The Last Frost

I came across an interesting post on the blog ShoeMoney.com. Apparently they've received an email attempting to extort them out of $200 a month. If they do not comply the sender known as "dragon dragon" will use "special robots" to disable the site's Google adsense account.

What does this have to do with global warming and climate change you might ask? Well the scam artist is claiming to need the money for a magnetic energy machine prototype. He even promises to repay all the money after he "registers" the machine. I love this line though, "If you collaborate with me, you have helped to the science. And if not, I will have to close your Google AdSense account."

You can read about the so called machine at the blog given in the email scam: Magnet-Machine.blogspot.com  

Inventor Seeks Funding For Energy Machine From AdSense Publishers [ShoeMoney]

A new solar powered street lamp may help cities curb energy consumption while sprucing up the neighborhood a little. The lamps have a retro design, except for the modern solar panels adorning the side the lamp post.

I'm not sure what a regular street lamp wholesales for but this lamp is estimated to cost up to 8K for the 2000+ lumen version. Still it's a great solution to a necessary albeit wasteful safety feature for our roads.

Aesthetic Street Lights: 19th Century Design, 21st Century Solar Power - [Green Options]

China to promise cuts in greenhouse gases [New Scientist Environment]
    China has goal to reduce G.H.G. emissions by 10% over 5 years. 

Top 10 Largest Databases in the World [Business Intelligence Lowdown]
    #1 is interesting.

Wis. could become second state to require fewer greenhouse gases [Chippewa.com]
    CA was first.

Purdue University has developed a machine the size of a small van that can turn trash into electricity, about 90% more electricity than goes into the system. Developed for the US Military to reduce the trash "signature" of troops while at the same time reducing the need for fuel shipments. It's called the tactical refinery and takes in paper, plastic, and food waste.

Purdue University Develops Mr.Fusion, Finally - [Purdue.edu via Gizmodo]

Volvo is apparently working on a plug-in hybrid Diesel. Which is pretty sweet for our folks who are lucky enough to have access to biodiesel. No word yet on a time frame for market availability, but hey, at least they're working on it.

Volvo Working on a Diesel Hybrid C30 - [Jalopnik]

Imagine an energy system that runs constantly, requires no fuel, has a minimal environmental impact, produces no waste other than worn out machinery, and is available almost everywhere on Earth. It's geothermal energy and a panel from MIT suggests it may be the answer to the energy woes of the United States.  

MIT-led panel backs 'heat mining' as key U.S. energy source - [MIT News Office]

Which is better? Nuclear waste which can remain toxic to almost all life for up to 250,000 years, or greenhouse gases which are relatively harmless to life, but harmful to global climate stability.

I would have to argue neither on the basis that the only reason we produce so much greenhouse gas is because our economic system makes it difficult for existing alternative technologies such as solar, wind, tidal, and geothermic energy solutions to gain much traction.  

Plutonium or greenhouse gases? Weighing the energy options - [Innovations Report]

A quieter and almost twice as efficient wind turbine may be just what the wind power industry needs. Stormblade Ltd. an engineering company based out of London has designed this power plant that can accelerate the air before it reaches the blades which will increase efficiency in both low and high wind conditions. No word yet on if or when it will go into mass production.

Stormblade Turbine is More Efficient, Quietly Neighbor-Friendly - [Engineer Live via Gizmodo]

Fuel from water is not a new idea. Simply add electricity and it's easy to split water into it's elemental components, hydrogen and oxygen. Get those gases near a flame and boom, the energy you just added gets suddenly released through an explosion which turns the two gases back into nothing but water again. It's called electrolysis and you can do it in your living room if you're not afraid of a little water and electricity. 

So where does the conspiracy come in? Well, there have been several people who have claimed to have figured out a way to split water so efficiently that they get more power from the burning of the resultant gases than what was put in. Stan Meyer was just one of those people, except he actually has some evidence to back up his claims. 

Imagine powering a car from L.A. to NY on nothing but 22 gallons of water. Stan had a working prototype of a dune buggy that could do just that, or so he claimed. In fact he had plans to mass-market the invention. Too bad he was murdered in 1998 and the dune buggy and all his technology was stolen.

So again, where does the conspiracy theory come in?  Well, nowhere except that he had complained about receiving death threats from oil companies. It's an interesting story, true or not, but I'm not going to go into what I think. The evidence is out there… check it out, it definitely makes for some good reading.

Inventor Of Water Powered Car Murdered? - [Growing Growing Gone via Digg.com]

Nobel laureate Steven Chu has turned his attention to Termite guts in order to find a carbon neutral fuel source. Termites have a knack for converting cellulose into liquid ethanol. Most of the matter that makes up plants is cellulose, so this would mean we could tap nearly unlimited sources of ethanol by simply feeding a bio-reactor of some sort, rubbish plant matter. Imagine turning Fall leaves, lawn clippings, downed trees or even organic household rubbish into liquid fuel. It would be pretty revolutionary.

Chu left his current job to work for Lawrence Berkeley Livermore Labs to kick start an inquiry into the possibility.

'Termite guts can save the planet', says Nobel laureate - [Physorg.com]