Spacecraft has closest encounter ever with comet

A spacecraft survived the closest encounter ever with a comet on Thursday, tracking it just 435 miles (700 kilometers) from the comet's nucleus.

Mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, broadcast live coverage of the event on NASA Television's Media Channel.

The agency's EPOXI spacecraft is expected to acquire data with two imagers and an infrared instrument of a comet named Hartley 2 as it traveled at speeds of more than 27,000 mph (43,450 kph).

Scientists are still working to determine if there was any damage to the spacecraft as the comet passed by. They hope to learn more about comets from images detailing the close approach.

NASA performs comet fly-by

RELATED TOPICS

• NASA
• Unmanned Space Exploration
• Satellite Imaging

"Those early images may not be the 'money shot,' but we on the science team will prize them just as well, as they will help us further understand the nature of comets," EPOXI principal investigator Mike A'Hearn, of the University of Maryland, College Park, said in a NASA statement.

The images are expected to depict the comet nucleus as little more than a point of light with a fuzzy coma, a gaseous cloud, surrounding it.

Five years after NASA launched an 800-pound projectile into a comet in an effort to study its contents, the same spacecraft that launched the missile tracked Hartley 2 on Thursday.

It is the first spacecraft to have visited two comets.

Brazil ethanol industry goes green for the money

By Reese Ewing




SAO PAULO
Thu Jul 5, 2007 11:34am EDT



SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's ethanol industry is cutting out the dirty habits that contribute to global warming and environmental degradation. But it's not just a noble effort -- it makes good financial sense, too.



Billionaire George Soros, who is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Brazilian ethanol production, is in the forefront of the effort.



"If ignored, global warming can destroy civilization," Soros said at an Ethanol Summit in Brazil last month.



Brazilian ethanol mills have taken steps to break with traditional practices that call into doubt the environmental benefits of biofuel production from sugar cane over gasoline or other biofuel production, such as U.S. ethanol from corn.



The burning of cane fields is a prime example.



Roughly 70 percent of Brazil's 6-million-hectare (15-million-acre) sugar cane crop is still manually harvested. This requires fields to be burned to clear the dense, serrated leaves of the plant before cutters can gain efficient access to the stalks.



Sao Paulo Governor Jose Serra estimated cane burning in 2006 in his state, which accounts for 65 percent of Brazil's cane crop, spewed 750,000 tonnes of pollution into the air.



Although the cane industry had pledged to move from manual cutting to mechanized harvesting, the roughly 15 percent annual expansion in the cane crop with the boom in ethanol demand has resulted in an actual increase in burning.



Burning rates are up 20 percent from a year ago at this time in Sao Paulo, according to the latest satellite data from the National Space Studies Institute.



BURNING BANS



For the first time in history, Sao Paulo's environment secretary issued bans on burning for short periods in 2006 due to respiratory health risks.



Mechanized harvester sales soared after the burning bans.



Mills have only so much time to cut in the dry season, before the spring rains, which start around October, make harvesting unprofitable. And there is a lot more cane to cut these days.



Were it not for this additional financial risk for mills posed by the burning bans, the industry likely would not have signed an agreement with Serra in June to quicken the phase-out of burning.



Under the accord, 88 percent of Sao Paulo's cane area will end burning by 2014 and the remaining 12 percent, or 440,000 hectares (1.09 million acres) in slightly hilly areas, will stop by 2017, well before the previously scheduled target of 2031

Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth

McGraw-Hill Construction's industry outlook on market size, trends and insights into the future of the fast growing green building marketplace provides essential knowledge for any green building business in the coming year.

Once an emerging trend or a niche sector, green building has become a significant part of today's construction industry and is expected to keep growing. During a down market, it has become even more important for industry players to capture the opportunity created by the demand for more green buildings. As a result, we have put together this Green Outlook report which provides you with rich intelligence about the key trends in the green building marketplace.

Aside from market size estimates, you will learn about the drivers motivating the market and influencing its growth, business benefits emerging from green buildings over time, products and specification trends, how green is spurring growth in jobs and how government policies are affecting the overall marketplace. All of this key intelligence will help you to understand the critical aspects of this market and navigate the opportunities successfully.

Report Contents:

• Green Building Market Opportunity
o Renovation and Retrofit Activity
o Green in the Largest Projects by Value
o Nonresidential Construction Market Sector Activity - Institutional Buildings
o Nonresidential Construction Market Sector Activity - Commercial Buildings
o Green Infrastructure
• The Business of Green Building
o Benefits of Green Building
o Market Influences
o Green Jobs
• Trends in Water and Waste Management
o Water efficiency
o Sustainable Waste Management
• Building Information Modeling and Green Building
• Key Industry Player Trends
o Top Green Design Firms and Contractors
• Green in Project Specifications
o LEED in Project Specifications
o Energy Star in Project Specifications
o Green Building Product Labels in Project Specifications
o Specifications of Green Products and Technologies
o Specifications of Energy-Efficient Lighting
• Government Expansion and Policy Trends
o Market Perceptions and Government Influence on Green Building
o Federal Level Activity
o State & Local Level Activity 

Going Green in 2010

The old adage 'less is more' certainly stands in cutting down on paper waste, one of the primary ways to go green at any time. As 4 billion trees are destroyed globally every year for the production of common items such as stereo speakers and the insoles of running shoes, using a recycling bin at work or at home for even the smallest scraps makes a drastic difference in helping to balance the overwhelming amount of production waste. However, there are other tried and true ways to start off 2010 with a greener footprint.

Buy Environmentally Friendly Products

Along the lines of environmentally friendly cars, housing, building materials, clothing, and cleaning solvents, many companies are making a steadfast effort in continuing to create products with the health of the planet in mind. An online search for every day utilities now generates earth friendly options and suggests local retail stores to save on shipping costs and paper and plastic waste at the same time. Many of these common items are right next to original products on shelves so it's never too late to start small by choosing the alternatives.

Utilize Local Companies

Costs of shipping and handling products can not only put a crunch on pocketbooks, they can also eat up valuable energy and manufacturing resources. Instead of sourcing from big names, try searching local cities for companies that can provide the same goods and materials in half the time and, more often than not, at a cheaper rate. Not only does this reduce pollution in the manufacturing and transportation of products but it also supports local community business and fosters relationships everyone can feel good about.

Read more at Suite101: Going Green in 2010: Five Ways to Live A More Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/going_green_in_2010#ixzz0sj6T1jdp

2009 Green Trends

So you're interested in going green in 2009? Well you have come to the right place. Going green is one of those things that can seem difficult and inconvenient, but it is actually very simple and easy. The thing to keep in mind is less is more. In other words, extravagance is unnecessary when converting to an eco-friendly lifestyle because the goal is to minimize the energy output, and maximize the monetary savings.

For example, by doing something simple such as switching from standard light bulbs to energy-saving CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs), you can expect to use up to 75% less energy on lighting. Aside from the huge savings on the monthly bills, this option saves you a lot of hassle because CFLs last almost 10 times longer than standard bulbs. This means no more constant trips to the store to replace old bulbs. Just by making one adjustment, you have just saved gas money, utility money, and a pain in the neck.

Hot Green Links

last 20
Modern Style for Backyard Urban Hens
Our Lucky Number Three
PNC Brands Headquarters with Largest Living Wall in North America
Low Tech Texas Container Retreat
Geeky Tech for Green Dream Home
USGBC Sets a LEED Platinum Example
Strategy for Sustainability [Giveaway]
The Earth-Sheltered House [Giveaway]
War Over Water, Priority Backlash, Reflective Roofing + Energy Audits
Check Out These Greener Jobs
Edible Portland Platinum Green Home
Small, Modern, and Green YardPods
International Shed of the Year 2009
Reburbia Your Exurban Suburbia
Omega Center Seeks World's First Living Building Certification
Beyond Platinum City Hall Proposal
McGlasson WeeHouse Now For Sale
The Concept of LEED De-certification
Green NIMBYs, Brand Tweeting, Cost Benefit Analysis + New Energy Label
Greener Jobs: Build It Green, LEED Linc, and Green Key Real Estate