GlobalWarmingisReal contributor Anders Hellum-Alexander wraps-up the climate and environmental news headlines for the past week:
- The US government is not easing its support for ethanol, especially with rising oil prices. In 2011 we are going to have more ethanol coming out of the pump with oil than ever.
- The Gates Foundation is working to get everyone on Earth fed. One of their projects is to protect our wheat mono-crops from a new disease.
- Microsoft is greening its operation, The Guardian interviews Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Strategist.
- San Diego startup ecoATM is trying to increase recycling of small electronics by placing kiosks around town that pay you for your old gadget on the spot. Sounds like a great idea, but isn’t that just going to encourage stealing.
- MotherJones has good rant about the terror that is the US Chamber of Commerce.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association scientists have been cleared of allegations that they altered data to create false evidence of Climate Change. So there, climate skeptics.
- The EPA has decreased emissions standards for certain types of industrial polluters. The new-new standards are supposed to still be an improvement though. Energy companies have really proven to be quite stiff businesses, unable to respond to the modern market.
- A Canadian natural gas extraction company is doing a unique thing and is collaborating with the Environmental Defense Fund to scope out a new extraction site. While we don’t want another site being developed, if we can’t stop it we can at least make the operation relatively low impact.
- Solar energy is being used in a pilot plant to create steam for oil extraction in hopes of bringing operating costs down. I don’t want oil extraction to get cheaper though, I want it to get more expensive so we innovate away from it as quickly as possible.
- Even Saudi Arabia is going solar.
- And more innovation in solar technology from Technology Review
