U.S. to release $780 million in stimulus energy money The U.S. government will soon send states $780 million for the recently enacted stimulus plan's energy efficiency component, Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday. The act provides money for state energy programs, alternative electricity generation, and for reducing energy use in government and school buildings. Biden said that the program will help make the country less reliant on foreign energy sources and will create jobs. States must submit a basic application for the funds to the Department of Energy soon. They will initially receive 10 percent of their funding and within 60 days will have to submit more detailed plans. Then they will receive 20 to 40 percent of their share of the money, depending on their programs' readiness. http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE52B7PN20090313 http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE52B74U20090313?sp=true
Irish firm targets Alberta wind power After several years of interest – and some acquisitions – by foreign firms like French-based GDF Suez, Florida Power and Light and General Electric Co., the acquisition market for Canadian clean energy has almost completely dried up since last October. Canada currently generates 2,246 megawatts of wind power, less than a 10th of Germany's output. Alberta is the third-largest wind producer, behind Ontario and Quebec. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090312.wwind0312/BNStory/energy/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090312.wwind0312
Growing pollution leads to "global dimming" Visibility on clear days has declined in much of the world since the 1970s thanks to a rise in airborne pollutants, scientists said on Thursday. They described a "global dimming" in particular over south and east Asia, South America, Australia and Africa, while visibility remained relatively stable over North America and improved over Europe, the researchers said. Aerosols, tiny particles or liquid droplets belched into the air by the burning of fossil fuels and other sources, are responsible for the dimming, the researchers said. The scientists blamed increased industrial activity in places like China and India for some of the decreased visibility, while they said air quality regulations in Europe helped improve visibility there since the mid-1980s. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE52B6VT20090313
"Mad" microplants show Antarctic climate change You just don't want to make phytoplankton mad. These microscopic sea plants are at the bottom of the food chain in the waters that surround the Antarctic peninsula, and when they're unhappy, everything that depends on them suffers, including fish, penguins and possibly, eventually, people. A new study published on Thursday in the journal Science indicates that some of these Antarctic phytoplankton have become increasingly grumpy over the last 30 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE52B6UD20090312?sp=true
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