For centuries now Bats have been creatures that have been plagued by our ignorance and horrible myths that were created around them. The creatures have been often misunderstood and with little knowledge about their ways even till this day, we still have a lot to learn about these creatures of the dark. They were always considered as carriers of death and plague while they actually stop both of those catastrophes by weeding out insects and saving crops across the world. Now they are apparently falling prey to the wind turbines spread across not America and it is not even the razor sharp blades that are killing them!

Researchers a the University of Calgary found that the vast majority of bats found dead at a wind farm in Southwest Alberta suffered severe injuries to their respiratory systems consistent with a sudden drop in air pressure - called Barotrauma. Barotrauma is a condition resulting from drastic changes in air pressure occurring, for example, when the bats fly through an area where the pressure drops dramatically, such as it does near a spinning turbine blade.

While people have been switching to smaller wind turbines in the urban and semi-urban locations, there are plenty of windmill farms that fall in the birds’ migratory path from Canada to Mexico. These wind turbines are killing the bats at a rate that is much higher than normal causing depletion in their population which subsequently would lead to increase of pests in farms across North America. While we indeed still need wind energy, one must study the ecological implications of setting them up in a certain location before we end up disturbing the entire ecosystem.

Via Cleantechnica

Global warming is probably the single-most famous term that does round in the eco-world and even outside it. Thanks to the efforts of high profile men like Al Gore, you have the whole world sitting up and taking notice. One of the most important ways of solving this impending catastrophe is by reducing and if possible eliminating Carbon emissions. While it is easier said than done, it seems that many architects and firms across the planet are putting in some serious efforts in that direction.

Sony Bank has become Japan’s first carbon-neutral bank, thanks to its purchase of renewable-energy credits. Issued by the Japan Natural Energy Company, the Green Power Certificate equals 1.1 million kilowatt hours. That power is sufficient for the bank to run Carbon-Neutral for a year. The initiative saves the equivalent of 400 tons of greenhouse-gas emissions.

In addition, for clients who own funds that exceed a certain amount, Sony Bank will use part of their service charges to purchase emissions credits, which it will then donate to the Japanese government. While Sony Bank becomes the first Carbon Neutral Bank in Japan, there are many emission-free homes and communities taking shape across the planet which will hopefully lead us towards a future that is safe for us and for the coming generations.

Via Treehugger

The war had been going on for a long long time. And when we were least expecting anything, it had consequences. No one saw it coming and then it happened in Canada. PETA scored a victory when KFC agreed to include a meat-free sandwich on their menu. Not only this, the chicken outlet also said that from now on they will only buy chicken from suppliers who use gas as a method of slaughter, which according to PETA is “the least cruel form of poultry slaughter� ever developed”.
And guess who came to show her support? Pamela Anderson. The once upon a time bombshell (ya, I think whatever that she had has fizzled out now) could be seen fluttering at one of the KFC outlets to sample the new chicken alternative being offered there. But all’s not well in paradise. Speculation is that the sandwich in question may not be as vegan as implied. Wonder why did Pam stop by then? Oh yeah, dumb ex-bombshell.
Via trendhunter

Environmentalists the world over are perturbed over the breaking of a large ice shelf extending to about 8 square miles from the 150 square miles large Ward Hunt area in Canada. The cracks in Ward Hunt indicate chances of more breakage following later this year. One can imagine the catastrophe in store for the earth’s inhabitants as this 3000 years old mass broke up and began slowly drifting into the Arctic Ocean. Findings indicate that temperatures in the Arctic have risen faster than the global average in recent decades. Yep, the root cause is global warming. Very few of us know that the rise in temperature of the earth over the last 100 years has not been duplicated over a history of 650000 years. And the first to melt because of the heat are the ice caps causing a rise in the water level. Apparently, every year we are crossing new thresholds in environmental change which will lead to huge repercussions in the near future.

And people were carefree thinking that melting of the mammoth sized chunks would take ages but the Canada episode of ice suddenly slipping into the oceans has shaken those myths. Probability of sudden avalanches and submerging of icebergs have increased tremendously that will eventually devour cities altogether.

Via GreenDiary

The latest entry in the world of diverse wastes yielding valuable “biogas” is yours truly, human excreta! We have heard about astronauts up there in space breathing oxygen churned out from their own urine earlier. Now down here on earth, our households will get powered by our own collective poo. Of course, this isn’t something that will happen in the whole world simultaneously for such an exclusive power generating mechanism will be test run under a $1.1 million pilot project. The latter undertaken by Terasen Gas of British Columbia (Canada) which is determined to purify “biogas” from human waste. The procedure will take place at the Lions Gate sewage treatment plant. This project happens to be the first of its kind in British Columbia although efforts to do the same are going on in the United States. Tearsen hopes to extract biomethane (biofuel) at the end of the process and distribute it via its existing natural gas distribution system. Methane gas is produced by sewage treatment via processes like decomposition / digestion of sewage and solid-liquid waste separation.

This gas can then be used to generate electricity for residences. Doug Stout, Terasen’s VP of marketing and business development says, “This pilot project will provide enough energy for 100 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 500 tonnes each year”. Once the results of pilot project (expected to begin by July 2009) are found to be satisfactory, the company will pep-up its efforts to harvest methane from agricultural wastes as well. And perhaps farm waste together with that from humans will provide enough raw-material for large-scale production of biomethane. Definitely the news is a promising one. Also, it is interesting to note that after making equipments, gadgets & technology around them as sustainable, human beings themselves will be sustainable resources for electricity generation!

Via: green.yahoo.com