The World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant, Big Picture
The world’s largest concentrated solar power plant, Shams 1, launched on Sunday, representing a major milestone in the development of renewable energy in the Middle East. Taking three years to build, the $600m plant is located in Abu Dhabi’s western region, the heart of the UAE’s hydrocarbon industry.
New Water-Quality Test May Prevent Unnecessary Beach Closures
A new rapid water-quality test may prevent beaches from being closed by providing accurate same day results of bacteria levels, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Significant Contribution of Greenland’s Peripheral Glaciers to Sea-Level Rise
Glaciers at the edge of Greenland which are not connected to its huge ice sheet, or can be clearly separated from it, are contributing to sea-level rise much more than previously thought.
Fish Near Fukushima Reportedly Contains High Cesium Level
The Japanese utility that owns the tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant says it has detected a record 740,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium in a fish caught close to the plant. Most fish along the Fukushima coast are barred from market.