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POPSConcrete that literally eats pollution. If it works, then this could be a big breakthrough indeed. However, it's not like cities are going to start re-paving roads that don't need it, or demoing & rebuilding building, (or even just repainting them with this solution)... The cost would be prohibitive. So that 50% savings (just off of 15% of concrete surfaces) is a LONG way away. Plus, this definitely doesn't curb the need for changing the way we pollute...
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POPSWe have a 'right to starlight,' astronomers say One Brazilian astronomer, Augusto Daminelli, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that in Rio, "it should be possible to see up to 5,000 stars with the naked eye -- but because of light pollution we can only see 150." He noted that nearly a third of electric lighting is directed to the heavens, and thus wasted. Possible solutions include putting aluminum covers on street lighting to direct the illumination downwards, and using weaker, more energy-efficient lamps, he said. "More than two billion people in the world are unable to see the Milky Way. For us, the sky is a heritage site for mankind," he said. <<
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POPSCan we harness energy from outer space? While nuclear fusion has already been tested with the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium, those reactions give off the majority of their energy as radioactive neutrons, raising both safety and production concerns. Helium-3, on the other hand, is perfectly safe. It doesn't give off any pollution or radioactive waste and poses no danger to surrounding areas. helium-3 has two protons but only one neutron. When it's heated to very high temperatures and combined with deuterium, the reaction releases incredible amounts of energy. Just 2.2 pounds (one kilogram) of helium-3 combined with 1.5 pounds (0.67 kilograms) of deuterium produces 19 megawatt-years of energy Roughly 25 tons of the stuff could power the United States for an entire year.
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POPSNaked eye astronomy Wherever you are in the world, there will always be stars in the night sky above. And spotting these heavenly bodies - be it a solitary star amid the light pollution or great drifts dotted across the inky darkness - can give a certain thrill. It is one of the few things where we can go out into our own gardens and do it ourselves Marek Kukula, Royal Observatory And stars are not the only attraction - there are planets, comets and galaxies too. Most have been in the skies above for millions and millions of years, which is part of the draw for stargazers, amateur and aficionado alike.
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POPSThe CFL's downside Wow, think I will be a lot more careful with my CFL bulbs in the future. Just wonder what to do when the time comes to replace them. I definitely won't be putting them in a location where they are likely to be broken. This really makes the movement to outlaw incandescent bulbs in some countries look even more insane.
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POPSOne Fifth of Humanity Deprived of Milky Way In case you're thinking that light pollution is nothing more than an inconvenience for astronomers and city-bound skygazers, Walker cited a 2008 study of 147 Israeli communities, published in journal Chronobiology International, which "found some evidence for an increased risk of breast cancer for women living in areas with the most light pollution". This was believed to be linked to "unnatural light at night affecting levels of hormones such as melatonin and estrogen".
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POPSEU Imposed Lightbulbs Are Making People Sick Compact fluorescent light bulbs are filling home and office environments with dangerous electromagnetic pollution, causing devastating health effects on some people. Neurologists are increasingly taking notice of the headaches and migraines being reported by people exposed to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
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POPSHow Parking Lots Can Beat the Heat & Gain Energy On hot, sunny days when air conditioners threaten to overload the power grid, solar power generation makes a lot of sense. Parking lots in asphalt-rich cities have great solar potential because the panels can be oriented to optimize power production during summer afternoons when electricity is most valuable. Google, for example, has installed solar canopies on its parking lots to satisfy 30 percent of its headquarters' power demand. Because the parking lots for most commercial buildings are bigger than the buildings themselves, economies of scale for large installations can further reduce the cost of the solar panels. We shouldn't wait until the next heat wave to think about getting solar power from our parking lots.
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POPSBeautiful Observatory of Kielder Visit sites. It looks like a friendly resource for all sarlovers. They have camps in spring. The Kielder Forest in beautiful Northumbria is a great place to enjoy an outdoor holiday.
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POPSThe Dawn of the new Hydrogen economy Stanford Ovshinsky, President, Chief Scientist and Technologist of ECD Ovonics, based in Michigan USA, was awarded the 2005 Innovation Award for Energy and the Environment by The Economist for his pioneering work in and the development of the high-powered Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery technology. The Economist's Innovation Award celebrates the global achievements and innovations of individuals who have positively transformed global business.
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POPSEco-Facts The population grows as much every three days as it did every century, on average, for most of the last one-thousand centuries before the Industrial Revolution. Worldwatch Institute,1999
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POPSA New Push to Turn Off the Lights in 2009 When I lived in Alice Springs sky viewing was great, but it was better when camping out of town. Translate that to cities and you can't see a thing. I have always wondered about the tall buildings needing to have all those lights on at night for the cleaners. I'd been brought up to turn lights off when leaving a room.
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POPSWhich Candles Emit Carcinogens? “An occasional paraffin candle and its emissions will not likely affect you,” Hamidi said in a news release from the American Chemical Society. “But lighting many paraffin candles every day for years or lighting them frequently in an unventilated bathroom around a tub, for example, may cause problems.” Hamidi also said that some people who believe they have an indoor allergy or respiratory irritation may actually be reacting to pollutants from burning candles. They noted that ventilation can help reduce the level of pollutants in closed rooms–but I say, better yet: switch to a healthier alternative!
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POPSSeeing in the Dark Great show. A complete rebuttal to the book "The Cult of the Amateur". I believe that everyone begins as an amateur.
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POPSIslamist Group Urges "Forest Fire Jihad" Has anyone noticed the Islamofascists favorite targets are strongholds of liberals? Has anyone noticed that weak, liberal leaders attract attacks? Setting off forest fires are acts of war perpetrated by murderous foreign agents. Anyone found lighting off a fire should be SHOT. No Miranda rights. No due process. The the stupid liberals won't do this, so they bring on more attacks.
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POPSLiquid mirror telescope for the Moon The liquid Mercury mirrors, have been used Land based telescopes. Because Mercury will freeze on the unlit side of the moon, a substitute is needed, but they are close to getting one that will do the job. .
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POPS'Village' for Astronomers set up in Georgia With 9 observatories, and a 10 acre hilltop observation field where amateur astronomers who don't want to buy land in the village, can pitch a tent, and set up telescopes. The basic rule is No white lights.The idea is in response to the urban sprawl, where the spread of bright lights, can make stargazing Impossible. In many cities, the city lights drown out the stars completely.
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