Tag: renewable energy

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Ain’t no sunshine – #SolarImpulse plane forced to land due to bad weather – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

For the first time, inclement weather has obliged Solar Impulse 2 to land. The record-breaking attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean in a solar-powered plane was aborted after bad weather forced the pilot to make an unscheduled stop in the Japanese city of Nagoya. The crossing was part of the plane’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe using only the energy of the Sun. E&T reported on this latest development in the Solar Impulse 2 story in full yesterday. Click on the graphic for an expanded view. Continue reading Ain’t no sunshine – #SolarImpulse plane forced to land due to bad weather – an annotated infographic

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@SolarImpulse takes off from Abu Dhabi for its round-the-world trip – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Solar Impulse 2, the plane powered solely by photovoltaics, has taken off from Abu Dhabi for its challenging round-the-world trip. The Solar Impulse 2, a reiteration of the earlier Solar Impulse 1 that successfully crossed America in 2013, has set out from Al Bateen Executive Airport at 7.15am UTC for Oman with Andre Borschberg, one of the two project’s creators aboard. E&T news reported on this solar-powered adventure earlier today. Click on the graphic for an expanded view.   Continue reading @SolarImpulse takes off from Abu Dhabi for its round-the-world trip – an annotated infographic

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#Fossilfuelfree future still some way off, as G20 nations spend $88bn a year on exploration – an annotated infographic

E&T magazine

Environmentalists, look away now or prepare to feel deep despair. The G20 group of leading global economies continue to spend about $88 billion each year on fossil fuel exploration, increasing the risk of “dangerous climate change”, according to a report by the Overseas Development Institute. The top 20 private oil and gas companies invested just $37 billion in exploration in 2013 – less than half of that being ploughed in annually by G20 governments – suggesting their exploration activities are highly dependent on public finance. So what’s up with all the green energy research? E&T news continues to track the … Continue reading #Fossilfuelfree future still some way off, as G20 nations spend $88bn a year on exploration – an annotated infographic

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Wind turbines: new helium design floats higher for more power – an annotated graphic

E&T magazine

Wind turbines – always a contentious topic, as the NIMBYs of the world vociferously protest their siting anywhere within a hundred miles of their lounge windows. Personally, your correspondent finds the average wind turbine a tranquil, attractive technology, calmly rotating like a Flensted mobile writ large on the landscape. Mmm… rotaty. Anyway, the latest thinking for wind turbines is this floating, air-borne, helium-filled concept. Faintly reminiscent of the barrage balloons of WWII, the design has been cited as a solution for cheap renewable energy power generation in remote areas and disaster zones. Looks like a good idea on paper. Naturally, … Continue reading Wind turbines: new helium design floats higher for more power – an annotated graphic

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Laos approves Mekong River dam; giant catfish disapproves – an annotated graphic

E&T magazine

Laos – the long, skinny Asian country squashed between Vietnam to the right and Thailand to the left – has given the go-ahead for the construction of a massive dam on the Mekong River. Laos plans to harness the power of the river to generate electricity, which in turn it can sell to its neighbours. The problem is that those same neighbours are already unhappy about the potential disruption the dam might cause to their fishing and rice production. The Mekong snakes hundreds of miles all the way from China, through Laos, into Cambodia and out to the sea, with … Continue reading Laos approves Mekong River dam; giant catfish disapproves – an annotated graphic