I love robots. There’s no secret there — I’ve always been a huge fan. I subscribe to Google Alerts for ‘robots’ cause I want to keep tabs on how soon I can have one of my very own to do housework, cooking, take pets for walks, and hey, maybe play chess or Monopoly with.

Well, the Nature Conservancy is having a pretty cool contest right now. Their new ROV (remotely operated vehicle) needs a name. That’s right! They have a neato little underwater robot — albeit for more altruistic reasons than I.

This ROV will be swimming along the seafloor to study the effects of trawl fishing off California’s Central Coast. It will take pictures and video which researchers will use to help pioneer environmentally and economically sustainable fishing techniques. Cool!

Alright, so I feel bad wanting a robot slave to do my bidding now that I’ve read this. So here, I’ll help name the ROV.

You have the choice between 5 options:
Beagle — Darwin’s famous ship.
Petrale Patrol — Fishy!
Rachel Carson — An environmental legend and an inspiration.
Rock Lobster — What is a sea robin, exactly?
Nemo — In honor of their latest underwater adventure.

Oh! Ooh! Rock Lobster. Definitely. *sings* Everybody had matching towels!

Your turn. Head to the website and enter. I just did!

A small school in Racine WI — Walden III middle and high school — have successfully made it into a position in the top ten finalists of a national essay contest. The prize? Recognition as America’s Greenest School.

The contest, sponsored by IC Bus, will also hand over a hybrid bus to the winning school and a $5000 scholarship to the winning essay writer. The essay writer in Walden III’s case is 17 year old senior Bria Kaufman.

“I’m like freaking out about it because I wasn’t expecting it and now there’s all this attention. I keep telling myself to breathe. It’s very intense.”

Bria wrote about green initiatives at Walden including solar panels that are installed on the roof with money raised entirely by the school. Walden students also worked with the community to hand out florescent light bulbs and to plant trees, Bria said.

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