Getting Away From it All – Literally

Russia is on schedule with launching an orbital hotel, large enough to accommodate seven guests, in 2016.  Travelers will eat space food, take sponge baths, and have vacuum toilets because of the zero-gravity environment.  The orbital hotel will orbit 217 miles above Earth’s surface, and will cost $1 million for five days.

Adding to the growing list of space tourism companies, RKK’s ventures will also include the dark side of the moon, and Mars in 2030.  Russia will not begin selling seats until 2013 since US and European astronauts will be hitching rides to the International Space Station until that point. 

Source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/19/us-russia-space-tourism-idUSTRE77I21720110819

The Disappearing North Pole

It can be easy to forget about the declining situation at our Earth’s poles; however, the facts are not easy to ignore.  July 2011 set a record low for ice at the poles with only 3.06 million square miles as opposed to the average 3.9 million.  Researchers at Colorado’s National Snow and Data Center (NSIDC) are pessimistic about the future of the North Arctic ice.   

The results of this study not only effect the Arctic Circle, but also the climate of the rest of the world.  The Arctic sea aids in the cooling of the entire Northern Hemisphere by reflecting sunlight off the ice.  On the positive side, levels are hovering around the same as that in 2007; which was the lowest year on record since 1979. 

Source:

http://www.climatewatch.noaa.gov/image/2011/summer-heat-unravels-arctics-icy-blanket

Cargill Funding Rainforest Conservation

Cargill has awarded a $3 million grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in an effort to protect rainforests in Brazil.  This grant was awarded so TNC can assist Brazilian farmers harvest soy while still maintaining conservation laws.  TNC has already helped 383 farmers meet compliance; the grant is expected to assist on 17.5 million acres of land. 

Titled the Responsible Soy project, TNC will be implementing sustainable farming methods to protect the Amazon.  TNC will also be monitoring deforestation with satellite imagery and field visits to keep farmers within forest code requirements.  These efforts, funded by Cargill, will help preserve the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest. 

Source:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nature-conservancy-grant-helps-protect-key-area-of-the-amazon-127726133.html

Space Race 2.0

Think the Space Race is over?  Not if Google has anything to say about it.  Google Lunar X PRIZE is prepared to award $30 million dollars to the first two privately funded teams that land on the moon.  This landing would be historic as it would generate the first privately funded moon landing.  There is extra prize money for video, pictures, and Apollo gear sent back from the moon. 

This program is an attempt to pick up where government funded space exploration left off.  Space Adventures is a privately owned company that provides access to adventures in space for civilians.  One of the many adventures for sale is a circumlunar flight where the participant will orbit the moon with a cosmonaut for a mere ~$10 million dollars.  After the retiring of the US shuttle program, it is apparent that space exploration is just beginning. 

Sources:

http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/

http://www.spaceadventures.com/index.cfm

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/11/139536084/googles-goal-inspire-first-privately-funded-moon-landing

NASA Comes Calling for Virgin Galactic

The US space program is far from gone, after the retiring of the shuttle program.  Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Aabar Investments PJS have been selected by NASA to provide sub-orbital flight opportunities for NASA engineers.  By using Virgin Galactic, NASA will soon be able to provide researchers access to space.

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is the only suborbital vehicle conducting test flights today that is capable of carrying a crew.  Additionally, SpaceShipTwo has a large sized cabin that is able to meet the needs of researchers.  Formerly thought to be a space tourism company, NASA’s interest in Virgin Galactic is shining a new light on Branson’s project.

Source:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/nasa-selects-virgin-galactic-for-suborbital-flights/

Man Fatally Bit by Vampire Bat

The U.S. has had its first reported death from a vampire bat’s bite on record.  The 19 year old migrant worker from Mexico contracted rabies from the bat after a day of work on a sugarcane plantation in Louisiana.  He sought medical care for symptoms and was initially diagnosed with exertion.  He later was diagnosed with rabies, after a series of misdiagnosis, at a hospital in New Orleans. 

The rabies virus carried by vampire bats is the most commonly passed rabies virus to humans, and has been the leading cause in the US for 20 years.  Rabies causes inflammation of the brain and, if left untreated, is fatal to humans and animals. Vampire bats were previously only found in Latin America, but are migrating North because of climate change.

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/12/louisiana.vampire.bat.rabies/index.html?iref=allsearch  

IKEA's Bright Future

IKEA, a Swedish furniture retailer, is aiming to power all stores from 100% renewable resources.  In an effort to fulfill this goal, IKEA purchased 39,000 solar panels in the UK.  Additionally, IKEA purchased a 12.3 MW wind farm which will generate 30% of the retailer’s energy.  This purchase increases IKEA’s wind turbine ownership to 67, generating 127 MW.

To further increase IKEA’s power supply, the retailer purchased $6.5 billion in solar panels. IKEA projects to be between 70-80% by 2015.   Hopefully this is the beginning of retailers moving toward renewable sources of power world-wide.  

Source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/09/idUS401034494220110809

For more information on SOLAR POWER, check out SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT’s Volume 40 episode: SOLAR POWER – An Alternative Energy Source.
http://www.ssrvideo.com/vol40.html#5