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Click Here Awesome Photos: Predators of Europe (Slideshow) by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08. 5.09 Travel & Nature Buzz up! predators polar bear photo "As a human being it is easy to feel like an unwelcome guest at a dinner table hosted by some of the most fascinating and strong creatures of this planet." Mireille de la Lez, photographer with the Wild Wonders of Europe project, sums up the essence of the human condition in the face of the great predators which are some of the few animals that compete with humans for the top of the food chain. Mireille captured this image on the Svalbard Archipelago, a group of frozen islands between the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. Predators of Europe is the first of a series of slideshows featuring photographs from Wild Wonders of Europe, the ambitious project which is sending 55 of Europe's top professional photographers on 90 missions to 44 countries over two years. Feast your eyes on fantastic photos and learn the secrets of the professionals in these slideshows. You will want to visit Wild Wonders of Europe, or Join Wild Wonders of Europe on Facebook for more.

When Congress was debating an extension of the renewable energy tax credits set to expire at the end of 2008, the loudest argument from the wind and solar industries was that letting the tax credits expire would have a deleterious affect on renewable energy development in the United States. And before the credits expired, Congress passed a short term extension of the renewable energy production and investment tax credits.

Today's environmentally conscious householder is becoming more aware of their impact and more willing to do something about it. Simple power saving devices for around the home are one of the best places to start and and encouragingly, they are continuing to appear. One of the greatest wastes of energy in the household is standby power and here to combat this, is the TrickleSaver. With the ability to sense when a TV or PC is off and shut down any connected peripherals like games consoles or printers, TrickleSaver is looking to make "vampire power" a thing of the past.

After six long years of planning, talking and hard work, the world finally got its first look at the 100% solar-powered Solar Impulse HB-SIA on June 26th. This remarkable feat of engineering, with the wingspan of a Boeing 747 but only the weight of an average family car, has over 12,000 solar cells powering four electric motors with a maximum power of 10HP. The aircraft prototype is expected to take its first flights before the end of the year.

Human Impact Report LONDON - Kofi A. Annan, President of the Global Humanitarian Forum, introduced a major new report on the human impact of climate change. The 'Human Impact Report: Climate Change - The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis' is the first ever comprehensive report looking at the human impact of climate change.

Dubai conjures up BIG images; not just the tallest structures, although it currently holds that crown, but also big as in flamboyant, lavish and generally larger than life. Amidst the opulence, extravagance and seemingly limitless budgets - or perhaps because of the latter - Dubai is increasingly embracing its green side. The latest building designed for the city to cross our desk has a foot squarely in both camps - the Almeisan Tower combines a delicate, soaring structure with a 600kW solar tower and passive cooling systems claimed to be almost "triple zero", which means it has zero emissions, zero energy requirements and zero waste.

Silence Is The Enemy was started in June 2009 to draw more attention to the sexually abused around the globe and to encourage everyone to talk about it and act. We have power and influence in our words, and we're able to speak for those who can not. We're asking all of you-bloggers, writers, teachers and concerned citizens-to use whatever platform you have to call for an end to the rape and abuse of women and girls in Liberia and around the world.

The Prime Minister said the economies of the developing nations need help as they adapt to the changing global climate

Companies like Google and IBM are trying to lead the world in cutting-edge, efficient data centers. Not to be outdone, on Tuesday Yahoo announced they're hoping to change to future of data centers as well. The company unveiled plans to build one of the world's most efficient data centers in Lockport, NY and the details do sound pretty exciting.

Five climate change pieces with something new to say: Two degrees of global warming -- the target the G8 nations last week approved as a maximum temperature rise allowable due to climate change (and which many argue is being made inevitable by slow political action in G8 nations) -- has been played in the media as a "moderate" target. It's not. Real Climate writes about a two-degree goal:

The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.

Inside a thatched-roof schoolhouse in Nabekodabadaquiba, a village deep in Brazil's Amazon rain forest, Surui Indians and former military cartographers huddle over the newest weapons in the tribe's fight for survival: laptop computers, satellite maps and hand-held global positioning systems. (...)

This is a big week for viewing the effects of humanity on Earth from above Wired has used NASA Earth Observatory images to created time-lapse videos of the Earth being de-Earthed.

lancement de la première université gratuite en ligne par l'ONU Le principal dispositif des Nations Unies chargé d'étendre l'accès aux technologies de l'information a annoncé la semaine dernière le lancement de la première université en ligne sans frais de scolarité. Dans le cadre de l'année consacrée à l'éducation, l'Alliance mondiale pour les technologies de l'information et des communications au service du développement des Nations Unies a présenté la toute nouvelle Université du peuple (University of the People), institution à but non lucratif donnant accès à l'enseignement supérieur pour tous. (lu sur le blog de JP Pinte)

At TED2009 (Fevr09), Al Gore presents updated slides from around the globe to make the case that worrying climate trends are even worse than scientists predicted, and to make clear his stance on "clean coal."

The Carnegie Institution for Science is a private organization that conducts basic research for the benefit of humanity.

Dear EarthTalk: To what extent does human population growth impact global warming, and what can be done about it? -- Larry LeDoux, Honolulu, HI. No doubt human population growth is a major contributor to global warming, given that humans use fossil fuels to power their increasingly mechanized lifestyles. More people means more demand for oil, gas, coal and other fuels mined or drilled from below the Earth's surface that, when burned, spew enough carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere to trap warm air inside like a greenhouse.

Children of the Atomic Bomb est un projet développé par James N. Yamazaki, professeur en pédiatrie à l'université américaine UCLA (Californie). Le médecin a dirigé l'U.S. Atomic Bomb Medical Team, première équipe médicale à avoir étudié les effets sur les populations civiles de la bombe A lancée sur Nagasaki en 1945. Le site propose un accès gratuit à de nombreux documents et témoignages - textes, audios et vidéos - en anglais, relatifs aux recherches menées depuis soixante ans sur le terrain. Un éclairage important sur les terribles séquelles physiques et psychologiques subies par les personnes exposées aux rayonnements. Particulièrement fort, un recueil en ligne rassemble de nombreux dessins d'enfants et d'adultes ayant survécu à l'explosion. Un poignant plaidoyer en faveur du désarmement nucléaire.