High Cost of Solar Energy

The sun packs some serious power. Even taking into account the all the energy that’s lost in space, enough still reaches Earth in an hour to power the entire planet, theoretically, for a year.
So why doesn’t the world harness all this energy?

The truth: Capturing that power, and putting it to work in the form of electricity, is relatively expensive.

It’s true that the cost of solar electricity has declined over the past ten years. Along the way, the popularity of solar electricity has risen. A decade ago, fewer than 25,000 solar cells and modules were shipped in the United States every year. In 2008, that number had skyrocketed to more than 500,000. But that is still a drop in the bucket. Only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the energy consumed in the United States came from solar sources in 2008.

Edmund Fitzgerald Exploration

DETROIT — Great Lakes explorer Frederick Shannon retired from diving about five years ago because of declining health.

The 64-year-old former police officer, who lives near Flint, Mich., is best known for his explorations of the wreckage of the sunken freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald. He spent about $75,000 to lease a two-man submarine to make seven dives into Lake Superior in July 1994.

Many family members of the 29 crewmembers lost when the ship sank on Nov. 10, 1975, were unhappy when he ventured to the wreck site. They were even more upset when he announced that a body could be seen and that he intended to release photos showing the discovery.

Belching Cows

When cows and other ruminants digest their food, methane builds up in their rumen, the largest chamber of their four-chambered stomach. Releasing that greenhouse gas -- mostly by belching -- accounts for 20 percent of all methane emissions in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
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That's a problem, because methane is a far more powerful contributor to climate change than, say, carbon dioxide, since it prevents more heat and radiation from escaping into space.

Weird California Weather

More lightning and thunder in a single day than we typically see in a year. Drenching rain in what was supposed to be a dry fall. An oddly cool summer, then record heat in November.
Is Orange County's wild weather somehow linked to planetary warming? Or is asking such a question falling prey to a very human tendency: magnifying local conditions to global proportions?

Climate experts say it's mostly a case of the latter.

No single weather event can be linked directly to global warming -- a statistical measure of changes over decades.

In other words, it's risky to draw conclusions about long-term climate patterns from a few weeks of weird weather.

Data Demand

Both Google and the government have taught us at least one important lesson: data rules. But despite supercomputers, sophisticated sensors and software from the smartest people on the planet, precise data is still lacking when it comes to fighting climate change. On Friday, U.S. officials said they will develop what they called the “first-ever, comprehensive and up-to-date database” of satellite images that will show land-use changes around the world.

The announcement, made from Beijing as the U.S. delegation powwowed with those from 85 countries and 58 other organizations to build the “Global Earth Observation System of Systems,” or GEOSS. GEOSS sounds grand and that’s the point: it wants to link all sorts of observation and data collection systems worldwide and promote technical standards and tools to speed up information gathering and processing.

Indonesian warns volcano 'could erupt for months'

Indonesian warns volcano 'could erupt for months'.

Nov 2 07:22 AM US/Eastern

A man rides a motorcycle as Mount Merapi spews hot clouds of ash in the bac...

In a time exposure photograph taken from Cangkringan village in Sleman dist...

Residents leave their villages on motorcycles in Klaten in Central Java as ...

Indonesia warned Tuesday its most active volcano could continue erupting for months as 50,000 remained in temporary shelters and airlines cancelled flights over the disaster-hit nation.

Searing grey fumes shot high into the sky and rolled down the slopes of the 2,914-metre (9616-foot) Mount Merapi six times after dawn, spreading fear and panic as the government issued an alert telling airlines to avoid the skies over central Java.

"It could go on for weeks, even months," government volcanologist Subandrio told AFP.

Almost 40 people have been killed since Merapi began erupting last week.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned to visit the shelters on Wednesday, his spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said.

"He will evaluate himself the handling of the Merapi victims by officials. He also wants to receive reports on whether the local government has faced any obstacles there," Pasha said.

Seismic activity escalated dramatically last week at the volcano on the densely populated island of Java, with increasing lava spurts and about 500 multi-phased volcanic earthquakes recorded.

But thousands defied an order to evacuate farmland on its fertile slopes, deciding instead to stay at their homes and tend their animals.

Field coordinator Widi Sutikno, of the Sleman district on the southern slopes, said those in danger had all now left.

"All of them have realised the danger of Merapi," Sutikno said.

He said that some of the people in makeshift camps had been suffering from cold and respiratory illness.

"None of them suffer from any chronic illness so far," Sutikno said.

Malaysia-based AirAsia said it had cancelled four flights linking Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta and nearby Solo, while Silk Air cancelled two flights between Singapore and Solo.

"The flights... to Yogya and Solo have been cancelled only for November 2," an AirAsia spokeswoman said, referring to four flights to and from the cities. The company later said the flights would resume on Wednesday.

A statement from SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, said a flight from Singapore to Solo and its return leg were cancelled.

"Our next scheduled Singapore-Solo flight is on Thursday and we are closely monitoring the situation," the statement said.

Meanwhile the distribution of aid continued to Indonesia's Mentawai islands, where more than 400 people were killed by a tsunami last week, despite difficulty in reaching victims.

"We're working very hard to ensure that aid reaches every affected area, including remote ones," West Sumatra provincial disaster management official Joskamatir said.

"Sometimes relief dropped from the helicopters may get stuck on trees or fall into the sea, but we're continuously sending them," he said.

Indonesia straddles major tectonic fault lines and is part of a region known as the "Ring of Fire" that circles the Pacific Ocean.

LONDON 2012 'Green' Olympics

The 2012 Olympics could fall short of its environmental pledges, the London Assembly has warned.

London 2012 pledged the Games will be the most sustainable in recent history.

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But the Going for Green report said a lack of electric vehicles, air pollution and renewable electricity targets were areas of concern.

The report praised London's 2012's approach to mapping its carbon footprint and its aim to reuse or recycle 90% of temporary materials.

Organizers should be applauded for their green pledges but "we don't want to see environmental standards compromised" in the run-up to the Games, Darren Johnson, chairman of the London Assembly's Environment Committee said.

Not securing more electric vehicles for the Olympic fleet was a "missed opportunity", the committee's report found.

It is still not clear how carbon emissions from travel to London will be reduced and a target on renewable electricity during the staging phase of the Games is unlikely to be met, it states.

London's air quality, which has also not improved as hoped since 2005, is also said to be a "particular concern".

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London 2012 - Begin your journey here

Forecasts suggest there will be harmful levels of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in crucial parts of London in 2012, the committee said.

Mr Johnson said: "London's air quality is a particular cause for concern, as failing to reduce levels of pollutants could have consequences for London's international reputation as well as the health of those attending the event.

"We also need to see clear targets for re-using temporary materials, more detail on how organisers will promote sustainable travel and plans for recycling facilities on site and around London."

A London 2012 spokesperson said: "LOCOG welcomes the report published today from the assembly, which credits the work undertaken by all the stakeholders to ensure that London 2012 is the most sustainable Games possible.

"The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 is the independent body set up to ensure this, and LOCOG works closely with them on all aspects of our work."