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Xenesys - The future vision
Xenesys has a nice new little "vision piece" which ends with talking about the potential for the Indian plans. "India has almost completed construction of a 1,000 kW pilot plant designed in collaboration with Saga University. Having delivered our plate heat exchangers to them, we Xenesys are also playing a part of vital roles in the project. India's grand plan calls for 1,000 OTEC power plants throughout the country, each with 50,000 kW. The total OTEC power could nearly equal to the Japanese nuclear power generation all combined."
posted by bjelkeman at 11:02

Heatwave, an indication of what to come
New Scientist has an article about how the recent European "Heatwave's warning for the future of farming". Specifically they quote research by Jørgen Olesen fo the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Tjele and Marco Bindi of the University of Florence in Italy. Their analysis predict that in Southern Europe, temperature changes will lead to water shortages and lower crop yields, and agriculture could cease althogether in the most parched regions. "With drier conditions in the south, it will be difficoult to maintain dairy production, for example, and there will be parts of southern Europe where agricultural production is no longer viable," says Olesen. "If there's competition for [water], urban areas will probably win over agriculture."

Scientist have been predicting for some time what the effects of global warming will be. However, nothing brings it home as experiencing some of the effects first hand. Time to investigate the Seawater Greenhouse for use in southern Europe perhaps?
posted by bjelkeman at 13:44

Aquaculture going mainstream
The Economist has a pretty measured article about aquaculture, its drawbacks and benefits. It is even a front page story this time. In China aquaculture is mainstream already and mariculture is moving towards this. Recently introduced EU regulations on fish labeling (you have to show whether the fish is farmed or captured) will be a benefit rather than a hinderance in the long term, as it will help the aquculture industry clean up its pollution problems.
posted by bjelkeman at 22:42

More detail about the NIOT OTEC
According to Platts Renewable Energy Report (Issue 51, May 2003) the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) 1 MW OTEC, which they built together with Xenesys and Saga University, cost US$ 5.9 million to build. They also say that Xenesys is hoping to build another 1,000 installations of 20-50 MW near the southern tip of the sub-continent, should the 1 MW pilot plant be successful.
posted by bjelkeman at 13:36