Panasonic Invests In Electric Carmaker Tesla

Tesla, the maker of $100,000 electric roadster sports car, added Panasonic, the largest rechargeable battery maker to it's list of investors. It already has Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler AG among it's investors.
“a powerful endorsement of our technology, We believe our partnership with them will enable us to further improve our battery pack while reducing cost.”, ” said Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer speaking on the occasion.
Tesla just took over the former Toyota-GM joint venture factory in Fremont, California to produce it's Model S cars that sell for 57,400. Tesla also signed with Toyota to produce electric Rav 4, Toyota's smaller SUV
In January Tesla and Panasonic agreed to jointly develop next generation Lithium-Ion batteries for electric cars.
According to Business week, Panasonic bought 1.42 million Tesla shares at $21.15 bringing the investment near $30 million.
Yes those cars are nice and wish I could afford one.

Philomathia Foundation and The University of California, Berkeley Brings Together Experts To Discuss Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future

BERKELEY, Philomathia Symposium— Can we emulate the ability of green plants to harness solar energy? Can we create intelligent materials, buildings and even entire communities that generate their own energy? Will a price on greenhouse gases reduce emissions? Can the technology that produced an inexpensive anti-malaria drug also be used to extract fuel from agricultural waste?

An international all-star lineup of experts in solar and biofuel energy, climate science, urban design and other areas of research critical to sustainable energy technologies will gather in Berkeley for a public symposium Oct. 1-2 to answer these and other pressing questions. The goal is to lay out the best course of action for a clean, green energy future.
Sponsored by the Philomathia Foundation and hosted by the University of California, Berkeley, the event, which is free upon registration, will be held at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in downtown Berkeley and will feature presentations on cutting-edge developments in four key energy-related areas: supply, demand, policy and environment.
Keynote speakers in order of their presentations are Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council; Chris Field, co-chair of the International Panel on Climate Change's Working Group Two; Arun Majumdar, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy; Arthur Rosenfeld, dubbed California's "Godfather of energy efficiency" for having helped save the state billions of dollars in energy costs; Dian Grueneich, a commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission; and Steven Koonin, under secretary for science at the U.S. Department of Energy.
International presenters include Li Junfeng from the People’s Republic of China, deputy director-general of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission; and Farooq Abdullah, India's Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy.
The Philomathia Symposium at Berkeley: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future was organized by Graham Fleming, UC Berkeley's Vice Chancellor for Research.
"The provision of sustainable energy is the defining problem of the 21st century, one that presents a challenge of unprecedented scale," Fleming said. "The decisions that we make now will influence the planet for thousands of years, and dictate our quality of life in both the near and long term."
Symposium presenters from Berkeley include leaders in their fields: Paul Alivisatos, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab); Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute; Severin Borenstein, co-director of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business; William Collins, head of Berkeley Lab's Climate Science Department; David Culler, chair of UC Berkeley’s Computer Science Division; Harrison Fraker, UC Berkeley professor of architecture and urban design; Inez Fung, faculty director of UC Berkeley's Berkeley Institute of the Environment; and Dan Kammen, founding director of UC Berkeley's Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory.
To learn more about the symposium, link to the symposium Web site.
To register to attend, visit the registration Web site.

Gulf oil spill in Google Earth, Learn the behavior of pollution

We all are watching the Gulf oil spill or the gushing uncapped well under the oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, wondering what are the consequences. At the same time the cost need to be protected and needed resources are to be directed to the most appropriate locations. The oil, still uncontrolled, poses a serious threat to coastal industries, sensitive habitats and wildlife, including numerous species along the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Google added NASA Modis images to Google Earth and is available as an overlay. They will continue to add imagery as time passes.
You can also get a KML file of the radar images from ESA’s ENVISAT
Google also has a site setup for this crisis of the gulf.


Google LatLong: Mapping the Gulf oil spill in Google Earth

Children of the Amazon See It On PBS On Earth Day 2010

When you talk about Google and Amazon, you might think of the mega online mall and the search engine. But today, on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Google and Amazon takes a different meaning.
In 2008 Google Earth Outreach team went to train the Surui people of the Brazilian rainforest on Google tools to help preserve their way of life. Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol joined them.
A year later in 2009, another team went back to the Amazon to teach the indigenous people how to use GPS-enabled mobile phones and mobile data collection tools, including Open Data Kit on the Android platform, to show the world where and when illegal logging is taking place within their protected territory. You can watch the story on Trading Bows and Arrows for Laptops -- One Year Later,
But the same film maker, created another movie, Children of the Amazon, will air on over 100 PBS stations nationwide, as well as on Link TV.
So on this earthday, watch a video about deforestation in Rondonia using Google Earth’s historical imagery and explore maps inspired by the film at www.childrenoftheamazon.com. Then step out and do something.
Thanks
Google LatLong: Children of the Amazon airs on PBS on Earth Day

Two Seater EN-V (ENVEE) From GM And SAIC Makes Urban Mobility Attractive, Again

After dealing with Segway, you might have thought Urban Mobility a tough dream. But now GM (General Motors) and SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group) making it softer and letting you dream again. The new concepts based on twin electric motors and "dynamic stabilization technology" will alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities.

"EN-V incorporates significant technology and material innovation, which has given the design team a whole new world to explore,” said Clay Dean, Director of Advanced Design for GM North America.  “Because of the lightweight structures, materials and integrated controls, we created unique surface forms not traditionally found in automotive applications.”

“The future of how we move around in urban areas like Shanghai can combine the best of personal mobility and public transit.  There is a better solution and it is called EN-V.  It demonstrates that we have both the knowledge and the ability right now to create a way to move people that not only ensures a ‘better city’ but also offers people a ‘better life,’” said Alan Taub, Global Vice President of GM Research and Development.

GM