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A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could potentially provide enough power for the entire world. The new device, called Vivace, is inspired by the way fish swim, and consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs.

Other existing technologies which use water power, relying on the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams, are far more limited in where they can be used, and also cause greater obstructions when they are built in rivers or the sea. Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots. The Vivace can generate energy using currents that are as slow as under 1 knot and do not obstruct views or access on the water's surface since they can be installed on the river or ocean floor.  Scientists also claim that this new technology is more gentle on aquatic life since it is slow moving and mimics the natural vortex patterns created by the movement of swimming fish.  

The makers of Vivace state that these simple devices are made from rugged moving parts which stand up well to the elements and continual usage with minimal maintenace required. An installation of 1 x 1.5 kilometers (less that 1/2 square mile) in a current of 3 knots could generate enough power for 100,000 homes.  

A Prototype, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Office Naval Research, is currently operating in the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory at the University of Michigan. This device has met and often exceeded expectations; thereby, providing strong evidence to proceed to the next scale, a multi-kilowatt field demonstration.

Read more about it and watch video demonstrations here:

www.vortexhydroenergy.com

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewablee...

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&c...

Our planet is choking on plastic and plastic bags are a huge part of the problem. Shoppers worldwide are using 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags per year.  This translates to about a million bags every minute across the globe, or 150 bags a year for every person on earth.  You can make a difference by pledging to be plastic bag free.

Visit Leonardo DiCaprio's Eco-Site www.leonardodicaprio.org/pledge and sign the pledge to stop using plastic bags! 

Once you get in the habit of using reusable shopping bags you will wonder why you didn't make the switch sooner! 

11th Hour Action recently became aware of a great company in the San Fransisco area that is working directly with homeowners to  install and maintain beautiful, plentiful organic food gardens in their own backyards!  MY FARM helps people transform their unproductive grass lawns (which require tons of water, fertilizer and maintenance) into sustainable mini farms.  It is well known that eating organic, locally produced food is not only important for individual health but also for the health of the planet.  What could be more local than eating organic fruits, vegetables and herbs harvested on your own property?

MY FARM's mission is to use the existing land in the urban landscape to create a decentralized urban farm system that will be more sustainable and secure than our existing food system that relies too heavily on fossil fuels for fertilizers, pesticides, harvesting and transportation.

For an intial fee of between $800 - $1200 the skilled members of the MY FARM team will install a garden in your yard and plant it with your favorite fruits and veggies! For a weekly maintenance fee (determined by the size of the garden) they will do all the weeding, watering, havesting and dirty work, leaving you with a basket of fresh produce on your doorstep each week.  Don't have a yard of your own? No problem! You can join MY FARM's CSA program (community supported agriculture) and enjoy the benefits of your neighbor's gardens.  Members of the CSA pay a membership fee which allows them to receive a share of the produce each week.

11th Hour Action commends MY FARM for the action they are taking to support organic, local agriculture, while providing a service that allows others in their community to take important steps towards a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle!

If you want to find out more about MY FARM check out: www.myfarmsf.com

The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX) is proud to announce that Theo Colborn has been chosen to receive this year’s prestigious Göteborg Award.  The award was founded in 1999 by the Swedish city of Göteborg and several interested companies.  Its purpose is to “stimulate and encourage strategic work for national and international sustainable development”.


Dr. Colborn has worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to bring the science of endocrine disruption to the forefront of public health policy in the United States and abroad.  As the founder and president of TEDX, she has developed an organization dedicated to providing others with the sound scientific evidence they need to prevent further harm to our health and our environment from endocrine disrupting chemicals.

This is the ninth Göteborg Award and the prize sum is one million Swedish crowns.  The award is shared by Dr. Colborn, European Commission Vice President Margot Wallström, environmental engineer Jan Ahlbom and toxicologist Ulf Duus.  Please see the attached press release for more details of the award.  For more information on TEDX and the pioneering work of Dr. Colborn, go to www.endocrinedisruption.org.

11th Hour Action congratulates Dr. Colborn for this award recognizing her important work.  To learn more about Theo Colborn and her work please check out the Ideas and Experts page.

http://11thhouraction.com/ideasandexperts/theocolb...

It is exciting to see that our new President-Elect Obama is aware of and seems ready to address the role that industrial agriculture plays in global warming, our dependence on fossil fuels and our increasingly unhealthy population.  In a recent interview, Obama sited an article by author Michael Pollan which calls for us to shift our agricultural system away from dependence on cheap oil.  Read story, the Pollan article and the complete interview with Obama here: 

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/obama-cite...