Saturday, January 17th, 2009 | Author:

Electric propulsion provides some excitement amid the gloom

THE sombre mood at this year’s Detroit motor show manifested itself most visibly in the austerity of the exhibitors’ displays, and Chrysler’s in particular. Over the years the smallest of America’s Big Three manufacturers has introduced new models by driving a sport-utility vehicle through the plate-glass windows of the Cobo Hall, dropping a pickup from the roof and firing a minivan through the air. But having just received a life-saving government bail-out, Chrysler did not want to appear extravagant. Gone were the over-the-top stunts and computer-controlled fountains. Instead it opted for a simple exhibit that resembled a giant showroom.

A beacon in the darkness

A beacon in the darkness

General Motors (GM), the recipient of its own bail-out, also opted for the corporate hair shirt. Ford, the strongest of the Big Three, was careful not to appear too flashy. And even the Japanese carmakers, wary of reviving protectionist sentiments, took a low-key approach. Only the Germans were in a party mood. Some carmakers, including Nissan, Land Rover and Porsche, did not attend the show at all—understandably, given the collapse of America’s car market during 2008.

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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 | Author:

Biologists debate the scale of extinction in the world’s tropical forests

A RARE piece of good news from the world of conservation: the global extinction crisis may have been overstated. The world is unlikely to lose 100 species a day, or half of all species in the lifetime of people now alive, as some have claimed. The bad news, though, is that the lucky survivors are tiny tropical insects that few people care about. The species that are being lost rapidly are the large vertebrates that conservationists were worried about in the first place.

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Sunday, January 11th, 2009 | Author:

London - Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate the same amount of harmful carbon dioxide as boiling an electric kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research.

A typical search generates about seven grammes of CO2 whereas an electric kettle generates about 15 gm, a newspaper quoted a Harvard University physicist as saying.

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Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | Author:

Man is assaulting the oceans. They will smite him if he does not take care

Photoshot

Photoshot

Not much is known about the sea, it is said; the surface of Mars is better mapped. But 2,000 holes have now been drilled in the bottom, 100,000 photographs have been taken, satellites monitor the five oceans and everywhere floats fitted with instruments rise and fall like perpetual yo-yos. Quite a lot is known, and very little is reassuring.

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Saturday, December 20th, 2008 | Author:

Below are notes from one of CO2 traders to members of its staff. The message is clear, even with little energy but with the right attitude - a small company can have a huge impact.


Dear colleagues,

As a company we are promoting energy efficiency as a way to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. In last year’s Christmas present we also gave our best customer tips and tricks how to reduce energy consumption at home (see below). However, I notice that we don’t observe these tips and tricks at our offices. As it is customary to have always good intentions in a new year, here are our ‘voluntary’ energy efficiency measures:

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