Surf event: Handplane Demo Day – try out new surf toys for free – (this Saturday)

Another demo day for y’all to come out and play with some surf toys. The poster says it all:     I’ve been to several of these and make sure to bring some surf fins (wetsuit optional with the water so warm). Of course, many people will be bringing their own homemade products for you …

NASA releases a full 360-degree panorama of Mars surface – feels like you’re there

NASA has released an amazing panorama shot of Mars:   This full-circle scene combines 817 images taken by the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. It shows the terrain that surrounded the rover while it was stationary for four months of work during its most recent Martian winter. Its release this week …

Ring of Fire Derecho – travelled 600 miles from Iowa to D.C.

On Friday, a historic, record-setting heat wave covered a sprawling region from the Midwest to the Southeast. All-time high temperatures records of 109 were established in Nashville and Columbia, South, Carolina and tied in Raleigh and Charlotte which hit 105 and 104. Here in Washington, D.C., the mercury climbed to an astonishing 104 degrees (breaking …

Beach Report Card – iPhone app – monitor the water quality at your beach

Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card app puts the only comprehensive, weekly analysis of coastline water quality for the West Coast at your fingertips. Now, any time and anywhere, you can get access to A to F grades for the health risks of swimming, surfing or playing at more than 650 beach locations in California, …

May the 4th be with you – #HappyStarWarsDay

May 4 is considered a holiday by Star Wars fans to celebrate Star Wars culture and honor the films. May 4 is called Star Wars Day because of the popularity of a common pun spoken on this day. Since the phrase “May the Force be with you” is a famous quote often spoken in the …

Renewable energy production variability by hour of day, and by season (graph)

– …illustrate the variability of wind and solar generation relative to the comparatively smooth output from other generation sources – Power produced by geothermal, biomass, biogas, and small hydro generators can be easily dispatched, meaning it can be either increased, decreased, or controlled to remain fairly constant. – Wind resources are often more available at …

Earth Day: the savior of California’s coast

Since today is Earth Day I want to honor a special man who recently passed away, Peter Douglas. For more than 34 years he protected the coasts of California with spectacular success. “A World Bank team that visited California last year rated it as having the best coastal protection in the world and expressed amazement …

The ultimate round-up of Earth Day events for this Sunday

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22, 2012, and here is the ultimate round-up of events:   National Park Week – Free entrance to all U.S. National Parks Looking for something fun, free, and fantastic to do with family and friends? Head out to America’s national parks where millions of stars light up the dark night sky, …