Geek In Me

by Joshua Topolsky via engadget.com

Look, protecting the world from the terror of Jihadists is serious business — which is why we’re not sure that rolling up on a Segway is the best way to get the Axis of Evil to drop its weapon / bomb / fanatic mindset… still, Jackie Chan will be psyched. Our suggestion? the electric unicycle.

by Patrick Metzger via greendaily.com

If you’re headed to China this summer, you might want to pack a couple of cases of bottled water.

Wired reports that as Beijing gears up for the Olympic Games and an expected 1.5 million thirsty visitors on top of the 18 million regular residents, the capital is sucking up water resources from around the country.

With Beijing’s own groundwater resources largely polluted or disappearing from drought and overuse, the city is using its political clout to keep itself hydrated. In neighbouring Hebei Province, 80 billion gallons of water are being routed to Beijing from already depleted reservoirs. Rivers and canals are being diverted, and villages miles away from the capital are vanishing because their water supplies have been comandeered.

While the end of the Olympics will ease Beijing’s thirst somewhat, it’s clear that water shortages aren’t going to go away, especially in light of the immense amount of the blue stuff required to keep China’s factories churning out culottes and LCD screens. And global warming isn’t going to help any.

by Josh Loposer via greendaily.com

Despite it’s efforts to shut down its smoggy industry and alter its weather for this year’s Olympic Games, it seems that Beijing just can’t catch a break. With the games set to begin in only 2 and 1/2 months, sandstorms from Mongolia are causing Beijing’s air quality to go from bad to worse to worst — and the authorities are warning citizens with respiratory ailments to stay indoors.

Right now, Beijing’s air quality is officially rated as “heavily polluted” — not exactly the kind of environment that attracts world class athletes. Usually, these sand storms hit Beijing skies in March and April, but for whatever reason, they seem to be trying to sabotage the Olympics.