Environment

Wave power prototype sinks in the sea

Finavera's AquaBuoy prototype is asleep in the deep.

The company placed a 72-foot-long buoy in the waters off of Oregon in September as part of an ongoing effort to assess the commercial potential for wave power. The buoy, however, sunk in 115 feet of water on October 27, according to a report on RenewableEnergyAccess.com.

"It seems to have something to do with the float section of the device," Myke Clark, a Finavera employee, told the Web site. After water started coming in, the bilge pump couldn't get rid of the water fast enough.

T'is … Read more

LED light fixture company gets $16.5 million

North Carolina's LED Lighting Fixtures has received a $16.5 million injection as the push to bring light-emitting diodes to the home gains momentum.

The company makes light fixtures for commercial buildings and homes around LEDs. LEDs consume far less energy than incandescent bulbs--LED Lighting Fixtures, for instance, sells a lighting unit, the LR6, that puts out 650 lumens but only consumes 12 watts. One or more LEDs can be combined into a single light fixture as well.

Individual LEDs are beginning to challenge compact florescent bulbs in lumens per watt. LEDs also last longer--some go as long as … Read more

'Ocean seeding' plans to capture carbon in oceans draw fire

In some of the most ambitious efforts by green tech start-ups, a handful of businesses have emerged with plans to capture large amounts of carbon dioxide by stimulating the growth of ocean plankton.

On Monday, a group of watchdog environmental bodies, including Greenpeace and the ETC Group voiced their opposition to a project proposal from Australia-based Ocean Nourishment.

The company is said to be planning on "seeding" the Sulu Sea between the Philippines and Borneo with a nitrogen nutrient called urea, which would be pumped into the ocean from a special plant.

The idea behind these geo-engineering projects … Read more