Large English Windfarm

from the BBC

The BBC is reporting that the UK government has agreed to allow two huge windfarms to be built off the eastern coast.

“The £1.5bn London Array scheme will have 341 turbines rising from the sea about 12 miles (20km) off the Kent and Essex coasts, as well as five offshore substations and four meteorological masts.

The government said both schemes would make “a significant contribution to the aim of a five-fold increase in the UK’s renewable energy resource by 2020”.

New and Ugly Looking Creatures Found

ugly Recently researchers have found some new species of life under Antarctica, and the creepy creatures are ugly. I really like how one day people will say the world is so small thanks to “teh internet’s tubes,” yet we are always discovering new things on this planet.

“This is the sixth year of the marine census, an ambitious project that involves 2,000 researchers from 80 countries trying to get a handle on what is living in the world’s oceans”

More About Gore!

Last night I saw An Inconvienient Truth for the first time and I was inspired to write about it today. This movie is incredible! I believe that anyone who has the slightest interest in the subject of the planet burning up into oblivion HAS TO SEE THIS FILM! Even if you haven’t taken an interest before. This is not left wing, political mumbo jumbo. It is well laid out, well articulated and completely informative.

My initial concern with watching the film was that it might leave me feeling depressed and hopeless. While it did present incredible evidence toward the truth of our planet and its fate, it also leaves the viewer with an empowered sense of hope…..That being said, I don’t usually push things on people. But I really feel ok in saying PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!holidaycard_earthlarge.jpeg

Visit http://www.climatecrisis.net/ for more information on how you can make a difference. Also, http://www.nativeenergy.com is a great site in support of wind energy and other renewable, less impacting energy sources. You can even buy someone a holiday card that decreases 1 ton of pollution by contributing to new wind projects that will reduce Co2! We can make a difference guys!!!

 

 

What You May Not Know About Snow

snowflakes.jpgTis the time of year where the air gets crispy, your breath becomes visible and the sky begins to blizzard with beautiful snowflakes! When it snows it’s so fun to watch that it can almost make the frigid temperatures seem completely worthwhile!

There are some very interesting facts about snow that I have recently discovered. For example, did you know that snowflakes make an insane amount of noise when they hit water?? This was a shocker to me because after a snowfall everything always seems so quiet. Apparently snowflakes have a very unique sonic signature not unlike that of the wail of an approaching fire engine; it increases and then fades away after it’s passed you.

Some other interesting facts? Snow can act as a thermal insulator conserving the heat of the Earth and protecting crops from sub-freezing weather. It provides a perfect free toy for children, and also looks amazing under a telescope. The highest seasonally cumulative precipitation of snow ever measured was on Mount Baker, Washington in the United States during the 1998-1999 season when it received 1140 in. (29 metres!!!) of snow.

Ever wondered why snow is white? Why snow crystals have 6 arms? How they form into such complicated geometrical shapes??? I sure have, and I have found this info for your perusal! I feel so much more well informed about this whole winter thing now.