Time to shine: Solar power is fastest-growing source of new energy | Environment Solar power was the fastest-growing source of new energy worldwide last year, outstripping the growth in all other forms of power generation for the first time and leading experts to hail a “new era”. Renewable energy accounted for two-thirds of new power added to the world’s grids in 2016, the International Energy Agency said, but the group found solar was the technology that shone brightest. New solar capacity even overtook the net growth in coal, previously the biggest new source of power generation. The shift was driven by falling prices and government policies, particularly in China, which accounted for almost half the solar panels installed. The Paris-based IEA predicted that solar would dominate future growth, with global capacity in five years’ time expected to be greater than the current combined total power capacity of India and Japan. Dr Fatih Birol, the executive director of the IEA, said: “What we are witnessing is the birth of a new era in solar photovoltaics [PV].
sans titre Spiders can be found on every continent of the planet except Antarctica. They are both hunters and hunted. They capture their prey in a variety of ways, either by spinning a web and waiting for their unsuspecting prey to fall into the trap, or jumping out of a hiding place onto a passing meal. Except for the plant-eating Bagheera kiplingi, these eight-legged invertebrates are serial carnivores: most love to snack on insects while others are tempted by lizards, birds, frogs, fish and the occasional snake. There are spiders that eat other spiders, and some female widow spiders eat their mates, even while they are mating. Spider venom is present in most species and serves the purpose of stunning or killing their prey rather than attacking humans. Despite having adapted to a range of habitats and temperatures, spiders rarely stray far from their home environment. Spiders can produce several different types of silk from their silk glands and nozzles, otherwise known as spinnerets.
We've Set a Climate Change Record for 2016, and It's Awful The Numbers Are In Usually, setting a world record is a positive achievement. Not this time, though – we have set another world record for the warmest temperatures ever on the planet. According to separate reports by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, 2016 is the hottest year ever recorded. Humans have been consistently setting record-breaking temperature levels since 2005, but last year’s is now the worst of them all. The NOAA’s annual State of the Climate Report was prepared by scientists from its National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). During 2016, the average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.69°F (0.94°C) above the 20th century average. NASA’s separate analysis, made by its Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, supports these figures: “Globally-averaged temperatures in 2016 were 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than the mid-20th century mean. It Keeps Getting Hotter
Solar Power & Renewable Energy Information sans titre Keeping an eye on the health of our seas You might be forgiven for thinking that Lewis Pugh is somewhat out of his mind, particularly since he once swam in water so cold at the North Pole that the cells in his fingers burst. The extreme swimmer then went on to almost drown while swimming in a glacial lake on Mount Everest because of the thin air, and more recently has become the first person to swim long distances across seven seas including the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Black Sea. His motive is crystal clear: to draw the attention of politicians and leaders to the degradation of the environment, particularly our oceans, before it is too late. Hula-hooping for human rights Wasfia Nazreen first came across a hula hoop as a young girl, when she saw a foreign child who was visiting her native Bangladesh playing with one.
China Takes Serious Anti-Coal Stance, Cancelling 104 New Coal Plants In Brief China is shutting down 104 coal-fired projects across 13 provinces, which were expected to deliver a total of 120 gigawatts of power.With this change, it might be possible for the world’s biggest industrial nation to meet its target of limiting coal-fired power generation to 1,100 gigawatts by 2020. War Against Coal Almost three years ago, China declared their intentions to wage a war against pollution – a move in direct response to the dire state of the country’s air quality and worldwide efforts to address climate change. Even now, as the country announces plans to shut down the construction of more than one hundred coal-fired power plants, some of its major cities are still reeling from the toxic smog that blanketed the nation at the beginning of 2017. Around the globe, the very real consequences brought on by climate change continue to be felt. Impending Victory
Solar growing to number 1 spot on renewable energy Super-recognisers 1Hundreds of angry people took to the streets in London and at least ten other English cities in 2011. Petrol bombs were thrown, buildings and vehicles destroyed and shops looted. Many of the rioters were caught on CCTV cameras, but most of the images were poor and the perpetrators had covered their faces. 2Gary Collins, an off-duty policeman, was watching the London riots on TV. 3Collins is no ordinary police officer. 4London’s Metropolitan Police set up a unit of super-recognisers in 2015 after Collins’ success proved it could be useful. 5Neville’s unit has changed all that. 6This winning combination of human skill and technology has helped convict criminals from shoplifters and pickpockets to sex offenders and murderers. 7Super-recognisers could be useful in many jobs such as security and passport control.
The end of coal is near: China just scrapped 103 power plants China has announced plans to cancel more than 100 coal plants currently in development, scrapping what would amount to a massive 120 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired electricity capacity if the plants were completed. For a bit of context, the entire US has approximately 305 GW gigawatts of coal capacity in total, and this massive adjustment leaves room for China to advance its development of clean, renewable energy. Despite China's much-publicised pollution problems, the reason for the cancellations is because the country was actually vastly exceeding its planned coal capacity for the future. Per China's five-year-plan for its power sector, it's targeting a coal-fired capacity of 1,100 GW in 2020 – a sizeable increase from its existing 920 GW. But if all 103 plants in development were to be completed, China's capacity would reach 1,250 GW, creating a huge, unnecessary surplus of coal power – which is why the Chinese government is putting on the brakes.