... Everything you need to know about the use of solar power to save you money and the planet
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The purpose of the blog is to make people aware of the environmental issues that are effecting us all around the world. In order to, address these environmental issues we as the occupants of this great planet need to contribute for a position outcome.
... Everything you need to know about the use of solar power to save you money and the planet
Often many kitchen Countertops showpiece or bathroom suite; exuding a sense of style and taste of homeowners. More than that though with modern achievements became possible to use environmentally friendly materials and manufacturing processes to minimize your impact on the planet.
For many people, ceramic tiles are used in the kitchen and bathroom.However, the same kind of recycled glass tiles can easily be. impacts of the production process used as bonding, consumes much less energy than to create something from Virgin material.
There are some downsides to so that there will be more easy to scratch the glass, and the form and shape can be less clothes on them. However, it is often used to add aspect of design and provides certain osâzatel'nost' on the surface.
Many companies are finding ways to reduce surface irregularity too so they become increasingly viable as countertops in the kitchen.However, to use the bathroom, they are strongly recommended for many reasons, designers and architects.
One of the best green surfaces for countertops is a compound document.As the name suggests, it consists of recycled paper and other fibrous materials; it is shredded, resin impregnated bonding.
As the surface of the kitchen is brilliant; being extremely hard and durable and resistant to heat a fantastically well.It is also highly resistant to scratches and tears, though naturally resistant to staining.
To maximize the lifespan material will just regular cleaning with non-abrasive cleaner and sponge.Although natural Stain resistant, treatment of natural mineral oil with helping to improve it, although it will also help lock in moisture as well.
Other great stuff for countertops throughout the House is a recycled plastic.These come in a huge range of colors, too, so it can be selected to fit in most designs and styles, however, although long, they can scratch, deformation and write in some cases.
An increasingly popular eco-friendly material is terrazzo; consists of road metal and glass and set in epoxy substrate or better yet, it's a long concrete extremely durable and fantastically low performance too.
Other environmentally countertops can be made of certain forests (especially reclaimed) and cement; However as with all of the above, it is often done in the production process, what really makes them green; so checking sources here is important.
There are many different types of countertops, each designed for specific tasks. If you want to know more about granite tile countertop or silestone countertops, visit our website for loads of free information.
Most of these classic energy video was created 20 years before the age of modern communication. Never low, set the contemporary phase of their daily gaining ground free energy movement.
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These days the environment sure has us all concerned. But we can't let it get in the way of our normal, everyday lifestyles and regular household duties. This Environmentally Friendly 20 Pocket Over the Door Shoe Organizer is a perfect compromise. It's sturdy, durable, and functional -- but it's also created from 70 percent recycled plastic bottles! Now you can organize your life and save the planet all at once! Available with 20 pockets for your shoes and sandals, this Hanging, Organizing dynamo boasts hooks to attach over your door! The Environmentally Friendly 20 Pocket Over the Door Shoe Organizer is available in a delightful, charming Black Herringbone. It's the perfect way to stay on top of clutter, without forget about the environment! Assembly level/degree of difficulty: No Assembly Required.Price:
Are you concerned about the environment? You are looking for a way to be a little greener? Believe it or not the kitchen can be a great place to start with eco-friendly household. For eco-friendly homes from your kitchen, try these great tips.
Growth and Herb garden: Growing Indoor herb garden is a great way to start a green kitchen. Not only for growing your own herbs helps ensure you stay organic, but he also enhance every meal. Choose a few of your favorite herbs (basil, thyme, oregano and garlic are popular ones) to get a couple of clay pots and start your garden.
You want to set up your plants on a windowsill where they will get a lot of sunlight.
Check your online gourmet retailers as igourmet for herb garden sets that will give you everything you need to start your garden. Good brews: if you love the morning cup of coffee, consider buying and brewing your own fair trade coffee. Although most coffee mass produced or made through not organic, fair-trade products processes work "pretty" offset less famers time and product. Farmers who participate in the tradition of fair trade used organic means of production, harvest and sell their products.
Fair trade products is not limited to coffee; Many retailers for gourmets offers a wide range of fair trade products, including sugars, syrups and teas take it to go: did you know that more than two million cups styromfoam used for morning cup of coffee and then just tossed in the trash. Do your part to reduce waste, intractable decomposition of your morning cup of coffee or tea and home.
If you want to enjoy your warm drink while you drive or at work, consider investing in a mug of good travel can be a good idea.
Make your coffee to go and take it with you in reusable travel mug will help you save time, money and the environment.
Say no to plastic: you found your lunch to work or refrigeration, consider getting rid of plastic baggies and saran Wrap and replacing it again Tupperware containers.
Use and reuse containers will help reduce the amount of product you waist, and he will eventually hold your sandwiches or last night's dinner fresh anymore. Use dish towels and napkins for reuse: when you're finished, washing dishes and you want to wipe your hands seconds and think that you are using. Many people use a paper towel, wipe them clean, damp hands and begin to toss it in the trash.
A great way to reduce the waste of paper and work towards and kitchen towels, napkins and switch multiple hands. Buy a few popular cloth diapers for your dining table and simply wash them after your done using them. I'm not saying you need to get rid of the paper towel rolls all along. Sometimes they really come in handy for dining, you don't want to clean with reusable cloth.When you buy paper towels, look for brands that use recycled paper to manufacture towels; after all, they're just going back to the basket.
For large organic cooking ingredients, including herb garden suites and honest products visit igourmet. treat your friends and colleagues during the upcoming holidays from igourmet gift baskets. visit igourmet for large holiday gift baskets and gourmet gift basket

When life gets messy, clean it up with Seventh Generation's strong, absorbent & virtually lint free 100% Recycled Paper Towels, made with a minimum 80% post consumer recycled content. We keep our paper products simple by never adding any dyes or fragrances during the paper making process. Processed without chemicals containing chlorine, our paper towels are gentle on the earth yet tough on spills.
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Handmade from 100% recycled leather, with a natural hessian lining, this eco friendly Apple iPad case also doubles up as a stand, so you can view your Apple iPad in landscape and portrait mode (and stay on the good side of Mother Nature).Price:
Eco-friendly products
Purchase environmentally friendly products – a great way to show that you care about the environment. Eco-friendly products are classified as such, because the path they are reducing the use of natural resources or uses the previously used resources to create new products. Production of recycled paper products often require less raw materials, means that many natural resources may be left in place without harm to obtain raw materials for manufacturing.Processes that are used to produce these products often safer than traditional manufacturing processes, and if you would like to know how to provide a safe environment and suitable for people in the future, knowing about the advantages of using environmentally friendly products can help you achieve your goals.
Less raw material
Organic food is often uses less resources than traditional products, which means that the destruction of the environment, foresting trees and other natural resources, and does not use eco-friendly products. Instead, manufacturers use natural materials or recycled materials, which can be transformed into an entirely new products.
Ecological production processes
The creators of eco-friendly products often have a commitment to the environment, and making sales.This means that many of the production processes used safer or more environmentally. instead of using the processes that lead to waste and emissions of harmful chemicals, manufactures environmentally sound processes, reduce waste and reduce any by-products which could harm the environment.
Comparable to traditional products
Purchase of environmentally friendly recycled products or does not mean you are buying the goods of poor quality; instead, the processes used to ensure environmentally sound products have been refined to produce products that are high quality and comparable value of the product with the traditional process.Buying organic food is not a waste of money and an excellent use of your funds to support the work of the producers committed to protect the environment and use what is available without wasting resources or hazardous waste.
A wide variety of products
Because organic products are manufactured from a variety of materials, there is a wide range of materials can be dyed products. do the number of colors and each of the material used gives the product specific texture or looks. purchase environmentally friendly products doesn't mean buying a monochromatic paper or boring giftware. instead, you can put your money to good use by buying a beautiful gift that will please the recipient and to the protection of the environment at the same time.
As you can see, purchase environmentally friendly products is an all-around good solution, which you can be proud of. conservation of natural resources, waste money on company who use safer production processes and get great value for money, you are wasting everyone wins when you buy organic and recycled products spread the word and you will be able to help others understand the benefits of environmentally sound products and further help protect your environment.
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Eco-friendly gifts
Eco-friendly gifts perfect for birthdays, anniversaries and other holidays. Quality eco-friendly gifts, usually is comparable to or even better than quality gifts that are as environmentally sound.Because there are a wide variety of green gifts in the market, you have many great ideas to choose from you will be able to buy gifts for everyone on your list and do your part to protect the environment.
Gifts from the recovered document
In fact you can give a lot of gifts made from recycled paper.Quality recycled paper is just as good as paper, made from raw materials so you can give a gift of quality and continue to do your part to protect the environment.This paper is presents how to journals, diaries, stationery sets, note cards, and similar items: simply because they are created from recycled paper does not mean that they are going to be a simple or waste paper can be dyed bored. lots of colors and gifts can be made in a wide range of styles and textures. With a wide variety of gifts you are sure to find something that will love your friends and family members.
Nature Themed clothing
Clothes featuring plants, animals and flowers is popular with nature lovers can enjoy if you shop, offering nature, you will have a large selection to choose from. Jackets, t-shirts and other apparel can be nature scenes, imprinted on them for your favorite nature lover.If you want to configure these components, you may even have a name embroidered or printed each extra-special gift items.Many of these items can be made with natural fibres to be eco-friendly gift that will benefit your loved one.
Donations of time and money
If you have someone really concerned about conservation, reclamation and environment, you can give the perfect gift by donating your time or money to the environment that they support.Many groups will allow you to donate money in honor of someone, you can simply send a check and the Organization will take care of sending a gift to the recipient if you want to donate your time, you can voluntarily in recycling center or nature center, or even spend time cleaning your community's eco-friendly gift that costs nothing but your time and willingness to help.
Provision of environmentally friendly gifts is a great way to show your friends and family with a love of nature that you care about their interests, even the simplest gift will appreciate it if it shows that you thought about your favorite enjoys and gave them that are in keeping with its eco-friendly lifestyle, not only will you give the perfect gift that your loved ones can enjoy for a long time, you will do its part to buy eco-friendly gifts and protect your own environment.
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Media Release June 2010
Befitting its home in the Sunshine State, the University of Queensland will soon host the largest flat panel solar facility in Australia, developed and installed by leading solar company Ingenero in collaboration with Trina Solar – one of the world’s largest and most innovative solar PV companies. The University of Queensland’s (UQ) St Lucia campus in Brisbane will soon be home to a 1.2MW solar system installed across four roofs. The system will incorporate cutting edge solar technology, including over 5000 polycrystalline silicon solar panels manufactured by Trina Solar. The installation of this large-scale solar energy system will not only provide UQ with a significant source of clean green energy but also will supply invaluable data on the positive effect that embedded solar generators can have within power distribution networks. It is the latest project in a range of renewable energy based research projects Ingenero and UQ have closely collaborated on over the last two years.“ The UQ solar power installation represents the leading edge of commercial and industrial scale solar energy in Australia. The University will substantially reduce their carbon footprint and provide an excellent learning facility for the future leaders in the renewable energy industry”, said Ingenero CEO Steve McRae.Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield commended the State Government for its commitment to solar research and technology. “UQ will show leadership as a generator and user of solar energy and also as a provider of internationally-recognised teaching, research and development regarding solar technologies,” Professor Greenfield said. Professor Paul Meredith who leads the research project at the University of Queensland said: “Not only is this array a significant piece of energy infrastructure for UQ, but it also represents a globally leading research and teaching facility. Our objective is to integrate the array into everyday business across UQ and also provide the community, industry and government with vital information on how to deploy and optimize solar energy systems at this scale. We are looking forward to building productive and expansive research partnerships with Ingenero and Trina Solar. ”As part of the UQ project, Ingenero are donating a SolFocus Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) array for research and teaching purposes. Trina Solar will also contribute to UQ’s research activities by collaborating on several leading edge solar technology research projects.This successful tender from Ingenero follows another significant milestone for the local Brisbane company who were also awarded a major solar project for the Alice Springs Airport. That 235kW facility is the first SolFocus CPV Power Station to be built in the Southern Hemisphere and will generate up to 28% of the airport’s energy requirement
Befitting its home in the Sunshine State, the University of Queensland will soon host the largest flat panel solar facility in Australia, developed and installed by leading solar company Ingenero in collaboration with Trina Solar – one of the world’s largest and most innovative solar PV companies.
The University of Queensland’s (UQ) St Lucia campus in Brisbane will soon be home to a 1.2MW solar system installed across four roofs. The system will incorporate cutting edge solar technology, including over 5000 polycrystalline silicon solar panels manufactured by Trina Solar.
The installation of this large-scale solar energy system will not only provide UQ with a significant source of clean green energy but also will supply invaluable data on the positive effect that embedded solar generators can have within power distribution networks. It is the latest project in a range of renewable energy based research projects Ingenero and UQ have closely collaborated on over the last two years.
“The UQ solar power installation represents the leading edge of commercial and industrial scale solar energy in Australia. The University will substantially reduce their carbon footprint and provide an excellent learning facility for the future leaders in the renewable energy industry”, said Ingenero CEO Steve McRae.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield commended the State Government for its commitment to solar research and technology.
“UQ will show leadership as a generator and user of solar energy and also as a provider of internationally-recognised teaching, research and development regarding solar technologies,” Professor Greenfield said.
Professor Paul Meredith who leads the research project at the University of Queensland said: “Not only is this array a significant piece of energy infrastructure for UQ, but it also represents a globally leading research and teaching facility. Our objective is to integrate the array into everyday business across UQ and also provide the community, industry and government with vital information on how to deploy and optimize solar energy systems at this scale. We are looking forward to building productive and expansive research partnerships with Ingenero and Trina Solar.
”As part of the UQ project, Ingenero are donating a SolFocus Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) array for research and teaching purposes. Trina Solar will also contribute to UQ’s research activities by collaborating on several leading edge solar technology research projects.
This successful tender from Ingenero follows another significant milestone for the local Brisbane company who were also awarded a major solar project for the Alice Springs Airport. That 235kW facility is the first SolFocus CPV Power Station to be built in the Southern Hemisphere and will generate up to 28% of the airport’s energy requirements.
Ingenero is the market leader in delivering commercial and industrial solutions that allow its customers to access cost-effective renewable energy, accelerating their move to sustainability.
Their Systems Integration Laboratory, research partnerships with the University of Queensland, and extensive remote monitoring capabilities make Ingenero the supplier of choice to commercial and industrial power users.
Ingenero offers a range of turnkey and outsourced solar power solutions including Power Purchase Agreements which allow users to access all the benefits of solar power without the upfront costs of on-site solar power generation.
Ingenero's installations are supported by extensive maintenance and warranty provisions.
Ingenero also meets the needs of the residential market for solar power and hot water.
Another offshore oil rig exploded and caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico on yesterday [Sept. 2, 2010], sending 13 crew members into the water and reigniting the debate about the safety of offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters.
The offshore oil platform, owned by Mariner Energy, was operating in shallow water (about 340 feet deep), when it caught fire. Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze, but it looks as though it may have started in the crew's quarters. The Coast Guard initially reported a mile-long sheen of oil spreading from the damaged offshore rig, but later said that boats and aircraft were unable to spot any oil. The latest reports are that the accident probably did not spill any oil into the Gulf.
After the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire in April, which killed 11 workers and spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf over the next three-months, President Obama declared a 6-month moratorium on deepwater offshore oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mariner Energy accident, although minor by comparison, already has many people calling for a moratorium on all offshore drilling until tighter safety and operational regulations can be put in place.
According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, the new agency that overseas offshore oil and gas development, there are currently 3,333 offshore platforms drilling in depths of less than 500 feet, and 74 offshore wells in deeper water. Accidents are not uncommon--more than 100 fires occur every year on offshore platforms in the Gulf--but most are relatively minor incidents not unlike those that happen in any industrial facility.
What is more troubling is that Mariner Energy, like BP before it, has a long history of serious safety and regulatory violations that have led to repeated oil and chemical spills, severe worker injuries ranging from burns to paralysis, and, in the case of BP, a number of worker fatalities. BP and Mariner Energy are not alone. For the companies that drill for gas and oil in U.S. waters, the profits are so great, and the penalties so small for safety violations and on-the-cheap operations that having to pay occasional fines and damages is a relatively painless cost of doing business.
BP is facing the potential of stiffer penalties after the Deepwater Horizon spill, but the corporate lawyers are already hard at work trying to minimize the company's liability and finding ways to deny damages to people along the Gulf who suffered serious financial hardships as a result of BP's negligence.
Anyone who doubts the companies' attitudes about worker safety and environmental protection are cavalier should take a look at the nearly identical response plans the oil companies filed in support of their applications for offshore leases in the Gulf. While the companies claim the ability to quickly and effectively handle an oil spill several times worse than the Deepwater Horizon spill, their plans are filled with blank pages, misinformation, and strategies completely inadequate for that task.
While it is unrealistic to think that the Unites States will permanently stop companies from drilling offshore for oil and gas in American waters, it is not unreasonable to expect the government to institute effective regulations designed to protect the lives and health of workers and the natural environment, to make sure those regulations are followed to the letter, and to force violators to pay damages and penalties that are equal to their crimes.
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare wrote: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Shakespeare's point, of course, was that the true nature of a thing matters more than what we call it.
Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, might not agree. Holdren says that the term "global warming" is a "dangerous misnomer," which should be replaced by "global climate disruption."
Holdren suggested a similar name change during a 2007 speech at Harvard University, but he made the point twice more within the past couple of weeks, first in his presentation at the 2010 Kavli Prize Science Forum in Oslo, Norway on September 6 and again during his remarks at the Environmental Protection Agency's 40th anniversary celebration of the Clean Air Act on September 14.
According to Holdren, the term "global warming" implies something "gradual" and "uniform across the planet" that is "mainly about temperature" and "quite possibly benign." Instead, Holdren says, what's really happening is "highly non-uniform, not just about temperature, rapid, compared to capacities for adjustment" and "harmful for most places and times."
In other words, Holdren thinks "global warming" sounds cozy rather than catastrophic, and that calling the phenomenon something that offers a more precise description of an urgent problem--one that we ignore at our peril--may help shake people out of their complacency and make them take notice, perhaps even motivate them to take action.
Chances are Holdren's new name for global warming won't catch on, but it's worth a try.
With climate legislation stalled in Congress, no effective international treaties in place to control greenhouse gas emissions, every Republican Senate candidate in 2010 a confirmed climate denier, and polls showing public concern about global warming rising and falling faster than temperatures surrounding a summer hailstorm, something needs to change besides the climate.
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From 1 August 2010 a feed-in tariff 40 c per kilowatt hour for offered households in WA excess solar energy which produce and on the grid is einfließen.Die rate next to the buy-back systems, through synergy and horizon power.
The WA Government has determined the feed-in tariff homeowners 10 years dedicated is however the schema reviewed every three years to or after every 10 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy.
For more information please visit for energy website.
http://www.ingenero.com.au/Admin/Reports/Updates
Australian primary and secondary schools can regain access to install financing up to $ 50,000 to solar power systems on their roofs.The climate change penny Wong announced it would with $ 51 million in funding, 2010.Anwendungen reopen from 15 July are again closed on 20 August.
Since beginning the national solar schools program 2008 more than 6 MW solar energy was installed enough makes a city 1200 households.
Click here to find out what offers recognised schools Ingenero.
For more information about the program, see the official media release.
Ingenero the 750-year solar power system installed on a roof of the school, as part of the Queensland Government solar and efficiency program, which aims to put solar energy in all Queensland Government schools.
Install the Yeronga state high school in mid-April was number 234 for Ingenero.
Ingenero is one of the three suppliers to the Queensland Government program.
Halloween is spooky by nature, but it doesn't have to be a scary time for the environment. You can have a jack-o-lantern full of Halloween fun while helping to protect and preserve the environment.
Following a few simple green Halloween tips--from equipping your little ghouls and goblins with reusable bags for trick-or-treating to giving eco-friendly treats can help you and your family have a green Halloween celebration.
If your favorite green Halloween advice or activity doesn't appear on our list, go to our Readers Respond page for this topic to share your tips with other readers.
Photo courtesy of Ronnie Bergeron
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With Halloween just around the corner, what better time to learn how you can slay the energy vampires that may be sucking the life out of your household budget? These few tips can help you save energy and money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
Another great way to stop energy vampires dead in their tracks is to request a free home energy audit from your local utility.
Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Press release 21 April 2010
Alice Springs Airport will soon derive 28 solar array over a quarter of its total electricity needs which the Sun across the sky every day - like a giant sunflower field.
The leading Australia solar power company, Ingenero Pty Ltd, design and construct a solar power station 235 kW for the Flughafen.Teil of project "Alice solar city", the power plant solar concentrator high technology will use American company Solfocus.
A field next to the airport terminal soon home of 28 concentrated photovoltaic arrays, each pole mounted and developed, to maximum energy capture by tracking the path of the Sun on the Himmel.Jedes year that will produce solar power station of 600 megawatt electricity equivalent performance of about 70 houses in Alice Springs used.
At the end of each 8.4 kW array will close for the night (a) through its panels turn off a few degrees vertically (such as a sunflower) to protect against dust and other hazards.
"Alice Springs is the ideal place for concentrated photovoltaic especially with its status as an Australian Government solar is proud City.Ingenero, this exciting solar technology bring Australia for the first time to", said Rodger Whitby, GM of the Ingenero generation.
The power plant, one of the five iconic projects planned for Alice solar city, is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere sein.Das system includes highly efficient triple junction photovoltaic (PV) cells originally developed for satellite in space.This PV cells are suitable for operation at twice the efficiency of standard solar cells and uses much higher Temperaturen.Die Solfocus technology also panels, the inexpensive mirrored dishes advanced to focus approx. 300 mm diameter from sun rays of 650 times.
At solar power station.produce approximately 28% of electricity and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 470 tonnes CO2e per year.
Ingenero CEO Steve McRae said "Alice Springs Airport provided visionary finding this world that has Solfocus CPV technology and the Australian Government valuable financial support for the project."
The project will begin until half the Australian Government under the solar cities program meets werden.Bau in the next few weeks $ 2.3 million cost and expected August 2010 will be completed.
Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Solfocus, Steve Horne, originally from Australia, said, "CPV works best in environments with clear skies and little cloud cover - so is most of Australia except coastal fringe bedeutet.SolFocus is very optimistic about the future prospects for our technology in Australia and we are very pleased that we will enter this market with Ingenero as a development partner."
Ingenero is the leader in commercial and industrial solutions to its customers cost-effective renewable energy access allow to accelerate their move to sustainability.
Your systems integration laboratory, research partnerships with the University of Queensland and extensive remote monitoring functions for a supplier of choice for commercial and industrial power users make Ingenero.
Ingenero offers a range of turnkey and outsourced solar power solutions, including power purchase agreements users all the benefits of solar energy without the initial cost of in place solar energy generation can access.
Ingenero's-installations are supported by extensive maintenance and warranty provisions.
The residential market for solar energy and hot water also complies Ingenero.
Australian primary and secondary schools can again access funding of up to $50,000 to install solar power systems on their rooftops. The Minister for Climate Change Penny Wong announced the program would reopen with $51 million in funding, starting 15 July 2010. Applications will close again on 20 August.
Since the National Solar Schools Program began in 2008 more than 6 MW of solar power has been installed, enough to power a town of 1200 households.
To find out what Ingenero is offering to approved schools, click here.
For more information on the program see the official media release.
Climate change may be decreasing pollination by disrupting the natural synchronization between the times when flowers open each spring and when bees emerge from their winter hibernation, according to new research.
Scientists, farmers and beekeepers have been worried for some time about the mysterious disappearance of honeybees due to colony collapse disorder as well as declining populations of other pollinators, especially given the importance of pollination to agriculture and the world food supply. Roughly one-third of all fruits and vegetables, not to mention most flowers, depend on bees and other pollinators for their very existence.
James Thomson, a biologist at the University of Toronto, conducted a 17-year pollination study on glacier lilies in the Colorado Rockies, an area relatively free of pesticides and human disturbance, but still subject to climate change. He routinely compared glacier lilies that he pollinated by hand with those he left to pollinate naturally. Over the years, he found a progressive decline in pollination among the flowers he left untreated.
Thomson said more research would be needed to see whether the trend was global or local, whether it would continue, and to confirm whether climate change was really the primary driver.
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In Tuesday's primary election, Tea Party favorite and Sarah Palin prot?g? Christine O'Donnell upset U.S. Rep. Mike Castle of Delaware to win the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. In one sense, O'Donnell's victory was a clean sweep. As a result of her win, every GOP Senate candidate now either denies any connection between human activity and global warming, denies the need for legislation to address climate change, or both.
Castle, a strong environmental activist, was the only GOP Senate candidate in 2010 to recognize the dangers of global warming and the need for a comprehensive approach to control greenhouse gas emissions. Even former climate advocates such as U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) have chosen partisan politics over science, drunk the climate-denier Kool-Aid, and gone over to the dark side. (Check out The Wonk Room to see where other GOP Senate candidates in 2010 stand on key climate issues.)
McCain, once considered an environmental advocate, now opposes the cap-and-trade policy he once championed and opposes the EPA finding that greenhouse gases are pollution. In 2009, Kirk voted for the Waxman-Markey climate bill, which includes a cap-and-trade program, and said: "There is now a growing scientific consensus that the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide affects average temperatures." Kirk now says that he would vote against climate legislation in the Senate.
But let's get back to Castle and O'Donnell.
According to Castle's congressional website: "Believing that we must act now to mitigate the impact of global warming pollution, Rep. Castle supports U.S. participation in international agreements and a cap-and-trade program based on the best available science, which will deliver the kind of reform business and industry need to grow the economy, stabilize the climate, and create more diverse and secure sources of energy. Since 2004, Rep. Castle has supported the Climate Stewardship Act. Rep. Castle believes we can achieve 15-20% reductions in global warming pollution by 2020 and reductions on the order of 80% by 2050."
The League of Conservation Voters consistently named Castle an "Environmental Champion" for his leadership on environmental issues, and he scored a perfect 100 on the second annual Congressional scorecard by the Republicans for Environmental Protection. In Congress, Castle opposed efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration and drilling, and worked to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware River and America's beaches and coastal areas.
By contrast, O'Donnell has attacked legislative action on climate change as a "cap and tax energy scheme which would kill 6,117 Delaware jobs." Actually, a carbon cap-and-trade program would increase jobs, lower electricity bills, enhance American competitiveness in the global economy, and help to prevent the most serious effects of climate change.
O'Donnell has no actual record on environmental issues, because she has never held office. She has been keeping busy, however, working as an abstinence counselor, railing against masturbation, which she equates with adultery, and accusing her primary opponent (Castle) of everything from homosexuality to directing campaign workers to break into her home in 2008 (there is no police report to corroborate that any break-in ever occurred).
Throughout her campaign, O'Donnell has been dogged by a string of accusations about financial misconduct, ranging from failing to pay college debts and federal income taxes to illegally using campaign contributions for rent and other personal expenses.
Ironically, O'Donnell's primary victory over Mike Castle is likely to be a bigger problem for Republicans than Democrats. Castle was expected to defeat Democrat Chris Coons in the general election, giving the Republicans another Senate seat in their bid to take back Congress. O'Donnell's chances of beating Coons are much lower, especially since Castle has refused to endorse her and the Republican Party isn't offering much help or support. On the other hand, O'Donnell's unexpected victory over Castle has energized Coons and the Democratic Party, which had considered the seat as good as lost before Tuesday's upset.
According to his campaign website, Coons favors a federal action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve greater energy efficiency, and he is calling for a nationwide carbon cap-and-trade program. As a county executive in Delaware, Coons also took steps to rein in energy consumption, control emissions, and lower costs for taxpayers.
Sending Castle to the Senate would have been a win for the environment. Sending O'Donnell would not. From an environmental perspective, Coons is clearly the best Senate candidate on the Delaware ballot.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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The Federal Government has clarified the tax rules for pensioners who have solar power systems at their homes.
If the feed-in tariff is paid as a credit on a power bill, the credit is not deemed to be income. However power sold back into the grid in return for cash, credit or direct deposit is considered income for tax purposes.
Single pensioners are able to earn up to $142 a fortnight without affecting the amount of pension they receive and couples combined can earn up to $248 a fortnight without affecting the amount of pension they receive.
For more information see the media release from Minister Jenny Macklin.