Green Baja

Google is disappointed with the lack of breakthrough investment ideas in the green technology sector but the company is working to develop its own new mirror technology that could reduce the cost of building solar thermal plants by a quarter or more.
"We've been looking at very unusual materials for the mirrors both for the reflective surface as well as the substrate that the mirror is mounted on," the company's green energy czar Bill Weihl told Reuters Global Climate and Alternative Energy Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday.
Google, known for its Internet search engine, in late 2007 said it would invest in companies and do research of its own to produce affordable renewable energy within a few years.
The company's engineers have been focused on solar thermal technology, in which the sun's energy is used to heat up a substance that produces steam to turn a turbine. Mirrors focus the sun's rays on the heated substance. Read more here...

That would be perfect for Baja California and the mexican population that is still hesitant to invest / cant afford the current pricing!

Green building achieves ecological and aesthetic harmony between structure and the natural environment; it reduces the building impacts on human health and environment by better site selection, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal, the complete building cycle. Realizing a sustainable design is about more than simply utilizing specialized materials and systems—it requires a fundamental shift in thinking from start to finish. The key to successfully integrating green elements into any design is early involvement. Important decisions regarding systems and finishes must be carefully considered during the planning phase of a project to maximize the available options for the completed space. Integration is another key factor—it is critical that all systems in a building work together smoothly, and changing one will likely require a change in the others. But if such concerns are taken into account during the design phase, green elements can be easily incorporated into any facility with only a small increase in cost. They can also save money in the long run through improved efficiency and lowered maintenance costs.

For a long time, most people believed “green” or sustainable building was the province of granola-gobblers who built homes out of recycled tires and equipped them with hideous-looking solar panels the size of garage doors. Perhaps they used hay bales for insulation. And they all lived in California. Then, environmentally conscious construction began to enter the mainstream, and some early adopters in the commercial sector went with the flow. The problem green-leaning contractors always had was convincing owners that higher initial construction costs would pay off in the long run with a building’s reduced energy consumption. The “feel-good” factor, prodding owners to a loftier level of ecological awareness, was an even harder sell, especially in a low-bid world.

Known as the “Mexican Galapagos,” Baja and the Sea of Cortez have tremendous scenic and ecological variety, and are a refuge for blue, gray, fin, humpback, Bryde’s, and sperm whales, as well as several dolphin species. Travel and accommodations are aboard the Spirit of Adventure, with ports of call at Baja’s diverse islands. Visiting San Ignacio Lagoon, one of the major gray whale calving lagoons of Baja, we expect to see whale mothers with calves and “friendly” gray whales. Snorkeling is one of many highlights in the Sea of Cortez. Read more here...