Green Options » space

Giant Kangaroo Rat Will Be the First Endangered Species Monitored from Space

Levi Novey — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:41:22 +0000

A scientist named Tim Bean, who is a PhD student at the University of California Berkeley writes the following on a website: “I expect that ‘Counting Rats from Space,’ the proposed title of my thesis, will become an international phenomenon, spawning everything from a board game to a Top 40 dance hall burner.”

His dream might soon come true. Bean is one of the primary researchers on a project that will use images from Israeli defense satellites to obtain an accurate population estimation for California’s endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat–a keystone species. The study will be the first to use satellites to research an endangered species.

Solar Power from Space Might Reduce Carbon Emissions to 0

Levi Novey — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:43:15 +0000

This Friday, John C. Mankins, a former NASA employee who is an expert on space solar power will make a big announcement about a potentially huge alternative energy breakthrough.

The basic idea is that satellites in space will collect solar energy and beam it down to the earth. Apparently, Mankin was involved with a project that successfully demonstrated a wireless power transmission between two Hawaiian Islands. The islands are farther apart in distance than is the Earth’s surface from space. The idea and pilot project will be featured on a Discovery Channel show called Discover Project Earth that will also be broadcast this Friday.

Photo Credit: Pear Biter on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Solar Power From Outer Space Could Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:19:47 +0000

Rising fuel costs have spurred some pretty wacky ideas. One that maybe isn’t so crazy is harvesting solar power from space. While the idea isn’t new—NASA and The US Department of Energy studied it throughout the 1970s—the time has come when it might not be too expensive to start pursuing it.

Pravna Mehta, the director of India operations for Space Island Group, a company working to develop solar satellites, thinks space energy has excellent potential. According to his vision, satellites would electromagnetically beam solar energy to ground-based receivers, where the energy would be converted to electricity and transferred to power grids.

Since satellites in high Earth orbits are unaffected by earth’s shadows, the energy would be available every day without fail.

Top 10 Environmental News Headlines of the Week, no. 3

Gavin Hudson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:06:59 +0000

Top international environmental news for during the week of April 6 - 13:

Europe — World’s first commercial tidal turbine installed (EcoGeek)

“The world’s first commercial tidal turbine has been installed in its home in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

Though it has yet to be turned on, it will be the first commercial power-producing tidal generator when it is (sometime later this year). The turbine has two 16 meter-wide rotors and will be able to run for 18-20 hours a day. The turbine was installed off the coast in an area known for fast moving waters, and because the rotors will only spin 10-20 times in a minute, it is unlikely to disturb marine life.”

Source: EcoGeek. Hot in media: Digg EcoGeek, Digg TimesOnline.

Africa — Tree-Nation (Tree-Nation)

“Tree-Nation is an ecological project with a focused objective: To plant 8 million trees in Niger, Africa to fight desertification! Large-scale plantation of trees will increase the land’s productivity and re-generate the soil.

Read more of this story »