| The Big Thirst: The Great American Water Crisis
Here in scenic southern Tennessee, the drought is adding to the problems of extreme rural poverty. At a highway rest stop for tourists - near a bridge named for Senator Albert Gore Sr, a Tennesseean and father of Nobel laureate Al Gore Jr - the toilets are closed for lack of water. In a nearby town, the mayor orders the grass regularly mown on the exposed banks of a reservoir that until recently was below water. From the air the impact of the drought is most obvious. The mighty Tennessee and Chattahoochee rivers have been reduced to narrow channels of muddy brown water. Sandbanks and islands have appeared and old tree stumps now poke out of lakes and reservoirs as the water level falls. The government's "drought monitor" says that 32 per cent of the region is in "exceptional drought", its most severe designation.
How Tata has built a car that costs less than a motorbike
Tata has launched the Nano as a family car for four or five people, but the company concedes that the Nano is no limousine, with its dimensions of 3.1 m long by 1.5 m wide and 1.6 m high. Once again, though, the compact dimensions help to keep costs down, as the smaller the vehicle is, the fewer materials are required for its construction. A small, lightweight car can also be fitted with a smaller, lighter engine. In the Nano's case, the 624.6 cc, 33 PS, 48 Nm twin-cylinder aluminium engine is mounted transversely under the rear seats, ahead of the rear axle line and mated directly with the four-speed transaxle. No common components Because the Nano was being designed to be such a low-budget car, all components had to be designed from scratch, with nothing carried over from Tata's other vehicles.
Homes blend eco-friendliness, unique design
Theres been quite a buzz around town lately about energy and water conservation practices, and for years so-called green building has been a hit.
However a few homes in Truckee were built eco-friendly, not just to save heat and money, but because theyre just plain interesting.
One with the Earth
Sue and Jeff Cauhape have been living in their Tahoe Donner, earth berm home for 12 years. The couple maintains that, despite being for-the-most-part covered in dirt, their home is very bright and inviting.
Its not dark inside at all; we were surprised by how much light there was, Sue Cauhape said. We tried to sell it for two years, but I dont think a lot of people get the concept. Its odd, but weve been very comfortable here.
Comfort inside the home can be attributed to its thermal mass the walls absorb and retain heat, so the house requires neither heater nor air conditioner.
Like, OMG! Chevy Goes Green With the Jonas Brothers!
Yes, they're huge — like High School Musical big, but we're not usually ones to cover the Jonas Brothers everyday since, you know, we're a bit older. We're more into the OMG 90210 reunion with Kelly and Dylan! Unfortunately looking at Luke Perry makes me feel old. Thankfully Jennie Garth still looks fabulous - must have been all that dancing. Adorable Abigail is always a favorite since seeing her just brings a smile to our faces. Kate Beckinsale was also at the event at Disney but she was covering up her pretty face more than normal this time around. Bella wants to know, do you love or hate Kate's look? Either way, she doesn't look all that thrilled to be green with Chevy. For a lot more pictures from the event which includes a Baldwin, Jim Belushi, Wayne Brady and more just read more .
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