Google invests over € 60 million in six solar power plants

Google will invest over € 60 million ($ 185 million) on six new solar power plants in California and Arizona, according to a post from Kojo Ako-Asare, head of the Finance Department of the company, on the official blog.

According to Google, the project will bring electricity to about 17 million homes in the United States, in what will be the 14th Google's investment in renewable energy since 2010, for a total of € 750 million (US $ 2.3 billion).

The projects will have a combined capacity of 106 megawatts. A normal coal produces between 600 to 700 megawatts, while a nuclear power reach of 900 to 1,300 megawatts.

Today, approximately 33% of Google's energy comes from renewable sources. The company hopes to reach eventually to 100% power via renewable sources.

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Use coco for beauty products threatens tropical fruit

With the increased popularity of health and beauty products based on coconut, the demand for this fruit has skyrocketed, and producers may not be able to keep up.

According to the data of the food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the world demand for coconuts is growing 10 percent a year, while the production increases only 2%.

The problem is related to the aging of coconut trees of the main producer countries of this fruit, notably the Philippines, Indonesia or India.

According to Hiroyuki Konoma, representative for the region of Asia and the Pacific of the OAA, the coconut trees used currently in production were planted more than 50 years, which means they have 20 more years beyond their peak production, referred to in the Huffington Post. If it is planted in rich soil, a coconut tree can generate, on average, 75 fruits per year.

According to FAO, India produces about 16 billion coconuts a year, exclusively for home use, and more than €740 million (US $ 2.3 billion) are exported annually from the Philippines to the United States. Despite the high export values, production is still about 8% below the level of demand.

However, despite the massive search, that can even threaten the species, the producers seem to have found a solution. In early November, more than a dozen countries in the Asia-Pacific region gathered in Bangkok to find the best solution to rehabilitate the industry. With certain initiatives of replanting, the industry believes it can relaunch the production "in a few years," said the executive director of the community of Asia-Pacific Scree, Romulo Arancon.

However, the plan is not as simple as planting more Palm trees. A study of the OAA indicates that "will require technical and financial assistance" to increase the production area in Indonesia, while the producers, mostly small farmers, are already looking for ways to increase revenues, which include the use of hybrid seeds.

Retrieve the population of coconut trees is important not only for farmers, who depend on these trees to survive, but also to coast lines, since these trees help prevent coastal erosion. If the rehabilitation of this tree is no longer a concern, the effects can be devastating because of the intense demand it if it makes you feel, underlines the OAA.

Foto:  Chirantan Patnaik / Creative Commons

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Mission Smile and Portuguese Red Cross collected $ 600 thousand in foods

Last weekend, the Portuguese have shown their solidarity and contributed more than € 600 million in food to help approximately 32 thousand people in food shortage situation, within the framework of the social responsibility program Mission Smile.

During the days 9 and 10 of November, more than 3,000 Portuguese Red Cross volunteers and the continent were present in approximately 190 stores across the country and Islands to assist in gathering food.

The Portuguese have joined the appeal and offered products such as rice, pasta, canned variety, milk, sugar, salt, biscuits, powdered milk, oatmeal baby milk, instant coffee, tea (bags), energy bars/cereal, among other essential goods.

The donated goods are now spread over 10 thousand needy families, identified by about 100 Portuguese Red Cross delegations, according to the most urgent needs of each region, at the national level.

"This is an initiative that will certainly help suppress the basic needs of many Portuguese families who seek help from the Portuguese Red Cross, at a time when the country faces major challenges," explains the Continent in a statement.

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COP19: 2013 is to be the seventh warmest year since 1850

2013 is to be the seventh warmest year since it began monitoring the annual average temperature on the planet, in 1850. This year has also been conducive to extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Haiyan, which hit the Philippines recently, spurred on by the rise of sea level.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Meteorology Agency of the United Nations (UN), the first nine months of 2013 coincide with those of 2003, with average temperatures, both on the Earth's surface as oceanic, 0.48 degrees Celsius above the annual average recorded between 1961-1990.

"This year is contributing once again to stress the long-term trend" in the face of higher temperatures caused by global warming, said the Secretary-General of WMO, Michael Jarraud, during the Conference on climate change, UN COP19, held in Warsaw. "The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, enhanced by human activity, means a future warmer than is now inevitable," added the responsible, CITES The Guardian.

The result is still tentative, but the WMO indicates that this year is likely to finish among the 10 warmest since 1850.

In September, the UN Intergovernmental Panel for climate change reviewed in high probability of the human species being the main cause of global warming since 1950 to 95%, the previous 90% estimated in 2007. The anticipated effects include more heat waves, increased level of the oceans and increased rainfall.

Since the temperature of the Earth began to be monitored, 2010 was warmest year, according to the WMO.

Foto: Steve Bolton, sob licença Creative Commons

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Lego prosthesis give ability to walk the turtle

When she was found, the turtle Schildi had an infection so dangerous that veterinarians had to amputate her leg for her survival. However, and as already happening with several animals with paws amputated, responsible for Bird Consulting International in Baden, Germany, wouldn't let her get away with it.

According to Grist, the solution found up is quite simple: a prosthesis made from a Lego wheel. Yes, the classic children's Toy (and not only).

"The prosthesis of Lego will mean a turtle probably slower. But, in fact, how fast you need to get a turtle? "asks the aggregator.

The Lego piece is glued to its bottom shell and, after some reticence, the turtle Schildi eventually adapt perfectly.

The piece was designed by doctors of Bird Consulting International and had as its inspiration the toys of the daughter of one of the leaders of the NGOS. According to the professionals, Schildi will need to change their new paw once a year, so it's likely that the next material is designed tailored â€" perhaps this new survey will allow other animals can be helped.

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The Portuguese project which is creating pastureland "extraordinarily productive" (with video)

The Raven is one of the most amazing projects â€" and simple â€" developed from scratch in Portugal to combat climate change. The project, which began at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), promotes the increase of organic matter in the soil, resulting in an increase in water retention and soil fertility and, in parallel, decreasing its susceptibility to erosion, mitigating the effects of drought and poor agricultural practices.

These seeded pastures biodiversas are already used by about 1,000 Portuguese farmers, especially in the Centre and South of the country, instead of just sow a species â€" or leave the cattle in grazing-sow a mixture with a wide variety of plants.

"Are extraordinarily productive pastures â€" arrive to sow up 20 different types of plants. As the shamrocks, who have ability to go on the air for nitrogen and turn it into a fertilizer that lay on the ground, "explained to the green economy Tiago Domingos, a professor at the IST and responsible for Raven.

On the other hand, this meadow is used to sequester carbon dioxide, one of the main responsible for the greenhouse effect and climate change. "Through photosynthesis, plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and will turn it into biomass of soil," continues Vítor Sundays.

Farmers who accept the proposal from the Raven receive a payment through the Portuguese Carbon Fund (PCF), because they are helping the Country emitting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Learn all about the pastures sown biodiversas in episode 146 of the green economy.

Photo: Jsome1, under Creative Commons license

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What to do when your old appliance?

Campaigns and warnings there, but we can still find many end-of-life appliances together of ecopoints and dustbins.

The situation is detrimental to the environment: some equipment such as refrigerators, cell phones, computers and monitors contain toxic substances and harmful to the environment. When they are not dismantled according to environmental safety standards, they eventually release into the atmosphere extremely harmful substances, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, among others, constitute a risk to the environment and public health.

On the other hand, recycling of electrical equipment allows for the recovery of raw materials such as plastic and glass, but also valuable substances such as copper or gold.

According to Amb3E, only about 30 to 40% of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are properly treated and recycled, existing unofficial channels of collection of WEEE.

What to do with the old appliance?

For all these reasons, it is important that people know how and where they can deposit their used equipment.

If you want to purchase a new equipment, can free exchange of new for old, since the new equipment fulfils the same function. This rule extends to the home delivery.

If you do not want to purchase a new equipment can forward as follows:

1. small appliances such as blenders, cell phones, radios, among others, can be deposited on one of the existing Electron Point throughout the country (see locations on www.amb3e.pt).

2. Major equipment or large amounts of waste can be delivered in one of the reception centres that are prepared to receive, free of charge, all streams of WEEE

3. delivery in the firemen with Protocol with Amb3E

4. it is also possible to request the services of the Town Hall of the place of residence to collect on site.

What happens to my machine after I deliver?

Once delivered, the WEEE is collected through the logistic system managed by Amb3E. The equipments are sent for treatment and recovery in UTV. Once separated into five streams follow for dismantling being its separate components, some later incorporated into new equipment.

Finally, some equipment can still be recovered and reused and are delivered by Amb3E to institutions of social solidarity, through Entrajuda.

Still have doubts about the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment? All information about the local network of reception of Amb3E can be found on the website www.amb3e.pt or 800262333 across the green line.

Foto: Greg Walters, sob licença Creative Commons

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