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Animal Whispering may seem to be a modern method of gently communicating with animals but it’s actually a kinder, gentler form ofinter-species communication with thousands of years of history to back it up. Though the 7 amazing animal whisperers profiled here aren’t the only ones using both the term and the methods, their skill, notoriety and knack for self-promotion have enabled them to be heard over the roar of the crowd.

The University of Arkansas has announced that researchers there and at Arkansas State University are getting over $1 million in new funding to further their work on creating better solar cells for spacecraft. NASA is providing the bulk of that — $735,000 — but matching funds also come from the two universities — $237,000 from the University of Arkansas and $86,000 from Arkansas State.

A Penn State research team reports an unlimited supply of pure hydrogen gas can be produced using seawater, river water and organic waste. The news may mean our renewable energy infrastructure will soon undergo a dramatic shift.

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Unchecked human activity has destroyed animal habitats and disturbed the delicate balance of many ecosystems, reducing the populations of many species near the point of extinction. Our roads, farms, factories, pollution and poaching have caused undeniable harm to animals – now it’s time we use the fruits of our progress to help them. Here are 11 fascinating and uplifting ways in which modern technology is aiding the conservation efforts of species that are disappearing all too quickly.

Solar power has as many applications as any other type of electricity, but it has been specifically adapted in a number of ways. BINE Information Services in Germany has recently released a report on yet another specific adaptation of solar power – metalworking.

The Obama administration’s EPA’s climate permit rule took effect in January 2011; for the first time in the US, limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants.

Natural gas is considered an important part of the energy mix by many on the right and left because it can not only provide baseload power (generate a consistent amount of electricity reliably all the time), but natural gas can be used to fuel peaking and backup power plants which can be started quickly enough to backup malfunctioned power plants and avoid long blackouts in the event of a power shortage.

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Trina Solar has set what looks to be a new world record for electricity produced by a multicrystalline solar PV module. A 156 x 156 millimeter, 60-cell module produced a peak 274 Watts of electrical power in laboratory testing, a result confirmed by TUV Rhineland.

A team of researchers at Michigan State University has solved the mystery of how Geobacter bacteria found in soils manage to clean up nuclear waste and generate electricity at the same time. Going a step further, the team genetically engineered a Geobacter strain that does an even better job of it.

There are two ways to lower the cost of producing energy through photovoltaics – more efficient solar cells (more power per square foot) and lower production costs (lower cost per square foot).

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