EARTH PORTATION curated News December 27th

ANIMALS - LOOK: Weather-Predicting Crab Says It'll Be A Warm Fall

This is Baltimore Bill. According to some reports, this crab can predict the weather. And he predicted a warm fall.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/baltimore-bill-crab

ANIMALS - Meet the Deadliest Venomous Animals in the World

Venom can turn a seemingly weak and tiny creature into a feared killer. But what, exactly, does it mean for an animal to be "venomous"? And which venomous species are the most deadly to humans? Here's what we know.

http://io9.com/meet-the-deadliest-venomous-animals-in-the-wo

ANIMALS - Missouri ponds provide clue to killer frog disease

The skin fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), also known as amphibian chytrid, first made its presence felt in 1993 when dead and dying frogs began turning up in Queensland, Australia. Since then it has sickened and killed frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians worldwide, driving hundreds of species to extinction .. ...
http://phys.org/news/2013-09-missouri-ponds-clue-killer-frog

BOOKS - Book Excerpt: Strength in The Storm

Eknath Easwaran on calming the mind and coping with the storms of life .. ...
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/excerpts.php?id

CLIMATE - How climate change contributed to Colorado flood

It has become a familiar pattern. A natural disaster occurs and we can't help but wonder how it may have been influenced by climate change. Here's a look at how the Colorado rains and flood were connected to global warming .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/how-climate-change-

CLIMATE - UN Climate Panel Finds Growing Evidence Of Warming

Growing evidence of warming: UN panel (via AFP)The UN’s climate panel warned on Monday that evidence was mounting each year of changes to Earth’s weather system as it began talks on a new global warming report. The world’s paramount authority on the greenhouse effect, the Intergovernmental Panel… .. ...

http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/09/un-climate-panel-finds-

EARTH - Alpine archaeology reveals high life through the ages

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human activity in the high slopes of the French Alps dating back over 8000 years .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130925112400.ht

EARTH - Ancient soils reveal clues to early life on Earth

Oxygen appeared in the atmosphere up to 700 million years earlier than we previously thought, according to new research, raising new questions about the evolution of early life .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130925132317.ht

ECONOMICS - Do Entrepreneurs Who Exit At $100MM+ Go On To Found Another Startup Vs. Doing Venture Or Retiring?

What percentage of entrepreneurs who exit at $100MM+ go on to found another startup vs. doing venture or retiring?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/09/25/do-entrepreneur

ECONOMICS - How The Maker Movement Is Reinventing Retail

The jury is still out on whether the maker movement could bring about a new American industrial revolution. But anecdotal evidence suggests it's well on its way to reinventing retail. Consider the craft maker whose merchandise got so much exposure through a recent Etsy-Nordstrom partnership that she and her husband both quit their day jobs to handle production and sales.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2013/09/25/how-the-mak

ENERGY - Executive Perspectives: The Most Important Trends in Energy Efficiency

Was 2013 the year efficiency got cool, sexy and cheap? Not quite. But it did become cooler, sexier and cheaper than ever before -- driven by largely by innovations in intelligent efficiency such as energy management software, virtual audits and better data crunching abilities. Scaling the efficiency market will come through better IT deployment, as well as the less exciting work of educating customers
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/what-will-2014-b

ENERGY - Germany’S RWE Fails To Renew Two Long-Term Coal Power Contracts

 Originally published on ClimateProgressby Jeff SprossImage Credit: Shutterstock RWE, Germany’s largest electrical utility, will not renew two long-term contracts for coal-fired power, according to Bloomberg News.In Germany, long-term contracts like this work by allowing utilities to buy power from a producer for a fixed rate over the contracted period of time.

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/24/germanys-rwe-fails-renew

ENERGY - New York Green Bank Gets $210 Million In Start-Up Funding

While most Americans wait around to see what’s waiting for them under the Christmas tree, it looks like New York State’s clean energy industry got to open its present a few days early.Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $210 million in initial capitalization for the New York Green Bank, a new initiative created to leverage public funds into private investment to boost clean energy projects, create green jobs, and improve community climate

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/24/new-york-green-bank-gets

ENERGY - Puerto Rico Mandates Energy Storage in Green Power Mix

Grid-scale energy storage could play an important role in helping unstable island grids integrate more intermittent wind and solar power. On islands where electricity is generated from expensive, imported fossil fuels, storage plus green power also makes good economic sense. But creating the right technical, economic and regulatory frameworks to marry these two resources together isn’t easy.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/puerto-rico-mand

ENERGY - The $100 Million Green Bond From Hannon Armstrong

Infrastructure investor Hannon Armstrong took a big step toward a new clean energy investor pool with the launch of its $100 million green bond offering. “This is securitization of assets that were on our balance sheet,” explained Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure (NYSE:HASI) CEO-President Jeff Eckel. The bonds will mature in December 2019 and are backed by 100 individual wind, solar, and energy efficiency infrastructure installations ...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/The-100-Million-

ENERGY - Why so many energy saving tips are so bad

Martin Holladay produces a sobering list. No wonder TreeHugger's best energy saving idea remains: put on a sweater .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/why-so-many-ene

ENERGY - WSJ Busts The Right’s Renewable Energy Myths!

Those heads exploding all over the country on Monday? That was Wall Street Journal readers – including, maybe, Rupert Murdoch – after reading what was, on balance, a thoughtful, fact-laden article in the paper on the state of renewable energy in the United States.Reporter Keith Johnson’s piece, “Six Myths About Renewable Energy,” is hardly a work of renewable energy advocacy; in fact, it pokes holes in two claims that greenies love to make

http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/09/wsj-busts-the-rights-re

ENERGY - Green electricity now undercuts major utilities in Britain

Ecotricity, known for its aggressive attitude toward fossil fuels, just announced that it will undercut standard tariffs for electricity .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/green-electricity

ENERGY - Morocco Aims Billions Towards Clean Energy Leadership

Morocco eyes 10 bln euro investments in power sector (via AFP)Morocco will invest 10 billion euros ($13.5 billion) over the next four years to boost power generation and meet rising demand, with renewables providing nearly half of the increase, newspapers reported Wednesday.

http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/09/morocco-aims-billions-t

GARDENS - Man fires flower seeded shotgun shells for guerilla gardening (Video)

After much trial and error, this Swedish studio is offering "a 12 gauge shotgun shell that lets you fire flower seeds with a shotgun. A personal project between art, gardening and gun smoke. .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/flower-shells-shotgun-

HOMES - Building a better malaria vaccine: Mixing the right cocktail

A safe and effective malaria vaccine is high on the wish list of most people concerned with global health. New results suggest how a leading vaccine candidate could be vastly improved .. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131227100409.ht

HOMES - Heliotrope: The World’s First Energy Positive Solar Home

Look, up in the sky — it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Heliotrope! The brainchild of Architect Ralph Disch, this rotating solar home was the seed for the extraordinary Sonnenschiff Solar Development and the modern solar movement in Germany. The home takes full advantage of the sun by rotating with it, allowing daylight to course though its triple-pane windows and energize its large roof-mounted solar array and solar thermal pipes.

http://inhabitat.com/heliotrope-the-worlds-first-energy-posi

HOMES - Modern tiny house rental sits like a U.F.O. in the Austrian Alps

Built out of wood and featuring stunning panoramic views of the mountains, this compact cabin hides a contemporary yet comfortable interior .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/ufogel-austrian

HOMES - New Year’s Tech: What to Expect in 2014

Smart watches and Google glasses?
http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/new-years-te

HOMES - Pop-Up Shelter Unfolds For Disaster Aid

The LifeBox is small and light enough to be delivered fast and easily to where it's needed most.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/pop-up-shelt

MOVIES - 2014 in film preview: romance

Continuing our 10-part preview, we're donning the rose-tinted specs to gaze into the crystal ball and predict the big romances of next year• 2014 movie preview:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/dec/27/2014-fi
Enclosure: image/jpeg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/1

PEOPLE - Couple celebrates 61 years of marriage in 'Up'-inspired shoot

61 years ago, Donald and Dorothy Lutz's wedding photographer stood them up, leaving the lovebirds with only a single picture to remember their big day. But six decades later, they got a very special belated wedding gift — a beautiful anniversary photo shoot
http://www.today.com/news/couple-celebrates-61-years-marriag

PEOPLE - Women coders break new ground, and stereotypes

http://www.today.com/video/today/5392411

SCIENCE - Dragonfly-Like Lenses Grown With Liquid Crystals

Scientists grew flower-like lenses using sand and liquid crystal.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/dragonfly-like-lenses-grown-w

SCIENCE - Lowell Observatory's Clark Telescope closes for renovation on January 1

Lowell Observatory's iconic Clark Telescope is about to undergo a much-needed facelift. After 117 years of constant use, the instrument will be closed for more than a year as engineers and technicians carefully remove telescope components and repair or replace poorly operating parts .. ...
http://phys.org/news/2013-12-lowell-observatory-clark-telesc

SCIENCE - The Cubli: amazing cube that can jump up, balance, and ‘walk’

http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/12/27/the-cubli-amazing-cub

SOCIAL - If you don't like Facebook, you can leave – it's easier than you think

Breaking up is hard to do, especially with social media. But thousands of people are doing just that, and with the new year and its inevitable resolutions just around the corner, it might be a good time to examine the ethics of using software and platforms .. ...
http://phys.org/news/2013-12-dont-facebook-easier.htm

SPACE - Nearby Failed Star Binary May Hide Alien World

Astronomers have spotted signs of a possible exoplanet in a nearby system of twin failed stars. If confirmed, the alien world would be one of the closest to our sun ever found .. ...
http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/nearby

URBAN - 2013: The year in urbanism

A whole lot of very long posts about the design of our cities, the role of the car, the size of your fridge .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/2013-year-urban-desig

URBAN - Collins and Turner’s Lush Green Canopy Crowns a Refurbished Community Center in Sydney

Read the rest of Collins and Turner’s Lush Green Canopy Crowns a Refurbished Community Center in SydneyPermalink |Add todel.icio.us | diggPost tags: Cedric Price, climbing plants canopy, Collins and Turner, exposed thermal mass, green building in Australia, green canopy, green community center in Sydney, green roof, John Krubsack, London zoo aviary, natural cross ventilation, refurbished community center Australia

http://inhabitat.com/collins-and-turners-lush-green-canopy-c

URBAN - Didier Faustino’s Big Bang House is Shaped Like a Starburst

Architect Didier Faustino‘s imaginative “Big Bang” house is a dynamic building that appears to explode outwards from a central point. Designed for French developer Christian Bourdais’ Solo Houses project, the dream house is made up of a cluster of rectilinear volumes that are capped with glazed glass skylights. The fantastical Casa Faustino home is scheduled to be constructed in Matarrana, Spain along with 11 other architect-designed vacation homes ...

http://inhabitat.com/didier-faustinos-big-bang-house-is-shap

URBAN - INFOGRAPHIC: How Future Cities Will Succeed

What will the smart city of tomorrow look like? Industry Perspectives: Creating Smart and Sustainable Cities is a new report and infographic published by the McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute and Autodesk that summarizes the insights of two generations of agriculture, engineering, and construction industry executives regarding the most important challenges and opportunities facing cities.

http://inhabitat.com/infographic-how-future-cities-will-succ

URBAN - Inhabitat’s Top 10 Most Inspiring Stories of 2013

The media tends to feed on negativity – but if you dig a little deeper you’ll find a wealth of uplifting and inspiring stories just below the surface. Sometimes they’re about brilliant teenagers who came up with innovative solutions to the world’s problems – like this 16-year-old who created bioplastic from bananas and the student who developed a phone charger that can fill your cell in 20 seconds.

http://inhabitat.com/inhabitats-top-10-most-inspiring-storie

URBAN - Modular natural dam design protects communities from rising sea levels (Video)

Integrating architecture and ecology, this proposal for a modular natural dam design could help defend coastal communities from climate change-induced natural disasters .. ...

http://www.treehugger.com/resilience/caltrope-modular-natura

URBAN - Tiny Norwegian Prefab Bathhouse is Clad in Sustainable Kebony Wood

Read the rest of Tiny Norwegian Prefab Bathhouse is Clad in Sustainable Kebony WoodPermalink

http://inhabitat.com/tiny-norwegian-prefab-bathhouse-is-clad

URBAN - Top 6 Architecture Stories of 2013 – Vote for Your Favorite!

2013 has been an amazing year for architecture but our most popular posts among readers definitely seem to be those that defy the status quo. We’ve seen a lot of stories about people moving into unconventional spaces that cost less than new buildings, like the Brooklyn couple who moved into a stacked shipping container in Williamsburg and the couple who left their jobs to move into a recycled windows love nest.

http://inhabitat.com/top-6-architecture-stories-of-2013-vote

URBAN - e2a Architects Renovate Old School into Aluminum-Clad Centre of Hearing and Language

Read the rest of e2a Architects Renovate Old School into Aluminum-Clad Centre of Hearing and LanguagePermalink

http://inhabitat.com/e2a-architects-transform-an-old-school-

WORK - With New Nuclear Plants Underway, Workforce Shortage Looms

Nuclear faces a somewhat uncertain future in the U.S., owing to questions about costs -- especially in an era of cheap natural gas -- as well as safety concerns and public acceptance issues in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. But another pressing concern for the industry is how to fill rapidly rising job vacancies at existing plants, as well as the needs of plants under construction. “Almost 50 percent of the current nuclear workforce ...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/with-new-nuclear

WRITE - Autoblog's Most Popular Stories of 2013

Filed under: Etc.Oh, Internet - you crazy. We throw dozens of stories out into the great unknown each and every day, and while some just sink to the bottom of the ocean, others become hugely popular. Sure, we know that things like the reveal of the new Ford Mustang will be big hits (spoiler alert!), but other times, the popularity of a story absolutely baffles us.So, in keeping with tradition, we bring you a Top 10 list of the most popular stories ...

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/27/autoblogs-most-popular-st