New Black Silicon Solar Cells are Cheap and Absorb More Sun

While the reflective and shiny  solar panels that researchers have been making thus far look pretty, they’re no match for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) recently discovered black silicon solar cell. The scientists at NREL discovered that etching thousands of tiny holes into a silicon wafer causes it to be almost black and thus able to absorb almost all of the sun’s rays, and more absorbent solar cells mean more efficient panels

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New Black Silicon Solar Cells are Cheap and Absorb More Sun

v100 Mod Box: the Next Generation in Prefab Design

Read the rest of v100 Mod Box: the Next Generation in Prefab Design http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: “sustainable architecture” , eco design , energy efficient , futuristic prefab , Green Building , green design , micro house , mod box , modular housing , Prefab , prefab construction , prefab home , prefabricated construction , sustainable design , tiny house , tiny house design , v100 mod box , vine saccento

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v100 Mod Box: the Next Generation in Prefab Design

USGS Confirms Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting & Climate Change is to Blame

Small debris-free plateau glacier with glacier lakes at Gangrinchemzoe Pass at 5,200 m, south of the main Himalayan divide, Bhutan. Photo via USGS In case you were convinced otherwise by the quasi-scandal of ‘Himalayagate’ earlier in the year: The US Geological Survey has released a new report on the state of glacier retreat in the Himalaya and it makes perfectly clear the situation, “Many of Asia’s glaciers are retreating as a result of climate change.

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USGS Confirms Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting & Climate Change is to Blame

Tar Sands Projects Responsible for Water Pollution in Alberta’s Rivers – Despite Industry Claims to Contrary

photo: sbamueller via flickr Contradicting previous industry- and government-backed studies about the source of pollution occurring downstream from Alberta tar sands projects, a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that high levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, zinc and other pollutants are not naturally occurring. As Cree elders have said for some time,

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Tar Sands Projects Responsible for Water Pollution in Alberta’s Rivers – Despite Industry Claims to Contrary

Lighting Science Group unveils PROLIFIC Series solar LED streetlights

Eco Factor: Energy saving LED streetlights powered by solar energy. Lighting Science Group has created a new range of LED streetlights that run entirely independent of local power grids. The sustainable streetlights harvest solar energy to power a series of energy saving lights, which are being claimed to be more efficient that regular HID streetlights

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Lighting Science Group unveils PROLIFIC Series solar LED streetlights

Gulf Oil Plumes More Toxic to Microorganisms Than Thought

photo: Wikipedia Preliminary results from experiments done by University of South Florida scientists on the toxicity of microscopic drops of oil in the undersea plumes from the BP spill show that they may be more toxic than previously believed. The researchers say the dispersed oil appears to be having a toxic effect on bacteria and phytoplankton.

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Gulf Oil Plumes More Toxic to Microorganisms Than Thought

Russia’s Peatland Fires May Continue Burning Underground Through Winter

photo: praegerr via flickr Burning for some weeks now, the fires in Russia are not only causing Moscow’s daily death rate to double as smog engulfs the city, but are also emitting tons of greenhouse gas emissions as drained peatlands burn. What’s worse,

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Russia’s Peatland Fires May Continue Burning Underground Through Winter

17 Nations Beat or Equal All-Time Heat Records This Summer

photo: Umair Mohsin via flickr If Russia’s current heatwave being the worst in 1000 years and doubling the daily death rate in Moscow wasn’t enough, check out this sweaty stat: According to Wunder Blog (via Mongabay ), already this summer 17 nations have set or matched their all-time heat records. Not to mention an all-time hottest temperature for Pakistan, and possibly all of Asia…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

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17 Nations Beat or Equal All-Time Heat Records This Summer

Financier Made $1 Billion Bet on Oil During BP Spill

Image via CNN The billionaire financier Carl Icahn snapped up $929 million worth of shares in oil-related energy companies in the months following the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon site , new reports are revealing.

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Financier Made $1 Billion Bet on Oil During BP Spill

Moscow Death Rate Doubles From Worst Heat Wave in 1000 Years

Smog from ongoing forest fires, plus temperatures 25°F higher than normal have engulfed Moscow for over a week. Alexandr Solo via flickr via flickr. When the heatwave/forest fire/drought in Russia started a few weeks ago things were bad enough, with Moscow engulfed in smog the likes of which it had never seen and drought stunting crops in the countryside

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Moscow Death Rate Doubles From Worst Heat Wave in 1000 Years

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