US Geothermal mapping report
New research from SMU’s Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power – 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today.
Thailand’s Most Expensive Flood in History
Heavy rains in Thailand during September and October have led to extreme flooding that has killed 283 people and caused that nation’s most expensive natural disaster in history. Thailand’s finance minister put the damage from the floods at $3.9 billion. This makes the floods of 2011 the most expensive disaster in Thai history, surpassing the $1.3 billion price tag of the November 27, 1993 flood, according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED).
Bike sharing in India
Raj Janagam launched Cycle Chalao, a bike share program that piloted in Mumbai in 2010. Then Pune, the bike capital of India according to Janagam, became interested in starting its own program. He said Pune is the only city in India with dedicated bike lanes—125 kilometers of them—and he said the local municipality has been looking to revamp local infrastructure, so it made for a good partnership.