Facebook's Dirty Secret (Video News)

Welcome to the Planet 100 for February 9, 2010. Here's what we're covering today:

WATCH VIDEO: The top environmental stories of the day in 100 seconds or less.

Facebook's Dirty Secret

Facebook users maybe surprised to learn that their forward-looking social networking site is using an old, dirty technology to fuel its data center..coal, the number one cause of climate change.

Facebook's data center farms are located in renewable-energy rich Oregon, yet they'll be powered by a coal plant in Idaho. The reason? Cost. Facebook opted to bet on incremental price increases associated with coal rather than face tier-two pricing from local hydropower provider, BPA.

WATCH VIDEOS: More on Coal and the Environment

Data center power is on the ascent in the US. According to the Energy Information Administration it now accounts for 1.4 percent of total electrical consumption.

Via: Treehugger.com

Rent-a-Tiger
With tiger population at record lows, governments are resorting to extreme measures to help protect this endangered species, including Indonesia's radical plan to rent them out to millionaires.

Forestry ministry officials are proposing "tiger adoption" where a pair of tigers can be rented out for a deposit of one billion rupiah—that's $100,000 US—to raise money for conservation. So far, twelve environmental groups have lodged complaints, claiming the government is ignoring the real issues at hand.

Only 400 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild, habitat destruction and poaching are the main culprits for their demise.

Via: MSNBC

CittaSlow

Cities can now be certified Cittaslow. "Slow food" cities must meet a list of 55 criteria that encourage residents to eat locally and live sustainably. Positano, Italy and Sonoma, California are the first to make the list.

Via: Huff Po

Photo Credits:

coal plant ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock

river ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock

circus tigers ©Jerry Yulsman/Getty Images

tiger ©Comstock Images/Thinkstock

Italian city ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock