Thursday 16 July 2009

How the Sun and cows can help save the Earth

Can giant mirrors and wandering livestock save the planet from global warming?
Some experts think so and have been trying to convince the rich and powerful to back the green ideas.
Placing giant mirrors in deserts such as the Sahara and using them to reflect light on to generators could provide large amounts of clean energy.
'You can store the electricity fairly cheaply, it's very quick to put up and can deliver power on demand – it's hard to think of any down sides,' said researcher Dr Gerry Wolff.
Don't have any deserts? Then what about cows?
Farming the animals by mimicking the grazing patterns of herds of wildebeest provides more time for grass to regrow and trap carbon – and encourages biodiversity.
'Once they move on, the grassland uses up carbon to repair itself,' said farmer Tony Lovell, from Australia.
The ideas were two of more than 20 pitched to a panel of judges at the Manchester International Festival.
The best could become commonplace if proposers convince investors and policymakers to back them.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: 'Humanity has the power to tackle climate change through ingenuity displayed by many of the people putting forward their ideas this weekend.'
Source: Metro

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