A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.
The Great American Eclipse was a great success – but many utilities had been worried that the temporary dip in solar resources might put strain on the electric grid. Others saw it a “dress rehearsal” for how the renewable-heavy system of the future might handle such disruptions. (It’s important to know, because solar and wind energy fluctuate with the weather, unlike fossil fuels).
So the eclipse was a test – and the solar industry aced it! The electricity grid ran smoothly — despite the loss of solar power supplies.
Do you enjoy cruising? It can be a great vacation, with all your transport, food, entertainment and accommodation in one – and no packing and unpacking at each stop!
But – it’s seriously not green.
Luckily, there’s a fantastic alternative way to cruise – and it might just suit you better! Find out what it is here.
A man has spent the last 40 years living alone in a cabin in Gothic, Colorado – one of the coldest places in the United States. He has a garden, uses solar energy, and skis into a nearby town once every few weeks for supplies. He reads, drinks tea and watches videos. He has kept meticulous records about the weather in his neck of the woods — temperature changes, snowfall amounts, melting rates and more.
Now, these records form a treasure trove of pristine climate change data that is incredibly useful to the scientific community. He’s delighted (and so are the scientists).
He’s also been featured in a short film by National Geographic called “The Snow Guardian” (where he imparts some quirky advice at the end).
He continues his observations.
If your home has solar panels, and you generate more electricity than you need for yourself, you can sell the excess to the grid. It’s a great way to reduce your energy costs.
But there’s a fascinating new way of doing things – and I think it’s going to become really popular.
See what this Guest Author says about microgrids and why they’re the future.
Global Green News:
If you think of drones as being great for taking photos and not much else, think again. They’re being used by an Irish startup to help Myanmar (ex Burma in South-East Asia) replant a forest. Restoring a damaged ecosystem is time-consuming and difficult work that can take years to complete. But a drone can plant up to 100,000 trees in one day!
Tesla is touring Australia, showing a tiny home on wheels, powered (of course) by renewable energy and a Tesla Powerwall. Why Australia? It’s a key market – it has the highest rate of solar roofs per person in the world.
When Nepal had terrible floods last week, many were killed and over 2 million people were displaced. Many foreigners on holiday there could also have been stranded – but elephants from a nearby national park were used to transport over 600 people to safety.
US Green News:
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans 12 years ago this week. Now, the city is in a state of emergency since August 10, after a freak storm. To make matters worse, there are problems with the city’s pumping infrastructure. As a result, emergency plans are being made to evacuate the city if heavy rain is forecast. Reporters say it is unprecedented – anywhere in the world – that a city would be evacuated for heavy rain.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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