A recent Reuters report indicates that West Antarctica is warming at a rate nearly twice as fast as previously thought, almost 3 times the global average. The warming is of special concern since West Antarctica has enormous ice sheet glaciers, which an ice shelf collapse could release, speeding their flow to the ocean and contributing to significant sea level rise. If West Antarctica were to melt entirely, sea level could rise by 11 feet. It comes on top of news that 2012 could end up being the hottest year in U.S. history, a year where the month of July set the record as being the hottest single month in the U.S. since weather records began back in 1895.
It’s a seemingly endless flow of news about global warming that continues to drive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Industrialized nations have been reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and now China is setting caps on coal use, while other developing countries increasingly look toward alternative energy sources.
For VIASPACE, provider of proprietary Giant King Grass (GKG), a dedicated biomass crop offering exceptionally high yields, the growing global crisis represents almost unlimited opportunities. GKG easily fits into the existing combustion oriented power industry infrastructure but represents zero-carbon energy production. When the crop grows, it absorbs carbon, balancing out the carbon released during burning in power plants. It’s more economical than solar or wind, and does not rely on weather or sun conditions for power production. In short, GKG is the ideal answer for an energy hungry world that needs to drastically limit greenhouse gas emissions, and the company has been actively signing contracts around the world to supply GKG. VIASPACE is also working with partners to develop other green bioenergy projects that can use Giant King Grass. For example, GKG can be used as a feedstock to make liquid transportation biofuels, such as green gasoline.
For more information on VIASPACE and its energy crop, visit www.VIASPACE.com
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