Another piece of Antarctica is falling off. A study also found that Antarctica is getting warmer as freezing temperatures have risen about 0.5 Celsius (0.8 Fahrenheit) since the 1950s. If the temperature were to rise 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 F), it could cause a huge melt from West Antarctica. You can read more about the story here.
According to Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr, the United States is a little behind in the green tech revolution. Out of the top 30 companies in solar, wind, and alternative energy, only 6 of them are US firms. Maybe this will change in the next four years as we prepare for President elect Obama to take office. Barack Obama is a supporter for green technology and in order for green tech to really take off, the US goverment will need to take a bigger part in the role. Doerr is a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which has invested over $600 million in 45 green tech startups and will continue to invest in more the next couple of years. Hopefully as there is more and more pressure, Congress will make bigger steps in making the US a greener country.
The legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist made five recommendations to Congress and President-elect Barack Obama to jump-start a green-tech revolution and fight global warming:
Modernize the grid: As part of the economic stimulus package, Doerr said Congress should invest in a more efficient electric grid that can deliver solar and wind power to consumers across the country.
Put a price on carbon: A cap-and-trade system and a carbon tax that’s refunded to taxpayers could drive up the costs for coal plants and make low-carbon sources, wind and solar, more competitive.
A national renewable energy standard: Doerr believes the federal government should follow California and two dozen other states that require utilities to generate more of their power from renewable sources.
New incentives for utilities: California utilities will spend $3 billion on energy-efficiency measures over the next 18 months because state rules give companies major incentives to conserve energy. New federal rules could force other states to follow suit, he said.
More federal energy research: The federal government spends less than $1 billion a year on renewable energy research. Doerr urged more federal research and loan guarantees to help new technologies get off the ground.
via SFGate
