Image: Stuart Fox/NASA
With the intent of starting new missions on the Moon by 2020, NASA will need an off-roader capable of handling a multitude of situations. The Chariot is one of the new prototypes for NASA’s next generation lunar rover. Taking a cue from the Mars rovers, it will have six wheels, each with it’s own independent steering.
This post was first published at ABC's Unleashed site:
With the global financial meltdown meeting the climate meltdown head on, the potential to deal with both crises using the same solutions has been gaining support.
This was an amazingly uplifting documentary to watch. A Convenient Truth is about a city in Brazil called Curitiba, which is one of the most livable cities in the world. They look at various aspects of the city and show how they made them not only environmentally friendly and people friendly but also without using much money. Their ideas have since been used in various cities around the world.
I never get round to reviewing Hollywood movies I see, not that I watch many of them any way. There just doesn't seem to be much point. Basically all you need to know is the basic plot, who is in it and whether it is worth watching or not. But I love reviewing documentaries, they always provide new information and get one thinking.
Great news for the thousands of people who live and work in the city bowl!
Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht, Vredehoek, Gardens and the central station, V&A Waterfront, Long Street, Sea Point and Hout Bay will all be serviced soon by the new integrated rapid transport bus system, which was announced in May this year by Helen Zille.
The R1.3-billion ($130-million) phase 1A will link Cape Town International Airport and the inner city with the Green Point stadium precinct, in time for the 2010 world cup. The neighbourhoods and destinations above are regarded as ‘key destinations’ and nearby residential areas, for the first phase.
This is a speech I delivered to the Sydney Institute last night. You can also listen to it here [forthcoming].
Sydney Institute, October 27th 2008.
Green Politics, the Balance of Power and the Green New Deal.
Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening about Green Politics, Balance of Power and the twin global meltdowns of climate and finance. There has never been a more critical time to be a Green and there has never been a time when the philosophy and experience of Green politics - based on forty years of environmental, social justice, peace and democracy campaigning - has been more important. The decisions that will be made in the next five years are crucial for the future of life on Earth.
So that was estimates.
One of the few advantages of being new to this job is appreciating it's strangeness with fresh eyes. Three times a year, while the Senate is in recess, an intriguing and largely overlooked ritual takes place in the airy committee rooms of Parliament House in Canberra. Senior public servants, heads of departments and a highly qualified army of advisers and minders converge for five days of cross-examination in front of the Senate's eight standing committees.
Solar-powered rickshaws take to India’s streets. The eco-friendly machine was greeted with applause by Delhi's 500,000 impoverished rickshaw pullers, many of whom work 12-hour days for as little as £2.50. The new solar-powered rickshaw can reach a top speed of 16 kilometres and keep going for about 64 kilometres before needing recharging. [dailymail]
In excellent news this morning, The Age reports that Christine Milne's amendments to the Luxury Car Tax, exempting fuel efficient vehicles from the levy, are already having an impact!
Ian Porter writes:
"THE changes made to luxury car tax have already started to influence the design of premium cars, with Audi announcing plans to install smaller diesel engines in some of its models so they consume less than seven litres per 100 kilometres - and become exempt from the tax."
Audi Chief Joerg Hofmann is quoted as saying:
John from Zoopy interviews SA Solar Challenge 2008 leaders. Professor Hide ki Kimura, a professor in the electrical engineering faculty at Tokai University, and Ken jiro Ski
Japanese Tokai University: in the lead (more pics below)The solar powered vehicles arrived in Cape Town on the 30th Sept and left the Mother City this morning as part of the round-the-country South African Solar Challenge 2008.
Joule:: look at those curvesDevelopment of South Africa's first battery-operated electric car has been kept strictly under wraps, but a few weeks ago some journalists were given a sneak peak.
The future milk bottle – made from recycled paper. The GreenBottle has developed a green solution to milk containers, to replace plastic milk bottles. The outer shell is made from recycled paper, which can be further recycled, or if left will simply decompose within a matter of weeks. Greenbottle consumes about a third of the energy used to make a plastic bottle and has a carbon footprint that is 48% lower than plastic.
Whilst our country’s president has been sent packing, President Lee Myung-Bak exhibited the type of humility seldom seen by leaders anywhere and rode his bicycle to work this morning, whilst commuters took public transport for free, in South Korea’s bid to help the environment.
Peugeot 908 HYPeugeot unveiled a hybrid diesel-electric powered racer at the final round of this season’s Le Mans Series. Based on the existing 908 HDi FAP racer, it was shown off to packed grandstands at Silverstone this past weekend.
The hybrid, called the Peugeot 908 HY, features a similar kinetic energy recovery system to that which will be allowed in next year's Formula 1 series.
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