Push ‘Green’ Policy Despite Economic Woes (475 diggs) The former action-hero in an interview on the CBS program 60 Minutes discussed ‘green’ policy, emission limits, climate change, and renewable energy. He was also unafraid to criticize the Bush administration for their lack of ‘interest’ in cutting tailpipe emissions.

GE Unveils the World’s First OLED Christmas Tree (609 diggs) Recently the OLED research team over at General Electric unveiled the world ’s first OLED Christmas Tree! Forging ahead of the usual end-of-the-year slowdown, GE’s Global Research Center headquarters in Niskayuna, NY rang in the holidays with a 6-inch-by-15-ft. OLED system all rolled-up into the form of a tree.