Fast growing Solar Energy

You would probably not think about Norway as the best location to use solar panels, and that is also correct considering the number of days with rainy weather. However, one of the world's most successful solar-energy companies, Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) is a Norwegian solar energy company headquartered in Oslo that had a remarkable growth during the last few years.

The stock market value doubled last year, mainly because of the increased worldwide focus on environmently friendly engergy-sources. REC says the world's supply of solar-grade silicon will roughly triple by 2010, playing down forecasts for even faster growth in the lucrative sector. Europe is REC Solar’s main market, with Germany the largest segment and the Mediterranean becoming increasingly attractive. REC aims to play a leading role and be a key contributor in shaping the future of the solar energy industry. Their ambition is strong and profitable growth, at a pace at least in line with the development of the PV solar market. They will achieve this by further expanding capacity across all our businesses, while continuing to pursue ambitious technology development programs and cost-reduction initiatives.


Solar power is not only part of the solution for a long-term sustainable energy supply – it is a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive energy source already today.The growth potential is particularly strong for solar energy. It is abundant and renewable, and can contribute to replacing diminishing fossil fuel resources over the long run. Solar energy production entails no greenhouse gas emissions or noise during its operation. Solar modules have no moving parts and will last for many decades without maintenance requirements. Solar energy could also be a key element in providing electricity to the rural poor. The basic requirement is enough sunshine – which is why solar power is particularly suitable in the sunniest regions of the world, i.e. in the “sunbelt” between latitude 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south. In these sunny regions the energy pay-back time for a solar module is less than 2 years, and continues to decline due to technological improvements.



REC official website

REC unveils vision

Hurtigruten - the costal voyage to Norwegian fjords

Hurtigruten or "The World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage" was established in 1893 to improve communications along the jagged coastline of Norway. Today it serves a slightly different purpose, being one of the most popular tourist-gateways to Scandinavia and in particular to the raw Norwegian fjord and coastal landscape.



Most of the cities in Norway are situated by the coast or inside the fjords, and as the mainland topography is dominated by mountains, it made most sense to establish a network of Steamships connecting cities like Hammerfest and Tromso more closely to the rest of Norway. After Hurtigruten started running, the mail from central Norway took only seven days (from previously 3 weeks).



Today, Hurtigruten still is important for local businesses and travelers along the coast, as well as they increasingly have streamlined it's ships to meet the need of modern tourists. Jacuzzis, bars, restaurants and other comforts are now standard in most of the ships.

Altogether the company runs 11 Hurtigruteships along the Norwegian coast, in addition to 54 ferries and high-speed vessels in Nordland, Troms and Sunnmøre. The company has also 2 ships in cruise traffic in the Antarctica and 1 ship under construction which is meant for sailing along the Greenland coast as well as ordinary hurtigrute service.




The main office of the company is situated in Narvik. There are also company offices in Tromsø and Stokmarknes.
Hurtigruten ASA currently employs 3400 people, of which approximately 1800 works in seabased operations, and approximately 170 works in the foreign sales organisation.

Further information:

Hurtigruten History

Hurtigruten offical webpages

Knut the polarbear - not too hot in the summer

The extremely popular baby polarbear "Knut" in Berlin's Zoo is according to German researchers able to regulate it's body temperature quite efficiently to the comfort of many concerned Knut-fans around the world.

Knut (a typical Norwegian name) was born in the Berlin Zoo in Germany in 2006, and after being rejected by it's mother he got the attention of the world. Ranging as the most glamorous polarbear-celebrity of all times, hundred of thousands of visitors have already been to the Zoo to see him.



Read more about Knut:

Spiegel Online

BBC

Wikipedia

Moose killed by bear

The local Norwegian newspaper "Romerikes Blad" has reported a moose found killed next to Busåstjern close to Nordre Mangen in the county of Aurskog-Høland.

Normally bears are not able to kill moose, because the moose will run away in time or also get the upper hand in the struggle.

It was suggested that the moose was already injured or sick and in this way was slowed down and killed.

See pictures on the RB local newspaper homepage:

http://www.rb.no/lokale_nyheter/article2796912.ece

You can also watch another real incidence on YouTube from someone that filmed a bear killing a moose in their driveway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap4A2A_3WJY

Space Moose

Not a story about Norwegian moose in particular, but it's funny to see how much fascination the "king of the woods" can create. Space Moose is an underground comic strip that appeared in the University of Alberta's student newspaper, The Gateway, between 1989 and 1999. Almost all the strips were penned by Adam Thrasher, a biomedical engineering student at the university.




This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... The University of Alberta is situated along the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River in the heart of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The Gateway is the student newspaper at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Biomedical engineering is a discipline concerned with the development and manufacture of prostheses, medical devices, diagnostic devices, drugs and other therapies. ...


The strip follows the adventures of Space Moose, an anthropomorphic, nihilistic, pansexual moose with asymmetrical eyes and a Star Trek uniform, as he violates every behavioral norm and societal taboo he can find. His roommates Marlo Smefner, Billy the Badger, and Bald Dwarf are often the accomplices or victims of his actions. The strip often focused on scatological or sexual themes and often seemed to delight in tweaking readers' sensibilities; as a result, Thrasher found himself in hot water on several occasions.

In February and March 1997, Space Moose ran for student council president and finished a close third with 1400 votes (only 11 votes behind the second place candidate). This led to changes being made in student union rules that would prevent any future "joke" candidate from actually winning an election. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

A book collection, Triumph of the Whim, was published privately, also in 1997. Most strips are available on the Space Moose web site.