New Ways to Avoid or Destroy Video Surveillance

Two new projects help citizens regain some of their privacy by helping them to avoid surveillance or destroy it. The Institute for Applied Autonomy's iSee is an interactive map that shows walkers the path of least surveillance between any two points in Manhattan. And for those who want to take the direct route, an anonymous group explains how to disable inappropriate cameras.

Bikes Paint Messages As You Ride (Project BIKE)

An anonymous investment of $500 has allowed the distribution of a tool that turns any bicycle into a street-writing device. Bradley Pitts (mailto:bmpitts9@hotmail.com), a spokesperson for the group that created the tool, calls it "an efficient way to get a message out on the street... over and over and over again."

SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Ups and downs of high-rise living
Birmingham city council is planning to demolish nearly all of its 315 tower blocks at a time when London property developers are talking of a tower block comeback. So is high-rise doomed or does it represent a solution for overcrowded cities? Matt Weaver sets out the arguments for and against.

Brits Flocking to Flora and Fauna A giant, futuristic greenhouse large enough to contain a tropical rainforest will become one of England's top five visitor attractions this month

Go-ahead for world's biggest offshore windfarm

The Irish government today gave the go-ahead for the world's biggest off-shore wind-generated power plant.

The £400 million project will be sited in the Irish Sea, five miles from the coast of Ireland's Co Wicklow and 40 miles south of Dublin.
It will be capable of producing 520 megawatts of electricity 10% of the Irish Republic's power requirements, and enough for 500,000 households from a series of 200 turbines sunk in an undersea sand bank that runs for a total of 24 miles.
Frank Fahey, Ireland's Marine and Natural Resources Minister, formally granted a licence for the wind farm after the conclusion of negotiations with eirtricity, the group behind the scheme.
Construction of the marine wind park is due to start later this year and it will be developed on a phased basis.
Fahey gave assurances today that the huge plant would pose no environmental problems.
The underwater sections of its turbines, each sunk into at least 15 metres of the sea bed, are expected to encourage marine wild life species.
A exclusion zone for navigation is to be extended around the location, already largely avoided by shipping because of the hazard generated by the Arklow Sandbank site of the plant a move that is expected to help protect fish.
The development, which will be three times larger than any other similar project, is set to lower significantly Ireland's current 86% dependence on imported energy.
The minister said: "It's a big power station and will provide 10% of our electricity from the cleanest energy in the world.

"We have had a lot of public consultations over this eight submissions were received and they were all in favour.

"It will be visible from a number of points on land in clear, bright weather, but it should not be a major impact on scenery.

"Clearly, it is a very good and economic form of energy. This is the first project of its type here, and it is fair to say the marine environment is beginning to become much more important to our economy.

"We will have further wind farms and are at present developing technology for wave-generation of electricity. Our Marine Institute is one of the first organisations in the world to come forward with proposals for that.

Eirtricity comprises a number of Irish-owned companies, headed by Eddie O'Connor, former chief of the Irish government-backed Bord na Mona peat-producing company.

The company already operates two land-based wind farms in Ireland, with two more under construction, and offers power at a price 10% lower than orthodox electricity to several hundred small and medium-sized business customers throughout the Republic.

O'Connor said: "The development of major offshore wind energy parks will be the biggest energy revolution since the internal combustion engine.

"Offshore wind energy alone could provide up to two thirds of Europes electricity needs by 2020.

"The resource is there, the technology is proven, the costs continue to drop all that is needed is the political will to see it happen."