Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Dutch Profiles: Joost Swarte Comics Artist

TEDxOilSpill: Renewable Liquid Fuels by Klaus Lackner

Klaus Lackner is the Ewing Worzel Professor of Geophysics at Columbia University, where he is also the Director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, and a member of the Earth Institute faculty.

Dutch Profiles: Klavers van Engelen Fashion Designers: Wearing the Concept

Plastics from renewable resources by University of Waikato

University of Waikato Senior Lecturer Johan Verbeek discusses his research which focuses on making useful products from waste materials. A specific focus is turning bloodmeal into a thermoplastic. The technology is being commercialised through spinout company Novatein (www.novatein.co.nz) created by WaikatoLink.

Unlike plant based bio-plastics, this environmentally friendly bio-resin does not use food or food additive ingredients in its process. The bio-resin can be profitably produced to compete with petrochemical derived plastic resins and bio-plastic resins.

Ford EVOS Concept: Trailer

Making its global debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the Ford Evos Concept represents the ultimate expression of Ford's new global design language, and explores key future powertrain and vehicle technologies. Created as a bespoke concept vehicle, the fastback introduces Ford's first truly global design language as the momentum of the company's One Ford product plan continues to build.

"The Ford Evos Concept unites three key elements which are at the core of our One Ford global product strategy: outstanding design, smart technologies and fuel economy leadership," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development. "With its compelling design and innovative technology experience, this is a clear demonstration of the exciting vision we have for the Ford brand. While you will never see this car on the road, the next generation of Ford products around the world will display many of the distinctive design ideas and advanced technologies it showcases."

Dutch Profiles: Jan Jansen Shoe Designer

Kushal Solar Car: First Nepali Solar Car By Kushal K.C

Dutch Students Prepare for Fifth World Solar Challenge Race Win

A team of Dutch students are using carbon fibers and tailored drivers' suits to make their car faster than ever in the 2011 World Solar Challenge in Australia. They've already won the trans-continental event four times and now, they're determined to make it five.

A team of Dutch students have been testing what they hope will prove to be the world's fastest solar car at this year's World Solar Challenge. Dozens of teams from the world's most prestigious technical universities and colleges will compete from October 16-23. The course runs from Darwin to Adelaide in a single stage, for a total distance of 1,864 miles (3,000 kilometers). Thirteen Dutch students put their studies on hold for a year-and-a-half to design Nuna 6, the latest version of solar car Nuna.

2011 Solar Car Challenge at TMS

Solar powered car from Cambridge University

A car made for the World Solar Challenge 2011. The video is produced by the Intel Corporation with participation from Cambridge University and its Engineering Department.


Floating Solar Panels at a Vineyard in Napa, California

At a vineyard in Napa, California, 1,000 solar panels float on top of this irrigation pond generating enough power to eliminate $100,000 annual electric bill. that's not the own savings. this is some of the greatest cabernet in the world and we would somewhere will to have pulled these vines out to make room for solar panels. pulling this out would be like removing 150,000 dollars of revenue from us a year.

Opportunities of Renewable Energy at Island Sumba, Indonesia

Meet Island Sumba, an Indonesian island home to more than 650,000 people. Many of them do not have access to energy, which makes living conditions difficult. At night there is no light to do homework for example, or to continue working. Electricity that is available is generated with diesel generators. This is going to change. Hivos, in collaboration with others such as governments, the energy company and anyone who wishes to cooperate, is going to supply Sumba of 100% sustainable energy. Access to energy is something everyone is entitled to, and furthermore a vital condition to create more prosperity.

Dutch Profiles: Venhoeven CS - Sportplaza Mercator Amsterdam

Latin America's First Solar Soccer Stadium: PituaƧu Stadium in Salvador da Bahia

A 403 kW solar array will be installed on the roof of PituaƧu Stadium in Salvador da Bahia, the third largest city in Brazil. Gehrlicher Ecoluz Solar do Brasil S.A has been awarded a contract for the planning and construction of the photovoltaic system, the first on a soccer stadium in Latin America.

The project will utilise flexible lightweight solar panels made by Uni-Solar and monocrystalline modules manufactured by Yingli. This isn't Yingli's first brush with soccer - in 2010, Yingli became the first renewable energy company in history to sponsor the FIFA World Cup

Source: Renewable Energy News

Giggawattz Ocean Wave Energy Converter

Giggawattz is the first in a new class as the only Lateral Wave Energy Conversion System in the world. Giggawattz is designed to be deployed in a continuous series parallel to the coast thereby harnessing the energy from the entire breadth of the approaching waves.

The Global Potential of Tidal Energy

Scotland is now at the epicenter of the Global tidal power renewable energy revolution. This video highlights the global potential of tidal energy, Scotland's leading role in tidal power development and reviews some of the technical, environmental and social challenges facing the tidal power developers.



Tidal Power in Maine

Wajir Solar Pump

Rise of solar panel energy in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's power plants do not generate enough energy to meet demand, leaving 70 per cent of villagers without electricity. The government has encouraged local companies to invest in solar energy.

NASA STERO Spacecraft Track Solar Storms From Sun To Earth

NASA's STEREO spacecraft and new data processing techniques have succeeded in tracking space weather events from their origin in the Sun's ultrahot corona to impact with the Earth 96 million miles away, resolving a 40-year mystery about the structure of the structures that cause space weather: how the structures that impact the Earth relate to the corresponding structures in the solar corona.
Despite many instruments that monitor the Sun and a fleet of near-earth probes, the connection between near-Earth disturbances and their counterparts on the Sun has been obscure, because CMEs and the solar wind evolve and change during the 96,000,000 mile journey from the Sun to the Earth.

STEREO includes "heliospheric imager" cameras that monitor the sky at large angles from the Sun, but the starfield and galaxy are 1,000 times brighter than the faint rays of sunlight reflected by free-floating electron clouds inside CMEs and the solar wind; this has made direct imaging of these important structures difficult or impossible, and limited understanding of the connection between space storms and the coronal structures that cause them.

Newly released imagery reveals absolute brightness of detailed features in a large geoeffective CME in late 2008, connecting the original magnetized structure in the Sun's corona to the intricate anatomy of an interplanetary storm as it impacted the Earth three days later. At the time the data were collected, in late 2008, STEREO-A was nearly 45 degrees ahead of the Earth in its orbit, affording a very clear view of the Earth-Sun line.

Renewable Energy off New Jersey's Coast

"By measuring the speed of the water, experts can identify locations that will produce the most power [for a hydrokinetic turbine]. The faster the current, the more power produced." "Tidal power could be the source of 10% of the state's energy within the next 4 years."

Harnessing Wave Energy

Energy from ocean waves seems like the ultimate in renewable fuel, yet research lags behind studies of solar and wind power. Research now underway is based on ocean buoy generators. As ocean swells hit the buoy, electrical coils create electricity.

Ocean Power: Racks & Rake Wheel Converting Kinetic Energy Of Fluid Currents Into Electricity

A new invention using simple mechanical "Double acting rack and rake wheel" devices to convert various components of Ocean/Sea waves and fluid currents, including wind currents, into electricity.

A secure energy: A modern power - Geo Thermal and Water Energy

A secure energy: A modern power - Wind and Geo Thermal Energy

A secure energy: A modern power - Solar Energy

Deep-Ocean Vents Power 5 Times Greater than Nuclear Power Plants

The Marshall System claims to be the first and only system to unlock the awesome power of deep-ocean hydrothermal vents for energy, mining, and water desalination. The system is completely non-polluting. Whereas, the largest nuclear power plant in the US has the ability to power 4,000,000 homes, one Marshall System plant could power 20,000,000 homes.

Fukushima radioactive seawater plume = spreading across entire Pacific Ocean

Grueling Microlight Marathon Wraps Up in Sydney

A British paraplegic has successfully flown from England to Australia on his own in a microlight. The journey of nearly 12,000 miles took Yorkshireman Dave Sykes more than four months

This Week @NASA: ISS Supply Ship Lost

The unpiloted Progress 44 spacecraft scheduled to deliver three tons of food, fuel and other supplies to the International Space Station fails to make orbit and crashes in southwest Russia. Also, ISS commercial cargo carrier; Stennis' new facility; Shannon's key; music man; and more.

NASA's Chandra Finds "Nearby" Black Holes

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered the first pair of supermassive black holes in a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Approximately 160 million light years from Earth, the pair is the nearest known such phenomenon. The black holes are located near the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 3393. Separated by only 490 light years, the black holes are likely the remnant of a merger of two galaxies of unequal mass a billion or more years ago.

The FloDesign Wind Turbine

Revolutionary New Wind Turbine Design: The Flower Power Wind Tamer Wind Turbine

The Wind Tamer wind turbine is a revolutionary new wind turbine design based on one of nature's most beautiful creations, the flower. WindTamer Corporation, the inventors of this unique 'flower styled' turbine have done an outstanding job by creating a wind turbine design which could not be criticized by even the loudest of wind turbine opponents who often say that wind turbines are an 'eyesore' in the landscape.

Wind Lens: New Wind Turbine Design Can Triple Energy Production

Amazing: Paraplegic pilot flies solo from UK to Australia

A British paraplegic pilot has touched down in Sydney after flying all the way from the UK in a microlight. Dave Sykes covered nearly 12,000 miles (19,312 kilometres) after leaving the northern English city of York on April 28. Sykes's achievement was all the more remarkable given that he lost the use of his legs following a motorcycle accident in 1993. Raising money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity, the 43-year-old battled dust storms, torrential rain and an electric storm over Myanmar.

2011 'Tokai Challenger' Solar Car Will Enter The World Solar Challenge

Countdown to the World Conservation Congress

Enrique Lahmann, Director of IUCN's World Conservation Congress which will take place from 6 to 15 September 2012 in Jeju, in the Republic of Korea, explains how different this event will be compared to other conservation meetings and what issues will be in the centre of the debate.

Peter Bakker debriefs private sector on Horn of Africa emergency

TEDxSantaCruz 2011: (R)evolutionary Medicine by Rachel Abrams

Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, MHS opened the award-winning Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine & Chi Center in 2008 where she manages and works with 15 practitioners and 10 instructors to provide the highest level of care from conventional and holistic medicine. She is a graduate of Stanford University with a medical degree from the University of California San Francisco and a masters degree from the University of California Berkeley. She is Board Certified in both Family Medicine and Integrative and Holistic Medicine and uses treatments from both conventional and holistic medicine to help create ideal health for her patients. Dr. Abrams is the author of two books and teaches workshops and classes regularly in Santa Cruz and throughout the country.

Dutch Profiles: Michael van Gessel Landscape Arcitecture - Park Twickel

Dutch Profiles: Soeters Van Eldonk Architects

TEDxSantaCruz 2011: The Solar Window Of Opportunity by Joe Jordan

Joe Jordan worked at NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute for more than 20 years, serving on various projects, including flying observatories for infrared astronomy, Hubble Space Telescope design, studies of stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate change, the search for planets around distant stars, image analysis from the first Mars rover, and investigations of Saturn's rings and the atmosphere of its moon Titan. In the last few years he's been teaching renewable energy at Cabrillo College and San Jose State University. He leads "physics-in-nature" hikes and astronomy/stargazing evenings for various organizations or events in this area and elsewhere. He's on the Board of Directors of Ecology Action, and long ago helped steer them in the direction of their now primary work on modernizing energy infrastructure. He originated the very first public-facility solar-energy projects in Santa Cruz, including the large-scale deployment of solar-energy systems on several of our schools. Sky-power to the people!

Witness: Field of Hope in Congo

One woman's enterprise helps DR Congo's rape survivors to find healing and an independent income through farming.

TEDxHayward 2011: The Things in Life That Really Matter by Jessica Margolin

Jessica Margolin is an Impact Investor and Social Entrepreneur who has over 15 years experience helping communities and organizations align with their long-term sustainability and developmental goals.

At HIP Investor and for other consulting clients she has evaluated publicly traded companies, and designed mechanisms for assessing hedge funds and artwork for their financial and social impact. While a Research Affiliate at the Institute for the Future, Jessica published Intangible Finance, a Perspective within the 2007 Ten-Year Forecast. At Ricoh Innovation Labs, she developed a mechanism for replicating successful non-profit organizations using intangible asset valuation. She has been involved as a social entrepreneur in startups such as Reframe It (social change), and the Groupery (education software), and has been a panelist and an active volunteer in the Social Capital Markets conferences and occasional editor at the Skoll Foundation's SocialEdge comminity. Ms. Margolin has also co-founded Winged Pigs, an organization that help startups engage in implementing and measuring healthier organizational dynamics. She blogs on topics related to impact and measurement on her blog, Solvation.

TEDxHayward 2011: The Power of Positive Emotion by Gretchen Reevy

Gretchen M. Reevy received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1994 she has taught in the Department of Psychology at California State University, East Bay, specializing in personality, stress and coping, and psychological assessment courses. With Alan Monat and Richard S. Lazarus, she co-edited the Praeger Handbook on Stress and Coping. She is also author of the Encyclopedia of Emotion, with co-authors Yvette Malamud Ozer and Yuri Ito. With Erica Frydenberg, she co-edited the upcoming Personality, Stress, and Coping: Implications for Education. Her research interests are in personality, stress and coping, social support, emotion, and gender differences. In her free time Gretchen enjoys running and swimming and is interested in animal welfare.

Dutch Profiles: Iris van Herpen - Reinventing Form

In her short career as a fashion designer, Iris van Herpen has already won numerous awards, and her collections have been enthusiastically received by the international fashion press.

What makes her work pop when she presents her creations during fashion weeks in New York, Paris and London, is the sculptural allure of her designs. Van Herpen achieves these strong silhouettes by rejuvenating traditional crafts and applying innovative and unusual materials.

In this way, Van Herpen produces designs that reinvent form. The process of making, of doing research, of expanding the professional know-how of the fashion discipline is one of the major goals of this talented designer.

Recently, Van Herpen collaborated with choreographer Nanine Linning to make the costumes for the opera Madame Butterfly. This German production sees Lanning integrate dance with the storyline, presenting Van Herpen with the challenge of combining movement with form.

TEDxHayward 2011: Why Compassion is Good for You by Emiliana Simon-Thomas

Emiliana Simon-Thomas Ph.D. is the Associate Director and a Senior Scientist at CCARE, the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford. She earned her doctorate and did post doctoral research at UC Berkeley examining the behaviors, affective properties, cognitive appraisals, and autonomic and neural signals associated with pro-social states like love of humanity and compassion. At CCARE, Emiliana is continuing to investigate the multifaceted properties of compassion, running studies that investigate the effects of compassion cultivation on health, well-being and psychosocial functions and organizing events around highlighting compassion science and promoting greater exchange and collaboration.

Dutch Profiles: Studio Wieki Somers Designers

In the hands of designer Wieki Somers and her partner Dylan van den Berg, ordinary objects become stimuli for a more poetic take on our daily lives. They explore the hidden qualities of objects that can evoke memories - and stir the imagination.

Studio Wieki Somers won various prestigious prizes and their works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

One of Studio Wieki Somers'current projects is Frozen in Time. It's a series of products inspired by photographs of an ice-storm in the north-eastern Netherlands on March 2, 1987. For one day, the whole landscape was covered in a thick of layer ice. A giant still-life in which everything became connected - and the passing of time seemed to stop altogether.

TEDxHayward 2011: Seeing is Feeling, Feeling is Doing by Daniel Martin

Dan is an associate professor of Management at Cal State East Bay. Research areas include: Human Resource Management, racism and prejudice, social hierarchy maintenance, and religiosity/spirituality. Dan is also cofounder and Vice President of Alinea Group, and works with an array of private, public and non-profit organizations on HRM issues (Selection, Organizational Assessment, T/D). Dan holds a Ph.D. in Social/Industrial/Organizational psychology from Howard University. He is published in Human Organization, Personnel Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Ethics and Behavior, Equal Opportunities International, Management Research Review, Intelligence, Military Psychology, and Skeptic.

Return to Fukushima: The Crisis is Far From Over

It's five months since a massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan's north-eastern coast, but the sense of crisis is still not over - particularly for those who live near Fukushima .

Japan using Fukushima people as human Guinnea Pigs

Severely malformed babies have been killed in Japan.

Keiko Ichikawa, the author of "A Letter from Fukushima", says why we hardly see malformed children in Japan and what will possibily happen hereafter, in the symposium on the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant held in Odawara on 21st Aug 2011.

Cracked Fukushima Radioactive steam escapes danger zone

Fukushima Japan Radiation Spreads Worldwide by Arnie Gundersen 8/22/11

Newly released neutron data from three University of California San Diego scientists confirms Fairewinds' April analysis that the nuclear core at Fukushima Daiichi turned on and off after TEPCO claimed its reactors had been shutdown. This periodic nuclear chain reaction (inadvertent criticality) continued to contaminate the surrounding environment and upper atmosphere with large doses of radioactivity.

In a second area of concern, Fairewinds disagrees the NRC's latest report claiming that all Fukushima spent fuel pools had no problems following the earthquake. In a new revelation, the NRC claims that the plutonium found more than 1 mile offsite actually came from inside the nuclear reactors. If such a statement were true, it indicates that the nuclear power plant containments failed and were breached with debris landing far from the power plants themselves. Such a failure of the containment system certainly necessitates a complete review of all US reactor containment design and industry assurances that containments will hold in radioactivity in the event of a nuclear accident. The evidence Fairewinds reviewed to date continues to support its April analysis that the detonation in the Unit 3 Spent Fuel pool was the cause of plutonium found off site.

Third, the burning of radioactive materials (building materials, trees, lawn grass, rice straw) by the Japanese government will cause radioactive Cesium to spread even further into areas within Japan that have been previously clean, and across the Pacific Ocean to North America.

And finally, the Japanese government has yet to grasp the severity of the contamination within Japan, and therefore has not developed a coherent plan mitigate the accident and remediate the environment. Without a cohesive plan to deal with this ongoing problem of large scale radioactive contamination, the radioactivity will continue to spread throughout Japan and around the globe further exacerbating the problem and raising costs astronomically.

Nuclear Disaster Fukushima what you haven't been hearing and why

Fukushima Radioactive Rain falls in Toronto,Canada at Dangerous Levels

Evacuate Fukushima

The whole international press have blackout the worst catastrophe in modern history. So this is a humble reminder of what really is going on in Fukushima and beyond today ! There is a crime against humanity happening right under our nose and all we can hear is a deafening silence.



76 trillion becquerels of Plutonium-239 released from Fukushima & Fukushima radiation worker dies of acute leukemia after working at plant for week...PLUS...Radioactive cesium in San Francisco Bay Area milk close to exceeding EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level !!

Radioactive waste swamps Japan sewage plants

Environmental experts in Japan are warning of new fallout from the country's nuclear crisis.

Killer Whales "Gang Up" to Capture Seal

Naturalists and guests on a Lindblad/ National Geographic Expeditions cruise in Antarctica witness and record the phenomenon of Type B Orcas working in unison to dislodge a seal from an iceberg.

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 44

Virginia covers changes to Victoria's solar feed in tariff expected soon, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet seeking to axe more solar incentives, Western Australia's struggle to reach its renewable energy target and wind power is threatening to propel the Earth out of its orbit.

Dutch Profiles: Bruno Ninaber van Eyben Design

The Debt Official Secret Life Featurette: August 31, 2011 in Theaters

Ford EVOS Concept: DoorFunctionality

Ford EVOS Concept Technology

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic named UNICEF Serbia Ambassador

UNICEF correspondent Priyanka Pruthi reports on world tennis champion Novak Djokovic's appointment as UNICEF Serbia Ambassador in an event with acting Deputy Executive Director Rima Salah at the US Open site in New York.

Bill McKibben: Why I Spent 2 Days in Jail Protesting the Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline

Fifty-two environmental activists were arrested Monday in front of the White House as part of an ongoing protest calling on the Obama administration to reject a permit for the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline project, which would deliver Canada tar sands oil to refineries in Texas, and rather focus on developing clean energy. An estimated 2,000 people have signed up to hold sit-ins and commit other acts of civil disobedience outside the White House everyday for the next two weeks — 162 have already been arrested since Saturday. Also joining the protest are indigenous First Nations communities in Canada and landowners along the Keystone XL pipeline's planned route.

An editorial in Sunday's New York Times joined in calling on the State Department to reject the pipeline, noting that the extraction of petroleum from the tar sands creates far more greenhouse emissions than conventional production. Meanwhile, oil-industry backers of the project emphasize what they say are the economic benefits of the $7 billion proposal. As the Obama administration remains undecided whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, Democracy Now! speaks with Bill McKibben in Washington, D.C., where he was released Monday after spending two nights in jail. He is part of Tar Sands Action, a group of environmentalists, indigenous communities, labor unions and scientific experts, calling for action to stop the project. "This is the first real civil disobedience of this scale for the environmental movement in ages," McKibben says.

Daryl Hannah Arrested in White House Protest

Daryl Hannah arrested outside White House by park police for refusing to move off sidewalk. The sit-in protested a planned oil pipeline from Canada to Texas.

Dutch Profiles: Marcel Wanders Designers - Moooi

Toyota Motorsport: new world record for an electric race car on the Nurburgring

Consumer confidence rocked in August and 3.3 Millions Americans without power

Summary of business headlines: Confidence nosedives to more than two-year low in August; Home prices dip in June, according to seasonally adjusted figures by S&P/Case-Shiller; 3.3 million Americans still without power due to storm.

Dutch Profiles: Maarten Baas Designer - Real Time

Chimp Politics on Chimp TV

Kindia attempts to challenge the leadership of current top male, Qafzeh, at Edinburgh Zoo. But will Kindia's display ritual be sufficient to usurp Qafzeh? Great clip from the show 'Chimp TV.'

Dutch Profiles: Merkx + Girod Interior Design Studio

Killer Whales vs. Minke Whale

Killer whales attack and eventually devour a minke whale near the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. The hour-long attack was witnessed by naturalists and guests on a Lindblad/National Geographic Expeditions cruise.

Dutch Profiles: Wim Crouwel Total Design

Surprising Europe: Under pressure

The responsibility to earn money and send it back home is a heavy burden for African migrants in Europe to carry, driving some of them to the dark underworld of drugs and prostitution.

Vermont's Damage Seen From Above

Vermont is starting to rebuild its devastated bridges and roads following floods that were triggered by Tropical Storm Irene. At least three people were killed by the storm.

Chicken of the Sea: Stop Ripping Up the Sea

Greenpeace Seafood Campaigner Casson Trenor delivers a letter to tuna giant Chicken of the Sea demanding they reform their destructive fishing practices.

Call For Entries for a new short film: A Declaration of Interdependence

Please be part of a truly interdependent, participatory, energy-filled film experiment -- a new short film, A Declaration of Interdependence.

This new project is directed by Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webby Awards and acclaimed filmmaker whose last 4 films premiered at Sundance, including the feature Documentary Connected which has its national theatrical release this fall.

Tiffany and her production team at The Moxie Institute invite you to participate in a new crowd-sourced film project

Access to energy: Fighting poverty

Growing Plants on Thin Films: Imec

Mebiol has developed Imec, a technology for growing plants on special films just tens of microns thick, called hydro-membranes. Hydro-membranes make it possible for plants to take up only water and nutrients, without letting harmful bacteria, nematodes, or viruses through.

Hydro-membranes are made from water-absorbent hydro-gel, which is used in diapers. They prevent water leaking to the outside. This characteristic is also used in research by NASA on plant cultivation in space.

Currently, Mebiol has succeeded in cultivating tomatoes, musk melons, and cucumbers using Imec. In the future, the company wants to make the film stronger, so the film can be used to grow plants with stronger roots, such as trees.

Optical Lattice Atomic Clock Accuracy Hits A 100 Quadrillionth Of A Second.

Optical lattice clocks are a new type of optical atomic clock. They were proposed in 2001 by University of Tokyo Professor Hidetoshi Katori, and experimentally demonstrated in 2005. Recently, Professor Katori's group accurately kept count of time to 17 decimal places, or a 100 quadrillionth of a second, with an averaging period of 15 minutes. This was the world's first demonstration of an extremely stable optical lattice clock.

Flooded N.Y. Town Rescues Over 40 People

Numerous towns in Vermont and New York are in ruin in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Margaretville, NY firefighters rescued over 40 people on Sunday from deadly flood waters.

New Pigment Makes Tumor Cells Glow Red: Tokyo Magenta

Tetsuo Nagano's group at Tokyo University does research on fluorescent pigments, to analyze the molecules in living cells. In the course of this research, the Group has developed a new red fluorescent pigment, called Tokyo Magenta.

New Pictures of New Jersey Flooding after Hurricane Irene hit

New images show the extent of flooding damage in Wayne, New Jersey, a town still underwater after Hurricane Irene hit Sunday.

Dutch Profiles: Droog Design - Dutch Design

Dutch Profiles: Piet Paris Fashion Design

Horn of Africa Appeal by Salman Ahmad

Horn of Africa Appeal: We Can Help

Drought is gripping the Horn of Africa. More than 12 million people are in need. We can help.

Dutch Profiles: UN Studio Architecture

In 1988 art historian Caroline Bos and architect Ben van BerkeI set up their architectural practice in Amsterdam, then called the Van Berkel & Bos Architectuurbureau.

In 1998 they changed the name of their practice to UN Studio. The initials "UN" stand for United Network, a reference to the collaborative nature of the practice comprising a multi-national team of specialist individuals - with a broad spectrum of skills and technical know-how.

Based in Amsterdam, UNStudio has worked with clients worldwide since its launch and has produced a wide range of projects across numerous disciplines - ranging from public buildings and infrastructure, to offices, furniture and urban master plans.

The remarkable design of the Mercedes-Benz Museum makes visitors forget they are in a museum. Based on a unique cloverleaf concept, it comprises three overlapping circles with the centre removed to form a triangular atrium.

This building reflects the essence of UNStudio's vision - a company that is currently working on over 30 projects all over the world and just opened a second headoffice in Shanghai. As he travels ceaselessly around the globe, sharing knowledge through lectures and presentations, Van Berkel is constantly re-thinking the role of the architect in contemporary society.

Pakistan Floods - One Year On - Valerie Amos Video Message

A year ago, Pakistan was hit by the worst floods in its history. Nearly 20 million people were affected as flood waters swept across the country.

Valerie Amos traveled to Pakistan in the first few weeks of the crisis, just as she took up her new role as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

"The disaster changed the lives of millions in a matter of days -- causing loss of life and destroying homes," underlined USG Amos. "For those who survived, everyday life became a challenge".

Horn of Africa Appeal by Sweet Rush

New York Starts Clean Up Efforts After Irene

In Elmsford, north of New York City, Irene forced water from the Saw Mill River throughout one neighborhood. Emergency crews made more than a dozen rescues just from one block and many say recovery will take weeks, even months.

TEDxWarsaw 2011: Tracking down history's biggest maritime tragedies by Marcin Jamkowski

Marcin Jamkowski -- journalist, traveler, photographer and film maker. His passion for exploring has led him into the mountains of Africa, into the tombs of Nubian kings in Sudan, and deep under the surface of the sea. Marcin talked about the spirits haunting the Baltic Sea -- Steuben, Gustloff, Goya.

Filipinos experiment with solar lighting

Millions of the poorest people in the Philippines live without electricity. Some try to tap external power sources - an illegal and often dangerous practice, but a new and cheap solar light idea provides an answer for a growing number of Filipinos.

Irene Isolates: towns in Vermont, New Jersey cut off as bridges washed out

The American states of New Jersey and Vermont are struggling with their worst flooding in decades. It follows a massive storm which churned up the U.S. East Coast, killing at least 38 over the weekend. Hurricane Irene, later downgraded to a tropical storm, also caused power outages in over 5 million homes and businesses across the country. Total economic damage from the disaster could reach 20 billion U.S. dollars.

How to Manage Sustainable Global Supply Chains by Professor Stephen Brammer

Professor Stephen Brammer talks about his recent research: Managing Sustainable Global Supply Chains: A Systematic Review of the Body of Knowledge

Dutch Profiles: Piet Hein Eek Dutch Design

Network for Business Sustainability by Dr. Tima Bansal

Monday, August 29, 2011

Mexico's Baja Peninsula marine park revitalized by fishing ban

A marine reserve at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja Peninsula has been declared the world's most robust marine reserve by scientists at California's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. A decade-long analysis of Cabo Pulmo National Park reveals that fish numbers increased by more than 460 percent between 1999 and 2009, thanks to a ban on fishing.

The future of air travelers: Welcomed aboard by virtual airline staff

Travelers boarding flights at Paris's Orly airport are getting a taste of what may be the future, with virtual boarding agents welcoming them aboard, rather than real people. The holograms look and sound like airline personnel but are, in fact, video images being tested on the traveling public.



Wheels give paralysed German Sheperd puppy new drive

A specially adapted wheelchair gives a paralysed puppy in Poland its freedom of movement.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: Damage to 'Get Worse Before Gets Better'

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says an aerial tour of upstate New York confirms the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene is devastating and "will get worse before it gets better."

Power Still Out for Millions of Americans After Irene

Millions are still without power as residents begin the process of cleaning up what Tropical Storm Irene left behind. But as AP's Haven Daley reports, most are in good spirits knowing the damage could have been much worse.

TEDxConcordiaUPortland 2011: Priceless politics by Jefferson Smith

Jefferson is the founder of the Oregon Bus Project, an innovative vehicle for hands-on democracy. Since 2001, the Bus has registered over 70,000 voters, trained young leaders from around the country with its PolitiCorps fellowship program, and engaged thousands of volunteers in grassroots democracy.

Jefferson attended University of Oregon and Harvard Law, where he graduated magna cum laude. After clerking for a Federal Judge, he took a job at a top paying Manhattan law firm. When asked to represent big tobacco, he came home to a leading Portland firm, and one year later, founded the Bus.

Gulf's shameless Ramadan food wastage criticised

The Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, meant to be a month of spirituality and understanding of the suffering of the poor and needy draws to a close today.

But, the period does not end on an entirely positive note. Extravagant breaking-of-the-fast buffets in the Gulf have been criticised for their excessive food wastage, among other things, as the Horn of Africa and other world regions experience severe food shortages.

In Dubai alone, around 1,850 tonnes of left-overs were thrown out during Ramadan in 2010. That is enough to feed more than 40,000 people for a whole year.

United Nations: 2011 International Year of People of African Descent

The United Nations has designated 2011 as the International Year of People of African Descent. The year aims at strengthening the integration of people of African descent into all aspects of society.

Moving a city forward: One stop at a time

Over the past 20 years, Charlotte, NC, has nearly doubled in size. New growth has brought new challenges such as how to move people and attract businesses in a way that's also good for the enviroment. That's why Charlotte teamed with Siemens to build the region's first light rail system. Now traffic is flowing more easily, development is blossoming and historic neighborhoods have new life.

Dikembe Mutumbo Visits World's Largest Refugee Camp Dadaab, Kenya

Dikembe Mutumbo, famed Congolese-American professional basketball player, visited Dadaab, Kenya to see the state of the world's largest refugee camp for himself. More than 420,000 people are living at the camp in a situation which Dikembe calls "unacceptable". With more than 12,000 refugees arriving everyday, the basketball star urges people to open their hearts and help WFP combat hunger in the Horn of Africa.

Siemens Festival Night 2011: Wagner´s Lohengrin in Bayreuth

As the years before, the Volksfestplatz was crowded with Wagner fans in the 4th year of Siemens Festivalnight in Bayreuth. The public viewing of Lohengrin was a great experience for everyone, highest quality for audio and video technology combined with a relaxed atmosphere

Natural gas flow causing problems in Argentina

For the past several winters, Argentina's government has rationed natural gas to manufacturers of cooking oil, auto-parts, and cement in the north of the country.

The measure is meant to keep gas flowing to households during particularly cold stretches of the winter. 'Price trajectory' is a delicate way of saying that prices must rise for households in the densely populated capital region of Beunos Aries.

Gas bills have been heavily subsidized there since the economic crisis ten years ago. Upper-income households pay as little as $15 a month for heat in the winter. With presidential elections coming later this year, that is unlikely to change soon. The government is insisting that new demand from previously unconnected households is causing the energy crunch.



China next in Typhoon Nanmadol's path of destruction

Tropical storm Nanmadol is heading for China after leaving Taiwan in chaos. The storm drenched southern and eastern Taiwan and prompted evacuations and major travel disruptions, on Monday.

China is now preparing for Nanmadol in the Fujian province, where it is expected to hit some time on Tuesday, the China Meteorological Administration said on its website.

Nanmadol has weakend and has been downgraded from a typhoon to a storm, but it is still expected to to dump half a metre of rain on the island. Thousands of people in the south have been told to leave their homes ahead of possible landslides.

Canada's Solar Decathlon 2011 Video Walkthrough

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 teams each produced a video walk-through to highlight their house design and provide an accurate look at the interior. This video, produced in August 2011 by the University of Calgary, will be judged as part of the Communications Contest for the Solar Decathlon competition, held in Washington, D.C., September 23 -- October 2, 2011.

The Hunger Games Trailer: 23 March 2012 in Theaters

It’s time to GROW: Be a part of it

Soon there will be nine billion of us on the planet. Our societies must grow to meet our needs, so we can put enough food on the table for everyone. Already, almost a billion of us go to bed hungry every night. Not because there isn’t enough. But because of the deep injustice in the way the system works. And because too many of the ways we grow today are using up and destroying the natural resources on which we all rely.

We can grow in a better way – one that contributes much more to human wellbeing, and ensures that everyone on the planet will always have enough to eat. Food and oil prices. Flat-lining yields. Climate change. Unfair trade. Failing markets. Inequality between men and women. Land grabs. All of these issues are connected. And all of them are contributing to a global food system that is dominated by a few powerful governments and companies. A system that is failing the rest of us.

We need a new way of thinking, and ideas that hold a promise of a better future for the many, not just the few. It’s time to GROW. We can grow more food more fairly and more sustainably. We can press governments to take urgent action to reform bad policies, to preserve scarce resources and share them fairly.

We’ve got a lot of plans, but we’re also all ears. Because GROW has space for all of us to share ideas and views about better ways to grow, share and live together. Welcome to GROW. It starts here. Be a part of it.

East Africa Food Crisis Appeal by Oxfam Australia

East Africa is experiencing it's worst drought in 60 years. Oxfam is there providing much needed water, sanitation, food and healthcare.

WEDACS (Waste Energy Driven Air Conditioning System) by TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands

In the port injected Spark Ignition (SI) engine, the single greatest part load efficiency reducing factor are energy losses over the throttle valve. The need for this throttle valve arises from the fact that engine power is controlled by the amount of air in the cylinders, since combustion occurs stoichiometrically in this type of engine.

In WEDACS (Waste Energy Driven Air Conditioning System), a technology patented by the Eindhoven University of Technology, the throttle valve is replaced by a turbine-generator combination. The turbine is used to control engine power. Throttling losses are recovered by the turbine and converted to electrical energy. Additionally, when air expands in the turbine, its temperature decreases and it can be used to cool air conditioning fluid. As a result, load of the alternator and air conditioning compressor on the engine is decreased or even eliminated, which increases overall engine efficiency.

Jean-Claude Trichet sees no liquidity problems in the Eurozone

The European Parliament on Monday expressed broad support and full confidence in the way that the European Central Bank is handling what clearly is the worst financial crisis since the second World War.

Addressing a packed committee-room in Brussels, ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet said that the ECB, together with national central banks, has spent more than 115 billion euro since the crisis began. This money was spent on distressed bonds from countries like Greece and Portugal in order to support the market. "The security market programmes strictly aims at correcting mal functioning of markets. The prohibition of monetary financing underlines precisely the fact that budgetary discipline is of the utmost importance", Trichet said. Responding to concerns about a possible lack of liquidity in the Eurozone, Trichet said that this simply was not a possibility because of the immense volumes of money that circulates in Europe.

Trichet said that buying troubled bonds in the open market does not clash with the ECB's goal of keeping the cost of living in the Eurozone under control, something that the central bank has successfully managed since the euro was created. The ECB chief said that uncertainty in the markets remains high, which means the European central bank will continue to offer its support. Uncertainty remains particularly high. This mainly relates to ongoing fiscal and economic adjustment in a number of Euro area countries and most other advanced economies, as well as the overall outlook of for the global economy. In particular the US has been facing both fiscal and structural head winds admit economic prospects", Trichet said.

Trichet called on Eurozone governments to rapidly implement the agreement they reach in July about a second bailout for Greece and that more swift actions will be necessary in the future.

Towards a safer world: UN observance aims to rally action to ban nuclear...

Warning that voluntary moratoriums on nuclear weapon tests are not enough, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all Member States that have not yet done so to urgently ratify the United Nations-backed treaty banning them.
"Over the course of the Cold War, hundreds of nuclear weapon tests left behind a devastating legacy for local citizens and their natural environment," he said in a message marking the International Day against Nuclear Tests. "Current voluntary moratoriums on nuclear weapon tests are valuable, yet they are no substitute for a global ban."

New York Governor Flies Over Severe Flooding

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo flew over the worst-ever flooding the Schoharie Valley. The Mohawk River is also expected to crest at record levels, due to Hurricane Irene.

AirSketcher Robotic Fan

"Happy Feet" The Stranded Penguin Headed Home

The wayward emperor penguin known to the world as Happy Feet left a New Zealand zoo Monday on the first leg of his journey back to cooler southern waters

Deadly typhoon slams Taiwan, set for China

After tearing through the Philippines, where it killed 12 people, a typhoon has now slammed into Taiwan. It's dumped more than half a meter of rain in the mountainous south, the area prone to catastrophic landslides. It's prompted the evacuation of some eight-thousand people from the region. The typhoon is now heading for the eastern Chinese coast.

NC Outer Banks Residents Assess Damage

At daybreak On Sunday, a debris field laced the outer banks. Boats and jet ski's were pushed inland, piers cut in half and residents assessed the damage.

Flooding in Vermont in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene

Amateur video sent to the AP from Bennington, Vermont shows flooded creeks, roads and parking lots in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

Typhoon Nanmadol Hits Taiwan

Typhoon Nanmadol slammed into Taiwan on Monday, unleashing heavy winds and torrential downpours that closed schools and offices and prompted the evacuation of thousands of people in the landslide-prone south

Above Irene's Aftermath in N.C., Va.

Aerial images reveal the extent of Hurricane Irene's damage on North Carolina's Hatteras Island and Virginia Beach, Va.

Irene Pounds Long Island With Major Flooding

What eventually became Tropical Storm Irene flooded streets and knocked out power on Long Island. As AP's Haven Daley reports, residents have to wait for the water to recede before the clean up can begin.

The National Transitional Council reject talks, prepare fair trial for Gaddafi

The rebels in Libya have rejected the possibility of staging talks with Muammar Gaddafi. The National Transitional Council says they want to see him in jail - and not at the negotiating table.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Activists rally for dolphin release at World Sentosa in Singapore

Environmental activists rally in Singapore for the release of 25 dolphins that a local resort is training for its marine park.

Hurricane Hype Over: Irene loses bite on Big Apple

Millions of New Yorkers decided to stay in their homes as hurricane Irene swept through the city brining partial flooding and power shortages. While it's now been downgraded to a tropical storm all public transportation will remain shut throughout Sunday. Irene is sweeping up the U.S. eastern seaboard and has claimed at least 11 lives already.

Timelapse Tour of Manhattan As Hurricane Irene Hits

Tour through the empty streets of Manhattan as residents hunker down for Hurricane Irene

Media Manipulation: 'NATO in a hurry to wrap up war in Libya'

NATO's presence in Libya little resembles a humanitarian mission with houses, hospitals and schools being hit. But Libya prospered prior to NATO's intrusion, Yvonne Di Vito, an activist from Libyanfriends.com told RT. ­RT: You have been saying that here in Italy the news reports abut what is happening in Libya were very confusing, a lot of conflicting information there. Can you tell us what you saw and what you found?

Yvonne Di Vito: We went to Libya on the 28th July and we came back on the 7th August and we found a totally different situation because NATO was bombarding civilians. The bombings were not only carried out on military targets, but they also hit houses, hospitals, schools, television centers, and this was totally against the humanitarian reasons they said they were there for. I believe they were doing this to bring panic in the city. That's why they were bombing the things that people use daily, like places with food and essential utilities like hospitals. This was also a difficult period for Muslims because of Ramadan and that is why in the daytime they're in their houses. We went to Tripoli and to Zitan and we saw huge protests with thousands of pro-Gaddafi supporters turning out against NATO and all these demonstrations were not shown in Italy.

We also visited Tanjur and Sansur and found a lot of women that were screaming at us, asking 'Why you Italians are bombing us? What did we do to you? Why are you killing our children?' That was their main question. When we went to Zitan, the same day they bombed a house and in this house two children were killed. We tried to show the pictures of these children that were dead. But apart from us, no one else did the same. Except the things that we saw with our own eyes visiting these places that were bombed, we have so much material that press officers and journalists from Libya gave to us as testimony to all the dead from the NATO bombings. After all the things that we saw we have one question: is this a humanitarian war? Are they really helping the civilians, because I believe that all this is because of economic reasons, or at least there are other reasons that this war happened, petroleum or other things.

We also visited Libya before and what we found was a normal situation where people were fine. Differently from other countries that went through a revolution -- Libya is considered to be the Switzerland of the African continent and is very rich and schools are free for the people. Hospitals are free for the people. And the conditions for women are much better than in other Arab countries.

Bring Me Sunshine

Burning Man Festival: History of the Celebration

This annual festival combines music, art, ritual and a sense of kinship with a spectacular and large-scale celebration. But once the week is up, it all goes up in flames

North Carolina Starts Hurricane Irene Clean-up

North Carolina residents are cleaning up and assessing the damage from Hurricane Irene now that the storm has moved on from their area

Hurricane Irene Blamed for Connecticut Power Outages

Tropical Storm Irene lashed Connecticut with heavy rains and wind Sunday and toppled trees, cutting power to more than 400,000 people and apparently killing one person in a fire caused by downed wires

New York Residents Evacuate Flooded Homes

Emergency officials help stranded residents in Elmsford, NY evacuate their homes as flood levels rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

ISS lifeline vulnerable after Progress burns up

The hunt continues for the wreckage of an unmanned Russian spaceship that crashed on Wednesday. The Progress vessel was carrying supplies for the crew at the International Space Station, when it fell back to earth in Siberia shortly after launch. Its crash spread fears its toxic fuel could be dangerous for locals and the environment.

Hurricane Irene Brings Flooding to Manhattan

In New York, water began to lap over a sea wall along the East River, washing onto a sidewalk and toward the streets. A storm surge of 4 to 8 feet was expected to rush into the harbor just before the eye crossed land.

Streets Nearly Empty As NYC Bears Irene

Rainfall overflowed sewers and seawater lapped at sidewalks at the edges of New York City from densely populated lower Manhattan to the far reaches of Queens as a weakening Irene made landfall over Coney Island early Sunday.

Hurricane Irene from the NOAA GOES-East satellite

Over the past week, Hurricane Irene has battered Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, North Carolina, and is now heading for the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast U.S. Storm surge and flooding are the major concerns for coastal cities and towns, as total rainfall from this storm may exceed 15" in some areas. Hurricane warnings and evacuations are in effect from North Carolina to Maine.

From tropical wave on August 19th to Category 3 and back down to Category 1 on August 27th, Hurricane Irene's movements are documented here in 30-minute imagery from the NOAA GOES-East satellite.

TEDxBradford 2011: Art for Art's Sake, or for Mankind's Sake by Mohammed Ali

Mohammed Ali, aka Aerosol Arabic, is a graffiti artist who has travelled the globe painting street corners with his vibrant murals. Not only does Ali bring colour to the urban grey spaces, but he bring something of meaning, murals with a message, that deal with some of the issues that exist in the world's multicultural and multi-faith cities.

He is well known for combining graffiti art with islamic script and patterns within his work, along with his universal messages of peace, justice and unity. His art has been reported by global media as work that 'brings together people from different faith communities'. He was a recent winner at the ITV South Bank Show Awards.

TEDxBradford 2011: Turning Design On Its Side by Paul Kerfoot

The original Bulletman was a 1940s comic book superhero and a 1970s Action Man toy. Paul Kerfoot created Bradford based Bullet Point (graphic design consultants) in 1989. Rediscovered on eBay, inspired by his alter ego and in an attempt to be different, 'The Bulletman' launched in 2009. What started out as a bit of fun has now become part of Paul's legacy.

At the speed of a bullet, design director, branding expert and creative thinker -- Paul (The Bulletman) Kerfoot -- speaks about his passion for design.

Fully Charged: Volvo V60 PHEV Test Drive

TEDxBradford 2011: Curating The History of The Internet by Tom Woolley

Tom Woolley is Curator of New Media at the National Media Museum. Recent curatorial projects include developing Life Online, a new set of galleries that focus on the history and social impact of the internet.

No police, water or gas in Tripoli. And no Gaddafi

It's the week that a decisive breakthrough arrived in Libya's civil war, when Tripoli was the scene of a major battle between the rebels and forces fighting for long-time leader Colonel Gaddafi. With his whereabouts still unknown, Gaddafi's reportedly ready to begin talks to transfer power. Meanwhile, the situation in the capital Tripoli remains dire due to shortages of basic essentials.

'Gaddafi dead or alive' regime in rebel Tripoli

The UN is calling for a halt to violence in Libya, as the rebels are advancing on Colonel Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte with aerial support from NATO. British Tornado jets have fired cruise missiles at his command-and-control bunker in the town, regarded as Gaddafi's last stronghold. The NATO bombings come despite previous statements from the Alliance that it wasn't assisting rebels in their hunt for Gaddafi. There's also been intense fighting near Tripoli's international airport.

Fun During Hurricane Irene at Times Square in New York

News cameras captured impromptu street hockey and soccer games in Times Square as rain and high winds blew through New York City ahead of a direct hit from Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene the Great: NYC vs Hurricane

Major cities along the eastern seaboard of the U.S., including New York are bracing themselves for the wrath of Hurricane Irene. It's expected to flood parts of lower Manhattan as public transport - including the subway - will be shut down for the first time ever. Despite it weakening to a category one storm, forecasters say it remains extremely dangerous, and President Obama has warned it could be historic.

New York City subways closed ahead of Irene

New York City businesses boarded up, taped up and closed their doors and the subway was shut down ahead of Hurricane Irene.

New York Hurricane Irene August 27 2011: Airport New York

Two million evacuated as Hurricane Irene hits US

More than two million people on America's east coast have been told to leave their homes to spare them from Hurricane Irene, which has already been battering North Carolina.

They include a quarter of a million New Yorkers along the city's southern coastal rim. The mass evacuation is taking place ahead of the storm's expected arrival there on Sunday.

Now reported to be a thousand kilometres wide, Irene has weakened slightly to a Category 1 hurricane but still threatens tens of millions of people with winds of around 150 kilometres an hour.

Reporter caught in Hurricane Irene's intense wind

Hurricane Irene has begun its lumbering march up the East Coast of United States. Hurricane Irene has made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. This ends the near three-year gap of a hurricane making landfall along the United States coastline.

Punishing rain bands are lashing the Carolinas, southeast Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula. Sustained tropical storm-force winds are occurring across eastern North Carolina with several gusts above hurricane force along the immediate coast. Winds are climbing to sustained tropical storm-force over southeast Virginia.

Extreme, destructive impacts are expected through the weekend in eastern portions of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Hurricane warnings are posted as far north as New England, including New York City and Long Island. Those destructive impacts include a significant water level rise (surge and wave action), excessive rainfall and damaging winds.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Benda Bilili! Trailer: In select US theaters September 30, 2011

From the streets of Kinsasha to the stages of the world's music festivals, Benda Bilili! tells the amazing story of a ragtag group of disabled musicians who see their dreams come true. In select US theaters September 30, 2011.

Zoe Saldana Is La Femme 'Colombiana'

Actress Zoe Saldana talks about learning how to fight and getting into the mindset of an assassin for Luc Besson's 'Colombiana.'

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Hurricane Irene 'Very Ominous' for New Jersey

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says more than 1 million people have evacuated the New Jersey shore in advance of Hurricane Irene. He says more than 90 percent of people in living in some of the most vulnerable spots have left.

Hurricane Irene Batters North Carolina Coast

Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday by lashing the North Carolina coast with wind topping 90 mph and pounding shoreline homes with waves.

Governor Andrew Cuomo Urges New Yorkers to Evacuate

Governor Andrew Cuomo is urging New Yorkers in evacuation areas to get out now. The governor made the remarks outside Albany on Saturday while greeting National Guard members being deployed to Long Island to help with Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Irene Update North Carolina

Hurricane Irene, a Bit Weaker, Begins Its Destructive Run

Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard on Saturday by lashing the North Carolina coast with wind as strong as 115 mph and pounding shoreline homes with waves.

Simulation of What Juno Will 'See' From Jupiter Orbit

This animation shows how Jupiter will appear to the camera onboard NASA's Juno mission, called JunoCam, as the spacecraft goes through an orbit. Juno will circle Jupiter every 11 days from an elliptical orbit. During the majority of this orbit, the spacecraft is at a large distance from the planet, so Jupiter will appear quite small in JunoCam's wide field of view.

Juno spacecraft Jupiter arrival animation

NASA's Juno spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the giant planet Jupiter in July 2016 following a five-year trek. As the spacecraft nears the planet it executes a series of maneuvers to prepare for Jupiter orbit insertion. First, the spacecraft opens its main engine cover. Then Juno uses thrusters to re-orient itself so that its main engine points in the direction the spacecraft is moving. Juno's thrusters then fire to increase the spacecraft's rate of spin from 2 rotations per minute to 5 rotations per minute; the faster rate of rotation makes Juno more stable during the engine burn to come.

Juno fires its main engine for about 30 minutes to slow down and allow Jupiter's gravity to capture the speeding spacecraft into orbit. Following the engine burn, Juno decreases its rate of spin and points its giant solar arrays back toward the sun and Earth (which at Jupiter's location appear close together in the sky). At this point the spacecraft will be successfully in orbit around the giant world.

Jupiter's Rings

Jupiter has its own set of faint, dusty rings. The rings will not be a focus of study for Juno, but do they pose any threat to the spacecraft as it passes near them?

Why Jupiter? The Juno Mission

What can studying Jupiter with the Juno mission tell us about where we come from?

Solar Power For Juno

Other missions to the outer planets have used radioisotope power systems (a type of nuclear technology). So why did the Juno team choose solar power? What challenges did the mission face in creating the first solar powered mission to Jupiter?

Juno Mission Overview

The Juno spacecraft will look deep beneath Jupiter's swirling curtains of clouds to decipher the planet's structure and history during a mission that will begin with a 5-year flight through deep space. The journey will begin aboard an Atlas V rocket equipped with five booster rockets and a large Centaur upper stage. In this webcast, members of NASA's Launch Services Program and Juno's principal investigator detail what it takes to prepare an interplanetary mission and what potential discoveries lie ahead.

Juno Mission Launches to Jupiter

NASA's Juno spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter after being launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on August 5 at 11:25 a.m. Eastern. The solar-powered spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter in July 2016 and orbit its poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's interior, atmosphere and aurora. Scientists believe Jupiter holds the key to better understanding the origins of our solar system.

Volkswagen to invest 1 billion euros in renewables

Volkswagen will boost its planned commitment to renewable energy, investing almost 1 billion euros ($1.44 billion) in the production of environmentally friendly energy over two years. This would be a substantial increase over the previous mid-term target of roughly 600 million euros Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, announced at the end of June.

In June Volkswagen signed a deal to draw 10 percent of the electricity used in its German manufacturing plants from hydropower generated by Austria's Verbund starting 2013. Volkswagen has set a target of reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from its production plants by 40 percent over a period of ten years compared with 2010.

Hurricanes: Find out how hurricanes can be so destructive

Hurricane Irene brings chaos

Hurricane Irene Brings Rain, Heavy Seas

Hurricane Irene began lashing the East Coast with rain Friday ahead of a weekend of violent weather that was almost certain to heap punishment on a vast stretch of shoreline from the Carolinas to Massachusetts

Super Typhoon Nanmadol Hits the Philippines and Heads for Taiwan



See also this map

Hurricane Irene: Where Will the Storm Hit? New York City, North Carolin...

Hurricane Irene's Outer Bands Hit North Carolina Coast

Hurricane Irene's outer bands slammed the North Carolina coast early Saturday with smashing winds and drenching rains. Officials said the storm lost some power but is still whipping up 90 mph winds as it moves up the Atlantic Coast.

International Space Station Cameras Capture New Views of Major Hurricane Irene

Cameras mounted on the International Space Station captured new views of Hurricane Irene as it churned across the Bahamas at 3:47 p.m. EDT on August 25, 2011. Irene, which is a massive and powerful category 3 hurricane, is moving north-northwest toward a likely brush with the outer banks of North Carolina Saturday before tracking up the mid-Atlantic states and a possible path over the metropolitan New York area and New England late this weekend.

President Barack Obama Urges Those in Hurricane Irene's Path to Prepare

President Barack Obama urged the millions of Americans in the path of Hurricane Irene to heed instructions from state and local officials, especially if directed to evacuate.

New York Orders Evacuations and Shuts Down Transit

Hurricane Irene zeroed in Friday for a catastrophic run up the Eastern Seaboard and New York City ordered its entire network of subways shut down for the first time because of a natural disaster.

In Virginia Beach: Calm Before the Storm Irene

Hurricane Irene was expected to weaken before hitting Virginia on Saturday, but officials warned residents and tourists to be prepared for what could become "the storm of a lifetime".

New York braces for Hurricane Irene

New York City expects to receive a direct hit from Irene on Sunday. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered unprecedented evacuations for a quarter of a million people. And the city's three major airports will close to arriving flights from midday on Saturday.

Hurricane Irene: The End Game

The National Hurricane Center's final 3-day projected track for Hurricane Irene keeps the powerful storm centered on the populous metropolitan corridor from Washington, D.C. through New York City -- showing the storm still at hurricane strength when it passes Manhattan. This is a projection, not a forecast, so other outcomes are possible, and the reach of potent winds and rain extends over thousands of square miles

Charity Water September Campaign 2011 Trailer

In five years, you've helped Charity Water to fund more than 4,000 projects that will serve over two million people around the world with clean and safe drinking water. Because of your generosity, some of our partners are now working at full capacity. To keep growing, we need to give them the equipment they need to drill even more wells each year.

The Water Cycle Animation

This animation shows one molecule of water completing the hydrologic cycle. Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow. Ultimately, the water molecule arrives back where it started...at the ocean.

Water Changes Everything.

Almost a billion people live without clean drinking water. We call this the water crisis. It's a crisis because it only starts with water -- but water affects everything in life. Health. Education. Food security. And the lives of women and children, especially.

We can end the water crisis in our lifetime. But first we have to let everyone know it's happening. Learn how water changes everything -- and share this with everyone you know.

Bill McKibben: Tar Sands pipeline is climate game over

For a fourth straight day outside the White House, environmentalists were arrested for peacefully protesting a pipeline that would carry acidic crude oil from Western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, who spent the weekend with fellow demonstrators in a Washington jail, discusses the the success of the protest and the shortcomings of Obama's environmental policy with Keith. McKibben echoes the warning from NASA's Jim Hansen that if the Tar Sands project goes forward it will be essentially "game over" for the climate.

Counting the Cost: Extreme weather changes

Is climate change the culprit, and what sort of money is going into the cause and effect?

Wildfires rage in northstern Greece

Winds spread wildfires eain northstern Greece as authorities rush to keep the situation under control.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hurricane Irene: East Coast Prepares For Storm










UN calls for action over 12 million stateless people

Underground Tunnel Found in Bab al-Aziziya Compound in Tripoli

An underground tunnel and residence has been found beneath Tripoli's Bab al-Aziziya compound, where rebel fighters found phones, beds, and other supplies.

National Hurricane Center: Irene Could Strengthen Toward Carolinas

National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read says Hurricane Irene could strengthen a bit more as it moves away from the Bahamas and heads towards the Carolinas this weekend.

Millions Americans In Hurricane Irene Danger Zone

The latest model runs have shifted Irene's track a bit more to the west, solidifying the threat to millions of people on the eastern seaboard, where a hurricane strike is barely a dim memory..

Hurricane Irene Menaces the Bahamas: Heading Northwest to New York

The southeastern Bahamas is being hammered by Irene, a dangerous Category-Three hurricane with winds of just under 120-miles an hour. Forecasters say Irene could reach Category-Four status Thursday as it heads northwest. See map

Hurricane Irene Pummels Bahamas Leaving Damage

A large and powerful Hurricane Irene roared across the Bahamas archipelago on Wednesday, pummeling the country's smaller, less-populated islands while posing less of a threat to the capital, a major tourist destination with 200,000 residents.

The complete look at the New World Trade Center & the Memorial

New World Trade Center 3d animation- New York

The Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero- September 11 Museum

Ground Zero Memorial: Rebuilding WTC Site

National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero - Stories from the Pile on Discovery

Premieres Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8PM e/p on Discovery.

New York City Prepares for Hurricane Irene

Mayor Michael Bloomberg outlined New York City's preparations for Hurricane Irene on Thursday. Irene has struck the Bahamas and could be a Category 4 storm as it approaches the U.S

Epic Lightning Strikes CN Tower Toronto

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Libya's crumbling regime and the National Transitional Council

What role will the West have in post-Gaddafi Libya? What about the Libyans themselves, do they have a common future vision? Can the National Transitional Council handle the task on its own?

U.S. East Coast Earthquakes felt in Toronto Canada

A major earthquake that originated in the United States was felt in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon, shaking buildings in the downtown core and forcing the evacuation of some offices. The earthquake's epicentre is about 900 kilometres from Toronto, but it's normal to feel tremors from that distance, It's like ripples on the water,. Big at the centre and it dissipates over space.

Expedition 28 Crew Records Video of Hurricane Irene from the ISS

From almost 230 miles above the Earth, cameras on the International Space Station recorded new video of Hurricane Irene, which is strengthening as it takes aim on the southeast Bahamas, and possibly, the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The video was captured at 4:08 p.m. EDT on August 23, 2011, as Irene moved west-northwest.

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 43

In this episode, Virginia covers looming changes to South Australia's solar feed in tariff, Watarrka National Park's solar diesel hybrid power system, a survey reveals the depth of NSW's solar industry crisis and Australia's only solar panel factory to stop producing solar cells

Energy Matters Video News - Episode 42

Virginia covers a call to extend Victoria's solar feed in tariff, Australia's solar soldier project, IPART requests public comment on New South Wales' feed in tariff and a team of students who have invented a solar powered clothes dryer.

Vice President Joe Biden in Asia: A Musical Banquet in Beijing

Remarks by the Vice President in Sendai Japan

The Vice President speaks in Sendai Japan, an area that took some of the worst damage and losses of life from the tsunami that struck Japan in May 2011. Vice President Biden speaks about the rebuilding that the people there are undertaking, and the commitment of the United States to stay and help.

Rebels Take Gadhafi Compound but Where is Gadhafi?

Libyan rebels have overrun the iconic compound that served as Moammar Gadhafi's seat of power, but they still have not found the longtime leader.

East Coast Quake Was a 'Surprise'

Peggy Hellweg with Berkeley Seismological Laboratory in California describes the earthquake which shook the East Coast and why that region differs from the more common quakes on the West Coast.

Earthquake Jolts Washington, Workers Head Home

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered just 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. sent scores of workers streaming out of buildings there, damaging pinnacles at the National Cathedral and creating a traffic tie-ups more akin to a blizzard.

Tokai University Team for the 2011 World Solar Challenge

Panasonic is supporting the Tokai University team's participation in the 2011 World Solar Challenge to be held from October 16-23, 2011. Equipped with Panasonic's HIT(R) solar cells which feature the world's highest energy conversation efficiency and high capacity lithium ion batteries, Tokai University will take one of the world's greenest cars across the outback of Australia for over 3000 kilometers in this challenge.

Panasonic Announces Asia's First Test-bed Project on Total Energy Soluti...

The first-of-its kind test-bed project on public housing in Asia; slated to commence by end of this year. This collaboration will be a pioneer endeavor for Panasonic to test-bed our energy solutions and contribute towards a greener lifestyle in Singapore and the region.

Underwater Volcano Axial Seamount Erupts as Predicted

Scientists have successfully predicted the eruption of an underwater volcano for the first time ever, proving that what's been done on land, can be done in the oceans.

Gaddafi spokesman: Tripoli withdrawal was 'tactical'

Muammar Gaddafi's spokesman is vowing that the Libyan leader and his men will fight to keep control of the country. But he is no longer in control of the capital - or even the very heart of his regime. His troops have now fled his compound in Tripoli, after it was taken over by rebel fighters.

In an audio address Moussa Ibrahim, his spokesman, claimed the withdrawl was "a tactical move" and said the battle will go on.

Map of Gaddafi's Bab Al-Aziziya Compound

Gaddafi's Bab Al-Aziziya compound was the nerve centre of his government. For the rebels, it was an important power base in the Libyan capital that had to be conquered. It was Gaddafi's primary home and the base of operations for fighters loyal to his government throughout the six months of the uprising.

'Once-in-a-century' 5,8 Earthquake Rocks Virginia

Virginia governor Bob McDonnell says there appears to be no major damage or injuries from a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit near the small town of Mineral. McDonnell says early reports show that damage and injuries were "very, very minor."

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