Amazing US wind speed visualization

Check out this real-time wind speed visualization for the US. It was developed by the brains behind IBM’s Many Eyes and Google’s “Big Picture” visualization lab. Not only does it show the tremendous potential of this renewable energy source, but watching it live is really, really hypnotic.   S. Neil LarsenNeil is a freelance environmental consultant based in Seattle.More Posts - Website - Twitter Read More

Weekly gRound-Up: 2/21/2010

World’s Largest Corporations Caused $2.2 Trillion in Environmental Damages, UN Report Finds A new UN report shows that if the environmental degradation caused by the world’s 3,000 largest companies was accounted for in their balance sheets, it could cut those companies’ profits by nearly a third. The amount was estimated to be about $2.2 trillion – more than half of which was a price on carbon released into the atmosphere.... Read More

Enter the Green Dragon: China Moves to Dominate Clean Energy Economy

China has been rapidly building up its renewable energy production and investing in sustainable energy while the U.S. continues to stall and take small incremental steps. Failing to assess the stakes of the global sustainable energy race could be a costly missed opportunity for the U.S. economy. Residents walk pass a group of solar power panels in Shenyang (Source: AFP & Google News) It is easy to be impressed by the pace and robustness with which... Read More

Minnesota Plans to Implement Worlds First Carbon Tariff

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has authorized a measure that would add a fee of between $4 and $34 per ton of carbon dioxide to electricity generated from coal-fired power stations in North Dakota that is exported to Minnesota. By adding this fee to coal power, it is hoped that it will spur the further development of renewable energy sources. Coal Creek Station, Underwood, ND. (Actually owned by a Minnesota electric utility) Source: Great... Read More

Wind Power Accelerating in China

China takes the lead in wind energy development from ClimateWorks on Vimeo. In the past three years, China has emerged as a world leader in the development of renewable energy as a part of its growing efforts to combat climate change and create new jobs in clean technologies. In October, ClimateWorks traveled to China to get a sense of the scale of wind power development and talk to some local experts about China’s goals for reducing pollution... Read More