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The 2010 Environmental Performance Index, which ranks the world's nations according to environmental policy and performance, was released last week at the World Economic Forum. The index is compiled every two years by Yale and Columbia University researchers. Leading the rankings is Iceland, which is powered almost entirely by renewable energy sources. Rounding out the top 5 are Switzerland,......read more
It’s rare that a 60-page policy paper makes for riveting reading. But a new report, The World Economic Forum’s Energy Vision Update 2010, does exactly that. Bringing together dozens of top thinkers from both the public and private sectors to address the issue of energy efficiency, the overall message is a hopeful one: small changes to the way we use energy can be a fast and affordable means......read more
In this vid created by ad agency Leo Burnett for the World Wildlife Fund, an astro-chimp returns to his home planet after 65 years in space, only to discover a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Seemingly inspired by Planet of the Apes, the video is soundtracked by Aussie singer-songwriter Ben Lee. For more, check out the behind-the-scenes vid here. ...read more
In London, the "seriously water stressed" UK capital confronts summer water shortages with a creative — and very British — solution: A new bio-diesel desalination plant that will run partly on used vegetable oil from fish-and-chip shops. Also in London, the newly erected Speedo Swimsuit Pavilion is made from obsolete swim suits. True story. Upgrade the grid: The US electricity grid,......read more
Natural, fast-growing rattan is enjoying a sort of renaissance in the design world. Unfortunately, conventional rattan harvesting practices tends to harm tropical forests where it grows. Enter WWF's Sustainable Rattan Project, an EU-funded program for sustainable production and processing of rattan in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia. "Forests with such a wide variety of flora and......read more
The World Bank wants to help set up cap-and-trade carbon markets in the developing world. On Wednesday, Robert B. Zoellick, the World Bank president, announced the creation of a multi-million dollar fund that aims "to create trading mechanisms to stimulate clean energy projects and to slow the destruction of tropical forests." Tropical deforestation is one of the major sources of......read more
Patrick of Stillmotion shot this lovely footage at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The aquarium is home to more than 100,000 animals living in 8.5 millions gallons of marine and fresh water, making it the world's largest aquarium. The soundtrack is "The Ballad of Winslow Homer" by The Dimes. ...read more
Aww, is it "too cold" to ride your bike in the winter? No matter where you are, it ain't as cold as St. Petersburg, Russia, where Adams Carroll rides his Ukrainian beast — made from surplus military tank parts — through the snow. Check Carroll's notes on winter cycling at the Fader. On a one-way path to wind energy dominance, China is steady flouting world trade laws.......read more
"Forever Tonight," World Tour's meditative first single on Emotion, is described as "music that could only have been made among the remote hills of northern Sweden." We're not sure what exactly that means but we somehow agree. Hailing from Funäsdalen, a mountain town near the Norwegian border, the promising young trio keep things local for the song's newly released video,......read more
The energy industry needs clear policies from government to invest in sustainable technologies, says a new report from the World Energy Council (WEC). The group interviewed 40 executives from the energy industry for its annual World Energy Trilemma report, released this week at COP-18 in Doha, Qatar. The report calls for the establishment of clear emissions targets in in......read more
