You’ve Got Green Mail, January 18, 2009 Round-up

Photo by Henry Heatly

On this week’s You’ve Got Mail segment, I have included seven eclectic articles ranging from an amazing Solar-powered green slug to the USDA’s deregulation of an industrial genetically modified corn crop.  If you would like to add a news item to this list, which can include one of your own posts, then please do in the comment section.  All I ask if that you keep it green, scientific, or health related as well as provide GT readers a brief summary of the post.

Solar-powered green sea slug steals ability to photosynthesise from algae: Previously, I wrote about the study of biomimicry, which I feel is one of the up and coming science field of this decade.  Basically, scientist studies how nature has perfected some of our own design challenges to create new solutions for our world.  Take for example, the emerald green sea slug (Elysia chloriotica) which steals genes and photosynthetic factories form  a type of algae that it eats (Vaucheria littorea), so that it can independently draw energy from the sun.  Read on how we can learn from this creature.

The “Green” Cigarette? Is there such a thing as a healthy, green cigarette?  Can growing tobacco without pesticides make a seemingly bad habit healthy, or is this concept simply green smoke?

Time’s 50 Best Inventions of 2008:  Time details the best 2008 inventions ranging form their number one pick of the $399 Retail DNA Test that tells you what diseases you are predisposed to the sexy electric sports car, Tesla Roadsters as well as such other remarkable inventions as  the Bionic Hand and the Montreal’s public bike system web and solar enabled. Read on to find out about Time’s list of  the best 2008 inventions.  Which invention did you like the best?

Drug from genetically engineered goats a first: The first an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats is seeking FDA approval.  This drug was created to help people with a rare hereditary disorder that makes them vulnerable to life-threatening blood clots.  How do you think this discovery will impact our world?

‘Air-purifying’ concrete sucks up pollution (found via GreenIdeal.com’s  Air Purifying Concrete: Coming To A Road Near You? ): In a small Dutch town, a road was paved with concrete paving stones, which contain a titanium dioxide-based catalyst. “In laboratory conditions, the additive – under the influence of sunlight – binds the nitrogen oxide particles emitted by car exhausts and turns them into harmless nitrates.” Could this new discovery help with car exhaust pollution?  Is this the panacea that we need to clean up our air quality?

Stop Work Impact:  Responding to California’s Sudden Bond Funding Freeze Ning Forum: Laurie Schoeman, Green Building Project Manager/City Planner via a Linked-in discussion group, alerted me to the Governor of California’s freeze on all capital and infrastructure development.  According to Laurie, “[t]his has stalled and halted all environmental and restoration projects backed by state funding–which is about 90% of all green projects that are not private in the state. These projects are the very backbone of greening up our cities!” California is one of the fifth largest economies in the world. Check out the above listed Ning forum, which outlines what is happening. What impact do you think this development will have on the rest of the building industry?

USDA Proposes First-Ever Industrial GE Crop:  The USDA in typical business as usual fashion is poised to deregulate the world’s first genetically engineered industrial corn product to be used for ethanol production. According to the article, “[t]his unprecedented, industrial application of a GE technology poses a variety of environmental, health, and economic risks that must be carefully evaluated to determine whether the widespread use of this GE industrial corn crop should be allowed on farms across our nation.”  Read on as this article further details the risks involved.

Poison Solar-How the World Works:  According to the Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition, the gas, sulfur hexafluoride, which is commonly used to clean reactors in silicon production is considered by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change to be “the most potent greenhouse gas per molecule; one ton of sulfur hexafluoride has a greenhouse effect equivalent to that of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide.”  Read on to as how this gas poses serious environmental problems.

Readers, which article was your favorite this week?

Similar Posts:

• You’ve Got Green Mail
• You’ve Got Green Mail, Dec 7, 2008 Round-Up
• Say No to Monsanto Genetically Modified Alfalfa!
• USDA’s Deregs Genetically Modified Alfalfa. Devastates Organics.
• You’ve Got Green Mail Round-up for December 14, 2008