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Recommended Reading: Streaming is the future of New York Fashion Week
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Why Live Streaming Is the Future of Fashion Week by Chavie Lieber Racked Don't worry about trying to secure a ticket to New York Fashion Week. In September 2014, 2.6 million people livestreamed the festivities rather than making the trip to the Big Apple. And the best part? The runway shows are available for free through the NYFW app on iOS and Android.
Modified rice plant produces more grain, less methane
Apparently, the secret to better, more eco-friendly rice plant is another type of grain: barley. A team of scientists has created genetically modified rice that borrows a single gene from barley and found that the altered organism can generate up to 43 percent more grains per plant. Plus, its methane emission is down to 0.3 percent, a lot lower than regular rice's 10 percent emission observed during the scientists' experiments. Methane, as you might know, is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and is the second most prevalent in the US after carbon dioxide.
These seven climate science projects could save the world
The human race is doomed, and it's all our own fault. With the quantity of carbon in our atmosphere now well beyond the safe limit, it's almost certain the planet's temperature will continue to rise. Climate change is causing natural disasters of biblical proportions; a situation that's only going to get worse as time progresses. We all need to work harder to improve this situation by using less energy and behaving more responsibly. But since some people will never be convinced the Earth's rapidly approaching the end of its humanity-hospitable era, we're now in dire need of alternative options to save us from ourselves. To help get the word out, we've compiled a list of some of the most exciting scientific projects we've seen of late that could, if successful, undo some or all of the damage we've caused. [Image: Lisa Werner / Alamy]
International science panel 95% sure global warming is humans' fault, urges 'substantial and sustained' greenhouse gas reduction
Global warming is almost certainly the fault of human beings, a new report by the United Nations climate panel states. It offers 95 percent certainty of that assertion, based on "some 2,500 pages of text and...millions of observations and over 2 million gigabytes of numerical data from climate model simulations," and it cites over 9,200 scientific papers (75 percent of which are from the last three years). The report also suggests "substantial and sustained" efforts to reduce greenhouse gas production; greenhouse gases (everything from water vapor to nitrous oxide) are the primary cause of the greenhouse effect, which destroys the Earth's protective ozone layer. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are the main culprits causing the Earth's ozone to deteriorate. CO2 levels have risen by 40 percent "since pre-industrial times," much of which was absorbed by the Earth's oceans (about 30 percent), resulting in rising acidity levels. Moreover, due to that absorption, the oceans -- specifically the upper ocean (0 to 700 meters) -- have been warming since the 1870s. As one might expect, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the UN's climate change panel) suggests a greener lifestyle worldwide to help roll back the compound effects of global warming. A Tesla for each of us, perhaps? But even if we all go super green and massively cut back on greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, it sounds like humanity won't see the positive for quite some time. "As a result of our past, present and expected future emissions of CO2, we are committed to climate change, and effects will persist for many centuries even if emissions of CO2 stop," co-chair Thomas Stocker says.
Study says wind turbines raise surrounding area temperature, but only at night
Who said the butterfly effect couldn't apply to renewable energy? Though wind farms are considered pretty green on the energy-generating spectrum, it looks like they, too, have an impact on the planet. According to a study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, turbines can raise the local temperature -- albeit slightly. From 2003 to 2011, researchers monitored satellite data for west-central Texas, which is home to 2,350-plus turbines and four of the world's largest wind farms. In that decade, scientists observed a temperature increase of 0.72 degrees in wind farm regions compared to areas without turbines. That warming trend was especially marked at night, when the temperature difference between the ground and the air is highest. The temperature increase was also higher in winter; researchers say that these cooler, windier conditions cause turbines to generate more electricity and therefore create more heat. Since the study didn't find any change in daytime temperatures, it looks like we don't have to ring the global warming alarm just yet.
Virgin Atlantic launches low-carbon fuel, aims to halve carbon footprint (video)
Richard Branson was in London today to announce "one of the most exciting developments of our lifetime." Right, so that'd be SpaceShipFour, we presume, capable of landing on the moon? No, not quite, but a low-carbon fuel would definitely be our second guess. Virgin Atlantic is partnering with LanzaTech, a company that specializes in carbon re-use technology, to recycle waste gasses from 65 percent of the world's steel mills. In Branson's own words, they'll be "taking much of the s**t from up the chimney stacks and turning it into aviation fuel." By capturing those gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, Virgin would be able to reduce its overall carbon footprint without necessarily reducing the carbon output of its individual aircraft. The airline plans to have the fuel ready for commercial use by 2014, and will begin trials on its routes from London to Shanghai and Delhi around that time -- two cities that have become synonymous with pollution. Jump past the break for an audio-less demonstration video -- that's right, there's nothing wrong with your speakers.
NASA iPad app helps you discover life on Earth
Focusing on the extraterrestrial all day can probably make it pretty easy to forget about all that's going on here on Earth. NASA has shifted its focus a bit for its new iPad app, taking a look at the goings-on of the world around us. The app features videos, stories, and images explaining things like climate change and plant life from the vantage point of the organization's satellites. Like the self-titled NASA iPad app before it, the Visualization Explorer is available now as a free download from iTunes.
Earth Hour 2011 starts at 8:30PM your local time, wants you to switch off for a bit
In what has become an annual tradition now, the WWF's Earth Hour is presently sweeping across the globe, getting people to switch off non-essential lights and appliances for a sixty-minute kindness to Ma Earth and her finite energy resources. All you'll need to do to participate is power down the old World of Warcraft questing station, turn the TV off, and maybe take a walk outside so your lights don't have to be on, starting at 8:30PM tonight. Half the world's already done its bit and it's now coming around to those in the UK, Portugal and Western African countries to do the same. Will you be part of it?
Beijing melting snow to solve global warming-related water shortage, likely contributing to global warming
Like water? Sure, we all do, but folks in and around northern China have been suffering from a shortage of late. The blame has been assigned to both global warming-related drought and a population boom, but officials in and around Beijing have a somewhat novel solution: snow melters. Two vehicles with heaters capable of melting 3,500 cubic feet of snow per hour have been deployed ahead of the coming wintery mix. Just how much snow does Beijing get? Well, last January the city had its worst storm in almost 60 years, netting an average of -- wait for it -- 11mm of snow. Yeah, that's less than half an inch, and not nearly enough around these parts for the kids to even bother to check the school delays.
Earth Hour starts at 8.30PM tonight, asks for sixty minutes of natural living
Time to don your eco-warrior armor, strap on your nature-loving helmet, and flick that big old... light switch. Yes, in honor of the WWF's Earth Hour, countries around the globe are tonight switching off non-essential lights and appliances for sixty minutes, with highlights including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa, and the Empire State Building all going dark in the hope of helping the planet stay green. Timed for 8.30pm your local time, this unorthodox event has already commenced with Australia, New Zealand, China and others doing their bit -- videos after the break -- and is just now hitting Eastern European borders. So, fellow earthlings, will you be among the projected one billion souls that go au naturel for an hour tonight? [Thanks, Pavel]
Einstein's eco-friendly refrigerator concept dusted off, put to good use
Given how large the green bandwagon has become, it's no real shock to see an energy-saving concept from the 1930s being exhumed and investigated further. Scientists at Oxford University have begun to take a closer look at an early invention from the great Albert Einstein in order to hopefully create refrigerators (and appliances in general) that could be used completely without electricity. Back in the day, Sir Albert created a mechanism that had no moving parts and used only pressurized gases to keep things chilly. Once compressors became more efficient in the 50s, however, the idea was tossed aside. Now, the idea obviously has greater appeal, and if things keep humming along nicely, a completed prototype should be erected by the year's end.[Via Physorg]
SimCity Societies teaches players to think 'green'
With Maxis still hip-deep in Spore's primordial ooze, EA's decision to hand the next game in the storied SimCity franchise over to Caesar IV devs Tilted Mill was understandable, if not entirely welcome given the game's move away from being a 'realistic urban simulation,' a shift decried by fans to the tune of "you killed my baby!"In keeping with the forthcoming SimCity Societies' touchy-feely approach, which looks to abandon simulation gameplay in favor of 'social energies,' EA has announced that the game will also include 'climate education' through "low-carbon electricity choices and carbon emission monitoring" thanks to a partnership with 'green minded' alternative energy organization BP. The goal, says EA, is to give players an "accurate" look at some of the causes and available solutions to the inconvenient truth of global warming, no doubt giving Al Gore reason to smile as he continues to tango with Mizuguchi.Thankfully, according to EA, the game will not shove any eco-friendly environmentalist perspectives down players' collective throat. Instead, Societies will offer choices on how players wish to power their cities, leaving those of us who feel less at home hugging trees than we do while shoveling coal into the furnace free to do as we please when the game ships for the PC this November.
Big timers join up to launch Climate Savers Computing Initiative
Although a number of household name computer vendors have already inked their name on some sort of green agenda, now it looks like things are getting a bit more aspiring as Intel and Google have joined the likes of Dell, EDS, EPA, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, PG&E, and the World Wildlife Fund (among others) to launch the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The lofty goal is to"save $5.5 billion in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million tons per year," which translates into an amount equal to removing "more than 11 million cars from the road" by 2010. Supposedly, vendors in agreement with the initiative will abide by the new 90-percent efficiency target for power supplies, which looks to be the main player in garnering such massive reductions. Feeling guilty about pulling the trigger on that 2,000-watt PSU yet?[Via ArsTechnica]
Researcher dreams up $2.5 trillion "space sunshade"
With all these batteries exploding vehicles running around, we aren't too surprised that researchers at the University of Arizona are getting fired up about stopping global warming, but dropping $2.5 trillion on such a project might just cool the whole idea down a bit. Nevertheless, astronomer Roger Angel thinks that launching a "constellation made of trillions of small, free-flying spacecraft parts a million miles above Earth" could form a long, cylindrical cloud to reflect "about 10 percent" of the sun's rays away from our planet. The lightweight flyers hanging around in the L-1 orbit would be crafted from "transparent film pierced with small holes," utilizing "MEMS" technology mirrors as tiny sails that hold them in line while drifting about. The idea gets even zanier when referring to shooting the "20 million ton structure" into space; it's been suggested that "20 electromagnetic launchers" running on hydroelectricity could launch a stack of flyers "every five minutes for ten years" to complete the project, and while he feels that even the massive sunshade is no substitute for "developing renewable energy," that's still a huge chunk of coin to drop on something so, um, outlandish.[Via Primidi]
Video Sandwich: August 27, 2006
myFlash = new FlashObject('http://www.gametrailers.com/umremote310.swf', 'swffile', 480, 409, 8); myFlash.altTxt = ''; myFlash.addVariable('umid', 11079); myFlash.write(); Afraid of global warming? Hate seeing gas prices keep on going up? You can blame George W. Bush, but the secret's finally out. This hard-hitting edition of Video Sandwich reveals that every single problem in the US of A is caused by monkeys. Yes. Monkeys. These are no ordinary monkeys, though. They are college educated bionic monkeys that are trying to destroy the world. I have complete faith in our president to stop this evil menace: I mean, imagine how much he's learned due to Brain Age.The heart-stopping news doesn't stop yet, folks. PSP Fanboy revealed recently that PSPs may be used as weapons by terrorists. Well, it looks like I've uncovered one of these terrorists' videos. It shows a scrawny white guy dancing to the music of Loco Roco and is obviously used as a torture device. His awful outfit, and even worse moves, clearly go against all Geneva Convention laws.
Joystiq readers are environmentally friendly
Claims that the majority of Joystiq readers are harmful to the planet's health have been disproved, as the results from our do you leave your console on standby? poll proves. Out of the 8,500+ respondents that took part in the poll, 53% make a conscious effort to turn off their consoles once they're finished with another 10% occasionally forgetting to do so. We can only assume that the remaining 36% who leave their consoles on standby all the time are part of the North American SUV drivers for simultaneous use of air conditioning and heating lobby group. The comments thread provided some excellent commentary on the responsibility we have to conserve our energy so we've highlighted some of the most interesting ones after the jump.
Scotland to get medieval on zombie gadgets
Remember that report in late 2004 that stated that as much as 10% of our energy draw could come from aggregate power use of devices in standby? Well, Scotland's mad as hell, and they're not gonna take it anymore. ScottishPower, Scotland's biggest power company, is calling for standby-free devices -- you know, like back in the good old days when an off device meant the device was off. In fact, according ScottishPower, gadgets in standby cost Scottish consumers over £62 million (about $108.5 million US) and produce 360,000 tons of CO2 annually. Of course the influence on the global consumer electronics market ScottishPower wields is, um, less than knightly, but if more power companies and government energy conservation programs (like EnergyStar) in more countries get behind ScottishPower, we might just be able to slow down this global warming thing (a little) with some clear(er) conscience devices.
