environmentalism

Having tracked traditional weather data for years, Earth Networks is taking on greenhouse gases.

Formerly named AWS Convergence Technologies and operators of the Weather Bug Web application, Earth Networks said today it will invest $25 million over five years to equip about 100 locations worldwide with sensors to measure the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane.

The company will collaborate with the Scripps Institute for Oceanography in La Jolla, California to gather and analyze the data and combine it with weather-related data. Earth Networks CEO Robert Marshall and Scripps director Dr. Tony Haymet are … Read more

Did the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overstep its bounds in its decision to grant a partial waiver approving the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol for 2007 model year and newer passenger cars and light trucks?

A collective of automakers and engine manufacturers today filled a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, requesting judicial oversight and review over whether EPA's "partial waiver" approval for E-15 fuels violates the federal Clean Air Act provisions. The petition states the Clean Air Act limits the circumstances under which EPA can … Read more

Well, the Nissan Leaf has done it again. It's garnered another award.

This time, the Leaf has been named 2011 European Car of the Year. The Leaf beat out 40 contenders including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall, and Volvo.

In the 47-year history of the annual competition, this is the first time the award has gone to an electric vehicle. This comes on the heels of the Leaf being rated at 99 MPGe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This award recognizes the pioneering zero-emission Nissan Leaf as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, … Read more

Everything is come up roses for the all-electric Nissan Leaf.

The Environmental Protection Agency just named the Leaf best in the midsize vehicle class for fuel efficiency and best for the environment.

The EPA tested the Leaf for an MPGe, or MPG equivalency, rating. After five-cycle tests using varying driving conditions and climate controls, the EPA gave the Leaf a rating of 106 city, 92 highway for a combined 99 MPGe. The EPA's formula of 33.7kW-hrs being equivalent to one gallon of gasoline energy, Nissan said in a press release.

The 99 MPGe rating will be added to … Read more

At least part of the controversy over whether to limit the sale of fuel that's more than 10 percent ethanol is over, for now anyway. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today waived a limitation on selling 15 percent ethanol--known as E15--for cars and light trucks 2007 or newer.

Last month, a controversy brewed over whether vehicles older 2007, or 2001, would be cleared to use E15, based on tests. The organization, Follow the Science, said the 50 percent increase in ethanol could damage catalytic converters in older vehicles, as well as engines of boats, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, … Read more

MELBOURNE, Australia--Asia-Pacific firms are worried that tougher laws on greenhouse gas emissions will hit financial performance and uncertainties on the issue are already limiting their ability to raise capital, a just-published survey showed.

The survey, by Standard & Poor's and carbon analytics firm RepuTex, also found only a minority of firms demonstrated a high understanding of risks associated with tighter carbon laws.

"Respondents from all sectors across the entire Asia-Pacific region clearly stated that they anticipate climate change to progressively affect their financial statements," it said.

The study found 41 percent of the respondents reported that to … Read more

GM is planning to keep drivers and passengers of 2013 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac cars cool with a sustainable air-conditioning refrigerant that lingers in the atmosphere for only days instead of years.

Honeywell has designed a new refrigerant, (HFO-1234yf), that lingers in the atmosphere for just 11 days and has a global warming potential (GWP) of only 4, a 99.7 percent improvement over current emissions.

On average, the refrigerant used in current GM models, R-134a, has an atmospheric life of more than 13 years and a GWP of more than 1,400.

"GM's decision to adopt … Read more

PORT FOURCHON, Louisiana--BP reported progress on Friday in its struggle to shut off its gushing Gulf of Mexico oil well as President Barack Obama sought to show leadership in tackling the biggest spill in U.S. history.

Obama visited the Louisiana coast, where sticky oil has permeated wetlands, closed down the lucrative fishing trade and angered locals whose communities are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward said the so-called top-kill procedure, in which heavy drilling "mud" is pumped into the seabed well shaft, was showing some signs of success in choking off … Read more

Most of the tech products you buy are disposable.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average cell phone life span is 18 months. One hundred and twenty five million phones are discarded every year, resulting in more than 65,000 tons of waste. A lot of folks get a new computer every few years.

Bought a new home theater receiver last year? Great, but its HDMI 1.3 connection is about to be superceded by HDMI 1.4. That won't reduce the receiver's usability, at least in the near term, but it's unlikely you'll want to keep it around for the long run.

Audio Research's CD8 Reference player was designed to last a long, long time. It's also one of the least "digital"-sounding CD players I've ever used. That sort of statement is usually followed by something like, "CDs now sound a lot more like LPs." That's not the case here, but the CD8 is considerably more musical than other state-of-the-art CD players. You can read my complete review on the Home Entertainment Web Site.

Audio Research's CD8 Reference player uses vacuum tubes to amplify the converted-to-analog signals. That's hardly a new idea, as designers started sticking tubes in CD players in the 1980s. But most of those players used just a pair of tubes, typically as a "buffer" output stage. The CD8's tubes are configured much as they are in Audio Research's very best stereo preamplifier, the Reference Pre ($12,000). Measuring an imposing 19 inches long by 5.25 inches high by 15.3 inches wide, the CD8 is the size of a pretty serious power amplifier.

The CD8 doesn't have a disc-loading drawer; the drive mechanism is located under a sliding door on the top panel. Disc loading involves placing a small magnetic clamp on the disc. I like the "hands-on" approach, maybe because it's more like playing an LP.… Read more