Barbie dons pink diamond choker in sale for breast cancer research

NEW YORK -- Big girls will love this Barbie.

The curvaceous, custom-designed doll is donning a necklace featuring a 1-carat pink diamond. She's being offered Oct. 20 at Christie's auction house in New York for an estimated $300,000 to $500,000. At that selling price, Christie's says she would be the world's most expensive Barbie.

All proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in support of breast cancer awareness month.

Jeweler Stefano Canturi arranged the emerald-cut, fancy vivid diamond in a geometric pattern with smaller white diamonds, totaling 3 carats. He also designed the doll's black strapless dress, stilettos, hair and other features.

The world auction record for a Barbie is $17,091, set in 2006 at Christie's London.

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Local Dentist is Smiling For The Cause- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Pink Swarovski Crystal Smile that is part of the Smile Pink breast cancer awareness campaign will be visible in all willing to SHOW support to remind men and women to raise awareness about breast cancer. Atlanta Dental Spa is participating in the Smile Pink Campaign by placing a Pink Swarovski Crystal to the tooth with a temporary dental adhesive. It is safe, and takes less than a minute for a dentist to apply. Atlanta Dental Spa and Smile Pink are giving 100% of their donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

Atlanta Dental Spa is placing free Pink Swarovski Crystals on teeth, and donating $25 to the Breast Cancer Reserach Foundation for each crystal.

"Smile Pink is a fresh and innovative campaign that will help spread awareness while giving patients the opportunity to brighten their smiles,” Lucretia Gilbert, Director of Development at The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

The focus of Atlanta Dental Spa is to bring breast cancer awareness to the community through the positive power of smiles. The Smile For The Cause message is to promote positive attitudes through smiles which are directly attributed to physical wellbeing. Atlanta Dental Spa is proud to partner with Smile Pink in promoting proactive testing and research which aids in early detection and prevention of breast cancer. Atlanta Dental Spa and Smile Pink are giving 100% of their donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. "Smile Pink is a fresh and innovative campaign that will help spread awareness about the importance of funding lifesaving breast cancer research, while giving patients the opportunity to brighten their smiles,” said Lucretia Gilbert, Director of Development at The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

The facts are sobering. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. One woman every 2 ½ minutes will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Over 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,000 of them will die from the disease. Breast cancer also occurs in men. In fact, over one thousand men will be diagnosed this year.

Smile Pinks signature Pink Swarovski Crystal is applied to the tooth with a temporary dental adhesive. It is safe, and takes less than a minute for a dentist to apply. The Pink Swarovski Crystal Smile that is part of the Smile Pink breast cancer awareness campaign will be visible in all willing to SHOW support to remind men and women to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Atlanta Dental Spa is an unremitting supporter and advocate for breast cancer awareness and research. This Dedication of Atlanta Dental Spa shows the commitment and support to Smile Pink and the families who have endured the hardships of breast cancer and to offer hope, strength, and encouragement to the many women, men and their families who are affected by breast cancer every day.

To donate log onto www.SmilePink.com or for more information, contact Atlanta Dental Spa at 770-998-3838 or on the web at www.AtlantaDentalSpa.com.

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South Africa Wants Massive Solar Park

South Africa is embarking upon a massive solar park project which one day could be one of the largest of its type in the world. To get there first though, they need to study the potentials of how to develop that. To do so, they’ve contracted with Fluor , a company which focuses upon engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance and operations of complex power generation facilities, to see how it needs to proceed.

The 5-gigawatt solar park, according to Fluor, would be located in the Northern Cape region of the country, which is said to have intense solar radiation potential. The solar park, if completed, “could host proven and emerging solar technologies including photovoltaic (PV), concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) plants and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies such as power tower and parabolic trough alternatives.” It could also be a massive financial investment, estimated by South Africa’s Department of Energy to be around US$20 billion.

Upon completion of the conceptual study by Fluor, to be unveiled at the upcoming South African Solar Park Investors Conference Oct. 28 and 29, a more detailed design plan will be developed. The very beginnings of this solar park idea come from the recent completion of a pre-feasibility study by the Clinton Climate Initiative, a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation.

Dipuo Peters, South Africa’s Minister of Energy, recently said of this project that “the creation of a Solar Park would present the country with a unique opportunity to become a manufacturing and technology hub for the global solar industry. If South Africa moves quickly, it has an opportunity to become a key manufacturer of solar technology.”

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U.S. solar production to hit 10GW by 2015

Solar energy is serious business. The push towards renewable energy over the last decade is translating into rapid growth in the solar power sector, with signs that the industry is really starting to make a serious move from fringe to mainstream. According to Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Association (SEIA), solar is now the fastest growing energy industry in the U.S. and a glance at the graph above makes clear the massive growth predicted in the next five years.

Writing as a guest blogger on Climate Progress, Resch paints a rosy picture of the industry's future. There are currently 100,000 people employed in the solar sector and it's expected that enough solar installations to power more than 200,000 U.S. homes will be installed in 2010. By 2015, this number could reach 2 million per annum with solar power plants reaching a combined capacity of 10 gigawatts.

"We can install so much solar energy that we will eliminate the need for any new coal or nuclear power plants in the U.S. ever again," say Resch.

Also has some interesting things to say about how Big Oil is defending its turf.

The solar industry’s gains continued with last week’s announcement by the Department of the Interior that it will issue permits allowing the first utility-scale solar project on federal land. This is a significant milestone for solar. Over the last two decades, 74,000 permits have been approved for oil and gas drilling on public lands. And up until last week solar had received zero.

Resch also points out a recent milestone for solar development with the Department of the Interior now saying it will issue permits for utility-scale solar project on federal land, a move that will help the industry as it works to gain a foothold in an arena that's still very much dominated by Big Oil.

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The Obama White House commitment to solar

Just last week, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley announced the White House was getting solar panels.

They also unveiled plans to install a solar water heater on the roof of the White House.

According to the White House website, the switch to solar is part of "a project that demonstrates American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes throughout the country."

The announcement kicked off the GreenGov Symposium, which brought together leaders from government, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions and the private sector to identify opportunities for greening the federal government.

Obama's Executive Order in 2009 requires federal agencies to "set greenhouse gas reduction targets, increase energy efficiency, reduce fleet petroleum consumption, conserve water, reduce waste, support sustainable communities and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies."

-- Lori Kozlowski
twitter.com/lorikozlowski

Photo: President Obama points up, as he answers a reporter's question about the solar panels at the White House, saying "They're being installed now," as he, former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (L), and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner walk to the Oval Office. Obama made a statement to the press, after a meeting on the economic efects of infrastructure investment on states and local communities on Oct. 11, 2010. Credit: Dennis Brack / European Pressphoto Agency

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Air Force to quadruple solar energy production

For nearly three years, a 14.2-megawatt solar array spanning 140 acres at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., has held the title of the largest renewable-energy project in the Air Force. Hundreds of media outlets have published stories featuring the vast display of solar panels, and President Obama visited the site last year. Now, Air Force engineers are set to outdo that achievement with plans to build three new solar arrays by 2013 that are as big as or bigger than the current Nellis project. In addition to Nellis AFB, officials at Davis Monthan AFB and Luke AFB, both in Arizona, are planning expansive solar arrays. Davis-Monthan officials awarded SunEdison a solar photovoltaic utility contract in September. They plan to purchase electricity from a 14.5-megawatt photovoltaic solar array to be constructed, designed, owned, operated and maintained by SunEdison on 130 acres of under-utilized base property. Engineers expect the array to deliver 35 percent of the energy needed to operate base facilities. "Several years of industry and government teamwork were required to bring this renewable-energy project to this point," said Col. John Cherrey, the 355th Fighter Wing commander. "The use of emission-free solar power to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, as well as long-term savings on electricity costs, is a great benefit to the base." Luke officials have teamed up with Arizona Public Service Company to build a 15-megawatt solar array on 100 acres of under-utilized base property. The project could produce enough energy to satisfy 50 percent of the base's energy needs and save up to $10 million on utility bills over 25 years, according to Lt. Col. John Thomas, the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. While Davis-Monthan AFB and Luke AFB soon could have the largest renewable-energy plants in the Air Force, with 14.5 and 15 megawatts respectively, the distinction may be short-lived. Air Combat Command and Nellis AFB leaders have plans to construct a 17-megawatt phase-two project in 2012 to add to the 14.2-megawatt array built in 2007. "The Air Force continues to aggressively pursue cleaner sources of energy," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers who, as the Air Force Civil Engineer, is responsible for overseeing all Air Force facilities. "Sustainable installations provide an operational advantage to our force and, needless to say, we are excited by the momentum in this arena."

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Concept bike parking system harnesses solar energy for city streetlights

Bike parking features solar panel system.

The fact that Nordic countries, especially Denmark, have shown a peculiar fondness to environmental friendly bike transportation over decades has inspired Spanish architectural designer Nazli Yucel to design a basic, bike-parking concept for the iconic city of Copenhagen. The concept project will feature a solar panel system, which is integrated within the bike park structure for renewable energy generation.

Copenhagen usually gets 1,630 hours of sunshine a year. If some of it is harnessed through the bike parking system under discussion, it could generate sufficient solar energy to nosh some of streetlights and traffic lights of the city.

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Power your NXT robot with solar panel

$90 buys a 9V/250mA panel from Dexter Industries, supplying enough juice to power a NXT brick and a single servo.

dSolar Systems allow you to power your Lego Mindstorms NXT robot using nothing but the sun! This 9V solar power system is compatible with Lego Mindstorms NXT creations and includes everything you need to get started. Easily attach the solar panel to any of your Mindstorms NXT creations.

They also sell capacitor banks, battery pack rechargers as well as a "Solar Parallel" that can connect three panels together.

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