Doomsday Clock Setback

Doomsday Clock Moves 1 Minute Back

By Larry Greenemeier   Scientific American

The human race can breathe a tiny bit easier (but not too much) now that the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the hand of its Doomsday Clock one minute farther away from midnight, the time which symbolizes catastrophic destruction and the apocalyptic end of civilization. The clock now reads six minutes from that end-of-days witching hour after it was changed during a press conference Thursday in New York City, citing an increased awareness and interest in stopping key threats to humanity (in particular nuclear conflict and global warming) since U.S. President Barack Obama took office about a year ago.

But the Bulletin, a group established shortly after World War II by the likes of Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, tempered its actions with the major caveat that humankind could slip closer to oblivion again if the world's governments do not follow through on promises made to curb the creation of more nuclear weapons and greenhouse gases. Although the Bulletin was originally formed out of concern for global nuclear annihilation, the group has since broadened its purview to include the world's vulnerability to climate change.
MORE

East Coast Blizzard Seen From Space

From Betsy Mason, Wired Science blog

NASA’s Aqua satellite took this image centered on Washington, D.C., on Sunday with its MODIS instrument.

The image covers 300 miles lengthwise. The two big rivers near the center are the Susquehanna (to the north) and Potomac rivers, which run into Chesapeake Bay. Washington, D.C., sits alongside the Potomac, just north of the river’s hook-shaped curve. The inlet to the north is Delaware Bay.
Higher-resolution image from NASA

Nopenhagen Protesters Stage Mass Rally

Special thanks to Bridgit Koller

NPR on Ball State

All Things Considered feature on Ball State's campus-wide, 50 building, $80 million effort to displace their daily 130-tons of coal habit.
Link here.

An Affordable Truth

Good Krugman column today (may require sign in) on optimism at start of COP15. Some notable excerpts:

The truth, however, is that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is affordable as well as essential. Serious studies say that we can achieve sharp reductions in emissions with only a small impact on the economy’s growth. And the depressed economy is no reason to wait — on the contrary, an agreement in Copenhagen would probably help the economy recover.

and...

Still, should we be starting a project like this when the economy is depressed? Yes, we should — in fact, this is an especially good time to act, because the prospect of climate-change legislation could spur more investment spending.
Consider, for example, the case of investment in office buildings. Right now, with vacancy rates soaring and rents plunging, there’s not much reason to start new buildings. But suppose that a corporation that already owns buildings learns that over the next few years there will be growing incentives to make those buildings more energy-efficient. Then it might well decide to start the retrofitting now, when construction workers are easy to find and material prices are low.

Periodic Table Cupcakes

An idea whose time has come. From neatorama.com.

Clean Tech Open Gala

The Cleantech Open is the world's largest Cleantech Business Competition. They're running an amazing Expo and Awards Gala at the Masonic Center in San Francisco this coming Tuesday, November 17th. You need to be there!

The details:
* Expo from 10am to 2pm - showcasing cleantech from innovators throughout the US and ideas from around the world
* Awards Gala from 2pm to 6pm - technology demonstrations and speakers
* Networking Reception from 6pm to 8pm.

There will be networking all day, and speeches from Bill Weihl - Green Czar at Google, Lesa Mitchell - VP of Innovation at Kauffman Foundation, Gil Friend - CEO of Natural Logic, Steve Westly - CEO of Westly Group and Marc Stanley - Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Outstanding speakers, all.

The Cleantech Open is a nonprofit and the Awards Gala is intended as a fundraiser. Tickets normally go for $129 and up – but I have some discounted tickets which will give you a 40% reduction – just click this link: www.cleantechopen.com/gala

Greenbuild Phoenix

Great, big (30k?), inspiring event. Real nice to meet people on the other side of the conference call, but real nice to be back home.

Long time, no talk...

A few pictures to put things in perspective: A Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, the remains of a "tremendous" stellar explosion. According to NASA, observers in China and Japan recorded the supernova nearly 1,000 years ago, in 1054.

More here.

Energy Star Not in Alignment?

Energy Star Appliances May Not All Be Efficient, Audit Finds

By MATTHEW L. WALD

Published: October 18, 2009
New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency.

Some manufacturers could therefore be putting the stickers on unqualified products, according to the audit, by the Energy Department’s inspector general, Gregory H. Friedman.

The Energy Star program, jointly managed by the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, has benefited from a renewed emphasis by the Obama administration, as a mechanism for reducing the waste of energy and curbing resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Under the federal stimulus bill, $300 million will go to rebates for consumers who buy Energy Star products.

Some consumers choose energy-efficient appliances for the same reason they might choose a car with good fuel economy: to save money or reduce the environmental impact.

Teams from the Energy Department and the E.P.A. oversee different categories of products. Last December, the environmental agency’s inspector general said the Energy Star ratings for products it oversees, like computers and television sets, were “not accurate or verifiable” because of weak oversight by the agency.

The Energy Department vowed then to scrutinize its performance in evaluating the products that it oversees, like windows, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators.

The new audit, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, indicates that the Energy Department has also fallen far short. Those shortcomings “could reduce consumer confidence in the integrity of the Energy Star label,” according to the department’s inspector general. The audit is to be submitted to Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week. While the Energy Department requires manufacturers of windows and L.E.D. and fluorescent lighting to have independent laboratories evaluate their products, the report said, companies that make refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and room air-conditioners, which consume far more energy, can certify those appliances themselves.

MORE