The Great Oyster

Paul Greenberg, the author of “Four Fish,” recalls the little known role oysters once played in protecting the New York area from hurricanes like Sandy. Crassostrea virginica, the American oyster,  is endemic to New York Harbor, which isn’t surprising as the best place for oysters is the margin between saltwater and freshwater, where river meets sea.  New York's harbor is chock-a-block with such places. As climate change aggravates the severity of storms like Katrina and Sandy perhaps it's time to rebuild the natural protections our shorelines once had. More

Playing around with Storify, read my 'gatherings' on the Olympics Impact on East Londoners - what will be left for the folk that live here once sponsors, athletes and fans have gone?

http://storify.com/ShonaghLindsay/olympics-impact-on-east-londoners

Inequality: Does it help the planet?

In this special report the New Scientist looks at the impact of the richest 1 per cent. Yes, they control a huge proportion of the world’s wealth, and inequality is a major political issue. But asks the New Scientist: how much does it really matter? In this special report it takes an in-depth look. Who are the super rich? How did inequality evolve? Why do we always want more? And finally, what does inequality mean for our health?
http://www.newscientist.com/special/inequality

Sustainability by Design Conference 2012

The 27-30 November 2012 Sustainability by Design conference themes are Mobility: How we get around,Resources: What we use (water, energy, food, oil) and how we get them (delivery mechanisms, infrastructure etc) and Liveability: How and where we live (lifestyles, housing, materials etc).
Presentations will envisage where we need to be in the future and develop the strategies, the plans, the research and the new ideas, which will move us to a sustainable future. Where can you and your ideas, innovations, research and company fit within these visions and how can you help make them happen?

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Rio+20 talks move up a gear

The Rio+20 conference is making progress, surprisingly quickly. Now it's up to the politicians to engage in any further horse-trading, writes Vernon Rive
With preliminaries out of the way, the second phase of the Rio+20 Conference kicked off with a three-day session involving more than 115 world leaders, as well as high-level political representatives joining officials and advisers who have been driving the process so far.

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New Zealand's wind energy industry will generate major employment

By 2030 New Zealand's wind energy industry will generate employment and GDP on par with oil and gas exploration and extraction sector, or aquaculture.
A BERL report for the New Zealand Wind Energy Association, Economic Benefits of Wind Farms in New Zealand, is the first to identify current employment in the industry and its potential growth.

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How about a home wind turbine for your backyard?

A revolutionary wind turbine could create benefits not just for New Zealanders, but also for less developed countries.  Powerhouse Wind, the developer, expects to see its Thinair turbine on the market as a viable energy source. The power input from the turbine could potentially provide about half of what an average household would use.

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